Family Fun Day!

This morning was so cool outside!  So hard to believe it was in the 50's after a high of over 105 degrees just a couple of days ago!  The boys have all gone out to enjoy the morning outside.  The older ones on their roller blades on the little road in front of the house and Brendan and Michael feeding the fish at the pond.  IT is quiet in the house, so I thought I would write my post this morning.

I wanted to have yesterday's post set aside for Edward's Confirmation/Holy Communion.  I knew talking about our morning activities would be a distraction...not to mention make a long post WAY TOO LONG!!! So, I thought I could share our Saturday morning with you today.

Each fall, SFA sponsors a Nature Fun Day at the Native Plant Center.  It is so much fun for our family because all of the things we love to do are at one big event!

We started our trek around the various stations early in the day...in fact, we were one of the first to arrive at the event.  It is amazing how quickly boys can get ready for the day when they want to do something!

The bird watching booth is so fun because it is, what I like to call, a do-able activity.  Our friend Ruth sets up this booth with paper cutouts of birds that have been marked with a code for several local birds.  The youth are given a set of binoculars (nothing fancy) to go out and bird watch among the trees and shrubs at the center.  The boys always love this activity because she hides them just enough to make it interesting.  And there is always one or two that are a little challenging that force us to go around the path one more time for the elusive bird we just could not find!

At least we are all pointing the same direction, but is it the right way? 

We then made our way to the geo-caching booth.  We have always wanted to take part in this activity but never seem to have the time to make it happen.  Once a year, our friendly forest services representative gives us the opportunity.  He saw us coming and decided to play with us a little.  He asked if we knew anything about GPS devices.  We said yes and he said he found his volunteers for the day and he could leave!  All joking aside, he gave us a GPS and we were on our way to find the treasure.  We quickly learned that the hiding places were not so easy ti find.  Most of these treasures were far into the wooded area along the trails.  The center is located on 42 acres and lots of room to hide prize box.  We had four different coordinates, so with four boys we had to find them all!  I thought it was funny that the prizes matched the boy-Sean found a bookmark with a website about trees, Henry found a poster of nature art pics from our favorite artist, Edward found a frisbee, and Brendan found a book about Smokey the Bear.  It only took us about an hour to make the hike through the woods.  Forgive me for not wanting to go to the next station which was of all things a NATURE HIKE!  I must say that we did enjoy the hike along the trails looking at the various trees and even discovering an unusual spider that was quite camera shy!

The next station was about water pollution in our rivers.  There was a hands-on demonstration showing how the trash dumped in the rivers goes right into the Gulf of Mexico.  The boys were also given a chance to 'help' an animal that had trash wrapped around its body.  Brendan especially enjoys this activity but thinks he can keep the animal once it is free.  SO glad he has not found one of these creatures in real life...can you imagine what kind of zoo we would have at our house if he did?  Lo and behold!  We saw our favorite artist with his very large dog, Buster!  It was a great escape to the next station without a fight to take a stuffed animal home with us!

Bruce was at the tent building station, so the boys got the opportunity to set up a tent.  We learned that the three things to look for in a good camping site are:looking around for a flat surface, look up to avoid falling tree limbs, and look down to avoid rocks & holes and ants & snakes.  I always think it is funny to see a one-man tent.  I want to see the man (person!) who can put one of these tents up alone!  Our tent was supposed to be put up in less than ten minutes.  It took four boys and their Dad (not to mention the help of the activity leader) 30 minutes to put up that tent!  I am so glad the boys were having fun!  I think that activity wore Michael out!  Yet, the boys were still full of energy...on to the next booth!

The next two booths were a good combination...fishing and dutch oven cooking!  The wait for the fishing poles was long but steady.  This gave the boys time to make a S'more and try some dutch cooking before having their turn at casting.  I also had a chance to talk to the Bass Fishing expert about coming to our 4H meeting to talk about fishing and regulations.  Before we left these stations, we found out there would be some blueberry cobbler...we would need to make our way back this direction for sure!

I could not resist a photo opportunity that I had been trying to arrange for several weeks.  The center has the most awesome bench for taking pictures.  It is shaped like a very large butterfly with a nice support on the back.  It was just screaming for me to place Zaira in and what better time than her one month picture!  Can it really be one month since she was born!!!  I think this is going to be a spot we return to often for photos.

While I was taking advantage of Zaira actually being awake for these pictures, the boys were at our all time favorite booth...the Friends of the Forest!  In fact, we normally work at this booth for events.  Our friend, Tamberly, had on her friendliest smile.  We were happy to show off Zaira and talk about how well Amanda (the person who got us interested in this group!) was doing in NYC.  Tamberly was excited to see us because she just learned that she would be in NY for an event called Urban Waters.  She was hoping to meet Amanda when she was there.  She really wants Amanda to meet some of the US Forestry team in that area.  This sounded like a good plan to me!

The boys spent a little time with the snakes they have on display before leaving for the next station without me!  I was still talking to Tamberly about obtaining prizes for our 4H contest.  She was more than happy to help me and gave me so much she had to help me carry everything to the next spot...not finding them there, she went a little farther to the NEXT booth.  We found out that the station prior was for making frozen yogurt.  They arrived just in time to taste but would need to go back to actually make it.

I suppose that was a good enough reason to skip over to the archery booth.  This is another event that the boys really want to participate in for 4H.  We have even tried to start a project in the past but the project leader needs to go to a special training.  So, the boys get to enjoy a little taste of this each year.  If they had it there way, they would stay at this booth for a long time.  Unfortunately, they are usually not the only ones who find this activity fun.  This year was no different.  They got their one shot at the target and we had to move on!  Sean was the best shot of the day, hitting his arrow into the red zone!

We made our way back to the frozen yogurt in time to have the boys churn the new batch.  This gave me the chance to sneak back over to the dutch oven cooking and grab a cup of cobbler!  Yum!  Henry came along with me to snap a shot of Zaira with the red-tailed boa, Romeo, that Amanda loves so much.  I figured I needed to send this to her to let he know I was teaching Zaira at an early age that snakes are OK.  I NEVER would have done this with Amanda!  In the process of getting this picture, Henry found out the booth was short handed and he volunteered to stay and help.  He was glad to be able to hold the snakes for the rest of the day!

When I arrived back at the frozen yogurt booth, the boys were just finishing the batch they started. I was so proud of them...there were a lot of children at the booth.  Even though they made the frozen yogurt, they knew there would not be enough for everyone so they left without taking a sample.  So we made our way to the canoe demonstration instead.  The boys enjoyed learning about the way a canoe maneuvers and boat safety.

Could this really be the last station?  Well, there was that nature hike?  Nah...we needed to get home for lunch anyway.  Actually, there were two more stations we missed.  The boys ran over to play a game called Leave No Trace Behind while I went back for Henry.  And, we completely missed the track booth where the youth were able to create molds of their favorite animal track.  We could have done this but the cast would not have dried in time for us to take them home.  We have done this activity MANY times so it was not terrible to miss but of course, the boys love doing this activity!

As we were heading out, a friend, Cindy, stopped us to show her treasure find of the day...a Luna moth hidden in the bushes!  You just never know what you are going to find when you head outdoors!  This was a great way to spend our morning!  I am so thankful for everyone who worked so hard to make this event happen.  We had a great time and cannot wait for their future events...already on the calendar for sure!  We even had time throughout the day to do a little PR for our own event that will be at the Forest Fest in a couple of weeks.

Well, the boys are starting to drift back into the house.  Time to get back to our other stuff for the day...Michael is trying to finish up his paper for his class...making edits and adding more details...I should probably weed the flowerbeds while it is cool outside...I also want to add Zaira to our cross-stitch family tree...the boys will probably enjoy most of the day outside using their amazing and vivid imaginations.  It is going to be a great day for praising God!

Edward's Confirmation

Before we talk about Edward's big day, I have to say that today is the day we traditionally celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Why do we remember her birthday (usually we remember their death that takes them into the eternal life)?  God set out to make a special woman who could give birth to the Messiah, His only Son...the only way for the Son of God to come into this world was to be born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14).  One way to look at this is to see Mary as the New Eve, she, like the New Adam, was born immaculate, just as the First Adam and Eve were created immaculate.  We remember this later in the year on the feast of the Immaculate Conception (Mary conceived without sin in order to be prepared as the Mother of God...only possibly through the grace of God.).  She is conceived without original sin in order to be able to hold the Son of God within her womb!  We gladly remembered Mary on this day to acknowledge this joy in having the Mother of God given the fullness of grace to bring the Savior into this world.

This already blessed day was made even more special by Edward's confirmation.  What is Confirmation?  "Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of new life;
Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Christ's Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ. " (CCC 1275)  The explanation when I was young was that Confirmation made us adults in the Church.  However, what is really happening is the Holy Spirit enters into our souls to place a indelible mark (irremovable) that gives us the strength (through the gifts of the Spirit-wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord) to defend the faith at all costs.  Our bishop saw the importance of this strength and its need BEFORE the children receive the Eucharist.  So, today Edward will first be confirmed and then receive the precious Body and Blood for the first time!  The graces of God will surely be flowing through him today!

For Edward, he had prepared for over two years for this sacrament.  Our parish church had a Confirmation set up last March for our two little confirmands.  We would have had a nice personal ceremony for them both.  However, Michael was unable to be there because of work in Afghanistan, so the decision was made to wait until he got back.  This was a hard decision but Edward really wanted Michael to be present for this special occasion.  I fretted over the decision over the last few months...why do we do this to ourselves?  I should know by now that God has the plan!  He knew how this was going to work out and there was no reason to worry!  This day could not have been more special!

We began the afternoon leisurely getting everyone ready for Mass.  Not always an easy feat with four boys and a newborn!  We had everyone's clothes set out and ready so it made it all easy.  Edward was ready in his nice three piece suit and then we got the others dressed.  Everything was going as planned.

However, Brendan took one look at Edward and said, "I want to wear a tie also!"  My theory is when a boy says he wants to wear a tie...DO NOT REFUSE HIM!!!  LOL!  After all, we don't want them to grow up thinking they can be bums right?  So, once this started they all wanted to wear ties and get really dressed up. We do get dressed up nice for church each week but not to this extent so it took some doing...we had to hunt down dress shirts that would be appropriate for a tie.  But, after a little bit of a search we made it happen!  Thank you, Lord! We even made it out the door at the time we planned!

We arrived at the church an hour early, as we were told seating might be difficult for the larger families.  The arrangement was for Michael and Edward to sit on the pew closest to the altar.  There would be one other child with her sponsor.  The rest of us (including the other child's family!) would be at the other end of the pew.  Since I had no idea how Zaira and Brendan would be in a long service, I chose to sit on the other end of the pew.  We all got settled in our spots (remember we are early and there are not a lot of people there yet) and I look over to see Brendan sitting with Edward, hands folded in prayer and looking so sweet!  He told us that he was going to be confirmed also!  Michael tried to explain to him that he was not ready, but I told him to let Brendan stay.  It would be a good experience for him to see the Mass up close.  What could be the harm?  Maybe he would be the youngest confirmand of the day!

It turned out that the other family did not come to Mass.  Praying for that family as we do not know why they did not show up.  However, this allowed our family to all be together.  Then our little 'confirmand' fell asleep!  Maybe this was the Holy Spirit saying "Not yet my little soldier in Christ!," as he slept through the entire two hour Mass!

Because our Bishop was transferred to another diocese, we have a priest (actually one for each deanery) who has been given the special privilege to celebrate Confirmation in our diocese.  We were blessed to have Monsignor Stickland preside over this Mass.  I say that because he is so personable (especially with the youth) but also because I grew up with him!  It is always nice to have a special connection with the celebrant of a sacrament!

Once again , the readings for Mass this weekend were perfect for the celebration of the sacraments.  The first reading was from Isaiah 35:4-7.  He speaks about a prophecy that Jesus will heal the sick, and to be strong, fear not.  We too must remember to be open to healing of sin and fear not.  One of the effects of Confirmation is to be given the strength to live a Christian life.  The Psalm 146...Praise the Lord, my soul!...is just another sign of Confirmation as we go deep within us to find an inner peace with God.  The second reading from James 2:1-5 asks us to not doubt that God will call all of us to Him..."Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?"  Then the Gospel fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah as Jesus tells the deaf man to be open (Mark 7:31-37).  We to must listen to Jesus and be open to His teachings.

For those of you who have never been to a Confirmation, before a youth can be confirmed they must know their faith (Bible, Catechism, Church history) after months of study.  They are interviewed by various church leaders to show their knowledge.  The day of their Confirmation this last effort to 'test' their knowledge comes with the meeting of the celebrant (again usually a bishop).  And, during the Mass a few questions are given during the homily before the sacrament.  This is really more of a public witness of their knowledge as the questions are addressed to all who will be confirmed.

The last couple of weeks the adults in charge have been a little concerned about Edward because he was going to be in a large group of youth he did not know.  What if he was chosen among the group to answer a question?  Would he be to embarrassed or shy to answer a question?  I must admit...I did not know how he would react.

So, the moment arrived, and Monsignor Strickland decided to ask a surprise question of the group!  He asked, "Who was St. Patrick?" As I said, he is very personable and was walking through the pews, calling the youth by name (they all had on name tags) and making connections with them as much as possible.  So when he asked this 'surprise' question, it should have been in a comfortable setting (We were at St. Patrick's church after all!).  However, I think the group of confirmands were caught off guard.  No one seemed to want to answer this first question!  Until Edward's little hand went up there was silence in the building.  I thought he gave a great answer (no parent bias, right?)...he said, "St Patrick spoke for God to the people in

Ireland."  The priest squirming in his seat at the altar, looked at Michael and whispered a thank you.  I think he was afraid they would look bad if they could not respond to a question about the parish saint!  LOL!  This got the others going and a few more questions were answered with ease...Edward even hollered out an answer regarding the number of sacraments (seven)...before Monsignor Strickland went on with his homily. (Michael later told me he had to stop Edward from answering the other questions!  And Edward said he was mad at Michael because he knew all the answers.  LOL)

Then the most wonderful thing happened.  I really felt like our family was pulled away from the group in some way.  Like we were in our own little parish away from this large assembly.  Monsignor Strickland came over to Edward and said the following words:

"Edward, you have been called to a special service for God.  We don't know what that calling is going to be...maybe you will be a priest or a great father...a businessman who will do great things for the many people...or maybe a politician...We will be praying for you!  God has that calling determined and He will let you know when He is ready."

It was a special moment that will not be forgotten.  The ceremony continued with the three parts of the sacrament of Confirmation.  First, the entire assembly renewed their baptismal promises of belief.  We were asked to profess our faith in one God, in Jesus as our savior, and in the Holy Spirit.  Then Monsignor Strickland (along with the two priests) outstretched their hands to the group for the imposition of the hands for the reception of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:1-2).  I took a picture of Edward at this time because I wanted to see how he reacted at this moment.  I think it is an interesting moment captured even though the picture is blurry...it seems to show that there was a movement going through Edward at that time.

The final action of the sacrament is to be sealed by the Holy Spirit by the celebrant anointing each confirmand with holy chrism oil.  Edward was accompanied by Michael to stand before Monsignor Strickland.  They are asked to choose a saint (a person who led a holy life) who they wish to emulate.  The saint is announced as a way to show that the confirmand has changed...by the Holy Spirit.  By giving a confirmand a saint name, they have an example of someone who has led a virtuous life.

Edward chose St. Francis as his patron saint.  He said he thought he and St Francis were alike because they both liked animals and nature.  The priest at St. Patrick's told Edward that he chose well (hint...this is the priest's first name!).  I think he did also because he really thought about his saint and had a reason for his choice.  I think that Edward will find many other reasons for learning about the life of St. Francis.  There are many sides of St. Francis to discover.

When Edward came back to our pew, he looked so happy and blessed!  I love being present at sacraments.  The grace present is so amazing and evident in the faces of those receiving the grace.  I cannot help but believe that there are graces in abundance for all who attend the sacrament.

Then the Mass continued into the normal flow....leading up to the moment of communion.  Once again Edward would make his way to the altar for this new grace in his life.  He would receive the Body and Blood of Jesus for the first time.

Eucharist...meaning thanksgiving...is the greatest joy that is hidden in the appearance of bread and wine.  We, as Catholics, believe we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus at the time of communion at Mass.  Communion...communicating with the Lord...is the moment when Christ enters into our body and we are in union with His will.  We are united as one Body in Christ along with all of those who partake along side us and throughout the world.  Now Edward can also be a part of this united movement to spread the message of God with the nourishment given to us by Jesus (John 6).

Mass ended and more pictures were taken.  We even found a friend, Stefanie, to take a picture of the family together.  We asked Monsignor Strickland if he would take a picture with Edward.  He was pleased to be asked.  He even told Edward that he knew me when we were young.  He also told Edward that their middle names were the same.  Edward liked that and said his name was Edward Joseph...Monsignor Strickland smiled and said that was funny because his name was Joseph Edward!  Now Edward had an even closer connection with Monsignor Strickland!

I know this post is long but I have to tell you about the dinner we had after Mass.  Edward got to choose the restaurant.  He chose Logan's Roadhouse.  As we gathered together around the table, he said he really wished Amanda could be with us.  I told him that she was with us in spirit and I am sure she was thinking about him on his special day.  Then our waitress came over and introduced herself...Amanda!  I told Edward that God wanted him to know that Amanda was with us!  God has such a good sense of humor.  She turned out to be such a great waitress too...she took good care of us as we enjoyed our celebration.

Edward was given several gifts last night.  A beautiful cross from our friend Lyndia.  We were so glad she was able to come to Mass and celebrate this with us.  Then a very special cross from Grandma...it is shaped like a butterfly with a cross in the middle.  It comes with a story as well.  Also, if you turn the butterfly to the side, you can see the outline of a baby (Jesus) in a manger!  I also gave him a special gift that I purchased when I was in Rome.  It is a rosary purchased from the Vatican.  I had it blessed by the Pope and took around with me to all the holy places I visited.  Edward thought it was nice but I hope he will appreciate it more when he is older.

We also looked over to see a good friend of ours from our 4H group!  He had not seen us in a while so it was nice to show off our new addition and talk to him about the day.

We got home quite late and even Brendan was tired again by the time we got home (thankfully...since he had taken such a long nap!).  So blessed to enjoy this day with Edward.  May God continue to bless him as he defends the faith throughout his life!

First Friday

  

For those of you who are not Catholic (or maybe have forgotten some traditions), the first Friday of the month is a special day of prayer and worship.  Imagine having a day devoted to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus (his heart is burning for love of us!), and just as He shows His love for us, we are called to show our love for Him and ask mercy for the times when we turn away from Him.  One of the best ways to show this love is the adoration of Eucharist at Mass.

We began our time of prayer with Adoration of the Eucharist (Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ).  We were so blessed to have our family arrive to lead the Rosary.  We prayed with a focus on the Passion of Christ (his agony in the garden, his scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, his way to Calvary carrying his cross, and his crucifixion) which is such a powerful meditation to bring you to your knees before the Lord.

The day was also an opportunity for us to go to Confession.  This was especially important for Edward as he is preparing to receive the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation, as well as his First Communion, tomorrow.  The older boys and Michael also were able to confess their sins.  I will need to find a time to go also, but we ran short of time as Mass was to begin.  The feeling of cleansing after Confession is not something to avoid...there is just a joy in the experience of knowing you are right with the Lord!

Mass was offered for all the intentions of our little home school group.  We have about ten families in the area who are able to come together for the Mass.  It is nice to enjoy Mass and fellowship afterwards.  Today everyone wanted to hear about Zaira.  I even let a few of the teenage girls hold her for a short time as the boys had all made their way to games in the house next door!

We made it home to finish out our school work for the week.  We even got through that science experiment we had to abruptly stop LAST WEEK!  The boys have now been given the experience of chemical concentration via water and Tums solution!  Most of the school day was spent with a first round of tests.

Michael and Edward made their way to a rehearsal for tomorrow.  I think this is one time when I really wish the Church would allow the Spirit to move through the ceremony.  However, I suppose when there is a large group who have prepared for this sacrament, there needs to be a little pre-meditated organization.

Speaking of getting organized!  I almost forgot to tell about our decision on the hushpuppy recipe!  If you read the blog post a few days ago, we were not 100% pleased with our first recipe.  Last night we got together with the other family competing with us.  We tried a new recipe...you can read about it on my 4H blog as this event seems to go back and forth between the two venues.  Today, Brenda and I talked about how to help our team win the spirit award that is given out each year.  We had already decided on our team being called The Patriots.  I might have even mentioned that the team would dress up like Betsy Ross, Washington, Lincoln and Crockett.  However, Davy Crockett just did not seem to be working with the rest of the group.  So, we decided to have Henry dress up like Teddy Roosevelt instead!  He is even going to carry in a big teddy bear!  Then we started thinking about other ways to decorate our table.  We now have an awesome plan to bring it all together.  We cannot wait to see it in reality...we have a couple of weeks to make it happen!

We ended the day with a reading from a book about the angels.  This month is dedicated to remembering these precious messengers of God.  We started reading this book in hopes to continue and complete by the end of the month.  It should be possible as it was meant to be read during the month of September and has been nicely divided for daily reading.  It is called St. Michael and the Angels.  It is very interesting to see what we know about the angels from the Bible stories.

Tomorrow should be a busy day so I am hoping to get to bed early tonight.  Say a little prayer for our family, especially Edward!

 

More Dentist Visits and More!

As hard as we try, we cannot be in two places at once.  Sometimes, when I look at our days I wonder how we fit it all in to one day.  I was so thankful Michael was home to help me today because it would have never happened without two of us!

We all woke up and started our day as usual...PE and breakfast...then begin morning school work.  However, Brendan, Zaira and I headed out the door at 8am for Tyler.  Zaira and I were going to our 2 week (week late due to mysterious rash) check up with the midwife.

While we were making this trek, Michael was taking the boys to town for art class...Yes!  I know we finished art classes with Henry a couple of weeks ago but it was so much fun for him we convinced the instructor to continue.  We even got some of the other homeschoolers to join in the fun so it should be another great round of learning.  Henry was so excited he was even willing to do his morning school work last night after dinner. The other boys worked on their remaining school work.  Michael also had a  nature art project for them after they completed their book work.  They looked for natural framing in their surroundings and took pictures.

Back at the midwife, this appointment was for Zaira, so she was measured and cooed over the entire time!  She now weighs 11 pounds and 12 ounces.  She also measured at 23 3/4 inches long.  I finally got a picture of the midwife with her as well.  We have one more follow up appointment for me in a couple of weeks.

We stopped at a baby clothes consignment store and looked for a bouncer or carrier for Zaira.  We did not have any luck with this but I can see that we will need to visit this store often.  Lots of great clothes for good prices.

Brendan was a great sport, so we went to the restaurant of his pick-Arbys! and had lunch.  Then we went to Toys-R-Us to pick out Zaira's first toy!  Well, really it was a bouncer for her to sit in and enjoy but it does have little toys hanging from a bar above her!  Edward was happy as it was not PINK...it has monkey pattern on it instead.  Why not pink?  Well...I just could not think of a good reason to pay twice the price for a pink one!

We ALMOST kept our plan of meeting back together at the house...but Zaira nursed a little longer at lunch so we missed Michael by ten minutes as he headed to another round of dentist appointments.

Sean stayed behind at the house as he had a book to read for school.  This worked out well because he was able to help me put the bouncer together.  This made his day...he loves making his sister happy!  I am not sure what Zaira thinks of the bouncer.  She did not dislike it but she did get bounced around quite a bit.  She will like it more when she can enjoy it on her own.

Michael took Edward and Henry to the dentist for the afternoon.  Henry did well...as he explained it...there were a lot of steps...first cleaning and then sealing the teeth with multiple layers of film.  Edward had the joy of a local anesthesia so he was feeling good as they filled cavities on one side of his mouth.  That means he will need to go once more before he is through with the dentist this time around.   Both boys were given certificates of bravery.  Edward was told he was the best patient of the week.

We did finally meet back at the house...just in time to get ready for Mass.  We got there just in time to see Fr. Paul walking up the aisle.  I made it through the Bible readings when Zaira had a doosie of a diaper!  Since Brendan was struggling to sit still, I took him with me to 'help.'  We made it back in time for the end of Mass.  God knows I tried and I prayed my way through the diaper mess...mainly saying "Lord, help me" but He knows that I meant every word...a mother's prayer does not get better than those three simple words!

We had time to take some posed pictures of Fr. Paul and Pat with Zaira since we did not get any last weekend at the baptism.  Pat talked to Zaira about St. Rose and she was truly listening to her every word.  She was very alert most of the evening and we had fun enjoying this time.

We ended the evening with a phone call from Amanda!  She really seems to be enjoying her job at the vet clinic.  She sounds happy also.  She even talked about asking her boss for time off in January to come home.  Hopefully we can work out the details as the time gets closer.  A great way to end the day!  Boys are now in bed and we can relax for a few before heading there ourselves.

Labor Day!

So, for Labor Day, what did we do?  Slept in until 9am, ate a late breakfast and had a quiet day of relaxation.  I did have the boys take a redo spelling test from last week, but that was the extent of our work for the day.

We met our friend, Sam, at the local VFW for a BBQ dinner.  It is always nice to support the VFW because they do so much for the community.

Then we made our way to the mall (I hate the mall!) to look for a suit for Edward.  We started at Sear's bt ended up at JC Penney's for a three-piece suit that we both liked.  Edward is a hard shopper...only the best for him.  However, I did not want to spend a lot of money because I know he won't be wearing very often before growing out of it.  I did let him have the final say after choosing from our price range, so I think he feels good about it.  It was a special mother-son experience.

We followed that with a trip to Marble Slab!  This was something we have been trying to make happen for over a month.  I am so glad it all worked out to get there today.  Everyone got their favorites...from root beer floats to orange sorbet.  We all left happy!

We ended the day with a movie and popcorn at home.  If you have never seen 'Faith Like Potatoes,' it is a must see.  The movie is about a man in South Africa who gave himself to Jesus and was then called to witness to others.  He decided to take a leap of faith during a drought and grow potatoes.  All about placing your hope in God....and based on a true story.

I am so glad we were able to enjoy this day together.  Back to the grind tomorrow!

Top 5 Extra Activities This Week

So, this last week was busy with all our activities.  Here are the top five events that I did not blog about:

5.  We got Brendan into the periodontist to schedule his root canals.  He is a trooper as he actually loves going to the dentist (not my son in this regard!).  We just hope that he likes the dentist after the actual work is done in October.  I am a little concerned about this because Michael will already be back to work and I will need to do this solo.  NOT FUN!!!  We are already praying that the first appointment goes well, as he will need to go through this twice before he is done.  The older boys liked this dentist also because there was a touch screen computer in the waiting room.

4.  Michael and the boys did actually get back to the zoo on Saturday to see the new lion cub.  They enjoyed the experience even with the crowds of people who arrived to view along with them.  One other cool thing about the zoo trip was they learned about a baby sloth born that morning!  Maybe we can make it back to the zoo one more time before Michael leaves so they can see this baby also.

3.  We were able to FINALLY get all the thank cards (current gifts for Zaira) and birth announcements addressed today.  Maybe we will actually get to the post office sometime this next week to mail them off.  I also have some packages to mail that are WAY OVERDUE!  So I am very determined to make this happen.  Hoping the time does not get away from me again this week.

2.  Michael and I were given the privilege to read the Mass readings for the day.  I read from the lectionary frequently and feel so blessed when I do this.  Michael rarely has this opportunity.  So, for both of us to read on the same day was a double blessing!  I mentioned the readings were perfect lessons related to baptism in my blog yesterday.

• The first reading was from Deuteronomy 4: 1-8...which attests to the great nation given the commandments from a wise God.  I thought it was great that Fr. Paul talked about how we should not mess up a good thing by going against God's commandments.  We make God look bad by not remaining the nation deserving of these commandments.  
• The Psalm sung at Mass was from Psalm 15..."One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord."  Staying with the theme of keeping the commandments, we can see that staying connected with God can only happen if we keep his commandments.
• The second reading was from James 1: 1-27 (the first of 5 readings over the next few weeks).  This is one of my favorite books in the New Testament.  This particular passage is about receiving the blessing God has given us in his commandments.  The verse often noted from James, "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves." is one of my favorites...going along with the idea that in following God's commandments there can not just be lip service.   Also, an awesome definition of religion is noted, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:  to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
• and to keep oneself unstained by the world."  This is the best tie into the baptism of the readings.  Our goal in life is to remain unstained by this world in order to remain with God in heaven for eternity.  Also, church buildings are not important as we are to go out into the world and help others.
• The gospel reading was from Mark 7:1-23 when Jesus calls out the hypocrites who perform acts of unrighteous cleansing.  We are to follow God's commandments and not man made laws.  Even following God's commandments should be done from the heart and not for show.

1.  This was hard to put as number one (seeing the toss up with number 2).  However, considering how Michael finishing his rough draft paper affects all of us in the house, I had to place it as number one.  As I mentioned in my first post, Michael is trying to finish his masters.  Finishing this course will put him at the half way point.  Besides, having this paper over his head has made him grouchy, which I understand completely.  He just needed to turn in his rough draft today.  He has three more weeks to tweak it and turn in the finished product.  Much relief in the house tonight when he hit the send button.

Zaira's Baptism

I thought I would start off this post by telling a little about what baptism means to Catholics.

"Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people. This sacrament pardons all our sins, rescues us from the power of sin and darkness and brings us to the dignity of adopted children, a new creation through water and the Holy Spirit. Hence we are called and indeed are the children of God" (Christian Initiation: General Introduction, #2)

Jesus tells Nicodemus in the Gospel of John: "Unless one is born of water and Spirit, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5).  The great commission of Christ to his disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel (Mt 28:19): "Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". Thus there is an inseparable connection between faith and the acceptance of baptism.  Baptism is the very basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to the Spirit and the door to the other sacraments (CCC 1213) without which no one can enter the Kingdom of God.  The Church knows of no other means by which one is assured of entry to the Kingdom of God and so takes great care not to neglect this divine mission to teach and baptize.

The baptism is a sacrament and as such is the outward expression of an inward grace: a celebration of God’s faithful love, made primarily manifest in the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Because it is a sacrament, it is a public celebration of the whole Church and it is upon this fundamental understanding that a proper baptismal liturgy must be built. Baptism is a sacrament of faith, but faith needs a community of believers. By Baptism one comes to share in the priesthood of Christ and in his prophetic and royal mission and having become a member of his Church one must profess the faith he has received from God and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God (Lumen Gentium 11).

In the parents asking for their child to be baptized, we are asking God to give the ultimate gift of grace to our child.  We are also committing ourselves to provide a teaching of the faith for our child.  We do not take this lightly and must also seek the assistance of the community to help.  We do this by asking a couple to stand in our place should we not be able to fulfill our duties, due to death or illness.  We choose godparents to take our place in teaching the faith.  From its very title you can see that this role is connected with "God" and therefore belongs primarily to the realm of the spiritual and the holy.  The role is to assist the parents in guiding their child to know God and to belong to his Church in the fullest way possible.  They should be a model of Christian living through the practice of daily prayer, weekly attendance at Mass and an active and full participation in the life of your own parish.

The symbols of baptism are very important to show the reality that takes place within the individual that is being baptized.  The waters wash away sin and restore us to new life in Christ.  The new life is signified in the white garment, the oil of chrism that brings both healing and strength and sets us apart for the work of the Kingdom, and the lighted candle symbolizing that Christ and his Gospel has become in the words of the psalm a "light for our feet", guiding us along the road of faith.

All of this took place today at a little church in the woods.  We arrived early to help prepare for the celebration after Mass.  We also wanted to have plenty of time to dress Zaira in her beautiful baptismal gown.

The godparents we chose are very dear to our family.  It is hard to believe we barely knew them a year ago. Father Paul and Mrs. Key are true blessings to all who meet them.  Father Paul was a Presbyterian minister (from a long line of ministers) and he married the most gracious and faithful woman who happened to be a devout Catholic.  After many years, Father Paul had researched the Catholic faith and found the truth in her teachings.  Then he began the process of conversion, choosing to ask permission from the Vatican to become a priest.  He found his home in our parish not too long ago and we have been blessed to have his wisdom of years to teach us.  Mrs. Key was the strong woman who helped Father Paul in his conversion through teaching and mostly through prayer.  Michael and I knew that Zaira would need strong witness in her life and thought of no one better to take on this responsibility.

Not only did Father Paul take on this duty of godfather, but also arrived at the church today to be the main celebrant and give an impromptu homily.  This is why we knew we had the right person for godfather.  He was able to quickly change his homily designed for college students into a homily related to baptism and the importance of parents being good examples for their children (who are always watching).  He even talked about the importance of supporting our young adults at the college chapel.

After the Mass, which so beautifully included Zaira's baptism, we invited everyone to enjoy a lasagna dinner (a family tradition). We had about 20 people attend and we had a nice fellowship.  We were especially thankful for our friends Manuela and Colin for attending the baptism as well.