The Last Two Months in Photos

We've been busy over here. Two trips back to the midwest, two weddings, two weeks of work and training, VBS, swimming lessons and one hike later, I've found a moment to blog a bit and tell you that I've posted pics on the kids site here. And that's about all I've got right now because life is still a little hectic and we're still settling into our routine. And well, I like saying things with pictures. They paint a thousand words, right?

Pretend City

We saw something really cool at Pretend City the other day:

And the kids had a lot of fun exploring, imagining and creating!

St. Gianna Beretta Molla

I'm a day late on this one, but yesterday began a Novena to one of my favorite saints, St. Gianna Beretta Molla. St. Gianna was a wife, mother, and doctor. The novena began yesterday and ends on her Feast Day, April 28th. Here are the prayers:

God, our Father, You have granted to your Church the gift of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.
In her youth she lovingly sought You and drew other young people to You, involving them through apostolic witness and catholic action, in the care of the sick and the elderly.

We thank You for the gift of this young woman, so deeply committed to You.
Through her example, give us the grace to dedicate our lives to Your service, for the joy of our brothers and sisters.

Glory Be...

Jesus, Redeemer of humanity, You called Saint Gianna to become a doctor, a role she lived as a mission for the comfort of bodies and souls. She saw You in all the sick, in the needy and the weak.

We thank You because, through this servant, You revealed Yourself to us as one who serves and who alleviates the sufferings of all men and women. As we treasure her example may we become generous Christians at the service of our brothers and sisters, especially of those with whom You deign to share Your Cross.

Glory Be...

God, Sanctifying Spirit, You who love the Church as Your bride,
You poured into the heart of Saint Gianna a share of Your Love so that she could give it to her family, and thus cooperate with You in the wonderful plan of creation, and give life to new children who could know and love You.

We thank You for this model wife and for her encouraging example. Grant our families the serene and Christian presence of mothers committed to transform them into cenacles of faith and love, capable of generous actions and sanctifying service.

Glory Be...

O God, creator and lover of the human family, You remained with Saint Gianna when she painfully had to choose between her life and the life of the child she was expecting, a long-awaited gift.

Trusting You alone and aware of Your commandment to respect human life, Saint Gianna found the courage to do her duty as a mother and to say yes to her baby's life, thus generously giving her own.

Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and after the example of Saint Gianna, inspire all mothers to welcome with love the seeds of a new life. Help us all to have great respect for human life.

Grant us the grace we seek... and the joy to find an inspiration in Saint Gianna who, as a model spouse and mother, after the example of Christ, gave up her life for the life of others.

Hail Mary...

If you'd like to read more about her, you can follow this link or this link.

7 Quick Takes

I did 7 Quick takes over at the kids' site. You can read them here.

Howdini

People keep asking how we made this:

It was really pretty easy... time consuming, but easy. So, Ok, I'll give up my secret and you will no longer be in awe of my baking abilities. :) Here's how you can do it (or something else you like :) too!

Thinking of Haiti

Lord Christ,

You have no body on earth but ours,
No hands but ours,
No feet but ours.

Ours are the eyes through which your compassion must look out on the world.

Ours are the feet by which you may still go about doing good.

Ours are the hands with which You bless people now.

Bless our minds and bodies,
That we may be a blessing to others.

St. Theresa of Avila

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