"Unplugged Week"

Don't bother checking in here for the next week.... We have declared this "unplugged week" around here. We started today. (I just snuck up here to do this post... hope I don't get caught!)  The boys (and I) have gotten way too lazy this summer about watching TV at all times of the day. AND the boys have begun to develop quite the video game habit. (That's in their genes from their dad!) So, we returned the old Nintendo game to my dad. (We don't have a Wii or anything --- that would be too tempting for all of the males in the house at this point.) We literally unplugged the TV's and we're shutting down the computers.

Needless to say, this has been a less than popular move. We sat down and had a family meeting and explained why we're doing this. We want to clear out all our brains... drink in the fun of summer... do some other games and activities as a family... get some chores done around here... and get ready for school. I've brainstormed a whole list of projects, chores, activities, and field trips that we can do this week.

The boys whined a bit this morning, but I think we'll get into a groove and not even miss our electronic distractions. Our plan after this week is to adopt the strategy my friend Becky uses with her family -- "No TV or computer until 3:00." That way we can complete school and chores before fighting the TV/computer battle each day. They can watch and play during that crazy time of day when I'm tired and fixing dinner. Then our evenings will be free for other things.

So, I'll let you know how it goes. I'll post some pictures and reports from the week next Sunday. Have a great week!

** I will be checking my email, but only once a day! So, if you need to get in touch with me, be a bit patient or pick up the phone. Thanks!

A Great Day at the State Fair

Yesterday Jon left work at 3:00 and we headed to the Ohio State Fair. We met my dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew there. It was a sunny, not-too-hot day. We had a wonderful time! This year the kids were way more into the rides and games than in the past. So we didn't see very many animals or exhibits, but we did have lots of fun. Here are some pictures from our adventure at the fair.

Can you tell who's more scared on the sky ride?

Hint: He's older than 6! ;)

Carter aand Adam on the alligator ride. We have pictures of the boys on this ride from the past three years. They are growing so fast. They'll probably be too big for it by next year!







The petting zoo is always a big hit!



Have YOU ever fed a kangaroo?



Pappy and his posse!



Ray and Ava going down the gigantic slide! Ray loved this! He went about six times. It was his first year of doing it all by himself.



Seriously!?!? Talk about fair food... cheeseburgers with donuts as the "bun." I actually saw people eating these!



The annual "butter cow."





And of course we had to play some games!



All the boys (with help from Pappy and Nee Nee) won prizes!

I got to ride this giant ferris wheel with my dad!



Colleen and I holding all the "stuff" while Jon and the boys ran through a fun house about ten times. (Colleen had just blown powdered sugar from her funnel cake all over me!)



Jon running through the fun house... what a good sport!

Can you spot the "monkeys" in this fun house?

As we were riding the tram back to our car, we even got to see the fireworks!

Ideas!

I am an idea person. I enjoy collecting ideas for fun and interesting projects. I love planning lessons and activities and retreats. So many ideas, so little time!

In addition to a file cabinet full of "ideas"... I have this bulletin board in my "office." It's always full of inspirations, ideas, and things that are just plain pretty or uplifiting for me.

 For many years I have kept a special kind of journal. (Now I'm actually into my 3rd book.) It's a scrapbook of sorts, a place where I put pictures, prayers, quotes, etc. that I come across and I want to remember. Every so often, I pull out those journals and am so comforted, uplifted, and inspired.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I recently discovered an AWESOME new website that's all about ideas! It's called "Pinterest" and it's a "virtual pinboard." I am in love with this! Here's the link to my pinboards: http://pinterest.com/kryzenga/ so you can check it out. Basically, this site allows you to save and organize all of the great ideas that you come across anywhere on the web.You can sort the ideas into as many categories (boards) as you want. One of the best parts is browsing through the thousands of boards already created by other members. I have spent so many hours doing this over the past few weeks! (Yikes... still need to finish planning school, but this is so addictive!) There are ideas about EVERYTHING on pinterest. I have really enjoyed the homeschool ideas as well as the recipes and ideas for the house. I got my mom looking at sewing ideas as well. So cool!

So, check it out. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as me. :)

So Blessed

 Today I enjoyed a very nice, low-key birthday. It was much less traumatic (as well as less festive) than last year. I feel so blessed by the kind notes, phone calls, gifts, and good wishes I received from so many family members and dear friends. It's hard to complain about being 41 when I'm supported and surrounded by all of you! I am truly blessed.

Jon and I went out for a  lovely "birthday date" on Friday evening. Last night my mom made a delicious family dinner to celebrate my birthday. Today I was served breakfast in bed and received some beautiful earrings and a (copy of) an amazing painting of Mary (that I've been wanting to display in our home for a long time). The boys and I went to the playground and on some errands, but other than that it was a quiet day at home. We did a few science experiments. Jon brought home Chinese food (and roses!) after work. It was a calm, relaxing day. Yeah!

I hope the peace and happiness of today are indicative of what my 42nd year will be like! Thanks again for all of your love and prayers today and always.


Happy homemaker! My sister got me this lovely apron!

Roses from my love.

"Our Lady of Innocence" by  Bouguereau

Science Experiments
(Yeast, water, and sugar cause the balloon to inflate.)
(Oil, water, food coloring, and Alka Seltzer = "lava lamp")

Our Homeschool Motto

I think I've found a new motto for our homeschool. I may even paint it on the wall in our classroom. It's a quote from Saint John Bosco, the patron saint of youth who is known for his wonderful work teaching and mentoring boys.

"Run, jump, make noise, but do not sin!"

And the second part will be:
 “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17 NLT)

Lord, give me patience... NOW!!!

Well, this is the "reflection/discernment post" I've been promising. (So if you just check in here for the cute pictures and updates on our family, you might want to skip this long, rambly one.)

First, a confession. I broke my finger because I was being impatient... and ridiculous... and not the greatest parent on the planet. You see, we were headed for a Little Saints Club activity -- a post-4th of July bike parade. Instead of having the boys help me get everything ready, I planted them in front of the TV while I loaded the bikes, helmets, decorating items, snacks, water bottles, ..... Then I had to extricate them from the TV, make them get their shoes on and go to the bathroom, sunscreen them.... It was the sunscreen that ultimately did me in. Adam was done and buckled in the car. Ray was having a fit about something and was dancing around and giving me a hard time about getting sunscreen. My hands were full of sunscreen. I had had enough. I yelled at him. I told him to come to me. He, of course, didn't. I went to grab him by the shorts so I could pull him toward me. As I grabbed for his shorts, I twisted my finger wrong. I heard it snap. I felt it break. And I didn't even get enough hold on the shorts to pull Ray to me anyway.

It was such a dumb moment. I lost my cool. I knew right away that it was broken... because I was impatient.

When will I learn?

We weren't late for a state dinner or anything. I just wanted to get to the park. I just wanted them to listen. I just wanted things done my way. (Yet I hadn't really engaged them in the process or taken the time to make the preparations a team effort.)

This is really becoming a lifelong challenge for me. I know that God wants me to practice patience. He wants me to let go of too much planning, worrying, organizing, hurrying, .... I'm always racing to the next thing and I very often miss the gift of the present moment.

My broken finger, still in it's little plastic splint, has been a consistent reminder to me of the importance of patience. When it has throbbed, itched, and made things more difficult, I have tried to offer up the discomfort in atonement for my many, many, many transgressions against the virtue of patience. I have been reflecting and praying about patience quite a bit.

This quote by Saint Francis deSales has been helpful for me:
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew."

Indeed, I am often impatient with others (especially my boys). But, perhaps more significantly, I am so impatient with myself. I sometimes get irritated when others aren't organized enough or fast enough, but I never expect other people to "have it all together" the way I expect myself to. My expectations ---mostly of myself --- sometimes get so far "out of whack" and I need to re-focus and reign some things in.

I continued to struggle with this "patience" issue as I helped with VBS last week. A few months ago I agreed to help with this program even though I didn't really want to. It was my own inner drive to please everyone and do everything that led me to agree to it. Then, when I experienced disorganization and lack of communication from the leaders of the program, my frustrations and impatience grew and grew. My crazy perfectionism and need to be over-organized, over-planned, over-planned, and over-prepared just added to the tension and stress.

I struggled with the question, "Why am I doing this?" I went back and forth between feeling resentful and beating myself up for not being able to say no AND feeling thankful for the gifts I've been given and the opportunity to minister in this way. Did I do VBS because I wanted to please people or because God called me to do it? My loving, wise husband helped me to see that the answer is "BOTH." He helped me see that God gifted me and called me and even equipped me for the job. I am happy with how the lessons went, but I know that in some ways I really blew it. I think I did a good job for the children, but I know I made it very difficult for God to teach me what I needed to learn.

Impatience and resentment made my heart hard. I ended up judging and complaining about others instead of whole-heartedly committing to the message of the program. I pushed myself above and beyond what was asked of me.. trying to make it look like I have it all together (as usual).

But God always has a way of getting through to the heart of the matter. Each day the simple lessons I taught to the little ones (and especially the little mishaps and adjustments that had to be made) reminded me that it's not about having it all together. It's all about Jesus... and our love for him and his love for us. He is so very patient with us. We don't need to dazzle or impress him. We just need to be here - in the present moment - with him, just as we are. He always meets me in the messy, crazy places of my life and he is always so calm and patient.

As Saint Francis deSales said, we just need to work on our imperfections patiently - again and again every day. That is what I'm trying to do. I've been praying the following prayer (which I found at --
http://flannelhippos.blogspot.com/2008/03/prayer-for-patience.html ):


Blessed Mary, Mother of Consolation, pray with me for the virtue of patience. There are so many times when my lack of patience keeps me from becoming the kind of person God wants me to be.

Guide my thoughts to you and the example we have in your own life. Help me to become patient, as you were patient. Through your guidance, may I become more accepting of others around me. Assist me to welcome difficult times with a patient heart.

May I be patient, Mary, as was your beloved husband, Joseph. His quiet acceptance of the will of Our Loving Father should be an example for me always. His patience was most wonderful in the eyes of God.


Pray for me, dear Mother of God, that I will allow the Father to come into my heart and help me grow in patience. Amen.

And so, please pray for me. Know that I pray for you, my readers, all the time too. This Christian journey is a long and windy one. (Just like this post!) Thank God we're in it together.

We Love Visitors!

We've been blessed with lots of visitors this week!

Jon's sister Mary Lou and her family came from Michigan to spend a few days with us. The boys especially enjoyed having their cousins here to play. They had a great time here at the house and in the yard. We all went to the playground, the art museum, and the pool as well.

Kelly and Adam were born exactly one week apart. They are great buddies. They both got a kick out of this picture from the last time they were together here at our house ---

 Shannon and Ray enjoyed playing with GeoTrax as well as playing Uno and Zoofari.

 It was really nice to have time to visit with Mary Lou and Chris.

 Later in the week my Dad and Mary rolled into town. We celebrated Mary's birthday on Thursday night. Here she is reading the book we made her for her birthday.

 Check out this colorful crew ---

(Those tongues just got done licking popsicles!)

We had a fun playdate on Friday morning!

 Dad and Mary got the boys all prepared for school by bringing them backpacks full of fresh new supplies! Now I just need to get the plans and schedules finalized.

It's been a busy, but fun week. Last night Dad and Mary babysat and Jon and I got out for a nice date night. We went to Carraba's for a yummy dinner and then we finally got to see the last movie in the Harry Potter series. We had a wonderful time.

 Today we had no visitors and were very lazy! :)