Gratefulness

I have been so lucky in my life. I am constantly sitting here waiting for something to go wrong because it seems that just about everything falls in to place for me. After 2 weeks of having a pretty stressed out husband about whether or not he would still have a job, we were so blessed to find out yesterday that he does. It made me so sad at the same time to hear about a fellow coworker that was going to have to go to her family and tell them the bad news. I was pretty calm at the whole idea. I am a very capable and trained person and if needed I am sure I could step up to the plate if needed to support my family and how lucky am I to have so many family members to turn to in time of need. At MOPS we usually send shoe boxes full of presents at Christmas time each year to third world countries. This year with so many in need in our own parish we are going to adopt one or two families and provide for a wonderful Christmas for them. Those families represent so much what could be any one of us in that given circumstance.
My dad, God love him, was just telling me again how important the rosary is and how I should be sitting down with my kids each night to say it. While I do find comfort in the rosary, I am still pretty traumatized by having to say it in my childhood so much. Jackie was screaming half the time, people were complaining about having to kneel down, Mary would be doing random exercises during it. I just did not get a single thing out of it growing up and all the arguing and fighting just to get everyone to comply just seemed to negate the purpose of it. It was not until I became a mother when I felt the need to connect to Mary in that special way. I think of all the ways that the time could have been better spent. To be honest, I think a family board game where we were all connecting and laughing together would have been a better use of the time. I am convinced kids seeing Christ in action is so much more valuable than sitting down reading a prayer over and over. Parents hugging, talking laughing, building their relationship...that is Christ. Taking meals to a mom with a new baby or a parishioner who just had surgery...that is Christ. Showing my children why we can't have a nintendo DS and showing them the check for the catholic appeal and explaining where that money goes..that is Christ. I was in such a hurry in the grocery store the other day and this woman grabbed a bag of frozen french fries and they must have been open and flew all over the floor. I took half a step past her with all 3 kids in tow and then I stopped to help her pick them up with my girls watching me, and then joining in. I grew up with such a disconnect between what I heard and what I saw. I do not believe that you can guarantee heaven just by saying the rosary and going to church everyday. For me as a Catholic, adhering to church guidelines are essential and at minimal sunday mass is a must, but I am going out on a limb and taking a little bit of a different approach than my parents did in teaching faith and love for Jesus. For me the motto will be "Do as I do" and knowing those eyes are always on my makes me want to seize every opportunity I can to teach the love of Jesus!

The Fall

I just love this time of year but we have gone from summer just about to winter. Last weekend we closed out our camping season for the year up at Cuivre River. We went with the Stahls, Azars, Jax and Dan and Amy, Suzy and Jim and Sue. It was the crappiest coldest weather we have had camping but we didn't let it ruin our good time. I love that we have made such good friends in Emily's class. I never expected that. I have always had the security of the Vogels which have been my rock most of my life. I have a small handful of friends that have come along the way but most have come and gone. I truly am blessed to have found what I believe to be forever friends here at Assumption. I am even more excited that I believe Em has found her "Amy Vogel" in her friend Jaden. I can totally see them 20 years from now traveling around the world together and being in each others' lives. It was neat camping last weekend because Em had 3 other friends with us and they all had a sleepover in Jackie's bunkbed room in her camper. They roasted marshmellows together, went hiking, went to their soccer game and made countless memories. No matter how much work it was to get ready and clean up after camping, I will never regret it for the memories they made will last forever.
I am also so thankful for this alone time I have with Ben. We have gotten to snuggle so much while those girls are at school and he regularly gives me "sugar" sweet little kisses on my cheek. This morning when I dropped the girls off, Ben grabbed on to Lauren's hand and said "You stay with me!" He was very quiet and sad when she jumped out of the car. Earlier this week a cute thing happened. Dad met me a church in the morning and told me to pack a lunch for Ben. He took him back to his house and spend the day building a train set that had a whistle and blew real smoke. He didn't bring him back till 4pm. How lucky I am, how blessed I am.