Holy Thursday - 2014

Today begins the Holy Triduum in our Church!  It is one of my favorite Masses of the whole year. Fone and Mario served Mass and our family was asked to take up the gifts following the dressing of the altar and the presentation of the holy oils.  Super special night!!!

Before Mass, we fed our hungry crew a Holy Thursday themed meal, almost identical to the meal we have done for the last two years.  It's so sweet how the kids look forward to and remember and talk about these special traditions throughout the year.

Here was our menu...

**Hearts of Palm**

(we had salad - one plain and one Caesar, since palms are green plants too and we need a veggie)

**Costly Oil**

(plain ole olive oil - we sprinkled on some parmesan and crushed pepper for a yummy dip for the bread)

**Thirty Pieces of Silver**

(30 Ritz crackers)

**Unleavened Bread**

(skinny bread - went great with the olive oil dip)

**Mount of Olives**

(black olives)

**Cock Crows Twice**

(chicken pot pies)

**Gethsemane Figs**

(Fig Newtons)

**Judas' Kisses**

(Hershey's kisses with green wrappers)

**Clouds of Heaven**

(Cool Whip to go with the fig newtons)

**Peter's Tears**

(Altoid mints - they are so strong, they can bring tears to your eyes)

Here is our celebration for 2012.  And as always, a HUGE thanks to Jessica for sharing the idea of this tea to begin with - what a wonderful inspiration she is to me!!!

++Thank you, God, for ideas like this themed tea to help remember and understand all about the sacrifice of Your Son and His great love for us.++  

A trip to celebrate...

...Ariel's First Holy Communion!!!  

Ariel received Jesus in her First Holy Communion back in December.  And, like we did for the oldest three, we took her out on a little trip away for a couple nights to celebrate the new life of Jesus in her and to also give her that special one-on-one time (although little Rose was a tag-a-long since she is not quite ready to leave Mom and Dad at night).  We were able to split the rest of the kids up and they stayed the night at both sets of grandparents (thanks, Mom/Dad and Jean/Ken!!!).  And, Neil and I, and Ariel and Rose headed down for St. Louis....


The first night, we only had a couple hours, so we took Ariel out to an arcade for a little fun with playing games and winning prizes....

 Goodness - that girl can jump, huh??  

The next day, we spent almost the whole day at the St. Louis Science Center , back to the hotel for some swimming, and then a little shopping at the Galleria mall...

 Ariel was a tad nervous (see above) about the Dinosaur Exhibit, but after she found out that it was not scary, real-looking dinosaurs but playing with the robots instead, she was happy as a clam (see the last last dinosaur pictures and her goofey pose below....)

And for the last day, we spent the first part visiting Our Lady of Snows Shrine and then driving home.  The shrine is such a special place and we went to Mass, spent time at the playground, visiting the devotional areas and eating lunch there as well.  I have to add - their lunch buffet of salad/soup is *the* best buffet of that type!!!  Eight homemade soups and a huge salad bar!!!  If you ever visit the Shrine, do not forget to eat there too!!!

 Isn't there just something so precious with a baby in a bonnet, not to mention her adorable smile!!

 Gotta love that smile!!!

++Thank you, God, for the gift of the Eucharist and for sending your Son to live in Ariel so beautifully and brightly, and for the one-on-one time you gave us with her in this special trip++

Piano Recital 2014

A couple Saturday's ago, the kids performed in a piano recital with all the students of their piano teacher.  It was such a beautiful (and packed - standing room only!!) event - and we are super proud of our kids of their performances and how hard they have been working on their songs.  We are at 7 years straight of piano lessons and are so grateful to give our children this opportunity. (Mario switched over to guitar in late summer and is doing wonderful too, and I know a lot of that has to do with the training he had in piano first.)

Here are the Young crew performances from this year....

~~Max~~

~~Ariel~~

~~Melody~~

~~Fone~~

++St. Cecilia, please pray for and continue to intercede for our own little band of Young musicians.++

NOT an April Fool's joke....

I promise you!!  

I was one of those "naughty" people who claimed on Facebook that I was pregnant with twins on this day last year.  

I thought I'd better redeem myself this year....

EDD:  

November 9th, 2014 

(our little Rose's second birthday, actually!)

Will be closer to:  

the first week of October though (5 weeks early)

Prayers needed: 

This will be my eighth c-section.  I was breaking records with little Rose's delivery at our hospital but God decided that we should have another one.  It is all part of His perfect plan.  We know and trust that.  We will most definitely need another miracle, and we hope you will lift our beautiful baby and myself up in prayer along this journey, and most especially when the time comes closer to delivery.  Specifically, please pray for "a uterus of steel and healthy tissue".  I would greatly appreciate it if you spread the word with this prayer request as well - we need ALL the prayers we can get.  Thanks bunches!! 

And, as shown in the JOY our children shared with us about this beautiful, wonderful, amazing news, we can all use a little reminder....

"The greatest gift you can give your 

child is another sibling."

-Pope John Paul II

++Thank you, God, for this baby, whom we already love so much!!  We know and believe and trust in Your perfect plan!++