Seven Years

My hubby and I are celebrating seven years of marriage today!

I am so grateful for the gift of my husband and our marriage. Thank you Lord for my vocation.

I love this quote from Blessed John Paul II's Love and Responsibility:

Love is never something ready made, something merely 'given' to man and woman, it is always at the same time a 'task' which they are set. Love should be seen as something which in a sense never 'is' but is always only 'becoming', and what it becomes depends up on the contribution of both persons and the depth of their commitment.

Marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family - a domestic church.

St Thomas More - Patron of Adopted Children

Today is the feast of St. Thomas More and he is the patron of adopted children. During those crazy two weeks when we got the call to adopt Tommy and he was born, we had already decided on the name Thomas before we learned this fun fact about St. Thomas More. I thought I would share a short little bio about him:

St. Thomas More with his daughter.


He was, of course, a man for all seasons...

...a classical scholar, a humanist, a statesman, a politician, a man of prayer, the author of the famed Utopia, a theologian, and a lawyer by profession.

His contemporaries knew him to possess a keen wit, a merry sense of humor, and a great common sense. He was a warm and friendly man who always seemed more concerned about the needs of his friends than his own needs. His friendship extended to looking after the poor in his village and to singing in his church choir.

Inclined in his early years to the priesthood—he spent four years living the austere life of the Carthusian Order—Thomas eventually opted for married life. After the death of his first wife, who bore him four children, he married again—a widow, whose daughter he adopted. The family prayed together daily, and St. Thomas More himself set aside all Fridays for his own spiritual exercises.

Another example of his being a man for all seasons and for our time, St. Thomas More believed in the education of women—a truly radical notion for his time. His daughters were better educated than most men of this era.

Thomas More was a brilliant lawyer and, later, a very fine judge. Because of this distinguished service, he was appointed Lord Chancellor of England. Henry VIII, his court, and most of the English clergymen tried to persuade Thomas More to approve the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and to take the Oath of Supremacy—which acknowledged that Henry VIII was the head of the Church of England instead of the Pope. More held firm to the teachings of the Catholic Church, despite knowing well that to remain steadfast meant certain execution. He was imprisoned and beheaded in London in 1535.

Four hundred years later (in 1935) he was canonized as a saint and martyr. His feast day is celebrated on June 22nd. L

ord, let me be able in argument, accurate in analysis, correct in conclusion, candid with my clients, and honest with my adversaries. Stand beside me in Court so that I will not, in order to win a point, lose my soul. — Sir Thomas More

Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day to my dear sweet husband! I would love to write something deep and profound, but this will have to do for now.

We celebrated on Sunday morning with a big breakfast at home, church, gifts and some quality time together. After lunch my hubby took off for a week-long silent retreat. He has been trying to make one of these retreats for awhile (he tries to go every couple of years) and I'm so glad he was able to get away, even though he had to leave on Father's Day.   I am praying novenas to St. Joseph and Our Lady, Undoer of Knots while he is gone.

It has been such a joy to watch my husband be a father. He is wise, patient, loving, sweet, silly and a great provider for our family.

I am also so blessed to have such a wonderful father in my Dad. He continues to teach me so many things, despite the fact that I'm "all grown up" and we live thousands of miles apart. My Dad is a wise and faithful man - I'm grateful for all the love and support he continues to give me.

My dad, Tommy, my husband 


I'm excited that my brother will soon join the "fathers" club since he and his wife are expecting their first baby. Tommy is excited to have a new cousin!

Quick Takes

1. The weather here has been absolutely delicious! Cool mornings and evenings with warm sunny days and no humidity! Tommy and I have been enjoying as much time outside as possible. I don't think it will last much longer, so we are trying to savor it. We've been taking a big old blanket out on the lawn and just laying on it or having a snack. I can't remember the last time I layed down in the grass and looked up at the clouds rolling by. I highly recommend it!

2. It feels so good to be into a regular and normal routine. Tommy and I have been going to the gym in the morning (he finally likes going to the kids play area!) and he's home for a nice long nap. We spend the rest of the day running errands or going on adventures at the park. I love summer!

3. I'm so excited about our new music class. A friend recommended it and Tommy absolutely loved the first one we attended. I know all kids (generally) love music, but he really seems to enjoy it. He loves to clap, sing, dance and play any kind of instrument. It's also fun to see him interact with other kids now that he is getting older.

4. I'm also really looking forward to our swim class next month. I signed up for Aqua Tots and I'm curious what it will be like. He loves the water and really enjoys "swimming" in a big pool with us holding him. I'm not sure if he will aquire any swim skills or if it will just be splashing around for fun.

5. Sitting around and waiting for the phone to ring is the absolute worst. We heard about another adoption possibility this week, but it's really a long shot. We sent our profile but I don't even know if it's being viewed. This waiting-to-adopt is not for the faint of heart. I'm so tempted to look for signs and to hope this could be it, but I just can't let myself go there. Because my heart is so guarded, I find it hard to even pray about these situations. I find it too painful to invest emotionally, if that makes any sense.

6. Another part of adoption that I really dislike is the feeling of competition. We know a lot of other people waiting to adopt in addition to those on our agencies waiting list (50-60 families.) I've seen a lot of requests on blogs and Facebook lately. Plus I know that when our social worker sends us information about a possible adoption, she is also sending it to all the other waiting families. This road is difficult enough to walk, without feeling like I have to push other people out of the way. (Does that even make sense??) 
**I realize this is ridiculous, but I am feeling so vulnerable that it brings out the worst in me when it starts to feel like we will never be matched.  :(

7. I will end with saying how grateful I am for my dear sweet husband. It was his birthday on Monday and he prefers to keep things low key - so we had a nice little celebration at home. On his birthday Tommy and I visited him at work during the afternoon when his co-workers celebrated with cupcakes and ice cream. It was a busy week for him because he had a big event at work on Wednesday which Tommy and I also attended. I'm so proud of this work he does (developing affordable housing.) He is blessed to have work that he enjoys and at the same time provide for our family. Thank you Lord for my dear husband!

Oh, and here is Tommy's 2-year picture. :)