It's been awhile since I last posted.  I'm thankful I don't have the all-day nausea/getting sick like I used to, but now at 15.5 weeks pregnant I am still feeling blah and I never know if what I eat will agree or not with my babe and me.  I'm not a picky eater (unless I'm trying to avoid foods that I think will make me sick).

At this very moment I'm feeling OK and thought I would blog a little, especially since today, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of the Lenten season.  I'm thankful to have my blog because when I forget all the fun and creative ideas I have done with my family during Lent or any other time of the year, I can quickly access previous posts here on my blog as a way to remind myself of activities we have done in the past.  For example,  I went to a Lenten post in 2011 and I'm copying and pasting the post here to share some of our Lenten family traditions we do each year. 


The distribution of ashes reminds us of our own mortality and calls us to repentance. In the early Church, Ash Wednesday was the day on which those who had sinned, and who wished to be readmitted to the Church, would begin their public penance. The ashes that we receive are a reminder of our own sinfulness, and many Catholics leave them on their foreheads all day as a sign of humility.

In this article, Ash Wednesday Our Shifting Understanding of Lent, it states the following:
When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember who we are. We remember that we are creatures of the earth ("Remember that you are dust"). We remember that we are mortal beings ("and to dust you will return"). We remember that we are baptized. We remember that we are people on a journey of conversion ("Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"). We remember that we are members of the body of Christ (and that smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too).

Here is a great 2 minute video about Ash Wednesday:



Our family attended an Ash Wednesday Mass this morning to help us remember that, like the Advent season, Lent is also a time of preparation and a call to conversion.  It's funny to have people tell me that I have "dirt" on my forehead after we attend Ash Wednesday Mass.  When this is said to me, it gives me a great opportunity to share my faith.  Here is an Ash Wednesday coloring page from Lisa at CatholicMom .

Here are some other Lenten traditions that we do as a family:


Salt Dough Crown of Thorns
One day soon we will make our annual crown of thorns out of salt dough and you can find the link at Catholics United for the Faith (CUF).   Click HERE to find recipe and other Lenten resources from CUF.

Here is a picture I took in 2011 while my kid's hands mixed the salt dough ingredients:


Each time our children and my husband and I make little or big sacrifices during Lent, we will pull out a toothpick to remove Jesus' thorns from his crown. 

So many opportunities to think beyond ourselves, hence the many, many, many "thorns" !

Then just before Easter, our children will paint the thorn-less crown gold and glue jewels on the crown to represent that Jesus our King has risen!  The decorated crown looks lovely on the Easter table.  Here is a picture of a crown we did a few years ago:

Bean Jar
Speaking of sacrifices, another Lenten tradition our family does is the "bean jar".  We have a bowl filled with dried kidney beans, then when a family member makes a sacrifice, they put a bean in the jar.  Then on Easter morning the children will find that the beans that have accumulated in the jar during Lent will be changed into colorful and yummy jelly beans!
I can't remember where I got these particular coloring pages, but here are some other printable stations of the cross that children can color.

Several years ago, I found a simple presentation of the Stations of the Cross for kids 10 and under and this is what we use to say the stations during Lent.  It was in The Word Among Us Lenten Family Edition, Lent 2006 and HERE is a link to part of the article if you would like to review it.  Only subscribers to The Word Among Us can view this kid's version of Stations of the Cross in its entirety, however.

Last, but not least, I printed out this great printable Lent calendar for my children, which was drawn by Lacy at Catholic Icing.  Lacy has so many craft ideas and links for Lent and the entire liturgical year!  Be sure to check out her posts!

Have a blessed Lenten season!