Crazy Life

We are Hispanic. And when I say we, I mean my side of the family. John's side has no hispanic blood. Or personality. No hispanic personality, not no personality. Though a few of his relatives....NEVER MIND, Let's move on.

Anyway, as I have mentioned before, we love to celebrate. We can have a gathering for any reason. Alot of my friends don't get that, and that's okay. and all we really need to celebrate is family, but friends are always welcomed.

And when we have a real reason to celebrate, we do what it takes to make it happen.

So on Sunday we made the 8+ hour round trip drive in one day to MA to go see our nephew graduate college!!!! Yes we were up at 5am and got home at almost 1am, but like I said, how could we miss it?


(Click pictures to enlarge)
And there is it!!


My sister & our baby girls. I am trying to show off the program, which clued us in as to how long it was going to be by the amount of pages it had in it. It was long.



Is this where you take the picture, momma?



Stevie & Samuel barely survived the hours of speeches. This was really their faces when we got up.



The 2 college graduates!!! yAy!!



We took a picture of the grandsons. My mom wanted one and when she sees Samuel's face, she will throw a fit, and then she will remember it is her crazy one, and then she will lecture him, and then she will move on.


Here is Wesley and his siblings Elizzi & Stevie. And if you look carefully at the bottom of where Stevie is, you will notice someone's head.


Because she believe's it is her job to be in EVERY picture.

Semi-wordless Wednesday

Can't wait to read that accident report. :P

BATS

First, I have to show you my Mother's Day present from my daughter.

It is a tech shirt that say ' i know, i know, I said I'd never do this again. lol.

Duh.



ANYWAY, we have bats. Because we have loads of trees, they like it here.

And though some people in our house, mainly people who are 11 years old of the male species, think that is too awesome for words, the rest of us, older then 40 think it's awful. We called the pest guy to come get them out of our trees, and he said 2 things to us.

1. It's illegal to kill bats in NJ and it's illegal to destroy their nests.

2. You should be THRILLED you have bats!! They eat alot of your bugs in the yard.

WHAT-EVER.

So, we get to see the bats while we are enjoying the evening outside. During dusk we can see them swooping to get the bugs. Im telling you, it is not as cool as it sounds, but we are getting used to it.

So, twice, YES TWICE, bats got in our house through the chimney.

Talk about dying 1,000 deaths.

This weekend John finally put a chimney cap. Never mind that we have had the thing for years. Never mind that I couldn't put it up because I am terrified of heights, or I would have. Never mind that John has almost passed out taking the bats out of our house, because, really, I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT.


And this is what I found when I went out side.

" Where is your father???"


"I was just getting the wrench, he is okay up there by himself!"





My heart is thinking about beating normal again, as they make their way down.


And yet, sometimes I wonder how this kid has not broken a bone yet.

What about me??

About 4 years ago, Lance was at Rutgers and he was a Jewish Studies minor.

One day, after the semester was over, he came and he handed this book to me to read, and told me I would enjoy it.

The book was on Hasidic people. In fact, it is called Hasidic People. lol.

Not that I am super interested in the Hasid. They are interesting and we have a Hasidic College here in our own town. And living in this part of the country, they are quite common. Interesting people, but like I said, not that I was dying to know about them. I figured I know enough.

The book has sat on my night table for 4 years. Like I said, not that I wasn't interested, I just knew it was heavy reading and there are so many books that I am getting through. (Sometimes I am reading 4 books at the same time.)

Well, this week, it happened. I finally picked up the book and started reading. It IS heavy reading; the introduction alone took my 1 night!! But I am hooked.

What hooked me?

In the first paragraph of the first chapter, it talks about the man who started the Hasidic Movement back in the 1700s. This is the way he is described:

' a pious healer and wonder worker in the Ukranian regions of Pololia and Volhynia whose teaching inspired fervent and joyous fulfillment of the law."

'fervent and joyous fulfillment of the law.'

The law of our GOD.

I know as Christians we are not bound by the law.

But seriously...do you know how hard it is to get anyone to be JOYOUS about ANY law??? Let alone God's Holy Law.

What about me???

Do I inspire fervent and joyous hope for The Cross??

Do I?


Do you?

This book is full of fascinating hope and interesting thought.

I am glad I am reading it. Not that I wish I was a Hasid, but more like I get it. I get why...

Now, it is up to me to CLING to The Cross.


And in that, spread the joy.

Wordless Wednesday @ Bronx Zoo

Graduation/Mom's Birthday/Mother's Day

My oldest son graduated this Saturday.

And it was thrilling!

Since he joined the Air National Guard right out of high school, already he was a year behind his fellow high school graduates.

And then he transfered schools. TWICE.

I know.

And so, he had to redo loads of stuff.

But he is done. It took him longer then he thought, but he did it!!

And we are so proud of him.

My dad & Elly *patiently* waiting for the ceremony to start.


I had to use the most possible zoom on this, and it didn't come out clear. :( But still...THERE HE IS!


Samuel passing me a note telling me HE HAS TO GO TO THE BATHROOM! ( yes, in capital letters) To which of course I wrote back, 'I told you to go before. You are not missing this. So...hold it.'


Look at him!!!! Good job, son.


Savoring the accomplishment.


Tim, Lance's roommate, and Lance with Miss Ruby, their hero and the oldest person graduating with them. They loved her. And you can tell the feeling was mutual. :)


My parents, with their first grandchild.


Hoops, with his friends. Tim, his roommate, Chris his old roommate, and the guy all the way to the left, I don't know who he is, but he looks like a normal one.


Brothers.


My son. So what's up with my hair?? That is what happens when you tell your 11 year old son to trim your hair because you don't have time to go get it cut. Oh well. It'll grow. lol.


We went back to my parent's to celebrate the graduation, and it also happened to be my mom's birthday and of course we celebrated Mother's Day all in one shot.

Elly, trying to look cool with her brother's tie.


Air soft. We have too many guns. :P


So, since it was Stevie's birthday last week, and Elizzi's not too long ago, we put them in there too. :)


Wearing her Nana's shoes, which she thought were SO PRETTY and SPARKLY. Never mind she couldn't walk, never mind she couldn't even put the shoes on by her self. And never mind that kept tipping over, they sure were pretty and that's all that mattered.


And for the REAL Mother's Day? It was quiet. And I remembered, prayed for, and thanked from my heart Elly's birth momma. She made it possible for me to have yet another miracle. Another miracle to raise to the Glory of God.

OH, and it was a time to remember that as a mom, you can only celebrate Mother's Day if you have children. And I am so very thankful for all of them. They have made the journey AMAZING.

FINALLY

HE IS GRADUATING!!



Finally!!

After years of school, he graduates college this weekend!

:::throwing conffetti::::

::::jumping with joy::::::

:::skipping and dancing::: ( okay this one is in my head) (but whatever)

Good Job, son.

We are proud of you.

AND most importantly, Seek HIM with ALL you heart. For everything.