From Paradise Back to the Tundra

We returned from our big trip last night...
We had a blast! Everything was fun and very nice, except the weather was a little cool and windy, but it beats South Dakota in January!
Our two stops in the Bahamas were in Freeport and Nassau. In each of these places, Greg and I just wandered around on our own, which was fun. We enjoyed finding history, culture, and shopping, and of course the ocean- so amazing in the Caribbean.
On the ship, our favorite things included the comedian shows, the piano bar host, and the Vegas-type shows. I also won the mini-golf contest, and came in close for the bean bag toss! There are lots of random things to do, which we enjoyed!

Kyla loved staying with her Gamma. My mom said she didn't even ask for us while we were gone... I'm sure she was just having too much fun getting spoiled! Then, of course, she cried when we took her home- wanted to stay with Gamma!

I took today off work, which I am thankful for. We're getting back in the grove, and catching up on laundry. Greg also has all weekend off work, which is perfect. Tomorrow we are looking forward to going to Xcite family fun center with Jer & Jaci and kids (Kyla's cousins).

Dreaming of Sunshine...

The bags are packed, the dog is at the "puppy resort", and Kyla is at Grandma's house (sad).
Our plane leaves Omaha at 9:50am, then we're off to Orlando, Florida. We will spend one night in Orlando and then we get on the Carnival cruise ship "Sensation" on Sunday afternoon. We'll be at sea for 5 days with two stops in the Bahamas. We return to Florida on Thursday and will fly back into Omaha on Thursday night. I'm looking forward to sunshine, beaches, relaxing and reading. :)
Not sure if we'll be able to get on the internet or phone (I think everything is avaiable for a certain cost... so we'll see). It will be a much-needed break from everything here. It will be difficult to leave my baby girl and my mom, but I am really planning on enjoying myself with my wonderful husband!
My mom has the most important job in the world right now... taking care of our Kyla. And she will love every second of it! If you're able, be sure to check in on her. Although she's cute and smart, Kyla is a 1 1/2 year old, sometimes naughty, little girl... she may need some respite ;)
Thank you all for your cares and prayers!

Prayer Please

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

On Sunday evening, my dad walked out on my mom. He "hasn't been happy for a long time." "Nobody knows what it's been like." He says he's been wanting to leave for a long time.
I hate it. I can't stand not knowing what's going to happen. I can't stand not having any control.
My mom is a mess. She says she can't live alone. She thinks she's not strong enough to handle this (though, she is, she's an amazing Christian woman.) She wants my dad to come home.
I'm strong. That's what everyone keeps telling me. I'm giving it my all to hold everything together. I support my mom. I talk to my dad. I listen to my sister cry and swear. I try to read my brother. I keep my aunts and uncles informed (they are all so supportive!) I listen to ideas, I give advice, I pray. But I don't cry... much. It is so surreal.
I don't hate my dad. But I HATE what he is doing.
I want everything back to normal; if not for my mom, then for myself. Maybe it's selfish. I want to bring my children to Grandma AND Grandpa's house for holidays. I want my sister to enjoy a future wedding day to the fullest. I want my family to stay together, as a promise was made before God nearly 28 years ago.
There's more to the story, but I'll leave it at that for today.
Please pray for continued strength and peace for my mom. Please pray for my dad as he is confronted with the most important decision in his life. Please pray for patience for us kids. PLEASE pray for my family.

P.S. I believe God has put this song in my mom's life- It's definately her prayer right now. Just wanted to share.

New(er) Car!

Here's whats new in our life- a 2010 Saturn Outlook! We've been thinking about a different car for the last few months. We wanted a 3rd row seat. We were thinking either an Acadia or a Traverse. This is pretty much the same thing, except it is a Saturn. And it is fancy! My brother told us about it- it was at the dealership that he works for. Everything turned out good, so we traded in our Chevy Equinox today. I'm kinda afraid to break something. It's the nicest and newest thing I've ever driven! I love it!
In other news: It's cold. I'm ready for summer. We're all couped up in this house without anywhere to go. I'm excited to take Kyla to play at parks, ride bike, and go for walks. Same with the dog- we miss the dog park!
We do leave in one week for our cruise! It will be just Greg and I. Kyla will be staying with my parents. Mason will go to what we call the "puppy resort." I know I'll miss Kyla terribly, but I'm excited for the adventure!

Merry Christmas/ Happy New Year

I've fallen quite behind with my blogging...
Christmas was a lot of fun, especially with Kyla! We gave her a play kitchen set, some books, an Elmo DVD, and an Elmo shirt. Pretty sure that the Elmo shirt was her favorite of them all... she would wear it everyday if we didn't hide it! She got tons of stuff from my parents too- a 4-wheeler, Elmo DVD, a Peterbuilt truck (like my dad's) and I think some more stuff that I am forgetting... anyway, she should be entertained for a while! She had already gotten gifts from Greg's side over Thanksgiving. We had to have my grandpa build us a new big toybox this past month. Haha :)
I had Christmas Eve and New Years Eve off of work. It was nice to have a little more time with Kyla than usual. She's getting to be quite the little girl. Smart and chatty and sometimes naughty, but lovable!
Now, Greg and I have our Bahama cruise to look forward to (in 18 days!!) Kyla is going to stay with my parents. I'm starting to get sad thinking about leaving her, but I know she'll have fun too with Gamma and Papa. I gotta start thinking about packing...