14 Blessed Years with YOU!!

(yummy peach upside down cake made by Grandma Mary!!) 

(Lady was very concerned and curious about the candles.  Melody made her own lemon cupcakes for her birthday party)

Happy birthday to our  firstborn daughter!!! 

She’s bright, beautiful, responsible, faith-filled, kind, and talented!!! 

And how blessed I am that she’s also a friend!!! Love how as our young ones grow older, the closer we become!!

Here are some pictures of you from this past year.  What a joy it is to be part of your life!!

 (waiting to watch Fone in Shrek)

 (riding the carousel with Yoda)

 (Little Flowers Daddy Daughter Dance 2018)

 (Homeschool Prom 2018)

 (Confirmation Trip 2018 - what a blast we had!!)

 (Little Flowers Mother Daughter Tea)

 (we love when you bake for us!!)

 (you did a wonderful job performing in Seussical singing and dancing!!)

++Thank you, Lord, for Melody!!  Please help her feel your love and presence all throughout the next year!!++

Wordless Wednesday: Lady Enjoying the Outdoors

12 Tonight - 13 Tomorrow

Going to bed 12.
Goodbye childhood years.

Tomorrow we will welcome teenage girlhood into our home.

I look at this beautiful girl and am in awe of her joy, her attitude, her brains, her beauty, her maturity, her faith, her love and just wonder what God has planned for her. I know one thing for sure - she's going to be one amazing mom! Being the oldest girl in a large family is excellent training for future motherhood, by the way!

I hope and pray she can surpass all of my own goals and successes in life and also learn from my mistakes and failings and rise above them to shine to be a beautiful daughter of Christ!

I hope and pray that we can be the closest of friends as well, because we all know the bond between a mother and a daughter is so special.

Happy birthday, dear!  
I love you SO much and am so proud of you!!!!!!

++May God love you and bless you always!!++

Arthur and Merlin play

Fone and Melody were casted parts in the spring play at the local children's theater.  They had two months of practices and for the last month, their practices picked up to 4-5 nights a week.  It's pretty intense and a lot of work.  Not to mention a lot of driving to and from by dearest mom and dad.  With my kidney stones popping up in the middle of all this, it made it a little harder too.  But thankfully with Neil's parents helping with rides and another sweet mom whose daughter was also in the play, things went very smooth.  And the two weekends of plays were SO enjoyable.  Fone is so dramatic and had a pretty big part and did amazing!  And Melody is just adorable up on stage - she gives her all and enjoys every minute of it.  It's so much fun as a mom to see your kids up on stage and knowing what to do and say with such ease. Such a proud momma!!!

++Thank you, God, for the blessing of theater, fine arts, and the confidence it provides our kids!!++

Sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit

We have a third young one in our house who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation now!!  I can hardly believe it how these kiddos are growing up so fast!!

Melody was sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit just two weeks ago.  She did a wonderful job with her Confirmation prep this year and has given countless hours of service in helping with our new baby girl.  And, man oh man, does our little Lady absolutely adore Melody so much.  She also serves her parish community by singing in the choir and song leading quite often too.  We are so proud of her and the beautiful daughter of Christ that she is!!  Congrats, Melody!  We love you SO much!!

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness..."

~Galatians 5:22

12 Things We Love About YOU!!!

Our first August birthday is here!  Melody turns 12 years old today!!

To celebrate here on the blog, we wanted to share 12 Things We Love About Her along with 12 pictures from the past year....


#1- that you are my sister (Ariel)

#2-  that she plays games with me    (Pookey)

#3-  that we like to read the same books (Mario)

#4- how responsible, mature, and helpful she is (Mom)

#5- her lovin's and snuggles (Yoda)

#6- that she is pretty and beautiful (Rose)

#7- how good she is with kids (Fone)

#8- when she tickles me  (Max)

#9-  we are a lot alike - she likes to do what I do (Ariel)

#10- that I get to wear her old dresses (Rose)

#11- how much she reminds me of her mother (Dad)

#12- she is a mini-me (Mom)

++Thank you, Lord, for Melody!!  Please bless her today on her birthday.  Help her feel your love. And please help her feel your presence all throughout the next year!!++

Wordless Wednesday