Saturday, May 29, 2010

New photos of Jon Paul

Jon Paul is 2 1/2 now. I can not believe how much he's grown, and how much he's starting to look like a little boy, rather than a baby...

I will never give up on my dream... little boy, you are my dream...












Friday, May 28, 2010

Kindergarten Class Trip!


Yesterday, Camille and her classmates went on a school trip to the Adventure Aquarium
Everyone had a terrific time!





Discovering the ocean creatures!





Monday, May 24, 2010

I Heart Faces - Yellow

A favorite photo for this week's I < 3 Faces contest... Yellow.



Thursday, May 20, 2010

Rough-housing and Tender moments

Boys will be boys... and oh boy, what we have to look forward to!





Snuggles from Sarah...






Thank again, to Nancy for another batch of new photos... we are one day closer...



Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Be still

This week a family that I only know through blogging was 4 weeks away from going to China to bring home their 2 year old daughter McKenna when they got the news that she died. Please keep McKenna's family in your prayers tonight.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Seminarian

Friends of ours from church have a son who was a transitional deacon. He was ordained into the priesthood last weekend, by the Archbishop of Philadelphia. He attended St. Charles Borreomeo Seminary for many years. According to his parents, it was not an easy road (8 years of difficulty) but his ordination ceremony was beautiful and now he can go out in the world and do his work. We will certainly keep him, and all of the newly ordained priests, in our prayers.

I realize that Catholicism is not the only religion. It's not the only church, but I believe it is the one true church of Christ. Peter was, in fact, the first pope and all priests and bishops are ordained by someone who was ordained by someone... (you get where I am going with this) and can be traced back to the original 12 apostles. The Catholic church is the one holy apostolic church. (This is also the reason that priests are not allowed to be female or marry, but that's a different topic.)

So I think seminarians should be held in high regards. It's almost more difficult for a young man to be come a Catholic priest than about anything else these days and and as far as sacrafice whoa baby! You know what they have to sacrafice!

While I realize the word "seminarian" simply refers to a person who is enrolled in a theological college, I wish there were another word to distinguish men who are true seminarians (Catholics on their way to becoming priests) verses lay people who are taking religious classes to become Christian preachers. There's nothing wrong with it, it just makes me skin crawl when I hear a woman say, "I am a seminarian." Just an opinion.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Two Month mark

We've reached the two month mark. Mike goes to the Seeing Eye in 2 months! He is very excited.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Easter Photos


Nancy just sent some new photos of Jon Paul from Easter. Looks like the foster home had lots of visitors! Our guy is sure getting big!


And he likes to hang upside-down!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Family

A new family portrait, including Jon Paul. We hope to have you home soon, baby boy!


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Making an impression (literally)

So yesterday was the big day to get hearing aids. The new audiologist, Dr. Kennedy, is very, very nice. After she filled Camille's ears with the molding material, she let Camille have the extra to play with. Camille was a real trooper... completely brave and steadfast throughout the whole process.

She chose purple hearing aids and pink earmolds with glitter. I imagine they will look quite fashionable :)



Monday, May 10, 2010

The Show

The show was great! Everyone did an excellent job and the kids put on a performance that would put most high school shows to shame! Unfortunately, as you can see, my camera wasn't working properly and my photos didn't turn out too well, but you can get a general idea.













Sunday, May 09, 2010

The last May Crowning...

Our parish had their final May Crowning today. We watched with heavy hearts. The entire mass was pretty sad, even the music minister "lost it" during a song. We have one week left, then the Church closes.


The first communicants prepare for the crowning.


The priest gives a few words.




In such a beautiful time of year, it's difficult not to feel anger, sadness and frustration. This church is the cornerstone of our community. Next Sunday, we will celebrate our final mass as a parish. Then our parish closes, forever. Our priests have announced their new assignments. The nuns who live in the convent are forced to go to the newly merged parish... most seem unhappy. The community is torn. Many of our friends are moving to other parishes, as are we. It just isn't fair.




Tuesday, May 04, 2010

We've come a long way...

The photo below is from a fundraiser Mike and I attended in 1999. We had been dating for about a year (the fundraiser was at a Harley-Davidson shop... with that same theme)

Mike and I have known each other since 1997 and began dating in 1998. We got engaged in September of 2000 and married on this day in 2002.

We've seen our share of ups and downs. We've struggled through times together, that I wasn't always sure we'd get through, but we did. God gives us the gifts of Faith, Hope and Love... and the greatest is Love. Love has gotten us through many troubled times.

Happy 8th wedding anniversary, Michael. Let today be the day I love you the least... as my love grows more and more for you each day.

Marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family - a domestic church. Pope John Paul II