Spring Break Recap

Well, now that we are FINALLY having Spring weather, I will finally post our Spring Break photos from way back in March!  :)

We chose a new destination this year:  Winter Park, Colorado.  Paul has a cousin who works as the PR person for the Winter Park Ski Resort, so he was able to give us free lift tickets for the whole family for as many days as we wanted!!!  That's what made the trip possible, and we were so grateful for this fun opportunity.  Thank you, cousin Steve! 

It was a looooonnnng road trip to get to Winter Park.  It took us 15 hours to get there due to a snow storm that slowed us down.  I think it took about 12 hours on the way home.  But, the kids did great in the car!  They have become terrific travelers, and all of us enjoy listening to good books on tape to pass the time quickly.  This time we listened to the book, "Unbroken," which we highly recommend.  What an inspirational story of perseverance, forgiveness, and miraculous conversion.

Once we arrived at Winter Park, we had a blast at the condo.  It was lovely, with lots of space and a wonderful rec center with a nice swimming pool, pool table, and work-out room.  One of the big bummers of the trip was that Dominic was not able to ski due to his recent bone infection that he was still recovering from.  But thankfully he had plenty of fun swimming, playing the iPad, and two days of snow-tubing instead of skiing! :)

On this trip, we decided to let our teenagers go off and explore on their own---which was hard for their worry-wort momma!  :}  They had a blast at the terrain parks and the double black diamond runs!  Crazy boys.  One lesson they learned was to always wear sunscreen, or at least a buff to cover their face, because they ended up with wicked sun and wind burns.  That was partially my fault, because I forgot that you can still get sun-burnt even when you're playing in the snow.  But I think they would say it was totally worth it :}

As for the little boys, they had fun learning to become better little skiers.  Natey did fantastic!  Last year I think he only skied once at our local ski hill, but this year he quickly graduated from the easy green runs to the tougher blue runs.  Isaiah was a different story...  This was Isaiah's first year on skies, and he spent most of his time laying in the snow, whining, and waiting for Paul to pick him up and carry him down the mountain :}  We should have put him in lessons.  Lesson-learned.  I'm guessing that next year will be much better.  I cannot believe that we now have our whole family in skis and that we can all be together on ski hills.  I dream of many fun skiing vacations ahead!  It's a new chapter for our family, and I like it :)

And now for the picture-story :)

Abundant blessings 

on your Spring and Summer!!!

Birthday Boy Michael!

Michael turned 15 on April 3rd---hard to believe, but easy to see when I look at him and listen to his much lower voice and see his feet that are bigger than his big brother's!  :)  He is not only a teenager, but now he is a young man.  He is a freshman in high school this year and doing great in school.  He had a couple of tough classes this year, but has persevered in getting all As and Bs, which is quite an accomplishment at his classical Catholic school.  We are proud of him.  However, we do have to remind him from time-to-time to smile and be more positive---it must be a teenage boy thing to be grumpy and "cool" all the time.  I don't get it, but I love him anyway.  He loves sunflower seeds, sweetened ice tea, potatoes with lots of sour cream, playing airsoft wars, checking sports scores on the computer as often as I'll let him, and all things baseball---playing baseball and also watching MLB baseball (Go Tigers, Go Miguel Cabrera!).  For his birthday, all he wanted was MLB.TV so that he could watch every single baseball game of the season.  He didn't even want a party.  He just wanted to watch baseball for his birthday because it was the opening week of the season.  Easiest birthday party I ever threw.  Crazy boy, but I love him anyway. :)

So What's the Big Deal About the Feast of Divine Mercy?

So, what's the big deal about Divine Mercy Sunday?  Well, for me personally it's a big deal because the message of Divine Mercy and praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy has had a major role in my spiritual life and in my marriage (but that's a long story that I'll save for another day perhaps).  And on a larger scale, this Feast Day and its message must have been a BIG deal to Jesus in order for him to appear numerous times to a humble nun from Poland and ask her repeatedly to share His words with the world.  Jesus explains to St. Faustina in great detail the date it is to be celebrated, the meaning of this feast day, and the comforting promises He attached to it.  Here are just some of the words Jesus Himself gave to Faustina when he appeared to her not too long ago (in the 1930s):

Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them ... the Feast of My mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice is near.  (Diary of St. Faustina #965)

My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary #699)

And did you know that you can get a plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday?

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1471)

Several years ago, Pope John Paul II instituted a plenary indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday. It’s important to note that the plenary indulgence is not the same thing as the special graces promised by God to Saint Faustina. But it is just another opportunity to detach ourselves from this world and to unite us ever closer to Him.

To receive the special graces promised to us by God on Mercy Sunday, you must receive Holy Communion on that day while in the state of grace (detached from sin) and with the trust in His Divine Mercy.

Plenary Indulgence On Divine Mercy Sunday

To receive the plenary indulgence, you must fulfill a number of conditions:

• Sacramental confession Within abut 20 days before or after
• Receive the Eucharist
• A prayer for the intentions of the Pope
• In any church or chapel take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament pray the Our Father and the Creed, adding a prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”)

You must be in the state of grace, at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. This means that you must not have committed a mortal sin without going to confession. For a plenary Indulgence, it is further required that all attachment to sin — including venial sin — be absent.

Indulgences can be applied either to yourself or to the souls of the deceased.  

And did you know that Jesus promised very special graces to those who even look upon the image of His Divine Mercy with devotion!?  Here are some of those promises straight from Our Savior's mouth that he spoke to St. Faustina:

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus I trust in You.  I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. The two rays denote Blood and Water.  The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. (Diary of St. Faustina #47 and #299)

I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary of St. Faustina #48)

I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature:  “Jesus, I trust in You." (Diary of St. Faustina #327)

By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls…(Diary of St. Faustina #742)

There are 2 main artists who painted the image:

 this one (above) was done by Hyla and is the more recent painting, 

and Eugene Kazimirowski did the original image (below). 

This painting is the "Original" painting done by the artist Eugene Kazimirowski in 1934.

It is said that when Faustina first saw the painting, she cried because it did not look nearly as beautiful as her beloved Savior looked when He appeared to her.

But who could ever capture the glory of God on canvas?

Aren't those promises AWESOME!?  ...Spared from hell, protected from God's just wrath, extra graces...  Guys and gals, it just doesn't get any better than that!  :)  

So, I hope you'll take Jesus at His word and take full advantage of the graces He is offering you this Sunday on the Feast of Divine Mercy, and also any day of the year by praying the Chaplet, looking upon the image of His Divine Mercy, thanking Jesus for His merciful love, and also sharing His message of mercy with others!

For more info:
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/
http://www.praymorenovenas.com/blog/divine-mercy-indulgence

Loooong Lent, Sweeeeet Easter

It has been a looong time since I have blogged, but I guess you could say that's because our family  had a looooong Lent that kinda turned our lives upside down.

In February, our 11-year old son Dominic was diagnosed with a bone infection (osteomyelitis) that resulted in a week long stay at the hospital, a month of heavy antibiotics, and a secondary infection (c-diff colitis).  The time in the hospital was very traumatic for Dominic...the pain, the narcotics, the withdrawal from the narcotics, the daily blood draws, the anxiety of not knowing how long he would be in the hospital or what would happen next...it all took its toll and I would have to say that we are all still recovering from the experience.  Please say a prayer for complete healing for our son because the journey isn't over yet, but at least we feel like we are on the right path towards health again.

Needless to say, it was a Lent we will never forget (even though we would like to).  But I trust and believe that God had a reason for all of it and we could truly see His goodness and blessings in the midst of the anxiety and pain.  I think Dominic will always treasure the kindness and gifts he received from people while in the hospital (especially the LEGO sets!), the memories of getting to watch the Olympics in a hospital bed, and the visit from Father Christopher who prayed over him and anointed him with oil.  As Scripture says, "God turns all things into good for those who love the Lord," so I have hope that much good will come from this difficult experience.

As I journeyed through the desert of Lent this year, I longed more than ever for the hope and joy of Easter to come.

AND INDEED IT FINALLY CAME!!!

It came with the reminder of Christ's victory over sin and death, and that one day we will be with Him in heaven because of His great sacrifice on the cross.  One day there will be no more tears or pain or bone infections or anxiety----only love and praise and joy!

It came with the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa who drove 12 hours to celebrate with us!

It came with my brother Jon's family visiting us from Portland for the first time.  How sweet it was to watch the cousins celebrate the joys of Easter together and simply to be with family!

It came with great food, great beer, and great wine (which were great indeed because we gave them up for Lent!) :)

And it came with LOTS of new SNOW!  Funny that it looked more like Christmas than Easter, but it sure was beautiful!

And now here are some beautiful pictures to highlight some of the sweetness of Easter:

Isaiah showing off to Grandma that he can READ!!!

Dominic giving us a cello and piano concert!

He is one talented boy!

I am eager to see how he will use his gifts and talents when he gets older.

Young and old, decorating eggs :)

Aunt Debbie and cousin Gwyneth concentrating hard on their masterpieces :)

Isaiah and Gwyneth making "eggcellent" Easter crafts

Me teaching the kids how to make Resurrection Rolls.

They turn out so delicious and help tell the Easter story to kids in a fun way!

My brother Jon, his wife Debbie, and their little girl Gwyneth 

taking a walk/ride around our property :)

Princess of the Mountain!

Debbie and Jon--what a beautiful couple,

what a delight to have them visit us!

Jon trying out our zip-line...and wondering what the weight limit is! :)

Jon giving Gwyneth a ride on the zip line.

What a brave and wonderful little girl!

Jon and Gwyneth riding the carousel!

Isaiah on the triceratops.

Natey reached the brass ring for the first time!!!

An ice cream snack at the carousel---yum!

Playing outside the carousel...cold but fun!

This is who I found first thing Easter morning.

At our house it's not an Easter bunny who brings treats, 

it's an Easter KITTY! :)

Debbie, Gwyneth, Jon, and Evan after Mass at the Cathedral

Our family after Mass at the Cathedral

Our family with Grandma and Grandpa at the Cathedral

Gwyneth happy with the shiny quarter she found in her Easter egg!

Evan and Isaiah showing each other their Easter treasures :)

Counting the Easter booty with Grandma and Grandpa watching the fun

The kids ready for the outdoor egg hunt in the snow!

Gwynneth asking the chickens where the eggs are hid :)

Looks like a chicken wants to steal an egg :)

A snowy and sweet Easter!

God is good!

From our home to yours,

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Belated New Year's Letter

(Here is our annual Christmas/New Year's letter for those of you who aren't on our family's mailing list.  It's very belated at this point, but it's the thought that counts, right? :)

                                

Our 2017 was filled with more blessings than the snowflakes that currently cover our property (there are over 2 feet of them!)—and we hope that yours was too!  This March will be the second year that we have lived in our home in Montana City, and I have to say that the “honeymoon phase” still has not worn off.  I continue to wake up most mornings with a heart overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of our home and land.  It is such a joy to watch our boys climb on big boulders, mountain bike around our trail, zip-line through our pine trees, and watch all the wild animals that visit us each day.  So far we have seen a mountain lion, a bobcat, mule and white-tail deer, bull and cow elk, marmots, some bear tracks, and too many bird varieties to list.  We had lots to be thankful for in 2017.  We had lots of challenges too (I probably shouldn’t list those!)J. But I try to remind myself that God is good, all the time. May we praise and trust Him both in good times and in bad!

Paul is still with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for the 11^th year.  He enjoys what he does and is now in a position where he teleworks from home, which is a great bonus.  I love it when he is able to come upstairs to refill his coffee cup and steal a kiss from me in the kitchen. J  This year he was asked to join the school board at our kids’ Catholic school, which was quite an honor, and he sure seems to enjoy helping the school prosper.  He helped design a new parking lot for the school and facilitated putting in new playground equipment this past summer.  Other hobbies he enjoyed this year were mountain biking, making chokecherry wine, and cutting firewood from our forest.  I like being married to a handsome lumber jack! J

Joseph is 16, a sophomore at St. Andrew Catholic School, and the highlight of his year was getting his driver’s license!  He is sure growing into a handsome and holy man, which really hit me this past summer when I saw him giving his brother Isaiah a ride on his shoulders while we were hiking at Glacier National Park.  I realized he only has a few summers left with our family, so I will try to treasure every minute of it.  His passions include:  baseball (especially pitching), violin, piano, downhill skiing (especially trick skiing in terrain parks, much to his mother’s dismay), mountain biking, 80s music, and drawing.

Michael is 14, a freshman at St. Andrew’s, and the highlight of his year was harvesting 2 deer during hunting season.  He loves being in the great outdoors—whether he has a rifle in his hand or a camera. He is growing like crazy, and even surpassed his older brother in shoe size.  His interests include:  downhill skiing, hunting, wildlife photography, 80s music, basketball, and baseball (especially playing short-stop).  Which reminds me that another big moment for Michael this past year was winning the city baseball tournament with his brother Joseph.  It was so special that they were able to be on the same team, which might not ever happen again, so I think it will be an unforgettable memory for them.

Dominic is 11, a 5^th grader at St. Andrew’s, and the highlight of his year was either going to grandma’s house or Glacier National Park over the summer.  Seeing mountain goats up close is pretty awesome, but so are grandma’s cookies! J  He also got one of the sweetest teachers on the planet this year, so that was a high-point for him.  His hobbies include:  LEGOs, video games, downhill skiing, sledding, card games, board games, cello, piano, and did I mention LEGOs? J

Nathanael is 7, a 1^st grader at St. Andrew’s, and he says the best part about his year was going to school and playing with his friends.  He is becoming a BIG BOY so fast!  This year he got BIG new front teeth and can read BIG chapter books—that’s BIG STUFF!  His BIG interests are:  LEGOs, Garfield books, sledding, video games, baseball, and just having fun with his brothers.

Isaiah is 4 and is doing preschool at home with mommy.  The highlight of his year was hiking like a champ at Glacier National Park!  This was the first year he didn’t hitch a ride in the backpack-carrier, which made daddy’s back happy and it also made Isaiah feel like such a big boy.  He sure is getting big…and smart too!  He likes to announce to people that he can count to 1000.  Next year he will start Kindergarten!  That means I will have no more kids at home during the day and I will have to decide what I want to be when I grow up! J

For now, though, I am very content being a chauffeur for my sons, spending time with my faith-filled friends, skiing, hiking, taking pictures, mountain biking, and blogging our family memories (www.atotustuusfamily.blogspot.com). In this New Year, I am also going to try to trust God more.  That may sound simple and silly, but I know it’s something God desires me to work on.  I’m really good at stressing out—I’m not so good at trusting God to work things out. L  I’ve been re-reading the Diary of St. Faustina, which is so inspiring. For those of you who have never heard of St. Faustina, she was a simple nun from Poland who Jesus appeared to in the 1930s numerous times and asked her to write down His words that He wanted the whole world to know. He tells her that one of the things He desires most from people is their trust in Him.  Allow me to paraphrase from St. Faustina’s diary a few ways we can trust Jesus more:

·        to trust that He loves us unconditionally—we don’t have to be perfect to please Him; He is pleased if we simply accept His love and mercy, and try to love Him however imperfectly in return! 

·        to trust that no sin of ours is greater than His mercy—he actually delights in forgiving us and never tires of it either!

·        to trust Him to take care of everything, believing that He will work all things towards our good, so we never have to be anxious about anything!

Jesus wanted the world to know this so much that he asked St. Faustina to have an image painted of Him with rays of love and mercy pouring from His heart with the words, “Jesus, I trust in You” at the bottom of the image.  May that become the daily motto for us all!  I’m sure it will lead us closer to Jesus, fill our hearts with peace, and greatly console His heart too!  May you be open to all the graces God wants to lavish upon you this year!  Please keep in touch and stop by if you’re ever in our neck of the woods.  Our door is always open!

 

Love through Jesus, our Savior, Healer, and Trustworthy Friend,

          ~Paul, Maria, Joseph, Michael, Dominic, Nathanael, and Isaiah

 “Tell all people, my daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself.  When a soul approaches me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.  I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: "Jesus, I trust in You." The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is — trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive.”

(Jesus’ words in the Diary of St. Faustina: paragraphs 1074, 327, and 1578)

Recent Messages from Our Lady of Medjugorje

January 25, 2018, Message to Marija

"Dear children! May this time be for you a time of prayer, so that the Holy Spirit, through prayer, may descend upon you and give you conversion. Open your hearts and read the Sacred Scripture, that through the testimonies you also may be closer to God. Above everything, little children, seek God and the things of God and leave earthly ones to the earth, because Satan is attracting you to the dust and sin. You are called to holiness and created for Heaven; therefore, seek Heaven and the things of Heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call."

February 02, 2018 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, you whom my Son loves, you whom I love with an immeasurable motherly love, do not permit for selfishness, for self love, to rule the world. Do not permit for love and goodness to be hidden. You who are loved, who have come to know the love of my Son, remember that to be loved means to love. My children, have faith. When you have faith you are happy and are spreading peace; your soul trembles with joy. My Son is in such a soul. When you are giving yourself for the faith, when you are giving yourself for love, when you are doing good to your neighbor, my Son smiles in your soul. Apostles of my love, I am turning to you as a mother. I am gathering you around myself and I desire to lead you on the way of love and faith, on the way which leads to the light of the world. I am here for the sake of love, for the sake of faith, because with my motherly blessing I desire to give you hope and strength on your way - because the way which leads to my Son is not easy. It is full of renunciation, giving, sacrifice, forgiveness and much, much love. But this way leads to peace and happiness. My children, do not believe lying voices which speak to you about false things, false glitter. You, my children, return to the Scripture. I am looking at you with immeasurable love, and through God's grace am making myself evident to you. My children, set out with me. May your soul tremble with joy. Thank you."