Voracek Playground in Full Swing

So we've been kinda busy lately. Enough so that I think I'm going to crash into the wall that I see so quickly approaching if I don't slow down!

That, or I'm going to crash and burn!

So here's where we've been slidin' to lately!

* I was able to put on a pitching clinic for girls ages 9-13! It was a great turnout and I absolutely LOVED working with the girls! However, wonderful Mother Nature decided to step in and only give us 1 day to pitch! Sometimes she really makes me mad! But it was a positive and fun learning experience for many of those girls!! Oh yeah, and I had a BLAST!

*A few days after the pitching, and a few before the next activity, I took my Buddy and Peanut (along with one daycare kiddo) to the MN Zoo! I decided to buy a membership while I was at it! I'm sure, with 4 kids & daycare kiddos, we'll be going a little more frequently!



* A few weeks ago we walked for the JDRF in honor of a family friend who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 7 years old! It was quite an experience to see all those walkers with t-shirts to support their loved-ones and friends! After raising $2 million+, I hope they continue to work for a cure for these little blessings.
*The next day R had his Pinewood Derby race for Boy Scouts! I know some parents really do a lot/most of the work on their kids' cars (which really frustrates me, but whatever), but we let Bug plan out his design, sand and paint/draw on it by himself. My hubby just used his table saw expertise to cut it! His car did ok...but he had fun!

* Amidst all the playing we've also been doing the regular weekly playing, too. My Princess did a dancing class called 'Feet of Faith'. Pretty much dancing for the Lord to some pretty cool Christian music (Go Fish!)! That was awesome, and she wants to do it again in April!
* My Buddy has been busy playing soccer at Shattuck-St. Mary's, as well as play floor hockey at the community center! Somehow he managed to squeeze in his 8th birthday, too! (He got tickets to the Wild game...thanks Ane!)

* My Peanut, who definitely still fits the nickname (just to give you a clue, she'll be 1 in 1 week, and she's still in her infant car seat!), started walking a few weeks ago! She's doing a pretty good job, but it's just so fun to watch her!! (More pics to come...hubby's got the camera.)


* I just did an indoor triathlon last weekend. Pretty short one, but first one I've done all by myself!! I finished 2nd in my category, so not bad for my first time. Now I'm training for an outdoor tri at the end of July!!! Lots of work to be done!! Here are some pics!!

Alright. Well, B, M and K are at the Father/Daughter Dance right now. So I'll post those pics soon. My babies are beautiful today, though....not that they aren't any other day!

Well, hopefully my playground slows down a little! But I am thankful that God has given us this playground to grow on! Hope you enjoy!

And the Oscar goes to...

Brandi Voracek

for the lead role in a B & B Voracek film.

I want to thank everyone who has taken time to help me out in my greatest role ever;
Motherhood!

To Carole Reindl - Thank you for showing me love so many years ago through so many difficult times. Thanks for instilling a love for teaching back in 3rd grade. You played so much of an impact in my life that I even named my daughter after your daughter!

To Coach Page (may you rest in peace) - Thank you for teaching me to truly love something; softball! Having that love in my life to call my own gives me a short break from my greatest role ever!

To my Grandma and Grandpa K. (miss you Grandpa) - Thank you for showing me that marriage is a promise worth keeping! Thank you for showing me unconditional love while I take time to pursue my lead role!

To Sandy and Diane C. - Thank you to both of you for taking over for me in my professional career of kids so I can focus on my lead role as a MOM!

To Jocelyn - Thank you for putting faith back into my heart. Thank you for allowing me to feel important. Thank you for the encouragement you've given me while I focus on my lead role!

To George and Eileen - Thank you doesn't even cover all the support and love you've had for me. You've helped me throughout my ups and downs while I've been learning my lines and spots for this role. You've both been there when I've needed you.

To Dad - Thank you for influencing the choices I make as a parent! And thank you for being a listening ear during some of my ups and downs while I took this lead role as MOM! Even if you haven't always agreed with my choices, you've always been supportive.

To Beth - Thank you for being my "Go-To Girl"! You are my sister in Christ, and I cherish our friendship more than words can describe! Thank you for being my cheerleader, my prayer partner, my mentor, my counselor and most importantly my best friend!

To my kids - You inspire me EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! I love you more than anything in this world. I hope you always feel this love, even as I guide you throughout many choices. It's because of you that I won this lead role! Thank you for making my life have so much more meaning!

To my husband - You are my rock. My partner. My best friend. My love. You have been so supportive and patient through so many rocky roads. You have always been there for me, from the moment I took on this lead role. I can't say enough how much I love you. Thank you for helping me become a better person every day. I could not have gotten this far without you! I love you!

To God - Thank you for continuing to bless me in spite all of my imperfections. You have carried me through some pretty dark times throughout my role of MOM. And you have brought the sunshine out when I just needed some light. You have never given up on me, even when I've questioned where you were taking me. And you've given me strength when I thought I had none. Thank you, Lord, for being my shepherd.

What's the point of fasting?

This was a question that I really never understood until yesterday. Every time Lent came around I would always ask my husband, who is Catholic (I'm Lutheran), why he fasted. Why he didn't eat meat on Fridays. Part of the answer was because he's Catholic, and that's what they do.

That wasn't good enough for me. There should be a reason, in my opinion.

Then it was because it's a sacrifice! Jesus made a sacrifice for us, and it's a small sacrifice to say thanks for the sacrifice Jesus made for us. But it still didn't resonate in my heart. I make sacrifices every day, especially since having kids! But I still didn't get it.

Until yesterday.

I have been following the journey of this little girl and her family. And it is truly heartbreaking. Yesterday, Kate's mom had asked for people to fast and continue to pray. So I thought, sure, that's something I can do from so many miles away. So I don't eat for a day. Easy enough. It's one day. There are many people who don't eat for days at a time.

Yeah, whole new meaning of fasting. I am a proponent of eating breakfast; the most important meal of the day. So I figured that would be the hardest part for me. It was tough. I enjoy my bowl of frosted mini spooners and my glass of OJ! But throughout that time, while my belly was asking me what in the world I was doing, I prayed!

I prayed that God would take the pain away from this family. That God would heal Kate.

It was amazing how many times throughout the day I thought about food. And how many times it sunk in that every time I thought about food, I was praying for this little girl and her family.

All. Day. Long.

It then hit me why people truly fast. It was a sacrifice. But more than that, it was a reflection time; many throughout the day. A time to stop and have a chat with God. A time to ask for help for a little girl who is traveling throughout a tough journey. A time to think of someone other than myself.


Here's some information on fasting and abstaining, in case any of you are interested in learning.

Can't Hang on AND Let Go

I've been breastfeeding for 10 months this stretch. And this is kid #4! So you can imagine my desire to be done and have my body back! (My husband thinks it's about time, too! Although he supports me completely!) I'm ready to let go of this baby stage in another 2 months.

But at the same time, I'm sad. I want to hang on to those moments. The moments when Peanut lifts her little, chubby, precious hand to my mouth for me to kiss. The moments when she falls asleep in the nook of my elbow, knowing she feels safe with her Momma. The moments when I can stroke her hair that is just long enough now to tuck behind her ears. The moments when I can get lost in the beauty of being a mom. The moments when I can be selfish knowing I'm the only one who can feed her in this way. The moments when I can be selfish and have her all to myself.

Babies grow up. And some/many parents can't wait for their kiddos to grow up. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for the time when I don't have to change any more diapers. Or when I don't have to carry around a diaper bag full of sippy cups and puffs. But I want to hang on to these moments for as long as I can. They disappear in the blink of an eye.

I see my 7-year-old, who'll be turning 8 in a month. I used to hold him the same way I hold Peanut. That's impossible now. I see my strong and confident little lady who just turned 6. I struggled with her during her first year. But I'll never have that year back. And now my Little Man, who just turned 3. I've been home with him since he was three months old! And although those were three long years with A LOT going on, they went so fast. Now my baby, my Peanut, will turn 1 in less than two months!

I am just realizing that as much as I want to let go, to get my body and independence back, I am also hanging on to every last drop I can of this sunshine.

But I can't hang on AND let go.

Loving my daughter the way I love myself...

From the time I knew I was pregnant with my second child, I needed to find out if it was a girl or a boy. I knew in my heart that I was going to be pregnant with a girl, and I needed to know for sure, to learn how to deal with being a mom of a girl. You see, with my history of relationships with the mother figures in my life, I've been left with some pretty severe scars. So I was scared to have a daughter.

Now, 6 years later, I'm still scared of how to be a mother to my oldest daughter. She reminds me a lot of myself, and that scares me, too. She's just a ball of energy. She's spunky. She's smart. She wants to take on the "mom" role (way too often). She wants to be in control of a lot of things. And she's only 6! She's VERY confident! Which I love! Especially for a girl. She's very mature in what and how she communicates with others. She knows what she wants, and she just does it. She reminds me of a college graduate, ready to make her decisions that she wants to make! The only problem is, she's 6!

I'm not sure if I truly understand how much of an impact I have on her; emotionally, spiritually, mentally. There are times that I see her reactions to things, and I know exactly where she learned it. And it's not necessarily something I even say. Just how I react under stressful situations. But it's also things I say. I know that I am a role model for my kids, both in words and in actions. I just really need to be sure that I'm a positive role model. One who doesn't play mind games with their kids, like I feel I experienced my whole life. One who is willing to listen to WHATEVER they have to say, which I again feel I didn't experience a whole lot growing up.

And being that I am lacking some some positive experiences from a mom, I'm finding it hard to be a mom myself. I see myself as a little girl in my little girl. That's scary! I'm scared that I'm going to turn into the parent(s) I experienced, and my little girl is going to feel about herself the same way I feel about myself...which I wouldn't classify as positive.

The other night we were making these little cakes from this kids bake set she got for Christmas. (And just to make it very clear; I'm NOT good in the kitchen!) Needless to say, I screwed up the first cake AND the fondant! I was getting frustrated! This was supposed to be something fun I was doing with my daughter. And it should not have been that hard, really! But somehow I found a way to mess it up...again!

Well, I called myself a "Loser"! But I kept plugging away! We got another cake mix and fondant mix and we made ourselves another cake! But Madi came back in the kitchen after taking a little break. She was very upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said she was sad about what I said. I was confused so I asked her to explain more. She said when I felt like I was a loser, then she felt like a loser. **SLAP** **KICK IN THE SHIN** **KNIFE TO THE HEART** This is what I was doing to my daughter's self-esteem. Not good! I needed to make a change in how I was talking to and about myself! She's picking up on these negative comments I make about myself! Then applying them to herself.

Then last night she was at gymnastics. After every move she made she looked at me for some recognition and applause. I think that's fine, but I don't want her to always have that external praise. I want it to come from within herself!! I understand that feeling of looking to others for that praise, but not being able to get it from within. At one point she missed a jump and said, "I suck." I just about broke into tears! I hardly ever say that word because I don't like it. But the fact that she would use that word about herself was disheartening.

I need to change this! I WANT to change this. I want to love my daughter MORE than I love myself. And I want her to feel that way, too! I get so frustrated by so many things she does (or sometimes doesn't) do! And I know she feels that! But she reminds me so much of myself and I don't like that!!!

In talking to my husband about what I can do to feel more love towards my older daughter, he said maybe I need to focus on how to love myself first. To see and love the positives about myself so that I can love those things about her, too! That's going to be hard though. When do I have time to focus on loving myself when I'm trying to love on my kids? my husband? I'll make the time. But then HOW do I do that?

I'm ready to read a few books that I have to see if that helps. We're also going to a Christian camp this summer for a Mother/Daughter camp! I'm truly excited about this! Hopefully I will learn and take away lots of good skills I can use with my daughter!

I ask whoever reads this to pray for me please. Pray that God opens my eyes to see the beautiful girl whom I love so dearly, with all the qualities God gave her! Thank you!

Happy Birthday, Alexander!

My husband did a wonderful thing starting with our first! He wrote down each step of the way, documenting the day of birth for each of my kiddos! And I love looking back at that synopsis! Takes me back to those precious (and not-so-precious) moments!

Here's Alexander's entry into this world!

8:00 am: We arrived at the hospital and put into room 205!
8:30: my first dose of Pitocin was started. Only 3 ml/hr.
8:45: they upped it to 6 ml/hr.
8:50: I got to eat breakfast (hospital food -- which I actually like!)
9:06: Pit upped to 12 ml/hr.
9:11: contractions start and I can start walking around! I did my first 5 laps!!
9:25: my contractions are already at 2 min. apart.
9:35: up my Pit to 18 ml/hr.
10:40: Dr. comes in for an exam, but too thick to break my water. (Geez!!) Pit up to 30ml/hr.
11:20: Pit up to 36 ml/hr.
12:00: Lunch time!! Contractions are getting stronger, but pain rated at a "3+".
12:20: Pit up to 42 ml/hr. (Seriously, is this baby coming or what!?!?)
1:05: Nurse (who I requested b/c she is AMAZING!) comes in for an exam. Dilated to a 3. (Are you kidding me!! This is going to take as long as #1 and #2!)
2:24: (Some progress.) Dilated to a 5. Dr. broke my water! (Bring on the pain, baby!)
2:45: Backed the Pit down to 36 ml/hr.
3:15: EPIDURAL! (AHHH!)
3:45: Dilated to a 6. (Seriously? Only 1 cm after an hour! Do you KNOW how small 1cm is?)
4:05: Naptime, which lasted a whole 5-10 minutes!
4:40: Still at a 6, but fully effaced! (Getting closer...)
5:06: Dilated to a 9. Calling our Dr. back in!!
5:12: Given the OK to start pushing!
5:25: My husband helps deliver Baby Voracek, soon to be named

Alexander Michael Voracek!
9 lbs. 2 oz.
22 1/2 "

Alexander's 1st birthday!
That WAS his Elmso cake!


Alexander's 2nd birthday!


Happy 3rd birthday, Little Man!

Congrats to my Hubby!!

Bryan at his "Hooding" ceremony!

December 17, 2010

Bryan at his graduation ceremony from USD!
December 18, 2010


Bryan on his 1st day of work at ISJ!
January 24, 2011

Madi was the only one up, so she got a picture with Daddy!