As our family grows...

 Who wouldn't want to wake up to this smiling face every morning? His goal every day is to make me laugh. It is amazing how at this age he knows how to do that. He keeps me on my toes ALL day and makes me laugh ALL day! I adore this little guy. He is so full of joy.

 And then there's my serious, intelligent, and very curious 1st child. This boy has impeccable manners and a heart that is twice the size of his body... the sweetest child I have ever met.

 Gabriel and Anthony on Easter! I must say they were looking pretty handsome.

Gabriel is standing in time out. And yes, that is Anthony standing next to him. Without me knowing it, Anthony went and hung out on the wall with his brother. He is quite faithful to Gabriel. I am sure he thought, well, you are the one in trouble, so I don't mind bringing my toy here... just be happy you have some company. I couldn't stop laughing.

 It's true. They are in the dryer. I was so focused on getting stuff separated and putting it in the washer I didn't even know they had climbed in. They started yelling, "In here!" And then you should have seen the look on Gabriel's face when Anthony figured out how to get the thing spinning. They were like little gerbils in there!

One of my favorite pictures... me and all three of my peeps squished together!

This is what I love about having them so close together. They do everything together. And want to. And love it. It makes me so happy to have given each of them a friend. They play outside together, eat together, watch movies together, build blocks, wrestle... you name it. It is really THE BEST.
(Above: playing in the mud and rain... Gabriel told me, "It's fine, we can get wet. Let's just put our hoodies on." Below: Watching a movie and eating lunch together)

The picture above was something I am so glad I caught. While I cook dinner every night, they sit together and watch one show. (I really hate the TV... but while cooking dinner, it's a must). While I was cooking I looked in to check on them and this is what I found... Anthony just laying on Gabriel's lap. So stinkin' cute. And the funniest part was Gabriel just let him.

Happy Easter from all 5 of us! Our family picture on Easter! This is the man I love. I mean, I really love him. People always ask me, how do you do it? 2 kids and pregnant. Just look at the man in this picture. He works his butt off at work and then comes home and gets to work. He does SO much for me and the boys. He is an amazing man. Truly. Having a growing family is so fun because we are on the same team... working together to raise these boys... and trying love one another as best we can, even as tired as we are.

Above: this is my BIG belly. This is what I look down and see every day. WHOA! HUGE. I know. I am already growing out of clothes that I wore the week I delivered Anthony... and I still have 8 weeks to go. I am pretty uncomfortable. But, hey, temporary pain for an eternal soul, right!? Due June 25th. C'mon, baby!

Above: My 3 precious souls. It cracks me up when the two boys are sitting on my lap and the baby starts kicking them through my belly. They laugh. And I laugh. Pretty soon there will be three of them. It's so crazy to me. I can't imagine life with three, but then again, I can not imagine what my life was like before these two boys arrived. Thank you, Jesus, for such an exciting roller coaster ride of raising our little family that is growing to be so big. We are blessed and so happy. As hard as this is, we have recognized the joy, and can not wait to see what else you have in store for us. As our family grows, we pray that you keep us close to your Sacred Heart.

Sweet Lover of My Soul

I always like to be reminded of the great love of God for me personally. Sometimes it is so evident in my daily life... big hugs from my children, feeling the baby move around in my belly, Patrick's small and BIG acts of love for me (like mopping the floors while I am out), or even just the beautiful Spring flowers and breeze. But, some days, like today, I find it more difficult to find Him when I am worn down, I miss my nap, my boys are crazy and the day was filled with... worrying about a friend who may divorce, no break because of a sleep strike, Gabriel peeing in his pants at the store, spilled drinks on my couch, Anthony trying to climb on the outside of the banister ALL day and about an hour of crying before he would sleep tonight, and this crazy numb spot in my back (that will surely be there until I deliver the baby because of my scoliosis). It was today that I had to search even harder, seek silence in even greater avenues and ask Christ to remind me of His love. I was feeling lonely, impatient, tired, and a little angry.

And He always answers. Most times it is in the silence of prayer or in reading the writings of the saints or scripture. Today I reflected on this beautiful passage. It made me remember God's great mercy, how He has saved me from everything that is ugly about me, and how someone who wrote something so beautiful with such a great love, surely has a great Lover. It is so refreshing to remember our Lover, Our Merciful Redeemer, Our Savior, especially on the days when we need his mercy and peace most. Here is the passage from St. Augustine:

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new; late have I loved you! For behold you were within me, and I outside; and I sought you outside and in my ugliness fell upon those lovely things that you have made. You were with me and I was not with you. I was kept from you by those things, yet had they not been in you, they would not have been at all. You called and cried to me and broke open my deafness; and you sent forth your beams and shone upon me and chased away my blindness; you breathed fragrance upon me, and I drew in my breath and do now pant for you; I tasted you and now hunger and thirst for you; you touched me and I have burned for your peace."