Sibling Bonds

Earlier this week, we were driving home from our co-op, it was unusually quiet in the car and Number Two Son was talking (Praise God!), I tuned in to listen and he was listing our family, "Momma, Daddy, Number One Son, Number One Daughter, Baby Sister..." and he kept repeating the list over and over again. Later in the day, when I was finishing up making some beaded gifts for RE teachers, he ran up to my bead work station and said, "Help Momma, baby..." all of the children helped me make a Chaplet of Divine Mercy to bury with the baby right before we buried her. I pray that as the children grow, they will continue to listen to their special Saint in Heaven. I would have never imagined the fruit of our sufferings. All children are gifts from God, even the ones we only know in our hearts and prayers. 

Reconciliation

Last night we took our RE class to confession during the regular Wednesday confession. When it came down to only the children who had made their first confession and first commuinion, we had four, 4, quatro out of 13. No wonder they ask so many questions. It was at the insistance of my wise co-teacher, sign language interpreter that we took the kids. It was a really wonderful class. One of our students that is deaf didn't bat an eye, she willingly went to confession knowing that the Fr. Mike didn't sign. She nodded her head that she can speak, but she doesn't in class, but she did with the priest. Last night was a lesson in how eight and nine year old children trust in Jesus. The other students prayed a decade of the Rosary while we waited and when we went back to class and read a story about Our Lady of Guadalupe. I left class with Peace, hugs and kisses from Heaven. Thank You Jesus, Mary, St. Faustina and little Faustina Mary Elizabeth, I love you with all my heart!

St. Gertrude the Great's Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Jesus dictated the following prayer to St. Gertrude the Great. He said it will release 1,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

Number One Son and Number One Daughter are fascinated by this prayer. I wonder if they can commit it to memory? It is definately enpowering for little ones to know they can get holy souls to Heaven.

What's Up?

It has been a busy and trying few weeks. I doubt there is anyone who doesn't know me who reads my blog. We experienced heartache and joy a few weeks ago when we had a baby born to heaven. I went to the MD at eight weeks, my bloodwork looked good, but my progesterone was low again. I sold more gold jewelry to pay for the compounded, self-pay prescription. My progesterone was low with Number Two Son, but since I am using a new doctor, I assumed ordering extra bloodwork was just a different protocol. I had an ultrasound at nine weeks. When I walked into the office, I felt like I was having a panic attack. I calmed myself with The Divine Mercy Chaplet and walked back to the exam room to "date my pregnancy." I didn't know anything was wrong, but in my head, I kept saying, "Jesus I Trust in You." The nurse said that the baby was measuring younger, still I was calm. The doctor always comes in after nurse and redoes what she just did. This time he said the baby had stopped growing about three weeks before, there was no heartbeat. He called it a missed miscarriage. They sent me to the OB/GYN office, where I waited alone, then they called me back and the nurse didn't know why I was there. I could barely say the word, "miscarriage." She rushed me to a room, visibly upset that the protocol wasn't followed and then I waited alone again. The NP, who I had never met before came in and talked with me about my options. Surgery was not an option as far as I was concerned. So I left, drove to our friend's house to pick up the kids. I must have looked Luke something was wrong because she asked me if everything went okay. "No, I was pregnant and now I'm not." it was October 15, the Day of Rememberance for miscarried or stillborn babies. I packed up the kids and drove home, status quo. I left a message for Hubby to come home right after work. He called and I told him to come home. When I saw him, I hugged him and said, "Our baby died." we cried, we cried until parenthood knocked on the door. Then we waited. I had some very brave, loving Mommies send words of advice, counsel and support. We didn't have to wait long, four days later it started. I was not in pain, there was much more blood than I was prepared for. Hubby had to go to work because it was an inservice day. I was fine, so I thought. I went to the bathroom again to clean up and as I sat on the floor, I'm pretty certain that I passed out. The next few days I did my best to hide protect the children from what was happening. I ran to the bathroom unexpectedly, did lots of laundry and spent plenty of time cleaning up. Number One Son, who rarely notices anything, saw a spot of blood on the floor and on my foot and pointed it our and asked about it. I recovered everything that I could so we could bury our baby. We had a family meeting and told the children that God had given us a baby and she was born to Heaven. Now we have our special Saint to intercede for us. Number One Son was hysterical but very, very sweet in his words. Number One Daughter was upset because God answered her prayer, but not how she intended. We spoke with our Priest friend and he clarified the theology for is, our baby was saved by mine and Hubby's faith. On November 3, 2009, we buried our baby, Faustina Mary Elizabeth, at Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetary in Georgetwon, Texas. It was a beautiful service in a beautiful place. The kids have been asking to go back and visit, we will.

Life Lessons

Lessons I have learned or re-learned the past few weeks: God is in charge; time is irrelavant when it comes to loving a child; my children are resilient; I have made some of the best friends over the past two years; I am blessed by suffering; my relationship with my sisters needs work; I need to learn to ask for and accept help; my husband continues to love me and all our children more each day; prayer from friends and strangers sustain me; I listen and respond to commands from Heaven; there are angels on Earth; Jesus I Trust in You. Amen 

Wheat-free Falafel

I've made these three times the past week. They were much tastier to the kiddos when I used a Texas 10-15 Sweet Onion. I doubled the recipie and froze little patties on cookie sheets covered waxed paper. After they were frozen, I put them in a freezer bag. I have tried so many different versions, but this one was different because the chickpeas were only soaked and not cooked and no flour or bulgar wheat. We generally can't keep yogurt in the fridge for more than a day or two before it disappears. The kids really like them with sour cream. I mixed sour cream, a splash of apple cider vinegar, tahini and a little garlic powder and they really liked it.


2 cups chickpeas (soaked overnight) {about 1/2 pound}
1 medium onion chopped
5-6 cloves garlic
1tablespoon cumin
1teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Grind the chickpeas in a food processor until they resemble crumbs. Transfer to a bowl, grind the onions, garlic, cumin, baking soda and salt until well chopped but not pureed. Add to the chickpeas, stir well. Form into small patties and carefully slide them into a cast iron skillet with about 1/2 inch of very hot oil. These are fragile, but once they hit the oil, they stick together really well, fry until medium brown on one side, carefully turn them over until they are evenly brown. Cool on paper towels. This makes about 10-12 patties. 
We eat these wrapped in romain lettuce leaves instead of pita bread. Yum!  

Jesus

Today during the consecration, Number Two Son turned to the altar and said, "Jesus!" he did not point to the statue behind the altar, he raised his hands toward the altar where Fr. Bill was holding the Precious Body of Christ. I would never make this story up, at our old church, they would ring the bells, but Sweet Baby knew Jesus was there because he was!

Hugs all around!

Hubby and I have had a rough week. Hubby has needed to work extra long hours and I have not been feeling well and have spent much of the past few days in bed. My sweet children have given me numerous hugs spontaneously! Number Two Son walks up or crawls into bed next to me and says, "Hug Momma." Number One Son and Number One Daughter have just walked up and hugged me out if the blue too! I know our special Saint in Heaven is behind the hugs, God knows I needed them!

My Mantra for the rest of my life...

774 "+ Oh my Jesus, I understand well that, just as illness is measured with a thermometer, and high fever tells us the seriousness of the illness, so also, in the spiritual life, suffering is the thermometer which measures the love of God in a soul."
from Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Prayers for Mothers and Babies

Dear Lord Jesus,
Please keep all the babies safe and healthy growing inside their mothers; protect their Mommies in childbirth and allow them the strength, faith and wisdom to raise them as your Mother has taught all of us. Amen.

RE

I have about 16 children my 3rd grade RE class. From the children's report, 5 can say the Hail Mary and 10 can say the Our Father prayer. Most of these children have made their first communion. I have been working daily so that Number One Son can know the prayers he will use and need to know for his First Holy Communion. I guess I should just relax. He is doing well. I'm still not sure how he is behaving in his RE class. After the first week, he didn't ever want to go back, but each week since then, he has come out with mostly positive things to say. I really hate that they do academic work, there is so much that they can learn without doing search word puzzles. I have kids in my class who are not good readers, but that is okay. Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We made it through the beginning, one Glorious mystery and then the closing prayers. They did a good job, even the chatty boys! Immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Not Smart Little Mousie

Last night, Hubby ordered pizza while Number One Son and I were at RE. I forgot the boxes were in there and turned on the oven. This normally wouldn't have been a big deal, but a mouse (or more) took out the pepper and parmesan packets, chewed them open and scattered cheese all over the pizza stones at the bottom of the oven. It also appears that the mouse mafia tried to carry the garlic butter off through the bottom of the oven where the gas elements are. Yup, melted plastic smoke bellowed out of the oven almost immediately. I guess I'll set a mouse trap in the oven, a very strange place for a mouse to hide out, especially in our house, where the oven gets used everyday. Hubby always makes a comment about how we feed our three cats and two dogs too much and they have forgotten a vital instict. Big Dog barks sometimes in the middle of the night, I guess it wasn't nature calling, just the scratching of a little mouse. If Little Dog were still alive, he'd bust out of his crate to get the mousie!

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG Monday

I've been waking up to male sure Hubby gets to work. He is recovering from a sinus infection and is really tired. I got snacks made and packed, kids fed and dressed and we headed out the door. Our Tahoe has been overheating so Hubby left us The Blazer. We are out the door, I unlock the car, load in our goodies, turn on the car, turn on the A/C and close the door to put the little ones in. At the exact same time I'm closing the door, Number One Son somehow managed to open and immediately close the passenger door and the car locks, running, A/C full blast with my purse and phone on the front seat. The house was locked. The kids and I headed to the backyard. I managed to push put the wood next to the window unit out and to my shock, Number One Daughter said, "yes" when I told her to crawl through the window to open the door from the inside with a key. Yea! Once upon a time, I had a spare Blazer key, but I couldn't find it. The kids and I walked next door to The Church and called Hubby and left a message on voicemail. Hubby had the spare key in his wallet. Almost two hours later, Hubby was able to get away from work, rush home, unlock the Blazer, turn it off, grab my purse, bring it inside, and rush back to work. Well, we missed Park Day. I felt so bad that I couldn't let our friends know what was happening until it was just about over. The rest of the day was filled with meltdowns and sibling fights. I headed off to the office to see my one patient. After work I had planned to take care of some paperwork. My boss came in and shared some medical news and them it was almost 7:00 PM and I didn't get my paperwork done. I came home, picked up Number One Daughter to reward her for helping out earlier in the day. So we went to Target then HEB, home to feed the kids and pets, brush teeth and then to bed. It makes me tired just thinking about it. My gift from heaven was Number One Daughter immediately saying, "yes."

No Sock Monster in Our House

Nope, we have a kitchen monster. We are missing spoons, cups, bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, to-go containers, etc... Occasionally, we find where the sneaky kitchen monster has hidden his (or her) stash. Last week, I found a food mill in the Loquat tree, a shaker bottle in the bedroom closet and a pasta pot in the toy cabinet. I wonder if we catch the little monster if he (or she) will move on to another family? Isn't that what happened to the Shoemaker's Elves?

inhale, exhale

I got a paycheck for the last few weekends that I worked. I can breathe, if only for a few days. We have lots of bills to catch up on, food to buy, cars to fix, but for right now, I'm just going to breathe and enjoy the positive bank account balance.
Thank you to Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all our special Saints for taking care of us!

Ewwwwwww

I've done some Google searches, so I know I'm not alone, but the fact that other experience the same thing does nothing to squelch the gross factor. Number Two Son has taken to retreiving his poo out of his diaper, squeezing it between his fingers, smearing it on nearby bedding, pets or furniture and today he threw poo at Number One Son and it landed right on top of his head. Mind you, this all happened in the 30 seconds it took me to go to the bathroom, five feet away from the children. This just has to stop!

TV induced insomnia

I battle between turning off the TV and going to sleep or watching TV in peace and quiet after everyone has gone to sleep. Sunday nights are the biggest battle because I like to watch CSI:Miami, Cold Case and Without a Trace. I never get to watch these shows in primetime, but I can keep up watching once a week late, late at night. Staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 AM makes Monday morning rough. I'm tired today.

Blood Money Documentary

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09082506.html

Prayers that this documentary gets distributed.

Me + busy day= disaster

Yesterday the kids and I went our first co- op meeting. They have been so excited that sleep was not that important to them. They were up late and up early. I need some quiet time, usually I get it at the end of the day when everybody is asleep or early in the morning after Hubby has gone to work. Monday at park day, Number One Daughter sat under the table and ate a few pieces of fallen popcorn. She got a tummy ache, threw up and we had to leave abruptly, but we did get to put together an awesome little book about St. John Vianney. We are going to dedicate this year to him. The kids had so much fun in class and playing on the playground, they didn't want to leave. Since Number One Daughter was still suffering the ill effects of eating popcorn, she lost it and had a temper tantrum, the likes I haven't seen in two years. Gimpy Momma had to carry her across the parking lot. Yes, my neck and ankle are hurting, but I'm too tired to even think about that. Last night, after co-op, I went to RE teacher training, Target and the grocery store. I made the kids and Hubby food and was rushing around like crazy. I guess when I put the cheese in the microwave to melt, I mistakenly did it for too long, because when I added more water, flour, put the blade to the Magic Bullet on, screamed at the Number Two Son to "Sit down!" "Hot," and then turned on the little blender, BOOM! Cheesy flour paste explodes into my face. I'm okay, no burns, just crispies in my hair. Honestly, it could have been much worse. The kids were at the table three feet away and Number Two Son was running up behind me saying, "Help Momma," as I held him off with my leg. Too much going on at once? I agree!
Thank you to my Lord in heaven for keeping us safe. Amen.

Stop the Abortion Mandate

I can't post this video from my phone, but hopefully the link works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RD7hJhwy5g

My Wonderful World

I went to a RE Teacher meeting tonight and I was saddened by what I heard. Parents don't bring their children to Mass, even with their precious angels ask them. Our little world is full of families that go to Mass, pray together and some are daily Communicants! We always went to Church, my mother insisted. She did stop fighting with us at one point and left us at home. If we got up and got ready, we could go with her. Reverse psychology? I'll admit when the kids are having a bad day, I go without them, but they certainly go more than they don't and we try to go to one Daily Mass a week. Summer has not been good for our daily Mass attendance, but I'm determined to change that. I guess instead of guilting parents into taking their children to Mass, we will pray for them and make a point of offering sacrifices for Catholics who don't go to Mass or take their children.

Summer 2009

When I first started this blog, I wanted to have a place for our allergy-free recipies, but I also wanted a place to vent. I'm pretty proud of my Debbie Downer, negative side hasn't made her way out too often. It has been a rough summer. God prepaired me for this. To paraphrase St. Faustina, suffering souls are closer to God. It has been bad, but not unbearable. We never have enough money and this summer it has gotten worse: I gave up a day of work when Hubby needed to spend more time at work; my week-end paycheck went from $240.00+ to $32.00; Hubby got hired for a summer school job only to find out that the principal had hired three times as many teachers as she needed; my Friday work hours got cut; my already piddly paycheck shrunk with camp/vacations; Our computer crashed and remains dead; Number Two Son needs over $2000.00 worth of dental work done; Bank of America continues to screw the little guy by sucking us dry with overdraft charges and more; we seriously have nothing else to pawn or hock; Number Two Son took our cell phone in the sprinklers; our cars have broken down several times AND it has been over 100* for 50 + days. There is more, but I'm moving on to blessings: Hubby got a break from teaching, the kids have learned to play nicely together inside, Number One Son has started picking up and cleaning, we spent more time in the pool than we ever have; Number One Daughter's Godfather has fixed our broken cars for a few meals; we are all healthy; I have the best Mother-in-law; Hubby and I don't fight, even about money. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us.

St. Philomena's Feast Day

Yesterday was St. Philomena's feast day. It was a busy, lazy, fussy, grumpy day for all of us. When we were praying the St. Philomena Chaplet last night, Number One Daughter reminded me that we hadn't made a cake! So today for breakfast, the kids had garbanzo bean flour gingerbread "cake" iced with fluffy white icing. We read about St. Philomena and when I asked for prayer intentions, Number One Son said, "To have a long and healthy life." Number One Daughter said, "To go to heaven to be with God." I made sure to say a prayer of thanksgiving for Number Two Son starting to talk, and Number One Son and Daughter to occasionally eat food they were allergic to. I love you St. Philomena, I'm so happy we found each other.

Does he really understand?

Yesterday when we got home from Church, Number Two Son noticed the crab's shell outside. He started screaming something, but at that point I had no idea what he was saying. We got inside and he continued sobbing and then he pointed to the crab habitat (that now is a walking stick habitat). The lights went on in my dense, sleep deprived Mommy brain and I said, "Cracken?" He repeated it, so we went outside got the shell washed it off and then we had to explain to our sobbing two year old that his crab was dead or "gone gone." Number Two Son can now open the fridge (when it is not locked) and bust through our very secure baby gates. My baby is growing up :(

Full Moon

Today started off pretty well and deteriorated from there. We got the kids up, dressed, in the car and off to church. We were a bit early, so we picked out a nice shady parking spot and I proceeded to back in. As soon as I put the car in reverse, another car drove to the back of the parking lot and I was hurrying to get out of their way, but, "Houston we have a problem." My right passenger mirror is broken and it took me three tries to get in the space without going up on the curb. Feeling frustrated, I barked that I can't do everything. Hubby and I are gold-star procrastinators. Most of the time, because we have no money, other times, we are just lazy. We reviewed with the kids what we expected of them and found our seats. Suprisingly, they had Children's Church today (they took July off, but I never saw/heard an announcement). Number One Daughter and I went, Hubby and the boys stayed in the big Church. When we finished I was suprised to see Hubby and the boys in the foyer. A very large family came on during the homily (really late) and all seven of them squeezed across Hubby (even though the end of the pew was empty and they could have entered without disturbing anyone. Well, there was no room for us when we returned, so he packed up and headed to the foyer. Number One Son and Number One Daughter and I sat on the window benches until church ended. We headed straight to the auto parts store to get a new battery and mirror. Hubby did a good job considering he had a rookie clerk. Amazingly, the big family that had pushed Hubby and the boys off the pew drove up right next to us. (Hubby didn't notice and neither did they.) We deserved a treat... off to Amy's Ice Cream. The kids did great and were very thankful for the "special treat." At bedtime, Number One Daughter walked on the kitchen and I burst into tears. She cut her hair again. I cut an 8" ponytail off to even it up. While I was doing that, Number Two Son put new shoes, talking phone, stuffed animals and a half of a roll of toilet paper in his bath. I am so ready for this day to be over! St. Faustina will be working in full gear to help me get to sleep tonight.

Cracken

Our last hermit crab died this week. I am a major animal lover, but I'm not too sad about this one. Crabs are not warm or fuzzy or the least bit interesting. They were fun for the kids at first, but the new wore off and they sat in the family room and we would occasionally hear the clank of him going to the water dish. We started with three little crabs three years ago. One diedand it wasso traumatic to Number One Son that when Number One Daughter's died we secretly replaced it. Hubby bought Cracken (who was the size of a mouse) for Number Two Son, but after he got pinched, he didn't much care for him. Crabs are pretty low maintenance, but we are used to animals that love you back (for the most part). Yea! One less critter to feed and water and clean up after. We aren't going to tell the kids until they notice he is gone. I can imagine they will cry hysterically which makes no sense to me since they didn't really cry when Little Dog died. One of these days I might figure that one out.

Happy Anniversary

On July 22, 2000, Hubby and I started a new life together. We tell the kids that our anniversary is the celebration of the birth of our family, but somehow they get that it is more about us than them. Hubby and I were talking the other day that we don't feel like grown ups, we sti feel like kids in our heads. A look in the mirror reminds me that I have aged over the past 9 years, but Hubby tells me that I am beautiful and Number One Daughter makes me laugh when she talks about my crinkles. I love my family!

I love Ben Stein (not that way)

Ben Stein's final column --


For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column called 'Monday
Night  At Morton's.' (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known
to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the
globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things
in his life.  Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your
time.

Ben Stein's Last Column...

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I 'slug' it, as we writers say,  which means
I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is
'eonline FINAL,' and it gives me a shiver to write it.  I have been
doing this column for so long that I cannot even  recall when I
started... I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to
believe it would never end.

It worked well for a  long time, but gradually, my changing as a
person and the world's change have overtaken it..  On a small scale,
Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as
it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and
definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago,
and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a
splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed
that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the
star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened..?  I no longer think
Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant,
friendly people,  and they treat me better than I deserve to be
treated. But a man  or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing
lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a
shining star we should all  look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in
insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a 'star' we
mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model?  Real
stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches
or getting  trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while
they have Vietnamese girls do their nails..

They can be  interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me
any longer.  A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division
who poked  his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit , Iraq .  He
could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets.  Instead, he
faced  an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent
people of the world.

A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to
a road north of Baghdad .  He approached it, and the bomb went off and
killed him..

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S.
soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of
unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a  station.
He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it  exploded. He
left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in
Baghdad .

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish
weddings on TV but the  ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even
after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and
stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of
our magazines...  The  noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on
military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships
and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they
live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such
poor values, and I  do not want to perpetuate those values by
pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the
policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no
idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring
in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for
surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into
caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in
hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the
World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my
idea of a real hero.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that
matters This is my highest and best use as a human.  I can put it
another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor
as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin or  Martin Mull or Fred
Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a
writer as Fitzgerald.  Or even remotely close to any of them.

But, I could be a  devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and,
above all, a good son  to the parents who had done so much for me.
This came to be my main task in life.  I did it moderately well with
my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with
my sister's help).  I cared for and paid attention to them in their
declining  years.  I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into
extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my
sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the
soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York .  I came to realize
that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that
it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me,
to help others He  has placed in my path. This is my highest and best
use as a human

Faith is not believing that God can.  It is knowing that God will.


By  Ben Stein

Moods

I've been pregnant or nursing since the Fall of 2001. PMS hasn't been much of an issue... until the past few months. I have been super grumpy, short tempered, sleepy and an insomniac. My poor family. I've discovered that after 3 babies, my abdominal muscles are unable to hold in the PMS ponch, at all. So I look pregnant for about 2 weeks out of the month. Extended nursing has made life easier, my period didn't return until Number Two Son was 18 or 19 months old. Now I'm dealing with life's aches and pains that I'd hoped were gone for good. Another big problem is that the kids think the Kotex and tampons in the bathroom cabinet are giant band aids and super hero fingers. Speaking of pads, it is really frustrating, especially with PMS to have to purchase pads when they keep changing the packaging and names! Errrrrgh!

blood types

We didn't find out what blood type our kids were, for some reason, they either don't share that information or they don't do the test at the hospital. I ordered kits for all of us as a science experiment. Number One Son was very excited to do the test, although I didn't really want to yesterday. He was tired from swimming and I needed help from hubby who had to hold Smart Puppy all day after he got neutered. I broke down and got out the kit. After we got started, he chickened out, but we finally convinced him, after much drama, to"cowboy up!" His result, O positive, very curious since Hubby said he was AB positive and I am A positive. Well, I was just too curious, Hubby is really O positive. Number Two Son was so brave insisting that he have a turn too. No tears and O positive. Well, honestly, I thought at least one of them would have my blood type, but there was one last hope. I bribed Number One Daughter and she finally relented and I couldn't believe it, A negative! I am bummed, Rh negative blood can be a problem for women of they marry a Rh positive man. What are the odds? I'm not sure, but I don't know anyone in the family with Rh negative (I'll have to ask around), but scientifically, it is possible.

e-bay oops

I had saved two of my childhood dolls, Baby Crissy and Newborn Baby Tenderlove, when I stopped playing with dolls. I don't remember if I passed them on to my niece or if they might still be packed away somewhere at my parent's house. I found several baby Crissy dolls and e-bay, but I kept getting outbid. Yesterday, I finally decided to bid on a pretty little doll with a tear on her back. I felt sure that she could be cleaned up and repaired. I the checked my g-mail account and, oops, I had already won one. Yup, now I have two baby Crissy dolls. If I find the one at my parents, I'll have three. Number One Daughter has her heart set on one of each for Christmas. I wonder what she'll do when she gets more than she asked for? I'm still searching for the girl Newborn Baby Tenderlove.

RIP Sweet Sydney Marie

I got a very sad e-mail from big sister tonight. Her 15 year old lasha-poo was euthanized today. She had not been in good health and the Vet said she had a tumor on her pancreas. Sydney was one of the most lovingist, spunkiest, smartest, funniest, loyalist dogs I've ever known. When a pet has been in the family as long as Sydney, when they die, everyone hurts. Please Lord, no more pet funerals for a very long time, we have had too many recently!

U2 sings about Our Lady

Pan fried chick-peas

Deep frying food really goes against my vow of healthy foods for the kids. Out of necessity (I haven't bought a big jug of oil for our deep fryer), I tried frying chickpeas in a pan. It took some trial and error, but I think I have figured it out. I use a cast iron skillet, cover the bottom with a little oil, let the oil get almost to smoking and then pour in a can of drained chick peas. I learned that it is best not to stir right away. After the spitting, sizzling and popping slows down, I stir until they are mostly brown. The kids love them with carrot catchup. Tonight, they had pan friend chickpeas with sauted mushroom and carrot catchup. I find that the chickpeas go well with earthy foods like mushrooms and dark leafy greens. I've also carmalized the chickpeas by adding white or brown sugar when they are almost done. I let the sugar get hot and bubbly and then pour them on foil sprayed with oil to cool. They sorta taste like crackerjacks :)

Poor Houdini

Our fine feathered friend was losing his feathers from the stress of the heat, so I made an executive decision to bring him inside. We clipped his wing last night, so if the kids decide to release him, he will be easier to catch. With the exception of a few spine tingling "cock a doodle do's" he has been very quiet. Fortunately, we only have one chicken, if we had a whole flock, I don't know what we'd do. It is just too hot outside, has been for days. I hope that spending some time in Little Dog's old crate won't stress him out more than the heat. Problem is: He is in our one working bathroom and Momma and the babies need a bath, we spent part of the day in a pool. I don't think it will be very relaxing to have a bath with Rooster eyes peering at me!

First Kiss

Today while splashing in the pool, Little Red Haired Girl's Mom told me that she saw Little Red Haired Girl kiss Number One Son at a park day. I asked him about it and very innocently he said, "I didn't know." I guess it doesn't count as a first kiss if he didn't even know it happened.

103

Come on really, it is not even August yet!

my ankle

When I was about 2, my Mom, older sister and I were in an old grocery store shopping. The sodas used to be in glass bottles, in wooden crates, stacked up with plastic that rolled up when you picked up a crate. My sister pulled on the tolled up plastic, the hot sodas came tumbling down and exploded. My mom was pregnant with my little sister and they were very worried about her, but I think she just had little cuts on her legs. I needed five stitches in the area around my ankle. Well, I found out while I was in graduate school that the accident was th reason my feet looked so different from each other. A muscle was cut and not sewn back together properly, so I have one flat foot. It was no a big deal, but some shoes didn't fit well and I always got blisters on the bottom of my foot with certain shoes. I could deal with all of that, but about a year after Number One Son was born, my ankle started hurting. After a month or so of hobbling around, I went to the doctor and the x-ray was normal. I continued to grin and bear it, gain all the weight back that I lost after Number One Son was born and remain ever-so-hopeful that it would get better. It did feel better when I wore my Birkenstocks (I have several pairs) or when I was pregnant. When Number One Daughter was about 2, I went back to the doctor, he thought it was a cyst on my ankle, so I went to an orthopedic surgeon. He said it was from the accident from when I was a baby and gave me a prescription for insoles. They helped, but I was hoping for no-pain. I am allergic to the OTC pain relievers that would help, so I just hobble along, some days are better than others. I went back last week to see if there was anything else to do. He changed to prescription so I need to make an appointment to have my insoles adjusted. Smart Puppy chewed up my sandals, so my Mom gave me a pair of new ones that she had recently bought (my new, post 3 babies size). I am praying to be more optimistic and hopeful. Surgery is not an option at this point (and may never be). I would like to remember what it was like to walk and every step not hurt. I've gained over 20 pounds and my kids are not as active as I wish we could be because, honestly, I can't keep up.

no figurative language

Nuber One Son has always been advanced in his language, but I guess we just can't rush brain development. Last night while I was putting beans on Number One Son's plate, I told him, "Just tell me when." and he responded, "Now." Of course, what was I thinking? Hubby and I chuckled about this all night.

My 6"4" beam of light

Yesterday as Hubby and I were talking about how we were going to pay the mortgage, bills, neuter Smart Puppy and buy a few more birthday and Father's days gift, he lit up like Monica on "Touched by an Angel." He told me that most families need two incomes and we essentially have one and we were making it. So true, I will just savor this positive thought.

Thank You Jesus!

I've been meaning to write about Hubby's work ordeal for a while. The kids and I sprinkled blessed salt over the classroom threshold and in the corners of his room and we blessed his classroom with holy water the night before classes started last Fall. He has a new principal this year and sadly, she doesn't seem to see the beautiful, caring, selfless teacher that he is. It was a huge leap of faith, but we decided that I should give up a day of work (it cut my paycheck in half, ouch!) so he could spend more time securing his job. We have been praying for her and his students and, as always Hubby too. Hubby has been praying to trust Jesus, and the kids and I pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet for him. The week before TAKS testing, I woke up early to say an extra Chaplet for his Principal (a major feat for this late sleeper). Several of his colleagues are retiring or transferring. Many teachers have been forced to resign or quit. It has been a tough year to be a teacher at his school. He had begun to doubt himself as a teacher. We put it all in God's hands. The transfer fair came and Hubby had been home sick for a week with a respiratory bug (during the H1N1 virus scare), so he couldn't go. TAKS scores came back and 90% of his students passed! He was assigned the task of tracking his students gains from last year to this year and he not only had the highest percentage of passage in the school, but also the most gains from last year to this year for his students. He got his first smile and "Kudos" from his principal this week. Thank You God, Thank You Jesus and Thank You St. Faustina.

computer ball and chain

For the past 13 years, I have been able to get on the computer pretty much any time I wanted to. About a month ago our computer died, again, so I am only getting to check e-mail before Hubby goes to work or after he gets home. It is amazing how much I can get done without the computer. I spent 2 hours cleaning the kitchen today. We will need to replace me cell phone and update the plan. I'm spending way to long to check e-mails each morning. I am not a very good text-er and trying to write an entire e-mail with my thumbs is really hard (not to mention very time consuming). I refuse to write in non-standard English. I just can't do it. I guess I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

Cancer

For every day for almost 2 years we have been praying for my friend's husband. Kim and I met in graduate school and thanks to e-mail we have kept in touch. Her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer almost 2 years ago. He died on May 24, 2009. He was young, close to my age and they have a daughter Number One Daughter's age. I can not imagine the pain that they have been and will go through. A person who we pray for every day has died in the past and the kids are sad, but understand that once someone dies, it is not the end. I haven't told them yet. It has been a crazy week and the last thing I need is for them to be up worrying about my friend and her daughter. Number One Son was looking through a garden catalog and we saw Almond Trees, it said you could grow almonds if you can grow peaches. We CAN grow peaches. We have a spot in the front yard that has not had the best luck for trees. The first tree died after about 5 years and the replacement tree died in one year after a spring wind storm. There has been much debate at our house about what tree to plant. What ever it is it will be in memory of Mark Geyer and hopefully it will give fruit that we will lovingly pack up and send from Texas to Utah. It is nice to have a purpose for all things in life.

simply beautiful truth

Vegetarians Rule!

Hubby has been sick for two weeks, and counting. Number One Son has been sick for just under a week and Number Two Son got over it in two days. Number One Daughter and I have dodged the virus, thus far. We went to the allergist this week and was given the go ahead to try food challenges and I pulled out Super Baby food and started looking at the foods that I might try. I think we will give melons a try. I glanced at the page about Vegetarians, we are healthier, live longer and have fewer chronic medical conditions. The kids have been after Hubby to stop eating meat ever since they could talk. Now it is my turn. Hubby I love you and I want to grow old with you, please consider giving up meat?

poor hubby

Well, as fate would have it, the goobers have hit our house again. Last fall Hubby missed two Cub Scout events with Number One Son because of a sinus infection. He came down with "something" on Friday while I was packing for a Cub Scout camping trip. We decided that we wouldn't stay the night. He met us at the campgrounds (after I had hiked for an hour and a half with all three kids, carrying Number Two Son for a good part of the hike). The kids had a great time at the campout, but it was hard on the adults. Hubby made it to work on Monday, but he was sent home on Tuesday. Yesterday, at the doctor he tested negative to the flu/strep, but we had to pay $45.00 out of pocket for a swine flu test. Poor Hubby, he has been in bed all day, a fever kept him up last night. Oh how I hope we are protected from whatever he has. Mary, Jesus, St. Joseph, St. Philomena, St. Faustina, St. Anthony, St. Francis, St. Dymphna, St. Bernadette, St. Luke Kirby, St. John the Baptist, Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro and all our other special saints, pray for us.

Note to Self:

I will never begin a crochet project without balling the yarn. Tonight Number One Daughter was "holding" her new hat, just started, I guess I've done about six rows and Smart puppy took off with it. I was handed a ball of string. As I was winding it up, I had four balls going at once all from one skein, that I did not cut. One hour later, It is all nicely wrapped up, but I'm still unsure why there was a break in the skein. It takes me about three hours to finish a hat and I think I might have worked collectively 30 minutes on her hat. I am, by no means an expert. I can't read patterns, I lose count, my hands ache, and I put projects down for months before I finish them. I remember learning to crochet when I was in Girl Scouts. It was something I loved to do. I would make lots of small tings out of purple variegated yarn. I think it might take me so long to finish things because when I am crocheting across, I lose count and have to count and recount rows. maybe someday I will learn to read patterns and I might even learn a few more stitches. As for now, this very busy, tired Momma will continue to make hats and scarves. I'll hold off on sending someone away to college with a thirty skein afghan for...hmmm.........EVER.

Socca

This is my culinary adventure for today. I'm sure that if I can cook it with out it sticking or burning, the kids will love it.

This thin chickpea flour (free of almost everything) pancake hails from Nice, but it’s rarely seen outside the South of France (except in Genoa where’s it called a Farinata). I'm hoping that since this is so easy, some restaurants will add it to their menu and we might be able to eat out occasionally.


INGREDIENTS

2 cups chickpea flour (about 8 ounces)
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for cooking
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until large lumps of flour are incorporated and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes; do not over mix. Cover and rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add about 1 teaspoon olive oil and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add 1/4 -1/2 cup batter (the amount depends on the size of your pan)and quickly rotate the pan to spread evenly (so it’s thin like a crepe). Cook until socca is slightly brown on the edges. Run a spatula underneath to loosen socca from the pan, and remove from heat. Repeat with remaining batter. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

UPDATE: When I made this today, my batter did not spread out to the edges of the pan. Next time, I'll weigh the chickpea flour to see if maybe mine was too thick. Ours were crispy-lacy on the edges and I turned them over like pancakes or tortillas. They were yummy and take less time to make than our new favorite snack, Farinata. They were not hard to make, I didn't get to judge the texture of a cool one, since we ate them all before even one cooled down!

UPDATE AGAIN! Socca batter works great in our waffle iron. The kids went crazy for the socca waffles. I am so happy to have something that tastes yummy for the whole family! It takes a while (about 5 minutes per waffle) but my kids are SO worth it!

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy has been such a blessing to me. It really has cured my insomnia. I know that if I say a chaplet, I will be relaxed and calmed enough to go to sleep. I've always known that my insomnia was stress induced and the chaplet helps me put my trust in Jesus, so the stress goes away. Hubby is having a hard time at work with his new principal. So in addition to our/my evening chaplet, I've been trying to say one first thing in the morning. I was really sleepy-tired today. Number One Son had a rough night the night before and I didn't get enough sleep. As I was praying, "Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved son, our Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and for those of the whole world." I heard a voice in my head of someone praying with me. That certainly woke me up! I was able to finish the prayer by myself, but a big "thank you" to my helper in heaven (St. Faustina?) for helping me finish my chaplet for my husband and his boss.

Un Attached Society

Number One Son and Hubby went to a Cub Scout overnight at the Dallas Zoo yesterday. Number One Daughter and Number Two Son and I went to the Austin Zoo, a rescue Zoo about 15 minutes from our house on most days. There was something going on with small imported cars at the CapMetro commuter lot, so it took us much longer to get there than usual. The Zoo trip is always fun for the kids and a big workout for me. The Hill Country terrain is rough no matter what kind of stroller you are pushing. When we were riding the train a large birthday party group got on. The little boy in front of us was about Number One Son's age, maybe 6 or 7. He wanted to be away from his mother and that seemed okay with her. I found this very strange. All of our children want to be with us. Isn't that the way is is supposed to be? Has society trained children from an early age (with daycare and school) that you shouldn't want to be with your parents. The way I read it, children aren't supposed to leave their parent until they get married. Our hope and prayers are that our children will want to be with us and that we will remain a close family forever to eternity.

The Aduacity of Obama

Whether is is conscious or not, Mr. Obama is attacking the Catholic Church. In the same week he meets with the head of the U.S.C.C.B. and is cautioned/warned/educated on the evils of fetal (murdered baby)stem cell research, forcing health care workers to participate in evil or lose their jobs and the dire consequences of FOCA. President Obama accepts an invitation or invites himself (will we ever know?) to speak at Our Lady's namesake university in the United States, Notre Dame. I can not think of any man who blatantly mocks OUR church more than President Obama. He surrounds himself with fringe Catholics. Does he really think that he is above what is morally right? Our fervent prayers will continue so he will see the fullness of truth. It is my most sincere prayer, that Catholic will be so outraged by this that he is uninvited. I was happy to see that many people are as upset as myself. There is a petition that will be presented to the President of Notre Dame. This is simply Unbelievable! How does this look to the rest of the world? I am so disappointed in many of my fellow Americans. I love my country, but my heart aches for what is happening in the first months of the current administration.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Breaking News: Catholic Notre Dame University to Give Obama Honorary Degree
By Kathleen Gilbert
3/20/2009
LifeSiteNews (www.lifesitenews.com)


NOTRE DAME, Indiana (LifeSiteNews.com) - White House Secretary Robert Gibbs
stated today that Obama will give the commencement address at Notre Dame
University this year. The school confirmed the announcement, stating on its
website that Obama will also receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the
University's 164th University Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. May 17 in the
Joyce Center on campus.

In 2004, the United States of Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a
policy statement called "Catholics in Political Life," which says, with
reference to pro-abortion politicians, "They should not be given awards, honors
or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

President Obama has been called the "abortion president" by pro-life activists,
and his appearance at the university would appear to violate the USCCB's policy
against honoring pro-abortion politicians.

One alumnus from the university has already expressed his displeasure in an open
letter sent today to the president of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins.

William Newton, a D.C. area attorney, wrote, "As an alumnus of Notre Dame Law
School, I am deeply offended that you would invite President Barack Obama to
speak at Commencement this year."

Newton then lists the numerous pro-abortion decisions that Obama has made since
assuming the office of the presidency. "This is the person that you feel is
worthy to address the students and faculty of Notre Dame, in the shadow of Our
Lady atop the Golden Dome, with the spires of the Basilica in the background?"
writes Newton.

"Father Sorin must be wringing his hands in heaven, that his successor would
approve this disgrace. Shame on Notre Dame for choosing to scandalize the
faithful who continue to support the Catholic identity and mission of the
University."

Conservative commentator Kathryn Jean Lopez said on The Corner that the
arrangement was "shameful."

"Last week the president of the United States perpetrated an assault on human
dignity. No statements or press releases will undo what Notre Dame's position in
the eyes of the world is in response: 'Doesn't matter,'" wrote Lopez. "We've got
THE ONE. So much for the One the school's namesake gave birth to."

"I've been optimistic that the radicalism of this administration on life could
be a real catalyst for renewal in many churches. At Notre Dame, the
administration there just made a choice. They took a giant step away from their
identity as 'Catholic.' They [sic] rather be of this world than the one they
supposedly exist to bring people toward."

Notre Dame is among the most prestigious Catholic universities in America. The
school's Center for Ethics and Culture recently established a pro-life fund in
an effort to bolster Notre Dame's pro-life identity.

To contact Notre Dame:
Phone: (574) 631-5000
email form: http://president.nd.edu/contact-us

Notre Dame Fellows:
Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., President, U. of Portland
(503) 943-7101

Patrick F. McCartan, Senior partner, Jones Day
(216) 586-7272


William M. Goodyear, CEO, Navigant Consulting
main: (312) 583-5700

list of all Notre Dame Fellows: www.nd.edu/leadership/fellows

To contact the USCCB:

Cardinal Francis George, President
Archdiocese of Chicago
phone: 312-751- 8200


Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Chairman, Committee on Education
Diocese of Worcester
phone: 508-791-7171


To contact Notre Dame's bishop:
Bishop John D'Arcy, Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese
Fort Wayne Chancery
phone: (260) 422-4611

St. Patrick's Beans

The kids love theses beans. They have molasses and brown sugar in them which is probably why. We've renamed Boston Baked Beans, St. Patrick's Beans, my recipe varies a bit from the original to eliminate food allergens. It is vegetarian, nightshade free, casein and gluten free. We serve this with boiled cabbage and turnips. I've also made Irish Soda bread, but the kids can't have it and us not having it is a sacrifice. I use a Crock Pot and don't soak the beans. I was one of those folks who used to get fussy about non-Irish celebrating a wonderful saint by partying until they puked, but now I'm happy to sigh a petition to make St. Patrick's Day a national holiday, even if it is sponsored by a beer company. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a Catholic Saint was honored with a national holiday? I think of a wonderful opportunity to evangelize Christians and non-Christians world wide about this wonderful Catholic, not just Christian, saint.

1 pound dry Navy Beans (Great Northern will work, but we like Navy better)
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup molasses (we like Grandma's Molasses best, blackstrap is too strong)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard


1/2 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Rinse a pick the stones out of the beans, put in a crock pot with the chopped onion, molasses, brown sugar and dry mustard. DO NOT ADD THE SALT. Cover with water and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Avoid taking the lid off the pot or stirring too much. If you need to add more water, make sure it is boiling hot. When the beans are tender, add the salt and pepper and serve.

Happy 2 Number Two Son!

Our house, and especially our kitchen, is rarely clean. Two years ago, it was my mother-in-law's birthday and they were on their way to our house to celebrate. Hubby was cleaning and decorating, I was could not be much help. The kids and I went next door and walked the Stations of the Cross, came home and had a birthday party for Grandma. I had an appointment for an amniotomy the next day. Number One Daughter had come so quickly, that our doctor was afraid I might not make it to the hospital for Number Two Son. I went into labor that night, so Hubby and I headed to the hospital a several hours before our check-in time. Number Two Son was born the next morning, leave it up to my boys to keep me up all night! I was so tired, I guess I still am. Last year and last night, the day before his birthday, we have gone and walked the stations of the cross. I hope that we can keep doing it, it is a nice tradition. Today, Number Two Son happily put on the "birthday shirt" and took pictures. Hubby and I got matching shirt/dress on our Jamaican honeymoon and we take the kids pictures wearing them each year on their birthday. One of these days, I'll get organized and put them together in a scrapbook. Today we will have coconut cupcakes with chocolate covered blueberries and on Tuesday we will have ice cream with our Field Trip Friends. As the years go by, I am finding it harder to plan birthday celebrations. We have so much stuff, I want to teach my kids not to be greedy, we never have extra money and, did I mention, I am tired? Our Little One is happy with his birthday toys and loves coconut cake and blueberries. What more can a two year old ask for? Every time anyone sings, "Happy Birthday" he smiles and sings along, so we do it on a regular basis.

Obedience

Okay, I get it now:
Abstinence = Obedience
Not eating meat is simply an act of obedience. I knew from Hubby's RCIA class and sponsoring a couple of ladies the next year about the tradition of giving up meat. The rich ate meat, the poor ate fish and had meat for celebrations. It is possible that the poor might not have had food to eat at all if they had not eaten fish or other sea creatures. Lent is a time of sacrifice, so it would make sense not to eat meat, but it is still my opinion that eating very expensive fish, etc... for a Friday Lenten meal is disingenuous.

Children's Holy Hour

Last year I read a post somewhere about a homeschool group that offers Children's Adoration, I also saw information about Children of the Eucharist. When Hubby's summer school money came in, I purchased the materials. We are in a difficult situation. I work every Friday night and the two church's that offer Adoration for Children are on Friday. After chatting with park day friends,praying about it and e-mails exchanged, I met with the pastor of the Church Down the Street. He was so kind and understanding and offered to host a Holy Hour for us. He was very matter-of-fact about my (our) challenges with having more than one child and wanting to expose them to learning, but needing to take care of the smaller ones. Moms are also in the same situation that I am. We don't carve out time to be alone with Jesus. I would like to visit Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament more often than I do. We live next door to a 24 hour adoration chapel. With our work schedules, homeschooling and all the time I spend in the kitchen, it is hard to get time for myself without feeling guilty for leaving the kids with Hubby who has worked a long day with middle school students. We had our second Holy Hour yesterday. I am so glad that we are doing this. I am feeling differently than I thought I might. I am suffering more than feeling Peace, but I will gladly accept the stress so that the children will know that, no matter what, Jesus is there for them and they can ALWAYS talk to Jesus. The experience is not a well oiled machine, and I don't know that it ever will be. Number One Daughter and Number Two Son were running around and playing with the organ (thankfully not plugged in). I really wanted to just be there and not be in charge or responsible for anything, but Jesus had another plan. After our first Holy Hour, we found out that Fr. Joe will be leaving in June to go to Chile. We don't know what will happen when the new Pastor comes, but if we are organized and helpful, hopefully this special opportunity will continue.

Swallowtail Soup

The two older kids and Hubby went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday and came back with some seasonal veggies and fresh dill. I used to make a vegetarian Borscht, but haven't made it in a long time because it's main ingredients: potatoes, tomatoes and beets are on the "Not Allowed" list for some or most of us. I thought about it and went to HEB and bought some additional veggies and this is what I came up with. It was very tasty and has gotten better each day. The substitution of sweet potatoes does a good job replacing the beets and I didn't miss the tomatoes. We decided to call it Swallowtail Soup because we have never been able to grow dill at home for more than a few weeks because the Swallowtail butterflies come and eat it up!

Number One Daughter has been wanting to help in the kitchen, so I cut up all the veggies and we put them in a plastic bowl which she then passed on to Hubby who put them in the pot. We are so very blessed that the kids all loved this soup, asked for seconds and ate it as leftovers.

1 small onion or 2 golf ball sized green onions (tops included)(chopped)
1 shallot (chopped)
3 ribs celery (chopped)
4 carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 bay leaves
4 sweet potatoes(peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 head cabbage (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (dried won't work)
2 cans black beans
Sour Cream for garnish
Water
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

This requires a very large soup or stock pot. Add about a quart of water into the pot with the onions, shallot, bay leaves, celery and carrots, boil for about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and more water to cover, cook for another 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, black beans and dill and possibly more water to cover, and cook until the cabbage has wilted, about 10-15 minutes after it returns to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

This is a good non-meat meal for Lent. We have been eating on ours for three days. We used our biggest snap on lid container to store it. I'm sure that most families would eat this with a starch (we used to eat Pumpernickel/Swiss grilled cheese with Borscht, before food allergies) and maybe a salad.

and the devil takes hold

I read this last night and it turned my stomach. How can an man who is "personally opposed to abortion" force others to participate in the killing of babies? So they see it as over reaching. That is exactly the point!

AP Source: Obama to rescind Bush abortion rule

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama plans to repeal a Bush administration rule that has become a flash point in the debate over a doctor's right not to participate in abortions. The regulation, instituted in the last days of the Bush administration, strengthened job protections for doctors and nurses who refuse to provide a medical service because of moral qualms.

A Health and Human Services official said Friday the administration will publish notice of its intentions early next week, opening a 30-day comment period for advocates on both sides, medical groups and the public.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the notice has not been completed.

The Bush administration rule was quickly challenged in federal court by several states and medical organizations. As a candidate, President Barack Obama criticized the regulation and campaign aides promised that if elected, he would review it.

The news that he was doing so drew praise from abortion-rights supporters and condemnation from groups opposed to abortion.

"It would be a horrible move. These regulations were a long time coming," said Tom McClusky, a vice president at Family Research Council. "What they seek to do is protect patients, nurses, doctors and other health care professionals from being forced to violate their consciences."

McClusky and other abortion opponents said the Bush regulation clarified federal policies and raised awareness about the rights of medical providers to follow their consciences. But abortion rights advocates said it was vague and overly broad, and could reduce access to other services — allowing a drug store clerk to refuse to sell birth control pills, for example.

"I think it's a wonderful step," Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., who co-chairs the Congressional Pro-choice Caucus and has introduced legislation to overturn the regulation, said of Obama's move.

"That rule was actually a poorly drafted last-minute attempt to, I think, restrict health care access and I think it would have had far-reaching and unintended consequences."

Federal law has long forbidden discrimination against health care professionals who refuse to perform abortions or provide referrals for them on religious or moral grounds. The Obama administration supports those laws, said the HHS official.

The Bush administration's rule adds a requirement that institutions that get federal money certify their compliance with laws protecting the rights of moral objectors. It was intended to block the flow of federal funds to hospitals and other institutions that ignore those rights.

But the Obama administration was concerned that the Bush regulation went too far and could also be used to refuse birth control, family planning services and counseling for vaccines and transfusions.

The White House released a statement saying that Obama supports a "carefully crafted" conscience clause — not Bush's version.

"He believes this issue requires a balance between the rights of providers and the health of women and their families, a balance that the last-minute Bush rule appears to upset," the statement said.

The administration will review comments from the public before making a final decision. Options range from repealing the regulation to writing a new one with a narrower scope.

The administration's move was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

___

On the Net:

Health and Human Services Department: http://www.hhs.gov

___

Associated Press writer Erica Werner contributed to this report.

Abstaining for a vegetarian

I've been a vegetarian for over ten years. My journey to vegetarianism started with Lent. When I was was in high school, many years ago, I gave up meat for Lent. For many years after that, even when I wasn't routinely going to Church, I gave up meat. Lent of 1997 was the last Lent when I gave up meat, I've been a vegetarian since then. I have been healthier, my allergies are better and my skin is so much clearer. I really didn't plan on the kids being vegetarian too, but when Number One Son learned how to spray meat all over my face and I could no longer cover up the flavor, I was glad I knew how to feed him healthy non-meat meals. Number One Daughter immediately broke out in a rash the first time I gave her chicken. I haven't even tried any meat with Number Two Son. Number One Son and I are allergic to at least some fish, and with that family history, it was recommended that we not try fish, at least for a while. No Meat on Fridays, as a concept, is hard for me. I really don't understand why shellfish, fish, lard, tallow and other expensive sea creatures are allowed. I do understand that Jesus called out his fellow Jews for all the rules. It just makes more sense to me that if we abstain from meat, then it should be all meat. We know more about nutrition than we did centuries ago. It is okay not to have any animal flesh (including fish) for a few days out of the week. Our family does have dairy and eggs; although, I think Number One Daughter might be lactose intolerant. So I just eat regular vegetarian foods seven days a week. Our diet is very simple, nothing too fancy, I have to cook so much for the allergy needs that my culinary creativity has taken a backseat, for the time being. I pray that my children continue to eat the simple, mostly bean-based diet, that I put in front of them.

Boppy or Potty?

Number Two Son has decided to start using the potty. He is doing this pretty much on his own, I help him when he needs it, but he's not even two yet. The other two were much older. I guess he hasn't seen a Boppy Pillow in a while. Smart Puppy has decided he likes to sleep on one and I washed it yesterday. I tossed it on the bed with the other laundry and Number Two Son procedes to pull off his pull-up and sit down on it! He was saying, "Potty, potty, " so I knew what was coming next. We snatched him up and put him on the potty, but he was very upset not to be able to use the soft, warm (right out of the dryer), colorful boppy potty. It looks like a toilet seat, but since I know what it is, I never saw it. Children are SO smart!

Farinata

This sounded yummy to all of us, especially since we have very happy rosemary bushes in front of our house. It is time consuming, as it took a long time for my oven to get to 500* in addition to letting the batter sit for a while, but this is a tasty snack. It is free of almost everything, no gluten, corn, wheat, dairy, etc...

450* oven


Ingredients

4 cups warm water
3 cups chickpea flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Freshly ground pepper (optional)

Directions

Pour the water into a bowl. Slowly whisk in the chickpea flour until smooth. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.I did this the night before and everything turned out fine. Skim any foam off the batter. Stir in the salt, rosemary and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat two 10-inch cast-iron skillets in the oven for 10 minutes. Carefully add 2 tablespoons of oil to each skillet, swirling to coat. Divide the batter between the skillets; it should be less than 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until crisp around the edges. Separate the sides and bottom from the skillet with a spatula and then slide the farinata onto a board; cut into wedges. Sprinkle with pepper; serve.

gluten free, wheat free, oat free, dairy free, rice free, corn free, egg free, potato free, nut free (coconut is in the palm family) CAKE

Today was another dreaded bean day. I hadn't kept up on cooking and drying beans, so I didn't have any bean flour in the pantry, but I did have coconut. I've been meaning to try an egg free coconut cake so today a bare pantry and a hungry bunch got my culinary mind working. This is very yummy! I think if I were to leave out the chocolate, the flax might make it taste a little fishy. If I try it without chocolate, I think I'll add Allspice and or Nutmeg (Number One Daughter and Number Two Son are allergic to Cinnamon)to try and mask the flax seeds. The chocolate did a might fine job of taking care of that for me today. Oven 350*

10 ounces coconut flour (I use unsweetened dried coconut and grind it in my coffee grinder)
1 cup tapioca starch
2 T. flax seed ground in coffee grinder
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1-2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (optional)
1 T ground toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds (optional)

Stir all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the water and chocolate that has been melted. Stir together in bake in a 8'x 8' baking pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with ground seeds. Bake for 30 minutes, cool, remove from pan and slice.

Coyote Dinner

The only reason we called this Coyote Dinner is because I served it on a platter that Hubby got at the Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, NM.

3 sweet potoates peeled and cubed
1 can red beans
6 eggs
canola oil
grated cheese (optional)
carrot catchup


Steam the sweet potatoes in the microwave with a small amount of water, covered for 8 minutes. I use a nifty black steamer from Pampered Chef. Drain. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the frying pan. Saute the potatoes until some of them begin to caramelize, remove from pan to platter. Scramble the eggs in the same pan, put them on the platter with the potatoes. Heat up the beans, drain and add them to the platter. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with carrot catchup. Hubby ate with us and he used regular catchup. I would have liked to saute onions with the potatoes, but the kids are really not liking onions much. I guess I've overdone it with onions since I can buy a 2 pound bag for 49 cents. Our local grocery store gave onions away this summer when you bought certain items.

goodbye old friend

Well, the television that my parents bought me for Christmas after I graduated from college has died. Calico Kitty was sitting on top of it and she barfed, as cats often do. This time, she managed to ruin something electronic. I've always said that once the televisions die we won't replace them. We will see how that goes. We still have one smaller set, the sound barely works. I want to spend time with the kids, not distracted by electronic media. Hubby has been wanting to exterminate the televisions on and off for years, but he is almost as attached to them as I am. This will be a nice weaning off before we have to go cold turkey. Now I just need to figure out how to dispose of this one...

a new word

Number One Son:

When you and Momma read to me it helps me read because I can rememberize the words!

sick, sick, sick, sick, sick

It has been a challenging few days. Tuesday night, after a big dinner, Number One daughter told me her tummy hurt. I consoled her and gave her some calcium and apologized for giving her a new food. We had been to the Chinese market with our field trip co-op and I found some mung bean noodles with tapioca starch instead of corn, I thought we'd give them a try. Well when the lights were out, she proceeded to regurgitate all the food that she had eaten that day, including the shiny cellophane noodles. I figured she was allergic. That was until Number Two Son shot up in the middle of the night and proceeded to puke all over both of us. Needless to say, we were up and down all night with buckets, towels and several changes of clothes. It seems that many of the kids in our Monday park day group have been getting sick right along with us. Many of them crawled around in the backseat of a police cruiser at the park. What were we thinking?!?!?!Whatever it is it is quick to infect and harsh. Day one got the two little ones, day two, Momma and Number One Son, day three, Daddy. Poor hubby seems to have gotten the worst of it. It is not just the throwing up, this mean little bug sucks all the life out of you. Number One Daughter slept most of two days. Number Two Son hasn't slept or eaten well (Thank God I'm still nursing him!), but he is on the mend, he was in to all kinds of mischief today. Number One Son was supposed to march in his first parade tomorrow, he just threw up again, so I guess he'll have to wait until next year. I know he is feeling poorly, because when I told him he wasn't going, he didn't fuss. He seemed resolved to it. I know that he will be feeling better tomorrow, but there is a 24 hour rule and we won't make it. If I can spare anyone this terrible, nasty experience, I will.

I Surrender All

Ever since I heard this song many years ago, it's message almost haunts me. We have been going to a Life Teen Mass and we have singing it before communion. I really love this song. I didn't know who Brian Littrell was until I went to his website, he was a Backstreet Boy.

One True Faith

http://www.catholictelevision.org/main.php?nav=03&content=03

Michael Voris is a modern-day John the Baptist. I am so thankful that he is using his time,talent and treasure to fight the devil.

poor Nana...

I hear Wendy, Michael and John from Peter Pan in my head. More sad new from our family. Nana's Little Lap Dog died yesterday. It was supposed to be an exciting day for the family. Little Lap Dog was expecting puppies and it seemed as if it was happening, but after almost two days of labor and one dead puppy, Nana and Poppie took Little Lap Dog to the vet for emergency surgery. Nana and Poppie were in the room with her and saw the Vet deliver three dead puppies and when the vet gave her medicine to wake her up, she didn't wake up. The Vet wasn't sure if there was something wrong with Little Lap Dog or maybe the puppies had died and become toxic. The Vet kept the puppies to try and figure it out. He is a friend of Poppie's (they are on a Agriculture Board together). The night before they had been on their way to see him, but after talking to him on the phone, they went back home. Nana know something was wrong, but we hadn't had little puppies in over 20 years. Little Lap Dog was having a hard time, but in the past, letting nature take it's course had always worked. Not this time. Nana and Poppie were both shocked and distraught. Little Lap Dog was Nana's buddy. It is hard to hear your Mother crying. I think as Nana and Poppie have gotten older, they have become more attached to their little creatures. The kids got a hard lesson last night. They were so sad. They didn't get to play with Little Lap Dog's puppies and Nana and Poppie were sad. Number One Daughter was up for hours. I kept trying to get her to sleep and she kept saying, "We didn't say all of our prayers and pray so I can say what you say." She finally went to sleep about 1:30 AM. Dealing with death is hard, but I want our children to know that we tell them the truth. How will they ever trust us if we lie to them? As a child, not knowing what happened to our animals when they were not there anymore was torture.

I'm trying not to read anything in to this, but...

Yesterday, the Pastor of the Church that we have been going to on on off for years, recently, more on, told us that he will be leaving and going to Chili in four months. When I first moved to town, this is the Church I went to. When I moved next door to another Catholic Church, I still kept going, but then I found a place for myself and became part of the community of the Catholic Church next door. When the Pastor left, and then the familiar Associate Pastor left, we went back to the Church down the street. Hubby didn't really like the church down the street, but when Fr. Joe came, it helped us all go to church as a family. Fr. Joe has made so many positive changes in the church down the street. The community had the reputation for being rather cold, it has warmed up in the past seven years. This attributed to Fr. Joe and the Holy Spirit. Almost three years ago, a friend Priest friend moved back to Austin to a parish close to our house. We changed churches and tried to be part of the community, but we never fit in. Our Priest friend had to make some hard decisions and asked to be re-assigned after two years. We then came back to the church down the street. I'm was happy about it, because we really like Fr. Joe. He has agreed to host a Holy Hour for the kids and spend time teaching them to talk to Jesus. I met with him, I was rather nervous, he seemed nice, but other than seeing him at Mass, I did not know him. He was so nice and generous with his time. He is also a wonderful confessor. Last night when we talked to the kids about Fr. Joe leaving, they were both hysterically crying. They don't understand, and neither do we. This is so hard, it is hard for us to fit in anywhere, the story of our lives before we met, and now as a married couple. We were just making a fresh start and now it will happen again.
Jesus I Trust in You!

The Healing Power of the Rosary

I was feeling crummy yesterday, I was on edge, so I sent the kids to the other room and I watched a movie (Apocolipto). Well, it didn't help my mood. I was at the point of tears several times yesterday. Last night I signed on to my favorite yahoo group (I learn so much there) and this was posted:

News Flash: WE WIN!
As we prepare to enter a new era in politics and perhaps society in general, keep something in mind: WE WIN! No matter what political party is in power at a given point in time, in the end those that remain faithful to Jesus Christ win the war. We may have to fight many battles outnumbered and even despised and looked upon as criminals and outcasts by a society that is unraveling and degenerating into something no one could have imagined.
What matters is that we run the race to the finish line and fight the good fight. Don’t “go with the flow,” for as the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen reminds us, “Dead bodies float downstream.” More than ever we shall have to be strong in the faith. Regular and worthy reception of the sacraments, constant prayer, and rigorous study of the faith is now essential, not merely a luxury.
The front line and primary battle is going to be the fight for life: the dignity of every human life from the moment of conception to the last moment of natural life. If we lose that one, every other battle space will be compromised. If the government succeeds in establishing abortion as an inalienable “right”, then the elderly and sick will be next. It will then be a short and slippery step to the government deciding who lives and dies regardless of their inherent human dignity.
If you don’t already pray the Rosary every day, please start at once. The prayer of the holy Rosary is the prayer of the holy Gospel, and that means it is the prayer of the Good News Who is Jesus Christ, the LIFE of the world. Many saints will be forged in the crucible of the coming years. Make sure you are among them.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi

I have since seen it on a couple of other blogs. The kids and I said a Divine Mercy Chaplet and a decade of the Rosary last night. Today was a better day. Thank You Jesus!

We did it!

The Kids and I finally made it to daily Mass. I've intended on going on several occasion, but it is not routine to stop everything, get ready and take the kids to Church, but hopefully it will be. I've had other Mothers tell me that going more than once a week helps the kids behave better on Sunday. We really need that, especially if we want Hubby to go to Church every week. They all did okay. Number Two Son did especially well. He was so cute, he pointed to the candles in front of Jesus and Mary and started singing his version of "Happy Birthday". The kids also got a prayer card for the Canonization of Blessed Basil Moreau:

Canonization Prayer
O God, you are most admirable in your saints. We ask, you grant us, through the intercession of basil Moreau, the Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the favor we ask...we ask for the conversion of the Obama administration's position on the sanctity of Life...so that he may be glorified in the Church, and we may be led to imitate his virtues. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer
O God, who in your ineffible Providence,
chose your priest, Blessed Basil, to imitate the virtues of the Holy family and respond to the needs of the Church,grant we beseech you, that, supported by his prayers and example, we may have the strength to boldly confess the Cross of Christ as our only hope.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Yes We Can!

I've been very sad the past few days. The reality of the inauguration tomorrow has really set in. I didn't cry on election night, but over the past few days, I have been very close.I was telling my husband tonight that Mr. Obama probably has more Americans praying for him than President Bush has had. I have found that liberals, in general, can be closed minded and not the most religious folks. I do not mean to generalize that everyone who voted for Mr. Obama is rude or not God fearing, but there are many liberal atheists in my part of town, that could care less about the dignity of human life. The media and many democrats were so terribly mean and rude to President Bush. The Republicans I know would not say the terrible things about our President. It is so sad and frightening that the Democratic party has been infiltrated by the devil. Tomorrow, the kids and I are going to Mass at Noon. We will pray for our elected officials, we will pray for the safety of Mr. Obama and especially for his conversion of heart. I do see the positive of Americans coming together and looking into the future with high hopes. God has put the economy, Gaza conflict, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan well above FOCA. I will not question God's plan, but it is my nature to try and rationalize. If Mr. Obama can win an election with, "Yes we can." Then the Pro-Life-from-conception-to-natural-death-movement can protect the most vulnerable of Americans, "Yes we Can!" Jesus I Trust in You.

Already???

It appears that Number Two Son, age 22 months, want to use the potty. I should be excited, but with the other two it has meant staying home for months so they could do what they wanted to do when they wanted to do it. Little Man is very good at taking all of his clothes off (it is January!) and then telling us ,"pee pee." He has actually gone in the potty a few times. So today we will dust off the little potty, get out the training pants and call his bluff.

I do

Since I found out I was pregnant with Number Two son a little over two years ago, I have been terrified of having another child. It was a challenging pregnancy, it made me appreciate the first two pregnancies (no-salt diet, IBS, etc...) and especially the beautiful, healthy baby when he was born. In a nutshell: I was still nursing number One Daughter, my progesterone was low so I had to supplement for the first trimester, I bled terrible after my first appointment PAP, we didn't hear the baby's heartbeat at 12 weeks, so I had an unscheduled ultrasound to make sure he was still alive, I had an allergic reaction to the progesterone and my milk dried up literally over night and I had to deal with a screaming toddler. I did my best to try and stay calm, but I was so afraid, when he was born, I cried not only for joy, but also for the huge weight that had been lifted from my shoulders. I was so relieved that he was okay. I did not completely trust that everything was okay, I had convinced myself that something was wrong with him. All the doctors said everything was fine. I woke up to check on him more. Sat by him longer when he took naps, hugged him longer and tighter I fretted more when he didn't hit the developmental milestones like the other two. You would have thought he was my first. I have been very closed to having more children, I am 41, after all. The problem with my fear is that when I married my dear husband, I promised him and God that I would be open to children. Not being open to children is a sin. I had a nice confession in December, I've been saying the Rosary with the kids a few nights a week and I've almost set up regular adoration with the kids and a Priest to guide them. For the past seven years I have been either pregnant or nursing or both. I can not tell the difference between regular PMS and pregnancy. So when my body finally turned back on, (yup, I haven't had a period since way before Number Two Son was born in March 2007) I pondered and actually thought about having another baby. I didn't have a panic attack as I thought I might (and have said many times) I was okay with it. I thank Jesus for that, maybe all those Chaplet's of Divine Mercy that I say at night when I can't sleep have actually helped me trust in Jesus. I don't mean to be skeptic, I just don't have much faith in myself. I resolve to be more positive, less self deprecating and to continue to trust Jesus!

guilty as charged

We met with our Pastor on Tuesday about scheduling guided adoration with the homeschool children. The first thing Number One Son told him when we greeted him at the door, "We didn't go to church on Christmas, we were too busy with our family." BUSTED! I'm curious if he knew it was a sin that needed confessing? It has been several weeks since Christmas and we have been to Sunday Mass, First Friday, New Yea's since then. Hmm, is little Mr. Unfocused eavesdropping? Dopes he have a 6th sense? Momma is very curious.

SMART Puppy

Today was late getting started and busy. Number One Son is acting strangely and Number One Daughter has been crying almost every hour. We went to Number Two Son's GodParent's and when we got home, I was trying to get ready for work, the kids were fighting over their new toys and Smart Puppy went in his crate and shut the door, I kid you not, he did it, ohh so smart puppy...

back to the old

Yesterday, we were there only family at park day, which is okay, because I get to play with the kids. We had fun. it was a little cold and we left after an hour or so. Number Two Son has been hitting, biting and crying, I'm not sure if he is tired, teething or adjusting to Hubby being back at work, whatever the reason, I hope he gets back to his sweet, loving self soon. Number One Son was not himself yesterday either. He is not a mean child, when he is, he is sick or emotionally upset. He might be having allergic/reflux/asthma symptoms that he can't talk about or maybe he is also adjusting to Daddy going back to work. Number One Daughter is doing great, she has become quite a helper and the best gift she could give me, no crying, has been at the top of her list of things to do. Everyone is better when there is no crying. Our house is tiny and has tile floors, crying reverberates and makes my head hurt. Number One Daughter asks whey I have a sad face, then she imitates me, furrowed brow and all. So cute, then I smile :)

Happy New Year

The past few days I've been out of focus, or only focused on one thing. Number One Nephew was riding his dad's 4 wheeler, hit a gate, flipped over it and ended up in Texas Children's Hospital for almost three days. He is home, but it was very scary that he "felt fine" but wasn't allowed to leave the hospital or eat solid foods because he had a small tear in his spleen and there was "fluid" in his abdomen. Thankfully, with lots of prayers, his hemoglobin started going up and they let him eat breakfast today (he couldn't eat in case he had to have emergency surgery). Little Sister is looking forward to a good night's sleep in her own bed, and then deservedly, she and Number One Niece are off to Casa Mare with the Girl Scouts. I hope that all we know learn a lesson from this. Ten year old boys can't be trusted with a high performance 4 wheeler. They are just too much fun to drive fast :) We all have more Peace about us. Number One Son and I went to church and first Friday Adoration and Number One Daughter and I went to Adoration for a little while tonight when I got home from work. I love life lessons when we can show our children that when you pray, God listens.