Sweet Jesus, help me to do your will in all things.  Guide me, direct me, lead me, so that I may never be out of your Grace.  When I turn my back and step off of the path you have chosen for me, please do whatever it takes to lead me back.  You are my God, where else would I turn.  Only you are the way to everlasting life.  Help me to serve others and love others more than I serve and love myself, especially those closest to me.  I pray that I may decrease so that you may increase.  Please forgive me when I miss opportunities to show your light, and please heal the souls of your precious people when I fail to show them your love and understanding.  You are my God.  I love you above all things.  Jesus, I trust in You. 

St. Anne's Shrine in New Orleans, LA
Photo taken by Omar Villarreal

Counting Sheep

Luke just came in and said, "I forgot how to go to sleep."

Opening his Mind

One of the greatest blessings I've received from my dabbling in the home school world, is that my mind was opened to the vast array of resources available to parents. So, to my childrens' delight, every summer I give them opportunities for Summer Enrichment! For my very energetic 9 year old son, I chose the "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati; Journey to the Summit" and "Alvin's Secret Code." I was trying to elevate his thinking, to open his mind, to expand his horizons beyond "Calvin and Hobbes." He was less than thrilled with these selections and thought he was going to get out of reading them if he just put it off long enough. He was incorrect. School starts on Tuesday and he was told that if he didn't finish them he would get to bring them to school for reading time. To his surprise, he actually liked the story of young Blessed Pier, so I thought he would love the next book too which is a story about secret messages.

It is amazing how fast he has read a book he has little interest in. I am sure the comprehension would not be impressive. Tonight as his dad tucked him in, he said he was almost finished with the book Mom was making him read and then he can move to "Killer Pizza!" Sigh.

She is Much Smarter than Me

The other day Hannah was looking at a license plate next to us and she said, "I really don't like the number 7. "

I asked, "What is wrong with the number 7?"

Hannah replied, "Well, actually, I really don't like any of the prime numbers because they can only be divided by 1 and themselves."

"Oh," was all I could think to say.

A Faithful Friend

Sophia was telling her cousins about one of her friends from school, and she was describing her recess woes. Sophia explained that sometimes her friend says she wants to play, but then just goes away. Then she added, "But I just want her to be my friend, because she has such a cute voice. "

If there's one thing I've always told my kids, it is..."Friends are best chosen by the cuteness of their voices!"

A Wee Bit Self Critical

Hannah's Reflection on her first day of Jazz Class: I am only lacking balance and grace.

Protecting Her Turf

When you have so many siblings, you can't mince your words when protecting your Easter Stash.

Learning Curve

Sophia was singing her ABC's today at Katie's soccer game and she got to H,I,J,K...,
she said, "What's elimino?"

She didn't remember seeing that letter on " The Talking Letter Factory."

My Little Conscience

Yesterday, being prompted by Josh - see my kids do save me, I took my kids to confession. As we were waiting in line, I was trying to do a quick examination of my conscience. Sophia asked if she could have a piece of paper to write down her sins. That made me chuckle. Then she looked at me and whispered, "Are you writing down that you yelled at me and were mean to me as some of your bad choices?"

I thanked her for her assistance in remembering my sins!

All In A Day's Work

First, she was a "robert" who "sells money."

Now, she is a cheerleader at Camp!

Humbly, not Proudly

"Wear your ashes humbly, not proudly." That is the main point of an article that my friend sent to me.

Ash Wednesday has always been interesting to me. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, and yet there have been times that we couldn't even step into the church because it was so crowded with Catholics waiting to receive their mark. It is peculiar to me. What makes people want the ashes? Is it to feel a part of something bigger than themselves? Is it an act of reverence that some people just know they cannot miss? Is it a desire to let the world know of their religious connection? Is it a time and way for people to start over, a clean slate? I think for me, at different times it has been all of these things.

Most recently, it has seemed like a contradiction to the Gospel reading that says, "when you pray, go into a closet, when you fast, tidy yourself so that the world doesn't know; surely your Father in Heaven knows." So, why then do we do something so bold, so visible to the world?

My friend's article reminded me that we wear ashes as a sign that we are sinners. They aren't like a Girl Scout badge we've earned that says, "Look at me, I am Catholic, I'm not eating meat today! Aren't I holy?" Neither do I think they are to be a way to square off with someone, "You better believe I'm Catholic, you want to make something of it?"

Instead, they are a reminder to us that "from ashes we come and to ashes we shall return." That little smudge on our head should remind us of the smudges on our souls. Without the grace of God, we are no more than dirt, an evolution of cells. But God has called us out of our sinfulness, God breathed a soul into us, God uses us and molds us and doesn't give up on us, even though we are poor sinners. He has called us His children, thus giving us His inheritance. Jesus, our Brother, opened the gates of Heaven by dying and rising again. It is on Ash Wednesday, that we humbly come before our King and admit to Him and the world, that we don't deserve what we have been given, but we are eternally grateful.

Brothers are Like That

I just got a little tickled listening to Hannah and Luke make their Valentines. Hannah is meticulously cutting out 21 hearts and handwriting notes to each of her classmates for the party tomorrow. She prefers me to not offer any assistance with projects such as these. Luke, on the other hand, is not as meticulously trying to get through his list as quickly as possible, mentioned that Valentine's Day is too much work, really just wants to eat the candy instead of tape it to the cards, and gladly takes me up on my offer to help. He forgot to make one for his teacher, so he was sent back in to make a handmade heart for her.

I overheard him ask his sister, "Hannah do you really need all of these, can I have just one?"

She said,"No you can't."

I'm a Nut, I'm a Nut, I'm a Dog-gone Nut

Todays mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground!

This was a quote on an email from my kids' counselor...I love it!

So Angelic

On Saturday, Sophia was in the backseat of the car and was looking through a religious book. She asked me, "Mommy, did you know some angels are babies?"

I figured she was looking at a picture with Mary and the little angels around her, so I told her they make some angels look like babies, and that they are called "cherubs." She went on to agree and tell me that she guessed that our guardian angels were babies when we were little and then grow up with us.

She then said, "Oh, here is another picture of those CHUBBIES!"

Bummer Dude

Walking your dog is a dangerous thing...

Congratulations Hannah, you are the 1st child in our family to earn a cast!

Somewhat Distracted

Omar and I were helping Luke and Hannah with their Science Projects today. I don't really look forward to this particular assignment, although Katie had some success a few years back and I actually did quite well in 7th and 8th grades at my own Science Fairs. ( I think it is because we picked categories that no one else entered! ) Hannah's project is mandatory and Luke volunteered for his, yeah Luke. So Omar and Luke were building a homemade battery out of pennies and apple cider vinegar, and Hannah and I were driving around the neighborhood trying to get 10 adults and 10 kids to perform a Stroop Test and the other kids were somewhat monitoring Sophia, while doing their own homework and weekend chores. When I got home, I asked Sophia if she was hungry. She said no, she was eating her 4th granola bar. I guess she was doing an experiment of her own.

Not a Microwave Meal

Even though I have shelves of books that I haven't read in their entirety, I am always looking for new books to read. Even though I am fighting cynicism in my attitude towards life, I guess I am still somewhat of an optimist and think that someday, I will absorb all that knowledge and holiness currently collecting dust! About a year ago I was so excited because I joined a Catholic Book Reviewer Program and was going to start reviewing books monthly! I got through my first two commitments in a somewhat timely fashion, and then I hit a wall. It was a fruit filled wall, but a wall nonetheless. The first 2 books had been really fast reads; a pocket sized edition and a novel. I thought my 3rd choice would be equally fast, because it was described as a "cookbook for life as a Catholic wife and mother" on its back cover.

"Grace Cafe," by Donna-Marie Cooper Boyle is not a cookbook of microwave dinners, but one of 5 course meals. This lovely little gem, was full of wonderful quotes and thoughts that required thought and reflection. The chapters include topics such as a call to holiness, a vocation of love, self giving, and raising saints. It is adorably written with little recipe summary snippets at the end of each chapter. While the theme is quaint, don't let that fool you. Ms. Cooper Boyle writes with such spiritual depth that each page could be studied in and of itself. I wish I had time to read and just sit and ponder each line, each quote, each reference to the Catechism. What a labor of love this work must have been. I finished the book, enjoyed it, and learned more about my faith, but honestly it took me quite some time.




This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Grace Cafe.

Cold Toes, Warm Heart

The other day Sophia was taking a nap with her Daddy. When they woke up, I asked if they slept well.

Omar said, "Well it was fine, but I kept feeling ice cold toes go under my shirt and onto my back."

Sophia overheard him and piped in, "It was so warm!"

Merry Christmas 2009

One great thing about being Catholic is that the Christmas season lasts into January!!

Happy 2010

Here are my treasures...

Of course, my husband is also my treasure, but he was at work, so he missed the photo op! ;)