Goodbye 2013 - a year in 13 photos

Happy New Year dear readers!

I hope you're all sipping away the first day of the new year, we're huddled together for warmth as its frigid outside once again. And since my brain still says "Vacation!" I'm digging deep and linking up with the wonderful Dwija with her photo wonders once again!

I love looking back over the year through my photos. I know it sounds beyond cliche, but it really is what helps me remember certain things about the kids, what we did, memories of all shapes and sizes as time flies by. Here's a snapshot of snapshots!

January

Cold, so cold. But we made it out for sledding even though being bundled and unable to move, Max still had fun. Or maybe still stayed alive. 

February

Max started walking in February. Finally! I was only 8 months pregnant. I'm glad he held strong and insisted upon being carried by his waddling mother. He had to milk his last days of being a baby. And with a face like this I guess I can forgive him...

March

Our Nora was born March 25! That must be the big news for our March this year. We were so happy to welcome a little sister for Gemma who just couldn't wait for another little girl in the family. I was so very happy to not be pregnant anymore and to have a beautiful, healthy, miraculous baby. If I've learnt anything from having 5 babies its that the miracle of them gets more amazing each time!

April

Easter was in April this year right? We had a chaotic one with a new baby, but we did manage some egg colouring! Which is a pretty important part if you ask the kids!

And a bonus picture from April:

Just cause they're so cute.

May

My first apple tree picture with five bambinos! A source of unending torture for each boy, and clearly poor Nora whom I tried to blind. But still, I can't stop my photo traditions!

June

Nora was baptized! After a bit of drama with the church, which I am firmly burying in my psyche we successfully fulfilled our parental obligations and now have 5 little members of the Church. She was an adorable little saint.

July

Oh beautiful summer days where the kids can play on the deck in their pajamas! I miss this perfect days! I love watching the kids enjoy summer. Out in bare feet, blowing bubbles, splashing in the sprinkler or puddles, picking flowers. I need to stop torturing myself now...

August

Its hard to remember when its so hot outside we run through the sprinkler every afternoon, but it really happened! I have pictures to prove it! We had a laid back summer with the inflatable pool every afternoon. I'd sit and watch while nursing a baby and kids ran every where in various stages of undress. Perfection.

September

This is how Max created a double stroller out of a single stroller. He thought his innovation was fairly revolutionary and rode like this everywhere for at least a month.

Babies on top of babies.

October

She may be tiny but she has a flair for the dramatic. This may be one of those pictures I dig up after she wins a couple oscars. Probably for crying just like this.

November

We had a joint birthday party for the Irish twins a couple weeks after Luke's birthday and a couple weeks before Dom's. They're the same age for about 4 weeks a year and I somehow mustered this amazing Lego cake creation for them. I'm now going to hide all these pictures so there can be no jealousy or heightened expectations for birthdays of the future!

December

Our year winds up back in the cold of winter, but full of the joy only found in life with 5 crazy kids! I'm glad I survived another year! Things keep getting better even when I'm positive I'm bursting with happiness.

Happy New Year!

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Seven Quick Takes vol. 72

Joining my sick compatriot Jen for these festive takes...

{one}

I've got few Christmas photos this year, and I forgot my camera at my mom's...you're welcome...

Merry Christmas to you all!

 I hope everyone is enjoying these holy days of celebration and feasting! It's 12 days of Christmas everyone...so pace yourselves....

I would have wished you all a Joyeux Noel sooner but...

{two}

I got sick for Christmas! Just what everyone wants in time for the busiest days of the year, right? And I'm not talking your regular run-of-the-mill head cold. Oh no. I'm talking kicks you in the ass and leaves you a moaning carcass flu. I was so ache-y and sore I couldn't move for almost three days! It was absolutely ridiculous. And of course, hit me on Monday and has just backed off today. 

{three}

So it twas the night before Christmas and all through our house not a creature was stirring...because I had to ship all the kids to my mom's while Paul and I had a measly three hour nap in which we were practically dead to the world. We managed to make it to my mom's to watch the kids while they were fortunate enough to go to Christmas Eve Mass with Gemma. We stayed awake long enough to open Christmas jammies, throw the kids in their beds for a dreamless sleep, lay out some stockings, gather some gifts under the tree and were back in bed for the night by 9 pm. It was a happening time! 

{four}

Thank goodness we hadn't planned on going far but just to my parents for Christmas Day. My parents and siblings entertained all the kids, who were in general all feeling alright, while their poor parents lay on couches in various rooms of the house. I'm so happy the kids don't depend upon their parents for happiness because they all had a fabulous day and declared this the "Best Christmas Ever!" 

I only ate a tiny bit of turkey dinner, and only a handful of butter tarts as opposed to my usual Christmas quota.

{five}

Amazingly, though it still felt like Christmas. It still was full of happy, excited, wonderful children thrilled at every little treat they found in their stockings and each of their gifts. Everything seems so special and magical, they demand everything to be just like last year and bring so much joy to everyone around them. Even their sad, sick parents. 

It's really sad missing Christmas Eve Mass though, I may have cried sad, sickly tears over  not being able to go. I would have had to be physically restrained from going if I could have gotten up under my own power! I'm hoping we'll all be well enough to go to Mass tomorrow evening, and I fully intend to make everyone get dressed up fully in their unworn Christmas finery!

{six}

Unfortunately Nora was the worst off in the under 25 crowd with this flu. She was the first to catch it, spent three very sleepless nights sniffling, coughing, and just being generally miserable, I thought she had bounced back and kicked her fever by Tuesday, but on Christmas day she became quiet, her fever came back with a vengeance, and she just was lying around. That's the worst isn't it? When your baby is just lying there, not grumpy, not crying, just lying. So I was completely terrified and took her into the emergency room yesterday morning and she's got a wicked case of tonsillitis! My poor baby! Thankfully she's really improved since the drugs kicked in yesterday and I'm so happy to not have a  feverish baby. Her first Christmas wasn't the best introduction to what Christmas is all about, but she doesn't eat much solids yet anyway...so next year will be amazing for her I'm sure! 

{seven}

I know you're just blown away by these exciting glamorous tales, but wait-there's more! Tomorrow is my sweet Max's 2nd Birthday! I can't believe he's two already. These past years have definitely flown by in comparison to even Gemma's first two years. I love baby's turning two. It just opens up a little more independence, things begin to get a little easier in more ways, hopefully he'll start talking! We'll be throwing a very simple soiree for him tomorrow with more presents, candy, and less sickness! Max knows it's his birthday because the boys like to remind him of it every 10 minutes, his reaction says something like, if they're so excited about something it's got to be good! 

Hope you're all having a healthier holiday! Thanks for reading these stellar takes!

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Seven Quick Takes - An Overload of Christmas Photos edition!

Joining the lovely Jen (Pre-order her book right now!), for seven of the randomest, 'tis the season!

{one}

At least someone has their act together and is dressed for the day!

Does it never cease to amaze you too that you can be up early, have everyone else up early, breakfasted, somewhat cleaned, and think to yourself, "Wow, I'm going to get so much done today-look at me go!", only to realize its now 11 am, dishes are still piled everywhere, the house has only gotten messier, and you've spent all of your time breaking up toddler aggressions, changing bomb diapers, and trying to get the baby to nap??

ANYWAYS - nuts to all that mess and getting crap done, I might as well blog!

{two}

It's Friday everyday when you're 9 months old and sleep/wakeup whenever you want!

If there wasn't Seven Quick Take posts popping up everywhere I could have sworn it was Thursday, so that's a pleasant surprise. This week has been a flurry of Christmas around here, the kids are brimming with excitement. I feel the noise levels are rising in ratio with the excitement too. If I make it to Christmas I'll be thrilled. 

I feel ready for Christmas.  Oh, not in the I've-got-all-my-presents-wrapped/bought, house-is-clean, cookies-are-baked kinda way, but in an excited anticipatory way. I'm going to chalk this feeling up as an Advent success. I feel as if somehow I'm not even thinking about stressing out about stuff. I have no idea if gifts will be successful, or wrapped for that matter, or if every child will be perfectly happy, or if I got everything I wanted done or not, or if every obligatory Christmas activity has happened or not. I'm just leaving room for wonder and feel ready to celebrate and feast. 

{three}

We ventured out last weekend for our yearly Christmas tree hunt. Living out in the wilderness has the one advantage that finding a Christmas tree takes about five minutes. Perfect length for toddlers and small children!

I won't tell you that we just picked a tree from the side of the road that runs through my dad's property. It's a beauty this year though, nice a full, because it grew in a nice open ditch.

{four}

Then the decorating commenced! The kids have somehow developed the idea that they decorate the tree every year. I don't know where they got this idea though, because I'm pretty sure I actively discourage it every year. And it usually ends in a flurry of tears and sap-covered fingers. But we did let them decorate if only for the nice photo ops, there were four very decorated branches. 

{five}

I have a big tub of unbreakable ornaments that I store at the top of the Christmas box so I just hand it to the kids and tell them to go nuts. So far this theory has worked well and they cover the bottom half of the tree with the cheap ornaments which saves some time for me. Then they go to bed and I carefully unpack the breakables and momentos and hang them, then my OCD kicks in and I completely redistribute the ornaments the kids had previously hung. And which they'll rehang as soon as the wake up the next morning. And every morning after that.

I realized again I need to stop buying ornaments. But I cannot stop. I love all the ornaments!

I need a better picture of the finished tree but heres one shot for ya - 

{six}

Also, I started feeding the baby child her first solids the last couple weeks. I'm on the baby led feeding train and let me tell you, if you learn one thing in having five babies in six years is that feeding babies younger than 8 months is just. not. worth. it. Seriously, just wait until they actually care. Don't bother feeding them the baby crap at six months. It really doesn't matter, they make a giant mess, its a huge waste of your time and energy.

I only break down and feed baby food when the baby figures out that they could have a little variety in their diet and begin to demand it with tantrums and grumpiness. Nora's almost 9 months old, and she's starting to eat chunks of banana, pear, and apple in the mesh-teether thing which makes feeding the baby completely hands-free, which is my goal. But sometimes I still have to break down and spoon feed her. 

I think I have issues with how much I detest this aspect of babyhood. I need to get over it. 

{seven}

Here's a confession for you-I don't have anything for my parents yet. They're so hard to shop for and I'm coming up completely blank. It's my biggest gift fail. I'm praying for a miracle that somehow lands me at least an idea of what I should give them by Christmas Eve...cmon miracle idea! 

Another New Year's resolution for 2014, which has been a resolution since 2012, learn how to use my ding-dong camera. I want to so badly! 

I'm dying for Christmas chocolates that I'm saving for Christmas day...I know they're in the house though...

Ok, I'm leaving now, someone stop the rambling!

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Five Favourite Classic Christmas Movies

For today's Five Favourites over at Moxie Wife I decided to share my top five favourite classic movies!

Of course, I didn't list It's a Wonderful Life because I feel that one goes without saying, but I do watch old movies all the time and have loved them forever so I thought I'd extol my other faves this holiday season so they can bring some Christmas magic your way!

1.

Holiday Inn

Some say Holiday Inn is another version of White Christmas. And some people are just plain wrong. There are many similarities, but where White Christmas oozes sophistication, Holiday Inn is more homey and comedic - of course, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are amazing to watch together.

Fred Astaire plays a charming but entertaining jerk, and his dancing adds magic to every scene. Bing is the best and seems to have chemistry with every actor he is cast with, this movie is no exception! He croons delightfully through the different holiday songs, throws in a well timed joke, and basically makes you fall in love with him every time. The movie somehow weaves together songs from other holidays while still feeling like a "Christmas" movie. I watch it every year and it makes me happy with each viewing.

Sidenote: I think I pretended to run an Inn every Christmas as a kid...I've watched these movies A LOT.

2.

The Bishop's Wife

A charming, romantic, tale of an angel coming to earth to help a bishop remember that love begins at home. Cary Grant is perfectly debonair as the angel of any woman's dreams who reminds Loretta Young what she loves most about her husband, played wonderfully by David Niven.

So, yes its theologically inaccurate. But just ignore the theological errors and focus on Cary Grant's awesome debounair-ness. He makes it really easy to forget theological inaccuracies, but don't tell anyone I said that! Loretta Young is so sweet, David Niven is so stuck-up, and the skating scene is one of my favourites from any movie. And the boys choir just means Christmas to me!

3.

The Shop Around the Corner

This movie is the same basic story as You've Got Mail, BUT its still one of my favourite holiday movies, most likely because of Jimmy Stewart, but also from the quirky supporting cast. There is also the wonderful Christmas feel of a time gone by, the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas around the shop, and I love its emphsis on the community that's built from the people who work at the shop.

4.

Meet Me in St. Louis

One of my all-time favourite movies of which I know all the songs and dialogue by heart. This is a wonderful Judy Garland musical, all the songs are a treat, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" became famous from this movie. Another great aspect of the story of Judy Garland as a teenage daughter in turn of the century St. Louis, is that it is such a great family movie that actually portrays a real family! A family who doesn't always get along, who tease each other, it even features children of a wide age difference, but who care deeply about their home and each other. Judy Garland is at her best, the costumes are a hoot, and the production is perfect. A wonderful family story perfect for Christmas. Love.

5.

White Christmas

To me, this movie is perfect. Bing Crosby singing. Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen in the best dresses by Edith Head. Danny Kaye hilarity. Gorgeous set design and the perfect mix of music and snappy dialogue. I just adore it all. I love the storyline, and its perfect mix of holiday and romance. It defines the classic movie to me. Its not Christmas till I sit down and watch this one,  pure happiness!

Now, what are your fave Christmas movies?

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A Year in Blog - The Posts with the Most

I loved Sarah's idea to have a "Most" post, a little round-up of the year's blogging accomplishments. So I actually went back and looked up my old posts which is something I never do and this is what I came up with!

I'm so appreciative of all of you lovely readers. Thank you so much for reading, or stopping by occasionally, or saying hello now and again, or for being great friends I've met through this crazy internet wonder!

It's great having this "hobby" that's can be shared. I love being able to put down some "adult" thoughts, or complain a little to compatriots in the cause of raising babies, or share frivolous ideas or random rants. I love blogging because it really does connect kindred spirits that you'd never know otherwise!

Hope you enjoy - Visit Sarah and the other fun bloggers who've joined the fun.



Post with the most clicks: 

That would be this Seven Quick Takes in which I complained about a lot of things, but mostly about how time consuming taking care of 5 kids all day is. It was linked to by Jen, my blog hero, so that explains why it's still getting hits today over seven months later. It also had some happy birthday missives, not just complaining!

Post with the most comments:

I just love all your lovely comments. They make me feel just chuffed. It's so comforting to my sanity to know someone reads what I write, even occasionally. So thanks, pour yourself a glass of eggnog on me!

The post with the most comments was also the one with the most clicks-so coming in next was Children Belong at Mass. Period., Nora's baptism, and A Day in the Life with 5 Kids post. A good range of posts I would say.

Post with the best photo:

This is a tough one, not because I take so many great photos but because I just forget which ones were alright. But I think my favourite pictures are from the post of Nora being brought home for the first time. Pretty precious. I may be tearing up looking at them again. All my darling babies together! All my babies finally birthed! I love thinking about the joy of just having given birth and no longer being pregnant-its a great thing. And Nora was a beautiful newborn if I do say so myself.

Post that was hardest to write:

Nora's birth story was hard to write because I don't want too much information to be strewn across the internet, but I wanted to capture the miracle of birth and also the excruciating pain of it. I felt I needed to write her birth story more as a topper on such a complaint-filled pregnancy. I wish I had the talent to write entertaining birth stories!

I found it really hard to express how difficult the pregnancy was for me, since it wasn't too difficult physically. I also try to be honest around here but don't want to be super negative, so I didn't know what to write during that time for the most part. It was a rough time for me, so this post on the final weeks of pregnancy was tough to write in general.

Post that was my personal favourite:

I usually am not amazingly happy with my posts. I usually hit publish without too much editing or proofreading, and often I wish I had more time to better flesh out ideas or at least communicate them in a more eloquent way, but part of the purpose of this blog is to give me a place to air my thoughts and I think its more effective to do this without spending weeks and weeks on just one post. I think it's part of God showing me to be a little happier with my imperfections and it also keeps me fairly humble. Blogging=humility.

But I found three posts of which I really am fairly proud. My posts on Marriage the Mysterious Sacrament, G.K. Chesterton on Parents and Education, and Sometimes the Sacraments Are All a Mom Has. It feels like cheating to put up three. But I think that's the best I can do!

Now I feel emotionally drained! What a year.

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