Older and Wiser

I know my kids are getting older.

How?  you ask?

This morning we met up with my dear friend and her 4 kids (+1 in belly-yay!!!) at a playground/park.  It was super fun! 

Then a some other kids showed up and they were a bit, uh... I guess you can say-un-ruly.  My first reaction was "Ugh. Oh boy..."  Then my 2nd reaction "Oh well-tis a great learning experience!!!"  (What a geeky homeschool thought! haa haa)

Anyway, for the most part, everyone interacted fairly well besides the expected bit of tension, teasing and little fights here and there between Boys vs. Girls..(love this crazy young age!).

Then we got home.

My oldest daughter says to me "Hey Mom, ya know what I said to those boys that were teasing us?"

(Oh no, I thought!)  "No, what did you say?"  I replied.

"I told them if they keep teasing me then I was gonna go get my big brother and he is 10!"

(Yes!   Good girl!  You go girl!!!)  "Oh really?"  I said, "So, did they stop?"

She says, "I think so and they sure got a bit nervous when they saw him coming.  That boy was only 9, ya know."

Big brothers totally rule! 

They absolutely do.

Love is...

taking turns sitting in the baby pool holding the baby on hot days like these!
(Even if you are almost 11 yrs old!)

These are the moments I want to freeze, watching from afar, at how my children are interacting with one another. 

How precious. 
How sweet.
Most importantly, how pleasing to our Lord.

Have I mentioned how ALL my children (minus one super cute 2 yr old!!!) absolutely go GA-GA over our 6 month old Little Lady? 

It is pure joy directly from God.  She is such a gift to our family.  I have never witnessed such affection.  It could be for a number of reasons but I am not going to analyze it...I am just LOVING every minute of this. 

Thank You God.

HAPPY SUMMER!!!!
SO MUCH TO POST.....SO LITTLE TIME!!!

God Bless,
Mary

Summer Pics

 Picture #1:  This is a super cute pic of my 5 yr old!  I found this so very funny!  Here she is looking studious and all yet sitting in a high chair!  haaa haaaa !!! I love LOVE my petite girls :)  They truly are so very petite.  We call her 1% b/c at her well check up this past week-she measured in only at 1 %!  But at least she made it onto the charts b/c my 9 yr old has YET to make it EVER!!!  I am glad God gave us petite girs-so girly and so sweet.  

Picture #2:  Now, you might wonder what this picture is all about and I don't think posting it gives it justice b/c it is really coooool!  I took it tonight of my oldest going into the kitchen and it was so bright in there.  We said it looked as if he was going to heaven!  It was a heavenly picture :)

Picture #3:  Cleaning and cleaning.  Lots o cleaning!  As parents, we are called to instruct and mentor our children, not just be 'their boss' telling them what to do.  We may be surprised at how the outcome may not meet our expectations.  Lately, we have been making the time to  really show them, step by step, what is expected of their duty and how to attain that goal.  This is truly hands on learning.  A big shout out goes to my wonderful husband who has taken a great deal of time really 'being' with our kids and showing them.  Esp. my boys.  Let us not forget how a father has such impact on his boys!!!  (Thanks sweetie, I love you so!)

 Picture #4:  Look at this marvelous piece of work created (without directions, mind you!) by my oldest!  Amazing, huh?  It is a satellite.  Cool.  Very cool, dude.

 Picture # 5:  Did I mention cleaning?  Oh yeah, I guess I did.  This shot was taken from ABOVE, as you can probably tell.  Pretty creative, huh?  That would be my 10 yr old son who climbed ON TOP of our 15 passenger van just to get this shot.  That thought creeps me out but this shot, I really dig it! :)

Picture #6:   Here is another shot from above taken of my 4 yr old little teddy bear man, working hard.  So cute!

Good night and God bless,
Mary

I'm not ignoring you...

Sorry for not posting regularly.  We've been busy around here and it is not just having a summer blast~! (although we are having quite our fair share of F-U-N!!!)

My hubby and I have been taken over by the....

 Schedule Patrol! 

Yes, indeed.  We are in deep in this process and so far, we have hit some bumps, had some flat tires, hit some windy curves, but we have come along quite nicely so far.  (Scheduling is never fun...esp. if you do not have a very flexible attitude, uh....like me!). 

Let me give a little idea of what we've been up to-the big thing so far:

No more TV, as in movies. 

We do not have cable, actually never did since we have been married (amazing how God works, huh?!?!). 

Even with these movies, it was pulling my kids away from us as parents, tearing them from their siblings, keeping them from their creativeness etc...

It has been a long, long, long 2 weeks without ONE movie! Not one!  Woohoo!

Here is some of  what they have done instead through pics.  They have done so many other things that I have failed to capture in photographs, so I'll have to do better at that. 

Happy Summer!!!!!!!
God bless,
Mary

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us!

WHat a super saint-one that is close to my kids' ages and so amazing.

HERE is the site we printed off a pic to color.

My kid #2 (M) made a fruit salad to symbolize her martyrdom-full of red strawberries and blackberries-it was so creative!!!

St. Maria Gorretti, pray for us and help keep us pure!

God bless,
M

1st of July day

Happy feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! :)


Perfectly hot summer day.

Sun shines strongly.
Warm breeze a blowing.
Birds chirping.

I gave my kids the task of getting a clipboard, paper and a pencil.

Then told them to pick a spot, any spot, in our backyard and draw what they saw in front of them.

To my big surprise, they have been at it for a good chunk of time and that gave me time to get my camera! So, here are a few shots of our day:

Here is a pic of what I love to do-bake!  Not only is it fun for me, but I love to eat it too!!! :)

Yummy banana chochote chip bread-super yummy snack for this feast day.