WHAT a WAY to start Joy (Gaudete) Sunday!!

Happy Gaudate (Meaning Joyful) Sunday! Time to light that pink or rose colored candle!!!

And my - what a wonderful, joyful, Mass we had today. We have a new pastor at our church, and he is bringing many changes to our church family and how it is run, etc. Of course change can be hard, but one thing is for sure - he loves families and children. I noticed this on his first Sunday when he came over and greeted me, Hubby and my young girls. He leaned in and told Valiant in a cute way she could "make all the noise she wanted unto to the Lord" and was welcome to stay during the service. This is coming from an older priest too! It was so refreshing!

And today, he brought back an element to our community that many had been missing for a few years - BAPTISM AT MASS!! Our previous pastor had made baptisms private sacraments (aside from adults at the Easter Vigil) and so many of us have missed welcoming the babies and young in our COMMUNITY at MASS. So, our new pastor has brought it back, and today had the first baby and family to be baptized with us at Mass. AMEN!!!

It doesn't end there! When it was time for the family and Godfamily to go to the font, our pastor looked to the congregation and invited ALL THE CHILDREN attending Mass to come gather around the font (!!!!). There had to be 60 kids and some parents that flew up to watch a sacrament so cherished. My husband and I went with our girls and I had tears in my eyes (so did many other mothers, including the baby's mother I'm sure for many reasons...) with all those children watching, sharing in the joy and celebration. It was stunning. Plus, the fact that he invited the CHILDREN ("Let the children come to me...") when sure, they could talk, or make noise, and possibly "disturb" this rite. It didn't matter to our pastor. I can tell you - it was amazing. The children were transfixed, and no one noticed any noise - it was just joy. It felt like what church SHOULD be. When it was over, he took the baby, walked to the front of the altar, with the throngs of kids walking back to their seats and welcomed the new baby boy to our church community. More tears from me! I can't wait for our baby's baptism!!! What a celebration - what a JOYFUL Sunday - our third Sunday of Advent.

This is what our church IS. It is what our church should always be: a community of believers. I felt so connected with my brothers and sisters in Christ today - I am STILL pumped from Mass. We really were all together, welcoming, preparing, and being. That is JOY. Someone pass me a match and let's light that pink candle now! It's TIME!

Much love!!! Blessed Advent!

Small Successes and Thankful Thursday - "Sweating the Small Stuff" Edition

Hey!

HAHA - I forgot it was Thursday. I sat down at my computer to work on some photo gifts for Christmas and decided to procrastinate and glance at a blog or two and remembered what day it was! And I never even really read LAST week's Successes :) Goodness! Advent is flying by TOO fast!

Hmmm...what can I list?

1. I caught up on laundry yesterday after our VERY busy week last week. Now..is it folded? In my dreams yes....in reality....NOPE! But they smell good!

2. Lovely and I have done something together every evening. We've either done a craft, or Advent Adventures, or her Jesse Tree ornament, or just read good books. It's been nice making that one on one time!

3. Since last Thurs, I managed to get the house cleaned up and decorated for a Christmas party we hosted for our mommy group friends. It was great, and a wonderful push to get the house more in the mood for Advent and Christmas as well as nice for our own family to exist and prepare in :)


Finding time in this season for your successes?

Thankful Thursday
This week I'm so thankful for...

1. my sweet baby Val, who has currently pulled up on my leg, and is kissing my knee and hugging me. I can't stand all this love!! :)
2. the walk to school with Lovely - she was in a GREAT mood today and so happy to talk and spend time with me!
3. my patient husband for living with me and forgiving me on a daily basis for my nutty moments.
4. my family.
5. for friends.
6. tea houses that have Sour Apple tea!
7. my God who is there for me, even when I get too wrapped up in the life He gave me.

Thankful for you! Happy Thursday!

One of the best bloggity contests EVAH!

Hey all!

You've seen my posts for prayers or updates on McMama's blog about her son Baby Stellan. Well, as I've also updated, things have been going really well for them - Stellan is FABULOUS still. AMEN!

McMama is spreading the joy! Apparently HP (yes, Hewlett Packard) and BlogHer have joined up to allow her to give a lucky commenter a NEW HP Touchsmart 600!!! So awesome.

So...of course I want to enter! Come join the fun!! Click here for her GREAT story about this giveaway, and get inspired too! What a family!

Click HERE!!!

Much love!! Happy Trying!

Wordless Wednesday - "Smorgesboard Edition" Edition

Ok...some of these pics may need SOME words - but 1st here are some silly webcam pics from this week when talking to Daddy on his computer at work:

Isn't Val so cute? This is her new cheesy grin. You are one lucky duck if she flashes it at you!

And below is Lovely today. She just looked so grown up before we walked to school this morning I had to grab a picture. It's a dreary rainy day and she just made it brighter!


And now...some REAL life pics (as if my bedroom pic from the other day, and above were not enough) Below are some wall hangings we put up a few months back...ok - the SUMMER. It was so nice to have some warm touches on the walls in various rooms, and I love taking pics so instead of art, we went with frames. I just want you to look closely at them:

(collage frame says: "Together is a wonderful place to be.")

Have you noticed something about them yet? HA!! Yes! Ding Ding Ding! They are either EMPTY of pics, OR have the sample pics in them (i.e. no one related to me or I know in real life). HAHAHA.

I was just telling one my dearest yesterday that I'm not sure if the lack of action on any of my "to do" lists are simply from laziness, or procrastination, or I'm choosing to live life in other ways by enjoying my kids and husband, making memories, keeping the downstairs clean - haha? Maybe a combo of all. I just figured I'd share something real and everyday - since most of the time, I blog things to perk me up I do accomplish, or the deep thoughts of my brain.... :) I figured picture frames looked a little better than mountains of REAL laundry or 'to be finished' Christmas gifts! *wink*

Happy Wednesday! You are not alone....Carpe Diem!!

Day Book - "Feeling Well Edition"

Outside my window... crisp and COLD evening.

I am thinking… what a busy, but great day it has been.

I am thankful for…your prayers and how much better I feel!! Also, for a great ENT appt!

From the kitchen… I just pigged out on way too much! Honeybaked Ham sandwhich, pineapple, nutella, and honey wheat.

I am wearing…bare feet, PJ pants, and T-shirt

I am going...to bed soon - after a childhood Christmas special goes off the TV :)

I am reading...magazines for fun, and lots of great stuff for a family based Advent online.

I am hoping…that I can get all I need to get done crafting and shopping wise gets done while ENJOYING this time of preparation, penance, and waiting. We also enjoyed Sunday's St. Nicholas Day :) Pics to come!

I am hearing...the TV special - "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." It's just me watching it.

I am creating…Christmas presents and crafts, and a dinner menu here this week.

I am praying… for the intentions of MANY friends. I hope they know they have my love.

Around the house…full of Advent and the start of Christmas spirit decorating. It feels homey and warm!

One of my favorite things… tonight was so fabulous. Family dinner together, then Mommy and Lovely time with Advent Adventures and Jesse Tree ornament crafting, Advent reading with the two wreath candles, singing O Come O Come Emmanuel in the candlelight with her, seeing Lovely so into it all, then bedtime rocking with little Val who was a MAJOR mommy cuddle bug, time with Hubby, and now unwinding for the night. My heart overflows!! Wait...that was more than one. Well, I was feeling the blues tonight and a bit overwhelmed, so these events boosted my spirits.

I am pondering... You don't want to know. Too many things, good, bad, hard, easy, thankful, grateful, and nervous and scared. Just an emotional day.

A few plans for the rest of the week…going to morning Mass tomorrow with my Prayer group ladies for the Immaculate Conception, then tea and coffee out afterward at a tea shop with those same ladies for some fellowship; lots of crafting, ; an escape with a dear friend; Lovely's Christmas Concert; a possible play date; and time with our little family this weekend and the neighborhood. Oh yeah...Christmas card creating, photo album making, calendar making, shopping...whew LOL!


A “picture thought” I’m sharing…


Be glad I hid my arms from you lol - but here is my first belly pic at 17 weeks. I need to get better at taking pics before it's all over :) I wonder who is in that belly...hehehehehe!!!!

Prayers are working :)

Hey - so I wrote the 2 below posts, said a prayer, took a nap, and then got an ENT appt for Monday. Over the weekend I felt better, and could breathe better. I still have symptoms I want checked, but it has been amazing....the pressure and pain are so much more tolerable. I have no doubt that prayers from you my friends have helped.

I'll keep the ole' blog posted on this breaking news. :)

Much appreciation!!!

Crosses

It was funny. I was walking to my bed to take a nap, and as I was complaining to myself about not being able to breathe, again, even with Claritin D, and frustrated my Dr. couldn't see a bigger problem and sent me home, and how I'm not sleeping well again or napping well and yada yada yada I tried to snap myself out of it by saying this was a SMALL cross to deal with. I'm so lucky, as it could be worse. Yet, why am I complaining so much when I don't complain over bigger crosses. I started thinking....

I think it sometimes is harder to carry a bunch of small crosses, than one big cross. Well, in the case of a fallible human. Sure, my constant sinus issues are one small cross, but it is happening on top of a lot of other crosses going on at the same time - juggling family, carpool, lessons, parenting, activities, prayer, all while pregnant, etc. It's like trying to carry a stuffed, bulky bag. I keep wanting to drop it, and find myself wishing I could grab one huge beam that while I can barely lift it, I could find a way to hold on to it tighter, balance it on my back more, or attract a kind Simon to come and grab a piece with me. Bigger, obvious crosses scream out for surrender to help from others, from God. Smaller "bulk" seems to make me want to just keep doing it on my own...complaining, venting, but little action past that - or faith.

With the smaller crosses, I just can't let go of the control. Our small group talked about how women really feel the need to control and create the space around us to bring us peace, while men can just let that go. While I am an advocate for communication in marriage and for husbands to help us "help them" so to speak (being "wired" a certain way doesn't always fly in my book as an excuse, and I'm blessed with a man who agrees) lol, I also know I need to meet my spouse (or God) halfway and release my control on things. I need to let go a little, have some faith, take some grace, offer my suffering up, tell someone what I need - but man, it is hard with those smaller crosses. I just want to do it all by myself.

So, I'm going to go crawl back into bed now... also I'll try to surrender this frustration at my nose issues, and try to trust that while this small cross is certainly making my load bulky and cumbersome....there is some grace waiting for me to help carry it - even if I fall under the weight more than 3 times....

Maybe say a prayer for me? Thanks...please know praying for you empowers me and makes me feel better. I'm here for you!