Too long

Yes, it's been too long since my last post...but I was depressed! My computer crashed and I lost all my photos from the last 8 mos. Don't even get me started. Since then, let's see, Emily just got back from a week at girl scout camp, Bret is heading to camp tomorrow, and we start VBS Mon. morning. I am doing the decorations for it and we've been in the whole mindset of it for the last 2 wks. or so. I'm all about the "Louisiana bayou" and all it has to offer. I love getting the church looking all "in theme" and different for the kids to walk in and see the first time. It's like their own little mini Disney for a week. We're actually not in the church proper, but in the family life center. I do tons of painting and scavenging of props, etc. Anyway, it's fun. My friend Kim just had her 12th baby. Unbelievable. (pictured above) I started walking again. I do it every time I have a baby or some weight to lose (which seems like my whole lifetime!) so that's good. I'm trying to go 4 miles most days. Right now we're cleaning up the yard after a huge storm blew through yesterday and knocked a jillion branches into the yard. That's about all.

Ballet, graduation, and a snake

"Cinderella" the ballet, went off swimmingly. The girls were beautiful and the backstage energy and excitement were totally exhilarating. 250 little girls all twirling and sparkling in their crowns! The next morning we were up and out again, this time to celebrate Bret's 8th grade graduation. He looked so grown up in his coat and tie. It was like a glimmer into the future. I told him that night, "well son, now the fun part REALLY begins!" You know how jr. high is kind of a blur with highlights of memories? Then high school begins and the memories get more intense? And for me anyway, the fun began! I'm excited for him to move on, and at the same time, holding on (and back) to the girls and their childhood innocence. Girls and boys. Sheesh.
I got a ton of yardwork done this wknd, including mowing the lawn, isolating the berry bushes, and planting a few more tomatoes into pots. This is like a new world for me, planting in pots. It's weird to not have a big sunny patch to just plant in, but I'm hoping to be up to the challenge. Watering, that is. My planting efforts now, might net me nothing but shrivelled up stubs!
So, I also constructed a cage for my compost. Totally cool, until I poured in the big bag of Starbucks' coffee grounds and out slithered a snake. Okay, not much can instantly evoke such hostility and rage in me as a snake, and, as such, the snake didn't make it past the fervor of my rake. I shudder even remembering it. Don't ask how big it was...I mean, does it even matter? Big, small, it's still a snake! We also went to baby Eli's baptism this afternoon. Such a cutie. He's going to be one tough cookie growing up with 3 big brothers that already think he's one of the boys! lol. I also got to see my old pal from chiropractic school, Liz! She's lived in Norway most of our post-graduating life, and just moved back stateside, and then had a 45 min. layover in Memphis this morning. We got to actually see each other after 15 yrs.! How can that be?? 15 yrs.? 45 minutes? It doesn't seem fair, but it was fun anyway, and of course Liz looks exactly the same. We had lots of fun times in Chicago all those years ago, downtown, at clubs, parties, school, labs, finals, studying, cooking, in trouble, laughs, tears. Good to see you Liz!!!

Girls' recital rehearsal pics (cause we won't get any good ones at the real thing!)

So here's a few of my little ballerinas at their rehearsal plus Michael painting with paprika, one of Bret and Don at scouts, me and Michael...and I think that's it:

Dinner with nothing to eat

The boys are at scouts tonight, so it's just me and the girls for dinner. I love this day of the week: no pressure to cook anything. But, we have pretty much nill for food here. Emily is having a frozen pizza. Now, understand that these were on sale many mos. ago, and Bret (big) got a ton of them thinking they would be our staple food or something. They suck so bad. They look bad, taste bad, and smell questionable. No one wants them. Rachael and Sophie had grilled cheese. I'm having leftover Chinese hot/sour soup. Oh yeah, and for an appetizer, I had the leftover black olives and half a banana dipped in caramel dip. No, I am not pregnant. I'm just a freak and have lots of tastes that I love. We made it through the rehearsal for the girl's recital tomorrow night. Michael was not happy once little Bret left, and we just gutted through the next hour and a half. I also painted the rest of the living room ceiling today, so WHEW! That's done! Little Bret helped me get all the little pain in the butt spots around the fans, etc. We started un-wrapping the plastic off of the LR, and vaccuuming all the remaining dust which is still scattered everywhere. I kinda forgot what our room even looks like done!

Getting older!

I turned 40 something this week. I had a fun birthday where I was taken to bkfst. by my friend Suzie, then to lunch with my "grouping" group, then, a spontaneous mom's nite out with a couple MORE friends! We ordered Chinese and watched the biggest loser. Totally chillin' out all day. The kids were so sweet and told me many times "Happy Birthday Mommy." Several of my pals from present and past called to wish me a happy day. The next night I celebrated with my family when Emily made me a lemon meringue pie, which we devoured after we tried a new Italian place. Totally memories of "Gann's" for those family members who read this blog!!! Next time you come, we're there. Anyway, my impatient teenager is waiting for his turn on the computer so he can saturate himself in the land of facebook. More about HIM later!

First Communion for Rachael and signs of visitors..

This morning Rachael made her first Holy Communion. She loved getting all dressed up, and was glowing. It was a beautiful ceremony, all 5 first Communicants did great. My dad even was coerced into coming out of "extraordinary minister sabatical" to help out Fr. Mike. Bret was an altar server, which he said was a lot nicer to do for 5 kids than it was to do it for 70 kids a couple of wks. ago. (the rigors of the altar, you know, lol). My parents came into town for the event, and even though it's always a short visit, it was fun nonetheless. Whenever they come to visit, I come home to find "signs of Gramma and Grampa" around the house. Coffee cups 1/2 full scattered here and there, forgotten magnifiying spectacles, dad's tiny travel sized bottle labelled "hand lotion," leftovers in the fridge from being whisked out to lunch or dinner somewhere, new shoes on the kids feet... lots of laughs, and a good time had by all. Thanks mom and dad!

Life goes on

Why is it that when you are about to walk out the door in a hurry, both baby's shoes are missing and someone (same baby) breaks a glass on the floor? The whirlwind that we live is such a comedy. You can choose to freak out and scream at everyone (occasionally I have done this) or just roll with it and continue to plow through the series of events. I looked at my house this week, which after caring for Debra recently, looks like a giant snowglobe that someone shook. I actually thought of just shifting rooms around since all the contents of each room had been swapped anyway. It took us yesterday morning to get most things back in order. Perspective, perspective, perspective. I prayed that I would learn that perspective, but more importantly, KEEP it after going through Rachael's cancer. Michael is growing up fast and already has mastered how to dangerously make his way to the tabletop. Rachael is getting ready to make her first Holy Communion this week, so there's lots of conversation between she and her sisters about her hairstyle for said event. (eyeroll here). Sophie is getting excited about their ballet recital in 2 wks.. Bret continues to play and improve at Lacrosse, which I still think is an opportunity to whack kids with a stick...hard. Summer is coming and both Bret and Emily are going to scout camps. Emily, my little maternal girl, is currently trying hard to nurse an injured butterfly back to health. Nature's cruelty is hard to swallow when you're 10.
It's been a busy 2 weeks here, and as I talked to another homeschooling mom, we all agreed we're pretty whipped. I don't know how I would have gotten through so much stuff in the last year without my faith and my church. I know that sounds cliche, but really: to walk from life issue to life issue, I feel like I took each step with the crutch of the sacraments, and with a priest to administer them. Lucky for me, I also have found priests that can not only administer the sacraments, but that can explain their relevance to our life. Fr. Bauer and others can take real life, and join it to the mystical life, and help you to weave it into your day-to-day. Each big step has some developmental milestone attached to it. Natural death, birth, growth and maturing, unnatural early death, the teen years, choices, decisions. We are on this wheel of life, where we have the chance to see its meaning in life lessons, and also have the chance to contribute to the good in the world with our actions. To know that you are making this effort because of the benevolence of God, His Son, His mother, and that ultimately, it all has a payoff, even if you can't see it daily. I like knowing that there is so much more to our walk of life than just drudgery. That suffering can be useful, that sorrow can dig your well of compassion a little deeper, that kindness matters since we're all shouldering our own burdens. Anyway. I'm in my thoughtful funk as Michael is chopping on my leg with a butter spreader...where did he get that??????