First Communion

Our big girl celebrated her first communion (along with her best friend).  We have been preparing for the past year in her religious education class, which I had the pleasure of teaching and experiencing with her.  In the Catholic Church, taking communion means you are receiving the body and blood of Christ in your body and soul, and it is a blessing and sacrament each time you take it.  I remember during my pregnancies, how I felt each time I took the body and blood of Christ into my own body to nourish the souls of my babies, and low and behold, it is already time for them to take the eucharist as a separate individual member of the church.  Though complete understanding comes with age, she does understand she is now responsible for her own soul with good choices, redemption for bad choices, and doing all she can to live fully as member of God's kingdom.  Her godparents (and our long-time friends) attended the service, and set up a very nice reception at a restaurant afterwards. What a beautiful day.  So proud of my biggest girl.

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Tulips, Tulips Everywhere!

We went to the Tulip Festival in Skagit, WA this weekend. Wow, there were so many tulips, so much sunshine that the kids could hardly handle it, so much traffic and people with the same idea as we did, that it was almost sensory overload! We managed to get a few cute shots of the kids and enjoyed seeing flowers for as far as the eye could see, what an experience.

Too bright outside to look at the camera

Eight is Great!

Our biggest girl just turned 8, and it is always a reality check to realize that is when all the chaos and adventure began as parents, back when this little one was born.  Life was very different before we had kids, in fact, I can hardly remember it.  Eight has done wonders to all of our lives now though.  She has blossomed into a lovely girl with this self-confidence that came out of nowhere.  She was always a little timid and things had a tendency to be upsetting when they were different or new.  Now she is jumping in with both feet and has a new "in command of myself" attitude that both frightens me for the types of things she will want to try, and makes me swell with pride that she is becoming a fearless force to be reckoned with - what I've always wanted for her.  Another amazing thing about her is she is the most tender hearted friend, sister and daughter - always empathetic, caring and helpful.  Her teacher noted this trait specifically during teacher conferences.

Once a girl who had to have perfect conditions to sleep, now is a girl who wanted to have a sleepover party with her friends for her birthday!  We did crafts, had hamburgers on the grill, xbox danced, and had a dress-up parade.  The girls all slept in sleeping bags in the playroom and there were no incidents, all the 8 year old girls are so brave and reasonable, I was so pleasantly surprised!  Dad's big pancake breakfast in the morning finished off the party with full bellies just in time for a nap.

We have come a long way, baby.  So far 8 is my favorite age, I can't wait to see the rest, but I'll be relishing this year because it, like the others, will be gone before I know it.

Dad's hamburgers on the grill

Paper flowers craft

A dress up kind of night

Dad's pancake breakfast

the morning after, little brother's 7am wakeup

dragging a little

xbox dancing

a little hard with brother hanging on