All of the Happenings as of Late

The summer has zoomed right along just like we knew it would.  I keep wondering how it can feel this way now, when the kids are too little to be involved in any activities.  I guess we're being eased into what's to come.  

We got to spend a glorious week with Sean, RoRo and baby Kolbe Hoss (sometimes referred to as Kolbe Hossome aka awesome or Kolbe Hot Sauce by his crazy cousins).  When they're here, poor Sean doesn't get a bit of rest.  The boys swarm to him from the minute he sets foot out of the car.  I love to see them love him so much though.

We got to have a little sip & see for this sweet guy, and it was as wonderful as you might expect.  It's always so fun to be able to celebrate a new little one, and to get some extra snuggles in.

Then, part of Sean's family came up for a few days on their way to a wedding we'd all attend in Denver toward the end of the week.  They are a tennis-playing family, and Jeremy played for years (although he hadn't played in the last five), so they challenged him to a match.  He's still really good, we quickly saw!  While they were playing tennis, we were entertaining the kiddos.  Papa and his newest best buddy...

I caught a few images of the players at work!

 This is also where we had the great hanging contest.

See, Uncle Sean never gets away.

 I even caught this moment of he and Carter having a heart-to-heart.

I think we might have another player on our hands, too!

This little one didn't make it too long...

 We spent some time that week with Kyle and Andy, and as always, it was beautiful and the food was out-of-this-world amazing!

 Then I've had a few photo shoots this month.  An engagement...

a beautiful wedding...

and a maternity shoot.

All such beautiful friends :)

Finally, we rounded of the last week at swim lessons for Carter and the weekend at Tamaya in Albuquerque with the Fisks.  My how the boys love their cousins!  

It's all been so fun!  

Tomorrow I'm hosting a giveaway for one of my favorite hand-lettering shops - Hatch Prints.  You don't want to miss out on a opportunity to have one of Katrina's beautiful pieces in your home, so come right back in the morning!

Have the best day!

What a Weekend (Week)

As my stomach grows to unbelievable lengths/widths/depths (ha!), my blogging slows.  However, we had the best time on the ranch last week celebrating Rozann and Sean's upcoming marriage.  It was amazing to see so many people come together from everywhere who love them so much.  We had tons of people from the Chicago area, and then there were those from Michigan, Washington, Texas, New Mexico, etc.  Over 200 people came for dinner, dancing and celebrating these two!

The week before things were a little crazy getting prepared (well, a lot had been done weeks before that), but plag poles had to be put up...

signs posted...

and the grounds cleaned and prepared for any and all scenarios.  The morning of the big party, we ended up moving most everything to the barn because of impending rain.  Thank goodness we did!  We had people in to smoke brisket and sausage on a stick.  All of the ladies in the family (and some wonderful neighbors, too!) helped make over 1000 cookies.  Some of the siblings and cousins teamed up to host a washer pitching tournament, 

and a former boss and amazing friend of Rozann's had caps made for every guest.

More than anything, it was just special to be together in preparation for one of God's greatest gifts to us...marriage.  

The boys cannot wait to have a new uncle to go with their sweet RoRo...

and we're thrilled to welcome Sean to the family! 

His family is a testament of the love and beauty that a big family holds (he has seven siblings).  While smaller families can have just as much love to share and not all big families are happy families, I was in awe all weekend of the bonds between the siblings and their parents and the obvious graces and sacrifices made.  Beautiful.  

 We're on our way there, maybe...

The evening before the ranch party, my aunt had my family and Sean and his extended family out for a New Mexican meal of enchiladas, posole, and all the sides.  Carter, who has always been a little anxious around crowds, made it through the evening spending most of his time outside and kind of secluded.  At the end of the gathering, he looked at us and said, "Maybe next time you can tell everyone to just talk ONE AT A TIME!"

It was a weekend full of families reconnecting...

kids playing...

and one last hoorah before the big day.

It was perfect.  

The Story of a Soul(s)

On October 1st, we celebrated the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux.  If you haven't read her autobiography, I highly suggest it.  A beautifully simple young saint, she didn't aspire to be  exactly like the other saints...“I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would no longer be enamelled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, Our lord's living garden.” 

Saint Therese is a powerful force.  She is the patron saint chosen for my sister's workplace, Word on Fire, and she is a personal favorite.  In her short life, she claimed, “When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens; I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” And, she has.  I have always called on her in important times...for our annulment, for our second child's speedy delivery (when it appeared something was wrong during labor), for my brother's annulment, and a few other things.  Taking my petitions to the Lord, she has never failed.  So why would I fail to call on her again?

This September, Pray More Novenas, sent out emails nine days before the feast of St. Therese.  So, I began my prayers for two very specific petitions.  On the Saturday before her feast day, I walked out of evening Mass (along the same path I took walking in).  Right in front of the statue of St. Francis of Assisi was a rose.  It was growing from the ground, singly.  Not a part of a bush, but one single, beautiful poppy-colored rose.  The most beautiful rose I have ever seen.  At that moment, my heart was at ease.  I knew that God's will would be done and that my prayers had been heard, regardless of how they were answered.

(the rose looked much like this but darker)

At the end of this month, my first request was granted...

On October 31, Sean asked RoRo to marry him.  

I've already talked about it a few times, but this is such an incredible answer to prayer.  I know parents pray for their children to find someone who will help them to Heaven.  Sisters pray for that, too :)  Sean is just that man for Rozann.  And, Rozann is that for him.  A Godly, selfless couple...and a force for Christ.  

Thank you, St. Therese.

Her feast day brought the answer to my second prayer request.  That evening, we discovered this blessing...

who will join us in this world (God-willing) in early June.

We are over-joyed with the opportunity to bring one more soul into this world.  A child is a blessing like no other.   With all that comes with bearing and raising one, we are allowed a constant reminder that we are not in control and are only shepherds guiding each soul back to Him.  St. Therese constantly reminds me, “Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be.”  He has called us to be parents and as she says, “When one loves, one does not calculate.”

May we always be open to at least one more soul.

Seven Quick Takes: A New Brother, 100 Acre Woods and a Fabulous Recipe

Linking with Jen today for...

1.  I AM GETTING ANOTHER BROTHER.  That's right.  These two were engaged last night.

They are two of the most loving, faithful people you will ever meet.  And, Sean is pretty good about setting kids straight, too :)  Love them and cannot wait for the wedding!

2.  How can any other quick take compare to that one?  Hmmm, we'll see if we can at least come close...it's this lady's birthday today!!!!  She really is the best!

If you don't know her, you should.  She is confident, determined, sweet-as-can-be and as true as they come.  She simply makes life better.  Go to her blog - read it - get to know Tiffany.  You will be glad you did!

3.  I made these scones yesterday.  

Seriously, they are to die for.  Better yet, they're easy.  Make some - you won't be disappointed.

4.  Halloween went a thousand times better this year than it did last year.  

5.  I love Anna's idea of encouraging beauty this month.  She's just amazing, isn't she!?!

Today's prompt is "confident in color."  I lean toward neutrals in all areas of life - look at my walls!  Today, I added a bit of color.  Not my go-to, but it was fun.

6.  Some people think John Paul is tou young for candy.  He doesn't.

When the big boys weren't looking, he found Peter's stash and was so very proud!

7.  And, back to #1.  I just can't get over it.  Here's to the future Mr. and Mrs. Lee!!!

Head on over to Jen's place for a whole lot more takes!

Seven Quick Takes...

Seven Quick Takes again this Friday with Jen.



1.  I finally, and by finally I mean I started in March, finished Interior Castle this week.  Impressive, I know. I made myself finish, although I wanted to put it down many times.  There is just something about some of the saints' writing that I can't quite understand (above my head?  yes).  However, this week I read the very last chapter, and while I was never singing the book's praises (for my taste), I am now.  Get a load of this...

"Fix your eyes on the Crucified and nothing else will be of much importance to you."

"If His Majesty revealed His love to us by doing and suffering such amazing things, how can you expect to please Him by words alone?  Do you know when people really become spiritual?  It is when they become the slaves of God and are branded with His sign, which is the sign of the Cross, in token that they have given him their freedom   Then He can sell them as slaves to the whole world, as He Himself was sold, and if He does this He will be doing them no wrong but showing them no slight favour.  Unless they resolve to do this, they need not expect to make great progress.  For the foundation of this whole edifice, as I have said, is humility, and if you have not true humility, the Lord will not wish it to reach any great height: in fact, it is for your own good that it should not; if it did, it would fall to the ground.  Therefore, sisters, if you wish to lay good foundations, each of you must try to be the least of all, and the slave of God, and must seek a way and means to please and serve all your companions.  If you do that, it will be of more value to you than to them and your foundation will be so firmly laid that your Castle will not fall."

2.  My friend, Tiffany, sent me this link yesterday.

If you are a mom to boys, you must read it.  Especially if your boys look like this:

3.  Speaking of boys, my oldest is pushing me to my very limits this week.  He cries if I forget to let him turn on the light (or do anything he normally does), is getting out of bed at night again and keeping the other boys from getting enough sleep, is being really rough with Peter and told me he'd shoot me if I didn't give him a sucker this week (a cowboy thing?). The shooting thing is just funny, with his big pop gun in hand, but I think we're all tired after a busy summer.  Patience, Momma, patience.

4.  Jeremy's birthday is this week, and we ordered these:



I have never tried them, but we have s'mores, cookies and cream, German chocolate, carrot cake, red velvet and blackout coming our way.  Yum!

5.  I signed up for a scarf swap! 
Check it out here.
Doesn't it sound like fun?  You should sign up, too!

6.  My sister got me one of these Saint Benedict bracelets while we were together:


Then I looked up their website when I returned home.  They have some really neat things.  Check out My Saint, My Hero.

7.  One of the boys' best buds (a few years older) had a birthday this week.  Hope it was the happiest, Sean!

That was a stretch for seven.  For more fun takes, don't forget to head on over to Conversion Diary!