*and an update on baby Rutchik*
Outside My Window ...
It rained and all the snow melted, but it is oh so cold! On the plus side, our dead van has been towed into our garage. Does anyone know what to do with a dead van? We don’t want to put the money into fixing it, but it is a hard call as the week before it broke we put a lot of money into it. Grr.
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I am listening to...
Nothing. The gals are sleeping. Joseph is working and I am “working” and enjoying some alone time on the computer.
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To Live the Liturgy…
To Live the Liturgy…
I am really feeling the lack of community I once found at Church. We have not officially joined a parish here. This is due in part to the fact that we are almost sure this is a temporary place for us. Once Joseph is done with school, we could move (again) anytime. Such is the economy! Before I get comments on the importance of joining a parish, I get it. I do. We are introverts and it takes a lot of work for us to build a community. I just don’t see the point when we don’t know where we will go to Church a year from now. But, I am hoping our next location will be permanent. We are leaning towards Catholic schools for our girls and I can’t wait for the community that will bring!
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To be Fit and Happy….
Oh boy! I gained 5lbs the week of Christmas! I hadn’t gained any weight in the first half of this pregnancy, but I am making up for it now! I have never felt well enough to get the pregnancy hunger women talk about. I thought it was a myth. It is not, I assure you dear reader!
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I am thankful for ...
A dear friend, and our two husbands who took the children last week so we could have a mama/work date at Panera. I am blessed with so many faithful women as friends. However, this friend is the only other writer/mama friend I have who truly feels her family is her first vocation AND feels called to a career in addition to her vocation. This has been a great blessing to me. She is a speaker and writer who recently revamped her blog, Women at the Inkwell. Go check out her New Year’s reflections. I promise you, if you’re a mama you will not be disappointed!
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From the kitchen ...
From the kitchen ...
I’m trying to get better about cutting our grocery bill. I’m too ashamed to even share what it has been these past few months. I know it is due to fast runs here and there, and laziness. So, for the first time ever I have planned our meals for the week!
Sunday: Salad and hot sandwiches for the Packer game
Monday: Breakfast for supper – pancakes, eggs and sausages
Tuesday: Roasted Turkey, potatoes, carrots
Wednesday: Turkey and wild rice soup, salad, rolls
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Turkey burgers, Mac and cheese, apples
Saturday: Pizza
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I am creating ...
Writing goals for the new year. I am currently only working on one assignment, but there are a few calls out with deadlines in the next month. The above friend and I are also working on a non-fiction book for mama’s.
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I am reading….
I am reading….
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Towards a real education ...
Towards a real education ...
Continuing with our “book nerd” theme of life over here!
I made a special request for Christmas that the gift of toys be limited. The gals ended up loving the toys they got and, my dad did a wonderful job shopping for the gals off the list of children’s classics I gave him. Needless to say, we have been reading so many good books for little minds.
For myself, I have been putting a favorite childhood series on my Christmas list each year. Last year I received Anne of Green Gables and this year’s treasure was the complete Little House on the Prairie books.
Although I don’t feel the call to homeschooling, I strongly believe in education in the home and can’t wait to share these books (and some geeky activities to go with them) with my girls.
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Bringing beauty to my home ...
Structure, calm voices and enough alone time for all so we can accomplish these things.
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I am hoping and praying….
That as Joseph finishes up his thesis everything falls into place. Timing is big here as a baby is coming and this mama is done living in this state. I’m ready for stability. Finishing Joseph’s master’s degree was the right decision for our family, but I am praying the new year allows us to reap the benefits sooner in the year than later.
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Around the house ...
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Our tree died while we were away, so Christmas is all put away around here. It feels good.
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One of my favorite things ...
The kicks I’m feeling from the baby. This one is a shy baby, but there is really nothing like feeling them kick.
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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Lots of work around the home and my job this week.
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New Year’s Resolution/Word of the Year
I tend to keep my resolutions private. However, I am proud to say I met all of my writing goals for 2010! I am still working on praying about what they will be for 2011. The problem I am coming across is that for them to really grow beyond where I currently am, I am going to need time away every week to work. Joseph and I are talking about the possibility of getting a college girl once a week to come stay with the girls so I can go out and work. We’ll see what prayer and discernment bring. I also need to remember we will (God willing) be adding an infant to our home this year.
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Baby Rutchik
Well, if by chance you are not on FB (find me if you are), we are expecting baby girl number 3 over here! I just knew it! We could not have avoided finding out if we wanted to. The first image that came up when she began the ultrasound was the “money shot.”
“And that is a baby girl!” I said before she even looked.
“Sure is!” the tech said.
We are really excited to stay “Joseph, Holly and the girls.” We were having a hard time with a name but think we have settled on something. The only issue is the name we picked is a name of many nicknames. Joseph is settled on using the later part of the name and I like a different form. I won’t share as I am sure we will change our minds. But, it has been over a week and I’ve started calling her by name when speaking with my husband. So, if her name is to be something else, it better strike us soon.
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Picture Thoughts
2 comments:
I feel your pain about not having a good sense of community at your parish. When my husband and I first got married we went ahead and registered at the closest parish (25 miles away) even though we thought the town we are living in was going to be a temporary home. Nearly 2 years later we're still stuck here, but still haven't felt like we "belong" at our parish. There aren't any groups to join and the only way to get to know people is to have a kid in the parish school, and our son is quite a few years away from that milestone! We keep praying that God will lead us to a good solid Catholic community!
So JEALOUS that you won Elizabeth Foss' contest! Let me know how the book is!
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