So.Much.Joy (Part One)

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind! My son, Andrew, got married, we had a family trip to New Hampshire with most of our kids, and have tried to get ready for the beginning of the school year that starts next week! We've also started what I'm calling "The Great Room Swaps". With Andrew now living in an apartment with his wife....it's still surreal that I have a son who has a wife!...and Sarah moving into an apartment next week for grad school, out house is going through lots of changes!

For mostly selfish reasons, I want to share the events of our wedding weekend. One of my favorite parts of blogging is seeing my posts pop up in "memories" on social media and getting to read over special moments. Watching your child get married definitely falls into that "special" category....and I know that reliving the wedding weekend will be something I cherish forever.

And, honestly, it was just such an amazing time from start to finish! I'm so excited to share all the details! And pictures...there were LOTS of pictures!

Consider yourself warned :)

Our wedding weekend celebrations started on the Friday night before the wedding. The bride, all her bridesmaids except for her cousin, Sara, the mom of the bride and and I went to get our nails done. It was a perfect way to start the weekend as we were pampered with manis and pedis. We all scrutinized over colors and shared lots of excited conversation. Everyone's nails came out beautiful and we were one step closer to the big day.


Saturday was, in a lot of ways, a regular Saturday around here for most of the day. I got to start my day with adoration and Jay and I attended morning Mass with most of the kids. It just happened that the Mass was for Jay's Grandma that I had set up months before. It was such a great way to start such an important weekend. Life is all about family...even the ones that are no longer with us.

After Mass, we "company cleaned" the house for all the guests we would have the next day. The afternoon was actually pretty relaxed considering what it was leading up to. There was lots of excitement and anticipation as we counted down the hours until....

Rehearsal Time!

The rehearsal at Church went great. It went much quicker than I thought it would! Everyone, even the bride, was happy and relaxed. We did a couple of walk throughs and headed off to the rehearsal dinner.

The rehearsal dinner was held at a local restaurant called the Inn at Shipyard Park. It's right across the street from the ocean in a neighboring town. The night of the rehearsal dinner was beautiful. There was a free weekly concert right on the water that night, so we were serenaded as we walked into the restaurant. Definitely a special touch!

Sarah and Ellen(sisters of the groom), John and Jacob(friends of the groom)

Keegan(friend of the groom), Jon(brother of the groom and best man), & Marisa(Jon's fiance and bridesmaid:)

On the left, Victoria(sister of the bride and maid of honor),
 on the rt, Sara(cousin of the bride and in the middle Sara's +1) 

The parents and grandparents table...I was missing bc I'm the photographer:)

Mike(brother of the groom) with Sarah and Ellie

Jon and Marisa...another future Mr/Mrs in May 2020

Keegan, Jacob, John and Andrew were friends all through high school!

Andrew and Liz....aka the bride and groom

I had worked with the restaurant and we picked several entrees for our guests to choose from. There were 21 of us...the wedding party, a plus one, my parents, Jay's parents, and the parents of the bride and groom. The restaurant had made special menus with the wedding party color scheme and we had a view of the water, but the company was the best part. The whole evening was relaxed and everyone was just so happy. Liz gave out beautiful earrings and necklaces out to the girls as well as to me. She also gave me a special little jewelry box that said "Thank you for raising the man of my dreams". So sweet! She also gave Jay some special cuff links that said the same thing. Andrew bought a special frame for Liz's mom which I'm sure will hold a wedding photo soon! They also bought her dad a special set of cuff links.

Sarah gave Liz a bouquet of roses that represented all the friends that she invited to pray a novena for Andrew and Liz before their wedding day. It was an idea that Sarah came up with and organized. Such a sweet gesture.

Andrew has always had a special bond with all his sisters.<3

Conversation flowed freely and there were lots of laughs and happy moments.

Dessert was "Grandma's famous chocolate cake". Jay's mom makes the best chocolate cakes. Andrew especially loves them! For years, before he had a fiance or a girlfriend, he would tell Grandma that he wanted her to make his wedding cake. Well, unfortunately, the venue only allows bakery cakes. (Which I think Grandma was relieved to hear!) But she generously agreed to make him a cake for the rehearsal dinner.

I bought some special cake toppers that are an inside joke I will have to explain. Andrew is a huge Shrek fan! It's one of his absolute favorite movies...and he loves all the sequels too! Months before the wedding, I came up with the idea of finding Shrek and Princess Fiona cake toppers for the "groom's cake" at the rehearsal dinner. They were sitting in my drawer for months...and Andrew got a good chuckle when he saw the cake for the first time!

Just one of the many special touches I tried to find to make the wedding weekend extra special!

After the restaurant, most of the girls came back to our house and most of the guys headed over to Andrew's apartment for some games. Liz's house is a little over an hour from our house, so her parents and sister stayed in a local hotel and Liz stayed at our house since the make-up artist was coming so early in the morning!

We all tried to settle down and get a good night's sleep for The Big Day! (Which was hard to do because we were so excited!!)

The almost Mr. and Mrs.

To Be Continued..........

Early Morning Reflections Before the Big Day

I'm sitting on my couch amidst a small mountain of laundry that needs to be folded and there is a random moment of silence all around me. Jay is out to breakfast with a good friend, and everyone else is still sleeping in their bed. Even the dog.

My mind isn't quiet, though. After all, in less than 36 hours the first of my children will be getting married! It's still pretty surreal. Yesterday afternoon, I was getting ready to go get my hair colored, and as I stood in front of the refrigerator filling my water bottle, I was thinking, "I'm going to get my hair colored for my son's wedding!" Just.wow!

There are so many emotions...but the foremost is pure joy. I've felt it since Wednesday night, when almost all of my children, including both my future dils, were sitting around my table to celebrate Luke's 10th birthday. The only one missing was Ellie who was spending time with a friend. But even Jon had come home from his grad program in NH.  There was lots of excitement over the events that would be unfolding over the next few days. Seeing them all together and the friendship they all share that 10 years ago I wasn't sure would happen..(quick shout out to moms of siblings that seem like oil and water...their IS hope!) My heart was so full listening to their conversation and everyone's laughter. It was a blessed moment.

I'm so proud of Andrew and Liz. I've loved seeing their relationship grow over the last 11 months since they've gotten engaged. I've loved seeing them work together and make decisions together about their big day. I love the way they have worked through differences of opinion on wedding decisions. I love seeing one or the other bend to something that's really important to the other. A funny moment that I got to see was the decision over the tuxes. Andrew wanted black tuxes, but Liz wanted gray to go with the petal pink bridesmaid dresses. Here's how the conversation went:
(Before we left for the tux shop)
Me: So, what color tuxes did you guys decide on?
Andrew: Black
Liz to Andrew(in a soft, patient voice): I think gray would go better with the dresses.
Andrew: Black will go just fine.
Liz(still with that soft, patient voice): I really think gray will go better for a summer wedding.
Andrew: Black is fine.
(At the tux shop)
Associate: So, what color would you like the tuxes to be?
Andrew: Looks at Liz who is just smiling and patiently waiting for him to answer, then looks at the associate and says with a very small sigh, "We're going with gray."
Liz just smiled and squeezed his arm. :)


I've gotten to see Andrew change and grow and mature so much over the last year as he gets ready to give his life to someone else. I'm so proud of the way that he has jumped in to help with phone calls and emails and planning details. He has been so patient with Liz and tried to just love and support her, especially over the last month while things have been extra crazy. Not only has Liz been planning a wedding, she has also been finishing up her last class for her Master's Degree!(It just ended Thursday!) And, not only that, but on August 2nd..(9 days before the wedding!)...she had to take Oral Comps, which is an extremely stressful oral exam in front of three professors that determines whether or not you get your degree. And, as if all that wasn't enough, she also started training for her new job as a reading specialist at a charter school! Not to mention having to start packing and transferring her clothes and belongings to the apartment that will be their first home together come Sunday!! Seriously, Liz did amazing! I'm just in awe! I can't believe how much stress she had to carry on her shoulders....and I'm so proud of the way Andrew tried to help in any way he could to take some of the wedding stress off of her plate. (And the way he comforted Liz when the pressure got to be too much and she needed a shoulder to cry on.)

And now, the Oral Comps were passed, the grad class is finished, work is done until Tuesday, and all energy is now focused on the last minute details...so many details!...that need to be taken care of in the next 24 hours.

Today, Liz and Andrew have to drop off things at the reception venue, sign paperwork with our parish priest, and move some more things into their new apartment, where Andrew will be staying tonight.

Touching story: Yesterday, Kate came with me for all of my errands. At all six stores we stopped at, she told every cashier that we had a special wedding this weekend. And because she is 7 and cute they all asked follow up questions. This is generally how each conversation went:
Kate: We have a special wedding this weekend.
Cashier: That's nice...who is getting married?
Kate: Andrew and Liz
Cashier: Is that your brother?
Kate: Yes
Cashier: Are you in the wedding?
Kate: Yes, I'm the flower girl.
Cashier: Are you excited?
Kate:(every.single.time) No
Cashier:(always surprised) Why not?
Kate: Because when Andrew gets married, he's moving out.
(To which I remind her that he is, literally, moving 5 minutes away and she will see him all the time. But, I get it, change is hard.)

I had a funny conversation with Kate a couple of nights ago:
Me: Kate, are you excited? Andrew and Liz are getting married in a few days and we're going to go to a beautiful Mass and a really fun party with lots of dancing.
Kate: Yeah....but Andrew and Liz are going to kiss on the lips!
Me: Yes they are.
Kate: I'm never going to do that. That's gross.
(I should have gotten a video of that one for future insurance!!)

Tonight is the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner! Our day starts bright and early tomorrow. All the girls are getting ready here. The make up artist comes at 7:30 and the hair stylists will be here at 9:30. Jay and I will be making quiche and strawberry waffles(Liz's favorite). The guys will be hanging out at Andrew's apartment. They are going to bring in special wings for lunch then probably take all of 15 minutes to actually get ready. The church is at 3...mercy hour!...then on to pictures and celebrating.

The honeymoon will be delayed because of Liz's new job. When they first picked the wedding date, they thought it would give them enough time to get married and have a honeymoon before Liz started whatever teaching job she got hired for. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work. But, they both adjusted and will be taking a "mini-moon" to Nashville over Labor Day weekend..which they are both excited for. Then, over February break, they plan on going to Rome.

I'm so excited for tomorrow! There are just so many graces that feel really tangible right now, and I am so grateful that God has blessed my son with such a beautiful woman, both inside and out. I can't wait for all the beauty that tomorrow will bring.

Countdown to a Wedding

So I blinked and now it's August!! Still not quite sure how that happened! The end of July was chock full of fun and adventures. Here are Seven(ish) Quick Takes that wrap up the month! 

#1 and #2: The Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties

Front Row: Jacob, Andrew(who really was happy but doesn't generally smile for pics..insert eyeroll here...and Jon(best man and brother of the groom).
Back Row: Keegan, Mike(brother of the groom), and John

The guys spent a fun Friday afternoon/evening celebrating Andrew. They headed off to Foxwoods Casino, all wearing Hawaiian shirts for fun, and did a little gambling, had a great dinner at Guy Fieri's, and enjoyed a Weird Al Yankovic concert! Lots of fun was had and lots of memories were made.

Not to be outdone, the girls headed out to an overnight in Martha's Vineyard at my parent's vacation home. They enjoyed lots of girl time, beach time, yummy breakfasts, Mexican food, ice cream, more beach time, experimenting with funky colored make up and lots of games. Lots of fun was had and lots of memories were made! :)

From left to right: Sarah(sister of the groom), Victoria(sister of the bride), Liz(bride to be), Ellie(sister of the groom), Marisa(future sister-in-law of the groom)

#3: Pro-Life Boot Camp

Jay took Ellie and 11 more kids from the high school youth group to our Diocese's Pro-Life Boot Camp. It's the 9th year of the Camp, and it's something our older kids have always looked forward to. Andrew is still a chaperone for the camp each year and Sarah helps to organize the camp. It's also where Jon and Marisa met 5 years ago!! 

There are spiritual talks, visits to nursing homes, and they pray outside of an abortion clinic. The kids also get some fun time in with lots of games, including soccer with the bishop, an obstacle course, some kind of craziness with shaving cream thanks to Jay, fun with giant balls(also Jay), ultimate Frisbee and various other things that Jay finds on the internet.

Under all that shaving cream is Sarah!

#4: Time with the Littles

The last couple of years that Jay was away at boot camp, I've taken the younger crew and Peter over to the Vineyard with my parents. We get to go to restaurants, eat ice cream, go to the Flying Horses and go to the beach. It's just a tad more fun than being stuck at home with mom while dad, who is more of the "fun parent"(as you can see in #3), is away. Jon and Marisa were able to join in too!

Kate and my Mom 

Jon and Marisa

Kate loving the waves

Me and Peter

Luke sporting a new Black Dog shirt..an early birthday gift

Marisa and Peter

Peter got the Brass Ring!

Jon and Kate

Peter in his happy place

Luke

ice cream!

More ice cream:)

Kate and Pa(and ice cream:)

Ready to grab the ring!

#5: Kate's First Fishing Trip

This year the weather cooperated and Kate got to go fishing on Pa's boat for the first time! And she had some serious beginners luck!! 

Two at a time!!! Grandma and Pa helped a little!

Kate and Marisa

Kate caught Ba-bee shark doo doo doo de doo! 

But she was too afraid to take a picture with it!.....

A little too much fear....Couldn't quite get her to smile..or get close to the shark!  lol

Not to be outdone...Jon caught Da-ddy shark doo doo doo de doo

Luke had some fishing success as well!

Peter fished for about 30 seconds and preferred hanging around in the sunshine

More success

#6: A Big Birthday!

Peter turned 18 on the 31st! I can't believe it! He was SO excited for his birthday. Sarah made him cupcakes to celebrate with the family and brownies to bring to his summer program. He got lots of special attention! We got him his beloved dinosaur balloons and a Mickey suitcase so he can pack his own clothes when we go back to the Vineyard next month and for our Disney trip in December! :) 

#7: It's the Final Countdown!

Only 7 more days until Andrew and Liz say "I do"!!! Just.wow! I'm so excited! There is lots to do between now and then but I'm sure everything will come together. (Hopefully with minimal stress or mishaps!)

The furniture got delivered to their apartment this weekend and they are slowly starting to move their things in. Andrew got wifi hooked up and they bought a tv. The bathroom had needed work, but that will hopefully be done right before the wedding. So we get to enjoy having Andrew home with us for just a few more days!

Coming up this week: Luke's birthday gift...his first Red Sox game with Jay, Luke's actual birthday, a meeting with DDS to get Peter signed up for adult services, getting an appointment to sign Peter up for SSI, mani/pedi appointments, Peter's last week of summer program, picking up tuxes, and trying to keep everything organized as we head into a VERY special weekend!

I.can't.wait!

Live In The Moment

This is a summer of firsts for us as a family. And changes....lots of changes.

#12daysandcounting

In just 12 short days, the first of our crew will exchange vows and pledge to live his life for another. I can not say this enough....it is so surreal!

How did all those years go by so fast? I remember the early morning hour about 24 and half years ago so well...when all 9lbs 8ounces of baby boy entered into the world. He was a big baby with wide shoulders and a big head. (The delivery nurse said so herself.) Jay and I settled on the name Andrew, which was neither of our first or second choices for names but held the place of "third string quarterback" on each of our lists. Names were debated often in the month leading up to his birth. And when Andrew finally arrived and Jay saw his size and what I went through, he leaned over and whispered into my ear, "You can name him anything you want to..." And he meant it. But in my heart I knew that compromise was the way to go. The name Andrew, which means manly, definitely fit this squalling new baby that seemed very unhappy to be removed from his first home. Andrew cried so much after he was born. I was exhausted and I remember Jay walking and gently bouncing him around the delivery room, speaking soothingly into his ear to try and make the transition into the world a little easier.

This baby that I held in my arms is now an adult with a grown up job and getting ready to begin his own life separate from us. His world is about to change...and so is ours. He's found the perfect apartment to start out their new life. He hasn't moved into it quite yet because the floors were just redone and there is some work in the bathroom being taken care of. (Much to the chagrin of Ellen who has been eagerly awaiting Andrew's move because she is claiming his room for her own!) But these extra days of having him under our roof are quickly coming to an end.

Tried sneaking a pic of Liz sharing about her bachelorette weekend.
I just love how Andrew is so happy listening to her. 

They caught me!

Summer always goes by more quickly than I want it to. And this summer has gone by even quicker than usual with all the planning for the upcoming festivities. But I have made a much more conscious effort to soak in all those seemingly ordinary moments that make life so full. Enjoying dinners with whoever is home at the moment and enjoying their presence. Soaking in the days that Jon, who is continuing the work at UNH for his grad program and living up there full time, is home with everyone and life feels just right knowing that everyone is safe under our roof and in their own beds. Listening to shouts of joy as Jay plays with Luke and Kate in the pool after dinner while the weather is still warm and the extra light extends our days.

Kate pretending to make an "angry face" lol

Some "friendly" basketball competition

Andrew isn't the only one who has a big life change this year. Peter turns 18 tomorrow and, because he is profoundly affected by Autism, that means a whole new world and enormous amounts of paperwork to set up things like guardianship and disability and making sure that everything is done correctly so that we can care for Peter properly both now and in the future. It's just a tad overwhelming!

Peter looking like he's ready for an 80's Jassercize video!

Sarah is still searching for an apartment close to Bridgewater since she starts grad school right after Labor Day. That will be two kids moving out in the same month! Half of our kids will not be living with us. It's mind boggling!

Ellie is getting ready to enter her junior year of high school. It still surprises me that high school goes by so fast! She got her permit recently, went to driving school class, and is working hard to get the summer work for her 3 AP classes finished by the deadline, babysitting for her younger siblings the mornings I work, and playing in a summer basketball league.

Luke is one week away from double digits! My youngest son is growing and changing....and I know it won't be much longer until he won't be my "little boy" anymore. And Kate, my baby who is no longer a baby. She still wants to do everything her other siblings can do and is just growing all the time.(She cannot wait to make her First Communion this year!) She has long and lanky limbs that are a struggle to arrange comfortably when she's sitting on my lap for the stories that she still enjoys reading together! But I am determined to enjoy every cuddle and snuggle while she's still willing to give them!

"Live in the moment" has become my mantra this summer, because I'm very aware of how much I'm going to miss them once they are over. These moments are so incredibly special, and I appreciate them so much more now that I understand how numbered they truly are.

Going Deeper

Recently I was in adoration and opened by Bible to the story of the Rich Young Man.

"As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but Got alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother." He said to Him, "Theater, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions." Mark 10:17-22

"Jesus, looking upon Him, loved him."

I was trying to imagine what that "look" must have been like. Can you imagine the depth of Jesus' eye contact? Was there a gentleness in Jesus' eyes and face? Was there a small smile on his lips? Did Jesus reach out and touch the rick young man warmly on his shoulder?

What Jesus tells the rich young man after that loving look isn't what he expects to hear.

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