"I have called you and your are MINE."

I was the religious education teacher for 26 children and wanted to be there when all of them made their 1st Communion so I was at church all morning with the first group of kids before Molly's 1st Communion. Luckily Auntie Karla came over and helped Molly get dressed and curl her hair.

Auntie Ann made Molly's beautiful dress and took the veil that Grammy and I wore on our 1st Communion Day and added flowers and jewels to it. It was gorgeous!

Abby came ove to help Molly get ready for her big day!

My perfect little angel! I was so proud of Molly because she took her big day so seriously and with such a mature attitude for the importance of what was happening.

Mary Catherine Harding - Wheeler

My favorite song was the opening hymn for Molly's 1st Communion. I love the idea that God has called each of us by our names and that we are in his loving embrace forever. Molly was very unhappy to have her full name in the program but I wanted the name that we gave her at her baptism to be the one she used today.

Our sweet girl!

The proud parents with Molly. The night before Molly's 1st Comunion we said a family prayer over Molly and Annie said it best - "I am glad that Molly is going to look beautiful when she eats Jesus - I love my sister!"

Auntie Ann worked very hard to make Molly'sday special. She did everything from the dress and veil to the cake, favors and cookies on the tables. She was amazing and we feel so blessed that Auntie Ann takes such great care of our children and is here to guide them at these memorable times.

Grandma and Molly-girl.

Peter and Molly sharing a rare moment of peace!

So happy!

Molly with Auntie Brigid and Uncle Joe - her godparents. Molly wore a beautiful cross that her godparents let her pick out on her own. It was perfect with the earrings that Auntie Ann got her to match it!

Proud godparents!

Aunt Janet and Uncle George came from Mass. to be with Molly!

Grammy and Papa were excited for Molly's big day!

Mrs. Nelson (Peter and Molly's kindergarten teacher, for those who do not know) and her son Tommy came to share in the big day with our family!

Brendan jumped into Molly's arms when the mass was over!

Kisses for Molly!

Beautiful smiles

Molly getting ready to cut the cake.

Mrs. Nelson and Tommy

Annie and Tony checking out the M&M favors - getting ready to eat them all!

Auntie Ann, Sister Anne and Miss Sue with Molly

Molly with her jewelery box!

Auntie Meg, Lila and Molly

Lila is wearing the dress that Lizzie wore in Auntie Meg's wedding - so cute!

We are so grateful for all of the people who made Molly's day perfect! We are blessed that Molly and all of our children have so many Aunts, Uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends who treasure the important moments of their lives, especially religious events that mean so much to our family.

Congratulations, Molly! We are so proud of you!

GNM - ILY!

May 2011

We had a surprise visitor from Bolivia for a few days this weekend. Unfortunately because he isn't here often the kids get shy around Uncle Ig - everyone except Annie! She asks for him all the time and has taken to calling him "Uncle Dippy"!

Annie and Uncle Iggy!

Mommy and her girls are ready to go on our girl's adventure!

Am I the luckyiest mom in the world or what?

My Molly girl!

Abby and Katie were waiting on the front porch for us!

The gorgeous Harding women ready for some fun!

Abaigeal is my goddaughter and just an all around great kid so when she was turning 7 on April 29th Molly and I wracked our brains for a special gift for her. We decided to take her on the ultimate girlie adventure to the American Girl Doll Store for a fancy lunch and to pick out her very own American Girl doll.

Once Abby picked her doll it was imperative that the girls dress their dolls for lunch!

Everyone got stickers for lunch and Abby got a special Birthday Girl sticker!

Annie and Katie loved every moment of being a big girl for the day!

Meet the newest addition to the Harding Family - Stella!

Molly brought Sarah and found her a beautiful new dress!

Girls day out!

Abby lost her other front tooth just in time to be completely toothless for the adventure!

Happy Birthday to Abaigeal!

Molly's gigantic hot fudge sundae.

Abby was slightly embarrassed when the entire restaurant sang to her.

Auntie Karla got these cool lollipop brownies.

Dessert - yeah!

The birthday girl had a blast and Stella has proven to be a good companion for Abby! According to Karla they are rarely without each other!

Annie's baby - Mack - will not stop crying! A mother's work is NEVER done!

"He's just so fussy, Mom!" Annie named her doll Mack because we told her that if she had been a boy when she was born that would have been her name. She shrugged said she wished it was Charlie and then still named him Mack anyways. For the record - he is now Macky the girl!

Sister bonding!

Uncle Iggy said the 9:30 mass on Sunday and it was Molly's last mass before making her 1st Communion this weekend. If we had known Uncle Ig was going to be here we would have asked him to celebrate her 1st communion with us but we got some pictures and he gave her a special blessing!

Molly and Uncle Iggy outside of church. Molly was very excited because it is her last mass getting just the blessing. Next weekend she will be able to recieve comunion every week!

Annie and her Godmother celebrating Mother's day!

Pizza picnic for Mother's Day

Grammy and her big girls! My mom is so easy to please! We all had obligations at different masses so we each went to different masses and then met back at Grammy and Papa's for pizza and salad. The kids played in the yard and Grammy made her famous cake and ice cream for dessert. It was a perfect - low key Mother's Day. Even better - Uncle Ed spent lots of time outside with the kids so that the moms could sit inside and chat!

Tyler doing some hard work.

Katie and Abby in their matching outfits!

Ellie was the only one who napped so she is missing but we still took a few pictures!

Grammy and MOST of her grandkids on MOther's Day!

Funny faces!

Auntie Karla and the kids! Happy MOther's Day!

My little raggamuffin - so cute!

Annie had tatoos all over her body!

Our basketball star!

She is so incredibly gorgeous that she takes my breath away!

Papa's drawing of Peter.

Peter found a big umbrella and was pretending to be Mary Poppins!

Playing with chalk!

Annie drew Grammy!

All in all it was a wonderful Mother's Day - I got to see most of my favorite people and even took a little nap Bob gave me a few hours earlier in the day to read my book, take a nap and shower all by myself! It was great. My mom got to see all of her grandkids and hopefully be reminded that she is adored by all of us and appreciated for how amazing she is! I'm off to get diapers! I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day - we are so blessed to have amazing grandmothers, aunts, godmothers and friends in our lives - thank you to all of you who love my children!

GNM - ILY!