Thursday, April 24, 2014

Thankful for Everyday Life Link-up

(you can use this picture if you want for your own link-up)
 
 Thankful for God's Divine Mercy and the blessings of Easter
 Thankful my favorite day of the year is coming this Sunday!

From St Faustina's diary:
"...On that day are opened all the divine floodgates 
through which graces flow. 
 Let no soul fear to draw near to Me,
 even though its sins be as scarlet."

Divine floodgates!!!
FLOODGATES!!
That is All the graces possible, that is as much graces as at Baptism!!

 Thankful this Sunday, these 2 great men will be canonized saints in 
the Holy Catholic Church.
Pope John Paul II will be called
"John Paul the Great"

How awesome is that?
It's pretty dang Awesome!!

I love this man and it brings tears to my eyes, 
the joy I feel of his canonization.

I'm so excited about it.
 Thankful for pre-teen slumber parties.
At this age, there is no planning on my part,
it's so easy, no special cakes or games,
They do it all!
They planned a big fashion show that took up the afternoon.
 They went for a couple walks around the block
(don't you love the kiddos in the background?)
 I love that my oldest daughter included her younger sister
(because we made her)
and it turned out really good.
I know they both had a wonderful time!

(note on slumber parties...we never used to do them and don't with the younger ones
but now that they are older, and we've known these families for years and years
we do them.  SO after we move, we will NOT be doing slumber parties any more.
I could probably do a whole post on this one subject, but 
there is just something about staying up late together, 
talking til all hours of the  night in your sleeping bag, 
waking up together and having breakfast together that makes it special. 
I have special memories of overnights with my teen friends
 and they are all good ones!)

 All I had to do was provide food 
Ice cream during the movie
(they watched Prince of Persia)
 They even dished it up themselves!
 Fun times!
 Breakfast:
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, yogurt, fruit and juice!
 Then, it's time to go home...
 One girl lives right by the giant snowman!
Thankful we were able to see him again...although he's not looking so good now....
 Thankful for the beautiful sunsets we've been having, giving an
orange glow to everything
 Thankful for reading forts...look how they lined up their stuffed animals to watch...awwww...
Thankful for rosary distractions, he stole big sister's hat
(you're welcome for the toesies shot)
 Thankful I got to go to my cousin Debbie's daughter's baby shower
(Debbie is only 1 year older and is going to be a grandma!)
It was a good time, and her daughter is just lovely!
 Thankful I got to see some of my aunts and my grandma!
Here she is with Sweetie Pie!
 Thankful for this easy fun cake we made for Easter!
 Thankful for egg coloring
Oh, it's so fun to watch these kiddos!!

 He was so funny, he was not quite sure what the heck we were doing!
 These 2 lasted the longest!
 and Thankful for sacrifice beans turned into beautiful Jelly Beans!
(which are gone now by the way!)
 Every year is so fun and new for these two littles!
 Pretty much what his mouth looked like all day
(someone kept sneaking him jelly beans)
 This may be cute, but
all I heard all through Mass was:
"This dress is itchin' me, when can I take this dress oooooouuuufffff?"
(in a really whiney voice)
I was pretty much ready to throw the dress in the garbage after that
(not really)
 Not til we got some Easter pictures!
Thankful it was a really beautiful day, so warm and sunny!
(just like Easter should be!)

 Tom and I
 Thankful for this wonderful man

 Thankful for sweet little boys
 and  his first buzz cut!! 
Why is that so hard to do?
It turned out SO cute!!
I used 1/2 inch on the sides and back and 1 inch for the top.  
It's adorable.  
Yes, he gets lots of extra kisses because of it.

Happy Easter everyone!!



 

32 comments:

  1. I always love your Thankfuls so much! It looks like a wonderful Easter, everyone looks great and what a fun Slumber Party - your such a great Mama!

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  2. What great pics- and you and Tom look terrific! I've missed your thankfuls, and I'm so glad I got to see those cutie little toes!

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  3. That cake! SO cute!

    My sister brought a dessert to my mom & dad's called "Cherry Berries on a Cloud." I was very thankful for it and plan to make it again [fingers crossed] for Divine Mercy Sunday because it is red & white.

    Such an outpouring of grace this weekend! ♥

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  4. What Easter JOY your post has!! So many things and so much fun. Yes, this Sunday is a HUGE one! I didn't even cover that in my Thankful, but I only had so much time to get it written. Btw, as always (and I know I say it ALL the time) you look gor.ge.ous. You are so cute all dressed up with your wonderful husband.
    The cake looks yummy and I think I consumed calories by looking at it on my computer screen. lol.
    And Little Red....very handsome with that haircut. Kiss him for all of us.

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    1. Oh, Sarah, you are so sweet! Loved your thankful's too...Easter is a fun time to be thankful!! Every post is so pretty!

      That cake was fun to make!
      Little Red, kissed.

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  5. I didn't recognize Trin at first. She is getting so tall! Didn't see Shawn and gang at Easter?!
    Glad the girls have so much fun. I don't like sleep overs AT ALL. Even as they get older...but I let Colette go. The boys don't do sleep overs...thank goodness.

    Looking forward to this weekend...I love Divine Mercy also. This is going to be a special one.

    Your little Sims looks so adorable with his hair cut...and he just loves jelly beans..so cute.

    Kids are cute...and you and Tom are cute too...cake too...cute cute cute CUTE! ha

    I have a cold and my head is full of snot...cant think and write anything.

    hugs to you always thankful for you.

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    Replies
    1. Trinity is such a sweet heart. She is tall, isn't she?

      You are cute.
      Hope you feel better soon...yucky to be sick in the spring time....not that it's warm here or anything.

      Hugs right back!

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    2. I was thinking about my reply...and felt I slammed overnighters when you just had a fun one. I had some weird stuff happen when I was a kid...so they scare me. Even sharing bedrooms with cousins...I don't do that. I have to tell you what happened to Jonathan sometime...don't forget to ask me!

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    3. Now, I can't wait to talk to you!

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  6. As always, such a beautiful thankful post! Thank you for sharing, especially all the sweet pictures of those sweet kids! I was hoping maybe to go to Rome on Divine Mercy Sunday, but it is not going to work out. So we are going to go see a big Cathedral on Saturday here in Germany. Much closer and therefore doable!

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    Replies
    1. Rome? Wow, are you that close? I'm sure loving the pictures of Germany....what a special year to celebrate these special days in a different country.

      Have a wonderful grace-filled day1

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  7. Yes! Easter joy as Sarah said! Thank you for sharing it with us. It just overflows from your blog and is so contagious! Thank you for the prayers for us. P.s. You are courageous to cut hair inside your house!!

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    1. Oh, thank you Patty.

      Been thinking of you all week.

      It's stinking cold outside, have to cut hair inside!! I do it away from the counter...it all sweeps and vacuums up!

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  8. Simeon looks so cute with his new do! Peter is starting to need a trim, but I can't bring myself to do it yet. This is our first baby to have hair at this age! Even though it's always hard to cut their hair. I usually do it in the bathroom right after a bath (then they usually need a bath again because they have hair everywhere, but they won't leave a cape on). I've never used clippers before, except on John Paul.

    Is your daughter sad about moving from her friends? I went to one slumber party growing up and it was terrible. I think I was only invited because her mom told her to invite me, and they wouldn't include me in anything. I did do sleepovers with one friend and that was fun.

    I love the picture of your kids together and you and your husband...so sweet! I hope he's feeling better!

    I'm really excited about the canonization too! I read the other day once they are considered blessed, you can already consider them a saint, but this will make it official :)

    I'm going to try to put together a thankful post, if I can. Have a great weekend!!

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    1. OH, Peter is adorable...trim it while he's in the high chair and eating a snack...try to catch the hairs...they are so fine at this age. It's a moving target though...tricky work!

      My daughter is sad about moving. We don't know when though yet, so that makes it a little harder yet. That's so sad about what happened to you at that slumber party. Wow. I'm there for a lot of their stuff..but they do shush me away when they are talking...like I came down to say hi to one girl who had gotten there while I was napping Simeon, and they got all quiet. "OK OK, I'll go away."

      I usually did the one friend thing too.
      Only remember like maybe 2 big slumber parties. You are right, the one on one are the best.

      Love and blessings Kari!

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  9. I loved it all, Jamie...
    All of it...
    But that picture of your little man with his new haircut?!
    The Best. Ever. : )
    And you and your hubby? Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!
    Ok...one more...the cake!!!!
    I could go on. and on. and on...
    Love ya!

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    Replies
    1. I love all your love Billie Jo!!

      (the picture of Simeon though, my favorite too!)

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  10. Such cute, cute pictures this week. That slumber party looks like it was so much fun. Mr Snowman does look like he has seen better days - but that's a good thing, right? Hope you have a great weekend. Hoping to link up if I have time tomorrow!

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    Replies
    1. That is a good thing that Mr. Snowman is melting...very good!! He'll probably be there til July!

      Happy weekend to you too Deb!

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  11. Have have such a beautiful blog and family! (new follower)

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  12. You kids all look wonderful. My older kids are so close that they are so glad that they were included in each others parties before. Now they can't imagine a party without the siblings. Not as easy when one is 23 and two are 2, but we have fun - family style. No slumber parties here. Tomorrow night Princess is going to a party and I will pick her up around 11 pm. We used to do slumber parties but they are completely outlawed now. We found that sometimes the girls had friends that wanted to be around our Son. It didn't matter how much we knew the families but it gets weird (even with good friends kids) when they are in highschool. Some will be more 'active' than yours and it isn't good. We decided to protect our kids name more than what they would or wouldn't do. It is best to avoid the situation in which a girl (or boy) can later say "so-in-so did such-in-such with me at a slumber party are his/her siblings party". I know it is a sad reality of today's world but we must protect our kids from even rumors that others will start from their own desires. I even had one friend that so much wanted her daughter to 'date' my son that she would joke about how close the kids were at sleep overs. It was so inappropriate and it shocked me so much. We ended them right then, and never again. The mom just wanted them to date but I thought that was wrong considering they were 13 and 14. I hated that she would joke about them being together at such a young age. Yuck! I will not do any form of sleep overs ever again.

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    1. Wow. That's quite an ordeal. That really stinks. I can't believe that about that mama...weird. Just plain weird. (and that is WAY too young to be encouraging that...wow)

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  13. I am thankful for my beautiful wife. I love you Jamie Jo.
    Oh, and my loud kids too :o)

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    1. Awwwwww, Honey!! I Love YOU. (and our loud kiddos)

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    2. Oh, my. This is beautiful. <3

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  14. We don't do over-nighters....too many memories of what I was talked into doing when I was spent the night away from home as a teenager (and I was a really good kid, honest!) We do have family campouts in the summer, though. The kids really love that!

    I just cut Peter's hair, too. They look so different when the fluff goes, don't they? :-)

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  15. What a great group of photos. That picture of you and Tom is so nice. I am doing a thankful post this week. I'm being too blah about blogging... and everything... a thankful post should help with that.

    God bless!

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  16. Loved reading all of this post!! You did the peep cake! My kids wanted me to make that SO badly. I just couldn't fit it in with all the other things I made to take to my in-law's Easter potluck. And with all of the other candy and goodies from their baskets and the egg hunt, I couldn't take the thought of one more sweet thing to eat. I cut my boys' hair, too. So much money saved! I love your cute cape you have. Where did you get it? I just use a towel, but it doesn't work well at keeping the hair off of them.
    Thanks for sharing your Easter. Love to you!

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Thank you so much for stopping and commenting!