{phfr} Autumn Misc.

{pretty} Wood Floors

BEFORE

AFTER

Tyler and my parents sanded, stained and finished our bedroom floors. 1950s pine. Gorgeous. (And we checked for lead before starting- all clear. )

{VERY happy} 

We've had a long long hiatus from gluten and my bread baking has been tucked away for some time. But then we bought a loaf of bread here and there and of course I was whispering "I can do this. And with about 5000 less ingredients than is listed." So much goodness and not to mention the process is fabulously quieting for me. It's like gardening. I zoom! transport to the part of my brain that is silent. And I love it there. So hopefully I don't eat more than my share and we don't consume an entire loaf in a day, because, prudence…or temperance, I think I mean temperance.

{funny}
…
I really need to work on seeing the humor in my life…

Umm…

Thinking…

Jonah shredded a roll of tp in the bathroom this morning…funny…?

No? Ok.

Hmmm…

Ah, conversation.

Conversation with a two and three year old is nothing shy of entertaining.

Me: Rita, here is the yeast for the bread.

Rita: (grabs measuring spoon and pours) Beast! Beast!

Better yet, here is a clip from my Twitter feed:

{real} Food Waste

It really irks me when we waste food. We have a cat and chickens so it doesn't get dumped into the garbage but even still, it's supposed to be humans eating it...so this was breakfast this morning. Not terrible.

More Enlightening Conversation:

Stage: Sitting at breakfast all together

Me: Y'all we are so blessed to have food to eat. Some people have nothing to eat. 

Jo: No way. 

Rita: I wish Whiskey* didn't die on the road. 

Me: 

And this is a great example of why I treasure conversation. 

LINKING UP WITH THE AMAZING LMLD COMMUNITY!

*Whiskey was the name of my brother's dog (brindle Mountain Curr and Boxer mix = beautiful sweet dog!) who was wonderful but sadly she ran into the road and was hit and killed. For some reason my brain thought it was acceptable to attempt to explain this to Rita…and it always comes up at the best of times.

{phfr} HOT MESS and vlogin' it with Spaghetti Squash, Save-a-Step and Thoughts on Parenthood

Longest title ever, just sayin'.

Linking-up with Dear Auntie Leila and Famous Blythe.

Ok, here we go with the linky and the vlog! Buckle up!

{pretty}
This awesome glider was given to us when the local nursery (plants) was closing.  I know, you thought child nursery, but no, for sooooome strange reason there was a glider and a rocking chair in the small hut for checking-out. I'm so grateful for it! It came sans cushions and a busted bottom, but my parents gifted us, ok Emerson, a new baby gift and we decided to order customized cushions for the glider. Meanwhile my brother cut a board to fit the gaping hole (hidden under cushion) and HOORAY! we are loving the "bee-YOU-ti-ful" chair, as Rita says.
***UPDATE: Carolyn is the genius of the cushion! Visit her Etsy Shop***
Fabric selfie/up-close

Lovin' my fabric choice.

{happy}
Spaghetti. It's such a comfort food and for this former carb loader, well, oink oink but now I eat normal portions and the kids l-o-v-e it. I win. ;) P.S. Save-a-step action in the kitchen!!! DO it! Makes life 1059782342999444270 times easier. Serious.

Ok so spaghetti squash! Yay!
And since we're in the kitchen I just want to say how my husband has been SO amazing with getting the kitchen cleaned every night. Such a gift to this momma!

Without further ramblings I give you…. a little snippet from my kitchen!
***Update: salt pepper and oil inside of squash, after scraping seeds (seeds are delicious roasted), then bake.***


{funny}

Potential hot mess…but he let me clean him up on the double as soon as he took the last bite.

{real}
In which there is a
HOT MESS!!!
and a great great chunk of Catechesis (not! haha!)
So this is where our microwave belongs, and since we don't have one of those suckers it's my spot for all the things that are used and hurriedly thrown back up, away from kitchen messes and potential grubby hands.
Books that need to be taped, cookbooks, vinegar spray in a pathetic over-used bottle, an old egg crate serving to hold pens and pencils. It's just gross. Tyler kinda cringes when he walks past. Kidding. Sorta? sorta kidding. Mostly, cringe.

-----------------------------
Maybe you've done some research on parenthood. I have, um, opted for "real life" experience…until now. And hello. I'm missing some GOOD, real GOOD, like bacon, eggs and grits breakfast, GOOD STUFF.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2223 Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. (BAMMMM! Meteor to my heart.) The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the "material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones." Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, (WHAAAATTTT???!!! Meteor shower…) parents will be better able to guide and correct them:


He who loves his son will not spare the rod. . . . He who disciplines his son will profit by him.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Y'all, seriously, I need to study all parts of the catechism on parenthood.

This really blows me away. I don't have anything earth-shattering to say (yet) about this paragraph, but the goodness of it is just starting to seep in.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Lenten Poem {phfr} (and more interesting reads)

{pretty}
our "altar" of sorts - admittedly I stole the black cloth idea from Auntie Leila
I love the red candle. For me it represents the blood of Christ. 

A Lenten Poem
(My phone camera has entered a Picassian Blue Period...c'est la vie.)

Laundry washing.
Clothes on line outside.
Kids playing in mud.
Wearing an apron.
Hanging clothes in closet.
Watching kids through window.
Car seat arrived.
Coffee brewing.
Emerson moving.
Windows open.
Peace.
Breathe.
God is present.
I am present.
Mold me, O Lord my God.

{happy}
Sweet little souls playing "ice cream" outside.

{funny}
funny thing to see how many hangers are unneeded after purging Tyler's wardrobe to build a true wardrobe

more {pretty}
I so look forward to meeting you, little bébé.
34 weeks

{real}
sort, wash, dry - no problem
fold, hang, put away - problem

--------------------------------------------------

And some interesting reads!

Realistic Idea of Food Budgeting

Pope Francis

More Pope Francis

Pregnancy and PPROM

Blessings to you as you enter Lent!

{phfr} I'm backkkk!!!!

Happy Thursday!
Linking-up with LMLD!

{pretty}

My sweet girl.  She painted a pretty pumpkin for us, but oh her sweet face! When I look at her I wonder how anyone can doubt God's presence - such sweetness and innocence.  And I marvel at my own insecurities that surface at various times, mostly in the self confidence department - Lord, please help me to be confident in myself, but more especially in you, so that my children can know how to have confidence in themselves and in You.  Amen.

{happy}

Our baby is a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little baby, I was so certain you were a girl.  Certain certain, and so it was a delightful surprise to find out that you are a little boy.  Both me and your dada felt a wave of relief (why?!) at knowing you are a boy. We so look forward to holding you, loving you, caring for you and introducing you to your precious siblings who so excitedly await your arrival. Muah! xoxox Momma

Baby: 15 weeks

 {funny}
This. Dog.

{real}

Props to my kids for being awesomely awesome while we went into the gas station, got money out of the atm, got change, and filled this tire, canceled our park playdate, and had an impromptu lunch at the restaurant next to the tire repair center.  Kids - y'all rocked.  

And praise the Lord for the money to keep our vehicles on the move.

And bless the kind man who flagged me down to tell me I was about to be stranded on the road.

{extra}

People, your prayers are AWESOME. Morning sickness has flown the coop and I am cooking again!!!!!! I know, like, was the house disgusting and were all of us gaining weight because that happens when you eat DiGiorno pizza three times a week for more than seven weeks straight? Yes, pizza = tight clothes.
Anyway! SO SOSOSOSOSSOSOSOSOSOOOOOOO GRATEFUL for your prayers.  While I'm cooking I'm trying to freeze a lunch here and a supper there for the holiday season/late pregnancy that will be here before we know it. 

Growing Our Domestic Church {phfr}

Linking-up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}

Pretty

Little brown eggs

We are elated to have a couple of eggs here and there. Once we totally finish this pretty chicken tractor there will be no escaping for the egg-layers! We are collecting one-a-day.  I think one hen is holding-out on us, in rebellion to captivity.

My amazing husband built a pallet-based chicken tractor with me!
He totally rocks!

Happy

We are overjoyed to announce the coming of a new baby in April!

Praise be to God!

Which, as new life does, has made quite a shift in our plans. And that is good.  

Funny

Ree and Jo are just about the cutest ever playing together. They are especially funny outside in the water. Constantly dumping water on one another and squirting each other smack in the face and then erupting into peels of laughter. 

Real

"Morning" sickness has become more intense with each pregnancy, and kicked in a bit sooner each pregnancy. This time around I'm craving pineapple and orange juice but also lots of greasy unhealthy pizza. I'm continuing my running which is so nice and brushing my tongue is a no-no. We thought our third would be a girl (we are so silly and enjoy guessing what will be next) but my cravings are closer to Jo's pregnancy (including cheap queso and corn tortilla chips), but Rita is strong in her guess that this will be a baby girl; time will tell.  For now, the wedding we were hoping to attend has been shifted to a back burner while I struggle through morning (but really afternoon) sickness and car sickness (first time for everything!).  The car sickness is what really has made us discern against attending the wedding.  There is no way to afford flying and I just cannot even tolerate the thought of constant motion for 14+ hours...(shudder)
Would you please pray that I can continue to exercise this pregnancy? That's so very important to me.

-----------
Other thoughts...
I tried watching an episode of Breaking Bad, after reading this post and this post, and I was devastated and leapt up in tears, disturbed and heartbroken despite it all "being acting" and "not real," as my consoling husband pointed-out to me (he is such a great best friend to have, and clicked the episode off instantly).  I tried to figure it all out, but I kept finding solid articles praising the show...

Frying our eggs!
And cracked a double yolk the morning we had a positive pregnancy test!!!!

But I can't see Breaking Bad for merely a theater.  I know these situations happen.  I know young ones struggling with parents with hardcore addictions.  It's death.  It's this world, but yet I feel like this is a time to enjoy what is left of Eden and embrace the love and happiness.  My intent is not to escape (trust me, I dwell on the negative far too long), but just to pursue all that is "good, true and beautiful" as a priest friend encouraged me to do.

This all being said, when Kendra wrote THIS POST I was suddenly consoled in a real catholic way.  In that there are other sisters out there thinking like me, and man, that really really warms my heart.  God has so blessed me through the wonderful blogs He has led me to.  It has been great for our marriage (I think, love, do you agree?) that T can see that others feel the way I do, that I'm not some strange alien beamed-down from the planet of Naive.

Speaking of marriage, I'm intent on studying Casti Connubii Leila Marie Lawler style, via the LMLD 2013 Lenten series.  Please check it out!

I sent out this tweet earlier this week, because it was my virtue of pursuit last year, but there is always room (and room and room and room) to grow:

Being the dear that she is, Auntie Leila replied lickety-split and was abounding in good counsel, despite a 140 character limit:

"Respect and admire him."  I just really love that part.

So friends, I am off to study, ok well, first print-out the reading material, and then study the Casti Connubii LMLD posts, *BEFORE* Advent.  Before.  I must.

My studying attempts might turn into funny photo shoots, but that's awesome too,
and Tyler will keep me on track (please dear!).

Have a wonderful weekend!! Happy First Saturday!

Whole 30 Experience {phfr}

PRETTY: Lacto-fermenting Swiss chard stems

Remember this post?

Well, a year later I finally went to the end of ends and did clean, whole food eating via Whole30 for 50+ days.

Linking-up for {pretty, happy, funny, real} with LMLD!

REAL
I can say that I had a HORRID sugar addiction.  Like, mean, angry, hateful, give me that cookie dozen of cookies or else!!!!  Bingeing on ice cream (hello 1/4 gallon of ice cream for breakfast) eating an entire loaf of homemade bread, myself, in one day, with a generous 4tbsp of butter to go along, etc. were weekly happenings.

My sugar addiction rolled into carb land and bam! no surprise I was battling yeast imbalance for so, so long.

Some weeks into my life, post-Whole 30 and me and Tyler are both itching to do another.

But truly, I'm fine with having GOOD cheese, yummy milk, homemade grits, a bit of local rice, you know, REAL food.

I know my passion is organic and local.  Sometimes I lean towards organic more, but often I'm just happy to put back into our Louisiana economy.

Whole 30 was awesome but if sweet potatoes are your only carbs and you want to eat local, you can be up a creek if it isn't the Fall...just a thought.

Growing our own food doesn't get any more local and I can choose organic seeds/plants which is awesome.  Just today I harvested the first batch of organic cucumbers (eight) and a reusable shopping bag full of organic Swiss chard.  I'm praying the patron saint of gardening helps our tomatoes to be plentiful and healthy this season, as well as all of our veggies.  My sweet husband is long due for homegrown tomatoes.

Local and organic and home-grown all lend towards whole food eating, and that makes me HAPPY.

I'm trying out a lacto-fermenting recipe for Swiss chard stems.  Hoping Rita likes this "pink food!"

Anyway, I really loved Whole30.  It was a great "reset" and having Tyler join me was such a blessing!

MORE HAPPY: First harvest! Swiss chard already de-stemmed and two cucumbers were still lost in chard oblivion in the sink.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

{phfr} master bedroom

We have one dresser in our room.  (Our closet holds another along with other furniture and lots of mess at the moment, but this was supposed to be simple, so easy does it!)  It's a gorgeous functioning antique graciously given to us.  And the top needed de-cluttering.

I love simple!

Sorry for the tremendous glare!

Nice and tidy!  And how's my wedding bouquet for pretty?  Preserved by my mom's neighbor.  A priceless gift!!

Happy All Saints' Day! {phfr}

Thank you Lord for the Sweet Communion of Saints!

I am so encouraged and inspired by their examples.

We have our special devotions.

In high school I referred to St. Pio, St. Paul and St. Francis of Assisi as my saintly trinity!  These three men have formed me in so many ways.

St. Mary Magdalene seems to sort of follow me... so I have begun to ask for her prayers often.

St. Rita is the patron of parenthood.  How beautiful that our first child bears her name!

St. Gerard is the patron of mothers and so I have a special devotion to him.

Tyler has a special devotion to Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Prompt Succor are special to me, as Our Lady is my patron!

This is our family-specific communion of saints, although we implore many others for prayers and are grateful for the many examples Mother Church sets before us!

Pretty: Pork roast, sitting pretty in a delicious gravy this Sunday (taking the advice of Aunt Leila and roasting on Sunday!)

Happy: Jonah LOVES his bath chair and bath time!

Funny: Rita on Sunday morning, not quite awake as we venture to get donuts!

Real: Rita reading Jamberry and Jonah (according to Rita) reading Noah's Bark.  Rita loves to read and I am touched to see her share it with her baby brother!  It really is important to her!  Thank you Lord!

Jamberry and Noah's Bark are Rita's two of her four favorite books.  Her Catholic Bible and Time for Mass are her two other favorite books.  It's so sweet to see her have literature favorites at 21 months (she has loved Noah's Bark since 18 months).  Children are amazing!  Thank you Jesus!

Does your family have their own little communion of saints?

{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!

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}!  Button on the right sidebar!  Join in!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Pretty:
Eucalyptus from the herb garden smelling divine in an open window.

Happy:
Rita during water play...I should have had a water birth with her but I guess four showers during labor is close enough!

Funny:
Rita dressing herself (and looking so serious).

Real:
Our AC unit for the front half of the house nearly bit the dust, but with the help of my dad and his hard work with Tyler, it's life was restored!

Linking with Like Mother, Like Daughter (see sidebar)!

Have a blessed day!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Joining the Carnival!

So this is a first...of sorts.  Not the first pretty, happy, funny or real photos but the first time I collectively post them and join the weekly carnival at Like Mother, Like Daughter.  I'm not holding myself to this hard and fast, but it will be fun to share snippets of life.  I'll try not to make these Thursday posts wordy... but that might not always be what happens!

Welcome, welcome!

If you have jumped over from LMLD, thanks for visiting!  Browse our blog and get to know us.  Comment and let us know about you!

{pretty}

This little girl just delights me every day.  I can't get enough of her hugs, kisses, and company!
(Ok, sometimes I think I have had enough of her company, but as soon as she leaves to visit her grandparents I'm missing her like crazy!)

{happy}

This guy loves Taco Bell... I'm trying hard to master their efficiency and ability to have warm meat, unbroken shells and perfectly diced tomatoes.  Maybe one day when I have teenagers to help cook in the kitchen!

{funny}

During our visit to Sea World (our first cash vacation) Rita delighted in the squirting water.  We were all laughing as she played!

 {real}

I've been doing more laundry than I could have imagined!  The kids fill an entire diaper pail in 24 hours!  So diapers are being washed every day and diaper covers every day or day and a half.  I also have Jonah's laundry now...so we're adjusting and washing constantly.  Thank God for that handy washing machine and dryer!

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