Seven Things Extroverts Should Know About Introverts (and Vice Versa) | Psychology Today

Seven Things Extroverts Should Know About Introverts (and Vice Versa) | Psychology Today:

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SUPER LIKE!!!!  Very informative....very true.  LOL

Wordless wednesday (and sort of a Make it Count Tuesday)

I can't help myself:  this is Mariam, making chocolate chip mini-muffins.  Love it! :)

What I haven't been able to express...

She Doesn’t Hate Gay People | LosCatholics.com


Read this...and more from the links posted in it.

I think I've mentioned what I feel is MORE and WORSE persecution of Christians, and Catholics especially, to come.  At least in our country.  (In some countries, you could be sentenced to death just for being gay, or defending the homosexual lifestyle.  So opposite problem, still a problem. That is NOT us, here and today though.) Yes, the cuts and jabs about the scandals and altar boys and long out-dated jokes about nuns w/ rulers, etc etc, will continue.  But not that.  Yes, the war against LIFE and our battle to defend it will continue.  But not that.  More so, our FREEDOMS of BELIEFS and RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS will be taken away.  Such as with the Health Mandate (if things are not stopped in their tracks soon with elections and votes and such...) But also, on an even grander scale, ....an undercurrent of HATE for us...over a MISUNDERSTANDING of us and what we do believe, especially about homosexuality.  But even if it is not a misunderstanding, it will be turned into one.  The positive and the UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, will be ignored.  The negatives (as it will be and is viewed) will be OVERBLOWN.  Despite our continued repeating of the FACT that WE LOVE EVERYONE, and "love thy neighbor as self" and "treat others as you want to be treated" and unconditional love....the fact that we still hold on to age-old Moral and Natural law and beliefs that homosexual same-sex attraction must not be ACTED UPON, and thus is not compatible for SACRAMENTAL MARRIAGE, ....we will be called haters.  We will be convicted for hate-crimes for saying what I just said. (I hear tell it's already being done in Canada...google and research it for yourself.)  DESPITE those of us truly practicing our FAITH in our HEARTS and TRULY non-judgementally LOVING the PERSON (love the sinner, hate the sin), while calling a spade a spade, a sin a sin.....we will be despised.  Burned at the stake.  Demanded to be silent.

And, I know if some of my online liberal friends were reading this right now, they would not understand.  They would shake their heads and think I was living some kind of "dark ages" dream, in a "dark ages" religion.  They might even "unfriend" me, in more than just a FB way.  That makes me sad, but I have to not "be afraid" to speak what I truly believe.  As I've said, I have lived that my entire life. In fear.  Being the fly on the wall.  But I wish that we could DISCUSS such issues openly and honestly, without anger and fear-mongering and hateful speech, such as is so rampant on any given COMMENTS section online where any kind of issue such as this is being discussed.  I have actually even lost FB "friends" over the abortion issue.  A heated discussion, and bam.  Their gone.

But again, I feel it is much better worded in the post above.  I can talk all day long about better and safer birth, other faith issues, homeschooling things, kid-things, motherhood and domestic issues, and more...but when it comes to a really controversial issue like this one, my words seem to get discombobulated.  I trip over words, hoping not to offend.  But, sometimes, simply our beliefs will offend, without one word being said.  We just have to do our best.

The 1 Thing You Really have to Know About Your Family » A Holy Experience

The 1 Thing You Really have to Know About Your Family » A Holy Experience:

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I can't express to you how much this post just touched me.  Tears.  So honest...brutally honest.  Punch in the gut.  I want to learn how to live...uncomfortably....for Jesus.  For our Family.

Ponder in my heart (and a prayer request)

Someone...a friend...just gave me the BEST. ADVICE. EVER.  That, like Mary "pondered in her heart"....maybe this was a time for me to do that.  It actually applies to several different things in life....advice I needed for sure.  Sometimes, you have the urge to "just tell someone"...but that is not always prudent, or necessary.  Sometimes the best thing is to just wait.  So, as I do that....I do want to come to you and ask for prayer.

Last night my dear Daddy-in-law was taken to the emergency room.  Backtracking, he had awoken early Friday morning with what seemed to be a bad stomach bug.  By Saturday afternoon, when we saw him, he was very weak and we urged him to go ahead and be seen by a doctor, because perhaps he needed fluids for dehydration.  His blood sugar was 200.  Backtracking some more, my FIL has had 2 open heart surgeries in the past 12 years.   He had rheumatic fever as a child, that weakened his heart.  He also has a pacemaker that runs full-time.  But for the most part, he has done well considering.  It's only been the last few years he has continued to decline in his activities, but even more recently, he can hardly walk from house to car without getting very winded.  He has congestive heart failure and COPD.   He had recently gone to oxygen at night, a CPAP, and about 3 breathing treatments a day.  He will be 79 the end of the month. He's a good man.  He has taught me the real life virtue of literally "giving the shirt off your back" to others.  Almost to a fault, he would give and give to others, but especially to his children and grands, until he had nothing else to give.  And it doesn't matter how bad he feels, he demands to see his "youngin's" ....especially the littlest of the bunch, which is currently Mariam :)  As he told the nurse today, "that's his little princess."  :)

Well, anyway, lately we'd notice more of a "decline."  In his health, and in dear Momma-in-law's.  She has suffered through a bad case of Shingles the past 4 weeks, and just did not seem "herself."  In fact she was forgetting appointments and other things. Could she be in the early stages of dementia?  Her mother had it for several years.  We don't know.  But we suddenly saw a need.

Two of our grown nephews have been living with them, but one moved out because he has joined the Army and the other is just busy.  It's a large house.  They rebuilt it to be so, after a fire completely destroyed their old home 10 years ago.  They are such survivors.  Taking it all in stride and faith upon the Lord.

Anyway, with all of the above in mind, we've decided to move back in with them, to help them out.  We'll have plenty of space to ourselves, with some things in storage.  We are planning out a weekly schedule, and I hope to get up and cook some breakfast each morning, do the cleaning and chores, grocery buying, etc and we'll share the bills, hopefully help them to their appointments and with their meds.  It's a new season of life.  It may not last, since D's brother will be home from Afghanistan after the end of the year, and may be able to take over some of this stuff.  But for now....  Yes, it will mean a little "inconvenience"...being 30 minutes from the parish, instead of 3 minutes (sob) ...but, it will all balance out and be worth it.  God's will, in God's time....

So back to FIL, in the hospital....they still are not sure what is going on.  His cardiac enzymes were up, indicating a heart attack over the weekend.  But his liver enzymes were up too and other things.  No fluid around his heart, oddly enough,...that is usually the main issue he has had in the past.  His blood pressure was unstable for a while, but seems to be under control now.  His blood sugar was 48 when he went in, but is back up to normal now.  He is keeping food down, and normalizing in other areas.  So....hopefully, he is on the mend, and has many more years ahead.  We just ask your continued prayers for his health and quality of life, and for MIL's, and again, our "new season of life" that is upon us.  More exciting things on the horizon...but for now, I will ponder....and pack...we have to move by the end of the month somehow, between Doug being out of town 2 weekends in a row, and everything else going on.....

Micah as a baby, riding w/ "Pawpaw" :)  

Virtual 5K update 1

Well, as I've mentioned, we have been swimming, and not just floating, soaking, and playing.  We have been going to the wave pool, staying for hours, and all taking turns or even racing, doing laps. (I even snuck in 45 minutes by myself...yes kid-free, one night. Shhhh!) My muscles are STILL sore. LOL  This is my very very very favoritest bestest exercise and activity. 


 Love. It. 


 I really must join the aquasize classes at the rec. center. (oh but forgot to mention, I DO water aerobics in the wave pool too LOL  Don't care how I look...I do big sweeping treading water, I twist and "jump" and really stretch too) But it is on the agenda weekly, at least 3 times each week for the next 4-5 weeks, until it goes to weekends only (booo, hisss) and we will try to fit it in as much as we can.)  I wish I were a mermaid.  I AM a mermaid in my dreams :P LOL (especially since Jillian has been interested in them a lot lately, and they are always on Netflix in the background LOL)  But anyhoo, so after our "vacation", I was having some swelling in my feet and ankles (multiple 10 hr drives will do that) and just plain bloating and blah-ness. (Why of course, these words are grammatically correct, why do you ask?)  Then, on top of that, I've been trying not to skip breakfast and at the least have cereal, but just generally eating lighter and less, watching carbs.


  But....NOT ENOUGH yet.  MUST DO BETTER.  


However, though I have not weighed in, my clothes are a little less snug and I'm feeling better.  I also bought a brand new, unopened yoga dvd at the thrift store for like a $1.  Woot!  (no, no woo-woo, just the exercises)  I'm fearful of core-exercises right now, due to my possible third-time hernia sigh.  But cardio and stretching and a little strength-training is a-okay.  


Now, to find time to go to the park and just walk (or eventually jog) w/ the kids or ride our bikes, while so much else is going on and we attempt to move. (more on that soon) Fun Fun.

For more info and updates on the Virtual 5K, go here and my original post here.

Mother's book shows faith's reaction to grief :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Mother's book shows faith's reaction to grief :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Oh wow.  This book looks bittersweetly good.  I first thought I recognized her name, but I'm not sure.  But her story is epic.  What suffering.  But I identify with her, in that through our suffering, we were drawn closer to the Cross, to Christ, and to Our Mother Mary.  Hope to get it and read it.