What am I into today?
I finally decided what to do for Mark for his birthday! We're building a firepit!!! I found very nice clear instructions here. I saw it at Lowe's the other day and I thought it looks great! It's a project I know I CAN do by myself, but I was unsure of where to put it in the backyard. I had come up with 2 ideas but couldn't decide on one. So I ended up telling Mark. Lo and behold he had a totally different place for it! Eek! Good thing I talked to him about it! It's a project that I have over 75% of the money saved up for so I'm not spending a lot of extra money out of pocket for it. We decided together that the barbecue will be a combo Mother's Day/Father's Day present to one another since we both use it. And because we can save up a little more money to get a nicer one too. So, after Mass, we go get the materials and build the firepit together!
What else? We have Church today. How many of you make going to Church a priority in your life? We really enjoy going to Church as a family. I know many families with young children who say, "But my child acts up." or "We're too tired." or even "I'll start taking my child when he's 5." I feel that it's VERY important to take your children from the time they are itty bitty babies! Austin was 4 days old, Audrey was 3 days old and Cody was 3 days old when we went to Church with them. DAYS people.. not weeks, months or years... DAYS. Going to Church once a week is just routine for us. We don't miss Mass if at all possible. We go to Mass on vacations even! We love visiting new parishes on vacation and seeing the churches. We've even found parishes around here that meet our needs on Holy Days of obligation when Mark is working or what not. We even go to Mass when we're in Yosemite. If you are not on the bus, or driving your car out of the campground by 9:30. You're late. Period. If you are driving, you have to get to the Yosemite Village parking lot, then get everyone out and walking over to the visitor center, then go through or around the back side, to the auditorium, and then into Our Lady of the Snows. It's in the auditorium. But it's still Mass and it's still important. God didn't take a week off for us, so we don't take a week of of Him. And I'm not just talking my immediate family here.... there's usually at least 20-30 of us who go to Mass on vacation together. We all go on vacation together and we all go to Mass together too.
As for our parish, it's a community. My kids know Father Ike and give him 5 all the time. They enjoy him, and he enjoys them. Father Ike came to our parish when Audrey was about 6 months old. I walked into the sacristy to greet him and sign up for Eucharist Ministry that day. He put his hands out and I handed him Audrey. (For reference... when a priest wants to hold the baby... you HAND HIM THE BABY. It's an unwritten rule... but one I teach by example.) Cody was 3 days old when Father Ike held him! Father Ike has encouraged us to start Little Church. That's where once a month we take the kids ages 5-10 out of church and up to a room in the Faith Formation Center. We then bring the readings down to their level using a children's lectionary, and then we give a homily. There are a few other things we do, and then we bring them back to the main church. While the congregation is singing the Holy Holy, we lead the kids up onto the altar with Father Ike. They stay up there with him during the consecration and he makes it a point to SHOW them what's happening. Then during the sign of peace, we lead them all back down and to their parents. We only have 6 adults in our Little Church ministry right now, and we need more. You would think in a parish of over 5,000 people, we could find a few more... but we'll get there. We want to add more Sundays, and break up the age groups... and when we get a few more volunteers, we will.
Today is not Little Church Sunday... but you can bet that my kids will still be there in Mass with us. We'll be sitting in the crying room and trying to help teach our children how to sit during Mass. To stand when we stand, and to pray when we pray. They are learning, and by the time Austin is 5, we expect to be able to sit in the main congregation again.
Enjoy your Sunday everyone!
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