First Holy Communion

On May, 2, 2010, my youngest and last child made his First Holy Communion.  What a very blessed day.  He was so excited to finally get to go to communion and get to partake in the body of Christ rather than just get his blessing.  He told me "Finally all the Marks get to do this!"  He was very proud.  He dressed in the same suit and tie that his brother wore.  He was so handsome and looked so yummy.  He had his whole family there and that meant everything to him and to me.  To watch these children learn about the Eucharist and become close to Jesus is amazing.  They say "Children are like sponges, they absorb everything you teach them".  This to has been absorbed.  They now realize the importance of the Eucharist and the bond that it gives us with our Lord.  They now understand the importance of kneeling before the tabernacle and acknowledging our Lord is there.  This is one of my favorite sacraments.  It is one of the most special times in our life as Catholic Christians.  I am very honored and blessed to have received and watched all three of my children acknowledge and receive Christ.

The Holy Father speaks to Children:

Your First Holy Communion

Pope John Paul II speaks directly to children about the solemn importance of First Holy Communion in this excerpt from his "Letter to Children" written in 1994 during the "Year of the Family".

Dear friends, There is no doubt that an unforgettable meeting with Jesus is First Holy Communion, a day to be remembered as one of life's most beautiful.
The Eucharist, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper on the night before His passion, is a sacrament of the New Covenant -- the greatest of the sacraments. In this sacrament, the Lord becomes food for the soul under the appearances of bread and wine.
Children receive this sacrament solemnly a first time -- in First Holy Communion -- and are encouraged to receive it afterward as often as possible in order to remain in close friendship with Jesus.
To be able to receive Holy Communion, as you know, it is necessary to have received baptism: this is the first of the sacraments and the one most necessary for salvation. Baptism is a great event! In the Church's first centuries, when baptism was received mostly by grownups, the ceremony ended with receiving the Eucharist, and was as solemn as first Holy Communion is today. Later on, when baptism began to be given mainly to newborn babies -- and this is the case of many of you, dear children, so that in fact you do not remember the day of your baptism -- the more solemn celebration was transferred to the moment of First Holy Communion.
Every boy and every girl belonging to a Catholic family knows all about this custom: First Holy Communion is a great family celebration. On that day, together with the one who is making his or her First Holy Communion, the parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, godparents, and sometimes also the instructors and teachers, generally receive the Eucharist.
The day of First Holy Communion is also a great day of celebration in the parish. I remember as though it were yesterday when, together with the other boys and girls of my own age, I received the Eucharist for the first time in the parish church of my town. This event is usually commemorated in a family photo, so that it will not be forgotten. Photos like these generally remain with a person all through his or her life. As time goes by, people take out these pictures and experience once more the emotions of those moments; they return to the purity and joy experienced in that meeting with Jesus, the one who out of love became the Redeemer of Man.
For how many children in the history of the Church has the Eucharist been a source of spiritual strength, sometimes even heroic strength! How can we fail to be reminded, for example, of holy boys and girls who lived in the first centuries and are still known and venerated throughout the Church? Saint Agnes, who lived in Rome; Saint Agatha, who was martyred in Sicily; Saint Tarcisius, a boy who is rightly called the "martyr of the Eucharist" because he preferred to die rather than give up Jesus, whom he was carrying under the appearance of bread.

John Paul II

PASSION

Passion....Do you have it or don't you?  I feel that everyone has it to some degree about something or someone.  What exactly is it?
PASSION /ˈpæʃən/ [pash-uhn] –noun
1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.
2. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor.
I have passion about many things such as crafts, family and friends.  I even have passion about places, such as the beach and my newest passion for a place would be Disney World.  But I have discovered recently when I started focusing more on me and my husband and children, that I hold an extremely passionate place for them.  I have spent so much time over the past several years focused on other things and worrying about other people that I lost that passion I have for my family.  I have taken the time to re-prioritize my thoughts and actions.  I have found my way back to the passion for my family that I once had.  Days I have spent wrapped up in drama that is out of my control, I will never get back.  From the point I realized this to now and here after, my focus remains my little family.  I feel I have neglected the ones that need me most.  I can no longer worry about what I can not control.  Worry is Satan's work.  I have one to many times been caught up in worry.  When I worry, I tend to let it consume me and everything around me is affected. 
I have a wonderful husband and three absolutely beautiful children.  They are gifts that are on loan to me and I need to take special care of them.  I want no regrets.  I do not want to ever look back and regret.  I do not want to ever look back and wish I had done or said, this or that.
These three sets of eyes that look at me with such innocence and such love.  It is an unconditional love.  It is the love they deserve to get in return.  The feel of there little hands around my neck gives me such a feeling of completeness.  They are what I desire.  They are what I am passionate about.
My passion is being the best wife and mother I can be!
"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:"

Proverbs 31:28

Life

We pray to give thanks for the things we have around us and we pray to give thanks for answered prayers.  Sometimes we pray for things we want or need and then pray to give thanks when those things have been received.  Have you ever stopped and prayed and given thanks for the things that happen in our everyday life.  Such as the scrapped knee your child got that day, or the high grocery bill you paid at the store that day or even the argument you had with your spouse that morning.  Every night when I lay my head down I give thanks for the day and all the blessings this day held and then I take a moment to give thanks for the things that I would not have placed in my day had I been in total control.  I give thanks for the argument because of the apology and the closeness and love you feel when everything is okay.  I give thanks for the scrapped knees and tears of my children because without those I may not have been able to hold them for that 10 minutes that they would have been doing other things.  I give thanks for the high grocery bill because at least I can pay it, there are those who starve everyday because they can't.  Not all things in our lives are things we would pray to receive.  However, when we do receive these things good and bad, happy and sad, we should give thanks.  Through all things we have our lives, our health and our loved ones.  Most important through all things we have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  So when your day is filled with the unwanted things and happenings and you wish the day to be over, take a minute to say thanks because when you close your eyes it could be just that....over.
John 12:25
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Sunday, April 11, 2010 was an absolutly beautiful day.  The sun was out and the weather was warm.  We had nothing planned except for baseball practice that afternoon.  Keith was at work and the kids and I spent the day just "hanging out"!  Keith came home and changed clothes then got Riley ready and off they went to the ballpark.  We made the decision before he left that since the kids did not have school on Monday, we would make this movie and pizza night.  This would consist of everyone in their p.j.'s and sleeping bags out in the den and a great movie to watch together.  After they left I jumped in the shower.  When I got out I heard police sirens that stopped right outside our house, which happens to be the entrance to our neighborhood.  I looked outside and saw one police car, then two, then three and next the fire and rescue trucks from our area and then another police car.  They were all heading in the direction of several homes where my daughters friends live.  We jumped in the car and headed that way.  As we made it to the end of the street, our lives along with everyones in our community, city and state changed forever.  We saw the rescue workers working on someone in a front yard and I told the kids that someone may have had a heart attack or over did their yard work and got over heated.  We stopped and asked some friends of ours what happened.  A 2 year old girl had been hit accidentally by a car in a neighbors driveway.  I told the kids we needed to go home and get out of the way.  It was worse than I thought and we did not need to be there.  We left in front of the ambulance that carried this precious child to the nearest hospital where she was pronounced dead.  Abigail Dahlen was playing outside and wandered into the neighbors driveway.  The 18 year old boy that lived there was in the family car and backed out.  He never saw her.  This poor boy is devestated.  Needless to say the Dahlen family is greiving terribly.
I know it is not for us to question why things happen.  And it is very common for people to say that people die once they have served their purpose here on earth.  However, does that make it any easier?  We were not directly associated with this family.  They lived a block away.  We saw them in the area and attended a backyard vacation bible school with them.  But to say we knew them would not be true.  We only knew of them.  But this tragic accident has hit us as if they were close family friends.  As a mother, I can not imagine the loss this mother feels.  I also can not imagine the feeling of the boys mother to watch her son suffer for something that was totaly out of his control.  Both families are suffering in their own way. 
I told my own children once, that they were not mine to keep.  They were on loan from the Lord.  The bible says "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward, Psalms 127:3-5  .He gave them to me to take care of and when the time comes that he wants them back, they will go and there is nothing I can do.  I am borrowing His precious jewels and I must take very good care of them.  I have to return them the way they came to me, PERFECT!  It is a blessing to be given children and a blessing for them to go back home.  I want nothing more than for my children to lead a healthy, happy life.  Well that is not entirely true, I do want something more. I want for them, one day, to be blessed enough to see our Lord.  I would hate to lose my child as this mother has lost hers, but I would hope I could find comfort in knowing that one day I would see her again.
Another mother who lost a child to soon wrote on her blog recently and I read it.  Her son drown in the family pool.  She said her sons life did not end in that pool that night, it began.  I thought about this for a while and smiled because yes, our lives have not begun, not really.  We are here to earn our life, our eternal life.  So I guess you could say, in the two years Abigail graced this earth she earned her way back home.  If you look at it that way you have to think it is amazing!  As a mother, I pray everyday and ask the Lord to PLEASE bring my babies home safe to me.  It is a selfish prayer but I do pray it.  I pray it for myself not for them.  I am the one that does not want to lose them.  However Jesus said  "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Mathew 19:14.
This will one day be bearable for these families but I do not believe it will be easier.  Life will continue to go on around them and eventually for the sake of their other children, they to will have to go on.  But on the heart of every person that knows them, loves them or has just heard of them, this little angel Abigail has a special place on everyones heart.  She will never be far from everyones hearts and minds.  I will continue to help in any way I can but the one thing i know for sure that I can do, that will help them is pray.

I was tired of the same old thing and really am trying to cook healthier. Try this "POP" Chicken Rub and this Grilled Asparagus recipe. ENJOY!

"POP" Chicken Rub

1Tbs. Ground Mustard
1/2 Tbs. Salt
1/2 Tbs. Chili Powder
1/4 Tbs. Ground Pepper
2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
*Coats about 3 chicken breasts
Directions:
Rinse 3 Boneless Chicken breast and pat dry. Drizzle the olive oil anduse hands to spread around. Spinkle the rub on one side and rub in and then turn over and coat the other side and rub in. Cover and marinate for a couple of hours and then grill.


This chicken has a sweet taste with a spicy pop at the end!! Great with a ranch dip or on a garden salad with ranch dressing.

Grilled Asparagus

1 bunch fresh asparagus
1Tbs. Olive Oil
kosher salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar *I used a Balsamic Vinegar infused with Pomegranit


Directions:
Wash asparagus and pat dry. Drizzle and toss in the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper to taste and then toss. Grill on both sides about 2 minutes each (4 minutes total) or until soft/crisp. Remove from grill and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and toss. Serve immediatly!

Disney!

Do you believe in dreams.  I do!  Disney was a dream that came true.  Walking down Main Street USA toward Cinderella's castle didn't seem real. There I was a little girl again staring up at this beautiful castle wondering what was going on in side, which bedroom was Cinderella's.  Would I see any movement inside behind the curtains to show me this was real.  No matter how many times I stood in front of the castle and looked at it, I still became that child in awe of what I saw.  Disney is definatly the most magical place on earth.  The place where all your dreams can come true. 
To watch my children with thier innocent expressions and the excitment in thier eyes is a site that is burned perminatly in my heart.  The week was magical and we can not wait to go again!

Can we go for Chinese.....PUHLEEEZE!

Chinese take out again? How about Chinese eat in? This seemed like a great idea and I knew if I cooked it myself it would be made with freash ingredients and I could put a "little" bit of a healthy spin on things. So the menu is....
Sesame Chicken
Fried Rice
Spring Rolls
Chinese Brocolli
Sounds yummy,huh?
The recipes are as follows:

Sesame Chicken

3 Whole Chicken Breasts


*Marinade=
2  tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon wine or cooking wine
a few drops of sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstartch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vegetable oil


*Sauce for Sesame Chicken
1/2 cup of water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup cornstartch
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 clove of garlic, crushed


*2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (to toast, lay them in an even layer in the bottom of a skillet and turn heat to medium and keep the pan moving and remove when they are lightly browned)




Directions


Cut chicken into pieces and set aside. Mix together the marinade ingredients. Drop the chicken into the marinade and let sit for about 20-30 minutes.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Pour them into a pot and bring it to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while frying the chicken. Deep fry the chicken piece until golden brown ( I use peanut oil). Drain off the oil and pour the sauce over the chicken and then sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.


ENJOY!