Loving this Life

HUNBABA Mei Tai Baby Carrier Guest Giveawayy

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:30:00 +0000

HUNBABA Mei Tai Baby Carrier Guest Giveawayy

Other things we have been up to...

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:10:00 +0000

The day after halloween is the feast of All Saints, and that is something we celebrated with all of homeschooling friends. We had a big party at our house...there is nothing like seeing 30 kids in your yard running around, fighting with swords. Even Joan of Arc was present. what fun...
here are some pictures of my kids. Paulie was St. Patrick, Sophia was St. Bernadette, Anna was St. Therese, and Joey was St. Hubert.

In other unrelated news, the other day we got wind that the Wienermobile was in town! How exciting! Nothing of that cultural magnitude ever happens here! Can you detect my sarcasm?

I was actually surprised at how excited the kids were. They got to get inside and answer some simple hot dog-related questions and then they got a little wienermobile whistle! what a deal.

Pictures from the yard

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:05:00 +0000

Here are a few pictures from a day we spent raking leaves in our yard.

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:59:00 +0000

We had a nice Thanksgiving, although not one with traditional food. I am tired of force-feeding my kids turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (I know, what kind of a kid doesn't like mashed potatoes and gravy?), and Paul and I aren't too crazy about turkey either, so we decided to have a ham. I had recently gotten a locally grown, grass raised ham, so I basted it with blackberry jam and mustard and let it cook. Boy it smelled good, and everyone seemed to like it. I also made asparagus, homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, cranberry jello salad, an apple/cheddar pie, and ramekins with hot chocolate cake in them. We had Joey's best friend over with his parents, and we all had a great time. Boy, do we have a lot to be thankful for!

Anna's Birthday...very belated

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:49:00 +0000

Well, Anna's birthday wasn't belated, but this post sure is! I was looking back, and I realized I never posted on her birthday! how did I miss that?! I also haven't gotten to Joey's either, so that will be coming.
Anyway, we got up on the morning of Anna's birthday and had a nice breakfast with Grandpa Sanchirico and Daddy, as Paul was off that week and his dad was visiting. She also opened a few presents that morning. After that, we went to the fair and looked at all the animals and all the booths where they were giving out things. We got free pencils and smoky bear paper clips from the forest service, posters in exchange for pull-ups from the Marines, and a whole box of crayons from the health department if we promised to have the kids vaccinated. Ooops, I guess we shouldn't have taken the crayons!
We came home after having a snow cone and relaxed for a while. Paul had to run a few errands and I played a couple games with the kids in the front yard. We had a few silly prizes for the games. That afternoon we opened the rest of her presents.
For dinner, Anna wanted to go out to her favorite restaurant, and while the boys would never have asked for this, she wanted to be sung to by the servers! As you can see from the pictures, she looked very grown up with her new purse from Grandma and Grandpa Jack, and I think she felt really grown up too.\

Here are the pictures, as well as some others.

I'm so behind in pictures!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:19:00 +0000

Hello everyone...I apologize for not updated lately. I have lots of pictures, but I just haven't had the time to get them all posted.
Unfortunately, I can't find my camera at the moment, so this is the only picture I have from Halloween/All Saints Day this year. Joey was a Musketeer, Paulie was a vampire and Anna was a princess. Sophia was an elephant, but wasn't in the picture. Our photo studio downtown was taking pictures of kids, so I had one done, just to remember how cute they are! I found some satin fabric on sale for $2 a yard and I make capes for them all, and it worked out well, because they kept them warm.
For All Saints we had a party at our house. There were about 20 kids and we all had a great time. Joey was St. Hubert (costume very similar to his musketeer costume), Paulie was St Patrick, Anna was St. Therese, and Sophia was St. Bernadette. I am going to have to get them all dressed up again when I finally find my camera, so I can get a shot of them.
Well, thats it for now. I hope you are all well. I will post more later!

I hope I win this one!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:18:00 +0000

No, I didn't make this quilt...but someone whose work I really admire is giving a similar one away. I hope I win!
Here is her shop...I am already making some of the crayon wallets for some kids I know for Christmas!

We can't afford to lose

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:17:00 +0000

Here is something I just sent out to a few people via email. I thought I would post it here, in case anyone wants to take part in this with me. Check out the link at the bottom... I don't agree with McCain on everything...far from it. But the other presidential candidate is so anti-life and pro-death, we have no choice but to vote for what it morally right, especially as Catholics.
Also, please read this article about a Latino actor who is endorsing McCain, and the experience he had when he met the candidate.

here is my recent email...
Hi!
I just got this from my mother-in-law. I actually was going to forward it today anyway, but then she sent it to me before I could get to it! Fr. Corapi is a wonderful priest and this is legit. His website is below and he has a wonderful conversion story that is worth reading.
Anyway, I found this novena to Our Lady of Victory on line. You just say it once a day, for nine days
The Novena Prayer

Let us pray:
Our Lady of Victory, we have unshaken confidence in your influence with your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Humbly we ask your intercession for all of us associated under your title, Our Lady of Victory.
We beg your powerful assistance also for our own personal needs. (Please mention here your special intention in you own words.) In your maternal kindness please ask Jesus to forgive all our sins and failings, and to secure His blessings for us and for all the works of charity dedicated to your name. We implore you to obtain for us the grace of sharing Christ's victory and your forever in the life that knows no ending. May we join you to praise forever the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, on God, for all the ages to come. Amen.

This is a huge election for those who would like to make abortion with out limits possible and legal. We must do all we can to stop it. Please forward this as you see fit.

Lord have mercy on us,

Liz

To My Friends and Family,

My sister-in-law Marge has forwarded this Novena request to me which I am sending unto you. Not all of us are Catholic but I know each of us has a deep respect for human life. I ask that all of you join together in prayer for protection of our babies who are yet unborn and to give them their right to life. Please let our voices be heard by Heaven and by our Congressional leaders.

Thank you for your intercession,

Ann xo

Dear friends,

Tomorrow marks the 9th day before the presidential election. I am forwarding the following note from Fr. John Corapi, who asks all pro-life Catholics (and all Catholics should be pro-life!) to pray a rosary novena for this critical election. We can invoke Mary under her title of Our Lady of Victory and humbly beg her intercession for our country.

Please forward to your Catholic friends. Prayer is our most powerful weapon.

Peace
Marge,
A Call for a Rosary Novena

By Fr. John Corapi

www.fathercorapi.com

Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter's Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it.

Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil. Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception.

This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children.

No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God's will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.

May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well-formed Catholic conscience.

Please copy, email, link and distribute this article freely.

God Bless You

Fr. John Corapi

www.fathercorapi.com

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:00:00 +0000

A letter from Cardinal Egan of NY

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:11:00 +0000

A New Movement...

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:14:00 +0000

I am very excited about these new ideas that are going around. Actually, they are not NEW ideas, they are pretty old! Its the crazy idea that we should know where our food comes from, and even grow a lot of it ourselves! Granted, I am no where near this, but I am trying with little steps...Farmers Market for vegetables, eggs and bread every week, buying meat in bulk from a local butcher who raised the meat himself, etc... It is a good feeling.
Check out this video. I am sure that we don't have much in common with this family as far as political views go, but I do admire what they are doing...

Its not just liberals who are changing, either...Crunchy Cons is a very interesting book I just read about returning to a simple life and how more and more people are choosing to live this way.

what we did yesterday

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Yesterday, while the stock market crashed, we did a few other things...

1-learned about the patron saint of France, St Denis

2-celebrated the feast of St Michael...a powerful being to ask for help!

3-brushed our teeth, made our beds, got dressed

4-Joey memorized the 8 and 9 times tables

5-Pauly got 100% on a spelling test

6-had fun at 'recess' on a beautiful fall day

7-watched Anna and 6 other pink little girls during ballet class

8-ate homemade chicken soup for dinner

9-started what I hope will be a long journey through cub scouts/boy scouts

10-ate cake!

11-organized all my full canning jars

Life goes on! When I look on the web at all the bad news, I only have to look outside to remember that what really matter is here and now.

No fear, I will have Anna's birthday pictures on here soon!

oh, here is blog written by a priest that has a lot of good things on it...

Events of the week, part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Also last week, we took a trip and spent a few nights away from home. While away, we walked around a beautiful little town and went to an amusement park. This really was one of the few amusement parks our kids had been to, as we have never lived anywhere near one. It was fun and while none of our kids are daredevils by any means, they did have fun on the lower speed rides. How do you like Anna's pink camo pop gun? And, no, that is not a real elk with Sophia!

The events of last week...part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:02:00 +0000

Last week we had a visit from Paul's dad. He arrived on a Friday and then stayed all the way through till the next Monday, so we had a nice long visit. We did a lot that week and had a lot of fun! I already posted about the fair, but we also had a second fair visit, a great hike, an overnight trip, a visit to an amusement park, and a 4th birthday to celebrate! What fun!

I will just post about the hike today, and then I will do more in a later post...
We found a nice short hike within 45 minutes from here. We had been wanting to get the kids more into hiking, and this really is a great place to do it. We have been very bad about not seeking out good trails, though, and finally Paul found specifics about one from someone at work, so we were off. It actually was less than 45 minutes to get there, and at the trailhead there is also a campground. We hope to camp there in the future. The hike itself was probably about three miles round trip. The first half was almost all uphill...about 700 vertical feet. It was great and the kids didn't complain once, although I did!
The hike was pretty much all treed, but at the top it opened up to a meadow and a warming hut put there by the forest service. It was a great place to eat lunch. Apparently people do a lot of snowshoeing up there, so they go to the hut to warm up by the wood stove. It was very beautiful, although dry and hazy. I would like to see it in the springtime.
Enjoy the pictures! ps--how do you like Paul's shirt...it is one of my favorites, and it is SO him. tongue in cheek, of course!

Lets go to the fair!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:11:00 +0000

This is my favorite picture from the day...doesn't Anna just look 4?

The other day...Thursday, to be exact, we went to the fair, bright and early, on opening day. This also happened to be Anna's 4th birthday, but I will write more on that later. We had a nice time and just looked at the livestock and exhibit booths, as the rides and games weren't open yet. Our county fair is just big enough to have a good time, but not so big that you feel exhausted afterwards. The kids got free stuff galore...fake sheriff badge stickers, pencils, crayons, ballons, masks, bookmarks, and in exchange for a few pullups, the a poster from the military branch of your choice. What a deal. We had a great time!

A few words from Sophia

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:21:00 +0000

Camping, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:56:00 +0000

I don't know how well these pictures are going to come out on the blog, but I thought I would give it a try. I had to scan these, since they were from a film camera and not our digital. I think if you click on these photos, you will be able to zoom in on them. A couple months ago we went camping with the extended family of some of our friends here in town. This was a little wild for us, and I had doubts about going, but I am so glad we went...it was so beautiful in the mountains (we were at 7500') and we can't wait to go back. I am sure you can see in the photos that out of all the kids there, Anna and Sophia were the only two girls. There sure were a lot of little boys running around, as well as a lot of dogs, including our two. What an adventure...hiking, shooting guns and campfires. What more can you want?!

Sophia is Walking!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:44:00 +0000

Well, she is almost 18 months, and she is finally getting comfortable walking around. It really has opened up a whole new world for her, and she is all of a sudden so much more independent!

What a difference paint makes

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:34:00 +0000

Well, the time had come to do a little updating in this poor old house. I am not sure when the woodwork, baseboards and crown moulding were painted last, but they had old lead paint that was chipping. Not nice. So, a few weeks ago a painter came and did the whole upstairs...top to bottom. Here are some photos of the three bedrooms. He hasn't finished the hallway yet, but that is going to be soon. I don't think the colors came out very well on these pictures. The girls room is a tan color, the boys is a smoky blue (in these pictures it looks similar to what was there before, but it is a much nicer color), and our room is a dark lavender. We are really happy with all of it. The hall has the most wood, with the banister and everything, so it is going to be quite a contrast when it is done. It is going to be a lighter shade of the tan in the girls' room. I can't wait...it already makes such a big difference and seem so much cleaner. And, yes, the dressers are a mess...I have to put some of that stuff on the walls, and organize the rest...

After Church on Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:31:00 +0000

Parade!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:57:00 +0000

We went to a wonderful parade this past weekend...here are some pictures...

My Husband, the fisherman

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Paul went night fishing the other night with some friends. He had a great time, and although he claims not to be the kind of fisherman who can spend hours on the water with little hope of catching a fish, he pretty well. I think the average time to catch a steelhead right now is about 9 hours. Can you imagine? 9 hours of fishing to get just one fish? That average, in our area, can go all the way up to 30 hours or so, which seems like a lot. People (mostly men) do it though!
Paul went out for three hours and caught his fish in only 10 minutes! I guess he is one end of the extreme! Although there are two fish in these pictures, only one was caught by Paul...the other was given to him by a friend. We, in turn, gave the fillets to a neighbor, who invited us over for smoked steelhead the following night. What a deal!
As for the crawfish...one spent the night in the boys fish tank, after which they were all eaten by Paul, although he claims next time he will give them to someone who will enjoy them more.

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Another beautiful giveaway over at Grosgrain...

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Did you catch this?

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:40:00 +0000

My mom told me about this part of the speech...I missed it, but it sure is cute!

Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:12:00 +0000

I just wanted to post a picture of these beautiful tomatoes we got out of our garden. On the left is Mr. Stripy, in the middle is Cherokee Purple (my fav), on the right is Super Fantastic, at the top is Early Girl, and scattered at the top also are yellow pear tomatoes. It is funny to hear the names that farmers came up with through the years for these heirloom varieties. We had a tomato tasting night at dinner a week or so ago, and everyone had a different favorite.