Birthday Surprise

So my birthday was on Ash Wednesday so we decided to celebrate it on Monday. I can't remember for how many years my mom has made me my favorite meal of lumpia (although it is the thicker more meat kind) with sweet and sour sauce, rice and salad and my favorite birthday cake of Coffee Angel Food Cake. (all the recipes are posted here) So thank you mom...as usual...it was DELICIOUS!! I look forward to this meal every year! Angel helped me open my presents....and I was TOTALLY SHOCKED to see a new camera!!! A Canon Digital EOS Rebel XS....thank you to everyone that contributed to get me this amazing gift....I have a secret love and passion for photography...now I just need the time to figure out how to use it and take some pictures!! Also thank you to everyone for the birthday cards, wishes, phone calls, email and Facebook greetings!! I am blessed by so many family members and friends!

Happy Fat Tuesday

So, did you eat all your favorite goodies on Tuesday before Lent began? We had (what I think may be becoming a tradition for us) our loaded pancakes with yummy whip cream and fresh fruit! Angel chowed down on the raspberries and blueberries...definitely her mother's daughter! We tried this new PANCAKE recipe and Jason says it was easy to make (was a treat for him to cook dinner) and they sure tasted good!!! What do you do for your Shrove Tuesday / Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras / Pancake Day???

I made the traditional king cake for dessert....the recipe was fairly simple but my arms got tired with all the kneading!! It looked pretty once it was iced and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colors to represent justice, faith and power. I just hid a quarter as I didn't have any plastic babies....and Angel was very excited to find the treasure and put it in her bank! It was such a huge cake that I sent half of it with Jason to work the next day! Yummy!

CONGRATS - We Love You

We are so excited today because it was Mom Hartsell's LAST DAY OF CHEMO!! Many of you have been praying for Mary Hartsell for awhile now with her battle against breast cancer...thank you and please don't stop. She had her last day of chemo treatment today and has done so incredibly well.

(looking fabulous and beautiful in her wig which I love the style!!)

She is such a strong lady and has handled the highs and the lows and emotions of this whole experience with such composure and faith. I want to thank everyone who has supported her on this journey. Those family members and friends that were close by and took her to appointments, provided meal, cleaning and emotional support. Ever since her Chemo Day One, I decided to send her a daily envelope marked with the Date, Chemo Day # and inside included a note card with the same info and a daily quote to reflect upon. There was also a picture of the day to enjoy looking at (a lot were mostly of the girls to make her smile!) and then a gift or note or card from someone to open. So many of you sent such beautiful things and words or prayer and support....so thank you so much for all of that....it meant a lot to her and got her through some rough times...and we completely managed to fill 139 Chemo Daily Envelopes of Love!! I made her a chemo binder and photo album so she has been keeping all the things she has received and loves looking back through them. SO THANK YOU!!! We sent her a big congratulations basket of goodies for her to open today...Mom...hoped you enjoyed it!!! (hope to talk to you tomorrow).

Please continue the prayers and support...she has March mostly off except for still receiving the Herceptin treatment which I believe she will be getting through December. Then starting in April she will have radiation five times a week for twelve weeks. Hoping she has minimal side effects from that as well!! For those that still wanted to send something, feel free and I will pass on!! Mom - we love you, are so proud of you, are here to support you and pray for you...and CONGRATS on kissing chemo goodbye!!!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Celebrating my birthday tonight since it falls on Ash Wednesday this year, so my mom is cooking my yearly favorite meal of Lumpia with Sweet & Sour Sauce, Rice, Coffee Angel Food Cake
Shrove Tuesday: Pancakes, Fresh Fruit, Whip Cream, Syrup and Bacon
Ash Wednesday: Homemade Pretzels & Black Beans over Brown Rice
Thursday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Peas
Friday: Tortilla Soup and Roasted Garlic Bread
Saturday: Grilled Pork Chops, Asparagus, Carrots and Orzo
Sunday: Dinner with Family, TBD

Lenten & Liturgical Year Resources

I mentioned that I would post some of my favorite books I am using to celebrate the liturgical year in our home....so far these are ones I own and enjoy:

• The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Every Day, by Meredith Gould
• The Year & Our Children: Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season, by Mary Reed Newland
• The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children's Faith Formation, by Beth Branigan McNamara with Sue Robinson and Anne E. Neuberger
• Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Children, by Cay Gibson (I can't wait to get the Christmas One)

Then there are the resources online as well, many of the blogs and sites which I list on my sidebar and enjoy. I especially enjoy incorporating special meal ideas and Catholic Cuisine gives lots of good recipes and ideas, plus I like my cookbook: Building the Family Cookbook, by Suzanne Fowler (it goes through the year and gives foods tied in with stories of the saints)

I would love to hear if you have found and enjoy any resources that you couldn't live without. Also we are slowly building our children's library...so any good Lent/Easter book recommendations would be fabulous!! Still trying to nail down what we will be doing for Lent...might be more of a planning year for me and implementing next year when Angel is a bit older. I did order the Jesus Tree (similar to Jesse Tree) for Lent (thanks Jessica for the info) from Scripture Trees...and will make all the symbols this year and have ready to use next!! The Catholic Lapbooks look fun and so faith-filled as well so keeping those on my list too! We are also signed up to get the daily prayers and ideas from Holy Heroes (we enjoyed the Advent ones and coloring books we got as well!). Will keep you posted!

Our Father

Grateful

I feel so grateful tonight to have gone to mass and actually hear the homily (this barely happens but I went along with no little one tonight!)...and it was a fantastic one all about intercessory prayer. I also feel grateful for a wonderful priest at our parish that relates the message of the readings and gospel so beautifully and truly gives us something to reflect and pray upon and take home with us. In tonight's homily he used some excerpts and examples from a book called, Miracles Do Happen, by Sister Briege McKenna...all about how God sometimes answers prayers in a different timeline and way than you might want or expect but it is only later that you see the graces and gifts that were given because of that answered prayer. He also talked about the importance and power of praying for others and how they can be intercessors for us. He reminded us how powerful our sacrifices and prayers for others can be for their conversions and answered prayers and for ours!! I can't wait to read the book myself...because I truly believe that Miracles DO happen!!

Genetics

One of the fun and interesting thing about having kids is watching and waiting to see what they look like and who they look like, what characteristics remind us of what family members etc. We have always said that Angelica's baby pictures look a lot like mine and she looks more like mama (however she does have her Papa's left eye brown spot)...and Emma has definitely portrayed more of the Hartsell genes...and when we started looking through Jason's baby pictures it was so funny to see what a resemblance they both share to each other. I tried finding pics that showed it well:

(7 months)

(1 year)

Snack Time in the Store

Biker Girl or Mad Scientist??

Monet Moments

Big Girl

Emma had her 15-month on Friday and she weighed in at 21 pounds 8 ounces (25%), is 31 inches tall (75%) and her head still tops off at the 97% at 49 cm!!! Long and lean like her papa and a healthy little girl. She has been teething (finally these past several weeks) so been a little fussy. About one month ago she still only had her two bottom teeth and now is pushing through her 6th....I was afraid she was going to get them in all at one time! If you are wondering about the picture...well...we have been TRYING to get Angel potty trained and so Emma sees and watches the training as well. Before and after baths, Jason always has Angel go potty. Well, last week after the bath Emma asked Jason to go potty...so he let her sit on it and she went!! Then she went the next night and the next! The other morning her diaper was pretty dry when I got her up, so I put her on the potty and she went again! We have been laughing (kind of) so hard thinking that it would be unreal if she potty trained before her big sister. Amazing what peer pressure and example does to such a young one! We definitely aren't pushing it at this age, but if she wants to sit on it, we aren't going to tell her no either!

Narnia Update

I just wanted to make sure I had the dates correctly that Alli is playing Susan in the Narnia production. She will be Susan on February 27th (Friday) and then the following Friday and Sunday (March 6 & 8). Our friend Becca Gray is starring as Susan on the other days...go check it out!

Lenten Reminders

I was trying to find a new look for our site and found lots of cute templates. However, I decided that since Lent starts this Wednesday (my birthday!), I am going to strip the look down to the bare minimum...no fancy designs (although after Easter I can't wait to try some that I found)...and use the color purple as a constant reminder of the liturgical season we are in. Along with the regular season's obligations of fasting and abstaining, we are trying to think of the small and daily sacrifices of what we will give up. My (almost nightly) dessert favorite is ice cream, so I am thinking that might be a tough one for me. We already do not eat meat on Fridays, so since that isn't a new sacrifice for us we are trying to think of something additional on those days as well...maybe only drinking water or no snacks or something like that. Every Lent I also try to make a daily challenge or add something to my spiritual life as well....such as incorporating new daily prayer times, faith readings, etc...something that will strengthen and encourage my faith and hopefully continue past the Lenten season. I have been enjoying so many of my books I have gotten over the past year of incorporating and celebrating the liturgical year in our domestic church, our home. A lot of the activities are still a bit old for my two little ones, but I am getting lots of ideas and plans for the upcoming years (I will have to post these books later). There are so many good resources out there and online as well. So I will have to let you know what some of our Lenten activities are once I figure them out....any ideas anyone?? Please pass on!! Back to planning....more to come!

Don't Forget to Send Yours

You might have already heard the news or read it circulating about the Red Envelope Project. This is a simple and easy statement to make to our pro-abortion President, letting him know that we will not give up praying and protecting the most vulnerable in our society...the unborn. And what a special thing to do during the 40 Days for Life, which starts on Ash Wednesday!!

Awesome Videos

This has been going around the blogosphere and with good reason.....an amazing story about a very brave 12-year old and her school speech on abortion. We need more young and older people like her!!
Lia entered this presentation in her school's speech competition. At first, she was told by the school administration that if she entered this speech, she would not be allowed in the speech competition. Despite this, Lia persevered and decided to take her chances. At the school-wide competition, one pro-choice teacher, on the judge's panel, would not even listen to her speech. And even though Lia's speech was well-received by the students and faculty, it was disqualified by the judges. Evidently, upon this decision, controversy ensued among the judges and in the end the panel agreed that Lia had won the competition. We need more Lia's in our legislative bodies who have the passion and courage she does to stand up for life. God bless her! Read the full story here.


Thanks to Jessica, I watched this BEAUTIFUL video called The Holy Sacrifice...and one of our favorite priests and family friends, Father Cihak, is in it!! Definitely worth a watch.

Do you need your computer screen cleaned??

CLICK HERE!!!

Good Resource

A friend told me about this, and at Catholic Heritage Curricula I found the entire resource for free. It is a great resource to help get you organized in accordance with the faith and striving towards holiness. It is called Simplifying Your Domestic Church...check it out, if you are like me I can ALWAYS use help and suggestions in this department!

Congratulations "Sister" Beth

My best friend and biology buddy from college, Beth Mooney, (and in TN we call those friends sisters) just found out she is expecting again. She was pregnant at my wedding and now Abby is 5!!! Please keep Beth in your prayers.....especially because she is expecting TWINS!!! I cannot imagine!! Looking forward to all the updates!

Go Visit Narnia!!

My sister Alli is once again in a play - where else would she be?? She plays the part of Susan (the oldest girl sibling) for half the shows and in the other cast she plays an old wicked hag. The children were double cast in this production. So (all you locals) please visit C-Stocks website for the show to see times and dates to come see it. Also, you can check out Alli's personal theatrical profile! She plays Susan the weekend of 20-22 and then March 6-8. Our friend Becca Gray plays Susan on the other weekends, so I hope I can see both!!I took Angelica to the final dress rehearsal production and she made it through the whole show!!! She loved the ballerina between scene changes (I think the white stag to be correct)...she was a little worried about the scary scenes (so she just turned around and laid on mama and asked me to tell her when they were over)...loves seeing Aunt Alli on stage...and she laughed her way through the fight scenes (I guess to her people falling on the floor and jumping around is just hilarious!). The show was written up before it started and then just got a very good first review.

Alli as Susan with her cast siblings

The cast of Narnia

Dad working in the Light Box

Angelica and "Susan"

Sad but True

The cost was $21 Million, or $14.00 per person to clean up this mess. ($21Million divided by 1,500,000 ). Please notice that this was an Associated Press (AP) picture.

A GATHERING OF THE FAITHFUL

Just Funny

(thanks Mom)

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.

One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.

"I may look like just an ordinary man,' he said to her, but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit $65 million.'"

Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.

Women are so much better at financial planning than men.

Happy Valentines Day

It is always so amusing to me how many people celebrate this day, but truly have no idea of the history and story of Saint Valentine himself. There are a couple versions of it, but the one I read and find most often is this in summary:

He was a Christian priest and physician who lived in Rome 200 years after the death of Christ. He treated the ill of the city's slums -- accepting whatever payment they could offer - whether it be a loaf of bread or a new pair of sandals. Valentine had to pray for his patients only in the darkness of night due to the ongoing Roman persecution of the Christians.One day a Roman jailer brought his blind daughter to Valentine for treatment. Saint Valentine treated the young girl's eyes faithfully with salve for months and months, to no avail. Nonetheless, the girl and Valentine became friends. She would accompany Saint Valentine into the fields around Rome; while he gathered his curative herbs she would pick boquets of crocus flowers for her father. Tragically, Saint Valentine was rounded up in a Roman purge of the Christians and thrown in jail. The jailer whom he had befriended rushed to his cell, but explained that the emperor had ordered the roundup and that there was nothing he could do. However, he did provide Valentine a piece of papyrus and pen - with which the priest was able to write "from your Valentine". The jailer took the letter home to his daughter. When he opened it to read her the note, a yellow crocus flower fell to the ground and as the father read his daughter the message contained therein she was able to see the yellow hue of the flower for the first time in her life. Valentine was executed for his faith shortly thereafter.

We enjoyed a relaxing day at home (although poor hubby is under the weather)...we made some yummy dipped in chocolate treats (last year I did banana pieces, strawberries and marshmallows...this year I did pretzels, marshmallows and oreos with dark and white chocolate). The girls got some goodies and treats and special cards from loved ones. Emma loves her new little toy phone and Angel loves her new art supplies. Hope your day was filled with as much love as ours was!! I always remember my Irish cousin on this day as well, becasue his name is Valentine and he is also a priest!! So Father Val - a special Happy Valentines Day to you!!

Aunt Caitlin would approve...

...and she should because she bought the shirt (for Angel but gotta love hand-me-downs!)

...and Angel well, she just wanted to take a picture too!

Christmas Again?

Yesterday it snowed here (again!)...when we woke up Angelica saw the snow out the window and came running over to me...
"Mama, mama....it is Christmas time!"
(Not having made her connection yet...I said:)
"No, Angel the Christmas season is over...."
Angel went running to the window and pointing to the snow and with a very confused face said, "NO Mama...see...it's Christmas!"
(I guess when you have a White Christmas every year since you have been born you think when it snows, it just must be Christmas again!)

Together

This was this past Sunday when we celebrated my sister Caitlin's birthday (sister Meghan has more pics on her site)...but I love this picture and realize how much I miss all of us being together...wish it could be much more often...nothing like family!!

Exhausted

We have had some crazy scheduled days with everything that has been going on these last couple of weeks...the other night Meghan came over to make us dinner (a delicious recipe which I need to post) and all the kiddos decided they were tired and needed a nap. So for over an hour...they all slept...Emma on one couch, Angel on the other couch, and little Albert in the swing...so sweet!

Saturday at the Park

It has been so cold here we have not gotten much outside play time. So when Saturday came along with sunshine we decided to make the most of it. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful park so close to us...and the girls had a BLAST!! They both loved the swings (Emma almost fell asleep) and Angel even went climbing up high to the big girl tunnel slide and did it all by herself!! It was so refreshing to get outside and play and the girls slept very well that night!! Looking forward to spring!

At the top of the tunnel slide

Emma, waiting for Angelica

There she is!