Unexpected Journey

I Remember Mama

2010-06-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

I recently saw this movie for the first time and just loved it! I enjoy watching these old movies that show families back in the old days. It stars Irene Dunn and a VERY young Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton) in a supporting role. I'm so used to seeing Ellen Corby as Grandma on the Waltons that it was a shock to see her so young! Oh, and it also has Barbara Bel Geddes when she was young. If any of you remember the show, Dallas, she was Mom Ewing.

Boy, these past few months have really been stressful and non-stop. The kids were all involved in their sports activities (three kids-four sports) and it just got to be too much to handle all the logistics involved. I was shuttling the kids here and there, making sure uniforms were ready, equipment was packed, and game schedules were coordinated (a nightmare in itself)! Not to mention, making sure they kept up with schoolwork! Unfortunately, meal planning suffered. We ate so much junk/fast food, it's embarrassing to admit. I feel bad about that, especially since it's my responsibility to make sure everyone has a decent, nutritious meal. But, honestly it was very difficult to handle it all. Needless to say, that won't happen again. Kathryn is through with sports and it will just be two sports per season - one for Ryan and one for Emily. I AM TIRED TRYING TO BE SUPERWOMAN!! There----I got that off my chest!

Things are settling down a little and I hope I can do a little more on my blog. It has been so neglected. I just didn't have time to think about posts! So, I'll post when I can. I spend more time on Facebook and if any of you would like to follow me there, just send me a friend request. Click on my badge on my sidebar and it should take you to my profile. Just let me know that you read my blog because if I don't recognize who you are, I'll probably ignore the request.

Have a nice day!

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Prayers for the Pope

2010-04-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

Our beloved Holy Father has been maligned and beaten up by the mainstream media and our prayers need to be fortified. I think that the devil is just having a field day in attacking the Church and our Pope. We need to stay strong and have courage against this onslaught and we can do this with prayer.

Don't forget that tomorrow is the Feast of Divine Mercy! God's mercy is ready to be poured out! Find out more about the feast HERE and HERE.

I also wanted to post some links that I found around the web pertaining to praying for Pope Benedict XVI.

Pray a Novena with the Knights of Columbus for the Pope. This novena begins tomorrow.

The Cardinal Newman Society has put together a Spiritual Bouquet for the Holy Father. You can add your prayers to the bouquet.

Pray, Pray,Pray!!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

WELL HELLO!

2010-03-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

My poor little blog has been neglected! I haven't even been visiting lately! Most of my computer time has been on Facebook - a quicker way to stay in touch.

I've been feeling that I just don't have much to contribute to the blog world. Other people can say things much better than I can and be more interesting! But Steve and the kids think that I should keep blogging, so I'll try and keep plugging away.

For today, I'll post a quick update about what's been going on.

The kids are busy (along with mom and dad) with sports - soccer, baseball, and softball. It's a little hectic for me as there is no set schedule with softball. The games are set but not the snack schedule or snack bar duty schedule. That's not good for a mom like me who likes to know things in advance so I can mentally prepare! And I have to coordinate with the other sports schedules!

Ryan is preparing for his First Communion in May. He already made his First Confession and his retreat. We now have to make a banner that will be placed in the church on first communion day.

I recently attended a workshop at church called Called and Gifted. It helps participants discern about what their charisms are and how to apply them to help others. It was a great workshop. I will have to post later and share what I learned.

Emily is home sick today. Yesterday, it was Ryan. She has the same cough that Ryan had last week. I was hoping to be able to attend a church mission this week in the mornings, but I guess God has other plans. Well, I have two more days to try to attend.

The weather here has been beautiful. Spring is definitely in the air! Can't wait to plant the flowers!

Blessings to all!

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Another season of Lent is upon us. I pray you all have a blessed and fruitful one. May you seek the Lord and grow in love for Him. And may He do a mighty work in you!

I like what Pope Benedict had to say in his General Audience:

In our conversion, the Pope explained, we shoot for the "highest measure of the Christian life” as we put our trust in the "living and personal Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

"His person is the final goal and the deep meaning of repentance... he is the road by which all are called to walk in life, letting ourselves be illuminated by his light and sustained by his strength that moves our steps."

I also just discovered another blog in which they are using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola as a daily meditation, The Spiritual Exercises blog. Although I have heard about these exercises, I have never read them. I think this may be a good introduction for me.

I'm hoping I can persevere this Lent so that I may truly experience the glorious Resurrection and Easter season to come! I wish the same for all of you!

Have a blessed day!

The Parent's Prayer

2010-02-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

We were given this prayer at a parent meeting at school recently.

The Parent's Prayer

O Heavenly Father, make me a better parent.

Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them.

Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me.

May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.

Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. And when I am out of sorts, help me O Lord to hold my tongue.

May I be ever mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgment of adults. Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions.

Bless me with bigness to grant all their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.

Make me fair and just and kind. And fit me, O Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children.
Amen.

Gary C. Myers

Sacrament of Reconciliation

2010-02-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

The Archdiocese of Boston has a great site for information about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They are trying to encourage a greater use of this sacrament, especially during Lent. They have great handy lists for an examination of conscience according to your state in life.

Take a look at The Light Is On For You!

Saturday

2010-01-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

We have seen rain, rain, and more rain this past week. Finally, I think we are coming out of it. The kids were even home for two days because their school got flooded. But, thank God, we all survived. Here in Southern California we are just not used to that much rain! LOL! At least our cars were washed without much effort and we got our money's worth for our umbrellas!

Today for lunch I plan on cooking Southwestern Bean Soup. It's a new recipe I've been waiting to try. Perfect for a chilly day. I also need to pick up some things at the grocery store and Target. I've been postponing many errands due to the rain.

This morning, I saw this article about Grant Desme, a major league prospect for the Oakland A's baseball team. He's leaving baseball and entering the seminary at St. Michael's Abbey here in Orange County. I think it's wonderful that he chose that seminary. The priests from my kid's school belong to this order and they are dedicated, prayerful, and faithful to the teachings of the Church. I'm sure he will get solid formation.

An excerpt:

"I'm doing well in baseball," he said. "But I had to get down to the bottom of things, to what was good in my life, what I wanted to do with my life. Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me more. It took awhile to trust that and open up to it and aim full steam toward him.

"I love the game, but I'm going to aspire to higher things."

Asked about the possibility of continuing to play minor-league baseball while also attending the seminary, which has been done in the past, Desme said, "No. I want to give my life completely to God out of love because of everything he's done for me."

Read more HERE.

He has the right attitude. It would serve me and my soul well to "give my life completely to God out of love because of everything he's done for me."

My thought for today.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T09:12:00.001-08:00

Monday

2010-01-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

Kids are back at school and Steve is back to work. This morning started with a little bump as I needed to take my car in to get repaired. I had just had it repaired last week to the tune of $$$ and now my "check engine" light is back on. I realllllly don't like dealing with car repairs! I don't know what the outcome will be, but I have a rental car for the day as I need to pick up the kids from school and other errands that must be done.

The Christmas tree was finally put out to the curb this morning. It still smelled beautiful but it was dry as the desert floor. I just finished vacuuming all the stray needles and will get the living room back in order.

I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine of things. I almost feel like spring cleaning! Maybe I'll start now! I have lots of drawers and closets to sort through. I'm afraid to open some of them because they are crammed with so much stuff!

I recently went through my yarn stash and discovered that I have a few UFO's that need to be worked on. I still have Kathryn's Kindergarten afghan that I was working on (I know, it's a shame), I found some granny squares that I had been working on for a baby blanket (maybe when Ryan was a baby?), and I need to finish a Halloween blanket that I started this past Fall.
I made a New Year's resolution that I would finish these items by then end of the year and by golly I intend to do just that!!

I need to get to the grocery store and then pick up the kids

Have a great week, everyone!

My Day with Kathryn

2010-01-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

Busy week so far.

I wanted to share some pictures that I took when I was out with Kathryn.

Our first stop was Downtown Disney. We walked around and did some window shopping. She ate a pretzel and then went into the Disney 365 store. She bought a hairpiece extension thingie.
She does like to look glamorous. After going through a couple more stores, we went to eat at the Olive Garden.

The food was wonderful and Kathryn and I had a great time just chatting away.

Kathryn enjoyed her spaghetti. I had delicious Chicken Parmigiana. By the time I remembered to take a picture, I had it half eaten, so I don't have a picture of my food.

Here you can see Kathryn's hair piece thingie. It's a ponytail piece that clips onto her hair. I must say that she does have fashion sense - something that I don't have!

After our lunch, we did a little shopping at the mall. Then it was back home to join the rest of the family.

Steve and I try to make a little one on one time with each of the kids and treat them to a nice lunch and let them decide what the agenda will be (within reason). It's usually done after Christmas because they usually have some decent spending money that they received as gifts.
We all enjoy ourselves and the kids enjoy the undivided attention!

Quick Note

2010-01-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

I've been busy with everyone being home. One more week to go, then things get back to normal.

Today, Kathryn and I are going out to spend the day together. We're going shopping, eating, then shopping some more!

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS TO ONE AND ALL!

FOUND!

2009-12-23T21:23:00.000-08:00

The ornaments were located just in the nick of time! But since we keep our tree up past the new year, we have plenty of time to enjoy them!

A Little Update

2009-12-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

I thought now would be a good time to give an update of what's been going on around our household.

The kids are enjoying their Christmas break. They get a whole three weeks off! So they won't return to school until January 11th. Needless to say, they are so excited about Christmas coming.

Emily recently participated in the school Christmas program with her class. They sang a little song that I don't remember the name of - not a well known carol. She also portrayed a shepherd in the little class play they performed - real cute! Now during this vacation, she needs to practice a cheer that she will be performing during halftime at a basketball tournament in January. It's just a minute routine that anyone in the school can participate in, K-8th. She really wants to be a cheerleader, when she's older, but I don't know if that will happen. It's quite expensive.

Ryan also participated in the school Christmas program. His class sang Away in the Manger. He enjoyed it, but doesn't get too excited about those kinds of things. Right now, he spends his time reading about animals, playing with his toy animals, watching animal shows or doing anything with animals. He just loves animals and knows so much about any kind. He talks about wanting to be a zookeeper. I'll have to look into some programs that our local zoo has to offer. His favorite animal is the koala. Lately, he's asking me to get a chameleon---- not yet!

Kathryn got braces about two weeks ago. Luckily, she didn't have much discomfort with them. She doesn't mind wearing them, because she sees so many other kids with them. She's twelve now, and I can see little changes going on with her. Friends are starting to be a big deal with her. Parents can sometimes do embarrassing things-LOL! Last night, she had a sleepover with one of her friends and I just got a call asking if she could stay just a little bit longer--pleeeease!

This is the picture we settled on for our Christmas card. Everyone is smiling and looking at the camera. It was cold that day and no one wanted to go down to the beach to try and attempt to get decent poses so we decided to just have the kids sit on our front porch. This picture was taken before Kathryn got her braces.

Steve also has three weeks off of work. The university where he works has mandatory furlough days and that combined with vacation days enables him to take the time off. We're not taking any trips, but just enjoying family time together and doing some fun local things.

I still have to do a little wrapping and a little bit more baking. I made pumpkin bread yesterday and today I want to make cranberry bread. Kathryn wanted to try her hand at making eggnog muffins, so I looked up a recipe and maybe we can to that tomorrow.

Oh, and I need to find our tree ornaments! We have our tree, but we cannot find the box with our ornaments! They should be in the garage, but so far, no luck. Maybe we'll have to go to the dollar store and see what they have!

Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday

2009-12-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God's love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

Second Sunday of Advent

2009-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

OOPS!

2009-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

I just noticed on my previous post that one of the pictures of a rose didn't appear. I had to include it here because I thought it was such a perfect, beautiful creation!

A Few Shots from Last Weekend

2009-12-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, we went out to take some shots that would hopefully be good enough to put on our Christmas card this year. We didn't get any that we liked. It was windy and the kids were getting impatient.

Ryan has his eyes closed here.

Kathryn is not a happy camper!

A little too windy!

I did manage to capture a few good shots!

Then we headed out to get something to eat. We headed out to TGIF. We all had delicious food and the kids shared a yummy dessert!

First Sunday of Advent

2009-11-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:55:00.000-08:00

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A Little Nostalgia

2009-11-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Funnel Cakes

2009-11-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we were able to get out and after Mass, we headed out to get some funnel cakes. During the summer Steve won some coupons for free funnel cakes and today we decided to redeem them.

We drove down to Shoreline Village in my old hometown of Long Beach. It's situated near the water and has lots of shops and eateries. It has changed quite a bit since I lived there.

Ryan at the entrance of the Funnel House.

The funnel cakes were delicious!

Some sights at Shoreline Village.

And as a side, here is Emily in her Our Lady of Lourdes costume that I fumbled my way through!

I don't know who the saints are in front nor in back of her. Cute!

2009-11-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

Our household has been hit hard by the flu, colds, whatever. Ryan was well enough to return to school on Wednesday, but Kathryn got sick on Sunday, Steve got sick on Monday, and Emily got sick on Tuesday. Everyone is improving, but Kathryn and Emily are still fighting a bad cough.

Thank the Lord I've been spared from getting sick, so far. I've been able to tend to everyone as needed. I hope this has us covered for the rest of the season, but we have a long way to go.

Our mornings are cold but the days warm up to the low 70's. We're probably good for a few more weeks of warmer weather before it gets to be cold all the time.

I'm planning on knitting up some scarves and hats for the kids. I also want to start up some dishcloths for Christmas giving. I want to say that I'm going to start my Christmas shopping and all that planning, but my track record proves that it probably won't happen. I'll just say that everything will get done by December 24th!

Pictures of Emily in her homemade costume of Our Lady of Lourdes are still forthcoming. For some reason, I couldn't upload any pictures onto the computer tonight. I'll try again tomorrow.

Friday

2009-10-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

We've finally arrived at the end of the week. Most of the week was spent cleaning up in areas that don't get frequent cleaning, like behind the entertainment center, behind the huge TV that never gets moved, etc. I needed to have those areas clean because we were upgrading our computer/phone/TV systems - you know those packages that the phone companies give you to save money.

After all that cleaning, it ends up that the new wiring that was installed (down the street a couple of blocks away) doesn't reach to our house. The technician apologized, but I guess it wasn't really his fault. He's under the assumption that wiring is ready to go and he just puts things together to make it work. It's a good thing that I didn't cancel are current satellite programming.

At least I got some good cleaning in behind those hard to get to areas!

I also spent a lot of time during the week on attempting to sew Emily a costume for the school Saints Day festivities. She wanted to dress as the Blessed Mother, so we chose Our Lady of Lourdes. It looked like an easy costume to sew. I bought her an XL T-shirt for the gown and then sewed the veil. She wore a blue sash around her waist, a rosary hanging from her arm, and two pink roses as her feet. I based it all on this picture:

It was actually quite easy to sew. The hard part was trying to figure out where all my sewing tools were. I couldn't quite remember where all my bobbins were and where the pins were. My organizational skills are lacking in the sewing department. Oh, and then once I was ready to actually sew, my presser foot was missing! Who knows where that went. I used a different one that did the job.

Oh, Therese! I wish I could sew like you! I need to start practicing!

I hope I can post a decent picture of Emily wearing the costume. Steve was the assigned photographer and I haven't seen any of his shots. He's not home yet. I didn't get to attend the actual parade because I had to stay home and take care of Ryan, who's sick and didn't go to school.

Thank you all so much for keeping him in your prayers. I took him to the doctor today as he developed some flu symptoms that got me concerned. The doctor seems to think the stomach problems are just remnants from "irregularity". It can take a while for his insides to feel better. That was good to hear. And his flu symptoms are just that. He has the flu.

I asked if it was the dreaded swine flu. He said it was possible, but he didn't do any tests on him. He said treat it like any other flu - lots of fluids and rest. I'll be busy sanitizing everything hoping this doesn't spread! And my mother is here visiting! She better not catch this or I'll feel horrible!

Now it's time to wait for the girls to arrive home. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the Saints Day parade and checking out the pictures!

I Got a B+!!!

2009-10-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

I mean, er, SHE got a B+! Kathryn had to do a video project at school and neither she nor her partner knew how to put one together. They knew how to film it and upload it onto the computer, but no one knew how to make the actual video, putting it onto a DVD. According to Kathryn, no one else knew how to do it either, but I'm not sure that's the case.

So after all the filming was done, I thought I'd give it a try, not knowing the slightest thing about putting a movie together. It took such a long time, with trial and error, but I finally got it put together. Kathryn told me where she wanted the scenes to go and voila! Of course, it was pretty plain, no special effects, music, etc. But, I can say that we both learned a little about movie making! With a little guidance, I think she can handle the next one, if there is ever another one.

Ryan has been suffering from tummy problems lately. He's been having stomach aches and after about a week of dealing with that, I took him to the doctor where it's thought he may have constipation problems. Well, after giving him medicine and making changes in his diet, the stomach aches are still there, but seem to be getting better, so I guess I'll just wait a little bit more for any changes. He's still in great spirits and the discomfort doesn't seem to keep him from having a smile on his face and a kiss for mom! He's anxiously waiting for the Ice Age movie to come out on DVD tomorrow. He loves that movie and anything else that has to do with it.

So, I guess tomorrow I'll hit the store and get it for him. Hopefully, I won't get tempted to get something for me. Maybe since Halloween is just around the corner, I'll get a bag of Sweet Tarts! I love that candy!

Flash Forward Trailer

2009-10-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

A new show I'm enjoying this Fall!

Making My Menu Plan

2009-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Taking the time to make a menu plan has really helped me in making sure that I'm using up my food wisely and providing decent nutrition for my family. When I don't plan, I tend to make up something quick and easy, and it's not as balanced as I would like.

I do have to say that I'm not a natural cook, meaning, I'm not very imaginative and I can easily get into a rut, having the same meals over and over. I don't experiment at all. I'm not good at combining spices together on my own, just to try it. I need to follow recipes.

Growing up, my mother cooked the same foods over and over because my father was a very picky eater and only wanted certain foods. Sadly, I never saw my mother enjoying herself cooking. When I moved out on my own, I only knew how to cook a few things, so I began to look for recipes that would expand my palate. I discovered lots of new wonderful foods.

So, on to how I make my menu plan. I usually start by asking everyone if there's something special they would like to have for the week. Most of the time, it's something easy like tacos or spaghetti. I try to incorporate something like that.

Then I check my freezer, refrigerator, and pantry to see if there is anything I can plan a meal around. For example, I have lots of chicken thighs in my freezer, so I look to see if I have any recipes that can use them. If not, I look up recipes online like Allrecipes or Taste of Home. I just plug in the ingredient and recipes will pop up using that ingredient. Then I just choose one that sounds good and doesn't have anything exotic or elaborate procedures. I do the same thing if I need to use up some cans of kidney beans, evaporated milk, or even some bottled sauces that have been in the refrigerator for awhile but haven't expired yet.

Once I've decided on my main meal, I decide on what sides could go with that. I find a starch like rice, potatoes, or noodles and then find a vegetable dish. A salad is usually included but not always.

Some people look at the sale flyers to see what's on sale, and plan meals around that, but I have to admit that I'm not in the habit of doing that. I get flustered having all those flyers around and then feeling like I have to visit these different stores to take advantage of the sale.

I also take into account if there are any days during the week where I won't have much time to cook, like school meetings, sports practice or anything like that. On those days, I plan on something simple that I can just throw together, leftovers or a slow cooker recipe.

And, that is how I develop my menu plans! Some helpful sites that I go to when I need some ideas are:

I'm an Organizing Junkie (she's the host for Menu Plan Monday where you can get lots of ideas from other people's menus for the week)

Diary of a Stay at Home Mom ( she hosts Slow Cooking Thursday's with lots of great recipes using the slow cooker)

Menu Plan Tuesday

2009-09-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here is my menu plan for the rest of the week. I think I'm settling down a little, getting used to the routines of school activities and sports schedules. A few of these meals are new recipes for me (the highlighted ones). Lots of Latin flavoring this week. I have to use up a lot of items that are taking up freezer space.

Tuesday: Hamburgers, Waffle fries, corn on the cob

Wednesday: Hot dogs, chips, carrot sticks with Ranch, fruit. This is my busy day with all the kids having practice, so this is something quick.

Thursday: Cheddar Beef Enchiladas, Spanish rice w/pinto beans, salad

Friday: Orange Chicken, rice, salad

Saturday: Nachos, fruit

Sunday: Slow Cooker Latin Chicken, Spanish rice w/beans, salad

Gosh, Where Have I Been!

2009-09-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

I really haven't been anywhere, but I've been busy taking care of home and family.

Emily is enjoying Kindergarten. She loves learning all the songs at morning prayer and Mass at school. I really must try to get her on video. It's just precious. Right now she sings Immaculate Mary, The Servant Song and a version of Glory to God in the Highest. Maybe she'll like to sing in the children's choir. But, she can't do that until the 2nd grade. She's also doing great at soccer. She scored five goals in her last game! Her coach has to rein her in so that others can have a chance at scoring. I have to say that she's the most competitive of my children!

Ryan is all into the Ice Age movie right now. He's counting the days until the movie comes out in DVD. His favorite subject in school is spelling. This week he is the Student of the Week. He gets to bring in some of his favorite things to share with his class. He's very excited!

Kathryn is getting excited for her birthday coming up. She gets to go to Disneyland with Steve. They have some deal where you can get in free on your birthday, so Steve is going to take her. We can't afford to all go. It costs so much now. She made some new friends at school and they are having loads of fun doing projects together.

Steve is in baseball heaven right now helping to coach Ryan and his team this Fall. So far, the team is doing well, they haven't lost a game yet. It's surprising because there are many players on the team that have never played before. They can barely swing the bat. But Fall ball is mainly instructional. No official score is kept and there are no wins and losses (but we still like to pretend-hee hee).

As for myself, I'm enjoying having the house to myself while the kids are in school. I'm able to get more done for longer stretches. It's nice when I'm able to wash, fold and put away the laundry all in one swoop! I'm having to learn to pace myself because I tend to try to do so much to take advantage of the kids being gone that I don't take breaks and end up exhausting myself. Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not working bringing in a paycheck and heaven forbid that I lay on the sofa or bed and read a book! Anyway, I thank the Lord that at this point in my life, I'm able to be home.

So that's what's been going on in my household. I hope I can start posting more often. I still need to put up my blogroll, and I've read a few more books, so I can add them to my list.

Blessings to all!

School Has Begun

2009-09-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

The kids started school last week and so far things have gone smoothly. This is Emily's first year of full time school and yesterday was the first day she said she didn't want to go to school. She was so excited the first week, then the novelty wore off and she realized that she needs to go EVERYDAY!

There is a spirituality group that meets every Thursday morning to pray a decade of the rosary and to pray for the, students, teachers, school, etc. I'm thrilled to be a part of it because goodness knows the spiritual education of our children is so important.

I'm going to be re-evaluating my schedule now that all the kids are in school full-time. I hope to be able to make good use of the time that I have to make a good home for my husband and kids.

Have a good weekend everyone. I'll leave with a recent song that I like. YouTube won't allow me to embed this but I can leave this link.

Matisyahu is an Hasidic Jew and there is such a good message with this song. Let us always pray for peace and bring love wherever we go!

YIKES!

2009-08-22T11:47:00.001-07:00

I was updating my blog sidebar and I accidentally deleted my blogroll!! No offense to anyone! I will be working to restore it but the kids are calling for lunch!

Summertime Activities (with Photos)

2009-08-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was able to upload the latest pictures from my camera (and Kathryn's), so this is some of what we've done this summer:

We did a little baking. Kathryn wanted to make these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, and she did a terrific job. They were delicious.

We made a visit to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.

This pond here shows all the tar that is still there. Gases still rise up from the earth below.

This is a depiction of how a woolly mammoth baby got stuck in the tar while momma and sibling looked on helplessly.

The ground at the museum has lots of spots like this. Tar just coming up from the ground.

Here you can see Emily standing in front of the skeleton of a woolly mammoth.

The gang is all here minus me taking the picture!

On the drive home, we passed by Paramount Studios. No citing of celebrities!

The next shots are from our short visit to the beach to collect some shells. We were only there for about half an hour. The shells around there are pretty small and mostly pieces, but they still have beauty to them.

And I can't end without a photo of some of my harvest of wonderful tasting tomatoes! I have had a continuous supply of them and they are delicious!

Summertime Activites

2009-08-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Well these sure have been the lazy days of summer! I obviously haven't been doing many posts lately. I've been trying to visit your blogs when I can, but have been off the computer a lot. I've been trying to do some activities with the kids before they begin school. I have pictures, but I haven't uploaded any of them yet. Hopefully, I can do that soon because I want to post them.

We visited the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. It was a very interesting place and Ryan especially loved it. We learned about the animals that lived in that area eons ago and got to see the fossils. Most of them were trapped in the tar or asphalt. There are still fossils being discovered today and we got to see some people (I forget the name of them) working on them.

We also went to the beach. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera. We had a blast. I pretty much stayed under the umbrella, but enjoyed watching the kids run from the waves.

Kathryn has finished her summer basketball season. Her team went undefeated and they won the championship for her team's division just yesterday! Yea!

Today, Kathryn and I had a consultation with an orthodontist. She needs to have braces, but we're not sure when we'll actually do it. Ryan is going to be referred by our dentist in a couple of months. Having two kids in braces is going to cost us a good chunk of money and I really think Ryan will need them more than Kathryn. So I don't know how we'll handle this right now. Lots of playing around with the budget. I wish I could find that lottery ticket that I misplaced :)

Well, school begins on Monday. All three will finally be in school. It's been fun having the kids home all summer and I think I will miss having them around. I hope I don't get too teary when I see little Emily in her uniform standing in the Kindergarten line! She's my baby and when I allow myself to think about her starting school...well, I don't want to stay there too long. AAAGH!! MY KIDS ARE GROWING TOO FAST!!!!!!!! I'm sure many of you can relate.

Well, it's late now and the bed is calling my name. I hope I can get a post in tomorrow with some pictures!

A Little Humor

2009-08-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Some funnies from Emily:

After telling the kids how much I loved them and how proud I was to be their mother, the conversation went something like this:

Me: I wouldn't trade you guys for a million dollars! I wouldn't trade you for ten million dollars!!

Emily: What would you trade us for?

*********************************************

Emily: What's the Spanish word for piñata?

A New Week

2009-08-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since I quit working outside the home, I've come to enjoy Mondays. I get the feeling that it's a new beginning, a time to start over after my plans from the week before didn't quite work out. It's a time to pick myself up and begin again or to continue with what's been working.

This summer, the routines have flown out the window. After two kids with pneumonia, things were slightly askew, but everyone is better now and I look forward to planning things again and actually going through with them, God willing!

Today will be a busy day. I have some errands to do, then pay a visit to my mother, who I haven't seen in awhile. I have lots of tomatoes to give her. My tomato plant has really started producing. I've had to start picking them while they are slightly orange, almost red. When I wait for them to get a nice red color, they've already gotten a little soft and mushy on the the inside. But they are delicious. A wonderful aroma with a taste that's hard to get all the time from the grocery store.

My blog has been neglected lately and I really need to update my list of books read. I've been on a kick for reading Michael Connelly books. My sister-in-law let me borrow some of her books because she knew I liked the Jack Bauer character from "24". The main character from these books, Harry Bosch, is a lot like Jack Bauer. The ones I've read so far are really good. They are good who dunnit, crime fiction stories. There is a little swearing and some adult situations, ..ahem, but not an excessive amount, and well, they are crime stories.

Last night, I saw the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. I just loved it! What an inspiring story about a father doing everything he can to provide a better life for his son! I stayed up way too late to finish this one and by the end, I just had tears falling down. If you've never seen this movie, I'd recommend it if you don't mind shedding a few tears! There's not many movies I give 5 stars to on my Netflix queue, but this is one.

Well, I need to get going with the rest of my day. I hope you all have a blessed week!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

Chris Tomlin-Jesus Messiah

2009-07-26T13:17:00.001-07:00

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY!

This Summer's Challenges

2009-07-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

This has not been the summer I'd envisioned! It started out fine, but then the sickies started.

Kathryn started with a little cold. She got over that quickly without any disruption of any summer plans. Then Ryan got a cold, which turned into a cough, which turned into some upper respiratory infection. I held off going to the doctor thinking he would turn the corner any day. It never did, so we finally paid a visit to the dr. After his round of antibiotics, he's well. Thank the Lord. Now Emily has the cough and I have it as well! We've both been up the past two nights hacking away. Hopefully, it won't get worse.

Before the summer started, I bought four swim passes so we could hang out at the pool. Since people are getting sick, we haven't been able to use the passes as much I as thought we would. We haven't been sightseeing as much as I wanted to, but we are still managing to have some fun, even if its just playing around with sidewalk chalk, puttering in the garden, or just making up games.

Ah, such is life. It's what happens when we're busy making other plans.

During this busy time, I've been scarce in the blogosphere, but I hope I can catch up with all of you soon! I'm embarrassed to say my reader has over 500 posts and I may just have to press the dreaded, Mark All As Read!!

Duran Duran - The Reflex (2003 Digital Remaster)

2009-07-11T12:05:00.001-07:00

Guess where I get to go tonight? Steve and I will be going back to the 80's to see Duran Duran!
I wonder how old they are now?

Photo Meme

2009-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA for awhile in blogland. It's been hard to find the time while the kids are home. Aside from my household duties, I've had sick kids, swim lessons and just general summertime lazy days. Not to mention sharing the computer with four other people!

So, to get back in the swing of things, I'm doing this Family Photo Meme . Elizabeth at Divine Gift of Motherhood tagged me for this. I'm to pick a family picture with a story behind it and share it.

I picked this picture of me and Ryan because it's a perfect example of the tender heart that he has always shown his family members. He has always been ready to give hugs and kisses and let people know that he loves them. When this picture was taken, he was four years old. Whenever he was in a picture with me or Steve, he would always lean his head on our shoulder or just get close, like the picture above. Oh, how I love that boy! Now that he's almost eight, he's a lot more rambunctious, but he still has the tenderest of hearts!

God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood

2009-07-04T10:02:00.001-07:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR GREAT COUNTRY!

How Sweet!

2009-06-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the cutest thing? My mother's orange tree has a little hummingbird nest. There are two little babies in there!

This is a shot of the two little behinds sticking out of the nest! They are the cutest things! They just sat there in their nest while I snapped away taking pictures!

And then today, I saw this near my back porch!

A lizard! Not so sweet, but interesting. The kids enjoyed watching him until he scampered away.

Maybe we'll find more interesting things this summer!

North and South

2009-06-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

Oooh, I just finished watching North and South, based on Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, and it was SOOOOOO good! I haven't read the book, so I don't know how true it stayed, but this was a wonderful movie. The actors who portrayed the the leads, Margaret and Thornton were amazing together. It was romantic without much romance shown. If you like period movies and love to get lost in a story you might want to try this one. I recommend it highly!

Hearts for Home - June 15

2009-06-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

I've decided to join in with Gae and others in the endeavor to commit to fostering our Hearts for Home. Here is what it's all about:

In today’s busy and aggressive society mothers at home are not given much encouragement to be committed to their role in being home.

In my weekly 'Hearts for Home' post I am encouraging myself and others to commit to thinking about what 4-6 things we can do each week to bring our thoughts, prayers and actions to keeping our 'Hearts for Home'.

I am praying that a spirit of gentleness, generosity in thoughts and time along with loveliness and grace would lead us to be all that God wants us to be.

I pray also that each person involved in 'Hearts for Home' would also pray for any others involved as well.

May you be blessed by this initiative. I pray it brings you and your family many blessings.

For this week, I will endeavor to:

1. Tend to my garden so that I can bring a little loveliness to the yard and inside the home.

2. Keep the dining room table clear of clutter.

3. Devote more prayer time in meditation of the Sacred Heart.

4. Listen to uplifting music that nourishes the soul and brings serenity.

If you would like to join in, visit Gae's lovely blog, Cherished Hearts At Home

Odds and Ends

2009-06-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

I think the hard part of the kitchen work is finished! After all the wallpaper came off, I sanded the window panes that needed it, then taped aaalllllllll of them up. Very tedious!

The primer has been applied everywhere. All that's left is the final painting! Yeah! My friends and I will work on it this coming Monday.

I know this is blurry, but these are the little chrysalides doing their hidden work to become butterflies. After seeing Suzy's butterfly/chrysalis post, I wanted to do this too with the kids. She has a beautiful picture of the chrysalides. Ours look just like that, but of course hers aren't blurry. I think we may have four or five more days before the butterflies emerge.

Today was Emily's last day of preschool, sniff, sniff. She had a little party, then afterwards, many of the kids and their parents met at the park for a little fun. She is now looking forward to being a big girl and going to Kindergarten and being at the same school that Kathryn and Ryan attend.

Last night was the last meeting of the parent meetings I've been attending all year at the elementary school. It has been such a blessing. It hasn't been well attended, but those parents that did attend somewhat regularly were greatly aided in trying to be better parents. We discussed problems that we have in trying to raise Catholic children in todays world. We had discussions about our spiritual journeys, we prayed the Rosary, we had Adoration in the chapel, and we had good laughs sprinkled in there, too. Hopefully, the group will continue the next school year.

Remember my tree story last year? My trees were dying. Well, I think one of them is finally coming around. Instead of seeing brown leaves everywhere, I now see green ones sprouting all over. It looks so nice and I'm hopeful that the tree is in recovery and we'll get our shade back. The other two still look sparse but maybe there's hope!

I know the tree looks exactly like it did when I mentioned it last year, but it did get worse throughout the year. There's more green now.

I'll finally end this post with some of my flowers.

Sunday Praise - Trinity Sunday

2009-06-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday

2009-06-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Another week is flying by.

Monday, my friends came over to give me a hand in my kitchen. It's taken so long because I'm not working on it everyday. I try to do a little, but cooking, laundry, and other necessary cleaning throughout the house gets in the way, as well as errands I need to run. The update is, all the wallpaper as been stripped from the walls, peeling has been finished and primer has been placed on most of the walls and cabinets. I still need to sand some of the diamond window panes and then we can get going on that. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Ryan played his last baseball game of the season. They lost their playoff game. But that's not the end of sports! He will be practicing in the summer for Fall Ball in September. Emily is playing T-Ball and taking a general sports class through Sports and Recreation. She just has three more weeks of that. Oh, then I can't forget swimming. She's signed up for a two week class. Kathryn will be taking a basketball class.

I had to do some major cleaning in my pantry. Let me just say, moths-dried goods, yuck! I threw out old food packages, old containers, and sorted through canned goods checking the expiration dates and whatnot. I scrubbed the shelves and bought new containers to use for all the new rice, pasta and flour I had to purchase. I vowed that I will go through my pantry more often and do a better job with my rotation of goods.

This morning I worked on dinner food prep. We are having jumbo shells stuffed with taco meat. I cooked the shells already and I would have cooked the meat, but I don't have enough ground beef. I need to stop at the store and pick up more. My salad is prepared.

I'm off to the grocery store now. Have a good day everyone!

Flowers

2009-05-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures of some of my flowers. These are some of the better ones. I have a few that look like they don't have much life left, but I'm trying to see if I can revive them. Others are waiting to bloom. This is my first serious attempt at gardening. In the past, I've just planted some flowers but not given much TLC. I have so much to learn.

The gardenias are just starting to bloom. They smell so lovely! So far, only a few have bloomed, but there are tons of buds just waiting to open.

This picture of the miniature roses was taken at night, hence the artificial lighting. By the time I got around to take a daytime shot, they were past their prime.

My garden would not be complete without pansies. These happy flowers are one of my favorites! If you look closely, you'll see some morning glories trying to grow in there. They are popping up like weeds. I keep pulling them out, but new ones show up. They are from left over seeds from last years morning glories.

And lastly, here is Ryan's green bean plant. He started it in his classroom and I transferred it to a bigger pot. The little beans are just starting to grow. So cute!

I hope I can share more pictures throughout the season. May you all have a lovely spring day!

Quote

2009-05-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Be an instrument of gold or steel, of platinum or of iron - big or small, delicate or rough. They're all useful. Each serves its own purpose. Who would dare say that the carpenter's saw is any less useful than the surgeon's scalpel? Your duty is to be an instrument.
St. Josemaria Escriva - The Way, No. 484

Happy Homemaker Monday!

2009-05-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

On my bedside table: Some bills to be paid.

On my TV: The Fighting Sullivans

On the menu for tonight: Eating out at the ballpark. Ryan plays in his last baseball game.

On my to-do list: Peel wallpaper and paint in my kitchen - still. My dear friends are coming to help me.

New recipe I tried last week: None. But I did have some Indian food from my friend's family restaurant. YUM! I never tried Indian food but the chicken dishes and noodle dishes were tasty. A little spicy with the curry, but delicious!

In the craft basket: Dishcloths to knit.

Looking forward to: Summer!

Homemaking tip of the week: Like many homes, the laundry is a never ending chore. Many times I catch up with the laundry, but then I don't have time to fold and put them away. Then I have piles of clean clothes in baskets. If we end up needing something in there, it's a time sucker to try and go through the piles and find what we're looking for. What I do is to sort the clean clothes and place each person's clothes in their own basket. The towels and my clothes are generally put away first, so no baskets are needed there. It becomes much easier to sort through a basket when you know that the clothes there belong to just one person. Eventually the clothes get to where they need to go, but in the meantime, it makes hunting for clothes much easier. Of course by that time, the clothes need to be ironed, but we won't get into that now. :)

Favorite Blog post: Teaching Excellence: We Need More Daniels at Generation Cedar

Favorite Photo from last week:

On my prayer list: husband and kids

my kid's teachers

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Matthew 22:37-40

He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Thank you to Sandra, for hosting Happy Homemaker Mondays!

May Feelings II

2009-05-14T22:13:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

This is Ridiculous!

2009-05-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

The self-centeredness of some people!!

http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2009/05/07/disney-denies-filming-of-150000-quinceanera-by-mtv/8677/

Litany of the Eucharist

2009-05-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Ryan is going to be making his First Communion next year but I'm already looking for materials that will give him a head start before starting 2nd grade in September.

One of the books I checked out at our church library is The Holy Eucharist by Fr. Lovasik. In the front cover is this litany.

Living Bread that came down from heaven.

Hidden God and Savior.

Perpetual sacrifice.

Clean Oblation.

Lamb without spot.

Most pure Feast.

Food of Angels

Hidden Manna.

Memorial of the wonders of God.

Word made flesh, dwelling in us.

Sacred Host.

Chalice of benediction.

Mystery of Faith.

Most high and adorable Sacrament.

Most holy of all sacrifices.

Most wonderful of all miracles.

Most holy Memorial of the Passion of Christ.

Special Memorial of Divine love.

Most august and holy Mystery.

Bond of charity.

Priest and Victim.

Spiritual Sweetness.

Pledge of future glory.

Emily at the Park

2009-04-30T22:10:00.001-07:00

Meme

2009-04-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Cathy from A Bit of the Blarney for this meme:

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Seeing my mom after her vacation from Mexico. ( I hope she doesn't come back with the flu!!!!)
2. Finishing peeling paint in my kitchen.
3. Starting to sew again and gain more experience.
4. Crocheting/knitting more dishcloths.
5. Teaching my sister to crochet.
6. Warmer weather.
7. Going to Kindergarten Day with Emily.
8. Planting some new flowers.

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Got caught up with "Lost" episodes.
2. Went to Emily's soccer game.
3. Went to my niece's birthday party.
4. Had a nice visit with my sister at the party.
5. Did laundry.
6. Folded clothes.
7. Refereed arguments among the kids.
8. Bandaged Emily's foot about eight times (she had a popped blister after jumping so much in the bounce house at the party).

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Buy a mountain cabin.
2. Write well.
3. Organize my time better.
4. Sew well.
5. Go to Rome.
6. Take vacations.
7. Install kitchen counters.
8. Be handy with whatever needs fixing around the house.

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Lost
2. 24
3. Biggest Loser
4. Heroes
5. Supernanny
6. Waltons (DVD rentals)
7. EWTN
8. Fox News

You are all invited to play!

Quiz

2009-04-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

I know I've been missing in action and to pop back in the swing of things, I'll post this little quiz, since I do love 80's music.

You Scored 86% Correct

You are an 80s expert,

You never confuse New Order with the Pet Shop Boys.

You know which classical musician Falco rocked.

When it comes to 80s music, you Just Can't Get Enough!

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

I wish I knew which question/s were incorrect! I'm guessing the first one. Anyway, since the quiz mentions New Order I'll leave with a video of them.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!

our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!

who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!

suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!

unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!

who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!

sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!

our salvation have procured, Alleluia!

now above the sky he's King, Alleluia!

where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Farmers Market

2009-04-02T21:48:00.001-07:00

Today I stopped at a local farmers market to check out the produce. This was my first visit to one and I loved browsing around. There was lots to sample and everything looked so fresh.

My friend recommended that I check out the strawberries. She said they were delicious. After sampling some, she was right. They were so sweet and very nice looking. Unlike at the grocery store, all the strawberries didn't seem to have blemishes. So I bought some along with a little basket of raspberries and some red leaf lettuce.

All of the strawberries were big, but this was the biggest. That's Emily's little hand holding it!

The raspberries were also delicious. Next time, I will sample some fresh blueberries and blackberries. They looked good too.

The Disastrous Paint Job

2009-04-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some wonderful shots of what the paint looks like coming off the walls.

The white is what was painted on all the cabinets. The blue is what we painted on the walls. Lots of it has come off like this - in sheets.

I had Emily pose in her most solemn look to demonstrate what the mood is like when I have to tear down all the hard work that was put in this past weekend.

But, that doesn't last long. We still have to smile. This will be one for the memory books.

Here is Kathryn removing the first layer of wallpaper to reveal the other vintage layer. Notice how the bright yellow matches the bright yellow tile. Someday I will be able to get the counters of my dreams and finally put the old one to rest!

At least my roses are blooming beautifully!

Kitchen Woes

2009-03-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my two girlfriends came over to help paint my kitchen. My one friend has been painting forever and is always painting her rooms. So she comes and says she would like to paint my whole kitchen. She'll tell the rest of us what to do. That's great because I don't have that much painting experience, just a little bit with Kathryn's room last summer. So for the next five hours, we toil and sweat getting the kitchen painted, cabinets and all.

Well, as we start tearing the tape off cabinets and walls, we notice that the paint is coming off right along with the tape!! Oh my goodness! We committed a BIG boo boo. We didn't realize that you do not use latex paint over oil-based paint. None of us ever thought in terms of latex vs. oil-based. I/We didn't realize my walls are oil-based. My friend tried to salvage all the edges, but the next day, things just didn't look right. I went over to the hardware store, and they gave me the bad news. Latex paint will never stick right over oil-based paint, no matter how many layers you slather on.

The first step I need to do to correct the problem is to remove all the latex paint. Luckily, most of it is coming off in sheets. But there is still lots of scraping to be done. It's a huge mess. Unfortunately, I've become obsessed with getting it all off before it gets really settled in. I spent most of the day peeling paint off. My friend came over to help me out, but there is lots more to be done. I need to now slow down and just do a certain amount a day because I still have to take care of my other duties. And I need to make sure I take time to relax and just be still. I'm becoming exhausted and I know that's not good.

That's the latest here. I'm too tired to upload and post pictures right now but I have some shots of the horror show. You'll be amazed!

Award

2009-03-26T21:50:00.001-07:00

Thank you to my new blogging friend, Elizabeth from The Divine Gift of Motherhood for giving me this award! I'm honored!

And check out her wonderful blog. She's a writer and mother and shares her life, stories, food, books, and other items of interest. Go visit!

Monday

2009-03-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy but productive day. I was able to mop all the floors, do my laundry (but not put the clothes away), do some spring cleaning in the dining room and kitchen, and help with homework! I'm tuckered out, but it's a good tired. Now watch, tomorrow will end up being a slacker day and I won't get anything done. But since I've put that out there, I'll have to make sure I stick with my schedule.

This past weekend, Emily went to her first non-relative birthday party. Her friend from school, Katya, invited her to her princess birthday party. All the girls were to dress as their favorite princess so Emily went as Cinderella. I should have taken her picture, but I just wasn't thinking. All the little princesses looked so cute. There was even a real princess. Yes, Sleeping Beauty came and played with the girls. They played games, had face paintings and even story time. Emily was very enthralled.

This week, I plan on continuing with spring cleaning. The weather is supposed to be in the 70's all week, so that will put me in cleaning mode. Oh yeah, I'm also preparing my kitchen to be painted this weekend. My two girlfriends and I have decided that instead of giving each other birthday presents this year, we are going to help each other with some cleaning/organizational job that is needed at our homes. Since my birthday was in February, I'm first. I wanted help in painting my kitchen cabinets. But my one friend just loves painting and wants to do the whole kitchen! It's a small kitchen but still, I'm not sure the whole thing can be finished in a few hours. One of the walls has wallpaper from when we first moved in,14 years ago!! I tried peeling a little off today to see if it would be easy. It wasn't too bad, but underneath was another layer of a different pattern. That one looked real vintage. It was bright yellow with a bunch of red cherries or raspberries or something like that. It must have gone real well with our yellow tile, during the 50's( I can't wait to change that)! Maybe I should just leave that yellow wallpaper and turn my kitchen retro! It would save money in getting new counters! HA! HA!

I'm off to bed now as my mind is starting to turn to mush. Time to unwind and say goodnight prayers. May everyone have a blessed day!

Sweetness From Emily

2009-03-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

A conversation with Emily:

Emily: Mommy, can we have my birthday at Disneyland?

Me: No, I don't think so.

Emily: Why not?

Me: Well, Disneyland is very expensive it would just cost too much for all of us to go.

Emily: But everyone in my class has their birthday at Disneyland!

Me: I suppose their parents must have more money than we do.

Emily: But I can see in their pockets (meaning her classmates) and they have one dollar. That must be enough to get into Disneyland.

Me: I still don't think so.

Then she changed the subject and started talking about the upcoming weekend. I just thought that was so cute and showed the simplicity of this child's thinking. I wish it was just a dollar to get into Disneyland!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Spring Is Near!

2009-03-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

As much as I love the rain and winter, I'm ready for some warmer spring weather. Here are some signs of spring in my neck of the woods.

Happy Tuesday!

The Apron

2009-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here I am wearing the apron.

You can barely see it, but there is a pocket right there. The print of the fabric is little strawberries with butterflies, birdies and worms. I thought it was real cute.

This is the top portion with a little bit of eyelet lace. You'll notice that I still need to do a lot of clipping of loose threads. The tie on top is just bias tape fastened with velcro. In the back, it is tied with some ribbon. I'm probably going to take that off and get some more bias tape to tie it. The ribbon is too big and bulky so it's hard to tie.

So for my first attempt at sewing an apron, I guess it's presentable.

Have a happy Saturday!

The Saga Continues

2009-02-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pop in and say that I haven't dropped off the face the earth. I haven't had much to say.

Just when I thought I had beat this virus, I'm back with a sore throat and my nose is getting stuffy again! But, I can't let this stop me anymore so I'm trudging along and taking care of my business.

On Monday, I dusted off my sewing machine and learned how to sew an apron. My friend's mother was anxious and willing to teach us how to make one and we both jumped at the chance. I was surprised that I was able to complete one in approximately three hours. And it actually looks like an apron! Of course things are a little crooked, the stitches are not straight, there are frayed edges, but who cares! I'm not too embarrassed to wear it. I will have some pictures to share, but not tonight. I tried to get some decent shots, but my batteries need to be recharged.

Oh yea, got my pink yarn untangled and am pretty much finished with the scarf. I just have to put the edging on it in a different color. I'll have Emily pose with it and post a picture.

Yesterday for Ash Wednesday, I went to the service at my kids school. The older students had a Mass, but I didn't attend that one. For the younger ones, there was a service with just the
liturgical readings of the day, then the distribution of ashes. The little ones were just so sweet. Father would ask them questions, and they were all just so eager to answer.

Today I took Kathryn to her dentist appointment. She has two loose molars. These are her last baby teeth - and she's only 11 years old! She had her first loose tooth when she was four years old and they've been falling out regularly since then. I'll be glad to see those last two go. She's always been very sensitive to the feeling of her teeth being loose and has refused to wiggle them out. She couldn't stand any of us to touch them (to pull them out). So they've been extracted. That's weird how she would rather have the dentist extract them, than wiggle them and get them out herself.

That's how my week has been. This weekend we will enjoy some time with my SIL/BIL who are visiting from Texas.

I hope to get pictures of my latest creative endeavors posted tomorrow.

A Post

2009-02-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

I think I'm finally on the mend from this cold bug. It's taken a while for the cough to get better, but I think it's on the way out. I think! I woke up with a sore throat, but I don't have it right now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. From what I hear, this virus that's going around is one that takes it's sweet time going away. As much as I like Winter and the rain, I'm looking forward to Spring.

My housework has gone to pot. It's been enough to get dishes washed and laundry taken care of. While I've slacked off on that, I've managed to do a little bit of reading. I'm reading Raymond Arroyo's book about Mother Angelica and a fiction book called, Quaker Summer. Oh, and that reminds me, I really do need to add my new list of books read and take off the old list.

I'm slowly making progress on my scarf project. I mentioned that the yarn got all tangled up. Well, I've slowly untangled it instead of buying a new skein, and the scarf is almost done.

YIKES! Here's what the messy skein looked like. It was worse than this, but this is bad enough.

So far, this is what the scarf looks like. It needs to be a little longer, so I'll probably end up buying another skein. You can bet this time, I won't be pulling the yarn out from the center. You never know what kind of knots are hidden in there!

Cough! Cough!

2009-02-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

Well, this cold or whatever it is, is a whopper. It started out normal enough, but my stuffiness has lasted for about four days now, which is unusual. For two day now, I haven't been able to smell or taste. It's not fun to eat now. But one thing I've discovered is that snacking is not appealing when you can't taste! So many times I've wanted to munch on some chips or candy (my favorite Sweet Tarts - Valentine edition) but I've turned away as I remembered I wouldn't be able to taste them anyway.

I'm also coughing a lot now. Poor Steve, he has to hear me hacking upon sleeping and waking. I can't wait for this to all be over.

I've been able to get a lot of crocheting done. I'm working on a scarf for Emily. It's an easy pattern and would be going quickly but I was unlucky enough to find a huge tangle in the middle of the skein. What a mess! I was debating whether to attempt to untangle it or just buy a new one, but for some reason, I felt like I had to win the battle and I've persisted in trying to untangle it. So I untangle some, crochet a little, untangle some more, and so on. I'll have to take some pictures of my progress.

Emily had her Valentine's Day party at preschool today. She was so excited to get cards and candy from her classmates. She showed me everything she got and told me about all the food she ate. She's hoping when she goes to Kindergarten that it will be just as fun. I assured her that it would. Ryan and Kathryn have their class parties on Friday. Steve and I don't usually do anything for Valentine's Day, other than exchange cards and I'm so late with getting that. I know it's going to be slim pickings among the available cards, but you never know.

I think I'd better end now. I'm coughing too much and I need to rub some Vicks on my chest for the night. I think tomorrow will be a better day!

Saturday

2009-02-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a good start to their weekend! We are having some rainy weather, which I am enjoying. It's expected to last the whole weekend. The lawn and plants are loving the freshness that only the rain can bring. The air smells fresh, too!

Steve took the kids to do some grocery shopping. He is braver than I am. I wouldn't take all three kids to the store! Although Kathryn is no sweat, when Ryan and Emily are together, you never know how things will go! They always seem to find something to argue about, and then they get to yelling at each other. I am never at a loss for teachable moments. One of my daily prayers is to be able to reach them and teach them about how we are to act with each other. Sometimes it doesn't seem to be getting through, but I don't give up.

While Steve is out doing the hard work, I'm here blogging away! Actually, I stayed home to get a little rest. I seem to be getting the same cold that Steve had. My sore throat is gone, but now my nose is a little stuffy and my body just feels like it's battling a cold.

My plans for the rest of the weekend besides resting when I can:

Work on some crochet projects that I have lined up.
Catch up on laundry.
Make my menu plan for the week.

We'll also try to make it the open house at the kids school. This is mainly for new students, but since Emily will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, we thought she'd like to see what her class would look like. Kathryn and Ryan could also take a peek at next years classrooms, too.

Right now, I'm going to rest and watch the episode of Lost that I missed this week but recorded on the DVR.

Have a nice weekend!

Super Bowl Commercial

2009-02-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

I know that the Super Bowl is history, but I wanted to share my favorite commercial for this year.

Then I wanted to share a funny one from the past. I'm not sure if this one was a Super Bowl commercial or not. Do you remember this one?

Super Bowl Sunday Ramblings

2009-02-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

We are having a little informal party here for Super Bowl Sunday. I'm really not into football, but Steve and Ryan have a ball talking about the game. We have just finished our pizza and are awaiting the start of the game to begin indulging in our junk food snacks! So, I plan on eating, crocheting, and watching the commercials (that's about the only time I look forward to watching them)!

Yesterday, Kathryn had a basketball game and she got quite a bit of playing time. She hardly ever gets to play, so to see her out there hustling after the ball was fun. Her team lost but they did make a tremendous comeback after being behind by 20 or so points! I think they ended up losing by 9.

I also finally got around to cleaning out Ryan's closet. What a job that was! There were so many stuffed animals! Most of them were Emily's. I had to bag a lot of them and put them in the garage. If I had my druthers, I'd donate them to Goodwill or something. And that reminds me that I need to do that purging type cleaning when no one is home. All the kids want to know what I'm throwing in the trash, what's going in that bag, what am I doing with such and such.
Most of the stuff they don't play with anymore, but all of a sudden they see it and beg me to not get rid of it!

I don't want them to grow up being a pack rat. I've been like that and it's only within the last couple of years that I've learned to let go of so much. It is so easy for me to accumulate clutter. I used to save so much memorabilia type things, remembrances of this event or that one, but the thing is, it's just stuff that stays packed away. It's not like I have it sitting out to remember it. Just accumulated clutter. I have saved a few things, but I find it much more freeing to let go of a lot.

For me, letting go of clutter is like peeling an onion. I go through a lot of things, trash some, and save some. The next time I go through a box or something, I see the same item, then this time decide that it is something I can let go of. I try to also keep in mind that some things I think are worth saving will not be something my kids will want went I'm long gone. Maybe some things will have a memory associated with their past and they'll want to save, but most of it will be junk to them. I'll spare them the task of having to go through all my stuff.

I'm finally finishing up season two of The Waltons. I'm enjoying the episodes so much. The story lines are good and I just love watching Olivia and Grandma tending to their duties. And Olivia always shows such gracious hospitality. The family was in the midst of the Great Depression, yet they always welcomed the unexpected guest with an extra plate at the table or a place to stay for the night. They remind me of my mother. She's always tended to her duties without grumbling and showed gracious hospitality. They give me inspiration when I find myself grumbling and being a little lazy in my duties.

Before I start watching season three, I have to watch a few horror/suspense movies that are in my queue. I actually like these kind of movies, as long as they are not too bloody or violent. I like the psychological thrillers, especially any that have a telephone involved, like getting weird phone calls or something. No one else likes to watch these (meaning Steve since the kids can't watch), so I have to watch them at night - yikes- and Steve is not there to tell me what's happening while I have my eyes hidden behind my hands!

Enough ramblings for now. The party will be starting shortly!

Happy Homemaker Monday!

2009-01-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom has started Happy Homemaker Monday to record a little of what's going in our day.

On my bedside table: The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann and some Crochet Today magazines

On my TV: Poseidon Adventure - the original one from 1972. I rented this way back for New Years Eve but am just now getting to it!

On the menu for tonight: Tostadas with rice and beans

On my to-do list: mop the floors, clean bathtub, sort through the entryway closet.

New recipe I tried last week: Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken I got this recipe from the latest issue of Healthy Cooking. It was very good! I'm not sure if the link will work unless you subscribe to the magazine or Taste of Home.

In the craft basket: Nothing right now. I will continue to crochet and knit some dishcloths, but I'm also looking through my crochet and knitting magazines to find some patterns to use up some of my yarn stash. It's too large!

Looking forward to: Rain! It's supposed to rain again sometime today, but the skies are blue! I don't know where the rain clouds are? Maybe tonight?

Homemaking Tip for this week: If you have a sluggish drain, try pouring some bleach down the drain. Wait about 10 or 15 minutes, then run very hot water. It will flow clear again. Now I don't know if this will work if the drain is already stopped up. If my drain is slow, I just do this tip and the water flows great again. PLEASE, just don't mix the bleach with any other cleaning product. You don't want any noxious fumes!

Favorite blog post: I have two this week. Both of them speak of the little things we can do to help someone in need and the blessings in giving, even when we may be in need ourselves. These two posts gave me reflections to take to the Lord in my prayer time. The first post is from Laura at Catholic Teacher Musings and the second one is from Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me.

Favorite photo from last week:

This is not a photo from the past week, but from Christmas time. The girls put on a fashion show with Ryan serving as the MC. This the their "fabulous" poses.

Lesson learned the past few days: The little things we do for others can have a great impact and be such a blessing to them.

On my prayer list: President Obama

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

From St. Patrick's Breastplate:

This day I call to me:

God's strength to direct me,

God's power to sustain me.

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's vision to light me,

God's ear to my hearing,

God's word to my speaking,

God's hand to uphold me,

God's pathway before me,

God's legions to save me:

from snares of the demons,

from evil enticements,

from failings of nature,

from one man or many

that seek to destroy me,

anear or afar.

I don't know why my paragraphs are not being separated here at the end. They are separated where I compose the post, but not when I preview it. Oh well, hope it's not too dificult to read.

Wednesday Funny

2009-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Ryan is quite a humorous boy.

The other day, I came out of the shower, slathered some floral scented lotion, and proceeded to do my household business. As I passed by him, he says, "Oh mommy, you smell nice, just like roses! I thought, "Aw, how nice." Then he says, "Not like when you go to Grandma's house or go to the doctor, or go see fireworks (meaning most other times), then you smell like peanuts! But he made sure I didn't feel too bad. He said, "But that's still nice!"

I had to double check with Steve and the girls and find out if I really smell like peanuts normally. They said I don't smell any kind of way, just normal. That's good. Maybe I'll wear scented lotions more often. They do smell pretty.

I think I mentioned before that Ryan loves to play around with my camera, taking shots of just about anything. I'll leave you with a self-portrait that he did. I'll spare you the pictures he took of his tongue and tonsils or him picking his nose.

2009-01-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

What a week it's been! The Santa Ana winds started again and with it came allergies. Or so I thought. My eyes started itching, then I started sneezing, then the stuffy nose came. I think now that I had a cold. I can't really tell. I was taking some allergy medicine but that didn't seem to help. For two days, my head was so congested. My eyes looked so beady. Now my nose is clearing up but the cough is starting. Sounds like the cycle of a cold to me. Whatever. I'm feeling much better now.

Emily and Kathryn both had colds too. Emily missed two days of preschool.

I'm so excited! We finally got our hardwood floors refinished. Our entryway was hardwood but in terrible shape. Our dining room had carpeting and as you can guess the carpet was so yucky. It got so bad that not even professional cleaners could get it to look good anymore. So we took out the carpeting and refinished the hardwood floors underneath. The wood looks beautiful! We did the same with the hallway carpeting.

We have lots more home repairs to do, more flooring, painting, counter tops, practically everything. As finances allow, we will do what we can.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Letter Meme

2009-01-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

Laura, the teacher, from Catholic Teacher Musings has assigned me the letter J (for Journey). I wanted to use ten J words to describe my spiritual journey, but that was proving to be difficult so I chose five words to do that, then five more general J words.

J - Jesus
The whole point of this spiritual journey. The final destination is heaven, and being with Jesus.

J - Journal
Where I write down my thoughts and reflect on what I think the Lord is saying to me and doing in my life. My thoughts on Bible passages and other spiritual writings.

J - Join
I join with others, in heaven and here on earth, in this spiritual journey. Together we help each other out and provide support as we journey toward our final destination.

J - Jerk
How I act sometimes. As I read the Bible and pray, I get convicted about how I've behaved and I pray to overcome my sinful habits and become more like Jesus.

J - Joy
Joy is what I feel when I'm right where God would have me . Loving and serving Him and others.

Now, for the other five words, I'm just going to name things that I like that begin with J.

J- Jeans
I wear these all the time. I'm most comfortable wearing these.

J - Jasmine
I love the smell of this flower! One of the joys of summer is smelling this fragrance.

J - Jelly Beans
A favorite candy of mine. I love the red ones!

J - Junk food
I eat too much of this. A few of my favorites are Ding Dongs and Sour Cream and Onion potato chips.

J - Jamberry
The delightful children's book that I used to read to Kathryn all the time when she was younger.

Finished Dishcloth

2009-01-09T22:19:00.000-08:00

I finished my first dishcloth of the new year! It came out bigger than I would have liked, but that's OK. It's about 12" x 12". I got the pattern out of this leaflet. This particular pattern had a new stitch for me so it was fun to make.

I'll experiment with a new stitch for my next dishcloth. Maybe I'll do a little adjusting to make the cloth smaller - the way I normally like them.

I also want to knit some dishcloths, too. I'm not as confident in my knitting as with crochet, but hey, practice makes perfect. I'm usually the armchair type crafter. I do a little bit here and there but mostly oohh and aahh everyone else's work. I've decided that I'm just going to get out there and do my own. I'll try and do that pattern that's a little more difficult. I'll take that challenge. So, I will get out those knitting needles and try not to get too intimidated. I'll get out my sewing machine and try sewing again.

I'm looking forward to see what I can create!

Getting Back Into the Groove

2009-01-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm finally popping in after my time away to get over my bug. It took me awhile to get my energy back, but I think I'm back to the strength I was before.

Now, I have to make sense out of the mess in the house. I'm going to tackle things a little at a time. Decorations need to be put away, laundry to be caught up, clutter to be dealt with, and menus to plan. But, I'm not stressed. Little steps at a time will accomplish a lot.

Kathryn and Ryan are still home from school. I'm glad about that. We don't have to do too much running around, other than her basketball game today. It's her first playing for her school. We have to hit the sporting goods store to get her knee pads first.

I started crocheting again. I've decided to work on some dishcloths. I hope I can make enough during the year to be able to give away at Christmas time. My goal is also to make ornaments and maybe bookmarks. I think they would make cute little stuffers to include with other little items. It feels good to create something again!

OK, I'm off now to get to that sporting goods store.

Have a great day!

YUCK!

2008-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to say hi. I'm sick with a stomach bug. YUCK! THe past few days, I've been a busy bee cleaning house for company that came today. Luckily, I didn't get sick until they left. I'm not sure if it was the food or if I had this bug coming on anyway. Whatever, it's still the same result - YUCK!

I hope I can be back to visiting you all soon! I think I'll have a lot of catching up to do!

2008-12-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon, one and all! I hope you had a nice Christmas, spent with family and friends.

I had a good one. Christmas Eve was spent doing last minute shopping and wrapping, a ritual with me. Throughout the day, I prepared food items for our Christmas Eve dinner. I cooked a turkey and made some sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and rounded it out with some green beans and corn. It turned out well.

Christmas morning, we opened presents, then went to Mass. After that, we went to my mom's and had a Christmas celebration with the extended family. It was a lot of fun. It's always great to see my sister and her family. We don't see them as often as we should. My brother and SIL were missing this year as they had company visiting from Canada.

We then went visiting with my mother-in-law at the residential home that she lives in.

The rest of the night was spent playing all the games that the kids got as presents. That was a lot of fun until the kids started getting tired and arguments broke out about who was winning and losing, who was not playing the right way, and who didn't get a chance to play with THEIR game. !! SIGH!! We all called it a night after that.

Today, I have the turkey carcass simmering on the stove to make broth for turkey noodle soup. It smells so good in here. Ryan might have a different opinion about that.
He already asked me if he has to spend the day in his room as he doesn't like the smell! Gee, I thought it was a heavenly smell, to have some broth simmering. Makes the house seem so warm and comfy! My homemaker self is just so proud!

Kathryn and Steve are out for some one on one time. They are hitting the stores to find great deals on things. Ryan and Emily are playing with their new toys and I need to take the clothes out of the washer and into the dryer. I haven't done laundry in days, so I have a huge pile to work on.

Tonight we will probably head out to see Christmas lights before people start taking them down.

Have a nice day!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas greetings to all of you. May you all be blessed abundantly!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

josh groban holy night

2008-12-24T10:14:00.001-08:00

Tuesday

2008-12-23T12:00:00.001-08:00

It's been so cold here. We're in between storms, so right now its sunny. I've enjoyed being snug and warm in the house, drinking my coffee. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I am in the winter, especially when the Christmas creamers come out!

I still have a little bit of shopping left to do, which happens every year. As much as I get an early start, I procrastinate till the very end. I must subconsciously get a thrill out of the rushing around, I don't know!

I've been wrapping as I go along, so that part won't be so bad. I usually wrap while listening to Christmas music or watching Christmas movies. This year, Kathryn wants to do more of the wrapping, so I'll gladly accept her help.

Esther, from A Catholic Mom in Hawaii, recently posted this video of Band Aid singing Do They Know it's Christmas Time. It brought back so many memories. I'm a big fan of 80's music and it was something to see some of these singers back at the height of their popularity.

Now I'm off to fix some lunch. We're having Grilled Cheese sandwiches today. Simple. Hope you're all enjoying the Christmas season. We're almost to the big day!

O Emmanuel - December 23

2008-12-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

O Emmanuel ( God-With-Us), our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations and their Savior: come and save us, O Lord our God!

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel;

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O Rex Gentium - December 22

2008-12-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

O Rex Gentium (King of Nations), and their Desired, the Cornerstone who make all one; Come and save our race, whom you formed out of clay.

O come, desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind.

Bid every sad division cease

And be thyself our Prince of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O Oriens - December 21

2008-12-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

O Oriens (Dayspring), brightness of eternal Light and Sun of Justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O come, O Day-spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

FR. Z's reflection.

O Clavis David - December 20

2008-12-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

O Clavis David (Key of David), and scepter of the house of Israel: you open and no one shuts; you shut and no one opens. Come and lead forth from his prison the captive sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O come, O Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O Radix Jesse - December 19

2008-12-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

O Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse), who stood as a sign for the people, before you kings shall remain silent, and to you the Gentiles shall make supplication: come to deliver us, and delay not.

O come, O Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell thy people save,

And give them victory o'er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

You can read a reflection from FR. Z. here.

It's Cold!!!

2008-12-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's super cold out here in ever sunny California. We're not used to the temperature dropping to the 40's. I'm sitting here with my scarf wrapped around my neck and if I didn't have to type on this keyboard, I'd have my mittens on!

I was finally able to upload some pictures so I'll share a few. There were approximately 160 pictures just waiting to be uploaded. Let's see what we have here.

This was the view from my backyard during the terrible fires in November. The sky was pretty black for awhile, but because of the Santa Ana Winds, all the smoke blew to the west and we were left clear.

Ryan likes taking self-portraits with my camera. I got caught in this one. :)

Sweet sisters!

Credit for this picture belongs to the mother of Ryan's friend. She takes great pictures.

The kids put on a fashion show for Steve and I. They had a great time pretending to walk down a runway and give us their cutest and silliest poses.

This was the picture we ended up using for our Christmas card this year. Emily's pants aren't the best but her intended dress didn't fit, and her on-the-ball mommy (NOT) didn't come up with a plan B. I didn't realize she didn't have appropriate pants for this sweater. She also wouldn't cooperate and kneel like the rest of the kids did. But, I think the picture turned out well. They tried their best not to squint!

It's time for me to attend to my household duties now. Ryan is home sick today. He has the sniffles and with the cold weather, I didn't want him to be out there and get worse. He has to try to be at school tomorrow for his class Christmas party.

Some of my to-do's today are:

laundry

menu for tonight ( I was bad and didn't do my plan for the week) :(

tackle cleaning out my closet (big job!)

Have a nice day, everyone!

O Adonai (Lord) December 18

2008-12-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

O Adonai (Lord), and leader of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and with an outstretched arm, redeem us.

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might,

Who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height,

In ancient times didst give the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O Antiphons December 17

2008-12-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

As we get closer to Christmas, I've wanted to keep my eyes focused on the Reason for the Season, Jesus, so I'm incorporating these O Antiphons into my prayer time. The first one begins today.

O Sapienta, ( O Wisdom), you came forth from the mouth of the Most High and reaching from beginning to end, you ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Come and teach us the way of prudence.

O Come, O Wisdom from on high,

Who order all things mightily,

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to the, O Israel!

From Catholic Culture:

O Antiphons - December 17 - 24
December 17 marks the beginning of the "O" Antiphons, the seven jewels of our liturgy, dating back to the fourth century, one for each day until Christmas Eve. These antiphons address Christ with seven magnificent Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies and types of Christ. The Church recalls the variety of the ills of man before the coming of the Redeemer.

The "O" Antiphons are the verses for the ancient hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The first letter of the Messianic titles: Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia—spell out Latin words ERO CRAS, meaning, "Tomorrow, I will come."

To read more about the O Antiphons, check here and here.

What's Up Over Here

2008-12-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

We had lots of rain here since the middle of the night and it's just about let up now. It was raining hard when I took the kids to school. Traffic was surprisingly light and we made it fine. We are so not used to the heavy rain. My kids thought school would be cancelled! I told them no chance. If it ever snowed here, maybe, but not for rain!

I had to go out and head to Costco and make our photo Christmas card on site. Normally I can do all that from home but something is wrong with the computer and it will not allow me to upload any pictures. Until I can figure out what's wrong, I don't have any photos to share!

Ryan's Christmas program went very well. His class sang Go Tell It On the Mountain and they did a wonderful job. When he first got out there, I thought he was going to cry, but no, he started smiling in no time. After each class performed (Kindergarten through 3rd grade), they all came out at the end to sing Silent Night in Spanish. All the classes sang well. I wish we could have sat closer so I could take some pictures, but we were way in the back. Ryan would have just been a dot.

On Saturday, Kathryn played in her last game of the season, a playoff game. Her team lost, but they played well. Kathryn will be skipping soccer in the spring and just play for her school basketball team. That's fine by me.

The rest of the day was spent at home trying to tidy up the house, catch up on the never-ending laundry pile, and sort through never-ending piles of paper clutter.

Emily and Kathryn worked on some crafts. Emily is all into drawing pictures and then making stories about what she drew. She is also enjoying cutting out her pictures with her little kid scissors.

I have put Kathryn in charge of decorating our little basket where our Christmas cards that we receive will go. She loves to create, so I'll be interested to see what she comes up with.

On Sunday, we took some pictures of the kids to be used for our Christmas card. The city next to ours has a traffic circle, roundabout, whatever you want to call it, that displays a huge creche, Santa, Snowman, and Christmas tree. They used to display a Menorah, but I didn't see that this time. Anyway, we took some pictures with all the displays, and we chose to use one taken in front of the creche. I'll post a picture when the computer allows me to.

Before I have to run, I want to acknowledge some awards that I received a while ago and am just now posting about it. Forgive me, ladies. I do appreciate it!

First, thank you to Cathy from A Bit of the Blarney for this one:

And thank you to Julieann at My Daily Life as a Wife and Mother for this one:

And with that, I'm off to unload the dishwasher and mop the floor! It needs it badly!

Hello There!

2008-12-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

I'm just now able to sit down and make a post! Life has been busy, busy.

So many things are going on at the kid's school. Last week, Kathryn spent three days trying out for the girls basketball team (5th & 6th graders). She made the team! She's so excited and we are all excited for her! We've been shopping for the needy families that Kathryn and Ryan's classes have adopted.

Tonight is Ryan's Christmas program. Of course, procrastinator that I am, I waited for the last minute to think about what he will wear. Clothes were all set, but I forgot that he had outgrown his good shoes. Last night we went to Sears to look for some shoes. We found some that he liked, but they didn't have his size. So I told him I would go out today to find the same ones but at a different store. Luckily, I found his size today! We are all set to go.

I hope we get there early enough to get good seats, but chances are slim. The hall fills up pretty quick and I don't want to get there so early that Emily gets impatient and we have to leave.

I still have major Christmas shopping to do, but I hope to get a lot of it done this weekend. I so admire all you ladies who get your shopping done early. I hope to join you some year. :)
But for now, I'll try not to panic!

I've got to go now, got to get everyone ready for show tonight!

What A Wonderful World

2008-12-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, while driving in the car, I heard this song in the midst of twenty-four hours of Christmas music on the radio station.

I can't help but get a smile on my face while listening to this song. Right away it puts things in perspective in my mind.

God made this beautiful, wonderful world. In spite of terrible economic woes, constant stories of terrorism and all the bad things that go on in this world, life is still beautiful and precious. God is still on the throne, we are still held in His hand. Take the time to appreciate all the beautiful gifts he has given us. Stop and smell the roses. Notice the intricacies of that flower or plant. Notice the beauty and endless expanse of the sky. Hear the sweet songs of the birds as they go about their business gathering food.

And then let's appreciate and love the people that God has placed in our lives. Because that's what it's all about - LOVE!

I hope this song puts a smile on your face as it does to mine!

Book Meme

2008-11-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

I was tagged for this meme by Tracy:

I'm supposed to find the book closest to me, turn to page 56 and type out the 5th sentence and then two to five more sentences after that.

The book closest to me right now is, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs.

Page 56, sentence five and a few more after that: Only in a gown. A tight gown." The blonde leaned over to whisper in Georgia's ear. "And we won't hesitate to play up my decolletage, will we? Show it off a bit."

I haven't actually started reading this book yet. The title seemed pretty interesting since I like to knit. I haven't updated my sidebar to show what I'm reading right now, but I am doing some reading here and there. Let's see, aside from the above mentioned book, I have:

Love Takes Wing - Janette Oke
Love Finds a Home - Janette Oke

These are the 7th and 8th books in the Love Comes Softly series. I'm just loving these books. I love the old-fashioned values that are depicted, the way the women took care of their families and homes, and just the simpler way of life.

When Calls the Heart - Janette Oke

This is the first book in another prairie series. I hope it's as good as the other one.

These books are due back at the library in two weeks. I don't know if I'll have them read by that time. With all the Christmas preparation that will be going on, I'm not too sure. I may have to renew some of them.

As you can tell, I'm in my light fiction reading phase right now. My brain can't sink into the more deep spiritual insight books right at this moment, although I should take the time to find one to read during this Advent season. I need to focus myself and my family on the "reason for the season."

Saturday

2008-11-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day was very nice. It was a nice time of visiting with my brother and sister-in-law. But I must say....I did miss the turkey! The burgers were good and all the food was good, but I miss the leftovers!! So...I'm cooking a turkey tomorrow! And I'm going to make stuffing, too! And I'm going to make a pumpkin pie! I guess it's sort of like another Thanksgiving.

I didn't hit any sales yesterday. I don't like the huge crowds. Besides, I don't yet have my gift list made out, so there was no sense in just wandering around. I'm not much of a window shopper, so I just puttered around the house.

I did find my Advent wreath! It was buried in a high storage cupboard in my bedroom, way in the back. I had to empty out all the junk from the front so I could take a peak. I'm glad I found it so I wouldn't have to pay for another one. I have the candles, but I would like to go to the craft store and find some greenery to put around it. It's kind of bare right now.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and are enjoying your long weekend!

2008-11-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!