A Glorious Sunday!

It was decided last night by Mom and Dad that we would fore go our usual attendance at 9:00am mass and make the high mass at 11:00am. It was for selfish reasons (more sleep), but we still were rewarded with an absolutely glorious day! Mass at 11am was beautiful and the kids behaved as close to perfect as we could imagine. We were especially proud of Gus who actively took part in mass, singing and praying. He's growing so much. We did notice that there was no active sign of peace during mass; it was skipped and immediately went to the "Lamb of God" part. The irony is that Mom and Dad both agreed that there was a tremendous amount of peace in the hearts and souls of our family.

After mass we looked for perpetuation of glory and headed to Cracker Barrel for a family Sunday dinner. We ate a great meal and were rewarded with wonderful customer service by our waitress, Alicia. She was very thoughtful, friendly and attentive. When we went to inform the manager of the great service Alicia gave, he told us that Alicia was leaving in five days to return to the Philippines for good. God's timing is amazing. We were able to appreciate her gifts and talents before she left. We pray that her return is safe and that she is able to spread her joy to all the ends of the earth.

When we got back home, we put James down for his nap and headed outside to soak up some sun and get some yard work done. Dad raked the oak leaves that seem to fall heavier and heavier each year. Mom worked really hard in the flower beds. It had been a long time since they had been weeded out and she put forth a tremendous amount of effort. They look new and improved!

While Mom and Dad worked in the yard, the kiddos entertained themselves. Beedle had Jedi on the brain--he dressed up in his Jedi cloak and tunic and sought to rid the back yard of Siths. After all were defeated, his next obsession was creating a solid diaper. Dad asked him, "Beedle, are you wearing a cup?" He said, "No, it's my solid diaper." (It's actually a plastic elbow pad with velcro straps.) He's so creative!Gracie was in an exploratory mood. She became obsessed with bugs. She found a one-legged cricket and had a lot of fun catching and releasing it. She dug for worms and found a tiny one. Gus got his kicks playing Cajun Horseshoes with anyone who would dare challenge him. He's getting better every time he plays. Here's a pic of him playing with Mom.

Later in the afternoon, the kids dressed in their swimsuits and Dad turned on the sprinkler. They ran and ran and ran, and once again, felt the glory of another Glorious Sunday. God, we thank you for this amazing day where, once again, we felt peace and joy and the gift of family!