"For thus says the Lord: Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you..." Isaiah 66:12-13

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Becky's Shower #1

Okay, so I know that people are waiting to see these pictures. I wanted to try and get them up here before this weekend, when I'll have pictures from her second shower to try to post. Plus I figured that I ought to post these pictures, before posting my St. Patrick's day surprise pictures....that will be my next post. Hopefully, I'll get that up by this afternoon.

These are the best pictures that I got, ones of the present opening. I was moving around so much the rest of the time that I didn't really take the time to take nice pictures.











This was where is was for most of the day... near the kids, trying to keep them happy and away from danger... such as falling boxes of ceiling tile and stoves. Guess I didn't do such a great job. But at least here they are contained for five minutes or so... until the crayon eating started.



Friday, February 27, 2009

Faschnaut day.

Yummy donuts! Lots and lots of them.
Thanks, Sophie!


Obligatory pictures of the kids together on a couch.
Can you tell what Uncle/Godfather Steve was doing to get the kids to look at the camera?

Take two, a few more smiles here.

Final take... C's making a break for it, and Maria's makin' a move on S.
Time to end the photo shoot.

These aren't great shots, since my camera's dying a slow death.... but it was a very fun day and definitely good prep for Ash Wednesday's fasting.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Something to think about...

...when I read this post, from Jen at Conversion Diary, this morning I realized that it speaks to where I am spiritually.

Particularly this section:
I knew that the threat of losing favor with the Emperor would be more than a person like Pilate could take. ..." My "Emperor" was something different than Pilate's, of course: his was an actual man who had the power to make all Pilate's wildest dreams of riches and success come true; mine was a symbolic Emperor comprised of all my desires for things like comfort and pleasure and money and control and success and acclaim, an Emperor whose friendship I sought over doing the right thing on at least a daily basis.
Not that I'm struggling with any one great sin at this (thank God), but that I find myself seeking comfort more and more, not wanting to give up the little things that I think I need. I want things to be easy now... as if in striving towards holiness you get points for hanging around for a long time.

But in reading the saints, I know that the opposite is true... the closer you come to God, the more of what you believe to be yourself must be burned away. Purgation is never fun, nor comfortable.

I suppose these are good thoughts to have now, a week before Lent. Perhaps I'll actually buckle down and stick with my Lenten resolutions, instead of caving to the crowd of my "needs" and my desire for a comfortable life.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Sunday morning fun.




Your 80s Song is "Walk Like an Egyptian"



If you were transported back to the 80s, your life would be all about having fun.

You love the wackiness that the 80s represented. Everything back then seemed a lot more colorful!



You'd peg your jeans, get a "totally tubular" hair cut, and even wear one sequined glove.

You would skateboard, play Pac-Man, and hang out at the mall. And of course, you would walk like an egyptian.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Standing in the way of Spiritual Growth.


I found a couple great quotes from yesterday's reading of "In Conversation with God" by Francis Fernandez (ICWG). These fit with where I'm at spiritually, and go well with some recent posts by a friend.

From reading 22.1, ICWG Vol3:
"The difficulties, temptations, internal or external obstacles we come up against cause us to grow; the greater the difficulty, the more grace we receive. If He permits us to experience great temptations or setbacks, the Lord will give us still greater help to overcome them. Then all those things that seem to retard our struggle for holiness, or even make succeeding in it seem impossible, will become the cause of spiritual progress and of our effectiveness in the apostolate. It is only a lack of love, nothing less than lukewarmness, that causes the soul's life to fall sick or die. Only a bad will, a lack of generosity towards God, can delay or prevent our union with Him."

From reading 22.2, ICWG Vol3:
"There are various reasons that cause us to make scant progress in the interior life, and even to lose ground and give way to discouragement. However, these reasons can be reduced to just a few: carelessness, negligence in the little things connected with service to God and friendship with Him; drawing back from the sacrifices He asks of us."

(emphasis mine, in both cases)

Definitely something to pray about and meditate on...

How am I impeding my spiritual progress? What "little things" is the Lord asking me to do for Him that I refuse to do or only do grudgingly? (think everyday tasks pertaining to one's vocation) What sacrifices am I being asked to make and how am I trying to get out of them? Do I really seek holiness or just the "warm fuzzies" of knowing God?

One last quote, something I found in my college days:

"I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please - not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine.

I don't want enough of God to make me love an enemy or pick beets with a migrant; I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please."
Wilbur Rees

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Maria's B-day.

These are from Maria's fourth birthday. She requested a castle cake, again, and princess themed plates and decorations. She's decided that next year she'll have Tinker Bell.

I didn't include the detailed views, but there is a princess looking out of the tower window while holding a rose (right side). On the left, the king, in white, and the queen, in blue with a red crown, look out their 1st floor windows. Such was Maria's vision for her cake....one that almost went unfulfilled, as the icing was not very cooperative.

A princess graciously accepting the adulation of her subjects.

1st bite.

"Look, more clothes!"

Maria's daisys.

Waiting patiently.

"Take picture of my bite!"

What a lady likes...

I finally got my floor mopped yesterday after several weeks of trying. Maria and Amelia "helped." Maria did pretty well, but Amelia had her sponge taken away for getting way too much water on the floor.

Somewhere in the middle of the scrubbing, to make it more interesting to Maria I mentioned that Cinderella also had to scrub the floor. She thought about this for a minute and then said, "Yeah, ladies like to mop the floor. It's one of their favorite things to do."

More pictures.


Another two images from the ultrasound. You may have to enlarge to read the labels.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Sneak peek....

Baby 3 grabbing his/her foot.
(no,we didn't find out the sex)

More 'pictures' to come. :)

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The hazards of parenthood...


...remember to check under your pillow and between your sheets before you lay down to sleep.

Finally... Christmas pics.

I know, I know... it's not Christmas anymore... it's not even the Christmas season any more. However, I know you all still would like to see the Christmas pictures, so here they are. I'll be trying to get more pics up later today, and maybe a real post or something. I'm always optimistic that today will be the day that I figure out how to bend the laws of space and time to accomplish all the things on my to-do list. :)

Oh, and these are in backwards order... starting with Epiphany.

..."we two kings"...

Mmm... cookies!

Christmas aprons... thanks Grammy!


At Mom-mom and Pop's Christmas day!


Christmas morning 2 am.... thanks to Jim for the picture, and the cleanup!

"Why'd we get these unassembled again?"

Christmas morning, 12:30 am. Still wrapping gifts, and putting things together.


Christmas Eve - Cute dresses courtesy of GreatAunt Rita!


Wreath making - When did Maria get so grown up?

Aunt Becky and her wreath.

Outakes from the Christmas pictures.

Say, "CHEESE!"

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Snow...sort of...

Here's some pictures of the girls playing around in our recent "wintery mix." It did contain some snow, but mostly ended up being little ice pellets. This did not deter the girls from wanting to go outside and play in the "snow." They enjoyed it, but we slightly disappointed that we couldn't make a snow man. Maybe soon we'll get some real snow... I think it's on Maria's Christmas list. ;-)


Poking at the "snow" on the bush with sticks. This kept them busy for about 10 minutes.

Ya, that swing set shouldn't really be out there...but there's no room in the garage.

Maria had to improvise a sled since we still don't have one.

Amelia very much enjoyed eating the snow, even thought I told her not to about 75 times.

Hot cocoa is the best way to warm up.


Yum!




Sunday, December 7, 2008

Feast of St. Nicholas

Maybe next year, the kids will get more appropriate St. Nicholas day gifts, but for this year there was a princess theme. And instead of putting out their shoes to get gifts, they got slippers from St. Nick.

Then we baked Specuulas cookies. (Scroll down on the linked page for the recipe.)

It was fun, but exhausting, since I caught the annual "trip to Centre county cold." Wee!

The kids really got into it... they especially liked "trying" their new rolling pins. If I'd let Amelia roll the cookies would have looked like a mountain range - all peaks and valleys. Maria did pretty well, after a little instruction.


All in all, a fun feast day, and good start to the Christmas countdown.

Maybe next year we'll get one of those fancy St. Nicholas cookies boards, or at least a cookie cutter...but for now this one hand shaped St. Nick will have to do.