Well, the day is set. I can't wait to meet our little Gabriel in just 10 more days! I don't know why, but I'm not nervous at all to add another baby to the family this time. Seven is an intimidating number when I think about it, but going to Mass lately has really been helping me. This last Sunday, I went to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Fr. Lanzrath (one of my favorites) was saying the Mass.
In his sermon, he talked about how we are all here to do God's will. Everything we have is God's, not ours- our lives, our kids, our possessions, EVERYTHING. Every second of everyday that we are alive is a gift from God. This really impacted me. I also feel very honored that God has trusted me with 6 of his children and now a 7th. I have started doing something that has really been helping me get through the day. Every suffering of everyday and every frustration, I offer up to God. Not saying that I don't still lose my temper or complain about pregnancy pain, but I try to be better everyday. That's all we can do as humans, right?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
31 years of blessings
Today, I've been alive for 31 years. I am happy to say that after everything I've gone through, happiness, heartache, achievements and failures...everything in my life lead me to where I am now. I don't have a perfect life, but I am very blessed with a wonderful husband and 6 (almost 7) beautiful kids.
I was very fortunate to be raised by loving, supportive parents. They taught me to always have faith in God. Even when life seems hopeless at times, God always has a way of giving me a little gift. I have had to use this foundation of faith MANY times in my life.
Heath & I never "planned" on having THIS big of a family. We always wanted a big family, I just didn't think it would happen this soon or be this big. Had we not had the faith to just let God give us the gift as they came, I really don't think we would be as happy as we are today. Sure, we don't take the big vacations and have a huge house or really nice cars, but we have a bunch of kids that we wouldn't trade for anything in the world. That is so much more valuable than any material possession we could ever dream of. We will have time to travel and have time to ourselves after the kids are grown. Plus, we will have a big, loud, fun, loving family to share the rest of our lives with.
I really believe that everything works out a certain way for a reason. I met Heath when I was out celebrating my 21st birthday at Old Chicago. He was our server. He had just graduated from college, but was having trouble finding a job in his field. We talked a little that night and I thought he was cute. Then a little while later, he moved to Miami for an internship with the Florida Marlins. I didn't see him again until a year later. I had started serving at Old Chicago and he moved back a few months after I started there. We ended up in the same place at the same time one night, and from then on, we were inseparable. I knew 2 weeks after I met him that he was probably the one. He said he knew too. He even told a few friends that he thought I was the one after a few weeks, and they thought he was crazy. Less than a year later, we got married.
I am so fortunate to have a husband that is not only open to life, but willing to help out. I really feel like we do most things 50/50. Sometimes, he is able to give a little more than I am and sometimes I am able to give a little more than he is. The good thing is, when one of us is overwhelmed, the other is able to step up and give the other one a break. We just work.
I was very fortunate to be raised by loving, supportive parents. They taught me to always have faith in God. Even when life seems hopeless at times, God always has a way of giving me a little gift. I have had to use this foundation of faith MANY times in my life.
Heath & I never "planned" on having THIS big of a family. We always wanted a big family, I just didn't think it would happen this soon or be this big. Had we not had the faith to just let God give us the gift as they came, I really don't think we would be as happy as we are today. Sure, we don't take the big vacations and have a huge house or really nice cars, but we have a bunch of kids that we wouldn't trade for anything in the world. That is so much more valuable than any material possession we could ever dream of. We will have time to travel and have time to ourselves after the kids are grown. Plus, we will have a big, loud, fun, loving family to share the rest of our lives with.
I really believe that everything works out a certain way for a reason. I met Heath when I was out celebrating my 21st birthday at Old Chicago. He was our server. He had just graduated from college, but was having trouble finding a job in his field. We talked a little that night and I thought he was cute. Then a little while later, he moved to Miami for an internship with the Florida Marlins. I didn't see him again until a year later. I had started serving at Old Chicago and he moved back a few months after I started there. We ended up in the same place at the same time one night, and from then on, we were inseparable. I knew 2 weeks after I met him that he was probably the one. He said he knew too. He even told a few friends that he thought I was the one after a few weeks, and they thought he was crazy. Less than a year later, we got married.
I am so fortunate to have a husband that is not only open to life, but willing to help out. I really feel like we do most things 50/50. Sometimes, he is able to give a little more than I am and sometimes I am able to give a little more than he is. The good thing is, when one of us is overwhelmed, the other is able to step up and give the other one a break. We just work.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Summertime!
Well, we finished another school year. I can't believe how quickly it flew by! It seems like the more kids we have in school (and, well, the more kids we have period), the faster the years start going by.
Right before school got out, we found out we are having another boy!!! So, our poor little girl will now have SIX brothers! She gets along with the boys so well, so I hope it stays that way. She also has the best brothers any girl could ask for. Every time I take a moment to stop and just watch the kids, they do something that makes me proud to be their mom. They are so sweet and thoughtful. Don't get me wrong, I break up plenty of fights, but what siblings don't fight? I am excited to see them growing into such wonderful people. With that being said, when I started to think about school getting out, I started to panic just a tad.
Every year seems to fly by more quickly than the year before. When it got to be about mid-May, I thought, "I am going to have 6 kids ages 8 and under home for three months all while being pregnant. And I thought last summer was tough! " The more I thought about it, the more I thought I needed a schedule and several charts to keep the kids on task. We have one for chores, one for behavior and one for rewards. I was never one to be super organized, but I thought if I had a strategy, it would help out immensely. Heath has been a huge help in that area, since he is Mr. Organization. Wish me luck!
Right before school got out, we found out we are having another boy!!! So, our poor little girl will now have SIX brothers! She gets along with the boys so well, so I hope it stays that way. She also has the best brothers any girl could ask for. Every time I take a moment to stop and just watch the kids, they do something that makes me proud to be their mom. They are so sweet and thoughtful. Don't get me wrong, I break up plenty of fights, but what siblings don't fight? I am excited to see them growing into such wonderful people. With that being said, when I started to think about school getting out, I started to panic just a tad.
Every year seems to fly by more quickly than the year before. When it got to be about mid-May, I thought, "I am going to have 6 kids ages 8 and under home for three months all while being pregnant. And I thought last summer was tough! " The more I thought about it, the more I thought I needed a schedule and several charts to keep the kids on task. We have one for chores, one for behavior and one for rewards. I was never one to be super organized, but I thought if I had a strategy, it would help out immensely. Heath has been a huge help in that area, since he is Mr. Organization. Wish me luck!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Never a dull moment!
I realize that I have been really bad about bogging, but I have been insanely busy. We started this year off right with a New Year's Eve party at our friends' house. It was great to get out, since we hadn't been to a NYE party in YEARS! Heath went on a business trip, we celebrated Heath's birthday and Valentine's Day together, found out we are expecting again...you know, the usual :) Yes, that's right. We are now expecting our 7th child in October. It's really cool that it's October because we haven't filled that month yet. Me, Heath and all of the kids have birthdays in all different months. With the start of Lent, we sat all of the kids down and asked them what they were going to give up. Right then, our 6 year-old, Aidan piped up, "I'm not giving up the weed, Mom!" I figured out that he really meant Wii, but couldn't stop laughing. Of course, he didn't get it. I gave up Facebook, which has been good and bad both. I have given more time to other (probably more worthwhile) things, but I miss keeping up with all of my friends. It's a quick way to keep in contact with your friends if you're really busy, like I am. Sometimes I start to feel overwhelmed with chores and the kids, especially since I've had absolutely NO energy this pregnancy so far. Thank God I have such funny kids to keep me laughing. The other day, my 3 year-old, Brody (who is potty training) was sitting in front of the TV while I was folding clothes. The Scooter Store commercial came on and was asking the questions, "Do you find it difficult making it to the bathroom on time? Have you fallen in the last 12 months?" Brody was sitting there nodding. I don't know if was just a coincidence, but I laughed and laughed. Keep me in your prayers this Spring and Summer, please...not only for a healthy pregnancy, but for my sanity during, T-Ball, Baseball, Scouts, and finishing up Basketball activities. Hopefully, it will just fly by!
Monday, January 24, 2011
How Embarrassing!!! - Did that really happen?
Today I went to get my 4 year-old, Jake from school at 10:50 AM. I got out of the van to get him and left it running like I normally do. He meets me about half way, so I just leave the other 3 kids in the van. When I went to open the door to let Jake in, I realized what had happened...I was locked out! I ran around checking every door, saying to myself, "Please God, please God!" No such luck. So, Jake and I ran into the school and told the secretaries what had happened. One of the secretaries told me she'd run me home to get the spare key and the principal said she would stay outside with the kids. Then a parent overheard what we were talking about and said she had done that before and told us to call 911. She said they'd be there quickly. I thought that might be a better option to save so many people from having to be inconvenienced. So that's what we did.
About 10 minutes passed. I went to check on the kids and they thought I was playing a game with them. They were laughing and having a great time! When the firefighters got there, they immediately told me that they couldn't open electronic locks. So, back to plan A. Paula got her coat on and when I turned back around, there were 3 cop cars there, lights on and all. Kids and teachers were seeing all of this and they started asking questions. So, they made an all school announcement not to be alarmed - that a mom just locked her keys in the car. (Now I REALLY felt like an idiot.) The cops said they would make sure the kids were okay and said they'd stay with them. When the secretary and I got back to school, there was one more cop car and a Sheriff that said he was just curious what was going on - 5 cop cars...all because of me. Now I'm interested to find out if Gavin and Aidan know that their idiot mom was the "mom who locked the keys in the car".
All the kids are fine. I just kept feeling like I was in a scene from a movie. How embarrassing!!!!
About 10 minutes passed. I went to check on the kids and they thought I was playing a game with them. They were laughing and having a great time! When the firefighters got there, they immediately told me that they couldn't open electronic locks. So, back to plan A. Paula got her coat on and when I turned back around, there were 3 cop cars there, lights on and all. Kids and teachers were seeing all of this and they started asking questions. So, they made an all school announcement not to be alarmed - that a mom just locked her keys in the car. (Now I REALLY felt like an idiot.) The cops said they would make sure the kids were okay and said they'd stay with them. When the secretary and I got back to school, there was one more cop car and a Sheriff that said he was just curious what was going on - 5 cop cars...all because of me. Now I'm interested to find out if Gavin and Aidan know that their idiot mom was the "mom who locked the keys in the car".
All the kids are fine. I just kept feeling like I was in a scene from a movie. How embarrassing!!!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Moments that make a mom proud
Some days it is so incredibly hard to be a mom. You feel underappreciated and you feel like no one likes your cooking and all your kids think you are mean. It's times like these that I pray for patience and strength. Then there are those times that you wonder how your child became so good. These are the moments I live for. Yesterday was a prime example of one of those moments that made me so proud of my oldest son, Gavin.
I usually get to school to pick up the kids around 3:15 even though they don't get out until 3:20. I usually bring a bottle for Corbin incase he gets fussy and Jake usually crawls up in the front seat with me while Brody and Addie play the game "let's bang our heads against the backs of the carseats until the kids get out of school". So, needless to say, I like the boys to get out to the van as soon as they get out of school.
Aidan came out to the van right away after 3:20, so all we needed was Gavin to get going. We waited and waited. Just as I was about to call the office from my cell phone, I see him walking out of the school. When he gets to the van (by now, it's 3:30), I ask him what took him so long and he said he had to put up all of the chairs. I asked him if he got in trouble and he said, "No. The teacher asked us to put up our chairs and some of my classmates didn't do it." I told him that was very nice of him and asked him if his teacher appreciated it. He said, "No, she left the room when everyone else did." He asked if I was mad at him for being late and I said, "No, you did a really nice thing for your teacher." I told him that even though she doesn't know that he did that, God knows and He gave him extra points in Heaven. He reminded me that I was frustrated this one day when he held the door for EVERYONE in the whole school. Then I felt bad. Lesson learned: Patience is extremely important when teaching your kids to do nice things for others.
I usually get to school to pick up the kids around 3:15 even though they don't get out until 3:20. I usually bring a bottle for Corbin incase he gets fussy and Jake usually crawls up in the front seat with me while Brody and Addie play the game "let's bang our heads against the backs of the carseats until the kids get out of school". So, needless to say, I like the boys to get out to the van as soon as they get out of school.
Aidan came out to the van right away after 3:20, so all we needed was Gavin to get going. We waited and waited. Just as I was about to call the office from my cell phone, I see him walking out of the school. When he gets to the van (by now, it's 3:30), I ask him what took him so long and he said he had to put up all of the chairs. I asked him if he got in trouble and he said, "No. The teacher asked us to put up our chairs and some of my classmates didn't do it." I told him that was very nice of him and asked him if his teacher appreciated it. He said, "No, she left the room when everyone else did." He asked if I was mad at him for being late and I said, "No, you did a really nice thing for your teacher." I told him that even though she doesn't know that he did that, God knows and He gave him extra points in Heaven. He reminded me that I was frustrated this one day when he held the door for EVERYONE in the whole school. Then I felt bad. Lesson learned: Patience is extremely important when teaching your kids to do nice things for others.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
It's been a while!!
I'm just now getting the time to start blogging again. Whenever there is a new addition, it takes me a good month or two to get things together and get used to the new baby's likes and dislikes. It seems like everytime we add a new memeber of the family, the dynamic totally changes.
Corbin Patrick was born on September 11. I was induced on September 10 and I was determined to have him on that day, but it didn't happen that way. He is such a sweetheart and the kids are just crazy about him. We were so blessed to have family and friends bring meals for us and help us out any way they could. We are so blessed to have such wonderful, giving people in our lives.
Things have been a little crazy around here, but Heath as always has been a huge help. When he works in the evenings it is hard to survive. I have homework to oversee, dinner to cook, the assembly line of baths to give, LOTS and LOTS of refereeing to do...so by bedtime I am usually pretty pooped out. All is going to change for the better soon though. Heath was offered a job at my uncle's company. He will be selling coomputer software to companies that helps compute how much material will be needed for different construction jobs and such. He will have evenings and weekends OFF!!!! This will help so much now that more of our kids are getting into school. The Warren was a wonderful job with awesome people, but it's time for a change. He is so excited to be able to spend more quality time with me and the kids. I am thrilled for him!
He starts his new job as of November 1, so please keep us in your prayers that it's a smooth transition.
Corbin Patrick was born on September 11. I was induced on September 10 and I was determined to have him on that day, but it didn't happen that way. He is such a sweetheart and the kids are just crazy about him. We were so blessed to have family and friends bring meals for us and help us out any way they could. We are so blessed to have such wonderful, giving people in our lives.
Things have been a little crazy around here, but Heath as always has been a huge help. When he works in the evenings it is hard to survive. I have homework to oversee, dinner to cook, the assembly line of baths to give, LOTS and LOTS of refereeing to do...so by bedtime I am usually pretty pooped out. All is going to change for the better soon though. Heath was offered a job at my uncle's company. He will be selling coomputer software to companies that helps compute how much material will be needed for different construction jobs and such. He will have evenings and weekends OFF!!!! This will help so much now that more of our kids are getting into school. The Warren was a wonderful job with awesome people, but it's time for a change. He is so excited to be able to spend more quality time with me and the kids. I am thrilled for him!
He starts his new job as of November 1, so please keep us in your prayers that it's a smooth transition.
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