Moving!

Moving day is soon here. We close this chapter of our current residence of a two bath one bed house and our three kids, cat, puppy, and seven hens. The animals are coming along. As is my winter garden- all planted in pots in lieu of our home being for sale earlier this season.

As many of you have been before we are living amidst cardboard chaos with the transition of moving in with family and I think this is a fine time to really consider moving this blog to a new place. Naturally, I will keep you all posted!

In the meantime,

Emerson's first toothing made its cutting edge (haha!) appearance yesterday. He is the sweetest baby and these teeth are giving him a hard round. He has three more teeth bulging. Pray his teeth come quickly and easily, will you.

So I should be packing now, but, writing is therapy.

The toddlers are watching Sesame Street Classics. In the midst of the packing we have Netflix again. #love #forever

My baby!!

I can't believe this baby is seven months old!!!!! My heart!

Pray for clarity and unity my friends! We are a' movin'!

Hands Full

"You sure have your hands full! I would ask how you're doing but I already know!" says the cashier in reference to my three young children under four years of age. 

Do you know?

When your hands are filled with sand at the beach and the grains chase each other out of your hand, do you feel that peace? These children have taught me a deep satisfying peace. 

When your hands are filled with warm shiny blackberries, each pregnant with delicious flavor, do you feel that eagerness to experience? These children have taught me a pure and holy eagerness to experience God's wonders. 

When your hands are filled with delicate, thorny rose blossoms, precariously heaped in your hands as they journey into your home to bring beauty and true mystique, do you feel that gentleness of your hands as the thorns scrape and bump you? These children have taught me the painful but amazing work of learning to be kind and gentle. 

When your gardening hands are filled with cool crumbly earth and your mind is clear of any thought, do you feel that freedom? These children have taught my marriage the beautiful freedom that life brings. True freedom, not the "freedom" of selfishness. 

When your net is heavy in your wet hands and your feet are muddy and browning in the sun, and your gaze spans the majesty of God across the marsh and open skies, do you feel that breath-taking awe? These children have showered awe into the most mundane tasks in my daily routine. 

When your hands are full of warm yeasty dough and you mindlessly knead and think of nothing and everything, do you feel the nostalgia? These children have brought nostalgia and warmth into an otherwise meaningless building. 

When your hands are full of Jesus, as the priest lays the Eucharist into your being, do you feel that joy? These children have taught me the true, true joy of serving Jesus Christ. 

Yes my hands are full. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I should probably get a new web address...

Our First Easter
2010

This month we make five years married!!! HOORAY!
I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my man.
Thank you Jesus for him.
And for the fruit of our marriage - they rock too.

But so this blog started off as "cajun newlyweds" and then morphed into "jambalaya" because it ended up being more than just updates on family life and now…now we are really about to not be newlyweds.

So I'm thinking.

Might be time to change it up. Or just accurately label this blog.

But for now…I'm going dream of long, endless hours of sleep.

Newborns are awesome but some nights sleep is a bit hard to come by. So worth it.

Opa, Emerson, Rita and Jonah
(Hey Micaela! Y'all have an Oma! German roots too?!)

{sigh} Friday. Amen.

I have fought the "TGIF!" attitude since becoming CEO of ye cottage of 1000 square feet. But I'm not gonna lie, it's gotten harder!

The kids really really miss Tyler. He works long hours (I mean, to me he does). And by 10am I've had multiple (dozens, maybe) requests for Dada to come home. When they were both bee-boppin around they were less likely to miss Tyler but he is the friend of choice now and sooo it's harder to resist "TGIF!!!!" 

Because peeing without anyone offering to wipe me, drinking without my cup being raided like Viking plunder and eating a meal that is warm are all highly precious to me. And soo some days I'm muttering: Geez! Can't it just be the weekend?! PLEASE?!?!?!!!!!! 

And then I do a little self talk about how I need to be content, grateful, etc. I'm pretty proud of the self talk because hello I think that's great I'm at least identifying my childish/crabby ways. Right? Yes. I think so. 

Anyway! 

All that to say: I'm so overjoyed it's the weekend. 

How about some wee baby photos?!

Here is the newest hobbit clocking in at three weeks +1 day. still very much the new kid on the block. 

I know. Adorable. Losing alien qualities every day. Always a nice stage. 

And Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum sporting the tutus 

Adorable. 

Ok. Confession. Blogger app on the phone. Apologies (in advance) for ridiculous postings. 

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.

Speedy Delivery

Welcome to our sweet third child!

Emerson Paul

April 10th, 2014

1:50pm

6lbs 12oz

Happy Easter!

Sweet Siblings

Our amazing children!
Life is so wonderful.
God is so gracious and merciful.
How blessed we are!

Summer 2012

Exploring this new puzzle and following a picture to create a house! 

Princess crown I made with flowers (wilting) from her great-great grandmother's funeral. A special use. :)

Sometimes they just need each other!

Got the book basket, climbed onto sofa and started reading, all on their own.
February 2014

Snacking away!

My 6:30am riser!

Laughing and giggling and hollering at his sister splashing in the mud!
He's tired but enjoying Rita's play!

Before we know it we will be a family of five! Looking forward to sharing our joy and having another baby to bring us together for more memories!

Merry Christmas!

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

When Co-sleeping Causes Foot-in-mouth Mornings

Y'all this morning (yes, it's only 8:42 as I type) needs a redo button.

Sometimes I really wonder if I would be a better momma if I wasn't nursing and co-sleeping. 

I'm just so exhausted, and I know I should just try to get over it but oh geez louise... come on!

Example:
Took the kiddos swimming for 90+ minutes yesterday morning, had lunch, and then....(I know, the epic nap all expect, right?)
Jonah took all of a 90 minute nap (mostly normal) and Rita didn't nap, until 6:15pm when we were on the way to dinner at a friend's. Oh yie yie yie.  We hoped that maybe she was done for the night but then about 7:30 little miss popped those pretty eyes open and now we aren't surprised that at 11:00pm she was still going strong, are we?  SO this morning I get up to try and do a kind and sweet deed of baking yeast bread rolls for the company dinner at Tyler's work today, but did you know I realized at 9:00pm last night that I bought the WRONG flour.  Oh, yes, I did.  BUT I tried to be positive since yesterday afternoon and evening and night was not nearly as relaxing as I hoped for.  So, there was little Jo sleeping in our bed (he comes in about 5:00am and commence nursing marathon), but the source of endless milky comfort was not (!) there (!) because she was trying to be a good wife, so, Jo who sleeps usually until the eight oclock hour was UP UP UP for 7:00, crying, angry, grouchy, etc. etc. which woke up princess right about 7:45.  Do the math peeps, 11:30-7:45 aint no where near twelve hours, heck I would have been elated with ten hours for Rita, but alas, the child who has never really enjoyed sleep strikes again and our second interaction of the day is her attempting her sideways slap of I'm-swinging-my-arm-and-if-I-hit-you-then-goal-of-hitting-without-hitting-accomplished and do you know I hauled ms thing back into her room and closed the door because hello early-morning all to myself so I can be a sweet wife is BACKFIRING I mean, hello, it's not like I'm doing anything bad...can a girl just have a cup of hot coffee with milk (except of course we are out of milk) and do her baking for her hubby in the morning before utter chaos? Apparently no, because here I am, two hours later, blogging with a sleeping baby (FINALLY!) in my lap and sipping a milk-less cup of cold coffee.

He really is so precious...

Adorable.

Ok, ok, I get it.  The sleepless will be all worth it. 

So, Happy Friday.

2012 In a "Snap"

Happy Sunday to you! 
You know how life is so awesome when you are together as a family?
(blissful sigh)
I just LOVE Tyler being home.  And so do the kids.

Here's a little something for your Sunday...

This post was part of Dweej's snazzy link-up. I missed it by a month. Haha! So, enjoy this lacking  (I tried to find a January photo but have forgotten to ask family! Sister of mine, please say you have a photo from Januaury 2012 of Rita's birthday!) but adorable sequence of photos.

 2012 in 12 11 Photos

January

Rita's first birthday!

(camera out of town)

February

It's a boy!

March

Tutu cute at 14 months!

April

San Antonio (and Sea World) for Easter

May

Donuts for Mother's Day breakfast

June

Rita's first Wendy's shake!  It was so hot and we were all getting ready for Jonah!

July

Jonah Girard
7lbs 10oz
22inches

August

Adjusting! And a course of gentian violet...colorful fun!
(Mostly Rita just kisses Jonah...but this picture shows what I call "Eucharistic love" i.e., Rita loves him so much she wants to eat him, which happens on an hourly basis)

September

Baptism! Welcome, sweet baby.  We are so blessed to have you.

October

Loving, loving her baby brother, "Jo-Jo."

November

Thanksgiving afternoon, what a long, fun day!

December

Jonah rolled for the first time for his cousins and Tyler, on December 30th.
I totally missed it!
But then just yesterday morning (January 2nd) he rolled for me, hooray!
(P.S. He is coming-up on 16lbs!! So exciting!!)

So, just to say, lots of bloggy people refer to "horrible" "fuzzy" "poor" and other negative adjectives when describing cell phone pictures, but really my cell phone is better than our little camera.  So I'm not sorry for my cell phone photos, actually, I'm so very grateful to even have a cell phone that takes next to decent pictures!

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!

Food-ish Things

First, Auntie Leila of {pretty, happy, funny, real} is ill. She has shared so much wisdom with me through her blogging and I know she would greatly appreciate prayers. Please remember her.

Farmer's market = carrots for Thanksgiving! Bingo!

Second, I've heard that you shouldn't double baking recipes because sometimes the chemistry can go wrong. Cue the runny cookies that ended up needing an extra cup and a half of flour and were miraculously squished and baked into a massive giant cookie cake. Sent it to work with the hubster. Great reviews from the manly work crew. Thank you Jesus for not wasting the butter!!!!! It's so dang expensive these days!!  (Cookies are GREAT for postpartum NFP!  Don't be afraid! Bake the day away!)

Third, I'm baking again (I guess the above gave that away, but anyway)!!
BREAD!!! Bread, at least weekly. Therapeutic and delicious. A pretty sure sign I am beginning to move out of post partum ah-my-life-is-a-wreck-what-am-I-doing-and-why-does-no-one-have-clean-underwear slump. Although I think my spiffy new laundry routine is totally thebomb.com and it does a good job keeping me on task. It's so great to just knead dough. Idk. I just find that extremely soothing.

Fourth, we have a visitor tomorrow!!! Yay!!! Jonah's godmother and we are pumped! My to-do is obnoxious and if I nail it, it will be awesome. If not, it will still be an awesome day.

On the agenda tomorrow are sugar cookies, pie crusts, pecan pies, a pot pie for supper, and lots of chopping and slicing veggies in advance for our cozy Thanksgiving meal at home.  Yes, I'm crazy.  Whatever. 

Fifth, I scored BIG at the grocery. Thank you Lord. Spare ribs for...(drumroll)...49cents per lb!!!! Markdown for a roughed-up package? Oh yes thank you!!!! Those puppies are fast asleep in our freezer!

Cell phone snapshot before entering Arctic freeze!

Sixth, have you read A Knotted Life? Great blog! Great humor! Bonnie is a hoot and she is totally not trying to impress or belittle any momma out there.  That rocks.  Check it out!

And there were potatoes too!  Roasted veggies on the Thanksgiving menu!

Seventh (don't really have anything to say buttttttt seven is God's perfect number!) Oh! I have something!
Yeast Bread Rolls! Tried making them and can I say 1. Easy peasy 2. Delicious

Yeast bread rolls...A-mazing! (In the freezer for our...you guessed it! ...Thanksgiving menu!

Eighth, ok, I know, passing God's number .. We had a play date today with all the kiddos from our birth class for Rita. She had a blast at the park! She could swing for hours, I bet! Sweet girl has always liked rocking, and it seems like swinging is glorified rocking!

Ninth, I'm totally out of control and loving it! hahaha! I LOVE my babies but co-sleeping part-time is working best for us.  Part-time = Jo starts off in the Moses basket next to us and ends up in bed like um, every night.  But the sleep I get on my own in great.  And if I'm missing my little buddy, I just reach on over, scoop him up and plop that chunky 15lb 9 oz boy next to me!  He is so chunky and cute!   So it's mostly full-time but it's great!

Really, I'm obsessed with these carrots.  Orange, yellow, white, and deep red.  Gorgeous.

Tenth, Good night!

"Hold you baby! Hold you baby"  Rita, you're amazing.  I love you.

Ad-venting

Dear loved ones, friends and readers,

I am so excited for this holiday season. Rita is nearly two and I know she is going to love baking cookies, painting ornaments and preparing for the exciting birth of Our Lord.

And Jonah will be bopping in the bunbo, chillin in the sling and along for our adventuring!

So I will be posting haphazardly! Maybe just photos, but stay tuned so we can share with you.

Enjoy this season!!!! Be thankful!!! Let's embrace this Year of Faith by being grateful and content (amidst this frenzy of consumerism).

Love and prayers!!!

Buttons!

Happy Friday!

Thursday we canceled our playdate and visited Dada at work, as Rita was teething terribly and had had multiple meltdowns before 9am.

She had to scream outside on the front porch.  It was that intense.  She came in quite jolly after letting off her steam.  I should have known it would be a crazy day after this "conversation"...

Rita: Pfffttt! (blowing spit bubbles) "Get out mouth!"(Cute, but words of danger!!)
Me: "Oh Rita! Is your mouth hurting?"
Cue meltdown.
Rita: Screaming and crying.
Me: "Rita, do you want a popsicle?"
Rita: "Pooooooppppppppsicccccccclllllllle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Gosh. 

But lunch with Dada made life better.

Then we came home and she played with the dishwasher and the pantry.  She had a blast and we got the kitchen pretty spiffy!  After some delicious spaghetti (with hidden veggies!), Dada rocked Rita until she was fast asleep.  So amazing to see how she loves her Dada!

So, buttons?
Yes!

Just wanted to point-out the three buttons on the right side of this blog and wanted to give you more info so you know what you're getting into when you click those cute buttons!  They are GREAT reads!!  I love finding a new post from any of these authors in my Google Reader.  Hoping to share the joy:

House Unseen {Life Unscripted}
JUST started following this blog, but loving it!  Dweej is a clever gal.  She keeps it fresh and real = priceless.  Guaranteed smiles.

Intentionally Simple
Rachel is very kind and professional.  She does a great job with articulating struggles and points of growth in motherhood.  She has great tips for finance, living green and simple.  Guaranteed inspiration.

Like Mother, Like Daughter
Leila and her daughters are filled with wisdom and solid advice.  They (mostly Leila) share in a down-to-earth way and have great ideas for raising a faithfully Catholic family in a sacramental home.  Come and join-in on the {pretty, happy, funny, real} every Thursday! Guaranteed confidence.

There are SO MANY great blogs out there that I read.  Just wanted to explain the buttons! 
 
Happy Weekending!

St. Matthew, patron saint of financial matters, pray for us as we all embark on this holiday season very soon.  Keep us faithful to our financial plans so that the holidays are spent rejoicing and not stressing.  Amen.

How Motherhood Is Slowly Killing My Selfishness (And Really Cool All Saints' Day Treats)

So this blog started off as a way to keep family in touch with us. Then it became a journal of sorts and maybe a baby book and well now it's just my little corner that I visit with a cup of coffee (probably cold) while my daughter watches Sesame Street and I nurse the baby.
Blogging is writing for me.
Writing is therapeutic for me.
And so blogging is my therapy in so many ways.

Today I come with the most real journaling yet.

Source: catholicicing.com via Suzette on Pinterest

I love these ideas for All Saints' Day!  And I'm salivating for candy corn and pumpkins...

Motherhood has not come easily to me. It has been tough. But it has been tough because I have taken the seat of the Pharisee in my life. It had me believing that I am patient, that I know about raising babies and that I know the best way to parent.
In college I majored in Early Childhood Education, which in many ways fed my false pride. It gave me ammunition and the "education vocabulary" to toss around in conversation (I also learned a lot, but bear with me).

Some time ago I realized that my marriage to the most amazing man ever had unnecessary stress and strain. As we dug to the root, we found me!
Sadly, I spent the first year of our marriage reigning over Tyler, without love or sympathy or forgiveness and there was not a drop selfless submission in me. This past year I have been desperately turning the leadership over to Tyler, only to find myself furious with his relaxed and compassionate approach to life. Then we found out we were expecting our little Jonah! What a whirl!

So I found myself disappointed, depressed, angry, bitter, without friends, resentful...and pregnant! I had this knowing within that Jonah would bring change, but

I would have never expected the changes that have commenced since his birth.

Slowly he has helped me to die to the selfishness that is the prideful root of so many small and large issues. Jonah, your sweet smile, mellow disposition and genuine love for even the smallest bit of attention has encouraged me to think of you and Rita before myself. And to see the peace that can be found when one waits patiently and happily. You are so patient little one. Thank you.

Source: punchfork.com via Suzette on Pinterest

Bones of the dead.  These have to be the coolest All Saints' Day treat!

This past two months have been huge. Realizations, organization, small roots of true submission, joy, acceptance and contentment are bleeding in the smallest trickle from my heart. And as it feels like my heart bleeds these virtues, I feel the selfishness slowly seeping away, unable to dwell in the presence of true goodness.

I'm so so so far from anywhere, but it is a start.

You can't tell from the outside. Still same ole me, but deep within this pelican has plucked her first few feathers and bitten her breast so that her family may know the joy of Christ and the peace of a home led by a loving father and loving submissive mother.

This is just a small, but oh-so-very-important step.

Your prayers are appreciated.

*Just for the record, I am not usually patient and expect way too much from Rita and am still very much a work in progress but I am finally embracing these weaknesses and looking to change them.  But I am much happier.  And that makes everything all the better.

{pretty, happy, funny, real} 12 Week Old Jonah Edition

Pretty
Purple hull peas from Farmers Market.  Delicious in our chicken pot pie!

Happy
Rita eating a popsicle at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles while spending time in Dada's arms.

Funny
Jonah is giggling, as of last week!  We are so blessed to know and love you, sweet Jonah.  Your smile and giggle sends your sister into squeals of laughter.  We delight in you so much!  Jesus, thank you for blessing this family with such a beautiful soul.

Real
We have a tradition of lighting a candle while we eat supper. It has been a busy few weeks and I'm missing that ritual!

12 Weeks! 15 lbs!  3-6 or 6-9 month clothes.  Time is beginning to fly!  Left picture, just hanging out.  The top right picture is Jonah when he is so excited that he can't hardly catch his breath.  Sweet, sweet, so so sweet.  Bottom right is after a looonnnggg nursing in the car.  Supreme happiness and milk to spare!

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