A Week to Remember, Halloween and All Saints 2016

This week will likely always be a busy and emotional one. First of all, we started with the girls' ballet performance last Friday, followed by two baseball games on Saturday, mass, a baptism, and an All Saints' Party on Sunday, and then Monday's Halloween festivities. Then we had the All Saints' Mass for the holy day on Tuesday and an eventful doctor appointment and hospital visit yesterday. Halloween was the anniversary of the passing of our friend Kelly, and today is the first anniversary of the passing of our friend Beverly.

I can't really put into words my feelings about all of this. I'll be 35wks along tomorrow and am hoping we make it another two weeks. But we had a little scare with the baby having a low heart rate on my ultrasound yesterday, so I had to go to the hospital for a few hours of monitoring. It looks as if he has the umbilical cord around his neck. We hope and pray that he untangles himself and we don't have any more excitement. I'll be going in for more frequent monitoring and will be pretty much on bed rest.

So I am counting on the Church Triumphant to pray me through these days. As we remember all the saints and all the poor souls, especially those close to us, we are reminded of our mortality. As I watched and listened to my baby boy's heartbeat, I was awestruck with just how fragile life is. I try to hug my little ones tighter, enjoy the little moments of reading books together, and just treasure these fleeting days. The kids truly had a wonderful time with all the festivities of this week and so I'll share the photos and focus on the JOY amidst some of the sadness and stress...

After their Dance with a Purpose ballet show

(video to come once it's loaded on YouTube)

They were excited to have so many friends come to watch!

All Saints' Day celebration at the O family farm

The big girls didn't dress up, but the little ones were St. George (knight), St. Benedict (forgot his monk's hood), and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (didn't want her photo taken!)

I didn't get many photos and my photographer-daughter bailed on me, so this is the only "game" photo I got of the Cupcake Walk.

Our little queen saint calmed down a little

In line for the big potluck meal

A beautiful sunset

Halloween Night!

We had two Paparazzi girls, Iron Man, Ant Man, and a little ballerina.

Before Trick or Treating with all their friends

A neighbor of our friends is a photographer and took these 3 great pics!

Chip Gillespie Photography

And my little hospital visit yesterday

(this is my bench of misery, remembering laboring here with SJ )

(I love soft ice, but don't like having to be in the hospital to get it!)

And now I'm hoping to have a less eventful next couple weeks, though I imagine that's a lofty ideal!