{This and That}

Due date has come and gone, and I'm still here.  Looking forward to meeting this still-nameless little guy very, very soon, I hope!

~~~

We got to the beach a couple times last week, just in time for record swells.  The tides have been crazy here lately, and lots of spectators have been out to watch.

On our last outing, we managed to set up too close to the water line not once but twice, leading to a couple of mad rushes to move nine people's worth of beach gear out of an inch of water before the undertow carried away our crocs, sand toys, and baby. ;)  Good times!

After the second drenching, we decided to call it a day and head home.  I think we might be officially done with the beach until after baby's arrival.  It rained here today and finally dropped nearly twenty degrees.  I am relieved and loving the cooler weather!

That said, it's pretty amazing what giant waves and high tides will do to a shoreline!

The birds were everywhere: whimbrels, godwits, sand plovers, turnstones, pelicans, and cormorants.  My kids dropped some crackers when trying to avoid the first drenching and we got positively swarmed by greedy gulls.  (Like I said, good times.)

We actually love the beach in winter, so I imagine that once baby is here and settled, we'll be venturing over now and then, bundled and with coffee in hand, like we usually do in the colder months.  But I will miss being there more often.  There is just nothing like the coast!

~~~

My cast of saints for this year's All Saints Day:

We didn't attend a party this year, but we did take them trick-or-treating around the block in their saints' costumes on Halloween.  We always get the sweetest comments from the neighborhood, who I am sure think our kids are cute in a rather odd sort of way. ;)

It's a little late for the actual feast, but it's never too late to party with the saints! ;)  So in that vein, I thought I'd share another couple coloring pages to hand over to your kids this week...

:: the one I linked last week from Stella Marigold
:: another lovely option from Audrey Eclectic
:: this more traditional version
:: and this one that centers on the Mass

I printed a big stack of all the different options and my older girls grabbed one of each right away--they're working on them with their Prismacolors and the results are lovely so far.  That first one has so many of our family's name saints that they squealed with excitement when they saw it.

~~~

Today is All Souls Day!  Which means it's time for my annual reminder about the beautiful graces available not just on this day, but for the next eight days.  Here's my blurb from last year:

I created a printable prayer card (in Latin) for you to take to the cemetery for your All Souls' Day devotions.  Remember, we have an opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence for the Poor Souls every day of this next week!

+ Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them.  And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen. +

~~~

I'll be back tomorrow with the Keeping Company invitation for November--see you then!