Prayers Needed

My Christian faith has always managed to get me through some pretty tough times, and now I am needing it more than ever! Nate and I were expecting our first baby in July. I went for my yearly check with by OB doctor yesterday. I went in at the 12 week mark. She tried to listen for the heartbeat. As I laid there while she ran over my belly with her instrument, I was so excited to hear what was growing inside of me. It seemed like she was trying for 5 minutes, but it was only probably about 2 minutes. She could see I was getting upset because she couldn't find anything, so she let me chose. I could wait until next week and try again or I could go and get an ultrasound. I opted for the ultrasound and was very fortunate I could get in that day. I asked her if it was common to not hear the heartbeat at this stage and she said yes. I went home right away and got on the internet and read in my baby book that many women have had that happen, so I felt okay, not great but okay.

Nate took me to the hospital for an ultrasound. When we walked in the room I could sense something was different. The technician asked me what problems I have been having. I had told her no problems, they just tried to get the heartbeat today and couldn't . She then got me ready for the ultrasound and rubbed the instrument on my belly again for a long time. She only found the sack or whatever it's called. I was nervous and scared at that point. She decided to get closer and do another type of ultrasound. She again only found the sack and it was measuring at 6.5 weeks. I didn't know what was going on and just wanted to cry!

She called my doctor and we were able to meet with her. We found that I did get pregnant, but the egg never was able to attach to my uterine wall. So at about 6.5 weeks the growth stopped. My body still thought I was pregnant.

Nate and I sat in the office and just listened to every thing. I think he was listening more and I was just in shock. I still can't believe it. So now we just wait.

I've gone through a roller coaster of feelings; anger, sadness, understanding, not understanding, frustration, and the list goes on. Nate's had some of those feelings too. He has been a great comfort to me.

I'm writing this down because this is my journal. Writing helps me to express my fears, sorrows, and joys. I also write this to ask for your prayers. I know all of you who read this have been praying for Nate and I during our pregnancy. Now we need prayers to strengthen us and comfort us.

My Christian faith will help me through this. We both believe that God has a plan for us. He had this happen for a reason, we don't quite know it yet, but we know He doesn't let things happen just because. We pray that God will draw us near during this difficult time and bless us in the end. I know that Nate and I are supposed to be parents some day. That's why God brought us together. I need to be patient and pray.

Thank you for your prayers!

Two Years of Happiness

Nate and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary today. We can't believe how fast these two years have gone by. It seems like yesterday we were planning our wedding and then walking down the isle. These two years have been so much fun!

As I look back at my wedding day, I get all teary eyed. It was a beautiful day, even though we had rain instead of snow! My favorite part of the day was seeing Nate for the very first time. The look in his eyes will always stay with me. I had prayed so long that God would send me the man of my dreams! He does answer prayers! He sent me someone to protect me, care for me, make me happy when I am sad, and take this amazing journey of life with me.

Now we are embarking on a new journey together... starting a family! Nate has been great through this first trimester. He has been so patient with me as I am feeling good one minute and not so good the next. He has gone to the store to buy me ginger ale, soda crackers, and frozen yogurt. What an awesome husband! I know that he will be an awesome dad too!

My 2nd Graders' Reactions...

Last week I was finally able to let my little second graders know about my big news. I told the kids that it was time for a writing activity. I heard a few moans and groans and then the fun began. They began copying the letter I was writing on the overhead. Now second graders write at different speeds. Some write extremely slow and others write super fast. As some of them got to the sentence, "I've got great news...my teacher is having a baby!" I heard the following"

"What?"
"Mrs. Mihalek's got something growing in her tummy?"
"Are you kidding?"
"You're having a baby?"
"Who is going to be our teacher for the rest of the year?"
"You mean you're not leaving us? You're our teacher for the rest of the year? Are you sure?"
"My mom got really fat when she had my brother!"
"Can I still hug you or will I hurt the baby?"

I wish I had a video camera of all of their reactions. I started crying because I was laughing so hard. They couldn't believe it! I explained to them that I will be here the whole year. That didn't make a couple of kids happy. The rest were pretty excited. It's going to be a fun rest of the year. I just pray for health, energy, and patience!

We've Got Great News!

Nate and I are so happy to announce that we are going to have...a BABY!!!! That is correct! We found out a couple of weeks ago and are finally letting the good news be heard! I am 8 weeks already! I can't believe it! Actually I can because of all the books I've been reading and how they say I am supposed to be feeling. Boy do I ever feel what they are saying I should feel like! I've been tired and very nauseous! It is so hard to be at school when I feel like that, but I know tons of people who have done it before me. I just keep thinking of the wonderful little baby that is growing inside of me and it is all worth it!!

Nate took me to the doctor today for our first appointment. The doctor asked a lot of medical questions. We found out that our little bundle of joy will be coming on July 14. Great! A summer baby. I can't wait. I know that time will fly because the school year is going fast!

I haven't told my students yet. I am very excited to do so. I think I will be telling them this week. I'm thinking of a creative way. I think it will go something like this...

"Dear Mom and Dad,

Guess what? I have some great news to tell you. My teacher is going to have a baby in July. She is very excited!"

I thought it would be cute coming from my students!

Please keep us in your prayers, especially Nate having to deal with all of my emotions and lack of energy! He is so patient with me. I'm very blessed!

Thanksgiving Blessings

So it has be a long time since I've written. I look at the month of November and wonder, "Where has this month gone?" Now it's almost Thanksgiving and before long it will be Christmas! I can't believe it!

I love this time of year; the weather is changing, the Christmas decorations are going up, and the Christmas music is blasting all throughout the mall. This time of year reminds me off all the blessings that I have. So just as I have my students write about what they are thankful for, I would like to take the time to reflect upon all of my blessings.

I am thankful for...

• my wonderful husband Nate. I thank God that He brought Nate and I together. He is the love of my life and I thank him for doing so much for me and putting up with me! :)
• my family...mom, dad, Chad, Jaime, and Grandma. I love spending time with them and appreciate all they do for Nate and I.
• Nate's family...mom, dad, Anissa, Craig, and Graham. Since the first day I met them, back at Anissa's wedding, they accepted me with open arms. I love them very much!
• our friends...Rich and Darcie and their beautiful girls. Their friendship means so much to us. They understand our humor and Darcie knows what I am thinking before I even say it.
• my forever friend Kendra and her family of course! She always makes me laugh!
  
• our small group from our church...they are such a wonderful group that goes out of their way to help others. Its great spending time with each other and lifting others up in prayer.
• my job. I truly love what I do. I love seeing the faces of my students when they finally understand what I have been trying to teach to them! I love their thoughts and ideas! Kids are truly a gift from God!
• my faith. I am so blessed because God loves me! I love knowing that He is there when ever I need Him. That is AWESOME!

I hope that each and every one of you have a blessed Thanksgiving. May you spend time with family and friends reflecting on all of your blessings!

Halloween Memories

Today was my Halloween party at school, the first big party of the year. I was a U of M football player. Nate let me borrow some yellow football pants from his school and I used his jersey. Sorry, no picture. My kids liked my costume and I didn't get too many boos from the crowd during the parade. One of my students who is a huge MSU fan said, "Mrs. Mihalek, I like that you're trying to be a football player, but I don't really like the colors that you are wearing. Michigan isn't a good team. Haven't you been watching the games?" I just had to laugh! Kids say the cutest things!

I always enjoy looking at all of the kids and their costumes. I can't believe the time and money that goes into Halloween costumes these days! Even the parents get into it! We all just want to stay young at heart.Halloween always brings back great memories. Here is one of my favorite costumes from when I was younger. I thought I was so cool in my cheerleading outfit and my mom even put makeup on me! I loved going Trick-or-Treating around my childhood neighborhood. Our neighbors used to give the best candy, you know the big candy bars. My grandma always made cute baggies filled with candy. As I got older I enjoyed passing out candy. One year I even played my Jurassic Park cd while the neighbor kids came around, hoping to add a little excitement to their night.

Now I am older, dressing up for school and waiting for some Trick-or-Treaters to come to our door. Not much luck on our street. Oh well! It's just another relaxing night at home. Happy Halloween!

The End of Football Season

Nate and his 8th grade football team ended their season this week with their final game against the other 8th grade team in Grand Haven. The teams played at Buccaneer Stadium under the lights. What a fun night of football, but extremely cold! Darcie, Grace and Joy, and I went to cheer on the team in hopes of a victory, but the other team walked away from the field with a 28-6 win. Oh well, Darcie and I are so proud of our husbands and their dedication to Buccaneer football!Nate giving the team a talk during one of the timeouts.

Rich talking to a group of his players.

Both Grand Haven teams celebrating the end of the game at center field. The teams got together at the end of the game for a cook out and talk about their seasons.

This is Why I Teach

My sister Jaime and her friend Lauren came in to my classroom this week to help me with an arts and craft project. The kids LOVED having them in the classroom and immediately swarmed the two of them.

I thought I would let my kids show off in front of the girls, so we played their favorite math game "Around the World". This is the game where two students are paired together and you show them an addition fact and whoever says the answer first gets to move on to the next person. The object is to get all the way around the room back to their seat. Well, I started in the back with one of my students. We've been using our doubles facts when we play. So, one of my boys that I've been struggling with this year hardly has moved from his seat. I showed him the first card and he beats the girl next to him. He then moves on to the next person and beats that person too. Then on to the next person, and so on and so on. This kid was on FIRE!!! His face was absolutely beaming! He was so proud of himself and I said, "Wow! You are doing a great job on your facts!!" His reply, "I've been practicing at home every night! I play the game by myself!"

So we continued to play the game and he kept advancing. The look on his face was...priceless. I had tears in my eyes because he was so proud of himself. I've never seen a kid so happy and excited that he was actually getting the problems right. Well, he made it all the way "Around the World".

As a teacher it is so exciting to have kids excited about what you're doing in the classroom. I never thought this student would work on his facts at home. He never has appeared excited about school, but yesterday it showed.

After the game was through and he made it back to his seat, he carried himself a little higher. He came in this morning with a totally different attitude and excited about the day. His first words to me this morning, "Are we going to play Around the World today again? I've been practicing!"

That is why I teach!

Jaime's Homecoming

My little sister is now a junior! I can't believe it! I remember when my mom and dad told Chad and I that they were going to have a baby. I was so EXCITED! And now she is growing up so beautifully! She is a talented golfer and very smart young lady.

Yesterday was Jaime's homecoming dance. I was able to be home to watch her get all dressed up for the dance. Our cousin Gina, who just graduated from salon school, came over and did her hair. She did a wonderful job. It was so much fun hanging out with her. She is a sweetie and is so adorable! She'll be working in Coopersville soon! I wish I was that talented at styling hair.

My little sister is growing up. I think I need a tissue now! We love you Jaime! You looked gorgeous once again!

Just Havin' Fun

Are you ready for a good laugh?

I've always wanted big hair!

So I was looking around at some blogs that I usually visit every day after school and I found this fun site. You really need to go and visit yearbookyoursef.com. If you upload your picture you can see what you look like from the 1950s to the 2000s. It even gives you a brief summary of what was popular during that time. What a riot! If you visit the site and make one for yourself, you must put it on your blog!! Have fun!


I just couldn't make pictures of myself. I had to put a couple of Nate up! Hope you enjoy!

Summer Project

Yes that is me and I have a paintbrush in my hand! This summer we were able to spend some time working on the inside of our house. It was time to touch up the walls and change some colors. Poor Nate! I don't think he realized what he was getting into when he married me!

Picking out colors for our house was difficult! I originally wanted to paint one of the walls in our kitchen red, then it changed to burgundy, and finally to a chocolate color. Then I had to pick a color that would go with our chocolate color. That was another chore. Nate was able to help me decide. What a great guy! He is always able to take some of my stress away! What great concentration he has while painting!

My family volunteered to help us paint. My brother and I started painting the living room area. We had a great time bonding together! He is so patient with me! Then Nate and the rest of my family were around to finish the task. We painted the living room, entry way, and hallways a creme color. The two kitchen walls we painted a light chocolate color. The upstairs bathroom we painted a deep blue.

Most of the upstairs is done. We'll attempt our two bedrooms sometime this year. Little by little. Thanks to my family for coming over and helping us with this huge task. We couldn't have done it without your help!

The next weekend Nate's parent came over and helped us some more with our basement bathroom. Nate and his dad spent a lot of time dry walling. They both were covered in dust! Yuck! They are troopers! I don't think we'll be doing the whole basement on our own!

Hopefully this year will get the whole basement done. That would be great to have more space to entertain and relax. Stay tuned for more house projects. I think it will be awhile until we get more stuff done. It's football season in the Mihalek household. That means Michigan games come first! Too bad their season isn't going well!

Back to School

Well school has started! We actually started back to school last week. I meant to update sooner, but I forgot how busy the start of the year can be and how tired I get from working with kids all day. It was so hot that first and second day of school and the heat really made the kids tired. Nate started last week also and has been extremely busy with football after school. We are both starting to get back into the routine of things and are thankful to have our schedule back. I miss the routine in the summer, but it does take quite an adjustment!

I have quite a talkative group this year. When my students leave me at the end of the year, they are like third graders and when school starts I quickly forget how young second graders start out. The tasks that usually take just a little bit of time seem like they now take forever! I know every teacher feels this way. I look out over my classroom every day and miss my group from last year. This happens every year, but more so this year. I had such a great group of kids last year and miss them terribly! I know that after a month or so this new group will be whipped into shape. I hope so!

Nate is teaching 7th grade again this year. He is teaching two sections of math and three sections of science. He also has an advisory group this year and his class sizes are quite big. He is a wonderful teacher and I know he will do another great job this year. He is coaching 8th grade football this year with our good friend Rich. They moved up with their group this year. Darcie and I can't wait for the games. We have such a great time talking and watching our men and their coaching antics. Grace loves to cheer for the Bucs and I think Joy will this year too.

Life is hectic now, but we love what we do and we love the kids, so it's all worth it! I'm so thankful that I am married to a teacher because we both understand each others struggles and triumphs. We hope there are more triumphs than struggles this year.

This is my game and calendar area. My wonderful sister Jaime helps me set up my classroom every year. I don't know what I would do without her. She is a perfectionist and makes everything look beautiful and so organized. Thank you Jaime!

This is my classroom library and every year Jaime helps me organize and reorganize all of the books. A couple of years ago she helped me put all of the books in baskets by their genre. That was quite the task!

I try to pick a theme this year and I've picked fish. It all came from this cool treasure chest that I got when we went camping this summer. This is the other part of our calendar area.

I found this cool idea for a bulletin board in one of my books I bought this summer. I can't think of these things on my own. Hopefully this will help my students remember the classroom rules.

This is our lunch choice area. The kids come in and move their fish magnet to their choice. If there is a magnet left then their either absent or forgot.

Everything looks so nice and orderly in these pictures. My sister took this pictures before our Open House. I'm sure if you would step foot in my classroom today you would see how different it is just days after having little children in there, busy working and leaving their marks over everything. I know this will be a busy, but exciting year! Stay tuned for some funny stories!

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!

Our Grandma Ella turned 90 years old back on August 13th. She is such a sweet and caring grandma. I have so many wonderful stories of my grandma, from baking yummy melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies with her to playing at her house with the aqua phone. That phone was so cool! One of the funniest stories I can still recall has to do with "Mouse".

Well here is the story. My mom was teaching one night and my dad was taking me over to grandpa and grandma's house for dinner. I remember my dad telling me in the morning that we were having mouse for dinner. I was so puzzled! I remember getting really nervous and telling some of my friends at school that I had to eat mouse tonight. I remember that the day was awful and I just didn't want to go home.

My dad being the funny guy that he is kept telling me on the way to their house, "It'll be okay. Mouse actually tastes good." We got to their house and I walked in the kitchen and we sat down for dinner. My grandma set out everything on the table. I was just waiting for her to plop the mouse right on my plate. She put some lettuce on my plate and it had some stuff in it. I asked her, "Where is the mouse?" She then told me that we weren't actually eating mouse, it is just some salad thing. I think she actually called it Kelp. So I actually didn't have mouse that night.

Anyway, I could go on and on with more stories of my grandma. What I really want to say is that my grandma means so much to our family. She is such a strong, caring, spiritual woman who I admire so much. Our family is so blessed to have her in our lives.

We love you grandma!!!

We had a celebration for grandma at her assisted living home. She had her favorite cake with lemon filling to share with family and her friends. It was a lot of fun spending time with her!

A Weekend Away

Well summer is almost over and I apologize for not posting sooner. Nate and I have been extremely busy with house stuff and getting ready for the new school year. We were sitting around tonight and Nate handed me the computer and said, "Update the blog!" So here I am updating our blog with some fun pictures from this weekend.

Earlier this year my best friend Darcie and I went to an auction to benefit missionaries from our church. We bid on a cabin at Crystal Mountain and actually one it! We were so excited and finally took the time to go up there with our husbands, Joy and Grace, my sister Jaime, and our good friends the Marshall's. So here are some pictures of our weekend.

What a goofy little smile she has! Finally we got a picture with Joy looking at the camera.

We're so glad that Jaime was able to come with us. I can't believe how old she is getting. She'll be a junior this year and is doing great on her school's golf team.

We decided to go to Frankfort beach but when we got there it was so cold. The temperature had dropped about 15 degrees from the time we left the mountain to the beach. Oh well, the girls had some fun playing in the sand for a little bit.

Look at those smiles! I think they had fun spending time together. I know Jaime loves hanging out with the Jackson girls. I think they like spending time with her too!

Okay, so I just had to end this blog entry with a cheesy picture of our good friend Rich (Darcie's husband). Lately Rich is into posing like he is getting his senior picture taken. I know his birthday is coming up and he is getting closer to 30 and getting is older is hard for some people. I think he is trying to hold on to his younger years. Oh Rich, you are just too silly.

A Busy Week

Last week was our first full week home this summer and were we ever busy! Nate did another science camp this week with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders and I was his assistant again. The camp was Monday through Friday for two hours in the morning. The kids made gak, tested for fat in foods, made ice cream, tie dyed, and made bottle rockets. We were even able to go to the planetarium. It was so much fun working with Nate and seeing the kids get excited about science. I hope to use some of the things we did this week during my science time this year.

What in the world are these kids doing laying on the floor? Well they are shooting their straw rockets. We had so much fun making rockets. The fun began when we were able to go in the hallway and see whose rocket flew the farthest and highest.

Nate and I also made our own shirts to wear the last day of science camp. After we made our shirts we had to rinse all of the kids shirts and wash them. We thought it would be easier for us to do it rather than the parents. The parents really appreciated it too!

The magnificent shirts! They turned out very cool and the kids were so excited to wear them on the last day! Nate and I were pretty excited to wear ours also. You can see our excitement in the picture below!

After a busy morning with the young science campers, Nate ventured over to the high school for football camp. He worked with the middle schoolers and the high schoolers. He came home every night excited and happy. He loves football and seems excited about his 8th grade team this year. I enjoy football season too because I get to spend some extra time with my best friend Darcie and her two cute girls. Her husband Rich coaches with Nate. We love watching our men working with their team. They are fantastic coaches and we just love being coaches wives!

So what did I do while Nate was off doing football stuff? Well, I went to Shar's pool with some friends and my sister of course. Jaime, my mom, and I were even able to spend some time with Grace and Joy while Darcie went to a meeting. We had so much fun playing with the girls. Grace talked the whole time. She talks about a mile a minute and just goes on and on and on. I think she gets it from her mom! Joy is just adorable. She just wanders around and watches what everyone does. We decided to play hide-and-seek with the girls. Jaime and Grace went to hide and Grace doesn't quite get the concept yet. I was looking for them so I said, "Grace where are you?" All of the sudden I hear, "I'm right here Staci!" Jaime and I had to tell her that you aren't supposed to say anything while playing. She did better the next time we played. After the girls went home, we were all exhausted. I just don't know how Darcie does it all day. She is a super mom!

Here are Jaime and Grace hiding in my mom's closet. Jaime just loves spending time with Grace. She is so great with kids!

Joy and I taking a break for a picture. "Come on Joy will you just look at the camera for once?" Oh well, she is still a cutie!!

So that was our busy week. This week we are doing some home projects. I hope to have pictures up some time soon. It has been so much fun working around the house with Nate and some very special helpers. Stay tuned to find out who has been helping!

A Visit to Nebraska

Last week we headed out to Nebraska with Nate's mom and dad. They were so nice to let us join them on the long journey to Nebraska. We left the day before the 4th of July and spent the night in Iowa City. It's nice to do the trip in two days. All of the hotels were still packed with people that were still dealing with the floods that went through in June.

Why did we go to Nebraska? We went to visit Nate's sister Anissa, her husband Craig, and our cute nephew Graham. Nate did a science camp with some upper elementary age kids at Craig's camp. I was his assistant and had a great time working with the kids. I could tell that I was missing being in the classroom! We made slime, gak, ice cream, bottle rockets, and learned some interesting things about science. I just love watching Nate work with kids. He does a great job!

While we weren't doing science camp activities we were spending time with Graham. Let me just say that little boy is full of so much energy! He is always happy and just loves playing with everyone. He has an Elmo sprinkler that shoots up water and it was so much fun watching him almost run in the sprinkler. I think he ran in a couple of times when his mom had him and when his Uncle Nate ran through a couple of times. It was so hot that I'm sure the sprinkler felt good to them.

Here are a few pictures from our week.

Nate and I by the Mississippi River. I was going to feel the water but it looked too icky!

Dad, Nate, and Mom by the Mississippi River. What a cute family!

Nate and I in the car on the way to Nebraska. "Are we there yet?" I think I asked this question when we were just approaching Holland. I'm not a huge fan of long car rides!

Iowa 80, the biggest truck stop in the U.S.A. We have yet to stop there and take a little field trip. Wouldn't that be so exciting?

Nate and I by the Missouri River. We're getting closer to Nebraska! Finally!!!

Graham and I playing hide-and-go-seek. He loves playing that game. He's better at finding than hiding.

This is a picture of Graham and me when we got to see him in June. Isn't he just adorable? I wish we could see him more during the year!

Well that was just a glimpse into our week in Nebraska. It was so great seeing our family again! Thanks Craig, Anissa, and Graham for hanging out with us all week. We loved spending time with you! Thanks mom and dad for driving with us to Nebraska. It's always a fun trip with you both!

Vacationing with the Jacksons

This was the second year that we have vacationed with the Jackson family. Rich and Darcie are our closest friends and we just love their two little girls Grace and Joy. We decided to return to wonderful Buckley, MI and stay at the KOA in a camping lodge. The KOA has a cool train that the girls just loved and a playground right across from our lodge. The girls played there all week long and I think were a little sad to leave it.

Above you will see just some of the many pictures that we took on our vacation. If you put your mouse on the picture you will see a caption. I think we have 200 pictures, so I'll probably post some more later!

What a fun week we had together! The weather was gorgeous, which made the trips to the pool very enjoyable. We are looking forward to planning our trip together next year. I'm sure this will become a Jackson-Mihalek family tradition!