Halloween Night Book

October 31, 2011

Outside my window- It is dark, windy, and cold.  Random people honk as they drive by.  I think it's a country thing. 

I can hear- Several kids breathing loudly while they sleep, my sweet hubby working on the shower in the basement bathroom, and the fire crackling as it dies (that last one was just to make you jealous, did it work?)

Our day today- Was a perfect day for Halloween.  Strike that, it was a perfect day before a great Feast Day that reminds us of God's wonderful love and His amazing Saints who pray for us.  Today I went as the "Wicked Witch of the West".  I didn't mean too, truly I didn't.  I didn't sleep well, had a headache, all the kids seemed to need me just a little more today, we took our car in for some minor yet pricey repairs, etc...  As we were singing the Litany of the Saints together tonight it struck me that I have quite a ways to go yet. 

In our homeschool- We are plugging along nicely.  The kids have the day off of regular stuff tomorrow and we are going to sit and read the collection of Saints books that we have.  We are also going to clean.  Read, clean, read, clean, read, clean. 

In the kitchen- A plate full of bat muffins sits on the stovetop.  "Chef Aidan" and his trusty sidekicks, I mean helpers, whipped up a batch of pumpkin muffins.  They looked good, and I had to trust that they were.  None for me. 

We are praying for- Lots of friends who need healing, a friend who will be welcoming another boy soon (I can't believe it, but I think she's the only friend I know who is pregnant...hmmm...this can't be right), and some special intentions that may or may not include the sale of our "town" house. 

I am reading- "Eat Right 4 Your Type".  It's an interesting read on different blood types' abilities to handle different foods.  Felicity doesn't seem to tolerate anything.  If I cheat at all on my diet I can tell immediately.  We just started introducing stuff to her, and so far I think we're doing okay, but she's just so sensitive about everything.  Sweet, sweet miracle. 

I've been contemplating- Facebook.  I have a big post coming up about this, really, I do.  For now let's just say that I'm grateful that Facebook exists for many personal reasons.  However, I hate how I seem to mull over what people from my 3rd grade class post about their feelings about...well, anything.  I need to limit my time and use fb for the good that it offers and not let it be yet another way to be distracted.  Our children have very limited "screen" time.  I would say less than 4 hours a month.  I need to learn something from their ability to be "entertained" and content without the help of media. 

This week- Ah, the calm before the storm, and yet.  Well, we have quite a bit going on this week.  Tomorrow is All Saints Day, Wednesday we are having our Bishop over for dinner and then Brett is picking a friend from Brazil up at the airport, we will have a guest for a week (aforementioned friend from Brazil), and I should try to teach my children something in there and maybe get some work done on a project.

I am grateful for- My home, kids, and husband.  For all of those who prayed for us and our sweet Felicity Perpetua.  For prayers that are repetitive for those times you can't think straight. For those same familiar prayers that light up the face of our babe.  I'm hopeful that someday the fear and anxiety of Felicity's birth and 4 weeks that followed will fade.  They haven't yet.  I'm trying to embrace them and realize that I've learned so much from our experience with life and almost death. It's okay to be reminded about how precious every life is, how we are all miracles.  Tomorrow we will honor many of the Saints that stuck with us through every moment and prayed us through the toughest time we've had as a family.  It's been almost 8 months since Felicity was born and it's time to revisit some of those great friends that we held so close during those hours of uncertainty. 

*For my non-Catholic readers I apologize for leaving you in the dust with all this.  In short...the Saints in heaven are a part of the Body of Christ just like any other Christian brother or sister.  Just like we ask our friends and family to pray for us, as Catholics, we ask those who are in Heaven to pray for us. The pictures/images that are displayed are no different that the pictures of our loved ones that we have on our walls or the refrigerator door.* 

Some picturethoughts:

A Ninja, 2 cowgirls, a lamb, and Native American

Felicity Perpetua (with a hint of lamb-nose)

Just a handful of the Saints we love.  Felicity's super-talented godmother made these.