Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

About a month ago my mom and I went to Richmond, Virginia for the Virginia Wine Expo.  It was a great weekend.  We really had a wonderful weekend.  On Saturday we spent the entire day at the Wine Expo.  Sunday we decided to go to Mass at a local Church (St. Peter's) and then do a little sight-seeing before heading over to the Wine Expo for one last time.  One of the places we went was the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.  It was absolutely beautiful.  I have attached a few pictures although I am afraid they hardly do it justice.  Since our visit I have done a little research into the history of the Cathedral.  Someday I will make it up to Richmond and attend Mass there.  There is actually an invitation in our Church Bulletin this week from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond to attend Mass there on Monday evening, April 2nd but I have a Cub Scout committee meeting.  However, before we leave this area I will make it up there.  :-)  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  To find out more about the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart click here.



I can't begin to explain how remarkable...



The Alter

The Back of the Cathedral...even as you are leaving the view is stunning.

Christmas Eve

* Editor's Note - I started this post December 26th but didn't get around to posting it until today, January 5th which is why the dates don't match.  I didn't know it did that.  Well, as the saying goes - if you didn't know, now you know!  Now I know!  LOL


HI!  So clearly I am behind as I am just getting around to posting the pictures from Christmas and it is already January 5th.  I am sorry.  I was trying to decide the best way to post everything and I believe I will post everything separately, starting first with Christmas Eve, which is what is below.  There aren't many pictures, just some of my favorite.  Over the next few days I will try to do the same with Christmas as well as post some new pictures from Cub Scouts, per request of Grandma.  :-) 


Christmas Eve was pretty quiet around here.  For once I was done with all my shopping, although I still had quite a bit of wrapping to do.  The kids and I baked chocolate chip cookies and fudge and delivered some to a friend earlier in the day.  We got all dressed up and went to Christmas Eve Mass and the Church was so beautifully decorated.  I took some pictures before the Mass began but my camera did not do it justice.  It was so breathtaking.  Cort has been wanting to sit in the balcony at our Church since we began going there.  Typically it is not open but for Christmas they have it open and have a hand bell choir up there.  We decided to sit up there and we really enjoyed it.  The Mass was beautiful and I loved that both of my kids could recite the "Our Father" perfectly and that Elizabeth did it with a lot of ... enthusiasm.  At the end, she said AMEN so loudly that some people laughed and if you have been to a Catholic Mass recently you know you don't say Amen at the end of the Our Father, there is more to it but she is so used to saying it at bedtime that that is exactly what she did.  I loved it.  When we got home the kids opened their gifts.  Traditionally in our house, our elf "happy" leaves a present for each child to open on Christmas Eve.  Magically Happy relocated while we were at Mass and was sitting under the Christmas tree next to two gifts addressed to the kids when we returned home.  Naturally the kids got pajamas and a robe.  They were quite excited.  They put on their new pajamas and we set up the chocolate chip cookies (Elizabeth said 3) and fudge (2 pieces per Cort) for Santa as well as some milk.  The kids left him a note and off to bed they went.  Once I was sure they were asleep I enlisted the help of my elf - Henry and we wrapped all the gifts and put them under the tree.  So, here's the funny part - after we were done wrapping I decided to straighten the house.  Henry went upstairs to play on the computer and I was just going about things.  Next thing I know I hear something in the living room.  I come in to discover Scott, our beloved 11 year old lab has eaten Santa's three chocolate chip cookies.  Thankfully he didn't eat the fudge.  Well the next morning when the kids come down and see the plate Cort says "Hey mom, Santa ate all the cookies, but I guess he didn't like your fudge."  If only he knew.....  Henry and I both laughed at that one.  Anyhow that was our Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve Mass - as seen from the balcony where we sat
(Pictures obviously taken before Mass)

  

Christmas Eve Mass

The Nativity on the Altar, I thought it was so beautiful

The Hampton Coliseum, all lite up.

The two gifts the kids would open on Christmas Eve

Quickly opening the gifts

Their new PJ's and robes

One last picture before bed on Christmas Eve - Cort, Elizabeth and Scott

All ready for Santa....Good night and Merry Christmas

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we took the kids out for our annual picking of the pumpkins.  We are lucky enough to have a pumpkin patch nearby, complete with hayride.  The kids enjoy this each year and this year the weather was beautiful which made it even more fun.  Both Cort and Elizabeth picked out a pumpkin.  The kids had so much fun running all over the place it took a while to get them to actually pick something out.  Then Elizabeth kept getting tangled in the vines, although I don't think she really minded.  We also had the chance to visit with Sophie, a four month old chocolate lab.  She is the owner's dog and stays at the Orchard during operating hours.  She is very sweet and we all fell in love with her, of course no one as much as Elizabeth.  This weekend we will carve our pumpkins and I will post those pictures.  While on the hayride we also were able to see the 16,000 strawberry plants that were planted for next spring - definitely looking forward to going back for that. 

They wanted to see just how big the tires were in comparison to themselves. 



The start of the hayride




On the hayride.




Elizabeth had a blast running.....everywhere.




The hayride back



I couldn't resist this picture.

Sophie - The owner's four month
old lab.  We all fell in love with her.

Two pumpkins = two happy kids.

The Strawberry Plants

Heart Walk

Saturday, October 8th was the American Heart Associations Heart Walk in Newport News.  I organized a team in Memory of my dad.  Our team name was Angel Above.  It was a beautiful day and the walk was very ... comforting.  It was a good feeling to know that with each step the money raised would help others that were battling heart disease and stroke. 

I would like to thank all those who donated their time and money to helping me reach my goal and also all my team members for walking with me on Saturday, and the special few who did everything they could to help - you know who you are.  It was a great day and I couldn't have done it without you.  I would also like to thank my family for supporting me, especially my two children who "walked the walk" without complaining in memory of their Pap-Pap. 

For more information on heart disease or the American Heart Association please go to:  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

To donate to the American Heart Association please go to:   http://heartwalk.kintera.org/hamptonroadsva/myangelabove

Hampton Roads Heart Walk
October 8, 2011



Team: Angel Above

My family





Elizabeth starting the 3.5 mile walk



Elizabeth catching a ride from Daddy

So Behind

Hello All! This is my apology blog. Somehow over the course of the last month I have gotten so far behind it is down right pathetic. I have vacation pictures to post, pictures from Cort's 8th birthday and school pictures to post as well as stories from all of the above and then some. We have also done some work on the house but that is all still under major construction. Keep in mind though that as a military family who is renting, major construction on the house consists of some painting and lots of unorganized moving of furniture from one room to another. The rooms we have completed have turned out beautifully although even they are not completely done (to my satisfaction). The other two rooms are still in a stage where it looks like we are trying out for an episode of Hoarders. No matter what I do I can't seem to make progress on them. I will do my best to get caught up but the month of September is proving to be quite busy and there is no slowing down in sight so I apologize in advance for my lack of posts. Below are a few pictures of the kids to keep you happy. :-)

 First picture with my new camera.  The old one finally died and thanks to my best buy reward points the new one barely cost me anything.  Cort was only too happy to pose for the first picture. 

He spent most of his summer on his bike. 
If he could ride it to school every day I think he would.

 She is so happy riding her scooter.

Henry and Cort climbed the Rock wall at Sandy Bottom Nature Park.  We took a family bike ride, had a picnic near the lake and then went to the park.  It was a great afternoon, a wonderful way to finish off the summer. 

 The first day of school... Cort going into 2nd grade and Elizabeth starting Pre-K.  I can't believe it.

How can I not laugh?

My children are a constant source of amusement.  Every so often I try to write down some of the goofy things they say... here a few.

CORT: "So I made it into 2nd grade?  Yes! I have been waiting my whole life for this."


CORT: "If we have a garage sale can I sell lemonade?" 
ME:  "Yes". 
CORT: "Okay, I am going to sell it for.....$5".



ME:  "I'm going to the store, I will be right back." 
ELIZABETH: "What are you buying?" 
ME:  "We need milk." 
ELIZABETH:  "oh." 
ME:  "Do you need something?" 
ELIZABETH:  (after careful thought) "Um, can you buy me a DS?" 
ME "No." 
ELIZABETH:  "But I'm seven like Cort"  
ME: "No, you're not." 
ELIZABETH:  "Oh, when I am seven?" 
ME: "Maybe."


CORT: "Mom, what are you doing?"
ME:  "Laundry"
CORT: "When I am older I will have to do my own laundry."
ME: "Yup!"


CORT: "Mom, grandma does laundry better than you.  I'm just sayin'."
ME: "Thanks dear.  That's because Grandma enjoys doing laundry, I don't"
CORT: "Well I am just saying she is better at it."
ME:  "I know."