What a God-send!

I cried through most of the announcement this morning about John McCain's pick for VP. Sarah Palin is by far the most unexpected yet perfect person to run along side him. For our family, we are thrilled that she is union (so is her husband), she has a son in the military, she's a mother of 5 - one with down syndrome, she's prolife to the core, she's not big on government overspending on rediculous things, and her speech today was moving.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

GOD BLESS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!

Truly, what a God send!

--------------------------------

Democratic Catholics - an oxy moron? What an Obama Nation - oops, I mean Abomanation. Here's a good read if you can't decide.

Read more about politics on my personal blog.

What about us!?

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Dynasty - Family reunion web site

Everyone always wonders this, so I found out!

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy websites - Geneology

Blogging Friends Forever Award

I have just been awarded the

BFF Gold Card Award

by: Sara from A Book A Day

Isn't it beautiful :o)

I would like to share this BFF Gold Card Award (according to the rules below) to:
Jamie at Lord, Make Me A Saint
Tracy at Pinewood Castle
Shelly at The Keeper of the Keys
Jessica at Shower of Roses
and new blogger Erika at To My Infinity

Now I just hope all of you will read this one to claim your award!

Rules:
1. Only five people allowed to be chosen.
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.
3. One has to be someone new, or recently new to your blog, or live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the 'Blogging Friends Forever' award.
5. Be sure to add the award to your permanent blogsite! (if you desire)

I chose my top readers known by comments left. I would really like to know who is all reading my blogs - so be sure to comment on this post whether you got an award or if you are another reader! Be sure to check out these five fabulous blogs, and all those listed on the left side of my blogsite.

LOVE YOU ALL!
Melissa

School Days - an end to the laziness and craziness of summer.

Everyone is enjoying sharing their school plans, I thought I'd share mine too!

This is a sample day. I added subject magnets to my weekly chart (shown at the bottom of my blog page) to help me keep track of time and to help the kids learn about the concept of time and sticking to a schedule.

6:30am Mommy Time (prayer, exercise, primping and pruning, you know)
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Prayer Time, Pledge of Allegiance, Circle Time, Imagination Exercise
9:30am School Day part 1: Religion, Math, Phonics/Reading, Spelling
12:00pm Lunch Break, Chores, Physical Education
2:00pm School Day part 2: Handwriting, English, Music, Prayer
Tue & Thur adds= History (Odd # Weeks) / Science (Even # Weeks)
5:00pm Supper, Family Time
9:00pm Bedtime

Wednesdays are cut down to basic classes and add an art hour to make time for our Wednesday Walk in the Park and Library Day.

- all times are subject to change without further notice :)

We chose to purchase the curriculum and books provided by Seton Home Study, just as my mother did for my younger siblings (now 13 & 20) and our own trial with PreK and K which went wonderfully. Yet, we added the following books for supplemental material to personalize the program. And because I found a lot of neat stuff at the MN conference and online. I also prefer the CHC materials for preschool rather than Seton's.

First Grade:
Seton Home Study 1st grade complete set of books and lesson plans
CHC Little Stories for Little Folks (phonics/reading supplement)
A Treasure Chest of Catholic Traditions for families for living the liturgical year.
MagnifiKid issues for Sunday religion
A Liturgical Calendar
We will make our own version of a Comprehension Book & Nature Book (link if you want to buy one)
Phonics flash cards including: Picture Sorting and Word Sorting

Preschool:
Handwriting Without Tears ®
CHC Little Folks Number Practice
CHC Little Folks Letter Practice
Super-Book Preschool Activities
Usborne Farmyard Books: Things to Make and Do (if I can find it)

Some Other Supplemental Materials:
Homeschool Family Fitness program for K-12
Piano Lessons by me: Alfred's Sacred Course, Catholic Hymns for the Young Pianist
Cortler & Piscitelli's series of books for children (10 Comm, Mass, Mary, Acts of Grace)
Sea Life Art & Activities by Judy Press

Our First Day of School - Tuesday Sept 2, 2008
Will include a ritual height measurement, pictures (labeled w/info), and fingerprinting.
We will just browse all the books for the year, and ask the kids what they want to do.
Then together we bake some cookies from scratch (I'm a toll house fridge pack girl).
And whatever I come up in the next few days!

A PRAYER FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR
Spirit of God, fill our hearts with a desire to seek truth and rejoice in beauty. Help us to know what is pleasing to you and to understand what is right and good in your sight. Give us the spirit of learning that we may please you by our thoughts and love you in your creation. Give all teachers your constant encouragement and guide them in their good work. Spirit of God, make us effective witnesses of your truth to all whose lives we touch. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.


Weekly Themes At A Glance

Week 1 Sept 1-5, 2008: Getting Started
Week 2 Sept 8-12: What’s Cooking?
Week 3 Sept 15-19: Triumph over Pain and Sorrow
Week 4 Sept 22-26: Collecting Things
Week 5 Sept 29-Oct 3: Angels & Sacrifices
Week 6 Oct 6-10: The Rosary & 10 Commandments
Week 7 Oct 13-17: Recycling
Week 8 Oct 20-24: The World From My View
Week 9 Oct 27-31: Special Intentions
Week 10 Nov 3-7: Saints started out just like you.
Week 11 Nov 10-14: Our Freedom & Free Will
Week 12 Nov 17-21: Charity & Being Grateful
Week 13 Nov 24-26 (Mon-Wed): Gathering in Thanksgiving
Week 14 Dec 1-5: Waiting/Advent
Week 15 Dec 8-12: Miracles
Week 16 Dec 15-19: Giving & Receiving and Christmas
Week 17 Jan 5-9: Blessings
Week 18 Jan 12-16: Using our hands
Week 19 Jan 19-23: Our Reflection
Week 20 Jan 26-30: I Got Rhythm
Week 21Feb 2-6: Finding our Direction – God’s Will & His Graces
Week 22 Feb 9-13: Divine Love
Week 23 Feb 16-20: Authority of the Catholic Church
Week 24 Feb 23-27: Preparing Ourselves for Heaven
Week 25 Mar 2-6: Sacrifices
Week 26 Mar 9-13: Unity
Week 27 Mar 16-20: Bread of Life
Week 28 Mar 23-27: Decisions
Week 29 Mar 30-Apr 3: Living Life to the Fullest
Week 30 Apr 6-8: Holy Week
Week 31 Apr 13-17: Easter
Week 32 Apr 20-24: This is the Day!
Week 33 Apr 27 – May1: On Fire for the Lord
Week 34 May 4-8: How do we get there?
Week 35 May 11-15: Comprehension
Week 36 May 18-22: LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

Another confirmation of life before birth

This blog touched my heart today. It is a story of a miscarriage and pictures of her child. My miscarriages happened so early, I never even got to see them. As far as I know, they were flushed away unknowingly. Please take a moment to look if your heart can handle the tears.

http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2007/03/bethanys_baby.html


A short prayer in remembrance of children miscarried

God, "I thank You for the lives that began for so short a time
that now are able to enjoy so long an Eternity."
God the Father, watch over my children.
Mother Mary, kiss them kindly for me.
Holy Spirit guide me, so that
I may join them in heaven one day.

About a Girl

Happy 6th Birthday to my Mikayla!

Mikayla with her friend Katherine (Jamie's Daughter) in their twirly skirts.

It's been a long week and a half of Mikayla's Birthday Celebration. Her actual birthday was Monday the 25th. We began at my cousin's house for the Wicks' family summer birthdays.

Mac, Mikayla, and Betsey (Melissa's cousin's children) -Tony in the foreground.

Followed by a celebration with Melissa's family - Mikayla's grandparents, aunt and uncle. (Because of a Blogger's Tea Party on Friday morning, the kids stayed at Grandma's, then Tom and I joined them for a birthday dinner, sleepover, Guys golfed in Sat morning, followed by a casual play day.)

Papa Bruce, Grandma Pat with Sabrina and Stanley

Auntie Annaleah and Mikayla

L-R: Bobby (Annaleah's boyfriend), Uncle Michael, Auntie Annaleah, (cousin Joey in front)

So what is left to do? Have the most girliest birthday party ever for Mikayla and her friends. She was asked to look in the yearbook and pick 6 of her closest friends to come for a purple butterfly party.

And mommy got in butterfly/purple mode for a week picking out and creating decorations. Her main requests were for sparkly things, butterfly things like butterfly sandwiches, time to play, and lots of balloons.

So that's exactly what she got. The girls arrived to the decorations in perfection. They were asked to sit at the table, where a placecard (from Target's dollar section nailpolish in a box that had a cupcake, name on the frosting) was set for them. They could color their paper doiley placemat and look through their goodie bags. Each girl got in their goodie bag a butterfly activity book and pencil, candy, ring pop, and stick on earings found at Party City.

The kids meal was all about metamorphasis. We started with a catepillar string cheese, chrystalis grapes, and butterfly sandwiches. This was a tea party lunch so we had warm apple cider poured from a tea pot into their plastic tea cups. And some delicious tea cookies.

After some play time outside and with Mikayla's collection of barbie dolls, doll house, and kitchen setup - we came back to the table to make a tissue paper butterfly. The kind where they wrap the tissue around a pencil end, dip it in glue, and stick them tightly to the butterfly paper cutout. This went a little slow and most didn't finish. They wanted to play again. Luckily only 2 out of 7 girls weren't into dolls.

We finished with ice cream and mini bundt cakes that I colored the batter purple, and they got to frost them.

When I mentioned that she could chose to recieve food donations for the food shelf in lieu of gifts, she excitedly requested it of her guests. The giving was overwhelming! Even her grandma and distant friends pitched in. A table full of food and school supplies, about 2 laundry baskets full. I can't wait to take her to Catholic Charities to bring the baskets of food.

I cannot believe she is 6 already and starting first grade. Where did all that time go?

This was just the highlight of our weekend, so much else happened! I went to a Blogger's Tea (posting that later on my personal blog), and I've been working intensely on our school year that I will post about soon. I have so much to catch up on!

Be A Prayerful People

My favorite excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI's address to seminarians and youth at WYD 2008:

"Dear friends, the example of the saints invites us, then, to consider four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocations.

PERSONAL PRAYER & SILENCE
What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer. God by his very nature speaks, hears, and replies. Indeed, Saint Paul reminds us: we can and should "pray constantly" (1 Thess 5:17). Far from turning in on ourselves or withdrawing from the ups and downs of life, by praying we turn towards God and through him to each other, including the marginalized and those following ways other than God's path (cf. Spe Salvi, 33). As the saints teach us so vividly, prayer becomes hope in action. Christ was their constant companion, with whom they conversed at every step of their journey for others.

There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John, for example, tells us that to embrace God's revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen (cf. 1 Jn 1:2-3; Dei Verbum, 1). Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God's whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness.

LITURGICAL PRAYER
In the liturgy we find the whole Church at prayer. The word liturgy means the participation of God's people in "the work of Christ the Priest and of His Body which is the Church" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7). What is that work? First of all it refers to Christ's Passion, his Death and Resurrection, and his Ascension - what we call the Paschal Mystery. It also refers to the celebration of the liturgy itself. The two meanings are in fact inseparably linked because this "work of Jesus" is the real content of the liturgy. Through the liturgy, the "work of Jesus" is continually brought into contact with history; with our lives in order to shape them. Here we catch another glimpse of the grandeur of our Christian faith. Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the sacraments, Jesus is at work. Through the Holy Spirit, he draws you to himself, into his sacrificial love of the Father which becomes love for all. We see then that the Church's liturgy is a ministry of hope for humanity. Your faithful participation, is an active hope which helps to keep the world - saints and sinners alike - open to God; this is the truly human hope we offer everyone (cf. Spe Salvi, 34).

CHARITY IN ACTION
Your personal prayer, your times of silent contemplation, and your participation in the Church's liturgy, bring you closer to God and also prepare you to serve others. The saints accompanying us this evening show us that the life of faith and hope is also a life of charity. Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we must move (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 12). The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about you with Christ's eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and justice? Many of the examples of the suffering which our saints responded to with compassion are still found here in this city and beyond. And new injustices have arisen: some are complex and stem from the exploitation of the heart and manipulation of the mind; even our common habitat, the earth itself, groans under the weight of consumerist greed and irresponsible exploitation. We must listen deeply. We must respond with a renewed social action that stems from the universal love that knows no bounds. In this way, we ensure that our works of mercy and justice become hope in action for others.

VOCATIONS
Dear young people, finally I wish to share a word about vocations. First of all my thoughts go to your parents, grandparents and godparents. They have been your primary educators in the faith. By presenting you for baptism, they made it possible for you to receive the greatest gift of your life. On that day you entered into the holiness of God himself. You became adoptive sons and daughters of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit. Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world, particularly those who may be struggling in any way - socially, materially, spiritually. Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life.
...

DISCIPLESHIP
Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free. "

BOYCOTTS

Have you heard about the latest family-minded boycotts?

McDonalds corporation has homosexual agenda endorsements!?
> links at Boycott McDonalds and American Family Assoc.

Target boycott lasts a decade due to contributions made to Planned Parenthood.
> Target no longer contributing to Planned Parenthood! Yeah!

Protesting Victoria Secret's Window Displays.
> I first read a comment on Christine's blog that peaked my interest.
> link at Fox News
> And here is the best article on what to do about it at American Decency Assoc

To find out more about Hot Topics
including the HPV vaccine, legalizing marijuana, comprehensive sex ed, etc go to the Minnesota Family Council website. You won't believe your eyes with what is happening in our state!

Life and morality just doesn't seem valuable to people anymore!

Homeschool Walk on Wednesdays

Well, it's Wednesday already (2am), another day of walking and playground time with other homeschoolers. I organized this last week and it went so well with 5 mom's and a lot of kids, we're doing it every Wed while the weather is favorable. It was so refreshing to get walking again. I really challenged us with a big hill and a two mile walk, divided by play time in the middle.

This week we're going to another local park to play, then walk around the pond 2x for a mile, then picnic! I am so excited, but I better go get some sleep so I make it!

Did you go for a walk today?

You should while the weather's good!

Adventures in Sewing

I was inspired by Jamie's blog about her girls' Twirly Skirts, to start doing some sewing of my own. I'm by no means a pro at it, but I can do it, especially if there is a pattern or another to copy. So I found some discount fabrics, found some modest patterns, and wahlah! I got me some skirts, dresses, valances, blankees, purses and more. Keep in mind, I've only finished 2 skirts and a valance today. The dresses are going to take a little longer for me. But it was a nice break in my routine while I watched the kids play outside in the sandbox.

Mikayla just loved her twirly skirt. She asked if she could wear it all the time. So in love with it myself, i said no - I'd have to make a play skirt for playtime. This material was picked out by this fairy princess at JoAnn Fabrics. She just loves butterflies, and found the perfect match of materials! She's got her mother's eye for it!

Twirly Skirt Pattern

Little Girls Dress 1

Girls Dress 2

A good site I found: The Kings Daughters

This is a fun valance I put together for our school room. The material has little school supplies on it like scissors, crayons, glue, and rulers. I embellished with some buttons. I've made curtains before, but it's my favorite one so far! Now I have to paint the room to match! Agh! It will drive me nuts soon enough.

This is merely to prove that I really did make these things, not buy it. But for those who know me already, you know I can't just follow a pattern - I add, I modify, I adjust with ease! I "Melissa-fy it!"

So while I am sewing, I am also painting our closet and bathroom, preparing Mikayla's 6th Birthday party (yes - purple butterfly party), planning our school year (luckily I got Seton's curriculum to start from) , delivering the homeschool group's yearbooks, and a list of about 40 other things! I am one busy momma this month!

Keeping a clean house

This is in response to a blog posted by Jamie about Picking Up Toys.

I responded:
A trick that worked wonderful for me today was:
About the time they are finished playing a one room or with a big project - it tends to coincide with snack time. So the rule is, no snack until you clean up. It actually worked slick today. It gives them an incentive. And then I make a plan with them what we will do after the snack, something they will like such as a movie, play outside, or if it's bedtime - we make plans for the morning.

Otherwise the kids just think the same as we do - I'm just going to mess it up all over again later. So why clean? Well, I just tell them that's they way mommy wants it. Then we can start a whole new adventure next time, (and daddy won't step on a toy and get angry at you.) :)

Some days I've sung the annoying Barney songs like "Clean up, clean up - everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up - everybody do your share." Anyone singing with me?

I grew up with the rule: Clean this up before you move onto the next thing. And I did as far as I remember. But my kids are like hers-
"I'm playing with that"
"But it's dinosaurs and blocks and barbies?"
"I'm playing with all of it!"
"Okay, whatever floats your boat!"

A quote from my husband's aunt:

"If the house isn't a mess, the kids must be sick."

#1 Priority - them having fun.
#2 - If mommy's happy, everybody's happy.

And how less stressed I become when I just let it go. It's only toys afterall. Of course, if it is time to go to bed, or we are at someone else's house I am firm on cleaning up. They have learn the words "obey" and "disrespectful." I tell them if they refuse to clean up, they'll get a spanking and STILL have to clean up. That ususally gets them moving.

Some other resources that relay these thoughts:

From Amazing Grace for Mothers, by Emily Cavins and Patti Armstrong.

"Bad: Keeping a clean home is no longer possible.
Antidote: You have a home."

"Bad: You're child doesn't listen to or obey you.
Antidote: Neither did God's first children."

From The Stay at Home Parent Survival Guide, by Christina Baglivi Tinglof

"Cleaning your house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."-Phyllis Diller.

There are the neat freaks, laid back, and the "clean for company" type families. (pp. 147-152) "For better or for worse, that's my family."
1. Prioritize your chores. "Do what's most important, than leave the rest until you just can't stand to look at it anymore."
2. Develop a cleaning system that you can live with.
3. If you little one exclaims "I want to help!" Let him or her. Show how proud you are of them.
4. Try to make house cleaning fun. [Don't make it a "chore" to to "chores."]

"Control toy clutter by limiting which rooms your child's playthings are allowed in...And stop picking up the toys three times a day; once, right before [bedtime/bath] is plenty. For the rest of the time, just kick them out of your way!"

This is an incredible book, with many other resources and tips. I recommend it.

Discipline in our home is usually this:
1. I ask nicely.
2. I ask again, just incase they didn't hear.
3. I count to 3, slowly. Sometimes they count along.
4. I get mad because they made me count. Sometimes I yell. (I know, I know.)
5. I send them to the corner for the minutes equal to their age.
6. In pure disobedient moments and sometimes when in public, we spank.
7. Then we kiss, hug, and tell them that we love them. We emphasize the point that they are our children and we know they can be better children, Little Mary's and Soldiers of Christ. We tell them that it hurts God when we do bad things.
8. Then, we start all over again.

Recommending "Kids need...Lots of Love and a Spanking" by Jamie Pritchett. Given to me by a homeschooling mother of 9 or so kids? I agree with most of it and use it's main principals in my discipline.

Well, off to bed for me.

Healthy Homeschoolers Walk Wednesdays

I decided I wanted to start a Walking Group of homeschool mom's with kids ages 0-12. My intentions are to get myself walking on a regular basis and give the kids some playground time. I also want to meet some more homeschool mom's. So, for the month of August, we'll park somewhere, walk to a playground within 2 miles - playtime and a picnic lunch there - then walk back. Each week we'll switch to a new park, unless we find a favorite.

This is a big step, and right now my mind is trying to make excuses. Can you believe it?! Well, I figure if I plan it and others are expecting me to be there.... I'll be there. Being accountable to someone is 50% of the success of weightloss plans I've either been in or read about.

So tomorrow I hope to have some good pictures of our first endeavor!

An American Girl

My mother treated me and my children to a movie the other day. While I knew it would be a good family movie, I didn't expect to be touched by it the way I was. Maybe it was because of our past summer and its financial downfalls, or by the fact that my Grandparents lived through those tough times during the Great Depression (1930s).

Either way, I give
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (rated G)
FIVE STARS *****!



It's an fascinating movie about the "American Girl" named Kit we used to read about as young girls, or maybe your daughters have already read. The synopsis is below and at the movie website, but I wanted to let you know it's an excellent film to show your children to learn about the Great Depression through the eyes of a child, an emphasis on compassion for the poor, and an excellent mystery movie for all ages. If you are having hard times, it will certainly bring tears to your eyes - and also more reasons to keep hope and faith. It's NOT just a little girls movie.

While it is out in theatres right now, you can wait and see it in theatres next week during the Kids Rule Summer Film Festival going on now at the Parkwood Theatre and many others for a third of the cost.


KIDS RULE SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL:
Search theater locations at http://www.marcustheatres.com/

Every Wednesday & Thursday at 10AM
All Seats Only $2.50 FREE*
Popcorn with every paid admission [complimentary size]

SHOWINGS: 8/6/08 & 8/7/08 - Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

SYNOPSIS:
In the first feature film based on the hugely popular American Girl® book series, Oscar® nominee Abigail Breslin stars as a resourceful young girl whose bravery, compassion and determination help her solve a mystery that saves her family's home during the Great Depression.

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is directed by Patricia Rozema from a screenplay by Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia).

Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge can't resist bringing home strays, whether it's Grace, an abandoned basset hound or Will and Countee, a pair of young hobos willing to trade work for meals. Bright, inquisitive and generous, Kit is a natural born leader. But her happy childhood is abruptly interrupted when her father loses his car dealership and must leave Cincinnati to look for work. Kit and her mother Margaret are left to manage on their own, growing vegetables, selling eggs and even taking in an assortment of boarders including an itinerant magician, a vivacious dance instructor on the prowl for a husband and a zany mobile librarian.

When a crime spree sweeps Cincinnati, all signs point to the local "hobo jungle," where Will and Countee live with a group of their impoverished companions. Kit, who always has her antennae out for a good news story, convinces her new friends to take her to see the hobo camp for herself and writes an article that creates a sympathetic portrait of the camp's residents. But when Kit's mother and their boarders become the latest victims in a string of robberies, Kit's loyalties are tested. Will is accused of the crimes and, with all of their savings gone, the Kittredges face losing their house to foreclosure. Determined to recover the stolen money and believing Will is innocent, Kit recruits her friends Ruthie and Stirling to help her track down the real culprit. Together they uncover a plot that goes far beyond Cincinnati!
--© Picturehouse http://www.kitkittredge.com/

A Fresh Start!

I decided to get a fresh start on myself after sharing in 2 hours of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with my new best friend, Jamie. Last night we bound our homeschool group's yearbooks from 7-9:30pm, went to adoration from 10-12, then resumed with the yearbooks until 2:30am! What a gal!

It was wonderful to find out how much we have in common, including family life, struggles and joys in our pasts, and current struggles we are trying to overcome. I truly look forward to more time with her. My mom says she's the friend we've been praying for to find me. Don't get me wrong, Tom is my best friend. But every woman needs a girlfriend to talk to, right?
I was even amazed that we have both been to Medjugorje! Of course she was about 24 years old, and I was only 7. Any of you been there?

Here are my newest realizations:

*Leaving this blog for family stuff, and using my other blog for my deepest thoughts of the day that mostly pertain to myself. I invite you all to subscribe to my other blog found at: What I Like About You

*Taking on a new calm feeling about NOT attending my ten year high school reunion. Why am I getting so worked up about meeting people I haven't been friends with in so long, and will never get together with them again anyways? And most of my freinds aren't going either. First I was going to go, because that's just what you do. Then I found out it would cost well over $100 to go between fees, drinks and babysitting. Being broke I said no. Now with Tom back to work, he said I could go if it meant a lot to me - and after adoration last night, I could say "no" with such ease.

*Approaching my role as a mother and wife at home with a new zeal. Taking on the ways of St. Therese, I will be certain that every little thing I do is for the honor of God, instead of just something I have to do.
>>>"You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them." - St. Therese

*God doesn't make "ugly." I want to approach my weight loss in a graceful way. Knowing that the beauty of the Lord can shine through my outward appearance as a large woman or a healthy size. With this confidence, that I am His beautiful creation, I can simply act in a healthy manner to take care of myself - going to the Lord whenever I struggle.
>>>"What beauty? I don't see my beauty at all; I see only the graces I've received from God." -St. Therese

*I'm recharging my prayer life, starting today!
*"I can do all things through God who strengthens me."