May, oh my...

It's only the 10th and what a wonderful month this has been so far. Be still my heart.

Soccer has begun for the littlest and just in time for some seriously gorgeous weather to sit and watch. Some games she is "all in" but in others she is "dreamy and less than focused". Nonetheless she has had a lot of fun so far, and so have we.

Last week it was Senior Night on the lacrosse field. What an emotional time it was been watching the "boys" that I have known for so long play their last few high school games. Bittersweet indeed. All these boys are great but there are a few that hold a special spot in my heart and I treasure the memories of them and their parents.

Joe

 For 8 years we have sat alongside the Romano family on the lacrosse field. Joe Sr. was Ross' lacrosse coach for a few seasons. Many times I can recall Dana sighing and saying, "Oh God!" as her son Joe navigated the field and came under attack by the opposing team. A mom loves to watch her son play lacrosse but we all worry too.

Brian

 If I were to describe Brian in one word it would be "beastly". In many ways he is larger than life. On the field he is strong, aggressive, fast, unyielding and downright scary. Yet when leaving the field upon being told, "Well done Brian!", he always says in the kindest, most unpretentious, respectful voice, "Thank you Mrs. Turiel.". Gotta love him!

Tyler

Then there is Tyler. Tyler is my lacrosse hero! He is smart, plays the violin, has traveled to China AND he scored the amazing winning goal last year in OVERTIME at the agonizing CBA game. Did I mention that he's a DEFENSEMAN! ? OMG it was awesome!! EPIC!! Tyler's dad Jim has also been Ross' lacrosse coach. So many fun memories shared with this wonderful family.

Next year is going to be so sad without ALL these boys, just don't know what we'll do without them. It makes me happy to know that they are all on to play lacrosse in college with such bright futures. A few we will even be able to watch on television. Oh how exciting!

Both Ross and Grace got their report cards and each are doing amazingly well in school. What joy they bring to us, we are so proud.

To top off her "joy factor" Miss Grace has begun riding lessons again. I haven't seen her smile like this in months! Oh how she loves to ride horses, and is truly at home at the stable. She is SO fortunate to have such an amazing place to learn, explore and ride.

It's as close to having her own horse as she'll likely ever get and we are totally good with that. Well at least her father is...but that's a whole 'nother debate, LOL!

The weekend before Mother's Day Ryon, Kaitlyn and Alexander came home for a wonderful visit.

**Warning** I'm gonna gush! Little Alexander is such a Nonie charmer! His smile and little smirks just make my heart go flip-flop every time. Oh and did I ever mention those blue eyes? Sigh...he is so beautiful. How can my heart handle all that cuteness in one visit? It just can't! I'm still gushing and it's been a little over a week!

I am one blessed Nonie and I KNOW it! Thank you God for this tiny miracle and his wonderful parents.

Lovin' and livin' large on God' provisions,

~Kate-Lyn~

Unwinding...

April is the BEST month of the year for this tax preparer. The work pressure is released, Spring is in full swing and lacrosse season starts. Simply stated, IMHO, there is nothing not to love.

In the true spirit of Spring, we joined some folks from the Nature Conservancy and helped plant milkweed and black eyed susans at our landfill. Huh? Yup, we planted a whole bunch of flowers at the dump. You see there is going to be a solar farm there soon. Apparently this is the perfect combination to attract the rare Blue Karner butterfly, Monarchs and our beautiful state bird, bluebirds. It was a cool, blustery day. Perfect for watching seeds fly, and hopefully finding their way across the rolling hills of the soon to be solar farm.

Learning about the Monarchs migration from Mexico

Lovely milkweed pods

I think we're gonna have some milkweed plants don't you?

 

Nope that's not snow

Just another of God's beautiful, amazing, perfect creations

So hopefully by summer's end the girls can return and see the fruits of their labor. Er, or should I say flowers?

Along with Spring comes lacrosse. Yes!! My favorite sport is in full swing. So far the team is off to a great start with only one loss so far. Looking good guys, keep it up!

Sisters on the sidelines

Yorktown win, OMG!

First tailgater of the season

Go #23

A snowy first game of the season

Feet off the ground, shot on the goal!

Sewing seeds of Joy,

~Kate-Lyn~

Easter 2013 - Portsmouth

Weeks ago Peter and I discussed how we would spend the Easter holiday. We typically gather with my niece and her family. It was sad to be parted from them, but we did have dinner together and attended Good Friday service as a family. What an amazing service it was! Very moving with awesome worship music and a powerful message from Pastor Paul. I just LOVE Easter and all that it means!

So after lax practice on Saturday we left for NH and made a hasty drive straight to the hotel. Well, we did make one stop for "necessities". The hotel we chose was very nice. We stopped and grabbed dinner to go at Panera and ate in the lovely great room while we waited for them to arrive. We were starving! We had barely settled in when Ryon, Kaitlyn and baby Alexander arrived. Oh my heart, how he has grown and it is SO overwhelmingly joyful to witness the love between these three who are now a family, all of their own. My heart overflows!

I promised Miss Grace some playtime in the pool (and Peter some relaxation in the hot tub LOL!) so we all hung out there for a bit. Miss Grace made a friend and had fun splashing and playing in the water. Her fears are seeming to disappear little by little. I think by mid-summer she will be swimming like a fish, or at least that is our goal.

Since Ryon, Kaitlyn and Alexander had a long and busy day we said good-bye about 10:30 with a plan to attend Easter service, then have lunch and explore lovely Portsmouth together. We all slept very well but were excited for the fun day ahead.

Miss Grace woke up Sunday morning absolutely delighted that the Easter Bunny had found her at the hotel so far away from home. She was even more pleased to see that he had delivered an item she has longed for...Shimmer. Naturally, right after breakfast she had tattooed both of us. I must say it is a lot of fun!

Shortly thereafter, we all piled in my car and headed to church service at lovely Bethany Church in Greenland. You honestly could not have fit one more Easter egg in my car, but who cares we were all together.

What an absolutely amazing place of worship, OMG! Really! What a blessing to be in such a beautiful place for this sacred time together. I truly pray that Ryon and Kaitlyn will return again as they are very fortunate to be so close to such a church as this.

After service Peter turned the wheel over to Ryon as we didn't know our way around and it was much easier for him to navigate. Ryon drove by the place where he works and showed us the general area. Then we explored Portsmouth on foot. It rather reminds me of a cross between Saratoga and Annapolis. I could feel quite at home there.

Ross and a diaper bag? Really?! Had to take a picture...

After working up an appetite we had a delicious dinner together at a quaint, pub-like restaurant called the Rusty Hammer. Little Alexander and Miss Grace were very well behaved and it was a fun time together.

Poppie and Alexander

All My Boyz

The Treasures of My Heart

My favorite girls!

Since we were all "stuffed to the gills" we decided to skip dessert and head to beautiful Hampton Beach for an ocean fix, house gazing and some souvenir shopping.

Can I freeze this moment and make it last forever?!

Hurry Summer!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to return here in the summer weather and play in the sand with Miss Grace and Alexander!! It's going to be AWESOME!! For now though, I'll settle for a chilly, breezy stroll on the beach as it will do just fine.

Wanna hear a bit of irony? As we sat gazing upon the lovely view, Peter told me that the land we could see in the distance is Gloucester, Mass. When I think about this it amazes me. You see Gloucester is the very place that Peter proposed to me in August of 1986. On a lovely moonlit night at Good Harbour Beach to be exact. Now, of all the places on earth, 27 years later our son met someone who was born and raised here and they live less than one hour away. This blows my mind! Not sure of the significance but I am confidant that God knew all of this and it is part of His perfect plan for our family. I find it better to not over analyze and simply enjoy these gifts from our Creator.

I cannot help myself but to boast a bit about little Alexander here, please forgive me if I gush! During church he TOTALLY poured on the charm and had us all enraptured with his special little smirks and smiles. Oh dear, this Nonnie is completely and totally defenseless while under his little spell!

Oh that smile

Can't wait until he has words, those little eyes look so wise!

Peek-A-Boo

Soooooo charming!

You had me at gooo :o)

This little treasure just makes my heart pitter-patter! So beautiful. So perfect. So in love!

Basking in His Goodness,
~Kate-Lyn~

Lax Bro's

The lacrosse season has almost begun; the team has formed and practices are underway. The only little "snafu" is that a few inches of snow has fallen on the turf making practices rather difficult. Wanting to speed things along, a few members of the team gathered together on Saturday and took it upon themselves to begin shoveling off the field. Yup, 5 boys, 5 shovels and an entire football field to clean. Such high aspirations I must say. As I was told, they started out strong , making several stripes down the side of the entire field. All 100 yards long. Then they decided it'd be a good idea to switch gears and clean off the center of the field where the big "S" is. All with 5 shovels. After that was done, and all of their time was consumed, it became painfully clear what a daunting task this really was.

Before calling it a day, and in true lax bro form, they decided to welcome a new team member. One that may not make it long into the season but nonetheless sure looks ready to give it a try!

Meet the newest Varsity Shen Lacrosse Teammate!

Someone his size surely could be used on defense, providing the sun stays behind the clouds that is, LOL!

Eagerly awaiting 3.28.13...

~Kate-Lyn~

That's what friends are for!

All during winter break she was nervous about what her friends would think about her when she returned with her glasses. We even had a mini meltdown at bedtime over this. She was worried her classmates might tease her and that her eyes are not strong anymore. Sigh...

Then came the big day and she bravely faced her fears head-on. All day I wondered how she did. I even picked her up early today to hear about it, first hand.

Her good friend told her today at school when she sported her new glasses for the first time, "You look VERY smart!" Now THAT'S what good friends are for! Thank you K for saying just the right thing.

Feeling Relieved,

~Kate-Lyn~

Pardon me, but I'm going out on a limb here...

...my joy cup is running over and I need to "spill" a little. If you are alright with that, read on. If not, come back another day.

I've always been a cautious and guarded soul who doesn't want to stick her neck out and risk getting bit. That likely stems from having so many early losses in my life, and still now. But I've jumped in with both feet this time and it feels good!

Honestly, if you had asked me back in May what I thought the future held for our Ryon and Kaitey I would have said, "I'm gonna pray them through it. I have no idea." Well pray  I did and I'm still prayin' and God is blessing us in such big ways that I'm gonna go out on a limb and be overwhelmingly joyful.

How can I hold back my joy when I hold tiny little Cyrus in my arms? He's the image of his father, my son. The image of my son. That is huge! And yet, at least right now, his personality is that of his Mom, Kaitlyn. Still as a pond. Oh. Thank.You. God!!

If I love Cyrus this much, knowing how he fills my heart because of who he is-- made like my son, this resounds of Jesus who God sent to earth in human form to save us, to give us new life. Separated from God no more in sin. His joy is even greater than mine with who He created, you and me. Made in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. I type in tears at this realization-given but a glimpse of His goodness, invested in all of us. He laughs when we laugh, weeps when we weep. Longs for us to tell Him we love Him. Longs to hear us sing His name in praise. And the joy He must feel when we are home with Him. Oh God, how you love us. Thank you for your Son. Our Savior, our Prince of Peace. King of Kings. Lord of all.

Multiplying my joy is knowing that they are shaping up to be some pretty awesome parents. Young yes, but they are patient, intuitive, gentle, doting and always ready to hear words of advice. I'm not sure I was so eager to hear advice as they are. Frankly, I KNOW I wasn't!

Then came Sunday. That's when I just bubbled over like a soup pot at full boil! We all attended church together as it was a very special day for my niece and her husband. They became members of our church and were baptized together as well. Hard to top that one all by itself on the joy meter! They are different, they know it. Ask them! They will more than happily share this journey. And the best part? It's just begun! Oh thank you God for what you have planted in those who I love so dearly. I eagerly await your plan for them.

Having our son, his girlfriend, and their baby at my side tipped me over the edge. If only I could've bottled up the excess joy to uncork on a day when I need a boost! I tell you we'd need a case! As they sat there, holding hands and listening to Pastor Paul's sermon, adoringly attending to their little miracle; I felt like my heart would just explode from my chest.

Lord you are so good. You love us unconditionally. You long to draw us even closer to You. How great you are! This is my prayer, Lord please let my words be pleasing to You.

Dear Heavenly Father,

This weekend was full of tangible, physical, rock-solid evidence of Your presence in our lives.Thank you for that! Sometimes I need it. Not because I need something tangible to believe who You are, but when events transcend thought or feeling and become tangible they are so much more perceivable to me in my human qualities. Thank you, that you know what I need. Thank you that you are taking such good care of  our son, Kaitlyn, and Cyrus Alexander. Lord please continue to bless them in this journey. Lord I pray that they will continue to grow in love, unity and trust for one another. I pray that they will, in their own time, make their way to the alter. To consecrate their marriage with You in the center. Lord I trust in Your goodness. I know you love them more than I humanly can. For that I find immense peace, comfort and boundless joy. Thank you for the work you are doing in our family, our church and in me. I am humbled that You would love me and use me to be Your hands and feet here on earth. Help me God. Help me to be and to do all you want. Let it be Your will God, not mine. When I am weak, make me strong. When storms come, let me lean in to your loving arms. When joyful times come, such as these, let me never forget that You are the source of this joy. How great You are! Amen.

I sit at Your feet, longing for more...

~Kate-Lyn~

Seven

It's a big one, turning seven. She's already heading down the path to being a big girl and not my little girl any more. Somebody put the brakes on PLEEZ!

This year we let Grace pick her party ideas all by herself and she narrowed it down to three pretty easily. They were 1) Laser Tag 2) Snowtubing 3) Rollerskating, in that order. Well number one got ruled out quite quickly as the date/times that were available did not mesh with ours. Number two was ruled out by our YIPEEE! lack of snow. So, that left rollerskating! I was a teensy bit hesitant on the idea due to their age and not being sure how many friends have actually done this before. But, we thought a little more and decided that if Miss Grace could manage then likely her friends could too with being so close in age. I am SO happy we went through with the plan because we had ALOT of fun!

The day started out at a slow pace with lots of falling. Thank GOD kids bounce! If I fell that many times in an hour we'd simply need a stretcher to get me outta there and to the ER, LOL! But as time went on they all did better and better, us parents too! I was counting backwards and calculated that it's been at least seven years since I have had skates on. Nonetheless I put 'em on and away I went. I was doing great! Then about 1/2 way through and as I was trying to assist Miss Grace's friend named Grace from falling, I took a spill. On the way down I was thinking, "Oh God, no broken bones please!" My prayer was answered mid-way as I landed relatively gracefully and without incident. WHEW!

We arrived at noon and by 2:30 they were some thirsty and hungry kiddo's. Then just when I began to get concerned (the party room was ours at 3:00) the manager came over and asked if we'd like to begin our party earlier. WHEW again! Yes, indeed we would! Impeccable timing Sir, their tummy's thank you very much!

So, pizza and drinks were served, then birthday singing followed by cupcakes, ice cream and gifts.

Then, as if that weren't enough fun; they opened up the nightclub, Secrets, for everyone to enjoy for an hour. It was AWESOME!

All in all it was a great day of laughs, smiles and making memories with friends. Isn't that what turning SEVEN should be all about?! I sure think it is and so did Miss Grace and her friends.

Smilin' til my cheeks hurt,

~Kate-Lyn~