Soup

Julia's turn...she is thankful "that I have a good mother that makes me my favorite soup when I am sick"! Which she is sick today!

Tony

My turn....I am thankful for Tony. I am not normally a gusher but here goes: Thank you dear for going to work 6 days a week without complaining just so I can stay home. Thank you for always respecting our family values and faith and setting an example for the kids. Thank you for making me laugh when I don't feel like it and letting me cry when I want to! Most of all thank you for being respectful of me as your wife and never losing sight of what God has planned for our marriage.

Lily

I am thankful for my rabbit lily. God made her and she is mine to take care of.

An attitude of gratitude

The family every year makes a big turkey cut out and every morning we write on feathers what we are grateful for. By thanksgiving Tom turkey is filled with all our gratitude and it helps us to remember how blessed we are. This year Julia and Emerson requested that they get to post their thoughts of thankfulness with a picture instead. I thought we could change it up a bit too...so from now until thanksgiving we will be thinking of what we are truly thankful for. It will be nice to look back at end of month and see all the things, people, and ideas that we are gracious for! I told Blaise he can go first and I would help him! He told me he is thankful for Benedict because he is a boy! And because he gets a bunk bed now in his room!

Snail mail

Today in school Emerson will be learning the finer points of writing a friendly letter. When I gave her the heads up she sighed and said "but I don't know anyone's email address"! I realized a year ago I didn't have a cell phone, a consistent email address or a blog. I didn't want one as I felt the old fashioned method of a stamp and envelope was fine for me. Then Tony bought me an iPhone strictly for emergency use! Ha! I am a bona fide techie now! The art of snail mail will never die in our house though. I love writing to my grandmothers, girlfriend in Cleveland, and getting the homemade envelopes from my mother in law wondering what surprises she has sent. Emerson will learn the proper form of letter writing today. She will learn salutations and punctuation. Not because I expect when she is older that she will prefer to handwrite her notes or even afford the cost of a stamp! Simply because I think she should know how to compose thoughts with pencil and paper. Luckily God is easily accessible...could you imagine the postage on that letter?!?!? I know we are in trouble if she asks me his email address though!

Just a few more...

My mom gave me a few more from her side to remember and I also discovered I forgot some. So here goes and if you see a familiar name you may get nostalgic and want to submit a memory of that person.
John O'Green
Grace Clyde
Charles Clyde
Peter Connell
Roy Koppela
Shirley O'Green
Henry Wallace
Beulah Wallace
Betty Jane Robinette
John Koppela
Sophie Koppela
Pearl Knudsen
Ivy Christie

Prayer for poor souls

Julia wanted me to add her project from today. She made this poster for month of November and on each headstone we tried our best to write all names of the dead in both families. Julia has decided to offer up a sacrifice or do a good deed daily for each deceased person and then to pray for them.

"as a little child runs into arms of his mother, so we, at the time of death, run into the arms of Jesus."-St. Anselm

Emerson Reid Wallace

This was my mom's dad. He passed away when she was 18ish. He was a tall drink of water. I have often been told he was a very hard worker and a doting father. He was handsome and a true gentleman.

Arthur M. Schueler

My grandpa was a really smart man. He was a well known lawyer in Detroit. My last memory of him was driving to Sea World just he and I. My grandma stayed home so he could have a special day with me. After that trip he passed away a few months later suddenly. One interesting fact is that he didn't have a middle name so he chose the letter "m" I never knew why until my observant daughter Julia suggested it was for "middle"!

Beatrice

I was lucky I knew my great grandma into my early teens. She used to ride her bike and I sat in basket in back. She baked pies with me and on my birthday she drank a Shirley temple with me and gave me my first red mini skirt. But not too mini as she was a proper lady!

Ernie and Wanda

When Tony woke up today and I told him what Julia and I wanted to do all day today as far as remembering our departed ones he immediately mentioned his grandpa Ernie and grandma Wanda. This is what I remember about them: the first time I met them they welcomed me into the family with warmth and love. Grandpa had a twinkle in his eye and Grandma proudly showed me her beautiful garden by her house. I know where Tony gets his green thumb from. What really inspired me was the devotion and love they had for each other. I remember thinking I hope Tony and I can live such a long fulfilled life as them! I searched for a picture but I can't find one. If I do I will post it later on today!

Aunt Jeanie

This is what I tell the kids about Aunt Jeanne: she was pure and happy and kind! She had quite a memory for stats and she loved to make you feel good inside!

All Saints Day

Today is an important holy day for our faith. Normally the family goes to mass and then takes a moment or two to remember those that have departed. We also celebrate the saints and their lives they lived for God. I used to find this day so gloomy and sad. Who wants to think about death or mourning the loss of a loved one or thinking about ones own mortality. These are not things a young family wants to ponder. Last year Julia made a prayer list of family members that she may or may not have met that have passed on. My mother in law was crucial in helping me compile a complete list, for Tony has a much larger family. With each name we added we tried to tell her something special about that person. Today I plan on periodically reminding her and myself and anyone else about that special someone. With death comes new life. Looking at Benedict reminds me of that every day.

Ghoulish games

Pin tail on kitty....hide the fly....cookie contest
Scary antics!

Eek!

Dracula bunny!
Bug in a shoe!

Boo!

Happy Halloween

Did I really think we would get any school done today? The girls woke up with visions of candy corn dancing in their heads! We have been working since beginning of August so it didn't bother me too much to call off studies and have some fun. Sometimes learning comes in the shape of teamwork as they play a ghastly scavenger hunt game. Exercise is had by all as they run around the house playing attack of the bat and gross science experiments become the rage! For lunch the cafeteria is serving sliced fingertips (hotdogs) bloody veins(dyed spaghetti noodles) and eyeballs (hardboiled eggs) for dessert.....blood red velvet cake and spooky punch! We will attempt to construct a Halloween village made out of Graham crackers and play pin the tail on kitty! The library is having a spooky time tea party and then it is off to trick or treating. My trick for Tony is not the fake mouse in his shoe like last year....but something far more spookier! My treat for him will be that I will take the kids and their friends out tonight and he can sit at home in the toasty warm house with some cider. Here's something funny...one of our neighbors is also our dentist! He gives out large candy bars...job security he says!

Flu Shot

Well the kids sure enjoyed watching mommy and daddy getting their flu shots. With a baby in the house I really didn't want to risk bringing the flu into the house. This was our first time getting them. Tony found it odd getting his shot at same place he buys his pop and candy and vitamins! I am just glad to have an ounce of prevention!

Pumpkin Prayer

Dear Jesus,
As I carve my pumpkin help me pray this prayer:
Open my mind so I can learn about You. (cut top off of pumpkin)
Take all my sin and forgive the wrong that I do. (clean out the inside)
Open my eyes so your love I will see. (cut eyes shaped like hearts)
I'm sorry for times I turned up my nose at what you've given me. (cut nose in shape of cross)
Open my ears so your Word I will hear. (cut ears shaped like bible)
Open my mouth to tell others your near. (cut mouth in shape of fish)
Let your light shine in all I say and do!
Amen
(place candle inside and light it)
This prayer compliments of Julia and Emerson's religious Ed. Director

Day of Rest

Well we made it to Sunday. After mass Tony and I are getting flu shots while the kids enjoy some donuts. I am hoping to get those four pumpkins carved with the kids and get a little baking done for the week. Tony gently reminds me it is a day of rest. I try to refrain from the normal hustle and bustle of life and just enjoy the time with hubby and kids. It is our memory making time. When I find myself obsessing about the chores or school planning I need to get done I just look to my husband to remind me what it means to rest!

Rice and Beans

Ok so this morning was the dreaded grocery shopping day. Tony is working so all four munchkins were loaded in van and away we went. Now back in the day I never used coupons but now I am what you call a coupon junkie. I used to think it a waste of time to clip coupons and I was almost embarrassed to use them. Four kids later I am now a bona fide extreme couponer. Oh I don't buy fifty tubes of toothpaste or items I don't need. God has definitely humbled me though and Tony and I are trying to be more conscientious with our dollars. So I grabbed my coupon caddy, my ads, my kids and away we went. I felt proud to hear Emerson belt out loud "no potato chips for daddy, unless we have a coupon!" By the way I bought 69 items saved 50 dollars in coupons and they had great sale on rice and beans! Yummy!

Happy Birthday

Alright get ready folks for a walk down memory lane. Today is a special day for someone very dear and special to me. He is someone you can depend on to drop everything and rescue you on the freeway when your tire blows out and your kids are crying. He is the guy that understands which tool to use to fix whatever is broken in your house. He puts the needs of others first and never complains about being last. He is a proud papa and loves his grandchildren. He has been firm, fair, and kind even when others have not. He is my father and has always been there for life's biggest moments. I will always be a daddy's girl. Happy Birthday Dad! We love you!

Sniffles

Well the mystery of the hunger strike and late night visits to our room has been solved. Blaise has the sniffles. Much like Tony or any other man for that matter, the entire world is coming to an end right now. The male species does not perform well when ill. He asked Tony to put his arm around him last night to make him feel better. It reminded me of how often I have asked our Creator for a hug to get thru the day. Today he will lounge around in his pjs, drink his juice, watch his favorite shows and be waited on by the girls and I. It isn't like he has the plague but we all need a day like this once in awhile.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Awhile back my mom had given me my grandma's sugar cookie recipe. I have fond memories of taking the kids out to see her weekly and her cookie jar was always full of these sweet treats. Well the kids and I tried in vain to recreate the same taste and we failed miserably. Grandma really can no longer bake those cookies anymore and I wonder if I will ever eat them just like she used to make. The kids are lucky as my other grandma is living as well. Although she is all the way up in Trout Creek she still maintains a relationship via phone, cards, and even skype! I love my grandmothers. My kids love their great grandmothers! No one can cook like them, hug you the right way, listen to your woes, gently encourage you, laugh at your jokes, or embrace your dreams like the two of these ladies! They are the glue that has held their families together. I will probably never master that sugar cookie recipe but I will never lose the memory of sitting at your table grandma with a cup of tea and a plate of cookies as I pour my heart out to you.