Okay, here goes...

Do you think 2 months is too early to post pictures? Yeah, I didn't think so either. :) Hopefully you'll all think your patience has paid off...

These pictures are from our trip to the ol' alma mater for another cousin's graduation. I think this is the 4th family graduation since we left the hallowed halls. (We have a very cute pic of Uncle Joe holding newborn Miriam in the lounge, hoping to attract the attention of cute chicks, during Uncle Paul's grad.)

We stayed with cousins Edy & Max and much hilarity ensued. Here are some highlights:

Mr. Pickles did lots of this while we were there.


The Daddy Tilt-a-Whirl


The Daddy Coaster


just hangin' out w/Edy's Grandpa


It's Mine! No, I want it!


Gosh, the line is STILL busy!


musical princesses and their enraptured court

Uncle Phil is very proud of the fact that even though he didn't produce the first great-grandchild (as most of you know, Miriam beat Edy to that title by 3 days), he did father the first boy.


Paterfamilias with The Heir

Oh yeah, I guess there was a graduation or something going on that weekend, too. We stayed in the lounge, since asking five young children to stay well behaved in cramped folding chairs for 3 hours is paramount to asking a pig to sprout wings. (Mr. Pickles and I couldn't help but wonder, though -- however did we manage it for Uncle Joe's graduation when Miriam was just over a year? Was she really that angelic? Surely not!) So we camped out in front of a TV in the lounge.


The Bobbsey Twins

The parts of the addresses that we heard were very good -- they invited some pretty stellar speakers this year: Cathy Cleaver Ruse (awesome pro-life spokeswoman and wife of Austin Ruse, someone I rubbed shoulders with before I took on my current Job), Mercedes Arzu Wilson (founder of Family of the Americas, to teach people in 3rd world countries about NFP) and Bishop John Magee (personal secretary to three popes).

The kids, well, did what kids do best.


and they're off!

Katie is turning out to be quite the ham. Mr. Pickles just can't fathom where she got it from.


I can see you!

On Sunday we had the traditional Lenora's Mother's Day brunch with current and future family. Have we mentioned that Uncle Martin, in addition to graduating with his master's in business, was also getting married in a month?


The Soon-to-be Happy Couple (and an interloper)


Edy & Miriam w/ future Aunt Sara

more on that to come!