September 2011 Archives

Where does the time go?? From her first birthday to her tenth birthday! Happy birthday my precious, Bella! You'll always be my baby. ;-)

I don't know what makes Brian happier - that his Packer football is back or that he has a new Packer fan to cheer with him.

Matthew could only take so much football cheering and then he conked out.

It's been a busy, busy week! Here are some things we've been working on. Besides getting ready for Bella's Angry Bird birthday party (which I'll post about next week) we also had two school fundraisers. Here is Brian working at the Mission Fiesta for Bella's school. Andrew was having fun throwing the ring.

Here are two gift baskets I put together for the Fall Festival/Auction for Andrew's school. I did a baby shower basket and a family movie night basket. I like the way they came out. It was fun to get creative.

Lastly, I've been baking for the Fall Festival bake sale. I made Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies. They are sooo yummy I hope they make it to the sale!

Okay, back to decorating. Have a great weekend!

It's been hard working on my organizing project since things have been so busy lately! This time of year will only get busier so if I don't post on this topic that often, you'll know why. However, I have been able to work a little bit on my pantry. My kitchen is on the small side, and technically, there is no pantry. I have the usual cupboards for dishes, plastics and pots and pans. Anything left over, I can use for food storage.

The one cupboard that gives me the most trouble is a tall and narrow cabinet on the side of the fridge and behind the swinging door that leads into the family room. The shelving is weird - the top has short shelves and there is a huge empty section on the bottom. I could try to redo the shelving but time is short and I needed a quick fix that I can live with right now.

The cabinet is mostly used for snack foods, lunch box items and taller bottles (oils, vinegars, cooking wine, etc) that don't fit in the other cupboards.

I went to Target and purchase six stacking containers and one mini-drawer container. (Unfortunately the two stores I went to had only four white stacking boxes left but I found two black ones on clearance for 75 cents. I can live with two tones.)

I put all the lunch box items in the containers and labeled them.

The smaller items like boxes of raisins and fruit chew and the items the kids don't eat (protein bars) are put in the mini-drawer container.

On the door of the cabinet I keep my pantry inventory list for food in my fridge and freezer.

For my labels, I printed on Avery Labels #8163 and stuck it to a colored index cards and trimmed the edges. For this door label, instead of an index card, I used a blank stationary card with a pretty pattern and cut it down to size. (I picked up a box of the cards at Target in the $1 section.)

I ordered the personalized pantry lists from Jen at iheartorganizing.blogspot.com. They are available through her etsy shop.

Large size: View image

Then I placed them in sheet protectors and attached them to the door with blue painters tape. That way I can easily remove and update a list.

The last problem I had with this cabinet is that there was no way to keep the door locked so John-Paul wouldn't dump out all the containers and snacks on the floor (after he sampled a few.) I finally figured out a solution. I purchased a package of Command Mini-Hooks.

I placed one next to the cabinet handle then I took a large rubber band and looped it through the handle and hung it on the hook. Now JP can't get his little fingers into the cabinet and open it up. Problem solved!

Well, that's all I have time for today. In the next weeks I'll be finishing organizing the food cabinets in the kitchen and organizing the garage pantry. In the meantime, feel free to share your own thoughts and ideas! Enjoy your day. :-)

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

It's

crazy

busy!

I'll

post

next

week.

(But have a great weekend!!)

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

First I want to start with an exciting take. I am going to be an aunt again. Yay! My little sis EML is expecting baby # 4 in April. Wow, she'll have four children under the age of four. That scares the beejeebies out of me! But if anyone can do it, (and with with amazing results) my sister can!

Okay, and to put a smile on your face, here is a photo of my little niece Greta announcing the upcoming arrival of her sibling. How cute is she? I love the expression on her face. LOL!

My own little guy turned five months old this week. We've nicknamed him Mr. Smiley because he lights up whenever you talk to him. He's a happy kid!

For the last five months I've been working to lose weight and get healthier. The good news is that I've lost all the baby weight and weight the same as when I got pregnant. Yay! The bad news is that I way the same as when I got pregnant. Boo. Now on Phase 2, I want to continue losing and get to a healthy weight. It's a lot more than a few pounds. I hear other moms in a size 12 or 14 saying how fat they are blah, blah, blah. Save it, honey. Size 14 is my goal weight! Just saying.... ;-)

I've been doing Weight Watchers and have been averaging a pound a week with just the food changes. I do better when I add in exercise but I'm still slacking on getting into an exercise routine. But I'm working on it.

You know, if I was to blow my diet I think this would be my weapon of choice - these chocolate and peanut butter brownies. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard...

Okay, got a busy day ahead of me so I better get to work. Have a great weekend!

I loved Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Lady Dedlock in Charles Dicken's Bleak House. I eagerly await her upcoming role as Miss Havisham in Dicken's Great Expectations, which is coming to Masterpiece Theatre.

Gillian Anderson To Play Miss Havisham In New Great Expectations On Masterpiece

Gillian Anderson will star in the iconic role of Miss Havisham in a bold new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. The cast of the star-studded Masterpiece on PBS/BBC coproduction also includes David Suchet (Poirot) and Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast).

"I can't wait to see Gillian delicately sink her teeth into the role of the beautiful, mysterious and manipulative Miss Havisham. She's one of the most intriguing female characters in literature," says Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton. "Gillian's hypnotic portrayal of Lady Dedlock in Bleak House showed that she and Dickens are a perfect match."

Ms. Anderson's 2006 performance in Bleak House -- her first television role after rising to stardom as Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files -- earned her rave reviews and Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

The Masterpiece broadcast of Great Expectations will air in April 2012, during the bicentennial of Dickens' birth. Including Bleak House, Masterpiece -- celebrating its 40th anniversary on PBS in 2011 -- has aired nine Dickens adaptations equaling nearly sixty hours of television to date, including Little Dorrit, the winner of seven Emmy awards in 2009, and David Copperfield, which introduced Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) to American audiences.

As part of the Dickens bicentennial, Masterpiece will also partner with the BBC on The Mystery of Edwin Drood, an unfinished work that will be given a new ending by writer Gwyneth Hughes (Five Days, Miss Austen Regrets).

Widely considered one of Dickens' greatest novels, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip the battered orphan boy, who rises from blacksmith's apprentice to gentleman under the patronage of a mysterious benefactor, who assures him of "great expectations." As Pip grows up, he befriends Magwitch, a convict, becomes the pet to Miss Havisham, an insane heiress, and falls in love with Estella, her cold-hearted ward. A series of shocking setbacks teaches Pip the true source of moral worth.

David Suchet, who will play Jaggers, and Ray Winstone (Magwitch), are well known to Masterpiece audiences. Suchet is renowned as the Belgian supersleuth in the popular Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series, and Winstone's portrayal of Henry VIII on Masterpiece was called "a brilliant tour de force" by the Hollywood Reporter.

Great Expectations begins filming in London in July.

UPDATE: Great Expectations will be playing in the USA on Masterpiece Classic on April 1, 2012.

Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.

Congratulations to Downton Abbey, which is nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy awards (including outstanding miniseries). The show was awarded the Guinness World Records title for "highest critical review ratings for a TV show."

Masterpiece had 25 nominations for the 2011 Primetime Emmy® Awards -- the highest number of nominations the series has received in its 40-year history. (We're also rooting for Upstairs, Downstairs, even though we didn't like it as much as Downton Abbey and Sherlock, which we thoroughly enjoyed. As for Any Human Heart, I couldn't get passed the first episode. Sorry, didn't like it at all.)

I purchased this cross from FlorLarios and I love the way it looks in my kitchen. So pretty. And a nice reminder to turn my mind to the Our Lord and Our Lady as I'm busy in mommyhood.

I loooove this shot. It's a rare occurrence when I can snap a photo and have more than one person smiling and happy at the same time. Which makes me happy. Yay!

Andrew may be my oldest boy but he has the smallest frame of the fellas...as seen with his body sitting in this rather small wagon. (JP can get his rear in but his legs, not so much.)

Brian loves the novels by Michael O'Brien and he was excited to purchase his latest book A Father's Tale. When I saw the cover I though, "Oh, how nice...."

But then I saw how thick it was and gasped. It's over 1,000 pages! Dang, Brian can forget about reading in bed and holding that book up. If he accidentally drops it, it'll give him a concussion.

WARNING: More NFP talk. Skip it if it's not your thing. ;-)

I was searching through the Faith & Family blog in the NFP section to see if there was a post with readers tips on how to manage long periods of abstinence during irregular cycles. I didn't find one but I did find this article from the magazine published back in 2009. I vaguely remember reading it back then but it didn't make much of an impression because we weren't having a big problem with the abstinence back then. But now that we are still going for weeks of carrying this cross, it meant a lot more to me this time around.

Some of the suggestions are moot points because I don't do or already do the things mentioned but others were good reminders to me. And I must say that some points like sharing my struggle and "appealing to his protective side" really works in for us, knowing that we are in this together. Here is the article so you can read it for yourself.

Hidden Hardships, Secret Struggles by Simcha Fisher

Couples who use natural family planning (NFP) are happier, more satisfied, and more faithful than their contracepting peers. Each month, they enjoy a deliriously romantic "honeymoon effect." Men spend fertile phases chastely courting their wives, who eagerly await the end of the day on infertile days so that they can joyously give of themselves to their husbands.

Just like at your house, right?

Or maybe it's more like this: You love each other, but your intimate life is kind of a mess. You refuse contraception out of obedience to Church teaching, and you truly believe that natural family planning is better than those awful chemicals everyone else uses anyway. You're doing everything right, but having no fun at all. Your husband is angry, you're resentful, and the whole thing has somehow become an aching knot of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. When you read the glowing reports of the marriage-building benefits of natural family planning, they o­ nly make you laugh.

How natural is that?

Well, the truth is that the marriage-building benefits of remaining faithful to Church teaching are real. They are attainable. It's just that you have to work hard to get them.

I asked some everyday Catholic husbands to take off their rosy pre-Cana glasses and answer this question: How can wives make NFP easier for their husbands?

What they told me might surprise you. As this is a sensitive topic, the men who have contributed to this article have done so anonymously. Here are some of their suggestions ...

***How to Help -- On Days of Abstinence***

Don't mock the poor guy.

If your husband is suffering, don't mock or shrug off his difficulty. What kind of communication from him would you hate to lose? Talking? Hugging? Hearing him speak your name? Now imagine being teased or belittled for missing it. Don't do that to your husband, even if you can't see why it's so hard for him to abstain.

One man explained: "It is the perceived indifference to our plight, and even mockery of it, that cuts men to the quick."

Another husband observed: "One of the huge problems for a guy is that, if his wife can't understand and respect his struggle in this particular sacrifice, then who can? Society and the media are bombarding us with ridicule of men and the ways they commonly receive love, while telling us all to value and respect women's needs. In answer to this dilemma, guys are simply told to 'deal with it' in private, or to 'offer it up' in Catholic circles."

And another: "The times I've done the best are when my wife has shared with me how proud she is that I am trying, how much it means to her that I love her enough to do this, and that she gets how tough it is. Times when she is empathetic to my struggle. Those efforts on her part are an incredible source of strength."

Spend time together.

This is a skill. Cultivating other kinds of intimacy can actually make abstaining less painful, as well as enhancing sex.

Plan a date: dinner, a movie, or a TV night. Or turn off the TV (and all other screens), and work together, go for a walk together, or have tea together. You don't even have to leave the house, as long you spend some time focused only on each other, without the kids, a few times a week. Plan ahead to make sure it happens. Hiding from one another, even with good intentions, is poison for a marriage.

One husband said:

"I have to say that the only success I've had is when instead of pulling away, I enter the breach and work on the relationship and intimacy just when the tension is highest. Does this make times of abstinence easy? Well, yes and no. It was still challenging, but all the bitterness and angst I usually associate with abstinence was mostly missing. And the closeness I was feeling to my wife, well that was a really wonderful thing. The tension of abstaining was still there fairly regularly, but the intimacy from other sources made the pill sweet rather than bitter to swallow."

Talk about your own desire, and ask for his help.

When you are abstaining, let him know that you wish you could be intimate (and some husbands say it's okay to exaggerate a bit); and appeal to his protective side.

One husband explained: "Emotionally, it's reassuring to know that you're interested. Also, it can serve to deflect a man's thoughts from himself to how he can help his wife. To be honest, abstaining is no pleasure, but how much more difficult must it be that the period of abstaining, for a woman, comes when her body is most geared up. Turning a man's thoughts from self-pity to self-donation can only be for the good."

Don't tempt him.

Don't start something you're not willing to finish. Find out what really gets him going, and don't do that, if you're supposed to be abstaining. It may help to make a list together of dos and don'ts.

***How to Help -- When Abstinence Is Over***

Just do it.

I know, you're tired. But give the guy a break -- he's your husband, not some jerk at a bar. Even if it wasn't in your plans, be intimate as often as you can on the available part of the month. He shouldn't have to beg.

It may seem like it's only exhaustion or hormonal problems that are squelching your drive, but a lack of physical desire can also come from emotional distress. If you work to improve the relationship, your desire may increase.

Prepare.

Don't pick infertile days for your most enormous, tiring projects. On days where you can be intimate, let your days be geared toward the evening and your husband. As much as possible, plan your schedule accordingly, and don't stay up too late the night before.

Some men appreciate a clean bedroom, and many women get in the mood when they feel beautiful. Have your hair done, get a manicure, or (dare I say it?) buy some fancy underwear. Whatever makes you feel beautiful and desirable!

***How to Help -- Anytime***

Spruce up.

None of the men I talked to said, "I wish my wife were younger and thinner." But they did say they like it when their wives dress up a little for them. If you put on earrings or a clean shirt to go out shopping, then you can do it for your husband on a regular basis, too.

Do nice things for him.

Maybe you feel like you already do nice things. You cook for his tastes, you wash his clothes, you bear his children ... what more could he want?

Well, he wants to know that you like him.

Find out what makes your husband happy, and do something extra for him each day. Cook something special, give him a sweet note or unexpected compliment, or jump up to get him seconds on coffee. When he gets home, stop what you're doing and make a fuss over him. It's not June Cleaver; it's love.

Communicate clearly.

Let him know as early as you can what the daily fertility status is. If you have determined that use of natural family planning is God's will for your marriage right now, take it seriously! Chart flawlessly. If your beloved is going to be annoyed, let it be at the system, not at you.

Pray together.

Pray together every day, and state your intentions out loud. This can be one of the most breathtakingly intimate activities of your married life. If you regularly pray together for a more chaste and joyful intimate life, then God will surely give it to you.

And privately pray for your husband's happiness daily. You may find yourself becoming the answer to that prayer.

But Enough About Him

What about you? You're the one who has to chart, menstruate, gestate, and lactate, not to mention clean the bathroom. Never mind helping your husband -- what about the ways he can make natural family planning easier for you?

Well, there are two reasons that list isn't here.

The first reason is that I'm pretty sure you already have your own list. If there is something you want your husband to know, for heaven's sake tell him; he can't read your mind. Often, it's misunderstandings that cause trouble, not malice. It's okay to insist on having some conversations about how your husband can help you, as long as you're ready to hear his side, too.

The second reason to focus more on what you can do to help is the "unitive" part of your love life. That's no hype: It's what intimacy is about, and it's just as important as making babies.

Your husband's problems are your problems, and his happiness will likely lead to your happiness, maybe in unexpected ways. Bad sex comes from bad relationships, not vice versa.

Even if you aren't getting along, and you wish he would treat you better, force yourself to take the first step -- treat him a little better, and see where it leads.

Try presenting it to him this way: "I want to have a better, more active intimate life with you. Can we go over these ideas?"

Hand him this article and ask him which suggestions sound good. Maybe none will, but at least you will be talking about it. Each man is unique, but every couple is the same in one way -- they really must talk about these things.

Hope, Not Hype

The truth is, all the hype about natural family planning is true. The benefits are real; it's just that they're not inevitable. It takes practice, and it takes effort to gain them. You probably will get an awful lot wrong before you get it all right. But if you do make the effort, you will be rewarded with a stronger marriage, a more satisfying intimate life, and a whole lot of help toward greater holiness along the way.

And that is something I'd like to see mentioned in the natural family planning manuals.

Simcha Fisher lives with her husband and seven children in Marl­ borough, New Hampshire, where they confront the mystery of life daily.

If you regularly pray for a more chaste and joyful intimate life, then God will surely give it to you.

This morning I was looking through the Days of Faith Student Planner that Bella's teacher gave her and I love it! It is brightly colored and inviting and there is a lot of great general Catholic info - about the bible, the rosary, saints, the Church. There is also the daily saint, Gospel summary for that week and a weekly personal goal to work on. This would be great for a Catholic student or homeschooler. The 2011 Primary grade planner is sold out but the intermediate grades (that's what Bella has) and junior/senior high are still available.

Speaking of books, I recently came across the blog Family Menu Planning Book.com by Catholic convert Elizabeth Hawbaker and saw her e-book Family Menu Planning: A Practical Guide to Mealtime Management. I just downloaded it and I'm loving it so far. Some of the shopping tips I already mentioned here but there is a lot of great info that will help me with my meal planning. The e-book is only $3.99 for the Amazon Kindle version. It is worth it.

Note: You don't have to actually have a Kindle to read the book. You can download kindle onto your PC or smart phone. I have mine on my iphone and I'm using Amazon Cloud (until Apple gets their cloud!) so I can read it on any computer.

Over the past month or two I've been slowly working my way through a number of books for Catholic moms. Here are a few.

I am really enjoying this daily devotional book! I admire both the authors very much so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did because it is perfect for my morning prayer time. Often my mind is filled with thoughts about the day ahead of me and I have trouble quieting down and focusing. This book makes the transition to prayer easier because it is short and concise.

Each month is dedicated to one virtue. (This month is diligence.) Each day is divided into three parts - Think (a scripture or saint quote), Pray (a short prayer) and Act (a resolution or goal to work on that day.) Sometimes I follow the material completely and sometimes I'll adapt it to my circumstances that day. You can keep your prayer time short or dwell on your conversation with God as long as your time allows. If you don't already have a prayer routine or if you are just starting out, this is a great place to start.

I've seen this book mentioned on a number of blogs and thought I'd read it for myself. The chapters are as follows:

1. The Toys 'R' Taking Over Us: Finding Play That Is Purposeful and Manageable
2. The Media Monster: Managing Our Technical "Toys" in this Media Driven Culture
3. Dinner: Getting the Food and Everyone to the Table to Feed Body and Soul
4. It's Your Home Too: Getting the Chores and Work Done. Hint: "M" Is for Mom, Not Maid. (LOL!)
5. From T-Ball to Trombone: Keeping Track of Everyone's Comings and Goings
6. Memories...In the Corner of Our Closet: Collecting and Storing Memorabilia
7. The Heart of the Matter: Stirring What Is true, Beautiful, and Good in Our Children
8. Babies: Bringing Out the Mary in Us

I am about ½ way through and I have found it really helpful with my Operation Clean and Organize. The author is a busy of mom of nine kids and if she is able to keep a clean, organized and happy family that loves Our Lord then I certainly want to know some of her secrets! And so far, so good!

I bought this book a couple months ago and started reading it but frankly, I don't think I was in the right state of mind because when Dr. Meeker gave examples of moms who were formerly in the corporate world or who were doing outside ministries along with raising their families, it turned me off. I didn't think the book was for me since I am "just a mom" with little kids trying to make it through the day with the dishes washed, some laundry done and my sanity intact.

However, when I saw that Elizabeth Floss was gong to do an online book study of this book, I thought I'd give it another try. I'm so glad I did because now it is clicking and making sense to me. This book is just as beneficial to a mom "like me." I have been reading along, but at a slower pace than the book discussion, and I've found myself rereading sections and thinking over the material so I can better apply them to my life.

I haven't posted about what I've read, except for the first chapter on Habit 1. Hopefully I'll be able to post more later. (By the way, this book can be for any mom, not just a Catholic one.)

I've only skimmed through this because I wanted to get through the other ones first but it looks really good! It's next on my list. I'll post about it when I start it but you may want to check it out now.

I saw this on Twitter from @StevenErtelt of Lifenews.com.

This post was made years back but it is just as heart felt today.

When I was younger I used to always wonder why people would ask "Where were you when Kennedy died?" I didn't get what the big deal was. Now when someone asks me "Where were you on 9/11?" I understand perfectly what they were talking about. On 9/11 I was no where near NY. I was living in Pacific Grove, CA with Brian. I was almost 8 months pregnant with Bella. I woke up to kiss Brian goodbye for work and he told me I had better check the news because he saw online that there was news of a terrorist attack.

When I turned on the TV, I first thought a single terrorist flew his own plane into the Twin Towers. Then a realized a regular commercial flight with innocent people on board were made into human bombs. And not just one flight - many of them. I kept thinking that the Twin Tower workers probably never saw it coming but the people on the plane were aware and watching it unfold. I was dumbstruck until all I could do was sob. (Even now its hard to hold back the tears when I think about it.) I don't think I ever got off the couch that day as I watched and cried. Brian came home and eventually made me turn off the TV so I'd stop thinking about it.

I remember at one point someone told me that it was a shame that I was bringing a baby into a world such as this. For a moment I thought she was right but as I came to my senses I thought - no! This child of mine is a sign of hope! It is a breathe of joy and peace in the midst of evil and darkness.

Two weeks later Bella was born a month premature. (I always wondered if my stress at that time had something to do with it.) Weighing only 3lb, 12 oz she was tiny but had a feisty, fighting spirit and came out fine. My beautiful little Isabella Rose Marie. She was my proof that no matter how troubling things may look or how small and insignificant we may feel, with God, you can find a purpose, a means, and always hope.

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

It's been nearly eight years since I've had this blog and it is about time I do some maintenance on it! I've been going through old posts and deleting all the ones with dead links and updating the others with tags. It's amazing going back and reading where I was so many years ago. It's a great walk down memory lane.

I also added LinkWithin. However, as the system is getting used to my blog, it is suggesting posts with dead links that have since been deleted. So I apologize if you click on a page that won't open. Hopefully I'll get the bugs worked out soon.

Speaking of memory lane, this morning/afternoon we were at Bella's school for Grandparents Day. There's a special Mass, a class visit and then each class does a little presentation. It is so funny to see Bella and her friends and how much they've grown. They are getting out of that little kid stage and getting closer to tweens. I remember when they were in kindergarten doing their little songs up there and now they are 4th graders making their presentations. Time goes too fast!

To prove it, here is a shot of Bella in kindergarten and Bella today.

I don't know if I want to get into this, but since it has been on my mind a lot, Quick Take # 5-7 are rolled into one. (TMI Alert: skip this take if you don't want to read about fertility, cycles and sex, or lack of it.)

I was talking to my NFP teacher last night. She has been helping Brian and I get through a rough patch in our NFP charting. She told me to let her know how things are going in the next couple weeks and then jokingly said that maybe she could tell by the tone of my blog...but probably not seems it is usually pretty upbeat or positive or whatever the exact word was that she used. I've been thinking about that. The last time I wrote about NFP was a couple years after Brian and I were married. Since then I've had a love-hate relationship with NFP. When my cycle is "normal," it is great but when it's not, it's a lot tougher.

After Matthew was born my cycle has been really crazy which has required a lot of abstinence...for weeks....and weeks...and weeks with no end in sight. I'm really struggling with being faithful to the church's teaching and having to die to myself again and again. Normally, I would not mention something so personal and private in a public place especially since it doesn't just involve me. (But if you are reading this now, then Brian gave me the okay to post this.) I decided to mention this topic because over the summer Danielle Bean wrote Five Ways I Don't Love NFP and shared about her concerns and Jennifer Fulwiler gave her take in Bad at NFP and Proud. Their words were encouraging to me and I discussed the topics they brought up with Brian. They gave us that little boost we needed to hang in there and know that there are others who love God, love their Catholic faith and are trying to be open to new life yet are struggling with some of the challenges of NFP. So if by chance you are one of those people struggling, hang in there. We're in this together. I'll say a prayer for you. Please say a prayer for me.

Later I'll write a longer post about what I've learned about NFP over the years and what I do love about it. But right now, I am not in the right frame of mind because the only title I can think of is "NFP Sucks, but I'm Using It Anyway." ;-)

(UPDATE: Maybe I just needed to get this off my chest. It is days later and although we are still waiting, God's grace has increased and we are resolved to wait it out as best as we can. We are praying that it draws us closer to God and to each other in the end. I have to remember the motto I use during the difficult newborn months, "And this too shall pass.")

Okay, that's it for this week. Have a great weekend!

The other day I watching the 1946 movie Devotion starring Olivia de Havilland and Ida Lupino. It was an interesting story about the Bronte sisters. My all time favorite book is Jane Eyre so I was intrigued. I tend to forget about the third sister Anne and wanted to read her novel Agnes Grey. I checked out the local Borders store since they were clearing out all their merchandise (RIP, dear Borders.) I found this three volume book of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. Although I already have more than one copy of the first two books, it was too pretty (and too cheap) to pass up. It looks lovely on my bookshelf!

Matthew has been turning over for about a month now and he just loves turning and scooting around the room. Here he is after a rather robust flip. He's very proud and happy.

Out of all the kids, John-Paul is the one most likely to conk out and fall asleep wherever he lands. Here is yet another episode of him doing that. This time it was the kitchen, with the iphone still playing. (He reminds me of my little brother NC who used to do that all the time. NC is a grown man now but he is JP's godfather. I wonder if there is a connection? ;-)

The other day it was a little too quiet in the boys room so I went to go see what JP was doing. Well, he found one of my dry erase markers and decided to mark his territory. Did you know dry erase does not wipe off walls easily?? I hope one of those magic eraser things work. (And now you know why he is always so tired. Mischief making is exhausting.)

Over the last week I was hoping to work on organizing my pantry and making master shopping lists. However, all four kids have been sick with colds and sore throats, which has made the baby extra cranky, so I didn't get very far. I did, however, realize how much I not only needed to organize and replenish the pantry but I needed to throw out old expired items. Yesterday I wanted to make quick BBQ chicken in the slow cooker. I saw this recipe on Pinterest. It looked super easy and I had all the ingredients.

Well, I had the ingredients but they weren't exactly fresh. My vinegar was expired not just by a couple months but by a few years - as in, I bought it about three pregnancies ago! (Yeah, you can see how often I used to cook homemade.) But that was fine. I had another kind of vinegar that I could use instead. Wait, that was expired too but not by so many years. However, it had a lot of gross gunk in it and I wasn't going to use it.

Okay, forget that recipe. There was this easy recipe that I found that didn't require vinegar. It sounded a bit weird to mix Italian dressing with BBQ sauce but all the reviewers raved about it. I ran to the garage pantry to grab a bottle of dressing. Brian likes it so I keep an extra bottle for him. What?? I ran out? Oh. Em. Gee. What kind of pathetic kitchen is this?!?

By this time my 20 minute window of opportunity was up and the baby was crying and JP spilled his milk. Ugh! Finally I just threw in the frozen chicken in the crock pot and poured a bottle of BBQ sauce on top (it was a miracle I had that) and flipped it on for 3 ½ hours. Soooo, my pantry needs more work that I thought. It'll be at least another week before I post about them.

I did, however, finish my shopping lists. I used to keep four post it notes on the fridge. One for each store I shopped at - Target, Costco, Trader Joe and the local market, although I usually only go to the market for quick last minute things. This made a quick run to the store easy because you grabbed the post it you needed and left the ones you didn't.

However, once I put up my menu board, it took up too much space, so now I use a narrow magnetic notepad sectioned off into four. Since I no longer make sporadic shopping runs, I don't need separate post its. I organize my shopping lists, check over the week's menu and do my shopping once a week.

Since I usually always buy the same items at Costco and Trader Joe, I use my iphone Shopper app. (The ads can be annoying so I paid the $1.99 to be ad free.) I made a template shopping list for each store. When it is time to shop I take down my fridge list and mark off what needs to be purchased to create an e-list for that week. I've used the e-list on my phone while I shop but I usually have one of the kids with me and they like to play with my iphone so instead I email the list to myself and print it out. It makes things so much easier!

For my Target shopping, a master list didn't work because it varied so much from week to week - from new shoes for the baby to a school notebook for Bella. A blank list worked best. However, my Target was recently redesigned and it is taking me some time to get used the new location of favorite items. I decided to make a shopping list with categories according to the layout of the store. That way I can start at one end and work my way around to the other side. I've used it a few time and it is so much easier to get things done.

For a larger view: View image

Well, that pretty much wraps it up. This is the system that works best for me. What works for you?

Over the next week I'll continue working on the pantry - oh, and don't even get me started on the bug infested wheat flour I had to throw away! Oh, well. On the plus side, the chicken with only BBQ sauce was a hit! Brian took leftovers for lunch and he said his coworker wanted to know where he got that delicious smelling BBQ chicken. If he only knew. ;-) Happy organizing.

UPDATE: For shopping list tips check out the blog Family Menu Planning Book.com by Catholic convert Elizabeth Hawbaker and her e-book Family Menu Planning: A Practical Guide to Mealtime Management. I just downloaded it and there is a lot of great info that will help me with my meal planning and shopping.

(Sorry for the late post. I was having trouble with the blog but better late than never.)

My sister and my parents were visiting a few days ago and my sister took this photo of the ocean on her morning run. I am sure it was a nice break from the desert heat!

School has started - Andrew is in his first year of preschool and Bella starts 4th grade. They are growing too fast!

After a long first day of school Andrew wanted to unwind on the couch with my iphone. It cracked me up.

With my family visiting, I had ready and eager babysitters for the kids. My sister took this shot of Andrew and JP. She was watching them while I was getting my hair cut.

Brian and I even got to go out on a breakfast date over the weekend. Loved it! Special thanks to my familia. xoxo