- Mr. and Mrs. Ober! -

When the big girls' primary babysitter since they were practically, well, BORN [!!] brought some necklaces over in October and asked them to be flower girls in her June wedding, the answer was a resounding, "YES!" and the excitement began to build!  

Fast forward 8 months, and rehearsal dinner night was here... 

...and then, drumroll...

...WEDDING DAY!  The day started off with a bang with steaming the dresses, doing hair + nails + make-up at our kitchen counter, and even a little morning siesta for cranky Scarlett...

...but she woke up happy when it was her turn to be beautified; and before we had much time to think, it was off to the church basement to get dressed with the bridesmaids and get our fave girl married! ;) :)  God has interwoven our relationships with this family in so many ways and on so many levels: from Katie and Grace babysitting our girls for about 8 years now ...to Tate publicly claiming all our girls as his sisters ...to Peter and Sue graciously agreeing to be Juliette's Godparents [even though they were all dressed up fancy for wedding day and Juliette would NOT smile for pic!] ...to Luke and Brian's "shared birthday" ...to Sue and my heart for teaching Creighton Model/NaPro and our discussions on the regular about Catholic motherhood ...to Peter and Brian's bond over...well, finances and investing and golf and coffee and whatever else it is that men talk about ...to getting to know Kurt and his family and witnessing the new love that Katie and Kurt bring to the world ...to every dimension I've omitted here ................you can see that our families' friendships run deep!  We are over the moon grateful for this amazing family and were so excited to be a part of Katie and Kurt's special day!

 

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Ober!!!

^^ This is what I liked to call being "matron of honor to the flower girls" for the whole day!

^^ As Peter mentioned in his father of the bride speech, all of this really sort of started at Juliette's baptism dinner [as Peter and Sue are Juliette's Godparents, and Fr. Michael baptized her] when Kurt struck up convo with Fr. Michael and began the process of rejoining the Church. Of course, then, it was fitting and amazing that Fr. Michael came back to be the celebrant at their wedding Mass!

 

To Katie and Kurt: we are inspired by your love and commitment to faith and family!  Cheers to a lifetime of love and happiness; may God richly bless you in your married life together!  Thank you for including us in your special day, but even more for including us in your lives.  We love you! 

 

xoxo 

 

 

- First Reconciliation -

This sweet girl celebrated her First Reconciliation today [March 5, 2023]!  WTG, Harper Cecilia!  She has grown so much in her faith during second grade, and we are absolutely thrilled with her love for Jesus and interest in always learning more about the Catholic faith.  She chose Fr. Rob as her confessor [our parish priest for a year or two a few years ago!].

After the sacrament, she got this necklace as a gift from us [from one of my favorite Catholic sellers on Etsy!]...

...and then found a gift bag on the porch that the Deakos family left with a butterfly necklace and some clips with the nicest card!  So grateful to have great, faithful friends that help and encourage us along the way and recognize the "milestone days" as we strive to bring our kids up in the faith!

Congratulations, Harper!!! You are a beautiful, beloved [and forgiven!] daughter of God. May the Lord bless you and may His mercy give you peace!

- Notre Dame circa 2008 -

Way back when I was studying abroad in the fall of 2008 and standing inside the Notre Dame Cathedral, I really had no idea what these memories would mean to me during this Holy Week in 2019!  I feel blessed to have visited one of the most beautiful places in the world and will hold tight to these photos forever.

 

Included in these photos is the statue of Joan of Arc, my confirmation saint.  She was accused of being a heretic and a witch and was burned at the stake when she was only 19 years old [the same age I was when I visited here].  Several years later, she was exonerated; several centuries later, she was canonized a saint here inside the walls of Notre Dame. Saint Joan of Arc, pray for us!

Also pictured is the relic venerated as the Crown of Thorns.  It is only presented to visitors during the first Friday of the month and every Friday during Lent.  13+ million people visit Notre Dame each year to view the relic. 

My heart hurt to see the footage of this beautiful building ablaze.  Sending prayers and love to the people of Paris and Catholics all around the world!

As the news reports that many parts were saved, including the cross at the altar and all of the relics,  I'm holding onto the hope that Notre Dame will be rebuilt and, in time, will shine again!

- Scarlett's Baptism -

Ever since the random April day in 2015 when I cut out [*gulp*] and sewed a little piece of my wedding gown into Harper's baptism gown, I've had this desire for it to become a family heirloom and be passed down for all my female posterity to wear! I've also had this vision of having everyone's name who was baptized in it embroidered into the satin under-layer, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about getting that done. I'm two [or four] stages below an amateur seamstress [typically only sewing things like burp cloths or blankets -- AKA -- things that humans puke on], so I immediately knew I wasn't brave enough to attempt the project myself.  But! One measly mention of it to my grandma, and she jumped on the task and made my vision a reality! I absolutely ADORE the finished product:

^^ ...and it's so much more special knowing she stitched it so lovingly. Seriously, I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! I know my daughters [and their daughters, etc.] will treasure it forever. :)

Anyway, I just recently got the gown back from my grandma and it made me realize that I never posted Scarlett's baptism pics! 

FAIL. 

But yes! It happened! She was baptized into the Catholic Church way back in February, and she is pagan no longer! 

Instead of having a catered post-baptism dinner like we did for Harper, we decided to attempt the cooking ourselves this time around! Second baby syndrome: it fits me like a glove. ;) :) The food prep started at 9am [in anticipation of a 5:30pm dinner!]...

...and with lots of help from Uncle Garett and Uncle Jon, we were packed up with enough food to feed 50+ people and headed to the church by 3:30pm!

Once again, Fr. Meconi humbly agreed to celebrate the Mass and baptism, which of course we were totally thrilled about!  Papa, Grammy, and Harper got to carry the gifts up...

...and then Mass was over and it was Scarlett's show time!

I love the way [Kate and] Harper stood so quietly and lovingly during the ceremony:

"Scarlett Clare, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!"

YAYAYAY for the newest Christian in 'da house!!! May she always keep her flame burning brightly...

...with the aid of her amazing godparents, Tory and Gavin. Thank you both for agreeing to help guide our sweet baby!

Annnnd we're done! 

Freed from sin and claimed for Christ! 

Welcome to God's family, Scarlett Clare!!!

Time to let loose with some food + fiesta!

Oh haiiiiiii, you pure, sweet soul! ;)

^^ ...All kicked back on the beautiful white blanket her Great Grandma Penny crocheted especially for her [or is it knitted? You can tell I'm the typical female millennial...]

And just like she did for Harper, Grammy Resa made a bracelet for Scarlett that she plans to add beads to for her First Communion and wedding! I love this new tradition! 

We love you to the moon heaven and back, Scarlett Clare! May you revel in your Christian dignity and always follow in the footsteps of Christ! :-* 

"God's love be with you, Little One, on your very special day...

As you become a child of His and follow in His way!

And here's a prayer that God will bless your happy family, too...

And watch them with His loving care as they watch over you."