Do you think his parents are lawyers?

I hear this from the other room while making lunch today:

Jamesie: Crying.
Sean: Mom! Jamesie assumed the risk!

And more theological philosophizing today:

Erin: Sean, you are the most beautiful creature ever made.
Sean: People aren't creatures!
Erin: Sure we are.  We are the creatures and God is the creator.
Sean: You mean God the Father, the Lord, the Giver of Life?
(Yes, I meant that one.)

Later:
Sean: Mom, where is the garden that Adam and Eve lived in?
Erin: No one knows for sure.
Sean: But it is on Earth.
Erin: Yes, it is on Earth, no one knows where though.
Sean: I think maybe in Denver.
(think he enjoyed our trip to Colorado? Denver = Paradise)

And just now as I type:
Sean: Mom, when is God going to put another baby in your belly?
Erin: I'm not sure, I think we'll wait until Sissy is grown up a little bit though.
Sean: Why?
Erin: Well, remember how much my back hurt when I was pregnant with her?  I think we need a little break.
Sean: God told me in my heart that He'll wait until Sissy is four until he puts another baby in your belly.
(Wouldn't that be nice?)

Colorado, Rocky Mountain High....

We had an awesome Thanksgiving week spent all the way in Colorado!  We've travelled up the east coast and to Michigan with the boys a few times, but this is by far the furthest we've ever gone with all three.....and they did awesome!  We have experience nearly every travel catastrophe out there, so we were over-prepared for the flights-- we were like FEMA--prepared for disaster.  And no disaster struck.  In fact, we were in disbelief about how well it went.  It went so well the Notre Dame game was actually streaming on the airplane for free.  Jamesie and Annalisa slept while Sean, Cody and I watched the Irish beat Wake Forest. 


Super-dad on the flight to Denver with three kids at once!

When we got to Denver we drove up to Ft. Collins to visit my cousin Jeff and his family, including two little girls Mckenna, exactly Jamesie's age, and Elin, 2 months older than Annalisa.  Our good friends from Charleston, Luke and Andrea, recently moved to Ft. Collins, so we got to spend some awesome time with them as well!  Jeff and Shannon live 2 miles from Luke and Andrea and they actually all go to the same parish.  It was awesome to see all of them and have all the kids play together.  Unfortunately, didn't bring our camera over to Luke and Andrea's :(.

Our guys had a blast with cousins Mckenna and Elin.  

Two of Jamesie's favorite things--something with wheels to push, and a baby.  Score.

These guys are just 12 days apart.  We think they have similar cheeks and smiles and bedhead.

Smiley babies Annalisa and Elin!

Mckenna has her very own swing set (with a double swing) at her house.  This blew Sean's mind.  Later when I asked him what was his favorite part of Colorado he whispered in my ear "Mckenna."

 

Down in Denver, we saw Buffalo Bill Cody's grave, and hunted for some buffalo ourselves.  I told Sean the night before we were going "buffalo hunting," meaning we're going to look for the herd of buffalo that hang out by the highway outside Denver.  He responded "I should have brought my bow and arrow if we're going buffalo hunting." 

We visited Red Rocks where Cody, Sean and Jamesie climbed all the stairs!  Well, they all went down and Cody carried 2 boys all they way back up!  Given this was our second day in Denver, the conditions were perfect for getting altitude sickness, which hit Sean pretty hard the next day after running around for hours at Red Rocks and Buffalo Bill's grave.  He described that his "forehead hurt," and "I know I'm sitting up straight, but it feels like I'm sideways."  For the next 3 days he maintained a steady diet of Gatorade. 

Cody and Sean at my aunt Pat's, where we stayed in Denver. This was our view every morning.  I think Sean is feeling sideways in this picture.

Between all of my first cousins, there were 4 babies under 8 months.  So, there was lots of this to be seen.  As soon as one of us got up from this picture the fourth mama actually sat down to nurse as well!  I guess there is a universal 11:00 a.m. feeding for babies :). 

 

We had 51 people total for a Wednesday night celebration and a few less for Thursday Thanksgiving, but still a ton. All of the people in this pic are my aunts/uncles and first cousins and their kids.  My mom is 1 of 9 children, with 8 still living.  7 of the 8 made it to Denver this year.  It was a really special gathering!

Heaven is for Real....

Sean is philosphizing about Heaven today---here are some excerpts:

Sean: Is there food in heaven?
Erin: Yes....anything you want to eat...

The resulting interview (I am questioner, Sean's answers):

Q: If you could have one thing for dinner in Heaven what would it be?
A: Hamburger, with ketchup and mustard and a bun on the side and lettuce on the side. 
Q: What about dessert?
A: A candy cane for dessert.

Q: If you could have one thing for breakfast in Heaven what would it be?
A: Oatmeal with blackberries and cinnamon.

Q: What about lunch in Heaven?
A: Blackberry oatmeal with cinnamon.

Q: If you could play one thing in Heaven, what would you play?
A: I would play Lightning McQueen Cars with Dad.  No, I would play it with God.  And Jesus.

Q: If you could talk with one person in Heaven, who would it be?
A: I would sit with Annalisa and she would talk.

(Sean's Question: Are there books in Heaven?):
Q (Erin): What book would you read in Heaven?
A: Tales from Radiator Springs.  We saw it at Costco.
(Sean: Can I write really big words in Heaven and read really big words I can't read now?)

Q: What Saint would you like to meet in Heaven?
A: I'm not sure.  I'd like to meet St. Brendan.

Back to Sean's questions:
-Can God read what you are writing right now?
-How did Jesus get in Mary's belly?  Well, how did God put him there if God wasn't born yet?  Are God and Jesus two different people?  Do they look different?  Is Heaven in the middle of the sky?
-Does God have a computer he can write things on?

Q: If you had one question for God, what would you ask him?
A: How can you fix the volume on this toy? 

Earlier today we took Annalisa to her 4-month well check.  In the car on the way there Sean said:
"I need to tell Dr. McGaha (our pediatrician) that I hear God talk to me in my heart sometimes." 
Sure enough, we (I say "we" because he made me tell Dr. McGaha about hearing the voice of God) did tell our doctor, to which he had a very good response, "That is so special Sean.  And you know it is God because he always tells you to do good things."  Well put. Glad he didn't suspect pediatric schizophrenia due to the voices.

Sean also asked in the car today: "Why can we eat apples if God told Eve not to?"  Great question. 

I love his wonder, curiosity, search, and innocence. I love that he is naturally inclined to find the truth.  I love that he thinks.  I love him.  How do I preserve these qualities as he grows up?!

We Three Kings of Orient Are...

Ridiculousness from the Baby Jesus Birthday Party at our Catholic bookstore yesterday.  At least Sean enjoyed it!