Celebrating our 9th Anniversary and a visit with Br. Tim

Chris and I have not always been great about getting OUT for dates.  But this year, we have had A LOT of visitors, and we decided to do something we never do--ask people to watch the kids when they stayed here so we could get a few dates.  People were fairly happy to oblige, and we were excited to be able to plan some fun dates together.  Our anniversary was a few days ago and we are stretching out the celebrating.  We were able to sneak out for a very fancy dinner date (thanks to the generosity of my grandmother as well as willing babysitters) about a week prior to our 9 year anniversary.  Chris found the fancy restaurant and I was to plan some fun for before dinner.

First we headed to the local library and checked out a few books on their "books and brew" list (where they pair a local beer with a book).  We are currently working through one of the books together in the evenings.  

Next we headed to a church not far from the restaurant Mary, Mother of God.  Unfortunately the church building was locked so we couldn't get in to see the lovely church and say a rosary together there. That's the back of the church.  boo.  :(  Oh well, we will try it another time.  

 

Chris found us a place to snag a drink before dinner and take a silly selfie

 

And then we walked over to our dinner venue.  It was AMAZING.  

My grandmother gives us a generous anniversary gift each year and we always end up using the money to help out with something that broke around the house or something far more practical anyway...

This year, we decided to do something for us and have a new, fun experience together.  So we did a very fancy dinner in which there were 5 courses (but they ended up giving us a few extra on top of that making it more like 7 courses) each paired with a wine.  Normally I don't share a bunch of pictures of food, but this was amazing and truly a work of art.  So I am sharing in case any of you find food to be as interesting as we do.  

It was divine.  

The menu

This is a radish, covered in delicious-ness.  It was an "extra"

First course--octopus (read a bit of the descriptions above on that menu for a more full picture of what this involved).  It was our favorite of the 7 courses.  The salsa verde (the green dollops in the picture) had incredible flavor.  

The next course was tomatoes with a bunch of extra goodness.  Very delicious.  

The pasta course was filled with ground veal and had a browned butter sage sauce.  Tasted like a hint of fall.  Mmmmm. 

Next was a fancy sea bass course.  This was my second favorite of the courses.  Words can't describe the flavors married together on that dish. 

Another "extra" -- some kind of berry cup.  It was sweet and served with tiny spoons.  Super cute. 

Dessert was essentially a really fancy peaches and cream dish.  Fancy indeed, there are lavender meringue pieces in there.  :)  It was very tasty, but I had to have Chris help me finish it because I was so full from the other courses.   

We had a blast.  

On our actual anniversary was a couple days ago and we were able to meet up with a Steubenville friend who is becoming a Dominican priest in the spring, Br. Timothy Danaher.  

We chatted and caught up (we haven't seen him since he was a novice in Cincinnati, 7 years ago).  And then Kayla and Br. Tim recited poetry to each other.  Tim recited some works for her (not his own) and she recited two that we've been memorizing during morning time recently, "The Village Blacksmith" and "The Swing".  And then Tim just started making up rhymes to make her laugh.  It was time well spent indeed.  

            

             

Fr. Ben Croell (who was at Chris' childhood parish for a time) was also out in the area (he and another Dominican priest and Br. Tim were putting on a mission), so we got to visit with him briefly as well.  

Fr. Ben gave us a special anniversary blessing and blessed us with the oil of St. Joseph and gave the whole family a blessing as well.  What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon for our 9th anniversary. 

Later that evening local friends offered to watch the kids if we wanted to get out, so we said sure.  We had a few breweries we had been interested in trying out together.  So we went and had a few drinks out and then came home and had a little "dinner in" after the kids were asleep.  

Happy 9th Anniversary, Chris!  I can hardly believe we've been married that long.  When God brought us together 12 years ago, I knew you were special, but I could never have foreseen the fun we'd have together and the many memories we'd make.  Life (and marriage) is certainly filled with struggle, but we've also been blessed with an outpouring of love and joy through it all.  Thanks for doing life with me, for better or worse, in sickness and health, till death do us part.  I love you. 

Merry Christmas 2016!

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  

-John 1:14

Just sharing our Christmas letter and some pictures and

wishing you a blessed and joyous Christmas!

For this year's letter we present

The Bissonnette Family 2016 

Christmas "Poet-Tree"

The girls helped me color them which made it really special.  Personal touch and wonderful memories made.  I couldn't ask for more when writing our annual Christmas letter for friends and family, near and far. 

For easier reading, I have copied and pasted the poems below some of the outtakes...

Chris

patient, smart

brewing beer, strumming guitar, moving to Colorado

first time dad to a SON, new job as a consultant at Netsuite (now Oracle), never-tiring driver, Tommy Emmanuel concert

hiking our first 14er as a family, backpacking with Kayla in the Rockies, watching football with his son

caring, goofy

Daddy

                    still Learning the ropes of homeschooling

                           Another pregnancy, another fast birth, another sweet baby

                          Up and down the aisle as bridesmaid for sis’s wedding (K, E, and A all flower girls)                             Reading some wonderful books and still documenting our family on the blog                                    mAking new friends in two different, lovely mom’s groups at nearby parishes. 

Backpacking through the mountains and over streams, 

7 year old Kayla lost a sock on the way. 

She excelled in swimming and began 2nd grade, 

and she reads and continues ballet. 

Elise, 5, tried dance

Kindergarten, soccer next?

conquered swimming fears

Ava

sweet, sensitive

enjoyed tumbling camp

with her big sisters

Four

Spunky, 2 year old, silly Sophie

Heads through {Utah} Nat’nl Parks with glee

In October, traveling onto Cincy

Friendly, sweetie meets Dad’s family

Kolbe, 2 weeks early, was quite a grand surprise

A BOY! Wait… BOY? He’s 4 months old and recently baptized

Sending Christmas love and joy 

from our family to yours!

Memorial Day 2016

In years past, we've done different projects to help remember our fallen soldiers and to help us remember to pray for them in the coming weeks especially.  This year, I revived an old project I came up with a few years back, cookie cutter painted poppies.  Click on the link to see how to do the project (a simple easy painting project for the kiddos or for you!).

"We cherish too, the Poppy red. 
That grows on fields where valor led.
It seems to signal to the skies, 
That blood of heroes never dies."

-Moina Michael

Here are our finished products from this year.  

 

Ava- 3.5 years

 

Elise- 5 years

 

Kayla- 6.75 years

All the girls helped make this poppy on a small canvas.  Haven't decided exactly what I'll do with it yet.  Perhaps give it away to someone if it feels right.  Perhaps use it to decorate somewhere around our home.  Perhaps it will be part of our seasonal American holiday decor....

 

Kayla also led her sisters in some red, white, and blue themed coloring.  Hers is the flag, Elise's is a picture of a man and a woman holding a flag, and Ava's is...red, white, and blue!  ;)

Today will be a low-key day around here.  Chris is grilling brats later and we are making S'mores in our new fire pit.  Chris won the March Madness pool at his former job, and used his Amazon gift card prize to buy us a fire pit for the backyard.  What a guy.  

We went for a nice family walk before lunch to explore the area a bit more.  Kayla's new favorite walking/hiking "game" is to go through the alphabet naming things.  We started with the U.S. states.  Then we tried to think of flowers for each letter.  Today we did animals.  

And most important of all, today we'll be praying for the souls of those men and women who gave their lives for our freedoms.   Thank you so much for your service, your lives, your bravery, and your sacrifice.  

"May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

A blessed Memorial Day to you, family and friends!

Sharing Poetry: "The Last Time"

  I'm no photographer, but I joined up with a fun Instagram photo challenge with @blessedisshe_ titled ProjectBlessed, and the photo theme yesterday was "memories".  Well that sparked a trip down memory lane.  My very favorite memories aren't anything out of the ordinary.  Meeting the love of my life.  Traveling. Marrying the love of my life.  The births of our beautiful little girls. And of course all the memories we are continuing to make together each and every day...

Well that made me start looking through scrapbooks and well, this little collage happened. 

Oh my goodness how are they all so grown up now? Well, except the one I just birthed 4 weeks ago...

So, yeah--I found the poem below on Pinterest awhile back.  The author is unknown.  What a poem though.     Beware, moms and dads out there, you will probably not be able to get through this poem with dry eyes.  I bawl every time I read it.  Go ahead, prove me wrong.  

Are you crying? You're welcome. 

I don't want to be judgmental, but heck-- yes I do. If you aren't, I'm not sure you have a heart...

I just read it again while cuddling my 4 week old baby.  

Do you know any synonyms for bawling? Because, yes, I'm doing all of them. 

A Lovely Marian Poem by Chesterton

A Marian Poem 

by G.K. Chesterton

Found here on Pinterest

When God turned back eternity and was young,

Ancient of Days, grown little for your mirth

(As under the low arch the land is bright)

Peered through you, gate of heaven--and saw the earth.

Or shutting out his shining skies awhile

Built you about him for a house of gold

To see in pictured walls his storied world

Return upon him as a tale is told.

Or found his mirror there, the only glass

That would not break with that unbearable light

Till in a corner of the high dark house

God looked on God, as ghosts meet in the night.

Star of his morning, that un-fallen star

In the strange starry overturn of space

When earth and sky changed places for an hour

And heaven looked upwards in a human face.

Or young on your strong knees and lifted up

Wisdom cried out, whose voice is in the street,

And more than twilight of twi-formed cherubim

Made of his throne indeed a mercy-seat.

Or risen from play at your pale raiment's hem

God, grown adventurous from all time's repose,

Of your tall body climbed the ivory tower

And kissed upon your mouth the mystic rose.

poem found here

picture found here on Pinterest

Mother of Grace poem

I read the poem below here and it just really spoke to me as a mother especially.  I've always loved Our Lady, but since becoming a mother myself, I just somehow love and admire her even more.  Enjoy!

Mother of Grace

Whom earth, and sea, and sky proclaim 

The Ruler of their triple fame - 

He unto Whom their praises rise 

Within the womb of Mary lies.

O happy Mother that thou art! 

Close underneath thy beating heart 

Lies thy Creator-God Who plann'd 

The world He holds within His hand.

Blest by the herald Angel's tongue, 

O'er thee God's shadowing Spirit hung, 

And fill'd thy womb whence issued forth 

The long-desir'd of all the earth.

O Mary, Mother of all Grace, 

Mother of Mercy to our race, 

Protect us now from Satan's power, 

And own us at life's closing hour.

From the Little Office 

George S. Brady. Mary in Song and in Prayer. 

Virginia: George S. Brady, 1972.