After driving 20 minutes from home, I checked the map to make sure I was on the right road. I was distracted by the beautiful trees before realizing I was right where I was going. When I stepped out of my car, I was taken by God’s beautiful trees. I was surrounded by all of the primary colors. Then I looked ahead and in an instant, I knew it was my friend…. It was Jen… This lady is an angel to me. This angel has been there for me day or night
I was delighted to finally meet a dear friend who helped me through so many days, weeks, months of struggle. She would lift me up and give me strength.
When I thought I couldn’t go on, Jen was there. When a bad day was upon me, Jen would give me words to help me pull through.
It was just like sitting down with a best friend. We enjoyed visiting for several hours on All Saint’s Day before going to Mass together. We met at her parents home and enjoyed the afternoon watching the children run and play outside while we discovered more and more things we had in common.
Jen, thank you for all those words of encouragement helping me through some of the toughest and darkest days.
Friends
Entry tickets…$32
We traveled a few hours up to Kentucky to go to the State fair for a free Francesca Battistelli Concert with friends.. we had a great time and thought I’d share the breakdown…
~Entry tickets… $32
~Parking pass…$8
~Cotton Candy…$5
~22 discounted tickets…$25
~3 extra tickets…$3.75
~10 Icees…$20…(these were priced at $3 each,but I bargained with the Icee Man and got a group discount!)
~ 2 Funnel cakes…$10
~Blooming onion to share… $9
~Concert to listen to one of your favorite Christian Artist’s with your best friend… PRICELESS!
Francesca Battistelli performed at the Kentucky State Fair! She was fantastic and we all enjoyed singing along!
Saying goodbye to friends
… this week we tearfully hugged our dear sweet friends goodbye. Military is sending them on to another place. We returned from our time in Georgia to say our final goodbyes to Jess and her family until we see each other again. I think I’ve talked to Jess for the last five years at least once .. sometimes twice a day. Her kids have been friends with our kids since the day we met. So many good times and a few sad times has been with Jess right there beside me. We’ve had so many memorable times together, including First Holy Communion, First time serving with Father at Mass, and Pregnant with two of our children together and all those doctor appointments in between… I think every time they came over, it must have been piano day.. If it wasn’t a piano day, someone was playing on the piano or keyboard.. and we heard The Entertainer like we heard the word mommy! This dear family is like part of our family. We will miss you, but wish you all the best sweet friend.
Everyone…
please go over to wish my dear friend a Happy Birthday!! This is such a strong woman, mom, and friend. She does not EVER complain, she is always giving herself totally and completely to her children and her friends, and she is always on time! She was there for me (watching my five children along with her ( then) five children) through every ultrasound and every Doctor appointment with Matthew. I cannot thank her enough for being my friend. I will miss her company when her family moves away this summer to their new duty station, but the Army works in funny ways.. we may end up in the same place one day again. Happy Birthday sweetie!
Please also take a minute to wish another sweet and dear friend A belated happy Birthday. Being out of town, I have not been around to keep up, but I want you to know this friend means the world to me! She has been by my side, my joys and struggles for over seven years now. She took care of me while I was in San Antonio with Matthew last summer and always kept me trusting through it all. When I think of her, one I think Faith, and two, I think coffee mug and yarn! I love ya!!! Happy Belated birthday Sweet friend!
Field trip
I finally said yes to participating with a group. I can’t stay in my house forever… five others want to get out and be with friends. We went to Mass Friday morning and then traveled about and Hour and a half to get to a local berry farm. In the fall, the farm does hayrides, corn maze fun, pumpkin picking and more. We went, trudging through thick mud at times, thinking it would be a nice fall brisk day, but by the end, my car said it was 90 degrees. After the farm, we dropped by a local diner that sells homemade pies. While we couldn’t stay for a slice (soccer practice), so we chose a Chocolate cream pie to take home for dessert night. Here are a few pics…
….
… and for any of you who know KC at the Cabbage Patch, here she is in front of the camera. and back to back with me on the hayride… please pray for her family as they face an upcoming deployment soon.
At the end of an all day play day….
.. when your best friend goes home …
Thank you…
…. for reminding me that life goes on. Despite disappointment on Tuesday night, yes, Jen, my car also started as usual on Wednesday morning. Children still had to be fed. There was still coffee to make and email to check. With the internet, we are able to connect with so many wonderful people who also are filled with love for God and with encouraging words to get us through the storms. Our storm became reality with the new president-elect. We have a lot of praying to continue. Our rosaries must continue, our prayers must become even more focused. Our messages we share on our blogs must be even more focused on God’s almighty love and power. God has challenged the faithful to an even harder task. Pray for those who have chosen this path for our country and those who have be chosen to lead it. For now, I am going to enjoy my beautiful children, cherish my husband, and pray for those in most need of God’s mercy. I’ll blog along the way sharing my pictures and thoughts…
My blog started out as a way to connect with family and to share pictures of our lives out in Texas. I never really had a “theme” or a direction when I began a post. Many times, my pictures led me to a post or idea. This election led many of my posts towards sharing about Life. Life for me is my passion. God has touched me in such a profound way. He has allowed my husband and me to see life in the making. We have held in our hands tiny human beings at 14 weeks, at 16 weeks, and at 18 weeks. These tiny little babies were called home before we had the chance to know them. I have found this blog to be a way to share my thoughts and photos about life and loss of life we experience in God’s giant Canvas.
I am humbled to read comments that dear friends leave me after a post. I am even more humbled to read they love my blog. A big thank you to Nancy at Be Not Afraid
She has graciously nominated my blog for the I “heart” your blog award.
So… to thank you, Nancy, about reminding me to Not be afraid, celebrate life, let go of all fear, and to love my husband and my children, I would love to answer the the following questions that go along with this award….
Here are the rules:
As a recipient of this award, I have to answer the following questions, with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass this on …( I cannot only use one word this time!)
Here’s the questions!
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Where is your spouse? deployed
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? her kitchen
5. Your father? His spa
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? husband
8. Your dream/goal? heaven
9. The room your in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? sewing
11. Your fear? our country’s view of the unborn
12. Where do you want to be in six years? home
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you’re not? cool
15. One of your wish list items? front loader washer and dryer
16. Where you grew up? military
17. The last thing you did? kissed our children goodnight
18. What are you wearing? new glasses
19. Your TV? Hope Floats
20. Your pet? Bowan
21. Your computer? Mac
22. Your mood? teary (the daddy just drove away)
23. Missing someone? yes
24. Your car? suburban
25. Something your not wearing? earrings
26. Favorite store? Sams
27. Your summer? sprinklers
28. Love someone? lots
29. Your favorite color? pink
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today
Now it is my turn to share this award. I am giving this award to someone who has been a dear friend and inspiration to me and has a huge heart for the unborn ( and who moved too far away!!)
Jen at Fresh Squeezed Life
God’s silhouette painting for KC
You are in my prayers tonight to feel God’s peace. We are all part of His canvas. Sending Aves…
a bit of sewing going on…
My next door neighbor is due to deliver a new baby girl any day now. She told me her colors were green, blue, and yellow.. I looked through my fabric and found a few sweet colors. I measured, cut, and stitched a little car seat/stroller quilt for her. I especially love the blue rosebuds.
I hand stitched the binding on the reverse side which I think gave it a cuddly feel.
Jess and I have stayed busy (actually she’s challenged me with doing more than straight lines…)
We both made little sweet dolls and little nightdresses. This will be a Christmas gift for someone very special in our family. Right now I am thinking she needs to be with my grandmother who is in a memory care unit and always wanted a little girl of her own.
I also saw this cute little pear pin cushion and thought I would try my hand.. and weary eyes ( still waiting on my glasses) at something 3-D.. I am happy with it…
I have really been working on spending more time (outside of teaching) with our children.. they love the one on one time with mom as I take them step by step through a few simple skills. I have taught a few of them how to thread a needle, tie the knot, and chain stitch simple pictures on a loom. The layers of felt on the craft kitchen table also caused curiousity…
Here is Moonbeam blanket stitching a felt horse for her American girl doll.. in stages…
Determined….
As we drove to the Orthodontist today to get new bands on Cookie’s braces, I over heard her say to me as she was knitting…. (phonetically speaking..) “I am dead-er-mined to finish this shawl for my friend for Christmas.”….. as we drove a bit more and she was knee deep into another row of stitches, I asked… ” You mean determined?”……
Tonight while I made dinner, This is what I saw at the dinner table… Solitaire and Go to the Grotto…
This picture is for my husband….
What I made for a birthday gift for a sweet friend who loves to “match” her new little sister….I made this with the leftover fabric...Isn’t it sweet fabric?
Felt food…
I was completely inspired when my dear friend, jess, showed me a few fun things to make with felt. She came over with her machine and with a cup of coffee, we sewed and visited all day long! The kids were having a complete ball ( not knowing the moms were having a ball too!)
For Breakfast we are serving….
or if you have a bit of a sweet tooth in the morning, I suggest…
For a backyard favorite, why not try…
Finish with a creamsicle or a strawberry popsicle or a chocolate chip cookie !
The corn was handstitched by Moonbeam, ( husks by mom) and the lollipops were handstitched by Opie… ( He also made the pizza by himself!!)
Thank you Jess for sharing such a fun thing!! ( and letting me run with it and copy you completely!!)
still struggling with….
to buy or not to buy… with the current housing market we are not sure if buying is the right thing to do. We found a house in the area we would like, but are worried about the next few years.. what if we move and need to sell? What about all of the thousands of new homes they continue to build in the same area? What if …..
It all comes down to trust. I can’t see into the future. God transcends time and already knows. I suppose in a few weeks if we haven’t put an offer on the house we are looking at we won’t be moving and John will deploy. The kids and I will make do in our post house and perhaps put cheesecloth between us and the vents ( all of the sickness and death of babies I am starting to blame on this house!) God will provide for all that we need.
In today’s gospel we read from St Matthew:
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6,19-23.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.
We can be happy anywhere and without a beautiful home to call our own. So our kitchen cabinets in this house are at an angle ( all eggs will fall to the floor) The mice better find another home, and yes, we will get a storage unit if we don’t move to get the gym out of the dining room, and third princess bed out of my friend’s garage!)
Where our heart is, our treasure will be.
*** Please remember Jennifer in your prayers as she found out her sweet baby has gone to heaven. She is hoping to avoid a D&C.
***Please pray for a teen and his family who took his own life yesterday, and for the HS he attended to find God’s peace.
Couple of fun things…
Feast of the Ascension!! We bought bottles of bubbles we plan to play with after nap today and again for Sunday ( the day the feast will be celebrated this year). We will watch the bubbles “ascend” into heaven!
Today is the National Day of Prayer in which people of all faiths are invited to pray for our nation. In 1952, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill putting it into law and in 1988 Ronald Reagan signed a bill which put it on the first Thursday in May.
My grandmother is celebrating her 29th birthday again in Louisiana! Happy Birthday Henrie! probably with a cup of gumbo!
Our Dear friend, Fr Kevin was commissioned into the Army today in Ga. He will fill a three year commitment as an Army Chaplain . He has hopes of going right over to the soldiers in theater to offer the sacraments.
I just returned from a doctor appt and heard and saw the heartbeat of the little Snowbaby snuggled inside. The heartbeat was about 170 ( right of this week 12 ish) The dr said, well, I took it as a sign… this ultrasound machine was just sitting in the hallway! Yeah! The baby had his/her hand draped over the face and I saw the profile ( nose and chin) the feet were stretched way out! Enjoy the space while you can baby!
Happy Birthday to a dear Friend…
.. who is also attending the Mass with the Pope in NY!!! Happy Birthday Fr Kevin!!
Boys and Priests
Here is Opie with his Godfather and his friend with our parish priest. The boys went up to the front after Mass to receive their certificates for Reconciliation and Communion. We will be putting these in his baby book. The official records will go on file at the church the boys were baptized in, as will all the sacraments to come.
The Seven Catholic Sacraments
The Latin word sacramentum means “a sign of the sacred.” The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God’s saving presence. That’s what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God’s grace.
If you learn more about the sacraments, you can celebrate them more fully. To learn more about the individual sacraments, please follow the links below. You’ll find easy-to-understand articles and a good sample of common questions and answers.
Please pray for a friend who has been sent another precious baby from Heaven’s nursery. She recently miscarried in February and is delighted with this news! We pray to the Lord, Lord hear our prayer.
God's Canvas 