St. Mary Family Faith Night

Did you know there are FIVE Thursdays in April? Seriously, that’s not an April Fools’ Joke even though April 1 was on a Thursday this year. What I am trying to say is that this isn’t the last Thursday Rundown of the month…you will get a “bonus” one next week.

Sloan’s Surgery Anniversary – I want to start with one of the most important anniversaries in my family. Yesterday marked nine years since Sloan’s successful pyloric stenosis surgery. An extremely rare condition that occurs mostly in newborn boys, Sloan’s gender led to her misdiagnosis and a few really tough weeks where she threw up every time she ate. Dr. Robert Cina, the rockstar surgeon who saved Sloan’s life, is in our prayers on a nightly basis. You can learn more about Sloan’s battle by watching this video I made or by reading one of the several blog posts I have written about it. Thanks be to God!

During Sloan’s bout with Pyloric Stenosis and for over a year afterwards, we kept it between immediate family. Sidney and I are so thankful for the support of our parents. This photo shows our moms and dads with Sloan at MUSC on surgery day.

Family Faith Night: SCIENCE – Speaking of God, it was a coincidence that I wrote about the harmonious union of science and religion last week. Why? Because this past weekend my family attended the latest St. Mary Family Faith Night that happened to be exclusively about science, God, and the Church. Our kids had the opportunity to perform a lot of cool experiments and learn how God and science are complementary of each other. The major takeway was that science is not the Church’s enemy, it is actually one of her children. You wouldn’t believe how many of the prominent scientists who made some of the most groundbreaking discoveries were Catholics. If you only watch one thing on YouTube this entire week, please watch this five minute video—it will blow your mind!

It was another fabulous Family Faith Night at St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley). The topic was how science and the Church are harmonious. Thanks to Marie Bricher for putting so much thought and work toward this event.

Have a Picnic! – Today is National Picnic Day but in my opinion I think it should be pushed back to May, June, or even later in the summer. If there is one thing that can ruin a picnic it is rain and we all know what April is synonymous with (April showers bring…). But I digress. I LOVE picnics. One of the best things about moving back west was the opportunity to have more of them. When we lived in South Carolina, the humidity and high concentration of bugs discouraged eating outside but the state of Washington provides perfect conditions for constant picnicking. Nearly six years ago I provided five tips on how to have a perfect picnic…hope you reference it as you start to plan your summer activities.

The Inland Northwest is perfect for picnics. This is Sloan and her cousins enjoying lunch at one of Spokane’s many parks in 2020.

Face Paint Season – But picnic season isn’t the only season right around the corner. With festivals and outdoor events about to enter high gear, keep your eye out (and your cheeks ready) for face painting opportunities! We entered into the fun this past weekend at the Spring on the Ave event organized by the Sprague Union District in east central Spokane. Although face painting does have many drawbacks for parents (as I wrote about a couple years ago), you can’t deny the happiness it brings to kids.

Beau and Sloan each got their faces painted at the Spring on the Ave event that took place within the Union District in east central Spokane.

Answer the Phone – It has been too long since I shared a meme from my friend Lindsi so let’s put an end to the dry streak. Back in the day, answering the phone was an anxiety-inducing affair and the Russian roulette comparison has merit. Even when Caller I.D. was introduced, my parents naturally refused to invest in it so whenever the landline rang at the Reser household it truly was a major gamble to answer it. With the precision that I screen incoming calls these days, I can’t believe I had the guts to blindly answer the phone back in 1999.

I stole this meme from my friend, Lindsi. How did we have the guts to pick up the phone back in the late 1990s?

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Hope those five topics were to your liking. Thanks for your readership and have a delightful weekend. Don’t Blink.

A few days after dressing up for Halloween, Sloan and Beau put on different costumes. They ditched the witch and Spider-Man garb for something a little bit holier. Our children had the honor of dressing up as saints for the latest St. Mary Family Faith Night this past Saturday. Titled “Saints Alive,” the theme came on the heels of All Saints Day on November 1.

Sloan and a friend make a craft at the St. Mary Family Faith Night on Nov. 4. The theme was “Saints Alive.”

Sloan dressed up as the greatest saint of them all—St. Mary. Sid put the costume together and Sloan proudly carried her baby Jesus throughout the event.

Sloan poses for a photo before we went to Family Faith Night. Sid put together her St. Mary costume.

While Sloan depicted perhaps the most well-known saint, Beau portrayed one of the soon-to-be newest saints. He dressed up as Blessed Carlo, the patron saint of the internet.

Beau dressed up as Blessed Carlo Acutis. The favorite video game of Carlo was Mario Kart and he liked to play soccer. The paper Beau is holding contains a QR code linking to Carlo’s Eucharistic miracles website.

I was in charge of Beau’s costume and was so humbled to put it together. You see, the case of Carlo Acutis is a little different than what most people might think of when they hear the word “saint.” Carlo didn’t live 1,500 years ago, he wasn’t a clergy member, and he wasn’t a martyr. Rather, he was born in 1991, played video games, and liked to kick around the soccer ball.

Blessed Carlo…I mean Beau…throws a stuffed animal at the baskets that are situated in front of St. Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals) at the St. Mary Family Faith Night.

In other words, he was relatable.

Blessed Carlo is sometimes referred to as “the first millennial saint.”

But just because he is a modern day individual who shared probably many similarities with us doesn’t mean he wasn’t holy to the bone. Carlo converted non-believers and non-practicing people to the faith (including his parents), he stuck up for the meek/vulnerable, and he had an incredible devotion to the Eucharistic among so many other things.

St. Carlo is the patron saint of the internet.

Carlo’s devotion to the Eucharistic spurned a huge part of his legacy. The computer genius documented the many Eucharistic miracles that exist and categorized them into a website. He then helped create panel presentations of these miracles that now travel around the world. Sidney and I have been blessed to see one of Carlo’s displays before.

Carlo Actuis during his beatification mass in 2020.

Like so many other beatified people and saints, Carlo would die young. The grace and bravery with which he handled his bout with leukemia is nothing short of inspiring and holy. When asked about the pain, he simply said “There are people who suffer much more than me.” Carlo died at 15.

Beau reels in a catch at St. Peter’s Fishing Hole.

To have a slated saint like Carlo is so beneficial to my children. When we watched a story on Carlo the other night, tears filled the eyes of Sloan. He not only resonates with my kids, he inspires them to be saints as well. And you know what? He does the same for me, too.