Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Blogger Friends
We took a little drive on Saturday to visit some blogger friends. It was so lovely to see them and catch up. As always, I wish that we could get together more often.
I am blessed to have many wonderful friends in my life, but there is something very special about connecting with other Catholic infertile adoptive moms. (CIAM?? I don't think that's very catchy...)
It was so fun to watch the kids play together. Although it wasn't easy to have a coherent conversation with four kids age two and under running around. But I could help but think that this was exactly what we had been praying for all those years...
This was from Summer 2010
And this one from October 2009 at my 30th birthday party - little did we know what would happen in the next year
D - we miss you!!
I am blessed to have many wonderful friends in my life, but there is something very special about connecting with other Catholic infertile adoptive moms. (CIAM?? I don't think that's very catchy...)
It was so fun to watch the kids play together. Although it wasn't easy to have a coherent conversation with four kids age two and under running around. But I could help but think that this was exactly what we had been praying for all those years...
This was from Summer 2010
And this one from October 2009 at my 30th birthday party - little did we know what would happen in the next year
D - we miss you!!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lent
Ahhh, Lent is here.
I don't have time to write much. I just came home from my women's prayer group. I love these gals! We spend about half of our evening chatting and the other having of our evening "sharing" - which is really more chatting. :) Just kidding! It's always a very fruitful evening. We did a little Lectio Divinia with the Ash Wednesday readings and read through a reflection about God's call to use during Lent.
I am always struck by the line from Joel, "Return to me with your whole heart..." No matter where I'm at in my spiritual life, I always need to return to the Lord. I feel the call to come back. Like the prodigal son, God welcomes me back every time with open arms.
And this line from 2 Corinthians always gives me comfort, "We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." It reassures me that the Lord hears my prayers and will answer them in His time.
This line from Matthew, "Your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you," reminds me that the Lord sees all things. My relationship with Him is what is most important and I am trying yet again to make my prayer life a priority each day.
I am giving up facebook for Lent and in just two days I can already feel the difference. (Sad, but true!) I am on my phone less and more aware of the world around me. I'm sure it has something to do with the mild weather we've been having, but I've spent a lot of time outside and it's been good for my soul. (I actually wore flip-flops today!) I am already craving spring and more sunshine.
I will leave you with a great Lenten (meatless) recipe that is a favorite in our house:
Veggie Polenta Bake
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 eggplant (diced)
1 zucchini (diced)
1 pepper (green/yellow/red - diced)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C water
10 oz baby spinach
1 1/2 C marinara sauce (I use Arrabbiata sauce from Trader Joe's and think it's yummy!)
1/2 C chopped fresh basil
14 oz prepared polenta (sliced lengthwise into 6 thin slices)
1 1/2 C mozzarella (I use 3/4 C mozzarella and 3/4 C parmesan)
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
-Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, pepper, salt and pepper and cook; stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender and just beginning to brown. Add water and spinach, cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes. Stir marinara sauce into the veggies and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
-Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 3/4 C cheese (mozzarella), top with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 C cheese (Parmesan.) Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, 12-15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
I don't have time to write much. I just came home from my women's prayer group. I love these gals! We spend about half of our evening chatting and the other having of our evening "sharing" - which is really more chatting. :) Just kidding! It's always a very fruitful evening. We did a little Lectio Divinia with the Ash Wednesday readings and read through a reflection about God's call to use during Lent.
I am always struck by the line from Joel, "Return to me with your whole heart..." No matter where I'm at in my spiritual life, I always need to return to the Lord. I feel the call to come back. Like the prodigal son, God welcomes me back every time with open arms.
And this line from 2 Corinthians always gives me comfort, "We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." It reassures me that the Lord hears my prayers and will answer them in His time.
This line from Matthew, "Your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you," reminds me that the Lord sees all things. My relationship with Him is what is most important and I am trying yet again to make my prayer life a priority each day.
I am giving up facebook for Lent and in just two days I can already feel the difference. (Sad, but true!) I am on my phone less and more aware of the world around me. I'm sure it has something to do with the mild weather we've been having, but I've spent a lot of time outside and it's been good for my soul. (I actually wore flip-flops today!) I am already craving spring and more sunshine.
I will leave you with a great Lenten (meatless) recipe that is a favorite in our house:
Veggie Polenta Bake
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 eggplant (diced)
1 zucchini (diced)
1 pepper (green/yellow/red - diced)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C water
10 oz baby spinach
1 1/2 C marinara sauce (I use Arrabbiata sauce from Trader Joe's and think it's yummy!)
1/2 C chopped fresh basil
14 oz prepared polenta (sliced lengthwise into 6 thin slices)
1 1/2 C mozzarella (I use 3/4 C mozzarella and 3/4 C parmesan)
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
-Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, pepper, salt and pepper and cook; stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender and just beginning to brown. Add water and spinach, cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes. Stir marinara sauce into the veggies and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
-Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 3/4 C cheese (mozzarella), top with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 C cheese (Parmesan.) Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, 12-15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Happy Friday
(1) So it appears that I am only able to blog on Fridays - or at least that has been my pattern lately. Oh well, better once a week than not at all! :)
(2)I'm hooked on the new show "Smash." Has anyone seen it? The primary plot has to do with making a Broadway musical, so of course I love that. But another plotline is that the main character and her husband are waiting to adopt! I couldn't believe it! I'm excited to see how they develop this story. There have only been two episodes, but it seems pretty realistic so far - the emphasis on the pain of waiting, writing a "Dear Birthmother" letter, etc. I love the songs and dances they have created for the show, I wonder if they might actually turn it into a real Broadway musical?
(3) I have so many prayer intentions swirling around in my head. We have a few sick family members that are on my mind a lot - my Aunt C just diagnosed with cancer and my hubby's Uncle J going through cancer treatment. Thankfully my friend C and her sweet baby boy Charlie are doing well. I hope to meet this new little guy soon, although he will probably be in the hospital for a few more weeks.
(4) I'm so ready for Lent. (I think I say this every year!) Even though it seems like Christmas wasn't that long ago, I'm definitely in need of more prayer, fasting and almsgiving in my life. I'm trying to figure out my Lenten goals since Ash Wednesday is next week. My women's prayer group is also meeting next week, so that will also help kick-start Lent.
(5) Life with a toddler continues to be an adventure. The past few weeks I have seen more and more signs of what people must refer to as the terrible twos. By no means has Tommy been "terrible," but all of a sudden he has strong opinions - plus can be very stubborn - although he doesn't have the words yet to communicate, so he gets frustrated. And he's still too young to understand my reasoning for why we can or cannot do something. I'm not sure he understands the concept of "we'll do that later" yet either.
(6) Perhaps I will blog more later about this topic, but I'm curious how often other adoptive families talk about their child's adoption to strangers - especially if your child looks like he/she could be your biological child. It's been on my mind for awhile now because I have this encounter at least once or twice a day:
Stranger: What a cute little boy. Oh my goodness, look at those big blue eyes! What a lucky boy - watch out ladies!
(Then they look at my eyes)
Where did he get his blue eyes from? You or your husband?
So my response is usually something along the lines of, "Oh I don't know..." or "Yes, he's so lucky," or "Oh thank you, yes he is a cutie." Once in awhile I will say, "He is adopted, so he must have gotten them from his birthparents." It's not that I care either way. I actually love telling people that he is adopted. But this honestly happens a few times a day. I know people are just being nice and making small talk, not necessarily planning to have a long or deep conversation.
Check out these baby blues up close! :)
(7) We had fun celebrating Valentine's Day in our house with all the usual traditions. My hubby got me the sweetest gift - personalized wine glasses. I love them! And since I usually have a glass of wine every night, they will definitely get used. Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day!
(2)I'm hooked on the new show "Smash." Has anyone seen it? The primary plot has to do with making a Broadway musical, so of course I love that. But another plotline is that the main character and her husband are waiting to adopt! I couldn't believe it! I'm excited to see how they develop this story. There have only been two episodes, but it seems pretty realistic so far - the emphasis on the pain of waiting, writing a "Dear Birthmother" letter, etc. I love the songs and dances they have created for the show, I wonder if they might actually turn it into a real Broadway musical?
(3) I have so many prayer intentions swirling around in my head. We have a few sick family members that are on my mind a lot - my Aunt C just diagnosed with cancer and my hubby's Uncle J going through cancer treatment. Thankfully my friend C and her sweet baby boy Charlie are doing well. I hope to meet this new little guy soon, although he will probably be in the hospital for a few more weeks.
(4) I'm so ready for Lent. (I think I say this every year!) Even though it seems like Christmas wasn't that long ago, I'm definitely in need of more prayer, fasting and almsgiving in my life. I'm trying to figure out my Lenten goals since Ash Wednesday is next week. My women's prayer group is also meeting next week, so that will also help kick-start Lent.
(5) Life with a toddler continues to be an adventure. The past few weeks I have seen more and more signs of what people must refer to as the terrible twos. By no means has Tommy been "terrible," but all of a sudden he has strong opinions - plus can be very stubborn - although he doesn't have the words yet to communicate, so he gets frustrated. And he's still too young to understand my reasoning for why we can or cannot do something. I'm not sure he understands the concept of "we'll do that later" yet either.
(6) Perhaps I will blog more later about this topic, but I'm curious how often other adoptive families talk about their child's adoption to strangers - especially if your child looks like he/she could be your biological child. It's been on my mind for awhile now because I have this encounter at least once or twice a day:
Stranger: What a cute little boy. Oh my goodness, look at those big blue eyes! What a lucky boy - watch out ladies!
(Then they look at my eyes)
Where did he get his blue eyes from? You or your husband?
So my response is usually something along the lines of, "Oh I don't know..." or "Yes, he's so lucky," or "Oh thank you, yes he is a cutie." Once in awhile I will say, "He is adopted, so he must have gotten them from his birthparents." It's not that I care either way. I actually love telling people that he is adopted. But this honestly happens a few times a day. I know people are just being nice and making small talk, not necessarily planning to have a long or deep conversation.
Check out these baby blues up close! :)
(7) We had fun celebrating Valentine's Day in our house with all the usual traditions. My hubby got me the sweetest gift - personalized wine glasses. I love them! And since I usually have a glass of wine every night, they will definitely get used. Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Quick Takes
(1) TGIF!! So glad it's Friday, for many reasons, but especially for Quick Takes. I have just a few minutes so these will have to be very quick.
(2) Tommy and I are going to visit our priest friend Msgr P today. He has been a friend for many years, past spiritual director, led our marriage prep, celebrated our wedding, and baptized Tommy. He was recently named the rector of the new DC seminary so we are going to visit him and see the new seminary (named for Blessed John Paul II.) Should be fun!
(3) Our laptop has been giving us trouble, so it has spent the week with Geek Squad. Ugh, I just HATE shelling out $300 when we could probably buy a new one for $500 or so. Oh well, it was basically our only option and we needed to get it fixed. Hopefully I can pick it up today, it's been a pain not having it all week.
(4) Auditions are next week for my show, Alice in Wonderland. I hope and pray that I make the right decisions. Casting the right students makes a huge difference. As always, it's a lot of fun but a lot of work.
(5) My hubby won an award at work - can't remember if I mentioned this before or not - but he was honored at a luncheon on Tuesday. I am so proud of him! He works hard to provide for our family and he is blessed to have a job that he both enjoys and makes a difference in the world. I know that I don't tell him often enough how grateful I am and how proud I am of him. It was fun to have a fancy lunch on a Tuesday afternoon - including a heavenly chocolate waffle and ice cream dessert. YUM!
(6) Please pray for a dear friend of mine, C, and her new baby boy born this week. He was 6 weeks early because of complications. She and her husband already had a long road to parenthood and are now dealing with this. Please pray for baby Charlie.
(7) The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is tomorrow. I didn't start my novena in time, so I will begin in tomorrow instead. I wil forever be grateful to Our Lady for her powerful prayers and intercession.
(2) Tommy and I are going to visit our priest friend Msgr P today. He has been a friend for many years, past spiritual director, led our marriage prep, celebrated our wedding, and baptized Tommy. He was recently named the rector of the new DC seminary so we are going to visit him and see the new seminary (named for Blessed John Paul II.) Should be fun!
(3) Our laptop has been giving us trouble, so it has spent the week with Geek Squad. Ugh, I just HATE shelling out $300 when we could probably buy a new one for $500 or so. Oh well, it was basically our only option and we needed to get it fixed. Hopefully I can pick it up today, it's been a pain not having it all week.
(4) Auditions are next week for my show, Alice in Wonderland. I hope and pray that I make the right decisions. Casting the right students makes a huge difference. As always, it's a lot of fun but a lot of work.
(5) My hubby won an award at work - can't remember if I mentioned this before or not - but he was honored at a luncheon on Tuesday. I am so proud of him! He works hard to provide for our family and he is blessed to have a job that he both enjoys and makes a difference in the world. I know that I don't tell him often enough how grateful I am and how proud I am of him. It was fun to have a fancy lunch on a Tuesday afternoon - including a heavenly chocolate waffle and ice cream dessert. YUM!
(6) Please pray for a dear friend of mine, C, and her new baby boy born this week. He was 6 weeks early because of complications. She and her husband already had a long road to parenthood and are now dealing with this. Please pray for baby Charlie.
(7) The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is tomorrow. I didn't start my novena in time, so I will begin in tomorrow instead. I wil forever be grateful to Our Lady for her powerful prayers and intercession.
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