Organized Christmas!

Of course we all want an organized Christmas! But how do we do it? In my neverending search to better prepare for the holidays, I came across this great website.

I've put a link on my blog to: http://www.organizedchristmas.com/ It's one of the best sites I've seen for ideas and a actual plan for organizing Christmas.

Check it out ... you'll be glad you did.

And don't forget to read my other blog too: http://beetidy.blogspot.com/

Misha Goes To Disneyland

Misha's first trip to Disneyland was an appropriate birthday present from Mommy & Daddy. She was so full of joy and wonder - just the way it should be!










As Walt Disney, himself, said, "You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality."

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."










"It has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement- I knew when I was a kid."

Data Transfer Call

Ok! So how great is it to start your day with a call from Afghanistan? When the phone rang this morning at 7:40, Johnny's was the last voice I expected to hear on the other end. Great conversation first thing this morning set the happy tone for my entire day.

The Lord is doing so much in the Pelikan Family these days! He called for an update from "Muuther" (that's the way he says it). We started having these special kind of talks back in the days of West Point when we lived across the world in Japan, where visits in person were far and few between ... packed full of all that was on my mind and his. I affectionately call these DTC's - Data Transfer Calls.

For that moment I know our boy is ok. I hear his smile and peace through the phone, and my heart - rests.

Happy Birthday to Misha!!

Happy birthday, Misha!

Today Misha Rose turns two! Happy Birthday, Misha

Mimi & Papa sure do love you!

The Countdown Begins ... Again!

Well, Johnny is on the plane this morning headed back to Afghanistan. He left from Fayetteville Airport about one hour ago.
As you can see by all of the great picutes, our visit with him was absolutely wonderful!
We will see him again sometime in April ... until then, we have great memories of a marvelous visit to keep us going.

R & R

The Pelikan Brief

It's a Boy!

Elina found out at yesterday's ultra-sound that the doctor is "150% sure" that come the first week of November, she and Jesse will be welcoming a baby boy into our world.

Yay! And ... he's healthy and growing well.

Congratulations to all!!!

The New Deck

Here are a few pictures of our new deck. Hope to see you here with us in the very near future!

This is what the deck looked like before we began ... and when we finished!

Growing Girls

Misha this past week ...

Karis this past Easter ...

Happy Anniversary John & Rondi!!

5 years ago today, friends and family gathered at St Michael's church in San Cemente, CA, to witness the beautiful marriage of John and Rondi Pelikan.

Even though today they are thousands of miles apart, their love is closer than ever on this 5th wedding anniversary!

Congratulations to you both!

Love, love, love,

Mom & Dad

Settling In

How is it the 21st of May already? It's been over 4 weeks now since we left Japan, and so much has happened between then and now:

I will start by telling you that Chaps (a.k.a. Fr Phil/PJ/Dad/Papa) started his new job at Camp Lejuene two full weeks ago now, and decided to drive home (over 100 miles each way) only twice a week. We drove to Charleston, SC, Thursday before last, to pick up our jeep that's been in storage for the past 4 years, and now we have both cars. Heleaves very early Monday mornings, comes home on Wednesday, leaves again Thursday morning, and then drives home on Friday morning for the weekend - it's working out well! With all that driving, however, one of the last things he wants to do is drive (again) on Sunday to the closest CEC church to us, which is in Willmington (just as far as Camp Lejeune, but more south) So... we had an idea!

We set up for church this weekend in John and Rondi's backyard. Dad repaired made some adjustments to the backyard gate he made last week, to make it easier to get the things we needed from one yard to the next.

It worked out wonderfully ... the main thing missing, of course, was the rest of the family - Johnny, Brad, Jesse, Elina & Misha!

We started at 11:00 with using some of the songs from Jesse & Elina's CD. (So they were definitely with us in spirit) We had most of what we needed to do a simple "field service" like chaplains do out in the field - very "grass roots" literally! (hee hee ... get it?)

Stephanie and her two boys, Rondi and Karis, and two other young women with their children came to our "church in the yard" yesterday.

(Brad ... in case you're wondering, I have baby Michael in my arms at this point.)


Dad even made up bulletins for everyone, seen here held in place by a rock from the yard.









Yesterday was Ascension Sunday, and we literally experienced the great blessing of living out Holy Scripture when Jesus said to His disciples on the mountainside, " ...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." One of our neighbors said to us later in the day that her teenage daughters asked her, "When we go back to church, can we go to their backyard church?

"Through His gift of love we are ALL reconciled to Him. "Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

"Pelikan Cliff's"

Phil and Sherman proudly standing next to the newly named "Pelikan Cliff's" trawler ...

It took probably 8 or so hours of hand-work to remove the old name, before we could see this pretty gold lettering on both sides of the boat!

Yay! Good job Captain Pelikan (not you Johnny ... ha!) We have two captain Pelikan's at the moment - Army Capt. John Pelikan, and boat Captain Phil Pelikan (a.k.a. Chappie)!

Very fun!

In John's Words

We have just returned from the largest NATO operation in the War on Terror to date with much success. Alpha Company was selected to lead the way on this operation as the main effort for the Battalion, and this is a testament to your paratrooper's competencies and willingness to win. We were tasked to clear a very dangerous area in the Helmond Province, and we did an exemplary job. Our paratroopers cleared over 12 square KM of mudhut compounds and poppy fields finding numerous weapons caches and destroying numerous enemy Taliban fighters attempting to kill us. We did what British Forces could not accomplish in a year. Unfortunately we did receive one casualty, but he will make a full recovery and is currently located at Walter Reed in DC. You should be proud of your husbands and sons; they are proving to be the best and are making a difference here in Afghanistan that will be long-lasting. Thank you for your support, and I apologize for not being able to keep in better contact during this mission. It was somewhat ambiguous for us due to the sensitive nature of the information. We are going to have a SATPHONE with us on the next mission so your troopers will be able to make some morale calls. Again thank you for your support ...

Sincerely,

John Pelikan
A CO Commander

Working On The Boat

Working on the boat to give her a new name!

We are changing the name from "Great Escape" to "Pelikan Cliff's" in honor of my Uncle Cliff, this boats previous owner.

The new name will appear in gold lettering on these side panels as well.

"Pelikan Cliff's" will always be our boat and his!

Here's the view of the new name from the boat dock directly across from ours!

My First Day Out On The Boat

Phil driving the boat

Sherman looking regal!
Sherman and I as we approach the Navy ship graveyard.

Traveling

Logen Autry tests Sherman's dog crate before heading out to the airport.

The airline staff were very kind to Sherman, and as you can see he survived the trip just fine!

This morning, Thursday, we woke up at 7:30 feeling refreshed and over the jet-lag, ready to enjoy the day!