And God keeps their smiles......

I guess if I was blindfolded and didn't know the time of year, if someone just placed me here I would know it is November. November is a strange month, solemn, gray skies, quiet except for the flutter of dying leaves as they hit the ground. The month begins with All Souls and has a Day of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the beginning to the holiday season...

With the November winds blowing in and the leaves almost picked up, it was time to do some holiday maintenance. I went in search of easels and wreaths with which to adorn the graves of the ones we love. We had Brooke and Mason with us and though it is not easy to explain what we were doing...we gave it a try...I was in the car with Brooke having just picked up the wreaths, which were fresh and had a bright red bow attached....."what is a wreath???" she asked. I told her it was evergreen branches wrapped tightly in a circle with a bow... What's evergreen...yikes....it is the bushes and pine trees and it smells like a Christmas tree. "You know what a Christmas tree smells like don't you" I asked. "No" she replied and she was correct I guess. They have an artificial tree at Christmas as most of us do so we resort to holiday sprays to get the effect. I tried to explain that evergreen is always green and the needles always point up to heaven....that having no effect allowed my mind to travel and remember the holidays when I was a child and it was literally a moment before Christmas that our real tree went up and the smell of the pine filled the house with the most marvelous scent....I will always remember my Dad going through the lights to put on the tree and I always worried because if the lights didn't work it was to late to go to the store and buy more and if we didn't have lights then we couldn't finish decorating the tree. Somehow my Dad did those lights with an amazing patience that I still to this day have never possessed. He would sit and fiddle with them and before you knew it he had them fixed and on the tree and not just twinkle lights, these were the large C7 or C9 lights that lite up the room with amazing power. I on the other hand have always found it easier to give up, throw them away and go buy new ones....I guess I couldn't be bothered with something so futile....but my Dad never waivered....amazing...

On route to the cemetary, Brooke wanted to know what was a cemetary. I told her it was a place like a park where we buried the people we love....and I knew as soon as I said it, it sounded so strange. She asked me so you put them in the ground...yep....and then it hit me for the first time....we take someone that we treasure more than life itself and we bury them in the dirt like a tulip bulb....she told me I don't want to go and see bones.....because I saw that in a scary movie on CSI....I have to admit I had to turn around and look at her in awe, I never would of thought of that, but I guess if you are 4....you do think of that...and what were you doing watching CSI?..no answer.. I assured her we would not see the bones and tried to explain, that their bodies remain here while their souls or spirits go to Jesus....what is a spirwit? she asked....it is everything, that makes you who you are, your love, your thoughts, your sense of humor everything that makes you unique...confusing I am sure to a child....confusing I guess to an adult....then in her infinite wisdom she said "so Jesus takes your smile.?.." and I was in awe....I never thought of it that way. While we take care of the part we created and loved, Jesus calls home the part he created and loves...and through the eyes of a 4 year old I saw her wisdom.

So we got to the cemetary and placed our wreaths on our planted friends, said a prayer and left....but I could not get her words out of my head...and so in this month of rememberance it takes awhile to remember all the people who once crossed paths with your life and now are with God...I will return to Jono's grave with his picture and a message, because that too occurred to me that after all is said and done we become a slab of marble in the ground for the people who do not know us....so next to his picture I will leave this message:

I once walked this ground and brought laughter

and joy to many people.

I was a kid, a son, a brother, a friend.....

I laughed, I lived and I even learned.

I touched people and they touched me

and now I take that with me and

I will watch from here while you watch from there...

remember me and I will remember you always...

until we meet again.....

Sleep well my friends......until we meet again, I will look upon the sun as your combined smiles and the stars as the twinkle of your eyes....

It seems like October was so far off when Amy and Eric decided to get married. We planned, shopped, made things, shopped again....turned their ideas into designs and reality. Well this weekend the big event finally came. It was a gorgeous weekend. It was the perfect fall weekend, not a cloud in the sky and warmer than usual. All of my family made the trek into Chicago, from Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia. It was terrific seeing all of them. I was on vacation all week and each day had a different aspect of the wedding planned.

We started on Tuesday with the set up of the hall. The reception was being held at our Church in the main hall. Normally it is undecorated and used for events at different times of the year. Here is a picture of how it looked when we started....just plain tables, and walls....

We added a few tablecloths, .....................

some chair covers........

and the centerpieces......then some fluff...The room was ready...

And when we were done it looked like this...Thanks to Mom, Katie and my sister Kathy for all their help.....

My daughter Amy is a Nurse and her fiancee is a Fireman...so they created the Nurse and Fireman theme for the wedding....Unfortunately I do not have all the pictures of the accessories so you will have to check out Kathy's blog to see those...but they wanted a cake that was not only good tasting but sumed up their relationship...They had a groom's cake of the Fireman's helmet that Eric wears, and the cake, white with the red roses which reflects the red and white of the nurses....

If you notice the cake topper is the fireman carrying the nurse, cap and all.......the favors on the table were first aid kits and the jordan almonds were done in red, orange and yellow netting representing the flames....with the saying "Our Love is on Fire"..

The kids put out Eric's fireman boots to hold their cards and Eric being Irish had a bag pipe player arrive at the church to escort them from the church once they were married. I would show you that picture but again, I did not have my camera and so I can't show you a picture of the Bride and Groom at least not what they looked like that day...Again I will have to get that from Kathy...The ceremony went well....the best part was when the priest, Father Damien who has known my kids for a long time, was having Amy recite her vows and at the last moment he slipped in the words, I Amy promise to be obedient......she just stopped dead and turned her head to look at Father and Eric did a double take....Father started laughing along with everyone in the audience....as he stated I just had to throw that one in ...the reaction was great and so the statement was changed...and obedience was removed from the ceremony....Everything went smoothly....and they left the church hand in hand to begin their new life....The reception room started to fill with people and the only thing missing was the beer....people went to the foyer area for H'orderves and began the party....During dinner toasts were made, one by Katie, her sister, who talked all about what a great person Eric was getting, but just in case he didn't know she let him in on some obvious flaws of the bride all done in good humor. After a slight moment of choking up, Kate finished her toast and it was on to the best man, Joe's toast....he talked about how he and Eric met and how that lead to him working with Amy and completing the circle....again the toast was complete and dinner continued. The toast that was never heard around the table was the one that was in my heart but couldn't be said...so I will give my toast now to the Bride and Groom...though they may never see it, they will know I always felt it.....

Amy and Eric, look around this room, at all the people here, your family, your friends and co-workers. This whole process started because 2 people fell in love. They took that leap of faith and believed in each other. From that love they had 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 23 Great Grandchildren. They fulfilled their life. When I became a Mom and they placed that child in my arms, I had so many hopes, goals and expectations. I couldn't wait until that child talked to hear your name called from their lips, to crawl, walk and eventually run. To start school, play an instrument or be active in whatever their desire to do was. To graduate from high school, go on to college if that was their choice, to graduate, start a career, to meet the person who they would choose to share their life with. Today marks the end of my goals. They have been met. I waited Amy's entire life to see the man that would win her heart and she chose wisely. Eric shares her passion for constant fun and adventure. They love to travel, they share their work...they compliment each other. Eric is strong in the areas where Amy is weaker and Amy is stronger in areas where Eric is weaker. Every life will have challenges but if you remember to always keep this day in your heart and remember to love always, laugh often and live well...someday you will sit where I do and take pride in all that you have accomplished and know your goals have been met. I always wanted 6 children but could only mentally and physically handle 4, but I ended up with seven which was more than I could hope for. I too have be blessed and full filled...and will now move into a different phase of Motherhood and pass gracefully into Grand motherhood and will sit back and enjoy the ride. There is still much to come. Love to you both always and forever....

Well that would have been my speech, but I need to go a little further and thank my family for everything they have done and been to me in my life....starting with Mom, she is always there with me to work on any project we take on and if it was not for her, much of this event would not have happened. That even includes being okay with walking home from the church at 1:00 in the morning in complete darkness, dressed like "2 old hookers" walking down the highway because everyone left and the car was dead when we decided to go home......she actually beat me home......My sister Kathy and Jack always seem to get the short end of the stick and end up in the kitchen with me. But from the bottom of my heart I love them both. Kathy made ribs, acorn squash and is always a huge part of anything I do. They drove in, did the dinner, ran to the church to participate in the rehersal, did the readings at the wedding, help me set up the room and food and went back again to help me clean up. They are amazing and gracious always where I know myself well enough to know I would not always be...My brothers Greg and Phil who when a problem arose were right there to jump in the car and take care of it. My brothers Rick and Jim who could calm you down and always are there to support whatever crazy idea I get....my kids who are always a part of everything I dream and everything I do....thank you to them all, without their help I would be lost....

Now everyone has left and the house is quiet...we straightend up the yard, tried to disguise the leftovers and took a long nap...it has been a great vacation....a long week...I actually even managed to squeeze in having lost 4 pounds.....well that shouldn't be...I think I'll head in a try one more left over from the sweet table.....thanks to everyone...always...and forever grateful...Love you all......

Wow last time I blogged something, it was snowing out....I better get more active in my blogging. This has been a quick year....backing up the calendar, in March - Billy and Laura bought a new house on Tuesday and were moved in by Thursday. It took long hours alot of gas going back and forth and many helpers. The house is great and finally large enough to handle all the crew and toys and dogs....they certainly deserve the additional space and I wish them well.

The next week Amy and Eric bought their house in Lombard but they took a little more time moving into theirs and moving out of their apartment...It is a perfect size for them, 3 bedrooms and basement, attached garage and partially fenced in yard, complete with 2 annoying dogs next door....again I wish them well and it has been fun watching both siblings moving, decorating and enjoying their new homes.

In April, good Friday to be exact we took down 2 60 year old trees in Mom's backyard. It was pretty scary at times but it sure makes a difference in the yard. It appears much larger and sunnier that before....Billy was on a 52' lift cutting and sending the chunks down to the ground with help from Andro, his cousin Pat and Pat's wife Beth and brother in law. It took all day to get the trees down and has taken all summer to get rid of the wood...it seemed appropriate that on Good Friday when we commemorate the nailing on the tree of Christ,..we are cutting them down..

In May, we celebrated Mother's Day and Mom's 84th birthday....she preferred to keep a low profile...we went out to dinner with Greg and Deidra and paid dearly for it later...

In June we bid farewell to our Priest at our Church and had a party for him after all the masses. It was a busy weekend but he certainly deserves to retire and enjoy himself. To say we will really miss him is an understatement....it is not easy getting use to someone new all over again.

Amy and Eric actually went to the JP and tied the knot on June 25th, 2010. They did this for many reasons mostly work and insurance reasons. They will have their official ceremony still in October. We were planning to have a garden wedding reception but the weather this year has been so unpredictable and volitle that it was finally agreed upon to have the reception at the church in their hall. It certainly does make planning the event easier...but someday I would still like to do an outdoor wedding..fortunately I am running out of children to get married so it will have to be for someone else.

In June we also went to the girls (Alana, Ava and Brooke's) recital. After a year of dance we saw the fruits of their labors. It was long but quite enjoyable. They really put in alot of work to acomplish their goals. Ava and Alana are also in dance competitions and will be dancing their way to Mrytle Beach South Carolina in July....good luck to them both.

In July the 4th was relatively uneventful. We bar-qued at Kate and Blakes and watched the fireworks in the evening. The best part of the weekend was the extra day off on Monday.

During all this time and these events, Mom and I have been working on the backyard to get ready for Amy and Eric's shower....Man there's alot of weeds out there. But finally on the morning of the 4th we actually completed the yard. I love sitting out there and just looking and imagineing what to do next.....

The next event was Brooke's 4th birthday and we spent it with all her friends and family..

We celebrated Ava's birthday when they came back from vacation at the bowling alley with all her friends and cousins.

Next up was Mason's 1st birthday.....turning 1 is a big deal...just waiting for him to walk and talk....if he is like his sister...we may want to still wait a bit...

In August, we had Amy and Eric's wedding shower. It turned out to be a great day, no rain, no mosquitos thanks to Eric, but we did have little bees all of a sudden....here are some of the pics...

Thanks to Kathy for coming all the way out for the shower and bringing these lovely homemade bride and groom sugar cookies....pretty cute...

The Bride and groom really cleaned up and after the event so did Kathy, Mom and I....only 38 more days until the wedding and then it will be time to relax and enjoy the fall.....looking forward to that............................................... Well that is as far as my brain can go in one evening....and I have promised myself that I will blog more often...it is a lot easier than trying to remember......

As you can tell I am the slowest Blogger in the midwest....but believe me, I blog everyday in my mind and in my heart. Today is one of those occasions when I need to blog in actuality....I have been blessed in my life in many ways but one of them is my sister Kathy who celebrates her birthday today...we have been friends forever..the best of friends to be exact...maybe not always the best when we were teenagers....and I do remember being ousted out of our room and having all my things packed up and waiting for me OUTSIDE my door...but that was okay..thank God Mom and Dad had a big house...There is nothing in the world greater than a sister. She is someone who knows your secrets and keeps them, feels your pain and hurts with you, knows your soul and the secrets tucked inside. Kathy is a terrific role model and someone I have always admired. She is funny, loving, dedicated to her family and her job...she even has the best husband in the world...and he likes to do laundry....she smiles often and brightens anyone's day that is lucky enough to spend it with her...She has been there always for me and I have always appreciated her presence. Though we live miles and the state of Indiana apart...we are always together...

Happy Birthday Kath and when you blow out the candles, As the younger sister

I have never been without a friend or ever alone and I know

we are together always.....

Love ya

OH my Gosh....I thought it was March that came in like a lion and out like a lamb....well January has truly been a flurry of activity. January started off with the shock that my sister-in-law Bonnie, my bother Phil's wife, was diagnoised with Lukemia and is currently in the Univeristy of Chicago medical center undergoing Chemotherapy. When we heard the news it was as if someone hit you with a mack truck. Our prayers and thoughts have been with her and her family as she undergoes a tough journey. So far Bonnie has weathered the chemo and is remaining extremely strong and has received her second treatment this weekend. We are all hoping and praying for her recovery.

This last week began with Bill and Laura looking at a new house that just went on the market. It is perfect for them, it has all the room that they need for a growing family. It has four bedrooms, family room, living room, dining room, basement, fenced in yard everything. They went back on Tuesday looked at it again, put an offer in, the couple countered, they countered and before Wednesday dawned they had purchased the home....Wow who buys a home in 1 day...they did I guess and they were very excited...

All week Laura was not feeling good, by Thursday she ended up in the hospital and by Friday morning she had surgery to remove her appendix.....yikes. Bill has been playing Mr. Mom and new homeowner and now has a new respect for Laura and all she does... it has been a tough week for them. Laura came home from the hospital Friday and Saturday they celebrated Alana's 6th birthday at the bowling alley with 20 of her closest friends and family....

Happy Birthday Alana... I couldn't help myself...I was amazed at the true bliss Andrew got with just a simple sucker....my kind of kid....

While Saturday morning, Amy was scheduled to have knee surgery to repair some dangling cartilidge and was back home recouping on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday came and we all, gimps included, attended a mass for Jonathan. It seems strange to think it has been 6 years since he died. My biggest fear was that I would be here saying someday...I can't believe it has been 30 years since he's been gone. Time passes so quickly and so many events have passed with it. He is missed always and next month his birthday turns him 25 while he remains always 18....I know it has been said that time heals...true enough I guess, but in reality it doesn't heal, it will always be a wound that lies just under the skin. Time transforms you into different people and I know for myself that I will never be the same person I was then and the current person will go on to be a part of all the new events that are constantly happening and he will always be our special silent obseverer from a close distance.

Well as we close out this week and begin anew tomorrow...one never knows what this week will hold.....keep your fingers crossed...anything is possible....

Well Happy New Year to my adoring fans of one or maybe two.....

New Year's Eve came and went very quietly..mainly because I could not find anything good on TV and from sheer boredom gave up and went to bed at 8:45...I am a thrill seeker. Seriously, I searched all the stations, I had already watched all the DVD's, but before I went to take the dog out I flipped through the channels and settle on one but a commercial was on so I went to take the dog out...when I came back in Mom was laughing hysterically and watching the TV. In hopes that something funny or good was on I asked her what she was watching and she replied whatever you put on, but it was all about the Penis and the Vagina...I'm like OH MY GOD...I seriously need a life and apparently so does she...but at least she laughed her way to bed and New Year's Eve came in very quietly.





I did get up early and went outside and though everything still looked exactly the same as it did the night before, we had entered a new year and a new decade as well. As I stood in the peace of the early morning and the snow was falling, I tried to imagine what this year will bring. I can only hope that health, happiness and love made the top of the list. If you have all of those the rest can be overcome. This should be a busy year, they all seem to be after a while. Plans are being made for Amy's wedding..(not telling Mom exactly when though, she seems to get creative during even years and years when one of my children will be getting married!!).

Brooke has been struggling with how to walk for the next six weeks. The doctor put quite a large cast on her leg. I tried to explain to her my 3 day rule for illness, but she did not seem to grasp the idea that if Christ can die and rise again in 3 days, surely you can get up and try to walk. It took some days and practice and now I believe she should be ready to get back to school as she has learned to walk on her own. Actually she has tried to dance with the cast on as well.

Well with the New Year slowly aging into it's first week, the resolutions of losing weight, getting organized, or starting fresh with new ideas are slowly starting to dim and slipping back into the comfortable ways of the past seem to be taking over. I will try to blog more, if nothing else for my own journalizing...I may need it in the future to remember the wonderful times of my dwindling youth....

But with all sincerity I do wish that all the wishes made and hopes renewed with the dawn of a new year come true for all.....we shall see....