Ordinary Days

 Most days are ordinary days comprised of spilled milk, diapers, books and hugs.  However, these days are sprinkled with extraordinary memories.  We recently were invited to attend the first communion of a boy whose parents are great friends. It was a lovely day!

 Emily and Jacob at the First Communion mass.

 Mother's Day was a quiet day at home, after a rather stressful mass. A fellow mother in front of me did not appreciate our three boys and was quite perturbed at us. I apologized at the end of mass, since she refused to turn around during the kiss of peace, but only received a grunt in return. Sometimes people just don't understand busy little boys. 

The boys gave me a lovely necklace and card.   Later in the day we enjoyed a grilled meal and lots and lots of sunshine.

 It is amazing that after being in Buffalo almost eight years we still discover new places. We headed to the Tift Nature Preserve one afternoon and enjoyed this little bit of nature in the city.  The boys had a blast.

 Mr. blue-eyed.

 Raphael attempted to pick up each and every stick he could find. 

 Dad and two of the boys hiking up ahead.

 We spotted a turtle sunning itself.  This reminds me of the years we used to be able to see tons of turtles sunning themselves in the swamp at Bass Lake. 

I think Raphael is getting a bit too big for this!

 I just love spring.

 These irises are a new addition to the garden and a pleasant surprise since I forgot I planted them in the fall.

 I wish I could sit out near the garden and enjoy my morning coffee, maybe someday...

 Theo is really a little ham. He's been making some steps lately and here he is at the park showing off his new ability.

 He just adores the swing.

 Since Mom can't push all three boys at once here's what the other two were doing while I was pushing Theo.

We started painting the shed. Next we need to shingle this baby!

Raphael wakes up and put on his Yankees cap (backwards). He is also often sporting backwards shorts.  Today he decided to help mom "mop" the floors.  He's a good little helper.

We love the grandparents!

 About two weeks ago now, yes it took me this long to post, we made a quick weekend away to Ithaca. The boys and Jay checked out the Museum of the Earth.  They really enjoyed their morning there with Grandma A., Poppa K. and Daddy.

 Learning about whales.

 Wow, this dinosaur has a large jaw! Hope he isn't hungry.

 Checking out the mastodon, impressive!

 Grandma K., Mom and Theo hung out at home and attempted some shopping. Theo wasn't really buying it (get the pun) so it was cut short.

Here is Theo cracking up after Raphael dumped out all of his puffs onto his tray. Theo thought this was hilarious. 

Home and Garden

 Here is a peak into our spring garden. Our lilac bush is slowly growing and blooming. Hooray!

 This is our azalea bush that I bought last year. It is blooming although the bottom looks a little bare.

 Oh and this little boy snuck in to have his picture taken.

 This is my mini garden along the back of the house. The hostas are really taking off this year.

The bachelor buttons from Grandma O. are doing well.

This columbine is a newer addition.  I can't wait to see it bloom.

This is the main garden.  This will be our third summer here.

 This year our Japanese maple tree looks wonderful. Last year it was a bit affected by the winter snows, but since the winter was so mild it is doing beautifully this spring.

 Inside the house I repainted our yucky linen closet (it was pink).  I also ripped out the carpet and you can see the original 1930's tile, kind of cool.

 I spray painted this baby burgundy. It adds a pop of color to the dining room.

 Oh and here are some random photos from our Niagara River walk.

Goofing around on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

A birthday celebration!

 Happy happy birthday Dad/Poppy!!

 We drove up to Ithaca to surprise Poppy for his birthday celebration! We enjoyed a large birthday gathering at Lucatellis with most of the Albanese family and some Shriner family as well.

 Poppy always loves to cook a great meal for everyone. One of his favorite gathering spots is around the dining room table.

 The boys love wrestling with Poppy and playing monster with him.

Poppy was one of the first to see Theo ("Big Ted") in the hospital after his birth.

 We saw Grammomy over the weekend as well.

 Amanda and Aunt Laura, best cousins!

Aunt Eleanor enjoyed playing with Theo.  It was a wonderful weekend, thanks for having a birthday Dad!

Easter

 Prior to celebrating Easter we enjoyed some crafts, baking and preparing our hearts and minds for Christ Jesus' resurrection.  Here is Theo trying out the Easter bunny ears.

 We made "birds' nests" out of butterscotch and chow mien. We enjoyed passing these out to family and friends.

 We made an egg shell carton wreath.  The boy really enjoyed painting and gluing.  It looks great on the front door.

 I found this bottle in the backyard. It has the date 1856 on the bottom.

 Jacob helped me bake some homemade pretzels during Holy Week. He also enjoyed a Lenten activity book that I picked up last year at OLV Basilica.  He is starting to grasp the true meanings of both Easter and Christmas.

 Hiding plastic Easter eggs is always a big hit around here. The boys love to compete and see who can find the most.

 We all enjoyed seeng Pano over Easter weekend. He brought back homemade soap from Brazil.  Raphael is putting on his serious face for this picture.

 On Easter Saturday we spent the day with Mom and Dad, Uncle Dean and Gianna. The boys enjoyed playing in Poppy's new truck.

 

Gianna is walking everywhere. She is such a little cutie pie and a joy to be around.

Maria and Seamus.

 Here is a sick Raphael, Pano and Seamus on Easter morning.

 Here are all three boys on Easter morning.

 When we tried to get more pictures this happened.

 Here is an attempt at a family picture.  Pano took more pictures that I'll post when I get them.

 Enjoying some t-ball on Sunday afternoon.

Look at those baby blues.

We had an enjoyable Easter weekend. We were blest to see everyone over the long weekend. We ate great food, enjoyed lots of conversation and watched the kids as they interacted together.  Allelulia, Christ is Risen!

"Peace is Flowing Like a River" *

We are beginning the holiest week of the liturgical church year.  Are we ready to enter into this week? Are we ready to follow in Jesus' footsteps and lay ourselves at the foot of the cross?  Last evening Jay and I watched the incredible movie "Of Gods and Men," this is the true story of a group of Trappist monks who lived in Algeria in the mid 1990s.  It is an overwhelming story. The monks in this movie exhude peace and love.  They have an amazing love of Christ and the plan He has for us all.  I hope this Easter season can bring about more peace for our country, world, families and most importantly within our hearts.  I wrote the reflection below for my MOMS group.  I thought I'd share it here on the blog:

Peace-if you say this word to yourself over and over again you can almost feel yourself becoming calmer as your mind clears, your heart rate settles and your anxieties fade.  “Peace be with you” –are these simple words something we really contemplate and take to heart?  Does peace reside in our hearts, minds and souls?  Are our homes havens of peace?  These can be difficult questions to answer.  Too often, however, we think of the word peace as a cliché or an unrealistic expectation.  We believe that peace is allusive or unattainable in a world of anger, violence and turmoil. 

Jesus was and is peace.  He died on the cross so that we could be at peace and be freed from the bondage of sin.  Knowing this reality, the peace of Christ is within our reach each and every day.  Jesus tells us: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid,” (John 14: 27). 

We might ask where we should begin to find peace.  Both prayer and silence bring peace.  These can help to foster inner peace, since we first must find our own peace before we can project it out into the world.  In the words of Daniel L. Fleming, S.J., “Jesus, may all that is you flow into me.” May the peace of Christ pour out of us and begin to make the world new again.      
       
*Words: Anonymous
Music: arr. Betty Pulkingham (20th C)