Freedom Swim

Jack, Abigail, and Iris had the opportunity to swim in the Freedom Swim- a fundraiser to end slavery- today. They did an amazing job. They were on a team with nine kids and had two hours to see how many laps they could swim. Jack swam 106, Iris swam 70, and Abigail swam 66. I was so impressed with how each of them and their teammates did, especially since many of them had really no practice beforehand.

You can read more about what the fundraiser in the links below. If you'd like to help them reach their goal, there is still time (until April 13) to make a donation (thank you so much to those who have already contributed!)- Jack, Abigail, and Iris' fundraising page Donations can also be made via their team's page.

fall miscellany

I took the kids to the 40 Days for Life Vigil up in Madison last week... okay, it's been a few weeks ago now... I've let this post sit for so long. Mike's parents were in town, helping me while he was in Seattle, so I was able to leave the little people home so we could get in a little more prayer time (the littles don't seem to last more than a 1/2 hour in the cold). We made it nearly the whole hour, and what a grace-filled time it was. Besides prayer, we got in some good conversation with some of the other vigil participants and learned that a few other Wisconsin facilities have recently been closed and that ours would be the next to go- praise God! At one point, a man pulled up a rolled down his window, and I thought, Oh no. But he smiled and asked, "Are you out here protesting these schmucks?" Then he reached in his passenger seat, and grabbed a fresh coffee from a full tray of them he'd just bought down the road and offered one to me- and then drove down and gave some to the other participants who were further down. It was a very nice gesture and just lifted our spirits. And since I had a free pastry on my Panera card that was about to expire, we stopped there on the way home :^) I love all of our homeschool groups and how each of them brings different strengths and people to our homeschool experiences. Our local group recently did owl pellet dissecting, which was fascinating (for most of us and disgusting for, well, I'll let the photos speak for themselves). It has been a pleasure to have this girl as a running partner. On Sunday (weeks ago), we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and did a nice three miler. When we got to 1.5 miles, I was really feeling ready to turn back, so I asked her if she wanted to turn around. Her response: "What's the other option?" "Keep going." "Keep going!" But I ultimately vetoed her, and we turned around :^) The little two have been enjoying a lot of park time while their siblings are in other activities- either Monday afternoon art or Friday EAs. It has been soooo nice this fall. We've been having such mild weather. I kind of wish it were coming at the other end of winter instead, but maybe this will make winter seem a little shorter. Some friends in our local homeschool group asked if we'd like their four-wheeler, since they live in town and don't really have a place to ride it. So we said sure! The kids have been having a blast riding it all over our property.

Abigail and her gal, Dixie. This girl still loves riding so much <3

Because we needed more to do... we signed the kids up for 4-H. Right now, it's only a monthly meeting commitment, and we thought it was such a worthwhile thing for them to do- they emphasize great values and disciplines- giving back to the community and learning some really grade skills. Plus, the kids really wanted to do it, since their friends are doing it. Iris will just be in Cloverbuds, where they do all kinds of fun crafts and things, and Abigail and Jack each signed up for projects that appealed to them - robotics, scale models, ceramics, computers, and drawing and painting, (horseless) horse :^)... not that they have to do all of them.

We have been making a routine of going to daily Mass at least once a week- usually Tuesdays, since it's preceded by a family Rosary, and it's in the evening- a lot more doable for us than 7:30 in the morning. Yesterday, there was an ice cream social following Mass- bonus! After their ice cream and brownie, I gathered the kids to take them home for dinner... ahem... and Mike stayed behind a bit to help clean up. Mike told me afterward that a friend came up to him and sheepishly asked him if we were expecting (and told him "Don't you dare tell your wife if she's not, or we'll both be in trouble!") This is new for me- at only 16 weeks to be asked if I'm expecting. But I guess he was warranted. I feel like I'm already 5 or so months along. And I actually felt a couple of pretty distinct kicks while eating aforementioned ice cream :^D

That's all for now! We are blessed!

sacred life

I'm going on 4 1/2 hours of sleep and would much rather be curled up under my covers, but it's almost time to head back out again for karate. So I'm letting the kids watch The Day the Sun Danced (it's one of Fatima's special days today, after all). Alas, my good friend wrote this wonderful post yesterday. They happened to attend the Vigil yesterday, and we went this morning, so it seems very pertinent right now. And I love the analogy of David's five smooth small stones- I might have to steal it for my five little people ;^)

We didn't get any choice words muttered under breath this morning, but plenty of averted eyes and glares. And one woman who said in annoyance as she approached, "I have to use the sidewalk. Sorry!" So we smiled and moved our stroller a little further back, though the other side of the sidewalk was completely free. I had the same opportunity to talk to our kids about the importance of praying for those with anger in their hearts, those who don't understand why we decide to go and be a prayerful presence at this place of carnage (today happened to be an abortion day, and there were quite a few clients coming and going). Because, as Sue said, abortion is not a "sticky subject" that should be avoided and simply prayed for in the quiet of our homes (which is also a good thing to do, don't get me wrong). It is the murder of babies. There are those who fight vehemently for a woman's right to choose because, "It's her body." A baby growing in a woman's womb is not her body. It's not an organ or clump of tissue. It's another body entirely with a separate beating heart and DNA all its own. If one has a “right” to control her body, then she has a responsibility to do so before she gets pregnant. Hopping off of soapbox now...

After praying a couple of Rosaries with scripture with the lovely shift managers (the second time we've prayed with Mary, on the left above), the kids and I popped into a gas station for pumpkin donut holes and hot chocolate because it was COLD standing there for an hour! Then we drove over to Lake Wingra to take in some of the fleeting fall beauty, stopping with our blinkers along the way to collect some especially colorful leaves. For what? I have no clue. The sun was just starting to peep through the clouds, creating a dramatic, radiant affect on the lake. It was one of those amazing, grace-filled mornings, where God's love and beauty is so evident. And then, you know, the little ones start in with their screaming because they've had enough, and you have to snap back to reality and actually go do some schoolwork and some of the hard parenting, which has been the case with one child lately. I know God is just as present in those times. If not more.

We are blessed!

Remember the unborn

The kids and I made the long trek to the opposite side of Madison this morning to pray outside of Planned Parenthood. While our reason for being there is a heartbreaking one, it is always a blessing to go and be a witness on behalf of those who have no voice, and to pray for the lost and hurting women who feel they have no other choice but to take the lives of their unborn children.

The Planned Parenthood on the east side of Madison is a lot more out of the way than Pittsburgh's downtown office, but it is right by a college, and many students pass on their way to class. Some glanced back to see what we were doing, some gave us nasty looks and hurried to the other side of the street. Coincidentally (ahem...), this was in my inbox just this morning:

"It has never been popular to follow Jesus, nor to be pro-life, although our popularity is growing. To be Christ’s disciple means becoming a fool in the eyes of the world, just as many would believe that we are foolish to get involved with a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Many are afraid and hesitate to follow us, because they are not secure in their convictions about being pro-life. If they knew deep down inside the horrors of abortion and the impact it has on the human family, they would be afraid not to join us in the defense of all human life." ~Dr. Rich Reich (the co-founder of the National LIFE Runners Team)

I liked a conversation a friend wrote about having with her kids recently- "...God is loving and merciful but like any good parent, He can get angry when we are doing the wrong thing without remorse..." After watching some of the recently released Planned Parenthood videos, it is clear that there is a real evil taking place there- not just the horrific procedures but the callous attitudes of some of the employees. They need our prayers just as much right now. This is a great map (there are maps like these for every state) to show to those who are adamant that Planned Parenthood is the only source offering affordable womens healthcare.

40 Days for Life starts up again this Wednesday. We will continue to go and be a witness outside of Planned Parenthood (which, we learned today has a tabernacle right across the street in the Women's Care Center-- an alternative to PP that offers free women's healthcare and ultrasounds), even if it means being scorned and misunderstood. Let's take a stand and say a prayer for the workers who lack understanding, the moms who need courage and support, and those babies who deserve a voice and a chance to live. If you're in Madison, you can sign up for a vigil slot here. If you're in Pittsburgh, you can sign up here. There are vigils all over the country, but if you can't get to one, you can join in prayer where you are. Let's pray to end the atrocities of abortion!

Run for the Little Flowers 5k

We got about a quarter mile before my partner, sadly, took a spill on the asphalt, and we had to return her to he care of Nurse Mimi (My parents got in yesterday!). But I went back out and finished what I'm pretty sure was at least 3.1 miles- and it took me all 30 minutes to do it. For my first run postpartum and a few hills-- not bad. It felt amazing to be running again. And wonderful to be running for such a good cause.

five on Friday

1.

On Sunday, Toby and I traveled to North Carolina for Honey's funeral. We left here at 5:30am to drive to O'Hare Airport in Chicago (a little less than 2.5 hours away) and got there early afternoon, right after my dad and Tay. My Aunt Weegie and her husband, Don, were gracious to let us all descend on them and offer us food and beds. It was so nice to be able to go and be with family during this time, including ones I haven't seen in years. We flew back on Monday evening, after our flight was delayed three hours We were waiting at our gate for four. During that time, I was seated in front of a TV that covered the Ebola outbreak story in full, and a boy in our gate was escorted away by four police officers for screaming/cussing out the airline repeatedly (sadly, I think he had TS). Toby was a perfect traveler, though, and he got quite a few compliments. He only cried for less than a minute when we were waiting on the passenger walkway for our luggage to come off the plane (we'd checked it gate-side). It took us quite a while to find the shuttle back to our van- and then to find our van, but we pulled back into our driveway at 2am. Fortunately, Mike took off the next day to allow me to catch up on sleep!


2. Last week, we drove the 50 minutes to Planned Parenthood to pray at the 40 Days for Life Vigil. In Madison, the center is not in the heart of downtown like it is in Pittsburgh- in fact, it's pretty tucked away. But Mike, who was there the hour before we got there, was still reamed out by a passerby. It was a little more quiet after the kids and I came. No one spat at us this time (yay!). It's hard being there, knowing how misunderstood we are. We are labelled as hateful and judgmental, but we are there to pray for women in desperation, who sadly feel like they have no other choice but to take the life of their child (and who often are mislead that it isn't a child yet), and for those children who have no voice. How is this judgmental? But we know that our prayers have done so much good over the course of the 40 Days for Life Campaign. So we will continue.

What a blessing that directly across the street is the Women's Care Center, which offers pregnancy consultation, free ultrasounds, help in accessing other community resources, and parenting classes. They also have a clothing store and Crib Club, where new mothers can exchange coupons received from attending these classes for cribs and children's clothing.


3. I went to change the sheets on Jack's bed, and this is what I found. I'm glad he likes to read, but... but this. I'm wondering where he sleeps.

4. Snakes! We've lived here almost a year, and while the kids saw one on our driveway the very first weekend we moved in when Elizabeth was watching them, we haven't spotted anymore. Last week, Jack and Abigail came in totally psyched, as they'd found one- an eastern milksnake, according to our Google searches- on the driveway and wanted to set up a home for it in the bear container (we've housed frogs and toads in this same makeshift terrarium). Abigail found some fall-colored leaves, "so it'll be pretty for him to look at." I can't say I wasn't thinking the same thing.


5. I saw this and it made me chuckle. And then cry. Because I remembered last year when we moved in. There were areas of the back of our house that were completely covered with swarms of these bugs. And they were everywhere inside, too. Right now, it's japanese beetles. They've arrived.