Farewell

We just concluded our religious formation segment with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Today we said goodbye to some very special ladies. We met them about a year ago and loved them from the start. We've been attending classes this past school year with them and have learned so much about our Catholic faith and the Church. It is so nice to be around loving, caring people that are holy and reverent too. We enjoyed seeing their bright and happy faces week after week. We will miss them over the summer break. Unfortunately for us, they will not be offering enrichment religion classes next year due to their schedule. We pray they will grow and prosper here in the greater Sacramento area so we can keep them as our own! I want to thank them all for reaching out to the community and inviting us into their simple, yet amazing school. My kids and I will always remember the good times we shared with you. God Bless.




Sr Elizabeth Ann with the kids next to Mary.



















Sr Mary Grace (L) and Sr Ave Maria (R)



















Sr Maximillian Marie, their teacher.

Following in the Footsteps of Mary

All I wanted to do for Mother's Day this year was to participate in a Marian procession. We walked for three miles through the streets of Sacramento, following Our Lady. There were many others walking with us along the street of a quiet neighborhood. We prayed, sang and talked as bystanders watched, gawked and wondered. Looking ahead of the crowd, the procession was lead by a beautiful statue of Mary. As I watched her bob up and down and sway side to side, I couldn't help thinking that I was literally following Our Lady. I felt great comfort as I looked around and saw all my brothers and sisters in Christ doing the same. It was then that I realized that I was not alone. I had a family that also wanted to follow Our Blessed Mother. How beautiful is that?

The procession ended at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament where we attended a Latin High Mass. What an experience that was. As Mike said, "Now that is what the music in church should sound like!" What a glorious day. I thank you Lord for the opportunity to follow Our Beloved Mother.

We are all called to follow Our Lady. She is the model for us to learn and grow by. She will lead us directly to her Son. There is a beautiful book titled Take It to the Queen: A Tale of Hope by Josephine Nobisso. The story can help us to understand how Mary leads us to Jesus. Blessed Mother of God, Pray for us!

Summer Is On Its Way!

It's only late May and the weather already feels like summer. We've had high 90's and have already broken 100. Well, we had to take advantage of this beautiful weather. We're getting a head start on the water! Over Memorial Day weekend, we hit the water for some pre-summer fun!

The weather was gorgeous, but the water proved to still be Spring! A refreshing 65 degrees. Yeah, it takes your breath away when you jump in but, oh the fun!

Charles popped right up and out of the water. By the end of the summer, he'll be jumping wakes like a pro.













Believe it or not, I got up on the first run too. I didn't do as well as Charles though. He lasted a lot longer than I did. I think I was up for a whole 3 seconds! Ha ha. I am determined to be wakeboarding by the end of summer! Who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks?

Savanna and her friend enjoyed a wet ride on the tube. With Uncle Kato driving, you don't have to worry about whiplash or being barrel rolled off.











If this is an indication of what summer is going to be like, I can't wait!

Good Book...

Looking for a good book to read to the kids? We read the "Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare. The story takes place during Jesus' ministry here on earth. The author weaves in accounts with Jesus into this historical fiction in such a beautiful way, you feel like you are there encountering our Lord. I highly recommend this piece of literature. Caution: it is a little intense and may not be suitable for very young children.

Historical News

Well, the school year is finally winding down. Our history co-op has taken us through ancient history beginning with the Egyptians and ending with the Romans. I remembered to take some photos that have been posted on this blog, but I also forgot to take lots in between. Our final class about the Romans lead to a Gladiator tournament. Take a peek...

















History was fun this year! I am looking forward to the Middle Ages next year. Stay tuned!

Mission Chain

This Spring, we loaded up our car and headed south for a tour of the California Missions. We were joined by our good friends, the Truxton family. We spent 4 days touring the California Missions and even found time to play on the beach. We had a blast! We began our tour at Mission San Carlos Borremeo in Carmel. This has always been my favorite mission. It is so beautiful inside and out.


















The next stop took us to Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude). The name described a lonely mission. Zealous to see and learn, we woke early and headed for our first destination for the day. Upon arriving, we discovered that they sleep in later than we do! The photo below shows a striking contrast of the past and the present. The two lumps of rubble are actually remnants of the old adobe walls among our state flower, the California Poppy.













Mission San Antonio de Padua, in Jolon, was a treat for us. St Anthony is our patron saint, so to visit this Mission was special. We had a wonderful picnic lunch under the trees in front of the Mission. The Mission is located on a military base, way out in the middle of nowhere! I must admit, it was a nice drive in from the freeway. On the way out, we saw the military firing the big guns that sit atop a tank. They were practicing right on the side of the road! The kids thought that was pretty cool.


















Continuing south took us to Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in San Luis Obispo. We attended Holy Mass Sunday morning and toured the mission after mass. While sitting in the church, it is something to sit and wander about the past. Many, many, years ago, people sat in those very pews, worshipping and praising, just as I was doing now. Our faith is truly timeless! After visiting the mission, we took a break from our tour and hit the beach.













At the beach, we witnessed an amazing sight. The Beaches were filled with ladybugs There were literally thousands upon thousands of ladybugs on the beach. It was hard to avoid stepping on them. While I stood close to the edge of the surf, I had atleast 12 ladybugs climbing up my legs. Though we were at Pismo Beach, it seems to happen in other areas in So Cal. Orangecounty.com explains:"Newport Beach Lifeguard Capt. Jim Turner said the ladybugs give birth during this time, and some are blown to the coast when the Santa Ana winds whip. Though the winds haven’t been too strong, they’ve had enough force to push the bugs to the sand in the past few days."

I was able to catch up with an old family friend at Old Mission Santa Ines in Solvang. I've known Fr Michael Mahoney since I was at least Savanna's age. It has been a long time since I've seen him. It was nice to have a private tour and to visit with him.





Campo Santo (Holy field)
Each Mission has a campo santo. Some more elaborate than others but containing memories all the same.




Last, but definitely not least, Mission Santa Barbara. The museum here was amazing, along with the elaborate campo santo. Some of the burial dates went way back. The inner garden was beautiful and full of foliage and flowers. Just breathtaking.














What a field trip! Traveling with good friends and touring a bit of California history. It doesn't get much better than this!

10 and Counting

He is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen! Along with being the most important holiday of the Liturgical Year, Easter was a extra special occasion this year. Savanna celebrated her 10th birthday on this joyous day. God Bless her.

Catch Up...

I didn't realize that I had lapsed as long as I did. Time flies around here. Much has happened in the past 2 months.

Our dear friend, Pheonix, found his voice, then found a new home. I was woken one morning to a loud, undefined sound. What could it be? It sounded like something was dying. Well, Mr Pheonix was trying out his vocal chords. It lasted for a few days. Mike visited our neighbors to apologize and promise the problem would be taken care of. Amazingly, none of the neighbors heard our noisy friend! Unbelieveable! Anyway, Pheonix was given away. I didn't want to be woken at the crack of dawn anymore. Bye, bye birdie.













Mike says the Ladies are finally pulling their own weight. Look what we found...















We average 2 a day. Izzy lays the brown eggs. Penny and Bubbles lay blueish-green eggs. They sure are tasty!