Happy Birthday to You

My daughter's 2nd birthday is fast approaching and it got me thinking about how our family celebrates birthdays. We really have no traditions yet so I'm trying to establish some with this birthday (there's a tiny chance she'll remember it!)

My family tends to go big for birthdays - they're a family affair and everyone is included. First birthdays are the biggest, and when I finally asked my Grandma why they were such a big deal, they told me that many babies (in the Dominican Republic, where she and most of her family is from) don't make it one year, so it really is reason to celebrate. My own first birthday was quite elaborate: my grandma made me a dress and pinata, I had a cake comparable to a wedding cake, there were flowers and balloons, and even a marionette show. Wish I could remember it! Hubby's family on the other hand tends to do small parties at home, and if you know my hubby you know how much he just looooooves parties and being the center of attention. Right.

So last year when it came time to plan Ella's 1st birthday I felt really stuck in the middle. I wanted to invite everyone in our family and all our friends because I really really really hate excluding people (esp. my extended family because someone always finds out and then gets mad) and the event planner part of me was DYING to plan something. Anything. We had dirt for a backyard but hubby didn't want me to rent a hall or park for the party so he agreed to put in a backyard. And yes, looking back I don't think we needed quite so much food and I didn't need to spend so much money on favors, but at the end of the day we really had a great time, and so did the birthday girl...once she stopped screaming and took a nap.

This year we've decided to start toning things down a little bit. Her birthday will be smaller, but still so special. And we decided that our birthday traditions will include going on a family outing to somewhere special, 3 presents for the birthday kid, and we will celebrate their baptism day as well with cake and relighting their baptismal candle.

I guess to sum it up, you don't need to do something huge and amazing and elaborate every year. Whatever you do will be special to your child :)

Do you have any neat birthday traditions?

Shabby Apple on Groupon!

I've found another AMAZING deal today ladies. On our links page, in the fashion section you'll find a link to Shabby Apple. They sell adorably vintage dresses and skirts that are modest. Today on Groupon (choose LA as your city, it's the side deal) they are offering a $100 voucher to their store for $40 - 60% off!!!!

It has come to my attention in my conversations with Jesus lately that I do not know how to say no. I really do not like that word. At first I thought that maybe it was a problem. Many times people have said to me that I do not stand up for myself or say what I want enough. I spent about a day thinking that I need to learn to say no more often and that it is fine to do what I want sometimes. Then I thought of our blessed mother. Her defining moment was her big YES. Why do I dislike the word no??? Because it closes me off to giving myself for others and living my life in service. I made a decision a while back to use my single state in life (for as long as Jesus sees fit) to serve my family and friends. I decided that I would never be selfish with this time in my life. This shows itself in big and small ways, mostly small. In even very little decisions I try to yield to the desires of others. Those little choices make the big ones easier and Therese said to love in the little things. It is the little choices that do not draw attention of anyone but Jesus. He alone knows and he alone is all that matters. I love living for others. I love not choosing my way. I believe that it helps to drive out my natural selfishness that fallen nature has given me. I love that I am able to serve my friends and family any time they need. Society tells us single women that we need to "live it up" because once we get married it is all over. I think that I am working toward better preparing myself for marriage by spending my time living for others. If God one day calls me to marriage I hope that I am better able to serve my husband and children because of years of practice. I am writing this to encourage all of our single readers to take this time in your life to live at the service of others. Don't worry that you will lose yourself or your desires. Quite the opposite, you will become most who God wants you to be. Like Mary, we define ourselves with our Yes's. It is truly and amazingly fulfilling.

PS: I have waiting a long time to write on this subject because I did not want to appear to be tooting my own horn or being prideful. Please make no mistake. All is due to the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Our Lady.

Not Your Grandma's Scones

Little Monkey and I spent last night creating a delicious recipe for Chocolate White Chocolate Strawberry scones.  The results were mouthwatering, blissful, and completely incredible.  

Don't they just scream "Tragic Romance"?  Definitely the perfect snack to bring to your Twilight Eclipse movie premier party next weekend.

"Not Your Grandma's" Scones 

(recipe by Chantal and Little Monkey)

4 oz of grated dark chocolate, or 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (crushed in a food processor)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp cold butter

1 egg

3/4 cup half and half cream

1 cup of white chocolate chips

3/4 cup of diced strawberries

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.  In a large mixing bowl, mix dark chocolate, cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.

3.  Cut the cold butter into the mixture.

4.  Add the white chocolate chips into the mixture.

5.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Add it to the dry ingredients.

6.  Gently stir in strawberries.

7.  Kneed the dough (it should be dry and crumby).  Roll into 1/4 cup balls, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

8.  Bake for 14-15 minutes.

9.  ENJOY!

Comida Para Alma=Food for the Soul

While in marriage preparation, I was encouraged by the priest who was celebrating our marriage to take up a hobby. His suggestion, being the one who tills the soil at St. Michael's abbey, was gardening, because it was something that is not only hard work, exercise, but also can beautify the home and bear fruit (literally). Not until I started gardening did I fully understand this. There's something about pulling weeds that is such good penance, I often feel that with each weed I pull, it's like pulling the weeds from my own soul. Since then, it's been a goal of mine, to learn to garden, specifically building a vegetable garden in our yard. So we finally did it!I wanted to show how for anyone interested in creating something like this:

We opted for a raised garden, which is easier than digging up tons of dirt and replacing with the filler.

Fortunately, my husband and father-in-law are quite handy, so they constructed the frame of weather-treated wood, 12" high and 3 feet wide is the important sizing info.

I layed down some organic, biodegradable weed blocking mats on the bottom.

Then came the natural liner, which will break down to produce some good natural compost. We used a nice collection of leaves and branches from our yard.

Next, a whole lot of good ol' smelly maneur! Mina was watching saying, "Stinky."

A final thick layer of compost to top it off...

And voila!

Can't wait to reep the fruits of our labor, and eat them!

For the Techno Savvy Catholic

I recently joined the "smartphone" bandwagon.  Although it is taking some time for me to learn to use (a fraction) of its features, I am finding myself more and amazed by the capacity that this tiny piece of technology holds.  Not only do I have the world at my fingertips but now it also fits in my pocket.

I am discovering that my phone has so many uses other than simply staying connected, or entertained.  One of my favorite new tools is the iBreviary application. With a simple touch on my screen I can read the daily mass readings or the litany of the hours.  And did you know that you can read Scripture on your smartphone as well?  It finally makes sense to me why the teen sitting next to me in mass last week was messing with his phone... He must have been following the liturgy!  (As an aside, it honestly is taking me some time to get over the shock of witnessing the faithful using these applications in a Church or during adoration.)

I was also deeply impressed while reading this article.  In response to predictions that smartphones and iPhones will soon become channels for the pornography industry, Steve Jobs replied that Apple products would provide "freedom from porn".  Jobs stated that “It’s not about freedom...It’s about Apple trying to do the right thing for its users. Users, developers and publishers can do whatever they like — they don’t have to buy or publish or develop on iPads if they don’t want to.”

Although it is still in question whether Apple can truly keep users from accessing pornographic sites, it was refreshing to hear such a popular corporate leader speak out against the subject.  I admire his strong stance against an issue that is so disruptive to marriages and society.

I did not splurge on an iPhone this time, but I will definitely remember this article in the future.  And, since I happen to be married to a member of the Apple cult, I might be a little more supportive of "investing" in an iPad one of these days.

Carpe Diem Follow-Up

It was suggested that I post my "three things", so here they are

1. learn to speak another language (will be Spanish)
2. go on an African safari
3. hold a chimpanzee

So what are some things you want to do???

Have Patience

"Have patience with all that is unsolved in your heart...try to love the questions themselves, do not look for answers...they cannot be given to you, it is a question of experiencing the answers..."

Organic Soap

Jasmere is featuring Moksa Organic soap and body oils today. Their website has some good info about what organic and fair trade are supposed to be. Best part is a 6.5 oz. bar of soap is only $6.50. The Jasmere deals are either a $40 voucher for $16 or for $13 + $6 shipping you get 2 bars of soap and 1 body oil.

money, money, money...

So I was having one of those days where I balanced my checkbook after a period of summer where I had not been paying any attention to our bank account. We hadn't been spending a lot of money, or so I thought. $5 here, $10 there. Then I realized I owed $132 on my Chevron Card (we use our credit cards to build credit and pay them off right away). So I owed $132 and I suddenly I realized I only had $131 in my bank account. WAIT, WHAT $131 - Just days ago I had $600 in my bank account!!! What had I done???? Well apparently being irresponsible doesn't work and those little spots here and there add up quickly! After moments of irritation at myself and realization that I would have to pull money from the savings, I decided to move on with my day, at least we're healthy and have food in the freezer! THE LORD ALWAYS PROVIDES... I thought about a paycheck I was expecting from working the elections, but that was June 8th and it was expected to take 40 days so there was no hope I'd get that. THEN I checked the mail and guess what was in it, and it was for $185, not $175!!! The day continued to get better when I asked Phil to clean out a box we've had for a year and he pulled out a box with probably $15 in change..... GOD IS GOOD... He always takes take of his children - I just need to make sure I watch that bank account!

Carpe Diem

I just got back from a trip with my extended family. Recently two of my uncles have died from cancer, both battles were very short and one of my cousins suffered from a potentially deadly blood clot from a genetic disorder it turns out we all need to now be tested for. As we were reflecting on all these tragedies my cousin looked at me and said, "this is why I refuse to live with regrets." She and her husband have been trying for a few years to get pregnant and have accepted that it might not be in Gods plan so instead of sitting around waiting for life they have decided to quite their jobs and go travel through Asia for six months. (We are all predicting she comes back pregnant.) It is something they both have always wanted to do and at this point in their lives they are able. Life is so short. We all assume we will live well into old age and die peacefully in our sleep. Honestly though most people don't go that way. My uncle collected only 1 year of his saved retirement and then cancer took his life. My uncles died much earlier then any of us would have liked but while they were alive they really lived. Both of them worked in the Peace Corp. One of them spent many of his Saturdays driving down to Mexico to help build houses for those in need. My uncle Dave earned several degrees and changed jobs A LOT. Right before he died he told my aunt that there was nothing he regretting he did not get to do. Both had huge hearts and loved very deeply. This is not an invitation to be irresponsible. We all have duties but within those duties do not be afraid to do the things your heart desires because we have no idea what God's plan is. My cousins words hit me hard. I have decided to come up with three things I have always wanted to do (that are within my means) and DO THEM. Carpe Diem!

"My Lord and My God!" Homily week #2

So here's my attempt to hear one thing (at least) from the Lord through the homily. How many times have I heard the phrase "My Lord and My God," a million? But the way the Priest was talking about God the Father on Father's Day and he reminded us that as the host is raised that's what we're saying to the Lord. It struck me at how powerful that moment and those words are - 5 words can bring me to the verge of tears. So today I'm trying to head to adoration so I can sit and stare at the awesomeness of My Lord...... "My Lord and My God."

For the Father of my Children...

In honor of my husband, the father of my children, I wanted to take a blog to appreciate all the little things he does, that makes him such a support to me, and an amazing dad to our daughter.

He is consistently striving to lead us closer to Christ by developing his own faith formation so that he can share it with us. He is a strong man who will stand up to defend the faith and his family. He works so hard to support us and simultaneously attempt to share the gospel with the world. When he travels, he’ll take red-eye flights just to avoid traveling for an extra day. If he can make it home to spend time with us before an unexpected evening working, he’ll make the drive back home to see us. On top of that, he's Mr. Fix-it or build-it around the house.

Along with being a hard worker, he is such an amazing support to me by being such an active father. He wakes up with Mina on a regular basis to spend time with her and give me an extra half hour of sleep or a head start on chores before he leaves for work. He takes Mina on little outings like swimming at his parents’ house to give me some R&R and bond with her. He participates in her bedtime routine by reading her stories and singing Disney princess songs with her in Spanish (yes, he knows all the words, hehe). When Mina was young, he’d get up and change her diapers in the middle of the night and volunteered to handle the output while I handled input. He’s into reading parenting books to figure out how to help us raise, happy, healthy, holy children. He LOVES our daughter and showers her with affection and attention. I have no doubt that he will do the same for our son, though in a particular father-son bond.

Thank you to my husband, and to all strong Catholic fathers out there. You are a rare breed and we moms could not do it without you.

And a special thank you to all of our spiritual Fathers who unite us as brothers and sisters in Christ under Holy Mother Church and bring us the sacraments each day.

Happy Father’s Day!

Last Sunday's Homily...

I just listened to Matthew Kelly's talk Becoming the Best Version of Yourself and it he mentions taking 1 thing you've learned from Mass each week and writing it down. Here are the 2 things I heard at Mass (I couldn't pick just one.)
1. Saints are sinners who just keep trying
2. The priest told a story about a woman who had gotten arrested after speeding. The next morning the officer approached her and said he had made a mistake in arresting her - he just assumed since her car was covered in pro-life stickers, that she had stolen the car. (Our actions always speak louder than our words!)

Who's your favorite saint and why?

Mine is my confirmation namesake: Kateri Tekakwitha, who was a Native American in the state of New York. My dad and I shared an interest for the Native American culture and the First Nations culture in Canada and he was the one who suggested her to me for my confirmation.

Interestingly enough, she's also the patron of people who have lost their parents, which I found to be fitting and a nice, quiet hug from God.

How about you?

New-Baby Recipes

The week my newborn baby arrived, several lovely friends and family of ours brought over ready-to-eat or freezable meals, so that we could enjoy our babymoon with our new little one and not have to worry about doing groceries, cooking and dishes.  I will feel forever grateful for the kindness and the enormous help that this gesture provided for my husband and I. 

We are at "that age" where we spend many of our weekend afternoons showering new mothers.  I would love to be able to return the blessings given to me and help parents' of new babies by bringing meals to them.  It seems like one of the easiest and most popular items to bring over to new parents are casseroles.  I did not grow up eating casseroles however, and have absolutely none in my recipe collection.

Does anyone have any great freezable recipe ideas to make and bring to busy families?  I would love some suggestions...

Great thought from Mass homily today

"The furthest distance possible is the distance between the human head and the human heart."

Tweeting for Jesus

I was reading through my Summer issue of Faith and Family magazine, and came across an interesting article about the Pope's message for World Communication's Day from 2009.  In it, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the young "digital generation", and the increasing popularity of texting and social networking.  I decided to look up and read the message for myself.

I have to admit that I almost expected this message to be of a warning-nature of some kind, but instead it was more encouraging than anything.  Obvious benefits that he describes from technologies such as blogs, facebook, twitter, email include being able to stay in contact with family across great distances, helping students and researchers access documents, working collaboratively from remote locations, and producing new ways to learn and communicate. 

He discusses that what young people are drawn to more than just gadgetry, is the desire to know and to be known.  We desire communion with each other, and by reaching out and being open to others we fulfill "our deepest need and [become] more fully human".  Moreover, the Pope describes these technologies as a "gift to humanity" and encourages us to use them for a greater purpose; by promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship. 

As Christians, we must use these technologies to promote respect and dignity of all human beings.  We should avoid using them to spread hate, intolerance, objectification, exploitation ect.

In addition, he mentions that we should take advantages of technology to share fruitful dialogue between people. With the click of a mouse we can communicate with people from other countries, cultures and faiths.  We should always be spreading peace, truth, beauty and goodness.  This concept reminds me of St. Maximillian Kolbe's mission to spread the love of God through modern tools like the media.  It is also what I hope Defining Beauty will continually reflect.

Lastly, the Pope discusses the idea of "friendship" and mentions that we should be aware of the casual term that "friend" has become in cyberspace ect.  He talks about how friendship is one of the highest achievements of human culture, and that although networking may faciliate some of our friendships, we should always keep our real relationships a priority over virtual ones.

He finishes with this beautiful message that I could not even put into my own words:

"I would like to conclude this message by addressing myself, in particular, to young Catholic believers: to encourage them to bring the witness of their faith to the digital world. Dear Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives. In the early life of the Church, the great Apostles and their disciples brought the Good News of Jesus to the Greek and Roman world. Just as, at that time, a fruitful evangelization required that careful attention be given to understanding the culture and customs of those pagan peoples so that the truth of the gospel would touch their hearts and minds, so also today, the proclamation of Christ in the world of new technologies requires a profound knowledge of this world if the technologies are to serve our mission adequately. It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent". Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm. You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds! The Pope accompanies you with his prayers and his blessing."

January 24 2009

Two Seas

The following is taken from a homily I recently heard...

There are two seas in Israel. One is called the Sea of Galilee and the other is the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is beaming with life. The water is beautiful and the home of many fish and different types of plant life. The Dead Sea on the other hand is exactly what its name says, dead. Nothing lives or grows in the Dead Sea. The water is murky and disgusting. What is it about these two sea that makes them so different? The Sea of Galilee receives water but is also gives water out. The Sea of Galilee flows into several other bodies of water giving its life to them. The Dead Sea receives but it never gives. Water comes in but it does not go anywhere else. Because of this the water is stagnate and as the water evaporates it leaves behind tons of salt that makes it impossible for things to live and grow.

Every one of us can be one of these two "seas". If we want to be full of life and beauty we have to give of ourselves like the Sea of Galilee. We must take what we receive and give it to others. If we on the other hand just take take take and never give we will end up ugly and dead with no chance of life and beauty just like the Dead Sea. These two "seas" are a glimpse of heaven and hell on earth. We experience a little bit of heaven when we give of ourselves because in heaven no one is selfish. Hell is filled with selfish people. In hell their is a huge banquet table with all the tastiest and finest foods. Everything you ever dreamed of eating is out on the table and everyone in hell is sitting around ready to eat. The only problem is that their forks are four feet long. Can you imagine trying to eat with a four foot long fork? No one could get the food into their mouth. It was torture. In heaven there is the exact same scene. The banquet table with all the food is there including the four foot forks. The difference though is that in heaven they are feeding each other. They are thinking of each other and giving to each other and in that everyone is fed. My sisters in Christ let us work every day to give of ourselves and never count the cost because our reward awaits us at the banquet feast of heaven.

Our Anniversary Vacation!!!

So Phil and I are approaching our one year anniversary and we've planned a trip to Arizona! Well maybe not "planned" more like got a free 3 day stay for attending a time share talk on our honeymoon and cause I thought Sedona sounded nice and he didn't disagree, I booked the time share. We were a little worried about the heat, but the Lord is merciful and it says it will only be 85 in Sedona while it will be 100 or so here in Fabulous Fresno! I've learned something while discussing this trip, and that is that I am the kind of person who enjoys road trips and stopping along the side of the road to see the largest twine ball, while he enjoys staying put and spending time with our friends for a vacation. This was a big moment when I realized we had different interests, but I was really glad I realized that so we could both make sure to get our special vacations. (Don't tell Phil I love spending time with our friends too, so I get two great vacations.)

We're celebrating our one year anniversary and here the Lord gave me a chance to learn something about my husband. He gave us a chance to share our preferences and to understand it's ok to have different desires when it comes to vacationing. I'm interested to see what Phil will think of this trip...

As far as the planning, I got a AAA book and I've been asking people about good places to stop along the way. So far I've heard Laughlin and some dive restaurant where they filmed an old movie called Bagdad Cafe. I'm looking forward to a Catholic Chapel in Sedona I heard about and going to mass at St. John Vianney Church as the Year of the Priest ends - how fun to be in a church named after the patron of parish priests!

Here's to Sedona!! Please pray for our trip!

A few more definitions for you:

Get to know Defining Beauty's bloggers a little bit better here.

Getting Ready for Summer

I grew up in Canada, where our summers are marked by an over-abundance of dark, delicious blueberries.  Since these tiny super-foods are in season right now, I thought that I would share one of my favorite family recipes for a blueberry cheesecake.  Unlike its rich, comforting counterpart, this no-bake "cheesecake" is light, sweet, refreshing and perfect for summer.  Altogether, it tastes exactly like a pool party from my childhood.  Enjoy!

Crust
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
2 tsp of sugar
5 tbsp of melted butter

Filling
32 oz cool whip
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz of cream cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 or 5 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)

1.  In a large pan, place graham crumbs on melted butter (keep 1/2 of crumbs for the top of the cake).
2.  Cream together cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice.
3.  Fold in cool whip.
4.  Fold in blueberries.
5.  Pour on top of crust and sprinkle the rest of the graham crumbs on top.
6.  Refrigerate or freeze until time to serve.

Happy belated Feast of Corpus Christi

So I just saw this video and since I've always been fascinated by Eucharistic miracles, I loved it. But I hope everyone hasn't already seen it, since my husband seemed to think it was old news.

2000 years old news... =P

Deal junkie

I've recently become a deal junkie scouring the internet for good deals on things we are planning to buy. Three of my favorite sites are Groupon and Jasmere and Zulilly. Groupon has you pick your city then shows you one good deal a day. Today's happens to be awesome: discounted tickets to the SeaLife Aquarium at Legoland in Carlsbad. I'll be picking up 4 tickets for us - Ella is obsessed with fish so we'll take her there for her birthday :) Jasmere also has one deal a day, but theirs ranges from coffee to sheets to reusable baggies. On top of selling discounted products, they also sell vouchers. For example, you would pay $20 for a $50 voucher at their featured retailer. Zulilly is all for moms and kids and sells clothes, gear, and toys at a discounted price. It's an awesome way to stock up on gifts for the year. Enjoy!

Be one with the donut.

Yesterday I went to a playdate where the hostess made us doughnuts. It was so easy so I figured I'd share it with y'all. Heat up some oil in a pan (she used olive oil but you can also use veggie or corn oil). Open a pack of biscuit mix (the pre-made kind already in a can), then slice it up and cut out holes using a bottle top. Fry until golden brown. She then had the kids put their donuts in a brown bag that either had cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar and they got to shake it to coat it. Freshly made donuts are amazing!!

IPad, Apple's Baby

Today, I stumbled upon an amazing video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulV5LDwdn8Y

With the new IPad that recently came out, Apple has fallen into the world of new parents. With this ad, Apple talks about the adventures of a brand new baby, a REALLY BRAND NEW BABY! One that hasn't even been born yet!

How cool is that??? IPad is helping people relate even more personally to their unborn child and showing life at the VERY beginning!

The bond between the parents and the new baby is extremely important! The bond is even more strong between the baby and his or her mother! How exciting is it that Apple is helping families become closer even earlier now!!!!

Thank you Apple!!!!

Andrea Bocelli and Abortion

I think I listened to his Romanza CD just about everyday in high school.

I love it when people who have amazing talents turn out to be amazing people also!

The Sacred Heart Novena

The novena to the Sacred Heart begins today - the feast day being June 11th. I'm a big "fan" of this feast day along with the Immaculate Heart feast the Saturday following Sacred Heart on Friday. The Sacred Heart novena is the first novena that my husband and I ever did together and we got married on the feast of the Immaculate Heart. So here is the novena from the EWTN website ...

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request)
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.


II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
-- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

A Surprising Change

While getting dressed yesterday, I had an unexpected experience. I was going to be out all day and wanted to throw a pair of jeans in the car in case it got chilly in the evening. I hadn't worn my maternity jeans for a month, so I figured I'd try them on first to see which ones fit most comfortably. Turns out, none of them did.

Apparently, in the last month, my legs and backside have expanded with this pregnancy, especially since I had to stop exercising and rest for the last month. It could be that I was also very sensitive to the tightness of pants in general after wearing flowy dresses and skirts for 31 days straight, but these were just not comfortable, nor were they flattering.

While staring at myself in the mirror, stunned at how tight one pair was, I found myself feeling worse and worse about the changes in my body, which is no good! I am someone who LOVES being pregnant. I LOVE IT. While the belly gets a little uncomfortable towards the end, and sure the extra weight makes getting around a little tougher, I find the joy of holding this little life inside my body so outweighs the small sacrifices. However, I was struggling the other day with accepting the extra weight I'd put on. The crazy part is, I had none of these negative thoughts during the month of May.

Not only am I now finding skirts/dresses to be more feminine, but also more flattering, more comfortable, and encouraging of a positive body image.

Got a plan

Today I heard a great quote on the radio - the DJ mentioned the idea "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Then he said "life is what happens while you're making other plans." Aren't those thoughts great together! If you're anything like me I'm always making plans for my life and sometimes I forget to live it. And I've heard the one about God so many times (it's in BELLA!!) but it just hit me today - I'm always telling God what I want him to do in my life. Oh He has such great plans for me - if only I'd get out of the way and let Him work! He's REALLY good at His job :)

The Best and Worst Time

The Best and Worst Time article I wrote for IIbloom is up!

Here is the direct link!

http://www.iibloom.com/?/bloom/article/a-real-life-story-best-and-worst-time/

A couple of freebies

I found a couple really cute templates for a weekly menu planner and a Honey Dew List. Enjoy!

Love, HONOR, and obey

Whenever I go to playdates with our secular playgroup, many of the women spend their time complaining, complaining, and complaining about their husbands. We women seem to like to gossip and talk about other people in general and most of the time it is good and uplifts the person we're talking about.

I went to a wedding in 2004 and in the homily the priest said that when a woman complains about her husband to friends or tells his faults and shortcomings to the world she is breaking the vow she took of honoring her husband. Powerful stuff.

We really need to try and only speak kind words about others, especially if we're one flesh with them :).

Cleaning my Closet

I pledged to wear dresses and skirts for a month.  For 32-days (I enjoyed an extra day of the dare since I moved from Australia to the US within the month) I pushed my jeans to the back of my closet, and picked from my rack of flowy, colorful and feminine apparel that I typically reserve for Sundays.

As I was taking inventory of my wardrobe this morning, I noticed that I have several dresses and skirts that I NEVER WORE.  In one month of wearing strictly dresses, I never wanted to wear them!  This means only one thing: time to give them away!

Feel free to join me today if you would like.  If you did not wear it this month, you probably will not wear it this year.  Grab a big trash bag and donate your left-behind dresses to charity, host a dress exchange with some friends, or if you are really crafty you could make a bag or pillow with the fabric.

It really does feel good to make a little more room in one's closet.

Day Ones

So today is "day one" of a couple things for me. First, we can wear pants again! I was actually a little excited only because I'd been wearing the same outfits for a month and missed my shirts that go only with jeans. So I got dressed, got the kiddos ready and went to the store. By the time I got back from shopping I was done with the capris I had picked out to wear. I kept having to pull them up and I realized I didn't have to do that in a skirt. I was very surprised at my realization that I liked wearing skirts/dresses more than pants. Not only did I not feel more feminine in my capris, but I probably looked ridiculous pulling up them up every 20 seconds.

My second "day one" adventure was driving a new car. Okay, not just a car, a 12-passenger van to be exact. With our third baby coming in 2 months and our desire to have a large family, my husband and I decided it would be best to get a large van instead of a mini-van. So yesterday we got it. Let me tell you all it is very intimidating to drive. I remember when voicing my concerns about driving a big van my mother-in-law (who has driven one for over 18 years) said "People definitely get out of your way" and they really do. I have only driven the van twice and I feel that people do watch out for you, maybe not consciously but they do. Driving this van is just another challenge I will have to face with God by my side saying "you can do it". There are lots of positives to having a big van. First, the kids love being up high and are able to see everything around them. Second, there is SO much space. I was used to cramming everything I could into my tiny Civic (which I actually got pretty good at) and now I feel I have all the extra space in the world! Third, we now have a cd player that works right (my civic didn't come with a cd player so I bought a cheap one). Finally, automatic windows and doors (another feature I've been without for 7 1/2 years). All in all this is very exciting and new.