Over the weekend...

We had a very busy and fruitful past weekend...lots of events that reminded us to be thankful for our lives and for the gifts of faith, hope, and charity.

1) Sorrowing over the loss of the those in CT, especially the little ones. Tears flowed easily on Friday. I can't imagine what the parents are going through...having those little beds empty at night, silent playrooms, little clothes and accessories unused...hard reminders, especially so near Christmas. Praying that our Blessed Mother wraps these suffering parents and families within her comforting arms and teaches them to offer their sorrow to our Lord. I have faith that these precious ones will be having a heavenly Christmas.
♥ Charlotte ♥ Daniel ♥ Olivia ♥ Josephine ♥ Ana ♥ Dylan ♥ Madeleine ♥ Catherine ♥ Chase ♥ Jesse ♥ James ♥ Grace♥ Emilie ♥ Jack ♥ Noah ♥ Caroline ♥ Jessica ♥ Avielle ♥ Benjamin ♥ Allison ♥

"May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."  Psalm 126:5-6

2) Friday morning, I met my RCIA candidate for morning Mass, then had her over to breakfast and a chat to get to know her better. What a story she has, and a painful journey to find truth. Reminded me to give thanks for the protective environment in which I was raised and for the protection of our Lord. We could have all struggled along similar paths if it were not for His grace and mercy. Candice is truly a testimony to the greatness of God's forgiveness and the beauty of hope - she herself has forgiven much and is completely at peace.

3)

Friday evening we commenced our first 'Young Married's' group at St. Mark's. 3 other couples joined us for prayer, dinner and fruitful discussion. It was encouraging to see one couple who is coming back to the Church be so excited over the tenets of our faith and thirsting for a more fruitful life. Thankful to be able to do what little we can to help educate people's minds and change hearts.

4) Saturday morning we put up our Christmas tree, which had been patiently resting in its bucket outside since Thanksgiving. :) This is a very different style tree than we have had in past years (we are used to the big bushy shapes) but I love our little forest tree and think it is perfect for our living room.

Michael has enjoyed seeing Christmas lights while we drive about, and so I think he was fascinated to see some in his play area.

After giving the tree a few timid touches, he has been happy to leave it alone.

We did listen to a little Christmas music while decorating. I think we shall make this a tradition for the third weekend of Advent. Gaudete! 

5) On Sunday we hosted a small thank-you party for the volunteer catechists. It was nice to get to know them a little better and have a mini evaluation of how the first semester of catechesis went for everyone. It is good to hear their excitement about the curriculum and share the progress of our little students. Sounds like everyone is looking forward to a little holiday break.

6) My sister Catherine came up for a little visit Sun-Tues. Michael loves seeing his auntie and gave her lots of kisses. We had a nice time chatting and doing some Christmas shopping. Didn't get any pictures though!

7) I finally contracted a cold and have been vigilantly fighting it off with echinacea and Vit. C and feel better, but it has passed on to Michael, so I plan to keep my treatments up in the hopes of transferring them through my breast milk. Hope we are all feeling better for Christmas.

This week shall be filled with baking, wrapping, gifting, penning Christmas cards, and working on music (did I mention I joined the church choir?) Along with prayerfully waiting in joyful anticipation of His birth! 

"O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!"

1st Advent weekend.

We had a lovely first weekend of Advent, and tried to do some things to move our hearts into a right direction of preparation and thoughtfulness for others. 

1) Winter and Christmas themes are definitely forefront in my mind...we've been on the lookout for a heavy dress coat for Andrew, and found a in-perfect-condition JoS. A. Banks wool coat at an antique store for $40 (normally in the $200 range.)

I picked up a few treasures too....

2 bits I put together for $3! (These cranberry wreaths go for $16-20 at a craft store.) Thrifting is the way to go sometimes most times! I enjoy the challenge of being responsible with the funds God allots us, while at the same time fulfilling our needs and finding ways to keep our home a lovely and useful place. My sentiment parallels this thought of the wise G.K. Chesterton...

"Thrift is the really romantic thing; economy is more romantic than extravagance...thrift is poetic because it is creative; waste is un-poetic because it is waste...if a man could undertake to make use of all the things in his dustbin, he would be a broader genius than Shakespeare."  

Love it. :)

2) Friday night, we had a young couple from church over for dinner. They are the proud parents of a beautiful newborn girl...it was cute to see Michael be concerned when he heard her cry and he tried to initiate conversation with her - will have to get pictures next time! I'm feeling blessed by the caliber of new friends we are making; so nice to be able to share spiritual and parenting thoughts, and have wonderful options for play dates for Michael.

3) Saturday morning we attended Mass for 1st Saturday, then joined the respect life group for a prayer vigil in front of Planned Parenthood. Michael slept in the carrier for the majority of the time; I was thankful to be able to bring my child to witness to life, but prayerfully protesting abortion is a completely different ball game once one is a mother - quite emotional. We received more positive honks and thumbs-up vs. negative shouts, which is encouraging. This is an activity we feel called to participate regularly in, especially as a young family.

4) On Sunday I put the finishing touches on our Advent wreath, a different one than the one of past years. I have wanted to have a live evergreen wreath for some time now, and our new living location does not disappoint in variety and abundance of winter greens! I gathered 3 types of evergreen from our lane in addition to some holly, and used a plate as a base for my candle ring and greens.

This year, I added an additional Advent candle; this to symbolize He who is the Light to the world. Our beautiful Jesse Tree from Mom was hung in a prominent place in the kitchen.

Little man watched the preparations with interest. Although we have our tree, we are holding off on putting it up, at least until Gaudete Sunday. I will slowly unpack Christmas decor for display throughout the next few weeks. I think adding a little bit here and there will help contribute to the expectant character of this Advent season, and keep me focused on meditating on its mysteries. 

5) This Sunday also marked the Rite of Acceptance for catecheums at our parish. Andrew was in need of sponsors for some of his RCIA group, and so I volunteered. I was able to meet my assigned candidate, Candice, at Mass and stand behind her in support of her wonderful journey into the Church. I'm looking forward to sharing our faith with her and praying for her. If you remember, keep her in her prayers, thanks!

6) Time was also spent this weekend organizing the house, mainly the master bedroom. It is still a work in progress but this part is especially exciting for me. The computer was moved to a smaller desk...

...leaving the large desk free for a craft table!! A shelf found in the garage sufficed to hold supplies, and I am in business.

It is nice to have room to spread out and work on Christmas gifts for my God-children. On a cute, tiny machine that belonged to my Nana. With multiple Skype calls to my mother. The sewing machine world is pretty new to me! :)

7) I love this season, this time of hopeful waiting for Him, minus the complete focus on materialism, with which most of the world seems to be intent on entrapping our spirits. Maybe it just seems more "in your face" here in a bigger city. We hope to combat this mentality with daily Mass, adoration, learning some new Advent hymns, celebrating special feast days that occur throughout December, and reading Advent-themed material. However, we have agreed to go enjoy the holiday sights and festivities around the city, and I have been searching the web for different options. A lot happens around the Seattle area at this time, and I'm looking forward to having some fun family time and introducing Michael to Christmas lights. 

I appreciate these remarks by our Holy Father - 

"Expectation and awaiting represent a dimension that touches our entire individual, family and social existence...We could say that man is alive so long as he expects, so long as hope remains alive in his heart...In this time of preparation for Christmas, each of us may ask ourselves; what do I expect?...This same question can be posed at the level of the family, the community, the nation." 

Pope Benedict continued by pointing out that Mary and Joseph were the humble unexpected parents of the Messiah, and a babe born in a manger was the unexpected dwelling place of a King. This reminded me that many of us do not appreciate or recognize what God is doing in our lives, because it is not the picture we imagine. It is not what we expect. A good meditation to assist us in remembering that "God's ways are not our ways" and that we need to imitate the example of the Holy parents of our Lord who waited in joyful hope and expectancy for the revelation of God's plan. Our world may be in turmoil, our communities in strife, our families in division, but as long as we wait on the Lord and trust in His timing and purpose, He will "make known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and on earth." (Ephesians 1:9-10)

Wishing you all a very blessed and fruitful Advent! 

Weekend 7's in pictures.

1) Well, the rainy days have arrived upon the Seattle area; we've found that we really don't mind it and are learning that we can find moments in between the rain to get outdoors for some fun and fresh air. Trips to the library are perfect "outings" for rainy days, and so this weekend we picked up a couple special interest books.

2) On Saturday we braved the drizzle and visited Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park, a small city-owned animal farm.

Michael enjoyed checking out the goats

 ...and the chickens.

 I want a chicken coop like this some day!

3) From the kitchen - the cold wet weather called for soup so I made it twice this weekend.

Chicken, rice and peas in beef broth seasoned with cumin.

Creamy tomato - adapted from this one.

And...applesauce cake for Sunday morning (and as proof that we do go off the Paleo bandwagon now and again :)

4) Adventures in eating for Michael...cucumber, chicken, and banana.

 Someone knows how to escape from his seat when he is finished...

 5) A bath followed. A few weeks ago, Michael graduated from the baby tub to the sit-up tub.

Look at this big boy!

6) Sunday was cloudy, but rain-free so we headed to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in the Ballard district. I had been there a few times as a child, and Andrew had never seen a locks system, so it was a good choice. (Pictures will be in following post.)

7) It's been a weekend of trusting, of being thankful for the blessings we have and remembering many are not as fortunate. I listened to this talk by Fr. Benedict Groeschel which helped put things into perspective for me and his simple, truthful humor made me smile; something so timely that God sent my way. We can always live with less then we have. This too was good food for thought as I navigate the sacrament of marriage - wait patiently, God redeems, let love win, learn to let it be - simple phrases that we all need to be reminded of. Remember not to direct anger inward, as it will lead to resentment, wallowing in self-pity, or depression. (No, we didn't have a fight. :) Thankful for each and every lesson, no matter how hard or painful, that He sends; always much work to be done in me!

"Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures - I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul: I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father."
Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Weekend elements.

1) Voted. For life. Plain and simple.

Peace reigns knowing that it is in His hands. Sometimes good is worked more efficiently and effectively through bad.
"Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants." Mother Teresa

2) Fall weather hit us hard this past week. Grey skies, wind, rain. However, there were sunny reprieves at some point almost every day, so not bad, although I don't mind the rain. The cold temps have been the most shocking to our still FL-spoiled systems. But hey, mid-40's is cold, folks.

I haven't worn nylons in so long. This weather caused me to break out an old old pair; I foresee new ones of different patterns and colors for me in the future. With boots. Delighted about the cold weather. Except the fact of jean or pants. Not so much just yet...

Funny, the things I've found sprouting up in this untamed garden section in the front lawn area (which we do plan on cleaning up before winter)...

...herbs, lobellia, a snapdragon, irises, some kind of onion, and I just noticed this simple autumnal beauty. I may replant it in a pot to place next to the front porch pumpkins. 

3) Michael has been loving his new tag blanket made by Nana. I had been telling her of his fascination with tags; looking at them, pulling at them, feeling the texture between his fingers, and of course chewing on them, and so she proceeded to make this for him:

Apparently this is a popular item among the wee folk; now I see why.

4) Thrifted treasures lately: love when I find just what I have been wanting at a much lower price!

Flower press for the abundance of NW wildflowers to be found nearby, wooden Christmas tree garland, sewing hoops for both practical use and decor, wooden child's rosary, hand-less teacups for little chubby hands, Berta Hummel sketches, and always always, children's books. :)

5) The afore-mentioned cold weather has encouraged more time indoors, and the fall crafting I accomplished, motivated me to pull out my craft bin in seriousness. A Christmas angel cross-stitch needs completion. There is a new nephew/niece on the way, and Michael could use another hat and warm booties, so I've started something on the knitting needles. I haven't knitted since I was 10 or 11 when my grandmother briefly taught me, but an easy baby pattern with the basic knit/purl stitches caught my eye, and it seems my fingers easily remember those. We shall see if the end results leave a desire for more yarn work; there are such cute knitted patterns for babies out there, and I would love to have the ability to quickly create a little something handmade for new babies of friends/acquaintances.

6) Sunday was a busy day, with Mass and CCD teaching, and then a quick stop over to a family's for one of their 7 children's birthdays. Michael got lots of attention from children and adults alike, and it was nice for us to spend time with folks from our parish; met another nice young couple too. After that we headed down south for dinner at some other friends' to celebrate their purchase of a new home. I brought dessert; pumpkin shortcake bars and brownies. In my mind, just what a perfect Sunday should consist of - our Lord, the faith, friends, fellowship and good food!

7) Sunday also marked the day of new saints entering the Church's professed category of saints. One in particular we had learned much about growing up. A native of the America's, Kateri Tekakwitha was scarred by smallpox as a young girl, leaving her partially blind. She became a Christian despite the taunts and rejection bestowed to her by her people. Kateri then led a life of virginity, prayer, penitential practices and service to those who were less fortunate than her. Due to her poor health, she died at age 24, and upon death, her disfigured face was miraculously restored and made beautiful. Bishop Hubbard of Albany, N.Y, had this to say about her:

"In this day and age, when the pleasure-principle so dominates our society, and when people spend all kinds of time, effort and energy to remove the Cross from Christianity and to escape the sometimes harsh realities and responsibilities of mature Christian living, Kateri Tekakwitha stands as an heroic example of how to integrate the mystery of the Cross with the mystery of the Resurrection in a way that gives honor and glory to God and that ensures loving service to His people."

So excited to have more women from the USA be proclaimed saints; very relative and encouraging to us American women. St. Kateri, pray for us!