A Trip to Lake Winnipesaukee (And My Baby Turns Four!)

We were able to spend half a week up at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.  My parents had given us their timeshare, and we took over that three-bedroom condo like the overwhelmingly large bosses we are.

We arrived on Brendan's 4th birthday, after a breakfast of champions, and opened a few gifts to get the party started!  

Nana and Gramps sent this cool racing car kit:

Brendan, like most preschoolers, loves bubbles, and got a bubble gun and a bubble wand which he enthusiastically explained how they worked to his captured audience :)

I created a photo book for him on Shutterfly, ABC style for my little preschool man.  (You can create your own book for free.  I've done a few of these as bday gifts, and they are well loved!)

He wanted "Old McDonald's with a toy" for dinner.  A very Happy Meal it was!

We had a Stomp Rocket for a long time before it got stomped loved to death, so Brendan was happy to have TWO new stomp rockets to play with.

Not pictured presents included a long-desired slinky, water guns from his godmother, and a gumball machine with gumballs from Gammy and Grandpa.  That was a big hit with everyone :)

On the second day, we visited the lovely town of Meredith, New Hampshire.

7QT: Things Making Me Happy

Linking up with Kelly and the rest for Seven Quick Takes Friday. 

1)

Happy Friday Y'all!  Can I say y'all if I'm born and raised in the North?  Probably not - sorry for having offended any Southerners.  Although, Southerners always seem really nice and generous, so they would probably be ok with me using y'all, right?  I'm glad that's settled y'all.  We had a pizza picnic dinner last weekend at a pretty little spot in a neighboring town, so that's where these pictures come from.  Family time and outside time makes me VERY happy!

Gammy and Grandpa

 2)

For Xander's birthday, he asked for shoe horns after witnessing his cousin and grandpa be able to put their shoes on WITHOUT HAVING TO UNTIE THEM FIRST.  My lazy little boy needed this device in his life STAT.  I have to admit, I have been using it with my sneakers that I always double knot, so lazy must run on the maternal side.

Football

Frisbee

Bits and Pieces on a Summer Sunday

I shared this video over on Instagram, pouring the dirty mop water down the toilet to show how gross my floors were (darn you barefooted kids!) but also to highlight my new best friend.  My new mop.  She has been a game changer for me...I actually love to mop now.  You can find you're own friend right here on Amazon, and let me know if she blesses your mess as well.

Speaking of blessing messes, have you all seen the show "Bless This Mess"?  If you like funny sitcoms that are pretty clean, this one will be right up your alley.  The characters are so great.  Aaaaand I just found out that Season 3 got cancelled.  Urgh.  Brooklyn 99 might not be coming back either.  What will our fall lineup look like?  Is this the part of adulthood where I stop watching tv?  I'm not ready!

We have been going to our favorite beach in Rhode Island this summer, but the governor just closed the border between Rhode Island and Massachusetts (unless you have to commute to your job) and so those big wave beach days are over.  We still have the more calm beaches near our house, which are still great, and I'm not really complaining.

We recently found out that our two highschoolers (and the school where Phil and I work) will be going back with a hybrid model for the month of September.  So the kids will go based on last name; with 50% attending on 3 days one week, then 2 days the next, and the other 50% doing the opposite.  We have not yet found out what our five other school aged children are going to do yet, which will be interesting to try and sort out.  If any of my little kids are home any days, I won't be able to go into work, so looks like I might be working from home and schooling from home like we were last spring?  I really hope that isn't the case because I don't think I can handle that for too long.  We did pretty well with it last spring, knowing that summer was right around the corner, but starting this new year off the same way feels very overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Xander is putting his spy equipment to good use...

And now I'm off to buy school shoes online.  Or maybe I should be getting slippers?  Nah, I'm going to stay optimistic for a school year actually spent in school.  Just call me Pollyanna.

Confirmation During COVID

Stupid COVID has ruined so much of 2020, hasn't it?  One of the biggest blows it dealt was the postponement of the sacraments.  I feel so bad for all those who needed Annointing of the Sick, had a baby but couldn't get them baptized, planned a wedding that couldn't happen, prepared for First Holy Communion or Confirmation and then had to wait and see.  It was especially hard to swallow when huge gatherings of protestors were allowed, but a gathering in a church - that would be too dangerous!  Oy vey.   We need to keep important what's truly important, and that is dying in the state of grace in this life to live eternally in the next.

Geesh Colleen, why you gotta be so morbid?

OK, I'll stop.  Sorry, so much pent up frustration at current events.

Let's focus instead on the beautiful sacrament of Confirmation that Andrew received.

Andrew missed receiving Confirmation with his class while we were away in Ohio in July, and so our pastor was very accommodating and offered us a private Confirmation Mass.  Andrew chose his Uncle Adam to be his sponsor, pictured above...masked in Mass.  Andrew had wanted to pick Uncle Adam as his sponsor since he was a little kid, but Adam wasn't Catholic.  I told Andrew to pray for his conversion so that he could have him as a sponsor one day (never telling Adam this) and Adam converted to Catholicism last Easter!  Just in time for Andrew to start his preparation year for Confirmation.  How great is God?  So great!  How powerful are prayers? So powerful!

John-Paul, Eamon, and Alexander served the Mass and it was beautiful.  

Xander Turns Nine (and Into A Top Secret Spy)

Alexander's birthday lists never disappoint.  This year, he asked for spy equipment, and boy oh boy did he receive it!  We have all been under constant surveillance since.

First up, handcuffs.  Brendan, age 3, said, "Oh good thing you get handcuffs so when the bad guys come you can lock them up!"  Considering these handcuffs can be easily opened by the person locked up, I hope no bad guys ever come.

Declan playing the role of bad guy.

We pulled out the nice plates and Maggie created name tags, and we had a lovely dinner.  The flowers are from Phil to me (I get flowers on each kid's birthday because, you know, labor.  And he spoils me.)

The Experience of Catholic Familyland: A Fun, Faith-filled, Family Retreat (Part Two)

Part One is here (or how a non-camping mom of seven decided the world had turned just craaaaaazy enough for her to pack up and head to Ohio for a family retreat).

This is Part Two.

{Side note: Man, I am on FIRE while typing this.  Since we've come back we have been shamed via Instagram and in real life by people who don't agree with us traveling to Ohio which *gasps* did not require masks while we were there.  We follow all the rules when we live in Maskachusetts (pun intended) and we followed all the rules when we went to Ohio.  And boy did it feel GOOD to communicate/play/pray/be with other human beings!  Not only did it feel great to be back to "normal" but to be with like-minded people who think the same way.  So yeah, I don't want COVID, but I also believe that flattening the curve doesn't mean nobody should ever get this virus, and I also believe that herd immunity is the best immunity (you can thank my family full of doctors for that one), and if going to Ohio to Catholic Familyland means we get COVID...I am totally ok with that.  We already think we had it back in February anyway.  I've never shied away from living during flu season, and according to all the studies I've seen, this should only affect us like the flu.  We are doing our part to make sure we don't potentially affect anyone else's health by self quarantining since we've been back at home.  A lot of people are traveling right now, so if you're scared of people who have traveled, best not come out of your house at all.  By the way, I am also ok if we get COVID from receiving Jesus in the Eucharist at Mass.  I literally would die for Christ on my bravest days :)  End side note.}

Anyways, onward and upward.  We had the best time at Catholic Familyland.  If you can get over your fear of camping (like me) and can make the long trek to Ohio (like we did) I promise you, God will bless your whole family.  Guys, we are not a sheltered family.  We are normal.  Our kids all go to school.  Phil and I both work.  Our kids play sports and instruments and are around all sorts of people all the time.  I was nervous that we were going to "stick out" at Catholic Familyland as the "worldly ones".   That was not what it felt like at alllllllll.  Everyone was so friendly and nice, and because we shared a faith (and usually a political stance as well), it was easy to get along.  There were families there that homeschooled, private schooled, public schooled, worked outside the home, stayed at home, had one child, had ten children, were grandparents, just got married...you get the idea!

Here are some scenes from the place, and I'll give you a sample schedule of a day later...

Beach Volleyball Courts - probably the most competitive tournament was beach volleyball.

Cousins in front of Mama C's Snack Shack.  We gave the kids money for the week and they had the freedom to spend it here as they liked.  But no additional funds!  I gotta teach them finances somehow!

My niece Jo-jo buying an ice cream that's bigger than her head!

My nephew, Liam, up in a tree

The littles with their Snack Shack purchase of the day - we literally bribed them to nap after lunch and then took them here.

A priest, currently assigned at Franciscan University, waiting for his next confession victim :)  There were multiple priests available all afternoons to hear confessions - so beautiful!

Gaga Ball - I had never heard of it!

Bouncy fun for the little ones every day!

We went to the pool every afternoon.