Camping Highlights (vol 2)

First Knight:

Vincent comes to the rescue...ready to feed his Mama!

(and maybe himself-do you notice the drool?)

Day 2:

The Trout Fishing Adventure:

By Luke

We got ready to go trout fishing. We changed hooks on some of the poles, got some buckets and nets and put them into the van. Dad, Grandpa, me, Michael, Daniel, John and Gina all piled in the van and went to the trout stream. When we got there, we noticed we forgot the bait at the campground so we had to use jigs.

We fished for a while. Well, Dad, Grandpa and I fished, and Michael, Daniel, John and Gina played in the crossing of the trout stream, where it was more shallow. Dad caught the first trout. It was a rainbow trout; not too big, but not small. Then Dad caught another rainbow, but Daniel pulled it in. After a while I spotted a big trout and yelled, "Dad I found a huge one!" Dad ran over. I was trying to catch it for about five or ten minutes, then Dad came over and tried. He said we would need to use live bait to catch it, so I ran over to get a crayfish and june bug that we caught while we were there. Dad tried calling me back when he hooked it with his white jig, but I didn't hear him. Then the trout broke his line and started swimming. Dad swooped down and stuck his thumb up its gill just as it was getting away, and pulled it out of the water. I was really excited.

When we got back to the van, the dead trout weighed 7 pounds 12 oz. My dad said it probably lost almost a half of pound since the time it died. We ended with 9 trout. We also came back with some baby crayfish and 2 bullfrogs for the pond.

Luke and Dad

Can you see the white jig stuck in the top lip?

I told them to bring dinner home, what a good crew!

Daniel, Luke, Michael, John

John was interested in finding rocks and playing with chubs.

Michael wins the award for staying the most dry.

Gina picking "flowers"

As they filleted the trout, John pipes up, "Is Jonah in there?"

(he must have thought it was big!)

It was confirmed a girl- another big mama!

This was Luke's dinner, until it fell into the fire...

He was hoping for cheek patches. I think he rescued one of them!

Cooling off at the beach:

And canoeing...

Kathryn and Gabrielle took over the canoe once it arrived, and gave free rides and fishing opportunities to those who wanted to partake.

We even got to celebrate Gabrielle's 12th Birthday early!

*or by the looks of the picture, late*

Day 3:

I'm Stumped...

Well, more so, humiliated!

Chalk me up with those woman drivers...

argh...

Ya know, a while back, I told my hubby he should get bigger tires and jack the truck up a bit.

I forgot that he didn't do that yet...

Why kids should play with legos:

Until next time...

On Mom's Lap

Vincent Snuggling with Mom and Baby

Photo courtesy of Gabrielle

Sunscreen-Apply Generously

Let's take a vote:

Did Gina adequately apply enough sunscreen to her face and hands to avoid a sunburn?

*note: I used everything on her body to finish the rest of her body adequately!

Happy Birthday Daniel

Yes, your birthday was on June 20, but we just now got around to celebrating it! That's kinda how things go around here. It teaches you patience and flexibility. ;)

At Daniel's request, a Koi on the cake!

Dad traditionally makes the cakes!

Another fisherman!

In the footsteps of Grandpa and Luke.

Timing kills me...

So you know the post about offering things up when they aren't going the way you want?

Yeah, let me just say I've got a lot to work on.

I hate it when I am being tested; know I am being tested; try to stop the major temper tantrum, but can't! Have you ever been there?

We had an engaged couple come over last night. The house was a disaster of seeds, mud (partially from the pond remodeling) and clothes from a multi child wardrobe changeover that has been in the process for a year. Yes, you read correctly, a year (sigh). My husband was excited to be able to see a good portion of our bedroom floor, but half of the disaster ended up on the kitchen table, amidst the few dirty dishes.

After realizing we had about an hour before the couple would be here, Gabrielle came to the rescue and made some mac and cheese for dinner. However, her attention to detail, or lack there of, started to wear on me. I am not an expert in this detail field, but evidently I have learned a little bit since I was her age. ;) I needed to be more patient with her.

As she was making dinner, I was fixing the vacuum cleaner that wasn't working due to some helpful child (or children) vacuuming up a bobby pin, pencil, and sucker stick which clogged the rest up with a bunch of dog hair and dirt. It felt good to get all that gunk out of it! I asked for someone to help bring me the garbage. John was excited to help! I was thanking him until.....it tipped over on the carpet. I was in disbelief and commanded him to put the stuff back into the can. I continued to put the vacuum back together, and one piece was not going on. I was doing ok until I noticed I had been working on it for over a half hour (yes, I am stubborn. I knew I could fix it, just one more try!) and our guests would be arriving soon to the previously described condition of our house + a tipped over garbage can on the carpet that John was not wanting to clean up because of some slimy stuff. All I wanted to do was tidy up quick and vacuum. It didn't happen. We had a bigger mess!

They showed up. The out of control woman of the previous 10 minutes all the sudden turned nice. I hate this. Well, it was good I snapped out of it, but I should have the moment it started.

Actually, they should have come 15 minutes early! Then all would have been fine. ;)

FYI:

1. I hereby give you permission to arrive early to our home! ;)

2. The piece of the vacuum cleaner that wouldn't go on properly - I fixed it in one 20 second try after the couple left. Gotta love that...

Father's Day

Daddy got his Father's day gift on Friday, but I wanted to share with you John's view of Father's Day:

"But when is it going to be Kids Day?"

Yesterday, Daddy worked on remodeling the pond with the kiddos, and I played with his Father's day gift a bit.

Hey, the two shall become one, right?

*Here's some pond helping add on photos*

Dad and Luke

Vincent helping

And my favorite sequence:

Can you bring me that big rock?

Whoah, I'm stong!

But I can't believe that big rock made me all muddy.

The year for Priests cont.

Pope Benedict in his letter to priests states: The Cure (St. John Vianney) would always remind his faithful that "after giving us all he could, Jesus Christ wishes in addition to bequeath us his most precious possession, his Blessed Mother." To the most Holy Virgin I entrust this Year for Priests.

This letter is a good read for everyone. I particularly liked Pope Benedict's 3rd paragraph, highlighting the words of St. John Vianney when talking about priests, "If he realized what he is, he would die...God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord decends from heaven at his voice to be contained within a small host...after God, the priest is everything!...The priest holds the key to the treasures of Heaven.

Also in his letter, the pope reminds us of the message of Lourdes: prayer and penance. On this feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I think of Fatima, where God wanted to establish devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart. Our Blessed Mother asks for prayer, namely, praying for the conversion of sinners, "Pray very much. Make sacrifices for sinners. Many souls go to hell, because no one is willing to help them with sacrifice." We are asked to make sacrifices for sinners and say often, "O Jesus, this is for the love of You, the conversion of sinners and in reparation for offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

We can simply say, "God, this isn't going the way I want, I offer it to you for ___. If we can be disciplined to do this instead of complaining or getting angry with the selfish poor me's, we will learn to love until it hurts - until there is no more hurt but more love (Mother Teresa). But like anything, it takes practice to grow, conscious discipline to perfect, and God's graces to apply. Each step is made easier by the sacraments given to us by Christ through our priests: most especially the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Our Heavenly Mother's Heart is committed to compassion. If she sees a need (look at the Wedding Feast at Cana), and it is in line with the will of our Father, She will bring it more beautifully to her Son who will obey! With this in mind, let us pray to our Blessed Mother for our priests that they may have the courage and the strength to carry out Christ's mission of love and mercy!

The Year for Priests

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto yours.

Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 19, 2009 - June 19, 2010 to be dedicated to the Year for Priests.

How fitting that it begins on the Feast of the:

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

I was thinking earlier, what exactly does a heart do? This is what I learned:

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body, but it is simply a pump - it pumps the blood, which carries all the vital materials that help our bodies function and removes the waste that we do not need. It is an "All or nothing" organ. It either pumps with all its might or it shuts down. If it shuts down, the body will die. Christ gave all He had- most especially His earthly life, so that we may have eternal life with Him.

Let us pray for holy priests - that they may always be faithful to their sacred calling by giving all they have to pump forth the Love and Mercy of Christ and rid us of our impurities. Without the Priesthood, which according to St. John Marie Vianney, "is the Love of the Heart of Jesus" we will surly die. He then reminds us, "When you see a priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ." And I add, "Pray that the priest may truly be one with Christ." Priests need our prayers to gain graces that they would not otherwise obtain. We all need the fervent help of each other!

I will add this prayer to the side bar later:

Prayer for Priests:

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father [N]. Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.

In his loneliness, comfort him. In his sorrows, strengthen him. In his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much.

Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy. Amen

-John Joseph, Cardinal Carberry (+1998) Archbishop of St. Louis 1968-1979

Whose the Boss?

Gina and John Eating Breakfast:

J: "You're not the boss, Gina!"

G: "John, I am the boss. You a boy and I'm a girl, and girls are bosses."

J: about in tears, "Mo-om, Gina said she's the boss."

G: "I am the boss! Like Mom. Her's a girl and I a girl and girls are bosses."

J: No you're NOT!

Mom to Gina: "Gina you're not the boss!"

Mom quietly to John: "Let me tell you a secret, Dad's really the boss."

J: His smile was worth a thousand words!

Mom to self: But Mom,through prayer, can docilely turn the head of Dad in the right direction.

If the need arises... ;)

Wives, be submissive to your husbands as you are to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your duty in the Lord. -Colossians 3:18-20

Are you Thristy?

A boy and his dog:

Jesus: "If you knew the gift of God and who asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." --John 4:10

Woman: "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw the water." --John 4:15

A favorite Past time...

I guess it's time to give the van a bath!

But I don't want to erase the message...

If you look closely, you may notice Clean Me crossed out!

I guess they changed their minds...

However, this one in the rearview mirror is not so enticing.

So Gabrielle and Michael washed this van clean!

Though we may at times look good on the outside, God looks at us inside out and sees how we truly are. Then with our contrition, He cleanses us with His mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation. Even when we don't want to be cleaned, because we think we like the message on the outside, it is always better that we make the effort, so we can truly reflect His glory!

Thanks be to God!