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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Uncle C's Wedding

We have a new Aunt K!


Uncle C's wedding was a joyful family gathering. 


All the cousins were there, from both the older generation


and the new,


which is an impressive feat.


Everyone was dressed to the nines.  Our crew loves to dress up for a celebration.


T and I were so grateful to our kids for their good behavior.  They were complimented on their behavior during the wedding.  They were troopers as we rode to the reception all together.  They sat politely during dinner and listened to the beautiful toasts to Aunt K and Uncle C.  Then, they were rewarded by the band, which played until midnight, and we all danced the night away.


J-Bear especially appreciated the babysitter friends who were available to play during the ceremony and reception.  She was able to join in for most of the day and still get home for a reasonable bedtime.  MoMo had ensured that everybody would be able to have a great time on the wedding day.

This was the event of the year for sure!
No wonder GG had been looking forward to it all winter.
She always wanted to hear about Uncle C's wedding plans when we would go over for lunch.
She was certainly smiling down on her family and celebrating the new couple.  


Our love to Aunt K and Uncle C!

Happily Ever,
Queen B

Saturday, June 27, 2015

We could sleep for a week

These



 dudes 


are


exhausted.


Believe me, this is a once in a lifetime sight. But on the other hand, we have had a once in a lifetime week.  Catholic Kids Camp, Uncle C's wedding festivities and a week with our Boston and Seattle cousins have made for an amazing time.  There are many stories to tell, once we wake up from our nap.


Happily Ever,
Queen B

Friday, June 26, 2015

Catholic Kids Camp 2015

This week, leading up to a special family wedding, we "set sail with the Holy Trinity" for Catholic Kids Camp.


We look forward to Catholic Kids Camp, our parish's version of VBS, all year long.


Because Buddy Bear and J-Bear are not quite old enough to attend on their own, I volunteered to host mini-kids camp with a friend for all the 4 and under campers of the parent volunteers.  We attracted a large crowd this year, humbled by the vote of confidence from so many great volunteer parents.  Buddy Bear and J-Bear loved every minute of the week, from the great crafts, circle time, stories, games, outdoor play and snacks.


We certainly couldn't have made it through the week without several wonderful teen volunteers who were eager to shower attention on our young crew.  With 8-10 kids ages 9 months to 5 years old, there are many hands (or bodies) to hold, bathroom times and diaper changes to juggle, and varying ability levels to manage.  Thankfully, my friend, Mrs. N, had secured a wonderful large room for us, brought boxes of miniature toys and Magnetiles to play with, and planned perfect snacks.


Our crafts were simple but engaging and didn't require too much help from the adults.  We made "One God" hand cut-outs for our day celebrating God the Father, decorated Jesus Loves You crosses for our day celebrating God the Son, and taped together Holy Spirit dove kites for our day celebrating God the Holy Spirit.  We also had a coloring page to go with each day.  G-Bear was so impressed with the crafts her little brother and sister were bringing home each day that she said, "do you have any extras for me and E-Bear to do?  We only get to do ONE craft each day."  Boy, was I thrilled to garner G-Bear and E-Bear's admiration!  Buddy Bear and J-Bear were also so proud to show their big sibs their hard work at the end of each day.


Each afternoon, during J-Bear's nap, the big kids would hole up in their room with their CKC music CD and practice their songs and hand motions for the week (while I collapsed in an exhausted heap). The music and dancing are some of my favorite parts of the CKC week, because they stay with us for so long afterwards.  Even J-Bear knows the songs and motions by the end of the week and loves to sing them with her siblings.


The week is always exhausting, but it is one hundred percent worth it once Friday comes around and I get to watch my kids and their friends sing and dance together in the love and joy of the Lord.  We were some of the last to leave the fellowship hall at the end of the performance morning, having stayed to talk and connect with so many friends.  I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for the community we have found here and the friends we have all made.

Happily Ever,
Queen B

Monday, June 22, 2015

Nana's Visit


All the cars have had oil changes.

All the doorbells have new batteries.

T's new birthday tux shirt has been returned for the correct size.

Buttons are sewn back on.

The living room is vacuumed and the laundry is folded.

And it is not even lunch time.


Nana must be in town.


We are so excited to host Nana for a week in preparation for Uncle C's wedding.
We'll play plenty of Sequence and board games, enjoy outings and meals.  
What a blessing it is to have Nana with us!

Happily Ever,
Queen B