Easter Giving

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Yes, Christmas is nice - the birth of the baby in the manger - but I REALLY like like Easter. Our Lord and Savior died for US, to let us (unworthy though we are!) into heaven. It's amazing. Plus, it happens in spring - so who can't see the correlation between the new birth of everything on earth and the saving of our souls (and, in the Catholic faith, this is also the time of the year that new Catholics are welcomed into the faith) - how exciting!

This year, we decided to help our children understand the meaning of Easter in a new way. (I must say though, the kids are pretty smart on the whole meaning of things - I think being immersed in the faith on a daily basis, as they are - not only at home, but at school too - gives them a greater understanding and grasp on things!) Anyway, this year I felt moved to take a chick off the bulletin board. WHAT?! Yes, I know it sounds weird - here's the story:

Our church has a bulletin board that we put up at Easter time. 

On the board is a paper "chick" with a name, age and male/female on it.

These are children at our local hospital that will be receiving chemo treatment on Easter. 

Sad, I know. But what father said about them is what really moved me: that not only does this brighten the childs' day, but it helps the family to know that there are others out there that care for them and it lessens their load. Yeah, how could you NOT be affected after hearing it put like that?

So, our child is Jodi, age 16. The children are all excited to put together a basket for her. Daughter #2 insisted that she have a stuffed animal in there (because she's in the hospital, and you NEED a stuffed animal if you're there!). So Jodi's basket consists of: "grass", popcorn, granola bars, 2 different bags of Easter candy, a stuffed lamb, 2 bags of Jelly Bellys (one is Cold Stone Creamery flavored -YUM!) and a five dollar bill stuffed towards the bottom. I know that some of this is very (un)Easter-like ... but there was also a list of suggestions as to what to put in the basket - so we used the list to help us! We hope it brightens her day! :)

Palm Sunday Service

I hope you all had a blessed Palm Sunday - we sure did!

Father had a lovely procession planned, and due to the weather being nice, we were able to do it. The two older children were servers - I think that they enjoy the closeness of observing everything - it certainly excites me!

Father started by blessing the palms, reading from the gospel and then started the procession - out the back (through the sacristy) and then out around the church and in through the front door. It really made me reflect on how Jesus was welcomed into town - the same people that welcomed him would one week later be yelling "Crucify him!" (that part always always leaves such a sadness in my heart - would I have been one of those people - so welcoming, but then turn on My Lord? I would hope not, but mob mentality is proven - scary!)

But, back to the gladness of Palm Sunday - the procession was grand and we had a photographer there taking pictures, so I will see if I can get ahold of some to post - it was a sight to behold! Again, blessings on our Priest, for bringing back the ways of the church and for sharing such wonderful traditions with the congregation -- bring us back to the church and to the holiness that resides there!

SECRET.....shhhhh

Hubby and I have a secret - and we are having soooo much fun with it online (FB especially).

The Lord has guided us in a wonderful new direction for our family - we are on the verge of something that I wouldn't have thought we would be doing!!

I can't tell our secret yet, but soon - yes very soon! :)

Holy Thursday

Easter is around the corner and I am VERY excited to be celebrating it in a new and fantastic (ok, more like traditional) way this year.

Father Jerome is very much a traditionalist, but not in a bad way. Our previous priest had been doing things pretty much his own way for so many years, that I feel that it will be nice to get back to the basics - back to how "The Church" says it's supposed to be.

Palm Sunday should be fun, yes, FUN with him this year! Both of our older children are serving and they are having an extra practice tomorrow just to prepare for it!

Father called yesterday and requested that Son be one of the 12 men (ok, 10 men and 2 youth) that portray the disciples - he is going to portray Jesus and do the washing of the feet after Mass on Thursday. He is then doing adoration from right after Mass until midnight - all are asked to take their turn and "sit" for an hour with Jesus - AWESOME!!

Oh, and before I forget: we are continually being blessed - this time it's through blogs! There have been several free giveaways that I have entered - and this month I have won THREE!!

The first: I won a HouseParty again! Last month it was a Pull-Ups one, this month it is a Stouffers Sub Party - the value is HUGE - it includes:

• VIP Coupons for the host to provide 15 subs at the party (the cost: around $4 EACH!)
  
• 15 Valuable coupons for guests
• 15 Branded grocery tote bags for your guests
• 1 Branded pot holder for host
• 1 Branded tear pad for host
• Plates and napkins for the party

The second: entered a blog giveaway and won two Sara Lee products (up to a five dollar value EACH!)

The third: another blog giveaway: this time, a pre-loaded credit card for $125!!!

The Lord is great!

Stations of the Cross

Today after Mass we did stations of the cross - if you don't know what this is - look here.

Both of the older children participated in the readings. They learn so much by participation. In all honesty, this was the first time I was able to participate myself. What an experience! Father had come over yesterday - twice - we lost electricity in the morning, so he was unable to print his homily, so he came over to do that before 4 o'clock Mass - then we invited him over after Mass to come and get some meat.

We bought a new freezer (and shingles for the "upper roof" on the house and flooring for the entry way - love Menards and their "no interest, no payments!") - anyway, we invited Father over to take his pick of some meat - he doesn't care for hamburger, but likes something to "chew on" (his words) so he loves the stew meat! He ended up playing Wii with Son for awhile - he really wants to learn how and when he went home to India, everyone was telling him to get one! He was impressed that he could just buy a counsel and "borrow" our games! :)

Anyway - he had said that he did stations after Mass and that everyone stayed - but that he just started right after the closing prayer, so maybe they felt obligated to! :) Well, I think that everyone stayed for stations today too! It is good, good for the soul, good for the members, good for the church!

Tonight is confession - yay. It's that time again and always makes a person feel better. Before I became Catholic, I never understood confession - of course, my comeback was that I could confess my sins directly to God in privacy. I now laugh at that! Really, how many times do people do that? I think the process of reflecting on your sins before hand, going into the confessional to confess them, being forgiven in the name of Lord and then doing a penance is much more cleansing and "real" than "in private" - and what a huge wonderful gift in preparation for Easter!!

Shout out to Catholic Moms

When I first began blogging (this site) it was more to keep family in touch with our lives. Recently (with comments and e-mails I have received), I have been made aware that others are reading too.

I have recently found the Catholic Gadget toolbar - which I LOVE and has made me aware of many catholic blogging mom's out there - AWESOME!!

It's great to know that there are many of us out here in "bloggy land!" It feels my family has increased tenfold.

All of this to say, I am going to focus a little more on faith and family in the coming few months - to post our ups and downs as a "large" family (yes, we are only 7 total, but to many, that is large!) and to post about learning our faith - you see, I am a recent convert (8 years ago, this December) so even though I learned a LOT about the faith, there is still a LOT that I continue to learn.

So, even if you are not catholic, you may still find interest in these posts, but many of them (time permitting, of course!) will be more catholic based - of course, I will be continuing to post on Moneyless Momma's, so keep an eye on that site too! :)

Wednesday (because I can't think of a better title!!)

This morning Hubby and I went to Menards and bought lots of paint and painting supplies - most of them free after rebate - can you guess what I will be doing during summer vacation?!

When we got home, our priest came over for a visit. It was so nice to be able to stand outside and chat - the weather was beautiful! :) (for those of you who don't know - our priest is also our next door neighbor - are we blessed, or what!!) Last summer, we frequently had him over for fires in the evenings. Good fellowship and companionship. It taught the kids that our priest is human, just like us. He teaches Hubby and I so much - not just spiritually, but also the differences in culture (he is from India). I think this summer will be more fun, as we have been told that our neighbor sold her house, so new neighbors will be moving-in in May.

Had a great time this evening walking with a friend. Hubby stayed home with the kids and mommy got some exercise and much needed time away from the house! I realize how lucky I am to have friends with the same faith, similar goals and thinking (as in raising children, saving money, not eating out frequently, etc).

We are looking forward to start tilling our garden - soon....very, very soon!

Time with my dad

Today I got to spend time with my dad. I love to - it reminds me of when I was little and we used to be able to spend time with each other.

It wasn't just us today - it was time spent with cousins and friends of the family too. We spent all morning cutting up the cow and lots of chatting around the table. The thing I like most about this time spent is the reminiscing - how things "used " to be - how things were done, what they "used" to do, etc. We STILL use the same exact recipe that my grandfather used to use to make our brats (that's why they're so yummy!).

As we were wrapping the meat, dad said he payed for it and I didn't have to worry about paying him back - thanks dad! :) When all was said and done, we ended up with half the cow - to the tune of about 110 pounds total (stew meat, a few packages of hamburger (for eating tonight and a package for our priest) and 60 pounds for snack sticks - half for us and half for dad). All I can say, is that God provides.

My thought for the day: God is showing us that he supplies for our needs.

May God richly bless you!

We are blessed

We are blessed. Truly we are.

God has given us a beautiful home, five wonderful children, 3 vehicles. Family that supports and loves us, wonderful neighbors, great friends.

Again, another "down cow" has been given to us. More meat for our already overflowing freezers (thanks mom and dad for storing the overflow for us!).

We are blessed to have our own home, when so many are losing theirs. We are blessed to have our vehicles, when many can't even afford one. We are blessed that my parents taught me to be a money manger, to save, to have an emergency fund (sorry Dave Ramsey, you were NOT the first to think of this, only the first to write a book about it!). Even though Hubby is not working every day (laid-off half the week, usually) we are blessed with the ability to make our payments, on time and in full - every month.

A quote from a favorite movie:
Titanic - Jack: Well, yes, ma'am, I do... I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.

Thanks for helping me count our blessings!!

Mass

The solidarity of my faith amazes me.

The world can be spinning out of control (or my life, or whatever) and no matter which Catholic church I walk into, it's the same. It doesn't change. No funky, new age stuff. No messing with the liturgy or bringing in new ideas. It's the same. Uniform. Classic. It's been that way since Christ established the church and will be that way until he comes home for it.

Amazing. Mass was amazing tonight. The feeling was amazing. The realization that so many people have sat and listened to the same mass for so many years - astonishing.

What do I love about my church? The pure history - tracing it right back to Christ - not to a man who founded it because he didn't like some other religion....amazing.

God is good!
Praise God!

Kids' stuff

Here's the low down on the kiddos:

NO SCHOOL today for them, so they went bowling with daddy while mommy stayed home with the baby.

Son went back to school yesterday - LOVING bowling for phy-ed. Feeling MUCH better.

Daughter #1 went to see the Dr. today and has strep too, argh - God grant me the ability to forgive the person who gave it to us (because right now, I would really like to call her and scream at her!)

Daughter #2 now has NO top front teeth - I pulled the second one out a few hours ago! :)

Hubby is off getting us Friday night fish and deep fried cheese curds - have I said recently that I love the man? Well, I DO!!

The results are in:

NOTHING major!! ((PRAISE GOD!!))

~no weird diseases, no more surgeries required, etc (no lactose intolerance, no Celiac's disease....and on and on)

~she DOES have increased acid reflux for a person her age and it goes on longer than normal. We will be "going old school" (in the doc's words) and trying a drug that they used to use years ago (which, truth-be-told, I like the old tried-n-trues better - less worry about side effects)


On other news - I am loving the new weight loss support group we have started. We'll know "official results" on Saturday (inches as well as weight) but as of this morning I am down THREE POUNDS from last week!! YAY! I think that it is highly motivating to have to be held accountable to someone other than yourself! I am back on SP tracking my caloric intake, so that always makes a difference too. AND I've taken in to God in prayer - if I can pray about everything else, why shouldn't I take it to the lord??!!

This-n-that

Things are going ok.

Son has strep, so he stayed home today.

None of the Daughters show any sign of it yet, thank goodness!

I stopped in at the dollar store yesterday to pick up some dishwasher soap and saw some girls' winter boots on the 70% off table - only $3 (only 2 pairs) - so I picked them both up. Imagine my surprise when they rang up as $1 PER PAIR!!! The cashier smiled and said, "hmm, must be 90% off now!" As I was leaving, she was checking prices on clothing.....so, I asked my mom to stop in there - yep, even the clothes are 90% off now! She picked up a $14 worth of clothes for the kids, but I think I'll be heading over there and seeing what else is left...80 cents for a new pair of pants?! AWESOME!!

I thought I was doing well with buying Gaucho pants for Daughter #1 (from Target, including shipping) 6 pair for $25....well, mom beat me this time! :)

Still waiting on a call for results from surgery.....biopsies and the Bravo Ph - hope to know more soon.

Sweet little 5 year old daughter wanted to make cut-out today - for Easter....um, yeah, but mommy knows they'll be gone before then! :) But we did, and she had a blast - now the older kids are all home from school and itching to frost them, ah, the calories!

Speaking of calories: my workouts are going great and calorie counting, well, not soo bad! The weight is coming off, I must just stay committed (and pray ALOT!!).

Oh yes, and I have off the rest of this week and next week for spring break! (thanks to a great instructor who gave us "work days" today and tomorrow!)

Surgery

Tomorrow is the day for surgeries, I guess. Daughter #1 has surgery AND my brother....although his is by choice (vasectomy).

Lots of prayers going up as friends and family have gathered around to support us.

Daughter got a few "good luck" phone calls today and took the whole "colon cleansing" really well. She took a book into the bathroom with her and stayed there for awhile - but kept a pleasant attitude most of the day. Her teacher sent her homework home and she finished it this morning - yes, two days of work in 1 morning - if I ever decided to homeschool - she would be EASY!! She was also a darling about eating only Jello and popsicles and drinking only clear fluids. She is indeed, a special child.

Everything else is going well....time to pack a bag.

Pray for us.

Power Points

Yep, busy with the power point presentations for school - three due - well, not until May, but hey, I like to be done EARLY - because I like to be first! LOL Besides, if I get done early, then I can give my presentation and be done and not worry about it!

Today counts down 3 days until Daughter #1's surgery. I am hoping that Hubby gets the day off. So far, he has been laid-off all week this week, so I can hope! It would make life much easier, to have him home.

The girls (and pup) and I took a walk to the library today. Daughter #4 walked ALL THE WAY there! Now, granted, it is only about 4 blocks, but she walked ALL THE WAY BACK too! Seeing as how she is only 19 months old, I am pretty impressed. Daughter #3 had to ride in the wagon - next time, the wagon stays at home!