I am feeling more than a little overwhelmed at the prospect of picking up this blog again. So much time has past and I feel like I have so much to catch up on...but I miss this more than I thought I would. Blogging truly helps me to set my thoughts, keep a postive attitude and keeps me more observant to the little things that do make a difference in my life.
So, after many months of silence, here I go, picking this up again. :) I guess the best way to start is just to jump right in.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
New York City: From Rose Marie's Perspective
We recently had the incredible honor of attending a dear friend's ordination to the priesthood, in New York City! I was so nervous about taking my children running around the Big Apple. But, as God would have it, the weekend was so grace-filled! In the end, I cannot imagine that trip WITHOUT my children! We had more fun as a family, then we have had in a long time! We were blessed by how good they were during the ordination itself, and then, how wonderful they were as we went exploring through the city.
Since we have been home, Rose Marie has been drawing pictures of the things she saw while we were there. So instead of boring you with details, I thought I would share with you, her pictures. I find them absolutely priceless! :)
1) The "Big Apple."
3) St. Patrick's Cathedral: This is the big steeple and the "biggest door in the world!"
Since we have been home, Rose Marie has been drawing pictures of the things she saw while we were there. So instead of boring you with details, I thought I would share with you, her pictures. I find them absolutely priceless! :)
1) The "Big Apple."
2) The Subway: notice the "smoke" rising from the top and Rose Marie and Samuel smiling out of the windows (the smilely faces are the parts that look like the train wheels)
3) St. Patrick's Cathedral: This is the big steeple and the "biggest door in the world!"4) The Statue of Liberty: This is my favorite! Above the big smile is the "crown" that Liberty wears and then in her hand is the torch and next to her the water.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter!!!
I finally have my blog up and running again! Yay! For some reason I was unable to upload photos or write on the blog for a while. It is still acting up as far as formatting goes, but at least I can write a little something. :)
We had an AMAZING Easter this year! I hope you all did as well! We were so incredibly blessed to be able to enter into the Triduum this year with the kids. Those last few days were so beautiful.
Beginning on Wednesday night, our little family went into a kind of silence...no cell phones, computers, generally no outside distractions. On Thursday the kids and I read through the Passion in the Bible and then we did a craft about Holy Week. Before dinner, Daddy washed all of the little feet in the house...it was really beautiful! Rose and Sam were absolutely fascinated by Holy Thursday service. Sam was very upset by the stripping of the altar and by the statues being covered up.
Good Friday was spent remembering Our Lord's Passion. We ended up keeping it fairly low key, but we did manage to have a beautiful Stations of the Cross in our home that night. Rose Marie loves doing Stations at our house, so it was a real treat to her. We turn off all of the lights in the house, and light fourteen candles instead, for each of the Stations. After we pray each Station, one of the children extinguishes the candle so the room gets progressively darker. Rose and Sam are always very touched by this and Rose Marie really made the connection that on Easter, we will "feel the light" again. :) It was beautiful. I also thought it was interesting that Sam's favorite Station is when Jesus meets His mother...he always says that it makes Jesus feel "all better." I think he may be right.
Saturday was relatively quiet for us, but this year we made it to the Vigil! I was so excited for us and for the kids! They were so good at the long Mass. I will never forget Sam's expression when the lights were turned on in the Church when the "Gloria," was sung. He was so happy! He was especially happy to see that the statues were uncovered again and that there were flowers back on the altar. :) Rose Marie kept saying, "Alleluia," rather loudly...but I am sure Jesus didn't mind. :)
Easter Sunday was full of fun and celebration! We had a wonderful Easter Brunch at my parent's house, which ended with a fun Easter Egg hunt in the backyard. That night, my family came over to our home for Easter Dinner. There was a lot of laughter and joy through the entire day, and we couldn't have asked for more. My younger siblings played hard with our kids, so by bedtime that night, Rose and Sam were exhausted and fell into bed saying, "I love Easter!" I do too. :)
1) Jake and I after Easter Dinner.
2) Waiting to go hunt for those eggs!
I finally have my blog up and running again! Yay! For some reason I was unable to upload photos or write on the blog for a while. It is still acting up as far as formatting goes, but at least I can write a little something. :)
We had an AMAZING Easter this year! I hope you all did as well! We were so incredibly blessed to be able to enter into the Triduum this year with the kids. Those last few days were so beautiful.
Beginning on Wednesday night, our little family went into a kind of silence...no cell phones, computers, generally no outside distractions. On Thursday the kids and I read through the Passion in the Bible and then we did a craft about Holy Week. Before dinner, Daddy washed all of the little feet in the house...it was really beautiful! Rose and Sam were absolutely fascinated by Holy Thursday service. Sam was very upset by the stripping of the altar and by the statues being covered up.
Good Friday was spent remembering Our Lord's Passion. We ended up keeping it fairly low key, but we did manage to have a beautiful Stations of the Cross in our home that night. Rose Marie loves doing Stations at our house, so it was a real treat to her. We turn off all of the lights in the house, and light fourteen candles instead, for each of the Stations. After we pray each Station, one of the children extinguishes the candle so the room gets progressively darker. Rose and Sam are always very touched by this and Rose Marie really made the connection that on Easter, we will "feel the light" again. :) It was beautiful. I also thought it was interesting that Sam's favorite Station is when Jesus meets His mother...he always says that it makes Jesus feel "all better." I think he may be right.
Saturday was relatively quiet for us, but this year we made it to the Vigil! I was so excited for us and for the kids! They were so good at the long Mass. I will never forget Sam's expression when the lights were turned on in the Church when the "Gloria," was sung. He was so happy! He was especially happy to see that the statues were uncovered again and that there were flowers back on the altar. :) Rose Marie kept saying, "Alleluia," rather loudly...but I am sure Jesus didn't mind. :)
Easter Sunday was full of fun and celebration! We had a wonderful Easter Brunch at my parent's house, which ended with a fun Easter Egg hunt in the backyard. That night, my family came over to our home for Easter Dinner. There was a lot of laughter and joy through the entire day, and we couldn't have asked for more. My younger siblings played hard with our kids, so by bedtime that night, Rose and Sam were exhausted and fell into bed saying, "I love Easter!" I do too. :)
1) Jake and I after Easter Dinner.
2) Waiting to go hunt for those eggs!
3) Enjoying a moment of peace at my parent's house, while the kids are scrambling to find the hidden eggs.
4) Drinking sparkling apple cider after the Easter Vigil!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Where I Come From
In case anyone is wondering:
I am a daughter of man who served his country well for twenty years in the Armed Forces.
I come from a family who values and respects one other's uniquness and difference of opinion.
I was raised in a family that spoke truth...even in uncomfortable circumstances.
Dinner conversations were regularly full of intelligent debate, followed by hugs and laughter.
I was taught to stand firm against things I viewed as unjust or untrue.
I was reminded that evil runs free, when good men do nothing.
Defending those you love, is not an option, it is your duty.
And yes, I plan on raising my daughter the same way. I will expect her to differ from me in opinions. I expect her to challenge authority when she senses that something may be unjust or untrue. I want her to know that she is valued for the unique way in which she thinks, feels and expresses herself. I will guide her to the very best of my ability, but I do not intend to shun my children for making choices that they feel they are being called upon to make. I am working on giving her roots in the Catholic Faith and in Catholic Tradition, and then, I have to let her go and let God work on her little heart in the way that He sees fit. I have to trust her and even more, I have to trust Him. All the while, I have to remember that she is God's gift to me. I have to remember that in order for her to respect me as her mother, she also needs to know that I respect and love her, just as she was created to be. I do not rule her, it is not a mother's place to demand unwavering submission. These little ones entrusted to us by God, deserve respect for the little people they are, and for the grown-up men and women they will become. I pray that one day, my daughter will grow into a confident, God-fearing, truth speaking little woman and that she will have a passionate love for those in her life and for the principles she has been taught. And I hope, that if any of those things are challenged, she will be graced with the strength to make a stand and fight for the ones she loves...knowing full well that her Mama would be proud. :) Thank you Mom and Dad!!
I am a daughter of man who served his country well for twenty years in the Armed Forces.
I come from a family who values and respects one other's uniquness and difference of opinion.
I was raised in a family that spoke truth...even in uncomfortable circumstances.
Dinner conversations were regularly full of intelligent debate, followed by hugs and laughter.
I was taught to stand firm against things I viewed as unjust or untrue.
I was reminded that evil runs free, when good men do nothing.
Defending those you love, is not an option, it is your duty.
And yes, I plan on raising my daughter the same way. I will expect her to differ from me in opinions. I expect her to challenge authority when she senses that something may be unjust or untrue. I want her to know that she is valued for the unique way in which she thinks, feels and expresses herself. I will guide her to the very best of my ability, but I do not intend to shun my children for making choices that they feel they are being called upon to make. I am working on giving her roots in the Catholic Faith and in Catholic Tradition, and then, I have to let her go and let God work on her little heart in the way that He sees fit. I have to trust her and even more, I have to trust Him. All the while, I have to remember that she is God's gift to me. I have to remember that in order for her to respect me as her mother, she also needs to know that I respect and love her, just as she was created to be. I do not rule her, it is not a mother's place to demand unwavering submission. These little ones entrusted to us by God, deserve respect for the little people they are, and for the grown-up men and women they will become. I pray that one day, my daughter will grow into a confident, God-fearing, truth speaking little woman and that she will have a passionate love for those in her life and for the principles she has been taught. And I hope, that if any of those things are challenged, she will be graced with the strength to make a stand and fight for the ones she loves...knowing full well that her Mama would be proud. :) Thank you Mom and Dad!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Working the System
I apologize for the poor formatting of this post. Blogger is not letting me space between lines. The latest way to get out of consequences: 1) "Samuel, why did you stab Rose Marie with your toy sword?!" Sam responds, "It was an accident." (i.e. you cannot punish me for "accidents") 2) "Samuel, why did you pour your milk on the floor?" Without skipping a beat he looks at me and says, "Oh I forgot!" (i.e. "forgetting," is just like an accident and thus there can be no consequences.) This, "Get out of jail free card," now applies to all KNOWN rules in our house such as: we do not use the broom as weapon, it is for sweeping the floor; we do not jump off the top steps, you will crash at the bottom; you only need a little bit of toliet paper for wiping, not the entire roll; we do not pretend to make soup in the toliet; etc. Now everytime I catch him breaking one of these rules, I am quickly met with the trump card of "It was an accident," or "I forgot." Everytime he responds this way, it stops me dead in my tracks and I have to hide my smile. He is too smart for his own good, but he is incredibly adorable. :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Little Joys
What a wonderful week! These past few days have been full, but happy. I am so grateful. Thank you for the prayers! I am trying to look harder and see more clearly the joyful moments :) Here are a few snapshots:
1) St. Patricks Day was filled with green pancakes, "stained glass window shamrocks," green sprinkled cupcakes and finished with a Irish Dancing performance by my sister and her dancing class! The whole day was full of fun and good ol' Irish spirit! I love Feast Days!
2) This mischievous little face! Although sometimes I can swear that he drives me to the brink, he also keeps me on my toes. And besides...how can you resist that face! :)
3) My little rainbow! I feel like she is changing so quickly these days. Recently she has started our days by climbing into bed with me in the morning and catching me up on all important information I will need before I get Sam up.
1) St. Patricks Day was filled with green pancakes, "stained glass window shamrocks," green sprinkled cupcakes and finished with a Irish Dancing performance by my sister and her dancing class! The whole day was full of fun and good ol' Irish spirit! I love Feast Days!
2) This mischievous little face! Although sometimes I can swear that he drives me to the brink, he also keeps me on my toes. And besides...how can you resist that face! :)
3) My little rainbow! I feel like she is changing so quickly these days. Recently she has started our days by climbing into bed with me in the morning and catching me up on all important information I will need before I get Sam up.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Hello World!
Here I am once again, after another long hiatus. This time, I cannot say that it has been insane schedules or busy business...it has simply been life that has kept me away. I don't want this first post back to be "doom and gloomish," but I'm afraid that feeling is probably what has kept me leery of posting. For whatever reason these last few months I have been plagued by a "heaviness," that I have struggled to shake off. Maybe it is the weather. Whatever it is, I have struggled and wrestled recently to find joy and laughter in my daily routine. I realize that our days are not always filled with laughter, but sometimes finding it is effortless and at other times, you can feel like it has been days since you felt a full smile cross your face. So, there...it is out there and I said it. Hopefully, I will feel more free to post since I have been more honest with myself. We shall see.
Now that I have put it out there, I will say that the word, "joy," has been my focus this Lenten season. I realize that it may seem an odd focus for the penitential season, but I am finding it so helpful this year! When things or days get hard, or when I am particularly missing the things I have given up, I am trying to find my joy. It is not enough to simply, "give up stuff," for Lent, but even more, we need to be joyful. We need to be joyful in what has been given to us by Our Heavenly Father. We need to be joyful while doing our daily motherly duties. We need to be joyful in the knowledge that we are loved by God. We need to be joyful while standing at a crossroads in our lives and awaiting God's direction. We need to be joyful even when we don't know what it is that God is asking of us. Not that any of this is always easy, but for now, it is what I am trying to find. If I find helpful hints during this season I promise to share them. :)
For now, here are some pictures of the people in my life who make me joyful and who I am trying to be more joyful for! Enjoy!
1) My little comfort...
2) I love how often they are hugging these days! They like to hug before nap times, at bedtime and first thing in the morning.
Now that I have put it out there, I will say that the word, "joy," has been my focus this Lenten season. I realize that it may seem an odd focus for the penitential season, but I am finding it so helpful this year! When things or days get hard, or when I am particularly missing the things I have given up, I am trying to find my joy. It is not enough to simply, "give up stuff," for Lent, but even more, we need to be joyful. We need to be joyful in what has been given to us by Our Heavenly Father. We need to be joyful while doing our daily motherly duties. We need to be joyful in the knowledge that we are loved by God. We need to be joyful while standing at a crossroads in our lives and awaiting God's direction. We need to be joyful even when we don't know what it is that God is asking of us. Not that any of this is always easy, but for now, it is what I am trying to find. If I find helpful hints during this season I promise to share them. :)
For now, here are some pictures of the people in my life who make me joyful and who I am trying to be more joyful for! Enjoy!
1) My little comfort...
2) I love how often they are hugging these days! They like to hug before nap times, at bedtime and first thing in the morning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
