These two are 12

 Twelve years, where have you gone?  (By the way, the cake was incredibly disappointing, but still better than anything that I might have managed.  I only wish that I had known that it was indeed frozen and thus required thawing.  Fail.)

If I had more time and energy, I would search through my pictoral archives for a photo of Jacob and Hannah on each of their birthdays.  However, I don't, so this desire must be tucked away and stored for another day when time suddenly becomes miraculously available.  Thankfully, I do find that moments of time (or, rather, grace) do appear now and again and it is really the ability to recognize the moment and use it that determines whether or not it 'appears'.

Not surprisingly, we just made it through a stomach bug that worked its way through each and every member of our family.  The drama started with Benjamin last Wednesday evening and only just ended with Hannah who still finds herself miserably clutching a bowl and a box of Kleenex.  I recently realized that my approach to illness is to vacuum.  (Those who know me well might suggest that my approach to everything is to vacuum.)  So, after my own difficult recovery (after a necessary trip to the ER for IV fluid and Gravol), today found me vacuuming all corners of the house.  There is nothing so satisfying as emptying a full vacuum canister into the kitchen garbage.  Sigh, small pleasures.
And, in one more piece of news, my bout with the stomach bug combined itself with a stomach bug of the non-catching variety that is now into its twelfth week.  Afelskie Version 7.0 is due November 6th, 2015.  Prepare to be delighted.

Back with a bang

 Wow, it has been a whole month since I've posted.  If anyone is still out there, I decided to come back with a sacramental bang:  Joseph's First Communion.  I managed to capture two siblings in this photo:  Joe looking suitably pious (all while maintaining the ever-present Joe smile) and Jacob slightly to the left of the Holy Water bowl.  Now that I look closely, I think that those praying hands on the very right on the photo's edge just might belong to Ben.  (Now that I see this blog post published, I realise that Jacob and Ben are both covered by various headers.  Oops.)

 This is Fr. Shalla during the homily explaining to the children how God is full of surprises and that each of them should pray for God to surprise them.  Perhaps with a vocation to the religious life, hint hint.  Now, squint your eyes and look just to the right of the Paschal candle and you will see Fr. Joseph Hattie fast asleep.  I asked him afterward about his nap and he replied as quickly as ever, "It was very good for me!"

 Isaac and Sarah, whose interests have been caught by something completely other than their older brother's First Communion.

 The big moment:  Joseph's First Holy Communion.  Or, rather, his Second!  His First actually occurred last year the day before Ben's First Communion, quite by mistake at Saturday morning mass.  Fr. Shalla immediately realised his error and apologised profusely while still maintaining that, "Jesus really must have wanted to be with you, Joseph."  All family members were sworn to secrecy so that dear Ben would not find out that he had been upstaged within 24 hours of his First Communion.

 What's First Communion without at least one mohawk?

 This year's class was exceptionally small.  I think that Ben had 25 children in his class.  2007 must have been a dearth for births in Barry's Bay!

 Fr. Hattie, awake and refreshed.  Perhaps this is a photo of two Fr. Joe's?

 Joseph with his paternal grandparents.

 Joe posing with one of his sacramental prep teachers, our resident seminarian Justin.  Justin has been a wonderful addition to the parish for the year and we will miss him when he heads back to seminary in the Fall.

 Joseph receiving his gifts and certificate from Fr. Shalla and the Sacred Heart League.

 Another of Joe's teachers, one of the sisters of the SOLI order.  They are based out of Cambridge, ON and their charism is to offer their lives for a return of people to the Church in Canada.  They have quite a task set out before them.  This dear sister grew up in Southern Ontario but originally hails from Newfoundland.  Her father's reason for the move?  "Newfoundland may be beautiful, but you can't eat the scenery!"

 And once mass is over, sacramental celebrations quickly become all about cake.  And more cake.  Why do I wear black to every single one of my children's sacraments?  As Dave said when we left for mass, "Good to see your wearing your Italian widow outfit again."

One last photo of our church basement, just for posterity.