Lillie's best talent: FREEDOM!!!

Lillie performing "The Butterfly Song."  I want to not forget her smile this evening. After each performance, she ran back to the staging area full of life and love.  

Last Saturday, we traveled to Omaha to attend John's cousin engagement party. Besides all the beautiful details and delicious food, I want to remember Lillie and her complete innocence. Although, I need to back up a week. I hosted bible study at my house the previous Monday. As I was preparing the dessert to be served, Lillie asked me several times if she could sing for my friends. She is convinced that when she is 11-years-old she will will be able to sing at the Lied Center in front of a crowd. The tickets will cost $50.00 according to her. She asks me often if people will come and if $50.00 is too much. I always tell her that I know so many people will come to see her sing. I don't know where she conjured up this idea, but in my perfect world I wish we could make this happen for her. As 13 of my adult friends sat outside, she came out to perform and shamelessly she did. She sang "America the Beautiful." Lillie was as confident as could be and could have cared less if she sounded or looked good. She wanted to sing in front of my friends. They were all sweet to affirm her gift and the courage it took for her to perform for them. Fast forward to Saturday, she worked with her two cousins tirelessly to present two numbers for the crowd of party attendees. She wasn't ever embarrassed and had the most genuine smile. I told my sister-in-law how much I wish I could have her freedoms. God has given her freedoms that very few people have. She is a free person. She knows who she is and doesn't pretend to be anything she is not. I am guessing that is why she loves animals so much. I came across this great quote from G.K. Chesterton when writing about animals, "They have no choice, they cannot be anything but themselves." Of course, Lillie is not an animal, but she has the same pureness of intent in all her actions. Of all of our children, she never cares about those worldly things...EVER...EVER. She loves animals, parties, people, and is truly the most thoughtful person I know.

It was a ZOO kind of day

We had the carpets in the entire house cleaned this morning and per the request of Mr. OXYFRESH man I left with the children for 4 hours until the process was completed.  We decided the zoo was the only logically place to go for that amount of time in the late morning and early afternoon.

My mom tells a darling story of me when I was little.  She had taken me to our parish carnival and lost track of where I was.  She was frantically looking for my Kindergarten self and finally spotted me sitting by myself playing bingo.  She was so relieved to see me and always tells me how much joy she got watching me sit there oblivious to the world around me while I played my bingo card.

I felt that way today watching Lillie.  She wasn't lost, but I watched her with the same awe.  John had taken the kids to the zoo a couple weeks ago and they participated in the penguin game.  They won 3 free train rides and were determined to win again.  The object of the game is to keep track of how many fish your penguin eats from the handler.  THIS TIME, Dominic and Lillie planned out their strategy and came equipped with pad and pen.  The zoo was filled so we were spread out and I watched Lillie from afar thoroughly paying attention and keeping track of her penguin.  Then I watched with eager anticipation as the handler called on her to tell her number which she correctly guessed.

 Mr. Walking Fact Book filled us the entire afternoon with every fact about every animal.  Did you know lions are afraid of peacocks?  Lions think that the eyes on their feathers are multiple eyes of animals looking at them through a bush which therefore frightens them.

 Vianney is frustrated that she can't sit on the bear with her sisters.

 Our favorite stop is the butterfly pavilion.  We always stay at this location for an hour while they catch butterflies over and over.

We rode the train, screamed through the tunnel, and enjoyed watching little Damaris delight in her first train ride.  We ate a hearty lunch at Applebee's and headed home to freshly cleaned carpets, afternoon swimming, and naps for the little kids.  What a good day!

Happy 6th Birthday, Zellie!

How will I ever make it through life? I enjoyed every ounce of you today. I really do everyday, but you were extra sweet and innocent today. You smiled all day. I remember how wonderful it was to have a birthday when I was little. I knew everybody in the world knew it was my birthday. I can tell you felt the same. I made sure to tell everyone wherever we went.  Your birthday breakfast choice was Village Inn at the major promptings of your siblings.  They told you what to order.  You picked out your outfit complete with two bracelets, glitter hair band, a fancy dress, and your beloved heart ring.

Zellie, you are pure preciousness and joy.  You are always the favorite wherever we go.  You know how to win the heart of anybody by your sweet, shy ways.  You try so hard to please me that it hurts my heart.  I asked you what was your favorite memory of being five-years-old.  You replied, "My favorite memory is celebrating Mother's Day with you."  She really did say that and I was truly in awe of her.  She has had so many good times and that is what she said.  You did very well in school this year.  Our family would be so different without you.  You learned to ride your bike last summer, but this summer I think you have taken up competitive racing.  You ride way too fast and love to skid out.  You have skid out so much that you popped your back tire.  I tell you everyday to slow down and you say every time that you will.

We did the word search together.  When we were leaving, you said "Mom, we didn't find the word 'Monkey'."  So we stayed a few more minutes and searched.

She found this ring in my old jewelry and wears in everyday on her wedding finger.  She wears a size 2 and the ring is a size 6.  I know this because I promised her we would go to a jewelry shop and check to see how much it would cost to get it sized. We went this afternoon for a little date.  I can tell you felt big talking to the nice woman trying to help find your size.  It was about $120.00 and I told her we would talk with Papa.  She was game for putting yarn on the back to help it fit better.  

Lillie recommended the hot chocolate.

She was much more fascinated by the little milk pitcher.

At Village Inn, you receive a free piece of pie on your birthday.  Zellie ordered French Silk and I watched her enjoy it all day long.  She would sneak bites here and there.

After a fun day of swimming, she requested red beans and rice for dinner and a Jell-O poke cake for her birthday cake.  She requested a #6 written in sprinkles.

In keeping with our tradition, John gave her a piece of jewelry.  He gave her a June birthstone necklace.

I had to post this picture of Vianney as she was just as precious as Zellie today.  She was so thrilled with all of Zellie's presents.  We were dying at her facial expressions as she was opening each present.  She felt the intensity with each one.  We ended the evening by watching old home videos of Zellie's first year of life.   I say it again, "How will I ever make it through life?"  It was so crazy to watch little Dom, little Lillie, and little Rose as babies and toddlers.  I say it every time, "Thank you God that I was here to see everything."  Their lives are a gift to us.

Zellie on her 1st Birthday.

Dominic's Mass Intentions: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Obama

I am never shy about my feelings for this guy.  He had my heart the minute I met him.  Truly, our eyes locked at his birth and my heart exploded.  He continues to steal my heart most days with his gentle, perfect temperament.  God has blessed us with this child over and over.

We were walking back from mass this morning and he asked me who I offered my mass for.  I told him and then he replied (get ready),  "Well, I offer my mass everyday for the same people...Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Obama.  I figured they probably don't have many people praying for their souls."

I walked speechless next to my 11-year-old who already has so much spiritual maturity.  I really am honored to know him.  He is such a perfect son and brother.

Tonight, we attended a beautiful engagement garden party in Omaha for John's cousin.  The host couple even rented a white tent with tables and chairs and decorated their yard like something you would see in a magazine.  Our children were having the time of their lives running, eating, drinking endless lemonade and pop, and playing with their cousins.  After most of the party had departed, I mentioned to John we better get going because the babies were melting.  As I went to get the older kids, I found a red-cheeked Dominic playing so happily with his cousins that I just couldn't pull him away.  I remembered all his goodness and generosity and wanted to give back to him even in this small way all the times he is so good to us.  We happily endured a couple more hours with the littles out of love for mainly him.  He is always giving, always helping.  I wanted him to have this wonderful summer memory.

Thank you for the gift of this child.  I know his daily prayers will matter for the souls of those he prays for daily.

A Mishap for Clairvaux

Last month, our older four children participated in a track meet in Wahoo. We left the little three home with my sister as the day is usually very long and hot. I checked my phone on the hour every hour to see if Damaris needed anything. I had just checked my phone at noon and then went to watch a few more events. Right after that, my sister tried to call me over and over as Clairvaux had flipped off the couch and hit her head on the brick of our fire place leaving a gash that she knew needed to be stitched up. She loaded up the three littles and drove over to an Urgent Care Clinic down the road. The doctor couldn't treat her without our permission. Ironically, I always leave a note signed for medical reasons, but for some reason this time I hadn't. They sent her over to the Emergency Room. I finally got back to our camp to check my phone at 1:00 and see I had missed 9 calls from my sister. My heart started racing and I nervously called her. When I got a hold of her I hear, "Lindsay, ummmm, I am at the Emergency Room." Heart comes out of my chest. "Clairvaux flipped off the couch and she is going to need stitches. She is fine and they might glue it." I knew it wasn't urgent, but I still wanted to go home mostly because I knew she had all three with her at the Emergency Room and often that can take a long time. I got off the phone and found John. He called her back and talked over all the details. By that time, they had glued her wound shut and Damaris (my sister) was on her way home. She reassured me one million times she was fine. I never had listened to the messages on my phone because I just called her right back and assumed the messages were from her. The nurse from the Emergency Room was the only message stating that I needed to call them as they need our permission to treat our daughter Clairvaux. I am so thankful that I didn't get this message first because my mind would have been crazy. Why was the nurse calling me? Where was my sister? How did Clairvaux get to the Emergency Room? What was wrong? Was she unconscious?

As you can see, she was very traumatized. I am so thankful for my sister's quick thinking and calmness. She acted like it was no big deal. She knew she needed to go so she put a rag on her head, made a bottle for little Damaris, and loaded the kids up in the car. Pretty impressive for an 19-year-old if you ask me!

Parks #19-21 (Cripple Creek, Country View, and Pine Lake Parks)

Cripple Creek Park
Rating:  10
We've been going to this park since moving back to Lincoln.  Our kids have grown up at this park, but it was the first time for Damaris.

 Country View Park
Rating: 8
This was a fabulous find.  It was tucked behind several beautiful homes and providing a breathtaking view of the country.

 Swing Jumping continues.

 Dominic stuffed himself into a baby swing.  Damaris thought it was great.

 Pine Lake Park
Rating:  10+
Believe it or not, this was just a ball park with no playground equipment.  The kids (and John) had the time of their lives pretending to play baseball.  They just squealed in delight as John would chase them around.  We were here for about an hour.  We didn't even have baseball equipment, but they were content to play.  Damaris ran around like a free bird.

 Our team.