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Sun and Fun in San Antonio (Day 1)

Thanks to NeNe and PaPa and Lillian and Craig for this special little vacation!!!

My awesome traveler! He did great on the way there!


NeNe and Ellie ready for the pool


Our favorite spot...the "beach" entry into the lazy river



My poor baby boy...he spent much of the trip a bit under the weather with a little cold


The girls watching for PaPa to come down the waterslide!


More to come!

Dogs

I'm not sure there was ever a day growing up that we were without a dog in the house. First we had the Irish Setter show dogs, Sean and Meghan. Then we had the Springer Spaniel, "Chocolate Sundae" (many of our dogs were named after sweets), and the brief stay of a Cock-a-(standard)Poo. Then began the series of Cockers we had...Taffy, Spicy, Duke, Holly, and their litters of puppies...and I'm sure there are some others I'm forgetting! There were also a couple cats...Oreo, Cookies 'n Cream...a few birds and lots of fish over the years. Maybe even a hamster that my brother drowned in the sink...

Although I wouldn't call myself a dog-"lover", I do enjoy having a dog and am glad to be married to a fellow dog-liker. We've told poor Mary Clare that her savings for a cat is in vain. We have no interest in a kitty anytime soon (so now she claims she is saving for another dog). After a few months of dating, 10 years ago Steven bought Timber, our yellow lab. Timber has seen many homes in his day...that first sketchy apartment he chewed up, the "Vineyard" community house where he lived illegally, Steven's parent's house, my parent's house, a few apartments, a duplex with a small yard, and finally our home here where we hope to be for a long time and he can spend his final years.

Having a dog has its perks...the barking when someone comes near the house, guarding the back door, entertaining the baby for awhile, and keeping us company. But of course it has its downsides too...food, vet bills, broken dishes, food eaten off the plate, being sure he is fed and "watered", the digging, and the hair. The hair. I told Steven the other day that we would probably find Timber hairs on our stuff 50 years down the road! We can determine how long it's been since Steven has vacuumed by the amount of dog hair in the vacuum. Watch out for black outfits, they will be covered! And it's so lovely to see that stray hair hanging out of Stevie's mouth!

How could I forget the escapes??? Timber loves an open door. He is quick and has made many escapes down the road, especially in our current home. Once we lost him for a few days when some children down the street decided to keep him. He always wears a collar now! Mary Clare has started to cry when he escapes because she knows that the neighborhood cop has warned me that he will issue me a ticket the next time he finds him! I have failed to "register" Timber with the city and am apparently a lax dog owner since he gets out so much. Thankfully this officer has yet to be the one to find Timber on his most recent tirades!

But escapes, hair, and all, Timber has served us well these 10 years. He has put up with much more than other dogs with all our moves. He is patient with us when we leave him for long periods of time, and he puts up with rain and heat when need be. He doesn't get many walks or much playing catch these days, but he's still a happy faithful dog. He makes us smile. He makes us laugh.

Steven always says, "I hope to be as good a man as my dog thinks I am." I'm not sure Timber thinks I'm a very good woman...I'm usually short and quick with him, whether throwing the food in his bowl, shoving him out the door, or yelling at him for eating something he shouldn't have. But maybe in being more patient, more kind, and more gentle with Timber, I can be those things to my children too. In showing respect for animals I am exhibiting love of God's creation. By gently doing even those mundane tasks like putting food in his bowl, I will become a more gentle person. So this is my challenge. Love Timber like he loves us!

Look at how patient he is!

Nighttime Parenting

isn't for the weak of heart!

Whoa, it's been a rough few nights. With fever, coughing, teething, ear infections, crying, screaming, bed wetting, cereal-making, and drink-getting...I'm exhausted! But it looks like we're still heading out shortly for our little getaway. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travels, healthy travelers, and good weather! Can't wait to share the pictures when we get back!

And I did schedule a post when I'm gone...so you don't have to totally abandon me! You can always read archives ;) and check out the new Catholic mom group blog at Faith & Family HERE!

Blessings to all...
Blair :)

MegaBlocks

fun for all ages!

Diagnosis

Bad double ear infection. Poor baby girl! Hopefully she will be feeling better very soon. I can't believe she couldn't tell me it was her ears!

A few of our favorite things

Slip-N-Slides


Someone else's toys!


A Coke rocket


Sweet faces :)


One of our favorite treats...Raisin' Canes Chicken Fingers


Paper Doll Nuns from their Godmother. These are the beautiful books.


A cool zebra striped dragonfly they found outside


Refrigerated biscuits cooked in a cake pan...so good!


Ellie was feeling well enough to play restaurant for a bit before going back to sleep. I'll be taking her to the pediatrician this afternoon to be sure it's not more than a cold...don't want to have to see a doctor on vacation! The other 2 kids are feeling fine, just little coughs.


And finally, the sweetest sign I see each time I walk into my bedroom :)


Hope you are all having a magnificent Monday!

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

for those readers who may not be Catholic, or who might never have heard of it:
from therealpresence.org: "Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist . In the many Churches that have this adoration, the Eucharist is displayed in a special holder called a monstrance, and people come to pray and worship Jesus continually throughout the day and often the night." For those who may still be confused, we are praying before the communion host, which we believe is the true presence of Jesus Christ.

I was first exposed to Eucharistic Adoration in college when I heard about other Catholic students going in the middle of the night to pray in a chapel downtown. I started joining them. I think it was at 3:00am. First someone would call the group and wake everyone up. Then one friend would drive around campus, picking each of us up outside our dorm. We loaded the car and made the drive downtown for our prayer hour with Jesus! It felt like we were going "underground"...sneaking out at night to pray! I can still imagine being in that dark chapel of St. Joseph and having some deep prayer time. It was a wonderful experience.

As the years went by, our college parish finally began having Adoration, except during the middle-of-the-night hours. And in early marriage, Steven and I took an hour at a nearby parish which had Perpetual (round-the-clock) Adoration. (Usually parishes with Eucharistic Adoration will try to have 2 or 3 assigned adorers at each hour, so that Our Lord in the Eucharist is not left alone.) But after several moves and several children, this was a devotion that we did not continue except for special events like group Holy Hours with my lay movement, retreats, or quick visits to the chapel with the girls when we were at church activities.

Just over a year ago, I had it on my heart that I would love to help start a weekly or monthly Children's Holy Hour. But after working at it for awhile, things weren't falling into place. This year we felt like maybe it was time for Steven and I to take an hour, although we could never decide on which day and time we might want to take. Thankfully, someone called us and asked us to take a late night hour that was in need of an adorer. We will probably trade off each week to have our hour of quiet prayer.

This week was my first time since a silent retreat in January, to have a full hour of prayer...in peace...in quiet. It was just what I needed! Not only was I able to have some time of quiet meditation, I was also able to work on my "Program of Life" (plan of goals) and discern with Christ how I will best serve the girls in homeschooling this year. I brought the baby and he slept the entire time, and the way home, which is a small miracle considering how he hates nighttime car rides!

So I am very happy at how Steven or I will be able to have this Holy Hour each week, to have this beautiful opportunity to adore Christ and listen to him in prayer. I am sure it will bear many fruits for our family if we can stay faithful. And maybe it will be an inspiration to try again to start a Children's Holy Hour to allow them to experience this type of prayer in a way that is focused on children. We'll see what God has in store!

And while I am speaking of prayer, I have 2 special intentions today: one is for a dear friend of mine and her children who moved far away this week due to some difficult family circumstances. May God bring healing and peace to their family. The second is for my family as we prepare for a much-needed vacation this week. We have had a very healthy year overall but seem to have some illness befalling several of us (hence my 3am blogging) and I am praying so hard that no one (especially the baby) gets terribly sick, and that we might enjoy this special resort and "Shamu" trip with my parents, as well as a visit to the home of some dear friends. May the barking be left to the seals at Seaworld...Please allow us this gift of a happy trip if it be your will, O Lord!

May you all have a blessed Sunday.

Cow Appreciation Day

Today was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-a! If you dressed as a cow, you got your food free...so you can imagine that I made sure we got lunch taken care of that way!

Here are the 2 girly cows minus mommy cow (no picture of me, thankyouverymuch)


And of course today we did more of this...


Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm going to type out that Adoration post soon...really...but right now I still have two kids up and it's almost 11pm...yikes!

It's what we do around here

Swim, swim, swim

We love summer!
Ellie crashed when we got home tonight and has been yelling out in her dreams..."I don't need floaties!"

A Wednesday full of

Boo-hoo's (he's cutting his 2nd tooth)

Binkys!

Brownies

Ballerinas

Blue popsicles!
(don't worry, he was just chewing on the frozen unopened plastic of the Pop-Ice)

And bedtime (well, almost...he was about to go to Adoration with me...I'll try to post about that wonderful experience tomorrow...well, later today...better get to bed!)

Godfather visits

performances begin!


and new camera is here! Thanks, Vero and Kike! Works great so far!

My toothed baby

LOVES eating solid foods. Yesterday I gave him some banana and avocado. As you can tell he got more on his bib than in his mouth...but he has FUN doing it! He also grabs the spoon from me...I think he'll be a self-feeder very soon like his biggest sis! Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone!

other important milestones

SJ-
-likes to flap his arms like a bird when he's excited or upset. Steven said he was doing it when the firetrucks came by at the parade. Again showing just how different he is from the girls who have always been terrified of loud noises!
-cut his first tooth over the weekend (july 5th). Steven was joking with his family on Friday about how putting that toy drill in his mouth was going to speed things along...apparently it did!
-likes to spit and blow bubbles

Ellie-
-at mass randomly asked "Mommy, when I am going to get bigger?"
-leaves out the first syllable or sound in many words, like "(re)cital", "(A)lissa", "(g)wocery store", "(g)waham cwakers", "(com)puter", "(be)u-hind"
-along with her brother made it through the firework show without freaking out. And it was LOUD.
-will jump off the side of the pool (with floaties or life vest) with no one near her, letting her head bob under.

MC-
-still scared of fireworks...Steven had to take her back to the car
-let Mommy cut her hair yesterday. A few inches.
-read 4 sentences in a phonics workbook yesterday
-just learned to play checkers
-is a little fish at the pool!

almost forgot

to mention that we also made a quick jaunt to "collegetown" after the funeral thursday to see some friends visiting from out of state. here are the kids and i at my church "home"...where i came to know my faith, where we married, etc. i tried to make confession but was too late. but i did have some yummy steak and a baby crying half the way home ;-/ i think i might try that trip again in a few days...we'll see how brave i am!!!

Happy "Birthday" Bop-Bop!

If you don't like your birthday, just change it to the 4th of July!

Parade

Oh Beautiful

for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain...

America, America, God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

picture taken after Hayden's funeral mass and burial today. (We were parked in that pasture as there were hundreds of people there) May he rest in peace.

Pilates 3

should really be done after mastering Pilates 1 and Pilates 2 and should also be done after trying a form of exercise other than chasing toddlers over the past 5 years.

No really. It was good. It was fun. And I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

If you haven't watched these videos

you should.