1st Birthday...take two

Remember how I said that my sweet husband threw a party for our big one year old while I was away at a retreat and how I needed to have another party so that I could be there? Well, here's a collage of photos from Nathanael's 2nd "1st" birthday :) It was a great party, and I was very happy to be there this time to share in all the smiles of my big 1 year old!

Nathanael was smitten with his train cake...he loves trains right now, which makes living a block from the train tracks a big bonus right now. The "choo choo" sound of a train was one of the first sounds he learned how to make.

The knew what to do with the cake a bit faster the second time around...

Yes, he demolished his first piece in a hurry, then he wanted more (of course)...

Nathanael had no idea how to open his presents, so thankfully there were lots of little helpers more than happy to show him how...

He received lots of books, which are his favorite "toy" in the world, especially the "lift-the-flap" or "touch-and-feel" kind...

His grandparents bought him this fun interactive train, which he adores...

...and they also bought him this Thomas tent/tunnel/ball-pit toy which Nathanael was mesmerized by...

His brothers loved it too, and we later found our cat playing in it too, so I guess it's fun for the WHOLE family :)

Overdue Thanksgiving List

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am reminded how long overdue I am with sharing my gratitude list. My goal is to post a list each Thursday of things that I am thankful for in order to train myself to constantly be looking for God's graces all around me. I have failed miserably at posting a list each week, but here is the list that I've been working on the past couple of months:

• boys looking handsome and happy in their blue and khaki school uniforms


• the jibberjabbering of babies...the sweetest language on earth


• rainbows in the soapy suds as I do dishes, reminding me that even chores can be beautiful with the right perspective


• one-on-one bonding at breakfast with whichever child wakes first in the morning


• Nathanael learning to balance on 2 chubby legs


• hiding Scripture memory verses in my heart with my prayer partner


• slipping love notes and Scripture verses in lunch boxes


• dimpled chins and baby grins


• praying at Planned Parenthood in the falling snow, feeling God's grace fall upon me


• Dominic pretending to be a new ocean animal each week


• the delight in my boys' eyes as they watch MLB games on the computer


• a surprise gift of chocolate from my friend Beth on a day I needed a boost


• crunchy carrots from our garden that somehow taste better than the ones at the store


• hunter husband returning early from hunting camp = huge deposit in my love bank


• hunting season nearing its end (3 more days, but who's counting) :)


• singing the name of Jesus at a Cursillo retreat


• unexpected polanca (love letters) from those I love most, including sweet drawings from my boys


• the gentle flicker of the sanctuary candle, silently beckoning that God is near


• my kind friend Alyssa who brought ginger ale and bread when our house had the flu


• learning Mother Teresa's secret: thirsting for Christ and trusting that He thirsts for me


• times spent reading or sewing


• finding a new babysitter and piano teacher for the boys


• women sharing their "mountains moved" by faith and trust in Jesus

the big ONE

Our baby turned ONE on November 10th, and although his mommy was away at a Cursillo Women's Retreat getting her soul refueled, his daddy and brothers made is day very special. Paul bought the chocolaty-est cupcake he could find at the grocery store, found a candle somewhere in our cupboard, serenaded Nathanael with help from the big brothers, and then let Nathanael dive right in. Paul even remembered to take pictures (my 11 years of nagging him is finally paying off!) The only thing he forgot was a bib...but who needs bibs on their birthday, right?

It was very special for me to see photos of the celebration and to know that Paul and boys had fun while I was away having a different kind of fun of my own. I think it was so healthy for Paul to have that special bonding time with his boys without my interference too, and boy did they bond. When Paul and the boys came to pick me up from my retreat, Nathanael clung to daddy and wouldn't even come to me!!! At first I was a bit saddened by that, but then I realized how much it must warm Paul's heart to know that he was the "favored one" this time :) I think part of the reason Nathanael wouldn't come to me was because as soon as I saw the boys, I basically turned into a puddle of tears because I missed them so much and was so happy to see them. I don't think Nathanael has ever seen his mommy cry before, so when he saw my tear-stained face he was like, "Who is this crazy woman...there is no way I'm going to let her hold me!" Thankfully, once I pulled myself together and wiped my running mascara off my face, he quickly changed his mind and let me love on him :)

Here's the play-by-play in pictures from Nathanael's real birthday... We are going to have another celebration this weekend so that mommy can celebrate her baby's birthday too (my husband doesn't understand why we need to celebrate again, but I'm sure all you mothers out there understand) :)

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe daddy gave me a cupcake!"

"Now, what exactly do I do with it?"

"Hmmm, it tastes pretty good!"

"Oh ya, it tastes great and it's fun to play with too!"

"Nuts, it's a bit sticky though..."

"I'll just try to flick it on the floor to get it off my hands."

"This was the BEST BIRTHDAY OF MY LIFE!!!"

Whale of a Good Time

On Halloween each year, we do our best to turn the secular holiday into one that glorifies God by focusing on the holy saints instead of ghouls, witches or make-believe superheroes. Why not focus on the "real" superheroes instead--those who loved Christ, served Him, and often died for His sake!? My husband and I became convicted about 8 years ago that we didn't want to be a part of the dark roots of Halloween. Plus, the fact that Halloween is still celebrated by Satanic groups and those in the Wicca religion really bothered us. So we decided to scrap trick-or-treating altogether for some good, holy fun instead. We always invite a group of Christian friends over for some heavenly food, some saintly games, some intercessory prayer asking the saints to help us grow in holiness, and then we share stories of our favorite saint or the saint we dressed up as for the party. Here is this year's rundown of who we chose as our saints:

• Paul: St. John Bosco


• Maria: St. Maria Goretti


• Joseph: St. Juan Diego


• Michael: St. Damien


• Dominic: St. Brendan


• Nathanael: St. George

We always end the celebration with letting the kids break open a homemade pinata. This year's pinata was a whale in honor of the saint Dominic chose to dress up as: St. Brendan the Navigator who is the patron saint of whales and sailors. All in all, it was a whale of a good time had by all!

This year was extra special because my mom was able to celebrate with us and help us prepare for the party. She helped the boys make their "Saint-O-Lanterns," in which they carved a symbol that represents the saint they chose to dress up as this year. She also helped me make Dominic's costume, clean my house, make the meal, and a million other things...THANKS, MOM! She didn't need to dress up as a saint for the party because she truly is a living saint! (Anyone who knows her would agree!)

This year's Saint-O-Lanterns: The pumpkin for St. Bosco and St. Maria Goretti has a cross symbol, St. Juan Diego has a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe on it (Joseph drew the picture and did an incredible job!), St. Brendan has a whale, St. George has a spear, and St. Damien has a big "D" carved out to represent his name.

Joseph as Juan Diego, Maria as St. Maria Goretti, Nathanael as St. George, Dominic as St. Brendan, Paul as St. Bosco, and Michael as St. Damien.

Our saintly friends: Glen as St. Paul of the Cross, Lisa as St. Jacinta, Brian and Maria as their saintly selves, Jennifer as St. Esther, Beth as St. Elizabeth, Scott as St. Zachariah, Maria as St. Maria Goretti, and Paul as St. John Bosco.

All our saintly kids ready to eat their candy from the pinata!

St. George looks way too adorable and gentle to slay a dragon!

St. Brendan is ready to set sail and be a missionary for Christ!

Dominic dancing at his school costume parade where the class sang a few songs.

Michael as St. Damien and Joseph as St. Juan Diego at their school party. They had a blast playing games at all the different booths and winning lots of candy for prizes.

Michael and Joseph playing the "Halo Toss" game.

St. Michael covered in halos at the "Halo Toss" game.

Michael playing "Pin the Halo on the Saint" game.

Joseph ready to drop a rose from our balcony for our "St. Therese's Roses from Heaven" game.

A view from the balcony after the roses have been "showered from heaven." Whichever child dropped their rose closest to the picture of St. Therese was the winner. This game is always a big hit; the kids wanted to play this game over and over again.

Little Audrey ready to give the whale pinata a smack.

Michael's mighty batting skills sure payed off this year!

Choosing Cheerfulness

"Cheerfulness is a sign of a generous and mortified person who, forgetting all things, even herself, tries to please God in all she does for souls. Cheerfulness is often a cloak which hides a life of sacrifice, continual union with God, fervor, and generosity. A person who has this cheerfulness very often reaches a great height of perfection... When I see someone sad, I always think, 'She is refusing something to Jesus.' " ~Blessed Mother Teresa

I came across this profound quote from Mother Teresa this week and it really convicted my heart (which was choosing not to be cheerful at the time). It made me wonder how many times a day I "refuse something to Jesus" by choosing to grumble in my mind or chide one of my children for some small offense. I want to give Jesus my all--my very heart--each day, but I am reminded that He wants a heart filled with love and cheer, not selfishness and complaints. I also have a deep desire to share Jesus with others, and perhaps the best way to do that is by having a genuinely cheerful heart which others are drawn to. I am committing myself anew to put on my cloak of cheerfulness each morning when I awake, so that at the end of the day I can hopefully fall asleep knowing that I have refused nothing to my Savior who gave His all for me.

Near a Year

My oh my, our baby is nearly a year old...just one more month away! At 11 months old his little personality is really starting to blossom. Within the last couple of weeks he has learned how to take a few steps (3 is the record so far, but normally he only attempts a step or two before crashing onto his bum). He has also started mimicking animal sounds; his favorites are the dog, the cat, and the cow...although they all sound sort of alike at this point. He also likes making big machine noises like trains, airplanes, and military tanks... He truly keeps me entertained all day long! He is at the adorable age that makes being a mommy so much fun and makes me almost ready to have more babies (almost!) :) This month he also popped one more tooth through, making a total of 8. And I can tell he is really working on some molars because he constantly is chewing on toys or his own fingers if he can't find anything else. Here are a few pictures of our little guy to make you grin...

You can just see the fun and mischief in his eyes!

This is a new look that we are seeing a lot of these days...it's the "fake pout" look which he uses to get about anything he wants :}

I just love his eyelashes, his dimpled chin, his tiny little lips, his spiky red hair...he is growing way too fast, but I am loving every second of it!

A Good Kind of Busy

It has been many weeks since the last time I blogged. I wanted to, and I had lots to say, but simply was too busy. But it has been a very good kind of busy. The reason for my busy-ness: the Fall 40 Days for Life campaign. Twice a year, in the spring and in the fall, I help lead a 40 Days for Life campaign in our town. My perfectionist tendencies make it a very stressful and busy time of the year for me, but I can't imagine NOT doing it. I truly feel God has called me to this life-saving ministry, and He is blessing it in ways that makes me feel so humbled and happy to be "a pencil in His hand," as Mother Teresa would say. A short, stubby, needing-to-be-sharpened-pencil is what I am, but thrilled to be used by the Maker nonetheless! :)

This particular campaign has been extra exciting because we were able to have the national directors and founders of 40 Days for Life, David Bereit and Shawn Carney, come speak at our Kick-Off Rally. I was also one of the speakers, so I was crazy-stressed-out (as in, notsleepingatnightnearlyhavingapanicattackstressedout) to share the stage with such dynamically pro-life and godly men! If you want to hear their incredible speeches at our rally, you can click on this link (http://40daysforlife.com/blog/). But BE WARNED...their words will inspire you to be more pro-actively pro-life!!! :)

I wish I could share every detail of what is on my heart regarding 40 Days for Life...what it has done for my relationship with Christ, how it is positively impacting others who are involved, every story of mothers and babies spared from the pain of abortion, the tears I've witnessed of post-abortive women who are finding healing through this ministry, the number of abortion workers who have been converted like Abby Johnson was... Speaking of Abby Johnson, she also came to Helena the day after our Kick-Off rally to speak at the Affirming the Culture of Life Conference. Wow, is that girl feisty, sassy, and just plain hilarious!!! God is using her conversion story (poignantly told in her book "unPlanned") to touch so many souls! I am thrilled that I got to meet her and spend time with her... Oh, there is just so much I want to share, but I don't know where I would begin, nor do I know if my words would ever find an end. Truly, this ministry is a never-ending story of God at work in so many hearts in so many ways. So, to spare you a novel, I guess I will just share the basics. I recently wrote an article for our Catholic Diocesan newspaper that hopefully will give you an overview of what 40 Days for Life is about, and I pray it inspires you to get involved in a 40 Days for Life campaign near you---or at the very least to unite with other pro-lifers in praying and fasting like you've never done before during the rest of the campaign! (There are 29 days left and already 109 babies have been saved in the last 11 days!!!)

Pro-lifers from around Montana were inspired to be more pro-active at the 40 Days for Life Kick-Off Rally that was held in Helena on September 29th at Memorial Park. Much of the inspiration came from the keynote speakers, David Bereit and Shawn Carney, the co-founders and national directors of the 40 Days for Life movement. It was a huge blessing to have such nationally renowned speakers to share their contagious pro-life energy with those in attendance.

Since 40 Days for Life began in 2007, over 4300 babies have been spared from abortion, 43 clinic workers have quit their jobs, and 14 abortion clinics have closed. In his keynote speech, David Bereit reminded the crowd that the Planned Parenthood in Kalispell, MT closed right after a 40 Days for Life campaign was held on their sidewalk in 2009, and he believes Helena’s Planned Parenthood could be the next clinic to close its doors for good. Shawn Carney challenged everyone to fast and pray, and to take their prayers to the places where hope, love, and mercy are needed most: abortion clinics. He explained how it is the visible presence of the prayer volunteers on the sidewalk of abortion clinics that most effectively changes mothers’ hearts at the last second to choose life. Ben Seitz, the coordinator of Helena’s 40 Days for Life campaign said, “With a peaceful, prayerful, loving witness, women coming to Planned Parenthood will see us as a sign of hope, a ray of light, in an otherwise very troubling, hopeless situation, and that they can reach out to us to find alternatives to abortion.”

40 Days for Life goes beyond reaching out to women in crisis pregnancies; the prayer volunteers strive to share Christ’s love to women who need post-abortion healing, to the employees at the clinic, and even to people driving by in their cars. That is the beauty and power of 40 Days for Life—it is not a protest movement; it is a prayer vigil that taps into God’s grace to change hearts towards truth and life.

The Kick-Off Rally concluded with a prayerful procession from Memorial Park to Helena’s Planned Parenthood where the group sang hymns and offered prayers for an end to abortion, healing for all those affected by abortion, and conversion of all those who work in the abortion industry. To learn more about 40 Days for Life or to sign up for the prayer vigil in Helena, visit:
www.40daysforlife.com/helena.

Me and my friend Cheline (the dynamic red-head duo!) at the Kick-Off rally, helping people sign up for times to pray on the vigil calendar.

Shawn Carney and David Bereit---co-founders of 40 Days for Life---truly amazing men of God who are turning our culture back into a culture of life by tapping into the gospel messages of prayer, fasting, mercy, and trust in the Lord.

David Bereit on the stage at Memorial Park.

Shawn Carney lit up the stage with his smile, his southern accent, and his passion for the precious unborn and all those affected by abortion.

Me, feeling very unworthy to be on the same stage as the two men pictured above. Thankfully, God took away all of my nervousness right before my speech and I was able to share my message of how important it is to be a visible, prayerful presence outside Planned Parenthood. I am the Vigil Coordinator of the campaign, so it is my job to help people sign up for their hours to pray. I have been doing this for the past 5 years, and I am so encouraged this campaign because more people than ever before are finding the courage to go out and pray at PP.

This is Shawn Carney, David Bereit with his wife and 2 kids, and a few other 40DFL leaders from around Montana standing outside Planned Parenthood where we sang and prayed after the Kick-Off speeches. The director of PP was waiting for us and called the police. Thankfully, we had already told the police ahead of time that we would be there, and the police told the PP director that we had the legal right to be there praying. Legal victory was ours that night, but we need to contanstly pray because a real spiritual battle is certainly underway daily!