Ohhh!

I have so many little things to share and so little time to do it in. Say a prayer for me that I stay organized and on top of things this week and maybe I will even be able to do some serious blogging!

One such nugget - regarding generosity:

Emma to me:

"Mummy I decided to share your duckie, that I gave you, with Elsa, cause I want you to be good!"

She is getting the idea... in a way. Read more!

John and Jenny's online Wedding Album

John and Jenny's Wedding album is online for a few weeks and then in late August, people will be able to view by invitation only.

If you wish to peruse the album, please click here: John and Jenny June 23 2007. I would also like to thank Paul Tomas again at this time for sharing his wonderful talent with our family on this joyous occasion and enabling us through his fantastic photographs to be able to review those special moments over and over. Again, here is his website, Paul Tomas Photography. Paul has a special from now until October 31st, for wedding photo sessions. If you know of anyone in the NC area planning a wedding, please share his website with them so they can see first hand his talent at catching those special moments.

One last request, those who visit the online album please respect Paul's copyright of the photos. He has very generously allowed our family to freely use his photos, if you should use them for any reason, be sure to give him credit and if possible refer to his website. Read more!

Random treasures...

...or otherwise known as Pearls of Wisdom from the mouths of babes.

We were preparing to leave out pew and so I reminded Emma about the need to genuflect:

"Emma, don't forget to say good bye to Jesus" and I nodded towards the Alter where Jesus had just been placed in the tabernacle.

"But Mama," came 4 yr old Emma's quick reply. "You don't need to say good bye, Jesus is ALWAYS with you!" Read more!

Wedding photos...

I have been wondering the past few days when and how to go through the awesome wedding photos and pick out which ones to share with all of you. There are so many beautiful ones. However, I think I have found the solution.

The photographer who took the wedding photos has finalized the last details of his website and here it is. Paul Tomas Photography If you check out his web site you will see many beautiful photos, and not just of the wedding.

I promise though to share more of the photos but in the mean time check out Paul's website. Read more!

ITS A BOY!!!

Thank you to all who prayed...

Details are sketchy, this is all we know at this point...

C-Section last night at 5.27


8 Lbs 21 IN

Mommy and Baby doing well. He is nursing great! Read more!

NO news is good news...

...or so they say. And so far I have no news regarding our friends and the expected birth of their baby nor how mum is doing with her BP. Please keep praying. And thank you!!! Read more!

Sisterly love

Said by 14 year old Anna as we were drawing up to the front door after being out for several hours.
"Is that Bethany by the door? Oh, good it is. I have to give her a hug!"

and before I could comment on how sweet this was, her statement was followed by an evil giggle and:

"She HATES hugs!" Read more!

Yet another prayer request

Please pray for a very beautiful couple K. and E! They are expecting their first baby in ten days, only one short year since their wedding last June.

Unfortunately, several weeks ago I noticed that K's feet were very swollen. Very Swollen. We chatted a bit about that and some ideas for helping to reduce swelling.

Sadly today I received a phone call. accompanying K's swollen feet for the past three weeks has been swollen BP figures. Today those numbers reached a critical high and K has been admitted for induction. Please pray for her and her baby and her husband. K is at risk of going into seizures. I am very worried for her.

I will let you know how all goes and if I get permission I will release the first names but for now I will stick with initials. Please also keep K's very frightened mother who is traveling a long distance alone by car to be with her daughter, son in law and new grandchild.

"Mary we ask you to place your mantle of protection over this new little family. Pray for the grand mother as she travel to her daughter. She is full of concern and love for her daughter much as you must have felt as your traveled to Elizabeth with no thought for your own comfort but instead, full of love and concern for your cousin.

Please, through your prayers of intercession protect this grandmother from reckless, careless drivers or anyone who could harm her in any way. Protect her from mechanical failures of any sort, or running out of gas. Pray for her to a careful and observant driver herself.

We place them all in your tender care Mary and ask your son, the greatest healer, to place His loving hands over our dear friends and gently guide this new life into the world.
Amen!" Read more!

Pool time = Prayer time

With summer time comes pool time. With pool time comes water. With lots and lots of water, comes puddles. Oodles and oodles of puddles.

Add to this equation, summer wear like, oh, flip flops and you have skids and ... falls. Now bad enough is the skidding and sliding about like a baby giraffe trying to balance herself the first time on her spindly legs. But worse are the bruises that come to doing it twice within a few hours of each other. Then not only is the body bruised, but so is the ego.

But while the ego bounces back fairly quickly, not so the spine that feels more like a twisted pretzel than a malleable but straight nerve center. At fourty-five, I don't deal as well with these falls as I used to. So please feel free to throw a few prayers this way. I think I will be needing lots of them. That or the pool, and its puddles, will need to go! Read more!

Christmas come early.

I feel as though I Have been handed a Christmas gift. In less than three weeks I will begin to add two weekly appointments to my busy schedule.

Aha, you think, sarcasm abounds. You could not be further from the truth though, if you are thinking that.

But how is it then, that a woman who finds it difficult to find time to brush her teeth, would be excited to add two regular weekly appointments to her already hectic schedule.

Because, they are speech therapy sessions for Nathaniel Paul whose speech is severely impaired. We have struggled these past years, since his hearing returned, trying to understand him.

Our delight, and his, is almost indescribable. We been told to expect quick results. I will keep you posted about his progress. Read more!

A moment of gratitude

Tonight while out on errands, my husband had our 4 year old, Emma, with him. As they were driving home they were talking about the yummy things we would eat and my husband said and "we will also have lots of hugs and kisses."

"Lots of hugs and Kisses?!" Emma repeated

"Yes, we are suppose to give children lots of hugs and kisses because they are so wonderful."

To which Emma replied:

"You know something Daddy, I am so happy with the family God gave us. God is so good and kind" Read more!

Dryer Update

After waiting for about three hours for the same load to dry and even after removing half of it and stringing it across the line on the porch... nine year old Bethany finally came to me with her tale of whoa.

"Mummy - I fear your dryer might be broken. What will we do? My clothes are still not dry and not even the towels I hung on the clothes line on the porch are dry. "

Small wonder given the humidity we are suffering these days.

Now my faithful machine has been grumbling of late, in a high pitched sort of way. Something reminiscent of the whine of racing car tires on hot pavement until it slowly settles into a low rumble that fades away. Every day - it takes just a little longer for it to fade. So when Bethany broke the news of the lingering damp clothes that were just refusing to dry I resigned myself to the idea that the dryer was finished, capoot, DEAD

Well - I decided to pull out the dryer and make sure nothing had fallen on the vent. Lo and behold - it was crunched up so tight a spider would have been challenged to get through it never mind pounds of hot air trying to escape to the great wide outdoors.

I rearranged things took a deep breath and turned the dryer back on and presto - dry clothes 40 minutes later. So to all who opted to pray that my dryer would miraculously repair itself - thank you. To all who were praying that I am somehow able to miraculously afford a new set of stackable front loading environmentally friendly laundry machines, please feel free to continue in that vein. After all, one never knows when my poor old loyal dryer actually will give up the ghost.

God Bless you all and all joking aside - thank you very much for your prayers. Read more!

Oh no... say it ain't so!

I

think

my

dryer

might

be

broken

Feel free to join my howls of dismay as well as in prayer
for a new set of machines, maybe like these ones.

Sniff

Sob

Whine

Sigh

In the mean time, any body know where my clothes pins are?
The last few I saw were littered across the porch....

Read more!

Grateful...

I am very grateful to Jesus for the wonderful opportunity I was recently blessed with. A few weeks ago I received an email from Tom Bengston, the editor of Family Foundations the magazine for the Couple to Couple League. He wanted to know if I would be interested in writing an article about the challenges of parenting a large family as well as what advice we would give to new couples about how to discern what is the right sized family for themselves.

I was so very happy to oblige Tom! Before the weeks end of his request, I had my article written and emailed to him. This month the article was published in the July/August edition of Family Foundations together with our family picture that was taken by photographer Paul Tomas of Cary, NC on Mother's Day this May.

At a later time I will publish the article here on the blog, but for now I wish to leave it as fresh reading for the readers of Family Foundations, a few of whom who may pass by here on occasion. This week as well as receiving my first cheque for a published article I also received a complimentary copy of the magazine. I enjoyed reading it very much and I especially enjoyed the article "Dad's Not Perfect by James L. Johnson. It is a wonderful essay about the challenges of being a dad to a large brood. Even as a mum I was able to identify with much of what he said. If you have a chance, take a peek at this magazine - it is filled with wonderful articles and columns. It's so good I am considering subscribing to it again as it has been a few years since my first subscription to it ran out. Read more!

Awesome News!

Our Catholic culture has much to offer and I think it just got better. While I have, on occasion, enjoyed participating at Life Teen Masses complete with guitars and drums, I have always lamented that it has not been so easy to also expose my children to the older Latin Mass complete with its reverence, beauty and tradition.

The first Mass that I ever attended in small town Saint Andrews, N.B. Canada was still being celebrated in Latin in the early 70's. While I had not a clue what was being said, the incense mixed with the chanted Latin replies spoke to my inner soul of something deep, mysterious and well beyond myself and my human limitations.

Many years passed before I actually converted to the Catholic faith, but I do attribute that first Mass, in no small part, as being responsible for my first hearing Christ's call to me to come home to the Catholic Church. And this was despite my not being able to understand a single word of that Mass.

So imagine my delight when I discovered this on a 'new to me" blogspot: I have to Sit down by SIMCHA.

What exciting news. While I do not have a problem, per say, with Vatican II or the Novus Ordo (circa 1970) Liturgy of the Mass, I have certainly found the sung High Mass to be without comparison in the Post Vatican II Mass that has almost entirely replaced the Tridentine Mass. That this rich Mass credited with stimulating "the spiritual life (of) very many saints in every century of the Christian age"as well as stregthening "the virture of religion of so many peoples" is to be freely offered again, I find wonderful news indeed.

(quotes are from the unofficial translation of Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter.)

(Be sure to click on the bold red links to be taken to other blogs, articles as well as towns!) Read more!

Cathechism from a four year old

Two Sundays ago we were attending Mass in a church that is new to us. It is a small simple building that actually looks like a church, both inside and out. Lining the walls are the Stations of the Cross. Not the modern kind where it is difficult to distinguish what exactly is being depicted. Instead they are detailed and there is little doubt as to the suffering that is happening. Nothing gory, but nothing hidden either.

Four year old Emma was distracted by the one closest to our pew. Jesus has fallen and the soldiers are beating him, rather than helping our poor suffering Lord back unto his feet. Emma asked the inevitable question.

"What are those men doing to Jesus, mummy?"

"They are pushing him, sweat heart."

Her deep brown eyes meet mine, filled with sorrow.

"But why Momma, why are they hurting him?"

How to answer a four year old such a question, especially when needing to whisper during the Mass...

I wondered how to explain such a complex idea - Jesus was preaching the Gospel, the good news and the leaders of his religion felt threatened by him and so they arranged to have him executed.

As quietly as possible I whispered to her that Jesus was teaching the truth and the leaders of his religion did not want to hear this truth so they asked these men to kill Jesus.

"But why didn't they want to hear the truth Momma? Why?"

"Because it meant having to change and people do not always want to change because it is hard to change. Changing how you live can make you afraid. "

Emma sat pondering this and so did I. I didn't feel I had answered her well. I felt I had dodged the real truth of the matter - Jesus was dying for us and he was taking on our punishment. We are doing this each time we tell a lie, treat someone rudely, choose to skip Mass. We are the ones hurting Jesus in this picture, not just the leaders who wanted him condemned or the men actually carrying out the orders to crucify Jesus.

Emma stared into my eyes once more and I explained to her gently, this idea of how when we hurt someone else, we are actually hurting Jesus so it is important to remember that Jesus is living in each person and to be nice to every one we meet.

She was silent and I turned my attention once more to the Mass, hoping my words had been the right ones.

A few seconds later she interrupted my thoughts again.

"Mummy - who do I kiss?"

"Kiss? Why do you want to kiss someone?"

"I want to kiss JESUS Mummy. So who do I kiss?"

"Oh," I replied. "Well, you can give one of our statues of Jesus at home a kiss and Jesus will get it in heaven. Or you can look up into Heaven and blow Him a kiss and He will get it. "

"If I kiss a statue at home, I will kiss his feet 'cause Jesus does not always like kisses on his cheek. "

"No, Emma, you are right, he does not always like kisses on his cheek."

She stood up on the kneeler and leaned forward and blew a kiss in the direction of the crucifix and then blew a kiss to His Mother to the side of the alter. She smiled at me and stepped down off the kneeler. "I gave them both kisses, mummy!"

I smiled back and then once more directed my attention to the alter, not a little touched by her love for Jesus and his mother. Suddenly though, I was distracted again. Emma's head had disappeared and I suddenly felt a little peck on my ankle. Emma's brunet head reappeared and she smiled shyly at me.

"I just kissed Jesus' feet Mummy. Do you think he is happy now?"

What is it Jesus said; We must be like little children??? He was so right. Read more!

Photo update....

Wedding photos will appear as soon as we receive them from the photographer, Paul Tomas of Cary NC.

Until then, like my readers, I await impatient... err I mean patiently. I believe they are almost ready and Paul hopes to mail us the CD soon.

Thankfully I am more closely related to cats, than dogs and so have nine lives to work through while my curiosity to see the final product almost kills me. I see you smiling Michaela!!! Read more!

The Honest Truth...

Even with only three small ones at the table - it was still a rather loud dinner taking place. Bethany, before leaving to go on an errand with her daddy had decided to bequeath her harmonica to Elsa, her 2 year old sister.

After a few minutes of sucking and blowing on it and getting little return from her efforts, Elsa tossed it aside and moved on. Emma and Nathaniel pounced on it, wrestled over it and Nathaniel being the stronger of the two won first dibs on it. I have to say, the boy has talent.

The grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade wheat bread was ready so we sat down at the table and tucked in to the simple but delicious meal. Every other bite, however, was punctuated with Emma's constant whine;
"Pleeeeease Tanny, can't I have a turn?", sometimes alternated with "I can't I have a turn to make some mucus!" (Read music for mucus...)

Knowing that her talent with a harmonica is about the same as most four year olds, I tried to turn a deaf ear to her pleas. Finally unable to bear it any longer, I sighed:

"Please Emma, would you stop your whining about the harmonica!"

To which she replied:

"But Momma, if you would just give me the harmonica - I wouldn't whine any more." Read more!