The Running of the Bullio

Wake Up!

2012-02-17T04:47:00.002-08:00

This morning Luke went in to Kate to wake her up and said, "Shine & Rise, Kate!"

Shine & Rise, Everyone!

Happy Friday!

Kate's New Career

2012-02-15T13:18:00.004-08:00

Yesterday we were on a walk when we discovered that a picture of Kate is being used in an advertising campaign for her school. We were all pretty surprised by this. I guess I must have signed something saying it was OK to use pictures of her because there it was:

Kind of fun, no? So there it is, the beginning of her modeling career and the end of it - all in one day :)

Mark's Birthday!

2012-01-30T06:39:00.001-08:00

Since his birthday week was a bit crazy, what with trips to the ER and a little bedbug scare (all is good, but it took about 2 weeks to convince me that there were in fact, no bedbugs), we've celebrated Mark's 35th birthday in little bits. I finally got around to making his favorite cake and having some people over. I think I successfully surprised him.

We still have a dinner date scheduled and a trip to the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art for a little Botticelli. It's just a matter of finding a sitter... Any takers???

Baby Jack at One Month

2012-01-26T06:36:00.001-08:00

Baby Jack turned one month last Wednesday. To celebrate the occasion, we headed over to the ER for our first (and hopefully last!), bout of croup. It was a very scary experience, seeing our newborn baby struggle to breath. We spent the following few days in and out of the doctor's office to make sure all was well. The oral steroid, breathing treatments and prayers all helped and he seems to be back his normal little self!

Jack's normal little self means pretty laid back. He is a content little guy most of the time. He loves his big brother and sister and will smile and coo at them often. He is super sweet and will often try to focus on our faces while cooing, which makes him cross-eyed. So. darn. cute. We all love him so much! Did I mention he looks A LOT like his dad. The most of the three so far! He is already 11 1/2 lbs. and very long. I'm not sure exactly how long because with all this sickness over here I failed to find out. I also failed to find out his percentile... ahhh to be a third child! I will find out at his 2 month - I promise!

Because She Wasn't Very Fond of Store Bought Cake...

2012-01-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

... We had a little family date. I've always made a home made cake for my kids birthday. Mark and I usually have a lot of fun doing this - it's a bit of a creative, artistic outlet for us. This year, however, I just wasn't up for the challenge, so we opted for a pull apart cake from Publix of the "Garden Princess Party" variety. Kate was pretty darn excited about it and she thought it was pretty neat looking. But when it came to indulge, I noticed she had taken one bite and left it. I asked her why she wasn't eating her cake, to which she replied in a "I don't want to offend" sort of way, "well, I just don't really care for it." I have to admit two things: 1) it was pretty gross and 2) it was actually a rather proud moment of my parenting career. Kind of like the moment 6 months ago when I realized that my kids didn't know what Mc. Donald's was called (that has changed in these past few months, unfortunately). Anywho, I've been wanting to go out with Mark for coffee and dessert for a long time now. But since babysitting is scarce and it's a bit hard to leave little Jack yet, we opted for a family date for coffee and cake at the Grand Lux Cafe. And We had a great time!

Kate's 5th Birthday Party!

2012-01-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Luke Meets His Little Brother

2011-12-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

here is a video of Luke meeting his little bro :)

Our new baby

2011-12-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

We have a new baby! He was born this evening, December 18th, at 7:45 PM. He weighs 8 pounds, twelve ounces and is 22 inches in length. We're all well and thank you for your prayers and thoughts.

40 Weeks & Round One

2011-12-13T08:26:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken at 40 weeks while I was in the hospital with an attempted induction. The reason for the induction is a very LONG story and something I may blog about in the future, but for now it will suffice to say that it simply didn't work. For the record, I was incredibly skeptical that it would. I spent the night in the hospital with cervadil... nothing. Then an entire day on pitocin... nada. The pit got as high as safely possible, but just wasn't making the contractions long enough or strong enough. I left the hospital after 24 hours dilated to, ummm, maybe a 2. Maybe. So now we wait... and wait and wait, I guess. Since Kate was 9 days past and Luke 11, I suppose it's a bit early still. I head to the midwife tomorrow to see how everything looks and will post more info if I have some. For the record, please don't suggest that I just go eat something spicy or go for a long walk. If a 24 hour induction that works for almost everybody failed for me, I have no faith in some spicy burrito -though it does sound pretty good. :)

We'll keep you posted here (and on fb of course) when things finally get moving again.

Tune in for Updates

2011-12-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

When I have a moment, I'll update this blog.

November In Pictures

2011-12-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

It's 4:14am and I am awake... Can't sleep much these days. I guess it's just part of the getting ready for the baby... So, I posted the November pictures on my Flickr account . Just click on that link OR click on the Flickr photostream to the right of this post.

As you can see, it was a fairly busy month. We bought a new car, went to the Circus (a first for the kids and Mark) and had Luke's 3rd birthday party. We really missed family over Thanksgiving and for about 3 hours we had this crazy idea to get in the car and drive as far North as possible. We packed up everything in about an hour and got on the freeway and about an hour into the trip we realized that we weren't actually going to get that far. Traffic was very stop and go... So, we turned around and were a little bummed. BUT, it was a thrilling few hours while it lasted... You know, we live really, REALLY far south. Practically Cuba. I think it takes almost 7 hours just to drive out of this state. Ahhh, Florida! :)

Kate as a "Pilgram"

2011-12-04T01:04:00.001-08:00

Kate's Preschool is at a senior center. The kids have their own room of course, but a big part of the curriculum is integrated intergenerational activities. Often, on any given Wednesday, you might find them playing bingo with the seniors, or in the lunch hall dancing with them or a "grandma" might come and read to their class. I think it's a really cool part of the set-up. For Thanksgiving, her class dressed up as pilgrims and American Indians and sang to the Seniors. Afterwards, they all had a feast! :)

Avoiding an Unnecessary C-section In the State of Florida....

2011-11-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

Is not the easiest thing to do.

These stats are completely scary and completely ridiculous. The two hospitals at which I could deliver are 42.7% and 40.6%... totally frightening.

Happy 3rd Birthday Lukie Lou!!!

2011-11-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

Making Room for Baby

2011-11-20T05:38:00.001-08:00

We're having a third baby and though I think we've given little thought to the changes this means for our daily life (we've been so busy), we did finally decide that we should get a new (to us) car. Originally we thought we'd just shove them all in the back of the accord, but that was before the door broke on it. We decided against putting 3 kids in the back of a sedan that only has one door, so after about a month's worth of research, we got this baby:

I LOVE it! I love, love love it! And so do the kids and hubby for that matter. I love the room, the 8th seat capacity, the fact that I can now participate in car pools! It's great! I also love that we will be able to continue our road trip/ camping vacations without worrying about which kid has to ride on the roof. :)

36 Weeks!

2011-11-11T16:11:00.001-08:00

Is that a beached whale?!!! Oh, no, it's only mom...at 36 weeks ;)

Photography courtesy Lukalicious :)

Hiking in Florida

2011-11-06T05:10:00.000-08:00

It's different than California :) And though I'm partial to the mountains and rugged terrain of the west, it certainly has it's own beauty.

See more pictures on our photostream at Flickr. (Just click to the right of this post)

Halloween

2011-11-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Kate's Halloween Performance

2011-10-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Kate played the mummy. Here is a video of the performance :)

You Know You're Adjusting to Floridian Life When...

2011-10-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

It's 78 degrees outside and your kids don't want to go swimming because it's "too cold!" :)

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Our First Gator Spotting!

2011-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Mornings With Luke

2011-10-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

This morning Luke woke up and then promptly woke me up and said, "Good morning mom. You look beautiful today." He then went to wake up his dad and said to him, "Good morning dad. It's morning time. I am glad you are still here because I like to spend this time with you."

We are going to spend this lovely Saturday morning sweating at the pumpkin patch. That's right, it's mid -October and it's still a solid 85 degrees here in Boca Raton (this is down from 90 degrees yesterday. The humidity is only about 60%, however, which is a major plus since it's down from about 90%). I am mildly depressed about this fact. Friends say it will start to cool down by December... to the 70s (sigh)... No, this Fall we will not be enjoying sweet potato bisque and hot apple cider while the children jump in the leaves. But we are going to put our tank tops and shorts on and head to the pumpkin patch... Pictures to be posted soon!

31 weeks

2011-10-08T05:18:00.001-07:00

With our first child, we dutifully took a belly picture every week beginning at some absurd week, like 11 or something. With our second, I think I still have quite a few belly pics, but definitely not every week and definitely not starting so early. Well, here is one of about 3 belly pics I have intentionally taken with our third... Our poor, already neglected third child. We don't have as many belly pictures to mark the pregnancy progress, but we do have a whole family so incredibly excited to meet you! We can't wait!

For the Feast of St. Francis on October 4th...

2011-10-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

We had a breakfast dinner of pancakes made in the shapes of animals.

Mark caught and successfully released the second lizard that has attempted to dwell with us. Unfortunately, the first little guy wasn't as lucky.

And we said our (well, my) favorite prayer, which we will continue to pray for the month of October:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Photos

2011-10-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our new photo stream is located to the right of this post (it's labeled,"The Running of the Bullio") I will continuously add photos to that album and other albums, which you can check out by clicking on the link. For those of you who care about pictures (grandmas & grandpas, aunts & uncles??? :), I hope you find this as easy to use as our old site at babyhomepages. Right now there are some new pictures from our trip at Siesta Key and our move. Enjoy!

Swimming!

2011-09-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

We've been swimming a lot lately. So much, that one day, Kate just started swimming all by herself. We were on our trip across the country when she just suddenly started swimming. About 5 minutes beforehand, I thought to myself that it would probably be at least a year before she started swimming on her own because she didn't want to put her face in the water and she wasn't floating at all. Mark went up to the hotel room to get a few things; he came back 5 minutes later and Kate was swimming! Crazy, that kid. Here is a video of her swimming in our pool.

Not to be outdone by his sister, Luke has also made some giant strides in swimming these past few days. He is absolutely fearless. Here is a video of him.

Our New Place

2011-09-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

A few of you have been asking what our new place is like. Well, we are still not completely moved in yet (note the lack of art on the wall), but here are a few pictures to give you a sense of what our new Floridian home is like.

The Kids' Room (As you can see, Kate thought it would be a good idea to put her own art on the wall... :)

Our Bathroom (& Me at 29 weeks :)

Mark in the Kitchen and an Unpacked Patio

The Kitchen & Patio

The Kids'/ Guest Bathroom

Our very undecorated Room :)

The Living Room

More of the Living Room

As you can see, it's a work in progress, but we're pretty happy with it so far. The pool is just across the parking lot and we swim almost every day. Oh, and of course, the dishwasher and washer and dryer are a dream!!!

Settling In

2011-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

We are finally settling in to our new life in Boca Raton. It has been an incredible month and a half! Our coast to coast road trip was an absolute blast. You can see pictures here. I have to say, the kids did amazingly well. Of course, we did break down and buy a double screen car DVD player and it was a LIFESAVER! There were plenty of times it wasn't on though and the kids really did thoroughly enjoy much of the drive. Our main stops were Tucson, Carlsbad Caverns, San Antonio and New Orleans. All amazing places, none of which we had been to before! The last night on the road we drove from New Orleans to Siesta Key where Grandma and Grandpa Dunk were waiting for us (well, really they were sleeping and expecting us the next day, but we woke them up at 4am instead). We had a great time relaxing in the sun and hanging out with them before we had to head across the state to our new home.

Mark had to begin work on the 15th of August. We knew we wouldn't have our stuff from the movers yet and that Mark would have long days starting his new job and finishing his dissertation, so Grandma and Grandpa decided to come over and help us after their vacation in Siesta Key. They were so generous and we couldn't have done it without them! The day they left, Aunt Katie came to help. We were still without our stuff, so she had to rough it with us on air mattresses. She was quite the sport about the whole thing. Aunt Katie was here for the whole week and we had a great time exploring Boca. It was so nice to have a familiar face when everything around us seemed so unfamiliar. And, true to form, the day that our stuff arrived from California, Papa showed up just in time to help unpack! He was an unbelievable help and was so kind to pack us up in California and then meet us in Florida to unpack.

Over labor day, Mark traveled back to California where he successfully defended his dissertation, officially becoming Dr. Bullio! Or as his current students call him, Dr. B! We've spent the remainder of the month trying to unpack and settle in to our new normal. We still have plenty of boxes (mostly books ;) to unpack. We have been incredibly blessed to meet some wonderful people already! More pictures to come!

Goodbye Kidd Family! And Goodbye Verano!

2011-07-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

We just said goodbye to this beautiful family and we are very bummed, to say the least. Hope and I became friends in the Fall of her first year here, six years ago. She was pregnant with Ethan at the time and I wanted to be pregnant. Being married to philosophers, we became fast friends. Our children have grown up together and been "besties" since they were born. Mark and I became the children's godparents when they came into the Church this past Easter. They really are a wonderful family and it's hard to imagine life without them so close. We will miss you dearly Kidd Family! Best wishes on your new journey!

It's also hard to imagine life without Verano. Mark and I have been here our entire married life. We have grown as a married couple here, had our children here and experienced the ups and downs of grad school life together. All seven of our married years have been here. I think I'm simply at a loss for words and have not quite processed the whole transition. I am truly grateful for this community and all the friends we have met here. I wish I could thank you all individually before we go and I will try. From sharing meals and children's birthday parties to being at at many of your children's births, our time in Verano has been incredibly blessed and rich and that is because of all of the incredibly wonderful people here. I hope each of you know how much and how deeply you touched our lives. Thank you for that!

IT'S A BOY!!!

2011-07-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

We just came back from the doctor where I had my 20 week ultrasound and found out it's a BOY! We are very excited over here! Well, it took quite a bit of convincing Kate to get excited, but I think we've finally convinced her that another little brother might just be alright. Everything looks great!

Florida Here We Come!

2011-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's official! We're moving to Florida in August. We're moving to Boca Raton, which from what I gather is a bit like the Irvine of the East Coast. It's also fairly far South in Florida, between West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. Mark got a teaching position at a prep school there and we are eternally grateful for the opportunity and of course, for all of the prayers!

We have known this for a long time now, but with all the moving craziness, it's just been a bit too busy to blog, not to mention I had a very hard first trimester and Mark has been working like a mad man! Please pray for Mark as he finishes his dissertation (working at least 12 hour days, no less). And please pray for us as we prepare for this new chapter in our lives! It's very exciting!

We are also planning on shutting our babyhomepages site down in a few months. This blog will become our family's main blog. I will spend the next few months figuring out how to have a picasa or flickr link, so that we can still post a bunch of pictures!

So, I haven't posted in FOREVER because....

2011-02-16T21:41:00.000-08:00

We've basically been sick over here since the beginning of January. Not to worry though - I'm updating lots of pics over at our babyhomepages site. In the meantime, a couple of quick takes to bring us up to speed:

1. We celebrated Mark's birthday by going to the San Diego Wild Animal Park on Saturday. Sunday, we watched football (Go PACK!) and had an impromptu German themed birthday party complete with brats, potato salad, beer and of course, a German chocolate cake . I think it's safe to say it was a rocking time.

2. Kate told me the other day that the blinds were, "trembling in the breeze." They were indeed blowing - pretty cute, huh?

3. We are very excited about the Packer win! Pretty sure we're the only ones out here though, so in that way, it's all a bit anti-climactic.

4. Both Kate and Luke have eye infections, ear infections, fevers and the like. Poor little ones, they've been sick so much lately.

5. Mark is getting ready to attend a Conference in DC called The LINK. I can't remember what it stands for right now.... Anywho, it's a conference for hiring at independent prep schools nationally as well as internationally. Slowly, it's come to our attention that there does exist opportunities beyond the world of academia!!! Mark and I both feel good about the decision to pursue this possibility and believe that the Lord has a plan for us. Please pray that opportunities will open up for Mark and that the Lord will place us where he wants us.

6. For some reason I have been thinking about adoption a lot lately. It's all so new that I won't say much yet besides this: I know that we won't adopt (if we do) for some time. I think what has really been pressing on my heart in prayer lately is that there are 147 million orphans in the world. That is A TON of kids without moms and dads to love them. Often, these orphans live with hunger and disease, they don't have medical care or someone to hold them when they're hurting. Many of these children die from starvation and neglect. I know that adoption is a special call, a ministry really, but Christ calls us ALL to care for orphans.

There are so many stories gripping my heart, but one thing I have learned in the past few weeks is that in the Ukraine, there are many babies with special needs, especially down syndrome. These Down Syndrome children have until they are 4 years old to be adopted. If they are not adopted by 4 they will be place in a mental institution where 95% of them will die! I also found out that many orphanages in the third world separate children with special needs. The children in the special needs room might get little to no care and be drugged (often on adult sleeping pills! around the clock!). In China, there exists a stigma with children diagnosed with Autism. They believe that you can "catch it" by touching and interacting with them, so autistic children are left alone with no one to care for them... All of this touches me to the core. It breaks my heart and causes me to ask what more I can do to help. If you're interested, here are a couple of wonderful blogs on the topic:

Katie at Amazima Ministries in Uganda

No Greater Joy Mom

147 Million Orphans You can buy those awesome magazine bead necklaces here. Check em out!

Hello Kitty + Spiderman = True Love

2011-01-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Kate's 4th birthday and Ethan's 5th birthday. There was a pinata, bounce house, pizza, cake and plenty of merriment to go around! Here are some pics of the event.

Kate's First Christmas Concert

2010-12-17T15:19:00.001-08:00

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

And so I try again... ;)

Decorating Christmas Cookies

Trimming the Tree

At The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade - it was awesome!

Luke Turns Two (A Month Later...)

2010-12-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from Luke's 2nd birthday party, which included a "choo choo" train cake, many friends and lots of presents. Luke had a great time!'

2010-11-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in so long. So here are some quicktake/ updates that I also posted over on babyhomepages:

1. As you can imagine, Kate LOVES preschool. I really believe she could go everyday and be just fine. I am glad she's not, however, because I really enjoy the time we have at home together.

2. She also LOVES her friends and plays with them every single chance she has. Seriously, she plays with friends all the time. Often one friend will leave and she will ask to call up another.... I wonder where she gets that?

3. Luke is incredible talkative. He talks constantly and we don't mind one. single. bit.

4. Luke was just diagnosed with mild intermittent asthma. It seems that every time he gets a cold it develops into wheezing and a trip to urgent care or the ER. The bad news is that he has to have breathing treatments and inhaled steroids, the good news is (besides that we're getting it under control) that he will most likely grow out of it.

5. The kids really play together well. They also really know how to push each others buttons. Our days will often go from hugs and kisses to screaming at the top of (his) lungs.

6. Luke is kinda a screamer. OK, OK, so he really knows how to let it out "Tin Drum" style. That we don't like so much... nope, not so much.

7. Luke also seems to be a 12 hour of sleep/ day TOPS kind of guy.... which means that he's giving up naps. If he doesn't take a nap, he will sleep from about 7pm-7am. If he does take a nap, however, he will not go to sleep until about, oh, 10:30 or 11pm!!! It's a pick your poison type of situation.

8. We recently had a last minute, lovely trip back to the midwest where we saw so many friends and family. As pictures can attest it was great to see everyone and be there for the baptism of our new (and incredibly cute, I might add) nephew, Thomas Robert Frey! We also had a couple night with Aunt Terry and Uncle Tom in Minnesota - what a treat!

9. We're job hunting now. It looks like we'll be here through August and then, well, who knows where we'll be? We hope much closer to family. I know it's going to be tough for the kids, especially Kate, to move. She loves it here and never tires of telling us so!

10. Luke's 2nd birthday is coming up!!! He has already informed me that he either wants a train cake or a fireman cake. As you can probably guess, I'm excited and up for the challenge!

11. It really seems like everyone I know, really everyone is pregnant or has just had a baby. Really, I am not exaggerating, not even a little... I could list at least 15 people off the top of my head right now who are either pregnant or just had a baby (I won't because some of them have asked me not to say anything - the pregnant ones, not the ones who have just had babies, obviously ;) This is nice because 1) babies are awesome and 2) I have a lot of doula-ing opps coming my way!

12. Kate will often take my face in her hands and stroke it a bit and tell me, "mommy, I love you so much." It really melts my heart.... and it makes me want about 10 more kids. :) Today she told us that she is so happy to have our family. Yep Kate, it's true, we are lucky.

For some recent pics check us out here

Happy Feast of Saint Faustina!

2010-10-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Geez! There have been a great many excellent feast days lately, huh?

‎"I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls."

-- Divine Mercy (Jesus to Sr. Faustina)

Happy Feast of Saint Francis!

2010-10-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

For more on Saint Francis read here and for a great project to do with the kids go here and here. Charlotte over at Waltzing Matilda is chalk full of wonderful and creative ways to celebrate the liturgical feasts with your kids. I was going to do the people cookies, but after a trip to the beach (by myself with the kids. there was a sand sculpture contest. i forgot my camera) and daddy working all weekend, I didn't get the cookie cutters. Sooo, we're going to have to settle with coloring a picture of St. Francis (Charlotte also draws coloring pages that she is willing to share with us) and some animal crackers and milk. Good enough for this year ;) Oh, and we are going to focus on the prayer as our evening prayer this month. Thanks for all the help Charlotte! I think you're pretty darn amazing (especially after seeing that pirate ship cake)! God bless ya! And have a very blessed and happy Feast of St. Francis! y'all!!

Happy Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux!

2010-10-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

The rose project will have to wait because our little Luke is in and out of the doctor's office today with breathing treatments and a chest x-ray. He'll be OK, but he needs a little extra TLC. So, in the meantime, here's a quote from one of my favorite saints to ponder:

‎"Love consists in bearing w/ the faults of others, not being surprised at their weakness, in being edified by the smallest acts of virtue we see them practice" - St. Therese of Lisieux

I am also Pondering:

2010-09-30T15:43:00.001-07:00

Moving all my blogging/ baby updates to this page. I have really loved babyhomepages for a lot of reasons, but this site is free and, at this point in our life, that is a very compelling reason. So far I've used this page mostly as a little journal where I write down thoughts (mostly spiritual) that I want to return to and I like having that space, but I guess I could consolidate. Some worries:

-I really like the "photo album" aspect of babyhomepages. I believe I would have to keep up this blog AND use some sort of site (i.e. picasa) to have the same effect?

-Another plus that builds on the last is that babyhomepages is one stop shopping, so to speak. I can upload photos, have the photo in album, relay stories, and have a guest book all in one place... Oh and I almost forgot, you can also buy prints from babyhomepages.

-Babyhomepages will send you a PDF of the entirety of your content for a minimal fee, which will then serve as my baby book/ memory book for the kids.

-I tried sites like picasa and (what's the name of that other one again?) and you can't upload multiple pics at a time... ughhh. Oh, and you only get a certain amount of space free and then have to start paying for it.

-Can you buy calendar/ albums/ prints from sites like picasa?

So, my question to you, dear readers ( I think there are about four of you ;), is how can I do all the things I listed above in an easy, one stop way with a blog. If I can't, I might just consider going with what we have for now (at least until we move). Also, do any of you like babyhomepages/ keep up with us through that site? Would any of you have a preference?

Ok, so, do any of you have any good advice/ info for me about this? I would really appreciate it and it would really help us make our decision over here. Thanks!

Today I am Pondering...

2010-09-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

“This style of parenting drives us to our knees and so brings us closer to heaven. It forces us to die to self again and again to meet the needs of God’s little creatures. It’s immediately easier to shout and/or hit and abuse our authority to put out the fires of our day. We can stop the behavior through fear and punishment. But that doesn’t really require any heroic, saintly effort on our part, does it? Ultimately, it destroys the relationship with the child and it becomes for us the occasion of sin.”
Elizabeth Foss

Oh Lord give me the Grace! :)

St. Therese Novena

2010-09-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Five days ago I started praying this Novena for two special intentions. Before she died, St. Therese said, "My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death, I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." I've heard from others who have prayed this novena that they received a rose during or at the end of the Novena as a sign . I thought that I would receive something (even in the form of a drawing or a card), but I thought it would maybe be towards the end of the Novena or on her Feast Day, which is October 1st. Well, since I've been praying it, I have received roses twice! She is a beautiful saint in her "little way" and I look forward to celebrating her feast day with my kids on October 1st (not sure what we're going to do yet, maybe make roses and give them to others). If you would like to learn more about St. Therese, you can read about her here.

Take Me Out to The Ball Game

2010-08-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jim was in town and he treated us to a wonderful afternoon at the ball game. It was great to see him and "Uncle Adam" (as Kate says). As pictures attest, it was a great day! Thanks Uncle Jim! ( And we missed you Aunt Faye!)

Kate telling Uncle Adam secrets - she loves him!

Luke got to be a tired dude after awhile

A good time was had by all!

Jesus, I Trust In You!

2010-08-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today I am pondering this:

"The moment you realize you are worrying, make very quickly an act of confidence: 'No, Jesus, You are there: nothing - nothing - happens, not a hair falls from our heads, without your permission. I have no right to worry.' Perhaps He is sleeping in the boat, but He is there. He is always there. He is all-powerful; nothing escapes His vigilance. He watches over each one of us 'as over the apple of His eye' He is all love, all tenderness. It is really an offense against Him when we worry voluntarily about anything. That is what causes Him pain. That is what wounds His Heart more than anything else."

-St. Therese of Lisieux from I Believe in Love by Father Jean C. J. d'Elbee

Often, I really struggle to believe this is true. But it is. God is here, right now, working. I'm quite sure that this will be be mantra in the year to come... Jesus I Trust in You!

It's A Big Week

2010-08-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's a BIG week liturgically speaking as we celebrate the feast days of some of my all time favorite saints!

Monday the 9th: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Tuesday the 10th: St. Lawrence

Wednesday the 11th: St. Clare (Kate's name sake - her middle name)

Thursday the 12^th: St. Jane de Chantal (I keep feeling called to her - it's probably time to pick up some of her writing)

Saturday the 14th: St. Maximilian Kolbe (this guy is amazing. I love him! Seriously love him!)

Sunday the 15^th: Solemnity of the Assumption

Later this month we celebrate the feasts of St. Monica (Friday the 27th) and Augustine (Saturday the 28th)!

The Last Two Months in Photos

2010-07-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

We've been busy over here. Two trips back to the midwest, two weddings, two weeks of work and training, VBS, swimming lessons and one hike later, I've found a moment to blog a bit and tell you that I've posted pics on the kids site here. And that's about all I've got right now because life is still a little hectic and we're still settling into our routine. And well, I like saying things with pictures. They paint a thousand words, right?

Pretend City

2010-05-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

We saw something really cool at Pretend City the other day:

And the kids had a lot of fun exploring, imagining and creating!

St. Gianna Beretta Molla

2010-04-22T17:27:00.001-07:00

I'm a day late on this one, but yesterday began a Novena to one of my favorite saints, St. Gianna Beretta Molla. St. Gianna was a wife, mother, and doctor. The novena began yesterday and ends on her Feast Day, April 28th. Here are the prayers:

God, our Father, You have granted to your Church the gift of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.
In her youth she lovingly sought You and drew other young people to You, involving them through apostolic witness and catholic action, in the care of the sick and the elderly.

We thank You for the gift of this young woman, so deeply committed to You.
Through her example, give us the grace to dedicate our lives to Your service, for the joy of our brothers and sisters.

Glory Be...

Jesus, Redeemer of humanity, You called Saint Gianna to become a doctor, a role she lived as a mission for the comfort of bodies and souls. She saw You in all the sick, in the needy and the weak.

We thank You because, through this servant, You revealed Yourself to us as one who serves and who alleviates the sufferings of all men and women. As we treasure her example may we become generous Christians at the service of our brothers and sisters, especially of those with whom You deign to share Your Cross.

Glory Be...

God, Sanctifying Spirit, You who love the Church as Your bride,
You poured into the heart of Saint Gianna a share of Your Love so that she could give it to her family, and thus cooperate with You in the wonderful plan of creation, and give life to new children who could know and love You.

We thank You for this model wife and for her encouraging example. Grant our families the serene and Christian presence of mothers committed to transform them into cenacles of faith and love, capable of generous actions and sanctifying service.

Glory Be...

O God, creator and lover of the human family, You remained with Saint Gianna when she painfully had to choose between her life and the life of the child she was expecting, a long-awaited gift.

Trusting You alone and aware of Your commandment to respect human life, Saint Gianna found the courage to do her duty as a mother and to say yes to her baby's life, thus generously giving her own.

Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and after the example of Saint Gianna, inspire all mothers to welcome with love the seeds of a new life. Help us all to have great respect for human life.

Grant us the grace we seek... and the joy to find an inspiration in Saint Gianna who, as a model spouse and mother, after the example of Christ, gave up her life for the life of others.

Hail Mary...

If you'd like to read more about her, you can follow this link or this link.

7 Quick Takes

2010-03-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

I did 7 Quick takes over at the kids' site. You can read them here.

Howdini

2010-01-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

People keep asking how we made this:

It was really pretty easy... time consuming, but easy. So, Ok, I'll give up my secret and you will no longer be in awe of my baking abilities. :) Here's how you can do it (or something else you like :) too!

Thinking of Haiti

2010-01-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Lord Christ,

You have no body on earth but ours,
No hands but ours,
No feet but ours.

Ours are the eyes through which your compassion must look out on the world.

Ours are the feet by which you may still go about doing good.

Ours are the hands with which You bless people now.

Bless our minds and bodies,
That we may be a blessing to others.

St. Theresa of Avila

Donate to CRS here

Look Who Just Turned One!!!

2009-11-23T23:31:00.001-08:00

My Little Helper

2009-11-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

I was in the other room nursing Luke and I heard the water running in the kitchen. I asked Kate what she was doing.

She replied, "Oh, I'm just doing the dishes. That's all,"

The Good Life

2009-11-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a recent blog post at one of my favorite blogs. If you have a few minutes, it's well worth the read. I think Jen hits the nail on the head when she explains that a good life is not about racking up a bunch of unique and exotic things and experiences, but rather, a good life is measured by how one loves. Jen writes:

"The way I used to see it, life was measured by the number and type of experiences you had, how many cool things you did. Like most people, I had a "bucket list," a collection of experiences I wanted to have and things I wanted to do before I died..." "After I became a Christian, my outlook changed. Thanks to Christian teaching, I came to see quality of life as measured not by the number of fun things you do, but by how much you love -- period. I came to believe that even if you lived your whole life in the same small town, if you took every opportunity to open yourself to love -- even to people you didn't like, even when it felt uncomfortable -- that your life would be not only better but even more exciting than someone who spent her life jet-setting around to exotic destinations all over the world in pursuit of experiences."

I relate to the bucket list. I once had one too. And of course there are places I'd still love to see. But I'm so glad that I now realize that checking these things off "the list" is not what makes a good life. There was a time in my life, not so long ago, when I mourned not being able to go back to Rome or Paris. I am grateful for those experiences and they were wonderful and rich, but none of them come even close to spending a lazy Saturday with our little family. Sadly, I think many people miss this. I believe this is one of the reasons we do not value children as a society. Children get in the way of stuff and stuff, we wrongly think, is what it's all about. But a Christian life is meant to be something different. In the end, our life won't be measure by the stuff we've collected or the cool places we've gone, but by how much we have loved. It's as St. Therese of Liseaux puts it: The important thing is to do little things, no matter how small, with great love.

Some Quick Takes

2009-11-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

1) Kate has been running around the house singing, "if you like it shoulda woulda puta ring on it." I'm fairly certain she's heard the song once.

2) Two days ago at meal time I said, "Let's pray." Luke crossed himself (well, tried anyway) and said "Amen."

3) We went to a museum called Pretend City this past Wednesday. It's a place that fosters imaginative play with different hands on rooms (i.e. doctor clinic, a stage, water table room, art room, grocery store). All of it is completely hands on and interactive and the kids absolutely LOVED it. We spent 4 hours there and Kate could have easily spent another four.

4) I am probably a bad person for saying this, but I am so SICK of 75 degree (or hotter) weather I could scream! I know most of you would probably love 75 degree weather right about now, but I have a hard time remembering whether it's November or June and I just don't like it.

5) I gave Kate a sour skittle the other day and she said, "Oh this is kind of good but it's kind of...... (long pause)... schmigely."

M: Do you mean sour Kate?

K: (with an "ahh haa" expression) Oh ya, sour.

6) Kate has been saying that she "forleft" things instead of "forgot." Some examples:

"Oh, no! I forleft my shoes at the playground!"

"Mommy, I think you forleft our hats at home."

7) Luke is almost one already! He can walk a few steps and has his two front teeth. He can also say a handful of words including "soccer" and "backpack." He almost never says these on command. He's also less laid back than he was 5 months ago... I know, what a surprise. He can throw a tantrum on a par with his sister. Speaking of his sister, they are already great friends and they love to make each other laugh all the time. Oh and he is a CLIMBER! He is ALWAYS climbing. Here are some pictures of him climbing (and getting caught):

Where Have YOU Been?!

2009-09-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure. The only thing I can say is that September has been an extremely busy month and promises to be so through it's very last minutes. No real time to blog. What I can tell you is that right now I've found this very helpful. I can honestly say that I have to answer no to almost every one of her questions... will be reconsidering some things over here :)

Five Years Ago (and a couple weeks.... I'm a little behind)

2009-08-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Theology for a Two Year Old

2009-07-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today at Mass Kate pointed up at the statue of Jesus on the altar and the following conversation ensued:

Kate: Mommy, why is Jesus wearing a skirt.

Mom: That is not a skirt that's called a loin cloth.

Kate: That is a skirt!

When we were home, Kate was holding a crucifix and I overheard this bit of conversation:

Thank you Jesus for your Precious Blood. Thank you for dying on the Cross for me. Thank you for ending [mass] so that we could go get donuts.

I'm so glad we're getting the point across. :)

Thoughts on a Friday

2009-07-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

For the JOY of the LORD is your strength.

-Nehemiah 8:10

An Attitude of Gratitude

2009-07-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

There is so much to be grateful to God for. I am very grateful for this idea. (I'm also grateful that I just learned how to link (thank you Jen!). In response to my last post, this is a tradition that I am going to start and I encourage you to do something like it as well. God continually blesses each of us and I feel it's time that I start to say thank you to Him. If a thanksgiving box is not your style, then might I suggest joining the Gratitude Community and journaling One Thousand Gifts. I know I plan to, so expect to see some of my list here.

Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song." ~Isa. 51:3

The News from Lake Michigan

2009-07-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

We've been busy over here! Ever since we left for the midwest in June it seems as though we've been run, run running. We just had a wonderful visit with Grandma and Grandpa Stan. We were so blessed by them and we are sad to see them go!

Of course, they left and I stopped one minute to look at the calendar and ... ahhhhhh! Summer's halfway over!!! Boy time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?!

So I had this grand idea that I was going to do some lesson planning this Summer for the whole liturgical year. You may think this sounds ambitious, but it's really just because if I don't plan, I won't do anything. I can't tell you the countless times where some high holy day came and went virtually unnoticed this past year. We didn't even dye Easter Eggs!!! I know! The horror! So, you see this is really only out of necessity. Yes, I need to sit down and plan some activities to make the liturgical calendar come alive to a 2 1/2 year old.... And I need your help! Any suggestions? What kinds of things do you do with your kids to make the faith come alive for them? I would LOVE to hear your ideas!

In other GLORIOUS news, guess who else is getting married??!!!!

Congratulations Katie and Parker - we are so happy for you! May God grant you many, many year together!

Always Wear Sunscreen

2009-07-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

It is only the beginning of July here and we are all hopelessly tan. Of course Mark is tan. All he has to do is walk outside for two minutes and he immediately turns a nice shade of brown. But, Kate is really, very tan. And yes, even Luke has a farmer's tan. And this, I think, is a problem. I know, I know, all of you midwesterners can't fathom why having a deep tan in early July could ever be a problem.

Well, the move to Sunny Cali has changed my views about the sun. Maybe I've simply come to take the sun for granted since it's sunny 364 days a year here. Or maybe it's the little speck of a mole on my leg that was removed only to become a 2 inch scar because it was ever so close to melanoma.... maybe. At any rate, despite my greatest efforts, we are all tan. I bought new sunscreen (SPF 50). I put it on every day. I reapply it to the children every couple of hours. I try to have them wear hats. So... what could I be doing wrong?! We are out in the sun ... a lot. Ok, so like every day of the year for at least a couple of hours day. Ya, so maybe it's inevitable... but still! I would like to protect my children from those nasty UV rays. I don't know what the point of this post is. Maybe it's to tell you that despite appearances, I really am not an irresponsible parent. Maybe it's a confession to relieve me of my parental guilt. Maybe a cry for ideas. Or maybe just a reminder to, like Baz Luhrmann says, always wear sunscreen.

Have a very happy Fourth of July!

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99: Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.

But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how...

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

I especially like the ones about beauty magazines and dancing the funky chicken on our 75th wedding anniversary. Mark, that's a dare!

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-23T12:17:00.001-07:00

Despite Happy appearances in this picture, Kate wasn't very fond of her first swimming lesson. She wasn't very fond of her second one either. In the past, Kate has loved being in the pool. She'll splash, blow bubbles, jump in from the side and even let us dunk her under the water. Because she's never been afraid and always loved the water, we thought that swimming lessons would be fun for her this Summer. But, there is something about the "lesson" part of it that she just doesn't like; that actually seems to make her afraid. To be fair, at then end of the second lesson today she started to have some fun. She actually moved from the stairs into the pool for two minutes and she learned a new game that she really liked a lot. I just asked her if she was excited to go to swimming tomorrow and she said, "Yes, but I'm not going under!" Two weeks ago at our hotel pool she would go under. It almost seems like the pressure of the "lesson" is too much for her. At the same time, I have absolutely no idea how to teach her to swim and I'd love some help. I'm just putting this all out there, wondering whether or not we should keep taking her? I want her to learn to swim, but I also want her to have fun... If it's not fun, should we persist? Any thoughts?

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T10:19:00.001-07:00

Choices, Choices, Choices

2009-06-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, my dear husband leaves for work in a hurry. Today was one such day. We have no coffee in the house and we're still recovering from our trip. So, with no lunch in hand and no coffee in his system, he offered a quick kiss and ran out the door. We went about our morning changing diapers, getting dressed and straightening up a bit. And then, about 20 minutes after he left, I heard the door open. "Who the heck?!!" I thought to myself. I instructed the children quietly to wait right there and slowly peaked around the corner only to see Mr. Awesome standing there with my favorite coffee drink in hand, grinning from ear to ear.

Isn't he sweet?

On a different topic, I was trying to redirect Kate the other day through giving her choices. The following conversation ensued:

M: Kate, would you rather stop ___ (I can't remember what) or spend some time alone in your room?

K: No, those aren't my choices. I will give you some choices.

Indeed, she then proceeded to offer us some choices:

K: mmmmm... You could give me M&Ms or let me stay here!

Guess Who's 6 Months?!!

2009-05-27T19:08:00.001-07:00

Our Day at the Beach

2009-05-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Gang
Jenny and Nick
Luke keeping cool
When mom and Kate make a sandcastle.....

.... when dad and Kate make a sand "castle"

I'd say that Mark won

A Typical Day at Our House

2009-05-21T12:25:00.001-07:00

Art Time

Meltdown Time

Nap Time

Outside Time

Bed Time

A CONSIDERED CHILDHOOD

2009-05-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is from one of my favorite blogs. Elizabeth Foss is a writer and a homeschooling mother of 9 (I believe). She has truly inspired me through her humble writings to better live my vocation as a wife and mother.

As much as I am able, every day, I will ensure that my child will:

Live the Liturgy

Experience loveliness

Breathe deeply: Fresh air and exercise

Serve others

Listen to, contemplate, and exchange ideas.

Develop expressive skills.

Practice logical reasoning. Math.

Receive focused attention and affection

-Elizabeth Foss

So now, I'd love to hear if there are any great ideas out there on how to do these things?

Let's go!

2009-05-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Mom: Kate, we're leaving in 5 minutes, okay?

Kate: Mmmmm, how about 6?

Mom: Ok, 6 ;)

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today is a wonderful day. Today, I am grateful to God for the gift motherhood. I am grateful today for my mother. My mother the nurse, who is sweet and gentle and kind. She is absolutely beautiful and she is strong. She has always been there for me to lend a listening ear or offer much needed advice. She has a gift for helping and taking care of people. She has a gift of understanding others. I am so thankful that she gave me life. And I am so grateful that she gave me a holy example of motherhood. I love you mom!

I am thankful to my Nan, who gave her life. My Nan, who lived her vocation as a mother and mirrored Our Lady in her "yes" to life. My Nan, who taught her 8 living children The Faith and who also taught me. Thank you Nana! I sure do miss our chats.

I am also grateful to God for my mother-in-law. People talk about their MILs as if it were some kind of nightmare. Not me. I'm fairly certain I got the best one out there! In fact, my girlfriends are jealous. Thanks Deb for all you are and all you do!

Most especially, I am thankful that God has called me to the vocation of motherhood. I am so blessed to have little Luke and Kate. They are beautiful gifts from Our Lord and I thank Him everyday for them.

Our Lady, Mother of us all, Pray for us!

A Word About Mrs. Awesome

2009-05-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick word about my screen name. My friend Kelly just emailed me saying that she thought my name is great. Before I take all the credit myself or run the risk of seeming a bit full of myself, I must admit that it was not me, but my friend Katherine who came up with this one. You see, Katherine is two and she likes us a lot. One day out of the blue she called Mark "Mr. Awesome." I figure, since I'm married to him, I by default am Mrs. Awesome. So yes friends, I am "awesome" by marriage.

Thanks Katherine! We like you a lot too!

Prayer Request

2009-05-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that my brother, Nick, recently underwent major surgery to remove his colon. He's back in the hospital and having a bit of a rough time with it all. Please pray that he recovers soon and is able to go home. It's never fun to be stuck in the hospital.

Oh, and that pretty lady next to him is his fiance, Jenny. Cute, huh?

Only For Today

2009-05-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

These are words I am trying to live by:

ONLY FOR TODAY

Decalogue for Daily Living

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and it my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.

8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

-Blessed Pope John XXIII