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Autumn Decorating…Check!

September 25, 2008 By Laura Leave a Comment

Seasonal decorating around our home isn’t a chore, it’s an exciting event we make the most of! With Autumn being one of our very favorite seasons, we got right to it the day after it was officially Fall. And what’s decorating without cocoa? We usually fill the air with festive music as well, as the kids take turns grabbing this and that, to find just the right spot for it.

The decorating is not completely done for this season. I’ve got some pumpkin project plans for this weekend, and if we really get to it, I’ll be sure to take photos and share.

We’re also trying to get the homestead ready-enough around here, for a large television crew that will be blowing through our home next week and spending the day with us, as they film our family for a new show for Catholic TV. Just a bit unnerving! But exciting, too. We will be the first family featured for this new program that features various Catholic families, how they live their life as a family, and how they pass down their faith! Complete reality style tv (minus the drama, of course), with a tour of our ‘crib’, and interviews with some of us, one on one. We are honored, and humbled, to have been approached to be the first family for this pilot show. We are normally a fairly private family, but what an opportunity to share our valued faith, and the immense joy we find in Christ’s love — how He is the central and most vital part of our home, and our family. We feel it’s obvious that God is really asking us to do this….and you just don’t say no to Him! Or we don’t dare, anyway! So…..we are very, very excited, and a little bit nervous! We’ll keep you posted with how taping day goes, and airing dates and times, if you’re interested.

Meanwhile…

Happy, Happy Fall, to you all!!

Secret Rosaries in the Dark

June 28, 2008 By Laura 1 Comment

Life has continued to be as eventful and busy as ever around here, with all kinds of fun, activities, learning, and work. Our heavier business work loads, that come with this season for us, has continued to use up our blogging time. But we give thanks to God for His ways in providing for our needs, and know you all understand the less frequent postings lately.

This morning, I wanted to take the time to share a humbling moment I experienced as a mother, one night last week. The little ones had been put to bed awhile before, and they weren’t seeming to settle in fast enough for me. I usually don’t mind them talking quietly for a little bit before drifting off to sleep, but I was attempting to get some work done, and was feeling quite distracted by the inaudible rumblings I could still hear coming from their bedroom nearby. Perhaps I was low on patience that night, because I was beyond annoyed as stomped towards their bedroom on a mission, ready to tell them once and for all, to “please ‘shush it’ and go-to-sleep!” But what I heard so clearly now, as I was about to put my hand on that doorknob, was 3 sweet little voices in perfect sync, and it stopped me in my tracks; “.…..Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. <Pause.> Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee….” Tears welled up in my eyes, as did the jumbled feelings of guilt, shame, and happiness, as I realized they were saying the rosary together, in the dark, and using their fingers to do so. As I took a deep breath, I decided I wouldn’t ask them to ‘shush it’ once and for all, after all, and just stood there and listened for awhile

Mind you, I have heard them pray together in the dark many, many times before. But never the rosary. Where did this come from? I’d love to say from me, or their father, but that wouldn’t be the truth, as too young as I mistakenly thought they were. I think likely they picked up the basics from the Catholic TV channel they watch a bit of every day, and their IRL friend on those shows, Fr. Bob. It just occurred to me now to ask them if they saw that on TV. I don’t really monitor what they are watching exactly, because they pretty much are only allowed to watch that channel, and after all, Fr. Bob is there! : ) It’s often his show! But I am sure at some point we at least taught them about rosary beads, what they are for, and generally how you use them, when they received some as gifts.

The next day they asked for those beads they had received before, and the day after that as well. They all sit lined up, and begin the rosary together. They’ve actually been all the way through it on their own! Other times it’s just a few decades, which is more than I’ve done in quite a while. Their big sister lent them a book that has 2 prayers in the rosary they do not know by heart yet: The Apostles Creed, and Hail Holy Queen. How convenient they can read so well. I was rather impressed with their discipline and dedication, and felt like I was witnessing a lesson meant just for me.

While we usually have daily family prayer together, we hadn’t yet attempted the rosary together. I assumed it was rather long for little ones, and maybe not so easy at their age, to mediate on the mysteries. Honestly, even I struggle deeply with an attention span like that. But perhaps we should begin to add the rosary to our family prayer life here and there. Maybe a daily decade would work, as we incorporate and teach the mysteries we are meant to meditate on while we recite the prayers (which would admittedly be an opportunity for us parents, to brush up on our rosary skills). No doubt it would be a spiritually fulfilling experience, and one it appears my little ones are indeed ready for, while the rest of us are long over-due.

Mother’s Day and Pentecost Sunday

May 12, 2008 By Laura 1 Comment

Sunday was a day full of celebration (and surprises for me). In our continued family efforts to live out the Liturgical Year, and being both Mother’s Day and Pentecost Sunday, we had a few enjoyable things on our agenda that we had planned. It was also an end to our 50 Days of Easter celebrations.

My husband and kids had gotten up early, but I was sleeping in. That is, until all 4 of my kids came jumping on my bed announcing (seemingly extra-loud when you were sleeping…) that it was time to get up. I stumbled out of my room to to this glorious sight:

Wow! It’s just beautiful, and still putting a smile on my face. But the cards really touched me. The sweet messages written inside all of them had me choking back the tears. I love the heart put into all of them, so expressive of their individual personalities. Even my husband’s. Below was my very favorite flower in the bunch, until this morning when a stargaze lily bloomed wide open, and now-well…I’m kind of torn.

A big breakfast was made me for as well: coffee (the best part for me), stuffed french toast and 12 Fruit Salad! (below) This is a Pentecost salad and is symbolic of the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control, and Chastity. Not as easy to come up with 12 ripe fruits we thought! (Come to think of it, maybe that was symbolic too. lol) But we managed.

After breakfast we went to mass, which was nice as always. {A} voluntarily alter served, as she does most every Sunday, because it means so much to her. The presiding priest was Fr. Bob who the kids have really come to love, so that worked out nice, and we stayed a bit after to chat with him.

The night before the kids made 7 flames out of card stock, and labeled them with the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, for our table for Pentecost Sunday. Didn’t they do a nice job?

We also had a Pentecost Cake. I actually came across the idea online, and loved all of the symbolism it entailed. My kids love cake of course, but my husband REALLY, really loves cake. And I have to admit — in the end, he made every bit of it. He is amazingly creative anyway-with any project he gets involved in. And he easily gets involved with a lot–he just gets sucked right in and can hardly help himself. (You should see the Easter eggs he has made over the years–just amazing. But I digress.)

So let me share with you the symbolism of this Pentecost Cake: It’s a white cake with white frosting to represent the purity of the Holy Spirit. The ‘butter cream’ frosting we all wanted wasn’t as white as we were hoping it would be, but close enough, and also too late. : ) The cake had 12 whole strawberries around it that again, represented the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit (mentioned above), and the 7 heart-shaped strawberries for the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Understanding, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. The center candle represents Christ our Light. The 12 smaller candles represent the 12 Apostles, and the flames of course, are the tongues of fire.

It not only came out beautiful, but it was absolutely delicious!

The kids supplied ‘the rushing wind’ and blew out the candles.

So that was our Sunday in a nutshell. It was just another good day of getting a little more in touch with our faith, and celebrating as a family, which we are really good at, if I do say so myself. My husband and I were talking about how enjoyable it has been trying to live the Liturgical Year in a more involved way, with the kids. Much of what the kids are learning as we go here, WE, the parents, are truly really learning about as well. Though we both have always been Catholic, we have realized how much we paid such little attention to through the years. Taking the time to really study each liturgical day and season more, and celebrate them together as a family, is an amazing experience. It brings such appreciation, fascination, and a great deal more respect, to it all. It grows your faith, and well, ‘rekindles the fire’. Just like the prayer I’m reminded of:

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in us the fire of your Love.”

I think doing these things does call forth the Holy Spirit. That must be what we feel inside, and what makes us just want to do more and more of this stuff. It’s a good feeling-that just feels right.

But now for some Ordinary Time. Which just sounds……..restful.

Happy, Happy Fall, to you all!!

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