Saint Patrick's Day {2013}

These three lovely ladies danced for the local news crew in Green Bay on Saint Patricks day.

Florida in February

Last February, Eileen, Cousin Colleen and Bridget went to visit Grandma and Grandpa McKillen at their place in Florida.  They had SUCH a blast.  Lots of memories to hold onto!

Father-Daughter Dance

I'm not sure what they're looking at?

Smallest turnout yet!  Mike has only three of his six daughters!

Glamor shot of MGD

Glamor shot of Teresa

Sweet 16 for Bridet

It's hard to believe you're already 16, Bridge!  You are such a joy and we love you so very much!!!

Bridget's Beta Fish Proposal

Bridget was asked to write a proposal for her natural science project.  Here is what she came up with (it may need just a tad bit of tweaking, but she received bonus points because she accomplished her goal AND made me laugh!):

  My Beta Fish Proposal

Over the course of twelve weeks, I will be experimenting on four helpless, insignificant, $1 Beta fish.  I will get two males and two females.  Hopefully we will have no double cousins on our hands.  I have never taken the course to become certified as a midwife for female fish and their hundreds of eggs that some people find enjoyable to eat. 

My goal is to figure out why the males fight.  There are two females, probably equally pretty in their eyes, so I currently do not know why they fight.

The syllabus tells me to call them Male #1, Male #2, Female #3 and Female #4.  But due to the dullness of calling animals numbers, and the heartless, ungrateful disrespect to God's creations, I will call them by their own names.  I will give those details later because I cannot find suitable names if I haven't bought them yet.

Over the weeks, and reluctant cleaning-out of their little bowls, I will be putting different fish in different bowls with another fish or two.  They will either try to party, mate or kill each other.  And that is why I chose to experiment on the fish (not only because I'm poor and can't afford anything expensive and my parents won't let me get a dog).  I think it will be interesting to see the fish amount to something, or die trying.

Time to get that girl a working alarm clock!

This little message was in my inbox early this morning:



This is your guardian angel. Please wake Bridget up at 7:00 AM. She has an early class. Amen. Hallelujah.


How appropriate for the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels!  :)

Our January babies....

.....are not babies anymore!  Eileen and Bridget turned 17 and 15 in January.  I'm late getting some pictures on the blog because those January birthdays always sneak up on us!

Here's beautiful Eileen, who had to wait another month, to the day, to get her braces off.   I'll have to get a picture with her new grin, full of shiny straight teeth!  Happy birthday, Eileen!

 

Here's beautiful Bridget, our 15 year old.  She was finally able to have a little party with a few friends over to celebrate her birthday, just this past weekend.  Happy birthday, Bridget!

Happy Birthday Molly Grace!!!

On November 20th, our sweet Molly Grace turned 8!  She is quickly becoming a "big kid".  In fact, I cannot remember the last time we referred to her as one of the  "little ones".

Molly Grace is such a joy!  She has a sensitive heart.  She is easy to please and easy to offend, all at the same time.  She is in second grade and enjoys her school work.  She loves to play dress-up and perform in plays with her sisters and neighbor friends.  She especially loves to spend time with her cousin, Margaret, at every opportunity!  They are as close as sisters could ever be. She has joined her older sisters in the ranks of Irish dancers and seems to have a natural talent for jigs and reels.

Molly Grace never ever goes to bed without giving her parents each a hug, followed by "Sleep good, I love you, God bless you".  Yep...every single night! 

Molly Grace with cousin and best friend, Margaret

I remember the night before Molly Grace was born. Mike and I went to Margareta's to have some Mexican food (I was desperate to try anything, spicy food included, to induce labor). Just as I went to bed late that night, I felt the first contraction.  Because my labors are marathons, I didn't get to the hospital till late the next afternoon.  She was born shortly after arrival!

Kids' birthdays are as much celebration for the mom, as for the child, aren't they?  Here I go, reminiscing, on our special day...

Molly Grace's birth was a breeze...truly, a piece of cake.  I can honestly say I felt no pain...(thank you epidural!).  Seamus was the only other child who had as easy of a birth (Erin was a close third).  Interestingly, while Molly Grace and Seamus' birth was super easy, they were my most challenging babies. We have often said that Molly Grace stopped crying when she turned two.  LOL  Yes, she was a particularly fussy baby, and most of the time life was not going the way she pleased.  She cried, a lot.

But here she is, eight years later, as sweet as sweet can be!  She is growing up and she loves life!

Molly Grace wanted an old cell phone (that doesn't work) for her birthday.

Thank you Best Buy!  Cost:  FREE

Molly Grace has always had what we call an adorable Boston accent.  She does not say her "r"s.  Someday soon she will, but for now, we enjoy her charming "accent". It adds to her adowable chaaam!


For Molly Grace's party, all the Green Bay cousins came over to celebrate.  Bridget, Teresa and cousin Colleen put together a little treasure hunt, which was a blast!  They wrote the following riddle clue, which Molly Grace had to figure out.  It led everyone all throughout the house.

Clue 1:  

Welcome to the Treasure Hunt Game!  

Find the clues, and seven presents you'll gain!  

The game has begun,

This is clue one!

Now go to the fragile glass,

That jingles when you walk past.

The first present was found in the hutch with jiggly glass doors

Clue 2

Good for you!

This is clue two!

When you're hot from the sun, where do you play?

At the pool of course, so go down there today!

Present two was found hiding inside the pool table

Clue 3

This is clue three,

Way to go!  Yippee!

Since it is dry, 

She can fly!

The walls are torn down

So no water can be found.

This clue led Molly Grace to the upstairs bathroom (it is "dry" and the walls are "torn down" because we are replacing the tile in the bathtub)

Clue 4

Great job!  You score!

This is clue four!

Call it a fridge if you dare

But if you look hard, clue five is in there (and a chair)

This clue led to a chair on our sun-porch (our natural fridge in the wintertime)

Clue 5

You're looking alive!

This is clue five!

Go to the stairs and walk up five, and down two, then down three

Look to your left, who do you see?

This clue led to the pictures we have hanging in our stairway (the 6th clue was hiding behind her own picture hanging and the present was hiding behind a mega pack of toilet paper, sitting in the hallway LOL) 

Clue 6

You're getting through this in a kick!

This is clue six!

What is the fairy who collects the teeth?

Where does she go when you're asleep?

Molly Grace found the final present (the sixth fairy doll) under her own pillow. 

It was a lot of fun!  Thank you, Bridget, Teresa and Colleen for organizing such a fun treasure hunt!  One more special note I want to mention.......as kids of all ages ran though the house finding clues and presents, Erin couldn't keep up, even though she was SO in on the fun.  Cousin Conal, without being told, picked her up and carried her around on his back, making sure she could see all that was happening.  What a great kid!  She is so happy to have such awesome cousins!

After the treasure hunt, we all had cake, which Eileen custom made for Molly Grace. What a great birthday.  We love you Molly Grace!!! (Nice smile, Erin)

FUS Homecoming Weekend

Eileen, Bridget and cousin Colleen were able to travel with Grandma and Grandpa D to Steubenville in early October. It was so nice for Moira to see some family members! They didn't get too many pictures, but here's a little glimpse into their loooong car ride.

This picture cracks me up because both Bridget and Colleen love love love to read.  Here they are, using their mp3 players as little lights, so they could continue reading after dark.

Bridget's Last Hurrah of Summer Vacation

Bridget had a get together with some of her friends just before we started school in September.  They decided to go bowling...and go geek.  I think they did a fine job at geekdom, don't you?

Theresa, Kathryn, Christine and Bridget

Root beer never tasted so good....

They even had code names.  Looks like Bern is way ahead of the pack!

Aren't they a grand little group?  You betcha!

Beautiful girls, inside and out!

The geeks girls then had a sleep over....

...in a camper!

They really had a great time.  Thank you, Theresa (and of course your parents), for having the grand, geeky last hurrah of summer. 



Oh, and just so you know, the girls were sooooooo excited to start school the next week.  If you don't believe me,  just check out this video.  Some smart person captured it on film!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com