Gwen is 2 months old

I cannot believe my Gwendalyn is two months old.  She is getting quite chunky.  She's a happy little babe.  She's literally started sleeping some nights all the way through and other nights even if she doesn't sleep, once she is nursed she's just so happy to sleep.  

The kids adore her, she is quite the little pretty.  

Today dressed her up for Daddy in a  Bronco dress.  Got a smile from Daddy after a long day at work. 

Toes, lots of toes....

   Love this pic, the girls had the idea, rather funny to think about the amount of feet that grace my home each day, can you imagine how many steps this house sees in a day?

Mom of 10

   The question I get more than anything is how do you juggle ten children.  And I say, "one day at a time" so this is what's going on these days.

Katelyn is working a few days a week, school daily and choir practice on Fridays.  She loves her job, even though me and her dad would like her to work a bit closer or a place that is a bit easier to arrange hours, but she is happy so we let her be until she decides for herself.  Jimmy Johns is a busy place to work and she likes the busy.  But not as easy to arrange days off or days working--pretty much you go with their schedule and for a busy family that can be a bit schedule challenging.

Carolyn is going to UNO daily and works at the grocery store on the corner a few days a week.  The grocery store is a bit more manageable with her schedule and it seems to be going well, plus its just on the corner, so a bit more convienent.  She's keeping up with her studies and  helps teach at the church school on Mondays. 

Both girls are arranging their time pretty well, I'd have to say I'm pretty proud of them.

Jaclyn is working on a play right now, but didnt' take a main role since she dominated the play last year.  She is in the choir and has a lively friend life.  She just took the hunter safety course and went hunting for the first time with the Bishop and yes she shot a dove.  So my daughter likes to hunt....we do believe in the kids having hobbies and they don't always have to fit gender roles.  Its a good activity and she's learning good things. 

Joe is loving highschool.  He loves the physical activity with boys his age and has made a few new friends.  He loves to watch football with his dad and had a friend over this week.

Evelyn loves school and anything to do with school, still studying panda's quite regularly and really has a desier to learn all day long.

Madelyn is a nice mix of silly girl and school girl.  She's the full package and makes you laugh while she's doing it.

Mikey lost his two front teeth and looks so cute, he is a bit silly right now and never has a complaint.

Rosie is loving school and can write her full name Rosalyn Dominica Cichos on the line now.  She is so little and cute that all the school kids follow her around, lets just say she is not in want for anything all day long.

Tony is still working on potty training, we have good days and not as good.  His speaking skills are amazing and we chat and talk all day long.  Boy, you should hear some of these conversations.

Gwen is growing nicely and is quite alert.  Very blessed to have such a happy baby....

Well all for now...more coming....working on juggling my schedule and doing ok with it.  Some nights feel a bit stressed as had to so so much but we're making it work.  Is it Christmas break yet???? hehe.

Brian Ivey rest dear friend...

   A very long time ago, when I went to highschool there was a small group of friends that were very close.  We did about everything together, there were two couples and two more young men.  We were young and boy we had a lot of fun together.  I would have to say they were my first friends outside my own family.  That was a long time ago, and a few of them I have kept in contact very loosely, a phone call once in a blue moon, or a email or Christmas card.  We all moved on, we married, made new friends, had children as young people eventually do. 

But then when tragedy strikes for one of us, we stop, we cry, we pray.  That happened for me this week.  One of those friends, Brian passed away at the age of 40 in his sleep of a massive heart attack.  His parents are in shock, his friends are hurting.  And I know that life is precious.  So my prayers are for his family and his friends, I thank God to have the faith to comprehend death and I pray for him.  But my heart is saddened to know he died just so young. 

I sent his mother a letter and she responded thanking me, even remembered me from 20+ years ago.  So as we say goodbye to a friend we know in God's mercy we must always be ready for when God calls us.  Its a good reminder to always put God first and to always be ready for when God calls us to Him.

9-11

   9-11 has since passed and meant to post last week, but I think its something that will stick with all American's.  We visited a WWII memorial, and originally the reason is it has beautiful landscaping, and thought it would be a nice place to take pictures and give the kids a nice little break after school, but when we arrived the day after 9-11 we saw a memorial put there for the 9-11 deaths.  It was beautiful and serene and I do think it good not to forget those whom died on that terrible day both years ago and last year. 

I see 9-11 in many ways.  But I do see it as a downfall of sorts.  We as Americans began to live in fear, so much so, that we gave up liberties with the Patriot Act.  We started to fear everything and everyone.  Did is steal an innocence? yes, it did.  But it also hurt this country in so many ways.  We cannot jeapordize our freedoms for fear sake and sadly that's what many and dare I say most Americans have done. 

For my family it started a downfall with the family business.  My dad was alive then and his work suffered.  People began to fear to spend their money at just a little family business and hense life as my family knew it was never the same.  The business was no longer a success instead those customers went toward the corporations for their window coverings, and the Home Depots and Lowes and Jc Penny's got the business that was once my fathers business. 

I'm saddened that 9-11 happened, mostly for those that suffered and died, for the fear it caused, for the families, for so much--that I have to explain to my children that someone would be so evil as to force planes through buildings to kill as many Americans as they could in one shot.  It was a sad day for America and sad that memorials such as the one we visited even exist, but we must continue to pray to God for guidance, not to live in fear, not to forfeit our livlihood, but to persevere. 

Grow Gwen, grow!

   Its a crazy thing that I talk about often, time seems to stop right before you have a baby and then once they are here, it goes so fast, I am already missing the early newborn stage and just the little newborn laying still in your arms.  Now Gwendalyn is heading towards 2 months old and she is a wiggly little thing, chubby at best, quite active with kicking legs and punching fists.  She started smiling a lot and her little voice has come out quite nicely.  Her brothers and sisters just adore her, and I hear them say the same thing over and over, "she is so adorable" 

This is something as a Mom I celebrate, the bonding of older kids with the little kids, it is a very false opinion out there that large family sibling suffer, how older kids do not know thier younger ones, younger ones don't know the older ones.  I think if fostered you have very close siblings, especially if they are close in age, each child is a bridge to the next.  Anyway we took the oppurtunity to do some playing at the park when we were taking Katelyn's pictures to take some with everyone.  It was quite a good time. 

To celebrate a highschool senior

   In a large family, you try to do things for your children on an individual basis to make them feel special and unique, not just one of many sometimes.  We do a lot of things as a group but we work hard helping them as individuals too.  We have found  few ways to do this; we take the birthday child out on our coffee date and spend time with just that child, we may shop with one that likes to shop, or cook with one that likes to cook, or garden with one that likes to garden, etc...  But one thing I adopted last year is making the senior year of highschool pretty special, so throughout the year I will take Katelyn different places and let her dress up and take her picture, so I'm always on the hunt for a nice scenery's.  Then at the end of the year they get to look through the pictures and choose the one that will be with their graduation announcements. 

So this year it is Katelyn's turn.  We went to Memorial park and had some fun.  Driving around, I found a few more places to try but this one turned out very well, she even brought her guitar for a few pic's.  These were a few of the favorites so far:

Finally

   Well was very happy to finally get Gwen's pictures taken.  Crazy though, the portrait studio's of old are gone!  They took like 80 pictures and since I was getting a package, I only had I think 9 of those to choose from, but you know they have to try to sell you more.  So anyway, it was just a bit much I thought.  But still the pictures are nice.  I had received a beautiful dress/hat/socks all crochet so that was what she wore but I also got a few in her baptismal gown and with the blanket that grandma Judy sent her. 

multiply me....

   I must find a way to multiply me.  Seems like everyone's things are all at the same times!  Tomorrow is going to be only slightly hectic (insert sarcasm and eyeroll here)  So take the kids to school, take Carolyn to school, find a place to wait an hour probably the park, go buy milk from the farm, get Carolyn a bank account, do a little grocery shopping just for a few things we must have and get home in time to hopefully get the little ones ot of the car and play a few minutes before lunch, give them a nap and then in the afternoon, pick up the kids, take Carolyn and Jaclyn for eye appointments, get them back to the school with Katelyn for Father to take them to Katelyn's birthday dinner and at the same time make our dinner and help little ones with homework.  I try to spread things out, but this is just one of those days that everyone has something at the same time, these are the days that make my head spin!

Saint Quotes

   "Hope in His goodness and redouble your confidence in proportion as your troubles increase" ~St. Margaret Mary Alacoque †

(this is actually the Saint of the day for Rosalyn's birthday, which I love becasue I had so wanted her to be born on the feast of the Rosary and prayed to the Sacred Heart my entire pregnancy for her health and she was born on the feast of the Saint that was told of the Sacred Heart from Jesus himself)

 
 
 

Comparison Collages

  

Gwendalyn's first laugh and below is Carolyn's first laugh.



Top left to right is my mom and me, Gwendalyn
Bottom left to right is me and Katelyn, Gwen and Gwen.

Baby update

   Gwen is doing great, her schedule is very nice, in all truth the other 9  make my schedule a lot tougher!  haha.  So anyway, she's a content baby, what a drastic change from Tony whom was not a happy baby.  Sometimes I really wonder if overdue or total term babies are just more content once they come.  She has begun smiling at us and trying to make happy baby noises.  She laughs and it really cracks me up, each day I swear I see a comparison to one of the other kids, I started making collages each time I notice one. Anyway, very blessed she is doing so well and is so happy.  We all just love her. 

Birthday Week-end

   Birthday week-end is done and it was a lot of fun.  First of all Katelyn's birthday was a school day, this year Father couldn't make it over but is taking Katelyn and some of her friends to dinner this week.  We had chocolate cake and icecream at home.  Then on Sunday we had a big party for her, and she invited all the area teenagers, and a few parents came too.  They played volleyball, hung out, ate, make smores, and we had cake, it was a fun filled afternoon/evening. 

For Mikey we had a fun time here at home, kids played all day and we had cake (made by Carolyn) and presents later.  We also took just him out with me and Steve on our weekly coffee/pie date and he chose icecream (of course) 

Beautiful prayer

   My uncle sent this prayer my way:

 

Most Beloved Mother,
you who know so well the paths of holiness and love,
teach us to lift our hearts and minds often to God,
to fix our respectful and loving attention on the Trinity.

And since you walk with us on the path of eternal life,
do not remain a stranger to the weak pilgrims that your charity is ready to welcome.
Turn your merciful face to us,
draw us into your light and flood us in your kindness.
Take us into the Light and the Love--
always take us further and higher into the splendors of heaven.

Let nothing ever trouble our peace,
nor turn us from the thought of God;
but let each minute take us further
into the depths of the awesome Mystery,
until that day when our souls,
fully receptive to the light of the divine union,
will see all things in eternal Love and Unity.
Amen

J.M.J.

 

Sunday Reflections

   So each Sunday I reflect about the sermon and share it on a private Catholic woman's group I started, but decided to copy it to here, for my friends here as well.  So this was what I took from the sermon today:  (remember when we listen to sermons its all about perceptions and what we need is what we get, this is what I got today)

So we had Fr. Borja today. He talked about death as well. Natural death is the gate to eternal life, that we shouldn't fear it, but prepare for it and of course not to avoid the sacraments especially penance. I've never understood the avoidance of penance, its such a gift from God in my mind. He talked about spiritual death to avoid at all costs and the loss of sanctifying grace which is what spiritual death is. and death of world-finding peace in following your vocation, keeping home a catholic sanctuary using safeguards in essence protecting the home from anything that can lead the home from being a sanctuary (internet, tv, etc...) to be generous with God. He also spoke of some people use an excuse of well I'm not a priest or I'm not a nun but to remember that we are all called to be Saints and to live accordingly, not to justify things because our vocation is not religious, but we can all follow what our vocation is and keeping our souls ready for natural death. He quoted St. Teresa (my namesake literally) and I went looking for the actual quote and this is what I found, I'm seriously going to read much more of St. Teresa. “Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices”.