The Many Blessings of Our Life in VA

I have gotten to the point where I can't imagine not having made our big move to VA.  Back in 2016, when we were celebrating our last Christmas in the NH house where we'd raised our boys, it was somewhat heartbreaking imagining a different sort of home.  How could we be as happy anywhere else?  How could another house ever mean the same to us?  After all, we'd been in that one for 26 years and we'd put so much sweat equity (and love) into making it just right for us.  It was filled with wonderful memories.

But when we moved in early 2017, we knew that eventually, we would make many new memories down here.  And that this would become our home.

Well, that definitely happened.  Hoo boy, did it happen! I can no longer imagine what our life would be like if we didn't live here, near three of our five sons and their families.  Just this past week, look at all we would have missed.

On Tuesday, we went to the kindergarten graduation of four of our grandchildren.  Son #3's daughter (the middle child of his five) and son #4's triplets (two boys and a girl) had their end-of-year ceremony at their Catholic grade school, and my husband and I were there in attendance.

The kids were adorable, needless to say.  But I thought MY kids (the doting dads taking videos of their kids singing) were equally adorable.

Two of the triplets were classmates this past year (one of the boys and the girl); and one of the triplet boys was his cousin's classmate.  He excitedly pointed at her once, at pick-up time, and told his mom, "That's [her name]! I know her from school!"  True story.  They've been playmates and practically neighbors since infancy. Hilarious.

Classmates/cousins.

The Kindergarten Crew.

If we still lived in NH, I doubt we would have flown down for this occasion.  We would probably save those sorts of travels for major events, like First Holy Communions.  But being here, we can easily attend all the grandkids' special events, big and small.

Two days after the graduation, my husband and I started some home improvement projects for son #4 and his wife Braveheart.  They just bought a new house, and before they move their things in, they wanted to get some painting done.  My husband even got up on some super-high and quite terrifying scaffolding (while I took care of some things down low, where I could keep my feet firmly planted on terra firma.  #fearofheights).

Braveheart came by with all the kids while we were working, and I got this selfie with the youngest of their four (who calls herself an "honorary triplet").  People say she looks like me...but I'm not sure.  She does definitely look like her daddy at that age.

It's such a joy to see our boys living near enough to each other to be an integral part of each other's lives.

Son #3's hard-working wife Preciosa was the real estate agent who found this dream house for son #4's family and helped them negotiate the deal.  And she and son #3 decided to give son #4's family a generous housewarming gift: a trampoline for their awesome new back yard.  Because we live nearby, my husband was able to help his boy assemble it on Wednesday, and he and I were able to be there when the kids first discovered this amazing surprise gift from their aunt and uncle the next day.

I love this big-hearted boy.  And his dad.

Last night, after an exhausting day of painting, my best guy and I came home to our little VA doll house (although smaller than our NH house, it's really not all that small; but it's a sweet little place and I often think of it in those terms) and headed out to the patio on the side of our house.  We sat together on one of the bench gliders by the fire pit, sipping cocktails.  (You can have a date at your own house!  It's relaxing...and cheaper than going out!) We were sitting there talking about how as long as we were together, we could live pretty much anywhere; and how great it was that we could live here, where we can help some of our boys out and enjoy lots of time with them and their families. (We'd like to have all five living nearby; but we'll take what we can get!)

Today, I'm going to watch son #4's kiddos, so he and Braveheart can get a lot of packing done at their old house.  Again, this is something I probably wouldn't have been able to do if we hadn't made our big move.

Leaving that NH house was quite painful at first, and a real exercise in detachment from the things of this world; but we have been so extraordinarily blessed since the move.  Life is so good here.  

I give Mary, and the daily Rosaries we say to Her, all the credit.

  

Thank you, Mother!

Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers!

Princesa's First Holy Communion

One of the great joys of having so many grandchildren is watching them receive their Sacraments.  So many Baptisms!  So many First Holy Communions!  What could be more wonderful?

Last Sunday, our little Princesa, the second-oldest child of our middle son, received the Body and Blood of Jesus for the very first time, and it was a beautiful day.

First of all, the blog name I picked for her surely fits, for she did indeed look like a princess in her lacy white First Communion finery.

Our sweet girl was very reverent and serious while receiving, and then after she got back to her seat, she folded her hands and bowed her head in prayer.

Then she looked up, with a joyful expression on her face--just the sort of expression one should have after receiving Our Lord for the very first time!

Princesa had both sets of her grandparents there for this very special event in her life.  My husband and I count our blessings all the time, knowing that not every grandparent is as lucky as we have been (especially since our move to VA, which makes us practically neighbors to so many of our beloved children and grandchildren!).

Along with her parents and four siblings, and the aforementioned four grandparents, our sweet First Communicant had lots of other family members there to share her big day as well: two sets of aunts and uncles, ten cousins, and one of her dad's cousins (who is also local and came with her hubby and three kids). We actually managed to get a photo of our whole group, which is nothing short of a miracle.

Afterward, we all went over to son #3's house and enjoyed a celebration for her, along with a very good friend of hers who was in her group of First Communicants that day.

I made the cake.  Her other grandmother made some of her famous decorated sugar cookies.

It couldn't have been more perfect.  God is so good!

And in less than two weeks, we'll get to do this all over again, when son #2's oldest boy makes his First Holy Communion.

It's a wonderful life.  Deo gratias!

Our Lady Speaks to Us, Part 2; and a Birthday!

Today is our middle son’s 38th birthday.   He is the most pleasant, easygoing, fun person to know: whip smart yet humble, a sports fanatic, unfailingly sweet to his parents, a devoted husband and father, and a friend to all.

On a dream trip to a football game at Notre Dame, his alma mater, with his firstborn, in 2022.

With his nephew, who shares his name.  Who wouldn't love that face?
(Either of those two faces, that is!)

Our boy's beautiful family.

But that boy of ours has never liked to have a big deal made about him, or to be the center of attention.  So I won’t go on and on about him in this post, because that would make him uncomfortable.  Instead, I’ll turn my attention to one of his precious loved ones, the youngest of his five offspring. When you read this post, you will understand just how special our son must be, and how well he is passing on the Faith to his children.

Happy Birthday, son #3!  We love you!  (Now enjoy reading about your little man.) 

Way back in 2011, shortly after I’d set up shop here at String of Pearls, I blogged about a rather humble garden statue of the Blessed Mother that we had outside our house in NH.  Our across-the-street neighbors were Catholic, but non-practicing and not very religious at all.  So imagine how surprised and touched I was when the mom told me that her 3-year-old boy had stopped in front of our house one day when they were out on a walk and said, "I have to kiss the Lady."  By that he meant that he had to kiss the statue of Mary that we had out in our front yard, not far from the sidewalk!  Here's that old short-and-sweet post, Our Lady Speaks to Us, if you're interested.  It's only been visited by 87 readers in all these years...)

We brought that statue of Mary with us when we moved to VA in 2017, but it had developed cracks and wasn't holding up too well anymore.  So we replaced it with a bigger, better one (a 36-inch faux granite beauty from Walmart).

This is my favorite time of year here in VA,  when those flowering bushes
bloom behind our statue, and this area looks like a "Mary Garden."

Recently, I was reminded of that poignant incident I’d blogged about all those years ago, when another sweet and pure-souled little boy (our 2-year-old grandson, who was visiting us on St. Patty's Day with a bunch of his cousins) was similarly inspired to give our Marian garden statue some love.

He stared at her face.  He patted her cheeks.

He held her hands.

And then he went in for a hug.

It was the sweetest thing ever.

My grandson didn't call her "the Lady," or anything else, for that matter; he still doesn't have a huge vocabulary. But he knew just who She was, I'm sure of it: his non-verbal actions told the story better than words ever could.

This wee fella is a little wild man, into absolutely everything, a real Bam Bam (although you won't understand that reference if you're not old enough to remember The Flintstones cartoon--I'm revealing my age!).  He's a climber (he has a zipped-up tent over his crib now, so he can't escape).  He likes to throw things (and can be very destructive at times).  He's all-boy, hilarious, and about as cute as they come.

But even the wild little heart of a 2-year-old mischief-maker can be tamed by Our Lady.  She speaks to us. And little ones always seem to hear Her voice the most clearly.

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.

Laughter and Tears

If you come here often, you know that our middle son, his wife, and their five adorable young children were living with us temporarily while waiting to move into their new house.  It had been in the process of being built over the past year or so, and was supposed to be finished in time for them to enjoy their first Christmas in it...which it wasn't.  So they spent Christmas at our house.   (And we all got a nasty stomach bug for the holidays, but let's not get into that right now!)

What was supposed to be about a week or two with us stretched into six weeks, and those poor kids were commuting about an hour every day to work and school.  But as of about a week ago, they are all moved into what they hope will be their "forever home," a big, beautiful house on a quiet cul de sac street.  It's just perfect for them, and they are beyond thrilled to be in their own place.

Living at our house was not perfect for them (the sleeping arrangements were a tad dicey); and yet, it was a pretty sweet time for all of us.  We miss seeing them every day.  We miss scenes like these.

Well, that was the "tears" part to which I was referring in the title of this post; but I was being a little dramatic. Because although my husband and I miss seeing this cute little family on a daily basis, they are so much better off where they are.  And it only takes us about 35-40 minutes to make the drive over to visit them at their new house.  So we shall survive the separation!  It's all happy tears, dear readers.

Now for the "laughter" part of this post!

Our middle son and his wife Preciosa decided to give us "an experience" as a Christmas gift, rather then something wrapped up in a package: they got tickets for the four of us to go out on a double date to see Brian Regan, who was performing nearby in mid-January.  (Their wonderful sitter, a mother of grown children, drove all the way to our house to watch their kiddos for them.) They could not have picked a better entertainment experience for us!  Brian Regan has always been one of our very favorite comedians, because he's goofy and hilarious and never resorts to profanity or raunchy jokes.  His comedy is clean enough to be enjoyed even by young children.  We just love him!

We had the best seats, way up in the fourth row.  

Regan hasn't lost a step since we first started following him many years ago.  He was fantastic--doing all new material that we hadn't heard before--and this night out with the kids was a special one that we will always remember.

We all need a lot more laughter in our lives, especially in this anxiety-inducing day and age in which we live.  Thanks so much to these two, who gifted us with a night filled with laughter.  Love, too.  Let's not forget the love!

Houseguests and New Houses...and So Much More

When you have a lot of children (and not that the five my husband and I have is that many, but it's enough for what I'm about to say to be true), it seems that there are seasons where one is definitely more in need of your help and support than the others and becomes your focus for a while.  But then inevitably, life happens and another one of your chicks moves to the front of the parental assistance line.  That's just the way it goes.  It helps if your kids know deep in their souls that you don't have a favorite (we joke about that constantly in our house, but I think the only reason it's funny is that our boys know we absolutely do NOT have a favorite; we have five of them). 

It also helps if your kids aren't score-keepers (our boys aren't), because it always ends up that when all is said and done, each child gets what they need, when they need it--at least they get as much as we can possibly give them, as inadequate as that might be.  Sometimes it seems that one of them is getting the lion's share of our attention and support, but if so, it's because that one just needs it the most at that moment.  For instance, in the months after our fourth son's wife gave birth to triplets in 2017, Papa and I spent a good deal more time helping them out than we did the others.  Because, you know: TRIPLETS!

But the triplets are 5 now, and in pre-K, and their little sister is 3; and their parents finally have moments now and again when they can breathe easy and think straight.  So for now, son #4 and his bride are not first in line.  For the past month or so, our middle child, son #3, has taken over that spot.

1986: Son #3, when he was about
 the age his youngest is now, with his dad.

2023: Son #3 as a dad, with his two
youngest children.

On December 12, son #3 and his wife moved into our house with their five children, aged 8, 6, 5, 3, and 9 months, while waiting for the work to be finished on the house they were having built.  They had renters moving into their old house and were going to be homeless for perhaps a week or so.  They hoped to be in their new dream house (their "forever home") in time for Christmas.

Having a house built in 2022...not for the faint of heart!  So many delays.  So many hidden costs.  So many disappointments.  So many issues with their truth-challenged contractor.  It's been a bit of a nightmare for them, financially and every other way you can imagine.  One week stretched into two, then three, then four...

So they've been living with us for over a month now.  Their three big kids are sharing a bedroom (the two girls in a double bed, the oldest boy on an air mattress).  Their mom and dad originally got assigned the other upstairs bedroom, with two twins pushed together and a port-a-crib.  The 3-year-old girl started out in the crib, but eventually started sharing the bed with them.   The baby boy has also been sleeping with one or the other of his parents.  (Be warned, little guy: sleep training in a crib begins at the new house!!)

Over Christmas, our youngest son and his wife were staying in our cozy basement bedroom, which has a queen-sized bed.  But once they moved out after New Years, son #3 moved down there, while his wife stayed upstairs in the room with the twin beds.  They've been juggling the baby and the 3-year old between them ever since.

Not ideal sleeping conditions, but they've been making it work.  (And Papa and Grammy have kept their master suite as a kid-free zone, a sanctuary of peace and quiet.  Because hey, we're old and we've earned it!)

Really, though, this has been a special time for us.  We always knew that our middle son was an amazing, hands-on dad; but getting to see him in this role up close for so long, day in and day out, has been a unique blessing.  He really is something.  He does it all: baths, bedtimes, making lunches for school, cooking breakfast.  He is 100% all-in, sweet with them but not afraid to get tough when the situation calls for it.  We are so proud of the way he has embraced the vocation of fatherhood.  I believe he had the very best role model in my husband, who always thought of himself as a father first.  Airline pilot was just the job he did to keep a roof over all of our heads and food on the table.

Here are some images that tell the story of this hardworking young dad, our beloved son, whom we admire so much. This is typically what I see when I come downstairs at about 6:00 a.m.:

Lunches lined up on the counter, ready to pack
in lunchboxes. (Can you tell he's in the military?)

Eggs frying while little peeps wait.

Isn't he the best?

The light is shining at the end of the tunnel for our boy and his family (or so it seems; we shall see!!).  Two final inspections were failed earlier this week, but there's another one scheduled today.  If they get their certificate of occupancy, they'll be moving out very soon.  Their household goods have already been moved into the new house, so they'll be good to go.  It will be so much better for them to be there.  Our house is about an hour from the kids' Catholic school (and where our son works), so they've  been getting up that much earlier Monday through Friday to make that long morning trip.  I'm sure they'll be thrilled to be in their own place, with their own routines.

And I'm sure that once they're settled in their new house, and all is right with their world, another one of our boys will need us in some way.

Actually, we already have our next help-out planned: we'll be taking a trip to Nashville to meet grandchild #20, the firstborn of our youngest son and his wife.  That happens in about a month or so.  

Life is amazing.  And it moves at lightning speed.  Our baby boy just had his 30th birthday--which means that all five of our boys are in their 30's now!! Yikes!!   (Until our oldest turns 40 in the fall...double yikes!!)  Our youngest son turned the big 3-0, he and his wife just bought and moved into their first house, and they're going to be new parents soon; this is a big year for them, wouldn't you say?

I still can't believe he's 30!

I'm not sure how to end this post, except to say that I am humbled by how blessed a life I've been given.  It's just too good, and too full.  I thank God every day for my strong and loving marriage, for the five exceptional boys He gave us, for the wonderful girls they married, and for the beautiful grandchildren that just keep on coming...it's almost too much to process sometimes.  

And I am eternally grateful that we are still young (ish) and healthy enough to help them out when life throws them curveballs.  Wanting to be there for them as long as possible is what keeps me going to the gym when I'd rather be eating chocolates while reading a good book or watching a Netflix show!*

#boymomforever  #ilovemyboys  #grateful  #blessed  #lovingtheGrammylife

*Full disclosure: I do these things too, more often than I should!

A Future Member of the Class of 2034!

One of the teachers used those words to describe the group of sweet little students who filled the stage at our granddaughter’s kindergarten graduation back on May 10—that they were the future high school graduating Class of 2034.  Yikes!  Those parents were having enough trouble seeing their babies graduate from kindergarten; they were in no way ready to imagine how before they had time to blink, the next 12 years would fly by!  (Did they need to be reminded?!  That seemed like cruel and unusual punishment!)

The adorable graduates marched in to “Pomp and Circumstance,” in caps and gowns no less.  Each child had a few lines to say at the microphone, then the group enthusiastically sang some songs with beautiful Christian messages.  Medals and diplomas were received, one by one. They really do up these school events with a lot more bells and whistles these days than they did when our boys were little.  Sometimes I think it’s too much too soon...but I also can’t help but get caught up in all the excitement.  Not to mention all the cuteness.

I loved seeing that precious little girl being the family star on her big day; but I also loved seeing the expression on MY former little boy's face as he watched (and filmed) his daughter.  He was a very proud daddy.

Our sweet granddaughter Princesa (oldest daughter of son #3) is a shy yet precocious young lady, 6-going-on-16.  She’s a little mother’s helper—which is appreciated these days, with a baby boy recently added to the family, making it five kiddos altogether (and the oldest is only 7).  Princess holds and carries her baby brother like a pro.

I am not anxious to see the year 2034 come too soon; but I also can’t wait to see the grown-up woman this girl will be by then.  I predict great things for her future.  And she always insists that one of the things she wants to be is a MOTHER.  Watching the way she handles little Jet, and the adoring glances he’s already giving her, I have no doubt that she will be a very good one.

Congrats to this lovely little Class of 2022 graduate.  (Class of 2034?  Let's not go there yet, please!)