The Catholic Dinner Table

Tonight as we sat down to dinner as a family on this Ash Wednesday, (dining on fish and mac&cheese) we went around the table and shared with everyone what we were going to give up for Lent.

Avery decided to give up candy only after learning that she can eat candy on Sundays.

Kami just shouted out mac & cheese, probably because it was on her plate, but hey, she's only 3.

Madi decided on butter, this is a really big sacrifice because like my grandfather, she puts butter on EVERYTHING.

Kylie is giving up meat, (I think she is going through a vegetarian phase) and Hot Sauce. Another big sacrifice. I buy a large jar of hot sauce twice a month. She likes it on everything.

Christopher decided on giving up XBOX. Now before you think how Huge of the sacrifice he is making, he is more of a facebook junkie than an XBOX junkie, so I consider this a moderate sacrifice.

Chris has decided to give up alcohol. SACRIFICE!

As for me, I am giving up swearing....if you truly know me, you know that this is a GINORMOUS SACRIFICE.

Our newest guilty pleasure

I grew up watching game shows, Card Sharks, Jokers Wild, Price is Right, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud. While I always enjoyed watching them, and playing along at home, I never actually wanted to be ON a game show....until now. We found a new game show on The Food Network called Ultimate Recipe Showdown. Each episode features 4 people with no culinary background to cook 2 different meals for a panel of judges. Each time we watch a new episode Chris says, you can make that, or your (enter dinner item here) looks better than that. I told him I don't have a signature dish. Well tonight I made stuffed peppers for dinner. When I put dinner on the table Chris said, "Get the camera, that's a signature dish!" HHHMMMM

Kamryn News

Today Chris and I took Kami down to CHOP to meet with a surgeon regarding her nevus sebaceous. (This is a birth defect located on the top of her head.) The surgeon told us that it was too big to be removed during one operation, so Kami has to have two or worst case 3 seperate surgeries. Her first operation is scheduled for Friday, March 27th, my Grammom's birthday. It will be an out patient procedure. Her second surgery is scheduled for July 24th. They have to be 4 months apart in order to allow for healing. The surgeon is hopeful that she will be able to remove it all in two surgeries, if not the third one will be in November.

A Hartman Valentine

Our Valentine's Day began with Madi receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. She chose the name Teresa because it is my mom's middle name and Teresa is the patron saint of headache suffers. Her new name is Madison Irene Teresa Hartman. Madi and her entourage...at least for today anyway.

The Mass started at 10am. We arrived at 9:15 and we were soooo far back. Here is a pic of Tara, Madi's sponsor, as the Bishop annoints her with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Madi chose Tara as her sponsor because Tara is her God Mother.

After Confirmation, the seven of us, Tara, NaNa, PopPop, and Grammy all headed to Graeme Park for a celebratory luncheon. When lunch was over it was time to get things ready for our Valentine's dinner. Here is the gang sitting down to dinner.

OOOPPPSSS...I am out of order. Here is our decorated table before they all sat down. After dinner Chris and the kids headed to the basement to set our new Wii Fit...Chris's Valentine gift to the kids.

Kami in Control

This morning I was in the kitchen making my coffee. Kamryn found the camera in the family room and decided to take a few pics. Below is a picture of 'Baby with a hat.' When I walked in the room, she was actually posing her baby for the pic. I'm not quite sure what she was trying to take a pic of, but all she got were her feet in her footie pj's.

Father Daughter Dance

Friday night Chris took Madi and Avery to the Father Daughter dance at their school. This was Madi's last F/D at the school, but Chris realized that he will be taking his girls to the F/D dance until 2018. 2018 is the year Kami will be in 6th grade. I told him she will probably ask her big brother to take her instead because Chris will be soooo old.

Here is a pic of the girls wrist corsages. They all had a blast and danced the night away.

Yippie....Another Wedding!!!!!

Congratulations Jess and Shawn!!!! We are so excited that Shawn FINALLY popped the question.