Off the list

Sorry folks, but I just can't keep up these days, and I am taking blogging off the mental to do list for a while. Although I would love to keep those of you who faithfully check in to see if we have any updates updated, I just can't right now. It kind of feels like we are going through a "growth spurt;" some 'this is getting old' behavior challenges mixed with some pain/body issues for me with a side of the emotional roller coaster of adolescence (Elizabeth will be 13 the end of the month; yikes). I will hold on to our motto that challenges and suffering bring great blessings and will wait this stormy patch out. Enjoy the rest of summer.

Words will have to be enough

I have been putting off posting because I cannot get my pictures to load to from my camera to my computer. It was always so simple to just put my memory stick in the computer, a little prompt popped up, and I downloaded the pictures. Now, nothing pops up when I put the memory stick in, and I cannot figure out how to download them any other way. Any suggestions? I so dislike being so computer illiterate.

So, I am sorry to say, this will have to be a words update only. Sorry if it feels like I jump around a lot.

First, Kristina and Mark had a beautiful wedding. No wedding goes off without any glitches, but despite those that arose, it was a great day. She looked stunning! The whole family looked amazing.

Gabriella has new glasses and looks adorable. Her right eye is still not as strong as the Dr would like, so we have begun patching her left eye to try to strengthen it up. She does OK with it. Wow, she is an phase and quite a handful when she is upset! She has done so much growing, and turning 6 has thrown her for a loop I think.

I also have new glasses. I went to the eye Dr because I was starting to do that pull the paper away from you thing. Man did she make me feel old. I am on the verge of needing bifocals, and I also have cataracts on both my eyes. I just got the glasses yesterday, and am trying to get used to them.

Paul turned 39 yesterday. The kids and I had a fun time planning a picnic/campfire theme. I made all the fun BBQ food he likes, made a smore cake; yes, it looked like a smore with marshmallow creme and everything, and we got him a small fire pit for the front  yard. The kids and him had a fire while I made dinner. We ate outside, had some cake, and then watched Tim Hawkins' DVD called Full Range of Motion and laughed until we almost threw up our cake. Our goal was to make him feel loved and special, which was achieved.  I know because as I kissed him goodnight, he said he felt it.

Madalena is 7 months old. What an absolute joy she is. She is crawling and getting everywhere, and her personality is something else. She loves to laugh and make everyone smile. No teeth yet which is fine by me, but I can tell they are close.

George is a little menace. He can get anywhere and get into anything with stealth speed and silence. he is constantly disappearing, and can hide with such silence, you can search the whole house and yard over without finding him; we have to say something intriguing to him before he will jump out at you and say with a smirk, "Here I am."  We have resorted to hiding our car keys because he likes to get himself and Cecilia all buckled in and start the car. This little guy is going to drive me to the loony bin single handedly. My dad says he is going to where our his guardian angel by the time he is 5.

Cecilia is George's little side kick, and between the two of them I can go from one little act of independence and curiosity to the next all day long. While I clean up one thing, they are creating a new mess somewhere else. Some days I feel like a hamster stuck in the wheel. The connive and plan together; I find stashes of things they have snuck everywhere. It is truly a blessing from God that they are all so cute!

Elizabeth and Olivia are fulling embracing adolescence. Puberty is so much fun. Just when you think you have figure out your child, puberty comes along and laughs in your face and throws everything out of whack. I can go from the best mom in the world to the worst in 5 second flat. Life can go from so amazing to "is this all there is" even quicker. All part of the journey I know, and I love them dearly. They are becoming beautiful young ladies.

Pauly continues to have his mentor and is gearing up to turn the big 10 next month. He is doing well and is so happy that he can be outside so much. He continues to be a super Lego lover and is always creating something just amazing.

The school year has ended, but of course there will be some stuff here and there throughout the summer, especially for Gabriella who is so much like Pauly when it comes to homework and anything new. She likes the idea of homework but not the work of it. It will come. Sometime I complain to the Lord asking Him why He had to give me such strong willed children. He assures me that He knows what He is doing, and I praise Him for the strong leaders they will be when they are grown.

Lastly, we have a new addition to the family to announce. Hazel, a  beautiful gray, green eyed kitten has joined our home. We said we would never be an animal home again, but she just kind of fell into our laps, and we have fallen in love with her. So far, it is NOTHING like having a dog, and we are doing very well. She is a happy kitty, and we are happy to have her.

Going to the Chapel...

... and she's gonna get married!

 My dear friend Kristina, who lost her husband Paul almost 4 years ago - may he rest in peace, is getting married to a wonderful man, Mark, tomorrow. I have the privilege to be her matron-of-honor.

Today is rehearsal day. This morning I am making the cake for the rehearsal dinner party, and then I am heading to the reception site to decorate and hopefully get as giddy as school girls that tomorrow is the big day.

Please offer up a prayer or two for them and her 5 children who will be forming a new union, a family bonded in the love of Christ. Please, if you could, also say a prayer for my kiddos who will be without their mama and daddy for a large portion of the next two days. They will be in the great and very capable hands of my niece Carmen.

Ready, Set, Train

Yup, I'm in training; sounds extra exciting right? Really, I am exercising with a plan and purpose. I am using the site www.coolrunning.com : the couch-to-5K schedule. The three oldest want to train with me, so yesterday we all biked, and this morning we did our first walk/jog workout. It went pretty smooth. I realized that although you may never forget how to ride a bike, your butt sure doesn't feel as good on it as it used to, but that could also be related to the size of my derriere now vs then.

 I was riding my old Schwinn and was feeling a little uneasy, so I finally switched with Olivia because she has the wider tires, and I was so afraid this big mama was going to tip over on such skinny wheels. That would be a site they don't need to witness. It was nice to feel the wind in my face and look around our beautiful country side; so green!

This morning, I got up early with the assistance of a certain bright eyed beauty, said my prayers and then headed out the door with Elizabeth at 6:40; Olivia was "in charge" and holding down the fort. Now, anyone who knows Elizabeth knows she doesn't like to get up early, but for the sake of saving babies- she will. We had a great time together listening to the morning sounds and talking. We returned about 7, had our breakfast,  I nursed Madalena, and then Olivia, Pauly, and I headed out the door for our 20 minute walk/jog. Again, we had such a nice time laughing and talking together. I think I am going to really enjoy our time together. I am hoping my body holds up! It felt so good to move it.

I meet with a gal tonight who is I think leader of the Twin Cities chapter for LIFE Runners. I am so glad because we can combine efforts and have a stronger, more active, and more fruitful chapter. She has a lot of ideas and more time to plan things because her children are all grown; I think our first marathon will be a 5K in August. Wow, I never thought I would type those words. Wonders never cease.

For now I feel proud and excited, and I hope this proves to be God's answer to a lot of prayers. I am really ready to be a healthy mama, and the running should definitely help me keep up better with my ever active children.

LIFE Runners

My family and I are getting involved in a GREAT pro life ministry. LIFE Runners is an group of people around the country who run/walk to raise money to save the unborn. Their motto is about redemptive running, so all the aches and pains of training and running the actual marathons is offered up as a prayer to save lives.

I am not currently a runner, but I have been praying that God would send my something outside of my own "wants" for weight loss that would motivate me to get healthy; I should have plenty of suffering to offer up. The website is www.liferunners.org. They have all the information you could want- what their mission is, how to train, etc. The three oldest kids want to train with me. I think our first race will be a 5K in August. And just so you know, I met a woman who ran/walked her first half marathon last Oct.; her six year old participated as did a 71 year old woman- impressive!

If any of you are in the Twin Cities or St. Cloud area, this chapter would love to have you join. Other than the running, we will also do other outreach activities such as praying outside Planned Parenthood locations. Please let me know if you would like to join us and our efforts to save lives.

Beauty of Mathematics

We The People- Spread the Word

All Together Again

This mama's heart is full of joy this morning. All my children are together- our family is whole again. Thank you for your prayers for all of us. The retreat was a huge success; Paul had a great weekend with the littles, and the big kids had a fantastic time in our Nation's capital. We will all be processing and talking about it for quite some time. God is so good!

Good Grief!!!!

I know I should post an update and praise report about my retreat, but at the moment I am ramped up after taking the kiddos to the Dr.

I just can't believe all the dos and don'ts that they give you at well child checks now. The developmental paperwork/questionnaire that they have you fill out is RIDICULOUS. I think I filled out almost 10 pages for Madalena, and she is only 6 months old. Then the Dr dutifully scans my answers counting my responses, then looks at me and says, "she passed." DUH! I paid to have him tell me she is right on track. I know I choose to take her; I choose to make sure my children are healthy. What I am not choosing is to have Big Brother or the American Pediatrics Association tell me what to do as a mother!

Every time I go, I am told at least 1 more thing I have to stop doing as a mother. They are so worried about childhood obesity; please don't misunderstand me, I know it is a problem, and I know he is just doing his job, but come on- look around- non of my children are remotely obese. I mean, I'm supposed to wean Madalena from from her pacifier because it's benefit at reducing SIDS is over, so there is no other benefit to it. I am supposed to get her off the bottle by 9 months and switch to a sippy cup because it is proven to reduce obesity. Well, I have my own little study group right here, and I say ****.  I am supposed to buy these certain plates that show correct portions. They ask if we eat at least one meal together, do we do this and do we do that? They tell me that the kids should have less that 2 hours of television or visual electronic exposure but also tell me to minimize how much time they spend out doors. They tell me that I really should vaccinate my big girls against sexually transmitted diseases because you know teaching abstinence is good, but the likelihood that they will choose it is small. It is no wonder I am always second guessing what I do; I'm done feeling inadequate to raise my children. And all this comes from the same places that say it's OK to kill our babies as long as they haven't been born yet. Oh- you care about their well being, but only once they are born. MESSED UP! These are the same people who never ask anything about our spiritual health- like do we have a place of worship, anything that guides us and brings us security. We put our trust in them instead of the SUPREME one who actually loves us beyond comprehension.

Bit by bit, they are stripping us of any confidence or innate sense of mothering that we have. We were born to do this people- I was born to be a MOTHER, physically or spiritually- I was born wired to do this! God designed us women to raise, nurture, and love our children and people in general. I never wanted to entertain the radical idea that we are becoming more and more of a communist, dictatorship community, but I dare say it isn't looking good. I was naive to think they had my best interest at heart; I now pick and choose - I discern what I take and what I leave! We need to wake up and take back what is ours- our  FAMILY and our INDIVIDUALITY.

I am so thankful for my faith. I am so thankful that I have the security of knowing that the jaws of hell will never prevail over us. But if, we do not mobilize and start speaking up for our views, our values- we could have our own piece of hell on earth.

Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh- pray for us. St. Michael- defend and protect us.

Prayer Requests

Please say a few prayers for us and maybe offer up some of your sufferings and joys for our intentions...
     - for me and my retreat this weekend: I am leading it!
     - for my 3 oldest children, Elizabeth, Olivia, and Pauly who are in DC for an entire week with my sister and her husband; they are staying with my other sister and her husband.
     - for my hubby who will be home with the 4 youngest including Madalena who just turned 6 months. This will be my first time away from her; wowza.

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit!!!!!

Look at this sweet smile

Simeon's mama posted some pictures. Doesn't he look amazing? Thanks be to God for his mercy.

Update of baby Simeon

Thank God, there was finally an update from Simeon's mama. His surgery went well and was a success, but the little guy is in a lot of pain. She says he is on Tylenol, but the pain is still pretty intense which is effects his eating. Please continue to pray for his physical healing and for his family, especially his mama.

God, please give all the strength and grace needed to this precious family. Blessed Mother, pray for your children.

Please pray for this sweet little man

Little Simeon is 4 months old and is having surgery tomorrow morning, May 4th, at 7:30am to correct his cleft lip and palate. He comes from an amazing family; they have so much love for the Lord and for each other. They are beautiful, and as you can imagine a little nervous. The surgery will last 3-4 hours. His mother, Jamie, has entrusted him to Our Lady of Lourdes. Please join in praying that Our Divine Physician will be the hands and hearts of all those who will care for little Simeon, and please pray for his family. More can be found out about their story at www.makemeasaint.blogspot.com .

*correction- his surgery is only for the cleft lip, surgery for his palate will be when he is 12 months old.

Divine Mercy Sunday

For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

 Jesus, I trust in You!

MY REDEEMER LIVES

He is risen!!! Alleluia!!! Happy Easter!!!

Will you deny Him?

  

Let us not deny His suffering and pure love for us. We owe him everything.

We adore Your and we praise you Lord because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

O blood and water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

I'm not ready

Call me crazy, but I am not ready for 70 degree weather. I am probably one of the only Minnesotans complaining about the nice weather, but it's not really the weather that has me upset, it is all the work that goes along with it. I am not prepared with summer clothes for the kids, and I am not prepared to be in summer clothes myself. I am not prepared for all the sand and dirt. I am not prepared for the slamming of doors and kids willy nilly going in and out as they please. I am not prepared for them to be more than an arms length or quick sprint away from me when they decide to bicker and fight; yes, I have a few fighters at the moment. Ugh!  Hopefully, you are enjoying the weather more than I am.

You Are Loved

Dear Child:

I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are because there is a father of lies who will try to deceive you. He will try to tell you that you are not good enough, not attractive enough, not thin enough, not strong enough, not smart enough, not righteous enough, and that you are simply unimportant to Me.

He will try to tell you that you have broken one too many promises, that you have fallen one too many times, that you have lived one too many lies, and that you've been going in the wrong direction so long that it is pointless to turn back now. But guess what?

YOU DO NOT BELONG TO HIM. HE IS NOT YOUR FATHER.

I AM.

You see, you are My creation. My workmanship. You have been borne of My thought, every part of you placed together by My hands. You have My thumbprint upon you. You are a princess, did you know that? You are My child, the child of THE King!

I look at you and see a precious, priceless pearl. There is no ocean I would not swim, no mountain I would not climb, no price I would not pay to have you and to be with you and call you My own.

I already have.

I have done all that I could, given all that there is. I desire to be with you every moment of every day. How I long for you to talk to Me every day. My love for you never grows cold. My promises are never broken (contrary to what he might lead you to believe). My character never changes. And you, my child have been made in My image.

I love you dearly, unconditionally and completely. I understand every emotion that you have. I've been there. I count every tear that you cry.

And do you know what?

I even know your weaknesses and your failures and your fears. I know those hidden parts of you that you wish would go away. Those dark corners of your world that you stuff deep down, praying that no one will ever see. I have already seen them and they will not change my love for you.

Nothing will.

I love your heart and I desire all of it.

I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are and how precious you are to Me.

With Unmeasurable Love,
Your Heavenly Father

(Author Unknown)

Wishing...

I could sleep like this...

Health Update

The kids are all doing much better; still a lot of coughing and nose blowing going on, but it is getting better. I have caught the bug, but not yet as bad as they have had it. It is so hard when they all start to feel better and begin to resume their usual high energy, high noise activities. Although they are recovered, I on the other hand have not, and now there is tons to catch up on. I don't even know where to begin. If anyone would like to come and clean my house and maybe organize it while you are at it, I would gladly let you. Oh and can you dip the house in disinfectant while you are at it? I will survive, I will survive, I will survive.....

And, another trip to our favorite places

This time it was a whole family affair- Dad and all took an early trip to the clinic this morning. The kids just aren't getting better and several began complaining of ear pain and other symptoms like headaches and dizziness, so I called the pediatrician to see if he would have pity on us and just prescribe some antibiotics. Aren't they on antibiotics you ask? Well, yes and no. He is a self proclaimed tree hugger and is extremely conservative with medicating children, which I like usually, so he originally went with a medication that targets only the strep virus thinking they all had strep; that way good bacteria wouldn't be killed with the bad thereby weakening their immune system. Can you say, BACKFIRE!

To my dismay, he wanted to see them all. Paul returned home from early Mass at 8:30, and I informed him that we all had 9:00 appointments. It went pretty smooth getting them all out the door, except Gabriella who was having a tough time. I tried to encourage her by telling her she was doing awesome, and she emphatically responded with a, "I am not doing awesome!!!" Off we went. I wish I would have had a camera. The receptionists were all abuzz as they saw us walk in the door. I didn't even need to say the name, they just knew. Our Dr is amazing; he handled them all with amazing grace and humor; the kids love him. We lined them up like the VonTrapps oldest to youngest as the Dr went down the line one by one listening to their lungs, checking their ears and throats; they even flipped on cue, so he could listen to their back sides. Cecilia was so patient as she watched each before her until it was her turn. We giggled a lot in that tiny room. He also did a complimentary recheck on Madalena; she is the only one getting better. Can't wait to see our bill for all this.

Pauly was the only one with an ear infection to my surprise, but the Dr diagnosed them all with sinus infections due to the duration of their symptoms. So, back to the pharmacy I went. I am a celebrity there too. They too know me by name and give me plenty of encouragement that "this too shall pass." Yes, thank you, but I wish it would pass already.

Happy Lent- we are off to a good start; how about you?

Cheers!

We are doing better today. There is still a lot of coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing, but the virus is at least moving and on its way out. Miss Madalena has had bright eyes and smiles for us which is soooo wonderful to see. I have only had to give her a couple nebulizer treatments which is better than previous when I was doing it every 4 hours. Cecilia said the cutes thing when her and Gabriella were taking their medicine; she looked at Gabriella and said "Cheers" as she toasted her medicine shooter. Today, I caught all three littles toasting each other. Cheers- here's to good health.

Back to the doctor we go

Madalena woke up this morning about 4 and had a really bad coughing spell. She felt very warm to me, so I took her temp., and it was at 102. I gave her some Tylenol, and thankfully, she stopped coughing after about 45 minutes and fell asleep. Her fever came down, and I talked to the doctor. He wasn't able to see her until the afternoon, but I was fine with that since she had stabilized. Turns out she has a double ear infection. The ER doctor probably should have caught it, but he didn't take the time to clean out the wax which was in the way of seeing her red and bulging ear drums. She is now on on antibiotics and Tylenol for the pain. I am hoping that this is our last trip to the doctor for a while, and I am really hoping that they all feel better quickly.

A trip to the E.R.

Yesterday was a tough day for the sickies, and Madalena also got worse. I called Paul home from work early in the morning because I just didn't want to be alone. Madalena was very labored in her breathing and was coughing and choking a lot. We kept a close eye on her waiting to see if she got a fever. Around 3:30 she came down with a fever, so we headed to Urgent Care. Because of her age, they sent us to the ER. She had to have a chest x-ray which is the worst for a parent to watch; they put her in this contraption that totally pins her in with her arms above her head. Thankfully, Paul came with me because I had to leave the room. Long story short, she has  RSV with a touch of pneumonia. The Respiratory Therapist gave her an nebulizer treatment which she responded to very well. Because she reacted so well, and because her oxygen levels were so good, and also because we are "experienced parents," the Dr felt comfortable sending us home with meds for nebulizing her at home.

She is doing well with the treatments and had a decent night sleep. Her breathing is so much better after a treatment, and she doesn't spend as long recovering from her coughing jags. The Dr said this could go on for weeks since there is not antibiotic for RSV.

George and Cecilia still have a terrible cough and had a pretty rough night. Paul is staying home again, so I have extra hands and emotional support. We thank you for your healing prayers.

Sick Ward or Looney Bin?

BOTH!!!! It has been a tough day; lots of very cranky sick children and one very overwhelmed mama. Paul was not prepared for the amazon woman who greeted him as he entered the house after work; mind you I have never raised my voice in anger toward him. I think I may have been temporarily possessed. He asked how I was, and I just yelled "I'm angry!" He asked if I cared to elaborate, so yelled and emphatic, "No, I'm just angry and I'm tired!" He swallowed hard, put his head down, and began to work around the house. I know he was praying for me because as I sat down on the couch with the baby, I just started to cry; I felt the anger leave me, and thank the Lord Meredith returned. We will survive, we will survive, we will survive.

Here are a few pics from this evening. I have talked to a Dr more times in the last few days than in the last year; I feel like a newbie mom. I guess that proves you never outgrow worrying about your babies when they are sick. We are keeping a very close eye on Madalena. If she comes down with a fever, we will have to bring her in for possible RSV, but for now she is just a pitiful ray of sunshine. Don't ask me why George fell asleep with a spatula in his hand.

I should be in bed, but instead...

I am awake, sitting with my feet up in the quiet house and having some ice cream. In my world today, the 3 littlest kiddos got shots for croup and all, but Madalena, of the kids got put on medication for strep throat; it was nearly a 3 hour ordeal by the time we were done with the clinic and then picking up the prescriptions. This is one of the few times I really realize how many children we indeed have. We are generally a healthy bunch, but when we do it, we do it big, and NO there is not a buy-by-the gallon option or discount for so many of the same medication. I am hoping for a better night sleep than last night;  I am just so concerned about them, especially the baby, and feel like I sleep in a state of alert ready to dart into action if needed.

The other big deal of my day was confirming a date for a women's retreat that I have been asked to lead and put on. Yes, that's right, this mother of seven is planning a retreat and is darn excited about it.  I have such a passion for the Catholic faith and Church, and now God is giving me an opportunity to hopefully inspire, motivate, and convict other women about the beauty of our faith. It will be in May. I have a lot to learn and  do before then, but I am really looking forward to the opportunity to use some of my other talents. I will post more later just in case any one around town here might be interested.

Sorry there haven't been pictures for a while. I am a terribly inconsistent blogger.

Happy Valentine's Day

So it only took 17 years and 7 children, but my sweet husband surprised me for the first time tonight with a very romantic, candlelight dinner for two. I was away at church for my Adoration hour, and when I arrived home, the house was quiet and lite up with candles. I walked into the kitchen to find my hubby sitting at the table set for two with roses, candles, wine, and a steak dinner. Where were the kids you ask? Already fed and downstairs watching a new movie. We had a very peaceful dinner. And for dessert, he and the girls made chocolate strawberries. I love him so much.  He is full of surprises!

A sad day for Cecilia and a tough night for Daddy

All of Cecilia's pacifiers mysteriously broke yesterday. Am I terrible for catching it all on film? It was my coping strategy.

This is the moment her playful face turned to panic as she saw her beloved "pacies."

 And the first one gets chucked across the kitchen floor.

 To her dismay, yes, they were all broke.

 She stopped to eat and collect herself.

 Then, she walked over to them and calmly said, "Bwoke,"trying not to cry. I asked her if she wanted to throw them away, and she said yes. So, she gathered them all up and headed to the trash.

 She went back several times just to make sure they were really in there.

Not sure she believes me that she is a big girl now. 

 Now for some comic relief, so you don't think I'm all terrible.

In the Blink of an Eye

Madalena became an active, participating, and happy member of the family. Whoever believes the lie that there isn't enough attention to go around when your family is larger than the average, should come be a fly on our wall. Madalena loves all the attention she gets; we just can't get enough of her squeals and smiles. Nope, no shortage of attention here. Could you pass by this face?

 The first weekend of January brought a few of us to Missouri for my nephew Andrew and his wife Shawna's baby shower. We had a great time ogling over her belly. We had a very nice time. She delivered a beautiful baby boy, Ramsey, one week later. Welcome to the family Baby Ramsey.

 Grandma with her first grand baby, newest grand baby, and soon to be great-grand baby; pretty neat huh?

 Soon to be Papa, my brother Mike, sharing a special moment with Andrew as he ponders what's to come while holding our precious Madalena.

 Smile, God loves you!