February Re-cap

There was some more illness in February (we're wondering if Kolbe has an allergy) plus Chris was gone for a business trip which generally equals tired, stressed mom, so I didn't get much blogging done.  But I did still document things in some photos, so here I am to write up a quick February re-cap so that we know years from now that we did in fact, survive it, and actually had a bit of fun as well.  ;) 

We did a lot of homeschooling....

The girls also worked on a special project for their great grandma.  

It was a journal full of Bible verses and sweet notes.  I wrote the Bible verses (a bunch of my favorites from over the years) and then they spent time coloring, decorating, drawing, and writing little notes for her to read.  

 

It was a lovely way to help them remember someone who doesn't get out much (or at all), spread love, and also work on learning some Bible verses themselves while they colored and decorated.  We all loved this project and grandma enjoys it too.  Win, win. 

 

I just loved this page from Kayla's nature journal.  

We read about squirrels so she drew some, but named them the names that she had given the squirrels that ran along the fence between our old neighbor's house and ours at the place we rented across town.  Sweet memories.  

We did a little hiking on a trail not too far from home.

 And we also watched a lot of Olympics.  The kids were especially interested in the bobsledding, figure skating, and snowboarding.  Elise developed a little girl crush on snowboarder Red Gerard and cheered and smiled every time he came on to do an event.






Daddy helped make it more read with some bobsledding action of his own.  The girls also spent a lot of time in socks racing around the hard wood floors pretending to speed skate as well as figure skate.

Watching those Olympics intensely

I just had to document these two little helpers who grabbed wipes and cleaned off Kolbe's chair for me one night.  

A few more state study meals...

 

Above is a Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich with brussel sprouts for a side.  

And this is also a Kentucky treat: Bourbon pecan derby pie. 

 

Kansas (on the left) was BBQ chicken (with potatoes and salad).  Louisiana was red beans and rice and shrimp and andouille grits. 

Maine was fresh blueberry pie.  

In other news, when Kolbe wasn't feeling awful and having digestive issues, he was often found wearing his big sisters boots.  He thought he was pretty cool stuff in them and loved stomping around.  

 

Kolbe kisses and snuggles

 

As mentioned, Chris has a business trip.  We missed him terribly.  I survived with a lot of prayer and a lot of tears (I really HATE when he is gone, so when he travels for work it's generally a time when my emotions are all over the place). 

           


            

This is video we sent to Chris one night to say goodnight when he had a work dinner (2 time zones ahead) and the kids had to go to bed before he was done.  It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.  

Kayla asked if she could make dinner rolls for dinner one evening.  I said yes.  She did most of it all on her own with just a little assistance to knead the dough and form it into the rolls.  Great job, big girl!

           

And just a couple silly Sophie videos to make you laugh because she is a big goofball.  

           

And that's February in a nutshell. 

Lent 2016--- Read, Pray, Play

I could tell you of all the grand plans I have for Lent this year because that's usually how I treat Lent.  It's like New Year's Resolutions except Bigger!  Better!  More spiritual!  And usually my Lent fizzles about 2 weeks in.  Some things die out after only a few days because I just. can't. even. 

So this year, I was all set to do probably that exact same game plan except in my mind it would be better because instead of like 20 things on my list I'd have only 15!  Most years, Chris and I have picked a couple things to do together as a couple.   So in my mind, we're already back up to like 17 things I really should be doing (at least that's what my brain keeps saying).  But , this year is different.  Here's why.  

Lent came early.  So early.  

I wasn't ready for it.  I just didn't have time to prepare my huge long list.  My little sister just got married at the end of January and all my siblings were out in CA for the wedding and I turned around and it was Mardi Gras.  Whaaaaaa?

So I get this invitation in Google Drive that Chris has shared a document with me.  It's a plan for Lent.  And it's simple.  Really stinking hard, but simple.  

***We usually sit and watch a show together in the evenings. *** 

Not during Lent. 

No shows.

Read more
 (individually--we both have some book lists we've been working on but never seem to get through...)  
Play more games.  Play guitar and sing together more. 

 Share more dreams and reminisce about the past. 

Not easy, but a trade.  A trade that is good for us. For US. 

***We usually sit and watch a show together in the evenings. ***

***And snack on something.***

Not during Lent.  

No snacks. 

Exercise together.  Laugh together.  

Not easy, but a trade.  A trade that is definitely good for us. 

***We usually sit and watch a show together in the evenings, snack on something, and chit chat a little about the day and often the frustrations. ***

Not during Lent. 

No negativity. 

Pray more.  

Love these workbook journals from Blessed Is She (still available as a digital download)

Take turns going to the Abbey for a night each week to spend some time in Adoration and go to Confession.   
DAILY thankfulness, a decade of the Rosary and a Station of the Cross each night as a family.  

(The Rosary and Stations books we've been using are these.  My mom purchased them for us)

Chris is also taking each of the girls on a one-on-one each week.
 He should get 2 dates with each of the three oldest during Lent.  He and Kayla are on their first one-on-one today--Can't wait to hear how their adventure goes!

So there you have it.  A Lent that I didn't plan (or rather OVERplan!).

And everything we are doing, we are accountable to and/or dependent on each other in order to make it happen.  I'm pretty grateful for my hubby right about now, because I think that this "encouraging each other path" that he has chosen this Lent is perfect.  It's not easy, but we are in it together. It's not complicated though.  It's just moving our schedules around and making time for different, more important things.  Together.  On our own.  Together.

What about you?  
I'd love to hear from you.
What prayers are you loving this Lent?  
What books are you reading?  
How are you slowing down some?
Share, share, share!

Life as a Prayer

Last week, I saw this post by Haley (Carrots for Michaelmas) about moms and prayer shared on Facebook.  The following quote really stood out to me (and no, it wasn't just because it was the first line and it was in bold-hehe).  "Sometimes I make the mistake of separating my spiritual life from my vocation as a wife and mother. I see my children as distractions from prayer and spirituality, rather than an opportunity to love God. "

That same week, I finally listened to this amazing Building Bridges Podcast featuring guest Mark Hart.  I cannot stress how amazing this podcast was for me.  The title is a little deceptive because suffering is only part of the conversation.  He also chats about prioritizing, PRAYER, marriage, and so much more!  

Additionally, I have been reading a book called Breathe- Creating space for God in a Hectic Life the past several weeks.  The basic premise of this book is about prioritizing your life and allowing yourself the freedom to say no to things that don't bring you closer to Christ.  That sometimes means saying no to GOOD things.  Because sometimes, we are doing things to "maintain an image" instead of because we love Christ and want to bring Him glory.  I know if I'm being honest, there are many times that I just say yes when people ask for help because "God would want me to because it's the nice, helpful thing to do".  And sometimes that means that I am stretched really thin at home and lash out at my husband and kids.  Every choice isn't between good and evil.  Some choices are between good and good, but you have to listen to the still small voice inside and do what God is asking of you.
 

   

It shouldn't be news to most of you that I am a perfectionist.  I like to do things, and I like to do them well.  Now there's nothing wrong with that, in and of itself, but words of affirmation is also one of my primary love languages.  This means I struggle all the time with doing the right things FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.  I thrive on people's affirmations and praises.  

So when I put on a party for my daughter's birthday, if people tell me that everything looks awesome and the food was great, I'm happy.  But I sometimes, forget that the reason for the party was not for me to feel awesome, needed, or helpful--it was to celebrate my daughter's life and to put a smile on her face and have fun creating.  Sometimes I am able to throw a party that is nicely put together, but my focus stays where it should on the celebration of life and on my daughter, and I enjoy the creative aspect as a side.   BUT sometimes, I get so carried away in the details being just so that I end up missing out on really participating in the party, because I'm running around taking care of everything.  I'm really trying to pray about how I go about things these days and making choices that fall into God's plan for my life, not feed an image.  

My plan to simplify really has a lot to do with putting priorities back in place.  I do pray.  I have always prayed.  But it's often shoved to the background because, well, did you read Haley's post?  Life is hectic with kids.  Who has time for a lot of quiet, alone time and daily Mass and adoration?  But in reading Haley's post and listening to that podcast, I'm realizing it's about understanding that my life is a prayer if I make it one.  It's about my heart and my attitude.  If I'm intentional, there are so many different, exciting, unique ways to center my life on Christ each day.  

Out of curiousity, I wrote down ways that I have tried, at various times, to pray throughout my day as a mom.  I was surprised at how many different ways I do pray, and thrilled to find that I could feasibly do most of them every single day.  WOW!

Here's my list:
**Please note that these are all things I do sporadically now.  It's my hope to be more intentional and make my life more of a prayer by using things I already do here and there on a more regular basis and "pray with my feet" more (as Haley put it.) ** 

My Favorite Ways to Pray:

Prayer Journal
(the girls and I have quiet time and do our own prayer journaling for 10-15 minutes after breakfast in the morning)

Gratitude Journal 

(sometimes, I do this through a less formal medium like a post on Instagram with Blessed Is She's #projectblessed hashtag, which is a fun way to get connected with other Christ-centered women as well and be encouraged!)

daily Mass
(I aim for 1 day a week with the girls)

Reflect on Saint quotes and/or Scripture
(I like to write verses/quotes on note cards and decorate them a little and put them around the house.  I switch them out and use old notecards as bookmarks or glue them into my prayer journal.  I also use dry erase markers to write verses on the mirrors sometimes).

Rosary
(I sometimes do it decade by decade as I have a chance throughout the day.  Sometimes I use these YouTube videos and pray while I do chores or even in the middle of the night when I'm nursing)

Praise and Worship
(Chris plays guitar, and we try to set aside Friday evenings for family praise and worship.  Additionally, I play my "Matt Maher" station on Pandora during the day and jam out while I'm cleaning or while the kids eat and of course, in the car!)

Offer it Up
(I try really hard-and often fail-to offer up doing chores I hate or keeping my mouth closed when I really want to say something as little sacrifices throughout my day.  I can almost hear my mom now, "Don't waste the suffering, Laura.".....

Prayer Places
(We have certain places/times that we often end up praying.  These include, but are not limited to:  before meals, before bed, in the car, when someone gets/needs a timeout, when we pass a Catholic church, when we hear a siren, etc. Obviously our bedtime routine with the kids is more drawn out and we say several prayers together and talk about what we're thankful for and pray for others, but a quick Our Father with the kid in the timeout corner, or a Hail Mary when we hear a siren etc. all help us lift our eyes to heaven throughout our day)

Daily readings
(I follow Blessed Is She on Facebook or you can find the devotions on the BIS website and they have the daily readings plus a little reflection.  On good days, I start my day off by going there.  I also have my Magnificat that I can use.

Go outside
(Seriously, it is incredible how getting outside and taking some time to enjoy God's creation can be so, so good for one's soul.  Whether I just step outside and take a few deep breaths or whether I am able to get outside for a run or a walk with the family, it is so peaceful.)

Family Consecration
(We fell out of routine with this when we moved, but we wrote a Family Consecration which I love, love, love!)

3-minute Retreat
(This is through the Loyola Press website, but I was introduced to it by my mom's group and it's a really nice way to take a quick pause in your day and regain your perspective and your peace.)

Chaplet of Divine Mercy
(I love the Chaplet, and after listening to Mark Hart on the podcast, I think I might set a 3 O'Clock Mercy Hour alarm and try my best to stop and do a quick chaplet each day at that time.)

Serving my family
(Every little aspect of the daily grind can all be a prayer as well if I do it with love and joy and for the glory of God!)

What are ways that you like to
  "pray without ceasing"
throughout your day??? 

I'd love to hear your ideas for keeping
 Christ at the center of your thoughts each day.


Check out more amazing posts about the power of prayer here.
#BISsisterhood

Triduum crafts and learning

Let's begin with Holy Thursday (how is that tomorrow already???)

For some ideas that we have done in the past including washing of the feet, the craft pictured below, and our meal plan, see my Holy Thursday blog post here

More fun meal ideas here at Catholicallyear.com

or her post here with ideas for all of Holy Week (so at this point, we've missed a few days, but the biggest are yet to come, so join in)

I am totally planning to do this Holy Week in Handprints that I saw on Catholicicing.com

She also has some Holy Week Notebooking Pages

Free download, baby!

And now Good Friday

I have a post full of some ideas that we have done in the past You can find it here!

It includes the crafts/activities pictured below plus more

Bread-with-toothpicks  Crown of Thorns

Good Friday cross

Easter cross

Good Friday Crosses (on Easter or on one of the days following Easter, we complete the Easter Crosses see post here pictured next to the Good Friday cross)

Good Friday cross poems

I am working on making some simple Stations of the Cross for Toddlers like this one I found on Pinterest

This is a really neat Story of the Passion Lunch from Catholicicing.com

This is a Good Friday project I found on Pinterest that I'd love to do with the girls.  A lovely silhouette of the three crosses with a painted sunset background. 

This pin is for crafts for all of Holy Week  with scriptures.  We are a bit behind, but could totally make it up with some concentrated effort during the Triduum

Have a blessed Triduum, friends!

An INTENTIONAL Lent

Intentional. I keep seeing that word.  I think perhaps it's supposed to be my "word for the year" because though I am always busy and I do get a lot of things done, at the end of the day, I still feel as though I didn't do much.  Some of that is normal because--KIDS!  If you have one (or two, or ten) you know what I mean.  Literally while you are cleaning up a mess, they are somehow making another.  If I had a nickel for the number of times that someone has spilled something on the floor that I JUST mopped up, we would be rich.  Still, I think even with all the kid messes, I would feel better at the end of each day if I had been more intentional with my time, more present in each moment.  

I think for me, the best way to start and end my day intentionally is to begin and end with prayer.  I plan to begin my day by reading the daily Mass readings and writing in my Blessed Is She Lenten Journal (which just arrived in the mail as I was typing this)

I. Am. Just. So. Excited.

While I'm talking about Blessed Is She, you should know that this is a link-up; the theme is LENT.  Every Thursday during Lent there will be one hosted here on Blessed Is She's website. Check out the details and the themes for each week and join in; there are tons of ways to share (via comments, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc) just use the hashtag #BISsisterhood 

Now on to ending my day.  The hubby and I read 33 Days to Morning Glory together and did the Marian consecration last year and loved it.  Ever since, I've been wanting to read Fr. Michael Gaitley's second do-it-yourself retreat book Consoling the Heart of Jesus.  I finally got a copy (thank you, Mom and Dad, for the birthday gift!) and we'll be reading this each night together.  

image from Catholic.com

And sometime during the day, I plan to be sure a daily Rosary is said (one of the mysteries with the little ones too!) and that I participate in The Best Lent Ever with Matthew Kelly.  I signed up (you can too, just follow that link) to get short videos sent to your inbox of Matthew Kelly explaining the genius of Catholicism.  Because I'm breastfeeding a little one, it's likely that the Rosary and Matthew Kelly's videos will be viewed each day during a nursing session.  

And after reading posts like this one over at The Fike Life and this one at Muffindome(see that word again!), I plan to make much better use of my time online.  I'm only going to check social media in the morning before kids are awake and after they go to bed.  So if you see me "liking" things and it's the middle of the day, by all means be a whistleblower, and call me on.  

I picked up this book for cheap as well with birthday money.  I'd like to try to read through it as well.

And we have been reading Bringing Home Lent with Mother Theresa by Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle for several years as a family at mealtime.  

I have a Pinterest board full of fun ideas for Lent and Easter, but I'll save those for another post. 

What are your plans for Lent this year?   

I asked a few friends about their plans, and here are some of my favorites.  

• visiting a nursing home (especially with kids!)
• writing a (handwritten) letter to someone each day
• a new mommy vowing not to complain about the lack of sleep
• using the Magnificat Lenten Companion
• travel to pilgrimage sites in Europe with the family (yeah this one isn't for everyone, but they are currently living in Europe, so....AWESOME!!)

Share, share, share!

And join the link-up or just visit and gather neat ideas!

Prayer Journaling for Kids

I mentioned in a previous post about how I enjoy prayer journaling. My daughter recently finding my journal and adding her own bit, gave me an idea that perhaps she would like to begin a prayer journal as well.

So here I am to share about our ideas for starting a prayer journal for young children.  My daughter is 5, so though she is just starting to read and write, she is limited in the number of words she knows off the top of her head.  Currently, her prayer journal is mostly pictures that she draws, but we have found ways to add other elements that she can use more and more as she grows and becomes more familiar with language.  And she loves it.

To start off, I grabbed a cheap spiral notebook for her to use.  She decorated the front with stickers and her name.

Yes, all we have in the way of stickers at the moment is Minnie, Hello Kitty, and Doc McStuffins...

I finally found a use for the holy cards, bookmarks, etc that come in the mail from all the lovely Catholic organizations asking for money.  I save them for Kayla to put in her prayer journal now.  

She loves the pictures that remind her of holy saints and Jesus, and sometimes she uses them to look at and draw her own version.  Some of them have little prayers on them as well, which she glues in and she'll bring me the journal at various points in the day to pray some of them.  

The next tool I made to aid her in prayer journaling is a Word Book. 

Ta-da!

Inside I have a section for each letter of the alphabet and I wrote a bunch of sight words as well as the names of some of her favorite saints and words that often relate to prayer and the Bible (i.e. grace, pray, sing, love, light etc...)

She is pretty good at being able to sound out a lot of words, but obviously the Word Book still requires some assistance from me at this point.  If she wants to write "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord..." she can pretty much always find the right letter for each word, but sometimes needs some assistance finding the word under that letter category.   Eventually this book will give her the ability to prayer journal pretty much entirely on her own and add new words as she grows and learns more and more.  And of course, her sisters can use it as well when the time comes.  

And just for fun, here are some examples of a few pages from her prayer journal.  I love that she loves praying decades of the rosary with us as a family, saying prayers at bedtime together, learning our new family consecration, singing her own little songs to Jesus, and memorizing scriptures, but I am thrilled to see how prayer journaling has given her a whole new way to pray and relate to Jesus on a more personal, individual level that is unique to her.  

 

On the left is a picture she drew of Jesus and the right is part of a scripture verse that she memorized and loves.

And this one is Mary

I love this page where she wrote a bunch of prayers to some of our favorite saints asking them to pray for our family.  

Little hearts are so beautiful and pure.  I hope and pray that she always stays this close to Jesus.