Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

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1) New Life...my sister made the official announcement yesterday that they are expected boy #6. Deo Gratias!

2) Great books...I've found a new (to me) author (Dan Walsh) in the past few months & have really enjoyed his books. The most recent one even brought me to tears. Deo Gratias!

3) Our US Veterans...today we celebrate & thank them for all their great sacrifices & dedication to our country. Deo Gratias!

4) Decluttering...I love the feeling of getting rid of stuff we don't need anymore & donating to thrift stores for the benefit of those less fortunate. Deo Gratias!

5) Appreciated meals...the past few nights, my dinners have been welcomed & enjoyed by the whole family...Crockpot beef roast, pulled BBQ pork, & lasagna. Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) Last Friday, we got the whole family up for daily Mass at 8am, followed by confession w/ our new pastor. The timing was perfect & he had just the right counseling words for each of us! Deo Gratias!

2) Afterwards, we surprised the kids w/ a trip to Hocking Hills. Deo Gratias!

3) Our church choir has been working on Advent music & there are some beautiful pieces we're planning. Deo Gratias!

4) The Saint is starting to take off w/ his reading skills. We were worried for a while, but know that it's all in good timing. He's finally enjoying it as well.   

5) I found some really pretty fall artificial flowers & scarecrows on sticks at a thrift store. They were perfect for decorating our front window boxes. 

 

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

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1) There is a tremendous amount of joy that I find in my children. Each one has a different personality & is at a different stage of their growing years. The joy I receive from them is a wonderful blessing.

2) The Saint had a cavity filled the other day. Matt & I were worried about how he would handle it, but found he did great! I was very proud of him.

3) We got out our fall decorations the other day. It really brightens up our home when we get it straightened up & decorated.

4) This Friday is our annual All Saints' Day party (yes, I know it's a bit early this year). Our saint costumes are coming together, much easier than I thought they would. Photos will come later!

5) Our church choir has started rehearsing some of our Advent pieces. We will be singing the Communion Antiphons, something I've never done before. They are BEAUTIFUL!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

As I said in Monday's "Light in the Darkness" post, I'm sorry for the delay in posting. It's been a busy past month or so!

Here are the things I'm thankful for...

1) When shopping at Volunteers of America over the weekend, we came across a sturdy cartop carrier for only $30. We snatched it up right away, knowing it will come in handy for our family beach trip next summer.

2) Regarding said purchase above...we got to the van & realized that there wasn't any room to carry it home. It didn't come w/ instructions, so we didn't want to risk installing it incorrectly. So, after a quick call to my parents, HelpfulGrammy came to our rescue w/ HandyGramps' pick-up truck!

3) My annual Hocking Hills trip w/ my mom & four other dear friends was last weekend. We've always gone in the spring, so this was a pleasant change to enjoy our rented house in the fall. I wasn't feeling great w/ a head cold, but still managed to have a wonderful time laughing, crying, eating, shopping, & repeating!

4) Matt & I put it off long enough...we broke down & invested in smartphones. Thankfully, we were able to get a good deal on them & now he can rest at ease when he needs his for college classes.

5) Church choir is back after taking the summer off. It's so wonderful to join my voice in praise for our wonderful God & all He's done for us! An added bonus this year...The Prophet has joined the tenor section. He's loving it!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

As an end to our summer, Matt & I took a trip to a cabin in Hocking Hills for a few days. He starts back to school today & I'll be starting the Blessings back on Monday. So, today, I thought I'd share some photos from our trip...the wonderful things I'm thankful for from this excursion!

Deo Gratias!

1) This beautiful Barred Owl is kept at Waukeena Nature Preserve. She was hit by a car & is unable to survive in the wild, so they take excellent care of her. She is blind in her left eye. Isn't she gorgeous?

2) One of our delicious meals. The steak (Tahitian Mermaid...steak stuffed w/ crab) was my favorite meal to order from the Kahiki Restaurant when it was still open. I was thrilled to find the recipe in a book about the restaurant.

 

3) New Beginning...our secluded cabin in the woods.

 

 

4) One of our hiking spots...Rockhouse. 

 

 

 5) My wonderful hubby & me!

Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) My parents surprised their children & grandchildren...next summer, they are taking all of us to the beach. We'll stay on the beach in a rented house for a whole week. This is how they want to celebrate their 50th anniversary! Deo Gratias! 

2) School plans are coming together. I have all the necessary books except for two, starting & ending dates are decided (as well as days off). Now to lesson plan & get things organized around the house. Deo Gratias!

3) Our new pastor started about a month ago. I've been so impressed w/ his homilies & kindness to his "sheep" so far. Deo Gratias! 

4) The weather so far this August had been pretty mild. We've had numerous days where we've been able to open up the house & turn off the air. Deo Gratias!

5) Before he goes back to school for the fall semester, Matt has been busy painting the porch & around the garage. He's done a great job. Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) We ran away for a few hours on Sun. afternoon w/ the Blessings. We took them to one of our state parks to swim, eat, & walk. It was a beautiful day for it. Deo Gratias! 

2) Yesterday, Matt & I went on another date. We picked up Arby's (because I'd been hankering for some...although the meal wasn't as good as I remembered it to be!) & went to a new-to-us local metro park to eat & hike. Boy was it a hike! We thought we were on the one mile hike, but ended up going two miles w/ a lot of up & down spots! Deo Gratias!

3) During the summer, we have every other week cantor practices instead of weekly choir rehearsals. In addition to our regular Sunday prep, we've also been reading through some new pieces to use when choir starts back up in the fall. There are some beautiful pieces! Deo Gratias! 

4) The Prophet has been enrolled in Seton Homeschool for his freshman year & we received his books yesterday. We're entering new territory w/ high school, but I have no doubt he'll do well. YIKES!!! We've got a high schooler now! Deo Gratias!

5) Matt finally found out that he was also accepted into the Radiology program. After much prayer & thought, he's decided to go w/ Cardiovascular Sonography. I'm so proud of him! Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) Took the Blessings to see the Minion movie last night. Gotta love those $5 Tuesdays when you're taking a family of six to the movies! Deo Gratias! 

2) It was such a hot day yesterday. After the Blessings' music lessons, I surprised them w/ flavored shaved ice at one of those little parking lot vendors yesterday. Deo Gratias!

3) No matter which Kroger I go to, I always check out their clearance/markdown sections. You never know what wonderful deals you may find. Yesterday, I found facial wash for The Prophet, Matt's favorite chocolate bars, & several other great deals. Deo Gratias! 

4) We spent some time w/ my parents on Monday afternoon. I showed HelpfulGrammy how to use her new Kindle Fire & how to add/share photos on Facebook. I also had some wonderful conversations w/ her & HandyGramps. Deo Gratias!

5) And the best news this week...Matt was accepted into one of the two programs he applied for. He's still waiting to hear about his original first choice, but it seriously considering this one (Cardiovascular Sonography). I'm so proud of him! Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) Matt & I went out to dinner last Tuesday, followed by a walk around a mall to work off that wonderful Olive Garden food. Deo Gratias! 

2) On Saturday, July 11, we had a large family reunion...the first on my dad's paternal side in MANY years. What a wonderful day...catching up w/ family & meeting those I've never met before! Deo Gratias!

3) This past Sunday, we had another family reunion...this time on HelpfulGrammy's maternal side of the family. It wasn't as large as the previous weekend's reunion, but was definitely full of love, laughter, & memories. Deo Gratias! 

4) When shopping for a new set of sheets, Matt & I found a set we liked. But then, we saw a bed-in-a-bag set for just $5 more. Looks great in our bedroom!  Deo Gratias!

5) This little guy, who's growing way too fast, turned "7" yesterday. Happy Birthday to The Saint! Deo Gratias!

 

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) After several weeks off, our cantor rehearsals for summer began last night. It's so wonderful to be back, singing w/ such a talented group of liturgical musicians! Deo Gratias! 

2) The temps have been cooler this week & we've enjoyed having the house opened up. Deo Gratias!

3) A few days ago, Matt mentioned that we should get a kitchen timer so that we have another device for managing the Blessings video game time. At a thrift store yesterday, just as The Saint & I walked past an aisle, a kitchen timer went off...as if to say, "Remember what Matt said! You must buy me!" Bonus: it was 50% off day, so I got the timer for only 25 cents! Deo Gratias! 

4) I seem to go in spurts w/ dinner plans...one week I prepare some great meals, while other weeks we just kind of muddle through to get something on the table. So far, this has been a good week for meals! Deo Gratias!

5) I was able to trade shifts w/ one of my co-workers. This will enable me to make it to a family reunion for HandyGramps side of the family...the first in MANY years. I can't wait to see family members I haven't seen in ages, as well as meet some I've never met! Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) Our 17th anniversary was this past Sat. Because I had to work all day, Matt took me out Fri. night. It was a semi-recreation of our first date, minus the movie since there wasn't anything that sounded good to us. We went our for Mexican & did a little shopping. Deo Gratias! 

2) His gifts to me were a Kindle Fire & three movies to commemorate our time of dating. Jerry Maguire is the one we saw on our first date, The Mirror Has Two Faces has our song in it (I've Finally Found Someone by Bryan Adams), & Titanic was saw three times in the theater. Deo Gratias!

3) The rain has finally let up. Other than a few sprinkles the past couple days, it has rained every day for the past week...some days much more than others. Deo Gratias! 

4) We gave Matt a nice, relaxing day for Fathers' Day. He chose the meal (stirfry), we went to a park to take a walk, & just relaxed the rest of the day. Deo Gratias!

5) The Saint has found some great picture books at the library recently, so I've enjoyed reading them to him. I even enjoy the stories! Deo Gratias!

Deo Gratias

 
"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

Colleen, from her inspiring blog Thoughts on Grace, hosts this wonderful meme each Wednesday. She says, "Deo Gratias is Latin for Thanks be to God. Remembering to give thanks for all of our blessings, big & small, helps us to find God in our everyday moments and gives us an attitude of gratitude!"

Each week, I join Colleen in remembering & sharing the many blessings in my life. This is such a great exercise for me, helping me to focus on the good that truly is happening in my life, no matter how many trials & stresses I may have.

**********

1) Sunday, we celebrated the end of our choir season w/ a choir cookout! We've had a great year & are looking forward to resuming in the fall. Deo Gratias! 

2) This past weekend our pastor celebrated his final Masses as our pastor. He is retiring after over 40 years as a priest. We wish him well, but will miss him greatly. Deo Gratias!

3) Last night, our church's RCIA team, new church members, & their families had a wrap-up evening at a local bowling alley/arcade/food joint. It was a fun evening for all. Deo Gratias! 

4) Since The Prophet's Confirmation party, we've been trying to keep our house in good shape. It's not been perfect, but has managed to stay fairly well de-cluttered & clean! Deo Gratias!

5) Thanks to our library's summer reading program, the Blessings have been doing a lot of reading so far. The Princess has already filled her sheet & earned her free book. Deo Gratias!