Sunday, May 26

MY FUNNY CHILDREN

I talked the kids into letting me capture this funny moment of them singing on my iPhone.
This is a peek into our car on the way home from Mass last weekend.  
The kids were singing this for Jeremy and I but didn't want me to video them.....I finally talked them into letting me capture it on my phone....Madison was not super happy to be a part of this video, but agreed to be a part of it if she could look at them crazy and not take part in the singing!!  Madison was a good sport about it! (It's hard to be 13)
They are always making us laugh

Sunday, May 19

NICHOLAS' FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

(My little Man in his new suit)

What a joyful day it was this past Sunday, when my youngest baby boy made his First Holy Communion!!  He was so excited!! He has been asking to make his First Holy Communion for a couple of years now.....His was absolutely giddy with anticipation...and I thank our Lord with all of my heart for our homeschool!  It is in our little classroom that some of the most important conversations happen....the other important conversations happen in the car as we are driving around  town, running here and there.....just living our day to day lives TOGETHER!!!  Our home and school is our little domestic church.  Christ calls us as families to be a domestic church.   These are the days where the roots of my children's faith is formed.....Where their characters and consciences are formed.  Yes, consciences NEED to be formed by parents.....aside from some beautiful innate characteristics that we all possess because we are formed in the Image and Likeness of our Dazzling and Most Divine Creator, we need to form the parts of ourselves that are disordered in our human-ness.  
(My 3 little ones before leaving for Mass)

My children ask me about all kinds of significant questions during our days together.  Questions that would not be asked if we were unable to spend so much time together.  My children notice so many things that move their delicate hearts to question.....and I am SO BLESSED to be there to answer all of them.

So today, Nicholas received our Lord Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in a new and special way....a physical way!  Nicholas will be changed forever.  He feels it and knows that it is the most Significant way to receive our Lord; and that it will aide him always in life.  We need Christ over all things.  Nothing else matters before Him.....nothing else matters after Him!
(Nicholas' favorite dessert in the whole world is a "White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake" From Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery in Southlake...so that was the natural choice for his First Holy Communion cake.....with a mix of "Baby Buntini's for the rest of our guests)

Nicholas was the only one making his First Communion at that beautiful 11:00am High Mass!  Jeremy was honored to serve God, through assisting Monsignor as an acolyte at that important Mass. Before starting his insightful and inspired homily, Msgr Hart talked about how Nicholas was receiving this most important Sacrament in front of the whole church and then everyone clapped for Nicholas.  Nicholas could not believe it and leaned over after the clapping concluded to tell me that, that was the largest number of people to ever clap for him all at once.  It was just so perfectly blessed and special.  He will never forget that day!
(Nicholas with his Godparents....Uncle Chris and Aunt Kelley...my sister)
 (Our family on this truly blessed day....Jeremy just melts my heart when he is dressed to serve our Lord in Holy Mass)
 (Nicholas and his best friend, Joey...Maybe they will serve as holy priests together someday)
(Nicholas and Grandma and Grandpa....my mom and dad)
(All of the family that was there to celebrate with our Nicholas)

Then after Mass, we headed over with family and friends for a celebration lunch at our house, followed by swimming with the some friends and their cousins!
 (Lots of food to enjoy.....I LOVE sandwiches, especially ones made on mini-croissants)
 (Nicholas with my daddy.  My dad has handmade a rosary for everyone in our family...these rosaries are such a special treasure to us. Each one took months to make and was made in prayer by the holy and loving hands of a true saint for sure!)
(Special presents for our First Communicant!!)
(a very special and cool "guy cross" from Joey)
(A gorgeous statue of St. Michael the Archangel from his Godparents and sweet cousins...Kerry and Courtney)
 
(Msgr and Mrs. Hart brought Nicholas a special gift too)

Msgr and Mrs. Hart joined us at our house for lunch and to help us celebrate our sweet Nicholas' special Sacrament.  What a kind gesture it was for Msgr to accept our invitation.  He and Mrs. Hart are so special to our family!
 Nicholas opening our gift to him later that evening...look at how excited he is!  He is such a sweetheart!!
A very special bible that has his name engraved on it!! His first bible that is NOT a kid's version!! One that he can keep forever and always remember that most special day when he received it!! His First Holy Communion

It was a wonderfully blessed day for our entire family!  Nicholas has waited so long for this day and finally it was here!

(John 6:52-58)
Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

(John 6:66-68)
As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”