Trinity Sunday

What a beautiful day to celebrate the Holy Trinity! If you didn't know already, today is Trinity Sunday. I have been trying my hardest to incorporate these Liturgical Feast Days into the "everyday lives" of my family. I want my children to be inspired by their Faith and to know that it should be the center of their lives. The exciting thing about feast days, like today, is that we will have delicious food and we will celebrate as a family. I think that family and fun should always go hand in hand!

Saint Patrick is a very popular saint is is well known for using the shamrock to describe the Holy Trinity. It so happens that I will be able to reuse some of the crafts and activities from this years Saint Patrick's Day celebration for today! During our Saint Patrick Celebration, I had the boys take foam shamrocks and paste the corresponding parts of the Trinity onto each leaf. I created a centerpiece with our shamrocks and three candles in the middle of the table.

Now to talk about my favorite part of celebrating: The Food! In honor of the Holy Trinity I tried to focus on the number THREE when creating the menu for today.

For breakfast we enjoyed Trinity Pancakes. All we did to make our pancakes into Trinity Pancakes was I made smaller pancakes and I overlapped three together on everyones' plate. Similar to the Trinity Triangle.

For lunch I made Three Bean Soup! I was quite impressed with how good this soup was. I threw all the ingredients in the crock pot after breakfast and it was slow cooked on high for 4 hours. Before I served the soup I gave it a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar.

I was most excited about our dinner plans for this evening. I decided to have a Three Course Meal for my family.

1st course: More Three Bean Soup! I made so much we had leftovers which was a quick and easy start to our yummy dinner.

2nd course: BBQ Chicken with corn on the cob and green beans We decided on BBQ Chicken because it was a suggestion on Catholic Culture for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. I am assuming it is to symbolize the Holy Spirit

3rd course: Trinity Sundaes! I love Lacy's ideas at Catholic Icing about Liturgical Sundaes. Who doesn't love ice cream and they are simple to make. My children were trying to jump out of the cart when we entered the ice cream isle to pick up our Neapolitan ice cream.

With all the running around we have been doing it was so nice to have a quite family day. I do wish I could have got the materials to make a wind chime out of triangle shaped metal. I think we will try it out next year.

I think everyone is starting to see that I really enjoy ending our feast days watching a movie with my family. Its a nice way to settle the children down after bath time and its a good way to tie up any lessons that were learned during the day. We are going to watch Patrick: Brave Shepherd from the Emerald Isle after everything is cleaned up and I prepare a french toast casserole for tomorrow's breakfast!

Today is also an excellent day to pray The Litany of the Most Holy Trinity.I hope your Trinity Sunday was as awesome and delicious as ours! :o)

Quick side note: You may have noticed that I am officially a Tiber River Reviewer (I have the badge on the upper right hand corner of my blog) I just received my first book that I will be reviewing. Please be on the lookout for my posts about books and other fun things, I am really excited about this opportunity.

I am linking up

Our Pirate Adventure {Billy Bowlegs 2012}

Yesterday was the first time ever we have attended the Billy Bowlegs Festival. The kids were really excited about attending the parade that is held annually in Ft. Walton Beach. I was lucky enough to have a friend that had an extra pirate costume for Little Man and I drew a skull and cross bones on a white shirt for Squishy. We were watching Little Man's friend too so his mom had him in a pirate outfit complete with a dread lock wig and painted facial hair! The kids looked so cute.

I wish I had not left my memory card to my camera at home so I could have been able to take some pictures. However, I was able to snap a few pictures with my phone camera. I just don't know how to download them to the computer yet since its not a smart phone (My husband will hopefully have it figured out for me soon and I will update this post soon). FINGERS CROSSED! :o)

To start our pirate adventure, we began with a Little Scallywag's Pirate Walk. Each child received a map with 18 different locations numbered along a designated route. All the small shops and vendors were outside handing out candy, pirate coins and beads. When you would reach a designated location on your map, the vendor was suppose to sign or stamp the map. Once you visited all 18 locations, you returned to the starting point to claim your "pirate booty".The kids were all so excited when we would make it to a shop that would sign off on their map. Several places would have them make pirate noises or something else cute in order to have their maps signed. It took us 2.5 hours in the Florida heat but we completed the Pirate Walk! I think I was just as excited as the kids to turn in our maps and get our prizes! Each bag contained pirate coins, temporary tattoos, colorful woven bracelets and several coupons to shops along our Pirate Walk route.

After the Pirate Walk we were suppose to find a good spot to wait for the Billy Bowlegs Parade, but the kids were so tired and ready to go home. I did not argue! I carried my 19 month old that weighs 38 lbs. most of the Pirate Walk and I was exhausted! We loaded everyone into the car and headed home for a pizza and movie night. To keep with the pirate theme of the day, we watched The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything- A Veggie Tales Movie. If you have never seen the movie you should definitely check it out! It's absolutely adorable. It has a great lesson about doing what's right, even when there are easier options. The music always makes the kids smile and they sing along with every music title. Well I hope the rest of our summer stays this exciting!

Have a Blessed Day!

Last Day of K4

Oh my goodness! How time flies.... I feel like the school year just began and Little Man was getting ready for preschool. It was so adorable how super excited he was about his Spider Man backpack and lunch box. Looking back at the pictures I took on the first day of school make me a little teary-eyed. He looks so grown up, its hard to believe it was taken almost 10 months ago.


Now his first school year is officially done and I am a proud mom for sure! It was the most amazing school year and I know that Little Man is very sad that school is out for summer break. I can't say I blame him! He had the most amazing teachers ever! God has truly blessed Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Monica with an incredible ability to touch children's hearts and minds. I am so thankful that my son was able to be taught by these amazing women because I know he is set for success. Little Man wants to practice his letters, counting and asks me tons of intelligent questions all the time now. He is so interested in his surroundings and loves to experiment (thanks to the hands-on-learning techniques of his teachers). I am sad that Little Man will not be attending the same school next year since we will be in another state, but I pray that his kindergarten teacher is half as good as his K4 teachers!

The class pulled together to get the teachers an end of year gift but Little Man wanted to make something special for Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Monica. He made them personalized coffee cups. He told me he wanted them to use them everyday. He made sure to color each cup just a little differently so Mrs. Monica and Mrs. Evans would know which cup was which. I thought it was a sweet gesture and very thoughtful. He even made his Daddy and I some special cups to use on our way to work.

Little Man received 2 new books as an end of year gift from his teachers too: It's Hard to be Five and If You Give A Cat A Cupcake. Both of these books are amazing. Little Man has had me read them several times since he received them. I think what makes these most special for Little Man is that they are signed with a little note of encouragement for the upcoming school year from his teachers.

I am ready for an exciting summer with my family and to start our new chapter in South Carolina!

Summer Vacation has officially commenced!

Prayer for Teachers 

Great is the wisdom of the Lord!
God Almighty, Your Wisdom includes
An understanding of what is fair,
What is logical, what is true,
What is right and what is lasting.
It mirrors Your pure intellect!
I entreat You to grant me such Wisdom,
That my labours may reflect Your insight.
Your Wisdom expands in Your creations,
Displaying complexity and multiplicity.
Your Wisdom is an eternity ahead of man.
May Your wisdom flourish forever!

In Honor

Memorial Day is such an emotional day for so many people especially around here. There are 3 military bases nearby and many families have a family member or close friend that serves.  I am so glad that we honor those who have given their lives for us to enjoy the freedoms that so many of us take for granted. In the past few months there have been news of several soldiers from our surrounding towns that will not be coming home, you can read an article here.
For me personally, my dad was in the Air Force for 28 years before retiring just a few years ago. My dad was deployed in several different countries to participate in Iraqi Freedom, the Ceasefire in Korea, Kuwait, Desert Storm- Desert Shield and several other places and missions. When I was younger, my dad never spoke about his experiences overseas. Now that I am older, he talks about his scary experiences seldom and how lucky we are to live in a country that allows us so many freedoms.

My grandfather joined the Navy when he was only 16 (during WWII) completed several terms of service. He later joined retired from the Air Force.  My grandfather is such an admirable man and he is a Veteran of WWII, Vietnam and the Korean War. He was standing on the battleship Missouri during the formal surrender ceremony for Japan during WWII. My grandfather loves his country and I know he lost many friends during his time in the military. Now that he is growing older in age, his memories haunt him at times.

Here are a few people me and my family knew personally that we will remember today

Josh Born

I graduated from Niceville High School with Josh Born but I had known him since Elementary School. We had several classes together and had several mutual friends. We hung out when he came to visit our next door neighbors and I will always remember him as a great friend. He was killed just a month ago. Pray for his family, especially his wife Megan who I am sure needs to feels God's love and strength in her life.

Vanessa Pitts

Vanessa was a running companion of mine during Track and Field during High School. I participated in a Volleyball Camp with her during Middle School. She was a sweet girl who always had something nice to say. It has been just over 2 years since Vanessa became an angel. Pray that her family and fiance' are staying strong and know we will never forget their amazing Vanessa.

Patrick Griffin

My dad asked me to write a special note for one of his lost friends. I didn't know him personally but I know his family still misses him years later. Pray for his children that are growing up so fast and his wife.

Brent Marthaler*

* I put an asterisk next to Brent because he was 1 of 19 killed at the Khobar Towers.

I wanted to make special mention of him because he was my Sunday School teacher and he had a great impact on my life. I remember after the bombing his Fiance' came and took his entire class to a room to celebrate the life of Mr. Brent. She brought us teddy bears and gifts and I remember feeling a deep sorrow and loss. I was only 9 when the bombing occurred. This June 25th marks the 16th Anniversary of his death. I am planning on visiting the beautiful Memorial they have in place for the young men that lost their lives in that bombing. I know that there is a special place in heaven for the mean and women that lay down their lives in service of others. They are now blessed to guard the golden gates to heaven. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers, I know he is still greatly missed, even 16 years later.

These are a few of many that deserve to be remembered today. There will be more to join them in the upcoming years as well. I have such a strong patriotic heart. I was planning on joining the Air Force during college. Then I had Little Man and I have such an enormous respect for those who suffer the heartbreak of leaving their loved ones to fight for our great nation. I am raising my children to respect those in uniform because FREEDOM IS NOT FREE! I hope everyone takes time today to pray for those that gave their lives, their families that are still on Earth and cherish the gift they have given us all.

We walked among the crosses

Where our fallen soldiers lay.

And listened to the bugle

As taps began to play.

The Chaplin led a prayer

We stood with heads bowed low.

And I thought of fallen comrades

I had known so long ago.

They came from every city

Across this fertile land.

That we might live in freedom.

They lie here 'neath the sand.

I felt a little guilty

My sacrifice was small.

I only lost a little time

But these men lost their all.

Now the services are over

For this Memorial Day.

To the names upon these crosses

I just want to say,

Thanks for what you've given

No one could ask for more.

May you rest with God in heaven

From now through evermore.    

Prayer for Fallen Soldiers

Dear Lord Jesus and Mary, Mother of God,
Hold all these brave souls in the palm of your hand, comfort them and their families.

Send angels of protection, love, and comfort to all the service men and women still at war,
bring them home safely and comfort their families.

We ask all our prayers in Jesus' name. Amen.

Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/Prayers/Catholic/Holidays/Prayer-For-Fallen-Soldiers.aspx#ixzz1vz1iauJD

Pentecost Sunday

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

Today is Pentecost also known as "Whitsunday" one of the most Blessed Feast Days of the Year! Its traditional to wear red today to symbolize the "tongues of fire" that came upon the Apostles. This is our first time having a party in celebration but I found there are so many fun ways to celebrate this Feast Day.

A tradition I am starting is one I saw on Catholic Culture. I modified their tradition a little but I think the end result was cute! You write the Gifts of the Holy Spirit on paper that has been cut into the shape of a dove with red ribbon (used to hang it within your house). Each family member draws a dove to see what gift from the Holy Spirit you need to work on for the year. The doves are then left on display as a reminder to everyone to focus on their gift throughout the year. Below are the results!

Myself: Counsel

Little Man: Fear of the Lord

Squishy: Knowledge

We allowed Little Man to draw Squishy's gift because he was COVERED in red velvet cake...

As a craft the boys and I made headbands with flames attached to look like the Holy Spirit was falling upon us before dinner. It was so fun and I hope the kids remember these fun activities.

The food we eat on Feast Days is the most exciting part for my children. Today we had donuts and water (My husband and I enjoyed coffee with cream) as our before Mass snack. For lunch we ate chicken strips and potato wedges to continue with the "white" theme and for dinner I was planning on making a Seven Layer Casserole in the crock pot. I had to modify the recipe because I forgot to buy chicken and red potatoes. Instead I made everything separately but I think the meal still turned out quite nice. We served everything on our red plates and used red cups. If you would like to try out the original recipe I was going to use, check out the recipe below:

Seven Layer Casserole

Red potatoes  thinly sliced

Chopped Onion

Frozen Carrots

Frozen Peas

Rice

Chicken Breast

Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup

Milk

Salt and pepper

Put all ingredients except rice in crock pot on Low for 8 hours

Add Rice 3 hours before casserole is finished

You could always add cumin or chili seasoning to add some kick for the tongues of fire!

The kids and I baked a red velvet Pentecost Birthday cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to the Church. I couldn't help but decorate our cake like Jessica's from Shower of Roses. It is gorgeous and has so much symbolism! We topped our cake with 1 large candle (Christ: the light of the world) and topped with 12 small candles (the 12 Apostles) and Seven Dove chocolates (7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit). It is also surrounded by 12 strawberries (12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit).

I have to admit I did not think about how close I placed all the candles together before we lit them... Well let's just say LESSON LEARNED :o) It looked like the cake was going to go up in flames!!!

Little Man was laughing so hard while we sang Happy Birthday because the middle candle melted completely while we were singing. Although everything did not go as planned this will become a treasured tradition for our family and now we have a silly story to share with anyone who is willing to listen.

After an entire day of celebration we decided to end the night with a movie. I rented a movie for us from Netflix called Bedbug Bible Gang: Pentecost Party. I have never seen it or know anyone who has seen it. It looks interesting and I hope the kids like it. I will update with my opinion after tonight. I hope everyone had a Blessed Pentecost!

National Wine Day!

Today is National Wine Day! I love to have wine to celebrate our Liturgical Feast Days and I think today would be a great day to try a wine you've never tried. I am ending the night with a glass of Lucky Duck Riesling!

Blessing of the Wine

*Normally used on the Feast of St John on December 28th*

Graciously bless and sanctify, O Lord God, this wine and this drink with Thy right hand, and grant that by the merits of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, all who believe in Thee and partake of this wine may be blessed and protected. And as Saint John drank poison from a cup and was unharmed, so may all those who this day drink of this cup in honor of Saint John be preserved from all poisoning and other harmful things, and as they offer themselves to Thee in body and soul may they be free of all guilt. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bless, O Lord, this drink which Thou hast created, that it may be a salutary remedy for all who partake of it, and grant that all who taste of it may, by invoking Thy holy name, receive health for body and soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, come down upon this wine and any other drink, and remain forever. Amen.

Have a Blessed Night!

Soccer Banquet

I absolutely love this picture. All the kids were suppose to make funny faces but some just look confused (Look at Little Man LOL). We had an amazing group of children this Spring Soccer.

Tonight ended Little Man's Spring Soccer Season with the Blue Dinos. I am so proud of the great sportsmanship he showed this season and his enthusiasm to learn the sport. Today was definitely his BEST game ever! He only score once but he didn't give up and continued to dribble the ball although the opposing team was stealing the ball and blocking his shots. I was totally having a *Proud Mama* experience. I am sad to say that this will be his last extra-curricular activity until we get settled in our new home in South Carolina. Although, Dominic had a blast eating pizza and playing at the park until bedtime! We even passed out invitations to his Birthday/ Going Away Party in June. Here is a collage of several games throughout their season and pictures from the banquet at the park.