Easter Joy

Our family has a wonderful reminder during Holy Week, and when we are all together on Easter, we follow Jesus' example of the washing of the feet. 

 I love how serious the kids become at this time, especially since we were just at the Holy Thursday Mass to see this. 

 After the washing comes the egg hunt.  We didn't prep Lucy, and she just woke from a nap, so she wasn't quite ready to go, and all the eggs were gone.  Her sweet brothers gave her some and we "hid" them for her.  I think we may have to practice again.

 Golden Jacket was passed from a Nava to an Angsten.  The Easter Pooka was using tape this year.  I have yet to find the golden/alleluia egg.  I just don't think like that when I am hunting eggs.  And I am chasing a young child.

 Our next round of fun came from Pie Face!  My kids were so excited to play, and I wasn't sure how it would go.  I brought it out, and was the first to get hit in the face with the whipped cream, and some of the kids were so excited.  Some boys would have a cookie ready so they wouldn't waste the whipped cream. 

 The roars of laughter are the best.  The expressions are just great!

 And some aimed it juuuust right.

50 days of celebrating! 

Alleluia! He Is Risen!

Our family attended the Easter Vigil, and I loved that we were part of such a beautiful Mass!  70 new Catholics got me very weepy!

 

Lucy Sweetness

I am so long overdue with just a sweet Lucy post.  Indulge me in my photo dump!  She is almost 17 months, busy, chatty and just getting into mischief. 

 

 

On of the Nicest Birthdays I have had in a Long Time!

Lent birthdays are never easy.  Lent birthdays on a Friday are even harder.  Add to that a husband leaving with the oldest and it makes it just another day.  This year, I decided to change it up.  I have discovered a clothing company that does online and home parties.  I LOVE these clothes!  They are modest, cute, and comfy, and have opened up the world of leggings, which, yes, aren't technically pants, but oh, so soft!  The company is called LuLaRoe, and they are known for their unique prints.  I decided to have a home party with some friends to see if they would share the love and fun with me. 

3 racks of clothes: shop and bring home!  I was absolutely thrilled with how many ladies came, and stayed late. 

 My friend Carol made special birthday drinks, and we all socialized until almost midnight. 

I also had a sweet friend (on the left) make my favorite cake for me!  It was DELICIOUS, and one that I would never make just for me. 

Happy 36th to me!  I couldn't believe how many ladies came, enjoyed themselves and even came bearing gifts!  I am so grateful for them all, and I think I may make it a tradition to do this again!  (Should I admit that I will be going to another party in a week? :) 

Emma and I wore our goodies on Sunday.  I loved that even Emma can share in the fun, and be modest and ladylike.

James just wanted to be with everyone, so this is where I found him at the end of the party.  I just feel so blessed! 

Lent and it's sputtering start in our home

 Lent started the week after we had a week off of school and sputtered through the following week.  It was a tough start, as it always is, here, but it began perfectly for my William.  He made his first Confession on Tuesday, February 9.  So excited for May and his First Communion!

 Ash Wednesday was the next day, and James very grudgingly got ashes placed on his head, and Lucy was just totally unsure about the whole thing.  (Yes, I am one of the distracted mommies in church who takes a selfie in Mass).  I found that my ashes stayed quite long this year, just like my mom's used to do.  I never understood how she did that.  I still don't know the secret. 

We have been doing stations of the Cross at home, and we have been trying to get the kids more focused on them.  I have wanted to make the little votive candle holders with the stations on them, but I haven't been able to get my act together enough to prepare for that.  So I tried to just put out some little candles, just to see how the kids would do with the candles.  (It's hard to tell, but there are 14 candles)  I really wanted the mood of the candles, but the kids needed to read the station book, so we didn't manage it as much as I'd like.  But the snuffing and the flip chart are a great tool to get them involved.  We used the stations booklet from my sister Jenn's blog.  I need to make a better copy so we all can have one, and William had a box with props for each station.  All in all, except for the occasional fights over who's turn it was to snuff, and how hard it is to share the books, I think it went okay.

 Our favorite Father Juan had a holy hour for children (I called it for kids, and Patrick was indignant. "I'm not a kid" so I clarified.  "Kids and pre-teens.") and I just love the joy and love of Jesus that he reflects in all that he does, and the sweetness of the time with Jesus.  My favorite was the 3x we days, "Jesus, I want to be a saint." 

I have not put out the beans, as I forgot, but there are still 4 (!!) more weeks of Lent left.  Our newest priest, Father Noah, came to our home the weekend before Lent.  I hope he had a nice time, and I think James hugged him a total of 10 times while he was here.  Father was an eagle scout and we hope he will keep up in spending time with our scouts.  We played a version of Clue, and I don't think the noise of our family of 5 kids was too much, as he is coming from a family of 8 kids!

 

Pinewood Derby, Wolf Scout William

After a week at home from school due to the snowstorm, we gathered all the families in the Knight's hall for the annual Pinewood Derby!  James put a car in this year again, and the two boys did very well. 

Snowstorm, Blizzard, Snowzilla - Whatever you called it, there is a LOT of snow!

Greetings!  Winter has finally come to Northern Virginia. 

All at once.

All in one day.

All outside our windows.

Snowstorm Jonas came and dropped snow on us from Friday afternoon to Saturday night.  We received over 2 feet of snow here!  We are on snow day numero 3, with one more (at the very least) tomorrow.  Yep, lots of togetherness.  Lots of shoveling, and movies, video games, science fair, and food.  Oh man.  So much food. 



I am so grateful for my strong husband, who went out to shovel numerous times without a complaint.  He was rewarded in his duties when our generous neighbor used his snow blower to clear the snow the plow had put at the end of the driveway, and then helped us finish the driveway!  I gave that sweet man some cookies!  It didn't seem like enough!

Our little area doesn't see snow this often, and not EVER this much so fast.  We were told to stay home.  Just stay home.  My husband went out in the beginning of the storm, before it got bad, and I texted him to make sure he was okay.  He was taking his time, and I worry, you know.  It's my job.

This was his response.


Yeah, he's a keeper. 

So, here a few more obligatory snow pictures!







Lucy didn't go out in the snow.  She put everything on, went on the deck and promptly fell down and cried.  So, this is all we got.  The boots were too much!

What We Are Doing Wednesday

Christmas is away, midterms for Patrick are over, and school is almost back in the groove again.  I am grateful!  Some mornings, I was dropping off kids at 3 different times, at 3 different places.  I am glad to be back in the sort of routine that we were in.  I haven't done an update on our home and who is doing what, so today is a What are we Doing Wednesday.

 

Lucy is just so cute.  She walks all over the house, making a mess, learning words, and just being as sweet as possible.  She says lots of words, including one that sounds awfully like "Stinky" when I ask her if she is!  She has a different relationship with each child, and usually will only go to Emma from my arms.  I love the sweet voice she has, and the love and excitement she has each day.  It is truly a light in the day to be with her!  Some days, Tommy will take her to his workout class with him, just so the people there can enjoy her too!  I would love for her to say "Mommy" at least once, but I do LOVE the "Daddy!" when she hears the garage open, and he comes in the door.  If you make kissing noises, she will lean her head in so you can kiss her.  She blows kisses, says "Jesus" and waves "Da-die!"  Her words are "HI!", "Uh-oh" "this?" "eeese!" We are trying to get her to sign "more" and "all done" but we can only get the "more." 

Right before Thanksgiving, James began an atrium class, level 1.  I was so thrilled that he is able to enjoy this at his age.  This is such a calm, beautiful environment and I know that he would really benefit from doing something away from mommy, bringing him closer to Jesus, and learning.  He has just blossomed in his writing skills, and loves to write, draw, and is constantly asking me, "Mommy, how do you spell....?"  He has already brought home some projects home, using scissors and glue! 

William is going to receive his first Reconciliation very soon!  I am hoping we are going to enjoy the fruits of another person receiving graces!  He is a Wolf Scout this year, and may even get to go to Camp this summer with other cub scouts.  He is definitely growing up, in attitude and perspective.  I know if I can point his passion in the right direction, he will go towards Heaven and Jesus always.  He has to want to do it, and I am still learning how to help him stay on track.

Emma had a birthday over the vacation, and had some sweet girls over to do nails (have you heard of Jamberry??) and cake.  It was small, as we had 2 girls unable to come, and I am not the most exciting game planner.  Each girl had a very sweet gift for my girl, geared towards her love of reading, chap stick, drawing, and writing.  It was very sweet!  She is part of the Squire Roses, Schola and battle of the books at school.  She is tall, and no, not taller than me.  She has started borrowing my scarves, and even wanted to copy an outfit I was wearing!  I know there will come a time when she does NOT want to do that, but it tickled me. 

Patrick is doing incredible at school.  He just finished up a Sea Perch competition for Junior High and his group came in 10th overall.  Super proud of him!  Sea Perch is an underwater robot that the boys build and work on together.  He just finished his first set of Mid Terms at school, and though I freaked out each day, I think he probably did very well.  I always stressed about those, but that is not in his nature.  Part of the joys of being a mother, I guess.  I do the worrying enough for everyone.  Boy Scouts will be a big year, as he was voted in to be the Assistant senior patrol leader.  In other words, he is the guy helping the guy in charge.  It is really important that a lot of this is boy led, (though sometimes I wonder if they want to be led by the boy who forgets his sleeping bag when he goes on a camping trip!?).  He went camping this past weekend, and juuuust missed the incredibly cold temperatures we began having this week, as our countdown to some snowfall that they are measuring in FEET comes down.