Ash Wednesday 2015!

"Remember thou art dust". Today marks the beginning of Lent, a season which is shaping up to become my favorite part of being Catholic. Its like as Catholics we have a second chance at New Year's resolutions, but with more of a purpose. That and it prepares us for Easter...CHRIST WILL BE RISEN! There is a certain word that starts with an "a" or and "h" depending on how you spell it that I want to say now but I can't. Anyway, took the girls for their ashes this morning. Sadly we got very lightly swept so you can barely see them...so much for getting to witness throughout the day! Oh well, still excited for these next 40 days!

Thanks grandma!

Bath time!

0.5

Dear, sweet Maelie!! Our little baby fatso...you are six months old today! I simply CANNOT believe it! Time has flown by. I keep treating you like a newborn infant hoping you'll stay that way, but that is not the case! I think you've surpassed your big sis in the chubby cheek/chubby thigh department! You've definitely not matched up with her sleeping skills though. You just love eating so much that you do it all through the night too I suppose, hence the chubby award. As of now your hobbies include teething (although you're not drooling as much as you used to), grabbing EVERYTHING (sissy doesn't like when you pull her hair! She says: "no no no Maemae!"), sitting up, falling over, rolling over and you're just starting to enjoy tummy time! Your smile looks like you're trying to swallow an elephant it is so wide and round! You love dance parties with the family. Sissy dresses you up in a "pretty pretty" and we all spin around the room while you throw your head back laughing! You are ticklish in your thighs and neck. YOU are just a bundle of joy! Everyone around you instantly falls in love with you. Mommy is almost tired of hearing the exclamation: "your baby is so calm and happy". I am so grateful for you. In the midst of the whirlwind that is your sister Colette, I enjoy our little nursing time together, our quiet time while she naps, and all our snuggles. You are such a sweet girl and I love you SOOOO MUCH!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Dear Mom, Seeing as you're about the only person who reads this little blog of ours, I wanted to write you a little note to tell you how much we love you! Thank you, first and foremost for participating with God in creating my dear, sweet Adam. I can't imagine life without him and that is all because of you! Second, thank you for my daughters, who since they came from your son, wouldn't exist without you. Because of those three gifts from you to me, I find so much joy each day. So this day, your birthday, my gift is a little one...a thank you. Thank you for all you do for your family-for your prayers, your love, your concern, your care, your waking up at 4:00am to do laundry or make pumpkin pie (hopefully with sugar this time!), your working at Lowe's so as to come visit your favorite son and daughter-in-law in Michigan and, again, YOUR PRAYERS. I realized over our visit to you all for Thanksgiving that you hold the family together, you complete it and bind it. The times we were there, with everyone, except for you...they just didn't feel right. Your family needs you so much. We ache for the love you give. Thank you. It is so good that you exist. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Am I in or just playing Church?

So yesterday was the first day of our Vicariate Mission for Livingston County. Lucky for us, the host parish is our dear St. Pat's standing at barely five minutes from our home. Also lucky for us, the parish is providing childcare. The following three nights I'll get to partake in some great talks without the distraction of my wild child! The speaker is Deacon Poyo (From FUS!) and oh my goodness, he is a talented speaker. The topic last night concerned focusing in on "faith" rather than following rules. Among other things, he spoke of the need not to do good so as to get to heaven but rather to do good merely as an after effect of one's being so deeply in love with God and in relationship with Him. Adam and I both took a lot out of the talk, but as I have been puttering through my day, I find that that thought has been overtaking mine. Do I do good merely for a Heavenly reward? Can I say I have a personal relationship with Jesus? I can, ashamedly and confidently admit that I do not. I haven't given everything over to him, I know that for sure. The deacon ultimately ended the first talk with an analogy. He told the story of the man who walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. He gathered quite the crowd as he did the walk over several times, each time making it more difficult with some new obstacle. He walked across it pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks. Everyone cheered him on-thousands screamed his name. Lastly he said he would walk across with a person in the wheelbarrow. Everyone cheered until he asked for a volunteer. No one spoke. God is asking us to get into His wheelbarrow, to surrender everything and trust that He'll get us to the other side. Yes, this is an awesome analogy, but it wasn't this that hit me so much as what Dcn. Poyo said next. He gave examples of the different people and different levels of trust and faith in God each one has. I knew when I heard mine: I put one foot in the wheelbarrow. God starts pushing and I yell at him "stop! I'll lose my footing and fall!" This. Is. Me. I think I'm doing what God is asking. I bend the rules just enough so that I'm "in the wheelbarrow". But I'm not giving God everything. I'm holding things back. Once in a while, I venture enough to jump all in into the wheelbarrow, but I jump right back out after just a moment. I don't want to do this anymore. I can't do this anymore. There is no way I can lead my family to the Lord if I'm not all in myself. If I can't trust Him, how can I teach my daughters to? I'm so scared. I have no idea how I am supposed to surrender. It is something I have tried to do before. And I've failed at it a million times. But its not just me anymore that I have to worry about. At the moment of their conception, both my girls began living in eternity. How can I convince them of the truth that this time on earth is but a moment? How can I foster in them a desire for and an understanding of a relationship with God? Lord, show me how. Convince me. Show me how You love me. Set afire in me a flame burning for You and You alone. I know I have everything backwards. I know I can do nothing on my own. But I know I can do all things through You. Lead me Lord. Lead my family.

Another happy girl!