World Cup character

The World Cup game this morning between the U.S. and Algeria is why I love soccer so much and why I appreciate sports in general so much. The U.S. should have won their last game against Slovenia 3-2 last week; BUT the referee called a 'mysterious' foul on us and the goal was disallowed. (Since then, that ref has been sent home! No more World Cup for him.)I was very impressed with the U.S. players' and coaches reaction to that injustice. They were classy, respectful and looking forward to their next game instead of publicly grumbling about the bad call.

This morning the U.S. scored in the 91st minute of the game which is technically overtime (they play 90 minutes plus injury time). The U.S. had many many good chances, but they did not give up physically or mentally and they got the job done. The U.S. was incredibly fun to watch as they so clearly wanted the win as they hustled and did everything in their power to put the ball in the net. Our small gang at my Dad's place erupted when we scored; poor Jude, he thought the world was ending. Over the years, soccer has taught me so much about hard work, teamwork, determination, perseverance, cooperation, mental toughness, concentration, patience, and the list goes on and on. These all build a person's character and also apply to most every other area in a person's life.

I have been watching one World Cup game every day. The thought runs through my mind, "What a waste of time!" but then immediately I shrug that thought off as my competitive spirit soaks in the the game, I think about the fact that it is summer time, soccer is the most beloved sport worldwide, this is the best soccer a person can watch and it only happens once every four years! I love it and it is worth it.

Berry Season

I love berry season. I have fond memories of going berry picking with my Mom and various other people growing up. So, needless to say, I am thrilled that our neighbors raspberry bushes fall generously into our yard!

Faustina spent 25 minutes the other day just picking raspberries from this bush and looking at the insects (I even timed it because I was so surprised by her attention span!). I came outside to see what she was thinking about and she kept saying "Wook! Wook, Mama! Bugs!". Can't wait until we can go to the fields and get our fill of strawberries and raspberries....

Our friend Maris Stella

On May 31st, our family had the privilege of visiting our friend Rose Coleman in Searles, MN after she had taken vows to join her convent, The Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus.



We have been very blessed to see Rose walk the road of discernment of God's will the past few years. In the Roman Catholic Church it is the Year of the Priest; we pray for our priests and we pray for more hearts to be open to the vocation of being a priest. As it has become more and more rare to see nuns over the years and then many nuns have gone the route of not wear their habits, it is truly an answer to prayers to see Rose's new convent begin a good work and to see these young women dedicate their lives to God's calling for them.

Rose's new name is Maris Stella which is Latin for 'star of the sea'. This name is so fitting since Rose has traveled all over the world, and much of it was on a boat traveling. The Handmaids have a terrific living space and a nearby farmer gives them free reign of his beautiful farmland to explore. They are doing great work in small towns of giving womens' retreats, working with school kids, and providing any services needed to the community; but most importantly they are praying! They are praying in a dedicated, regular, and concentrated way for grace for us, any people who request prayer, and in a serious way for our world.

We continue to pray for The Handmaids and may the Lord richly bless in them!

The well-educated person

Faustina is still so young, yet it is not too early (I don't think it ever is!)to think about the kids' education. I was chatting with a woman yesterday who adopted twin girls from Romania and she was saying that at the age of 15 her girls are still developmentally delayed because of their first year in an orphanage where they did not receive proper attention.

Mike and I are both very tuned into the education world. It is not that we are especially smart (not at all!!), but I like to think it is that we are very average people with common sense that care about a good, traditional, classical education. We both have our BA's in Classics. We both are or have been teachers, and Mike is an Academic Dean.

My book lists are always long and I always have a new area that I would like to learn more about and dive into. I have been fortunate with a family and parents that instilled a love of learning in me and I also have had a good education. Truly, the most important habit a person ought to practice is the love of learning. While teaching the Republic at Trinity, our friend Scott Pentecost gave me an article about "Immanence and Transcendence". This article was very insightful and layered with complicated knowledge, but a main idea was that our world is always both paradoxically concrete, present, and tangible ('Immanent' from the Latin 'maneo' to stay or remain) and our world is 'beyond us' it is transcendent in the supernatural. The fact that truth does not ever change, but our life circumstances and experiences do leave us with an infinite amount of learning to be done.

Children are always learning, and it is a fascinating journey to guide them and be a part of their learning. Lately, I have been reading more books about education, classical education, curriculum, and different methods of learning. Mike and I do not know what we will decide in a few years to do for a more formal education for Faustina and Jude, but the fact remains that they are learning every day now and it is never too early to begin even a somewhat informal 'formal' education (if that makes sense!).

As I begin to build our 'library' for the kids, I am shocked as I go to 1/2 price books, Barns N Noble, or any bookstore and see how dumb the little kids' books are!! That probably sounds harsh, but....wow. Most the pictures in books just about drive me insane. I have found that I need to have a list of books I want and look for those more traditional books, and often I go to several different places (especially if I am looking for good prices!).

Of course, a good education is worth nothing unless it is oriented toward God, toward truth. It is so amazing in our secular culture how people believe they know so much (often they are very book smart) and how it is so easy to become engrossed in entertainment, money, possessions, and pleasure when really none of that is important in the long run. Life is short and we are always moving toward the end of our life and the afterlife. As morbid as that may sound, it is true and as parents Mike and I want to help our kids to always keep this in mind in their education.

The great St. Paul get together

Where have we been? Well, Jude sleeps in the computer room, so it is becoming more and more difficult to use the computer when I want too! Room rearrangements are soon coming.

Most people have fond memories of the MN State Fair and are thrilled when the end of August comes. Well, I have always looked forward to the first Sunday in June for Grand Old Days! It continues to become bigger every year with people coming from all over, but I can be a bit snobbish and protective when I say it really is a St. Paul gathering. Growing up in St. Paul and living a mile away from Grand, I have fond memories of going since I was young. The most fun thing about it for me is that I knew and would run into so many people there!! People who live and people who grew up in St. Paul often end up sticking around.

This year was a bit different, and perhaps the most fun yet. We did not see many people we knew, but we went very early because of the kids schedules. The Como Zoo has all their ride equipment there and bring some animals and the kids can pet the animals, have pony rides, and use all the rides for free!

The other fun part is simply walking down grand, people watching, and going into different stores that are so familiar. We walked about 3 miles round trip as we went from Cleveland to Lexington and back . Jude and Faustina took especially long naps in the afternoon!