March 17-31, 2013

Lent was good.  Even though it didn’t go as I planned, it went as HE planned.  And, His plan is infinitely better than mine. 

In these weeks, Eric and I started teaching NFP again after a 1.5 year hiatus.  Dash competed in the State FFA Crop Judging Contest and received a silver placing.  Our county hosted their annual Family Fun Night.  Lent ended and Holy Week began. 

All the kids, except for Dash and Angelina, took the whole week of school off.  Dash used the week to catch up and Angelina just needed to finish up a couple days in Latin.  I call it our Spring Break; we needed a break!

On Friday and Saturday, we did a bit of baking.  This lamb mold was on sale after Easter last year, and it was fun to use it this year.  It was amazingly easy to bake and decorate.  Just use a large star tip and it’s covered up in no time at all.  I used a black decorating pen for the eyes, nose & mouth.

Angelina and the boys made sugar cookies and frosted them on Saturday.  Each kid had a job – Angelina is very good at organizing who does what!  She sounds like me…I’m not sure that is a good thing sometimes.

And, Marcus is mobile.  He’s not fast, but he uses his hands and his right foot to scoot around and get where he wants.  His left foot and leg are usually up in the air!  It’s too cute.

 

We didn’t dye eggs, we grow them!  The Easter Egger’s lay colorful eggs and then the last two years, I’ve just written on the eggs with food pens.  The kids decorate with stickers…and we’re done!  Colorful, cute and easy.

Angelina had a new dress for Easter; I wish I’d have taken a picture.  I was thankful that I fit into some of my favorite outfits (FINALLY). 

This year, our family attended Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday services, and the Easter Vigil.  Every. Single. One. Of. Us.  I’m not saying that everyone stayed awake!  This being the third vigil I have attended, I finally felt like the readings made sense or clicked with me.  Probably I wasn’t able to listen the other times I’ve attended…the first I had a busy 1yo (Dash) and last year I was pregnant and kind-of miserable.  This vigil just made an impression on me…makes me want to do it all over again.

Alleluia! 

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!

The kids checked out their Easter baskets on Sunday morning.  The family headed over to Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres’ home for a wonderful dinner followed by a choice of desserts.  The kids played and watched TV while Eric and I enjoyed visiting.

March 10-16, 2013

 

All about Marcus…

Marcus

I couldn't resist this funny pic.  Marcus is growing so fast!  He's quite steady while sitting, but we still put a blanket behind him. 

Started up with cloth diapers a week ago- needed to wait for him to grow into the size I bought.  So far so good on that.

He has terribly dry skin.  It's been challenging to keep hydrated, even though baths are few and we use Aquaphor multiple times a day. 

He had his first cold and fever two weeks ago; actually, everyone was sick...except for my husband who was conveniently (or not, depending on the perspective) gone for the whole week.  I survived, but barely.

Life continues.

March 1-9, 2013

 

Whipping through the months (while the blizzard whips snow into drifts outside my kitchen window – yes, I’m writing about March during an April blizzard)…if you are still reading, ‘May God Bless YOU!’ 

This is quite possibly one of my favorite pictures of Marcus.  Taken o the 5th of March, he’s just learning to sit and entertain himself.  He rarely tips over.

The first full week in March is the Valley City Winter Show.  Eric is at the show all week, and the kids have the State 4-H Crop Judging Contest on Friday. 

Angelina is the 2013 State Junior Champion! 

This has been her goal for two years.  Zeke (Jr. division) and Dash (Sr. division) did well and improved their scores. 

This year, we took all the kids to the Winter Show on Saturday, March 9.  Usually I bring the kids in on a weekday, but with a baby, I just wasn’t up to doing it.  The grounds are usually very muddy and messy…this year was no exception.  Graham and Angelina, especially, want to see the magician that performs, but all the kids enjoy the show.  I also wanted to see the kids’ crop/seed sample entries.  Dash, Angelina, and Zeke all had multiple entries and even placed in the overall division with some of them.  It was a fun day and we ended by going to mass at 4pm in Jamestown. 

Afterwards we went out to eat at a small Chinese restaurant.  There was only one table available – their heat was out in the main dining area – but it was so worth it.  We’d not eaten there before, but we all agreed that it was the best Chinese we’d eaten in quite some time.  Plenty of leftovers for the next day, too!

March 5, 2013

 

Eric & Dash needed mugs for CYAC (Catholic Youth Advisory Council).  Dash serves on the council and Eric is his sponsor/advisor.  The kids help plan the Senior and Junior High Youth Rallies for our Diocese.

I couldn’t believe my good fortune in getting a photo of this deer and am amazed it didn’t get frightened away by me or by the dog!  If it had been eating on the trees closer to the house, instead of a lilac shrub, I might have run out to chase it off on my own.  The deer have congregated around the farm this year.  None of us can recall seeing this many deer around the farm for years, though there have been herds in the area, they just haven’t chosen our farm for their resting spot.

February 17-28, 2013

 

Let’s see, this is the beginning of Lent.  I actually felt very prepared for Lent this year.  I’d made copies of sacrifice charts, I’d colored a calendar for Lent and hung it in the kitchen, we all made it to Ash Wednesday services…basically I had a plan.  And then we all got sick.  For two and a half weeks all the junk that everyone else had been dealing with finally came knocking on our door.  Even Marcus had his first major cold – the kind where you sorta sleep in a chair so the baby is upright and can breath and maybe sleep. 

So, you can be thankful there are not pictures!

During this time, Angelina made it to NO dance classes on Monday, but she made it to every single Hunter’s Education class.  Yes, she is now certified!  And, I think she enjoyed the class as much as Zeke enjoyed reading her manual when she came home each night.

Eric missed everything because he, for the most part, was gone to a meeting or golf trip.  Lucky him.  That’s probably fortunate, because he was responsible for taking the kids to all their activities on the weekends when he was home.

He and Dash attended Citizenship in Action, an Extension sponsored event, at the state capital (Bismarck).  Dash was elected Lt. Governor, so had quite a good time and learned a lot.

Eric and Dash also went to the Catholic Youth Advisory Board planning meeting in Langdon.  This was their first planning retreat and they had a great time.  They planned out the Jr. High Youth Rally.

Our church had their Mission weekend the last weekend in February; I really wanted to attend because the talks sounded so wonderful.  I dropped Angelina off to help with childcare each day.  Eric and the three older kids made it to the Friday night mission talk…me?  Nada.  Sick kids.

HOPEfully we are covered in immunity!  And February is at an end.