7 Quick Takes Friday vol. 5

I am READY this week:) 

1. First and Foremost, Hubby earned some brownie points this week :)  Squeeee!  And they're even lovelier now, after a few days in water, as they've opened up more :) :) :)

2. More swimming this week :)  4 hours in one day will exhaust EVERY ONE in this family, especially this little girl :)  She fell out  very shortly after these pics... She passed a milestone or two that night though.  She got over her fear of putting her head under the water and learned to hold her breath properly.  And she learned how to jump and float with each wave, and most especially, she went down the Elephant slide in the kiddie pool LOL  Which the really funny thing is she went down the big grown up mat slides before she would the kiddie one LOL  But once she got it down, she went down it again and again and ....  But if we can keep this up at LEAST 3 to 4 times each week for the next 5 weeks (that's as long as it's open weekly, then will go to weekends until Labor Day) we can get some good training in for our Virtual 5K.  The two older kids are swimming a LOT when we go, they are getting so good!  And we take turns during the "no-waves" time to swim some laps.  Heck, just keeping up w/ Mariam in the waves is a workout!  She likes to have us lift her up and "throw her" (not really lol) ...I was using her for my "strength training" LOL

2. cont'd....chicken! (and I can barely keep my eyes open to eat it LOL)

3.  After swimming....Yummo!

3.  cont'd And Hubby cooked us something very tasty and healthy (no carbs) too!  woot woot!  More brownie points LOL  He's on a roll....

4.  But, I publicly hang my head in shame to share this very interesting new menu item at Burger King.  They had a new Summer Southern-type menu (Memphis BBQ etc), and by golly, I HAD to try this...  I had seen chocolate covered bacon on the FoodNetwork, and seriously thought about making it and selling it down here somehow LOL  I mean, c'mon... it's bacon.  It's the South.  Ya' can't go wrong.  I think chocolate is the only thing that would make this better. (Well, maybe that and home made ice cream instead of just soft-serve :P )  It had caramel though, which was yummy too.  

5.  Mariam asked me to take her pic while we were playing Littlest Pet Shop LOL  Her leaning into the pic, I can hear in my head the sound effect of a cartoon character easing up into the frame....wnnnh.  We made some videos again, but they don't compare to our Angry Birds' videos.  I need to figure out how to post videos on here, or at least youtube.. Of course, just about every video starts with Mariam impatiently nagging me to "video it!" (waiting for me to switch my camera to video and start recording) and then they end with her saying something not in our "play" like maybe including the word "butt" in it or "stupid" sigh.  We're working on her acquired vocabulary, believe me!  Oh well LOL We do have fun together though :P

6.  I had a lovely girls' night out this week at a friend's house for my first ever Stampin' Up party.  If you don't know what it is, check the link out...it's basically a crafter's dream LOL  You can make your own cards for any occasion, or gift tags, or labels for home made items (any etsy sellers out there? mmhmm) or...the sky's the limit.  Then, they also have scrapbooking items and more.  I'd heard about them, and I think they are the company, but I bought a religious stamping set used off the cathswap homeschool list once too, but it's still packed away in a box somewhere LOL  Which,...brings me to my issue.  I love this stuff.  I do...I love sitting for hours doing crafting of any sort.  But...not when I have noisy demanding little ones around.  Not when I have a million other things going on at once.  Not when I am persistently chronically disorganized.  Sigh.  It's really the same w/ my desire to knit/sew/embroider/quilt/scrapbook/can and preserve/cook from scratch/etc etc etc  But when I can go away from my home and dear little ones, and just have quiet "me" time I guess you'd say, it's perfect.  With a few friends, even better!  So, my friend plans to make it a regular thing and let me come over and "play" with her stampin' collection.  Yeah me! :)  And maybe, just maybe, I will get my own collection going and start making beautiful hand-made creations like this one above :)  Who'd like to get this card in the mail?  Or rather, who wouldn't?? :)  And it was so easy, if only a little time-consuming...  

And 7.  The thing that mostly kept me busy this week.  And that had me out til after 1 AM tonight.  And has my feet, my back, my everything hurting or aching or puffy.  But was so. worth. it.   The 2nd annual Seminarian dinner put on by our wonderful Knights of Columbus group.  And since I am our parish kitchen and Hall coordinator, I like to make sure everything is in order, help them as much as I can, and stay in my "comfort zone" which is the kitchen :)  Coffee, tea, food and dish duty, plus anything else like linens and flowers or ANYthing they need me to.  Love it... Hospitality is my thing, as I've mentioned before.  And though I might like to talk to a few people, schmooze w/ the priests, seminarians and Archbishop a little....frankly, I am more comfortable NOT having to make idle chit-chat (which Hubster is good at!) and avoid awkward pauses :)  I am an introvert afterall.  People wear me out.  I love them, don't get me wrong.  One of my love languages is service. :)  So...I do what I do.   Anyhoo, this was the parish Hall when ready to serve over 200 guests....   

And this was it with said over-200 guests, while our wonderful Bishop was speaking :)  I sat down in one of the few free seats for just a moment to rest my aching piggies. :)  But just let me say, it was SO wonderful what he had to say, and then listening to each of the 15 young seminarians introduce themselves and tell their story of discernment.  Yes, we had 15 this year, more than last...and each were given a donation of $500 thanks to the generous parishioners who bought tickets to the dinner.  It was so wonderful, I can't explain it....to meet our future priests (this is only half of our diocese's Seminarians, but many of the "older" ones were off at assignments etc) and...for our wonderful teens, who helped bus tables, to hear their stories.  "I never thought I'd become a priest...I said 'no way, not me'" etc etc  They were just "normal" "average" guys...who answered a calling, a tugging in their hearts, a Voice that rang clearly...they said "yes!"  Chills.  Praying for several of specific teens who could be discerning calls too.  Lord, let it be done, according to Your Will!

And...lest we forget....we Catholics know how to party! :P  LOL  We had this, and Lager, and red and white wine selections...yes,  a good time was had by all, safely and  prudently :)  (Well, we won't talk about Mr. Magoo, bless him...and that's all I have to say about that. :D.................  But you really should talk to your own KOC group and do something like this....it's a wonderful parish event!  Have a great weekend y'all!

To see more (and more exciting) Quick Takes, go to Conversion Diary. 

Wordless Wednesday: A Sneek Peak at Friday's Quick Takes :)

News of the Day on Anglican Ordinariate

I've mentioned it...our friend (see #5) who was the first Anglican priest from the first "graduating" class I guess you'd say to come through the Anglican Ordinariate process.  I have a bigger post coming on the AO in the future...but in good time.  Since it is of great interest to me, I'll try to post news on it periodically.  And this is a very neat story involving the AO.  Enjoy!

Ouchie Quote of the Day

I saw this on someone's Quick Takes this week:

Members of this Court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.

Chief Justice John Roberts
Supreme Court of the United States

Wow. OUCH.  Though I'm still mad at him. 

Blogs of Interest vol. 1

I think I am going to start a new series of posts sharing blogs I've happened upon that I love.  Because I am so bad about keeping up with my fav blogs, and have like a gazillion bookmarked already.  At least for posterity sake, I will have them listed somewhere else :P  And maybe you can glean from this as well :)  Please share your favorite blogs too.

To start us off, I just happened upon this one, minutes ago, thus inspiring this blog series :)  As I mentioned last week, I stitched my first ever knit stitches with my sis-in-law...did about 10 rows of knit and pearl stitches on a new prayer shawl (she has made several with a prayer group, it's such a lovely thing that I shall add it to my Favorite Things post soon, ...mine was given to me by some lovely ladies I knew when Noah died.)  with some lovely pink and white yarn.  Anyhoo, I see knitting in my future, as I always have, but much clearly now :)  I highly highly doubt I shall ever be so good, but here is the blog I am posting "of interest":  By Gum. By Golly. 

 ...Isn't it loverly?  I love all things vintage too!  I love this trend going on right now of the retro "pin-up" type girls, w/ rolled curled coifed hair and scarves and porcelain faces with ruby red lips.  AND modest clothing items such longer A-lined skirts and "trouser" shorts and such.  But this blog combines all of that with knitting.  How genius.  AND.....it just so happens that she is hosting a cool giveaway right now, so check it out!

Next up will be some uber cool mom blogs...stay tuned. :)

Freedom

I haven't posted anything political here really, mostly out of a lack of time and presence of mind to write about it.   But also probably both out of some lack of motivation/depression about it all, and out of fear of judgment from others.  That last one has been a lifelong threat.  I'll have to write a post on my "Be Not Afraid" talk to explain.  :)  But anyhoo, I mainly tonight just wanted to post a prayer for Religious Freedom that all of us Catholics, but any Christian, should be praying right NOW.  Because we are being asked to choose between our deeply held and ancient religious convictions...or following the "law of the land" in our country.  My heart does a flip saying that, reading over those words.  This can't be true.  I mean, this is no Ray Boltz' video, right??   But yes, it's happening...and beyond this one issue in our country, there is SO MUCH persecution going on all over the world, of Christians.  "Tolerance" is preached at us and pushed on us as the gold standard of morality, when no such thing is granted to us.   Everyone just sits idly by.  


I could go on and on, but no time at the moment.  Here is the prayer...please pray it:

O God our Creator,

from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome—
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us—
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Sue does it again :)

Sue Elvis Writes: The Value of Not Suffering


Oh Sue, you have done it again...expressed my thoughts WAY better than I could ever.  Being a convert, the concept of suffering and offering up was new for me.  But has been a lovely enlightenment and process.  Well...one of those types of bittersweet beauty.  Of course, I/we have suffered too.  The loss of Noah being foremost, and our loss of having more naturally, and my health stuff.  But then, out of suffering came much joy, namely Mariam.