New friends in the works...

I thought this past year (2006) was the year of the babies... but it looks like this year might be coming close ... atchy, with most of my friends and family having kids, i think every year could be the year of the babies.

Grace Cronk -arrived July 2007- Location: Helena, MT

Can't wait to meet both Grace and Agnes in one month!!

Baby Boy Novecosky -due in September- Location: Ft Myers, FL






Baby Cousino (niece or nephew) - due in September- Location: Saline, MI (yay! nice and close!)



Baby Bonjour- due October- Location: Steubenville, OH

Baby Balcerski- due Christmas- Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan



Baby Archie -due in February- Location: St Paul, MN





Baby Cousino (niece or nephew) -due in March ? - Location: New Orleans, LA
(no pic of the new baby, but the big brother is pretty darn cute)





and i'm probably missing at least one or two others...

A few very very last pix from Ireland

So, my friend Teresa sent me a CD of her pictures from Ireland, and somehow there are a few pictures of me... so, to prove i atchy did go to Ireland, i am including them here...



Ring of Kerry and my cute rental car Herbie.

Travelers lunch in a scenic spot on the ring of Kerry.


I've fallen and I can't get up... but i'm obviously not terribly upset, guess its not a bad place to be stuck :D



Another way to get spinal injuries- fall off cliff with very nice view

"I hate posing for pictures"

Me trying to keep up with the generous speed limits, especially on these dangerous and curving roads.

Action shot in the Burren

Yum - travelers lunch at Doolin Point... more bread and cheese and raspberry jam.

Excited to go into the tasting lab at the Guinness brewery


Teresa's classmate Tania and me in Dublin


Me at Glendalough. no i'm not pregnant, i was protecting my cameras under my raincoat- don't let the blue sky fool you, it poured rain both before and after our hike this day.


random picture near rock wall outside of random catherdral ruins we found in a random town we were driving through and then randomly stopped to explore and take pictures

This Week's Victories

Friday- Donal and Lindsey got engaged!! yay!!

Saturday- I had a day around the house after too many busy weekends. Naturally it wasn't as productive as I'd hoped, but still good.

Sunday- Softball games... I was relieved to have it all come together after a hectic time of trying to get teams together, etc. Sunday church league is 4 teams, all CTK people! It was a blast since you know at least half the people there (and I know probably more like 75%). ETC1 team lost to Tepeyac (I subbed in their second game), and ETC2 beat CTK in two games with an amazing turnaround in the last inning. I was certainly tired after catching for 3 games in a row, but it was a good time!

Monday- I managed to take Suzie biking (the first time) and I didn't kill her or me! That's a major victory! Actually, I found this contraption called the K9 cruiser, which you attach to the frame / back wheel of the bike, that keeps the dog behind you and out of the wheel. It was pretty cool and worked beautifully for Suzie. She was nervous at first (and so was I) but once she got the hang of it, she was running alongside me, grinning from ear to ear, tongue practically dragging on the pavement. and then she was practically comatose the rest of the evening from the good run- that is a serious victory.

Skip ahead to dropping Suzie off and picking Maggie up... yeah, Maggie always likes to be ahead of the bike (usually her leash is in my hand) and likes to start of the ride by running as fast as she can. She definitely did not understand that the K9 cruiser precludes that, or rather, when she tried it, i could feel the back end of my bike pulling her direction in a terrifying fashion. Some yelling ensued and we had to stop several times... but eventually she started to get the hang of it and we managed to finish the ride with no injuries (just high blood pressure on my part). Maggie was also exhausted from the run, so I had two black sleeping beauties! Life is good.

Supposedly, this K9 cruiser allows you to hook both dogs up... in fact, the picture on the package shows a lady with 3 large dogs connected... but for starters, i think i'll take the dogs separately until they get good at it, then i'll risk my life and try both at once... and when that happens, i'll have to enlist someone to take pictures, just to prove i did it :) stay tuned...

t-ball rocks

My nephew Geno is on a t-ball team for 4 & 5 year olds. He's a little younger than the rest of the kids, but VERY into the game. Having watched our softball team practically since birth and being a big baseball fan, he's very in tune to how it should all look. Now don't get me wrong, he's as clueless as the rest of the team as to what is really going on, when to run, what the other kids are doing, how to actually stop a moving ball, etc. but man, he does how it sknow how to stand :D

Mostly its fun to see how excited he is about being part of the team. When i walked up to the field, he was warming up and running the bases with the other kids. He saw me and yells out excitedly, "Hi!! I'm playin' t-ball Reenie!" What fun. Oh to be 3 again!

Lucy is just plain cool!

Its a love without end, amen.

I have to admit, i've been flirting with the dark side lately- listening to country music. Not usually a country music fan, I was getting tired of the angsty stuff on the rock / pop stations so I started to listen occasionally... anyway, this song gets stuck in my head... check out the chorus...



Love without end amen (George Strait)

I got sent home from school one day with a shiner on my eye
Fightin’ was against the rules and it didn’t matter why
When dad got home I told that story just like Id rehearsed
Then stood there on those tremblin’ knees and waitin’ for the worst

And he said...

Chorus:
Let me tell you a secret about a fathers love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then
It’s a love without end, amen
It’s a love without end, amen

When I became a father in the spring of 81
There was no doubt that stubborn boy was just like my fathers son
And when I thought my patience had been tested to the end
I took my daddy’s secret and passed it on to him



I said... Let me tell you a secret about a fathers love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then
It’s a love without end, amen. It’s a love without end, amen

Last night I dreamed I'd died and stood outside those pearly gates
When suddenly I realized there must be some mistake
If they know half the things I’ve done, they’ll never let me in
Then somewhere from the other side, I heard these words again

And they said... Let me tell you a secret about a fathers love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then
It’s a love without end, amen. It’s a love without end, amen




Its amazing to me the little ways that God shows and reminds me of His love for me. When I went to Ireland (an amazing trip), the chorus of this song would replay over and over in my head. In fact, I felt the entire trip was just a gift from God to me, a way to show me His love. Not because I deserve it, or needed it, or earned it, but simply because He is a Father who loves His children- Me!


I'd drive through the mountains, marveling at the beauty of His handiwork "Let me tell you a secret about a fathers love." Finding my irish relatives and getting to spend time with them "its a love without end, amen." Coming home to my own bed, my mutts, my blessed life here "Daddies don't just love their children every now and then..." Seeing a rainbow in the midst of a storm "its a love without end, amen." Hearing a niece who doesn't talk much says "Reen" for the first time... a quiet evening walk to watch the sunset... the gift of daily Mass and Eucharist... "its a love without end, amen."


I guess its been a theme in my life for the past couple months. A few months ago (okay, more like last November) I read the book "Captivating" by Stasi Elderidge. I remember her saying that God gives us beauty around us as a reminder of His love, that beautiful sunset that He made just so you could get a glimpse of His love. That has been hitting me a lot lately. I wouldn't say life is any better or worse than usual- but I've been seeing those little things, the simple every day reminders of the Father's love for me. And looking for those things and finding them can brighten even the hardest days and seasons.

the finale... Cliffs of Moher

Ireland- Ring of Kerry

Lunch with Finnegan - We drove off the main roads and found this lake and park and stopped for a travelers lunch (we ate a lot of bread and cheese). This random dog shows up, joins us for lunch- although even he refused to eat our 4 day old brown soda bread... hmmm... anyway, it was pretty funny. And after missing my own pooches for so long, some friendly dog company was very welcome.


"Wait, you're eating fresh bread and only offered me that nasty old bread? Can't i just have a little bite??"




Finnegan kept running over to the lake, and then looking at us as if to say "Come on guys, i thought we were friends, its time to play!"

More Pictures

Killarney National Park- Tuloc falls - beautiful day




The Burren- really intersting rocky landscape. We drove around the Burren in the morning on 5/22 (my last day in Ireland), it was rainy for part of the morning, but cleared up later so we could get out and explore. We hiked down to the ocean across the rocks, saw more locals, enjoyed the day...











more locals (somehow it isn't awkward taking pictures of the animals i met, whereas with the people, it felt too touristy :)


Irish Ass (a baby one ;)