Happy 10th William!

 

We had to say goodbye to our cousins visiting, and we braved the super hot day for a zoo visit!

 

 

The day included a picnic lunch, a visit to the Zoo and the Kimono dragon (most important visit for the birthday boy).  The evening had an Eagle scout ceremony for some amazing young men in the Troop, and an errand with Mommy when she locked her keys in the car and we had an adventure as we waited.  It was deemed "the best birthday ever" and he was so happy!  We love you, sweet William!

 

(It's Still) Summer Recap

Yes.  Technically it is still summer.  I think I need to add some odds and ends about the summer, and will just have to do a birthday post for the boys and first day of school posts.  I must, of course.  :)

• First and foremost, Tommy, Paul and my in-laws all made it home safely, just before the 4th of July.  The trip was almost 2 weeks, and  they enjoyed the great western states so much.  Yellowstone keeps calling Tommy's name, and he would love to get back there soon!  Mom Reynolds had a great recovery and we are so glad everyone is home.  That trip was once in a lifetime!  I just have a few highlights.  And only 1 blown tire.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

#PrayForJoe

• While Tommy was away, William and I had a visit to the White House with the Webelo scouts.  William had never experienced the amount of security involved in going to the President's house and wasn't sure we would ever make it inside.  We even met a Secret Service Agent who was an Eagle Scout, and very encouraging to the boys to keep going.  I loved spending the day with my boy.  I bummed a ride from some really amazing friends who took such great care of us, since I am not a fan of driving to DC. 
  
   
  
   
  
• My oldest both had some service weeks this summer, and both came home joyful and happy to do it again!  Patrick attended the Parish Work Camp in Richmond for a week, and the photos and videos I received were such gems.  I love technology for the instant check in on the kids.  Emma worked in the music room at the Vacation Bible School at our parish for her Confirmation hours, as well as Middle School Mission: local service jobs with kids of her own age.  There is nothing more joyful than helping others and giving.  I need to find those kinds of things all year to keep up that feeling.
• The biggest event of the summer was the 10 day visit from my brother and his family of 6 girls!  We were able to enjoy 2 of the girls full time in our home and it was wonderful. Celebrating our summer birthdays, including my brother Joe.  We were missing about 9 from the big family photo.  Not bad though.  Even with some yellow jacket stings, we still had smiles.  The visit was filled with love and much giggles, and it was a blessing to be together as my Sister-in-Law, Melanie, was having surgery. It went well, thanks be to God. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  My in-laws celebrated  their 49th wedding anniversary!  It was lovely to be with family, even some from out of town arrived to be with them.  We heard some fun stories from my Mother-in-law's 2 brothers who came.  Family is such a blessing!  (Side Note: I realized at this event that my camera is a bit older than I would like, and I found that the iPhone X was taking better pictures than me.  The shutterbug in me is so frustrated with this piece of information, and didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked.  But I do love taking pictures, and having the memories.  Though I need to get better about albums so the kids can sit and look at them.)
  
  
  
   
• We celebrated 2 birthdays, dubbed "The best birthday ever!" More to come on those.  Apparently when Mommy doesn't plan, they go better.  

It's Hard to Know Where to Start

When you have taken a "blogging break" albeit unintended, but nonetheless, a break.  Life happened a lot this summer, but not quite in the ways that I thought it would.  I struggle to come back to the blog, as there are a few "events" that I *gasp* didn't blog about, and I hate to make those kids feel unloved.  I am all about chronology, and putting things in the way they happened, so sometimes blogging for me is tough.  But, I need an outlet.  And, my dear readers, all 5 of you, don't have to come along, but I am happy to have you.

Our families have had some issues that has changed quite a lot of what we are focused on, and I guess that when it came to blogging, it took a very far back seat.  My mother-in-law has had such a hard time with back pain that she decided to have back surgery.  Her recovery has been slower than we hoped, and it is such a stress to see her in pain, and struggle to walk.  The surgery went well, and she is finally without her walker or cane, but it is still a while before she will be fully recovered.  She has an incentive to keep going, as she has all her children in the same country this year, and wants to make a road trip to visit them.

My mother decided to have a full knee replacement in June.  That was a tough surgery, complicated with some infections in the skin, but it went very well.  We are so impressed with how well she is walking!  And, mom knows she will need to do the other one at a later date, and will feel more herself when she can walk.  We are so blessed that our family is close, as we all rallied to help after her surgery.  My sisters My sisters were amazing nurses.  My dad had to work, as he is his own boss, so the big sisters kept the pain pills, therapy, meals, and running of the household, as well as their own homes, running so smoothly. We also were able to have all the family together to see her, which is the best therapy around for my mom. 

But the biggest reason for the quietness here, is my younger brother.  Around the end of school, the Best Gregory of all, was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gerhig's disease.  It was a long time of testing until it was official, and we were hoping and praying that it was not.  But this has made our family all feel the need to come close, to be here, to see him, to try not to wear him out too much, but to pray and be here.  With all those feelings, we have had visits from the out of town families.  Joe is such an example of how love and suffering go together.  He has always touched lives, even as a little guy, and everyone wants to pray for him.  The grace and acceptance with which he has had with this diagnosis has been so beautiful.  Please pray for him and his family.  It has been quite a lot to process, and the kids seem to ask me if I am crying all the time, because I am. 

But, before any of this happened, our family had already made plans to celebrate an extremely special lady. My mom turns 70 this year (we also have 50 and 40 in our family).  We decided to do a party at my house, and it was another occasion where we could be together.  We were missing some cousins and in-laws, but all 7 kids again!  Longtime friends and family came, and everyone had a wonderful time.  I was a bit stressed out to plan the party, but my wonderful friend Lucia catered, and it was delicious.  The whole family pitched in to help make the day wonderful, with decorations, seating, a slide show, a special cheesecake (who knew that was my mom's favorite?), music, a punch that will knock the bad mood out of anyone, especially Sherman, and support for me each time I called in a panic. 

 

The best joy for me, was that my brother and 3 of his girls came to stay with us.  My kids were so happy to have them, and it filled my heart so much to hear them all together.  One of the girls actually brought a special toy from Vermont for Lucy to play with, as they remembered that she loved it during our visit.  And they left it here for her to have.  What sweetness!

 



 

We also had some birthdays, and a VERY long scout camping trip, as well as a family funeral.  It was a very full summer.  But not the kind that most think of when you say "we were busy." 

 

 

Friends: if you would like to join us in praying for the intercession of Fr. Al Schwartz for my brother, we would appreciate it! 

 



 

Hiking as a Family!

Tommy was the most excited about this outing.  We were going hiking as a family!  It was a very hot day, with a promise of waterfalls and a swim!  It was a long drive, and I am one for keeping my head down so I don't make those dreadful scared noises while my very capable husband drives.  So when my phone says "No service" I knew we were almost there.

 

 

The water was cold, and rocky.  The kids enjoyed some slides that were naturally made in the rocks.  Not the most smooth, but I was impressed that the big kids tried it out.

 

Not my usual habitat, but I was there!

I couldn't believe how well the kids hiked.  Not one complaint, or annoyance uttered, except maybe by myself.  James just wanted to be helpful and carry a backpack with the camelback water.  He wasn't a quick hiker, but was so happy to just be along and chat with Daddy, who slowed his pace to be with his little feet.  

 

The bigger kids were so fast, and Patrick had the next biggest pack.  All the scouting trips and hikes sure helped his endurance.  The falls we stopped at were the lower ones, as I knew by looking at how steep it was that the kids wouldn't make it.

 

And, most of all, it was lovely!

Our Own Backyard Fun

We live so close to so many great historical places.  But we don't often get there as I am not up for traveling to DC alone.

Enter my Superman husband.  I am so lucky to have him!

We hopped on the VRE (Virginia Railway Express that my husband takes to work every day) and rode into DC.  James was so excited to ride on the train!

This day was full of firsts for me and the kids.  First up was the Tidal Basin.  I had never walked all the way around and enjoyed the views, or see all the memorials that are there.

It's a beautiful walk, next to the water, with some lovely trees.  I was kind of irritated by the "warning: low growing branches" sign.  Like, really?  We have to have a warning for everything?  But as we walked, I saw that the beautiful cherry blossoms grow at an angle, over the water.  The view is just lovely!

I just might be convinced to come back when they are all in bloom!  Just maybe. 

Around the basin are 3 memorials (I think only 3).  First up is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. My cell phone camera cannot come close to catching the size and awesomeness of this!  In the background, on walls on either side, are many of his famous quotes.

   

He was such a powerful speaker.  It was a very somber place, big enough to let the kids wander and expend energy, but it kept a reverent attitude. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is the next marker on that walk by the basin, another first for me!

My history is quite rusty, as I didn't realize he was president for so long.  His quotes are practical, and came from a time in history that was a different kind of struggle than MLK Jr.

It's quite a large memorial (with bathrooms at each end of it.  Perhaps it's because they have waterfalls all throughout it.  Rushing water is calming but does give you a certain urgency.) and the kids all loved the noise.  Lucy's exclamations of "WATER!" could almost be heard above the noise.

Our final memorial was Jefferson's. 

This view was from the other side of the Tidal Basin.  It's so lovely across the water.

Now, when we are here reading his words, I am always overcome by his eloquence. I love his quotes, and to see just the contrast of Jefferson to FDR, and many other presidents.  It did make me do a little pause about the upcoming election, and how much I am NOT a fan of either (nope, not getting political) but I have faith that God will always triumph. 

We had lunch on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, as that was the closest place with shade. 

 Our friends included us in a tour of the Bureau of Engraving (the place where the paper money is made).  We learned some pretty neat tidbits:

 * The $100 is the largest bill now made, but there used to be $100,000 bill!

* The ink goes on the back of the money first, and the green color is always first.  Hence the name "green backs."

 * Bills are made of Cotton and Linen. 

* The machines run all the time.  24 hours a day.

* Tommy is $300,000 taller than me.  :)

 

 

 

Next first: The Washington Monument!  All the way to the top!

 

 

I loved the beautiful walls and floor as we waited for the elevator.  I didn't expect such prettiness inside, as the monument never looks that special to me.  It's always there, and never seems fancy to me.

 

Such incredible views from the top of the building!!  The fact that we were over 500 feet in the air didn't bother me, until I looked at the big bolts in the structure, and saw the red lights that flash through the windows at the top.  There is a observation place with all the windows, then you go down a few steps and they have an exhibit about the monument.  It listed all the places that sent a stone to help build it, and when you went down the elevator, the lights inside went off, and they slowed it down so we could look out the windows of the elevator to see some of the plaques that were sent with the stones. 

 

I can't even imagine tackling this kind of a day on my own.  EVER.  5 kids in tow, super hot day, and no map.  No way.  My husband is the navigator, the planner (albeit spontaneously) and the doer.  This was a great reminder of why God has given me such a spouse!