Growth

By mid-February, most of the children had started putting down roots here in Michigan. 

The friends they made became closer. 

Matt and I took extra time and care to encourage their relationships with each other as siblings as well.

I received a book from Matt for Christmas about Liturgical Living throughout the year, especially within our homes. It has been a game-changer for me...and I think the kids like it too!

We have been celebrating and remembering Feast Days and special events within the Church, and truly trying to incorporate our faith into our daily living. 

Making grottos for Our Lady of Lourdes Feast

When introverts born in the 80's try to flirt with their spouses...

After my brothers bought Mariokart for the children for Christmas, my life has been a series of mustaches. 

This is Sarah proclaiming the wonders of Crayola. 

This is just moments before they realized that Sharpie mustaches were better for longevity.

They even plastered Baby L with a 'stache.

You know that moment you realize you aren't dealing with the same child you had 30 seconds ago?

That moment that the past 12 years flash before your eyes? 

The split second that you comprehend all that hard work and love and sweat and blood and tears and prayers went into the making of a real-live, independent and kind human?

Yeah.

Slow down, girl.

Saturday morning haircuts. This particular project takes a LOT longer than it used to now that there are 6 gentlemen in need.

I am in SO.MUCH.TROUBLE.

#LEGIT

The kids made Valentines for Matt. I have officially retired from teaching them art, as their skills have all surpassed my own. They drew these after just looking at pictures.

I guess this post could have been labeled as The Year Sarah Bloomed. She started sewing lessons, and made a baby carseat cover for Baby L.

In one of her happy places.

This has also been a time of growth for Matt, as he is now getting back into the swing of helping at bedtime...

Charles especially loves when Dad helps him brush his teeth so that it sounds like a train in his mouth. 

NEW FAVORITE BEDTIME BOOK!

I love everything about this.

February Begins

The crazy weather insisted on staying put into February. We hung blankets over the windows because the wind felt as though it could travel through glass. We continued to hang on tight to one another, looking at each day as it came. 

We appreciated the small things and said "Absolutely Not!" to anything that disturbed the peace. It was a sacred time. 

Mrs. Zion sent gift boxes! We received cookies to decorate and books to read, a drawing book for Tommy and binoculars for the kids to watch all our new birds at our feeder. 

Getting into the 3rd trimester in pregnancy meant a lot of changes for everyone. The children especially despised my cravings...

Charlie disliked that his "mommy lap" had disappeared almost overnight to make space for "Baaaaaaaaaaabyyyyyyyyy". We found new ways to snuggle and I continue to tell him it will only be a couple more weeks.

Nate. Nate. Nate. This child is COVERED in bruises and scratches! He is hilarious. He tries so hard to be patient and never complain, but he honors these beauty marks as badges of honor.

Tommy calls Charles "Chunky Charvie" and the name has stuck. 

They have a strange relationship which none of us truly understand, but Matt says it is because they are the same exact person...born 8 years apart.

The layoff days at GM dragged on and on. Matt and I talked often and made plans about cleaning/purging the house and getting it ready for selling again. We were detaching and it was ok.

It was a good nesting project, truthfully.

 Matt came home every night overwhelmed and headachey, watching coworkers lose their jobs and living in panic that he would be next. It made me think of the days when men came home from work and needed a pipe and paper and slippers.

Matt came home and put on earmuffs. 

The children were merciless and never let him be. It was a good thing, in the end. 

Priorities.

The End of January

We spent the rest of January waiting for the axe to fall at work. We lived in fear of unemployment in a totally new state, expecting a baby in a few short months.

We are continually being shown how to trust God.

I won't lie. It wasn't all roses and faith.

Matt and I had over a month of sleepless nights, and I looked a heckuva lot like Charlie during the day...

STRESS, WHAT?!?!?

 God provided us with supportive friends and family to keep our minds focused on Him and the blessings we have right in front of us. My brother Matt checked in with texts almost every single day. He sent the kids books. He prayed hard with us. He even started job searches in Canandaigua for Matt!

The kids laying on a pile of laundry, reading their new book from Uncle Matt over e-mail.

We didn't try to settle in anymore. Matt and I started giving away more things, preparing to put the house on the market. We didn't buy window treatments. We didn't hang pictures. We felt extremely resigned. The children understood what was happening, and they seemed to inherently know what to do.

Hang on to one another. 

The very end of January was BITTER COLD. We had dustings of snow, but nothing like we experienced in Syracuse. Every single morning was BRIGHT. 

SO MUCH LIGHT.

Matt worked in our closet when work shut down due to low temperatures. It was a huge blessing to have him home. We worked on updating his resume in our spare time. He tacked up one of his patent plaques. It was an awesome and incredibly humbling time.

The Edwards came over and kept our kids busy.

Sarah and Molly making brownies

Joseph and Rachel shooting hoops

Esther and Clare, playing every single board game they can reach

Tommy Turns Ten!

Esther has met a true bosom friend in Clare, and little Sarah has become so dear to all of us. It has been a treasure to have met so many little GIRLS here in Michigan.

Sarah and Charlie: matching hair/faces/temperaments.

Mom's big helpers

Matt, being himself

Tommy's birthday was perfect.

 The weather was mild, so he stayed outside playing with the neighborhood children until after dark. 

He asked for this hat, which is intended to make him look like a magician...but he really resembles Abe Lincoln. I laugh heartily every time he wears it.

His big gift was an basketball hoop. It took us 3495827458927 times longer to set it up than the box would have had us believe. 

But!

This game has been used EVERY SINGLE DAY since the end of January, and I think we have some budding Scottie Pippins on our hands.

Tommy requested homemade pizza and cookie cake.

 A Ray themed birthday.

And when we lit those candles, we singed the poor cartoon flying squirrel.

(it was hilarious)

dab

dabbing shirt

HE'S A TEN, ALL AROUND!