our trip to NYC...

Our trip to NYC was my favorite trip yet. I absolutely LOVE the city. I know it’s not for everyone, but for me, it’s my favorite place. I dreamed of going to New York growing up, and I had the chance to go for the first time in 2005 on a college mission trip. I fell in love and literally cried when I had to leave. I’ve somehow managed to go back at least once, sometimes twice, every year since 2005. Kaz has already said I have to take off next year:( I may be able to find a loophole in that:)

We had a great time, and so relaxing. I put a lot of thought and time in this trip because I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas. To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the amount of lights that we saw. There were a lot in certain places, but in some places it didn’t even look like Christmas. My favorite place in the city, is looking at the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. It’s absolutely beautiful to me. Kaz and I love Central Park, so I decided to look for hotels around Central Park, and I don’t think I could have found a better hotel location for us. Our hotel was right beside the Plaza and our view from our hotel room was the Plaza and the front of Central Park. It was stunning. We stayed at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel. We WILL stay there again. 

We landed Friday morning and after checking in, went to eat breakfast at Sarabeth’s[right next door]. I made reservations because I had heard so many great things about it, and let me just say, it was DELICIOUS! We liked it so much we went back another morning. After breakfast, we walked along 5th avenue, by Rockefeller Center, and in Central Park. We watched the sea lions at the Central Park zoo[one of my favorite things to do] and sat in the park for awhile with a hot chocolate. We went to FAO and found WAY TOO many things we wanted to get Annie Rice, so we decided to just leave with some candy instead, and then went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We ate dinner at STK. We always do 1 night of a really nice dinner. This was our night. Our bill was close to $150 but we did enjoy ourselves and all the delicious food! 

Day 2: Saturday

We walked A LOT this day. We went through all the Christmas markets at Bryant Park and walked down to the high-line and ended in the meatpacking district. I had heard a lot of great things about a mexican restaurant in meatpacking called Tortilla Flats, so we ate lunch there. It was good, but not great. I wasn’t impressed but the atmosphere was great. We walked through lots of shops around Soho, Greenwich village, etc. When I travel, I always look at On Vacation Location, and found out Zach Efron was filming a movie around where we were. It wouldn’t be a NYC trip without me celebrity gawking a little right? So we sat for about an hour around where he was filming and then after about freezing to death, decided to keep walking. He was inside a building, so we never saw him. We had dinner that night at Da Andrea with Kaz’s uncle and family and had a great time catching up and spending time with family. The spaghetti was SO GOOD!

Day 3: Sunday

This was my FAVORITE day there. It was so relaxing. We slept in late, and had brunch at Serendipity. For dessert, we had one of there famous frozen hot chocolates. I have decided, I MUST got to Serendipity on every trip from here on out to NYC. The decor and atmosphere is so fun. 

After brunch, we took a LONG nap! We got up and got ready to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was a WONDERFUL show! We ended with pizza at John’s Pizzeria. OUR ALL TIME FAVORITE PIZZA place EVER. I’ve gone there[usually more than once] on every trip to NYC except 1. 

Day 4: Monday

We had breakfast at my favorite breakfast nook near Time Square, db Bistro Moderne. There french toast is amazing:) After breakfast, we did a little more celebrity gawking of Blue Bloods. Again, there were filming inside, but it’s still fun to look! We went in Macy’s and Bloomingdales, and then relaxed a little more at the hotel before going BACK to Johns’ pizza:) Monday was a very COLD and rainy day. We picked up dessert on our way home, and ended the night with a movie:)

Day 5: Tuesday

We had half the day before it was time to leave the city. We went back to Sarabeth’s for breakfast. Again, SO GOOD! We grabbed our hot chocolate and spent the remainder of our time in Central Park. 

We had such a fun, fun time. I loved seeing all the lights, and walking through the city. We also ate really really good!  It was a much needed trip for Kaz and I, and I don’t know how it could have been any better.  New York is a magical place to me, and I hope the Lord continues to allow me to make more trips in the future. 

exhausted...

AND THE BEST PART OF OUR TRIP, coming home to see our girls! Maggie Ruth rolled over for the first time while we were gone:( And we told Annie Rice, we had a surprise for her and she kept thinking it was a candy cane or chicken and fries:) Sweet girl. We gave her a marshmallow sucker! She LOVED it! 

hopefully I'll see you soon NYC...

Well, this is a nice sight to see! HOPEFULLY, Lord willing, if nothing goes wrong, Kaz and I will be in NYC tomorrow for a few days to celebrate me turning 30 and enjoy some much needed time together! I'll be back next week:)

my cup is overflowing

 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5

Today was Maggie Ruth’s court date. She is our Christmas miracle. She is officially[by the state of SC] a Prikazsky! Everything went so smooth. Annie Rice of course hammed it up with the judge. Before we left the house, we told her we were going to see the judge. As we were walking in the door at the court house, the first lady she saw, she said “hey judge”. We explained to her where the judge was, and we finally saw the judge, she said “hey judge. Order in the court”. The judge couldn’t stop smiling. During the hearing, Annie Rice kept saying “Ho Ho Ho, Judge”. She talked non-stop. After the hearing, she got to sit with the judge and everyone in that room couldn’t stop smiling. I am so blessed by my 2 girls. Maggie Ruth is a miracle and we are so blessed to have her as our daughter! We had a celebration lunch at Chick-fila:)

My cup is overflowing..

it’s comical...

Do you ever have days that go so bad, you can’t help but laugh? That’s how I feel right now...I can’t help but laugh but also wonder what else might happen...

Last week, I had planned on blogging regularly again. If I told you everything that has gone on in these last few weeks, I don’t even know that you would believe it, but to make a long story short, things have been crazy! I have been looking forward to this week for a long time now...1) Because on Friday[hopefully] Kaz and I are going to NYC for a few days to celebrate my 30th birthday and I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas. 2) Maggie’s court date is tomorrow. I’ve been so excited for this week and looking forward to it. 

Last Friday, we had some of our good friends over to make Christmas trees for the kids. It was such a FUN morning. On Saturday, we picked Kaz up from the airport after being in Colorado for a week with work, and then came back home to get the girls ready for their babysitter. Saturday was my last night of being in my 20s, so Kaz and I went out for mexican and saw a movie. It was such a FUN night and some much needed time with each other that wasn’t rushed. I had been dreading Sunday, not really because it was my birthday but just because of the idea that I would no longer be in my 20s. The morning started out great..We all got ready and headed out the door to church. Annie Rice had been acting a little different...when I woke her up she had a really bad diaper and what looked like marshmallows in her hair. I didn’t think anything about it because she had been with the sitter the night before, and I knew she had been sneaky in getting treats, so I just thought she hid some marshmallows and ate them in her bed. She didn’t want to eat anything for breakfast, but again, nothing out of the ordinary except she loves breakfast but is also a picky eater. We made it to church and headed to Sunday School. I was so excited to hear Kaz speak on his trip to Asia in our sunday school class....

Then Annie’s teacher came in and told me that she had thrown up and was very upset. I went to get her and came home with both girls while Kaz stayed at church. Throw up wasn’t exactly what I had planned for my birthday but it was okay because all Annie Rice wanted to do was snuggle with me. We had plans on Sunday night to go see some Christmas lights with my bible study girls and there families, but since Annie Rice was sick[and the other kids-they had the stomach bug too] we decided to cancel those plans. We still had to pick up Kaz’s car from the airport because he rode back with us the day before, and we had decided we could pick up his car on the way back from seeing the lights...My friend Jennifer was out in town, so I asked her if she could take me to the airport to get his car and then I could run to the mall for just a few minutes, while Kaz took care of Annie Rice. As soon as I got in the car, I knew something wasn’t right..Just my luck. I was 20 minutes away from home with a car that spurted and shook like crazy. For not having car problems in a long time, we’ve had our share lately! We just bought a new vehicle a month ago because Kaz’s old car died. I thankfully made it home[believe me, I prayed the whole way]. As I walk in the door, Annie Rice throws up again everywhere. She played in the bathtub the last 3 hours before going to bed. She was down for the night, Maggie had been fed, and I just wanted a few hours on my birthday to watch TV, EAT because with everything going on, I hadn’t done that, and just not think about anything. Well, for the first time ever, something[I don't know what] spooked Maggie so much that she was screaming with terror. I got her calmed down and decided she could sleep in the pack n play that night in our room. It had been a day to remember...What a way to celebrate 30...

Monday came around, and I was HOPING things would be better, but they just kept getting worse. Annie Rice was sicker than ever. We ended up having to take her to the ER for dehydration. Kaz tried fixing the car, but what he fixed wasn’t the problem, and to make matters worse, Kaz now has the stomach bug! That’s the short version....Oh, and I can't forget how I promised Annie Rice if she felt better we would make sugar cookies...I made them while she was sleeping and thought if she felt better she could decorate them when she woke up. She asked to make cookies after he nap, I had everything on the table, and dropped the entire thing of cookies...They were in crumbles! She no longer wanted to decorate then:(

I’m PRAYING TODAY IS BETTER. Annie Rice is still very puny. She still wants to sit in my lap and watch the Drummer Boy over and over[and I’m okay with that...I love cuddling and holding her hand]. Kaz is in the bedroom locked away from everyone. I’m PRAYING me and Maggie are spared from this bug BECAUSE TOMORROW we celebrate her adoption being finalized in court. What a JOYOUS day. While these last few days have been humorous, they have also been draining and satan has used every opportunity to steal my JOY from the wonderful things to come this week. This morning, I have been praying for healing over this house and that the JOYOUS events of this week would go as planned. Will you join me in praying for healing?

making christmas cones...

 waiting on daddy at the airport with her treasure map

 last date with Kaz in my 20s...

 day 1 of stomach bug..

 day 2....

 broken cookies...

 day 3..today

HIS protection...

 Last week, we spent the whole week in the mountains with Kaz’s family. We rented a cabin in Beech Mountain, NC and had a wonderful week with family and a week free from cell phone service and internet service...it was very nice! 

We booked the cabin back in the summer and I never imagined that we would be celebrating Thanksgiving as a family of 4. We sure are blessed. On Thanksgiving night, I had a lot more to be THANKFUL for than when the morning started...Let me explain. 

The cabin that we stayed in had 3 stories[upstairs, main level, and basement]. Annie Rice has been working hard in therapy for the last few months on climbing stairs. Since we don’t have stairs in our house, she has to practice on 2 blocks. I was thrilled when we got the cabin and saw just how much she loved climbing the stairs. She would literally go up them 20 times+ a day. Kaz and I were so proud, because she has been working so hard on climbing stairs and she was not crawling up them, but climbing them holding onto the railing. She became really good at it, enjoyed it, and became so proud herself. On Thanksgiving, I went down to the basement to get something. She was not far behind me. I started down the stairs and made it to the bottom and had turned the corner, when I heard Annie Rice scream followed by a thump. I turned around and when I got to the stairs, what I witnessed has left a horrible image in my mind. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the basement stairs were a little deeper and she couldn’t reach the railing. She slipped on the top step and literally bounced like a ball all the way to the bottom step where I caught her. She bounced on the wood stairs from her head to her feet numerous times. I saw her eyes go back in her head as she hit each stair on her head, and by the time I got to her I was crying more than she was. She cried hysterically for 30 minutes. I held her as tight as I could and wanted to rush right out and go to the hospital. Since I saw it, I couldn’t imagine that there wouldn’t be any damage. I yelled for Kaz and when he came down, we prayed over her precious little head. For the next 30 minutes, I blamed myself thinking I should have waited on her. I should have held her hand. I wished I could go back and erase the whole thing. I was scared out of my mind that something was wrong with her head. Since she had plagiocephaly as a child, and still has a soft spot on her head, the thoughts crossing through my mind were horrible. We continued to pray over her and within about 40 minutes she was completely back to her normal self, with a big goose egg on her head. We watched her closely for the next couple of hours, and after seeing the “normal Annie Rice” we decided not to go to the doctor. After the whole thing happened, I just wanted to get away and cry my eyes out. I have never been so scared in my whole life. 

One of the things that I loved most about being in the mountains, was seeing the deer in our yard everyday. We saw anywhere from 4-10 every day, and each time I would see one out of the window, I would sneak out onto the porch to watch them. I did that on Thanksgiving night, and was reminded of the Lord’s protection over His children. I believe He had a shield around Annie Rice as she fell down those 18 steps. For her to have no injuries other than a goose egg and a lot of black/blue bruises is a miracle. I had a lot more to be THANKFUL for on Thanksgiving than what I started the morning off with. 

His goodness and FAITHFULNESS in my life increases more and more each day, and I don’t deserve any of the blessings He has given me. BUT I will praise HIM each day for the trials and the blessings that He entrusts me with. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. 

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalm 18:30

sweet music to my ears...

I am SO BLESSED. I don't deserve any of the blessings the Lord has given me, but I'm so thankful for them all...Especially my sweet Annie Rice. She brings so much JOY into our lives. Her favorite song to sing is "10,000 reasons" by Matt Redman. She ask to hear it probably 20 times a day and will burst into song throughout the day. It's been impossible for us to catch her singing on video, so we decided to get her to do it by using "simon says" and let Kaz record it while we were driving back last night from the mountains. It is such sweet music to my ears, and I know that her sweet little voice singing as loud as she can, brings so much glory to our God. She is a precious gift and I pray that as she grows into a woman she continues to sing her sweet little heart out to the Lord. 

finally back...

What a busy few weeks the Prikazsky's have had! Just to give you a little brief idea..We've had Maggie Ruth for 6 weeks. In those weeks, I've had 6 weddings[all which have been edited before the next], and 10 sessions. That's enough to keep me extremely busy without adding anything else to it. Kaz was out in Colorado for a week, and for the last 6 weeks, someone in our family has been sick. Maggie Ruth had a cold for 4 weeks, Annie Rice has had colds off and on, I got a really bad cold, lost my voice the day before I had 2 weddings[one lasting 10 hours, the other 9 hours], had an allergic reaction on my feet, both of our cars have been in the shop over the last 3 weeks, we had family staying with us for 2 weeks, the stomach bug....oh yea, and let me add being a wife and mom to that list! It's been a little C-R-A-Z-Y in our house, but things are slowing down...Well, as much as they can around the holidays!  We've also had a lot of really exiting things happen over the last 2 weeks. Our family was featured in LowCountry Parent Magazine and then also the Post and Courier picked up the story. It was pretty neat. I've also had the opportunity to share our story with several MOPS groups in South Carolina, and got to share with about 50 moms this past week. We've gotten some pretty neat phone calls from the articles and I've been recognized while out in town by some people. Kind of felt like a celebrity;) 

The girls are both doing good. I've enjoyed them so much. Annie Rice has the best personality and is becoming such a little girly girly. This morning when I put her dress on for preschool, she said "oh mommy, so cute." I asked to take a picture to send to Kaz and she immediately put her hand on her hip! I love the mornings with Maggie Ruth because she is so aware and smiles up a storm. They are such blessings to our family and I feel so honored to be there mom.