7 Quick Takes Friday Volume III

1. Why haven't we figured out a way to keep the dryer's heat in the house during the winter? I watch the steam vent outdoors and hear our furnace running and wonder why we're wasting that hard earned heat and moisture. Let's start brainstorming...


2. Kids whose parents are divorced should never hear a person badmouth one of their parents. Each child is made up of two parents. When one of their parents is badmouthed, it is the same as badmouthing half of that child. No child is too young to understand what's going on. These children should never feel that they cannot talk about one parent in front of the other. Families should encourage children to feel positively about both parents, no matter the situation.


3. I heard a commentary on the radio this morning. The man speaking said that 2008 was a miserable, horrible year (more or less) and that he and all other Americans are glad that it's nearly over. What!? This was a great year for our family! We are so happy and have had so many positive changes, the greatest of which was buying our first home and enjoying it. Maybe if he is thinking only of the economy, the state of which is greatly exaggerated by the media, and thinking only of his pocketbook it might have been a bad year for him. Don't speak for me by saying, "all Americans." We're perfectly happy and our happiness does not depend on the economy or on politics. Thank you, God, for a wonderful year!

4. I am so grateful to have been born in America. I teach my children that they were blessed to be born here as well. I'm sure that there are many people around the world that feel the same way about their own countries. We should! I'm proud to be American!

5. Why do people keep moving from Nebraska to Texas? Next year when I finally get Christmas cards out, I think that I'll have a whole pile just to send to Texas! ;)

6. There are ingredients for spinach-vegetable dip in my fridge and cupboard and I CAN'T WAIT to make it!

7. Yes, I know that it's not Friday...

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For the Love of Music

One of my favorite folk artists has a few shows that I think you should know about. In the summer of 2006, I saw Sarah Sample perform in a little coffee shop on the Arkansas River in Salida, Colorado. I stopped to talk to her afterward and bought her first CD. When she announced her new album about a year ago, I bought it and have enjoyed it as well. She now lives in Seattle (you lucky Washingtonians) but is performing nearby. I am thrilled that she will be in Nebraska, albeit halfway across the state! If the weather cooperates, we are heading out to see one of the shows. She will be performing in Colorado and in Massachusetts as well. Her schedule is here if you are interested.

Cheers!

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 8

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For Today, December 29th, 2008.


Outside my window...The sun is out and we are enjoying a break from a typical Nebraska winter. It's usually in the low 30s in December but Saturday it was 61 degrees and today it is already 46 degrees! All of the ice and snow melted; there are a few patches here and there, but by looking outside, you'd never guess that a few days ago, we had several inches of snow with a thick layer of ice underneath; only leaves and grass are visible from where I'm sitting.


I am thinking...about how we should never be judgmental of others and that we need to be sensitive. A friend said that a person told her that her priorities were out of order because she works several days a week. People have commented to me that a C-section is "the easy way out," not knowing our circumstances or risks involved with a VBAC. Others have been insensitive to women struggling with infertility who are adopting, and said such things as, "well, at least you'll never have to have stretch marks," or "well, at least you didn't have to be sick and pregnant," or "no labor and delivery, yay!" I'm sure the women meant well, but I heard all of these comments and my heart was breaking for the mom to whom they were speaking and all the while, I'm listening and thinking that she would die to do all of these things. Let's remember our sensitivity! Also, we must bear in mind that we do not know other people's financial, medical, or spiritual circumstances. We must give them the benefit of the doubt and never be judgmental! (I'm not saying I'm innocent, just sharing what I'm thinking!)


I am thankful for...everything; my gratitude is only magnified at Christmas when we are spending ample time with friends and family!


Learning at school and at home...we never take a break from learning, but the kids are on break from school until next week.


From the kitchen...quick foods today, but I made a double batch of kolaches on Friday! It was fun.


I am wearing...jeans, socks and crocs, a long sleeve T-shirt and a fleece vest.


I am creating...absolutely nothing. The gifts that I was hinting at before Christmas were Blurb picture books which I created for my Dad and his wife and for my grandparents. They were a hit! I started the books at last Christmas and ended in the fall. There were lots of picture and stories. Blurb printed them and FedEx delivered! These memory books are well worth the time and are reasonably priced!


I am going...to help Morgan upload the pictures on her camera. We gave her a little 5 mega pixel camera for Christmas and she would like to see the pictures on the computer. She's so excited.


I am reading...I am in between books now. Anyone have a good suggestion?


I am hoping...for continued health and more good weather.


I am hearing...Morgan humming downstairs. She is playing during quiet time and the other three children are napping.


Around the house...The house is semi-neat, as I prepared for a friend's visit today. I do want to get downstairs and rearrange the toy room. Jeremy bought two six foot laundry tables for me to fold laundry on. This way, I can leave the folded laundry downstairs, I can fold one load at a time, and not worry that it's taking over the living room. Thank you, Jeremy!


One of my favorite things...special visits from friends and family!


A few plans for the rest of the week: Today, a friend came over with her children and we had lunch together and the kids played. Tomorrow, our neighbor is coming over with her son and we'll have supper together. Wednesday, Jeremy gets off of work a little early. Thursday we're having two families over for the bowl game and for visiting. One couple lives in Texas and are up visiting for the holidays. Friday we are going back to my Grandparents' house, Saturday we are having our Godteens over and Sunday my family. We love to have company!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing: This is Morgan's surprised face when opening a gift on Christmas morning.
This is a Nebraska sunset on Christmas Day. This picture doesn't do it justice, as it was taken from the car while traveling at 65 mph on a highway between Grandparents' houses. Nebraska sunsets are so beautiful!
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If you are visiting from The Simple Woman's Daybook, you are welcome to visit the rest of my blog by clicking on the header. I love to read messages from visitors! :)

Fun on Ice!

We went down to my grand-parents' home today. My Aunt Trudy and her husband John are visiting from Seattle but are going home tomorrow. We wanted to have a visit with them before they left. I was so grateful that the highway was clear! The weather was fine; it got up to 37 degrees while we were there today!Noah, Morgan, Great-grandpa, and Isaiah shelled nuts after lunch.

My Grandparents live on an acreage with a pond. In the summer, this means fishing and, if you're Noah, throwing things into the water. In the winter it means ice skating! It has been many years since we were able to ice skate because it simply hasn't gotten cold enough to freeze the pond. This year was not a problem. Grandpa checks it carefully all over but says that if the horses go walking on it, it's frozen enough. When we were children and went down to the pond to skate, Grandpa would build a bonfire for us to warm up between laps. I wasn't expecting this today but after I made it down to the pond and got the girls into their skates and turned Noah loose in his shoes, Grandpa came down with tinder to start a fire! Oh, was Noah excited! Grandpa starts the fire at the pond's shore with Noah, Madeleine, and Morgan helping watching closely.

We changed into ice skates at the pond and left our shoes on the dock. The picture below is one that Grandpa snapped of Morgan, Madeleine, and me skating together.

My siblings had cleared the snow off of a couple of spots Sunday and I shoveled a path between them wide enough to skate on. This was the first time that the girls have ever attempted ice skating. Their skates had double blades and they did well! I think that it's been ten years since I skated and I was a little wobbly at first but the balance and rhythm came back to me. I fell only once when I was showing off and skating quickly toward Noah, trying to get him excited. Well, I plowed into him and we both fell and skidded. We laughed a lot; no one got hurt. Noah spent most of his time playing with the fire under Grandpa's supervision but he made several laps around the pond, fascinated that he could walk on it!

Grandma and Trudy watched Isaiah for me while we were skating and my grandma made lunch and supper for us. She's an excellent cook! My Dad and Sophie and Eli came down later in the afternoon and so the kids were in Heaven having so many people around to give them attention and love them! I let Morgan have the camera before she put on her ice skates. This is her self portrait!
Morgan and Madeleine warmed their hands over the fire. Madeleine snapped these picture of me skating.

After Madeleine changed out of her ice skates and back into shoes, I let her have the camera. This is her self portrait.This is Noah at the far edge of the pond. A couple of days ago, he had a conversation on the phone with my grandpa and asked him if the pond was frozen. His next question was whether or not he could still throw things (apples, black walnuts, etc.) into it when it was frozen. I could tell when Grandpa answered him because his forehead wrinkled up and he looked very concerned. Why spend time at the pond if he can't throw stuff into it and watch it splash? He found out today!

We drove the hour home and all of the children fell asleep in the van. I carried three of them to their beds and tucked them in; the fourth walked. As I tucked the girls in and turned to leave the room, I heard a sleepy voice call out to me, "Mommy, wait! We have to pray!" My heart soared and I stopped to pray with them before I left. This is why Jesus wants us to be like our innocent children. They're not thinking about rolling over and going back to sleep!

What a great day! Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!

Update on Ed

Ed's niece just called me. I won't retell the story, but you can click here to read it (or scroll down). Ed has been in the hospital since Thursday morning. This morning, he took a turn for the worse and he died. His niece was choking up and in tears when she called. Please say a prayer for the repose of Ed's soul and for his family.

Eternal rest grant unto him, Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, Amen.

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 7

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For Today, December 22nd, 2008.

Outside my window...The deck is white with ice and snow, as is the neighborhood. Currently, it is -7 F (-22C) with a projected high of 15 F. The sunrise plays across the snow in pink and soft yellow, though, and it is beautiful.

I am thinking...about how annoyed I was last night to try to find wrapping paper at Wal-Mart. They had some that said, "Happy Holidays," and some with Santa, Reindeer, and more Santa. The plain stuff was super expensive and there was absolutely nothing with Jesus or any mention of him. Whose birthday is this, anyway? I used to feel irritated about people celebrating Christmas in a purely secular way, but I read something recently which reminded me that the introduction to Christmas, even secularly, may draw some people in, cause them to ask questions about Jesus, and possibly convert. This made my heart a little softer. We work hard to make sure that our children understand what Advent and Christmas are really about...the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for...antibiotics. My oldest daughter tested positive for Strep this weekend. I'm so grateful that we can cure many illnesses with antibiotics. I don't know much about the history of antibiotics, but 100 years ago, people suffered ear infections and various other ailments that antibiotics could have cured. I'm sure many people died from these diseases. Although we now find that we must be prudent in the use of antibiotics, I'm so grateful to have access to them.

Learning at school and at home...The girls are off of school for a couple of weeks. Isaiah is developing his love of scribbling and instead of holding the pencil with his fist like most toddlers do, he holds it with precision! He's 19 months old.

From the kitchen...My kitchen will produce a lot of green bean casserole this week and probably some cookies soon.

I am wearing...black sweat pants, a white T-shirt, a yellow fleece sweatshirt, and socks.

I am creating...with the help of Lysol, Clorox, Pine-Sol, Amoxicillin, soap, and water, a strep-free home. (Are you rolling your eyes yet?)

I am going...to be vigilant about the hand washing, the hand sanitizer, and every other sanitizing measure that I have available to me. We don't need Strep Throat spreading at Christmas, folks! I'm sorry if this post seems a little less than positive; I'm bummed about Morgan being sick. The kids haven't been sick since before Thanksgiving and I was hoping for a healthy, carefree Christmas season.

I am reading...Discover Magazines's 100 Best Science Stories of 2008 and Catholic Answer's Nov-Dec issue. I love science and I love reading questions and answers about the Catholic Faith.

I am hoping...for a healthy pregnancy for a very special person who is about 12 weeks in and due on the Fourth of July with her first child! I'm so excited for her and can't wait to meet this little one. Tetya: I won't give away your identity, but if you read this and want to spill the beans in the comment section, you are welcome to! :)

I am hearing...Curious George on PBS and the shower running while my husband gets ready for work.

Around the house...The kids are still working on their birthday gifts for Jesus. I covered posters with stamps in the shape of gifts. Every time one of the children does a good work, makes a sacrifice, or resists temptation, they color a gift in with permanent marker. They've gotten very creative and the posters are turning out well. They will offer these gifts to Jesus for the Epiphany.

One of my favorite things...Sunny 75 degree weather with low humidity. I also love a little green to go along with it: trees, bushes, flowers, and grass. This winter, I've got two green things growing in my house: a Pothos plant and a mini rose bush that Jeremy gave me for Mother's Day. My thumbs are not green, so I'm taking pride in having these little plants thriving. The rose bush has two buds on it which are about ready to open!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Merry Christmas! Ideally, we get to go to mass on Christmas Eve, Jeremy's family's Christmas Eve on the farm, to my Dad's for Christmas Day and Jeremy's parents' house for Christmas Evening. We will get together with my mom closer to the New Year. If Morgan's strep doesn't clear up, we might be staying home from everything and taking turns at mass rather than going as a family. We're also in for more white stuff which will ensure a White Christmas. *sigh* I hope that we are actually able to travel. I'm feeling pessimistic what with Morgan's illness and with the pending weather and I'm hoping that we'll be able to spend time with the rest of our family. If not, then God's telling us that it's about time we stayed home! (I'm usually a lot more positive than this!)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing:These are most of the wonderful women from my bible study.

If you are visiting from The Simple Woman's Daybook, you are welcome to visit the rest of my blog by clicking on the header. I love to read messages from visitors! :)

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume II

Friday, December 19, 2008

1. I never thought I'd like Facebook. I thought it was a tool for teenagers. I joined Facebook so that I could see Father Grell's pictures from his trip to Poland and the Czech Republic. It ballooned from there; I have added 119 people and continue to add regularly. It's fun to click on the Home page and see what my friends are up to. It's interesting to get back in touch with people whom I haven't seen in several years and find out what they're doing, whether they're married and have children, and where in America they live. Once a member has finished setting up their page, there's very little maintenance. My Facebook page is just one of three tabs of homepages that launch every time that I double click on Explorer, so it's quite simple to click over and take a look at things. If you've been reading this blog, are on Facebook, and would like to add me, you can contact me via e-mail at prosapiavita AT gmail DOT com.

2. NFP (Natural Family Planning) was a hot topic over at Coffee Talk Tuesday. One person commented that birth control is not an option for practicing Catholics. This is true. NFP is a good, solid way to responsibly plan our families. Yes, NFP can be tricky when a couple is first trying to get the hang of it but a woman learns so much about her body when she charts for NFP. This is how I pinpointed my migraines and was able to talk to my doctor about medication! Statistics show an extremely low divorce rate among couples practicing NFP. The periodic abstinence should not be a struggle for couples who remained chaste before their wedding. What is a week in comparison to the dating years? Are you considering NFP and wondering which method to learn? Creighton is helpful for many couples but did not tell us enough about our fertility. We learned the Sympto-Thermal method from the Couple to Couple League and are extremely satisfied with the results.

3. I read a couple of blogs from Australia and both authors spoke about wanting to experience a White Christmas. Here's the thing: white Christmases look beautiful but are a traveling nightmare. Right now, there's ice on our roads which is covered with snow and has no hope of melting. Many people regularly cancel their family Christmas plans because of the white stuff. Yes, snowy Christmases are pretty, but they're not as great as they sound. Also, it's well below freezing outside and has been for awhile. This means that it won't melt for awhile. We're supposed to travel on Sunday when the high temp for the day will be 3 degrees Fahrenheit (-16 Celsius). Double-yuck. This is the view from our front window a couple of days ago

4. There's a spell check option on my blog! It's too bad there's no grammar correction. If someone sees any errors on this blog, please point them out to me, even if your comment is anonymous. I hate to make mistakes in public and would rather be corrected! Here's a common error that I see: apostrophes are for contractions and possessives, not for plurals! Also, definitely is definitely not spelled definately! Irregardless is not a word. I'm not a perfect speller or grammar person either, but I do know these three things.

5. Snow may be pretty and fun to play in, but it has to be moved. By law, we must remove snow from sidewalks and common sense tells you that you must remove it from your porches and the driveway unless you want to slip and fall or lose control of your vehicle in your own driveway. This is not a fun chore. It's backbreaking if you have a shovel, simpler if you have a snow blower. I love my snow blower.Noah tosses snow into the air.

6. I love the way that sun shines on the snow and its light reflects into the windows of the house. It makes everything look bright, clean, and warm despite the cold outside.

7. What on earth do you homeschooling mothers do with your one year olds while you're teaching? It is next to impossible for me to accomplish crafts and other activities with the older kids because of the toddler's curiosity. I could use some suggestions!
Visit Jennifer over at Conversion Diary to see more Quick Takes from around the world! If you came here from Conversion Diary's Mr. Linky, you are welcome to peek at the rest of the blog. Simply click on the header. Also, I'm always curious where my visitors come from and always appreciate a quick comment, even if it's just 'hello.' Thanks for stopping by!

Snow Day

Nebraska had a thunderstorm last night (in December!) so we got freezing rain which was topped with a couple inches of snow. This means that there's no school today; the kids start their Christmas break a little early. What do we do on a day where we can't go anywhere? We get out the book Unplugged Play and look for an activity. A mother recommended this on Coffee Talk several months ago and I ordered a copy almost immediately. It's a great activity guide! There are suggestions for kids from one year of age to ten years of age. There are simple games and there are more complicated activities.
Today our project is eco beads. We got out catalogs that I'd saved (thanks to Eddie Bauer, Wal-Mart, and Bed Bath & Beyond). I got out safety scissors and the kids are currently cutting out triangles. When we have cut out enough triangles, we'll take them and, starting with the base, roll the triangles around a pencil, seal the end with glue, and wait for them to dry. When they are dry, we'll string necklaces. Neat idea!

Phonetics = Funetiks

Morgan left this little note lying around the house. It took Jeremy and me about five minutes to decipher because she still spells phonetically, which is beautiful to me. I'll save the answer to your question until after Christmas.Here's a little side note (okay--an under note): When the girls were little, they could not read nor recognize their names but because they were so close in age, they had identical toys. Instead of constantly breaking up toy fights, we decided on a special symbol for each girl. We couldn't use letters because both of their names begin with M. We marked these symbols on their toys until they could recognize their names or tell their toys apart. They still love to use their symbols. Morgan drew in the symbol for each child next to their names at the end of the note.

Scary Morning

We have a 95 year old World War II veteran living across the street from us. Our neighborhood hero's name is Ed and the picture above is him with Madeleine in late summer.

This morning I had to do something I never thought I'd have to do: I had to call 911 for a neighbor. I looked out my front window while I was chatting on the phone and saw Ed laying on his walk in front of his house. He was moving a little, trying to wave his arms. I ran over and saw that he had clearly hurt himself; he had a nosebleed and his palm had a deep cut. There was blood frozen on the ground beside him and so I knew that he'd been there for a little while. Not thinking, I picked him up (in hindsight, I know I should not have moved him but he was so very cold and it was 9 degrees outside) and brought him inside to his chair and called 911. He was conscious and kept telling me that he was cold and I needed to come shut the door. EMTs arrived in a firetruck and an ambulance followed. Long story short, he is on his way to the hospital.

I am so glad I was here to help him, but I still feel funny; It's hard to see someone that you care about hurt like that. The thing that got me the most is that he was helpless. He couldn't get up, couldn't yell, couldn't help himself, and it breaks my heart.

Please say a prayer for Ed, that nothing too serious is wrong with him and that I didn't hurt him worse when I moved him. I'll post an update on his condition if I'm able to find out.

UPDATE: Ed's niece called this afternoon, Monday the 22nd, to say that he died earlier today. Please pray for Ed and for his family.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the best Grandma a girl could hope for!

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

For Christmas, I would like:

1. To see John Denver in concert
2. A volume control knob for Noah
3. 20/20 foresight
4. A focus dial for Madeleine
5. To go to the August 2007 DMB concert in Bonner Springs
6. An after school attitude adjustment lever for Morgan
7. An on/off switch for Isaiah's tears
8. To visit Rome on my honeymoon
9. A better, stronger brain-to-mouth filter for me
10. Stealth mode for my van

Love,
Aubrey

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 6

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For Today, December 15th, 2008

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Outside my window...the sun is coming up and I can see white steam rolling out of the pipes on the tops of the houses around us. It is cold! It's -3 degrees Fahrenheit (which is -19 Celsius for you scientists and foreigners). This is the kind of cold that hurts and takes your breath away when you come out of the house or the store. There's no snow on the ground but we're supposed to get some later tonight and tomorrow.

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I am thinking...What would Emilia Wojtyla have thought if an angel had whispered young Karol's future into her ear? Who are we feeding, who are we caring for? Who are we instructing and teaching discipline? Who are we kissing and cuddling? Who do we hold on our laps? God does not reveal our future to us; our future is not set. Although God knows what we will choose, our free will determines what we will become, along with His grace. I imagine all of the time who my beautiful children will become.

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I am thankful for...a visit from a special priest this weekend. Jeremy grew up with Father B and Father spent over a year preparing us for marriage and then baptized Morgan, our oldest child. He now lives several hours away and we don't see him often, so it is a treat to have him as a guest when he is in town. He had supper with us and played the guitar for the naughty noisy wouldn't hold still for prayers kids, and blessed our home.

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Learning at school and at home...Morgan's grasp of spelling words amazes me. Morgan learned to tie shoelaces this weekend. Madeleine reads well and her coloring is visibly improving; she stays in the lines! Noah will at least give 20 minutes to coloring before he's up and busy with something else. Isaiah discovered pencils and little notebooks last week and loves to scribble, scribble, scribble.

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From the kitchen...Beef stew tomorrow!

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I am wearing...jeans, a long sleeve T-shirt, wool socks, crocs, and a fleece sweatshirt.

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I am creating...nothing at the moment. The projects that I was working on are complete and I will say more about them after Christmas gifts have been opened.

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I am going...to continue to put my best face on my blog. I read a post by a young woman who was a little intimidated by the blog of another mother who seemed to have it all together. I'm guessing that that seemingly perfect mom has simply put her best foot forward in the blogosphere. Guess what? I'm far from perfect! When Father was blessing our home, I had no idea that the blessing would take us all down to the basement where I had not cleaned or that my 19 month old would cry the whole time or that my other kids would act up instead of standing there like little angels. My house is not always tidy and my kids are sometimes still in their PJs at noon. Sometimes, I am too. Sometimes I have chips and dip for lunch. Sometimes I yell at the kids. Sometimes there is dried oatmeal stuck to my couch covers and my kids have messy faces. Sometimes my kids drive me crazy and sometimes I drive them crazy. But on my blog, I don't have to tell anyone that stuff!

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I am reading...I did finish the Twilight Series. I'm still deciding whether I like it or not; it usually takes me awhile to decide after finishing a book or a series. However, when I saw the preview for the movie online, I knew immediately that I had to go to it. Am I 30 or 13? Luckily, a friend of mine needs to screen it for her 14 year old niece, so we have a good excuse. You know who you are...let's go! For those of you with teens who want to read the books, I'd suggest that you read them first.

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I am hoping...that my silent visitors leave a message just to say hello!

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I am hearing...Sid the Science Kid on PBS and the pleasant sound of the fireplace heating up our living areas.

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Around the house...the meal plan is on the fridge and the house is stocked with groceries for the week. Christmas gifts for the children are hidden in my room. The housework is caught up and so I'm hoping to just play with the boys today while the girls are at school.

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One of my favorite things...last night, my favorite thing was my attached garage. This is the first time in 30 years that I've had an attached garage and it was such a relief when I got home in below freezing temperatures to unload $250 worth of groceries without freezing my rear end off.

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A few plans for the rest of the week: Bible study tonight; our two groups combine once a month for a large group social and I'm excited to see everyone! Tomorrow, my aunt (who is my age and is like a sister) and her husband come in from Seattle and will be in Nebraska until Christmas Eve! Sunday we head down to my grandparents' home for a family gathering!

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You are welcome to view the rest of my blog; just click the title bar.

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Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Morgan with Father B

Six Things That Make Me Happy

I saw this meme over at Totus Tuus and thought that it'd be a fun post to complete.

6 Things That Make Me Happy

God has given us so much and since He is intertwined in everything that makes me happy, I will not number Him in the list. I could not be happy without knowledge of God and the peace that being Catholic brings to me.

1. My husband makes me happy. We have been married for over seven years and have been together since 1996--12 years! He is so patient, gentle, and kind. He is an amazing father and a wonderful provider. Every day, I think about how blessed I am that God gave Jeremy to me.

2. My children make me happy. We are so blessed to have four healthy children. It's amazing to watch them grow, learn, and develop. I love to see the joy in their little faces when they discover something so simple, like a bug or a pretty flower. I love to watch the older children entertain, coddle, and cuddle their littlest brother. I love their smiles and their laughter, their hugs and their kisses, and it makes my heart soar when they hear the bells ring during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, lean over to me, and whisper, "Jesus is here!"

3. My Clarinet makes me happy. I wish that I could have studied more instruments, such as the piano, the guitar, or the violin. As it is, I am happy that my parents insisted that I learn the Clarinet; I have been playing it for almost 20 years. I love to pick it up, put in my accompaniment CD, and feel my fingers move over the cool, smooth keys, making the right notes while reading the music without having to think much about it. It is soothing.

4. Music makes me happy. There is almost always music playing in my house. I love the way acoustic guitar sounds and I love music that has the approximate rhythm of a heartbeat or is measured in 3/4 or 6/8 time (I don't know why). I love it when I can hear an artist's fingers sliding over the strings of their guitar. My favorite music comes from the Dave Matthews Band because I love the African undertones of their music (Dave Matthews is originally from South Africa), the complicated rhythms, and that they have a violin and winds in addition to the standard guitar, bass, and drums. I love seeing the DMB perform live. I also love the Putumayo series: collections of music from all over the world.

5. New babies make me happy. They don't have to be mine. I love the way an infant feels when he is little. I love the smell of babies, especially when they are breastfed; for some odd reason, it makes a difference to me. They are so warm and tiny and they smell of milk and soap. They sleep peacefully in a lap and the sound of their breathing is so soothing. They are so helpless, vulnerable, and dependent upon us.

6. My home makes me happy. We waited for so long to buy a house so that we could do it responsibly and with confidence. I love the feel of the family room and the warmth of the fireplace when it's running. I love the setup of the kitchen and the red of the living room. I love having the kids upstairs in their own big space and having a basement to store things in and to act as a huge playroom. I love the smell of the deck when the wood is damp and I love the way the sun shines through the bay window at sunset. Even though we've been here seven months, I still come home and am overwhelmed with gratitude (to God) that He has given us such a wonderful gift and such a beautiful place to live and raise our family.

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Only six things? I could keep going all day! God has richly blessed my life and I am eternally grateful!

Memes typically have a tag at the end, but I'll say that if you would have fun with this post, consider yourself tagged; I'd love to read it!

Khalil

My sister and her husband welcomed their second son this evening; a big, healthy baby boy! Khalil was born at around 8:30 and weighed in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces, and is 21 1/2 inches long. Everything went smoothly; Valley and Khalil are doing well. I was lucky enough to be the one to bring Tre'mon up to meet his little brother and have some pictures to share.



Congratulations, Valley and Roger!

How to Decorate A Christmas Tree

Step #1: Put the 19 month old to bed.

Step #2: Put on Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Music. Did you know that it's spelled with two Ns? I didn't either until iTunes asked me if that's what I was looking for after I misspelled it.Step #3: Get the tree out of the box. Yes, our Christmas Tree came from a box!

Step #4: Each child has his or her own box of ornaments to decorate the tree with.

Step #5: Add candy canes and admire the work.

Step #6: Get the skirt out and put it on your husband...I mean...under the tree. (Shhh...don't tell him I put this picture on the blog)

Step #7: After a day, put the tree up on a higher table so that the 19 month old can't break any more ornaments.

Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Calling All Housewives!

...or knitters and crocheters...

I thought that among my readers, someone would know how to clean a doilie? My great-grandmother, God rest her soul, crocheted this doilie as a wedding gift for Jeremy and me. It has since been stained and I'm not sure how to clean it or what to clean it with, how to dry it, reshape it, etc. It is off-white. Does anyone know?

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 5

Visit Peggy, the creator of The Simple Woman's Daybook!

For Today, December 1st, 2008

Outside my window...it is dark already; I'm finally getting around to this at 10:39 p.m. It was a beautiful day but is getting colder as a front moves in. It was sleeting on my way home; ice formed on my windshield as I drove and we're expecting snow tonight.

I am thinking...about gossip. This was a part of the chapter we read for Bible Study this week and discussed tonight. Monsignor gave an excellent homily on gossip within the last year. He gave us an acronym to help us discern whether what we're about to share is moral. The acronym is THINK. His words are:

What I am about to say...Is it:
T true
H helpful
I innocent (in my intentions)
N necessary
K kind

I am thankful for...everything. This is always a tough one for me to answer because I rarely know where to begin. Tonight, I am very thankful for the group of women with whom I meet every week for Bible Study. They are all about my age with children who are my children's ages. I am learning so much from them and the fellowship and friendship is wonderful. These meetings, these women, this time with them gives me the strength to muscle through the week.

Learning at school and at home...Morgan is learning subtraction from 12. She's good at it! Madeleine is in the early stages of reading and is progressing quickly. Noah actually sat and colored pictures today. Usually he's too busy for sitting. Isaiah is mastering the names of his body parts.

From the kitchen...not much exciting this week. Chili and homemade cinnamon rolls on Saturday!

I am wearing...a new sweater that I found at Eddie Bauer on sale this week, jeans, socks, and crocs.

I am creating...more secret Christmas gifts for family!

I am going...to finish a big project tonight (see above). Shhh...don't tell!

I am reading...Breaking Dawn, the last of the Twilight series. Last Monday I was reading the first in the series, so I think that I'm making good time, so to speak. The library was out of copies so I picked up the paperback from Wal-Mart and read the first one. A couple of days later, I had to go to Barnes & Noble to pick up the second and third books in the series. Saturday I picked up the last book from Wal-Mart and I should finish it in a couple of days. This series is all hyped up right now and I was embarrassed to have to go over to the teen section to pick them up. I still haven't decided whether I like them or not but they're certainly intriguing.

I am hoping...that it doesn't get too icy outdoors tonight. It always scares me a little to send my husband and girls out the door when the weather is bad.

I am hearing...the pleasant white noise of the fireplace fan (ours blows the hot air into the house) and the click-click-click of the mouse as my husband plays a game on his laptop over on the coffee table.

Around the house...we put up our Christmas tree this weekend and after four broken ornaments, courtesy of my two boys, we put it up on a table so that it would be out of reach. The nativity set is up on the mantle, sans baby Jesus and the wise men.

One of my favorite things...the way my baby boy (okay--my toddler) smiles and laughs at me in the morning when he's ready to get out of his crib. He's happy from 11 hours of sleep, warm, cuddly, and so adorable.

A few plans for the rest of the week: The girls will be in the Christmas show for their school on Thursday. My sister will have her baby this week. Saturday, the priest that married us is coming over to bless our home, and Sunday we will rest!

You are welcome to view the rest of my blog; just click the title bar.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...You know I can never resist adding words to these picture thoughts. It has become tradition that this group of cousins receives pajamas from their grandparents for Christmas. This is a group shot of the kids and their cousins all dressed in their Christmas pajamas. Two of the cousins will be abroad for Christmas so the kids were given their PJs early. Have you ever tried to get eleven small children to hold still and look in the same direction at once?

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume I

Jennifer over at Conversion Diary began this theme for Friday posts. Check her out!

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume I: December 05, 2008

1. By 8:30 this morning, I had dressed and fed 4 children and myself. I tracked down two pairs of tights and quizzed my first grader on her spelling words. I got two children out the door and in Daddy's car to head to school. I wiped oatmeal off of the toddler and took him to the bath to wash the oatmeal out of his hair and from behind his ears. I cleaned poo out of the bathtub and scrubbed it down with Softscrub. I cleaned spit up off of the stairs. I carried laundry from 4 bedrooms and 1 hallway downstairs to the laundry room. I emptied the dishwasher and began loading it with breakfast dishes. This is by 8:30 a.m., folks. Moms are marathon runners!

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2. I love the way that sun reflects off of snow and makes everything look so very bright. I love the way it pours intensly into the windows and really makes it feel sunny. But why does it have to be 23 degrees outside?

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3. We are having our home blessed next weekend! I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't think of it myself. When I buy a rosary or a holy medal I have it blessed right away but I didn't think to have our first home blessed. The priest who prepared us for marriage and baptized our oldest daughter is coming for supper and will bless our home. Since he lives far away and we don't see him often, this is a special treat!

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4. Does everyone ask the same couple to be godparents to all of their children? My friend Staci and I were discussing this a couple of weeks ago. Jeremy and I wanted to stick with married family members and we wanted each child to have a unique set of godparents. Jeremy has three married sisters, so one couple is godparents to two of our children, then his two other sisters and their spouses are godparents to our other two children. Who are your godparents? My paternal grandparents are my godparents.

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5. I think that I have discovered the psychological reason for why laundry causes me so much anguish. It will never be done. No matter how many loads you wash or how many hampers you empty while you're getting down the last load, it will never be done. Somebody is always wearing something. Towels and washcloths are always being used. It will never be done. It's not like sweeping, where it looks good for at least 30 minutes. Laundry will never be completely done.

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6. Sometimes I secretly wish that our street had an interesting name. It's a number. This is all about vanity and nothing more.

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7. I'm making advent posters for the kids. In preparation for Christ's birthday, I wanted the children to focus on the spiritual part of Christmas and not on the material gifts that they will inevitably receive. I bought gold posters and am putting gift shaped stamps all over them. When the children do a good deed or resist a temptation, they will color a stamp. On Christmas Eve, we will decorate the posters, roll them up, and leave them under the tree as a birthday gift for Jesus.

Making Gloves

Noah: Mom, if I left my red mittens by the door, Isaiah would think that they were your Making Gloves, right?

Me: My Making Gloves?

Noah: Yeah, the red gloves that you make things with!

Natural Death

Life begins at conception. Life ends at natural death.

Why do I believe that the death penalty is wrong? Well, I begin thinking about that by wondering in what circumstance would it be permissible to take the life of another? There is only one thing I can think of that would make it morally permissible to kill someone: if a person is witnessing attempted murder or is himself in danger of death and the only way to stop the murderer is to kill him.

Many people will say that we have the death penalty in place to deter murders. I do not believe that in the heat of the moment, when a person is planning a murder or is about to pull the trigger, that they are thinking, "gosh...I better not. If they catch me, they'll put me to death." I also think that life in prison is a much greater punishment than a quiet death. I do not believe that the death penalty deters murderers from murdering.

Revenge plays into this. We can't deny it. When an execution takes place, I've seen pictures of people outside of the prison cheering, yelling, and carrying signs that say things like An eye for an eye or Fry [John Doe]! If there were no sense of revenge involved, why would the victim's family be invited to witness the execution of the perpetrator? Christ denounced revenge.

Justice also plays into the death penalty. Can there be perfect justice by an imperfect human system? I wonder how many people have been wrongly convicted of murder and are either sitting in prison or have been put to death by the state. Death is not justice.

Here's another thing that most people don't think of: when we put a criminal to death, we are robbing him of the chance to save his immortal soul. What if the criminal, while sitting in prison, realizes what he has done and becomes truly sorry? I'm not suggesting we let repentant souls out of prison, only that Jesus would want them to be given the chance to change their hearts. We have the responsibility to rehabilitate criminals, like it or not. If a person becomes penitent while incarcerated, his soul can be saved. If he is executed shortly after being convicted, he may not have a chance to find that he is truly sorry and his soul would then be in danger of hell.

If we were living in a remove village without a prison, could it be necessary to put a murderer to death? I believe it could if there were no other way to stop him from killing more people. Here in America, we've got prisons to contain our most vile criminals. I believe that the death penalty is unnecessary and I believe that it is wrong.

Because a person killed my grandmother, I was never able to meet her. She did not live to see her children grow up and have their own children. Law enforcement never found this person. Having lived with this, I still believe that the death penalty is immoral. I don't bring this point up to evoke sympathy, just to avoid someone pointing a finger and saying that I don't know what it is like to have lost a relative and to want justice for that person. I do want justice--I want her killer to change his heart and be truly sorry for what he did.

“A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform. I renew the appeal for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary.”
--Pope John Paul II

What do you think? Remember--I remove anonymous comments.