Jesmyluk

There is something magical & quixotic about a warm summer night filled with fireflies.  Something that calls to the child within to find the world resplendent with magic & fairies.  The west coast doesn't get fireflies, so it wasn't until we moved to the Midwest that we discovered how simply lovely the world is when filled w fireflies.  I'm so grateful my children live in a land covered with magical creatures.  Where the innocence of catching a firefly in your hand, even briefly, is wondrous & thrilling.  The squeals & giggles pervade even though my children are growing up.  Granted I don't see Kier out there chasing them like he used to & Liam cannot get out & about in our backyard due to access issues but he likes to watch his siblings chase them & catch them & bring them to him so he can see them light up, up close.  McKenna, though she is 13 going on 14, and younger brother Nolan, almost 11, love to follow the little bugs aro

Today was the last day (really 2 hours, not a whole day, don't get me started) of school for my 2 youngest.  Kier finished last week, Liam was done by Tuesday of this week, M & N today at 10:30.  We made it through another seemingly endless school year.  Yay us!  We officially crossed the finish line for the next couple of months we are on our own schedule, whatever it might be.  Yay!!!!!  I'll admit, there have been a few times this year (really every year at this point) where I wasn't sure we were going to make it.  Excitably relieved we're done.  So here is where I post the beginning of school year pics vs the end of school year pics for each of my kids....I should really post before & after shots of myself as well.  I doubt I will but I should. ;) It always amazes me how much they change in just one school year.  Kier's before was rushed & he refused to hold up a sign.  And his after is hi

On Sunday, the 4th of June our eldest child graduated from high school.  We are so proud of this kid young man.  The following pics & videos are in chronological order of the graduation ceremony.  Minus my crying that my baby is all grown up.  I'll spare you & all of us that.  You're welcome. ;) With the first notes of Pomp and Circumstance, echoing through the field house, came the mom water works.   4 years of choir, not once has he ever been placed so we can see him, without having to move, bend, twist, or reach. LOL Sorry for the shaky camera work. It's hard to video tape when you are trying to wipe tears & keep mascara from running at the same time.   ^------- Skip to 2:45 to see Kier -------^ And now the after pictures. Thank God that's over!  Mommy & Daddy Best Friends  Goofy Best Friends Kier & his lovely girlfriend We are so proud of you Kieran, our Magna Cum

First, I want to preface this entry as this really is going to be mostly a journal entry, ( a long journal entry, a detailed journal entry - you've been warned) for my sanity more than anything else.  Why post such a personal entry, you might ask? Because I want this blog to really represent who I am (who we are). I don't like to gloss over or sugarcoat or pretend to be anyone other than who I am or try to represent my family erroneously.  We are anything but picture perfect.  We are typical messy humans living a typically messy life.  Some days we have it all together & some days we are holding it all together with every fiber of our beings Sunday morning dawned beautifully.  I even got to sleep in until 9:30.  That was quite the accomplishment & I foolishly thought it was going to be an easy, breezy, perfect day.  Silly me.  Of course, I can almost laugh about it now, almost 24 hours after the really bad ended.  To say it was an emotional roller coaster is a fairly