"While the world changes, the cross stands firm."

After what seemed like the longest year in Prep (Religion), Cadence has finally been confirmed!!  The amount of things that were required to make Confirmation were painful.  I fully support the kids learning and understanding to make this sacrament, but writing a letter to our priest, answering specific points with at least 3 sentences each. 

Another paper for May Crowning, about Mary, and a 3^rd paper about the name of the Saint they chose.

It doesn’t seem like much, when it’s spread out, however, it was happening during the school year, when the kids already receive a bunch of homework.  This was in addition to various meetings and “retreats”.  Cadence doesn’t not write well and was very stressed during all the papers. 

All of the churches in the diocese hold their Confirmation at the Cathedral and the Bishop (usually) is the one doing the confirming. 

When we got to the church – it was PACKED.  There were supposed to be a total of 5 churches making their confirmation, but there were actually 9!  This happened to be on a Thursday evening (all of the others were Saturdays) and it started at 7 pm.  There were 100’s of kids making confirmation.  They all looked beautiful and of course the Cathedral itself is beautiful, but the process was TERRIBLE.  We could see nothing – I didn’t even know when Cai was up there.  I felt like I was there to stare at the back of the heads in front of me because I couldn’t see anything else.  I’m still bitter about it and it’s been over a month since she made it.

It didn’t end until after 9, which infuriated me because it was a school night and my kids had school the next day.  While the children making their confirmation, that attend Catholic schools, have teachers that don’t assign homework and understand what is happening, public school teachers do not know, nor can they work their lessons around this. 

I was so happy when it was done. In four years this will start all over with Bry, but we’ll be at a different home church AND I’m prepared.  We saved all of the papers Cai wrote.   😊

Even though I was annoyed by everything, I couldn’t be more proud of Cadence. She looked beautiful.  And Andrea, her sponsor, was so supportive.  I'm so thankful to have her in my life and to have her be a role model for my girls! 

Parenthood

While we wait for Cai's dr appt (next week - ugh), I have to remind myself this, very often.

It's hard to see her struggle and get frustrated when she's not 'getting it'.  I get mad at myself b/c she's an amazing kid.  And I know this.  Yet, for some reason, I always want her to be more.  Not for me, but for her.  I want her to not struggle with school b/c I see how tiring it is for her.  I want her to be less shy, b/c I see how hurt she is when she's not included (b/c she won't put herself out there). 

God, give me strength.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is 2 1/2 wks away!!  And Christmas is 48 days away!  Damn.  I hate how quickly times goes once Halloween hits.  I wish it would slow down.

If you're not following me on facebook - please do so and comment where you're from.

My link: https://www.facebook.com/lifeasqueenmommy/

I hope you have a great week! 

Wordless Wednesday - Snapchat fun w/the Princess

All-Star Cheerleading

When Cadence was 3 yrs old, she was shy.  But not the normal 3 yr old shy.  Completely debilitating.  She would freeze if you spoke to her – she wouldn’t make eye contact.  She would walk away, as though you weren’t there.  Her dr suggested we put her in a group sport., where she’d perform in front of people.
I found a great gymnastics center and she LOVED it.  It took a few months for her to talk to the coaches and make eye contact.  But finally, she felt comfortable with them.  And even more, she loved doing the activities.  For 6 mos she was the happiest kid ever.  And it really did help.  She was still really anxious about talking to people, but it was better. 
Then summer came to an end and we were told of a schedule change & price increase.  Ugh.
I couldn’t work with the schedule change, unfortunately.   BUT, in its place, I found a tiny level cheer team.  I enrolled her and she’s been a cheerleader since. 

She again went back to not speaking very often, except with people she was friends with.  But at her first competition…she ate up the attention!  I was shocked.  I was sooo worried she’d go out on the mats, in front of 100’s of people and freeze while her teammates performed…but she was on it.  She loved it!  I am fairly certain I cried at her first competition!

 

1st year cheering - tiny

As the years have gone by, she’s been on a few teams.  She started w/CSE for 2 yrs…but the coach/owner ‘retired’ to take care of her kids and so ended a decade of a great team and coaches.

2nd year cheering - tiny

 

She started on a the team that ‘inherited’ CSE, but I wasn’t a fan of their head coach.  Luckily, two of her old coaches started their own team.  She moved there for 2 years.  But again, all good things must come to an end and SEA ended so both coaches could pursue their studies. 

 

3rd year cheering - mini

4th yr cheering - mini

As every season ended, I would ask her if she was sure she wanted to do it another season, b/c once she was signed up, there was no backing out.  And every year she said yes.

After SEA, I found Titans.  Honestly, the price & minimal amount of competitions is what caught my eye.  They were a good team…but their coach left A LOT to be desired. I have now learned, we were very spoiled with our previous coaching experiences.  What we had w/CSE & SEA is not normal, unfortunately.  When TCE season ended (THEY WERE NATIONAL CHAMPS!!), Cadence finally said no, she did not want to cheer the following season.  I was shocked and a tiny bit disappointed. 

5th year - youth L1

 As a mom, who sat through HOURS of practices, I was very lucky to be surrounded by AMAZING moms.  While she was with CSE, I made quite a few friends, who I am still friends with today.  Titans was a lot different than CSE & SEA, the families all stayed to themselves and they didn’t speak to other families.  It was weird for me, having come from such a warm, friendly team. 

 After a season off, Cadence begged me to find a team.  Again, I looked for one that was inexpensive (I use the term loosely, as all-star cheer is CRAZY expensive) and found COCG.  Two of my friends brought their daughters and it felt good to watch Cadence do her thing.  And Bryleigh was able to join in on their tiny team!  She was ecstatic.  It was a hard year.  Being off a year was hard for Cadence.  It was a lot of adjustment.  Also, being with a coach that she didn’t know, again, was hard.  She missed Morgan, Chelsea & Stacey.  These were the coaches that made her love the sport.  She got through her year as a ‘ruby’ (Youth L1) and considered not joining for the most current season. 

 

Cadence's 6th yr - youth L1 & Bry's 1st yr - tiny

But she was excited to go with her friend again and joined.  This has been a heard season for her.  She’s now cheering on a L2 team.  She spends 30 mins an evening practicing facials, or BWO or arm movements.  She holds cans of veggies in the air to build up strength since she’s a base.  The very beginning of the season she wanted to quit - but I don't believe in starting something and dropping out before you finish.  Her coach was tough, and I told her it’s b/c it’s a tough level.  I have to reassure her that her coach believes in her and likes her and that she should not let what some of her teammates have said to her, affect her (way easier said than done!)…but in July, she decided she was going to prove her teammates wrong.  She may not be the best – but she is probably the most dedicated.  She tells me all the time she just wants to be able to tell them suck it.  I am proud of her determination. 

She was sad to see her friend leave a few months into the season (so was I) but happy to have her cousin join!  She said at least she has one person she can trust and knows likes her.  It makes me sad she thinks this, but proud b/c she’s not letting it stop her from doing a sport she loves.

Bryleigh has wanted to cheer as long as she’s been able to walk.  She loved following her sister around cheering with her and stunting.  Last year, her first year, as a tiny, she was on a duo team.  They always looked so freaking adorable out there performing in front of everyone.  This year she is on the ‘sapphires’ youth L1.  She is excited to have been put as a flyer.  She works very hard, too. 

Two weeks ago they had their team pictures – omgosh – they all looked amazing. 

 

Bry & her teammate trying to stay warm waiting for pics on a chilly Nov afternoon

Bry's 2nd yr cheering - mini L1 & Cadence's 7th yr cheering - youth L2

And yesterday was their first competition of the season!  They didn’t place as well as they had hoped – but they did so much better than their showcase in Oct.  It was obvious the amount of work all the girls have put into their routines!  We were all very proud of them.

 

 

They have another competition in a few weeks.  I can only imagine how much better they will look.  I don’t know if this will be Cai’s last year or not…she’s endured a lot this season, emotionally, but even if it is, her hard work has made me so proud! 

 

Cheers!

 

2015 Apraxia Walk

This was our 4^th year joining the Apraxia Walk and Bryleigh’s last year as a superhero.  When our family started the apraxia journey 4 yrs ago, I did NOT think we would

a.     Get through it this quickly

b.    Meet amazing people during this journey

c.     Find an amazing group that has taught me so much

 Shortly after Bry was dx, I was worried about how she would progress.  My only example was our nephew Dallas.  He is now 21 yrs old and still has a speech impediment.  If he speaks too quickly, it’s hard to understand him.  I didn’t want this for Bryleigh!   I made sure to put her into intense therapy, she did 2 summers of speech camp and we constantly worked on speech at home. 
A cheer mom told me about NWO Apraxia Support shortly after Bry was dx.  We attended their second walk and I was grateful to the wonderful items she rec’d in her superhero bag!  Shortly after, I applied for & she rec’d an iPad from NWO Apraxia Support during their grant cycle.  She had a ton of speech apps and some games.  I worried she would only use it for fun.  Then one day, I walked into the family room and she was on the couch with one of the speech apps going.  It showed you how to use your mouth.  She was mimicking the person on the app.  My eyes immediately teared up! 
Her hard work paid off when she was released from speech shortly after her 5^th b/day!

About a year and a half ago, they amended their mission statement to include ‘invisible disabilities’ i.e. physical or mental challenge that is not always obvious to the onlooker, but can sometimes or always limit daily activities.  It can range from mild challenges to severe limitations and vary from person to person.  This includes, but is not limited to ADHD, anxiety, epilepsy, autism, Tourette syndrome, SPD, non-specific learning disabilities, dyslexia, CAS and other speech and language disorders. 

We applied for and rec’d a therapy grant for Cadence.  It was a huge help for her speech therapy at BG.  Woo! 

The 2014 walk was the first time Cadence was a superhero.  She thought it was pretty neat, except the part about going on stage to receive her medal.  She gets anxious about attention being on her, alone.  But she did it, so I was proud of her for that. 
This year’s walk was at the Toledo Zoo.  This was the first time the venue changed since it started 5 yrs ago.  It was amazing!!  The SWAT team came in, dressed as superheroes and repelled down one of the walk ways.  The kids loved it.  Their superhero bags were out of this world.  I was absolutely shocked when we went through them after getting home.  They were filled to the top with amazing items!

This baby penguin loved Bryleigh

My friends & I donated art supplies for this basket.  Funds raised were donated to Shared Lives Studio

Each child gets a superhero prize.  Cadence rec’d a watch that I can set up reminders.  So at different times during the day, it will vibrate and remind her to pay attention, at lunch it’s set up to remind her to wipe her face while eating.  Other reminders are to ‘take a breath’, ‘use manners’, ‘give a compliment’, ‘use fidget’, use ‘chew necklace, not shirt’.  It’s an amazing piece of equipment!  Bryleigh rec’d Tiggly.  She LOVES it!

After I worked the raffle ticket table, my mom, the girls & I walked around the zoo for a little bit.  We finally headed back for the raffle drawing for an iPad mini.

Cadence won!!!  She was soooo happy!  She could not wait to get home and play on it. It has been an amazing tool for her as well.  She has a vision therapy app, spelling word apps, reading comprehension apps…all in the form of games and she loves them. 

I will sing praises to NWO Apraxia whenever anyone will listen!  They are truly amazing.

 

 

I am 'that mom'

Dear IEP Moms….how true is this?
 

Some of these bullets, I’ve thought of…but not thought of…the notion was just a blip on my radar.  Then I read this.  ‘The one who sometimes dreads adulthood instead of looking forward to it’.

There is no IEP when you’re an adult.  There is no reduced spelling list.  There isn’t an intervention specialist that will help you finish that project for college or work.

Sometimes I feel like an asshole because I think  ‘Can she manage w/o help when she gets a job?’.  I have to clarify, her learning disability is not debilitating.  So I feel like I overreact when I see what other parents have to deal with.  But on the other hand, I watch what my 6 yr old can accomplish and my heart breaks for my 10 yr old.  So yea…what is going to happen when she’s on her own as an adult?!

Last week, Cai was writing a story.  I encourage it, but in reality I HATE it b/c she’s asking how to spell words most 10 yr olds know how to spell.  I know, I’m an asshole.  One of the questions was how to spell ask.  I said, ‘sound it out’.  As soon as I did, I cringed.  She cannot sound out words.  So ask..she would sound out each sound, but when it’s time to put those sounds together, she’d spell something completely off the wall – like dog or something. 

Anyway, she started to sound it out and Bry walks over and quickly sounds it out and tells her how to spell it.  Cai looked defeated and said, ‘is she right?’  I almost wanted to lie and say no b/c I could see she wasn’t happy about her little sister, in first grade, spelling it for her.  I said yes and told Bry to let Cai do her own spelling, unless she is asked for help.

BUT

I also wanted to tell Bry how proud of her I was and make a big deal about her spelling! 

So..again..asshole mom b/c I couldn’t/didn’t congratulate her for doing well b/c I didn’t want the other to feel worse.

I should have just told her.  A S K

When I start to get mad that she learns differently or when I’m just so annoyed b/c WHY CAN’T SHE GET IT??!!!  I start to get more mad at myself.  So what..she can’t spell.  So what…she can’t put a sentence together…she doesn’t understand math..or money.  SHE’S HEALTHY…SHE’S ALIVE….she’s not dealing with other disabilities.  Why can’t I be thankful she’s ONLY dealing with learning disabilities instead of being mad that she struggles?

My heart aches and my mind hates me. 

It’s a vicious cycle.

But don’t ever take my guilt & self-doubt as a sign of weakness.  Because I promise…. I am “that mom.”

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

Convergence Excess

I’ve blogged before about how Cadence learns differently and how she was put on an IEP.  In Feb the school did a full assessment and found that she had fine motor delay as well as Convergence Insufficiency. 

I immediately scheduled her with a vision therapist for testing.  After the test results (which were heartbreaking) I was told she actually has Convergence Excess and that vision therapy would be a huge help for her.  It will not improve her IQ, however, it will make her eyes work correctly.  Right now, if she focuses too long, she will go cross eyed.  She gets headaches from reading for too long…

As for fine motor, she has problems with writing and manipulation. 

We started her in vision therapy & OT once school was out.  It’s a relief to know what’s wrong and to be working on fixing it.  She also switched from a non-stimulant (Straterra) and is now on Vyvanse.  There is a huge difference in her attention span.  I hate having her on it – but I also know she needs it. 

 I don’t understand why she has to struggle more than an average kid.  Of course, as a parent, you think back to how this could be your fault.  I had so much morphine during my pregnancy b/c I was in so much pain.  Did that cause it?  Did all the DVT’s do something to her?  Was it the fertility drugs?  She had sleep apnea, did that cause it?  I was induced at 37 wks, was she not ready?  Did her lack of daycare hinder her?  I just don’t know.  And it kills me….I just want her to be ‘normal’…I want her to have friends…she has 1 BFF…but she is awkward in social situations and doesn’t have many friends and it breaks my heart into a million pieces.  She is truly the nicest kid you’d ever meet…but other kids don’t have time to get to know that b/c they’re busy talking about the newest trend – which she doesn’t care about.

::sigh::  being a parent is one of the happiest, most depressing roles a person can play.  I would never give it up for anything – but the heart ache and seeing how unfair life can treat your kid breaks my heart!  Seriously - look at that smile!  <3

Birthday Card keepsake

Cadence’s art b/day party was a success!!  She had a blast, we had a blast, her friends had a blast!  I was beyond exhausted when it was over, but seeing the joy on her face was so worth it.  When my cousin’s daughter asked if I would plan her next party (omg.no.more.parties), I knew I did good!

Cadence got so many b/day cards and I hate throwing them all away.  I’ve seen some of my old ones (only ones I’ve managed to save b/c my mom does not have an organizational gene in her body, so none of my childhood cards have ever made it past the next day) and I love the memories that come with them.  I knew she would too..but how to store/display them?  Mine are scattered in various totes around the house…but I remembered seeing something on pinterest where they took those index card type rings, and put them together. 

 I thought a more sturdy way would be to bind them.  Luckily, I have access to one at work as well as to a few damaged combs, so rather than throwing out the messed up combs, I’m saving them for future birthdays/holidays!

 

 

Pretty awesome, right??!

 

 

Art Birthday Party Preparation

I’m getting super excited for Cadence’s 9^th b/ady party this weekend.  It is an art theme, we’ll have crafts and painting, which equals messy..but FUN!!

Even with only 4 days left until the party, I find myself randomly looking at pinterest for last minute ideas…

 

Luckily, our niece is coming to stay w/us tomorrow until Sunday to help me prepare/clean up...

 

Here is the invitiation I made for her party..

 

 

 

 

I have an editable version saved on my computer.  If anyone would like a copy, leave a comment w/your email address and I'll happily email it to you!

 

 

 

 

 

You know it's Friday when...

Friday means double therapy day...we have it scheduled so Cai's 2nd day of therapy is on Bry's...saving time on driving to BG is all that matters!  I am able to watch the therapies in the observation room.  I prefer to watch both girls, which means 2 tv's.  Since there are only 4 tvs total, if there are a lot of people there, I'll only watch on 1 tv and flip back and forth.  I don't think there are enough words to sign them the praises they deserve!  They are doing such awesome things with my kiddos!  Bryleigh's speech is 90% intelligible and Cadence is getting A's & B's in school.  I'm so proud of them and am beyond thankful for the therapists they work with, both at BG & at their schools.  They have helped my Bry's speech & Cai's reading tremendously!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends

My mom’s best friend, Terry, was always in my life.  Turns out, my mom had met her once…maybe it was in lamaze classes…I don’t remember for sure…but then they met again when my mom was in the hospital for her bp while she was pregnant w/me and while Terry was there having her daughter, Shannon.  I’m not sure when their friendship blossomed, if it was at the hospital the 2nd time or if it was when they were both waitresses at the same place.  Either way, they've been friends forever.
Her daughter and I are both the same age, so we played together and became friends too.  I can remember staying the night at her house (where she tortured me telling me there was a man in the window - uh, hey thanks for the nightmares Shan!) and her staying at mine. 
One time we were lying on my bed w/our feet against the wall and we put our feet through the wall.  My dad was pissed!  He was screaming at us and smashed my doll-house.
Huh...after typing that last part, it sounds like my dad was a monster…he wasn’t, really…but he was reallllly pissed! And maybe I should add...we didn't just have our feet on the wall - we were actually pounding our feet against the wall.  [insert my sheepish grin here]
When Shannon went to a different hs, we didn’t see each other much. I still saw Terry a lot just from being w/my mom went she went over and Terry coming to our house…then I ended up at the same high school as Shannon my junior yr – only she went to the vocational hs in our district, so again, we didn’t really see each other.
Terry found out she had cancer a few years after we graduated.  Shortly after...maybe before her diagnosis, Shannon had a little boy, Anthony, that was the spitting image of Terry.  It was insane how much he looked like her!
In 1999, while pregnant, I remember babysitting for Anthony.  Shannon was taking me home and she told me how her mom had lectured her to drive carefully w/me in the car b/c I was pregnant.   
A few days later, on 8/16/99, I miscarried.  I was heartbroken.
The next day, on 8/17/99, Terry lost her battle after a long hard fight.  I cried all the time.  Hormones, mourning my baby and mourning someone that was like an aunt to us, it left me with headaches and heartaches. 
One of the best pieces of advice I read shortly after my miscarriage was to name my baby.  I chose Terry Bryce.  Knowing my baby was being cared for by someone I loved so much helped the hurt in my heart.
Fast forward 14 years later and my beautiful daughter, Cadence and Shannon’s beautiful daughter, Kennedy, are now friends.
It makes me happy to see them together…it brings back fond memories of my childhood and every once in awhile, I feel like Terry and my dad are watching their granddaughters play, over a cup of coffee.

Holy 1st Communion

Why is it, on important days…ones that are planned, SOMETHING always goes awry? Sometimes I think I just have bad luck. Other times, I feel like God is testing me. Most times, I don’t really care why it wrong, I’m just pissed that it did.

Cadence’s 1st Communion was one of them. Dennis notified his DM that he HAD to be home on 5/5 because it was his daughters 1st Communion. His DM ran him into Laredo, TX earlier that week – but swore to him that he would be home in time. He was supposed to be home the night before, but as my life goes, he was not. Nor was he home first thing that morning. Or later that afternoon. He finally arrived that evening, long after the ceremony and even after the party.

I asked for advice from Mom’s w/kiddo’s that had already received the Sacrament. The #1 thing was to get her hair done professionally. I immediately asked my cousin to do Cadence’s hair. Since it was 3 mos early, I was proud of myself for actually having something arranged long before I needed it. That rarely happens for me.

Two weeks before Communion, my cousin calls me to inform me that she’s decided to go to Columbus w/my Aunt for my other cousins daughters pageant and do her hair. BUT she lined up one of her best friend’s to do Cai’s hair, and since she was the one that taught her everything she knows, we were in good hands.

Ok, I said, though, honestly, I was hurt. I asked months prior to have my cousin do it. Cadence is shy and awkward and I wanted to make sure she wasn’t acting like that when someone was doing her hair.

I get this was her niece in the pageant and that technically Cadence is just a 1st cousin once removed, but growing up the way we did, I guess I always considered our kids/their kids, more than a cousin once removed.

And I know they’re not Catholic so they don’t get how important this day is for a child who is, but that didn’t make the hurt feelings any less.

I appreciated that she lined someone else up for us, but the pageant wasn’t a mandatory event for my cousin to go to…but again..Cai’s not ‘real’ family..

While my hurt feelings were just that, when my emails/mesgs to her bf weren’t returned about when/where to meet to get Cai’s hair done, I was furious. First her bf had said she’d do it, 2nd, I shouldn’t be relying on her bf, I asked MY family and clearly I wasn’t important enough for her to skip one weekend or even come home early.

Maybe it was dumb, it was just getting her hair done, but when I asked that question, I rec’d at least 5 texts telling me ‘I wish I had gotten ___’s hair done professionally’ and so I made sure that was one of the first things I lined up. I actually think I had that figured out before Cai even had a dress!

When I realized my cousin's friend wasn’t going to be doing it, I raced to the salon. First, I didn’t have the $ to get it done, but I was hoping maybe it would be cheaper b/c her hair isn’t that long – no, apparently, it’s not. Second, it was a 45 min wait. Cai had to be at the Church in 50 mins for pics. Clearly getting her hair done – not happening.

I raced home, did what I could w/no knowledge and it fell out before the ceremony started.

On the WAY to Church, I got pulled over b/c I turned left into the right lane. But really, it was b/c after I passed him, he saw my black passenger. It’s good to know racial profiling is still alive and well.  That may sound harsh, but it's true.  Jaiden told me later that night, 'the 2 years i've lived in Toledo, the only 2 times I've been treated badly was out here (we live in a suburb of Toledo)'.  Once when we got pulled over & once at Cai's school.  Ouch.

He was a jerk. He came to the passenger side, though, she wasn’t the one driving. I handed him my license and he told me why he pulled me over. He asked me who the car was registered too, I told him, he asked how I knew him, I said it was my husband. He looked at my license and asked if I still lived at that address (which is where I had just turned from)…then he said, is your license ok? I said, yes…he said, you’re not lying to me are you? umm…WHAT?! Seriously, what?  I get people lie, but quit being so judgemental and realize, some people are actually honest..

Look, I’ll be one of the first people to say a lot of cops get bad press and aren’t really as bad as people say, my aunt & uncle are both retired officers, I used to work at the police dept for 2 yrs while in college…but sometimes, they are. And he was one of them.

While he was waiting for the license check, he said, so we’re pulling people over to check the licenses and to make sure they’re buckled. Hmmm…you said you pulled me over b/c of my turn. Let’s cut to the chase…Jaiden is black, I get it.

He asked where we were heading…not that I understand why this is any of his business, but I replied to my daughters 1st Communion and he said oh who, looking into the van – Cai raised her hand and said, me…

He told her she looked beautiful and good luck.

When my license came back clean, he told me to be careful of how I turn.

Suck.It.

Once at the Church, it didn’t get any better. It was hot and we were running late and Dennis wasn’t there and I had to do everything by myself and Cai was the only child in her class only walking w/one parent.

During the procession and during the whole ceremony, Cadence continually searched the back of the Church just incase Dennis walked in. Broke my heart.

After the ceremony and pictures, we raced to my aunts house for her party. She had a great time and I was happy once it was done. I was sooo tired and I just wanted to crawl into bed. Dennis got home shortly after I was done cleaning up, so we went and picked him up. Cadence was so happy to see him, it had probably been close to 3 wks since had been home.

At the end of the day, when I look at these pictures, it was a beautiful day. Do I wish Dennis was there, of course, do I wish her hair had been done, yep…but she received an important sacrament, so I will not let those setbacks overshadow what she celebrated.

“May you always feel as close to Jesus as you do today. May you always count on Him to gently guide you
on your way. May you always trust in God to answer every single prayer. May you always feel Him blessing you with tender, loving care.”




a bit of organized chaos

Receiving her Communion
"With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind."

--Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

 

Right after receiving Communion...she knows she's blessed

 Josh, Liz & Cadence

Bry, Chai, Colin, Tae

Cadence & the Priest

I love my girls!!

Our gift to Cadence was an outfit for her AG doll...her hair was actually done, but Bryleigh played with it during the service.

Probably my most favorite picture of the day!