Mother's Rule of Life: Changing My life

Interested in feeling like you just might have a couple of ducks in a row? Want to keep up your prayer life, increase your prayer life, give your children a chance to feel successful around the house, have time for your husband? This book and blog have really changed my life! Holly takes the five most important "things," and inspires, teaches, organizes, and directs you to set up a RULE in your own house. For those who have not heard such a word used in a positive light, a rule is known in the monastic world (i.e. monks, nuns, cloistered communities) as the way in which they work, pray, play, and live. Holly takes that same principle and applies it to our lives- those of us whose vocation is in our own homes. I was able to buy it on amazon for $2 with about that much for shipping. And I just may try to give a little book study-let via the blog. I'll have to see. Let me know if you're interested in doing a book study in the Lake Charles area... it's that good. It's that important.

Another child in Heaven, another miscarriage.

(Please forgive lack of space between paragraphs, not sure what's up with blogger these days). Almost as soon as we found out that we had co-created another sweet little soul, she was gone. I discovered Thursday morning that we were pregnant. Not to give out crazy details, but we were merely looking out for any returning signs of fertility (if you will), and David and I had been praying about what God wanted for our family for many weeks. God's answer to us? "Trust" ... don't you love that? So we were not shocked to discover that we were pregnant, and we were happy to see our family grow!! We were actually less overwhelmed at the thought of 4 than when we were preparing for 3... it all becomes a fabulous little circus when #3 arrives, right? So (as we tend to do) we began to tell right away. After returning from a friend's house Friday night, I discovered that I was loosing the pregnancy. It is now Monday morning, and our hearts are heavy. I so often tell people, when promoting Natural Family Planning, that GOD can space your children if you, as a couple, allow Him to do so- through prayer and trust. If you recall a similar situation occurred in November of 2010 before Jacob. Therese and this baby would have been 16 months apart, but instead, God meant for our family on Earth to have Jacob. And so it is again, He means to have another soul in Heaven praying for us. If you are wondering why I said "she was gone" it is because we believe that, through prayer, God allows us (and desire for us) to know the identity of these sweet souls. Our first miscarriage we named Andrew. Our latest one? Agnes Karolina ( Agnes is Bl. Mother Theresa's birth name and Karol is Bl. John Paul 2's birth name). We are sad, but more importantly we are grateful to have know that we were pregnant in the first place (I would have thought that it was simply my cycle returning). Thank you, Lord that we were made aware that You had allowed us, yet again, to be co-creators with You!! "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21 "Everything is grace." - St. Therese

Talkin' 'Bout my hubby...

Humble Handmaid posted a few days ago something she titled "Let's Talk About our Husbands..." To make it interesting for you, the reader here goes... David is thoughtful. David is by far one of the funniest people that exists. David is observant. David is a good cook. David empties the dishwasher for me. David is trusting of God waaaaaaay more than anyone on the PLANET. David likes to do yard work and grows roses beautifully. David's hair is cut by your's truly. David is the 2nd of 4 children. David has been married for almost 5 years to me because... David is loving and patient. David speaks my love languages often. David's wife cries a lot and... David is compassionate. David is a father of 4. David is a good friend. David will listen to you like there is NObody else in the room. David goes to Adoration almost everyday. David's car has no handle on the driver's side. David arrived 13 months after his sister... David's mom is a saint! David's children love him love him love him! David plays games on the computer and wrestles with T and JP. David make Jacob laugh. David's wife is so in love with him! David loves his family "As Christ loves His church" David is so good looking. David loves Mary. David was in the seminary for 4 years. David coached high school girls basketball. David is a labor coach. David is laid back. David doesn't take his shoes off until he's ready to relax. David doesn't need sleep. David is a gift. David is 30. David my spouse, my beloved, my companion, my dearest friend.

The Ordination Weekend

For months we had a trip to Houston planned for the Ordination of our friend Luke (now Fr. Luke). After David's 7 day trip to North Carolina, our running a married couples' retreat, and a trip to Baton Rouge for 2 funerals all in 2 week's time, we almost backed out. After deciding what was truly important, we packed up the car, had the kids buckled in, car running. I ran inside to grab the phone charger that I almost forgot and felt something drip onto my leg while running through the living room... 7 hours later, the kids were sleeping in their own beds and David and a dear friend were finished fixing a bad pipe that caused a clog and an overflowing condensation pan that dripped through our ceiling. Can you imagine what we would have come home to had we left Friday night? So Saturday morning we were in the van by 7am and headed to the BEAUTIFUL Houston Cathedral! 2 hours in the van then into the Cathedral for 2 1/2 hours of ordination Mass with our friends the Franco's and the Grifka's. Picture this: Between 3 families, there were 7 babies (3 who were nursing), about 15 books, 4 sippy cups, 2 bottles, 1 toothbrush, 2 sqeaky toys, 1 train, 1 magnadoodle, and 1 glorious container of cheerios. It was a beautiful and hilarious time; our friend Luke becoming a priest and beginning his vocation and his friends who were there to witness it, having already entered into our own vocations! I was tempted to sneak a picture of what our little corner looked like at the end, but instead we took a picture of us to remember the battle won (some were missing because they were still juggling babies. What a blessed and precious weekend. We have a new priest, a seminarian, and beautiful growing families. The weekend was exhausting and joyful and beautiful! What a blessing! "The interior life of a priest should imitate that of St. John: he detects the Heart of Jesus, and the immensity of His love, and then communicates that love to others."