No More Blessings . . .

We actually were just talking about this with Bobbins' dad the other day.  Our point is to increase our children's longing for the Eucharist, but decreasing a sense of entitlement is also a factor.  I whole-heartedly agree with these articles about no 'blessings' in the Communion line, namely for kids:

"Help them to see that the liturgy is about worship of God, and not us getting something and feeling good. Then, when they can come forward to receive Holy Communion for the first time, they will truly understand what it means to be special enough to receive Our Lord."

Playset Part 2

Holy Saturday became Playset Saturday as my dad, Zach, Featha, and myself got after it.  We made pretty good progress.  All that's left is to build the rock wall, re-do some of the landscaping, and stain.

       

       

           

       

       

Backyard Chillin'

Last Friday, after naps, we said our Good Friday prayers in the nice shade of the backyard.  The girls especially enjoyed the time.  Later we rode our bikes to the hospital to visit Great Grandpa.

      

Training

#1 Awesome Mom Bobbins took the plunge with JoJo last week and started potty training.  She's coming along steadily.

      

New Playset

For the girls' birthdays this year, Grandpa wanted to build them a playset.  Grandpa has been extremely busy at work so Uncle Zach, Featha, and myself had to get started without him last Sat.  We're going to put it on the south side of the yard, where the pea gravel is (this was the plan back when we landscaped the yard).  I'm hoping to get rid of the gravel, as the kids bedevil me with it, but we'll see if there's enough money.  Here's the spot before we started prepping it.

Grandpa brought down all the lumber during the week.  Uncle Zach and I got up early but lost a lot of time getting the right screws (we had #8s instead of #10s).  I had about one of the frames built when Featha arrived.  With his help, we made great progress.

        

             

        

Uncle Zach returned from the D-backs' spring training game in the early evening, and we set up the base to see how she looks.  It's freakin' tall, almost too much so, approaching the electrical wires from the pole to the house.  The fort part is going to be massive.  Should be a lot of fun for the kids!  MM and JoJo already enjoyed it some before their bedtimes.

       

        

UZ B-day

Last week we celebrated Uncle Zach's b-day with burgers grilled by me and his favorite brownies made by AK.  Uncle Jack and Shellie came down and we had a nice evening.

        

        

2 Things to Check Out

Need to carve out some time for these:

1) a new book by Mary Eberstadt entitled Adam and Eve After the Pill.

2) a new film, titled October Baby, telling the story of an abortion survivor searching for her birth mother.