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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Small Successes

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Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Reorganized some of the living room after my in-laws gave us their entertainment center & a chair yesterday. (They're moving & downsizing.)

2) On Tuesday, all of us got out of the house at the exact time we planned! We are usually on time for things, but don't always manage to leave as planned, but for some reason everything fit together & we left at the time we said.

3) I reviewed my goals from 2010 to see how well I did. Surprisingly, I did better than expected. I did have a lot on my list, but I'd broken it down in easily manageable sections. Next up...reworking those things I didn't accomplish into a list of goals for 2011.

Can you believe that the next edition of these Small Successes will be in 2011? Thank you for sharing these successes w/ me each week.

Have a Blessed New Year...FULL of Small Successes!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for a wonderful Christmas weekend. We celebrated w/ Casinodad's family here at our home on Christmas Day & w/ my family at my parents' house on Sunday. Lots of fun, food, & family time!

2) I'm thankful that Casinodad & the older three munchkins had a safe, enjoyable trip to visit his dad & aunt yesterday. The Saint & I stayed home because we don't trust our van on long trips anymore. (We're holding out until income tax time for another one.)

3) I'm thankful for the fun day I had w/ The Saint yesterday while the others were out of town. We did some shopping, had lunch at Taco Bell, & enjoyed each other's company.

4) I'm thankful for the wonderful gifts I received for Christmas, especially those from Casinodad. He got some great deals on two books (The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton & The Imitation of Christ), & the DVD & music soundtrack for the movie Bride & Prejudice (no, that is not a typo...it is "Bride" & it's a fun movie. You can see my review of it HERE.)

5) I'm thankful for the AWESOME deals I found for Casinodad for his presents! I found a beautiful pro-life rosary w/ fetal images on each of the Our Father beads, then I hand sewed a small pouch for him to keep it in. Also, the day I stopped by Fr. Corapi's site, there was a 50% off sale. I was able to get his conversion story, a CD of four of his more popular homilies, & a book of his letters. I don't think I'd ever been so excited to give presents to him & he loved every one!

Monday, December 27, 2010

2010 Goal Review

Remember this post from the beginning of the year? 2010 Goals I figured goals would be easier to accomplish than resolutions. As the year is just about over, I thought I'd take a little time to review those goals. I had narrowed this list down to six broad goals. Then in a notebook, I broke each down. So, let's see how I did:

1) EAT BETTER (more fruits, veggies, & whole grains; less sugar & desserts; more water)

While I do eat mostly wheat/grain breads, I didn't do as well upping the fruits & veggies. And sweets? That's my downfall, especially this time of year! I did well on the water for a while & just recently, I've started drinking more...especially at work on Saturdays where there is a water cooler right in my office.

2) EXERCISE (walking; stretching exercises I found in a magazine; buy a Wii Fit - & use it!)

I did well for a while. I was doing the Wii Fit at least 4x a week & when the weather was nicer, I'd take walks w/ the munchkins around the neighborhood. Unfortunately, as my back started to bother me more, I couldn't keep these up. At the moment I'm caught between a rock & a hard place...I want to exercise & I should to strengthen my core muscles, but the more I do the more my back hurts. We'll see what the neuro surgeon says.

3) DECLUTTER / ORGANIZE THE WHOLE HOUSE (regular cleaning schedule; go room by room to declutter; organize files & recipes; make family binder; update family medical files)

I made up a regular cleaning schedule & a room by room list, but we never followed it completely. There were a couple areas that I really got cleared out, including our master bedroom. However, w/ four munchkins, it seems like there is ALWAYS clutter. The one thing I did start was to never leave a room w/out first making it a little better than it was when I entered. This can be as simple as picking a pillow off the floor & putting it back on the couch. I never did make it to the files & recipes.

4) BUDGET / FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION (get back on track w/ Dave Ramsey's plan; make & stick to a budget; pay off bills & start saving more; use an envelope system for cash)

While we are not debt-free yet, we did pay off a few bills & are now down to just a couple. We have stopped using credit cards...a big savings right there! One of the things that helped was that I started working on Saturdays. It is a big sacrifice for our family at this time, but I really think it is a good plan for our family at this time.

5) FAMILY (make a weekly family night; more family meals even if Daddy's not home from work; catch up w/ & stay on track for school; less yelling & more encouragement; chore chart for all)

We haven't been able to do a family night every week like I wanted, but we have definitely managed to spend more time together as a family. We do make sure that we eat together as much as possible. As to school, I think we've done great at staying on track...more so than in the past. We still have moments of frustration & not liking school, but much less than the past. I still need to work on the chore chart...I created one, but we haven't stayed on track. I do try to have a "clutter drill" for the munchkins a few times a day. This helps to keep the mess down a bit throughout the day.

One of the things I really tried to do was take the time to listen to the munchkins instead of trying to accomplish something else at the same time. I would stop what I was doing & look into their eyes. This shows them that I really am listening & that they are important!

6) PERSONAL (more spiritual time; start day earlier; get back to my creative outlets of scrapbooking & stamping)

I think the personal goals were the ones I did the best with. I've spent more time in prayer & reflection this year...still not as much as I'd like, but more than the past. With the exception of a few days here & there, I've done well keeping up w/ the daily readings. I use The Word Among Us & I love their reflections on the days readings. They have great articles in each book, too. Also, having not been a big rosary pray-er in the past, I have spent more time w/ it this year & find it very comforting. I've found myself to be more easy going...not stressing, especially over this out of my control. I think the deeper prayer life has contributed to this.

As to my creative outlet, I've resigned myself to the fact that scrapbooking & rubber stamping just aren't going to happen for a while. I've been able to hand make a few Christmas gifts & other items throughout the year & I do try to do some of the kids art projects w/ them. So, for now, I think that's what I can manage.


Overall, I don't think I did too bad. Yes, there were many things that didn't get done, but throughout the year, other things came up that became more important. We've had to deal w/ my back issues which really limited a lot of things I that I wanted to accomplish. The Archangel was diagnosed w/ ADHD, so there have been many trips to doctors, psychologists, & pharmacies. The heat of the summer was horrible this year, so many of the outdoor things I wanted to do were either postponed or canceled. But, if you look back at all my posts for A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings every Wednesday & Small Successes every Thursday, you can see that life has been good to us.

In less than one week, we begin a new year. I think I'll spend some time reflecting on this past year & rework my goals for 2011. I'm thinking that these goals will probably be the same, just modified a bit.

I wish you & your families a very Happy New Year...full of many wonderful blessings!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for the great time we had baking cookies w/ Casinodad's sister & BIL on Sunday afternoon. Lots of good cookies greet me every time I go into the kitchen!

2) I'm thankful my MRI went well last Thursday & was not as scary as I've heard others say. I just prayed the Rosary the whole time. (BTW - I got the results this morning. I have mild arthritis in my back so next up...a trip to a neuro surgeon to see where I go from here.)

3) I'm thankful for the sights, scents, & sounds of this blessed season...twinkling lights, scented candles & potpourri, music, great books & movies, etc.

4) I'm thankful that, for the first time in many years, I'm actually on top of things (shopping done & most are wrapped, baking done, cards mailed, & we're managing to keep the house mostly straightened up!)

5) But most importantly...I'm thankful for the upcoming birth of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, none of the above would have any meaning for me!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Small Successes

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Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) I cleaned AND de-cluttered the kitchen counters, including cleaning out the toaster & microwave. I put away all the things I don't use on a regular basis...like that ice cream maker (Brrrrr!)

2) I put flannel sheets on all the beds last weekend...just in time for these frigid temperatures we've been having this week. Aaaaahhhhhh! They are so cozy at night, making it hard to get up in the morning!

3) I've started some of the cookie doughs for holiday baking. Currently waiting in the fridge are batches for pizzelles & rum butter stars. Later today, we make up doughs for thumbprint & Mexican Wedding Cake cookies. I also bought the rest of the baking supplies, including the ingredients for my grandmother's Easy Fudge (butterscotch chips, chunky PB, & marshmellows....Mmmmmm!)

4) Yes, a bonus this week - Casinodad & I took The Prophet & The Archangel to our parish's Reconciliation Service last night. It was The Archangel's first time & we are so proud of him. Despite not feeling well & having a stuffy nose, he did very well. For me, it was nice to go to one of the visiting priests. He was an associate pastor at the parish I went to as a little girl.

BTW - According to The Prophet on the way out of our church last night, Santa checks his list twice because of the kids who go to Confession! So, if you're needing a second chance to get on Santa's list, you might want to head to the nearest church ASAP for an Advent Confession!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful that we are (HOPEFULLY) getting all the colds & illnesses out of the way this week so that we can have an illness-free Christmas! (See...I'm finding the positives in the negatives this week!)

2) I'm thankful for my dear husband who has been starting the coffee maker for me the past few mornings. Because of everyone being sick, I've not been sleeping well & have been sleeping in some. So, having the coffee all ready for me when I come downstairs is WONDERFUL!

3) I'm thankful for a beautiful funeral & celebration of life on Saturday for my best friend's mom. Casinodad, The Prophet, & I were able to participate per her wishes. Casinodad was a pallbearer, The Prophet was one of the servers, & I sang, leading former members of the folk group we used to belong to. (And my dad, who is a deacon, gave a beautiful homily. I think it's always nice when the homilist knows the family & the dearly departed...it gives a personal tone to the homily.)

4) I'm thankful the Holy Spirit was w/ me for the previously mentioned singing. Her mom wanted me to sing Schubert's Ave Maria & I was able to do it w/out breaking down.

5) I'm thankful that The Archangel passed his review w/ our parish's deacon & will make his first Reconciliation this evening.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Small Successes

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Danielle Bean says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Even though we've fallen off our meal plan for a bit, I've still managed to make some decent meals w/ what we have on hand this week.

2) For the most part, I've been staying on top of the dishes this week. Now, the island, kitchen table, counters, & floor are definitely ANOTHER story!

3) We finally put our tree up last night. We usually do it Thanksgiving weekend, but time just got away from us this year. A couple of years ago, we needed a new tree (yes, we are artificial people right now!) & decided to downsize. So we have a nice, somewhat thin 6ft tree & just have the munchkins put their ornaments on it. They did a great job, too. I only had to move a couple around to fill in spaces.

Have you had a successful week? Check out Faith and Family Live every Thursday to share yours & see what others have been up to!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful that we're starting to see some positive results from The Archangel's new ADHD medicine. There's not a big change & we still have a ways to go, but after negative results from previous meds, this is somewhat encouraging.

2) I'm thankful for the wonderful homilies by our pastor & deacons. On Sunday, I was brought to tears by our pastor's words & last night, at the Holy Day Vigil Mass, he brought laughter.

3) Following up on #2, I'm thankful that The Prophet is learning from the homilies. I know it's tough for him to focus sometimes, so it's AWESOME when he can tell us what he's learned.

4) I'm thankful for the strong faith I see developing in The Princess. Whenever we ask her what she'd like for Christmas, she says she wants a Catholic room...books, statues, pictures, rosaries, etc. Every couple of days, she'll disappear up in her room for a while, then come downstairs w/ toys & books that she wants to give away...all in an effort to make room for her Catholic items.

5) This final one I type w/ a heavy heart...last night, my best friend's mom (who was like a second mother to me) passed away. My thanks in this sad time is that she is no longer suffering. I'm also thankful for having her in my life. She was truly a wonderful woman & will be greatly missed.

Friday, December 3, 2010

The Prophet's Birth Story & 10th Birthday Photos

Note: I wanted to post his hospital photo here, but I'm having trouble w/ our scanner.


On April 10, 2000, I took a home pregnancy test & was absolutely delighted that it was positive! We hadn’t been trying to get pregnant for long & we were quite (pleasantly) surprised by how quickly it happened. The pregnancy progressed very well & I had no morning sickness, other than a few nauseous moments here & there (sorry if I’m rubbing that in for any of you!) We decided to wait instead of finding out the sex before birth.
I continued to feel great until a few weeks before my due date of December 10. On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I went for my weekly check-up. I’d been swelling quite a bit & they found that my protein levels were higher than they should be. So, the next day, I had to do an all day urine test then take it to the hospital Thanksgiving morning to be tested. Even w/ the paperwork, apparently they didn’t know what to do w/ it & it sat on the counter until Friday morning. I called my doctor’s office & they got back to me later in the afternoon to say that I had pre-eclampsia & to go directly to the hospital for induction…do not pass go, do not collect $200, & absolutely, DO NOT finish that Italian chicken sub you’d started eating!!!
I called Casinodad at work & told him to get home because we had to go to the hospital. Once there, they got me all wired up…monitor for the eventual contractions, baby’s heartbeat monitor, Foley catheter because I hadn’t dilated at all yet, & an IV loaded w/ stuff! Once I was dilated to 3cm, they started the Pitocin in the IV. Now if you’ve never had Pitocin before, count yourself lucky! It’s a drug to help start contractions. It’s not so bad at first, but they gradually increase the amount & by the time it’s at full strength, those contractions are kicked into overdrive, coming practically on top of each other. I had fully intended to go natural & avoid an epidural. (WHAT? You’re going to put a needle where?) After trying several other drugs to ease the pain, I caved & practically begged for the epidural! AAAAHHHHHH! What relief!

Because of my increased protein levels & high blood pressure, there was a slight danger of seizures, so they added Magnesium Sulfate to my IV. I am a person who likes to relax by reading & was looking forward to enjoying a book between contractions. However, the Magnesium Sulfate dilated my eyes, making reading blurry & impossible. Even watching TV was tough.
Once I got the epidural, things seemed to progress much quicker. I couldn’t feel any of the contractions & once it was time to push, they had to tell me when to do it! I only had to push for an hour & at 9:03pm on Saturday, November 25, 2000, The Prophet was born.
Casinodad was there to catch him when he came out & my dad was the one to cut the cord. Now, I know many of you are probably wondering how on earth I could have my father in the delivery room w/ me. I asked him for several reasons & we were both comfortable w/ it. When my sister & I were born, Dad was not allowed in the delivery room, so he missed out on that experience. Then, when my sister had her first child, my mom was there w/ her. So, I wanted to see if my dad wanted to be there for my first child. (Anyway…when a woman gives birth, she has to give up any sense of modesty, doesn’t she?) I really think it helped The Prophet bond w/ my dad & to this day, they still have a close relationship.
So there you have it…The Prophet’s birth story. I can’t believe it’s been ten years since that day. He has grown into an amazing young man who loves his siblings, his faith, anything Star Wars, Legos, & spending time w/ his friends & cousins.
Happy Birthday Dear Son! We love you & are so proud of you.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for a wonderful Christmas weekend. We celebrated w/ Casinodad's family here at our home on Christmas Day & w/ my family at my parents' house on Sunday. Lots of fun, food, & family time!

2) I'm thankful that Casinodad & the older three munchkins had a safe, enjoyable trip to visit his dad & aunt yesterday. The Saint & I stayed home because we don't trust our van on long trips anymore. (We're holding out until income tax time for another one.)

3) I'm thankful for the fun day I had w/ The Saint yesterday while the others were out of town. We did some shopping, had lunch at Taco Bell, & enjoyed each other's company.

4) I'm thankful for the wonderful gifts I received for Christmas, especially those from Casinodad. He got some great deals on two books (The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton & The Imitation of Christ), & the DVD & music soundtrack for the movie Bride & Prejudice (no, that is not a typo...it is "Bride" & it's a fun movie. You can see my review of it HERE.)

5) I'm thankful for the AWESOME deals I found for Casinodad for his presents! I found a beautiful pro-life rosary w/ fetal images on each of the Our Father beads, then I hand sewed a small pouch for him to keep it in. Also, the day I stopped by Fr. Corapi's site, there was a 50% off sale. I was able to get his conversion story, a CD of four of his more popular homilies, & a book of his letters. I don't think I'd ever been so excited to give presents to him & he loved every one!