Oh Really?

So, where exactly to the stem cells come from???? (shhhh, don't tell anybody but I think they come from men and women!)

Click here to read the story.

Receipe Swap Thursday!

Sorry I've been MIA the last two Thursdays. It wasn't for lack of wanting to post a recipe....it was for lack of remembering to do it. I guess I can still blame it on chemo-brain!

Here is this week's recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

(This is technically a Weight Watchers recipe. I borrowed the photo and recipe from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes).

Servings: 12 \ Serving Size: 1 oz \ Calories: 63 \ Points: 1.5 pts

8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 fat Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)

1 Tsp vanilla

1 Tsp cinnamon

1 Tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp agave nectar

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. You can easily quarter or halve this recipe if you wish to make less. Use any leftovers for a no bake cheesecake!

This is soooooo good! I've actually never used it on a bagel though.....used it with ginger snap cookies!

Please visit Therese at The Musings of a Mom for more wonderful recipes!!!

Let's play tag......You're it!!!

I was tagged by Mary at The Beautiful Gate.

Six names you go by:
Mom
Mama
Honey
Nance
Nanners
Goat (don't ask!)

Three things you are wearing:
Our Lady of the Streets medal
pink butterfly pajamas
ahem......under clothing

Three things you want very badly right now:
a working washing machine
a quarter pounder with cheese w/fries
for health to be restored to all those suffering

Three things you did last night/yesterday:
went to church
did two loads of laundry at my in-laws house
fell asleep during "Good Eats"

Two things you ate today:
cottage cheese
salad

Two people you last talked to on the phone:
my friend Diane
Dan


Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
go to work
pick up Nathan from choir practice

Your three favorite beverages:
Diet Coke
Coffee
Diet Coke

Now it's my turn and I'm tagging Sarah at So...This is the Road I'm Traveling On and Barb at SFO Mom.

Enjoy!

I would like to introduce you to......

....Chloe M. I've actually never met this beautiful little 7 year old, but I've known her dad for over 20 years. On October 15th, Chloe was diagnosed with an "inoperable brain tumor". I don't know the details of the exact type of tumor but I do know that it is affecting her vision.

Those that love Chloe have asked for your prayers. They have created a wonderful website for you to visit and keep updated on her progress. You can visit Chloe at http://www.pray4chloe.com/!

If you have room for just one more prayer, just one more rosary or one more novena, won't you please offer it for Chloe?

I have created a link on my sidebar, feel free to use it for your blog and link to Chloe's website.

My heart is heavy for all of the recent tragedy in the lives of some very dear friends. I hardly know what to say to them. Sometimes, there are no words to express my sorrow for their difficulty while at the same time, gratitude that things in my house are relatively stable!

I am asking for the intercession of Our Blessed Mother for Chloe's recovery. Will you pray with me?

Kitchen Tip!

Wait for it.....Wait for it.....

Make sure that the sugar bowl is completely dry after washing it before you refill it! Trust me on this one!

Thank you!

Thanks to everybody for their advise and suggestions!

I think that Nathan and I have come to an understanding and he's agreed to drop the subject of this book for now. One of the things that makes me concerned is that his reading level is 3.0 - 5.9. This is a pretty wide range and while I know he can read a book at that 5.9 level, it doesn't necessarily mean that he can grasp a good understanding of what he's reading or that the content is appropriate for a 9 year old.

Nathan's teacher introduced me to a website where I could actually read the book online (www.funbrain.com/journal). I think we'll just stick to some of the biographies that we have on hand for now and see how we do!

Thank you all again!!

Advice needed!!!

Nathan has been begging me for over a year to read the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney. When he first brought it home from the school library, well, I just didn't like the title at all! So, I sat down and read the entire book. I hated it!! For some reason, it just rubbed me the wrong way. I asked Nathan not read it because I thought some of the language and content wasn't appropriate for him. I also told him that there are tons and tons of really good books out there that are much better for him to read. He seemed ok with...then.
Now, it seems, the books have become ever popular again in his class and he has asked me every day this week if he could "pleeeeeeeeeez read it".

I just don't know what to do. My gut says there are way too many other books out there for him to read and that we shouldn't waste our time on such a silly book. On the other hand, I absolutely LOVED the Junie B. Jones books and we read every single one of those. Some say those are just as bad as the "Wimpy Kid" series.

I am truly at a loss folks. If any of you have any advice on how I could handle this...I'd appreciate it. I searched on the internet and found an interview that Catholic Online did with Jeff Kinney. The article seemed to be promoting the book. On the other hand.....Catholic Online tends to be extremely liberal anyway. Soooo, I'm back to not knowing what to do.

Help!

UPDATE-Prayer requests

• For a coworker (RT) whose mom was diagnosed with breast cancer this weekend! He asked me lots of questions about surgeons and oncologists....and it brought back lots of scary memories for me! I'm praying that God would bring peace at this very confusing time for RT and his family. RT's mom had her MRI yesterday and is scheduled to meet with a team of doctors next week. They seem to have a plan and are getting very good advice.....please continue to keep her in your prayers! Thanks....
• For one of my very best friends (CC) whose son (JC) has suffered a terrible bout with croup. For some unknown reason, this virus has attacked his heart and lungs and he is currently on life support (ECMO). He is 6 years old. Please pray for his parents and his little sister (BC). Yesterday, there was discussion of a heart transplant. I believe his most recent test results indicate that they can put that on the back burner for now as there is some improvement. Praise be to God! Great news! JC is off of the ECMO machine!! He is still on the ventilator but he is doing much better and they are discussing slowly waking him up from his drug induced coma. I ask for your continued prayers for JC!!
• For my neighbor (NB) who is currently in the hospital suffering from abdominal pain of unknown etiology at this point. They were scheduled to do an endoscopy today. She has two small children who need their mommy home and well. My neighbor is home and is doing better. The diagnosis as an "infected" ulcer. I'm not sure what the next course of treatment is...but she is home with her kids and her mom has come from Maine to help out! Thank you all for your intercession.
• For a dear friend's little son (BM) who fell off of the monkey bars at the park yesterday and broke his arm. He had surgery last night and it went very well. Please pray for a full and quick recovery! His mom tells me that he is irritating his sisters today.....that's a good sign. The kids and I brought BM some Halloween treats last night (books and a card game) to help keep him busy! He is doing much better today and I'm sure will be back to normal very soon. I think his mom said he would only be in the cast for 3 weeks!

Thank you all in advance for your prayers. My shoulders were feeling very heavy today with burdens of these families and now that I've shared them with you...they feel lighter.

The power of prayer is pretty awesome and I thank you so much for allowing me to share my prayer requests with you!

52 Degrees!!!!!!

It's 52 degrees this morning!!!! I'm so happy! It will probably only last for a few days.....but today, I'm pretending that I live in a place where seasons actually change!

Happy Birthday to my baby!!!

Happy Birthday to my little baby, Olivia! She is so grown up now....4 years old! She was God's last blessing....and she came on St. Gerard's Feast Day! Can it get any better than that???
It's been a very long and busy day, so I'm just now getting around to posting some pictures! I see that I also posted them in the opposite order from the way I wanted them.....oh well.

Olivia on her first day of school in Pre K 4 at Assumption Catholic School!
Olivia's first day as a member of the Church. This is Father Jan Ligeza and godparents Aunt Dawn Widener & Uncle Eddie Christian! The christening gown is one that has been worn by everyone in the family since 1924!

Nathan meeting his baby sister for the first time!

Amelia meeting her baby sister for the first time!

Olivia introducing the world to her lungs!

Mommy kissing her baby! It was love at first sight!!

Duh!

I now know why God made women more fertile in their early years and less fertile in their later years! I'm pretty sure that when raising your kids, it's a whole lot easier to deal with a 9, 5 and 4 year old when you are closer to your 30's than closer to your 50's (like me)! This makes logical sense, but I didn't see it until now!

For instance, this morning was one of those mornings! No one wanted to get up...nobody wanted to eat breakfast and NO ONE wanted to get dressed! As I was flying down the hallway to get someones clothes ready, I bumped into the CD/VHS/DVD shelf....and promptly knocked it over! Five minutes later, I've recovered enough to notice a line forming for the bathroom! I think it's funny how Nathan and Amelia have synchronized bladders! They have to go at the exact same moment! They are finally at an age where they really don't want company while they are trying to use the bathroom (I reached that age 2 kids ago)!

It's now 6:55am and the kids have to be out of the door at 7:15am at the latest! The bathroom is finally free and I'm heading that way! Once inside, I close the door (finally....some space), only to hear Nathan knock...he needs to brush his teeth! Finally, alone again! I start the water....to which I can hear arguing right outside my door! It seems no one can find Olivia's school shoes.
Husband/Dad, son and both daughters stand in the girls' room....look around (without actually moving their feet), don't see shoes.....give up. Olivia is crying and dad is yelling speaking in a loud voice! I open the door (half naked) to give a dirty look and ask what the problem is. Again, Olivia's shoes have disappeared! I'm told they aren't in the living room, bedroom or kitchen! They're lost! I sigh, grab my robe, march into Olivia's bedroom....walk over to the toy chest....look down....and then pick up missing shoes! They all say in unison..."Oh, there they are!"....as though any of them had actually looked for the shoes.

Once in the shower, Amelia comes in to say good-bye. She mumbles something to me, then runs out the door to catch her dad who is on his way to the car. On her way out, she turns off the light! I'm now showering in the dark!

I can't help but reminisce about the energy I once had....long, long ago. Before children, before marriage, before cancer and chemo. While reminiscing, I also realize how blessed I am to have the life I've been given! I think about how empty my life would be without this craziness!

Wordless Wednesday!

Just lettin' you know!

Just wanted to let everyone know that even though I haven't been commenting much on your blogs....I am reading them! It's been quite crazy around here lately....Amelia and Olivia have both been sick...ear infections/flu/strep, and the list goes on. We've also been juggling schedules which include choir practice/soccer practice/soccer games and babysitting for the neighbor kids twice a week!

Sadly, I've also been spending quite a bit of time tending my farm on Facebook! I'm officially mad at any and all that got me started on that cotton-pickin' (literally) application! I guess now I need a Farmville intervention!

Also, I've been reading this great book called The Shunning by Beverly Lewis. It's pretty good and is definitely keeping me interested.

Anyway, I am reading and enjoying your blogs...just laying low. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful and helpful comments to some of my recent posts! I will offer my next Rosary for all of you!

Menu Plans

I know I've said this before....but I'll say it again......menu planning is a definite money saver!!! Each time I've taken a few extra minutes to plan out our main meals for the week, our gorcery bill is considerably less. I only buy what I need for that particular recipe.

About 3 months ago, we began babysitting two kids from our block 2 days a week. JB is 8 years old, and AB just turned 2! I have to make sure that the meals I prepare on the days they come over are quick and easy!

Here are my plans for this week:

Sunday 10/11: Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squashes

Monday 10/12: Spaghetti & Meatballs w/garlic bread (babysitting day)

Tuesday 10/13: Leftovers or pumpkin pancakes

Wednesday 10/14: Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Thursday 10/15: Grilled ham & cheese sandwhiches (babysitting day)

Friday 10/16: Chili dogs (Olivia's Birthday)

I'm so tired of the same ol' thing for dinner. My kids are extremely picky and I find myself always relying on the recipes that I know they will eat. It's time to stop that nonsense! It's time to break out of our eating rut and try some new things, some new flavors! I have decided that at the very least....once per week I will prepare a meal that I've never made before and try to use ingredients that some of us have never tasted before.

I will report back on how this goes.......if it goes.

Have you planned your weekly meals????

The good news...................

My kindergartner is reading!!!!!!!!!!!! Amelia was reading Green Eggs and Ham to her little sister. Nathan was helping her with the "big" words that she found more difficult! I can't tell you how wonderful this made me feel! To see my kids learning and supporting each other....it's this mom's dream! This is also why I WANT TO HOMESCHOOL!!

Now for the bad news......I hate to say it....but this activity grossed mom out BIG TIME! Unfortunately, I just couldn't bring myself to partake!

I guess I should be glad I didn't have any ham!

Question for soccer moms!!!!

OK...here's a question for all the veteran soccer moms out there....

How do you wash soccer socks that have the shin guards sewn into them????

Would it work if I just washed them on a gentle cycle in cold water and not put them in the dryer or do I have to wash them by hand (please God, no!)?????

Thank you in advance for your help!!

Recipe Swap Thursday

I hesitated to include this recipe today because I have only made it once! I loved it! However, my kids are not really the "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" type (except Amelia, who loves pumpkin pie). Dan....well he could take it or leave it. Since this is my most favorite time of year....here's the recipe I'm sharing today.....

Pumpkin Soup

6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dried)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
5 whole black peppercorns (I actually crushed them just a little bit)

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender. Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Please visit Therese for more wonderful recipes.

Our Lady of the Rosary

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope St. Pius V and all Christians had prayed the Rosary for victory. The Rosary, or the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the best prayers to Mary, the Mother of God.

Pope Benedict XVI invites all families to pray the Rosary for the intentions of the Pope, the mission of the Church and peace. "It is as if every year Our Lady invited us to rediscover the beauty of this prayer, so simple and profound." The Rosary, a "contemplative and Christocentric prayer, inseparable from the meditation of Sacred Scripture," is "the prayer of the Christian who advances in the pilgrimage of faith, in the following of Jesus, preceded by Mary," said the Pontiff.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is also the feast of St. Mark, who succeeded St. Sylvester and was pope for eight months during Constantine's reign. He zealously continued the great work of Church organization made possible by the period of freedom from persecution due to the Emperor's conversion. He built two churches in Rome, one of which, the titulus Marci, has become the church of St. Mark, and still exists. He died in 336.

Our Lady of the Rosary
This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the great naval victory over the Turks at the battle of Lepanto on this day in the year 1570, a favor due to the recitation of the Rosary. This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam.
Lepanto, perhaps the most complete victory ever gained over the Ottoman Empire, on October 7, 1571, is commemorated by the invocation "Help of Christians," inserted in the Litany of Loretto. At Belgrade the Turks were defeated on the Feast of Our Lady ad Nives in 1716. A second victory gained that year on the Octave of the Assumption determined Pope Clement XI to command the Feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. Leo XIII added the invocation "Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us," to the Litany of Loretto. The Feast is in reality a great festival of thanksgiving for the signal and countless benefits bestowed on Christendom through the Rosary of our blessed Queen.

In modern times successive popes have urged the faithful to pray the Rosary. It is a form of contemplative prayer, mental and vocal prayer, which brings down God’s blessing on the Church. It is a biblically inspired prayer which is centered on meditation on the salvific mysteries of Christ in union with Mary, who was so closely associated with her Son in his redeeming activity.

Things to Do:
Pray the Rosary, or 5 decades of the Rosary tonight with your family. Continue this practice through October, the month that is especially dedicated to the Rosary.
Read the encyclicals on the rosary, and the latest apostolic letter.
Learn the Luminous Mysteries. For families with younger children, it helps to have visual aids for the mysteries. Have a picture to flip at the beginning of each decade for the family Rosary.
Learn how to make rosaries, cord and/or wire for missions.
Learn about the great victory of Our Lady at the Battle of Lepanto. You can also read more about Pope St. Pius V, who instituted the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Read Cardinal Angelo Sodano's homily at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.
"The Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God." Read the Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy on the Rosary, particularly encouraging the practices of:

1. [T]he recitation of the Rosary could be made more solemn in tone "by introducing those Scriptural passages corresponding with the various mysteries, some parts could be sung, roles could be distributed, and by solemnly opening and closing of prayer."

2. The custom of making an insertion in the recitation of the Hail Mary, which is an ancient one that has not completely disappeared, has often been recommended by the Pastors of the Church since it encourages meditation and the concurrence of mind and lips.

Insertions of this nature would appear particularly suitable for the repetitive and meditative character of the Rosary. It takes the form of a relative clause following the name of Jesus and refers to the mystery being contemplated. The meditation of the Rosary can be helped by the choice of a short clause of a Scriptural and Liturgical nature, fixed for every decade.

Foods for this feast: Since the origin of this feast came from the Christian fleet defeating the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1570 through the intercession of Mary through the Rosary, why not make a cake in the shape of a ship? See the top bar for a cut-out cake, or make moderations to this Ship Cake. Read more about the Battle of Lepanto for ideas.
St. Pius V was a very holy Dominican, who wore his scratchy habit underneath his papal robes, and walked around Rome barefoot. He ate just to sustain himself, and fasted frequently. We should use his example and remember to fast and pray the Rosary for the conversion of Islam.

(H/T to Catholic Culture for this information)

Warning!

If you allow your 9 year old son to watch the show Mythbusters for too long, you may find him trying to tape magnets to his shoes and then asking you how to unscrew the air duct covers so he can climb through them!
I'm just sayin'.

One of those weeks....

Truly this has been one of the strangest few days I've had in a long time! I'm working on a post about it all, but, here are some highlights....

• wallet stolen
• credit card used
• wallet returned
• law enforcement doesn't care
• credit freezes....$20 worth
• infection and rash in skin cancer incision
• Amelia has a trip to the ER (yes, flu....but not necessarily the porcine kind)
• soccer games and birthday parties

I bet you are just chompin' at the bit to hear the whole looong, drawn out, drama filled story....aren't you? I knew you would be.

But, in the meantime, please enjoy this video that I've posted about before here ......it's lifting my spirits tremendously today!!

Guardian Angel