Hands Full of Blessings

Baseball Season

2011-06-18T22:52:00.002-04:00

L. played his first year of coach-pitch baseball this year, and K. played his first year of T-ball. They both enjoyed it very much and both improved a lot as the season went on.

Sweet Boys

2011-06-18T22:49:00.002-04:00

The boys love each other so much! I love watching them together. L. and K. are so good about coming and clapping and playing with N..

I'm finally back!

2011-06-18T22:38:00.002-04:00

Okay, so the last time I blogged it was the first day of school. We just finished the last day of school a few days ago! I think I need to get a little better about posting here! Well, I will post some cute pictures of the last year in no particular order.

1st Day of School

2010-09-17T22:09:00.002-04:00

Here's the boys on the first day of school! N. is starting 5th grade now. L. is in 1st grade, and K. is in preschool. I am homeschooling L. and K. The boys were waiting with N. for his bus to come. Can you see me hiding behind N. to help him stand up?!

N. is really making strides!!

2009-02-26T03:51:00.005-05:00

I think the smile on N.'s face says it all. He has been doing soooooo well walking independently now! This was taken at our friend's house, and it was so cute because every time N. would take one or two steps everyone would burst into applause. N. was LOVING the attention! He will walk quite a bit further than that, but he was playing the crowd! I am so proud of N.. He really teaches me that with enough perseverance you can do anything...one step at a time.

K. Turns 3 (back in January, I'm a little late posting!)

2009-02-26T03:46:00.003-05:00

Here's our big boy turning 3!

He is tipping the scales at 35.5 pounds!

Letter to the Christ Child

2009-01-25T20:20:00.002-05:00

This year instead of writing a letter to Santa, I suggested that L. write a letter the the Christ Child. I told him that after he wrote the letter we would put it on the windowsill and the angels would take it up to heaven and give it to Jesus. His letter was so sweet, I thought I would share it. Here is what my 5 year-old told me to write:

Dear Christ Child,
I want to buy a GeoTrax with an airplane and a remote control. I love everybody. I will give everyone who is in the hospital a band-aid. They can come to my house and eat my food and my dessert too. I want to give God a present. I will give him a GeoTrax and help each other.
I love God and Jesus and baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. I love Daddy and you, N., and K., myself, and St. George, and God, and St. Nicholas, and St. Martin de Porres.
I am thankful for my house. I love Baby Jesus.

L.

March for Life

2009-01-12T13:50:00.008-05:00

This is a video that I made to show at a pancake breakfast our church was having. I was trying to encourage more people to attend the March in Washington, D.C.. My husband coordinated the bus that went from our parish. Hopefully Obama will choose to support life and not follow through on his promises to repeal any anti-abortion law currently in place. Please pray for an end to abortion.

So Hard to Say Goodbye

2009-01-06T21:38:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our very dear friends. L. mentions them serveral times a week and is obviously missing them. I know the feeling! While I am sad they had to move, I know that this is God's plan for them. I know they will touch countless people in their new place, just as they did here!

A proud Mommy!

2009-01-06T21:00:00.004-05:00

Our homeschool group was collecting canned goods to donate to the local food bank and I told L. about it. I asked L. if he wanted to use his own money to buy some food for people who are less fortunate than us. He quickly agreed. He had been saving his money for a long time to buy a special toy and he had $16 of his own money saved up. We had just recently bought tons of canned food at Walmart, so I took him to the pantry and told him each can cost 5o cents. He ended up selecting $6 worth of canned goods with his money. The part that made me so proud was at the end of our "shopping trip," I reiterated to him that he could keep all the money for himself to get the toy he wanted, or buy the food. I was very careful not to put any pressure on him or make him feel guilty etc.. At first he said he wanted to keep his money, and I told him that was no problem. Then he sat there for a minute and said "but if I keep the money, then some people won't have any food to eat, and I don't want that. I want to buy the food." Don't you just love moments like that when your kids make you so proud?!

Little Angels

2009-01-06T20:47:00.005-05:00

The kids were in our 2nd annual nativity play this year with our homeschool group. L. and K. were both angels. They were very cute! I will have to print this picture and post it on my refrigerator as a reminder to myself (and them!) how angelic they can look when they want to! N. was supposed to be a Roman soldier, but I fired him from the play! He was laughing so hard during rehearsals while he was on stage, yet off stage he just kept crying because he hates wearing costumes. I told him he was fired, and he just laughed at me. Thankfully I don't think he will ever be in a therapist's office in 30 years lamenting his very short acting career! He made a great audience member as you can see!

L. turns 5!

2009-01-03T21:11:00.006-05:00

We certainly had a very busy Thanksgiving weekend full of family and fun! On Thursday evening my sister-in-law, her husband, and their new little baby arrived at our house. It was so nice to see them, and finally meet my little nephew-what a cutie!! Unfortunately I had come down with some kind of bug the day before, so Friday I was a bit under the weather.

Saturday was quite a busy day! We had L.'s 5th birthday party, and V.'s brother and family came in from NY. It was wonderful that the cousins got to play together. Just because having 2 families in from out of town wasn't crazy enough, we decided to add 15 other children and their families to the mix! It was only 3 other families, but most of our friends have at least 4 children! It actually made planning the party very easy because the kids were thrilled just to run around with each other and play in the basement. We also did a pinata which was a lot of fun. Since this was a November party we had planned to do the pinata inside using the pull strings. I was so worried before the party that the first kid would find the correct streamer and open the trap door. Then none of the other children would get a turn. Well, my worries for nothing when not only did none of the streamers open the pinata, whacking at it with a bat for 20 minutes didn't break it either! We finally had to rip it open and shake it over the kids heads. They loved it!

To top off our wonderfully busy weekend my other sister-in-law and her husband arrived at our house at 1:00 a.m. on Saturday night. Everyone was on their way home by noon the next day, so it really was a whirlwind visit! We were so grateful that everyone took the time to come see us over the holiday weekend.

Not Another Knock Knock Joke Please!!!

2008-11-14T20:57:00.004-05:00

Okay, my 4 year old and 2 year old have discovered the fine art of telling knock-knock jokes, and I use the word "joke" very loosely. The 2 year-old has especially learned how to turn literally any sentence into a knock-knock joke. That's because his jokes make absolutely no sense. One of his favorites is:
"Knock-knock"
"Who's there?"
"Daddy"
"Daddy who?"
"Daddy go to work?"
He knows how to get a laugh though as he orders me to say "haha" after each joke. I think he has forgotten how to speak in a normal conversation!! Sometimes after I can't take it any longer I will tell him no more jokes. He then tells them to himself complete with the haha at the end. I figure this should be worth at least a little time off of purgatory for me, don't you think?!

Harvest Hayride

2008-11-09T00:14:00.008-05:00

We went on a hayride at a local park with our homeschooling group. It was a beautiful night and the weather was quite warm for November. Luckily the rain held off as it was pouring earlier in the day! All the kids loved the hayride. What is it about a tractor that fascinates little boys so much?! N. would crack up anytime the wagon jerked a little or went over a bump. He has such a great grin!

Afterwards we sat around a campfire for a couple

of hours roasting hot dogs and making smores.

The older kids in the group were great about watching over the little ones. They played games like Duck, Duck, Goose (L. insisted!), Red Rover, Red Rover; and flashlight tag. I love watching these teenage boys and girls think nothing about scooping up a toddler or holding a little one's hand as they help them run in the dark.

You hear lots of negative things about teens these days, but it is so refreshing to see that disrespect and laziness are not "just how kids are today." The kids in our group are always so polite, so quick to lend a hand, and truly seem to enjoy being with their families. A definite advantage to homeschooling in my opinion!! (Not that children who aren't homeschooled can't be polite and respectful, I just think it's harder for them because they experience more negative peer pressure.)

All Saint's Day Gathering

2008-11-08T23:35:00.006-05:00

On All Saint's Day we went to the Latin Mass and then had a picnic lunch with our homeschooling friends. It was such a beautiful day with the temperatures in the high 60's. The scenary was amazing as the trees were at their peak.

There were also quite a few trees that were just perfect for the kids to climb.

Father B. said Mass, and then joined us for lunch. It was so nice to sit and relax with friends, truly taking in the many gifts God has blessed us with. What a wonderful way to spend this Holy Day of Obligation!

Little Saints in the Making

2008-11-08T23:27:00.002-05:00

We had our second annual All Saint's Day party with our homeschooling group again this year. It was so much fun, and the kids really enjoyed dressing up as saints. L. was St. George, and K. was the dragon he slays. (Poor K., but I happened to have a dragon costume, and Mommy doesn't sew very well!) N. was St. Joseph. They played a variation of musical chairs called "musical saints" as well as Saint Bingo. They also just enjoyed running around with all the kids and eating lots of leftover Halloween candy!

Halloween Happenings

2008-11-08T23:00:00.010-05:00

Well, just like last year L. anxiously awaited Halloween night. Last year he was so excited to go trick-or-treating, however, as soon as he stepped out of the house and saw a little boy dressed as Spiderman he was done. He was so afraid he wanted to go home immediately. This year he has been talking about Halloween for quite a long time, and he decided he wanted to be Spiderman. I think it was his way of conquering his fears. We talked about how other children would be wearing costumes just like him and how it would be dark, but we would have a flashlight etc. etc. etc. . So the big evening finally arrived and...after one house it was back to the safety of the living room with Daddy!!

N. and K. continued on with Mommy and had a great time! Little K. was so cute saying "Happy Olloween" at each house we went to. N. did a great job walking up the driveways and choosing the candy he wanted. He remembered from last year that if he grabbed a whole fist full of candy instead of just one, almost everyone would say

"Oh he can keep it all, that's fine!" The little stinker, he doesn't even eat candy!

Well, we had a fun night and L. is already talking about what he is going to dress up as next year ("because I'll be brave next year, Mommy")!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-31T12:32:00.013-04:00

Cleaning out the goop-eewww!

We had our friends over the other day. There are six kids in their family, so it was a busy (and loud!) day with 8 little ones running around! N. was at school, so he missed out on the fun. We carved pumpkins and the kids spent the day playing together. We had a really fun day together!

Babies praying for Babies

2008-10-25T23:06:00.003-04:00

Our family, along with several other homeschooling families stood on the side of a busy road to help increase the awareness of the evil of abortion. We stood quietly on the roadside holding signs that say "Abortion kills Children," or "Face it, Abortion Kills." My children have gone to these peaceful prayer rallies many times. While they don't understand what abortion truly is (how do you explain to a 4 year old that some women will kill their own babies?!) they know that we are praying that all babies will have the opportunity to be born healthy and happy.

My husband V. even made the paper! Here is what he said in the article: "People like my son and [fellow demonstrator] J.'s brother, who died two weeks ago with Down’s Syndrome, even though they have birth defects, add value to the world. The pro-life movement isn't about taking away a woman's right to choose, it's about respecting all life and understanding that everyone has value as a human being. Sometimes things come into your life that are difficult but in reality are blessings."

I pray that as people drive by and see the faces of these precious children they will realize the horrific act of killing unborn babies. Perhaps one of the over 1 million babies that were killed this past year would have been the one to discover the cure for autism. Perhaps one of those children would have been your child or grandchild's spouse, or perhaps the child would have been a clerk in your grocery store. It really doesn't matter what these children would have accomplished because each one is a child of God. Each soul has a right to dignity, and a right to life.

Please pray that there will be an end to abortion.

Striving for a Simpler Life

2008-10-25T23:00:00.001-04:00

There's something about clothes hanging out on a line to dry that I just love! I know I am strange, but maybe others feel this way too. Doesn't it feel like life just gets too crazy sometimes? We are always rushing from one activity to another, and we don't find the time to enjoy the moment. I read a quote somewhere that said having a simpler life does not mean things are simpler for you. Yes, it takes more work to hang clothes on a line then to toss them in the dryer, but it forces me to slow down a little. Please understand me, I don't always hang my clothes, but I do try to do it if I can. It is more work, especially when my little darlings pull all the clothes off the line onto the ground! (That happened a couple of weeks ago! I was not too happy!) That being said, I'm off to fold lots of laundry, as I was lazy last night and got behind!

A modern Donna Reed?!

2008-10-24T17:13:00.002-04:00

Well, K. may not be donning white pearls and high heels while vacuuming, but I think blue pearls in your underwear is a pretty good look too!

N. participates in Special Olympics

2008-10-24T16:56:00.004-04:00

N. loves horse back riding, and earlier this month was able to participate in Equestrian Special Olympics. He participated in 2 events: assisted walking and steping over poles.

Here is N. receiving his 5th place ribbon and his 4th place ribbon.

Future Hockey Stars?!

2008-09-29T21:08:00.007-04:00

Some of our friend's kids love to play street hockey. L. and K. have watched this and have become quite intrigued by it. Since neither one of them knows how to skate, they hold on to each other to "skate" around the patio. I found them playing hockey today using a tinkertoy and a toy shovel as their hockey sticks! While they may not be great hockey players, they certainly are resourceful!!

It's not an ipod but...

2008-09-29T20:53:00.002-04:00

We don't have an ipod in our house, but our kids don't mind. They have a record player that plays 45's, and they love listening to their Golden Books on it. The sound quality is terrible, it is scratchy and the speed never seems to be quite right. The voices on the records are always just a little too fast, or a little too slow! But that's okay, because I remember loving these when I was little, and I'm so happy my kids love them too!!

8 Wonderful Years

2008-09-23T22:34:00.005-04:00

I can't believe our N. turned 8 this past August. Even though my other children's birthdays all make me reminiscent of the milestones they have reached, I must say that N.'s birthday is always a bit more emotional for me. This is because we didn't think N. would ever have a birthday. When he was born with a rare chromosomal disorder, the doctor asked us if we were religious people. When we said yes, of course, he suggested we have N. baptized immediately. This is never a good thing to hear hours after giving birth to your child. The chaplain was called and he baptized N. with just my husband, myself, the nurse, and a nun present. N. was then taken to the local children's hospital for more intensive care. N. was born without an anal opening (something I quite frankly had never even heard of before!) and required surgery at 1 day old. We quickly learned this was just the beginning of a very difficult time for N. The next day, we were told N.s heart needed to be repaired. As our children's hospital did not have a cardiac surgeon at the time, N. had to be mercy flighted to an out-of-state hospital. We followed him there in our van. God was so good to us and gave N. the best doctors we could hope for. N.s heart is doing great now, and we expect no further complications with it-Praise God!!

That first year was definitely tough with an average of 3 doctor's appointments a week for various things, plus 12 therapy sessions a week for OT,PT,Speech, and vision. Looking back, I'm not sure how we got through it, but I know that it was Jesus giving us that strength and faith that this is all part of His plan. During that first year I wrote a little book for Noah because I was worried about how I would handle the "Why did God make me this way?" question someday. I called it God's Little Miracle. The story starts off with St. Peter being sad and worrying to God that people are not praying very much anymore. God responds by telling St. Peter not to worry because he is sending a very special baby to Earth that will bring many people closer to Him with all their prayers for this little baby.

To this day I am amazed how many people say that they pray for N. and our family. N. has a way of touching others and drawing them to prayer. God is good isn't He? I am so proud of my little guy that even though he can't say a word, his life says so much.

Beatiful Sunset

2008-09-23T13:50:00.003-04:00

We saw a gorgeous sunset while on vacation. Just another example of God's handiwork. L. likes to say that Jesus is a good painter!

Nothing Like a Day at the Beach

2008-09-22T20:03:00.006-04:00

This August we went back home and visited family and friends. It was so nice to see everyone as it has been over a year since we made it back. One of the highlights of the trip was taking the boys to Lake Ontario. They had so much fun walking along the water. Daddy showed them how to skip stones. It was so great to see them so excited and awestruck about the beauty that God has made. N. really loved the sound of the waves and smiled the whole time we were there. The boys took off their shoes and shirts and splashed in the cool water. They started off doing a good job keeping their shorts dry, but quickly became soaked! Oh the fun of simple pleasures!

Cookie Thief

2008-09-22T17:22:00.003-04:00

While visiting with my family little K. decided that if one cookie is good, more is better! He likes the cream filling in the Oreos and all of a sudden there were a pile of half eaten Oreos on the table. He was caught red handed! Busted!

2008-09-22T17:17:00.001-04:00

2008-09-22T16:54:00.003-04:00

A Day at the Farm

2008-09-22T08:10:00.003-04:00

We went to a local farm with our homeschooling group. We had such a nice time! We actually got to go twice because it rained the first time, so they gave us a raindate for the following week. The kids had a blast riding peddle karts, feeding baby goats, and playing in a shed full of wheat and toy tractors.

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary!

2008-09-21T23:31:00.003-04:00

To honor Our blessed Mother's birthday, the boys made her a card, and of course we had to have cupcakes!

L. is riding a two-wheeler

2008-09-21T23:28:00.003-04:00

I am so proud of L.! After practicing over the summer he can now ride a two-wheeler by himself. I was so happy for him when he finally learned how to balance, plus I was happy for me that I don't have to run down the street holding on to the back of his bike anymore! Go L.!

1st Day of School

2008-09-21T22:36:00.006-04:00

Well, we have officially started our first year of homeschooling as L. is now in kindergarten! L. was very excited, although he quickly realized that kindergarten isn't that different from preschool! I like having a set curriculum because it keeps me on task. We are following a more set routine this year, although it is still pretty laid-back. It is only kindergarten after all!

N. is in third grade now! He seems to like it. He is doing so great with his walking. He got a new walker over the summer, and now he is cruising all around.

1st Blog

2007-11-02T15:23:00.003-04:00

Well, this is my first time blogging! I decided to title my blog "Hands full of Blessings" because every time I am out with the children I get soooo many people who say "wow, you sure have your hands full!". I will admit that when I am pushing K. in the stroller in front of me with one hand while pulling N.'s wheelchair behind me with the other hand while L. is holding onto one of them, it must look a little odd, but still... I need an answer to give these strangers who only see this tiny snapshot of my life that it is all worth it. So, I have started replying, "Yes my hands are full, but they are filled with such blessings!"