Not that I watch Oprah almost every day...

But did you see her interview with Rielle Hunter, John Edwards' mistress?

At one point Oprah asked her how she felt about all the people who don't like her, who think she's a homewrecker.

Her response was that they're just taking out on her the pain they feel because their father cheated on their mother, or they were cheated on.  (that's stupid, Rielle, and I suspect you may be smart enough to know that.)

Oprah then retorted, "What if they just think it's wrong?!"

And then came an even more stupid answer - the epitome of relativism - just because someone thinks it's wrong to commit adultry - just because that's a truth in their life - does not mean that it's wrong for everyone, most especially it is not wrong for her. 

Wow.  Actually, Rielle, adultry is always wrong.  Always wrong.  Always. 

It may make you feel better to believe otherwise, but that which makes you feel better also makes you look dumber.

After seeing Elizabeth Edwards' inteview and comparing it to this one, I can only assume that John was not thinking with his head.

7 Quick Takes Friday

-1-

Lydia's birthday party is this weekend.  (This means I have some mega cleaning to get done.)  She's going to be 2.  Two!  My first born is 2!  Oh my baby girl!  Do you remember when she was born?  Golly, that labor lasted forever.  The backlabor pains were horrible.  And I still remember holding her for the first time.  What magical words are, "reach down and hold your baby".  After all those years and then months and then hours, I got to hold my baby.

And now she's 2!

-2-

Bennet has cut a tooth.  The bottom right.  With this development he has also started sleeping for longer stretches.  Yes!

-3-

Earlier this week I was at a mom's group at my church.  Women from other churches had been invited and one of them decided to talk about how wonderfully ecumenical we were being.  She then continued by saying that when she was a girl (maybe 50 years ago) Catholics were not allowed to own or read Bibles with "I'm so delighted in how far you Catholics have come tone in her voice and look on her face".  I was so insulted I got up and left in tears. 

You can't be ecumenical and perpetuate misunderstandings and flat-out lies about the Catholic Chruch.  Comments like hers are just an example of what I consider to be anti-catholic propoganda, based mostly on hearsay.

-4-

And just so you know, my grandfathers and great-grandfathers all had Bibles in their homes.  They've told me so.  They were allowed to read it.  As a way of protecting her members from heresy or schism, the Catholic Church did warn it's members to not interpret Sacred Scripture however they wanted.  Historical context and knowledge of the original languages of the Bible are just two things that should not be ignored when reading Scripture, and most of us laymen are not trained enough to use these tools.  But there's a huge difference between reading Sacred Scripture, being familiar with it, memorizing it, loving it, and reading it and drawing your own conclusions.

-5-

I've wanted to find cheap cleaners, and I've also wanted to cut down on the chemicals in my house. When we were a two income household I bought Method cleaners, but they don't fall in the cheap category. And then I was introduced to vinegar, thanks to Finding Great Joy's post on it awhile ago.   So far I've used it to clean the kitchen, remove hardwater deposits in my white bathroom sink, and as a bug killer (that one was improvised).  I plan on using it in my dishwasher once the jet dry is gone to help with the residue left on my glasses.  Vinegar, I love you!

-6-

Am I prude that I don't want to dress my son in sleeve-less clothing and I refuse to buy my daughter a two piece swimming suit?  I guess the boy clothing has more to do with what I think is cute, but I think that bikinis on little girls only adds to their oversexualization.

Do you disagree?  Why?

-7-

Do you ever wonder about the celebrities of your youth.  Like Eminem.  What's he doing?  Dr. Dre?   Where's he at?   I guess I wonder mostly about rappers, because I have no idea how a bada** lives. 

Who do you wonder about?

It must be winds-day

Cynthia had a post today about how the wind troubles her because it brings change.  It howls outside her windows, messes up her hair, and interfers with cell phone conversations.  But most importantly it reminds her of the changes in her life that she cannot stop - her son growing older, saying good-bye...

All of these are valid points. 

But I love the wind.  I think there's something exciting and magical in it.  It makes me feel like a kid again, as I quote Winnie the Pooh and wonder what or who will blow in - like Mary Poppins.  Adventures and friendships are bound to come from a good, strong wind.  And my long, ringleted hair will surely be caught in a gust and blast about like a storybook character's.

I suppose that the reason Cynthia dislikes the wind is the very reason I like it so. 

This is not to say that I look forward to my children growing up.  I do and I don't.  When I look back at an old film of Lydia and she is so little and cute and different from the toddler she is now, well, it breaks my heart a little that I can't remember her like that.

But I like the way that the mighty wind blows.  It sweeps the staleness out of my house.  (Smell of poopy diapers - be gone!)  It scatters the things that I was failing at (like growing herbs and peppers from seeds - they all blew away).  It gives me something to concentrate on other than myself and the horrible, humiliating day I had Tuesday (it was really bad).  It makes the house creak a little bit, it shakes the leaves as hard as it can, and it moans outside my windows.  (Encouraging me to snuggle up to my kids and husband.)

And so I sing:  It seems that it may turn out to be, Feels that it will undoubteadly, Looks like a rather blustery day today.  Hum dum dum dee dee dum.  Hum dum dum...

"In 2005 a baby boy in Manchester was born alive at 24 weeks after surviving three attempts to abort him. He is now a five-year-old schoolboy." 
 - This quote came at the end of an article in the UK's Telegraph.  The bulk of that article is about an Italian boy who was found alive by a hospital chaplain some 20 hours after he survived a botched abortion.

Read it here.

I know it's not just the mother in me that makes me appalled and deeply saddened by such stories.  But I can't imagine my life without my little ones and the joy they bring me.  It breaks my heart that the mothers of these babies can't / don't feel the same.

the perks of being friends with a Sister of Life, who also happens to be Lebanese

Some of you know my very good friend, Sr. Miriam Caritas of the Lamb of God, with the Sisters of Life.

She came home for a visit last week and I was able to spend some really great quality time with her.  This meant conversations about life in the Bronx, life in a convent, life with two kids and one on the way, our siblings, ugly Catholic churches we've been in, other nuns we love, FOCUS, Fr. Benedict Groeshcel, her mother's hummus recipe and public speaking.

It also meant a story that goes like this:

Sister and her mom go to a daily Mass at the local Maronite Catholic church, afterwhich they go out to breakfast with their priest. 
So a priest, a nun and the nun's mom are all sitting around Perkins, getting lots of looks, when the priest announces that Secretary Ray LaHood  (ya know, he's part of the President's cabinet) is in town.  Sec. LaHood happens to be Sister's mom's cousin and a friend of Father's.
So Father pulls out his cell phone, calls Sec. LaHood on his cell and says, "I'm having breakfast with Betty and her daughter, you should come."
And so he does.
And so people stare even more when a priest, a nun, the Secretary of Transportation and a nun's mom are sitting around having breakfast.

Come on, that's funny.

Lastly, Sr. MC being in town meant that I got to go to her mother's house for Lebanese cooking.  Kibbah, I love you!  Grape leaves, I love you!  Hummus so garlicy I  could take out a small village with my breath, I adore you!

Soccer Kid commercial

Saw this at Faith and Family. What a great, pro-life message - from a snack company of all places! Love it!

Awesome Opportunity for Young Adults

Several years ago I was blessed to chaperone an Eagle Eye week long retreat for high schoolers. Since then I have been a huge fan of the Community of St. John, and especially the ministry that they provide for young adults (teens, twenties and early thirties).

They combine a deep love of Jesus in the Eucharist with a celebration of life and the created world. Hiking, camping, adoration, prayer, games, Mass, philosophy and theology lessons, bonfires, praise and worship - all of it combines for an awesome opportunity.

I strongly encourage you to compare your schedule to theirs and see if you can attend one of their summer conferences.

saintjohnsummerconference.com

soaringforwisdom.com

new things

We now have a garden. 

It's mostly planted. 

We also have a compost pile (eventually it will be a bin) in the area where the old Christmas tree sits in the picture.

"High Noon" blue walls in dining room. 

(They were supposed to be more grey.) 

Also new is the chandelier.  Pretty, I think.

"Churchill Hotel Wheat" is the color of our living room. 

I love it.

All four walls of the kitchen are now painted! 

Travis also mudded around the kitchen window and outlets that had to be moved once the counters came.  Those areas still need to be painted, but we're one step closer.

Lydia and Bennet now bathe together. 
This is Lydia saying "cheese". 
I need to stop telling her to say that.  Her pictures always turn out like this. 
Poor girl.

The mudding and painting happened during Travis' spring break.  The kids and I moved out of the house and stayed with my parents for 4 nights. 

I have since decided that I, too, need a spring break.  I need Travis to take the kids to his parents' home and stay away for a few nights. 

I can sleep all night long. 

I can sort children's clothing. 

 I can finish cleaning out my closet. 

I can scrub the kitchen and dining room floors which haven't been more than spot cleaned in almost a year. 

Yes, I need a spring break.

Easter pictures

On Good Friday I had the goal of cleaning out my closet.  "Before" is on the left, "after" is on the right.  I have 2 tall kitchen garbage bags to get rid of, though I still need to sort through bags, shoes, scarves and bridesmaid dresses. 

Bennet and Lydia on Holy Saturday at Mom's house.  Lydia picked out her own outfit with an, "oh, I like this one!" as she grabbed the shirt.

Nothing here cost more than $2! 

The butterfly is what came out of the coffee filter cocoon that I made Lydia wrap her egg carton caterpillar in.  She really hated wrapping up the caterpillar.  Maybe next year she'll get the symbolism...

Easter Sunday on the front porch.  :)

Your Hands

Behold Conference

 Saturday was The Behold Conference, A Conference of the Dignity and Vocation of Women at St. Mary's Parish in Metamora.  

It was amazing!  

Especially when one takes in consideration the fact that we began planning it at the end of January.  And that it was in the small town of Metamora, in an old school.  And that it was the first year we did it.  And that there was no working budget. 

90 women came, mostly from Central Illinois, with some coming from as far north as Chicagoland and one as far south as Champaign. 

About 1/3 were under 35, several were college and high school students. 

There were 3 babies present, which delighted me!

Attendance-wise, it was great.  Our Diocese already has several women's conferences, but those attending are all older than my mom.  We wanted to create a conference for all women, but with a special emphasis on younger women, especially wives and moms.  We wanted to have speakers who would communicate to the hearts of discerning women, new moms, older moms, and grandmoms.  We hoped there would be generations of women present (and there were!).  We wanted to speak to women - affirm their femininity, celebrate their motherhood (spiritual or physical), rejoice in their beauty, and prepare them to go back out to fight the good fight.  That was my prayer as we prepared for the conference, and it is my hope that my prayers were answered. 

Our speakers were phenominal, and it was so beautiful to see how the balanced each other so perfectly.  Mother Assumpta, co-foundress and mother superior of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, and Teresa Tomeo, Catholic talk show host and media consultant, spoke openly and honestly, with much wisdom and humor. 

Mother, who has a soft voice and a sweet Southern accent,  told touching stories, cute stories, and was sweet and gentle.  Yet she made some profound statements and told some challenging truths. 

Some highlights from her:

- God must have a special love for us to allow us to live at a time when women are being attacked. 

- To be a saint we must be formed in the womb of Mary.

- Mary had to will the will of the Father for the death of her Son.

- The world is not a place to prove herself, but a dwelling place of people.  In a woman's way, we must redeem the world as a dwelling place.

Teresa Tomeo was bold, vibrant and funny.  I loved hearing her speak about the media.  It was jaw-dropping and eye-opening.  I need to listen to this woman's radio show every day.  Seriously. 

Some highlights from her:

- If you are bearing fruit you have to be pruned.

- Make your misery your ministry.

- Women are so powerful, and we need to reclaim our culture.

- Discouragement is the greatest tool of the devil.

Some comments on the rest of the day:

- It was wonderful having the Sacraments.  Over lunch, people waited in line for more than an hour to go to confession.  Mass and adoration were also parts of the day.

-  The food was amazing.  My mom baked a variety of breads, muffins and rolls for breakfast, which also featured hard-boiled eggs, fruit, milk, juice and coffee.  Lunch was catered by Michael's Italian Feast and was fantastic.  (The owners are devout Catholics, and it happens to be my favorite sauce - so I'm biased.)

- The decorations were thought of by a woman on our planning committee.  They were simple, pretty, and unique.  The chair covers were donated (!) and made the biggest impact of all.

-  The little touches - like nice soap in the bathrooms, converting the library into a Mother's Room with rocking chairs, wet wipes and water, and having pretty napkins - were all notice and appreciated by the women attending.  When they commented on such things it kinda felt like they were saying, "This is the kind of thing I do for my family / friends all the time.  It never gets recognized or appreciated but it matters to me and makes my home more hospitable.  Thank you for doing it for me!" 

- A friend told me that when she heard where the conference was going to be located she had pretty low expectations for the entire conference.  But from the moment she entered the school cafeteria she was amazed and completely blown away.  In the end, our rinky-dink conference ended up being pretty wonderful.

-  The pictures below are "before" pictures.  As in before we spent 6 hours decorating, stuffing goodie bags, organizing, setting up tables and hiding ugliness. 

Lastly, I just want to say that I really appreciate all the women who supported me in this endevor.  I know that you didn't come to the conference for me, but for yourself, yet your belief that the conference would be worth $30, a whole Saturday and altering plans helped me believe the same thing.  (ha!)  I did it for you, with the firm belief that you are worth investing in, encouraging, building up and serving.  I sincerely hope that you left the day feeling honored, challenged, encouraged and delighted in.

God bless you!

small successes

Every Thursday Faith & Family hosts Small Successes, an opportunity for moms to list at least 3 things that went well in the last week. 

#1  At 16.5 weeks pregnant I had a check-up with Bernice, my midwife.  I had lost 3lbs since my last visit!  (I'm fat enough that this is okay, sadly.)  I've been trying very hard to not overeat and eat fill my diet with lots of healthy foods and very little sweets.  Plus, I've been going on walks with the kids or doing 45 mins on the eliptical at the gym.   

#2  I planted my garden and have done some landscaping.  We have also started composting.

#3  I have been working my bottom off on preparing for the Behold Conference, which will be this Saturday.  We have 90 registered guests coming to hear 2 national Catholic speakers.  Based on the fact that we decided to do this in February, it's the first time it's been done, and we're holding it in a Catholic school, I feel pretty pleased - and majorly grateful - for the turn out.  We have been blessed over and over again while putting this together, despite a few struggles.  I pray that God will bless conference and the women who attend.

#4  We paid off our credit card and a small loan!  (Many thanks to the federal government!)

3 great tips to (maybe) make your life easier *updated to 4

#1 - If you have dry, damaged hair use honey.  Seriously.  My mom did it and her hair has never looked better.  Gone was the frizz and in its place were beautiful curls.  She said the honey will be drawn right into the hair - no mess.  She also said she was taking back a small $25 bottle of ointment she'd gotten from her hairdresser.

#2 - If you need to get melted, half-burned candles out of candle holders stick them in the freezer.  24 hours later they will pop right out.  A priest taught me this.  It works.

#3 - Marry a really awesome man.  It works for me!

#4 - Use hydrogen peroxide to get blood out of white carpets.  I have stubbed my toes so many times and left a trail of blood throughout our house, which Trav and I clean up with hp and q-tips.  It foams; it's kinda cool.

too cute not to share

Last night Lydia was playing in her kitchen, which I had equipped with an old cell phone.

This is the following conversation she pretended to have with her Aunt Meg:

Hello!...  How are you?...  Good!...  Okay...  I'll call you back.  Bye!

So cute!

Open to Life

That was the attitude Travis and I took - we weren't trying to get pregnant but we also knew there was a small chance we might.

And as my temperature never went down on my NFP chart I started to suspect that our little "open to life" bit meant that there was another life. And I'll be honest, I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of 3 under 3.

But after I took the ept, I sat on my bed and told God He would have to provide. How else could we do it? Looking at the chart I felt that He wanted this baby to exist. (Read: The conception was not miraculous, but well beyond the normal.)

The way that He has provided since that positive test has been amazing.

- We thought we owed our midwife $500 for Bennet's birth. She said insurance paid for everything plus $3.20, which she's crediting to this new baby.
- Someone decided that our hand-me-down sofa just wouldn't do and bought us a new one, one that is much easier to get out of when you're 9 months pregnant or holding a sleeping newborn.
- He made it abundantly clear which mini-van to buy.
- An anonymous donor gave us $500 via my spiritual director. When I returned home with the gift our car insurance bill was in the mail, for $480.
- A friend of the family bought us a new laptop, something we'd been trying to (unsuccessfully) save for. This laptop helps Travis with his master's program, half of which is online, and me with my very part time, work from home job.

This abundance of gifts reassured me that everything would be okay. God is faithful, and He had chosen to bless Travis and I in an awesome way - with another child.

This whole experience has taught me is that fertility is a gift - a great gift - and I will not curse God that He has given it to me. I will try to not become anxious or troubled or angry with God that I am pregnant again. I will not be afraid of having a baby 2 weeks after Bennet's 1st birthday. My vocation is to be a wife and mother, and clearly God has some great plans for my sanctification. 

Okay, honestly, sometimes I do worry about it all but I then run through the amazing ways that God has blessed us through the heroic generousity of others and His clear guidance and I feel reassured. 

It's like what Sara Groves said,

God has been faithful, He will be again.  His loving compassion knows no end.  All I have need of His Hand will provide.  He's always been faithful to me.

Wow. This is interesting.

Thanks to Jen for pointing it out.

Jesus Christ is Risen!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

An aquantence had her world fall apart. A friend might be losing her marriage. A couple I know has a very ill baby. The Church is being slapped with scandal, some of it deserved and some of it sensationalized.

It is so easy to hear some news, think that's too bad, and move on. For certainly there is peanut butter toast to be made, carpets to be vacuumed, diapers to be washed, and a baby to bathe.

But this Lent, and especially this Triddum, I have found myself taking the time to stop and try to imagine how scared, how heavy-hearted, how forsaken people feel at times. I am trying to be more empathetic, because that is how I remember to pray for the people I promise to pray for.

What does this have to do with Easter?

Well, that's the only hope we have, isn't it? In the end, there really are things we just cannot get through by natural means. We need the Supernatural. We need the promise of Eternal Life, the Divine Mercy of God, the knowledge that suffering can be redemptive and the belief that we are held in the Righteous Right Hand of an all-knowing and deeply-loving God. Even if it doesn't feel like it.

Even if it does not feel like it.

Easter is a beautiful reminder of the Goodness of God, and that it will triumph.

He is Risen indeed!

Alleluia! Alleluia!