Grateful

As Thanksgiving preparations are in full swing at my house, I am reminded in the midst of it all to be grateful. Thinking on this the last few days has made me well aware of blessings that I may easily overlook if I didn't search hard enough. It also made me contemplate the difference between being thankful and being grateful. I'm not sure what that difference is exactly, but I am trying harder to be more grateful for the abundance of things I've been given. At times this is hard for me since I can easily focus too much on the things I may not have been given. Sometimes,perhaps, prayers (seemingly) unanswered. Mostly, my deepest heart's desire, to become pregnant and bear another child. Unfortunately, I will not be spending Thanksgiving aware of a new little one inside me or feeling the light flutters in my belly. For now, it's not meant to be. And for today I understand that and I breathe deeply as I marvel at who God did bring me this year to help me along this journey of infertility. I am grateful for my husband and his understanding, love and support; for words of compassion and encouragement from family & friends who have supported us; for a lady at my childhood parish who has offered daily prayers for me; for the humble prayers of strangers who I've only met via prayer requests online; for those who have helped direct me medically toward answers and toward alternative treatments; for those kind, faith-filled few who have quietly listened and have offered silent prayers for us. I realize that there is so much more that I cannot even begin to list here, but this Thanksgiving I will be celebrating with a big, grateful heart, that's for sure!

Toy Clutter

It has become obvious to me lately that although we have a fairly good size house, we also have a fairly good amount of toy clutter in our house. My living room has two corners devoted to them, my dining room has a separate table with barns and houses on it, my one basement room (future playroom)already has its share of toys as well. Why it suddenly seemed to be staring me in the face I do not know. Perhaps it was while I was making a mental list of Christmas gifts we would get for the kids and I stared at the vast amount of floor space that they already cover. Or maybe it was when my ears started hearing the increasing amount of toy commercials gearing up for the Christmas buying season. It could have also been that when my children saw these commercials and declared "I wanna get that" that I shuddered. So, I now have a revised Christmas list in my head for each of them and it includes only 1 toy each and that toy is only an addition to a set they already have (Thomas & Polly Pocket). Beyond that it will be useful items like clothes, books, games or art/craft project kits. I am also hoping to purchase a kids digital camera for them to share since they both seem to enjoy taking pictures with mine already.The books, games and kits I feel are very educational and something I'd rather have filling my shelves. I'm actually looking forward to heading to the craft stores to find some great educational projects for the kids, rather than buying toys that will just take away my precious space. Although I really don't like the idea of giving away a bunch of their current toys since most have been gifts by kind and generous family, I do feel that a toy de-cluttering may be happening in our household very soon. Now I just need to find a worthy cause that will take them.

Patriotism, Elections & America

With elections next week, our children are very aware of what we as Americans will be doing next Tuesday. For weeks now they have noticed campaign signs and all of the media propaganda on the television. They also know who we support in the presidential election and know why. Without going into detail with the kids, we have made sure that they understand that we vote for the candidate who shares our morals and beliefs. Someone who will hold their office and fight for the dignity of EVERY human person, from conception to natural death. Although they are young, I do believe that they can be taught about our great nation and the beliefs and truths we were founded on. With that in mind, I chose to scour the local libraries and bookstores for books that will help instill patriotism, teach them about our first president as well as our current president and give them a basic understanding of America. I think it's important that our kids appreciate America and understand how to be a good citizen. We will also show them by our actions when we take them with us into the voting booth next Tuesday!

Yesterday I informed Lily & Jonah that we would be spending the next week learning about presidents and elections and America. At the end Lily said, "we're too little to learn about government!" I was surprised to learn that she knew such a big word and knew that it was exactly what I was referring to. I knew then that this was the perfect thing to be discussing with our kids. They're ready.

Looking back...a fond farewell

Tomorrow I am turning 30. Unbelievable to me where my 20's went exactly. However, if I sit and ponder the last 10 years, I've done a lot of things that have been quite momentous. My twenties were good to me to say the least.
Shortly before turning 20 I began service for a year with NET Ministries(www.netusa.org) and was placed on a team with 11 others and traveled to different states in the U.S.- Michigan, South Dakota, Louisiana & Alabama to name a few. While I was 21, I spent that year working for a number of Catholic parishes as their Youth Minister and met my future husband,Reed. Around my 22nd birthday, Reed and I became more than acquaintances and soon after began dating. We also became engaged a few months later, still while I was 22! We began building our own home and about six weeks before my 23rd birthday, Reed and I began our lives together and were married. Three months later we found out we were expecting baby #1. A month before my 24th birthday, our daughter Lily was born and I began the journey of motherhood. When I was 25, we became pregnant with baby #2 and after 8 weeks we miscarried Natalie Noel. A couple months later we found out we were expecting baby #3! At 26 years old I gave birth to our son, Jonah. Another blessing! The last couple of years have been spent being a wife and mother and have been filled with lots of happiness and many blessings. When I look at these last 10 years as logged here, it has been a busy 10 years! I cannot begin to recall all of the fond memories that have filled these years, some sad memories are also sprinkled throughout, but mostly I realize that I have been abundantly blessed. My life as I know it has closely followed the visions I had in mind as a young woman. I am a wife and mom and enjoying it. I was able to rely on God and all of His plans for me and thankfully, He guided me to a wonderful, faithful, Catholic husband. He blessed our lives with little children to raise, teach and love. He filled our lives with joy with many family and friends. As I celebrate my 30th birthday tomorrow I will be so grateful for the life I have led and I will gracefully embrace the thirties. I look forward to all that God has planned for this new season of my life.

Harvest

Fall. Autumn. Harvest. Whichever term you use it still means it is the short amount of time between beautiful summer weather and the cold,snowy days of winter. Being that I am not a big fan of winter and the weather it presents us, harvest time always goes by too quickly. This year I have been able to enjoy the sights and sounds of harvest time. I have noted the brilliance of the abundant colors on almost every tree, the crisp air, the falling leaves. I've also seen the ratio of tractors to other vehicles going past my window increase as farmers continue to work in the fields. In the distance somewhere I can hear the faint buzzing of corn dryers and combines running late into the night. I even created a harvest shelf this year in my dining/kitchen. When I hung that shelf there last winter I was hoping to use it for this purpose--to recognize and celebrate every season we enjoy. So, again today I breathe in the beauty of the season, for all too soon Christmas gift lists will be running in my head, cookie baking will begin and the ground will be white. All of this beauty may be wasted if I didn't stop in the midst of it all and thank the God who created it.

Autumn
Emily Dickinson

The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on.

Simplicity

I am a planner and organizer. I like when things in my home are functional. Yes, I may go overboard at times in wanting things 'just so', but I realize that since I spend lots of time in my home I need it to 'work' for me. I can easily recognize when things in an area of my home aren't being used to their capacity or serving their purpose. For me though, this organization and even cleanliness in my home helps to keep my heart and my spirit at peace. I have been seeing more lately how this inner peace draws me toward simplicity. Of course, there are things I can't live without (like Walmart and Target!), but somehow having peace and simplicity in myself easily overflows into other areas as well. I know when I am settled and enjoying the simple things in life, I am happier and it reflects in the happiness of my kids and my family. I also find that it is easier to relieve stress and anxiety when simplicity is being sought. As a wife and mom I can easily get caught up in each trauma and drama that whirls around me, but I am finding that I need to keep myself focused on remaining calm and at ease. Not only for me, but for my household. I hope that the slower pace of fall and winter will continue to help me take time for myself and recognize where I need to make things simpler in my daily life.

Looking out my window....

Red,Orange,Yellow,Brown. Cooler weather. Slow rains. Here,It's Fall. I've been taking more time this year to enjoy the wonder of God's creation and the beauty of the changing of the seasons. The leaves on the trees in our yard and around the area are glorious this week. What beauty to behold. Just had to share it.