was when this little girl decided to show up! It was 108 degrees and it broke the record heat for the past 50 years! I keep thinking it's appropriate that this fiery girl was brought into the world with all that heat! Needless to say, I was so thankful to be in the cool hospital room instead of the boiling apartment liked we planned. It was a disappointment for sure - but I am grateful for the fact that we do have hospitals. I think there were about 9 people watching Gianna's birth. Apparently they had never seen an unmedicated birth before! Happy to oblige, happy to oblige. (not!)
I will spare you the details but it was pretty smooth sailing birth. She came out screaming at the top of her lungs but as soon as she heard daddy's voice she calmed down. It was the sweetest moment ever. The nurses were wonderful and laid her right on my chest as she came out. I wouldn't want it any other way. All the pain, hard work, sweat and blood was worth it the moment Gianna was laid on my chest. Only a mother can understand.
After that I swore I would never do it again! hehe. You soon forget and I think it's God's way of carrying on the human race!
Happy Birthday Gianna! We love you through and through!
Now that she is 3, she has decided to wear makeup. Pretty soon she will be ready to go out with the boys!
Coned head and screaming, but so beautiful to me!!
Even though I have about six loads of laundry to fold and dirty dishes, I had to write this post! The kids and I watched Mary receive her habit and enter the novitiate this morning with the Servant Sisters. I could barely contain my tears and my heart barely stayed in my chest!
The graces were flowing, you could just tell. It was so incredible to witness a person take the first step in discerning a life totally and completely lived for God. She is doing it. The habit that she received today is a sign of the life she is living. It basically says to God, "I am completely yours, do with me as you will." There is something about the habit that is striking I think. I am often taken aback with surprise and joy when I see a religious walking around in public. It makes me want to talk to them. Tell them I am Catholic too. Tell them I support what they are doing, that I agree - and I am inspired. Inspired is the key I think. With the habit they can't "escape" their life, or try to be normal and fit in. We sure can, we can blend right in. In fact, I often want to blend right in and not be noticed as a Catholic. Not have my scapular accidentally hang out over my clothes, not be seen praying the rosary, etc. It's cowardice on my part - but the religious are a living and walking proof that they live their lives truly for God. They wear their HUGE scapulars for everyone to see. What a witness.
Mary receiving her scapular!
All day today I kept thinking about how the religious life compliments the married life. I have heard it before but today it took on a new meaning. When Mary and others join the religious life they give up a huge sacrifice. They will take a vow to remain celibate for the rest of their life. To the world this is absolutely crazy. "Why would anyone want to be celibate?!?! And for the rest of their lives??!!" they say. Understandably so, marriage is awesome.
By giving up the married life, by choosing celibacy, the religious are making a great sacrifice. Marriage is so important to God's plan that it takes years of discerning, wearing a habit, prayers after prayers and living a life radically different than that of the world. This is the religious life and this is their sacrifice. It complements marriage by simply giving it up. It is a hard thing to do. Yes, I'm sure they long for children, for the companionship of a spouse and all the wonderful things about marriage and living in the world - but as a religious Christ is their spouse and they are married to the Church. What a perfect spouse to have! I am a bit jealous because as a Sister they can truly say this prayer and make it their own:
"I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the fields,
and lodge in the villages, let us go out early to the vineyards, and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and over our doors are all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up for you, O my beloved."
- Song of Solomon 7: 10 -13
At the end of the procession the sisters came back to the Church to say hi to their families on the webcam. Each of the sisters said something different - but what was the same about all of them was their joy! They were beaming from ear to ear. The joy was almost contagious, I couldn't hold back my smile that's for sure!
Thank you Sisters, especially our very own Sister Mary for the witness you have given to all of us!
Excuse the poor quality - but can't you tell she is beaming?! She is saying hello to all her friends and family - telling us she is praying for us all!
I wanted to add a quick note here - Mary is still discerning the religious life. This means that she does not profess her final vows for five more years. She can discern this is not her vocation - and we completely support her in that. Our excitement is simply because she has chosen to discern - taken the leap. It's a big step because not many people do it! We support her 100% in her discernment period, no matter the outcome. Please remember to keep her in your prayers because discernment isn't easy!
"The virgin's heart must be far more generous in its love than even the
heart of the married; it must be inebriated by that supernatural love
which destroys all selfishness...The closer a soul is united to God, Who
is Love, the more it loves. Surely the bride of Christ, the Son of the
Eternal Father, wedded as she is to Love Incarnate, must exceed all in
love. We know now why consecrated virginity represents the most exalted
state on earth: because it involves a marriage in the strictest sense
with Christ; and because it is not only the state of greatest purity,
but the state of greatest love. The vocation of Christ's bride is
simple--to love."
- Dietrich von Hildebrand
Now for your viewing pleasure!
Make sure to read Clare's reflection on Mary joining the religious life here:
When Mom was here she gave me a few old pictures of Mary to share with everyone. Clare is also going to post something about Mary, but first, look how cute she is!
To me, Mary was the sweetest sister you could have. She was my friend in the animal loving department! There was a point where Clare and Fran decided to room together because Mary and I wanted animals in our room. - rats! We loved them. At one point they had many little babies who would crawl all over our room because the cage wire was too large to hold them in. They even crawled on us while we slept! Mary and I loved it, they were our babies! It was a fun year rooming and bonding with her.
Now she is in Spain and will be there for the next two years. Sad and joyous at the same time! In a week she will be entering the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother. She has been VERY busy leading up to this, which explains why we have not heard from her on the blog. Mom, Dad and Grandma are on their way this very moment to spend the week in Spain and see her join the sisters as a novice. She's getting her habit! We are STOKED! (If you couldn't tell!)
Mom sent me the information in order to watch her entrance! If you are interested in watching here are the details:
The date: Monday, July 16th at NOON! (Easter time I believe, I will make sure to get confirmation on this)
There will be reminders via facebook and the blog. Hopefully there is a recording we can put up as well. It's about the best way we can participate being so far away. Please remember to pray for her as she enters the sisters, as she will pray for you too!
If you have any special intentions for Mom and Dad while they visit shrines in Spain and Rome, please email them to: jrgallaherfamily at gmail dot com.
Mary is the little one in the picture with a box boat. So happy and sweet!
"My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible
arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by
experience."
Today we went to the river and had a great time. The kid's loved playing in the water and it was so nice to hang out with just us, we definitely needed some family time!
I knew this was to be expected but I was struck by the fact that all the women there were wearing bikinis. I did not see one modest swim suit. I understand it's hot, but I don't understand why people choose these types of bathing suits.
Then I got to thinking, is it really that sexy to wear a bikini? Do women wear them because we think we look sexy in them?
Then I got to thinking it's pretty sexy to hide a lot of our body. You know, keep it a secret. I saw way more than I wanted today at the river. I'm starting to understand that I like keeping secrets regarding my body, I like not being known to other men.There is something very attractive about women who keep their secrets. Who keep them guessing. :)
If wearing a bikini and showing so much of our bodies is truly sexy then wouldn't we want that solely for our spouse? Wouldn't we want to say, "My body is only known to my lover, and I am so proud of that!"
We don't have to wear something like this:
But what's so bad about this?
If we are truly striving to live out the Gospel and attain heaven, shouldn't our lives look different?
Shouldn't our lives look radically different?
After we got home from the beach, we enjoyed our favorite chewy almond flour cookies, make sure to check out the new recipe!
"You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all."
-St. Therese of Lisieux
I had to pass this story along. If you don't read the whole thing, please at least read what her husband said about her. It gave me the chills, it's so beautiful! They are calling her the next Gianna Molla, what a witness!
Emotional goodbye for young Italian mother who died for unborn child
(CNA) Hundreds
of Italians gathered at the Church of St. Francisca Romana in Rome on
June 16 for the funeral Mass of Chiara Corbella, a young Catholic woman
who died after postponing her cancer treatments in order to protect her
unborn child.
At 28
years of age, Chiara was happily married to Enrico Petrillo. They had
already suffered the loss of two children in recent years who died from
birth defects. The couple became popular speakers at pro-life events, in
which they shared their testimony about the few minutes they were able
to spend with their children, David and Maria, before they died.
In 2010,
Chiara became pregnant for the third time, and according to doctors the
child was developing normally. However, Chiara was diagnosed with an
aggressive form of cancer and was advised to begin receiving treatment
that would have posed a risk to her pregnancy.
Chiara
decided to protect the baby – named Francisco – and opted to forgo
treatment until after his birth, which took place on May 30, 2011.
Her cancer
quickly progressed and eventually she lost sight in one eye. After a
year-long battle Chiara died on June 13, surrounded by her loved ones
and convinced that she would be reunited with her two children in
heaven.
“I am
going to heaven to take care of Maria and David, you stay here with Dad.
I will pray for you,” Chiara said in a letter for Francisco that she
wrote one week before her death.
The
funeral Mass was celebrated by the Vicar General of Rome, Cardinal
Agostino Vallini, who recalled Chiara as “the second Gianna Beretta,”
the 20th century saint who sacrificed her life in similar circumstances
to save her unborn baby.
Chiara’s
spiritual director, Father Vito, delivered the homily and remembered
Chiara as a young woman who chose to risk her own life in order to be an
example to other pregnant women, “a testimony that could save so many
people,” he said.
Chiara’s
husband, Enrico, said he experienced “a story of love on the cross.”
Speaking to Vatican Radio, he said that they learned from their three
children that there is no difference in a life that lasts 30 minutes or
100 years.
“It was wonderful to discover this love that grew more and more in the face of so many problems,” he said.
“We grew
more and more in love with each other and Jesus. We were never
disappointed by this love, and for this reason, we never lost time, even
though those around us said, 'Wait, don’t be in a hurry to have another
child,'” Enrico said.
The world
today encourages people to make wrong choices about the unborn, the sick
and the elderly, he noted, “but the Lord responds with stories like
ours.”
“We are
the ones who like to philosophize about life, about who created it, and
therefore, in the end, we confuse ourselves in wanting to become the
owners of life and to escape from the cross the Lord gives us,” he
continued.
“The truth
is that this cross – if you embrace it with Christ – ceases to be as
ugly as it looks. If you trust in him, you discover that this fire, this
cross, does not burn, and that peace can be found in suffering and joy
in death,” Enrico explained.
“I spent a
lot of time this year reflecting on this phrase from the Gospel that
says the Lord gives a cross that is sweet and a burden that is light.
When I would look at Chiara when she was about to die, I obviously
became very upset. But I mustered the courage and a few hours before –
it was about eight in the morning, Chiara died at noon – I asked her.
I said:
'But Chiara, my love, is this cross really sweet, like the Lord says?
She looked at me and she smiled, and in a soft voice she said, 'Yes,
Enrico, it is very sweet.' In this sense, the entire family didn’t see
Chiara die peacefully, but happily, which is totally different,” Ernico
said.
When his
son grows up, he added, he will tell him “how beautiful it is to let
oneself be loved by God, because if you feel loved you can do anything,”
and this is “the most important thing in life: to let yourself be loved
in order to love and die happy.”
“I will
tell him that this is what his mother, Chiara, did. She allowed herself
to be loved, and in a certain sense, I think she loved everyone in this
way. I feel her more alive than ever. To be able to see her die happy
was to me a challenge to death.”
The Bishops of the United States are rallying against the ObamaCare, but more importantly they are rallying for religious freedom. Yup, that's right, religious freedom.
If you saw the movie, "For Greater Glory" you would know exactly what I am talking about. Religious persecution starts somewhere, right here in the US it's starting with the ObamaCare. Taking away our freedom to choose NOT to support contraception, abortion and the like. The government is trying to make us support the culture of death.
No thank you.
The Fortnight For Freedom campaign started yesterday. Bishops are rallying in every diocese, united with the lay people to pray and fast for freedom. What can we do?
We can pray.
And we can take action.Here is a list of all the diocese that have planned events for the fortnight for freedom. Get behind our Bishops, they need our support and prayers!
Please share the information about Fortnight For Freedom. The word won't spread in the mainstream media.
This past weekend Brian and I got to go on a last minute date(YEAH!) and decided to go for a late night movie. But we never go to the movies, we just feel that our time and money is better spent else where, especially when we don't get out as much as we'd like. Anyway, this movie was different, very different and definitely worth the time and money. I was so inspired and moved to the point of an almost spontaneous heart combustion that I had HAD to share my thoughts, so here they are.
This film "For Greater Glory", was such an incredible piece of art! The photography was superb, the acting incredible and the story was seriously divinely inspired. The story of a young mischievous (at least from the directors point of view) boy whose life was touched by one person who saw good in him, became the hero. A hero for believers and non-believers alike, a hero for his Faith, his country, and for freedom. A saint to encourage us all to stand up for the Truth and fight for our right to worship God freely.
This isn't coincidence that the film has made it's appearance now, it is very fitting for our time here in America, where the Church and the family is under attack by our very government. I have heard priest and holy people say that very soon the Church in America will undergo such persecution, even an Archbishop.
Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, made a sombre prediction two years ago: “I expect to die in bed; my successor will die in prison; and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”
Not to go all serious and grim on you but I feel the need to express what has been on my heart lately: Hope! Great hope that our family and loved ones have this opportunity for greatness. God has given us (the Church) the tools and graces we need to be saints in time of peace or persecution. We just have to reach for them.
The more we seek out these gifts and listen to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit the more we will know the will of the Father and in doing so we give Him the Greater Glory.
So, brothers and sisters, I encourage you to watch the movie but mostly to live boldly for Christ. In doing so we die to ourselves and grasp more fully the life of peace He so longs to give us.
Hi Everybody! We have had an exciting start to our summer. Check out the pictures for details!!
William spends alot of time chillin' with Daddy in the garage.
as well as being held by Bobby. He is a good motivation. Bobby will get things done well and fast so he can go play with William. He also, takes pride in telling everyone we meet that this is his little brudder!
William loves to chill in the center of attention. Here he is in the middle of the food table when we were picnicking with my sisters. Later that day he was snoozing on the island at my Mama's house.
William's first swim at 3 1/2 weeks old. He loved it!
Joyce is quite the fish and spends the whole time on Robert's back like a barnacle. She is very good at keeping her head above water as he swims around.
My little fishy family!
Over Memorial weekend we all went down to the ranch with the Leon Schapers. Bobby would wake up in the morning go grab this green helmet, because it is the only one that fits his mondo huge head, and wait for the boys to wake up and give him a ride. the only way you could get him to leave is if you promised to go fishing.
The handsome hunter got a big one with one .22 shot!
Mama Lucy and her little chicks
I left William on the bed and went to get changed. When I came back I found that he was now Joyce's little doll.. Thank goodness for guardian Angels.
Bobby and Daddy fishing. All the other kids would be playing and he stayed right there and fished. He finally did catch one, though.
Cute dirty face.
Lots of little Ranchy bathing beauties.
Agnes and Magdalena
William chilling out helping us garden.
Bobby graduated form preschool last week. Yay Bob! they did a great little program with song and dance and then a party after. A great memento was that they had all the kids sign each others white shirt. A great idea that store's easy
Peter turned one and I still can't believe it. My little boy is not so
little anymore! Here are a few pictures of the party we threw for him. If you want to read all about his birth you can click here.
Grandpa and Grandma Doll came all the way from Canada to visit, it was so special to see them!
Three generations of some good looking men!
This is about the best shot I got. He wasn't too sure of all the attention so Daddy held him for most of the birthday song.
Once he discovered what it really was he had no problem eating it!
This is all a little boy really wants to do on his big day.
This was round two of the party, we had an open house which meant friends and food ALL day! It was so fun. This is Hazel his little friend. She was born two months before Peter with the same lovely midwife. :)
MMM, mmmmm, cupcakes! That's all for now folks!
Happy Feast of St. Justin Martyr!
Prayer for today:
Saint Justin Martyr, pray that in our search for the Truth, God will open the gates of light for us the way God did for you and give us the wisdom no human being can give. Amen
So lately I have been reminiscing. Being around a sibling really helps and when we went to California we all had a blast talking about the good 'ol days. :) Robert and I laughed and laughed about all the ridiculous animals we had. I swear we could have been considered an animal shelter. You name it we had it! Someday I will scan some of the pictures I have of the animals, but for now I wanted to post some old pictures to share. Enjoy and have a wonderful day! May Our Lady guide you and the Angels protect you. :)
Rhody! He was THE BEST DOG! Look how handsome and young he is here! Oh did I ever love him.
My first Christmas and my best friend in the whole world giving me a kiss!
Lucy Lewis (Schaper) and I!
Checking out Dottie Gallaher. Peter looks a lot like this right now :)
A boy with his boots and silly faces. Some things don't change. :) Clare simply looks like mischief here!
It didn't matter how simple and seemingly "poor" our life was, we were the happiest kids around! Mom and Dad sacrificed and sacrificed for us!
And where did that fourth baby come from? hehe. We love you Joe!
