Tales From The Bonny Blue House

Evil doesn't win

Americans know this. We have an increasingly intimate knowledge of evil. Our free society gives as much licence to evil as it does to good, it's the price we pay.  

To look at the news yesterday and today might discourage anyone. The carnage, the wreckage of lives and property, the loss and the grief. That mind numbing, frozen-to-your-core-grief that will be part of some people's lives forever. You could see all of those things and think that evil won the day.

It didn't. Not by a long shot.

For every bit of wreckage there was a hero running toward it to help.

For every wounded person there were many to hold a hand, help get away or help stop the bleeding. 

For every horror filled moment, there were countless acts of kindness. 

For every devastating injury there were many lining up to donate blood and many more on their knees praying for miraculous healing.

For those who were lost, there are those who mourn them and remember them and take joy for having loved them. And for them there is the promise of eternal salvation.

They will not win, these evil people because we were promised that the gates of hell woul not prevail (Matthew 16:18) and we know that hell does exist for the unrepentant perpetrators of this evil.

Let us pray for the victims of this act of terror and for the people of Boston. Let us show joy and great zest for life as we condole with our northern neighbors and let us defeat those that would harm us by letting them know that our spirits cannot be quenched, our love for each other cannot be diminished, our intent to gather and celebrate not taken away and our prays will always be with those who hate us. They certainly need it.

God is good, all the time

And all the time, God is good.

 

 

 

First Days

The first day back after a break is always so shattering, which is why I never o it on a Monday. Today there were some tears during math with a six year old insisting that 8+6 = 13 with such vehemence that I had to stop and think.

Easy days for the rest of the week to compensate for testy nerves and systems alight with sugar and celebration.

Happy Easter dear friends, He is risen and our salvation awaits.

Lenten Sacrifices

will need to be readjusted today. We have a Papa to celebrate!

Thank you to Kimberlee and her lovely children for the idea.

 

Habemus Papem

When the white smoke went up we were riveted to the T.V. Not a usual occurence here during the day.

It was so exciting.  The kids were thrilled by the crowds andthe lights and bells and such.

I love a faith with some pagentry going for it.

Then when it was announced that the new Pope had chosen Francis as his name, well there was much hoopla. We're partial to Fransicans. 

God bless Pope Francis I. May he be guided by the Holy Spirit, protected by God and always loved by the faithful.

Viva il Papa.

Art and large denomination bills.

Boy is it cold out there.  A toasty twenty-one degrees right now, up from seventeen. It was that cold this morning when I went out to get the oil changed on the van.  I was not happy.

So we will stay in, that is until flute lessons. Sigh.  It's a good day for some artwork and talk of presidents.

See those fancy palettes?

We had a bit of fun last night at dinner discussing whose image was on each of the different bills of currency. You know, Andrew Jackson on a twenty and so forth. This lead to a little research and did you know that there was such a thing as a $100,000.00 bill?  It was never circulated but rather used in transfers between Federal Reserve Backs.  Read all about it and other large bank notes  here...

So now you know how geeky we are at the dinner table.

Taping the sides makes for a nice clean border

Kevin thought he would spend some time today educating the twins about Warren Harding. He's got a thing for Presidential trivia. He can name them in order with the dates of their terms as well as ther birth and death dates. He is dying to impart this knowledge to the twins, both of whom think he is nuts.  He talked them into sitting for a while an listening while he read the entry about Harding in his Presidents book. Why Harding, I have no idea. As soon as he finished, they bolted.

Now he knows how I feel trying to teach him anything ;).

If you have any interest, I gave a webinar last week at Refresh Midwinter Conference which is now available for free.  You should check out the offerings there, they are free and a wonderful boost in the arm for any mom in these long winter days.

They need to dry before the next step.

For those of you who follow me on Facebook you know of my total addiction to Downton Abbey. I am still not over the shock of the last thirty seconds of the season finale last night. I'm trying to get over myself (it's only a tv show after all) but I have to confess to feeling shattered. 

Dawn has a great recap and discussion going on as well at Melissa Wiley at GeekMom about the tragedy. 

We will all just have to Keep Calm and Carry On!

(feel free to groan out loud at the atrocity of that last sentence)

 

Yep, it was quite a storm

The igloo building has commenced.

Sweet Sixteen

Today is the sixteenth birthday of our dear Katie. She is such a wonderful daughter and sixteen is such a great age that we, of course, had to have a big celebration for her.  We are party people after all.

Katie picked old Hollywood glamour as her theme.  I have to say her friends really ran with the theme. Many of the boys came in tuxedos and had top hats and canes.  The girls were inspired by the dresses of the 20's 30's and 40's.  There were many gowns and gloves, fascinators and feathers. I loved how creative they all were.  The invite said "dress to impress" and they took it to heart.  

May I share with you some of our pictures?

 

This was the entry into the party room. My friend Tricia made this for a dance at her son's school and she very kindly lent it to me. She also came and set it up, for which I was profoundly grateful.

We had to have a red carpet, of course, and what is a red carpet without paparazzi?  I even rigged it so their flashbulbs lit up. The rope line was Tricia again. She's a master crafter.

The table decorations were pretty simple.  I was actually contractually prevented from using confetti! :).  There was a gold oscar statue and balloons as well as old Hollywood glamour shots and publicity photos on the table. Red, black and gold was the color scheme.

We matted some of the photos and set them on these mirrored ledges. The hall was decorated in the 70's sometime I think. Lots of mirrored tiles. :).  What I forgot to take a photo of was the posters. I had a bunch of the glamour shots blown up into posters (very cheap at Staples if you use blueprint paper. I think it was $3 per).  We had William Powell and Bogey and Bacal, Viven Leigh and a few others covering up the mirror behind the buffet table.

Cake and candleabra for the candle lighting ceremony. Did you know you can buy these custom made candle things for about $200? Or you can go to Michaels and spend $18 and twenty minutes with a glue gun and a can of spray paint and make your own. Seriously. And I'm not crafty.

Daddy got to light the first candle. It was actually Dave's birthday on the party day. I was happy because he is, now, much older than I am again. :). God's in his heaven and all is right with the world I am younger than my husband again.

That's me. Erin was in charge of dripping wax.

She dedicated a candle to her brother Ryan and asked his closest friends to come up and light it with her. It was very sweet and moving. I told you she was a good girl.

Her best friend. The nicest girl a mother could wish to have hanging around her daughter. She Katie's tiara? That dear girl surprised Katie at the hair salon and gave her the tiara and long white gloves to compliment her outfit. So thoughtful.

A sweet sister moment.

Little sisters had their own candle. Where Bridget go that hat I have no idea but love the look on her face there.

Little brothers. You can just see Brendan under Kevin's chin there.

Father daughter dance.  See the Hollywood letters there (on another mirror)? Tricia again. 

Of course there were more candles and more moments. Suffice to say that a lovely, memorable time was had by my Kate. She is a lucky girl to have such wonderful friends and family and she was so very grateful.

 We are very grateful to have her.

Happy birthday my darling girl, you are the sweetest sixteen and Daddy and I love you very much.

Four!

My baby turns four. Where does the time go?

He is such a gift, an unexpected one at that. The child of my forties who taught me to slow down and appreciate every moment. I am so grateful to have him.

He's hilariously funny, a bundle of energy, smart as a whip and cuddly as they make 'em.

Happy birthday Brendan, Mommy and Daddy love you.

**We Have A Winner**

Congratulations to Justin West who commented:

"I'd buy my 5 year old son the space-ship he saw there when we went last week "

 

I am so happy the gift card will be put to good space exploring use!

 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Hosted by the always inspiring Amanda Soule.