Visting Grandparents

The purpose and highlight of our road trip over spring break and Holy Week was to visit my husband's parents in Arizona. It had been five years and four months since our last family visit in 2010. (My husband did take the five little ones a couple years ago, so our youngest could finally meet his grandparents, but we didn't have a vehicle that fit our whole family at the time so I stayed home with the oldest two.) Even though it was a quick trip due to the older children's school and sports schedule, it was such a blessing to finally be able to make the trip again with our whole family and spend some time (though not nearly enough!) with our children's grandparents! 

We arrived in my husband's hometown just in time to meet his parents at the 12:10 daily Mass on Monday of Holy Week. After Mass we all went out for lunch and then headed back to their home. 

The kids always love seeing all the pictures of their dad when he was younger.

The girls spent one afternoon in the kitchen with Grandma making Capirotada, a traditional Mexican food similar to a bread pudding that is usually eaten during the Lenten period. My mother-in-law had translated her recipe with the corresponding meditations from Spanish. 

...the peanuts coming out of the shell remind us of His coming forth from the sepulcher... 

After Mass one day, the pastor let us go back into the offices and show the kids the model of the parish that their uncles had made years ago. 

Easter Lily for her Grandmother/Godmother

Celebrating a birthday! 

On our way back north we stopped to visit my husband's Godparents! This was the first time the kids and I have met his uncle/Godfather, and it was so great to see his cousin/Godmother Debbie and her daughter Sarah again! Our youngest especially enjoyed playing with Sarah's boys, and Debbie even surprised Sean with a birthday cake! 

It was such a joy to visit my husband's parents and we hope to visit them again soon!

Pictures from Palm Sunday

After spending most of St. Joseph's Day in the car, this is the beautiful view we woke up to on Palm Sunday while staying in the guest housing at Thomas Aquinas College, my husband's sister's alma mater. It had been over 20 years since my last visit, when I was looking into Catholic Colleges as a teen, and the campus has changed a bit since then! 

From Instagram: Walking to Mass this morning ♥ #Catholic #PalmSunday #ThomasAquinasCollege

After Mass, and before getting back on the road for the rest of the day, we joined the college students for Sunday Brunch! 

The night before, on our way back to the guest housing from the chapel, one of the college students, from Nigeria, came up to my husband and I and introduced himself.  He was the first student we had talked to and I just know it was the Holy Spirit at work again, planning out more of the details of this last minute trip for us... 

As we were talking about the school I asked if Dr. Andres was still a tutor at TAC. He was one of my favorite professors while I was at Christendom, and his wife Suzie's brother just so happens to be the person who purchased (and still lives in!) my childhood home (built by my dad!) when I was thirteen and my parents had decided to move our family out of California. I hadn't seen the Andres since I was a student at Christendom, but I have stayed in contact with Suzie online and had sent her an email just before we left to see if they were still in Southern California. Suzie doesn't have internet at home so I wasn't sure if she'd get my email in time... Anyway, the college student said that Dr. Andres is still at TAC and Suzie just so happens to be his Godmother. He'd send her a text letting her know we were in town and that we would probably see them at Mass in the morning. 

I then asked if the "girl with the long blond hair" across the room happened to be a certain girl we know... Sure enough it was and her brother is his roommate! Hahaha, of course he is! That sister and brother are the oldest children of our oldest daughter's Godparents! It was so much fun to visit with everyone at brunch on Palm Sunday! 

Suzie Andres - Author of Homeschooling with Gentleness, A Little Way of Homeschooling and The Paradise Project

The morning ended quickly and it was time to get back on the road, but at least we had the following weekend to look forward to, seeing everyone again on our way back home from Arizona! 

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life with Like Mother, Like Daughter. ~

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Recap from Shower of Roses over at Instagram: 

Happy Easter Monday! I stopped to admire the "Raindrops on Roses" before getting back in the car this morning. I'm going to miss this little slice of heaven on earth! #thomasaquinascollege

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This road trip has been filled with one blessing after the next... Beautiful Masses, touring Missions, visiting my husband's parents, and spending time with many new and old friends! Today I got to visit with one of my dearest childhood friends (and bridesmaid!) who I hadn't seen since her wedding nine years ago! It was so great to catch up and meet her three (soon-to-be four!) darling little boys!

One last visit with friends! Thank you for your hospitality @joyfilledfamily 

#Easter #roadtrip #homebound

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"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." 

#roadtrip #thomasaquinascollege

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The Easter Baskets will have to wait until after we get home from this road trip, there just wasn't any extra room in the car, but I do have some symbolic Easter candy for the kids to wake up to in the morning! I'm finishing them up now, before the Easter Vigil begins at 11pm! 

#EasterIsASeason #Catholic #livingliturgically #CatholicCuisine

After driving 3,000+ miles over the past 11 days, it's so good to be home! 

I will have more pictures to share from our road trip (visiting grandparents, touring missions, and celebrating Easter!) just as soon as I catch up the laundry download them from the camera! 

Additional pictures from our road trip: St. Joseph's Day and Good Friday

Happy Easter! 

Good Friday

O my dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the cross on which Thou didst die for love of me. I have merited by my sins to die a miserable death, but Thy death is my hope. Ah, by the merits of Thy death, give me grace to die, embracing Thy feet and burning with love of Thee. I commit my soul into Thy hands. I love Thee with my whole heart; I repent of ever having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

St. Joseph's Day

We spent St. Joseph's Day on the road this year, on our way to visit my husband's parents. It was such a beautiful day filled with so many blessings! 

We finished loading the car at 4:30 AM (after way too little sleep!) and were on the road by just after 5:00 AM... After our first few (of way too many!) hours on the road, we picked up a little treat for today's solemnity of St. Joseph! {The kids loved their doughnuts, but they weren't nearly as sweet as the little surprise dear St. Joseph had in store for us just a few hours later!}

.: St. Stephen the First Martyr :. 

After a few more hours on the road it was time for another little break... I knew we were too late for Mass (we had looked up Mass times before leaving home) plus we all looked like we had just rolled out of bed (our youngest was even still in his pjs) but we decided to drive by the church anyway. Guess who I happened to run into in the parking lot?! It was so fun to see her family, attend the end of the Solemn High Mass (after tidying ourselves up a bit), visit with the priests and parishioners, and join them for their traditional St. Joseph's Table!

.: St. Joseph Altar :.

Each year we usually set up our own St. Joseph Altar at home, but this was the first time we have ever seen one at a parish!!! The kids enjoyed all the traditional foods including all the pastries, various bread shapes, and the Pasta Milanese, the traditional St. Joseph's feast pasta, made with fennel, anchovies, pine nuts, and topped with toasted bread crumbs (Mudica) which represent the sawdust of St. Joseph, the carpenter. It was such a wonderful, unexpected blessing for our family! Deo Gratias!

.: Thomas Aquinas College :. 

As we pulled in last night (late on St. Joseph's Day), and saw this beautiful chapel for the first time, our ten year old asked,"Can I wear my Easter dress for Mass tomorrow? I don't think any of my other clothes are nice enough!"

A visit to the chapel before bed ♥

Glorious St. Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen.