Yeah, but you should see the other guy...

Bathing Suit Season

AAAHHHHH! It's almost time to pull out the old bathing suit for the hot summer months. I've been avoiding this for a while because I still have not shed my pregnancy weight from the last couple of babies!

The past 2 summers, I have been pregnant and therefore have had the luxury of wearing maternity bathing suits. No need to suck in your stomach or worry about being called fat! It's great!

But now, it's my first summer in three years that I will not be pregnant (actually, it will be my first summer since I've been married that I haven't been pregnant or nursing!). I have no more excuses as to why my belly is sticking out, or why my hips and backside are a little wider than usual. I'm just plain old overweight. Yuck.

Why can't it be really cool, fashionable and healthy to be fat? You know, like in those old portraits of the curvaceous women painted many moons ago. Back then, it was cool to be plus-size because it meant you were rich enough to eat whatever you wanted and not work. Being skinny showed you were poor and a low-class worker. But now, all those rich Hollywood stars have made it the other way around. C'mon, when can a mom-of-four catch a break?

The only good thing about the approach of bathing suit season is that I am much more focused on what I am eating and how much I am exercising. So hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I will be about 5 pounds slimmer and feel better much about myself. I'll keep you posted!

My new obsession...

...is photography. I've always loved taking pictures, but now I really want to learn everything about it and get a really great camera like this. I love looking at this website because she is so darned good at taking photos and explaining all of her tips. Aaaaaahhhhh, I'm so interested with photography lately, but I guess as far as obsessions go, it could be worse!

Our Sunday morning

Last night, Phil had Baccalaureate Mass at the high school he teaches at, and I went to Mass with the older boys in the afternoon, so today we didn't have our usual Sunday morning mad rush to get to 8:30 Mass on time. Instead, we made yogurt and fruit smoothies and banana muffins for breakfast, and took our time getting everybody dressed. It was nice!

Now, I am sitting here at my desk while Maggie is trying to fall asleep in her crib behind me. She's doing a great job of putting herself to sleep lately, especially when her music box is on and she has a little "softie" to hold (a soft doll or blanket).

It is so humid here already and it's only June 1st. The boys are outside playing while Phil is planting flowers in our window boxes and along the driveway. He has to go to Graduation today around noon. Later, we are going to my brother's house for a cookout after he and my brother-in-law Will complete their fishing derby. I think they've been out on the pond since 5am!! I hope they catch something great!

Oooooh, super, Maggie is sound asleep, what an awesome baby :-)

Here are some spring shots...

Phil planting the flower boxes, of course I picked the flower colors; pink, purple and white.

Finished product

The weeds, or as I like to call them, "misplaced flowers".

A random flowering plant

Eamon with his "water shooter", I can't encourage gun play.

Andrew and John-Paul with their sidewalk chalk.

My view from the porch.

The boys all have t-shirts with phrases on them. John-Paul's says "My Mom Rules".

Ain't this one the truth??

And, just in case you were wondering...he is still single. For now anyways!

Things I Want

Lately, I've been seeing things I would love to have, but don't really need. I get in these moods sometimes where I wish I could go on huge shopping sprees and buy whatever I wanted.

Phil thinks this is the reason that we are not rich. His theory is that if we had a lot of money, I would turn into a worse person because I would lose sight of trusting in God's providence, and become too materialistic. Sad thing is, he's totally right!

But, like every grandmother says, "This too shall pass" and in a couple weeks, I will hopefully realize that life does go on even if I don't have the things that I want. Because in reality, it's the people and the moments that matter in life.

But here's my list anyway:

This is a cordless electric broom. I hate sweeping the kitchen floor, and this would make it so much easier and faster to clean.

Wii Fit. We have the Wii system (thanks Fr. Dave!) which the boys love, but now I want my turn to use it regularly and maybe this will actually help with my weight loss goal.

I love to ski, but due to the high cost and all of the little kiddos, I haven't been since college. This looks like a fun way to satisfy the winter sport lover in me.

This is the new, updated, more scientifically advanced NFP book that CCL is selling. It's supposed to be much more clear with rules, easier to understand, and includes updated medical terminology. Sounds great!

This is a program to keep all my NFP charts on the computer instead of on paper. It also helps interpret the signs and makes it easy to email a CCL instructor if I need help determining my cycle.

The Wedding

On May 24th, my sister-in-law, Kelly, married T.J. and I have plenty of pictures to prove it...This was taken after the rehearsal, their last night of the single life!

My boys getting ready to drive to the Church

Me and Maggie all dressed up and ready to go

My father-in-law walking Kelly down the aisle, she looks gorgeous!

My first-born son was the Ringbearer, or "ringbarrier" as he called it, and his cousin Maura was the most adorable flower girl

The view from the pew

The wedding party right before they said the vows

Glad he's all done "working"


Andrew at the reception...he danced like crazy!

The first dance


What a beautiful couple!

Mmmm, the cake was yummy. My sister-in-law, Larisa, made it!

Okay, enough of that, it's almost time for your honeymoon!
Eamon loved the cake so much he even licked his plate clean!

How we all felt at the end of the reception because we danced the whole time!