Kitties - Year 1

 Our kittens turned one on March   and  it is one year since we adopted them on May 26th. In just a few weeks it will have been one year since we brought them home on June19th.

They are amazing, and we are so glad to have adopted them.

Tara is noticeably more solid. She is a kitty of substance. Tara generally does not like to be picked up, but she loves strong pets and scratches. Tara is less likely to jump up on things and is tentative to jump down. Her favorite spot is the hallway right outside Megan's door and is an excellent doorstop. Tara does love it when the windows are open and will get into the window sill, sometimes edging Saoirse out. 

Saoirse is fluid and airy in her movements and in her build. Sometimes when she walking by, if you try to pet her it is almost as if your hand goes through her. Saoirse enjoys being held (most of the time) and enjoys snuggling in someone's lap. She will often claim Bridget's or Megan's lap while they are doing homework.

Jim and I are still longing that they will come snuggle us on the sofa, but most of the time they hop by on the way to the living room window. These kitties have been a blessing. It was fun to watch Johanna's fear of them turn into confidence and comfort. She now scoops Saoirse up daily for some cuddle time.

They are beautiful and soft and silent and funny and playful and delightful.

Dance Recital- At the Farm

 Bridget was so grateful to have dance classes this past year. It was her one in-person activity and it was a balm to the isolation. They practiced with windows open and masks on, with reduced class sizes and temp checks at the door. But a small class is a different beast from a recital. The studio owner talked with the families and made the decision to host the recital on her farm.

It was a huge production to not only organize the dancers, music, sound, and staging, but to add stage set up, parking, porta pottys and so on. Since it was out doors and it was the summer of the 17 year cicadas she pushed it back a few weeks until they had passed their peak. And it was all worth it!

We were blessed with blue skies and the heat of a Baltimore June day. Families brought tents and umbrellas and we sat outside and watched the girls dance. Performing the skills they had worked on all year. Bridget was taking en pointe so she had an additional dance plus the corpe ballet. Bridget worked really hard and looked strong and graceful. I was so impressed. I am so grateful for Carol hosting the event and all of the extra she did to make it happen.

End of Middle School- Bridget

June 2021

COVID cases are decreasing and vaccination rates are increasing but organizations dealing with kids, who are mostly still unvaccinated, are maintaining safety measures for the time being. This meant that big end of school year events wouldn't look like non-pandemic years.

Bridget was coming to the end of the 8th grade, and the end of her middle school experience. She was ready to say goodbye and ready for it to be over. Bridget was happy to be done with the French Horn, she never loved it and really hated virtual band. She was glad to carry that horn and drop it off at school for the last time.

Saying good-bye to friends is harder and we were really relieved that the PTSA offered to host an 8th grade picnic at the local state park. At first there wasn't a big interest but soon all of the kids warmed to the idea. It was a simple evening event, where parents set up volleyball nets, corn hole, other yard games and the kids just played. Most were masked, but honestly they were so used to masks that it wasn't an issue at all. The PTSA got a photo booth, and gathered gift cards for a raffle. The students had a great time, just hanging out. I chaperoned but really it was an excuse to take some pictures of Bridget and her friends. Bridget found her crew at the end of 6th beginning of 7th grade but hadn't gotten many chances to hang out outside of school, then the pandemic hit and they didn't get together. She would talk on group calls and stay connected. She was happy to see them when in-person school restarted and have lunch together in the library and then the maker space. But I never got to witness them together, and certainly had missed all of the photo ops that would have normally happened at school events and birthdays.  She consented to picnic photos and shared them with all of her friends later. They were all glad to have pictures together.

The school wasn't hosting any parent attended events but they announced an 8th grade ceremony on the last day that would be posted online. One of the communications said the event would be live-streamed for parents, so I tried to log in to watch. I thought I'd get a chance to witness my kid walking across a stage. The school sent links that morning, but they wouldn't work. I was poised at my computer trying to participate and it was upsetting to feel like I was missing it. It turned out that there was nothing live. The school pre-recorded awards and messages, and the 8th graders watched from their classrooms. There was no group participation and no walking a stage. The school admin corrected the links and I got to see the presentation, of slide show awards and prerecorded speeches.

Bridget received 2 awards: Academic Achievement in Reading and a Certificate of Recognition for Self Discipline. They also put out together a slide show and Bridget was in a few photos both old and new. After the school day, as we packed for Jim's 50th Camping Trip, I drove Bridget for one last trip through the middle school bus loop. They called her name and teacher's clapped. And she was done.

 

Jim turns 50 and we go camping

 June 2021

We wanted to celebrate Jim's 50th Birthday and back in Spring we discussed some options that might work with the pandemic in consideration. We decided to go camping and go back to the KOA in Harper's Ferry, WV. It is only an hour away and we knew it was nice. We invited other families to join us and although not everyone could go a lot of them said yes and booked cabins in a cluster with us.

The Arnolds, Arciagas, Shumakers, and Mary Sue & Mak were all joining us to celebrate.

The cicada's were a concern, as the sound was deafening outside, but they has mostly subsided by the time Jim's birthday arrived. It was also the last week of school for Megan and Bridget so we would be heading up after school got out on Friday. Rachael met us at the house and we loaded in, after packing all of the camp gear in the van.

We arrived at KOA and settled into our cabins. A few families beat us there and had set out camp chairs. It was hot and humid. We added our camp chairs to the circle near the center of the cabin cluster. That night we made smores and just relaxed.

The next morning, people filtered out of cabins. I made our family some eggs and sausage and then plans for the day began to take shape. The kids were headed to the river, Eric brought fishing rods, and we had the KOA facilities to check out. Becky and I saw a Park ranger guided tour of the area on the schedule and decided to go. It was a great tour and I learned a lot from the Ranger about the civil war significance of the area and John Brown's raid. I am glad we went. We came back to find a happy group at the campsite, with kids all off at the river. 

Saturday dinner I was making a big group meal. Jim picked gumbo, so I got a big pot and we made use of the single propane burner. All of the Moms pitched in and helped me make the rice, grill the andouille sausage, slice the French and corn bread and set up the serving line. It was fantastic to work together. Dinner went great. Jim opened some gifts, drank some beers, laughed and smiled. We had his favorite dessert: cookies and had a cookie cake. Johanna carried the cookie cake as we sang "Happy Birthday".

It was a fun night. the kid's played ga-ga ball and went to the playground. They had glow bracelets and Johanna directed a glow-stick dance, that the teens happily played along with. Then we eagerly awaited Emma's arrival. She was working the later shift at the Park and was coming after work. She didn't want to miss Jim's 50th Birthday Celebration. She arrived after 11:00PM, still in uniform. It was great to have her join us. The four oldest shared a cabin and enjoyed talking late into the evening.

Sunday morning was a simple breakfast and packing up, with extra time to hang out and visit.

Happy 50th Birthday Jim!

  

25th Anniversary of Ordination

On June 13, 2021 we celebrated my Dad's 25th Anniversary of Ordination with a Mass and reception at Our Lady of Victory Church. He has been serving at Our Lady of  Victory in some capacity consistently since we moved to Halethorpe in the 70's. He has lead the RCIA, prayer groups, bible studies, been a catchiest, member of the parish council, liturgy committee, and school board. At my mom's prompting he began the deaconate program and was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Baltimore on June 15, 1996. Jim and I were living in Aurora, CO at the time and we used our one week of vacation to fly out to Baltimore for the ordination. Since that time he has served at OLV as a deacon, ministering at wakes, funerals, Holy Hour, Adoration, Stations of the Cross, weddings and Baptisms. We were all so blessed to have him baptize all of our children into our faith. As the Anniversary approached we decided it would be fun to gather all of the Baptism pictures and Sacrament pictures that my Dad was in. It was quite a collection.

 

COVID-19 has been complicating celebrations for a year and a half but as preparations began the pandemic was easing and we were able to embrace a large celebration as we had hoped. The OLV parish organized the celebration with the Knights and Women of Victory volunteering. Our family stepped in and helped with the music, planning, serving, decorating and personalization of the party. The parish was also working behind the scenes to establish a scholarship fund in my parents names in honor of their service and dedication to Catholic education. I had been working with Dad on the invitation list and getting the invites out both with physical invites and an online invitation. As I was showing these to my Dad, I had a fake set and a real set that included the Scholarship information.

The day of the celebration all of the family pitched in to set up the hall, decorate the tables, hook up the slide show of photos through the years, decorate the cake. Many of the grandkids joined Mary in the choir to provide music for Mass, grandkids got changed to serve on the altar, they handed out programs. Joe and Magaly brought up the gifts with more of the grandkids. Will and Becky read the readings and Mary the psalm. My Dad proclaimed the Gospel and gave a homily with a wide scope of his faith journey. We participated in the Sacrifice of Mass together. 

Fr Bill and Bill Bernard presented my Dad with the establishment of the Scholarship fund and he was truly surprised and touched.  After Mass Dad asked invited guests to please join in for pictures. Many of his Cardinal Gibbons colleagues came to celebrate, prayer group friends, men's group, parishioners, and family.  It was a blessing that so many of his long time friends and colleagues were able to attend and celebrate with us.

The reception went wonderfully. We shared food and desserts and my Dad went from table to table to greet all of the guests. I made a table to display the Newspaper clippings from 25 years ago and a board of all 23 pictures of the grandkids baptisms. It was a wonderful day and I kept thinking how proud my Mom would be.