Quick Take Friday

1. We have had some warmer weather here in the last week and it looks like we'll be blessed with it for a few more days. Of course, by warmer I mean we're actually in the 30's people! Yesterday we spent a couple hours outside enjoying the heat wave. Oh how glorious it is to go outside and not come in the house freezing after half an hour! It was so nice to get out there and breathe fresh air again and feel the sun. The kids and I had a lot of fun since there is so much snow in our yard. We made forts and had a snowball fight, 'painted' snow and went for a walk too. Of course, I know too well that these days are only temporary and any day now the cold temps. and snow will return, but for today I'll pretend that spring is just around the bend.

2. This Sunday is Honoring Marriage Day. We will be spending a portion of the morning helping (hopefully) almost 40 engaged couples prepare for their marriages, by presenting a talk on Sexuality at our diocesan marriage course. We started giving this talk last fall and although we were a bit leery of doing this particular presentation in the beginning, I think it's actually been a good fit.

It is at times a difficult task to present the Church's teaching on this subject and there are sometimes couples who obviously do not agree with what we're saying (trust me, some of the facial expressions speak volumes!!). Surprisingly, we usually do get some really good feedback afterward and are always happy to hear a number of them strongly committed to following the church's teachings on sexuality and contraception. We always hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us as we speak so that the couples hearts would be open and hear what they need to hear. I will admit that at times I do not eagerly look forward to taking on this task of 'enlightening' couples, but I know the importance of it and that more young couples are needed to carry the torch in this ministry. Not that we are an extraordinary couple, just an ordinary couple answering the call.

I will look forward to our talk this Sunday though because it will be a wonderful way to celebrate and honor our marriage as we share about our relationship with the couples. Please keep us in your prayers Sunday morning!

3. Well, Valentine's Day is next week and I'm feeling a bit lost. Not that Valentine's day is a big day to celebrate for us, however, we usually do something because we are also celebrating our engagement (Feb. 13)day and it kind of just coincides with Valentine's day. We usually don't make a big deal out of it or get one another expensive gifts, but with a week left I am really scratching to come up with SOMETHING. I know it will all come together, but I'm a planner running out of time!!

4. I am on facebook. You know, the social network everyone is talking about? Any way, I have been on there for well over 6 months and find it useful to help keep in touch with relatives and some friends who I may not normally get a chance to email. I like to use it because I can type a quick line to someone and be done. It's also been great for a few of my out of state mom friends and I, because long emails catching up every few months were too exhausting and they just weren't happening. Any way, in the last week or so a fair number of my friends on facebook have been sending me these '25 Random Things' or '25 Things About Me'. I have found these quite insightful and interesting since there have been a number of them that caused my jaw to drop. Literally. Well, I have yet to do my list. I just can't quite seem to get the gumption to do it. I'm not sure I can come up with 25 things. And, I really want mine to 'say' something about me (my priorities, likes/dislikes, etc.) that a few people may not already know. See? It's just taking way too much time and thought out of my day. I think I'm not ready just yet. Maybe another day.

5. In our home, for the most part, hubby has become the grocery shopper. Not for any particular reason, except that when gas prices went up and children became part of the equation in our family, it just made more sense. He drives into a "bigger" city (by that I mean that we live in a town of a couple hundred and the city he drives to is like 10,000) every day to go to work where there are a number of grocery stores and a Super Walmart, so grocery shopping just became his thing. He gladly does it and I must say, he does it efficiently and is great at it! I usually pick up things that are a better bargain at Super Walmart since he'd just rather not go there and get groceries. It's fine and we've worked our system all out. One thing we find is a better bargain at Walmart, is milk. It's considerably lower in price.

Yesterday, hubby needed to stop at Walmart for a couple things on his way to work, so he was also going to get milk while he was there. After arriving at work, he always emails me to let me know that he's there, etc. In his email he mentioned that while at Walmart he felt like there was something that he was forgetting, but he had gotten everything on the list. As he was typing, a bell went off and he realized that it was milk he had forgot! He was upset, but realized that he had not written it on his list and hence, forgot. He decided he'd just stop for the milk on the way home. I knew this and was figuring him to be at least 10 mins. later arriving home than usual due to the stop. Hearing him arrive at his usual time, I was surprised. As he walked in the door he declared,"I guess I just wasn't meant to get milk today. I forgot to stop after work." My reaction? Instead of laughing it off, I was disgusted. I didn't say much, except "I can't believe you forgot it again. You didn't write yourself a note to stop after work? You drove right by Walmart and didn't remember to stop? Great. Now there's only 2 cups of milk left. Hardly enough for cereal in the morning." Ouch. Thankfully, Reed doesn't get easily angered.

After he left the kitchen, within seconds I was embarrassed at my lack of understanding. Why would I make such quick comments, without just brushing it off? Ugh. Sinless I am not. A work in progress. I did apologize after he came back into the kitchen. Another reminder for me that he is a wonderful husband to even help me out by picking up groceries and I should be grateful. And, not to grouch over forgotten milk.

6. We are experiencing a rough pattern with Jonah and his sleeping habits. He is daily getting up around 6:00 am! Months ago I had rearranged my morning routine so that I could get up early enough to shower, get ready and have prayer time before the kids awaking. That meant getting up at 5:45 am. It's not working out with Jonah's new waking hour, however. I'm hoping that something changes soon on his part because I really don't want to have to get up even earlier. I know I could do it if I needed to, but I enjoy my sleep when I can get it and lately I have been so exhausted in the evening that I'm falling asleep on the couch. To everything there is a season. I just hope this is a short, passing one.

7. Lily and I were talking yesterday and she mentioned something about next year and school. I quickly asked her, "oh, do you think we'll be homeschooling next year?" She looked up at me and smiled and said, "of course". Not a big deal? Maybe not, but since we've had a couple bouts of her frustration over homeschoolng and of asking when she'll go to 'regular school', it really made my day. Although we've talked about it a number of times, it was like she maybe actually understood that our plan is to continue homeschooling. We then began a discussion on next year and First grade. I mentioned that there is this little girls club that I had been reading about and that I'd like to start in our homeschool group. Her eyes brightened. A club? She asked a bunch of questions and was so THRILLED at the prospect of being in a club!! She started naming off all the things that the girls could do..crafts, play time,prayer and snacks. It was so cute! I also told her that in this club she could earn badges...with a sash! Wow! I've never seen a little girl so excited!! Not so excited though when I mentioned that we won't start it until the fall. Now we've got something to look forward to!


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