Christmas 2009

Each month, when my new issue of Magnificat shows up in the mail, I can barely contain my excitement! Today, it was finally time to open the plastic and take both booklets out to enjoy! Right away, I was stopped dead in my tracks while reading the first paragraph:

In the Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden, the Blessed Virgin Mary says, "When I was nursing my Son, he was endowed with such great beauty that whoever looked upon him was consoled and relieved of any sorrow he may have had in his heart. And so, many people said to one another, 'Let us go to see Mary's Son, that we may be consoled.'"

So, let us all go to see Mary's Son this Christmas...and may we all be consoled.

Not done.

Still working on getting my holiday theme going....haven't decided yet what to do. Still working on it....thanks for your patience!

Christmas Tree

We purchased our Christmas tree on Friday night. We don't often get it this early, but since Dan was working at the tree lot, we had all the best ones to pick from. It's been hanging out in the back yard where we keep it watered and where the weather has been cool. However, the weatherman said today it would be about 74 degrees here! This will not be good for the tree. I think I need to get it in the house sometime this afternoon.

These are really special trees...that come all the way from North Carolina. They are also blessed trees! Father blesses every singe tree when they are first delivered! In addition, they send home a prayer that should be said by the whole family when the tree has been put up and decorated. The Men's Club runs the tree lot and they have committed to saying the rosary for the intentions of every single person who purchases a tree!

The picture above is our tree from last year! Does anyone else out there HATE putting on the lights?? I've been so tempted to get an artificial tree with the lights already on it. Because by the time I get the lights on it, I'm disgusted and really don't feel like decorated the rest of the tree! But alas, there is nothing better than the smell of a fresh Christmas tree....it permeates the whole house. I love it!

Well, enjoy the rest of your weekend and Happy Advent!

****Pictures from our First Sunday of Advent to follow later******

I need to know....

Is it any better for my Firefox users????

Here's the answer.

Well, thanks to SAHMinIL.....I now have the answer as to why some of you are seeing a blue background! Apparently, the new template that I chose is not compatible with Firefox. However, when using Internet Explorer...it is the white background that shows up.

I apologize for all of my Firefox people out there. I will change all of the writing to dark colors in hopes that you will still visit me here. When my "computer whiz" husband gets home from working the Christmas Tree lot at our church, I'll ask him if there is anything I can do...short of removing the template. Hopefully, we can work it out...if not, I'll be looking for another template that is compatible with Firefox too. I don't want my "peeps" to not be able to enjoy their visit!

Help.

Just a quick question for all of my blog readers.....

I've had several people tell me that it is hard to read my new blog layout because it's a blue background and blue writing. I must tell you....my background is not blue. It is white with very pale blue circles all around it. My writing is a dark navy blue. Does anybody know what the problem may be. In the meantime, I will change my post color to black because I want you all to be able to read what I write....I mean....that's the point of a blog...right???

It's weird though, I've never had the issue where it looks one way to me and another way to all of my commenter's. Very Strange!!

Food Hangover!

Are you suffering from it too? We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast at my dear sister-inlaw's
home! If I counted correctly, there were 24 people in attendance. There were two turkeys, one 11 lb ham, 2 sweet potato casseroles (one with marshmallow topping and one with a pecan topping), mashed potatoes w/gravy, corn, green beans, stuffing (in-bird and out-bird), dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, tons of appetizers, 2 pecan pies, 2 apple pies, 1 chocolate silk pie, 1 pumpkin pie, cranberry tarts, brownies.....and.....a craft table to help keep little hands busy!
Phew!!!!

I know everyone had a wonderful time! My sister-inlaw did a beautiful job with the table and the food! I'm so thankful that she opens her home to all of her crazy family! It was a perfect meal for a perfect day.

After we ate, and said good-bye to some of the guests, we headed out for the annual "walk" we take down to the river. I wasn't able to go last year because I was in the middle of chemotherapy and had very little energy. I must say, this was the highlight of my day! We drove down to the entrance to the park. There were so many of us, we had to take 3 cars! The trail is beautiful and winds down to the river and a really long wooden pier! It was cool and windy, but the sky was blue and the sun was bright! As a matter of fact, I'd still be there today if it wasn't for the fact that Olivia had a bathroom emergency! We passed by two other families taking their own holiday walk.

I have so much to be thankful for this year! I have been diagnosed as "cancer-free", I have a wonderful husband, precious children and my family and friends are second to NONE! We still have financial issues, work issues, school issues and minor health issues.....but they are all very small and insignificant in the grander scheme of things. The bottom line is....God has allowed me to exist, to have everything that I do in THIS time, for a special purpose and a special mission!
Right at this very moment (while the girls are watching Dora, my son is on the other computer taking care of his Webkinz animal, and my husband is over at his parent's house helping to build a deck), I couldn't be more grateful to the God of all creation!

Life is a miracle....ALL of it! The good and the bad! I am overwhelmed with God's love for me! As rotten as I can be, He loves me and wants the very best for me! Imagine that! Do you know what? He feels the very same way about YOU!

Wallow in your gratitude today! Let His love and grace wash over you! KNOW it's there, even if you can't see it or feel it! REJOICE!

Dancing for the cause....

I know that October was Breast Cancer Awareness month...so this is a little late, however, I saw this video and I couldn't resist. VERY cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for so much in my life....my health, my husband, my children, close family and friends. We are so blessed! I pray that you spend this day thanking God for all that He's bestowed upon you....that's what I'll be doing!

Tonight's dinner

Tonight, we're having breakfast for dinner! We do this at least once a month! It's convenient, easy and the kids love it. I found a really good recipe for French Toast Casserole. Here's the recipe:

5 cups bread cubes (I had one lone whole wheat bagel that I included)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (I substituted 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup pumpkin spice eggnog!)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp margarine, softened (I used butter)
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter an 8x8 dish. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, 2 tbsps sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Dot with margarine. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine remaining 2 tbsp sugar with 1tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

I can tell you that right now, my house smells like cinnamon and vanilla! It's been a cloudy, gray, cool (NOT cold) day here in Jacksonville! This is the perfect meal. No school tomorrow for the kids (although I do work)! Perhaps we'll put in a good Christmas movie tonight and snuggle on the couch in our pjs. Enjoy your evening!

***have any of you noticed that I post about food.....A LOT???*****

I'm Done!!

Comment moderation....ON!

****Peejay Li......neener, neener, neener!*****

Where have I been???

Ok, I'm almost 45 years old! Ice cream and I have had a close relationship for most of those years (as opposed to the love/hate relationship that my scale and I have). I have attended many ice cream "socials". I've topped my ice cream with hot fudge, hot carmel, marshmallows, bananas, M&M's, sprinkles, whip cream, crushed up cookies, and chocolate chips! I've even had gummy bears on top! But, I have one question....

WHY HAS NO ONE EVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ITEM???????

Have any of you ever had this over your ice cream? Am I the only one in the world who knew NOTHING about this wonderful stuff! Where in the heck have I been? I tried this for the first time on Saturday night.......I'm in love!

Shameful!

Are you all aware that one of the victims of the Ft. Hood...um....massacre was pregnant? I would like to acknowledge Judy from benmakesten for pointing this out to me! As a self proclaimed "news junkie", I'm ashamed that I wasn't aware of this. I've done some simple research and here's what I found out:

The pregnant victim, 21 year old Francheska Velez, was scheduled to go on maternity leave just two short weeks after this massacre occurred. She was an army private who had just returned from Iraq. I also read that she recently reenlisted. Strangely enough, she had said that she wanted to become a Psychologist to help other soldiers deal with the stress of deployment....just like her murderer!

Clearly, there were 14 victims that day at Ft. Hood...not just 13! Will our society EVER acknowledge that unborn children are living, breathing human beings that deserve our protection? I suppose that if we can't even say openly that this killer is a "terrorist" and subscribed to a radical ideology that puts American lives in danger.....how can we possibly acknowledge that a life is a life, is a life, is a life....even if it's unborn.

Like Judy, my heart is heavy!

Preparing for the season!

I realize that I will probably be scolded by some of you for starting the Christmas/Advent discussion before Thanksgiving! If I were to be brutally honest right now, I would tell you that I've been listening to Christmas music both at home and at work for several weeks now. It's a weakness of mine. As far as I'm concerned...we could skip right through from December 26 to September 20 every year. I love the sounds, smells and wonderment of late fall and early winter. I think also, this time of year brings up for me the most wonderful memories of my childhood. Sometimes the responsibilities and worries of adulthood can be a total drag!

As a result of my over zealousness, I want to share with you some really fun places to visit. If you find any of these sites helpful to you.....I'm so glad! If you have a place that you visit regularly during this holiday season, please feel free to share them in the comments here and then I will add updates to this post with links! It is my hope that these places bring as much joy to you as they do to me! Enjoy!

1. Our house can't have a holiday season without remembering our dear St. Nicholas. We love St. Nicholas in our house and he stays on my mind all through the year as he is the patron Saint of children! The older my kids get, I try to focus on St. Nicholas' Day as the day for receiving gifts and Christmas as the day we give to others as Christ did for us! We are working slowly towards that goal...and eventually, we will get there. In the meantime, if you have never visited the St. Nicholas Center, you are in for a treat. You will find recipes, prayer cards, cookie cutters, books, movies, banners and tons of other things you can use to celebrate this wonderful saint. Here is how we celebrated this feast day last year! Enjoy!

2. Another wonderful place to visit during this season is O Night Divine! Here you will find Advent/Christmas feast day celebrations, prayers, novenas, music, books, online shopping and tons of other resources! You will never get bored clicking through this site. Please bookmark it and keep it in your electronic library!

3. From the O Night Divine site, I ran across the No Panic Advent Series from Karen Edminsten! This is the real thing! She has done a terrific job of giving you fun yet simple activities to get ready for the season. She has a "favorite advent book" section that I love! You can't miss these great ideas!

4. If it's food and/or menus you are looking for.....I'm going to give you a few suggestions of places to visit.....first up is Foodgawker! Warning: this site is full of scrumptious, delectable photos and I wouldn't visit here unless you have already eaten! There are endless food blogs represented here and I'm sure that with just a smidgen of effort, you can find the exact recipe you are looking for! Incidentally, while drooling over the food photos, you can also find a link to another site called Craftgawker! Enjoy them both!

5. Another great food site is Catholic Cuisine! All of the wonderful women that contribute to this site with their recipes and ideas, wanted a place for the world to be able to celebrate the feasts and the season of the liturgical year! There are many resources on this site as well. I have tried several of these recipes and I was not disappointed.

6. One more cooking/food site that I have found is Mennonite Girls Can Cook! Again, this is a place filled with ideas, photos and resources. They also do giveaways and contests! I am so grateful for woman who are willing to share their ideas with others.

****If you have any ideas or sites of your own, please leave me a message and I'll be happy to post a link to it in an update for this post. In the meantime, enjoy your preparation for our coming Savior!*****

Aggravations!

Apparently, I'm going to have to start moderating comments! This really aggravates me!
I didn't think it was possible to actually spam comments! These "comments" are showing up on posts from months ago...even one from over a year ago! In addition, they are from "anonymous". ***sigh****

I would say that about half of you whose blogs I read/comment on regularly, have enabled comment moderation. I'm going to give it a few more days. If I get more of this...I'm moderating! I've always felt that people should be able to say what they want to say about what I've written. I'm not afraid of disagreement! Just don't use my comment box to sell your pharmaceutical products! Anyway....how do you fellow bloggers deal with this?

We have great kids!

I have the greatest kids! Last Sunday, on our 12th wedding anniversary, they brought me breakfast in bed (Dan was already up)! We had gone to mass on Saturday night, so we weren't in a rush to get to church. After my lovely breakfast of a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter, apple juice and cheese crackers...and after I sipped my first cup of coffee, they brought us a card.

I'm sorry that these pictures are so bad! The front of the card just says, "Happy Anniversary".

Nathan was the artist for the wedding cake! The next part cracks me up......when you open the card, it says "Thank you for getting married"! Isn't that cute?

Wordless Wednesday

PET Scan results....

From the official "preliminary" report (as opposed to the official "final" report):

1. Negative whole body FDG PET study with no findings to suggest recurrent malignancy.

2. Postoperative changes of left mastectomy. No residual hypermetabolic activity evident within the left chest wall. No evidence of axillary or more distal adenopathy.


I'm now going to go throw up....and then have something cool and refreshing to celebrate!!

12 Years Ago....

Twelve years ago today, I married the man of my dreams! Nothing I have ever done has been so right. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.....he has stuck with me through it all.

I am the most blessed woman in the world.

UPDATE:In about an hour....

My PET Scan is this morning. I'm not even sure what to say about it...except that I'm so scared I feel like throwing up! I'm really hoping that the results are ready quickly.....I have a hard time waiting. Thank you all for your prayers!

UPDATE: The scan itself is over. It went well...although it was closer to the experience of an MRI rather than a bone scan or a cat scan. I kept it together without any kind of anxiety medication. Hooray for me! I'm not allowed to have the kids too close to me for about 24 hours. Apparently, that's how long I'm "radioactive". They say it will be 5 days until I get the results, but because I work there, it will be less. Now.........we wait.

Thank you all for your prayers....the mean so much to me.

An Important Message from God!!!

Recipe Swap Thursday

Fall is pecan season here in the south! We have two pecan trees in our back yard! Because of the cute but obnoxious squirrels, we rarely get to enjoy them. This year was no exception. I'll have to buy mine at the store....like I always do! Here are two pecan appetizer recipes....

Chili-Lime Pecans


Stir together 2 tbsp. lime juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp ground red pepper. Add 3 cups pecans; toss. Spread in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes or until pecans are toasted and dry, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.

***These were great...a little spicy, but really, really good*****

Cream Cheese and Olive Pecan Bites

Stir together 3 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup finely chopped pimiento stuffed Spanish olives, 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Spread onto 40 large toasted pecan halves; top with 40 large toasted pecan halves, forming sandwiches.
***I have not yet made these, but it's on my list for this Thanksgiving****

Please visit Therese for more wonderful recipes!!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Thank You!

Please pray....

Over the last several weeks, I've been dealing with some abdominal pain. I've not done much about it because it hasn't really gotten any worse. It is on the right, lower quadrant (RLQ). I think the appendix and lower intestine is in that area. I have no female organs....unless it's adhesions from my surgery in February.

Anyway, I spoke to the oncologist today. He said that since I already had a PET scan scheduled for December 7th....he thought it should be moved up so we can take a look at what's going on. They had an opening for Friday (THE 13TH!!!!!!) but I decided to go with Saturday the 14th at 9am. I don't know what the test will show....hopefully nothing, but please pray that I can handle whatever it shows and that I will not lose faith!

Thanks.

I am so blessed.....

It is such a wonderful blessing to be a part of the Catholic blogging community! These men and women have truly touched my life! If you are a blogger, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean. It must seem strange, to my non-blogging readers, that friendships can be formed and can grow without ever meeting face to face.

I want you to meet someone one of these women who I have grown very fond of....her name is
Easter Almuena! Easter lives in Hawaii. She is a wonderful, faithful, Catholic woman! Easter has several blogs.....you can find her at Mostly Prayers, A Tribute to our Priests, as well as Eucharist and Rosary Novena! She is also a pretty darn good photographer! I especially love the photos she's taken and posted of the native flowers of Hawaii! I've even used a couple of those photos here on my blog!

Most recently, she has written a book!!!


It is called "Serving God Joyfully"! You can read a wonderful review from Esther at A Catholic Mom in Hawaii by clicking here!

You can order this book by clicking here! I encourage you to visit Easter at one of her blogs!

Blustery Day

So there I was, in the parking lot of Walmart, loading my groceries into the car. I was having a serious discussion with myself about whether or not I really needed that Pumpkin Spice Jello Pudding mix, when all of a sudden, a gust of wind came and......................................................

well, I was wearing a skirt.............and, well..............................I just pray no one had a camera, otherwise, I'll end up on that "People of Walmart" website! Oh, the horror!

***warning: I would consider that above mentioned website to be "iffy" as far as appropriateness goes....so I didn't provide a link***

Pink Prayer Book

Recently Dan and I took a trip down to St. Augustine to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of LeLeche. The grounds there are so lovely...so peaceful! We love it there! Anyway, they have an absolutely fabulous gift shop! As I was browsing....I came across this little booklet. What a great gift this would make for someone dealing with breast cancer!

On the back of the book:

Inspired and written by breast cancer patients and survivors and their mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, PINK Prayer BOOK is universally evocative. Prayers, Scripture, and quotations offer support for women moving through diagnosis and treatment toward recovery and the hope of lasting remission. The joyous voices in PINK Prayer BOOK lift hearts as they ask for God's healing and never-ending love.

Edited by Diana Losciale and with personal reflections by Patricia Corrigan--author and breast cancer survivor--this collection represents the heartfelt thoughts and deeply personal prayers of women whose strength and faith can inspire each of us.

It's been a little over one year since my diagnosis and yet it seems like yesterday! The whole reason behind "treatment" is to survive cancer.....to be "cancer free"....to live. There's much literature on treating cancer....but not enough about surviving. How do you live with cancer in your past? How do you live with the possibility of a recurrence? How do you cope with the emotional baggage that is now a permanent fixture in your life? I think the title of this book PINK Prayer BOOK/Coping, Healing, Surviving , Thriving is a glimpse into how to do that! THRIVING....now there's a term I hadn't thought much about before finding this book. However, THRIVING will be my focus as I begin my second year of SURVIVING!!

If you're interested in this book....visit http://www.liguori.org/ and order a copy.....it's also available in Spanish!

I'm looking for the humor......

Why is it that I've NEVER spilled hot dog juice all over the place.....until today.......about 6 hours after I mopped and scrubbed the floor? Please tell me why!!!

Why does God allow this????

"They really wanted to increase the number of abortions so that they could increase their income"--former Planned Parenthood Facility Director.

Click HERE for the entire, disgusting story.

Our Fall....so far!

Let me be clear.....we have NOT had much fall weather so I am loosely calling this "Our Fall"! Still, I thought I would share some of what has been going on in our house!

First of all, I wanted to share about Amelia's progress in school! She is doing so well! In her Kindergarten, they have what is called the "Lollipop Club". Each month, they must meet a certain goal. When they meet that goal...they get a lollipop! The first month was color words, the second was number words (1-10) and for this month, it's the first set of 16 Dolch words. Today is November 3rd and Amelia has already made her goal for this month! I keep the words on flash cards and I try to display them somewhere so she can see them often! I am so proud of my little girl!!

I did my November saint/special day calendar (you can find the post about last months calendar here). It turned out ok. There were lots of great Saints to choose from for this month, but I tried to stick to one or two per week. Because tonight was a soccer practice night...and the fact that Dan has class....we didn't do much for St. Martin de Porres. This month, we will focus on praying for all of our deceased relatives and for all of the souls in Purgatory.

Last month, the goal for the kids was to learn the St. Michael the Archangel prayer, by heart! Since we still haven't exactly mastered this yet...I will keep the prayer posted so we can read it daily.

This is our 2009 Thanksgiving Tree (the 2008 tree can be found here). I decided to buy our tree this year, courtesy of Oriental Trading Company (and for only $8.99). I know that this took half of the fun out of it for the kids....but I just didn't feel like cleaning up little pieces of cut construction paper off of the floor for the next 2 months. Besides, now we can really concentrate on our gratitude! (Like craft time with the kids......)!

One other great part of this Thanksgiving Tree kit is that it came with pre-made leaves! Boy am I lazy this year!

This was my first try at carving a pumpkin with a stencil. This was great fun, but I ended up with a blister on my finger!

This one was a lot easier....and a lot more traditional!

Here was our crew of pumpkins (and kids)!

Amelia was Belle!

Olivia was a fairy princess......of some kind!

And Nathan was dear old Harry Potter!

Dan decided it was time to get rid of the little kiddy swings and build a real swing set in the back yard. He did a really good job. I don't have pictures of the finished project as of yet, but here's a shot of Nathan helping his dad. Like father, like son.

Here is the newest member of our family (no, not Olivia). Our Dodge Caravan is pretty much at the end of the road. It has become unreliable...especially driving the kids around. Dan has been looking around for a truck for awhile now and although it doesn't do really great on gas....it will be a big help when Dan does the roof this winter (once the weather actually cools down).

Olivia seemed particularly fond of the new truck. By the way, it has a back seat that fits the three kids (and car seats) really well!

We also celebrated Olivia's 4th birthday! I can't believe she is 4 years old! I've said this before, but I think God should fashion children with "Pause" buttons....so you could slow them down just a bit every now and then to enjoy a particular stage a little longer!

Coming home from running errands one day, Dan and I found this little guy trying to cross the street. We stopped and helped him along....although I can tell you that this Snapping Turtle did NOT want any help!

Doesn't he look prehistoric?

This little critter also decided to pay us a visit recently! What you can't see is the HUGE lizard that was waiting for him. I don't really know who won this battle....but about an hour later, there was no sign of the praying mantis.....but the lizard was licking his lips!

And lastly...Nathan has really been into creating Star Wars vehicles with his Legos. The other night....he fell asleep (in his clothes) with his latest creation in his hand. Isn't he cute?

So, that's what has been going on at my house...what about yours?

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today....Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Outside my window......total darkness-the "fall back" hour is much appreciated in this household!

I am thinking.....about my wonderful friend Michelle and the tragic loss of her mother on Friday.

I am thankful for.....my children, my husband and my faith.

I am wearing.....San Francisco 49er pajamas.

I am remembering.....all that is on my schedule for this week (let's hope I keep remembering and don't start forgetting).

I am going....into work early today.

I am reading....nothing right now (waiting for my hold from the library).

I am hoping.....that our family can remain healthy and that all those struggling with illnesses may be comforted.

On my mind.....my mom.

Noticing that.....it's already 5:36am and I need to get going.

From the kitchen.....I have absolutely no idea--perhaps instead of hoping for health, I should be hoping for the dinner fairy!

One of my favorite things......weekends with family.

A picture thought I'm sharing....

Blessings on this All Saints Day!

Today is observed as a Holy Day of Obligation for faithful Catholics. The priests (wearing white) will say prayers in honor of the Holy Saints...even those not listed in the official church calendar.

"All Saints' Day enriches the faith of all who observe it. When we honor the saints, we actually give glory to God. Pray to the saints and invoke their help and intercession."
-- Unknown Catholic Official

It was originally known as the Feast of All Martyrs in memory of the martyrs in the early Church who died for their faith in Christ. It has evolved into a solemn observance during which the Church remembers all who have died in the faith.

Today...I would like to specifically remember the following....

My dad (Michael G.)
My mom (Dianne J.)
My niece (Clare W.)
My niece (Rachel W.)
My friend (Robbi A.)
Teachers (Sister Diana Hupp, Sister Madeline Carey)
All of our babies lost through miscarriage

May the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.