David's Little Friends

David is constantly making new friends in the backyard... and they are usually MUCH smaller than him. 

Here is a little buddy that he found a few days ago.

Oh, and T took these pictures - aren't they awesome!?

Love, Us.

Bowling With Dad While Mom Was Away

Joe was very purposeful with the kiddos while I was away at a homeschooling conference last weekend. 

Fun times included a family ruck, ice cream treats, and BOWLING! 

He even took pictures!

T was the victor.

Love, Us.

Tending My Gardens

I would NEVER say that I have a green thumb. I am, however, at least TRYING to DESIRE to have a green thumb. 

Unfortunately, our "garden" is not encouraging this desire. 

Do you see this picture of P and I checking out the progress of our "fields"? 

There are at least three green things growing, right?

Well, the only thing still green today is the one bean plant you see sticking out between us.
Everything else is in various stages of death and dying. 

Yikes - at least I am a decent caretaker of small, growing humans.
Why is it that they are easier to care for than plants?

Love, Us.

Still Tied to My Apron Strings!

Sorry that I've been "missing" for several days.
I actually took some time away from 75% of the kids and my husband for half of last weekend,
and it has taken me a bit to get "back on track".
This little guy, however, was my constant companion. What a silly monkey!

Love, Us.

Our Little Swordsman

Patrick has a very unique way of carrying around all of his necessary weaponry...

However, despite his eccentricities, he is VERY skilled with the blade... as you can see.

Love, Us.

A Memorial Day Tribute in Boots

We were out and about on our Sunday and were very glad to run into this beautiful tribute being done on post.
There were over 7,500 boots displayed, representing all fallen service members since 9/11.
It was a stunningly effective representation of the toll this war has taken.

Joe found his men... and told the kids about them.

 I am sad that I forgot to look for Jason Timmerman's boot. May he rest in peace.

Love, Us.

A Rare Picture of Me!

Last Sunday when we were out and about Joe offered to carry the camera. 

And I did something I almost never do. 

I actually asked him to turn the camera towards me and push the button! 

Yes. I actually DO live and hang out with all of the other people that you see on here daily! 

Enjoy it.. other than group pics, there probably won't be another one any time soon!

And check out that little stud I got to join me for the occasion. I am a lucky gal!

Love, Us.

Yes, Ma'am. I am a Bag Sale Professional.

I will happily admit it. I LOVE thrift shop bag sales!
Talk about the ultimate way to save money on your annual budget... that is it!
If you have kids and follow my two basic rules, bag sales NEED to be a staple in your annual budget.

So, how do I bag sale? 

First - I hire the best babysitter in town. (And I can pay him in food!)

Second - I make sure to schedule into my time at the sale a chunk of "packing time". This is where I take the ginormous pile of kid's clothing (in the size up, mind you... I'm getting them next year's wardrobes) into three normal grocery bags. By the end of this "packing time", I have successfully had an intense forearm workout, and my bags are very close to busting... and quite heavy. It is ALL worth it, however, when (at $5 a bag) you can come home with, literally, hundreds of dollars of clothing! Oh... and you may even pick up some classic family movies or great books or toys in the process - just toss them on top!

So... add a bit more uniqueness to your kids' wardrobes (and flex to your budget) - Bag Sale it up!

Love, Us.

Family Pics With Opah

We didn't get the WHOLE group together. 

However, we got at least one good shot of both "parts" with the VIP!

We had SUCH a great time, Opah!

Love, Us.

A Wonderful Weekend With Opah!

We were blessed to have Opah be our guest over the weekend for the celebration of T's First Holy Communion. 

It was wonderful to be able to get hugs, lots of snuggles, some good laughs and conversation, and just an overall wonderful weekend with our dad/Opah. 

Thank you so much for coming!

For today - the "Hanging Out with Opah" pictures. 

Tomorrow will include the official "Family Pics with Opah".

Love, Us.

Bare Feet and Bumbershoots in the Rain

We've been getting some fun rain storms here as a result of being so close to the coast's tropical storm. 

We held on to these umbrellas throughout our time in El Paso, where they only gained dust. 

So... we broke them out ASAP for some fun in bare feet!

Love, Us.

T: The Owl and the Pussy Cat

It was super fun the other day when T recited this poem in person for Opah. He could recite it right along with her! What fun to think that by memorizing these classic poems now, she may be able to do the same with a young friend/family member as an adult!

So... here she is recited "The Owl and the Pussy Cat".

Love, Us.

Thérèse's First Communion

Saturday was a beautiful day! 

And yes - these are the only decent pictures I have to document it, so enjoy them!

Congratulations, T!

Just after receiving Our Lord for the first time...

Love, Us.

T is Receiving Christ in the Eucharist Today!

The big day is finally here, and I just finished offering my Rosary for Thérèse. 

May God grant her even the slightest comprehension of the immeasurable gift she is receiving today.

Love, Us.

Something Airborne Doesn't Agree with Patchy!

Patch is just fine with soldiers jumping out of large flying planes here, but some little teensy-weensy stuff in the air is definitely wreaking havoc with the little man. He steps outside and all exposed skin immediately flares up! Poor guy - he looks horrible. Luckily, however, he has no idea. The rash is obviously neither itchy, nor bothersome to him! I have no idea what is the cause, but the current pollen count is super high. The pollen of Oak, Hickory/Pecan, and Sycamore.
Silly trees!

Here are the poor rash-covered face and arms.

And... for comparison, his previously unexposed trunk - free of any rash!

Hmmm... This is no fun. I hope it is a quickly-passing difficulty.

Love, Us.

Francis... Just Chatting it Up!

Mister lizard needed some quick spiritual direction from the great founder of the Franciscan order, 

who happens to have his office on our neighbor's front yard. 

Don't worry... we were careful not to eavesdrop. (I used my zoom.) 

Love, Us.

Giggly Little Guys

These two boys think that they are so funny! Whenever they are together, they are constantly giggling at one another. Well, P figured out a way to get Romie to REALLY giggle! Enjoy!

Love, Us.

D's First Poem: Rain

D's first memorized poem for school was a very fitting poem for living here.
It just happened to be raining while he did his official recitation! He thought that was pretty cool. 

Oh... and I LOVE his overly-dramatic bow... SO CUTE! Well done, D!

Love, Us.

Checking out the Outdoor Airborne Museum

We are currently attempting to re-evaluate how we spend our Sundays. We were coming to realize that (after having a wonderful breakfast and receiving Christ at the Holy Sacrifice) they were becoming more of a day of brain-numbing movie-watching (which is NOT refreshing or even, sometimes, relaxing) than a day of rest. So... we've corralled our movie time to only in the evening before supper from here on out. Instead, we've decided to get out and enjoy time together "doing" things. Our first weekend on this plan brought us to the outside Airborne museum on a drizzly day.

It was very informative and enjoyable.

There were even a couple interactive exhibits!

We had a blast!

The "tour" even finished off with dad giving the kids a quick lesson on jumping out of one of these!

Love, Us.

We Got Him Good!

We sure taught dad to be aware of going to fetch some salt out of the pantry for mom on his feast day! 

You never know just what might be behind a pantry door...

This, along with cards and a delicious supper, made for a great, celebratory day for dad.

Again... Happy Feast Day and Congratulations!

Love, Us.

O Captain, My Captain!

Today is an extra special day for Joe in many ways. 

First of all, it is his primary feast day: Saint Joseph, the Worker!

Secondly, he has now officially earned a change of title. 

And, my handy-dandy sewing machine has made it known to all who will see him.

Congrats and Happy Feast Day, Joe! I love you!

Love, Us.