7 Quick Takes Friday, vol. 47

~1~

Just before leaving for our vacation I learned that I had won a book from a giveaway the amazing Sarah Reinhard had up on her blog. I was so excited because I never win anything! The book is The Universal Monk by John Michael Talbot and I'm looking forward to reading it. I even told Sarah that maybe I'd do a review here in this space. We shall see. 

~2~

On our vacation we had a little stowaway. His name is Flat Cat and he managed to get a couple pictures of himself:

Here he is on the beach.

And another on our balcony. Lovely view!

~3~

Flat Cat also met some nice opponents on his travels:

Flat Cat and a kind UT fan

Hanging out with Cocky

~4~

This has been the weirdest week. It has gone by fast while at the same time it felt like it was just creeping along. Getting back from vacation and going right to work first thing the next morning has been rough. We still haven't been food shopping and several bags are still sitting around in the foyer waiting to be put away. Usually nothing sits for more than a day or two. We're going on five days here. That's a lot for me!! So in that respect it's been a slow week as I try to plug along and make it to a day when I can get home stuff done. Yet at the same time I kept thinking it was a day later than it actually was. Wednesday felt like Thursday, Thursday felt like Friday. Maybe that was wishful thinking. So glad it is finally Friday now!

~5~

So someone **coughLynncough** asked me for video of the boys walking. Need proof?? LOL! No worries, I wanted to anyway so I could remember the cute balance-walking from this age. After several takes I finally got one that has both boys doing some walking. Sorry for the motion of the camera, I'm still new at videography.

~6~

So now that the boys are walking and both convertible car seats are in the car, I have no infant carrier any longer to carry one of them into daycare with. It's been interesting, to say the least. The stairs are the biggest challenge. Once I get them both out of the car I usually carry Ethan and hold Peter's hand so he can walk beside me. If I'm parked right near the door I'll let both of them walk to just inside. But once inside we have a flight of stairs. One morning this week I had Ethan in my arms and Peter walking beside me. He's pretty good at climbing the stairs on his hands and knees, so I was going to let him do that. But he was holding my hand and wouldn't let go. Next thing I know he's trying to step up the first stair!! Being that I only had one hand available and he seemed certain that if he could walk he could walk up stairs (!!), it took some effort to keep him upright. Next thing I know his little body is swinging around on one foot as a pivot point. It took all my strength to not drop Ethan and keep Peter balanced so he didn't fall. Not to mention trying to keep myself from laughing at the sight of Peter swinging around on one foot!

Finally, he managed to get both feet on the ground and I was able to get my hand loose from his grasp. I scooped him up by the waist and carried him the rest of the way up.

Lesson learned: Do not let little boy think he is suddenly capable of taking on stairs like a big person!

~7~

One last thing. I may have mentioned to a few people that I was going to be on the local Catholic radio station again today. The topic this time was going to be the USC vs. UK game which is Saturday. [Yes, it is a Catholic radio station.] But due to some unexpected circumstances there was a change in plans. So instead I'll be on next Friday. I'm sure we'll still discuss the game, but since it will be a past event at that point, I'm not sure if that is all we'll talk about or not. So stay tuned. I'll share more here if I get any further information between now and then. In the meantime: GO GAMECOCKS!!

For more 7 Quick Takes, check our Jen Fulwiler's blog Conversion Diary.

Vacation Update

We left at noon on Friday Sept. 14 and returned home about 8pm on Sunday September 23. Nine and a half days away! It was a long time to be away, but definitely a fun time.

Visiting with family, visiting with friends, spending time at the beach, the pool, and just taking it easy. All of it was great! I loved that we got to see so many people in the course of this trip!

The boys travel pretty well, but they certainly do get tired of sitting their car seats for long periods of time. We tried giving them some breaks, but you can only do that so much before you've added on a few too many hours to the trip. So there were some rough moments, but it was all worth it.

That first Friday of travel we stopped in Asheville, NC to stay the night with my cousin and his family. It was the first time I got to meet his two teenage daughters. We had a great time visiting and catching up.

The Saturday we drove an hour south and stopped in Spartenburg, SC to visit with Hubby's aunt and uncle and one of his cousins. We had a lovely lunch and it was fun to take a break and visit with them. The boys got to play with some new toys and were very intrigued by the cat.

We got to Hilton Head Island in time to stop for dinner Saturday, then picked up some milk at a grocery store, got checked in to the condo, and put the boys to bed. We were exhausted.

I posted some pictures last Wednesday and I have several more that I hope to get off my camera soon. The boys had fun and it was great to see them interacting with my family. They also decided that this was the week to start walking!! They still prefer crawling to get around, but we do have walkers!! Peter has gotten quite good. He can stop and regain his balance, he can turn around, and he can walk a fair distance on his own. Ethan isn't far behind. And they love it too! So much laughing at themselves and what they are doing. It's a hoot to watch!

Our trip back was done in two parts as well. We left Saturday morning and headed to Columbia where we stopped for lunch and to pick up some Gamecock gear (watch for pictures). We drove another hour north and met up with my college roommate for an hour of visiting. Then headed to Greenville, SC from there to stay the night with some other friends from college. We had a great time visiting with everyone. We all went to Mass together Sunday morning, took some pictures of the kids all together (their 3 and our 2), and then hit the road for a long drive back home.

Other interesting events of the week:

• Cutting my finger on my razor that first Friday night
• (Wasn't using it, just reaching in my bag for something else. Razor had no cap on it.)
• The touch screen on my phone stopped working 
• (Don't call or text me, not worth it)
• Walking boys!! 
• (Yes, I know I already mentioned that one ... but hey, can you blame me?)
• Enjoying Nutella gelato! 
• (I want to try the pizza cone next time. And more gelato!)
• Watching the boys fascination with babies and animals grow
• The immediate love the boys had with the Cocky pillow pets Peter's godparents got for them. 
• (They both wanted to hold them the whole drive home on Sunday.)
• Trying to find a fast food place that serves spaghetti in areas where there are very few food options 
• (KFC needs to start selling spaghetti, just saying.)

I'm sure there is much more, but it's hard to remember everything. Hopefully I'll be able to grab some time tomorrow evening to get the pictures off my camera and will be able to share a few here soon!

And as much fun as this vacation was, it is definitely nice to be home!

Saturday Smiles, no. 12

I'm on vacation this week, so this post is being done in advance. While I take this week off I will be enjoying God's creation, visiting with various family members and friends, and enjoying some relaxation time with my three guys. And there will be wine.

I know there will be plenty of smiles all around.

So in my absence I hope you will share with a link-up post or in the comments: What has made you smile this week??

Wordless Wednesday: Beach edition

Fun at the pool.

Ethan, aka Mr. Serious

Peter, chillin'

Ready for the beach!

Peter getting buried with his cousin

Mr. Serious digging in the sand

The boys on the sand car thing

Saturday Smiles, no. 11

St. Aelred, patron saint
of friendship

The power of friends really showed itself to me this week. I love how God places people in your path that are always the right people for the right time. God knew what he was doing when he made us creatures that desire companionship. Friendship is a big component of that.

So going back to Saturday when I had my talk, the focus of the talks that day were basically on friendship. With those talks on my mind, more so the deacon's talk rather than my own, I went into the rest of the week thinking about friendship. Then two things happened this week.

First, I ran into an issue (one I don't want to expound on here) and was rather angry about it one evening. I had been told one thing and then found out another and was not happy with the situation nor the position it put me in. I went to an online group of women that I trust completely and consider friends (although I've only met a handful of them in person) and used their patience and friendship to vent about it. I wasn't expecting anything from them, I just knew that they would let me vent, not judge me, and offer prayers for the stress I was dealing with. I got prayers, sympathy, no judgement, etc. and much more. I got some assistance and reassurance that I wasn't expecting! I suddenly felt relief for the first time that evening and felt like the problem may solve itself easier than I had anticipated.

Wow, what a great feeling that was!! These ladies were just the friends I needed at a time when I really needed that love and support. And they may just have solved the problem for me. That's still to be seen. But the point is: I felt so much better!! I was assisted in my need by a group of friends in a way that I probably would not have been able to do on my own.

The second thing is directly tied to the talk I gave on Saturday. I gave that talk in my role as a volunteer leader for the Cursillo movement in my diocese. Our Cursillo movement has a men's weekend coming up in December and we usually always struggle to get enough attendees to hold these weekends. This time, however, we are already getting more candidates than I usually have this far out from the weekend. This can be attributed to the power of friendship. Each candidate must have a sponsor and the sponsors really seem to be praying for their friends hard. One sponsor told me he has been working on some of his friends for two years now! He has several of his friends already signed up to attend.

I'm amazed at the response so far! Only through a trusting, deep friendship are we able to pray our friends into attending these weekends. I told the group on Saturday that our goal is not to get our friends to come to Cursillo, but to bring them closer to Christ. Cursillo is just a bonus. Right now we have lots of people who have been brought closer to Christ and now want to do more.

Only through true friendship are these things possible. And true friendship has to be based on something. I believe when a friendship is based on God and faith it can know no bounds.

Thank you, God, for the power of friendship. Help me and all my friends to continue to deepen our friendships with each other and especially with you and your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

What made you smile this week?

Yes, You Heard Me Right

Shy? Did she say she was shy? Was she joking?

If you read my post from Monday and thought anything along the lines of the above statement, then this post should help explain your confusion.

Yes, you heard me right: I am a shy person.

This has always just been a fact of life for me and something I assumed everyone around me easily picked up on. But then several years ago I mentioned it to some colleagues and they looked at me like I had two heads. No way, they told me, are you a shy person!

Anyone who has known me from the time I was a kid will not be surprised by this at all. I imagine that my friends from college and grad school may also view me as a shy person. Although I would venture to guess that I was starting to appear less so sometime in the grad school years.

Despite the fact that I have given a number of presentations over my professional career at a wide variety of venues; despite teaching a graduate school class to roughly 25 students a semester for 3-4 semesters; despite my years as a performing musician with the occasional solo performance, I still remain a shy person. It's a fact of my life.

In order to do some of the things I do, I have worked hard and taught myself to be more "out going" when necessary. I have purposely put myself in situations where I was forced to get out of my comfort zone and speak to people. And over the years I have gotten better, but it doesn't get any easier. Starting a conversation is one of the hardest things for me to do. I don't meet people easily and often prefer sticking with the people I know when in a large group of mixed company. This is not to say I can't do these things, I can, but it is difficult. It takes a lot of effort! And I leave large gatherings (parties, conferences, receptions at work, etc.) completely exhausted.

So yes, I am a shy person. It is one of the reasons why I think I enjoy blogging so much. But maybe that is a post for another day.

Tell me, are you a shy person, too? How have you learned to overcome it (as much as you can "overcome" an inherent quality) in order to develop friendships or do other things that are difficult to do as a shy person?

Or maybe you are an out-going individual? If so, I'm curious what normal life things you find difficult to do that is comparable to the challenges I face as a shy person. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Image source: morgueFile

Never Forget

A Prayerful Remembrance, September 11, 2001

Father in Heaven,

We look to you for peace in a world filled with anger.

We look to you for hope in a world filled with despair.

We look to you for love in a world filled with hatred.

May those who lost their lives, find peace in your Kingdom.

May families and friends left behind, find solace in your love.

May a world shattered by these tragedies, find healing in your strength.

O Merciful Lord,

Guide our future with your wisdom.

Bestow tranquility on our world.

Bring compassion to our hearts.

Amen.

Prayer from: Mostholyname.org

The Holy Spirit is in Control

I mentioned in a post last week (Putting God in Charge of my Priorities) that I had a talk to give on Saturday. Luckily I did manage to get the talk written and was prepared by the time Saturday morning rolled around.

Phew!

I was actually very calm about it too. I expected to be nervous because I'm always nervous before I have to be in front of a group. But I wasn't. Very uncharacteristic for me. Very!

My talk that morning was the second of two talks. Usually, in a situation like this, I don't get much out of anything before my own talk. Not true on Saturday morning. And I'm grateful, because the talk before mine was great and I got a lot out of it. So glad I was able to focus and listen and absorb the information. Especially since both talks (this one and my own) may be repeated by us for a different group of people in a few months!

Despite my calmness, I did still get that familiar sudden feeling of terror in the pit of my stomach just before I got up to speak. But it went away once I was at the podium and from there things went smoothly. I remember thinking how completely uncharacteristic this was for me.

I attribute my calmness to the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit could have accomplished something as great as calming the nerves of a very shy person about to speak to a group of people.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your presence that morning.

Image source

Saturday Smiles, no. 10

Courtesy of
DesignsbyBirgit.blogspot.com

I had one of those realization moments this week that made me aware of God's presence in my life. It was a moment that made me see how the Hand of God has been directing my life without me even know it. And when you have that moment of realization it can be overwhelming. Only someone who loves you as much as God does can have that kind of patience with such a stubborn person.

A friend of mine posted a political cartoon this week on her Facebook page. It was one of those cartoons that is funny if you are pro-life.  If you're not, it was probably a little off-putting. as these things go, a conversation had developed under the picture in which one person was arguing the pro-abortion side of things against my friend and all her (our) other friends. The logic the pro-abortion person was using was so illogical that I couldn't help myself and I stepped in to say something.

By her logic, my children that died before birth never actually existed and were not human. So I had to ask her what my son was if he was not human. I had felt his movements before he died, seen his heartbeat, held him in my arms after his death and birth, counted his fingers and toes, touched is perfect little face, and so on. But he wasn't human according to her logic. It was a ridiculous argument, obviously.

As expected she did not respond to my comment. I really didn't expect her to because otherwise she would have had to admit the fault in her logic. I know how these conversations go, I understand ignoring the points that challenge your logic ... because I used to be on her side.

I read the rest of the conversation, but didn't bother contributing again. I had made my point, been ignored, but maybe had planted a seed. That was enough.

But as I scanned through the conversation and thought about where I used to be and where I am now, I can see God's Hand in my life. I know it was He who sent the right people in my path to challenge my ideas and get me to think differently. He placed me in the right places, at the right times to challenge me as I needed to be challenged. And I'm glad He did. I had a momentary thought about how different my miscarriages and Zachary's stillbirth might have been had I still been "pro-choice" at the time. I'm incredibly grateful that I did not have to experience those losses from that point of view.

I often have these little moments of realization where I see how it is all part of God's plan that I am where I am at this time and in this place. This was one of those moments. It's funny how a simple political cartoon can bring about such introspection.

Thank you, God, for guiding me to the life that I have today. I pray that I will continue to trust in you.

Putting God in Charge of my Priorities

I really should be doing something else right now. Actually, I should be doing a lot of things right now. Sleep would be nice, but that's not on the top of my list right now. Most likely my priorities are a little out of whack, but that's okay, we can worry about that another time.

Instead I am sitting at my desk with my Bible on one side of me and a handout from a presentation I went to a while back on the other side of me. I am supposed to be writing a talk. A talk I am giving on Saturday. Yes ... THIS Saturday. The Bible, the handout, my notes (on the handout), these are my tools. Sitting idly by while I write a blog post about why I'm not writing my talk.

What was that about priorities?

This week has been crazy. I think that craziness has made it difficult for me to concentrate on something that needs focused attention. Last week I was sick, so doing anything was out of the question. This week, I'm better but had so much stuff to catch up on. And I know I'm probably forgetting something too.

And sometimes you just need a break. And that's what we did Wednesday night. And on our way to get some frozen yogurt (thus delaying the boys' bedtime) my iPod alarm went off and I remembered a meeting I was supposed to attend right then. And that triggered a reminder in my brain that Hubby's wine club was also that evening. So I missed my meeting (luckily that turned out okay) and we have no new wines (sadness), but we had frozen yogurt (which made the boys very happy, until it was gone and then they were very angry).

Breaks are good ... necessary actually. And I have another very long break coming up! A whole week away. But before that, I really need to get this talk written. And a letter written that I was asked to submit today. And I have to brush up on my football knowledge for an interview I'm doing (more on that later). And prepare a presentation I was asked to do in Early October. And, and, and ...

Well, okay, I can wait a bit on the October thing. Priorities!

What I really needed to do tonight was write this post. Weird, I know. But for me, it helped to get something written. It broke the ice for more writing I need to do. And writing helps me focus. It's a good exercise for the brain.

Now I can focus on the talk and I think I'll put off the letter. I'm sure the letter is needed tomorrow, but it will have to wait. I can't do it all. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit I can do everything within the time frame God has planned for me. I need to allow Him to guide me in my priorities.

Come Holy Spirit,

fill the hearts of us your faithful

and kindle in us the fire of Your love.

Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created,

and You shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit

instructs the hearts of the faithful,

grant that by the same Holy Spirit

we may be truly wise

and ever rejoice

in His consolations.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

God, I pray for guidance. 

Send your Spirit to guide me in the words You need me to share.

Amen.

Saturday Smiles, no. 9

To be perfectly honest, this week was not all that good. Well, no ... let me rephrase that. It was a horrible week! I was dreadfully sick for a few days at the beginning of the week and, once I was feeling better, I still had zero energy and couldn't look at food. Thursday was the first day that I really started feeling normal again. Friday was much, much better.

Friday morning it occurred to me that I hadn't paid any attention to how God was blessing me this week. I know intellectually that even in the midst of my pain and suffering He was blessing me in some way. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling it and the brain was too foggy to think back on the week.

Which brings me to Friday night, sitting down to write this post. As I sit here contemplating how God has been working in my life I am actually reminded of how one decision about twenty or so years ago completely changed my life, or at least changed the course I thought my life was on. I am thinking about this now because lately I've been feeling a string pull back to the my dreams from before that one decision of twenty-some years ago.

It's funny how one decision can make all the difference. There are probably other smaller decisions that played into that bigger decision from 20+ years ago, but I think back and I know that one really made the difference. That one put me on a path that puts me where I am today. Thinking about this now I can see how God guided me to this place; He had a hand in that decision making process all those years ago, even though I had no thought of Him at the time at all. And now that I'm here, where I am supposed to be according to His plan, I feel like He is placing old desires back onto my heart. Those things I thought would be a big part of my life that took a back seat for more than twenty years are now nagging at me.

So I had to laugh.

First, at myself. Oh how I worry about things sometimes. But God has it all under control.

Second, at God. Even when we think we have given up certain dreams, God has a way of bringing them back to us one day. He is a tricky fella. I laugh and He laughs with me. And probably at me a little too. Which I'm sure I deserve.

And that is what made me smile this week. It wasn't exactly one "moment" from my week, but more of a realization twenty years in the making.

Now God needs to reveal to me how this next step can come about. That may take me another 20 years.

What made you smile this week? How were you most aware of God's presence in your life? Share in the comments or link up your own "God moment" post from your blog by clicking the button below and filling out the fields that appear. Please also include a link in your post back to this one. Thanks!

40 Days for the USA

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the next prayer campaign that Catholic Sistas is promoting. This will be our third 40 Days of Prayer campaign during the last several months. We want lots of people praying with us on this one. Our cause this time is our great country, the United States of America.

The campaign starts on Saturday September 1. That's tomorrow! This is a critical time in our country and our prayers are very much needed right now. You can join the event page on Facebook to get the daily updates during the campaign. The Catholic Sistas Facebook fan page will also post the daily prayers and I will try to post them on the fan page for Journal of a Nobody too. We'd also appreciate it if you would promote this campaign to all your friends.

Even if you can't pray the prayers along with us each day, please keep our country in your daily prayers during this time and long afterwards as well.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, patroness of the United States of America, pray for us.

Frequently Asked, Never Answered

St. Benedict and his twin
sister St. Scholastica

I'm often asked some variation on the question:

How much harder is handling twins than handling one?

I put any question that is remotely related to this one in the same category. My honest answer: I have no idea.

Truly. I have no idea. Because I don't know any different. I can imagine, but that isn't reality because I haven't been there. Those conversations are always so funny. Not just to me, but also to the person I'm speaking with. I think people are so fascinated by twins that they ask this (or something similar) of me and then realize what they have asked me. You know the feeling, right? As soon as the words leave your mouth you think, "Duh!" I know, believe me! I do it frequently. So of course we all end up getting a big laugh out of it.

However if I were to imagine life with twins after a singleton I would have to say that yes, I think handling twins would feel more challenging. I have a friend who has a son and is currently pregnant with twins. I may have to ask her and then start using her answers when I get this question. But for me, this is just what life with kids has always been like, there has always been two of them.

When I did that local radio interview a few months back one of the questions I was asked was my advise for someone having twins. It's not exactly the same question, but sort of a close cousin to it. I feel like I tripped over the question a bit and my mind blanked for a second. The only thing that popped into my head was being organized. It felt silly saying it and I think my interviewer was a little lost on how to follow up on that one. I don't blame him, I would be too. Heck, he has seven kids, he and his family probably need more organization than I do with my two. But what can you do. Radio. Live. No editing. There you have it.

Here's the thing, though. I have no advise. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm lame. But honestly, I am just like any first time mom. I truly know nothing. I'm learning as I go. And really, I'm discovering, that is what parenthood is all about. Yep, just one big trial and error. It's a miracle kids can grow up to be normal adults at all.

So in the end, I never answer this question. I can't answer this question, though I know some people who can or will be able to one day. I'm happy to direct you to those individuals. ::smile::

The question I would love to answer for you one day: What is it like having one after having twins? One day, hopefully, God will gift us with the ability to answer that question.

Just not quite yet. I'm still enjoying my two.

Wordless Wednesday (with captions)

Peter before, not so sure

Ethan before, checking things out

Peter: Get me outta here!

Finally back in Daddy's arms!

Ethan done, still a little upset

Home and happy, handsome boys!
Look!! Our ears grew!

The Bug has Bitten

And it's not a good one. I am taking a (hopefully very) short blog hiatus for sickness. I had a great post idea in mind to work on Sunday night for Monday morning, but it will now have to wait. :( Hopefully I'll feel better soon and will be back in time for Wordless Wednesday (because I have something totally fun planned for that!).

I hope everyone had a much better weekend than I did. Take care, faithful blog readers!

Saturday Smiles, no. 8

Last week in my Saturday Smiles post I talked about nature. And you know what? I'm going to do it again. Because sometimes, nature is the best place to find God in your life.

The weather here turned cool for a brief time this week. It was awesome! We opened the windows for a few nights and I actually slept with the comforter wrapped around me. I love feeling bundled up, all warm and toasty. But the best part was that I got to sit out on my back porch one evening and do some writing.

Oh how I love that back porch on a nice cool evening. Thank you, God, for such awesome weather!

I know it was just a tease (it's already creeping up again into the high 80s and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the 90s yet). But even so, it was a nice reminder that fall is almost here. Soon the leaves will be changing colors and the air will be cool. We'll be able to open the windows more often and I'll be able to sit out on my porch and enjoy the cool evening air.

I love fall. I love the little hint of fall that God gave us this week. Fall can be dreary and gray to some people, but not me. I see it as representative of the cycle of life. In the fall season I see beauty as trees age and put on majestic colors. They may be heading toward their dormancy for the winter, but they get more beautiful just before that time comes.

Thank you, God, for fall. It's not here yet, but will be soon. Thank you, God, for the reminder that with age comes beauty.

What made you smile this week? How were you most aware of God's presence in your life? Share in the comments or link up your own "God moment" post from your blog by clicking the button below and filling out the fields that appear. Please also include a link in your blog entry back to this one. Thanks!

Babies love babies!!

Don't you just love seeing the fascination a young child has with a baby? A few weeks ago when we were visiting my family my youngest niece was in her infant carrier, on the floor, sleeping away as she always does. Peter and Ethan had to go check her out. This was the morning we were leaving and they really hadn't paid her much attention throughout the weekend. But that morning they couldn't help but be curious.

I have some other pictures too, but they all want to load sideways. So this is all I can share without you all having to turn your monitors or laptops sideways. You're welcome!

Wordless Wednesday: SHOES!

Pink, Pink, Pink ...

PINK!!!

Not something I see much of around here with two boys in the house. Not unless I'm wearing it!

But I'm getting an opportunity to relish in a bit of pink this summer. Two new nieces this summer, Ethan's Godparents had a baby girl in June, two other friends adopted baby girls just in the last two months, and another friend is due to have a baby girl in the next couple weeks.

So yeah ... lots of pink. I'm loving it!

Saturday morning I met up with five friends for a small baby shower brunch for the mom-to-be. It was a special time, as all baby showers are, but this one was especially special. Why so special? All six of us sitting around the table have suffered through years of infertility and/or pregnancy loss. Yet, there we sat, six women with 7 children between us, one on the way, and 4 babies in heaven.

Infertility group? What infertility group?

[Seriously though, having a child doesn't "cure" infertility. A post for another time.]

In many ways this little brunch was almost a celebration of all the miracles we as a group have received. I'm so happy for these friends of mine who have longed for children for so long and are now all mothers or soon-to-be mothers of such wonderful, special children. And so much pink everywhere!

I think Peter and Ethan will have lots of good little Catholic girls to choose from. Many, many years from now. Of course.

Saturday Smiles, no. 7

How did I recognize God's presence in my life this week?

One morning as I pulled out of the driveway to head to work I was startled by the presence of a huge spider web in my way. It was strung up between a tree on one side of the driveway and a tall bush on the other side. From the window of my mini van I could see the thin threads stretched across the driveway just barely above my eye level. In the very center, directly in front of me was the the intricate, complex spider web. I was startled by the perfection of it and the incredible place it was hanging. Something like this amazes me, that a tiny insect could create such perfection. I don't think it is an accident, I think God created the creatures of the earth to astound us in their beauty and the things they can create. Nature has such an awesome way of showing us how awesome God is.

It also made me sad because I knew it wasn't quiet high enough to clear the top of my van. So I was the only one who got to marvel at God's awesomeness that morning.

Second, I have recently connected with another Catholic blogger that happens to live in my same city. We've been emailing and it has been fun. We've even found a few things we have in common and I find it amazing that God used the blogging world to introduce us. Thank you, God!

What made you smile this week? How were you most aware of God's presence in your life? Share in the comments or link up your own "God moment" post from your blog by clicking the button below and filling out the fields that appear. Don't forget to also include a link in your blog entry back to this one, please. Thanks!

Image source morgueFile

Silence in Music

Today I have a new article up over at Catholic Sistas. I hope you'll come over and check it out. Here is a short excerpt to peak your interest:

As a musician for more than twenty-five years I was able to relate the need for silence in our lives as Christians to the combination of musical notes and rests that together make up a musical composition. Thinking more deeply about the importance of silence in music I saw parallels to the relationship God wants to have with us.

Click on over to read more of my post "Silence of Music: God's Lesson in Listening."

Seminarians Rock the Collar

I had such fun just this past Sunday with several events at our church. I wanted to write about it that night but I had an article I had to finish for Catholic Sistas (which is now done, look for it on Friday). So finally, here I am, sharing my Sunday with you.

What was such fun? I got to meet some of the seminarians of our diocese! Sunday was the last day of their Rock the Collar tour of the diocese and they ended it at our cathedral, which happens to be my home parish. 

The tour itself was nine days long, traveling across the diocese (a pretty big diocese, geographically speaking), and sleeping wherever the various parishes could find places for them. 13 men + 8 parishes + thousands of parishioners = numerous lives impacted and a face put on the idea of vocations.

At Mass Sunday morning we got to hear one of the transitional deacons give the homily. All the seminarians were also introduced at the end of the Mass. Later that afternoon, I went back to attend the Holy Hour and Benediction led by the seminarians. I had a great experience and I needed that time of silence and prayer before the Eucharist (more on that experience in my Sistas post on Friday).

That night we packed up the boys and headed back to church for pizza with the seminarians. One brave, very young, seminarian sat with us during dinner. He is actually a brand new seminarian starting his first year of college in just a couple of weeks. He was very nice and it was a joy talking to him. I asked him several questions during the evening and he asked us about us and tried to entertain the boys some (they just looked at him suspiciously, I think they would have been more receptive to him had he had food for them). I realized later that night after we were home that I never really asked him about his calling to the priesthood. I missed the most obvious question! But, regardless of that one oversight, I enjoyed chatting with him as I fed the boys pizza and animal crackers.

And yes, that was the boys' first taste of pizza and they loved in! No pizza was found on the floor, a sure sign that they loved it. I even broke a piece of crust in half and gave them each a piece to see how they would do with it. No one choked, so I think it was a success.

It was a great evening and I'm so glad we got to participate. I know the boys are too young right now, but I hope to continue participating in events like this. I want my boys to grow up knowing that a vocation to the priesthood is an option for them. They should be open to listening to God's will in their life and be open to following whatever calling God has in store for them. As their mother, I hope to foster such an environment. This is one small way I can start doing that with them.

This was not the first Rock the Collar tour, but I think it has been a few years between the last one and this one. I hope they continue to do these in future years. I enjoyed getting to know some of the seminarians. It definitely helps to put faces with names.

Saturday Smiles, no. 6

Peter has a lot to smile about too!

I have had a LOT to smile about lately! God is truly wonderful. I am seeing Him bless many people in my life in extraordinary ways. And it makes me almost giddy thinking about it. But what about me?

I actually have a hard time seeing the blessings in my own life. Thus the reason I am even doing these posts, to help make me be more aware of God's presence in my life.

As I contemplated what I could write about this week so much came to mind: the wonderful things happening in the lives of some of my close friends; the joy of meeting my new niece and seeing the joy she is already bringing to her parents and siblings; the fun of spending time with family just sitting around chatting, catching up, and watching the little ones play together; the fun of meeting new friends and seeing how God is blessing them and their families; or witnessing friends coming together to help out a friend in need.

So many choices! I decided I couldn't choose just one.

Instead I see all of those things and plenty of others as one big blessing. God is working in the lives of my friends and family and I get to watch. I get to see what God is doing in other people's lives and it blesses me as well.

I guess what I am saying is that my close moment with God this week is just knowing that He is working in other people's lives and blessing them. In return I feel blessed just to know them. I may have moments when I am down and I know I've had plenty of moments when I don't feel God's presence in my life at all. But I don't lose faith because I see him working elsewhere. And that brings me joy and plenty of smiles.

What made you smile this week? How were you aware of God's presence in your life? Share in the comments below or write your own blog post and link it up here using the inLinkz form below. Please also include a link in your post back to this one.

7 Quick Takes Friday, vol. 46

~1~

I still cannot believe what I saw on my way home from work Thursday evening. I stupidly took a wrong turn out of the boys' daycare and ended up circling around the nearby park to get back around to where I really wanted to be. This meant driving down a section of road that I'm not usually on. It's a nice area, lots of brick townhomes, several cottage style old houses, and plenty of big trees. It's pretty close to downtown, probably in walking distance to things on the east side of town. So as I turned onto this road, up ahead I could see what looked like a very large dog on a lease. It caught my attention because I thought it might be a Great Dane but wasn't quite sure. As I got closer I realized it wasn't a dog at all. No, it was either a small pony or a miniature horse. On a lease. Out for a walk. Um, what? I know this is KY, but who keeps a pet horse in downtown where there are tiny yards, if you even have a yard? I'm still stunned. And find it hilarious at the same time.

~2~

Okay, I had to go do some internet searching and apparently having miniature horses as pets is not that unusual. Who knew! There is even a book about owning these cool pets.

~3~

Dexterity game on a pendant

We have a very interesting collection of materials at my library. They are called Artists' books. They are works of art, but also considered books. In some cases the definition of book is rather loose. I've been working on cataloging these which gives me the opportunity to see them. I worked on one Thursday that is actually a dexterity game. You know those little plastic containers that had some sort of picture inside with little holes in it and some tiny little copper balls rolling around inside? The objective was to get all the balls into the various holes. This book opened up to show 12 of these little tiny dexterity games lined up together. Each had three balls inside to get into the little holes. Definitely doesn't look like a book, but very cool nonetheless. I love discovering these unique items. It's one of those things that makes my job cool.

~4~

And speaking of my job, something else that makes my job cool is seeing how very divergent fields can intersect with each other. I received a phone call Thursday from a librarian over in our Medical Center Library. Someone over in the College of Medicine was looking for a speaker for something they were doing who could speak on the healing powers of art and music as influenced by nature, or some such thing. She couldn't get hold of the music librarian, so she called me. We talked for a bit and then I was able to finally come up with a name of someone she could contact. [Surprised myself that I actually could even name someone on campus that could speak on that topic.] Got an email from her later in the day that the person I suggested was on board and was getting someone to speak with her about the art side of things. How cool is that! I love seeing how something like music and medicine can actually work well together. They seem so different, but they have much to learn from each other.

~5~

I don't know what was up with my drive home Thursday evening (see #1) but as I pulled into my neighborhood an ice cream truck pulled in just in front of me. He turned towards my street and proceeded to drive about 5 mph with me tailing behind him. I prayed that he would pass by my street and felt pretty confident that he didn't have a reason to turn down into my little cul-de-sac of 5 houses. But alas, he turned and I followed him at a painfully slow pace. And then he stopped, right in front of my driveway! Seriously?? I had to honk my horn to get him to move. And why is he even in my neighborhood? I think he'd get a bit more business in a neighborhood that had more children in it, which is currently not the case in my neighborhood.

~6~

We went to visit my family last weekend. It was so nice and the boys did well on the 6 hour drive down and back. They are still hesitant around strangers (and anyone they haven't seen in a long time is basically a stranger) but getting better. A few pictures from the weekend:

Cousin Caroline shows Peter how it's done

Ethan likes listening to his brother and cousins play the piano

Anna gets to meet her aunt for the first time

Ethan learns that Papa is a little crazy

~7~

Walking is in our future! I can see it. My boys are so funny! Peter took a couple steps at my parent's house this weekend. We got all excited and then that was it. He tried to walk a few more times but was so excited about doing it that he couldn't balance himself and kept falling forward. Ethan apparently had no interest. But once we were home, Peter tried a few more times, got a couple steps in once or twice, and then went back to falling over each time from over excitement. Silly boy! Then the other night, he tried again and Hubby and I burst into applause to encourage him. Ethan started clapping with us. After a few times of this I think Ethan realized why we were clapping so he started trying to stand up on his own. He didn't try taking any steps, it was just the standing up part that excited him. And oh my, the excitement on his face as he slowly balanced himself on those two little feet! Precious!

Finally, Thursday night Ethan actually took a few steps towards me. We clapped for him and he LOVED it! He immediately crawled back to where dad was sitting in the rocking chair, climbed up to a standing position, turned himself around to face me, and took a few steps before falling into my arms. We had such a good time cheering him on and he repeated the process a few more times. By the end his excitement had grown so much he couldn't even steady himself enough to stand up without falling over. 

Yes, walking is just around the corner! Any day now. 

For more Quick Takes posts, visit Jen at Conversion Diary.

The Timeline of Loss

I got together with a friend recently to talk about our shared grief as a result of pregnancy loss. This grief has been a part of my life since March 2008. For my friend, however, it is much more recently and she is still reeling from the pain. As we talked one thing kept coming up again and again: the thought that at some point we should be done with the grief and able to move on.

If you are also dealing with a similar loss you might be interested in what I told me friend. If you know someone who is dealing with a recent loss, you should also pay attention. Here's the thing ...

There is no timeline.

I have talked with men and women who still grieve their lost children years and years later. You will never forget the children who were with you for such a short period of time. The grief never completely goes away.  You will be reminded of your child every time you see a pregnant women who is roughly where you would be if you were still pregnant or anytime you see a child who is roughly the age your child would be had he or she lived.

But I'm here to reassure you that although those things stay with you, they do get easier. Eventually, it does get easier.

And most important, there is no timeline. Let yourself be reassured that the pain, grief, and sadness you are feeling is normal. Yes, completely normal. And you do not have to be "done" grieving by any arbitrary date or event in the future.

My friend found comfort in hearing me tell her that there is no timeline. That she can grieve for as long as it takes. That no one should expect her to be "over it" by any particular point (and if they do, they are not being supportive friends). That the grief can even come back hard at random times when she least expects it. And all of this is okay.

I think it was important for her to hear me say that I still grieve for my babies. My last loss was more than two years ago now and I have had a successful pregnancy since. And yet, I still miss my babies. The grief is still there, though different now.

Time really does heal. It does not make us forget. I for one do not want to forget. But time does heal. And everyone's timeline is different.

I hope this simple thought can be helpful and reassuring to others as well.

Image source: morgueFile

Saturday Smiles, no. 5

The graphic on our
Catholic Sistas T-shirts

It's a Saturday Smiles link-up once again!!

I had the nicest thing happen to me last Saturday. I was out for a walk with the boys, pushing them in the double stroller I have. We were in the park in the neighborhood which also has a little playground. From a distance I could a little boy in the play ground with his mother and grandmother (I presume). As we got closer I noticed that the grandmother spotted us and kept looking in our direction periodically.

As I got closer the three of them had migrated over to a corner of the playground near the walking path I was on. I was totally expecting the grandmother to say something to me about how "you certainly have your hands full" or "are they twins" or one of the other usual statements I'm used to hearing. Boy was I in for a surprise!

She smiled at me as we passed by and said, "I'll be praying for you today!"

I couldn't help by smile! My only response was, "Well, thank you" as I went on my way around the far end of the playground.

I think I smiled for the whole rest of my walk. I also realized that I was wearing my very cool "Catholic Sistas" t-shirt. I assumed that she noticed the t-shirt and therefore knew that I would be open to such a statement.

Having a complete stranger tell you they will be praying for you can be off-putting to some. We live in a society that wants to take religion out of everything to the point that we can't speak about our religious beliefs without it being labeled as hate speech.

So it was almost refreshing to hear what this nice woman said to me. Nice to know that there are people out there who are willing to wear their religion on their sleeve and not hide it in a pocket. I can't say that I am very open about my faith around strangers. I grew up with the understanding that you don't talk about religion, so I still have a hard time being completely open about it even with all the changes I have been through in the last 10 years or so.

But in that moment I felt God's presence surrounding us as I walked around the park with my boys on a beautiful day and exchanged pleasantries with a very nice stranger.

What made you smile this week? How were you aware of God's presence in your life? Share in the comments below or write your own blog post and link it up here using the inLinkz form below. Please also include a link in your post back to this one.

7 Quick Takes Friday, vol. 45

~1~

We have a stander! One of the boys has started standing for a few seconds at a time. He doesn't always get his balance right away and falls on his butt. But other times he manages to balance himself enough to stay standing for just a few seconds. I find it amazing to see him stand completely on his own. He seems so unsteady, not balanced at all, and yet there he is ... standing.

Now walking ... I think it'll still be some time. But it's coming! Watch out world!

~2~

And while we're on the subject of babies, I have to report our recent successes in the food arena. First, both boys will now take and hold their bottles on their own. Thank you, Lord, my life has gotten infinitely better! Peter took to it pretty quickly, Ethan had a harder time. He'd eventually take the bottle from us and hold it himself, but when we first gave it to him he just broke down into hysterical sobbing until one of us picked it up and held it for him until he was ready to take it (which was usually half way through the bottle, plus he couldn't get the last ounce or so on his own either, so essentially, we were still holding it for him for most of the time). But now! Oh, wow! Now we can just place the bottles on their trays and they take care of it themselves! Seriously, with two of them, this truly makes a huge difference in my life!

Second, they are starting to use a spoon. Sort of. We still put food on the spoon for them and hand it to them and hover over them as they attempt to put it in their mouth, but they are doing it. Peter is funny with it. He loves holding his own spoon and has become quite adept, i.e. I don't hover quite as much. He takes the spoon from us, eats the food off of it, and then throws it on the table so we can fill it back up for him. I know I shouldn't laugh because I certainly don't want to encourage that behavior, but it is so hard. I find it hilarious!

~3~

On a totally different note, I recently discovered a new blog and I love it already. You must check out The Breadbox Letters. I love the art work she uses in her posts and the quotes she finds from a variety of saints, not to mention the reflective pieces she writes which are very insightful. After reading less than a dozen posts on this blog I'm already hooked. I really loved this post, Be Led Gently, which quotes St. Teresa of Avila. It's beautiful. If you're looking for a blog that can be inspiring, has beautiful pictures, and is a quick read, check this one out. 

~4~

Hubby got a new computer recently. Finally! His old one was soooooooo slow. I hated using it. Of course, all our picture software is on his computer which is one of the reasons I don't post pictures as much as I would like to. But now it'll be so much faster. Yay! I think he finally has everything transferred over and the picture software is ready to go. I just looked through the pictures on my camera and realized I never posted the cute-as-can-be pictures of the boys in their sneakers. They are coming! I promise! I can't tell you how many times the people at their daycare tell me how cute the boys are in their little sneakers. Pictures coming soon!!

~5~

In addition to this Quick Takes post, I also compiled a Quick Takes post for Catholic Sistas for today. It's another interview with one of our ink slinger. A fellow Kentuckian, too, though we've never met in person. Go check it out. It's a fun post. 

~6~

Have you checked out my new Saturday Smiles link-ups I've been hosting? So far I have one follower participating, but I'd love to see more. And spread the word too. It's super easy. It's a great opportunity to reflect on the week and write about something, anything, that made you aware of God in your life that week. Write up a post and then post the link on my Saturday link-up. I've made it easy by putting in the inlinkz widget too. I hope you'll come join me on Saturday!

~7~

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm excited to be spending it with my family. I'll get to meet my new niece, see a cousin I haven't seen in a few years, hopefully catch up with some old high school friends, and meet up with some online friends for the first time. I can't wait!

For more Quick Takes, check out Conversion Diary.