Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Gummy but yummy!
Returning home from a wonderful Memorial Day at the pool, I decided to stop at the local drug store to pick up a gallon of milk. As an added bonus, I spotted a ginormous bag of gummy worms and decided to purchase those as well.
As I returned to the car, I quickly and evenly distributed them to my motley crew. A few minutes later, protests broke out!
Nick: Guys, check this out! I can swallow a gummy worm and then right after, cough it back up again!
Gus: Nick that is sooo unfair. You get to eat twice as many as we do!
Jack: Totally unfair!!
Henry: More!!More!!
As I returned to the car, I quickly and evenly distributed them to my motley crew. A few minutes later, protests broke out!
Nick: Guys, check this out! I can swallow a gummy worm and then right after, cough it back up again!
Gus: Nick that is sooo unfair. You get to eat twice as many as we do!
Jack: Totally unfair!!
Henry: More!!More!!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A Double Dose
Ahh, sacraments! Don't you just love them?
The most conventional definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, that conveys an inward, spiritual grace through Christ. They are usually administered by a priest to a recipient, and are generally understood to involve visible and invisible parts. The invisible component (manifested inwardly) is understood to be brought about by the action of the Holy Spirit, while the visible (or outward) component involves the use of such things as water, oil, and bread and wine that is blessed or consecrated.
The Catholic Church recognizes seven of these sacraments, and the Clemens family experienced two of them, all in the course of one week. Here are the highlights!
Jack was prepared for his First Holy Communion thanks to the wonderful efforts of his second grade teachers! He knows his prayers, understands the importance of receiving the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior, and half-way enjoyed wearing a suit coat and tie for the whole event. Family friend, Fr. Scott McCue, presided and blessed Jack in front of the congregation. (Fr. Emmauel is in the background.)
The after party included family and friends, including grandma and grandpa Clemens who traveled all the way from Mississippi for the event. Here is Jack celebrating by playing on the family Wii! (Coat and tie was thrown off as soon as he got in the car!)
Rebecca was confirmed in Christ four days later along with 76 other 10th graders from our parish. The decision to become confirmed is solely to be made by the youth. Parents cannot decide for the youth and then "make" their child get confirmed. What I like about this sacrament is that the youth is trusted to make his/her own decision about what they believe and are therefore accountable to God for choices they make during their journey of faith. There is no doubt Rebecca was ready to make this commitment, sure of her steps, Christ walks beside her guiding her newly found path in a whole new journey of adulthood in the Catholic Church.
Rebecca is pictured with her Confirmation Sponsor, Mary Workman. Mary has been a big influence in Rebecca's faith life by reflecting Christ's love in ways too numerous to count. I am happy to say that Mary is like a 'second mom' to Rebecca and a dear friend to me. We are so lucky to have found her!
Here we are with the greatest Bishop on the planet, Michael Burbidge! Of course, Fr. Scott was in attendance as well as my brother and his family, and our faithful grandparents from Mississippi.
The most conventional definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, that conveys an inward, spiritual grace through Christ. They are usually administered by a priest to a recipient, and are generally understood to involve visible and invisible parts. The invisible component (manifested inwardly) is understood to be brought about by the action of the Holy Spirit, while the visible (or outward) component involves the use of such things as water, oil, and bread and wine that is blessed or consecrated.
The Catholic Church recognizes seven of these sacraments, and the Clemens family experienced two of them, all in the course of one week. Here are the highlights!
Jack was prepared for his First Holy Communion thanks to the wonderful efforts of his second grade teachers! He knows his prayers, understands the importance of receiving the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior, and half-way enjoyed wearing a suit coat and tie for the whole event. Family friend, Fr. Scott McCue, presided and blessed Jack in front of the congregation. (Fr. Emmauel is in the background.)
The after party included family and friends, including grandma and grandpa Clemens who traveled all the way from Mississippi for the event. Here is Jack celebrating by playing on the family Wii! (Coat and tie was thrown off as soon as he got in the car!)
Rebecca was confirmed in Christ four days later along with 76 other 10th graders from our parish. The decision to become confirmed is solely to be made by the youth. Parents cannot decide for the youth and then "make" their child get confirmed. What I like about this sacrament is that the youth is trusted to make his/her own decision about what they believe and are therefore accountable to God for choices they make during their journey of faith. There is no doubt Rebecca was ready to make this commitment, sure of her steps, Christ walks beside her guiding her newly found path in a whole new journey of adulthood in the Catholic Church.
Rebecca is pictured with her Confirmation Sponsor, Mary Workman. Mary has been a big influence in Rebecca's faith life by reflecting Christ's love in ways too numerous to count. I am happy to say that Mary is like a 'second mom' to Rebecca and a dear friend to me. We are so lucky to have found her!
Here we are with the greatest Bishop on the planet, Michael Burbidge! Of course, Fr. Scott was in attendance as well as my brother and his family, and our faithful grandparents from Mississippi.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Market Fresh
Oh, the Farmer's Market is a joy this time of year. Basil, lettuce and STRAWBERRIES! Give me more!
Do Re Mi
At a recent choir concert of Rebecca's, the family enjoyed many beautiful choral pieces sung in various languages including German. Jack found that listening to music in another language was odd.
Jack: Mom, I can't understand what they are singing sometimes.
Me: That's because they are singing in German, Jack.
Jack: (confused) So then what's the reason we listen to it?
Jack: Mom, I can't understand what they are singing sometimes.
Me: That's because they are singing in German, Jack.
Jack: (confused) So then what's the reason we listen to it?
Monday, May 12, 2008
The shortest conversation ever in my house.
Her: How do my eyebrows look, I just got them waxed?
Him: Oh. They make you look strict.
Her: (Not talking to him for at least an hour.)
Him: Oh. They make you look strict.
Her: (Not talking to him for at least an hour.)
May I have your attention for a message from the blogger.
I know that it has been awhile since I've regularly posted, but life with five has most definitely gotten the best of me lately. What with a wonderful trip to France, the First Holy Communion of Jack, the Confirmation of Rebecca, concerts, plays, work, youth ministry events and the regular 'ol chaos of everyday, I've had to put the blog on the back burner. But not anymore! I will be posting more often with our wonderful family moments. Meanwhile, please keep me in your prayers as I struggle with my crazy, wonderful and never dull life. (Thanks be to God!)
Seek and Find...
Nick, Jack, Gus and Henry. They are all in this picture.If there ever was the perfect picture that depicts my life with four boys, this one is IT. The problem is that they are drawn to other boys...and lots of them. I was at a local lacrosse game watching some neighbor boys play, when I turned and saw a gaggle of boys...all ages running around the side of the field. In this gaggle, my boys fit right in...doing the things they do. But then there is baby Henry, the future big boy, strolling into what will one day be his life. Right now, he's just walking, watching and learning.
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