Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Hello! Happy Monday of Holy Week, my friends. This past weekend proved to be about as full a weekend as we have had in quite some time. Let's begin way back on Friday night. We planned on attending a fish fry at a local parish, followed by cookie decorating at Peyton and Chris's house. I was still feeling the effects of the chest cold and opted to stay home and rest. I heated up some pierogies, took a long, hot shower, put on fresh pajamas, and snuggled on the couch. I was so glad that everyone else could go and that they kept me updated with pictures throughout the night. I was so happy to see our traditions continue and how much fun the kids have together. Peyton made the cookies and had everything ready for the decorating. She also made our favorite bunny cake!! And it was DELICIOUS! They brought me some home, thank goodness.

Saturday was windy, cold, and rainy, and Steve and I were still coughing. Although I wanted to attend Palm Sunday mass, I knew that had I been there and someone near me was hacking and coughing like we were, I would not have been thrilled. So we stayed home and planned on watching mass on television. What we didn't plan on was this.

Trees and power lines were down right outside our house. We lost power around 5:00 Saturday evening, so our night consisted of cozy and candles. Fortunately, we were able to watch a mass using data on our phones. The power came back on in the middle of the night, so by morning, some of the perishable things in the fridge were less than desirable. A positive to the entire thing was no one was hurt, and I took the opportunity to clean and scrub the refrigerator!

After the marathon clean-out the refrigerator session Sunday morning, Steve and the kids left for the Penguin game! Flynn is a huge fan and was so excited! 

They all had such a great time! Introvert women who like to stay home should indeed marry extrovert men. Just sayin. I stayed home, caught up on the laundry, had a wonderful phone call with my mom, and then headed to Madison and Nicolas' house for dinner. She had everything set beautifully and made a delicious and fresh lasagna soup! We visited and watched tv, and then Nicolas surprised me with a homemade chocolate lava cake he had made himself!

It was a wonderful ending to an eventful weekend. Before I go and start my day, I wanted to share this book with you. I received it in my book subscription box and finished it in two days! It is one of the best books I have read. It tells the story of the struggles of two young women in 1950s America, and it touched my heart.

Well, that was a lot! Thanks for hanging in there, my friends.

Have a wonderful day!

Billie Jo

Good Friday and Happy Easter!

 

Good Friday morning, my friends. Actually, it is literally Good Friday morning! Today is the day we remember Jesus' crucifixion and death upon the cross as Catholics. The darkness of this photo I snapped this morning seems symbolic of that day so long ago. We will fast and abstain today and pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

Sunday, we celebrate Easter! I took this photo this morning as well and was struck by the symbolism of its light and brightness. If the first photo represents the sorrow of Good Friday, this one represents the light and joy of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead, triumphing over death and granting us eternal life. We will commemorate Easter with the celebration of mass, most likely on Saturday evening, known as the Easter Vigil. Then Sunday morning, we will enjoy an Easter brunch together before seeing what the Easter Bunny left! And yes. The Easter Bunny still visits our house because one is never too old for the magic and fun of tradition.

Happy and Blessed Easter, my friends.

And if you do not celebrate Easter, I wish you a happy and cozy weekend.

See you here on Monday!

Thanks for visiting. I am always glad you do.

Billie Jo

 

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 

Hello, my friends. And Happy Monday! Mocha and I had no trouble hopping out of bed this morning, perhaps because it no longer looks like this outside. Saturday was cold and snowy here in Pennsylvania, but today is sunny and warmer and much more like spring. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week in our Catholic faith. In addition to the prayer and remembrance, we also enjoyed some "Palm Sundaes" for dessert. 

Through the years, I have found that combining the religious aspects of Holy Week with the traditional Easter Bunny fun works well for our family. And although my children are older now, we still enjoy some of the same traditions of years past. I suppose that is what traditions are all about, right? After all, are you ever too old for Easter fun? The fact that these sheets are available in King Size is proof of that!

 I hope you have a lovely week, my friends. 

Thanks for stopping in!

Prayers continue for Ukraine.

Billie Jo

Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday Plans

Today we spend time in quiet reflection and prayer. Saturday we are having Easter Dinner here with my mom and Margie and Chris. Then we are heading to Easter Vigil Mass, the most beautiful mass of the year. After that, we will head home and set out our baskets for that sneaky little bunny. Sunday we will hunt for the baskets, have a lovely brunch of coffee cake and fruit, and spend the rest of the day together visiting, eating chocolate, and maybe even napping. 

I hope your Easter is happy and festive and blessed. And filled with lots of good chocolate bunnies and fruity jelly beans!  Thanks for visiting, my friends. I am always glad that you do.

A Day With My Flynn And Happy Easter

A Thursday post?

Yep!

I thought I would post tonight instead of tomorrow, which is of course Good Friday.

Yesterday, Steve took the older two on a day trip to the movies and the mall.

Around here, it does take a day to get to a big mall.  : )

The watched a movie, did some shopping, and ate at Outback Steakhouse...

As seen in this photo Steve sent me. : )

( And did I ever tell that when my dear Peyton was born and the nurses wrapped her up and handed her to me, I immediately saw a tiny Steve?!? )

I was entrusted with the care of Peyton's pup Kirby...

And this pretty much sums up how he felt about that.

Meanwhile, my little Mocha found the few rays of sunlight peeking through, and made herself at home.

And so as my little Flynn said it was, "Just you and me, Mom!"

We had a special Mommy and Me Day.

And we both loved it.

First off we decided to bake a treat to surprise the big kids and Daddy.

We put on our aprons and got to work.

And although I rarely bake anymore...Peyton takes care of that...I think we did a good job.

We decided on chocolate chip cookies...with a few m&m's thrown in for fun.

After that we snuggled on the sofa and watched this movie.

It is actually one of my favorites!

Any guesses?

I'll let you know down below. : )

We also took the puppies on a walk down our road, and were thrilled to find these!

I am so happy because soon I have a science unit prepared all about the life cycle of frogs.

Winning!

After a dinner of...what else?...Kraft macaroni and cheese...my youngest proceed to beat me in a serious game of good old fashioned checkers.

It was a wonderful day.

I tucked my girl in and she told me she had one of the best days of her life.

And then we both fell asleep. : )

Have a blessed and Happy Easter, my friends.

Enjoy your time with your people.

I'll be back to posting on Monday.

Thanks for visiting!

(Oh. Did you guess the movie? It is The Emperor's New Groove.)

And it is super funny!

Holy Week Plans 2017

Holy Week is here...

We have the week off of school and plan to spend it preparing for Easter.

Throughout the years, I have found ways to celebrate both the true meaning of Easter as well as that fun little Easter Bunny. : )

Flynn made this little poster on our last day of school before break.

It is supposed to be a little book, but I thought it more helpful if we displayed it in the kitchen.

That way, she can follow along as we go through the week.

Palm Sunday we are planning on making some homemade pretzels. We have been studying how they symbolize prayer and penance. We will pray our weekly decade of the rosary, and then celebrate with our traditional "Palm Sundaes".

We are also planning on reading one of these beautiful books each night before a little someone heads to sleep. : )

Monday we will be doing a quick cleaning to prepare our home for Easter. Flynn loves to dust...seriously...Rhett will vacuum...Peyton will be in charge of the laundry, and I am going to tackle the bathrooms. 

Tuesday we are planning on our second annual Lenten tea. The kids and I will pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, and then enjoy some treats with a nice cup of tea. And milk. And juice. Nothing fancy. Just some time together making memories.

Wednesday looks to be a nice day.

I am sure we will spend some time outside with bikes and chalk and maybe even a walk. I also plan on finishing up the Easter preparations, including ironing my Easter tablecloth. I actually enjoy ironing my holiday tablecloths. It brings memories of past holidays, as well as excitement for the upcoming ones.

Thursday we have no plans, except a visit to church for some quiet prayer. Thursday night is movie night. I am planning some fun Easter snacks and a cute Easter video before Flynn's bedtime. After, I hope to watch Risen with the older kids.

Good Friday is always a quiet day here. In addition to fasting, the kids and I will pray the Stations of the Cross. We also turn off all electronics and abstain from all social media from Noon to Three. We will have our final fish fry for dinner too.

Saturday will be our prep day. We always color eggs and make our traditional Easter Bunny Cake. We also watch our favorite movies The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town, and Here Comes Peter Cottontail. I'm not sure about dinner yet, but am thinking about having Steve do some grilling. : ) Then we will put out our baskets and wait for that sneaky bunny to visit. And wait for the holiest day of the year.

Easter Sunday will find us dressing in our finest and attending Mass. Because. First things first. Then we are planning on  going out to brunch before coming home to change and hunt for hidden baskets.

And that was more than you wanted to know, I'm sure!

Have a wonderful Holy Week, my friends.

I'd love to know about your plans. : )

Wednesday Of Holy Week

Wednesday of Holy Week found us with all our work completed. What remains now is for us to sit back, relax, and meditate on the meaning of this week. As my children get older, I am finding it easier to find the balance between The Passion and The Resurrection...the true meaning of Easter, and The Easter Bunny and all that entails...the fun part of Easter. I truly believe there is room for both. : )

On Wednesday of Holy Week, the kids and I enjoyed an Afternoon Lenten Tea. It was simple and cozy and fun. All it should be for a Momma and her littles. And not so littles. : ) We drank some tea. And milk. And juice. We snacked on cookies and candy and crackers. We talked and visited. And then we prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. And it was good.

The rest of our week will be quiet and reflective. Friday we will abstain from all electronics during the hours between noon and three. We will also pray The Stations of The Cross together. And we will enjoy the last Fish Fry of the season.

Saturday we prepare and we wait. For Sunday is Easter Day! We will rise early and attend early Mass. Then we will come home, put our Easter jammies back on...yes, I'm serious...and hunt for the baskets so carefully hidden by that sneaky bunny. : ) We will eat and rest and celebrate together. And it will be good.

Have a wonderful, fruitful, blessed Easter, my dear friends. Thank you for visiting!