Home Sweet Heart

My "One More Time"

Four years ago, it hit me hard that my youngest was almost four.  Life just didn't seem right without a baby around.  I just didn't feel like I was "done".  My husband insisted that surely after nine kids, our house was full.  Hmmm ... how could I tell him that my feelings were telling me something different?  Yes, I knew we had our hands full.  Yes, I knew he would be 50 in three years.  And yes, I knew I was 43.  Yet, none of that concerned me.

So, I turned to prayer.

Just one more time, Lord, to feel a baby kicking inside of me.

Just one more time, Lord, to anticipate a baby's arrival.

Just one more time, Lord, to see the tears in my husband's eyes when he becomes a father once again.

Just one more time, Lord, to see the older children welcome a new one into our home.

Just one more time, Lord, to feel that soft skin at my breast.

Just one more time Lord to hold those little fingers in my hand.

Just one more time, Lord, to hear the cooing of satisfaction as I hold a baby in my arms.

Just one more time, Lord, for that first smile.

Just one more time, Lord, to cuddle on the bed with the baby for an afternoon nap.

Just one more time, Lord, to bring a new life into the world!

I prayed and by the grace of God, we welcomed our daughter, Lucy Elizabeth, into our family three years ago today!

We are so thankful for all those "one more times" and look forward to the many more "one more times".

Happy Birthday Lucy-lu!  We love you lots!

It's wedding time!

We've been anticipating and talking about this for a long time.  August 29th always seemed so far away, but now it is here ... Megan and Andrew's wedding!  The next couple of days are a flurry of activity, making sure I've got everything in place.

... Pick up Catie's maid of honor dress at the bridal store.

... Make sure Ginny has her ride to the airport arranged from college.

... Pray that Billy gets the okay from the Academy to take leave early on Friday.

... Find brown belts for the boys suits ... forgot that black won't work with khaki.

... Put the finishing touches on Catie's maid of honor toast.

... Need jewelry for my dress.  My fashion consultant (Jesse) tells me that the jewelry I picked out will not do.

... Also need to rethink my shoes.

... Practice dancing with my non-dancing husband.  Ginny promised to give him lessons Friday night, when she arrives home.

... Make sure I have three pairs of matching dress socks for the boys.

... Get Catie a manicure appointment.  Her nails need help ... a week of mixing food coloring into frosting at the bakery, has done a number on them.  After all, the maid of honor needs to be glowing for the bride.

... Go over wedding etiquette with the younger children.

... Charge the camera battery.

... Get Lucy's first haircut.

... Confirm Catie's ride to Winchester for Friday.

... Get Lucy's dress shoes ... her feet grew a lot over the summer. 

... Make sure Chuck's suit is in order.

... Plan a birthday party for Lucy who turns three tomorrow!

... Remind Billy to double check that he has all of his uniform with him before he leaves the Academy.

... Buy a new movie camera ... our's broke.

... Do the girls have stockings and slips for their dresses?  I forgot that detail!  Hope they remembered.

... Double check our hotel reservations.

Time to go tackle the list!

A New Phase of Mothering

 I remember one evening standing at the kitchen sink hearing the shower running above me, realizing that it was Catie taking a shower.  Joy filled my mind over the fact that I now had a child who could shower on her own!  Might seem silly to some, but for a mother of six at the time (eight and under), it was a monumental moment.  Catie's new found independence of being able to wash up at night, on her own, meant that my bedtime routine for the children was more flexible and would require less time. 

My how things have changed since then!  No, I am not rejoicing over the fact that I now have eight out of ten children who can shower on their own!  I'm realizing that my older children are becoming so much more independent, faster than I ever imagined.  I'm realizing that life is changing ... my life and our family life. 

In the midst of all this maturing and new growing independence, I still have my younger set of kids.  Figuring out how to parent them along with their older siblings is a new world for me ... it is unexplored territory. 

I was the oldest of six so I had a great deal of family life education watching and helping my parents and later single mom (my father passed away when I was sixteen) raise my siblings.  Diaper changing, bathing, feeding, cooking, cleaning, etc. all came naturally for me as a new mom because I had grown up doing it.

But I was the first to leave home for college and then the first to get married.  I did not watch my mom raise my teenage and college-age siblings with my younger siblings; and later, new baby sister.  (My mother remarried and had a baby girl!)  So juggling diapers and temper tantrums along with phone calls from college, teenage talks at night, etc. is all new to me.  I have no experience there.

This is a new stage of parenting for me.  I'm learning each day and praying for the grace to do this well.

I want to be available for my older kids when they call home.  And I want to be there for my teenagers when they want to talk.  Yet, I also want to be there to cuddle with my seven year old when he needs "mommy time".  I want to have time to take those walks around the neighborhood with them.  I want to be able to pack up a picnic lunch and head for the park at the spur of the moment.  I want to give my younger set the childhood that their older siblings had.

Realistically though I know that their childhood will be different.  That isn't a bad thing.  It's just a different thing.  My younger kids will have the benefit of things their older siblings never had ... like an older brother to take them fishing or treat them to an ice cream ... like an older sister to paint their nails and play dress-up with ... like and older sibling to read them a bedtime story ... like an older sister to go visit at college and sleep in her dorm. 

So, this change is good.  It's just different.  I'm learning to manage it and enjoy it!  Pray for me!

She's moved in and we all miss her

Life is very quiet here at home without Ginny.  Yes, I still have eight kids at home, but for now, things are more quiet than usual.  I think we are all adjusting in our own ways to the change of not having Ginny here at home.  For the older girls, it means not having a big sister around to discuss any and everything with.  For Jesse, it means assuming the role of chauffeur.  For Vicky it means moving in Ginny's room and for the time Ginny is not home, having her own room.  For Caroline, it means having Lucy as her new roommate.  For the boys, it means one less sister to have to wait for to finish in the bathroom.  For all of us, it means just getting used to Ginny being gone and looking forward to her nightly calls to home.  We are enjoying the webcam and Skype account.  So, we are all adjusting ... but we miss her so!

Here are some pictures of her move in ..

 

Dad packing everything up!

 

Moving in ... thank goodness for those wonderful students who helped us!  Boy was it hot!

We are here!

Great view from her room.  The campus is beautiful.

 

Little sisters are great helpers!

 

The finished look!

And more.

It's official ...

Here's Billy signing.

 

The mids also signed a scroll for public display in Smoke Hall. 

Billy's signature is in the middle, 7th one down

 

A very special group of young men and women. 

Congratulations Class of 2011!

2 for 7 signing is today

A bird has informed me that today is the "2 for 7" signing ceremony at the Naval Academy.  Oh, I wish I could bilocate and be there to witness the big event.  It's not for parents, but some do manage to sneak in.

So what is the "2 for 7" event?  Each year at the Academy, before the school year begins the 2nd class midshipman sign their papers agreeing to accept their commission in the United States Navy to serve 5 years after their commissioning.  Before that, the first two years, a midshipman was free to leave the Academy without any obligation or "payback".  After the papers are signed, your commitment is official. 

To celebrate the event, the 2nd class midshipman sign a long scroll in Smoke Hall that is later available for public viewing.  Later ther mids celebrate with a big ceremonial dinner.

So, it's a big day for Billy!  We are so proud of him and all his shipmates!

Congratulations to the Class of 2011!  Go Navy!

It's Time - She's College Bound

The day has arrived ... this morning we leave to take Ginny to Belmont Abbey College for her freshman year.  I keep telling myself, "You've done this before.  It won't be as hard this time."  I'm fooling myself.  It's just as hard.  I'm going to miss this girl so very much.  We all are.  

Fortunately we won't be limited in our emails, phone calls, etc., by the rules and regulations of the Navy, like we are with her big brother.  That will make this "goodbye" a bit easier.  Ginny has equipped our home computer with a webcam and a Skype account so she can check in every night on her roommate and little sister, Lucy.  Hopefully, I will get a chance during those calls to check in our her too!

But despite webcams, cell phones and emails, it won't be the same.  I will miss Ginny beyond words that I can express.  I will miss so much about her ....

... her music,

... her sarcastic wit,

... her singing,

... her friend David,

... her love for the theatre,

... her updates on the latest movie,

... her love for Lucy,

... her scarves,

... her crushes,

... her crazy shoes,

 

... her laughter,

... her parenting advice,

... her spunk,

.... her late night discussions with her sisters,

... her temper,

... her leftover Starbucks lattes,

... her ITunes account,

... her computer knowledge,

... her smile,

... her stubbornness,

... her late night visits to my computer room to "just" talk,

... her long infatuation with ...,

... her dancing,

... her love for literature and writing,

... her acting,

JUST HER!

I love you Ginny!  Belmont Abbey is so very lucky to have you.  Show them your stuff!  Be good!  Be safe and come home soon!  God be with you always.

Love, Mom

The things they say ~ Patrick

Yesterday, on the way to a doctor's appointment, I saw Patrick in my rear view mirror looking up at the sky in deep thought.  After about a few minutes he inquired, "I wonder what Grandma Jo is doing in heaven right now?" 

I wonder, too, Patrick!

Special Olympics' Special Lady

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics and a strong pro-life advocate, died yesterday.   "No one more than Eunice Kennedy Shriver understood better the power held by the most vulnerable in our society,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement. “She fought for those hidden in the shadows of life, while acknowledging that they teach us far more than we could ever offer them. She was consistent in her championing of every vulnerable human life.”

While I never met Mrs. Shriver, I would have been honored by the opportunity to thank this great lady for all that she has done for my intellectually disabled daughter.  Read the rest here.

Happy Birthday Megan!

Today is my sister, Megan's, 22nd birthday.... Last year I dedicated this post to you.  The only thing I can add to it, is that I love you just as much and even more! 

Megan, you are in my daily thoughts and prayers as our family celebrates your birth 22 years ago and your upcoming marriage to Andrew.  These are exciting times!

May God bless  you and keep you!

I love you!