Week in Review: A Piano Competition, A Running Race and A Confirmation in Christ

Happy Friday!  

Last Saturday was a busy day for the Martins.  Brendan had his annual piano competition up near Boston, to which Phil brought him.  He played his song to his best ability in the Non-Classical 9 & 10 year old group...

... and he won FIRST PLACE!  We are still waiting for his trophy because it was a two-day event and the award ceremony didn't take place until the next day.  We will get it somehow!

While Phil and Brendan were piano-ing, the rest of us were either running or volunteering at the school's first 5k race:

Runner, Volunteer, Volunteer, Runner

The Ice Cream Cottage was a sponsor, so we showed up in full force :)

JP's Guatemala Fundraiser

JP has been chosen as a Walk it Forward Scholar and will participate in a mission to Guatemala in September 2026!  

We are so proud of him, as it was a competitive process to be selected, and he will be on a team that will help so many people in need.  The planned surgical schedule is as follows:

63 patients total - the biggest number in the program's history

87 hip and knee replacement surgeries, including:

15 bi-lateral knee replacements

32 unilateral knee replacements

9 bi-lateral hip replacements

7 unilateral hip replacements

JP needs to raise $1000 towards the cost of the mission trip.  

If you are able, you can click on this link to donate and please be sure to include JP Martin's name as the Scholar you are supporting.  He also very much appreciates if you can share the link and especially for your prayers for a safe and successful trip.  

Thank you!

Easter 2026

Good Friday in my house growing up meant we could not talk from 12-3, but EWTN was allowed to play on the tv.  In our house now, Good Fridays are spent cleaning walls and cabinets from 12-2ish before we get ready to go to the 3pm service at our church.  It's a much needed chore that everyone hates, so it's a perfect Good Friday event!  They put on smiles for the pictures, but just imagine lots of grumblings and whining while I kept reminding everyone that JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS AND THIS IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO in a very mindful, very demure way of course.

Phil was still in painting mode:

Maggie had some friends over on Friday night to watch the Passion of the Christ movie, and I felt weird not serving snacks because being hospitable is in my Irish DNA, but there's not much to serve on a fast day.  They were up really late which meant I was up really late, and that was a perfect last few hours of suffering for Lent WHICH IS THE LEAST I COULD DO SINCE JESUS DIED FOR ALL MY SINS, I kept reminding myself.  

I don't know what we did on Holy Saturday, besides a long run and a last piano lesson before this weekend's competition.  We picked out Easter outfits for the next day because we attended 8am Mass at our beautiful church:

Nobody liked how they looked, but we can't exactly go back and recreate it.

Maggie saw all of the pretty flowers and whispered "this is how I want the church to look on my wedding day" to which my money-saving brain replied "then you should get married right after Easter".

12 on Holy Thursday

Declan Kolbe turned 12 years old on Holy Thursday this year, which was much better than the Good Friday birthdays he's had in the past!  

#6 turns #12

He woke up, told me he felt a little taller, and found some nice gifts from his siblings.  Siblings love to buy each other candy:

We stopped for donuts on the way to school, and Declan said he was "feeling a plain glazed donut" so that's what the birthday boy received.  On their birthday, the kids get to dress down at school, which is much appreciated by uniform wearers.  We gave Declan a new shirt of his favorite soccer player to wear, and he wanted to pose like Messi:

He served at Stations of the Cross at school:

And chose chicken parm for dinner, which Phil and I were happy to make:

Birthday tulips for me :)

Time for presents!  Gammy got Declan some cool soccer crocs...

...which we realized fit her feet as well!

We bought him an Owala water bottle that he wanted:

Then sent him on a scavenger hunt with 12 clues to find his big gift:

(Video courtesy of Maggie)

Cake time!  the birthday boy wanted a vanilla sheet cake with chocolate frosting, and what the birthday boy wants, the birthday boy gets!  Especially when he is the sweetest, most grateful, kindest little guy I know.

Xander was feeling sick and had to miss the party, but Declan still had some siblings to celebrate with in person and on facetime with his big brothers, who promised a gift is coming in the mail!

Nana and Gramps also sent a gift in the mail, a silver crucifix necklace that Declan was super excited to get.  The bonus was that Deacon Gramps blessed it already!  

Declan, we love you so much!  When we went around the table at dinner, each saying "one nice thing" about you as is our birthday tradition, we had to stop ourselves from saying ten things each.  You are a joy.  You have been the so easy and so adorable since you were born.  I would (and still could) stare at your cute face all day.  You share so nicely with all and are a great friend to your buddies, always putting others first.  You were thrilled to lose your last baby tooth so that you can get braces soon.  You love all things sports and outdoors, and we cannot get you to gain weight because you are always on the go!  You love to play catch with Dad and come on dog walks with us so you can talk our ears off without anyone else interrupting.  You are certainly a yapper at home, though those who don't have the privilege of knowing you think you are shy.  You are growing in confidence and getting less anxious as you do.  You have had to struggle with misophonia but I can see how hard you try to not react as you mature each year.  You love our faith and always try to do the right thing so you can get to Heaven one day.  You thank us a million times for any small gift or favor you receive, and are the first to jump up and help when we ask.  Declan means "full of goodness" and "man of prayer" and you were certainly named perfectly.  It is an honor to know you and grow you and we thank God for you everyday.  Happy birthday Declan Kolbe!!

Week in Review: One Thing Leads to Another & Kentucky Concerts & Answered Prayers

Happy Friday!

April Fool's ;)

It's only Wednesday but I figured I better get this week's post written out before the Holy Week activities start.

Last Friday night, Declan and Brendan participated in the Living Stations at our church.  There was one scene that had both Joseph (Declan) and Simeon (Brendan):

The next day we went to the Palm Sunday vigil, and I thought our church looked so nice and tastefully decorated:

Remember how Phil has been painting the baseboards and trim in our house?  Welp, as these things go, once that job was done, the doors looked a little dull and dingy, so those were his next project.  Luckily we still have a couple of kids he can Tom Sawyer into helping:

Week in Review: Birthday Queen, Cardio Queen and Things Inbetween

Happy Friday!

Yesterday was my mom's 88th birthday and we went to get our nails did to celebrate the birthday girl:

Declan's card was so sweet: "Dear Gammy, Happy Birthday!  You have the best smile and laugh and you always bring me joy when I see you."

Declan and Brendan tried an introductory Jiu Jitsu class this week.  Before we left, Maggie called out encouragingly "Go jitsu some jiu's!" and we just shook our heads.  

Declan, who could benefit from the confidence-building, decided against it and Brendan, who is built like a brick, wants to take the lessons.  Methinks it's mostly because he's excited to get a mouthguard and an athletic cup, eww.

Easter is Coming - Hop to It

Reposted from last year for a little Easter gift-spiration :)

I learned a long time ago to throw all of the Easter Basket goodies into one laundry basket instead of making individual baskets.  It means you can give shared gifts and buy bigger bags of candy and I use it as an excuse to get a new laundry basket (and get rid of an old cracked one) each year!

Paint by Sticker Book - such a great boredom buster that's not messy!

The Action Bible - the way my kids pored over this graphic Bible was intense

2025 Guinness World Records - we get the updated book each year

2025 Year in Sports - to give kids more "Did you know..." info

Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac - a certain someone will love getting this

Human Anatomy Coloring Book - for the nursing students and med school students in your life

Set of Markers + a Sketch Book

Kit Kat Bunnies - I've never seen a bunny version of a Kit Kat!

Warheads Chewy Bunnies

Reese's Eggs

Dove Chocolate Bunny

Cadbury Mini Eggs (Phil prefers the Dark Chocolate variation)

My favorite mints

Action Bible Guess it Game - a great car game

Window Herb Garden - Spring is the perfect time to get those herbs growing

Kids Electric Toothbrushes - to compensate for all the extra sugar ;)

New Water Bottle - always immediately loved

Bubbles - no matter the age, these get put to good use

Sidewalk Chalk - for the budding artist

Flower Hair Clips - so cute!

Saint bracelets - my boys love wearing bracelets like these

Anything you are hopping hoping to see in your Easter laundry basket?

Week in Review: Gaelic and Garlic and Lessons in Humility

Happy Friday and Happy First Day of Spring!

This is my favorite week of Lent every year, when we get two cheat days for St. Patrick and St. Joseph!  

Our kids are both Gaelic and Garlic so it's fun to celebrate our heritage (mostly through food).  We had chicken tenders and a green salad and potatoes for the Irish side and then Chicken Vodka Pasta with salad and rolls for the Italian side.

Maggie got the kids Shamrock Shakes on St. Patty's Day and they had Snickers ice cream bars for St. Joe while Phil and I indulged in my new favorite ice cream, Coffee Biscoff Swirl.  It's dangerously delicious, and will be having a permanent home on our menu. 

We took the youngest three boys to get Passport Cards just in case we want to cross any boarders anytime in the next five years.  We get them passports in high school or college, to make sure that they can study abroad when the time comes, but until then the cards should work just fine.  They wanted to feed the ducks seagulls after.

I had another gym folly the other day, when I realized that I forgot a towel for the shower and found a hand towel in my car to use instead.  It reminded me of my mom's honeymoon story when she thought the bathmat was a towel and came out of the bathroom, wondering why it was so small.  Pretty sure my dad didn't mind the mixup.

If you've ever wanted to grow in humility, may I suggest having lots of kids?  Case in point, Andrew went on a mission trip where he led retreats and was a great example of a Catholic college kid...and then came home and had to go to court to take a Distracted Driver Safety Course after getting pulled over while looking at his phone to get his friend's location.  He's lucky that was the only result and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PUT DOWN THE PHONE. (A lesson to all of us, if we're honest)

In medical news, both Phil and I scored A+ on our yearly skin checks.  Then I had my annual mammogram, and everything looked good, thanks be to God.  Phil recently got a CPAP machine after having been disgnosed with moderate sleep apnea, and he is struggling to get used to it.  I think some of the struggle is admitting that he needs it in the first place, and the other part is the actual physical discomfort.  As his light-sleeping-bed-partner-for-life, I am very happy with the quiet nights!

Declan had his last two basketball games this week, which means that all sports have come to an end for the school year!  This cutie patootie young and short CYO team won exactly zero games this season.  We might try indoor futsal next winter instead :)

We did it guys!  Volleyball, cross country, soccer, swim, winter track, and basketball are over.  No spring sports this year because between sacraments (Phil's the DRE at our parish) and getting the ice cream shop ready, we can't handle it.  Know thyself.  The kids will still run some races and work out at the gym to stay in shape, but nothing official.  Xander is so lucky to have a dad and four older siblings who can help him at the gym:

My personal favorite weight machine

 And that's a wrap from the last week of winter, though today still feels like it - brr!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)