Enjoying life to the full!

Here is little Elizabeth having fun on the swing!

Hello everyone!

Hi my name is Elizabeth. I am very proud to announce my first posting. I am 18 months old.

I just want to say: I love: Mummy, Daddy, Nonna and Jesus.

:-)

Igle Pigle

Here is Little Elizabeth: better known usually as Littleone or Igle Pigle (from the Night Garden TV programme on Cbeebies).

She has just joined our blog. Welcome Little Elizabeth Therese!

Love

Mummy and Daddy.

Honeymoon

This is me, eating a delicious lunch in the pretty town of Salzburg, Austria. The picture was taken on my honeymoon in December 2004: Peter and I had a romantic wedding in a beautiful 15th century Italian Church that Napoleon had intended to make his, though his plans were thwarted. We then spent our Christmas with my family, then journeyed through northern Italy via Venice to Vienna, lavishly yet tastefully decorated for the Christmas season. The highlight of our honeymoon was the Kaiserball in the Imperial Palace, for which Peter and I wore our wedding outfits.

As you might have guessed, I love to travel. I have lots of favourite saints, perhaps too many to mention. The following top my list: Padre Pio, St Jude the Apostle, St Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Faustina Kowalska, Sister Josefa Menendez, Padre Dehon, Papa Giovanni, Pope John Paul II, St Joseph...

Peter

Here I am! This was taken during our honeymoon in Austria 2004. This is in a restaurant in Saltzburg 100 yards from the cemetery in the film "The Sound of Music!"

Study, work, family, prayer Which comes first?

I pray, work, study and spend time with my family, but which comes first?

I think they all come first and they all come last. Being a family means you do the bits that you can when you can. Having said that, I have set times for: work ,study and prayer. My family time fits inbetween these as this is my relaxation time, but sometimes I must make specific time allocations to be with my family too. Being a human, I need routine to help me fulfill all requirements in these areas.

My family time is particularly special as it can be a place where the other elements come together: where I can talk about how my day went, exams, work, prayer etc. Where I can discuss and ask for advice about work and study. Also we can pray together each day as a family. It is during family time that I can really be "me", the good and the bad.

The great thing about prayer is that all these areas come together here too. In this special place, all these areas can be contemplated, debated and prayed for. The place where the whole "me" comes together. Where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Prayer makes sense of them all and enables me to make the right choices whether relating to work, study or the relationships I have with my family members.

It appears then that prayertime and familytime have a lot in common. Perhaps its because prayer is really just another family relationship: with my family in heaven.