What I Wore Sunday, vol 5

Linking up again with the ladies of Fine Linen and Purple. And welcome to the unsolicited tour of our restrooms...

downstairs, upper body shot

upstairs, for a full body shot

Today was very cold with blustery wind so that goal was to dress warm, I love wearing this scarf, I remember the day I bought it in NYC from a street vendor like it was yesterday, and not 2006. 

The kids were decent at Mass, Hailey occupied herself nursing her doll, imitating the other two mommies in the crying room with us. It always makes me smile. Casey just spends his time walking back and forth between Luke and I, tossing cheerios on the floor, stepping on them, watching me clean them up, and trying to come up with an escape plan. 

The outfit details:

Top: Ann Taylor Loft

Scarf: NYC 

Pants: this is embarrassing,...Burlington Coat Factory, 2002. I bought them right before heading off to college. They don't look as old as they are. Truly. 

Have a blessed week! 

Prayer and Sacrifice Jar

Just thought I'd share a little Lenten idea I had. I got the idea from somewhere, wish I could remember, a blog I read?.... but I've been wanting to do this for a while and decided Lent was the perfect time. I cut up 40 strips of paper and wrote a prayer intention on each one. Some examples are: end to abortion, mothers considering abortion, those who are homeless, people struggling with addictions (porn, drugs, alcohol....each got their own slip), President Obama, conversions of a few people, etc. Then every morning during Lent I'll pull one out and offer up my day, sacrifices, (you know, the trials and tribulations that abound as a stay-at-home mom of littles), and prayers, for that intention. 

I even bought this jar at a yard sale last summer with the intention of doing a prayer jar. Maybe I'll work up to having a 365 days of the year jar! 

Monday Highs and Lows

Today has been mostly highs, some lows. Time for a little shameless husband boasting. This morning, Luke let me sleep in which is always wonderful. Then I went grocery shopping with the kids and got back in time for a late lunch around 12:30. I had texted him to see if he would be able to help me unload, since I had a lot and the kids were starvingstarvingstarving. He said he would be there. Well, he walked in the door with take out buffalo wings for him and I for lunch. What?!? I was JUST thinking as I was driving home about how we were talking a few days ago about getting some soon from our favorite place on main street, and Monday's are half off, but that tonight probably wouldn't work because he has bible study with his guys. (It was also on my mind because I was devouring a bag of Hanover Buffalo Wing pretzel bites as I was driving home. I was starving too, don't judge me! haha) So when he surprised me with wings for lunch it was like he had been in my head or something. I love that man.

Then I made these. We just needed some in the cookie jar for Fat Tuesday tomorrow. Wait, there's one missing....who in the world? Not I said the mother. Right. "Kids you can have one if you eat a good dinner. Now don't watch me as I hide in the corner and eat one."

*are you keeping track of what I've eaten today? Why is this post turning into a food post? I should definitely work out later. Yikes. 

Sharing. Sort of. We're learning.

Of course we also found out this morning Pope Benedict is resigning at the end of the month. I was sort of a mess of emotions about it this morning, but more about that later.

Time to make dinner. I'll spare you the knowledge of what we're having.

What I Wore Sunday

This past week went by so fast, and I feel like we hardly did anything but you know how time still flies when you are busy feeding, cleaning, more feeding, more cleaning little ones!

This Sunday I pulled out an outfit I haven't worn in a while and remembered how much I love it.

Look at that girl - head back, knee bent, toes pointed. haha, I love it!

Mass was a little chaotic again, we hung out in the cry room the whole time. When I'm distracted the majority of the time by the kids, I try to grasp one thing (either from a reading, the homily or eucharistic prayers) to meditate on in the midst of meltdown city. Today it was Peter's trust. "But Lord, we have fished all night and caught nothing. But at your command I will lower the nets." It can be hard for me to trust when I don't know the outcome of something. Trusting in God requires Faith and so that was my meditation during Mass today, asking the Lord to increase my faith and seeking ways to surrender and trust Him more in several areas of my life.

We then had a good friend over for brunch, followed by lots of down time! 

Outfit stats for those curious:

Top: New York and Company

Skirt: New York and CO

Boots: Famous footwear (and yes I will probably keep wearing them very week till the weather gets nicer!)

Accessories unseen: pearl earrings and pearl bracelet

Hailey: dress from Target, leggings from Kohls.

Now head on over to Fine Linen and Purple and see some other beautiful daughters of God :)

Model Family? Hardly.

When Hailey turned two over the summer, I began to be a little concerned over her lack of vocab. Long story short we started her in the Infants and Toddlers program that's free in the state of Maryland. A speech therapist comes to our house for a 45min session every other week. Hailey loves her and has been doing great. She has made incredible strides, both of our moments of communication frustration have decreased by leaps and bounds and I couldn't be more happy with how its gone.

At her last session, I asked our therapist what she thought of Hailey's progress, and did she think it was time for her to be re-evaluated. I basically was trying to ask without being too blunt if it was time for her to dismiss Hailey because I didn't want to have her keep coming, taking up our therapist's time, if Hailey was doing well enough. She told me that if we tested her and found her to be "typical" for her age, then she would be dismissed, but she added, "if we don't test her, then we don't find out, and then we can just keep going." They re-test anyway as part of the program after 6 months and it's only been about 4 for us. She then said, "I  also just really enjoy working with your family, you are like the model family." I stumbled around my words and said something like "no, no..." She said, "yes, really, you are."

It was such a sweet thing for her to say, and it did make me feel proud of our little family. Our children are happy, loved, clean, dressed and fed. But then it got me thinking about it more. What else does she see in the other homes she visits? I am so blessed to have grown up in a stable, loving family...to have married a faithful, virtuous Catholic man, and be raising our children in a house full of love. These things are normal to me and all I've ever known. What a blessing and a gift. And it made my heart ache a little wondering what other types of homes she witnesses. It made me want to be more patient, gentle and loving toward my husband and children.

Because that's the thing. We aren't the model family. Not in the slightest. Maybe to her...and I am more than grateful for her words of affirmation and the opportunity to be a witness to her. But we aren't the model family. Not in my book. I look to the Holy Family, St. Gianna and Pietro Molla, Louis and Zellie Martin (St. Therese's parents), to name a few, as my role models. I strive to imitate these holy men and women, and fail many times.

My only hope is that in being a model to Hailey's speech therapist, she is seeing Christ in us and may grow closer to Him.

Now I'm going to go to bed, and hope that by going to bed at a reasonable hour, I won't be Mrs. Grumpy who greets her children in a ugly mood in the morning.

October Baby

Have you seen it? I finally did, and it was incredible. I have been wanting to see it for what feels like forever (I'm not dramatic at all), and we discovered it came out on Netflix watch instantly. Neither Luke or I had seen it, so we had ourselves a little movie night a few nights ago. It was extremely moving and of course I was crying by the end. We ended up talking for a while afterwards about the pain of abortion, the beauty of adoption and essentially, the sacredness of life. The girl in the movie, Hannah, survived a failed abortion attempt and when she found that out, she had to deal with the emotions that came with that knowledge. Her mother not wanting her. To the point of trying to kill her. How many others are there like her? To live with that pain....gosh, I can't imagine. And the beautiful scene where she forgives her......wow. But then, what about the children who die in the womb because they are unwanted. Killed. They don't survive. They don't get the chance, the blessing, to live with the pain of being unwanted. At least Hannah lived. To have a life with pain, versus no life at all. My heart aches over the babies aborted every day. I look at my children and my heart can't contain all the love I feel for them. I pray for this country, those mothers who are afraid, and feel like it's their only option, I pray for their strength and courage to accept life, cherish it, and offer that child up for adoption, or seek help to keep the baby. May we all increase our prayers and efforts to end the holocaust that surrounds us.

What I Wore Sunday

Here we are again! Linking up at Fine Linen and Purple...

This outfit brought to you entirely courtesy of Old Navy. Well, the shoes are Target, but still, that like never happens. And I know I bought the pants and jean jacket on the same day, 5 yrs ago, but not the shirt. Are wide leg pants even in anymore? I'm starting to wonder. 

ps: I love that Casey was giving me kisses, and that's why he's blurry. And I love that the photo of my grandparents (huge life role models to me), and St. Gianna Molla are behind me. 

This necklace was my mom's and it's not an heirloom or anything, but I like it. And need to wear it more. This might have been the second time I've worn it, ever.

Today we went to 4pm Mass on campus, which was an added time today for the Superbowl. Since we are in Raven country, our chaplain was doing his best to accommodate. The kids were unusually good. We sat in a pew for 96% of Mass, and the other 4% was when Luke took Casey to the back for like 15min around communion time. Hardly a major interference. This never happens. We were also relatively on time for Mass. AND on the way out I met our neighbor! A sweet gal, who is a junior and lives a few doors down from us with a few other students and we had never met them. She was so sweet, we had such a nice chat, 

Anyway, then we headed over to the seminary for the game/party. Our goal was to leave at halftime and surprisingly the kids lasted! Casey would clap along with everyone else and Hailey kept asking "Barney? Why? (Super Why), ChooChoo (Thomas), King Cole?" Over and over and over again. I tried unsuccessfully to explain to her that it was everyone else's turn to watch football. Finally, I checked my phone to see how good my signal was inside (sometimes it's goofy on the mount) and I was able to open my netflix app and get Barney up and going. Her delight was off the charts. 

Hope you all had a lovely Sunday! Go check out more of the pretty ladies and get inspired by their modest Sunday attire!