Ash Wednesday

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.
Gen. 3:19

The areas to work on for these days of Lent include:

• Voluntary Amendment of Life - curb a poor habit to form a good habit to lead one to a life of virtue and ultimately, a life of heroic virtue
• Acts of Penance - little acts of self-denial
• Works of Charity - little acts of kindness
• Spiritual Reading & Meditation - good spiritual reading and taking some quiet time each day to unite oneself more firmly with God

The Black Horizon

Update: Woops, the wrong copy was uploaded to the Barnes and Nobel site... that is the un-edited copy... there have been 2 more edits since this one... ooops. If you are the *one* (literally) who ordered this book email me and we'll email you the correct copy shortly.  Ooops... 

Eowyn has published one of her books at Barnes and Nobel nook reader HERE. It costs all of 99c to get a copy to which Eowyn received 40c.

I have not yet read this book so I can't even tell you what it's about... so I better get reading it! :D

At this point, she has started writing 43 books and short stories and has finished 14 of them. Her first book was The Golden Birds. She says she gets sick just thinking about that one! Every Sunday she pleases us with a hand written newspaper "Ranger's Bow".

It might be noted that she spends much time bouncing around and around on the trampoline while conjuring up characters and plots.  A careful observer would notice the pace at which she bounces, differences in speed, height and style, indicates the level of hype in the plot or character analysis.

Prayer Request

Please pray for a friend, Julie from IL who just found out she has 2 calcified nodules on her thyroid.  In her words, I quote:
However, ultrasound shows I have two calcified nodules on my thyroid.  I am being referred to an Endocrinologist as there is higher chance of malignancy if calcified.  Please pray hard for me - health, peace for me and my family, wisdom for James and I, quick availability of the doc and good insurance coverage, wisdom for the doc, etc.

You may forward this to as many persons / prayers groups as possible.  I love my life and being a mom to my six beautiful children.  I just ask God to allow me to be a wife and mother.  I am blessed with a wonderful husband, and for that I most grateful.  James' work load is extremely heavy right now and I also ask prayers for him.


Maybe if we all storm the gates of Heaven, God in His Great Mercy, will teach and grow us, but allow me to be healthy for my family.

Showtime! The Elves and the Shoemaker

 We thoroughly enjoyed an excellent performance of the Elves and the Shoemaker!

  In this fanciful & charming re-framing of the traditional story of the shoemaking elves, the central characer is Gunther, an old shoemaker.

War rages across Europe &, somewhere in the midst of that conflict, Gunther has lost his only son. Gunther has also lost his will to work & instead waits for the daily casualty lists, sharing with his friend, the tailor, a growing dread.

 The same war claims the mother of a precocious boy named Peter. Elves grant the wish of the dying mother that Peter will live & be protected & cared for.

 A soldier brings Peter to Gunther, who reluctantly takes him as an apprentice.

 The elves watch over Peter & magically make shoes to the delight of the boy & consternation of Gunther.

 The magical events turn the entire town topsy-turvy & gradually soften the heart of Gunther, who
finds in the boy the son he lost.

 BRAVO!

Afterwards the cast celebrated at Culver's by rearranging the entire dining room.

Happy Birthday Frodo

 Happy 15th birthday, Frodo!  

 Later that week we celebrated Aragorn's mom's birthday with the entire family at Pizza Ranch

 Pippin had dutifully set down his ice cream and ran to get a drink. This was precisely the moment in which Kili saw his chance....

 I guess Pippin noticed! :D

Our GF (gluten free) and FG (full of gluten) cakes to satisfy all family members :D
Happy Birthday Grandma!

Many Thanks to Generous Neighbors

As anyone who has frequented our blog for a while knows, our 6 pigs were murdered (no joke) this fall.  Anyone who has frequented our blog also knows about our wonderful next-door neighbors.  Now, our 1/2-way-round-the-country-block neighbors have ever so generously blessed us with a PIG-in-4-huge-boxes.  The day they came to our door to tell us that the family had decided they wanted to give us a pig was a very touching day. We picked up our meat from a local butcher recently and have had some delicious pork chops, stir fry and as I type a ham is roasting in the oven. It is beautiful be surrounded by such generosity and true loving charity.

January Journeyings

 A Perpetual Adoration chapel has opened about 15 miles from home!  Deo Gratias! If you are local, I highly encourage you to take an hour!  Or share an hour with a friend and alternate.  You won't regret it!

Solemn High Mass for Epiphany

 The Ladies of Divine Mercy (sister group of the Knights of Divine Mercy) has begun. It was a most beautiful evening. Adoration, Confession, Talk, Tea 'n Treats.  It was a most wonderful evening.

 I can assure you I have never seen such exquisite chocolates as these that a friend shared.  The ingredients were absolutely comical but I have since lost the sheet *snap*. One contained pepper and had one of my children hopping out of the room. Sad, that is the extent of my memory without the cheat sheet list.

 Story Time

 Last EEG (God Willing).  Eleanor has been "freed" from any more visits with the seizure doctors YAY!

 1-1/2 year old science experiment.  Your guess is as good as mine but I believe this is wet napkins in a jar.  The theory is (I believe) that this will make a mess.  It worked! It did make a mess.

 Some of the children went on a ski trip and this is the only picture I have since I didn't go.

 He's not heavy, he's my brother.

 She's not heavy, she's lighter than my brother.

 Chunky Monkey

 Frodo with the puppy and a couple fat cats.

 At the Mixing Bowl Bakery, a very talented member of our choir carved an eagle out of a 40 pound block of cheese.

 Eleanor belt testing.

 Great job!  Purple Belt!  She can now officially wear a black uniform.... with a purple belt.

 She's not heavy, she's my sister... and I'm stout.

 My favorite Bakery bakers, out for a little cooling off while making snow angels.

 I'm ready to go outside, I did it all by myself.

 Oooooooooooooh... a fox!

 hauling bales before the snow

 In loving memory of my math "problem" :D

Math was always my *thing* so how could I have 2 who don't have Math as their *thing*?!

 The littles helping to haul wood.

Don't we all wish we were 1 and could enjoy all the simple pleasures of life, like climbing inside barrels and boxes.