20120430

Hi! 

To start this picture show, here is David making his daddy proud. Mom had slipped off her shoes when she sat down at the computer, and David slipped them on... his first experience of Vibram 5 Fingers! And  he likes them!

Therese had to get in on the action...

I found out last week that Fort Bliss has a free museum on post! The kids and I went to go check to out, and they really enjoyed all the tanks, helicopters, etc. that they could get right up next to.

Inside was quite cool as well. It was basically deserted, so we had it to ourselves. 

Unfortunately, David got a bad blister on his foot halfway through the museum, and we had walked there on foot, planning to continue our outing to a park and make our way back later. So... we had to cancel our further plans and head back home to get him mended and put his crocs officially in the "too small" pile!

That day or the next, David got a hold of the camera and happened to capture me mending a drawer that had busted that morning.

And he also got a self-portrait.

And another mending session took place recently. Both of poor baby Aana's arms were near complete tear-off point, and both legs were near ripping as well. 

Therese requested pink mending thread this time, and I must say that Aana looks like she could take on the world for at least a few more months before she needs a needle and thread again!

Instead of our regular home-school group on Fridays, we met with the ladies and kids for our summer planning session at a smoothie bar last week. Here are the kids enjoying their yummy treat.

And... to finish off this entry... Therese officially has her flower girl dress!

I purchased THIS dress at a thrift shop over a month ago for $4! I it a sleeveless, women's size 8, knee-length dress from David's Bridal (in the proper color).

So... the transformation started with some clips here and there... and then it took me several weeks to get my sewing machine out and get any further.

But I finally did last week... and... with $1 worth of fabric for a bow... I think it is great! From really close, it looks somewhat patchwork and really homemade, but from any distance, it is super cute! (It needs ironing... but I was too excited that it was finished... I couldn't wait to take some pictures.)

And, yes, we are counting down the days to Oregon!

Love, Us.

20120427

Hi! Sorry it has, once again, been so long. Mea Culpa! I DO think this faster computer, once I realize just how much easier it is to use, will get me here writing to you much more often. For today, I am not even taking the time to get up and grab my camera to upload more pictures. I just wanted to share a very little story with you, now that my god-daughter Mary's birthday has come and gone. For her birthday, after Therese received such a wonderful gift package on her birthday picked out special just for her from Mary, both kids were excited to find some very special things for Mary on her birthday. Here, without any prompting from mom, is what they excitedly chose to give to Mary:

For any of you who know my kids, most of these chosen gifts were actually very special to my munchkins. In fact, these ducks were a frequently requested item to join my son in bed at night - and one of them was very recently received as a gift! I admit that my immediate reaction to seeing their choices was to try and encourage them to find something "a little less special" for Mary. But, luckily, last year I read a wonderful book by Jesus Urteaga named God and Children. I will quote you directly from the book here - 

Some years ago during the Christmas holidays I took a group of boys to a priest's house, and each boy brought along some present or other. This priest had organized a Christmas party and would give out the presents to those children whom Santa Claus did not visit because they were very poor. One of the boys who came with me was very sad-looking because he had wanted to give his latest model train, but his mother at the last moment - such was her generosity! - had sent instead an old ragged doll. I remember that good priest taking the presents and thanking the boys, with these words that really touched their hearts:  'I thank you very sincerely, because with these toys of yours you are going to make many other children happy.'

Thank you, Lord, for making my children generous... they sure didn't get it from me!

Love, Me

20120417

Hi!

Well, due to being unsure that loading our saved data from our old computer on to our new iMac would be a safe procedure... not loading all of our old viruses onto it as well... it may be a bit until I can get our pictures on the blog from the time of the "incident" until recently. However, I couldn't just leave you hanging in anticipation forever. I am the first to admit that blogging isn't always at the top of my list, but this much faster and user-friendly computer seems as though it will encourage me to keep in touch with you without as much trouble as before.

We here at Castellum Librandi have had a very blessed octave of Easter, including daily easter egg hunts, enjoying a very nice park within good walking distance (Joe and I had found it in the first days here in El Paso, but then had immediately forgotten about it until last week!), good food (strawberries have been on sale, and I always have old bananas in the freezer, so we have been smoothie-ing it up here... yum!), video and phone chats with family, and some quality films (we watched Disney's "Planet Earth" last week, and are currently working our way through the BBC's much longer version... the kids are occasionally bored with episodes about caves and other things not teeming with animals, but Joe and I are glued to it whenever possible).

And, of course, here is a quick picture run-down of the pictures I DO have available (since about April 1).

            We had some friends over for a pool party a couple weeks ago when the weather was regularly over 80 degrees during most of the day.  We made the season's first batch of sun tea and set out a "grazing tray" under our back yard canopy for an easy lunch.

Joe snapped this picture one night of me reading the kids a book before bed. We have been learning all about animals, and it has definitely given me an itch to start looking for good non-fiction books for our kids' bookshelf. There are some really great picture books written very simply for kids. Specifically, there was one about elephants that I LOVED! I didn't realize how cool elephants were!

And daddy also snapped this picture of a post-naptime snuggle... the best!

We actually haven't been in the pool for almost a week due to high winds and the weather cooling off some, but here are some pics of what the kids spent hours doing for most of late March and early April so far.

Here is my sweet T playing at the park right next to the PX.

And you better believe that Therese was very excited for Easter. In fact, a few days before the big day, she decided that all of her and David's animals had to be dressed up for the main event as well! Here are some shots of some of my favorite outfit and animal combinations.

Easter Egg Decorating!

We didn't make it to the Easter Vigil, because dad was working, but we celebrated Easter that evening just a bit. Therese knew just the thing she wanted to do to celebrate: Get her baby dolls! Here is the proud mama after successfully giving most of her kids "to Jesus" for Lent!

I made "empty tombs" on Easter morning, but my convection oven cooked them a bit more than I would have liked. The kids still chomped them down, though!                   

We did an egg hunt every day of the Octave, but I only got a picture of the first hunt. Both kids were actually very good hunters!

Yum... Smoothies!

Here are some pics from yesterday. The kids were both in their uniforms and were flying their helicopters (the couches) to their work. 

And with our purchase of a desktop, I got to do one of my favorite things: reorganize! You may not know what it looked like before, but here is our new living room set-up!

It is good to be back!

We love you all!

Love, Us.