Innocence, Light, Happiness

a perfect moment for taking some afternoon pictures of sweet faces and innocence in pure light

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Celebrating life from the moment of conception today on the Feast of the Annunciation

It's so clear when life begins, and we have God Incarnate, in the Person of Jesus, to show us today that life is very much present from the first moment of conception, Lk. 1: 28-34, and John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We happily celebrated another church feast, a solemnity, today with beautifully-set table by Madge, to a delicious seed cake dessert (made by the girls and Mom) and one fluffy angel food cake, with such a light flavor of vanilla, we made in our bundt pan. Delicous it was when topped with berries. Onion, garlic, spinache--sautted quiche with an almond crust and homemade applesauce. 

As our quiche baked, we prayed our family Rosary and thought a bit more about the meaning of the Joyful Mysteries, especially the Annunciation, while praying for our friends who are carrying precious life, as Pita read our reflections from our Marian Devotions book. 

Our little five treasures enjoyed setting up the scene of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation and the Finding of Our Lord in the Temple with their little figures and the wooden home.

These feasts are so full of goodness in prayer, time together, reading, eating. Jesus knows our humanness and always fills it all up. We enjoyed Precious Life's Books of The Preborn Christ by the amazing authos and illustrators, the Andrews Sisters.

Happy feast day, Daddy. St. Joseph, pray for us!

 The Feast of St. Joseph

"...people are instructed in the truths of 

faith and brought to appreciate the inner 

joys of religion far more effectively by the 
annual celebration of our sacred mysteries 

than by any official pronouncement of 

the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements 
usually reach only a few and the more learned

 among the faithful; feasts reach them all. 

The Church's teaching affects the mind 
primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart and have a 
salutary effect upon man's whole nature."

--Pope Pius XI

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To my sweet husband, happy feast day. Thank you for providing for us. When a warm (or cold, es normal ;) shower cleans us at night, groceries are put in the refrigerator, or we lay our tired bodies into bed at the end of the day, we know how much you do for us, and we are grateful. When we walk into a HOUSE and are covered by a ROOF, we know how much you give, and we are grateful. When we make it back from one end of the earth to the other, we give God thanks for your skills and your protection. We give God thanks for the channel of grace you are to our lives. Thank you for serving. We love you.

OH, ST. JOSEPH, WHOSE PROTECTION IS SO GREAT, SO STRONG, SO PROMPT BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD,

I PLACE IN YOU ALL MY INTERESTS AND DESIRES.

OH, ST. JOSEPH, DO ASSIST ME BY YOUR POWERFUL INTERCESSION, AND OBTAIN FOR ME FROM YOUR DIVINE SON ALL

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD.

SO THAT, HAVING ENGAGED HERE BELOW YOUR HEAVENLY POWER, I MAY OFFER MY THANKSGIVING AND HOMAGE TO

THE MOST LOVING OF FATHERS.

OH, ST. JOSEPH, I NEVER WEARY OF CONTEMPLATING YOU, AND JESUS ASLEEP IN YOUR ARMS;

I DARE NOT APPROACH WHILE HE REPOSES NEAR YOUR HEART.

PRESS HIM IN MY NAME AND KISS HIS FINE HEAD FOR ME AND ASK HIM TO RETURN THE KISS WHEN I DRAW MY DYING BREATH. 

ST. JOSEPH, PATRON OF DEPARTING SOULS - PRAY FOR ME.

Sweet Gifts from You

After all of us getting back from travels a couple of weeks ago to Uruguay, our sweet oldest three went outside in the backyard to tackle the growth that escaped gardening hands while we were away. Madge got busy cutting the whole back lawn; Peachy collected flowers and made her creative arrangements which I placed infront of our Mother Teresa picture in the kitchen; Caleb picked the weeds and gave me an overflowing bowl of his work as he said, "Mom, I picked all the weeds for you.. Pens and Marts, you joined your siblings in happiness, which is always overflowing from you. We love you, sweets. All of their work was so appreciated. We cannot imagine life without you all. You bring so much joy and happiness to our life and you are the lenses through which we are called to see God's bountiful lessons every single day.