What am I cooking? Pasta with meat sauce and a batch of meat balls were made all at once, so I have dinner for 2-3 nights this week. I used to cook larger batches of food and then freeze them, but have gotten out of the habit recently. I need to bring back some of those recipes – lasagna, Mexican casserole, chicken with rice (much yummier than it sounds!), and big batches of grilled chicken are some of our old favorites. Nothing gourmet, but definitely a step above the scrambled eggs that I end up serving when it’s 5 o’clock and I have nothing else prepared for dinner!

What are my weekend plans? Lots of family time at the neighborhood swimming pool! We are hosting a “Family Fun Night” at the pool on Saturday evening, and have a party there on Sunday afternoon, so we’ll be all tired out by the end of the weekend!

The happy couple, getting ready to take their vows

What are my prayer intentions for the day? For my sister and her new husband, who just got married on July 23rd! It was wonderful to witness their happiness, and even more so, to witness their dedication to each other. As the priest said in his homily, in a world of broken promises, it is refreshing to see two young people pledge themselves freely to each other, knowing that they are entering into a lifelong sacramental commitment. On a funny side note, there was some grumbling from some of the female wedding guests (who will remain nameless) upon hearing the words of the first reading from Sirach, chapter 26: “Happy the husband of a good wife, twice-lengthened are his days; A worthy wife brings joy to her husband, peaceful and full is his life…” My husband was the first reader, and the aforementioned guests thought that perhaps he had chosen the reading himself and was trying to make some sort of statement. Needless to say, the wisdom of Sirach was lost on these guests

What can my children do instead of watching TV? Like B-Mama’s kids a couple of weeks ago, my kids and I are all at VBS this week – Christopher is attending, the girls are in the nursery, and I am volunteering! One of the best parts about VBS is the music – we listen to our CD in the car all of the time, and I love to catch the kids humming “God is watching over you” or “Then sings my SOUL, my SAvior GOD to THEE!”

What have I done for my marriage this week? My husband and I danced the night away at my sister’s wedding last weekend. It was so much fun, and brought back many fond memories of our own wedding almost exactly 8 years ago!

What am I reading? I just finished “The Bells of Nagasaki” by Takashi Nagai, which I highly recommend to anyone who would like to gain a better understanding of the suffering endured by the people of Nagasaki after the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945. The author also gives the reader a beautiful understanding of the Japanese culture, as well as a great history of Catholicism in Japan – definitely worth a read! Before I forget, I would also like to  recommend “A Mother’s Ordeal” by Stephen Mosher, which chronicles one woman’s suffering as a result of China’s one-child policy.

What’s challenging me lately? I have been praying for the parents of this sweet little boy, James, who passed away tragically a few weeks ago of a sudden and aggressive brain tumor. Reading the blog posts of James’ mom and dad has brought me to tears several times. The pain of their loss is so poignant, and many of the emotions that they write about are very familiar to me – the shock upon first hearing their child’s diagnosis, their determination to remain positive and joyful in the midst of suffering, their gratitude for the prayers and support of family and friends. Although I lost my Lucy at birth and cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a baby so suddenly after nearly 8 months of life, I feel a connection with this sweet family and am praying daily for them. 

Something that made me think? I am very disturbed by the fact that, under the federal healthcare overhaul, health insurance plans will now be required to provide contraceptive services (including the morning-after pill) without collecting a co-pay from their customers. The argument is that contraceptive services are preventive health services, and that “not doing it would be like not covering flu shots or any other basic preventive services” (Kathleen Sebelius, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, 8/2/11, pg A6). Never mind the fact that my already high insurance premium doesn’t cover the annual flu shot or most other “preventive services” (I still have a co-payment)…Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, put it very well when he said that “Pregnancy is not a disease, and children are not a ‘health problem’” (quoted from the WSJ, 8/2/11, pg A6). I could go on and on, but this is a topic for another post!

What am I cooking? Good, old marinated chicken on the grill–LOVE grilling in the summer!  We are also having a basmati rice blend side and spinach salad.  Can’t wait and neither can the kids!  They love the simple and delicious!

What are my weekend plans? There are plans in the works for a family 5k Saturday morning to benefit a local Catholic family whose daughter suffers from a rare disorder caused by a virus during pregnancy.  They are accepting donations for the run and strollers are welcome–count us in!  I’m thinking I’ll push the babies in the double jogger while my hubby runs/walks with our older two.  Later Saturday we may meet up with friends at a park for play.  Sunday will bring church and a continuation of our FIRE program (at-home catechesis).  We partnered up with another family at our church and have been meeting after Mass throughout the year to catechize our 7 children, ranging in age from our youngest, 1, to their oldest, 8.  We host this Sunday, so we’ll feast and then settle in to learn and discuss the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the Sacrament of Matrimony.  Overall, the weekend should be pretty chill and non-committal, which is a blessing during these busy summer months.

What are my prayer intentions for the day? For Red and her husband and the precious babe she is carrying.  They have an ultrasound today to rule out the possibility of a neural tube disorder.  We are praying for their peace and for the health of the baby.  My heart goes out to this dear friend of mine who knew loss so early on in motherhood.  There’s no question every pregnancy brings to the surface many of the fears and anxieties she experienced with her precious daughter, Therese.  God speed and bless you, Mr. and Mrs. Red!

What can my children do instead of watching TV? Attend Vacation Bible School!  The older boys are there as I type and loving it!  Though as nice as it is to give them an activity in the mornings, I am eager to get them back home and our family back to our summer home “mama camp” schedule.  On the docket for next week’s learning theme: SPACE (aka. Kuiper Belt, Eris, and gravitational pull studies–they are my budding scientists).  To infinity and beyond…

What have I done for my marriage this week? I have been working with my husband this week to begin to re-write our Catholic Engaged Encounter talks to align with a new weekend format.  We are a presenting team and give ~9 talks on a 40+ hour EE weekend.  It is wonderful and exhilarating experience.  We’re totally pooped after a weekend, but find the ministry so worth it.  We were initially bummed to hear we would have to re-write talks that are only 2-years-old, but now that we’re back writing, we recognize how great the talk-writing process is for our marriage.  Writing requires us to communicate, think A LOT about the ins and outs of our daily life, and ruminate plenty on the past (which usually involves recalling funny or happy anecdotes).  All of this produces great fruit in our marriage!

What am I reading? The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (for a book club I’ve joined!)

What’s challenging me lately? I’ll be frank–the budget!  Since allowing my husband to take over the family finances, I have relinquished control and he has tightened our belts quite a bit.  This is a very good thing, but challenging, to say the least. I recognize we are blessed beyond measure, but can get very frustrated when it seems like we are always having to hold back and think so much through every expense.  Perhaps this is a season of life that will be more financially scrutinizing, but it can be exhausting!  Self discipline is never easy.

Something that made me think? I attended a talk on prayer last night given by a local priest in our diocese.  It was excellent and part of a month-long series on prayer.  Last night he introduced the prayer style Lectio Divina or “holy reading”, which involves praying through scripture in a meditative-like fashion.  It is a beautiful method of prayer, involving silence and reflection.  We did a sample Lectio as a group and it was Divine.  God was so present.  The scripture we meditated on came to new light in the midst of prayer and today I am still affected by what I heard and meditated on…  We have homework to pray a lectio divina every day and I can’t wait!  If you haven’t experienced this type of prayer, I highly recommend looking into it.

Something that made me think?

One week away from my due date with our fourth baby, I am reflecting on… natural childbirth. It’s a gift and a blessing. I love the preparation required at this pre-labor stage. The way that my mind and body naturally fall into a relaxed and introspective, home-oriented and spiritually open state (otherwise atypical for my temperament!), preparing for the mind-body-spirit unity that I need to birth naturally. And with Good Friday just behind us, I love the way natural birth is a reminder of Calvary; the pain must be suffered, even eagerly embraced as it worsens,  in order for my body to break and my blood to be shed so new life can be borne. It’s totally solitary, nobody else can take the pain or birth the baby for me. The deeper my spiritual orientation, the more effectively I labor.  We are blessed to have a lovely birth center nearby which is a perfect venue for welcoming our baby boy to the world. Also, when my third baby was born, my oldest child was two. I am looking forward to bringing home our fourth baby to a house full of slightly older children. They’re cracking me up every single day. We were told by the midwives on Monday that he feels around 9 lbs already, and my kids have taken to screaming into my belly button “Baby, come out come out, you’re too big to still be in there.”

What am I reading?

Covenanted Happiness by Cormac Burke, for the billionth time. I don’t retain things well enough to read them only once, and this is my favorite above all favorites on marriage and family. Anyone looking for mother’s day gift request ideas? Look no further.

Weekend plans?

May is our birthday month. We kick off on Divine Mercy/JPII Sunday with my daughter’s third birthday party. Winnie the Pooh, nine-months-pregnant style. Which means storebought pizza and cake at the park. My nesting instinct is way too fierce right now to practice any hospitality in our home, especially with preschoolers. Thankfully, Sunday’s forecast calls for sunshine!

What can my children do instead of TV?

Mud pies, mud potions, mud body painting, mud splashing, mud handprints. And we have an in-house laundry machine for the first time, so we’re basically invincible. Spring is fabulous!

God bless you all in these joyful spring, Divine Mercy, first communion, new life, Easter days!

What am I cooking? The same meal is on tap here almost every Thursday night– roast chicken, a vegetable (tonight it’s spinach), and potatoes.  It’s quick and simple.

What are my weekend plans? EASTER!!!  I am blessed to be attending Holy Thursday Mass tonight, while Mr. Red stays home with the kiddos.  He will attend Good Friday Service tomorrow, and we will meet him afterwards for the procession.  We will wake and go to Easter Sunday Mass and then we will spend a quiet Easter Sunday at my parents house.  Everything is very low key this year as Gus (age 3) had his tonsils and adenoids removed this week.  I spent Monday and Tuesday at a children’s hospital, seeing some very sick little ones and thanking God that my son was only having his tonsils and adenoids removed.  A family member in need of surgery is a flashing red light saying, “simplify.”  And so, last weekend I ordered plain white Easter shirts for the boys from Old Navy.  Claire is wearing a hand-me-down dress from Gianna and Gianna still fits into her Easter dress from last year.  I may need to make a quick run to the store for some Easter basket stuffers on Saturday morning, but overall our Easter preparations have been very minimal, and just what the doctor ordered for our family!

What are my prayer intentions for the day? For the complete healing of my son Gus and many praises that he only needed his tonsils and adenoids removed.  He has been pretty sick for several weeks, sleeping the days away, eating minimally, and we were alarmed by systemic swollen lymph nodes and odd complaints of pain from our little man.  Praise God all his blood work was normal, and we pray he is on the road to recovery.

I am also praying for a friend Rachel, her husband, and two young boys.  Rachel is very sick with cancer and will spend her Easter in the hospital.  Her Lent has been filled with penances not of her choosing, and yet she embraces them all with such grace and peace.  She truly glorifies God through her illness.  I pray that I am able to roll with God’s choices for me these last days of Lent.  Embracing God’s will in my life and realizing that being holier starts with my own attitude towards small inconveniences has been a  constant theme for my Lent.  Rachel is a beautiful example for me and for so many others.

What can my children do instead of watching TV? Go to a good friend’s house when times are tough!  A special thank you to Mary Alice who generously watched my older two children for an overnight and allowed me to get some much needed sleep and peace.  My children had a fabulous time, and I am so grateful for her friendship.  And I fully admit that my babies watched T.V. all day yesterday!  I think surgery qualifies as a good excuse for television.

What have I done for my marriage this week? I’m not sure.  I’ve been pretty focused on my little man Gus, so I guess this means I need to do something for my marriage in the coming days!

What am I reading? The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis.

What’s challenging me lately? The unbreakable will of my 3 year old son Gus.  While in the hospital, everything was more difficult for him than a typically developing child.  During our hospital stay he fought every move those doctors and nurses made–as if he was fighting for his life.  He kicked, he screamed, and he even tried to bite one nurse.  Nothing is easy with him.  I thought the surgery and recovery might mellow him just a little bit.  Maybe, just maybe, he would start to trust us, and to accept that he sometimes has to do small things that he doesn’t like.  No, and No.

Something that made me think? Last year, for the first time in ten years (when I came into full communion with the Catholic Church), I did not attend Holy Thursday Mass. It is one of the most beautiful Masses of the entire year, and I was so sad to miss it! Claire was nursing and went to bed at 7pm (the time Mass begins), and Gus, my then two year old, went to bed early as well. One of us had to stay behind to put the babies to sleep, and since Claire didn’t take a bottle well, it made the most sense for me to take that job.  This year, Mr. Red will do baby duty while I attend Holy Thursday Mass.

Missing Holy Thursday Mass caused me a small twinge of guilt last year.  This year, I will miss Good Friday Service, but I feel no guilt.  I know that I am right where God wants me to be, caring for my family and putting the needs of my sick toddler and baby first.  For me, I think the guilt comes from the idea that I can somehow earn Easter.  But going to Holy Thursday Mass tonight doesn’t make me any more “worthy” of Easter.  None of us, no matter how strictly we follow through with our Lenten promises and liturgical observances, are worthy of Easter.  We don’t earn Easter because we can’t.   Jesus knows we all fall short. Easter is His gift to me, His gift to us all.  Our job is simply to open our hearts to receive this gift.