Alleluia, they're back!

The hummingbirds have returned!!

AND...

The Celtic Festival was a success!!

1,000 people turned out for the fun event.

Susan Boyle

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0901753.htm

Most of you have probably heard of Susan Boyle. I just learned about her tonight and was touched by her innocence and simplicity even more than her voice. She does have a beautiful voice but I think her sweetness is what really moved the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

"Jesus" and Easter Pics

Mikey has been recognizing the various pictures we have of Jesus in the house. Yesterday he saw a holy card and said to me "Jesus". I'm so glad he knows the Holy Name of Jesus!


We had a beautiful Easter Day and Vigil. Mrs. Conley entered the Catholic church with much joy. We had an Easter egg hunt at the park next to the church and Mikey participated for the first time. After he warmed up to the idea, he had a great time searching for eggs.

Happy Easter season to all!!

Front Royal Celtic Festival

Michael is organizing a Celtic Festival which will take place on April 25th.
He has lined up Irish and Scottish dancers and singers as well.
There will be a fiddling, highland games and lots of good food.
It is shaping up to be a great event and Michael has put a lot of work and thought into this event.
It will be held at the Rivendell Commons on progress Drive in Front Royal.
For more info. check out:
http://www.frontroyalcelticfestival.com/

Dr. Laura

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=4275446&referralPlaylistId=949437d0db05ed5f5b9954dc049d70b0c12f2749 (Dr. Laura on Fox news)

She's written a book called In Praise of Stay at Home Moms. I haven't read it but I appreciate her bringing awareness of all the moms out there who are making a difference in the world by being at home with their children.

Autism Awareness Day

Today is Autism Awareness Day and I am posting this article about a family with 6 children...all autistic. They didn't know for sure that they were all on the autism spectrum until the youngest was born.

I admire their faith and perseverance.

Living with Autism
by Karina Timmel
When Robin and John Kirton, of Salt Lake City, married 12 years ago, they agreed that they wanted a big family. They got it: Their six children now range in age from 4 to 15. What they didn’t plan was that all of their kids would have autism, a brain disorder that affects social and communication skills.
“When we first found out, we went through a grieving period and still have times when we feel overwhelmed,” John says. But despite the challenges of raising their unique family, the couple maintains a positive outlook. Here, they offer advice to anyone facing tough times.
There’s a reason for everything.“We believe that kids are sent to certain families for a reason, and God thought we were up to the task. We’ve gone from being depressed to realizing that there is a higher purpose,” John says.
Let go of what’s not important. “I used to like having things a certain way around the house, but when you have autistic children, you learn to let that go. Now I can enjoy eating dinner with my wife with a pile of clothes on one side and cereal on the floor, and just zone it out,” John explains.
Find joy in the small things. “I watch Ammon (age 5), for example. He loves playing with blocks and shapes. He can play for an hour and be completely entertained,” he says.
The Kirtons help parents of autistic kids make sense of their situation by blogging on their website, Autismbites.com, and responding to e-mails about the condition.
Keep your sense of humor. “Sometimes, if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry,” John says.

Autism is on the rise and I hope to do my part to help children on the autism spectrum.

God bless all dealing with autism.

Mikey is making improvements in this area. Today I wrote down words and he read them to me! He now knows his name and knows how to spell it :)