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!

7 Quick Takes Friday! (Vol.4)

I feel way behind on the blogging, so I figured I would do it this way, this week!

Thanks for hosting, Jen!

-1-

Vincent's new trick

FYI, walking off the table just means you have to rub off the bump and get back on!

-2-

Michael's Growing

He's gone from a vacuum stalker to a soccer, football and golf fanatic.

We love you Michael!

Thanks for letting me coach the first half of your rainy practice today!

Maybe next time I fill in for Dad, I will be able to move faster.

Happy Birthday!

*see footnote for another story

-3-

Ok, so I'm going to quickly advertise the best birthday treats ever!

We bought them from our local SAMS club. I usually make my own treats for taking to school, but since we camped this past weekend, and Michael's birthday fell on Tuesday after a long weekend, I decided to take the easy road and try something new. I'm hooked!

-4-

Maybe it's because I know this babe is going to be here in a blink of an eye with the speed that summer seems to go, but one day this week I wondered. 'Why are we being blessed to bring another little one into this world - I can't handle what I have now!'

(I occasionally seem to get this way in the third trimester.)

Yes, I was overwhelmed one day this week. Kids were fighting all morning. The table used to be a safe place to put things, until Vincent learned how to climb onto it and spill everything in sight - cereal bowls with milk, drinks, syrup plates. He had his own food fight going on each time we prepared to eat or finished eating. Then you add a few other stressors into the mix: emotional pregnant woman, getting caught up from camping, poor spousal communication, last week of school, graduation, golf, soccer, did I mention emotional pregnant woman?

A little later in the day I came to my senses a bit with prayer. 'Ok, God, if you want me to feel overwhelmed, so be it. I give it back to you. You deal with it. I'm done!' A little later, I picked up the book St. Rita of Cascia and I will share this paraphrase with you, "By submission of our will, God graces us with suffering; allowing us to be an example of humility and patience." At this point, I was still pained with certain circumstances, but at peace with the day; ready to clean the messes and deal with life's events with a more joyful heart.

Thanks be to God for these opportunities of growth!

The next day, I got to practice more humility.

You got to love it when your dog escapes out the front door, thanks to kids opening it, and the neighbor guy comes over to inform us the dog is loose and asks the kids for their mother. Mother is sitting in the bathroom (near the front door) doing you know what, and realizes there is not enough toilet paper.

"Daniel, get the leash. We'll be right out!"

A friend on the phone even got a laugh from this conversation-I was caught!

-5-

Back to books, thanks to the camping trip this past weekend, I was able to complete Left to Tell. All I can say is, "You must read!" It's an easy read - and that is coming from a slow, poor reader. Look at #9 on the camping trip page for a brief synopsis.

-6-

Kathryn is officially a high schooler!

Only 4 short years of internal formation left. I'm excited for her and these years of upcoming growth. Since I was looking at Jen's sight earlier, I am going to steal a thought:

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Man, what a ride!"

Even as you begin your high school years, I challenge you to take good chances, stand up for what you believe in, and work hard at everything that comes your way!

-7-

We are officially on summer break!

We're on sum-mer bre-ak!

So what does that exactly mean?

TOGETHERNESS

NEW BABY

RELAXATION

(except when the babe is actively entering this world)

From Father at Mass to the school kids,

"Remember, we never take a break from being Christian.

Continue to be a witness to the faith:

In your families, with your friends and to everyone you meet!"

Have a blessed summer!

*For Michael's birthday, we met him for lunch and recess. Daniel hung close for a few minutes, then played tag with Gina and some big girls, and Vincent was carried away by other big girls. John ran out to play football with the big boys. He told me he was connected to Michael and was going to be on his team. For the first play he was involved in, the big boys passed it to John. His teammates cheered him on to run all the way for a touchdown. The other team faked (very well) falling down and missing John so he could make it all the way. John scored! He tripped and fell, (doesn't take much) got up and fixed his sandal, came running out of the endzone with his arms raised and shouted "Hey guys, I got a touchdown. Oh yeah, you couldn't even get me! I was super faster than you!" And yes, the emotional pregnant woman had a joyful tear come to her eye as she witnessed the goodness of these boys being spread.

Camping highlights

Yes, this post is a few days behind. I'm finding I need to put blogging on the reward side of things. Practicing what I preach, "Take care of your responsibilities, then you can have computer time." This is really hard! I'm mostly caught up! I also tell them, "A mother's work is never done." This way, I get some time. ;)

-1-

Vincent helping Dad set up the camper.

-2-

When the chairs aren't out, build some with Legos!

-3-

The kids caught fish and frogs! Lots of them. To restock our pond. One time, Gabrielle came back from the watering hole early with the bucket. Luke came back a little later stating, "I need to change my shirt! Gabrielle left with the bucket and look at all the frogs I caught! Only one jumped out of my sleeve, but I got it back!" Yes, picture this, shirt tucked in, frogs between his bare belly and his shirt, one hopping out of his short sleeve; Luke containing the others as he re-caught the escaper, and hiked to our site with a wet shirt full of leaping bullfrogs!

-4-

Gina and Vincent "sharing"

-5-

Gina: "I Gina Princess! Dad, you the King!" I wish I could have captured the melting of Daddy's heart when she said this. His smile and hug to his little princess said volumes!

-6-

The Ritual "Tea Party"

-7-

Come and Get It!

-8-

The boys were playing soccer with our neighboring camping boys. One of the neighbors should have earned a few red cards. I think my boys had enough. Their cousin was being taunted by this boy, and John ran over to tell them to leave him alone and not mess with him. Then Daniel ran over. He placed his hands on his hips, gave a stern look and made himself look strong. I was a bit worried about a physical fight, but wanted to see how they would handle the situation on their own, so I kept my distance. We adults could see an exchange of words, catching a few words here and there. Michael walked over for reinforcement. Luke thought they had it under control so waited for them to disperse. They worked it out! Maybe the neighbor boy realized he was outnumbered, but I was happy to see my boys stick up for their cousin.

-9-

Dad, Grammie, and the kids went on a couple bike rides, leaving 'big mama' at the campsite. I managed to hold back the urge to go into town and pick up my house and relaxed with the book Left to Tell. Immaculee Ilibagiza shares the reality of humanity: our struggle to live in love; and our union with God as the means to accomplish such a feat.

After reading this book, I am reminded that we only receive love by fervently praying to the One who gives love. By uniting with the One who is love and forgiveness, we are able to hand ourselves over to His will in each situation. We begin to recognize that He IS always with us; giving us the love, strength, peace and wisdom to share with those around us. Someone recently reminded me, "Love transforms the most horrible into the most beautiful. Just look at the crucifixion, the killing of God."

All for a greater good!

-10-

Some of the crew saying goodbye

Elizabeth, Daniel, Michael, Andrew, Gabrielle, John

"Love until it hurts, and your will find that there is no hurt, but only more love."

-Mother Teresa

*Last 6 photos courtesy of Grammie. Thank you!