7 Quick Takes - Joyful June

Coming in just under the wire to get a post up before the month of June fades away into oblivion.  Thank you to Kelly for allowing me to link up with her blog.  Check it out!

--1--

Check out my handsome little dude in his First Holy Communion suit.  Oh my, he has grown so fast.  He received his FHC on the Feast of Corpus Christi. Since he was the only child in our church to make their FHC this year (we belong to a very small Catholic mission), we got to pick the date and the Feast of Corpus Christi just seemed appropriate.  He did a wonderful job and it feels like he grew up overnight.  I'm so proud of this little man.  He was ready for this special moment.

--2--

The other watershed moment of the month happened on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, when our son met his birthmother for the very first time.  I can't tell you how important and special this moment was that took 7 years to come to fruition.  It's really indescribable.  Let's just say that the Holy Spirit is working miracles and this new relationship we have with his birthmother is simply beautiful. I am so happy for her, for my family, and most especially, for my son, whose smile I think, says it all.  I am so incredibly thankful that the Holy Spirit led us down the path to choose adoption those many years ago. The goodness that came from her selfless decision continues to ripple out to others to this day. My heart is full seeing these two special people in my life getting to know one another now and God is doing wonderful things in his good time.

--3--

Springtime brought the usual round of chores.  The garden is off and running and probably the best one I've had yet since moving to Kentucky, most of which is the result of getting up early and working in it for an hour after sunrise a few times a week.  I have loved these quiet, cool mornings in the garden.  We try to grow organic so when the Colorado potato bugs attacked the potatoes, I bribed the boys into picking them off for me by offering them a nickel for each larvae and a dime for each adult bug.  Would you believe they've picked almost 400 bugs off!  I may need to lower my price next year.  However, they decided to use the money they earned to take the family out for lunch, so in a way, it was a win-win for me, and it all came full circle.  The "new potatoes" are ready to eat now and there's nothing much better, cooked up with some fresh green beans and pork.

Counting his tater bugs.

--4--

Heat is rapidly replacing spring showers now and our boys are spending a lot of time in the creeks.  I'm not sure about most kids, but my boys cannot resist jumping into a stream during the summertime. Even if they are fully clothed. I used to fret about this kind of thing but have learned that some battles are best left unfought.  It's a good reminder to me that the outdoor world is God's playground for all of us, and nobody probably appreciates that more than a 7 year old little boy.

--5--

When not in creeks or picking bugs off the 'taters, John has discovered a new joy in listening to my old collection of vinyl records that he found stashed away.  Doc Watson is his favorite.  Lately, he has been alternating between my Doc Watson vinyl and his father's Dire Straits and Pink Floyd CDs.  He has quite the wide-range in musical taste!

--6--

John and his dad also celebrated their patron saint's feast day this month.  If you have read John's birth story, you know that he was named after St. John the Baptist and that the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is a very special day for us. It also happens to be his dad's birthday, as well.  We made the day extra special for them both, with cake and a few gifts.  It was especially nice that the Solemnity fell on a Sunday this year.  The Responsorial Psalm from that day is one of my favorites and a good reminder to all of us just how special we are in the eyes of God.  If you've forgotten it, go look it up.  Psalm 139.

--7--

As June ends, I am also finding myself ending six years of voluntary unemployment.  This past week, I accepted a part-time position as a wildlife biologist with a consulting firm.  It's mostly just summertime work, doing biological (bat) surveys and a few reports, so it fits well into our homeschooling routine.  However, it's been a big transition for the family since I have to travel away from home a few days at a time, and they are used to me being with them all. the. time.  I'm so blessed to have a supportive husband who helps make this happen and knows that being a biologist, and not only a wife and mother, is part of what makes me tick.  We'll see how it goes.  And speaking of wildlife, we set up a couple of game cameras on our property to see what's "out there" and I thought I'd share some of the photos we captured here with you.  Looks like my boys aren't the only wild things attracted to creeks (and sardines)!

See you in July!