you would think with the same last name

If I had a dollar for every time people told me I sound exactly like my mother or my sisters look exactly like me, I would have a lot of dollars. 
Yes we all look alike. But even though we all have lived together for so long, we are all completely different personalities all crammed into a TLC-worthy household. Never a dull moment. 

one Sylvester "collects collections"

So yes, every single one of us is completely original. My sisters are carbon copies of me physically, but personality-wise...so very different. Just by the way each of us arrange our desks and rooms. Which kids make their beds every single morning. What daily routines we have. 

one Sylvester has a personal armory???

Some of us spend 20 minutes doing our hair and makeup while others spend 20 minutes brushing and flossing their teeth. Some of us wear unique and colorful outfits daily. Some of us could wear the same outfit every single day. 

one Sylvester likes his/her cookies ;)

There are certain children who are incredibly possessive about their toys (and sweet treats). There are Sylvesters who are perfectly comfortable letting siblings use any of their precious possessions. Some of us are right down the middle depending on the object. Some of need to know every single detail of every single situation. Some of us could care less.

#2 has too many movies...

Some of us collect one strange type of thing (#2 has over 100 movies to her name). Some of us have decided to just collect EVERYTHING. Some of us build. Most of us destroy :P Some of us wake up early. Some of us decide we don't need sleep. Some of us could drink an entire gallon of milk everyday. Some of us can't stand the sight of milk.

couldn't leave my own desk out :)

None of us have the same favorite food. None of us have the same favorite movie. If you asked each one of us what his/her favorite thing to do on the weekend is you would get 10 different answers. 

But even though no two of us are alike... 

and some days all we can do to tolerate each other is avoiding one another...

I thank God each and every day for the absolutely incredible family He has blessed me with even though I definitely do not deserve such a wonderful and loving Catholic home.

you are my...

...sunshine!
absolutely magically goodness. In movies we always note how as soon as there's a depressing scene, the weather suddenly changes to overcast and rainy. Have you ever noticed how the weather actually does effect our moods? For example: yesterday the weather was overcast and I had some drudgy feeling all day I couldn't shake. On the other hand, today was absolutely GORGEOUS - 85 and sunny. perfectly southern sunshine day. and yes, I do believe my fantastic mood today was influenced by such good weather. 

Goodness we had fun today. A large portion of the clan went down to Fish River to kayak. Quite the adventure. I will admit, my siblings are not what you would call outdoorsy so I was anxiously awaiting their reaction to the whole idea of hopping into a plastic boat and paddling down waters infested with gators and bugs and fish - oh my! (though thankfully we didn't dramatically encounter any of the above)

they all took to the water just fine :) we packed a lunch and went upstream for about an hour then stopped under a bridge to eat some lunch...sadly one of the sandwiches didn't survive the journey there.

"hey dad! this is my first time eating a pancake sitting in a kayak under a bridge with real cars on it!"

Sooo...you've done so under a bridge with fake cars? And I think its absolutely adorable that Mario Cart packed leftover breakfast because he didn't want to make pb&j. 

and so, a good time was had by all. can't wait to go again :)

shaking things up a bit

So I discovered the truth....my entire family is soooo much more interesting then just me :) Thus, this blog will further more be dedicated to the insanity that I love known as family. welcome to the insider's opinion. 
My goal is going to be actually updating my blog the majority of the days a week. Stories from behind the closed (and bolted shut because Peter has recently discovered how to unlock the door so he can go outside and search for frogs) doors of my home are so much more exciting then the rants of my flaws and fascinations in life. I may complain about an inability to clean a bathroom, I may post pictures of family adventures, or sometimes I may just leave you with some overheard dialogue. who knows? 
so buckle up, sit tight, keep your hands and arms inside the 15 passenger Sprinter at all times, and here we go!!


This morning, Jane (5) decided over breakfast that she wants a dog. 
so my chihuahua just transformed into an oversized, fluffy rat? My poor mother almost choked. I will admit, I am a terrible pet owner. Though Mr. Darcey is technically my dog, he really is the family pet (aside from our cat we've had for 6 years that no one believes in) Sometimes it may seem not too clear who Darcey actually calls 'owner', so let me assist your understanding of the matter:
"Our dog is Mr. Darcey. He's adorable."
"MaryC, your dog pooped in the living room."
I see how it is :P 
So yes, even though Darc is mine, I tend to leave the taking care of him to everyone else especially now that I'm away at school the majority of the time. But alas, pets are always more exciting when you don't have them. Therefore, this morning's dialogue makes the front page of this post today:
Janie: "Mom. Can I please get a dog?"
Miss Lady: "We already have a dog. And you're getting a new baby brother in just a few months."
Janie: "ugh. I don't want a baby brother. I want a dog."

We could always just change Andrew's name to Butch then everyone's happy :) 


yet another reason why I love my family 

Love Has Come - Matt Maher

With one voice the Angels sing;

songs that make creation ring

Prophets hear and call us 

to live in spirit and in truth

Father Yahweh, Elohim;
voice of thunder, spirit wind
Breathe on me your very life;
Grace will make the darkness bright

God of covenant divine,
lead us to the end of time
Beyond sorrow, beyond fear;
beyond pride and earthen tears

Keeper of the sacrifice,
manifest in Jesus Christ
Born to die and wake the dead
As we hunger, keep us fed

Now salvation has come
in the New Jerusalem
Dancers dance and singers roar;
proclaiming Jesus Christ is Lord

Word of God enthroned,
dwell in us forevermore;
Love has come to show the way
Halleluiah, peace be with us
Love has come to show the way

the fine print

-I rarely tell people that I was homeschooled. I'm in no way ashamed of it, but I dislike being stereotyped in that particular category...

-then asked if I know what prom is

-and being asked if I did school in my pajamas

-or if I did school at all

-I'm perfectly comfortable with my appearance...most of the time. but I try really hard to not let it get to me.

-my favorite guys are the ones who show me chivalry isn't dead

-I stole a rein from the flying horses

-I've come to find people enjoy talking about me behind my back. I don't like that very much. so as hard as it is, I try to not talk about them

-my stereotype is 'good little youth minister's daughter'. I'll live up to that someday

-favorite band: TRAIN

-my friends will tell you going to movies with me sucks. I point out holes in the plot, analyze the characters' philosophies, and predict what's going to happen next out loud. so I apologies to my friends. I don't mean to ruin your movie, I just can't shut up.

-being such a movie snob is why most of the movies I own are action/dramas with surprise endings or really deep plots and have excellent character development. or they have johnny depp in them

-...because he is my favorite actor of all time

-although hugh jackman is the most beautiful. hands down.

-ok I'll admit there are some mushy chick flicks in there too

-I love my friends here. but I really really miss the ones who aren't here. mostly, Lauren Enk. she's the best thing that's happened to me :)

-I jam out to P!nk and Lady Gaga

-I wear a Tau cross. and I've actually been asked if I have a boyfriend who's name starts with a 'T'...

-I'm WHO DAT by birth and GO STEELERS by connections

-music is my passion.

-summer 2009  I had my first real spiritual awakening. changed my life.

-which brings me to...saying that I'm never ever ever going to be bothered by people asking me about my faith life. it's when they whisper about me is when I get offended. especially when it's other Catholics.

-reading "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" was an eye-opener. go ahead, ask me out. you'll get a fun response ;P

-in case you were wondering, I've only been asked out like 3 times. I blame it on my dad's intimidation on any dude that gets within 10ft of me.

-yet another reason I love my dad <3

-why yes I am a daddy's girl. and you even try to make fun of me I'll punch you.

-I really wish people were more appreciative. also that people didn't expect a 'thank you.' that might not make sense but it does to me.

-most people like me and like spending time with me

-but very few are daring enough to really be my friends.

- I secretly like wearing bandanas

-I've screwed up many times. but I always walk away wiser

-the other day at the store, I thought for sure I saw a girl I knew a long time ago. I saw her from a distance, but I was pretty sure it was her. I haven't seen or spoken to her in two years, and I didn't get to go over and see her. I've been praying for her every single day, and I was overjoyed to see she's still alive. :)

-wow. you're still reading this

-my family is amazing. even if I can't stand some of my siblings sometimes, I love them will all my heart and can't wait to see what we all do when we're older. Jane is going to be the most fun to watch because she is me all over again.

- I'm never opposed to breakfast for dinner 

-the beach is wonderfully amazing. but I would chose hiking in the mountains over lying in the sand any day

-I've made a mess of me. I wanna get back the rest of me. I made mess a mess of me. I wanna reverse this tragedy. I made a mess of me. I wanna spend the rest of my life alive.

-and so I will :)

- I use the little smile emotions too much. oh well

- I'm too cautious about who I say "I love you" to... 

-I get crazy ideas to do things, but normally don't go through with them

-but when I do, it's amazing.

-like dressing up as emo kids and going to a hard rock concert.

- I've been sneezed on by an elephant

- only five guys have ever admitted to me that they like Pride and Prejudice...i hold them in the highest respect

- I was a born at home

- and I can show you the bed I was born on

- I have a very witty form of humor...it may take a little while to get used to, but i promise to make you laugh :)

- I prefer MaryC. it's what I've gone by for as long as I can remember. a few people call me MC, which I don't mind, but I've never really liked Mary (unless you're my mom, which you're not) and I don't like Mary Catherine. don't ask me why, I just don't.

-yes I have a side comment about EVERYTHING. but hey, I'm entitled to my opinion ;)

- I love theater! I've written a few children's plays. When I was 11, I 'wrote' a musical version of the Jungle Book, which me and my siblings performed for some neighbors and once for my grandparents. last summer, I ran an entire theater camp for my homeschool group, which was a huge success! but I've never been in a real play in my entire life...

- I could live on hummus & pita bread :)

- ok, so I'm one of those people who REALLY likes being in charge. and I cannot stand it when someone who has no idea what they're doing is in charge of something!! it just drives me crazy! (yes, I take after my mom...)

- I tend to criticize people for things that I do myself (just ask stephen...)

- I have my 'pretty' days and my 'I don't care' days. they way you can tell is if I took the time to straighten my hair, or it's thrown up in a careless ponytail.

- I love to cook all sorts of crazy things

-My absolute fear is roaches. I will turn into a total gabriella saab and run away screaming

- My favorite thing to do to 'get away' is kayaking. it's so nice just to take a day off and go down the river...

- I have a ton of earrings and necklaces I've gathered but nothing good to match with them

- back in the day, at any gathering of the homeschool group, we'd have 'boys vs. girls' wars. we thought is was the greatest thing ever! we would kidnap each other and throw stuff at the boys...we never had a way to win, just beat the crap out of the opposite sex until someone ran to their mom crying...good times...

- when people ask me what I want to be when I grow up I say a mommy...well, it's true.

- My little brother Peter is also my godson...though many people mistake him for just my son. it's awkward, but you get used to it after a while. either way he's freakin adorable 

- one of my good friends and I have a love for getting together for root beer and pretzels and sitting in her driveway late at night just laughing. we have that certain snack in honor of my dad and a dominican priest friend of his. they used to get together for beer and pretzels all the time....we just continue that tradition :)

- something that I think is funny (in that not so funny way) is that alot of people think that I'm this little angel because I'm a youth minister's daughter...I can be a total bitch, just ask my mommy.

- I have a box of my 'special stuff' so if you've sent me any sort of letter within the last five years it very well may be in there

- I try hard to treat others the way I want to be treated

- my best of the best friends live in Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana...which makes it difficult to get together on weekends

- the only time I ever truly punched someone was when I was 8. some kid at mcdonalds was being mean to my little brother

- I used to have a terrible fear of tornadoes because my parents 'accidentally' let me watch 'Twister' when I was 5. thankfully, my stuffed bunny, Slippers, kept me safe at night

-I don't like milk, fish, or bananas

-my comfort food tater tots with creole mustard. nothing weird about that at all.

-I've found out the fun way that if you leave a potato in the oven for too long, it explodes

-my girls and I are convinced that the best guys out there are in the seminary

-feel free to prove me wrong

-but if you hurt me I have a good dozen guys behind me ready to destroy your ass ;)

-I used to collect beanie babies. I had around 300 at one point. most of them have become birthday/christmas presents for kids I babysit

-I'm a closet trekkie....

-one of my greatest pet peeves is when people use 'retarded' as a synonym for 'stupid' it upsets me because even if you're not meaning to, you're saying retarded people are stupid. and I know darn well they're not.

-I've never been camping

-I love my mommy! if you recorded the way we communicate on a daily basis you'd think we hate each other, but we really are best of friends. I'm proof that you can easily become your mother.

-I've screwed up BIG TIME. I look back and think "oh God, why the heck did I do that?!?!" but I learned from it and now I know better.

-my 'favorite' scar is on my right elbow. I ran head on into a chain link fence while playing ultimate. (BUT I CAUGHT THE DISC)

-I have a strange passion for collecting movies. not particularity watching them, but for some strange reason I like owning them. 

-I used to have about 30 bracelets on my left arm. every single one had a significant meaning. I took them all off recently (revealing an awesome awkward tan line) and if you asked me why I took them off I would say "I'm not quite sure..."

-still haven't kissed a guy :)

-I'm thankful for every person who has influenced me in this life. especially the ones who have helped me stay the straight and narrow. y'all are amazing.

-I live this life to the fullest. with mistakes, but no regrets.

No Surprise

I've practiced this for hours gone 'round and 'round....


and now I'm happily content. 
Life comes at you fast. There's no way we could possibly prepare for every single possibly situation that will take place in our lives. 
My favorite quote concerning life's journey is "you have zero control over what happens to you in life, but complete control over how you react." 
SO TRUE. I had no control over my family moving to Fairhope. I could have taken a poor attitude towards up and moving away from the friends and life I had formed over my many years in my old house. Instead, I straightened up and smiled, then God took care of me. 
I had no control over my best friend traveling thousands of miles and an ocean away for a semester. But God allowed me to develop wonderfully amazing new relationships while he's gone. 
So things happen. They will be good, bad, and ugly. But our attitude in life is what defines us. We can chose immaturity and complain about the situations we receive or we can be optimistic and always search for that (sometimes incredibly thin) silver lining. Sometimes the lining shows up right from the get go. Other times, we have to wait and look back years later to see how God had been right there working the entire time...


my constant silver lining: praise God for such incredible friends to get me through :)

What's the best way to make God laugh?

...tell him your plans. God has a terribly teasing sense of humor. I have come to the conclusion He simply enjoys seeing my at a "everything is going super smooth the way I planned" and tossing some sort of complete craziness into my life. It's entertaining in retrospect, but right now it's slowly eroding my sanity...
 As much as I am absolutely alright with allowing God to take the wheel in my life, I (in my humanity) wonder. I wonder what I am called to do in five years, in six months, in a week, even tomorrow. I wonder what my family will be doing this summer. I wonder where my friends and I will be relationship-wise by next year. I wonder if I will eventually end up working in youth ministry. I wonder when I will be able to plan my wedding. I wonder which friendships will last throughout my life. 

as excited as I am to find out, I'm nervous. Completely trusting in God's plan is tough stuff!! Unfortunately for my impatience, the only way to figure out the answers to all these questions is to simply wait and see. I pray for the grace to trust in my mind as well as I do on cyber-paper. :)