End Of Junior Master Gardener For Now

I blogged about Gabriela’s Junior Master Gardener last year <here> and how much she loved it. The homeschool program came to an end today and she received this beautiful ‘Growing a Vegetable Garden’ certificate of completion. Gabriela will still be in JMG, but with a different group and not homeschool and she will only go once a month instead of twice a month.Great job Gabriela!

The teacher, Miss Vasha gave each students a CD of the JMG Journal. You can read below (unfortunately the journal below is not an iPhone, iPod Touch nor iPad compatible, you have to read it the old fashion way . . . computer!)

Gabriela's JMG Journal

First Cache Location

My first hidden cache located at N 33°12'49.0212" W 87°17'34.0188". You can enter this coordinates in your GPS and find the hidden cache.

New to the hobby of geocaching? Well, I am very new at it! On this first hide, I didn’t put much thought to it and hid it rather quickly and I hope the coordinates is accurate as I want it to be. I think hiding the cache is more difficult than finding it, because you have to make sure that you are not too close to the next cache that a cacher hid (the rule is you have to be at least 528 feet apart). In our area there are a lot of cache everywhere, you can do a quick errand to a grocery store and on the way back you can try to find a cache or two.

Gabriela and I went out on Saturday for quick errands and we found 4 geocaches on the way there and back. Although what we found were small or micro cache which usually doesn’t take that much space to hide. Could be really hard to find or could be really easy, it all depends! But regardless of the sizes, we enjoy hunting for the cache!A micro cache is hanging on the fence the size of a chap stick.

Another Milestone

When you look at this picture, you may be thinking . . . “oh no”, they are letting their daughter be an alter “girl” server (although alter girls are approved by the Church), however we do believe strongly an alter server should be “boys” for the sake of nurturing their possible vocation to the priesthood. And we do  believe that there are places for girls to take part in Holy Mass, such as being in the choir.

Gabriela has joined and has been practicing in the girls choir at our parish, Our Lady of Sorrows. Her debut singing in the choir was today at the 8:30 am Holy Mass. It was so beautiful and very touching to see that our little girl is doing something that she loves to do and at the same time praising God through her singing, and she looks so cute in her choir outfit.

Happy Birthday Gabriela!

Once upon a time someone had told me, “the more children you have the easier it becomes.” Well, I have to say it is somewhat true. Today Gabriela turns 8 years old and we had a birthday party for her last Sunday, and she . . .

. . . decorated her own cake

and . . . organized “pin the nose on the clown” game.

Happy birthday my little “big” girl! We love you!

Junior Master Gardener

Gabriela has enrolled in the Junior Master Gardener (An international youth gardening program of the University Extension network) and attended the first class at the Aldridge Gardens last week. JMG mission is: to grow good kids by igniting a passion for learning, success and service through a unique gardening education.She has her own 15 square foot plot of garden that she will be responsible of taking care of it through out the duration of the program. She could grow any vegetables or plants and at the same time learn how to grow and care of them. She loves it!

We will be updating this blog from time to time with the progress of her garden plot at the Aldridge Gardens or if you are in the area, you are welcome to visit her garden plot (behind the pavilion), and it’s marked with her name on the upside-down clay pot. 

First Holy Communion on Holy Thursday April 9, 2009

Thank you very much for all your prayers for Gabriela’s First Holy Communion. The Holy Mass was beautiful and will be remembered for a long time. Alleluia, Thanks be to God!

We had a nice celebration after the Holy Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe hall and Br. Louis performed a juggling act for us. You are very talented Brother! 

First Holy Communion Preparation Novena

As part of Gabriela’s 1st Holy Communion preparation, we are doing a nine day novena to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament & the Archangel Gabriel. Gabriela’s uncle, Fr. Miguel wrote the novena prayers and The Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration made these beautiful novena cards. Our gratitude and thanks to Fr. Miguel Marie and The Sisters for being a part of Gabriela’s 1st Holy Communion preparation. Beautiful prayers and beautiful novena cards!
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Novena to Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament
and the Archangel Gabriel
for the occasion of First Holy Communion Preparation

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Mary, my Mother, I love you. Thank you for always leading us to Jesus. Teach me how to assist properly at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Prepare my mind and heart for my First Holy Communion. Pour your love into my little heart. Help me to always be ready to receive Jesus. Whenever I am not ready because of serious sin, lead me to Confession so that I would be ready to receive your Son. Help me to always receive Holy Communion worthily as if it would be my first time, or as if it would be my last time, or as if it would be my only time. And lead me to visit and adore frequently your Son, Jesus, Who is truly and really present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist.

Archangel Gabriel, my patron, pray for me and be always with me especially as I approach Jesus, our God, to receive Him and to adore Him in the Holy Eucharist. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

BIG and Important Word

We are in preparation for Gabriela’s 1st Communion, God willing it will be on Holy Thursday. During the preparation, among other things, she has to know the meaning of transubstantiation [tran-suh-b-stan-shee-ey-shuhn] Even I had a difficult time pronouncing this word, but I think I got it now!

According to the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Transubstantiation means the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of the whole substance of wine into the substance of his Blood. This change is brought about in the eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. However, the outward characteristics of bread and wine, that is the “eucharistic species”, remain unaltered.

Let’s keep Gabriela in your prayers during her 1st Communion preparation that the Holy Spirit will guide her during these days and to continue opening her heart and mind to love the Eucharist and to understand fully what this sacrament is all about.

Who’s Putting Who to Sleep?

 

Gabriela has been such a good BIG sister to Christiana and big helper taking care of her little sister. She would change her diapers, sit with her, walk with her or putting her to sleep, and while she is at it, she would put herself to sleep too!

Life is Beautiful!

	LIFE
LIFE		LIFE
	LIFE

Today marks the anniversary of one of the saddest days in our nation’s history. 36 years ago the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that women have the constitutional right to end the lives of their unborn children. This was a victory for abortion extremists and other enemies of life. Let’s pray that the end of abortion will end soon – God Help Us!

First Confession for Gabriela

Today was a big day for Gabriela, she had her first confession. She chose to have her uncle, Fr. Miguel to hear her first confession. She also chose to do it now rather than later (sometime in March before her First Communion), because she wanted to give Jesus this gift for Christmas.

Afterward we let her choose to have lunch at a place where she wants to celebrate this big day, and she picked to have lunch at Chuck E Cheese. Thank you to Grandpa and Grandma for coming out to celebrate this big day with us and thank you to Fr. Miguel too.

Abigail and Gabriela Dancing Away.

This is really cute! Abigail is following every steps her big sister is doing, even the bobbing of the head. The quality of the video is not the greatest, but I think you can see these two dancing away. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comment section.