Feast of St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael, pray for us, especially for our little Michael.
Please protect him and help him to be fearless for the faith, just like you were and still are!

Happy Feast of St. Michael!!! I thought it would be fitting to put this adorable picture of our little "saint" Michael on the blog today to warm people's hearts. I know I'm a biased mother, but truly, it just doesn't get any cuter than this! :) If you look closely, he even has band-aids on his naked little thigh from immunizations that day, which seems fitting for his costume of the brave angel who cast Satan out of Heaven. This photo was taken 4 years ago when Michael was only 2. Michael found this costume in the toy box one day and decided to take all his clothes off to put it on. I was total unaware of what he was doing until he called for me at the top of the stairs. What a surprise! Of course, I told him to freeze while I ran to get the camera :) And I'm so glad I did because I get to look at this picture any time I want and it never ceases to make me smile.

The Saint Michael Prayer:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. And may God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

ABRAKADABRA!!!

Uncle Jon being Joseph's volunteer for a magical card trick.

"Hey Joseph, could you magically make Jon's side-burns disappear, please?"

"ABRAKADABRA!"

This week my brother Jon came to visit for an evening (in route to join "The Hunting Camp" with my husband, my dad, and my 2 other brothers the following morning). We packed a lot of food, fun, and magic into that short evening. Uncle Jon brought gifts for all the boys, which was a huge hit (I think gift-giving is Uncle Jon's love language...it must run in the family because that's definitely mine too) :) After the boys played with their new toys and talked non-stop to Uncle Jon, it was time for supper. I made a delicious Chicken Pesto Lasagna...however, as I was taking the tin foil off the top, one of the lasagna noodles stuck to the tin foil and fell to the bottom of the hot oven creating a nice smokey display. And then it was time for the real excitement: Joseph's Amazing Magic Show! He did a fine job, and truly did amaze us with a few of his tricks. And, boy, did he do a few tricks...24 to be exact. It was a 45 minute performance, and he certainly kept us entertained! I was hoping that for his last trick, he would magically make Uncle Jon's strange side-burns disappear and reapper on top of his head where his hair belongs :) Abrakadabra just couldn't cut it for that trick. Oh well, all of us love Uncle Jon just the way he is. Truly, he has a heart of gold and my boys think he hung the moon. I think he's pretty swell too; however, I still harbor some resentment from years and years of being tortured as his little sister :}

St. Padre Pio, Pray for Us!

This week the Church celebrated the Feast Day of one of my favorite saints: Padre Pio. His life truly is awe-inspiring and full of miracles. Below is a short excerpt of his biography:

Padre Pio is most well-known for receiving the wounds of Christ on his hands and feet, called the stigmata, which he received on September 20, 1918 after having a vision of Jesus shortly after Mass. He humbly and with tremendous pain bore the wounds for the remaining 50 years of his life. The blood from the stigmata had an odor described by many as similar to that of perfume or flowers. Padre Pio also had the unique ability to read the hearts and know the sins of the penitents who flocked to him for confession which he heard for ten or twelve hours per day. Padre Pio used the confessional to bring both sinners and devout souls closer to God; he would know just the right word of counsel or encouragement that was needed. For Padre Pio, faith was life: he willed everything and did everything in the light of faith. He was passionately devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. He would say: “In books we seek God, in prayer we find him. Prayer is the key which opens God's heart."

I also read a very touching, true story by a mother who experienced Padre Pio's miraculous intercession for her young daughter a few years ago. Click here to be inspired.

St. Padre Pio, pray for us!

Faith and Family

This is an old photo taken last Easter at the Cathedral, but I posted it because it sums up how I'm feeling at the moment: overwhelmingly thankful for my Catholic faith and my beautiful family. I love how the tabernacle is centered behind us because it reminds me to strive to keep Christ at the center of our family at all times.

Thank you, Lord, for my beautiful family and the beautiful Church you have established for us on earth. May I learn how to better love and serve them both.

Daddy Long Legs Data

Nary a week goes by when my boys don't enlighten me with some new piece of knowledge. Truth be told, they may be smarter than I am...but shhhhh, don't tell them that! This week they informed me that the Daddy Long Legs is NOT a spider! I told my boys that they didn't know what they were talking about. Then THEY told ME that the Daddy Long Legs can't be a spider because it has only one body segment rather than two, and only two eyes rather than eight. I still did not believe them, so I went online. Sure enough, they were right again. The Daddy Long Legs is truly not a spider, but simply another species in the arachnid family. Just as a butterfly is not a beetle, but they are both insects. I also learned (from the same website) that I had mistakenly told the boys months ago that the Daddy Long Legs is the most venomous spider in the world but thankfully its mouth is simply too small to bite a person. I thought I was so smart to reveal that amazing fact which I had learned when I was a kid. Turns out...it's an urban legend...completely false. Mommy is an idiot...but the kids haven't quite figured that out yet, so I'll try to continue the Einstein-act as long as they allow it. Probably won't be long.

Wild at Heart Husband

Here is my handsome husband, tranquil in the great outdoors and dreaming of shooting an elk this month


Here are my kids, loving the great outdoors and trying to catch bugs

Here's a visual image of how I feel while my husband is away on his hunting adventure :}

I'm missing my honey this week (as I will be next week and the week after too). He is away on a hunting expedition with a buddy from work (who, by the way, is a modern-day MacGyver, so that helps me feel good about his safety), along with my dad and my 3 brothers (I'm also thankful he gets along so well with my family). I think I understand as much as any woman, since I was raised in a house full of hunting men, that men need to get away and "be manly-men" sometimes. They are wired to be wild at heart and I respect that. I am truly thankful that my husband is able to put meat on the table and find genuine fulfillment in the great outdoors, and I really, really, really do hope that he gets an elk on this trip and has a great time...

But I have to honestly say I'm struggling today with some bitterness. Perhaps it's because I accidentally locked myself out of the house this week (and where was my knight in shining armor?...floating down the Missouri River scouting for elk), or perhaps it's because my kids have colds and have been a bit whiny (and where was my knight in shining armor?...bonding with his buddy in the tranquil great outdoors), or perhaps it's because I'm overwhelmed with all that needs to get done without my knight in shining armor here to rescue me at the end of the day. I really am trying to be joyful and to offer up my tiredness and moments of resentment. But please offer a prayer of joyful perseverance for me, and while you're at it, offer a prayer that my husband gets an elk ASAP so that he can come home sooner rather than later :) I'm sure my outlook will improve tremendously at the end of next week when my saintly mother is coming to rescue me for a few days. The moment she arrives, she has a way of making all stress disappear and replacing it with fun and productivity. She truly is amazing (those of you who know her know exactly what I'm talking about!), and I am thankful I have her visit to look forward to. See, I feel better already :)

Our Sweet Son Turns 8!!!

I can hardly believe that just 8 short years ago this little man was a tiny baby in my arms! I can still remember all the emotions, the sweet innocence of his face, the hope that this little soul would grow up to glorify God someday. I have a strong suspicion that he will. Our sweet Joseph is an extremely talented little man, with a huge heart that I think will touch many lives. Sorry to be all mushy... How about I talk about how excited he was when his daddy gave him the youth compound bow at his birthday party instead? :) Oh boy, if he isn't a boy after his daddy's own heart. He literally squealed with delight when Paul brought out the bow, and for the next hour he practiced over and over and over again how to pull the string back (which took every ounce of his strength and is probably only enough weight to stick a squirrel---not an elk). He also got an elk call as a gift from one of the kids at his party, so he thinks he's all set to go hunting with his daddy. I'm not sure who is more eager for that day to come, Paul or Joseph :) Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet Joseph (I'm going to have to stop calling him "sweet" if he's going to grow to be a mighty hunter, aren't I?) :) Your daddy and I love you with all our hearts, we treasure every memory of you, and we are so proud of the young man you are becoming. May you continue to grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

"Then Jesus went down to Nazareth with his parents and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Luke 2:51-52