Easter

Annual Easter picture

Easter is a big celebration in our home.  We celebrate that our Savior has risen from the grave and is alive.   I love this time of year. It's Springtime, the flowers have started blooming, it's warmish outside, and it is a celebration.  I especially like that my parents have started attending Easter with us. Because Easter is a big deal to me and my family, I like that my parents join us for church and then afterwards for brunch.  This year was no different and I am so happy to spend time with my family.

Dying Easter Eggs

We attended our usual Mass time and saw many friends at church. I love seeing my kids in their Easter duds.  After Mass the kids participate in an Easter Egg Hunt organized by the Knights of Columbus.  This year, Buggy had to be placed in the older age group which meant she was placed with older, quicker kids who made a mad dash for the eggs and she ended up with very little. Whereas Mr. Bananas was at the top of his age group and demolished the competition.  Boogie tried to compensate for Buggy's loss by sharing his eggs with her.  The whole even took less than 10 minutes and we trooped home for Easter brunch with my Filipino Relatives and my parents.

Mr. Bananas' First time decorating Easter eggs

The kids came home to find their Easter baskets while Hubby prepared brunch. Again, I really enjoyed this time with my family and I'm glad my parents could join us.  Later in the afternoon, we trooped over to my in-laws home and we celebrated Easter dinner with my husband's side of the family.  Due to the rain we had to improvise and do the Easter egg hunt inside. With 19 kids looking for eggs, it makes it a little tight, but the kids had fun nonetheless.  I enjoyed my time with my husband's side of the family catching up.  I think it has been over 2 months since we've seen them...we usually see each other once a month because we are celebrating one thing or another. It was nice to catch up.

Easter was pleasant and I truly enjoyed myself. I loved watching my kids interact with my side of the family and my husband's side of the family. Seeing all of our loved ones is a wonderful way to spend our Easter.

Romans 6:8-11
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with HIm. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.  The death He died to sine once for all;  but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sing but alive to God in Christ Jesus (NIV)

Celebrating Boogie

I cannot believe it has been almost a month since my last post. Seriously!  Things are so crazy busy, but in a good way. I'm constantly on the run literally and figuratively.  I have so much on my mind lately...Boogie turning 7, me turning 35 and entering a new age bracket on the racing front, Easter, my half marathon coming up, meeting my favorite author and having her sign one of my books,  my first Goddaughter receiving her first holy communion, the tragedy in Boston, keeping up with my class, and my kids being in my former student's wedding (am I really old enough to have students I taught in 4th grade now old enough to get married?!?)...life does not slow down!  I really need to find the time to write everything down before my head explodes because I really need to process it all. I won't write about it all now and I hope it will not be another month before I write about all of it.  Slow and steady...

However, with all that is going on in our busy lives I am so grateful for the blessings that keep raining down.  I am one very blessed mama.

So, Boogie turned 7 before Easter. My first baby is 7. Wow. I look at him and I am in awe of this amazing young man. His faith continues to grow. He is inquisitive about so many things and it is very hard to keep up with his thoughts and questions.  Just the other day he told me that he never wanted to work. I said, "Oh? Why's that?"

"Well, Mama, if I do what I love, I'll never have to work. And what I want to do is observe animals, write down notes, and share them with future generations of kids. I love animals. So if I love what I'm doing, I won't be working. Right?"  

Um, how can I argue with that logic. And why did it take only 7 years for my kid to figure it out and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. The possibilities are endless!

Lolo and Boogie enjoying time together at dinner

Boogie's birthday was during Spring Break.  I had arranged to bring in his birthday treat to his class a few days before school let out for vacation. He asked me to bring his favorite donuts and juice boxes. I did and it was fun. He felt so special and I was so happy to do that for him.  My mom came with me and my friend was also there volunteering in his class. L has a child in the same class so it was nice to have her join in the celebration.

Boogie's birthday fell on Good Friday this year. Being an April baby, my birthday falls on Good Friday a lot. Several people have said it is a blessing...but fasting on my birthday and spending most of it with a headache and feeling lethargic while trying to get a better understanding of my Savior's sacrifice is not, how do I say this without being blasphemous?...um, not my idea of a rocking celebration...and it shouldn't be...but I think I'm way too human and way too selfish to really count my blessings that my birthday sometimes falls on Good Friday.  When I realized that Boogie's birthday fell on Good Friday I wanted him to be able to celebrate and enjoy so we celebrated a day early with a trip to the Museum of Natural History (his request) and dinner at his favorite restaurant where my parents joined us.  Although Hubby and I were fasting the next day we allowed him to pick a place for dinner (I fasted the first two meals and was joining Boogie in eating dinner) and he chose sushi.  Lucky kid. Two birthday dinners in row. He opened presents from us, found a gift waiting for him at home from the neighbors, was able to Face Time with his best friend, and was called on his birthday by Godparents, cousins, and Grandma where he was serenaded.  It was a pretty good celebration considering we were solemn and reflective throughout the day including spending time participating at Stations of the Cross at Church.

I love his smile here

Boogie was able to extend his birthday celebration and the following weekend he took his best friend J to Medieval Times to celebrate one more time. I decided not to do an at home party or a big party.  Boogie rarely gets to see his friend J. now that they are both in school full time. So Hubby took the kids and celebrated and the kids had a wonderful time.  J. is a girl so Hubby and Boogie cheered for her so that their knight would throw her a flower.  As the knight was looking for his last lady, Hubby and Boogie cheered so loudly that J. received her flower.  Things have been so busy for us lately that this was a perfect ending birthday celebration for Boogie.  I think next year I will try once again to do a party and invite more friends, but this year W. and J. celebrated being friends for the last 7 years. Yes, they have known each other since birth and it is a very special friendship.

Happy Birthday Animal Adventurer!
As a kid we always received an ice cream
cake and Boogie wanted one for his birthday
too. It's a nice memory for me :)

I am so thankful for my firstborn. He taught me how to be patient, how to love, how to give of myself, how to be grateful for my many blessings, how to feel real terror (like when I lost him on an elevator in a condo where we staying during one of my Hubby's work rotations in another state) and realizing that I really shouldn't sweat the small stuff, how to see through the eyes of a child, how to play, how to grow in my faith, how to stand firm and provide consequences when necessary, how to be okay with change, how to learn to be flexible, and most importantly how to be the mother he needs me to be.

Dear Boogie, thank you for making me better than I was. Thank you for making me a Mama. Thank you for loving me and showing me forgiveness when I make mistakes because you are the first of my children and I am still learning how to be a parent. I love you from here to Satren (Saturn), all around the universe, all around the world, from the tips of my toes, around my heart infinity times, to the top of my head. I love you.  I thank God you are mine. Happy, happy birthday. May you continue to grow in wisdom, age, and grace.  Love, Mama

Boogie's 7th Birthday

6!

5!

4!

3!

Celebrating his 2nd birthday in our new home with a real backyard

Turning 1
He still has that infectious smile

Just Born
Happy Birth Day Boogie!