tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71023804045633965382024-03-05T08:32:38.936-05:00Being Mirrors"All of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more." (2 Cor. 3:18)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.comBlogger670125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-23692168845826737802015-10-24T18:58:00.001-04:002015-10-24T18:58:34.450-04:00Seven Most Moving Moments from the World Meeting of Families
I felt God's presence and grace throughout the pilgrimage, but here are what I'd call the seven most moving moments: <br />
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1. Did I mention there were more than 130 bishops at the Opening Mass? As the procession went on and on, I kept thinking, "Wow. This is a really big deal!" This was truly a gathering of the faithful from far and wide, all in celebration of the family. It was a beautiful liturgy indeed.</div>
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2. Our visit to the grotto of prayers for the Intercession of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, was breathtaking. It was such a beautiful sight.... thousands and thousands of white strips of cloth, each inscribed with a prayer of a pilgrim. We had to work our way through a crowd to pray at the icon and attach our prayers to the grotto. The instructions were to attach our prayers near the icon and take another prayer, read and pray it, and move it to the grotto area. The prayers were beautiful and heartbreaking. I continue to pray for the person whose prayer I read. When Pope Francis rode past the grotto, he stopped and got out of the popemobile and blessed this shrine of prayers. The crowd cheered as we watched on the jumbotron. Pope Francis has promoted devotion to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots and it is beautiful. Whatever things in our life are "in knots" we can offer to the Blessed Mother. She will help us untie them as we work through our problems and challenges. </div>
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3. I attended a panel discussion about infertility that included a witness talk by Gianna Emmanuela Molla, the daughter of Saint Gianna Molla. It was an interesting mix of speakers, including the (pro-life gynecologist) brother of a friend of mine, and it was given in a mix of Italian and English. We had small radios and earphones to hear translation of the Italian. This was the most crowded session I attended. I was squished in a corner on the floor. Yet I was so moved by the whole thing.... the beautiful teachings of our church about life, the ache of those unable to conceive, the beautiful story of Saint Gianna giving up her life to birth her daughter. Gianna, daughter of a saint, was so ethereal and saintly herself. She spoke with such spirit and joy! There were couples in the room who obviously were experiencing the anguish of infertility. One couple sitting near me really drew my attention and prayers. They had arms around each other and were in tears for much of the talk. Jon and I know that ache to some degree as we had difficulties conceiving Ray and never were able to have more than two children, but my prayers are really with those not able to conceive at all. <!--[endif]--></div>
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4. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was surprised by how moved I was upon seeing Pope Francis with my own eyes. Until then I had felt annoyed at how people seemed to be acting like paparazzi chasing him and how the media was so hyped and always looking for scandalous angles to report. But when I saw him it was absolutely exhilarating. I felt such love for him as our "Papa" ... our leader here on Earth. I wanted him to know my love and fidelity.</div>
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5. During the Festival of Families Matt Maher sang "Lord I Need You." We all stood up and sang along. It was a beautiful, heartfelt prayer of thousands. Love that song. <!--[endif]--></div>
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6. At two different points during the Papal Mass there were calls for sacred silence. Hundreds of thousands of people on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Silence. Spine-tingling silence. I could feel the multitude of prayers being offered and the Holy Spirit covering us all with Love. <br />
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7. I will never forget the streams of yellow and white umbrellas working their way through the crowd at Communion time at the Papal Mass. They escorted the priests and deacons who brought the Body of Our Lord to His People. His Body on Earth fed by His Body, the Bread of Life. It doesn't get more moving than that! </div>
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I was also moved by the support and interest from family and friends at home. It was fun to share the experience on Facebook throughout the week. I felt that I was able to help people at home connect in some way to the festivities.<br />
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These were moving moments for me that I treasure. However, it's in the midst of daily life where we're called to really live our Faith. If all of this doesn't make a difference in life going forward, then it's for nothing. My final post in this series will focus on the "take-aways" from the experience of the World Meeting of Families. I'll try to articulate the "so-whats?" and explain how the experience has changed me and shaped the way I'm living my faith today.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-76547887490215210792015-10-23T23:02:00.000-04:002015-10-24T16:23:59.087-04:00Snippets from World Meeting of Families Conference SpeakersThe speakers I was privileged to hear at the World Meeting of Families were excellent. They gave me lots to think and pray about for a long time to come. Here are some of my favorite quotes/insights:<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Bishop Robert Barron</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">"Living as the Image of God: Created for Joy and Love"</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Tell me who (or what) you worship and that will tell me all
I need to know about you. Imago Dei goes wrong when we worship something other
than God, make up our own rules, and privatize our religion.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“We need to teach our culture how to worship right! “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“We are not interested in spiritual mediocrity! We want to
be saints. Yes, the demand is extravagant, but so is His mercy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"If it doesn’t happen in the family, it won’t happen in
society."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Cardinal Robert Sarah</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Light of the Family in a Dark World”<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“ The most important Good News of Christ is mercy. The joy
of the Gospel is the joy of mercy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Greg and Lisa Popcak</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> “See How They Love One Another: The
Family and the Faith”<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The family is meant to be an icon of the Trinity. Is your
family a spiritual window in to heaven for others? For <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i></b>?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Family, like the Trinity, is meant to be: intimate, a
communion of persons, engaged in self-donative love, incarnational.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“We must be intentional about forming family. We need
rituals of connection, regular experiences of working, playing, talking, and
praying together. “ At least 10 minutes of each per day and more once a week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you are struggling, angry, losing your temper, stop and
ask the children to pray for you. Ask them to pray for you to be peaceful and
hold it together. This gives them power, unites us, changes us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Dr. Daniel Mark</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">"Home Improvement: Forgiveness and Family
Life"<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Marriage is a Gospel re-enactment. You get the marriage you
want through the cross. We can’t have a healthy and holy family life if
everyone is standing on their rights and focusing on justice. It’s about
self-surrender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We must forgive our loved ones whether or not they deserve
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle </span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">'"The Family: A Home for the
Wounded Heart"<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus heals by being wounded. He knows our wounds and
transforms them into triumph. It is the wounded one that saves. The wounds do
not disappear. Our wounds make us avenues of compassion, solidarity,
understanding, and love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Church is the home for the wounded heart. We are to
proclaim the Reign of God through healing. There is solidarity in our wounds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We must be capable of self-sacrificing love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Kyle Beiter, Cardinal Eijk, Dr. Gianna Emmanuela Molla<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">“Out of the Depths I Cry to You: Heartbreak of Infertility”<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God never stops surprising us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This talk was given on the 60<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Wedding Anniversary of Saint Gianna and her husband. Her daughter witnessed that the Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary were always an
integral part of their lives.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Rick Warren and Cardinal O’Malley</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">"The Joy of the Gospel
Life"<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">Rick Warren began this talk with a list of ways the family is being threatened today: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“In today’s society, materialism is idolized, immorality is
glamorized, truth is minimized, sin is normalized, divorce is rationalized, and
abortion is legalized. In TV and movies, crime is legitimized, drug use is
minimized, comedy is vulgarized, and sex is trivialized. In movies, the Bible
is fictionalized, churches are satirized, God is marginalized, and Christians
are demonized. The elderly are dehumanized, the sick are euthanized, the poor
are victimized, the mentally ill are ostracized, immigrants are stigmatized,
and children are tranquilized. In families around the world, our manners are
uncivilized, speech is vulgarized, faith is secularized, and everything is
commercialized."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Unfortunately, Christians, you and I, are often
disorganized and demoralized, our faith is compartmentalized, and our witness
is compromised. So what do we need? We need to revitalize our worship, minimize
our differences, mobilize our members, and evangelize the lost, and we need to
re-energize our families."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Other quotes from Rick Warren:</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> "</span>We
can’t just be opponents of what’s wrong… we need to be proponents of what’s
right."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"The
Lord takes delight in His people. Do you take delight in your people?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Your
first job as a parent is to let God love you. Then love him back. Then love
your family."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"We are
made by God and for God. It’s not about you. You can’t determine your own
purpose because you didn’t create yourself."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"God is
more interested in your character than your comfort. Jesus was made perfect
through suffering. How do you think you’re going to be made perfect?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"The
way God produces fruit in your life is by putting you in exact opposite
situation" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(He teaches you joy by giving you the experience of grief.... teaches love by allowing you to experience hatred.... teaches peace through chaos.... teaches patience by sending us to the DMV!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Insights from Cardinal O'Malley:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Beauty and joy are the most powerful evangelization tools. We
need to make family life attractive."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"In God’s plan the family is the school of love. Marriage is
the sanctuary of life and families are communities of love."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Evangelization begins in our families…. How we forgive,
share, nurture, pray, worship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Lacy Rabideau</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">"Living Liturgical Year in the Home"<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Power of nostalgia. Having traditions goes deep into
children’s identity. They won’t be able to “quit being Catholic” if it’s so
wrapped in their memories, traditions, and daily life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What does religion look/feel like to our children? Stuff I
have to do or stuff I get to do?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">--- I really hope the talks will be published and/or widely available online. I would highly recommend checking them out and I plan to listen to many of the talks I wasn't able to attend. There is much food for thought and prayer here. </span></div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-86048948608073604732015-10-22T22:24:00.003-04:002015-10-23T23:05:36.035-04:00Seven Surprises During Our World Meeting of Families Pilgrimage<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the best parts of any adventure is the unplanned surprises found along the way. We had plenty of these happy surprises on our pilgrimage to Philadelphia. Here are the top seven:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. The cheerfulness, patience, and love among the crowd. The halls and sidewalks were very crowded. There was lots of waiting in line. We were anticipating meltdowns and frustrations, but we were pleasantly surprised. It was genuinely fun to be "smooshed in" with such interesting people. We met people from Zimbabwe, Canada, Nigeria, and Mexico. We met beautiful sisters from many different orders. Sometimes we were waiting in line with bishops and cardinals. I kept thinking, "This is such a cool image of what it means to be Church!" and "Will it like this when we approach the gates of heaven?" Even in the long security lines for the Papal visit, I never heard much complaining or impatience. It was amazing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. The stamina and positive attitude of the boys. I still can't get over this. Ray and Adam were "SUPER TROOPERS." And they were SO excited about all we were doing. They really did not complain and we pushed them way beyond what we thought were their limits. I was so impressed with them. I completely enjoyed spending these days together as a family. We were brought closer together by the challenges we faced and experiences we shared. We felt God's presence and grace guiding us throughout the pilgrimage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. The high quality of both the children's and adult
programming. Seriously. Out of the park! The speakers and content of their presentations were solid, packed with insight, inspiring, and challenging. In a few days I'll be posting some of my notes from the sessions I attended. I was often amazed by the "superstars" I was able to hear. It was difficult to choose which session to attend. Also, the children's programming was spot on and so well organized. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Seeing so many people we knew among a crowd of so many. It seemed like everywhere we went we found friends from home and that was really fun! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. How safe and welcome we felt. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I was so worried about things like finding bathrooms in the crowded parkway, figuring out transportation, and even the possibility of terrorism. Once we were there, all of those fears were allayed. The planning and provisions were awesome. My worries were unfounded. There were hordes of security personnel everywhere and they made me feel so safe. As we walked out of the center city after the Papal Mass, many of the people in the crowd were thanking and even applauding the security personnel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Generous hospitality from my cousin Emily. This was such an unexpected surprise that became a highlight of the trip. She lives in an adorable little one bedroom apartment in the center of the city. She opened up her home to us so we didn't have to fight the crowds back and forth from New Jersey over the weekend of the Papal visit. She is such a fun person to be with and we enjoyed a yummy dinner together, lots of good conversation, and a trip up the fire escape and onto the roof (which was an awesome adventure for the boys). The boys want to go back to Philadelphia soon just to visit Emily!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Pope Francis! Yes, we knew he was coming. I just wasn't prepared for how thrilling it would be to see and hear him in person. There is an authenticity and earnestness about him that thrills me. The media wants to spin who he is and what he says, but he is just a solid pillar of faith, truth, and love. He is so authentically present in the moment. I love that he passed on a fancy State luncheon to eat with the homeless in Washington D.C. I love that he sought to inspire rather than chastise when he spoke to Congress. I am in awe of his stamina and authenticity. And every time he asks us to pray for him I melt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately, all of our travel plans went well. But the surprises along the way made the pilgrimage better than we could have imagined!</span></div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-85040071558203124402015-10-22T00:04:00.002-04:002015-10-22T00:04:23.905-04:00Philadelphia Pilgrimage Photo Post 2 - World Meeting of Families<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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The Opening Mass was quite amazing! It was held in the main hall and there were literally hundreds of priests, seminarians, and bishops in the procession. We counted 130 bishops! We enjoyed the awesome choir, especially when they sang, "Sound the Bells of Holy Freedom" (the theme song for the World Meeting). It definitely was an experience of the universal, transcendent nature of the church. </div>
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The exhibit hall was great fun! We met lots of friends!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon enjoyed talking with the creator of the "That Man is You" program.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys enjoyed attending the kids conference with Jude, one of their friends from home!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the mural</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg and Lisa Popcak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardinal Tagle from the Philippines. Loved him so much!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gianna Molla, Saint Gianna's daughter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastor Rick Warren and Cardinal O'Malley --- This was one of my favorite talks!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ChHCCeVD5sY/Vihb6PGIkzI/AAAAAAACDDo/JanO3tKGtbs/s1600/IMG_7312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ChHCCeVD5sY/Vihb6PGIkzI/AAAAAAACDDo/JanO3tKGtbs/s400/IMG_7312.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lacy Rabideau from Catholic Icing</td></tr>
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Our Visit to the Cathedral:<br />
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The relics of Saint Gianna (and also her wedding dress), Saint John Paul, and Saints Zelie and Louis Martin.<br />
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The Our Lady, Undoer of Knots Grotto</div>
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Each of the white strips has a prayer of a pilgrim.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out and waiting for the Pope at the Festival of Families</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line behind us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line to get through security for the Papal Mass</td></tr>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-10812768132589787432015-10-20T12:47:00.003-04:002015-10-22T00:21:06.069-04:00Philadelphia Pilgrimage Photo Post 1 - Tourist Stops After yesterday's very wordy post, today I'll just share some pictures of the "tourist" portion of our trip to Philadelphia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1fcClBIQdcXR-afRZX70SG798bKxfF8ehJcbtQHaa2PabFCfdMX-DJHecY1g58Q8Xzy8GeHddTl5_lwPgBo_v3MBTmLvzZ2yO0946ElLv8mhFmt8s-sq58-bLCdbuRwZVFvAODpGsexH/s1600/IMG_6968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1fcClBIQdcXR-afRZX70SG798bKxfF8ehJcbtQHaa2PabFCfdMX-DJHecY1g58Q8Xzy8GeHddTl5_lwPgBo_v3MBTmLvzZ2yO0946ElLv8mhFmt8s-sq58-bLCdbuRwZVFvAODpGsexH/s320/IMG_6968.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6SlZ51Z23qQPK_3tfG1Tbsh2ycWaE6llSnhhRUN-87gC7zIPiOn-T3GtKaYgAfQtHZiX9TOCZhKivNfS1LOswvFpuPXxEFl0uzTN25fESYEI_WvqiTNqnQhU0GQ1RdUpQnImwvKj6_2D/s1600/IMG_6963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6SlZ51Z23qQPK_3tfG1Tbsh2ycWaE6llSnhhRUN-87gC7zIPiOn-T3GtKaYgAfQtHZiX9TOCZhKivNfS1LOswvFpuPXxEFl0uzTN25fESYEI_WvqiTNqnQhU0GQ1RdUpQnImwvKj6_2D/s320/IMG_6963.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you're in Philadelphia, you've GOT to hang out with Ben Franklin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Independence Hall tour was great!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinatown!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philadelphia Cheesesteak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We spent a fun afternoon at the Franklin Institute.<br />
We checked out the Lego exhibit, played and learned in some great galleries, <br />
and even saw the automaton that inspired one of our favorite books, <em>Hugo.</em></td></tr>
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The transportation adventures were a big part of the fun for the boys. They loved riding the trains, subways, and buses.</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-11804814178274848292015-10-20T00:43:00.002-04:002015-10-22T00:19:11.361-04:00Our Pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been three weeks
since we returned from our pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families in
Philadelphia. We’ve re-acclimated to our normal schedule. We’ve made a photo
book and shared stories of our adventures with friends and family. However,
I’ve been struggling with writing my “take-aways” from the experience. This is
the kind of experience that must be savored, pondered, and processed. It takes
time for the memories of all the sights and sounds to settle in the mind and
heart and become part of who we are and how we go forward. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the past few
weeks I’ve been jotting down notes and wading through memories and thoughts.
I’ve decided to reflect about the experience in a series of seven posts in
seven days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This first post will be the
longest, with a summary of our trip and some reflections about it. Pictures and
notes about significant moments and details will follow over the next six days.
It is my hope that this series of posts will allow others to “go along for the
ride” and understand the content, spirit, message, and significance of the
World Meeting of Families for all of us. For whether you were able to attend
the World Meeting, you tuned in through Catholic television and radio, or you’re
just now learning about it, God is calling you (all of us) to celebrate,
strengthen, and share what it means to be a holy family in today’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to attend the World Meeting of
Families because we wanted to celebrate our vocation as a holy family. We
wanted our sons to experience the church in a bigger sense, to begin to
understand the great gift it is to be part of the one, holy, catholic and
apostolic Church. We knew it would be a great occasion to learn more about our
Faith and be inspired to grow in holiness. We welcomed the opportunity to
gather with other families from around the world who share our values. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We approached the trip as a holy pilgrimage, a
family adventure of prayer and learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
experience exceeded those lofty aspirations and it will forever be a highpoint
in our family history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the
“adventure” aspect of the trip: travelling 470 miles from Columbus to
Philadelphia, using public transportation to navigate through the crowded city,
packing backpacks and setting out for new experiences each day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shared the journey with friends from our
parish and we enjoyed meeting up with other familiar faces along the way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thoroughly enjoyed seeing people from
around the world, including a great variety of joy-filled sisters, seminarians,
priests, and bishops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without exception,
the people of Philadelphia were kind and welcoming. We were impressed by the
security and organization. Amazingly, all of our plans went smoothly and the
weather was absolutely beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were so proud of our boys for their stamina and composure throughout the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived in
Philadelphia a few days before the start of the World Meeting of Families so we
could visit the historical sites in the city. We had fun and learned some
Philadelphia history on a duck tour. We visited the Liberty Bell and toured Independence
Hall. We were also able to visit the U.S. Mint and the Franklin Institute. Our
son Adam was especially enamored with Chinatown (the third largest Chinatown in
the nation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading Market, the Ben
Franklin Bridge, cheesesteak vendors, the subway trains, and the famous “Love”
sculpture were also favorites. Philadelphia is truly an American treasure
filled with so much history! The city was bedecked with beautiful flags
welcoming Pope Francis and the World Meeting of Families. There was a palpable
air of excitement throughout the city. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the moment
we arrived at the convention center for the World Meeting of Families, we knew we
were participating in a very special event. As part of our registration we
received World Meeting backpacks containing t-shirts, hats, water bottles,
pens, the Gospel of Luke in many languages, a wonderful assortment of magazines
and brochures, and even Pope Francis prayer fans! Friendly volunteers helped us
find our way around and get the boys registered and oriented in their conference
area. Although the convention center was always crowded, the atmosphere was so
friendly and loving that it didn’t matter. It truly was an experience of being
among thousands of Catholic brothers and sisters united in a common mission. It
was surprising how many friends and acquaintances we encountered. We also
enjoyed spotting some Catholic “celebrities” like Gianna Emanuela Molla
(daughter of Saint Gianna Molla), Steve Bollman (from “That Man is You”), Johnnette
Benkovic (EWTN), Lacy Rabideau (Catholic Icing), and Danielle Bean (Catholic
Digest). EWTN was broadcasting right outside the main conference hall and we
saw many of our favorite speakers there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theme of the
World Meeting of Families was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Love is
Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”</i> The keynote addresses and breakout
sessions developed this theme in a variety of ways and sparked much
conversation and reflection about what it means to be a holy family, how to
strengthen our own family lives, and how to promote family life in today’s
society. The talks were given in several languages by a great variety of
speakers including archbishops, scholars, authors, doctors, religious
superiors, and married couples. I plan to post later this week about the talks
I attended and some of the highlights I gleaned, but I will tell you that it
was difficult to choose which direction to go each day. There were talks focused
on such wonderful and worthwhile topics, including fostering vocations,
parenting, catechesis, forgiveness, infertility, caring for the elderly, the
importance of engaging in acts of service as a family, living the liturgical
year, divorce, Theology of the Body, sexuality, responding to today’s culture,
addiction, the New Evangelization, and so much more. I am hoping and praying
that the talks will be published as a book and/or posted for viewing online. I
know that some of the keynote sessions are already available online. I know
that I learned a lot from all of the talks I attended. I was challenged and
inspired to grow in my vocation as Catholic wife and mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Love is our mission” is a mantra that will
guide our family life always. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOTsftqYiVKFF3kzECCUeECpkunLa85RXzn-7CahXjFQo0B5vIOQYH8iC98YpSdPIx3rdSt5KrvOnlF0HsY4mbfmsYE1E9R_IT557xFon2Zsn-6mGJ9AzxX1JsPdB7KNHB_D-C9_qFVqf/s1600/153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOTsftqYiVKFF3kzECCUeECpkunLa85RXzn-7CahXjFQo0B5vIOQYH8iC98YpSdPIx3rdSt5KrvOnlF0HsY4mbfmsYE1E9R_IT557xFon2Zsn-6mGJ9AzxX1JsPdB7KNHB_D-C9_qFVqf/s320/153.JPG" width="240" /></a> <span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The children had
their own conference hall in which they gathered each day. They rotated through
many activity stations throughout the week and got to do some amazing things.
They packed meals for the homeless, made time capsules, played basketball,
bagged rice for the missions, prayed with paint, made rosaries, decorated
shields, participated in science experiments with Brother Leo from EWTN, and
played with giant building blocks. They were accompanied by fabulous
volunteers, including many fun young sisters. At the end of each session the
children gathered around a stage and enjoyed fun music and enthusiastic
preaching and teaching. I was amazed at our boys’ level of excitement and
enjoyment about all they got to do in the children’s conference. They have
continued to sing the songs and repeat the mantra, “There are no perfect
families, but we’re called to be holy families.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to
the talks, the World Meeting featured an exhibit hall filled with Catholic
vendors and representatives from a wide variety of organizations, religious
orders, schools, and mission groups. It was really fun to walk through and see
the newest Catholic books and publications, pick up information about
innovative parish programs, talk with members of a great variety of religious
organizations, and purchase souvenirs and devotional items. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the week there were so many other great
opportunities and activities offered, including daily Mass, Eucharistic
Adoration, Reconciliation, and a film festival. Participants helped paint a
beautiful mural that will hang at a local school. (We even set a world’s record
for “piece of artwork worked on by the most people.”) Offsite, families could
tour special religious exhibits in a variety of local museums, visit four
different Catholic shrines, see a model of the Vatican made out of Lego bricks
by a priest,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and add their prayers to a special
grotto dedicated to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. The Cathedral and Basilica of
Saints Peter and Paul showcased the official icon of the meeting (a beautiful
image of the Holy Family) as well as relics of the patron saints of the World
Meeting (Saint Gianna Molla, Saint John Paul the Great, and new Saints Louis
and Zelie Martin). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our visit to the
Cathedral and the Our Lady of Knots grotto was quite moving and memorable for
all of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the week
progressed, the levels of excitement and security mounted in preparation for
the culminating visit of Pope Francis. The streets were blocked off in the
center city and transportation became quite challenging. Our hotel for the week
was actually across the river in New Jersey. We had done well with driving to a
train station, taking the train into the city, and walking or taking a bus to
the convention center. But all that changed as many thousands more pilgrims
converged on the city for the Festival of Families and the Papal Mass. The
routes into the city were quite limited, there were long lines to pass through
security and enter the ticketed area, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a
lot</i> of walking and waiting was required. It was at this point of the trip
that we really entered more deeply into the concept of pilgrimage. We tried to
be cheerful, patient, and prayerful, especially in the difficult and trying
moments. Again, we were amazed at the composure, endurance, and enthusiasm of
our nine and ten year old sons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
that they encouraged and inspired me at moments when I felt weak and weary. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this final,
exciting part of the week approached, we were the blessed benefactors of a very
kind favor. My distant cousin, Emily, contacted me and invited us to stay in
her apartment right in the center of the city! I had completely forgotten that
she lived in Philadelphia. She welcomed us to her charming home, arranged to
borrow air mattresses for the boys, and was such a fun and wonderful hostess.
Instead of fighting the crowds and going in and out of the city, we came in on
Saturday morning and stayed through late Sunday evening. We had so much fun
visiting Emily and it made these days so much easier. This truly is a cherished
memory from our trip. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot say
enough about how impressed I was with the preparations and security in the
city. There were security personnel EVERYWHERE. We definitely felt safe. There
were rows and rows of porta-potties all around the city. There were huge stacks
of free water bottles being distributed by WaWa. Jumbotrons were installed all along
the Benjamin Franklin Parkway so that thousands upon thousands could
participate in the festivities. I was surprised by the very small number of
protestors we encountered. I have been told there were more in the non-ticketed
area, but still not many. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
food and merchandise vendors available as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we had been
participating in the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis had visited Cuba,
Washington DC, and New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
America had been following his trip closely and listening to his various
speeches. We were only able to catch snippets here and there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I have yet to go back and listen to all of
the speeches I missed.) We were so excited to finally get to see him and hear
his message for us. It was interesting to watch the media coverage and the
crowds of people and ponder why there was such hype. Why was everyone so
excited? Who is this man? No rock star or celebrity brings this much exhilaration.
Pope Francis is not a handsome heartthrob or movie star. No Sunday Masses draw
crowds that fill an entire city. Yet here we were sacrificing much to get a
glimpse of this man and participate in the same ritual that is enacted every
day in every city with much less fanfare. We were there to see and honor the
leader of our Church, the Vicar of Christ in our midst. We were there to
actively participate in the source and summit of our life as Catholics, the
Holy Eucharist. And we were joined by thousands and thousands of brothers and
sisters. It was an experience of a lifetime for us. And it was so awesome to
know that many, many non-Catholics joined in our celebration and were drawn
toward the Lord by this great event. I repeatedly wondered what it would be
like if Jesus was in our midst. I was repeatedly reminded that he was and is
indeed in our midst. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saturday evening’s
Festival of Families included the arrival of Pope Francis. We watched on the
jumbotrons as he gave his speech at Independence Hall and then we awaited his
arrival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It was so thrilling to see him drive
by in the Popemobile! I will never forget our son Adam’s pure joy and
enthusiasm after seeing Pope Francis in person. He was completely awe-stricken.
We sat with friends about two blocks from the main stage and we enjoyed a
stellar line-up of entertainment including comedian Jim Gaffigan, singer Matt
Maher, Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, the Philadelphia Symphony,
international singers and dancers, and several families witnessing the stories
of their faith journeys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a beautiful
night capped off with Pope Francis’ joyful and candid remarks about what it
means to be a family. He proved that he understands the reality of family life
when he mentioned plates flying and the challenges of dealing with mothers-in-law.
It was clear that he was just as honored and thrilled to be there as we were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowds
swelled even more for Sunday’s Papal Mass. We found a spot literally in the
middle of the parkway (on the double yellow lines) about three blocks from the
stage. We relaxed and played cards and shared a meal as we waited for the
motorcade. This time Pope Francis made his way through the crowd more slowly,
stopping numerous times to bless babies. We were again thrilled to be so close
to him even for a few seconds. The Mass was absolutely beautiful. We had a
lovely printed program that helped us participate in the singing and interpret
the readings and prayers which were proclaimed in many languages. We were able
to read English translations of the Pope’s homily on the jumbotron. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it was clear that Pope Francis is not
oblivious to the pain and hardships people experience. He is very sensitive to
the sufferings and needs of people and he calls us to that same sensitivity.
There were two parts of the Mass that were particularly moving for me. First,
the absolute stillness of the enormous crowd when called to a moment of sacred
silence. It was breathtaking. Also, at the time for Communion, the priests and
deacons came streaming down into the crowd in lines on both sides of the
parkway. They were each escorted by a volunteer carrying a yellow and white
umbrella. I have never in my life been so emotionally moved by the procession
to receive the Body of my Lord in the Eucharist. Our God comes to us in the
Flesh! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a privilege and honor it is
to be part of His People and to receive Him into our hearts!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The celebration
of the Mass was the culmination of our weeklong pilgrimage. We made our way through
the crowds and spent some more time with Emily before heading to the train and
back to New Jersey. We were tired but so happy as we packed up and headed home
on Monday. It was fun to see all of the buses and vans full of pilgrims on the
road and even run into some friends at a rest area on the Pennsylvania turnpike.
We even arrived home to a yummy pot of chili prepared by my awesome mom! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, that’s the
story of our pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families. It was an amazing
experience that we were truly blessed to be able to share. Our plans went
better than we had hoped and we know God’s grace made it so. Lest I paint too
rosy a picture, I will have you know that there were definitely hard moments.
We took the wrong bus one day and spent a few hours in some colorful parts of
the city. We waited three hours in a very tight crowd to get through security for
the Papal Mass. We walked <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a lot</i>. But
it was all worth it. And it becomes even more valuable as it shapes how we
continue to grow as a family and how we reach out to other families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to close
this long commentary with two themes that won’t stop ringing in my ears and in
my prayers in these days and weeks following the World Meeting:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1. Underneath all the activity of the week, I was praying
fervently about marriage. I was praying for three specific couples I know who
are struggling significantly. My heart continues to ache for them and I feel
desperate to help in some way, but clueless about how to go about it and
whether or not it’s even appropriate for me to do more than pray. I continue to
feel such a sadness about the state of marriage today. What can I do to be a
missionary for marriage? What can I do to continue to strengthen and grow my
own marriage? Where is God’s call for me in all this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2. It was great fun to post about our experiences
on Facebook. So many of my family and friends were supportive and excited to
share the experience with us. However, one Facebook friend commented on someone
else’s post about the World Meeting, lamenting that her heart is broken and she
doesn’t have a family since she is divorced. My heart was broken by that
comment. I wanted to hug her tightly and assure her that, yes, she does have a
family. In loving and caring for her elderly mother and her young adult
children, she is “being family.” In the midst of brokenness, she is proclaiming
love through her words and actions. It isn’t the family she wanted or thought
she had, but it’s the family she’s called to be in right now. I know that pain
of brokenness from my own family history. And I know that the brokenness is not
what defines us. When we speak up for what is right and good and true in a
culture that so blatantly rejects these things, we are proclaiming the “Gospel
of the Family.” We are living and loving as God has called us to live and love.
There is great power and peace in that. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned this
week for pictures from our trip, quotes from the talks we heard, surprises we
encountered, and some “take-aways” as we move forward. </span></div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-4670809152707550022015-10-04T00:05:00.003-04:002015-10-04T00:05:52.339-04:00Farewell Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We had such a fun Summer! </div>
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Our garden was a great success. We are still enjoying the sunflowers and zinnias outside our schoolroom window, especially when the squirrels come and eat the sunflower seeds!</div>
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This is our "pool posse" -- our homeschool friends who joined our neighborhood pool. </div>
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We had such fun swimming with them this summer!</div>
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Ray is becoming more and more like his dad everyday.</div>
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He's learning to mow the grass!</div>
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We celebrated the end of summer with a backyard campout with some friends!</div>
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And we also camped out at a local park with Ray's Cub Scout den. </div>
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We learned how to geocache!</div>
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We went to the Millersport Corn Festival with our cousins. </div>
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We celebrated Carter's birthday.... and enjoyed MaMaw's pool until the last possible day!</div>
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Farewell Summer!</div>
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We miss you already!</div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-25310875855813282862015-10-03T23:51:00.002-04:002015-10-03T23:51:35.371-04:00TecumsehThis year we are learning Ohio history. We started out by attending the outdoor drama "Tecumseh." We went with some friends and took part in the backstage tour, had dinner, and watched the show. On our way to the theater we also visited the historic site that inspired the State Seal and some beautiful Hopewell Indian mounds. <br />
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The view depicted on our State Seal, located in Chillicothe --</div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-49777021722542723032015-10-03T23:47:00.000-04:002015-10-03T23:47:01.935-04:00Back to School 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We've had some awesome travels and adventures over the past few months, but we have managed to also kick off our school year. This is our seventh year of homeschooling! Ray is in fifth grade and Adam is in fourth grade. Here are some pictures from our first official day of the new school year: </div>
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This year we are continuing with most of our same core curriculum from Seton Catholic Homeschool. We are also participating in a new program called Catholic Schoolhouse. We spend one day a week studying with about 15 other families at a nearby Church. We really enjoy it! Each time we go, we do an art project, a science experiment, and many fun activities that help us learn the material in various subject areas. A main part of the study is a history timeline, focusing this year on Ancient History. Then we work on the material at home throughout the week. You can learn more about Catholic Schoolhouse at <a href="http://www.catholicschoolhouse.com/">http://www.catholicschoolhouse.com/</a>. We also participate in a co-op on another morning each week, an Ohio study once a month, our monthly boys book club, Giorgio Juniors social club, karate (Adam), church choir (Ray), and Cub Scouts. We are busy, happy learners!</div>
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Please pray for us and for our homeschool! </div>
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-6129908118719396282015-10-03T23:36:00.001-04:002015-10-03T23:36:34.569-04:00Harry Potter Mania!Although some Catholic families choose not to have their children read <em>Harry Potter, </em>we love the stories and the rich imagery of good versus evil and we introduced them to the boys this year. They absolutely love the magical world of Hogwarts and my Dad and Mary have gotten into it as well. They decided to plan a giant surprise for the boys and take them to the Harry Potter World at Universal Studios at the end of their Myrtle Beach trip this August. We flew down and joined them for a fantastic, fun weekend! Universal has made the world of Harry Potter really come to life!<br />
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My dad has always been a big fan of the Blues Brothers.... and we loved being part of this show ---</div>
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The butter beer was a big hit!</div>
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We really enjoyed staying at Cabana Bay... a retro-themed Universal resort.</div>
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Thanks Dad and Mary for this epic adventure!</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-42383204063792800342015-10-03T23:21:00.001-04:002015-10-03T23:21:07.697-04:00Myrtle Beach 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The boys got to spend about 10 days down in Myrtle Beach with my dad and Mary in August! As you'll see in these pictures, they had an absolute blast! </div>
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Thanks a million Dad and Mary! </div>
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They will treasure these memories for a lifetime! </div>
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And I got some time to spend with Jon and plan our school year. </div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-77308637788219930402015-08-18T23:09:00.002-04:002015-08-18T23:09:40.275-04:00Spring and Summer at a Glance<br />
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I suppose there's no excuse or explanation for being away for five and a half months, so here's a peek at some highlights from our family life this spring and summer.<br />
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Adam has really advanced in Karate! He's a purple belt now and he loved doing a week long karate camp this summer.<br />
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The cousins went on a fun Spring Break trip to Great Wolf Lodge with Pappy and Mary.</div>
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Easter</div>
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School, school, and more school!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hard-working students!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book club dictionary activity</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning about rocks with Pappy and Mary</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mastering Math!</td></tr>
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Adam turned NINE!</div>
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It was a Harry Potter birthday with a sleepover!</div>
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Texas!</div>
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I got to sneak away to San Antonio for a weekend with my bestie!</div>
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We turned our sandbox into a vegetable garden!</div>
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It was a fun success!</div>
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We took a quick trip to Sandusky with our friends. </div>
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We enjoyed Great Wolf Lodge and a trip to Put-In-Bay</div>
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We've taken a few trips to Michigan to visit our family and have some fun!</div>
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Cub Scout Day Camp was lots of fun!</div>
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Adam is now a Webelo I and Ray is a Webelo II.</div>
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SWIMMING!</div>
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We spent LOTS of time at our pool and MaMaw's pool, with friends and cousins.</div>
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The boys had a second fun, successful year on the swim team! They both improved and had fun. Ray was able to place fifth in the butterfly in the league meet!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They got the "Double Trouble" Award at the team picnic!</td></tr>
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And, finally,....</div>
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we got a new car!</div>
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Goodbye old minivan with 130,000 miles!</div>
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Hello shiny new Traverse!</div>
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So, there you have it...</div>
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the highlights!</div>
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Hope to be writing here more often.</div>
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Thanks for checking in.</div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-19685570063208206052015-03-06T20:59:00.000-05:002015-03-06T20:59:55.638-05:00Book Club UpdatesWe continue to enjoy meeting with our Book Club each month. Here's a peek at this school year's adventures thus far:<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7102380404563396538#editor/target=post;postID=6095435757079889364;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=38;src=postname"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Robin Hood</strong></span></a><br />
A fun examination of this great legend and comparison of multiple versions of the story. Character studies. And shooting games, of course.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle </strong></span><span style="font-size: small;">by Washington Irving</span></div>
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Discussion of settings. Diorama-making. Descriptive language. Writing our own "Rip Van" stories.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Indian in the Cupboard </strong></span><span style="font-size: small;">by Lynne Reid Banks</span></div>
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Designing our own magical cupboards and creating imaginary characters that could "come to life" when ordinary objects were placed in the cupboards. Acting out the stories with plastic figures. Tee pee treats.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Tale of Despereaux </strong></span><span style="font-size: small;">by Kate diCamillo</span></div>
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Recalling story elements while playing a board game, identifying themes in the story, comparing rats and mice, crafting mice bookmarks, and eating mice cookies and soup.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Adventures of Sister Philomena, </span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>a (fictional) secret agent to the Pope </strong></span><span style="font-size: small;">by Dianne Ahern and Bill Shurtliff</span></div>
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An exploration of the mystery genre, including some clue-following, scene-re-enacting, and "laser" maze navigation.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Phantom Tollbooth</span></strong> by Norton Juster<br />
Fun with word play, idioms, and synonyms. Creating our own imaginary worlds. Making dodecahedrons.<br />
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While I work with the boys, there's a fun group of girls in another room enjoying their own book club. This year they're working through the American Girl doll books. They've been entertaining us with little plays, acting out scenes from the books.<br />
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This year we've been meeting on Friday afternoons. On several occasions we've been able to stay together for socializing, dinner, and family Rosary (with the dads joining us after work). These have been really special evenings. We are so blessed to share our homeschooling and our lives with some great families!<br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-37844327796922651372015-03-05T22:42:00.004-05:002015-03-05T22:42:36.440-05:00Purple Belt!Our little ninja (Adam) still loves his karate lessons. He is now working at the intermediate level and he worked long and hard for months to get through the green belt level. Last week he tested and this week he graduated to purple belt. Woo hoo!!!!<br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-91517780973437656302015-03-05T22:37:00.004-05:002015-03-05T22:37:53.190-05:00Science Fair<br />
We had the great privilege of participating in a homeschool Science Fair last month. Our Catholic homeschool group organized the fair, which included children ages six through fourteen. It was a great opportunity for all of the students to learn about and work through the scientific method. They got valuable experience by doing ongoing research, organizing their results, and then presenting it to their peers and judges.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We spent several evenings working on our experiments as a family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having things like this on your counter for a week....<br />
just part of the homeschooling adventure!</td></tr>
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When we started this process, Adam was adamant (ha ha) that his experiment somehow involve candy. He ended up exploring the question, "Which kind of candy is worst for your teeth?" He hypothesized that sour candy would be worst. We learned about acids and bases, selected three types of candy to test, made solutions with the candy, and soaked eggs in the solutions for a week. (Eggshells are similar to tooth enamel.) The results were interesting. Chocolate didn't seem to discolor the eggshell, but it did leech through and discolor the yolk. Fruit snacks turned the shell incredibly hard and protected the yolk, but the shell was quite discolored. The sour candy made the shell very brittle and greatly discolored the yolk. </div>
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Ray decided to test whether storing batteries in the refrigerator makes them last longer and function better. We bought a large pack of double A batteries and refrigerated half of them for one month. Then we got two battery-operated candles and powered one with a cold battery and one with a room-temperature battery. Well, we learned that those candles use very little energy! Those candles burned for 70+ days.... and the science fair took place 52 days after we started the experiment. Fortunately, we had designed and run another test as well. We used cold and warm batteries (alternately) to power a toy train. We flipped it on its side and let it run the batteries completely out. Interestingly, in each of three warm/cold trials, the cold batteries ran the train longer. So Ray's hypothesis was confirmed in his trials. The cold batteries functioned longer. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking with the judges</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray loved talking with the judges.<br />
He even asked THEM questions.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our esteemed scientists!</td></tr>
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This was a great experience for us! </div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-49747932092944496742015-02-10T23:27:00.001-05:002015-02-10T23:27:07.222-05:00January Snippets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's a peek at what we did in January -----<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School.... Lots and lots of school<br />
Isn't Ray's cursive great?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckeyes!<br />
You may have heard about a little football game...<br />
the one in which THE OSU won THE National Championship!<br />
Woo hoo!<br />
Meanwhile, in Gahanna, Jon drilled holes <br />
in a zillion of these poisonous nuts<br />
so we could make Buckeye necklaces while learning about Ohio at our co-op.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We enjoyed touring the Ohio Statehouse (along with Adam's best buddy).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potter Mania here!<br />
We decided it was time to introduce the boys to the Harry Potter books.<br />
They're in love.<br />
We read the first book aloud and watched the movie.<br />
On to book two next week.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is book club!<br />
We read Sr. Philomena's mysteries...<br />
she's a (fictional) secret agent to the pope.<br />
So then we made a "laser" maze and had a blast making our way though it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiener mobile!<br />
In a random parking lot on an otherwise boring day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hockey!<br />
Columbus hosted the All Star Game.<br />
We went to a Hockey Fan Fair.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More school..... learning to type.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sledding!<br />
With friends!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice skating... a new fun activity!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A full house for a Mid-Year Mini-Retreat for Catholic Homeschool Moms</td></tr>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-24702765421464012212015-02-10T23:09:00.002-05:002015-02-10T23:09:27.492-05:00New Year Adventure with PappyCheck out what happened when Pappy and Mary showed up at Chritmas with no gifts....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pandemonium!</td></tr>
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It's true.... they showed up with NO gifts (not that that should matter!).</div>
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But they had a "big reveal" that resulted in much rejoicing!</div>
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Instead of presents, they treated us all to a fun family getaway at Great Wolf Lodge!</div>
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We spent the first weekend of the new year having lots of fun together.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousins!<br />
These four really love each other <br />
and it's such a privilege to watch them grow up together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When they weren't at the water park,<br />
the boys were busy playing Magic Quest.<br />
This is our new wizard-obsessed guy.</td></tr>
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Thank you Pappy and Mary!</div>
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We had a total blast!</div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-2687778290409762442015-02-10T21:50:00.007-05:002015-02-10T21:50:43.859-05:00Christmas 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-78344957356723384532014-12-30T23:54:00.001-05:002014-12-30T23:54:30.134-05:00Merry Christmas 2014!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merry Christmas! I pray that you and your family have been enjoying wonderful celebrations. We certainly have done our share of gifting and feasting and celebrating here. I hope to post some pictures soon.<br />
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I've been thinking a lot this week about the strange dynamic that it seems easier (for me personally as well as for our entire culture) to prepare and anticipate than to actually celebrate. As Catholics we are called to prepare for Christmas during Advent and then to celebrate and savor the great Mystery of the Incarnation throughout the Octave of Christmas and indeed all the way through the Epiphany. This is such a great and beautiful gift. Unfortunately "in the world" ALL of the celebrating is before Christmas Day. The preparation and celebration are tied up together in a frenzy of frantic activity that culminates on December 25th. After that, everybody drops into a collective heap of exhaustion. No more carols. The trees and lights come down. Life goes back to "normal" pretty quickly.<br />
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Yet the Church calls us to go about things differently. During Advent we are to prepare spiritually and enter into a time of prayerful waiting. Then, beginning on Christmas Day, we are to break into song and feasting and gift-giving and celebrating. Christmas, the celebration of the Word becoming Flesh and dwelling among us, is more than a day of over-indulgence after weeks of frenzied activity. It's a time to truly rejoice, savor, wonder, ponder, give thanks. We need a whole season to truly enter into that great Mystery that dramatically altered the course of human history. Contrary to how we may picture it in our heads and our Nativity scenes, the angels, shepherds, wisemen, drummer boy, etc. did not all show up immediately upon Christ's birth for one great "birthday party." The seeking and rejoicing and singing and celebrating were drawn out over a season of time. And we continue to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus today. He wants to be born anew in our hearts. He wants us to receive the gift of His peace and love in new ways each year.<br />
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It seems ridiculous, but it's actually easier (for me and so many others) to shop, wrap, bake, clean, decorate,..... than it is to truly enter into the joy of the celebration itself. When all of the "work" is done, what's left? What am I supposed to do now? Pondering, allowing my heart to be filled with joy and peace, relaxing, being present in the moment... why do these things feel uncomfortable? God entered into this world in the form of a tiny baby... without my help. He doesn't ask me to do anything but "come and adore." He doesn't ask me to clean the stable, buy clothes for the baby, find a place for the Holy Family to stay. He simply asks me to make room in my heart for the Baby Jesus to dwell. <br />
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And so I try. "O come let us adore Him." I sing it again and again. I quiet my heart and let Him in. And it's a beauty and a peace that surpasses all of the sparkly lights, fancy gifts, and festive parties. It's true joy. <br />
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It's joy that can get lost in the busy-ness where so many of us dwell nearly all the time. I pray that more people will learn to stop and savor. I wish I had my phone with me tonight when I ran into the grocery store for a few items. As I entered the store, the first two things I saw were a Valentine display and an arrangement of Spring flowers. On December 30th. Already, we're on to the next thing... anticipating to the point where we don't enter into the current precious moment. <br />
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<em>Lord, please don't give up on my busy, distracted heart. I want to rush and plan and prepare... to control... to make things "perfect" in my own way. Yet I know you are always calling to me, asking me to make room in my heart for You. Your ways are perfect. Help me to accept your grace and enter into each moment and each season with a heart that is open and free and truly present. I love you and adore you. With the angels I rejoice and sing your praises. Amen.</em><br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-36988104088661275712014-12-23T09:43:00.003-05:002014-12-23T09:43:36.763-05:00Michigan Family Christmas Celebration 2014Here's a (not so) little photo album from our Christmas celebration with Jon's family in Michigan last weekend. <br />
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We had a great time visiting the lovely Santa House in Jon's hometown (Midland). I'm not sure how many more years we're going to "get away with" this kind of stuff.... but the boys were super sweet about it this year.<br />
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Nothing beats swimming in the winter time. We were lucky to have the hotel pool pretty much to ourselves all weekend. <br />
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We were blessed to be able to attend Jon's cousins' Christmas celebration. This hardly ever coincides with our trip North. The day included a special prayer and remembrance of Jon's sister Kay who passed away in July.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids had a blast playing basketball, floor hockey, and shuffleboard.</td></tr>
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We LOVE spending time with our cousins!</div>
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Born a week apart, they really love each other.</td></tr>
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Emmett graduated from Central Michigan University while we were there! We are so proud of him and excited about his future.<br />
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Grandma with all of her grandchildren ---</div>
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We made Grandma a "big hug" from the grandkids. When she' cold and lonely this winter, she can wrap up in it and know how much we all love her.<br />
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Jon's sister Nancy hosted our family party at her lovely condo. Thanks Nancy! We had such a nice time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's cousin Addie made him a nature survival kit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray got a skateboard from Aunt Nancy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much for our "no guns" policy.<br />
We are now the proud owners of two Nerf "machine guns."</td></tr>
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It's hard living so far away from Jon's family. We're thankful for their love and support. We love and miss them, especially during the long months of tax season.<br />
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And finally, Adam enjoying one of Ray's special birthday gifts from Grandma ---<br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-38613347800430977252014-12-22T22:48:00.001-05:002014-12-22T22:48:34.047-05:00Watching and Waiting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All of the candles are lit. The Jesse tree is filled with beautiful ornaments. It's been a lovely, prayerful Advent here. We've greatly enjoyed these two beautiful books --- </div>
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Ann Voskamp, author of <em>A Thousand Gifts</em> and blogger at <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/">www.aholyexperience.com</a>, has given us profound insights on which to reflect as we've read and prayed together each day. I'm so glad I purchased both books. The family book has the Scripture stories and reflections for the Jesse Tree readings. It's beautifully written and illustrated. <em>The Greatest Gift</em> follows the same stories and digs deeper for adult reflection. Together we've pondered God's "unconditional, unbeatable, unfailing, unwrappable love" for us as we've journeyed through the stories of God's grace in the Old Testament. I've been deeply inspired by the reflections in <em>The Greatest Gift</em> every single day. Truly, the hustle and bustle of the season are NOT what it's all about. God's coming to us at Christmas is NOT something we can earn or "be ready for." It's not based on our performance, organization, or perfectionism. We are called to create an open space within us, to <em>receive</em> the love and grace of God who came to save us and wants to be the King of our hearts, the Lord of our lives.</div>
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Beginning on December 17th we have been singing the O Antiphons. We still love the O Antiphon House I made with our homeschool group several years ago. As we turn the blocks each day, we see how the first letters of the Latin terms for each title of Christ spell out "Ero Cras" ("He Comes") and we rejoice.</div>
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This year I made these "O" ornaments for each antiphon. We've been adding them to our Jesse Tree.</div>
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The final Advent tradition we implemented this year is decorating our Christmas tree with purple and pink ornaments (which I bought at deep discount after Christmas last year). After Mass on Sunday we finally switched over to our collection of Christmas ornaments. It was nice having the simple pink and purple to remind us that we've been in a time of waiting and prayer. </div>
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Again I thank God for the beautiful Seasons of the Liturgical Year. Around and around the cycle we go, each time different because <em>we</em> are different. Each year we enter more deeply into the mysteries that we celebrate. It is one of the great joys of teaching and living the Catholic Faith with our children. Each year they grow to understand and cherish the stories, prayers, rituals, and traditions more and more. We learn and grow together through the years. </div>
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And now we are SO CLOSE to the Feast and Season of the celebration of the Incarnation. Don't forget to sing those Christmas carols for twelve (or more) days and proclaim the Good News of Jesus' birth into our world and our hearts.</div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-7454714429667544852014-12-21T23:51:00.002-05:002014-12-21T23:53:07.060-05:00Ray's 10th Birthday Celebration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had lots of fun celebrating Ray's 10th birthday. </div>
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The boys spent the night at my mom's the night before Ray's birthday (while Jon and I went to a concert). Jon and I came over for a celebratory breakfast and the birthday festivities began.<br />
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Ray received the highly-anticipated traditional 10th birthday gift from Pappy (my dad) in the mail ---<br />
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$100!</div>
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Instead of a more traditional party, Ray opted for a "day of fun" with his brother, cousins, and friend. So, the Saturday after Ray's birthday we rounded up this motley crew for an action-packed day of adventure.</div>
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1st stop ---- crafting at Home Depot. This was Jon's idea. It was FREE.... and a huge hit. The kids made Christmas themed yard stakes.<br />
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Next stop, the bowling alley --<br />
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We bowled a few games, had pizza for lunch, played in the arcade, and did Glow Putt.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spontaneous Dance Party</td></tr>
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After about 3.5 hours at the bowling alley, the kids were sufficiently tired out. They convinced us to take them home to play video games. Although we had planned to then go to a movie, everyone was happy to stay home and watch "Earth to Echo" On Demand.</div>
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In the evening, the "grown ups" of the family came over for dinner and we had cake, presents, etc.</div>
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Happy birthday Ray!<br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-44045990480039431722014-12-13T23:14:00.002-05:002014-12-13T23:14:58.286-05:00Reflections on a Decade of ParentingSo I know it's such a cliché, but truly, in the blink of an eye, my baby went from this ---<br />
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to this....</div>
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Ray is 10. The big 1-0. A decade old. Halfway to 20.<br />
How did this happen?<br />
Many of the days have been really long, but the years have been so very short. <br />
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There are a million wonderful things I could say about this boy for whom we longed and prayed. God gifted us with the privilege of raising a smart, intelligent, funny, quirky, sensitive guy. Ray loves figuring out how things work and dreaming up ways of making things work better. He's very musical. He's always been particularly fascinated with vehicles, mostly trains, but more recently remote - controlled helicopters. He's a natural swimmer, with a body built like Michael Phelpps. He's a critical thinker. He can be oh so serious like his dad, but also just plain silly like me. I love talking with Ray about all the things he thinks about and hearing his developing opinions about the way the world should work. He thinks he's a real big guy now, talking with a deeper voice and replying, "Whatev's" to my questions and requests. I love being his mom and watching him grow into his own special person.<br />
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But what about those two "youngish" love-struck parents in the picture with the giant 10 lb. 11oz. baby? Jon and I have been parents for a decade! What would I say to those parents (us) if I could go back in time? I'd tell them,<br />
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<em>"You're gonna mess some things up. Face it. Deal with it. There are no perfect parents. But you love him fiercely and you will be great parents. Just love him. Accept him for who he is and help him grow and learn new things everyday."</em><br />
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<em>"He's not going to be 'that kid' who is a notorious terror. Well, sometimes he might be. But all kids are 'that kid' in some situation or category. He's ok. You're ok."</em><br />
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<em>"He WILL learn to go in the potty. He will not go to Kindergarten in a diaper.... Actually, he won't even go to Kindergarten except in your living room, but you're not ready to deal with that whole homeschool decision just yet. Just trust me. He will eventually be potty trained."</em><br />
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<em>"Yes, you will sleep through the night again someday, but not for several years. And, no, he won't ever learn to sleep past seven o'clock. Fortunately, he will learn to entertain himself and not wake you up at 5:00am anymore." </em><br />
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<em>"Remember how your fretted about the wallpaper in the nursery and how you re-arranged all his clothes and stuffed animals and other 'stuff' while you waited for him to be born? Well, that was a big waste of time. None of that mattered. If you could see his room today you would laugh and maybe cry a little. You should have used all that time and energy to sleep and be lazy and do civilized, grown-up things."</em><br />
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<em>"Don't abandon all your own interests, friends, and especially couple time in order to cater to this kid's every sniffle, wish, or breath. Take care of yourselves physically and emotionally. It will make you better parents and better, healthier people. It will make him (and his brother who's coming along in a shockingly short period of time) a better and healthier person too. Seriously. Love him. Make sure he's safe and loved and cared for at all times. But he will not suffer or die if he's not held every moment or if he's left with a baby sitter for some short periods of time."</em><br />
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<em>"Don't buy ANY toys or clothes for this child. Seriously, they will miraculously multiply and overtake your house. Family members and friends will lovingly bestow these things upon you. And he will want to wear the same outfit and play with a box anyway."</em><br />
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<em>"Kiss him and hug him and read to him a lot. A LOT. Before you know it he won't want these things from you. And you will miss that closeness."</em><br />
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<em>"Read the parenting and discipline books if you must, but it's more important that you communicate with one another about how you want to parent and why. And that you support one another and back each other up in these efforts."</em><br />
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<em>"Challenge this child. Help him to do things for himself when he can. But also give him the warm cuddles and encouragement to help him feel secure. This is a tough balance that you will spend years trying to master. But keep at it. Don't be afraid to give him chores and teach him to contribute to the family routines."</em><br />
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<em>"Take him to Mass as often as possible. Pray with and for him and for others. He's not too young." </em><br />
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<em>"Don't compare him or yourselves with other kids and parents. This is so hard and you'll fall into this trap lots and lots of times. But don't do it."</em><br />
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<em>"Don't let him watch television much at all. In fact, let him be bored. It's good for him."</em><br />
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<em>"You don't need to (and can't) do EVERYTHING with and for him. Relax more. You don't have to go to every story time, parade, activity, museum, etc. Enjoy unstructured time."</em><br />
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<em>"He's going to lose his front teeth when he's only four. Yeah, weird. Traumatic. It will be ok. But he's going to need braces and that's going to cost A LOT. Start saving up now."</em><br />
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<em>"Ten years from now you'll love him even more than you do today. You'll have learned as much from him as he will from you. You'll both grow and change and learn a lot. It's hard and wonderful and you wouldn't change any of it. Except for slowing it down a bit and savoring it more. Don't sweat the small stuff."</em><br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-64958135256506721902014-11-30T22:56:00.001-05:002014-11-30T22:56:29.853-05:00A Month in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's a photo montage of what we've been up to in late November!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-np_aRKcPmTI/VHkzOMW5mfI/AAAAAAABrQ0/veaUptW3sww/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-np_aRKcPmTI/VHkzOMW5mfI/AAAAAAABrQ0/veaUptW3sww/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam knitted a hat (with a little help from me).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're till having fun learning about the 50 States at our American Adventure co-op.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maryland "crabs"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We led a few meetings of Adam' Bear Scout den.<br />
We taught the boys some basic cooking skills.</td></tr>
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Art.... We learned about and imitated some famous artists.<br />
Adam chose Georgia O'Keeffe.<br />
Ray chose Charles Willson Peale.<br />
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Music.... We took part in a five week program at a local college. Every Saturday morning the boys attended a music theory class and individual piano lessons taught by future music teachers. Ray is especially interested in pursuing more piano lessons in the new year.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did a brief unit study about Ancient Africa.</td></tr>
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Our Learning Tree co-op wrapped up its Fall session. Ray sang with the choir in the concluding showcase. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handsome boys growing up too fast!<br />
Preparing to sing at the Showcase.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray's Ohio class also displayed their lapbooks and relief maps.</td></tr>
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We participated in our local Holiday Lights parade. The boys and Jon marched with the swim team. It was a wet, yucky evening..... just like most of the swim meets last summer!<br />
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Jon's firm held their annual holiday party at a super fun bowling/arcade restaurant. As usual, we were spoiled with lots of great presents. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's big prize that he won in the arcade!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MaMaw joined in on the fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bowling!</td></tr>
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Hockey! We had the privilege of attending a Blue Jackets / Red Wings game. It was a fun night, but not a good one for our local team. As usual, Jon couldn't decide who to cheer for. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floor hockey at the arena.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We received an awesome surprise package from Aunt Nancy!<br />
Adam LOVED excavating gems from the kit he received.<br />
Thanks Aunt Nancy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School.<br />
We did, somehow, squeeze a lot of that in too.</td></tr>
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Snow! Boo! Too soon! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Hero 6 was a big hit with our crew!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our annual visit to the awesome train display at the downtown library.</td></tr>
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On the day before Thanksgiving we enjoyed a super fun "crafternoon" and "Friendsgiving" meal with some of our best buddies!<br />
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And, of course, Thanksgiving! <br />
My mom hosted us for a delicious meal and a lovely family day.<br />
Thanks Mom!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong>Happy belated Thanksgiving!</strong></em></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite turkeys... and a great school project.</td></tr>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102380404563396538.post-88425301343947816722014-11-15T14:18:00.000-05:002014-11-15T14:50:36.266-05:00Chemistry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had lots of fun learning about chemistry in October and early November. We used this kit ---</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.608052242875027294&pid=15.1&P=0" height="298" id="ihover-img" width="400" /></div>
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as well as parts of this awesome unit study ---</div>
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We really like this periodic table, which I found on Pinterest:<br />
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We also read lots of books, watched videos online, played a game called "Slap Six," and learned a fun song called the "Atoms Family."</div>
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We made models of atoms --- </div>
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We did lots of "after dinner" science experiments with Daddy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making candles... observing matter changing from solid to liquid and back to solid.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water beads</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that does say "vodka!"</td></tr>
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We wrote rebus stories inspired by these crazy scratch and sniff stickers.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aqp8qt-kVhs/VGLD0VF9ykI/AAAAAAABqgc/eDAhz97neTk/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aqp8qt-kVhs/VGLD0VF9ykI/AAAAAAABqgc/eDAhz97neTk/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" height="400" width="325" /></a></div>
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But the most fun we had was our "Mad Scientist Day" when we got to mix potions in the garage!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. "I just want to blow stuff up!"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7qih4sU3OehD9otMXptXijMAzi3YWPPvUz0WqawGiQPWIqKp-LVS5_592Fabhc1qYgXTKffF-opLwI_K3pllt0rxV9g38Ksn7LaSMlA8loQP_bSF-x-oCuayFoadptdLjZefhP2mAJ1d/s1600/190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7qih4sU3OehD9otMXptXijMAzi3YWPPvUz0WqawGiQPWIqKp-LVS5_592Fabhc1qYgXTKffF-opLwI_K3pllt0rxV9g38Ksn7LaSMlA8loQP_bSF-x-oCuayFoadptdLjZefhP2mAJ1d/s1600/190.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7N-yI86fbA/VFrZIuChISI/AAAAAAABoXQ/ZlS1FduyLmk/s1600/IMG_1269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7N-yI86fbA/VFrZIuChISI/AAAAAAABoXQ/ZlS1FduyLmk/s1600/IMG_1269.JPG" height="400" width="222" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIXw3dwhc3Syibo1GTXiTbRjDdrhJpaxiDDqMgNPXlXPROYd-Gokt0fNpbJulUJVzKPfn_SvIN6xQAJLhslzzPokebvndcUXrI3CPyDWS0szGHzZ9EvQ9PNCguv7CSS6Z00kwADaXHkM8/s1600/003.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIXw3dwhc3Syibo1GTXiTbRjDdrhJpaxiDDqMgNPXlXPROYd-Gokt0fNpbJulUJVzKPfn_SvIN6xQAJLhslzzPokebvndcUXrI3CPyDWS0szGHzZ9EvQ9PNCguv7CSS6Z00kwADaXHkM8/s1600/003.MOV" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The BEST part of this video clip is Adam's eyebrow-raising expression at the end.<br />
I just hope he grows up to be a chemist who contributes to society and not some kind of terrorist!</td></tr>
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I was amazed at how much Ray remembered from taking part in a co-op study on Chemistry two years ago. We're now designing some cool chemistry experiments for our homeschool science fair.</div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818384857080890333noreply@blogger.com0