A Special Day for Katherine

Katherine took another step in our Faith today as she completed her First Communion.

At 10:30 Mass this morning, Katherine and her 68 CCD classmates took and celebrated their First Communion so she can now fully participate in our Mass.
This was the reason my mom came to visit, and Katherine was happy, excited and nervous.
Last year I'd bought her a dress and it fit beautifully. New stockings and shoes completed the basic outfit, while a lovely lace and bead headband (from grandpa), pocketbook (from grandma), pearl bracelet (from mom), gold cross necklace (from grandpa), communion pin and children's missal completed the ensemble. She was gorgeous, and not just in her outfit. You could tell she was excited this day had finally arrived.
Katherine, my mom and I went to the church at 9 to complete preparations. There we picked up her head wreath and stole. While we had her photos taken with the headband, the wreath she used during the ceremony to match all the other girls. The stole was embroidered with the sacraments she has completed along with their dates, with confirmation left empty to be filled in a few years. We attached her communion pin next to the First Communion lettering.
All the girls were beautifully dressed. I'd feared that some would show in ballgowns or dresses reminiscent of beauty pageants, but none had and all the girls glowed.
It wasn't long before the parents (and yayas) were shooed out to reserve our pews in the church, and Ian and the boys joined us right before the group processed in. And then there was the Mass which was blissfully short and wonderfully touching.
After Mass we picked up Katherine's commemorative box to store her mementoes while the kids had a snack (for like everything here, there was food).
Home for a short while and a change of clothes, then off to Powerplant to grab a few sandwiches for lunch before seeing Shrek 2. A cute movie with loads of adult humor and jokes that are missed by the kids, but the kids kept on luaghing anyway. The storyline was more complicated than the first time around, but the kids didn't mind and thoroughly enjoyed watching it. The music track was boppin' just like the original. Jonathon did great (unlike Finding Nemo) because it was fun, there wasn't a scary thing in it, it wasn't too loud and he had a popcorn bucket all his own. Actually, I think the popcorn might have been his favorite for once it was emptied he announed it was time to leave. He was convinced otherwise without any trouble once I reminded him the movie wasn't over.
We saw loads of folks we knew too. With the way movies arrive and disappear in a couple weeks, it's a must to hit the theater as the first opportunity.
Then home. The kids were exhausted once again. Will they be OK for school tomorrow? We adults stayed up to watch some Survivor finale and the newly recorded Manila post video (coming to an OBC near you). But now, it's after 10 p.m. and I'm too tired to be up.
Goodnight.