Quick Takes

-1-

Please, please, please join me in prayer for my friends, Those Landrys. A very loooong story short-they have been trying to sell their house (that they are not living in) for three and a half years. They've had three closing dates come and go and now a fourth is in jeopardy. The house is set to be foreclosed August 8th and they are asking everyone to pray a novena to St. Jude that this most recent offer will go through. They've really been through hell and back, lost thousands upon thousands of dollars, tried everything you could possibly think of, and had their faith vigorously tested through all of this. I know you probably don't know them. And selling a house doesn't seem like a huge deal. But please pray with me. Please.

If the novena is too much, just say this in your head right now: St. Jude, please help the Landrys sell their house.


And then say it every time you pass a house with a For Sale sign in the yard!

-2-

Remember when I asked you to pray for this family to receive another child through adoption?? Prayer answered!! I love it!

-3-

Hannah has learned how to smile for the camera. Correction-Hannah is obsessed with smiling for the camera. Of course this new skill would coincide with us not having our camera for weeks because it's in the moldy house, so crappy cell phone pictures will have to serve as proof.

Any my personal favorite. Her first kid's meal. Judging by her excitement, the kid has clearly been deprived.

-4-

Pregnancy update, because ya know-I'm pregnant. Progesterone took a nose dive, got on Prometrium, went back up to a good range! I'm not that sick, but have a hard time finding something to eat that doesn't repulse me. When we pray as a family in the evenings Hannah rubs my belly when we pray for "the baby".

-5-

We have to leave our current apartment tomorrow and move to yet another friend's house. This will be the sixth place we've stayed this month. I'm so grateful for the generosity of friends, but man is this tough. Ted's confessor told him last weekend that this was an opportunity to become more like the Holy Family. They didn't even have a home to for the birth of their baby! And then they had to go to Egypt suddenly and were again without a steady place to live. The thought had never occurred to me. Well my blog says I'm trying to be more like Mary, I guess this is about as good an opportunity as ever.

-6-

And speaking of becoming more like Mary, do you think Mary looked Jesus in the eye when he was being an exceptionally difficult toddler and said, "I'm going to lose my mind!" or "You are driving me insane!" Because if she did, I'm definitely becoming just like her. But if not, I've got a looooong way to go.

-7-

I know part (if not all...) of the reason I've been losing my temper with Hannah so much lately is that I have completely neglected my prayer life. Like completely-really truly. Completely. I was thinking about buying a Magnificat subscription to help me get back into the daily readings and the Divine Office when I remembered that I have a Kindle Fire (my mom gave it to me as an early birthday gift!). I've mostly just been using it for apps with Hannah and checking email. But I found a free app that has the daily readings, the Divine Office, and every prayer you can imagine. This non-smart-phone-owning girl was very excited! So yesterday I prayed Morning Prayer and wouldn't you know......"Just as a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you."

Ouch. I'm glad I didn't need any comforting from God Wednesday. All He would have done is looked me the eye and told me He was losing His mind. And yes, I was much better at patiently comforting my cranky, teething, ornery little tot with the verse in my mind all day.

God is good.