Augustine Toddles at 15months

Just a day before my family came to visit over 4th of July weekend Augustine decided to toddle. He has taken a few steps already here and there but now he is toddling more and more every day!

Took this picture 6/29/11 and he is already in shoes 1 and 1/2 SIZE BIGGER!

Here is a video of the tike with his sea legs...

Starving Artists - Edition 2 - Blessings from God!

God really seems to bless us in things rather than money. Which is quite wonderful!

Jeremy was on a pretty sweet high calling me while heading home from Office Max. Both of our computers are about to die and he finally had to break down and replace his because he was spending hours the night before cajoling, convincing and trying to get it to "stinking unfreeze will ya!" (That quotation was mine. ;-) He had called to say that he had gotten the laptop he needed and that he had some good news!

Apparently he had noticed they had some deal. If you buy a computer and they do not ask you if you would like to buy the Microsoft Software for it you get it free! It's kind of like if you check out at the store and they forget to give you your receipt than you get a $5 gift card or something. Well, considering this "free" item was a whopping $150 chances are not good they will forget. I mean, heck, I haven't even ever gotten the free super size to my value meal. They always ask. Well, I think God decided it was Jeremy's day to be blessed.

The clerk did not ask Jeremy about the software and when he went to stamp his receipt (that means they asked you). Jeremy was like, "Is that stamp to verify that you asked me about the software? Because I was never asked. I don't want to get anyone in trouble but I noticed the deal and specifically was waiting to be asked and I wasn't."

Boooooooooooooyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The manager came over and gave him the expensive piece of software. We hope no one gets in trouble but we are also pretty stoked about the savings! Thank you God!

I love to hear stories about God's provisions big or small, do you have a story to share? I would love to hear it!

Sarah

Staying on top of life - there is an app for that!

Technology is a dear friend of mine. Most of the time. We have some issues but what friends don't. 

I have an iPhone and my life is so much easier because of it. Smart phones really are incredible and I'm using mine in ways I never imagined. I recently found an app that I would like  to share with you all because it is so helpful. I have recently been pondering how to better run and keep my household more organized especially when it comes to cleaning and housework.

So I searched some different apps and found "Motivated Moms." It is exactly what I needed. The app is basically a checklist of chores that is divided up throughout the entire year. There are "daily chores/activities" and there are "added chores."

For example the daily chores are:

• Clean Kitchen Sink
• Do Laundry
• Exercise
• Load/Run/Empty Dishwasher
• Sweep Kitchen/Entryway
• Wipe out bathroom sinks
• Clear/wipe kitchen counters
• Empty Trash
• Make Beds
• Plan/Cook Dinner
• Quiet Time
• Read to Children
• Take Vitamins
• Bible Reading

As you check off each item it drops to the bottom of the list and it gives you that satisfying "checked off - done" feeling!

Then each day (depending on the day) it gives you a few extra chores or items to do like:

• Change children's sheets
• Clip children's nails
• Spend time on a craft/hobby
• Go through coupons
• Clean out car
• De-Clutter Organize desks
• etc...

I'm LOVING this app! I can check off chores and feel satisfied as well as give myself some quiet time and not feel guilty. It's on the list, I want to check it off! You also have the freedom to push a chore to a different day when it works better for you or even hide a chore if you, for example, don't have a porch to sweep.

I am loving my cleaner home and loving the way the chores are split up so I'm not overwhelmed. I have also added things to my chores that I don't think of. For example I cleaned off my dresser and the heaps of junk piling up on my desk and it felt SO good! I'm not sure this app would have the same impact on others but I have a total obsession with checking things off a list, it gives me a high. If cleaning can give me a high than bring it on!

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" (That's what they say!)

Swiffer Sarah

Saint Maria Goretti

Saint Maria Goretti's feast day is today and she has a special place in my heart as well as my home.

When I say she has a special place in my home, I mean it! Jeremy and I are blessed to have a first class relic of this beautiful heroic saint. If you are not familiar with what "first class" means, in terms of relics, it means we have a piece of her body. Wow. Since I have long studied the Theology of the Body the idea of relics has become even more beautiful. God made us both physical and spiritual and the two are united in the body and are blessed.

This morning I picked some of the lovely orange lilys in my yard to honor her with this day. I wanted to also go to mass but Augustine decided to nap right as I was getting ready to leave and so I did The Chaplet of Divine Mercy since her sainthood was pivotal on her desire for mercy towards her murderer. For more on her story click here. To watch a clip of the drama we tour and travel with across the country, based on her sainthood, as told through the words of her murderer, "Alessandro" click here.

Saint Maria Goretti, Pray for us!

Sarah

First Camping/Work Trip

With another weekend of work approaching I began whining to Jeremy about how much I really miss family time with him since work takes up 90% of our lives. We haven't had a free weekend in some time! As I sadly began thinking about trying to figure out a work trip to St. Charles, MO for a performance I considered the delightful options of, A) drive 18 total painful hours to and from the performance with a 1 1/2yrs old or B) getting someone to watch Augustine for the weekend for the umpteenth time this month. Neither option was appealing. That is where camping comes in...

We decided to do what we do best... go with the flow and make the best of it and make the trip a family camping trip. Although leading up to the trip was a bit chaotic as we prepped for the work aspect of the trip and being gone for 5 days we headed off Thursday morning, not sure what to expect.

We drove to a half way point campground "Palisades-Kepler National Park" and set up our tent, pack-n-play and scrounged up some firewood. Augustine was a real trooper and enjoyed exploring the various sticks and stones as well as the new play land in the tent. Once it was dark enough he went to bed like a dream.

The next day we packed up and headed to our final destination - St. Charles, MO. We stayed with wonderful hosts who took us out to dinner on Old Main Street. It was so lovely and reminded me of Boston and Door County mixed together with cobblestone streets and lots of beautiful shops and restaurants. The history in St. Charles is that this lovely city set on the river was where Louis and Clark set off on their adventure to discover West America. It really had a nice cozy quaint feel and I wish we had more time to explore.

We had our show of LOLEK for a medium sized crowd who gave a standing ovation and raved about the performance after the show. I will never tire of people coming up to me after the show saying, "That actor is SO talented!!!!" I smile and say, "Yes, he really is!" :-)

We went to mass the next day and then were campground bound.

Awake                                                                             Sleep

Play

We set up camp in the exact same spot as we were in before. (When you don't have a reservation and the spot is open - why mess with a good thing?) As drops of rain began to fall we pulled out our tent camping rain gear - the laptop and a movie. We watched "Up" in our cozy tent while the thunderstorm raged and it was magically wonderful. Augustine sat alert and wide awake after his bedtime while Jeremy and I relaxed and we all thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was a really great pick and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.

I am so excited we finally got to go camping as a family and the trip overall went really well. It was relaxing and rejuvenating and a lot of fun! I'm already looking forward to when we will be able to camp again and take our second Summer work trip to one of my favorite places - Hollywood, CALIFORNIA!

My dad...

This post is for my Dad. Yes, I'm a little late for Father's Day but since when do Fathers just want to be told they are great only one day a year??

My dad is one of the most creative and hard working people I know. He knows how to live life and be silly. His gentle and kind personality is one to be envied as he can take even the most shocking news with a calm expression and a gentle word. I wish I was more like him every day.


Growing up my dad was always thinking of ways to creatively teach us kids. I remember distinctly his "manners lessons" which included proper terms for the bathroom such as "powder room" and how a gentleman should walk across the road with a lady. (If you are wondering, how are we supposed to cross the road??, here you go... The guy is supposed to walk closest to the traffic. Basically the guy gets hit by the truck before the lady does.) Then there was the mirror at the dinner table lesson. If you chewed with your mouth open at any point in the meal you were given "the mirror." The small mirror would get passed to me after I was caught talking while chewing and get set in front of me while I ate so I would then have to watch myself and how unattractive it was to chew with my mouth open. The mirror left its impression on all of us kids and we became aware of our bad eating habits in time to realize how fun it was to eat in front of mirror. We eagerly accepted the mirror and enjoyed chewing in front of it. Raising vain children was not Dad's intention so the mirror was quickly removed once it seemed we had the drift of things.

I could go on and on about my Dad's creative teaching and discipline tools including having us stare at the un-flushed toilet for ten minutes if we forgot to flush, writing 100 times that "I'm sorry for yelling at mom" and then another 50x "I will say I'm sorry for yelling at mom" after then forgetting to apologize to my mom, running up and down the stairs 50x, and so on... My Dad's creative lessons let all of us kids know that he cared about us very much. He took the time to train us into wholesome and good kids. And no matter how many punishments I received I always knew he loved me and it has helped shape me into the woman I am today and it has given me many creative ideas as to how to train my own kids.

My dad gives me a beautiful image of what and who God the Father is; loving, kind, gentle, disciplining but always forgiving, just but always full of mercy, and full of love and sacrifice. He taught me bible studies, prayers, and christian polka songs to dance to. Most of all he lives what he preaches and is honored for it. He showed me what it meant to lead and follow at the same time. He loves beauty and nature, relaxing and traveling. I have never once heard him complain about work or his job and even told me one day, that he has never dreaded a day of work.

I love you so much Dad and I'm forever thankful for the gifts you have given to me!

Sarah

Answer to Prayer

My previous post was about trust. It was written in a moment of struggle. And now I have to write this post...

The day after my last post God blessed us in a special way! Attendance has been very low at the performances this summer and after sell out shows it's been a pretty rough transition. Summer is my favorite time of year but the worst in terms of work. It is literally day to day survival. When there are only 5 people in the audience on a given night I can only say, "ok, God we are showing up, we hope you are here with us."

Well Saturday night I went to mass and prayed, surrendered, and trusted. As it turns out that night we had our largest crowd, 20 people! Besides that, the Holy Spirit moved a number of people to donate a pretty large sum of money - YES! We will make it through June! Praise God! I knew He would provide and was so grateful for His Divine providence this day! I have to share this because it is so good for me to remember and remind myself how God answers prayers. Praying really does work! I know it does, duh, but even as a cradle Catholic I need those reminders in a tangible way, thank you God!

Growing up my parents were living on a really really tight budget. I am not exaggerating when I say that my mom kept old bread drying in the oven and we ate it for snacks as kids. (She can't remember that but let me tell you I would remember that!) Or there was that time my mom got a bunch of free baby cereal and all us kids had to eat it. GROSSS!!! Now, that is frugal people. Anyway, my parents kept a book of answered prayers so they would remember God's goodness down the road. The stories they have are really amazing and it's a beautiful testimony to their faith and God's providence and the power of prayer. I too kept a journal as a child and not a single one of my prayers went un-answered. It is so neat to look back at.

In a way I am happy to follow in my parents footsteps and live a life dependent on God's provision. I am also happy God has not seen fit to bless us with gallons of free baby cereal, but if he does, I'll find a way to share the blessing! ;-)