Summer Treat

It is always such a treat to have family come visit.  And every summer for the past 5 years, I have been lucky enough to have Jack and Luke come visit for a week and Olivia and Madeline visit for a week.  These are probably my favorite 2 weeks out of the whole summer.

2007

2008

2010

2011

This year, Jack and Luke came early in the summer and didn't get to stay quite as long as usual, so we made sure to live it up the 3 full days they were here.  We have made it our tradition to always buy some sort of craft while they are here to work on throughout the week.  Last year they picked these cool wooden sculptures that you build and then paint.  This year for the lack of time and selection, they got some cool pages to color with the girls.

One night they watched the girls for us so we could go out for our anniversary...what a treat!  And they are so good with the girls.  They even coaxed Jack into playing 'doggie' with them.  He was either "walking" them or they were "walking" him.  Hilarious.

I love how Ava is 'texting' while walking her dog!

The next day we went to a holy half hour for kids at our parish chapel...they are such good sports..they each led a decade of the rosary...what a great example to the other kids!  After lunch, we went cosmic bowling.  None of us were on top of our games that day...I think Ava ended up winning (using bumpers and a ball ramp, of course)!  All that exercise of throwing the ball down the lane worked up quite an appetite, so with a Krispie Kreme across the parking lot, we naturally finished off the afternoon with a flavored donut!  Yum!

Wednesday was my favorite day...we went hiking at Bernheim Forest about 45 minutes away.  It could not have been a more beautiful day for hiking...low 70s and sunny!  We started off slow, walking down a path of kid-made fairy houses...think Tinkerbell size made out of nature.  Rose and Ava were in awe!  Next we fed the fish and turtles...well mostly turtles...I think they rule that pond!  We continued on that path and walked about 0.7 miles.  There was a playground area where we ate our lunches to gear up for our next hike.  We finished off with the Canopy Tree Walk.  It was a wooden overlook where you could see all the trees below...very cool, but the holes on the walkway were a bit scary with small kids...luckily I had extra hands to help!  The girls wanted to go down the path next to the overlook so we decided to try it out.  It was pretty steep to get down there, but leveled off after a bit.  There was a path marked with red triangles that we decided to follow...not realizing it was a 1.5 mile hike!  The girls actually did extremely well, with the help of a few piggyback rides along the way.  You wouldn't believe the excitement on our faces though, when we could finally see the van!  Carrying an extra 20 pounds of baby = soreness for me the next day!

The two-year old always lingering behind

While the boys are here, Paul likes to take them out for a bit one night to have some guy time.  This visit he took them to his favorite place ever, Home Depot!  He gave them each $5 to spend so he could send them home with a tool and a small item of their choice (Jack got a huge carabeener and Luke picked a giant sharpie :).  Awesome, right?!

I especially love the evenings with them.  We stay up late, play games, and watch movies.  I think they make me feel like a kid again and who doesn't secretly want to have their childhood back again.  The game Ticket to Ride is a must while they are here.  No one ever plays it, except when they come to my house and we LOVE it!  It is a game of strategy...trying to form the longest route, trying to block others, and trying to complete routes on your cards to give you extra points.  I am kind of a game-junkie...but in my opinion this one tops all board games...or maybe it's just the company I play with?!

What a blessing to have two high-school brothers who want to take a week out of their summer to come see their older sister.  I think I have the best family ever!

Hugs!

So Happy Together

June 4th, Paul and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary.  Each year we commemorate this day by watching a 15 minute video of our ceremony and reception and looking at our wedding album.  It is fun to watch the video with the girls.  They comment on all the fancy dresses and always ask us why they aren't in any of the pictures :)

June 4, 2005

June 4, 2012

This year, since we had 2 free babysitters (Jack and Luke were visiting), we were lucky enough to get to go out and celebrate on our actual anniversary.  We had a gift certificate to a Chinese restaurant called Tea Station, so we decided to check it out.  We ventured out of our comfort zone, not really being Chinese food connoisseurs, but were pleasantly surprised by the place.

It was a quaint little joint, with only about 10 tables in the whole place.  We sat at a small table for two, with a flower garden right behind us.

We had shrimp in honey sauce, mongolian beef, a homemade eggroll, and the best green tea I have ever had in the cutest little teapot...I want one.  

Afterwards, we took a stroll around the area...a neighborhood that made itself into it's own little town, similar to the Village of West Clay in Carmel.  I love the brick sidewalks and the small town feel.  We had a wonderful night...just the two of us.

I think it is awesome to have this day set aside where we celebrate the two of us, our marriage, and how our life together began.  Seven years ago, I said "I Do" to my prince charming.  4 kids, 4 homes, and 3 jobs later, life has been quite an adventure and there is no one else I would rather spend it with. God has blessed me with an amazing life partner.  I look forward to many more adventures together!

Hugs!

For Your Entertainment

Everyone needs a good laugh every once in a while...well, we laugh at this video over and over again, so I just had to share.  (Watch the little 2-year old in the background.)

I think she got her dancing skills from her dad ;)

Hugs!

My Little Ella Bella

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that each addition to our family it going to add a little more chaos to our life.  So when Ella was born, I told myself that I was going to enjoy each and every moment of her babyhood so that I didn't just wake up one day to a one-year old and wonder how she got to be so big.  I am thankful to say that I have soaked up every inch of that baby since July 16th.  Her constant smile, snuggles, and bright blue eyes sure don't make it very hard to do.

Ella has brought so much joy to our lives!  It is amazing to watch such a little body do things on her own.  Paul and I constantly look at each other in disbelief at what this little person can do.  God's design is flawless!  You would think we wouldn't care so much about each stage the fourth time around, but we still get giddy-excited about each milestone...it is like she is our first baby!  

I love her round bald head (she has a little hair now).  I love when she makes spitting noises with her mouth.  I love when she gives us the "are you serious?" look.  I love it when she climbs on her little chair, turns around and smiles at us, as if to say, "look what I did!".  I love when she is sad about something so she lets out a pathetic cry, then puts her head on the floor like an ostrich.  I love when she gives us a cheesy smile with her nose scrunched up showing off her 4 little teeth.  I'm amazed at how much personality can be packed into such a little body!

She is such a good-natured baby and pretty much goes with the flow (the fourth baby kinda has to be like that, right?!).  She is a busy little girl; happily occupying herself by pulling everything out of the kitchen drawers, eating paper or food from the floor, or climbing up the stairs.  Now she is walking although often resorts to crawling because she is faster than lighting on those chubby little legs.  She is becoming a Daddy's girl, as all of ours tend to do at one point or another, and cries when he leaves the room.  It is actually very sweet.

I love to watch her interactions with her big sisters.  She lights up when she sees them and they love to entertain her.  My favorite time of day is when the big girls hear Ella wake up from her nap.  They race upstairs to the side of her bed to see who can get her to smile at them first.  I love that they all beg to sit by her during meals. I love that they want to hold her and that she looks just like a mini-version of each one of them.

She has been given all sorts of nicknames from: Ella Bella, Ella Belle, Boo (Rose calls her that like Aunt Olivia does), Baby Girl, Sweetness...one thing is for sure, she was definitely brought into a family who loves her to pieces!

Hugs!

Taking Control

It is hard as a parent to see your kids in pain and not be able to do anything to help them.  Like when Rose busted her chin and had to get stitches (twice!) or when she has growing pains in the middle of the night...all we can do in try to comfort them and let them know we are there, we know it hurts, and we love them.  I can't even imagine what Our Blessed Mother went through watching her son be ridiculed, beaten and put to death right before her eyes.

Here is us trying to take control: helmet plus chin strap...too much?

It is hard to watch anything but good things happen to our kids.  We want to protect them...to keep them close to our sides so that we have more control over what happens to them.  But as a wise mother recently told me, sometimes we need to let go and let God.  When we try to control everything, we are forgetting that our Heavenly Father is always watching over us and waiting to help us.

Parenting is a big responsibility, so why don't we let God lighten our burden.  Let Him take some of that responsibility.  Do the best we can and offer all we do to God and let Him take care of the rest.  God is a better parent than we will ever be, so I am trying to let Him show me the way.

Hugs!

Real life

I know my blog usually focuses on the fun we have as a family, but what you don't hear about is the reality behind the scenes.  Having 4 kids is kicking my butt!  Before Ella was born, I thought I had my act together and I could handle however many kids were sent our way.  Well, I have to say, I was wrong...I am no perfect mother!  I can just not get it together! We are late to everything, there is always one throwing a fit or misbehaving, the house is a complete disaster 98% of the time, there are loads of laundry that are NOT done...most days, I feel like I am in survival mode.

But today I was reading one of my favorite blogs, mychildiloveyou.blogspot.com, and felt a little better about my disarray at home.  Basically she was saying that God never promised that life was going to be easy.  I am trying to keep four little bodies healthy and away from harm, teach them their manners, give them all the love they deserve...all while trying to get their little souls ready for eternal paradise with their Father in Heaven.  That is a big job, the most important job I will ever have, so it should be hard!

I know this new revelation is not going to make my life a walk in the park, but I think it will help me get through each day knowing that every vocation has its struggles and all I can do is my best each and every day, keeping the end goal in mind.  God knows how much we can handle, right?!

Easter Bliss

Although we were bummed to be away from family for Easter, we did have a nice relaxing weekend here in Louisville.  On Easter morning, the girls woke up bright and early to see what the Easter bunny left them.  Rose thought it was hilarious that the Easter bunny put her basket in the dishwasher.

I think every Christian church across America sings the song 'Jesus Christ is risen today, A....lle...lu....ia!'  on Easter Sunday, but isn't it really the perfect song to sum up the meaning of the day?!  We of course sang this beautiful song at mass on Easter morning at a parish downtown called St. Louis Bertrand.  It has been our Easter tradition ever since we moved to Louisville to go there on Easter Sunday.  It is a beautiful church with wonderful Dominican priests, but is hard with children because there isn't a cry-room and everything echoes!  And mass on Easter morning was one where we definitely could have used a cry room!  Mass seemed more like a wrestling match...4 against 2.  I think they won!

After we got home and got some food in our bellies, we sent the girls on an egg hunt in the front yard.  Instead of adding to their already present sugar high, we filled the eggs with coins...like my grandparents used to do for us when I was a little girl.  They were really lucky if they found a dollar in their egg!

We enjoyed the afternoon in the beautiful sunshine...

...then I brought the girls inside to make Resurrection rolls.  They basically consist of crescent rolls (to represent the cloth they wrapped Jesus' body in), marshmallows (to represent Jesus), butter (to represent the oils of embalming) , and a cinnamon/sugar mixture (to represent the spices used to anoint his body).  After you coat the marshmallow and wrap it in the crescent roll, you bake them and the marshmallow melts, symbolizing the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the dead.  They are super simple, delicious, and help explain the concept of the resurrection.  The girls LOVED them!

We finished the day with a nice family Easter meal of ham, pork tenderloin, cheesy potatoes, green bean casseroles, Resurrection rolls, cantaloupe, golden Easter punch, and peep smores and homemade Reese eggs for dessert!  So much food, but so delicious!

Hope all of you had a blessed Easter!  We miss you all!

Hugs!