Vocation of Motherhood

Visit to Pinewood Castle

Wow! Can I roll one visit into these categories? Art of Blogging, Friends, Fieldtrips, Catholic Living, Homeschooling, Hospitality, etc.??

This week we took a much-planned for trip to Pinewood Castle. This trip has been cancelled in the past, so I was glad to finally make it. What an inspiring time I had (not to mention the kids, too!).

I'm still trying to put into words how I felt after leaving. (Well, actually I felt horrible and just found out that I have strep throat, so I'm still feeling guilt about exposing Tracy's family to strep!). Anyway, being around Tracy really gave me some motivation and incentive to live out my vocation in a fuller and richer context, especially with homeschooling and family life. Their family is so kind to one another, they speak softly and live very purposely.

I think the main blessing I received from my time with Tracy is the awareness of establishing a routine in the day and week. Their family really embraces the "learning as living" concept (with regards to the Alphabet Path, nature walks, weekly Saints study, etc.). I am so excited to get back into a learning routine here. Yesterday I wrote a new scripture on the chalkboard for us all to learn (especially the youngers ones):

Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. -Proverbs 4:20-21 (We seem to have the need to concentrate on listening skills around here lately).

And the nature walk! Wow, I learned so much and so did the kids! I took some amazing pictures. Tracy shared with me how since leaving the big city she and the kids have been forced to concentrate on the smaller (richer?) things... like the wildflowers on a their neighborhood path.

Speaking of building good habits, I need to spend more time developing them with the kids. Today looks like a rainy day, so there's no time like the present! Here are some pictures before I leave:

Eating a delicious lunch... complete with fresh-picked strawberries and blueberries!

Babies having fun!

Our lunch- is this straight out of a magazine or what? She had salads sprinkled with toasted almonds, blueberries, mozzarella cheese and a homemade vinaigrette. We also feasted on bowls of berries and the famous backup sandwich, PB&J!

Kids having fun playing in their beautifully-landscaped backyard!

(Notice the Mary garden in the background?)

I have more pictures from our nature walk, but will post those later.

Thanks again for the visit Tracy, it was heavenly!

Easter Tablescape

I love the term "tablescape." Not sure where I originally heard it but it just sounds like going on a vacation via your dinner table. Anyways, for Easter I get so excited about decorating because I LOVE RABBITS!!!! They're adorable aren't they?

I think I will always have a love for rabbits from childhood. My little brother and I had some pet rabbits that my mom did not enjoy taking care having around. One day we came home and found them GONE. Poof! They had disappeared. She had given them away! From then on I missed those rabbits. I don't ever see us having any rabbits, only because we already have enough to take care of around here. However these little rabbit salt and pepper shakers will do quite nicely:

The best part about this Easter was having some friends over for dinner and dessert. They brought some fabulous food and we had three different desserts; chocolate pies, "Resurrection Cheesecake" and a Coconut Cake from Barefoot Contessa. Easter dinner was heavenly (no pun intended)!

Book Club Night

Why would I agree to host my Catholic Women's book club over a month in advance, knowing full well that I would be a week past my due date at that time?? Because that's just me! Couldn't help it, really. I love to host book club. Friday night we had about half the size of our normal group, what with other commitments going on. I really needed the diversion so I wouldn't continue to drown in my own misery. And reading and discussing Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light I have to admit I felt much better.

During our time together we listened to a "Mary" song by Sara Groves "Breath of Heaven", looked up some church-related questions and even had a read-aloud! We started in on our essential Christmas books (read: tear-jerkers) and Anne B. asked if anyone had ever read, "Christmas Day in the Morning." I jumped up and immediately pulled it out, she read it, and we all cried. What a great time!

The book club has been in existence for almost five (six?) years now? And in that time we have covered a ton of great books. This month we will be reading an older book, but full of wisdom and not everyone has read it: Life-Giving Love : Embracing God's Beautiful Design for Marriage. Should be a great discussion night!

Currier & Ives Dishes are Here!

During Tim's First Communion Party, Grandma and Grandpa McCarthy surprised us with the gift of heirloom Currier & Ives dishes! I've been wanting blue and white dishes FOREVER, so this was such a nice treat! One of the major benefits is that the dinner plates are much smaller than today's oversized dinner "platters." In addition to overeating on larger plates, they are so irritating to try to finagle into the dishwasher. I've loved using the red dinnerware we purchased from Penney's a couple of years ago, but I found that I really wanted something more old-fashioned.

Last summer my sister Jill had a garage sale. While "shopping" I just about fainted when I saw a huge box of C&I dishes for sale. She had started a collection, too and decided to use something else. She sold them to me for pennies, it was more of a gift than a sale. Jill has the gift of giving to others and it's so much fun to be on the receiving end!

The picture above is the dishes from Tim's parents. Here is a listing of the dishes we now have. This list is more for my benefit than anyone else's, as I will need to add some cereal bowls ASAP. My biggest concern now is how to thank Tim's parents for the dishes. A card seems so insignificant!

From Tim's parents:
13 dinner plates
5 dessert bowls
3 cereal bowls
9 bread plates
13 coffee cup saucers
1 pie plate
2 large bread & butter plates
2 milk glass bowls (1 small, 1 medium) (planning on using these for serving pickles, beets, etc.)

From Jill:
1 creamer
1 dessert bowl
1 gravy boat with platter
1 large serving bowl
9 dinner plates
8 coffee cups
2 salad plates
3 bread & butter plates
3 coffee cup saucers

Our favorite part so far is the beautiful images on the dishes. The boys love looking at the horses, sleds, threshing scenes, etc. Just using them makes me appreciate the simplicity of an era that perhaps cannot be replicated now in our age, but can be remembered and still sought after, even today.

Currier & Ives Dishes are Here!

During Tim's First Communion Party, Grandma and Grandpa McCarthy surprised us with the gift of heirloom Currier & Ives dishes! I've been wanting blue and white dishes FOREVER, so this was such a nice treat! One of the major benefits is that the dinner plates are much smaller than today's oversized dinner "platters." In addition to overeating on larger plates, they are so irritating to try to finagle into the dishwasher. I've loved using the red dinnerware we purchased from Penney's a couple of years ago, but I found that I really wanted something more old-fashioned.

Last summer my sister Jill had a garage sale. While "shopping" I just about fainted when I saw a huge box of C&I dishes for sale. She had started a collection, too and decided to use something else. She sold them to me for pennies, it was more of a gift than a sale. Jill has the gift of giving to others and it's so much fun to be on the receiving end!

The picture above is the dishes from Tim's parents. Here is a listing of the dishes we now have. This list is more for my benefit than anyone else's, as I will need to add some cereal bowls ASAP. My biggest concern now is how to thank Tim's parents for the dishes. A card seems so insignificant!

From Tim's parents:
13 dinner plates
5 dessert bowls
3 cereal bowls
9 bread plates
13 coffee cup saucers
1 pie plate
2 large bread & butter plates
2 milk glass bowls (1 small, 1 medium) (planning on using these for serving pickles, beets, etc.)

From Jill:
1 creamer
1 dessert bowl
1 gravy boat with platter
1 large serving bowl
9 dinner plates
8 coffee cups
2 salad plates
3 bread & butter plates
3 coffee cup saucers

Our favorite part so far is the beautiful images on the dishes. The boys love looking at the horses, sleds, threshing scenes, etc. Just using them makes me appreciate the simplicity of an era that perhaps cannot be replicated now in our age, but can be remembered and still sought after, even today.