In my world...: Faith

Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Cort's First Reconciliation - March 24, 2012

On March 24, 2012, Cort was ready for his First Reconciliation. He had practiced in what order he was to say things, what Father would say and basically anything else he could think of. I didn't ask him what he would say - I left that up to him. He asked me what he should do if he forgot to tell Father something. I told him if he honestly forgot, that it was okay - he could tell him next time. But if he purposely didn't tell him something - that was not okay. He said he understood. Cort - being his father's son, volunteered to go first. He was in the Confessional a little over five minutes. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But at eight years old, how much could you really have to confess to? After Confession there was a Mass in which the twelve children were apart of. Cort and the other boys brought up the gifts. After the Mass there was a small celebration that the Church had put together for the Children. We took Cort to dinner afterwards at his favorite restaurant. It was a very special day. We had decided early on to leave Elizabeth with one of our favorite babysitters so that the day was completely about Cort and the importance of the day. In the end, it was a good decision. At the end of the night, as I was putting the kids to bed Cort asked me if he should tell me what he told Father Ayers. I told him no, that he didn't have to. Whatever he said to our Priest was between him, Father Ayers, and God. If he should ever want to confide in me I would be there to listen, and never judge, but he was never required to tell me what he said -

that was the wonderful thing about the tiny little room called a Confessional.

Daddy assisting him with his first "real" tie

Still working on that tie

I am not quite sure what exactly is running through his head at this point. However, he seems
a little .... thoughtful as to what is to come as he prepares for his First Reconciliation.

Part of the goodies that the Church had brought in for the celebration afterwards

Our get together beforehand

The Corporal Works of Mercy Banner the Children had Made

The Twelve Children who received their First Reconciliation, and their Teacher.

More preparation and discussion

Some of the children in the back of the Church. Notice the open door of the Confessional
to the right with the bright light shining through. Father Ayers is waiting inside for the
Children to file in one by one for their First Confession.

Cort being lead into the Confessional for his First Reconciliation.

Cort went inside, the door closed, and I watched, and waited, and waited......

Henry had a different approach to waiting.

The beautiful stained glass window to the left of us.

Forgiven (and a touch of relief, I think) - March 24, 2012

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

"Catch the balloons!"

"Catch Pap-Pap!"

Cort was playing at a friend's house today so Elizabeth and I had a little girl time. We went and had her hair washed, trimmed and blow dried. Then we decided to stop for a cookie and a drink. Afterwards I wanted to stop at a store that I have been procrastinating visiting for months. It is a store that sells mostly Religious items in our area. With Cort's Communion fast approaching there are a few items I am looking for.

As Elizabeth and I left the store she saw three balloons floating up into the sky. Clearly someone had recently lost their balloons. As I put her into the car she said quite matter-of-factly, "It is okay, Pap-Pap will get them. He's in heaven, ya know?" I had to smile. It makes me very happy that sixteen months after my dad's passing the kids still talk of him often. I mentioned the store earlier because as I was browsing around there was a plaque in the store that made me tear up, talking about dads and how perfect they are, about how you can understand God's love a little, when you have a dad like mine. It was just perfect timing for those balloons to go up into the air, and Elizabeth to mention my dad.

Of course this is Elizabeth so naturally that is not the end of the story...

As we pulled out of the parking lot Elizabeth was still watching the balloons go higher and higher. I asked her if she could see Pap-pap reaching for them. She informed me that the balloons would have to go above the clouds for him to get them because he is flying above the clouds. "Oh", I said. Several miles down the road Elizabeth jumps and says "whoa, that scared me." I asked, "What scared you?" She replied "Pap-pap, he is flying next to the car. Now he is behind us. He is being very silly."

And that was how our afternoon of girl time turned out to include Pap-Pap. I certainly didn't mind the company.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas Eve

* Editor's Note - I started this post December 26th but didn't get around to posting it until today, January 5th which is why the dates don't match. I didn't know it did that. Well, as the saying goes - if you didn't know, now you know! Now I know! LOL

HI! So clearly I am behind as I am just getting around to posting the pictures from Christmas and it is already January 5th. I am sorry. I was trying to decide the best way to post everything and I believe I will post everything separately, starting first with Christmas Eve, which is what is below. There aren't many pictures, just some of my favorite. Over the next few days I will try to do the same with Christmas as well as post some new pictures from Cub Scouts, per request of Grandma. :-)

Christmas Eve was pretty quiet around here. For once I was done with all my shopping, although I still had quite a bit of wrapping to do. The kids and I baked chocolate chip cookies and fudge and delivered some to a friend earlier in the day. We got all dressed up and went to Christmas Eve Mass and the Church was so beautifully decorated. I took some pictures before the Mass began but my camera did not do it justice. It was so breathtaking. Cort has been wanting to sit in the balcony at our Church since we began going there. Typically it is not open but for Christmas they have it open and have a hand bell choir up there. We decided to sit up there and we really enjoyed it. The Mass was beautiful and I loved that both of my kids could recite the "Our Father" perfectly and that Elizabeth did it with a lot of ... enthusiasm. At the end, she said AMEN so loudly that some people laughed and if you have been to a Catholic Mass recently you know you don't say Amen at the end of the Our Father, there is more to it but she is so used to saying it at bedtime that that is exactly what she did. I loved it. When we got home the kids opened their gifts. Traditionally in our house, our elf "happy" leaves a present for each child to open on Christmas Eve. Magically Happy relocated while we were at Mass and was sitting under the Christmas tree next to two gifts addressed to the kids when we returned home. Naturally the kids got pajamas and a robe. They were quite excited. They put on their new pajamas and we set up the chocolate chip cookies (Elizabeth said 3) and fudge (2 pieces per Cort) for Santa as well as some milk. The kids left him a note and off to bed they went. Once I was sure they were asleep I enlisted the help of my elf - Henry and we wrapped all the gifts and put them under the tree. So, here's the funny part - after we were done wrapping I decided to straighten the house. Henry went upstairs to play on the computer and I was just going about things. Next thing I know I hear something in the living room. I come in to discover Scott, our beloved 11 year old lab has eaten Santa's three chocolate chip cookies. Thankfully he didn't eat the fudge. Well the next morning when the kids come down and see the plate Cort says "Hey mom, Santa ate all the cookies, but I guess he didn't like your fudge." If only he knew..... Henry and I both laughed at that one. Anyhow that was our Christmas Eve.