Hawaiian Luau

Today has been such a busy day! We started out with our first May Crowning and went to the Science Center for Little Man's last Field Trip of the school year. To end the day we had a Family Hawaiian Luau in honor of Saint Damien of Molokai, which is my one of my dad's Patron Saints. Saint Damien is such an admirable saint. He endured physical and mental sufferings in order to bring the lepers closer to God. In the end, he contradicted the painful disease and died.

Today's feast is a little more special for my dad because he is suffering from physical ailments at this particular time. For those of you who don't know my family personally, my father was in a motorcycle accident in June of 2011. A truck hit him from the side and he was not wearing his helmet and was life flighted to Sacred Heart Hospital. By God's grace, he survived with a serious head injury broken hip and he tore his heel from his foot. Extreme road rash covered the left side of his body and was skin-graphed. We are so grateful that my father is still here with us and I will always remember when I received the call about his accident. It was the scariest moment of my life. Even though it has almost been a year, he is unable to walk without the assistance of a walker and is in extreme pain. I ask anyone who reads this post to please pray for him and his recovery. In addition for prayers to my father, I ask that you also pray for the man who hit my dad while he was driving his truck. We have never heard from him since the accident, but I am sure that the guilt he must carry with him is heavy on his heart and it must be unbearable at times. Pray that he can forgive himself and feels God's forgiveness. If you are interested in learning some prayers to Saint Damien, you can find them here and below.Tomorrow EWTN will be praying for my father as well, so please keep on your mind and say a few more prayers for his recovery please and thank you in advance.

Here are some pictures from our Hawaiian Luau in honor of Saint Damien of Molokai and my dad.

I love how Squishy looks likes hes doing the Hula in this picture! Little Man was super excited to wear his authentic Hawaiian shirt from our close family friend, Donna and her mother. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends in the lives of our children.

We bought these beautiful leis from the Dollar Tree to finish our outfits.

Our Hawaiian Luau consisted of Brown-sugar glazed ham cooked in the crock pot, Sweet potatoes with cinnamon and nutmeg, fresh garden salad, pineapple upside-down cake and virgin pina coladas (not pictured because I forgot). I think it turned out pretty well, no one left hungry. I am planning on making a traditional Hawaiian breakfast next year (time did not allow this year) called Loco Moco. I would make it more a country twist with grits instead of rice, sausage/turkey patties instead of a hamburger and country gray not brown. I might try it out tomorrow and see how it turns out.  

This was the first pineapple upside-down cake I have ever baked and I am proud of how great it turned out. I let my parents take home half because there is no way we could eat all this cake and be able to have room for more this Sunday during our celebration for Mather's Day, our May Crowning and Our Lady of Fatima :o) Well I hope everyone enjoyed today and remember to tell your loved ones you love them. You never know what plans are in store for you and your family.

God Bless! 

St. Damien, brother on the journey,
Happy and generous missionary,
who loved the Gospel more than your life,
who for love of Jesus left your family,
your homeland, your security, your dreams,

Teach us to give our lives
with a joy like yours,
to be in solidarity with the outcasts of the world,
to celebrate and contemplate the Eucharist
as the source of our commitment.

Help us to love to the very end
and, in the strength of the Spirit,
to persevere in compassion
for the poor and forgotten
so that we might be
good disciples of Jesus and Mary.

Amen

Saint Damien, pray for us!