Catholic Family Gathering

Four Catholic families were able to get together for a cookout at our dear friend's house in early June. It was so nice to be able to visit and let the kids all play outside together. Since all four families are "larger" than average (between5-7 kids each), it made for quite the sight when we lined up all the kids against the fence in age order. There were 24 kids and they ranged from age 11 to 4 months. The adults were definitely out numbered that day.

Hats off to the dads for grilling!

This last picture is of my twin God-daughters. (Aren't they precious!) Their family hosted the cook-out and did a fantastic job! :)

Sophia's Baptism

We were able to witness little Sophia's baptism at a neighboring Catholic Church at the beginning of this month. It was very nice for the kids to witness such a happy occasion. R and B asked lots of questions and I was able to explain the importance of this wonderful Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Church. It also allowed for another beautiful photo opportunity in front of their Marian garden and water fountain. I was so glad to get another good photo of the kids all dressed up. They all were actually still clean at that point, too. (That doesn't happen very often and it sure didn't last long!) We attended a little reception afterward and the kids got good and dirty. A good time was had by all, though.

My Baby Turns Eleven!

At the end of May, our M turned 11 yrs. old. Wow, how time flies. I can't believe she is that old already. She is looking more and more grown up all the time. She decide on a much simpler cake this year, and frankly I was glad. This was one of the easiest and quickest cakes I've ever done. Wouldn't you know it, E found a way of getting into it and messing it up. I would have been really upset if I had spent much time on it. I had just enough frosting left over to repair the damage he did to the top edge, right before the guests arrived.

The day I started making this cake, I found out I have gestational diabetes. I was very glad that it only took me 45 minutes to frost it, instead of the usual 2-3 hours I've spent doing other more difficult cakes. The temptation to eat some of that frosting was overwhelming, but I never took a bite. ( This baby will never know how much I sacrificed for him!)

M was very pleased with the end result and was extremely excited about her b-day party. She helped me to make the Hello Kitty streamers, wall banners, and window clings. This was also one of the least expensive parties, because we were able to use dark and light pink plates and napkins as our theme colors which were left over from C's First Communion party. Recycle and reuse; isn't that the motto of large families on a tight budget?

New (to us) Play house

Aunt Olivia isn't using her old playhouse anymore (I guess since she is almost 10 yrs. old, she thinks she is too old for it). Nana gave it to the kids and they are loving it. We brought it to the house, cleaned it up, and then set it up again. Even E helped to spread out the lime dust. He loved playing with the "big boy" tools.

Aunt Susan and the Twins

Aunt Susan and Uncle Ajesh with their identical twin girls Maya and Asha. These little cuties fought their way through Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome and made it to 33 weeks and 4 days in utero. They've been in the hospital NICU for almost three weeks, but today the larger twin, Maya, will be coming home! Hopefully Asha will quickly gain some more weight and be able to join the rest of the family at home.

A great big thank you to everyone who has been praying for these special little girls. The prayers of the humble are always heard. These little girls are living proof of that. Praise be to God, now and forever!

Catholic Kids Clubs and Camping

We had our final meeting of the school year for Little Flowers Catholic Kids Club and the Blue Knights Catholic Kids Clubs. The three older girls had a wonderful time learning about some of the saints and the virtues they exemplified. T enjoyed hanging with the other boys and learning more about the Holy Trinity and the Scripture Shouts. Our home school group celebrated with a pizza party where all the groups came together to share what they had done and learned throughout the school year. The kids loved doing this to celebrate their accomplishments and have some fun social time with their friends.

After Catholic Kids Clubs, we finished packing up the camper and headed to a nearby State Forest to go camping with Dear Hubby's extended family. We had an enjoyable time cooking, watching the campfire, playing with old friends, new toys, and at the water park. We even saw Smokey the Bear!

Aunt Susan and the Twins

Maya Marie and Asha Marie

(These pictures and this post are very late. My camera and computer have not been communicating well, lately. Dear hubby was finally able to figure out how to get the pictures off of our camera late last night, so I could finally post these.)

Aunt Susan delivered the twins my Cesarean section on Thursday, May 26th at 12:52pm and 12:54pm. Maya weighed 4 lbs. 11 oz. She was able to carry them to 33 weeks and 4 days. When they originally got the diagnosis of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, they never expected them to make it this far. Praise God for all the prayers. These are little miracle babies in my book.

Our whole family drove two hours that night to visit them in the hospital. Though the kids couldn't go and see the babies in the NICU, Jason and I were able to see them with Uncle Ajesh, the proud papa.

What a beautiful family they make! It has been a long two weeks, and the twins are still in the NICU. They are doing well and Aunt Susan is recovering and adjusting well. I can only imagine the difficulties she has been going through these past weeks. It is hard living so far away and not being able to see the girls and my sister more often. I am so thankful for modern technology. I've been able to see a few more pictures of my new nieces and even a video of their birth. It has been a blessing to meet these little fighters. Keep up the good work girls, and momma, too! God bless.