Hark the Herald Angels Sing!

New Address

2010-02-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

Because of frequent technical difficulties, I've moved the blog.
http://www.harktheheraldangelssing.wordpress.com

Franciscan Reunion

2009-11-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to mention that we recently hosted an area Franciscan Alumni Reunion at our house. It was such an honor to do this. I hope that we can make this an annual gathering. Much to my amazement, while I did absolutely no preparation, it was a smooth event with an abundance of food. A household sister of mine was married the day before and I was out of town for her wedding until just about an hour before the reunion started. I am grateful for how much everyone pitched in! It was actually kind of nice the way it worked out, as the day was much less about us hosting, and more about everyone having something valuable to contribute (in more than just the food realm:)). We had some great conversation, praise and worship, and even Mass said by Fr. Drew Curry.

More Fall Photos

2009-11-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry...I'm frustrated with blogger...I'll try to fix this later.

Christus In Parvulis

2009-11-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

This is the inscription we have in our wedding bands. We put this there for two reasons. 1.) It reminds us often of our need for the virtue of humility in our relationship with God, each other, and everyone else. 2.) We know that much of our sanctification will come about through the graces of parenthood (as long as we respond to those graces)as we lose or lives for our children.

With that, I am pleased to announce that we need to figure out a new Internet name for another Little Blessing who is due around July 23rd. Amazingly, I looked back in my journal (which I don't often write in), and right about the time of conception, I was asking Our Lord to help me embrace the Cross. A few weeks before that, I started to dread the thought of having another child. All of the sacrifices of going through another pregnancy, having a baby who wakes in the middle of the night, more laundry, another person to disrupt the order and organization I long for in the home, getting fat, being needed for nursing--all of these and more seemed so despicable to me just weeks before conceiving. And yet, thanks to Christ and His wonderful grace, my reaction is one of peace and thanksgiving. I am ever so grateful for the opportunities this Little Blessing will bring, and has already been bringing in my life. When moments during the day are tough, the constant thought, at least thus far, has been that this is such a grace, and I have the great gift of having so many opportunities for Christ's glory and power to be manifested in my life. When things come up that I dread, I can say to God, "I really don't like this, and I don't want to do it, but I just ask that Your power would prevail and not my weakness." I have been completely amazed at the result of this prayer. It really is easier to make it through the day when you are not relying on your own power. I only hope that I can continue to grow in this wonderful trust of Our Lord and in the peace that following His will brings.

PS-I think it's a boy, even though I love, love, LOVE the girl's name we have chosen! :)

Happy 30th Birthday, Dear!

2009-11-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

That's right. The Man of the House just turned 30 the other day! We had a fun-filled celebration at my parents' with his parents in town too. My parents were very generous and let the kids stay with them, while we got to stay at the hotel and get two glorious nights of sleep!! Also in celebration of 30 years, we took the plunge, and bought a piano! It has been a marvelous blessing! He practices in the evenings after putting the kids to bed, and it is wonderfully calming to everyone in the house!

(Thirty doesn't seem quite as frightening as it used to.)

A Few Fall Photos

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Ballerina Babe

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Little has enjoyed her ballet classes immensely. Her father has too...as he said after the parent observation class,"I'll pay whatever they want to see that again."

Little Saints

2009-11-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons we've been so busy is that Little and Littler have been diving into their "school-work". I mentioned in a post during the summer that I was doing a little trial run with homeschooling. We've all very much enjoyed it, in spite of the great amount of preparation that goes into the Little Saints Preschool curriculum (Just a heads up to anyone considering it.) I still do not know what we will do next year as far as school for Little. I'd like to try homeschooling again, and I've looked into a few things I may like to use. I am relieved that there will not be the great amount of preparation I've been putting into it this year. One aspect that I've enjoyed the most is that I generally feel more relaxed about our home and the state it's in because I've enjoyed the quality time I've spent with the kids doing school work with them. However, I have hired a sitter to come two afternoons a week so that I do have some time to run errands, catch up on things around the house, or just have some relax time to myself. I find that knowing that a sitter is coming also helps me feel more relaxed about the house b/c I know that I will have a few consecutive hours to do the things that are so difficult to do with the Littles at my feet-like clean the bathroom. At any rate, I ask your prayers that as far as the school decision goes, we do the will of God. I'm hesitant to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of a decision one way or the other...I don't think I'd ever come to a decision. So, with that, I've decided it's not about that or what I think the "best" decision is-I've made the focus of the decision on what God is calling our family to do. It is, by the way, difficult to set my love of teaching aside when I pray about it, but I'm doing the best I can.

August? Really?!

2009-11-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it's been August since I last posted! All I can say for myself is that life has been busy, and I am no longer able to get at the computer while Littlest is awake. I don't think I'll complain about that-She's pure joy to have around. I'd rather look at her than a computer screen anyway. I guess I feel the same about the other Littles too! :) Other than that, I have way too many other projects that I've been working on...the biggest being a cross-stitch Advent calendar. It's coming along, but will not be done before Advent, which means that the pajamas I was hoping to make for the kids for Christmas probably won't be done either. *Sigh* There is always next year. I'll try to get everyone caught up on the happenings around here.

More Love Festing...

2009-08-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

...Because I can only upload five per post, and these kids are DARN cute!

Love Fest for our Little

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Love Fest for our Littler

2009-08-30T09:52:00.001-07:00

Love Fest for our Littlest

2009-08-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Punishing Parents

2009-08-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

7:30 am. If I haven't had food put in front of me and my cup of milk, I am one unhappy camper. Just this morning (7:40) my daddy tried to tease me with my cup of milk as he doddled with my breakfast preparation. With baited breath I waited and waited and waited, while I whined of course. Never mind that my parents have been trying to get me to use signs so that they know what I want. They always know, so why should I put forth the effort in telling them when my pitiful little whine does the trick...and I get sympathy when I use it. That's the best part. Anyway, when my daddy finally got around to pouring my milk, he chuckled at my sighs of relief, and then he did something I have yet to forgive him for! He handed me my cup and when I reached out to grab it, he took it back and laughed some more! I know! How mean! I was not about to let him get away with it. No way. I refused to take that cup of milk from him, and I let him hear it! I did want that milk pretty badly though, so I was quite relieved when he set it down on the table and I could go grab it when he wasn't looking. Chances are, I'll have to show him who is boss again, just like I do my mommy every time she puts down for a nap, but a pretty little girl like me really needs my milk and beauty sleep. So, I'll always give in, but not without a little punishment first. After all, I am the poor, neglected third child.

I can ignore it no longer!

2009-08-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

As the academic year begins, I have been faced with the school question. Instead of preschool, we opted for ballet lessons and Catechesis of the Good Shepard for our oldest. I'm sure she would have done well had I enrolled her in a preschool program, but I felt that she might enjoy ballet more, even though her class is only once a week. I had been comfortable pushing aside the school question, but I'm starting to face the reality that decision time will be here before we know it. She will turn five in April, and though I do feel that I could hold her off another year, I do believe she will be ready for Kindergarten. With that, I decided to try a little homeschooling program to see how we do with it. I hope that this will give us greater peace as we make a decision for her. We are trying to approach the decision taking a great number of things into consideration. Though I'd like to homeschool, I do have some reservations. So, I thought this would give us a little "trial run". I will be using the Little Saints Preschool Curriculum. I've also looked into Five in a Row and Catholic Heritage. I'd love to hear any feedback from anyone with any homeschooling experiences. I'm wondering how you go about choosing the right curriculum for your family. I'd also like to have a realistic idea about the challenges of homeschooling.

I always loved biology.

2009-08-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Please excuse me if this grosses you out! The kids and I found this cicada (or is it a locust?) the other day. I had never seen this before. We all found it fascinating!

The Call to Surrender

2009-08-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

As I face the struggle mentioned in a previous post, many sinful and weak tendencies are being brought into light. It is time for the pruning of branches in my heart. It is somewhat painful, and in the past I've often felt"punished" by God during these times. As I continue along my faith journey, however, I am much more aware that pruning and purification are gifts given by God in His generosity, and that He is as gentle with us as He can be. How merciful the Lord is! I believe now more than ever that God's mercy is His greatest attribute, because I have experienced His mercy so abundantly in my life. I now have confidence in His mercy. In large part, this is due to the life, example, and intercession of St. Therese the Little Flower. I highly recommend reading "I Believe in Love" which is based on her teaching.

Though it is not easy, this pruning requires my total surrender to God. I'm grateful for all the ways it is helping to pray so constantly. It must be about 600 times a day that I start to get anxious and worked up and I have to re-give Him the situation. I have to re-give to Him my desire to be understood, my desire to be esteemed, my desire to be right, my desire to know that I am right, my desire to be without fault, my desire to fix the situation, and so on. Surrendering means that I have to let go of my pride and all of the ways it is manifested in my life. It means that I must come before the Lord with unveiled face. Looking back at my years at Franciscan University, I can remember so many, many precious moments of being in the Eucharistic Presence of Christ just letting go and letting Him bring to light all of the darkness in my heart and laying it all at His feet! How beautiful! And I hear Him calling me back to that! Heaven on earth, total surrender to the most Merciful Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! "O let me love Thee more and more!"

The Death of Facebook

2009-08-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

While I enjoyed Facebook, I found myself spending too much time on it, and I also had an addiction to updating my status regularly. Though I tried to make them humorous, I think that perhaps I shared too much with the world through them...I just couldn't help myself sometimes. :) I will miss my family and friends and the communication that I had with them. I'm also working through a personal struggle right now in which I feel the Lord urging me to quiet myself and draw nearer to Him by spending more time just with Him. I've always enjoyed writing, and to do it well requires that reflection and contemplation that God is asking of me and that I am longing for. So, I'm turning toward the blog for a less distracting and hopefully more positive and productive mode of sharing with others. Perhaps Facebook will have a resurrection, but for now, I'm content with becoming a more frequent and "religious" blogger.

We have a budding photographer.

2009-07-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Our oldest is becoming quite the young lady. I enjoy the way her mind works, her conversation, and even her questions, even though on occasion I tell her I need 20 minutes without them. She has been wanting to take pictures, so I let her go to it one day. Most of the pictures on this post, she took. The others I tossed in just for fun, and to demonstrate what these little ones have been "up to" (quite literally sometimes).

"What Binds Us, Frees Us"

2009-07-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

I generally try to keep the focus of the blog on sharing the joy of our home with others out of gratitude for the gift that God has given us through the life of our family (albeit imperfect) by following the example of St. Francis ("Preach the Gospel and if necessary use words"). However, every now and then I feel moved to write in more detail, not because I think or feel like I have all of the answers and not because I even think I'm living out my faith in the way I know I should, in the way that I want to live it out. But because through the Holy Spirit, I am given the faith to accept the Church teachings and practice that faith.

In a recent discussion I expressed my openness to having more children (not necessarily immediately, but I am nonetheless open to having more). I am aware that this way of life is counter-cultural, and that became even more evident by the response I received in this conversation. While I was not necessarily offended by the response, this is a matter that is very dear to my heart and one that is so often misunderstood. I do not wish to defend myself. Rather, I wish to defend Jesus Christ and what He teaches through the Church about the gift of our sexuality and the gift of life. While I do not know that my little blog post will be useful to Our Lord in changing anyone's mind or heart on the matter, or that anyone who does not share my belief will read it, I still ardently desire to defend His teaching. I wish to do so as humbly as I can. And please keep in mind that I do not wish to impose my beliefs on anyone...my purpose is, again, simply to defend what I believe to be true, and if I believe it to be true, well then, it deserves sharing. So here goes nothing!

My husband and I have been married for five years, and we have three children ages 4, 2, and 1. Some find it shocking and even somewhat irresponsible that we do not use contraception. We do, however, use natural family planning which involves learning the woman's natural sign posts to determine days of fertility and abstaining on those days (if trying to postpone pregnancy). Contrary to popular belief, natural family planning is not an oppressive, impossible, or imposing way of life, and it is definitely not irresponsible. Indeed, it can be very challenging and even somewhat grueling. I'll be honest and admit that we have experienced times of great frustration in using natural family planning. But, we have at the same time found that it is totally and completely worth the effort! And we have also found that while it feels binding, the reality is that, above all, it is incredibly freeing!

We embrace the Church's teaching about the two purposes of the conjugal act 1.) The unity of spouses through the unselfish and total gift of self. (If one or both spouses withhold fertility, it is not a total gift of self, since one aspect of the self is not given). 2.) The procreation of children. Here I'll refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 2366)...It is put so beautifully: "Fecundity is a gift, an end of marriage, for conjugal love naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment. So the Church, which is 'on the side of life,' teaches that 'it is necessary that EACH AND EVERY MARRIAGE ACT remain ordered per se to the procreation of human life.' 'This particular doctrine...is based on the inseparable connection...between the unitive and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act.'

On to my somewhat philosophical support of this teaching. Because of our status as "creatures", the fact of the matter is that there will always be something that, in a sense, binds us. Some try to deny this, and those of us who are Christian can certainly struggle with pride (I know I have) and rebel against the truth of our complete reliance on God. But, there is no getting away from it. We cannot hold ourselves in existence. We did not even choose to exist, and some day we will die. These are truths that bind us-we cannot escape them. There are also laws of nature and science that bind us. We have to eat and sleep to survive. We have vital organs that we cannot live without. When we jump, we always come down. It follows, then, that on the spiritual level, just as on the natural level, the truth binds us. The great irony, however, is that only when we are bound to the truth do we experience freedom in its most real sense. Think about it for just a minute. Without the laws of nature our world would be total chaos-even man makes laws to prevent chaos. Where would we be without traffic laws? We need order to be truly free. If this is true in the natural realm, even more so in the spiritual. That's what God's laws are about. They are about real freedom, not about a list of rules. Spiritually, we face the choice of what will bind us. Will we be bound to the Truth, which in turn will set us free? Or will we be bound to sin and disorder and thus be held captive by them?

This brings me back to the twofold purpose of the marital act. It is Truth. When one of those aspects of the act is missing, we do not experience our sexuality as God intended it. He is, after all, the Creator of this very beautiful act, and since He created it, He certainly has intentions as to how we are to experience it. He knows that when one of these aspects is missing, we do not experience the absolute beauty and power that He intended. The fruit of the act will not be as He truly intended it-this is the case even when it involves the unity of the spouses. Why have a little sliver of the pie when you can have a five course meal-with the whole piece of pie to top it off? He wants us to have it ALL. He wants us to have the deep and powerful pleasure involved in the marital act even MORE than we want it! The truth about sex is binding, but it is meant to set us free to be open to the awesome beauty and treasure hidden in the proper experience of it!

Thanks for reading!! I am grateful for the opportunity to defend my faith-even if it's only on cyberspace. I wish I would have had the time to convey this in the discussion (mentioned above) from the other day. My heart is burning with desire to spread Truth wherever I go. I cannot imagine life without it. May the Lord bless us and make us ever ready to embrace Him and His Truth at every moment, that we may be really and truly free!

Birthday Baby!!!!

2009-07-17T11:31:00.001-07:00

Wouldn't want to leave Little Angel #2 out...

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Handsome, cute, and so much fun...even with his terrible case of the "Terrible Twos"!

I Love being a terror!

2009-07-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Little Angel #3 is bursting with personality. She is also starting to get in to almost everything! I couldn't get over her look of pride and self satisfaction as she pulled my books down and started spreading them all over the living room. (She chose my "Women of Grace" books-I guess she is already getting started at being a "woman of grace"!)

Flower Girl

2009-07-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Those of you on Facebook have probably already seen some of the flower girl pictures. Little Angel #1 was blessed with the opportunity to be a flower girl at the end of June. This experience was enough to convince me that four years old is just about the perfect age to be a flower girl. Her sense of wander and excitement were priceless.

A few moe pics...

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...just becaude they are my favorites.

The most recent cake decorated

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Little Angel #3 just wants to be part of the action now. So fun watching them interact and play. Admittedly, LA #3 can be QUITE precocious. She is very coordinated and very good at taking things (especially from her brother) and scooting away from him as fast as she can with an ornery little smile on her face!

Summer Time Fun

2009-06-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for our backyard (and our wonderful neighbors) I don't think I could bear to live in town. We have so much fun in the backyard and make many, many silly memories there! (I just LOVE the picture of Little Angel #3's chubby bottom as she leans over the pool. She absolutely loves to stand by the pool and drop things in so that she can reach in. What a cutie!!!!)

Pilgrimage

2009-06-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, we took a family pilgrimage to Washington DC for the ordination of a college friend in the Dominican Order. It was most definitely a privilege to be a part of, and it was indeed a pilgrimage as we had some pretty sleepless nights, many hours in the car, and even sickness in the car (though it was as mild as we could ask for as far as sickness goes).

Here is Fr. Anthony and a few other pictures of the kids having a grand old time with their cousins.

Down on the farm

2009-06-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of our visit with family when we went home for Grandma's funeral.

Eternal Rest Grant Unto Her

2009-06-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

On April 27th my maternal grandmother (known to many of her great-grandchildren as "Grandma Cookie")passed away at the age of 91. She will be sorely missed, especially as her passing marked the end of an era in my family. Mother to 9, grandmother to 38, great-grandmother to 52, and great-great grandmother to 10. She always hosted holiday gatherings and family reunions. We will miss her cheerful zest for life!

This is a picture of the spray that was on her casket. While part of me feels like it is morbid to display it, I think it is very beautiful with her hat and her shovel. Interestingly, my coping mechanism has been gardening. I hope that I can learn from her love of God's creation and always marvel at its beauty.

Little Angel #2 Update...

2009-04-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

...Just because he's so dog-gone cute!! He's such a fun-loving boy and adds just the right amount of spunk and spontaneity to our "Party of Five"! We are in the midst of major attempts at potty training. It's quite the hysterical process to say the least. I think we had two successes the entire week this week, and he decided that the potty seat makes a better hat than anything else. I succumbed to the consumerism I so often complain about and got him a seat that looks like a football. His successes were in large part due to the football, so now I'm trying to convince myself that it was a useful purchase (still can't say that it was "necessary" though). He now requests M & M's when he announces that he has to go. I'm tickled to have found a treat that he desires enough to "do his business for"...He still has yet to learn that he actually has to GO in order to get the treats.

Birthday Bash for the Oldest Angel!

2009-04-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

That's right. She's the big 4...one more year until she's a whole hand. She had a very fun birthday and absolutely loves her new bike. She rode today while I went for a jog and did a marvelous job keeping up!

We've come to the conclusion

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that we should have a bedroom of wall-to-wall mattresses. That way, everyone could sleep with someone when they wanted to, but have their own space when they wanted it too. This is silly...:)

Theory of Evolution

2009-04-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

No wonder there are people out there who believe that we evolved from monkeys...Listen to them!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

Here's praying that your life is filled with the joy and abundance of the love of our Risen Savior!!

Woo-Hoo!!!

2009-04-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

I've got a looooooooooong way to go as a seamstress, but I did actually finish something!! Little Angel #1 loves it so much that she wore it four days in a row!

The Three Muskateers

2009-04-15T17:09:00.001-07:00

Such a fun bunch! They really enjoy each other a lot. Little Angel #3 has really been wanting to be involved with the other two a lot more now. It's so fun to watch them play together in the sunroom. They all like to stand at the door and watch for Daddy to come home.

9 Month Sweetie

2009-04-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

We are very thankful for every moment of her first nine months! She has been such a delight. Her favorite activities: Standing (even though she needs someone to hold her up and can't get to the position herself. She's not crawling yet, and I couldn't be happier about that.) Feeding herself, she enjoys anything she can get her hands on. Sitting with a mound of toys around her. Chomping-Ouch! She has 8 teeth. Singing and squealing happy shrills. Watching her brother and sister. Being thrown in the air. Can't wait to see the rest of her little life unfold.

Spring is Finally Springing!

2009-03-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I dare not say or live under the delusion that "Spring has Sprung"! However, we found our first crocus blooming this morning and the grass is getting greener. We've definitely seen the outside world a little more over the past few weeks!

Daddy-Definitely the Fun Parent

2009-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Though I have the privilege of spending the most time with the kids, there is no doubt about it, Daddy is definitely preferred for "funs"! Weekends and evenings are certainly times the kids look forward to-from being carried around in laundry baskets to "Daddy Tiger", life is definitely better when Daddy is home.

Mowgli?

2009-03-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

My little lumberjack is becoming a string-bean!!! When he runs around the house in his diaper I can't help but think that he looks like Mowgli!! I couldn't get a great shot of him because he was literally "running around" the house. He is really fast!

Celebrating 6 Years

2009-03-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

(I know...the kids are cuter!!!)

February 15th marked the anniversary of our engagement. We celebrated by spending some time at the spot where the question was "popped"-the basilica and then went out to dinner. We had a FAT gift certificate which meant that we were able to get an appetizer, drinks, and dessert. We probably would have felt better if we didn't get all of that, but it's fun to splurge every once in awhile, especially on someone else's dime! One of the most memorable aspects of the dinner was a man who sat just a few tables away from us...Charlie Weiss. We now claim that we "went" to dinner with him, which is kind of funny, because though my husband would enjoy a dinner with him, there are certainly a lot of other people I would enjoy a bit more.

DELICIOUS!!!!

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(As you may have noticed, blogging is not a top priority for this household...we have plenty of other things that keep us pretty busy. For those of you who actually view the blog, thank you and I'll try to be more consistent with posting photos of our rapidly growing children)!!

While I'm referring to the baby in this picture and not the asparagus that she is holding, I will mention that she thought the asparagus was quite delicious! She's been eating some solid foods for a few months now, but like her brother she prefers to feed herself so much so that when big sister's plate was within reach, she snatched a piece of asparagus and gobbled it right up. Her big sister, who recently became a veggie-hater was quite delighted and even offered her more. We are so grateful for the blessing this baby has brought to our family and all of the good things she has brought out of each of us. It's been a delight to see how much happier the older two are now with their baby sister around. I think we would all agree that there are many words that we could use to describe her and how much we enjoy her, but the one that comes to mind the most (given the amount of hugs and kisses she is given) is DELICIOUS!!!

*I know it looks like her face is unhappy, but she smiles with such a big-open mouth sometimes. She's actually very happy in this photo.

A little "EAR"y....

2008-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

What do you think? Could they pass for sisters with those ears?

They even synchronize nose-picking!

(This was a post that I meant to put up quite some time ago but couldn't get the photo to upload). These two cousins are eerily similar. (Pun intended)

Beautiful Baby Girl!!!

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HHHHHMMMMMMMM...

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Whose little paws managed this, I wonder?? Any guesses?

There's nothing sweeter...

2008-11-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

...than children sleeping like angels. And you never know where the sleeping angels may end up around here.

Speaking of sleep, I'm not sure whether I'm jaded or just more experienced, but the littlest angel is now learning how to put herself to sleep. As much as I think the theory of co-sleeping is blissfully wonderful, I learned from the first two that I end up feeling like a monster after a few months. In one sense it is difficult becuase I really enjoy being close to her and her baby-hood seems to be going by so quickly. But on the other hand, I don't have as many moments in which I feel like I'm going to go absolutely crazy. Motherhood would be perfectly blissful if we never needed to sleep or clean or run errands and we could just sit in awe of our children. But there has to be a thorn in the flesh. (Sigh).

NFP the Catholic form of birth control?

2008-11-09T13:45:00.001-08:00

Interestingly, while we were engaged and during the first part of our marriage another couple confronted us with the question, "Isn't Natural Family Planning just the Catholic version of birth control?" This perplexed me and I didn't know quite how to answer. I certainly never thought of it like that before. Perhaps I just needed a few years of marriage under my belt to be able to say, "No it's 'not. It's not at all." (I hope that the next part of this post is not too personal, but I feel compelled to share the beauty of where we find ourselves right now).

With our youngest angel only four months old and with the confusion that breastfeeding can cause with respect to NFP, we've been delving deep into the beauty that periods of abstaining can bring to a marriage. What graces we have been given!! Praise God that He has allowed us to grow so much during this time. At times it has been a temptation to think that couples who use birth control really do have it better. Externally it appears that everything is wonderful for these couples and that their relationship is strong and beautiful, which may be true, especially for those who have not had the Catholic formation we have been blessed to have (a big thanks to our parents for that). However, we've been discussing how in these relationships it's not necessarily a matter of what is, but a matter of what cannot be with the use of birth control, with the withholding of fertility in the union of spouses. In our current situation we've been given the grace to see very, very clearly that NFP is in fact not at all equivalent to birth control. Yes, we are trying to avoid pregnancy, but the approach is rightly ordered because we are using our sexuality according to God's design and not according to our own. All too often we think about our sexuality serving us and our marriage. The Creator of our sexuality in His infinite wisdom knows so much better than we do. He has better plans for us than that. It's been extremely powerful to pray that our sexuality be at the service of God and that it always be pleasing to Him. This has certainly not been easy, and of course sexuality is a very important part of marriage (which is why we are now learning the Creighton method with the hopes that we can be a bit healthier about abstaining). However, there is far more beauty with a rightly ordered sexuality than this poor culture of ours can even begin to understand. I hope that we can be God's vessels to share with others the wonderful joy that it is to use His gifts as they were designed to be used.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-09T13:30:00.001-08:00

SO PRECIOUS!!!!!!

2008-10-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

There is not enough time in the day to kiss her!!

(*I'm referring to the baby in this picture!)

Our budding chef

2008-10-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

Though we thought the play kitchen would be a bigger hit with Little Angel #1, LA #2 has been spending lots of time "tooking" marvelous recipes for us. My favorite so far is the "cucumber tea" he served me the other day. (Notice his football pajamas...It's nearly impossible to get them off of him, he likes them so much.)

Apples, apples, and more apples

2008-10-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

We finally got it together and went apple picking yesterday. It was an enjoyable little field trip and the drive was absolutely beautiful. Oh, how we long to live in the country. Little Angel #2 is totally in his element among the corn fields and orchards.

Now I have to figure out what to do with all of the apples. I've made apple butter and apple crips and I haven't even made a dent in them.

How about that sign? The owner of the orchard has quite the sense of humor. We spent half of our time there just shooting the breeze with him. What a character.

Moments when you know it's all worth it...

2008-10-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

As we were loading everyone in the car this morning for mass, LA#1 said, "Look Mommy! I see the stars!" Yes, we did go to 7am mass this morning. As I was frustratingly thinking, "Daddy, please do not sign up to lector this mass next year!" (Okay, maybe a few explicatives included). I, thankfully, had a moment of grace, which was definitely NOT upon hearing a voice on EWTN radio say, "Whatever the suffering you are experiencing, compare it to the eternal glory which is to come." I was still internally grumbling and pouting at that point, but I did eventually settle down and get the picture as I was reminded that God is not outdone in generostiy. And it's true. His faithfulness was proven to me later today when I had the opportunity to nap for three hours (yes, I DO have an amazing husband who made this possible) and I had a nice long walk. Not to mention, ALL of the clean laundry is put away. Looking back on the day, which started at 5:30 am with three crying children (It was not our intention to go to mass together today-I would rather have been slumbering peacefully), what sticks out in my mind is the tangible realization that the sacrifices of parenting are worth it... the moment that we went to visit the Blessed Sacrament after mass and LA#2 said, "Ook, Mama. Ere's Esus!" (Look, Mama. There's Jesus). Well, their sweet little good-night kisses certainly helped too.

Airmail

2008-09-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in the recliner the other day when LA #1 shot by me, making a hasty line to the front door with three torn pieces of half-scribbled coloring book pages. Just as she was about to step outside I asked her where in the world she was headed. She turned around slowly as if to indicate her disbelief at the fact that I had dared to pose the question. "Daaad! I need to put the mail outside so that the garbageman can take it to A and G!" (A and G are two of LA #1's little friends who have since moved from the area.) After setting the old man straight, she turned, stepped onto the porch and proceeded to throw the papers into the air. Satisfied that her "mail" would now reach its intended recipients, she stepped back inside and went back to the kitchen table to color, leaving her befuddled father shaking his head.

Snips and snails and puppy dogs tails...

2008-09-18T14:02:00.001-07:00

This picture was meant for my last post, but I had problems uploading it.

That's what Little Boys are made of!!

2008-09-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

My son is getting ornerier by the second...

If you've every wondered what "snips and snails and puppy dogs tails" referred to, look no further!! I can tell you.

Drawing on walls. Climbing on the back of the toilet to reach into the cupboard with the cleaning supplies. Moving chairs to the fireplace to grab candles off of the mantle. Taking books off of the shelves and spreading them all over the house. Putting the clothes I've just folded in the diaper pail. Eating highlighters. Drinking water from the bowl that had pancake batter in it and has yet to be washed. Climbing the shelves of the bathroom closet-unfolding towels along the way. Taking drinks of milk and spitting it out on the floor instead of swallowing it. Exploring what the toilet is used for..."Mommy, you mean I'm not supposed to put my feet in it??" Climbing in baby sister's bed while she's sleeping. Biting baby sister's toes. Climbing to the top of the play kitchen to "play the drums." Taking dirty dishes out of the dishwasher to the sunroom to "play" with them...

...If you need further description, please let me know. There is more!

Heaven help! :)

Adorable

2008-09-17T07:57:00.001-07:00

Isn't cuteness just oozing out of her??

Enjoying her big brother!

2008-09-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Well, LA #2 still has a long way to go as far as not making his little sister cry, but we did capture some moments in which they were both very much enjoying each other's company. We have the classic belly blow, a nice smile from LA #3 during a game of peek-a-boo, and a very loving kiss from LA #2.

Birthday celebration

2008-09-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated the Blessed Mother's birthday with a rosary made of cupcakes. Everyone had lots of fun with this project!

She doesn't even miss us...

2008-09-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday and LA #1 is still with Grandma and Grandpa and having so much fun!! Picking apples and pears, taking care of the animals (dogs, goats, cows), swinging on the swingset, playing marbles with her uncle and riding on his shoulders, picking on Grandma, learning how to ride a bike. Wow. Now I will be more inclined to let her stay more often. I'm sure she's enjoying a break from her brother's constant pestering.

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down

2008-09-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we traveled out of town to celebrate my father's 60th birthday and go to a family wedding. LA#1, as you know from my previous post is a lover of all things having to do with weddings. This one was particularly exciting for her as it was Cinderella themed. There were glass (well, plastic) slippers everywhere, not to mention the ice sculpture castle and the castle wedding cake. She had a BALL (pun intended). Though she used to be a Mommy clinger, she is little Miss Independence now, which is actually kind of nice since I was able to socialize a bit. Upon our arrival at the reception, she immediately found the flower girls and a few others and was playing Ring around a Rosy, much to the delight of the photographers who thereafter neglected the rest of the assembly. Unfortunately, the bride will have her fill of pictures of our daughter, and we will have none since we foolishly left the camera behind.

It was nice to take a little trip out of town. Once we got home I realized how much good it did me to get away from the house for more than just a few hours here and there. I'm exhausted, but in a good way. I feel relaxed and ready to rest in spite of all the messes LA#2 makes while I nurse. We all know they will still be there tomorrow, and even if I did pick them up, they would probably end up there again. So, I'm just going to kick up my feet for a few days, especially since LA#1 is still at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She is having a blast, and I am enjoying a rather quiet house. LA #2 was ready for an early nap today. I sighed a happy sigh of relief as I sat down to take a snooze myself, but to my dismay, half an hour later, he was screaming. Ugghhh...well, maybe he'll take another nap later, and if not I will coax "Aunt Taytay" to watch him while I take a nap. :) That's the beauty of a built in sitter!! Ahhhhh.

Her fair share

2008-09-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of pictures of LA#3. It seems like we are taking pictures of her a lot, but to tell the truth, they just don't seem to do justice to her utter cuteness. At any rate, I've tried to pick some of the best shots to give her the attention she is entitled to for being the cute, snuggley butterball that she is. Doesn't she have beautiful eyes?? For those og you who have never met her, I posted some pics of when she was first born so that you can see how much she's grown.

Hangin' in There

2008-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been 8 weeks since Little Angel #3 arrived...already 8 weeks! These little ones grow so fast! I'm beginning to understand more and more the passage of Genesis in which God tells Eve, "In pain shall you bring forth children." I always thought this applied to labor, which of course it does, but every day I grow in my understanding that pregnancy and labor are just the beginning of that pain. The daily little crosses don't seem extremely painful, but they are crosses nonetheless...lack of sleep, little ones making messes while I nurse, fighting, screaming, teething, disciplining a stubborn 3 year old and an impulsive and physical little boy. What gets me is that in the midst of all of this and the chaotic state that I feel my home is now in, these darling little ones are growing and changing so quickly that I can hardly grasp it or really appreciate their littleness, their complete trust and openness, and the time that I just get to spend with them. I'm finding that sometimes the greater pain is not so much in the sacrifices that must be made, but in the fact that in my own busi-ness and even my sinfulness I forget to enjoy them, or worse, I don't want to enjoy them because I just want to get the dirty dishes out of my sink. I'm thankful for the freqent realization that this time in which they are little will pass so quickly, and I try to embrace this time. On days (which are many) in which I struggle greatly with being patient with them or with the frustration of not accomplishing the housework I wanted to tackle, I tend to forget that the time will be gone before I know it. I never realized that motherhood would come with so many little heart-aches, right now the greatest of which is coming to the end of my days and reflecting on the ways in which I put myself before them and how that clouds my vision and my ability to love and serve them as I ought. But, thank God for His mercy and His grace which is sufficient and is getting us through. And I keep reminding myself that there will be another time to put the house back in order and I will get more sleep. It just doesn't have to be now, so I'll just hang in there until that time comes and focus on the fact that when I come to the end of my earthly journey, I want to offer God the Cathedral of my children, not my house.

End of summer Fun

2008-09-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Sniff, sniff. The end of summer is drawing near. Here are a few pics of some activities we managed to squeeze in before the end of summer. Parish picnic, a trip to the beach, backyard wrestling on the freshly cut lawn.

Big Brother

2008-09-07T16:01:00.001-07:00

So cute! He loves his little sister!!

He also loves his hoodie towel, which is a bear. It's a dog to him, though.

For the record...

2008-08-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

This is how the room full of toys looks when Mommy is finished wih it.

Oh the cute and funny things they do.

2008-08-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Cramped

2008-08-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

How everyone from Daddy's family must feel on an airplane.

My Little Brute

2008-08-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Whereas LA #1's favorite activities involve sugar and spice and everything nice, LA #2 can be quite the brute. In recent visits from his one year old cousins, he had many a time out for his unruly behaviors consisting of shoving, tackling, face-smacking, and ripping things out of other little hands [eds. note: LA #2 also has delivered clotheslines to his male cousin, WWF-smackdown style]. I've considering calling up Charlie Weis to let him know that he is ready for training now. And yet, he is my dear boy, and I'm grateful to be his mother. It's such a privilege to love him the way only a mother can.

My Little Bride

2008-08-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's a bit challenging to live with a 3 year old, and in fact I find it more challenging than those "terrible two's." For better or worse, I cannot remember what it was like to be 3, and I barely remember anything about the age of 4-except that I never wanted to part with my mother. However, I try to remind myself that I should try to see things from her perspective. Like most other mothers of 3 year old girls, one of the things I understand least about her is her sense of fashion. I've resigned myself to taking her out in public in things that I wish I never allowed her to wear. For the most part, I'm no longer embarrassed by the things she wears, but Sunday Mass was interesting this week. She has a beautiful white dress that is reserved for wearing only on special occasions. We ended up letting her wear it this week as we had already had plenty of battles during the process of getting ready for Mass. She, of course, looked quite darling in the dress...it was the veil that got me. She was intent upon wearing it into church. (It is a piece of white, sparkly fabric that she uses for dressing up). She waltzed right into church, veil draped over her head and all. We got some looks that were a little harder for me to swallow, simply because that's the last place I wish to distract anyone or turn heads. Little does our associate pastor know that this get-up was all for him and that she believes she is destined to marry him in spite of our gentle bubble bursters that as a priest he is already taken. At any rate, she does talk an awful lot about marriage these days. "When I grow up I'm going to get big and get married. Then, I'll have a HUSBAND!" "I'm too little to have a husband and daughter, but I'll get bigger and then I'll have one. I'll have babies after I get married." (Boy, I'm relieved that she already understands that concept...marriage comes first.

Little Angel #1

2008-08-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Overjoyed at having a baby sister!!

Little Angel #2

2008-08-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Little Angel #2 with Daddy...Aren't they so handsome?!!

Our Newest Angel

2008-08-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Mommy with Little Angel #3. She was born July 12th at 11:12 pm, 9lbs. 7 oz., 20 3/4 in. long. Her favorite activity thus far has been snuggling. She has been our calmest baby.