++Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for little Yoda!++
Thursday, May 26, 2016
A New Window
Love this stained glass window at the church Neil and I grew up in! We had to get a picture of little Yoda, because Venerable Fulton Sheen is his patron saint!!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Friday, May 20, 2016
Gender Reveal in 7 Easy Steps
Last Friday, I announced our pregnancy here on the blog. Thank you all for your love, support, and most especially your prayers. I'll need them for sure and appreciate them greatly. And, as CrAzY as it sounds, this week I get to share the gender of our precious little baby. What? I know already? Oh yeah!! Today's post is "7 Easy Steps on How To Do a Gender Reveal". Enjoy, my friends!!
#1- Take the Informaseq Blood test. It tests for Downs and Trisomy, but the BIG thing is... it also tests gender. And is 100% accurate on the sex. This is the second baby we have done this for, because it's a newer test and wasn't available for my other pregnancies. Plus, the cool thing is that it can be done much earlier. Much earlier than the 18-20 week ultrasound that you are just hoping baby isn't crossing his/her legs for. Anyways, I had my blood test done last week and was only 11 weeks along.
#2- Answer the phone when your doctor's office calls and tell them "yes" that you want to know over the phone. Shhhhh!!! Don't tell anyone!! (Except I did tell hubs, but not the kids - they got the Big Reveal!!)
#3- Go shopping as soon as you can!!! How many kids do you have? Me? I have 8. So, I bought 8 boy things and 8 girl things, plus 8 gift bags (or you can wrap the items, if you wish. I'm lazy. And busy. Gift bags work best for me). Obviously, I knew which items we would really keep since I knew the sex. But kiddos didn't. A few of my kids were at their homeschool history class, so I only had the 5 littles with me. They got to help me pick out things and had a blast doing it! But again, they had NO clue which items we'd be keeping!! Now if you are able to shop alone, then only buy the sex you need. I bought items for the other gender as a cover-up so my crew didn't know the secret yet. (**don't forget to keep the receipt, because the items of the wrong sex should all be taken back**)
#4- Stuff away!!! Put the correct items that match the gender from your phone call from your test into the gift bags (or wrap away - your preference!). Don't forget to shut or lock the doors. Or threaten kids to NOT PEEK and STAY AWAY.
#5- Take a cheesy picture of the kids. For fun and a great "before" picture, but mostly to stall as long as you can. And get everyone to smile perfectly. Again more stalling. You have to get the "perfect" picture!
#6- Take a video of the kids opening the presents/The Great Reveal. You can't forget this one. You will love to go back and re-play and watch it over and over. Especially the really great actors of the family! Where's my video? Scroll to the bottom of this list. I *have* to make you wait. At least a little bit. ;)
#7- SHARE AWAY!!! Other than texting family and close friends the day of, this is my blog and Facebook reveal!! Enjoy...
#1- Take the Informaseq Blood test. It tests for Downs and Trisomy, but the BIG thing is... it also tests gender. And is 100% accurate on the sex. This is the second baby we have done this for, because it's a newer test and wasn't available for my other pregnancies. Plus, the cool thing is that it can be done much earlier. Much earlier than the 18-20 week ultrasound that you are just hoping baby isn't crossing his/her legs for. Anyways, I had my blood test done last week and was only 11 weeks along.
#2- Answer the phone when your doctor's office calls and tell them "yes" that you want to know over the phone. Shhhhh!!! Don't tell anyone!! (Except I did tell hubs, but not the kids - they got the Big Reveal!!)
#3- Go shopping as soon as you can!!! How many kids do you have? Me? I have 8. So, I bought 8 boy things and 8 girl things, plus 8 gift bags (or you can wrap the items, if you wish. I'm lazy. And busy. Gift bags work best for me). Obviously, I knew which items we would really keep since I knew the sex. But kiddos didn't. A few of my kids were at their homeschool history class, so I only had the 5 littles with me. They got to help me pick out things and had a blast doing it! But again, they had NO clue which items we'd be keeping!! Now if you are able to shop alone, then only buy the sex you need. I bought items for the other gender as a cover-up so my crew didn't know the secret yet. (**don't forget to keep the receipt, because the items of the wrong sex should all be taken back**)
#4- Stuff away!!! Put the correct items that match the gender from your phone call from your test into the gift bags (or wrap away - your preference!). Don't forget to shut or lock the doors. Or threaten kids to NOT PEEK and STAY AWAY.
#5- Take a cheesy picture of the kids. For fun and a great "before" picture, but mostly to stall as long as you can. And get everyone to smile perfectly. Again more stalling. You have to get the "perfect" picture!
#6- Take a video of the kids opening the presents/The Great Reveal. You can't forget this one. You will love to go back and re-play and watch it over and over. Especially the really great actors of the family! Where's my video? Scroll to the bottom of this list. I *have* to make you wait. At least a little bit. ;)
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Click the image below to read more 7 Quick Takes or to jump on the blog link-up yourself!!
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Our newest baseball star
Two of our boys decided they wanted to try out baseball this year. Max has already begun practices and games, but Pookey won't start til the end of this month. Max is already "head over heels" for baseball. He said he wants to play "next year and the next and the next...." !! Silly guy! Let's just enjoy this season and take it from there. OK?
Love you, buddy! Looking forward to all this baseball fun this spring and summer!!
Love you, buddy! Looking forward to all this baseball fun this spring and summer!!
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Friday, May 13, 2016
An Announcement and 7 of My Favorite Baby/Children/Pro-Life Quotes
Due Date: November 28th
Expected Arrival: around Halloween
(doc will take babe a month early to minimize the stress on my uterus that last month of pregnancy)
So, onto seven of my favorite children/baby/pro-life quotes....
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
~Matthew 19: 14
“How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.”
~Blessed Mother Teresa
“When a child is given to his parents, a crown is made for that child in Heaven, and woe to the parents who raise a child without consciousness of that eternal crown!”
~Ven. Fulton J. Sheen
"The greatest gift you can give your child is another sibling."
~Pope Saint John Paul II
(although I just found this and now wonder if he really said this. Does anyone know?)
"Look at the mothers who truly love their children: how many sacrifices they make for them. They are ready for everything, even to give their own blood so that their babies grow up good, healthy and strong."
~Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
“All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth…to give life is to open (our) heart, and to care for life is to (give oneself) in tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in my heart for others. Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple thing, what a beautiful thing..So, go forth and don’t be discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it.”
~Pope Francis
“A person is a person no matter how small.”
~Dr. Seuss
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And I'm going to add in an eighth quote as prayer for myself and my little one in womb...
"0 Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to happen to me, make me only know Your Will".
~Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
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Linking up with 7 Quick Takes. Click on the image below to join in on the fun!!
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Mother's Day 2016
What a wonderful Mother's Day I had on Sunday with my crew!! We began our day with Mass - our girls sang (Melody song-led) and our older boys served. Below is our first attempt at our My Sunday Best picture for this week. Poor Ariel has terrible allergies and the slightest bit of sunlight makes her eyes watery and squinty. Notice the big smiles on my two with transition lenses in their sunglasses - lol! They can see perfectly, aren't bothered one bit by the sun and I'm sure aren't even squinting, but it makes for goofy outdoor pictures since it looks as if they have their shades on.
Then we got to drop Fone off for his last Alladin play and we watched it as a family. My parents and one of my sisters and her crew came to watch it too. Fone did a fantastic job and we are so proud of him and all the hard work he put into it. (not to mention - a pat on the back to mommy and daddy dearest too who drove him to practices over the bridge 3-5 days a week!)
While Fone and the rest of the cast of Alladin went on "strike" (theater term for tearing down the set and picking things up), we went to a nearby park and let the kiddos play. Then we all went out to eat as a family to celebrate. Here's a second pic for My Sunday Best. Notice, Fone is stripped to shorts and a t-shirt, because this is what he wore under his costume. The rest of us were still in church clothes, so it still counts, eh? Lil Yoda is getting so much fun to take pictures with! He now says "cheese" and gives the cutest cheesiest smile!!
Then we got to drop Fone off for his last Alladin play and we watched it as a family. My parents and one of my sisters and her crew came to watch it too. Fone did a fantastic job and we are so proud of him and all the hard work he put into it. (not to mention - a pat on the back to mommy and daddy dearest too who drove him to practices over the bridge 3-5 days a week!)
While Fone and the rest of the cast of Alladin went on "strike" (theater term for tearing down the set and picking things up), we went to a nearby park and let the kiddos play. Then we all went out to eat as a family to celebrate. Here's a second pic for My Sunday Best. Notice, Fone is stripped to shorts and a t-shirt, because this is what he wore under his costume. The rest of us were still in church clothes, so it still counts, eh? Lil Yoda is getting so much fun to take pictures with! He now says "cheese" and gives the cutest cheesiest smile!!
**linking up with My Sunday Best with Rosie and friends!!
Click on the image below to join in on the fun!**
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
A Saint Song
We love to live our faith liturgically and celebrate all the feasts in the church year. Especially the saint feast days!! Having saint peg dolls in house helps bring them to life even more. Our sweet 3 year old, Rose, gets sung to every night and we ask for the intercession of 6-10 saints - whichever saint pegs she has chosen. Last week was St. Zita's feast and she is one of Rose's favorite saints. She has totally fallen in love with her!! I know St. Zita is one of her special intercessors now too. Here is sweet Rose singing to St. Zita, asking for her prayers...
Monday, May 2, 2016
TKD April Promotions
Pookey promoted to Orange belt
(he had to do an in-class test because he wasn't feeling good the actual day of promotions)
Max promoted to High Green
Ariel promoted to High Red
Melody promoted to 1st Brown (Highest Brown belt)
Fone and Mario promoted to 2nd Degree Black !!!!
(they won't officially get their certificate until the next promotion though)
(he had to do an in-class test because he wasn't feeling good the actual day of promotions)
Max promoted to High Green
Ariel promoted to High Red
Melody promoted to 1st Brown (Highest Brown belt)
Fone and Mario promoted to 2nd Degree Black !!!!
(they won't officially get their certificate until the next promotion though)
Congrats, crew!!
We are so proud of you!!