Traveling with these wonderful guys has been so much fun. They’ve been patient as I took pictures, they’ve been thoughtful as I’ve stepped and pulled my way into trains (why, oh why are the steps as high as my shoulders on some trains?!), and they’ve cheered me on as...
Bruges, Belgium Our parish Father recommended we wander this beautiful city if we were able to. This was not on my original plan; however, taking the advice Fr. McDaniel is always a good idea! As people hurried into the market and the shops, we chose to explore the...
Ghent, Belgium As we were leaving for our flight, my dad suggested watching the movie ‘The Monument Men’. After the movie, I read all I could find about the art that was stolen during WWII. Seeing the Ghent Altarpiece (also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb)...
Beauraing, Belgium. Our first day, we took a train to Beauraing to visit Our Lady of Beauraing. I had planned a full day to figure out the train system and start our pilgrimage close to the heart of the Mother who watched her Son give everything for us.
“We need people, and people need the Lord” - Lynette from Brussels. (I was looking a little confused, apparently, as I approached a crosswalk in Brussels. A kind lady asked us if she could help and we told her we were looking for the train station. She said, “Follow...
We leave for Belgium late tomorrow night. I'm sitting in the hallway between the kids rooms, putting them to sleep. An email from Catholic Family Crate reminded me that it is Saint Anthony of Padua's feast day tomorrow! He is Julia's patron saint and earlier this...
In nine days, we will leave for Belgium. Brian, Riley, and I are making a pilgrimage to Geel, Belgium where St. Dymphna and Father Gerebern were martyred. We are asking for complete healing for Riley. Do I believe he could be healed right here in Lantana, Texas? Of...
I don't have any exact reason. I am not sure why I held these pictures close to my heart and didn't share them here. But I know that I couldn't stop smiling today when I looked at them, finally editing pictures that were taken in 2020. This was in February. That means...
Just before Christmas, Mary Alice celebrated her first Communion. Somehow, everything lined up in perfect harmony and Julia, Nate, both sets of grandparents, and Aunt Theresa were able to attend. (Cue the angels singing thanksgiving for living close to family once...
Andrea Boring joins us to share about Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida in this episode of Tripping Over the Saints. Andrea is a wife and mom of five kiddos, including two sets of twins. She is a Media Relations & Communications Specialist with a deep love for...
It seems a little silly, right - to be talking about my word of the year in late March? Last year my word was scaffolding. Weird word, absolutely incredibly meaningful. (Here is my story from last year about choosing that word.) Like a child pestering their Father...
Summer was coming. If I wanted to see the flowers in bloom, I had to act quickly. A huge wind storm had come through and the petals were mostly gone. Now, I'm not a big fan of going places by myself. But I'm a huge fan of flowers. Weighing my options, I drove to the...
In Pilot Point, Texas there is a Tulip Farm that makes me incredibly giddy for weeks. (I've been watching Enola Holmes, so I feel the movie's adorable way of explaining things influencing this post) I love adventuring. A day spent outdoors with the opportunity for hot...
In May, Julia graduated from Christendom College in Virginia. Mom, dad, Sebastian, and I drove. Brian, Riley, and Mary Alice flew so that they did not miss too much school. Four years...
In this renewed series of blog posts, I've given myself permission to do things I never would have done before. I've posted pictures from the seasons that have passed, I've posted pictures that have nothing to do with the post just because I liked the picture, and...
Fall seemed to never arrive this year. I watched and watched as my other friends and children posted beautiful pictures from the Northeast. I wanted to badly to see the leaves turn the golden and rust colors that make me point out the window as if it was the first...
I gave myself permission to post a picture from April. The patience of the bluebird. The hunger of the cardinal. I gave myself permission to write without excuses or apology. Why haven't I written on the blog in so long? Why is a space that is so dear to me quiet? I...
As we walked home after seeing the precious relics, we sat at a cafe and talked about what we wanted to do the next day. I told Brian that I was truly happy with everything we had seen. Every place that was on our 'must see' list, we had made it to! I told him we...
Our Sunday in Rome. By now, I was beginning to get used to walking miles each day. We decided on Saint Mary Major Basilica for an early Mass to avoid walking in the heat. Before I go any further in our story, I have to tell you about Mountain Butorac. He owns the...
Saint Paul Outside the Walls Seeing St. Paul Outside the Walls was something I'd been looking forward to for years. When my father returned from Rome with Julia, Brian, and Nate, this was the place he spoke of over and over. Seeing the chains of St. Paul in person...
I kept a journal while we were in Rome. My intention was to write in the journal every night. I wanted to capture the little details of each day. When I looked at Day 3, I just laughed. There was no details, just three lines of text: Vatican Museum Sistine Chapel...