Happy Birthday to Matthew!!!

Happy 19th Birthday, Matthew!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, too!!

We miss you!!

You will find your birthday card below.......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew has had quite a busy year since his 18th birthday!

He had three leads in three plays.......built two sets......graduated from high school....visited beautiful places....skied & shovelled.....

....applied for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program........

.........went to Switzerland....and more!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Here, is his year in pictures.....

AS YOU LOOK THROUGH>>>>PICK ONE FAVORITE PHOTO...

.......and tell us which one you like the best and why!

I got carried away.........there are a lot of pictures........

......and I could have used one, where I used two, or three.......or more :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aw, well...it is my perogative..... :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(BLOGGER puts all of those wide spaces in the post......not me!!!)

GRRRRRRR!

Matthew & his two brothers, last November 2008

Garrett & Malachy

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew had the lead in charter school fall play,

DON'T MENTION MY NAME

a few photos follow

this was actually just before his birthday last fall...

He also built the set.

Matthew with two co-stars.

Matthew, with his sister Sarah in the scarf....and Gavin and Kayla.

Did you know Matthew has an addiction?

Yes, we don't talk about it much.

He is addicted to babies......

....and,

he has this strange power over them.......

......getting them to sleep,

even if they were not sleepy.

Even if they just had a nap.

Above is Matthew with a new Benedict,

my little godson, son of John & Gloria, of San Francisco.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oops!!!

The 2 photos below are NOT from his last year, but from winter 20..

08........I told you I got carried away :)

Matthew had a great role in E/R, a play performed at the local junior college.

It was his first college role.

He was SO funny, playing a clean-cut kid who was tricked into taking an ecstasy tablet.

Can you tell?

&

~~~~~~~

Okay, now the rest is up-to-date!

Matthew's next role at the college was a lead part.

The play: INSPECTING CAROL

It was a play within a play........

a down-and-out community theater does A Christmas Carol for their winter show....

Matthew' part is hard to explain quickly....

....but within the play.....

...his six-foot-two character ends up playing Tiny Tim.....

...so, you can imagine the silliness.

See below....these photos, and the two above taken by Jason.

&

This was the FUNNIEST monologue........

.....and it is one of the biggest regrets in my life that I did not pirate a video of this!!!

And Tiny Tim says, "God bless us, everyone!"

That is Anne holding up the train! ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~

On the chair lift.....

Don't you love that mountain in the background?

The usual crowd:

Sarah, Maddelyn, Gavin, Malachy, Matthew & Garrett

A father and his sons: Matthew, Marty, Malachy & Garrett

~~~~~~~~~~~

And, then, we will really be missing Matthew every winter now,

for the rest of our lives......below is how he spends some of his winter

Garrett & Matthew in the backyard




Matthew on the roof, looking at the back of our house

(You should see how much snow we had in 2008!!)






Matthew cut out a little space on the roof for himself.







that's him again.....

~~~~~~~~




We went to visit their Great Grandma in Eureka, California on the Northern coast in March









These are the first photos with my new camera

Matthew is browsing in one of his favorite haunts....

...a used bookstore in Old Town Eureka........where he feeds his other addiction.

I have NO idea who he inherited that from???

Across the street from the bookstore.......all six kids.....you probably know them by now :)

You also probably know that Matthew is always the tall one......wonder if his brothers will ever catch up...they are doing some serious growing now!

Maddelyn loves Matthew!!

We are at "Sunset Beach" as we call it.......we have no idea what this place is really called. But I used to ask the kids when they were little if they wanted to go watch the sunset at the beach...and the gave it the name!

How cool a shot is this???

Matthew & Maddelyn.

On the bluff looking over the ocean.

How's THAT for a piece of driftwood!!

Six kids from Hearts' Haven

Matthew with two sisters.....Maddelyn & Anne

I love this!

Love the sky and ocean......stripes behind the vertical

Uncle Steve got us out of bed at 4:30am to watch thousands of geese take off.....we did, but it was much farther away than he imagined....it was still fun to be in the hush of the early morning, before others were about....and to see the sun rise......followed by donuts!

You will notice Sarah is missing fom the above picture....she refused to get up so early. :)

Thanks, Uncle Steve, for the inspiration!!

Now the sun is up.....the kids with Uncle Steve......their Great-uncle

This place was just south of Eureka, near a preserve where we love to visit.

Still on the northern California coast, we went to visit Fern Canyon.....

.....one of our favorite places in the whole world.

Matthew & his littlest brother, Malachy.

We had never been there in March before......before the State park folks have placed the footbridges.......thus we had to walk barefoot on rocks.....in freezing cold water....needless to say...I did not do much walking :)

Matthew and his littlest sister, Maddelyn, walking in the Redwoods above Fern Canyon

Love the shadows!

on a foot bridge in the Redwoods

3 boys : 3 girls

~~~~~~~~~~

The six again.....

....on the way home from Eureka,

on State Highway 299....this is the Trinity River

I like how Maddelyn is turned opposite the rest....it just changes the whole perspective!!

Up at midnight to celebrate Garrett's 12th birthday as soon as the clock turned.

Matthew sits with his stack of books found at the above bookstore....$1 each!!!

Matthew has been part of a cast of homeschooling/homeschooled kids making a WWII movie......this is before the shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew & Katie

In April, Matthew went down to Davis orientation for the Rotary Youth Exchange....

......and Katie came along, as a rebounder.....

..........one who had returned in the previous year from an exchange

Katie is my friend Sheila's daughter......we have known Katie since she was five years old.

The jacket she is wearing is typical of all the exchange students.

They wear it when they are to represent Rotary.

Notice all of the pins?

The students exchange pins when they meet and collect more on their travels.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a mass in April, we stopped for a visit at the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.

Matthew & two sisters, yet again. Maddelyn & Anne.

Matthew is the tall one...Marty is driving the car....while everyone else walked.

This is the random picture here...of the three boys the day Malachy was born.....

October 20, 2001

Garrett is 4 1/2 years & Matthew is just about 11 years old

Matthew and his mountain

Taken April 2009

at my birthday picnic at the lake

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew & his big sister, at her graduation with her AA from our local junior college.

May 2009

The close-up

And, the full shot.

We took some time in a crazy week,

to take a hike to McCloud Falls so AJ could see

some local falls before he returned to San Diego.

Matthew lounging on a rock just before Lower Falls

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew had the lead in the charter school's spring play:

The Gazebo

It was so good!

He also built this set, too.

Here is a photo essay......

Matthew is writing the plans for the set....

.....the door is from Gloria's parents house,

as is most of the furniture on the set......

Kyle, Matthew's #1

Marty is in the background

In this case,

Matthew led Marty through his building process,

instead of the other way around....

The same three.........

The cast rehearsing on the almost finished set.......Matthew is to the left.

And, now for the play.......

Matthew & Sierra

aka Elliot & Nell

This was the press release photo

Check out that gazebo!!

Matthew created it out of one piece of cardboard, it is still in one piece!

Sarah created the hearts.

Matthew & Sierra in real 1950'2 clothing.

We were playing around.......

the photo developer and an old lady would not believed I had just taken this photo the day before......

Ah, there is Matthew with a baby in his arms, yet again......

......this time it is Liam, Sierra's youngest brother.

Elliot was a writer.......you may have seen this on Matthew's facebook profile lately......

Nell & Elliot

Kyle & Sierra, siblings, and Matthew

Sierra & Matthew, and Maddelyn as the housekeeper.

Near the end of the play........this was on the night of filming,

not an actual run of the play.....

.....it was close to 2am

We have here, Sierra, Kyle, Matthew, Max & Samuel (another brother of Sierra)

Max had to learn his part in just a couple of hours due to losing a member of the cast for the filming.........you can see Matthew & Kyle trying not to crack up...Max had quite the monologue...and he had to ad lib sometimes...and it was FUNNY!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gloria & Matthew & baby Bennie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the end of May 2009,

Matthew participated in our charter school's high school graduation.

It was so lovely! Everyone said so.

It was the best graduation I have ever been to!

Matthew had been with our educational facilitator since he was in first grade.

A brief photto essay follows, again.......

..........because I can not seem to limit myself to one...or two...or four photos........

Above, Matthew introduces the keynote speaker, whom he had chosen and invited:

one of his favorite college teachers.......and Anne's favorite college teacher:

Eve Thompson, who had just retired the week before. :((((

~~~~~~~~~~

A few students had volunteered.....

......or, in Matthew's case, been volunteered, to perform for graduation.

In typical Matthew fashion,

it was the night before graduation that he finally

decided to recite a favorite poem of his.

Some of you may remember he won county in Poetry Out Loud...

...this was his third poem for state.

He was able to fill this packed 500 seat auditorium with his voice.

Of course...our family is quite good at being loud, I mean projecting.

*************

The Glove and the Lions

By Leigh Hunt



King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,
And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,
And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed:
And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

*

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;
With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;
Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;
The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;
Said Francis then, "Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there."

*

De Lorge's love o'erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame
With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same;
She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;
He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;
King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;
I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine.

*

She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled;
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild:
The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face.
"By God!" said Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat:
"No love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that."

********

Shelly, our educational facilitator, handing Matthew his diploma.

That is a photo of Matthew on the big screen behind them.

And, that really is the Statue of Liberty!

A crowd of well-wishers present at the graduation.

Looks like we have Maria and some of her kids: Sierra, Samuel, Kyle, Christopher

And Gavin & Max, and Matthew's siblings......

The graduate and his parents, Marty & Chari.

You can see he does not get his height from either of us. :)

The graduate & his five siblings.

The graduate & the little brother.

So sweet!

And lastly, the graduation dance, where Matthew & Sarah won the swing dance competition.

I know it is dark.....but I included it because it is when Matthew injured his knee.....a few minutes after this photo was snapped.......and he ended up on crutches for a month or so......

Taken by MaryJane.

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew at our summer bon fire.

With Kyle, Will, Christopher, Malachy,

Sarah, Sierra and a bunch of others not in the photo.......

Matthew with baby Liam...again

Their cousin Michael from New Hampshire came for a visit.

Marty took them for a ride up the mountain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

We spent ten days at Willa's house......

Matthew led a team of wigwam builders......

Aidan & Garrett look on.....

Sean & Matthew slept in the wigwam......and got rained on the second night :)

Matthew & his siblings and some of their best friends........

Matthew and his siblings in Old Town Sacramento

~~~~~~~

Matthew at beautiful Dunsmuir City Park, for Catherine's 10th birthday party.

Which included swmming in the great big city pool!

Matthew & Catherine, the birthday gal!

~~~~~~~~~~~

The 4th of July, as celebrated in our small town.

First, Matthew & his siblings during the Fun Walk.

Matthew, waiting for the parade and the Star-Spangled Banner singer......

with Evan & Miss Miranda, Sheila & Garrett

Oh, look! Matthew found a friend in Charlotte!!

Fireworks on the lake, like every year! And, the crowd gets bigger each year, too!

Is that Charlotte sitting in Matthew's lap??

Ha, ha.......see the crutches in the front of the photo?

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew stands with the local Rotary Club sponsoring him to Switzerland.

They are so happy!

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew & Max swim up to John & Bennie...

.....to play with the baby....how sweet is that?

Matthew & Max in the back row....of the college barbershop choir.

Matthew and his three sisters joined for the summer session.

~~~~~~

In July, Willa's family came up to see us for a week.......

This was the boy team in the boys vs girls

in a game I cannot remeber the name of....but kind of like charades.......

Sean, Liam, Matthew, Gavin & Malachy

I love these smiles.

Matthew & Sean........friends.

Relaxing........its all about to break loose.......

Willa's boys and mine...only Brendan was missing....

On bench, obviously impressed with the photo shoot are....

Aidan, Patrick & Malachy

Standing tall in the rear are Keiron, Garrett, Sean, Liam & Matthew

Moments before Willa was trying to leave for home......all of those boys began throwing something at each other.....I cannot seem to remember what.....it made it hard to get them into the car :)

Malachy-Liam-Matthew-Keiron-Sean

(Is Sean dancing?? Hey, Clare!! I think he might actually be dancing! ;) )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My kids put on a dance party on our front lawn in the first week of August

It became known as "Matthew's going-away party"

Matthew & Sierra S.....his leading lady from THE GAZEBO

(See photos above)

Matthew & the "boys"

~Micah~Garrett~Matthew McW~Matthew~

~Daniel McW~Kyle~Gavin~

~Samuel~Malachy~

Matthew & Sierra B.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel & Matthew McW with Matthew & Garrett

on Matthew's last full day at home

The night before we took Matthew away......there was champagne......and toasts.

Anne, Matthew, Maddelyn, Garrett & Marty

Matthew hugs Anne goodbye,

as we pull out of the driveway,

to take him to Switzerland,

via San Francisco

On his way out of own, Matthew stopped to say goodbye to

Louise, Evan, Miss Miranda & the wee princeling.....I was there when he was born :)

Matthew with Sheila (Katie's mom....see photo somewhere above),

the one who most inspired (tempted???)
him to apply for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program

This was taken just moments before Matthew left our hometown for the last time in 2009

Two nights before Matthew left for Switzerland, we stayed with Gloria & John

Here are my five youngest kids (out of six :) ) and Joan & Gloria and their five youngest kids, also out of six. :)

Chari~Catherine~Clementine~Maddelyn~Malachy~

~Charlotte-in-Matthew's arms~

Clairemarie~Sarah~Garrett~Gloria~

~Benedict (my little Godson)~John~

Another photo of Matthew holding Charlotte..........anyone else notice a theme here?

the night before he left for Switzerland.....I believe he tucked her in and promised her some Swiss chocolate. :)

Sarah, his creative and fashion-savy sister, placing his pins on his Rotary jacket, the night before he left for Switzerland, at Gloria's house.........up WAAAY too late for what time we need to arise.

We were quite clever with his pins......see the starfish? It is a real one!

Matthew, moments before he went through security, on his way to Switzerland.

He does not know I took this photo. I love it!

It was the last time Sarah & I saw him in person.....

....August 10th, our 24th wedding anniversary

San Francisco Airport

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that my friends, was a walk down Memory Lane for Matthew's 19th year of life.......NOT a dull year!

Please leave note of birthday greetings for the boy........

We love you & miss you, Matthew!

Hope you enjoyed the journey!

Love,

your family,

waiting for you at Our Hearts Haven.

P.S. I could not get any photos of Matthew in Switzerland......please see Matthew's Facebook albums for those.

I will fix typos later...after I have had enough sleep!!

My Hearts' Haven Daybook

Written on Saturday evening, November 14th, while sitting in an old dance hall, built in 1906, while my four younger kids and their friends enjoy open ballroom dance......





I can only write these daybook entries when I can.....as you may have noticed......


Outside My Window.......it is a clear, freezing cold evening.....it was 28* when we left the house for the dance hall. BRRRRRRR!!!!

Last night, we had our first snowfall......we got perhaps a half an inch......maybe 3/4....

It was so beautiful this morning......everything all white. The snow in the shade never even melted.





I am thinking........that I love having kids who want to go out every Saturday night.......ballroom dancing!!

I am thankful for.......a woodstove to heat up our house.......with wood cut by my husband and sons.....and HOT TEA!!!

I am especially grateful as I sit freezing, with steam rising from my mouth, in this 1906, NOT heated dance hall!



From the kitchen.........Gloria and John are here for the weekend, from San Francisco.....and tonight we ate lamb loin chops (mmm, good, Gloria!), roasted diced root vegetables.......including carrots and turnips from our garden......Lebanese salad......steamed spinach with peanut sauce and steamed kale. For dessert, the rare pre-packaged treat....Ghiradelli's double chocolate brownie with ice cream.



I am wearing......let's see...leggings, knee socks, shirt, sweater and winter coat.....I am trying to keep warm...not doing too bad.....except for that numb nose :)



I am creating........a writing workshop using IEW and a Shakespeare Club.

Hmmm....I think I need to add those two items to my daybook.....

Ah, and an essay as a college reference letter.......





I am going.....to get a good night's sleep tonight! And every night! How is that for positive thinkin'?



I am reading.........I am over halfway through Walden; Or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. Reading Back of the North Wind aloud to the boys......not much...we need to get back into our reading habit.....

I wrote that above not too long ago....and it is still true :/

In the meantime, since the last DayBook post..... I have also read, finally, Betsy and Joe's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace, Neonatal Resusitation, Bride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen, Tis by Frank McCourt and who knows what else.....

I am about 150 pages into my first Dickens' novel, Bleak House. I had read about 50 pages before I realized it was about 850 total! I had assumed about 4-500. Once started, I was committed. Maddelyn recently read it and we want to see the movie. So, I have got to read it first...or I never will.





I am hoping.............in a week, to go see my 88 year-old grandma who lives on the Northern California coast



I am hearing......music: Swing.....Tangoes......Waltzes......Salsa......and more! And laughter, too!





I am wondering.......if we can get passed a long-term fall project shortly.....





Around the house.......I am sure not much has changed since the last time.......except, I did take care of a huge pile on my desk...now it is a very small pile of things I need to do related to a computer.....I am wondering how fast that small pile will double...or triple.....I have got to find some self-control!

Oh, actually, as I write...my house looks like I have another family visiting who has five young children :)

Now Showing..........still watching James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small......we are just starting the third, of seven, seasons. We have also recently re-watched Dan in Real Life. That movie is so funny. We also re-watched Meet the Parents. These movies have similarities. There are language and occasional adult themes or rude teenager behavior present in these movies...not for the kids.

In the schoolroom.....I don't really feel like writing this tonight....suffice it to say there is ballroom dancing, IEW writing workshop lesson 1, piano and math going on....and reading.

In our IEW Writing Workshop.....we have covered Lesson One in the B version of the Student writing Intensive....which covers Units I &II. I am doing this as a weekly co-op with my friend Maria's oldest four kids and my oldest three, of those still at home. The kids loved it! All of them, from age 10 years to age 17 years are pleased with the method. Me, too! I wish I had started this when Anne and Matthew were younger. I may even love this as much as Math-U-See. :)

In our Shakespeare Club.....we are scheduled to begin on Monday night. We will start with Much Ado About Nothing. We are going to try to think of a better name than "club"...any ideas? This group of kids will pretty much be the same group that is here dancing. And, practically the same group that did the last play in the spring, The Gazebo. These kids enjoy each others' company well. They are so good.





One of my favorite things......knowing that when we go to see Grandma......we will also be going to see the ocean. Having been raised in So. Cal...and having once lived for three years a few houses from the Boardwalk in Venice Beach.......I am quite attached to that ocean.





Signs of the seasons......snow on the ground, but not much. Freezing temps. Coats, gloves, scarves, leggings, and hot chocolate.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week........Writing Workshop.......our first Shakespeare Club gathering.......teach a childbirth class....help Matthew finish a series of seven essays for a college application........send the younger boys to play at Shawna's for the day.....see Romeo & Juliet at the local high school.....take Malachy to see a new-to-us orthodontist for his difficult dental issues.....and then drive to the coast afterward to go see grandma through next Monday, when we return home to face Thanksgiving Week.......and a visit from Anne!



Special prayer requests on my mind this week.........for a very special intention, for our priest who is recovering from a herniated disc in his back.....job issues for several men I know.....for the grieving homeschool moms.....



St. Gerard's List..........

Here is the list from the last Daybook:

Tonia, Suzanne, Jody, Suzanne, Clara.......the last two are nieces......

Tonia has delivered baby number 3, her first boy, Nathan...all is well!

Suzanne delivered baby number 5, a little boy: Ephraim....all is well!

Clara delivered baby number 5, a sweet great-niece, Eden Rose, on Anne's birthday!!

Jody is due in December, baby#5, sister to Suzanne above...and Gloria way above :)

I have no idea if my niece Suzanne has had her baby...anyone??

To add to my list here: a local friend, Shirley expecting in July.

And, especially all of the woman in my last childbirth class....several have little to no support for their pregnancies, their lives.....



I am currently scrapbooking......I was just thinking today that I cannot even remember what I was last scrapbooking, it has been so long...still since the last week of June, at Willa's home.......sigh...I may need to go visit her just to get myself jumpstarted again :)



I am exercising.........uh, I am?? I am hoping to remember to start later this week.......



Here is picture thought I am sharing........

THE THREE COUSINS!

Passed out together are Hudson, aged 7, Malachy, aged 7 and Avery, aged 4.5

visiting Geogie-Pop's house in December 2007.

love & blessings,

chari

Much Ado About Nothing!

Our Shakespeare Club will, God willing, especially barring any illness in our cast, begin on November 16th, at 6:30 pm, at Hearts' Haven.

I DO wish all of you could join us......perhaps we will read through a play when you come to visit?

In the meantime, the cast for our first play,

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

is as follows:

Beatrice-Maddelyn

Leonato-Gavin

Claudio-Matthew Mc

Don Pedro-Kyle

Benedick-Daniel

Hero-Sierra

Dogberry-Samuel

Friar Francis-Samuel

Don John-Garrett

Verges-Garrett

Borachio-Sarah

Margaret-Sarah

Messenger-Sarah

Ursula-Bethany

Antonio-Bethany

A Watchman-Bethany

Conrade-Chari

Narrator-Chari

Balthasar-Chari

A Sexton-Malachy

A boy-Malachy

If for some unexpected reason, anyone else joins us, I will give them my parts, or any of the doubled-up parts.

So, look over your parts if you have time, maybe mark your lines.....whatver works for you.

We are looking forward to this opportunity of reading through the play with all of you......it will be quite fun & interesting.

And, to those of you poor college students who have gone away from us.......we would love to try to read through a play or two this summer.......we DO miss you and wish you could be a part of our little group.

See you next week!

Blessings,

Chari

It's an Un-Birthday Post!

Happy Un-Birthday to You!

And, to me, too! :)

I do have a friend who is NOT clelebrating her un-birthday today!


Happy Birthday to Bethany!

Bethany is a new friend.....my girls love her...and Malachy finds her a delightful and patient ballroom dance partner :) I think she is 23 years today. Birthday prayers for you, too!

And because I am here today.. ..I do not want to forget that Sue is not celebrating her

UN-Birthday tomorrow either.......

Happy Birthday to Su(e)!!!

Sue is my friend who goes all the way to the age of 14 years. I think she may be my only friend from that time period with whom I am still in contact....from Agoura High School, in Agoura, CA. We have fun and wonderful...and stressful.....memories of that time.....Happy birthday prayers, for you!

In the meantime...just some random thoughts.....aka Haven Heartbeats.....

GRATEFUL & LOOKIN' GOOD:

I am so grateful to my friend Patty who has been tutoring my kids in math in the past two years.....I think this is the third year. My kids have blossomed in math under her tutelage...she got Matthew to and through Alegbra I & Geometry, and of course, this positively affected his SAT scores. She helped Anne get caught up and was there any time Anne had a math question while taking classes at the college. And last semester, she began working with Sarah & Maddleyn.....and these girls have made great progress though their books......and they are addicted to being tutored by Patty. They just loathe missing a date with her.

Did I mention I was so grateful? THANKS PATTY!

And, as aside, Patty & her husband have been working very hard, eating right and walking like crazy......and Patty, you are looking good! Congratulations on all of that hard work paying off! Now, to see if I can be inspired........

THE WEATHER, CURRENTLY:

The below was written orginally on October 14th:
I hear tell we have received over 3 inches of rain yesterday.....three outings yesterday were cancelled due to the high winds and heavy rain.......this was a good thing for us....we got to stay close to home and get some schooling in! Our woodstove was most efficient and we were melting, even one slow log at a time......it was 80* when we went to bed...and 78* when we awakened. Good enough for me...no fire till tonight.

And, as the clouds lifted behind our house a bit last evening, I saw snow in them thar mountains........we have not seen Mount Shasta since Monday evening...can't wait to see what it looks like after this storm! It has been quite bare lately........I have a photo I took a day before this storm.......so we can compare. Eventually.

And, now an update on the weather now, as of Nov 4th.........we have had five gorgeous UN-November days.....near 70*...hear tell tomorrow, November is returning for good. Brrrr.

HOMESCHOOLING:

Since it is ME we are talking about here, you will not be surprised that we still do not have a rhythm going.......but, we are geting somewhere....and I am trying to bring back more of the method of homeschooling I used for my older kids, when they were the same age as Malachy & Garrett. We now have five read alouds going as well as studying a "composer of the month" and reading a picture book author, one at a time. This moment we are reading through Steven Kellogg's picture books, listening to Mendelssohn, reading Greek Myths, Howard Pyle's second King Arthur book and Back of the The North Wind by George MacDonald....as well as books about Leif Erikson and Saint Therese.

We are just finishing up a study of Bald Eagles, a good choice because we see them frequently enough near where we live....and we have done our first lapbook. Malachy enjoyed this immensely and Garrett tolerated it. We are about to start a study of animal classification and have started watching BBC's The Life Of Mammals. GREAT series!!! Our library has it, if anyone local wants to check it out. We will also do a lapbook with the classification. The boys and I are geting more intimate with the Vikings in history.

They are zipping through their Math-U-See books because they have already learned the concepts. Both will be starting new books very soon......Malachy next week....actually, as an update, Malachy is already through 5 lessons in his nBeta book. He loves the new concepts: inequalities, place value notation, rounding and estimation. Both of them are all over the piano, starting to give Maddelyn competiton for time at the ivory keys. Garrett is currently reading through a chapter book series......and this is very encouraging. I cannot wait till he can read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. That will be a happy day indeed.

The girls are managing their high school curricula fairly well. This is the first time I let the high schoolers just study whatever history period for the year they wanted.......instead of what the family was doing (actually, the family always studied what the high schoolers' were doing)...and it is going just fine, and it is almost easier. I miss the family-wide study and conversation...but this seems to be what is working best for our family now.

Sarah is doing a medieval study that I wrote just for her and her learning style. Maddelyn is doing Mother of Divine Grace American history syllabus. For science, Sarah is doing biology and Maddelyn is doing Mother of Divine Grace's earth science. It is kind of cool to live in volcano-land and take field trips to make her science more "alive"...if rocks can be alive ;) Maddelyn is tackling Latin and doing fairly well....I appreciate her motivation and determination. I look ahead....and eventually she will be passing my brain power up....Willa will have to help her then!!! Sarah is taking a German class through our charter school. She has a fantasy about joining a youth exchange program and going to a German-speaking country, like Austria, perhaps. She wants to be more ready than Matthew was.....she is also appreciating Patty letting her use the Rosetta Stone when she visits Patty's house.

They are both starting their high school projects now. Both will be sewing and Patty has agreed to mentor them.......they are both sewing different skirts.

WORK:

I have worked a bit more lately. At least that is what the paycheck reflects. :)

Last night I started the November series of childbirth classes. I teach three classes in a series, every other month, excluding summer. The demographics were a different situation than I have experienced in the last year. I have nine pregnant women. Three came without any partner......another with her 16yo cousin, another with her mom. Of the other four, one is a married couple. That's it. Just one. They almost looked out of place.....no, they did. Of the nine, three had no transportation of their own.....and two had no idea how they were going to get home. I offered both a ride....one's dad showed up for her ride....and the other disappeared.....just simply vanished.......weird. One pulled me aside to share one of her deep secrets with me. The dad who picked up his daughter is worried about who will be with her when she has the baby..........wow. There is a lot of stress in that room.


And, here was a phone call I received just before my class yesterday: a girl called for her cousin who is 16.........to sign her up.........so she does not miss the class.......she says "I really want her to go to the class....she needs to go, right?"........and is also informed me that she is begging her cousin to breastfeed her baby......I ask the caller how old she is...she says, 16 years also....my!

I am so glad these girls are choosing life for their babies......last night's class is a reminder that that the support must continue now that they have chosen life......they need parenting support, and more. I am not referring to the government social services either.......that is another whole story...and I am not going there right now. I am so grateful to the local pregnancy center in our little town. They SHINE at this kind of support. One of my friends is the director.....God created Donna for this job. She is awesome. I am so proud of her and the work her people do. Thank you!

Nurses only have a moment with their patients.....it really does take teamwork for all of us to work together.....we see the needs, but there is not much time for us to do much. So, we model appropriate behaviors, we care non-judgementally.......and we smile and hug. Research has shown that the nursing care a woman receives in her childbirth experience can affect her parenting......we really can do important work in our little windows of opportunity.

BIRTHDAYS:

Why all of the posts about birthdays last month? Well, I had been neglecting my blog......and so I challenged myself to post more by focusing on the Octbober birthdays, of which there are a lot...and I missed some, too!!

Happy Birthday to my friend Lisa, on the 28th! And, maybe a nephew, too......I believe Damien's birthday is the same date, or right around there.

Damien's brother Joseph had a birthday on the 15th.....and he and his wife are due to have a little girl in about 8 weeks.

My cousin Mark had a Halloween birthday.

I am sure I might be missing someone.....if so, I am sorry!

Matthew has a birthday coming up on Thanksgiving Day this year......I hear he is worried about a birthday post.......maybe full of incriminating photos?

ST. GERARD'S LIST:

My friend Maria is expecting her 8th baby!! She is due May 20th. Prayers for a low risk pregnancy appreciated!

Gloria's sister-in-law Jody is due in December with baby #5.

Our niece Suzanne is due any moment, I think, with baby #3.

And her brother Joseph and wife Christine are due in early January with baby #1.

I wonder who I am leaving off the list......

We pray a daily Memorare for all expectant moms and in thanksgiving for all delivered.

Clara, our niece, had her 5th baby, Eden Rose, on Anne's 21st birthday.

And, Suzanne, Gloria's sister, had her 5th baby in September.

Louise had her wee fella in July....of which I gratefully got to be a part of that experience.

They were all on our list of friends expecting in the past few months.......

PRAYER REQUESTS:

I know I will have a hard time remembering these right now.........but......

For a friend's baby, who may have something wrong with him.....his name is Ephram.

For another friend and her family.....for the dad's job situation......he has a temporary job at the moment......we are begging God to beg the owners to keep him on. Join us?

For a friend who is an older lady, a "pen pal" of mine....her husband has health issues and her son has health issues......and various other needs.

For a family who has adopted six children (a sibling group), adding to their four they already have.

For all college students.......as they cope in the world without their family support.....and try to maintain their faith in this hostile world.

For a certain person I know to get into the college of his choice.

And, of course, for all women who are pregnant and have no support.

For other private intentions.......

Do you have any requests for us to pray for you?

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Well, I think I will wrap this up and get it posted before it becomes extremely outdated!

Blessings to you and yours!!

With love & Prayers,

Chari

It's The Little Man's Birthday Today......

EIGHT years ago, we had this.......

Anne, 13 years old, proxy for the godparents at Malachy's baptism

Also, Father Hunter & Sarah, 8 years

Garrett, 4.5 years & Malachy

Malachy & godfather, Uncle Christopher

Malachy with godmother, Aunt Dana


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, now...........we have scenes from the latest year in Malachy's life........

In the snow.......at night.....couldn't wait to get out there...

........at least this one time he has shoes on!!!

He loved tee ball this year, being on Abraham's (son of Shawna) team....

....his taller friend next to him there.......

Too cute!

With oldest sister Anne, when she graduated with her AA in May

With his oldest brother, and tallest, at Matthew's High School graduation in May

In the Lake at our annual Catholic homeschool campout

Malachy & one of his favorite friends, Paddy (son of Willa),

in one of their many imaginary games...

Malachy with his friend Winona....

....another one he has grown up with since birth...

...that also includes Abraham & Paddy above, too

Malachy hated baths his first year of life...

....but has been a lake boy ever since.....

One of his duplo creations.......this was a church

Paddy, Aidan & Malachy....friends since their forever started :)

This summer with Catholic homeschooling friends at Castle Lake,

Clementine, another "forever" friend, in the background

I love this action shot!

At a public pool for Catherine G.'s birthday party....such fun!

By the Sacramento River at a lovely park.....

........picnicking for Catherine's birthday

The brothers, Garrett & Malachy,

the night of the Taiko concert,

held outdoors, at the base of the mountain.....nice August night.

Malachy with one of his favorite dance partners, Bethany!!

Taken at our summer 2009 dance party.

Malachy and big sister Anne, at the same party.

Winona & Malachy created this special mask and a cape for her little brother, Jade.

Malachy cuddling a chihuahua friend, after he and Winona had bathed the two dogs.

Malachy has loved the felines around Hearts' Haven since he realized their existence.

Malachy with two of his best friends......sisters Clairemarie & Clementine.

Berrypicking, summer '09.

Malachy loves kite flying!

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Happy birthday, Malachy!!!

We love you!!!!

We thank God every day for bringing you to our family.

Love from your family at Our Hearts' Haven!!