Friday

I hear piano keys pressed firmly and assuredly.  He plays "Old MacDonald" and hits every note just perfectly.  "Mom, did you hear that?"  I yell out, "Yes!  It sounded perfect!" I reference my printed recipe, not really measuring out ingredients but instead using the recipe as more of a suggestion.  A couple of cloves of garlic squeezed through my press... Unscrew the top of the oregano jar and just dump some in... Sure that looks about enough...

Down on the floor in the kitchen, she's playing with three babies, a rocking chair, a book, a purse, and a bouncy ball. She is the Mommy and those are all her Babies.  The ball is her baby too.  She's talking to everything, lost in her make-believe.

He darts into the kitchen, sliding on his socks with holes in the heels, bats his compass over his shoulder, and turns the corner just barely making it without hitting the granite.  Out of breath, he throws his arms around my waist and says, "Mom I love you," quickly under his breath, looking down.  It's as if his whole body is moving too quickly, and he's just trying to keep up with himself.  Then he asks if he can paint.  I really don't want to get out art supplies before dinner, because if he paints they'll all want to paint, and if they all paint then there will be watercolor cakes, baby food jars filled with water, and torn sheets of half-used, not-cheap watercolor paper on the table right when I'm ready to serve our dinner.  Sigh. I say yes though because I'm trying to say "yes" with a cheerful heart when I don't want to.  And I realize after I say yes that I am actually cheerful about it.

As I send him to the pantry to gather supplies, I debate the merits of "fake it till you make it" and "obedience before understanding."  It's nice to be validated, to actually see the fruits of my attempts to bring joy to our household when so often it feels like everyone is just fussing at each other.  It's nice when things work out.

I don't get far in my thoughts because the biggest of the small ones is asking if she can help me.  I take a small sip from my glass (since it's Friday, it's my favorite bourbon) and ask her to put a cup of rice in the rice cooker.  "Brown rice or white rice?"  I tell her white and she skips off into the pantry to collect the machine, singing the same verse of the same song over and over and over again.  But her voice is developing nicely.  "Maybe singing the same verse over and over again is like reading the same board book to a toddler over and over again," I think, as I take another sip.

The brass-colored handle jiggles and gets stuck.  It hasn't been working well since Christmas, but he grips it a little harder from the outside and pushes his way into the house.  "Daddy's home!" They all stop and drop everything they're doing and run to him.  Paint on the table, rice on the floor.  His arms and legs full of excited babies, he makes his way over to the stovetop and kisses me hello.  He raises his eyebrows happily when he notices the bourbon on my breath and checks the pot for signs of dinner.  "It's Friday!"  And the weekend begins.

The End of 2016

Merry Christmas!
If you're visiting here from our Christmas letter, I invite you to look around at a few previous posts from this past year to catch up on our family!  I didn't write here much this year, and missed a few special occasions I fear, but what I write here serves the purpose of keeping our family's memories in one place.  And I don't mind sharing!


We started 2016 as a family of six and ended it as a family of seven!  In case you missed the news, we welcomed Theo to our family on October 7.  Yes, he was 13 days late, just like his big sister, but I don't hold it against him because he's just so stinking cute!  It has been such a pleasure to welcome him to our family, and the resemblance between him and his siblings has been phenomenal.  He definitely fits in!  He was diagnosed with a VSD only 4 days after birth, but we received good news in early December that his heart appears to be healing on it's own- no doubt due to the faithful prayers of our family and friends.  Thank you for praying for him, would you please continue to pray that it fully heals and won't require surgery?


Ryan has supported me through yet another long pregnancy, been my loyal companion, and is my greatest love.  We celebrated 11 years of marriage in July and he is celebrating 10 years at his workplace this year. He recently had an experience that has lead us to be even more thankful for employment at a company that values its employees.  Ryan spent a lot of time woodworking this year, starting with headboards for the boys, spending a couple of months on a chicken coop, and wrapping it up with some Christmas gifts!  He coached Luke's soccer team again in the spring semester, but we took the fall off so that we could have some free time before Theo was born.  Ryan also founded an LLC with a friend and they are busting into the real estate business in their "free time."  It's been very rewarding for him to work on these side projects- you know Ryan is the kind of guy who likes to stay busy!

I spent the greater part of 2016 gestating another human being. ;-)  We wrapped up our school year in June and I had a delightful summer hosting my sister at our house.  I loved having her in our home as it gave us a chance to reconnect and share life together.  Her presence helped bring me out of a funk I had experienced in my early pregnancy when I just didn't quite feel like myself.  We kept busy all summer, started school a little early in August with the hopes of getting some good work in before Baby came.  Those last few weeks of pregnancy were emotionally and mentally very difficult, but the payoff came when we had a wonderful, peaceful, and QUICK home birth, and discovered we had another son! The whole experience was an answer to my prayers.  I feel like I never had a huge burst of "nesting" energy during his pregnancy, so I have a lot of home projects I hope to find time for next year!

Our family took one big trip to Panama City Beach in Florida for a last-minute Memorial Day weekend getaway, and it was so very beautiful.  While traveling in the car all day isn't my most favorite thing in the world, getting away with just my little family always offers us a chance to reconnect and experience new things together.  This trip was no exception!  We stayed in a nice condominium within walking distance from the beach.  We ate easy meals together, built sand castles, fished and caught crabs, and took a late night walk in the dark on the beach. Those times together are always so joyful because everyone is always so happy to be doing something new!  They are great memories for all of us.

Bethany Grace just turned 10 years old!  She is halfway through her 4th grade year at our home school, and is still an incredible artist.  She's been taking piano lessons all year long and has a natural affinity for music! She loves to sit down at the piano and figure out how to play hymns that we're studying or music that she's learning in choir at co-op, which makes the fine arts side of me so very happy.  She also enjoys creative writing and LOTS of reading!  She has been such an incredible help since Theo has been born; she is a proud big sister to her younger siblings!  After much preparation at home, our Bishop allowed Bethany to be confirmed in May.  This was a big day for her as a young woman!   She loves hanging out with her friends, baking, reading, going to the library, and teasing and taunting her brothers in a sisterly way!  I can see that she has a bit of entrepreneur in her as she's always considering how she can sell her art or coming up with ideas to stock up an Etsy shop!

Luke Michael turned 8 in October and has continued to grow and mature in ways that greatly impress me.  His mind is very logical and goal-oriented; this is a wonderful talent that we are learning how to utilize and mold into gifts for God.  Luke received his First Holy Communion in April and soon after trained to be an altar boy.  In August, Luke started attending 2nd grade at a hybrid school, in which he attends classes on Mondays and Thursdays and we complete his lessons on the other days he is home.  As a high-energy extrovert, he is thriving!  He loves his friends and his teacher, and he loves being able to attend mass more often than any of us.  He still loves Legos and the thrill of figuring out how things work.

Jackson Paul is still my silly, sweet, thoughtful boy that is now officially the "middle child." He can be incredibly wild and crazy or painfully shy and soft-spoken!  He turned 6 in June and had a really fun day picking blueberries and swimming with his uncles at the pool.  Jack is in 1st grade and he loves school.  He is always eager and happy to start his work and always has a wonderful attitude about getting his work done.  He (and Luke) both love being read aloud to, and Jack has also made some wonderful strides toward learning how to read on his own.  He is also a budding artist and is begging to start music lessons of some sort.  Right now he is preparing for his First Holy Communion next spring.  I just love his enthusiasm for everything he wants to do.

At almost 3, Caeli Rose is spirited, silly, imaginative, and soooo cute!  She can easily get lost in play for an hour, loves books, and follows Luke and Jack around like she's just as big as they are. She is still so expressive, telling stories and talking with her hands and hips, and she owns the room.  Her speech has exploded in the past two months, and she loves doing her "work math" alongside the older kids when they are doing their school work.  She loves Finley but always fusses at the cats and chases them away!  She puts her whole spirit into anything she does, I have no doubt she will move mountains one day.

Theodore Augustine Joseph (yes, that's three names!) will be three months young soon.  He is smiling and cooing at everyone and is so close to laughing!  I think he will be rolling over soon, as Caeli did at three months old, because he has some strong abs for an infant!  He sleeps well at night, usually waking up once or twice to nurse and then falling contentedly back to sleep.  His current loves are: his big siblings and anyone who will talk sweetly to him, diaper changes and laying on his changing pad in the bathroom, baths, and nursing.  He currently hates getting out of the bath, and roads that have lots of stop lights (I agree with him on this one).

Theo's Baptism Day

In July, we decided to schedule the baptism date a safe four weeks past my due date.  It gave me something to look forward to and prepare for!  We set the date for Sunday, October 30, after mass.  My mom was able to fly in to celebrate, and we had several friends and family offer to help prepare and host the party.  The whole day came together beautifully and went perfectly for our precious Theo.

Ryan and I had been praying so fervently about whom God wanted as the godparents for our child, and I specifically prayed that Ryan would be inspired.  Throughout the pregnancy, though, we didn't really talk about it, but God had put the same couple on each of our hearts. Ryan finally told me who he thought should be the godparents, and we asked them about a month before my due date. They generously accepted and have been praying for Theo ever since!

Blessing of salt and placing it on his lips

Blessing of the water

Baptized!  He fussed only a little bit- no big yells, although he did gag after being anointed with chrism!

All of the little boys in attendance gathered around very closely for a close-up of the baptism.  It brings me such joy to see all these little boys welcomed at the church, curious about our faith, and interested in the life of the church.  May they answer "yes!" if God calls them to the priesthood!

His godmother placed him on an altar of the Holy House chapel as we all offered his "first prayer" to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He smelled so wonderful with the scent of blessed chrism oil!

Our family of seven with our beloved pastor, who cares so deeply for his flock!

Father Hough along with Godparents Christina and Josh

Three of the four grandparents made it to Theo's baptism!

Part of our big, beautiful extended family!

My contribution to the party was Theo's cake!  It's lovely due to the loving criticism encouragement of my sister! ;-)

The rest of the party food and decor was thanks to these two lovely Grandmas!  We shared lunch at the party: Ryan's smoked brisket, beans, corn, and coleslaw.  Theo's godmother brought the party punch- always beloved by the kids!

Our party hosts Andrea and Charlie, two very amazing friends who generously offered to open their new home to host our giant party.  It was wonderfully liberating for me, newly postpartum, to not have to actually host anything at our home!

Our Christmas Card, 2015 Edition

Hello! If you're here by way of our Christmas card, welcome!

Years have gone by and I keep meaning to type up a family newsletter to include in our Christmas cards, but for various reasons it hasn't happened and I haven't made it a priority.  Then I realized I could include it here for anyone who would like a quick update on our family. :)

2015 has mostly come and gone in a fury!  Our family took a major trip in September- a drive to the northeast to see family and Pope Francis, a few smaller weekend trips, Ryan and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary with a vow renewal and reception, Beth had a two-day stay in the hospital thanks to an infected cut, and we almost sold our house (twice).  And we have three school-aged students now, which has been quite a change for me!  We had a few major events, but for the most part we're continuing to all grow and change, each of us in our own time. 

Ryan turned 35 this year, without fanfare!  He celebrated 9 years with his company this year, a family-friendly 8-5 job at a local company that continues to treat him respectfully and generously.  He used all of his vacation days this calendar year- which was a first!  Ryan has enjoyed a few good books this year, reading alongside Beth in her school work and of course, reading Little House books (again) to a couple of boys who are very interested in being Farmer Boys.  Ryan used his talent and time to build shields for the boy's club that we belong to, and took me on a fantastic trip to Antigua to celebrate our 10-year anniversary! He continues to support and guide me and our family as our spiritual head, and our relationship continues to grow and flourish as we live our busy and beloved lives!

I have had a year in which I've cut back on events and commitments and tried to be more intentional and reflective.  In some ways I was busier, taking advantage of Ryan's vacation days to travel and making a monthtly commitment to a day dedicated to spiritual practices, but I've also cut a lot out of my schedule.  The biggest change was this year I took only 4 doula clients (the previous year I had 14), and I've decided to end my career, at least for now, as a doula.  We switched to a new co-op, which entails more driving for Caeli and me, but has been a huge blessing to me as it's a drop-off program and I'm no longer responsible for teaching a class of kindergarteners!  The kids also love it, which in turn makes me a happier mama too!  I've read more this year than last, started attending some seriously awesome classes at the gym and ran a 3-mile race, and while I haven't been crafting as much as I'd like, I did manage to sew a few skirts for Caeli in May.  I discerned that I should drop out of social media completely (Instagram and Facebook), so you can check here periodically for updates, or give me a good old-fashioned call. :)

Beth will turn 9 in a week, is in third grade, and I have to admit that I am really looking forward to this next "phase" of girlhood.  She is leaving early childhood behind and becoming a young woman who is a delight and a pleasure to be around.  She devours books as soon as she can get her hands on them, reading late into the night and checking out books from the library as much as I'll allow her! On our Christmas card, the photo of her with her hands in the air is my favorite picture of her celebrating coming home from the hospital after a brief but dramatic stay!  She's learned to rollerblade this year, started piano lessons, and some days she completely takes over the kitchen from me and will bake until her heart is content.  Her sense of humor is maturing and while she occasionally rolls her eyes, she's still such a joy to my heart.

Luke turned 7 in October and is currently missing 3 teeth.  He's very proud of that fact!  He is in first grade, learning to read, and is preparing to make his First Holy Communion in the Spring.  We call him our worker man, because he has a deep innate desire to be constantly moving and using his body for God's glory!  He and Jack have dug holes in the backyard and filled them back up again, created "secret hiding places," taken apart broken appliances, and asked questions about pretty much everything.  He has a natural talent for math and building, and can get lost for hours in a pile of Legos.  He can also be super sweet and cuddly with me, planting slobbery kisses and giving tender hugs.  I accept because I don't know how long they will last!

Jackson is five-and-a-half, as he will proudly announce, and started kindergarten this year.  He is also learning how to read, loves doing his math workbook, and spends a lot of time playing dress up.  He's gone through phases of being a knights or priests, and right now he likes to dress up as a shepherd.  He loves to draw, play outside, and basically do anything that Luke does! We had a big baseball-themed fifth birthday for him in the summertime, which he loved despite the fact that he sometimes can be very shy.  He doesn't particularly love going to Sunday School or co-op, but he always has a good time with his friends in the classes!

Caeli Rose will be 2 in a few weeks!  She continues to be a huge blessing a joy to me.  We all always marvel at how cute she is, and Beth takes delight in knowing that Caeli acts and plays the same way that she did.  She is starting to speak clearly now, loves identifying animals and body parts, and she's definitely the most expressive child we've ever had!  She speaks not only with words but with her hands and head- well, her whole body!  She dances and sings, reminds us to pray before we eat, and just loves playing baby and tea party.  She loves Beth and her brothers, running to give them a hug or kiss when they wake up in the morning.  She's not quite sleeping through the night consistently yet, though it has happened a handful of times and we have hope that it will happen soon!

Please feel free to explore my blog, click around and read away.  What's here is written for you; it's not too personal for me to share.  I opted to not publish a few things that maybe were on the verge of being too much information, but what I've shared here is because I think these things are worthy of being discussed.  I renamed my blog in January and have used that as a platform to sort of dissect my feelings and struggles this year.  My true hope is that, as my children grow and venture out into this world, they see this blog as a memory book of their adventures and lives.  That is truly why this little blog is here!

God's blessings to you and your family in 2016!  May we all grow to know and accept His peace and will in our hearts and lives. 

A Visit from Uncle Michael

Uncle Michael came to visit us from his home halfway across the United States, and we felt lucky that he chose to spend his vacation days here in Texas.  On the first full day he was here, we happened to have museum class, so he accompanied Jack, Caeli, and me to the zoo while Beth and Luke went to class.  These once-a-month days are always fun for me because I get to spend the morning with just two kids, and one of them acts like a different kid without his big brother around!  It's a special time we get to spend together!  We wandered around the zoo for a bit, went back to the museum for lunch, then he left to see friends while I took the kids on their private tour of the paleontology hall with a docent!

The next day we made a big Thanksgiving dinner to share with him, since it was a few days before and we all agreed that it'd be better to have an early feast with family!  To complete the experience, Michael played some Christmas carols on our piano (inspiring Beth in the process to keep up her lessons!) and they all watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas while I finished things up in the kitchen.  I made a giant turkey breast instead of a full turkey, with stuffing, green beans, and homemade cranberry sauce.

We had to part ways early the next morning since it was co-op day for us and he was off to visit other family elsewhere in the state.  We all greatly enjoyed his visit!  I get to see him sooner than everyone else on my mommy-only adventure coming up in December...More on that later! ;-)

Our Pilgrimage, Parts One and Two (Gulf Shores and DC)

We had our itinerary ready, more or less, for our two-week adventure away from home.  I had a list of prayer intentions from friends, and we had planned and packed and planned some more for a successful trip with our little ones.  We've taken long road trips before, but never anything this extreme, so I pulled some new ideas from Pinterest, packed up our meals in brown paper bags, purchased a few new fun items, and readied our audiobooks.  I may do a separate post on another day about some of our most successful "tools" for traveling with four children because I feel like a bit of a professional now!

The first leg of our trip took us to Gulf Shores, Alabama, where we stayed for two nights with our dear friends and their children.  10 kids and 4 adults in a three-bedroom condo- and yet I felt like we could have fit another person or two pretty easily!  I think this might have been Caeli's first time to really experience the ocean.  We all enjoyed lots of sand and sun, empty beaches, fishing, and late-night conversations.

I have so many photos, so I'll keep the words to a minimum!  I want to share what I am thankful for during this part of the trip!

For silly, happy babies in the backseat- as long as Mommy or Daddy sat nearby.  For the 8th seat in the back that allowed me to be there for her, and the miraculous appearance of a Fresh Market after a missed turn in Alabama.

State-line rest stops that give us the chance to run, beat trees with sticks, and look at new things.

 

Glee-filled baby smiles of her first real romp in the water!

  

Perfect weather.

 Sugar sand and water as clear as the sky.

My sweet little family, posing impatiently because of all the play that's left to be had.

 

Friends that hold a special place in our hearts, friends whom we deeply cherish.

  

The gift of a true, deep friendship that allows us to ponder in our hearts the meaning of this life.  The value of our children and the importance of family, the sharing of a community that not only introduces new experiences, but creates memories that will last forever.

 So many people, watching out for each other.  Wading in the still water, waiting for a bite.  

 Success!

 And success again! 

 Someone is thankful for her pacifier and a bit of quiet time in the sand.

 

I'm thankful to have been standing next to him in a quick moment of terror, thankful that a quick pinch is all he felt.  That the sting ray left me alone so I could aide him.

 

The ray that stung Luke?  We'll never know.

(Not dead!)

  

 

Sweet children whose friendships know no age boundaries.  True friendships that I pray will last a lifetime.

 

Beach time naps for sleepy girls.

  

 

 The summoning of gulls.

 This man, my life, my husband.  Another chance to stick our toes in the sand together.

My sweet baby, almost 21 months.  Her tanned, beautiful skin.  Exhausted by sun, sand, and water. 

The chance to make up new games, make new memories.

A beautiful sunset that you just wouldn't believe, and children's silhouettes even more beautiful.

 

  The chance to take the intentions of family, friends, and followers to Jesus and beg 

Him for answers to your prayers.

The next leg of our trip took us to a tiny town in North Carolina, where my mother played an excellent hostess and put all fourteen of us up for a few short hours.  Ryan and I dread the interstate between Mobile and Montgomery, but coming up to Atlanta always feels like a bit of a landmark on the drive.  We shared children amongst the vehicles; we took two of theirs and they took two of ours.  It made the drive so simple when they each had a new face to look at.  Luke and Fina made silly faces at each other for at least an hour! 

After a day filled with traveling, we managed to stay up late chatting, wake up relatively early, and hit the road again.  This time, we split up- they went a little northwest and we went a little northeast.  Our destination was the northwest tip of Delaware, and the drive was beautiful.  
 

We arrived to happy cousins a little after dinnertime, drank wine and gobbled up dinner, found legos to play with, and eventually went to bed.

The next morning was Wednesday.  Back in the car again, but this time just Ryan and me!  Our two-hour trip took felt like nothing as we drove into Washington DC to attend holy mass with our Holy Father, Pope Francis.  That day, he canonized Saint Junipero Serra, founder of many of the missions in California.  We met our friends, drove into town together, and hopped on a charted bus that took us to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  (Ryan and I had been here once before, when Beth and Luke were little in 2009.) We had tickets to a standing-room area, which was a blessing in disguise!  We didn't realize Pope Francis would drive on the street in his pope-mobile, so once we realized what was happening I encouraged Ryan to run to see him while I held our standing-room area.  He was able to be caught up in the moment of all the people, got some great pictures, then ran back to me to hold our spot! The mass was completely in Spanish, though I was able to mostly see the screens to see the translation of his homily.

 

Our view during mass wasn't fantastic, but I did enjoy being by the full orchestra and the several choirs that were there.  We were also standing right behind one of the cameras that filmed mass, and that was very distracting yet intriguing for me to watch!  Before mass started, we talked to the man who moved the camera arm around, and he told us a little about how they filmed.  It reminded me of when I went to Rome in 1998 and we found a Swiss Guard who would chat with us about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff.  I also noticed the security around the top of the dome. I love it!

 

  

 

Toward the end of mass, would you believe we ran into someone we knew?  Of the 25,000 people there, I turned around and was face-to-face with a friend's sister and her husband.  This world is small!


After mass was over, we took our bus back to the hotel.  We had been offered the chance to purchase tickets to a bishop's reception after mass, which included over 200 bishops and cardinals who were ready to unwind after a busy day!  I had snuck off to the bathroom and when I came out, I walked into a hallway flooded with bishops and cardinals.  I was a little overwhelmed and starstruck so I just stood there for a minute and soaked it all in.

I walked back to find our group and I realized I recognized a bishop- it was Bishop Mike Sis, my beloved pastor from St. Mary's in College Station!  I skipped up to him and gave him a big hug, which I realized later might have been completely inappropriate!  We sat by him during the reception and had the chance to chat and catch up a bit, and it was such an honor and pleasure to speak with him.

That night, we stayed up late (again) then crashed on a blow-up mattress on the floor of our generous hosts. We left by 9 the next morning to drive back to Delaware- and I'll post more photos of that portion of the trip soon!