Family is a wonderful thing

Two more from the last few days: Number Seven enjoying the grandma-sent birthday gift, and Number Three, on the phone with Aunt Nina in Brazil, attempting at the same time to free himself of adoring, clinging little sisters.

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I am having my teens each choose one...

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Recapping the Thanksgiving weekend

We had a lot of good food--I am afraid to add my hours in the kitchen. And yet every one of those hours was joyful! Number One was the first to arrive, Number Three came home from college for the first time, Number Seven had a birthday, Husband and I did some shopping and wrapping. Number One had to spend some time working as Number Seven built a birthday Lego. Number Three read for Sunday mass and outdid himself, and we attempted a photo for the Christmas card.

It was a Godsend, most wonderful holiday weekend!

The first gift

I have wrapped the first Chritmas gift, a book, of course. Books make the best gifts.

Simple

The house is quiet with the departure of Numbers One and Three... and the feeling of expectation fills the seemingly empty house. Number Seven collected greens outside and put together a simple advent wreath. We are still looking for the candles. Father gave another wonderful sermon today, asking us what do we need to work on this Advent season... so we would be ready for eternal life were it to come today. May we discover new ways to get closer to Him Who is Love this advent.

Two Digits Birthday girl!

Number Seven is ten years old today! She has been singing her own composition this past week...

When you turn ten,

oh, when you turn ten,

you'll never be one-number again!

Good until Monday!

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Two new titles from Pauline Books

These are like "graphic novels" but they are about two favorite saints...with so many titles coming into the libraries under this category, let's request some awesome, historical saint's stories in as well!

Remember that the more people request the same titles, the more they are likely to purchase it. Go to PopeStNickV Yahoo group to join this group. Maureen Wittman and I post suggestions for you to request for purchase with your library system.

Title(s): Saint Joan of Arc: Quest for Peace, Saint Bernadette: The Miracle of Lourdes
Author: Brunor and Dominique Bar
Publisher: Pauline
Date: August 2010
ISBN: 0819871311, 0819871303
Amazon Link here.

Please pray with our family

...for this seminarian who has an inoperable brain tumor. It is a beautiful novena prayer leading up to the feast of the Immaculate Conception. More information and bishops' letter here.

Family Joy!

On Gratitude

A quiet house and a clear, very cold day. The sun is shining and I after my rosary I read my email and begin thinking of coffee and waffles for the many sleeping heads under our roof. As the years pass the holidays are at once more difficult and more meaningful... life never get simpler, and yet Love is increasingly easier to be found I collected a few quotes that speak to my heart this early morning.

To all of my readers, near and far, I wish a blessed day and the joy that comes from being thankful to God in all things!

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

— Aesop (620-550 BC), Androcles

Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

— G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.

— Jacques Maritain (1882-1973), Reflections on America (1948), Ch. 17

Charity never humiliated him who profited from it,

nor ever bound him by the chains of gratitude,

since it was not to him but to God that the gift was made.

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944)

The best way to show my gratitude to God is

to accept everything, even my sorrows, with joy.

— Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Number Two, graduate

She has just told us she has gotten officially in the list of Seniors who are graduating in December--one semester early, which is no small feat at Notre Dame! We have been doing ink portraits at co-op and I made this one of hers, from the proof of the portraits which are still to arrive.

I am constantly impressed by her hard work! Since she was a toddler, it seems that she wanted to beat her older brother at everything, from speed at finishing-popsicles to the number of books she could read, to picking three to four times more strawberries than him! She grew to discover that we are all given different talents and I treasure their beautiful friendship!

We are so, so very proud of her accomplishments, but more than that, of her good, serviceable heart. She has always had a love for helping the underprivileged and has participated in many mission trips! We ask for God's blessing in her future plans, and we know she will shine and find happiness, as she is talented and good!

Number Two is not able to come for Thanksgiving due to her work load on campus, but she is on our hearts and minds these days! We love you!

Number One, I, and 1,111 others

... "like" Tintin on facebook this morning!

Happy Saint Cecelia feast day!

Happy Feast day to all of the musicians in my life.

Music can bring so much to life: it can gladden the heart, and bring comfort and consolation.

May all musicians enjoy their God-given gift, be rewarded by their hard work, and bring, through music, Love into the world.

Missing Number Three

Number Three, who has been busy in college as you can see (ideally busy as in the top photo, not the second one) will be home soon, for the first time since he was left at UD in August. We all miss him immensely as his presence fills the home, and cannot wait for his arrival!

Today I spent quite a bit of time cleaning his room with Number Four and preparing things upstairs for his and Number One's arrival this week. As I went through his many books on the shelves in his room, which is something I had been planning to do for a while, I relived his childhood and growing up years: I found Usborne list books and books on sharks facts, then bigger books on spiders--his teenage years arch enemy. (He tries to conquer his arachnophobia)... Along these there were picture books of The Odyssey and Lamb's Tales of Shakespeare, immersed in Bethlehem "chapter" books... and then on the higher shelves the real things: several volumes of Shakespeare, and Homer, Herodotus, Tacitus. I found books on his patron saints behind a childhood statue of Saint Michael, and then a small icon, and behind it the Holy Bible, and some high school age volumes on religion and philosophy. The chronology of comic books followed suit: I found Asterix and Tintin, and then Calvin and Hobbes, and finally Dilbert.

I can't wait for him to get home, especially now that I relived his life so far-- the literary way.

Claude Monet, The Painter Who Stopped the Trains

Claude Monet, The Painter Who Stopped the Trains by P. I. Malbie and illustrated by Jos Smith, 2010 Abrams Books for Young Readers.

The illustrator is the same wonderful one of the picture book on Mendel I mentioned a while back. This title tells the partly fictional story on how Monet came to accomplish his famous train paintings. We all enjoyed reading it, including Husband!

Proud, happy faces!

Last night Number Six' Quiz Bowl team placed in fourth place, scoring over 90 points. We have gotten together a couple of times for practice and their hard work paid off, especially considering they are 6th and 7th graders. Another older group of our homeschoolers placed third place and the picture includes all of the proud kids. Congratulations!!

Asia Bibi

Yesterday the pope made an appeal. This Christian Mother of 5 in Pakistan has been sentenced to death. Her crime was to say Christianity is true.
We are encouraged to help by contacting senators and asking them to call Hilary Clinton.

17-November-2010 -- Vatican Information Service
Papal Appeal For Asia Bibi

VATICAN CITY, 17 NOV 2010 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience the Holy Father, with reference to the situation of Christians in Pakistan, pronounced the following words:

"Over these days the international community is, with great concern, following the situation of Christians in Pakistan, who are often victims of violence or discrimination. In particular, I today express my spiritual closeness to Ms Asia Bibi and her family while asking that, as soon as possible, she may be restored to complete freedom. I also pray for people who find themselves in similar situations, that their human dignity and fundamental rights may be fully respected".

Asia Bibi is a Pakistani Christian who, following a discussion with some Muslim colleagues, was accused by the latter of having pronounced offensive words against the Prophet Mohammed and denounced to the local imam. The imam asked the police to intervene and an investigation began which, a few days later, led to the arrest of Asia Bibi on the accusation of violating code 295 of the penal code, which provides for the death penalty for blasphemy.

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=108964
http://catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=11590