She's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please loving welcome my Goddaughter

 Gianna Christine Acri

8lbs 14oz, 20 inches long into the world.

Mommy and baby are wonderful and Dad is so proud!!!

We're sooooo excited to meet her.

Thank you for your kind notes and the many prayers.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, thank you.

Mary, our Mother in Heaven, thank you.

St. Gianna, thank you.

Pictures to follow as soon as I get them!!!

Baby on the way....

L'Innocence

Please pray for Michelle and Jacob as they

welcome their daughter into the world today!

Saint Gianna, pray for us! 

Scripture Verse Vase

We 've been doing this project of memorizing the scripture verses and really having some fun with it!

Write a Scripture Memory Verse onto a strip of paper with the verse numbers  on the back. Place in scripture vase. As the strips accumulate the girls take take turns drawing them out of the vase and quiz each other by reading the verse and having sister supply the verse number, or vice versa.

A Family Journal with Jesus through Lent

image source openlibrary.org

This book was recommended to me by a friend last year and we really enjoyed it. This year I've added several components to it --some suggested by the author, some not, such as spelling, copy and dictation, etc. For my own records and accountability I'll post them here as we travel through Lent.

Day One
The Baptism of Jesus

1) Read pg 16-17.

2) Read corresponding bible verse from Bible For Young Catholics pg 209



Image source catholicchild.com

 3) Locate on the map (each child has been given a copy of the map copied directly from the book for their Lent folder.)

4) Recite Scripture Memory Verse.

"This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

 Matthew 3:17

5) Copy Scripture Memory Verse onto paper, keep in Lent folder.

6) Dictate and copy:

          John was very surprised and said, "Jesus, I should be baptized by you." But Jesus replied, "John it is right for you to baptize me." So John poured water over Jesus.

7) Read your work back to Mom, check punctuation and spelling. Any misspelled words become a list for review. (baptized, surprised)

8) Write Scripture Memory Verse onto a strip of paper with the verse numbers  on the back. Place in scripture vase. As the strips accumulate the girls take take turns drawing them out of the vase and quiz each other by reading the verse and having sister supply the verse number, or vice versa.

9) Look at baptismal pictures.

10) Ornament on Jesus tree (dove on the water).

11) Prayer.

Day Two
Forty Days in the Desert

1) Read pg 18-21.

2) Read corresponding bible verse from Bible For Young Catholics pg 210-211.

3) Locate on the map.

4) Recite Scripture Memory Verse.

"Blessed is anyone who endures temptation."

 James 1:12

5) Copy Scripture Memory Verse onto paper, keep in Lent folder.

6) Dictate and copy:

       Satan had one last temptation. He took Jesus to a very high sand dune and said, "Everything you see down there, Jesus, is mine. If you bow down and worship me, I will give it all to you." Once again Jesus quoted from scripture. "Away with you, Satan. I will worship only my father in heaven. I want to serve him alone."

7) Read your work back to Mom, check punctuation and spelling. Any misspelled words become a list for review (endures, anyone, temptation, dune.)

8) Write Scripture Memory Verse onto a strip of paper with the verse numbers  on the back. Place in scripture vase. As the strips accumulate the girls take take turns drawing them out of the vase and quiz each other by reading the verse and having sister supply the verse number, or vice versa.

9) Discuss how much we need to call on Jesus to help us with temptation.Making sacrifices during Lent will mean greater temptations. Ask our Lord to help us.

10)Ornament on Jesus tree (gray or tan stones).

11) Prayer

Day Three
The Calling of the First Disciples

1) Read pg 22-25.

2) Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11 (not in Bible For Young Catholics)

3) Locate on the map.

4) Recite Scripture Memory Verse.

"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

 Matthew 4:19

5) Copy Scripture Memory Verse onto paper, keep in Lent folder.

6) Dictate and copy:

       For a little while, Jesus walked along the edge of the water. Then he stopped, turned toward the crowd, and said, "My heavenly Father loves you all so much. Be sorry and repent all that you have done wrong. Believe the good news that my heavenly Faher wants to forgive your sins." Just then Jesus looked at me. His eyes were so kind that I said to myself, "Jesus really loves me."

7) Read your work back to Mom, check punctuation and spelling. Any misspelled words become a list for review.

8) Write Scripture Memory Verse onto a strip of paper with the verse numbers  on the back. Place in scripture vase. As the strips accumulate the girls take take turns drawing them out of the vase and quiz each other by reading the verse and having sister supply the verse number, or vice versa.

9) Discuss how much we need to call on Jesus to help us develop our personal relationship with Him.

10) Ornament on Jesus tree (fish)

11) Prayer

Day Four

The Wedding Feast at Cana 

1) Read pg 26-29.

2) Bible For Young Catholics pg 264.

3) Locate on the map.

4) Recite Scripture Memory Verse.

"Do whatever he tells you."

 John 2:5

5) Copy Scripture Memory Verse onto paper, keep in Lent folder.

6) Dictate and copy:

       Then Jesus said, "Pour some out and give it to the head server." The head server tasted it. You should have seen the look of surprise on his face. "This is great wine!" I heard him say to the bridegroom. "Why have you saved the best for last? We usually serve the best wine first,  and then when everyone has had too much to drink, we serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best until now." 

7) Read your work back to Mom, check punctuation and spelling. Any misspelled words become a list for review.

8) Write Scripture Memory Verse and put into Scripture jar.
9) Discuss how much we need to call on Jesus to help us be a good listener.

10) Ornament on Jesus tree (wine jar)

11) Prayer

Our Plans for Lent 2012

imagesource turnbacktoGod.com

I am so thankful for wonderful Catholic women willing to share their plans. There are so many beautiful ideas. If I took on all my favorites, I'd need three Lenten seasons back to back to get it all in.

This year as I began thinking of our Lenten traditions, I felt I wanted to add a few new things. My littlest ones are getting a little more trustworthy independent and I feel like I could add a few new things without over-planning or neglecting anyone! I tend to over plan, get about half of it accomplished and then really, really feel bad about not finishing what I started.  Because I'm a check-box girl. I like check boxes. Check. Done. It makes me feel like I accomplished something!

Thank you so much to Gardenia at LovemyLittleFlower for sharing Shaking off the Bonds of Stuff. It's all written out. Every day. All of Lent! I love it! Lots of check boxes! I have only to read and act. (Except that it's secular so I have to add the religious activities but even the children can help me do that part! I can handle it!)

Last year I fell hard for the Jesus tree and by the time I was cutting out Day 20 I wasn't sure I'd ever cut felt again. But I finished it (on time!) and it's an awesome addition to our Lent. Especially if you follow Jessica at Shower of Roses corresponding readings and coloring pages. I was looking so forward to having the Jesus tree all ready this year and not have to cut anything out. And then I decided my brother and his family should have one. It was a lot less painful the second time around:-) Oh, I should also note that I purchased this at Leaflet Missal. After its purchase you're encouraged to share the template. It states in the directions they supplied enough felt to make one set but I was able to get two sets out of it and even some pieces for the Jesse tree out of it. A great deal!

Tiffany at familyatthefootofthecross has me looking forward to Amon's Adventure with the children, and this Consoling the Heart of Jesus a do-it yourself retreat she highly recommended last year.

Lena at joyfilledfamily set me on the path to my very first official total consecration. Except I haven't received the package in the mail yet from myconsecration.org :(

I am going to Adoration every Thursday. ALONE!

After hearing so much about veiling this year, I'm covering our holy pictures and statues. This will be a first for me and it will seem like an eternity.

And lastly, we're going gluten-free. But that's a post for another time.
Aren't these women awesome?

Thank you for sharing and allowing me to add them to our Lent!

Welcome, Lent

Welcoming a Spirit-filled Lent

Inspired by Tiffany (again!) at familyatthefootofthecross.blogspot.com to change the wreath on the front door for Lent, I set out to make our liturgical wreath.

I love the purple fabric she draped on the cross but I don't have a cross I feel good about putting on the door to endure the elements. I could make one (maybe!) but I like that the wreath I do have is a grapevine one, it's a little wiry and it just reminds me of a crown of thorns whenever I look at it. It's fairly tattered to say the least.

Anyhow, I ended up just draping the fabric through the wreath as if the cross were there and when I was done I showed it to Anna.

Because I liked the cross so much with the fabric, when I was done I was having a hard time with my plain, tattered wreath.

I said, "I think it's missing something. It's not very pretty."

Anna replied, "It's not supposed to be pretty, it's LENT!"

Happy Saint Valentine's Day...

to all our family and friends, to all our crafty on-line friends that help me to make a memorable afternoon for my family! I couldn't do it without all of you.

Thank you Saint Valentine for these treasured people in our lives that always teach us so lovingly.

Who me?

We recently planned  to attend a funeral and I went looking for my veil to wear. I wasn't  brought up to wear a veil weekly to Mass but I do remember veils as a child, especially at funerals. Looking back on it, I must remember them more from funerals because I would have been at Mass with a lot of family members. Our extended Italian Catholic family certainly wore a veil to Mass. My mother didn't wear a veil after Vatican II because she thought "you didn't have to anymore!"
And so the veil questions begin....Maria and Anna both wanted to know more about veiling. About the same time Jessica over at showerofroses posts about her beautiful weekend including the very special blessing~ churching of women. I noticed the veils in the church. (Jessica is a treasure trove of information by the way. If you don't read her blog, please do!)  One thing leads to another and find this post about ....the significance of veiling.
Yikes! My husband also heard Father's homily and said...I think you pretty much have to wear the veil!
I also saw these wonderful articles on veiling....
http://modestyveils.com/tradition.html
 and here you'll find lots more...
http://www.catholicplanet.com/women/headcovering.htm

I already wear a veil on my heart, so now armed with a convicted heart and more information (such as the Vatican did not do away with that!!) I went out into the world seeking thoughts of others. I was so relieved to hear...."you don't have to do that!"

Every time I think about it I hear Him, and I still ask "Who, me?"

I'd come home and reread these articles. Several times I'd go back to Jessica's link to listen to Father's homily and in the end....I get called away before I can finish my post again!

I know you hear me....

Infant Samuel
Joshua Reynolds 1723

1 Samuel 3
In those days it was not common to receive a message form the Lord. One night Eli was laying in his sleeping place, while Samuel lay in the sanctuary of the Lord near the ark of God. The Lord called Samuel, and he answered, " Here I am."
Samuel, who was probably a teenager at the time, hurried to Eli and said, " Here I am--you called me." Eli said he hadn't called, so Samuel went back to his place. This happened two more times. Then Eli realized that someone was really calling Samuel. It was the Lord himself.
So Eli said to Samuel, "Go and lie down. When someone calls you, say, 'Speak Lord. Your servant is listening.'"
So Samuel left and lay down in his place.
Then the Lord came and called as before: "Samuel! Samuel!"
And Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."


I love this story. It's really a favorite of mine. For all the wrong reasons. It makes me feel better. If Samuel, is living right there in the house of God at Shiloh, even sleeping next to the ARK doesn't know the Lord is calling him, well how can little ol' me be sure?!

Here's how...Samuel says, " Here I Am", and I say "Who me?!"

Oh, I get called to do the hardest things, but I'll have to tell you about it later because I'm being called upstairs to a crying baby!

Forgive my walk down memory lane....

I've learned the most painful lesson in backing up data--or should I say failure to back up! Need-less-to say this is as great as place as any to save some pictures. Plus maybe you'll get to see what we've been "up" to! UP! What a wonderful little movie. Daddy made us this Up house during Advent (2011) out of candy---lots of candy! Isn't it too cute?! I love Mr. Frederickson's fruit roll up hose!! We used slate colored m&ms on the roof, lots of bubble gum cut with silly scissors, gum drops  and a whole bag of blow-pops for balloons!



Up house 



Elizabeth's Baptism

In April 2008 we were so blessed with a two-sacrament weekend!! Maria received her First Communion and Elizabeth's baptism was about an hour or so later. We were so fortunate to have a lot of family come out for our special weekend. Elizabeth's Godmother is my Godmother (how awesome is that!) and she came all the way from California to dress Elizabeth in my baptism dress and welcome her into the Catholic faith along with my brother J, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins too. It was super in every way!

Godmother TCL, a saint on earth

Thank you Father

Godfather JA, Godmother TCL, Mom and Dad

A wonderful, holy weekend

Maria's First Communion

Some pictures of Maria's First Communion April 2008. This was an awesome weekend. Not only did Maria make her First Communion but we also had  Baptism for Elizabeth, just six days old.


My baby girl on her very special day.




I love you Maria.




Elizabeth dressed for First Communion.




Anna



Uncle J and Baby Joseph




Maria and Anna at St. Mary's




Maria lit a candle.




My girl.




Daddy and Maria



Maria and her Godparents.



Precious girls.