We celebrated the feast of the Ascension by partaking in a picnic at Holmes Lake on top of hobbit hill overlooking the lake. We couldn't have ordered a better day as the weather was PERFECTION. My sister is with us again this summer. This will probably be the last summer we spend together as she will probably be interning somewhere next summer. We have done this for 7 years. I am already crying. She has been my loyal companion each summer which enables me to really get ahead with school and really life in general. I can clean out drawers, sort clothes, and do a million other tasks that get put off during the school year. I tell her that she will only know what she has done for our family until she has a family of her own.
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| Dominic-age 12 |
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| Lillie- age 10 |
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| Rose-age 8 |
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| Zellie-age 6 |
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| Vianney-age 5 |
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| Clairvaux-age 3 |
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| Damaris-age 2 |
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| Kapaun- age 8 fat months. |
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| We laugh that his facial features get swallowed by his cheeks. I am in heaven with his chub. |
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| "Who does Kapaun look like?" I am asked often. The twins. |
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| Damaris with Damaris. |
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| Chancho was determined to get several ticks. |
She had the best time out of everyone. She waddled through the park soaking it all in. For some reason, we had several ungrateful people during the outing. Some of the offenders just couldn't pull it together. I really try in my parenting to first ask, "Do I do this to God?" and "Have I taught them this by my own ungratefulness?" To me, it was so beautiful and perfect, but for some of our children tonight they just wanted more. Some wanted to go fishing. Others wanted to be playing at the playground. We just wanted to walk along the path and take in the sunset. Why am I sharing this? As beautiful as the pictures are to me, I feel a hint of deception to perfectly, happy family life when there was another side of the pictures. Isn't wasn't that the evening wasn't beautiful and fun! My sister and I remarked annoyingly 1000 times how it is good for the soul to be outside in nature. Although, this IS family life. We work together, pray together, play together, eat together, and forgive and start over together.
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| I call Clair's walk the sister strut. |
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| Ascending the BIG hill. |
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| Damaris was fascinated by the "chickens." (the ducks) |
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| Our Family of 10!!! 2014 |
Last picture = perfection!
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos and memories! If I had to pick a favorite picture it would be the one of you and your husband and little chubkin and Clairvaux...just love that little look that is passing between you and your little baby. So special!
DeleteI love this post so very much!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to order the fatted kapaun for dinner with a side of little damaris on the side ,please! The photos were national geographic-ish. The one of fatty with the comb over was #1, the one of you and John was#2, but the one that made my heart beat faster was of my own Damaris Rose. Mothers are soooo weepy! God has blessed you, my dearest Anne!
ReplyDeleteThe little one in long blond hair looks so much like Gemma and Dominic. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this! I always take pictures because even if the experience itself is stressful because of people's moods...the pictures manage to capture the beauty I miss in the moment. Andrew and I like looking at pictures of the girls at the end of the day because it reminds us of how cute and funny they are even though they often are soooo frustrating. Your pictures do this so well!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, inspiring! Absolutely!
ReplyDeleteCan I order a post, please? Would you mind telling us about sleeping accommodations at your lovely home? How many kids per room? How do you decide who shares with whom? Are bedrooms just for sleeping or is there room in them for studying/playing? Being Dominic the only boy (for a long time), does he deserve a single room? I`ve seen a house once where all the 5 girls shared a room and the only boy slept on his own. I`m asking that because I`m moving to a new house and I dont know exactly how to decide on the sharing, and I`m looking ofr other people`s reasonings. I have 2 boys and 1 girl (ok, much less kids than you do!) but I`d like to see/read about your experience.
I love that on Ascension Thursday, your family climbed up a hill and looked below - beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreat words here, there are always naysayers among our children, but usually the negative is eclipsed by all the positive!
Beautiful photos of your beautiful family, as usual. I especially like the one of you, John and Clairvaux with Kapuan on John's shoulders.
ReplyDeleteI too thought that picture was just perfect! We started the tradition of picnicking on a hill for the feast of the Ascension back in college. However, the last one I remember was when we were living in New Hampshire. Our area here in the midwest is pretty flat.
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