12 Days of Christmas

Most people don't know this or maybe they do but, the 12 days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas day. The end of the Christmas season is on epiphany January 9th. So Merry Christmas to all.

Love to hate technology

Ok just found the usb cable to my digital camera so all the pictures I have on my camera for the last year I now have access to. Here are some samples.

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Babies, babies, and more babies

I have written before about how blessed I am to have so many incredible friends. Well this month two of my very best friends have both had twins. The funny part is they both are also my country neighbors. (meaning we live on the same road just not a short walk away from eachother) Anyway, Linda and her family had a girl and a boy about two weeks ago. Sarah just had two boys on Saturday. Our little group of six friends has been blessed with a combined total 34 children. All incredible families, all blessings to the world we live in. I suspect we will see some amazing people that affect our world come out of our little group in this little town. Thank you God for blessing us all so abundantly.

(this is Sarah with one of the twins)

Drama

Life can be so dramatic. For me, in my youth I thrived on it. I still enjoy a dose I suppose now and then but over all I try to avoid it. What amazes me is how things can be so calm and tranquil and then all of a sudden Bam! you get nailed with it. For some reason the Christmas season seems to bring it out in my extended family. But that's not what today is about.
Thursday evening was like any other I'd just got snuggled into bed when the phone call came.
My mother in law (whom I love to pieces) called frantic. At first I thought my father in law had a heart attack but, it turns out our trailer along with their garage were on fire and burning fast. Mom got out of the house safe with my sweet little niece Claire when the neighbor broke open a window. Fire department and 7 emergency vehicles arrived to put the fire out but all was lost except the house of course. Thank you Lord. Now we are all dealing with insurance companies and the like. This is the kind of drama I could do without.

Ok this is a cute kid

Our little Rosebud

Rosebud

So my darling Rosie had outpatient surgery today. She had a pyogenic granuloma above her left eye right at her brow bone. The surgery to remove it normally would have been in office but because she is 20 months old they used gas to make her sleepy and that required a hospital. All went well the procedure lasted a mere 10 minutes or so. The doctor came right out and got my husband and me. Then he looks at me and says in so many words. Well everything went great except..... we had the gas mask on her face and when I (the doc) use the tool to cauterize the blood vessels it burned her eyebrow off. But it will grow back. Now don't get me wrong I like this doctor and to be honest I really don't like any doctors. But, I could swear when I was in elementary school they mentioned something about fire and gas not mixing well together. Do you think maybe all the doctors and nurses present missed that day of school in their childhood. Yeah that's probably a stretch huh?

Anyhow our little Rosebud is no worse for the wear and bounced back with a vengeance. She was singing me songs in no time. I'm just grateful all went well in the end and I am able to laugh about it.

God Bless

Giving Thanks

Wow Thanksgiving is in two days. Here in Michigan we have had an incredibly mild fall. This I think has lead to the feeling of a long summer. This season has literally crept up out of no where. Well I am so excited to be spending our very first holiday season in our new home. I can't wait to have our families over and celebrate. So here are the things I am so very grateful for.


I am thankful for my incredible husband and spectacular kids. I'm grateful for the love they give to me every day. I'm thankful that my parents are still with me and have their health. That my children have grandparents who love to spend time with them. I'm thankful to have such awesome friends who help me find the joy in the difficulties of our days. I'm thankful that Ross has a job and that we can buy gifts for our families this Christmas. I'm thankful for a warm home, clean water, and plentiful food. I'm thankful for God and His never ending love for me. I am thankful to him for all His creations like sunrises and sunsets. Lilacs, and the soft fur of my cat Chloe. For all of the very small things that make us who we are.
Most of all I'm thankful that God has given me the eyes to know enough to look for all these things in life and to be thankful they are here to be seen.


Ok I know that may have gotten a little cheesy but, well that's just me.
Happy Thanksgiving

Bad case of the I wants........

So my husband was worried about how much stress I've been under and took over the bills for me. I reluctantly agreed. Not for any reason other than I'm a control freak. Anyway, I have found that I rather enjoy not being responsible for the mountain of bills that accumulates each month.
So here's the new problem. I want everything now. New clothes for the family, shoes, boots, all things that we actually need but can't afford to just go out and buy all at once. Then there is the subject of interior design. I love my new home I just can't stand how the former homeowners decorated. So my little brain is working over time wanting to get each room decorated to my specifications NOW. I have always sucked at patience. I'm trying to learn how to save money first and buy when I have the cash. Problem is that takes so damn long. All help would be welcomed with this one.
Chow.

Love little toes

So this is what our baby number six looks like right now at 8 weeks gestation. Look at those sweet little toes.

This is an excellent reminder to me of why I am suffering through 24 hour morning sickness. It's so easy to fall into a sense of self pity and frustration when you feel like crap all the time. I will keep my eye on the prize. ( sweet smelling baby) and remember as always "This too shall pass."

Gracie and Colin ( 2 of our 6)

Colin being super cool

Grace by the 'wise tree'

thought you would enjoy

Friends

I am a woman blessed with many friends. This didn't used to be something I could say about myself. I always had a friend in high school a few of them for long periods of time. But, as kids can be someone always got their panties in a bunch and that was the end of that. Of course I have always had a pension for the dramatic and usually ( I think anyway) was guilty of some offense or another. Thus ending that friendship. Fast forward about 4 years after graduation and I'm a lone without a girlfriend to chat with in sight.
Fortunately I have always had my Ross. This of course is my husband and best friend in the world. There are few things in this world that I wouldn't want to be doing with him but its those few things that we woman so desperately need.
So, there I was crying my eyes out begging God for a friend. Just someone I could call once in awhile to chat with or invite over for coffee, maybe a trip to the mall. You know 'girl time'.

You know how they say God answers all prayers, just sometimes the answer is no. Well I had grown accustom to the no. This time however God answered me with a giant YES.
Now I am a woman blessed with more friends than I could have ever hoped for. The kinds of friends I can literally call in the morning to just say Hi, yeah I know , its ok, thanks for listing, oh yeah a beer sounds great to bad i'm prego. Oh and your the best.
These woman are a constant source of inspiration, unconditional love, patience, kindness, laughs, tears, and most importantly friendship. I love you all and I thank and praise God for his gift of you in my life. My only hope is that I am a fraction of a friend to you that you have been to me.

Linda, Sarah, Ruthie, Stephanie S, Stephanie K, Ann, Marianne, the list goes on and on.

Hugs to you all,
Kel

P.S. Ross you are still my best friend I love you honey.

Life

So I suppose I have one more thing to add to 'things you don't know about me'.......

We will be having baby number 6 in June of '08. In fact this baby is due the same week as my oldest twos birthdays. We told the kids last night and they all had different reactions but all are thrilled. Devin is most worried about having enough seats in our new suburban for friends now. I told him we would work it ok. " well ok then I'm glad we get a new baby" he says. Hey everybody has their priorities.
Anyway yes, this baby was a bit of a surprise but aren't the gifts we don't expect to receive the most exciting. We are 5 weeks along and already the debate over names has begun amongst the kids. What an exciting winter we have before us.

Praise God for his miracle of life.

10 things you most likely don't know about me

Ok Ruthie here's my list........
1. Every time I walk outside and the breeze hits my face I feel like God has just kissed me.

2. I absolutely love being Catholic even though in my youth I swore I never would be.

3. I am crazy about Lilacs. I think its because they are only around for such a short time each spring.

4. My new favorite meal is a bottle of Merlot, grapes, an aged cheddar and a loaf of fresh bread with my husband of course.

5. I believe all people are good they just have to let themselves be.

6. I love my friends so much sometimes I want to call them and tell them how much but I'm afraid they will think I'm weird.

7. I can only stand to be away from my kids for two days and then I start to ache for them. (but the two days are nice)

8. I really wish I were good at something. Not just pretty good at lots of little things. I would like to be know for an excellent talent in something.

9. I envy people with a strong ethnic heritage. I wish I weren't a hodgepodge of different nations. I would love to have those traditions to look to.

10. Ok so most of you know this but I am madly in love with my husband. There isn't a moment in my day I don't think of him.


So there it is some things you may have know some maybe not. I hope you enjoy .

Homeschooling

So I have failed to mention that I am a homeschooling mom. Currently I am educating 4 of my 5 children in Religion, reading,writing and arithmetic. We cover more than that of course but that's the bones of it. Grades Pre-K thru 3rd. We did try our parish school last year but it just wasn't right. In all honesty I couldn't begin to list all the reasons that homeschooling is right but it is for us. The kids miss seeing their friends every day at school but relish in the fact that they actually have time to play, watch some TV, and do various other things they couldn't do last year because of the long school day, bus rides, and homework to be done. I love it because I love watching them learn. I bathe in the little light bulb that flashes when they know the answer. I relish when the find the courage to keep on trying when the problem is difficult and then celebrate at their hard won victory. Our children are such a beautiful gift from God. If you really think about it our time with them is so short. Look at yourself, think back to when you were a child in your parents charge. It seems like such a small portion of your life. They will grow, find their vocations, and move on. You will always be mom or dad but someone else will enter their lives and take up the space that you once inhabited in their day to day happenings. I have stopped wanting to apologize to the school for our choice. God lead me to this my vocation and I will wrap my arms around it with passion. Don't let the secular attitude of "what a pain my kids are" take residence in your heart. Drop kick it at the door. Kiss them twice as much, hug them three times as hard and tell them you love them at every beckoning the Holy Spirit sends it to you.
God Bless

My little man

So I have this little guy named Colin. He is 4 and believes himself to be indestructible. He also lives in his own little world where if he doesn't like the rules he just smiles, gives you the thumbs up and goes on his merry way to do it anyway. Problem is he is so charming that its super hard to stay mad at him long enough to punish him.

Now this leads to my story. Time: 7 pm Place: my drive way c
Colin loves vehicles. He especially like trucks. Well my hubby and I just got new trucks. My husband has a Chevy Silverado and its purtey . Colin is not supposed to play on or in the trucks.
Yeh you know where I'm goin'. Picture this ....... One cute little man standing on back bummer of truck pulling on latch to tailgate. Tailgate opens falls into one little man, knocks little man backwards onto concrete driveway. KNOCKS HIM OUT!!!!!!!!
Fast forward to er and sleepover at the hospital with mom.

Little man is ok he did fracture his noggin a little but he has been doing super good.

Problem is he doesn't want to leave the hospital. Imagine you are the fourth kid out of 5 and all of a sudden mom and dad are giving you their undivided attention, the nurses will bring you anything you want to eat and most important of all you have full control of your own remote control to the tv. If he didn't have a needle in his hand I think he would cry when we leave. (note: I'm still at the hospital)

Any way for those who know us our little man is still the ruler of his universe but maybe, just maybe he will think twice............ Yeh I know, wish full thinking.

Wow can life change fast

Yeh so I had that baby I wanted. She was born March of 06. Rose is her name and she is incredible. Ideal birth with my midwife and nursed for the first full year no problem. I did find out that I have trouble with post-partum depression and apparently anxiety issues. So hey, new approach. "Better living through drugs." that's what my hubby's doc says.

Our two older children went to private school last year but we have decided that just wasn't for us so we are back to homeschooling. I am so glad we did. It is incredible to watch and assist my kids in learning all about their world and their God. We also moved into our dream house.

So a lot can change in a year. I'm still searching but maybe now I'm looking for the best ways I can serve God and the world around me.

More on that later.