Lent song for kids (and a review of Dogma Dogs)

 We bought this music CD a couple years ago, and just LOVE it!!  It takes the beauty of our faith and puts it to fun, great tunes for the kids to remember and sing to and dance to for years and years. 

**Right now, we can't get enough of the Lent song!  (see video below) 

**Two summers ago, a visiting seminarian at our church used The Trinity Song for our It's a Mystery: Trinity VBS.  It was such a good fit and became theme song for the week. 

**Have a child learning the Ten Commandments?  Then look no further - listen to The 10 Commandments of Mt. Sinai!!  (great for memorization)

**The Liturgy Song takes the liturgy of the Mass from the beginning to the end and explains it so beautifully! 

**And an all-time favorite in our house is Pharaoh, Pharaoh.  Once you hear it, you will know why it is a favorite.

**And many more songs that help you understand, learn, and teach our beautiful Catholic faith. 

++Thank you, God, for all the beautiful and fun opportunities you give us to learn and love our faith in You!!++

Have you had enough snow??

Are you in agreement with Miss Rose's cutsie shirt about snow?  Most likely, if you are from this area, I'd say most of you will let out a groan about now.  This winter has been very extreme indeed for our area.  Temps below zero and a snowstorm every other day has become the norm. Our kids' Cruce Signati class for homeschoolers was canceled this Monday - a cancellation in March due to snow - cRaZy, I know!!  And that was the second major snow we had in the month of March alone - the first one came on March 1st.  Will the snow and this winter ever end??  Yep, most of us have been questioning that.

I ask you now to look at that pretty baby now, who has JOY just radiating from her and read this beautiful reflection that a dear friend wrote and shared on Facebook yesterday...

♥I absolutely love the snow, what an excellent reminder of what mortifying our senses means to us during our Lenten journeys? To embrace those crosses the way Our Lord did. What a blessing that, while it may be cold outside, we have thousands of plow trucks paving the way that we may cautiously arrive at our destinations safely. That grocery stores are filled with enough food to keep our bodies nourished and that our homes provide us the heat that we may remain comfortable inside while we watch the beautiful snowflakes fall from the sky. May this Lent remind us that through these little sacrifices we make with a joyful heart, that the beautiful springs of life and our souls may be ever more appreciated♥ God Bless♥                    ~Teresa O.

Thank you so much to my dear friend, Teresa, and that beautiful sharing and for giving me permission to share it on my blog.   A good reminder to us all that God has allowed for this winter and He wants us to find Him and find JOY in it.

Thank

You

God

picture taken from Teresa's house

for the snow!!!!  

Wordless Wednesday post - Mardi Gras and lots of loot!!

"Take up your cross" - Lenten plans 2014

Tomorrow night, we will be celebrating and feasting at our church's Mardi Gras party (Shrove Tuesday), in preparation for our 40 days to die with our Lord.  So many opportunities to grow closer to him and unite our pains and sufferings to His.  I get SO excited because of the spiritual growth, both personally and as a family.  Here are some links that we will be using this year and also some plans that we've done in the past and will continue this year.

**Crown of Thorns - one of our favorite Lenten activities!!
tutorial and pictures found here

**Lenten devotionals
A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Therese of Lisieux
(will be read at breakfast)
Welcome Risen Jesus:  Lent and Easter Reflections for Families
(will be read at lunch)
Amon's Adventure:  A Family Story for Easter
(will be read as a family read-a-loud at bedtime)

**Jesus Tree banner and daily scripture reading

**Stations of the Cross - we'll set our posters around the house to pray as a family (with flashlights in our hands and all the lights turned out - totally sets the mood and the kids LOVE it!) and we'll also go to our church's Stations of the Cross on Wednesday (or when we can make it).  In the above picture, Max is holding a set of Stations with props that I created last year.  I'll try to create a post to share more about that later.


**Thinking about taking part in the Skirting Up Lent Challenge - although I only have a few longer skirts and a couple short skirts. I could do laundry a lot and find some good tights to keep me warm since we are not even close to spring-like weather.  Again, I'm thinking about it - I may even try to wear skirts 3-4 days each week??  That may be more doable!!  ;)

**Lenten audio retreat
audio retreat for each week during Lent - can't wait to start this!!  Maybe with hubby after kids are in bed??

**Busted Halo videos (Lent, Holy Week, Stations of the Cross)

**Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure - daily emails with videos and activities for your children

**Holy Thursday liturgical tea

**Good Friday liturgical tea

**I'm sure the young'uns will build some Lenten Lego's again.

And, as always, these are our plans.  Will we get to everything and finish it off successfully?  That would be nice, but like last year, every day is in God's hands and when things don't go our way, then there is more to offer up and unite with Him.

Other links and ideas....

66 Ideas of what to Give Up or Take Up for Lent 
Give Up, Take Up, Lift Up - good article from USCCB
An Introduction to Lent


++I adore you, O Christ, and I bless You, because by Your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world!!  ++

11 things we love about you

We love you, Mario!!

Happy 11th birthday!!

In celebration of you turning 11 today, we wanted to share with you, Mario, 11 things we love about you!!


#1 - your sweet, tender heart

#2 - how you are so easy to get along with

#3 - your artistic talent and drawing ability

#4 - how you love the outdoors

#5 - your glasses - to match both Mom and Dad

#6 - you are a mischievous little jokester and prankster

#7 - how you love and get along with all of your siblings so well - your 3 brothers and 3 sisters

#8 - you are a like fish in the water, a natural-born swimmer 

#9 - your sweet hugs

#10 - your positive attitude that you bring wherever you go

#11 -you are so easy-going and just roll with transition and stress and chaos as it is happening

++Loving God, you created all the people of the world and you know each of us by name. We thank you for "Mario", who celebrates his birthday today. Bless him with your love and friendship that he may grow in wisdom, knowledge, and grace. May he love his family always and be faithful to his friends. Amen. ++

Wordless Wednesday - silly girl cousins

Marian Consecration Day

Tonight was the celebration and Mass for our Marian consecration, on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.  I have been preparing myself the last 6 weeks using the 33 Days to Morning Glory study, digging into the wisdom of some amazing Marian spiritual giants...  St Loius de Montford, St Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa, and Blessed John Paul II.  What a wonderful study and journey it has been!!  I have prayed to Mary and taken her into my heart and our little domestic church quite some time ago, but it was really nice to make my devotion to her and consecration "official".  I couldn't ask for a better person to bring me closer to Jesus - His own mother!! 

Three prayers I took to heart and will keep with me forever....

what is the arrow on my white board pointing to, you may ask?  a beautiful picture of Mary, of course....

How blessed I was to celebrate and consecrate myself to Mary with all of these wonderful people....

And a sweet, talented momma made these cakes - an Immaculate Heart of Mary cake and a Sacred Heart of Jesus cake.  Aren't they beautiful????

 (Thanks, Stephanie, for making these for us!  Super special!!  How sweet of you!)

++O Mary, conceived without sin, 

pray for us who have recourse to thee.++