reclaiming a garden November 21, 2009

Relandscaping the front was a type of spiritual journey of sorts. Like a late conversion, it was a long time in coming. Ever since we moved into our new house the front garden was “all freedom and no form.” That is a nice way of saying it was chaos with plants growing in any old way: tall plants were in front, low lying plants in the back, huge clumps in one area while other areas were unusually bare and other perennials neglected by not being divided in ages. I couldn’t figure out what the previous owners’ had as their “end” in mind.

front steps

Feeling quite overwhelmed by the mess, it was hard to even get started. Where to begin? A gardening friend told me to give the landscaping a year so that I could properly assess what I’d be working with: the pros, the cons, the soil, the plants and the sunlight. What’s the saying, “To stand and wait is also to serve.” Waiting was a very difficult thing to do as I just wanted to roll up my sleeves and dig right in (pun intended).

At the beginning my biggest challenge was to put my “loves” in order. There wasn’t much space, only a limited amount. I couldn’t have all the flowers and plants I wanted, so I had to prioritize which ones I loved best. In order to do so, I had to uproot many “flowers” that were nice but not my favorites, still others I loved but there were way too many of them. They choked out the small space. The phrase, “If you cannot say “no” what does your “yes” mean?” took on new meaning.

Then I had to decide whether to do it myself or hire someone to help. I am very familiar with plants, but I am not an expert by any means. This was the front of the house and I really felt it needed as much help as possible. So, I decided to hire out, but who to hire was the next question.

One place offered a reasonable landscape design, but the design was very onesie, twosie. In essence, boring. Another landscape place required more money, but an outstanding design. In the end, it really came down to whether I wanted to settle for mediocre or for excellence. Mediocre was cheap, convenient and easy. Excellence required more patience, faith, hard work, and sacrifice but in the end, it was worth it.

side walk

Once the design was drawn up, we ordered the plants. The last part of the journey was to realize that something in concept is another thing in action. Or, in the spiritual walk it translates to “knowledge is not virtue.”

The idea of the new garden seemed so simple, but actually removing the old plants, hacking out the roots, tilling the soil and amending the soil before planting was a lot of hard work.

Once the day of planting arrived, one final lesson was learned having to do with expectations. We thought the ground was ready and all we needed to do was dig the holes and place the perennials in their new home. Well, that is when we discovered more and more roots. How frustrating. That which lies beneith the service, that which is left unseen was the most frustrating. It made me wonder at what are some of my core roots or character flaws that I too am blind to? Sigh! But then there’s grace.

Thank God for a loving, supportive community that made the long day doable. Sixteen hours later the job was done. It was exhausting, but I truly appreciate it’s beauty and the calm I feel looking at it when I come home.

Okay, one last thing, you know what was super fun? Getting to know new plants. It’s truly a celebration. I was introduced to some really fun shrubs like: diervilla, weigela and redbud. And I have some new favorite perennials: wild geranium, coral bells and “Ligularia ‘Britt Marie’”. Ligualaria is a perennial with large chocolate-wine colored leaves and bright yellow flowers in late summer.

side view

The colors we chose were wines, pinks, sage and a little yellow mixed in. The objective was to be beautiful, but low maintenance. We shall see!

No wonder God commanded us to take care of the garden before the fall of Adam and Eve. There is something very satisfying in bringing order out of the chaos, creating and nurturing. Blooming where we are planted.

Miracle Drink Skeptic Eats Humble Pie October 22, 2009

One of the reasons I adore and respect Jennette Turner and her nutrition and health food classes is she is not selling anything. In fact, she subscribes to the notion that we should get our nutrients the way God meant us to get nutrients, through food. Not through laboratory made powders and pills.

So it was with much skepticism and resistance that I responded to my friend Jim’s request to start taking a juice called Xango. My reaction was something like this, “Oh yes, another miracle drink.”

Jim has three daugthers who all had food allergies. They took it and are cured (except nuts) and he was fairly confident that it could help me as well. So, I bought some of the juice and started taking it last week Wednesday. Much to my surprise it has helped me in ways I never thought possible for a juice.

First, I have to say that it wasn’t an overnight transformation. In fact, I didn’t notice anything different for the first 3 or 4 days and then I felt more peaceful, less agitated and physically strong. As if, I have been walking around depleted and cranky for the last five years.

Then I noticed that my knee stopped hurting and that my soles of my feet stopped tingling at bedtime. What is going on? Just weeks before I was complaining to Greg because I felt like I was falling apart physically.

Now, all these changes have taken place on top of the fact that last week I was diagnosed with mononucleosis! Okay, if I feel this good sick with mono what the heck can it do when I’m not sick!!

Did I mention that the Xango juice is just that 100% juice from a fruit called Mangostein. It is a southeast Asian fruit that has a long history of helping with a wide range of ailments. Here are some of the benefits listed on the package:
- maintain intestinal health
- support the immune system
- neutralize free radicals
- help support cartilage and joint function
- and promote a healthy seasonal respiratory system

So, we shall keep an eye on this because, well so far so good and meanwhile pass me another slice of humble pie. Hopefully in a month or so it will be with a gluten crust!

Poverty and Wealth October 17, 2009

Who are the wealthy among us? Who are the poor? And, why? What is the meaning of it all? If God loves us all, why are some blessed with an abundance while others starve?

When looking back over some of the more impoverished moments of my childhood and hashing them out with my dear sister, Julie, I am inspired by her unshakeable confidence, “Ann, it made us the people we are today. I would not change it for a moment.” she says.

If you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth and never lack for anything, do you really appreciate what you have? Do you really hold that gift in your hand and say whole heartedly, “thank you!” or do you just become spoiled, insensitive and ungrateful?

All this comes after watching Larkin home videos. Videos of Greg and his twelve brothers and sisters and their many vacations, outings with their mom and dad. What a celebration of life! A beautiful thing to behold. Yet, watching them brings a tinge of pain, just like the pain I felt when I’d stay for the holidays over at my friends’ houses in college in the state of Virginia.

Part of the pain was realizing for the first time that not everybody had holidays like I had holidays. I didn’t have anything else to compare it with and looking back maybe that was a blessing.

My holidays went something like this: both Mom and Dad are there in the same house, thanks to family members and relatives insisting the day be spent together “as a family” even though my parents had been divorced for many years. Thus, all us kids are on pins and needles because they are fighting again or getting their jabs in or just being clueless to you and your wants and your needs because they are too busy thinking about themselves and their insecurities in this painfully awkward situation.

Like, oh yeah it is Christmas, most kids get nice, thoughtful presents at Christmas. Not ones bought from the drug store the night before because it was the only store open at 10:00 pm. No, I’m not bitter. I love the new tooth brush and 4 pack of size DD batteries. They will go perfect with the new doll (I really wanted but didn’t get), you know the one that cries when you feed it spinach.

Oh the pain, the disappointment of it all. But then, I stumbled upon this beauty the other day and had an “aha moment”:

“The child who is being spoiled, on the other hand, does not get a chance to like, desire, and appreciate things. This is so because he gets too many toys too early, too abundantly, often before he ever has a desire for them. This child becomes the adult who ‘buys now and pays later’; who must have everything immediately because he cannot wait.”

“Born Only Once” by Conrad W. Baars

Aha, I see the silver lining: sensitivity, appreciation, restraint, hard working, drive and thankfulness.

However, I’m still working on getting to a place of peace and serenity with the disappointments. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe in spending too much time at the pity party only on Tuesdays and Thursdays during leap year and occasionally after the Vikings have lost yet another Super Bowl. Acknowledging the pain is a part of the process to healing, right?

A moment of silence please.

Now that is over with, it seems the best way to “get on with it” is humor, counting your blessings in the here and now and hanging out with good friends because good friends, like my sister Julie, are golden. Relationships are where it is at (both earthly and heavenly) and all else is gravy (with or without the silver spoon).

Mono? October 16, 2009

Yes, just found out last night that I have Mono (mononucleosis).
Will go in today to see if they kids have it as well. Am feeling pretty good all things considered. We shall see. We are thinking perhaps I got it from Daniel who got it from someone in his class.

Are we sick of the germs? Gosh, it just seems like so many people are sick these days. Sigh . . .

Randomn Thoughts October 8, 2009

Monday, October 12, 2009

This morning Monica (3 yrs) looked out the window and said to Isaac (8 mths), “It isn’t ice cream! It’s snow!”

We celebrated my 37th birthday yesterday. It was so nice to have Grandpa Jack and Grandma Ellen watch all three kids while Greg and I walked around Lake Harriet and went to dinner at Salut Americain. Aaaaah!

After much hesitation, I’ve decided to give my friends’ miracle drink, “Xango” a try. It seems it has cured several of his kids with food allergies. They also have a skin care line that has cured my girlfriends’ eczema. I have some eczema on my leg and will give it a try. Will keep you posted!

Sorry the picture is a little dark. . . we will be entering Isaac in the Highland circus program as soon as he can walk. He’s showing some serious coordination! Don’t forget to check out some of our new songs in the Traveling Songs section.

October 8, 2009

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of my mother’s passing. Each year I find myself reflecting on her in a different way. This year it was how hard it must have been for her to raise six kids alone. Not easy. Did I mention she liked to dance to Abba in the kitchen? That probably saved her from going over the edge.

Monica said something remarkable the other day. She has a plastic giraffe. She calls it, “Smart Giraffe.” I asked her why she calls it, “Smart Giraffe.” She replied very matter-of-factly, “Because he believes in God.”

Just finished up on an intense landscaping job for the front. As Greg said, “We are no longer the eye-sore on the block.” Thank God for a friend and a sister-in-law that helped in on a Saturday. I’m such an optimist and thought, “I can do this alone.” Well, 14 hours later with two other people helping, I was done planting all the plants. We ran into so many roots that had to be hacked out.

Made me wonder about what are the roots in my spiritual life. We see the weeds that tend to choke out the good fruits and we are chopping off the tops, but never get to the heart of the problem and thus keep battling with the same vices. Does God ever use weed killer?

The front yard is beautiful. . . a celebration. As my friend reminded me, “God commanded us to take care of the garden, before the fall!” So much to learn from preparing, using our hands, tending the soil, planting and all the other work involved. The experience made me very grateful for not getting everything I wanted growing up. It instilled in us kids a very hard work ethic. You cannot buy that. What a gem. Priceless.

Thank you God for all your blessings!

First Day of Kindgergarten September 15, 2009

DfirstdayK

Last week was Daniel’s first day of kindergarten. As a pre-schooler he had to wear simply a black pair of pants and a red shirt. This year he has graduated to black pants and shoes, an official school shirt and a tie! My goodness doesn’t he look professional.

The morning began with Daniel helping me make Gingerbread pancakes. He cracked the egg and poured in all the ingredients. Once done he put lots of whip cream on top with syrup. Then we changed into his school clothes, got his new back pack (almost as big as he is) and went to school.

Thank goodness we found a parking spot right behind one of his good friends, Landon. They talked away and it was an easy transition.

busy at work

When Daniel entered the classroom he was greeted by a swarm of parents and children. The teacher made her way over to Daniel, got down on her knees and gave him a big hug. Then he came close to her and said in a whisper that he got a new pirate ship at a garage sale. The teacher said enthusiastically, “I just love finding treasures at garage sales!”

At Holy Family the kindgergarten teacher often helps the pre-school teacher throughout the year that way she already knows a little about each child before they are her students. At the end of last year, in fact, she came up to me at a social event and said she adores Daniel and cannot wait to have him in class. Wow, that is the kind of support and love every child should have!

Daniel Monica befor kindergarten

Monica did much better saying goodbye to Daniel than last year. Last year she was very sad that she couldn’t go to school with him. This year, she wasn’t sad at all. In fact, she was very happy for Daniel.

I wanted to make the occasion special for her as well, so after dropping Daniel off at school, Monica and I went home and had a special “Monica Day” where we painted our finger and toe nails, watched her favorite video and then made her favorite lunch. All in all, it was a fantastic day.

Some people asked me if I felt sad. Not at all. Greg and I are really happy with what Daniel has learned in pre-school and the quality of education at Holy Family Academy. The teachers are amazing and students very sweet. Daniel is ready for school and loves being with other children. It does stretch him a bit to get out of his comfort zone. As we were saying goodnight to him he said, “I was feeling shy, but then I decided to have courage!”

Losing that Baby Weight September 8, 2009

Losing that Baby Weight

This afternoon at our regular group of moms we had a weight loss conversation. Oh the joys of post-partum. Children are an amazing gift from God. As time moves on, I am so happy for making all the sacrifices, but honestly I wish the weight would move along more quickly. Now, I am not pretending to be an expert in the weight loss arena, however here are three things I have found helpful.

“Fake it til you make it.” I’m a firm believer in transforming oneself from the inside out and that is really watching what I am thinking and saying about myself.

What things do you believe about yourself regarding weight loss? For example, do you say: “I hate exercise!”, “I have a slow metabolism.”, “I am inconsistent.”, “I am (not) an athlete.”, “I am (not) dedicated.”, “My health is (not) important to me. or “I have (no) self-control.”

Sometimes, I am shocked and horrified by some of the things I hear others say about themselves. Talk about bad programming. However, if I was really honest with you, well I have some bad programming of my own that I would like to change. So, I’ve created a list of about 5 things that I am routinely saying to myself. Within time, we’ll see if I have faked it enough to transform the thoughts into reality.

Another thought, if you plan a change don’t let anyone know until you have firmly established a routine. Unless of course they are key in that change you want to see happen, for example, your spouse. When I go about telling everyone how much weight I want to lose and my specific plan, it is almost as if the devil attacts twice as hard in order to thwart my attempt and make me feel like a failure, then I find it even harder to get up enough courage to try again. After time people stop trying and they start saying to themselves things like, “This is the way I am.”

Instead, say little and work hard. Put your nose to the grindstone, and plan to stay there for at least 30 days until you’ve established a different routine /lifestyle.

Final thought, don’t expect to “feel” like exercising. . . ever. I am an athlete and I “feel” like exercising about 5% of the time. However, I am happy that I exercised 100% of the time after doing it. That is what I bank on.

That’s it. Hope that helps. You go girl! You can do it!

Heaven is like . . . August 18, 2009

Oh the funny things our children say.

Here are two gems:

summer snuggles 09

So, I’m driving to a play date this morning and I hear Daniel telling Monica about heaven. Daniel says to Monica, “Heaven is super great!” Then Monica says, “Is it like going to church?” Daniel says, “Yes, but even better!” Then Monica says, “Like going to a garage sale?”

My Happy Lil Boy

Okay, I have another one. This was not from the mouth of one of my kids, but from a little boy on the playground last night. So, this little boy is about four years old with a batman t-shirt on. Daniel runs up to him and says, “Do you want to play tag?” The boy replies, “No, I’m too busy. I’m fighting crime.”

Late Night Ponderings July 31, 2009

colosseo

Rome, the Eternal City. There is something very special about her. No other city on earth is quite like her. Go there once, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Have you ever wondered why that is?

basilica di san pietro

It seems that God has poured out architectural blessings in abundance on this place. So much so, that even in her ruins, she is still magnificent. Absolutely breath taking. Wouldn’t it be lovely if God has inspired the architects of old to create on earth some of the buildings that actually exist in heaven? You know, when Jesus told us, “In my house there are many mansions. ” Could it be, perhaps he inspired them to create replicas of these mansions on earth?

fontana di trevi

Oh, how wonderful it would be to see St. Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain or Piazza Navona in heaven. Better yet, how about the Roman Forum in all her beauty! And what if the Colloseum would be complete and dazzling with the statues of the saints lining the niches around the walls. Instead of torture, there would be one big celebration and glorification of God.

Yes, of course, I know, heaven is not material, but it is still fun to ponder these things, especially when your mind is racing at 3:00 in the blessed A.M. On that note, buona notte!

“Dream About Pigs” July 27, 2009

little prince and princess

After saying prayers this evening, Monica responded to my “sweet dreams” with, “You too. Dream about pigs!” – pigs are her new favorite. Daniel hearing this said, “Dream about heaven.” Cherubs, my kids are cherubs.

Here the kids are playing dress-up. We found these great costumes at a garage sale. How fun!

echinacea

Well, it has been very busy over here, and we even try to say “no” as often as we can to keep life simple. However, what are those lyrics, “It’s been a hard days night, and I’ve been working like a dog.” Yes, that describes the last month or so. We are well into summer, and I have been on a mission to get projects completed both outdoors and indoors. So far so good.
My biggest hurdle is the outdoors. I have had to switch from going running every other day to working in the garden as it is such a huge project and not enough time in the day to do both. Must be working because I’m losing weight. Win, win situation.

In spite of the “business” we are finding time for trips to the pool (even if it is in my driveway) and lots of ice cream.

water days

Daniel Lake Harriet

Deep thoughts? None too tired. Sassy anything? No, too tired. Wait. Yes there is, three cheers for Sarah Palin. My well wishes to kickin some butt in the days ahead. If you don’t like her. Stop watching main stream media. That might help change things. She rocks. Good night.

Winter Indoor Survival Activities January 12, 2009

Congratulations! It’s a beautiful day outside, that is, if you are a polar bear or emporer penguin. Thanks to an artic blast we will be hovering in the negative temps throughout this week.

As luck would have it, Mom is sleep deprived and junior has more energy than he or she knows what to do with. Sound familiar? What a crazy cocktail of circumstances. Here are some ideas to keep you sane:

1. Start your day off with a good stiff drink: vodka and orange juice, coffee and Baileys, extra Baileys. Oh, that’s right I’m pregnant, how about orange juice on the rocks with a little Sprite. I’ll play make-believe and throw a cocktail umbrella on top.

slushies

2. Bring the fort inside. Grab the blankets, the pillows and turn your dining room table into Fort Snelling.

3. Bring the mountains inside too. Pile up a couple of bed matresses and let them play mountain lion or grizzly bear. It’s great for climbing up and sliding down. Make a cave or two for the long awaited hibernation period after lunch.

4. Turn on the music. How about The Beach Boys. Get a big roasting pan, some scoopers and dump some dried rice, lentils or beans in the pan for them to scoop and hide toys in. Get some old jars for them to fill and dump.

5. Anytime is a good time for a bath. For added fun, grab a bucket of snow from outside. Let them bring it in the tub. Amazing!

6. Play Hide-and-Go-Seek with some of their toys. We play with trains, but stuffed animals work too. They stay in one room while you hide their trains in another, then you can put your feet up and have a sip of your cocktail while they try to find them all.

7. Make newspaper hats. Grab some old wrapping paper card board tubing or the like for pretend swords, an old box or one of those big plastic storage containers as a make-shift ship and let them play pirates.

8. Collect as many super balls or squishy balls as you can find. Put them in a bag. Go to the top of the stars and let them throw them down. Put a bowl at the bottom of the stairs and see how many they can get in the bowl. Then they have to run down the stairs, pick them up and bring them to the top. Repeat. Great for getting that excess energy out.

9. Along the same lines as above but slightly different. Grab a deck of cards. Sit on the floor or sofa. Give half the cards to your tyke, grab a big mixing bowl and put it a couple feet away, further if you have older kids. Then see who can flick the most cards in the bowl. Kids love watching the cards go flying.

10. Do you have an upstairs that overlooks the downstairs in your house? Get a laundry basket full of socks and throw them over the railing, balloons and teddy bears work as well. Then they pick them up and repeat. You will be amazed at how many times they will repeat this!

11. This requires some planning. I like to have lots of cheap paper on hand. I put newspapers on the floor, then roll out the paper. Give them the paints or the markers and let them go to town. Whatever you do, don’t give a rats behind about them coloring in the lines, holding the brush perfectly, etc. Who cares! That is. . . unless. . . you want to go crazy.

12. Make cookies the less stressful way. Put the mixing bowls on the floor so you don’t have to worry about them falling off chairs and spreading flour throughout the house. LET THEM CRACK THE EGGS! That is half the fun and they get a tremendous sense of power. So what, pick out the shells. Get over it. Let them roll the dough into balls, smoosh them with forks, make teddy bears, snakes and other odd shapes. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

13. Take out the Halloween costumes. While the tykes are putting them on, go throughout the house putting a stuffed animal and a toy, apple or piece of candy behind every closed door. Then let the kids play pretend trick-or-treat while you take a rest. Spend the remainder of the day with kids playing dress-up.

For those who want to spend an ungodly amount of time stuffing their toddlers into snow boots, jackets, pants and gloves and schlepping them in their car, here are some FREE, fun ideas:

1. Take a trip to the skyways. In the Twin Cities we have these lovely above ground tunnels connecting one down town building to another. They are always heated, free and have fun shops here and there. Go from one fountain to another.

2. Find your nearest community recreation center. Anyone know of any in Minneapolis? Hello? Anyone?

3. Visit your nearest mall. Mall of America is best for running around and has Lego Land for the kids to play with the Legos. The Barnes & Noble store inside MOA has a Thomas the Train table in the kids section toward the back of the store.

4. Go to the Como Zoo. It’s free and partly indoors.

5. Check out Choo Choo Bob’s Train store off Marshall Ave and Cleveland in St. Paul. They have 6 train tables stocked full of trains for the kids to play with, and it is free.

6. Grab a latte at Java Train Coffee Shop across from Holy Family Church off Midway Parkway in St. Paul. They have a huge caboose that kids play in with toys and a train that goes around the tracks up top for the kids to watch. Very kid friendly coffee shop.

Did I miss something? Yes, I know the vodka. Give me another couple months will ya!

Foreign Exchange Student March 23, 2009

Well, if having a newborn wasn’t enough for us, we have gone and decided to accept a foreign exchange student from France, south of France that is, close to the chateau that Brad and Angelina own. He comes from a high profile background. Perhaps you have heard of him, his name is Pierre LaBear, and he has actually been staying with us for some time now.

What can I say, something like this is an adjustment on everyone. He comes from a different culture with different customs and let’s face it we all have had our surprises within the last weeks.

Pierre potty time

First, well we were quite disappointed to find out that he wasn’t potty trained. This was a bit of a shock. Fortunately, our little miss Monica advanced in her potty training skills has so generously accommodated Pierre with the use of her potty.

Pierre's Fav Pasttime

Secondly, Pierre is a bit of a couch potato. Weren’t french people supposed to be active? All he wants to do is watch old Grizzly Adams and Yogi Bear reruns!!

bear's blueberries

To make matters worse Pierre’s has a ravenous appetite and a very peculiar diet. Talk about a picky eater! He wants blueberries and honey on everything. Zut alors!

chef extraordinaire

Thank God he makes up for it with his culinary skills. Excuse my french, but Pierre does a damn fine job in the kitchen.

Isaac w Pierre

All in all, our family feels a special tie to this little fellow and Isaac is especially fond of the wee lil’ chap. So, we won’t vote him of this island just yet. Even if he’s a bit of a bear to get along with.

Taking Time to Smell the Magnolias May 1, 2009

Thursday, 30 April 2009

contemplating

Today was a perfectly misty Thursday morning. After cartoons we headed out to the Japanese Garden by Lake Harriet to see how the spring flowers were blooming.

climbing trees

The kids spent the time chasing ducks, meandering along paths and of course climbing trees. I took the time to smell one of my favorite trees: the magnolia.

Garden Arch

I’d say within the next week the gardens will be in full bloom. The magnolias are blooming of course, along with the crocus, some daffadills and a few tulips. Wait a month then the fruit trees will be absolutely divine with their clusters of flowers.

After returning from the gardens the kids took up drawing.

pirate ship

Today I found Monica working away on her doodle pro. When I asked her what she was drawing she said, “It’s a ship.” I said, “Wow, Monica!” Then she said, “It’s not a Roman ship. It’s a pirate ship.”

Recipe for Unhappiness June 1, 2009

Just the other day I was hanging out with a big group of moms with their kids. There happens to be a mom there who is not only thin, but beautiful with a lovely house, furniture, car and kids to match. Did she order her kids out of a catalog? They are so beautiful!

Anyway, she happened to leave early and one lady made a snide comment about her being so “perfect.” As this is a Catholic group of ladies I was a bit shocked, and then I felt really sad for the lady who made this comment.

Allow me to step on my soapbox for a moment: if there is one piece of advice for making yourself absolutely miserable it has got to be compare yourself to others, because no doubt you will always find someone wealthier, healthier, thinner and more beautiful.

Also, and I cannot emphasize this enough, comparing yourself to others isolates yourself from others. This is something I’ve felt for a long time, but I actually read it in a book the other day and it made so much sense from a rational stand point. On the flip side of course, rejoicing in other people’s good fortune and being thankful for what you have unites yourself to others.

Now, I have many weaknesses but jealousy is not one of them, and I feel this is a great grace from God because it takes little or no effort on my part. However, there has been a time or two when I’ve felt a strong tinge of jealousy. I was shocked and thankfully I was given the grace to step back and recognize an area that I had been neglecting that I wanted to improve within my life. So, jealousy can be a nice flashlight into hidden areas in need of help and great stimulous for change.

One last point and then I’ll climb off the old soapbox. Now, there are many days I don’t feel particularly beautiful or blessed. It is going to sound so cliche but literally what helps me is to count my blessings. I try to do at least 10 and inevitably end up with 20 or 30 blessings and a peaceful, happy heart. What does that Vege Tale’s song say, “A thankful heart is a happy heart.” I pray we are united with happy hearts!

Spring into Summer June 7, 2009

It was a terrible mistake to eat dark chocolate at 10:00 pm tonight. Alas, here I am on the computer updating everything under the sun.

Duluth09-the fam

What’s new? Well, we went to Duluth again for our early spring vacation. It was so relaxing! I think the key to a successful vacation (with little kids) is going to the same place enough times where you don’t feel like you need to do anything but sit around and watch the kids throw rocks into the lake. Lovely!

DMI - Group Hug

It was Daniel’s last day of pre-school on Thursday. What a wonderful year it has been for him, and for us. We are super happy with Holy Family (the parish and school). 5 Stars.

picnic - japanese gardens

One Sunday we up and had a spontaneous picnic at the Japanese Gardens near Lake Harriet. Thanks to the Whole Foods deli, I didn’t have to cook! Yea!

We are going to take it easy this summer. Our primary goal is to teach the kids to swim and have more picnics. Then of course there are some home improvement projects. Life was easier with that maintenance free townhouse. We are now officially part of those families always with a house project on the back burner.

Isaac at 3 1/2 months

I had an Usborne book party the other night and it was so delightful. We did chocolate fondue with coffee and wine. Okay, so the chocolate ended up separating and turned into a globby mess, but it was still yummy and so nice to catch up with dear friends and get some great books at the end of it all. I love their illustrations and the content is fantastic.

Can I just say how much I am enjoying my time with little Isaac. What a little sweet heart. When he smiles it brightens up my whole day. Thank you God!

Isaac & pinky