Remembering Today

Little Red is Seven!

I am constantly amazed when I look at my sweet little Clare at how she is growing and changing every day. Her birth was so hard after a hard pregnancy. It was a rough start which I feared would interfere with our bonding. She was a handful of a toddler, living up to her beautiful red hair. Often, she made us wonder if we could handle more kids! But somewhere along the way, as she became a big sister to a little sister and then a little brother, she became such a darling. I love to listen to her talk to me. I love her smile and her zest for life. She is still every bit a red head and has her moments, but at the rate she is going, I can't wait to see the woman she will become! For now, I will savor each day, appreciating the blessed gift that she is.

Weaning tactic 1001....

Have Dad Google "Sail boats" on the laptop while lying in bed with little 2 year old who refuses to wean. If there is anything this boy likes more than his mommy it is boats. Or cars. Or trucks. Or trains. The tranquilizing effect soon takes over and he drifts off to sleep.

My son, the Marine

I am way too tired to write a lengthy post about our travels to Parris Island and Charlie's graduation. So, I will just post some pictures today with the hope of getting back here to fill in the details.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Teresa!

A little late here, due to internet problems, but I would be a bad mommy if I didn't announce the birthday of my darling Teresa. She turned four last week. I know it sounds cliche, but where has the time gone? My pregnancy with her was by far my hardest. The first few days of her life, she refused to eat and my mother and I both panicked. Then, she started sleeping. It was a beautiful thing. This child slept. She slept at night and took naps by herself during the day. She even slept in a crib after a few months. She still sleeps in that crib most of the time. Admittedly, she is a bit of a challenge now. She does not stop talking, unless you ask her a question that needs answered. But we have high hopes for her now that she is the mature age of four. LOL!

She is a unique and energetic little person. Life wouldn't be the same without her. We thank God for the gift of our Teresa. Happy Birthday, Little One!

First Holy Communion

Saturday we celebrated our fifth First Holy Communion! It was Elizabeth's turn and she was just as thrilled as can be! She has a different personality than Regina who couldn't stop smiling on her big day two years ago. Elizabeth gets the gleam in her eyes and just has that grin showing how excited she is on the inside. To make things extra special, she was chosen to take up the gifts for the offertory. She just shone with pride. So did we! I always tear up on these special days. As a mom, I see it as another sign that these children are growing so fast.

 

Off to boot-camp

Charlie left yesterday for boot-camp. He said he will get to call when they arrive at Paris Island. Then, other than some letters, hopefully, he will be incommunicado for 13 weeks.

He was thrilled to be going, at long last. We were thrilled to be rid of him. LOL! Really, we are glad to see him finally getting to follow this dream. Every young man needs to be challenged and given the chance to serve others. We will miss him and look forward to a new and improved Charlie when he gets back!

Please keep him in your prayers. Pray that God will use this opportunity to put men of great faith and integrity in his path to help mold him into the man we know he should be! 

My first baby girl....

turned 14 today! She cooked her birthday dinner, she made and decorated (with homemade icing) her birthday cake, she even made brownies from scratch! We won't talk about the little fire she started while heating up oil for popcorn, easy mistake. ;-) She worked so hard and we all had a wonderful evening!
I never could have imagined when I first held her 14 years ago, what a treasure she would be to our lives! Fast becoming a beautiful, incredibly intelligent, and interesting young woman, she is a leader in our home as she is sure to lead others throughout her life.

Happy Birthday Katherine! We love you!

Published!

Our sweet Regina has had one of her poems published in the parish bulletin. She had given a copy of it to each of our priests and our pastor was so moved by it he asked permission to publish it! I don't think I have ever seen a poem printed in the bulletin, so this is really an honor.

We are, of course, very proud of her.

Here it is:

Mary

Mary, my mother, how sweet thou art!
Virgin of Virgins with purest of heart!
Mary Immaculate, my sweet mother true,
Help me in this life to be just like you.
Lady of Fatima! Lady of Lourdes!
Along with the angels, with the flaming swords.
Lady of Guadalupe! Heavenly Queen!
Your beauty and love we have seen.
Regina Maria! Virgin Mother!
Through God you made Jesus our brother.
Full of Grace! My Lady of Heaven,
Have mercy on us the least of your brethren.
And now I say to you,
The words that God made true:
Hail Mary full of grace,
The world rejoices to see thy face.
The Lord is with thee.
And always shall be.
Blessed are thou amongst women.
For you shall enter the kingdom of Heaven.
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus, who has risen from his tomb.
Holy Mary, Mother of our Lord.
Lead us forever forward.
Pray for us sinners,
And turn our takers to givers.
Now, and at the hour of our death, amen.
For you are blessed amongst women.

Birthday Boys

What better fun when you are snowed in then to celebrate the birthday of two wonderful boys! With birthdays just 48 hours apart (and ten years), these guys share a special bond in a house full of girls.
Augustine turned two on the 19th. It's hard to believe my baby is two. Most of my kids were already an older sibling by this age! He is so adorable and very attached to his mommy. His mommy is very attached to him, too. Timmy turned 12 today. I still remember the night he was born. We were expecting a quick labor like the two before. Instead, we ended up hanging out for hours waiting. We even got to watch It's a Wonderful Life before he decided to make an appearance.
My two boys were very similar as babies. I don't think I put either one down for the first year of his life. It was with Timmy that I learned about baby slings. I couldn't have made it through without one for Timmy or Augustine. Both nursed past their second birthday. Both loved throwing anything and everything.
Timmy is a great kid. We will be so pleased to have his baby brother grow up to be just as sweet!I love you guys!

 

 

Car Seat Graduate

Friday was a big day in the life of our Elizabeth. Not only did she turn the big 8, she finally graduated from her booster car seat! This is a big rite of passage into the world of "big kids"! Believe it or not, I now only have three kids in car seat. Who thought that day would ever come?
She counted the hours until midnight starting early Thursday. She spent most of Friday, and Saturday, saying "I can't believe I am eight!". All she asked for was ravioli and tortellini for dinner, chocolate cake, and a trip to Costco. The snow postponed the Costco trip, but everything else was perfect, right down to the talking Hoops and Yo-Yo card and Felicity movie.
I still remember being amazed by her quick arrival, a hefty nine pounds, thirteen ounces, and incredible beauty from the start. We didn't even have a name picked out until we looked at her. We had tentatively planned on Hannah, but it didn't fit. Little did we know that the name we chose would be so hard for her almost four year old brother to say for months to come. He's got it down now. ;-)Her cheeks aren't as chubby and her curls are gone, but she still lights up a room with her smile. It won't be long till she is smarter than the rest of us! We are so blessed to have this little big girl in our family!