Our Two Day "Fakation"

So here we are on our way to the only getaway we will have this summer. It is off to Rohoboth Beach DE to a Baseball on the Beach tournament. Our planned vacation had to be cancelled with Grandma in the hospital having surgery. I was hoping that she would be in rehab busy getting strong enough to go home at this point but she has had several setbacks. On one hand,  it is very hard for me to leave knowing that she is still in the hospital but on the other,the kiddos, hubby and I really, really need this time away. How much can go wrong in two days? Maybe I should not even entertain that question. This past week should have settled that.


My latest mini-project at home has been to erect a family picture wall in our entry way. The house is sorely lacking family photos and it is high time I get them up. My big guy is 13 after all. I have ordered some vinyl lettering to go up on that wall as well. I need to sort through my photos now and find some great ones, take a photo of the house (without basketballs, water bottles and chocolate milk boxes - thank you neighbor boy D) and hang the frames of course. I need to find a few smaller frames to fill in the area. I may hit our local thrift shop to see if they have ones I can simply repaint. I just know the finished product will be fantastic.

Putting my Troubles in a Black Contractor Bag

So, my Mom is going in on Tuesday for a fairly serious surgery. Being an only child with three children of my own home on summer vacation means that I will be stretched in many different directions. I am very worried about it all. This week between the playdates, movies, baseball games and swim practices I tried to get caught up in the house. Just trying to get it clean and the laundry done and put away would make sense, right? Not for me....when things are spinning beyond my control the first thing I reach for is a handy box of contractor bags and I start a major cleanout. There is a pattern here though as I have been doing this since I was old enough to walk to Woolworth (I am getting old) and buy my own box of bags. I see a pattern here...

Time Frozen

The last picture I took of Kieran with his hair & Finnegan our new puppy.

So, time froze for me in March. I stopped doing everything I loved -photographing, writing , making cards, scrapbooking, eating, thinking happy thoughts. Kieran began losing his hair and I felt like I was losing my mind. At the time I thought it was the worst thing that could possibly happen, but if I could have taken a peek into our future I would have been able shelve those fears. Looking back now, I regret the time I lost wrapped up in grieving his hair loss and changing appearance. Now almost four months later, I am so proud of my son and his new found strength and confidence. I have grown used to his new look and am no longer startled when I see him come downstairs in the early morning. He has gained a sense of self that I could never help him with but that he found on his own out of necessity. I wish I had been stronger, felt  differently and documented our journey because as traumatic as the time was, so many wonderful things happened in that frozen time. We composed a letter to the parents at school and I received an unexpected phone call from a dad I had never met that really touched me, Kieran's circle of friends rallied around him and proved what great kids they were. My friends listened and comforted me more than they will ever know. My other children became Kieran's fiercest protectors. We bought the most wonderful dog, Patrick had a health scare that reminded all of us of what is really important, Casey's scoliosis mysteriously disappeared. Kieran told us that he believed God wanted him to look this way for some reason... I wondered why God would put Kieran through this. As time passed and  things progressed I began to wonder if this test was meant more for me than him.

This is how I take Kieran's picture now...always with a baseball hat. I hope to be able to capture him without one. Look how happy he is!!!

Sure Signs of Spring

These are the two sure signs of Spring in our household....

The chalk and bubbles scattered all over the driveway.

Communion cards all over my desk!












It

Sporty Saturday

I meant to post these last night but got too busy with the kids.

I spent the morning with Kieran at a swim meet.








Then we got home and they all ran outside to do soft toss and fielding with Dad...Spring has officially begun. I have lost them all to baseball.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

After unearthing my one and only blog post + photo from last year in an earnest attempt to continue it, I was reminded by my big love that if it were not for him there would be no little loves! He deserves a picture especially on his day!!! Happy Saint Patrick's Day darling...although I for one will will not be participating in any corned beef and cabbage feasts (blech!). Away I go into blog world. I hope I do not get lost!!!