Thankful

Thankful my grandma had cancer removed from her breast and 

she is doing AWESOME!!

(She's 92!)

 Thankful my father in law here (not a great picture of him, but
it's a great one of my mother in law!)
He has like 9 lives.
He's had some really amazing things happen to him,
with his health.
God is being Merciful,
We pray for his soul every day.

Please pray for him, he is going through cancer treatment

Thankful for Thanksgiving crafts!!

 Thankful for easy Art projects!

(OK, a little messy)

 Just paint black circles using a paper cup...wait for it to dry

 then water paint!

 So pretty!

 Adds some color to a usually dull November...(more on that later)

 Thankful for Awesome 5 year olds that love to do just about everything!

 She's showing her funny cats here!

 Thankful for sitting on the floor times...try it, just sit on the floor

 and watch them come and tackle you!!

 Thankful for little children in my life, these years are fleeting.

I tell you, they go from one activity to another...

Cute as can be...please stay this age for a few more years...

Thankful for Ramen noodles!!  Yes, I am. 

 They make for an easy lunch and the kids love them!

Ummm, and that dull November, well, we got snow early this year...

Just a few days after our graveyard walk

(thank goodness!)

It is pretty...this is the morning sunrise shining on the frosted branches...

Thankful even though we gave away all our boots, and had to buy 5 pairs

for our last couple weeks here,

it was worth it...

The kids love playing in the snow....

Thankful for kids....gosh, they make anything bearable!

I have no idea what they are doing here...

Snow and cold make me want to bake cookies.

But, I don't have time to bake cookies.

SO

I baked Pan Cookies!!

Just put your dough in a 13x9 and bake for 20-30 minutes

Thankful for Frosty.

Oh, Frosty, you bring so much joy to all.

Over and over and over again and again!

My favorite line?

"Busy, busy, busy!" 

Come on, you know who says that in Frosty, don't you?

(The Magician)

Thankful winter means we take out our Easy Bake oven!!

Thanks to their auntie Heidi, we've had mixes to supply us for 8 years!

We just used up the last 2 packets!

Thankful for peppermint gum!

Did you know that peppermint gum helps prevent tears while chopping onions?

It works!

(I chop my onions and freeze them)

Thankful for awesome meatless meals for Fridays!

One of my very favorite recipes!

I even have sauteed just the veggies and spices (I use dried basil)
 with no noodles...so yummy!

Here's the recipe!

Thankful for friends coming to say goodbye!!

I had to block out my whole week this week, I'm just too busy with a million things

trying to get ready for our winter get-away.

Christine and sweet Ava here...look at that awesome smile!! 

(she's my goddaughter)

Look at my little whitey next to Ava.  

They are so dang cute together.

Best friends.

It's so easy when you are little, isn't it?

Oh, Sims!

Little Red wanted in on the picture taking!! 

Thankful for flashlights!!

And Forts!

In the dark!!

It gets dark so dang early now, we have to figure out something fun to do!

This is another favorite when it's dark out!

Lite Brite!

Thankful for oldie but goodies

(I cut construction paper squares and they make designs and then staple them into books)

 Thankful for Lego masterpieces!

He's an awesome builder!

Thankful for a big brother nice enough to let them 

break apart his masterpieces and make their own...made up ones.

Thankful for rosie cheeks

and hot cocoa after playing in the snow!

Thankful, I got caught up on my laundry.

But as I type this, I'm already behind again.

Thankful for littles that want to make our giant water jug be unique to any others out there.

 Thankful our awesome piano teacher is letting us use

this keyboard to take to Texas this winter!! 

WE WILL HAVE MUSIC!!

(WOO! HOO!)

Thankful on the way to piano today, I spotted this beautiful tree.

The kids made fun of me, but I went home and got my camera.

I had to get a picture of it.

Isn't it amazing?

We need to notice these little things or they will pass us by.

Thankful for the love this sweet boy has for Elsa.

Her blanket must be laid flat on his bed

(yes it's a mattress on our bedroom floor--Sh!!)

Anyway, it must be laid flat, or he will freak out!!

Well, the other day, I saw this beautiful Elsa doll at Wal-mart for $19.99

so I got it for him.

(look how he holds her neck)

He loves Elsa!

But

My 5 year old, who had always NOT loved Elsa,

all of a sudden, decided she did love Elsa.

and was crushed.

(I felt like the worst parent of the year!)

So I went back that night and got another one.

Yep.  Best parent of the year. 

At least to these two.

And they have not "Let it go" (Elsa) since they got her!

Thankful for Elsa 

and Elsa dolls

and for Wal-mart.

Oh, my gosh, that was long, and if you are still here, 

I am thankful for you.

Please Pray for the Dead

 I've been reading this book this month, 

the month of the Holy Souls.

I've learned quite a few things about Purgatory.

One thing, is that we Catholics are not the only ones that pray for the dead!

This was a Jewish custom and in fact, Orthodox Jewish still pray for the dead.

Please go 

HERE

for biblical proof of Purgatory. 

I'd try to explain it but he does a much better job than I'd do!

I love that Everything we Catholics do is BIBLICAL!! 

I am black and white, I need that order, that backing so to speak.

I've always thought of Purgatory as a place of cleansing.

A place where the soul wants to be, to be purified for God.

Now, Yes, Jesus died for us, for our sins.

But sin is sin and the soul knows it.

The flames of Purgatory is the yearning the soul has for God.

The way I understand it is

each day in Purgatory is one day closer to God 

so there is Joy and a yearning pain at the same time.
The soul wants to be there.
The soul knows that he is going to Heaven.
  

Last week, I couldn't go to my holy hour 

because I wanted to go to my uncle's funeral.

On the way there, I had this pain in my heart, 

upon the realization of not seeing Jesus that day.

This pain is yearning.  It brought me to tears.  

I think that is a very small example of what Purgatory will be like.

It's a love.  

The Love we have for our Father in Heaven.

The love and desire to be perfect for Him.  

St Faustina Kowalska relates in her diary, her mystical experience

of the complete moral self-insight that one day will be revealed to every man at the particular judgement after death:

Once I was summoned to the judgement (seat) of God, I stood alone before the Lord.  Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His Passion...Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul as God sees it.  I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God.  I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for.  What a Moment!  Who can describe it?  To stand before the Thrice-Holy God!  Jesus asked me, "Who are you?" "You are guilty of one day in purgatory."  I wanted to throw myself immediately into the flames of purgatory,

 but Jesus stopped me.  

From Hungry Souls:

"St Faustina transmits the awfulness of the soul's confrontation with the Eternal, 

its insight that perfect holiness is required before it can enjoy God's presence--the smallest imperfections having more weight than even a pure soul as Faustina's had been aware--and the instinctive impulse of the soul to be cleansed, even in the flames of Purgatory."

This book also explains that ANY spiritualist phenomena, 

or so called manifestations of the dead during states of trance, hypnosis, or at a spiritualist and other magic or occult sessions: they are by no means the departed persons they pretend to be, but hoaxes or demonic imposters. 

This makes me think of mediums claiming to be "Catholic" and yet 

going against the Church and continuing to delve into this kind of phenomena.

Poor souls are not sensitive to commands to vanish in the Name of God, or in the Name of Jesus.

Their anxious begging for help signals hope for deliverance.

 The sad thing is that I don't think many people give much thought 

to what happens to the soul after death, except that it goes to Heaven.

I think that most people think that almost everyone goes to Heaven.

This is one of the greatest tragedies. 

The souls in Purgatory, having no one to pray for them, 

all their loved ones believing they are already in Heaven.

Pray, Pray, Pray...

They need our prayers

 Another book, I'm going to read again (in Texas this winter)

is Get Us Out of Here!

This book is Maria Simma's accounts of the Poor Souls that appeared to her, 

begging for prayers.  

This book is SO good!! 

You can find it HERE

 If you click on this picture you can see my Little Red in the background, getting ready to run!
(stinker)

Pray for the dead, pray rosaries, offer Masses, 

never give up praying for them!

Last week we had some of our Catholic Homeschool Youth 

 (32 of them) over for a walk to the graveyard 

(up the hill, down the hill, through the woods, and across the field)

to pray for the Holy Souls

I gave a short talk on Purgatory, indulgences  

and a little about St Gertrude and the prayer given to her from Jesus:

Eternal Father, 

I offer you the most precious

Blood of Your Divine Son,

Jesus, in union with the Masses said

throughout the world today, 

for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, 

for sinners in the Universal Church, 

those in my own home, 

and within my family.

Amen.

(This prayer was given to St Gertrude and Jesus promised that every time it was said, 1,000 souls would be released from Purgatory and allowed into God's Presence)

The saints knew of Purgatory!!

 

 Here we are walking across the field

 After my short talk, the kids got to explore and try to find the oldest grave.

We also have a section where all the babies that were miscarried during the year 

are buried through our Catholic hospital in town.  

Several of us went over there. 

Instant tears, I tell you, instant. 

 We caught this beautiful sunset on our way home...

 Then it got loud and a little crazy....

 We had pizza, pop, snacks and lots of fun!

 We broke into 2 groups (16 kids each)

 And played Minute to Win it games!!

 M&M Suck it (I named this one)

 Face the Cookie

 Stack Attack!
The parent helpers were awesome! 

 Guess the Candy amount to win the candy!!

 Have you ever made this?  Tastes exactly like Salted Nut Rolls...

The games were a lot of fun, but next time, 

I think we'll set up several places where the games can be going on at the same time, 

it seemed like there was a lot of waiting around...and then the non game players 

got bored...but most had fun, I think!
 My daughter heard kids talking about it the next day after Mass and she said they had fun!

My own kids thanked and thanked me over and over 

for a fun night!!

Please pray for the Holy Souls!!

I've always had a love for the Poor Souls

I have a hard time writing about it, for fear of not doing justice, 

but my goal here is to make people aware and to hopefully pray more!

Things I Love and More

Back in July, I bought this notebook.

Mostly because it was cool, but I like to write my thoughts down

when I'm out and about, or praying in the chapel, or just at home.

If I don't write my thoughts down when they come, they are long gone, 

yet somehow taunting me out there to capture somehow.

I started thinking that I'd like to make a list of 100 things I love/like.

In no particular order and not including people, you know, 

like my husband and my children...that's a give in, right?

I thought it would be hard.

it turned out to be pretty easy.

I added to it all summer 

I'm going to share some of those things with you
(OK, I shared them all)

along with a picture or two (or 20)

in the hopes you make a list for yourself.

A little book of YOU!

Because I love YOU!

1. I love dark chocolate
2. I love kids and babies
3. I love the sun and sunny days!
4. I love taking my kids to the wading pool and playing "1, 2, 3 Jump!"
5. I love swinging them around in the water
6. I love happy endings in movies
7. I love sitting on the porch, soaking up the outside as much as I can
8. I love chocolate chip cookies
   
9. I love baby toes and little kid toes
10. I love painted toes
11. I love talking with my husband
12. I love when Tom kisses and hugs me hello and goodbye
13. I love babies and children falling asleep in my arms...there's nothing like it
14. I love to watch movies
15. I love the differences in personalities with my 6 kids
16. I love driving in the summer with the windows down and the radio up
17. I love driving in the summer with the windows down and the radio off
18. I love curls on girls
19. I love campfires
20. I love flowers
    
21. I love to grow things
22. I love lush green grass and trees and woods
23. I love pre-school age children, it's my favorite age
24. I love to just sit on the side of the wading pool and watch my kiddos laugh and play, to enjoy that innocence of childhood.
25. Simeon giggled in his sleep around 5 am for 10-15 seconds--makes me smile just thinking about it--talk about "sweet dreams"!
26. I love that I feel 26 inside but have (hopefully) the wisdome of my 45 year old self
27. I love warm rainy days in the summer
28. I love going to Adoration
29. I love praying the rosary.  Any where, any place, any time!!
30. I love going to daily Mass
    
31. I love going to Confession, I love examining my soul deeper each time.
32. I love Jesus!!
33. I love my faith, being Catholic, I love living and walking my faith, it brings such joy and fulfillment to my heart
34. I love the Bible, but I struggle with what I should read
35. I love vegetables
36. I especially love salads
37. I love to garden, vegetables and flowers...but the deer eat what I plant, so no veggies.
38. I  love to organize things, although I'm not very organized with my time
39. I love to take pictures
40. I love to capture a memory
41. I love to then, look at that memory...it reminds me to be thankful.
42. I LOVE TO BE THANKFUL!
43. My 5 year old calls the YMCA "Lime-C-A"
44. I love to watch people and wonder about their lives
45. I love to go to the same cashiers at Wal-mart
46. I love the ocean and the beach, I can't help but think about God and His Awesomeness, it's so Vast and amazing.
    
     
47. I love to look at shells on the beach
48. I like long hair
49. My favorite colors are bright pink and bright blue
50. I love the real names of my children (all named after saints)
51. I always check out way too many children's books at the library (and yes, we do owe fines)
52. For myself, I like to read books that will change my life, if it doesn't change me in some way, it feels a waste of time for me. 
53. I like to brush my teeth every time I eat
54. I need down time, time alone, quiet time, time with just our family, time with nothing on the agenda.
55. I love water, ice tea w/ Sweet-n-Low and diet cola, all with ice.
56. When I look at houses, I always look for a good "cookie baking counter"
57. I used to have straight hair, before children.
58. I do not drink alcohol, out of respect for my husband (in recovery for 25+years now)
59. I do not like the zoo. 
60. I love the smell of sunscreen.
61. I do not like fruit scented lotions
62. I've been wearing the same perfume since I was 17.  "Confess Body Spray" (fake Obsession)
63. I love Spring, Summer and Fall...although, Fall the very least, because it quickly turns into Winter.  
64. I am always cold if I sit down.  I don't sit very much, but at the end of the day, when I rock Simeon to sleep, I FREEZE!!  
65. I love Spanish, but only took a year in high school.
66. I'm excited for my kids to learn Spanish
67. I do not like the Latin Mass.
68. Yes.  I said that. It's true.
69. Pet Peeve:  People that pretend to be dumb.
70. Pet Peeve: Negative people that complain, complain, complain....
71. I am left handed and I love that.  It makes me different.
72. I don't care what religion you are, I just want to know you.  I want to know what you believe and why and want you to want the same of me. (I think that's called respect)
73. I love tattoos and the reasons people get them, and I think the more the better, but I have no desire to EVER get one. I don't like the little tattoos, the ones that people get just to get a tattoo...I think if you are going to do it, Go BIG!! Look at her arms!!  They are awesome!  I used to watch that show LA Ink...just to see the reasons people do it. (when we had TV) (saw this lady at a park this past summer, I took her picture from far away, just held the camera in my lap and took the shot.  Sorry lady.  I really wanted to come up to you and talk to you about your tatts, but had to go with my kids)
    
    
74. Another Pet Peeve: People constantly trying to sell something or wanting money for something.  It's everywhere you go.  Even in line at the drive thru...Arbys, "Do you want to add a dollar for whatever" (it's a genius way to raise money, but I don't like it)
75. I got my ears pierced when I was 12.  I have not worn earrings regularly since my 3rd child was born. (that was 10 years ago)
76. I love sitting on the porch with Tom, talking about everything, holding his hand or snuggling up to him.
77. I love the smell of fresh cut grass.
78. I love taking the kids to the park, but with so many kiddos, I rarely do anymore, we utilize our backyard more!
79. I  love to play Scrabble, for a while, but I'm not a big game player.
80. I love a good burger with no onion, and lots of pickles and ketchup!
81. I love making tie dye shirts
82. I love Chipotle's.  I always order a meatless salad w/black beans, brown rice, mild salsa, fajita veggies, guacamole and extra lettuce on top!
83. I  love the smell of babies, makes me smile. 
84. I love Minnesota in the spring and summer.
85. I do not like to travel, but I  love to be in different places.
86. I do not like to wear jewelry, except my wedding ring.  I do wear a medal and scapular though anyway. 
87. I love my blue eyes.
88. I  love that I have curly hair now, it turned curly after having babies.
89. I love talking and getting together with my friend Sarah.  There's just something there.  
90. I love Iron Man, Spiderman, The X-Men, and the newest Superman and anything Marvel.
91. I do not  like pets.  For myself, I'm OK if you have them though.
92. I love Philippians 4:8
    
    
93. I  love fairs, big ones and small ones!
94. I love to watch people.
95. I love the 4th of July parade!  Everyone is so festive in their red, white and blue!
96. I love Disneyland...I have great memories of it from my childhood, living in California, even was locked in overnight for grad-nite!
97. I love being a woman
98. I love to help people
99. I love Pinterest and all the ideas out there for EVERYTHING!!
100. I love Jessica's parties, I've told her a few times, she should write a book.  She has so many ideas for not only parties, but all things Catholic.  She was my first example of someone celebrating feast days.
101. I love that Christine came up to me after Mass one day many years ago, and made that first move to become friends! 
102. I love mailboxes and the hope they bring to all of us.
     
103. I love blue ink.  Specifically, Papermate Profile pens.
104. I love watching my kids play with other kids
105. I love family game night!  Although, we rarely seem to have it anymore
106. I love the sound of the wind blowing through the trees on windy days
107. I love sitting on the porch when it's raining!
108. I love listening to Chrystal Gayle, it reminds me of my childhood.  My dad listened to her every weekend, he had (still has) every single album she made.  (yes album)
109. Ditto on Eddie Rabbitt!!  Saw him in concert at the State Fair many many years ago, invited 3 new friends to go with me I hardly knew!!  It was raining!!!!  (I Love a Rainy Night)
110. Kenny Roger's song, "Lucille" I thought he said "400 children and the crops in the field"
111. I love country music but most of it brings me back to a time in my life I don't want to think about.  Even new songs.  Isn't that funny?
112. Can't even count how many times I saw Alabama in concert!! Gosh, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band!!  And Lee Greenwood!!
113. Who doesn't love Kenny Rogers hits?
114. And Kenny Loggins?  I'm aging myself, aren't I?
115. I love getting all my laundry done in one day.  It happened twice. 
116. I only like mint flavored gum.
117. I love being able to open all the windows in the house, when it's not too hot or too cold outside
118. I love watching my child learn how to swim!
119. I love seeing my child learn how to read--that moment it clicks, is amazing!
120. Same with going potty!!
121. I love Tom's blue eyes
122. I love Tom's goat tee...go-tee, goatie? OH, that beard thing on his chin!
123. I think my husband is so cute in a baseball cap.
124. I love Tom in camo shorts!
125. My favorite dessert is vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and a banana cut up on it! I made it for myself on vacation this past summer...
     
     
126. Note to self:  NO MATTER HOW HIGH YOUR GOALS ARE OF WORKING OUT WHILE ON A WEEK VACATION, YOU WON'T DO IT!! Stop wasting space in your suitcase with shoes and workout clothes!
127. I love coming home after vacation!
128. I love that our family PRAYS!!
129. I don't like cupcakes or pancakes
130. I love Tom in his gray muscle shirt!
131. I love the smell of fresh rain
132. I love fresh flowers in a vase on the table or anywhere
     
133. I love watching the kids play in the sand
134. I love weeding my gardens with my bare hands, there's something about touching the earth, working with it, smelling it.  God's gift to us.
135. I cry very easy, my tears are a gift.
136. I might even be known to cry in animated movies....
137. I see every one of my faults magnified in my children.  I hope they also magnify my good qualities!!
138. I love non fiction books.  
139. I don't like fiction usually.  If it's not real, I don't want to read it.
140. I love screen doors.  I love the sound of a screen door slamming shut.  
141. I love the smell of a humid summer morning.
142. I love remnants of children playing in the yard (a little)
     
143. I love sidewalk chalk
144. I love to do my morning prayers on the porch.
145. I love to do school on the porch.
146. I LOVE THE PORCH!!!
147. I love houses with porches on them!
148.  I love that I am too young to be 45!!  Ha!! A friend told me that and I'm stealing it!
149. I love the word "people"
150. I love summer
151. I love the songs Be Happy and Happy.  NO one else in my family does. 
152. I love Netflix
153. I love a lot  more male singers than I do female singers.
154. I love lilacs.  They make me think of my childhood.  I used to play between 2 lilac bushes my mom had.  I'd play that there was a tragedy and I had to run away from our home and I was all by myself and that spot between the bushes was my home, or hideout away from the bad guys. 
155. I love blogging!
156. I love being a leader
157.  I love to stay up late
158. I love to watch the sun rise over the ocean....3 weeks 2 days left....

Well, that's it for now.
Now, I want you to work on your happy list, the list about YOU!
After you listen to my awesome songs here:

Have a great rest of your week!