School Blues?

Today was the 1st day of school for the three older boys, and there was not a blue face in the bunch (only blue shirts).  Dominic was the most excited and was out of bed, hopping down the steps for breakfast at 6:26am (which is unheard of for him...typically he's my sleep-in kid). He was very proud to take his new Helena Brewers backpack, but most of all, he was beaming to be a big school boy like his big brothers.  This mommy was beaming to see them so happy and to know that they are going to a school that shapes not only their minds, but also their souls towards their Savior.

 

Aren't they handsome?

 

 

 

 

Hopefully they will act like perfect gentlemen at school like they always do at home...ha! :)

 

 

I will be prayng for their teachers.

 

Countdown to School



 

School starts this week, so we have been trying to fill the remainding days of summer with all the fun and sun as possible.  Here is a collage of photos from our last day at the beach.  The boys had a blast catching crawdads, digging trenches in the sand, fishing with their friend Alex, throwing rocks in the water, and swimming.  We had a very fun-filled summer, but I can tell the three older boys are eager for school to begin.  Joseph and Michael are ready to play with their classmates again, and Dominic is biting at the bit to start Kindergarten with Mrs. Ahmann (whom he adores...she's a family friend of ours).  It will be very strange for me to have only one little boy at home this year...CRAZY!

 

 



Planks and Pre-Registration

Last week our church had their Vacation Bible School program.  I didn't pre-register my kids for VBS because we were still debating on camping that week, and honestly, I didn't know if I wanted the commitment of running them back and forth every day.  But, after Paul and I discussed it over the weekend, he encouraged me to send the boys---if it wasn't too late to sign them up. 

So, Monday morning (VBS was starting that afternoon) I called the church office and asked if it was too late to sign my boys up.  The secretary said, "No, just come a little early so you can fill out the paperwork."  I was relieved and arrived over a half an hour early to register the boys.  The teenager running the sign-in table greeted me coldly:  "Oh, you're not pre-registered?  Sorry, your kids can't come."  I was a bit stunned.   I kindly explained that I was told this morning that my kids could come.  The flustered teenager found her mother who was the VBS coordinator.  Her mother explained (also a bit coldly) that since I failed to pre-register, the boys could not start today, but they could come back and start tomorrow.  "OK," I replied, as cheery as I could muster and tried to explain the situation to the boys while I was filling out the paperwork.  Dominic was especially troubled.  "But why can't we start today, mom?"  "Well, son, mommy made a mistake and didn't sign you up for VBS last week."  Although I explained things calmly to the boys, inside I was ticked.  I guess I thought the purpose of VBS is to share the gospel, to share God's love with children???  I didn't realize we needed to pre-register to receive the gospel...  I thought the gospel clearly said Jesus' love was free at anytime for anyone?   All day long I stewed over this.  I was even tempted not to send my boys at all, until I humbly realized how I was focusing on the speck in the other person's eye and refusing to see the plank in my own.  First of all, yes, I did fail to follow directions...  I failed to pre-register.  Pre-registration makes it easier for the coordinator to make name tags, organize crafts, snacks, and games, etc.  Secondly, yes, I was treated a bit un-Jesus-like, but I am still called to respond like Jesus.  Which I didn't.  I was judgmental and unforgiving and sarcastic.  I was also reminded how often I make the same mistake that the VBS folks made. How often to I expect people to "pre-register" in my life? If a friend asks me last-minute to babysit so that she can go to an appointment, do I graciously say yes even though it's inconvenient, or do I say no because she didn't give forewarning? Do I invite people over for supper to share a meal and the love of Christ, or do I make excuses and rarely have friends over for supper because my house isn't pristine, my cooking is marginal, and my kids might act imperfect? Do I expect my husband to call even if he's going to be two minutes late from work, or do I lovingly kiss him at the door no matter how late he is or if he failed to call? The list could go on and on... What a good reminder to me to always put on the love of Christ every morning so that I am ready in any circumstance to be His light to all I meet, pre-registered or not! :)

So, long story short...  I did send my kids the following day.  And they loved it.  And they did learn about the Gospel and Jesus' love.  But I think mommy learned the most of all.  ;}

Feast of the Assumption (republished) :}

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of my favorite feast days!  We will be attending Mass today at noon, and our Joseph gets the special priveledge this year of being an altar server for this great feast day honoring Our Lady.  I didn't have time to write any new, profound theological thoughts on this often misunderstand dogma concerning the Blessed Mother, so I just dug up this post from the archives for folks to ponder and hopefully be inspired by... :}

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption. The dogma of Mary being taken body and soul into heaven is one commonly disputed among Catholics and Protestants today, but not one that was ever really disputed within the Catholic Church since the very beginning. The history of the Church tells us that nearly all theologians embraced this event as truth even before it was pronounced a doctrine. I think the reason it is so hard for many to accept this dogma today is that it is not clearly found in Scripture, and we have become such a "chapter and verse" kind of people. But can our God and His ways only be contained in a book? I think not. It is my opinion that theologians in the earliest Church had a more profound understanding and respect for who Mary was and what her role was in salvation history due to oral traditions and customs originating from the time of the apostles (many of whom are said to have witnessed this miraculous event). I believe Mary was and is "full of grace," spared from sin in order to be the very Mother of God who was chosen to bring our Savior into this world. So how fitting for our God to choose to raise His chosen Mother body and soul to be with Him in Heaven. God can do anything, so why would we doubt this event? After all, Mary wasn't the first or only person he raised in such a way (wasn't Elijah the great prophet taken up to heaven in a similar fashion too? My Old Testament knowledge is rusty, so perhaps there are even more examples of this).

Anyway, for further thought on this special feast, here is an excerpt from the AmericanCatholic.org website that I thought was very interesting:

On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith: “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.” The pope proclaimed this dogma only after a broad consultation of bishops, theologians and laity. There were few dissenting voices. What the pope solemnly declared was already a common belief in the Catholic Church.

We find homilies on the Assumption going back to the sixth century. In following centuries the Eastern Churches held steadily to the doctrine, but some authors in the West were hesitant. However, by the 13th century there was universal agreement. The feast was celebrated under various names (Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, Assumption) from at least the fifth or sixth century.

Scripture does not give an account of Mary’s Assumption into heaven. Nevertheless, Revelation 12 speaks of a woman who is caught up in the battle between good and evil. Many see this woman as God’s people. Since Mary best embodies the people of both Old and New Testament, her Assumption can be seen as an exemplification of the woman’s victory.

Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 15:20 Paul speaks of Christ’s resurrection as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Since Mary is closely associated with all the mysteries of Jesus’ life, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to belief in Mary’s share in his glorification. So close was she to Jesus on earth, she must be with him body and soul in heaven.

Quote:

“In the bodily and spiritual glory which she possesses in heaven, the Mother of Jesus continues in this present world as the image and first flowering of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise, Mary shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come (cf. 2 Peter 3:10), as a sign of certain hope and comfort for the pilgrim People of God” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 68).

My Real Life...and some tips for real joy



In the blogging world, it's so easy to post pretty pictures and paint your life to appear perfect.  I know I fall into that trap sometimes when I post the highlights of our family events (after all, if I posted the lowlights and the reality of my daily chaos, what would people think of me?! Gasp!)  But today I want to remind myself and my readers how far from perfect my life is.  I feel inadequate and uncomfortable around people who seem to "have it all together."  In fact, people like that annoy me, so perhaps that is why I'm so adamant that no one thinks I'm one of them...  So let me set the record straight...  :)

Daily I struggle to find joy.  Daily I struggle to serve my husband.  Daily I struggle to be patient with my children.  Daily I struggle to wake up in the morning with a smile.  I'm not a cheery morning person; in fact, I sleep in until I'm forced to wake up by necessity (aka Nathanael).  Daily I feel like I'm failing in my vocation...

For example, having my boys home this summer has been sweet in so many ways, but it also has been a constant reminder how much more virtue-training I need to be doing with them.  I usually only blog about my boys when I'm bragging about how great they are or when I want to post pictures of how handsome they are.  No one wants to read about the reality of how often they bicker and whine and choose to be selfish.  No one needs to know that one son has a habit of lying and another who throws a fit when he looses a game. Nor would I want to capture their moments of ugly behavior on my camera to share with the world...  But that doesn't mean it's not part of our home.  Pride often prevents me from blogging about my failures as a wife or a mother, but perhaps being honest would actually be encouraging to others who are also struggling to be better wives, mothers, saints.  So here's more honest examples of some recent challenges... 

Last week I had high hopes of potty training our almost-2-year-old. I felt he was ready for all the textbook reasons; plus, I had potty-trained 3 other boys and felt like I knew what I was doing. It turned out to be a complete failure.  Completely.  That same almost-two-year old has also learned how to throw some dandy tantrums and likes to throw toys at anyone nearby. Nice. Sure makes playdates exciting (and embarassing for mommy).  But honestly I think he learned how to throw tantrums from me...  The other day I completely lost my temper in the car when my boys were complaining that Wendy's messed up our fast food order and, heaven forbid, we'd have to share since we were one sandwich short.  I sarcatically yelled to those little souls sitting behind me in the car, "Well, I guess I'll go without a sandwich since I'm the only only who knows how to sacrifice in this family."  Great demonstration of humble, joyful sacrifice for my kids, wasn't it?  Yes, sometimes it's the little things that turn mommy into a witch.  Thankfully, it's also the little things that can turn us into saints if we win those little, constant spiritual battles.  I read in St. Faustina's diary that she used to keep track of her spiritual victories and defeats each day.  For example, her dairy noted 86 victories, 3 defeats on Monday...64 victories, 5 defeats on Tuesday...etc.  If I kept score of my spiritual battles, I think my diary would have those numbers completely reversed...  Humbling.  Yes, my soul has lots to work on.   I thank God for his mercy and the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation which restore the graces that seem to leak from soul on a daily basis...

Well, while I'm honest, I might as well share with you that as a perfectionist and a hopeless romantic, I go through periods of what Anne Shirley would call "the depth of despair" when I find my marriage to be less than perfect and far from romantic.  It is such a struggle for me to pull myself out of the pit of sadness and bitterness that I fall into time and time again.  It's a challenge for me to serve my husband when all I really want to do is punish him with the silent treatment until he reads my mind and loves me the way I want to be loved.  Yes, sometimes I'm that immature.  I'm a spoiled brat trying to learn how to carry my cross without getting a sliver.  If you haven't figured it out yet, the reason I post those "Thankful Thursday" lists is because it is such a struggle for me most days to be thankful about anything.  My personality tends to wallow in what is wrong and wish things were different rather than embracing the abundant gifts that I have within my reach right now.

Anyway, I know I'm rambling, but I just wanted to give some examples of my weaknesses and the daily chaos of my life just in case I've given the false impression that I live a fairytale.  So I'll shut-up now and show a few recent photos I've taken with some tips on how to win more battles for joy, since I obviously need help in that area! :)

1)  START YOUR DAY WITH COFFEE AND GOOD CREAMER



2)  SEEK OUT NEW TREASURES (i.e. tadpoles)

3)  LAUGH OUT LOUD

4)  LIFE IS FRAGILE, SO LIVE EVERY MOMENT FULLY

5) SOAK IN SOME SUNSHINE

6) HAVE FUN WITH FRIENDS

7) TAKE A HIKE

8) PICK SOME FLOWERS

9) GET DIRTY

10) FIND BEAUTY AMONG THE WEEDS

Thankful Thursday: Summer Edition

• classic books on tape to happily entertain our whole family for 24 round trip hours in the car:  "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes, and "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• 4 great little sleepers in the hotel room at Miles City
• a husband who reaches for my hand while driving
• four boys who bravely love the water
• learning that suffering is the best fertilizer to produce fruit in my soul
• a renovated blog allowing me to post larger pictures
• Jesus speaking to me through this book:  "The Diary of St. Faustina"
• the feel of buzzed cut hair on my Michael
• a midnight snack with Nathanael sitting on my kitchen floor
• double dating with Dann and Rachel
• napping next to Nathanael in the camper, listening to his peaceful breathing, filling me with peace
• the sight of mountain layers, each dimming to a lighter shade of blue in the distance
• the quick healing of Nathanael's bee sting--thankful our camping trip was not spoiled
• the boys finally catching fish in Montana---resulting in fresh trout for supper
• Michael eager to learn how to fillet a fresh cut-throat trout;  Daddy willing to teach him
• friends willing to babysit so my baby doesn't have to melt at Dominic's Little League game
• boys catching garter snakes and flinging them into the lake

Overdue Happy Birthday

Our sweet Dominic celebrated his 6th Birthday on July 15th.  That little boy has been waiting to turn six since the day after he turned 5 it seems!  He was simply beaming with joy all day on his birthday, especially when his friends started showing up for his special party.  We kept the party simple, but it still turned out to be simply delightful.  Dominic wanted to have a water balloon war with his friends, which was very fitting since the temperature was in the 90s.  One funny moment in the party was when Paul came up to me while I was taking pictures of the fun, and with a mischievous smile he put his arm around me and smooshed a water balloon all over my back.  In retaliation, I yelled to all the kids holding water balloons and told them to bombard Mr. Hurlbert.  That happily obliged.  And I happily captured it on camera.  The party ended with pizza from Domino's Pizza (how fitting), chips, juice, and a Dairy Queen ice cream cake for dessert.  It doesn't get any easier or better than that.

Here's Dominic surrounded by girls and ice cream cake...it doesn't get any better than that for a boy, does it?  :)

Happy (belated) Birthday, sweet Dominic!  Daddy and I love you more than all the whales in the ocean multiplied by the number of krill they eat!  :)