7 quick takes

1 - Happy 4th of July Weekend!  Here's some Shooter Jennings for your all American listening enjoyment.  "Like a queen in your nightgown" - I still love that line. 

2 - Man, that song makes me want a beer.  Wait - hold on a second ----  ahhhh... beer....

3 - Updates on James:  He saw an orthopedic specialist at the recommendation of his physical therapist.  Doc said not to worry about the bowed legs.  James also saw a dermatologist who said he has a pretty severe eczema.  Also, he is CRAWLING!  He's been growing in his mobility but today he crawled from the living room, down the hall, and into the dining room.  I am thrilled!

4 - Story:  The orthopedic specialist asked if I was nervous about James' legs because the PT thought there was an issue.  I said no, pointed to Bennet and explained that Bennet had bowed legs and was pigeon-toed so we were used to it.  He then checked out Bennet and said that neither of the boys needed surgery, special shoes, or braces.  This makes me very happy.  But I'm a little worried that we might get billed for both boys.  I swear the only reason Bennet was actually with us was because I didn't have a sitter!

5 - I am now back home.  The kids are with my mother-in-law, Travis is out of town, and I am in a mostly finished home that seriously needs to be put back in order before the kids can return.  If anyone is bored they can help me clean and move furniture.

6 - Both bathrooms have fresh coats of paint.  I now need towels that match.  And a new shower curtain upstairs.  Anyone wanna trade a dark green shower curtain for a white or grey one?

7 - I have this very strong desire to begin living in nurse scrubs.  Have you seen them lately?!  There are some cute scrubs out there - especially tops!  I could wear them all day, most days and when I'm out in public people would just think I'm a nurse on my way home from work.  I think it's a brilliant idea.  And that's not just the beer talking.

just for you

A toe tapper to get you through this long afternoon in this long week.

Or is that just me?

Blessings to you all!

and then I saw the beauty

I sat across the table from her and we made some small talk while she took my information for her form.  In silence, while she typed, I studied her appearance.  Outdated hair style.  Knobby hands.  Wrinkles on her face.  Plain clothes.  After noticing all the details I concluded that she may have been fairly pretty in her 20's but thirty-some years later she was just average.

And then I thought about the people I know who are so much more physically attractive to me because of how I love them.

I asked God how He saw her.  Immediately, before my eyes, her features softened.  Her knobby hands suddenly seemed virtuous with hard work and strong with love.  I was suddenly struck with how gentle and pretty her smile was.  My heart filled with the love her husband, parents, and children felt for her and I thought she was truly beautiful. 

It was amazing. 

So now, every time I look over someone's appearance and begin assessing all the things they've done wrong or how they've aged poorly I stop myself.  I wonder how God sees them and their beauty becomes obvious.  Obvious. 

How could I have missed it all in the first place?!

bad idea

I got Tangled from Netflix for Lydia.  Now she plays with my hair saying, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair!"  She pulls on it, twists it, tugs at it, all but swings around on it.

Cute movie.  Sore scalp.

7 quick takes

1 - Blogging at my mom's sucks.  I can't post videos.  I can't leave comments on other people's blogs.  For some reason my blogger dashboard is odd formatted.  And this is about the 3rd time I've typed this...  Otherwise, staying at my parents' home has been wonderful, but here's a few things I've wanted to say:
Kaitlin, I loved your engagement story!  The best ones always involve peeing in the woods. 
Cynthia, I loved your post on beauty.  Thank you for sharing those thoughts.
Also, I apologize that there is no music to read by today.

2 - Travis has been working hard on our house which is why the kids and I are at my parents' house.  He's gotten a lot accomplished, including our laundry room.  What was once a 30% finished room filled with crap is now DONE with shelves, cabinets, and all kinds of room for storage.  You might be jealous when you see it.  Fair warning.

3 - Lydia has taken to saying "cockle-doodle-do-do" all the time.  It is her expression of choice.  I turned it into a brilliant joke:
What did the rooster say when he stepped on some poop?
Cockle-doodle-do-do!
I know.  I'm awesome.  You can bask in my glow.

4 - We saw the newest Pirates movie.  Lame-o.  However, I did love that the Catholics were the portrayed rather well.  Did you like it?  Or were you smart enough not to see it?

5 - For those of you who haven't seen it, I am referring to the end of the movie, when the British, the pirates, and the Catholic Spanish all arrive at the Fountain of Youth at about the same time.  The Brits and the pirates are fighting over it when the Spanish come in  and declare that only God can grant eternal life.  They then destroy the the area.  Boo-yah! 

6 - Teeth.  Bennet loves brushing his and James now has 3.

7 - Tonight we are going to Galva for Ella Berry's benefit.  Ella was born with an undetected heart condition.  She almost died when she was a few days old, was life flighted to the same hospital James was in and just came home from the PICU last week.  If you are looking for something to do, and would like to support the Berry's huge medical bills, please consider coming.

for Pete's sake

In honor of my first child, Peter Mark, who we lost to miscarriage, I would love to pray for your intentions that are related to infertility or the loss of a child.

Please leave your prayer intention - for yourself or someone you know - in the comment box. Commenters may leave their name or be anonymous. You may share as little or as much as you like. With great respect, dignity, and affection I would like to pray for you, your pain, your grief, and your hope.

I, of course, invite all those who comment or read the comments to join me in praying for one another.

Thank you for this privilege.

our engagement story

The lovely Betty Beguiles is hosting a The Story of How You Became Engaged link-up.  Join the fun!

I'm going to splurge a little bit and tell our whole story.  The short version.

Travis was a super senior at WIU, living at the Newman Center, when I was hired as the campus minister.  When I arrived to campus he was the only one around.  We spent our first day together rearranging furniture, eating at Hardees, talking about the girl he was in love with, and watching We Were Soldiers.

Over the next two years we became very good friends.  Our relationship was completely platonic.  It was wonderful.

In February 2006 he and his fiance called off their engagement.  In March the man I was seeing told me he had found greener pastures (another woman).  On April 1st we unofficially went to the Newman Formal together.  I had an idea that maybe I liked him but, not knowing he ended his engagement for seminary, I thought he was still in love with his ex. 

Around the middle of April Travis was praying in the chapel about his vocation.  He asked God, "What do You want me to do?"  He thought he'd get a response like, "Become a monk."  Instead he was overcome with thoughts and images of me.  When he asked the chaplain, Father told him God was either showing him what he was going to miss out on or what he was going to get. 

Travis began to be more intentional in spending time with me. 

I was clueless and kept any attraction pushed waaaaaay in the back.

Then he called me one day, saying he had to discuss something with me.  As we ended the conversation I almost said, "I love you."  I hung up the phone and freaked out.  It was true: I had completely fallen in love with Travis and I didn't even know it was happening. 

It was okay, though, because the conversation he wanted to have with me began with, "I want to date you.  I think God wants us to be together."

He then spent the next two days convincing me he was over his ex.

Two weeks later we had our wedding date picked out.  A month after that we were officially engaged and I had the ring on my finger to prove it.  Almost seven months after that we were married during the Octave of Christmas, on the Eve of the Feast of the Holy Family.

And we've lived happily ever after.


Now, how did he actually propose?  Well, he made a date with me.  I was pretty sure he was going to propose and in my nervousness I drank a ton of water.  I packed a picnic dinner - real plates, chicken breasts, yummy stuff - and he picked me up, bouquet of roses in hand. 

We went to Grandview Dr. in Peoria and ate while overlooking the Illinois River.  We then went for a small hike in the woods.  During the hike I really, really had to pee.  I told Travis and we tried to get to a park area, which just kept seeming further and further away. 

Then, at the top of a hill was a small clearing with a handful of grazing deer.  We were very close and we stopped to quietly watch them.  Travis said my name and I turned to see him kneeling, holding up a ring. 

"I love you.  I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Will you marry me?"

I said yes.  We kissed; we hugged; he picked me up and spun me around in a circle.

And then I went to pee in the woods.

Because I am that classy.

we're too poor to have more kids

It was recently suggested to me that it is ridiculous for an American to say "I cannot afford to have another child".  The United States is wealthy and compared to the rest of the world even our poverty looks pretty good.

Of course this discussion completely removed all other reasons Travis and I are currently practicing NFP to avoid pregnancy - reasons which we have prayed about and we believe are valid.  Instead the woman I was speaking with, who believes that married people should be making babies - the Church says so - end of story, focused on monetary reasons.  And she got me thinking.

She implied that since we have two vehicles, a pc and laptop, a 2100 sq foot house, two cell phones, a full fridge, full closets, and plenty of toys that we have enough money to have another baby.  And when you put it that way, yes, maybe we do. 

Except that there was no context.  Both our vehicles were bought used, the laptop was a gift, the house was a dump when we bought it, our closets are full of hand-me-downs, gifts, and things we've had since college, the toys are gifts, and part of our food comes from WIC.  We have no money in savings.  We live paycheck to paycheck. 

Well, was the response, your family would have more money if you, Bonnie, hadn't gone to college - racking up all that debt - for a degree you don't even use.

With that comment I stepped back from the conversation to think about what was being said.  It is absurd to compare my family to most families living in the world - who live in poverty.  I think it's also unfair to imply to families that our comfortable and fairly modest lives should be sacrificed for more and more babies.  Sell off the computer and cancel the internet and have another kid! 

Ummm... I don't think so. 



I am a better wife, mother, and citizen because of my degree.  My college experience helped me grow in character and knowledge, compassion and culture.  Plus it allows me the opportunity to get a good paying job should the need ever arise.  My college degree - and the debt in incured - are worthwhile.

all the things that make a good day

- playing with friends
- making paper swords
- picking out a very special bottle of bubbles at the pharmacy
- sharing a chicken tender meal with your brother and mom and even getting to drink a little soda
- playing in the McDonald's play area
- having your favorite meal - spaghetti and meatballs - for dinner
- painting
- taking a bath
- eating ice cream with your godmother
- reading the book Today I Was Baptized

These are the ways we celebrated the anniversary of Lydia's baptism.  It was a good, full day - one that she thoroughly enjoyed.

My favorite part was when she looked at me over lunch and asked, "If Fr. D-- going to pour water on my head today?"  No sweetie, he already did that. 

What does responsible parenthood mean? Does it mean “deciding” to have children or accepting children and raising them responsibly by relying of God’s grace? I think its the latter and I don’t see anywhere in actual Church Teaching where it says otherwise.

“It’s hard to live the radical life of an orthodox Catholic but it’s much, much worse when there is no one to show you the way.”

So how are we supposed to show you they way? By saying everything is “All Good”?

What is your definition of “the radical life of an orthodox Catholic?”

http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/let8/#blogComments
 
http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2tb116.htm

want pie?

'Round here the weather's pretty cool today.  Today.  Tomorrow it's going to be 94 and humid - a glimpse of Hell.  But today is rainy and fairly cool.

So if you want to take advantage of the weather, pull out that can of pumpkin (which was probably processed 10 minutes from my house in Morton - Pumpkin Capitol of the World) and find the half used carton of whipping cream in your fridge and make some home made pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

You can use my recipes (one which was created by my great grandmother and the other found on allrecipes.com).  I typed them up for you at my food blog, bonniedinnertable.

summa time

Travis is done with school.
The garden is planted.
Our strawberry plants are producing beautiful little berries.
We went swimming for the first time this season.

Summer is here and we are hot.

And busy.  We spent a long Memorial Day weekend with Trav's family and, come next week, the kids and I will be moving in with my parents.  Our home will become a full time construction zone until it is completely done.  And when the last patch of mud is dry, the last piece of trim is hung, and the new patio is completely done the kids and I will move back home. 

It's going to be a crazy June.

So sorry if the posting is sporadic for awhile.  I want to be here - I really do - but we've got a lot of stuff going on!  I'm sure you understand!

Lord, help us!