Random Pictures

A friend of mine is letting me borrow her Kelty hiking back pack for our pilgrimage coming up so I thought I'd try it out.  Kili loved it. I felt like a pack mule.  Aragorn thought the pack was an elephant ride carrier.  The picture doesn't do this contraption justice as in reality the baby seems way high above my head. The thing is great and didn't give me any back pain... yet.

Purple Belts

 My 6 taking Karate passed to purple belt.

Friends graduated to Yellow Belts!

Purple belts can graduate to black uniforms.

Family Reunion 2

 I'm not sure when "getting together with family" turns into a "family reunion" but this seemed like a "family reunion" even though we all live within an hour of each other.  Life gets busy with large families so it's great when everyone can take a day to just get together and in my case get caught up in who's who.

 Just everyone.

I hope it was alright to post this picture but it was so "cool" I couldn't resist.  Celebration of 12 happy years and 6 children. Beautiful!

Just Hanging Around

 A contemplative sleeping moment.

 Always living on the edge.

 Kili has only fallen in two times and this was not one of the times.

 He changed his mind to boldness in getting into the pool and opted for some good ol' milk instead.  I know, "gotta" get rid of the bottles. I loathe bottles, but life presents itself as it does....

 Marigold just pointing out that she is the queen of the crushed-black-top mountain... I guess.

 I think the 2nd story to quarter barn is actually turning into a club house.

 Adding on a greenhouse to the end of the quarter barn.

 One summer project included sorting and organizing a plethora of choir music for both choirs... or a throne for Kili, however you want to look at it.

 Cashing in scoopie tokens.

 Afternoon at a local lake.

 Frodo's cat had another batch of kittens.

 Creating tidal waves in the pool.

Lots of cranes in the area this year and I'm thoroughly enjoying them. They are such grand creatures.

Masses

 We had the privilege to attend a Solemn High Mass for the diocesan seminarians.  I don't know but that was really a splendid experience.

 Merry served a Low Mass for the first time.  He did  a great job!

We also attended the Bishop's Pontifical High Mass for Assumption.  Sam served as book bearer and Frodo as a torch bearer.  I think in this time of social media-everything that there is precious little that is any longer awe-inspiring as everything and everybody is just common.  But to be at a Mass with a Bishop who is in direct lineage with the Apostles is something we need to remind ourselves of.... rather than every fault and failing that flies around from person to person, whether true or false, with a mere push of a button.  When I think of a bishop I always think of St. Athanasius.  So whether a bishop is a St. Athanasius or not... he is still a BISHOP. We are very blessed with our bishop, deo gratias!

Happy Birthday Poppy

Happy 5th Birthday Poppy!

Our cake decorating skills have not vastly improved, none of us have yet to be capable of frosting, and since we were missing ingredients for the requested cheese cake, Costco provided a very highly sugar-laden (sorry Deborah) cake (it might be noted here and now that I don't like frosting). It might be noted that these cakes are so huge that even with large pieces we only can eat 1/2 of one of these. 

Poppy requested pepperoni pizza. And for dinner out, she has requested... hello? McDonald's?! We NEVER go to McDonald's (parts is parts) so I'm not sure where she got that other than that everyone knows what a big yellow alluring "M" is. Needless to say she won't be going there.  Since Eowyn's birthday is just a few days after Poppy's they will combine (bringing Galadriel as well as E&G don't go to their dinners without each other... that would be weird).  I believe they want to go to "Journey" which is an all you can eat sushi and seafood bar (chicken is also seafood in case you were wondering).  I really think it should be "seefood" as there is everything... the little round sugar coated (sorry Deborah) donuts are the best.  

A Favorite Blog

In case anyone else has wondered where my favorite blogger went to.... she's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack in The Stinky Kitchen. (which made me wonder if she had been in MY kitchen recently...)  And if anyone is wondering where no one's favorite blogger went to, my phone is accumulating pictures galore but I have several full time jobs: teacher and principal in a one-room school house grades pre-k to 12, guidance counselor, day care provider for toddlers, taxi driver, hall monitor for one of our homeschooling groups that shuffles 130 children through the halls on a weekly basis because my homeschooled children aren't socialized, choir attendee and music shuffler (read:  side-kick flunkie for a very awesome organist), CEO of our stinky kitchen, night-shift manager of waking zombies ... amongst other things.