JOYfilledfamily BLOG

{phfr} intagrams from august

September 14, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: {phfr}, GFG, Picture Recap Leave a Comment

we have officially entered into this new season that has been lingering before us. it is bittersweet and full of joy. we have much to give thanks for.

i will continue to strive to live in the moment and find Him in those before me—NOW! i will continue to seek to live in the moment so that i am part of the action not merely capturing the memories from behind a camera/phone.

may my mind and heart be the blog that pleases Him. may this physical blog be, only, a tool to help me better live out my vocation and share my JOY.

~~~

let the adventure begin. lil’ man and i accompanied rose on her college move. 6 days — good times for us all.

the final send-off

dialing in our eating. stuffed bell pepper casserole.

captain birthday boy

C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E Birthday celebrations. Papi turned 6 on 8.24 and Sparkles turned 8 on 8.25. Dad and I also celebrated an anniversary on 8.25. DEO GRATIAS!!!

birthday buddies.

this is our planner of preference for this year. each family member (8+) has their own copy.

The three ballers enjoying their last few weeks of basketball before sis/coach leaves for college.

glow swimming into the wee hours of the night

we have the tooth fairy (aka papa) on speed dial

rose had to purge a bit but she managed to pack all her clothes and some books into 4 suitcases

thanks to space bags. we had to purchase everything else once we arrived in tx.

we crafted like mad-women for her college accessories

life of a teething baby

teething baby sleeping through the tears

the perks of having a sis who own’s a sweet shack, boba stop.

sweet baby cuddles

rose’s final send off.

my favorite [pastime, baby watching

we turned the highschool homeschool room/craft room into a guest room, fit for a “king.” we hosted the president of FMC. it was a great blessing to be able to share our home and time.

cleaning in our home is a family affair

if you give a boy a bath…he’ll need bubbles to go with it.

Too precious to put down. Suddenly my to do list just got put aside. I have more important business to tend to

a helping hand from baby bro

breakfast for a king. yes, he ate it all—throughout the entire day.

summer days at auntie’s shop

my view of my lil’ man after a long day out with big sis.

we took rose and a friend on one last field trip before her departure to college.

turns out, they we’re as hungry as they thought.

~~~

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Homeschooling Encouragement & Call to Action

September 8, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Homeschool Meditations, Homeschooling, Sancta Familia Academy 4 Comments

Homeschooling is a catacomb…Homeschooling is among the new deserts for many saintly souls.

Dad and I continue to prepare our hearts and home for a new season of family life and another homeschool year. We turn towards the resources that have been made available from solid shepherds whom are willing to lead and correct.

Our most recent mediation comes by way of Regina Prophetarum.

Sloth: The Vice of Homeschoolers – Regina Prophetarum

~~~

Below is an abbreviated dictation of the audio.

WHAT TO DO {to remain in the cave—to homeschool}:

St. Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians

Make an effort to be quite.All that is of this world will be burned—it will come to an end.

Pursue your own affairs.We must not, out of curiosity, wish to inquire into or learn the deeds of others or that of world. God will let us know what He wants us to know, when the time comes. Form a rule/schedule for your homeschool.

Work with your own hands.Be not idle. Do what we’re supposed to be doing, when we’re supposed to be doing it.

Walk honorably for the sake of outsiders.We should recognize that we are on display for the whole world. What we say and do, is important. How we dress is significant. Our homeschools ought to be, first and foremost, schools of virtue and good character. Walk honorably for the sake of outsiders. You represent something special. Don’t try to be like the world!

Desire nothing from anyone. Be not alarmed that you do not have all the gadgets {books, extracurriculars, technology, etc…} that other people have. Do not long for the luxuries of the world. Do with less and be willing to be behind the Jones and the public schools. Having all those things doesn’t make for a devout life or a close knit family. Many have noted how helpful it is to do with less. To need something and, yet, not be able to get it, that’s not so bad. This keeps us humble and always looking up and always working together to keep us going. Stop the desiring of the ABC’s and work with what you’ve got and God will help you and you will be happy with less and you will produce more!

REMAIN IN THE CAVE!

May we follow His call, detached from government intervention and other temptations of the evil one. May we keep to our place and build the ark.

Let us consecrate our family and homeschool to Our Lady.

Reposted from 9.8.13

Sancta Familia 2013-14

September 6, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Homeschooling 4 Comments

My primary goal of homeschooling is to take my children to a place of refuge where they can fall in love with Jesus, with training and instruction befitting the Lord. Eph 6:4

~~~

I am ready to embark on this new season that I find myself. I trust that He has been preparing me all along. ad Jesum per Mariam.

I will be adopting a more structured approach as I set a new foundation for my littles. I imagine it to be different than Rose’s home education but consentient with our commitment to educate in the natural rhythm of our daily lives, in union with the liturgical calendar, centered around the Holy Mass.

The kids will be following a Catholic, Classical, Charlotte Mason approach. All four kids, from pre-school – grade 4, will be studying the same subjects — Ancient & Classical Times; Animal and Plant.

This year’s curriculum will be provided by Schola Rosa.

The (Schola Rosa) program is organized around a three-year historical cycle and includes materials for pre-k through 12th grades. The beginner level (pre-K to 6th) covers English/Poetry, Religion/Catechism, Science, Art, Music, History, Virtue-Training, Latin/Greek and incorporates the Classically Catholic Memory program. In addition to lesson plans for all subjects, the online suite includes worksheets, group activity/ field trip plans, digital books, audio readings, links to resources, maps, and more.

It has been a complete answer to my prayers, providing me with a solid and complete model, allowing room for me to deviate as desired but providing structure when needed (due to health, move, or other demands of life within a large family). Best of all, it fit within my modest budget and does not require numerous purchases for supporting materials. I give praise and thanksgiving to the good Lord for leading me to this resource that will assist me in furthering His call for my family.

This year’s core will continue to be focused on our Sacramental life. We continue to seek to put Him first in our daily lives and school. We pray for His grace and provision to make this a consistent reality.

In addition to daily Mass, Dad will lead us with the following spiritual maxims:

Angelus
Renewal of Marian Consecration (use Children’s consecration)
Study the Mass – Year II
Daily Rosary (min. 2 Mysteries-10 decades)
Latin Prayers
Daily Readings & Saint Study
Virtue Study
Nightly Examination of Conscience
Bible Study
Breviary
Monthly recollection
Bi-monthly Spiritual read
Begin First Communion prep with the boys
Begin Confirmation prep with the girls

Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.

~ Matthew 6:33

~~~

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Christina, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Bernadette, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Out Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Clare, St. Alexandria, St. Alexandra, Our Lady of Lordes, St. John the Baptist, St. John, St. Paul, St. Matthew, St. George, St. Gennaro, St. Maximilian, St. Lawrence, St. Barbara, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John Chrysostom, St. Valentine of Rome, and St. Guy of Anderlecht ~ Orate pro nobis.

~~~

*This year’s school picture includes Rose, our alumna and big sis. She is now 18 and away at a beautiful college, Fisher More College. She remains and integral part of our hearts and homeschooling efforts.

Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi

“as we pray, so we believe, so we live”

Parish Hoedown

August 31, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Family Night, Parish, St. Stephen the First Martyr 2 Comments

We ended the summer with a splendid family event at our parish. The SS annual pig roast and square dance was a glorious way to end the summer and have Rose say farewell to her parish community.

You can’t take the girls out of the dance tent. The “hoedown” is one of their highlights of each year.

The boys saved their first dance for the last dance.

They danced the night away, 10 PM to be exact.

{phfr} intagrams from july

August 24, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: {phfr}, Family Night, Picture Recap, Summer 1 Comment

summer happenings as life seems to be slipping away. a new season awaits. God’s grace sustains me and His love compels me to persevere.

1. baby g3 turned 4 months. 2. ~~dragonfly~~ private d was dozing off while on duty. 3. Beauty sleep while waiting for mama to finish getting ready so I could feed him. He is, by far, my easiest baby. God is good!!! I know He gives us only what we can handle. I tease that He knew I couldn’t handle much. Thank you Jesus for all my sweet children.

summer shenanigans.

we were blessed to have a dedicated shepherd travel hours to bring us JESUS while camping.

camping in lake tahoe with four other moms and a total of 30+ kids…BLESSING!

trial camping cooking, boiled baggie omelet – delish!

clean eating.

1. baby g spent many days sleeping in the red wagon while commuting from pool to home. 2. first trip to ikea for baby and girls. the girls are officially interior designers.

my city kids, wannabe country kids, climbing any tree within sight.

baby g sleeps anywhere, plays with everyone, and loves the water. he went for his first this summer.

happy, happy boy. loves to talk to mama.

sparkler fun. this is the only way that papi will hold a sparkler. i love that he is a calculated risk taker.

the easy life.

i love my stars and stripes.

the boy’s favorite pastime, skipping rocks like dad.

baby’s first fourth of july.

my early bird. baby g sleeps through the night. dad and i love when he wakes up early to cuddle and play. it reminds us of the early years with only one or two little ones.

1. the month started with an indoor campout. 2. sweetie is the designated “yaya” for baby g. 3. dragonfly greets baby g every morning, with a book or special toy for play time.

~~~

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Summer Camping

July 20, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: GFG, Summer, Vacation 3 Comments

Five moms and thirty kids ventured into the woods for four days – blessed adventure!

RMGS Retreat ~ Bright as the Morning Star

July 10, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Retreat, RMGS, RMGS 2012-13 1 Comment

We ended the year on June 19 with the summer retreat. It was also my last activity as leader. I made the very tough decision to step away from all commitments so that I could take the year to regroup as a family. It’s a new season in my family and I want to be certain that we re-establish a firm foundation.

Bright as the Morning Star

Here are some pics from the glorious day. I hope to add some details in the not so distance future.

DEO GRATIAS!

{phfr} intagrams from june

June 27, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: {phfr}, Instagram, Picture Recap 3 Comments

1. homeschooling at its finest. 2. my early reader 3. tummy time. 4. rose’s comp looking pretty in pink. 5. dragonfly ~~trying to hold~~ manhandling lil’ man 6. fun with father while the girls and I set up for the retreat

1. playing with his bed buddies (the doggies on his bedding). 2. sleeping for big sis, rose. 3. girlfriends garden. planted by sparkles and her friend. 4. his infamous eyebrow raise.

1. my lil’ man at 3 months. 2. retreat project made it to our craft tuesdays. summer bucket list (sbl). 3. shave ice in the rain. sbl. 4. swimming in the rain. sbl. 5. the kids had popsicles*pool*pancakes, in that order, all by 7:30am. sbl. 6. dad started a water war within minutes of his arrival from his week stay at camp sacred heart. sbl.

1. roasting hotdogs indoors. sbl. 2. drive-in movie. 3. papi’s theology lesson. 4. retreat sign for Rosa Mystica Girls’ Society.

1. neon flowers for retreat centerpieces. 2. the littles tested out my color blasts for the retreat. 3. color blast. 4. rose’s birthday cupcakes 5. bowling party. 6. party swag.

1. i’m happy to say that rose received her first phone at 18 years of age. 2. the only two boys invited to the party. 3. sibling love on graduation day. 4. on her way to graduation.

1. papi’s opted for a healthy snack at the street faire. 2. papi’s fav time of day. 3. lil’ man’s second alias is happy boy.

1. due for another hair donation.

1. traditional devotion.

1. Hawaiian shave ice.

~~~

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Double Digits

June 22, 2013 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Birthday, Sparkles 2 Comments

May God who loves you and fills your life with joy, be with you always.

~~~

Sparkles turned 10 on May 18. We were away on pilgrimage so her party had to wait.

We offer the kids a birthday party with friends, every other year. This is what works for us. It also helps our kids keep things in perspective.

This was Sparkles year for a friend birthday party. We planned her party within a week. She settled on a bowling party that was nearby her friends.

Everyone chipped in to make her party a success! Rose, Dad, and I pulled an all-nighter to complete the finishing touches. We shipped the boys to Papa & Nana’s since they were sick.

Dad and Lil’ Man were the only boys present.

Six of her eleven invited friends were able to attend.

Sweetie was a guest and Rose was the party helper.

The girls bowled, participated in contests, had pizza and cake, enjoyed presents, and wrapped it up with a few arcade games. We pretty much had the whole bowling place to ourselves. It was a blessed celebration!

~~~

Loving God, you created all the people of the world and you know each of us by name. We thank you for Sparkles, who today celebrates her birthday. Bless her with your love and friendship that she may grow in wisdom, knowledge, and grace. May she love her family always and be faithful to her friends.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.