A Little Morning Hike

A last minute little hike was planned. The idea was to get up to the top of the bluff to see the sunrise.

Being that I was in the huff and puff section of the group... ok, I was the only person in the huff and puff section but one lady was kind enough to stick by me. I did notice she was breathing normally... I was hyperventilating.

But just the same it was beautiful.

I'm not a cliff dweller and am wont to say if I am called to be a martyr it is likely they will tempt me at the edge of a precipice. I've got an unholy fear of heights!

But away from the edge I truly enjoyed the views!

K-- brought Mystic Monk coffee and I brought Mystic Mother hot cocoa... I don't think I have ever had a cup of coffee in my life.

Not I am not in the picture on the edge of the cliff. I marvel anyone can smile that close to the edge.

We are going to miss you!! Adios mi amiga!

Abrupt change of topic. Remember when you had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... children and first you had the great big legos, then you had the medium sized ones and then they finally graduated to the real thing. Well, the 2 year old #9 child will simply never touch the small or medium sized ones as he has to be just like the big kids. And yes, he can put them together. I wonder if a #1 child would be able to put together little legos or if that is a skill that is learned by osmosis.

A no reason picture.

Novena to the Holy Souls Day 1

Novena to the Holy Souls DAY 1

Eternal Rest

Eternal Rest grant unto Amy, O Lord

And let Perpetual Light shine upon her.

May she rest in Peace.

Photo lovingly borrowed from Amy's Care Page

All-

Last night I asked Amy to please hold on till I could get back in the morning, I had to go and take care of the children. I said it was a selfish request and that she could go if she wanted to. Our neighbor Susanna kept vigil with her through the night. She hung on and died a holy death in my arms just past noon only moments after her brother Rick arrived. I have so much that I'd like to say but am too crushed to say more right now and I need to get back to the children who are heartbroken as I am. Thank you for carrying us this far with your prayers. Please carry us all a little further.

-Phil

Please remember Amy, her devoted husband Phil and her precious children in your prayers.

Prayers for a Holy Death

Please pray for Amy who is in her last hours/days. Here is her CARE PAGE The beauty of the internet is that you have a huge prayer chain. You learn to love people who you simply never would have known, united within the Communion of Saints. Please keep her family in your prayers as well. They have very young children who will be without their mother and a husband without his beloved wife. If God Wills that she pass on at this time, may she have a peaceful death.

Just Stuff

We were to go out to a going away dinner and someone had said they wanted to see my girls' hair down. Here you go. This is my daughter It. "Oh mommy, not on the blog!!!!"

But it is tamable.

These were the tables prior to food. I believe I had 3 different sized glasses and 3 different sized forks. I grew up setting the table with knife, fork, spoon, napkin. My boys were telling me, all to non-chalantly, how they told some certain men who were trying to teach them how to set a table properly (which they decided was novel.... why do I bother?), that we only set out a fork because we don't have enough electricity to wash all that silverware. (!!!!!) Do all mother's blush at the things their children say? I used to but by 10 children, you really have no pride left. That said, we have enough electricity, hot water etc.... what we don't have is enough money to have nice flatware swept up and tossed into the dumpster. I learned from a friend of mine who said that is exactly what they used to do when she was a kid because it was much easier than bending over and picking it up. Finally, the mystery solved. I would like to find out if we did this as a child. I'm sure not as Dad was always there to supervise dish washing.....

L-- arranged this beautiful bouquet! There are 2 things I am incapable of.... floral arrangements and cake decorating. I thought you needed to go to a special flower school to be able to put this kind of arrangement together.

Appetizers. Antipasto Salad, Antipasto Squares, Hummus with Pita Chips, Shrimp, Bread, Chips AND my friend A got to use a teeny tiny fork.

My little Soprano, who I shall now refer to as Clara since she got the lead role in the Nutcracker and Poppy. Poppy who has gotten rather unsocial and screams at tall men in black and only seems to sit near anyone who offers her ice cream.

I couldn't resist another picture of those appetizers.

This beautiful little mother was our guest of honor. She will be going back to Chile now that her son is on the mend from a long illness. She will be so missed.

And I forgot in my initial publishing of this post to mention what we had for dinner and dessert! Shame on me. We had Chicken Cannelloni, Salad, Spinach Casserole and pumpkin cheesecake, apple crisp, mint brownies, ice cream... and... I don't know what else, I am still full.

Let me tell you a little something about Spanish wine. I had it once back in June and my memory was that it is what you drink when you would like to stay awake nights. So I opted for 1/8th of an inch of said Spanish wine... do you think I slept?

The girls playing games.... or reading.

October Family Birthday Party

I have this really incredible sister-in-law who knows how to do a party. This was the candy buffet. I was very careful to stand guard to make sure none of the children ate too much candy.....!

Games Galore.

And a really neat bouncy house. Being that I had to watch all the candy I didn't take a bounce but now I really regret it.

Eowyn and cousin sweet pea. (speaking of swe' pea, I remember being very disappointed to find out swe'pea from popeye was a boy! Do people call their boys sweet pea?)

But check these desserts out. The candy corn cookies were so good.

I was mesmerized by these ones. My cell phone has a lovely crack across the front so pics are blurry but these were so neat. Those were chocolate trees with little candy leaves. Adorable.

I could not figure out how the orange sugar atop the frosting was there so smoothly.

Yes, these are cupcake scarecrows. I will admit I couldn't get the Wizard of Oz tune out of my head.... "I'llllllllllllllll wile away the hours.........if I only had a brain."

Ok, but these were too precious. I have a little thing for acorns since we used to pick them up at my old friends meme and boppy's house when I was 5. Hershey kisses with a mini vanilla wafer. They really were too cute.

And lots of other food-without-sugar.

Radically changing the subject here. But we have the best neighbors. One fine day in the middle of the night 2 dead men got up to fight.... no, actually our neighbor brought us over a pile of chopped wood. Now perhaps some would not get the significance well, then you simply don't have a woodboiler or a fire place.

Eowyn went in today for an EEG. You can see that she is very excited about this. I tried to tell her it's much better than when I was a kid as the glue was all sandy and gritty and sent chills up your spine when you tried to comb and wash it out, but she just didn't seem to get the humor in it all.

Merry came along as he has seizures too and was to be seen by the doctor. Now, he thought all those wires were pretty neat.... for the first 2 minutes. Let me tell you I was trying to take a nap and his leathery chair squeeked.... alot. It was just like trying to catch a nap at home.

Tester- What's 100-7?

Eowyn- 90-something

Me- Um... math isn't her best subject.

Bright lights and blinkies.

I kid you not we were at the hospital-clinic for 3-1/2 hours. And I forgot my Nancy Drew book. The only time I get to relish in a little Nancy Drew is when I take someone to the doctor... which seems to be rather frequent these days.

Lady Modesty would be happy to know that lunch was at Panera Bread. Merry opted for.... sit down... this is really embarrassing.... Peanut butter and Jelly. At Panera!

There is another funny thing about taking children whose confessors and good friends-who-are-ladies insist that they always eat what they are served.... even vegetables............

Me: What would you like to eat?

Eowyn: I don't know.

Me: But what would you like? You can choose whatever you'd like.

Eowyn: I'll eat whatever I'm served.