McKinley Museum November Field Trip

Off to Canton for the November field trip. We picked up Granny and spent a couple hours at the McKinley Museum which is my favorite museum. We started in the basement with the science and nature displays and then went up stairs for the history section. They have made some changes to the museum but it still has such a great feel. Before heading to Granny's for pizza we ran up (ok some of us walked and still barely made it) up the 109 stairs. After pizza, we met Aunt Patty, Timmy, and Maddie and they joined John, Thomas and Thomas and Matthew Starrs for some Laser Tag. Uncle Tim and Aunt Maureen showed up and joined in the last round and of course Aunt Maureen came out the winner! The whole group went to Wendy' s for food and laughter!
It was a wonderful day!

Ocotber Field Trip Ramseyer Farm (out of order!)

The challenge was to find which way to go in the corn maze and the boys didn't always agree!

John, Thomas, Matthew and Thomas Starrs had a fun day at Ramseyer Farms in Wooster lauching potatoes, trying homemade potato chips, seeing a million pounds of potatoes, picking pumpkins, (the boys all picked these little pumpkins because they knew they had to carry them LOL), and then trying to find their way around the state of Ohio in the corn maze. Good times!

Discovery @ Night

I'd have to say the highlight of the trip for me was a tie between lazing on the beach with my 3 favorite guys and seeing the Discovery Shuttle all lit up at night. Both are etched in my memory.

November @ Cocoa Beach

We were blessed to take a little trip down south this month...don't think I ever took a trip in November but I must say I really enjoyed it! We went to see the Discovery Shuttle Launch with VIP passes courtesey of Bill Wrobel. We had an amazing week playing at the beach and touring the Kennedy Space Center. The launch kept being postponed and we eventually had to leave w/o experiencing it. As of now it is scheduled for Nov 30. We cannot complain though we had a wonderful week and made lots of memories with the boys.

Sept Field Trip Sorrowful Mother Shrine/Trains

The plan is to do a monthly field trip with some other families for John's 8th grade year. The September field trip was the Sorrowful Mother Shrine for Mass, lunch, and a treasure hunt for the teens. John, Thomas S, Clare and Gemma took off and seemed to have a great time searching for the Saints to match the clues I had made up. It did end up to be a bit of a girl vs. boy thing. LOL The rest of us did our own little treasure hunt and had a great time. We also wanted to tour the Mad River Train Museum but it was closed so we just spent time looking at and climbing on the trains.

14

Ahhhhhhh.....tumn

Watching the leaves dance down from the trees
Pumpkin spice latte...decaf of course
Cuddling in a blanket on the furnace
Following a compass through the corn maze
Leaf piles
Leaf jumping smiles
Blue skies and Gray skies
Orange, yellow, red, brown, green!
Carving Jack o' lanterns
Outdoor rosary in the candlelight
Pumpkin pie baking
Smell of burning leaves in the air
Flip flops one day boots the next

My Little Corner

The Smile

11

Thomas celebrated his 11th birthday with family at our home! He decorated the cake himself using crumbled oreo cookies for dirt and then strategically placed his army guys. We had lunch, cake and ice cream and then went to the Innfield in Lexington for some go carting fun. I think he smiled all day!

2010-2011 1st Day of School Treat

Pick a Peck of Peaches and a Pumpkin!

On the last Wens of summer break the Phillips family invited us to go with them and pick peaches at Apple Hill Orchard after Mass. I had never picked peaches and was surprised by how easy it was. When we went in to pay of course we had to also buy a few apple doughnuts and we were treated to the smell of freshly baking peach pies. What a lovely morning it was. When I came home I decided to pick our 1st little pumpkin. We have a volunteer pumpkin plant (actually 4 plants) and this little guy was already ripe. There are 3-4 more pumpkins we are hoping will get a bit bigger before they ripen. Fall is in the air!

That Sounds Like a Waterfall?

Another memory filled trip to Michigan. This year Lily was able to join us and Grandpa was there. The fishing was great and each of the girls caught at least 1 keeper bass. Gary and the girls decided to go way up river and fish their way back down. We dropped them off and they discovered lots of trees blocking the river, a large number of shallow spots they had to get out and pull the boat over, and even a small waterfall they had to navigate over. They were gone about 5-6 hour and came back starving and exhausted but with lots of stories to tell and a few more fish to fry.

The Fest

I was determined that we would make it to the Cleveland Fest this year. I had heard so many people say what a great event it is. Unfortunately Colleen was not feeling well and Michelle had to work so just the boys and I went. The Starrs family and Marion Life Teen were there so we hung out with them. It was an amazing day of, music, faith, and fun. Matt Maher, The Afters and the Newsboys were there and there was lots of other things to do including the chance to have your hair painted which the boys obviously took advantage of. The highlight was an outdoor Mass under the stars with thousands of people. It was amazing!

State Fair

The kids and I had a chance to spend a day at the Ohio State Fair. My niece Samantha was is the State Fair Youth Choir so we went to hear them sing. Wow they were impressive. I had to laugh one of their songs was "To Everything There is a Season" which seems to be a message from God for me this summer. We also painted on the State Fair mural, saw the butter cow and had milkshakes, ran into Kyle Swartz. Aunt Ann and Evan and Sean, and hung out in the ODNR area which has always been my favorite part of the fair.

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer 2010

Summer is such a special time of the year and summer 2010 has been no exception. July memories include Ontario 4th of July fireworks, Colleen's friend Stephanie's visit, Colleen's trip to the Smith's beach house in North Carolina, the annual Rooney reunion at Maureen's and the next week-end a visit from Uncle Ray and cousin Rick from down south at Aunt Mary Ann's on Lake Cable, swimming with the Starrs at Brookside in Marion, a cook-out with the Starrs and a sleepover (campout was rained out) with the Starrs boys, painting and carpeting the family room, dinner and Phantom of the Opera in Cleveland with Granny, her friend Angie, Aunt Maureen, Hannah, Patty, Aunt Sue Rooney, the girls and I and lots and lots of reading! Ahhhhh summer if only it could go on forever...but of course then we would not appreciate it! 23 days of summer left to enjoy!

A Time for Everything

The first reading of the Baccalaueate Mass was the reading from Ecclesiastes...it begins 'there is an appointed time for everything". A perfect reading for one moving from one stage of life to the next. The past few weeks as Colleen prepared for graduation and the boys wrapped up lessons for the year I have felt the reality of these words. I want so much to cling to this time. I have a wonderful husband and 4 little birdies still in the nest. We sit around the dinner table most nights and get loud as we share our lives. Sometimes (ok probably oftentimes) I try to tone it down a notch but truth be known I love those times around the table, loudness and all. This past week the kids and I stopped at a yard sale and I bought 4 books on teatime and a Emilie Barnes book on Timeless Treasures. The timeless treasure book caused me to look around my house and see so many treasures... knick knacks, photographs, books, children's art projects, our dining room set and so many more things that are tangible things that tell our life story. It was special to have my eyes opened to this. Then on the way to Canton I grabbed one of the teatime books to look at in the car and the theme of it is the reading from Ecclesiastes..funny how that happens so many times and when it does I know God has a very important lesson for me and I just better pay attention.

Graduation!

On Saturday June 5, 2010 Colleen Martina Korte walked across the auditorium floor of St. Peter High School to receive her diploma and enter the next stage of her life. We are so proud of you Colleen and ask God's blessings on your future!

Prom 2010

Colleen and Zach Stephens...aren't they beautiful/handsome?

Baccalaureate Mass

St Peter High School celebrated Baccalaureate Mass on June 2, 2010. At the end of Mass the seniors presented each of their parents with a flower. It was a beautiful Mass and evening and is stored in my mom's treasure box of memories.

John's Piano Recital 2010

Thomas' First Piano Recital

Happy 18th Birthday Colleen!

C-I-R-C-U-S

Towards the end of the school year one of Thomas's spelling words was circus. He commented that he had "never ever been to a circus". Well about 2 weeks later I was in Mary Anne's Meat store and there was a poster for a circus coming to Lexington on May 2oth. So on her birthday Colleen took Thomas to the circus and they had a grand time.

A wee bit Irish

Softball Senior Night

We thought Colleen was a little crazy for trying softball her senior year but she had a blast with the softball girls and impressed us all with her 2nd base skills and by the end of the season was batting pretty decent also!

May Crowning 2010

The senior activities at St Peter's begin with the traditional May Crowning which has been taking place for over 70 years on the first Monday in May. Colleen was chosen to be on the May Crowning Court and was privledged to sing the Ave Maria. It was another Mother's treasure box memory for me and a special day for Colleen! Mary, our heavenly mother pray for us!

The Birthday Princess

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY TO OUR PRECIOUS COLLEEN MARTINA! WE LOVE YOU!

SHE'S HOME SWEET HOME

After almost 4 months in Europe Michelle arrived at the Columbus airport on April 29. She actually walked through the gate 10 minutes before her plane was scheduled to arrive. We were beyond excited especially after the recent grounding of planes in Europe because of the volcano erupting in Iceland and it's ash causing havoc.

After lots of hugs we proceeded to the parking lot where Michelle could not wait to share her presents with us. Then we were off to Max and Erma's for dinner. Michelle was thrilled to have the waiter talk to her...in English! It is wonderful to have her home sweet home and now let the storytelling begin!

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

The mystery is solved but it depends on which show you went to as who killed Edwin Drood (our beloved Colleen). What a great show this was and how fun that there were multiple endings. I am usually relieved when the shows are over but as this is probably Colleen's last Children's Opera Theater performance, I admit to feeling a little sad.

Colleen, you are an amazing actress and singer and it will be fun to see where God leads you next.

Auf Wiedersehen (good bye in German... I think!)

There she is, a mixture of excitement, pride, and a touch of nervousness shining on her sweet little face. This is how she looked right before she went through security at the airport, all alone heading to D. C. and then AUSTRIA. I think I will remember this look forever.

p.s. she was only alone a few minutes until she got to the gate and met up with some other students from FUS...thank you God!