Hard to believe, but Parker is now 10 years old.  Not sure how it happened but it did.  He requested an arachnid cake this year and Papa being Papa, obliged him and really outdid himself....as he typically does.  Of course the request also included gummy worms, as all cakes seem to have for a couple of years now.  The boys love gummy anything...worms, sharks, bugs, etc.

We had a quiet celebration the night after his birthday, but it was a great time.

The cake....

Parker admiring the cake; he LOVED it

Blowing out the candles and enjoying the cake.  Parker got to eat the entire head...and a few gummy worms
 

Veronica enjoying the celebration.  She really isn't as chubby as she looks in pictures.  I weighed her today and at almost 8 weeks she weighs about 8.5 pounds (only up a pound since her birth weight)

A lovely gentleman from church took pictures at the baptism last Sunday and came today with a cd for each family with lots of pictures from the big day.  It was so nice and generous of him to do this for all of us.  I love our church, it is just gorgeous.  The statues, stained glass, crucifixes and art work are supposed to draw our thoughts towards heaven and God.

Marian Alter (a side alter)

Stained Glass windows

St Joseph (side) Alter

High Alter in the sanctuary

St. Anne and the Blessed Mother

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Miscellaneous  pictures of the church.  The first is of the pipe organ in the choir loft

These are below the two side alters

The ceiling right before entering the sanctuary

One of the gospel writers found on the ambo

Catherine praying before making her First Communion

Receiving her First Holy Communion (slightly blurry, but I love the image)

Veronica and I during Mass

Catherine after Mass

People gathering before the baptisms

Alter servers and priests processing in for the baptisms

Entering the church
  

Processing to the front of the church
 

In the baptistery
     

Dedication to the Blessed Mother

Group shots of all those attending the First Communion and Baptism taken from the balcony (below the choir loft) at the back to the church

This past Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, was Veronica's baptism.  Such a wonderful feast to have her baptized on and to make it even more special she shared her baptism with the daughter of some very good friends of ours.  So our day started with Mass where we saw Catherine make her First Holy Communion, she looked beautiful and was very excited to finally be receiving our Lord.  Veronica and Iliana were then baptized after Mass.

The baptisms were months in the planning. Brad and Cesar spent hours working on the baptisms since we were using the Extraordinary Form of the Baptismal Rite.  We had never used the Extraordinary Form, but it was beautiful and I can't imagine not using it again.  The richness of the symbolism that ties so wonderfully into the Easter Vigil Mass, the tradition, the Litany of the Saints (sung in Latin), the blessed salt, the presentation of the white gowns to the girls and the entire ceremony were just beautiful. I wish  could put into words how amazing the baptisms were.  And being able to share the day with great friends made it even more special.

We started outside the church and the two fathers knocked on the doors which were opened by two alter servers and asked permission to bring their daughters into the Church.  Once this was done, we signed their heads with the Sign of the Cross and handed the babies to their Godmothers for the remainder of the ceremony.

Veronica with her Godparents, Cree and Jamie walking into the church; wonderful friends of ours who are going to be great a source of strength and prayer for her as she grows.

More pictures from the back of the church where Father performed the Exsufflation (Father breathes 3 times on the face of the baby in the form of a cross and then says, "Depart from her, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Advocate")

The Sign of the Cross (Father uses his thumb and  traces the sign of the cross on the brow and on the breast of the child, saying: "Receive the sign of the cross on your brow and on your heart. Put your whole trust in the heavenly teachings. And lead a life that will truly fit you to be a dwelling place for God."), followed by several more prayers and then the blessing of the salt which each baby then received a small amount of in their mouth saying, "take this salt in sign of wisdom. May it be for you likewise a token that foreshadows everlasting life."  Then praying:

God of our fathers, God, source of all truth, we humbly ask you to be well disposed to your servants, Iliana Cecilia and Veronica Catherine.
After this first taste of salt, let their hunger for heavenly nourishment not be prolonged but soon be satisfied. For then they will always pay
homage to your holy name with fervor, joy, and trust. In your tender care, O Lord, lead them to the bath of water where one is born over
again, so that taken into the family of your faithful they can finally attain the everlasting reward which you have promised; through Christ our Lord.

Then Father performed the Exorcism of the Subject

Praying:  "I cast you out, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Depart and stay far away from
these servants of God, Iliana Cecilia and Veronica Catherine. For it is the Lord Himself who commands you, accursed and doomed spirit,
He who walked on the sea and reached out His hand to Peter as he was sinking. So then, foul fiend, recall the curse that decided your fate
once for all. Indeed, pay homage to the living and true God, pay homage to Jesus Christ, His Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Keep far from
these servants of God, Iliana Cecilia and Veronica Catherine, for Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, has freely called them to His holy grace,
and blessed way, and to the waters of baptism."

Then blessing each of the babies with the sign of the cross he prayed, "Never dare, accursed fiend, to desecrate this seal of the holy
which we imprint upon her brow; through Christ our Lord."

Then before processing as a group to the front of the church Father prays the prayer of Enlightenment, "Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, source of light and truth, I appeal to your sacred and boundless compassion on behalf of these servants of yours, Iliana Cecilia and Veronica Catherine. Be pleased to enlighten them by the light of your eternal wisdom. Cleanse, sanctify, and endow them with true knowledge. For thus will they be made
ready for the grace of your baptism and ever remain steadfast, never losing hope, never faltering in duty, never straying from sacred truth; through Christ our Lord.

Then we all sang Adeste Fidelis as we processed to the front of the church.  Once there, the Godparents stood just outside the Baptistery with the girls while we sang the Kyrie, the Litany of Saints in Latin and recited the Creed.  Father then blessed the water and performed and exorcism of the water  and at this point the Godparents, speaking for Veronica and Iliana were asked to renounce Satan, they were anointed with  the Oil of Catechumens as he prayed a prayer of Spiritual Combat.  Now they were invited into the Baptistery for a final Profession of Faith and the Baptism.

Veronica and Iliana were then anointed with Chrism Oil as Father prayed, "The almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has caused
you to be born over again of water and the Holy Spirit and pardoned you all your sins. May He now anoint you with the chrism that sanctifies in Christ Jesus our Lord, and bring you to everlasting life."

They were then presented with their white gowns and candles.  The ceremony ended with a dedication to our Blessed Mother as the men chanted O' Sanctisima.  The whole thing was beautiful.

Veronica in her gown

Veronica with Brad and I and her Godparents

The ceremony was followed by a wonderful reception and dancing to celebrate not only the baptisms, but also Catherine's First Holy Communion.  It was so nice to be able to celebrate with so many friends and family.

Brad and I didn't get any pictures ourselves, so I'll post more pictures as we get them.  These came from Brad's sister Nicki....a huge thank you.

There are sometimes moments that make all the craziness of a day melt away.  The days have been going very well and honestly it's hard to believe Veronica is already 7 weeks old, she just fits into the family and is so loved by everyone.  Yesterday afternoon I was trying to put some of her clothes away that had been washed.  I set her on the extra bed in her room and hoped for 5 minutes to work with two free hands, something I definitely cherish these days.  Augustin came in carrying a book and was very happy to find a willing audience in Veronica to look through the book with him.  It worked well for me too because she was completely entertained and that gave me an extra 3 or 4 minutes to get things done and send a child running for the camera.  I really need to remember to keep it with me at all times, especially now that she's smiling more often.

Augustin was so excited to have her "like" the story and actually smile at him and I think she was happy for the attention too.  Look at that smile, that is one happy kid, so excited to share the story with her and to know she was enjoying his company.

Veronica smiling at Augustin

Augustin kept trying to look at the camera, read the book and get Veronica to smile...definitely a multi-tasking moment

I just love these moments, they really make my heart melt; there really is nothing like sibling love and those quiet moments shared together

Augustin got the present of a life time I think; well his life time possibly.  The week before Christmas I was looking for one last gift for him, I had the other two and wanted/needed just one more for him. I went to the local children's consignment store in hopes of finding something for him.  I discovered last year that consignment stores are often the best places to find nice gifts for the little guys.  As I was walking back towards the toy section I spotted a Lightening McQueen scooter.  That was it, that was the gift I was looking for.  He loves it.  The night he got it he could hardly get across the living room and by the next afternoon he was speeding all over the living room as if he'd been riding a scooter for year.  He took it outside for a spin on the driveway, but brought it back in because it was too cold outside.

Matthias told me tonight that next year he wants one of those battery operated cars kids can ride in.  You know the ones that are shown in every Christmas flier for the low, low price of $300.  His reasoning was, "Augustin always gets the toys with wheels."  Last year he got a cozy coop car to ride in and this year he got the scooter. I guess Matthias needs a toy with wheels for his birthday in June.

Now on to the smiles.  Veronica has been smiling for several weeks now.  First at Daddy and now at anyone who will talk to her...which is everyone in the house.  Matthias is particularly fond of trying to make her smile.  So on Thursday he kept asking me to get a picture of Veronica smiling at him. I tried and tried and this is all I got....

Cute but no smiles.  Then I walk away to go do laundry and Matthias yells for me to come back because she's smiling. I was literally about 10 steps away.  So I come back with little hope of actually capturing a smile on film, especially since he kept sticking his head in the way and her smiles weren't lasting very long.  Well, he was determined to get a picture of her smiling and sure enough we did.

Matthias was so excited.

I love these oldest/youngest photos. 

It's always so sweet to see Grant holding the babies and seeing how much he really loves them.  I remember when Matthias was born and he loved to hold him, then it was Samuel's turn and he was older and enjoyed him even more.  They shared a room for awhile and Grant seemed to really bond with him which was the start of a special relationship.  Now there is Veronica and Grant's now a teenager and still in love with the babies.  He'll walk up to me and put his arms out to hold her; my heart always melts.

Yesterday she was sleepy and Grant took her so I could set the table.  He was given the choice...baby or table?  He chose the baby...probably the smart choice; at least it was the most fun choice.  I look over and she's curled up in his arms, sleeping.  I'm amazed at how tiny she looks when he carrying her.  Thinking back to Matthias, Grant was only 7.5 years old and Matthias never really looked tiny in his arms.  Now with Veronica, Grant is bigger than me and she looks so tiny and sweet.  He is definitely in love with her; I love to hear him sing to her, O'Sanctisima and Immaculate Mary are his favorites.  So much love already and she's only 6 weeks old.  He is an amazing brother and I can't wait to see how they bond as they both grow. 

She's still teeny tiny, but Veronica is growing.  It may not seem like it to most people, but she no longer fits in some of her newborn size sleepers.  This newborn size is the best thing in a long time in baby clothes.  They fit from 5-8 pounds and actually fit new babies, especially those little ones like Veronica.  No more of this swimming in clothes for months while they try to grow into the 0-3 month size.  I thought it would be awhile yet, but I've had to put away two sleepers in the past 4 nights because they were too short.  This doesn't mean she's getting chubby at all, because she's definitely not chubby, but she's obviously getting longer. I did weigh her the other day and with a clean disposable diaper on she weighed about 8.5 pounds, so she probably closer to 8 pounds.

Here she is this morning wearing an adorable newborn size outfit she was given.  I'm putting them all on her because I don't think she'll be able to wear them much longer.

Yes, that's a bow on her head.  We're obsessed with them, especially if she's not wearing pink.  Brad doesn't like them at all, he thinks they look like garters on her head, but he quietly accepts them as part of her outfits, at least for now. I know once she has hair and looks more like a girl I may have to stop putting them on her.  Let's face it, after  5 boys, we're getting girly around here and why not?  Girls have cute clothes and accessories and Veronica is taking advantage of it.

And just because it's a super cute picture...here is the sleeping princess enjoying being held by Daddy.  I know I'm partial, but can you get much sweeter than that sleeping face?

We had a nice quiet night New Years Eve. We hung out at home with my parents and the Barnum's. We put the little boys to bed and then enjoyed some Apples to Apples which is now one of my favorite games. It is always so funny to listen to the conversations during the game. There was a Bon fire, but I stayed in and took a short nap in the couch before midnight and then was able to be awake to see the ball drop, toast with champeigne and head to bed. It was a nice quiet and fun evening.

We've had a great end to Advent and start to the Christmas season.  We ended Advent with our first real snow storm of the year, which was welcomed.  I think we were all hoping for at least a little snow so we could have a white Christmas.  We didn't get much, but enough to cover the grass and allow the kids out to play in the snow.

Augustin in from the snow with his rosy cheeks.

That night we, I should really say Brad and the boys, decorated sugar cookies.  Everyone had a great time, except a certain red head who despite Daddy's best efforts to get him involved spent the time crying over something...we still aren't sure what.  At one point he "exiled" himself to the back hall to sit on the time-out bench.  Here he is looking as miserable as he possibly could.

Brad and the other 4 boys decorated cookies and did a great job.

Parker and Matthias were in the Christmas pageant at the 4pm Mass on Christmas Eve.  I had great plans to get pictures of us as a family and of the kids all dressed up for Christmas, but my camera picked that day to stop working well.  I had just charged the battery two days before this and it decided to die then and there after a couple pictures.  So this is all I got.

After Mass we went to Brad's parents for a wonderful dinner and gift opening.  It was a great evening.  Christmas morning started with stocking opening.
 

Grant loved his 6 pack of root beer; the thought that was great.  Augustin loved his bubble bath and some candy.

Matthias got some foam soap...another hit around here

And Samuel got candy

Veronica got a stocking too, but she didn't really care about it.  After stockings and breakfast, she decided to snooze on the couch for awhile

Then she sat in the bouncy seat for awhile.  She had a very relaxing and laid back first Christmas

It was a very relaxing day with lots of time just enjoying the gifts we opened.

Grant got a hunting/butchering knife from my parents and loved it

Since my camera battery died on the 24th, I decided to have everyone dress again in their Christmas clothes and take pictures of them on Sunday before Mass.  I charged the battery and we headed to Mass.  As it would happen, I got a few pictures before....the battery died AGAIN.  I think it's time to get a new battery.

My oldest and youngest enjoying some time together before Mass

After Mass we headed back to Brad's parents to finish our family Christmas celebrations.  Again, there are almost no pictures because of the camera battery (which for the record is now taking pictures again without being charged since before the 26th...so I'm officially confused).  We had a great day hanging out, eating lots of good food and watching movies.  Samuel loved wearing the Despicable Me glasses.

Today is New Year's Eve.  The last day of 2010 and it's been a great year.  Lots of changes and wonderful happenings, a new baby and many, many great memories.  It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the start of another new year.  We have no big plans for tonight.  We're going to hang out at home, have a bon fire, play games, eat food and maybe stay up until midnight.

Merry Christmas! We are having a some what relaxing morning. The stockings have been opened and now the new nerd guns from Grandma and Grandpa are opened and the neff war has begun. Pictures to come later.

An important milestone has been reached today...I am officially the mother of a teenager. Grant turns 13 today.