tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:20:14 +0000good to be Catholickiddosmotherhoodmusicme7 quick takesfoodfriendshubbySheenpregnancyAdventI'm an idiotholidaysI'm a jerkbooksthe dumpfamilypro-lifebeing fatmoviesI'm absolutely amazingChristmasliturgical livingtoo cutebreastfeedingNFPhome birthHalloweenmiscarriageBeholdcrafty KatieSheenazing Awardsfor Pete's sakepartyEasterguest postignitum todayno time to blogBlessed Is ShemarriageFive Favoritesweddingswhat I wore SundayI'm so excitedPeterSt. Nicholasbaby bluesgardentoddlerhoodThe Visitation ProjectautumndecorationsgratitudehomeschoolCatholicKnot Bad VideosLentThanksgivingallergiescloth diapersmidlife crisismoneyschoolDoctor Whohome sweet homeparentingtv showsbaby namesbest of the webbloggingparochial schoolAll Saints' DayFinding Your FiatSherlockfootballCatholic schoolDownton AbbeyI'm getting oldLostzombiesHoly WeekInstagramMarybeersummerEureka College is the bestMVVOprahfaithgoodhome madepublic schoolsaintsvocationscleaning housepostpartum depressionsacramentsvacation4th of JulyNICUNetflixNewman ministryWelliesbirdscanningnunspotluck postsmall successesvalentine's dayEdelEpiphanyMardi GrasMichaelmasScrabbleScriptureSt. MichaelWhy I Love My Husbandboldeating disordereducationfashionharry potterhospitalityjobmicemovievinegar Bonnie Engstrom at A Knotted Lifenoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie)Blogger1709125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195.post-4942747305400443756Fri, 30 Aug 2019 04:40:00 +00002023-07-01T19:27:59.666-06:00I Don't Want to Be a Sports Mom and I'm Against Children Growing Up<p> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I have entered a new season of motherhood. I think this would probably be hard for every mom – no matter how much you love seeing your kids become great people. I’m finding it especially difficult to navigate, though, because having crossed the threshold with one foot, I still have the other foot firmly planted in the old season of motherhood.</span></p><div class="et_post_meta_wrapper" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="post-meta" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 6px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="comments-number" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p></div><div class="entry-content" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="et-boc" id="et-boc" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="et_builder_inner_content et_pb_gutters3" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">If you want me to cut to the chase: HELP. SOS. What do I do? Please?!</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">If you don’t mind me talking through it: I have had a baby or toddler in the house for the last eleven years. I know how to parent babies and small children. Bottles and naps and snuggles – love it! Cute little two year old running (you know what I mean!), running to the bathroom for the potty-training 3 year old, snacks and books and more snuggles – love it! Elementary school kids with easy homework, sight words, incredible amounts of sweetness with a bit of stinker buttness – love it!</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">And I love how my 11 year old daughter and almost 10 year old son are becoming – not just big kids! – but young adults. Twice this week Ben has lit the charcoal grill and made dinner (brats one night, burgers and corn on the cob tonight). L regularly bakes and creates awesome desserts. Ben mows the lawn and takes out the garbage. L does the laundry. And they are funny and kind and figuring out who and how they are, if you know what it means. And it feels like such a <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">privilege</em> to not only watch it but to be an active part of it happening.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">But part of having this big family, with a 6th grader and a 4 month old and six more kids in between, is that at times we feel like less of a family. This maybe just means I need to adapt my image of what our family looks like and does, but how many deaths do I have to die?!</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">For our family to have dinner together we have to sit down, without Travis, at 4:30. He pops in and sits down to table shortly after 5 and by 5:15 he and Ben are gone for JFL. L takes off a bit later for cross country and things will only get more complicated as more and more children are old enough for sports and other extra curriculars. Family dinners will probably be like this for the next 18 years.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Now, I will admit that part of my problem is how much I don’t really like sports and the way they dominate families’ calendars. And the way that parents and coaches sometimes talk to the kids – ugh! And I hate how much money it all costs. But sports mean a lot of my (coach of a) husband and he insists that our kids will play sports if they want. I can <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">see </em>the good that comes from them. Ben and L both have benefited and become better people from being involved. Yet I still want to chop the Thunder Oak which is Kids’ Sports (<a href="; style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2f3440; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">CSYSK reference</a>) because even with very limited involvement (one sport per kid per season and all will be school sports except for JFL) we are crazy busy.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">I will admit, thought, that a lot of this is blame shifting. It is, perhaps, easier to blame sports than life. Because really, my kids are getting older and it breaks my heart a bit that I can’t have them all in my home, in my yard, at my table, in my arms. So life is happening, and I’m trying to cling to my kids as best I can for as long as I can.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">But I still hate how sports can dominate. Seriously.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">So if you have ideas or tips for me, please share them. And if you just want to commiserate, go for it.</p><figure class="wp-block-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7299" decoding="async" height="370" sizes="(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px" src="; srcset=" 580w, 300w" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="580" /></figure></div></div></div>2019/08/i-dont-want-to-be-sports-mom-and-im.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195.post-9151808601499001526Fri, 17 May 2019 04:42:00 +00002023-07-01T19:51:40.507-06:00Baby Stephen<p> </p><div class="entry-content" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Introducing: Stephen Paul<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Born Easter Tuesday, April 23rd at 2:59pm<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />7lbs 15.2oz 20.5″ long</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2333" data-original-width="1836" height="320" src="; width="252" /></a></div><br /><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">When we learned that we were pregnant for the ninth time Travis and I were happy. We laughed with joy. We texted friends. We hugged and laughed and said, "EIGHT kids!" We were so excited to meet our newest little one. </p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">While we were filled with wide-eyed excitement for the new little life growing inside of me, at times his pregnancy wasn’t easy. He moved around so much that it was often hard to find his heartbeat with a doppler – sending me into regular panics. Then, towards the end, my gestational diabetes numbers could not be controlled and I was carrying a “severe” amount of extra amniotic fluid, both of which led to worries of pre-term labor leading to umbilical cord prolapse and / or uterine rupture.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">But I loved feeling him move inside me and watching him kick and punch. Tee would put his hand on my belly and say, “Baby kicking?” and MJ would shout with gleeful surprise when she watched my belly rise and bump. Resa sighed about how long it was taking for “that newborn baby to be born” and all the kids fought over if the baby was a boy or girl. It was the best.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">The full eight months were spent discussing names. The boy name didn’t come until the very end, while the girl name came more quickly. After a short time dabbling with Alice Elizabeth we settled on Elizabeth Victoria. Elizabeth would be to honor my confirmation saint, Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, and Victoria would be in honor of Our Lady of Victory.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">An incredible amount of boy names were rejected over the months. Henry, John, and George were all discussed but in the end we chose Stephen for the deacon and first martyr of the Church. Paul was chosen to honor his godfather, who has the same middle name, and St. Paul, patron saint of run on sentences. (That’s my title for him.) However, we didn’t settle on the name until after I was prepped for the c-section (but before they took me to the OR).</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Stephen’s due date was May 13th, the Feast of our Lady of Fatima. But with my growing list of complications the due date was moved up again and again. Finally, the c-section was scheduled for 37 weeks and 1 day, on Easter Tuesday, the Feast of St. George.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">This was my third, scheduled c-section. Travis and I knew the plan and while I hate getting spinals I don’t mind the rest so much. In the past I’ve chatted with the nurses and doctors, even cracking a joke or two while the surgery is underway. I wasn’t looking forward to a third c-section, but I wasn’t as afraid as I had been in the past and felt rather confident that once the spinal was done everything would be fine.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Plus, I was so eager to meet my baby. I had been waiting for 35 weeks to have Travis look at our newborn child and tell me the gender. I couldn’t wait to hold my baby for the first time there in the OR. Travis and I smiled every time we talked about it.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">The c-section, however, did not go well. The spinal didn’t take like it had with my previous c-sections and as the nurses and anesthesiologist did their poke test I insisted that once they got above my belly button I felt more than just pressure. Everyone insisted that I felt only pressure, no pain, and they decided to go ahead and begin the surgery.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile, Travis was waiting to be escorted to the OR and growing increasingly worried as more and more time went by. When a nurse finally arrived she told him that I was unconscious and intubated and he would not be allowed to see me. Fearing the worst, he demanded to see me, at which point another nurse arrived. She brought him back to the OR where I was awake but worried and already cut open.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt nothing during the incision but as they began pulling and tugging I felt pain and yelled out. I knew it was different than what I’d experienced before but everyone continued to insist, “It’s just pressure.” The anesthesiologist then said that I was too anxious and he was going to give me medicine.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Travis told me that the medicine made me loopy and sluggish. I don’t remember anything that happened once the medicine was given so Travis had to describe things to me.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">When our baby was born, Travis told me his name. I didn’t smile. I didn’t say anything.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Our son wasn’t breathing well and Travis was nervous, but I didn’t notice and couldn’t care. The doctor gave him oxygen and Travis was able to cut the umbilical cord but I don’t remember any of it.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">The next thing I do remember is waking up on the operating table with Travis, my baby, and all but a few nurses gone. I asked where my husband was. I asked about my baby – girl? boy? healthy? where are they? I tried to stop my quivering chin, not wanting to cry in front of the nurses and I wondered if I was beginning to cry because the drugs were making me crazy or if something bad really had happened.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">In the recovery room Travis came to me and told me about our son and his birth. And when I cried Travis told me I had every right to cry because I had something very real to mourn.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Eventually I was taken to the nursery and allowed to hold him. So sweet, so snuggly, just perfect.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1836" height="320" src="; width="180" /></a></div></div><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />For the next five days Stephen had breathing issues and we had to keep a careful eye on his glucose and bilirubin levels. He loved skin-to-skin and we sat together often, me resting and healing and him resting and healing, and both of us needing one another to improve.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">On Divine Mercy Sunday we came home from the hospital. In the two weeks since we’ve struggled with nursing and weight loss but supplementing is helping and he’s finally getting bigger.</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Stephen’s an incredibly sweet baby. He’s so handsome and snuggly and I find such comfort in holding him. We sit and watch the birds and squirrels in the morning and Parks and Rec in the afternoon and The Crown late at night. I stare at him and hold his hands and stroke his cheek. And while he does sleep well in his crib (3 hour stretches with a few 4 hour ones over the last few weeks!) his favorite place to sleep seems to be nestled on my chest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1963" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="; width="188" /></a></div></div><p></p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">His birth is not what I hoped for, but he’s here and he’s healthy and we love him so much. I think the sweetness of his snuggles are meant to make up for all the worries and tears and really I shouldn’t complain because, in the end, we have a beautiful family and God has been very generous.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Travis and I still look at each other and say, “EIGHT kids!” and we wouldn’t have it any other way.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="; imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1673" data-original-width="1836" height="292" src="; width="320" /></a></p></div>2019/05/baby-stephen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195.post-5975020428983459349Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:43:00 +00002023-07-01T19:28:47.620-06:00Things I Wanted to Tell You<p><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">First:</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> HAPPY EASTER!</span></p><div class="entry-content" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Second:</span> My third c-section is scheduled for tomorrow. I’m supposed to go in at noon with the surgery beginning at 2pm CST. I’m 37 weeks today but there’s enough complications combining with my birth and medical history that if we wait too long we could end up with things like uterine rupture or stillbirth.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />I hate things with my back and so I’m not looking forward to the spinal and I feel afraid. Afraid of the surgery, afraid of complications that could happen to the baby, afraid of the pain. I’d like to shift my focus off of my fears and so I would be very grateful if you would share your prayer intentions with me – either in the combox, on <a href="; style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2f3440; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">FB</a>, or on <a href="; style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2f3440; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">IG</a>. Please help me to focus on you in dialogue with Jesus!</p><div class="wp-block-image" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-7181" decoding="async" height="481" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px" src="; srcset=" 859w, 252w, 768w, 1080w, 1836w" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="404" /></figure></div><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Third:</span> Did you notice that things are nice and snazzy around here? I’ve been blogging on Blogger for twelve years and it’s been a good twelve years of simple and easy. But I’ve been wanting something a bit more… grown-up… for awhile and now seemed like a good time.</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">My friend <a href="; style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2f3440; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Bryce Garber</a> moved A Knotted Life over to here and was such a dream to work with. Meanwhile, my friend Val, a professional make-up artist, came to my house and did my make-up so our friend Kara from <a href="; style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2f3440; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Kara Kamienski Photograph</a> could take beautiful new headshots. I love all their work!</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Fourth:</span> We’ve been watching Masterpiece’s <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Les Miserables </em>and we have been loving it! On Holy Saturday night Travis had to put a bike together while I filled Easter eggs. I asked if he would do it in the garage and he replied, “No. I think I’ll do it in here (family room). That way I can watch Les Mis and drink a beer while I do it.”</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">I cracked up and said, “The man I married would have *never* said that sentence!” And it’s true, you guys. Travis didn’t drink any alcohol when we married and would have opted to watch a Bourne movie for the 45th time over trying a period drama. Marriage has been good to Travis. 😉</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">And finally:</span> I am looking to build a fun, new, driving-with-the-windows-down playlist and I would love your suggestions. Here’s what I’ve got so far:<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></p><figure class="wp-block-embed-spotify wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="et_post_video" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" loading="lazy" src="; style="background: 0px 0px; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Spotify Embed: Spring, Baby" width="300"></iframe></div></div></figure><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Alright, friends, the next time I check back in here I’ll have a brand new baby to tell you about. Please don’t forget to give me song suggestions and prayer requests!</p><p style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">xo!</p></div>2019/04/things-i-wanted-to-tell-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195.post-3623991139120287060Fri, 01 Mar 2019 23:29:00 +00002019-03-01T17:29:36.875-06:00booksmeSheenI have an announcement to make<span style="font-size: x-large;">I WROTE A BOOK!</span><br />
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I've wanted to tell you guys that for the last five years. And WOW, it feels good to finally say it.<br />
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What's it about, you ask? Well, it's the story of James' birth and (alleged) miraculous healing through the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen. If you don't really know what I'm talking about let me bring you up to date:<br />
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My son James was born eight and a half years ago, a planned homebirth. Everything was beautiful and perfect until James was born lifeless. Not able to find a pulse, my midwife began CPR; Travis performed an emergency baptism; our friend called 911; and I sat in a state of shock, repeating "Fulton Sheen" in my head, unsure of how to pray for my son and therefore calling on my friend and James Fulton's patron to pray.<br />
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James was taken to the hospital and when the ED team stopped working on him to call time of death his heart started again - 148 beats / minute. He had been without a pulse for 61 minutes.<br />
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The doctors expected massive organ failure or, at best, for James to be very severely disabled. But we continued to pray, begging God for a miracle and asking Archbishop Sheen to pray for a miracle, too. And by the time he was one year old it was obvious that James would not only survive but that there would be no significant residual damage from that hour he was dead.<br />
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The Sheen Foundation and Diocese of Peoria held a tribunal to investigate our alleged miracle and it was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for Venerable Sheen's beatification.<br />
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This book tells <i>that</i> story.<br />
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Almost six years ago I signed a contract with Our Sunday Visitor to write this book. We did things privately, wanting to be respectful of the Church and Sheen's cause. And when the cause came to a pause we set the completed book aside. We waited and hoped and prayed. Over the years we discussed if <i>now</i> was the right time, but it never was.<br />
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Until <i>right </i>now.<br />
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I'm not sure what will happen next with the cause but in the end we decided that James' story is a powerful one and it brings glory to God. So I found my old manuscript, cleaned it up, brought it up to date, and resubmitted it to OSV. I just got it back from my editor, ready for my revisions.<br />
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The book will be released in late August or early September and will be available for pre-order at the end of the school year. Over the years many of you have reached out online or spoken with me after a talk and asked "When will you write a book?" I always wanted to say, "I HAVE!" and now I finally can.<br />
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I will keep you posted with the title, cover, and all the details. I have wanted to share this excitement with you because - and I mean this so very sincerely - so many of you are a part of this book. You prayed for James. You also asked God for a miracle. You sent our family meals, gift cards, prayers, and cash. You carried us when we could barely keep our heads above water. Travis and I have never forgotten that and we never will.<br />
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Thank you for your love and support over the years and right now. When Travis and I share James story we always want it to first and foremost bring glory and honor to God. We want it to also inspire people to befriend Fulton Sheen so that his holy witness will bring them closer to Christ. We want it to give people hope. We hope that this book does that for you.<br />
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+JMJ+2019/03/i-have-announcement-to-make.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie)29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195.post-5870847171264768370Fri, 01 Mar 2019 02:12:00 +00002019-02-28T20:12:12.897-06:00decorationsLentliturgical livingGetting ready for LentWe're getting ready for Lent here.<br />
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All the hearts and garlands and twinkle lights are put up. Surfaces are dusted. The last of the ice cream is being consumed. We've begun to discuss, as a family, what we will do for Lent - the sacrifices and the extra works. There's burlap on our mantle because it looks like sackcloth (maybe? I have no idea what sackcloth looks like) and because I need something up there to cover those unsightly wires.<br />
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We've got some plans. Personally I plan to read <a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Life of Christ</a>. And by "read" I mean start it and keep reading well into Ordinary Time. Let's be real here. I'm also looking forward to using the <a href="; target="_blank">Blessed Is She Lenten devotional To the End</a>. Having skimmed through it already I think it will be really good.<br />
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Usually the kids do our standard <a href="; target="_blank">Lenten calendar from Catholic Icing</a>. We might just do one this year instead of everyone getting their own, but we need <i>at least</i> one so I don't have to answer multiple times every day for 40 days "how many days until Easter?" Seriously.<br />
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I've been building this <a href="; target="_blank">Lenten Spotify playlist</a> and hope to add to it as I stumble upon more songs - so do tell me if I'm missing something. In the past we've only allowed religious or PBS Kids shows and Christian music during Lent. I don't think we'll do that this year, but we'll see.<br />
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Since we usually do not eat meat on all Fridays of the year I like to add meatless Wednesdays to the Lenten meal plan. Those few extra dollars I save each week are then donated to Catholic Charities or our local parish at the end of Lent. In the past we've encouraged our kids to forgo different treats and purchases during Lent to add to that collection and that's worked really well.<br />
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We also usually incorporate the Stations of the Cross into our night time prayer. We tend to do it a couple times a week, using the Stations of the Cross Box I made years ago. The kids love it and I know that it's done a lot to make the actual Stations more meaningful. The kids pray the Stations every Friday after the School Mass and we attend our parish or Cathedral's Stations as a family at least once each Lent. This small catechesis, done sitting on the floor with my kids digging through a box, has been a great way to teach even my youngest kids the responses while also helping them to understand the story of Christ's Passion and feel sorrow and compassion for Him. I explained how we do the Box <a href="; target="_blank">here</a>, but I first heard about it from <a href="; target="_blank">Kate Wicker</a> and I'm so glad she shared it.<br />
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But you know what, you guys? I'll be 38 in a few months. I have seven kids age ten and under. I'm 30 weeks pregnant. I'M TIRED. If that rickety old grapevine wreath and a couple meatless meals each week is all I do I'm good with that. I have a feeling that God wants this Lent to be more interior this year than exterior.<br />
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<i>Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling</i><br />
<i>Calling for you and for me...</i><br />
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<i>Come home, come home</i><br />
<i>Ye who are weary come home</i><br />
<i>Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling</i><br />
<i>Calling, O sinner, come home...</i>2019/02/getting-ready-for-lent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833347565651737195.post-3956344847285509179Fri, 15 Feb 2019 20:57:00 +00002019-02-15T14:57:29.090-06:00booksgood to be Catholicholidaysliturgical livingmeOur favorite books for liturgical living One of the talks that I give is on liturgical living, and it's a favorite topic of mine to talk about. I think our Catholic faith is so beautiful and joyful and even, at times, quirky and I love sharing it with others through the seasons and everyday life.<br />
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When I present this particular talk I am sure to share lots of examples of ways our family celebrates throughout the liturgical year, along with examples of what our friends do. I also stress what a beautiful, easy tool liturgical living can be for parents and grandparents who are trying to evangelize and form their children, especially when it's done in a way that makes sense for each particular family's home culture, interests, strengths, and season of life. Finally, I make sure everyone knows that because this work of building up the Kingdom of God is vitally important satan will attack it, because he's a jerk like that, so be ready.<br />
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In my life books have been so helpful in sharing the faith with my kids and so when I gave this talk I brought some of my favorites to share with the audience. There was lots of note-taking and photo-snapping so people would remember the titles I had shared. But there were also so many books and DVDs I had to leave at home and I thought those should be shared, too, especially as my kids kept saying, "Oh I love this one! And this one! And this one!"<br />
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So below is a fairly extensive list of books and other resources we use throughout the year. The seasonal books are stored with their corresponding decorations and then placed in our family book basket for the duration of the season. Some books are read on a daily or weekly basis throughout the year. Some books stay on the bookshelf in our living room for easy access. We have a ton of other books, too, but I don't need to include How the Grinch Stole Christmas here.<br />
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I've divided the groups into books for kids, resources for parents / grandparents / teachers, Bibles, and DVDs. All the Amazon and Blessed Is She links are affiliate links, which means I receive a small payment at no cost to you when you purchase through my specific link. I have also built an Amazon page filled with these items so you can check them all out there, if you'd like. You can find that <a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Take It to the Queen</a> by Josephine Nobisso<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Weight of the Mass</a> by Josephine Nobisso<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl</a> by Kim Hee-Ju<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paddy and the Wolves</a> by Steve Nagel<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St. Nicholas - the Real Story of the Christmas Legend</a> by Julie Stiegemeyer<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lady of Guadalupe</a> by Tome dePaola<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Miracle of St. Nicholas</a> by Gloria Whelan and Judith Brown<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On Easter Day in the Morning</a> by Vickie Howie<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Happy Pumpkin</a> by Crystal Bowman<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A is for Altar B is for Bible</a> by Judith Lang Main<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Alphabet of Catholic Saints</a> by Brenda and George Nippert<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Angel in the Waters</a> by Regina Doman and Ben Hatke<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Superhero / Princess / Woodland Prayer Book </a> by Kendra Tierney<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Catholic Field Guide to the Liturgy</a> by Michelle Chronister<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Story of St. John Paul II: The Boy Who Would Be Pope </a>by Fabiola Garza<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times</a> by Meghan Bausch<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Chime Travelers</a> by Lisa Hendey<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I'm Bernadette</a> by Emily Grace Ortega<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Little Book About Confession for Children</a> by Kendra Tierney<br />
<a href="; target="_blank">I Walk with Jesus</a> by Michelle Chronister<br />
<a href="; rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Way of the Cross</a> from Magnificat and Ignatius Press<br />
<a href="; target="_blank">Stations of the Cross box tutorial</a><br />
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