This is the time of year when every store seems to have their Christmas trees front and center flashing their LED lights. My 2 year old is entranced and awed by such a sight. I always have to remind myself to see the beauty of it from a 2 year old’s perspective instead of thinking of them as tacky and out of season. Perhaps hoping to inspire my 2 year old to deeper contemplation in the shopping cart at Costco, I asked,... Read more
“How in the world are you going to camp with five children?” They said we couldn’t do it. People scoffed. They questioned. But guess what? We had a ball. Did we sleep much either night? Not really. Did we return unscathed or unbruised? Definitely not. Did we split our sides with laughter over the campfire? Absolutely. Did we enjoy new friendships and watch our children become explorers? Yes, indeed. Word on the street is that yours truly zip lined through the camp,... Read more
I stopped reading magazines, with the exception of a few cooking publications, long ago. I was tired of being bombarded by sexualized imagery, raunchy articles, gossipy updates, and fashion that didn’t even begin to apply to my life. Recently, however, I have found a new favorite in Verily. Briefly a quarterly print magazine, Verily is now exclusively online, complete with daily deliveries and updates. I appreciate their realistic, feminine fashion sense, the balanced examinations of relationship issues, easy-enough foodie recipes, and... Read more
I am thrilled to announce the birth of our newest bundle of joy, Sophia Rose! She arrived on September 25th, a week past her due date, and weighed in at an even 8 pounds. We are all in awe of her cuteness and littleness, and even our only son, who was really pulling for a brother (after having 4 sisters!) can’t get enough of her. For all of you who have been praying for our family during this pregnancy, thank you... Read more
The Church in America had a wonderful moment this weekend, and in Jersey no less (I write this little tease with extreme love, I assure you, since that’s where Red and half of my family lives). Not only did it add a new Blessed to the fold of holy men and women — Miriam Teresa Demjanovich — but we had our first *ever* beatification liturgy on American soil. This is beautiful for us not only as Catholics, but as American... Read more
“Today more than ever, we need witnesses who live out the Gospel of the family to the fullest and with joy, and who show the world that it is a beautiful and fascinating way of life, a source of happiness for spouses and children. Here there is enormous scope for the prophetic mission of our laity. In the lives of Christian couples today it takes the courage of prophets, the courage to stand up to the dominant culture.” ~Cardinal Stanislaw... Read more
I don’t know if it is the maturity that comes with being a few years into my thirties, or sheer necessity, but I am finally ready to become a businesslike woman. Several transactions of which I have been apart recently have made me reconsider my dealings with service providers. In short, if you are billing me, I do not need to be your friend. I will be polite, respectful and honest with you, but the overly friendly thing has failed... Read more
Whew, Texas Mommy is right, this is a big week. Not only are there two Angelic feast days this week, but yesterday I finished a novena to mark the Feast Day of St. Therese of Lisieux, and our parish is holding the annual Blessing of the Animals in conjunction with St. Francis Assisi’s feast day on Saturday. I don’t know about any one else, but I could use a good celebration. Church holidays seem like a distant memory this time... Read more
Yesterday the Church celebrated the Feast of the Archangels and on Thursday, October 2nd, we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. We usually do some fun treats and crafts by way remembering these special feast days, but with selling our house in my 3rd trimester, we aren’t doing much this year. Which is why I was especially happy when my wonderful husband sent me this Ignatius post by Peter Kreeft on “The Twelve Most Important Things to Know About... Read more
Lately it feels like bad news permeates my little corner of the world, trickling in from friends and people in my life who I love. Someone has lost a loved one; another has learned of cancer; yet another is suffering from marital trouble. It is clearly a season where people are struggling, grieving, trying to put one foot in front of the other. Add onto that our national and global problems and I find it pretty easy to get pulled into the quagmire of... Read more
Building Cathedrals
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In