We are a Catholic family of six living in Southeastern Virginia. James is an Eagle Scout, amateur chef, crazy organic gardener, and engineering manager for a defense contractor. Deirdre is a baker, crazy home organizer, seamstress/ needle worker, and an occasional out-of-the-home civil engineer. We have four children (2 boys, 12 and 9, and 2 girls, 6 and 9 months) and we live in the middle of a medium-sized city. James and Deirdre met while in college in Louisiana. They got married in New Orleans after school, moved to Virginia with the Navy and have been living there ever since (much to the dismay of the grandparents half a continent away). This geographical separation from family has colored their lives and caused them to be reliant on each other and to cultivate close relationships with their church, friends and neighbors.
Before thoroughly discussing how we celebrate family, we thought it would be best to ask our children how they best like to celebrate with the family. During quiet, individual times with each of our older children (ages 12, 9, and 6), we queried them about their favorite family activities. All three answered with “playing games together”; two agreed that “sharing meal times” were special; and two (different combination) agreed that “praying together” made for favorite family time. We’re guessing the baby (9 months) would vote for meal times, as she recently weighed in at 23.5 pounds!
Deirdre was raised in a family of game players. Her mother is a cutthroat Bourré player and her sister is unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. She has fond memories of family card or board games played around the den coffee table. James was lured into the fun during the dating years, and, as we furnished our first home, we created a coffee table from a large dining table in order to accommodate game boards and guest players. And so, the gaming tradition continues around our family (and friends) table. Current family favorites include Apple To Apples
Sharing meal times takes on a whole new meaning in our kitchen. James has always been an avid chef. Deirdre is a reluctant cook. And there’s a difference:) Over the years, we’ve fallen into a routine of Deirdre doing prep work and souse chef work, while James actually creates gourmet fare for our family table. As the children have grown, they’ve been added into the meal making bedlam. Dinner, from the planning, through the preparation and the eating, is a group effort. Everyone who wanders through the kitchen (even guests) gets an apron and a task. We’ve come to realize that the “breaking of bread” starts long before sitting at the table. It is a great conversation time with the kids drifting in and out to talk. They have learned that dinner prep is a good time to catch Mama and Daddy together for questions.
Lately, meal preparation and sharing includes music (Marcia Ball
Prayer takes on many forms in our house. We don’t generally sit as a group to pray other than for meals. We pray individually, with each of the kids so that their prayers are age appropriate, at grace before meals and as a community at Mass, especially at events like the recent baptism of our youngest.
One of our favorite quotes, attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, is “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” That pretty well sums up our family’s approach toward prayer and living the faith. It is not who we are on Sunday, but who we are everyday, quietly and nonchalantly going about our daily routines. Each family member sees, experiences, and serves God in their own unique way in the context of the family (the domestic church) and the larger context of the whole Church. We love that our children see all of this as praying with “family.”
We thank Cocoa for allowing us the opportunity to share our celebrations of Family. Peace!
And much thanks to Deirdre and James! They are not bloggers but Deirdre often leaves comments on my blog. What a terrific start to our celebration of family!
If you have written any posts about your family or covered any topics in the Family Proclamation on your blog leave a link here so others can come and read!
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Wish I had a chef at my house 😉
I love how families are so different yet the same. I hate board games so relegate my husband to be the one to play monopoly with the kids etc.
Nice post and I liked to read from someone from different faith than mine, showing that in many ways we are the same.
I’m doing a week of fatherhood posts as it is fathers day in austalia on the first sunday in september, maybe I’ll link those
It was nice to see someone from such a different background then myself, but still so many similarities! Thank you for sharing your family with us!
Our family dinner meal is my favorite time of the day. we always strive to all be there.
also family prayer at night unites us as a family and strengthens us
thanks you for sharing your family values with us.
Family really is the foundation for so many areas of life today.
I love the memories that are built when playing together. I came from a family that loves to play games and my husband comes from a family that liked to play, though, not as often as ours did. It’s been fun carrying on the tradition with our toddler and we have spent many nights recently playing Thomas the Train Uno.
Thanks so much for sharing. It is amazing to be able to be consistently reminded of how important family is and that there are others that feel the same way.
I love that they made a coffee table out of a dining room table to accommodate all of their players! And the thought that mealtime starts long before you sit down at the table! Great thoughts!!
I love how you include your family in the meal prep! I often bake with my daughters (oldest is 4), but usually dinner making is a more frantic time at our house. I would love to follow your example and include everyone, and make it a time for conversation and fun.
Totally stealing that idea for making a dining table into a coffee table! 🙂 What a great idea.
I added my link on there that Jocelyn added to hers…hope that works.
What a wonderful family! I love how you help your children learn to pray individually and well as together with family. So sweet. Thank you for sharing your family.
I love that quote at the end of your post. That is fantastic.
I LOVE that St. Francis quote!! I have his Peace Prayer on my nightstand to wake up to every morning. I need to find somewhere to put this quote now, too. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Family time is SO important. We love games too. Meal time as well is a great bonding time. After kids came we made it a priority to eat at the table together with the t.v. OFF. If only we would cook together. That would be awesome to get my husband in the kitchen. Thanks for the post you have a beautiful family.
Loved the picture of them all in the kitchen. Such an important part of the day as a family!
Nice to meet you Deirdre and James! Meal time is important in our house too. I, like you, prefer to be the “helper” in the kitchen. My husband likes to create all sorts of gourmet meals for us! I won’t complain – I love to eat it! 🙂
Judi 🙂
Thanks, again, Cocoa for including us. We had such fun writing it together and it’s totally cool to see it “in print”. Thanks for all the great feedback!
so wonderful to actually ask the kids for their input. Perfect family!
There are so many good people around us-it’s refreshing to read about others’ family and know my family is not alone.
Games are a new adventure for our family. We play a lot of Candyland now. My Sweetheart hopes to move one day to Cities and Knights of Catan.
Don’t know that any of my sons would say prayer time is our favorite. but it is mine. Then working together, then playing together.
Music in the kitchen makes all the difference ! As for games, i second Apples to Apples because there is nothing like a good laugh with your kids!
So fun to get to know you a little better. I love that you all share in the meal prep…I’m sure that solves problems on several different levels. I’ve noticed that when my kids help pick meals and prepare they eat willingly also, and that makes everyone more happy 🙂
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As the “sister who is unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit”, I just had to leave a comment! My sister and brother-in-law have a wonderful family! We grew up playing games, and sharing meals with our parents and we still do. It’s gratifing to pass it onto our kids. In my home, on the other continent in New Orleans, my 9yr old son and I enjoy praying through our music ministry. Awesome job on the blog and family Deirdre and James, keep up the good work! Peace and love from your big sis 🙂
wonderful, enthusiastic blog! excited about the family event!
Thank you for sharing a bit of your life with us–I especially enjoyed all the beautiful photos.
Thanks so much for sharing! What a beautiful family. I love your dinner routine and the thought of you singing or dancing as yo prepare the meals. So joyful! I also really love the Francis Assisi quote. It’s perfect.
Food, play and prayer…. all are such important parts of family. Great way to start the Celebration of Family!
Love how much your family helps with dinner preparation. Would love to have a chef for a husband, I am also a reluctant cook.:) I love to play games with the kids too it such great time spent together. Thanks for the post.
We love cooking together as a family, too! Sometimes the time spent together cooking is just as great as the time spent together eating 🙂
I love that quote. We are big game players here, too. This summer my kids were on a total Monopoly kick.
I loved hearing how you “celebrated family”. You have a beautiful family!!
Stacey S.
I love that St Francis quote! Thanks for sharing.
I think it is great that you have your kids help with dinner prep. I feel that dinner together is so important 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us!
What a great quote and awsome reminder! Kind of like, “I can’t hear what you are saying because your actions are drowning it out.” Or something to that effect. We LOVE games in our family as well — and we are really excited for the day that our 2-year-olds are old enough to enjoy some of our favorites!