February 8, 2009
Today was one of the happiest days of my life. Nothing mind-shattering happened. Nothing over-the-top "remarkable". But nonetheless one very beautiful day for me and my precious family. It was beautiful in many simple ways, including but certainly not limited to, the weather.
We began the morning by celebrating the Eucharist in our dear parish, St. Anthony of Padua in The Woodlands. (Yes, the same place that 10 years ago I actually cried that I did not want to move to!) STAOP has a special place in my heart now...I cannot imagine raising my young family anywhere else.
As if being at Mass wasn’t enough to make me happy, Johanna’s choir sang for the 9:00 am liturgy. The Choristers are very talented for a children’s choir, particularly because of their dedicated director, Mr. Sloper. But the Kloesels are definitely not early morning people. We usually attend the 11:00 service, after which we get to visit with most of our close friends, who also go at 11:00. So usually I despise having to get all the kids up and out the door, dressed for church, "with our hearts and minds ready for Jesus", in time to get seats for the 9:00 am Mass. (And when you have a big family, you need ½ of a long pew, so it’s not like it’s easy to just squeeze in somewhere at the last second).
Well, today, with God’s grace, we made in on time and were in our seats before the procession –rather close to the front, too! That was enough in itself to make it a great day (especially after we pulled a late night at the fun FAMILIA family dance last night!)
Our sweet Johanna sang beautifully. Today, for the first time, she was chosen to be up at the ambo leading one of the songs. It was the recessional, Holy God We Praise Thy Name, a favorite of mine back to when I was her age. I love how Mr. Sloper chooses traditional hymns to go along with some unfamiliar songs –and how he has taught the children several Latin hymns too.
To keep my happy heart dancing, all of our children were reverent the entire Mass. Admittedly, we do work really hard on this, but still, that’s not easy for kids ages 1, 3, 5, and 7...especially when the two older kids immediately in front of us are reading a Star Wars book! I was rightfully very proud of the Kloesel children for not letting this or anything else distract them. And Gordon and I let them know it afterwards!
I might add the kids were also very cute (as always) in their "Sunday best" –especially little Joseph in his tie! That boy can melt my heart, just like his Daddy. I’m sure God is proud of how determined Joseph is to look his best for Mass every weekend.
After church we chatted for a few minutes in the piazza and then went out for our traditional family Sunday lunch. Today we decided on Outback Steak House because we had a $20 gift card that was about to expire (we got it free when we purchased some other gift cards for Christmas presents during a promotion they were running in December). Lunch was a lovely experience...delicious food, well-mannered children, happy-as-usual baby, and excellent service. In fact, the waiter was very friendly (we struck up a conversation and found out he too is an Aggie) and he ended up comp’ing our appetizer, a tasty Bloomin’ Onion. On request, the chef diced the grilled chicken breasts that I ordered for the children, saving me a small but nonetheless significant step. Everyone enjoyed their food, especially me! The pork tenderloin with apricot demi glaze was wonderfully seasoned and tender. Yum!
Since Monday was Johanna’s birthday, the waiter brought out a bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It was big enough for her and all of us to have several bites each. Sharing one large sundae with 6 spoons is such a jolly way to end a family meal! :) (Cecilia was happy to just watch -- but in a few months she should be ready for a spoon too!)
After lunch we decided to stop at Sam’s Club to pick up a few groceries and the printer/copier combo that we’ve been eyeing. Our printer downstairs has been giving me trouble on and off for a few months. A couple of weeks ago as I working on Johanna’s birthday invitations, it finally died for good. Since we often find during homeschooling that it would be helpful to have a copier, we decided to upgrade to a machine that would allow photocopies from a bound source such as a book. What a nice surprise to find a Hewlett Packard model with the features we were seeking for only $47!
As we were walking (skipping?) out of Sam’s, I thought of a dear old lady from church who is now homebound. Mrs. Collins used to be a regular at 11:00 Mass and we became friends years ago. She would delight in seeing the children each Sunday and has watched them grow through the years. We’ve all missed her, so I asked Gordon what he thought about paying her a visit. He reminded me that we needed to pick up the bagels (each Sunday afternoon we take the left-over goods from a local bagel shop to the church food pantry), but suggested we call Mrs. Collins to see if she would be up for visitors in about a half hour.
It turned out our dear friend, Rae Switzer, was already there visiting. Fortunately Mrs. Collins has a more-the-merrier attitude, so she encouraged us to come as well. We drove a few miles north to Conroe for a visit that felt like a little taste of heaven. I always am inspired and feel closer to Jesus whenever I get to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Collins, as well as Rae. What a treat to see them at the same time! Mrs. Collins writes poetry, so for a get-well "gift" the children each recited a Robert Louis Stevenson poem and together the kids sang a few songs. She seemed to enjoy the entertainment very much!
On our pleasant drive home we discussed how it had been a lovely day –indeed a very fun weekend. Everyone agreed we now should devote some time and energy to straightening the house. The playroom in particular needed some attention in order for us to have a bright start to our homeschooling week tomorrow morning. With very little prompting, everyone pitched in to put things in place and tidy up the rest of the house. Sweet little Cecilia nursed and then played in the living room. This child is such an easy baby!
Since we had a big lunch (and as a treat for the kids’ willingness to clean) we had a fun "snack" for supper. Sam’s Club sells these packages of hearts of celery that are always crisp and a deeper green than most celery; it's the best! After Gordon washed the celery, the kids decoratively filled the stalks with Cheez Whiz. Seems silly, but we all love this special treat! (And I am thrilled they get excited about eating celery.) For dessert we had some of the fresh pineapple spears that we also picked up at Sam’s. Double Yum!!!
Because it was a full weekend (and some late nights last week) we helped the children get ready for bed at 7:30, earlier than what they are used to, but they obliged. I nursed Cecilia in the glider as I said prayers with Joseph and MaryKatherine in the nursery, while Gordon snuggled with the older girls in their room. When the 3 little ones were almost out, I kissed them goodnight and then joined Johanna and GraceAnne down the hall. We cuddled for a short time before I tucked them in with a Sign of the Cross on the forehead. What a pleasant way to end an all-around beautiful day! THIS is a good life! Thank you, God, for all my blessings!!!