I'm re-posting the following from Erin Franco over at Humble Handmaid. I thought it was a great reminder to all wives about what it means to do what we can to support our spouses and build up our marriages.
When we both need a hero at 5:00
Recently, I had a good conversation with my hubby and two dear male friends of ours about how chaotic the end of the day with our little ones can be. Our two friends are both wonderful Christian husbands and fathers, and both have multiple young children, with their oldest under six years old. All three guys are also the sole providers for their families. I was taken aback a little when all three men admitted to sometimes dreading going home. In a lighthearted-but-not-so-lighthearted way, they joked about how long they dare to just sit in the driveway some days before getting up the energy to walk in the door.
All three of these guys have Godly wives and strong marriages. All three are some of the best men I know. I have had many a conversation with my girlfriends about how hard this season of life can be, when we get so tired. God knows we women struggle with wanting our husbands to know how tiring a full day of our work can be, whether we are stay-at-home moms or work outside of the home.
I haven't thought enough, though, about how tired our husbands get, and how hard it is to come home from a full day at a stressful job to a needy evening of getting tired, hungry little children fed and bathed and put to bed.
All I've got tonight is a few little thoughts and the hope that me admitting I'm in the trenches too might make some of you feel a little less "Is it just me?!" and a little more, "Me too! So I'm not just being a selfish weenie about all of this."
There are a thousand ways that spouses can struggle with dividing up the responsibilities of home and family. And every marriage and situation and season of life is so different. To be honest with you, there are a thousand-and-one ways that Michael and I struggle with the responsibilities of home and family. Definitely one of them that we've been back and forth and up and sometimes down on is the few hours between when Michael gets home from work and when we put the kids to bed.
Truth be told, some days we both need a hero at 5:00. And when we see each other for the first time since breakfast, we're hoping the other one just knows we need a break. Hoping he'll offer to do the dishes. Hoping she'll do bath time tonight. Hoping he will cheerfully shove her out the door to go for a run (by herself).
So what are we to do when we start to get tempted into all of those easy-to-fall-into "who is more tired?" thoughts at the end? First, we must always pray unceasingly about all things, and be intentional and persevering in developing a strong interior life. Secondly, I think that there are probably some practical things we can do to be intentional about making our homes an easier place for us to live and our husbands to come home to.
Practically speaking, I want to share a few things that I have been striving to do in my particular life and situation that really have helped make evenings go more smoothly.
First of all, I try to have a set evening routine to help with the craziness of tired, hungry little ones. We eat dinner around 5 or 5:30, then we do story time (or family wrestling or a dance party:), bath time (some days), pajamas, pick up all toys, Family Prayer, then get babies into bed around 7:30ish. Anyone who knows us knows that we love to be spontaneous though, but the balance we've sought (and found, I think) is that we stick to our evening routine enough so that when we divert from it, the kids aren't totally thrown off, and they go back to it pretty easily the next day.
As far as easing Michael's transition home every day, house-wise I try as hard as I can to have the living room and play room picked up when he gets home from work. I only keep a few toys out at a time, and I try to pick up as the day goes on, so I can usually pick up everything in less than 10 minutes, which is very helpful. I make it a point to clean the kitchen and pick up the play room and living room every day during nap time. This really helps the house to not be a total disaster at night. I learned from a good friend to restrict how many "messy" toys we have out at a time. For example, if the kids are playing with the big wooden train set, they have to pick up the Legos first. If they've been playing with Mr. Potato Head, his body parts get picked up and put back into their basket before taking out the 25-piece Princess Tea Set. It's really tough to stick to making the kids pick up before taking something else out, and I'm not always on top of it, but I have been surprised to see the kids so used to it by now.
To try and help with the whiny-ness of those tough evening hours, I constantly talk Gabe and Faith through what they are going to be doing next. I give them little choices of activity within the next activity, so that they feel like they are choosing what to do instead of me. "It's time for Table Time! Would you like to read books or do puzzles today while I cook dinner?" I also often save TV time for the end of the day while I'm cooking, too. Also, sometimes I give them little jobs to do to help me while I cook.
Marriage-wise, when Michael comes in the door in the afternoon, I make it a point to always ask him, "What can I do for you right now?" Usually, he asks for a glass of ice water. (Lawn care and landscaping company owner, remember?) Sure, sometimes I really just want my husband to walk in the door with a bouquet of sunflowers, a box of chocolate-dipped fruit, a babysitter, and two tickets to that evening's performance of Wicked downtown. (I have gotten some lovely flowers and little surprises from time to time from him, though.)
The fact is that I just try to be the hero even when I wish he would be one. Because that's how we're supposed to live, as Christian spouses. We have to throw those, "My day was probably harder than your day" thoughts out with the trash. We have to accept the peace that God wants to give us when we give without holding back. We have to choose the live the hope that God is using our giving to His good purpose, and that He is working in our soul and the soul of our spouse to have a good and happy marriage.
When I really, really need a hero, though, I do let Michael know.:)
Being a hero does feel nice sometimes, you know. It's hardly all about being stoic or tough or long-suffering. Because sometimes your husband does come home and that new Pinterest recipe you tried out for dinner is delicious and after dinner you have a hilarious family dance party to old 90's high school dance music and the kids go down easily and you get to watch a couple of episodes of Once together before bed. Every day isn't horrible.
Another thought, too: when you're the hero for your husband in small ways at home, you touch and soften his heart so that he is more primed to be a hero for you. At least I've seen that in my own marriage. Our husbands listen more than we think they do, and every once in a while they surprise us with their thoughtfulness and awareness of our struggles when we least expect it. I will never forget one day when Michael stopped in unexpectedly for lunch and found me in tears over an altercation I'd just had with Gabriel. He came home at dinnertime that day with flowers and a card telling me what a great mom he thought I was.
One last thought. I've started offering up difficult moments for all of the young families I know--including my blog readers and their families. When I'm at mass with the kids or breaking up the 64th Dramatic Toddler Fight of the day, I pray that God would help me remember to stay calm and offer up that tough moment.
You know what offering it up means? It's a fancy term for saying in your head, in a heartfelt prayer that is as short as a breath: "My God, I give you this feeling of wishing so badly I were anywhere but here right now. I choose to stay calm, to do the right and loving thing in this moment, and to keep on going. I trust in You."
God bless each of you abundantly! May he sustain you, guide you, make your marriages strong, and fill you with hope and peace!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Cloth diapers
Well, I've been tinkering with the idea of cloth diapering for several months now... and we've finally taken the plunge!
This makes almost one month of full time cloth diapering Samy (by the way, we just celebrated his 2nd birthday!!). It's sweet, because in the beginning, when we put the first cloth diaper on him, we made it a little too bulky and he just walked around the room with his legs bent in a wide stance- just like a sumo wrestler! It was hilarious :D We could not stop laughing! I want to remember that forever.
Well, since then, we've kinda figured out what we're doing...
annnd using a lot less padding ;)
We mostly decided to switch to cloth for 2 main reasons and 1 smaller reason.
First, Sam will be starting school again this month, and we'll be on one income again. That means, we're doing what we can to cut costs so that we will hopefully not have to touch savings. Cloth diapering, especially with another little love on the way, will save us a TON!! Not to sound all cloth diaper commercial here, but I'll just share a few bits of information that helped us make the switch.
It is estimated that the average cost of diapering a child, newborn to potty training (average 3 yrs old at potty training) using disposable diapers is $2500-$3000. I've read some sources that estimate as high as $4000, but I think that's a little high. Either way, that's a lot of money to think of throwing down the toilet, haha! The cost of a modern cloth diaper stash can vary greatly, but most people can get a fully stashed popular brand of reusable cloth diapers for about $500.
So, the first and biggest reason we're switching to cloth is the savings. We've got at least another year of diapers for Samy, and the cost of that alone will more than enough reimburse what we've spent on our cloth diaper stash. The best part is that we'll save money there, but we'll also be able to reuse these diapers with the little one on the way, and maybe make it through one more child (if God chooses to give us more children). In the long run, it will save us at least several thousand dollars. And I'm definitely okay with that!!
The second big reason, is that the more reading I've done on cd'ing, the more I've become grossed out with how disposable diapers end up in landfills and sit there for YEARS without breaking down.
Here's a quote from the Real Diaper Association (I know, weird name, but whatev):
"No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone."
"Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills..."
Now, we're really not big environmental type people- not saying that that's a negative thing at all, in fact, I kind of wish we were, but I think that cloth diapering is a really easy way to do our part, even if it's just a little bit.
And lastly, the third, and smaller reason, we are now CD fans is that I've been reading about all the harmful chemicals found in disposable diapers that didn't already know about. Again, disclaimer: I'm not a super green type person that recycles and knows about/avoids every harmful chemical. I'm just not. Don't want to be either, except maybe learning how to compost and start recycling. That's why this is on our lesser important reasons why we started to cloth diaper, although for many people, it is the biggest reason whey they do.
Not trying to trail off here, but Sam and I use natural family planning for trying to conceive/postpone pregnancy. The reason I bring this up is that one of the reasons we use NFP is because birth control is so harmful to a woman's body because of the carcinogenic chemicals in it. Well, disposable diapers have dioxin in them. Here's another quote on dioxin from the same link above:
"Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S."
I don't know a lot about the chemical aspect of disposable diapers, but I'm slowly feeling that cloth diapers are better for our family.
And I know I only listed 3 reasons earlier, but there is one tiny fourth one... they are stinkin' cute!! (Sorry for the cheesy puns, haha.)
Here are some pics of the diaper systems we use. I'm posting these pics, because some people I know only have the idea in mind of the old "nappy" type cloth diapers that you use safety pins with. Some people, in fact a lot, still use this system, but I just don't think that would be for us. Anyway, here are the pics :)
This is the Flip Diaper System by Bumgenius. They're versatile and create less laundry. We like these a lot.
The second style of cloth diapers we're using are pockets. We just started using Bumgenius 4.0s, and while they do create more laundry than the Flip system, I like the convenience that there's nothing to assemble at diaper change time. I get everything ready right out of the dryer, and they're all done until diaper laundry again :) These diapers are also very nice for grandparents, babysitters, and daycare.
Anyway, that's just a quick little update about our newest adventure. Next post, hopefully I will write a little about making our own laundry detergent that is cloth diaper safe, and hopefully will save us money along with cd'ing!
Happy start of the new week to everyone! Feel free to ask any questions :)
Post Script: Like I mentioned already, this is just me sharing about our newest adventure as parents. I hope anyone who reads this who uses disposables doesn't think I think they're a bad thing. We've used disposables for 3 years with no ill effect, and I'm sure we'll keep a few on hand just in case. I'm just excited about sharing a new way to save and make our little ones' bottoms look even cuter, as if that were possible ;)
This makes almost one month of full time cloth diapering Samy (by the way, we just celebrated his 2nd birthday!!). It's sweet, because in the beginning, when we put the first cloth diaper on him, we made it a little too bulky and he just walked around the room with his legs bent in a wide stance- just like a sumo wrestler! It was hilarious :D We could not stop laughing! I want to remember that forever.
Well, since then, we've kinda figured out what we're doing...
annnd using a lot less padding ;)
We mostly decided to switch to cloth for 2 main reasons and 1 smaller reason.
First, Sam will be starting school again this month, and we'll be on one income again. That means, we're doing what we can to cut costs so that we will hopefully not have to touch savings. Cloth diapering, especially with another little love on the way, will save us a TON!! Not to sound all cloth diaper commercial here, but I'll just share a few bits of information that helped us make the switch.
It is estimated that the average cost of diapering a child, newborn to potty training (average 3 yrs old at potty training) using disposable diapers is $2500-$3000. I've read some sources that estimate as high as $4000, but I think that's a little high. Either way, that's a lot of money to think of throwing down the toilet, haha! The cost of a modern cloth diaper stash can vary greatly, but most people can get a fully stashed popular brand of reusable cloth diapers for about $500.
So, the first and biggest reason we're switching to cloth is the savings. We've got at least another year of diapers for Samy, and the cost of that alone will more than enough reimburse what we've spent on our cloth diaper stash. The best part is that we'll save money there, but we'll also be able to reuse these diapers with the little one on the way, and maybe make it through one more child (if God chooses to give us more children). In the long run, it will save us at least several thousand dollars. And I'm definitely okay with that!!
The second big reason, is that the more reading I've done on cd'ing, the more I've become grossed out with how disposable diapers end up in landfills and sit there for YEARS without breaking down.
Here's a quote from the Real Diaper Association (I know, weird name, but whatev):
"No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone."
"Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills..."
Now, we're really not big environmental type people- not saying that that's a negative thing at all, in fact, I kind of wish we were, but I think that cloth diapering is a really easy way to do our part, even if it's just a little bit.
And lastly, the third, and smaller reason, we are now CD fans is that I've been reading about all the harmful chemicals found in disposable diapers that didn't already know about. Again, disclaimer: I'm not a super green type person that recycles and knows about/avoids every harmful chemical. I'm just not. Don't want to be either, except maybe learning how to compost and start recycling. That's why this is on our lesser important reasons why we started to cloth diaper, although for many people, it is the biggest reason whey they do.
Not trying to trail off here, but Sam and I use natural family planning for trying to conceive/postpone pregnancy. The reason I bring this up is that one of the reasons we use NFP is because birth control is so harmful to a woman's body because of the carcinogenic chemicals in it. Well, disposable diapers have dioxin in them. Here's another quote on dioxin from the same link above:
"Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S."
I don't know a lot about the chemical aspect of disposable diapers, but I'm slowly feeling that cloth diapers are better for our family.
And I know I only listed 3 reasons earlier, but there is one tiny fourth one... they are stinkin' cute!! (Sorry for the cheesy puns, haha.)
Here are some pics of the diaper systems we use. I'm posting these pics, because some people I know only have the idea in mind of the old "nappy" type cloth diapers that you use safety pins with. Some people, in fact a lot, still use this system, but I just don't think that would be for us. Anyway, here are the pics :)
This is the Flip Diaper System by Bumgenius. They're versatile and create less laundry. We like these a lot.
The second style of cloth diapers we're using are pockets. We just started using Bumgenius 4.0s, and while they do create more laundry than the Flip system, I like the convenience that there's nothing to assemble at diaper change time. I get everything ready right out of the dryer, and they're all done until diaper laundry again :) These diapers are also very nice for grandparents, babysitters, and daycare.
Anyway, that's just a quick little update about our newest adventure. Next post, hopefully I will write a little about making our own laundry detergent that is cloth diaper safe, and hopefully will save us money along with cd'ing!
Happy start of the new week to everyone! Feel free to ask any questions :)
Post Script: Like I mentioned already, this is just me sharing about our newest adventure as parents. I hope anyone who reads this who uses disposables doesn't think I think they're a bad thing. We've used disposables for 3 years with no ill effect, and I'm sure we'll keep a few on hand just in case. I'm just excited about sharing a new way to save and make our little ones' bottoms look even cuter, as if that were possible ;)
Friday, June 14, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
I'm borrowing this lovely quote from a post I read at Humble Handmaid (one of my favorite blogs ever :)
I won't go into detail about her post, but I will say that almost everything she writes from a trying-to-live-out-my-vocation-daily-Catholic-momma perspective, I feel like I could've written myself.
Okay, so here's the quote:
"The "miracle" which God asks of you is to persevere in your christian and divine vocation, sanctifying each day's work: the miracle of turning the prose of each day into heroic verse by the love which you put into your ordinary work. God waits for you there. He expects you to be a responsible person, with the zeal of an apostle and the competence of a good worker." -Christ is Passing
This speaks so loudly to me, because I find it very important to put myself into each and every task at hand. As a momma, wife, nurse, and in how I live out my Catholic faith. I sometimes become so tired at the end of the day, which is what Erin's original post is about, that it can be very difficult to still make the effort to pray for grace at the end of the day, in the moments in which I need it most.
Thank you, for this simple, yet very convicting reminder that God calls us to sancitfy each day's work, wherever we are, whatever we're doing, and to do so with zeal!
I won't go into detail about her post, but I will say that almost everything she writes from a trying-to-live-out-my-vocation-daily-Catholic-momma perspective, I feel like I could've written myself.
Okay, so here's the quote:
"The "miracle" which God asks of you is to persevere in your christian and divine vocation, sanctifying each day's work: the miracle of turning the prose of each day into heroic verse by the love which you put into your ordinary work. God waits for you there. He expects you to be a responsible person, with the zeal of an apostle and the competence of a good worker." -Christ is Passing
This speaks so loudly to me, because I find it very important to put myself into each and every task at hand. As a momma, wife, nurse, and in how I live out my Catholic faith. I sometimes become so tired at the end of the day, which is what Erin's original post is about, that it can be very difficult to still make the effort to pray for grace at the end of the day, in the moments in which I need it most.
Thank you, for this simple, yet very convicting reminder that God calls us to sancitfy each day's work, wherever we are, whatever we're doing, and to do so with zeal!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Happy Post
I realized it has been quite some time since I've updated by blog... poor old thing was starting to collect dust. Anyhow, I feel like I've taken a breath of fresh air with my new (and fashionable) look!
Here are some pics, since I haven't posted any in for-e-ver. (Sandlot anyone?)
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Yes, we're pregnant!!! Ella and Samy will have a brother/sister sometime in late November or early December, si Dios quiere.
<3
Here are some pics, since I haven't posted any in for-e-ver. (Sandlot anyone?)
.JPG)
Yes, we're pregnant!!! Ella and Samy will have a brother/sister sometime in late November or early December, si Dios quiere.
<3
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
:(
I guess I just feel a little sad. A little let down and more than a little distant. I want my Moleskine to write in, but it's downstairs and I'm not going to find it.
Hope everyone is well.
I'll post a more cheerful post later. For now I'll go to bed early. Night.
Hope everyone is well.
I'll post a more cheerful post later. For now I'll go to bed early. Night.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Thoughts on Amazon.com
Its been about a month or so now that my husband and I have decided, after much prayer and counsel, to cease our business with Amazon.com.
Silly as it may sound, it wasn't an easy decision, as we were loyal customers and bought a lot of our houshold items from the website. We loved the convenience of being Prime members, where shipping was only 2 days and free. I loved that we got such great prices, better than almost anywhere else. Needless to say, we were fans.
However, Amazon recently launched a new commercial for its new product, the Kindle Paperwhite. We do not have cable, so we did not first see it on tv, though one of the men that Sam works with did. Actually, his daughter did. He wasn't too happy.
The commercial is about the release of the new Paperwhite, and in the ad, a woman and man are sitting side by side and he says they should celebrate him just ordering a Paperwhite. She says something like, "Oh, my husband is bringing me a drink right now." Then the man says, "Mine too!", and the camera pans to their to respective husbands.
:(
The little girl of the man that Sam works with saw the commercial on tv one morning while getting ready for school, and at the end she said, "Ew! Daddy that's gross! Where's that man's wife?" He then had to give his 7 year-old daughter a lengthy explanation about why that was on tv and that it does not make it okay.
While I certainly know that not everyone agrees with mine and Sam's old-school thoughts on morality, we strongly hold to the teachings of the Church, and that is that marriage a covenant between a man and a woman, and is not something that can at all be redefined by man. I really don't like that Amazon did not just promote their product, but instead decided to push a completely different agenda.
After we heard about this commercial, Sam called the apostolate at Catholic Answers, and I posted a thread on catholic.com, just to get others' perspective on the ad. Some people answered that they don't care what Amazon is advertising, as long as they get a good price and the products they want. Others said they won't be doing business with them any more. As for the apostolate, Sam talked to Jim Blackburn (for those of you who may know who he is), and he basically said that our contribution to Amazon (especially if we mainly buy from vendors other than Amazon)is so miniscule and remote, that it wouldn't really make a difference... that we are not culpable if we decided to continue to buy from them. He also mentioned, that if we wanted to move our business elsewhere, that we'd thouroughly have to research the inner trappings of each company to be sure they are not similar in their advertising or that they don't give to parties we believe work in opposition to God's will for us.
:sigh: The whole thought has been exhausting, really. And while everyone, everyone has told us that its okay to continue to buy from them, my heart tells me its not. It is not okay to buy from a company that publicly advertises what the Church teaches against.
It may be scrupulous, on my part. It may indeed. But I cannot shake the feeling that God is telling me that this is an easy decision. I feel like I can almost hear Him saying,
"Miranda, my child, do you think this is a business I would support, knowing what they're promoting?"
"No, God, certainly not."
"Then why are you struggling in trying to decide what you'll do? Just follow me, my love."
"Yes, Father. I will follow you."
Sorry for the inner monologue, but this is why we've resolved to at least do away with Amazon. As far as researching every company, we've yet to figure that part out. But I now have no problem severing ties with Amazon, since they are so boldy supporting the re-definition of marriage that we do not.
Silly as it may sound, it wasn't an easy decision, as we were loyal customers and bought a lot of our houshold items from the website. We loved the convenience of being Prime members, where shipping was only 2 days and free. I loved that we got such great prices, better than almost anywhere else. Needless to say, we were fans.
However, Amazon recently launched a new commercial for its new product, the Kindle Paperwhite. We do not have cable, so we did not first see it on tv, though one of the men that Sam works with did. Actually, his daughter did. He wasn't too happy.
The commercial is about the release of the new Paperwhite, and in the ad, a woman and man are sitting side by side and he says they should celebrate him just ordering a Paperwhite. She says something like, "Oh, my husband is bringing me a drink right now." Then the man says, "Mine too!", and the camera pans to their to respective husbands.
:(
The little girl of the man that Sam works with saw the commercial on tv one morning while getting ready for school, and at the end she said, "Ew! Daddy that's gross! Where's that man's wife?" He then had to give his 7 year-old daughter a lengthy explanation about why that was on tv and that it does not make it okay.
While I certainly know that not everyone agrees with mine and Sam's old-school thoughts on morality, we strongly hold to the teachings of the Church, and that is that marriage a covenant between a man and a woman, and is not something that can at all be redefined by man. I really don't like that Amazon did not just promote their product, but instead decided to push a completely different agenda.
After we heard about this commercial, Sam called the apostolate at Catholic Answers, and I posted a thread on catholic.com, just to get others' perspective on the ad. Some people answered that they don't care what Amazon is advertising, as long as they get a good price and the products they want. Others said they won't be doing business with them any more. As for the apostolate, Sam talked to Jim Blackburn (for those of you who may know who he is), and he basically said that our contribution to Amazon (especially if we mainly buy from vendors other than Amazon)is so miniscule and remote, that it wouldn't really make a difference... that we are not culpable if we decided to continue to buy from them. He also mentioned, that if we wanted to move our business elsewhere, that we'd thouroughly have to research the inner trappings of each company to be sure they are not similar in their advertising or that they don't give to parties we believe work in opposition to God's will for us.
:sigh: The whole thought has been exhausting, really. And while everyone, everyone has told us that its okay to continue to buy from them, my heart tells me its not. It is not okay to buy from a company that publicly advertises what the Church teaches against.
It may be scrupulous, on my part. It may indeed. But I cannot shake the feeling that God is telling me that this is an easy decision. I feel like I can almost hear Him saying,
"Miranda, my child, do you think this is a business I would support, knowing what they're promoting?"
"No, God, certainly not."
"Then why are you struggling in trying to decide what you'll do? Just follow me, my love."
"Yes, Father. I will follow you."
Sorry for the inner monologue, but this is why we've resolved to at least do away with Amazon. As far as researching every company, we've yet to figure that part out. But I now have no problem severing ties with Amazon, since they are so boldy supporting the re-definition of marriage that we do not.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Paperless Post- My New Favorite Site
So, Sam and I decided to have a party! (Well kind of... as party-party as we can respectfully get during Lent.) It's more of a family/friends gathering for a rosary and lunch in honor of our new pope. I'm so excited to get everyone together to celebrate the new earthly shepherd of our church and pray for his intentions and his new papacy.
In so planning for our gathering, I spent quite a bit of time trying to put together the just-right (free) e-invitation.
Well. Let. Me. Tell. You.
Ifoundthemostsupercoolwebsiteever!! :takes a breath:
Paperless Post
Seriously, I am super impressed and Ilove almost love it! And did I mention? IT'S FREE! (There are some services you can choose to pay for, but you can do so much for free :)
Anyway, I found it to be really neat, because every step of the way, I could edit the card I made to totally personalize it, changing the fonts (btw, they have beautiful font choices), spacing, etc. I was able to import all of my contacts from my email, add personalized messages to individual recipients and even track the status of who's opened the email.
Here's what the front our invitation looks like:
I can't say enough wonderful things about this site.
Check.it.out.
In so planning for our gathering, I spent quite a bit of time trying to put together the just-right (free) e-invitation.
Well. Let. Me. Tell. You.
Ifoundthemostsupercoolwebsiteever!! :takes a breath:
Paperless Post
Seriously, I am super impressed and I
Anyway, I found it to be really neat, because every step of the way, I could edit the card I made to totally personalize it, changing the fonts (btw, they have beautiful font choices), spacing, etc. I was able to import all of my contacts from my email, add personalized messages to individual recipients and even track the status of who's opened the email.
Here's what the front our invitation looks like:
I can't say enough wonderful things about this site.
Check.it.out.
A Catholic New Year!
I know, I know, it's been so long since my last post, but this post is definitly post-worthy...
We have a new Pope!!!
Ahhhh! I'm so, so super excited! I'm watching the white smoke live on EWTN's website, and I can't help but feeling this sense of joy as if it's New Years.
I'm so grateful that God has granted the Church yet another shepard to guide us on earth. Praise be God!
Anyway, I'll update again soon, but just wanted to share the awesome news!!
We have a new Pope!!!
Ahhhh! I'm so, so super excited! I'm watching the white smoke live on EWTN's website, and I can't help but feeling this sense of joy as if it's New Years.
I'm so grateful that God has granted the Church yet another shepard to guide us on earth. Praise be God!
Anyway, I'll update again soon, but just wanted to share the awesome news!!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Speaking the Love
Hello World,
I hope you're doing well from wherever it is that you read my blog.
It's been a wonderful thing to be blessed as much as we. I realize it a little more each day. In God's sweet mercy, in how I feel- somehow, in some small or great way every day- God's intimate love for me. In my remarkably beautiful marriage to the man who I am so thankful to have. In our children, who give me many reasons to smile every day and allow me opportunities to grow in virtue :) In the way my parents LOVE me and my little family.
In the way my heart grows more thankful to my Creator for all He does for me, and in the way He gently guides my heart to desire His will more with each passing day.
Praise be God!!
It is a wonderful thing in itself to be joyful and content in resting in God's unique love for me. I think about it and am overfilled with humility, knowing I am not worthy to be carved into His hands but oh so thankful that I am.
I love you, Lord!
So, I didn't sit down with the intention of starting my post with everything I'm grateful for, but alas, it spilled out of me, because I am constantly mindful of it.
I hope all (hundreds and hundreds ;) of my readers are at peace this very moment, in your thoughts and in your spiritual lives. And in your family lives- that's important too!
In thinking earlier about how my parents LOVE me, my family, and my sisters so abundantly, I lead me to another thought: How do we show that we love the important people in our lives?
Several years ago, some good friends of ours introduced Sam and myself to a book,
The 5 Love Languages. The concept of the book is to realize that each person speaks a different "love language".
The languages are as follows:
1) Quality time
2) Words of affirmation
3) Gifts
4) Acts of service
5) Physical touch
The idea is that a person's love language is that by which they feel loved most. It's important for people to realize that others may have differing love languages, because when we speak to our spouse in our own love language, and not the one that speaks most to them, we may become discouraged at the lack of response or appreciation.
My love a languages, for example, are first, acts of service and second, quality time.
It means so much more to me when Sam cheerfully does the dishes or volunteers to get the kids ready for bed than if he bought me two dozen roses. His, on the other hand, are quality time and physical touch. (I haven't spoken to one girlfriend to hasn't included physical touch in her husband's top two love languages! :)
What's really neat, I think, is that my mom's love language is acts of service also, so she shows her love for her children by cooking great big meals and having all of us over, or happily offering to watch grandkids so we can all have a date night... yay!
Anyhow, I've just been thinking about that lately and really reflecting on whether or not I do my best to speak Sam's love language and that of other family members. It's a constant effort to not necessarily do/say what I would like to have done for me, but to take a moment to think how how that person might best appreciate a kind gesture.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend with their families!
I hope you're doing well from wherever it is that you read my blog.
It's been a wonderful thing to be blessed as much as we. I realize it a little more each day. In God's sweet mercy, in how I feel- somehow, in some small or great way every day- God's intimate love for me. In my remarkably beautiful marriage to the man who I am so thankful to have. In our children, who give me many reasons to smile every day and allow me opportunities to grow in virtue :) In the way my parents LOVE me and my little family.
In the way my heart grows more thankful to my Creator for all He does for me, and in the way He gently guides my heart to desire His will more with each passing day.
Praise be God!!
It is a wonderful thing in itself to be joyful and content in resting in God's unique love for me. I think about it and am overfilled with humility, knowing I am not worthy to be carved into His hands but oh so thankful that I am.
I love you, Lord!
So, I didn't sit down with the intention of starting my post with everything I'm grateful for, but alas, it spilled out of me, because I am constantly mindful of it.
I hope all (hundreds and hundreds ;) of my readers are at peace this very moment, in your thoughts and in your spiritual lives. And in your family lives- that's important too!
In thinking earlier about how my parents LOVE me, my family, and my sisters so abundantly, I lead me to another thought: How do we show that we love the important people in our lives?
Several years ago, some good friends of ours introduced Sam and myself to a book,
The 5 Love Languages. The concept of the book is to realize that each person speaks a different "love language".
The languages are as follows:
1) Quality time
2) Words of affirmation
3) Gifts
4) Acts of service
5) Physical touch
The idea is that a person's love language is that by which they feel loved most. It's important for people to realize that others may have differing love languages, because when we speak to our spouse in our own love language, and not the one that speaks most to them, we may become discouraged at the lack of response or appreciation.
My love a languages, for example, are first, acts of service and second, quality time.
It means so much more to me when Sam cheerfully does the dishes or volunteers to get the kids ready for bed than if he bought me two dozen roses. His, on the other hand, are quality time and physical touch. (I haven't spoken to one girlfriend to hasn't included physical touch in her husband's top two love languages! :)
What's really neat, I think, is that my mom's love language is acts of service also, so she shows her love for her children by cooking great big meals and having all of us over, or happily offering to watch grandkids so we can all have a date night... yay!
Anyhow, I've just been thinking about that lately and really reflecting on whether or not I do my best to speak Sam's love language and that of other family members. It's a constant effort to not necessarily do/say what I would like to have done for me, but to take a moment to think how how that person might best appreciate a kind gesture.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend with their families!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
No good excuse
I have no good excuse really, so I won't attempt to make one. I love to get my thoughts out in a good blog post, but the thought of sitting down and trying to organize my them into cohesive and comprehensible (and let's face it, interesting) sentences it exhausting.
I follow several mom bloggers who I wonder: how in the world do they have time to write so often? And not only that, but they're simply amazing writers. I realize that I will never really be the kind to update my blog every two days, and neither really do I want to, but you, ladies, are my inspiration!!
So recent update...
I'll pick up where I last left off.
I took my CCRN certification for critical care nurses. And FAILED.
Super bummer. I took it at the beginning of September (or maybe August, I honestly don't remember), and I needed to answer 89 questions correctly to pass the exam. I failed the test by 2 questions. 2 stinkin' questions!! It makes it a little more of a bitter than a bitter sweet to be so close and not pass.
Sam really wants me to re-take it in the near future so that I don't give up on myself. True, true. He has a very valid point, and I am grateful to have a husband who is so supportive... However. I feel deflated. Confidence-wise anyway. I'm still studying, but less for the CCRN re-take than for cath lab.
Which brings me to my next update... I'm transferring to the cardiac cath lab!!
Woo! I'm really excited :D
I am so interested in everything cardiac, and I know this will be the best place to grow my knowledge. Plus, I've been in the same critical care unit for 4 years. It's just time to move on to a different type of nursing. I need to continue to grow professionally.
I'm still not sure how I feel about this yet, but one big change is that instead of working 3 12 hour shifts a week, I'll now be working M-F with variable hours. Some days start at 7am and end early afternoon. Other days start at noon and end around 7pm. I think that is what I'm still most nervous about. I'll not have the set schedule of 7a-7p shifts. And maybe that's a good thing. All I've ever known are 12 hour shifts, but who knows? Maybe I'll like it.
I recently bought these cute little hats from ScrubHeads on Etsy to add to my excitement for transferring to cath lab. They're cute :)
I still want to get all the same certifications I've aspired for, but for now, I think I'll get into the cath lab groove and take a step at a time. I will always be reading at least 1 book, and I'll always have the desire to learn, but I think I'll build up my confidence again before re-taking the exam (and paying $170 on top of my first test fee).
Anyway, that's the update for now.
I'd really like to post new pics of my darlings, but first have to charge my camera battery. And I guess I have to find the charger first :) Ha. Ha. Goodnight.
I follow several mom bloggers who I wonder: how in the world do they have time to write so often? And not only that, but they're simply amazing writers. I realize that I will never really be the kind to update my blog every two days, and neither really do I want to, but you, ladies, are my inspiration!!
So recent update...
I'll pick up where I last left off.
I took my CCRN certification for critical care nurses. And FAILED.
Super bummer. I took it at the beginning of September (or maybe August, I honestly don't remember), and I needed to answer 89 questions correctly to pass the exam. I failed the test by 2 questions. 2 stinkin' questions!! It makes it a little more of a bitter than a bitter sweet to be so close and not pass.
Sam really wants me to re-take it in the near future so that I don't give up on myself. True, true. He has a very valid point, and I am grateful to have a husband who is so supportive... However. I feel deflated. Confidence-wise anyway. I'm still studying, but less for the CCRN re-take than for cath lab.
Which brings me to my next update... I'm transferring to the cardiac cath lab!!
Woo! I'm really excited :D
I am so interested in everything cardiac, and I know this will be the best place to grow my knowledge. Plus, I've been in the same critical care unit for 4 years. It's just time to move on to a different type of nursing. I need to continue to grow professionally.
I'm still not sure how I feel about this yet, but one big change is that instead of working 3 12 hour shifts a week, I'll now be working M-F with variable hours. Some days start at 7am and end early afternoon. Other days start at noon and end around 7pm. I think that is what I'm still most nervous about. I'll not have the set schedule of 7a-7p shifts. And maybe that's a good thing. All I've ever known are 12 hour shifts, but who knows? Maybe I'll like it.
I recently bought these cute little hats from ScrubHeads on Etsy to add to my excitement for transferring to cath lab. They're cute :)
I still want to get all the same certifications I've aspired for, but for now, I think I'll get into the cath lab groove and take a step at a time. I will always be reading at least 1 book, and I'll always have the desire to learn, but I think I'll build up my confidence again before re-taking the exam (and paying $170 on top of my first test fee).
Anyway, that's the update for now.
I'd really like to post new pics of my darlings, but first have to charge my camera battery. And I guess I have to find the charger first :) Ha. Ha. Goodnight.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Workout ideas and birth control
So as I'm still relatively new again to the world of "active" people, I'm wondering if anyone has any good workouts to share? Especially in light of my recent chest pain episodes, I want to stay on the light side, but am totally up for a simple aerobic/cardiac routine along with good weight-lifting exercises.
What I really want to strengthen right now is my abs, so if you know of anything besides basic crunches, please share! I'm open to all suggestions! Maybe even a cool circuit traning routine :)
On another note, I know this is a random thing to follow the first part of this post with, but it's on my mind, so I'll share.
I am so, so thankful to have, as Melody, over at Blossoming Joy, puts it, a "faithful, faith-filled" husband. I'm so glad we share the same faith, and that we do so in our everyday lives. As practicing Catholics, we do not believe in artificial birth control. As a nurse, I do not believe in the benefits of birth control.
See below.
Did you know that the typical birth control pill is an estrogen-progestin combination, and that it is listed as a Group I carcinogen according World Health Organization? How is it that women aren't told this when they're prescribed birth control??
In case you're unfamiliar with what a Group I carcinogen is, here's some clarification. The WHO, in July 2005, changed the grouping of menopausal estrogen therapy and confirmed oral contraceptives (estrogen-progestogen), as "possibly carcinogenic to humans", Group II, to Group I "sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans." Guess what else is in Group I... asbestos,Hep C, HIV, Agent Orange,formaldehyde.
Just to be clear, the WHO put out a report in 1999 stating that estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives were Group 1. The meeting in 2005 confirmed it.
There are numerous other health effects of the Pill, but rather than making this post a scientific article, I'll re-post this video from Blossoming Joy :)
Kind of a long video, but well worth the time!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not judging. I've learned a great deal about Church teaching and the health effects of the Pill after much time spent in research. This is my personal conviction, which I believe to be part of God's divine plan for human life. If you do not believe the same as I, I will not judge. It is not my place. I follow the truth I seek, and am more than willing to share my faith. Please be respectful in commenting, as I will in return.
What I really want to strengthen right now is my abs, so if you know of anything besides basic crunches, please share! I'm open to all suggestions! Maybe even a cool circuit traning routine :)
On another note, I know this is a random thing to follow the first part of this post with, but it's on my mind, so I'll share.
I am so, so thankful to have, as Melody, over at Blossoming Joy, puts it, a "faithful, faith-filled" husband. I'm so glad we share the same faith, and that we do so in our everyday lives. As practicing Catholics, we do not believe in artificial birth control. As a nurse, I do not believe in the benefits of birth control.
See below.
Did you know that the typical birth control pill is an estrogen-progestin combination, and that it is listed as a Group I carcinogen according World Health Organization? How is it that women aren't told this when they're prescribed birth control??
In case you're unfamiliar with what a Group I carcinogen is, here's some clarification. The WHO, in July 2005, changed the grouping of menopausal estrogen therapy and confirmed oral contraceptives (estrogen-progestogen), as "possibly carcinogenic to humans", Group II, to Group I "sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans." Guess what else is in Group I... asbestos,Hep C, HIV, Agent Orange,formaldehyde.
Just to be clear, the WHO put out a report in 1999 stating that estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives were Group 1. The meeting in 2005 confirmed it.
There are numerous other health effects of the Pill, but rather than making this post a scientific article, I'll re-post this video from Blossoming Joy :)
Kind of a long video, but well worth the time!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not judging. I've learned a great deal about Church teaching and the health effects of the Pill after much time spent in research. This is my personal conviction, which I believe to be part of God's divine plan for human life. If you do not believe the same as I, I will not judge. It is not my place. I follow the truth I seek, and am more than willing to share my faith. Please be respectful in commenting, as I will in return.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Bottle it and sell it kind of motivation
I've been super motivated lately. I don't know exactly where it's come from, but I've very thankful it's here.
For the last three years, I've been putting off taking my CCRN exam (an exam for nerdy critical care nurses that want to be certified in what we're already doing :) Well about two weeks ago, I just decided enough is enough, and I registered for the exam. For one, I think I kept putting it off, because its a $300 exam, for which I will not receive a raise (God-willing I pass the test). At least our hospital doesn't for people with my employment status.
The date is set for August 13th.
Oh, and I'll post this also, because I'm proud of it, what with being the horrible procrastinator I am... I've started studying for it! Haha, I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but seriously, this is post-worthy for me :) I'm very excited to take the test. I'm a super nerd. For life.
Oh, (again) and following the CCRN exam, I plan to take two sub-specialty certification exams. The CSC and CMC (God-willing I pass those also) will certify that I am competent and able to take care of cardiac patients of acute illness, such as heart attack and open heart surgery. Both of these I do already, but again, out comes the nerdiness :)
So, when all is said and done, my new credentials will be:
RN, BSN, CCRN, CMC-CSC
Not too shabby, eh?
Haha, I'm not doing it so much for the letters, but because I know that having 100 hours of continuing education due every three years will MAKE me stay up-to-date on the most current critical care info, and being the procrastinator I already claim to be, I can use all the help (aka, mandatory education) I can get.
Besides getting a second wind in my professional life, I've also done so with my fitness life as well, being that I haven't had one in the last 3-4 years.
I'm so sad and embarrassed to admit, but since Sam and I were married, I've not exercised routinely or even not routinely at all. When I was in college and high school, I worked out all the time. Not in the obsessive, so concerned with my weight kind of worked out, but the maintain my muscle mass type.
Then, we got pregnant two months after we were married, and I honestly just lost all interest. I didn't see the point, although I do now. And not that it's an excuse at all, but I nursed Ella eight months, and was afraid to work out the whole time, thinking that if I did, I'd make my milk supply go down. (I think I read that somewhere- that if you do cardio/aerobics, it will do that. Probably bogus.) Then when Ella was eight months, we conceived Samy, and the same excuses perpetuated themselves, all the way up through the eight months I breastfed him. Sigh.
But in the last three weeks, I realized how much I missed breaking a good sweat and feeling like I'd done something good for my body. I talked to Sam about it and he was all supportive of me joining the Y and signing up for the nursery, so that I could take the kids with me to work out. So I did. It's been wonderful! I feel confident and strong, and dare to say it, sexy! Maybe the last part is due to the first :) Who knows?
Well, I've enjoyed it very much. But, alas, I'm having to slow down a bit and take a break. The last time I worked out, which was about a week and a half ago, I started to have chest pain. It's not chest pain in the usual sense, rather a pain I had in high school. The exact same pain, actually. Same location, same intensity, everything. I was checked out by a cardiologist at the time, and he couldn't find anything.
Now that I'm a CCU nurse and studying for my CCRN, I think I may know what it is. And believe me, I'm the last person to self-diagnose, especially the end of the world, worst possible scenario diagnosing types. But I think there's a difference in self-diagnosing my Google searching symptoms and an educated guess as to what it may be by assessment and findings as compared to legit medical/nursing references.
I dont' know what it is. I'm planning on going to a cardiologist for another evaluation in August, so we'll see then, but in the meantime, I'm going to start working out again, but maybe with less intensity.
Overall, I'm just really, really happy to be improving myself right now. I feel like God put a fire in me to be a better person. The Holy Spirit is with me every step of the way, gently guiding me in the way to be a better nurse to serve His people. And a better wife for my husband.
I want to live with a fire for life that doesn't dwindle because I'm used to the same 'ole, same 'ole. I want to be the fire that enflames others.
For the last three years, I've been putting off taking my CCRN exam (an exam for nerdy critical care nurses that want to be certified in what we're already doing :) Well about two weeks ago, I just decided enough is enough, and I registered for the exam. For one, I think I kept putting it off, because its a $300 exam, for which I will not receive a raise (God-willing I pass the test). At least our hospital doesn't for people with my employment status.
The date is set for August 13th.
Oh, and I'll post this also, because I'm proud of it, what with being the horrible procrastinator I am... I've started studying for it! Haha, I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but seriously, this is post-worthy for me :) I'm very excited to take the test. I'm a super nerd. For life.
Oh, (again) and following the CCRN exam, I plan to take two sub-specialty certification exams. The CSC and CMC (God-willing I pass those also) will certify that I am competent and able to take care of cardiac patients of acute illness, such as heart attack and open heart surgery. Both of these I do already, but again, out comes the nerdiness :)
So, when all is said and done, my new credentials will be:
RN, BSN, CCRN, CMC-CSC
Not too shabby, eh?
Haha, I'm not doing it so much for the letters, but because I know that having 100 hours of continuing education due every three years will MAKE me stay up-to-date on the most current critical care info, and being the procrastinator I already claim to be, I can use all the help (aka, mandatory education) I can get.
Besides getting a second wind in my professional life, I've also done so with my fitness life as well, being that I haven't had one in the last 3-4 years.
I'm so sad and embarrassed to admit, but since Sam and I were married, I've not exercised routinely or even not routinely at all. When I was in college and high school, I worked out all the time. Not in the obsessive, so concerned with my weight kind of worked out, but the maintain my muscle mass type.
Then, we got pregnant two months after we were married, and I honestly just lost all interest. I didn't see the point, although I do now. And not that it's an excuse at all, but I nursed Ella eight months, and was afraid to work out the whole time, thinking that if I did, I'd make my milk supply go down. (I think I read that somewhere- that if you do cardio/aerobics, it will do that. Probably bogus.) Then when Ella was eight months, we conceived Samy, and the same excuses perpetuated themselves, all the way up through the eight months I breastfed him. Sigh.
But in the last three weeks, I realized how much I missed breaking a good sweat and feeling like I'd done something good for my body. I talked to Sam about it and he was all supportive of me joining the Y and signing up for the nursery, so that I could take the kids with me to work out. So I did. It's been wonderful! I feel confident and strong, and dare to say it, sexy! Maybe the last part is due to the first :) Who knows?
Well, I've enjoyed it very much. But, alas, I'm having to slow down a bit and take a break. The last time I worked out, which was about a week and a half ago, I started to have chest pain. It's not chest pain in the usual sense, rather a pain I had in high school. The exact same pain, actually. Same location, same intensity, everything. I was checked out by a cardiologist at the time, and he couldn't find anything.
Now that I'm a CCU nurse and studying for my CCRN, I think I may know what it is. And believe me, I'm the last person to self-diagnose, especially the end of the world, worst possible scenario diagnosing types. But I think there's a difference in self-diagnosing my Google searching symptoms and an educated guess as to what it may be by assessment and findings as compared to legit medical/nursing references.
I dont' know what it is. I'm planning on going to a cardiologist for another evaluation in August, so we'll see then, but in the meantime, I'm going to start working out again, but maybe with less intensity.
Overall, I'm just really, really happy to be improving myself right now. I feel like God put a fire in me to be a better person. The Holy Spirit is with me every step of the way, gently guiding me in the way to be a better nurse to serve His people. And a better wife for my husband.
I want to live with a fire for life that doesn't dwindle because I'm used to the same 'ole, same 'ole. I want to be the fire that enflames others.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Woke up in a good mood today. Thought it was going to be a great day. It was not.
I let it not be a good day. I take responsibility.
I'm tired, disappointed, dehydrated and now have calloused hands.
Need to stay up to work on a couple of things, but I don't want to. I just want to lay in bed, listen to some good music and fall peacefully asleep.
I did not feel peace today. I guess I felt more frustrated and then just apathetic.
Whatever. It's done.
God, please help me to help tomorrow be a good day. My attitude is always in my control.
I have so much to be thankful for. And I am. Today was just was one of those days.
I want to feel you Lord. Be with me.
You are my everything.
Restore me. Get me back to my happy self.
I'm so sorry for all I've done.
Are you listening? I am sorry for hurting you.
I love you Jesus. Help me to love you more deeply. Take away the part of me that hurts. Or give me strength. And rest. Maybe give me rest first.
I love you.
I let it not be a good day. I take responsibility.
I'm tired, disappointed, dehydrated and now have calloused hands.
Need to stay up to work on a couple of things, but I don't want to. I just want to lay in bed, listen to some good music and fall peacefully asleep.
I did not feel peace today. I guess I felt more frustrated and then just apathetic.
Whatever. It's done.
God, please help me to help tomorrow be a good day. My attitude is always in my control.
I have so much to be thankful for. And I am. Today was just was one of those days.
I want to feel you Lord. Be with me.
You are my everything.
Restore me. Get me back to my happy self.
I'm so sorry for all I've done.
Are you listening? I am sorry for hurting you.
I love you Jesus. Help me to love you more deeply. Take away the part of me that hurts. Or give me strength. And rest. Maybe give me rest first.
I love you.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Oh, my...
I'm so not good at blogging regularly! I don't even know how many times I've resolved to "blog more often". Ugh. I so dislike it when I decide to do something and then don't follow through. It's just that blogging is so last on my list of things to get done that it often goes undone. Oh well, I really blog as a mommy outlet and for a few moments to organize my thoughts into words. Sorry to those of you who check my blog semi-regularly. And one last note on blog business: I've changed my url! I think its high time that my url match my blog's title. I really kind of like And Then She Felt Peace, because it reminds me of my life (but I'll save that for a future post).
In other news with our family...
Sam is no longer with the job he was working at for the last 3 1/2 years. His last day was the beginning of May. We are more happy than anything, as God has had His hand in all our recent happenings. We're trusting in Him that His will be done and praying that we want that more than our own.
With him leaving his old job and having some time off, we took a 2 week vacation to visit friends in Charlotte in mid-May. Our friends, Meghan and Richard (and Gavin, who's Ella's age), are our best friends who moved away a year ago. They used to live 30 miles away. Now its more like 1300!! Whew, it was quite the drive, what with 2 babies in tow. But it was lovely! The trip to Charlotte was 23 hours, one-way, and I was very nervous about taking a 2 year old and 10 month old on such a long drive. Turns out, it was not only manageable, but very enjoyable. Ella usually runs anywhere she goes, so I was worried that keeping her in the car so long would make
What I especially loved about the trip was that 95% of the way there and back we didn't have the radio or any music on. Sam and I talked (so much, I loved it!) and sang songs with Ella. We probably sang "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Happy Birthday" (Ella's new favorite song) about 50 times each, if not way more. It was super lovely family time :)
And the best part of out non-driving trip was by far, getting to see our very missed friends! We absolutely loved seeing Meghan, Rich, and Gavin! Ella and Gavin hung out the whole time and spent a lot of time chasing Meghan's cat, Sasha... poor thing. She's a trooper. We just has the best time and are so thankful for the wonderful hosts they were. We love you guys!!
So, in more recent news, Sam started PA school this past week! Yaaaaay!! It's felt like this has been a long time coming, and I'm so glad we're finally here! The first week was hard, as the first day of each class was definitely graduate level. Sam came home and studied beside me as I played on the iPad (super productive, I know :), and read aloud some of the stuff he learned on the first day of class. Sounded like this, "The 2-3DPG gamma receptor inhibits the uptake of the RT803 gene's ability to secrete polynuclease indogenous cytokines that regulate the Doff's cycle." Yeah, whaaa?? No, that's not what he said, but sounded like that to me! And what's bad is that I'm a Bachelor's prepared RN! I usually get this stuff. It was incredible that his first day of class was already way over my head. All I can say is Go.Babe. You're incredible, and I so admire you.
So, that's what's new with us.
Here are some pics from our trip and Sam's first day of PA school (yes, I took a picture).
He did this a lot of the way :)
And Ella being her pretty princess self!
Once we got out of Texas, this was a lot of what our trip looked like. So much green!
Monday, April 16, 2012
My Samy
Is kind and wonderful and handsome and smart.
Loves me with a love like know love I've ever encountered.
Has a smile that melts my heart and has since high school.
Is the most amazing dad to our two little babies.
Gives and gives and gives, no matter how tired.
Loves his mom and dad like with a tremendous love, only a son can have. He's the best son I've ever met.
Has a passion for our faith.
Can make me laugh so hard when he's being silly :-b
Is my hero.
Always put me before himself.
Has strong arms that hold me tight just because.
Is sometimes a daredevil. And it sometimes makes me very nervous. His mom too!
Deserves the best the world has to offer.
Strives to do the right thing.
Likes it when I call him Samy.
Wants to grow old with me.
Is so understanding.
Tries. Every day. That may be one of the most important thing of all.
Believes in the sanctity of marriage. Especially ours.
Truly wants the best for people.
Is a very hard worker.
Is and always was my favorite member of the Breakfast Club.
Will one day have a very nice truck.
Keeps me on the right and narrow path.
Is my greatest ministry.
Is my best friend. Truly, truly. And I love that I can say that.
Will do great things in this life, because he cares.
Is my amazing husband, who rocks my world, gave me two gorgeous children, loves me faithfully, puts forth the effort, loves unconditionally, and still manages to look handsome as ever at the end of the day.
I am beyond-words-blessed to be married to you. All of the above are reasons why I'm so proud to be your wife. You could've picked anyone, yet you chose me. Thanks for the best three years of my life. I can't wait to spend my whole life being silly with you, perfecting our dance, snuggling up to that one spot on your neck that is mine (where you always smell oh, so good), watching our children grow, traveling, laughing, crying, and holding hands all the while.
You are the best part of my life.
I'm crazy about you, Sir.
Happy Anniversary <3 4.18.09
Loves me with a love like know love I've ever encountered.
Has a smile that melts my heart and has since high school.
Is the most amazing dad to our two little babies.
Gives and gives and gives, no matter how tired.
Loves his mom and dad like with a tremendous love, only a son can have. He's the best son I've ever met.
Has a passion for our faith.
Can make me laugh so hard when he's being silly :-b
Is my hero.
Always put me before himself.
Has strong arms that hold me tight just because.
Is sometimes a daredevil. And it sometimes makes me very nervous. His mom too!
Deserves the best the world has to offer.
Strives to do the right thing.
Likes it when I call him Samy.
Wants to grow old with me.
Is so understanding.
Tries. Every day. That may be one of the most important thing of all.
Believes in the sanctity of marriage. Especially ours.
Truly wants the best for people.
Is a very hard worker.
Is and always was my favorite member of the Breakfast Club.
Will one day have a very nice truck.
Keeps me on the right and narrow path.
Is my greatest ministry.
Is my best friend. Truly, truly. And I love that I can say that.
Will do great things in this life, because he cares.
Is my amazing husband, who rocks my world, gave me two gorgeous children, loves me faithfully, puts forth the effort, loves unconditionally, and still manages to look handsome as ever at the end of the day.
I am beyond-words-blessed to be married to you. All of the above are reasons why I'm so proud to be your wife. You could've picked anyone, yet you chose me. Thanks for the best three years of my life. I can't wait to spend my whole life being silly with you, perfecting our dance, snuggling up to that one spot on your neck that is mine (where you always smell oh, so good), watching our children grow, traveling, laughing, crying, and holding hands all the while.
You are the best part of my life.
I'm crazy about you, Sir.
Happy Anniversary <3 4.18.09
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Smiles and Pretty Folders
A great read. Well several great reads. Sam and I are just into book #2!
Samy just loves a high swing <3
I know, I know, I'm bragging now... but goodness, my kids are beautiful!!
Her cousin Levi got a John Deere for his birthday. I think Ella might have loved it even more than he did! It was so cute. They just rode around in around in that little thing. Too cute!
The pretty view from my craft room. Love this.
And being as I felt particularly crafty today, here's the before of what I made for my little teacher sister:
And here are the afters:
Vóila!
Samy just loves a high swing <3
I know, I know, I'm bragging now... but goodness, my kids are beautiful!!
Her cousin Levi got a John Deere for his birthday. I think Ella might have loved it even more than he did! It was so cute. They just rode around in around in that little thing. Too cute!
The pretty view from my craft room. Love this.
And being as I felt particularly crafty today, here's the before of what I made for my little teacher sister:
And here are the afters:
Vóila!
Monday, April 9, 2012
A few things I'm in need of...
I lay down to go fall asleep a couple of minutes, but felt compelled to blog while I laid there, awake with thoughts swirling around in my head. Mostly of things I need. Maybe if I post them, they'll appear in my house in the morning. Maybe.
I need my own personal Cinna to make me look radiant and beautiful. (Sam and I finished the first of the Hunger Games tonight.)
I need more sleep than I'll get tonight.
Sam to stay home and hang out with me tomorrow (and study for his test).
To stay focused on the prize.
To feel trusting and comfortable... And confident, it seems. Sometimes I am all these things. Sometimes I'm not.
A really, really good friend who is spontaneously wonderful.
Sleep.
I need my own personal Cinna to make me look radiant and beautiful. (Sam and I finished the first of the Hunger Games tonight.)
I need more sleep than I'll get tonight.
Sam to stay home and hang out with me tomorrow (and study for his test).
To stay focused on the prize.
To feel trusting and comfortable... And confident, it seems. Sometimes I am all these things. Sometimes I'm not.
A really, really good friend who is spontaneously wonderful.
Sleep.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Pictures please!!
So, I totally realize that these pics are from the end of last summer, but they're just too darn cute... I had to share. She's really beautiful, isn't she?
Check out this stud! What a cutie, just like his daddy!! I love my little man :)
Compare this pic with the last one of Baby Samy... totally the same face, right? I tell everyone they look so much alike. It's basically the same kid, different hair. lol.
Silly Ella. She was playing in daddy's super cool safety glasses. Alright! Or like she says, "Aw-white!"
Here's Ella and cousin Levi hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Check out how the further he leaned away, the closer she leaned in. She wasn't taking no for an answer. That boy was gettting a kiss!
These pics are from today. We took a few picture breaks while we spruced up our lawn. Its just so exhausting helping out... whew.
Gotta love this little one...
...She does.
Hope y'all are having a great March so far. We most definitely are.
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