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!  

Pumping Gas

The other late afternoon I went to the grocery store alone.  My head was swirling with a mental list of things we needed: vinegar and honey, garlic powder and foil.  I was tired after a long weekend and decided that I'd probably be too lazy to fill up my tank after I shopped, so I made the quick decision to fill up first.

I only needed about half a tank.  I like to top it off when I'm out at the grocery store alone so I don't have to fill up with a car full of anxious, hot kids.  I got out, paid, put in the pump, and leaned against my car, facing West.  My car had told me it was 92 degrees outside, but the black asphalt made it seem warmer the longer I stood there.  In a split-second decision, I stopped myself from pulling out my phone to find something to entertain me for two minutes, and I just leaned my weight into the car and soaked in the heat.  As I noticed myself starting to complain of how hot I was getting, I made the conscious decision to enjoy it.

Summer, the season I always crave.  Long days, tank tops, humidity, and splashing in the pool.

Winter.  More layers, more laundry, short days, and dry air.  Yuck.

Enjoy the heat while you can, sister, because in a few months you'll be missing it. 

While my eyes were closed, I started to see funny colors, eventually turning to red- then even brighter red!- and I thought my eye lids would catch fire.  It was hot, y'all. But then my gas pump clicked off and as I placed it back, I thought about how happy I was that I chose to enjoy those two minutes alone instead of looking for fast entertainment.  I felt oddly refreshed and ready to tackle the store.

I hope I cherish this moment in a few months when I'm chilled to the bone and complaining about it being dark when it's 5:30.  But maybe by then, I'll be wise enough to soak in those cold moments and enjoy them for what they are, and then be able to recall them to memory fondly when I'm pumping gas on another hot summer day.

August

Sunday was my 33rd birthday.  And on my birthday, I always get very sentimental and resolute.  I think part of it is the time of year when a new school year is approaching (or, in our case, has already begun) and shiny new notebooks and fresh pencils always make me feel like I'm about to start something over again.

Having my birthday at this time of year has always been a way to make a "fresh start" for me.  I was always (always!) super excited about going to school on the first day and meeting the new kids- hoping to finally find a best girl friend or find the "right" boy who could be my highschool sweetheart (thankfully God had other plans for me!).  I loved shopping for new clothes, the hot pavement during summer band, and getting back into a routine again.

As an adult, I've had to make my own "fresh start" days throughout the year, and up until now the only times that really made sense were new years and lent.  But now that we have school-aged children, August has jumped out at me as, once again, a time for me to sort of start over.  Check on former resolutions and make new ones that are applicable to my life now.  God has ordered my life so that our "busy season" starts October, so August is a good time to form new habits before life gets crazy.

As my birthday passes and school days resume, the pools close down and extracurricular activities begin again, it's time to get back into the months of "normal" life.  As a creature that loves rhythm and predictability, this makes me SO happy.  My days are a little ordered right now: wake-eat-school-lunch-rest-free time-chores-dinner.  But as a gift to myself this year, I hope to add some self-care in this year.  Early morning workouts, leisurely rest with my sister-friends, and hobbies that unite me to the creative nature of our Lord.  These things will, hopefully and ideally, bring me peace and therefore help me to be a more attentive wife, mother, and teacher.

I just finished plowing through Teaching From Rest, and it was probably the best thing I've done for myself lately.  I enjoy reading Mackenzie's colloquial writing; it's easy to push through it when there's lots of noise and distractions around me. ;-)  It was so encouraging to me, in so many ways, and yesterday might have been our best morning of homeschooling yet because I was able to re-focus on my true goal of our schoolwork: virtue.  I remembered, what good am I doing if I yell at them for dawdling when I could probably just as easily make it memorable teaching moment if I went up to them and gently whispered in their ear?  How is me YELLING at them setting the example of VIRTUE when it's the exact opposite of how I want them to treat each other?  And ironically, Beth read about being a hypocrite in bible history... 

For so long, I feel like I've shunned being good to myself.  I've been a martyr of sorts, thinking that being scrupulous is a "better" sin.  It's not.  It's still a sin. 

So I hope to take better care of myself now.  To honor my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit by taking care of it, including gently telling my kids no when they want to eat my food (because I need nourishment too). To not feel bad about myself when I feel left out of friendships or conversations, but instead to leave my comfort zone and jump in.  To forgive myself when I fail to live up to my high standards.  To leave room in our schedule for peace and quiet instead of being rushed and frantic, and to not feel guilty for taking some personal time off.


I know, it seems like I'm always making resolutions.  At least, it always feels that way to me!  But I love the challenge, and I love that it gives me a new chance to reconnect with the Lord using knowledge that is new to me.  I do see personal growth in myself- at least I see the opportunity for growth!  I just hope that when it's all said and done, and God asks me what I did with my life, I can at least tell him I tried my absolute best.

A Birthday Week Recap

This year, birthday week started with a goodbye as I left to take the kids to San Marcos for a weekend to visit my sister.  Ryan had a business trip planned for a few nights and I just needed to get away for a few days, so we said our goodbyes on Sunday afternoon and I braced for the car trip alone with four kids.

Of course, they did great.  Well, Jack started the familiar chorus of, "How much longer?" about 30 minutes into the trip!  He wasn't interested in any books, coloring pages, audiobooks, or any other activities I had planned for him, so the poor kid just stared out the window and half-cried the second half of the trip!

We arrived in the early evening and took a stroll around her apartment complex.  They dipped their feet in the pool (more on that later!) and played in the workout room for a few minutes.  We had a snack and Jenny read them books for at least half an hour before they reluctantly went to bed.

 

Jenny had to work the next morning for a few hours, so I took the kids to HEB to gather some groceries for our stay.  I guess it's unusual to have a big family in a college town because we got a lot of stares. ;-)  After dropping off the groceries, we went to a nearby park- one of my favorite parks of all time.  It's so awesome for big kids and little kids!  They had a blast while it was still cool in the early morning.

 

We walked along the river banks afterward and the kids dipped their toes in the water.  Then they got in, laughing and shivering and not quite believing how clear the water really was!

After lunch and a quick rest time, we drove out to the outlet mall for some shopping.  Beth almost got her ears pierced but decided that she wanted to do it without her brothers around.  I think she's a little nervous!  Instead, the boys got some shoes and the girls got some clothes!

We promised that they could play in the pool that afternoon so when we got home, everyone suited up. I planned to stay back with Caeli, make dinner, and then meet them there, but the unthinkable happened: the pool was closed.  The kids were devastated!!!  It was so upsetting!  We promised to find a place to swim the next day, they watched some tv, and went to bed. 

On Tuesday, everyone was up around 7 am (that's late for them!) and we got ready to go exploring at a local touristy spot.  We took a train through a petting zoo of sorts, descended into an underground cave, took an elevator up to 150 feet above the ground so we could observe the (extinct) fault line, and went into a "zero gravity house" that gave me a headache!

Descending into the cave

Looking into Edward's aquifer, at the purest water you've seen in your entire life.

 

We brought a picnic and went home.  Everyone was exhausted and Luke and Caeli had naps.

That afternoon we all got into our swimsuits and went down to the river for some swimming.  The kids didn't realize how cold it would be, but they gathered their courage and jumped in!  Luke led the way- I was so impressed! 

They watched a movie after dinner, and went to bed.  The next day we left right after breakfast to come home and meet Ryan for his birthday!

Ryan had told me that he'd made plans for us that night, so his parents came in to watch the kids so we could go out.  First we went to a new Mexican restaurant, then he surprised me with tickets to an Incubus concert that he'd won from work.  We were early though (well, we didn't like the opening act!) so we went to grab a drink first, then stayed for part of the concert before heading home.  It was fun, but we hadn't heard any of their new album, and honestly it was too loud.  Oh, our aging, aching ears!  Ha ha.

 

Thursday was a normal day, and Friday we all packed up to go to Ryan's parent's house.  They're moving, so we had one last gathering there with Ryan's brother and nephew.  We had a great time, celebrating lasts and remembering firsts.

 

 

We came home Saturday night so we could go to mass at our parish on Sunday, for my birthday.  I really wanted to go to our parish on my birthday, so I was happy that everyone agreed to that!  We had brunch with friends afterward, and when we came home I baked my birthday cake- a tres leches.  Yum!

I had a quick nap and went out for a quick shopping trip because, well, I like to shop on my birthday.  It's dumb but I just kind of like to start my new year with something new.  It was largely unsuccessful- I just bought a black t-shirt!

I came home to a pitcher of margaritas and a bunch of happy adults, ready to party and grill some burgers!

I saved all the cards I had gotten in the mail that week (from my grandmothers, parents, and our realtor, haha) and opened them after cake.  It's the way we did it growing up and it's comforting to me to continue those traditions!  We said goodbye after 9 and put the kids to bed.  And Ryan and I crashed at 10:00!

At this point, you'd think our crazy birthday week was over, but Ryan had one last surprise for me!  He told me that I had plans on Monday night, picked out an outfit for me, and told me to be ready at 6:30 pm.  I had a hunch I was being picked up and I was right!  Three girlfriends rang the bell and jokingly told me to grab my suitcase cause we were going to the airport! They brought me a giant balloon, birthday tiara, and clip-on earrings and whisked me away!

I had no idea where we were going, so when we showed up at a restaurant to a table set with 14 or so seats, I was pretty flabbergasted!  And nervous- I was pretty sure I didn't even know 14 people who would come to celebrate my birthday!

One by one, ladies walked in.  I was amazed because I hadn't prepared myself for any of this, so each person was a surprise to me!  Especially my dear friend who drove over an hour with her baby to come!

I was truly touched and honored.  I received several sweet, thoughtful gifts and as each one of them told me happy birthday, I was near tears.  It was so moving and special to me.

While I was surprised, I'm also not surprised at all.  I know that Ryan is amazing, and for him to call and email and text all of these people (or their husbands!), make a reservation, and kick me out of the house for a night of fun is sooo him.  He spoils me so much, and I know!  And to round everything out, he stayed home an extra 45 minutes this morning to let me sleep in a bit and brought me my morning latte before heading to work.  He's so thoughtful, and pretty perfect. 

And he definitely won birthday week this year. :)