{pretty, happy, funny, real} :: Road Trip with the Girls!

by | Oct 10, 2014 | {phfr}, Fathers, Idaho, Latin Mass, Road Trip, Waterfalls | 16 comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life with Like Mother, Like Daughter. ~
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One of the first places the girls and I visited our recent (2,000 mile!) road trip was Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon.  Isn’t it so pretty?! 
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It was such a blessing to be able to visit my brother-in-law and attend daily Low Masses and a Sunday High Mass at his parish.

Sean and the older boys visited earlier this summer, but the girls and I hadn’t seen him since he flew out to baptize Bud, “Churching of Women” for me, and give the girls their First Confession and First Holy Communion nearly three years ago.  The girls were all so happy to see him again! 
This was actually the first time I’ve visited a FSSP parish, other than when we attended my husband’s three brother’s ordinations to the priesthood. It was so inspiring!  
We continue praying that someday we will be blessed with an FSSP parish within driving distance or that we are able to move to an area that already has one established… 

The girls also loved making new friends… 
… and so did I!  We all had such a wonderful time and didn’t want to leave!
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Some of you may have already seen this picture over at Instagram, but one afternoon the girls and I spent some time downtown shopping. My favorite store was All Things Irish. Where else can you find saint stories, beautiful statues, and Guinness?! So awesome!
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The floating boardwalk in Coeur d’Alene is really long! In fact, at 3,300 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 10 feet deep, with a 60-foot-long bridge on the west side, it is the longest floating boardwalk in the world. The girls and I stopped to check it out just before Mass on our way out of town!

I’ll be back soon with some pictures from our next stop!

16 Comments

  1. Kathleen L.

    Wonderful pictures! Please come out to our parish sometime….in Seattle:))FSSP I recognize a former parishioner from our parish (Elena B!) You have lots of friends here!

    2014-10-10 03:40:27

    Reply
  2. Christine

    It looks like you had a wonderful time! It's so good to see you sitting with some wonderful women. I hope that you had a chance to really visit with Elena, Julie, and Suzanne. 🙂 They are such good women, as I am sure that the others at the table are too. I can't believe how a certain little girl has grown. I haven't seen her since they moved. I hope that your prayers are answered soon. God bless you!

    2014-10-10 03:51:36

    Reply
  3. Carrie McDowell

    JMJ

    Great photos, lovely people, and beautiful scenery!
    C'mon down to San Diego and visit St. Anne.
    During the summer months I imagine your children would enjoy Chant Camp! :o)

    God bless.

    2014-10-10 04:23:52

    Reply
  4. Clara

    Hello Jessica, Today I attended my first Traditional Latin Mass. It was actually for a dear friend's baby who was stillborn. Very sad. I wanted to ask you…why do you prefer this type of mass to the regular mass? I found this mass very holy and reverent. The music and chanting was beautiful. It felt very different to our regular parish. I'm lucky because my parish is a few min walking distance and the Traditional Latin Mass is only a 10 min drive away (people drive over an hr to attend this specific church). I was just curious on your thoughts and choice to attend this Traditional Mass and how your children like it…being that it's all in Latin. Many blessings!!

    2014-10-10 04:42:11

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  5. Janelle

    I've lived just 40 minutes North of Coeur d'Alene for 2 years, and we've never done the boardwalk. Have to add that to our list to do soon. St. Joan of Arc parish in CDA does Latin masses as well, so we'll make it a day trip. Thanks for the idea, and the wonderful job you do on this blog!

    2014-10-10 05:02:37

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  6. Jessica Gordon

    I'm so very sorry to hear about your friend's sweet baby. I'll offer some prayers tonight for their family. You know, I didn't grow up with the Latin Mass and the first Latin Mass I ever attended was at one of my brother-in-law's ordinations. I actually didn't think I was going to like it, but the more I attend the Latin Mass the more I grow to love this form of the Mass. Like you, I also find it to be so very holy and reverent. I love the Communion Rail and the receiving of the Eucharist on the tongue while kneeling. The music and chanting is also beautiful and seems so much more appropriate for during the sacrifice of the Mass then the tambourines and rainmakers we have at our local parish. 😉 (I know some people love that kind of music, but not me, at least not during Mass.) I also love reading the translations of the beautiful Latin prayers and learning the significance behind everything – why the priest faces the altar, why the book is moved back and forth, etc… I still have so much to learn! I have also attended some parishes where the Novus Ordo Mass is done well, and it can also be very beautiful, holy, and reverent. I loved the Mass we had when I attended Christendom College, as well as many of the Masses I've attended at various monasteries and those offered by some of our favorite priests. It's just that our diocese/state is so very liberal… we've had so many challenges and struggles in the past. You are lucky! If there was a faithful TLM parish within driving distance we would definitely be making the drive. A year ago we were given a new wonderful and faithful Archbishop. We pray for him and pray that he will continue to make changes in our diocese. Oh! My husband actually compiled a great little pamphlet answering FAQs about the Latin Mass. If you are interested you can find it here: Frequently Asked Questions About the Latin Mass

    2014-10-10 06:24:57

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  7. Jessica Gordon

    I loved meeting Elena, and the wonderful family we stayed with were also former parishioners of NAM! Wait until you see the pictures from our next stop… I'd love to visit your parish again someday! 😉

    2014-10-10 06:33:31

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  8. Jessica Gordon

    We really did! I'm sure I kept Julie up way too late each night visiting, and I had some really nice visits with Elena too! I only saw Suzanne once while we were in town – I wish we would have had more time to go out and visit her at her home – but hopefully this won't be our last trip to the area! 🙂 God bless you too, Christine!

    2014-10-10 06:37:28

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  9. Jessica Gordon

    I showed my husband the video about the Chant Camp you have down there a couple months ago and told him we should keep it in mind. It would be such a fun trip!

    2014-10-10 06:38:36

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  10. Jessica Gordon

    Thanks, Janelle! My husband's brother is the current pastor at St. Joan of Arc. 🙂

    2014-10-10 06:42:30

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  11. Erin

    What a special time with your girls! Didn't realise this was ONLY times you'd attended a FSSP parish! Is the little girl with yours a cousin?:)

    2014-10-10 07:09:32

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  12. Jessica Gordon

    It really was special! And no, not a cousin, just a new friend. 🙂

    2014-10-10 07:22:10

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  13. Amy Caroline

    It looks so nice there and such a beautiful community. Glad you were able to go and glad you are home! 🙂

    2014-10-10 13:55:39

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  14. Michele

    How fun to see your post of our little Chapel here in the North and to see you pictured with a few of my friends here. I hope you come back again.

    2014-10-10 23:48:06

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  15. Genevieve

    Lovely pictures! I'm so glad you were able to attend!

    2014-10-11 03:17:55

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  16. Claire Rebecca

    I go to an FSSP parish and it's wonderful

    2014-12-06 20:43:10

    Reply

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