I’ve written about trying to be more intentional about building and strengthening our domestic church. One of the ways we try to do that is by paying more attention to the feast days of the Church. It’s a great way to introduce ourselves and our children to knew saints and new traditions. Disclusure: this post … Read more
Gianna’s earliest memory is of her great-grandmother’s funeral. She remembers the day clearly- the mass, the cemetery, the time with family. I have been surprised at what an impression this memory has made on her. Grandma P passed away in March of 2017, and G still speaks of it regularly. She asks a lot of … Read more
Recently I was searching the internet for rosary themed crafts to do with my kids, and while I did find the cutest pipe cleaner rosary project for them, I also found a fabulous mom-friendly craft: the Kitchen Rosary. A kitchen rosary is abacus style rosary, designed to be used when your hands are full or … Read more
Mark has been on the interview trail a lot lately. This week the kids and I tagged along for his trip to Case Western in Cleveland. My cousin, Taylor, is based there for work, and it had been ages since I’ve seen him, so it made for a great opportunity to sneak in a visit. … Read more
One of the most wonderful things about marrying into a big family has been gaining so many siblings. Mark is the exact middle of the seven, with three older sisters and three younger brothers. His youngest brother, John, is a junior in high school. I have always had a special love for John, probably because … Read more
In a corner of our basement, tucked behind the furnace, sits a big, cozy leather chair. It is my favorite piece of furniture in the house, my place of refuge from the chaos and noise, it is the place in the house that I can stop, quiet myself, and listen to the Lord easily. The … Read more
My mother-in-law has a saying that she often likes to quote, “begin with the end in mind.” This applies to a lot of areas in life, but most recently it has been on my mind regarding my children’s faith. If I am beginning with the end in mind, the end here being their salvation, what … Read more
Daddy at Home Days are what we call Mark’s days off around here. Because of his medical student schedule and the monthly rotation changes that go with it, these are not always on weekends or consecutive days. This is one of the reasons why we are planning on homeschooling- it will allow our family to … Read more
I’ve been musing a lot lately on the fall of man. It is shockingly instinctual for us as humans to run and hide when we’ve done something wrong. Our eldest, now almost 4, is a example of it. Gianna has reached the age where she knows that she has done something wrong when she’s chosen … Read more
Last night I found Gianna in the bathroom filling a candle with my skincare products and toothpaste. In a (rarer than I would like) moment of good parenting, I took a beat before speaking and instead of saying a sharp “Gianna Rose!”, I calmly sat down and said it looked like she was working on … Read more