Catholic Woman's Almanac - Home At Last...

Hiya Ladies.

I hope your past two weeks have been great. Mine were wonderful! I loved being in Tennessee but I have to say - there is nothing like sleeping in my own bed. Oh I do love my own things. Do you feel that way when you travel?  If I could move my friends to TN, I'd love to be there. But I would miss my friends here in DFW just too much to leave.

I am linking up (late) with the ladies at Suscipio on the Catholic Women's Almanac post. Check out the other ladies and what they are up to!

Thanking God For...

~My TN Family Who I loved visiting.
~My husband and child because they complete me.
~Being alive another day...

Praying For...

~My friend Jen who lost her mother, our beloved Geneva or "Granny".
~All those who lost loved ones in the recent Tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma.
~Personal Finances.
~Health of my family.
~The mending of the dysfunction in so much of my family, immediate and extended.

Thinking About....

~When visiting my family, I always find it interesting that we all find each other frustrating but so many of us are alike. It's just funny to me. It also makes me sad that I don't know many of them better. I wish I did. I wish there wasn't so much dysfunction and angst that many can't get past.

~Forgiveness. It is essential to our soul's ability to soar! We don't have to be around those who have hurt us in catastrophic ways. But if we don't forgive them, it will bring us down and keep us from God.

~And - how blessed we are to be alive for another day. I've really been thanking God daily for letting me live another day. It's a gift and I'm not wasting it.

Reading....

Nothing new. The Catholic Bible and a few other things I'm finishing.

Hearing....

The ticking of the timer as my son fills in the empty map of the U.S.A. And - the occasional "how do you spell ___ State?" And him singing too. I love that little voice.

From the Kitchen...

Sunday night we ordered Chinese Food. We were unpacking and cleaning and it was just easier.
Monday we had fish, rice and green beans.
Tuesday we had grilled chicken over Salad.
Tonight is onions, green peppers, ground beef over spaghetti noodles. My husband calls it Yackmandoo (I'm sure I am spelling it wrong.
Thursday we will have baked chicken and salad.
Friday - fish.
Saturday - unsure. We will go to Mass and then have a light supper. Maybe leftovers.
Sunday - we are having friends over for dinner. Marque is making brisket and friends are bringing things. YAY

About Our Trip...

We did so many things on our trip. Saw Civil War sites. Went fishing. Visited friends and family. Went to the Loveless Cafe.  Did school. Rested. Ate too much. Visited my Aunt & Uncle in their cemetery.  Listened to and told stories. We just really enjoyed ourselves.

On the way back, we stopped to see my friend Jen and her family. We were so blessed to get to visit with her mama, whom we called Granny. I felt that we should stop by as we were heading there, but Jen contacted us and said we'd better come on the way back because she didn't have long. We were her last visitors. Bless her soul!

Captured....

This is a picture of us all with Geneva!

 

And for the link with our trip photos in them, here you go - http://www.dropshots.com/texfamvid#date/2013-05

There are just TOO many to try to pick which to post. There may even be repeats as I have not cleaned it up yet.

 

Thanks for visiting my little blog.

Love, Hugs & Blessings,

 

Em

Catholic Women's Almanac - I'm in Tennessee

Hiya Peeps...

What a great week it's been here in TN.
Monday we did school and had dinner with Marque's daughter and our grandson.
Tuesday we went to Ft. Donelson where we explored this Civil War era Fort and Cemetery. Then we stopped by my friend Bev's Scrapbook store. She was not in, but we will get together this week while I am here.

I am linking up with the ladies at the Catholic Women's Almanac! I love the blogs that link up!

Thanking God for...
My grandson.
My child's love of history.
The beauty of our Country.
Friends who pray for us.
The tribunal who is managing my husband's Annulment. It has now been sent to the 2nd phase and we are hopeful that in the next 3 to 6 months we will be done. Praising God for this going way more smoothly than we'd originally thought.

Praying...
I need to get back to praying the Rosary daily. I confess I have not been as regular about it and I can tell in the attitudes of my family. I also love the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Thinking About...
It occurs to me that we are so blessed to homeschool. It's allowed us to travel this week with Marque on his trip to Ft. Campbell, KY. It's 20 minutes away from where his daughter and our grandson live. AND about an hour away from my family. AND - full of Civil War sites and other fantastic Historical Venues... It could not have been a better plan from above.

Reading...
I hope to finish Holiness for Housewives while I am here. We also have a few History books with us - about Abraham Lincoln and Clara Barton, oh and The Drinking Gourd. We are doing school while we are here too.

Hearing...
The air conditioner in the hotel is super loud. And my son is watching an Animal Planet show while I am blogging. Someone rescued puppies & kitties. Who doesn't love a good animal success story!

From the Kitchen...
We are limited in our little hotel room. We have a kitchenette with a stove top and microwave, toaster, fridge/freezer. But we are making due. We have been eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. We have almonds to snack on. Plus - can I share with you that there are tons of really bad for you restaurants around us - including Baskin Robbins and Burger King. Sisters, they are calling me - pray for me! Anyway - for lunch yesterday we did eat at Burger King, but we also have PB&J makings, etc. We are on vacation, but don't want to eat ourselves to death.
Tonight is leftover Vietnamese Stir-fry with salad.
Tomorrow we will grill chicken and have broccoli. I am unsure of a side.
Friday night we will grill pork chops and probably have salad again.

On Vacation...
We are planning to drive to a local National Park and hike this weekend and picnic.
Also Marque was stationed here for a while, and bought his first home here. So we will tour the base, check out the Museum on base and do some fun things like that.
Christopher became a Jr. Park Ranger yesterday (it was a lot of work). He got a badge and a patch. They have a program going on now and after we complete the package - including an online source of printouts on the Underground Railroad (which we studied) - he will receive a Civil War Patch. There are trading cards too. Very informative and timely since we are studying American History this year and next. Super Exciting.

Captured...

View from our hotel.

Beautiful evening sky (I miss the Mountains).

Papa, Uncle Christopher and Mason!

Joy with Chopsticks!

Civil War Headstone. U.S.C.T. stands for

United States Colored Troops.

What I love about this shot at Ft. Donelson is that the bench

(a full three people bench) looks so tiny compared to the ginormous trees.

Man it was beautiful!

This tree is like an old friend. Comfy and worn. LOVE!

And that folks is all for today.
I've got to start school, hit the hotel gym.... maybe walk to Target to get a drying rack so I can do laundry. Oh - the self-service vacation. Some day - a resort, but for now... I'm making memories with my boys!

Love, hugs & blessings,

Em

Moments of Grace... What is Grace?

Ahhh...

I am a literal person. So sometimes when I know a word has more than one meaning, it is hard for me to narrow it down, say when I challenge myself to write about said word. Let's take the word GRACE. Here is the meaning according to Mirriam Webster:

grace

noun \ˈgrās\

Definition of GRACE

1

a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification

b : a virtue coming from God
c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
2
a : approval, favor <stayed in his good graces>
b archaic : mercy, pardon
c : a special favor : privilege <each in his place, by right, not grace, shall rule his heritage — Rudyard Kipling>
d : disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency
e : a temporary exemption : reprieve
3
a : a charming or attractive trait or characteristic
b : a pleasing appearance or effect : charm <all the grace of youth — John Buchan>
c : ease and suppleness of movement or bearing
4
—used as a title of address or reference for a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop
5
: a short prayer at a meal asking a blessing or giving thanks
6
plural capitalized : three sister goddesses in Greek mythology who are the givers of charm and beauty
7
: a musical trill, turn, or appoggiatura
8
a : sense of propriety or right <had the grace not to run for elective office — Calvin Trillin>
b : the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful

I know right? Doesn't Grace feel like an action word. Maybe I have been approaching this GRACE thing all wrong. Ahhh... but forms of it are a verb. Hmmm. Ladies, some days, this is how my brain works.

Today I feel overwhelmed. I am praying for Grace.
I have been sick this week. I've gotten little accomplished. We leave tomorrow evening for two weeks... and there is much to do. I'm not 100%. My child has a baseball game tonight and tomorrow, after which, we leave. I have to get a Fall Festival Meeting together. I have to do lesson plans for next year. We have company coming to stay at our home and watch our pets while we are gone. I am short-tempered and feel I am failing at this motherhood-wifery thing I call my life. I am struggling to find the Grace. I have to be honest.

Maybe my Grace is that I know I am not alone. That I know this will pass and tomorrow will be a better day. Maybe my Grace is that I know when lots of you read this you will faithfully pray for me and I need your prayers. Maybe my Grace will be a nap and rejuvenated spirit after said nap! Or maybe I will snap out of this funk and THAT will be my Grace.

If I find it today, I will let you know.

Updated: And as soon as I hit that button God said to me, "REALLY?"...and then these couple Moments of Grace came to me: 

• Laying next to my son while we were sick, him wanting to hold my hand (as we both lay with bowls to vomit in "just in case". Don't you love how babies need their mamas always?
• My husband working so hard to care for us - bless him!

I am linking up with the girls over at Suscipio Today on the Moments of Grace Post. You will be inspired if you go and read. Check back over the next day or two as more people make their posts. Catholic Moms inspiring other Catholic Moms (and anyone else who comes their way!).


Blessings,
Em

Screen Free Week? Have you heard???

Hiya Peeps,

We are having a much better Thursday than we have the rest of our week. THANK YOU GOD!
I have had time to read and comment on my crafty friend's blogs, my homeschool blogger friend's blogs and do some reading. I know - there is an upside to being sick. You see - silver lining.
Anyway - Had you heard about National Screen Free Week?

Here is how Healthy Children.org describes the week:

"April 29 - May 5, 2013 is Screen-Free Week… an event that challenges children, teens and families to go for a week without screen time (or with reduced screen time).
Screen Time Can Include:

• Watching television
• Being on a computer
• Tablet or smart phone
• Playing video games

This yearly event encourages participants to explore other entertainment options. Instead of hitting the screens after dinner, why not go for a family walk or a bike ride? Try your hand at some of the board games from your childhood… or ask your children what’s new or interesting to them. Cuddling together on the couch to read a book can be a soothing experience for the whole family. High school or college students can arrange to hang out “in person” instead of virtually.

By taking the opportunity during this week to try new or different types of entertainment, people often discover that going screen-free is something they want to try more often.

I heard about it on my blogger mom friend Steph's blog Mommy The Teacher -- HERE.  And then I Googled it. I found interesting info on Creative Geekery Blog - National Screen Free Week -- A Survival Guide. Updated to add: I found THIS on Pinterest just now. It's called Unfriend Yourself. It is a free ebook.

But here's the thing - my comments are two-fold. On one hand - I think it is awesome that parents are unplugging their children and hopefully themselves. On the other hand - how sad is it that we have to have a National Screen Free Week?

Like Steph, I believe in playing outside. I believe in reading real books. I believe in communicating face to face, on phone and in handwritten notes. I believe in conversation at the dinner table. I believe in limited TV in general. I believe in creativity for sure.

Now - I'm no gestapo - my child gets computer time. But he earns it. And it's 30 minutes/day - if earned. The Wii is for the weekend. He is a 9 year old boy. He is obsessed with electronics. It drives me bonkers. But he also plays sports, makes straight A's and is very intelligent, etc.  I prefer that he watch Science shows - like the one I DVR'd about the Giant Squid. We love National Geographic specials on the Oceans or Volcanoes or Yosemite. He loves weather-related shows. We love family movies.. I guess what I am saying is we try to mostly watch with a purpose.

Could I totally give up screens? No. I pay bills on computer. I balance my checkbook on computer. I love the news. I listen to Pandora Radio. I stream EWTN. I email. We use the iPad for school. I mean - we are on in front of screens - nevermind FaceBook, blogging, etc..

I do think we all need a screen free period. But for us, it's not this week. We've been in bed, sick, so we've had more screen time this week than in the past several combined. But we are good with it.

I'd like to offer a couple of every day ideas to keep your family less dependent on screens...

• Have family game nights.  We are into Sequence, Disney Trivia and Headbands. We also LOVE Chinese Checkers and War (card game).
• Don't get your child a cell phone until they truly need one. Say 15 or something. Yes - it can be done. I have friends who live by this rule with older children and all are well.
• If your children text you or each other, and are always on their phones, instead of talking as a family, consider putting the phones in a basket in the evenings and weekend during certain times - like dinner or family movie night, or other designated family times.
• For young children - and I know there are days where you are sick or things happen, but try to limit their TV to one or two educational shows/day. Like 30 minutes in the mornings and 30 minutes in the evenings.  It's bad for their eyes and they'd much rather you play with them or be at a park playing with friends.
• If you must get a game system, get a family game system and play family games. Don't get games that only allow one-player. Also - make a vow to have mostly games that get you up and moving. I beat my guys at bowling. And you should see us do the sports - let's just say it is always good for a laugh.
• Don't allow them Internet games without a really good Christian Internet Filter. They will not allow your child to venture to any site with sexual innuendo, nakedness, etc. We do not allow Christopher to play Internet-based games. We don't feel at 9 he is mature enough to manage what may happen. His computer games are disc-based.

We are all responsible for our "domestic churches" - our homes. We have been tasked by God to raise these little people in a family environment that keeps their souls flying towards heaven! He will hold us accountable for our children's path. Eventually they become adults and make their own decisions... but we have to give them a good map to follow. The map to GOOD CHOICES!

We are not perfect. We may accidentally say a swear word here/there. But we have to set standards ad try to keep up with them! AND -- I know my post is not going to be popular in the Reality TV society we live in.  I know people who give their baby's iPads. I know family's who's teens have literally sat on my couch and texted one-another instead of talking.  You know who you are. I've known you for years. lol

Anyway - I do appreciate technology. But we do not let it rule our lives. Will we participate in this? We already do in a way. If you have a problem with technology in your family, I feel like this is a worthy thing to try. But I do hope and pray we can get back to a day without screens in our faces all the time.

What do you think? The week is almost over. But would you do a screen free week in your home?

Blessings ALL!
Have a great day!
em

Catholic Women's Almanac -

Hi all!

I am behind on posting. You see, I have had a fun few days. This is why, my dears, we should have posts ready to go just in case. I know you are all tired of the repetitiveness of sickness in my posts... but people - we got hit big time.

I felt lightheaded for most of last week. I thought it was just lack of sleep. I had a great week - don't get me wrong. But I was queasy. If I hadn't had a hysterectomy, I might have thought I was pregnant. That was a nice thought.

Last week, we had a great school week. Christopher earned stripes on his white-belt. We had three "littles" Thursday and Friday. lol  At two, three and four, it was very busy and entertaining. My friend Jill's husband lost his cousin in the West explosion and this was our way of helping - and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh it was work - but we enjoyed it.

Saturday we had a baseball game and rested a lot. By Sunday, I threw up my coffee, but wanted to get to Mass and WCC because it was to be my last day this year with my 3rd Grade Class. Alas, I had to leave Mass. Let's just say I made it to the bathroom - and thankfully did not have an accident in Church. I sat in a comfy chair in the area outside our chapel (which is beside the main Parish). And the man who is the caregiver of the church brought me ginger ale. He could tell I was sick. By the time my husband and son walked out, I was crying. Thankfully the other teacher was there and could handle the class, but man I was so bummed.

Long story short, by about 8pm Sunday, when I hadn't kept down even water, my husband insisted we go to the ER. People - it was brutal. Let's just say we were there a long time.  An IV, a shot in the rear, scans, etc... and meds to take home. Oh it was a mess.  My poor husband should be given a medal. The Lord has certainly smiled on me with this man!

I am still in bed today. My child joined me. It thankfully has not been as bad for him because I have an anti-nausea and anti-spasm on hand, which the doctor said I could give him HALF of a pill until Marque gets home with his version. Thank you Jesus!  And so, we lay here, praying my husband doesn't get it. Praying we get better quickly... to say I am grateful today that I am not barfing anymore is an understatement.

On to last week...

Grateful for:

• My fantastic husband and son. You have no idea how much this man has worked the past few days cleaning various things up and steaming carpets, laundry, etc. He has worked so hard.
• Sunny Evenings
• Baseball Season
• Great Weather
• Being Able to Help a friend in need
• And as always my Faith, Parish, etc.

Listening To:

• My child is laying in bed next to me. He is watching Looney Tunes.
• The dog chasing the cat AND my husband cooking downstairs.

Reading:

• North Texas Catholic Magazine
• Holiness for Housewives
• Catholic Study Bible
• That's My Son

(clearly bits and pieces of each).

In The Kitchen:

I made a great Apple Cake and a Mexi-Chicken Pot Pie last week. Check out this post HERE.
I made a mean mac-n-cheese - completely cheated with THIS! And Grilled cheese for the Littles.
I also made peanut butter cookie dough and baked it in a pan and melted chocolate chips over it for desert when we had friends for dinner Friday evening!  I also had leftover cinnamon rolls by Immaculate Baking. Have you heard of this company? Oh my - so good! And even though they are sweet, they are made with good, healthy ingredients.  We don't eat them often, but they are my go-to brand when I do.

Thinking About:

• Eating Healthier
• The fact that I can not wait for my friend Cecil's CSA to start. Check him out at L'Cajn Farms.
• Summer Coming - yay
• Lessons I need to learn. We have had a sick year. I have come to believe God is trying to slow me down a little - and spend more time with Him. This probably sounds crazy. Maybe we are just having a sickly year. But one of my friends said "when I am sick, I spend more time in prayer!" It got me thinking... I'd love to hear thoughts on this.  I have to be honest I mostly slept this past couple days.

Praying For:

• Our World, Our Country, Our Government
• Our Pope
• My family's Health.
• Focus. I need to learn to focus more. Set aside time to read. Stay off FaceBook and away from things that distract me from Him.
• My friends who have all kinds of needs spiritually and physically!
• For Christopher's end of year assessments to be great.
• That my husband's annulment continues swiftly so that we may renew our vows this year.
• Happy to pray for you too!

Around the Web:

My friend Robin's Blog. She is a faithful Catholic mom going through the unthinkable and doing it with such bravery and faith. I am always inspired.
Good Cheap Eats - one of my favorite places to go for Freeze Ahead Dinners and Meal plans, in general.

Someone posted this picture on FaceBook. It's Pope Francis speaking about marriage equality and legislation.

Captured:

This is in my child's playroom. He is using his Plan City Garage as

a base and the toys range from Cowboys and Indians to Stealth Bombers. haha

 

One of the Littles watching Heffalump

with Jenna (our Labradoodle)

Looking forward to:

Getting a little school in. Baseball this weekend. Packing and going to Tennessee with hubby for two weeks. We'll do school from the hotel room and a couple neat day trips. Yippee. Plus, our grandson is in the same town and we get to see him and our beautiful daughter (ok, she's my step-daughter, but I hate steps). And my family is about an hour away... and we will spend time with my cousins. My cousin JP has the Cutest children EVER. Brown hair, blue eyes and cheeks galore.  I'm silly, I know.

Anywhooooooooo I've got to get back to bed soon. I've kept things down today. I feel much better. God is with me. I am blessed to have so many people praying for me.

We leave Sunday and I have a lot to do before then.

Hugs & Blessings,

Em

Of Apple Cake & Victorious Mistakes....

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Happy Wednesday ALL!

It is cold here. In the 30's and it is April 24th.  But to be honest, we are kinda loving it.  Last night it gave me the chance to turn ground chicken tacos into a pot pie.  I know you just thought "what?" But it did... and here's how.

First of all, if you haven't tried ground chicken - you should. We love it. We get all natural or organic whenever we can find it.  It's great for chicken sliders, in tacos, and many other things. So anyway - last evening as I was browning the chicken, I realized we didn't have everything that I wanted to make tacos with... sooooooooooo I made a mexi-chicken pot pie.

Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Here's the recipe (which I adapted from an old recipe I had... HERE is a similar one.).
 (I had two lbs of ground chicken, so I made two pot pies, one for later, just FYI)
Approx 1 lb of ground chicken
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups of frozen mixed veggies
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can refried beans
1/2 Can of El Pato tomato sauce (small yellow can)
1/4 lb of Velveeta cheese
Phyllo Dough

Ok - what I did was brown the meat, put in taco seasoning. Add frozen veggies, mushroom soup and chunks of cheese.

In the casserole dish, I sprayed the bottom with canola spray, put a layer of phyllo, some El Pato sauce, refried beans, some spiced black beans I had and then the meat mixture above. I added grated cheese (a thin layer) and then another layer of Phyllo (which I put a little melted butter on with a brush).

I baked it at 400 for about 20 minutes uncovered and 15 or so covered. It was gooooooooooooooooooood! You see,  my mistake for not having the ingredients, but my VICTORY for God answering my prayer and giving me an idea of something great to make.

Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face .

And while I am on the subject, lest you think I'm a perfect baker - FAR FROM IT! But anyway.... a week or so ago, Christopher and I made an apple cake. It calls for a honey glaze, but I don't like it that way. Anyway - it was an EPIC FAIL! Seriously... if you use a coffee cake pan it says to cook for an hour, but I used an angel food pan - and should have baked it for 1.5 hours. That extra half an hour - well, it makes a big difference. Ya think?!

We thought it was done and sliced it.... it seemed done till we cut it. Then it was like a landslide. Haha what a mess. EPIC FAIL people. EPIC!  Fast forward to this Monday evening.... Monday evening I felt good (I'd had the flu for a couple days just to make life interesting) and I made one.  Yes, it cooked the whole way through. And it is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! The top is crispy, the apples & walnuts (and partly pecans) are cut chunky... oh so good.

Uncle Bobs Fresh Apple Cake.... this is the recipe and ya'll it is so good.  It is a Paula Deen recipe, that both this person (who's link I used) and I changed. Like her, I peeled my apples. You could choose not to. You might like it with the glaze, but we just didn't. We like ours without.... either way - A victory.

Here is a picture of the cake:

 

Looks yummy, no? This would make great muffins for breakfast. You could add flax seed and a few other healthier notions.

 

Oh and Christopher has taken an interest in learning to shade in color families. Mine is the first pic (to be used in an upcoming challenge) and Christopher's is the 2nd. He's doing well...

 

 

Go read this post: http://www.suscipio4women.com/2013/04/24/dishin-it-out/

It is about finding joy in our domestic lives. We pray, we make mistakes, we move on. We find our victories in the most unimaginable places.

I love this quote from the post above  “A married woman must, when called upon, quit her devotions to God at the altar to find Him in her household affairs.”  ~Saint Frances of Rome 

I submit that whether you are married, divorced, whatever your situation... find God in your household affairs. Meet Him there. He has much to show you, to teach you. You are treasured, even in the areas you dislike.   In good and bad days - God is with you!

It isn't always easy... but we must try to be happy, grateful, hopeful followers of Christ.

Have a great day.
Love, Hugs & Blessings,

Em

Catholic Women's Almanac - Spring Fever

What a week it was...
First of all our weather last week was 80+ degrees all week until Thursday. Then it was much cooler and by Friday the high was 60's. We got some much needed rain though. Thank God.  Today it is a windows open kinda day, but by tomorrow - it will be 40. Go figure.

The bombings in Boston and the explosion in West, Tx cast a pall over our entire week last week - I tell you. In both cases, I have friends who lost relatives and that saddens me to no end. It is also a reminder of how blessed I am (and you who are reading this, I assume) to know Christ and live in His spirit.

We have witnessed so much tragedy in the US and elsewhere (China earthquake, etc.) and yet, we have seen greatness come forth in the form of so many helpful and heroic people - who are just doing whatever they can to comfort and help everyone in Boston and West, Tx who are affected by the events that took place. We must not forget that in tragedy so many step up to shine and it is a gift from God - a rainbow of human decency that God wants us to see. A promise of his love. He can not promise that people won't do bad things. But He is there - loving us, sending in the good to cover us. It's been beautiful to watch that part unfold.

Thankful/Grateful For...  so much. What is there to not be grateful for?  One of the biggest lessons we teach our children is "find joy in everything and in everything be joyful". Oh how I wish I could remember that all the time as well. It's hard.

Thinking about...  Making lists. 1) I need to make a list of things we need to take to Tennessee with us on the trip - we will stay in a hotel for ten days then go to the Nashville area to stay with my cousin and visit around. 2) I need to make a list of things I need to clean and do (pay bills, clean out fridge, etc) before I go. 3) I need to make a list for the person staying here in terms of watering plants, feeding animals and when, etc. Before it is done, I'll need a master list of lists. lol

Home Educating... You can read about our week HERE if you so desire.  I can not imagine NOT homeschooling.  Yes, I did have a period where I questioned it... but I don't think we will ever go back. I hope and pray we don't have to. My child's soul is too important.

In The Kitchen...  We went strawberry picking and I made jam. Need to get some blackberries, grapes and blueberries and make some of those jams too. I give a lot away because my friends are spoiled and I love spoiling them. I also made a ton of meatballs and I usually make enough that I can freeze two batches. They can be used in meatball subs, spaghetti, and even chopped up in a pinch for who knows what creative pasta dish. Oh - and after school today, we are making an Apple-Walnut cake. The first one was an EPIC FAIL (you're welcome) as it was under-cooked (did I tell you that my electric oven in my state that is full of GAS is a bone of contention with me? - well is is - hmmph). Anywhooo - we will have chicken burgers tonight, beans & rice tomorrow (beans on the stove right now), stir fry on Wednesday, leftovers on Thursday and Fish on Friday.  Grilling on Saturday night - because that is our norm.  

Outside & At Play...  well, we picked strawberries, played with friends, enjoyed beautiful rain storms, went for walks at a local park, sat outside and chatted while the boy jumped on his trampoline... It was a beautiful week. And a great weekend for baseball.

Reading...  The Catholic Bible. Holiness for Housewives. Country Living, Natural Health and Bon-Appetite Magazines.

Praying For... our world. That those who lose loved ones in tragic circumstances don't become hard-hearted. Praying for my friends who are sick and in need. And that my family can accomplish what we set out to.

Captured...

I made jam/preserves this week.

This made me laugh. So true!

I love her. I pray for a clean heart.

Thank you Jesus!

Around the Blogosphere... I found THIS site on how to make a birdseed wreath - it's Spring and we have Doves in our trees (they nest there every year). We feed our birds... what can I say!
And more importantly - I found a great site that has 80 Bible Verses About Bullying (and why not to frankly).

I am not linked up anywhere as yet, but I do love Catholic Women's Almanac on Mondays so I just decided I'd do it even if Suscipio didn't. Why not?

Blessings all,
Have a great week.
Em