Hello Kitty + Spiderman = True Love

Today we celebrated Kate's 4th birthday and Ethan's 5th birthday. There was a pinata, bounce house, pizza, cake and plenty of merriment to go around! Here are some pics of the event.

Kate's First Christmas Concert

Christmas Fun!

And so I try again... ;)

Decorating Christmas Cookies

Trimming the Tree

At The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade - it was awesome!

Luke Turns Two (A Month Later...)

Here are some pics from Luke's 2nd birthday party, which included a "choo choo" train cake, many friends and lots of presents. Luke had a great time!'

I haven't updated in so long. So here are some quicktake/ updates that I also posted over on babyhomepages:

1. As you can imagine, Kate LOVES preschool. I really believe she could go everyday and be just fine. I am glad she's not, however, because I really enjoy the time we have at home together.

2. She also LOVES her friends and plays with them every single chance she has. Seriously, she plays with friends all the time. Often one friend will leave and she will ask to call up another.... I wonder where she gets that?

3. Luke is incredible talkative. He talks constantly and we don't mind one. single. bit.

4. Luke was just diagnosed with mild intermittent asthma. It seems that every time he gets a cold it develops into wheezing and a trip to urgent care or the ER. The bad news is that he has to have breathing treatments and inhaled steroids, the good news is (besides that we're getting it under control) that he will most likely grow out of it.

5. The kids really play together well. They also really know how to push each others buttons. Our days will often go from hugs and kisses to screaming at the top of (his) lungs.

6. Luke is kinda a screamer. OK, OK, so he really knows how to let it out "Tin Drum" style. That we don't like so much... nope, not so much.

7. Luke also seems to be a 12 hour of sleep/ day TOPS kind of guy.... which means that he's giving up naps. If he doesn't take a nap, he will sleep from about 7pm-7am. If he does take a nap, however, he will not go to sleep until about, oh, 10:30 or 11pm!!! It's a pick your poison type of situation.

8. We recently had a last minute, lovely trip back to the midwest where we saw so many friends and family. As pictures can attest it was great to see everyone and be there for the baptism of our new (and incredibly cute, I might add) nephew, Thomas Robert Frey! We also had a couple night with Aunt Terry and Uncle Tom in Minnesota - what a treat!

9. We're job hunting now. It looks like we'll be here through August and then, well, who knows where we'll be? We hope much closer to family. I know it's going to be tough for the kids, especially Kate, to move. She loves it here and never tires of telling us so!

10. Luke's 2nd birthday is coming up!!! He has already informed me that he either wants a train cake or a fireman cake. As you can probably guess, I'm excited and up for the challenge!

11. It really seems like everyone I know, really everyone is pregnant or has just had a baby. Really, I am not exaggerating, not even a little... I could list at least 15 people off the top of my head right now who are either pregnant or just had a baby (I won't because some of them have asked me not to say anything - the pregnant ones, not the ones who have just had babies, obviously ;) This is nice because 1) babies are awesome and 2) I have a lot of doula-ing opps coming my way!

12. Kate will often take my face in her hands and stroke it a bit and tell me, "mommy, I love you so much." It really melts my heart.... and it makes me want about 10 more kids. :) Today she told us that she is so happy to have our family. Yep Kate, it's true, we are lucky.

For some recent pics check us out here

Happy Feast of Saint Faustina!

Geez! There have been a great many excellent feast days lately, huh?

‎"I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls."

-- Divine Mercy (Jesus to Sr. Faustina)

Happy Feast of Saint Francis!

The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

For more on Saint Francis read here and for a great project to do with the kids go here and here. Charlotte over at Waltzing Matilda is chalk full of wonderful and creative ways to celebrate the liturgical feasts with your kids. I was going to do the people cookies, but after a trip to the beach (by myself with the kids. there was a sand sculpture contest. i forgot my camera) and daddy working all weekend, I didn't get the cookie cutters. Sooo, we're going to have to settle with coloring a picture of St. Francis (Charlotte also draws coloring pages that she is willing to share with us) and some animal crackers and milk. Good enough for this year ;) Oh, and we are going to focus on the prayer as our evening prayer this month. Thanks for all the help Charlotte! I think you're pretty darn amazing (especially after seeing that pirate ship cake)! God bless ya! And have a very blessed and happy Feast of St. Francis! y'all!!