We Miss You Mary Rose

My Lord, the baby is dead!

Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord?

“Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’? Well, I will tell you why.

You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.”

I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity.                                                                                              –  Mother M. Angelica

A Simple Woman’s Daybook

For Today,  Tuesday November 17, 2009

Outside My Window… Winter is coming,  the trees are bare and the sky is gray.

I am thinking… That I am completely clueless when it comes to packing up our household for the upcoming move.

I am thankful… That we are all up early enough this morning to eat, get dressed, complete our morning chores,  and blog before we leave for mass in twenty minutes!

From the kitchen… Cold cereal for breakfast.  (I had yogurt with honey, Chi protein drink, and attempted a banana.)  Today is market day so we will pick up something quick to prepare for lunch,  dinner will most likely be some kind of soup with homemade pumpkin dinner rolls.

I am wearing… Brown tights, brown skirt,  pink, green, and white striped blouse with a pink sweater over it.

I am creating… A BABY!!! Did I announce that here yet?  Yes,  we are having another baby,  due to arrive on the 4th of July.    I am just over 7 weeks along and feeling every bit of it!   Praise God!

I am reading… Home Comforts:  The Art and Science of Keeping House This is a very informative book,  covering things I rarely think about and now realize I have been neglecting.   I am gleaning many great ideas for organizing my home management binder for our new farmhouse.

I am hearing… Seven children speaking at the same time – I think they are having a conversation, but it is beyond me how they can hear one another!

One of my favorite things…Greek yogurt – YUM!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Piano lessons, Fencing practice, a peek at our baby via ultrasound,  Henry Joe’s  5th birthday, mass,  and the usual math, reading, catechism and spelling lessons.  Oh, and, yes,  I suppose I should pack something…

Here is picture thought I am sharing…

Like mother like daughter!  Abby tied Greta to her back and she was asleep in an instant!

~~May God Bless Your Week~~

Inspirational!

Dinner in “the little house”.

An Oldie

I love coming across old pictures!

One Thousand Gifts List 1

This is such a wonderful idea for the season from Holy Experience. God gives so much,  and I take so much of what He gives for granted.    I am going to use the opportunity to reflect on His generosity.

1.  A little blonde boy spilling out of my lap with his belly warm and full of mommy’s milk.

2.  Close proximity to the local emergency room.

3.  A husband with a super sense of humor.

4.  Plenty of Kleenex to dab at tiny snotty noses.

5.  Cheap candles that add the smell of fall and a warm glow to our little home.

6.  Denim with a touch of spandex.

7.  Teaching Textbooks and ear buds.

8.  Blessed Salt

9.  Slow, restful breathing.

10.  Guardian Angels.

11.  Thrift shops.

12.  discovering drugstore.com

13.  Generosity of strangers.

14.  Community.

15.  A draft free back door.

16.  High thread count sheets.

17. Not having any place to go first thing on a rainy morning.

18.  Co-sleeping – Mama, Papa, and a couple of babies.

19.  Walls of books.

20.  Cheap hair dye. :p

21.  A toddler learning to say his older siblings names.

22.  A healthy stash of chocolate.

23.  Baby giggles.

24.  Vaporizers and Vicks to calm croupy coughs in the middle of the night.

25.  When the kids  make up silly games to keep themselves busy.

Baby Greedy!

The first thing I thought when I saw this adorable baby cozy at Rebecca’s was:  “If we were to be blessed with a pregnancy this month,  we would be due in July,  and July is just to hot for one of those – Bummer!”  I am so baby greedy!  But,  in my own defense,  my next thought was that I could make on for my dear friend who is due to have her third baby any day now!

A Tisket A Tasket

A Baby in a Basket!

Keeping Their Bellies Full

*Or: Menu Planning Revisited

It seems that no matter what great ’system’  I have for any given household task,    I find myself needing to revisit and revamp it as our family grows and circumstances change.    A few months ago it was the meal planning that was in dire need of a work over.   I was spending two hours or more a week planning our menu and grocery list.   Then another two hours shopping.    It was becoming one of my most dreaded tasks,  which is a real shame because I thoroughly enjoy cooking.

My prayer was answered one day while visiting a meal planning thread on the Real Learning message boards.     I visited E-mealz and browsed the sample menus over and over again.  Even if it was only $1.25 per week,  I wanted to be sure it would suit our family.    Finally about a month ago,  I bit the bullet and subscribed.

It is set up so that when you subscribe,  you choose which market you want your menu and grocery lists based on.    I chose ALDI since it is the place I frequent most often.  There is also an ‘any store’ option.     Each week I log in and print out my weekly menu and grocery list.  From there I add it to our Family Kitchen Binder and tweak the recipes as I see fit.  It was noted in the Real Learning thread that it seemed to suggest a lot of convenience foods,  which I generally like to avoid.     I have been able to tweak these suggestions with my own ideas or use what was suggested,   only the homemade version.  (Such as mac & cheese or rice pilaf…)    This gives me a very good backbone of a weekly dinner menu,  which has been a mental life saver for me.

I still have breakfast and lunch to come up with.    I have created rotation menus for these meals,  which takes a lot of the brain work out if it each week.

I leave a day or two open each week for our own ideas and creations.  My daughter loves to cook and often asks to plan a day of meals.  I also like to flex my creative muscles in this way once in a while.    Overall though,  this has been working very well for us.  I no longer have to find that chunk of time in my week to whip up a menu,  I only have to spend a few minutes tweaking their suggestions.    I keep notes on the recipes also,  so we remember those dishes we really enjoyed and toss out those we did not.  (which has only been one so far!)

The Simple Woman’s Daybook

For Today, September 26, 2009

Please visit Peggy at The Simple Woman to read more.

Outside My Window… A bunch of filthy dirty kids around a fire ring preparing to camp out in their tent tonight.

I am thinking… about the scared young woman I spoke to in front of the death mill yesterday. I am not a trained sidewalk councilor by an means. It was a chance encounter, and I hope and pray she found my information useful. Please, please pray for her and her sweet unborn baby.

I am thankful for… Ten beautiful, healthy, strong children.

From the kitchen… lunch was a crock pot full of sauerkraut and brats. Abigail just made a batch of applesauce popovers, and I am incubating 3 pints of yogurt.

I am wearing… Levi’s and a white button up the front shirt, black socks with hot pink toes, and some sassy little earrings from The Singing Ladybug!

I am creating… nothing much creative going on here, sometimes just trying to stay on top of things is enough.

I am reading… The Real Thomas Jefferson

I am hearing… Reba and Kelly Clarkson belting out “Because of You”

One of my favorite things… Spending my Saturday morning listening to Sr. Sharon of the Visitation helping me understand the words of our Holy Father.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… Drum and guitar lessons, school lessons, mass, holy hour, fencing practice, speech classes and free gym time, potluck lunch, 40 Days for Life prayer vigil, parish pilgrimage and family day at the pumpkin patch.

Here is picture thought I am sharing… Look who’s standing up!

Patroness of the Unborn

Ora Pro Nobis