Watchers in the Night

This print, by Thomas Blackshear, may be my favorite image of a guardian angel.    I would love to hang one over the bed of each of my children, to remind them that they can sleep in peace and safety with their own powerful agent of God keeping watch.  Sadly, it is out of print and nearly impossible to find for less than $500.

I asked an artist friend of ours if she could recreate the painting, using pictures I took of the girls "pretending" to sleep so she could paint them into the picture.  I like the second one best.  Natalie is in pink, Noelle in blue, Theresa is in pink in the last picture.  There was much silliness abounding.  You get the general idea.

As of 2021, it still hasn't happened.

Our Circle Picture Through the Years.

2009 - Sarah, 18; Scott, 16; Brian, 13; Conor, 11; Clare, 8; Theresa, 6; twins, 3.

2010 - Sarah, 19; Scott, 17; Brian, 14; Conor, 12; Clare, 9; Theresa, 7; twins, 4; Regina, newborn.

2011 - Sarah, 20; Scott, 18; Brian, 15; Conor, 13; Clare, 10; Theresa, 8; twins, 5; Regina, 1.

2012 - Sarah, 21; Scott, 19; Brian, 16; Conor, 14; Clare, 11; Theresa, 9; twins, 6; Regina, 2.

Looking Forward, Looking Back.

While listening to the fireworks marking the passing of another year, 

I looked back through the year of photos to pick out just a few of the innumerable moments for which I am thankful.

Welcoming Scarlett.

At 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 22, 4 days overdue and after 28 intense hours of labor, my son Scott and Britt welcomed their daughter, Scarlett McKenna, into the world.

7 pounds, 9 ounces, 21 inches long

After her first bath.

Christmas Skirts.

My mother asked me if, this year, I would make Christmas skirts for the girls instead of buying them Christmas dresses (as was her yearly tradition before being moved to a nursing home).  Um, how do you say 'no' to your mother in a nursing home?

Finding festive fabric was the first hurdle.  We don't have any big fabric stores within an hour or so, and our walmart didn't have a scrap of anything Christmasy.  Go figure.  Another reason to hate that place.  It took me about two weeks of looking before I remembered a place that MIGHT have some, and I was right.  They also had a great selection, and charged half the price I would have paid anywhere else!

If all things go well, I can knock off a skirt in 3-4 hours.  And thankfully, things went well.  I had all the skirts (plus a tree skirt) done in the space of a week, and we found pretty sparkly turtlenecks to go with them at Kmart.