Thoughts for August...

I CAN'T BELIEVE it will be August this week! I don't know where summer has gone. Wednesday begins another fasting period. In some ways I look forward to these fasting periods during the year. It gives me a time to refocus and slow down a bit. Often times there are more services, our meals are a bit more simple and we are forced to slow down and redirect our attentions.

August also gets me thinking autumn is just around the corner, school plans to finalize, up coming birthdays and names days to plan. Autumn is one of my most favorite times of year. I love the weather, the inspirations for crafts, decorating... on and on it goes. It also gets me thinking of knitting projects. I know I've been doing lots of quilting, but I need to begin my knitting or the kiddos will freezing this winter.

I've been getting out my needles now and again and now the kids are getting in on the act. The kiddos have Knitting Towers to learn. They love making their long "snakes" of yarn (simular to i-cords) with their towers. Soon we'll have snakes throughout the house!!

I'm in the process of finishing up a hat before I get started on some winter jumpers for the boys. Because of a mix up with an order earlier in the year I have a bunch of skeins on lovely grey merino wool. I think I'm going to get a skein each of their favorite color so I can do some color work so they can be a bit different. I also have some lovely wool to make a cozy cardy for my little bit. I also found some adorable mushroom buttons for her sweater. But I'll share the photos of those when I begin that project.

As for now we just need to finish up with our visiting family and begin to finalize the structure of our upcoming shift in cycle. I also need to think about the new year. The "new year" you ask? Well, the beginning of the new Church year is September 1st. We usually have a blessing service at church and then we sit down as a family and talk about what we would like to work on during this new year to help our relationship with our Lord. Our new years "resolutions" so to speak. Each year as our children grow older they take on more of living their faith with the rest of us. For example in our family our children don't completely partake in the fasts until they receive their first confession. Then as they grow they work on it each year until they can keep the fasts more completely. This year my 7 year old will begin to serve on the altar with his older brother, which is very exciting. The new year is just a time to examine our walk with the Lord and what we can do better. We really do this before each fast as well, but we make a bigger deal about it for the "New Year".

So as we prepare for the Dormition of Our Lady, we can also be looking for her Nativity in the new year! Hope you are enjoying your summer! Have a lovely day!