Blessings of 2017
Blessings at Christmas to all our family and friends!
We pray you find PEACE in your trials and sorrows, JOY to inspire you in virtue, the LOVE of Jesus around you, and a FAITH in God to guide you. May you find a glimmer of these Christmas gifts in each day. We found it in our children's joy, love in our marriage, blessings of employment and daily needs, the kindness, charity and support of our community of family, friends and strangers, and the hope of heaven because of our faith in Christ Jesus. We have nurtured and held tight to our Catholic Christian faith, because it is truly what gives us the Serenity, Wisdom and Courage we need to live - especially after facing the loss of our son in October. Our faith teaches us how to best live, gives life purpose, and brings hope no matter the circumstances. We pray for all of you, that your life be filled by the Grace of God and a glimmer of Christmas in each day. Thank you ever so much for your prayers and love.
In our 11th & 12th year of St Brigid's Academy Homeschool, we aimed to have more outdoor adventures and learning. Melissa grabbed many ideas from the Charlotte Mason method which focuses on the strengths and desires of the children, reading and narration, and exploration. We took classes at the Wargo Nature Center, strolled through new parks, went fishing, swam in the lake, we Marched for Life at the capital, volunteered, built projects, studied outer space, took art classes, attended conferences and retreats, visited the new Children's Museum, watched the Great Solar Eclipse of 2017, made a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadeloupe Shrine in WI, and just took more time for each other instead of workbooks- making many new memories. Best of all, we have made so many new homeschool friends our calendar is always filled with something fun to do.
Mikayla is finding her own way at age 15. She is enjoying having many electives in High School, and having more independence through outings with friends and church. She was Confirmed in the spring, attended retreats, and feels called to a vocation in youth ministry. You can usually find her reading a book or skyping friends in some corner of the house. She is working on getting her drivers license.
Stanley takes 13 to a whole new height! He is the same size as his dad, and taking on some manly tasks around the house. He enjoys reading, Math and History, but would spend all day creating in Minecraft or with Legos if we let him. Glad he met some great friends who share in his interests from engineering to sci-fi.
Sabrina at age 10 is just as busy as her mom. She is very responsible, likes helping in the kitchen, and is a mini-momma to the littles. Sabrina can't get enough time with her girlfriends, or enough paper for her artwork. Reliable, creative and a friend to everyone.
Jonathan received his 1st reconciliation & 1st Eucharist just before his 8th birthday. He found he has a real knack for numbers and likes staying active. He really enjoys time with his buddies and computer/game time. He does his own stunts, which earned him his first set of stitches. We hope he never loses his courage and sense of adventure.
Edward (Eddie) turned 5 on Feb 15 and the world was his playground. There wasn't anything he didn't want to try, see, touch, explore. he especially loved time at the playgrounds, at the pool/lake, and with friends. His favorite classes were Nature, Art and Math. His last moment on Oct 17, 2017** was adventuring outside with his siblings on a beautiful autumn day. Eddie's soul is now having the biggest adventure in Heaven, which we aspire to join someday. His life has inspired us to make time for and join in on many Family Adventures! If our story inspires you - share online with #Adventures4Eddie
Molly blesses us with her 3 year old excitement for everything. She is a girly-girl who likes to dress like a princess, bake, paint and create. Molly is also fond of SuperGirl, Paw Patrol, ponies and playing house. Creativity may include special drawings on the walls, on her face, or on her brother - or saving time by cutting her own hair. She simply loved taking a wiggle & dance class. Call her anytime, because she loves to talk and has plenty to say. Molly loves to make others smile and join in her fun.
David is a busy Toddler at age 2. He doesn't let anything stop him. He'll climb, crawl, leap or sneak to get what he wants. There is no doubt David will keep us youthful and attentive! His favorites are Paw Patrol, Trains, Cars, and eating all the Apples.
Oliver, our 1 year old labradoodle, has found his way into our hearts. He is as big as a bear cub, but is a great snuggler, obedient, playful and friendly. Oh, those black curls are so soft! There are still days we wonder what we were thinking. Then again, he is just like having another toddler in the house and is just too sweet to stay upset at.
Tom & Melissa are getting grayer but wiser by the day. We celebrated 15 years of marriage! Every moment of it so precious and blessed with love. We will begin our new year in a new home***, to start the next chapter of our life - our new normal.
Dear God, help me spend today with a Smile on my face, a Love of learning in our hearts,
Joy in your grace, and to be Helpful as we do our part. Amen.
We pray you have a Merry Christmas & a New Year filled with God's Grace!
Tom, Melissa, Mikayla, Stanley, Sabrina, Jonathan, Molly, David and Oliver
and in Heaven saint Eddie (and miscarried babies) celebrating with Jesus.
Our Last (Posed) Family Photo Together
**A note about Eddie's death. He was in a hammock with the other kids, and the tree it was tied to came down on his sweet head. It had been an unusually wet fall and the old roots let loose. It was the last swing of the season before we planned to put it away and cut down the tree this winter. Eddie revealed to us in a spiritual encounter that the only pain he felt "was being ripped away from us." and that he has found "Joy in God's Grace." He said "Everyone needs to forgive themselves." That has been the hardest part of all of this, forgiving ourselves for not removing the tree sooner. We count our blessings that we had 6 wonderful years with our son, and that his last weeks were a fun, faith filled, treasured time with his family and friends. We seek the Lord for strength and offer our suffering for the conversion of sinners. We have faith that because of his age, and spiritual encounters with him shortly after his death, he went straight to Heaven. He lives!
I'll post more about the spiritual encounters on this blog when time allows, but until then you can read about some of it on Facebook #Adventures4Eddie.
***We're moving closer to our church community and central to all our friends and family. It was an easy decision, as we've been looking for the opportunity to move for about 5 years. Losing our son was a final push to do it. While our family is having fewer flashbacks at home, and the good memories far outweigh the bad, we still made this decision with great amounts of prayer and consideration by our whole family. Everything has seemed to have the hand of God in the process.
