Food for Thought...

I stumbled across this article this morning, and it really spoke to me and to a few issues weighing heavily on my heart at this time. Social media can be both a blessing and a curse. One thing it certainly does is highlight everything that is going on in the world and people's opinions about those things. I get discouraged when I look at society. I see a lot of immorality and the decisions made by our politicians have been less than stellar, in my opinion. I'm scared to think about what my children will face as they make their way to adulthood, especially since I'm about to bring a new life into this world.

The article can be found here http://www.catholicstand.com/a-humble-love-for-a-hurting-world/

Here are a few excerpts from this wonderfully written article. It is encouragement amid the discouragement of this world.

"It seems not a day goes by without a headline story about the culture wars. Everyday there is controversy about gay marriage, abortion, contraception or even migrants fleeing danger by crossing borders of other countries. There is a human drama playing out in front of our eyes everywhere we turn. I have been living with this underlying fear that I have had difficulty identifying. I could not figure out what exactly I was afraid of until I spent some time praying about it. Yesterday I spent the day telling God that I am scared, scared of what is happening to our world, scared of all the pictures of dead children, scared of all the Christians who seem to be acting out in their own fear, and scared mostly that I will not be a good witness of Christ in a world that needs saints and not Pharisees. My fears were coming from pride, from the idea that it was my responsibility to make sure that everyone knew the right way to live. I felt I had to convert them or force them to live that way, or else. Or else what? Am I going to spend my time telling them what horrible sinners they are, because I am a saint? That is far from the truth, for I am also a sinner. My fear came from my sense of having to make sure that people do what I tell them to do, from a desire to control them, but that is not what I am called to do. I am called to love them, just as Christ loves us without approving of our sins. God does not want us to wait until we are sinless to come to Him, it is by coming to Him that we can become saints not the other way around. He is the source of Grace that helps us to reach sainthood. Without Him, there is no hope of that happening for any of us. The entire point of preaching the Kingdom of God is to bring people into a personal relationship with Jesus, not to make sure that they are just like us. Everything about our Faith serves Him, not the other way around. Our goal cannot be to ensure that people stop accepting gay marriage, getting abortions, or using birth control. Letting go of that lifestyle is part of what comes with making Christ the Lord of your life. But before any of that can happen, one has to KNOW who Jesus is and fall in love with Him. Then the rest comes by Grace and the Power of the Holy Spirit. I always get myself in trouble when I make the mistake of thinking that I am the one who needs to make sure people follow the “rules”. Mostly because when I do that, I lose sight of Christ as well, and forget to look at my own faults with the same microscope that I am using to look at the faults of others. "

Revisiting Summer Vacation

Labor Day marks the official end of summer although, in my world, it's usually the 1st day of school! I spent the entire summer not once posting about our vacations/summer activities. Today, I'm going to revisit our summer before I begin taking out pumpkins and getting ready for all things Fall!

 

Boy, was this summer busy! I don't remember it ever being as busy as it was. June started out slower paced, but July just flew right by.

 

We celebrated Lily's birthday right when school ended with a water slide party. The girls attended Vacation Bible School at the beginning of June, and we broke away for a quick trip with our cousins!

 

 

Swimming lessons kept them busy for 2 weeks, we celebrated the 4th of July, enjoyed the circus, and then Mom escaped to the beach for a weekend girls trip...much needed!

 

 

We took one more weekend trip to New Orleans as a family before school started. We visited the insectarium and ate our fill of beignets! Yum!

 



 

 

An adult getaway was a must! It was Craig and I's last adult vacation before the baby comes, and I'm sure will be our last adult vacation for a while. We enjoyed visiting beautiful Massachusetts...Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, Boston, and Salem.

 

Summer is over! It was a fun one, but I'm ready for cooler weather, changing leaves, pumpkins, and Halloween!

Until next time...


 

Back to School...Again!?!

Wasn't it just the other day I was posting for the first time about Lily's 1st day of Kindergarten.

 

Where does the time go?

 

Today was the 1st day of 1st grade for this little lady!

 

 

 

She was a little nervous this morning, but ready for the year ahead. This year was much easier on her (and my heart) since we both have a year under our belt. She has friends from last year, she knows the routine, she knows her way around school. I can't wait to get home to hear about her day!

 

 

This little lady had a big week too! She started a Pre-K program at a new school. This will get her ready to start Kindergarten next fall. I'm sure I'll blink my eyes, and I'll be back posting about Camille's first day. Yikes! She's been there all week, and she loves it! I'll admit I cried dropping her off. It's something about seeing your children go out on their own in a brand new place that's terrifying.

 

 

I pray they both have great school years! I hope they make friends who are kind and uplifting. I hope their teachers have patience and understanding with them, and I hope they grow in confidence this upcoming year.

 

 

Until next time...

Happy Birthday Lily!

6 years ago, this little lady made me a mom! It's by far the best job I've ever had!  

 

She completely changed the course of our lives, and I can't imagine my life without her. She's a spitting image of her daddy with the same personality as her mother! What a combination!

 

 

 

She's so funny and she's super smart. She loves animals and is a nurturer at heart. She is a great big sister, and she's going to be a huge help in November when the new baby arrives.

 

 

There aren't enough words to express how I feel about this little girl. Happy Birthday Lily! I love, love, love you and I'm so glad you are mine!

 

Surprise!

Camille is being promoted to big sister! Baby # 3 is due in November!

 

 

I'm officially out of my 1st trimester and we are SO excited! I feel really, really blessed to be able to do this for a third time. Especially because I know couples are struggling to conceive. Having a child is a privilege not afforded to everyone. I went to the doctor just last week and heard the heartbeat. That sound never gets old, and the entire process just completely amazes me.

 

Children were never on my radar, even as a young adult right out of college, and even though I was in a serious relationship. My girls were not really "planned" and my God how happy I am that they weren't. The best things in life are sometimes unexpected gifts. God's plan is always greater. I often wonder, if things didn't happen the way they did, if we would even have children at this point in our lives? I never expected to enjoy motherhood as much as I do. It is easily the greatest accomplishment in my life. This is the vocation that I'm called to...married life and motherhood. The Lord is giving me the opportunity to love, protect, and raise these children that are his. Those are things I don't take lightly. How amazing a privilege. I try to remember that every day especially days when I don't feel "motherly."

 

The first 3 months have been pretty easy. I've never had morning sickness for any of my children. Praise God because I think I would have stopped after 1! Besides fatigue, I've been feeling fine. I'm praying for a healthy baby, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy delivery.

 

What's up Wednesday!?

It's not until you sit down to write about the things that have been going on, that you realize how quickly life passes. Today, I'm linking up and sharing about what's up in our life lately...

1. What we're eating this week: Gosh! This might just be the hardest thing to decide on every week. I'm constantly trying to think of new, healthy ideas for my family. This week, we've tried some Simple Asian Noodles, had the obligatory Taco Tuesday, and will put some ribs in the slow cooker later in the week. I also made a delicious pound cake last night.

2. What I'm reminiscing about: How last year at this time I was crying about Lily heading off to Kindergarten! Just yesterday, I received information about her Kinder graduation next month. It's hard to believe I will have a 1st grader. It's hard to believe how fast this year has gone by.

3. What I'm loving: I've been super tired lately, so I'm loving any kind of downtime I can get. I'm also loving the idea of summer and heading out of town for a few vacations!

4. What we've been up to: What have we not been up to? School, homework, work, etc. Our weekends have been very busy with birthday parties, First Communions, and Craig and I enjoyed a local Festival last Saturday, kid-free.

5. What I'm dreading: Luckily, nothing at the moment!

6. What I'm working on: I'm hoping to get back in the yard this week to clean it up, plant a few more flowers, and maybe even start a small vegetable garden. The weather has been very rainy lately. April brought more than enough showers!!

7. What I'm excited about: That's for another post...coming VERY soon. I'm also excited about this cool front that passed yesterday. It's a nice break from the heat!

8. What I'm watching/reading: I wish I could say I was reading. I LOVE to read, but just haven't found the time to do it since my children were born. I used to read 2-3 books/month, now I'm lucky if I average 2-3 books a year. I'm hoping to rectify that this summer. I'm watching Dancing with the Stars and American Idol consistently. I also DVR The Voice and play catch-up on the weekends. I'm also still working on Parenthood! After the series finale in January, I started from season 1 and watched episodes. It's not something I do every day so I'm slowly but surely making my way through the seasons.

9. What I'm listening to: I've heard Shake it Off, All About that Bass, and Uptown Funk so much, my ears hurt. When my kids are not requesting those songs, I'm usually listening to Christian music.

10. What I'm wearing: Listen, the last thing I am is a fashionista. Shopping for clothes is not my love language. I'm basically wearing business casual attire during the work day and something comfortable on the weeknights or weekends. Nothing fancy here.

11. What I'm doing the weekend: Refer back to #6 and we also have another First Communion on Sunday that we will be attending.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month: School's out for Summer! May is usually a busy month but filled with so much excitement. Looking forward to a break in the routine for a couple months and planning Lily's 6th birthday party!

13. What else is new: Besides #'s 1-12, not much else to report.

14. What I'm giving (or want to receive) for Mother's Day: I'm easy...I'd love a pedicure/facial/massage over jewelry any day. As far as the mother's in my life, I'm still working on some ideas.

Very important announcement coming soon! I can't wait. Until then...

Life Lately

 

It's the 30th today...how did that happen? March was busy!! What have we been up to?

 

Earlier in March, we participated in Family Adventure Day. It is a fundraiser for a local charity in town called Healing House. They provide services to families and especially young children who are grieving the loss of a parent, sibling, etc. Family adventure day is a great way to give back to the community while spending the day doing fun things with the ones you love. There were over 30 businesses that participated. We met the Easter bunny, jumped at a trampoline park, met the police horses, made some crafts at a local painting studio among other things. It was the perfect day to really soak up some quality time with one another.

 

 

 

Mae is growing! She's already super spoiled. I'm not sure we would have it any other way. I thought she would help me to get over the loss of Marley, but I find myself missing Marley even more over the last few weeks.





 

 

Lent is winding down, and we are ready for Easter in the Morel house! I'm taking some time off from work this week, and I have a few fun things planned for the girls. (The Easter bunny is bringing a really good surprise this year).

 

 

Until next time...

Mae

 

Meet Mae, our new boxer puppy!

 

 

 

We are missing Marley, but apparently, this is how we grieve.
Mae is a great fit for our family. She's feisty and sweet. How can you resist that sweet face!?!

 

Here's to a new chapter in our lives...

Disney Vacation 2015

Here in Louisiana, Mardi Gras is a big deal! Schools are off at minimum, Monday-Wednesday of Mardi Gras week. This year, Lily's school just so happened to be off the entire week so we decided to head a little further south and enjoy a Disney vacation! This was the first trip for my girls and my husband (I've been twice before, but it's been 20 years...so many things have changed). We had a great time! It was a wonderful week just enjoying time with one another and having fun in such a happy place. These trips are the memories I want to make with my children. These are the things I remember most from when I was a child. Vacations were the one thing my parents always splurged on every year.

 

Here are some photos from our time in Florida...

We rode and survived the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!

 

 

We met many princesses and other friends... 

 

 

 

 

We screamed when we rode Splash Mountain...

 

 

 

 

We had a magical time!

 

Marley

Today, we had to say goodbye to Marley.

She was my baby before I had children. She was so much more than just a pet. I would often joke that she was human reincarnated in a dog's body. She would sigh at you if you fussed at her, and if you really made her mad, she would turn her back to you and ignore you to let you know she wasn't happy with you. She was sweet and spunky. She never met an animal or a person she didn't like! She was very protective of me, and she loved her sisters, especially Camille.

I'll miss her barks right as I got home from work everyday letting me know she missed me and she was ready to come inside. She was such a GOOD dog, very disciplined and listened well. I don't think it was something that she learned through training, it was just who she was. She felt safe and loved by us, but we felt the same from her. She added much more to our family than she'll ever know.

It won't be the same without her, and it will take us a while, as a family, to get into a new routine.

Until we meet again, sweet girl...rest easy. You are loved.

A Friday Favorite

 

A few of the ladies from some of my favorite blogs, always share their Friday Favorites. I'm joining in today to talk about one specific favorite from the week! So this is my Friday favorite, the bittersweet edition...

 

 

 

 

Parenthood's series finale was last night, and it was one for the books. I don't have much time for TV, and I often chose to watch mindless, funny shows (The Bachelor/Dancing with the Stars/American Idol) just as a way to escape reality for an hour each night. Parenthood is altogether different. I know for a fact I've never seen season 1 (which I'm going to rectify very soon). I think I stumbled upon it somewhere in the middle of season 2 and was hooked from season 3 through season 6. There has never been a show on TV quite like this one. The family dynamic, the chaos and dysfunction. It was so completely real. I tip my hat to the writers/producers/actors for their talent. It was an amazing show. I am so sad to see it go. I don't know what I'm going to do on Thursday nights without the Braverman's. I'm not sure how I felt about the death at the end (because I secretly want everyone to live forever), but it was a true testament to the saying "life goes on." It was orchestrated perfectly.

 

If you've never seen an episode, do yourself a favor and buy the seasons or watch them on Netflix. You won't be disappointed.

 

 

6 years down...

6 years ago, today, we did this...

 

 

 January 23, 2009 was one of the best days of my life. I remember being on cloud 9 and so happy to be starting a new chapter in my life with him. We were friends for 2 years and then dated for 6 years before we were married. I feel like we've been together forever, but sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday. 6 years of marriage today is like an anomaly so I'm happy to say that if I had to go back and do it over again, I would most definitely pick him.   

 

Marriage is hard. Marriage with children is harder. Love and commitment are things we have to chose daily in order to keep this marriage strong. I'm so lucky to have married a good man who works tirelessly for his family and is a great father to his children. I remember in our marriage retreat, a few weekends before we were married, I was asked what quality it was about him that first attracted me to him. What I said that day is so true, and is still true 6 years later...he has a good heart. Cliché or not, he is my best friend, he can always make me laugh, and he knows me so very well. It's easy to go through life with someone like him by my side. My prayer is that we are blessed with many, many more years together. One of the best decisions I ever made was marrying him.

 

Happy Anniversary, Craig! I love you!

2015

 

 

I've never spent much time or effort into thinking about a new year, but I think I'm becoming more reflective the older I get. I'm not one to make resolutions so I think this year I'm going to make some goals (monthly and yearly) and try to be successful in reaching most of those.

 

I'm naturally a planner so I'm going to take those skills and map out the year both for myself and my family. The disadvantage of being a planner by nature is that I often get caught up in "my plan." If it doesn't work out the way I planned it, then I'm frustrated/aggravated, etc. I'm going to try really hard to create a baseline for the year but remember that things always come up and plans change. I should know by now that some of the best things in life that have happened to me have been God's doing and not my own. I would have never "planned" for things to work out the way they did, but I'm so glad his plans for my life are better than my own.

 

I hope 2015 brings wonderful memories and experiences, lots of happiness, and a healthy year for my family. Those are the things I'm most grateful for when I look back on 2014.

 

Cheers to a new year and a fresh outlook! Until next time...