Prayer Time

We have had a couple sets of friends over during dinner time over the past few months and one of the things we did was say our prayers before eating.   It is really neat to hear what other people do for their meal-time prayer, as well as share what we do.   Ellie enjoys it so much that she has adopted a few of the things she heard/saw.  Now after we do our sign of the cross she wants us to hold hands for the rest of the prayer (thanks Beltman Family).  I know it isn't the normal way to do our meal time prayer, but I love the added unity that it provides and the fact that it means something to Ellie.   They do a little 'prayer' at day-care before meal-time as well (the Open Shut Them song/chant).  We have now started adding that into our meal-time routine along with our normal prayer.  It is a 'prayer' that Ellie leads us in saying and she is really proud of it.   One of the sets of friends that were over for dinner actually sings their meal-time prayer.   We are not that musically talented, so we passed on the singing thing (sorry Trettin Family, we will reserve the singing for when you visit). 

I had to cheat and grab a picture of Ellie and Daddy holding hands during our prayer.  I want to remember it in a photo as well as through stories.  It makes me feel like we are doing something right in raising our daughter.