So Long, 2013

For some odd reason, from the very get-go of last year, I wanted to call it 2014.  While I normally make the January mistake of writing checks with the previous year in the date line, this time I tended to skip ahead.  Strange.  Well, I'm glad I stuck around for 2013.  Like every year, we had our ups and downs.  But, overall, it was good.  Very good.

Here are my top 10 'ups' of  the last 12 months:

1). Big revelations in parenting of our adopted child.  We got some outside help to deal with a few things - good decision.  With prayer, time, and the guidance of some objective professionals, we've seen improved behavior. Thanks be to God.

2)Baby.  Such a joyful child.  From his first birthday to his first steps, he is such a bright spot in the life of our family.  Oh yes, and better not forget his crazy mullet to big boy haircut transition.  Momentous.  It might be time to update his blog name....

3)ballet.  Yes, our girls are dancers and have had a busy, sometimes grueling, year of participation in their art.  There have been both rewards and disappointments, and opportunities for Grace in both.  For me, after years of longing to do so, and with the help of my dear husband to make it work, I've returned to classes myself.  My feet complain a bit, but the rest of me is super happy.

4)Sacraments.  Kid118 made his First Holy Communion in May.  His Godparents were able to make the trip.  Grandma and Pada were out of the country, so we compensated by inviting lots of friends.   What a fun and happy day.  There is not much I love more than baptisms, first confessions, first communions.  And, of course, every opportunity to return to these sacraments is a gift.  Love my Catholic faith and sharing it with my kids.

5)Two family vacations in which we thoroughly enjoyed each others' company, avoided major catastrophe (unless you count horrible traffic jams), and brought home all our phone/device chargers. Success!!

6)homeschooling.  I am grateful we are free to educate our kids at home and am praying we may continue to enjoy this basic right.  Definitely had some some struggles with cooperation (of one particular child who shall remain nameless), but we finished strong.  It always makes me laugh when parents say,' I could never homeschool because my child wouldn't listen to me.'. Well, you could work through that.  Trust me.

7)Big van.  We made the leap to a 12 seater (minus 2 seats to make room for the wheelchair).  I love having the space for extra people and extra elbow room for our own kids, especially on long trips.  We have measured major reductions in the oh-so-pleasant phrase, 'stop touching me!'

8)Friends.  We are blessed.  We have dear friends near and far who make sacrifices to keep in touch and visit.  Always a pleasure and a reminder that God cares about the relationships we have in this life.

9)Family.  Parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, all who go out of their way to show their support for us in so many ways.  We love all of you.  We are especially grateful to have celebrated my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary with family from all over the world.

10)Ok, this might seem lame, but the back room of our basement is organized!  My mom came over and helped me - thank you, Mom! - and every time I walk into that storage area, it makes me happy.

As we move into 2014, I pray you will find joy in the big and little events of your life, and that you will know God's love even more every day, regardless of the circumstances.  Happy New Year!

This Week

 

So.  A stomach virus.  But let's not talk about that.  

 My view upon waking the past several days...

But, alas, the past 2 days have been warmer and rainy, and all but the most stubbornly hard-packed piles of snow have melted.  I won't give up hope for a white Christmas just yet. 

 Of course, with a snowfall, the outdoor scenes are lovely, and the indoor ones predictable...

 Remnants of outdoor adventures...

and remnants of hot chocolate production. 

 We finished our saint dolls for our annual exchange!  Here we have Blessed Mother Theresa and St. Michael the Archangel, in the process. 

 And Daddy had a big birthday.  The big 4-0.  See how happy he is about this?  Since I precede him in turning these big corners, he's not allowed to complain.  (If he's old, I'm older...  see how that works?)

 What a handsome dude.

 Love this funny picture.

 See the holy card of Blessed Miguel Augustine Pro behind all the saint dolls?  I ordered a bunch of these for my high school Sunday School class.  It took forever for them to arrive, and I was certain I had been either scammed or forgotten.  When they finally arrived, clearly from a mom and pop-type operation, I found that the shop owners had sent me a 2nd class relic!!  It's a tiny piece of his coffin.  How cool is that? 

 This is our toddler-proof Christmas tree.  Note the lack of ornaments around the bottom fourth of the branches. 

And finally, my favorite Advent activity...  book reading!!  We have accumulated quite a collection of  Advent and Christmas books, and our main school plan for the past month has been reading, reading, and more reading.  A new favorite is Kersti and St. Nicholas.  Hilda Van Stockum, where have you been all  my life? 

Enjoy your last few days of Advent, my friends!  And if you can spare a few seconds, we would appreciate a prayer for a return to health.  Thank you and have a great Saturday! 

Advent

What we're doing...

Our collection of Advent books is in place in the book basket near the couch.  We're choosing a favorite or two each day to read...  Last year, Jotham's Journey was a big hit.  This year, we tried Bartholomew's Passage...  Probably a great book but much too violent for us.  Maybe we'll try it again in a few years.

Next week our 4H club meets for gingerbread house-making and a saint doll exhange.  Our renditions of Blessed Mother Theresa and St. Michael the Archangel are in the works...

Still in the thick of Nutcracker, we're trying to maintain a focus on the season amidst late night and early morning performances...  It's lots of fun but also taxing... On everybody..

What we're not doing...

A lot of academics.  After a 2 week hiatus, we're back to math review.  We'll keep up with that for about another 10 days before we take a break.  The kids, on their own, are reading, drawing, writing...
And watching Chrismas movies...  And hoping for more snow...

We're grateful for...

So many family and friends who made long treks in questionable weather to watch he girls perform last weekend.  We are blessed.

Also, for the help of my parents, without whom we would not be able to manage all that's going on right now.  Ballet, basketball tournaments, taekwondo, doctor/dental appts., etc.

The awesome news that my brother and family are moving back stateside in March!  Yippee!

Have a great Tuesday!

5 More Days

The girls' opening night is Saturday (the opposite cast opens Friday)...

Look carefully for the little lavender leotard in the middle!



the Sugar Plum Fairy Puppet being carried from the stage

the real Sugar Plum Fairy

A couple shots of Clara in the finale...

Weeks of hard work are culminating in 9 days of performances.  At the same time, we'll be squeezing in a basketball tournament, taekwondo and a homeschool group visit to a nursing home. 

after a long rehearsal...

Thank God for grandparents!!

Extreme Makeover: Baby Edition

Before

During

After!!

And a post-haircut bath...

October

 

We celebrate 2 birthdays in October.  Joy is now 12, and Yoyo is 6!

Shortly thereafter, we scramble to assemble Halloween and All Saints' Costumes.  I didn't get any pictures of the latter (too busy rushing out the door for the party)...  For All Hallow's Eve, we had...

...one Lucy Van Pelt...

...two birds (a peacock and an owl)...

...and a reprisal of Troy Palomalu (can't go wrong with that one!)!

Baby is not so sure about his giraffe costume. 

Things are looking up here...

Happy Tuesday!

A Glimpse of Winter

It was just the middle child and I, alone in the car, driving home in the dark at the moment the rain changed to snow.

I could see it in the headlights, but didn't trust my perception.  Could it really be snow?

It is! It is! were the backseat cries of delight.  It must be almost a blizzard!

Then the stream of his consciousness...  Do you know that boreal means 'of the north?' I'm so glad I live this far north!  Can you let me out in the driveway so I can feel the snow?

And he leaped from the van and danced into the house to gather siblings who would be just as thrilled as he.

Before I was fully parked, out they raced into the darkness, as if the fear of it they had never considered...

Out they hopped across the cold driveway...barefoot.   And so happy.