Baptized!

On June 30 our beautiful son was welcomed into the Catholic Church with 6 other little ones in a beautiful group baptism ceremony. We are so blessed to have had so many friends and family attend - it was a wonderful day.

This church is very special to me and our family - I was confirmed here, received my first communion here, Brian and I were married here, and now our son has joined the Church here as well.

The ceremony was full of smiles and joy - Deacon Roger has an amazing ability to make everyone, even those family members who are not Catholic, feel welcomed and loved. Everyone commented afterwards on how much they enjoyed it.

Deacon Roger anoints James with chrism. 

Well, that wasn't too bad!

My parents try to help James keep it together after his hair got wet.

Godparents Heber and Courtney

Thank you Deacon Roger!

Since I'm a Catholic convert and Brian's siblings are non-practicing, we had a difficult time finding a Catholic Godparent for James. Thankfully, Kendra, who I've become close to over the past year, offered to be our Godparent by proxy. Thank you so much Kendra - you are an amazing friend and I know you'll be an amazing Godmother to our son!

It's awesome to think two and a half years ago Brian and I professed our vows to each other at this same altar. Look how far we've come! We are so, so blessed.

Celebrating Advent

I'm joining Katie at NFP and Me for her Christmas Decor Link-Up! Join me as I document my first attempt at truly celebrating the Advent season in all its glory, Catholic convert style!

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Brian and I spent the first two years of our married life in a tiny 500sq ft apartment - and while we were happy to have a little home of our own, it wasn't until we moved into our townhome that we realized how little our apartment really had been! As we began to put up our decor around the new house, it struck me how bare everything looked, even though our apartment had been decorated from wall to wall! The amount of space was a little intimidating.

Slowly but surely we've been adding onto our home here and there with little touches, and it's been a great treat to buy seasonal decor for the first time. I managed to decorate a little for Halloween and for Thanksgiving. But, as the Christmas season rolled around, I knew that I wanted to take it a step further. While we did have Christmas decorations set up in our apartment, we could only fit a very small 4ft tree and some stockings. And getting the tree to fit was quite a struggle! I feel so blessed this year to have an opportunity to make my house homey and warm for the holidays.

Things are feeling very merry around here in the townhome, let me show you:

Our tree, just to the right of the entrance, in the corner of the dining room. The tree skirt was a new addition this year! We've been accumulating ornaments since before we got married, though we only add one or two a year. Plenty of room for more!

And I adore our Christmas tree topper - it's an angel that softly changes color. 

I was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest, and decided to try the ornaments hanging from the dining room light. Trying new things is easy now that we live near Dollar Tree - I think it turned out pretty cute.

You can also see our advent wreath and our seasonal candle holders in the center of the table. The only thing that's missing is a Christmas tablecloth!

Our first Advent wreath! It took us quite awhile to find one - we tried so many different stores, but I guess that's just not the sort of thing most department stores carry in stock. We did manage to find Advent candles at Jo-Ann's, but our wreath was purchased at a Catholic gift store 40 minutes north of us. I also added a Christ candle in the center.

I also updated our hurricane candles. They're filled with mini pine cones and apple cinnamon candles, tied with a snowflake ribbon.

The most wonderful part of decorating this year was putting up my nativity set for the first time. This set has been in our family for such a long time, I'm not quite sure how old it is. It belonged to my great-grandmother and I grew up playing with it every Christmas season. If I remember correctly, not only is it handmade, but it was crafted by my great-grandmother's brother (though maybe that's just a family rumor). My Aunt had it for many years after Grandma Marge passed, and then she passed it down to me after I got married.

This is the first year we had room to set it out. I was very close to my great-grandma, and it makes me so happy to see it in use again. She babysat me for the first two years of my life, and I spent the night at her apartment every weekend as a kid. She was the only other practicing Catholic in my family, and I look up to her to this day, ten years after she passed. RIP Grandma Marge!

Here are some other decorations around our home:

Jingle bells on our front door.

Holy Family statue we got this year.

Decorations on the stairwell. The wooden angel is a gift from my MIL. The cinnamon scented pine cones are delicious. And there's a picture my favorite little man in the corner!

Stockings hanging on the bar. Two for us, two for kitties, one for baby.

Christmas card display. Still more arriving - I love it!

Some of our favorite ornaments:

Husband got me me this Willow Tree angel last Christmas, as a promise we would start our family. Can't believe our baby is almost here!

Our first ornament after we got married.

The first ornament we got together. Disneyland memories. 

One of my favs - Jim Shore nativity star. 

Football Santa - you know you jealous!

I've been meaning to get this link-up done earlier, but we keep making little changes throughout the home, and I end up taking more pictures! But I guess that's the fun of decorating. I hope you enjoyed this little tour of our home - I'm sure I'll have far less time for decorating (or cleaning) when our first baby makes his arrival. Just two more weeks!

Thanks again Katie for hosting! I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Feast of St. Nick!

Trust God In Every Circumstance

Let nothing trouble you

Let nothing frighten you

Everything passes

God never changes

Patience

Obtains all

Whoever has God

Wants for nothing

God alone is enough.

St. Teresa of Avila

7 Quick Takes

— 1 — I'd like to take a second to thank all of those who commented on my last post. I truly appreciate all the kind thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. It has helped me during this transition more than you know. I wish I lived closer to all of you so I could give you real hugs, but an internet hug will have to do. -hugs-
— 2 —

This is my third year donating to Catholic Relief Service's Operation Rice Bowl. I have made it a family tradition to donate $40.00 every year in honor of the 40 days of lent. For more information please see a previous post of mine here.
— 3 — Staying at home has been an eyeopening experience. Well, other than when I'm not sleeping (which, when I'm not feeling well, I tend to do a lot of). I have been enjoying two things from my childhood lately: Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z. I've been playing Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon White on my Nintendo DS, and watching Dragon Ball Z episodes online. If I start wearing bell bottoms I might convince myself I've traveled back to the mid 90s.
— 4 —

Novel's newest photograph, age 10. I have pictures of her from age 7 and up. She's getting tall!

I began sponsoring Novel Rosalin Prisilia Kandowangko in June 2010 through Compassion International, when she was 8. I cannot recommend this organization enough. Novel and I write letters to each other about once a month, she draws me pictures and sends me collages. For $38.00 a month I get to see a child grow up healthy and clothed, encourage her to do her best in school, and to love God. She calls Brian and I her "Mama and Papa in California," and that is priceless.
— 5 — I will be in Northwest Arkansas March 5-12, visiting my father's side of the family. I am SUPER excited. I'm a little nervous with all of these tornado warnings (though none have been in Arkansas), and I know my mother is super worried since I, my brother, and my Dad are going together. But other than fear of tornadoes, I am really looking forward to seeing my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. We are staying with my Great Uncle Jim out in the country. I'll be riding horses, shooting guns, and playing cards in just a few days!
— 6 — My brother has joined the Navy as a Submarine Machinest Mate. I am so proud of him and so happy that he has found a direction he wants to go in with his life. He leaves for boot camp August 15th. I am praying that everything works out for the best. Will you pray too?
— 7 —

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day! This is usually the only day of the year that I get flowers, so I always look forward to it. And Brian always gets a fancy home cooked meal, so he's a happy camper. This year I made the following: Oven Roasted Red Potatoes (I used red and yellow Dutch, added Lawry's seasoning salt, sea salt & pepper), Garlic Green Beans (I used regular black peppercorns and added french fried onions), and Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze. I highly recommend all three, but especially loved the potatoes!
Please head over to Conversion Diary to get your fill of 7 Quick Takes and discover great blogs!

Peace

Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, not even if your whole world seems upset. If you find that you have wandered away from the shelter of God, lead your heart back to Him quietly and simply.

 ~ St. Francis de Sales

Life is Precious

Thinking and praying for sweet Tripp, who went home to Jesus yesterday. Please keep Courtney and her family in your prayers. Life is so precious.

Patron Saint of 2012

I was over at Jennifer's blog and saw her post about choosing a Patron Saint for 2012, and I decided to give it a whirl. You know, just to see what came up for fun. I was honestly more interested to see what nice Catholic names I might add to my baby name list. So you can imagine my surprise when the first Saint that came up was:

Saint Charles Borromeo

Feast Day: November 4 (My birthday)

Patronage: against abdominal pain, against colic, against intestinal disorders, against stomach diseases, against ulcers, apple orchards, bishops, catechists, catechumens, seminarians, spiritual leaders

I could file this away as a strange coincidence, that the Saint that just happens to pop up has a feast day on my birthday, and is the patron saint against intestinal disorders and abdominal pain. But I don't think I will. And so, I introduce you to my Patron Saint of 2012.

180

7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

 It has been quite the busy week at work. So busy, in fact, that the coordinator of the Children's program at Church called me on Thursday and I still haven't called her back! I put my name down to volunteer on occasional Sundays in the Little Church program at our church. It's for ages 3-5 on Sundays during the 9:30am mass. Now I feel bad about not getting back to her...

— 2 —

Brian finished his two weeks of training (or boot camp as he likes to call it) for the writing program, which he is teaching this semester. He had to be there at 9am each morning, so we carpooled. Normally he would take the bus but since I was headed in that direction it wasn't a problem. Except that he made me late to work everyday this week. :) I'm glad things will be back to normal next week.

— 3 —

Tenaya Lodge

 Our Yosemite vacation starts tomorrow! We are leaving around 10am, and we should get there around 3pm, then we can check into our hotel. All our anniversary presents are wrapped and ready to go...lots of fun surprises on Sunday I'm sure! Still need to pack though...

— 4 —

Speaking of packing I can't find the tops to my swimsuits. In my endless wisdom I separated my bottoms from my tops, putting my tops somewhere less than obvious in a place I would never have remembered. So I have nothing to wear in the pool. Unless I want to go topless. I make things so easy for myself. The next time I decide to put something "where I won't forget" somebody smack me.

— 5 —

Bayar is my favorite. Since they're not my kids I get to choose.

 I have Babies on the brain. Literally - I'm talking about the documentary. Have you all seen it? It's one of my favorite movies of all time and I highly recommend it. I love learning about how other cultures raise children. I've watched it on Blu-ray four times now!

— 6 —

Three weeks ago my doctor moved me from my suppository to two oral tablets. I tried it for two weeks, and not only did it make me nauseous, but it also didn't work. At all. By the middle of this week I was ready to go to Urgent Care all over again. Thankfully they switched me back and I'm taking the stuff that works again, now once in the morning and once at night. Yeah, it's a suppository and that's not really cool, but at least it works.

— 7 —

Disclaimer: This is not my baby and I am not pregnant.

 Speaking of babies, my husband and I always disagree over whether or not we want to find out the sex of our baby on the ultrasound. I want the first one to be a surprise (I was a surprise) - but Brian NEEDS to know. Like, IreallyneedtoknoworIwilldieofanticipation know. What do you guys think - wait until the day of or find out as soon as possible?

Please head over to Conversion Diary to get your fill of 7 Quick Takes and discover great blogs!

Open to Life Series

Laura over at A Bird on Her Nest is doing a series on being Open to Life -- and it is excellent! I came across it a week ago and have been studying along since. Laura is a great writer who is comfortable interpreting from multiple sources and integrating them into her study. I highly recommend it!

To view the Open to Life Series, click the above image or this link. 

Thank you Laura for taking the time and having the courage to write this!

Catholic Review: Meet the Saints

Meet the Saints

The second book I chose to review through The Catholic Company was Meet the Saints. Now, when I received the book I have to admit it was a little bit smaller than I had hoped for. The entire text is less than 100 pages, not including the FAQ and Bibliography. So if you purchase this book, keep in mind that you will be meeting the saints, just a very select few of them.

On that note, I think this is the perfect book to "dip your toes" in the water. I would recommend this to someone who was not familiar with saints at all - a perfect gift for RCIA! It's an easy read and broken up into chapters that categorize the saints by what they were known for (Chapters include "Women Who Knew Jesus," "Male Founders," "Special Friends of the Poor," etc.). Each chapter gives a synopsis of three saints that fall into these categories, and lists their Feast Day.

My favorite part about this book are the "Stepping Out in Faith" sections at the end of each chapter. These are a call to action that really take the lives of the saints and put them into perspective as you try to incorporate them into your own life. Here is an excerpt from the first chapter:

Take advantage of the opportunities to do good. Follow in the footsteps of... 

* Salome, who transferred her skills as wife and mother to minister to the crowds that followed Jesus. Consider sharing your talents, abilities and knowledge in new ways within a parish ministry or social outreach effort.
* Martha and Mary of Bethany, who provided Jesus with the support of friendship and a refuge, a place apart. Invite your pastor or member of your parish staff to dinner or for coffee. Write a note to thank a minister for his or her efforts on your community's behalf.
* Mary Magdalene, who committed her life and possessions to Jesus and carried the news of the Resurrection to the apostles. Commit to more fully living your faith in Jesus and the promise of the Resurrection. What will that look like in your life?

The introduction by Bishop Robert F. Morneau has a great suggestion of taking the twelve chapters and studying one every week. This book could certainly be used as a jumping off point to learn even more about the saints featured in each chapter, to study their writings, research who they influenced, etc.

Therefore, I would recommend this book for those who just don't know where to get started. There are so many saints, it can be overwhelming to figure out who is who. The book also has a great FAQ section about saints, as well as an extensive biography list to look into. This book will definitely help you lay the foundation you need for learning about saints, and the "Stepping Out in Faith" sections will help you to implement some of their characteristics into your life. And who doesn't want to be more saintly?


This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Meet the Saints. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Proverbs 31 Woman

I really enjoyed this post by minimomist - wanted to link to it here. It's a lovely examination of the Proverbs 31 woman (a woman I strive to be like) in modern terms.

10	A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.	A wife of noble character, who can find?  Were she to be paid for all she does, her income would be around $140,000.
11	Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.	Her husband trusts her completely, knowing that she is strong and smart enough to take care of everything she has been entrusted.
12	She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life	She doesn’t talk bad about him, embarrass him, or make him regret he married her.  She is his equal in every way.
13	She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.	She chooses quality products and works with them to create things of value for her home.
14	She is like the merchant ships bringing her food from afar.	She seeks out the best deals and shops around, never doing all her shopping in one place.  She supports local farmers and buys healthy, nutritious foods.
15	She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.	She’s up early, and makes sure that all her appliances are in working order, and has them repaired promptly so they don’t get worse.
16	She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.	She is frugal, and doesn’t waste money on frivolous things.  She doesn’t run up credit cards and put her family into financial danger.
17	She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.	Out of her savings, she runs a side business, and makes good choices, so that she turns a nice profit, thus contributing to the household income.
18	She sees that her trading is profitable,  and her lamp does not go out at night.	She is keenly aware of what her household income is, and makes sure they live within their means.  She doesn’t let the electric bill go unpaid, thus resulting in the home losing power.
19	In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.	She can fix things when they’re broken – sew on a button, repair a zipper, unfreeze the computer, and unclog the toilet.
20	She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.	She doesn’t shirk from charities, donating clothes, foods, and time to the different causes.  She donates money as she has it available, as well as visits those who need her cheering up.
21	When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.	When it snows, her children are clothed in warm coats and good shoes, which she got on sale last year at the end of the season.  She’ll also has a backlog of summer shorts and t-shirts ready for the summer season when they go on sale at the beginning of winter.
22	She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.	Her bedroom is warm and inviting, an oasis of peace and tranquility for herself and her husband to enjoy.  Not necessarily crowded with pillows and frills, but clean, comfortable, and clear.
23	Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.	She didn’t marry a slouch.  She married a man who recognized her abilities and can keep up with them.  He too is a man of quality, her equal in every sense.
24	She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.	She provides a service to others outside of her home, whether it be something handmade, some act of compassion or some form of charity.  In any case, she is not stuck at home twiddling her thumbs.  She sees a need and she fills it.
25	She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.	She’s confident in her abilities, and knows what to look for.  When snowed in, she breaks out puzzles and board games.  When the power goes out, she grabs a box of candles.  When things get busy, she has a freezer full of healthy homemade meals.
26	She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.	People come to her for advice, and she speaks to them of the Bible and it’s teachings.  She knows her Scripture and has a knack for helping others when they need her.
27	She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.	She doesn’t get bored, as there is too much to do!  She manages her home well, and keeps everyone in line.
28	Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:	Her children have been taught to appreciate all her hard work, and tell her “Thanks mom!” and “I love you, mom” on a regular basis.  Her husband is proud to call her his wife.
29	“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”	“There are lots of women out there who are just as skilled and confident as you are, my love,” he says to her, “but you are the perfect woman for me and our household.”
30	Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.	You can only be cute and sweet so long before it starts to get old; and gravity is not a friend to our bodies; but a woman who follows the instructions of our Lord is admired by her friends and family.
31	Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.	So give her credit where credit is due, and give her praise.  Don’t hinder her, and let her run, free and strong, so she can richly bless her family.