Saint Patrick's Day

Last year we got so lucky for St. Patrick's Day; it was about 65 degrees and sunny!  This year, not so much. It was cold, windy and drizzly.  The rain held off until the very end of the girls' performance, but overall, it was not a pleasant day. I guess that is my excuse for not getting a lot of pictures :).  It was Molly Grace and cousin Margaret's very first time on stage.  They were very poised and confident. Next time I'll try to get better photos!

Molly Grace, dancing the jig

Molly Grace, far left, getting ready to dance.  Margaret, far right with a smile on her face (just above the head in the way)

Here we ALL are, piling in the Suburban to drive back to the beginning of the parade.  Funny how the camera focused on the beer bottle.  LOL.  Just kidding....it's actually ROOTbeer. 

Stylin' Time

Molly Grace and Erin recently got some stylin hairdos. It was Erin first real haircut. She really screamed whenever I tried to cut it, so I was quite doubtful that she'd sit still for someone she didn't even know. She proved me wrong! She did beautifully, thankfully, with no problems.

The before...

 

 

 And the after...

  

And Molly Grace loved her new style, with braid and pixie dust

Happy 18th Birthday Moira!!!

Moira had a really special 18th birthday celebration!  Ever since she was quite young, we have tried to get together with Father Eric on April 4th, because they share a birthday on this day!  This year, Father Eric turned 50, so it called for a grand party.  Father, Pastor of Saint Paul's at UW Madison, planned a big birthday bash and we celebrated with his friends, our families, many of his students there, and some of our long-time friends from Madison. (I do have more pictures coming...)

The following day, we headed back to Green Bay so Moira could vote for the first time!


It sure is amazing having an 18 year old!  Moira is a fabulous daughter.  She has made us so very proud over the years....and she will continue to share her gifts with the world.  She plans to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville next fall to study nursing.

We love you very much, Moira!!!


Here is blast from the past....Moira and her cousin Owen (who turned 18 in December).  I believe they are age 5 here.  Wow, does time fly!  God bless you both, Moira and Owen!!!

French Toast

Molly Grace:  Mom, you know that French toast?  Well, I can't really taste the French....only the toast. :)

Nothinbuttrouble!

See this...

If I had a nickle for every time this child pulled the books off the shelf.....

There is supposed to be an order to these school books, arranged by grade or time period in history. I pick them up, racking my brain, over and over....which book goes on which shelf?  Which book is Greek history? Roman history?  Is this a third grade book or a fourth grade book? 



In the end, I really don't think he cares about my troubles.  In fact, I am sure he does not care.  He sure provides me with some job security now, doesn't he?!  Somebody's always gotta be pickin' up the books!

Little Princess

Erin taking a little time off princess duty to enjoy a good book!

Mismatched Socks

Collecting mismatched socks is a very common activity around here. Who in their right mind wants to sort through dozens of socks, unless they want to work on taking time off purgatory? It IS a good job for kids between the ages of about 5 and 8, but then, they are not always in their right mind :). I wish I could say that I have a cute little basket that sits atop my dryer, collecting mismatched socks. Ha ha. In reality, it's more like a full-sized laundry basket! Every once in a while, I throw the whole batch of mismatched socks in the trash. Talk about liberating! I just love to do that. In the meantime, in between washings, we just do our best at finding our matched socks. In this house, if you are over age four, you are on your own. Good luck. Thankfully, we do okay, on most days, because we have learned where to find all the best sock hiding places. Other days we might find the right colors....and that is good enough. Once in a great while, you may find that your socks actually DO match, as long as you are standing next to another sibling with similar mismatched socks. Together, they really do make a great pair!

Welcome Home, Lombardi Trophy!

As you can see, I'm still quite behind on blogging...Better late than never, I say!

Moira loves her job. In February, she had a very fun opportunity (employee perks!) to get a little photo op with the Lombardi trophy! Yes, this is the real deal! The replicas will go behind the glass case, which you can see in some of the photos.

Moira is counting her blessings that she was able to be an employee during this Superbowl season.  What a great opportunity it has been!  Did I mention that she LOVES her job?

Nine Good Reasons to Smile Today!

Thanks for making the cyber card, kiddos!

Happy Down Syndrome Day!

Check out this beautiful video my friend Diane made for the IDSC for Life! Yes, you can see Erin at about 1:52 :) Feel free to pass it around and share it!