{SQT}: Farewell September

Am I the only one who blinked and September was over?! I am honestly in complete shock that tomorrow will be the first day of October! Don't get me wrong... we had an exciting month, September but I am looking forward to what October brings. As Anne of Green Gables said best, “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Let me give September that final farewell with my Seven Quick Takes for this week.

{ONE}

Earlier in the month my husband and I made a commitment to each other to spend more alone time together. We both work in the hospitality industry and we juggle a ton of extra curricular activities so it feels like it is near impossible to enjoy time alone, together, not only as a husband and wife but as a couple that wants to stay connected in faith, hope and love. This week we decided to cross off something from our Autumn Bucket List and go for our first Autumn walk to see the changing colors of the leaves. It was a gorgeous experience! We went to the Rampart Reservoir and walked around 5-6 miles around the Reservoir before we had a little picnic with a glass of Merlot. The rocks and sand around the reservoir sparkled with gold flecks and the gorgeous hues of yellow, orange and red has just begun. As much as we enjoyed this hike, we will be going on another one in a week or two to see the progression of the changing leaves. I will share more pictures later!

{TWO}

I got a flat tire on my way to our first Parish Faith Night. We managed to drive all the way to the church and when I stepped out of the jeep I heard rushing air. At first I didn't think anything about it but when I got the boys out of the jeep and we walked to the front of the vehicle the awful hissing got louder. I reached down to the front left tire and could feel the air rushing out. I ran inside to speak to the coordinator of the Parish Faith Night because I was suppose to stand at the Liturgical Year poster to give information to families about how to celebrate the Liturgical Year at home. I explained the situation and got my boys in the jeep and drove to a Loaf and Jug nearby. The tire was COMPLETELY flat at this point. I tried using the fix-a-flat but it must have been old or mishandled because the side of the can blew out. My amazing dad had packed me an emergency kit so I was able to patch the tire, refill it and get home. My boys learned the importance of being educated in tire repair and other things that don't seem important to know until it's too late. It was a little scary because it was dark, no one offered us help and I wasn't sure the patch would hold. God took the wheel and kept us safe. 

{THREE}

I love this picture of my hubby and Cloudy. Cloudy is like my husband's furry baby. He follows him around and loves on him 24/7 when he is home. My husband loves it because although he loves our children with all his soul, his heart aches for more children. So I wasn't sure I was going to share this or not but I have a pull in my heart that I am suppose to share the start of a new Fertility journey for my husband and I. We made the big leap and contacted the doctors that we have been contemplating contacting to try to find out if we will be able to have children together. Our appointments aren't until the end of October and November but I would greatly appreciate any prayers that you could give asking that God shows us the path to more children that we so desperately want. I would love to be able to carry more children but if that is not what our Lord wants, we will investigate adoption. Let thy will be done!

{FOUR}

I know it is not Halloween, or even October yet but we already have started our fall baking. We enjoyed a Halloween funfetti cake with orange icing and Halloween sprinkles. It was so good! We actually finished off the cake during our Autumn hike picnic I spoke about earlier. We didn't just enjoy Halloween cake but we have already started watching Halloween movies. We have watched The Halloween Tree, Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin and a few other Halloween classics. I need to pick out a new one to have another movie night with my boys this weekend! 

What are your favorite Halloween classic movies? What about treats? We do all of our feasting now because Halloween is actually a day of fasting before the All Saints Day Celebration begins!

{FIVE}

We received this banner from Mass last week regarding proposition 106. I am not a politically active person because I think politics are way too messy and most things are not what they seem but I felt it was important to show that I do not support proposition 106. I hope that the banner inspires others to stand up against this proposition too. We live in an apartment complex and I was almost 100% positive the management would remove the sign but it is still standing. I am hoping to keep it displayed as long as possible. 

Prop 106 would allow Colorado doctors to write a suicide prescription for a consenting person who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness with six months or less to live. But as 9 NEWS in Denver points out, the measure “requires the patient to self-administer the drug to end their own life.”

{SIX}

Little Man and Goalie have been LOVING their experiences with Lion/ Cub Scouts. Tonight the boys completed a booklet to receive their first badge! The Bobcat Badge! We also learned about an opportunity to go on our first Family Campout with the Boy Scouts of America. Anyone else have experience of this great group? I would love to hear all about your thoughts!

{SEVEN}

Today is the feast of Saint Jerome and he is the patron of Librarians! It was only fitting that I take the boys on a trip to the library and stock myself with some thriller books to start the month of October! The boys were excited to stock up on some Halloween and All Hallows Eve Books and a few movies for the weekend. We have always been a book loving family but I feel like the boys love for the library has grown excessively over the past few months. I am a little ashamed to say that this is our first visit to the library since the summer! We have been swamped with the Back-to-school routine, sports, altar serving schedule, CCD and the many other things we have been juggling. Seeing the smiles on my boys faces today reminded me about how important these short but sweet family outings really are to me and my boys. 

{JEI}: The Angel Feasts

Welcome to another week of Just Enough Info with The Zelie Group. This week we are discussing The Angel Feasts that are celebrated on September 29th and October 2nd. Today is the feast of the Archangels, otherwise known as Michaelmas and October is the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. 

 I'd love to introduce you to the other hosts of the JEI: Just Enough Info Linkup:

Jessica (myself) – Pinot Noir and Prayers | Instagram | Facebook

Alicia – Sweeping Up Joy | Pinterest | Facebook

Kirby – Under Thy Roof | Instagram | Facebook

Kerry - Fishbowl Fortune | Instagram | Facebook

1. Naming your Guardian Angel: yea or nay? 

This was a hard question for me. I honestly never thought about naming my Guardian Angel and so I decided to do some research on this topic. Based on my research, I will have to say "NO!" I will not be naming my Guardian Angel and here are some important reasons why:

“The practice of assigning names to the Holy Angels should be discouraged, except in the cases of Gabriel, Raphael and Michael whose names are contained in Holy Scripture.”

I don't know where this quote is directly from but I found it mentioned several times throughout the articles written on this subject. I have linked to one such article below. 

Through many different articles I came across, there was a high degree of concern for those who name there Guardian Angels because God is the only one who has authority over the Holy Angels and giving them a name is an insinuation that we have authority as well. In addition to this I read that naming your Guardian Angel could actually open doors that could potentially hurt you spiritually. 

I highly recommend reading the article, "Have You Given Your Guardian Angel a Name?" 

2. Have you had any angel experiences? 

Yes! I have had MANY experiences thanks to my Guardian Angel and so has my entire family! We are firm believers that there are Angels protecting and guiding us through our lives.

My dad was in the Air force for over 28 years before he retired and he often told me stories from when he was deployed and he found himself in very bad situations. He would always tell me that the only reason why he was still alive today was for two reasons. One... the prayers of my grandmother. Two... his Guardian Angel.

I even have a picture of a cloud that looks like an angel that formed above my Grandma's burial spot during her funeral! I wish I knew where it was off hand so I could share it with you. My dad keeps a blown up version of this same picture on the mantel in my childhood home.

3. How have you shared about angels with your kids?

We have discussed angels quiet often in our family. My oldest has two Baptismal Saints and Saint Michael is one of them. We have also discussed angels because I had a miscarriage and Little Man was old enough at the time to understand that something had happened to the baby in my belly. It was a difficult conversation to have with a child but I told him that now he had a special angel in heaven that would pray for him as he grew up and we would meet this angel when we go to heaven. The hardest part of the miscarriage was that I was 3 months pregnant so we did not know the sex of the child and we did not have a chance to name it. Now that I know we shouldn't name our Guardian Angels, I truly feel that I have a special Angel in heaven looking after me and my family.

We also pray to our Guardian Angels before big school tests, sports games and when we travel. The boys know that if we have a Saint to ask for intercession that we do but we include our Guardian Angels all the time!

Here is my FAVORITE prayer to our Guardian Angel. It is very known and common but I just love it anyway.

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

To whom God's love commits me here,

Ever this day, be at my side,

To light and guard, Rule and guide.

Amen.

Well that is my take on Just Enough Info this week. I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to use the beautiful picture below in your linkup post if you so desire!

Please Join us and Link Up with your answers to this week's questions about The Angel Feasts that are celebrated on September 29th and October 2nd. Here are the questions:

1. Naming your Guardian Angel: yea or nay? 

2. Have you had any angel experiences? 

3. How have you shared about angels with your kids?

Next week we will be discussing Respecting Life Month (October):

Does your family or parish mark the month in a special way? 

Do you have any books or resources to recommend on the Respect Life theme? 

What do you wish others understood about the Respect Life message?

Feel free to check out the last few weeks of JEI to learn about the link up rules and other fun topics we have already discussed:

{JEI} Mommy Self-Care

{JEI}: Do Small Things With Great Love

{JEI}: Prayer is the Spirit Speaking Truth to Truth

{JEI}: Back-to-School Edition

Introducing the Zelie Group and Just Enough Info

The Zelie Group has some fun questions coming up in the next few weeks so make sure to follow us on Facebook and we would love to hear what you are interested in! What are you looking to learn about? Do you have questions about the Faith? Questions about the Liturgical Year? We want to help and learn and grow with you and your families! 

#WorthRevisit: 10 Quotes to Motivate and Inspire Everyday {Plus Free Printable}

This week on #WorthRevisit with Theology is a Verb and Reconciled to You I thought I would share some Motivation. There really isn't enough of that given in this world and I thought with last week's celebration of Saint Padre Pio, the free printable with one of his most famous quotes would be a great share this week!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

10 Quotes to Motivate and Inspire Everyday {Plus Free Printable}

Whether you are a stay at home or working husband/wife, house work is never really fun. It can often times be a thankless job that can feel redundant and pointless. I will wash the clothes or dishes today to only have double the amount to wash the next day. The boys bathroom is forever covered in toothpaste, toilet paper and other questionable things. My husband will leave his gym bag and work papers scattered across his trail from the doorway to the bedroom. Don't think that I don't contribute to the mess as well. I am also guilty of leaving my gym clothes, books and shoes scattered as well. I also am guilty of throwing clean clothes in a pile on a chair and leaving them for a day...or two or folding clothes and leaving them stacked sky high because I can't bring myself to put them away.

I also am the only one who cooks. My husband puts in many hours at work and I am home more so it is one of my daily chores. Sometimes I really don't feel like cooking but we don't have the option of ordering out (too much money for this frugal family and my boys would burn the house down) Over the past few months I have been trying to reevaluate the negative attitude I have towards these everyday activities. God made us all special and he wants us to be happy and feel accomplished in our lives. I have found that my negativity is dragging me down. It makes my life seem so much more difficult than it truly is and it keeps me blind to seeing the many blessings I have been given. During my soul searching, I came across these quotes that really stirred my desire to be the best homemaker I can be.

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

--Mother Teresa

When I hear this I think about all the chores I do throughout my day. I may not be doing something that will change the world but completing those duties does matter to my family. I can prepare my family a dinner and do it with a joyful heart because that is what God wants of me. It is the job he has blessed me to do; to provide for my family and I want my family to feel my love through my actions as well as my words. 

"Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what You want me to be - and becoming that person."
--Saint Thérese of Lisieux

"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!"

--Saint Catherine of Siena

Both of these quotes ask the question: Who were you meant to be? I think I am still answering that question but I do know that I am a mother and a wife. If I am being the best mother and wife I can be, I will set the world on fire. The important thing is learning how to be what I was meant to be and accept it wholeheartedly. When you fight against who you are, you are fighting against God and his great plans for you.

"I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God."

--Saint Dominic Savio

Washing dishes and folding laundry sometimes seem like big things but in this context if I am doing the dishes and laundry for God, it makes the task seem not big enough. If you were asked to do something for God, you would do it to the very best of your ability. This is how I want to tackle all my chores for the greater glory of God.

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

--Mother Teresa

Progress is made with baby steps but as long as you are moving forward you have progress. Faith is a constant stream that flows through all aspects of your life, including the tedious tasks of housework, grocery shopping and other activities that fill our everyday lives. We should allow our faith to grow with us in our everyday lives.

"The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in his goodness, send to us day after day."
--Saint Gianna Molla

I think this is my favorite quote. It is simple in it's message but reminds us that God knows what we will come against everyday. He loves us and blesses us everyday. Sometimes those blessing are noticeable, others have to be recognized by faith. 

"I know well that the greater and more beautiful the work is, the more terrible will be the storms that rage against it."
--Saint Faustina

"The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness."
--Pope Benedict XVI

We are warriors of Christ. In our daily lives we are called to be faithful servants and followers. He never said it would be easy, but it will be worth it. We should not live our lives in search of comforts but how we can be useful in God's plan. Both of these quotes remind us that our lives are special gifts and we will have to fight for them along the way.

"The future starts today, not tomorrow."
--Saint Pope John Paul the Great

Don't put off your responsibilities until tomorrow, complete them today. You never know what God has planned for your life but he wants you to be successful and happy. Roll with the punches and trust that you are where you are suppose to be in life, in your family and accomplishments. 

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."
--Saint Augustine

Prayer is our connection to God and being prayerful during our entire day is important and powerful. The comparison of prayer to our work is a strong statement. Imagine how important your work really is, if it is being compared to the importance of prayer and that should motivate you to work hard consistently. 

Here is a free printable if you need a cute little reminder to keep smiling and praying through your daily routines and it will bring you closer to God and a happier life. Click on the link or the picture and it will take you to Dropbox so you can download and use the printable for your personal use. What do you use for inspiration during your day? 

I shared this at Talk It Up Thursday and Let's Get Real

Saint Vincent de Paul: The Blessing of Charity

Today is the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul and he is a great saint to share with your children! He is the patron saint of charitable societies. I believe teaching our children about charity, mercy and loving our neighbors is more important now than it ever has been, especially with the increase of feelings of entitlement, instant gratification and social media feeding the insatiable need for fame. Ironically enough, Saint Vincent de Paul actually spent the first 20 years of his life in search of riches and becoming famous. He was also captured by pirates, just like Saint Patrick. What child doesn't love an exciting story like that? And most importantly, Saint Vincent was freed and in the end became dedicated to the spiritual and material needs of the poor. I hope my children will emulate the virtues that Saint Vincent has taught the world.

This feast day is special to my family. It is special because honestly we are not a rich family monetarily but we have been blessed in love. We do struggle financially and probably will for quite awhile, if not forever and that is ok. We do not have vehicle loans or even a mortgage but we do owe money to an attorney that saved our children from a dangerous situation. In addition to this $10,000 debt we pay large amounts for our youngest son to receive therapies he needs. I am not sharing this to bring anyone to feel bad for my family because I truly believe that we are blessed.

We are safe...

We are together...

We have all that we need to survive...

We are immeasurably blessed.

I am sharing this because we are a family that has received charity and I feel that it is important to share how that has touched us. There was a time when I had no home. My children and I slept on friends and families couches for several months. I have received food from friends and family because I was a single mom that was struggling more and more to pay my bills and provide for my children. I had three different jobs and still couldn't afford more than the basics. My parents helped me pay for an attorney once to get me out of the abusive marriage I was scared to leave. Charity is more than money, food or clothes. It is knowing that someone cares enough to help.

There were days I wanted to give up. The struggle was so great and I would come to work in tears. My coworkers and management supported me and I don't know how they managed to deal with me falling apart but they did and they never made me feel guilty. These people were more than coworkers, they became family.

I have to admit, I have tears running down my face as I share all this. Knowing the amount of people that have cared for me and my family in our great time of need will be something that I will never forget and I know that my children never will either. To anyone that has ever helped another human being not expecting anything in return, may God Bless You! May God Bless You enormously! It is because of people like you that I have crawled from the darkness back into the light. My family has been forever changed and we were saved. I hope that my experience with charity is something that can be inspiring. I want it to inspire others to help people. We need to help each other.

To honor Saint Vincent as a family, I decided that a classic Beans and Rice dinner would be perfect! It is a simple meal that many of the poor ate because it was inexpensive to make and it is quite filling. In addition to it being simple and inexpensive, my oldest son had a stomach virus yesterday so I am keeping our menu simple until I know that the virus is officially gone from the household.

Saint Vincent was born in France so Ratatouille, considered a peasants dish, would also be a great option or even Poor Man's Stew.

In addition to a simple dinner, donating items or money to a charity would also be a great way to reinforce the virtues of taking care of the poor. The Christmas Season is fast approaching, maybe going through your children's clothes and toys to make room for the gifts they will receive and having them bring it to a charity would instill a love of giving that will last a lifetime for them and the people they bless with that charity.

Start with the Spiritual Works of Mercy for inspiration if monetary donations aren't something you can do right now. I know I am not in a position to give a ton of extra monetarily but we do our best and that is all God asks of us.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy are:

Feeding the hungry

Giving drink to the thirsty

Clothing the naked

Burying the dead

Giving Shelter to the traveler

Comforting the sick

Freeing the imprisoned

Prayer to Saint Vincent de Paul:

Noble Saint Vincent de Paul, beloved servant of the poor, may we follow your example and do good works among those whom society has abandoned, enslaved, or forgotten. Inspire us to feed the hungry, to love a child, to provide comfort and medicine to the sick, to clothe those whose garments are threadbare, and to offer hope and our Lord's words to all who need respite. Pray for us to our beloved God that we may commit ourselves selflessly to doing the same charitable acts that you did all your life, and intercede with him that we may have the favor of his guidance and strength and love upon this important and meaningful work. 

Amen.

Saint Vincent de Paul, pray for us!

Menu Plan Monday: September 26- October 2

This week has started with a BANG! Little Man came down was a stomach virus, the first of the new school year. I feel bad for him. The poor little guy doesn't get sick often, it's normally his little brother Goalie, and he is struggling with a headache and being just plain miserable! I had a Menu setup for the week but I had to make some BIG changes with the welcoming of the stomach bug. I always keep vegetable broth and lots of veggies on had because they make great snacks and make it super easy to feed a family with little time and effort. In an effort to help Little Man gain his strength we will be enjoying some vegetable soup and won't be eating any dairy or meat until the virus has exited this household. I have found that it is sometimes impossible to keep a virus from spreading so we prepare for the worse (everyone catching it) and hope for the best (the virus only takes one hostage). We eliminate dairy and meat because it makes it easier to be sick without any super hard or thick food hurting the throat as it exits the mouth (Sorry for TMI). I would appreciate some prayers for everyone to stay healthy and get all the rest needed to recover from the notorious stomach virus that always shows up when school starts. I think I will combine a list of recipes for sick days and backup meal plan ideas because they have happened quite often lately!

Here is my recently pulled together menu for Menu Plan Monday:

Monday:

Vegetable Noodle Soup

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul

Red Beans and Rice

Wednesday:

Daddy is Cooking 

or Vegetable Rice Casserole

Thursday: Michaelmas (Feast of the Archangels)

Pork Roast with Onions, Carrots, Potatoes and Snap peas

Friday:

Quinoa and Bean Stuffed Peppers

Saturday:

Leftovers

Sunday: Feast of Saint Jerome

Turkey Burgers

{SQT}: Marriage, Sports and Much More

I have been MIA from several of my favorite linkups, including {SQT}, because of an overwhelming amount of extra activities that were added to our schedule. This past week was no different but I am doing my best to get back on track with everything that has been pushed to the side. 

{ONE}

My cousin Serina's wedding was this past Saturday! Congrats Serina and Jesus! They have such an extraordinary love story. They have actually been together for 12 years already. They have endured so much and have supported each other through all the good, bad and the ugly. I have no doubt that they will have a long, prosperous marriage and will live happily ever after.

The wedding was in Liberal, Kansas so it was only a 6 hour drive from where we live. We have most of my dad's side of the family living in Kansas so we were able to see a large amount of them at the wedding too. It was a beautiful wedding and a gorgeous reception. Little Man was given the opportunity to altar serve during the wedding. I know he was scared and nervous because he had never served for the priest or at the location the wedding was being held but he was brave and accepted the invitation to honor his family during the Mass. I was and still am so proud of him for stepping up.

{TWO}

We completed our Halloween decorating this week too! My boys love to decorate the house and do seasonal crafts to celebrate. I am working on a post right now about Halloween and being Catholic. I read an article several years ago about how to keep the "scary" in Halloween without losing the important concepts that are the important aspects of All Saints and All Souls Day. Halloween is a day of fasting to prepare for All Saints and All Souls. I think it is also important to discuss purgatory on Halloween and that allows us to have a scary Halloween. 

I even received the boys costumes in the mail this week so now I only have to figure out what my husband and I will wear. This will be the first year we have done a family dress up. The boys are REALLY into Star Wars so they are dressing as a Flame Trooper and Captain Rex. My husband really wants to be Darth Vader and I have absolutely no clue what I will be. Maybe I'll just be a storm trooper too? Suggestions are welcome!

{THREE}

We have TWO football games this week! We normally only have one so it was a FULL week of football. I am enjoying that there is no practice today so I using this time to catch up on old, new and late blog posts! Little Man has really missed having a banner to run through the past few games so I found some banner paper and created a banner for his team. Little did I know that when I bought this paper that there would be over 75 feet of paper!!!! Needless to say, I will be making banners the rest of the season. I might even make one for Goalie's soccer team. 

Painting the banners was actually pretty calming and relaxing until I saw that my cat Lemon was drinking the water I used to clean the paint brushes! I had a mini-stroke reading the labels on the paint to make sure it was non-toxic. Lemon was mad at me for yelling at her so she ignored me the rest of the day. Oh the price we pay for loving animals. 

{FOUR}

Goalie started Dino School this week. I think I may have mentioned once before but it is essentially a group therapy that is held to help teach children with developmental delays about socialization, dealing with tough emotions and learning how to control anger outbursts. 

{FIVE}

Yesterday was the first official day of Fall and I am so glad! I love Autumn! We celebrated with Spiced Apple Pork Chops with Sweet potato and zucchini. Everyone loved it. The pork fell apart so easily from slow cooking all day and the amazing spices made my house smell amazing. We had a football game yesterday too so it really was the perfect way to start the beginning of Autumn. 

{SIX}

We had Soccer pictures this week! Goalie plays for the Memorial Blizzards and he was smiling extra hard this year! I love that my boys love playing on teams. I love his "Shark fin" hair that he requested special for picture day.

{SEVEN}

To end this week, I decided it was best to have a Halloween movie night! This will be one of many because my boys and I love movie nights and we have a list of Halloween movies that MUST be watched before October 31st! We are starting tonight with The Halloween Tree. This was one of my most favorite movies that I watched with my brother and sister every Halloween season. We will be enjoying pizza, popcorn, Halloween ice cream floats and cupcakes! I am finishing up preparations as we speak. I honestly might be more excited about this than my kids! This will be their first time watching this cartoon and it has been years since I last saw it! I love Autumn and all the amazing family activities that come with it!

{JEI}: Mommy Self-Care

Welcome to another week of Just Enough Info with The Zelie Group. This week we are discussing Mom Self-Care. 

 I'd love to introduce you to the other hosts of the JEI: Just Enough Info Linkup:

Jessica (myself) – Pinot Noir and Prayers | Instagram | Facebook

Alicia – Sweeping Up Joy | Pinterest | Facebook

Kirby – Under Thy Roof | Instagram | Facebook

Kerry - Fishbowl Fortune | Instagram | Facebook

1. What is your mom beverage of choice? 

I am an avid coffee drinker in the mornings. I am also that person that goes crazy for pumpkin spice! So as you can imagine I am so excited today is the official first day of fall and I am celebrating with a cup of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Cafe Latte and it is so good! I have a Keurig coffee maker and I honestly don't buy the k-cups too often because they are expensive but I do like to treat myself every once in awhile. What I normally do is purchase whole coffee beans and grind them fresh to put in a re-useable k-cup and serve it with a flavored creamer. It's one of the few ways I keep from splurging on a $6-$7 cup of coffee from a coffee place but still get a tasty warm beverage full of that amazing caffeine. I can't think straight until that first dose of caffeine gets into my blood stream. What is funny is that I have pulled my husband into loving coffee too but he drinks his cold and black!! I know he's crazy!!  

Although I am a lover of coffee, Wine is my true best friend. Wine helps me celebrate the liturgical year, the end of a long day or special time with my family and friends. It's always there in the good times and bad and that's why wine is one of my favorite beverages of choice. 

Coffee keeps me going until it’s time for wine. – Unknown

2. What do you do to relax? 

Running, writing, reading, crafting, loving of my cats and drinking coffee and wine! I'll be honest we are an "ON THE GO" kinda family. We decided to live in a small apartment to save money for a house and to be able to afford family trips and activities that give our children everlasting memories. We love being busy and having things to do. I do miss having more free time like I did over the summer so i could read more and other activities of my choosing but this is my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Speaking of relaxing... I decided to take the morning off to have a day to get my house back in order from our trip to see my family last weekend and to prepare for the big football game tonight! It's a big one because Little Man plays on the Steelers this season but he played with the Bulldogs last season and today we are up against the Bulldogs! He is nervous and excited and we are also responsible for halftime snack! If my little tangent here didn't show you I have no clue how to "take a day off" and "relax," I don't know what will!

3. When was the last time you got away with girlfriends or alone (and the grocery store does NOT count)?

This question made me a little sad. We haven't been in Colorado for a full year yet so I don't really have an friends yet. I have TONS of acquaintances but I just have not had the pleasure of connecting one-on-one with anyone. However, I did meet a fellow mommy that lives in the same complex during a run several weeks ago and we have been talking and she has even helped with babysitting. I am hoping that we can grow into really good friends and have some alone mommy time soon! 

So as of right now, the only "girl" time I get is with my cats Lemon, Shadow and Cloudy. Yep... I am the Cat Lady!! 

Well that is my take on Just Enough Info this week. I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to use the beautiful picture below in your linkup post if you so desire!

Please Join us and Link Up with your answers to this week's questions about Mom Self-Care:

1. What is your mom beverage of choice? 

2. What do you do to relax? 

3. When was the last time you got away with girlfriends or alone (and the grocery store does NOT count)?

Next week we will be discussing The Angel Feasts that are celebrated on September 29th and October 2nd. Here are the questions:

1. Naming your Guardian Angel: yea or nay? 

2. Have you had any angel experiences? 

3. How have you shared about angels with your kids?

I can't wait to see how everyone answers this week because it is all about mommies and let's be honest: we are amazing! We take care of our families and don't always take care of ourselves. Use this week to take a good hard look at some of your mommy self-care needs. 

Feel free to check out the last few weeks of JEI to learn about the link up rules and other fun topics we have already discussed:

{JEI}: Do Small Things With Great Love

{JEI}: Prayer is the Spirit Speaking Truth to Truth

{JEI}: Back-to-School Edition

Introducing the Zelie Group and Just Enough Info

Saint Matthew the Tax Collector

Saint Matthew is most popularly known as one of the twelve disciples and one of the four evangelists that wrote the Gospels. Prior to becoming a follower of Jesus, Saint Matthew was actually called Levi and was a tax collector. Tax collectors were not popular in his time due to the high taxes and the fact that collectors kept portions of the taxes for themselves. He is the patron saint of civil servants. The feast of Saint Matthew is celebrate every year on September 21st.

I think that most people don't celebrate the liturgical year at home anymore because they think they don't have time. I hope throughout this year I have shown that a simple meal, and extra prayer, a coloring page or family activity is all you need to create memories and inspire faith within your family. I completely understand feeling like you don't have enough time in the day and getting completely overwhelmed. Our family juggles both parents working, sports, school, clubs and most importantly, our religious activities. Today we had a soccer team pictures and a game along with football practice after school. 

Obviously this didn't leave me with a lot of extra time to plan any fun activities so we decided to celebrate with Silver Dollar Pancakes for dinner. Who doesn't love having breakfast for dinner? Plus it is quick and easy to prepare AND it honors Saint Matthew. My husband and boys all requested some cheesy scrambled eggs as a side item so I couldn't refuse. I know in the picture below the syrup is pictured but everyone in this house puts peanut butter on their pancakes and just a little syrup. 

In addition to our special dinner, we get the opportunity to discuss Saint Matthew during dinner and added some reading too. The boys have to read a minimum of 30 minutes every night for school so it is easy to find short stories for my oldest to read out loud. Here is a small list I made to give you some suggestions of things you could do to celebrate Saint Matthew on his special feast day:

• Make Silver Dollar Pancakes. (we made protein pancakes)
• Donate money or other items to the poor.
• Read Saint Matthew's Gospel.
• Start a journal because Saint Matthew was one of the four evangelists that wrote the gospels.
• Color a Saint Matthew coloring page.
• Evangelize! Wear a cute Catholic T-shirt while you run, write an article to be published, the list goes on an on...

Do you have any ideas or suggestion? How did you celebrate today? I would gladly link to your activities! 

Prayer to Saint Matthew:

O Glorious St. Matthew, in your Gospel you portray Jesus as the longed-for Messiah who fulfilled the Prophets of the Old Covenant and as the new Lawgiver who founded a Church of the New Covenant. Obtain for us the grace to see Jesus living in his Church and to follow his teachings in our lives on earth so that we may live forever with him in heaven.

Saint Matthew, pray for us!

#WorthRevisit: In Honor

We recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of September 11th and New York City endured a terrorist bombing just this past week. In this time of our existence it is so important for us to give honor to those that lay their lives down for friends, family and even people they may have never met. This past weekend there is a memorial here in Colorado that hosted an event this past weekend and they added over 120 names to their memorial in honor of fallen fire fighters. With all the loss and contemplation going on this past month, I felt it was appropriate to share a post I wrote several years ago on Memorial Day. In the bible it says:

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." 

John 15:13

This is my #WorthRevisit to share with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb:

Sunday, May 27, 2012

In Honor

Memorial Day is such an emotional day for so many people especially around here. There are 3 military bases nearby and many families have a family member or close friend that serves.  I am so glad that we honor those who have given their lives for us to enjoy the freedoms that so many of us take for granted. In the past few months there have been news of several soldiers from our surrounding towns that will not be coming home, you can read an article here.
For me personally, my dad was in the Air Force for 28 years before retiring just a few years ago. My dad was deployed in several different countries to participate in Iraqi Freedom, the Ceasefire in Korea, Kuwait, Desert Storm- Desert Shield and several other places and missions. When I was younger, my dad never spoke about his experiences overseas. Now that I am older, he talks about his scary experiences seldom and how lucky we are to live in a country that allows us so many freedoms.

My grandfather joined the Navy when he was only 16 (during WWII) completed several terms of service. He later joined retired from the Air Force.  My grandfather is such an admirable man and he is a Veteran of WWII, Vietnam and the Korean War. He was standing on the battleship Missouri during the formal surrender ceremony for Japan during WWII. My grandfather loves his country and I know he lost many friends during his time in the military. Now that he is growing older in age, his memories haunt him at times. 

Here are a few people me and my family knew personally that we will remember today

Josh Born

I graduated from Niceville High School with Josh Born but I had known him since Elementary School. We had several classes together and had several mutual friends. We hung out when he came to visit our next door neighbors and I will always remember him as a great friend. He was killed just a month ago. Pray for his family, especially his wife Megan who I am sure needs to feels God's love and strength in her life.

Vanessa Pitts

Vanessa was a running companion of mine during Track and Field during High School. I participated in a Volleyball Camp with her during Middle School. She was a sweet girl who always had something nice to say. It has been just over 2 years since Vanessa became an angel. Pray that her family and fiance' are staying strong and know we will never forget their amazing Vanessa.

Patrick Griffin

My dad asked me to write a special note for one of his lost friends. I didn't know him personally but I know his family still misses him years later. Pray for his children that are growing up so fast and his wife.

Brent Marthaler*

* I put an asterisk next to Brent because he was 1 of 19 killed at the Khobar Towers.

I wanted to make special mention of him because he was my Sunday School teacher and he had a great impact on my life. I remember after the bombing his Fiance' came and took his entire class to a room to celebrate the life of Mr. Brent. She brought us teddy bears and gifts and I remember feeling a deep sorrow and loss. I was only 9 when the bombing occurred. This June 25th marks the 16th Anniversary of his death. I am planning on visiting the beautiful Memorial they have in place for the young men that lost their lives in that bombing. I know that there is a special place in heaven for the men and women that lay down their lives in service of others. They are now blessed to guard the golden gates to heaven. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers, I know he is still greatly missed, even 16 years later.

These are a few of many that deserve to be remembered today. There will be more to join them in the upcoming years as well. I have such a strong patriotic heart. I was planning on joining the Air Force during college. Then I had Little Man and I have such an enormous respect for those who suffer the heartbreak of leaving their loved ones to fight for our great nation. I am raising my children to respect those in uniform because FREEDOM IS NOT FREE! I hope everyone takes time today to pray for those that gave their lives, their families that are still on Earth and cherish the gift they have given us all.

We walked among the crosses

Where our fallen soldiers lay.

And listened to the bugle

As taps began to play.

The Chaplin led a prayer

We stood with heads bowed low.

And I thought of fallen comrades

I had known so long ago.

They came from every city

Across this fertile land.

That we might live in freedom.

They lie here 'neath the sand.

I felt a little guilty

My sacrifice was small.

I only lost a little time

But these men lost their all.

Now the services are over

For this Memorial Day.

To the names upon these crosses

I just want to say,

Thanks for what you've given

No one could ask for more.

May you rest with God in heaven

From now through evermore.  

Prayer for Fallen Soldiers

Dear Lord Jesus and Mary, Mother of God,
Hold all these brave souls in the palm of your hand, comfort them and their families.

Send angels of protection, love, and comfort to all the service men and women still at war,
bring them home safely and comfort their families.

We ask all our prayers in Jesus' name. Amen.

Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/Prayers/Catholic/Holidays/Prayer-For-Fallen-Soldiers.aspx#ixzz1vz1iauJD