While I am not really enjoying this time of our family being apart, I must say that a silver lining is all the time I am getting with Jacob.  This year was his transformation year: getting braces, being accepted into school, voice changing.  Adolescence, here we are.   He and I have so much…

    It is such a blast being with only 3 kids–we are having such fun!    One high point was all 4 of us in the pool all afternoon. I haven’t hung out like that in ages!

    It is so strange to be a school mom–for the first time!  Jake started summer school last week, getting ready to matriculate in the fall in Cistercian Prep School.  Goodness, it is so fun!  He is so happy to be doing well, getting hundreds so far!     This is a main reason…

Jacob, Leigh, Annie and I traveled for 18 hours to get home–we all stayed awake the entire time with the help of a little caffeine!  Annie on caffeine is sort of funny. 🙂 But we came home to a house with no power, so we stayed in a hotel.  That was fun too!    …

Seeing Pope Francis, and receiving his blessing! A pilgrimage to Cascia, the home of St. Rita–what an incredible woman of faith! The Roman Forum and Colosseum. . . Such a blessing to have had such a special trip!  Such a blessing, I am so, so grateful!

Enjoying a renaissance of our marriage in home of the Renaissance!

Birthday mass under Bernini’s window of the Holy Spirit in St. Peter’s Gandolfo  Nemi (strawberry tarts made with Nemi’s famous strawberries) Piazza Navona (I ate so much of Annie’s homemade pasta carbonara that she cried, “Mom, I’m so HUNGY!” as I was paying the bill!) Clare near the Pantheon Annie at the Spanish Steps

   Annie, Leigh and I took a trip to Florence!  What A DELIGHT.  We stayed at a nice hotel, had nice food, went to Mass at the Duomo, shopped in the Lorenzo mercato, and best of all, enjoyed Fra Angelico’s monastery, full of frescoes he painted.     Fra Angelico’s monastery was the main reason…