Twelve!!

We have a tradition to keep: Galadriel had another birthday, and you know that her birthday means candy-covered, colorful, beautiful cakes that she decorates by herself!

This year? Rainbow!

 Just as cheerful and pretty as the birthday girl!

Galadriel grew out of her old bike, so this year her present was a bike that the salesman said should last her through college and beyond! Yay! I love it when my kids get to the full-sized bike stage, so we don't have to buy new ones.  Hers is a pretty blue.

And, most special of all, my Mom made a "Junior Life Guard" jacket by sewing on an official, retro badge that she found on Ebay onto a red jacket.  She also found a retro, official, junior life guard pin, and put it on the collar.

My Mom was a lifeguard and is VERY proud of Galadriel for completing her Junior Lifeguard course this summer.  Galadriel worked so hard, and she deserves her coat!

I'm late on getting this post up, but I didn't want to miss the chance to document it: Happy 12th Birthday Galadriel!!

(Late) Big Fat (first half of) Summer Dump Post

It is hot and humid and thunderstorms are beginning to rumble.  My entire family is at the pool.  I am slathered in sunscreen and in my suit (under my clothes) sitting here blogging on my couch, because Sam is napping, and someone needed to stay behind.  We just didn't think through the detail of WHO would stay behind until we were ALL dressed and ready to go.

So, I'm taking advantage of a very very rare moment of quiet, to shove a bunch of pictures up and try to give them captions.  In this way, I will feel that I have fulfilled my blog quota for a few weeks.

SUMMER 2018:  June at the Pool

 smiles and suits

 crazy selfies as they wait to go

Arwen's "Oxford University" shirt was a present from her uncle, who happened to be at Oxford this Spring.  It's giving us high aspirations in the home school. lol

This has been the summer of "not-my babies".  My baby is a toddler, and you never quite realize how big a Two-Year-Old is until you see a newborn.  My sisters were able to spend an afternoon a bit ago, and I had twin 1-Year-Olds and a Three-Month-Old angel in our living room.

Baby feet. (Swoon.)

And then my amazingly awesome sister-in-law had us over.  She not only is an outrageous hostess (she used to manage restaurants, so...she knows a thing or two) but she is also a hair dresser.  She used her talents to give Sam his first professional haircut.  He didn't appreciate her talent as much as I did.

#milestones:

Summer moment at a new park:

"Consider the lilies, they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of them"

I've been working on adding lilies to my garden.  When I see them, or water them, or pass others' more abundant lilies in another yard, I try to contemplate the passage above as I enjoy their beauty.

Another not-my-own baby.  Watching for a friend.  My kids need their fill of babies, and Sam isn't fitting the bill anymore.

Cousin besties: my sister was in town for too short of a time, but I was honored to have her family at our home for many long and joyful hours during their visit.

Cutest frogs ever.  Caught by Gimli on a golf course. (Look close, I think there were three). We released them after enjoying them in a spare fish tank.

Father's day.  Should have it's own post.  As usual, I didn't have much planned.  In addition, my husband told me not to buy him anything.  He put the family on a spending freeze, which, let's face it, has been a big fail.  I mean, not spending?  There are eleven of us...there's going to be some spending.
But I didn't get him the upgraded fire pit I had in mind.  I do try to do my part.

But some grocery store balloons and homemade banners make things special.  And Galadriel tried her hand at my mother-in-law's famous lemon cake and homemade lemon frosting.  She did pretty great, but no one can beat Gramz!

Baby shower, lake side:

For my amazing newest sister-in-law.  Keep the babies comin'!

Baby snapping turtle, caught by Galadriel and her cousin when they were visiting.

Just let him hang out with "Harry and Henry" our aquatic turtles for a while.  I mean, so long as you've got an aquarium...

Sleepover!!  Cousins can't visit often or long enough, so we have to make a little more time in the day (or night, I guess!).

That's it!  My big, out of order, first half of summer dump post.  Hope you enjoyed it!!

Overheard

Eowyn: Mom?

Me: Yes?

Eowyn: Did you ever have glass slippers?

Me: (pause) No.  No, I never did have glass slippers.

TWO!!!

Two years ago, I began my 4th of July celebrations with a tiny little sharp pain and a burst of water.  It was 12:30 am and my water had broken.  I was just. so. very. relieved!  Mr. 4th of July was supposed to be born on June 25th, and I was very very ready for him to come!

I heard fireworks as I sat there, marveling at my beautiful baby boy, born at 3:30 am on the 4th of July, named for the 3:00 Hour of Mercy into which he was born, in 2016, the Year of Mercy.

So, what do you do when your baby is born on the 4th of July?  Well, you go ahead and celebrate!

It's funny, but "Sam" is the blog name I chose for this boy, after Sam Gamgee, to round out our "fellowship" here on the blog.  It occurs to me that it's an appropriate name for this boy, "a real live nephew of my Uncle Sam, born on the 4th of July!" lol

Sam's red hair has bleached out to a strawberry blonde, like Bilbo was.  Sam isn't a fly-weight.  He loves to run and romp and throw balls with his brothers.

He is completely doted upon by everyone.  Every day someone tells me "look at Sam! Did you see what he just did?! He's sooo cute!!!"

That's the gift of being #9.  None of us can imagine life without this sweet, chubby Two year old!

In two days will be the Feast of St. Maria Goretti, the "Little Saint of Great Mercy".  I can't have a birthday post without a shoutout to the great Saint who heard my prayers, when her major relics went on tour in the United States for the first time, in honor of the Year of Mercy.  That was in October.  I had just gotten over my first miscarriage in August, and was begging God for just one more.

Two days before her Feast day, Sam was born.  I would have had "Maria" as part of the name if he had been a girl.  Instead, his middle name--Clement--means Mercy.  And it is Mercy that I received in abundance!

Each child is precious.  Each child has their own story to tell.  This is Sam's story, and I celebrate it today with a very full heart.  Full of gratitude and thanksgiving.


Happy 4th of July!! and Happy Birthday Sammy!!!

"Come and hear,

all who fear God,

and I will tell of what

He has done

for my

soul"

(psalm 66:16)

Fifteen

When I was a young mother I would hear of people with teen-aged children and wonder what that would be like.  The thing is, I was married so young, that honestly my teen years were not very far behind me (two years and twenty days to be precise).  In addition to that, I had siblings who remained in their teen years for nearly a decade into my marriage (I think my youngest brother was 11 when I got married).  So, while my own children were mere tots, I had lots of encounters with teen-agers.  They weren't some foreign species.

What is my 15-year old son?  

Well, growing.  And growing means eating, and sleeping.  

Birthday boys are still super sweet, still happy to get a DQ cake and blow out the candles.

He's funny.  He's sassy--definitely sassy!;)

I'm not comfortable with how thick his shoulders are growing or how he's not-quite-yet-taller than me.

He's gathering his courage for high school.  He's determined and hard working.  He's a boy who is growing into a man.  And, while I have always found teens fun, interesting, exciting, now that I find myself in the position of MOTHER to several teens, I think that I am surprised to find myself entirely sentimental.  I savor these days and years, because I know they will soon launch.   This time is precious and I have my work to do as a mother.  To mother them, as young adults, into greater independence, confidence, competence.  Academically, socially, and of course spiritually.

It all occurs to me.  That's what runs through my thoughts as we light candles and eat ice cream cake. My heart bursts with love and gratitude for this child.  I gather my strength, and together we go out into "fifteen"!

Happy birthday Aragorn!!