Veronica was 5 months old on Holy Saturday. I still want to know how that happen.  I really feel like she was just born.  Maybe it's because she has slept through the night since she was 2 weeks old or because I can put her down awake and she'll put herself to sleep.  Or maybe it's because while she acts like a 5 month old, she is (at least in my experience) the size of a 2-3 month old.  I'm not sure, but I feel like this first 5 months has just flown by. 

She started rolling from her belly to her back around 4 months and is now rolling from her back to her belly.  She's been eating oatmeal and baby food for about 3 weeks.  She laughs when tickled, smiles all the time, loves her brothers and thinks playing peek-a-boo around corners is hysterical.  She love she exersaucer, is so-so about the Bumbo seat, loves her play mat and loves to be carried around.

She weighs all of 12 pounds, I told you she is tiny, but has grown over 5 1/2 inches. So she's growing, she's just small.  She is built like her cousin Evelyn...and looks like her too.  In a few weeks (now that it feels like May is just around the corner) she will be 6 months old and I know that will find her doing even more, possibly even sitting up.

Lent is over and we are now officially into the Easter season.  Lent was quiet and low-key and we ended this holy season with a beautiful Triduum.  Holy Thursday Mass is always one of my favorites...the incense, music and the Eucharistic procession.  I didn't get to walk in the procession this year...too many tired kids that needed to get home to bed.  Matthias got to process for the first time this year and had a great time.

Friday was attended stations together and then gathered at a friends house before going to Veneration in the afternoon.We had a quiet end to Good Friday; definitely needed after a full day.  Saturday was quiet, lots of prep work for Mass, naps taken by little kids.  Matthias went with Brad to run some errands and got to work on a project at Home Depot with Brad.  He had such a great time.  He's is really growing up.  We got all the kids dressed in their Easter clothes and headed to Mass with my parents.

Veronica ready to get in the van

All the kids at church.  It isn't a great picture and you can't see Veronica's face at all, but it was as good as it got.  Maybe I can get a better picture next weekend.

Mass was beautiful.  I love Easter Vigil Mass. I always look forward to singing the Litany of the Saints, singing Alleluia for the first time since Lent began.  We had a late night, but the kids did well.  They did not sleep in at all, which I guess is to be expected.

Our morning started early, but the kids were excited to find their baskets and hunt for eggs.  Augustin was very smiley.

Brad helped Samuel find his basket

After much searching Augustin found his in a closet

He was very excited to get a book on the Beatitudes which we've been talking about at dinner throughout Lent

Samuel finally found his basket as well and enjoyed the candy

Matthias found his basket in the linen closet

Lots of fun to be had picking out candy and looking at the goodies
 

Bubble Bath was a big hit

Veronica got her basket...Daddy found it and showed it to her. I was way more excited than she was (as was to be expected)

Lots of pink...she got clothes and shoes

After finding the baskets and enjoying some candy it was time for the "Golden Egg" hunt that Mamma and Papa put together for the boys.  They all got clues and finally all found their eggs.  Some where in some really fun spots like the chicken coop in a nesting box, where we also found 9 real eggs. 

It was a warm and misty morning after having some snow the day before.  Here they are in the woods after Matthias found his eggs
 

Looking for eggs in the yard

When Parker was little, probably about 4 or 5 years old,  he asked to put a couple statues in one of the trees in the back yard.  He wanted a prayer tree where he could go and pray.  So we put a statue of Mary and one of Jesus in the tree.  They are still there and now the tree has grown around them. I think most of the time we forget about them, but every once in awhile I see them and am reminded of the day they were put there and I stop and say a quick prayer.

After a very relaxing morning of hunting for baskets and eggs, a wonderful breakfast, some candy and lots of great memories we headed to Brad's parents house for dinner and more egg hunts....and more candy.  It was a great afternoon.  Lots of fun and tons of great food.

Brad and Veronica hanging out

Josh, Matthias and Augustin

Samuel hunting for eggs

Happy Easter

Yesterday was one of those great Sunday afternoons that you look forward too all winter long.  A sunny day where everyone can get outside and enjoy the fresh air.  After Mass we had a wonderful turkey dinner prepared by my parents and then headed outside to enjoy some delicious home made pie...thank you Mom.

Samuel loved his pie...can you tell?

He even walked around with it for awhile

A rare picture of Mom and Dad together; I need to get better at taking pictures of people other than the kids

Something good about blueberry pie with homemade crust

After enjoying the pie we just hung out

Matthias modeling the bunny mask he got the day before

Veronica enjoyed (as least I think she did) her time on the towel in the grass.

She managed to get herself to the grass and even got some in her mouth.  It doesn't take long

The chickens even got to get out and enjoy some time in the yard
    

Matthias holding one of them

In January of last year (2010) we had that huge windstorm that came through and took down about 20 trees on the property, thankfully none by the house.  There is still a lot of evidence of that storm when walking in the woods behind the house.  The kids love to climb on the big trees that still haven't been cut up.

Brad and Veronica right before heading in; it was starting to get chilly

Matthias comes up to me the other day w/ his new "pirate hat" on.  This pirate hat is a plastic net looking thing, w/ a metal clip in the front and a loop in the back with a tag on it.  I was busy with dinner and didn't really get a close look at it even though I wondered where it had come from. 

When I finally got a closer look at it, I discovered that it was the plastic netting/handle for the ham that was purchased that morning that I had opened for lunch.  I cut it off and set it on the counter.  He must have picked it up and decided to wear it as a hat and I hadn't noticed.  If you look at the picture closely, you'll see the tag for the ham still on it.  It was a very ingenious way to make a hat.

Alright, I think Veronica is getting cuter and cuter all the time. She loves to smile all the time these days.

Matthias just adores Veronica and as she gets older it's becoming apparent that the feelings are mutual.  If you want her to smile or laugh you just have to have Matthias talk to her.  He can almost always get a smile out of her.  He loves when she plays on the floor because he can get down on her level.

She is really starting to like being on the floor too.  She can roll from her tummy to her back, loves to put things in her mouth and is able to spin in circles while on her belly.  Last night she scooted herself the full length of the couch.  She sticks her little butt in the air, puts her head down and scoots forward.  The she lifts her head to see where she ended up.  It is so cute and what makes it even funnier is she's so tiny.  She's all of 12 pounds and as tiny as they come and here she is scooting all over the place.

I'm getting to be very bad about updating this regularly or even taking pictures off of the camera lately.  There is a lot going on, or so it seems.

Augustin's Birthday
Augustin is 4 now, which is really hard to believe.  We had two small celebrations this year.  We had our annual visit with Brad's family to Parker's Maple Barn in southern New Hampshire for breakfast and then the afternoon was spent at his parents house celebrating all the March birthdays....Grandpa, Nicki and Augustin.  The day was topped off with a delicious carrot cake!!!

Modeling his new church clothes; so grown up and handsome

The day after his birthday we had our family celebration at home.  Papa made him the rainbow whale cake he wanted and as a treat he got to help decorate it this year.  He had a great time, especially when Papa gave him free reign of the sprinkles.

Showing off his cake
   

Enjoying the cake

He got some cool sunglasses from Mama and Papa

The rest of the month
Samuel, loves these pj's and will wear them anytime they are clean.  They are a little too long though so he has to walk around and hold them up at the same time.

Veronica is now 4 months old and while not getting big physically she sure is growing up.  She's now just over 12 pounds, rolls from her belly to her back, grabs everything she can reach and puts it in her mouth.  She loves to chat with what she's holding and is now laughing at her brothers.  It was a really gloomy day, but I wanted some spring around so I put her in the summeriest outfit I could.

While, still small in size, she's getting bigger and not looking so tiny in the exersaucer.

Veronica has started eating cereal and loves it.  She has a big appetite like her brothers.  Samuel's favorite spot to be is right next to her standing on a chair.  This night he had Augustin's whale and was trying to share it with her when she was done eating.

My mom and I went shopping at the consignment shop before their trip to Virginia to visit  Aaron and Beth.  We found this really cute swim shirt (UV shirt) in Veronica's size and then this skirt that just happened to match perfectly.  The shirt is a Target brand and the skirt is Hannah Andersen and they colors are perfect. I had to try it on her when we got home and of course I took pictures...tags and all.

Samuel always loves to be where Veronica is...this day was no different

Grant and Matthias were spending some time together working in the basement on a painting project for Matthias

Matthias loves Veronica and she loves him.  This was one of those rare times she let someone other than me hold her and I had to capture it so we have proof.

I know spring is here when there is a bon fire going on the hill, marshmallows are being roasted, there are chalk drawings on the driveway, children can be heard running through the woods, children beg to go outside and aren't standing at the door 20 minutes later begging to come in because they are FREEZING after being forced to go outside and friends are coming over not only for dinner, but time outside!!!

What a glorious day!!