soccer birthday party

Singing Happy Birthday.

What a nice group of boys!

Opening presents.

Skylanders!

We had Cullen's birthday party this morning at Soccer Zone.  He had a great time playing soccer with all his friends!  These are such a nice group of boys... we'll miss them next year.  That said, whew... I'm glad birthday parties are only once a year.  EXHAUSTING!

Happy 7th Birthday to CULLEN!

Opening presents!

7 candles already?

Testing out the new toys!

I cannot believe Cullen is already 7!  He is such a neat kid.  He brings us so much laughter, fun, and only a few gray hairs.  ;)  We are blessed to have a healthy, happy boy!  He truly, never ceases to amaze us... with what he says, how good he is at school, how kind he is to everyone... We are very proud of our biggest boy. 

Next up: a scoccer birthday party with lots of busy, little boys!

On a side note, Cullen had his 7 year old check up today... and he continues to be a square!  Last year he was 45" and 45 lbs... this year he is 47" and 47 lbs.  Too funny!

Belf sightings...

Belf brought Cullen balloons for his birthday.

Finn had brunch with Santa for the FLC Playgroup.

Belf hanging out with the new ornaments Saint Nicholas left the boys on his feast day.

 The boys wanted Belf to ask Santa if he could bring an early gift...

Both letters say the same thing. :)

 Snowball (marshmallow) fight with Hulk!

 

Tire Swing!

 

 

Belf got locked out!

 

 

Some of our elf fun!  The boys LOVE to find him every morning. :)

 



Rosary memories

A Quiet Moment by Timothy P. Schmalz

 Jesus, Mary and Joseph portrayed in perfect harmony, love and peace. 

A celebration of the purity of love.

I made it to my weekly rosary Thursday night.  I love going to the rosary this time of year... it's so beautiful, all lit up in the dark... with all the candles going.  My favorite place on campus, next to the serene walks around the lake with the boys.  It was a small crowd- Steve, Freida, Father O'Connor, Brother John, and Brother Richard.  Father O'Connor said a special blessing over me before it started.

After the rosary and enjoying hearing Brother John (from Kansas City) next to me, belt out Salve Regina- he's a great singer.  Then Brother Richard handed me a chaplet.  He told me the next time I go to communion, to bless it myself with the host.  I asked if I could do that, and he said "Why not? Jesus is there with us at Mass."

Freida and I walked to our cars and Brother Richard walked with us.  When we got to our cars Brother asked if I had a minute, he wanted to show me a statue.  I said sure.  So we walked up to Columbia Hall on the hill, where 65 retired Brothers live.  He said it is the second oldest building on campus.  We went inside and I saw huge, beautiful poinsettias and a Christmas tree lit up.

We went directly into the room on the left.  There was this large sized statue- A Quiet Moment.  It was quiet beautiful.  Brother had bought it about five years ago for $500.  He gave me a slip of paper with the information on it- artist, address, phone number, website.  I noticed all the old artwork of Jesus on the walls too.  I thanked him for sharing it with me.  As I was leaving he asked me the question he always does- "What's the name of our grandparents?"  This time I knew.... Anna and Joachim.

Night at Compton Arena

My little leprechauns with the ND leprechaun!

Finn made this sign to cheer on the Irish Hockey players. :)

 We got tickets to watch Saturday nights hockey game.  The boys had a great time!  I wish I could say the same for the older lady directly in front of us.  She threw up all of the floor.  Poor thing, how embarrassing!  Lucky for everyone, Cullen didn't see it.  There would have been another mess to clean.  Finn noticed and told me "It makes me want to throw up too, but I can hold it."  Thank goodness.

Sean watching ND Basketball beat Kentucky.

The students rushed the court after the game. :)

Last Christmas in South Bend...

Time to decorate the tree!

All 3 boys love the fire going in the fireplace.

Belf's first night back...  The boys loved it!

 The boys enjoyed learning Belf is buddies with Batman and Hulk.

Belf spelled everyone's name out with cereal another morning...

The boys made their ornaments this year!

 Finn surprised me with how well me followed the directions.

thankful for Cullen

The cutest Tiger Cub Scout ever.  :)

Cullen had his second Cub Scout meeting last night.  He loves it!  He looks so grown up in his BSOA outfit.... what happened, where did the time go??

Cullen's Thankful list.  No help at all.

God, Mary, Video Games, Quinn, me, mom, dad, Jesus, I like teacher, the sun.

I love his list!  Still wondering why Finn was beat out by the sun.... ;)  We had a great Thanksgiving!  We went to the Wilson's house.  It was a beautiful day in the upper 60's, so the kids bounced on the trampoline while the men fried the turkey outside.  Jan and I enjoyed the quiet and stayed inside to gab.

While we are on the thankful topic... I am so thankful for these two years at Notre Dame, they are better than I could have possibly imagined!  It will be so incredibly hard to leave this special place.  I am also thankful my husband went for the Fort Leavenworth, ILE option... even though it may set him back on the Army's timeline.  And my two beautiful, ornery little boys, I am so thankful for them! 

We had Cullen's conference at school last week.  Let me say, I am SO thankful that he had a perfect report from his teacher!  She told me immediately that I should be very proud of him.  He is smart, respectful, nice to everyone, and has good self-control.  (MY Cullen, self-control?  What!?!)  She said he is right on target with everything and very strong in science and math.  She said Cullen is amazing because he really listens to what she is teaching, and then perfectly executes it on his own work.  She said the only thing that she has to watch him on, is talking with this buddies.  :)  But once he's reminded, he stops and minds.  Praise the Lord!  This boy tests EVERY limit we've ever given him, but he is ideal at school.  I'll take it!  I am so proud and thankful for Cullen!

Sean and I were so thrilled, we let him eat out at a restaurant of his choice (McDonalds) and then we went out for ice cream afterwards.  :)

So much to be thankful for.

Uncle D and Jessica came to town!

Watching ND beat Wake Forest.  Our last ND football game. :(

  Just after watching the trumpets play under the Golden Dome.

What an awesome Uncle!  Playing Batman on the Wii. :)

AWESOME tailgating location!

Legos, Uncle D knows a thing or two about those...

Beautiful Indiana sunset over the Golden Dome.

Where we were tailgating.

Thanksgiving lunch at school with Cullen.

Finn's Thanksgiving Feast in preschool.

Dustin and Jessica came out to visit us this weekend!  They came by taxi, plane, subway, train, and car to get here. :)  We had a great time showing them all of Notre Dame's treasures...  Football game, tailgating, Basilica Mass, rosary, Sunday Evening Vespers, lunch in South Dining Hall, Trumpets under the Dome, Irish Guard Inspection, rubbed Knute Rockne's nose for luck, and lighting candles in the Grotto.  We were also lucky to have them here to enjoy the Thanksgiving Feast at the school with Cullen.  It was a wonderful visit!

The boys are now counting the days to Christmas, until we see them again.

swimming lessons

This session of swim lessons has come to an end.... I'm very happy with all the progress the boys are making!  Cullen has started to learn strokes, and how to take a breath while swimming.

Next up... basketball.

Notre Dame hockey game

Finn was on the jumbo-tron before the game started!

Watching those big guys skate by FAST!

Finn with the ND Mascot.  :)

In awe!

We got 2 tickets to Sunday nights ND hockey game.  Sean had tons of homework, so I took Finn.  It was a lot of fun!  He loved watching them and would laugh when they would spar for the puck and ram each other into the glass.  When the Irish were warming up, a few of the players would bang on the glass at Finn as they would skate by.  He loved it!

As we were leaving, we saw the Leprechaun!  I asked Finn if he wanted to take a picture with him.  Finn did!  He ripped his coat off and ran up to him.  :)  It was so cute!  What a fun night.

Notre Dame wins in triple overtime!

The football team singing Notre Dame, Our Lady to the student 

section after the game.  They do this win or lose...

East entrance into the Basilica.  Beautiful stained glass at night!

We love walking by the Basilica and Grotto at night on our walk home after games!

Notre Dame wins in triple overtime!!

These characters stopped by our tailgate!

 Can't say I'm used to seeing a drum player with a bagpiper! :)

COLD day and evening!

Wow! What an EXHILARATING (and freezing cold  ((low 30's at the end)) game!  We sure weren't feeling good about the game in the 3rd Quarter...  But the Irish rallied!  That, my friends, is why they are called the "fighting Irish"!  What a great year to have season tickets.  :)

And how 'bout those K-S-U Wildcats!?!?  We heard lots of cheers during the tailgate from strangers, passing by, for K-State (after they saw our K-State chairs).  AMAZING year for our favorite college teams!

Learn to Play Hockey Night

Finn

Cullen

Before

Two sweaty boys after...

I signed the boys up for a night to try out Hockey at the Hockey Arena on campus.  It took forever to get them in the uniforms!  I'm afraid to say they LOVED it!  They did pretty well.  Not bad for a couple boys that haven't been on the ice much!  They both started with the "walkers" then Cullen left it behind.  Not long later, Finn abandoned it too... He went clear across the rink to play hockey with Cullen.  :)  He was telling all the instructors he was on Cullen's team.  Too cute!  They both wiped out SEVERAL times, but (true to form) always hopped right back up for more...

I heart my Super {Mario} Brothers!

"Let's-a go!"

"It's-a me, Mario and Luigi!"

Mario, Luigi, Luigi, and Princess Peach!

We ran into friends from school... Chris Pelliter and his sister were Luigi and Princess Peach.

Too funny!  The kids LOVED it!

My favorite Super Brothers!

Zoo Boo was a success!  The boys love their costumes, and they look so cute!  We drove right back from Indy straight to the South Bend Zoo.  The boys put on their costumes over their clothes, and boy did we need it!  It is cold!  Windy and temps not making it to 50*.

Aherns in Indy

Another K-Stater at the bar in Indianapolis.

He told us we were waaaaaay older than him.  Ha!  He graduated in 2010.

Cullen, Finn and Seamus having pizza.

 The three boys had a great time playing together!  Seamus will be 3 in December.

They had fun building with legos and being firemen!

Sean and James

me and Tess

We drove down to Indianapolis just after lunch on Saturday to spend some time at Sean's cousin's house. It was fun!  We spent the afternoon with them, all the boys went outside to play football and wrestled in the leaves.  Marion and I hung out and played with cute, baby Tess. 

They had friends over that night to celebrate James' birthday.  Marion arranged a babysitter to come over and stay at the house (while the kids slept) while we watched ND beat Oklahoma at a bar.   It was a great time, the four of us stayed up until 3am catching up and talking.

We hung out for a bit in the morning, before we hit the road back to South Bend to hit up Zoo Boo!

By the way... How awesome is this football season for Sean and me!  KSU #2 and ND #3?!?  Awesome!  Very exciting time to be living here at Notre Dame!  What am I going to do if they play each other!!??