My Final Post (For A While)

The other day I was unable to use the computer. No emails, no reserving library books, or renewing them, no computer to look up "Uganda" the current country we are learning about. No blog reading or posting and no checking for comments on my blogs or comments on comments I'd left on other blogs.


I've had time to pause. Time to think about why we blog. Why blogging is important to us. I'm sure there are many reasons out there, but I'm going to try to explain my reasons.


I've been married for almost 12 years. The first five years of our marriage I did daycare in our home. After 3 years we started having our own children. So basically, once I got married, my life has been children. Which has been a blessing and so very wonderful, don't get me wrong here. But I think we women do tend to kind of lose ourselves. Which is a sacrifice we willingly and lovingly do happily.


I don't really have time for hobbies. I have a hard time fitting in exercise time. So, when I started reading blogs about 3 years ago (thanks Sarah for introducing me to Danielle Bean),
I had contact with other women just like me, without even leaving my home! Homeschooling mothers with a strong faith. Women with the same values and morals, going through the same things I was. The first week I read Danielle Bean, she and her family had the flu, just like our family!! I thought "Hey, this woman is writing exactly how I feel right now, she is writing what we are going through!" I was hooked.


Then one day, while reading Danielle's comments, I saw one commenter signed her name "Margaret in MN". Well, being in MN myself, I had to click on her and check her out! (I'm so glad I did, she is wonderful and a blessing in my life, I know this, because I also had to meet her!)
Then that went on to Kristen at Small Treasures, Melissa, at Bountiful Blessings, and Suzanne at Blessed Among Men. I also dabbled in a few others here and there. (In fact I think I left a comment with Barbara right before she took a big break from blogging?--but I could be wrong)


My point, I think, being I started out small, only reading one blog which gradually turned into more and more.


Then my good friend Christine, (yes she has a new blog now!) started a blog of her own, well without even thinking about it or even praying about it (which is what I usually do), I went online to see if I could help her with some questions she had and ...oops! I have a blog!!


It was so easy and fun and addicting!! I felt cool. I felt accepted. People started immediately commenting and emailing me personally. I had a new confidence. I had a way to express myself. I could share ideas, I could share my faith. It's a confidence that feels really good, a confidence I still have because of this blog. A confidence that is very hard to give up.


Well, that little list of blogs I was reading slowly got bigger and bigger. Now I read my commenter's blogs along with my old and new favorite blogs.


The other day, I decided to write down 2 lists. One was a list of blogs I learn from, get ideas from and blogs of friends. (basically the ones I can't give up)


Then I wrote a list of what I'd do if I didn't blog and read blogs and check comments, etc...(all hours of the night and every free moment I have) Here's that list:

• More time with the kids!
• I could try to sew those quilt squares that have been sitting there for 2 years!
• I could try to sew that soft baby blanket kit I bought for my now 4 year old!
• I could go through my basket of recipes and cookbooks (and lots of Taste of Homes)!
• I could read more of the many books waiting for me to read.
• I could pray more, I could always do that!
• I could run a much more efficient household.
• I could have more "available" time or just more time to be quiet.

I'm pretty sure I could really think of a ton more things, but it's late and that's a pretty good start, I'd say!

Jen had a great post about an "aha" moment she had recently having to do with money and tithing and sacrifice. I couldn't help but think about TIME and how this blog world steals time that can never be given back. Time away from my kids and our family life. An hour on the computer is not worth an hour of playing outside and going for a walk in the beautiful fall weather with my kids. The hour with my kids is obviously much more important! In the long run, I can't take the blog world with me but I will be responsible for the souls of my little children.

Leaving my blog is a sacrifice, but right now it is what's best for my family.

So goodbye to all my faithful readers and lurkers. I will miss you! I hope you have enjoyed your time here. I will be praying for you. May God bless you with his abundant graces and blessings!

If that darn You Tube song doesn't work below, click HERE!
I tried 3 times and it's late and I need to go to bed!!

Third Day - Cry Out To Jesus

Some days are just days where I can't wait to run to Jesus and cry. Those days I am on the verge of tears and can't wait to escape to the Blessed Sacrament and adore my Lord. Cry to Jesus. We are so blessed to have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He heals. He wiats for us to cry out to Him.

I am doing good, please don't worry, some days I just need to do that. it doesn't happen too often and He makes all things new.

I just feel torn a million different ways. I feel like a bullseye. I am the center of that bullseye and each ring around is someone I'm praying for or someone I know who's hurting or sick. Then this whole election is another ring around that bullseye, surrounding me. All the while the devil is shooting arrows at all of the rings and me. So much to pray for. Sometimes I just want to lock myself in a little home bubble and consume myself with just my little family. I feel so helpless. So much to pray for. Then I think, I start feeling like there's so much pain out there, when is my turn? It's overwhelming. Every aspect of life.

That's when I cry out to Jesus. Grace. Forgiveness. Mercy. Healing. Hope. Rest. Love.

If you have an Adoration chapel, go! You must! Run! Cry out to Jesus!

*If you don't have an Adoration chapel, just go to the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle, He is there waiting for you!

A Little Election Humor!

Christine (who used to blog, I know many of you miss her), sent me this photo. I thought it represented each of the candidates perfectly, no heart, no brain, wanting courage, (he has it, but seems sometimes to be too much of a gentleman) and that girl next door!! Come on, ya gotta laugh!

***Little correction: (actually BIG correction!) My bad for sure! I never realized that Biden and McCain looked so much alike! (at least as a lion and a scarecrow they do, I think) I guess McCain is the one with no brain, but he is the most faithful friend to Dorothy! (thanks JMJ!) Biden has no courage, not because he's a gentleman though. haha!

It's still funny!

Obama Citizenship? You decide!

Please take the 11 minutes to watch this video, it's pretty interesting.

32 Weeks

No, I'm not pregnant (yet) but this video reminds me of my first born and what happened when I was 32 weeks along with him.


Suzanne at Blessed Among Men posted about being at 32 weeks today. She wrote a beautiful post about the pure love her kids have for her newest son.


When I was pregnant with my first child (after almost 3 years of trying), my water broke during the night at 32 weeks. I remember going back upstairs after going to the bathroom, and as I got into bed, I felt something. I got up and gush! I said to my husband "I think my water broke." He sat up and said "what does that mean?" I said "I'm not sure, but we have to call the hospital." We called the hospital, wondering what to do, they told us to come immediately. It was 2 am. We quickly got dressed and left, not realizing I would not be back again for 28 days! We just thought they would tell us to do something and go home. Afterall, we just had our "baby class" the night before. we had it all planned out, we would deliver naturally, I'd nurse my baby, it would all go perfectly. Wrong.


We got to the hospital and they informed me I would not be going home without the baby out of my tummy. Shock, fear, yep, it was there, but so was, my " just relax, God will take care of you." They did an ultrasound and he was transverse, so the Hail Mary's started. They were preparing for a c-section. Then miraculously, he flipped inside me and was not transverse anymore! (there was still room in there to move around) They stopped plans for a c-section and prepared for delivery. They monitored me, but the contractions slowed down and eventually stopped!! It was amazing. The neonatal doctors told me that each day he was still in my womb saved me 2 days in the neonatal unit. (the preemie unit) Well, flat on my back, I laid for the next 3 1/2 weeks, only getting up to go the bathroom or shower, sitting down. It was emotional, lonely, but so worth it.


At 35 weeks the risk of infection (with little water inside me) was greater than him being born a preemie so they induced labor. I was in hard labor all day (10 hours), the last time the nurses checked me, they looked at eachother, in a weird way, so I asked "When will I be in that last stage of labor?" They said, "Jamie, you've been in that stage all day and you've only progressed to a one." I said, "ok, give me pain meds now!!" I was trying to hold off for so long for that last stage and didn't realize I was in it! Well, shortly after that, within 20 minutes, they prepped me for a c-section, and he was born shortly after that. He was beautiful and perfect. He was 5 pounds 11 ounces! His lungs were developed, he was breathing on his own. He did have to be in the preemie unit for a week, to learn how to suck. (so, yes, I pumped my breastmilk and they fed him by tube feeding until he could suck good enough to nurse, not the way I had planned in the baby class though!)


This "born Alive" video reminds me of how we fought for his life at 32 weeks. How valuable each and every life is. How ironic that at the same age, other babies are being murdered and left to die because the mother does not want them, or the abortion clinic does not want the baby to live as with the last baby shown. What sad, sad times we live in.


Every night now, my children are asking God for another baby. My little 2 year old's face just lights up and she smiles and says "Desus, mamababytummy....pleeeeese?" It is just precious and the most beautiful thing in the world.

High School Musical 2

I watched this movie last weekend. I have to say, it was great!! I just felt so good afterward. So hopeful for kids today. The characters in this movie are so clean cut and well, just nice kids. It's fun to see a musical like this. It was nice to see a movie that had no bad language in it, no sex and just plain fun. Like I said, It made me feel so good afterward. Of course, my husband was not in the least interested in this movie, he was sick in bed, well, if he was not sick, he still would not be interested. This qualifies as a "Jamie" movie for sure.

What Do You Think?

Ok, I was messing around last night after my Holy Hour. This is what happens when you drink a Diet Pepsi Max at 10pm. What do you think, Old pink? Or New Brown Seasonal?


I have been posting a little more on my private blog....This was fun, I might have to change a few things there too! I also labeled my recipes (finally) on my cooking blog! Now I just have to figure out how to get those labels on the sidebar...oh, and get some more recipes up there!

One Issue Voter? You Betcha!

I have been emailed this and seen it many, many times, but just in case someone out there has not seen this, please watch.

Feast of St Margaret Mary

You can read about St Margaret Mary here.

Red Velvet Cake. It's a McCormick Red Velvet Cake recipe that I baked in a heart shaped pan. There's none left, our visitors each took some home, and the kids all had seconds, so it must have been good! (I had a taste, it was pretty good, if I do say so myself!)

Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to souls who have a special devotion to His Sacred Heart, given to St Margaret Mary.

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will give peace in their families.

3. I will console them in all their troubles.

4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.

5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.

9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.

10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.

12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

How Are You?

How are you? I've missed you. I feel like our mailbox here, doesn't it look lonely? Just wait until winter! My blog just isn't the same without the children. I'm trying but I'm already sick of that picture on the top. I think children make everything exciting and fun. They add so much. I just keep wondering why this whole silly thing happened with my blog? I went to a new blog today, Loved Beyond All Measure, a local home schooler and was just in awe of all her beautiful pictures. (she is an amazing, sweet woman too) It did make me a little sad to think of what I deleted, even if it was only the backs and partial pictures of faces. I do want to say thank you to all of you who prayed for me and for the not so anonymous commenter's who so rudely interrupted my blog life. I'm back, kind of, as much as I can be, although my blog is a little different, it's still me.

P.S. I so dislike having "comment moderation" so sorry! Please bear with me for a while.

Columbus Day!

Coloring sheets, Abeka 3rd grade History, (perfect timing) a discussion about the new foods the explorers found in the New World, like pineapple, chocolate (chocolate chips), tomatoes, peanuts (peanut butter), and a Columbus movie.


I always have a hard time "glorifying" Christopher Columbus, as he wasn't really a very nice man, forcing Natives to go back to Spain and forcing religion on them. Abeka History portrays this really good, mentioning that it was wrong of him, and that God gives us the choice to follow him, as Columbus should have done with the natives. We focused on the exploring aspect of it. These were very brave men, going to an unknown Sea and searching for new land. It must have been very exciting seeing all the new foods, trees, animals and people.


**Those are our funny little "ship" sandwiches: peanut butter and jelly bun with a pretzel sticking out with a triangle tortilla "flag" glued on with peanut butter!

More Fall Crafts!

Our front view! (quickly changing to nothing soon!)
View from our school room.

I love this project. I love to see how different everyone's paintings are.

I love all the fall colors...blue is for the sky!

The finished fall trees!

Collage trees, another fun project for littles!

Happy Fall Everyone!!!

Type I Diabetes

Having Type I Diabetes since I was 10 years old has had it's ups and downs. One of the downs is always having to explain to people what it is, how it is different than type II diabetes. Another down about having diabetes is always being different, drawing attention to myself every time I test my blood or take my insulin before I eat. Michele has 2 children who have recently been diagnosed with type diabetes and she wrote a great post about the misconceptions that I know most people have about diabetes. Type I and Type II diabetes are two very different diseases. Both in how they are managed and how they are received.

God's Great Love

Today's intention in 40 Days for Life is:


May all understand more deeply that the pro-life message is rooted in two basic truths of life:
1) There is a God
2) He isn't me


In the Reflection today, Fr. Frank Pavone, (National Director, Priests for Life) says:

"From the beginning of the Bible until the end, the theme is echoed that God alone has dominion over human life. He made it; shared it; died to save it; will raise it up forever."


This got me thinking, why wouldn't God just destroy all of us? We are such a sinful people. He created us. He could just not think about us for one moment and *poof* we'd be gone. He could just start all over again, or just create something else. He won't do that though, because God loves us. Just like we love our own children, He loves us. We would not want to make a child of ours disappear just because he/she is being naughty. It is because of our love for our child. How much greater must Gods great love be for us then? He gives us many warnings and chances, much like a parent would here on earth. Because He loves us. Let God love you. Let His love shine through you.

My New Header

It dawned on me this morning while praying my morning prayers, that many people do not know what it means when I ask "Lord, make me a saint." A saint is anyone in Heaven. It is not just the proclaimed saints, the canonized saints. That is the reason I named this blog this title. I want to be in Heaven. I want my family to go to Heaven. I want God to work through us and perfect us so we might someday meet Him in Heaven. Only God knows all my faults (and probably my husband) and little by little I'm working on them. I can't work on those faults if God is not helping me through it though. So when I ask "Lord, make me a saint", I am asking God to help me work through all those faults, to perfect me as He wills to perfect me. We will not be perfect until we are in Heaven, but we need to practice because Heaven is the end result.


I'm not saying if you never practice loving God and you die that God won't be merciful to you at that end, if you say "I believe", but will you? Will you say it if you have not practiced? Will it be familiar for your soul to be able to say it?


I hope this clears some things up for those who might be anonymous and might be lurking out there still.

Fall Ideas!

The leaves here in MN are just about at their prime time leaf lookin' stage! This is one way to preserve those leaves we keep collecting! (at least for a while)
2 sheets of wax paper, a towel (so your counter does not get wax all over it) and leaves.
place the leaves between 2 sheets of wax paper, iron and cut into the shape you want.

They look so beautiful in the window!! Your kids will love doing this and talking about which ones they picked!

If you have an extra wall for art, I always put up a tree right in our school room!! (I even did this when I did daycare) make lots of different kinds of leaves of many colors, use a paper bag for the trunk and lots of tape to put it all up!! Isn't it pretty? We will put all our fall crafts around the tree now.

Some of our leaves are collage leaves. Just make strips of paper and have leaves and glue them on! Enjoy fall!

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

This is a special feast day! I didn't want to make the cupcake rosary found on Catholic Cuisine, because I did not want all those leftovers, so I tried to think of something that would have no leftovers! Today in MN it rained a cool rain all morning so hot cocoa with marshmallows and Hershey's kisses worked out perfect! And of course Mathilda's great coloring sheets!
A little quiz on the mysteries of the rosary, some beautiful books, the family rosary and the birth of my good friend, Sarah's daughter, Sophia Gabriella!! The day couldn't be more perfect!

I have posted about my love of the rosary before, just look in my archives in May and you will see I wrote about it a few times there. (Down on my sidebar quite a way) I love praying the rosary. I love that you can pray it anywhere, anytime. Waiting in line, while (dare I say it) driving, while trying to go to sleep, in Adoration, while walking and of course with your families and friends and neighbors! You can even pray it for people who leave anonymous comments!!

Feast of St Francis of Assisi

Hatred

I guess what shocks me the most about what happened today was the hatred. People actually trying to hurt other people, not caring who, just wanting to hurt them. I grew up being taught to love my enemies. To never hate. To always love.


I have surrounded myself with holy, Catholic and holy, Christian friends. I have kept this blog up because I love the people, the strong Christian and Catholic moms out there supporting eachother, praying for eachother, loving. How can I get that without letting hatred in too? Hatred found me, attacked me and my blog and my life today. I can moderate comments, I can stop comments but the hatred is still there. Hatred is still there next to pictures and stories of my children. Stories of my life. Stories of living. Stories of trying to let God make me into a Saint. Stories of humility. Stories of love. Stories of my beliefs, my thoughts, my life. Stories meant for my friends. My holy Catholic and Christian friends. Not for hatred.


I am shocked at the hatred that is out there. You know, I don't have any friend or know anyone actually that hates like these liberal people have hated today. If I'm putting all liberals in a box, so be it. That is the impression you've left me with. You liberals talk like you are for all things good, yet your actions show otherwise. Your actions show hatred. Abortion is pure hatred. Hatred of the baby, hatred of God. Don't try to convince me or anyone else that it is not hatred, because you can't. It is what it is. Hatred. Evil. Pure evil. You cannot be Catholic and be pro-abortion. You cannot say it is a small issue, because it is not a small issue. It is the beginning of all issues. Without life you have nothing.


Only a liberal would compare speeding with abortion. Because liberals don't get it. They don't get that they are two entirely different things. Let's see, murder...speeding? Same thing? No. Not the same thing. At all.


I did start 40 Days For Life this past week. Was I thinking there would be no crosses with that? Well, forget it Satan, it will not work with me. It has only brought me closer to God. I can only imagine the pain God feels when he sees the hatred all around.


My children have to come off. I'm not sure if I will even blog anymore. My children are such a part of me and my life, I'm not sure what I'd blog about without them. Maybe I will go private, put all my energy into my private blog, but is that fun? I like meeting new people all the time, just not hatred. I don't like meeting that.


It's sad how people can just tear something beautiful down. Just ruin it. This was a place of "Jamieness". A place I'd hoped people liked to come to, a place I hoped people left feeling just a little bit better about themselves, about God and about life. After today I can't say that. It's not that good place. There will always be hatred lurkers out there. Reading for some reason. Looking for someone to attack with their hatred.

Feast of Our Guardian Angels

This is one of my favorite days of the year. I will be back to post about angels. I have closed comments. There is no need for any hate out there. I will not allow it on my blog. I will be running to my holy hour tonight to pray and be with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Only He can comfort in times like these.

Another Blogger!

Welcome to another Minnesota Blogger!

St Therese The Little Flower

Today is the feast day of on of my favorite saints, St Therese. Isn't she beautiful? I remember the first St Therese novena I prayed. Yes, I got the roses. It was the first of many.

St Therese, the little flower,

please pick me a rose from the heavenly

garden and send it to me with a message of love

Ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell

Him I will love Him each day more and more.

Amen.

The above prayer plus 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Mary's and 5 Glory Be's must be said on 5 successive days. On the 5th day the 5th set of prayers having been completed, offer one more set 5 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Mary's and 5 Glory Be's.

It is said that on the 5th day, when you least expect it, your prayer will be answered with a "shower of roses" . Some how, you just know when your prayer is answered. My first time praying it was many years ago, like 15 years, I think. I was praying for my husband at the time (who is now an ex) and his depression. Desperately. I was kind of just going through my conversion, learning about novenas, saints and all the treasures of my own Catholic faith that I did not even know I had.

I was talking to my mom on the phone and she mentioned they were going to go to a movie with my younger brother. So I asked if I could go with them, she said sure but I'm sure she thought that was kind of weird. (this was not in character with me, as I had kind of given my life to my husband) But I needed a break, and went without even asking him. I just said "I'm going to a movie with my parents, I'll be back in a few hours" and left. I had never done this in our whole 2 years of marriage, just gone and done something on my own like that. It happened to be the last day of my novena to St Therese.

After the movie, my dad took a weird way home and drove around a little, we ended up driving by a house where an older lady was out walking around her yard and we noticed a statue that was placed in a hole in a tree, it was beautiful. We urged my dad to drive around again and tell the lady how beautiful it was. He did. And as we were sitting in the vehicle talking to this lady in her yard, I noticed, all around her yard, she had tons of roses. Tons. (they were fake, but there were tons) They were everywhere. All of them roses, all different colors. At that moment in time, as it was frozen, just for the moment, she looked at me and said she had prayed all her life for her depression, that she had suffered all her life from it and she kept hanging on because of God. That God kept her going and pulled her through every time. A moment frozen in time, that is what it feels like when you get a direct answer, a prayer answer, on the 5th day of my novena, on a road that I noticed was a road I took every day to work, a house I drove by every day and never noticed the roses until that moment.

I continued to pray this special novena many times, getting roses in many different ways, noticing wild roses growing at a stoplight that I'd not noticed before. When a prayer is answered, it is not when you are looking for it though, it is always an "a-ha!" moment. A moment frozen in time, that is the only way I can describe it.

On this special day, I remember St Therese and how special she is to me and to so many. I remember her special "little way" she lived her life. She is a saint for all of us.

St Therese, please pray for us!

**on a side note: I always pronounced her name Therese, like Mother Theresa until our first All Saints party 3 years ago, Ballerina Rosie was dressed as her among others, but everyone else called her St Therese, like Ter-ez. OK, finally, now I usually say Ter-ez, but it is hard to switch and I usually end up saying both! :)