Proud Parent Day

After just getting back from our quick one day trip to Austin, we woke up early this morning to go to the  annual Math Counts contest.  Thankfully, we remembered the contest yesterday as I did not have it written in my calendar.  We thought we would be staying with my mom for a nice weekend visit.  This will just have to be postponed until next weekend.

Homeschoolers were well represented as a whole, since the three coaches have all been homeschool moms at some time.  This was nice because we all got to sit in a room designated for coaches and chatter away the morning while we waited for the group to complete their math problems.  We did  spend some of the time reviewing the questions as well and enjoyed sharing information.

Henry was our only official home school competitor and he represented Angelina Area Home Educators well....he not only won a nice cash price for the Count Down Round, but then he went on to find out he was the high point individual for the group (of 18) who will go on to state contest in March!

 Also, Ms. Ginny helped coach the winning team who will go on to State.  While Ms. Kay coached the second high point individual from her school.
A funny thing happened with Henry.  I have always told him to try to put some kind of answer down for all the items.  His standard answer for items he does not know is 42 (This is the 'ultimate' answer from the Douglas Adams books.)  So, today there was a rather difficult question that involved series.  We (coaches) tried to answer it and the problem needed a special formula and would take some manipulations that would be challenging for all the students.  Then I saw the answer...42...and I laughed!  I announced that I knew Henry would get the correct answer.  The other coaches asked why I was so confident and I told them.  They laughed as well...since they tell their students to do the same thing in hopes that their standard answer will one day match up in a correct spot!  Sure enough...when I spoke to Henry...he had no idea how to work the problem and chose 42!  Awesome...and now I know something we should try to understand before the state contest next month!

It was an amazing MATH day all around!

Also, wanted to mention how awesome is doing with her new job.  The owner of the store sees her potential and has asked her to work as her assistant manager.  Any time the owner needs to be away, Amanda is to work the store.  She has already come up with new ideas to improve paperwork, finances and displays.

When she was a small baby, she loved to pass her hands across material when we were clothes shopping.  She loved the way the different material felt across her skin.  As she grew older, she would find ways to dress up.  At one point, we moved into a home that had a trunk of dresses left in the attic.  Amanda would wear those fancy clothes all over the house!  Fashion and design have been a favorite project for her throughout the ages.  All this has led up to her enjoyment of this job.  She told me it is her "dream job" and her happy smile each evening has proven that she does enjoy herself.

I am so happy for her to have this experience.

I am also so proud of her for being confident in her abilities and being able to show her strengths so quickly.  I look forward to hearing her adventures at the dress shop and will share with you when I can.

Today she also had a surprise.  Two of the customers she worked with were her good friends.  This might not seem too strange if they knew she worked at the store.  However, the odd part of it was the first friend was coming in for a bridesmaid dress that had been ordered long before Amanda took this job.  The other friend knew Amanda worked at the dress shop but did not know that was where the dress was coming from.  There was a lot of confusion and chatter among the girls.  The owner was a little surprised, but found the two episodes interesting.  Two girls....two dates for weddings...they chose this day and time to come to the store!

The Search for a Van

So....a few days ago I spoke about the search for a job.  Today, I thought I would share our search for a van.  A few months ago, I began having this idea that we needed a bigger vehicle.  Not for more seats but for more room and easier access to seats.  The more we looked at options...the more we realized the only real choice was a big passenger van.  We were not in any real hurry and figured it would happen when it needed to happen.

We were going to join the BIG VAN CLUB (as our friends call it) but we were not in a big rush to take the plunge.  We had talked to many families about all the pros and cons.  IT was most likely going to happen and the children were all excited trying to think of ways to make a van unique for our family...like painting it all colors of the rainbow...creating a big magnet for the side...naming the vehicle (we name all our cars!), etc.

About a month ago, it became a little more urgent as we began looking at needing new tires (way to expensive to spend on a vehicle we would trade) and other minor expenses as well as wear and tear.  We had come to a point in our loan for 'old' family vehicle that we could break even, so we began our search in a more earnest effort.

Our plan was to work with our local dealer.  However, yesterday afternoon while taking care of banking business, we were given an offer that we did not think we could turn down.  Unfortunately, it was located almost to Austin and we needed to beat the clock and get there quick.  The dealer PROMISED he would hold the vehicle for us until this afternoon.  Never trust a used car salesman (No offense to those who might be used car salesmen...I really hold no grudge against you!)

We woke up at 5am...got the children into the car by 6am and were half way to Austin by 8am (Michael drives way too fast!) when we decided to call the dealer.  He told us the vehicle was ready for us and on hold as mentioned yesterday....then called us back 10 minutes later to tell us that it was not on the lot and must have been sold.  When Michael questioned him on it, he told us that we should have called earlier, but did offer to pay for our gas.  We were annoyed and I told Michael that we should just pull over and think it through as to our next step.  Just as we were trying to get back on the road to head home, we got a call back...the van had just been moved and was still available.  So off we were once again for Austin.

To make a long story short...we got the van...used but in good condition.  We happily drove home in our big white whale (Michael wants to name it Moby Dick!) and happy to have the space.

We still have not determined a name...many ideas thrown around...

Dragon Fire Tongue (Brendan)
Golden Heart
Van o'White
Pot of Gold (The boys want to paint it gold to go with our school theme...Reynbow School of Lifelong Learning)
Reynbow Wagon
Royal Carriage

Any other ideas?  We are open to suggestions!

Our friend gave us several ideas to add to the van as well...

Side step (it is a long way up/down)
Rear-view Camera (to help with backing out)
Baskets to store supplies (items tend to go from one end of van to the other easily)

We look forward to the many adventures in this new van.  Road trips are a must before it is officially broken in for our family.  We are so thankful for this blessing!

SIDE NOTE:  While we were driving back and forth from Austin, Amanda was starting her new "dream job" at the dress shop.  She loved her first day and is already being asked to take on big responsibilities.  I will tell more about this over the weekend.  Too tired tonight to go into details and this post is too long.

Loss of One of Our World War II Vets

Today the older boys (Sean and Henry) and I, along with Zaira, went to a funeral of one of our local parishioners.  Sylvester (known as Bud to most) was a World War II veteran who served his country during his youth and came home to work in the woods of East Texas.

There is a lot to be said about going to a funeral for a veteran.  I must say that I am usually emotional any time the veterans are remembered.  The connection is to great as I look at the risks Michael takes when he is deployed.  However, mostly, I just feel the sorrow of the families and the playing of Taps seems to be a trigger of those feelings.

Today I was further saddened by the idea that some family members did not accept the opportunity to seek forgiveness.  I told Michael and the children that should I ever make them so mad at me to avoid my presence, I pray that they would at least come to my death bed and my grave.  I pray that these family members seek consolation in their grief when they realize their loss.

Was Bud perfect, my guess is he had his faults (as we all do) and he sought peace in his last days.  I pray that he has found that peace now.

I spoke to his niece after the funeral.  I told her that I wish I had been able to meet with him and hear his stories.  She told me that most of his stories were quite colorful but so fun to listen to from his perspective.  May he rest in peace.

The Search for a Job

So...the last few weeks have been set in job search mode for Michael and Amanda.  You might recall that I briefly mentioned there attempt to job search at a job fair in Dallas.  This was a complete bust and I think both of them were quite discouraged from the experience.

Michael has hung on...applying for more jobs each day via the internet.  He does have a job so it makes it easier to bounce back and continue the search.  His main goal is to get out of Afghanistan deployments and be closer to home on a regular basis.  We have decided to let God lead the way and see what comes of this effort.

Amanda it seemed took a few days off from the job search and was getting down.  Then, Michael and I had a talk with her about needing to set goals and move forward with plans.  That night she decided that the best option was to start by setting a goal to wake up each day and set up a normal routine for the day.  This would include working on her online courses, writing on her book ideas, and applying for jobs.

Last Wednesday, she set out around a near by town square with resume in hand.  She went to about 10 businesses and hoped that one of these local businesses would be hiring.  Several took her information and said they would call, while others gave her applications to fill out to return.  She liked this idea so much that Thursday she went in the other direction and gave out more resumes in that town square.

This was on Valentine's Day and she was even given a little gift (for me!) from one of the shop owners (so sweet!).  However, she had really hoped for a job.  One of the shops she entered was a dress shop full of formal wear.  The owner was so sweet and told her that she was interested and would look over her information and "talk to Jesus" about the situation.  Amanda looked at this as a good sign and felt like this was an initial interview that went well.

Friday, she got a call from a chain restaurant that is located in town.  She had only filled the application out as a last resort, hoping she would not need to take a job in the food industry.  She was being called in for an interview on Saturday.

She asked if she should even count on a  call back from the dress shop.  I told her that she should stop by the shop on the way to the other interview and see what happened.  That led to a second informal interview with the owner and a chance to come back for a formal interview on Monday (today).

Her interview with the restaurant went well, but that made Amanda worry that she would be "stuck" with this job.  So, then the phone call came yesterday that she dreaded...the restaurant offered her a job, which she accepted.

Then she went to the interview at the dress shop and she was offered that job as well!  She was so excited when she came out to meet me.  She asked what she should do about the other job.  I encouraged her to consider both offers and make the best choice for her.  She did this and choice the dress shop by calling the restaurant to decline the offer.  It was hard to do but she felt relief (a good sign!) after this was done.

We then took a celebratory walk around down town...stopping at the candle shop to have a nice conversation with the owner (mentioned above) and a walk around an antique shop.  It was a good morning for the 'Reynolds girls!'

Meanwhile the boys stayed home and completed their school for the day.  They also arranged for a forester to come by the house to create a management plan for our property.  This was done in hopes that we can obtain an agriculture exemption for timber.  This was a good experience for the boys to hear a professional discuss our land and the habitat that it creates.

A good day for all!

Power to the WHAT?!?

So, I was sitting in church today...enjoying the readings from Luke 4: 1-13 about Satan tempting Jesus and trusting in God over seeking power from worldly sources....imagine my surprise when Edward points out the shirt directly in front of us..."Power to the Beaver."  Is this what our world has come to?  Giving power to a fake cartoon mascot for a gas station?  Unbelievable!

We learn in the Gospel reading that Jesus is tempted in three key human temptations...food, fortune, and fame...and rejects them all to give his trust to God the Father.

Two points that I found interesting in this reading of the temptation...

First...Jesus was filled with the Spirit after his baptism and led into the dessert for 40 days...to be tempted by the devil.  God the Father (all-knowing) knew Jesus would be tempted by the devil and did not prevent this from happening.  God knows when we will be tempted also but does not prevent this from happening.  However, God will not let us be tempted beyond our resources...He will be there to help us during this time.

Second...after the temptations of the devil...finished with every temptation...he (Satan) departed from him (Jesus) for a time.  This shows that Satan was not finished with Jesus...he would be back to try again.  To the last moment of Jesus life, Satan was there to tempt Jesus from his mission.  Satan does this in our lives as well...seeking out moments of weakness or stress to come in and tempt us.  I was once told that one of the greatest times to pray for someone is at their deathbed because Satan is there to the very end (giving his full effort) trying to win our soul.  However, God is there to until the end to give us strength.

So, NO...I will not give the power to some imaginary rodent....my power will come from God.  We learn from Paul as he speaks of a difficult time in his life when he asks God to remove his hardships and God speaks to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  At this Paul states, "I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ;e for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

A nice message for these days of Lent when we should seek to strengthen our trust in God as we prepare for Jesus death and Resurrection.

Many Ways to Say I Love You!

Today was a wonderful representation of the many ways to say I love you.  I felt that I should blog about the many ways we were able to do that today.

This will be a photo blog of the events of the day with a few captions.  Our desire was to represent the many ways to say I love you without words!

Valentines from Gramma

From the heart!

It's all in the Sign!

For LOVE of Chocolate (She does not even know what chocolate taste like..but she wanted it!)

Lover of Classic Music

Seal it with a KISS!

Our homeschoolers love arts & crafts...especially when we can give the results to others!

We love of our Vetearns!

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday...the first day of Lent...40 Days leading up to Easter...traditionally this is a time to give up some vice that takes us away from God's loving graces.

Our family all have taken on different forms of penance.  Michael and Sean chose to spend at least 10 minutes each day in silent prayer, along with an hour on Sundays.  Henry and I gave up electronic devices, unless needed for school or work.  Edward is going to try to give up some of his Lego time to pray.  As a family we will avoid eating out so we can save this money to give to the Pregnancy Help Center.

I also wanted to reflect on a thought I had when we went to Mass today.  I had one of those Jonah moments...I have to admit that is was not a good moment in my life.  I could imagine myself in Jonah's position...sitting on the hill above Ninevah wondering why God would save such a wicked city.  Looking out at the CROWD that filled the little college chapel (standing room only!), I just felt so surprised by the rush of emotion that went through me.  There were so many people that are normally not present from week to week.  I asked myself what would bring them in such droves to this Mass.

Repentance...there is that inner need deep within even the worst of sinners to repent.  Maybe they do not even realize this need but they still come...drawn to the Father for forgiveness....drawn to the Son who is merciful...drawn by the Spirit for guidance.

I am reminded with the imposition of the ashes on my forehead that I am no different then anyone else who comes before the Lord...

"Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return."

Who am I to judge those that come to find a way to meet this inner need?  I cannot reject those that God loves so much in spite of their outward or inward appearances.  God loves them just as much as He loves me....and am I not as bad as these with my own vices to repent?

My hope is to spend my Lent reflecting on this and try to improve my own walk with God....that I may rent the cloth that binds me to my sins and take up the penitential forms of ashes and sackcloth.  May this be an inward journey that leads to the joy of Easter.

For me this meant something drastic.  I have decided to take away all unnecessary computer use from my life during this time. I will only come on the computer once a day in the evenings. I have become quite attached to this medium and I am hoping that if I can do this I will be able to spend more time in prayer and more time with my family, instead of having my computer attached to my fingertips.

Also, know that even though I might not know your exact needs as I would reading your many Facebook posts and emails, I will be be praying for all my family and friends throughout this time. God knows your needs and just the mention of your name will be enough to open God's graces to assist you through lives joys and sorrows.

God bless and may this be a time of yearning for God's love in your life as well.

Pulpotomy Take Two!

So Brendan had to make his second trip to the dentist for his pulpotomy and caps on the other side of his mouth.  We arrived at the dentist early and sat in the waiting room.  We chose this early time slot because Brendan was not allowed to eat until after this procedure...making it at least a 15 hour time period without eating.  We did not want him to go for too long without a meal so we woke up early and headed into town.

We were the only ones in the waiting room (not even full staff were in the office) and the TV was set to a news channel.  We were really not paying attention as we were trying to entertain Brendan and keep Edward working on school (other boys were left at home with strict orders to do school work).  However, the news flash: "The Pope will resign at the end of the month" was unbelievable!  I stopped and stared at the TV for several minutes in shock....how could this be?  After listening to the announcement and the following statement:


"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," he told the cardinals. "I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.

"However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

Then our waiting room TV switched to a kid friendly video and there was no way to find out any more information.

I thought about what I should do next...I know that sounds silly but my first thought was:  "What are we going to do?"  And, I said a little prayer for the pope (not knowing why he would be doing this...was he sicker than we were being told?) and called my mom.  She had not turned on the news for the morning so was just as shocked.  We discussed what would happen next...realized there was never a circumstance like this historically and that we really had no idea what would happen next.  So, we prayed.

Michael had been with Brendan when all of this happened.  He and Brendan had already made their way to the back of the building for the first stage of this procedure.  They gave Brendan some "happy juice."  This is just the preliminary anesthesia medicine to make him sleepy.  He fought it so hard, that he ended up with hiccups.

After letting it work for an hour, they took him back and prepped him with a dose of Disney's "Cars" and nitrous-oxide.  Zaira and Edward were our tag-alongs for this session at the dentist.  Edward begrudgingly continued his school work.  Zaira kept herself busy with the toys in the office waiting room.

The  surgery (basically root canal and crowns) went well, but he came off the gas like he was waking up from a nightmare.  Michael was holding a sleeping Zaira, so I had to get him and calm him down.  It took another thirty minutes just to get him calm enough to get into the car to go home.  As soon as we got home, he curled up on our bed and slept almost all day.

He is a good little trooper.  We all hated to see him so upset.  When he woke up he was HUNGRY!  We were told to not let him have a lot of food, so I promised him a milkshake.  He finished that in no time and wanted real food.

I do have to say he has been eating a lot of food lately...he must be having a growth spurt.  He ate several helpings of sausage and noodles at dinner.  We will see if it was just making up for the lack of food and making up for lost meals or the other as the days go on.

We continue to pray for the Church and the pope.  It is so hard to believe even now....I pray for wisdom for all involved.  We do have a lot to think about for the future of the Church.  I am so glad the Holy Spirit guides us on this journey.

Tamale Dinner

We had a wonderful time with our church family today.  This was our annual parish tamale dinner.  Each year, on the Sunday before Lent begins, our parish hall is filled with community members sitting down for a tradition tamale dinner of beans, rice, and tamales.  Somehow sides of crackers, white bread, and ketchup are placed along with this, but I cannot imagine why other than filler!  The tamales are wonderfully made (no church pun intended!) by the church women (and a few men) to serve those of us who would not have a clue of how to make our own.  Tamales taste so much better when they are fresh.

Then there are the amazing desserts!!!  First we have the chose of a dessert to go with our dinner...yummy pies, cakes, and cookies.  Then there is the dessert auction...the best are saved for this event....lemon meringue and coconut cream pies, chocolate and fresh apple sauce cakes...and so much more!  Edward just could not resist bidding on a key lime pie and we won the bid!  But wait...we brought that pie for the auction!  So we gave the pie to some of our college friends to take home.  After all, who wants to take a pie home that they made?  It was a good pie but I would have much rather taken that lemon pie home...but I was not about to pay $120 for that pie!

In the end, we were able to make enough money to finally pay off our church building!  We are so excited as this has been our goal for the last couple of years.  Now we can focus on building a new parish hall and pave our dilapidated parking lot.

My own personal goal?  I am determined to have these traditional tamale makers let this newbie step in and learn the trade.  I have always wanted to learn how to make tamales.  Maybe if I just show up one day with the ingredients, she will teach me how to make these delicious treats!  If she does, you will be the first to hear about it!

The Last Few Days

I set my computer aside for the last few days....here is what we have been doing:


Sunday:

Michael finished the two-day training for $h Wildlife & Hunting.  He enjoyed the experience.  Amanda enjoyed a fun day with our friends.  The boys and I went to Mass and I got to enjoy cleaning vomit off the church pews!  Poor Brendan ate some bad food!

Monday and Tuesday:

Michael and Amanda drove up to Dallas, to go to a Job Fair on Tuesday.  The idea seemed like a good one...but it was mostly entry level jobs for persons just out of military service...the venue was too small and too crowded.  The idea to go visit the Dr Pepper bottling plant at Dublin was mentioned, but after a quick map recon, it was decided that that was too far out of the way, and since Waco is on the way to Austin, we would stop at the Dr Pepper museum and get a drink.  Unfortunately, they are doing some remodeling and were closed, so Amanda suggests we go look at the Waco Zoo.

The person at the gate was very nice, she gave us the price and even offered a military discount for both of us, however, that price would have been the cost for their lunch, but a quick thought occurred.  Michael asked if they were in the same organization as our local zoo, and they were.  Even though they  did not have their Zoo member card on us, the zoo offered to call and verify membership.  This resulted in a free trip to the zoo.

According to Michael: "The Waco zoo has lots of animals, included a rather large section devoted to native wildlife of Central Texas, but the highlight (for our amusement) was the secretary bird.  As we were there, the bird was attracted by light reflecting from my phone, and proceeded to stalk the little spot of light.  Every so often, it would cock its head at us.  I am not sure if it was scolding us for our laughter, or telling us not to spook its prey.  I am glad that we stopped there, and look forward to the opportunity to take the boys with us next time."

While they were enjoying the zoo, the boys and I were plugging along trying to get our school done for the majority of the week.  We also packed and drove to my mother's home to meet them.  We were all back together by dinner.  To my surprise, Michael and Amanda found the elusive flamingo material!  YAY!  Now we can finish the last of the quilts!

Wednesday:

Michael went with the three older boys to the State Capitol for 4H Day.  A full report is given on my other blog.  The rest of us stayed with my mother.  Brendan, Zaira and I were taken to a quilter's shop along with other errands.  I learned a lot about binding.  I was also fascinated by the many fabric choices in this store!

Thursday:

It was back home for all of us, except Michael and Brendan.  They are staying at my mother's through the weekend.  Michael for Army training and Brendan to enjoy my mom without the others.  TIT should be a fun weekend for them...we will await their stories upon their return.  We had to hurry back for a our 4H meeting and a practice contest that will happen Saturday.

I have to share a side story before I end for the day.  Looking at a sign at restaurant where we ate lunch, we noticed a grammar error.  Amanda could not live with herself without trying to correct the error.  She went to the counter and the young man laughed and said he would tell the manager.  As we were getting into our car the manager and the employee came out to inspect the sign: Try ARE 5 for $6.95.  It was obvious that the manager was upset with the employee so Amanda got back out of the car and tried to explain.  She heard the manager say, "It is right...'our' is about time..."  Amanda said, "Ma'am you mean 'hour' but the sign is a possessive which would be 'our' and you have 'are' which is a being verb."  The manager just looked at her like she was crazy.  So, I got out and tried to make a joke of it..."It's OK...we are in Texas and all three words sound the same!"  The manager was completely confused and   walked back in the store with a baffled look on her face!  I am sure she is still trying to figure it out.

Feast Day of St Blaise

Remember those candles that I mentioned in yesterday's blog post?  Well, they are usually put to good use on the feast of St. Blaise.  The tradition of Blessing of the Throats takes place on this day. Two candles are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat as the blessing is said.  Son't worry...the candles are not lit!  That is what our eldest believed for many years and refused to go to the front for her blessing!

Saint Blaise's protection of those with throat troubles apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to him who had a fish bone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die when Saint Blaise healed him. Unfortunately, our priest forget the blessing today, so we missed out on this special blessing.

How interesting that this feast and the blessing should come at the same time of year when the flu and other illnesses plague us each year!  Coincidence?  I think not!

I was also given the privilege once again to read from the Scriptures at Mass.  Today's reading was from 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13.  I already got in trouble (just joking!) for reading the long version but it is so beautiful that I can not resist placing the full passage in this post as well.  IT was read at our wedding twenty years ago and it has kept our marriage strong over the years.  I read it when I start to wonder why we work so hard to stay together.  I used bold type for the parts that make me pause in reflection each time I read this passage.  It is easy to see love in the good times, when we FEEL love; however, it is in those difficult times that we must remember this passage and work past feelings that take us away from love.


Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

The BIG FOUR...OH!

As in "Oh my goodness...How did this happen?"  Seriously, I must say that I am proud to have 40 years of my life to look back on and enjoy.  I hope that I am a little wiser and ready to take on the next 40 years (God willing!).

INTERESTING NOTE:
I am twice as old as Amanda.
I am ten times as old as Brendan.
I am four times as old as Edward.
I am 40 times as old as Zaira.

I have always thought it was interesting that some many traditions all seemed to converge on this same day.

The celebration of the Presentation of the Lord...40 days after the Nativity (Christmas) when Jesus is brought to the Temple for a dedication.  Looking at the Bible story closely there are many characters that each teach a lesson for us today.  First, Mary and Joseph are fulfilling the Mosaic Law with the sacrifice of the dove (sacrifice for the poor).  We can also see how we must give in spite of our circumstances.  Simeon and Anna represented the faithful who give their lives to prayer waiting for the coming of the Messiah.  Simeon declares that he is ready to pass from this world knowing that his duty in life is complete.  Anna, though a widow, found her place in prayer at the Temple as well.  We should also find our place within our vocation or calling in this world.  Each finds their way to the Lord in a unique circumstance because they are open to the Spirit. (Luke 2:22-40)

Candlemas Day, what was once considered the last day of the Christmas season.  So named since the blessing and procession of candles is included in today's liturgy.  This was also the day the Christmas trees were taken out of the homes and a large bonfire took place in the town square or other public area.

And then the more secular tradition of Groundhog's Day!  Just as we have faith in the Light of the world, others hold out for the hope in a little rodent to foretell the coming of spring.  Really it is just a silly way to look forward to the new life and warmth that comes with the change of season.  Who can help but want warmer days and more light after the dreary days of winter?

I set out this morning to tell 40 things that I am blessed to encounter in the day.  I thought the best way to do that was placing them in the order they came in the day.  The list turned out a little different than I thought but here it goes:

1 Dreams that end just as you are waking up...Don't you hate it when you wake up in the middle of a good dream?
2 God...who gives me each new day and knowing I should be thankful for each one...good and bad!
3-4  Sean and Edward-made me breakfast in bed
5  Those few more minutes snuggled in bed
6-7  Brendan and Zaira-my snuggle partners
8 Henry-who willingly helped wash my sheets when one said snuggle partner spent a little too long in a diaper!
9 Adrian-older brother who was the first to call with birthday wishes
10 My mom-who waited to call in hopes that I would get those few extra moments in bed!
11 Christopher-another older brother who laughed at my desire to have a quiet day amongst loud wild children
12 Church tradition and liturgy-I love the cycle of events that occur in Scripture to help us move through our daily lives and helps us to learn more about God
13 Michael-dear husband who I insisted go to a 4H training out of town even though it was my birthday
14 Nathan-younger brother who in spite of his busy work morning called to wish me a happy birthday
15 My mom-(yeah I know I already mentioned her but I am doubly thankful for her!) who knows the joy of listening like only moms can to their children even when they are adults!
16 My dear friends who called to sing with full harmony
17 Amanda-who tagged along with her dad so they could go to a job fair...for calling to wish me a happy day
18 Murder She Wrote...in which I spent a good deal of my day watching...just because I love that show and Netflix has in its online streaming
19 A beautiful...gorgeous sunny day...This is the day the Lord has made...Let us rejoice and be glad!
20 Sonic chili cheese dogs...which I love and they just happened to be half price on my birthday!
21 Cherry Limeade...yes I put this separate because I just love this drink and I was so thankful we came to Sonic during Happy Hour so it could be half price also!
22 Homemade Coleslaw-which I love to have when I eat hot dogs but I was so full had to turn away...just makes me have the opportunity to enjoy tomorrow!
23 Facebook that allows all my family and friends an easy way to send well wishes and blessings for the day
24 For my friends-Patrick, Heather, Marie, Patricia, Darrell, Karen, Patricia, Jennifer, Holly, Diana, Tessa, Angie, Carolyn, Becky, Angel, Nancy, Hannah, Shannon, Billy, Lee Ann, Carey, Katie, Jari, Rose, Betty, Tonia, Mary Ann and others-who all took the time to send out special birthday wishes
25 Key Lime Pie-made by Sean for my birthday...one of my favorite desserts!
26 Whipped Cream-made by Henry which always makes desserts even that much better!
27 Kindle-I never thought I would say that such a device would be on my thankful list but I have to admit it is a lot easier to turn pages while reading and nursing a baby...Did you know you can look up individual words in a book to find out what it means?  That is so cool!  I learned that trick by accident today...awesome tool that I will be using now that I know about it.

28 Shopping by internet-I hate going to stores...especially when I am not sure where to buy an item...It is so nice to just do an internet search and the choices are just a click away.
29-31 Jacob, Demi, and Karson-my nephews and niece who personally called to wish me a happy birthday...so sweet to hear their voices...and asking me if I had seen my shadow!
32 Catching up with friends that I have not heard from in a while
33 For homeschooling-so glad that we have a flexible plan that allows for even the most obstinate child  to learn at their own pace (even if it means completing work on the weekend!)
34 Sewing machine-I do not use it as often as I like but it is a great tool that I enjoy using
35 For my night owl-who brings me coffee after everyone else has gone to bed
36 Home-a place to call my own along with my family and the blessing it is for others who come here
37 Books-of any form...I do not read as much as like but I love opening a book and gaining the knowledge found within the pages
38 Prayer-especially at the end of the day when I can lay all the difficulties of the day at the feet of the Lord and sleep in peace
39 My blogs-it is so nice to have a way to share and reflect at the end of the day
40 For the last 40 years that I have been blessed to enjoy...I have learned so much about life...most of all that there is so much more to learn

First Friday with Brigid

Today is the feast day for one of my favorite saints...St Brigid of Ireland.  Saintly from her youth, St. Brigid founded a nunnery in Kildare and would later be considered the leader for all nuns in Ireland.  She was know for her ability of "being mercy and pity for the poor."  There are many legends of her youth that have not been verified of miracles related to her generosity to the poor.

Today was also the first Friday of the month so we had the joy of Mass and special adoration before the Lord.  It was so wonderful to have all of the family together for this time of prayer.  It was also nice to see Edward trying so hard to help at the altar today...He is barely strong enough to hold the big book of prayers.  I wish I had been able to get a picture of him straining under the weight in order to hold up high enough for our priest to read!

However, our little talkers (youngest in the bunch!) were wound up today and I had to separate them to keep them from giggling too loud.  Oh to have such terrible problems as these that my children want to love and kiss each other in Mass!  If only they could do it a little quieter!  LOL!

Then Michael and Amanda headed out to stay with our dear friends in College Station for the weekend.  Michael is going to be a 4H training for the next two days.

The rest of us muddled through the last of the school work for the week.  The house was all a buzz over a birthday coming up tomorrow.  I will not tell you who but she is getting rather old! {HINT HINT!}  It will be interesting to see what the boys decide to do to celebrate tomorrow!  God bless!