Five minute friday: Visit

Feeling the need to stretch my creative muscles and so I'm joining in this week's five minute friday now hosted by Kate Motaung of heading Home

Visit

start:

   One of the new aspects of my faith which came to me in college was making a 'holy hour' and sitting in peace, in adoration for awhile before my Lord. At beginning I of course worried if I was doing it right but in time and with some encouragement I came to relax and enjoy my weekly visits and the graces of being still and quiet and just visiting

  The different seasons of my life have not always an hour a week to visit in such a dedicated way but I carry the lesson forward of great and lasting good of being still and visiting in such a way as to leave space for me to talk, for him to talk, and for the lovely silence to sometimes comes between friends.

Stop

Please visit heading Home for more five minute friday

Fave Five: Winter Dance Party Edition

This winter's freezing weather has called for the majority of energy burning to be done inside and while the kids are great at coming up with their own games ~ occasionally the time comes to call
Dance Party!
Here are some of our favorites;


1) Mulan and Sophia the First

2) 5 days old

3) Good Morning Starshine

4) All God's Creatures have a place in the choir

5) Shake it off

Now please head over to Call her Happy for more Fave Five

Quick Takes #173 Lent and a case of the sickies

1. TGIF: What a crazy week: School holiday, Snow day, Ash Wednesday, etc
2. Both the big kids were sick this past weekend and then Lisbeth unfortunately kept relapsing all week; fine Monday, lousy Tuesday, managed a school day Wednesday, sick through the night and so stayed home yesterday. Currently at school and has hopefully kicked it to the curb.
3. Lenten plans coming together with using the Blessed is She journal for myself and the Lenten Path of Catholic Icing and Bringing Lent to Life by Kathleen Basi with the kids. 
4. Also planning on doing 40 bags/40 days along with Kelly of Familiar Joy
5. Great posts I've read recently: Mary of Let Love be Sincere on Pope Francis
6. And Jenny of Mama Needs Coffee on NFP
7. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy weekend!!

Please head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's

Why I Love My Husband Vol 10

So in honor of St Valentine's Day and

our host Kaitlin's new little love 

another installment of seeing the grace amidst the crazies

1. Seeing the coats, snowpants and bags pile-up in the new house with no good place to go, he built one ~ with routed edges and everything!!
2. Takes his half and then some of the middle of the night: need a cuddle, need some water, need help finding the bathroom calls.
3. His determination, when escaping the ties and commitments of work, to focus on building a strong foundation with his kids.

Quick Takes #172 of the quickish, linkish fashion

1. Life this week is good; we are all mostly healthy and giving thanks for a warm home, praying for those out in the cold.
2. This week Lisbeth's class celebrated a hundred days of class and part of the celebration was a sort of bucket list. Here's what Lisbeth would like to accomplish before she is hundred: Find a husband, get a job, have kids, shop for food, be happy. Decent List!
3. Largely have my plans for Lent in place, just waiting for my journal from Blessed is She to arrive!!
4. Speaking of Lent; Lisbeth's birthday is in early March and so always falls during Lent. Given that she is hitting the age to understand and truly observe Lent I really appreciate Kendra of Catholic All Year explanation and take on celebrating birthdays in Lent.
5. Both kids had Valentine Parties in their class this week. I think watching your young kid have to write their name twenty or so times is an excellent definition of frustrated cuteness!
6. Downton Abbey!! Are you watching? Are you reading Rachel's summaries!!
7. Have a good weekend and head over to Kelly's for more 7QTs

Quick Takes #171: A couple thoughts and a couple of links

1. Everyone here has been passing a cold around which has made for a tough week but given that so many families have been dealing with flu this winter I feel bad complaining so I'll mention and minimize the grumbling.
2. For some reason my phone and computer aren't speaking so no new pictures but hopefully it will get fixed soon as I'm getting some sweet shoots of Lisbeth and her new 'do.  
3. Really appreciated this article and so, so agree that we are never going to make real inroads in removing barriers to nursing until we acknowledge the two choices are not equivolent.
4. Winter weather shout out to those of digging out for feet and feet of snow. Here we (and by we I mean the under 7 crowd) are dealing with the frustration of ending up just south of the storm time and again.
5. Elisabeth's school Saint Dorothy has made it into the finals of a video competition for the World Meeting of families. Please click over and vote ~ voting ends today.
6. In thanks you get this one off :)
7. Have a great weekend and please don't forget to head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's 

WWRW: February 4th

Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice for another edition of WWRW

The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge: I'm a little over half-way through and after a lot of set-up and background on the main characters (which was in itself lovely and well written) I am hitting the core of the story which is the growing friendship between a cathedral's dean and a local watch/clock maker and how that friendship not only effects them but those closest to them.  I'm currently fighting a cold and truly just want to curl up with this one and read away the hours ~ kids allowing of course.

However if Caitlin had her way we would be reading Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke and I do see her point as it is a lovely, well illustrated story of a young girl and her decision to offer a home to lost creatures, and how much more smoothly that goes when chores get sorted out.

If Liam is getting his wish we are reading  SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod which truly is a great alphabet book filled with comic book style pictures, awesome alliterations and some of the zaniest heroes you will ever meet.

Now please head over to Jessica's for more WWRW.