What I Wore Sunday to Miss Mass

Joining the great ladies of Fine Linen and Purple with fashion documentation in What I Wore Sunday.

You know how this link-up is supposed to show what you wore to Mass? Well, this is what I would have worn to Mass had there been Mass at the Church we drove 45 minutes to get to.

Oh yes, it was one of those mornings.

Because we were in the city yesterday and had a party with the husband's family we missed our regular Mass in our town. We only have one Mass and its a 5 pm vigil Mass on Saturdays. So we planned on attending a 12:30 Sunday morning Mass at a small parish that our priest also serves about 45 minutes away.

I woke up still feeling sick, all the kids are varying degrees of snotty/coughing/miserable/not-pleasant/really tired from a day of playing with a the cousins and getting to bed way too late. But we got everyone dressed up anyway. I threw something on and we left in time to make it on time!

Only to drive into an empty parking lot.

For some reason our weird rural parishes don't have any forms of communication, or websites, social media, or word of mouth. So we were totally out of the know as to there being no Mass at this parish today. But when you put all your eggs in a 12:30 pm Mass, you've no chance of another Mass within two hours of driving. No Sunday Mass for us.

So we took the kids to a park in an abandoned school. It was a pretty great park and they were pumped.  The overgrown playground and ghost town surrounding us gave me the sense of impending zombie attack.

 

From these pictures you can tell it was a cold, wet, summer day.

I think I wear light sweaters more than anything, thanks a lot Canada. These pictures, as usual, leave a lot to be desired. The navy skirt is eyelet and I love that it goes with everything. And the mint green is always easy to wear!

My usual snarky response to critiques from the photographer.

We're now having an indoor "popcorn party" instead of the campfire/smores that we've been promising all weekend. One day it'll be hot right?!

Thanks for putting up with me for 7 days straight. I'm not sure if I've learned anything. I'm fully aware that my blogging would be better if I had more time to write more coherent thoughts. I don't feel as if I don't have anything to say, but I do question whether or not its remotely interesting on a daily basis! I'm also more than aware I have no time to spare these days, so I'm thankful I have you dear readers. And I'm a little amazed I made the whole 7!

Odds and Ends

via

Oh! You thought I missed a day!? Well, its still 10 pm MST so I win, its still Saturday!

We've been gone all day to the big city for a visit with family and oodles of toddlers. And to procure a giant carload of costco. We were out of baby wipes people...baby...wipes...of course I also needed hemp seeds and Brookside chocolate...Grace what are those chicken and cilantro wontons of which you speak??

In honor of all that business I give you just a couple of odds and ends of fun links from this week, enjoy:

-  I'm sure you've all seen this article about Kate's post-baby bump, but I still love the idea of it. Thinking back to the days leading up to her wedding and the extreme scrutiny of her weight and reports she was trying to loose weight for the wedding makes this postpartum fashion statement a little nicer I think. It reflects a more mature attitude towards her body, not one of extreme self-consciousness, but of acceptance, confidence, and embracing motherhood.

- Rosie did a great Five Favourites of good children's music. I'm ordering these from the library soon, and maybe Amazon, a break from Veggie-Tales would be good!

- Someone make me these! They look so delicious...yet I have no time to make such handcrafted goodness.

- I liked this story of a family vineyard providing Pope Francis's wine while he visited Aparecida. I'm glad the Pope gets good wine where ever he goes.

- A here's a good news story that began in my neck of the woods. I think buying 500 people a coffee would feel pretty awesome.

I'm beat. I need bed. Will I make a post for tomorrow??

Seven Quick Takes vol. 52 - World Youth Day edition

Joining Jen and the Great Takers for Seven Quick Takes. And I'm still going-I might make seven days in a row after all!
I have absolutely no idea what to post for tomorrow...it may get crazy up in here.

{one}

I think I'm just going to go ahead and make this seven quick takes talking about World Youth Day. Is it just me or does it feel as if hardly anyone is covering it? Or not many people are writing about it? Maybe its because its in Brazil and most poor Catholic bloggers/writers can't afford to get there. But I wish so much it could be covered in the degree it deserves. That being said, I think no amount of worldly media could possibly cover it adequately because it is such a great working of God within individual hearts, which is of monumental importance yet impossible to describe!

{two}

I don't want to rag on EWTN too much, because they mostly do a pretty decent job considering it seems as if they have one camera in Brazil, BUT if you're looking for a different feed of all the Papal events and a more Canadian/fresh view check out Salt and Light TV. This is the first event I've had Salt and Light TV for, and I'm fairly impressed with their coverage. I've preferred them to EWTN thus far and you can watch online from anywhere - all you people with civilized internet providers - here. 

{three}

I saw this popemobile with Blessed JPII!!

I went to two World Youth Days myself, Rome in 2000 and Toronto in 2002, the last WYD with Blessed John Paul II. Of course the highlight of both experiences was seeing Pope John Paul II. I could cry just thinking about it. I got as close as the popemobile driving far too quickly by, but even seeing him in that situation was remarkable. I was very young, but still, there was no denying that you could physically see Christ in his face. It was simply amazing.

{four}

The crowd at WYD Toronto in 2002.

My largest takeaway from World Youth Days was simply the greatness, the vastness, and the depth of the Church. I'm sure each person who experiences World Youth Day experiences something unique and individual because that's just how God speaks to us, but for me who grew up as the only teenager aside from my siblings in our parish who went to Mass every Sunday, being in a crowd of millions of people my age who cared about the Church and Christ enough to be there blew me away. It made the Church feel real, and relevant. And in turn it made my faith feel real and relevant. Not something just to be sneered at by others, not something that was deadly uncool, not something that had no impact on my life but something that was real to not just me but so many others from so many other parts of the world. It definitely changed my perspective on faith in general and the Church in particular. I finally felt in some degree supported in my faith, not alone, and encouraged that my Church was alive! I'm sure looking back over the course of my lifetime it will remain a great part of what kept me in the faith. 

{five}

Overcome with emotion at WYD Toronto.

I think if more adults could experience World Youth Day there would be a lot less divisions. A lot less criticism of a pope's supposed "liberality" or "conservatism" or "traditionalism" and a much deeper appreciation that our Church and faith is so deep and wide that it holds and encompasses every culture on this planet and that every culture can equally participate in it. 

I've loved watching this World Youth Day in Rio because I believe that the Latin American culture is going to be one that is going to influence the Church more and more on a global scale in the future. I'd love to understand and know more about it and I pray that this World Youth Day further inspires South Americans. And that one day I go to Brazil, my husband has relatives living there...so maybe!

{six}

Oh yeah, nothing like a vigil sleeping on a cardboard box.

I think everyone should go on a World Youth Day if only to understand what it is to really travel. Sure you can backpack across Europe. But try navigating a huge city that's been further inundated with two million extra people all of whom have no idea where they're going! Add on top of that the fact you're travelling with and as a group of who knows how many, and its your basic travelling nightmare! 

I've never been as hot as I was standing in the field outside of Rome in August waiting for the Vigil. And never so cold sleeping in the soaking sleeping bag that night which had been soaked from the water cannons that sprayed us in the afternoon hoping to save lives. We then preceded to miss any and all transportation back to the city after the Sunday Mass and had to walk about 20 kms back to Rome. I thought I was going to die as an Italian that day. I travelled with a group of girls that trip who consisted of girls who alternately wanted to go clubbing and were homesick. At the tender age of 15 I wanted to smack all of them for completely ignoring the beauty and opportunity of being in ROME!! They held me back from numerous cultural and artistic and historic sites...I may still be bitter. 

But its awfully hard to beat that type of learning experience and travel experience. You figure out how wonderful travel is and to never to take even a cot for granted. You learn a lot, and it turns out to be a pilgrimage is so many ways!

{seven}

So far my favourite words from Pope Francis have been his beautiful homily he gave at Aparecida. I love how Pope Francis keeps driving to the whole point of Christianity. He hits home, never minces words, knows how to get to the point. And I think its good, I think we live in a culture, even within the Church, of people who don't know the basics, who don't live the basics. If we focus on the basics then we can make progress right!? 

I love his three points of a Christian attitude: being hopeful, being open to God's surprises, living in joy. Love it!

"Christians cannot be pessimists! They do not look like someone in constant mourning. If we are truly in love with Christ and if we sense how much he loves us, our heart will “light up” with a joy that spreads to everyone around us."

Read it all-its so good!

Happy Weekend everyone!!

{pretty,happy,funny,real}

Squeezing in under the wire to keep the longest streak of my blogging career alive!

Prodigious and the Pioneer Woman I am not!

And joining Like Mother, Like Daughter in an effort to chronicle domestic beauty. Its been a pretty standard week, and I always feel like I've exercised double the gratitude per week when I join in this link-up!

{pretty}





Guys, this is the largest geranium I've ever had! Its also the longest I've ever kept one alive.
I don't know if you know this...but its kinda a big deal! 

I love the leaves of this plant. The strange colour combo is so pretty and interesting. Obviously, the flower colour is one of my favourite colours ever. I'm pretty sure I need to name this plant. It deserves it after surviving me this long.

{happy}

Blueberries. 

I bought five pounds on Monday and was only able to freeze a couple small bags because someone named Luke can eat his body weight in blueberries every day.

{funny}

This is the kids playing "computers" that they developed themselves.

I'm pretty sure Anthony Esolen would have my head. Isn't this exactly the opposite of trying to raise children with imaginations?!? They're effectively playing "cubicle". 

Parenting fail.

{real}

Oh, you didn't know I'm president of the Swaddling club? Oh...I am...I am. 

Seriously though. Swaddling. Is. Awesome. I can't emphasis how strongly I feel about it. I could be a swaddling lobbyist. Ask some of my friends who have recently had babies and they can attest. Swaddling a baby is wonderful. I want to swaddle all my children until at least the age of 16. 

Plus, swaddled babies make my heart simultaneously melt and swell. 

Nora isn't such a big fan. Weird.

Five Favs + What We're Reading Wednesday

I'm a double linker today. Is this cool?

Hallie(Grace) or Jessica - feel free to send bouncers the size of the Pope's Fiat my way if this is no bueno!

1. This kid

Even though she's teething, going through that fun 4 month transition from newborn-who-can-sleep-anywhere to baby-who-doesn't-want-to-nap/only-wants-to-be-held-while-someone-looks-deeply-into-her-eyes, she's still my favourite. Favourite baby of mine under 1 year of age that is! I better qualify.

2. Sweet Revenge

If you're looking for a movie from a million years ago that has a quirky sense of British humour a la Death at a Funeral then Sweet Revenge is right up your alley. Its really worth watching just for Helena Bonham Carter's performance, because it. is. crazy. and hilarious. I really love her. 

Basically this movie is everything my husband hates in a movie...its strange we can be married with such divergent taste...or married when he doesn't like good movies...

3. Whipped Cream

It really is the little things. Seriously, when you're up a million times at night, feeling like you're coming down with a cold, have started to go cold turkey on all your beloved baked goods made of gluten, having some real whipped cream to put in your coffee can start to turn that frown upside-down. Thank goodness I'm good with dairy or I think I might go completely crazy. 

4. Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Ok, so this is what I've been reading the last week or so. I can't say its my favourite book ever, or even my favourite Elin Hilderbrand-Hi Summerland -but there is something about chick-lit that just makes it feel truly like summer. 

In this plot-driven, heavy on the realtionship descriptions version of Elin Hilderbrand's yearly novel, the lives of a family are explored over the course of the wedding weekend of their youngest daughter. Hildebrand uses the voices of various family members to tell the story, and thankfully none of them is the girl getting married. It's a good combination of romance, family drama, and a good story. Decent chick-lit. 

5. Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen

 

I've been slowly reading this gem for the past month or so and I'm about halfway through. Its a really great read and I find myself agreeing with him on every page! Its a beautiful examination at how our modern society is built to inhibit and crush the natural development our children's imaginations. He really emphasizes unsupervised play, independent study, and a fuelling a child's natural curiosity and doesn't go on giant diatribes against public school in particular if that's what you're afraid of. I especially enjoy his emphasis on the creative powers involved in keeping a home. I think this is great handbook on what our goals should be as parents raising children. 

If My Needs Come Last Then I'd Rather Just Eat Potato Chips

You know what I suck at? And really, really, really dislike?? Taking care of my health and eating habits.

Why does it feel like such a chore? Why so torturous? Why does it seem I spend the majority of my time feeding my children yet can't muster up anything for myself until about 2:30 in the afternoon with a scoop of peanut butter?  Why? Whhhyyy I ask you!!??

And I'm not going to blame it on kids-completely! Because I find it so irritating when people claim they can't shower, or put on clothes other than sweat pants because they have kids. I've got 5 of em, and I'll shower whenever I want to dammit! So I do realize this is part my laziness and self discipline problem, and part my own not making this all a bigger priority. But I'm going to whine anyway!

If you're reading this and you don't as of yet have offspring, feel free to roll your eyes.

But really, isn't it a drag having to make your own lunch after making lunch for four picky toddlers, then spending another half hour nursing the baby??

Am I blowing this out of proportion? Don't answer that.

I sometimes feel like its a waste of my precious time. You know those precious moments when no one is asking you for something? Or no one has a diaper that needs to be changed? Or no one needs to be cleaned, kissed, thrown in the corner? These are precious moments!! I don't want to spend them assembling some gluten-free, tasteless pile of mushy protein!

I want to spend those precious moments staring off into space. Or reading a blog. Or reading a book. Or ignoring the growing mound of dirty laundry. In other words if I'm not meeting someone's need I just want a break from all needs-including mine!

The problem is I'm going to have to make some really annoying diet changes in order to try and crack the code to my NFP/crazy body problems. Its going to put an end to my breakfasts of only carbs, and my lunches of only potato chips. I'm not quite that bad...but fairly bad...

I'm also the worst about feeling guilty about making doctors appointments for myself. Yesterday I just had to run into town to go to a quick doctors appointment for a really annoying ailment that's been bothering me for weeks. But I simultaneously felt guilty for having to have my sister watch the kids, and frustrated that a stupid doctors appointment ate up my only child-free moments of the entire day.

I don't know why this feeling comes up especially with doctors appointments. I think its because I view myself as a fairly healthy person who doesn't need to waste my time or public health dollars unless I'm on death's door or need an amputation.

Let's hope I move in the direction of improvement...even slight improvement...

And let's hope that this is the only instalment of complaining for the duration of the epic 7 days of posting!

Sometimes The Sacraments Are All A Mom Has

St. John Vianney by Michael O'Brien

A recent post by Kendra from Catholic All Year got me thinking about how important the Mass is not only to our children and our families, but for us as moms personally.

Kendra's post was heartbreaking in that a parish priest asked her to stop coming to Mass with her child. This breaks my heart for so many reasons. Of course a child of all people should be welcome at Mass at any time no matter what the behaviour! Of course a family should be supported, encouraged, and frankly, lauded for bringing their family to Christ and the Church! And a mom coming to a weekday Mass with her small child I think should be regarded as a minor miracle by any and all priests!

But what especially breaks my heart when I think of a priest discouraging a mom from attending Mass is when I think of all the times that I've gone to Mass and the Sacraments in times where that's all I had. 

In times of spiritual struggle it can be incredibly difficult as a mother, and I would say almost impossible, to get any personal prayer time. And I mean the type of prayer when you need your soul soothed and comforted. Our whole lives are an act of prayer in service of our children as mothers, and I know I've spent many an hour praying "Jesus, I trust in you" over and over as I rocked and rocked a screaming infant. Or tried to pray the rosary while up all night with a sick toddler. Or the many, many times I throw up petitions during the day in moments of frustration for patience and love when I feel I have none. But the real personal prayer that comes from simply spending time in silence waiting for the Lord to speak, or even just touch our heart in the quiet of adoration or personal devotion, are hard to come by as a mom.

There are so many times where I have felt completely spent, exhausted, and frankly, left not knowing what to say to God, but I still went to Mass and just allowed myself to come close to Christ. Physically close. Leaving all my failures, trials, and attempts at virtue on the altar in sacrifice. Many times, when times are tough and my faith feels small the sacraments have been what have held me together. Heart and mind, body and soul, as a mother and a wife. When I don't know what to say to God about His plans for my life, when I don't understand what He's doing, the Mass still makes sense, the Mass and the Eucharist still prop me up. The grace still flows even when I feel incapable of accepting it. There have been times where its the only time all week I've given my heart time for Christ.

I know that many moms don't have a Catholic support group or Catholic mom's to help them or talk to. I know many moms aren't married to a man who shares and understands her faith with whom she can lean when the ardors of faith aren't there but the crying of children never stops. I know many moms don't have a spiritual director who can help guide them through the confusing feelings, hormones, and thoughts that seem to muddle God's reaching out to us. I know many of us don't have the time or ability to get to adoration, pray a rosary alone, or even sit in silence to reach out to our Lord. But in all circumstances the Mass and the sacraments remain the same. Perpetually open to our tired hearts, our failed attempts at love, and our confused and muddled souls. A direct, physical, personal shower of grace that feeds us and sustains us no matter what.

So even when we only hear five minutes of the entire Mass due to trying to help our children from climbing the walls and screaming, even when we don't think we've offered our full attention, we still fully receive Christ. He keeps us going through another week, another day, another moment of being a mom. Even when the Mass is all we have in our prayer lives, it still gives us all we need.


(I've already waxed poetically about how I feel about cry rooms-boo!, and bringing children to Mass-yay!, if you would like to check that out as well! I'm also linking to Jen's crazy idea of blogging everyday for seven days-I have little confidence I can do it!)