Car Ride Convo

 Car rides seem to bring out very interesting conversations:

After doing our checks, Ellie asked if I was older than Daddy. (A topic that seems to totally and completely astonish our children) After confirming, yet again, that indeed I am just a bit older, Annie pipped up from the back row.

"Yeah, that's why Mommy is going to die first."

(Avery was in shotgun and his shocked expression was priceless."

Avery to Annie, "Not necessarily."

Ellie before the conversation was overtaken by older siblings explanations, "Yeah, Daddy will die first because he is taller."

Avery's face was even more aghast and he choked out to me, "Well I guess you're pretty safe because soon you'll have two sons taller than you."

The secret to a long life-live shortly.

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This Happened!

We have a teenager!!!!

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Annie's Ride.

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Oh how I love patterns and numbers. Thank you Avila for being the perfecting our little family. 

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Sisters!

Halloween-y

Two day's before Halloween and some little ones where expressing, continuously, our lack of Halloween preparedness. So a pumpkin for everyone and craving tools in hand these amazing kids (and Daddy) whipped out some pretty spectacular pumpkins. In 2 hours and 15 minutes we accomplished 7 jack-o-lanterns and dinner! 

Hello-ween

My Goodness, it's been awhile!

Life has been crazy-crazy good, crazy hard, crazy disheartening, crazy busy. 

Yes, I know, "This too shall pass." 

And, "In a few years all this will seem like a lifetime ago."

However, it's not a few years at the moment, at the moment it is right now and right now is crazy. 

With the new school year we took the bold approach to join two more co-ops making it a total of three. All day Tuesday and Wednesday are filled with wonderful classes and even better people and then once a month we meet for a really fun Geography co-op. All is so much fun, but really taxing on the daily home school schedule. Which translate into studies taking place up until 5:00 and then after dinner most nights and still not enough time. 

Whenever I complain about the lack of time two teachings ring in my ears. First when the sisters complained to St. Mother Teresa about lack of time and she replied with adding an hour of adoration to their schedule and the passage in the Screwtape Letters about how easy it is to make the temptee believe he is in charge of his day and forget the entire day is a gift from God. How quickly we plan and forget to be thankful. Unfortunately, even as I am reminded of these two prodding I still find myself in the same state at the end of day. I know an hour of adoration is not feasible at this point in my vocation, however a few moments of intentional prayer is.

Well, that was not exactly what I had planned on typing, actually I planned on typing very little and just sharing a few Halloween pictures, so onto the pictures...

 

Oldest and youngest

Averykin

Always the antagonist.

The long long time ago crew.

Our Little Angel

She wanted a blue princess dress to be a Blue Princess.

And finally the best dressed award this year goes to, Fly Ballerina Unikitty!

I did not get a group picture so maybe we can do it later. (That will never happen)

Today is an off day of school to celebrate my favorite feast day.

All You Holy Men and Women Pray for Us!

Reminder

Here is a friendly reminder that the person staying home with the children needs to be thanked today. That person deals with a great deal of bodily fluids, every. single. day.

Go ahead and thank them and buy them some dark chocolate. 

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Horsing Around

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When I flip through the pictures this one shocked me...I don't see my 4 year old Annie K. I see my 8 year old Mary Colette. Anastasia, you are stunning, just like your sisters. I pray your physical beauty does not define you, but that your physical beauty is simply making the invisible visible. 

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What an honor. How blessed our children are having a Fruncle on each side.

At the end of May we witnessed Fr. Stephen Blaxton's ordination. How very, very blessed to be rearing our children in the midst of faith lived daily. 

I remember so keenly my older sister coming and staying with me the first eight days after being initiated into motherhood. Her gift of self was overwhelming and not fully recognized to the actual degree until later. She sat with me as I learned to navigate the ends and outs of early motherhood. Her sitting across from me as we both nursed our little ones was so very much like her bestowing her blessing on me, saying, "you can do this, it will be the hardest thing you will ever do, but you can do this. We traveled this road before and it will be traveled again, come along you are not alone in your vocation." 

As my brother is not Fr. Stephen's brother biologically, they are part of a bigger, deeper brotherhood of Christ. There have been priest before and there will be priest after these two, and they all will travel the vocational road all the same, and they are not alone. 

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Love these silly people.

Specific Prayers

Well I think God can handle this request. The caveat at the end does adds a new dimension.

"And for Bennett and Rexy and Olivia that they will be healfy and grow up to use forkes and napkins all the time."

Camping

We went camping this weekend for the first time as a family. It was camping in my books because our "Log-in" did not have running water, thus making late night bathroom trips an adventure. We carried our water around in "tin-cans",  and found lots and lots of "allergy" in the lake. Even with the rain most of the time it was such a wonderful experience with family and some really amazing friends.

This is one of those rare events where there was no pictures taken...just slowing down and enjoying life. 

Enjoy our Easter Picture instead.

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Anastasia Kim!

We love you!

What do you call...

What do you call it when your two year crawls into bed in the morning and promptly throws up on your sheets? Then, after the sheets are washed and put back on your bed your four year old falls asleep on the nice clean, crisp, sheets and wets on them...that is called Job Security! 

My position will be around for awhile.

(It's also called threadbare sheets.)

Ballet

Just a little snippet of the girls' Ballet recital. 

Avery also had an art display. We are enjoying our Co-op so much. 

Wiggle Worm

The other morning as Philip and I sipped our coffee and prayed together his lap was infiltrated by our wiggliest child to date. As he juggled his coffee, book and thighs from extremely bone bits he jokingly exasperated, "Annie, your entire body is moving!"

In her cute little chipmunk voice she responded, "But, not my toes."

Annie K: movement wrapped in skin since conception.

(The only baby I actually thought would break through my belly.)

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We are still here!

Just busy.

We started our second year of Co-op and love it, so much better the second time around.

Paul Thomas is taking, Institute in Excellent in Writing, History Comes Alive and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. 

Avery is taking, Institute in Excellent in Writing, History Comes Alive, Art and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd III.  

Mary Colette is taking, Ballet, Book Club, Cooking and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd II. 

George is taking P.E. and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd I.

Anastasia is taking, Ballet, P.E. and Catechesis of Good Shepherd I.

Eleanor is taking, too many snacks, Baby Ballet (twirling in the gym when no one is using it) and marching around like she owns the place. She is doted on by two very special big girls and she tells us frequently how much she loves them and how much they love her.

Bennett is not taking naps on Friday's, but is smiling and cooing at any and all. He is in arms all day and is otherwise being spoiled which is lovely because during the week he has a hard life of a sibling constantly loving on him and trying to make him laugh and growing up much too fast!

Everyone's favorite class is Catechesis! However all of the classes are so much fun. 

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Oh this girl, how she adores these kittens.
She is in heaven with these two.

Anastasia has a special way with animals, every time we go to a butterfly house she is the one that all the butterflies land on. She and a robin had an enchanting encounter this summer, as she hopped along singing her sweet little song the robin hopped three feet in front and they just hopped through the yard together sharing a spectacular moment. Annie had no problem securing the billy goats face in her hands and turn in his head to look eye to eye with one another. If ever there was a forest nymph I believe this girl to be one. She is an enchanting creature all on her own.