New pics of the chicks...

Thought you may want some updated photos of the ladies. We had a very fun weekend of friendship and fundraising! We spent a whirlwind Saturday first walking in the Buddy Walk for our dearest friends' son, Michael. Then we jetted off to Mairin's soccer game where she scored SIX goals (hello, Mia). We then went to dinner with our wonderful neighbors and came home for football and drinks! Sunday we ran into some good friends at church, then went to my sister-in-law's for a fall birthday celebration. Mairin caught a large mouth bass, and cured her new fear of fishing (after sending a hook through her cousin's cheek a month ago). Here are some recent photos of our fun!

Wedded Bliss

Did you see it? Pam and Jim finally tied the knot on NBC's The Office this week. It was HYSTERICAL! You should really go to hulu and watch it. After a week of lows, this was definitely a high for Pat and me (we're easy to please)... It's made for some great conversations as well!
Take a look at their wedding website!

Sweet Molly is 2!

So, we left Monday to go to Tennessee and it was Molly's second birthday! We had to forgo her party on Sunday simply because we had too much to do to get ready to go to TN. We still had cake, and sang, but we didn't do the full-blown bash we had planned.

She has grown so much. She is talking up a storm! Her vocabulary grows everyday and she reminds me so much of Maggie at that age. Molly will say the cutest things. When we sneeze, she will say, "Bless you, Mommy!" She's always looking for things and people, so she'll ask where things are, "Where ducky go?" We've sung Happy Birthday to her so much that she sings it on her own now. Mairin loves to SCREAM, "Cha, cha, cha" after each verse, so now Molly sings, "Happy birthday to you, chicka chicka!" Love it! She's definitely our charming toddler!

Happy Birthday, Molly Kate! We love you, chicka chicka!

What a difference a day (or two) makes...

My last post listed some wonderful things going on in my life, including my step-dad's waged recovery from cancer surgery. Unfortunately, in the following days from my last entry, his recovery was thwarted and he passed away. It seems that his other lasting ailments were the cause. The cancer was a mere hassle compared to his congestive heart failure, which ultimately took him, it seems. Anyway, we just returned from Tennessee and I have a funeral mass and burial to plan...

It's odd that this does not in any way compare to my own father's death. Instead, I feel a great sense of relief for Fred. He was so sick, so frail. NOT the man that I knew. The man I knew walked tall, told really bad (and often off-color) jokes to all who would listen, loved to watch racing, and wouldn't take shit from anyone. The man he had become was not the same, and I know that it bothered him. He was proud, sometimes to a fault, and being sick and not in control was really hard for him. Mom loved him too much to see this, but we saw it and it was sad.

For some, death is a very sad, very hard thing. For me, with my own father's death, I felt this selfishly, and still do. For Fred, I know he is happier now. He was able to see all his grandkids before he left. He was able to tell my mom the things he needed to say. He made peace with the Lord, and received the sacraments before he left us. No, for Fred death is a welcomed reprieve. He is standing up straight, I bet, fixing something that isn't broken and telling everyone within earshot a story about something he did down here.

While he will be missed, he is surely in a better place. Of that I am sure. Rest in peace, Fred Jenkins. Rest in peace.