InCinC Retreat

This weekend was our Couples In Christ retreat. It was the end of our second year together and our second retreat. We rented a house about an hour and a half away that was very cool. An old style home filled with antiques and creaky floors. It was a little creepy to some....especially some of the weird portraits hanging on the walls of the bedrooms.....we kept waiting for the eyes to start moving back and forth like something out of a Scooby Doo episode.

There was a "therapy couch" that we thought we could use for actual therapy.....or it made a perfect reenactment of the scene from the Titanic movie....except Sherri remained fully clothed.  :)

The foyer had some old style hats and canes......it was too tempting to just leave them hanging all weekend.

We got there Friday evening and stayed until Sunday. It was a really good blend of fun and partying....with prayer and marriage strengthening lessons.
Friday night was all party and fun.

We got unpacked, made some pizzas, had some drinks, and then did something that was really fun.  We had come up with the idea that all of us bring our wedding albums.  Then one by one that night, we shared our meeting....dating....proposing....and wedding stories.  It was great because we really hadn't ever heard the details of it before that.  We all found out a lot about each other and how our relationships all began.  I think we laughed more than anything at all the details of awkward first kisses and creative proposals. 

Saturday we did our retreat material from about 10am to 3:30pm with just a lunch break. It was all very good.
For about half that time, we broke into groups of guys and girls, which has become something we really like doing on retreat since we don't do that during the year at our monthly meetings.

After completing all our lesson stuff, we just hung out.

We had a great dinner....

Played a ton of games.....

ate way too many snacks.....

and finished the night by watching a movie.
We headed to bed about 1am with a wake up time on Sunday of about 7:30am to get ready for 8:45 mass.

This year we added something new to our weekend. 
Each of the 4 couples took a certain time to lead the group in some sort of prayer or reflection.  One couple had Friday evening, one had Saturday morning and one the evening, then the last one had Sunday morning. 
Our Friday couple led us all in the rosary.....

Sat. morning we did a Lexio Divina (this is where you read the upcoming Gospel reading for that week 3 times and then talk about what parts spoke to you)

Jay and I did Saturday evening and read an article we had found called "Finding Time for Prayer In Your Marriage".
On Sunday, after mass and breakfast, we sat one last time together while our 4th couple played 2 Christian songs that they felt were like prayers to them and talked about how, even when we're busy and driving in the car, a simple song on the radio can become our prayer. 
It was such a great variety of ideas that we may just stick with doing the same things and make it a part of our retreat tradition. 

Needless to say, we had a great time!  This has become such an important group of friends to us and we are so grateful for all of them. 

We can laugh together, cry together, pray together, and be ourselves together. 

I'd say that's the definition of good friends.

Trae's Fun Day

Yesterday was the 4th graders Fun Day field trip to the park. It's not just any park, it's the kind that is huge and fun and unlike your typical playgrounds.
I always go with for this and it's a lot of fun.
The major downfall yesterday was the weather. It didn't rain.....that would have been better...it was 102' for a high. It got to about 100' before we even left there. We arrived at 9:45am and stayed until 1:15pm, so it was a LONG time to be out in that kind of heat.
Poor Olivia's black hair was like a sun magnet and she was just sweating. My clothes were just sticking to me....ugh. The kids all had a great time though and I can't wait to go back to this park with our family.....on a little more mild weather day.

 Trae was coming from the other way and when she saw him, she just started running.....

 Seriously....how precious is this

Happy Birthday Tyler

Okay, when did I become old enough to have a 14 yr. old?
I mean, it was only a couple years ago that he was born, started kindergarten, had his first communion, and played T-ball.
I wonder if I'll ever feel ready for such huge milestones like being a full blown teenager now....after all, 13 is just the warm-up....and starting high school. Doubtful. Heck, my mom was telling me she didn't think she was old enough for stuff when I went through it too....all the way up to getting married and having Tyler. I'm thinkin' I'll hear the same thing next year too when I (her oldest child) turn 40.
We spent the day at the lake swimming and fishing. It was a nice day and great to finally have some warm weather around here.

Tyler's graduation

Thursday night, Tyler graduated from 8th grade.  I know it's only 8th grade, but it was especially nice because he has been at the same school and with the same kids since they were all in kindergarten.  I felt like I was watching all my own kids since I've seen them all grow up since age 5.
The evening started with mass and then the actual grad ceremony. 
As I was sitting there listening to the mass I felt so fortunate that we're ending Tyler's time at his school this way.  It made me think about all the times our faith has been reinforced during his 9 years there....going all the way back to when he was in kindergarten.  Jason was serving in Iraq during a really scary time and I was pregnant with Tony.  I got a call from his teacher asking if they could make cards for the Marines there and I could send them.   A few days later Tyler brought home a large envelope full of papers that the kids had done.  As I went through them, many said the same things.....as though the teacher had put some ideas on the board of what they could say on their card.  Things like,  "Thank you" and  "God bless America" and "Jesus Loves You" were written on most.  I remember crying at all the pictures of soldiers, flags, and crosses.  I sent them off and Jay handed them out to his unit in Iraq. 
Another time was about 5 years ago when a 6th grade boy was hit by a car while riding his bike home from school and killed.  It was obviously devastating for the whole community and I remember being very grateful that the kids were going to be able to go to school and pray for him and his family.  They were offered counseling and it could be faith based, the entire school went to the funeral mass during their school day. 
There was the time the band teacher was done with a concert and started talking about the light in all of these kids and that this light was Jesus Christ.  How it shined in all of them. 
Or when we were going to China to get Olivia and I got emails from many of the kids' teachers telling me they were praying for us...and the same for the day of her surgery. 
There's the daily intentions the kids can say in morning prayer, the daily rosary, the weekly mass, Religion class, the Christmas programs and Easter break.  I'm grateful for it all.
It's not easy paying for the tuition for their school.  Having 5 kids there this year was a struggle.  But when I sit there looking at all these kids that Tyler has spent these years with....and I watch 2 of his closest friends get the Christian Leadership award.....I know that it's been worth every penny and I wouldn't change a thing.  I love that school so much and I can't wait to be sitting there 5 more times being grateful for the years spent.