Nicholaus and Max's Page January 2005 to December 2005 |
July 2005 July can be summed up in one word. HOT. Because of the hot weather, we have spent most of our time inside. But we did spend July 4 in the mountains with Byron's parents as we do every year. The boys had a blast playing with cap guns, making homemade ice cream, throwing ice, rocks, pinto beans, and anything else they kind find to see who could hit the tree in front of the cabin. It's the little things that make life grand with them. We also had Vacation Bible School at our church which was a lot of fun. And a lot of work as Penney was the coordinator this year. We collected over 80 boxes for Samaritan's Purse. The boys learned a lot and had a great time, though. The boys also had their first every ice skating this month, too. The photos (which I haven't downloaded yet) are hysterical. And it was an opportuity for Byron and I to re-live our roller skating rink memories from our youth. What a hoot. Max did give us a few challenges this month--we guess he was just following Nicholaus' lead from last month. =) August is going to be a little more calm than the other summer months. And the boys head back to school towards the end of the month---and we are all eager for that. Have a great August! |
June 2005 Wow! What a crazy month. First the month kicked off with the air conditioner at our house dying. NOT a good thing. But thankfully all is fixed now. Then Penney and the boys went to Emerald Pointe Water Park with Penney's sister, cousin, and parents for a day. That was a blast. And the boys were fearless--as you can see from the photos below. The boys then helped GranDad (Byron's Dad) celebrate his birthday followed by a fun-packed week at their house. They made lots of projects as well as tended to their garden! They had a blast! Then we left for a week in the North/Mid-west. We spent time in Chicago and the boys loved Navy Pier, the Shedd Acqarium, and the water taxi. And I could write a book about the Children's Museum--it was FANTASTIC. They also loved the view from the top of the Sears Tower. We then drove up to the Wisconsin Dells for our annual IUAFN Reunion. We always love visiting with our Ukrainian Angel's families. We then drove over to Minnesota to visit with some adoption group friends of ours. That was lots of fun and we loved our time at the Mall of America and with our friends----can we move there???? It has been a hectic month. But one full of lots of new experiences and memories. And the summer is just getting started...... |
April 2005 So we have spent most of April at the soccer field. But it has been fun. Max's team is playing awesome. And just this weekend won the league championship. Max is a little sad that he won't be able to play on his current coach's team next year, b/c he is aging up to the next league. But it has been a wonderful experience. Nicholaus has also begun baseball practice this month. He is having a lot of fun, but is one of the youngest and smallest on his team. Most memorable was that we celebrated our 2nd Family Day on April 18th. It is amazing to remember that the boys have been home for over 2 years now. We can hardly remember what our life was like before having them. Also this month, Penney has begun some volunteer work with a project called Life2Orphans. This non-profit was started by a group of adoptve moms to helps those children left behind. Penney is the coordinator for Gorodnya, which is "our" orphanage in Ukraine. You can go to the Life2Orphans website and see some recent photos. Sadly there are still a couple of children from Max's group that are still there. You can also make a tax deductible donation to help some of the ongoing projects there. Obviously this is a project we whole heartedly support! I know that wasn't an update on the boys, but in an indirect way, it is! |
April 2005 So we have spent most of April at the soccer field. But it has been fun. Max's team is playing awesome. And just this weekend won the league championship. Max is a little sad that he won't be able to play on his current coach's team next year, b/c he is aging up to the next league. But it has been a wonderful experience. Nicholaus has also begun baseball practice this month. He is having a lot of fun, but is one of the youngest and smallest on his team. Most memorable was that we celebrated our 2nd Family Day on April 18th. It is amazing to remember that the boys have been home for over 2 years now. We can hardly remember what our life was like before having them. Also this month, Penney has begun some volunteer work with a project called Life2Orphans. This non-profit was started by a group of adoptve moms to helps those children left behind. Penney is the coordinator for Gorodnya, which is "our" orphanage in Ukraine. You can go to the Life2Orphans website and see some recent photos. Sadly there are still a couple of children from Max's group that are still there. You can also make a tax deductible donation to help some of the ongoing projects there. Obviously this is a project we whole heartedly support! I know that wasn't an update on the boys, but in an indirect way, it is! |
May 2005 Well May kicked off with Max's birthday! He had a grand day and a great celebration which was kicked off with his soccer team winning the championship. Of course he wanted a soccer theme birthday party, so that is what he got! Our "baby" is now 8 years old!!!! In the last couple weeks of school Max has decided that he wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up. But he doesn't want to work with sharks, just dolphins and whales. Nicholaus has begun his baseball games. He's a little tight, but considering it's his first time, he is doing good! He has challenged us some behaviorly in the last couple of weeks, but we are hoping this is just a phase and with consistency, it will be pass. And we are happy to report that Nicholaus has begun to ask and think about God and his faith. We are very proud to watch him/help him as he gains a new understanding of God. The boys were thrilled to wrap up the school year. Now they have a super long summer---13 weeks! 13 weeks!!! They will be spending time with both sets of grandparents, going to a couple of day camps, and we have a family vacation planned to visit some friends up in Wisconsin/Minnesota/Chicago. So it's going to be a fast but fun summer! Here are a few photos from May: |
June 2005 Wow! What a crazy month. First the month kicked off with the air conditioner at our house dying. NOT a good thing. But thankfully all is fixed now. Then Penney and the boys went to Emerald Pointe Water Park with Penney's sister, cousin, and parents for a day. That was a blast. And the boys were fearless--as you can see from the photos below. The boys then helped GranDad (Byron's Dad) celebrate his birthday followed by a fun-packed week at their house. They made lots of projects as well as tended to their garden! They had a blast! Then we left for a week in the North/Mid-west. We spent time in Chicago and the boys loved Navy Pier, the Shedd Acqarium, and the water taxi. And I could write a book about the Children's Museum--it was FANTASTIC. They also loved the view from the top of the Sears Tower. We then drove up to the Wisconsin Dells for our annual IUAFN Reunion. We always love visiting with our Ukrainian Angel's families. We then drove over to Minnesota to visit with some adoption group friends of ours. That was lots of fun and we loved our time at the Mall of America and with our friends----can we move there???? It has been a hectic month. But one full of lots of new experiences and memories. And the summer is just getting started...... |
All 4 of us at the Chicago Harbor just outside the Shedd Acqarium |
Nicholaus (red) & Max (blue) at Emerald Pointe |
Max trying on a crazy hat at the Mall of America. |
Nicholaus on one of the water attractions at our resort at the Wisconsin Dells. |
July 2005 July can be summed up in one word. HOT. Because of the hot weather, we have spent most of our time inside. But we did spend July 4 in the mountains with Byron's parents as we do every year. The boys had a blast playing with cap guns, making homemade ice cream, throwing ice, rocks, pinto beans, and anything else they kind find to see who could hit the tree in front of the cabin. It's the little things that make life grand with them. We also had Vacation Bible School at our church which was a lot of fun. And a lot of work as Penney was the coordinator this year. We collected over 80 boxes for Samaritan's Purse. The boys learned a lot and had a great time, though. The boys also had their first every ice skating this month, too. The photos (which I haven't downloaded yet) are hysterical. And it was an opportuity for Byron and I to re-live our roller skating rink memories from our youth. What a hoot. Max did give us a few challenges this month--we guess he was just following Nicholaus' lead from last month. =) August is going to be a little more calm than the other summer months. And the boys head back to school towards the end of the month---and we are all eager for that. Have a great August! |
Are these two good lookin' kids or what????? These were taken at the New River near the cabin in the mountains on July 4. |
Above: Max being silly with the pinata at his birthday party! Above right: Penney's Mom had left her nightgown at our house. So Nicholaus was being crazy modeling it for us. Right: In true Mizell family tradition, Penney forgot to take a picture of Max's big cookie until after the first piece had been cut. Penney doesn't have a single picture from her childhood of a birthday cake without a piece missing from it. =) |
The boys got all "dressed up" for GranDad's birthday party. The all LOVE tye-dye t-shirts. |
January 2005 WOW! Where has the time gone??? Happy New Year! It has been a busy month as the boys headed back to school. NC weather proved a little unpredictable this month. We had a couple of snow/ice scares, but nothing significant---much to the boys' dismay. The weather, for the most part, has made it such that they are spending a lot of time inside. With that, they have found a renewed love for Legos. And Byron couldn't be happier! At one point, the boys (including Byron) had transformed our dining room/music room in to a zoo complete with pond, trees, and animals all made from Legos. They were quite creative! And Max has become obsessed with penguins. Yes....penguins. Ask him anything about penguins and he can answer it. They are studying them in school and he has really loved it. No matter the topic of conversation, it always goes back to penguins with Max. They have also recently developed a love of the computer. Byron re-formated our old desk-top for the boys. Nicholaus LOVES looking at any and all weather photos. Weather.com is his favorite weather site. And Max loves playing Pac-Man online---just like Mom! On the days when it has been nice outside, the boys have had a blast riding their new scooters that Santa brought. And we were able to go to the park one recent nice day. It's been a great month and the boys have begun planning for their birthdays already! Boy, it's always something going on, isn't there???? |
February 2005 So February isn't really the shortest month, it just means we have less days to pack in all the fun! The boys have been staying busy with school. And we have also been spending a lot of time at home. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays over, it has been nice to just BE at home and spend time with our local friends. Both of the boys continue to do well in school. Max is a perfectionist at reading, which means he sounds words out in his head until he has it right and then he will finally SAY the word. So this means his reading is a little slow. But he is doing great. And Nicholaus, although not a great speller, is doing great, too. He really enjoys science. Here he and Byron are making his volcano project. March kicks off crazy time for us. Max starts soccer, Nicholaus' birthday, our anniversay, family day, and then Max's birthday. But life is good! |
March 2005 WHEW! What a whirlwind! First of all Nicholaus had a fantastic birthday! He wanted a basball theme party, so that's what he got. He received many wonderful gifts and well wishes! I can't believe we have a 9 year old, now! And can I just comment on how much he has grown??? Everything except his feet. And Max's soccer season has begun again. He is playing goalie most of the time b/c 1)He loves playing that position and 2)He is a fantastic goalie! Oh, we had a wedding anniversay thrown in there, too. And then Easter came early! Oye, just putting it in writing what has gone on this month makes me tired! Anyway, here are some photos from this month to make up for the lack of them last month! |
December 2005 The month of December, as usual, is utter chaos. I feels like there are just not enough hours in the day and days in the week. On December 14, Byron officially became Dr. Byron. We are all proud of him and the boys enjoyed seeing him graduate--finally! The following weekend, we had our annual Christmas part and had a great time. And we had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the time we were able to spend with our friends and family! The boys' favorite gifts were their gameboys and their basketball goal. The basketball goal will come in handy as basketball practice begins soon! Here are a few photos from this crazy month! May we all have a blessed 2006! |
November 2005 November has been quite the memorable month! Not only did we have Thanksgiving--a couple of Thanksgiving celebrations to be exact. But we also had a Hurricanes game, and our family trip to DisneyWorld!!! The boys loved the trip to Disney and we really had a busy, but great week there with Penney's family. They enjoyed Magic Kingdom the most. And most specifically, Splash Mountain. The also liked Animal Kingdom. They were great travellers, and had a blast! They are ready to go back, but Byron and I think it will be a few years before that happens. We had our first Thanksgiving meal on the way home from Disney at a rest area somewhere in Georgia. Then we had one with just the 4 of us at home. And our final Thanksgiving meal, we had with Byron's parents the following weekend. I think Max FINALLY got full of potatoes! It has been a great month and we are already caught up on the madness of Christmas! |
Clockwise from top left: 1)The boys with the Mouse himself at our Character Brunch. 2)The crew in front of Cinderella Castle on our last day in Disney. 3)This Nicholaus NOT being tired. We decided to take some time to rest and he assured us he was not tired and would never go to sleep. Ummmm yeah. This is the proof. 4) Max with his tie-dyed ears. What a cutie he is! 5)Byron enjoying It's a Small World. I don't know why he didn't like it........ |
October 2005 What a beautiful month. I love everything about Autumn. The boys do too! We've had a lot of fun this month. Besides the "usual" fun of Halloween, we also made a trip to Boone to visit with one of Penney's best friends, Kim. The boys adore her and loved visiting with her. We ventured to the Apple Festival, which was....fun. Then of course to Blowing Rock for ice-cream and watching the Candy Shop make fudge. Halloween was, well...lots of candy. Max was a pirate this year, complete with a parrot. And Nicholaus made Byron so proud by choosing to a Doctor. Oh yeah, we are also super busy playing lots of soccer. The boys love their teams and coaches, but most of all, they love playing each other! Brothers!!! |
Max on the climbing wall at the park in Blowing Rock. |
The boys with Kim at the Apple Festival in Boone. Look at the trees!!! |
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Nicholaus trying to dance on one of the Dance, Dance Revolution games in Boone. He's got Byron's rhythm. =) |
At the Pumpkin Farm near our house. |
September 2005 Soccer and even more soccer!! We are spending quite a bit of time at the soccer fields these days. The boys are enjoying it immensely. They are both in the same league, on different teams. This means they play each other. Twice. The first and last games of the seasons. Nice. We are already talking about being good sports. But we praying for tie games. Also this month, we are so proud to share with everyone that Nicholaus was baptized. He was/is so proud of this decision. We had a great time sharing the day with our extended family as well. Max and Nicholaus were both very affected by Hurricane Katrina. It was their idea to spend an entire Sunday afternoon on the street corner collecting change. They spent well over 4 hours out there. They collected over $60 which we donated to the American Red Cross. We are so proud of their compassion for others. |
Top Left: Nicholaus just before being baptized. Top Right: Max with crazy wax teeth--a gift from his Granny. Right: The boys after their first game. Both dripping wet with sweat--and less than pleasant smelling Bottom: The boys collecting change for Hurricane Katrina Victims. |
August 2005 Back to school! We were ALL eager for the boys to go back to school. So far they are enjoying their teachers. And even more, they are enjoying riding the bus HOME from school. This is a first for them. So far, so good. And for those keeping track, yes, I did cry when I took them to school the first day just as I have every other first day of school. It's a tangible reminder of how much they are growing. As if the growing pile of clothes that are now to small/tight aren't enough of a reminder!!! We took the boys ice-skating for the first time, which they loved. I think we will do that often! It's been a good month as we all work to find our school groove. Now for some photos! |
Left: The obligatory first day of school picture on the front porch. |
Right: The boys ice-skating. They had a blast! And Mom and Dad enjoyed cooling off in the snack bar watching them have fun. |
Nicholaus and Max's Page January 2005 to December 2005 |
