ULTIMATE

Our family loves Ultimate.  My husband played intramurals in college and the kids started playing on teams at age eight.  My oldest boys have made it their high school sport playing on Revolution, a high school homeschool team.  The team has placed nationally and won local and state tournaments for consecutive years.  Our oldest son has been selected to try out for the USA team competing in Dublin, Ireland this summer.  We're heading to Atlanta for tryouts!  Here's another site featuring the game played with a disc.

Tiny Chapel

We have been homeschooling for thirteen years now.  We have used a variety of approaches through the years.  The last two years we have been using Catholic Heritage Curricula.  It has provided us with a simple and peaceful plan for schooling.  I love how the Faith is woven throughout the subjects.  Here is a sweet project inspired by our lesson plans. 

Counting Lent - Acts of Love Paper Chain



We made a paper chain to count down the days of Lent.  We look forward to each day's challenge.   

Here's the plan:  Cut 40 2" wide strips of purple paper for each day of Lent.  Since Sundays are not included in the 40 days of Lent, cut eight strips of 2"wide white paper.  One of the white links will have extra embellishment (glitter) to represent Easter Sunday. 

Write or paste a pre-printed act of love to perform on each purple strip. You'll need 40 of those suggestions!  Ideas.....bake cookies for a neighbor, play with a younger sibling, write a letter to Great Grandma, read to the little ones, shut off the computer today...lots of possibilities!  Sundays are celebration days.  Leave them blank and have fun as a family.

Staple or tape the links together:  begin with four purple links because Lent starts on a Wednesday, then one white link, six purple links, then one white link, ending with the Easter Sunday link.  Hang your chain and remove one link each day to count the days of Lent, doing what is written on the strips and thanking God for the oppotunity to grow in love.



Links of Love

Check out all the great ideas for Lent at Catholic Icing!

Ash Wednesday

"Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."

Shrove Tuesday

Menu:  Shrimp Jambalaya with Spicy Sausage & King Cake!

Here's a simple idea for making a king cake.

College Bound

Our son is a senior in high school.  The oldest of eight always leading the way.  We are so proud of him.  He has grown into a wonderful young man and is a joy to have around!  Today he is at Franciscan University for a second look.  He is also making plans to maybe attend this great Catholic college.  Then there is the third option to live at home and attend a local state school.  All good choices.  We are praying that today he will have clarity.

"Let us be concerned for each another..."

Here is Pope Benedict's message for Lent 2012.  He is encouraging us to reflect on charity.  How can we help our brothers and sisters?  He challenges us against selfish disinterest and indifference.  What talents have we been given to share with others?  What service and good works can we act upon during the holy season of Lent?

We are planning on performing one outside work of charity for each week of Lent.  Something that includes little people through teens. 

Activites for Lent

We are making plans for our Lenten journey.  We look forward to our usual traditions such as praying the Stations of the Cross each Friday evening as we walk around the house.  We hang the Stations throughout the house and journey together by candlelight as we take turns reading each Station.  We are in need of a new family friendly Stations of the Cross Book. It seems our old copy has walked away. This could work and this would make it extra special.  This year we plan to sing one verse of this at each Station.

In past years we hung a large brown paper cross on the refrigerator or wall.  Throughout Lent we pasted construction paper pieces to it representing our sacrifices and good deeds to create a colorful mosaic cross for Easter.  This year our plans include paper flowers we create as Lent progresses with the hope of a beautiful garden by Easter Sunday.  I stumbled on Before and After Easter in the clearance bin of a local bookstore which is giving us some new activities to try.  We especially like the purple paper chain for counting down the 40 days of Lent.  Each paper link will have a suggestion for little acts of love - endless possibilities.  I'll get the kiddos to help with this!  I'm guessing they'll each want their own set.

Ideas for Lent

I can't believe Lent is just around the corner.  Christmas seems like yesterday.  I love Lent.  Such a great opportunity to grow and make some changes.  We are always looking for new ideas to inspire us during the (sometimes long) 40 days of Lent.  I was excited to see Lacy's Lenten Link-Up at Catholic Icing.  In the coming days I'll be sharing some of our plans.

I'm also excited because our first copy of the new Catholic Digest arrived today.  I was sad to lose Faith and Family Magazine but I am happy to say it looks great and I can't wait to peruse it!  Thank you Danielle Bean.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Beginning.....

Welcome!  As a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother of a large family I have been blessed to visit a variety of blogs each day that have provided comfort, ideas, and joy through the years.  As I approach my 40th Birthday, I felt inspired to create my own place to collect my memories, thoughts and ideas as my family blooms and grows!