Feast of the Archangels

Today is the feast day day of the Archangels: St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael.

St Michael "Who is like God?" is the victorious Archangel that kicked Lucifer out of Heaven.

Gabriel "Might of God" is the messenger to Our Blessed Mother, that told her she was going to conceive the Son of God.

Raphael "God has healed" gave Tobit his sight back.

Our Archangels protect us and we recognize them today on their feast day.





St Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of heavenly hosts, by the divine power of God, cast into hell, satan and all his evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.


St Michael overcoming evil!

Getting Closer!

Today we took our eggs out of the rocker (the yellow thing). The chicks should start hatching by Wed. I say should, because our friends only had 3 out of 12 eggs hatch. We are waiting to see how many chickens we have before we build a coop. On top of that, we are only going to keep the hens. I don't think the neighbors will like the roosters, though Mike did think they would make a good meal. Keep your fingers crossed that we get a few hens!

Blogs, Blogs, Everywhere!

Charles (Leatherback News) and Savanna (Bugaboo News) officially have their own blogs. Their links are to the right (scroll down). They are a work in progress. Soon, they will have some fun things to share. Check them out in a few weeks.

Walk Like and Egyptian

This week, the kids and I have been working diligently on our current project.

Today, we traveled back in time to Ancient Egypt. We belong to a co-op class that meets once a month. Before we meet, we all read specified chapters in The Story of the World. The parents use the book as a springboard to teach about the era we are reading. We started the year with Ancient Egypt. Each parent is responsible for a segment to teach the kids. There are 15 kids in the class. They had a great time! They did an art project, a science experiment and presentations. They even got to sample food: figs, dates and humus.

Here they are working on their costumes. Charles was a high priest and Savanna was Queen Hatshepsut.

Here are their finished products:

Next month continues our study on Ancient Egypt, but in the New Kingdom.

Oh, by the way, the chickens are due to hatch next week! We're getting excited!

Up to the Top

A few years ago, Mike and Charles did their first overnight hike. I was a little nervous at first, but I trust my husband and his judgement. Charles was only 9 then. The experience was unforgettable in his eyes. He caught the bug and was looking forward to more hikes with dad. Last summer, we were so busy that they weren't able to go. Finally, this summer, dad and Charles hit the trails again and went even farther. At 11 years old, he hiked in 6 miles with a pack and could easily out hike dad. My little boy is growing up and isn't so little anymore! My fellow moms and grandmas know what I'm talking about! They truly do grow up fast.





Mike said that he is going to have to pack a heavier pack just to slow Charles down a bit!




Anyone that knows my son, knows that he is well prepared. He left home with his BIG knife, his pocket knife, rope, hatchet and other survival tools he keeps in his "bag". He knew that open fires were not allowed where they were hiking, so he dutifully left his "fire starting kit" at home.

They drove to South Lake Tahoe, because all permits closer to home were taken; no big deal, SLT isn't that much further. Since it is a short drive, you really can lesiurly make your way to the trailhead and reach your final destination at a decent time. They left home in the late afternoon, arrived at the trailhead with lots of sunlight still in the sky, and started their hike to Half Moon Lake, high in the Sierras. High enough to keep mom home.




Charles, king of the mountain.





They hiked about 6 miles into desolation wildreness. It took a few hours to get there and the sun was starting to make it's way to Australia. They were pretty hungry too. They finally arrived at their destination and started to settle into camp. First things first, food! They pulled out the cooking equipment with the intention of heating up water for a space age meal (freeze dried food.) Oops, who forgot the matches?! Hmmm, looks like a cold meal for dinner tonight and a cold breakfast tomarrow morning! Oh well, we're men (or atleast a young boy), we'll make do with what we have. The sun is setting, they can't use the lamps, ah, but they have a flashlight! Yeah, we have light, well, atleast for a little while. The batteries were new but the bulb was old! Go figure! Have you ever had the bulb on your flashlight burn out? Never in my life have I experienced that! Needless to say, sleep came early along with a cold breakfast in the morning. It's all part of the experience and the fun! They had a great time and are looking forward to more hiking in the future. Maybe one of these times, they will pick a place with a lower elevation and I can join them too!

And a Sword will Pierce Your Heart

September 15, Our Lady of Sorrows

Monday started us with the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Through the life of Mary, she suffered along side her Son, Jesus. The 7 dolors (mental suffering or anguish) are:

1. The prophecy of Simeon Lk 2:22-35
2. The flight into Egypt Mt 2:13-21
3. The loss of the child Jesus in the temple Lk 2:41-50
4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the way of the cross Jn 19:1, Lk 23:26-32
5. The crucifixion of Jesus Mk 15:22, Jn 19:18, 25-27, Lk23:46
6. Taking down the body of Jesus from the cross Jn 19:31-34, 38, Lamentations1:12
7. Jesus is laid in the tomb Mt 27:59, John 19:38-42, Mark 15:46, Lk 27:55-56

We learned that through suffering we are taught to be obedient. When we experience suffering, we should turn to our Lord and ask, "What is it you want me to learn? What are you teaching me?" instead of complaining, "Why me, Lord?" When we turn to Him for direction, we are being obedient to His will instead of fighting His will.

Charles learned this first hand today. He woke up with a case of pink eye: itchy and stinging. Instead of asking, "Why me?", he offered it back up to Our Lady. A lesson well learned.

To help the kids learn and remember this, we made a craft. It had to contain a red heart representing the heart of Mary and 7 popsicle sticks representing the swords that pierced her heart. On each sword, the dolor and scripture were written on them. The rest was up to them. They are proud of their finished products.





Charles' project shows his simplicity which matches his personality. God gifted him with an easygoing attitude.









Savanna, on the other hand, is artistic. God gifted her with spunk and creativity.





We now need to move on to the next event! We'll update again soon. God Bless.

peep, peep, peep

This year we decided we would try our hand at chickens. Initially, we were going to incubate and hatch the chickens, then give them back to the 4-H group in Auburn. Mike decided that fresh eggs would be nice to have, so we are going to keep them!







Right now they have been incubating for about 6 days. We have to make sure the temperature stays between 99 and 100 degrees. That was a little tricky at first. It took us a few days to get the incubator working and stable before we put the eggs in.



The eggs have taken up residence in the kids bathroom. Each day we check the temp and make sure there is water in the trough that sits on the bottom of the incubator. Along with the eggs, we will be studying embryology. On top of all this, we will be building our very own chicken coop! Hopefully enough eggs will survive and give us more eggs in the future!

Estimated hatching date is October 1!

The Wilds of Alaska

Dad, Kato (Mike X), Anthony, Mike S (my hubby) and Joe

Most every year, Mike, along with my dad, brothers and friends, head north the the wilds of Alaska. They spend a few days there fishing and taking in the beauty of God's creation. It's a great time for male bonding and experiencing nature up close and personal. Humpback whales, bald eagles and bears are only a few of God's creatures that reveal themselves in this tranquil and beautiful place. In past years the men have witnessed the Aurora Borealis. Many stories come home as I am sure many stories don't leave the lodge! Most years produce an abundance of fish, crab and shrimp to be shared and eaten. Unfortunately, this years catch was slim. My broken deep freeze is grateful for that!

Mike said the weather was wet and cold! A far cry from pleasant weather in the past. You never know what you are going to get.




Mike is hiding from the elements. One advantage to the wet weather is the rain keeps the pesky no-seeums away!

The King Fisher
Mike caught the largest salmon on the trip! I believe it was 45 lbs. He kept the head to have it mounted. I wouldn't want to be bitten by this monster!

Enjoy this slide show:



There are a few more photos on a previous post below. They are breathtaking. Check them out!

Wonder and Awe of God's Creation!

All photos were taken in Alaska. Photographers vary between my brothers and my dad. The photos speak for themselves.

Time Just Runs on By

Sorry about the delay in updating our blog. School started and we hit the ground jogging. We've been busy learning and spending quality time together. I will try to keep you updated on the latest and greatest going ons here in our household. The hot summer days are finally starting to wind down and we are starting to get ready for SKI season! It will be upon us before we know it!