Great Big Chapstick

Bella is great at taking off the tops of pens, bottles, chapstick and anything else that comes apart. We last night Bella found a glue stick...and to her it was a giant chapstick...and off came the top. Luckily her aim wasn't so good, it ended up all over her cheek, instead of her lips.

Wilderness Camping

As we leave the Manistee National Forest to go home, I can't help but smile and thank God. Anna is an amazing partner in life, no matter where we are. She was cheerful the entire time. Even thriving in the sparse surroundings. No toilets, no running water...no problem.

For someone who never wilderness camped before she was right at home.
As we prepared to leave she dug a hole near a fallen log and said, "everyone go #2 in the woods so we don't have to use a gross rest-stop toilet on the way home." (that cracks me up, I love that we both find the outdoors cleaner than "civilized" toilets).

The kids did amazingly well, too! Eating all the camp-food cooked on our little stove. Maria even said she loved washing the dishes out in the woods with me as she cheerfully scrubbed and put away the dishes.

Bella loves being part of it all. She still scoots around on her bottom, which made the trip interesting, but the leafy ground was a fine place for her to scoot around and discover new sticks and things. Even though she can't say much she was the first to respond when I asked who liked camping in the woods, she said "ME!" and in the car she sits in her rear-facing car seat watching the kids behind her laughing at them.

Josh and Sam both loved the spears I made them from sharpened branches. (the spears are the only things we are bringing back with us, with daddy-sized spears duct taped to the roof racks). The pieces of moss and colorful leaves Josh collected kept his interest for hours. Sam loved the relative-safety of our cozy family tent, and being one of the first ones out of his sleeping bag even though it was frigid in the morning.

I like knowing that even as our young family grows, that we can take on challenging situations -- with all our kids -- that most people reserve for teens and adults alone. We can find and treat our drinking water, get through a thunderstorm in a tent, make it long hours on a car ride without movies or stopping for french fries.

We may be able to go without showers, toilets, other luxuries, but we can't go without each other, because we love being a family and going on adventures together.

Were you even listening?

Maria asked, "has anybody seen my blue marker."
Samuel said, "I don't know what color is it?"

Where is my headband

Arabella was playing with Maria's headband at church this morning when we got into the car to go home Maria said in a fearful voice "mom where is my headband", I turned to look at her and it was on her head.

Joshua was afraid to go outside by himself because he thought there were coyotes, so Samuel said, "I'll go out with you I'm strong and brave... and violent."

Homemade Mango Ice Cream

After it was all done, Anna said it was her favorite (and that is a big deal if you know how muchshe loves chocolate ice cream).
Every now and again we make something in the kitchen that turns out wonderful. After buying a box of mangos, which were half price since they were ripe, we knew that somethings special was going to happen. Charlotte suggested icecream.

We used 3 large ripe mangos. Blended them with about: 1 cup cream 1/2 cup sugar 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice and a bit of Blue Agave Sweetener (its kind of like honey except cooler)
	After the blending we just poured it into the ice cream maker and waited for 30 minutes.
	What came out of the bowl was pure delight.

Night owl, or early bird

This morning Maria told us that she is an Early Owl...because I sleep all night and get up early.

La la land (or Joshua doesn't listen)

An hour after we ate lunch Joshua came out of nowhere and asked what was for lunch. Anna said its sitting at your place and probably cold by now.
Joshua: "Why didn't you tell me."
Anna: "I asked you to go outside and tell Sam and Maria that lunch was ready, did you do that?"
Joshua: "Yes."
Anna: "Than why didn't you come back in with them and eat lunch with us?"
Joshua: "I don't know..."

Happy Easter ("I feel Sick")

After the Easter vigil mass and lots of late night candy and treats the kids woke up with sore tummies. The first thing out of Maria's mouth was "It"s EASTER, I feel sick."
Sam ran to the bathroom complaining of a sore tummy... We asked if he was "throw up" sick and he said, "sick like the bottom of my tummy is full if sugar."

Joshua: "help, eee, Bella attacked one of my egs and is spilling out the candy!!!"
Mom (sarcastically): " yeah, Bella is so vicious."

Pew Preserves

At the Easter vigil when some people sat in the "Reserved" row right in front of us Josh asked, "do they know that pew is preserved?"

Sam can "rememberize"

Maria is learning to read, and she read all the titles of the stations of the cross today. When she got to station 13# she said "Jesus' body is taken down from the cross." But Sam, who was sitting behind us, corrected her..."removed from the cross", he said.
Me: "Sam can you read?"
Maria: "NO, he just rememberized it!"

This is an Abortion! - Warning Very Graphic - Video - Catholic Online

Dear God. I will pray for and end to abortion every day. I will never forget again after watching this video.
This is an Abortion! - Warning Very Graphic - Video - Catholic Online

Divine Mercy

The Wolf

Maria was telling Sam a story that he knew wasn't true.
He said "tell the truth or I won't believe what you say and a wolf will come out of the woods and eat you."