What We've Been Up To Lately...

Doing school at the patio table.


















Getting frustrated with all this "MATH stuff ".



















Back to the books in an effort to finish up quickly and then join the others in running through the sprinkler as our "recess" activity.

Collin's face while being scolded for leaving the yard (again).




















Our garden in the back yard. Tomatoes, cauliflower, string beans, collards, cucumbers, and strawberries.


















Monica on her bike on the patio.
















Monica saying "Cheeeeese".




















Looking at a cicada.




















Talking about the cicadas with gram and gramp - Gram gives us a short lesson...


























Running through the sprinkler with Aaron on an unusually hot May day.





















Mary grace in the sandbox. (Looking lovely)


















Morgan in the sandbox. (looking lovely too)

















Monica in the "fort" with aaron and Collin playing "kill the bad guys".


















Mary Grace's family in clay. (just the kids - Morgan, herself, Collin, Monica, and the new baby which she's SURE is gonna be a boy)



















Playing on the "fort".

Money Does NOT Equal Class!

As I sit here at 2:10 AM in the morning (Sunday morning) a group of young men/boys camps out next door in a large tent in their backyard. It is a beautiful night. It is cool and perfect sleeping weather - but neither myself nor these neighbors are asleep. I have been lying awake for the past hour due to laughter and loud voices coming from that tent.

Have I turned into a cranky old neighbor lady who's lost her memory of what it is to be young, giggly and sleep deprived? NO!! Not at all! What I am is a woman who is irritated, sickened, and (literally) shaking from anger. I have ended up here, in front of this computer, in order to restrain myself from marching over there and giving a group of "young men" a piece of my mind!

I wish I could provide some kind of audio for you all to listen to. But the following sampling will have to suffice. Here's what I've been hearing from my bedroom window for the past hour, hour and a half...

"Hey fag**t, suck my di** ok?" "Shut up bit**" "You fu**ing homo you need to stop having unprotected sex with your dog." "Bit** go fu** your mama" "You fu**ing wetback" "Ya, nice tits you have there" "Your mama's tits..." "My di** is ..." "Hey you cracker little homo get off ..." "Bit** you better not..." "Go to fu**ing sleep you little bit**"................................

This is but a sampling of the crap I've had to listen to on this beautiful night. Shut my windows? Sure, I could do that and turn the a/c on. But why should I have to? What sickens me the most in times like these (because this isn't the FIRST incident like this) is that Tim and I left our old neighborhood which was starting to be encroached by gangs and drugs etc., and moved here to "escape". Mind you we also moved because we were "trading up" for a "better neighborhood" and a bigger/better/newer house. Our house is in fact bigger, better and newer. But as for the neighborhood? The home values are 3-4 times that of our old neighborhood but the people who reside within their walls have NO CLASS at all!

In my old neighborhood, sure if I took the girls for a walk down to the park we'd see a bum drinking from a paper bag on the bench there and all the equiptment had graffiti/foul language written on it. But for goodness sakes I've got a brand new house in an "upper middle class" neighborhood now. It seems the bums now live right next door to me and the "graffiti" is audible and polluting my air!

This TRASH that lives next door to me is light years away from showing the same kind of class and decency that my old neighbors had. Yes, in their little 1950's bungalows with detached garages lived a better "class" of people than I've found here on a street where the average home price is around $400,000.(that's a lot for Illinois) My old neighborhood was filled with people of different races, levels of education, and ages. You'd see a statue of the Blessed Mother prominently displayed in some front yards. You'd see old men walking to and from the grocery store or the bakery which were nearby but still quite a "hike". But the older couples would help us "younger ones" out with bringing up our trash cans or sealing our driveways. They'd gush over our kids and warmly congratulate us on pregnancies.

Not so here in whitey white sterilized suburbia. Here we have neighbors who gather around to mumble under their breaths in horror when a new family moves in and (gasp) "Oh no! they have BLACK children!" I won't even tell you the HORRIBLE things that Tim and I heard concerning that! Neighbors who "compete" over landscaping and make derogatory comments about those who haven't "done enough with their yards" We are guilty as charged. I always say it's because we'd rather our "landscape" be filled with flowers of the human variety. Here every kid has a motorized vehicle by the age of 2. You know the kind. The mini hum-v or the tiny jeep. Every 3rd bay is filled with toys and gadgets galore. Everybody has an oversized SUV but only 2 kids. (we have a suburban but our family actually takes up all the seats) Here we have people who spend $5,000 on their kids at Christmas time (a mom actually told me herself). Our old neighbors probably spent $5,000 for their cars!!

This leads me to the title of this post. Money does NOT equal class. I think there might have been a time when that was true. But no longer. Education, money, "success", do NOT give you any sense of social grace, personal responsibility, or culture. What they give you is a big house and a license to look down your nose at the "poor folk" who live in those "bad neighborhoods". People feel the size of their mortgage entitles them to act like a foul-mouthed fool and call it "humor" or worse yet call it "humility". Yes! This is how this low-class, uncultured, unsophisticated, sophmoric behavior is viewed. "See me with my beer and my occasional f-bomb? I'm keeping it real. I haven't let this nice neighborhood and my big house go to my head. I can still hang out and fit in like a 'regular guy'. I am humble despite my 'success'. "

As for people like me. I am tolerated. I am a stuck up, self-righteous, prude. I really should get off my homeschooling, church going high horse! Maybe I should learn to "mix it up" with a little "fun" with the neighbors. I'm sooo up tight you know? I guess I'm just another one of those right wing radical extremists I hear about. The women here think they need to "convert" me or else they just avoid me like the plague. I had one neighbor say "You know what I'd love to do for you Kristan? I'd love to take you out one night and get you drunk and have you dance on the table tops with me!" Guess what lady? Been there. Done that. (little do they know...) I did something most in this neighborhood have not. I GREW UP!

I guess that's the main difference I see in people. It's not the money they make or the house or neighborhood they live in. It's not the level of education they have or even their age. It's not their race or religion. It's not even their level of religious fervor or committment ( I know that may bother some for me to say but it's true). It really comes down to a matter of those people who continue to live their lives as selfish spoiled little teenagers into their 30's, 40's, 50's, and beyond and those people who grow up and continue to grow, striving to become a better, more decent contributing member of this world. There are people who feel an obligation or better yet an opportunity to do something good for the world even if that simply means helping carry up your neighbors' garbage cans or enthusiastically congratulating them on another baby. Then there are people who feel and obligation only to themselves to do whatever is "good" for them even if that simply means keeping up your neighbor until 3AM with your foul mouthed "children"!!

Hopefully the little "men" have cursed themselves to sleep by now and I can go to bed...

Who Are We?

I started off this post (which I now have deleted) by listing a number of headlines from the news. All of them were examples of how twisted and lost we have become as a people in regards to our relationship to others, to ourselves, and to God - our Creator.
I decided to just skip all the depressing headlines/articles and just get to the root of it all.

Who are we? Some may even prefer What are we? I don't think the average educated (college educated even) adult today could give you a sensible complete thoughtful response to that question. "Uh, well, we're humans" Ok so what does THAT mean? "Uh, well, it means we are the highest form of animal on the planet and that we can uh, think and stuff" You may even get an "enlightened" response like "Uh, well, we are made by God and we have a soul and stuff like that will never die" And so what does THIS demand of us? "Uh, well, like what do you mean DEMAND?" "Like it just means that when we die we're gonna go to heaven ya know" Ah, I see...

Pathetic!
I assure you that this fake dialogue isn't too far from the truth of it! I don't expect an average person to be able to articulate the deep spiritual/theological dimensions of our existence at the drop of a hat. But, I don't think that this total lack of thought and consideration of the purpose of our existence is a good sign. This is what's at the root of all those depressing, often sexually twisted, death-filled headlines. We haven't a clue as to who we are, why we are here, and what the answers to these then demands of us.

So, we carry on like animals with degrees and cell phones. We act out every impulsive desire for the sake of gratifying every pleasure possible. We have become extremely sophisticated PIGS! Pigs who drive, pigs who earn, pigs who spend, pigs who read (err, rather watch tv), pigs who have figured out how to "screw" without producing any other piglets, and ultimately pigs who've learned how to rationalize every piggish behavior so that we all can be rest assured to die and go to "pig heaven" someday!

I am surely not devoid of certain piggish tendencies myself. But I call a spade a spade, or in this case a pig a pig! I sadly have been blind to my own selfishness and self-serving rationalizations. But now, thank God, I see. What an ugly mess I see. There are many dramatic illustrations of what a mess we've made of our own humanity. But, I don't personally live those headlines I read about, or the stories that make me cringe or worse cry.

What I do live and see from day to day is the reality of any other average American woman. I see the blindness of so many all around me, right here in suburbia. I am so sad for them. Deep down I don't think most of these people are really happy. There's a lot of surface pleasure that tries to pass itself off as fulfillment and joy. But dig just a little deeper and you find an emptiness that is truly sad.

How many women I have met or spoken to who either complain incessantly about their lives or who brag obnoxiously about their "pants-wearing" freedom and domination over their "errand-boy" husbands. How many men have I met or spoken to who aren't really men yet. They ogle and comment on the teen aged girls in our neighborhood. They drink a cold one on their driveway with the other"men" and discuss the next "toy" they plan to buy while they try to avoid their nagging wives' demands to "honey do this or that". How many kids have I met or spoken to whose parents pay them no attention at all. They seem a little surprised by my interest in them and their lives/opinions. Who is this cookie neighbor lady and why does she actually talk to me for more than 2 minutes? Kids who have to deal with foul language of the most disturbing nature on the bus ride to school, kids who learn what "****job" means in the 3rd grade, kids who aspire to be a "pop singer when I grow up" or a professional athlete of some kind.

Often these folks are Catholic, or another denomination even. As for the Catholics I meet, they haven't a clue about their faith and frankly they couldn't care less. Religion is more of a hobby than anything else to those I have come to meet and know. They try to maintain their "hobby" as best they can. If there's a conflict then that's just too bad for mass, or dogma. God will understand.

Sex. Sex is a whole other aspect of this blindness, this emptiness that pervades our culture. We haven't a clue who we are, why we are here, and we certainly haven't the slightest idea about our sexuality in Truth. Sex is like religion. It's another hobby we enjoy. We make time for it and try to get the most "bang for our buck" so to speak. (please excuse the inadvertent pun) We want to maximize pleasure and eliminate all responsibility or consequence.

Children are a burden. we tolerate two for the sake of "fitting in" and leave it at that. Why would anyone want anymore? Too many kids can be bad for your social life, not to mention your pocket book ya know?

Women get "boob jobs" and "tummy tucks" and enlist the help of personal trainers all in an effort to out due their own teenage daughters. Gotta be as sexy as a sixteen year old. The sickness is twofold. First of all a sixteen year old needn't be "sexy"! and Secondly, why do grown women feel so driven to maintain femininity by regressing to a teen-like look and attitude? Why not embrace the most authentic display of femininity there is on earth - motherhood?

The irony of this sexual confusion/desire is that most women I've met who are "so done having kids" and "just want their bodies back "(to be sexy/hot) are the same women who complain about their husbands "bugging them" for sex too much. Well, that whole contraception, getting "fixed" thing is really doing wonders for ya then huh? NOT! I've never seen more women so miserable and unhappy and yet needy and insecure than those who have either had sterilization imposed upon them or have decided to impose it upon their husbands. In one breath they'll tell me how they had their husband "get his stuff fixed" and in the next they'll be telling me how uninterested they are in their husbands' advances and how much they'd just rather sleep!

I know I'm just a backward, simpleton barefoot and pregnant traditionalist and all, but I thought that the whole reason for people getting themselves (or their spouse) "fixed" was so they could ENJOY sex without consequences! Seems to me that when we treat ourselves and those we purpose to love, like animals, the whole mystery/magic just goes right out of sex. I guess if I had altered intentionally my body or my husband's body like one alters their dog's or cat's, then I too might feel not so interested. We kid ourselves into thinking it won't matter. But it does.

The reason it does matter is that we are ultimately made in the Divine image. God wants to lift us up. The more we lower ourselves the harder it is to experience real joy. We may experience pleasure - but my dog gets pleasure from a steak bone too! But joy, fulfillment, true peace, can only come from God. Only in heaven will we experience this fully. But Jesus came and took on flesh and died here on earth so that we could get a glimpse of this here and NOW! Every time we lower our standards for ourselves, our spouse, our kids, we move further and further away from this Divine revelation. God wants to reveal to us the true joy that is possible to attain in a life lived for Him. But it seems we've forgotten that that's what life is for.

Who made you? God made me.
Why did God make you? God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.

This is who we are. We are children of the Living God. Through Jesus sacrifice we have been made heirs to His kingdom. We are royalty people! We aren't pigs with cell phones. We have been chosen. We have been called. We have been saved by a God who loves us.

We are here on earth to serve Him. We serve Him by serving OTHERS not OURSELVES! We are called to see our bodies as an important extension of God's Divine Plan. Our bodies are not tools to be used. They must reflect the very best of us - the Divine Image stamped into us by God Himself. We must live our lives like this and then encourage our brothers and sisters to do the same.

So much joy awaits those who would open their eyes and see. For those, like myself, who have covered their eyes there is hope for them still to be opened. What is required? Ask. Simply ask for them to be opened and then you will see. The hardest part of it is you see EVERYTHING. You see the beauty of God's creation and His Church, and His plan just for you, but you also see a world that's lost its way. Then you feel compelled to blog about it...

Revisiting an old post...it always comes back to sex doesn't it?

I am re-posting a portion of an old post I had written in response to a gay Catholic who feels that the love between same sex partners (and their sexual acts) are just as legitimate and complete an expression of love as husband and wife, their love and their marital embrace. This whole mess in Boulder, CO with the high school "seminar" has got me thinking about these basic issues once again. Why are we all so confused about what sex means? How have we gotten so twisted and distorted that we claim to be so very "enlightened" and "sophisticated now in the 21st century yet it seems to me we just sink further and further into animalistic behaviors and then rationalize our piggishness by calling it "liberation"


kris thinks...: Sex In God's Plan: "Clearly, many in modern society today see this as a non issue anymore. With the wide acceptance of artificial contraception, the sexual act has become defined as an urge or instinct to be managed. Modern science has gone beyond the scientific when it presumes that its knowledge can erase man's soul and therefore his God-given identity as well. We must remember that science provides knowledge not Truth. Scientists argue we are merely highly intelligent, highly evolved animals. Sex is merely an instinct or urge which we can choose to respond to in a variety of ways to satisfy. This type of argument supports the thesis of homosexuality as just another type of human love/sexual expression, no better and no worse than heterosexuality.

But those who admit that there is a God, and that we are made in His image, and have a soul and an ultimate destiny to become perfect as to attain heaven, cannot argue from science's premise then. Taking God's creation seriously we must really look at ourselves and our bodies, and see the mystical meaning God has inscribed in them. There in lies the answer to the question the author asked early on in his article: '...should the design dictate the reality of human experience, or should the diverse reality of human experience inform our understanding of the design? God thinks very highly of the human body. God found it a worthy place to live, hiding Himself within his mother's womb. He elevated the human body to its highest dignity by taking it on Himself. We should think MORE of it, not less. It is not a tool to be used to satisfy the demands of human experience. It is a powerful witness to The Truth. Let us listen to it then and the Truth will set us Free."

Boulder High TellsStudents to Have Sex, Use Drugs

Here's the O'Reily Show that inspired my rant below...

High School Today - "have sex do drugs"

Just got done watching Bill O'Reily talk about what occurred at Boulder High School. The kids there attended a "seminar" in which the speakers encouraged them to "experiment" but "be safe" about it kids...A more detailed report can be found at WorldNetDaily: We blew sex seminar, school chief says: (one of the quotes)"'I am going to encourage you to have sex and encourage you to use drugs appropriately,' Becker said.
'Why I am going to take that position is because you are going to do it anyway,' he continued. 'I think as a psychologist and health educator, it is more important to educate you in a direction that you might actually stick to. "

This just angers me to no end. That puts it mildly. I actually started to yell at the tv and then Tim suggested I shut our back door and close the family room windows... Who am I the most angry with? The parents! It seems that they (w/ a few exceptions) aren't really bothered by any of this. They accept this kind of CRAP as a legitimate component of a "well-rounded" education! Many probably are too stupid or totally devoid of any conscience in which to guide them but the rest are most likely indifferent cowards who go along to get along. Somewhere deep down they KNOW that this is not the best thing for their kids to be indoctrinated with but they shrug their shoulders and say "well, it's not SO bad I guess...no harm done really..."
Why do we expect so little of our kids? Why do we cater to their weaknesses and temptations? Why do we feel like it is impossible to raise a child with morals and standards and purity?
The answer. Because if we do this, if we demand this, or expect this of our children then we must live up to those same expectations. Most parents who cater to their kids' weaknesses are the very parents who dismiss or explain away their own selfishness or sinfulness. I must rationalize everything including the stolen innocence of my own children or else I am subject to my own conscience, if I still have one.
I saw this very thing happen last year. My girls attended a Catholic school last year. Our diocese put into place a "sex abuse prevention program". The particular program was "Talking About Touching" one of the worst. I did my research and went to the diocese, the pastor, the DRE and the principal with my information and my concerns. I got stonewalled. To my face it was all "Oh Mrs. ****** we understand. You are such good parents and you really stay on top of things....(more a** kissing) ...but this program is needed for those kids whose parents just don't give the time and attention needed to these matters..."
At the "review of materials" meeting only maybe 10 or so other parents even bothered to show up! The director of blah-be-blah from the diocese was called in specifically to "combat" me in case my and Tim's "opposition" got "out of hand". To put it succinctly we were railroaded and treated like crap!
The other parents at that meeting all explained away their "discomfort" with the program by saying that the world is a dangerous place and that their kids might as well find that out now and "be prepared". What about their innocence? What about OUR responsibility to protect them? Well, they can't stay innocent forever you know. As parents we can't protect them all the time...when they go stay the night at a friend's or ride their bike in the neighborhood, or they're with the babysitter...we can't always be there you know. We might as well "arm them" with ALL the facts and let them "protect themselves".
Well, damn it! That's NOT their job! That's OUR job! I am sick and tired of parents forcing their own children to "grow up" (translation - lose their innocence) so that the parents can maintain their own CHILDISH desires! This Boulder H.S. event is just one more such occasion. Parents who relinquish all their parental authority to the "educators" who in turn spiritually rape our kids and then tell us how much better our kids are for it!

SOLDIER Lyrics - by SHAWN HLOOKOFF : Lyrics And Songs

SOLDIER Lyrics - by SHAWN HLOOKOFF : Lyrics And Songs: "
Some people say, I'm a fighter
Some people hate what I do
I stand for my country
I stand for you

I got a family that loves me
They respect what I do
Try telling your child you're leaving
Believe me it's a hard thing to do

So, If I die don't judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I will die for you

We have our reasons
Rules, morals and beliefs
I won't slander your opinion
I'm just searching for peace

So, If I die don't judge me
Cause, I will not judge you
And If I die, please accept it
Cause, I will die for you "

Soldier Memorial Day tribute

This is an amazing song sung by an artist I had not been familar with. The words are very powerful and yet well-balanced. Please I encourage ALL OF YOU to watch this short video and reflect on the willing sacrifices our soldiers make on our behalf.

God Bless Our Soldiers - Kris

We say "children are a blessing" - But do we mean it?

Rudeness and “breeders” * Bettnet.com: "I have 4 children and I admit that at times I get frazzled. I often wonder if I could handle any more. But I realize that this is a deficiency in me. The fact that I can’t be more patient, more generous, more self-sacrificing are weaknesses on my part that I should strive to overcome. I think that people often make comments like, “I am so done having kids”, because they are trying to justify and make excuses for their shortcomings. The prevailing culture provokes us to be self centered and self indulgent. But at some level, many realize this is wrong. So they need to rationalize their selfishness by saying those who accept more than 1 or 2 kids are the crazy ones. When in reality, true happiness comes from an emptying of oneself in the service of others, whether that be your children or whoever. How many examples of the rich and famous who are lonely and miserable need to be paraded in front of us before we get this?
Posted by Dan Jasmin on 05/8/07 at 03:16 PM"

This reminds me of a very old Oprah show I saw. Oprah had a bunch of women on to talk about one of her books. A Book Club thing. Anyhow one of the women they profiled shared "her story" with Oprah and millions of viewers too!!

What was her story?

She had 2 children but desperately wanted another child. She and her husband were having fertility troubles. It was heartbreaking. She wanted nothing more than to have another baby and it seemed she could not.

She prayed very hard for God to give her this. And God being a good and gracious God - she finally got pregnant!! Hooray! Nine months later she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Glory be to God. But, what's this? A defect in this miracle of miracles? The baby girl had Downs Syndrome.

Try as she might the mother just "could not love her". I remember these words exactly!!! She actually said that she realized "that I could not love her as she deserved to be loved" Ok so you get help with that right? You try to CORRECT YOUR defect right? This is "a deficiency in me" (as Dan Jasmin puts it so well) should be her response. But it is not.

This mother, decides that what is best for her daughter is to be given away. She puts her daughter up for adoption. She gives her miracle baby way to another woman "who can love her as she deserves to be loved". This other woman has many children with disabilities in her home. Yet, she does not have a husband to help her. (at least not one that they showed on the show)

And how do all the other women on the Book Club panel respond? They APPLAUD her "courage" for recognizing her "weakness" and "limits" and giving her daughter a chance to be loved...Crap! all of it Crap!

This was years ago that I saw this and to this very day it STILL bother me. Why did this woman see the defects in her child but could not see her own? Did she not feel compelled to

search her own souls and ask "Why can I NOT love?" "I must love" "Lord help me to love"

Nope. I'll just remove that stumbling block. I asked for a baby and when I got one I said "Oh never mind God, I've changed my mind" "But thanks anyways."

We say "children are a blessing" - But do we mean it?

Rudeness and “breeders” * Bettnet.com: "What’s crazy is that these are not isolated incidents. From my experience, it’s really the norm for mothers to speak of children that way. I was at a playgroup one time where ALL the women there agreed that they were “done” having kids. Two were pregnant and were planning to be sterilized when they went to the hospital to have the baby. The other women’s husbands had vasectomies scheduled. None of them were older than 32.
What’s most disturbing is that all of this was discussed in front of their toddlers. So weird.
Posted by Jennifer F. on 05/8/07 at 12:39 PM"

This is a comment from a post on a great blog I've been reading lately. The original post discussed the willingness of others to express their opinions, regardless of how RUDE it may be. Haven't they ever heard the phrase "If you can't say something nice. don't say anything at all." ??? Even my little ones know THIS!!

5/23/07Cat Fight on the View, Rosie vs Elizabeth

5/23/07Cat Fight on the View, Rosie vs Elizabeth

I am absolutely sickened by The View! I have always hated it from its very beginnings. But as of late, every time I hear of another Rosie rant I am reminded of how many women sit in front of the tv like mind numbed sheep bleating Bah bah bah....

This crap passes for intellectual discussion among women? I know that Elizabeth is supposed to be the token "conservative" on the show but she really does her fellow conservatives a disservice. She is NOT good at beating down Rosie or the other fallen away Catholic airbag what's her name?!

These women and for the most part the women who elect to tune into this show are the worst kind of women there are. They are non-thinking emotion-triggered, short sighted, self indulgent, egotists, who believe they are smart, well-informed, humanitarians! Oh and how the world is against them!

This is the kind of thing that makes me NUTS! Just when I want to get beyond politics and pop culture and dig deeper into my own spiritual life - this is the kind of thing that just sucks me back in! I wish I could say I don't care and that it doesn't effect me. But in a way it does effect me. Our whole culture is shaped and influenced by these pop culture figures whether we like it or not. I live in this screwed up country and therefore I reap the consequences of this type of "brain rot".

I see it in the idle chatter of my fellow neighborhood housewives and their constant whining about their lives and belittling of their husbands. I see it in the selfishness of mothers who choose to work just for the sheer "pleasure" of it and ship their token 2 kids off to daycare while explaining away any residual guilt by telling me how good the daycare is for their kids' "socialization". I am surrounded by a plague of empty foolish women who pass themselves off as modern and enlightened and look down their noses at my backwards simpleton way of life yet pretend to "admire" me for all my "choices".\

Women really are the problem with this world. I really do feel like that. We set the tone for the culture. We have lost our way - and The View just isn't lookin' good from where I stand...

Offensive?

I was sorting through many of my "favorite images" today. It occurred to me that many of them I hesitate to use on this blog. They have partial nudity. I find them beautiful. Yet I am well aware that some may be "offended" by them. Therefore I fore go using them to illustrate my points on the value of motherhood, the beauty of authentic womanhood, or the truth of the complementarity of the sexes. I'd like to share more of them but I'd always feel the need to explain their purpose...

It is funny how easily we are trained to accept magazine covers like this one as "acceptable", while at the same time shunning a nursing mother into a bathroom stall to feed her baby! We gladly sit in front of the "boob tube" and watch "Housewives" act like pigs, and young single women live lives filled with casual sex in "The City". But scan past the National Geographic channel and catch a glimpse of an African mother topless with a baby strapped to her back working in the fields and suddenly we're HORRIFIED!!

So many here in America have lost all sense of what our bodies are FOR. People certainly haven't a clue that their bodies have a deep spiritual/theological meaning! For goodness sakes most women I know don't even feel comfortable with their own breasts being used for their intended purpose - feeding a baby! Tim, told me a story of a woman he spoke with once. They were casually exchanging pleasantries about one another's families. It came up that I nurse our babies. He told me that the woman looked shocked and a little uncomfortable with that notion to which he asked "Don't you breastfeed?" "Oh NO! these are only for my husband!" as she pointed to her own breasts. Well folks, that sums it up then doesn't it?

We haven't a clue what our bodies are for anymore. In fact we have completely separated our personhood from our bodies. It's as if we imagine them to be just another accessory or gadget we can use and manipulate to gain the maximum amount of production and pleasure. We keep them "tuned up" and make sure they're "up to date" and when they get old and worn out we gladly throw them out like trash. The irony is that at the same time that we devalue our bodies by using them simply as objects we only objectify them further by holding them up to be worshipped and adored as if they are gods!

Only those who understand that our bodies, our flesh, is an essential part of our spiritual identity can appreciate their own body as a key to understanding their very purpose here on earth. Our bodies MEAN something. Something important and amazing and mysterious. Don't we all want to know what that is? Are people satisfied with "Last Chance for Hot Sex" as an acceptable "goal"? Don't we want better? The Truth will set you free - read JPII's Theology of the Body.

Only in a world that's lost its understanding of Truth, what is truly beautiful can "offend" and what truly offends is found to be acceptable.

News I Fear IS Most Likely True...

According to a rumor posted on Islamist websites, the American forces have discovered the headless bodies of two of the kidnapped American soldiers. The reports stated that the bodies were found on May 18, after six days of searching, and that the search for the third soldier, whose fate remains unknown, is still continuing. Sources in the Mahmudiyya police force stated that the bodies were found near one of the parks in the city and bear signs of severe torture.

What Can I say? This type of brutality and lack of even the most basic concepts of the humanity and dignity of a person - even if they are your "enemy" - is what we are up against. Some of us "get it", but sadly most do not.

Addison

Today I was able to participate in the baptism of my second godchild. My first godchild being my neice Sarah. Sadly though, Sarah lives in Germany with my big sis and brother-in-law (her mom and dad). I was not able to actually attend her baptism. I hate that.

Today I participated in the baptism of Addison. Addison is the daughter of our good friends Dawn and Don. I felt so honored to be asked and I was so glad I could actually BE there.

Ten Foot Wall with Razor Wire

"You don't leave our yard - that's the rule" "Do you understand Collin?"
"Yes mom, I understand" "What did I say now?" "Don't leave our yard, mom" "Okay, now go play"

5 minutes later...


"Girls where's Collin?" "I don't know" "There he is mom - he went across the street to The Doe's house!" ....


Mom goes into lunatic, foaming at the mouth mode and retrieves Collin and puts him in his room! Again! He will be five in September and I've been dealing with this since he could walk! I NEED A FENCE!!!!!
We have a large yard with sand box, swing set, fort, trampoline....but it does not matter. Collin goes off in search of the one "thing" we are lacking - another BOY! The more the better. Even if Aaron is here playing he will STILL go off in search of MORE boys to play with! I really am "cracking up" over this issue. Me, 6 mths. pregnant chasing Collin around in summer's heat is not my idea of fun! If I didn't think the neighbors would call protective services on me I'd put him on a "line" and stake him into the ground in the center of the yard! But alas, that's not an option. Any suggestions? and don't say "get a fence". I got the quotes in and they are around $10,000 and that's not an option either (according to Tim).

The 10th Commandment

Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbor's goods.



I am guilty as charged.


My neighbors have a beautiful plant- filled, flower- filled yard. My neighbor, Rose (aptly named) works in her yard daily. They are a childless couple so I tell myself that I should not envy. I have living, growing, beautiful flowers of my own. I know this to be true but it would be nice to have the pink, good smelling variety too! Ah someday!





These pics are ACTUALLY taken of my neighbor's yard flowers!!!!

The Mindless Masses Really DON'T Care

This was one of the major headlines up on MSNBC.com: "FORT DRUM, N.Y. - Fort Drum soldiers said an ambush in Iraq that left four of their comrades dead and three missing will only work to unite America and strengthen the military's determination.
'If this is a scare tactic to undermine our resolve, they need to realize our soldiers are trained killers and don't scare,' said Spc. Dorothy Drake, of Los Angeles, Calif.
'This is more incentive to finish the job. The Army is family. This will bring us together. It will bring the country together,' said Drake."
Sadly, she couldn't be more wrong. About America that is. I am sure that those in the military and those who have a direct connection to the military DO care. But for the majority of Americans just going about their day to day lives - it's just another news story. They say "how sad" and then they hit the clicker and watch Desperate Housewives or some other such nonsense.
The reason why all the polls show that anywhere from 60-65% of Americans want us totally out of Iraq and the war "over" is not out of a sense of compassion and concern for the troops. It is rather an indication of them being bored to death by the whole thing by now. You know, war and soldier fatalities "are a real downer man". "What's Paris Hilton up to?"
Tim and I watched the Republican debate last night. At times we laughed out loud, at times we cringed like you do when you hear nails on a chalkboard, at other times we shook our heads and mumbled obscenities under our breath. We are sick to death of all the B.S. that passes for legitimate political responses to the serious evil and danger that faces this country. I seriously feel like none of these guys "get it". Rudy makes me sick, as does McCain, and Romney. They've got all of the $ and not a lick of moral courage.
Watching the follow-up analysis was just as bad. I can't stand Sean Hannity. He was so far up Guiliani's you know what that I couldn't even stand to watch it. Ultimately I'm powerless. All I've got left is prayer. I'll do my best to stay informed but I'm very discouraged. As for our troops over there - God bless them all. They are the true men of courage this country should be looking to as an ideal. The three missing soldiers I'm sure are being treated horribly. I pray for them and their families. I hope that Jesus is with them in a special way as they suffer...
The saddest part about it is that a couple of weeks after we find their bodies/heads the American public will move on to "more entertaining" news stories and forget all about it. That's the way it works anymore. We send off all our REAL men to do the dirty work while all the whiner pansies stay back here and complain about what a crappy mess Iraq is. It's sad that the BEST of us are the ones dying while the worst of us are here getting pedicures, making appointments with "personal trainers", and buying more junk to fill up the 3rd bay in our suburban garage.
Can you tell I'm mad? - I am. Please Lord, open the eyes of Your people. Before it's too late.

Reflections of an "open-minded" liberal

Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted): Jerry Falwell: In His Own Words: "For those unwilling to celebrate Jerry Falwell's death, allow me:
Hooray! Hooray!
Falwell is finally dead!
Woohoo!!!
Say hello to jesus, you hateful, deceitful, hypocritical mother******!
Of course there are deaths we should be happy about. Imagine what a great day it would have been if Jerry Falwell had his heart attack and his fat ass fell on Pat Robertson, who was able to shoot Jimmy Swaggart just before he suffocated? And then the pope showed up, slipped on the blood, hit his head and died! Everyone dies, so If we can be sad about good people dying, we're certainly entitled to be glad when ***holes do."




This was one of the comments made in response to the article/opinion piece I mentioned earlier. Such compassion from those who would accuse people like myself of being self-righteous judgers incapable of "true" compassion.

Rev. Falwell said WHAT??

In an interview with the National Catholic Register published in the May 9, 1982, issue, Falwell said that Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II are “the greatest men in my lifetime.”

I couldn't agree more Rev. Falwell.

Jerry Falwell Dies and The Attacks Begin!

I knew when I saw that Rev. Falwell was very sick and hospitalized today that if he died the insults and the attacks would only take a matter of moments. Sadly, I was right. I simply googled news on his death and right away found articles which gleefully jumped at the chance to ridicule and dishonor this man.

Now Tim and I both over the course of the years have always watched Rev. Falwell on tv with our fingers crossed. We'd look at each other and say "Oh No, what's he gonna say now that won't come out right?" And often that was just it. He intended well but sometimes the words just didn't come out right. We, being of like mind on MANY issues with Rev. Falwell, found it easy to forgive his verbal gaffs but others

seem all to willing to just beat him to down.

Even now you can find articles like this one Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted): Jerry Falwell: In His Own Words: "As you probably know, Reverend Jerry Falwell died suddenly today after eating breakfast. It sounds like he died from a heart attack, although no one is quite sure yet. But isn't it interesting that Falwell was once described as having 'heart challenges'? Speaking of having heart challenges, he was a true fire-and-brimstone preacher who founded a college that presumably is trying to carry on with his proud tradition of judging others harshly. Here are a few quotes from Jerry Falwell, lest any of us forget what sort of man Jerry Falwell really was;"

It goes on to quote the Rev. Falwell on a number of "hot topics". I must say I agree with all of them but one. I could do without the "prostitute " comment. But other than that I guess I'd have to say I'm just as much a radical wacko as people considered him to be! I consider it good company.

Red-Faced, Sweaty, and Playin' Hard

Brrrum, Brrum, Brum, Brum - my little tough guy...















Frizzy hair blowin' in the wind, dirty feet that require a good scrub in the laundry room sink before even being allowed to enter the house, sweaty red-faced kids all clamoring for Popsicles every 5 minutes - It looks like summer has arrived before it's "official" start.

Being "Open to Life" - It's Not Always Easy

These are pictures of my family. This is the kind of "family gathering" I grew up with. I loved it! Let be known that in fact most of the people pictured are just my aunts, uncles, and 1st cousins. My mother is one of 13. Her parents pictured here in the first pic to the left (gramp in a white shirt and gram with one of my cousins on her lap) are responsible for bringing into this world 13 people, 13 souls. Twelve of which I knew personally and can attest to the fact that they are all good, decent, smart people.( My uncle eddie died at 19 and I never knew him) Not to mention just the simple FUN I had growing up amidst all this noise and laughter...

This is not to say that all of life for this family and its members was happy. It was not. There were many "rough spots".
My grandmother did not live an ideal life by this world's standards. She was poor,
unappreciated, over-worked, hurt, and
perpetually pregnant or nursing. But if
you asked her she'd
say she "had it all", "had it good". Where
did this kind of optimism come from?



Was she some kind of fool? No, not at all. In fact my grandmother was extremely smart, and well read. She was also extremely close to God. She loved her Church. She took the sacraments seriously. She loved the eucharist. How do I know these things? Because I saw it. Her attitude and her whole demeanor at mass and when involved with or attending a celebration of one of the sacraments was one that taught me volumes. She lived her faith, loved and respected priests, glowed and gushed over baptisms, 1st communions, weddings...You always knew that these things mattered a great deal to grandma. It wasn't just a "show" and some cards
stuffed with dollar bills.




There are a million questions I'd like to ask her now. But I suppose all I need to know is this:

In good times and bad times God is in control.
Loving others is all about sacrifice and sometimes it hurts.
God sees the good that we do and that is enough.
Life is difficult but keep on laughing and loving as best you can.





My mom was number eight. I am pregnant with number five. I am tired. I feel lonely sometimes. It's not easy. But, I think of gram. I think of my mother "waiting in the wings" for her turn to take up residence in the womb of this woman called Leona, her mom. It's a tough thing being "open to life". It's something they don't tell you at pre-Cana or at an NFP seminar. It's not all joy and laughter and bliss. But I thank God that I've learned the most important lesson about "being open to life" from a simple woman named Leona - It's WORTH it!

That's me in the second picture on the far left sitting on my aunt Mary's lap next to my cousin Philip. My big sis Kelly is just below me drinking from a paper cup.

Abortion - An Alternate Reality

If this cartoon were possible in reality

there would be far fewer abortions.

Maybe it's shocking for me to say fewer

instead of none. Yet our culture has become

so callous and so self-centered that

not even a "womb with a view" would

make a difference to some.

When it comes to abortion or as they like to

say "reproductive choice", I've heard every

explanation/excuse there is. But it really comes

down to a temporary alternate reality for those

who advocate abortion as a legitimate choice.

It really is NOT a matter of faith, personal "choice"

or ones own personal beliefs. It is in fact SCIENCE.

We positively, absolutely KNOW that a brand new,

completely unique and completely separate human

being is created at the moment of conception.

There's a little thing called DNA...damn those scientists!

Welcome to the 21st century all you feminist "pro-choicers".

There is no way to excuse/permit this thing you call "reproductive choice" unless you are

willing to say that it's not a matter of one human deciding to "not continue her pregnancy",

but rather a matter of two humans, one which has value and therefore all the power and another who has no value (unless otherwise bestowed upon it by its mother) and therefore no power. The more powerful one wins!

Now, I have actually heard some honest "pro-choicers" who readily admit that it's not a matter of one woman but of two people in a battle for control. I thank them for their honesty. But for those out there, including many public figures and politicians who talk about this issue using language that implies that we "don't really know when life begins". Well, it seems to me that they must live in an alternate reality.

For those who admit that there are two completely unique separate human beings whose value and worth is the determining factor in this issue - I say thanks for the honesty, but why must your allegiance be to one or the other? Why can't we respect both the humans involved here?

Why must we determine that one is valuable and one is not? In the end does this not degrade ALL human life then?

Myself being a woman who experienced an unplanned pregnancy, I know that the fear and the

dramatic changes that confront you are just that - dramatic. It IS a life-altering situation to be in. But ultimately I had to live with this truth - My life, my desires, my plans, my future, was no more valuable than the life and future of the person living inside me. Just because this demanded of me my time and my body made that truth no less apparent to me. As humans of the 21st century have we not learned this by now? Why do we continue to make these same errors again and again. We value only what we see and see only those things that we determine to have value. The rest? Who cares - It's not my problem. Right?

Modern or Modest? What's a girl to do?

This has been bothering me for a long while.

As a good Catholic woman who does

value modesty and purity as important,

Am I required or should I feel compelled

to wear skirts/dresses/jumpers?

Must I give up my low rise jeans and my tank tops?

Now mind you I don't "let it all hang out"

No way! I feel like I dress like

an average American mom.

Yet I do take note of what is showing

and I try to make an effort to conceal

"the goods" so to speak.

Today I took the kids to a gym to play

with a bunch of other homeschoolers.

All Catholic (well, mostly) and all modest.

I wore my jeans a tank top

(long one to cover my prego belly), with a button

down short sleeve shirt over it.

It got REALLY hot in there.

I was dying to take off the shirt.

I was sweating and uncomfortable.

But I kept the shirt on.

I felt like a tank top might "offend"

some of the other moms there.

I respect that completely.

That is why I kept the shirt on over the tank.

I kept on sweating.

This is a situation that comes up often.

There are two camps of homeschooling Catholics it seems.

The skirts and the jeans.

No, seriously though, there are some

who feel very strongly about women in pants.

I just can't convert.

Am I behind spiritually? am I not willing

to sacrifice enough? Am I too worldly?

Or is this all much fuss over nothing?

I can't see myself EVER sewing matching outfits

for myself and the girls -EVER.

I think Tim would run for the hills

if I tried...What's a woman like me to do?

Father and Son Bond

The Hoyt Father and Son Team competes http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4642920755415594672

Motherhood - more valuable than flying to the moon...Happy Mother's Day

: "Q: How can women's purported weakness be seen as a source of strength?

Alice Von Hildebrand:

"Granted that from a naturalistic point of view, men are stronger: not only because they are physically stronger, but also because they are more creative, more inventive and more productive -- most great works in theology, philosophy and fine arts have been made by men. They are the great engineers, the great architects.
But the Christian message is that, valuable as all these inventions are, they are dust and ashes compared to every act of virtue. Because a woman by her very nature is maternal -- for every woman, whether married or unmarried, is called upon to be a biological, psychological or spiritual mother -- she knows intuitively that to give, to nurture, to care for others, to suffer with and for them -- for maternity implies suffering -- is infinitely more valuable in God's sight than to conquer nations and fly to the moon. "

One more reason to READ Von Hildebrand!!

Dietrich Von Hildebrand Legacy Project: "Pope Benedict XVI once said of Dietrich von Hildebrand: “I am personally convinced that, when, at some time in the future, the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time.” Besides distinguishing himself by his heroic Christian witness against Nazism, he also distinguished himself as one of the greatest and most original Catholic thinkers of the twentieth century. His profound philosophical work on love, man and woman, sexuality, the heart and the emotions, the foundations of the moral life, natural and Christian virtues, the place of beauty in the life of persons, person and community have inspired and influenced many. But these contributions are still not known as they deserve to be."

Celebration of Pope John Paul II--life, papacy, theology, Catholic, faith, culture

Another great mini-movie celebrating the life and words of JPII. Hearing his voice alone, makes me want to cry... Enjoy it here - Celebration of Pope John Paul II--life, papacy, theology, Catholic, faith, culture

Alice von Hildebrand - Words to consider

Love and Responsibility Discussion Group: "How are we to reconquer the supernatural? Through prayer, sacrifice and penance, Dr. von Hildebrand explained. Being supernaturally motivated means we work for the greater glory of God, not for our own glory. With the rise of feminism, women realized that they were not appreciated, and they were quite right that they were not. 'But if you do it for God,' Dr. von Hildebrand asked, 'why does it matter? Don't concede that human recognition really has value.'"

Alice Von Hildebrand and her husband Dietrich (now deceased) are amazing people! I have read (not all of course) both of them and find what they have to say especially helpful for me a lay person, married and trying to raise children. Mrs. von Hildebrand's words have been especially helpful to me as a woman. Once again I found this discussion at Love and Responsibility. Love and Responsibility is another MUST READ for all!