Showing posts with label Mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mom. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Blessings Everywhere

Sarah and I are coming up on 1 year of working as pizza ladies at Little Caesars. It's been real fun, but also real hard. I have seen so many good workers and leaders either let go or quiet. The dude in this picture was one of the greatest team leaders and workers, in my opinion, and has taught me how to deal with hungry and sometimes angry customers. He also knew how to have fun in the midst of great stress and often times made me and Sarah laugh so hard we'd mess up on pizzas. He was a blessing to both of us at a most stressful place you could be!!.


A picture of me and these fun ladies. (only taken because the majority workers at LC were guys!)

I wrote about this wonderful lady on Facebook not too long ago about how absolutely wonderful she is: "
Thankful for this amazing mama. She is filled with so much love, kindness, and tenderness."
She is all that and so much more. She is like an angel to me, which God placed in my crazy life. She represents everything that is good and portrays kindness and love like no other human being on this earth. She is everything I want to be! She is my blessing. 
She laid on my bed on the first day of school, praying for Sarah and I to have a safe and great day at College. When I came in she was sound asleep, peacefully dreaming in the comfort of a daughters bed. It was a great ending to my first day of College!!
This picture represents another huge blessing in my life. As a lot of you know, I received a scholarship which will be paying for my college education. What I didn't know was that I would be receiving a car package filled with small gifts to help me through the 1st semester. After about already two weeks of school already in motion and stress building up, I received a bundle of small precious gifts, which brightened up my whole day. 
On a Thursday afternoon, after a morning class at Collin, I headed over to UTD (a possible school I may choose long term) to go visit my older brother who studies and works there. It was a real joy walking through the very same halls that my genius brother Mark got his Masters in Accounting and my brother Tim who worked for years getting a Teaching certificate for special ed. And now my brother Joseph who is working hard to get his Masters in History. It was so quiet and peaceful, filled with students who were committed to homework and learning the things they were there for. It was really cool to be walking with my brother and having so many students and other employees coming up and asking him permission to do something, or asking him for help. We had lunch together and talked for 2 hours about almost everything. It was very much needed and I loved it. Another sweet blessing.
Sarah and I got together with a group of friends and spent hours out on the boat the day before the new semester started. I love being in the boat on the water, feeling the wind against my face, hearing the laughter of my friends, and seeing the determination of those who were willing enough to push themselves past what they think they can do.
Speaking of friends, this guy is perty cool too. After a night of youth group at our house, we got to hang out with this guy, singing, sharing movies with this guy and enjoying favorite songs.
So Sarah and I can be a bit crazy when it comes to late nights. She was doing laundry and made a statement about playing hide and seek in the dryer when she was younger. I replied by stating she couldn't fit in there anymore and she decided to prove me wrong. So here's the proof.
I got the pleasure of training this girl in the sound booth at out church to make slides and adjust microphones. It was a fun night filled with uncontrollable laughter and so much sarcasm.
And then there's this gal. My sister, who brings me so much joy and laughs at the most stupid things I do or say. We have so much fun together, from getting gas for my car together, to going shopping for our mother,  and to driving up to college looking like the coolest girls alive!!!!. I am soon to move out to a college campus and start a new phase of life, and boy will I miss these precious small memories with this gal.
I'm trying to remember if I've written about this crazy guy. He is the one person at Collin College who has brought out the most crazy and wild side of my life. We have this game we play at college, where the first to spot the other takes a picture and sends it to him or her saying "I see you". This guy makes my college life so much fun and has given me a great friendship.
 Photo Credit to John.
This gal is soon to be home, has worked hard to get back to family life, and will soon be given the chance to do so. This is a selfie we took at our church, when she got to spend a weekend with us.
Lastly, I want to end with two blessings that have been in my life. The last few weeks have been extremely rough and demanding. I lost a friend to suicide, another to old age, and another distant friend to a car accident. Classes have been really demanding and many due dates have been keeping me endlessly busy. I have spent many late nights studying at College, and thankfully with a friend who also stays late and normally studies alone. Never would I have imagined how amazing this dude is and that he would be the one to remind something I tend to remind those around me. He had time to breath, time to do things spontaneously, he had no one to answer to career wise, not stressing, and was totally sailing through life. I envied that and was totally curious as to how he got so far ahead. He talked with me and explained how he managed to do so. He told me that life is too short to be rushing from one thing to the other. When one of my long and stressful day of studying ended, this friend walked me out to my car, but stopped me half way. He told me to close my eyes, breath slowly and open them gazing at the sky. "Slow down, and don't forget to enjoy the little things around you." In doing this, he was trying to show me the beauty of what God had put in place right before me. The beauty I have missed throughout this whole semester right before me, all because I was trying to meet the demands of this world. It was a great reminder and a great ending to my very stressful day. There have been many more reminders like these during late night studies and the most recent was when it rained. I have never been a big fan of rain, because the rain always brought clouds which covered the brightness of the sun. It was depressing to me, but this guy reminded me of the beauty of it. We both sat on the ground, outside the library waiting for the rain to calm down and he had me close my eyes, stop thinking about everything going on in my life, and listen to the sound of the rain. I closed my eyes, listened and then asked him to describe the scene as if I was a blind person. He did, and it was beautiful. It was right there, I could see it with my own eyes, but was so caught up in my own thoughts and tasks, that I missed it all. It was a great reminder that even in the cloudier and darker days, there is still beauty....we just have to look deeper.
The last wonderful blessing I will end this post with is my sweet, and oh so energetic mother. I have recently been extremely busy with many duties, and have lost a lot of the time I use to spend with fun lady. She is so spontaneous and loves to do random things. Last Saturday, I had a full day of not having to be everywhere and was able to stay home doing small chores. When mama took my baby sis to work, I tagged along to spend some time with her. She looked at me with the face of, "I finally have time with you!" She took me out to a late lunch and we both got to talk. It was great cause I had so much on my mind and hadn't talked to her like this for a while. She then took me to Hobby Lobby to get my Christmas ornament early. This is a tradition in our family. Every year, we buy a new one to add to our tree, so that when we grew up and became adults, living on our own, we had these ornaments to remind us of the many wonderful Christmas's spent in the Minich house. Each ornament told a different story and we were apart of it. We both came home and got back to life in the home. I sat down to study in the kitchen, and she had two laundry baskets to fold. Now normally, when mama finishes baskets, there is always a sock left without a matching other. This time, she finished both and all socks had matchings. She was so excited she nearly started dancing with joy. It was such a sweet moment, a small moment, a moment that put absolute happiness in my heart and a smile on my face.
 Needless to say, I am beyond blessed with family and friends. It is so easy to get caught up in this chaotic and stressful world, forgetting the small things that we are often given! :)

Hope you all enjoyed. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Family time :)


Since my last post there have been many exciting things which have happened in the Minich house hold. My oldest brother and his family came down from New Mexico and visited for the weekend of 4th of July. Lillian, his youngest daughter is staying for a month to get some Yaya and Grandpa visit time in Texas.  Three of my other cool bros came and spent a whole day visiting, laughing and making memories on the Minich acre.
 Katie and Joe catching up on life. She's all grown up now and so beautiful.

 This front porch is filled with so many memories. I can't express the joy in my heart when you stand there and watch your brothers love each other! As I stood there I heard the beautiful noise of Chuck playing the guitar, while Joe sang and Tim created a beat with my drum sticks on a practice pad. Marcus began singing and then mama came out and added harmony to their old time song. I stood there and heard so many childhood stories of their lives and how amazing my mother was at such a young age. She taught them so much about love and tenderness, the importance of brother hood and friendship. It was amazing to further be able to talk about my life and the many exciting things which have taken place; to tell them of my achievements and to later have my brother hug me and tell me he was proud of me. I loved being able to talk with Chuck and learning he also wants to study History when he gets into college. This Sunday highlighted my whole year. 


 The grand-kids chilling after running around outside. I love how close in age they are!
 And here they are. The coolest brother on the planet. I can't imagine how proud mama is.

 All the grand-kids except one! Elsa can't stay out in the heat too long, so she had to go home.
 Oh and this guys laugh!. I love it!

The female bunch!
 Selfie with da sister in law!

Not to long after, we got to be apart of Ruby's 1st birthday party.
Loved watching Joseph love on his little girl!
And here they are, the whole Minich bunch. I love taking pictures. I get the pleasure of capturing moments that one day, they will be able to look back on!
Precious
Gorgeous Rebeca! Truly enjoy spending time with this mama of four, whom has brought much joy in my life. 
Yaya and the birthday girl.
I think I've said this already, but I can't say it enough. I love and treasure my family, we are all different and have different lives, we have all chosen different paths. My family is crazy and wonderful at the same time. We have all been raised by two amazing people, my father and mother, who have taught us great things and have shown use the meaning of family and the true definition of love! I can't express what it means to be apart of this family and how thankful I am to be a daughter to these two lovely people!

Saturday, June 11, 2016

An Update On My Busy life

Hey there guys. I apologize for not posting as much as I had planned but life once again got ahead of me, keeping me from updating all you interested readers. :) I have a few pics to kinda show you about my eventful life that will show ya'll what I've been up to.

Have I ever told ya'll how wonderful my parents are, and oh how much fun they bring in my crazy life.!! They bring me absolute joy from day to day. The picture below captures who they are perfectly! My father is the most sarcastic man I've ever known, filled with excitement in his heart and the joy of watching his children grow up. He loves every single one of us Minich boys and girls, the ones who have done well, as well as the ones who continue to do poorly. Papa loves receiving hugs and then sneaking in a tickle a time or two. And I love giving it to him. Even with his crazy silliness and sarcasm, he has such a gentle and loving spirit which makes him such a wonderful man and father.  My mother, who is absolutely beautiful or "drop dead gorgeous" has the love of saint. And I don't say this lightly. I have never met another woman who has given so much love to the most unlovable people on the planet. I have watched this wonderful God fearing lady love every single one of her children in a way that I've seen no other parent do. She has endlessly given up her desires and wants and put others first. She has a gentle and loving heart, which shines brighter than any jewel. This gentleness is portrayed almost everyday and it is beautiful to see. She has taught me the real definition of what love is and what sacrificial love looks like. The beauty you see in the picture below, is also a small glimpse of my mom's beautiful big heart. Oh, and did I mention how crazy this mama can be. Yes, She has the spirit of a young adult which is so much fun for Sarah and I. 

This pic below was taken at Winter Park, Colorado with an Amputee Ski group which Sarah and I were amazingly invited to again. It was a great week spent with some amazing people who have overcome great obstacles in their life. This is one week in our lives, where we spend time with teens who understand our circumstances, make jokes and laugh about it with us. 

Went down 36 mph this year. The fastest on record for my ski group!

Um, yes. My sister and our church friend. This was after our Church service was over and we were goofing off in the church parking lot. Oh and Sarah has her permit so she's been enjoying time behind the wheel. 



Sarah and I got invited to a birthday party with a bunch of boys. Our Friend John, turned 17 and wanted both us to be apart of it. We had a blast with them, I didn't realize how much fun guys could be. Thanks bro, Sarah and I really enjoyed it. 
This guy though! Happy birthday brother from a different mother, and thanks for having us apart your birthday event. 

Not to long ago, we had the pleasure of witnessing a baptism in our Church. 

So I was scrolling through my pictures on my ipod one day and came across this memorable picture of me and my father dancing to a song called "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I love this song, way more than I should, but it captures in words the relation between a father and his daughter, and oh how precious the time is. It captures how fast this time goes especially in the fathers eyes, and how the days may be long, but the years go by fast. Mama took this picture during the daddy daughter dance at our neighbors wedding and I absolutely love it and will always treasure it. And then one day, if this day does happen to me, another picture will be recaptured, but I will be wearing the white gown and he will once again, dance with his Cinderella, but this time, after the clock has struck midnight. 

Sarah and I got to meet up with some former ski trip friends on a Friday in which we enjoyed a wonderful lunch talking and catching up on each others lives. 

So putting aside my crazy life, I've been blessed with a full payed scholarship to any College I choose!! Life really has amazing opportunities and I can't wait to go out in the world to experience more of it. I'm super excited to put this scholarship to use, and can't wait to learn more. Watch out UTD, here I come!



I surprised myself this year and passed all my college classes with all A's! Feeling very successful in my education this semester. Fingers crossed for the next semester. 

Okay so this picture is my favorite at the moment. This is mama and Sarah doing workouts on the floor before heading to bed. I'm telling you, if you were there, you would not have stopped laughing the entire time of watching this. My mom's determined face and Sarah laughing so hard captures only the small part of an end to our busy day! You got this mom. I believe in you. 

Oh, did I forget to mention I'm graduating this year. I am. I have finally done it. Finished up all my high school years and already in the midst of some college education. I had the pleasure spending time with a photographer friend who captured my graduation pictures for the invitations I've been sending out to all the people I love and have been apart of my life. Thanks Mr. Palmer. Really enjoyed last Sunday. 



Sarah and I continue to work at Little Caesars, me as the cashier, and her as the pizza maker. I can't express how much fun it is to have her there. We laugh together while making pizza, make other employees laugh while cleaning dishes, converse with those about Christianity who are willing to listen and have questions to ask! When it's not busy at the store, Sarah comes up and joins me at the Register, in which we both have the pleasure of making customers either smile or laugh, and often times all I have to do is tease her about forgetting the penny she owes to the customer, or the pizza she forgot to get out, and even make fun of her when she tries to tear the receipt for the customer to sign, but she can't. LOL. She brings me absolute joy and lifts my spirit when I'm tired of dealing with hungry people who want their five dollar pizza pronto!

Life in the Minich family continues, with it's hardships and joys. Some of us have chosen wisely in life, and others not so much. Some of us have moved away and chosen a different life than we knew before, and others are still awaiting to come home. C. S. Lewis once said that “Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.” Life is this teacher, and boy have I learned! I still have much to learn, some of which will be taught through more suffering and other things which will discovered through joy.

Hope y'all enjoyed.
More about life to come!!

Erika M.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Happy Late Birthday to My Mother

Happy Birthday to this wonderful lady, wife, mother, and Grandmother!!!. You are a great many things and I don't think I'll ever be able to express it all in words. My friends absolutely love you! Some say they love your dancing, they love your braiding skills,  others say they love how active and spunky your are, they love your example of how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I love every bit of it, and my favorite part, is to be able to say, "Yup, that's MY mother!"
Happy Birthday Mother!
Birthday gal

Sarah got her a teapot she loved.





She loves her new teapot!!!!!

Erika M.