Don't walk. Run.

Buy this book. You will not be sorry. Not one bit. It will change the way you celebrate holidays, feast days, and holy days. Out with secularism and commercialism, in with tradition, beauty, reverence, and family. 

In with family.

God bless you all as we embark on this beautiful season of Advent. May God be with me as I resist with ALL MY STRENGH putting up the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. And to keep it up until the Feast of the Epiphany. Hence....the "Twelve Days of Christmas".

A Thanksgiving Prayer.

This is what my mom will be reading to us before our Thanksgiving dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to you all and my love to you and yours. God Bless you.

O God, when I have food,

help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,

help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home,

help me to remember the homeless,

When I am without pain,

help me to remember those who suffer,

And remembering,

help me to destroy my complacency;

bestir my compassion,

and be concerned enough to help;

By word and deed,

those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.

Samuel F. Pugh

Creative play. Daddy style.

Ella: Dad? Dad? Dad? What can we do?

Dad: Ella, go downstairs with Paxton and play "Ship".

Ella: Okay!

seconds later.....

Ella: Dad, Paxton just said that I couldn't be the commander.

Dad: Okay, well... then... you be the one with scurvy.

Creativity. Daddy style.

She ran down and they played. She never bothered to ask what "scurvy" was. 

et tu?

How can it be...

...that you are already old enough for one of these?

Substantive blogging.

I don't feel like I am holding up my end of the bargain. Aren't I supposed to be writing about all things relevant? Important? Life changing? Well, if I am, I am failing. Since having had my fourth child and being all-consumed with all the change going on in our lives right now, I am failing. 

Or, am I thriving?

I feel neglectful, as though things are only being done halfway. That just isn't the case though. When I step back and look at my life I can see all that Steve and I are accomplishing. In leaps and bounds. I suppose it's the being "in it" that takes away from one's ability to "see it". 

I am proud of all that we have done and continue to do. Car battery dead at 4:45 am when you're supposed to be on your way to the airport to catch a  5:50 flight? And there's no one around? No problem. Call a cab, pack up the two kids and get your hinies to the airport without whining, and deal with it when you get back. Six doors for the new house fall off a forklift and have to be re-ordered, thereby setting your completion date back another few days? No problem. Too cold to pour asphalt, necessitating that you wait until spring to really have a driveway of any kind? Just go with it. Brother fighting depression and he lives two hours away and you can't get your hands on him to hug him? In Fr. Corapi's words, "Don't worry. Pray". Baby's schedule completely screwed up because of time changes and traveling? Let it go. He's four months old and if you have to hold him all day long. So be it. He'll only be a baby once. Enjoy the sweet smell of the nape of his neck. All day long.

We're okay. We're blessed. I read the gospel to the kids this morning and was, again, reminded to be grateful. Shut up. Stop whining. Just say "thank you". Jesus heals ten lepers and only one remembers to come back and say "thank you". Am I like that one, or am I too often more like the other nine who go on about their way, never stopping, never going back to say, "Lord, I love you. Thank you. Thank you for this life. These children. This husband. Thank you." ?

The substance of my blog post today is just to say "thanks". And, sometimes that good enough.

Fascinating logic.

Overheard while the kids were playing a game..

Paxton: Okay, Ella, I think I won.

Ella: But, I think I should get one more point.

Paxton: Why?!

Ella: Because I didn't cheat.

Off again!

The auction went well. I am so glad it's over.

In honor of my decision to take November off I thought it would be a good idea for us to travel. To Milwaukee. Tomorrow.

Actually, our flight leaves bright and early in the morning but we are leaving for the hotel by the airport tonight. My cousin, who teaches at Marquette University along with his fiance', is getting married on Saturday. Yay! We're getting out of town! For a wedding no less! Miss Ella and Mr. Roan will be accompanying us while Paxton and Shepherd hold down the fort with Grandma and Grandpa. Having a child in school full time has changed our spontaneity a bit. ;)

I will post about the auction and our trip after we get back. Oh! And, the house? Yeah....it's almost DONE.

Cliffhanger.....