Catholic-family Archives

Creative Coloring Easter Eggs – Photos

April 13, 2009 By Laura 6 Comments

Just sharing with you today some photos from our creative coloring of Easter eggs tradition. Our family here LOVES to color and decorate eggs. Do you? We could do it every day. It’s also one of my favorite things to photograph. We do hope you all had a lovely and blessed Easter! Our entire Triduum was so focused and beautiful. We especially enjoyed the services and Masses at our church throughout the Holy days, and our quiet Easter celebration together was pleasant and relaxing.

We will have more Easter photos to share tomorrow or the next day, but have a heavier than usual work week, so we just may not be so chatty until later on in the week, if we are disciplined. ; ) But we’ve got a long list of blog posts and plans on hand-so stick around! And Enjoy!

white-eggs-ready-to-dye

cups-of-dyeing-easter-eggs

white-eggs-ready-to-dye
cups-coloring-easter-eggs

cups-coloring-easter-eggs cups-of-dyeing-easter-eggs

Hope you enjoyed this fun photo collection of our family memories!
Thanks so much for visiting.

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Veggie Pockets – Lent Meatless Meal – Recipe

February 27, 2009 By Laura 5 Comments

Here’s a delicious meatless meal for the Fridays of Lent, or for any day, for either lunch or dinner! My kids love most vegetables, so these pocket sandwiches are always a real hit with them! They always cheer when they ask what we are having, and they always ask for 2nd one!

I didn’t take any photos in the early stages, as I usually do just for fun. But I think you’ll be able to follow along just fine without them.

Ingredients:

red peppers
zucchini
summer squash
broccoli
vegetable oil
American cheese
whole wheat pockets

~ Naturally, you can use any stir-fry type vegetables your family likes best.

1.) Wash *all vegetables well, of course. : )

*How many of each vegetable you use depends on your family size. Use your best judgement. Once it’s all in the pan you’ll get a better idea.

2.) Clean out red peppers, and dice.

3.) Zucchini and summer squash:

>>> a.) Cut off ends.

>>> b.) Cut length-wise in half

>>> c.) Cut again lengthwise, cutting halves into half. Now you have 4 quarters of lengthwise slices. (Aren’t I great at explaining these things? Maybe I should have taken photos of this part too. lol)

>>> d.) Now slice the quartered lengths the short way, about 1/4″ thick. You will have nice quarter-0f-a-slice pieces.

4.) Cut up broccoli into medium sized pieces, chopping off ends first. (You will chop it all up later.)

5.) Get broccoli going in a steamer. (We have a Black & Decker Handy Steamer. But you can steam however you do.)

6.) Heat a large stir-fry pan at medium-heat, and add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

7.) Add red peppers, zucchini and summer squash to pan, and stir up.

8.) Cook all vegetables in steamer and pan, to desired tenderness. (We call it done when fork inserts nicely. Be careful not to overcook.)

9.) Remove steamed broccoli from steamer, and put on cutting board.

With a large chopping knife, chop up into smaller pieces, and then add to the pan on stove-top, with other vegetables.

Stir all vegetables together.

So happy to-ge-THERRRRRRRR! (Name that tune!)

For pockets, we use this brand:

10.) Take a bread disc out, and cut in half.

11.) Lay some slices of American cheese in the pocket half. Break slices up to fit nicely. (Us grown-ups sometimes put some Pepper-Jack in too, for some kick! But it’s delicious just with American.).

12.) *Fill pocket up with vegetables.

* For the little ones, we don’t overload it, because it’s a wide/big pocket, and a little bit difficult to for little hands to handle. Reminders to eat over plate are a good idea, with these babies! But what falls to the plate can be eaten up with a fork, after.

** Us grown-ups really fill it up. : )

Filled just right for a kiddo.

13.) When they eat it all up, and ask for another, SAY YES!! A kid can never eat too many vegetables! : )

ENJOY!!

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La Salette Shrine – Our First Day of the New Year

January 2, 2009 By Laura Leave a Comment

We finally got to the last activity on our Christmas-to-do list, on New Year’s Day; Taking another trip to Our Lady of La Salette Shrine. With everything else we were doing to prepare for Christmas, this trip was one thing that we just couldn’t find a day for. Because we truly needed a whole day. The Shrine is over an hour away from us. Decidedly, New Year’s Day was the perfect day anyway, in some ways.

But let me backtrack first.

On New Year’s Eve, all 6 us of us were going to stay up until midnight. Do you know HOW exciting that is to 6 year olds?? Ridiculously so. It was pretty low key–we were still feeling a little partied out from all of the Christmas excitement. But {A} was making treats, and the little ones were enjoying watching her. As the night went on, they talked more and more and more. I truly think they were afraid if they stopped talking, they would fall over in slumber. Except one of my little boys. He wasn’t tired, so he said. Surely did not want to go to bed. But….he was really enjoying the snuggle with me for a very-long-time. Perfectly content, still and quiet….watching the lights on the Christmas tree.

Now here comes the most pathetic thing you may ever have heard. By 11:20, most of us couldn’t take it anymore. I HAD to go to bed, and I wasn’t much sad about it. By the time all the kids were ready, and we were all in bed, it was 11 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT!! And I do believe every one of us were asleep my 10 minutes until.

So the next day, we all REALLY wanted to go to the La Salette Shrine. Time was running out, and I really need to do something that day. As Michael got all of the shoveling done, I contemplated and re-contemplated the VERY frigid temperatures of the forecast that day and night. Once Michael got in, we hemmed and hawed and discussed it until we were blue in the face, while the kids begged and asked repeatedly, to go. So I gathered in my head everything my father had ever told me about dressing warm in cold weather (he likes to talk about that topic), and dressed my whole family accordingly. (Well, not physically. But I’m the planner in the family. By default. lol) We were going, and the kids were ECSTATIC.

On Our Way

As we drove, we all answered 10 great questions that apply to the our own selves in reflection of the year behind us, as well as the year ahead. It helped us all better formulate what we have learned, how we can grow from it, and what we want for ourselves in the future. I was so touched by some of the kids answers.

So, the National La Salette Shrine is quite a place. It’s a Catholic shrine, honoring Our Lady of La Salette, with beautiful grounds, a church, candle sanctuary, gift shop cafeteria and bistro, and even a carousel. We all just love to go there. We went last Christmas for the first time, and knew we’d be back this year.

So on our agenda once we got there was Penance for 3 of us, Mass, lighting a perpetual candle for my mother in the sanctuary (for her birthday, and the repose of her soul), walking the grounds to enjoy the festival of lights and huge nativity IF we could stand the cold, going to the gift shop so the kids could spend some money burning in their pocket from their uncle, and dinner.

We were devastated to learn that Penance was over being received at 3:00. But by the grace of God, and a conversation with a deacon who was drawn to talking to us, a priest was beckoned, and we were all able to confess with great relief. Honestly…..it was a very-big-part of our trip, and our hearts just really wanted it by then, being overdue and the first day of a whole new year. So we were very, very grateful to the priest.

Mass and the Crucifix

From there we happily went to Mass. It was a holy day of obligation anyway. But we would have gone anyway, being my Mother’s (and the kids’ Mémé’s) birthday, and the first day of a new year. IS there a better way to start a new year, than with Mass? We think not. The church at the La Salette Shrine is just beautiful, too. Architecturally fascinating. But the kids were absolutely taken with Jesus crucified over the altar. They have seen Jesus crucified in many forms, but this was the most dramatic they have ever seen….and I think it was hitting a little more home with them.

I think we (adults) all know, that most images of Christ crucified are very much ‘cleaned up’, as to not be too difficult to see. I think we also know that what we see is far from the reality of just how horrific, gruesome and brutal His death really was. A death he suffered, for each one of us. This cross of Christ crucified was closer and a bit more realistic though. (But not even close, really, as in truth, He was brutally beaten and tortured, beyond recognition.) I believe it’s made of carved wood. I couldn’t stop photographing it after Mass. Mass was very nice….filled with peace and hope.

Lighting a Candle for Mom/Mémé

After Mass we went and lit a perpetual candle for my mother / Mémé’, in the sanctuary, which is a non-heated virtually all-glass building…but so beautiful with the candles that encircle the Blessed Queen Mother and fill the whole building.

Last year, as I lit that candle, I was a mess as we tried to say a prayer for my Mother. This year, I was stronger, and it made me realize the grace of healing God has brought me. Of course I knew better than to push it, missing her so much this time of year, and being her birthday to boot….so Michael said a beautiful spontaneous prayer, {A} said a Hail Mary with the kids in a huddle, and we were on our way.

The center candle was lit and is burning for her. It will burn for 6 days.

Can’t Miss the Gift Shop

From there we went to the gift shop, and spent a good hour there. Helping little ones figure out for themselves what they want to buy can be a time-consuming and exhausting feat. And it certainly was this night. In the end, the little ones each chose a necklace, and a holy water bottle which they are chomping at the bit to fill up on Sunday at church. {A} bought a statue of her favorite saint, St. Michael the Archangel, and a pocket coin of some sort. All of the kids got in line, and paid for their own purchases by themselves. Which their Daddy and I loved to witness. The little ones were so darn proud, taking care of buying their own things, with their own money, and proudly taking their bag as they responded to the cashier, “Thank you, and Happy New Year to you too.”

The Frozen Shutter Hand Incident

We decided we were starving, and wanted to eat somewhere on the way home as the cafeteria options weren’t inspiring us. Daddy-Boy, {A} and some of the little ones also determined it was way-too-bitter cold to even think about walking around. (As in, dangerously low and frigid temperatures.) I agreed. However. I needed my photos of the festival of lights. It’s the highlight of the La Salette Shrine! Now understand….to really experience the festival of lights at this shrine, you just need to see it with your own naked eyes. To really take it all in cannot even begin to be done with a camera. (It’s not easy to photograph either.). But, I was taking photos anyway.

Thankfully, my family understands that taking photos sometimes IS a NEED for me, more than a want. So as starving and tired as they all were, Michael drove the van around the lot, and I hopped out here and there to attempt to photograph this and that. I started with the Bridge of Angels, and caught a couple on the way back to the van. It was BITTER COLD. Like…hard to breathe, can’t feel your face in 2 seconds, kind of cold.

Jumped back in the van, and thought I’d just open the door, stand out from where I was, and take a shot of this. Not sure I like it, as there were 3 kings on camels all lined up but anyway…….

Then we were coming around to the stuff I really wanted to try and capture. An amazing HUGE nativity scene, lots of stone steps, statues and light set ups everywhere. I especially love the light snowflakes everywhere. Now all of these were quite a hike for me from the running warm van with my family in it. Lots of snow, ice, wind, and sub-zero temps. But I needed my photos…..

As I came back around to the van, many parts of me were frozen numb. But before I climbed back in I had to take a shot of this one last statue……

And then I got in the van…..and began to experience THE most excruciatingly painful shutter hand thaw I have ever had to suffer! I am telling you….it was all I could do not to cry out loud. I tried to suffer quietly and get through it, but my little ones in the back kept asking me what was wrong, as I whimpered. To which our oldest daughter answered them “Mama is suffering her natural consequences“…with a hint of satisfaction in her voice. I talk to my kids ALL the time about ‘natural consequences that come with the choices they make.’. And I did HAVE to take photos, despite the sub-zero temps, right? How right she was, my little smarty pants. I really thought I was going to lose 3 fingers. In fact, if it would stop the pain, I was almost hoping they would just fall off. Finally, the pain subsided, and I was able to keep them.

We headed to dinner at a really nice pizza place, and then took the long ride home. It was another night we were happy to get to bed. But the next morning, (this morning), I had a photography gig very, very north. My daughter/assistant came with me, and it was a good job we were happy to do…despite how tired we were.

Hope in Faith For the Coming Year

So here we all are on the 2nd day of the year. I feel hope and happiness about the year ahead, in my heart. Excitement. That’s what the new year brings me every year, with maybe just a tinge of fear that the year may hold something not so good. But that is what our Catholic faith is for. Our Heavenly Father takes care of us. He always has, when we give all we can to Him. And doing so brings us greater faith, hope, and inner peace. So let us begin living the year of 2009, and when the year comes to a close, may we feel we have grown closer to Him, to each other, and be closer to the kind of people He created us to be.

Once again, we wish you all a new year filled with your own happiness, health, blessings, peace and every-growing faith.

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HALLOWTIDE; All Souls Day – Part III

November 9, 2008 By Laura 2 Comments

We’ve finally arrived at the last part of our Hallowtide theme – Part III. (You can check out all of the fun we had, in Part I HERE, and Part II HERE.)

Our All Souls Day (Nov 2) began with Sunday morning Mass. We most always go to the last Mass of Sunday mornings, as we did on this day. What a beautiful sight it was walking into the church, with what was left of the vigil candles aglow all over the altar, each burning for each soul of every parishioner who passed away in the last year. Each burning candle had the name of the individual on it, and were meant to be taken home by the families of the lost loved one. We can only imagine how much more spectacular and moving the first mass of the weekend must have been, before any candles had been taken home, by the families they belonged to.

Later in the afternoon, we gathered around our table together, and talked a bit more about the history and purpose of All Souls Day. We also focused a bit more, on the lives and souls closer to home for us; those who have perished, who were a great influence in our life, or made a mark in some way. Those we personally knew in some way, and those who we loved so deeply and dearly, and lost, such as close family. We discussed how as Catholics, we are to pray for the souls of those people, that their souls may be purified and released from purgatory, and into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In that light, we began a new tradition. We created a scroll, listing the names of the souls of those in our lives who we have lost, and beside their name, the year of their death. This includes family and friends, and anyone who had been a significant part of our life or family in some way. This of course required really going back in years, and while we have many names down, many exact years are forgotten and still need to be researched.

This list of souls is part of our seasonal altar (or table) we have. This table area changes with the liturgical year, as well as the earth seasons. The scroll of names/souls we remember, will remain there throughout the month of November, as it is the month to remember and pray for all souls. Each year it will be brought back out in tradition, and sadly, be updated, including the new souls we must pray for. Later, we added the remembrance cards we happened to still have, to the table as well.

Then we got to making dough, for soul cakes. Soul cakes (which are more like hot cross buns) have Christian history in Halloween, and in fact are the root of how ‘trick or treat’ began. In short, these soul cakes were exchanged for prayers by the recipients of the soul cakes, who were mostly beggars and whom went to the doors of the wealthier, for the loved ones lost in the family of the givers. As the saying went:

A soul, a soul, a soul cake.
Please good missus a soul cake.
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
Up with your kettles and down with your pans
Give us an answer and we’ll be gone
Little Jack, Jack sat on his gate
Crying for butter to butter his cake
One for St. Peter, two for St. Paul,
Three for the man who made us all.

How costume wearing came to be, is also tied into this practice that began long ago, and has interestingly evolved into what it is today.

As Daddy added sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking and to get the dough to a consistency just right to form the soul cakes, the kids mostly took turns kneading the dough….

….but not always…….

Once the soul cakes were done, we enjoyed them nice and hot, with our dinner.

That concludes our Hallowtide festivities report, which in real life, concluded a week ago today! Come back again soon to see what we have in store for our blog about next. As quiet as you all are in the commenting department : ( , we know you are all out there, reading along. ; ) We appreciate your visits.

The Filming of Our Pilot Episode ‘House+Home’ for CatholicTV / A Behind the Scenes Look

October 3, 2008 By Laura 3 Comments

October 2008 – This past Wednesday was the filming day of our family at our home for the pilot episode of ‘House+Home‘, for CatholicTV. We did it! And what a day it was! In this post we are sharing all of the chaos and behind the scenes happenings of filming day at our house.

To fill you in on the premise of the show, the series of House+Home takes viewers to Catholic family homes. In each episode Fr. Reed visits the family, and learns how they use faith, hope and love to turn their house into a home, and how they as a family, live out their Catholic faith in their daily lives.

Nerves (Big-Time) & Our Incentive

The night before, it started to hit us, what we were about to do. As Michael and I plopped into bed about midnight, the night before, Michael whispered into the dark, “We’re crazy.”….and we both busted out laughing hysterically.

In the first place, we were a bit self conscious about the state of our home, and having it all filmed for tv, as we were still in the process of working very hard on the house and yard after a major renovation. Our home and yard projects were far from done, with much still left undone, and not particularly looking very nice! Not to mention, we were also just personally nervous and somewhat uncomfortable at the idea of being in front of TV cameras. However, we believed in the premise of the show, and hoped our going first would encourage many other families to follow in our footsteps and also share this beautiful faith, and how they too uniquely live it out daily in their own lives. We certainly had personal stories and testaments of our faith to share, and knowing too that it is the love, of Christ and family, that makes a house a home, (and not the projects completed or not) we felt called by God to respond with a ‘yes‘, after Fr. Reed asked our family to be filmed for this pilot episode.

It was also one of those experiences that don’t come along every day (certainly never in our days). What a wonderful and educational experience for the kids, to not only see television production, but be a part of it, and to realize all of the hard work that goes into making a tv show.

Fr. Robert Reed (president of CatholicTV, and host of the show) had filled us in very well in the prior weeks, of exactly what to expect throughout this filming day. There were no surprises. (Well, maybe a few little ones. lol) Somehow, though, when the crew started arriving, setting up all of the equipment, and having little crew huddles talking about their plan and work to be done, we felt the nerves start to set in! But it wasn’t long before we were filming segments, and there was no time to even think about nerves, because we were so focused on what we were saying and doing.

Sharing/Showing What We Can

Of course I took any behind-the-scenes photos I could get in. There aren’t many though, because I was on camera myself most of the time! But here are some behind the scene snapshots I managed to take, to share, and record this day for the kids. I won’t bother telling you about the entire day, because honestly, there’s a lot and I’m not sure I could remember it all. It was many hours of footage. But here’s a preview, and I guess you’ll just have to watch the episode to get the rest!

“Ready, aaaand . . . .ROLL!!!”

The filming started with our guest, and host (and creator, I believe) of the show, Fr. Reed arriving:

We welcomed him to our home, chatted a bit in the sun room, and then we gave him a tour of the house and our studio/work areas.

Interviews

After wards, we all had interviews with Fr. Reed. {A}’s (our oldest daughter) was first, outdoors in our work-in-progress-yard, ‘up in the mountains’, near the huge pile of tree brush and stumps, which is only still there because it is where some of A’s chipmunks live. (She has hand-tamed a large number of chipmunks. See for yourself HERE.) We were all hoping they would come out for {A}, as they always do, but with the crew all around, it wasn’t happening. They were too shy and scared. Earlier though, one of the crew guys did happen to see out the slider door, one of the chipmunks come up on the deck and around our door, waiting for {A} to come out and feed him, though. Anyway, we couldn’t hear {A}’s interview down in the yard, but I did get this shot of them up there filming it. Her interview will be a bit of a surprise for us all.

After that was what they called ‘the triplet interview’, which I had no idea they planned on doing. (Surprise #1) { J, O and S}, did really well. We couldn’t actually hear all of that either, but it looked like it was going really well. We’re anxious to hear what they said. (And can only imagine!) Bet it’s going to be cute!

Us parents had a couple’s interview, as well, also by Fr. Reed, of course. Ours was in the house, and the hardest part for us. We had the big light on us, and it was like a real tv studio interview, with crew guys and equipment all around. But Fr. Reed asked great questions about our faith, how it encourages and sustains us in our lives for us personally, and more. We think it went pretty well. Of course, we started thinking about what we forgot to say, or wish we didn’t say, lol…but no one knows those things. For just regular people here, I think we did pretty well. Ok, I did choke up once, because some questions were linked to emotionally deep stuff for us, but, I got it together. ; ) No photos of us being interviewed, of course, but they filmed it all. It will be edited down, of course.

Cameramen were just all over the place, all of the time. It’s true that you do start getting a little used to it, pretty quickly. Here’s just one of the guys in our unfinished stairwell to the upstairs.

Sharing a Meal Together

We invited Fr. Reed to stay for dinner, as is part of the show (although we were happy to anyway), and made our family recipe/tradition of pizza together in the kitchen. He helped make the dough. : ) When the pizzas came out of the oven, we gathered around the table, and had grace and dinner together, but of course we fed the crew, too! Here (below) they are, minus the photographer (for the CatholicTV Magazine), who left a little early before filming was done. (We wrapped up some pizza to go for him.) Can I just say the whole crew is the NICEST bunch of guys, and were so great to work with! Just great guys. The guy on the left was the producer. It was kind of funny to see the them squirm a little, though, when they found themselves in front of MY camera. I guess THEY prefer to be behind the camera, too! Imagine that! But they kindly obliged. (Thanks guys!!)

Blog Fan in the House!

After dinner, Fr. Reed took the kids to the computer, because apparently he’s a new fan of our blog! (Surprise #2). They talked with him about their photos on it, and some of their adventures and activities, and then they went to CatholicTV.com. The kids are very familiar with CatholicTV, and all of the shows Fr. Reed is on. So they got a kick out of watching it on the computer, with him on it, and yet him also sitting in the computer chair next to them, watching it with them. lol

Our Visit and Filming Ends

We filmed the good-by and end of our visit, with us waving, and Fr. Reed driving off.
But then Fr. Reed came back, off-camera. lol

After filming was done, and the crew was packed up and gone, Fr. Reed gave {A} a little Latin lesson, which he has done virtually every Sunday after Mass at church, for quite awhile. It is he, who inspired {A} to take Latin as a subject this school year (at home), which she is doing very well in. She loves it. So here they are, as he gives her another one of his little lessons.

Exhausted, Wired & Grateful

When Fr. Reed left for real, we were wiped out!! We were relieved we got through it, and it seemed to go so well. (I guess we’ll all see soon enough!)
We really enjoyed the whole process, though. It was just an amazing day we will always remember. Surreal, really. As long and tiring of a day that it was, we are so glad we did it. The kids did so well, all day, and we’re really proud of them. It was a big day for them. We certainly have a new and even greater respect for television production, and all Fr. Reed does at CatholicTV, every day!

Somehow though, the whole day’s experience really gave us a heightened sense of the real family that we are, and how very blessed we are. It also seemed to call for a family photo, via the timer in my camera. : ) After the photo, as tired as were were, we were also wired and had some funny energy to get out. So we all changed into jeans and sneakers, and went to the park (actually, we went to 2!) to run, climb, and even play hopscotch.

The next morning, after devotion, and before a regular schooling day, we asked the kids “What was your very favorite part of the taping day?”. They all just smiled big as they thought and thought, and it was so quiet for a moment. And then {A} said “I don’t know…I mean, the whole day was just totally fun!!”….to which {J, O and S} replied…”Yeah! The whole day was TOTALLY FUN!!“. Indeed it was.

We’ll keep you posted when we know an air date for the show, and when the series begins. Today was another special day, of which we’ll blog about next. Meanwhile, thanks so much, for checking in, and sharing in our experience with us.

Creative Coloring Easter Eggs – Photos

Veggie Pockets – Lent Meatless Meal – Recipe