Quick Takes (31) with Prayer Buddy Reveal

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This is the greatest video on youtube. And I promise Hannah is actually requesting to watch it. It's not her mother that sits attentively and chuckles through the entire thing. Promise.

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This is the second greatest video.

-3-

This week Hannah started walking forward in her walker and pulling up on furniture! She's not even eight months old yet! She is no where near close to crawling. I suspect she might walk before she crawls. Just like her mama. I fear this means she'll be uncoordinated and not athletic. Just like her mama.

She can also entertain herself for sometimes 10-15 minutes at a time by taking all the toys of her basket and nibbling each one before throwing it aside. Oh I love her.

-4-

A friend sent me a recipe for almond butter pumpkin bars (thanks Erin!). Dairy free, wheat free, and sugar free. I used peanut butter because I'm cheap. Uh-mazing. I want to cut them into bite sized pieces, put them in ziplock bags, and carry them in my purse. Then when I tell people I can't have dairy or wheat and get a look that says, "oh you poor thing" I can give them a sample of this deliciousness and assure them that I'm just fine.

-5-

Of course I'm gonna share the recipe! Don't worry-I wouldn't hold out of you.

 c Pumpkin
1 c Almond Butter
2 eggs
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1⁄4 c honey
1 c Chocolate Chips

Mix together the almond butter and pumpkin until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and pour into a greased 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The middle should be set when they are done. Cool completely.

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We wore jackets on our walk tonight! Fall weather is just around the corner....

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I had the honor of praying for Jenny of All Things this time for prayer buddies! I've followed Jenny from the beginning and love her upbeat attitude and fun personality. Jenny, I've prayed for you throughout the day whenever you popped into my head. Ted and I prayed for your intentions in our nightly prayers. And I'm super excited about the incredibly awesome gift I have for you. Of course it's not in the mail yet. That would be too punctual for my taste.  Look for it soon!

Have a great weekend! Go Cardinals!

Mama Mary

One topic I struggle to write about on this blog is the same topic for which it was named. I love my mama Mary, but I get all out of sorts when I try to write anything about her. I've written a few things, but this time I'm gonna let the words of others speak for me.

Check out these beautiful posts on our Blessed Virgin:

The Assumption of Mary

Do Catholics Worship Mary?

A Beautiful Reflection on Relating to Mary

Our Dream Home!

Welcome to our dream home. We've recently renovated our expansive 889 square foot apartment. I think you'll like what we've done with the place.

Come on in. Try to find room for your coat amidst the collection of tiny hats, jackets, and baby carriers.

Our living room features a deluxe entertainment center-handcrafted by somebody on an assembly line who sold it to somebody who sold it on Craig's list. We think the pink blanket and million tiny toys are a nice touch.

And in the kitchen we just installed a new island. It comes equipped with wheels and a cut out for your butt.

The liqueur cabinet is stocked with our favorite drinks-tequila and frozen breast milk. It also has plenty of space for important gadgets like a wine bottle opener and boob squeezing tubes.

The antique dining room table was a gift from my parents....who bought it when they got married 28 years ago. We didn't have to worry about scratching the chairs with this lovely plastic high chair, they're already ruined from years of misuse and booster seat scratches.

We made some changes to the vanity. We just love the beautiful teal of the plastic bumbo seat, don't you?

And we turned our one shower into two with the simple addition of this garage sale bargain.

Our guest bedroom serves as the the office, changing station, and storage room all in one! What could more functional?

And the overstuffed closet has plenty of space for trolling motors and teeny little dresses, all we have to do is strategically rearrange every single item every two months.

We added this beautiful glider in the only possible space we could fit it. Perfect.

And we opted to trade out our four post bed for a nice, secure bed rail. Just right for those sleepless nights.

And on the rare chance that all three of us decide to sleep, this beautiful pack-n-play works wonderfully in lieu in a real crib.

Yes, we really like what this space has become.

Our dream home.

Quick Takes (30)-Am I the Only One?

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Am I the only one who wants to make pumpkin EVERYTHING? Pumpkin bars, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins. Goodness I love fall!

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Am I the only one who forgets the cloth bags in the car at walmart and whose blood boils at the thought of how many bags are wasted because of it? Am I the only one who annoys the check out lady by saying "oh, I don't need a bag for that," and then shoves milk, pineapples, and laundry detergent into the cart recklessly before she can stick them in bags?

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Am I the only one waits waaaaayyyyy too long to change my contacts?

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Am I the only one who leaves things in the dryer until they're so wrinkled they need to be dried again?

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Am I the only one who absolutely cannot get out the brown sugar without eating a chunk straight out of the bag? When we were little my mom let us eat one little piece when she used it for baking. It was an occasional treat. But I've been cooking with brown sugar on an almost weekly basis lately (thanks to our new obsession with sweet potatoes) and I still eat a chunk every single time. I have no self control. Not even a little bit.

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Am I the only one who hates getting ready for bed at night? I decide that I want to go to bed, but alas! there's so much to be done. Brush my teeth, wash my face, take out contacts, and go to the bathroom. It takes a whole FIVE minutes! The horror! Sometimes, it's just more than I can handle.

-7-

Am I the only who has never had a professional massage?? That is, until this past Tuesday when I redeemed a birthday gift certificate from my sweet husband. Rest assured, it will NOT be another 26 years before my next one. Those things are like crack.

And are you supposed to tip your masseuse? I hope not...

And an eighth...

-8-

Am I the only one whose daughter's thighs are bigger than her mommy's upper arm?

Elated!

I can think of nothing in my life right now that makes me happier than the news that a beloved friend has been set free from the agonizing burden of infertility.

Thank you Jesus.

Please join me in praying for a healthy pregnancy for this beautiful blogger.

A Few Questions

I don't normally do these things, but Bonnie asked me to. And I like Bonnie. And she writes for Virtuou Pla.net now so I better do what she says.

What is your occupation right now?  I'm a speech-language pathologist. I work for the local school district testing 2-5 year olds for speech and developmental delays. I also have a small caseload of preschoolers that I serve. I get to travel around to local pre schools and day cares on a daily basis. My office is in a pre school and I love stopping by the baby room to peak at the kids who are a month older than Hannah to see what she'll be doing soon.

What are you listening to right now?  Nothing. We never have the tv on and rarely play music.

What was the last thing that you ate? Guacamole and chips for dinner.

 How old are you today? 26

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Cardinals baseball!

What is your favorite drink?  A margarita on the rocks with salt.

What is your new favorite song?  "Empire State of Mind" by Jay Z. Yes, I have a weakness for rap...

What is the last movie you watched?  I couldn't even tell you. We rarely watch movies.

Favorite day of the year? Any Friday in the fall. Especially if there's a home football game that weekend. That probably goes back to my high school cheerleader days. I just love the energy and the crispness in the air.

What was your favorite toy as a child? The video camera. We made music videos, commercials, movies...

What is your favorite season? Fall-Missouri's not Mississippi's

Cherries or Blueberries? Fresh-blueberries. Canned-cherries

When was the last time you cried? Tuesday at the doctor's office when Hannah has to be catheterized. It is so, so hard to watch your baby cry. (she's ok now by the way)

What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes, purses, and a box of spare sheets.

Who is the friend you have had the longest? My cousin Jamie-friends since birth!

What did you do last night? Drove back from a conference on Apraxia in Jackson.

What are you most afraid of? Nah-no need to dwell on that one.

How many states have you lived in? Two-Missouri and Mississippi!

What is your favorite kind of flower? Tulips. Hands down. Remember when I got these? (Beware-that was the post about the dead bunny.)

Nine Eleven

I was 16, a sophomore in high school.
Religion class. Back row. In the middle.
Our principal came on over the intercom and told everyone to stand. He led us in an Our Father and a Hail Mary and told us to sit down.
Then he told us about the attack.
I felt like the floor fell out from under me.
Mrs. W turned on the T.V. I saw the towers. I saw the planes. As much as I didn't want to watch, I couldn't take my eyes off it.
The bell rang for break. Everyone just stayed in the classroom watching T.V.

My parents were out of town. It was the first time they had left me in charge and didn't have us staying at a relatives.
I can't ever remember wanting my mom and dad more than I did in that moment.
I went to my uncle's classroom at the end of break and asked him if my cousin lived close to the towers. She lived in New York-but he didn't know how close she was. I prayed she was ok.

Geometry class. Mrs. W (a different one) led the class in an extra long prayer. Then we did geometry. She didn't let us watch T.V. Part of me was grateful.

After school I met my two younger sisters and a neighbor boy at my car. I drove them home and tried to answer their questions. I suddenly felt so young. I wasn't prepared to answer mommy questions.
My youngest sister was 9.
"Are the planes gonna come hit us too?"
"No, they only want to go to places with big buildings and there aren't any here."
"But the courthouse is really big!"
"No, they don't want to hit the courthouse."
"What about that cannon by the park [in front of the national guard building]? Will they come get us because we have that cannon?"
"No. That cannon doesn't work anymore and they know that."

Town was crazy.
Cars were pouring into gas stations. I had only had my license for a month and probably only pumped my own gas two or three times. I waited in the long line at Casey's because that's what everyone else was doing.

I talked to my parents on the phone that afternoon. They were cutting their trip short and were on their way home.
Thank God.

My cousin was ok.

Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord. May they rest in peace.