Happy Friday

Babycakes: (hopping onto the scale) "Mama, what time am I?"

Mama: "Ummm, oh, 45 O'clock."

I'm taking a break to be with my beautiful family a little more (gotta enjoy summer!)
I'll be back in about a week and a half.
God bless you all!


Maria Therese has deep struggle, please take a moment to read her comment in my comment box and give her some kind words of encouragement. Thank you so very much.

The Book of Danzel Washington

OK, just kidding. But, I do like that man and his movies. (except Training Day, it gave me nightmares to see him be such a bad person, not Danzel!)

I watched this movie this past weekend with my husband.

It has a great ending. Such a surprise ending that I don't think anyone could ever guess it. AND that is why I like this movie. (besides the fact that it's a Danzel movie)

Don't you just love how I don't really tell you what the movie is about, but whether it is good or bad? Like you should just take my word for it.

You should.

It's good.

See?

Yum!

My husband and I are really enjoying Skinny Cow products!

(one per day at the allowed snack time, of course)

I only like the chocolate ones, my hubby likes all of them.

I figure if it's not chocolate, why waste the calories?

They are a little spendy though, so keep these to yourselves, not for the kiddos.

*Sam's Club does sell them at a pretty good price.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Don't worry, our kiddos are eating plenty of ice cream and plenty of ice cream treats, that's what summer is for in MN, right? Lots of swimming and lots of ice cream. (when you are a kid)

Consecration Answers

Some people have asked me about this devotion, I hope to give some clarity for them.

To read all about it, you can go here
For reasons to do it and a free kit go here
I have to say, I didn't give it much thought the first time I did it.
Consecrate myself to Jesus?
For me, it's a no brainer.
We come to the Father through the Son.
We come to the Son through the Mother.
To Jesus through Mary.
Simple as that for me.
It's just 33 days of prayers.
Every year I feel the peace and graces it brings.
For me my question back would be
Why not?

Compliments and Pride

Yesterday I needed to go to the craft store for a quick errand during piano lessons.

While checking out, a man, I'll call him "fifty something guy" says to me "She sure is a good baby, she's so easy going and calm." I smiled and said, "Well, she's the 5th, she has to be."

Fifty something guy says to me as I'm paying the cashier, "She's got her mother's eyes."

I turned (I'm sure) pitch red and said, "Yes, she does."

That's it.

That was the compliment.

"She's got her mother's eyes."

I should call him "Angel guy" instead of "Fifty something guy"

because of the way that made me feel all the way home, and even now as I type this.

One compliment like that, from a complete male stranger goes a long way.

A really long way.

Which is actually kind of funny, because, well, the compliment was actually for the baby, he was actually admiring the baby.

Now, I went home feeling good, but also feeling a little guilty for feeling good, you know that conscience was letting me know that it is so prideful to like and desire such compliments.

I used to be (before children) I'd say, (dare I) well, pretty dang good looking.

I don't think I've ever said that out loud.

I've never acted like I thought I was pretty, but I was and I loved compliments.

I always got the man I wanted by flirting and going after him.

Like a game I guess.

Except my husband, who was a blind date, funny, huh?

Looks can go a long way. They helped me get jobs. They helped in so many things.

It's sad, but true.

Our world loves beauty.

That is a good thing, God made beauty for us. But it's what we do with that beauty, isn't it?

It can be full of pride.

Pride that God knows needs to be humbled.

I look at this extra weight as that cross.

A way God is humbling me.

Now, that doesn't mean that I'm loving it or trying to keep it.

I'm trying every day to lose it.

It's something that is never not on my mind.

It's that weighty issue.

See, in the end, the compliment that made me feel so good and so prideful, actually

humbled me.

Thank you "Angel Guy"!

Disclaimer I must add:

Thank you all, BUT,

I am not looking for blog compliments, really, just wanted to tell the story and get my feelings out there you know.

It was hearing it from a complete male stranger who doesn't know me inside.

Plunger Shopping

Wow, I've been looking for a plunger for a few weeks now...OK, I keep forgetting, but when I remember to look for one, at the shops I go to (Wal-Mart) there is only a little wimpy one that doesn't even stick to the floor. How do I know this? Because today the kiddos and I went to Home Depot after piano lessons to pick up some paint chips (planning on painting some rooms in August) and I thought "Hey, I'm going to check the plungers out!" The kiddos found the plungers (like this one pictured) and plunged the floor and couldn't get the plungers off the floor.

Picture Babycakes with a little red face, trying to pull her plunger off the floor, as we are walking away....wish I would have thought to take a picture!

Then, there are plungers like this one, labeled "Sink and toilet", plungers with short handles, (who'd want that?) plungers that are labeled "Heavy Duty", heavy duty? What does that mean? Do some people have certain kind of poop that needs the heavy duty one? Do we?

I was just too confused and decided it was a job for my husband.

(both the buying and the plunging)

Christine!

Christine has a new blog, called, well, "Christine".

Go say hi!

UPDATE: I CHANGED THE LINK (becaus she changed the blog again)AND NOW, IT'S THE RIGHT BLOG NOW AND SHE KNOWS HOW TO DO IT...I THINK.....

Ballerina Rosie turned 8!

Today my Flashback is Ballerina Rosie!
Here she is 10 months old!
She was born with so much hair, that she wore little pink bow barrettes home from the hospital!
She had her first bangs haircut at 2 months old!

Here she is on her 8th birthday!!
She decided for her birthday she wanted to meet a friend for Mass at noon, where there was a brand new priest who gave her and all of us a special blessing! Then on to a local flower park for a picnic and pictures.

These pictures really do not do the flowers justice, they are breathtaking in real life!

There are several levels of gardens and shade gardens on a block below this one, down by the Mississippi River.

Then on home for make-your-own ice cream sundaes!

My sweet Ballerina Rosie!

When I think of you, I think of...

flowers, pink, purple, soccer, piano, ballet and dancing, singing, pointy toes as a baby, big smile, beautiful, big blue eyes, braids, beautiful, long, thick hair,sweetie pie, great helper, baking brownies, pancakes, PEANUT BUTTER, cute, long, long showers, Shrimp, top bunk, Hanna Montana dancing, art, painting, scrapbooking, stamping, instant smile when the camera is in sight, TaeKwonDo, dogs, Lily your doll, great letter writer, swimming, biking, Legos, barbies, KGA signed on all your papers, counting Masses, loving, full of hugs and kisses, loving to play dumb, (mama not loving this one) The Sound of Music, Shirley Temple movies, Goldfish crackers!!! (You've always loved Goldfish crackers!!) smoothies, reading books together, reading on the porch, shopping, putting curlers in, loving to sleep in, loving to stay up late, happy, cereal with milk, milk left in the bowl, gum, good natured girl, light blue Star Wars boy t-shirt, walking early, climbing early, monkey bars, biking at age 3, slooooooooow at everything you do, my hot girl, always so hot, great little sister, great big sister, great daughter!!!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl, I love you!!
God bless you honey!

Recipe Swap Thursday

I joined in Therese's Recipe Swap Thursday!
My favorite summer recipe is posted on my cooking blog,
Kitchen Blessings

Wordless Wednesday

Total Consecration Starts Today!

Total Consecration starts today and ends on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15th!

This will be my 15th year doing it and I look so forward to it every year!

Free kits are available here.

Will you join me?

Happy 88 Years Grandma!

My Grandma R celebrated her 88th birthday this past week!
After 10 kids, around 60 some grandchildren and 70 some great-grandchildren so far, (sweetie Pie being the 2nd youngest), she is healthy, active and beautiful!
God bless you Grandma!

Friday Garden Tour

The girls are looking for wild flowers growing along our woods...

Today I'm joining in on Tracy's Friday Garden Tour!

So many things to pick from on Fridays, 7 Quick Takes, Friday Flashbacks....I'm choosing this one today!
My giant Hydrangea's are in full bloom and give me beautiful bouquets!


Phlox

Daisies

Girls having picnics on the porch

Bee Balm

Foxglove

Our square foot garden

We've gotten peppers so far and a few blooms now of cucumbers and tomatoes....

I love summer in Minnesota. It is quite amazing how so much can grow in such a short time. There are flowers everywhere!

Wordless Wednesday

Not a Lot of Words Wednesday

Sweetie Pie loves chairs. She can pull it pretty far for such a little squirt!

She is crawling all over and getting into everything!!

I love her innocence, curiousness and wonder of it all!

Happy 4th of July!

God Bless America!

Friday Flashback-Group Photos!

Therese hosts "Friday Flashbacks" but I can't figure out how to get her great button on the top of my post....she is having a contest today--a messy kiddo contest!

I decided to flashback to our kiddo group photos today, because we are heading to Sears Portrait Studio for a group photo, we decided on a flag theme this time.
It's so fun to see how much they've changed!
I'll be praying to their angels and all the saints for great smiles and a calm mama!!
I also have my Friday garden pictures and vacation pictures and MN Zoo pictures...but not enough time to post all of them. Summer is so busy with swimming and parks and well, you know, just fun stuff, not sitting on the computer stuff.
I'll try to post a little more next week!