All Saint's Day 2016

Well, I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted.  The time has flown by at lightening speed--seriously the shortest month in the history of months.  We have been very busy with activities, sports, midwives' appointments, and life in general.  I have been blogging in my head but haven't had enough time to sit down and add anything to this little space of mine on the Internet.  Did you miss me?  I have missed being here.

November is a slower month for us--aside from the crazy rush to Thanksgiving that always happens.  I am trying to cut back a bit and not run myself ragged in these last weeks before baby comes.  Only 7 more to go!!!!  I am definitely in a mixed emotions season of my pregnancy.  On the one hand, I am still trying to get a grip on the fact that I am actually pregnant.  You would think with the big 7+ month belly it would be hard to forget, but there are still times that it absolutely amazes me!  Then there are the jitters and nerves of binging home a new little love, I'M JUST NOT READY.  I feel like I can't do it, this pregnancy has flown by even more quickly than this October and my brain can't process how close to the end we are.  I can't wait to cuddle this new miracle and know that everything is all right, the hard part of waiting and hoping is over, yet I don't want to rush a single moment any more than it already has been.  I want to savor every second of this miracle of deliciousness because I know that I will probably never walk this path, again.

I thought a day book might be a good way to jump back in here.  It's only been 27 months since my last one....

Outside my window...
 Autumn is in the air and leaves are all around.  I enjoy this time of year, it always reminds me of my mom.  This was her favorite season. She loved everything about it and once the trees begin to turn color, I have many teary drives around this beautiful area she loved so much.  The kids are soaking up the last bits of warm sunny play and I don't have the heart to stop them.  I know winter is around the corner and all accounts are calling for a cold, snowy one.

I am thinking...
that there is so much ugliness going on in this world.  However, my news feed on Facebook has been flooded with all the new babies from my Catholic pregnancy support group, just looking at them gives me hope and shows me how much beauty we still have.

I am thankful...
for God's provision, even when it seems we are losing the battle, He is winning the war!

Learning all the time...
Have I mentioned that I am learning to play the guitar with Buddy? It is a humbling experience to be in a class of young children and be struggling to catch up.  My body just isn't as flexible as their so it has taken a lot of practice to make some progress.  I am enjoying it though, it is something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Celebrating the Liturgical Year...
Today is the feast of All Saints.  Last night, my daughter's St Therese Scouts troop hosted an All Saints party.  We had such a great time! The kids all designed their own costumes and Cowgirl baked a delicious cake.  I made some allergy friendly dishes so that I knew I would have something to eat.  We played games, did line dancing, and shared a delicious meal with some wonderful friends.  Can you guess who the kids were dressed as?

From the kitchen...
We've been doing a lot of simple dishes with rice and beans. Trying to economize but I am not feeling very creative.  I can't wait to do some Thanksgiving baking.  I have been researching making a pumpkin delight--I delight in all things pumpkin--that is dairy and gluten free.  As much as I don't want November to go quickly, I am so looking forward to whatever pumpkin dessert I end up making.

I am creating...
some new items for my etsy shop. It has been pretty neglected this past year.  I want to breathe some new life into it and we could use the extra money so my plan for the next week is to make what I can to fill it up once more.


I am going... 
to be posting the rest of our plans for the year before the year is out, I promise!

I am hoping...
for a smooth labor and delivery.  Lately, I have been having flashbacks of Little Man's birth which was very difficult and traumatic.  I thought I had deal with all the emotions, but approaching another delivery has conjured them back up.  I am hoping to begin feeling hopeful that this time will be better and to breathe easy trusting in God's plan for this new life.

I am praying...
for our Pastor who had quadruple bi-pass surgery a couple of week ago,

for our nation and our Church that seem to need so much guidance and deliverance,

for these elections to bring our country together instead of tearing it apart,

for my goddaughter who has been having unexplained medical issues,

for our finances and my husband's new career, things are rough but God is good,

and for so many others that I hold in my heart.

I am reading...
Cardinal Sarah's book.  I am only a little more than half way through and have decided I need to read it again, too much good meat in that book to absorb it all in one reading. If you have not read it, you must!

I am pondering these words...

Lamentations 3:22-23New International Version (NIV)

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

 
I am listening to...
the boys set up for Mass on our covered porch.  Buddy is the priest and Little Man is the altar boy.  They even checked the calendar to make sure they had the colors correct.  Since I was up all night monitoring Little Man's breathing (we thought he was having an allergic reaction, turned out to be a cold) and am now coming down with his cold, this may be the only Mass I get to assist today.

Around the house...
I'm trying to nest and get ready for winter but my body is slowing me down.  With so much going on, we have fallen very far behind.  We have already had a few freezes and sleet one morning. It is time to winterize. I am hoping we get to it this weekend. I want everything clean, and neat for baby's home coming.  I don't know how to accomplish that!

One of my favorite things...
is feeling baby's wiggles and kicks, although the kick are packing a punch these days and are sometimes painful, but it never gets old.  I wish I could somehow bottle this feeling and take it out whenever I want for the rest of my life. I will miss these little love taps in a couple months. 

Plans for the week...
Wednesday- co-op all day (I hope, Little Man is feeling worse and so am I.)
Thursday- A day at home to catch up on school and cleaning.
Friday-- Well check ups for the kids, they are so thrilled!
Saturday-- Adoration and first Saturday Mass in the morning.  Going to a charity auction that Hubby is running in the evening, it will be nice to be out.
Sunday--  Mass in the morning, some rest in the afternoon, and Youth Group for Cowgirl in the evening

How is your fall going so far?



 

 

My Daybook: July 29, 2014

I have wanted to do one of these posts for a long time, after seeing Jessica's yesterday, I decided it was time to do my own.

Outside my window...
 It is very cool and cloudy, especially for late July!  The thermometer read 66 degrees when we got in the car to head to swim lessons.  I was cold just sitting on the beach, but the kids still swam all day and when they got too cold in the water, they moved the party to the playground.  It is so nice to see so many kids playing together every summer and watching them all grow.  What happy childhood memories they are building.

I am thinking...
That I need to start planning for next year more rigorously.  Almost all the books are purchased and the ideas are laid out in my head, I just need to get it all on paper to have a working schedule.  Seems I am always thinking of next year, thus is the life of a homeschool mom.  However, I am trying to live more in the present and not spend so much time planning, to just rely fully on God and rest in His Plan and Will--that is my goal for this coming school year! {...but, I still need to finally purchase a planner and get cracking!}

I am thankful...
for all of the prayers for my family and our challenges, prayer truly is the perfect gift!  I am also thankful for a beautiful community to live in and our loving church family.  I cannot imagine life without either one.  I know that we are not to hold onto the things of this world but to relinquish all to follow Christ, but at this point I am so thankful to be blessed with these great gifts!

Learning all the time...
it has been a big summer of learning on the beach.  We suspend lessons for swim season because so much of our time is spent on the beach and when we are home we are either cleaning up sand or too tired and looking forward to bed.  Buddy is now able to swim to the docks with no life-vest, he still has to be with an adult but has made great strides since refusing the enter the water at all just two years ago. Little Man has been perfecting his walking on the sand and can now cover pretty much the whole beach.  He was experimenting with walking up the grassy slopes by the fence.  He tumbled down a few times but was determined to learn how to do it like the big kids.  He is growing up too quickly!  

Celebrating the Liturgical Year...
Today is the feast of St Martha.  So, I am preparing a feast for dinner, london broil, roasted onion and parsley couscous, sauteed broccoli rabe and a farm fresh salad.
 
…40But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-42

However, I am contemplating how I can spend more time at the LORD's feet instead of toiling with housework.  I plan on resuming my monthly first Friday devotion and adoration on August 1st.  I've only made it once since Little Man was born.

From the kitchen...
it has been greens, greens, and more greens.  Our CSA is in full swing and the veggies are piled high in the refrigerator.  I am thankful that it wasn't just greens this week, and am trying very hard to run out of vegetables by Saturday night so we have space when we pick up this week's share after church on Sunday.

 

We have also had a bumper crop of beans from the garden this year.  Normally the kids eat every one before they make it into the house, this year I planted three times as much and so we are actually getting piles of green and yellow string beans in our kitchen.  They have been wonderful to snack on and dip in a little ranch dressing.

I am creating planning on creating...
a nice little banner for Little Man's highchair to celebrate his birthday this week.  I guess I better get to the store tomorrow, so far I only have the ribbon.  I'll post pictures if I get it done in time!

I am going... 
to our local Catholic homeschooling conference on Saturday.  It will be the first time leaving Little Man for an entire day.  I am nervous and excited at the same time.  After weighing the possibilities of taking him with me and staying home this year I decided that I am going to go and just come home early. I missed the conference last year because I was just getting home from the hospital.

I am hoping...
to actually get to sit down and type up my Josefina unit study   this weekend.  It has been a long time coming and I need to clear the checklists out of my head...lol!

I am praying...
for the repose of Sarah's soul and for her young family, what a heartbreak!  

for my family in our continued struggles as my mother nears the end of her life here on earth

for direction for my husband and I as we contemplate finding another home

for my dear friend, Jessica, and her intentions

and for so many others that I hold in my heart.

I am reading...
the last couple of pages of Style, Sex & Substance edited by Hallie Lord.  I'll be writing a review of it soon! I am debating on what to read next, before I need to start reading teacher's manuals, texts, and such for next year.  Any suggestions???

I am pondering these words...

 
"We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success; nor on sciences that cloud the intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus alone."

~St Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) 

 
I am listening to...
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The children have been playing and replaying the audiobook over the past three weeks.  I just checked out five new audiobooks, but so far they haven't switched!

Around the house...
I am taking stock of all that still needs to be done before cold weather sets in--it switches back to cold weather too quickly around here--and scheduling family work days.   So far the only thing off my summer to do list is the bathroom redecorating, still much more to go including new gutters, new shutters, and a septic repair!!

One of my favorite things...
is my sweet Little Man, even though he is a squirmy, mischievous, sand-eating toddler.  This past year has been one of my happiest ever. ( Now if I could only figure out how to create a pause button to retrofit onto the kids, that would be my favorite thing of all time.)  Opening the hatch and seeing this little face smile back at me is my favorite feature on our Outback wagon.

Plans for the week...
Tuesday-swim lessons
Wednesday--planting spinach and kale for fall crops, swim lessons and sandwiches at the beach for dinner
Thursday--a trip to Picture People and the local bakery to celebrate Little Man's first birthday!!
Friday--riding lessons, a trip to the pet store to get Buddy a fish, and the last day of swim lessons for the season
Saturday--homeschool conference
Sunday--Mass, CSA pick-up, weekly Family Rosary at our friends'

A little peak at my day...
This little guy never stops, he is, as I call it, the busiest of the busies.  But every once in awhile he crashes after running around and trying so hard to keep up with the big kids.

The boys having a little mini-concert/dance party.  Little Man is "playing" the piano (read pushing the pre-programmed music keys) and the two of them are dancing their hearts out!  I tried getting a movie but they stopped as soon as the camera started, so this blurry picture is all I have.  But, isn't that what days with a houseful of kids is anyway, a blur!!  Have I mentioned how much I want a pause button???
Hope you are all having a blessed week!