A Better Day

I did have a better day today. I had a talk with both of the people who I was upset about yesterday and things have improved. I was upset with two of the people dearest to my heart and I was having a hard time dealing with the anger I felt. At Mass today, I lifted up the anger to God and asked Him to please help me deal with it and in both cases, He did.
I always struggle with my prayer life when I'm angry about something. I tend to think of anger as being something bad but I know I need to get away from that feeling. It's not the anger that's wrong, it losing your temper and/or acting in an inappropriate way with it that's wrong. I need to learn that lesson. Growing up, anger was always thought of as a bad thing at my house and I know it's because my poor mom had to deal with her father's alcoholic temper. I don't blame her, she was just reacting to the trauma of her childhood and never had anybody to help her really deal with all of it.
So I need to get past that mindset and know that just because I'm angry doesn't mean I'm being bad unless I act in a sinful manner because of it (and I must admit that sometimes I do lose my temper in those situations.) In one situation yesterday I did lose my temper and yelled (which I felt really bad about and apologized for) and in the other, I kept praying for the Lord to help me with the anger and He did and hopefully, I didn't handle it too badly.
I guess that's a bit confusing...
But anyway, thank you for the prayers sent my way. I do really appreciate it and I know those prayers helped me.

I'm off to bed. We're having Mark's family over for New Year's Day and I have a lot of work to do tomorrow plus the homeschool moms are having a Mom's Lunch out, which we haven't done in over a year. I'm really looking forward to that.

A blessed peaceful night to all......I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day of the year.....

I had a crummy day.
It started crummy and it ended it crummy and inbetween wasn't too great either.
I want to write about all the crummy stuff but I guess I shouldn't. I'm just going to bed.

God bless...

Christmas Weekend

The last few days have been very busy....
Our Christmas Day went very well. We actually had sunshine for a change...a beautiful day. My parents were healthy and we were able to spend Christmas dinner together at my sister's home.
Friday we spent a bit of time cleaning up our house after the mess and I made a huge batch of barbecue for dinner today. We had Community Mass in the evening and then went to friends' home afterwards for some Christmas cookies and a lot of fun conversation.
Saturday found me up early to morning Mass. I came home to Michael making marvelous omelets...they were wonderful! I told him he can make me an omelet any time his little heart desires. I spent the afternoon with grocery shopping and getting ready for today's dinner. Last night found us at a local pub listening to Will's Irish band.
Today was 11AM Mass and lunch out afterwards. I had invited Will's band to our house for dinner so they arrived around 5. They decided to turn it into a recording session using our piano. So all evening they have been singing and playing Christmas carols. Many beautifully done....
The only problem is that it is now almost midnight and my dear husband has to get up at 5:45 to go to work. I really didn't expect them to go this late and I'm hoping he can sleep. He put in the earplugs he uses when he goes shooting and hopefully he will be able to drift off. If he can't sleep, I guess I'll just have to kick them out...hehe....

I hope all of you have had a blessed Christmas weekend....may you sleep tonight in the comfort of His gift of love..

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

May you know His peace and joy.......

What a day....

First we sadly received the news that our sister-in-law's father died. This is Suzy's dad and Jack's grandpa. Losing someone at Christmastime is so difficult. I had a baby brother who died in a tragic freak accident (before I was born) five days before Christmas and it was always such a sad memory to carry every year.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.....

This morning while Mark was in the shower, Michael and I were downstairs talking. We could hear water dripping madly somewhere and started looking. Here water is dripping out of the ceiling of our front hall closet, right under the shower stall in our bathroom upstairs. I run upstairs to tell Mark to turn off the water and Michael grabs a bucket and towels. Lovely mess.

Next my brother Bill calls to tell me that both of my parents are sick with a stomach bug of some sort. We had plans with them for tonight which included dinner. So all day I've been saying prayers that they will be better for tomorrow and Christmas Day. Every year I find myself wondering if it will be their last Christmas and I hate the thought of them spending their last Christmas sick.

We spent the day finishing up a few shopping chores, baking cookies, and wrapping presents.
We did go to noon Mass and now I'm going to finish up my day here by saying my rosary.....peaceful time with our dear Lord....

A blessed, restful night to all.....may you sleep in the comfort of His peace....

An Early Christmas Present

Wednesday night our darlin' children gave us an early Christmas present....
They presented us with tickets to see the Nutcracker last night, a gift certificate for dinner at a restaurant downtown including tip money, a gift certificate to Graeter's for some ice cream after the ballet, and a night at one of the hotels downtown. We had a room on the top floor with a view of the river...very nice. They also gave us some delicious rolls and orange juice for our breakfast.
It was wonderful...
I rushed around yesterday trying to get some things finished and packed up an overnight bag for us. Beth drove me downtown to pick up Mark from work and she dropped us at the hotel. We checked in and Mark got dressed up for our evening (Beth had already worked her magic on me at home). We walked to dinner and had a wonderful time there....our meal was great. Then we walked to the ballet. They had bought us tickets in the balcony but when we arrived, they exchanged our tickets for ones on the floor...even better! That was the first time I had ever seen the Nutcracker performed and it was beautiful.
We walked to Graeter's afterwards to enjoy our ice cream and then walked back to the hotel.
We slept in until 9 and enjoyed our breakfast in bed. We checked out around 11, went to the Art Museum to do some Christmas shopping, went to noon Mass downtown, ate some lunch, did a little more shopping on the way home and arrived home around 2:30. I hated to see it end....
Now back to all the craziness here but it was a lovely break....one I'll long remember...

December memories

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted. Life has been crazy.
I've been having a mixed week....moments of that pre-Christmas joy and moments of being heavy-hearted.
I realized that it was a year ago today that I saw my brother for the last time before he died of cancer. The weather has been the same and it feels like those days when he was here to me. Memories and emotions are such amazing things...
For those of you who remember our little nephew, Jack....his grandpa is now dying of liver failure. Suzy flew out to Arizona last Saturday to be with her parents during this time. Very difficult...especially since the other two children's birthdays are both this week and she's been away. It's bringing back memories of our Jack dying and David too.

Hopefully, I will find some time to write some more later this evening...something more cheerful. Now I need to figure out what to have for dinner and get things ready for the piano tuner who's coming at 6.

A blessed day to all....

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....

My house is beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
My Christmas cards and everything that goes with mailing them are laying on an end table in the living room.
Christmas lights are strewn about the living room in piles depending on whether they need new bulbs or not.
Some lights are up outside.
The candles are in the windows.
Bags, boxes, and packages are piling up all over my bedroom and the kitchen counter.
The suit bag that I keep the Christmas wrapping paper in is lying on the living room floor.
That nice pre-Christmas mess....hehe......

I spent the morning at the hospital with my mom. She needed several routine tests done that had to do with her heart condition. It was a long morning because we thought we were going to get a break between tests and be able to get breakfast, but that didn't happen. So we were all pretty hungry by the time we left.
I did get a lot of schoolwork finished with John while we were sitting there and I did take my book along so I was able to enjoy a little of that too.
I also managed to make homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner which everybody at my house loves. We spent dinner tonight absolutely laughing our heads off. Beth was in a silly mood and she got us all started. Dinner took longer than normal simply because we were laughing so much. I probably ate less than normal which is a good thing....hehe....

I hope all of you have had a blessed Wednesday....may you sleep in the comfort of our dear Lord's love....

Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

A blessed Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of our dear Blessed Mother to all....

Isn't that a mouthful? hehe...

Twenty-two years ago today we brought our Beth home. They called us early on Friday the 5th to let us know that we had a beautiful baby girl and we spent the weekend in a mad dash to get ready. Then early Monday morning on this glorious feast day we went to claim our precious new daughter. I was sooooo nervous and happy and scared all at the same time. Our social worker when we adopted Beth was a bit formidable at first but once we came to know her, I really liked her. She was the social worker we dealt with for Beth and Michael....and I wish we could have had her when we adopted John. Life would have been so much better that year.

It was raining that day and we're having rain today too but this time it's freezing rain....lovely! I'm hoping that the temperature goes up enough that it isn't too bad driving to go to noon Mass. I'm taking a break from school today for the holy day. Michael's co-op was switched from today until tomorrow so I'm resting up today. I'm not feeling my best...I think I'm fighting off a cold. I had a million plans for what I wanted to do today but I think I'm going to take things at a slow pace instead. I guess God had other plans for my day.

Here is the prayer from the Magnificat's Advent Companion for today. I wanted to share....

"Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, sustain my efforts to persevere in the good. Obtain the grace for me to flee the horror of sin and to embrace the good of virture. Help me to remain always united with you, my loving Mother and Immaculate Queen."

A blessed day to all.....

Schooling blues...

I've been having a frustrating time with teaching my John lately....Wednesday was a really bad day. So bad, that I just sat here and cried a bit.
When we adopted John, he was 21 months old. He had the skeletal size of a nine month old and weighed 14 lbs. He looked pitiful. Absolutely no body fat anywhere (even his little rear end..it was perfectly flat..no curve to it at all). The back of his head was flat from lying down all the time.
He had no teeth, no growth hormone in his body, and his digestive tract was lacking in some necessary enzymes because they had shut down production due to severe malnutrition. It made changing his diaper an adventure for months.
Our pediatrician looked at me at John's first visit and asked me if I seriously wanted to do this.
Of course, I did. He was Michael's biological brother; the answer to Beth's First Communion prayer and the answer to my prayers for another child.
I had to remind myself of this over and over that first year....it was horrible. Our social worker was terrible....absolutely no help at all. In fact, she made things more difficult. I was so glad when the adoption was finalized and I didn't have to deal with her any more.
Schooling him has been a struggle. I've taken him to a tutor who has her master's degree in special education who told me repeatedly that he is much better at home with me than in the system. Last year, when I took John in for his yearly checkup, that same pediatrician told me that he is amazed at the progress that John has made...that he is much better than he expected him to be. I keep trying to console myself with those words.
But teaching him is a struggle....his progress is extremely slow. I go over and over the same things with him before he learns them. These last two years, he's really slowed down in math which used to be his strong point. As long as it was arithmetic where I could show him the concept of addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc., he could learn it and after much practice, he was able to do the problems. Now it is becoming more abstract and he gets lost. I can show him how to do a type of problem and he can do it at the time, but come the next day, he forgets and I have to start all over again. Very frustrating. I have tried lots of different programs and lots of different methods, but the progress is always slow.
I finally have him reading around a 4th-5th grade level, but I still have to read his history, science, and religion to him to help him retain it better. Reading is still a slow process for him.
Several well-meaning relatives have suggested I send him to school, but I really don't think that anyone is going to sit there and spend hours trying to teach my Johnny. They simply don't have the people and the time. But of course, I have moments of doubting myself.
I guess I didn't worry about it so much several years ago, when adulthood still seemed far away for him but now he's 15 and I'm thinking about the fact that in three years, he will be 18 and adult age. Right now he's a 15 year old with a 15 year old body and 15 year old hormones, but around 10 years old emotionally and mentally.
Mark and I talked about it some the other night and we guess that I will just have to try to keep teaching him beyond the normal age and pray that the dear Lord sends a job that he can do. I have to trust that He has a plan, but some days I get so sad for my Johnny and so frustrated that it has to be this difficult.
Give me a trusting heart, O Lord....

A blessed Friday to all....

The Night Sky

If the sky is clear at your house, look to the southwest sky. In the early evening, you should be able to see two bright "stars" close together. They are the planets Jupiter and Venus....beautiful! The "star"to the left is Venus, and the one to the right is Jupiter.
Right now, the moon is just a bit to the upper left of them.
An awesome sight to behold.....it is unusual to see two planets so close to each other and these two are the brightest planets there are, so it's even better.

A blessed, peaceful evening to all....

Wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend

This Thanksgiving weekend has been wonderful.....
The weather for the last three days was absolutely beautiful until today with rain and snow coming later.
Last night, as the sun was setting, there was a beautiful crescent moon with Jupiter and Venus close by to each other. Awesome sight indeed....tomorrow night, they're supposed to be all very close together, but it's supposed to be snowing here, so I don't think I'll get to see it.
Thanksgiving Day went beautifully and dinner was a hit. I used the old china and after everyone left at 10, Mark and I washed it all up and put it away. Happy day...
Friday we went downtown to noon Mass and then out to lunch and to the train display at Duke Energy (where Mark works). A family tradition for us. Friday night, Mark, John, and I went to Adoration and then out to a coffee-ice cream-shop with friends. Another pleasant day.
Yesterday, I spent doing things around here all day. Then Mark and I went out to do some Christmas shopping and a late dinner. After we returned home, we sat up with Beth watching a movie.
Today is a rainy one....
We went to 11 AM Mass, out to lunch and then back home. Beth baked Christmas cookies while I kept Will updated on the Bengals' game....another loss! Will and his friends are driving home from Omaha today. They borrowed my minivan, so I'm going to be up waiting for them to come home. The weather has been bad for them...driving through snow in Iowa. They are two hours behind their usual time and traffic is still very slow, he's texted to me, so I know I'm in for a late night. The weather is supposed to turn to snow here later.
But I would rather have him back late as longs as he stays safe. I've been praying for them all day...

Advent begins....I absolutely love this time of year....

A blessed, peaceful first Sunday of Advent to you all......

A Happy, Blessed Thanksgiving Day to all!!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

I'm in a mad dash to get ready for Thanksgiving. It's at our house this year and the head count for dinner is up to 20 and may go up again to 24 or so...hopefully, I will know today.
For some wondrous reason, I'm excited about doing it all this year. I went to the grocery store last night and I felt downright festive going through the crowds of people doing their shopping for the holiday meal. Mark was home cleaning the carpets which is getting to be more of a challenge since they are almost 19 years old and we really live in these rooms. He finished washing the first floor windows on Saturday, so the house should be basically clean come Thursday. Wednesday shall truly be the mad dash..
I've decided that I'm not going to care that my sister-in-law who has a gorgeous home is coming. My first floor is in need of painting and redoing, but I'm not going to worry about it. All I'm going to care about is that everyone is here and that we have a good time. I don't have beautiful centerpieces and decorations about like she does every year, but that's her, not me. Not that I wouldn't like having those things, I just don't have the time at this stage in my life and I'm not blessed with her creativity. So I will pull out Mark's grandmother's china, and my great-great grandmother's china and I'm not going to worry if something gets broken...it's meant to be used and enjoyed.
What I really wish I had was one of those double ovens...too many things that I would love to be able to put in there come Thursday!

I am thankful to our dear Lord for these happy feelings....now I just have to get off here and get in gear...

A blessed Tuesday to all.....

Letting go....

Sometimes I can't believe that I am beyond the middle years of my life....a new stage is coming. I feel its presence.
I look at my parents and know that I am watching them slowly fade away from me.
I look at my children and know that they too are slowly letting go of my hand.
The pain that separation brings is bittersweet.

Mark and I slept in late this morning and when I woke up, for some reason, I remembered back to the Saturday mornings when our young children would pile into our bed and wake us up.....the days when I would be carrying one little one and holding another one's hand.
I look at my grown-up daughter and remember the baby clinging tightly to my neck...sleeping contentedly upon me. The little girl who was always so happy when I returned home from a rare excursion forth from her. She once told me that the smell of my perfume always made her feel safe....when I would come home from an evening out and check in on her tucked in her bed, she would think happily to herself, "Mommy is home. I am safe."
But I have had to learn to let her go....to release her hand.
Lately I am feeling the pangs of letting Michael's hand go....he is tugging it away and I feel the tear in my heart.
I look at John and feel the missed first two years and how difficult it was to help him take hold of my hand...that it was only through His grace that it happened at all and I know the day is soon upon me when he shall pull his hand away too.
I think of the "son of my heart" our dear Lord gave me more than seven years ago and the pain that comes with never having been privileged to have held his hand at all....

They are a gift....these hands to hold....these hearts and souls to love...a precious gift.

Happy Birthday Beth!!!!!!

Twenty-two years ago today, our beautiful daughter was born. She was the answer to my prayers....almost nine years of longing for motherhood.
What a wonderful gift the dear Lord gave us!!!
Mark always would say when we were struggling through infertility and waiting on the adoption process that "Good things come to those who wait." and he was right.

Today she has her first job interview for a nursing job at Children's Hospital. She will graduate in May and they start the process already. A little nervous way to begin her birthday! But I know she will do great....

May our dear Lord always guide your footsteps.....

A Mixed Weekend

Beth's team did themselves proud. They did lose, but it was 1-0 in double overtime. They held them off all through regulation play and through the first overtime. The parents from the other team were shocked and the coach from the other team told our girls that they were all surprised. They had expected it to be an easy win. Our girls played with a lot of heart.
Beth's foot caused her a lot of pain, but she stuck it out and played all 103 minutes of the game. She and I both cried at the end. We had begun to hope that we were going to get a little miracle and pull off an upset, and it didn't happen. But mainly it was because it was her last game ever...

She rode home with the team on the bus and she and I kept texting each other throughout the seven hours. I knew she was depressed and it was a bit depressing to me also. The weather on the way home was terrible too. We drove through rain the whole time and after dark, it began to be foggy in some places and the glare on the wet road was terrible....a bit stressful.

We had left to go to Michigan on Thursday afternoon. We stopped for dinner in Anderson, IN and as we were leaving, a beautiful full moon was rising. I was able to enjoy its beauty for the next few hours....its light shimmering on all the little lakes and ponds we saw on the way. I said my rosary in the car and it dawned on me then that it was my normal evening for going to Adoration alone and this feeling of longing to go just overwhelmed my soul. The desire to be with our dear Lord filled my heart....

Yesterday, Beth and I spent most of the day shopping. Her birthday is on Wednesday, so I said we could shop for her birthday and do some Christmas shopping. I asked Mark to pray for me before we left....I absolutely loathe most malls. I always sense evil there....
We spent most of the time in Macy's which wasn't too bad, but when we were out in the mall, I felt it. The music is always unnerving to me, even the so-called Christmas music they were playing...music with no beauty. Disturbing to my soul....

Today we went to 11AM Mass and then to churchhome this afternoon....a blessed time....a peaceful day.

I hope and pray that all of you had a blessed Sunday....filled with the gift of His joy....

Leaving today

We're leaving this afternoon for Michigan. Her game is at 11 AM tomorrow, so we figured it would be best to leave today and stay overnight versus getting up at 3 AM to drive there in time for the game. The weather is supposed to be 45 degrees and showers at game time....sounds like fun! If they win by some miracle of God, then they will play again on Saturday but from all reports, this team is a nasty one, and they haven't lost a game yet this year. I just hope Beth doesn't come home hurt worse than she already is! Her foot is feeling a lot better. She rested it through Tuesday and finally practiced again yesterday after they taped it up and put a huge cushiony thing in her shoe which she says helped a lot. Thank you for all of your prayers!
There's so much more I would like to write, but it will have to wait until a different day. Hopefully, Sunday afternoon I will have time to put some of it down. So many stresses in our lives these days, it seems. Jesus, I trust in You....

I will be quiet here until at least Friday night or Saturday. May our dear Lord bless you all through this time with His peace and strength....

On to Michigan

We just found out that Beth's next game will be on Friday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We had hoped it would be at Otterbein College in Columbus only 2 hours away, but they're in a different bracket. They're playing the team that is ranked #4 in the nation and they're awesome so we're going to need a little miracle to win this one. Beth's team has been able to win because they have a really good defense and Beth has been able to score when they've needed it. No one else has scored in a tough game in a long time, so Beth is feeling the pressure and hoping that someone else can come through and score this time, especially if her foot is still bothering her a lot.
Beth's foot is feeling a bit better today, but she's taking a break from practice for a couple of days to rest it. She says she is playing no matter what!
It will be exciting.....we've never been to Michigan before so this will be a first. I only wish it could be in summer instead of late fall! If they do win, we will have to stay and she would play again on Saturday. I guess we'll have to pack an overnight bag in case that happens. I'm really hoping that it will at least be a close game so that it isn't embarassing....

A blessed Monday to all.....

Another win...

Beth's team won today, 1-0 again, and once again Beth scored the only goal. Unfortunately, however, she is hurt. Her foot had been bothering her since Tuesday's game and today the pain was really bad. She scored her goal in the 27th minute of the game and several minutes later, the coach pulled her because she was limping. They taped it up during halftime, but it was still bad. She tried letting her play for a few minutes during the second half, but not long. Since the defense was able to keep the other team from scoring, her coach didn't feel the need to put her back in, so she rested her.
So they won their conference tournament championship and go on to the NCAA Division III tournament, probably on Wednesday. They will decide by Monday where and when the game will be. Meanwhile, she's going to try and rest her foot and hope that it's a bit better by Wednesday. She keeps saying she's going to play Wednesday no matter how badly it hurts. This could be their last game and her last game ever...
The pain is below her big toe and runs down into her arch...she says it a different pain than any other she has ever had in her foot. I'm worried that she fractured it, but she says she just wants to play....ATHLETES! What can you do with them?

We have a birthday party to go to tonight and I desperately need a nap. I hope all of you are having a peaceful, blessed weekend....

God comforts us at Mass today....

Today's first reading for Mass is so appropriate....I think our dear Lord is speaking directly to us here....He is comforting our hearts with these words and encouraging us to fight on....what a blessing!

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 2:12-18:

My beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be innocent and blameless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain......

Sad night

Well, it's a good thing Beth's team won her game last night....it was the only thing to be happy about.
We also lost our good and faithful congressman....absolutely breaks my heart.

Dear Lord, have mercy on us.

Beth does it again....

Beth's team won!!! She scored the only goal of the game with about 10 minutes left in the game. Very exciting!!!
We move on to the conference final on Saturday.

A blessed night to you all....

Another brag post

Woohoo! Beth was just named her conference's Women Player of the Month in all sports! She's the third woman player from her college to ever win player of the month and only the fourth woman soccer player in her conference to win player of the month.
Way to go, darlin' daughter!

A Big Day

Big day today....
I've already voted absentee and I'm glad because the pictures on television of people lining up to wait to vote are unbelievable. I used to work in the polls with my mom (I always got stuck being presiding judge too) and I am looking at these lines and I'm so glad that I'm not working. Anytime there was a line, people would be in bad humor by the time they reached you, and the poor workers would always get the brunt of their anger.
I spent a bit of time in church yesterday praying. The boys and I went to 8 AM Mass. Then John and I went in the afternoon while our parish was having Eucharistic Adoration for the election and Mark and I went last night for a while. We were the only ones there and we prayed a rosary together for our country.
May our dear Lord have mercy on us all....

Tonight is a big game for Beth....the semifinals for the conference tournament. If they win, they move on to the conference finals on Saturday. If they lose, it will be Beth's last soccer game and will be very emotional.
Beth has had a big week. After last week's big win, she was named to ESPN Magazine's Academic All-District's First Team. This is for academic excellence (she has a 3.8 GPA) and for excellence in soccer. This puts her in the running for All-American. She was also named her conference's Player of the Week again for her game-winning goal last week.
Tonight will be a big night around here. We will come home from her game to watch the election results. I hope that I'm not as tired as I have been these last two evenings. I guess it has something to do with the time change, but both nights I've been ready to go to bed before 10 which is rare for me. I'm usually a night owl. Last night I was asleep by 11 and I didn't get up until 8 this morning...

A blessed Tuesday to all....may you be comforted by His loving presence....

Happy All Saints' Day!!

We've had busy Saturdays with soccer these last two months and now I have a free Saturday....my to-do list is so long that it's overwhelming! So I'm prioritizing and starting through it. I have a few things checked off already and I have the afternoon and evening to hopefully check off a few more.
It's a beautiful day so washing my first floor windows is on my list. Our house has 27 windows so sometimes it seems overwhelming trying to get them washed...unfortunately, it ends up being only once a year or so. Since I'm having Thanksgiving at our house, I want to get the living room, dining room, and kitchen windows all washed...they need it!
Mark and I started our day with Mass this morning and then Mark made pancakes for all of us....awesome!

I hope all of you have a blessed, holy All Saints' Day!!!

A Game-Winning Goal

Beth's team won!!! It was so exciting....the score was 0-0 and we were in our second overtime, sudden death.
With a little over two minutes to play, someone passed the ball to Beth and she scored! Not only did they win, but we had the joy of Beth scoring the game-winning goal.
I yelled so much tonight, I'm hoarse. It was really cold outside during the game, only in the 30's and we were out there for over two hours, but it was worth it. The team they beat was ranked 25th in the nation, and fourth regionally, where Beth's team is not ranked nationally and is ranked 8th in the region. This team is our biggest competition every year and it was the first time in Beth's four years that they beat them on their field.
Next Tuesday, they will have the seminfinals for the conference tournament.

A peaceful, restful night to all....

Heading to Lexington

We're leaving in a few hours to drive to Lexington to Beth's soccer game. This is a big one! This game will determine if they finish the conference in first or second place. Beth is really nervous, poor darlin'! She knows her team is depending on her to score and she always gets fouled a lot because of it. Last Saturday, the game was so nasty that way, her coach finally took her out because she was afraid she would get injured and she wanted her to be able to play tonight.
I just pray that she (and her teammates) play their best and don't get hurt.

A blessed, peaceful Tuesday to all....

Praying for our country

I just finished saying a Divine Mercy Chaplet for the election. As I prayed, it came to my mind that I have never felt such a conviction that an election could be as important as this one. I feel the forces of evil are heavy at work.
Every time I think of the Freedom of Choice Act that Obama wants to push through if he is elected, I feel a bit sick, thinking about the babies that will die and their mothers who will be spiritually destroyed or damaged, perhaps without even realizing that it is happening to them.
I think how they want to force medical schools to teach young doctors how to perform abortions and how they want to force doctors and nurses to perform them against their consciences.
How can a man be supportive of killing babies who are born alive, despite an attempt to abort them? How could anyone look at a helpless baby and leave them to die? It pains my heart. I can't help but feel that there is something wrong with a person who condones such an abomination. How can we even think of having a man who thinks like this lead our country?
I pray that our dear Lord have mercy on our country. I pray that His will be done. I keep remembering Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom...

Andy

We've had a relaxing day....
It started out with 11 AM Mass and a quick lunch out. Then we went up to Xavier University to watch the men's soccer game. Last summer, at our Bible Institute, we met a young man (Andy) who is a student at XU and on their soccer team. He's from Idaho, and he wasn't able to go home for the summer (in fact, he hasn't been home since last Christmas). He took a class on teaching the Bible and we started talking to him and took him out for lunch along with our friends Paul and Denise. His parents are immigrants from Romania and had to endure all sorts of things there because of their Christian faith. His parents have not been able to ever come here to visit or see him play (and this is his junior year) so we decided to go to some of his games and be his "family". So two weeks ago, Paul and Denise, and some of their kids, Will, Mark, Michael, John and I went to his game, and then today, Paul and Denise, and five of their kids and Mark and I and our boys went. After the game we took him out to dinner and spent over three hours there talking about different things and learning more about him and his life. He is a very nice young man and has strong moral values and beliefs. He is attending college on athletic and academic scholarships. We really enjoyed his company. Afterwards, Mark, Paul, Denise, and I were talking and decided that we are going to find some way to get his parents here next year for at least one weekend. Usually when they play at home, they have two games...one on Friday and one on Sunday. So we're hoping to get them here on one of those weekends next year. He really misses them and is so excited about getting to go home for Christmas. He has a younger brother who really misses him too. I can't imagine being his mom and only getting to see him three weeks a year....breaks my heart to think about!
We arrived home about 8 o'clock and now I've been catching up on some reading and have talked to Denise several times about what we can do to get Andy's parents here next year and some other things we can do here to help him out.
It's been a peaceful, blessed day.....
I hope and pray that all of you have had a joyful Sunday....filled with the His peace and love....

Novenas for the election

Tomorrow I will be joining a group of people who will be saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday until election...that the dear Lord will have mercy on our country and give us the president we need.
Then Monday I will be starting the rosary novena to Our Lady of Victory that Fr. John Corapi has recommended that we do also for the election.

I feel our country is at a crossroads. So much is at stake and so many lives hang in the balance. Innocent human lives.

Dreary Friday

I'm in a contemplative mood today...
It's dreary and raining....one of those days where the temperatures become colder instead of warmer.
I was up early taking my mom to the hospital for some blood tests and now even though it's only midday, I'm ready for a nap. I think I'll curl up on the bed for a while and take one, then proceed with school for the day. I need to finish up with Michael today because we will be gone all day tomorrow for Beth's soccer game up near Toledo.

I find myself thinking about life so much lately. I keep reading everything about the election and I keep praying that our dear Lord will have mercy on our country....that He will not permit the progress that's been made in the prolife movement these last years to be swept away. The possibilities of what's ahead are daunting when I think of them.
But I keep remembering that He's in charge...it's all in His hands....and so I pray.

Last night Mark and I heard some of our neighbors fighting....a rarity here in our normally peaceful neighborhood. The couple sounded as if they had both been drinking and they were standing outside screaming at each other. They are new to the neighborhood and keep to themselves. I know they have young children and I found myself wondering if they were awake and listening. The woman kept screaming "I hate you!" to him and he just kept mumbling back to her. Lots of profanities started pouring out and finally he went back into the house.
She stood outside crying and then started taking a brick and throwing it at his car, hitting the sides. It seemed she was taking out all her frustrations throwing that brick....
Finally her sobs grew quieter and she went back into the house and turned out the lights.
I felt so bad for her.
Today the house seems quiet....the cars in the driveway are gone...and I wonder how they're all feeling.

Off to my nap....a peaceful, blessed Friday to all....

Today when I tried to talk to the person mentioned in my last post, I said that they were hurting my feelings, and their answer was "I can't help how you feel."
Wow....that just felt like another stab in my heart.
I don't think they meant it exactly as it sounded, but it sure didn't feel good to me.

A beautiful day here...the sky is bright blue and the air is so fall-like. I'm trying to enjoy it because the next three days are supposed to bring gray skies and rain.
The trees this year are definitely not the beautiful fall colors we're used to.
I have to be content with the beautiful days instead. I can't believe that tomorrow is only a week until Halloween. The month is flying quickly....
I'm off to take a walk with my darlin' husband...then return for a simple dinner, some schoolwork with the boys, and going to Adoration for one of the best hours of my week.

A blessed evening to all.....

A welcome, peaceful Sunday....

It's another beautiful fall day here and we're enjoying a quiet Sunday.
The past week has been another crazy one as my lack of blogging shows. Tuesday we went to Beth's soccer game that was 70 miles away and that took up the afternoon and evening. They won 3-0 and Beth scored the third goal. John went with us and I did school with him in the car.
Wednesday, I had to take my mom to the hospital for tests, followed by Mass, some schoolwork, laundry. Then for the evening, Will's Irish band was in town so we went to hear them play. That included the exciting announcement that Will's sister, Liz, is engaged to be married. So hopefully, we will have another wedding to go to next summer.
Thursday was it's normal craziness plus I went to a jewelry party hosted by my sister-in-law. I ended my day by going to Adoration for some late evening prayer....always a blessing.
Friday was spent doing my normal Friday things plus getting the boys' haircuts, doing a mailing for our ministry, and going to Adoration with Mark in the evening.
Saturday was nonstop rushing. We attended a funeral Mass in the morning for the mother of a friend. She was the mother of 11, including having a son who was a priest. He, unfortunately, had died 7 years ago of cancer, but we were graced with the presence of a dozen priests concelebrating. It was a beautiful Mass...
We rushed from Mass to go to Beth's soccer game which was also Senior Day. Unfortunately, Beth did not feel well at all and so some of the joy was taken from the day for her. She played the entire game but I don't know how she managed. They won 1-0, but the whole team did not play their best. At halftime, the seniors were honored and Mark and I walked out on the field with her. They read out all of her accomplishments playing soccer these last four years, including her GPA of 3.8, the highest on her team. Her teammates gave her gifts and Mark and I brought her red roses. My sister, Paulette, attended, along with my brother, Bill, and his wife, and my brother, Chuck, and his wife, Kathy, (who is Mark's sister) and Mark's sister, Terri, and her husband. So she had a big cheering section and I would have enjoyed it so much more if only me darlin' daughter had been feeling better.
After the game we went home and I made a quick dinner since we hadn't eaten all day. After dinner, we took Michael to a party and then Mark, John, and I went to a fundraiser for some friends of ours. After we left our party, we went to pick up Michael at his party and arrived home about 12:30 AM....I was exhausted!
Today has been blessed with simply going to morning Mass and spending a peaceful afternoon at home.
I have a big pot of chicken noodle soup on the stove, simmering away, and it smells heavenly....

Tomorrow will be another busy Monday with Tuesday being another soccer day. Beth's game is 150 miles away, so the afternoon and evening will spent going there. Once again, John and I will doing school in the car. In the last 5 weeks, we have put over 3000 miles on my van...something which usually takes about 4 months.....so you can see that we've been doing a lot of soccer game driving. We're so thankful that gasoline prices have gone down these last two weeks...it's really helped the budget!

A blessed, peaceful week to you all....may you be strengthened in the knowledge of His love....

Brag post

Me darlin' daughter has been named her conference's Woman Soccer Player of the Week!!!! Woohoo!!!!
Way to go, Beth!!
She really has worked hard and deserves this....I'm so proud of her!!

A beautiful fall day

What a beautiful day it was here!!!
Mark and I got up early to drive to Beth's soccer game in Anderson, IN. It was a perfect day to go....the trees are beginning to change color and the sky was that gorgeous blue that October brings.
Beth's team won their game 7-0. She scored the seventh goal.....it was a very frustrating game for her. She was fouled many times, pulled down by her shorts and shirt, kicked in the face, and got a split lip. Crazy....and not one foul was called. She was so happy to get that goal....
Usually her coach doesn't let them run up the score that high, but she was annoyed by how nasty the other team was playing and the fact that the refs were letting them get away with it.
Mark and I went out to dinner alone tonight....the first time we'd done that in several months. The boys were out all day to a corn maze and park with Mark's sister and her husband.

My mom did come home from the hospital. They still don't know what's wrong with her, but she feels a bit better. She still has the headache, but it's not quite as bad. None of the pain medication they've tried seems to help. I think she's resigning herself to living with it.
I ran a bunch of errands yesterday that I had been wanting to do all week, went to Adoration, and made dinner for my parents (and us), and did a ton of laundry.
Hopefully, next week, I can get back in gear with my schoolwork with John....we only did the bare essentials this past week.

A blessed, peaceful Sunday to you all.....

dust in the wind....

What a week I'm having! One of those where I feel as if everything is totally out of my control. I know the good Lord is teaching me something. Though my week has not gone at all like I planned or hoped, I do have a peace about it all.
My own little personal crisis and the whole world around us seems to be floundering, but His peace is here.....

We are but His flowers that fade.

A restful night to all.....

Update

Shortly after I updated this morning, I received a call that my dad had called an ambulance for my mother. She had gotten up with the bad headache again and her legs were numb and she couldn't walk. She was shaking so badly that she couldn't stop and my dad became frightened. She said she felt like she was in a haze.
When the ambulance arrived, her blood pressure was high, but they couldn't find anything else wrong. They took her to the hospital and once again, they ran a bunch of tests, but still they can't figure out what's causing her symptoms. The pain is still bad and her legs still somewhat numb, but her blood pressure came back down to normal, and she hasn't had a stroke, which was their first thought. They decided to keep her overnight and do some more testing tomorrow. It's so frustrating and sad to watch her in so much pain and nothing seems to help.
Thank you again, everyone, for your prayers. They mean so much to me....what a gift you all are!

I had another day of little schoolwork finished and I know I will spend a good part of tomorrow at the hospital again.

A blessed, peaceful night to all....

Thank you for the prayers for me and my mom.
She did stay home last night. She decided that since the tests were all negative, she would just try to deal with the pain at home. Her doctor was going to call her again today and check on her. I'm going to stop in after Mass and see how she's doing.
Busy day ahead....lots of errands to do and schoolwork to catch on since I didn't get any finished yesterday. I am thankful that day is over.

A blessed Tuesday to all......may you feel the love of our dear Lady of the Holy Rosary.....

My poor mom

I've had a long day and I'm dead tired but I came home to the news that my poor mom isn't doing well today. She always has a headache....she's had that problem for over ten years now....a constant headache that doesn't go away and nothing helps. The doctors can't find a reason for it.
Today, however, she woke up with a terrible headache, so bad that my dad said she just kept crying and that's not like my mom at all. She went to the doctor who sent her to the hospital for some tests, but the tests came back showing nothing. They can't figure it out. They gave her some medication and sent her home for now but I just talked to her and the medicine isn't helping at all. The doctor is going to call at the end of his day, and if she isn't better, he wants to admit her to the hospital. I have a feeling that I'm going to have a long evening.
Please say a prayer for her (and a little one for me too).
God's blessings on you all.....

Better today....

Today the irritable mood was gone but I was crying a lot instead. Another crazy occurrence when I don't even know why I'm crying. I hid it one time but two other times today me darlin' boys were subject to their mother being in tears. I've explained to them that this happens to me sometimes and I'm not sure why I'm crying and they've learned to accept that when I tell them.

Last night turned out better than I thought it would. Steve talked to me all the way downtown to pick up Mark, the most I think he's ever talked to me at one time before...hehe....
After picking up Mark, Steve ended up falling asleep (probably had something to do with our exciting conversation about the economy) and slept the rest of the way.
We got a quick dinner and went to Beth's game which was a good one. They played the team that is ranked 20th in the country and tied them, 0-0, in double overtime. The other team had 39 players and Beth's team only has 20 which makes a huge difference, especially in a game involving overtime. Beth ended up playing the entire 110 minutes, most of it in midfield, and for anyone who knows anything about soccer, playing a midfield wing requires a lot of running.
They were really happy to shut them out and hold them to a tie. It was exciting to watch.
We stopped and got Beth something to eat on the way home and didn't arrive back until almost midnight.
I was so glad that I had said my rosary in the car so that I could go off to bed.

I hope that all of you have had a blessed Tuesday....may you sleep peacefully in the knowledge of His love...

Just do it, Barb

I woke up in one of those moods today...I'm feeling really irritable.
Actually, it started last night.
I hate feeling this way.
I'm so behind on my blogging here and I want to update, but every time I start, I get overwhelmed with everything that's happened these last two weeks and I feel like I'll never catch up, so I guess I'll just start here.
The rest of it is just water under the bridge anyway.

We have been busy going to Beth's soccer games. It's her last year to play and we want to get to every game. She's been doing pretty well. Her team always seems to start slowly and then pick up steam. Last Tuesday she had a game against a local rival that they won 2-1 and she scored the winning goal. Saturday, she had a game in their conference and she also scored the winning goal for that game, plus an assist, so that was awesome.
Tonight she has a game about 70 miles away. The boys don't want to go, so Mark and I were going to go alone and leave a little early so that we could have dinner out by ourselves. We haven't had dinner alone in almost two months, so I was really looking forward to that. Last night, Beth asked if Steve could go with us, so dinner alone is not going to happen, unfortunately. That fueled my irritated feeling a bit.
Then I talked to someone dear to my heart last night and I must admit, I was feeling a bit irritated with them about something which I was trying to let go of, but being in this mood, I said something to them and so I was annoyed with myself. It's strange how I can be okay with something, but once the irritated mood starts, everything seems to irritate me. I hadn't planned on saying anything, but they said something that reminded me of it, and the words slipped out of my mouth without me even thinking about it.
Afterwards, I went to bed and couldn't sleep. I was awake a long time just thinking about things and so now I have a long day ahead of me on only four hours of sleep. That ought to help the mood!!! hehe...
I honestly think it's all fueled by the hormones. It's amazing the effect they can have on my moods.

I just tried to copy some pictures off the internet of the cabin we stayed in when we were in the Smokies, but it wouldn't work. Gee...I guess they don't want any free publicity...hehe...

I should get off here and start the rest of my day. Michael has co-op on Monday which requires going to early Mass. He's already up, but I need to get my Johnny up which is a bit more of a challenge sometimes.
Perhaps, I can sneak in a nap sometime late morning.....

A blessed Monday to you all....