I am the fifth child of five, blessed with five little miracles of my own. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a counselor, a homeschooler, a practicing (though often failing) Catholic. My life journey has been amazing. I am blessed beyond my ability to believe most days.
We had a later start this day thanks to the hour we would gain passing from Mountain to Pacific time. It's nice to not have to rush out of a place...especially when that means a slow breakfast and time to pack and plan for the miles to come.
There were miles to come on this day. We left Hurricane, Utah and our next stop would be Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes, we took them to Vegas. Yes, we did it in our style. Now, the kids say, "We went to Las Vegas. We went to Mass. We saw Circus Circus and it was creepy." I'm not sure about that last part. I think the 70's motif threw them a bit. We only drove past. I didn't think it would be that big a memory.
It was interesting to attend Mass amidst all the vice that is Las Vegas. Never having been there and not expecting much, my expectations were met. All the glitz and glamour weren't that exciting to me (have we met?)...I was more interested in the layout of the Guardian Angel Cathedral (don't look up Las Vegas Basilica...it's a tattoo shop!). They had a full drum set. They also had a devout 30+ people who took their lunch hour to gather for the Eucharist, rosary, and Stations. Pretty nice. We only managed the Mass part...many miles before we sleep.
Stand in front of the Cathedral and look across the street ;0)
Guardian Angel seems an appropriate name
Pretty in a modern/loud kind of way
They even had 4 triangles!
and a really beautiful Marian side altar
Back on Route 15, we headed southwest, past my new favorite town of ZZYZX, and had a delayed realization that, when we crossed into California, we had completed our journey of the entire southern border of the Continental United States! No, not all this trip. When you have some time, start HERE in Texas and work your way East to Florida.
Our landing zone was San Bernadino but we had already been traveling for so long and we were excited to be in California to start seeing the Missions and we were really hungry so the travel agent (!) just happened to realize that the Mission Basilica de San Diego Alcala happened to have a fish fry just that evening! We arrived, had our meal, and enjoyed our first glimpse of our first Mission! Actually, it was St. Junipero Serra's first Mission as well. Great place to begin!
so beautiful, even in the dark!
The Mission tour will wait, just as it did that night. For now, some information from their website:
San Diego de Alcalá, the first of the twenty-one great California Missions, marks the birthplace of Christianity in the west coast of the United States. It is California's first Mission Church. This remarkable and significant historical shrine provides an understanding and appreciation of the beginning of Catholicism in this corner of the world, so remote from the Mother Country of Spain and yet so similar.
Our pilgrimage had begun in earnest! Tomorrow we would begin to tour the buildings and grounds on which a great Saint had sewn the seeds of Catholicism on the Western coast of our nation in 1769.
We had a wonderfully quiet night in Flagstaff which was good because someone had a genetics quiz to take at 7 AM before we headed down for breakfast.
Flagstaff!
Our brains engaged (one of us at least) and our bellies full, we headed out into the morning to resume our adventure. After miles of buttes and mesas during our drive the previous day, it was definitely a change to see a 1,900 square miles hole in the ground! It was beautiful and amazing and made for much good conversation in the car afterward.
Once we had had our fill of the amazing sight that is the Grand Canyon (and a few more fills on the way out of the park...it's REALLY BIG). We headed north again to traverse the beautiful landscape of Arizona and land, for the night, in Utah.
a mini-canyon on the right (probably only a mile wide!)
one of the few buildings in the Navajo Nation
Note the rocks...and the cars/trucks beside them...for scale.
Our night's lodgings was a lovely little house we rented through vrbo. The brilliant travel agent (me again!) realized that packing light meant having laundry facilities every fourth night and, frankly, after three nights in a hotel, it's good to just stretch out (and have some home cooking!). This was a fantastic house equipped with a garage (which was great because the wind was pretty extreme and it was easier and warmer to load/unload inside). It also had a floor perfect for reenacting certain pairs skating routines and a chair/fireplace setup that was warmly welcomed by weary, cold, little travelers.
Unlike real skating, the female leads this pair ;0)
Perfect post-skating relaxation.
It was a good respite to prepare for our day to come...two new states and the completion of the southern boarder of the US! No small feat for these little ones.
Early up, breakfast, check out, then off to a local shrine...it was Ash Wednesday and there is no better way to begin Lent than with Mass and a blackened forehead...with a few extra blessings.
The Shrine of St. Bernadette was, of course, immediately attractive to the travel agent (moi) because of our sweet babe; any chance to attend Mass and remember our little one in heaven is a wonderful thing. I didn't have any idea what God had in store when we would arrive.
Because it was a "giveaway" day ;0) the church was packed. We stopped for a few minutes to visit the Lourdes fountain in the foyer before heading inside.
This Mass on this day at this shrine was a sort of epiphany to me. At home, we are in the midst of a reorganization of sorts, stemming from the need to ultimately close parishes and due, at least in part, to dwindling attendance and a shortage of priests. There are many things to discuss with regard to that topic, one being the introduction of different parishioners who worship in different ways. There is a pretty strong pull toward the Charismatic in our Diocese. It began in this city and there are many who seem to favor that as the main sort of worship.
I am not a Charismatic; it is not the way in which I am called to praise God. Raising hands, drums and guitars, and k-love inspired music does nothing for me. I like incense and sung Latin. Neither of these worship-types, done for the purpose of glorifying God in the Eucharist, is wrong. What is wrong is thinking one type is essentially "right" or "better" than the other. I can fall into that trap sometimes so, I suppose, the Holy Spirit wanted to show me something.
Back to Mass. Before the service began, the cantor asked for visitors to stand. I'm usually totally against this sort of thing but, ok, let's just do it this time. The priest greeted us warmly and the usher handed us two (I guess because there were so many of us, lol) beautiful packages of prayer cards, information and a CD about the Shrine. Our very own welcome gift for attending! Double giveaway day!!!
As the Mass progressed, my Charismatic sensors went off. It was hard to silence them when I had an in-real-life Charismatic jumping/waving/speaking a few pews ahead as the Mass progressed. I also heard a guitar but this was different...no strumming. Just the most beautiful classical guitar played in the most uplifting and beautiful way. (A funny aside, someone's phone went off and it was playing "Hoedown" from Copeland's "Rodeo"...you know the Beef, It's What's For Dinner song?) So funny. So Southwest.
Right. So, we have the Charismatics well represented. Imagine my surprise when the priest then launches into the Sanctus? Little Man was equally thrilled when Agnus Dei was also included. I was further intrigued when, upon processing up for Holy Communion, I realized that two kneelers had been placed at the front for anyone wishing to kneel to receive. I would guess at least one-third of the attendees did just that.
Most of the time God knows I'm not great at pre-planning my Lenten intentions. Actually, this year, I was leaning heavily on the we're-on-a-2,000-mile-pilgrimage-with-small-children plan (endorsed afterward by my pastor!) but here was something else to work over in my mind and with DH as we drove all those miles. Here was a parish that had something for everyone, in a simple but inclusive way, while maintaining all the tradition and liturgical correctness of the Mass. (I've been reading about a Catholic church in the south that calls the homily the "message" and does all sorts of things that don't look at all Catholic to me).
Here was a place to begin Lent where people of all Catholic stripes joined to worship. It was a pretty beautiful thing to witness. Afterward, when the kids walked around distributing the Valentines we had brought with us (see HERE for more info) it was clear that these were faithful people, seeking God in the way they were being called. That's the interesting thing about God. He made us all different and we have to do what He calls us to. How beautiful, though, when there is no competition in that, only celebration.
Having gotten our fill of good cheer for the morning, I didn't take pictures so that I might keep the images in my heart (like Blondie delivering her last Valentine to a sweet older man sitting with his walker), we stopped by for a few last moments with the Saint and headed North.
Dear Lord, help us to always seek humility
Sweet Bernadette. Keep our little one close.
North! I can't say it was the most stirring landscape to drive
This was me most of the 3+ hours each way
Although, occasionally in the middle of the sand and brush, a beautiful butte (mesa?) would just appear in the distance and grow until it was a really spectacular edifice, stirring conversation about how? and why? and mostly ending with "I guess God just liked it there".
Finally, in the midst of the Navajo Nation we pulled into the monument...this is where the four corners of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah all meet. Pretty cool.
For all the over-population worriers ;0)
A lovely soldier took this for us. He and his buddy were on a 13-day trek from Georgia to his new base in Alaska!
They were so thrilled to do this to tell their drill sergeants. Lol.
It was one of our longest days but extremely blessed. We stopped for some filet-o-fish in #3's new favorite town
Tuba City!
before making the final push south to land in Flagstaff, where it was snowing! Grateful to be in our nest and off the roads, we said our prayers and headed to dreamland. Tomorrow would be full of new experiences.
The travel agent (moi) was smart enough to book two nights in Albequerque. This was primarily due to the need for a stable base from which to continue online classes (we've had success with public libraries but, it's nicer to just have a hotel room). So, after science, health, and breakfast, we headed out to see the sights.
Our journey took us to the town square of Old Town Albuquerque. The area dates from 1706, and the day was perfect to walk around (the website states, on average, there are 300 days of sunshine here! Definitely not The Burgh).
Our experience of New Mexico was beginning to form - pleasant people but extreme poverty. The majority of Native American people made it look different immediately but people from all races and ethnic backgrounds seemed to need help. Perhaps the temperate climate made it a better area in which to be homeless but it was still desert - the nights were very cold. A good reminder from above to pray for all those in need.
How convenient that there just happened to be a church nearby ;0) San Felipe de Neri parish has been continuously celebrating Mass since the 1700's! What an amazing piece of history and a beautiful connection to the past. God has been, is now, and will be forever. Of course it was also special to us because of our own church of St. Philip Neri at home. How comforting that the laughing Saint was the first to meet us on our journey!
The adobe of the Southwest is very beautiful
Little boy was begging to see a cactus - how about a cactus tree?
The simplicity of most of the churches we would visit was so beautiful to me. Nothing overly ornate, just a few statues to focus your mind and straight-ahead to the tabernacle!
This church was founded by the Franciscans, later run by the Jesuits and the school was run by the Sisters of Charity - lots of religious orders from which to choose!
Back to the hotel for a late lunch at my new favorite restaurant...Mimi's Café which, providentially, is "French inspired" but, in this case, was decorated very much in New Orleans/French Quarter vibe. Odd, normally but on Mardi Gras? Perfect!
Speaking of...we returned in time for #1 to attend her online "Myth in Literature" course. She is blessed to have Mr. Kevin O'Brien as her instructor. Mr. O'Brien is an actor by trade and also, if you watch the link, an atheist-turned-Catholic. He's portrayed many famous men on EWTN, including Chesterton, Frodo, and St. Paul. He is theatrical to say the least and didn't miss his chance when class happened to fall on Mardi Gras.
That's a jester's hat...the purple side blended into the background :0)
We finished off the day with a nice dinner downstairs (hooray for Drury Inn! Breakfast and dinner!) and back to the room for King Cake to celebrate the feast before beginning our Lenten fast. Tiny boy was lucky enough to find the baby. We watched some of the Olympics then off to dreamland, which isn't too difficult when you're only on day two of Mountain time.
Finally. Well, I have to preface it with, not sure when the next installment will occur but bear with me dear readers...and check back frequently.
Finally is what I felt (along with a crazy bit of anxiety) when we woke up on Monday morning around 5 to rouse our little ones and head to the airport (with all the other business people). The alarmists were wrong. If you fly, all you need is little people and there is really no trouble at all. Once this tiny one is beyond the 6-year-old threshold, I figure I'll be in a wheelchair so, again, priority boarding ;0)
Our first stop would be Dallas airport for a short layover on our final journey to Albuquerque. The first leg was uneventful and other than some turbulence from the high winds during our descent to New Mexico, all was well. It was good to finally be where we would begin.
A friend reminded us that it was flu season so we were those goofy people wearing masks on the plane. No one got sick the entire trip and it kept my nose humidified during the trip. Score.
hmmmm...crop circles ;0)
We certainly have a beautiful and topographically diverse country (that's sand under those trees)!
After settling into the hotel and unpacking a bit we headed out to our first stop, The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. It was full of all things Nuclear - the science and the history - with a few planes and rockets thrown in. It was also free through the reciprocity of our Science Museum membership...a great perk when you're traveling with a large group!
I wish I had several million dollars and a huge house. I would totally have a science room with this as the floor!
Did you know Red Fiestaware would set off the Geiger counter?
Kids toys from the past!
PT at the museum...pedal fast enough to make the fan spin
Even Einstein was there to explain some concepts!
This section of the museum was actually fascinating. Everything you wanted to know about the atomic bomb and the role of New Mexico in its development.
#1 found the name curious - so did I
All I do is teach history...these kids' moms were building bombs!
Then in the middle of the building they had this entire room of simple machines. Great diversion from pondering about the total elimination of man! Or, perhaps, to remind us that one day we may be starting again from scratch.
Hologram that looked like a black Tardis
look from the side....nothing there!
Ahh, back to total annihilation. Can you imagine any of this happening in the age of technology?
They had an actual fallout shelter
He was amused by the "buried sub" in the middle of New Mexico
We were in a strange place, no doubt. The sand, the mountains rising up from nowhere, the people who looked and spoke differently than us. It is the exact reason I dislike flying somewhere - there is no time to transition through known-to-unknown. Still, in the days to come, we would see and realize the similarities that exist all across this country. Even the things that were different would be appreciated as we made our way along this pilgrimage. What a great God we have to make all of these different types of people then give us the opportunity to grow by trying to understand one another. The pilgrimage is never boring...stay tuned.
