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.

Quick Takes (32)

-1-

We've been in Florida for a whole week now. There have been highs and lows. High: Ted loves his job. Low: everything is expensive. High: We love having a deck and yard! Low: We found out we owe a ton of money to our old apartment complex. What we thought was a month to month lease-was actually a year lease. And they're not being very nice about it :(

-2-

Wednesday was a very bad day. Just a million little things that rolled into a very upset Kaitlin. I told Ted I needed a glass of wine-my mom gave me some Mommy Juice for Christmas. But then I decided that the day didn't even deserve wine. It was that bad. Mommy Juice is apparently only for semi-bad days.

-3-

Remember this giveaway post? Well it turns out that I now live in the same town as Mrs. Trendy Traditions! She's already been a huge help telling us about the town and we're planning to get together one day next week. After going to Mass Sunday and not talking to a single soul, we were feeling kind of down. Finding out she lives here was a huge boost to my spirit. Thanks Jesus!

-4-

Hannah and I have been to daily Mass three days this week and we plan to go again tomorrow. It's amazing what daily Mass does for the soul. I haven't been able to go regularly in years. And I have Catholic radio! I better be a lot holier at this time next year-such great resources.

-5-

Ted has Monday off and we are planning to take a day trip to one of the many places that are a short drive from here. Expect pictures next week. 

-6-

I'm so in love with my daughter. She is so much fun. She's officially walking and LOVES it. She walks down the hall and into other rooms just because she can. Tonight she even walked backwards! Hopefully that means she's got Ted's athletic ability. I've had a chance to spend more time with her the past three weeks than I have had in a long, long time and it's been wonderful. She loves to read books, play catch, be chased, and give kisses. She is perfect.

-7-

A picture of perfection:

A Bulleted List

because that's all my brain can handle right now!

-We made it to our new home in Florida on Wednesday and have been unpacking ever since. Our new place is pretty great-we like almost everything about it. We do NOT like the ugly gold that they painted every wall nor the way it makes all our decorations look weird. We DO like the backyard, and deck, and storage space, and neighborhood, and trees, and squirrels.

-Hannah is really close to walking. What qualifies as actually saying "she's walking"? She can take up to about 6 or 7 steps and even took 10 steps once. Just this week she started doing it on her own, without needing any prompting from us. Is that walking? She still falls after 6 steps or so.

-It's like she became a toddler over night. Seriously-I look at her and wonder who she is and what she did with my baby. She is already testing her limits and definitely understands my simple commands and chooses not to follow them. Grrr-it begins.

-She's so beautiful. Really, really beautiful. I can't even believe it.

-Our new neighbor came over and introduce herself and even brought us dinner our first night in town. What a welcomed welcome that was!

-This place has the best food. The grocery just the down the road from us has tons of affordable organic options, a huge produce selection, and just about anything you could ask for. I spent almost two hours browsing the aisles yesterday and loved every second. They had vegetables I had only heard about in Mississippi! And that was just the regular grocery store. We went to a Farmer's Market this morning and it got even better. There were more vendors in JANUARY than Starkville's market in peak season. Vegetables-check. I'm on the hunt for pastured eggs and good milk now.

-We already have dinner plans tomorrow! A friend's sister and her family live here and invited us over. Woo hoo!

-Mass at a huge parish tomorrow-3000 families.

-Ted's first day of work went great. I think he's going to love his job. Praise God.

-Two of our best friends just had a baby today! Gianna Therese-we love you so much and can't wait to meet you!

-Christmas was great. We got to spend lots of time with both families since I quit my job and Ted hadn't started his yet. Hannah didn't really understand how to open presents, but she enjoyed her toys after they were opened! Her favorites-her push walker that makes her smile every time she sees it and the drumsticks that came with her music set. She likes the entire music set too, but those drumsticks really make her happy.

-New Years was perfect and spent where we always spend New Years-in the middle of nowhere Missouri in a retreat house with our closest friends. We missed it last year due to being 9 months pregnant and it just wasn't the same starting the year anywhere but there. We were only there for one night-but we packed as much fun in as we could. Normally, we climb the mountain and pray the rosary at midnight, but this year we had Midnight Mass in the chapel-which was also cool. Hannah's godfather was the celebrant and he sure knows how to give a homily. Confession, fellowship, walks to the river, catching up with friends, reflecting on the past year and praying for the one ahead-perfect.

-I've been going to that same retreat house since I was 16 years old. It was there that Ted and I began our dating relationship. So many times we've talked about bringing our kids for the retreat and this year it actually happened. Hannah became the youngest New Years retreatant and thoroughly enjoyed her time there. It was pretty surreal having my baby there. And oh so wonderful. Everything is better with her around.

So Long, Starkville

Of all the posts I've written in my head, this one is by far the longest running. I started compiling a list of things I will really miss about this town...as well as things I won't miss...about a year ago when we thought we would be moving. I refused to let myself put them to paper, so most of them have been forgotten. But I can think of a few things I'm really gonna miss. And some more that I won't mind doing without.

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I will miss the slow, laid back pace of Mississippi.

I won't miss the idea that appointment times don't matter and you can just up show "whenever".

I'll miss seeing people wear their Sunday best for Mass and getting to church at least ten minutes early.


I won't miss having only one church in a 30 mile radius and only one opportunity a week for confession.

I'll miss seeing little girls in their sweet Feltman Brothers dresses.


I won't miss seeing little boys in their girly Feltman Brothers dresses.

The kiddos. I'll miss my speech kids and all my friends' children. Thank goodness for blogs and facebook pictures.


The drivers. I won't miss regularly getting behind a driver going fifteen miles under the speed limit. No, that is not an exaggeration.

Smoke free restaurants and gas stations. Ahh fresh air.

Mugshots.

Tailgating.

Crawfish in everything.

Taking walks around the ponds near our apartment.

Free golfing any time we want it.

A pool just down the road.

A priest that gives great homilies.

These people.

The great group of mom friends that have welcomed me into their ranks.


I absolutely will not miss having to scour the town for fresh food. It took me two a half years to find pastured eggs. I found them a week before we leave town!

A six hour drive home. I didn't think this one would be on the list, but six is looking pretty good compared to the twelve we're going to have once we move.

Our Mississippi Fish Family.


Ted complaining about the horrible fishing. I fully expect fish in our freezer at all times now-we *are* moving to the fishing capitol of the world!

Standing in my bathroom remembering the first time I saw that positive pregnancy test.

Driving through downtown at sunset.

Seeing deer on our lane while driving home at night.

Great friends that don't mind hanging out on a Friday night but each just eating our own leftovers because we're both too cheap to cook for each other.

The awesome support system I have for breastfeeding, natural birth, and all things motherhood.

An awesome consignment store that has supplied me with a virtually free wardrobe.

Sonic just a half mile from our apartment.


Living in an apartment. (We're moving into a great duplex!)


Neighbors that throw their grease and uneaten food off the balcony and into our front yard.

Did I mention I'm going to miss these guys?

The beautiful examples of Catholic family life in our parish and amongst our friends.


I won't miss not having  a Target!

Wearing maroon on Fridays.

Roadside cowbell stands.

Fantastic co-workers. Absolutely fantastic co-workers.

My little office on the stage.


The snake that scared the hell out of me in my little office on the stage.


Mild winters. Ha! I'm moving to the beach!


Dreadful summers. I can't believe we're actually moving further south....

And of course, those Landry's.

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Last night in town. Last night in our apartment. So many thoughts and emotions but none that I can articulate. I'm grateful for the past two and a half years. I'm so sad to be leaving great friends behind. But I'm ready for our next adventure.

So long, Starkville! Florida, here we come!

An Opportunity

May 2009: Move to Mississippi for two years. Get Ted a master's degree and move back to Missouri. Get a job near family.

That was the plan anyway. Two and half years later......we're moving to Florida.

After months of being a terrific stay-at-home dad, Ted has been offered a dream position as a Fisheries Biologist. We are so grateful. And excited. And scared. But excited.

If you refer back to our plan, you might think this isn't something that we want-but that's not the case at all. Actually-if you had asked me a week ago if I wanted to move to Florida I would have said, "No way!" Two days after Ted's interview in Florida, he had an interview in Missouri. And not just anywhere in Missouri. The town where we met, fell in love, shared our first home. The job was in the same office that he had worked in, with the same co-workers he had worked with. Perfect. Right?

I wanted him to get the Missouri job so badly. We employed St. Rose Phillipine Duchesne to pray for us to get the job. She is Hannah's patron and patron of the diocese that the job is in. We prayed, not one, but two novenas asking for her intercession. I found myself walking around whispering, "Please Lord. The job in Missouri."

So we went for the interview. We hadn't been to our beloved town since the day we moved out in May 2009. Our excitement and anticipation was palpable. And when we pulled into town.....nothing. I can't put my finger on it, but something was different. Yes, the town had changed and many friends were gone-but I was prepared for that. It was something else. After just a few hours in town I turned to Ted and said, "This feels weird." He agreed. The job we had been hoping and praying for suddenly didn't seem like a great fit.

He went to the interview. He did well. I had an interview too-for my part-time "dream job" with a place I interned with in grad school. They offered it to me on the spot (oh how I love my career field!) I would have worked just two or three days a week. I just needed to find someone to watch Hannah.....Then my sister (who now goes to college there) informed me that she was looking for a job just two days a week. Wow. Perfect. Right?

As we drove back to Mississippi we were both filled with the sense that we wouldn't be returning any time soon. And suddenly, Florida started to feel like a very real possibility. By Tuesday, I knew he was going to get the job. I just knew. And I was strangely ok with it. When I got home from work on Thursday and Ted excitedly announced the good news (via Hannah holding up a little sign) I wasn't shocked. I wasn't scared. I was....at peace. A week ago I would have freaked out. But that was a week ago. And today-today I'm excited.

Excited for this next adventure. Excited for the chance to grow even closer as a family as we rely completely on each other in a town that neither of us has ever stepped foot in.

When I was searching for a novena to St. Rose I got an email about a novena for the Immaculate Conception. Something prompted me to say the novena, but I pushed it aside. "No-I'm praying to St. Rose because she will help us get the Missouri job!" Funny how I thought I could manipulate the situation.

Ted got the Florida offer on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Perfect. Yes.

The last line in the gospel at Mass that evening: "Let it be done unto me according to Thy word." Of all the passages in the Bible-that's the one I chose two years ago to display on my blog. More Like Mary. Have I lived up to it? Far from it. Is God giving me another chance? Another opportunity? Always. And this one's a big one. So I'm opening my heart and my mind and trusting that He has something great in store for us in Florida.  He has prepared my heart as only He can do. He has gently led me along the trials of this job search and brought me to a place of peace and willingness that I didn't know I could get to.

Sometimes I struggle with the idea that God is really "in control." I tend to over emphasize our free will and wrestle with the notion that God really does have a "plan" for us. But I promise you-this wasn't our plan. I couldn't have even come up with this plan! It's only from God. Ted applied for so many jobs in Missouri and in surrounding states. And many of them would have been settling. He was willing to settle on a less-than-perfect job so he could provide for our family and move us closer to family. The fact that he didn't get some of the jobs he applied for defies logic. And, as with so many things in retrospect, I can see that God's hand was in it the entire time.

So, while it won't be on a donkey and I'm not pregnant, this Advent provides me with yet another opportunity to become more like Mary. Follow my husband. Trust my husband. Trust my God. And move to Florida.