Happy Birthday to Dad!

We Are...

N.D.!



Congratulations to our cousin Ben who was just accepted to Notre Dame for undergrad!


Ben is the epitome of a Notre Dame man-- hardworking, family centered, responsible, athletic, smart, fun, gentle and generous. We are so proud of him! Its these sort of decisions that renew your faith in admissions offices... they DO get it right sometimes!



Just for good measure. (Thanks to Mrs. Sullivan for the hat!)


Congratulations to Ben from the whole family!

A Rich Man

If you measure a man's wealth by his friends, Sean is indeed a very rich man. Along with Mr. St. Francis, his best friends are Pup-pup (left) and Oliphant (right), who keep him in good company!

I'll Have the Duck

I know when you start baby on solids you are supposed to start with boring things like rice cereal, but Sean insisted on duck for his first real meal...


eyeing his prey...


making his move...


this is going to be so good!

success!

All done!

Milestones

This morning Cody said, "Sean..." and sean looked at him. Cody said it again, "Sean?" and Sean looked at him. Cody stood behind the baby and said "Sean..." and Sean turned his head all the way around to find dad. He knows his name!

Food, please!

Sean is making his case to try solid food...

First Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving marked Sean's first and Cody and my first time hosting, and it was a great experience. As I remarked to cody the other night-- life can be tough, trying to balance work, marriage, diapers, feedings, family- but at the end of the day, I love our little way of life and I am so thankful for it. That being said, here is a small tour of just some of the things that brought joy to our holiday of Thanksgiving this year:



The day started as Denise, Monkey boy and I accompanied Cody downtown to watch him compete in the 31st Annual Turkey Day Run. My boss is the race director for the whole event, so it was fun to see the whole thing come together after months of preparation. Cody did great, even after 2 weeks of travelling sans training. He's awesome.

Monkey Boy Sean cheers as dad is about to cross the finish line!

After we returned from the race Cody turned right around to go to the airport to pick up my mom and Pete. While he was there he picked up a surprise guest-- Eva!! We were so excited to have Eva around this weekend-- she added so much life to the party. We watched movies, she babysat Sean, conducted a cross-word contest (I won) and was just a pleasure to be around. I can't believe how much she is growing.

Meanwhile, dinner preparations were underway in the kitchen. Recognizing the craziness of our last two weeks and our relative inexperience at making thanksgiving dinner, especially while in survival mode, Cody made an executive decision for our family and bought a pre-made turkey. As the spriritual head of our household, this was a phenomenal decision.

We did cook everything else on the table! And, we got to use our beautiful yet neglected china :). A beautiful meal and a beautiful family!


Mmmm....wine.

Remembering Jack

Jack taught us so many things in very subtle ways. He taught us how simple things can multiply in value when you add love, sincerity and family. He taught us by example-- for instance, Knobby Knoll was a priority for Jack every summer since he graduated from Notre Dame in 1947. Knobby Knoll is simple, rustic, difficult at times (well-water, no phones, limited sleeping arrangements, etc), nothing fancy. While it is a beautiful and peaceful place, it was not the lake or cottages that he loved so much about the Knoll, but that it was a central place for all family to gather, and gather we did, because of his example to keep that time for family a priority. Jack and Emmy spent every summer at the knoll, with Jack's first cousins Mary Clare and Beth (all over 80 years old), who would religiously come up to the White Cottage for a "visit" at 10:00 pm every night, just to talk about the day's happenings. Although their cottage was small, everyone was always welcome for dinner, a night, or a week at Emmy and Jack's. Food and beds would magically appear to accomodate everyone because hospitality was a priority in their lives. And no matter the time of your arrival, Jack would always greet you with his knee socks, a hot pizza in the oven and his signature offer: "Hey, wanna frosty?"


Jack loved babies! I remember the day we told him and emmy we were pregnant with Sean Brendan. They were both on the phone and could tell i had something important to say. Oh the joy when I told them of their second great grandchild! This summer Jack reminisced with me about newborn/postpartum days in their house. When I asked how they ever managed seven children he just simply responded, "well, they don't come all at once!" The quiet and sometimes hidden depth of his love for his babies was somewhat exposed this summer as he remembered to me the miscarriage they experienced over fifty years ago. He still remembered the day clearly, sat still and stared off out the window as he told me about the baby they lost. Knowing that it had been one year since we lost our first baby, I think he knew that conversation was therapeutic for both of us.


I LOVE this picture! It reflects 56 years of partnership, hardwork and laughter between Emmy and Jack. Not to mention their first-born right next to them who has been with them through 55 of those years! Look at the joy between the two of them, even as they both knew they were nearing the end of Jack's illness.

Ever the Irish fan (and sometimes mascot!), here Jack and Emmy are, proud as Peacocks to be with their youngest son and two of their grandsons on a special tour of the Notre Dame Lockerroom last fall. Being a Notre Dame graduate was one of Jack's proudest accomplishments, but leaving a love for Notre Dame as a legacy with his children and grandchildren I think made him even prouder. He loved seeing us on campus enjoying our lives at N.D. or just enjoying a weekend visit. And it all started with Jack's journey from Watertown, NY to South Bend in the fall of 1943. Amazing.

Go Irish!

Here we are at Sean's first Notre Dame game!


Watching the Irish take on Navy in Raven's Stadium


Here is SB with his baby friend Catherine, who was born just two weeks before Sean! how cute are these two together with their Notre Dame gear and curious wide eyes!?


But Baby Catherine is only part of the Notre Dame Law School Baby Factory, pictured above, although missing some key members. Oh how we miss our community in South Bend and all the loving parents and babies all around us! We miss our little toddler neighbors toddling over for a banana, lovingly chanting "Co, Co, Co, Co?" We miss our Sunday brunches that always provided a warm and hospitable break from studying or a warm conversation with friends you haven't seen all week, and we miss the wonderful example of simple living and family-centered lives our friends provided at ND! It was great to catch another glimpse of this Shire-like life, if only for a few hours at a tailgate.

Just because its so cute!