tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61262142315571714132024-03-05T15:57:00.037-06:00Why, yes, I AM crazy. Thank you for asking!Why, yes, I AM crazy. Thank you for asking!Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-14805725028324022402020-12-22T11:01:00.000-06:002020-12-22T11:01:07.655-06:00 Well, hello friends! Looks like I'm back to blogging after a 5.5 year hiatus! And, boy-howdy! How much life changes in just 5 short years! And, we've added 3 beautiful faces to the family picture. How about a bullet-pointed recap? OK!Sadly, on January 9, 2016, my wonderful father passed away. We all miss his larger-than-life presence, his unrivaled generosity, and Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-27285064052504381492015-06-19T09:13:00.000-05:002015-06-19T09:13:06.289-05:007 Quick Takes: A JumbleLinking up with Kelly for 7 very jumbled quick takes today...
1) Monday, I took 5 of the kids with me to Michigan while Kyle and 2 of our gainfully-employed offspring stayed at home. Where they got nearly an inch of rain in 24 MINUTES.
After 3 days of steady rainfall.
It was record-breaking.
The storm sewers couldn't keep up, streets flooded massively, and drained into basements.Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-53327353826719844502015-06-12T13:09:00.001-05:002015-06-14T10:18:02.891-05:007 Quick Takes: The Sibling EditionJoining the hilarious Kelly for another episode of 7 Quick Takes...
Ah, Summer!
The season which gives parents an abundance of time to observe their offspring in an unstructured and relaxed environment. (Translation: Dear Lord, please send an angel to drag my teens from their beds before dinner and then takes my younger kids on many amazing field trips so that I do not have to hearMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-28402518064614647952015-06-09T13:47:00.001-05:002015-06-09T13:47:41.424-05:00Update and Keeping Up-To-Date!
It's been a month since we listed our lake house for sale.....and it's still available.
(Good news for you, bad news for us!)
That link up there is for a Facebook page I made a while back. It gives people an idea of what's available to do/see/eat in that area of Michigan and on the lake. I also share pictures of good times we've had there over the years. I would love it if you checked Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-38724617229056846922015-05-08T14:22:00.002-05:002015-05-08T14:22:46.474-05:00Time to say goodbye....
Serenity
We bought our vacation home when our 4th child, Jack, was 10 months old. The rest of the crew were 3, 5, and 8. We spent Jack's first summer as a toddler chasing him up the hill on the side of the house (a great workout for the glutes, by the way!) and Maeve learned to swim in our "backyard". Killian and Joe discovered a shared love of fishing -- one they still agree on to this dayMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-35019077762917144882015-05-08T10:21:00.001-05:002015-05-08T10:21:09.560-05:00WWRW: The Sackett Saga Goes On...and on...Linking up a couple of days late with the darling of the airwaves, Jessica.
Kyle continues to grace us with his knowledge of all things Louis L'Amour and Old Testament...
"2015 - The Year of the Sacketts continues...
What's that sound I am hearing? Why it sounds like the blogosphere hankering for another installment of my book reviews of Louis L'Amour's epic saga of the American Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-54232024087905795862015-04-17T07:44:00.001-05:002015-04-17T07:44:11.808-05:007 Quick Takes: What I've Been WatchingJoining in the taking of quick fun with our lovely host, Kelly...
I was going to title this one "Why You Should Watch What I'm Watching", but then I would have to convince you to watch these shows.
And what if you hate the shows and that leads you to question my taste?
Or, (even worse!), what if you love all of my suggestions and I have to come up with 7 more shows?
StopMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-22436820286518435832015-04-01T07:35:00.000-05:002015-04-01T07:35:10.381-05:00WWRW: Another Guest Review Installation from The Year of the Sacketts
Linking up with the classy and sophisticated Jessica for this month's WWRW.
Kyle has graciously offered to guest blog once again! And I am happy to share with all of you his wit and intelligence:
2015 - the Year of the Sacketts continues...
If you remember from our last Post, this year we set the goal to read all of Louis L'Amour's novels about the fictional American frontier family, Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-42957292178635558562015-03-06T06:35:00.001-06:002015-03-06T06:35:48.013-06:007 Quick Takes: Too! Much! Fun!Joining Kelly this week...
I have been having way too much fun lately.
WAY too much fun.
But, it can't be all bad because I've found lots of good things to share with you!
1) Gratiae Cosmetics. Don't pull "a Mary Kate" and get suckered into a package "deal" at a mall kiosk, but do order some of these products on Amazon. My favorites are the exfoliating salt scrub, the body Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-452678315857878962015-02-04T11:23:00.002-06:002015-02-04T13:47:52.357-06:00WWRW: Guest post!Linking up with DJ Jazzy J for this month's WWRW!
Since I haven't been reading a lot lately, I asked my brilliant, handsome, and well-read husband Kyle (of vlogging fame) to write a guest post for me.
And he actually complied!
For your reading pleasure, I give you my beloved's review of Sackett's Land:
2015 - The Year of the Sacketts
In case you are not familiar withMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-12260471464936568372015-01-05T08:45:00.000-06:002015-01-05T08:45:23.322-06:002015!If you haven't already done so, please check out Jen Fulwiler's Saint's Name Generator and choose your patron saint for this year!
It's 2015!
Happy New Year!!
How is this possible?!?
It's true what they say about time speeding up as you grow older. In fact, I think that if you add in some kids, the trajectory increases.
My Crazy Y2K Baby!
The fact that I canMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-24718373083722497402014-12-30T08:04:00.001-06:002014-12-30T16:10:00.831-06:0012 in 2014!Linking up with that genius, Dwija for 12 pictures of our 2014!
January brought a trip to Florida for Killian, Will, and I so Killian could check out a possible transfer to Ave Maria University.
They convinced him.
February brought more of the Polar Vortex in all it's beauty and strength. Some of us enjoyed it a little more than others.
March was the month that brought a late Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-42132973976581176602014-10-01T05:00:00.000-05:002014-10-01T05:00:05.421-05:00Five Favorites: Fine! I will embrace Autumn.Thank you to Heather for asking me to help out this week by hosting Five Favorites! And, welcome, to all of you who haven't been introduced to my brand of crazy!
We had a horrendous winter this past year, followed by a dismal spring and a very short summer. I feel shortchanged.
Yes, I'm sulking. Whatever.
Buuuuuuuut, because I don't like missing out, I'm ready to Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-39933861281135143242014-09-12T12:30:00.001-05:002014-09-12T12:32:19.048-05:007 QTs: School, Schedules, and Schports.Joining Jen this crazy-busy week...
1) All the schools for all my kids are back in full-swing this week, and it makes me feel like a drunk on a nonstop roller coaster. So. Many. Things. All. The. Time.
Credit
(Possibly related side note: we are out of beer AND wine.)
2) Will is in school and loving it!! Our kids attend a Montessori school through 8th grade and all of them Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-25531186735496852042014-09-05T09:19:00.001-05:002014-09-05T13:33:50.874-05:007 QTs: College Road Trip!Hitching my wagon to Jen's wagon train (get it? Road trip? Wagon?)
1) Waaaaaay back in December, my mom mentioned to me that Ave Maria University had decided to lower it's tuition by $5000 for the following year. This school had been on the very furthest edges of our periphery during Killian's senior year in high school, but, for various reasons was eliminated early on in the Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-49896522851071749612014-09-04T13:31:00.000-05:002014-09-05T13:34:13.739-05:00WWRW: DivergentJoining Jessica because I actually read something!
Always late to the party, I finally read Divergent by Veronica Roth. In a word: underwhelming.
Since this book (and it's series) has been out for a while, I won't waste much time giving a book report. Basically, it's another young adult novel set in a dystopian future-Chicago. Some nameless war in years past has caused the Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-70783962979954771642014-09-03T21:06:00.000-05:002014-09-05T13:35:37.065-05:00Five Favorites: Road Trip Lifesavers!Joining the gorgeous Heather this week!
Last night, we arrived home from a week-long road trip to drop off Killian at Ave Maria University. (More on how he came to the decision to transfer in my 7 QTs on Friday.) It was an amazing trip; long, bittersweet, and filled with beautiful memories.
But, let's back it up a bit to the word "long".
Chicago to Ave Maria, Florida is a Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-67463112120294773672014-08-21T16:45:00.000-05:002014-08-21T16:45:08.551-05:00Theme Thursday: Google MeCari chose today's theme to prove that my name is as common as my face...
Kidding. (Right, Cari? You didn't, did you?)
Anyway, I googled my name, clicked "images" and got this:
Nope. Not me. And, no offense Other Mary Kate Dempsey, but I don't want to look like you.
A few more pics and I got this:
Strike dos. Although, I would love to have a room that looks like this.....Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-27049226538453269212014-07-17T09:12:00.000-05:002014-07-17T09:14:20.456-05:00Five Favorites: Do You Have Hello Kitty Weed?Linking up with the perfectly perfect Heather for a round of Five Favorites.....
A little backstory first:
Last Friday, I had my scheduled abdominal hernia surgery. It's been something I've been happily avoiding since Will was born, nearly 2.5 years ago, but it was time and we really like our general surgeon, so I scheduled it.
It was supposed to be same-day surgery, which was a huge Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-30991929471665222842014-06-26T10:30:00.001-05:002014-06-26T10:30:19.425-05:00Theme Thursday: SWIM!Woo-hoo!
"Cari is back! With her own invention! Camera grabs an image tightly! I am clickin' daily and nightly!"
(Yes, I just commemorated my friend and her link up with a Vanilla Ice song; so what?)
This week's theme is "Swim". So apropos!
We've done a lot of swimming and splashing over the last few weeks -- at the pool, the zoo's splash pad, and in our little lake. So, without Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-9842223923531189842014-06-17T10:11:00.002-05:002014-06-18T05:33:21.315-05:00Twenty Years: The Gift of PlatinumTomorrow, --June 18, 2014-- marks twenty years of the most joyful, growth-filled, spiritual, nail-biting, infuriating, hilarious years of my life. And, I am privileged to have shared it all with my (yeah, I'm going to say it!) soulmate and best friend, Kyle.
Hallmark tells me that the modern day gift for the twentieth anniversary is platinum. Now, I don't know about you, but I really knewMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-19938793407013266882014-04-25T19:51:00.001-05:002014-04-25T20:07:08.653-05:007 Quick Takes: Where Have I Been Hiding?Joining Jen.....again......at last!
1) Lent was a real hoot this year. God seemed intent on having me focus on dying to self and offering up my tiny trials. Basically, I'm a real whiner.
2) Among the normal colds and stomach flus, Will came down with pneumonia and a double ear infection. The poor little guy reverted to his clingy, baby ways and needed Mama all the time. ConstantlyMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-68229223898424135612014-03-07T13:31:00.000-06:002014-03-07T13:34:01.832-06:007 QTs: Lent, 12 Angry Men (almost!), God Eats Chips, & Uptight
FirstGraders
Joining Jen again!
1) It's the first Friday of Lent! Who's excited?!?
Yeah, me neither. It says a lot about my current attitude that by dinner time on Ash Wednesday, I was asking "Is Lent over yet?".
Hopefully, I'll get with the groove soon...or, the Holy Spirit will have to kick me into gear.
2) This week, my kids' grade school took their standardized tests. Since this is Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-69020827171959909332014-03-05T10:47:00.000-06:002014-03-05T11:12:40.332-06:00The 40 Bags in 40 Days ChallengeMy dear friend Jessica over at Housewifespice asked me to break down how I do the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge, and I will try.
For those of you not "in the know", the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge is a way to purge your house of junk in a way that's manageable. It's meant to be done over the 40 days of Lent, so as to add another layer to the spiritual cleanse we are supposed to be doing duringMary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126214231557171413.post-115626769489432882014-03-02T18:54:00.000-06:002014-03-02T18:54:12.512-06:007in7: THE END!!Whew! I did it!!! ;) Thanks to Jen for coming up with this brilliant idea to get so many of us bloggers off our blogging hindquarters!
So, we had a nice weekend celebrating our February Birthday Boys. The Dells was ridiculously crowded, but that's what happens when the Midwest has been in the icy grip of the Polar Vortex for so long. People need to move their bodies and feel some energy Mary Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12418321424046390588noreply@blogger.com11