bittersweet symphony

may 2011

May in the Marquette household ( and I think I can speak for the other Marquette households) is known as: crazy insane busy are you kidding me another concert will it ever end birthdays oh and 3 parades month. And the other marquette households might add more words such as: tests, state regulations, anniversary, retreats, homework, report cards, dress rehearsal, recital, costumes...

This May will be a little different.  It gets to be a month of recovery for me. My surgery is over and it went well and my sweet doctor called me with the test results today.  Everything is normal, average, fine. The cancer is gone and didn't spread.  So this May I find myself at rest.  (Let me say it's kinda of hard staying busy at doing nothing). But thanks to my amazing husband and amazing in laws I get to rest and heal and take my time.

I have a few lists and beautification household projects (thank you missy). But right now I am enjoying the quiet. Sitting with the windows open tonight at the dinner table.  Eating leftovers of wonderful meals brought by wonderful people.   Brady is already asleep (he fell asleep at 6:00 after one too many time outs). Eddie and Riley are outside enjoying the weather. Eddie was teaching Riley the fine art of catch. Eddie is such a patient father.  And then off to ride bikes. Oh and yesterday? Riley thought it was time to take off the training wheels and learn to ride a 2 wheeler. After about 30 minutes- eddie called me from the parking lot where they were riding (I am thinking okay how many band aids do I need?) instead I heard: Do you want to see your son riding a bike with no training wheels? So at 6.5 years old Riley is riding a 2 wheeler. And he rides FAST.

FAST that is where the time is going. This month Brady will also be 4. And he just knows Santa will come on his birthday and bring him a monster truck. He is still figuring out how the holidays work.  Other cousins will be 10, 5 and 7. How did this happen? I am hoping to take this may to catch up on some little details so I don't forget.

I want to breathe in the fresh spring air and breathe out the worry, the stress, the aniexty.  I need to talk to Sue again about that breath prayer. If you were in my sunday school class - right now your are remembering craig's funny response - well I have cold...

So hopefully I will be here more with pictures and memories and the goings on (and of course coupon deals! ) I have thought about taking this blog down - the pressure to post sometimes is too much. But then I figured - it's my journal of our lives right now. So I am going to leave it. But what I am stepping back from: Rachel Marquette Photography. I am hanging up the camera for a year or maybe more. I just want to focus on my family. I am just not feeling in my heart right now. And there are so many talented photogs out there - if you need one check out missy or marie - coming soon to a zip code near you...:)

I hope you got to enjoy the sunshine today!

 

10 on tuesday

1. Out with the old, in with the new. Happy New Year!  I am looking forward to 2011 and all the possibilities. Hoping this 10 on tuesday will explain my lack of blogging...

2. The last 3 months of 2010 were full of  stressful, wonderful, difficult, take your breath away moments.  The biggest moment :To make a long story short - I was diagnosed with stage 1a1 cervical cancer- but it's gone. I didn't know I had it, until I had outpatient surgery to remove all those bad cells in November.  So the next plan of action - a partial hysterectomy in 6 months.  This brought on so many bittersweet emotions. We were done with having kids, but when that option is taken away from you, it makes your heart heavy. And suddenly everyone around you is having babies.  My wonderful doctor called me the day before thanksgiving break to give me the results of my surgery and diagnosis and a brief next step. I went into the thanksgiving holiday with a full heavy heart.

3. The next biggest moment: While away at our traditional thanksgiving getaway in Hocking Hills with wonderful friends, our dear friend JD called home to talk to his parents, only to receive the devastating news that his father suddenly passed away hours before from a major heart attack.  JD is the only child of Big Joe and Helen. And Big Joe was simply a gentle, kind man that took care of his family. He will be missed.

4.  I spent the first week of December in a blur. Just wanting to hibernate with my little family. But it didn't last long, thank goodness, with the holidays right around the corner, it forced me to move and cross things off my list. But I wasn't fast enough - I was out shopping on Christmas Eve morning at 6:30 am to finish up.  My christmas card barely made it out in the mail.

5. We no longer have carpet in our kitchen! In it's place - 4 inch all wood planks of birch or maple. I love wood floors. Now I can't wait to tear the carpet out of the whole house- but don't tell Eddie.  No more paneling, nice walls covered in drywall and paint. New windows and beautiful white trim with shelves on top.  Eddie amazes me with his home improvement skills. 

6. We did the Polar Express this year with the D'Amicos. When we pulled in the train station - Riley's response when he figured out where we were - is this for real? I hope he still believes a couple more years. I don't want him to lose the magic and wonder. Brady was happy to see Santa.

7.  I was surprised with my very own Kitchen Aid Stand mixer on Christmas morning. (Thanks to call from my mother in law to my husband months before - you need to buy your wife this - and she used a coupon and got a rebate!! yeah!!)  Now it's official, I am really a grown up.

8. So glad that my sister missy started me on this wellness journey. Working out is good. And even better we can do it together. Everything is better with friends. I love you girl!!

9. My word for 2011: Breathe.   Breathe in life, friends, family. Breathe out: negativity, bad thoughts and stress. I need to remember to breathe. Sit up straight, inhale and exhale. Notice what it brings to my body, listen to my body.  I might have to make a post it note at work - so I remember to breathe - work is one of my biggest stresses right now. You know you are stressed if you upload the same pictures to 2 different photo sites (because they keep sending you coupon codes) and don't realize it until you receive double prints in the mail!! Breathe. Just breathe.

10.  I thought about shutting my blog down, but realized this is the closest record I have of my life right now, details I don't want to forget. I had to get this 1st post out of the way with all that heavy stuff. Sorry for being so blunt. (PSA: Ladies, don't skip your annual gyno appointment. If you notice anything or just don't feel something is right - call your doctor today!)  

Now that I have gotten past this post, I hope you will come back and read more.  Lighter subjects: pictures of the boys, kitchen pictures, Riley stories, Brady is potty trained! coupons deals (recent deal: 7 loaves of Roman meal bread for $1.00 at giant eagle) and other stuff... 

 

10 on tues...well now wednesday

1.this is late because all the computers in the house were being used...fantasy football draft night.  It must be getting close to fall! Eddie is only in 3 leagues this year. He is quite serious with his excel spreadsheets and graphs. You think I kid, but it's all true.

2. Riley is now 6! hopefully I will be back with a birthday recap this week. We basically started celebrating his birthday Thursday night and wrapped it up Sunday afternoon with ice cream cake and presents.

3. We went camping this weekend - our church retreat. And Saturday was a crazy weather day - cold, cloudy, rainy, some sun and lots of wind. But that didn't stop the boys from having fun. We got there set up camp, next to grammy & papa. Everyone else stayed in cabins with indoor plumbing. We took a walk with the our charges - trying to keep them busy until lunch time. Lunch and then free time. Dinner, campfire then a hayride. Now the hay trailer was pulled by Farmer Bob and he wasn't driving a tractor - but a ford f150. More on that later. I don't think the boys have run so much. They had a blast. They even went on a snipe hunt thanks to mr. m, but the snipe got away.

4.Now I am more of a camp in a cabin with dish tv and a hot tub kind of girl, but growing up we did camp. Well if you call a tarp thrown over a clothesline, between 2 trees, by a river in a cow pasture in Shenandoah  -camping - then we camped. For as long as I can remember - all the men in my family would go to the river around the 4th of july for a week or so. My grandpa (before his stroke) my dad, uncles, cousins. Later on my dad would take my nephews and brother in law.  But when I was little-  I remember going on this camping trip. I know my mom was probably a nervous wreck all the time, and didn't enjoy it. But I remember it being fun. I remember my uncle denny catching an eel and trying to whack it before it squirmed back into the river. And that would become a yearly tradition - who would catch the eel this year.  I remember my dad's green coleman grill that he would cook eggs and spam  on the iron skillet in for breakfast. I remember catfish for dinner. I have so many memories, but I am sure I only went a couple times, maybe only once, and maybe those memories are the stories I have heard so many times. But I want my children to experience stuff like this, even if it is out of my comfort zone. I don't want them to see that. I want them to have happy memories, I want to be that mama that "does" instead of the "does not".

5. wow, sorry about that tangent up there. Thanks to my 2 readers if you are still with me. Hi Marie! Hi Missy!

6. Missy, I hope everything goes smoothly this week as classes start back. And I hope your new employee works out!

7. Now that the boys have bunk beds, Brady doesn't roll out of bed every night and come to my side of the bed. To tell you the truth, I miss it.  I miss his little face at my bedside, I miss the little snuggles and whispers. I miss the weight of his little body as I carry him back to bed.

8. Fall is in the air - which means fall TV. What are you watching? Me: glee, Grey's,' parenthood, heroes, private practice, modern family.  I need a break from reality tv.

9. The Hornets lost their game on Friday night. Hopefully they can keep this streak up. We are going to the game Friday night to see Daddy & the band. I don't want to see the home team stomp North Royalton. I would really like to see my husband in October.

10. Swim lessons and piano lessons will be put on the schedule this week. We didn't make the soccer registration due to a mix up with the spring team - but it's okay. Riley got a set of golf clubs for his birthday (and not the fisher price kind either) so I don't think he will be missing soccer this fall.

10 on tuesday

1.  do you love heluva good cheese & chip dip? go to www.heluvagood.com and print out 2 coupons for .50 cents off any heluva good product. giant eagle has cheese blocks on sale 2 for $4.00 until tomorrow. I grabbed some for $1.00 each.

2. Speaking of Giant Eagle - I spent $59.88 and save $70.91. ask me how: coupons

3. This week is beginning to have too many bittersweet memories attached.

4. Today would have been my parents 49th wedding anniversary.

5. Today we lost a member of our church. He was eddie's sunday school teacher and youth advisor in high school.  Wade will be missed.

6. Tomorrow is my dear mother in law's birthday! She is so precious to me. I really don't know where I would be without her. I love that she sends me daily texts, emails and pictures of what is happening during the day with Riley & brady. I love that she collects stuff ( stamps, dishes, cookbooks, to name a few) I love when she hands me a book to read, because I know it will be good. And I know she will have the others waiting for me if it happens to be a series. She is talented & crafty. She is passionate about life and her family. And I am thankful I am in her family. I am so thankful she was born!

7. Friday is Riley's 6th birthday!  What? I know. He keeps telling me he is 5 and 1/2.  He can't wait to be six - I think he's just excited for more legos! He is loving school so much! I am taking Friday off to spend the day with him and Brady. I think we will go have pancakes for breakfast, then maybe pick up some donuts with sprinkles for an after school snack.

8. Friday is also my mentor/guru Sue Morgan's birthday. I love that Riley shares his day of birth with this force of nature. Sue has such natural gift of getting to the good stuff. To digging in and finding out what's really going on. Sue asks the tough questions. She always makes me cry (in a good way) I love that our friendship has an ebb and flow - sometimes - life experiences bridging the gap and vunerabities leave space for breath and safe spaces.  Her whole family is going through such transition right now, jobs taking them far away from each other, waiting for word on job leads. And all the while she gives up her sunday morning and teaches us about faith, Jesus, and what was he thinking. I hope she has a wonderful birthday and gets to soak up her family this weekend.

9. Friday also marks the one year passing of our Meemaw. Oh, there are no words. She has left behind her legacy of love in her husband, her daughter, her grandsons, her granddaughter, her great granddaughters and great grandsons. ( I didn't put grandson in law & granddaughter in laws - because she never called us that). I miss her laugh. I miss her stories. I miss the way she would grab your hand when talking to you. And she never missed a chance to say I love you. I love you meemaw. I saw 2 dragonflies today, I wonder how many I will see on Friday.

10. okay, I didn't realize how emotionally loaded this week was! Sorry about that! I am editing some pictures from the 4th of July. The D'Amicos, The Lees, and 1/2 of the Gerbers came over for a very laid back picnic. I love that this year we have 6 and 1 on the way kids between us. How did this happen? I remember many a picnics before kids when our only goal was to make sure we floated the keg.  These are some of my favorite people and I love these kids like my own. I will be posting a lot more on facebook to Denny can see them - he is still serving over seas. 

this could be: anytown, usa.  

I love this snapshot of our picnic. The guys close to the grill, go browns, beer in hand, water in hand. american flag, lawn chairs, roller coaster.

my boys. I love that riley is squishing brady so close. I love that they look so completely different. I am so glad they have each other.
 
 

is it wrong?

is it wrong...that riley put on a pair of 5t shorts today - they were way too tight  - so i turned around and put them on brady - and they fit!

is it wrong...that last night instead of posting pictures on my blog, i sat and held brady for 1.5 hours? after he crawled up into my lap and feel asleep.

is it wrong...that while I made mac & cheese for the boys tonight I ate cereal and counted that as dinner? (for me not them - they had mac & cheese, grapes & applesauce)

is it wrong...instead of going to the 1st football game of the season, I want to sit in my driveway after the kids go to bed and have grown up talk with grown up drinks? For the record, I can't wait to see the band this year, they are doing a band dance with fist pumping!

okay I made an back to school album...

summer so far...

summer school for eddie

safety town & graduation for riley - kindergarten in the fall

t-ball

playing in the sprinkler

lots of new bruises for brady

un-workshop trip to NY with marie

mint chocolate chip ice cream cones

eating lunch/dinner outside

too many smoothies

strawberries everywhere

failed at growing a "salsa" garden

trip to the Cleveland zoo with lots of friends

playing with cousins

1st friend, non-cousin birthday party for Riley (he got to play mini golf)

lots of questions about life and death from Riley

lots of "whys" from brady

lots of homework, note cards, emails, printer ink, computer parts for eddie

too many trips to Target

kids swim at sue's (18 kids and 8 mama's)

toy story 3

Eclipse

Eclipse (had to see it twice!)

stalling on home projects

attending a 10 year vow renewal ceremony

getting ready for family garage sale

staying up way too late

4th of July parade (oh my goodness was it hot !! too loud for Brady)

too many turkey hot dogs

root beer floats

visits with friends near & far

strawberry freezer jam

swimming at a lake with Aunt Deena, Dagen, DJ & mr. & mrs. crane

excited for newly pregnant friends (and the not so newly pregnant friends! not twins!)

long dinners with well behaved children in public

so you think you can dance

star wars legos

campfires, smores & catching fireflies for the 1st time

almost seeing the fireworks 

too many flies

celebrating birthdays

sunscreen 

dreaming of a beach vacation

new sunday school class for Brady - he and riley are now in the same class

corona light with lime

and not taking very many pictures!! Trying to enjoy being in the moment with my boys! As Ali Edwards would say "It's OK."  And that's okay with me.

6-18-10 safety town graduation... Riley had a lot of fun...I can't believe he is going to Kindergarten in a couple months. Whenever we drive by Silver Lake Church - Brady will say: ridey - there's your school! And Riley will say: Brady, that's my OLD school. Lincoln (abraham) is my new school!  Riley says he is so excited to go to his new school & learn new things! I hope he is still excited on the 1st day.

strawberry freezer jam

hello? anybody out there?

it's time to jump back into blogging. I have been off the radar since may?  Sorry! Before I lose my 3-5 readers, I thought I would share my new favorite recipe with you.

Growing up, my mom canned sauce, veggies, fruit & made strawberry & grape jelly.  Who has time to can these days? Let alone have a garden to tend to. So thanks to my www.kraftrecipes.com  magazine ( it's free for a year, comes with great easy recipes and coupons!) I came across this recipe and knew I could at least manage this.

Acme was having a great sale on strawberries...and I had been saving empty glass jars (canning variety and spaghetti sauce). Here you go....30 minutes to homemade strawberry freezer jam.

What you need:

2 cups crushed strawberries ( buy 1 qt fully ripe strawberries)

4 cups sugar, measured into a separate bowl

3/4  cup water

1 box Sure.Jell Fruit Pectin

make it:

1. rinse 5 (1-cup) glass or plastic containers & lids with boiling water. Dry completely. Stem & crush strawberries, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Mix water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 minute. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 minutes or until sugar is almost dissolved. A few sugar crystals may remain.

3. Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch from the top. Wipe off edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

That's it!!

verdict:it is so yummy! So fresh! I will never buy Smucker's again.

and since a post is boring without a picture, I thought I would post a little bit of a a recap of may-until present with each new post...

Since big brother got to play t-ball this year (may-june) Brady wanted to get the tee and bat out just about every time we are outside. And you know what? he has a pretty good swing.  I love that he is wearing the Lebron High tops that Uncle Jim got riley. Love the sun glare and the look on his face. Tball this year was pretty awesome. Eddie was coach again alongside Matt from our church.  Eddie & Riley worked hard all season. You could see the progress through the season with everyone's skills improving. We had great parents who were ready to help whenever or bring an extra snack for the siblings of the players. Next year coach pitch for Riley and t-ball for Brady. I hope Eddie can be Brady's 1st coach too.
  

meet the meatball

aka. Anthony James

jordan's little bro, Joanie & JD's baby.  I can't get enough of those cheeks. And he has mama's perfect little cupid mouth.

these were taken over memorial day weekend. And yes, he's a Bengals fan by default. Poor kid, will never know any different. Maybe when he gets older his Uncle Eddie and Uncle D can tell him about the other brown & orange team in Ohio.

 
 
  
  

peace and strength

This past week has been full of emotions. I have been praying all week but couldn't find the right words. Thank you to Pastor Ross, as he served Eddie communion on Sunday, he said: may you have peace and strength. Hearing Eddie tell me this on the way to calling hours yesterday gave me comfort and peace.

To go back a bit, last Wednesday, Eddie left on the band trip with 130 Highland Students and parents. Also that morning another fatal car accident was reported. Involving 3 Highland Students. I won't go into details, as it has been all over the news. But 2 students, a sister and brother lost their lives. Neither driver was at fault.

Eddie texted me the news an hour after he left. The sister of the other driver was on the band trip. Her brother was later released that day, but I am sure will endure a long road to recovery.  I was already praying when eddie left that morning for their safe travels and adventures.

Wednesday was spent in suspense waiting for the updates on the student. I had plans with my friend Stacy and her daughter for dinner. They provided a good distraction.  While the kids ran around we tried to catch up - had it really been 6 months since we saw each other last?

thursday - my mom came over for dinner. still praying but couldn't find the words. it was stressful, tense at moments, yet felt like old times. 

Friday  - I had moments of comfort today. dinner @ Hibachi's with marie, cassie and jen. It was so wonderful to laugh, drink a glass of wine, share stories, eat sushi, take pictures. thank you for the fun evening ladies!

saturday - day full of errands, cooking, baking, playing. No scrapping for me on this NSD. I spent the whole day with my boys. Oh how much I love them. They can crack me up one minute and make me want to scream the next, and I wouldn't change a thing. They are really missing daddy at this point - we make a card for his homecoming on Sunday.

(this is riley and daddy fishing - they are in a the boat - riley is next to a bucket full of fish -the purple things are fish jumping out of the water with water droplets. an apple tree with a vine, and a red sun. I love this so much because they have never been fishing -only talked about it & riley's writing is getting more controlled. brady's circles are on the left and more inside the card.) 

sunday - daddy's home @ 7:15 am! Brady was the 1st to greet him. Sunday school, so many more things to pray for, church,thank you Ben for the music, you couldn't have known a week ago when these songs were picked, lunch @ Olive Garden with missy & maya - a girls day (thank you miss for the break in reality) including 5 little girlies excited to see the Sleeping Beauty Ballet. Hearing the news that Shelly & Chris made it home with their new son!  Coming home to turn around again and go to calling hours for 2 students. Standing in line for 2 1/2 hours to get inside. Winding paths of people.  So much sadness for these students, parents, teachers and staff.  Watching a student cling to Eddie in grief tore my heart out, watching his dad try to keep it together long enough to thank eddie for being there. Hearing all the parents thank Eddie, thank you for taking care of my child. I wanted to be there for him to comfort him, but that wasn't working out. I couldn't stay strong enough. Then Ross's words rang in my heart again. MAY YOU HAVE PEACE AND STRENGTH. I just kept them on repeat as I shook the hands with their mother, older sister and step dad.   We couldn't make it home fast enough to gather up our boys from the Caps, take them home, hug them and tuck them into bed.

monday - I pray for more peace and strength as the double funeral happens today and as life keeps marching forward regardless.  

Sorry for the rambling, but some words I just needed to get down, for me. Life is a bittersweet journey and I am thankful for this place to share.

last but not least

finally!

Nancy has started her blog. And she has 2 wonderful posts already up. I have a feeling she is really going to like the land of blogging.  I am so excited now that all my sister in laws are on line!