so here is my post for today:
(from this site)
My pirate name is:
Captain Mary Rackham
Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
I got this from Christine's blog and thought it was a HOOT...I mean, arrrgggg, it be funny!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
In The Arms of Jesus
Go to Michelle Malkin for this story:
Sister Leonella: Murdered by jihadists
There's a new Associated Press report on the murder of Sister Leonella that confirms the bloody obvious:
An elderly nun who was gunned down at the hospital where she worked in Somalia's capital was "specifically targeted before being executed by gunmen lying in wait," a hospital official said Monday.
Willy Huber, regional director of the Austrian-funded hospital where 65-year-old Sister Leonella had worked for four years, said the killing was not random. "She had no chance," said Huber, who heads the S.O.S. Kinderdorf organization in East Africa. "It was like an execution."
It was an execution:
...Sister Leonella was shot in the back four times by pistol-wielding attackers as she left the Austrian-run S.O.S. hospital. Her bodyguard also was slain. The two had been walking the 10 meters (30 feet) from the Mogadishu hospital to the sister's home, where three other nuns were waiting to have lunch with her. "The gunmen specifically targeted her," Huber said. "They were waiting for her. As she crossed the road they opened fire. We had no warning of this." He spoke after accompanying the Italian nun's body to Nairobi, Kenya, late Sunday. He said she will be buried in the capital later this week. Three other nuns who also worked at the hospital were pulled out of the Somali capital, and no decision has been made on their return. Sister Leonella, whose birth name was Rosa Sgorbati, had lived and worked in Kenya and Somalia for 38 years, her family said.
Her last words:
Sister Leonella, 65, muttered the words 'I forgive, I forgive' in Italian after being targeted by gunmen in an apparent execution-style killing, father Maloba Wesonga told The Associated Press at the nun's memorial mass in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Monday.
Those are the words and deeds of a true martyr. God bless her.
Sister Leonella: Murdered by jihadists
There's a new Associated Press report on the murder of Sister Leonella that confirms the bloody obvious:
An elderly nun who was gunned down at the hospital where she worked in Somalia's capital was "specifically targeted before being executed by gunmen lying in wait," a hospital official said Monday.
Willy Huber, regional director of the Austrian-funded hospital where 65-year-old Sister Leonella had worked for four years, said the killing was not random. "She had no chance," said Huber, who heads the S.O.S. Kinderdorf organization in East Africa. "It was like an execution."
It was an execution:
...Sister Leonella was shot in the back four times by pistol-wielding attackers as she left the Austrian-run S.O.S. hospital. Her bodyguard also was slain. The two had been walking the 10 meters (30 feet) from the Mogadishu hospital to the sister's home, where three other nuns were waiting to have lunch with her. "The gunmen specifically targeted her," Huber said. "They were waiting for her. As she crossed the road they opened fire. We had no warning of this." He spoke after accompanying the Italian nun's body to Nairobi, Kenya, late Sunday. He said she will be buried in the capital later this week. Three other nuns who also worked at the hospital were pulled out of the Somali capital, and no decision has been made on their return. Sister Leonella, whose birth name was Rosa Sgorbati, had lived and worked in Kenya and Somalia for 38 years, her family said.
Her last words:
Sister Leonella, 65, muttered the words 'I forgive, I forgive' in Italian after being targeted by gunmen in an apparent execution-style killing, father Maloba Wesonga told The Associated Press at the nun's memorial mass in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Monday.
Those are the words and deeds of a true martyr. God bless her.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Spiritual Emergency!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY for my special intention.
Calling all souls!
HELP!!!!!
Calling all souls!
HELP!!!!!
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Living Saints
I found out about this "hero meme" here via The Curt Jester (one of my many heroes, himself!)
Here are the rules:
1. Honor a living hero
2. Preference given to Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics, EMT's, Dispatchers
3. Not everyone is acquainted with someone fitting into these categories. If this is the case, then honor someone else, a hero in your life who is willing to "give all" in some way. It can be a priest, a pastor, a teacher, a relative, a friend...etc.
Since I don't personally know a whole lot of the people listed under number 2, I will talk a little about some people I do know. They are friends of mine that I grew up with and they are the first people I thought of when I read the word "hero".
They are two sisters that I have come to love and admire so much for their loyalty, bravery, faith, and humility among many other positive attributes. I graduated with the younger sister and the older sister was only a year older than us. When we were little, I was invited to sleep over at their house and I remember it being a family of a happy bunch of kids. I remember their dad coming to our class and always having a smile on his face and a funny practical joke to share with us. The older sister got his sense of humor and always has a (clean) joke to tell and a funny smirk on her face that makes you wonder what kind of trouble she'd get into if she used her powers for evil instead of infinite good! She was the one who invited me into the homeschool group I belong to now and introduced me to a WORLD of wonderful families with which to associate. She has six living children and is pregnant with their seventh and even though she gets very ill in early pregnancy she finds the time to speak to groups about pro-life and family causes. She is a person I consider to be beautiful in every way and I am so lucky and proud to be considered her friend. The younger sister is just as sweet and has five living children, like me! We have been classmates pretty much forever (I even think we went to kindegarten together) and I remember her as the friendliest, most non-controversial person in the whole grade. She has such a pure heart. She is the one to call in our town if you want to find out about pro-life causes, or locally held benefits for the unborn, or crisis pregnancies. On top of all of this, she has a business that she runs with a partner from her home (some of the proceeds going to pro-life causes). Sheesh, I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day just to feed and care for my own children, do the dishes and a little bit of laundry...But these ladies do all of that and so much more. They are living heroes and living SAINTS in my humble opinion. I'd like to honor them the best and most public way I know how so here's to you, girls! (I don't think they read my blog, so say a prayer for them if you get a chance and maybe they'll feel the love and blessings in whatever they are doing in the next couple of days, kind of like a spiritual bouquet?)
Michelle and Angela
My dear, sweet friends
God bless you and your beloved families
And be with you in all your work!
(If you two don't get to Heaven
I ain't got a chance!)
By the way, here are some of the things that these gals support and work for so if you could, check them out!
I couldn't find a website for Abba, but here is a news article about the center.
Here is Angela's business!
A Community Caring For Life is another group in the area but there's no website. I think it got started by the archdiocese and is used in local parishes to support the unborn.
Maybe someone pops into your mind when you think of the word "hero"? Write about it and then let me know in the comment box if you did!
Here are the rules:
1. Honor a living hero
2. Preference given to Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics, EMT's, Dispatchers
3. Not everyone is acquainted with someone fitting into these categories. If this is the case, then honor someone else, a hero in your life who is willing to "give all" in some way. It can be a priest, a pastor, a teacher, a relative, a friend...etc.
Since I don't personally know a whole lot of the people listed under number 2, I will talk a little about some people I do know. They are friends of mine that I grew up with and they are the first people I thought of when I read the word "hero".
They are two sisters that I have come to love and admire so much for their loyalty, bravery, faith, and humility among many other positive attributes. I graduated with the younger sister and the older sister was only a year older than us. When we were little, I was invited to sleep over at their house and I remember it being a family of a happy bunch of kids. I remember their dad coming to our class and always having a smile on his face and a funny practical joke to share with us. The older sister got his sense of humor and always has a (clean) joke to tell and a funny smirk on her face that makes you wonder what kind of trouble she'd get into if she used her powers for evil instead of infinite good! She was the one who invited me into the homeschool group I belong to now and introduced me to a WORLD of wonderful families with which to associate. She has six living children and is pregnant with their seventh and even though she gets very ill in early pregnancy she finds the time to speak to groups about pro-life and family causes. She is a person I consider to be beautiful in every way and I am so lucky and proud to be considered her friend. The younger sister is just as sweet and has five living children, like me! We have been classmates pretty much forever (I even think we went to kindegarten together) and I remember her as the friendliest, most non-controversial person in the whole grade. She has such a pure heart. She is the one to call in our town if you want to find out about pro-life causes, or locally held benefits for the unborn, or crisis pregnancies. On top of all of this, she has a business that she runs with a partner from her home (some of the proceeds going to pro-life causes). Sheesh, I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day just to feed and care for my own children, do the dishes and a little bit of laundry...But these ladies do all of that and so much more. They are living heroes and living SAINTS in my humble opinion. I'd like to honor them the best and most public way I know how so here's to you, girls! (I don't think they read my blog, so say a prayer for them if you get a chance and maybe they'll feel the love and blessings in whatever they are doing in the next couple of days, kind of like a spiritual bouquet?)
Michelle and Angela
My dear, sweet friends
God bless you and your beloved families
And be with you in all your work!
(If you two don't get to Heaven
I ain't got a chance!)
By the way, here are some of the things that these gals support and work for so if you could, check them out!
I couldn't find a website for Abba, but here is a news article about the center.
Here is Angela's business!
A Community Caring For Life is another group in the area but there's no website. I think it got started by the archdiocese and is used in local parishes to support the unborn.
Maybe someone pops into your mind when you think of the word "hero"? Write about it and then let me know in the comment box if you did!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Minnesota...It's A Love/Hate Thing
Minnesota is known for it's bizarre weather and it's "nice" people. I have a theory about that. We are so perplexed by the weather and having to keep two wardrobes on hand at all times for days when we need sweatshirts and tank tops all in the same day, that we have a certain camaraderie with our fellow Minnesotans and we commiserate with each other. That's just ONE of the theories I have, anyway. Last Thursday we had some pretty crazy storms scattered over the state. Le Sueur county got hit pretty hard and I think there was one death down there. We had quite a hail show! Here's Matty with his hard-won collection of hail balls.
He was dodging them big suckers and collecting them all the while I sat there thinking I must be a pretty tough mom to let him endanger his skull in this way so I told him to at least cover his head. Another funny thing about Minnesota is that when there's damage from one of these crazy storms, people get together to help each other, but we also like to compare damage and kind of "brag" that ours is muuuuch much worse, or that the hail that fell around OUR house was WAY bigger. The people in the next town over insisted that the hail was "golf ball size" when, clearly from the picture, it was merely "ping-pong ball size"...Well, see, it had melted by the time I thought to grab the camera but you should have SEEN it. It was HUGE! Actually, south of the metro, we saw pictures on the news of baseball size hail! Butch was on his way home when these hail balls were hitting him. Amazingly, my windshield ('burban parked in the driveway) didn't get smashed and neither did his work truck!
While it was kind of fun for us, this same cell of storms was devastating for people in the southern, rural areas so visit the link above and contribute if you can!
He was dodging them big suckers and collecting them all the while I sat there thinking I must be a pretty tough mom to let him endanger his skull in this way so I told him to at least cover his head. Another funny thing about Minnesota is that when there's damage from one of these crazy storms, people get together to help each other, but we also like to compare damage and kind of "brag" that ours is muuuuch much worse, or that the hail that fell around OUR house was WAY bigger. The people in the next town over insisted that the hail was "golf ball size" when, clearly from the picture, it was merely "ping-pong ball size"...Well, see, it had melted by the time I thought to grab the camera but you should have SEEN it. It was HUGE! Actually, south of the metro, we saw pictures on the news of baseball size hail! Butch was on his way home when these hail balls were hitting him. Amazingly, my windshield ('burban parked in the driveway) didn't get smashed and neither did his work truck!While it was kind of fun for us, this same cell of storms was devastating for people in the southern, rural areas so visit the link above and contribute if you can!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
I AM Skinny...
...well, what I mean by that is, while I HAVE lost weight, I am realizing all too quickly that I have lots and lots of SKIN! By doctor's orders, Katrina (daughter) and I have been following the basic principles of the South Beach Diet since Friday, July 14th. The first two weeks were challenging, but I'm finding the rest of it to be pretty easy to follow. The trick is, to not cheat and to actually FOLLOW the guidelines and not backslide. Just like anything in life, I guess. I have gained and lost so many times (well, at least 5!) so I know I can do it. I promised on this post that I would post a "before" picture and here I am at that concert with Hal, my sister Anna, and my extra chins:
When I look at this picture, I remember that it was the very first, full day of the diet and that the guy standing next to us offered us popcorn and I had to say "no". I also remember how when I was dancing with Anna, I tried to keep my back to the stage so nobody would see my extra jiggling. Now, I know I'm being hard on myself, and I could blame the extra pounds on my having had my fifth baby just 4 months before. I could also blame genetics, the cereal industry, the blogging community (heehee, you guys make it so fun to stay up late and I HAVE to eat extra cereal to stay awake, you know?), or the fact that I have children who don't allow me to exercise. Okay, now about this post title. I have so much gol-danged skin that even if I DO lose ten more pounds, I will still be about 2 sizes bigger than I would if I DIDN'T have all that skin. But, you know what? I don't care. I don't care that I look like a "before" picture from one of those plastic surgery shows. I think of every saggy part and every stretch mark as a badge of womanhood. Besides, I can always just shift it over or tuck it in or hide it behind some clothes. I will never belong to the Catholic Jumper Society or the Catholic Burka Association, but I can dress in a way that shows how hard I've worked on making my body healthy without letting it all hang out, can't I? I also blame part of why I gain so much during pregnancy on my husband and my BDD (body dismorphic disorder). Hubbs says that I look sexy no matter what my current weight is. I know that BDD is usually what you think of as a disorder of the severely anorexic who look in the mirror at an emaciated stick person and see a big, fat lady. I have RBDD (reverse body dismorphic disorder...yeah, I just made that up) where I look in the mirror and think, "hmmmm, not bad, I'll just suck in my gut and lift my head a little" I see myself 40 pounds lighter than I am at all times. THIS time, however, I couldn't avoid the reality that none of my clothes fit and every time I tried on a shirt that SHOULD have fit me, Chris Farley's voice from Tommy Boy singing, "fat guy in a little coat" kept coming into my head....I decided that I can't blame anyone but me and I'd better do something about it. Yes, Kelly, I am still breastfeeding, which for me actually holds on to the fat a little longer so it's extra hard to burn. I work out on the elliptical machine in the garage for 20 minutes or so when Mari takes a nap in the morning. I do push ups and sit ups and try to stretch, but by that time someone is usually hollering about something someone else did that bothered them and I'm lucky to get a shower before Mari wakes up! I have about 10 more pounds to lose before I'm at my goal (where my clothes fit the way I like them to). I lost a lot of water weight in those first two weeks which made me feel so much less bloated and made me feel more motivated to keep going. I didn't even look at the book after week three because I get what works: lots of salad, cheese, (nuts, whole grains in moderation),lean meats, non-sugary vegetables, olive oil. I try to focus on what I can have vs. what I CAN'T. I definitely recommend the SBD book for the reasons WHY all those bad carbs and extra fats affect your body.
Okay, now here is how I looked after church tonight (mind you, I have a tomato stain on the front of my shirt and I'm all frazzled from just nursing and making dinner):
I am down about 3 sizes in clothes and I am finding that most of my clothes are ill-fitting for my body (the skort I'm wearing here is about a size too big but it's all I could find). The shirt is about 5 years old and hasn't fit me for a LONG time (now it's out of style, but it FITS! HA!).
Okay, so now I won't talk about it anymore. I will pray for those of you struggling with post-baby weight and health problems while you pray for Katrina and I in our quest to be healthier.
When I look at this picture, I remember that it was the very first, full day of the diet and that the guy standing next to us offered us popcorn and I had to say "no". I also remember how when I was dancing with Anna, I tried to keep my back to the stage so nobody would see my extra jiggling. Now, I know I'm being hard on myself, and I could blame the extra pounds on my having had my fifth baby just 4 months before. I could also blame genetics, the cereal industry, the blogging community (heehee, you guys make it so fun to stay up late and I HAVE to eat extra cereal to stay awake, you know?), or the fact that I have children who don't allow me to exercise. Okay, now about this post title. I have so much gol-danged skin that even if I DO lose ten more pounds, I will still be about 2 sizes bigger than I would if I DIDN'T have all that skin. But, you know what? I don't care. I don't care that I look like a "before" picture from one of those plastic surgery shows. I think of every saggy part and every stretch mark as a badge of womanhood. Besides, I can always just shift it over or tuck it in or hide it behind some clothes. I will never belong to the Catholic Jumper Society or the Catholic Burka Association, but I can dress in a way that shows how hard I've worked on making my body healthy without letting it all hang out, can't I? I also blame part of why I gain so much during pregnancy on my husband and my BDD (body dismorphic disorder). Hubbs says that I look sexy no matter what my current weight is. I know that BDD is usually what you think of as a disorder of the severely anorexic who look in the mirror at an emaciated stick person and see a big, fat lady. I have RBDD (reverse body dismorphic disorder...yeah, I just made that up) where I look in the mirror and think, "hmmmm, not bad, I'll just suck in my gut and lift my head a little" I see myself 40 pounds lighter than I am at all times. THIS time, however, I couldn't avoid the reality that none of my clothes fit and every time I tried on a shirt that SHOULD have fit me, Chris Farley's voice from Tommy Boy singing, "fat guy in a little coat" kept coming into my head....I decided that I can't blame anyone but me and I'd better do something about it. Yes, Kelly, I am still breastfeeding, which for me actually holds on to the fat a little longer so it's extra hard to burn. I work out on the elliptical machine in the garage for 20 minutes or so when Mari takes a nap in the morning. I do push ups and sit ups and try to stretch, but by that time someone is usually hollering about something someone else did that bothered them and I'm lucky to get a shower before Mari wakes up! I have about 10 more pounds to lose before I'm at my goal (where my clothes fit the way I like them to). I lost a lot of water weight in those first two weeks which made me feel so much less bloated and made me feel more motivated to keep going. I didn't even look at the book after week three because I get what works: lots of salad, cheese, (nuts, whole grains in moderation),lean meats, non-sugary vegetables, olive oil. I try to focus on what I can have vs. what I CAN'T. I definitely recommend the SBD book for the reasons WHY all those bad carbs and extra fats affect your body.
Okay, now here is how I looked after church tonight (mind you, I have a tomato stain on the front of my shirt and I'm all frazzled from just nursing and making dinner):
I am down about 3 sizes in clothes and I am finding that most of my clothes are ill-fitting for my body (the skort I'm wearing here is about a size too big but it's all I could find). The shirt is about 5 years old and hasn't fit me for a LONG time (now it's out of style, but it FITS! HA!).
Okay, so now I won't talk about it anymore. I will pray for those of you struggling with post-baby weight and health problems while you pray for Katrina and I in our quest to be healthier.
Friday, August 18, 2006
I Know Why Eve Tasted Of The Fruit!
Sometimes when people talk about what Heaven will be like they use the Bible as reference. Sometimes they use their own, subjective view of what they WISH or HOPE it to be. I've even heard of some faiths that believe there is no Heaven or hell or anything like that, and we turn to dust, and that's it. Period (those guys must be AWFUL lonely and miserable, don't you think?). Anyway, I believe that Heaven will be like Mass but in a perfected way. Let me explain. I believe Jesus will be with us and we will celebrate Him along with all the choirs of angels and all of the faithful who served Him while they were in their corporeal bodies. I believe It will be lovely with the cherubim, and seraphim, and every body will be a reflection of what is truly GOOD and truly perfected in Him. And there will be tomatoes.
Lots and lots of tomatoes.
Fresh from the heavenly garden, red, ripe, unbruised tomatoes.
I will eat them with EVERYTHING.
Because surely there is food in Heaven, it's just so darn GOOD here on Earth.
And God IS good.
And tomatoes are good.
Soooooo good!
Salted, sugared, diced in dishes, seeded and sliced, eaten like apples with the juice running down my chin and I don't even take the time to wipe it away because I LIKE it there.
There are very few things I'm obsessed with in this world. One is being the best person I can be to reflect God's goodness to others (falling very short of that one regularly, I'm sure). Another is cereal...all kinds. But the most overwhelming obsession for me is those red, bursting beauties that only come for a few months in the summer.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I really ate the whole tomato you see in this picture, and it was GOOOOOOOD!
Also, it was about my fifth one for the day. I'm trying to cut down but it's hard when you've got a genetic disorder that predisposes you to overindulge on all the good things. Know any good vegetable psychologists?
Lots and lots of tomatoes.
Fresh from the heavenly garden, red, ripe, unbruised tomatoes.
I will eat them with EVERYTHING.
Because surely there is food in Heaven, it's just so darn GOOD here on Earth.
And God IS good.
And tomatoes are good.
Soooooo good!
Salted, sugared, diced in dishes, seeded and sliced, eaten like apples with the juice running down my chin and I don't even take the time to wipe it away because I LIKE it there.
There are very few things I'm obsessed with in this world. One is being the best person I can be to reflect God's goodness to others (falling very short of that one regularly, I'm sure). Another is cereal...all kinds. But the most overwhelming obsession for me is those red, bursting beauties that only come for a few months in the summer.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I really ate the whole tomato you see in this picture, and it was GOOOOOOOD!
Also, it was about my fifth one for the day. I'm trying to cut down but it's hard when you've got a genetic disorder that predisposes you to overindulge on all the good things. Know any good vegetable psychologists?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Nine Years Ago, Today...
My doctor was to deliver my first son, Matthew via c-section. He was breach, even a few days before and we had tried ECV to get him turned around but my doctor said he was just too big (words every soon to be mother LOVES to hear) and that there was too much water in there and he kept bouncing back to his comfy, head up position. I went to the hospital at 6am and got viciously poked by the nurse in 3 different places for the IV and was sitting there crying when the doctor came in and said, "Ohhhh, I wish they hadn't done that, what if the baby has turned?". He gave me an ultra sound then and there and what do you think he saw?????? Yup, he had turned. I sat and cried and panicked for a while and whined, "What would YOU do???" to the doctor and he said (much to my relief), "Well, we have the bed reserved, why don't we just induce him?" So, after trying my first epidural (which didn't work), and leaking a river of amniotic fluid all over the place, my 9lb 6oz baby boy was born (about ten hours later)with a shock of black hair like his uncle Pete was born with (the rest of us were baldies).
The first thing I remember thinking when he was born and they put him on my belly was, "He smells funny." The second thing was that he was HUGE. I never thought I could have room to love another baby as much as I had my first, but of course I did so much. Even after he turned out to be colicky and fussy for the better part of the first year and would nurse EVERY hour and a half which explains his blubbery,25lb frame at 6 months.
My dad came into the hospital for the first time to visit us a day later and he was walking by the nursery where they were giving Matty his first bath. He thought to himself , after hearing his blood-curdling shrieks, "Whew, I feel sorry for THAT kid's mom!".
At first, I was disappointed that Katrina wouldn't have a sister to be close to like I had. I soon got over that when I realized how great it was that she would bond with HER brother in ways that I never could with my three brothers.
Fast forward 9 years and we have learned a few things about Matty, here are the top ten (but, by no means ALL there is to this fascinating child!):
10. He can't STAND to watch "kissing parts" in movies. If Butch and I REALLY want to gross him out, we just have to make slobbery kissing noises in the kitchen and he will not come within 50ft of us! He will only accept bedtime kisses and hugs from me if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt with 3 affidavits that I do NOT in fact have on, nor have I been wearing MAKEUP OF ANY KIND within the last 24 hour period.
9. He is a loyal friend and would never hurt his friends or be selfish with his possessions.
8. He is kind to younger boys and gives them his time and attention.
7. He is generous and gives away his toys even his favorite material possession, Bionicles.
6. He is some kind of Bionicle genius and can build just about a billion different kinds of Bioncle guys.
5. He beats me at chess so often that when I actually DO win I gloat and dance and realize how lame it is that I am "BOOYEAH!"-ing a 9 year old boy.
4. He can do ANYTHING with a roll of duct tape and has about 100 "experiments" around the house at any given time. His dream is to make a go-cart out of a vacuum cleaner.
3. He "gets" jokes and sarcasm and giggles hysterically even if it takes him a while to get it.
2. He loves his brother and sisters and mom and dad and isn't ashamed to admit it (yet).
1. Everyone who meets him says he's the nicest, most generous and polite boy they've ever met and I've met more than one person who's said that they will name their first boy after Matthew because of this fact and the hopes that their boy would turn out to be like our Matthew.
Happy Birthday to you
You live in this zoo
You look like your daddy...
Aaaaaannnddddd you
smell like him, too.
I love you, Matthew William.
Love and smoochymoochpinchysqueezylipstickjuicy kisses,
Your crazy mama
The first thing I remember thinking when he was born and they put him on my belly was, "He smells funny." The second thing was that he was HUGE. I never thought I could have room to love another baby as much as I had my first, but of course I did so much. Even after he turned out to be colicky and fussy for the better part of the first year and would nurse EVERY hour and a half which explains his blubbery,25lb frame at 6 months.
My dad came into the hospital for the first time to visit us a day later and he was walking by the nursery where they were giving Matty his first bath. He thought to himself , after hearing his blood-curdling shrieks, "Whew, I feel sorry for THAT kid's mom!".
At first, I was disappointed that Katrina wouldn't have a sister to be close to like I had. I soon got over that when I realized how great it was that she would bond with HER brother in ways that I never could with my three brothers.
Fast forward 9 years and we have learned a few things about Matty, here are the top ten (but, by no means ALL there is to this fascinating child!):
10. He can't STAND to watch "kissing parts" in movies. If Butch and I REALLY want to gross him out, we just have to make slobbery kissing noises in the kitchen and he will not come within 50ft of us! He will only accept bedtime kisses and hugs from me if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt with 3 affidavits that I do NOT in fact have on, nor have I been wearing MAKEUP OF ANY KIND within the last 24 hour period.
9. He is a loyal friend and would never hurt his friends or be selfish with his possessions.
8. He is kind to younger boys and gives them his time and attention.
7. He is generous and gives away his toys even his favorite material possession, Bionicles.
6. He is some kind of Bionicle genius and can build just about a billion different kinds of Bioncle guys.
5. He beats me at chess so often that when I actually DO win I gloat and dance and realize how lame it is that I am "BOOYEAH!"-ing a 9 year old boy.
4. He can do ANYTHING with a roll of duct tape and has about 100 "experiments" around the house at any given time. His dream is to make a go-cart out of a vacuum cleaner.
3. He "gets" jokes and sarcasm and giggles hysterically even if it takes him a while to get it.
2. He loves his brother and sisters and mom and dad and isn't ashamed to admit it (yet).
1. Everyone who meets him says he's the nicest, most generous and polite boy they've ever met and I've met more than one person who's said that they will name their first boy after Matthew because of this fact and the hopes that their boy would turn out to be like our Matthew.
Happy Birthday to you
You live in this zoo
You look like your daddy...
Aaaaaannnddddd you
smell like him, too.
I love you, Matthew William.
Love and smoochymoochpinchysqueezylipstickjuicy kisses,
Your crazy mama
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Happy Birthday Uncle Mat(t)...
...to my favorite brother-in-law (okay, so he's my ONLY one-so far, but he is my favoritest brother-in-law that I know). We had a great time at his birthday party/toddler-two-steppin'-living-room-dance party. One observation that I made on this VERY notable day is that the most important men in my life (hubbs, Matt, Dad, brothers) are always acting like they're about 30 years older than they are. Why is that? I mean, us gals spend most of our lives trying to shave 5-10 years off of our age. It makes us really act/look younger because we exercise, try to eat right and at least wash our face once a day (exfoliation is key, right?), so I guess I'll never understand what makes these men want to be older than they are. I should maybe be grateful for the fact that they huff and puff when they walk more than 100 feet and grunt when they reach down to take off their work boots because that must mean they are not (ewww) some kind of prissy, metrosexual dudes, but I mean...come ON, at least brush your teeth once a month and praise the LORD that you still have your youth (for a couple of years anyway)! Hmmmm, perhaps I'll just believe that the reason Butch tries to look as old and crotchety as he possibly can is because he's really doing me a favor...he's making me be the ARM CANDY TROPHY WIFE that you and I know I've always aspired to be.
AHA!
I've got it alllll figured out.
See, they're doing it because they LOVE us.
Old farts.
Monday, August 07, 2006
The Famous Book Meme
1. ONE BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE: The Art of Natural Family Planning. It gave me a whole new view of NFP. When I read it, I finally signed up for a class to actually learn the correct method. It's worked ever since! Also, it gave me the strength to teach it to other people and change their lives and hearts as well.
2. ONE BOOK THAT YOU'VE READ MORE THAN ONCE: Searching For Shona. It's an oldie but I read it over and over when I was a pre-teen and I found it on Amazon for Trina. She liked it too.
3. ONE BOOK YOU'D WANT ON A DESERT ISLAND: The Gather hymnal...eeeeheeheeheeeeeee! Probably a big one, 'cause who knows how long I'd be there...sooooo maybe a collection like the collected works of of one the Church doctors or something really meaty like that.
4. ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH: ANY Ann Coulter book, I seriously laugh out loud and people look at me funny.
5. ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY: I can't decide which is the worst tear-jerker...The Hiding Place, Our Only May Amelia (pre-teen novel that I read to Trina and blubbered through the whole time), or I Love You Forever. NO parent can read that one to their kids without tearing up at least a teeny bit.
6. ONE BOOK THAT YOU WISH HAD BEEN WRITTEN: The Foolproof Guide to Making Your Children Act Like They Are Really Well Behaved All of the Time: Church, The Store, and Other Public Places. By Perfecta Parentine
7. ONE BOOK THAT YOU WISH HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN: The Left Behind series. I actually got physically ill while reading the third in the series and threw it across the room vowing to never touch one of those horrible books again.
8. ONE BOOK YOU'RE CURRENTLY READING: The Church of Apostles and Martyrs Volume I by Henri Daniel-Rops (sounds like a snoozer, but it actually keeps me awake in adoration!)
9. ONE BOOK YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO READ: Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Ann Coulter
10. TAG FIVE PEOPLE: Trine, Janene,
Anna, Sue, The Crazy Catholic Laura from Kansas (don't know her blog address).
2. ONE BOOK THAT YOU'VE READ MORE THAN ONCE: Searching For Shona. It's an oldie but I read it over and over when I was a pre-teen and I found it on Amazon for Trina. She liked it too.
3. ONE BOOK YOU'D WANT ON A DESERT ISLAND: The Gather hymnal...eeeeheeheeheeeeeee! Probably a big one, 'cause who knows how long I'd be there...sooooo maybe a collection like the collected works of of one the Church doctors or something really meaty like that.
4. ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH: ANY Ann Coulter book, I seriously laugh out loud and people look at me funny.
5. ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY: I can't decide which is the worst tear-jerker...The Hiding Place, Our Only May Amelia (pre-teen novel that I read to Trina and blubbered through the whole time), or I Love You Forever. NO parent can read that one to their kids without tearing up at least a teeny bit.
6. ONE BOOK THAT YOU WISH HAD BEEN WRITTEN: The Foolproof Guide to Making Your Children Act Like They Are Really Well Behaved All of the Time: Church, The Store, and Other Public Places. By Perfecta Parentine
7. ONE BOOK THAT YOU WISH HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN: The Left Behind series. I actually got physically ill while reading the third in the series and threw it across the room vowing to never touch one of those horrible books again.
8. ONE BOOK YOU'RE CURRENTLY READING: The Church of Apostles and Martyrs Volume I by Henri Daniel-Rops (sounds like a snoozer, but it actually keeps me awake in adoration!)
9. ONE BOOK YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO READ: Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Ann Coulter
10. TAG FIVE PEOPLE: Trine, Janene,
Anna, Sue, The Crazy Catholic Laura from Kansas (don't know her blog address).
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thirteen Years Ago, Today...
I married the most perfect man...For me, anyway. I can't think of any thing I would rather do than spend the rest of my life with him. My only regret in regards to our marriage would be that we don't spend enough time with just the two of us. That's a pretty good one, if you ask me! We can't go anywhere special or do anything for our anniversary because of a stupid financial mistake that I made (he makes the dough, I decide how it's spent!) and I feel really terrible about it, so this is my way of making it up to him. I am declaring, publicly my undying love for my husband who is the best man in the world I could ever be married to. He is a devoted husband who knows me so well and loves me anyway. He makes me feel like a beauty queen even when I KNOW I'm a big, fat, zitty, messy-haired slob, and always makes me feel wanted and loved. He gives me the opportunity to be the mom I want to be to his children. He is amazingly open to life and sacrificial despite all of the worldly things I know he desires, and could have if we didn't have "so many" children. He works harder and gets up earlier than I could EVER and doesn't complain about or make me feel guilty about having to do so to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. He is a natural father and disciplinarian to the children and I never even had to teach him those skills! He could give "The Nanny" lessons! He loves us all fiercely and caringly and with a love that we never have to question or doubt.
Ten Things I Love About Butch:
1. He gets super excited about thunderstorms and bad weather.
2. He likes to play games and doesn't let anyone win, even if they are under the age of 4.
3. He's not afraid to show his sensitive side but manages to stay ultra manly.
4. He can fix or build anything and loves to help others with their projects...If he has the right tools.
5. He wrestles with the kids and lets them beat on him and hang on him until his face turns purple.
6. He loves my family/friends as much as I do and treats all of the kids' friends like they are his own children.
7. If my family/friend ticks me off, he's always on MY side, no matter what the issue, even if I'm the one being a butt-head.
8. He wears the same style jeans he's worn since I met him. Levi's 560's still work for him!
9. He has beautiful eyes.
10. He does the best "white-man's overbite" dance I've ever seen anybody do!
My brother in law called me tonight and told me there's a special place in Heaven reserved for me for putting up with "that guy" for all of these years (he's known him much longer than me!) I don't know about that, but I do think that there is a special place here on Earth that I know quite well and have dwelt these 13 years with much comfort and peace...My hubbs' heart.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
This Dude Can SING!
Anna won tickets on bob106 and couldn't find a cute boy to go to the concert with so I got to go! I've always liked Hal and haven't heard much from him in the last few years. He played at a pretty large bar and there were about 200 people there so it was a pretty intimate setting. We had a great time people watching and the whole time he played (he went onstage at 11pm) Anna and I were on the dance floor taking pictures left and right. We even got a little video of him singing our favorite songs (Anna's is "I miss my Mary" and mine is "I know where love lives"). He's got a great voice even after all these years and he's super hip. He had a tribute to Christopher Walken's SNL character "the continental". I don't remember the title of the song, but it was slapyourknee funny! He prefaced the song by saying, "This is by far the sickest song I've ever written", which I thought was weird (in a good way). He is an amazingly talented song writer and we had a great time. I would definitely recommend for anybody to see him if they get a chance. I think he would appeal to people who weren't especially fond of country music, as well as those who are. He's not a big, commercial star anymore so I think that his touring and "I don't care what you think" attitude has much improved his songwriting (if that's possible). It was odd to be within reach of so much talent. He caught my eye a few times and I'm sure everyone there felt the same as me...that he was singing right to them, personally. It takes a lot of confidence to do that and I admire him for it. If I had HALF of that kind of talent, I wouldn't have to be so worried about paying my bills on time! We stayed for about fifteen minutes after he got off stage and got a picture of the two of us with him but I'm hoping to use it as a "before" picture after I lose one of my chins in a couple of weeks (starting the south beach diet) if you know what I mean. We had a great time and it was a nice break for me from the house and all of it's occupants. It's not that I don't love them, but the weather has been so cotton-pickin' H O T that I'm starting to feel a bit closed in. I wish we could have a swimming pool that is a little bit higher than 6 inches and can fit more than 1 adult or 3 children.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Mariela is Four Months Old
Mariela learned how to affect change in objects directly within her reach.
Here, you see her touching the object.
In this photo, observe Mariela has made contact and said object is swinging much to her delight.
Here, she is reflecting on how this new skill may be parlayed into many years of grabbing objects and swinging them, throwing them, and generally making a huge mess so as to participate in the sibling ritual of destroying the house for Mama.
Friday, June 23, 2006
The Star Tribune and My Dad
I don't like to do too much political stuff on this blog, so I'm going to start a different blog that's more opinion about politics and religion, etc.. Check the sidebar for the link soon, but I just had to post this...
My dad has been trying to get letters published for AGES to the opinion editors at the "Strib" for years. FINALLY they printed one of his letters in today's paper! He has said for years that they are "just a bunch of communists over at that paper" and I tend to agree to a point. They have put a few conservative writers here and there (what's that saying about a stopped clock?) and they have had a few, nice articles that weren't TOTALLY biased in the last couple of years, but for the most part they could be categorized as typical MSM. Yesterday my dad called all irate about the day's letters from readers. There were more than a few about this story about some boys killing a puppy and how they didn't get a harsh enough punishment. My dad was practically crying when he dictated his letter to me so I could e-mail it. I edited it a bit to get his feelings more accurately represented as he was pretty sad/raging about the whole situation. Here is how I wrote it:
"Two American soldiers were captured, tortured, and brutalized in an unimaginable way, then beheaded. They were left in the open and used as "bait" by placing a minefield in and around their broken bodies. No reader editorials responded to this terrible incident. But, some damn dog was killed by some children in North Branch and your bleeding heart, leftist readers inundated the editorial page with their pitiful letters of outrage about this slightly disturbing but ultimately small event. Where are your priorities, people? Why is your outrage so misplaced? What happened to our society where a sob story about a dog garners more pity than a story of man's inhumanity to and torture of another man?
John (last name)
(city name, MN)"
They e-mailed back this morning and wrote that they needed a phone number and address to consider printing it, but Dad called this morning to tell me that it was published! They changed the wording slightly, though. I think it changes the feel of the letter and I don't like how they edited it, but here it is:
"Tucker and Menchaca: Outrage is misplaced
Published: June 23, 2006
June 23 letters in a batch
Netlets for Thursday, June 22
Two American soldiers were captured, tortured and brutalized in an unimaginable way, then beheaded. They were left in the open and used as "bait" by placing mines in and around their broken bodies.
Apparently fewer readers responded to this terrible incident than they did to a dog being killed by some children in North Branch. These bleeding-heart, leftist readers inundated the editorial page with pitiful letters of outrage about this slightly disturbing but ultimately small event.
Where are your priorities, people? What has happened to our society when a sob story about a dog garners more pity than a story of the torture of our soldiers?"
I thought it was amazing that they printed it, until I looked at it from their point of view and realized that they probably LOVED the fact that my dad was insulting other people (their readers) and they probably didn't "get" that he was really insulting the paper itself. I should have made that point a bit clearer as NOW it looks like the paper wants it's readers to react to Dad's letter and think bad things about him.
Oh well, at least his point was made and I think it was one worth making.
My dad has been trying to get letters published for AGES to the opinion editors at the "Strib" for years. FINALLY they printed one of his letters in today's paper! He has said for years that they are "just a bunch of communists over at that paper" and I tend to agree to a point. They have put a few conservative writers here and there (what's that saying about a stopped clock?) and they have had a few, nice articles that weren't TOTALLY biased in the last couple of years, but for the most part they could be categorized as typical MSM. Yesterday my dad called all irate about the day's letters from readers. There were more than a few about this story about some boys killing a puppy and how they didn't get a harsh enough punishment. My dad was practically crying when he dictated his letter to me so I could e-mail it. I edited it a bit to get his feelings more accurately represented as he was pretty sad/raging about the whole situation. Here is how I wrote it:
"Two American soldiers were captured, tortured, and brutalized in an unimaginable way, then beheaded. They were left in the open and used as "bait" by placing a minefield in and around their broken bodies. No reader editorials responded to this terrible incident. But, some damn dog was killed by some children in North Branch and your bleeding heart, leftist readers inundated the editorial page with their pitiful letters of outrage about this slightly disturbing but ultimately small event. Where are your priorities, people? Why is your outrage so misplaced? What happened to our society where a sob story about a dog garners more pity than a story of man's inhumanity to and torture of another man?
John (last name)
(city name, MN)"
They e-mailed back this morning and wrote that they needed a phone number and address to consider printing it, but Dad called this morning to tell me that it was published! They changed the wording slightly, though. I think it changes the feel of the letter and I don't like how they edited it, but here it is:
"Tucker and Menchaca: Outrage is misplaced
Published: June 23, 2006
June 23 letters in a batch
Netlets for Thursday, June 22
Two American soldiers were captured, tortured and brutalized in an unimaginable way, then beheaded. They were left in the open and used as "bait" by placing mines in and around their broken bodies.
Apparently fewer readers responded to this terrible incident than they did to a dog being killed by some children in North Branch. These bleeding-heart, leftist readers inundated the editorial page with pitiful letters of outrage about this slightly disturbing but ultimately small event.
Where are your priorities, people? What has happened to our society when a sob story about a dog garners more pity than a story of the torture of our soldiers?"
I thought it was amazing that they printed it, until I looked at it from their point of view and realized that they probably LOVED the fact that my dad was insulting other people (their readers) and they probably didn't "get" that he was really insulting the paper itself. I should have made that point a bit clearer as NOW it looks like the paper wants it's readers to react to Dad's letter and think bad things about him.
Oh well, at least his point was made and I think it was one worth making.
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