Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.

Don't you just love that song.
"Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.  I want to see you."

Love it.

Twice this weekend my eyes were opened wide to witness beautiful people doing beautiful, amazing, hard things in His holy name,

On Friday, my mom and I headed over to Russia (the tiny village in ohio, not the country) to support a ministry called Rustic Hope in their annual quarter auction.  My knowledge of what this organization does was pretty limited before Friday, but I knew it was important.  Through testimonies, and  conversations with other women there, I started to realize just how important.  This amazing woman Connie, started this pro-life ministry with the support of her husband and family to provide loving care and support to pregnant teens.  Sometimes taking these young ladies into their home to live as part of their family, often driving them to doctor appointments, providing them with clothing and all the things they need along the way.  Most importantly offering unconditional love in a supportive family environment.  Helping young ladies choose life.  Amazing.  My heart was so opened.  I see God in her, and her family, and the work they have committed themselves to.  A woman who's mission is to love.  That's God.  I see him in her.  Is that Namaste?  I think so.

On Sunday and again today, I was fortunate enough to hear from another amazing soul doing God's work.  Scott Will, a graduate of Ft. Recovery spoke at our parish about his medical missionary work in South Sudan, Africa.  Our parish is supporting him and the organization he works with (World Harvest Mission) as our lenton mission.  He shared stories of treating young children, extremely malnourished.  He told of the poverty and poor living conditions, as well as the civil unrest, and lack of sense of community there.  But he continues to return to South Sudan and share with them Gods love, through his work in the medical field as well as through team sports, bible studies, and agricultural education.  Truly inspiring.    His stories were amazing.  And his beautiful message of having no regrets, only blessings from his response of "yes" to God's call was awesome.  Gods grace is sufficient.  His living witness and testimony opened my heart, and I saw God present, alive and working within Scott.

Truly, we are Gods hands and feet on earth.
What call might I be missing or rejecting?
Or  perhaps, what call have I said yes to, but have not given myself to fully?

These beautiful people give me hope, inspire, encourage, epitomize Gods love.

Thank  you both for opening the eyes of my heart.

Pet peeves.

Everyday, it's the same thing.  

Makes me crazy, so I think we need a refresher course...

No.

Yes, please.

And thank you.

40 - A Video Of Jesus In The Wilderness

I previewed this video of cartoon images to show in my religion class this week.  Seemed too simple at first glance, but the emotion and detail in these cartoons is amazing, and some of the images have been hanging with me since.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  (Taken from yesterday's gospel, by the way.)

God-hole.

Yesterday's responsorial psalms from daily mass readings...

R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

That last verse in particular hit me.  I can be a real wimp in the self control department.  Lent is always a struggle, and frequently (ok, always) a disappointment as far as keeping my promises.  Giving things up is hard.  Giving up anything.  Shoot, I'd be the one to start smoking just by giving up cigarettes for Lent.  I'm drawn into to temptation...like a sucker!
Somehow though, this verse reassures me.  Perhaps God is a little less interested in how many days I go without Facebook, or how bad coffee tastes without creamer.  Perhaps those little trials, even if a few days of giving up on this, lead to a couple days of sacrificing that.  Maybe it's not about the specifics, rather it's about our intention, our desire to find little ways everyday to improve our relationship with Him.  It's about the change that happens in our heart as a result of those sacrifices...recognizing that when we sacrifice something, anything, for any length of time, we're making more room in there for him.

A friend told me once that "each of us has a God-shaped hole in our heart, that can only be filled by Him."  Maybe then, Lent is about the process by which we stop trying to stuff that God-hole with other crap, and clear the way for only Him.

maybe.

Noise

There are times  this house can seem quite loud.  Ok.  It doesn't just SEEM loud.  It is...really noisy.
Imagine girls on giant exercise balls racing; bouncing, bouncing, BOUNCING around the kitchen table.  Meanwhile boys are playing with army heroes and Lego creations.  And anyone with boys knows about the sounds that come with this type of play...constant shooting, whistling, whirring, narrating with animated voices, clicking, ticking, screeching, shooting, and so on.  Even stories about daily events at school are spoken with a voice louder than necessary in order to be heard over all the noise.
Most days I don't even recognize how loud it is.  It's just our song.  The story of days in a home full of life and energy and well, noise.
But there are times.  Some evenings I just want to scream louder than everyone.  (And sometimes I do.)  "QUIET!!!!!!!"
"How can anyone hear anything with all this noise?!"

And then I begin to wonder if that's how I make God feel sometimes.  With all my worrying, and wishing, and overthinking and analyzing.  And the things that distract me, like Facebook, and text messages, desiring more stuff, wondering the "why's," and "how's, and "what-ifs?"
Does he ever just want to scream and get my attention?
Or is He much more  patient than I.
Does he know the story of my life, for he has written it.
And rather than scream, he waits.  And watches, listens, redirects at times, knowing that some day I will have the strength to surrender the stuff that keeps me from hearing, and listening.
He is the peace and quiet.
I am loving This Lent for its reminder to surrender, to be silent (even if only internally), and enjoy the peace only God can give.

What to give up?

Charlie (2nd grader) informed me today that he's decided to give up Lent.  This is the same little man who a few years back (around the age of 4 or 5) decided to give up cigarettes and stealing beer for 40 days.  Seriously?!

I've already reneged on my Lenten promises, I admit.  It seemed absolutely necessary to check in on Facebook...after all I'm a Great Aunt again today.  Welcome Lilyan Francis, sweet 6#12oz bundle of joy.  Yes.  Seeing your bright eyes for the first time online (from hundreds of miles away) was definitely worth the cheat!
And now, I'm back on track.  Eyes wide open (like little Lilyan), attempting to recognize what it is God is asking of me, and hoping I might muster the courage to say Yes.

Lenten, little prayers

Awake in the morning with little prayers, grateful for another day.
Busy breakfast, and hustle bustle.
Morning mass with all the kids, sans Alice who was home sick and little Anne who was sleeping in with her.
Ashes; a reminder that I follow Him.
Back at home, coffee and games and puzzles and cartoons.
A load of laundry, and dishes.
Lunch; then off to a planning meeting for religion classes.
And baking.
A new recipe of humble dough, arms twisted tight into little prayers.
After school hunger pains, and homework.
Dinner table sharing.
Evening of story times, and noisy playing, and finally settling.
For reflection, and little prayers.
Mold and shape me Lord, like the dough I carefully kneaded today.
Help me to desire less of everything but You.
Grateful for another day.

Lord's Prayer

"Give us this day our daily bread..."

Not enough bread for the week, or even the month, and definitely not to last through the teenage years. 
Heaven's no. 
Just enough nourishment to make it through today...the morning scramble and send-off, just that one load of towels, 2 bathrooms to clean, only 1 hour of homework hype, 3 meals, and all the surprises and hugs and snuggles and tears and laughter and music and mayhem leading up to 1 bedtime routine.
Just enough for today Lord.
And tonight we will all rest, for tomorrow is a new day. 
And I will meet you in the morning, and together we'll tackle it again.
One day at a time. 
One moment at a time.
Remind me not worry about what the future holds.  Only help me to remember that You are holding it. 
And today, when I ask, you will provide me with all that I need.
For today.

something for me

Truths about where I've been...

Life with 11 children is full and busy.  Shoot...life with 2 seemed busy from what I can remember that far back.  You get that.

Laundry happens.  And with more of the kids in school now, I'm actually pleased to report that I have nearly mastered a schedule in which socks are folded, and even put away during daylight hours.

These people keep eating (okay, so do I.)   And so there's the planning, purchasing, putting away, and preparing of stuff in order to keep bellies full. 

This van sucks gas.  And I have done more carpooling/transporting/picking-up/dropping-off/cheauffering around in the last 6 months, than I've done in my lifetime.  We only live a block from school for heaven sakes!  How can this be?!!

Somewhere through all this lovely chaos, I've become quite efficient at multitasking and managing and maneuvering. 

I don't think EFFICIENT is what God is calling me to be though.

Reflections on turning 40 this past December, and more self-analyzing with the New Years and resolutions and such...and now even more importantly...considering just how I plan for this Lent to be a transformative season; and how I want to grow closer to God, and become more of the person He created me to be has helped me to realize a thing or two. 
Among them, I've realized that being at the center of all things domestic is good and fulfilling, but not the end-all, be-all of my existence.  Being a wife and mother is enough, and not enough all at once...a beautiful conflicting reality that leaves me (and maybe a lot of women) feeling guilt-ridden and perhaps more than a little "bummed" that something's missing.  Something for me. 

And maybe among lots of other issues...like overeating, and underexercising, and getting more wrinkles and grays, and realizing that parenting teenagers is not at all the same as parenting 3 year olds.  It's time to up my game...learn some things...recognize I don't have much of anything figured out...pray more...yell less...and TRUST that God will give me the tools, but that I need to start asking Him for help more than occasionally. 

I haven't been interested in writing for a long time.  Or maybe I have, but just didn't want to find the time for it anymore. Maybe that would seem selfish...and I'm a team player, after all.  Or maybe I really wasn't interested.  Not sure.
But God keeps dropping subtle messages that maybe its time to make time again.  It's okay to do this.  Only, no pressure this time.  I won't promise a daily post.  Or maybe even weekly.  I'm just trying to listen again.  Listening to that little voice that says "Write this down.  It's important.  It's funny.  You need to do this.  You'll laugh about it someday." 

God is that voice. 

And that voice is something for me.

Because Jesus is the Light of the World!

We've had an Advent Wreath for years.  It's always been the little felt "childrens" version with no real flames.  It could take no more abuse though, flames torn off and repinned, velcro fasteners worn...it was on its way out. 
This is to be our first season with a real, homemade advent wreath, and prayers, and the beginning of a beautiful tradition. 

In usual Jamie-fashion, I was a couple days late getting it together.  But alas, with some greenery and holly berries and a few pine cones from the yard, and yet another trip to the store for candles...we are ready to light it up!  And so at dinner last night we did.  Complete with a little background about the meaning, brief prayers/reflections...it was lovely.

And the best was when little Charlie excitedly interrupted..."Mom, do you know why we light candles and string christmas lights?" 
"Tell my why," I begged.
"Because Jesus IS the light of the world, you know.!" 

Indeed. 

Happy Adventing.

Butterflies from heaven

The other morning, I walked into the kitchen just as the kids were having a conversation about Heaven and what it might be like.  Little John added that he's excited to see his brother Cyril and his kidney. 
"Do you think your kidney is waiting for you in heaven?" I interrupted. 
"Sure," he went on to explain.  "I was born with it, it died, and now it's probably floating around heaven tied to a blue balloon, just waiting for me."  He said very matter-of-factly.

Interesting to me that he thought of things that way.  But I sure didn't try to argue with him...what do I know of the "rules" of heaven?

The kids went on, about how baby Cy was probably with Grandma Alice, and that it would be cool to meet them both someday.  And we joked that maybe Cy wasn't really a boy (we miscarried before we could really know), and that maybe she'd give us all a little grief for naming her all wrong. 

Anyhow, the conversation somehow drifted to who might get to heaven first, and how we might be able to send a sign, or a smoke-signal, or something to the rest of us here, to let us know we made it...and that me met up with Cy and Grandma.  I thought this was genius.  And so after much argument/discussion, we finally settled on purple butterflies.  One for "we made it" and a pair if we're greeted by Cy.  (For the record, Frank voted for a short-tailed squirrel, and Sam said he'd send down Johns kidney/balloon.) 

Very cool.  Hopefully our memory is made perfect in heaven, and someday (many, many moons from now) I can delight my kids on earth with a perfect pair of purple butterflies from heaven.

Happy Advent

I haven't even posted tidbits of our thanksgiving, or updated you on the kids' latest shananigans in weeks.  I've got to tell you about our recent conversation on Heaven initiated by 8 year old John, who's looking forward to meeting his "dead" kidney someday...it's a story that requires sharing...I'll get to it.
But first...since I've failed to aquire a proper Advent wreath in a timely fashion, I'll at the very least share our prayers/reflections with you.  (We'll be using them at home each day with dinner, as well I'll be using them with my 7th grade religion class.)

A blessed Advent to you and yours.

SundayPrayer: To you, my God, I lift my soul. I trust in you.

Monday
Mary and Joseph lived happily at Nazareth, doing their daily work with joy.I will do my daily work well today, and with joy- for God.
Tuesday
Joseph received the order from the Roman ruler to go to Bethlehem and register. He obeyed the order and got ready to go.
I will obey my parents, teachers, and others in charge of me.

Wednesday
Mary got their house ready and began to pack what they would need for the trip. She did so without complaint.
I will not complain today, even if I must do things I do not like.

Thursday
Mary and Joseph traveled by donkey.
I will be happy with the things I have and will not ask my family for more or better things.

Friday
Mary and Joseph ate the food of the poor on their journey.
I will eat healthful foods today rather than those that are not good for me. I will thank God for the food I have and pray for the hungry.

Saturday
After traveling all day, Mary made Joseph a meal, and he found her a resting place.
I will do something special to bring joy to my parents and family today.

"In-de-pend-dent"

Often, I find myself remembering that scene from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...the scene when Hermey (the dentist elf) is explaining to Rudolph how he was "In-de-end-ent."  And I can't say it without emphasizing each syllable, just like those two did.

Something about 2 year olds learning new tricks, and insisting they do things all by themselves.

In-de-pen-dent.

Anne had one of those moments today.  It cracked me up.

For anyone with older girls who insist on wearing these crazy stretchy headbands to slick back their loose hair/bangs all the time, and are constantly adjusting them as they slide out of place...you'll know why this is so darned funny.

I swear, she wouldn't let me help...and just kept putting them on, taking them off, over and over!

 And finally, happy with her results...this is how she insisted we head out to the grocery store.
Yes.  Lovely.   And independent!

I thought it was just really cool to spend time learning the art of home canning from my mother in law almost 16 years ago.  She was such a patient teacher, and only laughed at me a few times when my ignorance proved too much for her to contain.  Seriously.  I grew up on instant mashed potatoes and hamburger helper, on a good day.  Putting fresh fruit into a jar and hermetically sealing it to last through the winter was a foreign concept to say the least.

Clearly though, in hindsight it's easy to realize it was providential and truly one of God's gifts that she would share these things with me. 

I wouldn't have believed a soul who would have predicted I'd be staying at home raising 11 kids, and most definitely couldn't have imagined the grocery bill to feed them.

Ha!

Over the past week I've been consumed with thoughts of her, as I put up 7 quarts of applesauce and another 12 quarts of apple pie filling; thanks to the last apples of the season from our cousin's trees.  Waste not, want not.

 I so wish she were here to chat about life's crazy moments, and yet I'm sure she's enjoying the view from heaven (and gasping a little when I don't wipe the rim of that jar clean before placing the wax lid!)  {smile}  Just kidding Alice.  Clean as a whistle.  And sealed nicely.

God is good.

The Body of Christ

Often times, coming up with a lesson plan for my 7th grade religion class is a bit tricky.  I have a text and teachers guide, and suggested activities.  Still pulling the information together, and helping the kids to see the lesson through their own eyes...recognizing how it relates to their own lives, bringing the lesson to life can be challenging.

Today's lesson plan was all about "being the body of Christ."

Along with a prayer by St. Theresa of Avila, few paragraphs from their text, a creative team activity,  a really cool song by Casting Crowns, and some prayers to the Holy Spirit...I was still feeling like something was missing.

As I stood at the kitchen cupboard, books open, leafing through for just one more thought/idea to pull it all together, my phone rings...God is so AWESOME!  And the people who he works through...well they're AWESOME too!

You see, my van wouldn't start last night after the junior high bible study.  So I left it parked there in the church parking lot overnight, and called for a tow this morning to our local repair shop.  A lovely soul who saw our "big red bus" roll past her window on the back of a flatbed trailer found in her heart to pick up the phone and call.

Without hesitation.  Seriously...the van couldn't have even made it the 5 minute drive to the repair shop yet when she'd called.

There she was on the other end of the line asking "What can I do for you today?!"  Concerned that I didn't have a way to get kiddos to preschool/kindergarden, or that I might have other errands to run, she dialed me up and offered herself (and her wheels) to help out.  Just like that.

Thank you, my friend for being the perfect example of how each one of us is called to be "The Body of Christ" in our world.  God Bless!! 

Praises to the Holy Spirit for bringing this lesson to life for me, and for allowing me to share the experience with my class. 

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours,

Yours are the eyes through which to look out

Christ's compassion to the world

Yours are the feet with which he is to go about

doing good;

Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.”  
                                ~St. Teresa of Avila 

Election Day

Apparently I need a longer arm to get us all in the picture.  Sorry Anne.

 

Yes.  We did vote.  Well, only I voted but with the help of my little pollsters. 

We all got stickers though. 

On the way to the polls, I chatted briefly with the 2, 4, and 6 year olds about what it means to vote.  About how we get to help choose our new president.  I mentioned the two presidential candidates...of course the kids were familiar with both names.  "Rock" Obama is the man responsible for stealing all the good food from the cafeteria (according to Frank.)  And Mitt is the "nice guy" according to Rose.  Their opinions may have been swayed slightly by the older "school kids" in our house.  Ha!
Lucy added without hesitation..."I'm going with God on this one, Mom." 

AMEN.  (me too.)

On the feast of All Saints.

I started the morning at a much quicker pace than usual today.  Typically I hang out in my flannels, present for the kids as they pass through the kitchen.  They make their own breakfast, clean up a fuzz, go about their morning hoopla.  I'm there to give gentle reminders and help with shoe-tying, hair beautifying, and of course morning prayer.  All the while, sipping my coffee and enjoying the whirlwind that surrounds me.
Today though...thing were different.  I woke the four youngest earlier than they prefer.  I helped them dress and get ready for church.  We dropped the older kids off at school, then off to Mass we went.  The fact that their eyes were only half-open, and they'd not had breakfast yet seemed to help them stay fairly settled in the pew.  Even Anne had nothing to say today.   That is until we returned from Communion.   As soon as we were back in the pew and kneeling, she began screaming and pointing back to the Eucharistic Minister.   Making it very clear that she did not get her share.  I hushed her and rocked her and tried to explain "someday, when you're a big girl." 
And I realized in that little instant again, what a privelige it is to be part of this special Communion...a sacred meal that defies the boundaries of time/space.  A sharing in the Bread of Life with all our family here on Earth and in Heaven. 
Breakfast with the Saints, shall we say.

It made me smile that she wanted to be a part of it, even if only for a snack...and in that moment I felt so incredibly blessed to have been called to be part of it.  Grateful that she helped me to remember the beautiful gift of sharing in the breaking of the Bread. 

Peace.

Ahhhh....just what I needed...

A little peace and quiet.

 

 

 

Hahahaha!!!  NOT!  

Alice and Emma left for a costume party with friends...leaving the noisiest part of our bunch here.   Turns out it was a typical not so peaceful, rather noisy Saturday night on the homefront.

Life is good.

Two.

Just like that.  My baby is two.

No more bottles, or sippies, no burp clothes, or bibs.  (Well, she needs a bib, but refuses to wear it.)  No more onesies (potty training soon.)  No more patroling for polly pocket shoes or Legos or other tiny things that babies like to put in their mouths. 

You see, after nearly 13 straight years of baby stuff in our house...suddenly...there are no babies. 

Oh, she's still my baby.  But she's becoming a big girl so quickly.  By summer, I expect we'll be done with diapers as well.  Seriously.  I never imagined that day would come.  Some part of me thinks that I should be celebrating...screaming from the rooftops!  Wooohoooooo!!! We made it!! 

And yet here I am...in tears thinking about how wonderful it is to have a baby in the house, and how I'm going to miss these difficult/simple times.   It's all I've known for a long time.  God has been so good.  Thank you God.  Thank you.  thank you. 

And God bless Anne on her 2nd birthday!  You're still my baby girl.

Trick-or Treat!

Only 9 made the last minute picture...Sam and Mary had already taken off with friends.

One more last minute trip to Dollar General for green face paint (we've got every color here, but green!), 30bucks to order in pizza (who has time to cook on a night like this?!), a one-hour scramble of face painting, hair spraying, costuming, shoe-tying, primping, and hunting for bags to hold the loot, not to mention last minute decorating by the oldest two...wanting to "haunt" the place a bit.
"Mom, where's the tape?"
Mom, can you tie my shoes?"
"Mom, my cape feels weird."
"Have you seen my pirate hook?"
"My makeup is next."
"Can I have hot rollers in?" 
"Is it time to go yet?"
"The neighbors are going!"
"Sam and Mary left already...."
"Please mom, pleeeeeeeeeease."
"Say cheese."
"Be nice...use sidewalks...don't step on anyones flowers!...say thank you!....Be careful...don't talk to strangers!...home by 8.  Listen to Dad!!!"

ahh.  silence.  

Lots of silence.

We only got about a dozen trick or treaters here this year.  Far from the numbers in our old neighborhood.  What a lot of stress and craziness for an hour and a half of fun!
Love it. 

Thank God it's over!

Now whose having a Snickers bar for breakfast?!

Indian Summer

We were in Celina this morning, running some errands and decided it was too beautiful to stay in the van.  We enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch at Grand Lake...and riding the dolphin rock...and feeding seagulls.  The weather was GORGEOUS!

God is good.

From the Belly of the Beast

This one.

This crazy halloween vulture has brought forth one of our kookiest family adventures to date.  And sadly, it's an adventure I should be ashamed & embarassed to admit.  Which is exactly why I feel compelled to blog it.

I'll start at the beginning.  Nine days ago to be exact.

Monday, October 15th 7:50 am: The kids depart for school, and as they leave the house notice that one of the halloween yard ornaments had been blown over, and lighbulb burnt out from the winds the night before. 
I unplug it, and drag it into the front room with plans to attend to it later.  It's Monday after all, and we're not in a hurry to accomplish anything on Monday mornings.  The kids and I muddle through the early morning taking our time to get dressed, brush teeth, all the while I slurp through my first pot of coffee and eye the tacky plastic vulture laying in the front room beckoning for a new lightbulb.  It was accomplished by lunch time for sure.  Anyhow, as I removed the screws from his backside, and opened up the cover to replace the light, I noted (though obviously didn't process the info till later) that his belly was full of mouse droppings.  I even remember thinking...hmmm....bet this is a warm place for mice to snuggle in the cold fall weather.  Lightbulb is replaced, and vulture returns to his place on the front stoop.

And so our adventure begins...from the belly of the beastly vulture.

Later that afternoon, kids off to school, Annie napping, I sit at the kitchen island sipping more coffee and sifting through e-mails to the hum of the washer and dryer running.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement down the hallway.  I peek up from the screen to see a mouse creeping his way into the hall closet.  My jaw drops in disbelief.  I have not seen a mouse in more than a dozen years...not since we lived out in the country in the old farm house.  You have got to be kidding me!  By now I've had enough caffeine to realize that the mouse droppings inside the vulture surely meant that there was indeed a mouse...and that mouse was now finding himself a warm snuggly place in our house.  DUH!  "Over my dead body."  I grunted outloud.  I tiptoed quickly down the hall and pulled open the closet door.  Obviously he's sneakier than me.  But he's new to the indoors, so I'm confident we'll have him caught in no time.  I pull out all the shoes, vaccuum the closet floor, and reorganize them...somehow I'm sure mice don't like organized sneakers.  (Mostly I wanted to be sure he wasn't making a warm home in a size 9.) 

I spent most of the evening in disbelief, and talked through a plan a couple times with John about how to get rid of the little guy.  I should have acted faster.

Tuesday.   Day 2.  I hadn't yet told the kids about our visitor.  These are not the conversations we want our kids to be having with other folks.  Why?  I don't know...but it just seems "dirty" and well, better left untalked about.  (pffft.  whatever.)  As I walk into the kitchen first thing, kids are gathering in for breakfast.  We sit happily munching our toast and cereal, and what the heck?!...that mouse shoots out of the music room, slip-sliding across the hardwood and right into the pantry.  He looked more confused than the kids, who by this time are standing on their chairs screaming "RAT!"  I assure them it's not a rat, and confess the happenings of the day before.  Mental note...get a trap from the hardware...stat!
Just moments later, he's darting from the pantry across the kitchen and under the fridge.  Dangit.  This time, no hysterics, we all just look at each other in disbelief.  Game on.

I stop by the hardware later that day for an assortment of snap traps,  bait them with peanut butter, place them scattered throughout the house...closet, pantry, music room, under fridge...everywhere.

By dinner, they're all licked clean.  But no mouse.   Oh, he's goooood.

Weds.  Day 3.  Alice opens the pantry first thing to check the traps...and sure enough that little booger shoots out the pantry and through her legs.  She's gasping, and thrilled.  The chase is on.  I grab a broom (as if I'm that swift), and we chase him under the sink, and out again, behind the washer and dryer, and back under the fridge.  Foiled again.  We all settle down for breakfast chatting about the little rodent like the some people rant about the latest survivor episode.  (Is that show even on?!)  Anyways.  Lively conversation to say the least, it was thrilling.  This day I'm more careful as to placing the pin of the trap just barely on the edge, so that the slightest movement will set it off.  Nutella is our chocolately new bait of choice, as it sticks into the trap a little better. 

All the traps are licked clean by dinner.  Are you kidding me?!   Oh no, he didn't.

Now, I'm googling homemade traps.   I'm am going to get this booger if it's the last thing I do.
The kids are mapping out homemade contraptions...it's engineering at it's best.

I came up with a ramp/bucket/spinning wheel of peanut butter that promises to be the only way to catch mice.  I set it up near the pantry at bedtime.  Muwahahahaha!  It promised wrong.

Thurs.  Day 4.  Traps are licked clean again, and no mouse in my bucket of spinning peanut butter wheel of doom.   I'm growing weary.   And the mouse is getting fatter.  That's okay, fatter means slower.  I'm bound to get him eventurally, right?!  Oh, and by now the kids have all but taken out a news ad sharing the adventures of our RAT we have in our kitchen.  Friends are asking for updates, wondering if we've named him.  (NO.  We have not.)  So much for keeping it our dirty little secret.

This day, a friend suggests sticky traps.  Little trays of glue that catch them on the run...and they stick there...till they die.  Inhumane, I know.  But I am on a mission to rid my house of this little rodent.  I have no mercy at this point.  Back to the hardware for a half-dozen sticky traps.  I place them near floor boards, and near little crevices.  This is it.  Bring it on...

Friday.  Day 5.  I wake up to find one of the sticky trays pushed across the kitchen floor with a Lego in it.  Are you kiddin' me?!  The kids weren't out of bed yet...this fat slick annoying mouse beast is toyin' with the wrong mama.  (by the way, I quit baiting the snap traps...he's not going to be adding to my grocery bill...the ramp/bucket/spinning wheel of peanut butter death is now in my closet, and John's clothes are starting to smell Jiffy, and I'm upping the ante by putting a smidge of peanut butter on the sticky traps.  If he won't cross them by accident, we'll lure him in... (curse, curse, snarl.  He's not gonna get the best of me!  Is he?)

Today...day: whatever-the-heck-it is.  I've almost given up hope.  I've cleaned behind/under all my kitchen appliances, cleaned the entire pantry and restocked.  I've not found any evidence (can you say, chocolate sprinkles) that he's still around.  But, I'm afraid he still is.  Either he can't fit through the holes anymore...since he was fed like a king his first days here...or he's off calling in his friends...or perhaps, he's finding a food source someother place I've not realized yet.  I'm thinking by Christmas he could be the size of a small weiner dog.  And good news...the kids are really hoping for a puppy.

Oh Lord...please help me with this one.

I'm growing weary....

hope to see you there.

It's been a whole year since women came out in droves to relax and reconnect at the the Perfectly Imperfect Woman retreat at the Spiritual Center in Maria Stein.  WOW!  A whole year.

Well, they've pulled it together again, with fabulous speakers and presenters and sharers -of-their-talents, and wine-sipping, and shopping, and mani's and pedi's for heaven sake!  All that and Mass and opportunites for Reconciliation (so we can get our God-groove on).   Perfect.

I'm super stoked to go again, and pleased as punch to have just a teensy-tinsy little part on Saturday morning...kicking off the day with coffee and chat...and whatever else the Holy Spirit leads me to share.  (Not so much on cooking though...truly, cooking's really not mah thang.)  But we can talk food, and the love we women put into it for our families...you'll just have to come see... 

Anyways...there's still time to register.   Hope to see you there!

PS...Praise God I don't have to do Zumba again...not that I'm opposed to exercise or sweat...and not that I really participated last year...I sipped coffee and watched all those other nutcakes, er ummm....nice ladies.   It's a retreat for goodness sake...I'll be chillin' and chattin' (and praising God that we don't have to exercise on retreat). 
PPS... I do Love you nutcakes, er umm, nice ladies who have better workout willpower than me.  I'm just sayin'.

G'night God.

I found this little gem of a bedtime prayer as I was leafing through some old papers tonight.  A humble surrender by Pope John XXIII after a tough day at the office...

"I'm tired and I'm going to bed.  It's your church.  Take care of it."

Just like that.  I love it.  Better than Memory Foam or Posturepedic or white noise or mindless television or Benadryl...or whatever it is that people fix themselves to sleep with.  Ahh, the real peace that comes in trusting that all is taken care of.  Just letting go...and letting God. 
(sigh.)   I think I'll give that one a try tonight.

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiago?!

(or Jamie Schmiesing, for that matter.)

Does anyone even remember Carmen Sandiago?  Or does that really date me?  Maybe she came before "Where's Waldo?"  I'm not sure.

Anyways.  I digress.

Jamie's still very much here; thinking about writing and blogposts every single day.  Thinkin' about it.  I'm thinking about lots of other stuff that isn't getting done too.  And it's pretty easy for me to get stuck dwelling in the Land of the Undone.  That's not very productive though.  Truth is, as much as I think about writing, I really haven't had much desire to write lately.  I want badly to tell everyone how life is changing here.  Some things should seem so much easier in my little world with 10 of the kids gone most afternoons.  Should.  Laundry seems more under control, I'll say that.  And I even have dinner planned by 3pm most days.  That's HUGE.  (I've always been a last minute "What the heck am I gonna throw on the table tonight?" kinda gal.  Having time to think and plan really is a good thing. For all the domestic stuff that seems to get a little easier though, life stirs up a new set of challenges.  Balancing an insane schedule that still allows time to nurture a marriage, strengthen some sort of family bond, and really builds a foundation of faith, rather than just "survive" another day seems an impossible task.  Currently I'm totally in survival mode.  I'm not giving up on that "something greater" though.  God's got a grip on my apron string...and He's promised he'll pull us through.  We're just transitioning...just transitioning.  Hold on Jamie.  Certainly we must just be "between seasons" here...and this place in our faith life is the sucky part where we clean out closets and figure out what still fits and what doesn't.   Uggh.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."  Proverbs 3:5

I haven't been totally sitting around eating bonbons to drown my miseries though.  In lieu of writing, I've found a temporary new creative outlet...we'll call it "nest feathering."  That's my code word for turning free/cheap items into something wonderful (or at least sorta great) to make this bigger house feel more like our cozy home.  Nope, I'm not too proud to say I've got some reclaimed items (read that: curbside treasures) that with a little love and sanding/painting are finding new life here.  Here are just a few pics of projects over recent weeks/months...

I dabbled in the art of hand-painting words onto a sign.  I really wanted this quote in our "quiet room," but just couldn't justify springing for those peel and stick words.  (I'm cheap like that.)  So I swiped the top board that wasn't being used from a shelving unit in our basement, and painted away.  Not too terrible for a first attempt, I don't think.  It's approximately 18"X36" and fits perfectly over the couch in that room.

 In that same "quiet" space...also our music room.  We have these great built-ins which include a pull-open writing desk.  All of our books are kept in the family room and toy room, so this is sort of under-utilized space.  I painted the backs of the shelves in a complimentary color (actually left-over kitchen paint...so it coordinates with the room next door...and it was FREE!) 

And then Emma helped me tear out the desk- stuff, and turn this space into our family prayer place.   It holds our rosaries, and candle, a pic of the Holy Family...well you can see for yourself.  The drawers beneath hold prayer cards, extra rosaries, etc.  It's sort of a private little retreat for prayers, if you will.

This next one is a piece I spared from the curb.  It's an old 1970's dresser (it was dark brown and legless, with a large mirror attached to the top/back.)  that my Aunt was ready to dump.  I snatched it up (Freeeee for the haulin') and added some legs, some turquoise color, and some stain to antique it a bit.  Better than new!  And now a roost for our tv in the new family room. 

Okay...seriously this one came out of a dumpster.  Someone called me from their work one day, and said they had tossed this old unfinished wood display unit into the dumpster, and if nothing else, would make great storage in the basement or something.  Well it came to rest in our shed for over a year, and now moved here, and with a little trim molding/paint/antique distressing, it's a perfect complement to my junk dresser/tv holder.  And fills a major gap in our new space.  It holds all the kids' board games and puzzles out of sight underneath.  For FREEEEE!  (Oh, and I didn't mean to include this...but check out those funky orange curtains on the side...mom and I sewed them (lined them even thanks to some tips from crafty/decorator friend Stacie) with fabric I found much cheaper online than in stores.  Mucho savings there.)

You're not going to believe that someone put this little set of chair on the curb.  Seriously AWESOME condition, and my new favorite spot to supervise the morning circus as I sip my coffee.
The table is one of the very first pieces of furniture John and I ever bought before we were married...had some wicker chairs to match from a super-cheap import store.  Those chairs didn't last though. I just repainted the table for an update.
               Wait for it...this gets better...

Here is the rest of the set (Yes...FREE...from the curb.)   I'm sorry if you're reading this, and it was from your place...you can't change your mind...it's the rules!   I didn't really need more patio furniture, but who could resist free?!   They're perched right outside the kitchen window, and I figure I can bring extra seating out or in as needed. 

Okay...this is leftover chalk board paint from my garage home-school project last spring.  The paint held up so well out there...with crashing bikes and scooter...I decided I'd love it in the house.  So I painted the pantry doors in the kitchen.  One side is my week-at-a-glance schedule, the other side is grocery list/random jokes/bible verses/whatever.  The kids get the bottom half for doodling.  Really lovin' it.  (and yes, more attempts to hand-paint words with the "What's going on?" and "What's going, going, gone.")

More hand-painting...I'm kind of getting addicted.  No, not on the door.  I was afraid I'd mess that up too bad.  I updated the mailbox with a little color, and hand-painted house numbers.  All left-over paints.  Freee.....

So there you have it... just a few of the reasons I tell myself I'm too busy to blog.   Maybe I'm just avoiding things here...maybe just enjoying a different creative process...maybe I'm nuts and need to knock it off.  Who knows.  I think about you all often.  I understand God is still working in me, and on me, and hopefully soon again, through me...to you.  Love you all.  THanks for hanging on, even when I'm a terrible blog-host.

prayer request

(I thought this posted on Monday...but Blogger had other intentions.  Sorry for the late notice.)

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
~Matthew 18: 19-20


It's been a long time ago (can you say, 21 years), but I'm pretty certain that there were a lot of things racing through my mind as I was handed my high-school diploma.  I'm certain I wanted to look good on stage...and not trip.  It was blistering hot that day...and I KNOW I thought about whether my gown would be stuck to my hiney as I stood up to get my diploma.  (Please Lord, spare me that humiliation!) That was probably at the forefront of my simple thoughts.  I bet I was hoping my aunts and uncles wouldn't hang around just too long after the cake was cut so I could "book it" to the long list of great parties that my classmates had planned.  Oh...the scholarship I was awarded probably gave me a few nervous thoughts about college that was just a few months away.  But nowhere in my wildest dreams would I or any other senior-on-his/her-way-out-into-the-world be thinking about Cancer.

Unfortunately, a recent grad in our community is facing just that.  His college start is on hold as he focuses instead on surgery and treatment for the tumor on his brain.  

Please join his family and friends, and parish community (and surrounding) for a day of prayer, whether you might know Austin K., or not.  Lift him, and his family and his doctors up in prayers as he undergoes his first surgery tomorrow.

There is a prayer vigil scheduled at St. Augustine Catholic Church here in Minster on Tuesday, September 18th from 8am (mass) till 8pm.  If you can't make it to church, pray anyways...it is the most powerful thing we can offer.

Thanks!

 

gifts

Alice and Emma are really enjoying their sports seasons this fall.  As seventh graders, it's their first real full-time commitment to a team...practicing 5 days a week and really pouring their heart into it.
WIth all that commitment comes a new set of challenges as well.  It's been intersting to watch them as they settle in to their places on the team.  Or maybe...not settling...is more accurate.

Alice loves Volleyball.  She started playing last spring on a club team, and really took to the game.  She is a strong server, likes to dig, and has a great attititude.  That last part has really been put to the test as their team is struggling to make marks in the "win column" this year.  It's been tough. 

Emma on the other hand, chose running.  She's passionate about Cross Country, and really seems to be finding her groove.  Her struggles come from a different place...the exact opposite place really.  Her team has won every meet.  There are 14 junior high runners and they are all incredible.  It's a challenge to be a part of such a well-oiled machine, and still stand out as an individual.  She's feeling "stuck."

Yesterday as I prayed about their unique challenges, I came across this bible verse, and had some time to talk with each of them this morning, before they headed out on their respective buses.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us; let us use them.   ~Romans 12:6

To Alice:  Do not let fear of what others think,  keep you from being a positive leader, a role model for grace and humility and kindness even when the score is not in your favor.  Winning will come, let your actions show that you're a true winner, regardless of the game's outcome.  Lead your team to a personal victory each and every time you're on the court.  Your God-given gifts include your ability, you are a calm leader, you have a positive attitude, and you have a kind heart. Use them.  I am proud of you, and I love you.

To Emma:  Do not allow yourself to "fit" into any one mold.  You are full of surprises and you are capable of amazing things.  Do your best, take chances, push past comfortable.  Allow your mind to believe what God has created your body to be capable of.  Your gifts include your ability, your determination, your desire to be the best you can be.  Use them.
I am proud of you, and I love you.


Right now, Anne's gift seems to be playing in water.  She just soaked herself as she discovered the buttons on the fridge water dispenser.  I must go.  PEACE.

The weather is cooler, coffee is warm and the floury bread dough under my nails reminds me how blessed I truly am.  Something about fall weather, maybe the idea of harvests or maybe just the fact that gray skies force me into a feeling of slowing down a bit...but something about it brings about a deeper sense of gratitude for how God takes care, and provides.

It also inspires me and helps me to recognize the things I do throughout the day are also a loving way to provide for my family here.  I am not a bread-winner, by any means.  But I can feather the nest, I can turn a few humble ingredients into something good and nourishing, I can keep things running smoothly here.  I've even come to a place in my life where laundry doesn't horrify me like it used to.  These are the my contributions, my means of providing for my loves.

Proverbs 31 comes to mind today.  In particular, verses 10-31.  And I'm feelin' all that.

God has blessed me, and blessed my family through the work of my hands.  Not to toot our own horns, but it's quite a fulfilling job we women have...don't ya think.

Toot. Toot.

granola bar update.

I've heard that many of you are trying the granola bar recipe...and loving it.  So glad.

I've also heard that several of you have tried it and had trouble with them falling apart like crazy.  I know where you're coming from.  My suggestion for this (cause it happened to me with one batch) is to press them well, and definitely wait at LEAST 30 minutes before trying to cut them...an hour is better if you can stand it.  They are worth the wait.   Seriously, the longer they're in the fridge, the easier they are to cut without crumbling everywhere.

Don't give up on this one!

I did try a batch the other day with craisins, almonds and (crushed) yogurt covered pretzels in place of the rice cereal and crushed plain pretzels.  It was the BOMB, and did not require any melted coating on top.  YUM!

friday funny.

Lucy's comment on Justin Bieber:

"Mom, I think he's HOT...(pause, and my eyebrows raise in wonder.)...underneath all that hair."

haha!

Better than the "the real ones."

I try to make homemade versions of lots of different snacks/treats.  And usually I hear the same response...it's not as good as the "real ones."

That is until I tried this new recipe for homemade, no-bake granola bars. 

You see, a single box of granola bars (the Quaker Oats Chewy variety) doesn't make it's way around the snack table once.  Only 8 or is it 10 in box?  That just won't do.  After-school snacks can kill a budget.  And so granola bars and things of the like have become rare grocery splurges. 

I have made this recipe at least 4 times now.  (A double batch makes approx 3 dozen bars...cut to the same size as the Quaker kind.)  My kids say they are the "Bomb."  Even "better than the real ones."

I've played with the recipe (based on what I had in the pantry) each time, and each time was better than the next. (Once I substitued Molasses for the honey (good, but slightly bitter), once I used crushed peanuts to replace the pretzels I ran short on, another time I used a few packets of instant oatmeal to make up for my shortage of quick oats.  Early on, we realized that pressing the mini chocolate chips into the bars just didn't work, so I now melt a little chocolate and drizzle it on top so it stays put.  I've used crunchy peanut butter, and even tried the Jif Chocolate peanut butter once...just to see.  I can't wait to experiment with craisins and almonds covered in white chocolate drizzle.  Yumm.)

Enjoy!!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

(a double batch fills both a 9x13 and an 8x8 pan perfectly, and yields about 36 bars.)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
3/4 cup chopped pretzels
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cut out an 8 x 8 inch square of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  My note:make your paper larger than the bottom of the pan!  The bars are so much easier to cut if you can lift the whole block right out of the pan with the edges of the paper, and cut them on your countertop/cutting board.

2. In a large sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and peanut butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Stir in the oats, crispy cereal, and pretzels. Stir until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top and gently press into the granola bars with your hands.  Seriously:  skip the pressing, and just drizzle (less than it calls for) melted chocolate lightly over the top.

4. Place the bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into bars and serve.

Note-I store the bars in the refrigerator. I've kept them in the fridge for up to a week and they are still tasty!

Adapted from Rachael Ray

finger-dippin' goodness.

I busted little Annie making her way over to the holy water font in our kitchen the other day. Too Darn Cute! She was dripping in blessings by the time she was done...

 

God Bless Anne in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

high hopes

Can you believe that most of the kids in my seventh grade parish religion class had never heard of Jiminy Cricket?!  Or maybe they just didn't want me to make them sing along...that might be more true. 

(completely off-subject; sorry about that.)

Anyways, like Jiminy Cricket, I had "high hopes" with the start of this school year that by now my house would be immaculately clean, laundry piles tamed, closets and drawers organized and so on.

Hasn't happened. 

Not.even.close!

I also thought that I'd be kickin' blog hiney, and typing out my feelings like it's nobody's business.  You can see for yourself how I'm doing on that one.

In all actuality, I'm still enjoying another week of "summer" with little Lucy until she begins preschool next week.  The two of us have become quite the dynamic duo while little Annie naps her afternoons away.  We've crafted and colored and stickered.  We've done makeovers and fingernails and curlers...even played "Toddlers and Tiaras" one afternoon.  She won the big crown.  It helps when your mama is running the pageant.  (Yes, I should be ashamed that I've seen that show.  My girls LOVE it.  Even more ashamed that we "played" it.  But it was FUN.)  We've cooked dinners, baked treats, folded laundry, and sometimes just collapsed on the couch and dozed off to some snuggly good books. 

I have been snappin  a ton of silly pics, and collected a pile of random thoughts that I have "high hopes" of sharing with you all real soon.  I'm hangin in there...hope you will too.

peace.

St. Monica, pray for us.

This mama knew a thing or two about dealing with a rebelious child...and how prayer is the key to conversion.  I'm guessing her son (St. Augie) gave her a gray hair or two, being the "free spirit" that he was...right up until his conversion on her deathbed.

Prayer for the Return of a Loved One to the Church.
Lord Jesus, I know that you give everyone the grace to seek and to find you in their lives; so I want to pray for someone who is very dear to me, someone who was in the church but who has turned away.
Grant your grace to this person, Lord that he (she) may come back to full union with you in the church. Grant him (her) the eyes of faith to see that only in your true church the fullness of life can be found.
Let my life and the lives of all the faithful be so truly Christian that they may be a sign and an invitation to reconversion for this person and for all who may have fallen away. I ask this, Lord in you name and through the intercession of Mary Immacualte, Mother of the Church. Amen.

coffee chat

All the kids are still in bed this morning, save two.  Emma, whom I just delivered to catch the bus for her first Jr. High Cross Country meet and Anne, who's moving furniture as I type.  I'll be brief.

I just wanted to try to spill out quickly how proud I am of Emma and her efforts/hard work these last months.  She's literally run the souls off of a pair of running shoes since June.  All this training...distance running, sprints, core exercises, and stuff I don't even know... boiling down to a two mile race on a foreign course against girls who want to win it just as much as the next one.  She was frustrated to wake up with a runny nose/sore throat...variables she couldn't have factored into her training regimine.  Life does that, doesn't it.  We can do all the right things, but in the end most of it's out of our control so we just do our best.

Her team "locker buddy" left her a note of inspiration yesterday...typical for their age group..."Go get 'em!  You can do it" stuff.  But at the end of her note she added,  "When you start your race......GIVE IT ALL TO GOD!"   How cool is that.  You can run all the miles in the world, eat all the right foods, hydrate all you want...but it is God who gives us strength and truly nourishes.  All glory to Him, our living bread.

With friends/teammates like that, I think she's already won.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set out before us   Hebrews  12:1

Go get 'em Emma!!

(she doesn't actually run till closer to noon, so we'll be loading up the fan club and heading out to cheer her on later this morning.  This is new to us as well, our first of many more meets to come.  I don't think we'll paint our faces for the first one...maybe lay low and feel the vibe.)

Here's your sign.

Our pile of junk mail today included an offer from Highlights magazine...a sales pitch for kids magazines/fun pages that attmepts to real us in with free stickers!

While I will not be subscribing (as usual.) I will be graciously accepting this token gift of stickers as a SIGN FROM GOD...a direct order if you will, that today is a day to chill out. While Anne is napping away, Lucy and I will snuggle, color, stick stickers, read a book or two...and just hang out.

Operation: Clean & Organize This Crazy House is on hold.   It's been replaced by Mission:  Stop And Smell The Roses.  For now, junk drawers and clutter, dustbunny lairs, hard water stains in the shower, and lost Lego dudes looking for Barbie shoes in foreign places can wait.
We've got more important things to take care of.

Thank you Lord, for your subtle reminder of what is most important.

2 more out

Frank and Rose heading out for their first afternoon of kindergarden.

The nest is growing quieter, seeming larger/emptier by the minute. Oh my.

after the tears...

...reality sets in.

 1st day of school!!!

Little Rosie caught me celebrating...hee, hee.

(never mind my pale belly flab peeking out...I think I've earned it.)

Sent 7 of my babies out the door this morning for their first day of school.  Two more will be joining them later for afternoon kindergarden. 

9 kids in school.

Lucy will start preschool next month...just a few afternoons a week. 

That will leave Anne and me. 

(sigh.)

I cried as I read this post on facebook...not sure how far it's already traveled, or who originally posted it.  I had to share.

"Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full. And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask. Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it? Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away? Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them? Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and even more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts? Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone? Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them? Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can? Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care. Amen."
 

Crying again as I repost it.
Blessings to you and your families as we roll with the changes another school year brings.

Alice & Emma- 7th grade, Sam- 6th grade, Grace- 4th grade, Mary & John- 3rd grade, Charlie- 1st grade.

 

eggs and JAM

(far from silent.)

I'm gonna miss mornings like this when school starts...breakfasts that last much longer than they should. 

Music.  Magic.  Memories to last.

 It started with Alice, rehearsing for her upcoming "Chatterbox" performance...she's working on "moving" and working the stage.  She had instant groupies!

 Little Anne did the mic check...too bad mom's terrible with the camera.

Even the boys joined in with percussion...crayola markers for make-shift drumsticks, Mary working her tambourine, Rose and Lucy joining in on strings...and Emma helping to keep the younger ones content by fixing broken strings/setting up "drum sets" etc. 

My coffee cup runneth over...(sigh.) 

Thank you Lord, for the start of another beautiful day.

the latest nudge.

Let us be silent,
so that we may hear
the whisper of God.
          ~Ralph Waldo Emerson