Tonight we have corn beef and cabbage on the menu. Since the kids like sausage, I’m also making a very easy Dubblin Coddle. I just steam potatoes,  sausage, onion, bacon, and carrots in my steamer. for 30 minutes.  (I used turkey sausage and turkey bacon for a healthier dish.) I’ll throw in a side salad for some greens and some Irish Soda Bread. For dessert I found this recipe for Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse Pie. I’m just doing the mousse part and leaving out the crust.

To drink: I surprised my beloved Irishman with Guinness on Saturday.

We’ll say the Breastplate of St. Patrick before dinner and kick up our heals with some Irish jigs afterward.

The kids had their first dentist visit last week. We had just added them to the insurance plan last year and this visit was long over due.

But they did great! And Adam gets an A++ for his great brushing and flossing routine with the kids. Even the dental hygienists were impress that he flosses their teeth. No cavities and no meltdowns. Even Gianna did great. Fulton and Therese both had x-rays. We did learn that Therese has an extra baby tooth on top next to her canine. But her extra tooth is no indication that she will have an extra permanent tooth. They had a great time and were quite excited with their new tooth brushes and timers. Of course their favorite part was going out to lunch with mom for burgers afterward (because this is probably the first time I have ever taken them out to lunch).

This was last spring:

This was last week:

(She reminds me of Baby Face Finster from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons we grew up with.)

There is a certain intimacy that comes with sharing daily Mass. You see this little family daily, or at least frequently enough that you ‘know’ each other. And when one person in this family is gone, their physical presence is missed. We know he will be missed by many and we know through the Mass and communion of saints we are still united with our brother in Christ.

Evelyn, his wife, has asked us to pray for her and Fred’s father, and their children and grandchildren. Please also pray that they will be able to receive his body back from the Mexican government this week for his funeral.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord. And may your perpetual light shine upon him.

Therese: Hey everyone, let’s play John the Baptist!
…I baptize you in the Father (*splash*), the Son (*splash*) and the Holy Spirit(*splash*).

I think he’s going to move along a lot quicker than Therese in the reading department. He so fun to work with and so excited to learn! I love him.