Important Change with the Minich family Blog!

Hello all~ I have decided to make a change with this blog. Within the next week or so I plan to close this one down. I have had it for about 4 years,and find I just don't update it very often anymore.The kids all  have their own blogs/Facebook if you want to keep up with their lives. I will also post special family happenings on my blog from now on. So, if you would still like to keep up with the Family you can bookmark or sign up to follow by e-mail at
http://elayneminich.blogspot.com/

I will concentrate on my personal blog ( elayne's blog~Running to Recovery) listed above. And my business blog ( Fit 4 Life)   
http://elayne-foodforlife.blogspot.com/

Hope you continue to share in our family times as well as sharing yours with us!
Thanks~ The Minich Family

Getting Ready for another Summer!

Kevin &Matt

First summer to try the jet ski!

 THE AMBO

                                  Ready for another fun filled summer!

A Peach!!

O

Our Little grand-baby is now the size of a peach! Nikki is now showing and I can not wait to see her and her little "baby bump".

I think about what it will be like to be a grandparent, to have a baby with all of us this year for the holidays. I have no idea if the baby is a girl or a boy. All I can say is I keep having dreams with this little blond haired boy in them. He is adorable and very brave!

Prayers for The Hudspeth Family

Please pray for the Hudspeth Family after the loss of their 24 yr. old son David. Our son Kevin was friends with David. They all went to a small high school, Denton Calvary and played football/basketball together. David was married to his high school sweet-heart Elise. Our hearts are very heavy. Please keep this family in prayer.

Limes!

Our grand-baby is the size of a lime this week! Mommy and baby are doing well. Nikki is at the end of the first trimester which has been rough, but it looks like she is feeling better going into her second trimester. Kevin has been very loving and supportive, taking good care of his family :)

I have begun cross-stitching the baby's blanket and REALLY hope I can do this before baby Minich gets here :) Still can't believe we are going to be grandparents, that plan to go by Oma & Opa Minich :)

Please Vote for my picture!

Hello everyone!
 I entered a photo in a  contest just for fun :) However, I worked VERY hard to get this picture by climbing Mount Brandon  a 952 m (3123 ft) mountain  on the Dingle peninsula in Ireland.
It is the highest of the unnamed central mountain range of the Dingle Peninsula and the 9th highest peak in Ireland.
It is a beautiful shot and I am trying to get in the top 10... I have a long way to go!
If you want to vote for my pic. just click on this link and hit vote...thanks!

http://baggagelabel.klm.com/Taggallery.aspx?image=97083&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d769a556995cae2%2C0

What's in a name?

This has been an important question for us as we are expecting our very first grand-baby! Of course there is the traditional Grandma and Grandpa but...we don't always like to do things the traditional way so we have been pondering this.
I realize as many of you have told me that we will be called whatever the baby calls us, but we can certainaly try to establish a name...right??

Do you pick a name easy for a baby/child to say? Or one you just want to be called? Maybe something to do with family heritage? One that is a version of your own name, like Grandpa Chris, or ..just make one up, like Grandma Opal!
My parents go by G&G Ski, a shortened version of their last name and easy for the boys to say when they were little. Chris's parents went by G&G Minich.

Here are some we have looked at and the one we are most leaning towards.
Mama and Grandpa Minich ( all the kids already call me mama Minich, (so it fits).
Nonnie or Nonna, which is Italian for Grandma but Chris does not like Nonno for grandpa.
In Scotland, they call their grandma either granny or nanna. Grandpa is granda (pronounced gran-da).
"Seanmhathair" is Irish for grandmother - . It literally means 'old mother' and is pronounced like this: shan- waw - her. WAY TO HARD!
In Yiddish, they say…
Grandpa = zeyde
Pronounced zey’∙deh
Grandma = bobe
Pronounced boh’∙beh / boo’∙beh
I’ve always heard it as bubbie or bubby( ah, don't think so :)

German is Oma and Opa. With baby Minich's last name and the easy pronunciation, Oma and Opa are growing on us and leading the way!

So, what do you think or like?Are you a Grandparent? What do you go by or what do you call your grandparents??

Tuesday's with Stephanie

Our son Tim's fiance' Stephanie, arrived from Europe 3 months ago. Since then, I have had the opportunity to spend Tuesday's with her. Tim drops her off in the morning before he heads to work and then he and Chris join us at the end of the day for dinner.
First thing in the morning I teach my group fitness class and she has joined in with the group. I know all the ladies have enjoyed getting to know her :)

I have enjoyed our time together very much. Sharing outcomes of the vegetarian meals we are both preparing from the same books. Cooking several of them together and then having dinner with Chris and Tim.
We also share the same love for running and we are starting to talk about another half marathon in the fall. Yay..another family member to join in!

She is an avid reader, much more so than me, but it is fun to talk about books we are reading or have read in the past. Right now she is borrowing "Life and Death in Shanghai", one of my all time favorite books and one almost everyone in our family has read.
I love her heart for people and the environment, but most of all how wonderful she is for Tim and how happy they are together.
She will be out of town for a little while and we will all miss her while she is away. I, personally will miss "Tuesday's with Stephanie". See ya soon!

Tim..Twenty Six...

Wow! Today is Tim's 26th birthday! Although we will see him tonight, we had a little surprise lunch for him on Sunday. Little did he know he was hosting his own birthday lunch at his apartment. He even ordered the pizza for everyone.
We told him it was a "send off' lunch for Stephanie as she will be leaving for Madrid on Wednesday :(
So, me,Chris and Matt came to the apartment after church, dug into the pizza while waiting for Nikki and Kevin to arrive. They arrived with a lit birthday cake ( carrot, which is Tim's favorite) and a cheesecake for Matt.We all sang Happy Birthday to Tim AND Matt ( whose bday isn't until April), confused them both, and then I gave them their presents.
We had to give Matt's early because they are all going to see the Mavs play the Knicks before April :) Kevin received his tickets in January for his Bday as well. They should all have a really fun time together!
Happy 26th Birthday to our oldest son and one of my favorite people~ luv you,Timothy...

From the Greek name Τιμοθεος (Timotheos) meaning "honoring God",

2011 a big year for The Minichs!!

2011 is looking like a very exciting year ahead for our family! We will have many celebrations this year;
~in April Chris will hit the big 50 and Matthew, our youngest will turn 21!
~ in May Matthew will graduate from UTD!
~ we will have a wedding with Tim & Stephanie (TBA)
~ and our newest news..... BABY MINICH will be joining us in September! Kevin & Nikki are expecting!

Birthdays, Graduations, Weddings & Babies! New parents, first time grandparents, husband & wife, aunts, uncles, graduates...let the fun begin !!

Winter 2011

Just some fun family pics from the past couple of weeks.. enjoy :)

LiLI

This is just about how our season went :(

Jeremiah

Chris..not a typical scene here!

Elayne with my new scarf & hat knitted by my niece Erika!

Winter home picture

Matt sliding on the ice

Matt & Ryo

Ryo running to her boy!

Kevin &Nikki

Stephanie :)

Tim & Stephanie

                      This was last weekend. Today we had windows open.

What This Old House Has taught Me

• I have learned how to remove linoleum, tile and carpet from concrete
• How to lay ceramic tile & grout, 
• How to install hardwood floors
• How to paint & stain everything!
• How to remove, plane, sand and repaint trim
• refinish furniture
• insert a gas log fireplace
• How to lay sod, plant trees, bushes, a garden, mow, cut and trim 

HOWEVER~ I can not sew, fold laundry nicely, walk in heels, style hair, or make a pretty bow.
Living Thankfully and Loving my family & friends  In "This Old House"

Broken

Matt broke his hand on Wednesday playing basketball. No more basketball for Matt for a while :(

                                              

This Old House...Under Construction Again

First thing we did was remove the tile in the hallway

The new floor!

Next we removed the carpet from the dining room and installed hardwood floors

The dining room complete with the refinished Minich Family table.

Removing the carpet with Kevin & Matt from the family room

Matt

Kevin

Tim & Chris running wires

Back porch converted to work area

The family room floors getting closer!

Life living "under construction"!

Family room

We are almost done, spent today refinishing all the trim and laying more floors.

It has been a huge undertaking and we will be glad to put the house back together but so far it has been well worth it! Final pictures coming soon!

Happy 24th Birthday to one awesome guy!!!

Happy Birthday Kevin!!