Turkey Lurkey Lives Here

 

Who would have guessed that when we moved to the middle of town, we'd have wild turkeys roaming our neighborhood?  I tell the kids they must be husband and wife because they are always together... that have been around now for the past few weeks.  They just keep wandering in and out of our yard.  It's the coolest thing.  Each day someone spies them somewhere.  I have however, had to keep Thomas from getting the BB gun out and shooting them.  He wants to SO BADLY!! 

 

 

 

First Holy Communion Reception

For months I have been thinking over and planning how to decorate for First Holy Communion this year.  It truly brings me joy to pull food, and decor together to make a lovely celebration.  This one began with a color...yellow.  Earlier this year, my good friend had mentioned how she was going with the yellow and white papal flag as inspiration for decorating for a teacher luncheon.  Perfect for the Year of Faith.

   

 

 Being as I have a third grader this year, its our classes responsibility for putting together the reception after Holy Communion.  I of course, decided right away that I wanted to make the 350 cupcakes as opposed to ordering a sheet cake.  Honestly, I don't know why I do this.  People ask me why do I feel the need to bake and frost hundreds of cupcakes...wouldn't it just be easier to order a cake?  Yes.  But I truly enjoy the challenge of mass baking.  And really, it's fun when you have good friends to help you!  Plus, I LOVE this lemon cake recipe I found.  It's so lemony and yellow!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was so happy with the way we were able to transform a cold basement into a beautiful place for celebrating!  Someone told a friend of mine that she thought it was "simple and beautiful... reflective of St. Therese."

  Mission accomplished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Oh, and I love how the jars turned out.  Some had pictures of the children in them, others had yellow hearts dangling from the top. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made these "to go" boxes for the Sisters and Priests.  They don't really get to sit down and grab something to eat, so we put a cupcake and nuts inside for them!

 

 

 

 

 

 I ordered simple rosary cases for the children as their gifts and found this cute wrapping idea on pinterest.

 

 

And to top off the beautiful day, my goddaughter Lucia made her first Holy Communion!

Celebrating Easter

 

A Happy and Blessed Easter to you!!

 

 

 I always love preparing for and celebrating events...holidays, birthdays, seasons, feasts days, firsts and lasts.  And while I don't go crazy or throw outrageous  parties, I do enjoy making the day special.  Never did I imagine that would lead me to become the "queen of the night" the eve before. 

There is so much to be done after everyone in the house is sleeping to make the morning of a special day...special.  Setting the table, blowing up balloons, hiding eggs, stuffing stockings, preparing the birthday breakfast in bed, charging cameras, finishing cakes or food, hanging signs, wrapping gifts.  It's all these little things that bring the unforgettable smile to the kids faces when the wake the next morning.  They can't wait to leave their beds to see what has transformed during the night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went to the Easter Vigil Mass this year which lasted until 10:15pm.   By the time we were home and all ready for bed, it was near 11:30.  I was so tired that I knew there  was no way I was staying up to prepare for Easter morning.  So I set my alarm for 5am and slid into bed.  About 3:15 I woke up and figured that since I was up anyway, I'd just get my stuff done then.  I secretly love being the only one up in our quiet dark house.  I love knowing that what I'm doing will bring such delight to the kids!  So I filled Easter baskets, set the table, and booby trapped our house!  What I do is in order for the kids to find their baskets in the morning I tie twine on their bedroom door handle and then wind it ALL over the house.  They have to follow the string to find their basket.  Unfortunately, putting the string up was one of the first things I did so I had to keep bending  and crawling through the house as I kept going from the basement to the kitchen getting things ready!

 

 

 

 

 

 And I decided that while I was up anyway I should go hide the eggs in the backyard....in the pitch black.  That was fun.

 

 (Every year we make Resurrection Rolls for our brunch.  I think it's the coolest thing!  Just like an empty tomb)

 

 

 

(I made carrot cake cupcakes this year) 

 

 

 The best was waking up TJ about 4:30am to ask him to kill a bug that was strolling across the basement carpet...right where I needed to be.  I have an insane fear of bugs, so I HAD to wake him up to get the thing.  He was SO CONFUSED why I was up asking him to kill a bug in the basement at 4:30 in the morning.  Seeing him shimmy his way through the twine in our house was too funny, although I'm sure he didn't think so!

 

 

 

 (after brunch I looked out at what was in front of me.  Awesome.  Happy Easter to me!  Coffee, mimosa, and wine.  It was 8:30.)

 

 

 

 

 I climbed back into bed at 6:30 for an hour of rest until the kids woke up at 7:30.   And then, as life resumes from the quiet house, everything moves so quickly.  I think that's why I like the planning part.  I know that once the kids are awake, it's a whirlwind of activity. 

 

 

 

 

 (why does he look twenty here?)

 

 

 



A Double House Blessing

 We have been wanting to have our house blessed ever since we moved in this past summer.  After realizing our good friends and neighbors the Vackes were wanting their house blessed too, we decided to have a progressive dinner/ house blessing all in one!!

Our priest is such a gift to us, he truly is.  He exemplifies holiness and love for his parishioners like no other priest I've met.  He was so excited to come and bless both our homes and share dinner and dessert with us!  And he is so attentive to our children, they all love him!

 

 

 

We began at the Vackes house for dinner.  Craig and Kim always make it a treat to eat with them.  The food they make is outstanding! 

Then we all paraded through each room of their house while Monsignor said a prayer and sprinkled holy water throughout.  My favorite prayer was for the bedrooms.  "Protect us Lord as we stay awake, watch over us as we sleep, that awake we might keep watch with Christ and asleep rest in His peace."

 

 

 

 

 

 I really loved how he walked into every room and prayed a special prayer for that space.  And I now have a new appreciation for our "blue bathroom."  It's a bathroom straight out of the 60's.  Blue tile, blue toilet, blue sink, blue tub...Monsignor called it our "Marion bathroom!"  Blue for the Blessed Virgin Mary!

 

 

 

 

 

I decided on an ice cream sundae bar for dessert for us all.  I admit, it felt a little wrong setting out this multitude of sweetness in the midst of Lent, but we were celebrating our house blessing....

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids piano teacher lives with the Vaceks.  She is so wonderful and we were so happy to have her join us!

 

 

This was my treat the next morning...since I wasn't able to have the sweets because I gave it up for Lent, we made lemon french toast and I doctored it up with goodies!!

 

 

George loved it too.