March for Life

Thomas went to Washington DC for the national March for Life this year.  We realized (too late for Samuel) last year that for wrestlers the March comes at a bad time...the last few weeks of the season.  As a junior or senior, they aren't going to want to miss Conference or go a week without working out just a few weeks out from districts and state.  Thomas remembered this and asked if he could go this year.  We said yes, because I want my kids to experience the March and see how much bigger the world is than our little corner and how many people are with us in our belief that all life is precious, to stand up for what we believe, not to mention being able to see DC.  And then I freaked out.  My barely 15 year old in DC?!  Out in the big world without me or Jeremy?! A year after those poor kids at Covenington had their names and pictures all over the media for something they didn't do?   But all those other things trump me wanting to keep him in a bubble.  Our diocese has taken groups for years and have plenty of chaperones and plans to keep the kids safe.  So he went and had a marvelous time.

They left at 5 on Tuesday and were home by 9 Sunday morning.  That includes two days of traveling by bus, so they didn't have a huge amount of time to explore DC.  They did a night tour of monuments, had one day mostly for sightseeing, had Mass at the National Basilica, did the March and came home.  Thomas's group chose to go to the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Museum of National History and the National Archives during their sight seeing time.

Our Lady of Guadeloupe, pray for our country and an end to abortion!

Happy 7th and 15th Birthday!

Nicholas turned seven!  We didn't have a family party this year because he wants a friend one.  We'll do that when it's warmer outside!

Seven is the age I always think parenting gets less physical.  Not so much helping with self-care and physically doing things for them and more I don't know how to word it...mentoring?  Sure, there's still lots of physical things to do but now you're doing more guidance type things- talking through situations, giving advice, you can tell them what to do with just words.  Does that make sense?  And so with our last one hitting seven we move into a new stage of life...

Thomas turned 15!  And (mom fail) did not get his picture taken.  Rats.  He didn't really have any gifts to open because he mostly got money for the March for Life trip.  He and Nicholas worked together and chose to go to Honest Abe's for dinner so no birthday cake to take a picture with either.  We had a fun time at dinner though and Thomas loved his burger.  He left for DC just a couple days after his birthday.

We love you both and are grateful God put you in our family!

A Lovely Christmas Break

Christmas break was especially nice this year.  The kids had two full weeks and I had one extra day at the beginning.   I pretended I didn't have a job except for about four hours I spent getting organized for school next week.  It was well worth it not to be flying by the seat of my pants.  I hate teaching like that. 

While pretending I was a stay at home again, I saw Nicholas's special first grade nativity play, got in TWO coffee chats with my friend Jessica (now that I'm full time we've had trouble finding a good time to get together), did all the Christmas visits, Nicholas got a play date, Julia and I enjoyed seeing many of my cousins, I had lunch with my college roomies and Karen, we did some stuff around the house, I made SEVEN freezer meals for future busy days, Julia cleaned her room so we could get her new bed in her room and we even got in a family fun day.  Samuel and Thomas had one wrestling tournament where Samuel got fourth in his bracket and Thomas got fifth.  We were supposed to host a birthday dinner for my mom too but two of my sister's kids got influenza (while her husband was on a work trip) and mom had been helping her so we postponed to keep the flu germs out of our house.

Yardstick nativity.  A St. W Christmas staple.

The cousins had just enough time to eat, catch up on everyone's lives and play a couple games.  Perfect.

Set for the next time I just don't feel like cooking.  Today? No, Lisa.  Not today.

Family fun at Medieval themed indoor mini golf.  It was great!

Julia's refreshed room.  We still need to get her a bookcase.

Tournament Results

And t-minus 10 hours until we go back to school Nicholas started throwing up.  Boo.

New Year's Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with Jeremy's family on New Year's Day.  Everyone had a nice time. 

 The kids were happy with their gifts and played with the cousins.

The adults chatted and ate delicious food.  It was a good end to the celebrating!

The Day After

Jeremy had to go home and work (yep, his company still ends their fiscal year on Dec. 31st and it's still as fun as always.)  but the rest of us continued the fun with more of my mom's side of the family.

Nicholas and my mom made fiddle sticks earlier this month when she came to stay with him while he was sick so I didn't have to get a sub.  They are fabric covered wire so you can shape it however you want.  Here are some creations.  We also had bingo and Thomas played with his groupies.

There was an ugly sweater cookie decorating contest.  Elias won but was insulted because he doesn't understand ugly sweater cookies.  Oops.

Side note:  You can see Nicholas wearing Augustine's clothes.  Turns out if you put your suitcase in the living room by where you're building Legos instead by the door where you were told to put it, it doesn't get packed in the van.

Julia had a friend's birthday that night and the big boys had wrestling practice the next morning so the four of us headed home and the little boys stayed one more day to play with cousins and G & G.  Sounds like they had a great time.

Christmas Day Festivities

We celebrated the afternoon of Christmas Day at my parents'.

Lynn brought a blast from the past- hot loops!  We spent more time than I care to admit making all the things.  Didn't get a picture of the hot pads.

We had a fun time opening gifts too.  I misplaced (or a kid walked off with?) my camera during adult presents so no documentation of that part.

The girls went buffalo plaid.  Julia started it.

Christmas Morning

Breakfast

Extra loving

Gifts

A lovely morning celebrating our Savior's birth!