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True to the Red*WHITE*BLUE

August 23, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: July 4th

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I’m just getting around to posting my Fourth of July pics. 

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can you believe that we couldn’t find the girls flag-handprint t-shirts?  turns out that we left them at church.

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I think this is dragonfly’s favorite celebration of the year

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the day was enjoyed by the little kids and big kids – glow in the dark silly string

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the cups turned hand protectors were one of the best creations that I’ve made from pinterest

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all the kids enjoyed simple activities

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uma was happy to be with the family but didn’t care for the fireworks.  sparkles and sweetie dressed her up for the celebrations.

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sparkles couldn’t resist the sweet treats

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my crafty aunt joined us with hands filled with her crafty creations

the pics above were taken by my talented sis.  shared with permission, I think.  Winking smile

Fourth of July & Misc

my sis and I tried to keep the menu clean – gluten-free, processed food free, and plenty of yummy meat.  ignore the candy. 

Fourth of July & Misc1

the sparklers weren’t what they used to be.  the kids couldn’t even spell their names in the air.  good thing they didn’t seem to mind.

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more simple fun

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dad taking the kids dog for a walk

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creating patriotic sidewalk art has become sparkles’ 4th of July tradition

~~~

May God Bless the RED*WHITE*BLUE!

Our Lady of Guadalupe ~ Ora pro nobis

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poster made by sparkles for her RMGS retreat

Snack, Meals, and Treats

August 23, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes

basic homemad chicken soup

simple homemade chicken soup – my staple meal these days

Marian GD blueberry muffins

gluten free blueberry muffins – in celebration of the Assumption of BVM

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gifted homemade bread made from unadulterated wheat & homemade jam– this bread was delish and enjoyed by all in a small quantity.  interestingly enough, it did not have any adverse effects on us.

egg salad avocado boats

egg salad avocado boats

late night cravings

my late night craving and dragonfly’s breakfast

At Home Hair Cuts

August 23, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: GFG, New Look

7.21.12

The girls were due for another hair donation.  The deal was that they could get their haircut after swim season.  I find that it’s easier to magically maneuver thick long hair into a swim cap than to expect the swim cap to hold thick short hair.  Anyway, the time had come but I kept putting off the haircuts because the budget was too tight to justify such an expense.

Cutting their hair did not seem to be an option since I have only found one hair dresser who can properly cut our thick hair.  Not wanting to disappoint, I sought an alternative.  I found the CreaClip.  It’s price was slightly under what one hair cut for the girls would cost me.  Dad approved. 

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The CreaClip arrived shortly after I had ordered and it sat on the counter for about a week.  I said to the girls that I had to wait until I had my energy back but I think it was really more a matter of gaining courage to chop their hair on my own.  I watched online tutorials almost everyday to gain confidence. 

Finally, I found enough energy to pop out of bed.  We were all still in our PJs.  Rose helped prep the kids since Dad was away.  I started with Dragonfly.  We all favor his curls so I usually scissor cut his hair.  This wasn’t much of a deviation for him.  He’s a trooper as long as he gets his lollipop.

gio's haircut

Papi was next.  That was a BIG mistake.  He doesn’t have the patience to sit long enough for me to work my way through his massive head of thick hair.  He also has a real aversion to cut hair on his skin.  I’ve yet to find a covering that works for him.  I think I’ll stick to the trimmers when it comes to Papi and be certain to wait for reinforcement to be present.

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By this time I was ready to hop back into bed.  The girls were not having it so I carried on.  Dad arrived home and was surprised that I started without cleaning up myself or the girls and had not taken one pic.  So he did what any blogger’s husband would do, grabbed his cell phone and started snapping away.  (Side note, most of pics these days come from either Dad or Sparkles.  Both are bloggers at heart.)

Sparkles wanted to be first.  I was hesitant since she is very meticulous about her hair.  I had to prep her about perfection on this earth.  She understood were I was going with my talk and consented to move forward with the much anticipated cut.  She opted for an a-line bob.

clare's haircut

Sparkles quickly filled the seat.  She chose to have a slightly longer cut since she had enough to yield the donation without going above the shoulders.  Her style of choice was a long straight bob cut. 

elle's haircut

Both girls were thrilled with their new cuts.  That’s the benefit of making them wait so long for a hair cut, it doesn’t take much to please them.

I was on a roll and found my next guinea pig willing participant, Rose.  I ended up only trimming and layering her hair.  She too, was happy with the results.  I later turned the scissors on myself.  I needed a could cleaning up.  Dad was the overseeing stylist, keeping me in check so that I didn’t get carried away.  (The hair cutting rule applies to me, too.)  I loved being able to trim up my own hair at home without an expense.

Overall the CreaClip did it’s job.  If anything, it provided me with the courage to attempt the girl’s hair cutting at home.  Patience and some skill is still required to get the desired look. 

Better before and after pics are on their way.

Summer Day Trip

August 23, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: GFG, Summer

8.4.12

We ventured out to a local State Park only 30 min from home.

swim, hike, picnic, explore, sand, sunshine, rain, animals, uma, family…

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adventure all day long!

We ended the blessed day with a grand finale, the car breaks went out on the freeway.  Praise God that we were safe and were able to make it to Mass and the Parish Pig Roast the following day.

Growing in Holiness

August 19, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Homeschooling, Meditation

“…your chances to grow in holiness, your chances to conform your will to God’s, to unite your will with His, your chances to live and teach your children love, are about to multiplied.”

~~~

There are many reflections playing in my head and stirring my heart. Many of which center around my current state in life and need for refinement as my family gears up for a “new” school year.  Why Homeschool  is brief audio meditation from Luke 1128 for you to listen to as you embark on a new school year. It’s a short encouraging reminder to fight the good fight, to remain steadfast in peace, and to unite our will with His at all times. DEO GRATIAS!!

May you have a blessed school year that is fully united to His will!
Ad Jesum per Mariam,

~~~

“Remember success in homeschooling is not about reaching a certain goal or end but rather in the doing of it, and that is why it is so difficult – to strive especially when victory seems so far away or impossible. Be at peace and treat each moment as God’s precious gift for you.”

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Hi! I'm Lena, mama of JOYfilledfamily.
We are a traditional Catholic family striving to live for Jesus Christ in everything we do. We pray to completely surrender our will to His and to become His servants. Our mission of this blog is to share our JOY.

This blog serves as a journal of us making good memories, living the liturgical year, and our spiritual journey.

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