7 Quick Takes in which I end with a bit of sass

--- 1 ---

Big A and I had a fancy date night last Friday.  As you all know, I love me some date nights.  We went to a fundraiser for one of our very favorite charities, 'Mary's Mantle'.  It began with Mass (sorry my dear children, it was flippin' fantastic to celebrate Mass AND be able to pay attention) and then dinner with drinks, followed by a Silent Auction.  But, the fun didn't stop there.  After that event, we went to our friend's Halloween Party and got to live it up with peers.  All and all, an awesome night.

The husband and I lookin' all sorts of hot!

--- 2 ---

On Monday, I took the eldest son out on an errand trip with me, which I disguised as a date because we went to McDonalds first.  Lil' Aaron was being as sweet as can be.  A woman stopped me and said something to the effect of, 'he is such a good kid, you are clearly a fantastic mom, doing a great job'.  I, of course, responded she should come by my house around bedtime and she might wanna re-evaluate that statement.  BUT, truthfully, it made me feel so good.  He was being awesome, said his prayers before eating, please/thank yous and conversed with me all through dinner.  It's just good to know that we aren't that far off track.

WHAT?!?!? YOU FEED YOUR KID THAT POISON!!! 

--- 3 ---

So, exciting stuff 'round these parts,  c-section moms will TOTALLY relate. I am finally wearing regular pants!  WOOT WOOT!!! Complete with buttons and zippers.  You see, this time it was taking forever to feel healed enough for anything but sweats (is this TMI????).  Graduating to big girl pants is a huge postpartum accomplishment, and I am glad I am finally there in recovery!

--- 4 ---

We got new couches!!!  We got new couches!!!  We got new couches!!!
Faithful readers, our couches were awful.  We bought them because we thought we were hip and cool, but they were pretty much the most uncomfortable couches ever.  Then, about a year ago, one of the cushions tore, and it wasn't normal size for a slip cover, and I am not a sew-er...so, naturally, we put duct tape on it.   Anyway, it has been a source of embarrassment of mine when people come over (I know I know, #firstworldproblems).  So, I am super pleased. We are having a couch coming out/football party on Saturday, can't wait!

Look how fancy!

--- 5 ---

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"- have you guys seen that movie?  It was so good, but I have never in my life watched a sadder flick.  There is this point in the movie where the child's pain is so well-acted and so 'real' I could barely handle it.  Children's pain, especially emotional, is so tough for me to grapple with.  I was crying so hard I wasn't sure I could complete the movie.  After, I naturally went and gathered up all three of my boys and brought them into bed with us.  We are the opposite of co-sleepers, to the point where our kiddos actually ask to go back to their beds with the lights out when I try to get them to stay with us.  Anyway, I forced them into midnight cuddles and it made my 'movie-broken-heart' heal.  Rent the movie, but know, it will hurt.

Don't they looked pleased to be in the 'Big Bed'?

--- 6 ---

Halloween. was. awesome. Look!  Screw the rain, we braved it and had a blast!  Check out my superheroes!

--- 7 ---

Obamacare is terrifying.  Every.single.person in this country should be terrified of the government overstretch happening currently.  Every American, regardless of whether personally benefitting form this law or not, should take a moment's pause and consider what the government mandating these things means to our freedom. I am not a tea-party supporter. I am not a crazy republican. I do not watch Fox news and I don't post crazy stuff on facebook and other social networking sites.  So, don't put me in that box.  But, mark my words, what the current administration has done with this law should have ALL of us concerned about personal liberty.  As we watch the healthcare system fall apart, and our premiums skyrocket, then the government slowly start forcing other things upon us, I truly believe that THIS LAW will be the tipping point we reflect on.  This law will be the one remembered in history as the moment in time when things changed, and NOT for the better.  Call me reactionary if you must, I'll accept it and then cuddle my family and watch- because honestly, I feel like there is nothing left to do.


And on that note, have a great weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

How I love my boys

Equal but different

It’s how I love them

It fills me with pride and constant terror that I am not doing it right.

You see, Lil’ A- well he is funny as heck (hell). He makes me laugh. When I sing, he says, ‘stop singing mommy, it hurts my ears’.  He fake falls from chairs.  He knows he has me wrapped around his finger, and he uses it at EVERY.SINGLE.CHANCE he gets.  He is the first boy to wake me up most mornings, ‘mommy!!!’ he cries.  And my heart leaps!  Why? Because the first word out of his lips is mommy.  Little Aaron? Well I love him differently than the other two. He helps me believe in miracles.

You see, lil’ Joey.  He is a soulful one.  His laugh is so deep it stops me in my tracks.  His eyes are so stunning in their questions that sometimes my greatest fear is I am not going to be able to match his sensitivity.   When I am upset, I am confident he fully understands why.  He needs more snuggles than the average kid (which we figured out through trial and error).  He hugs better and holds longer than any kid I have ever known.  Joey Mike? Well I love him differently than the other two.  He helps me understand who I am.

You see, little John Paul.  He teaches me.  Do you know I have wished away the other boy’s ‘newborn stage’?  True story. It’s hard. It makes me tired.  But, with JP, I haven’t wished it away. I am in awe of his infancy.  I delight in holding him, my hand cupping his head.  Smelling his newborn smell and spending time with him in the middle of the night. I hate not sleeping, but I sense something about this child. Something great. Something unusual. Something that draws me to stay up with him in the wee hours of the morning. John Paul?  Well I love him differently than the other two.   He helps me understand this finite life.

So you see, I promise I love each of my boys. I love them radically, I love them passionately, and I love them with the fullness of who I am.  But I have recently discovered….I love them very, very differently…yet equally.

Talk to me...

...about snacks!

It's Talk to Me Tuesday again, where I seek your help to answer some of life's questions.  Some are important, some are not.  The point of Talk to Me Tuesday is for me to learn from YOU and YOU to give me suggestions.  AND, if you would like some advice on the same subject, you can read either the facebook comments, or the comments below...so you can learn you some things as well.

So, life's questions...here we go.  Talk to me about Snacks.

With each of my boys, two things have happened.  AND, strangely enough, they have nothing to do with nursing (I have stopped nursing all my boys after a couple weeks).

The first
I get SO HUNGRY.  ALL THE TIME.  I am sure it is a hormonal thing or something, but after having the babies, I wanna eat all the time.  Unfortunately, a lot of times, I choose to eat unhealthy things, which is how I have ended up gaining 10 lbs with each of my boys.  I need to stop the insanity!
:)
The second
This has been slowly happening, but I can say with certainty, I now, officially have a sweet tooth.  This is very bad news :(  I have always loved me some snacks, but I have never craved sweet things (I am more of a salty kind o' girl), until now.  DUDE, I love me some treats at the end o' the day.  Love me some candy, love me some icecream, LOOOOVE me some cookies.  My husband says he has never met someone that needs so many treats :)

We are really trying to get healthy 'round these parts.  Aaron has joined Crossfit, and as of Nov. 1st, I'll be back at the ol' gym.

SO...TALK TO ME

First-
What are your favorite healthy and quick snacks to eat?  I need some variety, need some quick go-to's that will be healthy, but FILLING (remember, the constant hunger I told you about).  The six small meal thing works for me, so the snacks can be on the bigger side.  What are your favorites?

Second-
What do you do to curb your sweet tooth other than snickers, flurries, and chocolate chip cookies? What are some good 'sweet tooth' snacks that won't be horribly unhealthy and aren't disgusting... I'm like a child when it comes to going to far outside the box with things like fruit :) (bananas, apples and strawberries are about as far as I can push myself!).

And...GO!

7 Quick Takes :)

--- 1 ---

I had my six week postpartum appointment today!  Woot woot!  Wanna hear something weird? I always dread this appointment because I have to 'the conversation' where I re-explain to my obgyn artificial birth control is just not in the cards for us.  But guess what?  Today, when I told her, she said I was the fourth client she has had in the last two days who refused an artificial plan for spacing children.  Crazy huh?  Maybe some of the dangers of some of the current fads of contracepting are becoming clearer to the masses?  cool stuff.

--- 2 ---

Funny story. This is my new favorite outfit. 

The husband hates it, he calls it my sister wife look. Anyway, I wore it to the seminary for a meeting I had on Monday. When I stopped in the bathroom, I decided I loved the outfit so much because it made me look like a nun (no wonder the husband doesn't love it). Then I took my first ever bathroom selfie so I could show my blog friends my new favorite outfit. My intent was to put it in quick takes and reflect on how there is something about religious life that is so attractive to me :) But this next part is where life gets awesome. My friend Mario, who I had lunch with at the seminary, said the next day, wait for it....one of his seminarian brothers asked what order I was in!!!! SCORE!

--- 3 ---

My dad rocked my world the other day. While talking politics and education, he remarked what a shame it was that kids are not taught the full value of our US Constitution. He went on to say that our forefathers were very well aware government naturally lends itself to tyranny. To fight against that progression, they carefully crafted this living document. When we begin to throw out principals of our Constitution or disregard them, or twist them... we become less safe in protecting ourselves from our government.   I know, I know, duh....but the way he said it was awesome, and timely, in light of certain mandates :)

--- 4 ---

Cute kid alert! When something bad happens, lil' A now says, "I'm so sorry" with a sad and empathetic voice. Are you kidding me?  Then, Joey mike is honestly the best snuggler, out of any snuggler there ever was! And my John Paul, well, he is nothing but cute.  Life is good in the land of boys.

The best snuggler in the whole world of snuggling!

--- 5 ---

John Paul decided not to nap yesterday, and in case you are wondering, it reminded me why naps are ESSENTIAL to a SAHM with three's mental. Stability.

--- 6 ---

Can someone explain why I hate putting laundry away? Seriously. The washing? I'm good with! The drying? I rock at! The folding? Ain't no thang, I find it weirdly satisfying.,,but the putting away!? I hate hate hate. That's my story, I'm sticking to it.

--- 7 ---

Guess what came in the mail today?!?!  OUR WEDDING PHOTO ALBUM.  Sure, it might be three years after the wedding, and three kids later, but dang, did it ever make me smile :)

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Five Favorites...Clergy Edition

So...we have all heard stories of not awesome clergy.  Whether priests/deacons/bishops...it seems like everyone shares about 'one priest they know that did XYZ' making them want to leave the Catholic Church.  And, you know I have ran into some flawed humans who happen to be priests as well.  BUT, for the most part, I have only had positive experiences with holy men in clergy.  For this week's five favorites, I'd like to tell you about some of them.

1.

Fantastic Seminarians

I know, I know, kind of cheating since they aren't clergy!

For a hot second my brother was in the seminary.  Because of that, I got to know many of the guys.   Now, one of my best friends, Mario (JP's godfather) is in the seminary and so I get to meet a few more of them.  I love when I meet those special seminarians who will make a significant impact in our Church. I love hanging out with Mario and his homie Brian...both down to earth, hilarious guys, guys that are going to continue the Church's tradition of being good. LOVE me some awesome seminarians.

2.

Young Priests

Is there anything better than a young priest who is authentic and excited to serve the Lord?  This weekend, I was at an event called the 'New Pentecost Project'.  The priest that married us, Father Craig, was speaking.  His message was awesome and his demeanor actually gave me a moment of pause.  Holiness radiates off of him.  Take him, and Father Steve, and Father Paul and all the other wonderful young priests who are helping to shape the current Church...it's hard not to feel inspired.

3.

Priests who have shaped me

As I said, I have pretty much only had awesome experiences with priests.  Our parish priest, Father Bob, when I was in high school, went with a couple friends and I down to Cedar Point for the day and rode the best roller coasters with us.  Talk about EVANGELIZATION.  Another parish priest, Father Henry, cut me a check one day that enabled me to go on a Mission Trip to Africa...are you kidding me!?!?!  I have worked underneath excellent priests who have gently guided and always affirmed.  Then there's Father Alex, I met with him once and he opened doors that allowed me to go the HOLY LAND!  NO JOKE!  I have had good experiences with such holy men, bummer we don't get to hear about them.

4.

Bishops

Have you ever hung out with an awesome Bishop?  A member of the hierarchy.  Some of you might have negative views of the hierarchy of the Church.  Can I tell you something? I have only had interactions with servants among servants when it comes to Bishops (personal experience) .  The other day, I was in a meeting with Bishop Byrnes...do you guys know him?  Talk about living down to earth, authentic holiness...when I'm around him, it makes me want to be better, both in my personal life and in my ministry.  And, let's talk about that Bishop of Rome (Pope Francis)...are you kidding me!?!?!  We are in good shape.

5.

Media Savvy Priests

I love me some seminarians/deacons/priests/bishops/popes who understand we no longer have an option to check out of the world of social media.  I love seeing the status updates of clergy, inspiring and present in a digital world often lacking in truth, beauty and goodness.  Good on you clergy who have embraced what it means to evangelize in this crazy world :)  Thanks for giving me hope!

And that, today is my five favorites.  Do I think wearing a collar makes you automatically exempt from sin/human failings?  Nope!  Have I met so many fantastic servants of the Lord who wear a collar?  Yup!  Do they occasionally deserve a shout out!??!  Heck to the yes they do, and here it is :)

Talk to Me Tuesday...

... Because we all need a little advice.

Today is my Blessed John Paul's feast day. I know everyone and their mom has a John Paul, but I'm so glad we didn't let that stop us. My youngest carries the name of a strong saint, and tonight the three of us (along with all other saints and angels) got to celebrate Mass together. It was an awesome gift and so nice to be able to share this special feast for the first time with my son.

Can I tell you about a prayer experience I had the other night? I was at an event (The New Pentecost Movement) with adoration. I was talking to Jesus and it was so nice. I asked him "am I doing it right?" And he gently and not surprisingly answered "no". Throughout the course of our chat, (private revelation) He reminded me that the most important thing is our relationship...Him and I and he made it clear, that needs more time dedicated to it. Now, before you get nervous, don't worry...I know the big man loves me and rewards the efforts I do make through being a mom, but I also know, in a lot of ways, I've made him the last of my priorities.... And so, TALK TO ME...

If you are a mom, or a dad, or a spouse, or a single person with a really full plate...

What concrete ways do you pray? When do you talk to God? What form of prayer makes you feel closest? Gives Him most praise? Works in your busy life? What are your "best prayer practices"? Hook a sister up

But, just know. Early morning prayer is not gonna work for me:)

My, how life...

...has changed.

Aaron and I, about a month ago, started talking about the real possibility of going to Rome for the Canonization of John Paul the Second.  Now, if you know anything about me, you know a few things.  1) I love me some John Paul 2) I love me some travel 3) I love me some adventure.

After figuring out that we really would have the finances to do this fantastic trip, I was so very excited. And yet, something was sitting uncomfortably with me.  The trip would be a LOT of money for a very short amount of time.  We would have to leave our very small children for several days and travel VERY far away from them. I have no probs leaving the kids, we do it often-ish...but we are always close, an ocean away is not close.  Last night we came to a decision, although we COULD go to Rome to see one of the greatest influences in my life be declared a saint, we knew in our hearts, we shouldn't.
If you'd have asked me three years ago if I'd ever turn down a trip to Rome, a trip to Rome to see John Paul II canonized....I would have answered, 'not in my wildest dreams'.


My, how my life has changed.


This weekend, we finally had  NOTHING to do.  On Friday night, we had a movie night with the boys.  We ordered a pizza and they got to eat watching a Halloween special.  Then, we snuggled under covers.  It was AWESOME. And then, on Saturday, we declared a quasi pajama day.

This Fall, I MAY have scheduled entirely too many things, given that I had my third c-section in 2.5 years.  BOLD MINISTRIES is going fabulous and I love it, but it has made the weekends a bit on the busy side.  SO, having a Saturday with NOTHING to do felt so good. It even physically felt good.   Tensions that I had been carrying without even knowing loosened a bit.  Aaron let me sleep in until 9:15 am (yes, you read that right, and NO, I can't remember the last time that happened) We poked around in the morning and then went to Confession around noon.  Our little family watched some 'shows' and then some football.  My in-laws came over and we had a really nice visit, just sitting around and talking.  The boys went to bed and we watched a little Tigers.  I got to drink me some ice-cold Bud Lights in fancy bottles.  It was really one of those perfect days.  The weather was cold and cloudy (which is my favorite) and I just felt very cozy and protected with my little family.

Aaron and I keep saying to ourselves, 'we can't believe we have three kids'.

It is so ridiculous...and so fantastic
It is so exhausting...and there are so many blessings
It is so chaotic...and filled with so many laughs
We get SO little sleep...but our days are filled with SO many cuddles.

Although Rome might not be in the cards for 2014...fantastic blessings with laughs and cuddles are.

And that, my friends, leaves me struggle for words to give thanks to our Great God.

And thinking...My, how life has changed