And now back to the continuing saga of what we've been doing for the past seven months. In Part I (here) we learned that I don't yet have a good grasp of what goes into to painting a room, despite having painted like . . . thirteen of them now. Also, that breaking...

Please Stay Tuned for the Following Important Announcements . . .
Hey guys! It's been a while, huh? House stuff, book stuff, school stuff, kid stuff . . . it's all been keeping me pretty busy. But it felt like time to share an update with you, the good and patient people of this blog. 1. Ya know how when you're a Catholic mommy...
The Tierneys go to Washington Part IV: Monticello Jello and the OTHER Happiest Place on Earth
This is Part IV of the Washington DC trip recap. If you missed anything you can click over to catch up on Part I and Part II and Part III. Day seven of our DC area adventure started at our hotel in Richmond. The forecast was for rain. We headed to Monticello anyway....
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part III: Gettysburg, Grotto, George, and That Time My Kids Found a Giant Stick and Recreated the Marine Corps War Memorial
This is Part III of the Washington DC trip recap. If you missed anything you can click over to catch up on Part I and Part II. Okay, now where were we? Annapolis, White House, monuments, miracle cousins, basilica, Mt. Vernon . . . ah, yes. Day five: Gettysburg. 'Cause...
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part II: “Bring It” Jesus, a Bloggy BBQ, Monuments, and Forced Marches OF FUN
This is part two of our Washington D.C. area family adventure, if you missed part one, you can check it out here. On Sunday, we went to Mass at the very impressive Basilica National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where we got to meet a fella I like to call...
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part I: Bill the Goat, Baby Bumps, and Whatever This Stuff is Falling From the Sky
We have had a crazy couple of weeks around here, what with trying to get the school year FINALLY finished, and an awesome visit from my sister-in-law and niece and nephew, and -whew- have I ever been feeling pregnant lately. But things have settled down a bit and I'm...
My Zion and Bryce Canyon Vacation Photos. Hey, where are you guys all going? Come back!
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have already seen some grainy iPad mini photos of our big Camping Thanksgiving trip to Utah. But NOW, I'm going to virtually trap you in my living room and show you my vacation photos like an aloha shirt grandpa with a...
Giant Baby Terrorizes Town, Gets VIP Seats to Beatification: Where Was Lulu Part IV
Okay, so where were we? Flew to Barcelona, saw modern masterpiece; went to Lourdes, prayed for intentions; went to Torreciudad, saw mosaic of Virgin Mary on her iPhone . . . which means . . . LOOK OUT TINY TOURISTS! THERE'S A GIANT BABY IN FRONT OF THE...
Our Lady of Blessed Multitasking While Parenting, Don’t Fail Us Now: Where Was Lulu Part III
If you missed Part I (in which I learn that not all modern architecture reminds me of jello jigglers) and Part II (in which I wax poetic about Lourdes) of the recap, you already missed my favorite part of the trip. Today, you'll get to see my SECOND favorite...
Why We Love Lourdes (and a prayer request): Where Was Lulu Part II
Our family has a very special devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. My parents volunteer there for a service week each year, my kids love the CCC cartoon about St. Bernadette, and, oh yeah, we believe that my husband is alive because of her intercession. So, even though we...
Where Was Lulu? All Your Questions Answered. Well, some of them, anyway. This is Part I.
It was Spain. That's where Lulu was. And a little bit France, but mostly Spain. As you may recall, the whole family was in France just last spring. So we didn't really intend to go back to Europe this year, but the husband was invited to be a part of a delegation...
Why What I Wear Matters
In the comments to my post about the time it took us thirty-nine hours to fly to France, Erica noted that I was wearing a dress. And I was. The same dress the whole time, as a matter of fact, since while WE were hanging out in Toronto, our bags were kickin' it...
#6: And Last, but Not Least, There’s Paris
Our last stop was Paris. After our flight to France was delayed by a day, Air Canada offered to slide our return date one day as well. Since we were staying in so many different cities and hotels, there really wasn't a way to shift the whole trip. So, we decided to...
#5: Who Wants to Attempt to Conquer Le Mont Saint-Michel With Me?
Did you ever want to just get away from it all to your own private island retreat, accessible to the mainland at low tide by a scenic 600 meter stroll across the salt marsh? Well. Have *I* got an island commune for you. Complete with strategic fortifications AND...
#4: The Bloody Battlefields and Bed and Breakfasts of Normandy
Jack took this photo as his entry into the Boy's Life Magazine summer photo contest. What do you think? Installment number four of the trip recap takes place in Normandy. After Lisieux, we drove to Bayeux, to a lovely bed and breakfast in an old hunting lodge, built...
#3: in Which We Go to Lisieux, Not THE Zoo, Much to Frankie’s Disappointment
But first . . . Chartres! If you like Gothic, get thee to Chartres. It's a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture. The present cathedral was begun in 1194 and dedicated in 1260, sixty-six years! But if you saw it, you'd understand. Every inch of it is carved. It's...
#2: In Which Gus Receives his First Communion and We All Receive a Valid but Illicit Blessing From a “Bishop”
If you read Part 1, you'll know we arrived in Lourdes one day late. So, instead of the two days I had planned for, we had one full day in Lourdes in which to Do All the Things! And we did. Really, we did. We met up with my parents, who had already been in Lourdes...
France Recap #1 in Which We Go to Canada, Not France
Okay folks, we're going to ease into this trip recap thing, because unlike some people, *I* went to Lourdes and developed a bit of a medical condition. It seems silly to complain about, especially on the day when Nella announced that her cancer is back, which is much...
Big Family Disneyland Hacks
We moved to Los Angeles when Jack was four, but we didn't make our first family trip to Disneyland until his sixth birthday. We really think that's the ideal age for the trip. At six our kids are old enough to be familiar with the characters, but not too old to hug...
Things I Learned on My Babymoon: 7 Quick takes XXXIII
Baby's due in less than three weeks (!) so the husband and I spent last weekend in Santa Barbara. Just us. It was very fun and very relaxing, and I may have even learned a few things . . . --- 1 --- I spend a lot of time each day planning and preparing food. I...
Some Reflections on Very Big Trees and an Involuntary Internet Fast
We are big fans of the National Park System. Each year, we head out on a different National Park trip, to appreciate God's majesty and Teddy Roosevelt's foresight, and to meet some Germans (who are usually the only other people we see in the National Parks). This...
Please DO NOT Change for Simcha: 7 Quick Takes XXIV
--- 1 --- Simcha, Hallie, and Charlotte have opened up a can o'worms (which is great, I do love me a can o'worms) about how different types of blogs affect different people. the header graphic from Simcha's Blog: I Have to Sit Down Apparently, some moms (including...
Reflections on a Ten Year Reunion
Not MY ten year reunion, but still . . . I have thoughts. The husband and I were married in August of 2001. <so. many. tangents. resisting . . . okay, here we go> We left immediately for the honeymoon, then were back in San Diego just long enough to move our...
The Showdown – Italy vs America: 7 Quick Takes VIII
So here we are back the the good ol' U. S. of A., and after spending every waking hour with my kids for ten days in Italy (and more non-waking hours than I'd prefer with them since we've been home) maybe I'm starting to embrace my boys' philosophy that everything...
Our Pilgrimage to Italy, Part III: the Amalfi Coast
When I was planning this trip, the aspect that caused me the most heartache was deciding how to get our party of ten from one place in Italy to another. Feet and buses are great for Rome, but then we wanted to see a number of spots in Southern Italy while keeping one...
Our Pilgrimage to Italy, Part II: Roma
This is the second in a series of posts on our family trip to Italy. If you missed it, the first is here. Well, first thing after we arrived in Rome and checked in to our apartment near the Vatican, we had to head straight for St. Peter's Square. We've been...
Our Pilgrimage to Italy, Part I: Bobby’s First Holy Communion
Okay, so I may have underestimated the difficulty of getting First Communion from the Pope for your son. Again. After all, last time it came together so swimmingly. But this time, with all the scheduling upheaval of a new Pope and this particular Pope's way of doing...