Welcome, Little Pearl #23!

The last time I was here, in mid-January, we were a few days away from having our oldest son and his family (including seven of our grandchildren!) arrive from Wisconsin to spend the last week of the month visiting us (and also the three brothers’ families who live near us in VA).  Grandchild #23, our youngest son’s second daughter, was due on Feb. 8, and we were planning to head to Nashville a few days ahead of that due date to be in place to help out and take care of their almost-2-year-old.  The timing between our firstborn's visit and our trip to our baby's house was going to be close, but it looked like it was going to work out perfectly.

We had a great week with our Wisconsin Pearls, including a family get-together with four of our boys and their wives and children, minus one D-I-L and two wee grandsons.  (We resorted to Chipotle catering, because Grammy was feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of cooking for almost 30 people, while simultaneously having nine people staying with us for the week!) 

Son #1 isn't a fan of showing his kids' faces on the Internet (which I totally respect), so those are the only two photos I'll share from that visit.  But I think they tell the story of how much these cousins enjoy each other's company--and how they can make fun happen wherever they happen to be, even in our relatively small house with its relatively small yard.

Our oldest son and his gang left VA to head back home on Jan. 29, and little #23's older sister had been born about a week past her due date, via induction, so we figured no problem—it seemed safe to believe that she was probably at least a week away from making her appearance.  The timing was going to be about as close to ideal as it could be.  We would get all the beds remade and the house cleaned up, pack our bags, and be ready to start our road trip to son #5’s house within a few days’ time, arriving well before baby.  Our plans were set.

But if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans!  I woke up at 6:30 a.m. on the 30th to this text from our son (which he’d sent at about 2:30): 

“Looks like baby’s coming early.  _______ is about 5.5 cm dilated.”

Hoo boy!  We had already committed to watching son #3's youngest child that afternoon (thinking no way would our presence be needed in Nashville quite this soon!) while he and his wife were with one of their girls, who was scheduled to have an oral surgery procedure.  I texted son #5 to see if we should try to find a replacement to watch his little nephew so we could hit the road ASAP, but he assured us that his firstborn daughter was being well cared for by a beloved and trusted friend, so we could keep our plans in place and wait until the next day to make the drive.

Our sweet new granddaughter was born in the morning on Jan. 30, and bright and early on the 31st we were Nashville -bound, anxious to meet this latest gem to be added to our long and ever-lengthening string of Pearls! 

We have already been with this darling little family of four for over a week now, and we plan to stay for the baby’s Baptism after anticipated Mass on the 15th.  The next morning, we’ll head back home to VA.

It has been grand, and we are honored to have been asked to be the first on the scene to help out.

If you’re reading this, and your children are still little and gathered about you all the time in your house and sleeping safely under your roof every night, and you can’t imagine how in the world you’re going to fill your days when they’re all grown and gone…I’m here to tell you that when you make it to your "empty"-nesting years, you might find that you are even busier than you’ve ever been before.  I know that those child-rearing years of ours were incredibly busy and full, but truly, there is never a dull moment these days.  It’s different as a grandparent, of course; but it seems like it’s just about as physically and emotionally tiring as it ever was.  

And thank God for that! I can’t imagine how we got so lucky.

Okay, now for the requisite photo dump!

Our newest grandchild is a living doll, and we are so enjoying getting to know her.  Her big sister has adjusted remarkably well to having to share the limelight with a needy baby sibling.  And rest assured, she's still getting plenty of attention.

We FaceTimed with our middle son and his kids last night, and his 5-year-old daughter complained that she didn't like it when we were "out of town" (her words).  I guess she likes it much better when we're just a few towns away from her in VA and close enough to see her often, as we usually are.  How sweet it that?It's nice to be missed!  And we miss everyone back there, too.  But at the same time, it will be exceedingly difficult to say goodbye when we leave here on Sunday.  

The older I get, the more I realize that your heart can be in many places all at once.  And sometimes dividing it up so that it can do that is unspeakably painful. However, as that wise philosopher, Winnie the Pooh, said to his good friend Piglet: 

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

[Sniff]  That's enough for today, I think.  That'll do, Pig. That'll do. 

[Sigh] Yes, I've just jumped from using a WTP quote to a line from the movie "Babe."  Time to sign off before this post goes in all kinds of unplanned directions. Until next time, dear readers...

Our Annual October Trip to Wisconsin (2024 Edition)

I can't believe it's November already!  (Time for my monthly check-in at the blog...)

October was a busy month for us.  There was a trip to Wisconsin, for one thing.  It's a two-day trip, but my husband and I love taking long road trips together, so we didn't mind that a bit.  We were able to spend a week with our oldest son and his family, including seven children from age 13 down to not-quite-one.  Our boy has six daughters and one son, and they've been homeschooled since day one (our daughter-in-law is quite the rockstar homeschooler!).  They lived near us here in VA for about four years, and we miss them terribly, so it was a joy to spend time with them at their relatively new homestead out in the rural Midwest. Incredibly, they own about 20 acres, and have two large outbuildings. They garden and raise chickens, and our son has become a beekeeper.  Over time, they hope to add more animals to their place.

Our son's two-year-old daughter is a hoot (that age is so much fun!).  She's a devoted mama to her twin baby dolls, and even "nurses" them.  She is incredibly verbal and has some of the funniest sayings.  ("What the heck in the world?!" is our new go-to, after our sojourn in WI.)

We were able to celebrate our firstborn's 41st birthday with him before it was time to go. My husband and I also re-strung four American Girl dolls whose joints had gotten dangerously loose.  And my handy guy was able to help our boy with a DIY project: building a fire-proof platform on which to put the new wood-burning stove they just purchased for their great room.  (He is such a handyman, I tell you--our boys are lucky to have him!  He just helped son #4 in VA put new shutters on an upstairs window, and is currently helping son #3 get all the framing and electrical wiring/outlets done so that his basement can be refinished as a playroom for his five kids.)

Our four oldest granddaughters out in WI wondered why we couldn't just stay forever when the week was up and we finally had to head home; but we had three little ones' birthdays in a row back here in VA in late October (literally, three days in a row!), which means three cakes for Grammy to bake and decorate!  (I have the best job!)  Our home was calling us, so we sadly said our good-byes.  But we took with us some wonderful memories, which I can share in pictures.

No two babies were ever more loved!

Mommy has her baby carrier on, so of course...

A freezer full of chickens raised and prepared by our boy himself!  
(I would say "slaughtered," but when I used that term on our family text stream,
I was told that it was unnecessarily graphic!) The tomatoes are also home-grown.

Not only was the chicken "farm fresh"; the potatoes were planted and harvested
by one of our granddaughters!

Our son, with the chicken's heart.  He and a few of his kids think it's a
yummy treat.  [Insert barfing face emoji here!!] 

When she's not tending to her twin dolls, this little one likes to help in the
kitchen.  She is quite the little homemaker.

Learning at the kitchen table.  These identical twins are two of the loveliest
teenage girls you could ever meet.

Papa, doing what he does.

The kids made a scarecrow shortly before we left and seated him in a chair out in front of their house.  So this was one of the last things we saw as we pulled away: Steve, the scarecrow.  Along with the six oldest, who came out to wave us off.

It's hard having people you love so much living so far away.  But they are in such a good place for them, with a large and supportive Traditional Latin Mass and homeschooling community around them.  Their kids are busy with music lessons and activities, have lots of sweet friends, and are thriving.  Our daughter-in-law's folks are less than two hours away.  It's all good.  I wish our son and his wife could have stayed here near us in VA, but if they did, it is doubtful that they would be living their dream to the extent that they are.  And we are deeply grateful that despite the distance between us, we have been able to maintain such a close bond with those kiddos of theirs.  It's all good.  God is good, all the time.

I'll be back soon to do a Halloween re-cap.  I've never been a dyed-in-the-wool Halloween enthusiast; but since moving here, our house, with its perfect triick-or-treating neighborhood, has become a hub of Halloween fun for many Pearls in the area.  So I enjoy October 31 festivities more than I ever have before.  

For now, dear readers, Happy All Saints Day!  (It's also my sainted mother-in-law's birthday.  Thinking of you today, Mom, and missing you.)

Garden Decorations (and Special Visitors!)

Seeing as how June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (and why it is, of course, such a special month for us Catholics), we just got a new little flag to hang in the garden on the side of our house, near the patio.  Isn't it a beauty?

Wait…did I just hear someone say, “But what’s with the Bigfoot statue?”  Do you mean to tell me that during June (or anytime, really) every Catholic doesn’t have one of THOSE in their garden, too?!

(Just kidding.  If that hadn’t been my late father’s nickname, I can assure you that we wouldn’t either! LOL!)

I also put a little garden sign out front this morning, because later today our oldest son, his wife, and their seven children will be arriving to spend the week with us.  (They are traveling all the way from WI in their new-to-them 15-seater van!)

Before their move to the Midwest in 2021, this sweet family lived less than 20 minutes away from us here in VA for over four years.  Our daughter-in-law and the four children they had at the time even lived in our house with us for a few months when they first got here, while our son was away in training for his job and they were looking for a house of their own.  So this will be like a homecoming!  

And then after their week here, reconnecting with family and old friends, ALL of us Pearls will be heading to New York for our annual Oyster Haven vacation week at the lake.

Life is good today.  Life is very good.  And our gardens are decorated to show it.

I will not be blogging the next few weeks, because we will be busy with travels and family.  But I have a few drafts ready to publish (someone's been in a writing mood lately!), and I can post those in the meantime. After the kids all head back home from the lake, I'll be sure to report how it went.   (And there will be pictures, I'm sure.  Lots of pictures!)

So Much to Write About...I Can't Keep Up!

Hey there, 'member me?  LOL!

(No really, do y'all remember me?)

I used to post here pretty regularly, and now I drop in about once a month or so and dust off the old blog, all the while wondering, "Why am I still doing this again?"  

I know the answer to that question, actually: I want to archive as many family memories as I can, before my 65-year-old brain starts failing me and I don't remember what I had for breakfast today.  (Actually, that's easy, because I don't eat breakfast.  Or lunch either.  My husband and I really only have one meal a day, sometime in the afternoon--unless we're guests of friends or relatives.  But more about that some other time.)  So I want to keep this blog going, if possible...but yikes, if you think you're going to have more time for hobbies when your kids all grow up and leave you to start families of their own, I'm here to tell you that's not always the case.  It certainly isn't the case for me, anyway.

But I'll take a busy life, one so filled to the brim and overflowing with gobs of precious grandchildren that every other interest (except my husband, of course!) has to take a back seat.  I'm one lucky woman, and I remind myself of that fact every single day. 

So much catching up to do...but where to begin?  The last time I was here, summer wasn't even over yet. Since then, so much has happened.  Maybe the easiest way to tackle this is to start from our most recent family goings-on and work backwards through the month(s).  On that note:

My husband and I returned from a kind of epic road trip a couple of days ago.  If you come here often, you know that three of our five boys had settled down here in the same area of VA, and because of our decision to move south in 2017, we get to see them and their wives, and the 14 children they have between them, on a regular basis.  Our oldest lives out in WI now (most likely for good) and our youngest is located outside of Nashville (at least for the foreseeable future).  So we decided to visit both of those faraway boys and their families in one fell swoop, before winter weather sets in and makes travel difficult.  We first headed west to TN for a week, then north to WI for another week.  From WI, we drove back home to VA, with a stop in South Bend, IN on the way, to break up the trip and check on a rental house my husband and his siblings own out there.  We were gone about two-and-a-half weeks.  (We could have been gone for months, I believe; thank you, God, for children who actually like to spend time with their dear old Mom and Dad and are sad when we pull out of their driveways!)

Our week with our youngest son and his wife was delightful.  My husband was able to do a couple of minor projects for them (the last time we visited them, shortly after they bought their first house, he did a few major ones), but mostly the two of us just doted on our little granddaughter (grandchild #20), who is about as sweet and adorable as they come.  At a little over 7 months old, she is all pink-and-white skin, silky tufts of blond hair, big blue eyes, chubbiness with creases, breathy baby talk, heart-melting smiles, and giggles. We are besotted with that little one.

Our son's boss calls him "The Tall One."  He makes us look short, that's for sure.

My husband plays a game called "Stinky Toes" with all the grandbabies, and they love it.

Daddy's girl.

When we left TN, we drove north, stopping for the night at a hotel to break up the trip.  Once we got to our firstborn's WI home and had spent a few days catching up, we were able to do some painting and plumbing projects for him and his wife, who have bought a house out there that sits on 20 acres of land.  But mostly, we just enjoyed lots of time with their six children, whom we miss terribly now that they're so far away.  We had wonderful, hearty, home-cooked family dinners every night, sitting around the long pine farmhouse table our son made with his own two hands years ago.  And we were able to be there to celebrate his 40th birthday with him, which was very special.

It was fun watching our boy guide his four oldest girls, teaching them his secret methods for drawing amazing images using colored icings.  He has always been the birthday cake decorator in their house (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree--but in his case, the student has become the master!  The pictures on his cakes are more professional-looking than his mom's ever were).  Now he's passing on this skill to the next generation.

Tell me you know who Homestar Runner is.  (We wouldn't, if not for our
oldest son, who discovered him his Freshman year at Notre Dame.)

[Gulp!] I have a 40-year-old son.  Yes indeed, I do!   It seems like yesterday that I was pregnant with him, eagerly awaiting his birth and sewing things for his nursery.  I still have this little mobile that I made to hang over his crib. It's hanging in one of our guest rooms here at our house in VA.  I know it's not the best-looking mobile you'll ever see, but I am far too sentimental to get rid of it!

BTW, Our oldest son's wife is expecting baby #7 (grandchild #22) in about a month, so please keep them in your prayers, dear readers!

You know, I never had a problem with turning 40 myself.  But for some reason, our son turning that age kind of gave me a bit of a gut-punch. While my husband and I were driving back home, praying a Rosary together out loud in the car, my mind wandered and I found myself doing math.  Our triplet grandchildren recently turned 6.  And I thought, "How old will my boy be when those triplets turn 40?"  The answer, shockingly, was 74.  The answer was that he would be an old man.  My son, the sweet baby boy for whom I'd made that mobile not too long ago...someday, God willing, he would be even older than I am now.  Well, just thinking about that, my eyes welled up with tears and I was too choked up to say a few of my Rosary responses.

It's all good, though!  The circle of life and all!  As my father always used to say, when it came to getting older: it's better than the alternative.

Okay then, I'm going to stop here before I become too maudlin (am I too late for that?).  But I'll be back as soon as I can.  I need to chronicle the triplets' birthday celebration, for one thing!  Until then, God bless you!

Grandparents' Day, a Confirmation, Cousins, and a Cake

Well, it hasn't been QUITE a month yet since I last blogged (almost, but not quite!).  I left off with this post, from May 19, which chronicled a grandson's First Holy Communion and a Mother's Day celebration.  Lots has happened since then...lots that I haven't written about but I'd like to get down "on paper" here before too much more time has passed.

I actually forgot to mention another special event that occurred in May in that last post: Grandparents' Day at son #3's kids' Catholic school, which took place on May 12.  Their school is only about a 45-minute drive from where we live (I've said it before and I'll say it again, this move to VA in 2017 was the best decision we could have made), so we were able to arrive early and snag the best seats up front in the gym/auditorium.  (That way, when the kids looked out to see if we were there, we were easy to find!)  It was wonderful, but a bit crazy: when you have three students (grades JK, 1, and 2) and only two grandparents, it's hard to do all the things you want to do with each one, as each grade level has a different schedule of events.  But we did the best we could and our grandchildren seemed extremely happy that we came.  (Especially our JK cutie, who was literally jumping and dancing with joy.)

 

You may recall that in my next-to-last post, I blogged about a trip out to Iowa for a granddaughter's First Holy Communion in early May.  Well, that same granddaughter (8) and her sister (10), two of our oldest son's six children, were scheduled to be confirmed on May 21--in the same ceremony, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, WI, by Cardinal Burke.  So we went on another road trip!  We drove out to Iowa first, to spend a couple of days with our son's family.  On Sunday, we went to a traditional Latin Mass at their parish in the morning, and then we car-caravanned over to WI with them afterward for the Confirmation.  Our 8-year-old granddaughter, City Girl, had asked me to be her sponsor.  Her sister, Little Gal, had asked her other grandmother.  What a special honor that was for Grammy and Nonna!

The two newly confirmed girls are in front,  one on either side of the cardinal, with their sponsors
 behind them. (St. Joan of Arc, pray for us!  St. Catherine Laboure, pray for us!)

One more interesting little fact: our granddaughters' mom Regina was also confirmed by Burke many years ago, back when he was a bishop.  

That will probably be our last trip to Iowa to see this beloved family, since son #1 has taken a job with a new company and a move to WI is imminent.  It's funny how you can get attached to a place so quickly.  They've only lived there a year-and-a-half, but I'm a bit sad that my husband and I will never visit them at their sweet little Iowa homestead again.  They've sold most of their animals (the cows, chickens, and ducks; but they still have the goats) and put their house on the market, and they're looking for a place to buy in WI.  We pray that the sale of the old house and the move to a new one will happen quickly and smoothly.

Doesn't this look idyllic, like something out of an old painting?  It's a dreamy piece
of real estate. (Hopefully some buyer will agree with that sentiment, sooner rather than later!) 

Let's see, what else has happened since I've been away?  Oh yes, over Memorial Day son #3, his wife, and their five kids made a trip to TN.  They met up with son #5, his wife, and their infant daughter (who live outside of Nashville), and they all stayed together in an airbnb cabin.  While my husband and I weren't part of that fun family vacation (which included visiting Dollywood), we enjoyed it vicariously through pictures.  We were so thrilled to know that two of our boys had met up with their families and were enjoying precious time together, and that cousins who'd never met before were forming new bonds.  (Although our youngest granddaughter may have to see these guys a few more times before she starts to remember them!)  That's everything to my husband and me, really.  Aside from wanting them to one day all become saints in Heaven (of course!), our one wish for our boys and their families is that they remain close to each other, long after we're gone.

It has become a tradition that sometime in mid-June, son #2 and his wife host a huge family blow-out party at their house, to celebrate the birthdays of their second-oldest son Jedi and my hubby.  After that backyard extravaganza, we head up to NY for the summer to manage our Vrbo house and enjoy the lake life.  This year, because our daughter-in-law Ginger is due to have baby #5 in mid-June, they were going to have the party at the beginning of the month.  But they ultimately decided to cancel, which to tell you the truth was a relief to us.  It's hard enough to be within a couple of weeks of giving birth, but add in a party for dozens of people (which always includes an amazing spread and a giant water slide/bouncy house for the kids), and that's just too much.  

So instead of that, Papa and I brought a little party over to Jedi last night, and we celebrated his 6th birthday a few days early. 

It has also become a tradition for Grammy to make cakes for all the
little ones.  Guess what Jedi is into these days?

Unless the baby decides to come earlier, Ginger is due to be induced on June 16, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.  She and son #2 chose not to find out the sex, and we can hardly wait to meet our new grandson or granddaughter!  We will be staying overnight at their house to watch their four boys while they're in the hospital.  Please keep our daughter-in-law and her baby in your prayers, if you could.

I used to dream that this blog would have all sorts of inspirational content, that it would be more about writing than just telling you what I've been doing and posting photos.  When I read Jenny Uebbing's blog posts, which don't come out that often and are always eagerly devoured, I'm just blown away by her WORDS.  (I love words!  I love to read them and to write them!  Speaking them is harder for me, so I'd rather write them.  But I digress...)  Uebbing rarely even includes pictures in her blog posts, but she doesn't have to.  Every essay is gold. 

This blog, on the other hand, has has become more of a scrapbook of my life than anything else.  But I'm okay with that!  As my 65th birthday approaches, I'm reminded more and more of how fleeting it all is, and I want to commit to memory every single precious moment with the people I love. 

And thanks be to God, there are many such moments.

A Belated Happy St. Nicholas Day!

I meant to blog on the 6th...but life got in the way!  I hope it was a happy one for everyone!

Two of our sons celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas in a special way.  Here are a couple of pictures son #1's wife sent us from their celebration.

And son #2's wife was sure to let us know that their oversized St. Nicholas (which was a gift from us last Christmas) was part of the festivities at their house.

A few days ago, son #4's wife and four kids (triplets-5, and their little sister-3) came over to Papa and Grammy's for a play date, and I got a picture of each of them standing near our St. Nick.  I'm sharing these pictures with you because they are pretty much guaranteed to make you smile.  And also because it won't be long before they all tower over that figurine, so I want to have a record of the days when they were almost the same size as he is!

This fella is a dinosaur fanatic, which you might
have guessed.

It was a fun to give giant handcrafted wooden St. Nicks to each of our boys and their wives last year, and I hope when their children are all grown up they will be a part of their happy childhood Christmas memories.

This year, I couldn't think of anything particularly special to get or make for everyone.  Sometimes, I'm an inspired gift-giver, and sometimes I struggle.  I do so enjoy giving gifts, but that is not my main "love language" (a term I never heard used until I had daughters-in-law).  I'm what you might call bilingual: my two love languages are time spent together and acts of service.  

You probably know all about this love language stuff without me telling you.  But the other two are words of affirmation and physical touch.

All five of the love languages are great, don't get me wrong, and I hope I use them all well with the people who mean most to me.  But I'm just not fluent in gift-giving.

How about you?  What's your love language?  And does your family celebrate St. Nicholas Day in a special way? (We didn't when our boys were young, and I regret that now!)

Cows, and Chickens, and Goats—Oh My!

In this recent post, I promised some photos of my oldest son and his wife Regina's sweet Iowa homestead. Their livestock includes three cows, three goats, three cats, 16 ducks, 17 chickens, and two rabbits. And they're gardening and growing their own vegetables.  While we were visiting them last week, we ate roasted potatoes that had come from their garden and a chicken dish made with one of the chickens they'd slaughtered and frozen.  I feel a bit as if I've gone back in time or something—back to a simpler era when most families lived this way; and although I'm not sure I was made for this rural life myself (I’m not a big city girl, but I’m definitely a small town girl), I admire what our kids are doing.

Here are some snapshots I took around their "farm."

And since it’s almost Christmas, here’s the new hay manger our son just got for feeding his cows this winter.  A bit big to be a bed for the Baby Jesus...but a manger nonetheless!

Wishing you all a blessed Advent, dear readers.