Happy Easter! Alleluia!

This is the day the Lord has made, Alleluia!

Let us rejoice and be glad in it, Alleluia!

 

 

Our family was all healthy! We all made it to the Easter Vigil, helped each other hold candles, and enjoyed every minute!

 

We call this one the "turtle smile" pose.  We have one child who never smiles with his teeth.  LOL

 

Celebrations at my mom's house this year. 

 

And the newest Golden Jacket Winner!

 

Family.  This is just some of our family.  We were missing our far away family, but so grateful for the time we had. 

Halloween Days 2017

Halloween!  This year was a marathon!  Our weekend began with a Halloween party at the Knights while the big boys camped.  This post is heavy on costumes, and cute kids.  Just forewarned.

 

Batman, the Dark Knight, Sleeping Beauty, Hermoine, and Lego Batman.

 

And, though the Dark Knight isn't happy, Mommy did attempt a lady bug, but determined that I am not the costume type.  Especially since my wings broke after this photo.

 

I love the simplicity of their parties.  Crafts, pumpkin fun, games, breakfast and a goody bag tailor made for each age.  Best part?  Not too much candy! 

 

Even though our next event was a school night, there was no way we were missing Halloween at the White House!  The school was given over 300 tickets, and we put our family name in the lottery to go.  We were picked! and got the last time slot: 7PM.  Great for the mood of Halloween, not so great for photos.

 

 

 

It was cold, and We had different costumes, for some. 

My teen is Error 404, Emma the Cat, Harry Potter, Lego Batman and Aurora!

 

They gave out candy, bandaids, stickers, photos of the White House and POTUS, and even Smokey the Bear.  NASA had a moon rock for everyone to feel!  It was interesting to see the Security wand the kids in costumes.  Even Lucy. Gave me the giggles, but I didn't want to be disrespectful. 

 

 

It was such a fun time, even though I had to do something I said I would never do: drive in DC.  Tommy works there, so it made sense for me to pick him up, but my hope was he would meet us outside of the city.  It didn't work out due to his job busyness, so I had to drive. 

I will admit there was a lot of yelling. 

 

And apologizing.

 

It was very cool experience!  We will definitely try to do it again next year! 

 

 The next day was officially Halloween.  The Penny Bazaar is the way the school celebrates, and we always try to help work a couple games, and enjoy the fun.

 

 

Lucy was warm and cozy in her costume, all day. 

 

And then, the event.  THE event.   

 

 

 

This is our second year with these sweet girls TOTing with us.  The planning that went into these costumes made me giggle.  Even down to the nail polish for "claws."  Love these girls.  Though they didn't share their Milk Duds with me.

 

This year, I decided to join the kids, and Patrick stayed to give out candy.  It was COLD, and I was grateful when Lucy's teeth started chattering.  And it ended up all the little came home with me, so Tommy was with the big kids.  Which means less candy for us to worry about!  :)

Merry Christmas 2016!

Our first Christmas at home.  No running around to different houses, carting presents back and forth, making appetizers and desserts, and just staying home.  Lovely thought, except when it comes with the stomach bug.  4 of the 7 of us were sick, and 3 on Christmas Eve.  It was unusual for us, but the joys of Christmas were wonderful. 

 

 

No family photo this year, maybe we will do it for New Year's.  But I have to admit that it was lovely to be home.  Merry Christmas to our sweet bloggers who are still coming to visit, even though it has been way to long since I blogged.  I am grateful for this community, and the joys and support that comes from this little corner. 

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real: December Posting

Linking up (after a brief break) with Like Mother, Like Daughter.

{Pretty}


I was more excited than the children.  Our local ballet academy offered some tickets to the Nutcracker ballet at the Auction night for the school.  We were able to get tickets at half price, and I was so tickled to bring my oldest 3.  It was the first time my kids had been to any kind of ballet performance.  They had to listen to me tell them the story on the way, and during, as well as try not to sing along to every song.  Some, as you can tell, were more thrilled than others.  I was happy to have a night when we didn't need to have a stroller, or wiggly toddler on my lap. 

It was a beautiful evening, and those kids worked so hard!  It was even better to be able to see so many of my friends' children on stage!
 
(And NO, Emma is NOT taller than me.  Yet.)

{Happy}



This year, we spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family.  We have tried to alternate families, since we are surrounded by so many and have the option to spend different holidays with each.  But with health issues, surgeries, and busy schedules, it seems that we have gotten off the rhythm. I was so happy to be close to home, to be with my parents and some siblings.  Lucy has decided she is ready to walk, and it was so nice to spend time at a family friendly home, where she could wander and be loved in each room, by every person.  As her shirt says, "Everyone is thankful for me." 

(While I feel I should clarify, that Lucy walking doesn't exactly make me happy, her joy at her new found talent makes me happy, and, really, who can't be happy when that sweet face looks up at you?)

{Funny}


The day after Thanksgiving brought Fr. Juan to our home again!  He let us cook for him this time, and we did not have anything even remotely resembling Thanksgiving meal.  (Being from Venezuela, Father didn't have that meal with his family the day before either.)  We played Apples to Apples, the Disney version, and Father beat us all!  He had fun with the kids, when it was their turn to judge, and he would look them in the eye and say, "We are friends, right?"  And they would giggle. 



Yep.  That's us.  :)

{Real}



We tried for a nice shot on the timer setting, and even with the heads cut off, I love the lighting, the smiles and the joy that shows through in this one.  Father always is so "yoyful" and brings it with him.  He always tells the children that there are no "donkey faces" allowed.  Only smiles and love. 

What's Fall Without A Halloween Post?

Of course we did Halloween!  We had a hugely busy day, and for the first time, we did not have all the kids together for Trick or Treating.  The older 2 were invited out with friends (super nice families) and we let them go!  I was excited that it meant Patrick has made some new strides at Seton, and new, bigger kid activities are opening to him.  Emma had a birthday celebration to go along with T or T. 

But first, we had a party at the Knights of Columbus.  All but Mommy were dressed in costume!  James asked me who I was dressed as, and the usual response from me is "a Mommy."

 Glinda, Minnie, Christopher Columbus, Baseball player, and Iron Man. 

A prize if you guessed James was "Larry Boy" and his super suction ears!  A friend loaned us this adorable creation by her mother, and James was thrilled to wear it.  Though a mask and glasses don't always go well together.

Now, a little backstory on Emma's costume.  This creation is from my senior year in high school musical, where I was Glinda!  The dress was so pretty, and just a little long (as I had a 5 foot wide hoop skirt when I wore it), so I pulled out my sewing machine and did some stitching! 

Now, if you have a costume on in the morning, and you decide to trick or treat later on, it's only natural that you pick another one, right?  Well, we had 2 fast changes that evening.

William decided to be a "Formal Apology" but he didn't tell folks what he was, so he didn't get as many laughs as I had hoped.  This one gives me the giggles.

The little guys all went out with Daddy, and shorter legs means less candy (thankfully).  Tommy even took sweet Lucy along with him.

 I was alone.  All alone in the house.  I got an itch to do some tidying.  I almost always sit outside and hand out candy.  Almost every year it is me.  And our neighborhood has long wait times in between.  So, I started to clean.  I left a big bowl outside, I had lights on, I would go to the door every now and then and wave at the neighbors.  Then I got distracted, and I look up and see a line of kids at my door, looking at me expectantly.

My bowl was gone. 
My candy was gone. 
GONE!  Not even an hour had gone by.  I was so upset.  Dratted kids.  I liked that bowl too.  But, it was my own fault.  I guess.  "Trick or treat!" 

But, I still had the Cutest Minnie in the world at my house!  Love this cutie patootie!