Mary Christ Mass!

Midnight Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine...after the Christ-Child was in a procession to the manger near the Altar. It was such a beautiful Traditional Latin Mass.

           Hubby, prior to going to Mass...naptime! Maisy the dog is napping as well.

    The kids before Mass, Pix in front of our Christmas tree. Mushroom the cat is not  excited for pictures.

                                                                       

Hubby and I before Mass. First gift of Christmas? Hubby shaved off his mustache and beard! The only time of year I get to see that dimple in his chin, hee hee.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Trinity Acres: Gaudete Sunday

Trinity Acres: Gaudete Sunday

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Gaudete Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say, rejoice...... And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4,7
The mark of every true Christian, every soldier of Christ is joy.... the joy that is only found in the Lord. And how do we express that joy?  First in how we treat our family. There is no surer way to know the true depths of where our souls lie than in how we treat our family.   Our spouse, our children, our father, our mother, our brothers and sisters.... The family God gave to us to help form our souls.  It isn't so difficult to be joyful "out there".  It isn't so difficult to put on a smile or laugh "out there".  It isn't so difficult to put out a kind word "out there".  But unless we treat our family with great love, great charity and be the source of great joy.... we only too easily show who we really are.  It is easy to find excuse to send a nasty word or make an unkind jesture to our family.... afterall they deserve it is our thought.  And yet, God Himself, as a God-made-Man came down to live in a family, to form his human character that He might be one with us.  For 30 years He, God, remained submissive to His Mother and foster-father.  He submitted Himself in all his Infinite Greatness to mere human creatures.... just because He loves us. I don't know, I've been pondering why God's great love for us all Advent as I slowly make my way through St. Alphonsus' Incarnation book. We are so wretched!  Yet, that is the fact.  No greater fact could be revealed to us that He, God, became Man just for the very sake of love.  Perfect Love.  So we, too must treat everyone, see everyone through the Eyes of God... most especially our families.... with great love.  It is only in that, when we die to ourselves that we will find that Perfect Joy.

And so we say Rejoice!  For, as St. John the Baptist said, we prepare for One so Great to come into our midst of whose sandal strap we are unworthy to loosen!  We are not even worthy to stoop to the ground and remove His shoes.  So let's make ourselves as worthy as we are able... by the Grace of God.... by stooping to treat our family with great love.  And how do we do that.... by serving, by a kind word, by a little smile....  Have we said, "I love you" lately?  If there is no love... find it.  Beg God for it. Beg Our Lady.  Ask for nothing else this Christmas but to be filled with the Love of God.... and then Rejoice!

Posted by Julie @ Trinity Acres at 7:32 AM

Sanjay's Birthday

12 years ago, tomorrow ( October 9th), a little boy was born in India. He lived in an orphanage for his first 2 1/2 years of life. He was brought into our family at that age and we had the privilage of knowing and loving him for nearly 8 years. We hoped to have many more years with him, wondered what this sweet, silly, and smart little boy would be when he grew up?

 On this day 2 years ago we had high hopes that his upcoming Bone Marrow Transplant would be a cure for his genetic disease, Thalassemia Major. We had no idea that it was the last Birthday we would celebrate with him. That idea was unthinkable. The unthinkable occured 4 months later, during his BMT, with 2 freak brain bleeds.

 We surrounded him and said our good-byes as he slipped away from this life. We hope for the day we are reunited with him in the life to come, Heaven is sweeter...Sanjay, we love you so very much, and we miss you every day. Your life was precious to us.

Nineteen!

Saint Maria Goretti Camp

My two girls went to camp in Wisconsin this year...These pix are from the last day, when I picked them up.

A few of the sweet Nuns at the awards ceremony.

 

                                                   Elder daughter in front of her cabin.

                                                       Elder daughter inside her cabin.

                                                      Younger daughter inside her cabin.

                              Younger daughter outside her cabin...they were on different "Teams"

 

                          Good-bye Saint Maria Goretti Camp...we have many fond memories of you!

Summer Garden

This is our garden...12- 4x4 raised beds with trellises.

 

 

                                                     Tomatoes...                                                     

 

Flowers...

 

 

Pumpkins...

 

More flowers...

 

I don't have much of a green thumb. Some of our crop gets set upon by blight or wilt or bugs, but I do manage to get some fresh veggies out of our garden each year. I may even try a bit of canning this year! I usually freeze some beans and tomatoes.

 

What's in YOUR garden???

 

Seventeen!

My sweet eldest daughter turned Seventeen this year. It is a bittersweet time for me, I often miss the giggly little tree climber of years gone by. But I do enjoy sharing fun "grown up" times with her now...shopping, reading books in common, movies and girl chats. Still, time is going way too fast for me. God bless you Always, Sweetie!

Almost Wordless Wednesday...Lovely Rain!

Hummingbird

Right at my Living Room window...

Sorry they are sideways...I don't know why they did that. I rotated them correctly before I added them to the blog.
Hmmmmf!

Do You Have a Home Altar?

A central part of our Living room is our family's Home Altar. We have religious art, statues, prayer books, candles, holy cards, rosaries, and our family's certificate stating we are consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on display. We also have a photo, holy card, and hand-print of our precious son, who passed from this life on February 25th, 2011. I often place my hand over Lego Boy's hand print and ask for his special intercession, and tell him how much we all miss him!

 This is the room where we gather for prayer, and it makes it a little easier to keep our thoughts on God and Heaven. It is a peaceful spot, if a bit cluttered at times!

This is a photo of our Home Altar

It is in our Living room place between two bookcases...

             This is a photo of Lego Boy at Eucharistic Crusade.

This is Lego Boy's Hand print from the Hospital (2nd class relic?) holding a

rosary made by a little boy in our Catholic Home School group.

 No Home Altar is complete without Holy Water!

 Our Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue.

             We also keep rosaries on our altar...This particular is one was used by Hubby's Great Aunt!

Does your family have a Home Altar? Please join the link up so we can share pictures of  our Home Altars...I am looking forward to sharing our prayer spaces!

PS Can anyone tutor me in how to host a link up to this post? I haven't a clue! LOL...

Here is the Linky for the Bog Hop: Open until September 30th
 http://www.linkytools.com/picturecaption_linky_include.aspx?id=153755


http://trinityacres.blogspot.com/2012/07/our-home-altar.html   

http://www.sueelviswrites.com/2012/07/family-altar.html

Independence Day!

We celebrated the Independence of the United States of America...how much longer will we be the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Our traditional Flag Cake was made this year by Recipe Boy and Drama Queen...with some help from Grandma! Yum!

Our good friends came over to spend the day and the children put on a "Circus" for the entertainment of all...

We all gathered at our usual spot for the Fireworks Display.

Enjoying the second largest Fireworks Display in the state!

...Happy 4th of July!

Family Reunion

Our family made a trip to Colorado for a family reunion on Hubby's Father's side of the family. It was a blazingly hot day (104!) so it was nice that the gathering was at a reservoir! We had a huge shaded pavillion to ourselves, great food, and water to swim in. It was actually quite comfortable, dry heat with a breeze, so in the shade of the pavillion and in the water it was great!





Some of the women at the family reunion.

Friday Felines

Wonder Knitter with the new kittens!

Meet the new barn kittens...Phinneas and Ferb.

Phinneas is the "talker"

Falling asleep on Hubby out on the porch.

We are very pleased to have kittens again, they are SO much fun!

Wordless Wednessday

Missing his smile...

Corpus Christi Procession

Every year in a town about an hour away from us there is a Corpus Christi Procession from the Church through the town to an altar set up to honor the Body and Blood of Our Lord.

 

There are many families along with the Nuns and the Priest and Servers praying the Rosary and singing as they walk through the town with the Monstrance on display for all to honor Him.

 

The Nuns spend hours with colored sawdust to make these beautiful Religious Symbols...then the procession walks right over them...it is a labor of love.

 

All praise...

 

                                                                    All honor...

All glory...

 

                                                         Are Yours, Almighty God...

 

Forever and ever, amen.