Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about...


...Lent. And how it is here again. As I thought about how to make this a meaningful Lent, I recalled a conversation I had with a wonderful priest a few years ago. When I confided in him that I felt that my prayer life was not what it used to be, that I felt as if it were suffering...he gave me some wonderful words to ponder. He told me that we all have stages in our lives. This stage of my life...as a wife and mother to young children...is a blessed time. It will not last forever. If I am spending the moments in my day caring for and providing for and loving on my family...that IS prayer. He suggested that when I awake in the morning, I say a prayer to offer my works of service...the works of love...to God. And if that is all I do...it is enough. More than enough.

I was so thankful for that. I turn to those words...not as an excuse to do less...but as a validation that what I'm doing is a reflection of what is in my heart and soul. It is my intent to have a good Lent...and a good, strong prayer life. I won't waste time worrying about the fact that what I am doing is not good enough. 

This Lent we will read a daily devotion in the schoolroom, and we will pray the Stations of the Cross as a family on Wednesday evenings. And I feel good about that. : )

Here is how we spent the night before Lent began...celebrating Mardi Gras!

We gathered our supplies...I always purchase online from Party City...

 

 

and decorated the table.

 

 

We jumped for joy when Grandma Margaret came...

 

 

and wore the Mardi Gras masks little Flynn picked out!

 

 

Love this one. : )

 

 

We feasted on Jambalaya and cornbread. Peyton did it again!

 

 

And we enjoyed the individual King Cakes we made too. : )

 

 

It was a wonderful Mardi Gras celebration all the way up here in snowy, cold Pa! : )

 

 

Have a blessed Lent and a cozy weekend!

Thanks for visiting!

Valentine's Day 2015

We began celebrating Love Day early with a Homeschool Breakfast Party planned and hosted by Flynn. : ) She helped me decorate and bake early Friday morning while the big kids were still fast asleep.

There were homemade chocolate chip muffins and bought by Steve Dunkin Donuts. And strawberries, of course. : )

Friday night we had a special bedtime story. : )

By the way...We love all the "Night Before books...They have them for almost every holiday.

Yay Amazon!

Valentine's Day was snowy and COLD! WE had a quiet day before getting ready and heading out to Mass...

dressed in our Valentine red...

and Rhett would not normally wear that shirt to Mass. But he was serving, so he wore a robe. : )

My teens. : )

Dinner was yummy...Three Cheese Stuffed Shells and garlic toast....

and dessert? Dessert was divine. : )

There were gifts and chocolates mixed in as well. And that is a wrap on Valentine's Day 2015. Bring on Mardi Gras. And Chinese New Year too. : )

Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about...


...Contentment. And what a wonderful feeling it is. This morning I was playing a game of  Disney Princess Memory with Flynn and I was struck by a genuine feeling of contentment. This was followed by an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I felt so thankful to be there...in that moment...in my home...with my family. I was aware of the blessings I had, and wanted nothing more.

I am thankful for that moment. It served as a reminder to me of how very blessed I am. We live in a world where we are constantly told that more is better. That we need more...more money, more clothes, more electronic devices, more data to use them with. We are bombarded with images of extravagant places we need to visit, and are encouraged to be as busy as we can with numerous extra curricular activities for our children.

All of this comes at the expense of something. Something I cherish. Something I was reminded of this morning as I sat with my ever growing, ever changing little girl. It comes at the expense of just BEING. Being present. Being in the moment. Being content with what we are blessed to have...which is life. Waking every morning in a home with those we love. And needing or wanting nothing more.

Here are some photos of how we have been living in a state of contentment this past week...

We found beauty in the cold...

and played until our cheeks turned bright red.

We enjoyed the coziness of winter inside in the evenings...

and in the early mornings as well.

We put on our aprons...

and did some baking...

and it was good. : )

We ventured out in the frigid air to the movies...

and SpongeBob Squarepants was as funny as we hoped.

Daddy made breakfast for dinner...

and we dressed in our Love Day clothes for Mass.

Have a weekend filled with contentment, my friends!

Happy Valentine's Day!

One Year

It is one year ago my sweet father left us. I wrote this to him, so he knows just how much we miss him.

                                                   One Year

The calendar says it is a year. A year since you went away. ..A year since we saw your smile, or heard your laugh, or held your hand… And that may be true. Snow melted. Grass grew. Rain fell and winds blew. The sun shone. Leaves turned and fell to the ground. Snow came again.

Life continued without you. A tremendous hole stole the place in our lives where you belonged. We grieved. We cried. We picked up the phone to call you. We prayed. And slowly we learned to smile again. We even laughed again. And learned that it was alright to do so.

Our lives will never be the same without you. Ever. We will never completely heal. We will always have the pain and sadness and longing for just one more moment with you… One more chance to hold your hand or hear your stories or laugh at your jokes. 

Our lives now have a new normal… one in which you are still here in our hearts and in our minds. No amount of time or turning of pages on a calendar can erase the memories of you and the love and happiness you shared.  Yes, time will pass. Seasons will change. We will grow older. But you will remain with us. Always.

Just as the promise of spring carries us through a bitter cold winter, the promise of eternal life and being with you again carries us through the days we spend here without you. We rejoice for you, Dad. Your journey is ended. Someday we will meet again. Wait for us. And keep them smiling up there while you do.

A Touch Of Valentine Love

You know you love holidays when you put up your Valentine's Day decorations the same day you take down the Christmas tree. : ) Here is a peek at our country home sprinkled with some Valentine love.

A little Valentine welcome greets visitors to our home...

as does a sweet little dish of Valentine chocolate. : )

In the hearth room, red and pink hearts replace the winter snowman...

on the mantle...

and on the holiday tree. : )

This little bear is a sweet decoration I have had for years. I have memories of each of my little ones playing with the blocks and rearranging the letters. : )

A little bit of love rests upon the bookcase in the family room...

where our cinnamon and vanilla scented candle burns every evening in our winter home.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about...


...The weekend. Sunday to be exact. It is hard to believe, but Sunday morning we are traveling to Mass for the one year anniversary of my dear father's passing.  I cannot believe it has been an entire year since he closed his eyes for the last time here on Earth. The actual anniversary is next Tuesday, but we are grateful to be celebrating him during Sunday Mass.

Meanwhile the snow flies, the wind howls, and life goes on without him. But just as the promise of spring remains, so does the promise of eternal life. And that fills me with peace. Here are a few pictures of the past week in our country home...

We broke out the Valentine clothes in time for Mass on Saturday. And this little lady was glad. : )

 

 

Sunday we lit this special candle to begin our Superbowl festivities...

 

 

We started the food fun early with homemade waffles and super good berries...

 

 

And ended the day with our traditional Superbowl dessert...good old Texas Sheetcake!

 

 

There was a lot of eating in between!

 

 

Not to be outdone, Groundhog Day brought some yummy molasses cookies made by my in-house baker, Peyton. : )

 

 

And my baby...she loves to light a candle after Mass. This week, it was for our dear friend Tara's dad.

Won't you send up a prayer for him as well?

 

Have a cozy weekend, my friends. : )

Homemade Macaroni And Cheese

Winter evenings call for cozy meals. This is a recipe shared with me by Rhett's friends at the theatre. Try it...you wont be disappointed. Promise. : )

Homemade Macaroni And Cheese

Ingredients:

1. 1 bag Lay's Potato Chips
2. 1 pound elbow macaroni
3. 1/2 cup butter plus 2 Tablespoons
4. 1/2 cup flour
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
7. 4 cups milk
8. 4 cups shredded cheese mixture...any kind you have. I use a cheddar mixture.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13x9 baking dish.
2. Cook and drain macaroni. Set aside.
3. Melt 1/2 cup butter in large saucepan.
4. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
5. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil.
6. Add cheese mixture and stir until melted.
7. Add 3/4 melted cheese mixture to macaroni. Mix.
8. Pour into prepared baking dish.
9. Pour remaining cheese mixture on top.
10. Melt 2 tablespoons butter.
11. Crush 2 cups potato chips and mix with butter.
12. Sprinkle on top of macaroni.
13. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes.
14. Sprinkle more chips on top, if desired.



The Schoolroom...January 2015 In Pictures

And this one of my Madison...because as she begins her last semester of school, I think back to the little girl in ponytails I walked into Kindergarten. And I want to remember how she sat at her desk here everyday...yes, she sits like that...how she drank her coffee and ate a whole wheat bagel with all natural peanut butter and sliced bananas on top, how she listened to music as she worked...and how she checked her phone every 5 minutes. : ) I want to remember.