{PHFR}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ 

Every Thursday, over at Like Mother, Like Daughter! {click HERE for more} {Pretty}

These are the main women of my family.  Many, MANY cousins, a niece, and close Tias are missing (Hey, shout out to my Tia Alde!!!), but my sisters, sister-in-law, mom are here.  Pretty ladies getting together for a very special day.  My sister's little boy isn't so little anymore.  At a whopping 6'2",  he is now 18.  We celebrated his big day with an all American Bar-b-Que, close family, and a cake that was perhaps his favorite thing of the whole afternoon... ...a coke on his chocolate lover's cake!

{Happy}

It was a date! And any date with my honey makes me HAPPPPPYYYY :+) {Funny}

It doesn't matter how old we get; there is something special about visiting a pumpkin patch.  When The Lineman took the photo from above we totally laughed at the way Lucy looks. It looks like we pasted her onto this shot.  She totally dominates the tractor and the other kids, oh man so fun!  My MIL and I shared in the photo opportunities, but I don't think we were as funny as the kids.  

{Real}

This past week our parish held their 4th Annual Dream Cuisine fundraiser.  Victor and I bought tickets and we had ourselves a date.  Yep! A Date! It was a Polynesian themed night of delicious gourmet food, drinks, wine from the local vineyards, scrumptious desserts, great entertainment; best of all it was all for a great cause!  The Wounded Warrior Project.  The folks at Wounded Warrior Project have been providing services for veteran soldiers injured while out projecting our liberties.  Starting back in 2002, they are there from the start of an injury and never leave.  WWP is a support system that stays with the solider.  From what we heard that night the men and women behind WWP are some of the coolest, thoughtful, and dedicated people; just the kind of folks our soldiers need.
This year St. Rose honored Norberto Lara, SFC , U.S. Army (ret).  You can see this hero's story here.  Our pastor proudly presented a nice check to this solider and we were all quite moved by his story and being a part of this evening.

{PHFR} A Mix Bag of Moments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ 

Every Thursday, over at Like Mother, Like Daughter! {click HERE for more}

{Pretty}

 

Pretty Momma at a quick visit to San Francisco 

Pretty background with...

 

Prettier daughters enjoying this treat around the bay on the ship boat.   

  

Funny thing happens when you spend the afternoon calling the vessel you are on a 'ship'; then have the young fold correct you each and EVERY time.  As I remember the comments were, "No Tia-Momma, it's a boat!" 

{Happy}

Max turned 12 last week.  

12!

He's almost a teenager; that'll make 2 teenagers under our roof. 

 Goodness me.

Birthdays are celebrated with the usual cake and family dinner, but the celebrant is also gifted with a day free of ALL CHORES.

Max was stoked when he was met outside and told to take the day off.

His sisters were not as happy.

They picked up the slack LOL

{Funny}

My goofy Rose was in classic form during our boat trip.  I was lucky to get the few good shots of her without some kind face or gesture.  Something about the sea air really got to her, she zoomed from one side of the boat to another.  Zip-zap! She would be next to me one second then off to the other side the next.  It was about chasing birds, not missing the scenery, and keeping her balance on the rocking water.

My sister had a bit more trouble keeping her feet from sliding around while chasing our nephew around.

{Real}

A 'real' Hobbiton style birthday party for my sweet boy.

More on his party here

... and a couple of REALly nice shots for us too 

Capture your moments

they go so fast...

{PHFR}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~   Every Thursday, over at Like Mother, Like Daughter! {click HERE for more} {Pretty}

Lucy has a new hat!

I think she looked quite pretty in it, though she was 'bugged' at my constant mention of it.  As her Momma I think I have a free pass to say how pretty I think she is over and over and over.

Last week was our first day back into school.  Little treats inside their "Schultüte" waited for the kids that morning; pretty packed cones with back to school goodies.

{Happy}

Someone also started ballet this week.

She strutted to the car with determination and JOY!!

Then she proudly showed me, before class even, how much she knew.

Ballerina class (as Cecilia calls it) was a hit!

{Funny}

I struggled with whether I should post this picture. 

 It just cracked me up to see her in this position.  

Plus, it was PROOF of WHY The Lineman and I can not have her sleep with us. 

 It's a battle each time!  

Cecilia is warm and cuddly between 7am-8pm, but somewhere in between she is a... 

Oh how can I say it...

a warrior

a wiggly worm

a monster even!

{I say this with pure love for my child, but this is the truth ;+))

So there, this is proof Cecilia.  

You do move around while you sleep.

  {Real} My 42nd birthday was celebrated this week. I am 42! Not shocking, no. Not bad, no. I feel great even; not all that different from 41. The coolest part of it, other than the quiet day of homeschooling, a family lunch outside, the raking of leaves, and the picking up of children's closets... was a new sewing machine to replace my 15 year old broken one. I haven't seen this model and I've only had a Singer before, so we (The Lineman) and I hope this is good buy. We'll see...
Lots of Love!

{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~   Every Thursday, over at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
{Pretty}

Pretty voices of the Sisters Devoted the the Sacred Heart Pretty voices  and most lovely devoted Sisters!

{Happy} There is a tight bond between my two bookends.  I call Lucy and Cecilia my bookends; though they are nearly 10 years apart these two girls are so SO much alike.   While Lucy was enjoying her week at 'girls camp' little Cecilia moped quite a lot a little bit.   It was hard to be the 'only' girl all week in Big Bear; surrounded by so many boys  (says booooyzzz with a long drawn out sigh, that's how she said it ALL week). My 2 year old niece was with us too and most of the boys included her brother and cousins.  Still, in Cecilia's mind they weren't her sisters. She missed her sisters.  Especially Lucy! Here at the pick up date for all the girls, Cecilia screamed all the way until she grabbed Lucy and hugged her for dear life. I wonder how she'll react once Lucy goes off to college? It wasn't so bad for her during the week.

She did get on her very first pony ride.

{Funny}

On the way home from Big Bear Lucy wanted to drive back... 

on the Los Angeles freeways! 

 This would be her very first FWY drive 

and it'll be me next to her, not her Papi.  

I was back to the worry mom again.  

But, I wasn't the only one... 

These are the back sit passengers! Oh the fear!!!! LOL She did really good actually.  Margaret, you would have been proud... of me that is; I didn't have a heart attack.
{Real}

Real memories that each of the kids had during our week in Big Bear.

The girls came back with new friends.

  Shared adventures with old friends.

The boys created and filled their week with adventures at sea

(really the lake but, to them this canoe was their sail and they the brave fishermen) 

Little ones gifted their mommies with this site.  

At the feet of Our Blessed Mother asking for her intercessions.

A week filled with memories.

{PHRR}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, with the ladies 

at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

 {Pretty}

This is the garden we inherited from the previous home owners.  Once we bought the house, I knew the garden would prove to be both a treasure and a chore.

The treasures of the garden showed itself this spring with blooms and colors of many varieties. 

 

The chore, well just take a look at {real} down below...

{Happy}

Happy is Cecilia.

She was the lone child that got to have lunch with The Lineman and I yesterday.

It was his BIRTHday, his 43rd!!

While we were out doing some errands and celebrating with lunch, 

the other kids were baking and decorating for a little surprise later that evening.

It ended up not being a surprise after all.  

The Lineman was in a lot of pain on his birthday, he has two torn rotator cuffs... ugh!  

Yesterday was a particularly painful day.  So sad, it had to be on his birthday.

But, happy was he too.

We got a refund yesterday that came at a very nice moment.

So extra money equals a happy Lineman! 

{Funny}

 

The very last hospitality meeting ended with an "Old Fashioned Picnic"

Think Little Women out in the country, on a sunny afternoon.

It was sweet tea and lots of edible delights.

It was quilts on the floor and big straw hats.

It was also games of musical chairs; 

where the girls also played ring around the rosy with each other.

It was two legged races,

 with mommies and daughters practicing stepping in unison.

It was potato sack races,

 where many of us mommies quickly realized how

  unfit we really are.

Sorry, there are many pictures of us falling, laughing, and being ever so silly.

But, I promised to tell without showing pictures.

Those are held in some privacy among the ladies of that last picnic.

So priceless those memories.

{Real}

The garden is overgrown!

 

We've already begun to tackle the weeds 

and the many bushes of flowers and lavender growing wild.

 

We aren't complaining, except the weather is quickly becoming hot!

Other than that, having this garden is awesome!