Sun Sun Sun

I was almost giddy today with the sight of the golden sun shining from above all day long! It was absolutely gorgeous today...all day. As I drove the girls to school and we headed east at the top of 228th hill the view of the Olympics was breath-taking. As I picked them up 6 hours later it was precisely as I had left it. We had spring fever and stopped off at the park on the way home. Here are a few pictures of the kids soaking up the sun!

A tribute

This is a tribute to one of my and Sara's favorite foods as we've posted on our blogs recently.
She tagged me for the 4 meme and we both listed homemade bread as our favorite food...it made me hungry. So today I pulled my grandma's whole wheat bread recipe out and baked....mmmmm, it was delicious!

Okay...so it sure tasted good but it seems a bit short. It seemed to not raise well the second time around. I seem to have this problem a lot. I wonder if it raised too fast or something. It appears to have gone down once I turned the oven on (the bread was on top rising) and I wonder if the heat from the preheating oven was too much. Any thought from those of you who bake bread often. I've gotten into baking quite a bit but am still learning.

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Sara

Four jobs you have had in your life
1. Reservation Agent with Northwest Airlines
2. dry cleaner presser
3. mailroom attendant
4. office cleaner on college campus

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
1. Parenthood
2. An Affair to Remember
3. When Harry met Sally
4. Sound of Music

4 Places You Have Lived
1. W. St. Paul, MN
2. Costa Mesa, CA
3. Bellevue, WA
4. Bothell, WA

4 TV Shows You Love To Watch
1. CSI
2. Survivor
3. 24
4. Law & Order

4 Places You Have Been On Vacation
1. New Mexico
2. Montana
3. Campgrounds all over MN/WI
4. Campgrounds all over WA

4 Websites You Visit Daily
1. Paradosis
2. Blue Canopy
3. Chronicles of Mary
4. In the process of weeding out....AND MANY MORE BLOGS

4 Of Your Favorite Foods
1. Good ice cream
2. Fresh-baked bread with butter
3. Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese
4. stove-top popped popcorn with real butter

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Minnesota
2. walking on a beach with James ( preferably a cool climate)
3. visiting Alaska
4. St. John the Forerunner Monastery in Goldendale

4 Bloggers You Are Tagging
1. Anyone who wants to
2.
3.
4.

Update on my dad

Here are my original posts #1 and #2.

Thank you for all your prayers!!! I just spoke with my dad today and learned that he has been almost completely smoke-free for 2 weeks now only have 2 cigarettes in the last 2 weeks!! He smoked nearly 3 packs a day prior to this! His spirits are high and I was so excited to hear how well he's been doing.
He goes in Wednesday to set up for 6 weeks of radiation at 5 days a week! There is a possibility that through the radiation his throat could get so sore he would not be able to eat. If this happens he would have a temporary feeding tube put in.

Thank you for your prayers and your continued prayers!

The clergyman of our family.

Here we have Fr. Nicholas and Dn. Joseph ready to serve. I created a pattern and sewed up these vestments for the boys for Christmas...they just opened them today on the 10th day of Christmas. We had to pry them off to get ready for bed. They took a bowl and filled it with lincoln logs and said it was the antidoron. I took a bell and tied rope on it for a censer.

Feast Day of St. Juliana and St. Seraphim

Christ is born!
Glorify Him!

I just wanted to write a little today as today is the feast day of two my favorite saints!

St. Seraphim of Sarov...a wonderful website here with his life and some of his writings. St. Juliana of Lazarevo...her story here.
A year and a half ago I taught vacation Church School and my class studied St. Seraphim. It was really a wonderful time and I love his story and the writings I've read so far.
St. Juliana was brought to my attention sometime over this past year, I came across this site and found her listed under Saints for the Kitchen and Home and investigated. If only I could develop even half of her virtue!

Oh most Holy St. Juliana and St. Seraphim, please pray unto God for me.

Troparion - Tone 4
You loved Christ from your youth, O blessed one,
and longing to work for Him alone you struggled in the wilderness in constant prayer and labor.
With penitent heart and great love for Christ you were favored by the Mother of God.
Therefore we cry to you:
"Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father."

Troparion - Tone 4
By your righteous deeds you revealed to the world
An image of the perfect servant of the Lord.
By your fasting, vigil and prayers,
You were inspired in your evangelical life,
Feeding the hungry and caring for the poor,
Nursing the sick and strengthening the weak.
Now you stand at the right hand of the Master, Christ,
O holy Juliana, interceding for our souls.

And for those who have taken them as their patron saints....Many Years!!
Many, many years to Nathan Seraphim, Juliana Plew, and Arielle Juliana and Seraphim (Sky)!