Second Sunday of Lent

Just stopping by to say I miss you all!

I went through all of the posts in my reader-

totaling about 300, and left few comments.

I was overwhelmed.

I do miss you all!

Have a Blessed week!

Miss Alex!

First Sunday of Lent

Well, I have made it through the first 4 days of Lent. You know what? I miss you all! This fast during the week from blogging is going to be good for me, but I do miss my blogging friends.

The week went fast! Andy was gone all day yesterday at a conference, leaving me with the kids, but it was good. The boys had swim, and we had the first Lenten challenge for them (I had a babysitter for Alex). Normally they play their DS's while one of them is in class (the 3 have classes back to back, and it is 2 hours from start to finish). Yesterday, I told them to grab a book. They looked at me incredulously. They couldn't believe I was making them stick to what they had given up.

It went really well. Peter read for almost 2 hours straight-something I have always struggled to get him to do. He almost finished the book he was reading. He also proceeded to tell me the plot-which was good because it showed me he had truly been reading.

Drew didn't feel like reading, but he didn't become impatient while waiting. While Drew was in class, Michael climbed into my lap and let me read to him (a rare treat because Andy usually does the bedtime reading because I am teaching).

While Peter was in class, I wondered what I would do with the two younger boys. We walked the halls at the high school. I could smell food (power lifting was going on in the building), so we walked over to concessions where the boys shared a bag of popcorn. I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in ages-her daughter was doing power lifting! All in all it was a good time and the boys didn't complain a bit about the lack of DS's!

Today, we had family time. My in-laws stopped in for a bit, and my sister was here a good chuck of the afternoon while Andy set up her new laptop. Speaking of my sister-she is going back to work tomorrow after her leave from her open heart surgery! After her being ill for so long, it is so good to have my sister back with all of her energy and joy for life! Thank you all once again for all of the prayers for her while she recovered!

With that, I bid adieu until next Sunday! I miss you all, but know this is the right decision for me for Lent. I am working on a couple of books I will be reviewing for Catholic Company and Tiber River, and it is good to be able to read them during this time of preparation. God Bless!

Ash Wednesday!

And so it begins! I feel like we got off to a good start this morning by making it to Mass. Andy and I sat with Michael and Alex while our big boys sat with their classes. It was a beautiful Mass, and I feel like we are off to the start I wanted! As Mass ended I happily joined in on one of my favorite prayers:

"O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine! Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar, now and forever, Amen!"

So, what have I decided? I want to be able to spend more time focusing on my Faith and on my family this lent. I will be only posting on Sundays and checking through my google reader then as well. (We practice that Sundays are not Lent, so you can have what you have given up). If you need to get a hold of me, please email me (can't give up that one because of work!).

I love you all and pray we all have a fruitful Lent. Pray for me as I will pray for you!

Guess what's new?

Lent and other musings

Lent starts tomorrow, and I am really struggling with plans to make this a great Lent, not only for me, but also for my family. I am really struggling with what to do. Last year, I gave up games on facebook-but that didn't go so well. I really want this Lent to be about well, preparing for Easter. How many times have I thought about what to do to get by with the bare minimum? What if Jesus had done that? I also want my boys to really be involved this year as well.

I purchased this book as a daily reflection book for Andy and I. I am excited to have something to meditate on over Lent. The boys have come to the consensus that they are giving up computer time and video games for Lent. I am proud of them for doing this, and it will not be easy.

As for me, I am not sure what sacrifice I am making. I feel like there are so many things I could give up-diet coke (but it is my ONLY source of caffeine), facebook and/or blogging (but then I feel like I will be in this solitary abyss, and I will miss my friends). I am really struggling with the decision. I want to have a fruitful Lent. I am just not sure how to go about it.

I did post on FB yesterday that I was thinking about giving up FB for Lent. So many people said just limit it. That, for me, is not a sacrifice. I just don't know!

One thing I do know is that I need to rethink schedules and such. I have been feeling so overwhelmed lately. You would think it would have been when Alex was born, but that was the easy part. Now that she is scheduled, I feel like I have these little burst to get things done when she is napping. I just am feeling like I am running all the time in between bottles and feeding (she now is eating baby food 3 times per day!). Afternoons are awful! We get the boys from school, and it is a rush for snacks, bottle for Alex, homework, feed her baby food, get dinner going, and then Andy runs in the door, we have 30 minutes as a family and I run off to teach until 10. I don't want to be whiny. We have a great, blessed life with beautiful children. I am just running low on steam. I need to find time to pray more, read and craft. Sigh-don't know how I am going to do it!

I am going to figure this Lenten plan today. I'll let you know what I decide!

5 months old!

I love sitting in my high chair and watching Mama!

All ready to go out in the cold!

I really want to crawl!

Snow!

We are in the middle of a snowstorm, and it is about time if you ask me! It started last night and should go through about 3 AM tomorrow. We are supposed to get 10-14 inches. Our area has really been lacking this winter which is highly unusual for the midwest! The last snow day we had was December of 2008! No snow day here today, though. My hubby got the boys off to school safely-and early, as Peter served at 7:30 Mass. I am a tad concerned about driving to pick them up this afternoon with Michael and the baby in tow, but we'll leave early!

I am super motivated today! I baked bread this morning (my Mama always said to bake during snowstorms!) and the laundry about half done already! Later, I am going to make homemade sauce for pasta for supper and some banana bread. Not sure what has gotten into me, but this is going to be a great day!

How Alex Sleeps

This picture is actually for Jamie. Her Sweetie Pie has an infatuation with her feet. So does my Alex. I caught her this way the other night. She had worked her leg out of her sleeper so she had access to her foot. This was not the first time she's done this. When I checked on her last night, she was sound asleep with her feet in the air! Also notice that she puts her face up to the bumper and sucks her thumb or the heel of her hand. Too cute!

Women of Christ 2010

I have been trying to write about the conference I attended on Saturday, and am having the hardest time a) finding a block of time to write and b) having a coherent thought. I am teaching right now, and so far, I have students slowly filtering in. We'll see how much I get done while I am here.

I have to start out by saying that I had no plans to attend the conference. It was the second year that Women of Christ was being held in our Archdiocese. It wasn't that I wasn't interested, but life has been crazy (and still is), and I didn't think I could give up the day, particularly one when everyone was home. My dear friend, Lisa, emailed me around Christmas and basically told me that I needed this. She could see me spiralling more clearly than I could and knew I needed this day. I gave in-and I was glad I did!

The day had some really awesome speakers, including Vicki Thorn, the founder of Project Rachel. The theme for the day was the dignity of women (like the encyclical), but it was so much more. There was much talk about how as women we really need to be the voice for the unborn. One particularly poignant talk was given by Yvonne Florczak-Seeman who, herself, had 5 abortions before realizing the horror of what she had done. Her talk made us laugh and cry. It was truly an amazing day!

We also had the opportunity for Confession, Adoration, and we closed with a beautiful Mass. It was a fabulous day, and just what I needed!

Also, at one point, I hear this voice behind me, "Therese, do you feel like you are being stalked?" I turned around only to find it was my blogging friend, Anne. We knew we were from the same area but had never met. The day before, Anne told me she'd be looking for me. I thought we would never meet up because there were over 2,000 women there! Yet, there she was! I hope to meet up with her again soon!

So, I have to say thank you to Lisa, for knowing what I needed-can't wait for next year! Thank you all for all of your prayers! During the Eucharistic Procession and Mass, I prayed for each of you and your intentions! Love you all!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Archbishop Jerome Listecki came to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with our parish on Sunday. We were honored and blessed to be able to meet him. He is new to our archdiocese, but we are excited to have him here. We were able to get a family picture with him right before he left!

Here is our archbishop with some of the school kids. Peter and Drew are in the red school shirts.

Peter also had science fair this weekend. We are so proud of him! He took third place! He also happened to be there when the Archbishop was looking at the projects and Peter spent a good five minutes explaining his project to him! For my shy son, this was a huge experience!

At Mass this morning, Father Dan told us that the last thing the Archbishop told him on Sunday was how impressed he was with the people of our parish, especially the children and how they are living out their faith. I am so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community!

5 minutes

I just wanted five minutes. Michael hasn't napped in 2 years. Alex was down and I am really tired. I was up a lot last night with what I think was pink eye. At least, I think it was, but it is completely gone today! (Can it last only 24 hours?) So, again, just 5 minutes.

I was going to read this afternoon. I have book club tomorrow. I am not finished yet. I am trying, but I could not read last night because of said eye. So, I thought, maybe I will just rest for 15 minutes and then I will keep reading. I said, "Michael, let's get comfty (his word) and watch a show." Except I should know. Mama and Daddy's water bed is like an amusement park. Why did I keep trying for.an.hour.? Because I just wanted 5 minutes. And, as my dear sweet Michael hopped off and went to play, I thought, "Yes! Five minutes!" Alex woke up!

Off to pick up kids and then hopefully post something worthwhile here about my weekend!

Mommy Brain!

I was featured on Christy's blog today! You can check it out here!

I am hoping to post more later today about my awesome weekend, but baby girl is HUNGRY!