Happy Birthday!

I love Pentecost! It is the birthday of the Church, it is the Feast Day of the Holy Spirit, and today, by some chance, it is the day I had a Mass said for Mom.

The deacon gave a wonderful homily, one that was so spirit-filled that it moved me to tears. He is so passionate about his faith. He makes me want to delve even deeper into my own.

He is a very charismatic man and he brings a certain flair to his homilies that you don't normally feel or see in most. He isn't afraid to ask the tough questions, admit his shortcomings, and today even had the congregation praying out loud to the Holy Spirit during his homily!

I know that this might not sit well with some folks, but sometimes, I think we get into a rut in our ways of worship and Deacon Mike was sent to shake things up a bit. I love it!

Today he talked about what an unbelievable experience it must have been to be an apostle that day. He truly made them human in my eyes. He talked about how scared they must have been, hiding in that Upper Room, doubting the last three years of their lives. Wondering how they could have gone so wrong! They walked away from everything away to follow around someone that they thought was the Messiah. Were they wrong? They just watched Him die on the cross? But then, something wonderful happened. The Spirit of the Lord descended upon them, gave them the gift of tongues, and the courage to go out into the world and make disciples of men! Imagine that! One moment you are doubting everything you've ever know, the next, you are so full of the Spirit that NOTHING will stop you from carrying out the Good News! MAN! That is so awesome!

Feeling the Holy Spirit as powerfully as I did two weekends ago during Confirmation, I can see how that would change someone. I have seen it change someone. I have seen it change many.

Many years ago, I was very alone, very afraid, and very unsure of where in the world God wanted me to be. I wasn't even sure that there was a God. I prayed anyway, "Please, Lord, if you really are there, I NEED to feel you right now."

As I lay in a dark room, with no hope left in me, I felt His presence in the form of a beautiful warm hug that stayed with me for quite sometime. I was able from that moment on, to turn away from the life I was living and move forward toward Him. I know that without a doubt, in that moment I was touched by the Spirit. I was given a beautiful gift of grace that has allowed me to become who I am today. Not because of anything that I have done, only because of what He has done within me. I am forever grateful for that moment, and for every moment after that.

And to those who are serving, have served and especially to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, Thank You. Those words will never be enough, but they are all I have. My prayers are always with you.

Hair cutes

Wouldn't you agree that the recent visit to the barber left us with hair cuts as well as hair cutes?

Where is the world is K?

I feel as though I haven't had as much time to blog lately. As we head into summer, things are heating up around here in more ways than just the temperatures.

The kids are finishing up their formal school year, though they will continue with a few things over the break.

The business, thank goodness, is growing and my husband will be officially self-employed as of next Friday. Please pray that we are making the correct decision and that we continue to see God's hand in the company.

Boo is making things very interesting around here of late. If I turn my back for a moment, I'll catch him in various positions such as

The dreaded, "will he eat the Legos" position


The," I'm shocked that those little wooden blocks can sustain his weight "position:


The, "how did that chair get there?!" position:


The, "can I snap this shot before he falls" position:



And finally, the, " thank goodness he is so sweet" pose...

Please pray that his guardian angel keeps him safe. As I took the time to post this, he climbed up onto the table, played with the light and fan switch, attempted to open the very hot oven twice, and is now pulling all of the pans out from the cabinet...

Blessings

This weekend was a bit crazy around here as my wonderful husband installed new french doors for our "office" within the house.

They look beautiful! He worked so hard on them and I, well, I did nothing to help. I've been someone consumed with myself of late, especially with the fact that I can't run. Left to my own devices, I am quite unpleasant to live with.
So yesterday, I placed myself into the laundry room to organize the shoes. That's when God hit me on the head.

"Hey K, it's me again. I'm here to show you how much I love you. You see all of these shoes? They all belong to someone you love. Someone I entrusted to your care. Stop complaining about picking them up and just pick them up. See this lovely shoe shelf. Remember that your loving husband made that for you. Oh, yes, and see the NUMBER of shoes? How many does each person really need? Seriously. Add these to the several more pairs in each closet in the HOME I have given to you and you maybe then you will understand that you truly are blessed."

Thank you, Lord. For all that you have blessed my life with. Whether or not I recognize them.

When did this happen?

When did my sweet little baby turn into a sweet little monkey?? Boo has learned to turn somersaults on my bed. Yes, real, true somersaults. The kind that make a mother have a coronary as she watches from the other side of the bedroom as he does his first one and almost falls off of the bed.

He is climbing everything, fears nothing, and I am too old, too slow, and too distracted most of the time to stop him! Guardian Angel, please protect this little soul.

I am so glad he is learning to bless himself!

Here is a shot of him about to hurl himself from the couch to the floor... I did catch him in time this time...

Confirmation and Mother's Day and more!

What a wonderful weekend we have had around here! It was busy, and yes, I did loose my patience on several occasions, especially when it came to finishing THE DRESS, but overall, it was such a beautiful, blessed weekend!

First thing Saturday, the kids, Aunt Mickey Miss, Mr. M, and I headed out to the YMCA Trail Run. You can read more about our adventure here.


In the afternoon, Joelle, Bean's sponsor, came by to help me with the said DRESS. I thank God that she came because if it wasn't for her, it would never have been finished, and it certainly wouldn't have turned out the way it did.

Did you know that the direction in which the bobbin turns makes a difference in whether or not your machine runs properly?? Ok, ok, you probably did. Not me. 20+ years of sewing and this has never come up. I want my money back from those lessons! Oh, wait, I never took lessons...

Anyhoo, Joelle saved the day, turned the bobbin around, and the machine, well it worked wonderfully.



On Sunday morning, I was treated to my favorite breakfast, French Toast with Strawberries! Yummy! I was also greeted with a beautiful banner and flowers made by Bean herself who even woke up extra early to hang it up! This was a huge sacrifice for her because she does not rise before 10 unless shopping is involved.

After breakfast, I was spoiled with gifts of drawings, cards, flowers, new jeans, and a beautiful handmade tote created by Lem herself. I love totes, and this one is my new favorite. It has the year DH and I were married, and then the months of each of our birthdays with the day of our birth highlighted with a crystal. Interesting side note here, 6 children and 2 adults in this family and not one of us shares a birthday month!





Then it was Bean's turn. We presented her with some letters that were originally written to her on the day of her baptism. (more on this later) It was very emotional and I could tell she was very touched by it all. Then she opened her gift from us, a purity ring. She had asked for one and I think that she was very happy with the one we chose for her.




Next it was time to prepare for the day's event. Confirmation was at 6pm and we planned to have everyone come to the house after Mass. We knew that the Mass would last at least 2 hours, so we planned to have the food all prepared before we left for Church. My family is so awesome. They all helped prepare some part of the day. Everyone brought food and we had more than we needed to feed the almost 30 people that came to dinner.



We were so blessed to have several friends join us as well as Bean's honorary Godparents, MJ and Trotter. We love them so much! It was also nice to have our TKD family with us.


The Archbishop is truly an inspiring and holy man. We are so fortunate to have him as our head shepherd.



I thank God for the presence of the Holy Spirit that was with us for the evening. We laughed, loved, and ate tons.

I was even more blessed late in the night when my beloved Mother in Law, and my sisters in law presented me with a beautiful family ring. I became very emotional and was so touched that they had collectively decided that they wanted me to have this ring. The ring is so beautiful, and I will cherish it always, but honestly, what touched me more than anything was seeing my mother in law's eyes well up with tears as she said, " Karen, you are a good mother, and you deserve this!"

I have been told that I am a good mother before, but for some reason, hearing it from her, seeing it in her eyes, and knowing that she meant it from the bottom of her heart melted me. I could barely stand. I sank into her shoulders and cried. And she cried too. Just for a moment. There were guests still all around us from the Confirmation, and I had to gather my composure, but I really wanted to stay in that moment forever.

I know that my Mother in law loves me, and I love her. I love my sister in laws. But I've always felt so uncomfortable about the term "in-laws". There is such a negative connotation to that word. That wonderful woman may not be my biological mother, but she is the mother I look to and have looked to for the last 16 years. She is my spiritual mother.

My sister in laws are the sisters I always prayed for but never had. I love my brothers dearly, but I always longed for sisters. God has blessed me with two of the best. And of course, He has also surrounded me with the best brothers and husband a woman could ever hope to have. I feel so safe, so loved, and so grateful to have the family that I have. I only wish I could say these things verbally. I am at a loss for words when face to face with my loved-ones, so I write about it here.

I suppose I can appreciate my family because I do know what it is like to feel alone in the world. To feel as though no one cares. To not have a relationship with a mother, a father, my siblings. Thankfully, these relationships have all been restored by His Grace and for some reason, He continues to bless me with these fantastic people as my family and my friends. My cup truly runneth over.


My prayer is that each one of you who reads this blog also has at least one person that they feel special with.

Confirmation week update

We had rehearsal last night and spent the rest of the evening with Bean's Sponsor and some other friends who will also be confirmed on Sunday.

It was such a blessing to see these wonderful young people so full of life, energy, and truly on fire for Christ! It is so pure, so natural, and so needed in this world today. They are all just oozing with wonderfulness!

So the coffee at our favorite hang out place did NOT come in decaf as I ordered... Therefore, I was up quite late. Unfortunately, I can't be trusted with such things like pins, scissors, and sewing machines when I am under the influence of caffeine, which I why I don't drink it. The dress didn't get worked on, but it will be 95% finished today (else I am in BIG trouble!!)

Next time I order decaf (if there ever is a next time!) I am asking for the phone number of the person who makes my drink. Then, if I am up to 4 am again, I'll be sure to call them and thank them...

Please keep the 250 teens that our being confirmed in our parish this weekend in your prayers!

May 6, 1964

The day my soul was made complete... Happy Birthday, honey!

Confirmation week

Next Sunday, on Mother's Day, our Princess Bean will be confirmed into the faith. I can't even begin to speak to how very proud of her that I am.

She has grown so much this year. In her faith, in her education, in her relationships with others. I only wish I had had even a smidge of the level-headedness that she seems to have when I was her age.

We've been on the hunt for the perfect dress. She has decided that she wants to wear a white dress. My little tomboy. The one who refuses to wear dresses. She wants to wear one and she wants it to be white...because she embraces her confirmation with great joy!

We aren't having much luck finding a modest but fashionable dress for the occasion. We can find plenty of low-cut, halter-top, spaghetti-strap, or strapless style dresses if you are in the market for one. And apparently most of the world is, because that's all that is out there.

A friend told me tonight of a beautiful dress that she saw at a First Communion today. It was on an older girl. She approached the mother to inquire as to where she found such a beautiful dress. The mother replied, "Columbia". Yeah, the country.

So, I reviewed some patterns with my lovely daughter and she decided on one. She is away at camp this weekend, so I had to select the fabric. I really hope she likes it.

Another neat aspect to this dress situation is that Bean's confirmation sponsor, one of my very good friends and the mother to my sweet little God Baby, will be helping to make the dress. She is so sweet to offer, and I hope that between the two of us, we can create a dress that Bean will feel beautiful in and proud to wear. I am just grateful that Princess Bean was even open to the idea of me sewing for her. How many more times will I ever have that privilege with her?

Busy, busy, busy!

But never too busy to ask for prayers for those in need.

Please continue to keep Hans in your prayers. He recently went through his Bone Marrow Transplant and is doing well, but recovery is not fun, especially if you are three years old.

Also, I am asking for prayers for a wonderful mother in our homeschooling group. Her name is Kelly and she is battling metastatic breast cancer that has spread to her bones and a small spot on her liver. She has an strong faith that has helped her win this battle before and we are praying that God will continue to heal her. Please pray for the strength of her family. They are a beautiful family with two little boys.

I will begin running my races in her honor as she fights this with all of her might.

Finally, please keep my neighbors in your prayers as well. They suffered a loss this week that has hit them hard. May God comfort them with the fond memories that I know they've had.

Happy May Day!

Welcome to May! The month of Our Lady! May you find comfort in her mantle today and every day!


Happy Birthday to Papa Frank too!

Busy month!

I just realized that I have living proof that April was a very busy month for us. My April photo folder has 500 pictures in it!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Foo!

12 years ago we were blessed with our first son. I thank God everyday for him. He is growing into such a wonderful young man!

This past year has seen him change from a little boy to a very adult-sounding man. After his tonsillectomy, his voice became very deep and he grew at least 6 inches. I sometimes mistake him for my husband!


We celebrated the day by continuing our hunt for dew berries and we were quite successful. I think we picked about 3 - 4 pounds today. We'll hunt for more tomorrow and Sunday.



Then we headed to our local Frisbee Golf park with some of Foo's friends and family. The weather was glorious and the company was even better!






We couldn't be more proud of our Foo. He is an amazing person that inspires me everyday to try be a better mom.

The Truth Revisited

Things are much better around here this week. Boo seems to be feeling better now and believe me, when baby feels better, everyone feels better.

We were beginning to get concerned about his speech, or lack thereof, and actually had a speech eval scheduled for today. Speech delays are not uncommon in this house. My last three babies before Foo had them, and thankfully they are doing well now.

Nevertheless, we felt it might be prudent to explore exactly how delayed Boo is and if we could take measures to prevent further delay.

Well, this weekend, Boo surprised me by saying "No!" a few times. He also said wow, ball, poopie, and mama. He has only until this point said "light", "bye-bye", and mama when he is mad!

Today, he even pointed to his nose when asked where it was! Very cute, very sweet, but totally not able to be caught on the camera. You'll just have to take my word for it.... LOL

So with the kids a bit happier, mommy is a bit less-stressed. Foo was going to make a nice breakfast for me because he thought that might help my mood a bit. Just the thought of him worrying about me like that melted me heart.
All of the kids have really tried to pitch in and help with things around here. Honestly, I am so grateful for all that they do. They really are the best children and I am blessed to be their mother.

Along with great kids, and a wonderful husband who stands by me always, I've had great friends that have checked in on me, emailed me with supportive and encouraging words, and stayed out till way to late drinking coffee and making me laugh!
Thank you to all of you. I have heard His voice through your actions.

Proud Mom

The kids headed out this past weekend for a nearby tournament. They all did so well and I am so very proud of each of them!

Bean - 1st in Forms and made an awesome Judge!
Foo - 1st in Power breaking and also made an awesome Judge!
Lem - 1st in Speed kicking, 3rd in Forms, and 3rd in Power Breaking, not too mention she was a great time-keeper for sparring rounds.
Fish- brought home 3 medals for speed kicking and creative forms!

I was not able to attend so their wonderful father took some pictures for me... about 200 to be exact!

Here are a few pictures to enjoy from the day.


Fish, being Fish..
Foo helping with Judging

Lem, showing some of her form

Bean and some of her form ( Iwish we could capture more of the moves, but the camera can't keep up with the speed)

Here's Foo, receiving his medal for his Power breaking demonstration.

Happy Birthdays!

To two of our favorite people, who just happen to be sisters!! We love you God Baby and Miss Iss!

The Truth

Ok, so remember a few days ago, when I posted a little post about how God sanctifies us through our children? Remember I told you to remind me about what I said? Well, today's the day!

The truth in our home this week. YUCK! Schooling is minimal at best. The baby hasn't been feeling well and therefore he has been quite irritable, cranky, and miserable... and this is the good side!

I took him in to the doctor today and he does not have any infections, so we get to just wait this one out. He was almost weaned, but now he wants to nurse more than I can handle. If I walk by, it's time to nurse. If he sees a picture of me, it's time to nurse. The problem is, after a few months of only nursing 2 times per day, I don't have much to offer on all of these other occasions.

Now, as a result of being up with a cranky baby, I'm quite cranky and starting to feel quite run down. Stuffy, runny nose, feverish, you know... generally yucky, but still not yucky enough to call in reinforcements.

Fish is in rare form these days, and obeying me is obviously an optional item. I try not to discipline too much when I feel this bad because it usually isn't a very just punishment. Tonight, he put himself in the corner. Even he is recognizing how bad he's being right now.

I know that these days will pass. I know that when they do, we'll be back to normal, whatever that is. I don't think I've ever seen a "normal" week around here.

In the meantime, remind me again... I am called to this life. I am called to sainthood. My children are my path to holiness... boy do I have some work to do.

Happy Half Birthday, Boo!

Today marks 18 months since you entered the world. What a mark you have made, little one!

Are any of us "Qualified?"

Lillian had a wonderful post today that really gave me something to think about. I wrote this response to her and thought that perhaps I should post it here as well. Not for any other reason other than for a few moments today, I had a rational, somewhat spiritual thought inbetween leaky diapers, children who won't get ready for school, and a very full day that I am quite anxious about. Remind me about this post later, when I need it, OK??

You can read her post here.

God has called us to be mothers to our families. He has blessed us with the families that we have. Why? Not because we are qualified, but because He will qualify us to be their mothers. He will hand us the grace that we need as we need it. And sometimes, He watches us struggle because it is exactly what we need to grow.

A very wise lady once told me that the big secret in homeschooling is that sure, it is great for the kids, but truely, it is our path to sanctification! Every day we must die to ourselves, become "little Christs" to our families, and because we are human, we sometimes, or in my case, we often fall short of His glory.

Therein lies the beauty of our vocation. Our children, our husbands, see us as human. They see that we are not perfect and we sometimes lose our patience. Then they, as we have modeled towards them so many times, have the opportunity to forgive us as we humble ourselves and ask for their forgiveness. It is their opportunity to be "little Christs" to us.

#2 - Common sense can't be taught? I must tell you, it has to be! My children have learned much about common sense, sometimes the easy way, sometimes the hard. Fish, for example, had to learn that it is not good to eat glass. It is not good to pull down a cup of hot tea onto yourself. It is not good to go check out the fire ant's house... The older children have learned things like, make sure to ALWAYS watch the baby and DON'T let him near the stairs, always put your money in a wallet, don't buy junk, and even more difficult common sense lessons such as, don't drink, don't use drugs, don't have premarital sex, etc...

Common sense is learned. Sometimes through watching others, sometimes through personal experience. As the mothers of these precious souls, we try to teach them all that we can and then we must let go, trust in God and His angels, and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Free will exists even in the youngest of souls.

We are called to become saints, we are called to act as Christ, but we will usually mess up somewhere along the way. Only then can we grow in our path to holiness. Holiness doesn't come from always doing everything right. It comes from doing things wrong over and over, and gradually, over time, through many sessions of reconcilliation and constant prayer, do we begin to become more holy.

In the meantime, stock up on bandaids, fill the medicine cabinet with Benadryl, peroxide, gauze, owie creams, great friends and families phone numbers, and most importantly, prayers.

And remember, as I read on another blog somewhere along the way, to kiss the hands of our children each day. After all, these are the children who will open the gates of Heaven for us.

And I'm betting Kolbe won't try to catch bees ever again... One more thing, to all you moms out there this is just for the record... I yelled at my kids three times during the writing of this post, no one, including myself is dressed for the day nor have we started school work, and it is 9:40 am. Good thing there is confession on Saturday!!

Our Family Picture

Happy Easter!