Saturday, April 25, 2015

April Updates

I can't believe I haven't blogged in two weeks!  I really miss my blog space!  Things are so crazy between our "normal chaos" and my new Jamberry business!  I'm still trying to find a rhythm and I need to carve out some blogging time!

It's not only me that has a lot going on around here!  Here's 7 Quick Take Friday catch ups....on a Saturday!  (I know....day late, dollar short..like always!;)

#1:  Mike

Mike is getting ready to begin his last week of student teaching!  He will be graduating on May 16th with a History Major/Education Minor!!!!  He has already started to apply to middle school and high school teaching positions!   I am completely dumbfounded that I could possibly have a child that is graduating from college!!! UN...BE...LIEVABLE!  Just !!!!!!!!!!

#2:  Andrew
Andrew is in the last couple of weeks of his Sophomore Year as a Computer Science Major.  He transferred from UMass Dartmouth to Assumption for this school year.  He did well....but did not enjoy the dorming experience.:(  So....he has decided to transfer back to UMASS Dartmouth!  We will be happy to have him back home!:)  On a side note...I now have lots of experience dealing with college transfers between Mike and Andrew.  Any questions...just ask me?

#3:  Jon
Jon is finishing his Freshman Year of College at UMass Dartmouth as a Mechanical Engineering Major.  He has done really well...especially in his calculus classes.(Thank-you Hamel math genes!) He's hoping to get a TA position next year.  He has enjoyed being at a school for the first time ever by himself!(and isn't thrilled Andrew is returning to "his school"!:)  After job searching for several weeks, he just got 2 jobs at 2 different ice cream places on the same day this week!(We are all looking forward to the family discounts;)

#4:  Sarah
Sarah is a Sophomore in high school and doing very, very well in school!  She is only a few weeks away from turning 16!!!!!! (She.can't.wait to get her permit! I, on the other hand, am sooooo not ready for that!)  She is smart and beautiful and loves learning about everything...especially math or science related!

#5:  Peter
Peter is having a good year in his school program.  He has grown a lot this year and continues to love all things Disney and Southwest Airlines!(bc that's the plane we take to Disney;)  He also loves to go for scooter rides around our neighborhood now that the snow has (finally) gone away!

#6:  Ellie
Ellie just had her 12th birthday!  She has grown sooooo much this year and it won't be long until she is as tall as me! Jay thinks she is going to grow a lot more still....which is good for her role as a basketball player!  She just got braces on, is finishing her first year in middle school, and is growing up way.too.fast!

#7:  Luke & Kate
7 has to be a two for one deal! #largefamilypromblems!
Luke and Kate are both doing great!  Luke will be graduating from pre-school in June and is definitely ready for Kindergarten!  Although, I'm sad that he will be away from me all day during the school year next year...sigh:( Luke is still obsessed with all things Lego and Star Wars.  Whenever Jay is home, the familiar cry is "Play with me, Daddy!" They spend HOURS building Lego Star Wars ships from all the bins of random pieces that we've had since Andrew and Jon were little!  Luke is thrilled to be able to get outside in his sandbox after this long winter!

Kate is my at-home buddy and is growing up right before my eyes.  She is almost 3.5 and is a mix of sweet and sassy!  She is VERY strong willed....she reminds me of the sour patch kid commercial:  "First she's sour, then she's sweet."  She adores her siblings....especially Luke and her big sisters!  She follows Luke around copying everything he does...and Luke is such a gentle, loving brother! Kate can switch between playing Star Wars and princesses in the blink of an eye!  Listening her to belt out Disney princess songs is one of the sweetest.things.ever!  She loves the color pink and almost never goes a day without at least one article of pink clothing on...if not her whole outfit!  She is getting so big, so fast!(sniff)


Have a great weekend!

Friday, April 10, 2015

7 Quick Takes Happy Easter Edition!:)

Happy Easter!  Sharing some Easter Pics for 7 Quick Takes Friday!

1.  Easter Outfits!



#2:  Family Pic
My good friend, Colleen, always gets these great family pics near the alter of all her kids color coordinated!  So I begged asked my kids for just one quick family pic!(no matching required!)  Everyone cooperated EXCEPT Luke!  He was upset because he wanted to wear his "homemade" Luke Skywalker costume..... 


...Yep.....that's it! Oh the joys!

#3:  Egg Hunt
It was cold but sunny on Easter so we were able to have our annual Egg Hunt with my in-laws!  The littles looked like pros!:)

Luke and my nephew, Brayden


My niece, Mya
 #4:  Cousin Pic!

#5:  Sisters

#6:  Daddy with Older Daughters....

....And Sons!

 #7:  And Then There Were Two!



Wednesday, April 1, 2015

On Giving and Receiving

I'm sorry...I totally cannot get back into a blogging rhythm!  Life feels like it's running at warp speed and I'm in a ship without a hyper drive!

(In case anyone is wondering, that was a Star Wars reference...which Luke is STILL obsessed about! He walks around the house re-enacting Star Wars scenes and "pew-pewing" everything!  It is super cute!  His favorite scene to enact right now is when Luke Skywalker is captured by the Wampa and hung upside down in its cave.  Then Luke Skywalker  has to use the force to get his lightsaber and cut himself free.  OUR Luke hangs over the back of the love seat and places the light saber just out of reach.  Then he pretends to stumble out of the cave!  He is such a cutie!)

Lent has felt REALLY long this year!  I'm glad we have almost made it to Easter!  I can't say I have been perfect with my Lenten Penances or the added prayer.  I'd say I was 60% successful, 40% lazy.  I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little disappointed in myself....I just didn't feel the 'oomph' this year!

I have enjoyed the Dynamic Catholic Lenten series that arrives in my inbox most days. The short inspiring videos and quotes were really good.(I'd say I was 80% successful at watching all the videos!)  Today's video was especially good! It was about using all the little everyday things as ways to lead us to holiness.  He gave some really good ideas that I had never heard before.  It's only 6 minutes so check it out:)... http://pages.dynamiccatholic.com/index.php/email/emailWebview?ftf=true&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuqTLd%2B%2FhmjTEU5z16uUuUaG0lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DRMFrI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFSLnMMaho1bgOXBY%3D

One other Lenten idea that came through Dynamic Catholic stuck with me the last couple of weeks!  We hear all the time that life is about "give and take".  Their challenge was to think about life as opportunities to "give and receive".  Even saying the words "give and take" vs. "give and receive" gives me a totally different feeling inside.  "Give and take" implies that I am in control of what I get.  It is harsher word...a selfish word.

If I think of Life as opportunities to "give and receive" it feels much more peaceful.  It reminds me that I'm not in control...which I'm not anyway even though some days I like to pretend that I am!

Thinking about "give and receive" takes a lot of pressure off of me.  It reminds me that I just have to do my job and let God do His....which is a good thing bc when I try to do His job everything gets screwed up!  It's actually a relief to remind myself that everything does not depend on me!  When things get too crazy and out of balance I tend to forget that!

Thankfully, this very moment is an opportunity to practice the concept of "give and receive". God willing....there will be many more days to work on letting go and letting God!