Living the Dream

Sometimes I need to remind myself that the life I have now is a dream come true... that I spent so many years and tears hoping and praying for this family life. It is such a blessing to be married to a wonderful man and raising two amazing children. (Note: I could NOT have written this post on Friday afternoon. I was feeling quite bedraggled after a busy week of homeschooling and honestly contemplated running away for a while. But thank you God for the weekend. This has been an especially renewing one.)

 

Our living room received a bit of a (temporary) make-over this weekend. The boys had a great time playing and sleeping in this lovely fort ----

 

 

I remember when we moved into this house shortly after we were married. It was so big and empty. I dreamed of children "filling up the place." I imagined building forts with them.... and now it's happening and I have to remind myself to forget about the mess and pay attention to the magic. These are the kinds of things that they'll remember from their childhood. This is the kind of joy and fun I want to treasure with them.

 

When we first had the boys Jon and I longed and prayed for holy Catholic families with whom we could share our lives. We wanted to surround the boys with friends who share our Faith. We wanted the friendship and support of other parents facing the same joys and challenges as us. I'm choking back tears as I thank God for His overwhelmingly positive response to these prayers. We are truly, truly blessed to have the most amazing friends to share this journey with us.

 

We had a dream-come-true experience yesterday for sure. We attended such a fun and meaningful party at the home of some dear friends. They have a great home in the country with beautiful woods and farmland all around them. Every year they host a BIG hog roast and this was the first year we were able to attend. Adam has already informed us that we CAN'T miss this party ever again.

 

Many, many families gathered for food, faith, and fun. The children enjoyed a zip line, adventures in the woods, a hayride, a tree house, and a giant pile of dirt to play on. What beats a pile of dirt really? The parents enjoyed visiting and relaxing in front of a bonfire. There was a bouncer, a pony, football and cornhole games, a nail polish and face painting station, and fireworks that rivaled our local 4th of July display.

But the most awesome part of the night was something much deeper than all of that. Our friends had prepared a giant cross. We all got to etch or write our names on the cross.

 And then, all of the men worked together to hoist that giant cross up and into a hole that had been prepared.

 It was such a sight to see that cross being raised. Truly beautiful and exciting.

We all gathered around and one of the priests (there were several Dominican friars with us) blessed the cross. This cross will stand as the centerpiece of the property for years to come and our friends promised to pray for all of us often when they gather around the campfire.

This, my friends, is living the dream. Gathering with dear friends around the cross of Christ. Sharing the love, hope, challenges, and joy that come along with being His followers.

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy."