Easter Boy

Joyous Day!

As requested by Becky, here are more photos of our Easter Boy! We are all so smitten! 

Current thoughts:

Motherhood is finally making sense.

I'm so excited to continue to grow this precious family.

My kids are awesome.

My husband is amazing.

My husband is the best.

Our gardening this summer might be tomatoes and okra - I'm ok with that.

The kittens next door.

Community.

How much I love coffee.

Hoping for a beach trip.

Praying for godparents for our wee boy. (Join us!)

Rita, you are blossoming into such a little girl and so attentive to your brothers. Thank you for your love and patience. You are forever my princess, and I, your fairy.

Easter morning!!

Cannot contain the cute!!
P.S. BEST baby caps, EVAAAAA!

During family Rosary decade Jonah brought Emerson "bed" (bread) and "Jezus" (holy cards).
I was melting.
The love.
The love.
Thank you Lord for all of this love.

For now we are sick. Festival of amazingness this weekend and we just might not make it. I'm still healing (read: very sore) and the budget is thin (end of the month - when will i get better at pacing this?!). Anyway. Loving, love, love, loving being home. Missing my chickens some days but, phases and seasons! Grateful for just having to feed one cat and one fish each day. Low maintenance and simple is perfect for us right now. (Yes, the dog was rehomed. Him:Too huge. Me:Too pregnant. He had a great "fostering" experience here, and I don't regret our decision. Someone called us dog killers…whatever…the dog isn't dead, just living in a rural home where he can actually run his 85+ pound self ragged each day. Not a bad life, and definitely not dead.)

So, trucking along. And loving every minute.

Sometimes They Just Need to Paint

Sometimes you wake up

And it's just a fonky day

And the girl whines

And the boy cries

And then you cry...to your sweet husband. And you take his advice so neither one of you feel helpless.

Then when his advice works.

There is a smidgen of peace (30 minutes).

There is food.

There is breath that is calm.

And so after snack

It's time to paint.

Turn on some G-Love Pandora.

Let them do what they want without retrain

That is so good for them

It is so good for you

To see them create, focus, mess with such purpose

Because maybe momma was way too bossy and too loud and yelling this morning.

But momma is better and can once again give.

Grace works wonders.

So I hope sometimes you paint, they paint. You bake, they color. You read, they watch TV.
Whatever it may be.

Have a great weekend!

22 Days (Don't Check my Math)

Can we start with this:

Ok so October was awesome.

November (BOOM!) I totally blew the budget. Long-awaited purchases (read: underwear, socks, socks, a comforter for Rita, baskets for holding Tyler's gaming equipment and Rita's toys, etc.). Y'all these purchases aren't like I went and bought a computer (ours works 80% great). Our budget is just tight and now this massive dog we have literally eats and eats more and more. It's sorta scary. Like, is the dog worth it? I know that's controversial. Moving on. 

And now you're like...

Um, Sue? Pardon me, but did you notice we're still smack in the middle of November?

Oh yes dear. I'm quite aware.

My sweet husband. I just know my irresponsibility really brings him sadness and stress.

Girls, if your ability to spend within a set amount is like mine, then do something about it. Because when you are married one day, you do not want the OVERTIME your husband works to be the money that covers your bad choices.

Wow, this is like way deeper than I meant to get.

Apologies. You can totally click the little red "x"in the corner. I understand.

So if you're still there, I HAVE A RESOLUTION!

I am not going to spend money unless Tyler tells me that I have to. That I must load our kiddos in the car, drive to destination of his saying and purchase whatever he says.

For 22 days.

22?

I was in the check-out line last night and I thought...I need Tyler's help. But he can't tell his wife no (BECAUSE HE IS THAT MUCH OF A PRECIOUS WONDERFUL SWEET MAN IN LOVE *swoon!*). So, instead of telling me no - he has to be the one to say "yes, we need, now go and get x, y, z"." 

I will certainly let you know how this goes.  Is it funny it has been TWO years that I have been pursuing submission and I'm justjustjust starting to get a glimpse into how horrid I am at it? Maybe. Whatever it is, it's true.

On that note, here are the specs:

• no online purchases
• no Christmas shopping
• no grocery shopping
• no shoe shopping
• no
• no
• no

I certainly have an issue with hearing "no," so pray for me will ya? It's gonna be a great way to start Advent. I just know it. :)

Why through December 10th? In the line at the grocery yesterday I said a prayer and asked the Lord to help me...and December 10th jumped into my brain. So, there you have it.

Hopes:

• I exercise more
• We visit family more
• I bake more (Christmas gifts - I'm thinking yes!)
• I spend more time with kids
• I read more

We will see. How much has spending been consuming me? Time will tell.

Happy Tuesday!!!!! Go! Make a goal! Challenge yourself! This is it! Today, now. It's your life. 

Live awesome and amazingly!

To my husband,

I will never be able to put into words the disappointment and simultaneous forgiveness that was in your eyes as I yet again confessed to reaching beyond my boundaries, letting the tidal wave of discontentment crash over my soul.

Please forgive me.

I want nothing more than to bring you happiness and joy and the hope of life-everlasting.

You are my lover and soul-mate.

For your kindness and forgiveness and undying love, I am forever grateful.

-Sue

Saint Matthew, pray for us!

"ISFJ" or Random That You Don't Have to Endure

This posts first title: Seeking an End to Over-analyzing. Choosing to Live. or I Am So Lame

Sometimes I write this blog thinkin I'm like Oprah Winfrey and the masses consult me...right Sue...because um, clearly you have no idea what's going on in life. Ok. Moving on.
----------------------------------------------
I love to make plans.

I live in Excel spreadsheets.

During the day I'm almost having thoughts of whether certain children shows are best for our children and how we are going to best prepare them for Heaven without driving them over the deep end.

Then I jump to: If I moved, this sofa here than I can put the dining table here.
If we knock this wall down we can increase our family living area and then I will probably have more patience because of the larger amount of room to function in during the day...hmmm...or maybe I would stress because sweeping takes longer than vacumming and that extended space would have to be wood flooring, maybe it isn't worth the extra house work and money?

Do you see.

I think too much.

And so, today once upon like umm a long time ago, while commenting on a blog post, I wrote:

"I just need to stop thinking and do it." 

Maybe you don't stress about responsibility and having good rules in your house and other appropriate things that are spun into the depths of space in epic proportions.

Maybe the future seems bright and open.

Maybe you don't calculate and pinch and squeeze and scrutinize every thought that passes through your mind.

But I do.

Which brings me to this:
Recently I took the Meyers-Briggs Personality test.  
In high school I was an ENFJ, but I wonder if I didn't answer questions according to who I wish I was, instead of who I really was.

So I anyway I went back and like truthfully and thoughtfully, but not in an over-thinking sort of way, answered the questions.  Not who I want to be, or what I wish I was.

I didn't let myself think too much.  I just did it. 

And do you know? I'm an ISFJ.

A what?

I know, it's like gibberish to me still too.

I'm an Introverted, Sensing, Feeling and Judging person.

I am quite and introvert and very much a Feeler.  I think my Sensing and Judging are not as strong in part to my becoming a momma.  I think in a few months or years those two may change.

I NEVER NEVER NEVER thought I was an introvert.  Aren't they hermits? Recluses? (Chattering teeth of nervousness).

But no, they are lovely people. Seriously, who wouldn't want to be my friend ;-)

And so I have taken a deep breath lately.

Fondly realizing that my preference to stay home and read the latest cook book on my night stand is ok and wonderful.  That I'm not depressed, that I just recharge quietly.

I now understand why when friends invite us for dinner and then surprise(!) two other couples are joining us and there is a group of eight, I just want to scarf food down and run home.  

I like to have a few days (if not a couple weeks) warning that there is going to be more than, say, four adults gathering for company. I mean I might consent to it but I will DEFINITELY say no at first and get all grumpy and then I get over myself and apologize for grumpiness and then we all move-on and get our social on.

My preference is this: a lovely family dinner with another couple and their children. Just bonding, having time for conversation with depth. And not having eighty-million people everywhere. I know. I'm so lame.

Updated with a more in-depth analysis:

Your personality type: ISFJ.
Strength of individual traits: 

Introversion - 27%, Sensing - 31%, Feeling - 31%, Judging - 11%.

There is NOTHING wrong with preferring a large group of people and lots of pleasant and joyous chit chat and flowing from one hub-bub of friends to the next. I even enjoy that a few times a year.

But overall, just stop by for coffee one morning, around 9:00am and let's visit while you assist me in keeping track of my precious wee hobbits.

Overall this has really helped me to wiggle more comfortably into my skin.

But I need to keep remembering to allow all aspects of my personality to flourish, not just organization, details and specifics.

I need to relax and enjoy life...God knows what he is doing.

Because I think like this:

And my husband thinks like this:

But that's for another day. ;-)


Thanks for enduring this rambling back-woods post. To come to a conclusion: I am learning who I am, and that, my friends, is so refreshing. I'm sorry this post is jumpy. I can't seem to articulate all that this recent discovery of my personality (and Tyler's) is helping me to understand. It's all good though!

P.S. I am also Phlegmatic-Melancholic. Tyler is Sanguine-Choleric.
Yep, we are oppositeoppositeopposite BUT we have lots of grace flowing from those vows we took a few years back. :)

Helpful sites:
http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/what-s-my-mbti-type/23428-isfj-vs-isfp-vs-infp-one.html
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/ISFJ_per.html
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/ISFJ.html
http://homeschooling.penelopetrunk.com/2013/01/30/5-reasons-you-should-use-myers-briggs-to-parent/
http://watchlizzyblowupthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/05/isfj-fun-facts.html
http://www.16personalities.com/isfj-personality 
http://www.erictb.info/temperament1s.html

Breath Deeply and See Joy

"I really am your gift. I am not just a little person who needs to be "raised" and taught, and taken to activities...I came to the people in my life to bring a message: slow down. Feel. Be. Over and over again. When you do, you will notice immediately, that I am not an obstacle to your work, or inconvenient to your daily life. Instead, you will come to appreciate my honesty, humor, presence & love." 

Bruce Scott

Sweet Dreams and Good Mornings (A Chicken Post)

14 days old

It's funny that you dream, dream, dream as a child.

Then as an adult you chase, chase, chase (for the majority of people).

So, we've been working on living, living, living.

And creating the life that we both dreamt of.

Which leads to the most current event:

Rhode Island Red chicks!

So far I'm enjoying having chicks so very much.

I love (confession of a nerd) order, rules, regularity, etc.

Thus, knowing that every morning we tend to the chicks, and every evening we tend to the chicks, I can sort of order my days.

Taking care of our kitten is so much more simple than a dog (which we haven't had for over a year now).  It doesn't weight my day or alter my schedule.

Keeping chickens (and we are only three days into it) is very helpful in implementing a daily rhythm.

I think I'm starting to see how the larger our family is, the more naturally a schedule will come.

We are keeping chickens mainly for eggs and although my Rhode Island Red chicken-raising relative is doubtful four hens will provide us with enough eggs, I know that starting small works best for me.

Rita delights in these "tiny baby chicks" and Jonah delights in his yelling, running, squealing sister.
It's amazing how life begets life.  And joy begets joy.

Money, Money, Money (Not an NSYNC Rendition)

image: flickr.com

Finances make me feel like the above picture.

I LOVE the IDEA of being debt free and I mostly get frustrated with the process.

Here's an awesome quote that I read to re-ignite my fervor.  It's from Choosing Voluntary Simplicity.

I think the most difficult part of real frugality might even be the initial realization that for most people there is no shortcut to achieving a debt-free life. Unless your income is unusually high, your expenses are unusually low, and you have just been throwing your money away… it is a given that it will take time to pay off debts, build up savings, and prioritize your values. It won’t happen overnight, but if you stay on track, financial security WILL follow.

Christ is teaching me so much with this pursuit of contentment. Daily I have to turn our finances over to Him.  Some days I do better than others, but I am confident the Easter season will bring so much grace!

What I Learned From an Internet Fast

Sweet people.  God most definitely saw that my internet fasting continued.  Our internet is squashed bananas! Speaking of bananas, Jonah has been eating half a banana for the last five nights (excepting last night because he took a random but much needed very long nap).  Hooray for food! (And then tonight his face started blotching red while we did banana! Time for a little break!)

Note: Eating bananas has not at all affected his nursing marathons at night, which include, burping, belching, coughing, snorting, whining, grunting and other noises that could possibly scare his future wife and prevent me from sleeping while he nurses (i.e. nurses, burps, belches, coughs, snorts, whines, grunts, passes gas, etc.).  Except we would love for him to be a priest! God's will!

Ok so, how was the internet fast?
AWESOME AMAZING FRUITFUL
Just in time for Rita turning two and IMMEDIATELY entering this ultra needy-ultra independent paradoxical age, which probably would have demanded a fast anyway.  God is mighty wise.  I'm much much more attentive, patient, focused, productive, etc., when I'm NOT instagraming, tweeting, reading blogs that drag me around the internet and deep into archives, and other such social media activity.  Cause it's just me, the kids, the kitten, daily chores, food and some outside time.  I've even been spending time outside every day and walking most days (with Jonah in a baby carrier).

Peeps, being two is apparently very hard.  I'm glad it happens early cause this chic is having her fair share of meltdowns, outbursts, etc.  Oh, and my less than desirable qualities are just bursting through her personality.  I've been feeling a little less than, um, momma-ish since my little mirror is showing all the imperfections of my personality.  It's humbling and exasperating and mostly we find the most relief and most peace and unity outside beneath the cold January sky.

The days (like yesterday) where we stay inside most of the day become absolute angry chaos.  Y'all it's like the Fall of the Garden of Eden over and over every minute on those days. I mean, my fallen nature is not pretty.  I'm not even going to pretend I have it all together.  (It should be said: Tyler is in-fi-nite-ly more patient than me.  Infinitely.)

Tyler and I agree that always focusing on simplifying, minimizing and de-cluttering will continue to help us live less chaotic lives.  Which, in turn, will help me to be less stressed.  Many people have advised me to just let the house go, but for real, me and Tyler argue, argue, argue, argue when our house is disordered and cluttered.  Mess isn't an option unless sleepy-time comes before we can get it all together.  Pretty much sleep out-rules everything.  I mean, we go to bed at like 9:30/10:00pm since the internet fast.  Sleep is amazing.  When I wasn't nursing a baby I was my best after six hours of uninterrupted sleep.  Uninterrupted sleep is just a dream of the past, but if I can have nine hours lying down, sleeping as much as I possibly can than I am totally guaranteed to be a much better momma.  Much, much better momma.

So this is what I've learned:
A. fasting from social media is much more of a sacrifice than fasting from food (in so far as I'm not having blood sugar drops and have time easily carved out for prayer/spiritual readings)
B. outside time twice a day is most desirable
C. exercise outside every day is mostly essential
D. a play-date once a week is great
E. going to sleep the same time as my husband really helps our communication
F. incorporating Rita into my daily chores as much as possible is helpful
G. baby-wearing is dynamite and totally sleep/calm inducing
H. reading from tangible books is so satisfying
I. routine (meaning, sequence of events) is more important schedule

So, I'm going to be just taking it easy.  Putting my vocations of wife and mother first and being present virtually as much as I see fit is what I'll be doing.  Check-in when you can.  But let's be Eucharist to our loved ones, together.  Let us be present, pulsing with life, selfless, and the presence of Christ's love.

Year of Faith Meets 2013 Goals

Year of Faith (2013) Goals

Throughout the beginning of the new year, which started early December (shout-out to fellow Catholics!) I spent time praying and discerned that this year will be a year of contentment.

Last year submission was my theme.  This year it is contentment and it is already such a challenge!  But I'm hopeful that I can open my heart to receive the needed grace to embrace this virtue (is contentment really a virtue? i mean, it has be! right?!).

This year I'm not using an acronym, but I am breaking my goals down into tasks again.  Breaking the goals down was much more helpful than the cheesy (but legit) acronym, so keeping the good and tossing the lame!

Continuous Goals

Monthly Confession (Before the 25th of each month)
Attend one weekday mass per month with the children
Night prayer with Tyler every day
Cardio three days per week (Monday-Saturday)
Wake-up with Tyler every weekday
Paint with Rita once a week
Use holy candles at supper, for First Friday, First Saturday, prayer requests, keeping vigil, etc.
Spend at least one hour per day solely playing with the kids (between nursing, diaper changing, meals, meal preparation and daily duties this is truly a difficult task for me, but I want it to be a priority)
Once a month visit out-of-town/out-of-state family

Play-by-Play Goals

1. Read the remaining Gospels (cause Jesus is the best to learn from!)

• December: begin Mark
• April: begin Luke
• August: begin John

2. Read and apply four books on simplifying (including Happy are You Poor and One Thousand Gifts of which I have only ever heard good things)

• December: Tell Your Time
• March: Surrender to Love
• June: Happy are You Poor
• September: One Thousand Gifts

3. Reduce clutter - Jesus obviously encourages this from my reading of Matthew's Gospel this past year

• January: Create and implement filing system
• February: Update hand-me-down organization
• March: Purge files (filing two months in a row would cause my brain to melt, thus the February hiatus)
• April: Eliminate technology clutter
• May: Purge Tyler's shed (Ahhhhhhh! I have SO MUCH STUFF hidden there.  So sad)
• June: Clean out prayer bench drawers
• July: Clean out linen chest
• August: Clean out clothing chest
• September: Cycle thru 31 Days to Living Intentionally Simple
• October: Organize and purge toys
• November: Pair-down Christmas ornaments

4. Sew once a week 

• January: Sew four felt food toys in January
• February: Sew four felt food toys in February
• March: Sew Lucy four felt food toys (Birthday present)
• April, May, June: Sew Rita a dress to wear for Jonah's one year pictures in July
• July: Sew Mom a make-up brush bag (Birthday present)
• August: Sew Nicole a make-up brush bag (Birthday present)
• September: Sew Stephan a harmonica case (Birthday present)
• October: Sew Nanny a make-up brush bag (Christmas present)
• November: Sew Molly a make-up brush bag (Christmas present)

5. Build a Lego Table

• Easter gift to Rita
• Easter 2013: March 31st
• January: price materials
• February: purchase materials
• March: assemble

6. Blueberry Business

• Build raised beds for blueberry bushes, plus room for one more
• Plant blueberry bushes
• Purchase and plant one alternate variety blueberry bush

7. Fence in our front yard

• January: get an estimate
• Save for fence 
• October: have fence installed (if three month emergency savings complete and fence-only funds available, otherwise wait until 2014)

We would love to fence in the front yard, but this isn't our forever home and so we are eliminating this.

8. Pay $500 on principle car debt

• July: $250 (at least that much paid)
• November: total $500 paid

9. Build a three month emergency savings fund

• Use any tax return money for this savings
• Use any Ebates earnings for this savings
• Set-up automatic withdraw

10. Save for a family vacation/wedding in October 

• February - August Save $100 per month
• August possibly purchase plane tickets
• August order visitors guides
• September book/plan accommodations

I think this concludes my Year of Faith goals.

Jesus, into your merciful hands I entrust these goals.  Above all, let me accomplish what You desire, Jesus.  I give you my life.  Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Review of G.O.A.L.S. which were last updated in June (so terrible, I know! but our sweet Jonah has put a new rhythm in our awesome family!)

GOD
Increase in visits to the adoration chapel (weekly, hopefully)
Must be done solo.  
Daily family prayer
Before dinner, and at bedtime most nights.  Tyler and I are also working on saying Night Prayer each night together once the babies (or at least Rita) are sleeping.  That is such a blessed time.
Teaching Rita the traditional Catholic blessing before meals, the Guardian Angel prayer and the Hail Mary
Working on it and we added the "Glory Be."  Rita continues to make the Sign of the Cross and every now and then clasps her hands in prayer.  She also exclaims "A-ben!"  So sweet to read this June update.  ACCOMPLISHED AND MORE! Rita now (23 months old) knows the Hail Mary, Our Father, Prayer Before Meals, Guardian Angel Prayer and the SIgn of the Cross.  We are so blessed to have such a bright and delightful (and sometimes fierce) little girl.  I love you, Rita.
Establishing 15 minutes of conversational prayer time
Challenging.
Saying as much of the Rosary each day as I can (separate from conversation time with Jesus)
I usually manage to start at least one Rosary each week - progress!
Lately it has been about one decade per week.  sigh  More effort and focus needed!
OWE NOTHING*
Decrease vehicle debt by $1200 (at minimum)
We have put $524 towards principle! And that's it for 2012.  Almost 50% of this goal met.  Every dollar has helped!

Take a family vacation with CASH only.  ACCOMPLISHED!

*Currently we owe on one vehicle and on our home, so this won't happen in 2012 but we are at the start of the journey to totally debt free living!
APPRECIATE 
Being a SAHM is the greatest blessing, Lord let my lips not complain!
Become great at pursuing gratitude and expressing it at every opportunity
Appreciate our financial stability and practice frugality as part of my job as wife and mother
A hungry toddler and a nursing momma and a dada that does lots of physical labor has pushed us up. We're happy to eat healthy!  Meal planning quickly strayed from the ideal plan (doesn't it always in this imperfect world?!) but I try to jot notes on the calendar on Saturday or Sunday and have at least four meals planned.  Still working on gratitude via contentment.

LISTEN
I talk way too often
I interrupt even more often 
Lord Jesus Christ, remind me of the simple anatomy of my being - two ears and only one mouth
Always pursuing this.

SAVE

Save, save, save!
Save $6,200 $5,967* for our three month emergency fund  

We have saved $3,033  $3040.55  $3045.99 towards our three month emergency fund (more than half way)! 

*We reevaluated our needs vs wants during a time of financial stress and determined we would truly need $5,967 for three months.  

Savings is drastically reduced.  Sad but true.  But for 2013 we have auto-withdraw!  

Save $400 for photos with our new baby in July and for family Christmas pictures
We haven't saved anything for pictures and being that Jonah is due to arrive anytime in July...looks like I will be calling on my high school photography skills and my black and white manual camera.  Won't be what we thought of but it will be done by me, and that's special!  Still hopeful about Christmas though!

Took Christmas photos with cash! Hooray!

Merry Christmas! And My Favorite Wipe-off Board

Merry Merry Christmas!!!!!!!


The morning of Christmas Eve we baked and listened to music, and prepared to visit family by having a quiet first half around our home.  We love that we are quiet and at home.
Then we attended the 4pm Christmas vigil mass!  The Nativity scene, bright red poinsettias and crowded (ok, we stood outside) church were all inspiring. This early vigil mass is just the perfect time for our young family (ok, as perfect as perfect gets when you are held to specific available times!).
Christmas Eve evening was spent exchanging gifts and sharing a meal with my extended family.
So wonderful!
Linking up with Clan Donaldson!

Yeast bread rolls the size of oranges! (Ok, except the sad one near the top right corner)

This past liturgical year I spent seeking to set a foothold for grasping at true submission.  The submission of Jesus Christ.  That in loving Jesus that submission fills me and spills into loving, selfless, beautiful submission to my husband.  Gosh that sounds awesome.  Let's just say I have a foothold...but I don't always use it the best.  Eeck! (I just think that looks so funny! I don't think I really say "eeck!"but anyway, you get the idea) So, Eeck! I really need to begin to build this virtue but mission accomplished!

Decorating sugar cookies we baked together! First time ever and it was so so wonderful!
Thank you Jesus for my sweet Rita.  And thank you Lod for helping me let go of "perfect" cut-out cookies.  It was so worth surrendering and letting our cookies be crazy delicious circle-ish shapes.

Now we are in the Year of Faith...ok it started a while back... (just looked it up - October 12th! Whoa baby I'm late! Better than never!!!  I really do say "whoa, baby" if you were wondering.  And sometimes Rita does too - hahaha!) but I needed to get into and through Advent to really discern where God is leading me.

Contentment.

This year will be a foothold for contentment.

I'm pumped!

We are skim/paraphrase reading Declutter Your Life - this is such a great read!  I'm so excited Tyler is reading it with me...and guess what???????????????

I'm reading it from my...

KINDLE FIRE WITH WHICH I AM SO SO SO TOTALLY EXCITED ABOUT AND CAN'T BELIEVE THE GREATEST HUSBAND EVER GOT ME SUCH AN AWESOME NERDY GADGET AND HE IS JUST THE MOST THOUGHTFUL GUY EVVVEEEERRRRRRRRR!  THANK YOU LORD FOR SUCH A VERY VERY THOUGHTFUL HUSBAND!

Whew! I'm so pumped.  I. Love. To. Read.  

My Review: 
Reading on an iPhone versus the Kindle Fire is like
eating potted meat versus a stuffed oven roast*.

*I've never had potted meat, but my husband who has eaten both approves this statement.

Ok, contentment.

So this is the quote I'm going to cling to this year:

"Fast now - feast later.  Feast now - headache later."
~Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

And so enters in the following photo.  It includes my favorite wipe-off board ever: a large, oversized bathroom mirror.  Total quotation-mad-creative-happiness.  This folks, is our bathroom!  Or half of it at least.

And it was so wonderfully decorated with: a dry erase marker.  Washable markers totally work too.  Promise.  I was like crazy mirror writing lady through all of high school.

My contentment quote and my "rhythm" schedule adorn our bathroom mirror.

So this will be a year of seeking contentment, which will be carried with me and grown deeply into throughout my life (or so I pray).

I imagine that I'm going to need lots of:

self control

prudence

patience

patience

patience

gratefulness

not sure what else but I think contentment will really help to cultivate other virtues

Hoping that you are having a wonderful beginning to your Year of Faith and 12 days of Christmas!