This weekend a close friend of the family has died. (She was the mom of Brian’s childhood friend and like an aunt to him.) We are still in shock because it happened very quickly. We were just with her two weeks ago at Matthew’s baptism. She had cancer and was just starting chemo but the doctors were optimistic that she could beat it. However, there was a complication with her treatment and on Saturday she fell into a coma. By early Sunday morning she passed away. Her son and daughter never had a chance to speak to her and say their goodbyes. Everything happened so quickly.
It is a somber reminder of how fleeting this life is and how we need to make the most of the time we have here. It also puts into perspective all the trivial things in life that cause us to get upset. When you consider the crosses that we could be carrying, we actually have it pretty good. So today I will give an extra hug to those I love and when I feel my impatience starting to rise, I’ll take a deep breath and be thankful for my blessings instead.
Blog Archives
Putting Life in Perspective
7 Quick Takes Friday (5/20/11)
– 1 –
I’m listening to Adele. I am in love with her voice.
– 2 –
Matthew is drifting off to sleep in my arms. After the 4th baby, I’m getting pretty proficient at typing with one hand.
– 3 –
I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about Amazon prime and I have been interested but didn’t want to spend the money. However, we order from Amazon so often I thought I’d give it a try. I love it. The roughly $6 a month it costs for 2-day delivery and easy/full refund returns is worth it. And I just realized we have free streaming of movies on our TV as well. Nice.
UPDATE: After reading this my sister recommended that I try Amazon Mom
– 4 –
Speaking of movies, Brian and I recently watched St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor. Although it was in Italian with English subtitles (meaning I had to make sure the kids were asleep so I could pay attention) I really enjoyed it and was touched by his life story. I’d love to read a book about his life but I haven’t seen one. If you get a chance, check it out.
– 5 –
Life with Bella and the three little guys has definitely kept my hands full but I have managed to find a few me-moments to take a look at other mom blogs. Lately I have loved my sister’s blog Barefoot and Sometime Pregnant. Partly because I love keeping up with my little sis but I also love to read about other things than non-moms would find incredibly boring. š She recently updated the look of her site and has been posting quite frequently. Part of me loves the frequent posts and the other part of me wants to freakin’ know where she finds the time! LOL!
– 6 –
Last weekend was Matthew’s baptism. Unfortunately, the priest we had scheduled became ill the day before the baptism and was unable to perform the ceremony. We scrambled to find another priest but everyone we knew had a prior engagement. Finally we were able to get the new priest who just came to our parish, although we had never met him before. We were pleasantly surprised to find him very devout and holy. He performed a lovely baptism and we rejoiced that our little one now shares in the life of Christ.
– 7-
Here is a pic of our holy little man. (Don’t laugh at the cheezy bow tie! LOL! It was originally Andrew’s and the only outfit we could find that would fit him. Since then each boy has worn the same outfit and has become a funny tradition.)
What Does Your Refrigerator Say about You?
I saw this post on my sister EL’s blog and thought it looked like fun. Normally I would have passed it up because my fridge is usually crammed with food. However, I recently organized my fridge with new containers and bins and it has stayed relatively neat so I am not too embarrassed to show it to you.
Things you may notice:
1. I love my clear Rubbermaid containers. I got rid of my mismatched containers and bought these on sale. I like being able to see what’s in them and how neatly they stack up.
2. I also invested in some Fridge Binz (see below) for jarred items and lunch items like yogurt, jello, juice boxes, etc. Love them. Makes finding things in the fridge much easier.
3. We stopped buying bottled water and started using the Brita water system. Works great for us and saves money. I refilled the empty water container with the Brita water but I wonder if that is safe. Should I have “real” water jugs?
4. I still have to buy two types of milk. JP and Andrew drink organic whole and we drink non-fat. Although Andrew is over the age for whole milk (usually you switch at 2) we kept him on it since he’s so skinny.
5. There’s a lot of fruit and veggies available at all times. (And chocolate hidden in the back.)
6. And there’s a steak marinating for a treat tonight. Yum!
And if you’re interested in the bins, here they are. The also have shorter ones available.
New Catholic Children’s Book: The Parish Picnic
I’ve long been a supporter and reader of Carmen Marcoux’s Catholic novels Arms of Love and Surrender. Now she and her husband have written a book for the younger set and we’ve started selling them at RoL. See below for more details.
Carmen Marcouz, Catholic wife, mother of nine and author of Arms of Love and Surrender, has undertaken a new writing venture with her husband James. Together they have authored the first of a series of books aimed at the younger reader. Book One of the New Illustrated Catholic Children’s Series in titled The Parish Picnic, a heartwarming story about friendship, self-sacrifice and the love of Christ. Beautifully illustrated by their daughter Rebekah, The Parish Picnic is a celebration of our Catholic heritage and the life we share as the family of God.
RoL is having an introductory spring sale of The Parish Picnic. Normally $16.95, you can purchase the book for $13.95. (Shipping is $3 for one book. Free shipping for 2 or more books. Shipping can be combined with Carmen’s other titles.) For more details, a book preview or to order click here: http://revolutionoflove.com/marketplace/picnic.html. Check it out!
UPDATE: Spring 2012 – We are once again having our Spring/Lent/Easter sale. The sale price of $13.95 is available through Spring of 2012.
Movie Night: There Be Dragons
There Be Dragons is an epic action-adventure romance set during the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War. The story traces the lives of two young men, Josemaria Escriva (Charlie Cox) and Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley), childhood friends who are separated by the political upheaval of pre-war Spain to find themselves on opposite sides as war erupts. Choosing peace, Josemaria becomes a priest and struggles to spread reconciliation by founding the movement Opus Dei (work of God).
Manolo chooses war and becomes a spy for the fascists. He becomes obsessed with a beautiful Hungarian revolutionary, Ildiko, who has joined the militia in pursuit of passion and purpose. But when Ildiko rejects him out of love for the courageous militia leader Oriol, Manolo’s jealousy leads him down a path of betrayal.
As personal and national battles rage, the characters’ lives collide and their deepest struggles are illuminated through the fateful choices they make. Each will struggle to find the power of forgiveness over the forces tearing their lives and friendship apart.
The movie opens on Friday, May 6, 2011. To find a theater near you visit http://www.dragonsresources.com/resources/theaters.html.