Be Yellow

Trip to KY

Sarah — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:29:11 GMT

I'm a little tardy in getting this post up but better late than never, right?!?!

Ryan took John Paul back to visit his family in December and I made the trip with the boy in January to visit mine. John Paul and I got to spend 5 whole days touring the midwest and seeing friends and family, it was so nice!

The trip itself went rather smoothly, thanks to JP having his own seat on the airplane (Thanks Meme and Papa!). He can technically still fly free but given his size (he's a giant for his age) and my current "size" (no comments please!) it didn't seem feasible that we share a seat. To be honest, I am really not sure it would have been possible. It is hard to hold him on my lap anywhere these days, let alone in a cramped airplane seat.

We flew into Chicago and got to have dinner with my college friend Emily, her husband Josh, and their baby girl Sophie. It was our first time getting to meet Sophie, or "Soph-EEEEE" as John Paul calls her. She's a doll, and so are her parents.

The next couple of days were spent in my hometown just relaxing at my parents house. I got to watch cable TV (hello TLC- Say Yes to the Dress!) and just veg out. Ryan's mom made the trip over to Indiana to see John Paul and got to spend a day and night with us before we made the trek (with my parents) to Kentucky for my Boompa's 91st Birthday!

We finished our trip with a couple days visiting my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and then flew back to Denver. It was an excellent trip but I will admit I like traveling better when Ryan comes too!

I know it is blurred but look at the JOY on his face- he LOVES

the "pee-no."

Tractor ride in Bremen.

Four generation photo on Boompa's 91st Birthday!

Learning the "art" of sports watching with Boomps.

Reading "Goodnight Moon" with Meema.

Latest Developments

Sarah — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:02:41 GMT

Many of you have probably heard about John Paul's most recent "phase." He learned how to gently, easily, without falling, climb out of his crib. CLIMB OUT OF HIS CRIB!?!?!!?!?

This was something Ryan and I had been anticipating and waiting for but were hoping to make it until May or so before we took him out of the crib. We are going to use the pack 'n play for the baby and then once our company is gone, and JP is a little bit closer to being 2, we will give him the "guest" bed. Last week we thought we might have to change plans. Once he figured out how to climb out of crib (and a pack 'n play) there was no stopping him. We couldn't get him down for naps, bedtime was a disaster, and mornings were full of the surprise of hearing his bedroom door open (he can do that too!).

Ryan's first question was, "Does Graco make a cage?" The answer, in short, is YES! It isn't be Graco but you can purchase on Amazon (for about 50 bucks) a "crib tent." It seemed like it would never arrive but it has, was immediately installed, and life is much better because of it. It definitely is not a flimsy product. It was well engineered and without a pocket knife to cut a hole in the mesh, I don't think John Paul will be able to get out. It is hard to tell in the picture that follows that the mesh goes all the way down the sides of the crib and actually goes under the mattress. Don't ask how changing the sheets goes, we haven't tried it yet.

He was asleep when we put him in this for the first time. We would've loved

to see his face when he woke up...

In other childhood development news, Baby #2 is growing bigger everyday. I get many questions and comments about my due date, especially at work- none of which are nice, but I have been feeling fairly well and am just getting excited to meet this new little miracle!

And because I just couldn't resist- here is a picture of my sweet Baby #1. He doesn't look much like a baby anymore does he!?!?!

And the winner is...

Ryan and Sarah — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:59:55 GMT

In 2009, we were scandalized by our alma mater's inexcusable act of bestowing high honors upon the most anti-Catholic leader and aggressive champion for child-killing in presidential history. Thankfully, God used this experience to deepen our relationship with His Son and His Church. We had been sold a fraudulent form of Catholicism, and that reality was unveiled, in part, by researching the history of Notre Dame's betrayal of the very Lady standing atop the Golden Dome.

We decided that we could not morally justify supporting this once great university, and outside of divine intervention, it's difficult to see how this will change in the foreseeable future. And that meant our donation to Notre Dame in order to qualify for the football ticket lottery needed to be sent elsewhere.

Our first choice was an easy one: Franciscan University of Steubenville. Last year was a quick decision as well: Christendom College. This year we had a harder time making our pick. We definitely considered well-established, authentically Catholic colleges like the University of Dallas, Ave Maria University, and Benedictine College.

But in the end, we decided to support a new kid on the block: Wyoming Catholic College. Established in 2005, this college has been on our radar since moving to Colorado. Wyoming Catholic is our nearest college to be in full compliance with Ex Corde Ecclesiae and Canon Law, and we would be thrilled if any of our children could go to school there someday.

It was this incredible video that clinched WCC as our pick this year. I wish I could go back to undergrad!

If unable to use the above player, watch here.

Christmas on New Year's

Sarah — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:51:28 GMT

As mentioned in this post, Ryan and I did not travel for Christmas this year. We are fortunate to have family that works around our needed schedules and my parents flew out on New Year's Day so we could still celebrate with them.

Sunday afternoon we all went down to my parent's house and spent the day together. We played, ran around the house, ate a delicious dinner, and then once the kiddos were sleeping the adults celebrated the holiday by opening presents. We decided we could focus more on ourselves (yes, selfish, I know) while they slept, and then in the morning it could be all about them. Our celebration was cut a little short by one specific munchkin, who shall remain nameless (starts with a J, ends with a Paul), who has recently learned the finer points of climbing out of a crib/pack 'n play. He apparently woke up at some point and decided it wasn't fair that the adults were doing fun things without him and we caught him climbing up the stairs to join us. He wasn't keen on going back to sleep but all in all it was a really fun evening.

Monday morning we "re-enacted" Christmas and had my dad's "famous" breakfast roll (a variation on Monkey Bread) and let the kids open their presents. They did a great job taking turns and sharing. We even managed to get a couple cute pictures of them all together.

I am so grateful that my parents decided to come during the holiday season, it is so fun to be all together!

Wyatt and Carly cracking each other up.

John Paul feeding Carly a (fake) cookie.

Reminder: Carly is 3 1/2 months OLDER than my son...can't tell from this pic.

The best one I got of all three. Don't know what they are looking at but I love their faces!

Wyatt and Carly opening a joint present. Carly is all girl and had already

"tried" on one of her gifts.

John Paul with his new front loader. It's apparently easier to carry it around

than use those wheels it has!

Meme and her "babies" So sweet!

Christmas 2011

Sarah — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:33:52 GMT

This Christmas was a little different for us. Because of my job, we weren't able to take our normal 2 week Christmas vacation to spend the holidays with our families. Ryan took a quick four day trip to see his parents, grandparents, and siblings the weekend before Christmas and I have plans to go to visit my grandparents in January. While it has definitely been an usual break for us we have enjoyed the relaxing and time spent in our own home.

Here are some pictures of how we have spent our time since Ryan's Christmas break began. We hope you all had a wonderful celebration of the Christ Child's birth and may your new year be filled with blessings and graces from God.

Reading a story with Grandma O'Connor.

Snoozing with Papa O.

Ryan laid on the couch to make a shot and now John Paul is

determined to make it from this position as well. He has become

quite the little copycat!

After Mass on Christmas morning.

"Riding" on his elephant- with Daddy's help.

Giving his elephant a ride.

We weren't at the Hoffman Family Christmas but we still ate

the traditional Christmas feast.

Playing with his nativity set. John Paul and his daddy have

re-enacted Mary and Joseph riding to the stable NUMEROUS times.

We may have an acrobat on our hands....

"TA-DA"

Christmas season has officially arrived

Sarah — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:06:31 GMT

On Sunday we finally had a chance to put up our Christmas tree and decorate the house a little bit. We did not decorate AT ALL last year because we were gone for so long over the holidays. This made it even more fun to break out the Christmas lights and ornaments and get into the spirit of the season. Most of the work was done while John Paul napped. I assume I am going to be spending the next several weeks repeating the phrase, "Don't TOUCH, we just LOOK." Maybe I should consider recording myself and setting it up to play whenever their is motion near the tree.

The "ball" ornaments are definitely a favorite as well as the frog that ribbits Jingle Bells. John Paul thinks it is "singing" and when it stops he asks it repeatedly to "SING" again!

Hope everyone is ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior in the most joyous ways this year!

Decorated Christmas tree and stockings hung! Ryan wanted to know what we would do next year- I guess we'll have to squeeze them together to fit another one in!

That singing frog is HILARIOUS!

I have to add this picture, taken today, because I think it is funny. The batteries died in this activity table and John Paul likes the music it plays. I had to use the screwdriver to change the batteries. When I finished John Paul wanted the screwdriver. He proceeded to turn the table back over (I had turned it right side up) and use the screwdriver himself! He is already handier than his daddy!

Our life...in photos

Sarah — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:41:16 GMT

I have taken 3 pictures since December began and I think they depict, in general, our daily life very well. John Paul is nearing the 17 months mark and it is a fun age (most of the time) that involves him exploring, trying to say new words, and asserting his independence on a regular basis.

Here is life with the O'Connors:

Putting on his own shoes and hat have become tasks JP wants

to complete on his own. It is actually much easier if it is Mama's

shoes and hat- they are bigger!

"sNOOOOOOOOOw" We got some and because it has been

so cold it isn't going away (unusual for Denver actually). JP loves it,

until he realizes it is actually pretty cold stuff!!!

We had a serious diaper situation at a restaurant over

the weekend. One of these hasn't happened since he was

probably 7 or 8 months old. Therefore, I did NOT have extra

pants for him to wear. He spent the rest of the night running around

the restaurant like this. He was happy- and people think I am crazy!

Zoo Lights

Sarah — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:46:20 GMT

My parents came to Denver for Thanksgiving again this year. They stayed a whole week and we were able to do lots of fun things, as well as just hang out and play with the kiddos. My mom cooked a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and Kati and I were thankful she was there to do most of that work. I, of course, took no pictures on Thanksgiving so I can't share anything from that day. However, I did manage to remember to bring and use my camera on Sunday night when we went to the Denver Zoo Lights for members weekend.

If you read this blog at all you know that John Paul and I spent lots of time at the zoo. We make an almost weekly visit to see our favorite animals and have definitely gotten use of our pass. Zoo Lights doesn't officially start for another week or so but they have a member's only weekend and it turns out that is the time to go. We got to enjoy a fabulous evening at the zoo without a large crowd and the weather totally cooperated.

Here are some snapshots of our fun!

Loving the wagon ride.

Family photo (JP in wagon, Carly wearing reflector between us).

The best thing about the Tropical Discovery is the snakes.

Wyatt kept saying, "John Paul, let's go see more snakes!"

John Paul kept raising his arms in assent, laughing, and chasing

Wyatt on their snake finding adventure! BOYS!

(*Carly did not want to be put down in this place!)

Carly also did not want to enter cave, as you can see

Wyatt and John Paul had no reservations about it!!

180 Movie

Ryan — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:33:32 GMT

One night at the end of September, it was an hour past my bedtime when I went to do a quick check of the day's news on my iGoogle page. I clicked on a new video posted on one of my favorite blogs, The American Papist. When I saw it was 33 minutes long, I said to myself, "I can't stay up and watch the whole thing." But I was hooked in seconds. I couldn't stop watching, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

If you are one of the few people who has not seen this yet, please give it a shot. I'll have more comments about it later. For now, I want to know what you think of it.

If you are unable to use the above player, watch here.

Happy All Hallows Eve!

Ryan and Sarah — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:57:42 GMT

As we prepare for two great Feasts, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, you can see our small attempt to reclaim the great Christian celebration of Hallow'een. JP doesn't quite get it yet, so look for much more in the future!

All Saints Day (Nov. 1): We venerate our heroes - all the saints in heaven. We know they are cheering us on (See Heb. 12:1) and praying for us (See Rev. 5:8, 8:3-4). This year we especially honor the patrons of our family - St. John, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed John Paul II, the two potential patrons of Baby #2 (you know who you are!), and of course Our Mother, Our Queen Mary (See Rev. 12:1).

All Souls Day (Nov. 2): We also remember the souls in purgatory (See 1Cor. 3:15), as we know they need our prayers (See 2Mac. 12:44-46). We pray for our relatives who have gone before us, especially our grandparents Chester, Marie, and Russell. If they have not done so already, may they join the marriage supper of the lamb (See Rev. 19:9).

Tia Tuesdays

Sarah — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:49:58 GMT

Ryan goes to Biblical School class on Tuesday nights. John Paul and I use this as the perfect excuse to spend the evening with my sister's family. They do dinner, I often do dessert, and we visit, play, and then get ready for bed together before JP and I get in the car to head home. He falls asleep and I just transfer him into his crib.

My sister started calling these weekly evening trips "Tia Tuesdays" from the name that my nephew and niece have for me (Ryan is Tio). They are usually a lot of fun, very chaotic, and typically exhausting. I can't think of a better way to spend the evening while Ryan is at class.

Often after dinner we play games or do silly things. One night, Wyatt really wanted to show me how to play flashlight tag. We waited until it got dark and then the two of us went outside. As you can imagine flashlight tag with two players wasn't quite thrilling but he was happy to show me anyway!

Another one of our common post-dinner activities is to have a "Dance Party" or "Dance-Off." We turn the Party music channel on TV and take turns showing our best moves. I suppose this is part of the reason why these evenings are so chaotic and exhausting but it is just too hilarious to not partake.

This past week I took our flip camera to video some of the dancing. As you watch you will see the everyone has their own special moves. Wyatt is a break-dancer and spends most of his time spinning on the floor. John Paul is an "arm dancer" and likes to show his moves using only his upper body. Carly is a show-stopper. That girl has some soul in her and her face lights up when it is her turn to dance! Hope you enjoy a glimpse into Tia Tuesdays!

**DISCLAIMER: This video was made entirely by Sarah. Ryan performed none of the video editing for this movie. Any judgement about the quality of this film should be placed on Sarah alone. (Disclaimer was demanded by Ryan.)

*If you have trouble viewing, click here.

Fellowship of the Unashamed

Ryan — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:39:52 GMT

This October 23 reflection in my Magnificat really spoke to me. This is the kind of conviction with which I desire to live my life. It's written by Patrick Madrid, but Sarah and I both thought it sounded like something our friend Tony, JP's Godfather, would write.

I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God's hands. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith. I lean on Christ's presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the power of God's grace.

My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured,, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know, and work until he stops me.

And when he returns for his own, he will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

Amen!! Knute Rockne has nothing on Patrick Madrid.

Sign. Me. Up.

Big Brother is watching...

Ryan and Sarah — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:27:58 GMT

(No, this is not a political post.)

...and he gives kisses.

Pumpkin Patch

Sarah — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:08:53 GMT

Today we visited Rock Creek Farm with Kati, Paul, and the kids. Glen is in town as well so with him and Megan along it was quite the family affair for us.

This is a great time of year and it has finally cooled off here in Denver (we have no forecasted days in the 80s for the first week in awhile!). Our first stop at the farm was to cut our own pumpkins off their vines. Wyatt ran around choosing which ones he wanted, and pretty much every one was perfect for him. Carly has become very good at saying "pumpkin" and kept repeating it over and over. The first thing John Paul did was trip and fall face first into a pumpkin. This didn't seem to phase him and he got up and started on the move again, only to fall face first into another one. Either this second dose hurt more or he was embarrassed to fall again because he did cry.

We tried to get a good picture of the kids and a good family picture. We took many, I'll put the best ones below but know that there were many trials, especially for the kids ones. Wyatt and Carly apparently got used to posing at the wedding they were in a couple weeks ago and were superstars at standing and smiling- if only JP had been so cooperative.

The farm also has farm animals, jumpy castles, and a hay bale maze. We sampled each one but jumpy castles are by far our son's favorite. He, like a couple weekends ago, had to be literally pulled out by Ryan. I guess Ryan should be glad he didn't actually have to climb in the jumpy castle like last time.

A fun day was had by all and hopefully naps will be long and restful!

Hey...that pumpkin is wearing a hat!

The best of the kids, they are all smiling at least!

The best of the family.

Jump Castle action shot.

Such a proud little boy! (and the cutest if I do say so myself!)

** Just to show the difference a year can make. Here is a picture of John Paul and I last year at this same pumpkin patch, during the same weekend. He looks a little bit older, I don't.

Apparently I wore the same cardigan last year....don't judge!

Playground Fun!

Sarah — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:36:52 GMT

We spend a lot of time at playgrounds now. John Paul loves a "sliiii" and to climb and hang from all the different obstacles. He runs and plays and climbs like normal and I get asked questions about how old he is. When I saw 14 (almost 15) months the other mothers usually look surprised and say something like, "Wow, he is BIG." or "I can't believe how strong he is."

It's hard for Ryan and I to tell because he's all we know, but I have gathered from other moms that we have a physically advanced child, for his age. It's actually pretty fun because he really enjoys the playground and we don't have to lift him up, go down the slide with him, "spot" him at every moment. We watch (Read: we are not neglectful.) but he is very strong and cautious when necessary.

Here are some pictures I snapped today while we were playing. Fall has finally arrived in Denver and Mama is OH SO HAPPY!!!

Climbing...

and more climbing.

JP likes to swing as well. It seems like he would fall and

hurt himself but so far he hasn't every lost grip. This is where we watch closely.

"SLIIIIIIIII!!!!!!"

All stray wood chips should be picked up and pushed through

equipment holes.

Earning his keep!

Sarah — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 01:45:21 GMT

Today was a beautiful day in Denver. Ryan and I are both getting a little tired of the 80-90 degree heat and are ready for "fall." We want jeans and cozy sweatshirts, chili, and hot chocolate on a chilly evening. The thing about Denver is that the sun shows itself over 300 days a year, so even if it is below freezing overnight and quite chilly in the morning and evening, the afternoons can be lovely at a balmy/sunny 40 or 50 degrees. It's amazing!

However, that is not the true topic of my blog. Because today was such a nice day we took the chance and washed my car.

** Sidenote: It's black which is not a "sensible" car color. Ryan thinks that is why you never see black minivans. People who buy minivans realize that their "reasonable" vehicle choice would be compromised by choosing a color that shows dirt so easily.

John Paul is finally starting to earn his keep around the O'Connor house. He was really excited to get to help with the washing. It involved many of his favorite things: a bucket full of sudsy water (much like a bath), a hose, and the outdoors.

Here are some pictures of my men in action. Next I would like John Paul to learn how to fold laundry or scrub toilets, we'll see how long that takes!

Splashing in the bucket.

Standing in "the line of fire." He ran toward the hose!

Getting right in there to help Daddy. He was rubbing his

hands all over the car to "wash" so.....

we gave him a rag! He thought it was amazing!

Newest "tricks"

Sarah — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:57:21 GMT

In an effort to keep everyone posted on the latest and greatest of John Paul's experiences and talents, I have a few pictures to share. I'll try to include an explanation or description with each one that gives you a little glimpse into life at the O'Connor house.

The first three photos come from the Harvest Festival at St. Mary's Catholic School, where Ryan now teaches. This festival is a big fundraiser for the school and we had a really good time. There were exotic animals to look at, jumpy castles, tons of food and drinks, plus pony rides and photo booths. John Paul LOVED the pony ride but wasn't quite as excited as his mom and dad about the photo booth.

Had to scan this one in, I'm sure if Ryan had done this it would look much better.

He's not here so you'll have to take what you get.

Ryan and I have resisted putting cabinet locks in the master bathroom. We have them other places in the house but for some reason just wanted the ease of opening these cabinets as we please. Obviously, John Paul can get in them so our solution was to put an activity table (see below) in front of the cabinets to block entrance. This way he can play but we can still move table and get in and out of cabinets as we please. This has worked well for us for about 4 months....

As you see, John Paul has started developing excellent problem solving skills already. If you push the table over you can roll it out of your way, then you have access to all the "forbidden fruit" inside the cabinet.

The last two photos demonstrate John Paul's brute strength.

I think he learned this move with a golf club from his Papa-

except Papa doesn't look nearly as happy doing it!

Our son is bound and determined to do a chin-up

before he turns 2. He loves to hang and pull his legs up.

His mama wishes she had that strength in her abs again.

Beauty

Ryan — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:54:32 GMT

Not able to write much these days, but I do have time to post this video... which sheds more yellow light than I ever could with words.

My goodness - those eyes.

If you cannot use the above player, watch here.

Too long...

Sarah — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:50:49 GMT

It's been awhile since we've written a blog or updated everyone on John Paul's progress. He just isn't doing anything exciting these days.

Actually it's more that he is too busy and on the go that his Mama doesn't have a chance to sit down and edit photos, write down anecdotes, and upload edited photos, etc. It's no excuse!

Since Ryan went back to school John Paul and I have been keeping busy. I try to come up with some sort of morning outing everyday. My hope is that it wears him out and he takes a looooong afternoon nap. Usually the "long" nap is only an hour but such is life.

We sometimes go to the mall and play in the sand or play area. We have been making weekly trips to the zoo to see all the wild animals. John Paul's favorite spot in the zoo is in the building that houses all the fish tanks, snakes, and komodo dragons. He could spend hours I think running in the "rainforest" and pointing at all the different snakes. We have also added going to the library into our repertoire and now that MOPS has started again we have lots of playdates and friends to look forward to. If only I could figure out a way to get JP to stay with the childcare workers at MOPS meetings and we would be all set!

Here are some recent photos. As you can see John Paul is getting big and "manly." He is just not my little baby anymore. However, I adore hearing him make animal sounds and identifying his belly, nose, toes, hair and tongue!

Flatirons mall sandbox. An airplane flew overhead!

Snake eating a rodent- awesome!!!!

No he is not climbing out of his booster seat, he is on his way in.

He climbed on the chair and into it all by himself. If you notice

the other kitchen chair has its back to the table, this is to deter a

certain child from using chairs to climb onto table.

John Paul and his friend Gemma strolling at the zoo.

Best shot I got of both kids facing camera. Aren't they sweet!?!?

Happy Re-Birthday JP

Ryan and Sarah — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:51:43 GMT

He was born in July, but re-born in August. Last week we celebrated John Paul's first re-birthday. He was adopted into the family of God on August 21, Feast of St. Pius X, of last year.

There's life. Then there's life!

His Baptismal candle in Mama's homemade "brookie"

(yes, it looks like somebody "tested it")

Bold moral conviction...

Ryan — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:58:09 GMT

... from a politician! Who knew?!

If the above player does not work, watch here.

Serenity How?

Ryan — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:56:24 GMT

As previously noted, I finished up my last year in a fourth grade classroom. The Lord has called me to teach Middle School Religion at St. Mary's Catholic School in Littleton.

I ask for your prayers. May I bring Christ to my new students, while at the same time balance Biblical School classes and most importantly, my duties as a husband and father. St. Joseph, pray for me.

Also, if you are interested in supporting my ministry (outside of your prayers), you can click on the link below for my Amazon Wish List. These are books that would aid my mission in the classroom. Some are reference materials for both students and teacher. Others are books for the students to use for projects and assignments. Note the option to sort by level of priority. We appreciate any support you can give!

BeYellow Catechesis Wish List

The reason for my change certainly had nothing to do with wanting to leave 4th Grade or St. Rose of Lima; I love both. Over the last couple years I could feel God tugging at my heart, calling me to teach more Theology. The most enjoyable aspect of teaching 4th Grade has always been spending all day with the same students and forming an authentically Catholic culture and team environment. I especially loved watching my economy system unfold. But my favorite subject was Religion. This is my passion, thanks be to God.

At first I thought my next step would be high school Theology, but over time the Lord opened my heart to considering middle school. This particular position was especially appealing because St. Mary's is one of the few schools big enough to allow junior high teachers to specialize in one subject instead of two. All Religion, all day... I'm in!

When I broke the news to my students at St. Rose, we discussed following God's will. I am sad to leave them, I said, but I feel very much at peace because I know without a doubt this is where God wants me next. This, of course, prompted many questions.

But how do you know?

The million dollar question.

We toss around this concept all the time. "Thy will be done." "I submit my life to you, Lord." "Answer God's call." And my personal favorite, "Let Jesus do the driving." But do we really think about what this means in practice? How would you explain it to a fourth grader? Part of the problem is that it looks different for different people. Some people hear God's voice. Not me. I've never received a Google-chat request from the Big Guy.

I think one thing we must overcome is the mentality that God's will is always something different than our will. And this path requested by God is the most difficult road. Of course there will be many times when God asks us to do something difficult. But it's not always such a drastic road like quitting your job and starting a homeless shelter.

I can't even remember exactly how I answered my students' questions. I think I joked that God sent me a text, which they thought was hilarious (I'm going to have to adjust my fourth grade sense of humor). But it has really caused me to reflect on this question, and Sarah and I have had great conversations about it. For what it's worth, here's what I've concluded.

Our goal should be to reach the point, in our journey towards sanctification, that our will is aligned with God's will. Totally. Completely. During this process our separate wills certainly fall in and out of alignment, but the more consistently they fall in step, the holier we are becoming.

So how does the process unfold? Well, with the help of God's grace of course, but there we go again - that's not concrete enough for a fourth grader (or a 31st grader for that matter). There are many ways, but perhaps the best approach to aligning our will with God's can be described as this: We must fill up on Him. On Christ, that is. The word made flesh. In prayer, in the Eucharist, in Scripture, in the confessional, in fellowship with other Christians, in other spirit-led writings like the Catechism and those of the Saints. Fill up. Roll around. Soak in His love and grace. Rest in truth, beauty, and goodness. If we do this, how can our wretched wills and empty desires do anything but burn with the purifying fire of His love?

This is just my thought anyway; I don't have an imprimatur on this!

And I'm definitely not claiming to have achieved this holy state of a perfectly aligned will. Not by any stretch. But with regards to my career moves, I do think this accounts for the sense of beautiful peace I've felt with every decision. I had no doubt God was calling me to leave my business career and go into teaching. People often describe that decision as impressive, but it was not. There was nothing heroic about it. I wanted to do it. If anything, it was selfish. The Lord called, but he also put the desire on my heart. Same would go for my call to the vocation of marriage. Same thing happened for our move to St. Rose in Denver. And once again, I felt the same last spring when I was offered the Religion position. [Note: I just skipped over all the post-decision moments of panic, self-doubt, fear, anxiety, and complaint. Not about my marriage of course, but the other decisions.]

A friend I grew up with is now a priest, and he recently told me that the two best days of his life were when he made the decision to join the seminary and the day of his ordination. But his happiness was not due to a proud feeling of accomplishment or a satisfaction from reaching a goal or even the excitement of the big moment. He said it was a peaceful calm that can only come from knowing you are doing exactly what God made you to do at exactly this moment.

And thanks be to God for this serenity. It's a gift from Him, received only by filling up on Him.

For my next assignment, a text message would be cool. But for now, I know it's a middle school mission.

St. John Bosco, pray for me!

Long overdue entry- JP is ONE!

Sarah — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:15:24 GMT

Apologies for the tardiness of this entry. One would think summer would be a slower time for a teacher and a stay-at-home mom but Ryan and I definitely maxed ourselves out this year between travel, teaching a Theology of the Body class, my part-time, turned full-time Costco job, and chasing after the (little) man of the house.

Speaking of the (little) man of the house, John Paul Lee turned ONE year old on July 13th. It seems so crazy to think that a year has already gone by. We brought home a helpless, 8 lb. bundle of joy and now we have a walking, (baby) talking, climber who does his best to get into everything and anything possible.

*On a sidenote, other mothers out there have probably thought of this but my sister and I were discussing our kids having birthdays and while everyone celebrates a birthday for the person who was born it really is a day for their mothers (and probably fathers) as well. It was so wonderful to reminisce and think back to those days leading up to his birth, the anticipation, waking up in labor, arriving at the hospital and then obviously that moment Ryan refers to as "a beautiful, bloody mess." July 13th will always be JP's birthday, but it will also be a day that Ryan and I remember the miracle that changed our world!

So back to the birthday, We traveled back to the midwest for two weeks at the beginning of July. We were able to make a trip to St. Louis (seeing the Schroeders and the Morans), to Bardstown (seeing Meema and Boompa), to St. Joseph, IL (seeing the Jacobs and the Reffetts), Chicago (seeing the Wronka and Ross families) and Herscher/Kankakee and Bloomington, IL to see the rest of Ryan's family. John Paul was an amazing little traveler. He fussed for only about 60 of the 3,000 miles on the road! While staying in Bloomington with Ryan's sister and her husband we got a chance to celebrate the birthday boy. Erin helped me prepare an awesome birthday party full of food, drink, and decorations and Jaye helped me make the most awesome birthday cake a boy could ever have!

We had a terrific time celebrating and JP even figured out how to open some presents. I'm sure the next holiday will bring even more joy in this, right now he just wants to eat the paper he rips off.

Four generation photo in Bardstown

Pre-birthday celebration with Mim and G & G Dupuis

Birthday Boy with his Turtle cake.

Enjoying his birthday cupcake

For his actual birthday we were back in Denver. Kati and Wyatt took us out to lunch downtown on the 16th Street mall at Rock Bottom Brewery and we met up with the Rothgery's a week or so later for a cookout that Paul and Carly could attend as well.

Hopefully as life gets back to "normal" with Ryan heading back to school and me cutting hours I will be able to keep the posts, pictures, and updates up to speed! Thanks for the patience!

Indulge your lust, America!

Ryan — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:49:07 GMT

This was the message from our President last week. Did you catch it? It's a civil right now, you know.

Here is the news, as recounted in an email I received from CatholicVote.org:

That's right, Kathleen Sebelius ignored us.

President Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services announced this week that despite the protests of millions of Americans (including tens of thousands of CV members), birth control must be covered for FREE by nearly every health insurance plan in America.

That’s right. The Obama administration now considers the birth of a child “preventative care” – akin to care to avoid illnesses. In fact, Sec. Sebelius defended the new mandates saying: “Not doing it would be like not covering flu shots.”

This means that starting January 1, 2013, nearly every health insurance plan will be forced to cover birth control, sterilizations, and Ella and Plan B (both of which kill a child before he or she can implant in their mothers womb).

All of this will be subsidized by you or anyone who has health insurance. And all of this will be available free, without even a co-pay.

This decision by the Obama administration is nothing but a federally-mandated handout to the monstrous abortion industry. In fact, NARAL called this “the biggest victory for women’s health in a generation.”

But it gets worse. In an effort to keep us quiet, Sebelius and HHS allowed for a so-called "religious exemption" -- that honestly is an insult.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo explained:

“Under the new rule our institutions would be free to act in accord with Catholic teaching on life and procreation only if they were to stop hiring and serving non-Catholics. (emphasis added)

“Could the federal government possibly intend to pressure Catholic institutions to cease providing health care, education and charitable services to the general public?”

Catholic organizations that serve the sick and the poor have always opened their doors to persons of all faith or no faith. But under this new rule, if a Catholic institution employs, or cares for a non-Catholic, they will not qualify for the exemption.

In essence, the Obama administration is saying: "Catholics must subsidize birth control, abortions and sterilizations or stop practicing their faith." This is outrageous.

As Archbishop Dolan recently said, people keep telling Catholics not to worry. The sky's not falling. Well in terms of our religious freedom, the sky may be falling! But setting aside Obama's all-out attack on our religious freedom... One way to describe the root of this evil mandate is "dehumanization." This is how Christopher West puts it in his book Theology of the Body for Beginners:

What purpose does contraception really serve? This might sound odd at first, but let it sink in. Contraception was not invented to prevent pregnancy. We already had a 100% safe, 100% reliable way of doing that - abstinence. In the final analysis, contraception serves one purpose: to spare the difficulty we experience when confronted with the choice of abstinence. When all the smoke is cleared, contraception was invented because of our lack of self-control; contraception was invented to serve the indulgence of lust.

Why do we spay or neuter our dogs and cats? Because they can't say no to their urge to merge; they're not free. If we spay and neuter ourselves with contraception, we're reducing the "great mystery" of the one flesh union to the level of Fido and Fidette in heat. What distinguished us from the animals in the first place? Freedom! God gave us freedom as the capacity to love. Contraception negates this freedom. It says, "I can't abstain." Hence, contracepted intercourse not only attacks the procreative meaning of sex, it "ceases also to be an act of love" (JP2, Wed. Audience, 8/22/84). If you can't say no to sex, what does your "yes" mean? Only the person who is free with the freedom for which Christ set us free (see Gal 5:1) is capable of authentic love.

Obama clearly thinks Americans are dogs in heat. "Preventive care" they call it. They think this policy will help prevent unwanted pregnancies, but here's the problem: It doesn't work!

Helen Alvare puts it best: "There is no data showing that at the level of a social policy, contraception has ever done anything but drive up rates of uncommitted sex, non-marital pregnancies, non-marital births, STDs, and abortion. There is nothing 'preventive' about it. The social ills it claims to solve are all exacerbated." [It must be noted, of course, that even if it did "work," there are still grave moral problems with contraception.]

The secularists often accuse the Catholic Church of clinging to sacred dogmas at the expense of human lives.

Why doesn't the Church approve the use of contraception to help cut down on abortion? Why doesn't the Church approve of condoms to help fight AIDS? Why doesn't the Church approve embryonic stem cell research to help fight disease?

All of this criticism comes while ignoring the facts. Contraception doesn't reduce abortions. It increases them. Even the Roe v Wade opinion recognized that. Throwing condoms at the AIDS epidemic in Africa has been like throwing fuel on a fire. Even a non-religious Harvard researcher admits the Pope was right about this. And embryonic stem cells have shown ZERO promise. They've done nothing but turn into cancer. All successful treatments come from ADULT stem-cell research, which the Church encourages. Furthermore, scientists have been able to reprogram adult stem cells to act like embryonic stem cells (induced Pluripotent Stem Cells) without destroying embryos, so it should be a moot point anyway.

So I ask you. Who are the ones clinging to their "sacred dogmas" at the expense of human lives?

End of an Era

Ryan — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:15:47 GMT

Just wanted to post a few photos from this past school year. The Fourth Grade Warriors were a beautiful group of future saints. I can't imagine a better class with which to spend my last year of teaching 4th grade. Ten years old is a magical age, and God used these kids to teach me so much. The seven years I spent in a fourth grade classroom (one was in 5th) coincided with tremendous spiritual growth for me, the "teacher." These "students" played no small role in this process.

The Flyers, Falcons, Rockets, Lions, Eagles, Comets, and Warriors. You are truly high-flying kings. Lights in the darkness. Soldiers for Christ. You will be in my daily prayers - I promise you that. I trust you are doing the same for me. Be a saint! What else is there?

More on my new calling later (Upd: see here).

I will really miss the fourth grade economy. Gabby became the first student ever to buy my desk. She made it her goal early in the year, saved her money, and showed tremendous self-discipline. Her willingness to delay gratification will take her far. Is there any doubt she will succeed in this life and the next?

The future St. Alma of Denver wears her t-shirt from the Augustine Institute. She wrote

them about her possible vocation to the religious life, and requested info about their

Master's in Theology program.

On picture day, Andre wanted to dress like his teacher. Notice even the Raider Bucks and pens in the pocket. God bless him!

Surprise t-shirts, sponsored by "Mr. O'Connor's dad," await the Warriors' arrival.

Warriors for Christ.

Too much snow prevented the Warriors & Comets from conquering Pikes Peak, but it did give us extra time to eat our lunch in the "Garden of the gods." Thanks to Sarah's grandparents, Boompa and Meema, for sponsoring this epic field trip once again!

Raul envisions his future sainthood, a la JP2.