Friday, May 23, 2025

Week in Review: Last Day of High School, Kind Students, Babe Ruth and Socks with Sandals

Happy Friday!  Does it feel like winter where you are?  Brrrr it's been unusually cold (and terribly rainy yesterday) around these parts.  Normally I would love the cooler weather but it's bad for ice cream, so knock it off Mother Nature m'kay?

Last Friday was Eamon's last day of high school!  He was supposed to take his last AP Exam (Psych) but there was an issue with the exam and he has to retake it next week.  His grades were excellent so he didn't have to take any finals, and he's just been working and having fun since.  Tonight is the Prom and I will be sure to get some photos of my meatball.  I can't believe his high school career is over!

Signing yearbooks

Phil teaches only seniors, so it was his last day of classes as well!  He had to give finals to the students who weren't exempt this week, and the school will use him as a sub for the rest of the year but it certainly feels remarkable to finish his 22nd year of teaching.  This senior class is a great group and Phil's received some lovely notes from his students (name removed for privacy):

Monday, May 19, 2025

23 and We

 Saturday was our 23rd wedding anniversary!

I admit, I can never remember things like my age of how many years we've been married.  I used to always just add a year to JP's age, but now I first have to do the math to remember JP's age so it's all going downhill fast. Luckily, Phil loves me in spite of the way my brain works, and so here we are!

Our first dance - "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

I was 23 when we got married, so half of my life has now officially been married to my bestie, and I am so grateful.  When Phil and I met, studying abroad in Austria in January 2000, I was in a serious relationship.  Phil and I became instant friends, and it didn't take me long to confess to my roommate that I "wanted to marry somebody like Phil." So then what was I doing dating somebody so unlike Phil?  I broke up with the boyfriend, told Phil I was single, and he asked me on a date very soon after.

What attracted me to Phil was his GOODNESS.  He was so kind and attentive, a friend to everyone, loved to laugh but not be the center of attention, made me feel safe, was a prayerful and chaste young man, led by quiet example, and was willing to put up with me!  I knew he would be a wonderful husband and father and he has proven that time and time again.

What I didn't know was how hard of a worker and partner he would be.

Phil has held down multiple jobs, gotten two Masters degrees, and even opened a business to support his family as best he can.  I'll give you last Thursday as an example.  Phil went to work (teaching high school theology) all day, came home and made dinner, went for a run, walked the dog with me and the littles, helped Xander edit his paper for an hour, went to the ice cream shop when it closed at 9:30 to clean the soft serve machines and leave them to dry overnight, came home and ordered ice cream and got bank deposits ready, went to bed at 12:30 am only to wake up at 5:30 am to go back to the shop to put the soft serve machines back together and fill them, then off to his teaching job for the day.  He then worked at the shop right after school until well into the evening.

But that's just his work-work.

He also does so much home-work.

Phil is the parent who meal plans and shops and mostly cooks dinner all school year because I get home from work much later than he does.  Phil was the parent who changed all the diapers if he was home.  Phil would get up at the baby's crying and bring them to me for a feeding, then burp and rock them back to sleep. "Dad" is the name that the kids would call for over the baby monitors because he was the one who would get up to see what they needed.  He picks the kids up from school each day, cleans the showers and does the dusting, mows the lawn and takes out the trash, does the dishes most nights, plays with the kids, and well, the list goes on and on.

Phil scheduled workers at the shop so that we could spend the day together on our anniversary.  He asked me what I would like to do...go to the Cape for the day?  Shop and eat and walk around a new town?  

Instead of planning a romantic day away, I said "Honestly, if I can have you to myself for the whole day, I would like to workout together and then really clean and organize the house together."

So that's what we did.  We went to our favorite circuit class at the gym, worked on the house for a couple hours, ran some errands, Declan had a soccer game, then went to Mass and out to dinner and for ice cream, and were asleep by 9:30.  It was very productive and just a little romantic, and after 23 years, that was exactly perfect.

All this to say, I picked the best one for me and our kiddos and we all love you so much!  No regerts :)  I don't think I could do this life without you by my side, and I pray I never have to find out.  Happy 23rd Anniversary and many, many more.

The night before our wedding

The night before our 23rd anniversary

Friday, May 16, 2025

Week in Review: I Keep Reminding Myself That It's Not Me, It's May (and a good recipe!)

This week was very May-ish with lots going on.  

Monday evening was spent at the Cathedral for Eamon's award, then Tuesday was an 8th Grade fieldtrip to the same cathedral for Xander and an NHS Induction that night.  We didn't have anybody getting inducted but Maggie had to help run the show as the incoming NHS Secretary.



~

On Wednesday afternoon, the girl's tennis team came for ice cream after a game in our town:


This is our current Battle of the Tips question at the shop.  Maggie and I think 100 men would win, but all the men and boys around us said the gorilla definitely would.  It's been a tight race and a great conversation starter with our customers:

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Mother's Day Weekend and An Honor for Eamon

Mother's Day was the perfect weather here in southcoast Massachusetts - sunny and just about 70 degrees.  Due to work schedules and Mass attendance, we celebrated on Saturday morning with a breakfast out and only have this low-level selfie to prove it:


But I don't care because all my kids were there!  We then drove to The Cottage to take our annual family photo:

Wow has Xander grown!

Later on Saturday, Eamon had one soccer game, and Declan had two soccer games (one was a makeup for a cancelled game) and the sky decided to lightly drizzle while we were on the field.  This is why I prefer volleyball and basketball spectating to soccer spectating:


But the rain cleared out (is this a weather blog now?) and I took some kids to the vigil Mass with me where Father gave a beautiful blessing for Mother's Day:


It was hard not to cry through that blessing!

Friday, May 9, 2025

Week in Review: Another Pope, Another Season, Another Acceptance

Happy Friday!  

We have a new American Pope!


I got 21 texts within a few minutes once he was named, so even though I don't watch the news, I know the important things :)  Also, went on a deep dive to find out more about him:


Not only did we get a new Pope yesterday, but we also opened The Ice Cream Cottage for Season 3, and my brain is fried from *waves hands around wildly* everything.  But it's pretty much all GOOD things, just BUSY things, just LOTS of things.  Y'all can relate.

Opening Night!

Once we got back from Spring Break, it was time to really buckle down and get The Cottage ready to open, order inventory, shop, clean, organize, create social media content, etc.  To be honest, Phil runs the front end of the shop, and I keep it running in the background, where introverts thrive.  The kids are really great about helping out when they are not busy with school/friends/events/studying and somehow it all comes together by God's grace.  We have lots of new updates for this season, including a second soft serve machine that will house coffee soft serve and Dole Whip, plus an extended sidewalk with outdoor seating and umbrellas for our customer's comfort.



There are a few weeks of overlap between the ice cream shop and our "second jobs" - Phil is the DRE at our parish (his first job is a full-time high school Theology teacher) and I teach two accounting classes online at Franciscan University (my first job is a full-time District Accountant for a town's public schools) - so once Religious Ed classes/sacraments are over for Phil, and once I can submit my final grades at the end of this semester, things should hopefully be less stressful.

Muahahaha.

Why do I always believe that lie?

Our parish's First Communion last Sunday - Xander and Declan served

Anyway, life isn't all work, there have been lots of family things happening as well. 

Monday, May 5, 2025

Battle of Yorktown and Medical School Tours

On our last full day in Williamsburg, VA, we drove half an hour away to visit Yorktown, where the final battle of the American Revolution occurred.  Of course we listened to, and sang at the top of our lungs, select Hamilton songs on the way.  Guys, this place is so beautiful that it's hard to imagine the violent siege that once took place.


That's the American Revolution River Cruise ship in the background.


Yorktown has free trolleys with lots of stops where you can get off and on to see all the sights! 





Phil's always creating races or obstacle courses for the kids: