RODEO

Last night we went to the Livestock Show and Rodeo!

The girls might have liked the bus ride from the parking lot best of all!


In the stadium:


Looking at the mommy and baby bunnies:


An indoor hill of goats!


Cute tractor girls!


Girls and me in a tractor wheel:


Raining when we got off the bus.


We're still recovering. That was a big evening.

Promoting Confession!

This is a beautiful article about confession which Danielle Bean just linked on her blog. This part really struck me:

When a girl asked Pope Benedict if she could take the initiative in leading her parents back to the sacraments, he told her: “I would think so, of course, with great love and great respect for your parents, because they certainly have a lot to do. However, with a daughter’s respect and love, you could say to them: ‘Dear Mommy, dear Daddy, it is so important for us all, even for you, to meet Jesus. This encounter enriches us. It is an important element in our lives. Let’s find a little time together, we can find an opportunity. Perhaps there is also a possibility where Grandma lives.”

It makes me tear up to think of children longing for holiness but not given the opportunity to attend Mass or Confession, or to be taught how to pray and how to love Our Lord. That's one thing that was so beautiful about teaching in a holy Catholic school. The children were being formed in the Faith all day and thereby were able to share the faith with their own families, for the few who weren't practicing Christians. I am so thankful I can give this gift of my Faith with my own children and pray that Steven and I will stay faithful to the promises we've made to raise them in such a way.

Another part I loved:

Someone asked Pope Benedict XVI why we should go to confession regularly if we always seem to be confessing the same sins anyway. He answered, “It is true: Our sins are always the same, but we clean our homes, our rooms, at least once a week, even if the dirt is always the same; in order to live in cleanliness, in order to start again. Otherwise, the dirt might not be seen, but it builds up.

...And this cleansing of the soul that Jesus gives us in the sacrament of confession helps us to make our consciences more alert, more open, and hence, it also helps us to mature spiritually and as human persons..."

I thought that was a beautiful way to explain why we still need to confess our habitual sins just as we need to clean the same parts of our homes every week.

I am so thankful for the gift of this Sacrament and the gift of our holy priests who spend hours in the confessional for our growth and grace. Last week I had the privilege of starting a period with a new spiritual director who is a priest. It was a very different dynamic than what I've been used to with my holy motherly spiritual director. She knew me so well, knew just what to say to make me feel so loved by God, so confident of his will for me, and so open to cry and share my soul with her. But Father gave me some different beautiful gifts...one was in helping me to see one of my big tendencies I've been struggling with in a positive light, and the other was through offering me the Sacrament of Confession so that my soul would be filled with grace and ready to continue on my spiritual journey with greater fervor.

I hope that I can be more faithful in attending Confession myself and promoting it among my friends and family. So all you Catholics who are reading...when was the last time you allowed Christ to fill you with the graces of Confession? This is a great time of the year to do just that!

I also wanted to add what a beautiful experience it has been to attend Confession and spiritual direction even when I have the children with me. I still recall a time last year when I was in Confession with a wonderful elderly Franciscan priest. He was so happy and filled with joy seeing my girls! He found a beautiful decade rosary in his bag to give to Mary Clare and she still remembers that special rosary. I was so worried about bringing them along to my first meeting with Father last week, but they were absolute angels! So many times the priests thank me for having them there and it makes them smile to watch their little antics while trying to behave.

My confession was almost over last week and the girls had been utterly silent for the 45 minutes of spiritual direction and confession (although they did have some fruit snacks and crawled into the hall to watch school dismissal, and Ellie might've hid an important paper of his). But then just as we were about to close, Mary Clare came up to me and loudly announced, "Ellie has a poopy diaper!" And so my soul and Ellie's bottom were able to get nice and clean that afternoon!

Springtime Decorating Fun!

The dreary winter days come to a close, and the flowery springtime sweetness begins!

Some pansies outside my kitchen window:


We planted flowers in our St. Francis garden, a rosebush (clipped, to the left), and the Live Oak in the grass. Thanks, Mom and Dad for donating your tree and rosebush :)


I finally found some pillows that make our slipcovered couch a little more pleasing to the eye:


My mom bought us a nice springtime flower arrangement this weekend:


And our homeschool room decorating continues!

Marian Pilgrimmage

Today (well, yesterday since I'm up too late) we attended a family picnic and Marian Pilgrimmage at a nearby Catholic retreat center. The place is just beautiful and I hope we can go back more often. I'm trying to convince Steven we should try another "camping" trip there. Our first attempt at family camping failed miserably. Anyway, here was our afternoon:

It started with a picnic and then a Rosary. Someone was standing on each "bead" (stepping stone) and they would lead that particular prayer. It was just beautiful praying with all these wonderful families! We had Mass in the chapel right after this. Father spoke on Mary's sufferings and how close she is to us when we suffer, just as she was to her Son.


Our attempt at a family picture. Mary Clare isn't too cooperative.


My sweet matching girls!



This playground was so neat! I wanted to climb through it!


Another gift was meeting Canadian Catholic singer Janelle again. She's a beautiful soul with a true gift for music, but also a homeschooling mom of a little boy and one on the way!

Tomorrow I'll have to update with some pictures of our yard work. Steven planted a live oak in the front yard and I planted some pansies and marigolds. I've never done this before (besides my Mexican petunia experience), so I'm not sure they'll last long, but I think they'll look pretty tomorrow! We finished in the dark, so I'll be happy to see my yard in the morning!

Finally, if you could say a little prayer for Mary Clare...she's been having nighttime coughing fits again. I think it's allergies with the horrible pollen right now. We have yellow/green all over our cars and shoes and I'm sure it's all in her lungs. Poor baby, she always gets such horrid coughs. I'm hoping it's not asthma. St. Blaise, patron of throats pray for us!

Veronica, Veronica

Wherefore art thou, Veronica?

As most of you know, our dearest friends moved to the Middle East just when we moved back to town in January. Last week they were blessed to move into a brand new home and I can't wait to see pictures of the home where they will spend the next few years! But really I just can't wait to talk to my sweet friend. I assume they have no internet or phone for the time being, although we are really thankful that they normally have a local line where we can still talk most days even though they live on the other side of the world!

Steven told me today that they don't have daylight savings time so we will now be "only" 8 hours behind them instead of 9! But now I've realized that this is not such a good setup. When I want to call Veronica at our usual 11pm/7am time, it will only be 6am for her. And it will be later in the evening for her if I want to call in the morning...so confusing! Not to mention the way the days of the week work there...the work week is Sun-Thurs, so weekends are Fri and Sat. But I'm sure we'll find a way to work it out. I mean, girls will find a way to talk on the phone, no matter what!

We miss you guys, Vero y Kike (y Quito y Palo)! Can't wait to see you this summer and to talk to you soon!!!

Veronica holding her goddaughter Ellie the day she was born

Theology at Breakfast

Mary Clare: "Mommy, if God made everything then who made God?"

Ellie: "E-I-E-I-O, Moo moo here, E-I-E-I-O!"

Thankful Thursdays

Tonight I'm really thankful that my sweet husband now has a job where he is home in the evenings and on weekends. Really thankful. Tonight he got tied up unexpectedly at the ranch for a few hours and won't be getting home until after 8:00. I am exhausted. Our only big activity today was our first homeschool "Nature Club" at the park for a few hours. But this entailed making lunches (which the girls didn't want to eat because they were too excited seeing all the kids), finding some materials for the lesson, finding clean clothes and shoes for the girls, coercing them into wearing the clothes and shoes I'd picked out, spending 3 hours chasing Ellie around the park, both girls getting covered in paint, and then both girls getting covered in sand from the volleyball court. Mary Clare didn't take a nap so I've had no break. I woke Ellie up from her nap early so she wouldn't be up all night. That was a bad idea, she fussed for about 2 hours and is still whiney. And just now, at 7:30 MC decided she wanted to "do homeschool"! Thankfully that only lasted a few minutes. But now Ellie is throwing a fit because she wants nail polish on!

I love my girls. I love staying home with them. I don't usually mind a full day and night without Steven home...I've done years of that so it's not so hard. But an *unexpected* evening without him home is the hardest. Although I'm exhausted, all I want to do is go out and shop by myself! Silly Lillian informed me that the Marshall's MegaStore nearby is open until 9:30. I'm watching the clock ;)

Some happy pictures:
Sweet girls with sweet puppies!


The nature lesson today, praying "Father, We Thank Thee"


I keep thinking of meaningful ideas for entries, but once I get here they're gone. Maybe next week :) Have a great weekend, everyone!

Ring Around the Rosies

Ellie from a couple weeks ago. Sorry for the family talking in the background :)


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Mary Clare's Spanish Lesson

For Enriquito! Gotta love that RRRR!


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Introducing...

Holly and her 5 little puppies! My dad helped deliver them all night. The girls can't wait to go to NeNe and PaPa's house to see them!

This morning at the zoo

Loved

I've been a bit MIA the past week. Haven't had much to say. Life as usual!
But of course I've got pictures! Here is Ellie at the mall playland:


Mary Clare at her first homeschool "class":


I felt like a teacher again! I am teaching the preschoolers at the First Friday homeschool activities. Here is the class (notice Ellie at the right sitting there like one of the big kids!):


We had a little lesson on St. Patrick and painted shamrocks to make into magnets. The laminator ate 4 of the shamrocks, but the kids weren't too upset. I played my guitar and read a storybook. I was in my element and Mary Clare had a blast! Here are the shamrocks before laminating:


Another trip out to the ranch. This is what Ellie does each time, hide from the cows!


And a Sunday afternoon playing in the backyard with cousins. They could've played with those rocks for days!


I titled this "Loved" because I've been feeling so loved these days! Last night I was ready to sit at the computer and get some work done. I'll be helping a lot with an upcoming Holy Week door-to-door mission. Steven was reading books to them and trying to get them to sleep. But they wouldn't have it without Mommy there!

I sat down between them all and Mary Clare stated her usual comment before she falls asleep, "Mommy, let's pretend we're your new babies" as she cuddled up next to me with her blankey. Then Ellie laid and stroked my face and patted my back. My heart started melting and just then as I thought my husband was fast asleep, he started scratching my back. Slowly they all drifted to sleep as I realized that that was the most important work I could've done last night!

The Brothers are Home!

The third of our triplet nephews finally made it home this week. Now the fun really begins for their mommy and daddy! Please send up a little prayer as they now adjust to 4 children 2 and under! May God grant them health, peace, and some sleep!

The Green Grass Grows All Around

This is pretty long, but very cute :)
I didn't know Mary Clare even knew this song, let alone all the handmotions. Thanks to Barney, once again!


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The song is dedicated to +Capt. Sean Lyerly+ who was known to be attempting to grow green grass in Iraq. Sure enough, right after he died, his little patch of grass began to sprout! May we all be inspired by his message of hope in the midst of war.

Three Joys Today

At a mom's group this morning, the children created "Crowns of Thorns" with leaves and toothpicks. They have a bag of little roses which they will get to put on each thorn whenever they do a good deed, to help soften the thorns of the Crown. The mom's group was at a park with absolutely gorgeous weather (we'll hopefully take advantage of the weather again at the zoo tomorrow!).


Ellie found a baggie with a chocolate chip cookie in the car today (from previously mentioned Fish Fry). This was what I saw when I turned around! It got even worse before she finished :-/


And here's what I got to watch and enjoy this evening, my dear hubby who came straight home from work to cook his most delicious pasta dish...yum, yum!

Schoolwork

Mary Clare brought this to me the other day. She wrote CAT and drew the picture on her own (I wasn't even in the room!). It was on the back of the Valentine's card she gave her daddy. The only advice I gave after she showed it to me was to add little triangles for the cat's ears. I was really impressed! Way to go, Mary Clare!

I love weekends!

(Pics from cousin's birthday this morning)

We attended our first Knights of Columbus Friday Night Fish Fry. I think our parish might have the most successful fish fry anywhere. The drive-thru line was all around the parking lot. The eat-in line was outside the church hall and down the plaza. Tons of families there. I don't like fish. The fries were okay ;)



We sold our Toyota Corolla yesterday. Karol the Corolla served us well (named after Karol Wojtyla, aka Pope JPII). We got her when Mary Clare was a few months old. Before that we had been driving a truck and Ford Probe, both of which had no a/c and only allowed for the carseat in the front seat (airbags off)! At the time I was also tutoring a little girl each day, picking her and her sister up from school and driving them home for tutoring (along w/ Mary Clare). I still remember driving them with the windows down in the Texas heat, and little Rita kept saying, "One day you drive your mom's car, one day this car?" They were probably more excited than I was when Karol joined our family! Karol also served Steven well over the past few years driving to and from work in the middle of the night, last year it was about 75 miles each way for him. I hope Karol is able to serve the young man she went to just as well. We're sold on foreign cars now! Especially since we figured out we only spent about 70 cents a day for her...they sure hold their value too!

We attended our first Tridentine Mass today. I love Latin and love the Church we went to (the oldest in our city, absolutely beautiful), but I will say that I'm happy with my Novus Ordo Mass. We were pretty lost in the Tridentine, even though we've attended many Latin Novus Ordo Masses. The weekend was also spent getting our dishwasher repaired, checking on the cattle at the ranch, attending our niece's birthday, having my family over, cleaning out the garage, and doing some more unpacking. After 3 years of hubby working weekend shifts, I'm just so happy to have weekends with him and our family. Lots can get done, having lots of fun!

Mary Clare funnies

(After a visit to see her grandparents' who have a pregnant Cocker Spaniel, and watching home movies of their other Cocker with her puppies...)
MC: "Mommy, have you ever thought about being a dog?"
Me: "No, I like being a person. Are you thinking about being a dog?"
MC: "Yes. I'd like to be a dog because they get to have lots of babies when they're really young and they don't have to get married. I don't want to wait till I'm married 'cause it will take a long time."
~~~
MC: "Mommy, we're going to move to the S family's house when I'm 5, if Daddy gets a job in San Antonio." (they're the ones we bought the house from)
Me: "Actually I think they plan to stay there for a long time, and we plan to stay here for a long time. But maybe when you're older Daddy would love to move to a farm."
MC: "Yeah, but let's not tell him. He'll get excited and want to move tomorrow."
~~~
(looking at a Children's World Atlas and pointing out a country)
MC: "Mommy, this is Australia"
Me: "That's right. That is Australia. How did you know that?"
MC: "Because there's a picture of a kangaroo on it."
~~~
MC: "Mommy, do you know what Swahili is?"
Me: "What is it?"
MC: "It's a language they speak in Africa."

My Baby is Growing Up :*(

Ellie turned 22 months today on the 22nd. She is talking so much more. We went to a Pro-Life benefit tonight (Alan Keyes is an AMAZING speaker!) and when we picked the girls up at my parents' she kept staying, "Mommy here. Daddy here." and just grinning.

Last night after she had another fit about nursing we decided it was time to start weaning. We're using Steven's mom's method of gum...yep, when she wants to nurse I give her gum! Or Cheerios with milk in the middle of the night. It's been over 24 hours. I'm a little sad, but her behavior has been really good today. I think it's the right time (but maybe I'll change my mind at 3am!). Mary Clare weaned at this age, but I was also pregnant. Praying that we might be blessed with a new little nursling in the near future. I already miss my little baby...

A Nice Day at the Park

The weather got hot again here in Texas yesterday. We had a nice walk to the neighborhood park!

Lent begins...Oh Happy Cross!

I'm trying to look at Lent in a joyful way, seeing the Cross and sacrifice as a way that I'll grow more in love for Christ and love for my family. I usually dread this season because of all the things I'm deprived of...the somber vision of it all...

I remember when Mary Clare was just born, and feeling like I couldn't really enter into Lent because it was such a joyful time with a new baby. In the same way, I feel like our own family has just come out of our Lenten journey and have started our new joyful life here in our new home. I guess that's even more of an opportunity for me to make little sacrifices, take on new prayer commitments, and seek out little chances of personal mortification...all for love of Him who loves me so!

I was also thinking of today and the black ashes I'll receive on my head. I put on a black shirt to get me in the Lenten attitude. But I also was remembering my friend Stephanie and how she wore pink and white to her sweet Mary Clare's funeral last summer. I thought it was a true sign of hope. And that's what Lent should be for me this year...a sign of hope, the hope of Easter, the hope of the Resurrection, the hope of Heaven.
~~~
I finished painting the school room in the yellow color. It's a bit bright but I think it will look alright once we put things on the wall and later paint the playroom next to it. Here's what I'm working on right now, trying to find places for the alphabet, maps, number charts, and calendar.


And here's what I've been working on with Mary Clare this week, practicing letter sounds and strokes, addition, reading her BOB books, and you can also see the artwork (Jesus on the cross) she likes to do in my prayer journal.


Finally, for Kolbe (one of our house's previous residents who wants to see his old room!), here's where we've moved the computer, to a spare bedroom so it's not in our main living room. We choose not to have a T.V., so it's kind of silly to keep our computer w/ DVD player in the living room, just what we're trying to avoid!

~~~
And a little prayer request...if you could please offer a prayer for my aunt who is in a very challenging situation, and for her (grown) daughter who is mentally ill, profoundly deaf, and homeless. And also a little prayer for our discernment in a related issue. Thanks!

Happy Lent to all!

Saturday at the farm

Mary Clare in her new cowgirl hat from Aunt Paige! Sitting in the "Gator".


Ellie isn't so sure about these animals...


Some of the 17 cattle


Steven with the giant horse from the next property!

Some nights...

I'm just really thankful for the DVD player on our computer and for Barney movies :)

Reason #2 to homeschool

The other moms in the group are great! We had a mom's night out at a restaurant last night. I felt right at home with all the ladies, we all had so much in common, and it was so much fun to just visit and share and ask questions! I could've stayed there all night and felt like we'd all known each other forever! There are several young moms with kids the ages of mine, so that's really nice too. I just feel like God has planted me right where I need to be (obviously!), and I'm so thankful to have this huge (35 families) but close-knit Catholic homeschool group right in our area, to help us further discern and become more confident about our decision to homeschool.

Pray for Major Jude!

Update: He's out of surgery and recovering in the NICU. Please pray for his continued healing, thanks!

Two of my triplet nephews have made it home, but the last one is going into surgery in about 15 minutes. Please offer a little prayer that Major's (abdominal) surgery will be successful, that he will heal quickly, and make it home soon to his mommy, daddy and 3 brothers. Thanks!

O glorious Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, by those sublime privileges with which you were adorned in your lifetime, namely, your relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh, and your vocation to be an Apostle, and by that glory which is yours in heaven as the reward of your apostolic labors and your martyrdom, obtain for us from the Giver of every good and perfect gift all the graces of which we stand in need: that Major Jude will be touched by your hand as the Doctors perform the surgery on him today. We pray this through your Son, the giver all that is Good. Amen