The Fitz Fam

CRAZY TIME!

2011-09-13T19:37:00.009-04:00

It's another school year already...and it's already CRAZY! It's a good crazy though. :) I'll take any day when I am going "crazy" with:

* taking the kids to and from school/skating and clogging practices/church activities/friends houses,

* doing homework (even if it's hours of homework) with them,

* tucking them in at night, only to have them ask EVERY night to lay with them just a bit longer, or tell them another story,

* washing their hair and body for them because they have a hurt elbow or cut chin,

* sitting with them in the hospital when they've just had the worst headache in the world,

* teaching them (sometimes the same lessons over and over) about what the Bible says and how we are to live, or

* just being there for them whenever they need me (or don't think they need me).

I am truly thankful and blessed. Amazed to think God has allowed me to raise HIS children in this world. He trusts me! He picked US to be Hunter and Grace's parents. Wow...now that is a job! But a good crazy job! :)

As we go about our days, each day seems to go faster than the one before. Time is flying by, and I just don't want to waste any time....don't want to waste anytime with my kids, husband, family, friends....but most importantly waste any time doing something that just doesn't matter in the end...isn't glorifying to God...isn't encouraging to others...isn't making disciples...isn't knowing Christ more, and making Him known to others.

My prayer this school year is to die to myself. Lay down my life for others. Raise up my children in the way they should go....so in turn they too will have the same goal...to KNOW CHRIST AND MAKE HIM KNOWN.

forYOUforMAG

2011-07-12T21:17:00.002-04:00

My sister, Amber and I have started making and selling crocheted hairclips, headbands and pins. 50% of the profits go to The Magdalene Project (a non-profit organization that helps rescue, reveal and restore victims of human trafficking).

Check out our products at www.etsy.com/shop/foryouforMAG

My daughter

2011-07-12T20:19:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to announce that my 9-year-old daughter is crocheting and selling items...giving 50% of the profits to a family in need....the Lowe family. They are our cousins who live in the DC area. You can read about their story at http://www.momofsix.com/
Grace's website is http://www.foryouforthem.blogspot.com/ Check it out! :)

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-29T21:34:00.002-04:00

This year for the kids spring break, we rented a beach house at St. George Island with Marty's mom (Nana) and another family from our church (The Nunez family). We stayed 3 nights/4 days. We had beautiful weather, and had a great time playing cards, reading books, taking walks on the beach, cooking/eating, swimming, and just plain....relaxing!

Grace is 9 years old!

2011-03-28T21:31:00.007-04:00

I know everyone says it, but really....where does the time go??!! She was just a baby! We are so blessed to have 2 wonderful children. They grow up so fast. It's amazing how fast time flies by!

Grace celebrated her 9th birthday 1) on Saturday at Skate World with a few girls from her class and speed skating team --- A lady from Marty's work made her a "speed skating" birthday cake for this party, and then 2) today (Monday -- her actual birthday). They didn't have school today, since it was a "teacher planning day", so she lounged around in her pj's all morning, then we went to the mall. Every year they get to pick what they want for dinner, so she picked to go eat at Panera (her favorite restaurant) and eat some broccoli and cheese soup. We came home and had some cookie cake and opened presents.

Thanks to all of our family and friends for the birthday wishes for her....we are so thankful to have you all in our lives!

A speed-skater in the family

2011-02-20T19:30:00.005-05:00

Grace has been taking speed skating lessons twice a week for 6 months now. She absolutely loves it!

Today was her first speed skating competition (here in Tallahassee). We had to be there at 5:00 AM to get her ready (checked-in and warmed up)

for the races that started at 6:00 AM. She raced the 200 meter and 300 meter rookie AND novice races, and even participated in 2 - 2000 meter relay races today.

Even though she didn't place, we are so very proud of her, and look forward to many more meets in the future!

GO GRACE! We are so proud of you and love you so much!

2011-02-18T19:16:00.004-05:00

Well, we made it 6 years without the diagnosis in our family, but Hunter was officially diagnosed with it today....poor buddy has the flu (high fever, cough and body aches). Yah, I know---bad nurse/mom Amy...it's true...I didn't get my kids vaccinated this year. Slap on the hand for me. Lesson learned.

Praying no one else gets it, especially since 1. Grace has her first speed skating competition THIS Sunday, and 2. little Ford is just 6 weeks old (the Wienerts are living with us for awhile while their home repairs are done).

Praying for a peaceful, relaxing weekend. Sometimes we need something like this to slow us down....to remind us just how blessed we are. Blessed for family, health, food, shelter.

As a FYI....Hunter has his own website -- check it out at http://www.hdfitz.blogspot.com/

Nothing like it!

2011-01-31T09:50:00.002-05:00

Priceless.....to watch your 8-year old daughter publicly acknowledge Jesus as Lord via water baptism!

Grace decided she was ready to be baptized yesterday. We weren't sure if she really understood what it meant, so we asked her.....

She explained it all to us....that getting baptized means you are dying to yourself to live for Christ (in front of people).

She got it!

God is so good and faithful! We are so excited she has chosen to live her life for the Lord!

Our Christmas pictures for 2010

2010-12-13T09:24:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Shannon Black (www.shannonblackphotography.com), we had our family pictures professionally taken in our backyard this year!

We are looking forward to spending time with our family and friends this year during the holiday break, as we strive to always remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-27T14:19:00.004-05:00

Started with Matt & Sandy and kids coming up for a pre-Thanksgiving visit. Fun was had by all (especially Dr. Smooth, our favorite disco skater). Matt, we expect more groovy moves out of you next time!

We then went down to their house in Apopka (aka Vicks Landing Academy, where "everyone can do anything or everything"...SURE!) for a few days.

Thanksgiving dinner was held at Carlos and Melannie's house (thanks for hosting). Props to Sandy for her thrice-baked turkey dish, and Grace for peeling all 22 potatoes on her own! Good times.

Really though....I think my brother-in-law, Matt said it best:

" There's no day like Turkey Day! No presents, no trees, no decorations...just good food, good family and friends, and good football! And, of course, a good nap to synergistically tie everything together."

Hunter & Grace

2010-11-01T10:14:00.008-04:00

It's been a very busy school year so far....let me up date you on our kids! :)

Grace

1. still taking speed skating lessons on Tues and Thurs (loves it)

2. is in the 3rd grade.

3. loves to sew, do arts/crafts, write stories, skate, sing/dance, eat soup, hang out with grandma and her new dog ("Bubba", a toy rat terrier).

4. favorite colors are green and blue now.

Hunter

1. favorite hobby is looking things up on google. Right now his biggest interest is a stacker machine. He is determined to find one for a good price! :)

2. is in the 5th grade.

3. loves anything to do with arcade games, paper jamz, phiten necklaces, making/creating videos, money!

4. favorite colors are red and blue now.

They both dressed up as "ROCK STARS" for Halloween this year. It was cute and creative.

Welcome! Here's how to get started with Skype

2010-08-21T15:02:00.000-04:00

Welcome! Here's how to get started with Skype: "Find your friends"AUTUMN PARVU AMY FITZPATRICK FITZPATRICK FAMLY

Hunter & Grace, Artists

2010-07-01T20:49:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I last "blogged", so here we go...let me fill you in on our lives right now.

The summer has begun, and I can't believe it is already July1st! It is flying by! The kids are doing great. My sister, Amber watches them for me while I work my 2.5 days/week. They are having a blast with their Aunt Amber, who by the way is now 12.5 weeks pregnant (due January 9th)! :) They have been busy working on their latest "project" (painting pictures and selling them for $10.oo each). They now both have a website to display and sell their art! Check it out! I will post the links at the end of this blog. They are looking forward to going on another Disney cruise in late July (thanks to Aunt Melannie and Uncle Carlos for the hook-up....sooo couldn't have done it without you!). Hunter is 10 and will be in 5th grade this year. Grace is 8 and will be in 3rd grade. Can't believe how old they are getting....I mean, they were just 1 and 3!!! :( Moms and dads, enjoy every day! Before you know it, they will be all grown up and out of the house.

We usually have a 4th of July party at our house, but this year we are taking a break (our friends, the Parizeks -- who do the awesome fireworks show -- needed the year off, so we decided to just take it off too and go do something else this year). We are planning on next year though.

We are looking forward to our friends, the Summerville's visit in just 2 weeks! They come visit us from Ohio every summer for a week! We have known them for 12 years now...love you guys! Can't wait to see ya! Shout out to Diane...happy birthday today!! :)

Marty and I are doing good. Marty is staying busy with work (which is always a good thing). He tore a muscle in his calf a few weeks ago, so hasn't been able to play basketball or softball lately (which bummed him out), but hopefully over time it will completely heal, so he will be back on the court/field by next season. I am enjoying working part-time and being a full-time mom. I am so blessed to have a godly husband who loves me and the kids so much.

OK, that's us in a nutshell! Be sure to check out the kids blogs! :)

Grace = www.paintingsbygrace.blogspot.com

Hunter = www.hdfitz.blogspot.com

"Agent H"

2010-03-17T17:38:00.003-04:00

Hunter loves the Disney tv show "Phineas and Ferb", especially the character, "Perry the Platypus" who turns into an undercover agent at times (named "Agent P"). He films movies with his "Perry action figures", writes stories about them, and wears their t-shirts all the time.

Recently, he had been looking to buy a hat similar to the one "Agent Perry" wears. When grandma showed him the hat she had that was her dad's (Hunter's greatie-grandpa), he fell in love with it! Grandma is allowing him to borrow this hat for awhile...and wear it. Here he is today with it on!

Our 2010 Gatlinburg trip

2010-02-11T09:42:00.004-05:00

Every year for our anniversary (this is our 13th anniversary!), we try to get away for a few days. We usually meet our friends, DJ and Diane Summerville (from Ohio) somewhere (since their anniversary is a week before ours). This year, we went back to Gatlinburg for 4 nights...it even snowed some while we were there (our friends didn't seem as thrilled as we were about this though)!!!

We drove up there again this year, and got to listen to a book on CD on the way home. I have never done that before, but remembered my sister, Angela telling me what a good idea it was, so I bought one at a Christian book outlet store in Gatlinburg (a book called "The most important place on earth" = the Christian HOME). It is a great book! Thanks, Ang for the neat idea! We will probably do that every time now! :)

We went to a "Murder mystery dinner" this year, and Marty was picked to be one of the judges (it was an "American Idol murder mystery" theme). GO MARTY! he he he

Thanks to all of you who helped watch Hunter and Grace for us, so we could get away for a little bit...a much needed time!!! We love you guys!

Hunter's 10th Birthday!!

2010-01-20T09:13:00.002-05:00

Wow. Cannot even believe my baby boy is now 10 years old! How did that happen so fast??!! I always rolled my eyes when my mom would tell me and my sisters "I was just 18 years old yesterday!", but now.....I get it! I was too!

Anyway, Hunter has been wanting to ride in a limo for awhile now, so for his birthday, we rented a yellow Hummer limo (that fit 18 people in it), went to Chili's for dinner, then to the dollar tree (for all kids to buy $5.00 worth of "stuff"), then finally to the marble slab creamery for ice cream. It was a fun night. Hunter invited 4 friends, and all the family (Mom, Amber, Nate, Angela, Autumn, Addy, Randon, Marty, me, and Grace) to join in the celebration.

Happy Birthday, HD! We love you so much, and are so thankful God has given us the privilege and gift of being your parents!

Family get together

2010-01-20T09:04:00.003-05:00

On January 2nd, my dad, and Diane drove up to our house from the Wildwood area to have "our Christmas". It was neat to have EVERYONE here that day (Randy, Angela, Autumn, Addison, Randon, Amber & Nate, Mom, Dad and Diane, Me, Marty, Hunter & Grace). We took advantage of it, and got some family pictures taken in the back woods of our property too! It's not often we are ALL together like that. Loved it. :)

Christmas 2009

2010-01-20T08:49:00.004-05:00

This year for Christmas, Marty's mom, Mary was with us. It was neat to have her here...see how our family "does" Christmas, and be apart of it. :)

Our tradition is to draw names to see who's turn it is to open a present, then when everyone has opened one present, we put the names back in the bowl, and start over (we do this until everyone has opened their presents). That gives everyone a chance to enjoy the whole part of "giving and receiving"! I have seen my kids learn and grow so much from this....this is one way that shows them how it is just as important to give as it is to receive. Of course we try to explain to them every year WHY we celebrate Christmas too. It's hard to remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas with all the gifts around the tree (even for adults), but it is so important to sit, remember, and appreciate why we really do celebrate it, and what the meaning of that day really is.

Visit with Rodolfo and Cristi

2009-11-30T20:50:00.005-05:00

We were so honored to have our new friends, Rodolfo and Cristi Olesio stay with us again this weekend. They are from the Philippines, and came over to the United States in February to share what they are trying to do in their country (share the gospel, build new schools/churches, and raise support for the people in need over there). For those of you who gave clothing to us for them, they REALLY appreciated it, and said they felt so blessed. Thank you.

We were able to hang out a little more with them this time. They shared their video and spoke a little at our church this Sunday, helped us put our Christmas tree up, joined us for our weekly "family night", and played bingo and some wii with us.

They will be heading back to the Philippines next month sometime, so we don't know when we will get to see them again, but will most certainly be in touch with them via e-mail, and hopefully one day be able to go over there to see them and their family!

Thanksgiving in New Hampshire

2009-11-28T21:43:00.004-05:00

We try to go to New Hampshire every other year for Thanksgiving. Marty's mom, Mary, and his oldest sister, Marinell (and her family) live up there. This was our year to go again. Although we didn't see any snow this time, we still had fun hanging out with everyone. The kids loved staying/playing with their cousins, Anna, Alice, Seth, Joel, and Ian (a BIG THANKS to Bob and Marinell for keeping/entertaining them).

Some highlights of our trip:

1. Not making our connecting flight in DC, so having to stay in the DC airport for 5 hours until the next flight, then finally arriving in NH at midnight to find out 2 of our 3 bags were MIA.

2. Starting off with the plan to drive just 40 minutes to a movie theatre to see a movie...but getting lost on the way, (drove almost to Boston), then ending up at a McDonald's in Nashua that happened to be hosting a "kids night", so got to experience "Farmer Fred" and his animals. As Hunter would say, "UNEXPECTED".

3. Drawing/painting on Anna's bedroom walls.

4. Having the thanksgiving meal at Mary's church = no dishes to be washed!

5. Glorious, cool weather to run in (even though the hills were a killer!)

We had a great time. Looking forward to the next trip up there. :)

We love you.

Grace is playing basketball!

2009-10-12T08:01:00.002-04:00

Grace had her 1st basketball game this past Saturday. She's playing on the "UPWARDS" basketball league (their team is call the WILDCATS) at a local church here in town. It was so much fun watching her play. She is growing up so fast!

GO GRACE! We love you, and are so proud of you.

Our quick trip to DC

2009-09-15T19:10:00.003-04:00

Marty had to go to DC for a deposition, so I decided to tag along so I could visit my cousin, Helen, her husband, Matt, and their 6 kids. My mom (and Amber & Nate) stayed home and watched Hunter and Grace for us so we could go off on our own. (THANKS MOM, AMBER & NATE!) It was a great visit....we had so much fun hanging out with them! Thanks, Lowe's for letting us come hang with you for a few days! We love you all! :) You are always so encouraging and uplifting. Hope to see ya again before another 3 years!

1st day of school

2009-08-24T11:09:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe my babies are now 2nd and 4th graders!!! WOW....where does the time go? Here is a picture if them standing outside their school this morning...on the 1st day of school. Hunter really didn't want us to walk him to class this morning...said we embarrass him sometimes. What's up with that???!! It's starting already??? But I told him all parents walk their kids to class on the 1st day, so he'll just have to deal with it. :) I told him we would try our best not to do or say anything that would embarrass him though.

The Disney Cruise!!!

2009-08-03T19:42:00.002-04:00

The 4 of us went on a 3-night Disney Cruise with Melannie (Marty's younger sister), Carlos (her husband), Alayna (their 11-month old daughter), and Mary (Marty's mom) this past week. It was the kids and my 1st time on a cruise. I must admit, I had mixed emotions about going at first (nervous, scared, and excited all in one), but once we got on, and the ship started moving, I realized all would be okay...and it was!! We had a great time, and no one got sea sick! The cruise took us to Nassau 1st, and then to Castaway Cay (Disney's own private island). While on Castaway Cay, we got to swim with and feed stingrays, and snorkel in the ocean. We had a room with a veranda, so we were able to stand/sit out there and enjoy the view of the ocean as we sailed....so relaxing/peaceful!! My only regret....that we didn't go for the full 7-day cruise! :)

The Summerville's Visit

2009-07-26T22:09:00.004-04:00

Every since they moved back to Ohio (we're trying to get them to move back here all the time) our friends, the Summerville's, come to visit us every year. We had another great visit with them this past week. Their kids (Kayla and Camden) get along great with our kids. We are so blessed to have such a great friendship/bond with this family. You don't find that kind of friendship very often---where both the men and women actually "like" each other, and enjoy hanging out with one another. :) I pray we will always be close, and never take for granted what we have with each other.

We also had a small get together with old friends/family from our last church on Friday night...and even got to watch some more fireworks in our front yard (thanks to Bill and Lonnie)!!!

Nail/Hair Salon

2009-07-26T22:05:00.002-04:00

Ang and kids came up last week for a visit. The girls "changed" Grace's bedroom into a hair/nail salon one afternoon. They did our feet, nails, and hair. Here are some pictures of their salon. :)

4th of July

2009-07-11T11:21:00.003-04:00

OK, so every year (for the past 4 years now), we have a "Fitzpatrick/Parizek 4th of July party" here at our house! Even thought it's SUPER DUPER HOT outside, we seem to always have fun. Bill Parizek is in charge of the fireworks, and man...does he put on a show (this year's was the best so far!!). We have a cook-out, and every family brings some kind of side/dessert dish. The bonzai slide is put up for the kids, and now that we have the pool...well, that's even more fun (even though the pool temp has been like 94 degrees and feels like bath water). We are so blessed to have such great family and friends, and are honored to have this party at our house every year. We are looking forward to next years already! If you're in town on the 4th next year, stop on by! :)

Grace looses another tooth

2009-07-03T15:46:00.001-04:00

OK, she now has her top 2 teeth out! So cute. :)

Martin A. Fitzpatrick, Attorney

2009-07-03T15:32:00.004-04:00

Allow me to brag a bit on my husband.
He was named one of "Florida's 2009 Legal Elite". There were only 918 out of 63,000 people chosen for this. GO MARTY! We love you, and are so proud of you! Thank you for being an awesome husband and dad. Here is the article....

How the Legal Elite Are Chosen

Balloting for this year’s list began last October when Florida Trend invited in-state members of the Florida Bar to participate. Announcements in The Florida Bar Journal and The Florida Bar News publicized the ballot deadline and voting guidelines. We also notified last year’s Legal Elite, the lawyers who participated in last year’s balloting, the top contact at 148 law firms, local bar associations and Florida members of the Association of Corporate Counsel by postcard and e-mail that balloting had begun.
Lawyers were asked to name attorneys they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others.
The ballots were processed, checked and tabulated by Bradenton-based Outsource America and Suncoast Opinion Surveys in St. Petersburg.
Each lawyer was given a score based on the number of votes he or she received and whether the votes came from within their firm (one point) or outside their firm (three points). Only lawyers who are currently licensed and practicing in Florida were considered eligible. Attorneys were also invited to submit names of lawyers for recognition in a separate Goverment Attorney category.
The list of top vote-getters was further examined using membership status and practice histories provided by the Florida Bar. A panel of previous Legal Elite winners, representing a variety of practice areas in cities across the state, reviewed the selection process and the list of finalists.
This year’s list of 918 Legal Elite attorneys represents less than 2% of the nearly 63,000 Florida Bar members practicing in Florida.

Fitzpatrick, Martin Andrew • Broad and Cassel • Tallahassee • Commercial Litigation

WILD ADVENTURES!

2009-06-07T21:05:00.002-04:00

We decided to go to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, GA today (our 1st time). It was a beautiful day...great weather. We had a good time...just the 4 of us hanging out as a family. Loved it.

Summer fun----already!!!

2009-06-01T18:08:00.007-04:00

Well, today was the 1st day of summer break for the kids. We have been blessed to have a wonderful sitter for Hunter and Grace on the days I have to work. Christi came today, and went over and beyond with the kids. She took them to Michael's (to buy "craft" supplies), then to Chick-fil-A for lunch, then came back home and helped them make (sew) their own "Perry the Platypus" animal. (For those of you who don't know what I am talking about..."Perry the Platypus" is a character on a Disney cartoon they watch). Needless to say, the kids are thrilled, and have been playing with their "inaction figures" all afternoon. Thanks, Christi for being a fun sitter!!! The kids love you! ***Check out their videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIT-3yyOqgo

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrHw7xNtCKU ***

Our future leaders

2009-05-02T09:01:00.003-04:00

April 23rd was "Take your son/daughter to work" day for 3rd-8th grade, so Marty and I decided to split up the day with Hunter. I took him to my work in the morning, and Marty had him in the afternoon. He seemed to enjoy it.

At my work, he learned how to take vital signs, dip/check urine, get height and weight, and even got to listen to a patients heartbeat with my stethoscope (after hearing his heartbeat, he told the patient "Sounds good...you are going to be okay"!). :)

At Marty's work, he got to go on a little field trip to visit a judge, see a courtroom, and even was given a gavel to keep!! (Thanks Judge Walker!!!)

Grace is looking forward to doing this too once she is in 3rd grade!

Happy 7th Birthday, Grace Spring!

2009-03-29T21:22:00.002-04:00

Saturday was Grace's 7th birthday. It's weird to think our little baby is 7 now. Wow. My sister, Angela and her 3 kids drove up from Umatilla for the weekend to celebrate with us. Grace wanted a "Bobby Jack" monkey birthday theme this year, and wanted to go to Build-A-Bear with Autumn and Addy. So we went to Build-A-Bear in the morning, then came back home to have "Bobby Jack" birthday cake (an amazing cake, made by Marty's office manager, Patti Williams) with the rest of the family. Uncle Nate even decorated cookies by putting monkeys on them (made from icing) for the girls! :) It was a fun weekend.

Another thing added to "My favorite things"

2009-03-26T05:20:00.003-04:00

I have a new favorite book (and that means a lot coming from me, because I really don't enjoy reading). I am not quite done reading it yet, but I am loving it so far. It is speaking words of encouragement and knowledge to me...words that I need to hear...in a simple, practical way (I'm very "simple-minded"---no laughing please!). If you're looking for a book to help you with your family life, raising your children up to love and serve God, and providing a spiritually and emotionally safe place for your children, then you might want to check this book out too. Just thought I'd share.... :)

Horseshoe Beach weekend

2009-03-22T18:46:00.003-04:00

Our friend, Joseph Lee, has a condo at Horseshoe Beach that he invites us to once in awhile. It's more like a fishing community rather than a beach, so we get to go out on his boat and fish, ride the golf cart around town (the kids love to do this), and swim in the pool while there. We always have a fun time when we go. This time, Marty's mom went with us too. Unfortunately Hunter got sick while we were there, and slept most of the time, but everyone else had a lot of fun (thanks Joe)!

One happy girl!

2009-03-16T17:52:00.009-04:00

For about a week now, Grace has had a loose tooth. She wiggles it everyday...pulling at it, and threatening us that she will get a string and just "yank it out". It would bleed every now and then, but wouldn't come out....until today! It looked so loose today when she showed me, so I took her in the bathroom, got a piece of toilet paper, grabbed ahold of the tooth, and pulled! Out it came! We both screamed with excitement! :) She is sooooooo excited! She wrote the tooth fairy a note asking if she could keep the tooth since it's her 1st. :) We love you Grace!! :) You are such a sweet and precious little girl.

Last basketball game of the season

2009-03-10T20:24:00.002-04:00

Hunter had his last "upwards" basketball game on Saturday. We were very proud of him for sticking it out through the entire season (although quitting wasn't really even an option). He is an awesome defensive player....on his man all the time! In the last game, he was passed the ball, and took a shot----the ball hit the backboard, then the rim, then---bounced out. :( But, we were soooo excited he tried and took the shot!!!! His face was glowing with excitement too! It was cool. Great job, HD! We are proud of you! Grace wants to play next year too! :)

Date day with Grace

2009-02-21T22:05:00.002-05:00

We started a reward system with the kids....when they earn 10 checks, they can pick who they want to go on a date with (mom or dad), and where they want to go (within reason). They can earn checks by: doing their homework without complaining, doing something nice for someone else, or making good choices in the day (AKA no fighting with their sibling). Grace earned her 10 checks, so she picked me to go on a date with her to steak & shake for breakfast. She got all dressed up for it....it was fun. :)

Another weekend packed full of "fun"

2009-02-16T16:57:00.005-05:00

OK...can the month of February get ANY busier for our family? Here is what we have:

2/13 = mom's birthday

2/14 = valentine's day

2/15 = our anniversary

2/16 = nate's birthday

Angela, her 3 kids, and Linda (my mom's cousin who now lives in the Orlando area---our kids all call her AUNT LINDA since she is just like an aunt to us) all drove up for the weekend (Randy, Ang's husband, stayed home to work on their house).

We had mom's birthday celebration on Saturday afternoon (Happy 59th birthday to mom), then the 5 of us (Me, Marty, Amber, Nate and Angela) headed out to a Japanese restaurant for dinner (for Valentine's Day). After that, we.........okay.......I'll just say it......got another tattoo. We got the same tattoo on our left wrists (a symbol that means "sisters"). It hurt SOOOOOOOOOO BAD (and still does, to be quite honest with you). Why? you ask....I don't know....we just did it. End of story. :)

Here are some pictures of the weekend events.

Our anniversary trip to Gatlinburg

2009-02-09T09:59:00.006-05:00

Every year, if we can, we try to go somewhere to celebrate our anniversary. This year, we are celebrating our 12th anniversary (on Feb 15th)!!! We decided to rent a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN again for 4 days. We went there for our honeymoon, and loved it so much, that we go back there often now. Our friends, DJ and Diane (from Ohio) met us there too. We had a great time....relaxing and fun. We did some skiing, shopping, golfing, eating, and of course...sleeping! :) Marty's mom (nana) and my mom (grandma) watched Hunter and Grace for us.

A packed-full weekend

2009-02-01T19:59:00.002-05:00

We had quite a busy weekend. Friday night we drove down to Orlando. Thanks to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law (Melannie & Carlos), we went to the Animal Kingdom AND Magic Kingdom for FREE on Saturday. Then Sunday morning, we saw our niece, Alayna, get dedicated to the Lord at their church, Northland.

I forgot to take my camera this weekend, but Marty was able to snap a few pictures of the kids (with his cell phone) in the Magic Kingdom. It was the 1st time the kids had been on a roller coaster. They LOVED it.....unlike their mom, who is such a wimp! :)

My little boy

2009-01-24T10:16:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, Hunter has had a rough few weeks (and us for that matter). He goes through cycles of "doing good" and "not so good" in regards to his attitude, behavior, and overall well-being. This is due to his diagnosis of ADHD and "mood disorder". We have great friends, family, and doctors though, who keep us in their prayers, and help us through these rough times by 1) encouraging us to stay strong and consistent, 2) giving us advice/ideas on how to deal with different situations that come up, and 3)just praying for us as we continue to do the best we can in raising him up to be a godly, obedient, respectful boy. It's definitely a trying thing for us, but we know God gave us Hunter for a reason...He "picked" us to be his parents/family for a reason, and we are so grateful for that. We love him so much.

Last Sunday, we received a word from our pastor about Hunter. He said:

"God is doing something in and with Hunter...I have a strong, strong burden and belief that a mighty touch on his life is one of a few catalysts that will bring an amazing renewal and move of God...it is just deep in my spirit and it won't go away...I am waiting with great anticipation to see him healed...I say that with great reverence...it is not loose speech...I am convinced something amazing is going to happen..."

Of course this has given us new hope and excitement. We will continue to do all we know to do for/with Hunter, and anticipate great and wonderful things for him as we seek God's wisdom in raising him! We thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, and concerns for us. We treasure you all.....

On another note, Hunter has started playing basketball! It's a program called "Upward Sports". They focus on positive reinforcement, and teach Christian values to the kids. He has a game every Saturday, and practices every Tuesday night. He seems to enjoy it, and we are so excited he has a place to go, exercise, feel supported, and have fun too. :)

Hunter's 9th Birthday

2009-01-05T22:05:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that our little baby boy is now 9 years old. On the kids birthdays, we treat them as a QUEEN or KING for the day. They get to pick what they want to do, and who they want to do it with. Today, Hunter wanted to go to McDonald's for breakfast, then to a movie (Bolt) with Alan and Kaylyn Parizek, then shopping (to spend some of his birthday money he received in the mail). It was a long, but overall fun day. We had Grandma, Aunt Amber & Uncle Nate over for dinner (pizza) and ice cream cake with Reese's cups and cherries on top (per his request) for dessert tonight. We did; however run out of "regular" birthday candles, so we had to use 3 tea light candles to go on top of his birthday cake. He didn't seem to mind though. :) One of his birthday presents was ROCK BAND 2, so needless to say, we all (yes, even grandma!!) played that all night long. It was fun...and quite addicting, I might add!! Happy Birthday, Hunter!!! We love you soooooooooo much! :)

New Years Eve

2009-01-03T19:18:00.002-05:00

For New Years Eve, we had a few friends/family over for a bonfire, cookout, games. It was a fun night. Some made it till midnight...others didn't. :) Alot of our friends were either sick or out of town, so there were not too many here, but we still had fun.

Marty's 40th birthday

2008-12-28T19:33:00.002-05:00

Well, it finally arrived....Marty's 40th birthday. Needless to say, he's not too thrilled about it; however, he seemed to have a good day. His family came up to visit/celebrate for the weekend. We had a good time with them...went to Tom Brown Park, had a turkey dinner one night (made by Marty's mom), played mexican train dominoes and yahtzee, went to church together, and even went to Chuckee Cheese (and made it out alive/sane). Here are some pictures of the weekend.......

Christmas Day

2008-12-26T14:44:00.002-05:00

We had a fun day hanging out with my family. The kids got up at 5:15 AM to see if Santa had been here yet, and he had! So needless to say, they ran into our room to wake us up. We opened presents, then Amber and Nate came over to do their gift exchange around 10:30. Afterwards, we went to Village Inn for our Christmas lunch (sad, huh???...but fun, and I didn't have to do any cooking!!) We then decided to go see a movie (Marley & Me). Cute movie, but VERY sad (had to sit and hug on Hunter after it was over because he was upset/crying). :( We used it for the good though, and made a lesson out of it. :) Amber took some family pics of us....thought I'd share some with you.

Christmas with the Parvu family

2008-12-21T22:57:00.003-05:00

My sister, Angela, and her family (Randy, Autumn, Addison, & Randon...oh yah, and Lady, their dog) all came up from Umatilla for the weekend to have our family Christmas. We had a fun weekend...nail salon, cookout, Yahtzee games, fun on the swing set (SCARY), and last but not least, ear washing (don't ask)!!! :). Wish they could have stayed longer. Love you guys!

A morning of pampering

2008-12-21T22:46:00.002-05:00

My sisters and mom decided to take the 3 girls (Grace and her 2 cousins, Addy and Autumn) to get their finger and toe nails painted at a nail salon. It was so much fun....they LOVED it! They were overwhelmed by the amount of colors they could choose from. It was cute. Of course, us 3 sisters had to get something done while we were there too! Maybe we'll make this Christmas-time tradition! Since the boys weren't "into" getting a manicure/pedicure for themselves, they went out to waffle house while we went to the nail salon. :)

Elf Night!

2008-12-19T10:12:00.003-05:00

We took the kids to "Elf Night" at Dorothy B Oven park last night. Even though is was a bit crazy (lots of people there), we had a fun time. We met up with some friends there, and walked around with them looking at all the neat lights. They even had snow blowing out on us!!! How cool is that! :)

My little reindeer

2008-12-16T21:14:00.002-05:00

Grace was excited to wear her reindeer antlers and red nose today to school (today was "reindeer day" in her class). It's neat seeing her grow and mature...neat, but sad at the same time. She is growing up so fast. It's hard to believe my baby will be 7 in March. I was reminded via a friend's e-mail that we need to treasure every day....that December 16, 2008 only comes once, and then it's gone forever...no turning back. Every day is a treasure.

I am blessed!

2008-12-05T14:13:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer this past September. It was very hard hearing the news, but we went through the steps...surgery, radiation therapy, misc dr appts, and now....we are hopefully done! Mom's last radiation treatment was this past Wednesday! She had to go 5 days a week for 6 1/2 weeks. She's quite a trooper. She always kept a positive outlook, and even encouraged us to trust in the Lord through it all. She was known at the TMH radiation place as "the counselor". The employees said they always knew mom would be out there in the lobby encouraging others in their "cancer journey", and will miss her there. Mom, thanks for all you have done for me, Ang and Amber!!! Thanks for all your encouraging words over the years. We love you very much!

Recently, as mom and I were driving in the car, she reminded me just how blessed I really am. I have a husband who loves me and our kids very much, goes to work every day in order to provide for us, and strives to serve the Lord daily. I have a house with a roof on it, friends and family who love/support me, 2 overall healthy kids, and a job doing what I love. I have a God who loves me unconditionally, shows me grace and mercy daily, and continues to provide people in my life who encourage me when I need some "pick-me-up" words. :) WOW....I really am blessed. Thanks mom for reminding me of this. :)

Christmas time is here....

2008-11-30T19:56:00.003-05:00

We put up our tree today. Grace helped out this year with the decorating...Hunter, not so much. :) It was fun watching Grace dance around the living room to the Christmas music. We also did the "Elfyourself" video...too funny. :) I'm going to try to post the link on here so you can see it for yourself!
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/u3UPJQ6MAaGGgcBA5ZQt

Thanksgiving weekend

2008-11-30T19:42:00.003-05:00

OK, I must admit...I was a bit stressed about cooking for 19 people on Thanksgiving (a 24-pound turkey), but everything went pretty smooth (thanks to Amber for bringing 2 sides). We had a fun day...meeting Nate and Amber and his family at Tom Brown Park during the day, and then eating our turkey dinner that night. And of course...playing Mexican Dominoes that night was a blast, but the best part of the day was listening to my nephew, Steven talk about Nate's dad (he thought he was a robot...sitting on the back porch with his laptop on his lap!!!). Too funny! :) Thanks, Steven for the laughs. :)

Fun Family Moments

2008-11-18T20:12:00.002-05:00

Okay, I just had to blog about this.....mom burning her hair by getting too close to her gas fireplace the other night! Too funny. Mom, we love ya...thanks for letting us pick on you!! :) See the pictures of the burnt hair and then Grace trying to pick out the burned pieces for her!

Also...some pictures of Hunter, who just lost his 2 front top teeth. I asked him to sing the "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth" while I video taped him, but he wouldn't. :( I wonder why???? :) Oh well....

A busy, but fun weekend

2008-11-02T20:49:00.003-05:00

This was a very busy weekend. It started with company arriving in town for Amber and Nate's wedding on Tuesday night. Friday was Halloween and Amber and Nate's wedding rehearsal. Then on Saturday was the big day---Amber and Nate's wedding. So, to say the least....it was a very busy weekend....but fun. :) We enjoyed all of our company staying at our house with us (Grandpa, Aunt Thelma, Aunt Barbee, "Aunt" Linda, "Aunt" Becky, Darcy -- Amber's friend from Ohio, and the Parvu family). Thanks guys for coming and helping soooo much with the wedding!!! Here are some pictures of our weekend.

A night out...Amber's bachelorette party!!!

2008-10-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe my baby sis, Amber, is getting married in just 5 days. A group of us took her out for dinner and dancing last weekend (her bachelorette party). We had a fun time...laughing, dancing crazy, singing, and eating..of course. :) Enjoy the pictures....

More pumpkin patch pictures 10-21-08

2008-10-21T20:55:00.002-04:00

Hunter Detrick

2008-10-19T20:55:00.003-04:00

Pumpkin carving time!

2008-10-19T20:28:00.003-04:00

Marty and the kids carved out a pumpkin this afternoon. Check out the pictures.

Girls beach trip

2008-10-11T14:22:00.002-04:00

Me and some of my friends went away for a long weekend to Rosemary Beach last week (thanks to Shannon who gets the house for free!!!). It was nice to get away, relax, and enjoy some "girl time".

My mom

2008-10-11T14:12:00.002-04:00

Most of you know about my mom's diagnosis of breast cancer last month. It has been a challenging month for all of us in regards to dealing with it emotionally, and helping mom through the surgery/recovery. I just want to thank those of you who have helped me and my family out lately (whether it be watching the kids, bringing us dinner, praying for us, cards, e-mails, phone calls). It has meant so much to us...to know we are cared for and loved.

Mom's final pathology report came back, showing the cancer had not spread anywhere else, that the margins of the area they cut out were clear, and that overall, it all looked good. She starts her radiation therapy this Wednesday (it will be 5 days a week for 6 weeks). The main side effect to the radiation will probably be fatigue (with the worst being in week #3). She also has another appt with an oncologist on 10/27 to discuss chemo (if needed) and what medications she will need to take for the next few years.

In the meantime, she has gone back to work (half days only for now...due to the fatigue she is having). Please continue to pray for her (and us) as we go through this trial. We are so thankful it got "caught" early, and KNOW the Lord is in control. Sometimes it's just so hard to let go of the need to control, and put our trust in HIM!

Amber's Bridal Shower

2008-09-21T14:05:00.004-04:00

We thew Amber a bridal shower at Food Glorious Food on Saturday. It was so much fun....we played games, made people dance when she opened their present (HAHAHA), and ate yummy appetizers and cakes. Thanks to all who came and made the day fun and memorable!!! Enjoy the pictures.

Pool time with the Parvu family

2008-09-21T13:59:00.002-04:00

My sister, Angela, and her family came up to visit us from Wed--Sat this week. I took some pictures while out at the pool. Her kids are getting so old now. Autumn is 7, Addison is 4, and Randon is 18 months. Thanks for coming to see us, guys!!! We love you!

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-26T13:51:00.003-04:00

Tropical Storm "Fay" came through our area last weekend. We lost power for 29 hours, but thanks to our kind neighbors, the Fairfields, we were able to hook up a generator to save our food in the fridge and run some fans so we wouldn't go completely crazy with the heat!! Our wonderful friend, Bill Parizek, took Hunter during the storm, and entertained him for us too! Thanks Bill!!! Hunter had a BLAST with you, Alan and Kaylyn! WOW.....we are blessed with some awesome friends!!! Here are some pictures I took after the storm went through.

1st day back to school

2008-08-18T15:37:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe the summer is over. It really did fly by! Hunter and Grace started back to school this morning (Hunter is in the 3rd grade, and Grace is in the 1st grade this year). They also get to ride the bus home in the afternoon now (they like that). Here are some pictures of the day...

Our trip to Orlando this weekend

2008-08-12T20:32:00.002-04:00

My sister-in-law, Melannie, and her husband, Carlos, had their first baby (GIRL) on Wednesday. We drove down on Friday and got to see her some over the weekend. The kids loved seeing/holding her! Meet Alayna Anne Rodriguez.....

We stayed with Matt and Sandy (and kids) while in Orlando before going to the Nickelodeon hotel. Enjoy the "Dunkin Donut Fun" pictures.....

The Nickelodeon Hotel!

2008-08-12T20:26:00.002-04:00

For 3 years now, Hunter has asked if we could go on vacation to the nickelodeon hotel in Orlando. We decided to go this past week for a few nights. The kids had a blast...the parents....well, let's just say we are pooped!!! Marty describes it as "Las Vegas for kids". :) Here are some pictures of our time there!

Hunter and Grace have a garage sale!

2008-08-05T21:14:00.002-04:00

The other day Hunter came up to me and asked if he could have a garage sale. I said he could, but would have to plan for it (make signs, lay out the stuff he wanted to sell, etc). He got together a few things, and had the garage sale (along with his sister) on Saturday from 8:30-10:30. He only had 3 customers total (kids from the neighborhood), but he seemed quite content with the money he made. It was cute. :) Good job, kids!!!!

The Germany Fitzpatricks

2008-08-05T21:07:00.002-04:00

Marty's oldest brother, Mike and his family (Sue, Aaron, Andrew and Brooke) came to visit us for about a week. The kids loved playing with their cousins! There were many fun outings...St. George Island, Fun Station, Marble Slab Creamery, the movies, etc... We always appreciate Mike and Sue's wisdom and advice for us every time we are with them. They always encourage us to stay strong in the Lord, and to seek Him first in all things. Thanks, guys!

Our trip to Umatilla

2008-07-21T22:18:00.003-04:00

Grace and I drove down to visit my sister and her family in Umatilla this past weekend. Here are some random pictures taken while there and on the way back.

My brother-in-law, Randy

2008-07-21T22:06:00.003-04:00

When we heard my brother-in-law, Randy, was going to be giving his testimony at church on Sunday, Grace and I decided to drive on down for the weekend. All I can say is.....WOW! For those of you who have known Randy for awhile, you would appreciate the change that has taken place in his life. He became a Christian about a year ago, but has really grown spiritually lately, and now has this joy and peace about him that was not there before. It was so exciting to hear him tell his "story". It encouraged me to continue on, and not grow weary. Thanks, Randy for your boldness and willingness to share your testimony! I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for you and Angela! Thanks to Marty's brother, Matt...you can now watch Randy give his testimony online! Just click on this link: http://youtube.com/fitzdogtv

The 4th of July party

2008-07-05T21:24:00.003-04:00

This was our 3rd annual Fitzpatrick/Parizek 4th of July party at our house. Even though it was a VERY hot day, it was so much fun hanging out with our friends and family, and watching the fireworks (thanks, Bill and Lonnie for all the hard work you put into that....you did an awesome job....as usual)!

Our friends, The Summerville's

2008-07-05T21:20:00.003-04:00

Our friends, from Ohio (whom we have known for over 10 years now) came for a visit this week. We had a blast with them, and were so sad to see them leave. Thanks for your friendship, DJ, Diane, Kayla and Camden! :)

The Ohio trip

2008-06-26T16:20:00.004-04:00

Well, we did it....and made it there and back all still alive and sane (well, half)! :) My sister, Angela, and I rented a van and drove to Ohio with our 5 kids (yes, that's right...we are crazy...15 hours one way). We went up for my mom's family reunion. We had a great time visiting with our grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It's always so nice to see each other and "catch up" with one another. On, Monday, we all went to a farm for a picnic. The kids got to ride horses, and see some farm animals while we were there too. Thanks Aunt Thelma and grandpa for treating us to that!!!

Pool fun

2008-06-17T18:22:00.003-04:00

Pool fun.....

My sister is engaged!

2008-06-17T14:40:00.006-04:00

My baby sister, Amber got engaged over the weekend. Nate proposed to her while they were on a pontoon boat they rented for the day on Saturday. She is excited....and we are too. The kids are looking forward to calling him UNCLE Nate instead of MR. Nate!! :) Meet Nate....

The pool is done

2008-06-08T18:25:00.004-04:00

The pool is done and we are now swimming in it. Here are some pictures.

Baby kittens!

2008-05-30T11:36:00.003-04:00

Amber's cat, Roxy, had 6 kittens yesterday morning. They are so cute and tiny! The kids love going over there to see them. We already have homes for 3 of them, so there are 3 left! Let us know if you want one! They can go at 8 weeks.

The construction of our pool

2008-05-28T20:52:00.003-04:00

We started the pool process last Wednesday, and are being told it should be ready to swim in by this Sunday! We are excited, and are looking forward to having you all over for some pool fun (that's for you, Amber). Here are some pictures.

Missing my camera

2008-05-13T15:02:00.003-04:00

Well, my camera is MIA now for about 4 weeks. I have looked everywhere for it, and just can't find it, so I won't have any new pictures to include in this blog (but will add some old pictures for your enjoyment).

After months of planning and thinking about it, we have decided to...get a pool! We are excited to have it for this summer, and are looking forward to having many of you over for some swim days! The completed date should be around June 8th. YEAH! :) Hope you all have a good week.

An artist in the family!

2008-04-10T19:14:00.002-04:00

Grace's "Shape Monster" artwork was chosen to be on display at the Leon County Attorney's office! They had an open house there today for all to come and see! We are so proud of our little artist!

Spring Break at the beach

2008-04-06T16:57:00.002-04:00

For the kids spring break this year, we went to St George Island with Marty's brother, Matt and his family. We had a blast! The kids love playing with their cousins.

Field Day

2008-03-30T17:38:00.004-04:00

Hunter and Grace both had their field day at school last Friday. Ang and her kids were up visiting for the weekend, so they we able to go and watch too. It was fun....hot, but fun.

Happy 6th Birthday, Grace!

2008-03-29T20:16:00.002-04:00

Grace celebrated her 6th birthday at "Cookies & Tea for Me". She had a "Pink Poodle Party" with some of her friends/cousins. It's hard to believe my baby is now 6 years old! Time flies!

Easter

2008-03-23T22:15:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday today. It started with church. We got to watch Nate (Amber's boyfriend) get baptized today...how cool is that! The kids had 3 egg hunts today...one at Sunday School, one at home, and one at the Parizek house (a family we have known for 10 years--they have us and some other families over to their house for Easter every year, and go over and above with the eggs...the kids love it!!!) THANKS PARIZEKS!! We love you guys. Anyway, here are some pictures taken today.

Grace's class Easter egg hunt 3-20-08

2008-03-20T18:28:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures I took of Grace at her class Easter egg hunt/party. The kids had a great/fun time.

Daddy/daughter date

2008-03-15T20:57:00.005-04:00

Every once in awhile, Marty takes Grace out on a date with him. We think this is a great way to show her how a guy is to treat her, and what she should look for when it is time for her to date (scary!!). It also gives them some great one on one quality time together...outside the home. I thought I'd share some pictures with you of their date day. Enjoy! :)

Today with Hunter

2008-03-12T21:23:00.000-04:00

So I am at work...Wednesdays I work 8--8, and I get a call around 11:00 from Hunter's teacher. She tells me that he has been sleeping at his desk for 45 minutes and he isn't wanting to wake up. I tell her, I will be right there. I leave work...drive to the school...and find him awake, sitting on a bean bag chair eating some of his lunch. He still looks lethargic though, and when I asked him how he was feeling, he responded "Um...I don't know...I don't know what is wrong". Poor guy. We have recently changed his meds, and this new medicine is just making him feel so weird and "out of it". So I take him back to my work to check his BP (just to make sure it's not too low). It was fine. After some more to eat and some rest/snuggle time with mom, he was back to his normal self...playing his wii. It's just so frustrating though for us....I mean we are grateful we finally have a diagnosis for him (for those of you who don't know...Hunter has bipolar and ADHD), but now we just have to figure out what medication/dose will be best for him (and it will continue to change until he is 18 probably...due to growing/hormones). Please pray for us...for patience, strength, endurance. And pray for Hunter...it's gotta be so frustrating for him to not know how to express how he is feeling and not know why he can't control some things that he does.

Oh the joy of exercise

2008-03-11T19:11:00.000-04:00

I am tired and exhausted! I keep waiting for this fatigue feeling to pass, but it doesn't. I mean, how long does it take for your body to get use to working out??? My neighbor and her friends have this workout they do every day (M--F) at her house from 4:30-5:30. She asked me to join the group about 2 1/2 weeks ago...so I did...thinking "OK...this will be good for me...how hard can it be?". WOW! It is quite the workout. Now I'll admit, I'm not the best in shape person right now ...no laughing please...(although my goal is to be the buffest one in town some day...again, no laughing please), but this is hard work! However, it does help me in regards to my stress level, and I am getting out of the house every afternoon and having conversations with ADULTS too...which is always nice (as anyone with young children can probably relate). OK OK...enough moaning and complaining for one day. :)