Happy Easter - 2011

Happy Easter!!

 

He has risen as displayed above.

The beauty of the St Benedict Abbey at Easter!

Family Retreat

Adriana and James on the grounds of the Little Sisters

Our family has not taken a family retreat for the first time in 2 years. We love our retreat house with the Little Sisters of St. Francis in Danville, NH. The sisters are beautiful. The sisters love the children. We decided that with Adriana preparing for her First Communion and because it was lent we would spend time retreating without family. We arrived around 8 pm on Friday evening and went over to convent for a moment to say "hello" to our Lord during adoration. Then shortly after our arrival we went to bed but not without trouble for from the middle child. He has trouble falling asleep in strange placesL.

The bed we slept in while in the two room cottage!

Saturday was quite an adventure. We woke up to head out to mass at St. Michael's in Exeter, NH. We came home with a tired whiny boy who stayed up late and woke up early. We made snacks, prepared crafts and then went on a short adventure. We hiked to about 1 mile to a swamp were Daddy skipped rocks. We also saw a tadpole, turtle, died bird, and ducks. On our hike we collected rocks for one of our art projects.

  

The family climbing on down tree limbs on the trail behind the sisters.  On of the families favorite activities while hiking.  



Heading out on our adventure

Turtle we saw on our hiking adventure

Daddy finding fun creatures to pet.  A tadpole that had already grown it's legs, fun!

 Shortly after we returned from our hike we our visitors, Anne, Joseph and Issac Dooley, joined us. The children went outside to play in the beautiful weather. Adriana and Joseph came in to do their first art project a monstrance. After a failed sleep drive for Issac and James, Anne and Mama took all the children on a second shorter hike to find a few more items for their second project was a crucifix with Jesus make out of clothes pins. Jesus' wounds are creatively added using baby pine cones. Daddy, Cioci Anne and the children said the stations of the cross in the outdoor stations garden.



Adriana and Joseph making the Monstrance craft - a great First communion craft!

Hiking to find baby pine cones for their next art craft. 



Adriana and Mama finishing up her natural crucifix.  

 

After dinner and the long day the Dooley's took up their long journey home while the Niall's enjoyed homemade popcorn and a movie.

The little boys started to watch a movie early because they were super tired and refused to nap!  Cioci Anne took Issac and James for a sleepy drive and the boys talked, snacked, and refused to nap, UGH!

On Sunday we woke up early to get ready for mass. After mass we went to Hampton Beach for a short walk on the beach. We went back to our cottage to clean up and get ready for our journey to visit G-Nana then home.

Said attempt at a family picture! 

  



The weekend was just enough time to rest our family. Thank you to the Little Sisters of St. Francis.

Last Supper Holy Thursday Craft

Thanks for Lacy @ Catholic Icing for our Holy Thursday craft.  We did it last yea but it came out so much better this year.  Adriana worked on it yesterday while she was sick.  I little something to do between movies. 

Below is the Last Supper on in our living room with Mary watching over. Adriana thought it was a great place for it. 

Yesterday James made a Monstrance for April's month dediciated to the Holy Eucharist!!
Another Catholic Icing idea found here.

{A Really Real Holy Week}

{Real}

 

I love this {Really Three} 3 Year old.  While the other two children were sick and down for the count he was running.  He was the first one to show symptoms of a sickness and the first one two recover.  He didn't think he was sick (vomiting doesn't make him sick) nor does falling asleep like this:

in the middle of a day.  My really real Holy Week started on Monday evening with my three sick children blogged about here and the short lived quiet day (really half day ) blogged about here.  In a two day time frame I changed at least 20 diapers (only one in diapers), bummy wipe uncountable, runs to the kitchen for ice, drinks, crackers and  toast, checked temperatures a million times.  I promise between getting children what they needed and trying to entertain the bored three year old I was exhausted. 

If the children were not sick this week I might have worked on this real pile of clean laundry

But what really makes me {Happy} is the report of a clean desk

Update from last weeks real. 

{Pretty and Funny}
Yesterday after I finally made James go outside he came in after picking this pretty flower. I'm not sure where it came from I don't remember seeing them in our yard but  they probably are.  It is just funny how they can make us so crazy but love us so much that they see something pretty and want to give it to us.   He is still learning what he an and can not pick but it put a smile on my face. 

Just plain {Fun}
Our makeshift pack and play used in our friends yard.  Thomas was happily playing. 

PJ's Cuteness

I'm not sure what is cuter:

James putting his P.J.'s on backwards and dancing around while doing it.

Thomas' crawling in his Caterpillar outfit.

or

James loving on his little brother!





James is so ready for his baby brother to start wrestling with him!!

Quiet deNiall Day

On de Niall Isle it is rarely quiet. With three active children running all the time we here on the isle are always going. Weather we are playing indoors or out, cleaning or learning we are always going. Today is extremely different. We had quiet until 7:30 am which really never happens. First awake was James acting as though he didn't vomit the night before well somewhat. He was very quiet and relaxed, ya right James quiet, relaxed. Yes James quiet and maybe subdued is a better description!!! I will say that I am happy to report he is not lethargic and Thomas no longer has a fever without medication. Adriana, unfortunately, did get the bug in the middle of the night. Today she is in her room sleeping and watching movies on her laptop. Watching movies is Adriana's favorite part (if any part of being sick is positive) of being sick.

Report on Thomas is his sleeping more than normal but without fever. The only down fall is he only sleeps on Mama! We are quiet but we are on the mend.