Last Blog of the Year {iPhone Style}

Who wouldn't be thrilled to have these faces looking back at them every hour of the day? We've got our fried foods and ice cream sundae fixings ready for tonight's celebration!! Have a great and safe New Year everyone!!

Mary Therese (age 5.5)

Josephine (16 months)

Brandon and his girlfriend Rose (taken in North Carolina)

Samuel (age 7.5)

Cecilia Ruth (age 4.5)

Owen (age 14.5)

Katie (age 12)

Clare (the Bear) (age 3)

Hannah (age 16)

Jackson (age 10)

Gratitude Sunday {A Year of Headers}

January (oddly enough) is one of my favorite months of the year.  With snow on the ground and new toys to play with we nestle in and enjoy eachother with few outside activities to attend.

February is "birthday month" for us. Three birthdays within 5 days makes it a very festive month.

March brings warmish weather (some days) and kids eager to get out to play.  Lent is usually in full swing and the days are longer again.

April is usually when Easter falls and we celebrate that spring is upon us.  We can finally count down the last weeks of school and the crisp air makes us all happy!

May brings Mother's Day and Owen's birthday, barefoot walks, and a flurry of "end of year" activities.  Bring on "ice cream" season!

June means school is DONE and so are our activities.  We bring out the kiddie pools, sidewalk chalk and visit our favorite outdoor spot (Greenfield Village).  Yay summer!

July is HOT and sometimes means we spend more time inside than out.  Still the days are long and bright and we enjoy sleeping in! (And it's Cecilia's birthday month!)

August brings Josie's birthday and Jesse's too. (God willing our new peanut will arrive in August 2013).  Our annual trip to the beach is usually in August.  We start prepping the school room and filling it with crisp, new books to begin the next school year.

September means Katie's birthday, the start of school, soccer, and a flurry of other activities.  Fun, fun, fun!  The days are sometimes hot but are also sometimes cool.  If the weather has been good September means apple picking!!

October (my second favorite month) means settling in to our new schedule, shorter days, and longer nights.  Pumpkins, cider, and donuts enter the scene and Jesse and I celebrate our anniversary this month!  We also celebrate my dad's birthday in October.

November means we celebrate Hannah, Jackson, my mom, and Thanksgiving!  I love, love, love turkey and stuffing and often make it throughout the year just because!

And December.....Advent, my birthday, Clare's birthday, and Jesus' birthday too!  So much to celebrate.  Trees, lights, family, and fun (and sometimes snow if we're lucky!).  It's hard to believe 2012 has come to an end already.  We are so very blessed in our family.  For the good, the bad, and everything in between I am grateful.  God is good all the time.  All the time God is good.

And now it's time to move ahead
2013
We are ready!

This Year's Top Ten {Or Eleven}

Yesterday we attended the funeral of a friend's baby that was born into eternal life on December 17 of this year.  The family is amazingly strong and the baby's  mother is a Saint as far as I'm concerned.  I, on the other hand, was a mess.  I couldn't imagine the pain and sorrow.  But baby Faith's mama is far stronger than I am.  That is for sure.  I sat there wondering if I ever really knew anything about anything.  I thought about how I talk way too much and how I pretend I know things but, really, I know nothing.  Since the funeral I've been at a loss and have been trying to think of things that were blessings this year.  There was seriously so much loss around us.  I think I attended more funerals this year than in my life combined.  We lost two babies early on in our family and my beloved Grandma.  If I focused on the loss and pain, though, I would die of a broken heart.  And that is not what Jesus wants.  So even though I don't know anything about anything there were still some highlights this year.  These are in no particular order.

1) Jo Jo learned to sit, stand, crawl, and walk.  And her finger was saved thanks to Divine intervention. 

 

2)  Our talented children treated us to many concerts, plays, sporting events, and just general entertainment.

 

3)  When God closes a door He certainly opens a window.  Brandon hit on some hard times in Steubenville and ended up back here with us for a short time.  It was a blessing for all of us to have him here and I especially enjoyed watching the smaller children get to know him again.

 

4)  I learned SO much about myself, my marriage, and my relationship with God through the loss of both babies this year and nearly losing my life.  I also learned that I have the best friends and family in the world and that prayer can heal even the most broken of hearts.

 

5)  I learned that who I am is not defined by my body type or size.  Who I am is defined by the One Who made me.  He loves me and I am made in His image and likeness.  How the world sees me as a woman, mother, person is of no importance.  It's what HE sees that matters. And, yes, it took me almost 40 years to learn that.

 

6)  I learned that being right is never as important as being kind, loving, and charitable. 

 

7)  I learned that you can forgive people who don't ask for forgiveness and that if you choose to forgive then (and only then) you will be free.

 

8)  We spent many hours praying, playing, cooking, and laughing together as a family. 

 

9)  There are Angels all around us and they come in various forms.  Our family was touched by many of them this year and I will be forever thankful for the true Body of Christ that held us up through the tough times.  God really does give us a "shelter" and we never truly walk alone.

 

10)  Now that I'm to number ten I want to keep going.  I've built friendships this year that I hope will last a lifetime.  If the friends are all really good at doing number 7 then we'll be good because I sure do slip up alot! 

 

11) And number 11 for good measure because God willing baby 11 will join our family this year.  One of my favorite parts of the year was going to prayer meetings with Jesse.  It was all new to us but he really encouraged me to go with him and I'm so glad that I did.  It opened up a whole new world of God's love and mercy and introduced the Holy Spirit to me in a way I'd never experienced.  You can never have too much God! 

So that's it.  I still know nothing.  I've watched more mothers and fathers bury their children this year then I hope to ever see again.  To them I say thank you for being living witnesses of what true FAITH is.  We are blessed to be surrounded by such strong and holy people.

Happy New Year and may 2013 bring blessings to you and your family.  And may you be able to see the blessings in all things.

Merry Christmas 2012

I didn't send out Christmas Cards this year for the first time since I have lived on my own.  I thought of it many times but just never got around to it.  I didn't do alot of things this Advent that I usually do.  What I did do was appreciate my friends and family perhaps in a way that I never have before.  As a "mom of many" I often worry if it's "too many".  Will we be able to afford Christmas?  When we manage one year I worry about the next.  Not that affording Christmas is the end all and it is certainly down on the bottom of the list of things I worry about on a daily basis but I do worry.  In a world full of excess - biggee drinks, TV's the size of movie screens, and huge houses my family is often touted as "too big".  While I try to let most of that roll off my back sometimes it does cast a shadow or worry in my heart.  But today it felt right, perfect, and the way it was meant to be.  The children here, the babies lost, the mess, the chaos, the noise, the laughter.  No one got new Christmas clothes this year.  We used what we had.  At first I felt guilty but then I remembered that Jesus wasn't born into a fancy castle with a golden cradle to sleep in.  He was born in a manger and slept  in the hay.  Who are we to have new clothes or fancy gifts when the King of Kings that came here for us had nothing.  It's humbling to be wrong and I get lots of practice.  So Advent came and went with me doing significantly less than I have in years past.  I stuck to my gift limit with the kids even when I wanted to do more and for the first time ever we attended Mass on Christmas morning (instead of Christmas Eve).  It was lovely and perfect. We even got snow. 

 

I wasn't perfect or thin and I didn't have just the right outfit.  But it didn't matter because Jesus doesn't care about what I wear or how much I weigh.  He cares about what's in my heart and more importantly if there's room for Him. 

 

As I mentioned in a previous post I don't know how much longer the kids will all be around on these special days.  They will grow and move and I'm sure some holidays will be spent via Skype and telephone calls instead of in person hugs and smiles.  I cherished today as if it was our last Christmas all together for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We fixed a big brunch with my parents and now everyone is snuggled in playing with their various gifts.  The bigger kids are fans of the littler kids toys. Funny how that works.  God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:15-20

When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us."
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

Gratitude Sunday!!

The Fourth Sunday of Advent!!  So grateful for another year and all the blessings we have received!  For family, friends, and smiles from strangers at the supermarket.

For it finally snowing!!  And for the rosy cheeks that came with it!

It is our niece Ellie's 10th birthday today.  She is one of the sweetest girls I've had the privilege of knowing. 

We did a double birthday celebration with the family today and Clare got another "Happy Birthday" song.

And last but certainly not least for a tiny heartbeat filling a mama's heart with a WHOLE lot of PEACE, JOY, and LOVE.  Two more days until CHRISTmas!  Looking forward to time with family and friends.

 

Happy 3rd Birthday Clare!! {Life Keeps Getting Better and Better}

 Happy 3rd Birthday Clare Pia Grace!  It's hard to believe it's been 3 years already.  She's hands down our best Christmas gift ever!

And life just keeps getting better and better!  We started the morning at the doctor where we saw the baby for the first time and saw the heartbeat too.  Then we headed to Henry Ford Museum to see Santa and have some fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch (at Buddy's Pizza) we went home for presents and cake.  There was even snow to make the day more perfect!  Now we're just hanging out and enjoying our family time.

 

Clare requested chocolate cake with green sprinkles so that's what she got.  When she saw the cake she said it was the "best cake ever".  Gotta love her.

Happy Birthday Clare Bear!  We love you!