Called

Yesterday in the van the girls were talking. Lately Elizabeth has been having piano recitals, solos in mass, and served as an alter server. She’s comfortable in front of crowds (definitely didn’t get that from her parents!).  Felicity is just finally comfortable joining Youth Choir, back row. She can lead our family rosary. And be often found either trying to make someone laugh or create something for them as a gift. Back to the van conversation:

11yo: I like doing big things, leading people, helping others, doing jobs. (St Elizabeth Ann Seton)

8 yo: I don’t. I like to blend in and not stand out. I can do little things without getting attention. (St Therese, the Little Flower)

God made these girls different from the start. They compliment one another well. Two polar opposites, but yet puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. I believe they will do great things, in their own big, or little, ways. ❤️ St Elizabeth & St Therese, please pray for my darlings. 

14th Cinco de Mayo

Goodbye Earl

Papa Earl went to be with our Lord Saturday, 4/3/21 @ 6:30 pm, Easter eve. (I teased Mom it was better than 5,6,78 - musician joke.) He touched SO many lives and had been in our family for the last 15. His quick wit and easy smile is going to be dearly missed. He was a child at heart and loved bringing the girls to the candy store, playing card tricks on them, & sharing his wealth of musical knowledge with them. Elizabeth loved his willingness to always play a game with her-esp chess. Felicity always loved his goofiness in rough-housing and that they had matching dimples. He and David never lacked for conversation. I was just thankful he made Mom so happy. Thank you Earl for picking up a bunch of loopy ladies, with buckets on top of their heads, singing "Goodbye Earl." Until we meet again...

ND/SD Trip

“Camping”

 We camped, kinda. More like ‘glamping’ 😆
I did a LOT of camping as a child, with my family and the girl scouts. My family asked what I used to do, like I’m some kind of expert. 😄
One family tradition was to use burnt wood and leave your mark on your campsite. 💖

Holy Thursday

 In celebration of the last supper on Holy Thursday, we read the readings of the first Passover, last supper, and the washing of the feet. Then we broke bread and washed one another’s feet. I think David thinks I’m nuts, but he’s a good sport and the girls look forward to it. Since the Coronavirus keeps us at home, we then participated with Fr Ryan in mass via livestream. He does SO well with his homilies.  Happy triduum.

Mini Family Vaca (Duluth)

We had a long wkend from school with teachers inservices Friday and President’s day today, so we went to Duluth for a mini vaca. We went to the Country Inn that had an awesome water slide. The girls LOVED the Aquarium. Of course we over spent on junk food and silly items at the mall, but will have plenty of pics and memories to last a lifetime.  Saturday night we went to St. Lawrence Church and celebrated mass with our "old" priest friend from Hibbing, Fr. Ryan.  He didn't baptize the girls, but he came to the after baptism parties.  It was SO good to see him again and catch up.  Felicity is all about touching gross stuff, so she was in her glory to touch a jellyfish, sea star, anemone, & a sturgeon.

Jellyfish!!

Snapping Turtle

Mmmmm...Sammy’s

I 💖 Saturdays

Lately we have been visiting different libraries in our network. The kids love the kid-corners, dad walks around the aisles, & mom finds a rocking chair and pulls a book from my purse.  Cheap, entertaining, and gets us out of the house this winter.  They get out of the house and usually leave with their own stack of new books.  I hate to say that my house distracts me from reading at times, but thankfully there is no laundry or dishes at the library. (Could use a bit of dusting, but ... not my job!😆). Afterwards David & the girls stop for ice cream then it’s home for naps and game night. I love Saturdays.

FAM. GAME NIGHT:
Uno = LOST!🤪♾
Chutes & Ladders=LOST! 😳🌈
Yahtzee = LOST!🤔🎲
Scrabble = WON! 😆🔤

Long but awesome day with the grands

Making Memories

     I have this hanging on my bedroom wall. It's a reminder to me that life is short and we only have this short time on earth. We have an even shorter time with our kids to set a good example and give them memories, good & bad. 

     That being said my husband and I rarely fight, maybe once every couple of years.  Last night we did, in front of the kids, which is wrong.  He was late for date night, and hungry, angry me...I spazzed. 

     We were in the car so there was really no place to go, but we still should have put our emotions aside or at least cancelled the night.  My poor children witnessed this incident and of course this sign in my bedroom reminded me that life is all about making memories, esp for our children, so try to make them good ones.

     This morning David and I sat down with the girls and explain to them how our argument in front of them was wrong. We explained that we still love each other and that we didn't mean to scare them.  This doesn't cover up last night's memory, but I do hope the girls learn forgiveness through this outburst of emotion. Not all memories are happy, but we hope everyone can learn from them and have good come from them. 

Mommy turns 34...So Far, So Good

My hams playing dress up:

Nothing is sweeter than my family singing to me, and Felicity prepping to blow out my candles:

A good way to end the day in the library:

Lake Bemidji State Park

Gym Bin!!!

Emy, Ady, Felicity, & Elizabeth jumping on the giant air filled "raft" in front of rock climbing wall. It's a huge indoor park and gym for gymnastics. 

Jumping in the block foam 'swimming pool'.

After naps and dinner my gf from Hibbing was going from Crookston to Hibbing and stopped by for a play date. Miss these Guys!

David's 37th birthday

David's birthday was spend with him and his ladies for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings (yum!), then games at the mall arcade, walk around town, Gander Mtn, then home for brownies and ice cream then presents. 

I already took the pics off my phone to back it up onto my computer, but we had a blast. E's favorite game was when you use the mallet to hit the popping out alligators. E liked the brownies. David liked it al and I enjoyed seeing my girls take pride in their cars & gifts for daddy. 

Sparrows & Dust.

Matthew 10:14
^"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet."

This is the scripture I quoted to David when his position, along with 44 others, was severed from work.  I have not been fired from a job (technically - that's another post), so I do not know what it is like to give 100% of your time and talent all for it to be shoved away and unappreciated.  We talked it through and believe that he was let go mainly because he has integrity and his tenancy to stand up for others.  Some companies do not appreciate that in their staff.  That is also why I believe I was promised a part time position that was retracted 3 wks later -- I ask the tough questions.  Some companies just want door mats, robots.  David and I aren't that. No one in our families are so how can we be expected to just do without asking, "why?"

I posted recently a timeline of our job loses, job gains, & house buying and selling.  GOD IS IN CHARGE.  I have not a doubt.  I told my girlfriend at work "if He takes care of the sparrow, he'll take care of us" when we were in the early stages of 2 lost jobs and nowhere to go from there and she asked the tough question..."now what?".  When I left her for the last time 10 wks later, she had given me a beautiful framed picture of an older lady feeding birds and it says "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God...even the very hairs of your head are numbered.  So don't be afraid, you are worth more than a flock of sparrows."  Ironic as she didn't remember me telling her the sparrow quote.  This is now my new favorite decoration in my home. 

The last mass we celebrated at our home town, I sat in the pew drinking it all in.  My eyes wet with tears.  This was where I was married, where my babies were baptized, where I was accepted into the church.  Just when I thought those around me would notice, my friend Teri stood up and she read these words from the 2nd reading: 2 Cor 12:10 "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." "...when I am weak, then I am strong."

And so we moved July 11. We attended our first mass at our new parish the next day and what do you think the Gospel was that day?: Mark 6:7-13 "wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.  Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust of your feet in testimony against them."  And I love that whenever I tell people I'm new they reply with a smile or a handshake and say, "well welcome to town!"

I had to laugh.  I always say God is in control, but when you realize that you aren't the one holding the steering wheel it IS a scary feeling.  You feel watched, out of control, scared, intimidated.  Anyone with an ounce of faith can see He lives.
God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.

Bemidji Art in the Park

Very similar to Land of the Loon in Virginia, Bemidji had their art in the park this wkend. We got to taste some treats from some local vendors, bought some CDs from local artists while dancing to their live music, & met Paul & Babe. Poor daddy had to go back to the old house and cleanup and put some insulation up under the house. So it was just a girls' day. Beautiful and 80* but mostly everything was in the shade. Kinda sad my first real outing and having that sinking feeling of not seeing ONE familiar face. That's what I love most about these things. But we're getting established and having fun doing it. 

Having lunch in in the grass with our new mermaid dollies.  

Fun at the park.