Will the Warrior King
Fully equipped with Advent Wreath for crown, fuzzy pink scarf to hold sword, plastic keys to the Kingdom, and fleece cape!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Goals 2009
In an effort to actually keep my goals by making them public, here is my list of 2009 Goals:
Purchase 3 mo register & start back on WW in January.
Weigh 135 by June 2009.
Fit into black dress for 10th Anniversary.
Pay off debt.
Build Emergency Savings.
Help Sophia start to read.
Wean Will & get him potty-trained.
Limit internet-use to evening only (except bill paying) and not during school hours.
Pray Chaplet in morning and rosary & daily reading in evening.
Purchase 3 mo register & start back on WW in January.
Weigh 135 by June 2009.
Fit into black dress for 10th Anniversary.
Pay off debt.
Build Emergency Savings.
Help Sophia start to read.
Wean Will & get him potty-trained.
Limit internet-use to evening only (except bill paying) and not during school hours.
Pray Chaplet in morning and rosary & daily reading in evening.
Christmas in Kansas
Well, here we are in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, the period from Christmas Day to the Feast of the Epiphany. Last year at this time we were eagerly awaiting Nicholas' birth. We kept hoping that each day would be IT, but he waited until January 5th to make his grand appearance!
The weekend before Christmas we travelled to Kansas for a long Christmas vacation. We managed to spend at least 4 days each with Michael's family and my family. We had a really good visit, but opened way too many presents. In fact, we couldn't stuff everything into our car! Poor children (tongue in cheek), they will have to wait until mid-February when my parents visit to see the rest of their Christmas gifts.
Some of the highlights of our trip to Kansas:
Nicholas at ChuckECheese.
Will with one of Grandma's giant Nutcrackers.
My sweet niece Olivia with the same Nutcracker.
Will & Olivia perched on top of giant green elephant plant stands.
My Family on Christmas Day.
GrandKids on Christmas Day.
My Family before Christmas Eve Mass.
Nicholas eating cupcake.
Great-Aunt Toni, Nicholas & Cole.
The weekend before Christmas we travelled to Kansas for a long Christmas vacation. We managed to spend at least 4 days each with Michael's family and my family. We had a really good visit, but opened way too many presents. In fact, we couldn't stuff everything into our car! Poor children (tongue in cheek), they will have to wait until mid-February when my parents visit to see the rest of their Christmas gifts.
Some of the highlights of our trip to Kansas:
Sophia & Bubbles Grandma got all gussied up to go see the Nutcracker Ballet.
We celebrated Nicholas' & cousin Cole's 1st Birthdays ... a little early. And also Great-Aunt Toni's B-Day - I won't mention her age:)
It was almost the Christmas that Aunt Allison "lost" Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa, but Great-Grandpa Mike found his way to the restaurant without the aid of directions or a cell phone!
It was soooo cold outside that my bottle of benadryl froze in the car overnight!
Then a few days later we had 70 degree weather and hail overnight.
We got to visit with our friends Dawn & Matt and Ron & Mary Kate. Good times all around!
We got to celebrate my nephew's successful potty training with a Potty Party at ChuckECheese.
Nicholas developed the pincher grasp.
Below are some photos from the trip:
Nicholas at ChuckECheese.
Will with one of Grandma's giant Nutcrackers.
My sweet niece Olivia with the same Nutcracker.
Will & Olivia perched on top of giant green elephant plant stands.
My Family on Christmas Day.
GrandKids on Christmas Day.
My Family before Christmas Eve Mass.
Nicholas eating cupcake.
Great-Aunt Toni, Nicholas & Cole.Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Greetings...
Merry Christmas 2008
Greetings to you and your family this Christmas season!
We hope this letter finds you surviving – I mean enjoying – the race to Christmas.
Last year at this same time we were eagerly awaiting a birth. I would like to say we were ardently preparing for Jesus’ birthday, but really we were hoping our third baby would make an early appearance. Nicholas Joseph Krondak was born on January 5, 2008, a week or so after his due date. Again, we were blessed to have my parents, Michael’s parents, & my sister and her family with us when he was born. He weighed in at 8 lbs 11 oz after a very good, natural birth. He has continued to surprise us with super long arms & legs – off the charts at every doctor’s visit. He has begun to walk, is a good eater and spends a lot of time chasing his sister & brother!
Every family should have a two year old – just to keep them on their toes. Will is our ever-changing little man. He is quite a talker, smiler, hat-wearer, pretender & even a terror every once in a while. He is definitely all boy. He is most of the time found wearing a cape with sword (vacuum wand, toy tool) in hand. Right now his goal in life is to “save the world” just like Larryboy, the VeggieTales’ super pickle!
Sophia, our ever-industrious five year old, has reached a major milestone. We’ve begun homeschooling our smart little Kindergartener with the assistance of St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. It has been a rewarding – and sometimes trying – experience. I am truly amazed at how much she has learned so far. When we aren’t schoolin’, she is usually at the table drawing and telling stories.
Michael & I are closing in on our 10th married year in June 2009. WOW! Michael spent 1/3 of the year preparing for the Professional Engineers Exam, which he took in October. As real torture to the examinees, results aren’t released for three months. He also completed his first triathlon in April. He’ll be training for more triathlons and the Bataan Memorial Death March in Las Cruces, NM in 09. Becoming a home educator has certainly changed my day. I am much busier than I was before, but in a good way. I find I have less time to burn now – forcing me to be more efficient with my time.
2008 Trip Synopsis: We traveled to Leavenworth for Easter, Wichita for my niece’s high school graduation, Lincoln & Omaha for Michael’s family reunions, Denver to see old Newman Center friends, and, sadly, to Lawrence, KS for my Aunt Lovetta’s funeral. Please kindly say a prayer for her husband and four sons.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Blessed Advent, Merry Christmas, and Joy in the New Year through Christ Jesus, the infant King!
Emily, Michael, Sophia, Will & Nicholas
Greetings to you and your family this Christmas season!
We hope this letter finds you surviving – I mean enjoying – the race to Christmas.
Last year at this same time we were eagerly awaiting a birth. I would like to say we were ardently preparing for Jesus’ birthday, but really we were hoping our third baby would make an early appearance. Nicholas Joseph Krondak was born on January 5, 2008, a week or so after his due date. Again, we were blessed to have my parents, Michael’s parents, & my sister and her family with us when he was born. He weighed in at 8 lbs 11 oz after a very good, natural birth. He has continued to surprise us with super long arms & legs – off the charts at every doctor’s visit. He has begun to walk, is a good eater and spends a lot of time chasing his sister & brother!
Every family should have a two year old – just to keep them on their toes. Will is our ever-changing little man. He is quite a talker, smiler, hat-wearer, pretender & even a terror every once in a while. He is definitely all boy. He is most of the time found wearing a cape with sword (vacuum wand, toy tool) in hand. Right now his goal in life is to “save the world” just like Larryboy, the VeggieTales’ super pickle!
Sophia, our ever-industrious five year old, has reached a major milestone. We’ve begun homeschooling our smart little Kindergartener with the assistance of St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. It has been a rewarding – and sometimes trying – experience. I am truly amazed at how much she has learned so far. When we aren’t schoolin’, she is usually at the table drawing and telling stories.
Michael & I are closing in on our 10th married year in June 2009. WOW! Michael spent 1/3 of the year preparing for the Professional Engineers Exam, which he took in October. As real torture to the examinees, results aren’t released for three months. He also completed his first triathlon in April. He’ll be training for more triathlons and the Bataan Memorial Death March in Las Cruces, NM in 09. Becoming a home educator has certainly changed my day. I am much busier than I was before, but in a good way. I find I have less time to burn now – forcing me to be more efficient with my time.
2008 Trip Synopsis: We traveled to Leavenworth for Easter, Wichita for my niece’s high school graduation, Lincoln & Omaha for Michael’s family reunions, Denver to see old Newman Center friends, and, sadly, to Lawrence, KS for my Aunt Lovetta’s funeral. Please kindly say a prayer for her husband and four sons.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Blessed Advent, Merry Christmas, and Joy in the New Year through Christ Jesus, the infant King!
Emily, Michael, Sophia, Will & Nicholas
Friday, December 19, 2008
Christmas at Home 2008
As promised below are photos from our early Christmas. Enjoy!
And the Reason for the Season....
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Not much to say....
I wish I had something interesting to post here today. Not much has been happening other than getting ready for Christmas & having school. I feel like we are sort of in a circling pattern. We leave on Saturday to visit both sets of Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles, and cousins for 8 days.
I have mastered putting Nicholas in the Rucksack hold with my baby wrap. It sure makes a difference when it is 4:30 PM, I'm trying to make dinner, and Nicholas is super crabby. He's actually fallen asleep a couple of times & I've managed to transfer him to the bed both times still asleep!
I have mastered putting Nicholas in the Rucksack hold with my baby wrap. It sure makes a difference when it is 4:30 PM, I'm trying to make dinner, and Nicholas is super crabby. He's actually fallen asleep a couple of times & I've managed to transfer him to the bed both times still asleep!
The Big Man himself - Santa - will be making an early visit to our house tonight. I have so much yet to do - wrap, prepare food for tomorrow, pack for our long trip. AAAGGHHH!
I'll try to post tomorrow afternoon with our "Christmas" pix.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
And the Prize for the Earliest Christmas Card goes to...
I'm the type of person that loves to receive & send mail. So, Christmas card buying and holiday letter writing is one of my favorite parts of the pre-Christmas season. I say "pre-Christmas" season because we don't start decorating for Christmas until after Advent. We then leave up all of our Christmas decorations through the Epiphany (Jan. 7th). But, I digress.
A friend from my hometown, Becky S., is the winner of the Krondak See-Who-We-Will-Receive-the-First-Christmas-Card-From Competition. And, I must say, it was a beautiful card with a lovely picture of her family. I have to brag a little on her. She has lost some serious weight in the past year and looks absolutely stunning! Becky always sends a great photo of her family. I'll admit here that I've tried to pattern my family pix off some of the great ones she has sent.
Congratulations, Becky! Sorry, there isn't an actual prize, other than knowing yours is the first to go into our Christmas card sleigh.:)
A friend from my hometown, Becky S., is the winner of the Krondak See-Who-We-Will-Receive-the-First-Christmas-Card-From Competition. And, I must say, it was a beautiful card with a lovely picture of her family. I have to brag a little on her. She has lost some serious weight in the past year and looks absolutely stunning! Becky always sends a great photo of her family. I'll admit here that I've tried to pattern my family pix off some of the great ones she has sent.
Congratulations, Becky! Sorry, there isn't an actual prize, other than knowing yours is the first to go into our Christmas card sleigh.:)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Post-Thanksgiving Favorite Memories of All Time
As Thanksgiving was creeping up on me, I pondered posting my favorite Thanksgiving memories. Then in the days following Thanksgiving, I was too busy eating all the left-overs to post ideas. Now, day 6 after the holiday, I have a few moments to actually write about this Thanksgiving and the Thanksgivings past.
I think my all-time favorite Thanksgiving was in 1984 or 1985 when we gathered in my Mom's hometown along with my 20 or 30 other relatives to surprise my Grandfather for his 70th birthday. I was in elementary-school at the time, so some details are fuzzy, but I remember running around the K of C Hall with my cousins, eating pancakes that were a little burned (my Daddy wasn't charge of the grill that meal I'm sure), dressing up in old Prom dresses and generally having a wonderful extended family Thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving was spent at our house with Bubbles Grandparents & Horsey Great-Grandparents in attendance. Michael fried up the turkey to moist excellence, Great-Grandma Betty brought cranberry salad, Grandma Anita brought an awesome broccoli salad and I filled in the other requisite dishes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and dumplings. Our guests even graciously wore the homemade Indian headdress and Pilgrim hats the kids and I made. On Friday, we made it to the mall in time to see Santa arrive by Tractor. Then the kids sat on Santa's lap - Will's very first time to see the big guy so close up. Sophia very seriously asked, "Should I say I've been bad or good?" She didn't want to say she'd been good or even bad, but decided she would thank him in advance for the gifts he was going to bring to her!
While the guys cheered the Huskers on to victory over Colorado, I had a lesson in knitting from Bubbles Grandma. I am determined to learn how to knit pumpkin hats, but I need to start with a simple scarf to gain some actual knitting skills. Let's hope I can make some progress on it before winter is actually over.
So, that was our Thanksgiving 2008. We had a very nice visit with the grandparents.
Now, only 22 more shopping days until Christmas!
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