Boy Scout Induction Ceremony

Josh was a Cub Scout for a couple of years starting back in the third or fourth grade, but because we did not like some of the things we saw in the group, it fizzled out.  I had one of those meetings with a fellow homeschool mom at the grocery store that seems like a coincidence, but then you realize later that it was just Providence. 

We somehow got to talking about the troop that her oldest son is in and she mentioned that Josh should consider rejoining.  When I mentioned it to him he agreed without hesitation so it seemed like a good thing.  

They are a great bunch of guys!!  They are very respectful and smart and resourceful and responsible and, etc., etc.  

They have great meetings and recently had a canoe trip and they have camp-outs once a month (even in the winter).  

They recently had the Induction Ceremony and I was forewarned, by the same mom from the grocery store, that this was no time to wear nice clothes with the understanding that we would be in a building.  ...no...  The ceremony takes place literally in the middle of a forest that requires quite a hike to get to; going over a small man-made bridge and walking along a candlelit pathway with small stations every few yards with each of the scout virtues painted on a piece of wood.  Yes, candlelit, because they wait to start the official ceremony until the sun sets. 

Before that, they entertained everyone with skits they obviously spent hours working on ...ahem... but they were funny!

We are very proud of him and hope that this troop brings him a lot of enjoyment, learning and camaraderie.  The pictures turned out fuzzy because it was so dark...

 

Mother's Day

Only about a month late getting this post out... :)

After church, we had a nice lunch at Martin's and then visited our mothers for the afternoon. 

The best Mother's Day gift for me is that the kitchen is CLOSED!  Eric made breakfast for me and we had grilled steaks for dinner.  It was great! 

Meredith's First Holy Communion

The weather on First Communion is always up-in-the-air...we're always praying for no rain... and, thankfully, it didn't!  It was a little cool and very windy which made for some entertaining outside pictures. 

Meredith read a petition for the prayers of intercession and did a great job.  

All four of our daughters have worn my wedding veil with their First Communion dress...I have loved that tradition.  I thought someone would not want to wear it somewhere along the way, but they all have been excited to participate in the tradition!  Or at least they're good at playing along :)

It's such a beautiful sacrament and this was our last child to receive it so that made it bittersweet...

We had a nice party with about 40 total people here.  The food was gone - either we didn't plan very well or it was really good!!

Easter 2014

We spent Easter weekend in Cleveland this year.  The kids really enjoy being with their cousins and a house full of 9 kids is pretty exciting!  

We visited the West Side Market in downtown Cleveland which was so cool - I wish I would have taken some photos of it.  It is huge and has so many vendors, it could take a whole day to get through it all. 

The Easter Bunny in Cleveland leaves the eggs outside...way more fun that way.  

We enjoyed a beautiful Easter Mass and it was a gorgeous day being sunny and about 75 degrees.  

Spring Break 2014

We are lucky to live about an hour and a half from Chicago because that is our go-to place for any kind of vacation.  It can easily be a one day trip.  

We bought a membership last year for the Shedd Aquarium (only $10 more for our family to buy a membership vs. a one-time visit!).  We went to our favorite exhibits and then went to the Museum of Science and Industry.  Now we have a membership there for the next year!  

As part of the membership, we got to tour the U505 which was amazing.  The kids really enjoyed it too and we talked a lot about it on the way home.  

Family and Marriage Conference

Eric and I went to a Family and Marriage Conference Saturday at Notre Dame.  It was hosted by the Office of Family Life of our diocese and we are so glad we went!  We always said that we should do something like this, but hadn't actually signed up for one.  It also helps that the kids are old enough to be home on their own (Sarah was in charge) and we don't have to worry about them too much.  

Dr. Ray Guarendi was the keynote speaker...he is awesome!!  How can you not be inspired by the stories of a father of 10 adopted children?!  He and his wife are very faith-filled, down-to-earth people and have raised these children after adopting them under some pretty difficult circumstances.  We laughed saying that his books should be required reading for 
anyone having children!  

We attended two workshops and heard two talks by Dr. Ray.  There were plenty of breaks in between and lots of food for the whole day :)

What we took away from it, is that families in general are under attack in our current culture (which we already knew) and what we can do to stand strong.  As Dr. Ray said, "Love without discipline is abuse."  Not only being reminded of our parenting responsibilities but also being reminded of the goals and purpose of our marriage was so uplifting and reassuring.  
If you've never heard of Dr. Ray, you should definitely read about him here...

Or, watch this to see what a great speaker he is - he brought me to tears a couple of times laughing so hard!

Lyndsay turns 12!

It should not take a week to get things posted on here but...that's life!

Lyndsay turned 12 this year - one more year until teenager status.  

I love it when the kids take the camera because they always come up with fun shots that I would have missed.  

~ she and her sisters have watched Frozen about 10 times in one week ~ 

~ a fleeting moment ~ 

~ fun with shutter speed and a spinning plate of brownies ~ 

Sarah turns 16!!

Every March is a flurry of activity with three birthdays in our immediate family and then four more birthdays in the extended family.  

We now have a 16 year old! Ah!

 

She was really surprised and thrilled with a new laptop from Eric and I and her grandparents.  It is now completely customized to her liking and she's looking forward to learning Photoshop Elements this summer.  Happy Birthday, Sarah!