More Than Enough

Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again ...

2011-07-12T20:46:00.008-05:00

A line from a favorite song. John Denver's Leaving On a Jet Plane.

How I used to love that song!

When I was younger, it always made me cry when it was time to return home after being on vacation with extended family members. My cousins would sing it to me, because they knew I'd cry. Mean, huh?! Sigh.

But I use it here, because I have to leave this little virtual corner of the world for awhile. And I don't know how long. But it will be a good, long while ... Maybe for good.

Oh, how I wish I didn't have to go!

But I must.

This may seem sudden and abrupt, but it has been something I have been discerning since before Lent. Closing comments on my blog was a little experiment to see what I should do.

I have been wrestling and questioning and wondering with the Lord, and I keep getting the same message, which was confirmed on retreat this past weekend:

You need to step back.

It is really, really hard to do this. But as my husband reminded me, "Any sacrifice is going to hurt."

And I must make this sacrifice, as hard as it is, because it is what is best for myself and for my family. And I know that deep down.

You see, lately, I have been off. I have been overwhelmed and anxious and tired. I can't quite shake it. I recognize that I am in (another) enormous transition right now—with my sixth child in eight years and our preparations underway to begin homeschooling in the fall. It is all so wonderful and good and blessed. But at the same time, it is a lot.

Rather than continuing to give in to my anxious and burned-out feelings by distracting myself and getting all the more sidetracked from my real calling, it is time to put aside some external activities that are preventing me from doing God's will in my own little life. It is time to work on being a bit more quiet, a bit more prayerful, and a bit more focused on the Lord, my family and what is required most of me.

This experience is different than just a passing phase. I've been in those, too, when life changes and I have to make adjustments accordingly. This is more physical, mental and spiritual than in the past. I don't really know how else to explain it.

Like I said before, it is hard. But it is good, too, and it is not without grace and hope!

So, with that, I say goodbye.

For nearly three years, this blog has been such fun! And it has been a blessing, too. Blogging has taught me to appreciate the ordinary, everyday moments of life. Those are the ones that make up the majority of our days, and so we can't save the celebrating and the reflecting for only the big milestones. We need to remember the everyday events, too, because God is in them more than we realize.

Also, some of you have become friends, and I am so grateful for meeting you! I am grateful for the encouragement you've given me, the prayers you've prayed for me and my family, the sweet notes along with way, the book suggestions, the many ways you've inspired me to be a better Catholic, wife and mother! So, thank you! I am sure I will pop in to visit some of you every once in awhile, because I'll miss you way too much!

But for now, I say, so long! And God bless!

26/52 :: Half-way Through the Year

2011-07-01T07:59:00.007-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

***

Baby's first time in the swing!

Summer tie-dye project. Sacred Heart of Jesus T-shirts.

(Um. Nice messy counter in the background. Obviously this is an in-the-moment photo!)

We will embellish them to make them Sacred Hearts today! There are a lot of these posts floating around, which was our inspiration. Instructions here.

Guess what arrived yesterday!

Our first big shipment of homeschool materials! The children were so excited. They immediately started looking through their books. With their enthusiasm, we could start next week. But I'm not ready =)

One question I have for all of you homeschooling pros, how do you organize all of your children's books, the ones they use everyday? Do they each have a separate bin or shelf? I think we will have a small homeschool space, even though I can see us ending up in the kitchen, or the children spreading out to do their work. But before I buy anything (bookshelves, plastic containers, etc.), I'd be interested in knowing how you store your student's everyday materials. Thanks!

And have a wonderful, patriotic weekend! God bless you!

Today ...

2011-06-26T18:27:00.003-05:00

... on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ ...

... we give thanks for the gift of Jesus ...

... truly present in the Eucharist ...

25/52

2011-06-23T21:30:00.017-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

My daughter's first Irish dance competition, called a Feis. In her level, she received two firsts and one third. We are very, very proud of her.

Father's Day ~ 2011

One of Dad's gifts: a book to read to the children =)

Guess who tried a little bit of cereal for the first time this week? Yum!

(I also got a haircut. You can sort of tell in this photo. I couldn't stand it any longer! I had to cut it off for the summer. So glad I did. It is super easy!)

My 5yo lost her first tooth! It fell out while she was brushing her teeth. And yes, it went down the drain =( Thankfully, the tooth fairy still came, because this type of thing happens all of the time, you know!

Happy 38th birthday to my husband! His birthday is on the first day of summer ... always too close to Father's Day!

The Trio participated in VBS. They have used a Cat Chat program for the past two years, and it is excellent. Very Catholic. Very fun.

This week's theme was a wilderness adventure through the sacraments.

They made a lot of great crafts—a holy water font, an adventure log (for recording special moments in prayer), sun catchers and picture frames. My favorite craft that they made: spiritual first-aid kits. It went along with the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, because those are sacraments that provide spiritual first aid of sorts, healing of body and soul. (It gave me the idea that I should keep some holy water in our real first-aid kit!)

Every summer, VBS includes a service project. This year, the children collected food for the Franciscan Brothers of Peace's food shelf. A brother came on the last day to talk about his vocation and to accept the food donation from the children. Our new associate pastor, who is also a brand new priest, also shared about his call to the priesthood.

Today, I finally got around to planting my container gardens. This is just the before shot. I had to dash off to the grocery store before I could snap a few shots of everything in their pots. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Adding to the Library

2011-06-23T14:16:00.007-05:00

Have you perused your local Target's Dollar Spot lately?

I was there yesterday and came across a few bins of classic books.

For $1!

So, I picked up copies of Heidi, Pollyanna and The Wind in the Willows to add to our home library. There were several other titles available, too.

Target must provide these once or twice per year, because I've picked up a few in the past.

What a nice (affordable) way to grow one's book collection!

Happy Reading!

P.S. I am not sure about this, but inside the books it does state "condensed and adapted." But I have young readers, so, right now, this is just fine! =) My main goal at this point is to provide them with good stories!

24/52

2011-06-17T09:00:00.002-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

***

"Let us drink the sober intoxication of the Spirit with joy."

—St. Ambrose—

Our pastor quoted that in his homily on Pentecost Sunday. It was good food for the soul! He also joyfully told us that since Pentecost is a BIG solemnity, like Christmas and Easter, we are permitted not one but three desserts! ;-)

After an authentic summer meal—grilled hamburgers, corn on the cob and watermelon—we just enjoyed the one cake, but I served it with vanilla ice cream on the side. (Strawberries like "tongues of fire" inspired by Meredith.)

Six months old!

His little cousin was born on his half birthday!

(Welcome, Bernadette!)

Summer school!

This was the favored activity of the week! Playing on the porch. It's kind of like we gained another whole room!

Freshening up the decor with some summer colors.

My two oldest girls participated in a music and art camp at a local Lutheran church. It was excellent! They enjoyed mini concerts by percussionists, African drummers and jazz musicians. They learned some wonderful songs, how to play the handbells and a few other instruments, and performed a little concert on the last day. Plus art—sculpting, drawing, stamping! I was impressed with how much they did in only four days!

***

Well, my oldest daughter is participating in her very first Irish dance competition tomorrow. We have been to the studio three times this week for extra practice. That and celebrating Father's Day is all that is on our calendar for the weekend. But that is plenty!

Happy Weekend!

Engagement Story—Revisited

2011-06-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

From the archives: February 3, 2009

Today, I'm doing something I've never done before. I am reposting a blog post! A "from the archives" thing. Betty Beguiles is inviting bloggers to share their engagement stories, and since it has been over two years since I shared mine, I thought I'd share it again. If you've already read it, feel free to pass it by. But perhaps some kind people who are newer to my blog will enjoy it, as much as I've enjoyed reading all the other engagement stories linked up at Betty's today!

I have kept my story (almost) exactly as I wrote it on Feb. 3, 2009. Feb. 3 is my engagement anniversary. I think I added one or two lines. And I did update my family stats at the end =)

***

Today is an anniversary of sorts ... It was eight years ago today that my husband asked me to marry him, and I said, "Yes." It also is the anniversary of our first, official date.

Yes, that's right. That would mean we were engaged on our first date.

But there's more to the story than that ... Allow me to explain.

For six months prior to our engagement, Greg and I shared a Christian friendship. As we were getting to know one another, God began revealing—to each of us—His plan for us to marry.

Two weeks before Greg proposed, we met for coffee. Our conversation led us to a discussion about what we thought were the pillars of a Christ-centered relationship (marriage). Prayer, community, service and formation are the pillars we came up with. By the end of our conversation, it was clear that we were talking about us. I wondered to myself, "When are we going to start dating?"

On Feb. 3, 2001, Greg picked me up for our first date. I knew it was an official date, because he picked me up and he wouldn't tell me what we were doing. (Up until then, we had always met places, usually during the day, or we spent time with mutual friends.)

After enjoying exhibits at a science museum, we went out for dinner. Then, we drove to the church where we first met and where we both attended Mass. The church was closed for the night, but Father was there to let us in.

We went into the chapel and knelt in front of the crucifix. Greg recited Proverbs 31 to me, with which I was unfamiliar but thought was so beautiful, and he prayed in thanksgiving for our relationship. Then, he turned to me and said, "I want to walk with you to heaven." He promised to be a good husband and father to our children.

At this point, I thought he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend. But no. He went right past that, got on one knee, pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him.

I was shocked indeed! But, knowing this was ultimately God's will for us, I knelt next to Greg, hugged him and said yes. Father then came in and gave us the engaged-couple's blessing.

I always remember this date with fondness, because I love thinking about our crazy story! It makes me laugh with joy! But I also reflect on what a big milestone that was on our journey together. It was just the beginning ... We put a lot of faith and trust in the Lord, jumping into our vocation, and He has indeed blessed us and given us abundant grace to embrace everything that has come our way.

Nine+ years. Six kids. A few job transfers. Four moves. In a way, it is still the beginning, especially when I think of couples married for 20, 30 ... 50 years. The Lord only knows what the future holds. I am just grateful that we are in this together, and that the Lord is guiding us every step of the way.

A Little Lesson in Overcoming Doubt

2011-06-11T16:47:00.004-05:00

I want to begin by saying that most of my experience at my very first homeschool conference was positive, uplifting and wonderful! But like I said in my Learning Notes post, I did experience some feelings of information-overload and of being overwhelmed.

Needless to say, it was a packed weekend. So many presentations, so many notes to take, so many ideas to hear, so many books to peruse.

It was all good. Truly.

But I think that goodness is partially what caused me to feel overwhelmed. There are more options than one person could ever do! And so to pick and choose one thing over another is kind of difficult (especially when one is just starting out).

In a talk on beginning homeschooling, the presenter gave a lot of good advice, but one key thing that she said was don't get paralyzed by analyzing all of the programs you could do with your children.

And even in one of his talks, Mr. Andrew Pudewa of the Institute for Excellence in Writing said that you can't do all the good things out there, so don't worry about covering all the bases.

Good advice, indeed! But good advice is not always easy to practice.

I entered the conference thinking I had a curriculum plan for next fall. I made the decision to keep things simple as we begin this journey. I selected a curriculum, and I was very much at peace with it. I knew I couldn't handle putting together my own curriculum this year, so I decided not to put that pressure on myself. I shared my plan with my husband, and he agreed that it was a good place to start.

I knew that I wanted to look at a few specific things at the conference, just so that I could see them in person. But really, I was good-to-go.

But seeing all of the other options and hearing about the additional great ideas, well, my boat was a bit rocked, I guess. And I left the conference not being so sure of my initial plan.

Doubt had crept into my mind. And I started worrying about what I should do.

Doubt. It is an ugly thing, isn't it?

But the Lord, in His goodness, knew what I was feeling, and He helped me along by giving me a bit of encouragement: Karen Edmisten's post on the very topic of doubt.

She reminded me that doubt is not permanent. And that we shouldn't make any major decisions in times of doubt. In her own words, "The best response I've found is to hang on tight."

I instantly started feeling better after reading Karen's words. And since reading it, I decided to just sit with everything, surrendering all of it to God and asking Him to guide us to what He wants for our family. What would be best for His children? What would be best for me?

And guess what! I am feeling less doubtful and more peaceful! I have re-looked at my initial plan, and I still like it! Even after learning about all of the other things I could do. Yes, I discovered a few more things that I really like, and some of them will fit next year, and some of them may have to wait. I am OK with that.

It hasn't been totally easy for me to just "be still" with all of this information. I am excited! I want to figure out all of the details of what we'll be doing! I want to start organizing and planning!

But there really is no hurry. I can relax and enjoy some summer fun, too. And continue to be patient about it all unfolding, because it will. In time.

And in that time, He will continue to make His plan known. One way or another.

***

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."

—St. Francis de Sales

23/52

2011-06-10T11:04:00.006-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

***

It was a rather ordinary week around here. We went to the beach, but I have no photos of our fun time there. Oh well. I'm sure we'll be back plenty of times this summer.

It was 103 degrees here on Tuesday! Our northern state was that hot, if you can believe it. We go from -20 in the winter to 103 in the summer. What extremes! But how do you capture that as a photo? I guess I could of taken a photo of the dry patches in our lawn, but instead, here is a photo of what we got that day: books from the library! 56 to be exact!

A kind gift from my aunt! How I love peonies! We had them growing in the yard of our old house, and I hope to get a bush again one of these summers.

The children getting along! Yay!! We had an up and down week regarding that. Some days were great and fun, and other days, I kept wondering, "What is going on with them?" Can I blame the heat? Maybe. Today's high is only 60. Their get-along factor has been as varied as the weather this week.

Working on attaching THREE sets of Little Flowers Girls' Club badges for our tea party tomorrow morning. This is quite the chore. UGH!

Happy Friday, friends! Happy Weekend!

See you soon!

Learning Notes

2011-06-07T06:04:00.002-05:00

Attending our very first homeschool conference this weekend, as a kick-off to our very first year of homeschooling our children, was edifying and inspiring.

(And overwhelming.)

Focusing on the positive, the edifying and inspiring, the speakers were amazing! Mr. Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing gave me and Greg a lot to think about and pray about as we begin this journey. He spoke of things we desire for our family already, but his words, his passion and his scientific proof gave us greater conviction to implement what we keep talking about.

A few key notes to ponder:

Music is not a nice idea. It is essential! Start early.
Music affects auditory processing, language comprehension and intelligence.
Read the classics. But not all great minds are good!
Remember that you can't do all the good things out there, so don't worry about covering all the bases.
Read to your children A LOT! And do not stop when they start reading on their own. They still need you to read aloud to them. Read books that are a level above their own reading level. They need this, because on their own, they often skip vocabulary, they do not understand nuances or syntax. It is important to stop and ask questions along the way. (This was a BIG one for me. I just asked a friend about this very topic the other day. I often have read about others having read-alouds with their older children, and I wondered how they did it. Now, I have a much better understanding. And we started yesterday afternoon with The Search for the Madonna.)
Next, have them listen to audio books A LOT.
Memorization builds the language database.

It was a privilege to chat with Mr. Martin Cothran of Memoria Press and Margaret for a little while. Just talking with some of the people behind the scenes of various curriculum programs (that I've only heard of thus far) makes me so excited to get going! (BTW, Mrs. Cothran is extremely sweet and helped me and Greg purchase our very first piece of curriculum: Prima Latina!)

I also chatted with Mr. Jim Weiss for awhile about Story of the World (and all of the great books that fit into each historical period). My husband attended Mr. Weiss' talk on the importance of fathers and storytelling, too.

All of these educational gurus are so interesting and have this wealth of knowledge and yet are very humble and approachable. It was great to see the folks behind the scenes of Bethlehem Books and Adoremus Books, too. I think I could have bought everything in that vendor area, but I didn't :)

Another aspect of the conference that was particularly edifying was the conference attendees at large.

I attended a bloggers' chat, which was fun. I was introduced to a few new blogs—Ana Braga-Henebry, Sacred Heart Farm and The Duty of Delight—and the authors behind them, and I also caught up with Grace from Our Field of Little Flowers, who I have actually known for several years.

I just happened to sit next to Lori from Loving Them From Scratch for one of the keynotes. She is the sweetest gal! And I met Tracy from Pinewood Castle, but I am bummed that I forgot to snap a photo with her. It was really fun to meet some of the women I have chatted with online for awhile now. It was like meeting up with old friends, even though we just met.

My husband and I also were edified by the number of homeschooling families we already know. We ran into familiar faces left and right, including some old friends, folks from our parish and even a few other families from our school who also will be starting to homeschool in the fall.

While attending such a beautiful event as this conference, I couldn't help but feel like I am not alone in this. The support is there, the encouragement is available. Online and IRL! Thanks be to God for such a network! It is a blessed time to be homeschooling, that is for sure.

But with all of the information and the kind people came a bit of information overload. Margaret advised me more than once not to get overwhelmed. I did anyway.

However, that will have to be Part II of my recap of the homeschool conference, as I am doing my best to slowly digest all that I saw, heard and felt this past weekend.

Summer Day :: Overheard

2011-06-06T14:12:00.004-05:00

Even though our first week of summer vacation was last week, our first day of anything fun was today. We went to the beach for a few hours this morning. It was warm and gorgeous and fairly quiet.

As I was sitting in the shade with the baby, I watched my children splashing and laughing ... and getting along!

And I overheard my 5yo say to my 8yo, as they were running along the sand toward the coolness of the water:

"Who could ask for a better day?"

A smile appeared on my face. And a sense of gratitude for more things than I could count.

And even though I forgot my camera on the kitchen counter, I think that quote sums it up better than any photo possibly could.

21-22/52

2011-06-03T07:17:00.009-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

I hosted a bridal shower for a friend. I was just starting to take a few photos of the table and decor, when my camera battery died. Fortunately, my mom had her camera available, so I was able to document the rest of our little soiree for her.

We took the children out to celebrate the last day of school. I love this new mini size, BTW. But, I just have to share, I didn't have any ice cream! I simply enjoyed them enjoying their treat. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I won't get into the details of my post-baby weight-loss goals at this point, but I will say that I'm working on it.

Mr. Man will be 6 months on the 13th. He is getting to be so big. (18 pounds! Into 12-month clothes!) Rolling over all.the.time.

A little pink flower for my Kitchen Madonna. I love this statue. It is such a source of strength for me when I just don't want to wash one more dish or sweep the floor one more time. Thanks be to God for giving us His Blessed Mother!

Thanks to my 5yo for sharing this pretty pink carnation with me and Mary.

Another baby shot. Just because I realized I haven't posted many photos of him lately. (His godmother reminded me :)

Growing sunflowers in a tiny pot on the laundry room window sill. Not sure why she picked this spot. Maybe because it's sunny. And close to her room. She is so excited to see that they are actually growing.

A new friend appeared in our backyard yesterday. Not really sure what I think about this. In a way, it's cool for the children to see wildlife like this. In another way, I worry what will appear next! Ha!!

Well, Greg and I are off to the Minnesota Catholic Home Educators Conference tonight and all-day tomorrow. In a way, it feels like our kick-start to this new chapter in our lives. We are excited!

Happy Weekend, friends. Until next time ...

Finally!!

2011-06-01T07:02:00.000-05:00

I started this lace scarf in February 2010. For a friend whose birthday is in May. Three months. Plenty of time.

Right?

Wrong.

Her birthday came and went with no scarf. I had every intention of finishing it sooner, rather than later. But that didn't happen. Life happened. Other knitting projects happened. And this sweet scarf moved closer and closer to the bottom of my knitting bag.

So, after being way too belated for last year's birthday, I resolved to finish the scarf for her birthday this year.

And I did! I finally finished it! On time (well, sort of).

And I already gave it to her, too :)

Last Days ... And New Beginnings

2011-05-28T17:41:00.000-05:00

My three oldest daughters sat on the porch in the early morning. It was the last day of school for my Kindergartener. Tomorrow would be the last day for my first and second graders.

An entire school year coming to a close. A year filled with learning, growing, praying, laughing and playing. An entire school year culminating with one final all-school assembly: a traditional May Crowning that took place last night. This May Crowning is an event that our family has grown to love very much.

This school year ending is different than any other we have experienced, though. For a couple reasons. And this leaves a bittersweet feeling in the air this weekend.

It is bitter, because after 35 years, our wonderful little Catholic school is closing its doors. It has been a tremendous blessing to our children and to our family as a whole. For this school has truly been an extension of our teaching of the Faith to our children. This school has reinforced the same spiritual and moral direction in which we want our children to go. Many times, this school has even encouraged us to do more with our Faith—through prayer and living out the Liturgical Year—and helped us weave it into every aspect of life. This school has been good and has left an eternal mark on our children's souls.

It is sweet, too, though, because God is calling us to a new chapter in our children's education. Last summer, as we were gathering school supplies and making sure we had enough uniforms, the Lord put on my heart the idea to homeschool.

I have never, ever thought of myself as someone who could homeschool. I have always admired mothers who do, but that just wasn't for me. So many reasons I could list as to why I didn't want to homeschool. And at the time, they made so much sense to me. I actually think I could not have done it back then or even a year ago. I, personally, was not ready.

But when God placed the idea to homeschool on my heart, and it didn't go away after months and months, I began to believe that He was truly calling me (us) to this new way of schooling.

After many months of praying, talking with my husband (who was just as convicted of this), researching, etc., we found out about our dear little school. It was sad, of course. But it also was personal confirmation that what the Lord placed on my heart so many months ago was truly what He wanted for our family.

And we felt peace ... and excitement about this new endeavor!

Sometimes, I still think I am crazy! I have six children, eight and younger. And I will be educating three of them next year. What about the other three? What will our days look like? Will the children get along (at least most of the time)? What about housework and grocery shopping and the other things I took care of when they were in school? I certainly have more questions than answers at this point. But oddly enough I am OK with that. That is just another way I know this is of God and God alone.

So, our summer vacation began today. But so did a completely bigger chapter in our family's life. The one of home education. For this week was the last week my children would wear uniforms to school, the last time I packed lunches for school and signed homework sheets, the last time we had to be out the door at 8 a.m., and the last time I'd drive the route we've been taking every morning for the past three years.

It is still bittersweet to me. I am a little weepy just writing this! But when I start thinking about all of the new possibilities that are coming our way, I get very, very excited.

Please keep us in your prayers as we figure out curriculum and how we are going to approach all of this in the best way for our family. Oh, and if there are any Minnesota (or surrounding states) bloggers who are attending the Minnesota Catholic Home Educators Conference, please let me know; it'd be great to see you there!

Personal Shopper Giveaway

2011-05-27T07:48:00.004-05:00

Have you ever thought, "I could really use a personal shopper"? I know I have. I want to wear certain clothing or have a specific look, but often it takes time and money, and so I fall back on the same 'ol jeans. (At least they're a dark wash, right? And now they're cropped for spring.)

Well, the lovely Betty Beguiles wants to help! She has started a personal shopping business and wants to give one person an opportunity to win a session! Fun, huh?

And in the meantime, head on over to her blog. It's so feminine and filled with inspiration for all of us to dress our best.

Happy Friday, friends!

Little Flowers :: Wrapping Up the Year

2011-05-24T06:26:00.006-05:00

My Trio and I had our last Little Flowers Girls' Club meeting for Wreath 1 a week and a half ago.

We moved through this first year at a very rapid speed, since we didn't start until January but wanted to finish by the end of the school year. Next year will be much more normal, with only monthly meetings.

Since I haven't been able to keep up with posting each meeting, here is a brief look at the last four virtues of Wreath 1.

Piety ~ St. Cecillia ~ Forget-Me-Not

The Colors of Piety. This was a great additional resource. Worksheet found here.

Humility ~ St. Catherine Laboure ~ Violet

Sisters

Industry ~ St. Frances Xavier Cabrini ~ Daffodil

Cute daffodil desserts

Truthfulness ~ St. Bridget of Sweden ~ Narcissus

We are really looking forward to our tea part in a few weeks! We are planning now, and it is going to be fun :)

I am so grateful for this little program. It is so beautiful to see the girls learning about the virtues and various saints that exemplify them. All under the protection of Our Lady and the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux. It truly has been a blessing for the girls—and for the mothers alike!

20/52

2011-05-21T13:31:00.006-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

Me and my Kindergartener at our last Little Flowers Meeting.

The same daughter was very sick for the rest of the week. Fever of 104, sore throat, so very tired and little appetite. It wasn't Strep, and the doctor was very surprised by that. A cold is lingering on, and several of the others have a cold or allergies, too.

Packing up everything that didn't sell in last week's garage sale to be donated to the local "free store."

Working on a new system. I am feeling terribly unable to focus lately. Sidetracked. Overwhelmed. I'm not really sure. But I don't like it. Perhaps I'll have it in me to write more on this at a later date.

Well, my friends, happy weekend! It started out pouring rain here today, but now the sun has come out. Yeah! We look forward to a cousin's First Holy Communion tomorrow. And then we begin the last week of school! And that's an even bigger deal than normal this year. More on that, too :)

First Holy Communion Menu

2011-05-19T18:42:00.000-05:00

When we first started planning my oldest girl's First Holy Communion, I was very mindful of wanting the Sacrament to be the highlight of the day. Yes, it was a time to celebrate! But I didn't want the party or the gifts or the decorations to take away from what was really happening that day: My daughter receiving Jesus for the very first time! Nothing should overshadow that.

My daughter suggested a dessert party. (She has the biggest sweet tooth!) And while I loved the idea, I knew we also needed to serve real food, for we would be gathering around noon. So, we settled on brunch. I had a rough-draft of a menu in mind, but it really needed some fine-tuning. So, I consulted the author of my favorite (and only) food blog, and she was so kind to help me along in the menu-planning process. Thanks, Barbara!

.: Brunch Menu :.

Breakfast Casserole (a family favorite made with Challah bread)

Jalapeño Cheddar Breakfast Bake

Asiago Cheese Bagel Bake

Fresh Fruit Salad

Caprese Salad Skewers

Assorted Olives

Mini Muffins

Orange Juice and Coffee

To make this meal more special, we used antique serving dishes from my mom, grandmother and even my great-grandmother. My daughter has a fondness for old things, so this really made it special for her.

before meal prayer and a special blessing over our First Communicant

We had a dessert buffet after brunch, to keep my daughter's original request.

.: Dessert Menu :.

Lemony Angel Cake

Chalice-shaped Sugar Cookies

Brownie Bites

Assorted Candy in Pretty Dishes

First Holy Communion Spiritual Bouquet

2011-05-16T06:38:00.000-05:00

With each invitation we sent out, we (secretly) included a little card asking guests to join us in giving our daughter a spiritual bouquet for her First Holy Communion.

They could check off what prayers they would like to offer for her.

And then, we asked them to bring the card, attached to a special flower, to our celebration afterward.

It was so beautiful to see the bouquet grow, with all of the different hand-selected stems! And all of the prayers she is receiving are so appreciative!

Long after the flowers have wilted away (there are only a few remaining today), she will be able to keep the prayer-cards with her other special First Communion items, and know and feel just how loved she is through the power and beauty of prayer.

19/52

2011-05-14T19:26:00.007-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

A fist-full of "flowers" to grace our prayer table.

A real-life photo, captured by my 8yo daughter.

It's titled "Spilled Juice."

Mother's Day roses.

A post-First Communion gift from a kind friend. She (and her sweet daughter) made my daughter's day, when she found this sweet little bracelet in the mail. Thank you, Barbara and Faith! (A) loves it!

Up to my neck in garage sale stuff. The sorting, the pricing ... three days of selling. And it was cold. I'm so glad it's over. The leftovers are on their way to the donation center. Although I'm exhausted and my body aches, it feels good to be rid of the clutter!

Well, I'm off to curl up in my PJs and watch a Hallmark movie. That's about all I can handle tonight.

Enjoy your weekend! See you next time ...

Thanks and ??

2011-05-13T14:02:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all of you for your sweet comments about my daughter's First Holy Communion dress. I was so excited to share this special project with all of you.

But I noticed that with Blogger down this morning, some of your comments were lost. Boo. =(

Oh well! Thank you, anyway, for stopping by and leaving me a note. I really appreciate it!

Happy Weekend! We are in the middle of a BIG garage sale. And it's cold.

Before & After ~ First Holy Communion Dress

2011-05-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

It started with a dress I wore nearly 10 years ago. When I married my husband. My wedding dress.

Could it be made into a First Holy Communion dress? I wondered. How wonderful it would be! Could the dress that I wore on the day Greg and I began life together be transformed into a dress my daughter could wear on the day she receives Jesus for the very first time?

Sacrament to sacrament. Grace to grace. Passing on. Tradition. Part of me. Part of her.

For it has sat in my closet, in the same plastic wardrobe bag it came in the day I picked it up from the wedding-gown shop. And I have always wondered what I will ever do with my dress. Too nostalgic to part with it. Yet trying to keep the clutter at bay.

As I thought about the idea more and more, I grew excited! Perhaps this transformed dress could be worn not only by my oldest daughter, but by all four of my daughters ... and maybe even my granddaughters, too.

Part of me could be part of all of them. Sacrament to sacrament. Grace to grace. Passing on. Tradition.

I loved the idea of a First Holy Communion dress made out of my wedding dress. To be passed down. After all, the Baptismal gown they all wore was worn by me and made by my grandmother, too.

With only a smidgen of sewing ability, I consulted my cousin Jenny to determine if my idea was possible. She went to college for apparel design and development. If anyone would know if my idea was actually doable, it was her. And her response was yes! And she even agreed to ~~help me~~ do it for me. My aunt, her mom helped quite a bit, too, from what I am told.

We met. We measured. We cut out the pattern we found at JoAnn.

She made a mock-up dress out of muslin. Yes, she really is professional!

She modified the mock up before cutting into the train of my wedding dress.

We had another fitting on Easter Sunday. It was a little big, so she took it in a bit. And made a few other alternations.

The beading, which was along the bottom of my dress and train was removed and positioned on the cuffs of the sleeves. (I love the three-quarter-length sleeves on this dress!)

The end result. With matching bag :)

It touches my heart so much that the dress I wore for my wedding was worn by my daughter this past Saturday for her First Holy Communion. The day was already emotional, but this made it even more so. And this dress will be passed on and worn by my other daughters, too! Maybe not for their wedding day, but for the most important day of their lives—for their First Holy Communion, the day they first meet Jesus in the most intimate way possible.

And according to my creative cousin, I have enough beading left over to make ring-bearer pillows when the day comes when one of them actually does get married. But that's not for a long, long, long time! (If ever, my husband says!)

Thank you, Jen and Aunt Anne! You really gave us such a gift. How will we ever repay you?

A Glimpse at First Holy Communion

2011-05-09T12:54:00.006-05:00

My daughter's First Holy Communion was so beautiful! The day was filled with prayer and grace and joy. I cried. Knowing Jesus was coming into her heart in such a real and special way. Words cannot express what I felt for my daughter. How my faith in the Real Presence was deepened.

I will share more soon. Especially about her dress and a few other things we did. Your responses to my questions a few months ago really gave me the boost I needed to begin planning this memorable day. Keeping the Sacrament as the focal point. And yet also celebrating in a special way. I hope you will be interested ... In the meantime, I will give you a glimpse of her special day.

Dear Child of God,

How fortunate you are!

Jesus, the King of Kings, your Creator, comes down from Heaven and waits for you upon the altar!

He is so happy to see you. He has waited from eternity for this moment, to share Himself with you in the Holy Eucharist.

Look at your angel, he is so proud to be with you, he kneels at the door of your heart, holding it open for Jesus. Our Mother Mary is there, too, and your Patron Saint, they are so full of joy!

Always remember, dear Child, that you are a temple of God ... that He delights living in your heart. Be sure to keep it clean and free from sin, ask Our Lady to help you. She is an excellent housekeeper, she will help you make your heart into a palace, a beautiful home for the King of Heaven, Jesus!

17-18/52

2011-05-06T06:46:00.007-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

Happy 7th Birthday! As part of her day, we took her to Panera for a small treat and to play games. Just the three of us. It was great to have some special time with this amazing girl!

We saw this vocal group in concert with some friends. They were really wonderful!

After receiving birthday gifts of art supplies, we had a lot of creativity happening around here!

By the end of Easter Week, our candy was almost gone! Yikes! But maybe it's just better to eat it all and be done, rather than to have it linger around the house for weeks and weeks.

Practicing how we will do her hair for First Holy Communion tomorrow. (Her nose is almost always in a book! Love that about her =)

Little Flowers :: Obedience

2011-05-05T08:22:00.001-05:00

Catching up on some Little Flowers Girls' Club posts, here is a recap of our meeting on the virtue of obedience.

{For this First Wreath, our group is meeting twice per month, because we didn't start until January, and we want to finish by summer. Plus, we want to start Wreath II in September, and just have a normal "school-year" schedule. Since we meet so often, I can't keep up with posting about our meetings, even though they are so wonderful for the girls—and moms alike!}

This particular virtue is one that the girls were really able to comprehend, because as children, it is one that they learn—and work on—very early on in life.

St. Joan of Arc was the saint we learned about. And the carnation was our flower, because it is a hearty flower. It is strong. And we must be strong in our obedience to God and to His commandments. It also diffuses a sweet fragrance. And the girls were told that when we are obedient, we also diffuse a sweetness wherever we go.

One of the badge activities for the virtue of obedience is to bring a bouquet of Carnations to Our Lady and ask her to help us grow in this virtue. Since the day after our meeting was a Sunday, we met as a group after Mass and did this activity as a group. It was quite a sweet sight, all of these little girls asking for Mary's intercession!

Our Lady, Queen of Virtue, and St. Joan of Arc, pray for us!

If You Only Knew ...

2011-05-04T06:59:00.005-05:00

My oldest girl is receiving her First Holy Communion on Saturday. The many of you who replied to my questions were more helpful than you ever will know. I feel like she is prepared and truly understands the importance of what will take place. She is praying a Novena on her own, which is similar to the one Margaret posted yesterday. It is so beautiful to hear her pray these prayers and take this so seriously! And I think that how we have planned the celebration afterwards still keeps the Sacramental portion of the day in its proper place as most important.

With that, this quote came across my inbox this morning. And I couldn't help but think of my little girl ...

Nothing can compare with the beauty of the soul after Holy Communion.

The angels are in admiration and, as God is with them, they fall down in adoration.

O Souls, if you only knew your dignity!

...

Your soul is My heaven; every time you receive

Me in Holy Communion, My grace augments

both your dignity and your beauty.

~ Our Lord to Sr. Josefa Menendez ~

Egg-stravagant Hunt

2011-05-01T19:26:00.005-05:00

This Easter Sunday, we hosted our very first Easter Egg Hunt. We invited extended family and those neighbors who were in town. We ended up with 17 children participating, and we hid more than 270 eggs!

Hiding so many eggs was not difficult this year, because we do not have a lot of landscaping or trees, yet. So, many of the eggs were simply scattered across our lawn. Inside the eggs were jelly beans and other candy ... and some Catholic stickers from Dollar Tree (of all places!), too.

Twelve of the hidden eggs were Resurrection Eggs. (Do a quick Google search to find places to purchase them.)

After all the children found their allotted number of about 17 (or so) eggs, they emptied the candy and stickers into their baskets. (And they were great about putting the eggs back together before dumping them into a big clear bin!)

But if they found a Resurrection Egg, they were instructed to keep it.

Then, I read The First Easter book, and each time we got to a part in the story where a Resurrection Egg applied, the child who had the egg showed everyone the symbol within. If the child was old enough, he or she also could explain the symbol to everyone else. Then, a chocolate bunny was awarded for the Resurrection Egg winners. (But I also had extra candy on hand for all the kids!)

We originally got the idea for this egg hunt from some friends from our old neighborhood. They always hosted a similar egg hunt, and our children l-o-v-e-d it. I always liked how beautifully it brought the fun of egg hunting and candy back to the true meaning of why we celebrate Easter—Jesus! So, we decided to carry on the tradition in our new neighborhood. Hopefully, this was only the first of many egg-stravagant hunts in our backyard!

A Holy Week Seder Meal

2011-04-29T12:32:00.001-05:00

Looking back just a bit to Holy Week, our family hosted a Christian Seder Meal on Wednesday. We invited two other families over for a total of 20!

We started with a script my mom had used in the past and incorporated some ideas from Women for Faith and Family.

This was a wonderful way to learn more about Passover, the meal Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper.

During the spring, Christians and Jews celebrate their own feasts in their own ways. Through this Christian Seder Meal, we were able to see and experience in a very tangible way the common bond of the symbolism of the Exodus. Jesus was a Jew, and so we wanted to draw upon the traditional Jewish Seder—as well as the words of the New Testament—to help us more fully appreciate Jesus’ observance of His Jewish heritage, whose laws He kept.

Matthew, Mark and Luke’s accounts of Christ’s sacrifice for us each begin with His celebration of the Paschal Meal:

"Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus to say, 'Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?'" (Mt 26:17, Mark 14:12 and Luke 22:7-9)

It also really helped to see how the Old and New Covenants join together, as we incorporated the Christian faith into the meal. For we know that Jesus is our Pascal Lamb, who sacrificed Himself for us. As St. Paul says, "Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed." (1 Cor. 5:7)

Everyone had a role. Even the children, for it is customary to have the children ask various questions about the different foods and their symbolism.

Our menu consisted of lamb, roasted chicken, seasoned rice, vegetables, haroseth, matzah, salad and sparkling grape juice. We had the bitter herbs and salt water on the tables, too. Brownies and coffee were served for dessert. We did our best to serve a fairly authentic meal, but we also know that we are not bound to the Jewish dietary laws.

Celebrating the Seder Meal truly made the Holy Thursday liturgy come to life! And it truly enhanced all of Holy Week.

(Drinking the Cup of Blessing.)

* The Seder plate and other serving dishes can be found at DaySpring.

16/52

2011-04-25T23:02:00.007-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

***

Holy Week was a very blessed week for our family, and I truly hope yours was, too. And of course, Easter Sunday was the most glorious day to celebrate Our Risen Lord. Even the weather seemed to follow along with the Triduum: On Holy Thursday night it started to rain; Good Friday was cold and wet; Saturday was still overcast but dry; and Easter Sunday was sunny and bright and warm enough to be outside for an Easter egg hunt!

Here is our week in photos. (With a few exceptions that will have to wait for separate posts!)

We baked and decorated chalice-shaped cookies for our priests. Every Holy Thursday, we try to make a special treat for them, thanking them for their priesthood and all the ways they serve our parish family. For on Holy Thursday, at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the priesthood. And without our priests, we would not have the sacraments, especially Our Lord in the Eucharist. Our priests bring us Jesus, and we are so grateful to them!

We have a tradition of enjoying Hot Cross Buns for breakfast on Good Friday. In the past, I have gone to the bakery early to purchase them. This year, we made them, using this recipe. (Thanks, Barbara!) We all agreed that homemade is better!

Holy Saturday was spent preparing for Easter. Still trying to maintain some quietness but also starting to get very excited in anticipation for Easter!

Coloring Easter eggs is always a favorite tradition!

Remember our Lenten table? Well, it was transformed into an Easter table overnight! An Alleluia sign replaced the Repent one. And the Good Shepherd with all his sheep arrived, too.

The jar of sacrifice beans turned into a jar of jelly beans, as a way of showing the children that all their good deeds, all of their sacrifices bring sweetness to others, especially Jesus. (H/T: Nadja for this idea.)

Happy Easter (again!) from our family to yours!

Christ is Risen, and you, O death, are annihilated!

Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!

Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!

Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;

for Christ having risen from the dead,

is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!

—St. John Chrysostom—

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T05:02:00.004-05:00

Jesus Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

Human language falls silent before the mystery of the resurrection. Only one word remains to us:

Alleluia!

Happy Easter to you and yours!

Finding Joy in Lent

2011-04-21T17:03:00.002-05:00

This is the very midst of the holiest week of the year. It is a time truly devoted to focusing on the Passion and Death of Our Lord, Jesus Christ ...

And to think that Lent is over. Already? For me, this Lent went by faster than any other Lent I have experienced.

When I compare Advent to Lent, I have a history of thinking Advent goes by way too quickly, and Lent cannot be over soon enough.

Near the end of Advent, when Christmas is just a couple days away, I always long for a bit more time to anticipate, to hope, to wait upon the Lord's coming into the world. I really like that feeling of expectancy. Advent is such an exciting time!

During past Lents, however, I cannot wait for Lent to be over and to engage in celebrating the Resurrection. Are my Lents really that difficult and painful? Of course not. I am a wimp when it comes to suffering, not really wanting to give up my little comforts or work any harder than I have to, to be holier. But even with the little things I try to offer up to the Lord, Lent still feels long, and sacrificing for 40 whole days is certainly long enough. And Holy Week. Well, Holy Week is always hardest of all.

What a lazy soul I am! Oh, how I have a long way to go to truly feel worthy of being one of His disciples! I desire it, yes. I am striving, yes. But am I doing enough? Am I truly ready to go after Him, deny myself, take up my cross and follow? (Mark 8:34)

Thankfully, this year, I think I was given the grace to approach Lent differently. Perhaps I finally was able to grow just a bit in my discipleship, in my taking up of my cross.

At the beginning of Lent, I heard on Catholic radio that Lent really is a joyful season.

What? Can you repeat that, please? A joyful season?

Joy?

Really?

I had never thought of it that way before. But the more I mulled that radical concept over in my mind, the more I realized that, yes, Lent truly is a joyful time.

Not joyful in the happy, celebratory sense. But joyful in a sobering sense.

A sober joy.

A joy that is free from frivolity or excess. A joy that is subdued. Yes, even a more serious joy.

But definitely joy.

Lent is a way of clearing out the clutter in our minds, hearts and lives, and allowing the cause of our joy to come through.

And where do we find real joy?

Real joy is not pleasure in the created things of this world that can only make us happy for so long. (Hence, the real reason for those many years of giving up chocolate.) But true, pure, authentic joy is in the Creator, the One who gives life, the One who gives chocolate, the One who allows grace and blessing and even suffering so that we may grow closer to Him.

This realization shaped my entire Lent this year. But it wasn't anything that my humble little mind could have come to on its own. No, it was a true Divine gift. Something that the Lord wanted me to finally comprehend.

And I think that everything that, by God’s grace, my family did during this season—our tiny Lenten sacrifices—allowed our hearts to be turned toward this radical new concept of living a sobering joy with Christ.

Our family focused on reclaiming family prayer. Every night, with only a few exceptions, before a movie or books, we gathered around our prayer table to pray night prayer, Stations or a Rosary. And by God's grace, I am hopeful that long into Easter and Ordinary Time, this revised habit will continue! (Growing closer to Him. Real joy!)

Both books in my Lenten reading program have focused on this idea, too. One Thousand Gifts and He Leadeth Me talk about the truth that the Lord gives all. Even really hard things, He allows. And that we are called to trust. To accept. To thank. To surrender. To grow. No matter what situation we are in. In order to become closer to Him. To walk with Him. To learn an important life-lesson. To take up our cross and follow.

Both authors use their own trials to bring this truth to light and to inspire me to see this as very real, very beautiful truth in my own life.

Yes, to take up our cross. Not an easy concept in this cushy world we live in. I don’t like to suffer. And I certainly don’t suffer well by nature. But this Lent, I have been open to Jesus’ invitation and the blessing it really is to be permitted to suffer (even a little) with Him. It might not even be something that I can completely comprehend. But I accept it as truthful mystery. His folly is wiser than human wisdom. His ways are not my ways. He is all-good, all-knowing and all-loving. And sometimes that is all it takes to follow.

Even when it means that I must follow Him onto those rocky roads that lead to Calvary. The ones that are dusty. The ones that make my tired feet bleed. The ones that make me fall flat on my face.

And rather than look at those roads as roads I have to walk, these 40 days as something I have to abide by, I have started looking at them as roads I have the privilege of walking on with Him.

Lent is that time. The concentrated time He invites me to join Him, to be closer to Him, maybe even to lighten His load a bit, like Simon and Veronica did. Simply to.be.with.Him at the foot of the cross. What an incredible honor!

What joy!

14-15/52

2011-04-15T09:30:00.012-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

***

I can't believe it has been an entire week since I've posted anything here. I think this little fasting from comments has proved to be very good for me in that I have simply been on the computer less, and thus with my family and my vocational duties more. Now, with only one week left of Lent, my hope is that whatever tiny improvement I have made in this area, I can keep it going into Easter ... and beyond! God willing.

Here is a recap of the past two weeks, the 14th and 15th weeks of 2011.

***

More puzzles and knitting. Just like last time.

***

Sundays are for resting.

***

My writer.

***

Dress fitting. More on that later ...

... and veil shopping. The big day is almost here!

***

Sweet baby boy. Now four months old.

Can you give me one of your great smiles?

Oh, there's a little one!

And here is that big smile that I just adore!

He is such a good baby! Not just because he is so smiley, either. I am truly blessed by this newest joy in my life!

***

My (almost) 7yo girl is starting to show some interest in music. So, when I heard that the Minnesota Youth Symphonies hosted a Music and Melody Makers event, where children can try out various musical instruments, I signed her up. Her 3yo twin siblings tagged along.

I think she still is interested in piano, but she's now been talking a lot about violin, too. And she really thought the French horn was cool! I am starting to think about lessons ... perhaps in the fall.

***

Gotta end with another cute sleeping baby photo. Just 'cause I love how he crossed his arms like that!

***

Happy Weekend! And a very blessed Palm Sunday to you!

Until we meet again ...

Little Flowers :: Love of Neighbor

2011-04-08T12:57:00.001-05:00

The fourth virtue in the first wreath of Little Flowers is Love of Neighbor. Our meeting focused on how when we have Love of God, we can express that love by helping, serving and loving our neighbor.

And who is our neighbor?

Each person we encounter. Our parents, our siblings, our friends and classmates, those in our neighborhoods, those we barely know, strangers.

To give the girls a tangible way of expressing Love of Neighbor, we decided to make one of the badge activities into a group service project.

We colored additional pictures of our saint, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, and put them on paper grocery bags. Then, for a month or so, we have been collecting canned goods as a group. (This coincided very well with Lent and doubled as a lesson in almsgiving, too!) At some point in Lent, we will bring our collections to a local food shelf.

Simple cupcakes with red roses (this virtue's flower) rounded out our meeting.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal, pray for us!

A Place to Pray

2011-04-04T13:18:00.000-05:00

When we started the process of building our home, one small feature that we really liked in our house plan was a little alcove at the very top of the stairs.

It consists of a small window and nice amount of space. This little space could easily be a study area or even a play area.

But we have designated it for: a place to pray.

I have many ideas in my head for how this space could look. Until Lent, though, it was completely barren. With the move into our home, the birth of our new son, his illness and the busyness of life in general (not to mention any extra monetary resources =), it just hasn't been at the top of the priority list to decorate this space.

But with Lent, I decided to use what I had (mostly) and come up with a space we could use during this quiet, sobering season.

I draped an old TV cart with a purple cloth to create a prayer table. I was looking for a Crucifix that could stand on the table, but the ones at our Catholic bookstore were very, very expensive. Then, I found a Crucifixion Triptych, similar to this one, which works very well, I think.

I also posted all of our Stations of the Cross around the perimeter of the room. We keep our basket of prayer books and rosaries up here, too.

This Lent, we have slowly started praying our family prayers in this space. And it has been so wonderful! While we still pray plenty of family Rosaries in the living room, it also is nice to have a designated place to pray that takes us away from our everyday distractions of comfy couches, books, knitting and puzzles.

I don't know how this space will be transformed after Lent, but slowly and with much care, I am certain it will grow into a simple and quiet (and permanent) place to be together as a family in prayer.

13/52

2011-04-01T10:04:00.007-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

A very quiet, uneventful week ...

We got our family photo taken! All 8 of us (the max Target Portrait Studio will accept, BTW!) Those photos should be back next week =) And I did have the opportunity to meet a friend for lunch (sans children) yesterday. But there is no photo of the two of us at Applebee's. (I like the idea of taking everyday photos, but I have to draw the line somewhere.)

So, here is what I did capture from our quiet week ...

Knitting on the loom is all the rage around here (and at school). Here is my 5yo's second scarf.

My 8yo's very own Yarn Along photo (what she's knitting and what she's reading). She just learned to knit on needles this week. She has simply been practicing her knit stitch. She has cast on, knitted and frogged this pink yarn several times. But with each little practice session, she is getting better and better!

A sick day. (But not too sick, thank God!)

My Puzzle Princess! She has just discovered them, and she loves them!

Her other siblings are joining in the fun! I think the older ones forgot how enjoyable putting together a puzzle is!

Well, that's all for this 13th week of 2011!

Happy April, friends! Have a wonderful weekend!

Yarn Along :: Birthday Poncho

2011-03-30T10:14:00.006-05:00

I love how in a family with six children, each one of them is so unique, so different, so unlike their other brothers and sisters.

My second daughter will be turning 7 at the end of April. She is my child that goes against the grain (in a good way). She marches to the beat of her own drum. She has a carefree spirit about her, yet she is very caring of people—and animals. She loves dogs and horses, especially. She loves art and wants to learn piano. Her favorite color has never been pink. I love all the things that make her who she is. That is why when I saw the pattern for "A Fearless Girl's Poncho" in Faith, Hope, Love Knitting, it had my soon-to-be-7-year-old daughter's name written all over it.

This poncho calls for a variety of Lion Brand yarns, but I could only find two of them at Joann. So, I went to my local yarn shop and found comparable yarns there. The 8 different yarns in this pattern, when put together, create a very multi-textured and colorful garment. A lot of depth and interest. I am keeping with the blue theme, like in the book, because blue is one of my girl's favorite colors. It will look great with her eyes, too. And for some reason, I can just picture her wearing this poncho on a horse ranch. Even though we don't live on a horse ranch or anywhere near one, for some reason, that's how I picture her in it. Blue jeans and cowgirl boots and all =)

As for reading, I continue with my Lenten program. I am slowly, but surely, soaking in He Leadeth Me. It. is. excellent. The perfect Lenten companion. And I am listening to One Thousand Gifts. Listening to Ann Voskamp read her own words—with proper emphasis and expression—is helping me get much more out of her own journey toward gratitude (and inevitably is helping my own).

For more Yarn Along posts, visit Ginny at Small Things.

Little Flowers :: Love of God

2011-03-27T14:15:00.009-05:00

Our third Little Flowers Girls' Club meeting took place the Saturday before Valentine's Day. This was such a fitting time for this particular meeting, because the virtue we focused on was Love of God.

Before we got into the meeting, we presented each girl with her sash and the first two badges that she earned, Faith and Hope. Each mother presented her daughters with the sashes and badges.

(Here's me with my 5 year old.)

In addition to the official Leader's Guide, my two favorite resources in planning our Little Flowers meetings are Shower of Roses and Joy-filled Family.

In the Leader's Guide, it uses the image of a flower to explain how the three theological virtues—Faith, Hope and Love—fit together.

Every flower has a root, a stem, a blossom; this last is the fairest of the the three. And it is just the same with the glorious flower which the three theological virtues combine to form. From the root, which is faith, springs the stem, which is hope, and the lovely flower of charity crowns them both.

~ Father Lasance’s Catholic Girls Guide

Lena drew out an adorable flower, which I replicated to illustrate this to the girls.

Then, they were able to color their own flowers and save them in their notebooks. This truly is the foundation of the virtuous life, and an illustration can be so helpful in explaining something complex.

We then got more into the specific virtue of Love of God. We discussed how we can do everything—playing, praying, working, learning—for the love of Jesus. This will make Him so happy, and it also will help us avoid sin. We can tell Jesus often, "I am doing this for love of You, Jesus!"

Our notebook page was so pretty-in-pink this month. Again, it tied in so beautifully with Valentine's Day!

St. Agnes was our saint for this particular virtue. And since she is often pictured with a lamb, and her name means lamb, these lamb cookies were the perfect treat.

Aren't they sweet?!

The lamb also tied into the fact that Jesus is the Lamb of God and how the Holy Mass is indeed the very love of Jesus on the altar, the most perfect expression of God's love for us!

Since this meeting took place so close to Valentine's Day, we did one extra activity, an idea I got from Lena. We made "Love of God Bracelets" out of gummy heart candies and little ribbons. The directions are here.

The girls were encouraged to do little acts of love for God before eating a candy.

St. Agnes, pray for us!

11-12/52

2011-03-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

My new kitchen companion—a statue of the Kitchen Madonna. She is proving to be a good source of encouragement as I embrace (or at least strive to embrace) my vocational duties day after day.

Three months old!

He is getting to be such a big boy! He is already growing out of 3-6 month clothes ... and into the 6-9 month size! Gotta love those chubby cheeks!

Fun times with a Texas cousin!

A little sign of spring.

(Even though we got a fresh snowfall this week!)

Just a sneak peek!

Look at me! I can sit up!

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation ...

"Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."

Lenten Reading

2011-03-24T06:00:00.005-05:00

I really like seasonal books. They have been such a wonderful way for our family to really learn about the various seasons—whether they are natural or liturgical. They add to the time of year, enhancing our appreciation for whatever season we are in.

Lent is no exception.

As I was preparing our home for these 40 days, I realized that we have compiled a collection—albeit small collection—of Lenten books.

Here are a few of our favorite ones. Some old and some new.

The Way of the Cross (I bought it here, but it looks like they are currently sold out. Also, we have the other books in this series. All of them are wonderful!)

Celebrating Lent

I Pray the Stations of the Cross

The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children

The Weight of the Mass: A Tale of Faith [I am including this one, because this Lent (and the next two Lents after this one) will be times of preparing for First Holy Communion with my three oldest daughters.]

For me:

What Wondrous Love

Magnificat

Also, this year, I chose two spiritual books to read during Lent. I am trying to turn off the TV more and resort to reading and listening to audio books. This wouldn't be so hard, but with a three-month-old baby who is up a lot during the evening, there is only so much I can do while tending to him.

One of the books I chose is He Leadeth Me. So far, this book is incredibly beautiful. I am so inspired by the message of complete dependence on God. How can I learn from this author's experiences and insights? How can I personally detach more from this world and turn ever more to Him?

I also chose One Thousand Gifts, which I am trying as an audiobook. I have really appreciated Ann Voskamp's message of gratitude. Not only for the obvious things, but for little things and even things that are difficult yet important for conversion. I find myself so often complaining about this or that, feeling like I don't want to do the vocational duties God has given me to do. It is all about attitude, and mine could use some work! That is why I want to read this book. I actually think both of my picks may end up helping me in this area of life.

Books are such powerful creations. They truly help, inspire and deepen insight. They are indeed something to be grateful for! (I think I'll go add that to my 1,000 list!)

On the Solemnity of St. Joseph ...

2011-03-20T18:52:00.011-05:00

... our son, Joseph, received his Chrismation!

After his Baptism in the hospital, we knew that when Joseph was well enough, we would be able to complete his first sacrament at church. Well, with his special name-day being on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we thought that would be the perfect day!

Moments before, some family shots, in front of St. Joseph the Worker.

The actual event. With that sweet-smelling oil. He received the white garment and the light of Christ, too.

With his godparents and Father.

We celebrated afterward with Mass ... and a Sloppy Joseph dinner! (This may become our new tradition on this Solemnity! =) Special gifts were given to him by his godparents, too.

+++

St. Joseph, ora pro nobis!

One Family's Lenten Journey

2011-03-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Simple. Focused.

Trying not to take on too much. Yet being challenged by what we are doing.

If we pray as a family every night, or even most nights, hopefully the habit will stick ... If we can recognize our harsh tone of voice with one another, hopefully this home will become more peaceful by Easter.

If we can encourage each other in our sacrifices, hopefully they can be united with Christ's own suffering, thus becoming helpful and redemptive.

Our family's Lenten journey is just beginning ... We continue to strive toward truly growing closer to Jesus along the way.

9-10/52

2011-03-11T09:31:00.000-06:00

Joining Barbara in ...

... 52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, the extraordinary and mundane—whatever is unique to the week.

***

Week 9 was pretty quiet around here ... But week 10 was a bit more eventful. (Hence the combination of these two weeks into one post.)

***

My older girls were in their spring play at school. Most of our digital record of their performances are on our video camera. So, no photos here. But it was a delightful production, focusing on the virtue of charity—love of God, love of neighbor, love of country. They performed a variety of poems, songs and short stories.

This girl wasn't in the play, but she sure had fun watching her big sisters.

***

A very nice surprise came in the mail. From a dear blogging friend.

My little baby boy has been so snugly with his adorable new flannel quilt. (Photo with him on the blanket coming soon =)

And I can't wait to use this knitted bib in a few months, when he starts eating solids. (It's so cute, I just may have to figure out how to knit more!)

Thank you, Barbara!

***

Yes, Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. A very good start to Lent.

Wednesday also was my 35th birthday. My birthday is always during Lent, but I don't remember it ever falling on Ash Wednesday. By God's grace, I felt very blessed by this occurrence ... That my birthday—something that I really, really like—was overshadowed by something much more important. It was very humbling ... thus very good, for me.

So, to not take away from the important day that begins the season of fasting, we celebrated my birthday on Fat Tuesday with homemade pizza—with crust made with the dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Yum!

And a meringue cake. Light, yet very delicious.

My dear domestic daughter led the task of setting the table (with the help of her grandma and other sisters).

I received special notes.

And even a special guest stopped by for the party. (Are Squinkies invading your home, too?!)

***

Well, that's about all ...

Praying your Lent is off to a joyful start. And may you have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time ...