Running with Perseverance

Feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim

I remember sitting on the stairs on my parents' house with Charlie and my mom, looking at a calendar, and trying to pick a wedding date not long after he placed that engagement ring on my finger.

We were engaged on July 26, 2002, and just our luck, that date fell on a Saturday for 2003.  It was also the feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim!  Perfect!

Ever since then, we have had a special devotion to these wonderful Saints.  An acquaintance (an art history major) a few years back shared about a piece of art depicting Anne and Joachim kissing when they met at the gate after finding out that they were to conceive a very special child (after many, many years of praying for a baby), the Virgin Mary!  So, this year, in lieu of gifts to each other, we decided to buy this depiction of "The Meeting at the Golden Gate" by Giotto di Bondone for our home.

Isn't it so lovely, and so real?  In most other depictions of this moment, Anne and Joachim are just near each other, maybe with their heads next to one another.  This just seems so much more realistic; a genuine kiss at such a joyful moment is nothing short of appropriate and certainly not scandalous!  I can't wait to get it and display it!

On this happy day (well, next day by the time this posts!), Sts. Anne and Joachim, pray for us!

6 Years of Joy

Today is our 6 year wedding anniversary.

 

I promise to be true to you

 

in good times and in bad...

 

in sickness and in health...

 

I will love you...

 

and honor you...

 

all the days of my life.

 

Thank you, my love, for the happiest 6 years of my life!

Small Successes June 4

1. I set aside my personal preferences and desires and embraced everyone else's desire to get a puppy.  And I have to say, so far, I just think he's wonderful!

2. While it's not only a personal success, it was a move in the right direction, and my sweet husband and I got away for a lunch date.  We haven't been out alone since Christmas time.  It was great. <3

3. Several pieces of Kindergarten curriculum arrived in the mail after I found things I needed on cathswap.  I saved about 75% off of new prices and shipping that way!

Check out Faith & Family Live! for more small successes!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day isn't usually a huge deal at our house.  However, Charlie and I did go out briefly this evening since the FOCUS team was co-sponsoring a Valentine's event for students.  They did a showing of Fireproof (if you haven't seen this, go see it ASAP!), followed by a lovely dinner, and a dance (which I imagine is still going strong - but we didn't attend that part since we had little ones at home who needed to go to bed!).
Here we are at the dinner:

We had a nice time, but I'm really glad to be home now in my PJs and getting ready to have a snack (ice cream??) and wind down.  Last night we had a BIG birthday party for Charlie and we are all still tired from that!  It went until 3:30 AM!  I didn't even make it that long, but he had a great time.  Maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Check out this site that Shannon made me aware of!  I sent my envelope last week!  Maybe more this week....

A Simple Woman's Daybook November 6

Please visit The Simple Woman for more Daybook entries!  FOR TODAY Thursday, November 6...

Outside My Window...the wind is intense!  I feel like it's ushering in the Winter.  The weather has been so beautiful this Fall, but now stepping outside it is bitter cold. 

I am thinking...about the weekend.  This is the first weekend in a month that Charlie or I will not be out of town.  I am looking forward to some family time and time with Charlie. 

I am thankful for...my sweet children.  Felicity and Gabrielle have been so sweet lately, they spend the whole day just playing together, reading books together, imagining together.  Pretty soon Colette will join in the fun I'm sure.  She's still a bit of an independent player.

From the kitchen...Charlie has asked me to go back to the intense meal planning I used to do.  Recently, I have been in daily survival mode and I need to go back to planning and purchasing ahead.  One thing I've been doing well though is stocking my freezer.  You should see my collection of once fresh now frozen berries!  The grocery store had fresh raspberries 10/$10 last week and I stocked up in a major way.  Those little containers are usually $4.99 each!  I also have a bunch of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.  It's great to know they're in there for baking, pancakes, toppings for yogurt (my favorite!), and smoothies.

I am wearing...a new pair of jeans, a 3/4 sleeve pink top from Shade, and my Chaco sandals.  When I go out later, I'm going to have to add a warm sweater and shoes.  I am thankful for a warm home today!

I am creating...Christmas lists.  I have already done a lot of my shopping and I am trying to figure out what to get who.  The only people I am completely finished shopping for are my parents!  haha :-)

I am going...to have a babysitter this afternoon, but have no plans on what I'm going to do!  Maybe go for coffee and read, maybe spend some good quality time in prayer in the chapel downstairs, maybe go Christmas shopping...we shall see!

I am reading... St. Gianna Molla: Wife, Mother, Doctor by Pietro Molla and Elio Guerriero  I have been loving this book and I started reading it while on the way to the Kimberly Hahn conference.  It was the perfect companion since the topic of the retreat was motherhood and St. Gianna is such a role model to mothers.  I'm almost finished, and hoping to get it completed by this weekend. 

I am hoping...that the election of our new president will not result in the chaos that I am afraid of. 

I am hearing...the Baroque classical channel on iTunes and Felicity and Gabrielle playing with Wedgits.

Around the house...I need to put away the Summer clothes and make room for the coats and accessories.  I need to clean my (very small) closet so that I have more room to store suitcases and Christmas gifts.  There is the usual to do as well: laundry, vacuuming, polishing, etc.  I need to clean the fridge and purge the toys too! 

One of my favorite things...when Charlie comes home.  All is well in my world then.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Next week is Gabrielle's birthday (on Tuesday!  She'll be 3!!!  I can't believe it...I feel like I just got her!), so I need to plan for that.  I think we'll do something low key as a family.  We like to alternate years for parties, I don't want to do a party every year for each child, plus I don't want them to have that expectation.  I already got her a gift, but I'd love to think of something fun to do as a family as well.  This weekend we have dinner with friends on Saturday night after Charlie spends the morning pheasant hunting.  Monday, Felicity has an Oceanography class in Fort Collins, which will be fun!  I always love a good trip to FC.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...  Here are my darling daughters (well, 2 of them!) dressed for Halloween.  They went as St. Therese the Little Flower and St. Agnes.  Charlie did such a great job getting them dressed up in my absence! 

Why you don't tell 4 year olds secrets...

If you ever want to keep a secret, don't tell it to a 4 year old.

We were hoping to keep it to ourselves for a while, but Felicity blabbed all over to college students tonight!  I told her not to before we went in to Mass, but I should have known she wouldn't be able to keep a secret!

Yes, indeed.  I found out yesterday that our newest little baby is on the way.  Please pray for a healthy pregnancy and baby!  We are thrilled to be blessed with another sweet child!

Sweet Memories

This afternoon, the last thing I need is a distraction, but I found a great one over at Waltzing Matilda.  She said:

Go to Wikipedia and type into the search bar "19__ in music". I chose 1988 since I was a freshman in high school that year. Scroll down to the section called "Top Hits". Then go to YouTube and search for some of those songs to see if you remember them. If you are like me, you might have to wait for the refrain before something clicks. Fun huh? OK, maybe you already knew this trick or maybe you are that kind of person who can remember every song played at all of your 8th grade dances.

I have been listening to all sorts of songs from 1998, the year I met Charlie.  It is so fun! 

It's Official

What you see here is an envelope waiting to be picked up in my mail box.  It contains registration forms for Charlie and I for a pilgrimage this winter to the holy land!!!!!!  I can hardly believe it.  FOCUS is taking a pilgrimage lead by Dr. Tim Grey, a Biblical scholar, so it should be amazing.  It will certainly be a financial sacrifice, but Charlie and I firmly believe in experiences over material things in life and are willing to do what we have to do to make it happen.  We have prayed for several months about going and as time went on, we were both convicted that we should seize the opportunity.  Our children are old enough to be ok without us, I am not pregnant, and we are able to go with friends.  Thankfully, my incredibly generous mother-in-law has agreed to come to Colorado to stay with the girls while we are gone so that they have some resemblance of their normal life and routines despite our absence (THANK YOU Lori!).  That was the hardest part for me, deciding whether or not I could handle leaving the girls.  Surely great graces will come to our family just by walking where our Savior has walked. 
On another note, this will be the first time Charlie and I will go anywhere alone without children since our honeymoon!  I really look forward to spending that time with him, having fun, in prayer, and sharing experiences.
Please pray for us as we prepare our hearts and minds for this pilgrimage to the holy land!

The Simple Woman's Daybook - August 25

Please visit The Simple Woman for more Daybook entries!  FOR TODAY Monday, August 25...

Outside My Window... it is a glorious day, sunny and cool, and full of promise.

I am thinking...about all that I need to get done today.  I feel really positive that it's going to be a great day.

I am thankful for...Jesus!  Today Jesus, fully present in the Blessed Sacrament, will be arriving in the tabernacle in the chapel below my house (the basement)!  Pictures to come!  I have been waiting for this day for months.  Daily Mass in my basement, every day at 5!  

From the kitchen...Charlie and I had a lovely breakfast together this morning!  "Egg-in-a-hole," which I got from a new, very engaging website, that I found this week.  I also had coffee and a delicious peach; Colorado peaches are abundant and inexpensive right now.  Today I'm planning to bake with my girls, we'll make banana bread.  I need to make some pesto to freeze also, my basil is out of control out there!

I am wearing...my favorite long, flowy, brown skirt with pockets.  As I write that, it sounds a little frumpy, but it's very cute.  I'm also wearing a cream shirt with crochet accents.  My hair's down, but that won't last long and I still need to get my makeup on.

I am creating...nothing right now.  I have plans this week to pick up supplies to try my hand at making hair bows for my girls.  I did some research and it looks fun.

I am going...to a BBQ this evening with the FOCUS missionaries and the students on campus.  Today is the first day of classes here at UNC and Fall outreach is key.  I'm looking forward to seeing all the wonderful students we love and meeting some new ones!

I am reading... A Charlotte Mason Companion:Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning

I am hoping...that Charlie and I will be able to have breakfast together in the mornings more often.  Today was so wonderful, we got to sit and talk, eat, have coffee, and not be interrupted by little ones.  I need to get up early every day.  I've already gone for a run, showered and dressed, made breakfast, and spent time with my husband.  I'm so not a morning person, but I think I'm going to force myself into it!  It's nice to have some time before the children wake up too...

I am hearing...silence, except for the cars going by on the busy street out my open window and a box fan cooling the house before it gets warm this afternoon.

Around the house...it's Monday and I usually do all the big chores on Monday.  Today I'm doing a ton of laundry, cleaning the bathroom, mopping, and preparing for tomorrow's Team dinner.  Speaking of team dinner, I'd love any suggestions for meals for 10.  Tomorrow I'm making homemade spaghetti, basil butter bread (basil from my herb garden!), sauteed squash and zuchinni, and peach crisp.

One of my favorite things...my husband.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: A playdate at the park, team dinner, lots of face time with the students at various activities, we need to go to the library, daily Mass every day at 5 in the basement!  I still need to plan preschool activities and Christmas gifts.  Maybe I'll get today's work done and be able to sit down to do that during naptime!

Here is picture thought I am sharing... Gabrielle won some goldfish at the parish festival on Saturday.  RIP Nemo and Dori, they didn't even make it through the night.  Gab was sad.  I still thought this was a sweet picture showing children's innocent curiousity.  I love it!

Joy

Have I mentioned that I am married to the greatest man alive?

Today we celebrate our 5th anniversary and 5 of the happiest years of our lives.  A couple months ago, I heard a talk (on CD) by Archbishop Fulton Sheen and part of it was about how to deal with an unhappy marriage, to accept it as your personal cross and how to use it to attain holiness.  I feel so blessed that God has granted us such a blissful marriage, allowed us to be great friends as well, and sent 3 perfect little children to us.  Our life is so truly happy.  I thank God today for 10 years of growing up together with my beloved and 5 years of sincerely joyful marriage!

This morning, I was awakened by 4 year old Felicity, fully clad in underwear only, hair all crazy, poking me in the face with a flower and telling me that "Daddy has a surprise!"  Here is what my wonderful husband brought me this morning: