Lest I Forget

August 31, 2004: Tony is at PLDC, which are letters that mean "My husband is not around and I am about to have a baby"! Actually it is a leadership course for the Army. He was still on the base, but out in the woods somewhere. What was supposed to happen: I would call someone in charge when labor started and they would release him so he could be there with me. What actually happened: I called just after midnight. They told him the next morning at breakfast. She was born at 4:30 am. Thank goodness my mother was able to be with me. It was a special memory for both of us. And here is my birthday girl a few weeks ago, soaking up the sun in South Carolina. She loves everything pink, frilly, twirly, fancy, or shiny. Yet she is Jack's "best buddy" (their own words), and will play happily with him for hours. I am so blessed to have the honor of being her mama. Today, we will celebrate with the family. She has requested Chinese takeout for dinner. But we are planning a ...

--1-- I made this for a friend who had her baby last week. I love how it turned out so much that I might just have to make one for my own baby, whenever she decides to arrive! --2-- Anna and I finished our second week of homeschooling before lunch today. I am enjoying spending one-on-one time with her. She is eager to learn, and our mornings are such a blessing right now. Jack is paying more attention than I thought he would. He can recite her "memory gems" even though he doesn't sit still at the table with us. --3-- There are hints that fall is just around the corner if you stop to notice. There is a crispness in the air that has replaced the oppressive humidity. It was darker outside this morning, when I awoke at my usual time, and the coffee somehow tasted better. --4-- One more sign of fall's approach: the Army Band had their last outdoor summer concert last night. They ended with the 1812 Overture complete with live cannons. The kids loved it and so did I. It wa...

It may look like she is doing something she shouldn't, but she is actually doing her schoolwork and following directions quite nicely! Jack can't quite believe I am not stopping this madness and am photographing the moment instead. This is the house that Anna drew. This is the magical part when you hold the picture up to the light. Her family appears in the windows! This was art for the day. The idea comes from this lovely series of books . They are so special, these books. Even more so because my dear friend has passed them along to us and I think of her each time I pull one from the shelf.

I woke with a start. Through bleary eyes, I try to see the clock. 1:35 am. I can't sleep for I am thinking about the day ahead. I decide to get up and walk, but just as I roll over I hear a small voice from the next bed call out "Mama?" "What is it, Anna?", I whisper into the dark hotel room. "Can we go for a swim in the pool?" "No, Anna. It is the middle of the night." She pauses, but I can tell there is more on her mind. "Mama?" "What is it, Anna?" "Do we really have to leave Sophie here at college?" My heart breaks as I tell her that yes, we do have to leave Sophie in Steubenville. Early that morning, I go to her dorm room to do what my mother did for me when I left home the first time. We organize her room and chat about small things. We can't bring ourselves to talk about much else. After everything is in its place, we go back to the hotel. We stand in the parking lot and say our good-byes. Sophie and I ...

As I sit here in the still of the morning, smelling the coffee brew, with the kids still sleeping, I actually have a moment to breath. And think. Last week, we went on our annual vacation to Folly Beach, SC. We go with my parents, my sisters, and their families. We stay in one big house and have a wonderful time catching up and enjoying one another's company. With all those people, it is not a quiet time. So I try to awaken early each day to have that quiet with God. I slip downstairs and tip-toe out the door to the most lovely ocean view. Usually, the sun is just peeking over the edge of the horizon and the beach is speckled with only a few other people. There are those who are setting up their poles to do a little fishing. There are people out walking their dogs. I even see a woman doing some kind of meditative thing while sitting in the surf. I walked and walked and wondered. This year, the beach trip coincided with another annual event. The day Ben died. How could it be three y...

A couple months ago, I suspected something might not be quite right for Jack. Sure, lots of kids stand right in front of the TV, but then he also always puts his nose inches from the books he is looking at. I called our pediatrician and scheduled an evaluation. He failed miserably and today we picked up his glasses. I think he looks cute. Don't you?

"Indeed throughout her earthly life she found her joy in listening to the word of God and living it out in the sanctifying course of her humble daily routine" Lk 8:21. (from the Magnificat, p. 432, describing the front cover artwork for the month.) As anyone who actually reads this little blog knows, I am not a great writer or thinker. I do, however, have a great desire to be closer to God. I have always felt a special closeness to Mary, our Heavenly Mother, though I do not think I have been able to explain why. The words above are a far better explanation than I could ever give. I wish to be able to live out my love for God in my daily routine. I often fall very short of this goal. I want to be that quiet example for my husband, my children, and those whom I encounter each day. "Education is much, much more than the subjects you study in a formal way. It is the sum total of your family life. Everything you do as a family affects the children." - Rev. John Hardon H...