Our New Beginning in Colorado: 2016 in Pictures

I have read and seen so many negative comments about this past year. It breaks my heart. I truly believe that you have to see the good in the world and when we marinate ourselves in the negativity, it changes our perception on everything. I am refusing to allow the negativity into my house and into my mind. Life is full of ups and downs, happiness and sadness, it is what makes us human and this time on Earth meaningful. This year was amazing for me and my family and I would love to share how and why!

In January.... I met my cousin Sheldon because we so happen to live in the same state now! This was actually a picture taken on New Years of 2016! My kids still try to call him "Uncle Sheldon" all the time and it makes me giggle but this was an amazing milestone for our family! I honestly could not think of a better way to ring in the New Year and I am looking forward to continuing this again this year!

I also became a Nanny to help with my families finances and my kids registered for school here in Colorado for the first time! This is also about the time I started contemplating on bringing back and revamping my blog... at least the first time I mentioned it to my family out-loud.  

In February... everything was CRAZY! We experienced our first Snow Storm and the boys had their first taste of a snow day! There was actually snow non-stop for 3 days! The picture above was from the first day... maybe I should have shared the last day where our car was buried?! LOL

Spring Football for Little Man and Spring Soccer for Goalie also began, although it did not look or feel like spring at all! This was their first experience with sports in Colorado.

We also enjoyed a fun Super Bowl party (again with my amazing cousin, Sheldon) and he was pied in the face MULTIPLE TIMES because of his Super Bowl bets.

I also made the big decision to bring back my blog and renamed it, Pinot Noir and Prayers!

In March... We enjoyed our first Easter in Colorado! Unfortunately, we missed Mass because I was new to the whole "defrosting your vehicle before you can drive it when it's freezing outside" thing. I learned some valuable lessons in cold weather living.

This is also the month we surprised the boys and redid their entire room with Star Wars bedding and decor! They were the happiest little boys in the world!

Our first Easter in Colorado Springs was absolutely amazing and a wonderful way to end March.

In April...  we were able to enjoy the outdoors more and I spent more one on one time with my baby boys. We did a lot of Kids in the Kitchen and Clean Eating too.

This was my final month as a stay-at-home mom. I did Nanny a few times during the week but it was only for a few hours. I volunteered at the school as much as possible and finally got Goalie back on track for his therapies.

In May... we attended our first ever baseball game! It was an awesome experience! Check out Colorado Rockies: Our First Baseball Game for more pictures and fun. 

This was the end of the school year for the boys and the beginning of our first summer vacation in Colorado. I began my new job this month too!

We also enjoyed a Kentucky Derby Party. 

In June... we always celebrate A LOT! We have Little Man and my husband's birthday plus our 2nd Wedding Anniversary and Father's Day all within two weeks! It was Harry's 31st and Little Man's 9th birthday this year and we celebrated them together with a Finding Dory theme and went to watch the movie as a family.

We bought a membership to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and went on several breath taking hikes, including the Seven Falls. 

 In July... Little Man was able to train as an Altar Server at our new parish. In Florida, he had already been serving for a year so he was excited he was able to start in our new church too!

This month was full of Reading, swimming and working out!

In August... we had a 4th grader and a kindergartner! This was the start of the boys first full year at school in Colorado. 

My husband and I made a promise to plan dates to have special time together too.

This was the month I was invited into The Zelie Group and it has been an amazing experience so far!

In September... our family grew! We adopted two more cats, Shadow and Cloudy because we felt that they would be special additions to the family even though they were 10 and 6 at the time of their adoption. We were right! You would never guess they were older because they are just as active as our spunky 2 year old cat, Lemon!

We had our first experience at the Labor Day Lift Off!

We also became a scouting family and joined the Cub Scouts! We have a Lion Scout, which is a pilot program, so we are one of the first! And a Webelow! I'm still new at this so I would love some suggestions on how to help the boys with their badges etc.

We attended my cousin's wedding in Kansas and Little Man was an Altar Server! I also volunteered to be a catechist at the church.

In October... we finished our second seasons of football and soccer! Both boys had an amazing season! They learned so much and made some amazing friends. 

I received my first Little Catholic Box this month as a gift from my dad! 

The boys received their Cub Scout uniforms and attended their first big event as a Scout, the Boy Scout Centennial Campout! They shot BB guns for the first time and made their very own emergency cable bracelets. 

This was Goalie's birthday month and he turned 6! To celebrate we visited Diana's Pumpkin Patch and the boys even earned a Cub Scout Patch for completing the corn maze!

We were forced to buy a new car this month as well because our older one decided to crack an engine block while my husband was driving home from work one night.

This was our first Halloween dressing up together and we decided on a Star Wars theme: Little Man was a Flame Trooper, Goalie was Captain Rex, my husband was Darth Vader and I was a Storm Trooper. It was so much fun, I can't wait to plan another family costume.

In November... was filled with amazing food! We were blessed to attend a Friendsgiving and still do a traditional Thanksgiving at home and invited new friends to share the experience with us! 

We also participated in our first Turkey Trot (yes, we did dress like turkeys!)

Let's not forget...Goalie lost his first baby tooth!

This month was the end of our OFFICIAL first year in Colorado. We have learned so much and are ready to fill this next year with more neat experiences!

In December...there is so much to share, I barely know where to begin!

I was asked to join the committee at church to help with our Parish Faith Nights and this month was my very first one! It was Advent themed and we made Craft Advent Wreaths and sang songs.

I won a Mass Box during a Giveaway and hosted my first ever Giveaway during December!

We attended the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Electric Zoo Safari as a family! So many beautiful lights and even got a chance to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus while we were there.

Goalie was in a Winter Musical Production called the Big Chill at school and both boys won awards for Outstanding Student and their participation in the 100 Mile Club!

I also have found myself pulled into the Bullet Journal craze and am currently working on my first ever Bujo and adding some Liturgical Pages and trackers along with so much more!

To end this month, I was able to watch my children sing in the Christmas Eve Christmas Choir and it just made my heart so full, I could have burst! There were so not so fun things that we endured this year but as you can see, the good far out weighed the bad! And it will continue to be that way as long as we realize all the amazing blessings around us and never forget what is important! How was 2016 for you and your family? I hope it was filled with many blessings and that the upcoming year is even more amazing. You still have a couple more days before the end of 2016... let's go out in a bang! I am linking this with Revolution of Love.

God Bless!

{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. 

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!

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

{JEI}: Do Small Things with Great Love

Welcome to another week of Just Enough Info with The Zelie Group. This week we are discussing all about chores. I don't know about you but whenever I think about all the household chores and daily to-dos, I think about Saint Teresa of Calcutta. One of my most favorite quotes of her's is "Do small things with great Love."

 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

Warning the images in this post CAN NOT BE UNSEEN! Here are my answers to this weeks Just Enough Info Questions:

1. What chore should you be doing now instead of answering this question?

Well this is a loaded question! We are preparing to travel to attend my cousin's wedding in Kansas this weekend and boy are there a ton of chores I should be doing right now! This includes but trust me is not limited to laundry, dishes, grocery shopping and packing!  I mean you have to have clean clothes to pack on a trip right? And you probably don't want to have a sink full of dirty dishes making your home smell amazing while you are gone for a weekend. The biggest thing I really need to get done is grocery shopping! Not so much that I stock the pantries before we go but so that I get drinks and snacks for our trip. We are a very frugal family and it saves us a ton to bring food instead of stopping at fast food locations every couple hours. Plus it is much healthier to eat food prepared from home than the greasy mess from the traditional fast food locations. Now that I am thinking about it, I should probably clean the boys bathroom. I don't know how it is in other families but I am starting to believe that my boys are attempting to create artwork from their tubes of toothpaste and soap. It covers their entire bathroom! I clean it at the beginning of every week but by the end of the week it looks just like it did at the beginning. The never ending cycle.

2. Do your kids have chores? If yes, what’s your chore system?

Yes, Yes and Yes! Both of my boys have chores. I think it is important to teach my boys that teamwork, responsibility and accountability are necessary to grow into responsible and hardworking men. Little Man is responsible for: cleaning the litter box, taking out the trash, making his bed, and cleaning his room. Goalie is responsible for making his bed, sleeping in his own bed every night, picking up his toys and emptying the bathroom garbage can. Everyone in the house is responsible for putting away their folded clothes, putting away dirty dishes, completing homework and being respectful throughout each day. 

We utilize a chore chart and monetary reward system to incentivize the boys to complete their chores and they are reminded frequently to do what is right. We also give extra cash when it is evident that it is deserving. For example, I received a message from Little Man's teacher earlier in the week that he has the highest grade in Math in his entire class! Goalie also impressed me while we were shopping earlier in the week and he didn't get upset when he was told he couldn't get a toy. He simply put the toy back and continued with us throughout the shopping trip without another word about it. Both boys earned extra for these great milestones. This reward method works for our family the best!

3. If someone gifted you a housekeeping service, would you use it?

Oh goodness! I would LOVE to use a housekeeping service! The only way I would ever use one is if it was gifted though. I am way too frugal to spend the money on it even though the relief of stress would be so amazing to know I could come home to a clean and sparkling house. Everyday is normally a mad dash to complete most of my everyday chores in between other responsibilities so everything looks "half-done." A gift like that would save me an enormous amount of time... even if it was only for one day. I would use the free time to take a nice long nap or enjoy a bottle of wine while I read on my patio. It would be like HEAVEN ON EARTH!

I am so blessed. I have an amazing husband that works hard, I have two amazing boys to love and grow with and I have a great job that allows me to work and still be available to be with my family as necessary. I would be lying is I said I don't get overwhelmed with juggling a work schedule, sports, doctor appointments, fun family activities and household chores because I do! I have to plan my menus so I know I have time to cook and that I have the ingredients necessary to make dinner. This doesn't include laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping, the bathrooms or anything else that needs a good cleaning. I am sure it is the same for every other family but a girl can dream right? 

Well that is my take on Just Enough Info this week. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Please Join us and Link Up with your answers to this week's questions about Chores:

1. What chore should you be doing now instead of answering this question?
2. Do your kids have chores? If yes, what’s your chore system?
3. If someone gifted you a housekeeping service, would you use it?

Next week we will be discussing Mom Self-Care and here are the questions:

What is your mom beverage of choice? 

What do you do to relax? 

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

I can't wait to see how everyone answers this week.

Linkup Party Rules:

1. Please follow each of the party hosts in at least one way.

2. The blog that you are linking must be Family Friendly.

3. Link the individual post, not the main page of the blog.

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