As I organized and edited photos this spring, I realized just how much I hadn't shared here. I've been slightly addicted to Instagram (and thos stories!), much to my children's dismay. And, I've largely given up posting much on personal Facebook page. It's been such a dreadful place to hang out, as of late. I do wish there was a way I could deactivate my personal page, but keep my blog page. #firstworldproblems I'm at least finding joy on that page! Anyhoodle, back to the post and what I haven't been writing about. Smartypants It appears Will is just that. He was invited to apply, and subsequently selected, to be a part of both National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor … [Read more...]
May We All Dig Deep as Easter Draws Near
Source I stood in my dorm room, willing myself not to chicken out. “Just go,” my best friend urged me. “It’s only lunch. If the blind date is a bust, you’ve only wasted an hour.” She had a point. That blind date in the Corps of Cadets dining hall at Texas A&M turned into the first chapter of a fantastically awesome love story. That handsome, Catholic cadet and I have been married 20 years and God has blessed us with six, sometimes feisty, children. Every Easter season I find myself reflecting upon that untraditional meeting, our courtship and our life together. You see, I grew up as an evangelical Protestant. I’ve been baptized three times—Methodist, Nazarene and Disciples … [Read more...]
Celebrating Catholic Sacraments, Like a Boss
Y'all know me and parties. Like a bee to honey. For many of us, it's sacrament season - baptism, First Communion or confirmation. The trifecta! This year, we're celebrating confirmation (hooray!) and next year will be our fifth First Communion. I do so love inhaling holy oils. Sometimes, the joy of the day gets overshadowed by all the things we worry about. Here, I share my five best tips for loving the day, loving the people there to celebrate and loving your faith. Keep the focus on the Sacrament. Whether you're celebrating your child's baptism, First Communion or confirmation, keep the focus there. On Jesus. It's easy to get lost in the details, find yourself obsessing over the … [Read more...]
Traveling to Italy? Your 411
Call us addicts, but we've been to Italy five times in the last 16 years and I can attest this is a true statement: Italy, a lifetime is not long enough. Some of those trips were two-week stints as chaperones with our high school youth group. Some were work related and some were pure pleasure, just the Mister and I. Each has given us a unique perspective and an undying love for all things Italian. We get asked quite a bit about our best traveling tips, the "must-do" things and all the good places to eat, so I figured why not dish on the blog? Honestly, I can't believe I haven't shared it before now. The Pope Probably our most asked question is, "When and how can I see the … [Read more...]
It’s Late. It’s Lent. Let’s Chat.
It's getting late, so you know what that means. Sassy Kathryn is in the house. First, let's chat Lent. How's it going? Fallen off the wagon yet? I've only bought one thing since Ash Wednesday as part of my "no unnecessary spending" fast and I'm breaking my arm patting myself on the back. Sheez, Kathryn. As I reminded my kids, Lent isn't a checklist. There isn't some checksheet where you put an "X" in the box if you were a good Catholic or a bad one for these 40 days. Thank the good Lord. It's about the transformation. And the sacrifice. I always go in with such high hopes at the beginning, don't you? Then, about a week in, I'm all, "Crap, this is hard." But I'm not giving … [Read more...]
