Happy Friday! last day of the work week because Independence Day is tomorrow!
After the vigil Mass on Saturday, Phil and I took the only two kids with us out on our weekly date, which they loved. They both ordered steak tips - I guess gone are the days of chicken nuggets and mac n' cheese!
Going out to eat is something I love doing, but just is not financially responsible for our whole family often, so it's nice to treat them one by one or two by two when we can. Please don't mind their black socks and black shoes, I know it's not fashionable but they have to wear that for altar serving!
Maggie and Xander came home from the Steubenville Conference, which they absolutely loved and can't wait to go back again.
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| Friends since preschool |
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| Cousins since birth |
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| Our Diocesan group |
Phil took Andrew and Declan and Brendan to hit balls one morning before work. The videos of Brendan trying to make contact with the ball are very funny and a good reminder that swimming is his sport! Eamon and Andrew are still golfing like crazy in between their Cottage shifts.
This week was Altar Boy Boot Camp, our parish's annual three day camp that trains altar servers and is a lot of fun with sports and games and a field trip day (today). The high school graduates come back and help out training the youngsters if they can (Andrew helped for two days and Eamon helped all three). It's just a wonderful program for our boys. Sacristan Boot Camp, for the girls in the parish, will be held later in the summer too - something for everyone!
I found this super high protein yogurt at the market and tried it, it's really good and very thick! I realize I have a mango problem:
My college bestie sent me an old photo of us she came across. This is back in 2001-2002 when we were getting our MBA's together at Franciscan and would go out dancing at some seedy club/bar on the weekends. Maggie was like "What are you wearing?" but I remember feeling very cool in that sparkly tiger shirt - haha! Now we both teach accounting classes at Franciscan, online for me and in person for her. Full circle!
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| The skinny eyebrows! |
We asked JP is there was a special meal he would like before he leaves for Pittsburgh on Saturday, and he immediately chose Maple Chicken, so we had that dinner this week:
His car decided to stop having working air conditioning, so it's at the shop today hopefully to be fixed before his long drive to school. Nothing's ever easy!
We are prepping for a very busy (God willing) weekend, with fireworks tonight and the actual holiday tomorrow with a parade in town. The Cottage got patriotic-fied and I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend. God Bless America!
I envy you that crowd of altar boys! My parish only has my three sons, and I only let them do it every other week. it doesn't matter anymore though as our parish will be closing in the next few years, so no more recruiting replacement altar boys.
ReplyDeleteThe Cottage looks lovely with the flowers and planters - your upgrades were definitely worth it! I hope you have bustling crowds spending lots of money this holiday weekend!
Best wishes to JP as he begins his next great adventure!
PS- you look the same in that picture as you do now - beautiful and glowing. You must be living right!
The Altar Boy program is so good at our parish, it's made up of only boys (I've seen other parishes have girls but then the boys don't want to do it) and there is a schedule to serve, but you are welcome to serve at every Mass, which is what my boys do. They prefer serving to sitting in the pew. I wish more parishes would follow this proven method :)
DeleteHahaha - I, too, have a mango problem. Yum.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful holiday weekend!
It's a good problem to have :) Though I did just learn that tropical fruits have the most sugar content...so that's probably why I like them so much!
DeleteThe cottage looks so festive. Your shiny tiger shirt and Maggie's remark - so funny. How fun that you and a college friend are doing a similar thing now. Your parish's camps for the kids sound amazing. Look at all those future and present and past servers. How great. I'd like our parish to take a page from your parish's handbook.
ReplyDeleteOur old pastor started it about 12 years ago, copying another parish out West, and it's been thriving ever since! As soon as they receive 1st Communion, they can go to the camp that summer and start serving. They get little cash gifts at Christmas and Easter, and paid to do weddings and funerals, so it's a great service with a little bonus!
DeleteI hope JP's car got fixed and that you all had a great 4th of July!
ReplyDeleteTo the tune of $677, yes it did.
DeleteThe early 2000s feel like just yesterday to me but your photo reminds me that it was a long time ago!!! I wish I had more photos from my college days. I hope JP got his car fixed. AC is a necessity!
ReplyDeleteI have barely any photos either, digital cameras weren't much of a thing yet and cell phones with cameras were years away!
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