St. Anthony's Acres

Just for You Know Who

2011-12-28T11:02:00.006-05:00

I can't think of a better way to update this ol' blog than with a few pictures of Christmas! Enjoy!

Raechel, relaxing with the fam. Isn't she pretty!

Thomas with his favorite gift: a camping shovel.

Mary is at that perfect age where Christmas is nothing but magic and lights and sweets. Oh, and Jesus. We try to not forget about Him.

Last year, Lucy was just a little baby. She spent Christmas morning lying under the tree, staring at the ornaments and drooling on herself. This year, she is a big baby! Here she is, opening her first present from Santa- a baby doll that she just loves.

We're missing a few kids there, but I assure you, the rest of them are equally photogenic. See, here they are, all together:

L to R, First Row: Mary, 4; Joseph, almost 10; Thomas, 7; Daniel, 12; Robert, 16
Back Row: Raechel, 14, holding Lucy, 18 months

I just love how my "big kids" are not too embarrassed to sit for pictures with the "little kids". And lookit all their little bare feet! Too cute!

This picture is out of order, but here's this year's tree. It's beautiful! Thank you, Sweetie, for cutting it down and trimming it and dragging it into the sauna to dry and helping to set it up just perfect. It might have been easier to just buy one, but it wouldn't have been ours.

And I'll close with a picture of me. This one is rare because I look at it and think, "That's actually a decent picture." I'm so vain. ;-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Lucy's First Week slideshow

2010-07-11T16:59:00.003-04:00

Here are pictures of Lucy. I stole the good ones from Chuck. ;-) (I hope this works...)

Lucy will be a week old tomorrow, and we are both doing really well. Thank you all for the prayers and well-wishes. :-) God bless!

The Birth of Lucy Marie

2010-07-06T17:37:00.003-04:00

July 4th, my due date, seemed like it was going to be an uneventful day. I was supposed to work that afternoon, but I called in. I said, "Even if I don't have this baby any time soon, I'm just "done". A friend came by to pick up the kids for the afternoon so Chuck and I could take it easy.

Sometime in the afternoon I started having contractions about an hour apart. At about 7 p.m. they were still about 45-50 minutes apart, but I called the midwife to put her "on alert". When I had to leave a message on her cell phone I knew that we had best be prepared to go it alone- again! Chuck started timing the contractions at 8:37 and they were coming every 13 to 17 minutes between that time and 10:25. At about 9:00 I called and left a second message for the midwife. I was having no problem breathing and relaxing through them, although I was feeling a lot of pressure in my back. I quietly offered "in advance" everything that would occur in labor to Jesus through Mary, for our Baby to be born safely.

Mary Mae was still up at 9:30, so she and I took a little walk around the yard. There were four of the neighbor's bunnies outside, and we watched the sunset together. When we came back in I sat in the recliner with her. Chuck told her, "Baby is going to come out." She hopped down off my lap and stared at my belly wide-eyed. Then she lifted up my shirt and peered expectantly at my belly button. She had been asking for weeks when baby would "come out", and finally the time had come! Chuck and Raechel managed to get her to bed sometime shortly after that.

At about 10:30, things picked up the pace dramatically. My contractions went from every 15 minutes to every 4 minutes, just like that. We didn't bother timing them after that. I took a shower and spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom. I remember thinking of my hospital labors where I was confined to bed, unable even to empty my bladder. I thanked God that I was home! The back pressure was very intense, and Baby kept moving around, which only made it worse. I joked with Chuck that we only had so many minutes left to produce a 4th of July baby. Shortly after midnight, Chuck set everything up in our room and went to tell Raechel it was time.

As I hit transition it felt like there was hardly any break between one contraction and the next. My back "pressure" was now "pain" and it was constant. Even with Thomas, who was posterior, I don't remember feeling that kind of back pain. I was kneeling on the floor against the foot of our bed (same spot where Mary was born), but I lowered down into a squat with each contraction. I remembered that in labor with Thomas the midwife's assistant told me not to try to arch my back away from the pressure, so I leaned into it.

As transition moved into the pushing stage, everything started to blur. I had no idea where Chuck or Raechel were or what they were doing. With one long pushing contraction, I heard Chuck say, "There's the head. Eew, no, that was the bag." He later told me that the water bag popped all over his hand. I really was in "some discomfort" (as my sweet hubby has mentioned on his blog post) and determined to get it over with quickly. With the next round of pushing, Baby was all the way out. There was a few seconds of silence; I turned to see Chuck holding our baby in his hands, face down. I asked him if the cord was "fat", and then we heard that most wonderful sound in the whole world- Baby's first cry. He flipped baby over and said, "It's a girl!" The amazement in his voice is a priceless memory; all these months we thought baby was a boy!

He passed her to me. The afterbirth came out very quickly as we dried her off, checked the time (12:28 a.m.), clamped and cut the cord. I looked at Chuck and said, "Well, Daddy, what's her name?" "Lucy Marie." She was looking pale, so we used the oxygen and she gained color quickly. Raechel was a little timid at first, but she held her new baby sister while Chuck helped me up off the floor. I think I lay in bed for a few minutes, then wanted a shower. The midwife arrived while I was in there. Lucy was 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 22 inches long. Sweet girl, she insisted on keeping her hand(s) over her face while being born; that's still her preferred sleeping position. We are all very grateful to have another daughter with us!

It's a GIRL!!!

2010-07-05T18:06:00.003-04:00

I've held her in my arms; I've spent most of the day just staring at her and smelling her and listening to her little noises as she breathes; I've typed those words here and there all over the internet, and I still almost can't believe it.

How could we possibly think she was a boy? LOL!

Lucy Marie was born this morning at 12:28 a.m. She weighs 8 pounds, 5 ounces and is 22 inches of precious, perfect, healthy baby.

Mama is understandably feeling a bit "worn" but otherwise doing great. I'll be writing up a birth story, probably tomorrow.

Thank you, sweet Jesus! Thank you Blessed Mother! God bless!

Daybook for Today

2010-06-27T16:37:00.002-04:00

Outside my window... sunshine, rain puddles, chickens, and a 6-year-old boy who took the initiative to work on moving a pile of firewood.

I am thinking... this might be the last daybook before Baby arrives. :o)

I am thankful for... the yummy smelling late lunch/early dinner that is almost done.

From the learning rooms... planning summer school (mainly math) for Robert and Raechel; also looking ahead to next year.

From the kitchen... homemade corn tortillas, taco meat, Mexican corn, and homemade bread for later.

I am wearing... shorts and a tank top- I changed after work.

I am reading... nothing right now, actually.

I am hoping... we don't have to wait much longer to meet our newest blessing.

I am hearing... my noisy family.

One of my favorite things... having the perfect excuse to be "tired" at any time of day.

A few plans for the rest of the week: work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and next Sunday afternoon; grocery shopping on Thursday; midwife appointment and Mass on Saturday; or maybe I'll just have a baby.

God bless!

Father's Day

2010-06-20T18:19:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day to the father of my children and the love of my life. :o)

50 Years of the Pill

2010-06-11T13:23:00.005-04:00

Fifty years ago last month, the birth control pill revolutionized women's health. The term "women's health" is, of course, a euphamism for sterilization and abortion (often coerced), with the ultimate goal of population control and reduction.

Here are three related quotes- food for thought that I just can't stomach.

Obama's top science advisor, John P. Holdren:
"A program of sterilizing women after their second or third child, despite the relatively greater difficulty of the operation than vasectomy, might be easier to implement than trying to sterilize men.... The development of a long-term sterilizing capsule that could be implanted under the skin and removed when pregnancy is desired opens additional possibilities for coercive fertility control. The capsule could be implanted at puberty and might be removable, with official permission, for a limited number of births."

David Browner, first Executive Director of the Sierra Club:
"Childbearing [should be] a punishable crime against society, unless the parents hold a government license ... All potential parents [should be] required to use contraceptive chemicals, the government issuing antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing."

Seeing as how Planned Parenthood is the great champion of "women's health", I'll close this post with this little gem from founder Margaret Sanger:
"The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."

source

FINALLY

2010-04-18T20:06:00.002-04:00

As in, "Yay, I finally am feeling human again!"

It started with a slight cough and "nasal drip" sore throat on the Saturday before Easter, and escalated from there. The cold wasn't so bad- the sinus infection that followed was pure misery. It lingered for a while in my right sinuses. There were two days when I thought I was feeling better, then suddenly the left side of my head clogged up. In all it has taken almost two weeks of sinus headache, ringing ears, sore jaw, toothache, bloody/green mucus, low energy, and general grumpiness with occasional bouts of self-pity for me to feel like myself again. Let's just say it was unpleasant for all involved. ;-)

In other news... Robert and Raechel attended a one-day retreat in preparation for Confirmation. They will be confirmed on May 2. Joseph will receive his first Holy Communion on May 16, so he also had a one-day retreat. It has made me so proud to see how they've prepared themselves (and helped each other prepare) to make these important steps into the Faith. It's a good reminder for me, too, at just what a special honor and privilege it is to have these precious souls entrusted to us.

The chicks that we ordered with some friends were finally feathered out enough to join our flock. There are 13 of them- I believe we ended up with ten hens and three roosters. Meanwhile, the four old hens that survived the multiple dog attacks of last fall have been doing well and we still get 2-3 eggs a day. Enough for a breakfast if we save 'em up for Sunday. The others should be ready to lay sometime in August.

Baby has been doing very well. I've grown a lot in the last month, feeling lots of movement, and the heart beat is always easy to find with our fetoscope. My midwife is supposed to be coming tomorrow around noon for a check-up. After this, it is already time to visit every two weeks! We haven't started any of the practical preparations yet. We have enough clothes and a carseat up in the garage to dig out and wash. The diapers are still clean and in the stacker in the bathroom even though Mary has been toilet trained for quite a while now. We don't have anything for the birth yet, so I guess that is the first thing I should make a list for.

Chuck and the kids are at the park in Greenland right now. I stayed behind to finish up lesson plans. The house was so quiet, just me and the dog, that I got done a lot faster than I normally would. Why is it that when I get a little of the quiet time I so long for.. I don't know what to do with myself? ;-) But, it is almost sunset now, and I have laundry to bring in, so this is good-night.

God bless!

Twenty-Seven Week Tummy

2010-04-06T15:26:00.002-04:00

It's a blurry picture, but look at how much we have grown! Especially compared to the last picture... My next appointment with the midwife is this Friday, so I'll definitely update after that!

God bless!

Christ is Risen!

2010-04-04T10:27:00.002-04:00

He is risen indeed!

Happy Easter to all my loved ones and friends- you were all in my prayers at Mass this morning. :o) Chuck got some good pictures of the kids this morning, and I'll try to make sure he gets them put up on his blog.

May the risen Lord fill each of you with His hope and love throughout this Easter season and always. God bless!

This and That

2010-03-23T14:31:00.003-04:00

Mary told me a story this morning. I'm not sure why all my toddlers have been convinced they need company while on the potty, but I suspect it is so they will have somebody to talk to while they take care of business. (It works out well for me, actually, since I can monitor their rate of t.p. usage.) Her story went like this: "Mom, Me tell you a story. Once upon a time a boy went outside. Then a man said 'Nanny-nanny-boo-boo'. That was all, but I was impressed. I don't remember the other kids even attempting to make up a story at only two and a half. So, that settles it... our Mary Mae is fantastic. ;-)

Baby and I reached another milestone this weekend: 25 weeks. This is significant to me because Robert was born at 25 weeks; I always feel a little better after passing this point, and it is kinda neat in that I have seen first hand exactly what a 25-week-old baby looks like. It's strange that such a tiny baby makes me feel so big! In the comments, Mom F. said that my exercise may make my labor and delivery "different", and that made me smile. I've read that exercise makes l&d quicker and easier. If it goes any easier or faster this time than it did the last two times, I'll wake up one morning to find Baby already born!

We have been enjoying unusually spring-like weather, unusual for the U.P. at least. Most of the last two weeks we've had highs in the 50's and lows just below freezing. Usually there is still significant snow cover through March, but our snow has almost completely melted. I really enjoy being able to go outside in just a t-shirt, and the kids are (of course) running around barefoot. Chances are we will get at least one more snowstorm before the snow season is over, but who knows... My dad always says "it is perfectly normal to have abnormal weather". I'm just glad this spring is "abnormal" in such a pleasant way.

That's all for now, God bless!

Eew...

2010-03-16T09:56:00.002-04:00

If April 1st were not landing on Holy Thursday this year, I'd totally be making a from-scratch version of this cake for April Fool's Day.

Quick Pregnancy Update

2010-03-12T12:58:00.003-05:00

We had a nice visit with the midwife today. Baby has really had a growth spurt, which almost explains why Mama gained about five pounds this month. ;-) We are easily able to feel little hands, feet, elbows, and knees in there... the fun part is trying to guess what knobby bump is what. At 23 weeks and 4 days I'm measuring 26 weeks, but measuring ahead is pretty normal for me. Baby is definitely head down, and his-or-her heart rate was around 140. My blood pressure was 112/70 which is really good for me; usually during pregnancy my bp is at the high end of normal. She said that can probably be attributed to the fact that I'm continuing to exercise. I think my fluid intake (about a gallon a day, almost all water) helps a lot, too. It is about time to get another picture; I'll try to remember to do that this weekend.

That's all I can think of. I'm feeling good, eating and resting well and getting through the day with just enough energy. Really, I can't ask for more than that! Every day I thank God for this precious little soul He has entrusted to us, and I ask that Baby will be safe and healthy.

God bless!

Beautiful Days

2010-03-10T15:21:00.003-05:00

The last few days, we have been blessed with unusually beautiful weather. It is hard to believe that it is still late winter, and not yet early spring. The snow is completely melted back from our driveway and the roads. Last night, for the first night since probably November, we did not get below freezing. The old guys at the market keep saying not to count on spring yet; that we're bound to get more snow, and that March could still turn out to be a nasty month. My reply is that they are right, but that won't prevent me from appreciating every moment of these beautiful days.

In fact, I've been so inspired by the weather that I've decided to start updating my long-neglected Weather Blog again. Today I posted the snowfall report from this week's paper. Looking at March of last year, on the only day I recorded (March 2) we had a low of -22* and a high of 21. Contrast that with last night's low temperature of 33 and the high so far of 56.

Breaking news- Rain! As I'm writing this, Robert came in and said there is water falling from the sky in liquid form. There's something else we haven't seen since November. ;-)

Not to go on and on about the weather, but to quote Joseph: "Lord, thank you very much! I give you thanks for the rain, the stars, the moon, everything."

Amen.

God bless!

2010-02-24T14:40:00.003-05:00

Daybook for today.

Outside my window... snow and clouds. My answers to this first question are getting pretty monotonous.

I am thinking... about when Thomas was born, six years ago today. He was my first homebirthed baby. It started out as a difficult labor because he was posterior, but then he turned and everything happened amazingly fast after that. February 24, 2004 was Mardi Gras, so we celebrated his birth with beads and King Cake. I asked him this morning what it feels like to be six; his answer, "about the same as five."

I am thankful for... Mary having fewer and fewer "accidents". I strongly dislike potty training, so it's a relief to have the process done... until next time.

From the kitchen... Last night we made 15-bean soup, and it was wonderful. It soaked and then cooked over wood heat for a day and a half before it was ready, but well worth the weight. I didn't use their packets of "seasoning" but just salt and pepper. The only problem was that the giant lima beans really were giant, and they somewhat resembled grubs. I ate them anyway; it is Lent afterall.

I am wearing... blue jeans and a green t-shirt.

I am going... to work in less than an hour. It's snowing pretty heavily, so I bet it will be a quiet night.

I am reading... a daily devotional booklet called "One Bread, One Body" from Presentation Ministries. I'm also still reading St. Faustina's diary.

I am hoping... I remember to bring home coffee tonight; we are almost out.

I am hearing... the usual household noise.

Around the house... big improvment, if you ask me. I'm spending about half an hour to an hour in a room, just doing whatever I feel needs to be done in there. Maybe by Easter I'll have most of my spring cleaning done.

One of my favorite things... stretching sore muscles. I went for a walk/jog outside on Monday, and it gave me a decent pair of shin splints.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I already mentioned I work tonight. Tomorrow I will do laundry, cook a couple of meals and make sure the kids do their chores, spend some time cleaning the bathroom, do my exercise, have two people over for "choir practice" in the afternoon, and work in the evening. Friday will be mostly the same as Thursday, but I will spend my cleaning time in our bedroom. I'm not sure whether we will try to run some errands Saturday morning or not, but we have Mass in the late afternoon and then we are going to have dinner at some friends' house. Sunday I work in the afternoon, and I plan to do as little as possible in the morning.

That's all I have time for right now; with all the interruptions this took "forever". I'm not even going to check for spelling or typos. ;-) God bless!

courtesy of The Simple Woman's Daybook

Daybook for Today

2010-02-18T15:40:00.003-05:00

Outside my window... snow, sun, and temperatures that are almost above freezing

I am thinking... These days it is difficult to think of anything except the baby in my belly... especially when s/he is tickling me with little jabs and kicks.

I am thankful for... the season of Lent and the opportunity to grow closer to Jesus.

From the kitchen... Robert made the most awesome King Cake day before yesterday from Mardi Gras. We can't stop talking about how good it was. :o)

I am wearing... sweats today- dark blue sweatpants and a light blue hoodie

I am creating... a plan that will get our home and entire life more organized and again running smoothly. Really. I mean it this time. Honey, why are you laughing?

I am going... to permanently banish stuffed animals from the house.

I am reading... Saint Faustina's Diary; actually I'm only starting it today. I've never read the entire thing cover to cover, but maybe I'll be able to this time.

I am hoping... spring will not be too much longer. Fat chance.

I am hearing... Joseph, Daniel and Mary are in the kitchen eating apples. The boys are coming up with silly phrases for Mary to repeat. "Batman likes cantaloupe" sounds completely adorable coming from her.

Around the house... I just started my Lenten cleaning project yesterday; I don't want to look around too closely yet.

One of my favorite things... my darling, precious, wonderful, handsome, kind, loving and completely lovable husband.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Maybe I should start doing these posts earlier in the week, LOL! Tomorrow I work; Saturday we have errands and Mass; Sunday I work in the morning and then we will celebrate Thomas' birthday a few days early. I also plan to keep up on meals, laundry, daily chores, exercise, and my little house-cleaning project. I figure that will be enough to keep me busy.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing.

God bless!

courtesy of The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Baby Gianna Story

2010-02-16T20:08:00.003-05:00

I want to share a link to a week-long series being published at Creative Minority Report, one of the few Catholic news-and-views kind of blog that I visit almost daily.

The Baby Gianna Story, part I

The parts are linked one into the next. It is heartbreaking, but so important for stories like this to be told. I warn you to have tissues handy, and I wouldn't suggest reading this from work or a public computer unless you want everyone around wondering what is wrong with you.

Tonight is Mardi Gras. I pray for all of us to have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season.

Half-Baked Baby

2010-02-14T19:33:00.001-05:00

This weekend, Baby and I reached the half-way point. Here's the latest picture of us:

My visit with the midwife on Saturday went well. One of the lovely things about her... she comes to me, even on weekends. :-) My blood pressure is staying nice and low, fundus is measuring 23 cm, and I've gained about 13 pounds so far. We couldn't get a good listen to Baby's heartbeat because s/he was rolling around too much. We're talking a lot about whether we think Baby is a boy or girl, and discussing names. I think we've decided a girl's name, and I'm 99% positive we've decided a boy's name. But, since it is always subject to change, we're not telling until it is official. ;-)

That's all the update for now, Happy St. Valentine's Day! God bless!

Sweet

2010-02-09T13:14:00.003-05:00

Is it just pregnancy hormones, or is this a really sweet commercial?

It makes me think that there must still be a lot of people out there in the world who believe in family: love, marriage, and babies. And for some reason that makes me all teary-eyed.

Make sure you hug your precious ones today. God bless!

Good Morning!

2010-02-08T09:50:00.003-05:00

We had a pretty good weekend, especially welcome after having a rough day on Friday. It was over too quickly, though.

On Saturday we ran some errands in the morning, went to Mass in the afternoon, and had friends over in the evening. That night we met a milestone for this pregnancy- Baby was moving around strong enough for Chuck to feel it, too. Baby is moving more and more every day; it is so much fun to feel those little kicks and jabs and imagine what position s/he is in.

We had a quiet Sunday morning. I had to work in the afternoon. Since it was Super Bowl Sunday (which I wouldn't have known before getting to work if Dad hadn't mentioned it) I expected to be busy for most of the shift... and I was! But even after kick-off time, people kept coming in. Usually being so busy makes the time fly by, but not last night. I guess I was anxious to get home. I'm already looking forward to next Sunday; it will be my weekend off!

We don't have too much planned for this week, although I have a feeling we will manage to stay busy nonetheless. My next visit with the midwife should be on Saturday, so that's another reason to look forward to next weekend. That's all the update for now... I hope all of you have a beautiful week!

God Bless!

2010-02-05T10:34:00.003-05:00

Daybook for today...

Outside my window... clouds in the sky and snow on the ground, a typical February morning.
I am thinking... we really should be able to get breakfast cooked, eaten, and cleaned up earlier.
I am thankful for... God's patience with me.
From the learning rooms... may not seem to be much, but the children are all reading, writing, and drawing- working on their own things these days with a bit of Mom-imposed math drill here and there.
From the kitchen... a simple stove-top rice pudding for breakfast, and I'm craving a smoothie.
I am wearing... my 'mom' uniform- comfy pants, yesterday's t-shirt, a quilted flannel. I'll have to clean up before going to work this afternoon.
I am creating... a new human being- how awesome is that!?
I am going... to have to learn to just accept things as they are and make the best of them- usually I'm pretty good at this, but it isn't always easy.
I am reading... a paperback novel called Dear John that my boss gave me. I am so not into romance novels, but this one is clean and I feel obligated to read it in case she asks.
I am hoping... spring comes early this year.
I am hearing... Robert clunking around dishes in the kitchen, Thomas teasing Mary over an ice cream bucket lid (I have no idea why), Raechel humming to herself, Joseph humming a conflicting tune to himself, and the dog taking a drink so slurpy you would think she just crossed the Gobi Desert and not the living room.
Around the house... too much clutter waiting for me to take care of "someday" when I have a minute. I'm not looking!
One of my favorite things... still planning that awesome smoothie I'm wanting for lunch.
A few plans for the rest of the week: This week is almost over, and as far as I know we don't have anything unusual going on for the weekend.

God bless!

courtesy of The Simple Woman's Daybook

Here We Grow

2010-02-01T14:39:00.004-05:00

It occurred to me that through all my pregnancies, I have exactly three "belly shots". This time around I plan to take pictures regularly, every few weeks at least. This first picture is Baby 'n me three weeks ago, at about 15 weeks...

Next picture is this weekend, at about 18 weeks (not quite 4 months).

The pictures look a little odd because I'm twisting to photograph myself in the mirror. Still, as you can see, I'm carrying quite high so far. I can't remember if that means a boy or girl, according to the old wives. ;-) The e-mails I receive say that at this point Baby is about the length of a bell pepper (5 1/2 inches) and weighing somewhere around 5 ounces. I first felt movement about a week and a half ago, and by now I'm feeling Baby saying "hi" a couple of times a day. I just love being pregnant! (Well, now that I'm over the first trimester I can say I love it!)

Everybody has been doing well... Chuck did end up getting sick on the night of his birthday and into the next day, but that was the end of it. God bless!

Tummy Woes

2010-01-19T10:11:00.003-05:00

What a long weekend! Our first round of illness for the season, and it had to be a stomach bug. Really, I shouldn't complain- we got off pretty lucky! Robert never did get sick, but I'm hoping it is over. Everybody seems to be feeling well today, but we probably should stay on a bland diet a while longer. Too bad... today is Chuck's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! I hope it is a good one and that nobody throws up today! ;-)

Check-Up

2010-01-14T18:37:00.003-05:00

I had my first prenatal appointment for this pregnancy today. It went well! We are still a little confused as to my exact due date. According to the little wheel like the OB's use, I could be due either June 26 or July 16. So we are going to settle for my calculation of July 4th. We can be pretty sure that baby will be born sometime between mid-June and the end of July. ;-) We decided to use the doppler to pick up Baby's heartbeat so the kids could hear it, too. Wow, there really is a little person in there! She said it isn't too early to use the fetoscope; I never have any luck finding the heartbeat with ours, but Chuck has had more success.

I am so thankful to God for His gift of new life, and for allowing me to play a part in His creation. Thanks for all the prayers for us, everyone... keep them up. It's a long time until summer.

God bless!

Me, Me, Me

2010-01-12T17:09:00.003-05:00

Here are my answers to 65 questions you probably never thought to ask me. Enjoy!

1. First thing you wash in the shower? my hands

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? baby blue

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? of course

4. Do you plan outfits? No, I just grab whatever is clean enough and warm!

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? like I am wasting my time, lol

6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? the stamp on an envelope

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? Last night I dreamed something about water.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? no

9. What are you craving right now? peace and quiet and warm weather

10. Do you floss? I'm really bad about remembering to do this every night...

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? cole slaw

12. Are you emotional? not usually

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? probably not

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? I eat it with a spoon.

15. Do you like your hair? yes and no, mostly yes

16. Do you like yourself? silly question... yes.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? only if he paid, the family could come, and there were no photographers.

18. What are you listening to right now? My boys horsing around; actually, I'm trying not to listen to them, lol!

19. Are your parents strict? They were when they needed to be.

20. Would you go sky diving? NO!!

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes, with canned peaches.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Only if Gary Busey counts as a celebrity, which I doubt.

23. Do you rent movies often? We use Netflix and I can get movies from the market where I work.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? We still have a few Christmas decorations up.

25. How many countries have you visited? I've never been outside the U.S.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? yes,about 20 years ago!

27. Ever been on a train? a zoo train ;-)

28. Brown or white eggs? brown, but it really doesn't matter so long as they are fresh

29. Do you have a cell-phone? for now, but getting rid of it soon.

30. Do you use chap stick? Yeah, in the winter I do.

31. Do you own a gun? Technically Chuck owns the guns.

32. Can you use chop sticks? I can, but well enough to actually feed myself with them.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? My sweetie and the kids.

34. Are you too forgiving? Can you be too forgiving? I don't believe so, but yes- I am a forgiving person.

35. Ever been in love? I married my only true love.

36. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? He is going to work, then coming home and holding down the fort until I get home.

37. Ever have cream puffs? I'm not sure I even know what these are.

38. Last time you cried? Saturday, but it wasn't a "real" cry.

39. What was the last question you asked? "Why is it suddenly so quiet? Where is Mary?"

40. Favorite time of the year? summer

41. Do you have any tattoos? Yes, I have one, unfortunately.

42. Are you sarcastic? Of course not.

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Maybe, but I don't remember it if I have.

45. Favorite color? blue

46. Have you ever slapped someone? yes :-(

47. Is your hair curly? no, but it isn't really straight, either.

48. What was the last CD you bought? John Michael Talbot's master collection, that was about 6 years ago.

49. Do looks matter? not nearly as much as a genuine heart and clean soul.

51. Is your phone bill sky high? no

52. Do you like your life right now? Yes! I am so blessed!

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? We don't have a TV, but if we did the answer would be no.

54. Can you handle the truth? better than dishonesty.

55. Do you have good vision? terrible! 20/800 last time I got checked.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? There are a few people I dislike, but none I hate.

57. How often do you talk on the phone? a couple times a day, usually with Chuck.

58. The last person you held hands with? Mary, taking her to the potty. ;-)

59. What are you wearing? sweat pants and hoodie over my workout clothes.

60. What is your favorite animal? clean, quiet, productive ones.

61. Where was your profile picture taken? at our "camp" out back

62. Can you Hula Hoop? Sure, I can keep one going for about 2 seconds.

63. Do you have a job? Several- wife first, mom second; I also play organ for our church and work part-time at the local market.

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? groceries

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Oh, boy- I was about 14 last time I attempted that stunt!

January Thaw

2010-01-11T09:02:00.003-05:00

If the weather forecast hold true, we're going to get a lot of snow today and then tomorrow- January thaw! We could get as warm as 36 degrees (F) on Wednesday! The January thaw (we also usually get one in Feb. or March) is a great opportunity for those chores that are a real drag when it is cold, like cleaning out the car or tidying up the garage and mud room. We've had about 130" of snow this season, which is just a bit below normal for this time of year.

As of yesterday, our newest Babe is 15 weeks old. According to an e-mail I get s/he is now about 4 inches crown-to-rump and weighs around two ounces. Mostly I'm feeling pretty good these days. We had to reschedule with the midwife again, but I'm supposed to be seeing her this Thursday afternoon. I'm keeping up with my exercise better than I was before; that makes a big difference in how I feel. I finished a little sewing project this weekend. I turned a pair of regular jeans into maternity jeans. I had a pair of maternity jeans that I had turned into swimming cut-offs when I was pregnant with Mary. I cut the tummy panel off of them, and sorta just patched them onto a pair of jeans I already owned. They fit a little funky in the front, because I really haven't started showing that much yet, but it is wonderful to finally own a pair of maternity pants that are long enough. It is hard enough finding normal jeans with a 36" (or longer) inseam... maternity pants that long just don't exist in my world. ;-)

That's all the news from here for now. The children are all healthy, being good and keeping busy. Now that the festivities of Christmas are officially over, it's back to normal routines for us. I hope all of you have a blessed week. Love you all!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T17:41:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's. Rather than going to a friend's for the evening, we stayed home; the snow was coming down pretty thick that evening. Driving in white-out conditions can be scary enough during the day, and even worse at night. It turned out just as well that we stayed home, because my body had apparently only two things on its agenda- food and sleep! We had a late supper and I started dozing off on the couch almost immediately after we ate. I woke up about 12:02. The kids were already in bed; we were quick to follow. That was our big New Year's party. ;-)

Compared to the last two weeks, this week will be a breeze. Raechel and Joseph will both celebrate birthdays, and I will have my first prenatal appointment with my midwife. I am 14 weeks along as of today (or three months tomorrow), and I'm feeling so much better than I was a few weeks ago. I'm always so thankful to make it to the 2nd trimester!

God bless you all, have a blessed week!

Came in under the wire..

2009-12-31T16:19:00.002-05:00

..but I did it. My exercise goal for 2009 was 9,002 minutes. My total for the year is 9,007! That's just over 150 hours invested toward improving my health, endurance, and strength.

I'm so proud of myself; to celebrate I'm going to eat extra dessert tonight. ;-) Just kidding...

Just had to write a quick "go me" post. It's almost time to start cleaning up before Chuck gets home. We're planning to go celebrate the new year with some friends tonight. We'll probably be home before midnight, though, since we have to get up early to get to Mass tomorrow morning.

God bless!

2009 Almost Over

2009-12-31T14:03:00.002-05:00

I'd really like to share some meaningful insights on the events of the past year. Everything I come up with, though, sounds much too much like Dickens- the best of times, the worst of times, all that.

This year was indeed very good to us in many ways; in other ways, not so much. I can't really say that I'm sorry 2009 passed us by so quickly. That in itself was one of the blessings of this year. ;-)

I'm not sure if 2010 will be any better, but I always look positively at a new year regardless of the events in the old. Things change too quickly to stop hoping they just might change for the better.

So at midnight I'll kiss my children goodnight, snuggle next to my sweetie, and thank God for all His blessings- those of 2009 and those of the new year.

Be safe, everyone; God bless!

Straight No Chaser

2009-12-29T09:24:00.002-05:00

No, that's not what I'm ordering for breakfast. ;-)

They are the men's a cappella group who put out the only version of the 12 Days of Christmas that doesn't have me bored to tears by "three calling birds".

Today is looking like it is going to be a brilliant day. We started off a little cloudy, but now about an hour after sunrise the sky is almost clear. We are at a comfortable 11 degrees F. It was a "sloppy" day yesterday with overcast skies and blowing snow, so I guarantee we're all going to be out enjoying the weather today.

God bless, Happy 4th Day of Christmas!

I do moderate comments.

2009-12-28T21:40:00.003-05:00

It's really pitiful, but I guess I have to do a better job with moderating the comments left even on this little blog of mine. I sincerely apologize for the link left in one of the Anonymous comments left on my last post. The comment has been deleted, and I'll try to be quicker about these things in the future.

God bless!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T13:16:00.002-05:00

Unto us a Child is born. For us a Son is given. His name is Wonderful, Counselor, Almightly God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel- God with us.

Let us make haste with the shepherds to worship Him.

My prayers are with all our family today. We miss you all so much... I ask that God will fill your hearts with the peace and joy of Christmas.

God bless!

Savage Chickens

2009-12-22T09:52:00.003-05:00

I just love these "cartoons on sticky notes".

If you have a few minutes to spend, check it out.

I exercised today!

2009-12-18T12:22:00.002-05:00

I've had to take a long break from exercising, thanks to feeling almost constantly sick the last several weeks. I did a 3-mile walk today, with some yoga stretching to cool off. I enjoy exercising so much- if I had it my way I'd probably workout three times a day. :-) I just figured my exercise minutes for the year as of today- 8,425! To reach my goal of 9,002 minutes for the year, I'm going to need another 577 minutes of exercise in the next 13 days. If I get 45 minutes or more every day for the rest of the year, I'll make it.

I'm feeling somewhat better most of the time these days. I'm still feeling nauseous (funny how I always need spell-check for that word...) most evenings, but I'm having more energy during my good part of the day. Last night in the middle of the night it occured to me that I might have miscalulated my due date. So this morning I grabbed my last chart and visited a few websites. Sure enough, I was off by about a week. I had thought I was due June 27, but according to the due date calculators I tried I'm actually due around July 4th or 5th. I'm not convinced it makes much difference, since Baby doesn't use a calendar but will instead prefer to come when he or she is ready. I should be having a preliminary appointment with a new midwife soon, so we'll see what she thinks.

Everybody has been healthy and staying busy. Winter has officially arrived to the UP! Today we are having a brilliantly sunny day with temps in the lower 20's. It's so beautiful.

That's all the update for now. Only 7 praying days until Christmas! Love you all, God bless!

Advent Meditation 2

2009-12-05T13:15:00.002-05:00

from today's lectionary, Saturday of the First Week of Advent:

Thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep; He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, while from behind a voice shall sound in your ears: "This is the way; walk in it," when you would turn to the right or to the left.

Isaiah 30: 19-21

Come, Lord Jesus!

An Advent Meditation

2009-12-02T11:05:00.001-05:00

"Small was the cave. Small and graceful the young mother. Small, against the cave, people, and animals, was the Baby. Yet, immensity, eternity, and all power and glory were contained in his smallness!

"Let this Christmas be for us a turning point. Let us kill 'self'. Let us become small enough to kneel at the crib, and big enough just to reach the level of the Baby's eyes. Let us then look into them- and catch sight of Love Incarnate! Then we shall be made whole again, and our hunger will be filled."

-Catherine Doherty

2009-11-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

daybook for today, the day before Thanksgiving....

Outside my window... wet and grey, but no snow. Is it really November?

I am thinking... since I'm feeling pretty good right now I really should be up and busy, but here I sit and type.

I am thankful for... the usual list- my faith, my family, my health, my precious hubby who wakes me up in the morning by setting a steaming cup of coffee on my bedside table.

From the learning rooms... not much this week; we're taking our "Morning Sickness Break".

From the kitchen... breakfast was boiled eggs and hot cocoa; lunch will be boiled potatoes; dinner will be... something easy. I've got to start Thanksgiving dinner prep!

I am wearing... A hoodie over a t-shirt, but oh, the shame! I'm still in jammie pants!

I am creating... really, nothing. I need to get something going in that department.

I am going... to try making a cole slaw or similar salad for Thanksgiving dinner this year. Don't know why bother, all we really want is stuff that goes under gravy anyway.

I am reading... excerpts from Saintly Solutions; Advent ideas from A Year With God; and the mail.

I am hoping... nobody gets sick at least until after the first of the year. Is that too much to hope for?

I am hearing... Mary singing to herself while she stirs her cocoa with a spoon, Daniel whistling, Robert going outside with his bow and arrows; Joseph coming inside, also singing. Never noticed we have such a musical family!

Around the house... Oh, my what a wreck! Nothing else to say about that...

One of my favorite things... Popple- their music is just great!

A few plans for the rest of the week: I think this year instead of a too-huge dinner on Thanksgiving Day, I might try spacing out the celebration throughout the four-day weekend. I mean, why have four desserts on Thursday when we can have a pie on Thursday, a pie on Friday, a pie on Saturday, and cake on Sunday? Why should I make both a sweet potato casserole and a green bean casserole on the same day when one would be enough? I've been wanting to make a German Chocolate Cake for a while, so even though that's not usually on our traditional list of desserts, it will be this year. I never realized that there were only four pilgrim women and two teenagers to cook that first Thanksgiving meal for about 95 people. No wonder it took them three days to celebrate!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Daybook template courtesy of The Simple Woman's Daybook

Long-Overdue Update

2009-11-14T17:46:00.003-05:00

My goodness, how do I recap the last busy few months? I'll do my best!

My job at the grocery store is going very well. I don't mind the work, I like the people I work for, and the hours are working out so much better for all of us. Typically I work three days a week (sometimes two when it is my turn for a Sunday off), but many times I've been able to pick up extra shifts. There are three very important aspects of my job... making sure the till is as close to "right" as possible, counting the cigarettes, and stocking the beer cooler. Not necessarily in that order, especially now that we're into hunting season. ;-) Besides my job at the store, I've also been "hired" to play music at our parish for Mass. I've never played organ until two months ago; it is a whole different animal from piano! Some weeks it comes together quite well, other weeks I feel completely silly up there, masquerading as a musician. Chuck assures me that when everybody is singing loud enough, nobody can hear my mistakes.

The kids are all doing well. The first round of flu went through town, but nobody in our house has been sick. Thank God for that! Between chores, lessons, and their own interests they manage to keep busy most of the day. Mary Mae celebrated her second birthday nearly two months ago. She is so much fun! Sometimes when I look at the older kids it seems like they have grown overnight and I hardly recognize them. I love having little kids, because it is so much fun to watch them learn and develop and grow. I am realizing that the older kids are still changing just as much and almost as fast. Suddenly they seem like young men and women.

Or maybe I'm just feeling old. ;-)

We are expecting company any minute now, so I guess that's all the update you will get from me. I'm not going to close this post with hasty promises to blog and post lots of pictures from now on. I do promise, however, that all my family and loved ones are close to my heart always!

One final note... check out Chuck's blog for a very special announcement. :-)

Love you all, God bless!

One more week

2009-08-28T18:21:00.003-04:00

I have one more week working at the restaurant, and then I'm free! Well, not so completely free because I'll be starting at the grocery store the day after my last day at the restaurant. Training in on Labor Day, how appropriate is that?

Today is cool and rainy. The kids and I spent most of the day catching up on all the housework that didn't get done during the week. My kitchen is now so clean that I'm reluctant to use it. Supper tonight will be grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade tomato soup. Hoping we can't make too big a mess out of that.

I've decided that we will go back to school on the 14th of September. That's a little later than is traditional, but I think it will work better for us this year. We can always make time up later if needed, like in May when we are still waiting for the snow to melt. ;-) That gives me a little more than two weeks to decide what we're going to use for the basics this year. I've never been one to plan too far ahead, ya know. I'm sure it will be a good year anyway!

We don't really have plans for this weekend. Chuck and I are going to try getting out together for a couple of hours on Saturday mornings. Tomorrow will be the first such morning, and I'm not sure what we will do. We have Mass tomorrow evening, and I work Sunday morning. There is about a ton of laundry to do (only a slight exaggeration- the boys cleaned upstairs today), but we have to wait on the weather to clear up.

I hope all of you enjoy this last weekend of August. God bless!

Well, that was fun...

2009-08-20T20:54:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed our two weeks of summer; too bad it's over now. ;-) Today's high temp was 69, and we had light rain most of the day.

No news, everyone is doing well. I'm hoping to get my camera working so I can get some pictures up. All the kids seem to have grown a lot!

God bless!

Summer! (Finally....)

2009-08-15T10:34:00.002-04:00

Well, we've waited for months and finally got a bit of summer weather here in da U.P.

For most of the country, mid-August highs in the upper 80's would hardly be impressive. BUT we gotta take what we can get. We have been to the lake three evenings in a row, and the kids are loving it. I've got probably forty pounds of sand built up somewhere in the guts of my washing machine, and twice that in the floor of the suburban.

Right now, while I sit at the computer typing up this post and sipping coffee, Chuck is making omelets. Mary Mae, Thomas, and Joseph are already eating. Robert is helping cook, Daniel is building star ships out of legos upstairs, and Raechel is working on her book. After breakfast is cleaned up we have some housework to get done, and I plan to try to get all the laundry done. I need to practice music for Mass this evening, and I'm hoping we will have time to get a workout done. This evening we will probably head out to the lake. Tomorrow is Sunday, but I work in the morning. If we get enough done today we will have next to nothing to do tomorrow afternoon, so if it stays hot we might make it another lake day.

God is good! I hope you all have a blessed weekend!

2009-08-10T18:55:00.002-04:00

daybook for today...

Outside my window... blue skies, white clouds, green grass
I am thinking... I should have done more laundry today.
I am thankful for... having a really good morning at work; I waitressed and we were pretty busy for a Monday morning.
From the kitchen... Dinner tonight is spaghetti, steamed broccoli, and a salad made of lettuce, tomato, sprouted lentils, cucumber, and whatever greens I can pull from the back yard.
I am wearing... old Levi's and a pink t-shirt.
I am reading... Gone With the Wind I've read it before, but I found this copy at St. Vinny's and needed a dose of Southern culture.
I am hoping... to go swimming sometime this week if it warms up.
I am hearing... the wonderful, chaotic, familiar, comforting noise of my family.
Around the house... Flies! My goodness there have been so many houseflies and fruit flies the last few days! The kids are buzzing around (ha, ha) with fly swatters, regular serial killers.
One of my favorite things... Almost the end of another good day; soon the kids will be in bed and Chuck and I will have a few hours of quiet time.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Not much is going on this week. I'll work just a few days, we celebrate Robert's Baptism Day on Wednesday, and sooner or later I'm going to have to catch up on laundry!

God bless!

2009-08-06T20:11:00.003-04:00

Daybook for today...

Outside my window... the kids are playing and the sun is shining.
I am thinking... I am so glad to be home.
I am thankful for... God's providence over the last few months. We have been so blessed!
From the kitchen...I adapted this recipe to suit some lamb loins. It was really yummy! I should add my crock pot to the list of things I'm thankful for. :-)
I am wearing...blue jeans, my work shirt, and the odor of french fries.
I am reading...The Turn of the Screw and a book I picked up at the thrift store about the end of the oil era in America.
I am hoping...Chuck's job will be rewarding for him, and that we will be able to make our schedules work around each other.
I am hearing...screaming from outside, but I'm pretty sure they are just playing.
Around the house...my goodness it is so cluttered here. I used to be so good at keeping our "stuff" under control, but I'm not sure what's happened the last six months. ;-)
One of my favorite things...after I'm done here I'm going to go change clothes and go outside to take laundry off my clothesline. I seriously love folding laundry that still smells of the clean outdoors. Putting it away is another matter.
A few plans for the rest of the week: This week is almost over. I work Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning at the restaurant. I am, however, really looking forward to playing organ again at Mass on Saturday evening. That's one thing I forgot to mention in my previous update- I have a permanent 'gig' at St. Mary's in Rockland as organist and cantor. I've never played organ before, and it is a totally different creature from piano! But I think I'm catching on; maybe I'll eventually even learn the foot pedals! :o)

God bless!

courtesy of The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Today's Dilemma

2009-08-05T15:29:00.002-04:00

How do you clean up Vaseline off the toddler, the floor, a table, and a small toy phone?

Mary Mae is going to have the softest hands and arms ever.

Back to Blogging

2009-08-04T15:01:00.003-04:00

I mean it... I'm seriously going to continue updating more regularly from now on! ;-)

First, some good news... Chuck has found a job working at the local car dealership/garage; he starts tomorrow. We are so relieved! I will continue working at the restaurant for now, depending on how well we can juggle schedules. Hopefully this will give us enough to squeak by. Thank you, Jesus, Amen!

All the children are doing well, staying healthy, working and playing lots, and growing like weeds! Robert celebrated his 14th birthday last week We are so proud of him, happy birthday, honey! Our next birthday will be in September when Mary Mae turns two. All my babies are growing up too quickly. :-)

We have enjoyed a very cool, comfortable summer so far. Actually, I can hardly bring myself to consider this summer! I don't think we've had a day above 90* so far, and many days we don't get out of the 70's. So far today our high is 68, and it is already after 3pm. We're enjoying it, but our garden not so much. We've got some plants that may yet do okay, but there's really no hope of getting peppers or cukes this year. Most of the other seed we planted didn't even germinate at all, not even the lettuces. :-( BUT we've got a few good-sized rows tilled that we can keep weeding, then mulch over really well this fall to use as potato beds next season. I figure that any time and effort we put into the garden is not ever wasted, because of the experience we gain. For example, I've decided that trying to grow veggies is pretty much pointless unless I can figure out a place to start the plants indoors ahead of time.

Today Chuck and I finished Day 51 of our 90-day exercise routine. I'm so proud of us! :-) Out of those 51 days we've only missed four... I'm just amazed that we're doing as well as that! For July we logged a total of 1,693 minutes. My YTD is 6,060. I'm more than two-thirds of the way to my goal already! :~D Chuck and I have both definitely noticed major improvements in the last eight weeks. When we did the Day 1 exercise we were both huffing and puffing before the end of the warm up. Neither of us are even close to being in "athletic" shape BUT we have both gained strength, endurance, and flexibility.

That's all the update I have time for right now. It's dinner time. God bless you all, please say a prayer for us, too.

Hello, July!?

2009-07-05T20:00:00.002-04:00

Is it just me or is time speeding up?

I was just telling Chuck that he needed to update his blog. "My blog?" He says. "You need to update your blog!" So, here I am... updating my blog just in case there is anybody who still checks in on me from time to time. :o)

We didn't do much for Independence Day, just did our normal morning exercise and then worked around the house most of the day. We met some friends at Mass and then afterward went to a neighbor's house for a potluck dinner. That was fun, and we leared quite a bit about the area from folks that have lived, and farmed here for almost 30 years. Just don't ask me how to pronounce their (Finnish) last name!

Speaking of exercise, I bet you're wondering whether or not I've been keeping track of my minutes. (Remember my resolution to get 9,002 minutes of exercise this year?) Well, I don't have the exact number in front of me now, but I've gotten somewhere over four thousand minutes of exercise through the end of June. Thanks to P90X, Chuck and I are getting at least an hour of exercise a day, six days a week. We've just completed week 3!

The big event from the last week was a new addition to our family. No, I'm not pregnant again... yet! ;-) We adopted a new dog named Sophie. She is a St. Bernard; she's actually small for her breed weighing "only" about 100 pounds. I'll admit, the first day she made me nervous. Such a huge dog around the little children would make any mother nervous, I think. The fact that she got away from Daniel and killed one of our chickens that first day did NOT help matters. However, as she has been settling in this week, I've realized she really is a very gentle and well-trained dog. We just don't take her anywhere near the chicken yard! She has very good leash manners, will heal and sit on command, and she's already house-broken. Either Chuck or I will get some pictures up pretty soon, I hope.

It's been so long since I last wrote, you would think I'd have more to write about. Well, that's all I really can make time for right now anyway. The kids and Chuck and I are all doing well. God bless you all!

I'm Still Here!

2009-05-20T13:05:00.004-04:00

I think it is funny that my last blog update was on April Fools' Day. Ha!

We are all doing well, we've just been so busy. I'm only getting on the computer every couple of days, and when I do it's only for a minute. Quite a change from a year or so ago when I'd sit at the computer any time Mary Mae needed to nurse, several times a day!

As of yesterday, Chuck has been home for exactly three months. Every once in a while one or the other of us will have an attack of doubt and worry, but for the most part we encourage each other right out of it. Lord help us if we ever have an attack at the same time! ;-)

Well, since I last updated we went and got a pair of dairy goats. Cocoa is a 4-year-old Alpine and Lily is a 2-year-old Toggenburg. They are both sweet as can be, very well behaved as far as goats go, and they are giving us about 5 quarts a day of the sweetest, yummiest milk we've ever had! We've also increased our chicken flock to 40-some hens. Not all of them are laying yet (the younger ones) but we're getting around two dozen eggs a day. We've put up signs to start selling eggs... only sold one dozen so far, but gotta start somewhere. Now if we could just get the garden in it would feel like a "real" homestead around here.

All the kids are well, staying healthy and spending as much time as possible outside. They only come in these days to eat and sleep, and even then they come in reluctantly. ;-)

There really isn't that much to share as far as news goes. Our little lives in the North Woods just goes on, day by day, one way or another. God is so very, very good to us. I cannot begin to tell all the little ways in which He has blessed us these last few months.

I'm posting this message with a bit of haste and a lot of love... God bless you all!

April

2009-04-01T21:52:00.005-04:00

The first quarter of 2009 is already over. Time flies when you're having fun! ;-)

We have had wet stuff falling out of the sky off and on for a couple of days now. It is too cold to be rain, too wet to be snow, not icy enough to be sleet... just your typical "early-early-spring" nameless precipitation. We still have lots of snow, but the bare patches of ground are spreading and multiplying day by day. I think all of us are getting restless for spring.

Today I did something that surprised all of us, even myself. I made pasties. Usually when I've attempted to make pastry it has ended in frustration. But it worked today. The amazing thing is that I didn't follow a recipe, didn't measure a thing, and yet this pastry crust dough turned out more workable than anything I've done before. Within this crust you put a mixture of meat (I used ground beef and pork, but we'll probably use ground mutton next time), potatoes, carrots, onion, and rutabaga. It is quite literally a beef pot pie but without the "pot". They are so yummy, and I think they look pretty, too.

I've been keeping up on my exercise resolution, aren't you surprised!? ;-) In February I got 1,038 minutes of exercise. March was way less, only 691 minutes. This gives me a YTD total of 3,056 minutes towards my goal for the year of 9,002 minutes of exercise. "Somebody" broke my scale more than a month ago, so I have no idea what I'm weighing these days. Maybe that's just as well! I'm feeling good, though, and that is the point anyway.

One thing I have NOT kept up with, and that is taking pictures of the children. I'll really try to get lots of pictures to share tomorrow! But Mary is pushing her blanket on my lap and that means she's ready for bedtime.

God bless!

What a month!

2009-03-25T22:29:00.001-04:00

I can't believe I've neglected my blog ever since Thomas' birthday. Bad blogger! We have had a very eventful time since then, so at least I have a good excuse for disappearing.

Chuck has been home for over a month. It has been a big adjustment for him and for the kids and me, but we are so happy about being all together again. The "vacation" feeling has been wearing off for him, though, so he's been chopping wood, working around the house, spending extra time playing with the kids, and generally keeping himself busy doing all those "guy" things he now has time to do. Right now he is giving the Suburban an oil change under the watchful eye of a few little boys and one curious chicken. And in his "free" time he is studying for the state licensing exam to sell insurance. He is hoping to be able to complete this process within a few more weeks so prayers would be most appreciated!

In a way I guess you could say that Chuck and I have temporarily traded places. I got a part-time job working at the restaurant in town. I've completed two weeks now, and there are lots of things I like about the job. I'm finding out that cleaning somebody else's kitchen can be a lot more enjoyable than cleaning mine. I'm also picking up a few ideas that will help keep my own kitchen running more smoothly. When there is time I'll be sure to share some of these tips, in case some of my readers might find them helpful. It has been very strange to be employed outside the home again after more than a decade of being "just" a mom. Despite the fact that staying at home is looked down on by most people as a waste of time and talent, I was always really proud of my "SAHM" status. Thinking about it, maybe that is exactly why Our Lord has asked me to give up that status for a while. Another benefit is that I will never walk into a restaurant again without more appreciation of what the staff is dealing with.

And through all this we are seeing just how wonderful our bunch of kids can be. They have really pulled together and been working well through this time of adjustment. We are keeping up with their school work and chores pretty well. Everybody has been healthy, which is just amazing. For this cold and flu season we've had one minor bug that didn't even hit all the children. I am so thankful for their good health! I know it has been a long time since we've put pictures up. I promise we will get pictures just as soon as I have time to take some worth sharing.

We are heading toward spring break-up, but not there yet. There is still way more snow than bare ground out there! We're having highs above freezing, but there is snow in the forecast for this weekend, and we still have the "Easter blizzard" to contend with. Then there will be several weeks where we trade in the snow for mud (not an improvement, if you ask me.) And THEN it will finally really be spring!

I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting to share, but that's all the update I have time for right now. Thank you all for your love and prayers... God will bless you for your kindness!

Happy Birthday, Thomas!

2009-02-24T17:12:00.004-05:00

Five years ago today, our Thomas was born!

Interestingly enough, Mardi Gras fell on this day the year he was born, too. I remember joking that I began my penance a day early. ;-) Chuck made homemade doughnuts for breakfast today, so that was a real treat. Thomas has requested shepherd's pie for his birthday dinner, and a chocolate cake for dessert.

I'll post some pictures later this evening...

Bizarre

2009-02-23T21:02:00.004-05:00

When Obama's picture showed up on votive candles a few weeks before the election, I thought that was strange.

Since his election I have seen him referred to as "Savior" and "The One" as well as the "Anti-Christ". That's weired enough. But this picture, which I snagged from a news article linked in my yahoo mailbox, is just plain CREEPY.

I asked Thomas and Joseph what they thought it looked like, and they said he has a "halo".

Like I said; creepy.

Lord, have mercy...

Almost here!

2009-02-20T00:03:00.002-05:00

Chuck just called a bit ago.. his plane landed safely and he is driving home right now. Thank you for your prayers! I hope you all have a very blessed weekend!

Yay!

2009-02-18T17:55:00.002-05:00

Good news! Chuck will be traveling home tomorrow! He has a long day, so please pray for patience and strength for him! He will need to be at the airport by about 8:00 in the morning California time, and he will not get to Houghton until about midnight Eastern time. Then he has the hour drive home. Prayers for his safety are greatly appreciated, too!

And I'd also like to wish my dear Mother-In-Love a very happy birthday. We all love you and miss you very much, and your card is in the mail. ;-)

God bless!

Have you ever found a Lego imbedded in an onion?

2009-02-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

Neither have I.

Until today.

Philipians Friday

2009-02-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philipians 4:8 NIV

I am totally stealing this from another blog, and I am VERY SORRY to say I do not even remember which blog! Still, I like this idea so much, I hope it is okay for me to adopt it. I've been really fighting a negative attitude lately. I pray that forcing myself to "think Biblically", even for just a little while on a Friday morning, will be a blessing for me and perhaps an update and an inspiration for my readers- all four of you. ;-)

True- It will be winter here for a while yet, and that's okay. No matter that the daffodils at the Dominican Monastery where we used to attend Mass are already blooming; no matter that the last few days have been so unseasonably warm that much of the snow has melted. It is only February and this is the U.P. and the snow won't be going anywhere for a long time yet, and it really is beautiful.

Noble- I finally mailed the photo albums we made for the children's Grandparents back in December. The fact that I made it to the post office is fairly noble; the fact that I made it about two months late, not so much.

Right- "Let us never grow weary of doing what is right." (see Galatians 6:9) I have this printed off in the largest lettering possible and hanging up in the bathroom above the dryer for a "Memory Verse". This time of year it is easy to grow weary, but I have to keep doing what I know I should!

Pure- I overheard Joseph discussing his catechism lesson with Thomas. These two boys have certainly contributed to some of my grey hair, but deep down, they LOVE Jesus and are learning to follow Him. What they lack in maturity at this point in their lives, they make up for with their pure little hearts.

Lovely- Our Mary Mae is lovely, of course. She has started "talking" more suddenly, and I just love her precious voice!

Admirable- This girl. (Link is to a youtube video of a 12-year-old girl's pro-life presentation)

Excellent- We will be watching my all-time favorite movie The Song of Bernadette this weekend, in honor of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11. I just love this movie, and I've been looking forward to seeing it again all week. We watched it all together the morning before I went into labor with Hope. The final line, "You are now in heaven and on earth" never fails to make me cry. It's also kind of neat that the actress who played Bernadette was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our home town.

Praiseworthy- All the children have been doing really well with their lessons since we got back to work after the holidays five weeks ago. They are really making progress. I'm very proud of them for working so hard and so cheerfully!

Thank you, Dear Lord, for all these things!

Consider the Lilies

2009-02-12T21:26:00.004-05:00

And why do you worry about clothes?

See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If God so clothes the grass which is here today and tomorrow is thrown in the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? Oh, you of little faith!

So, do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What will we do for clothing?" For the pagans run after all these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

January Thaw in February

2009-02-10T10:49:00.002-05:00

We haven't been UP here long enough to really know what is normal weather and what is not. But from what we understand, there is "always" a thaw in January.

We didn't see a single day in January even approach 30 degrees, much less get above freezing. But it's finally happened. Even our overnight low was above freezing last night, and we are in the 40's right now!

Needless to say, we will not even try to do lessons until the children get tired of sledding through the slush and playing baseball on our long-lost driveway. (There's gravel under there!)

I was talking to the nice lady at the post office (the one who knows EVERYBODY'S name and address off the top of her head- amazing!) and she said she even starts corn indoors around the end of February or by mid-March. I never knew you could do that. Of course, I do not have any growlights, but I might be able to at least set up a table under our large, south facing window in the living room. Hey, it might work.

I gotta say, this winter has seemed really long for me. It has not been easy to adjust to the climate up here, so very different from southern Alabama! Can't start thinking too much about spring yet... last year it was May before we finally saw the snow disappear...

Matthew 6:26

2009-02-05T17:53:00.003-05:00

Behold the birds of the air,

for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are not you of much more value than they?

January Exercise Update

2009-01-31T19:06:00.003-05:00

My goal for this year is to get 9,002 minutes of exercise. Well, I really got off to a strong start with 1,327 minutes for the month of January!

Now that exercise is a well-established habit for me, I really need to start addressing some issues with my diet. So, for February, I'm going to focus on eliminating refined sugar while keeping up the exercise. For the longest time I didn't even buy white sugar- I used only honey or real maple syrup. But that sack somehow snuck back into my pantry, I'm not even sure how. And, well, since it was there I figured a teaspoon (or two) in my coffee or cocoa wouldn't hurt...

So, that's my health resolution update. What about you?

Heat Wave!

2009-01-31T18:54:00.000-05:00

http://st-anthonys-weather.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow's Forecast

2009-01-30T21:53:00.003-05:00

Much warmer... highs around 30.

The funny thing? I'm excited!

Wow!

2009-01-30T09:31:00.006-05:00

The California octuplets have six older siblings.

Suleman said her daughter had embryos implanted last year, and after finding out she was pregnant with multiple babies was given the option by doctors of selectively reducing the number of embryos. The woman declined.
"What do you suggest she should have done? She refused to have them killed," Suleman told the Times. "That is a very painful thing."

I can only imagine that she was under tremendous pressure to "selectively reduce" (despite her mothers comment that she was merely given the option). I can almost hear her doctors' arguments... You already have six other children. This pregnancy is extremely dangerous. Seven is too many (the eighth baby was a complete surprise at delivery). You could loose them all. You could die.

They called it "reduction" of "embryos". But she refused to KILL her BABIES.

God bless them all!

Matthew 6: 24

2009-01-29T23:56:00.003-05:00

No one can serve two masters;

for a slave will either hate the one and love the other,

or be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and wealth.

Gee, thanks, Uncle Sam

2009-01-28T20:17:00.005-05:00

Do you remember that stimulus check we all got last year? Well, Chuck and I just filed our taxes for 2008 through taxslayer.com (who we highly recommend, btw!) I will now pause briefly for you to enviously admire the awesomeness of our organization and responsibility in getting this dreaded annual chore completed way before April 15.

...

Now, are we supposed to imagine it is just coincidence that entering in that stimulus check as "income" reduces our refund by almost exactly the same amount?

I'd be interested to hear if anybody else finds these same results... Feel free to leave a comment.

Baby it's cold outside.

2009-01-26T22:35:00.006-05:00

Do you see the porch swing in this picture? Not really? That's because it is practically buried in snow. Mind you, this three feet is in a relatively sheltered area. There is actually quite a bit more snow than that where the snow has drifted. Maybe it is because I'm not used to winters up here yet (this is only our third winter since moving) but I am amazed at the volume of snow. I never could have imagined it if I weren't actually here living in it. Amazing.

Yes, I'm going to join in the complaining and whine "It's coooold". It took until almost noon to warm up to zero today. We are supposed to get to 20 below tonight, not counting the wind chill.

But the good news is that the sun is staying up noticeably later in the evenings, so at least I can tell myself that at this point we are more than halfway through. Seems like February has a reputation for being dreary, but it is the shortest month of the year, so how bad can it be? Now when it is April and I'm still shoveling snow while the rest of the country is picking tulips and planting tomatoes... then I'll be really complaining.

Okay, enought of that. For now.

Chuck had a great week home last week, and now he is in Alabama for some testing. He hates taking tests, so please send up a prayer for his nerves! After that he might be going to California for a few weeks, but we really have to just wait and see. Meanwhile, we are all doing fine here at home; staying healthy, staying warm, and keeping busy with lessons and chores.

God bless!

Overheard

2009-01-24T22:07:00.001-05:00

5-year-old boy: "When I grow up I want to marry Mommy."

12-year-old girl: "You can't marry Mommy. She's too old."

A Prayer

2009-01-21T21:14:00.002-05:00

On this eve of the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and the March for Life in Washington, D.C. I offer this prayer for the end of abortion.

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,

And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,

Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.

Today I commit myself

Never to be silent,

Never to be passive,

Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,

And never to stop defending life

Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,

And our nation once again becomes

A nation with liberty and justice

Not just for some, but for all,

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen!

(from Priests for Life)

Chuck Day

2009-01-19T19:18:00.003-05:00

Happy, happy birthday to my dear hubby!

I love you so much!

For the Beauty of the Earth

2009-01-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

LORD of all to Thee we raise this our hymn of thankful praise!

Click here to see more amazing satellite images of God's magnificent creation!

Done!

2009-01-16T22:09:00.003-05:00

We did almost everything on our list, and then some. The only thing we did not get to was the sauna; Robert did tend a fire in there for a while, but it wasn't going to get hot fast enough so we decided to wait until tomorrow.

We had some friends over for a few hours today. They are "puppy-sitting" a one-year-old Chihuahua named Taco. Unlike every other Chihuahua I've ever personally known, Taco is a very sweet dog. It is hilarious to see this little thing running around the house in her sweater and jacket! Mary fell in love with Taco when she visited last week, and I think she was very happy to see her wee doggie friend again this week.

Chuck will be flying home tomorrow; his plane should land sometime around 7:30 so I'm hoping he'll make it home safely and without incident. Please pray for good traveling weather! There is a chance of snow tomorrow (such a surprise, I know) but it looks like nothing too serious.

God bless you all, have a beautiful (if cold) weekend!

To-Do!

2009-01-16T11:14:00.003-05:00

I am always amazed at the "power" of having a To-Do List. Some days I feel organized, productive, and in control. Other days I feel like I'm spinning my wheels- working frantically and getting nowhere. Most often the difference is in whether or not I have a clear plan for the day, and keeping that plan written in the form of a check-off list really helps me. When there is nothing on my to-do list, that is exactly what I accomplish.

This week I've printed off our To-Do List and kept it on a clipboard on my desk so that all the kids can follow it with me. Keeping the list on the computer makes it easier to update daily; since so many things are the same day after day I do not have to write out a completely new list every day. Not everything I do is on the list, but the major things are all there. Here's a peek at our list for today:

Morning Prayer
Morning Routine (dress, make bed, etc.)
Animal chores, snow shoveling, fill wood box, outside chores
Breakfast and Kitchen Chores
Start sauna fire
Lessons
Mid-Day Prayer
Exercise
Animal chores
Dinner and Kitchen Chores
Free Time and sauna
Evening Prayers
Animal chores
Clean living room and zones
Supper and Kitchen chores
Story Time
Bedtime prayers
Brush teeth, call Daddy, and go to bed!

Lately we've been getting started with our day around 9:00 in the morning, and the kids have been going to bed by about 10:00. I stay up until at least midnight lately, but staying up later and sleeping later seems to work best for all of us anyway.

Now we will have to see how this works when Chuck is home again. If all goes well (and please pray that it does!) he will be home tomorrow. Yes, things always change with his work schedule at the last minute, but it is a pleasant surprise this time! It can be quite a challenge to switch back and forth from "Daddy's gone" mode to "Daddy's home"... it is a challenge I really don't mind, though!

God bless!

Just Pitiful...

2009-01-13T18:44:00.001-05:00

Our forecast for Friday: "Warmer... highs 4 to 9 above."

Sigh...

2009-01-12T07:08:00.002-05:00

I miss him already.

I tried going back to sleep after Chuck left this morning, but I just couldn't. Now it is after 7:00 and I'm at the computer wondering: Why do the kids sleep later when I get up earlier? And when does it get light here???

Please pray for safe travel for Chuck today; he should make it to Texas sometime in the mid-afternoon.

God bless!

Our holiday is over...

2009-01-11T17:35:00.004-05:00

Chuck is on the first flight in the morning, which means he needs to leave here at about 5 in the morning. I've made up this week's lesson plans, and I'm hoping that everyone will be excited about getting back on routine with school work after such a long break.

Yesterday we were treated to the most beautiful moonrise I ever remember seeing. We first saw the full moon rising over the trees while we were driving home from Mass. By the time we got home the sky was a pale purple behind a full, glowing moon that looked close enough to touch. It was just amazing.

I hope you are all having a blessed Sunday evening!

Exercise Resolution

2009-01-07T18:42:00.005-05:00

This year rather than making it a goal to loose a certain amount of weight, I'm going to log minutes of exercise. I will define "exercise" as any aerobic, strength training, or stretching activity in addition to whatever normal chores I might have to do. So, in that context, snow shoveling or gardening or hauling fire wood will not count as "exercise".

My goal is to get 9,002 minutes (that's 2009 backwards) by the end of this year. If I get an average of 30 minutes six times a week, I will accomplish this goal by mid-December.

I've been exercising pretty regularly since Mary was about a month old, and I am really proud of that! I'm going to keep track of my weight, but I'm not focusing on the scale this year. Still, weight is a useful indicator, and I've got a few pounds to loose. Before my pregnancy with Mary I weighed 210 pounds and wore size 18 pants. I weighed 216 when I started working out at 5 weeks post-partum. I'm starting this year at 197, in a size 14.

If any of you have exercise or health related goals, I'd love for you to leave a comment and share them. I plan to update about once a month with my total of minutes logged (or jogged- ha, ha). I've read that a support network is a determining factor as to whether or not a person sticks with health-related goals. Let's be sure to share our goals and progress, and support one another in prayer!

Here's to a healthier year!

Birthdays and Epiphany

2009-01-07T13:06:00.004-05:00

I have a few pictures from the last two days to share. Raechel had brownies and ice cream for her birthday dessert.

Do you think Mary looks like me (except for the dirty face)?

We had banana splits for Joseph's birthday dessert, but I didn't get pictures of that. We had such a fun day, though!

Proud big brother and loving baby sister...

Joseph's birthday is also the traditional day to celebrate the Epiphany. Since the day after Christmas we have been putting figures in a special 12th Night calendar and singing the hymn "We Three Kings" along with our evening prayers. Here, Thomas gets a little help from Daniel with placing the last figure just right.

Here is our completed calendar which we will leave hanging until Lent. The calendar is published by Dumb Ox, and they also have a lovely Advent calendar that is filled in the same way. They are inexpensive so I don't mind buying new ones each year. The kids really enjoy having the figures to color and cut out every year.

After our calendar was completed last night, Chuck led us in a house blessing. Traditionally, the initials for the wise men, enclosed within the year and connected with crosses, is written over the doorways of the home with blessed chalk. This year is written:

+20+G+M+B+09+

The wise men were blessed with the wisdom and courage to seek the Infant Christ and worship Him. In blessing our home on the day in honor of the Epiphany, we ask for the same grace to seek and serve Jesus Christ in the coming year.

I'll close with another picture of all the children, although it didn't turn out great. For one thing, they don't fit so well on this couch any more. Mary is grumpy, the little boys are sleepy, and Daniel looks like he's just about bored to death. One of these days I'm going to get them all dressed up and get some good pictures when we have time to pose and everybody is well rested. In the meantime this will have to do.

God bless!

Happy Birthday, Joseph!!

2009-01-06T12:01:00.002-05:00

Today is our dear Jo-Jo's 7th Birthday.

Happy Birthday, darling boy. We love you so much!

Raechel's Birthday Today!

2009-01-05T12:29:00.001-05:00

Happy 12th Birthday, Raechel. We all love you very much!

(more pictures to follow...)

First Weekend of '09

2009-01-04T17:55:00.005-05:00

We have had such a good weekend. Chuck is still home, we are still enjoying Christmas celebrations, and the weather has been pretty nice even though cold. He took the older kids sledding today, so I had the house to myself for about an hour. I cleaned up the living room (the kids would say I did it "Mama style") while Mary took apart the games and math blocks in the kitchen. Then I tidied up the kitchen and started dinner after putting Mary down for a nap. I'm making pot roast, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli all on our woodburning stove. It smells so yummy!

We have a busy week coming up. Raechel's birthday is tomorrow, and Joseph's is on Tuesday. We have some chores to do in the garage, Chuck needs to replace the battery in his truck, and I plan to get the kids "back to school" on Wednesday through Friday. That will make the week go by quickly! No word yet on when Chuck will have to head out for work, but he put in to stay home through the 11th.

I need to go finish up dinner before the smell drives me nuts...

God bless!

About our New Year's Eve

2009-01-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

I didn't get as many pictures as I thought, but here are some to share. Here is Mary Mae fulfilling her role as "Mama's Helper". She is very diligent with her job of overseeing the biscuit-making process. Like any good manager, she is very "hands on".

"I give these biscuits full and official approval!"

We spent the afternoon tidying house, at least that's all I remember doing. We had our favorite meal, chicken and rice with gravy, and then cleaned up and got ready to go to Mass. January 1st is still a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, the feast day in honor of Mary, Mother of God. Traditionally, it is also remembered in honor of the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus. I really enjoy going to Mass on New Year's Eve. It seems like the best possible way to finish the year and begin the next.

After we got home from Mass we all took a nice, hot sauna. If you have never had a traditional steam sauna, you really don't know what you are missing. There is nothing that feels better on a crisp winter's evening! You have to do it the right way, though. After you've been in there a while and you are so hot you don't think you can stand another minute, you go running out naked in the snow and jump in the nearest snow pile. Then you have to run, squealing and laughing, back to the sauna to warm back up! Chuck has tried this, the kids have done this, I will not do this. They assure me that it is not that cold and actually feels really good. I assure them that I am happy taking a sauna the "wrong" way.

So, after the sauna we had your typical snack foods and Chuck beat Robert at Battleship. Then I beat Chuck at Battleship only because I know his strategy too well.

We lost the youngest two by around 10:30. Thomas fell asleep on the couch shortly after locating his pajamas.

Mary was soon to join him. (Remember, she was up early slaving over the biscuits!)

At almost midnight we went outside, admired the beautiful sky for a few minutes, fired a couple of shots into the woods, yelled "HAPPY NEW YEAR", and then went back inside to thaw out. At this time it was -3 degrees, afterall. We prayed our bedtime prayers, brushed teeth, and all the children were in bed by 12:30 (except for Mary who had woken back up).

I pray that God will bless all of you and your families in the year to come!

New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T22:28:00.001-05:00

The countdown is on. Our New Year's Eve has it all... games, songs, sauna, snow banks, and celebratory gunfire.

Blessed New Year, and Blessed Holy Day to you all!

Resolved

2008-12-30T22:59:00.003-05:00

I love ringing in the New Year. I love the clean look of a new calendar with only birthdays and holidays carefully and neatly written in with my best pen. I also like to write down my hopes and plans for the upcoming year.

Do you make resolutions for New Year's? I thought everybody did, but Chuck said he never has. His reasoning is why make promises to yourself that you know you probably will not keep? I just read on a Catholic blog that one third of the people who make New Year's resolutions have broken them by February. I can't vouch for how accurate that statistic is, but based on my personal record, it wouldn't surprise me.

I posted resolutions for 2007, and of the three resolutions I made, I kept only one and that one I didn't keep very well. I never did write down resolutions for 2008, possibly because I was sick around New Year's and Mary Mae was still so young that just maintaining normalcy day after day was an accomplishment. (Sometimes I didn't do that so well either, Ha!) But this has not been a stellar year for me. In many ways, I feel like I've backtracked in many ways, and I've developed some personal "habits" that I really do not like. In short, I don't think I am a better person at the end of this year than I was at the beginning. Failure to more forward is essentially the same as going backward.

So, I'm going to make my resolutions, but I'm going to try putting more prayer and thought into them than I usually do. I'm also going to follow advice from a friend about making my goals more specific and measurable, and also making sure they are realistic.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I think we will be busy most of the day with some housework most of the early part of the day. Since Christmas we've only done the bare necessities, and now it is time to catch up on some laundry and non-essential housework. We will probably spend our afternoon and evening with cooking, eating, games, and shooting each other with NERF or airsoft pellet guns. Okay, that last bit is how the guys will probably spend their evening... I think the girls and I might choose an activity that is a little more subdued. *wink*

God bless!

Bloggers, take note...

2008-12-29T21:08:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I picked up Chuck's book, New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton. This is what I opened up to...

If you write for God, you will reach many men and bring them joy.
If you write for men- you may make some money and you may give someone a
little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while.
If you write only for yourself you can read what you yourself have written
and after ten minutes you will be so disgusted you will wish that you were
dead.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

Short Update

2008-12-22T20:26:00.003-05:00

I have a minute to post a short update while the older kids are playing a game with Chuck and Mary Mae is dozing on my lap.

There's been a lot going on this last week! First, I owe an apology for not getting pictures yet. Bad, bad blogger. :-(

Chuck made it home (after a minor delay) on Thursday afternoon. We've been dealing with all-out winter weather the last two weeks or so, with very cold (often below-zero) temperatures and lots of snow. The word is that our area has already gotten 121" for the season, but I know how these Yoopers exaggerate the snow. Still, we have a good three feet in the yard, and it snows at least a few more inches just about every day. The piles at the end of the driveway, by the garage, are already as tall as me, and we have like four months of snow season left!

The children are all doing well, although we've had a couple small "bugs" to fight off so far this year. Still, nobody has been seriously sick in a long time and I am so thankful for that! I sprained my ankle pretty good about a week ago (which is why Chuck came home a few days earlier than planned, and that's fine by me) but it is well on it's way back to normal. With only 2 days until Christmas, we have a lot to do! We plan to do some baking and decorating; we haven't even cut our tree yet!

This isn't much of an update, I know, but sorry... it is the best I can do right now. The kids are giggling uncontrollably and it sounds like I'm missing out on all the fun.

God bless!

Taking a break

2008-12-03T16:05:00.002-05:00

I still intend to get some pictures up here and there, but I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while.

I hope all of you are enjoying a beautiful early winter and a blessed Advent season!

Dear Santa

2008-12-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

How are you doing there in the North Pole? Are you getting as much snow there as we are here so far?

I have tried to be a good Mommy this year. Sure, there were times I made mistakes, but I always tried to apologize and improve. So, assuming I am on your "Nice" list, these are my requests.

For Christmas this year, my children would like:

*Toys that are quiet, safe, easy to maintain, do not require batteries, and encourage sharing as well as imagination and active play.
*Books. Good books. The type of books we can snuggle down with as a family and share during read-aloud time.
*Games appropriate for various ages and several players, so long as said games do not have more than approximately one dozen pieces and/or one hundred cards.
*Movies are okay, but remember that we have to be picky. Please check the ratings.
*Clothes, particularly socks and underwear. There is no such thing as too many socks.
*Would a child-size vacuum be too much to ask for? Probably.

Thank you so much, Santa. I look forward to eating "your" cookies and drinking "your" milk again this year.

Love,
Jennifer

Back from break..

2008-12-01T19:04:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to update for a few days now, but always "something" happens and blogging gets put aside for more important events.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving. For the first time in 10 years I didn't have to do all the cooking myself- we spent the evening having dinner with some friends. But, since I already had a turkey, I cooked another dinner on Friday. (Usually I try to remember to avoid serving meat on Fridays, but spending all day keeping my cool in a hot kitchen was penance enough!)

Chuck and the neighbor went in together on a cow and it was slaughtered on Monday. They also did the sheep. So on Saturday Chuck and I spent about all day in the neighbor's garage cutting up meat and trimming fat. Wow, what a job! But we have a freezer full of meat to show for it, all good-quality beef for less than a dollar and a half a pound. I also got about 10 pounds of meaty bones to use for soup and other scraps for our (very) happy doggie and kitties. It wasn't a bad job at all, really, but I'm glad we won't do it again until next year. Yeah, it is strange not to have the sheep anymore. That means we are down to just chickens and the pets, as far as animals go. But the sheep just were not paying for themselves in any way.

Chuck headed back to Texas early this morning, and he's on his last plane right now. It should only be about three weeks or so before he will be back home for a long vacation through Christmas and New Year's. Over the next few weeks I'm hoping that the children and I can clean house and do some decluttering. Whever it starts to feel like I can't keep the place clean, I know it is time to go through and get rid of stuff. Just when I think we are making progress in simplicity, I look around and see all the things that we are surrounded by! It is harder, I think, to keep a tidy house when everywhere you turn there are mittens and hats and scarfs and gloves and boots and snowsuits hanging to dry! I gotta say, though, I love these short, cozy days of winter!

I promise to get some pictures up over the next few days! God bless!

A Beautiful Day

2008-11-23T11:44:00.001-05:00

Chuck made it home yesterday, and as I am typing he is dazzling the kids with new magic tricks.

It is a beautiful day.

Please Say a Quick Prayer

2008-11-21T22:13:00.002-05:00

Chuck is flying home tomorrow: from Abilene to Dallas, from Dallas to Minneapolis, from Minneapolis to Houghton... then driving home from there. (I think that's it...) Please say a prayer for him to travel safely and that they do not loose his luggage in Dallas!

It is going to be quite a shock for him to leave Texas where it is still "t-shirt weather" and come home to about six inches of snow on the ground and sub-freezing temperatures!

Chuck's Pictures!

2008-11-17T21:18:00.003-05:00

If you haven't visited in a while, I invite you to head on over to Chuck's website and take a peek at what he's been up to.

I am so proud of how well he is learning his camera... he's in Texas now and has gotten really fantastic pictures while he's there.

For a while he has lifted the security feature so that you can save his pictures to your computer. Of course, you'd be welcome to purchase copies, too! ;-)

Our Forecast..

2008-11-17T21:11:00.002-05:00

Tonight- snow showers
Tuesday- snow showers
Wednesday- chance of snow
Thursday- snow showers
Friday- snow showers
Saturday- chance of snow

Gee... do you see the pattern here?

I've caught myself singing or humming Christmas-y music all day long.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! ('Cuz you can't stop it anyway!)

You're my...

2008-11-16T18:25:00.001-05:00

..brown eyed girl!

...sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-a-la-te-da...

Happy Birthday to my blog

2008-11-13T10:23:00.002-05:00

I've been blogging for two years now!

In that time I've gotten just over nine thousand "hits" and over fourteen thousand page views. I've written 290 posts. I average 21 visitors a day, but some of that is me checking for comments. ;-)

I had a lovely birthday yesterday. We were able to go visit with some friends (three houses in a row!) and we had so much fun.

Today it is just a typical "yucky" November day- grey and cold and wet. Most of the snow we got early in the week has melted away, but not to worry; we have more coming! It's about time for our annual First Hike to the Sledding Hill. This year Mary is about big enough to come out with us (I even found her some itty-bitty snow boots!) so I have no excuse to miss out on the fun!

One other thing I forgot to mention is that our dog, Snickers, died a few days ago. He would have been about 15 years old, and we are very thankful that we were able to give him some love and attention these last two years. I am going to miss our "Old Man". I will especially miss the way he would get so excited to see us sometimes; he would try to bounce around and be playful. Then after a minute of that he would start wheezing and stagger off on his arthritic limbs to rest! The kids asked me if he would be in heaven. I'm not usually all that sentimental about animals, honestly. I don't believe all dogs go to heaven. It seems to me that if you think you have to have your favorite pet with you in heaven to be happy, then you probably have an underdeveloped idea of what heaven is. (How could the utterly mysterious and glorious and awesome presence of God be dimmed because I miss my childhood parakeet?) But, whatever it was that made him him- his "soul"- has certainly gone back to the God who made him.

On that note... have a blessed day!

Happy Birthday to me

2008-11-12T11:53:00.002-05:00

I am 32 years old today!

God has given me so many of you, family and friends, to love me, pray for me, and wish me well on this day. I thank Him for each one of you; your love is the best gift of all!

Looks almost like winter out there...

2008-11-09T12:34:00.003-05:00

Robert took this picture of the "snow clouds" yesterday before it started to snow.

The reason I say it looks "almost" like winter is because you can still see the ground in a few areas! We have a few more inches in the forecast and then it will warm back up a little (40's) early next week. So, this snow is nothing serious, but rather a sign of winter right around the corner.

God bless!

Food for the Poor

2008-11-08T22:23:00.006-05:00

I still remember that visiting priest very clearly, and I still hear almost every word of his sad story although I do not remember his name. We were living in South Carolina at the time, and he was a missionary priest visiting to raise funds and awareness for the group Food for the Poor.

He described the crushing poverty of the families he worked for. He told us about the children who would spend their days climbing around barefoot at the dump, digging through the garbage to find junk they could maybe sell or even food they could take home for their families. His words have stuck with me all these years.

Since then we have been pretty faithful donors to Food for the Poor. Today we received their quarterly mailing and read the story of a 4-year-old boy who came into the nutrition clinic weighing only 12 pounds. That's about half as much as Mary weighs. The pictures were absolutely heartbreaking- so difficult to understand why, in such a rich and beautiful world as ours is, there are people starving to death at the rate of thousands a day. The selfish heart might say it is because there are too many people. I think an open heart would say it is because "I" am not loving them enough.

We have decided to add an Our Father to our meal-time prayer for all those who are hungry. It still doesn't feel like enough, but it is something we can do. Maybe some of you would like to do this, too. Through our "blanket" of prayer I believe we can make a difference for those who have inadequate shelter, and perhaps we can spiritually feed those who have no food.

Thank you, Sweetie!

2008-11-07T09:56:00.003-05:00

First, my darling pointed out that I failed to mention that yesterday was not our wedding anniversary. We can't claim credit for being married 15 years yet- it's only been 13 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days. Yesterday was the anniversary of the day he took me to the park and asked me to be his girlfriend. (I am quite certain that he already had marriage in mind, but it was all of two more months before he first brought that up, LOL!)

Second, my darling sent me a bouquet of 15 red roses yesterday. He's such a romantic, and that makes me one very blessed wife.

On a side note, some friends of ours are on the road to the UP and in serious need of prayer for protection. Please say a prayer for them right now! God knows who they are.

God bless!

Happy Anniversary

2008-11-06T09:26:00.006-05:00

I'm amazed that Chuck and I have been together for 15 years. It seems so long ago, and yet it doesn't. Anyone who is in love will know what I mean. I looked through our photo albums to find a picture of just us, and this is one of the few that I found.

Aren't we so young and cute!? :-D This was taken at his Grandma's house on Thanksgiving Day in 1995.

My prayer for today... Thank you, Lord, for our marriage and our family! Forgive us for our failings, strengthen us in our weakness, and bless us with Your love for many years to come.

Eggs!

2008-11-05T20:54:00.003-05:00

Wow, our girls are suddenly doing great! Last Saturday we got one egg, but the day before that we got none. Now we've gotten exactly three dozen eggs so far this week- 8 on Sunday, 6 on Monday, 10 on Tuesday, and 12 today. It was exciting enough when the kids would go out to check the nests and come back with one or two eggs, but yesterday Robert and Raechel went out and came back with seven!

If you have never been out in the warm fall sun and watched a flock of chickens scratching around in the dirt, clucking contentedly to themselves, then I really cannot describe the simple joy of it.

I printed off a calendar of this month to keep track of our chicken-related expenses and their egg output. But, comparing the quality of these eggs to the organic, free-range, almost-four-dollars-a-dozen eggs... I'd say we're definitely getting our money's worth from these hens.

This morning we had our eggs scrambled in bear grease that our neighbor gave us and I rendered myself. You can't buy satisfaction like that from any grocery store. God is good!