A Royal Wedding Breakfast

Peanut Butter Sweetheart Scones, Royal Raspberry Tartlets from the Pink Princess Tea Parties book, Tiara Toasts with Nutella and Strawberry Gems and tea, of course!
And yes... we wore tiaras!

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves. ~ Royal Wedding sermon of the Bishop of London

I am by no means an anglophile, but who doesn't love weddings? And a royal wedding is an historic occasion. So what induced me to get up at 4 am to turn on the telly and tune in to the show? (My girls joined in around 4:45am but like Margaret's boys, my guys kept their eyes tucked in bed until all kissing was over!) Well, I remember watching his parents' wedding with my mom. To a young girl of 7 it was a real life fairy tale come true but sadly, as we witnessed over the years, it was as much make believe as anything the Grimm Brothers could concoct.

But this marriage seems genuine. They really do seem to be friends who are very much in love with each other. Whatever gripes may be had with previous or current royal scandals it seems as if most people, some of who have suffered through similar scandals on a much smaller scale, really do want these two to have a real happily ever after. That seems to be a unifying desire. Here's hoping!

Here are my thoughts for Margaret, once she's awake. Feel free to chime in:

1. I loved that she chose to wear her hair down so that William would recognize her as the woman he loved.

2. She looked very calm to me, but her Dad looked like he needed a stiff drink!

3. Wills was so adorable, not looking at her until she was right behind him. And Harry! What a character that guy is. You know the ribbing he was giving William helped to lighten his mood and keep him on his feet!

4. The Bishop of London reminded me of Anthony Hopkins. Not sure why. The Archbishop of Canterbury could have totally passed for the bishop in The Princess Bride!

5. The vows were very sweet. I hope they truly do cherish, honor and protect each other.

6. Wonderful! I also loved hearing the reference to St. Catherine of Siena when the Bishop began his sermon.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

All of my pretty pictures have been flowers. That's because they are the only bright spot in my yard right now. I have to look past the weeds to see the blossoms. There's a bigger lesson there, I just know it.

{happy}

I can only grow decent fingernails when I'm pregnant. I'm not sure if it's the hormones or the vitamins or just God's way of helping a woman feel prettier during what can feel like a very unpretty 9 months. I usually don't paint my nails and I haven't had a manicure since my wedding day because its pointless most of the time. But for the 9 months during pregnancy that they actually look nice, it makes me very happy to decorate them a bit. It makes me think of the little one inside me growing tiny things like her first fingernails and toenails too.

{funny}

BigBoy said that his Easter Lamb looked like a poodle this year. Yeah. Not quite sure what I was thinking when I drew this.

{real}

On Good Friday, we were blessed to be able to finally set this marker in place. The reality of it is starting to sink in. Just thinking of how many years the desire to find this resting place stirred in my heart moves me to tears. Perhaps it's the sentimentality of pregnancy. But it's no longer a desire, it's real. Again, I want to thank all of you who prayed with me that we would find her, especially those who set their family saints to the task of assisting me.

Please pray...

For those devastated by storms in the south yesterday. We've heard from Husband's family in Birmingham that they are safe along with the Sister Servants, but there are so many who were not as fortunate.

Also, for the rescue personnel as they make their way to those who need them most.

Easter Symbols Booklet

 

Using some images I found online and Jessica's quotes, I made this booklet of Easter symbols for my family to go along with the Easter candies I made for them. I printed mine out on white cardstock. I printed pages 1 & 2 front and back and pages 3 & 4 front and back. Page 5 is printed on it's own. Stack them like this:

The cover goes on the bottom with the pictures facing down. The egg page next with the egg picture facing down. The lily page goes next with the lily facing down. I drew a faint line with a pencil down the middle of the peacock page which should be facing up on the top of the stack. 

I hand stitched them with embroidery thread and longer stitches starting at the bottom, moving to the top and then back down again tying the two strings in a knot at the bottom. Don't try folding the paper until after the stitching. It makes it easier to fold.

Although, you can stack them any way you want. I just preferred certain pictures next to each other. You can download your own copy of the booklet from Scribd by clicking here:

Easter Symbols Booklet

A Joyous Eastertide

Our precious lamb figurine holding it's Alleluia candle sits in the middle of what was the crown of thorns now decorated to celebrate Our Lord's triumph over sin and death.

 

The children also woke to find a giant bowl filled with bags of goodies made in the shape of Easter symbols; the egg, cross, lamb, peacock, butterfly, bells, bread of life and the lily.  Jessica inspired me to also make a booklet to go along with the symbols explaining what their connection is with the Feast of the Resurrection. My plan is to let the children enjoy a symbol a day throughout the octave of Easter much like the twelve days of Christmas candies they enjoyed.

 

Here's a peek at most of them. I hadn't made the lilies yet, but those can be found over at Catholic Cuisine.

They were most surprised to find that the Easter Angels had not forgotten our little one, who's new nickname, by the way, is Cupcake! A super sweet friend pointed out what a cute blog name that would be and everyone here agreed. The pysanky eggs that each child found in their basket are wooden and beautifully painted with such intricate details. The stuffed peacock is just adorable and is being well protected by BigBoy until Cupcake arrives. He's even using the baby names book to find a name for it.

For those looking for ideas to celebrate the full fifty days of the Easter Season, I can point you in two directions:

Garden of the Good Shepherd: From Dawn's fingers...

Good Shepherd Garden Parties

Happy Eastertide!

He is Risen!

  A Blessed Easter to you and your family!

 

Among the tombs and stones...

Changing his heart, he said in strong rebuke:

"Nay, thou and I have well deserved to die,

Not so this Man, no evil hath He done."

Then turning to the silent Sufferer

Beside him, humbly prayed: "When Thou shalt come

Unto Thy Kingdom, Lord, remember me."

No more than this! Ah, Dismas little knew

The height and depth and breadth of that great Heart

To which he thus appealed... from A Legend of St. Dismas by A. H.

Sparkling new stone with such old dates... a cemetery anomaly said the caretakers.

This marker is 80 years past due... our story of finding Vivian's gravesite can be read here and here.

 A Good Friday spent among tombs and stones, honoring the memory of an innocent one hammers into the heart the hope of the Resurrection to come. Thank you to all who prayed for us to find this lost little one.

Jesus Meets His Mother

From the archives 2007...

... According to Father, this visiting priest spoke about the fourth station, Jesus Meets His Mother, with such tenderness and insight. I think, just about every mother would say that this station is the one they feel the most. It is the one point in the movie, The Passion, that is sure to have me bawling just knowing it is coming up. It is the station that brought about the "reversion" of a dear friend of mine who was struggling with the Church's teaching on Mary. Why do we love her so much? As she discovered on the island of Capri one Holy Week... because He loved her so much!

But this priest asked a question that I had never heard before, maybe you have... what was Mary thinking when she met Jesus? As a mom, we can imagine some of the pain she was going through. We know for a fact it was as though a sword was piercing her own heart. But what was she thinking? Father posited an answer.


She said a prayer. Please, help Him.


She said this quiet prayer. And it was answered. How do we know? Because the next station is Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross. Can't you just hear Mary begging God for this? Please help Him! She knew who He was and what He had to do, but she was still His mother and He was her son. Please, help Him!

And then the next station, Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus. As a mom, it can be heart breaking to see your child's face altered due to a simple accident, even a childhood mishap that will naturally be corrected over time. This was her son's precious face, all covered with blood and sweat and dirt. Can't you hear the Blessed Mother crying inside... Let me see His beautiful face again!

This was the first time I had ever heard this interpretation and while I know that we can't know for sure, it really made sense to me. I have always been perplexed by the fifth station. Why did he need help? Who was Simon of Cyrene? Why was he chosen and what are we supposed to learn from this station? Yes, I've read the different interpretations and I think there are many scholarly people with plenty to say about the significance and importance of this station and the next, but I still. didn't. get it.

And St. Veronica? How did she make it through the crowds? Why would the guards have allowed this kindness after they had already inflicted so much pain? Were they distracted? Why?

This answer makes sense. All questions fade away.  

Please, help him.

God couldn't refuse the prayer of the Blessed Mother. He knows the tortures of a mother's heart and he hears her prayers.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

JPII roses bursting forth all over the bush

{happy}

Curtains in our living room replacing ugly, dirty blinds makes me very happy. See Barbara's post here and here.

{funny}

I love this "tapestry" that hangs over our fireplace. It used to be a pillow, but I decided to unstuff it and hang it up because the colors and the cute animal faces just tickle me. It makes me laugh to think of it displayed in such a formal setting with spotlights like some great piece of art in our home. I'm sure it's not what the designers of this house ever imagined!

{real}

Studying xylem and phloem ~ a standard for every homeschooling family!

Preparing

So much to do, so little time. Plans hampered even further by feverish child lying limp on the couch. No errands. No quick trips. Just still. This is the Holy Week God has planned for us. Yours might be different. For those feeling up to it, here is a glimpse into our celebrations of the past with lots of opportunity for togetherness. 

All inspiration comes from the Divine Inspirer. Thanks be to Him for the gift of sharing.

~ Triduum ~

Clothespin Apostles 2009

A Happy and Holy Thursday 2007

Holy Week Traditions 2008

Holy Thursday Menu Traditions 2009  

Good Friday 2008

Good Friday Reflections 2007

While PAAS certainly has it's place in our house, natural dyed eggs are our favorite. I think we might have exhausted just about every known vegetable and every known pun. You can choose your favorites to try if you'd like:

 Veggie Eggs-travaganza 2010

Eggs. Naturally! and Final Thoughts on Eggs 2009

Eggsellent Creativitea 2008

Egg-cellent Fun! 2007

Don't for the entire Easter Season, don't forget the Good Shepherd Garden Parties Jessica and I put together last year. Jessica has kindly provided some updated plans at all the old links. You can still order a calendar via Amazon (whoops, those are gone now), Aquinas and More or LTP (fyi: they used to charge a lot for shipping). If you can't get a hold of one, you can use the printables I made last year.

A blessed Holy Week to you all!

Gloria, laus et honor!

Christ's Entry into Jerusalem by Jean-Hippolyte Flandin (1842)

As the Lord entered the holy city, the children of the Hebrews proclaimed the resurrection of life. They carried olive branches and exclaimed: Hosanna in the highest.

Floored

My attempt at being witty although I am seriously in shock over how an actual floor can make one feel so civilized again! We had been living on concrete for the past year because the carpet that was in here was even worse than the cement! Now, it's like a distant dream. We chose a lighter color for our bedroom hoping to complement the color scheme we established in the bathroom remodel. The color of the floor is called "Oyster" and it really did look like the color of an oyster shell. Most of our furniture is dark but the walls, as you have seen are shades of cream and beige. I was shocked when I saw how the light in the room and the color on the walls changed the floor and brought out more of the previously unnoticed browns. It was a delightful surprise because at the last minute, I second guessed our decision thinking that a grey floor would feel too cold. 

Anyway, I needn't have worried. I love it. Husband loves it. The kids loved sock skating on it last night. The dog isn't really sure. She doesn't like the clicking sound it makes under her toenails. (She can just get used it.)

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

John Paul II roses sitting pretty in a teapot

{happy}

The painted stripes on my bedroom walls. We talked about painting over them before doing the floor and decided that we liked them still so a touch up was all they needed. I was most happy not to have to paint the whole room. One wall is a solid color and we painted that wall plus the vaulted sections which was enough!

{funny}

A silly girl drawing in the dust on the inside of our dresser.

{real}

The state of my bedroom since Monday when we thought the installers were going to show up. Actually, we only took the drawers out of the dresser and the bedding off this morning since the installers were finally on their way, hence the dust that got drawn in instead of being wiped up. On the plus side, this is the least cluttered my room's been in a long time! It's now Thursday and the flooring is finally being installed!

Visit Auntie Leila's place for more pictures of contentment!