Theme Thursday - Trails

This week's theme is trails, and while I haven't been on any exciting trails yet this year, I have some nice pictures from a short trip my hubby and I took last October in Wisconsin.  Unfortunately the trip was cut short, but the time we had there was beautiful.

Join in over at Clan Donaldson for more Trail pictures!.

 God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Bright

Today's them is bright and here are some "bright" new (and might I add "super cute" even though that is not today's theme) kitchen utensils that I bought to go with a bridal shower gift for my cousin.

These things are so cute, and bright of course, that I should have bought some for myself!

Join in with the Clan for more brightness!

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Sand

This week's theme is sand.  Alas, I do not have any current sandy pictures, but I have some from the past and since it's Throwback Thursday, I figure I can use an older picture and cover both bases.

Here is a picture of all of my children sitting in the sand.  This is from 2010.  Can't you tell by how much younger they look!

Oh what a fun time we had.

Click on over to Clan Donaldson to see more sand pictures.

 God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Swim

Joining in with Clan Donaldson and this week's theme:  Swim. 

See last week.

Thank you.

Yeah, I realize I goofed up last week and used a swim picture (or at least a picture of a small pool with water) for sports.  Well, guess what?  I'm going to use another picture from that same "photo shoot" for this week's picture.

I know, right? Too much brilliance in one place.  Oh well, I hope you enjoy this week's entry.  I know they did :)

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Sports

Welcome back, Theme Thursday, and join in the fun over at Clan Donaldson!

It's been awhile since I've been here and I'll explain why tomorrow, but for now I just wanted to jump into today's theme - sports.

We aren't huge sports people around here, but one thing we all love is water!  Swimming is a sport, but we like to enjoy it on a much more relaxed level, in whatever amount of water we can. 

Yesterday Ms 11 yo (today is her birthday!!  Happy Birthday Mary Rosebud :)) had a few friends over for some swimming.  They took advantage of the little water we have and had a great time.  Here is my favorite photo from the day:

God Bless!

Holy Thursday

Well, the picture I was going to put up for today also works, at least in part, for Theme Thursday, which is bread and wine.

May you have a blessed and meaningful Holy Thursday.

Check out Cari's for more bread and wine pics!

God Bless!
 

Theme Thursday - Remember

This was a tough one this week but I've decided that I would like to use this post to "remember" my father-in-law who died this past October; way before he should have.  He was a wonderful man and we all miss him a lot.  

Here he is where he loved to be - surrounded by his family.  This was a picture from my in-law's 50th wedding anniversary.  He's the tall guy with the flower on his lapel :)  (as an aside, this picture was a few years ago, so it's also making me remember how little everyone once was!)

 

 
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him and may his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.  Amen.

Go over to Clan Donaldson to see what other people remember.

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Hear

I know that God speaks in a quiet voice, so that means that it has to be quiet around me and inside me in order for me to hear Him.  (Note:  I thought this week was "hear" and not "word" so just kindly add in the word word where you see hear.  Okay?  Thanks!)

 

This is where I go to hear His Word.  Usually it is quiet.  If it isn't, I kick the offender out and shut the door and then it is quiet again and I can hear what God might be trying to say to me.

Wait,  before you go, as long as you've stopped by, can you take a minute to check out my giveaway?  You can just click here, check out the awesome CD and soap I'm giving away to one lucky person, enter a quick comment about what you like about Spring and then you're done.  The winner will be announced this coming Sunday evening, this way people who are only on the internet on Sundays during Lent can have a chance to enter, too.  Thanks, I think you'll be glad you took the time.

Now, you can go over to Clan Donaldson for more "hear" or "word" pictures, whichever you might be doing :)

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Answer

Joining in with the Clan for this week's Theme Thursday which is the word Answer.  This was a tough one.  I had first thought of someone answering a phone but then I remembered that Cari's also connecting to a lenten themed photo shoot so I was inspired to shoot this:

Prayer - my answer to all of life's ups and downs.  These items are meant to represent all types of prayer.  Have a pressing question?  Take it to prayer and you'll get an answer.  It might not be right away, and it might not be the answer you want, but you'll get one!

God Bless!

 

7 in 7 and Theme Thursday

Today is not only DAY 4 in Jen's 7 Posts in 7 Days, I am also linking up with Clan Donaldson and the Theme Thursday extravaganza. 

Today's theme is:  Fences

We do not have a fence.  In fact, there aren't many fences to be found around here (thankfully, in my opinion), but there is one fence nearby that I love to look at all year round.
 

This fence encloses a property of about 30 acres.  The house is very large and it backs up to the local creek.  It really is a gorgeous piece of property and we love to walk past it when the weather is nice.  The fence isn't much to get excited about, but the view as a whole is quite peaceful.

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Heart

I was fortunate to have all of my children at breakfast at the same time this morning so that I could capture their "hearts" for today's Theme Thursday. 

Check out Clan Donaldson for more hearts and Happy St. Valentine's Day!

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Church Windows

The weather really is affecting my ability to get out and take current pictures so I need to dig into the archives again for this week's theme.  I was looking for a picture I took of a window entitled "Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners".  I took this particular photo because at one time we had been dreaming of opening a Catholic camp ground and I thought that would make a great name for it.  Wouldn't you go to a campground with a name like that??  

Anyhow, I couldn't find the picture and found this one instead.

I have no idea who it is of, but I can tell you it comes from my most favorite place on earth, Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama.  It's not from the church, of course, because you aren't allowed to take pictures in there, but it is from a little grotto they have on the property.  The picture isn't anything fancy, but what it reminds me of is Heaven on earth and right now, being February and all snowy and everything, I really need to be reminded of that!

Join in at Clan Donaldson for more church windows!

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Barn

Oh old and lovely barns, how I miss thee.  Where we used to live, we had this barn (which we turned into a chicken coop) and a big barn that was right outside the back of the house.  At first I didn't think I'd like looking at the side of a barn while I washed dishes, but I grew to love it and I realized how peaceful it was.

In this picture, it had just snowed, the sun was just rising, and I was still relatively new at photography so I ran outside to see what I could do.  

The house we live in now has a big pole barn on one part of the property, but it isn't wood and it totally lacks character.  I do, however, get to stare at the side of it while I wash dishes :) 

Hop on over to Clan Donaldson to see some more barns.

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Catching People Unaware

Two girls, caught in the act.  One in the act of doing the dishes.  The other in the act of making garlic butter for the garlic bread.  Both fell for the "Hey, girls" trick and then got mad that I took such a stunning photo.

Hop on over to Clan Donaldson to see other stunning photos of people caught unaware.

God Bless!
 

Theme Thursday - Craft

First off, let me state that I am not a crafty person, my husband is not particularly crafty and my first 5 children aren't really gifted in the craft department.  That brings us to child number 6...it took us 6 kids to get one child who is a. interested in crafts (despite her mother) and b. is good at crafts (again despite her mother).  

I, on the other hand, am more into organizing.  I like things neat and tidy, or at least the things that are mine.  Child #6, the crafty one, otherwise known here as Ms 10 yo prefers to throw her creative juices toward the craft at hand and not the organizing part. 

With that introduction, I bring you this week's picture - our CRAFT storage corner.  Her supplies, her organization method, but the things she can create with them make us all jealous (in a holy sort of way!).

 

For more CRAFT pictures, head on over to Clan Donaldson!

God Bless! 

Theme Thursday - Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!  I pray that you all have (had) a joyous, grace filled day.

In the Theme Thursday tradition, here is a picture of the things that I am the most thankful for - my family, of course.

If I could, I would post dozens of pictures of all my relatives and friends and all of the things I am thankful for on this great day.  Since I can't do that, I'll make a(n abbreviated) list:

My parents, brother and extended family
My in-laws 
My faith
our wonderful and supportive group of friends
priests that form us
beautiful liturgies
a warm house with a beautiful yard
food to eat and clothes to wear
cars that still work despite their advanced age and high mileage
jobs for my husband and older kids
the talents that have been given to us
people to celebrate with
people to love me

This is just a very short list!  I try to be thankful every single day for both the good things and those things that do not appear to be so good.  Many times those not-so-good things end up being blessings in disguise.  

So on this day, may the Good Lord bless you and your family abundantly.

Go over to Clan Donaldson to join in being Thankful!

God Bless!
 

Theme Thursday - Thumbs

Here's Ms 14 yo when she was a few years younger, I think around Ms 11 yo.  We took this picture because this was one of the first times that she was able to give us a thumbs up.  Can't explain it, but she could never do it before then.  She has this weird double-jointed thing going on with the rest of her fingers, but for whatever reason, her thumbs just wouldn't cooperate. 
 

It was a big day around here.

Join Clan Donaldson for other thumb pictures.  I wonder how many others will be accompanied by such a riveting story?

God Bless!

 

Theme Thursday - Text

This was an easy one because, having just started school, these little buggers are everywhere.  Each child has multiple texts.  Some are liked and some, not so liked.  Here is Ms 17 yo with two of her current texts.  Fortunately she likes both of them, well, at least the classes that go with them.  

If you look closely, you might notice the rosary on top of the Psychology text.  That, my dear friends, is to counter so much of the garbage that is in there :)

Check out Clan Donaldson and see what other type of texts are there.

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Recess

For most of us in this household, recess means jumping onto the computer and checking emails, oh and probably some blogs and maybe some facebook, too.  For a few others, recess means continuing on in a good book.  For this fella', recess still means play time.  More specifically, it means, "Yes, I get to dump out all my Legos all over the floor, AGAIN!"

My son asked me why I was taking this picture so I told him why.  His response?  "But recess means to play outside!"  

My response?  "But you rarely go outside during 'recess'."

"Oh yeah."

By the way, I love theme words like this because they can take on so many different interpretations!  

 Definition of RECESS

1

: the action of receding : recession

2

: a hidden, secret, or secluded place or part

3

a : indentation, cleft <a deep recess in the hill>

b : alcove <a recess lined with books>

4

: a suspension of business or procedure often for rest or relaxation <children playing at recess>

My first thoughts, and subsequent picture, were based off of the #4 definition.  It wasn't till I was finished that I thought about the various possibilities of definition #2.  It wasn't till I copied and pasted the above definitions that I even thought anything about definitions #1 and #3.  I am so looking forward to which definition people turned into photos!!!

  Check out more recess photos over at Clan Donaldson. 

God Bless!

Theme Thursday - Shadows

It seems that whenever I struggle with a theme and/or don't have enough time to get it together for the morning (both things in this case), it works out in my favor.  It seems even the hostess is late today!  Thank you, Cari, for cooperating with my brain and my schedule.

Anyhow, we were at the school table doing school, of course, and I had been pondering all morning what to do with this theme when I saw that the sun had finally come out and was casting some nice shadows on our table.  "Ah hah," I said to myself, "there is a nice small crucifix on the table, I bet that would cast a nice shadow in this wonderful sunlight."  So I grabbed my camera and ended up with this:

 

Go on over to Clan Donaldson and check out other shadow photos.

God Bless!