I'm Still Here

JMJ

I've come to realize that I am very horrible at keeping up a blog. It has been almost a year since I've blogged! Needless to say, I have some updating to do. I will try to hit the main ones the best I can.

It is currently summer and my life is scattered! I am eagerly preparing myself to get back to a school schedule. And I am happy to announce that we are still homeschooling next year! :) Trust me when I say, that is a huge accomplishment. I finally feel like we have found what works for us! In a sense. Homeschooling has been such a blessing and I pray for continued strength! We have changed it up a little though. We were doing CHC and a local charter school but our local charter was 20 minutes away and required a lot of work for me which I didn't feel I could continue this next year. I decided to go a more simple way and enroll in Seton. Yes, I know it is a lot of work but I'm trying it out this next year while I gain experience and confidence. 

The Country has been a little hard to live in lately. I love the area but I feel as if my soul battles with the seclusion of this town. My soul yearns for more frequent union with Christ in adoration, daily mass, group rosaries, etc. however the closest church is 20 minutes away. With kids, it can be discouraging and I have not been able to participate in as much as I want. It makes me sad and I want to move back. We are discerning In where we should go or if we Should stay. Southern California is not the easiest place for a single income family to raise their children in. It can be very pricey. Any prayers would be very much appreciated. 

I don't have time to edit this quite yet but if I don't post now then I probably won't at all. But I do promise to get back on soon and edit, update some more And add some pictures of my heart pieces. 

One last thing. Please keep my husband and I in your prayers for our Total Consecration. We are in the midst of our first consecration and are determined to finish this time! 

Thank you and God Bless!! 

Catching Up

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long! I have so much to tell!


1. We have been so busy with getting everything ready for homeschool. We made the decision to return to homeschooling was so spontaneous and unexpected that I had absolutely nothing prepared. As soon as we made the final decision to jump in and get started the following week I was very busy trying to pull everything together.

I have such a peace about our new life choice and my new vocation. It feels like I am home again after being away on vacation for so long. I did a beautiful Novena for Homeschooling Mothers to start off our first week and I have to say.... why did I not do this before? The amount of patience and Grace that I have received is beyond I could have ever expected. I thank God for this over and over again throughout the day. Words cannot expressed the weight of this precious gift of grace.


2. I got Mastitis. And when I say I got Mastitis...I got it bad. I have had it before with Little Optimus but this one was way worse. And not to mention it really hit me out of nowhere. Or maybe I was just in denial. When I first starting getting sore I started texting a friend about it. Being more experienced than I am, she immediately starting referring to Mastitis. For those of you who don't know what it is, just click here. When she started texting me about it I was in denial and I went out grocery shopping... then.. as an hour or two went by I felt 1000x worse. When I got home I had a very bad case of the chills and a 104 degree fever. Have any of you tried cabbage leaves? That was a tip she gave me. And it worked wonderfully. I also called the doctor in my despair and he ordered me a prescription. Note to all: finish your medication when you are given it. Its a medication that you have to take 4 times a day and time it in between meals. Not very good for me. The day I started feeling better I lacked on my medication taking...meaning I skipped a whole day. Needles to say, I was feeling very crummy all over again the very next day. I finally finished it all and I am feeling great. Thank God.


3. My dryer broke! It got fixed.. Then it broke again. As crazy as it sounds I was sort of happy about it. Since we've moved here I've wanted a line outside to hang laundry. I have always loved the idea of letting your clothes dry in the natural air and breeze. So while we were waiting for a replacement part the second time, Jay finally put one up for me! I was so excited and he immediately captured a picture of me jumping up to grab the highest point of the line. I won't be posting that picture here. BUT, here is one of my very first dry...

What I've been reading....

I love Kimberly Hahn and so far this has been a very nice treat to read. 

2013 Patron Saints

This year I am starting with a new Patron Saint for the year. This will be my first year participating and I am so elated. I first heard about doing this at The Hell With It and asked Jessica to give My Husband and I a saint together and also one for just myself. Drum roll please....

Saint Maximilian Kolbe 

Saint Isidore the Farmer

Jennifer at Conversion Diary also has a Saints name generator. When I went to Jennifer's site I clicked on the Saints name generator and I curiously wanted to see who came up. It's so funny how the Lord works. I was generated Saint Isidore the Farmer again. I exited after that and fully accepted my 2013 Patron Saints. I know of St. Maximillian Kolbe but not Saint Isidore the Farmer. I am looking forward to getting to know my new friends for the year! :) 

On another note.. if you could keep our family in your prayers it would be greatly appreciated. We have a new adventure that we are starting. It came up unexpected but we decided to run with what was put in front of us. Which is......

Yup, those of you that know me personally probably think I am crazy about now. I think I am right there with you in questioning my sanity. We did homeschool with Vivi last year but after we had Bear and we moved she wanted to try to go to school in the local elementary school where her cousin goes as well. The school is a really good school and everyone there is really sweet so I was pretty shocked when an opening came up in a home study program she was on a wait list for. I immediately half declined because of the fear I had of puling her out of school mid year... AGAIN... but after praying about it and talking with my husband, my daughter and some friends, we decided to do it. I am very nervous about doing this with the boys but I think I have enough support to be successful with it.  

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!! I can't wait for all the adventures this year will bring and being able to make God and learning go hand in hand is a blessing that we have missed. 

  

Dancing at Midnight

Last night I went out to dinner with of few girlfriends whom I’ve been friends with since Jr. High... Let’s not count the years.... I think it has been about a year since I have been out to dinner with them sans kids. My youngest is 8 months and since I am nursing, I rarely go anywhere without him. Hubby kept me updated on the kids and assured me he had everything under control and to just have fun. I do have a wonderful husband, don’t I?

It is always great to catch up and have feminine conversations that have nothing to do with transformers, Star wars, or Diapers. Although, we did get to sneak in a few brief topics about the joys of motherhood. (This is not when the dancing at midnight happens….That part is later) At the end of dinner I took a short trip to Riz’s house.  She and her husband just bought their first home a few months ago and this was the first time I was able to see it.  I think I am going to try to hire her to decorate my house when we buy it. Her home was so cute and cozy, like an article out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine! I also got to meet her new doggy, boots. He is an adorable well behaved little Lhasa Apso with such a happy demeanor! I am so happy for her and all of her happiness!

On the drive home, which was about 40 minutes, my head and heart started battling with each other. “O how I miss just running out for a few minutes to grab a quick dinner and coming right back home and not have to drive 40 minutes back.  O, how I miss making daily mass when I am able to. O, how I miss being close to town sometimes. Ok, calm down and stop being so dramatic…. You just have the winter blues.” Yes, arguing with myself actually happens inside my head. The country songs starting coming on about family and kids and I had to remind myself to drive a bit slower so I can make it home in one piece. I could feel it in my body that my little guy was crying for me. All you Moms know how that is. I couldn’t get home fast enough. As soon as I pulled up, I ran in the house and sure enough there was my hubby rocking and trying to console one face soaked little Bear. And in that one second that I grabbed him and held him in my arms again I was at ease.

The rest of the night my little bear was so over joyous to be with me again. He was full of smiles and laughs and wouldn’t let me go. He was bright and animated like I’ve never seen him before. My heart was happy. This is where the dancing at midnight comes in…. O, yes, I forget to mention that I got home a little after 10:00 pm and Bear had taken an hour nap from 8-9 and woke up crying for me. So he was full of energy from his supposed to be bedtime nap. So, I took it and ran with it. It was late and we should both be in bed… Ehhh, O well!! We were having fun! We played music and we danced well into midnight. It was such a beautiful thing to look over at him while we were dancing and to see his wide smile covering his face and his eyes glistening as we went around the living room. Giggles and giggles constantly interrupted the song and it couldn’t have been more perfect.  It played out like a slow motion black and white scene. And I knew I had to keep that memory in my mind forever because as they grow up so fast and these are the memories I don’t want to forget…. And apparently neither did he because he fought tooth and nail to go to sleep after that.

Here he is when we finally settled down to sleep.  

As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family today, I hold my babies close and Thank God for the love he blessed me with in my children and my Husband. Along with wonderful friends who so happily run at the chance to have dinner with me on a rare night out. 

God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

-Sir. 3:2-6

O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of 

the Holy Family, 

graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing 

the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity, 

and so, in the joy of your house, 

delight one day in eternal rewards. 

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

 who lives and reigns with you in the unity

 of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Beautiful View

I went on a walk up this very large, long and one of the few paved road in my neighborhood this weekend. It was a tough journey up but the pay off was beautiful! Standing on top on this street and looking out was absolutely beautiful as I was catching my breath. This picture does not do it justice but it gives an idea. Ahhh just another perk to Country living! I took a moment to look out, feeling the presence all around me and prayed out loud. It was the first time I felt as if our loving Mother Mary was standing right next me.... Loving me. Words can not explain to that feeling but pure joy, happiness, comfort and love come to mind.