First Confession

“But Jesus, calling them together, said: Suffer children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” — Luke 18:16 Douay-Rheims

The boys had first confession this morning at St. Paul's. Father Sandy did a wonderful job in his homily and having the little ones participate. There were three priests on hand waiting to hear confession. During confession, Deniska talked and talked and talked. Nikolai, on the other hand, said one or 2 things and he was finished. (He should have been the one to talk and talk and talk!!) All week, Dennis and I had "practiced" with them on things to say. We were surprised of the things they told us!!

We are very proud of both boys! They are growing up so quickly. Now, we can go to confession as a family. First Communion will be after Easter. Life is good!

Warm Sweater Wednesday

I bet these ladies didn't have to turn down a thermostat in their homes!

my achy breaky back

My my achy breaky back is much better today due to the care of my wonderful chiropractor that knew just what to do. I go back tomorrow for a follow-up visit. Matter of fact, Dennis and I both went to the doctor yesterday and both feel better. I hope one of my boys grow up to be a chiropractor. It would be nice to have one in the family!!!

Snow and my brother

This is my brother who lives in North Dakota. He sent me these pictures on the 12th of this month. His little town has been hit hard with snow. No snow for us in the South. So, I just live through his experiences!

Sweet Surprise

I had the sweetest surprise today. When I got home (after an extra long day), my husband had started dinner for us. He had the spaghetti cooking and had just started the sauce and meatballs. I had left most everything on the counter (except the meatballs) this morning to have it ready to start when I got home. He got home first and started it all cooking. What a lucky girl I am to have such a sweet husband. (Either that, or he was very hungry and didn't want to wait!)

Isn't this heart shaped plate pretty? I found it on Poland By Mail site.

Dinner Menu for this week

Well, after shopping today and reading every one's comment, this is what I decided on for this coming week. At least I have a plan and can work from that. I will let you know how it works out for us!

Monday: Soup, grilled cheese on whole wheat bread
Cook spaghetti on Monday for Tuesday.

Tuesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread

Wednesday: Grilled chicken breast, broccoli & cauliflower, mixed greens

Thursday: Crockpot baked beans with wieners, cornbread muffins (maybe?)

MCCALL'S MAGAZINE CROCK POT BAKED BEANS

3 cans beans, drained and rinsed

1 pound cocktail wieners

1 can condensed cream of tomato soup, undiluted

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup water

2 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.

Friday: Shrimp Alfredo, mixed vegetables

Saturday: Baked ham slices, mashed potatoes, green beans

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner (Scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, grits)

Menu planning

I have an exciting day planned for today. It consists of: church, lunch, cutting coupons, planning my menu for the rest of the month, etc.... As you can tell, nothing spectacular but all necessary things to do.

I have 2 nights each week that I work late and I MUST start planning for them ahead of time. I refuse to stop any more on the way home to get a meal. (The reason I do this is because my husband like his meal on the table when he comes home.) Of course, I could (and do) use my crockpot (always a good thing). One person suggested I make up a casserole ahead of time and have it ready to pop into the oven. I thought that was a good idea. Do you have a suggestion for me? I would love to hear from you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is always patient and kind;
love is never jealous;
love is not boastful or conceited,

it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage,
it does not take offence or store up grievances.

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but finds its joy in the truth.

It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope
and to endure whatever comes.

Love never comes to an end.

I Corinthians 13:4-8 (NJB)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! My dear husband and boys gave me a new umbrella and a box of candy for the holiday. I just LOVE my new umbrella!!! We gave Dennis a large can of cashews and the boys both got magic paper and markers. So, we have had a good morning. We try to express our love for each other every day of the year, just not on this day. I hope each of you feel loved today!

We have a new bishop

Picture borrowed from Our Beautiful Catholic Faith

Benedict XVI has appointed Msgr Robert Guglielmone, rector of St Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, as the 13th bishop of Charleston, one of the nation's eight oldest dioceses. (The Diocese of Charleston was established by Pope Pius VII on July 11, 1820.)


In the post shepherding the state's 185,000 Catholics (which is roughly 5% of the state), the 63 year-old pick succeeds Bishop Robert Baker, who was transferred to the diocese of Birmingham in August 2007.


We have been without a bishop for far too long. I am thankful for new leadership.

Warm Sweater Wednesday

It's Wednesday again and time to turn down the thermostat. It's 57 degrees here and I haven't turned on the heat today. We didn't get home until almost 5 and the boys will go to bed at 8:00. I think we have the thermostat set on 60. By the time I cooked dinner, the kitchen and living room was warm. (I LOVE living in a small house!!!) I might turn on the space heater if anyone complains but so far no one has.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Nikolai will know all about early to bed this week. He was put on early bedtime for the rest of this week. I won't go into the details here, let's just say his behavior at school is still somewhat desired - 4 strikes and it's early bedtime. Oh the joys of raising a strong-willed child!! He looks so sweet asleep!!!

Thank goodness for Excedrin!

If you read my post from Friday, you know I had the beginning of a migraine headache. Sure enough, it turned into a nasty migraine headache. I took Advil, Aleve, aspirin, and anything else I had on hand. It wasn't until I started taking Excedrin Migraine yesterday that it decided to ease off. I have found that Excedrin is the only thing that will give me relief from my migraines. I had decided to go to the doctor today if my head wasn't better. This morning, it hurts a little but nothing like the previous days. I wonder if I should buy stock in Excedrin.....

I have lots to do today. I need to work in my coupon book and get it caught up to date. I have some cards and packages to send out tomorrow. My bedroom needs some straightening and cleaning. And, I need to make a grocery list for this coming week. I never made it to the grocery store last week. The boys need to get their Valentine cards really for school. Nikolai has Superman cards and Deniska has Scooby Doo. I just love Valentine cards!

Despite my migraine, I did get my curtains hung in the bedroom yesterday. They look really nice and the old ones are headed out the door. We went to our accountant yesterday to have our taxes filled out - that was a good visit. I had left the Edward Jones information at home and Dennis had to take it back out there later. And, most importantly, the boys had a basketball game yesterday. Deniska made 3 baskets and Nikolai made 1. They both played excellent defense. It was almost like everything just finally clicked in what they needed to be doing. It was awesome to watch them acquire new skills and put them into to practice. Their little team is still undefeated! Migraines or not, mothers have to keep moving - right?!

Water Water Every Where

Yesterday, I went to Mama's house to check the water pipes. I noticed that the outside spicket (although wrapped very good) had a huge chunk of ice hanging from the blanket it was wrapped in. I thought to myself that this is not what I wanted to see in 12 degree weather. This afternoon I went back to see if it was still frozen. Sure enough, water was seeping out and I suspected a broken pipe. It seems that it had frozen and burst. I called my brother in North Dakota who called his brother-in-law that lives a mile from me. He came over with a valve wrench and turned off the water at the main valve. I sure hope the pipe burst yesterday and not a week ago. I guess we will find out when we get the water bill.

So, tonight, Dennis and I went to Home Depot and bought a valve wrench. It's good to know we can turn our water off if we need to. Maybe this spring or summer, we will have the water fixed at Mama's. Until then, it will stay turned off.

I just hate for things like this to happen. I have to deal with all of it and never know what to do. It's given me a migraine so I am sitting in the dark and hoping my headache will not turn into a full blown migraine.

Warm Sweater Wednesday

We had snow flurries here yesterday. There was no accumulation and we had at least 50 flakes that fell!! I felt like a kid watching it snow. I even called my husband to tell him that it was snowing while I was driving. Tonight's forecast: Clear, with a low around 16. *shiver* All of our kitty cats are snuggled inside tonight. I made the boys wear pajamas (which they didn't want to do! They like to be like their daddy and sleep in their boxers! Well, that's more information than you wanted, isn't it?!!!)


Isn't this a cute picture? Click on it to take you to the site where it is sold. Today is Warm Sweater Wednesday. "Try turning down the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees at night, and then turn it up again in the morning when the coffee is brewing. If you can get used to that, you’ll save 5 to 10 percent of your heating bill. Once common myth is that when you reduce the thermostat for only a few hours it will take more heat to bring your home back up to the desired temperature. This is not so. You will save money and fuel because your heating system will not have to keep your home so warm. You will use less energy overall even when you warm up your house from a cooler temperature." Adapted from 547 Ways to be Fuel Smart, by Roger Albright. I am convinced that a cooler house makes for healthier people.

Tuesday Tidings

Abide With Me is one of my favorite hymns. I would like it to be sung at my funeral (not that I am planning on that being any time soon!) I thought I would share the words here.

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;

But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,

Familiar, condescending, patient, free.

Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,

But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,

Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea—

Come, Friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;

And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Henry Lyte (1847) was in­spired to write this hymn as he was dy­ing of tu­ber­cu­lo­sis; he fin­ished it the Sun­day he gave his fare­well ser­mon in the par­ish he served so ma­ny years. The next day, he left for Ita­ly to re­gain his health. He didn’t make it, though—he died in Nice, France, three weeks af­ter writ­ing these words.

For over a cen­tu­ry, the bells of his church at All Saints in Low­er Brix­ham, De­von­shire, have rung out “Abide with Me” daily. The hymn was sung at the wed­ding of King George VI, at the wed­ding of his daugh­ter, the fu­ture Queen Eliz­a­beth II, and at the funeral of Nobel peace prize winner Mother Teresa of Calcutta in1997.

Busy week

Is it Friday yet?! I am already tired and it's not even mid-week. We are booked full for this coming week. In addition to the normal chores - cooking, cleaning, preparing lunches, etc.... we have:

Monday - Basketball practice, school meeting (both at 6 PM!) Dennis is on-call; do laundry; make shopping list

Tuesday - Home bound student; stop by grocery store

Wednesday - Home bound student; do laundry

Thursday -Home bound student

Friday - JV Basketball game; do laundry

Saturday - tax preparation appointment; boys' basketball game (they are undefeated! Of course we have only had 4 games! LOL!); go to church; clean house;

Sunday - collapse

Lest you think I am complaining - I'm not. I just wish I had an hour to myself so I could hear myself think!! OK, so maybe I am whining a little bit - I'll chalk that up to it being Monday!!