Hold My Hand

Don't we all just want a hand to hold sometimes? 

I've been thinking a lot about this during a recent challenge around our house...Dear husband has been gone on a month-long business trip to teach tactical medicine in another country.  We discussed the opportunity quite a bit before making a mutual decision that he should go.  That being said, the challenges of him being gone were yet to be seen...

The first thing I did was call upon many prayer warriors to pray for his safety and our sanity at home.  I've been told that I'm a strong person but I really don't feel like I am.  One thing I know for certain is that I do have a strong God who sustains me.  I knew that our family was going to need those prayers, especially for me to do my part alone with 4 kids at home.

The days and weeks passed by...some slow, some fast, some crazy, some sane.  Needless to say there were many lessons learned and strength was gained a long the way, no doubt from the prayers that were prayed from generous and loving hearts.  I am so grateful for all of them and he's finally coming home this weekend!

What surprised me the most was the differing reactions that I received.  People I hardly know were checking in on us yet some of my closest friends and relatives never even asked how we were doing.  I sat and listened to one particular "friend" ramble on about herself while never even casting a word or question about our survival.  Seemingly insensitive and uncaring actions are puzzling thoughts about a "friend." 

All of this reminded me of my widowhood when some people I thought were close friends seemed farthest away.  On the other hand, the people who seem to care the most during this difficult situation were the least expected.  It's like God plants them there to open our eyes to beautiful people all around us that we failed to pay attention to before.  He makes up for our human failings and His hands reach out to us through these special people that reach out to us, taking our eyes off the disappointment.

When all is said and done, the fact is that we need each other.  We need hands to hold when we are struggling.  Big struggles, small struggles, it doesn't really matter.  What counts is a caring gesture.  I remember one particular homily when our pastor emphasized the need for Christ but also the human need for people with "skin" here on earth.  God made us in His image and likeness to be His representatives on earth...The arms and legs of Jesus for one another.  I was reminded of this need in my own need.  We aren't meant to walk alone.

 

Receiving a kind text message asking how we were doing, how my husband was doing, was such a life-line this past month.  Some sweet church friends brought pizza and dropped it off, without even asking; a friend that I only see once a year sent chocolate; another thoughtful friend dropped off stress relief soap and lotion...I never expected any of this but I can't tell you how each of these hands that reached out brought light to a dark moment or ease to a struggle.  I am beyond humbled. Words cannot express enough gratitude.

The reason I share this is to bring light to the kindness, to the importance of hands to reach out.  It reminds me how critical it is to be that same light for others.  We can all make a difference, even in the small things...Sometimes we will never know when the small things are really big things so we just need to act!  We should not hesitate or wait to be asked...Just reach out. Since we are all human, it's inevitable that people will disappoint us but right behind them are new smiles to discover and new friends to behold.

I saw this picture of Pope Francis on Facebook via Catholic Catalogue and it brings home this loving sentiment.  The way he reached out to that Swiss Guard was so endearing...Look at that smile!  Isn't that how we all feel when someone touches our hearts?
I pray that I will not be that "friend" who is too self-absorbed or too busy to reach out...After all, the Pope's not too busy to grab a hand!

Moving forward from here, I want to reach out a little more. 
I hope you will join me...

Share love,

Share compassion,

Hold hearts,

Hold hands!

Hello Little Blog!

I'm not the best at being regular around here. 

Why?
Well, I suppose it's partly because I'm in a bit of an upheaval as we suddenly have a house full of (mostly) big kids!  Where did all of the littles go?

It all happened overnight, really,  it did. 

Plus, I'm slowing down. 

It's hard to keep up.

 

Going into this school year we will soon have a 21 year old who will be a Jr. in college (cough, cough) ...Not to mention a high school Sophomore and a 7th grade tween!  With only 2 left in the elementary grades, I'm feeling the difference.  For me, it's a big difference.

I feel ill-equipped after having little kids for so long!

Transition is hard...

OK, it's not what you think with the Red Solo Cup...

;-)

This is more my style!

I'm wondering what's in store for me, for us, this space...

Big question mark?

I've always felt inspired to write and share but not so much, lately. 

Though I feel like I have nothing to offer, I'm not worried. I trust God has a hand in this transition...

The same transition that's been ongoing since our oldest left for college.  I have yet to put into words the paradox of being happy to watch children leave home to start their own lives, while the heart grieves their absence.  Someday, maybe I will.

 

Then again, some things are just meant to be lived, words unspoken. 

Maybe a time will come when I'm on the other side of the experience.

I will (attempt) to wait patiently, even though I am constantly at odds with this virtue of patience. (Argh)!

I'm not good with change... but I know from past experience, that change is good for me.

 

One of my favorite Psalms (25) brings peace.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my Savior.

In you, I hope all day long

because of your goodness, O Lord.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.

In your love remember me.

 

In the midst of it all, there are so many moments that make me feel like I could just die of a grateful heart attack!



 

Since losing a precious spouse, I've never taken life for granted but I've recently come to better appreciate the simple things, the little things.

 

 

Another day is done but a new day is dawning.

See you soon, little blog.

10 Surprises to Celebrate 10 Years of Homeschooling!

 

~10 years is reason to celebrate!~

 It's been a decade since we started our homeschooling journey and my goodness,
how we've changed over these past 10 years! (In more ways than one:)
It was really fun to dig up a few old photos...Especially one that was taken the 1st year of our homeschooling journey, and compare it to a fairly recent one.

 Though none of our children have been strictly homeschooled K-12 thus far, we are still a family who has devoted the past 10 years to this secondary vocation in one way, shape, form or another.  It's a full-time dedication to something we feel called to do but we certainly don't fit into any particular mold or label. I can finally be ok with that. No, we are far from fitting into any kind of perfect box. In fact, being perfectly imperfect always gives us something to work on as we forge ahead. 
 

It seems cliché to say that I can hardly believe 1o years has gone by!  But it's simply true in so many ways.  Like anything else, there have been terrific days and tough days but we have come this far...Woo hoo!
(And I wouldn't change a thing, by the way!)

2006

 

 

2007

(Aquarium Field Trip 2007~ I'm 42 and 6 months prego here...Best pregnancy of all:)

How fast has it flown?  Well, it really is true...Time does fly by so incredibly fast...Homeschooling or not!  This is not to say that there haven't been some very slow moments.  There certainly have been many days when I thought I'd never make it through another minute of homeshooling, let alone 10 years.  This is all just to say that each day is precious and the tough ones make it all worth it.  My husband and I have always said "One year at a time, God willing..."
From this day forward, we march on with the same sentiments.
Now, let's get to the celebrating! 
(After a short walk down memory lane;)
2008

2009

(Our oldest went to public high school this year)

 

  

2010

 

 2011

 
2012

It's so important for home educating families to celebrate success...Seriously.  No one else is going to do it for us, that's for sure!  Especially when many of us don't even have family and friends to encourage us. 

That being said, if I could single out one thing I've learned in the past 10 years, it's that joy is contagious...and in the home, it begins with me.  I have to constantly remind myself of this when I get discouraged or get caught up in the daily tasks at hand and the work to be done. I set the tone.

I have found that it's absolutely necessary to bring joy into the picture and there are so many ways to do this...Prayer, Sacraments, thankfulness, and stopping to share the simple things...Even simple celebrations!
It's truly up to us to be surprised by joy...And it's waiting to be discovered every day, right along with our children, even amidst the math books and spelling words!
 

Wracking my brain for ways to celebrate a whole decade without being too expensive, I came up with a celebration with these 10 things!
 

10 surprises for each of our last

10 days of school to celebrate our

10 years of homeschooling!
(I made a list and didn't tell the kids what the surprise was until the morning of each day;)

We counted down our last 10 days of school with 10 surprises...

1.  Breakfast and Board Games!

What better way to hone math and reading skills!
We love this game (Catholic version of Monopoly...There are interesting tidbits on each card that we read aloud.  Our 6th grade "banker" practiced the lost art of counting change!  It was a fun way to start the day:)

 

 "The parents exist to teach the child, but they must also learn what the child has to teach them; and the child has a very great deal to teach them."~Arnold Bennett~

2. Library and Slurpees!

 

3. Morning Break at The Yogurt Station!

 

4.  Recess At An (air conditioned) Indoor Play Place!

(It was a HOT 100 degrees outside that day)

 

5.  Breakfast Picnic In The Park!

 

6. Bookstore Visit!

 

7. Strawberry & Blueberry Picking!

 

 

8.  Everyone got to go to the airport to pick up college brother! (Surprise at 6 AM:)

With spontaneous trip to the ocean for an hour!

  

9.  Lunchtime movie!

 

10. Breakfast with the Principal!

*10 surprises for 10 years was a fun success*
Happy Summer from our house to yours!

~May Crowning 2014~
Perfect "last day of school!"

More: 10 Least Expected Lessons to Celebrate 10 Years

Exciting News of Thanksgiving

Did this title spark attention?

No, I'm not pregnant...I guess my news isn't that exciting!*wink*

So, let's talk about the weather...

The weather has been downright gorgeous around here!  As I mentioned in a previous post, Fall has finally arrived in Northern California.

I'd much rather stay outside all day more than anywhere else right now:)

This pretty little river lies just North of our town and it's simply breathtaking this time of year.  We head over to see the Salmon spawning every mid-November.  For those who don't know, Salmon return from the ocean, up the river to their place of birth to lay their eggs before they die.  Yes, they travel upstream for many miles.  It's amazing! New salmon life emerges and the cycle starts all over again.  It's always a great science lesson for all of us:)

We can actually see the very large salmon this close!  Grandma and Grandpa went a long this year.

 Grandpa loves to be the teacher of skipping stones:)

This was one of those precious, thankful moments, for sure!  Time together with family is a real treasure that I appreciate more and more with each passing year. 

...And speaking of thankful…I am feeling incredibly blessed to be going on a pilgrimage very soon….To Rome!

That's my exciting news! Can you believe it? I have never been to Rome (Or any part of Italy, for that matter) and I'm just beyond excited!

Giddy, really:)

The exciting part of this whole thing is that it wasn't even a thought or a plan. It was one of those opportunities that presented itself at just the right time…A God-thing for sure.

  To be honest, we don't have the money for traveling of any sorts right now.  Ironically, our oldest son is just finishing his UD Rome Semester and it took a lot out of us to get him there, scholarship and all.  Many people asked if we'd go visit Rome while he was there and the answer was always: "Nope, can't afford it!"  We were just grateful that he had such an amazing opportunity through his university.

  So, the funny thing is that my husband and I had just been chatting about my love of travel and dream to "someday" visit the many holy places of our faith, not to mention Rome!  Since I started homeschooling 10 years ago, I have loved reading and learning about the lives of the saints.  It fascinates me to think about visiting their real life homes and countries.   I also have this (kind of silly) desire to someday be a Catholic pilgrimage tour guide:)  But I still have so much more to learn!   Dream, dream, dream...We can dream, right?

The very next day after this conversation, the Rome pilgrimage trip was announced at church!  Then, just 2 days after that, we were given a very unexpected monetary gift. My husband insisted that it was meant-to-be that I go!  To make matters even better, one of my dearest friends, Kim had a similar experience and we quickly became instant travel companions.  The whole thing is just incredibly exciting for both of us!

Our only sadness lies with the fact that we had both hoped and dreamed of going to Rome with our husbands.  For now, that isn't in the cards for either of us with young children at home...  

 These are 7 of the 8 kids between us and both Firefighter Dads are well-equipped to take on the challenge. I'm sure there will be some fun going on while we're gone! (At least we hope so:) 

It's all happening the end of January and that will be here before we know it!
To say that I'm feeling Thankful is an understatement…Grateful beyond words, is more like it:)

Back to {Home} School Celebrations...(Fun Links to Share)!

{Pinterest links below}

We started back to our homeschooling routine this week!  We kept most of our same 1st day of school "traditions" that we've had for the most part of 9 years now.  AND we added some new fun in the celebrating this year.  Well, that is probably a little bit of an understatement since I kinda went a little nuts with the 1st day fun...Even if you don't homeschool, you may find some fun ideas to help your children start the year with enthusiasm!

What else can I say but that

Life

is worth celebrating!
When you've had deep sorrow to suffer in life, I have found that faith always, always, leads to deeper gratitude and grace.  This is where I am in my stage of celebrating life, not to mention having an older child who left home for college last year!  I have come to appreciate my littles at home all the more:)  

The bread of life continues to sustain me through good times and bad...
Soooo, it is my deepest desire for my children to realize this reliance on God alone.  Serving and receiving Him as much as possible is the goal... But most certainly on the first day of school.  We share in Jesus, the breakfast of champions and then head out for a rare treat...breakfast "out"...
With the Principal:)

Our 9th grader no longer schools at home with us so he missed out on breakfast, bummer for him:(  Thankfully, Mass is early enough so he got to altar serve with the younger sibs on their first day and still "gets the honor", as I say, to altar serve a couple of days a week.  

I had fun making these cute signs for the "home crew!" These clever (and free) chalk board printables can be found at Everyday Party, through Pinterest.  My friend Patty will be so proud of me:)  Did I mention that Pinterest is my newest friend? I just clipped them onto clipboards that I had on hand!

They made a fun first day photo...So easy and super fun!

That banner in the background was also a free printable found at Tatertots and Jello!

It was so cute to drive up in our driveway a few days later and see this hanging in one of our front bedroom windows...Made me smile:)

You may also click on my Back to School Pinterest board for the rest of these cute printable ideas or view the individual links.  Thank you to all of the generous folks out there who share these kind of things!

I don't homeschool that many children, compared to some families I know, but I think this table display would be a good way to make a large group of kids feel special.  Sometimes it's hard to make individual treats since it can be very time consuming for busy Mamas.

This took preparation but not that much in the scheme of things.  It was certainly not very costly, other than the printer ink, and I think it was worth it:) Here's how the overall display turned out!

 

 

Somewhere around my 5th or 6th year of homeschooling I decided to splurge and go "no hassle," only buying the sharpened pencils to kick off the school year! Such a little thing and yet a big thing, too:) Some of you might know exactly what I mean!
Love these pencil tags found at eighteen25!

These little printable tags are everywhere on Pinterest and they just brought extra smiles to the first day.

One Charming Party offers these clever tags for highlighters!

Found these fun glue labels at Sissy's Creations:)

Doesn't every kids love fish crackers?  These are adorable and can be printed over at Ivory Bloom.

The cutest water bottle labels are offered at One Lesson At A Time.

Technology rocks. Seriously. offers the most amazing school signs! I printed several out, and placed them in sheet protectors for each child's learning binder.  (And also a beautiful prayer for my teaching binder:) They would be inspiring decor for a school room!

I'm hanging this one up on a clipboard.  Loving the use of clipboards for fun decor!

They also have these colorful bookmarks to print!

And finally the "big hit!..."
These Pencil holders made from Pringles cans.  Genius idea, right?

You could fill them with school supplies, anything.  I filled ours with little fruit snacks and treats.  To add a little faith, I printed out the Patron Saint of student tags that Jessica created at Catholic Cuisine.  Then I added this little prayer on the back.

I was really thrilled with how they turned out!  A big thank you to Not Just A Mommy who gives excellent and detailed instructions!
*It was a fantastic first day, indeed*
Here's our group back-to-school photo with the older boys.  The world is our classroom from Rome to home.
(Big brother recently departed for his Rome semester)
Darn, he wouldn't let me steal away in his suitcase!

Happy New School Year to all of our family and friends!
Don't forget to keep it real:)