A Gentle Soul

I can't believe that we are at the very end of October!  The kids are excited for Halloween, which is also my (maternal) grandfather's 91st birthday!  I am grateful that he remains healthy and active.

My (paternal) grandmother was 93 in May.  I mentioned a couple of months ago that she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  So far, she has been mostly comfortable and doing well.  This week, she started to have leg swelling and had to take antibiotics for an infection.  The hospice nurse thinks that her kidneys are not working properly.  I know that we are on borrowed time with her, but I am praying that God allows her to stay healthy and without too much discomfort through the holidays.  All of us would cherish the blessing of having her with us for at least one more Thanksgiving and Christmas.

When my parents went to see her on one of their weekly visits on Sunday, my grandmother gave them a birthday card for Kate.  She told them it would be the last birthday and she didn't want to forget her.  That made me cry.  My grandmother is a gentle soul with a very big heart.

Kate's birthday isn't until December 19, so I hope this isn't a sign that she won't be with us through the end of the year.

My grandmother's illness makes this holiday season bittersweet.  Each moment we all have together as our extended family gathers with my grandmother still with us will be deeply breathed in by all of us.  I don't think any of us will want it to rush by.  I hope that each moment goes on and on and will fill us all with gratitude, joy, peace, and beautiful memories of the special woman that we have been blessed with in our lives.

Whenever I speak to her, she has peace about her illness.  Her faith in God is a comfort to her and she is not afraid to join Him.  It is a beautiful example to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren...and hopefully will comfort all of us when the day does come when she is called Home.

How Did Monday Go By So Fast?

A day late and a dollar short...story of my life!  Monday whizzed on by so fast that I didn't have time to sneak in a blog post!

It was a busy weekend...Jay took some members of the youth group to participate in the 40 Days for Life, doing some Saturday cleaning, Mass on Sunday morning followed by baking:  apple crisp and mini apple tarts(yum).  Then, I got to spend the afternoon chatting with women at a tea party my friend, Karen, put on as a fundraiser for one of our school/parish families in need.  (The tea was great...the table was gorgeous and the food, in the words of Rachael Ray, "Delish!"  Karen is a super talented organizer!)

When I got back home, we had just enough time to carve our pumpkins(more on that later in the week) and clean up before Jay ran to practice for the Variety Show act he is a part of.  When he came back, I left to go to my own practice!  Quite the full weekend!

Monday morning, Peter had oral surgery.  He has needed dental work but couldn't tolerate anything less that being under anesthesia in order for the dentist to do the work that needed to get done.  Yesterday was finally the day.  I was soooo worried he was going to catch the sinus cold running around our house and we would have to cancel.  We have been waiting several months for this appointment!

Thankfully, Peter was fine and 3 hours, 6 cavities, sealants, a cleaning, and a flouride treatment later....and Peter has a "million dollar smile."  I am curious to see if it affects his behavior in any way.  He has a crazy high pain tolerance, but 2 of the cavities in particular were really bad and they must have been causing him some pain!

We left the office at 11 am and it felt like we had already worked through a full day!  The afternoon was not very productive for me or Jay.

The upside, Jay and I had about 3 hours to spend together and talk.  Yes, we were sitting in a dentist office while our son was having surgery but, hey, date time is hard to come by!;)

This is a busy week for me!  Yesterday was Peter's surgery, I worked this morning, tonight is a financial aid meeting at Jon's school, I am babysitting for a friend tomorrow and Thursday, and of course we have Halloween(also my grandfather's birthday) and All Saint's Day!  Phew...the weekend will be here before I know it!

Ellie and Luke are celebrating All Saint's Day at their school.  Ellie wants to be St. Lucy and bring 2 chocolate eyeballs on a plate with her all day:)  Ellie suggested Luke be St. Luke...and we will send him to school with a lab coat and a stethoscope.(since St. Luke was a doctor:)  Great idea, Ellie!

And....what about those Red Sox!
(Sarah will be glad when it's over so we can watch something other than sports every night!)

I hope your week is off to a good start!

Wrapping Up A Busy Week

We meet again for another Friday wrap up!  This week went by fast!  Other than some people still being plagued by a nasty sinus cold, it was a good week!

#1:  Celebrations!  

Yesterday was our 21st wedding anniversary!  Jay and I celebrated by going to a new restaurant, Trafford, that my sister had given us a gift card to for our birthdays.  The food was great!  Jay had surf and turf because baked stuffed shrimp are one of his favorites!  I had the special...cod wrapped around baked stuffed lobster with a special lobster sauce.  It was sooo good!  We got to sit on a heated, enclosed patio.   The view was beautiful...

Since it was a little bit of a drive to get there, we got time to talk, too!  That's a treat in itself!

#2:  Go, Sox!!!!

Lots of excitement for Boston sports fans!  Game 1 was great!  Game 2....not so much!  Jon has gotten a chance to go to a few Red Sox games in the past 9 years.  Ironically, he went during the 2004 season, the 2007 season, and in August of this year.  So, each year that he has gone, the Sox  made it to the World Series(and won the first two times!)  If they win this year, I'm sure Jon will take personal responsibility for their success! lol:)

#3:  Family Prayer

It's been on my heart to start doing a family rosary each night at about 7:30 with whoever is around.  We finally got to do it on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  It's a start!  On Tuesday morning, the Catholic Digest Quiet Moment was:

How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!

Bl. Pope John Paul II

and on Thursday:

When people love and recite the Rosary, they find it makes them better.

St. Anthony Mary Claret

I think that's a sign and we will try and get into a routine!

#4:  Quiet Time

Speaking of prayer...I got to go to adoration on Wednesday night for an hour.  Silence with God for an hour is wonderful!  I went at night so the church is dimly lit.  The shadows that the pews made down the main aisle were super cool. 

Check it out....Hearts!

  Symbols of love leading to Love!

#5:  Field Trip!

Luke had a field trip to the fire station this morning.  He has been SO excited for this all week!

Luke had lots(!) of questions for Fireman Tom!

listening intently!

Luke's favorite part...sitting in the fire truck!

#6:  Parade

Luke actually had a really busy day today.  Usually he is a half-day friend, but today his class was having a pizza party and then all the younger grades were having a costume parade.  Luke chose to be Captain America this year...because the store didn't have a fire truck costume.(and mommy is not at all crafty!)

Without his mask...in case you weren't sure who he was!:)

#7:  He Said/She Said

Actually, I only collected 'He Said's' this week from Luke.  So I guess the title should be "Luke Said".

Luke:(reaching for a tissue and sniffling)  My nose is fluffy!

Jay:  Do you mean stuffy?

Luke:  Yes, my nose is stuffy.  What does stuffy mean?

Luke:  (looking in the mirror after his haircut)  I don't look the same without my hair....but there's still a little left!

Luke:  (to Andrew)  Don't eat my food because my spit's all over it!

Luke:  (to Andrew)  Don't eat all the bacon.  That's a bad word!

Have a great weekend!

Number 21!

Twenty-one years ago today, Jay and I became husband and wife!  It's not a milestone number like last year, but every year is still special!  

I was praying and thinking about what I wanted to write today as a special little gift for the incredible husband I have been blessed with!  Jay is hard working, always loving, and completely self-giving.  His faith and his family define him and being a husband and father are the most important things in the world to him! 

The idea of a musical montage popped in my head...which is kind of funny since I'm not good at all with figuring out who sings what!  Here goes nothing!

Having a big family in today's world is an adventure.  Our lives, like most, are much more of  a roller coaster ride than a merry go round!  The more people on the roller coaster, the louder it gets!    

There have been lots of days when we were Living on a Prayer.  (And, thankfully, those prayers got answered!)

Though we never chose the name, Sweet Baby James was always the tune you sang to soothe all the babies we have been blessed to hold.

There were some bumpy times when Michael Buble's Lost would have fit the moment.

Thankfully, more often were the days we were Walking on Sunshine!

In the last few years, with kids growing older and also starting all over again with our bonus babies, Don't Blink has been our battle cry.

As we embark into a new decade in our marriage and in our life, I'm feeling a little excited (when I can quell my fear!), about what is still Unwritten!

In reality, all I really want is Just To Be With You.....and I'm grateful that I've Got You Babe!

While searching around the internet for song lyrics, I stumbled across We Got the Love by Restless Heart....It seems to fit just right!  Happy Anniversary, Jay!  Love you:)

When the good Lord was handing out 

The best things from above 

We got the love 

We got the love 

I know we don't have a lot of money 

We can barely keep the bills paid honey 

But when we're in each other's arms 

Who needs all that stuff 

We got the love 

We got the love 

Don't need the finer things 

Fancy cars or no diamond rings 

I wanna roll down a simple road 

Rock with you when we get old 

Sometimes life's a desperate situation 

Sometimes it's just grim determination 

But I know we'll do what it takes 

To make us tough enough 

We got the love 

We got the love 

We got the love 

We got the love 

Don't need the finer things 

Fancy cars or no diamond rings 

I wanna roll down a simple road 

Rock with you when we get old 

Built this house of bricks and stone together 

Trying to make it strong to last forever 

But if these walls come tumblin' down 

We still ain't givin' up 

We got the love 

We got the love 

We got the love 

We got the love 

A Tug on My Heart

There's been a lot flying around in my head lately.  Most of the time, my head is a scary place to be...and today is no exception!  I often think too much, and talk too little, about the thoughts that bounce here, there and everywhere as I try to work out, work through, or just plain forget the 'thought of the moment'.  

Multitasking also pertains to thoughts, and sometimes that ability can be more of a curse than a blessing!

I've mentioned here or there that this is a big year for me. (And I don't mean "Big Year" as in bird watching...like the movie with Steve Martin.  Which I love btw!  It's a really good movie:)

I am in the midst of the last year that I will have the number '3' in the first spot of my age.  It is proving to be a difficult transition for me.  A few times a week, I have mild to not-so-mild waves of panic over the looming arrival of the big 4-0.  Facing a new decade has made me feel pensive about a lot of things in my life.  Not so much about where I've been....(although I'm still trying to figure out how the heck 39 years has gone by so fast!  I'm thinking it has to do with kids and babies and no sleep:).  My reflective moments are focused on where I'm going in the next decade.

All of a sudden, life that seemed as if it would go on forever just like it was....a.k.a, having babies, raising children, and trying to sneak in a date night, or a date day, every once in a great while so Jay and I actually get more than 5 minutes to talk to each other(!).....has now shifted and I realize that it is not as infinite as I thought!

One of the thoughts that I have been wrestling with has to do with the topic of being 'Purposeful'.  When I do reflect over the past 20 years and 364 days of our marriage, there are lots of times that I feel like Jay and I were just trying to survive the waves of life without drowning.  A small part of that was from doing things out of order.  That little rhyme about love, then marriage then the baby carriage is definitely the best alternative to starting life out on the right foot!

The love, then baby, then marriage, then college, then another baby,then grad school and another baby made for a slightly overwhelming start!  (That would be way to long to make into a catchy rhyme, too!)

There were lots of circumstances that happened to us that had nothing to do with choices we made....like having a baby with a genetic disorder that only lived 16 days, going through severe depression, and having another child diagnosed with severe autism.  Those were all tsunamis that bowled us over and made us feel like were drowning.

Even though our lives are always a bit crazy.....('Normal Chaos' are actually the good moments in our house!)....we have lived mostly tsunami free for a while.  We have those teenager moments, and toddler moments, the sleep issues that have still not gone away, and, with Peter, our lives will always be 'special' in some ways.  God gives us the grace to make it all work! (On the days I remember to ask:)

Like I was starting to talk about before, in looking forward, I feel more of a pull to live a more "Purposeful" life.  That doesn't mean I want to change everything, or quit being a mom or a wife, or go back to school and work towards a big career.  Being a SAHM of a house full  of kids is what I've always wanted to be and I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to be home.

Jay and I have come a long way from being overwhelmed young adults.(most days!)  I think that for so many years we played 'catch up' that we still operate that way emotionally sometimes.  I don't want to do that anymore.  I want our financial life and our home and my health to reflect living in a purposeful way and not just surviving the week.  I want to actually have goals for our life for the next decade!  I want to consider how are family looks now, how it might look 10 years from now, and try to think and pray about ways we can change and adapt to get ready for all those possible changes.

This isn't about being in control of everything.....I continually learn that lesson that I am in control of nothing all.the.time!

It's about not letting the next 10 years whoosh on by being swept by the current of life....I want to do a little swimming and be as active a participant as I can be!

That's going to require a little bit of change that won't happen overnight!  It's definitely where I feel my heart being tugged, though.

'God adventures' can get a little messy at times, but they are always worth the ride!

Weekend Tales From a Dessert Snob!

And here we are at Monday, again!  How does this happen so fast!

Friday's fundraiser, 'Cookie Wars', for our high school youth group went well.  It wasn't as successful as last year, but it was a good time and raised just under $1000 for the kids.  Andrew did a great job as Cookie Monster...although Kate was terrified of him and didn't want to be anywhere near him!

Saturday, I did a favor for my parents and worked for a few hours while Jay and Jon finished painting the body of the house!  Hooray!  Now he just has to finish the trim.(sigh...)  Almost there...and then we can start on inside projects:)

Saturday afternoon, I had to go grocery shopping and Jay took Luke and Ellie to look at Halloween costumes.  Ellie decided to use a costume we already had(sock monkey) and Luke chose a Captain America costume.

Andrew made a rare food request this weekend.  He mentioned a recipe someone posted on facebook for chocolate lasagna.  ( I have been begging my pickiest eater forever to find some recipes he would be willing to try!  Of course it was a dessert!)

I hesitated to make the recipe.  Why?  I have a confession to make.  I am a dessert snob!  If a recipe has Cool Whip in it, I usually don't consider it.  This particular recipe not only called for Cool Whip, but also for chocolate pudding mix, oreos, and a package of cream cheese.(I don't do 'no bake cheesecakes', either.)  There was only mixing in this chocolate lasagna recipe....no baking...required.  I know lots of people jump for joy for those recipes, but it's just not my thing.  I really like cooking from scratch.

But, since Andrew had made such a specific request, I quickly squashed my idea to swap out the cool whip and pudding mixes for whipping cream and homemade chocolate pudding, and kept it simple.  After a busy Saturday, it worked out fine.  The kids enjoyed it.  (It still didn't feel quite right to me.  I know...I'm a dessert snob!  Please don't hate me!)
 
Sunday we just hung out because several people in our house have bad sinus colds.  We watched the Patriots lose (boo!) and tried to re-energize for next week.  I even kept the food simple....homemade sweet pepper soup, Perdue chicken nuggets, and taco dip.

Sunday night I had dance practice for the act I'm in for our Parish's variety show next month.  I have to say that it is really coming together! (But I'm glad I am in the back!)  I'm friends with all the other women participating and it's fun hanging out...and exercising at the same time.

Today has been quiet since all the girls are under the weather.:(  I'm enjoying a more laid back day to catch up on laundry and anything else I can manage to get to!

Hopefully, everyone will be feeling better soon!  (Although I am grateful that it's just a cold virus and not a stomach bug!)

Hope your week is starting off on the right foot!

More Tales From Our Long Weekend!

And we have arrived at Friday again!  It was a short week with that wonderful long 3 day weekend!  I wish we had more of those throughout the year!  Linking up with Jen for another Quick Take Friday!

#1:  Zoo Time!

We tried something new last Saturday night.  We took most of the kids(sans Andrew, who was away, Jon, who was out with friends, and Kate, who would not have enjoyed being in the dark) to a night time/Halloween themed zoo time.  It was fun for the younger kids...and the older kids had fun just all hanging out together.  (The warm apple cider donuts they had were incredible!  Yum:)

All the carousel animals had a different costume....

Luke played hide-and-seek in 'Monster Alley'

Peter had to touch EVERYTHING(!)

Luke won a giraffe mask:)

Luke eating his apple cider donut and too busy to smile:)

Daddy and Peter:)

#2:  Apple Picking

I shared a little on Monday about our apple picking adventure.  Even though it wasn't the "perfect outing", the kids had a good time.  (Even Kate had some smiles!:)

Kate wanted to carry her own bag:)

Mike and Kate got some great brother-sister time this weekend:)

 #3:  Wooly Bear Catepillers

Even at the orchard, Luke and Jon found a bunch of wooly bear catepillers!

Luke found a baby:)

#4:  Apple shots

 #5:  A Little Help....

It's nice not to need a ladder....

Teamwork!

Mike was convinced that I asked him to reach some apples because I wanted to take a picture of him!
Seriously...I just wanted some perfect looking apples out of my reach!

#6:  Family Time

Family time doesn't have to be perfect to be special!  (Thank goodness!)

#7:  The Fruit of Our Spoils

(Pun intended!)

The best part of apple picking? 

When this......

...and some peeling help....

 Becomes this.....

(Two apple crisps(one gluten free and one regular) and an apple pie)

Yum!

Which went great with this....

(chili and ribs with homemade bbq sauce...so good!)

We love our football Sundays!

Wow! It's Thursday!

Sorry I have been so quiet the past couple of weeks!  We've been going on a little adventure at our house!

We've had 2 young house guests during the week last week and the beginning of this week that just went home yesterday.  They were great...and now we are back to 'normal chaos'.

Kind of....

A friend of mine is organizing her home because of a possible job change her husband may be facing that would take them across country.  (I'm praying God's plan is to keep them right where they are!:)  She needed a hand watching her two youngest, who are just about the same ages as Luke and Kate.  After a little prayerful discernment, I signed up to help.  It will help us put aside some money for Christmas, which will be a blessing after this crazy year of change in Jay's job!

Having two extra little ones definitely changes my day.  So far it's been fun....it just leaves little time to be on the computer.  Hence, my lack of blogging as I figure out this new routine!

The senior youth group, that Jay is in charge of and Jon and Sarah are a part of, is holding their major fundraiser tomorrow night....Cookie Wars.  We invite parishioners, teachers, and the youth groups to bake a cookie and compete for the best cookie award.  We invite our parish and school to be the judges.  They pay $5 to try a piece of all of the cookies and then vote for their favorite!  There will also be face painting, coloring, and a Chinese Auction.  An extra special treat is a visit from everyone's favorite cookie connoisseur, Cookie Monster!

This year there will be winners in a couple of different categories.  The winners get a 'Golden Spatula' and bragging rights!:)

It's a lot of fun and I hope it goes well!  We haven't done as much advertising for the event as we did last year because of all of everything going on at home.  This event raises money to help defray costs for all the kids' trips and events and charitable work they do during the year.

If you could say a prayer for it's success that would be great!

I haven't forgot to share our weekend pics!  Stay tuned tomorrow for our Boo At the Zoo/apple picking fun!

The Weekend Continues!

I love, love, love three day weekends!  It is the best feeling to be winding up Sunday and know that you get to do it all over again the next day.

Our weekend has been filled with lots of family time.  In our usual fashion, we have had a few moments that wouldn't be a part of any Norman Rockwell painting!

How many times throughout our 20 years of parenting have our grandiose plans ended in a tantrum and a puddle of tears?

Many...and it wasn't always the kids!

Take yesterday, for instance.

We usually go apple picking at the end of September, but, because Mike likes to go and he has been away at school, we waited until this weekend.  I like to go in the late morning before it gets really busy.

But....since Jay had to sell tickets after the Masses for next week's youth group fundraiser, we weren't able to leave until 12.  I gave the kids a light lunch, but Kate was looking ready for a nap.  Not the best time to bring her out for unfamiliar activities....but sometimes we have to wing it!

When we got to the orchard it was super busy.  I was fighting back feelings of frustration that we couldn't do the outing the "best" way.  (Meaning the way I wanted to do it with a non-tired baby and a not so busy orchard!)  ....but sometimes we have to wing it!

Right before you go into the orchard there is a picture spot.  We always get a pic of the kids.  Because Kate was getting tired and cranky, she did not want to sit on the hay with her siblings.  Fine, I improvised and held her.  She was still squirmy and whiny.  Then, we tried to get everyone to at least look at the camera with their eyes open at the same time.  Then, Peter was trying to take off his sweatshirt saying, "I'm hot", although it definitely needed to stay on.  Oh, joy!

eyes mostly closed

eyes mostly opened; screaming baby

eyes mostly closed

eyes closed; baby screaming; Peter undressing...time to give up!

 I do have some really cute pics from the apple picking portion of our adventure.  That part went really well.  I will share those later in the week.

The orchard we went to also has a hayride that brings you to a pumpkin patch where you can choose a pumpkin.  A few of the kids really wanted to do it.  The line was really long.(sigh....if we could have only gotten there late morning!)  While we waited, Kate continued to get grouchy but was distracted by sitting on a photo op tractor. 

Thankfully, it didn't take too long for our turn on the hayride.  Everyone was smiling at first.  Then it started to move, and Kate was not happy.  She did not like the bumpy ride at.all!  And she let everyone know about it!  So, for the longest.5 minutes.ever, she was miserable.  When we got off in the pumpkin patch, she was all set!  Kate did not want to walk around and look at pumpkins.  She was just desperate for a nap.  So, I held her and we followed Luke and Sarah around.  Ellie, Jon, and Luke picked out pumpkins and then we waited to get on the next hayride back to the main building.(which I was dreading!)

Just as it was pulling up, Ellie dropped her very large pumpkin and it split in half!  Ugh!  (poor Ellie was so embarrassed!)  She and Jon raced around for a 1.2 minutes to grab another one and jump on the hayride before it filled up and we had to wait for the next one!

As soon as we got back on the hayride, Kate starting yelling, "Like it, NO!", over and over again!  Which, in Kate speak, is, "I don't like this!  I want off!")  Thankfully, it's a very short and less bumpy ride back!  And, she wasn't the only unhappy toddler, so at least we weren't alone!

Once we got back to the van, Kate was fast asleep by the time we made the 7 minute drive home! 

Even though the outing had it's "moments", it still had some good memories!  It also yielded some tasty treats a few hours later!  I will share those pics soon, too!:)

I read an article by Kate Wicker in Catholic Digest this morning.  One of the things she talked about was how, when she is feeling burned out, she takes a break from reading all the 'supermom blogs' of women who craft, cook, and maintain immaculate homes 24/7!  

I certainly wouldn't want anyone to feel that way about me! (add maniacal laughter here!)  

Parenting is a crazy ride!  My own parenting adventure often feels like I'm being dragged around by a large, hyper dog on a leash! (I'm not comparing my kids to dogs!)

0

Our apple/pumpkin picking adventure wasn't perfect, but even the bumpy parts are memories!  I'm sure 30 years from now when, God-willing, Jay and I are going apple picking with some of our kids and grandchildren, we can share the story of how Auntie Kate screamed on the tractor ride and yelled' "like it, no!" over and over, and everyone will laugh!

I will also be sure to insist we go in the late morning...or after nap time!:)

Woo Hoo, It's Friday!

T.G.I.F.!!!  I am sooooo looking forward to this long weekend!  Here's a wrap up from the week...and it's got to be a quick one because I have sooooo much to do today! So gettin' right to it....

#1:  Last of the Strawberries

Jon and the girls had planted strawberry plants for me for Mother's Day.  For the first year, we got quite a bit of fruit out of the plants.  With the weather turning crisp and cool, the plants are pretty much done.  Kate got the last of the big ones earlier in the week.  (p.s. I love this outfit!)

#2:  College Visits

A big part of my Saturday was spent at colleges..touring WPI for Jon and visiting Mike at Assumption.  It was a full, and productive day!

I look like such a shrimp next to these giants!

#3:  Homebound

Speaking of Mike....he is coming home for the long weekend!  The kids are excited to see him and it will be nice to have everyone under the same roof for a change!  Oh, wait, actually, no.  Andrew is leaving today to spend the weekend hiking with Courtney's family!  He will have a ton of fun!

Sigh....busy, busy, busy!

#4:  Apple Picking

We are FINALLY going to go apple picking this weekend!  We have been waiting for Mike to come home because he really enjoys going.  (Andrew, not so much...so he isn't disappointed that he is missing it!)  It's a fun time but goes by fast with so many hands picking apples!  We will take a hayride to the pumpkin patch to search out a couple of big pumpkins, too!  Then, we come home and peel a ton of apples and make pies and crisps!  Yum:)  Here are a few pics from last year.  Look how little Kate is!

# 5:  Birthday

Tonight we are having Jay's family over to see Mike and celebrate my sister-in-law, Julie's, birthday.  Peter is excited to have Grandma's cake and Julie asked me to make a cheesecake.  I tried a new recipe....Pina Colada Cheesecake from Taste of Home's recipe.  It looks good....hopefully it tastes good!  I will let you know;)

#6:  Football!

Since Mike is home this week, he has some specific requests for food.  Chicken pot pie, chili and apple crisp topped his list.  I'm also trying a new 'taco pocket' recipe you make with Grand's biscuits.  Mike is the biggest sports fanatic of all my kids, so it will be fun to have him here for game day:)

#7:  Superman

I am blessed to have an incredible husband!  Even though he is quick to bring up all the areas he feels that he falls short in, I am continually amazed at how hard he works and how much he tries to meet all of our emotional needs.

This week in particular, he has truly gone above and beyond!  We had the opportunity to help a mom in need of some help.  We have had two little guests in our home all week and, thanks to my wonderful husband, everything has gone smoothly!  

Jay would help with dishes after dinner and then wake up early and make sure the kitchen was neat to start the day once breakfast was over.  He helped with neatening the house to keep our house from feeling overwhelming.  He helped with making sure all of our kids were ready in the morning and made his own lunch so I could organize our kids plus our 2 new friends.

In a word...he was Superman!  Thank-you, honey, for helping to make this week such a positive experience!  You are the best!  And, even though I've said it before, you are truly my Better Half!

I hope you all have a great long weekend!