Happy New Year!!

To my friends, family and readers on the East Coast and moving west through the nation, may you have the peace, grace and blessings of God in your homes and families in 2009. To those here on the "left" coast, I wish the same... it's 11:20 pm here and I am going to go welcome in the New Year with my two oldest boys. Hubby, the girls and the baby are all already sleeping away... Happy New Year and goodnight!

Two Nights in a Row...

Not to jinx it or anything, but my little angel has slept through the night two nights in a row now! Woohoo!! I put him down anytime between 9 and 10 in the evening and he wakes at around 6. #4 didn't sleep through the night until I quit nursing her, and THAT didn't happen until I figured out I was pregnant with #5, but by THEN I was up in the middle of the nights to use the bathroom... wow... it's been awhile since I've slept through the night... : ) feels pretty good! Sssssshhhhhh!

My Elves...

I did one of these last year but had forgotten about it until some friends of ours sent us one with their own family pictures. I couldn't resist, so I made one of our own. It's fun! So, once you have a look, make one with your own family pics and then send it out to friends and family for a laugh!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

FINALLY! A Picture!

Happy Feast of the Holy Family! My friends and family know that every year I manage to dress the kids up and get them to sit still long enough to get a few good pictures in their "Sunday Best"... but with so much going on, and it's just not too easy with five... But I took advantage this morning after mass, when we were at grandma's and before they had a chance to change in to their play clothes... actually I threatened the boys that I would take away their new MP3 players if they didn't cooperate! lol! Anyway! It went smoother than I had anticipated and here is the result... They are, oldest to youngest, 12, 9, 6, 2 and 2 months (already!). We are very blessed... And I didn't notice until I downloaded these that you can see last years family Christmas picture sitting on Grandmas end table! lol! Minus Sam, of course... I hope to have another family picture done soon, with all of us...

Find the Sammy! : )

The kids thought it would be funny to surround their new baby brother with the girls' dolls this morning...

: )

A VERY Merry and Blessed Christmas to All!

I have been taking some extra time with my family over the holidays and put my blog on hold for a couple, but there are lots of pictures to come! We have been very blessed this Christmas with friends and family to share it with. I'm still looking forward to a hopeful visit from our beloved priest friend visiting from Sri Lanka... I will be back in the next day or two to share some with you of our Christmas... in the mean time enjoy these next twelve days of the Christmas Season as we contemplate the anticipation the Magi must have felt in their journey to meet the Christ Child, Emmanuel...

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!!

The local weather people are telling us it's a definite possibility. It's been 10 years since this valley floor has seen any... And it's certainly cold enough! Right now there is just some drizzling rain, but heck, if it's going to be wet and cold anyway, we might as well have SNOW!! My kids are all hoping beyond hope that it'll happen. Is there a Patron Saint of Snow? ; )

"The Priests" Sign Record Deal

and I Had to include a clip of them singing my absolute FAVORITE Christmas Hymn... Their voices give me chills... I understand that two of the three are actually blood brothers...



Their debut album is available now. What a GREAT Christmas gift idea!

Dear Santa...

Okay, so we hadn't done much Christmas shopping yet.... okay, we hadn't done ANY... Just with so much going on, and a little bit of dread and not wanting to deal with the crowds and trying to balance what the kids want and what we can actually afford AND keep everyone grounded on the TRUE meaning of the season, I had already discussed with each of the kids that we ARE a 'large' family by society's standards and we are also a single income family on a tight budget. Don't get yourselves psyched up and set your minds on "big ticket" items... it just ain't gonna happen... we can't afford it and neither can Santa... I think we are like most other parents who want to do and give nice things to their kids, but just can't afford a lot of the things that kids seem to be in to these days... and times 5, well, it gets expensive... Anyway, I had set mine and the kids thoughts on preparing our baking gifts for the season and shopping has been avoided thus far...

Lo and behold hubby brings in the mail yesterday afternoon and opens a Christmas card sent from no return address. Inside was a note from "Santa" explaining that he was having some trouble with elves and ran out of time to do any shopping for us but enclosed a lovely gift card for us to do some shopping of our own for us and each of the kids... completely unexpected but so appreciated... : ) it was signed "Love, Santa"... So Santa, if you're reading this, we got it... and thank you from the bottom of our hearts... It was so very thoughtful... and a VERY Merry Christmas to you and YOUR family!

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Clause.... ; )

My Sister-in-Law...

God love her... I only have one brother in my family, so I only have one sister-in-law from my sibs, and I guess after being a part of our family for 31-plus years now, she really DOES know me! lol... This was a "new mommy- again" gift from her for me. It's a purse, and when I saw it I laughed so hard I got tears.... It really says it all... I asked her if when she saw it at the store it was surrounded by neon lights and arrows pointing around it saying "Buy THIS for Lee!!" ?... Yup... she knows me : )

GREAT Family Movies...

Hubby found some great family movies on sale at the local Christian Bookstore last week... If you haven't seen them already, these are GREAT family oriented movies that are VERY SAFE AND entertaining for the entire family. And some GREAT lessons taught, to boot! Hubby and I totally enjoyed watching something that we could watch with the kids where we didn't have to worry about being on guard to "ff" or cover their eyes! : )
















Flywheel
























Facing the Giants











and Bella

All three were on sale here locally, and are movies we will watch again and again... They also had Fireproof (due out in January) on sale if you pre-ordered it, for only $12.49. Fireproof was from the same makers of Flywheel and Facing the Giants. So, you might check out your own local Christian or Catholic bookstores to see if you can find them! They would make terrific Christmas gifts!

O Mary, Conceived Without Sin...

Pray for us, who have recourse to thee! Amen.

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception....

Now, back to my sick babies...

I've Always Loved to Sing...

From the time I was very young I would sing along with the radio, play my favorite albums and memorize my favorite songs, then practice singing in to my hair brush over and over again... I sang in choirs in school, from elementary to college. I've sung liturgy at Mass and have sung for several weddings. I guess that's probably why I have always liked American Idol... I think back to how badly I wanted to be a professional singer when I was young and what would have happened if I had had the guts to pursue that career... but I digress... : )

This video of these young, talented men reminded me and brought back lots of memories that I have of singing as part of a group. I loved the harmonizing and how much fun it was to sing together in a choir. Two of my best girlfriends and I always had fun picking different parts of songs and singing them in harmony, just for the fun of it. You can tell that these guys are just having a blast! and the crowd is loving it... Enjoy!

I've been "tagged"...

By Linda from Don't Poke the Baby. This is pretty easy, though... list 6 things that make you happy then tag your friends... hhhmmm let's see...

6. Holding a new baby (complete with "new baby" smell...) curled up in a little ball quietly sleeping on my chest...
5. When my husband lets me put my cold feet up against him to warm them up in the bed...
4. The quiet of a church filled with the smell of candles (not the smelly ones, just the plain ole beeswax prayer candles smell...)
3. Getting together with my friends and family,siblings, cousins, etc...
2. The sound of my children's uncontrollable laughter when playing together...
1. "Light bulb moments" with my kids, when you KNOW that something FINALLY clicked with them that you've been trying to teach...

Okay. Now it's time to tag some friends... How 'bout:

Melissa at Almost Catholic Momma
The Mom at Shoved to Them
the Expresso Catholic Mom
WICatholic
and Occultus Matris at Keeping Up With the Comptons

Now, you're it! ; )

Sam's BIG Day!

What better way to begin the season of Advent then to welcome an new son of God?? As my 6 year old so brilliantly stated early Sunday morning as she was getting ready for Mass, "Mommy, today Sammy will become a "son of God"... right now he's just a "child of God", right?"... : ) she answered her own question, from only a few days before. We were discussing how our baptism makes us sons and daughters of God when she asked me, "What are we before we are baptised?" knowing that she was concerned about her new baby brother's status... I wasn't really sure how to explain it to her without going in to something over her head and more than she would want to hear or comprehend...

So here are the pictures of Sam on his big day... My niece, who happens to be MY God-daughter, and my nephew are the new God-parents. Monsignor Frost did all he could to get even just a "peep" out of Sam before, during and after he was baptized, but our little angle was good as gold! Even opening his eyes wide to greet his parish family afterwards!

After Mass we went to the breakfast that was being held in the church hall by the Knights of Columbus, where one of the knights kindly reserved two tables for Sam and family... : ) Later that afternoon, my nephew was gracious enough to have a bbq, complete with a cake in Sam's honor! We are certainly blessed!

20 Years

Last November 5th my husband and I marked 20 years of marriage. But between my brother in law passing and the birth of our new son, it just sort of passed by... other than a quick "Happy Anniversary" to one another that morning we just didn't have the chance to do much else... In fact, that morning we were rushing around trying to get everyone dressed and ready to go to my brother in laws funeral. I commented to my husband that 20 years ago that day we were getting ready to head to the Church for a whole different reason...

So, I think it's WAY PASSED time to acknowledge this milestone that we accomplished, only through God's grace...

After 20 years it becomes all too easy to forget about what it was that drew us together in the first place... Lives become wrapped up in job, kids, chores, life... But I want you to know how very much you mean to me... you are MORE than just a provider for our home... you are my partner in life, in love, my anchor that I cling to when I am afraid... You are the father of our children that fill our lives with laughter, and tears, and remind us of our endless amounts of love for them and for one another because they are part of each of us. Sometimes you frustrate me to no end, but you make me smile more...

We've done it... We've come this far... there were those who didn't think we would... But here we are... It makes me sad to think of life without you, so I won't... We have been so blessed over the years... I pray that we continue to cling to our Faith in God and to each other, for richer, for poorer, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health... till death do us part. I love you now and always... Happy belated Anniversary, my love!

Turkey Wrestling

This commercial just gives me the absolute giggles.... : D

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Mad Crabby Baby...

#4 is having a melt down of sorts... She has a runny nose... one of those change in the weather colds that we seem to catch whenever the weather starts to cool down... On top of that, she's dealing with her jealousy issues with the new baby... As I was concerned might happen, she took a little bit of a dive on her potty training, where I could take her around town or to any one's house and she would behave perfectly, using the potty and staying dry. But after we got home, suddenly she wet everything I put on her, continuously, no matter how much we would remind her or try to encourage and reward her...

Thankfully, the past few days have been an improvement. However, NOW she tends to INSIST on ME taking her to the bathroom most of the time. On occasion she will allow her dad and SOMETIMES even her siblings to take her. But if I'm holding the baby, I'm the only one... *sigh* makes for some tricky maneuvering... But hopefully this will all work itself out in another week or two... In the meantime it's back to school tomorrow for a short week, as we prepare for Thanksgiving on Thursday.

Please say a prayer that between the Zicam and some extra rest we can all get past the colds in time for the holiday festivities, and then Sam's baptism will be next Sunday morning at Mass. Yea!!

My Roosters are Gone Now...

I had to go get some Chicken scratch for our chickens on Wednesday. There is a small local feed store not far from our house that I discovered a few months ago and as I was paying for the scratch I asked the lady/owner if she wanted some roosters... I had had NO takers on our freecycle list and was getting desperate... I figured at the least they would just sell them from their store, if they could...

Anyway, surprisingly she asked, "What kind are they?" I really didn't know, but the kids and I did our best to describe the remaining 5 roosters that we had at home to get rid of. She then asked, "Do they fight or anything? How much do you want for them?"

Well, gosh, I was just looking to get rid of them, so I just told her, "They don't really fight too much, yet, because they grew up together and none of them have had hens to defend, so... You want them?" lol... anyway, about that time my oldest son came walking up from the back of the store where they have their chicken and pigeon coops and asks the lady how much her hens are and she tells them $8. These were 'teenager' hens, not quite laying age yet, but no longer babies... I asked, "would you trade a hen for the roosters?" She said she would have to see the roosters, so I told her I would bring them in the next day...

So, after all my other running around on Thursday, we boxed up the last of our roosters, who were none to happy about it, and took them back to the feed store. The lady happily dumped them in to the chicken coop with all the other hens and they seemed quite happy for the time being... She then told us we could have one hen for each rooster! Wow! GREAT trade!! : )

Well, we actually ended up with 3 little brown hens and one 'dominique' banty hen that she told me I could have, she was just SO adorable, I couldn't resist. Yeah, she's itty-bitty, and will only lay little eggs, but my daughter won't mind, since she has this thing about eating things that are "small"... and hopefully in another month or two, we will actually have them all laying eggs, and the kids won't have to wait until spring to get some new baby chick hens... woohoo!

So, for now, our remaining barred rock rooster has been separated from the group while the 4 new hens make nice with our one barred rock hen that we already had. She is trying to push her weight around pecking them away from the food and water, but she's out numbered, so I think that they will settle down in a few days... then we'll see if we can reintroduce Joe (the rooster) to the group. For now, he's crowing in 'protest', but even still, it was MUCH quieter this morning at sunrise! The kids didn't start emerging from their rooms until 8:30! lol...

From the Mouths of Babes...

H/T to the Mom, she apparently has BRILLIANT children... i couldn't have said it better myself...

Just What I Was Talking About

I got this from the American Family Association this morning...:

"Some elected officials in California - the governor and a number of legislators
- have decided that the vote of the people means NOTHING. For reasons known only to them, they have indicated that they want the vote of the people concerning Proposition 8 overturned. To date, 44 legislators as well as the
governor are petitioning the California Supreme Court to declare Proposition 8
unconstitutional."

Why do we bother to have an election?... If you would like to help, you can let your governor and legislatures know by contacting them. Ask them to respect the voice of the voters THIS time and uphold the words of our constitution.

No One Wants My Roosters...

Our last 'hold-out' for a hen has been dashed... One by one it became apparent that the 89 cents a piece chickens that we bought last spring were roosters... so much for our hen/egg laying venture... as it turns out, the ONLY hen we have, is the one we got for the one barred rock rooster we traded for her. So, the kids take turns gathering the egg(singular) ever day. Some days we get lucky and she'll leave us two...

So, initially I got really lucky in offering my roosters on our local Freecycle site and had two people that had lots of land and some lonely hens that they wanted to find "company" for... so I made two of our roosters VERY happy... off they went. When we discovered more roosters I once again turned to freecycle, and the only response I got was from a gal who suggested that I take them out to the local wild bird rescue center at the college, and they would take my roosters to use as "live bait" for the rehabilitating birds... uuuuhhhh... Okay, I realize "circle of life" and all that, but I guess we are just terrible "farmers" when it comes to that aspect, and the kids were kind of freaking, as these roosters have pretty much been "pets" to them. SSSssoooo...

I modified my posts to read something like:

"Offer: Roosters. Fairly tame. Would appreciate them not being taken for fighting or eating. Would appreciate you telling me that you just have some lonely hens that need company. what I don't know, won't hurt me!"

I've posted and re-posted 3 times now, with no response... *sigh* I'm not sure what we're going to do, now... The incessant crowing beginning at 3:15 each morning (not to mention the "crowing-wars" that take place throughout the day) is becoming more and more frustrating and I'm worried that we're really ticking off our neighbors... (though no one has said anything, yet...) My sister suggested that we advertise them for Thanksgiving... I'm starting to second guess the whole "not for eating" idea... We just need to get rid of them.

It's SO Frustrating!

The one good thing that came out of this past election was the passing of Proposition 8, defining marriage between one man and one woman. But it seems despite our efforts, once again there are those that charge forward to have the MAJORITY of California voters decision overturned. It really amazes me, (though I'm not sure why, given THIS day and age...) how conservatives are viewed as the ones that are not only "intolerant" but "violent". These are lables that are thrown at us by the "enlightened" liberals that just don't like it when people disagree with them. The "anti-Prop 8" crowd has been hard at it ever since election night. And it seems that no one is immune to their forced "tolerance"... as was experienced by Phyllis Burgess of Palm Springs. And I don't know that most of them even understand WHAT proposition 8 was all about... The proposition DID NOT take away ANY of their rights in their "domestic partnerships". The ONLY thing it does is preserve the institution of marriage as only between one man and one woman. Marriage was designed to preserve and promote the family unit and two people of the same sex were not designed to procreate and therefore cannot promote and preserve the family unit, no matter how much they love one another. Regardless of proposition 8 passing, same sex couples can still have the same rights of any other domestic partnership. My only question now, is "How long before California Judges once again take it upon themselves to over rule our vote again?" The last time they did (last spring), there was a sudden rising in fires that hit our fair land... coincidence?.... hhhhmmmm....

Attempting to Get Back to SOME Normalcy...

Things are starting to settle down and I am attempting to get back to our routine... We started with our schooling this morning... It's hard to get back after a break, but we had no choice...

I am SO thankful for all the prayers that were offered up during my pregnancy, as it seems that God has answered with an ABUNDANCE of graces, from pregnancy, to birth to my beautiful son! I have to say that this was probably my most physically UN-eventful pregnancy of all. Except for the morning sickness, which seemed to last only the first 3 or 4 months, as opposed to it lasting throughout, as in previous pregnancies... I really managed quite well. My blood pressure was NEVER an issue, despite my history of hyper tension and developing preclampsia. I went in to deliver 15 lbs. LIGHTER than when I delivered my previous baby... and it was only in the final 3 weeks or so before I delivered that the weight shift on my body REALLY began to affect me and became more and more uncomfortable... but then, what mother-to-be in her 36+ week of pregnancy IS comfortable?? : )

After only two nights in the hospital (with EXCELLENT nurses, I might add...) Sam and I were ready to go home. And SO FAR, Sam seems to be the "Mellow-Jello" baby that the Nurse Practitioner deemed him to be... Contrary to the doctor's and specialists "predictions" because of my (ahem) age... Sam entered this world at a happy and healthy 8 lbs. 12 oz. All his fingers and toes and every bit as beautifully perfect as my previous 4 babies... VERY attentive to his surroundings, and will lie awake looking around for up to 45 minutes to an hour a couple of times a a day! And he is sleeping REALLY well at night, which makes mommy EXTREMELY happy! I figure since I was already getting up 3 or more times a night to use the bathroom, getting up around 2:30am to feed him and then not again until 7:30am or sometimes later, is GRAVY! And getting my body back, a little more each day, isn't bad, either! I'm already down about 25 lbs. since surgery... God is GOOD... and I am grateful to the many friends, family and readers that helped pray us through... Thank you, again! We were able to SEE God's wonderful plan unfold before us when we were still afraid and unsure...

So, without further ado... here are a few pics of our newest member making the rounds in his "mellow-jello" way... : ) Before long we will have a date set for his baptism...

The Day After...

Things have settled down a bit, but it's not over yet...

Tuesday was election day, and we all know the out come of that, now... I did my best to stay out of eye and ear shot of any news coverage that day, as it only caused me more anxiety... I did not want to face what in my gut already knew...

Wednesday morning I woke to the day of my 20th wedding anniversary, thinking back that 20 years earlier my husband and I were up and preparing to go to the Church for entirely different reasons... THIS morning we were preparing to get to the Church for the funeral of my brother in law...

Knowing that America had spoken and Barak Hussein Obama is the new president-elect, I felt sad, thinking that my brother in law had the right idea. I was sad at the loss of my brother in law and the loss to my sister and her son and I was feeling sadness for our country, but most especially for the future of our children. What does the future have in store for them?...

But God IS the God of miracles, and NEVER ceases to bring GOOD from EVIL. It is not right to be "alarmist" or to feel hopelessness, as God is STILL in control... He will spare the city for but one believer... and our beloved Pope has told us that the future Church will be smaller, but STRONGER. This may be what is needed to sift the wheat from the chaff. He has allowed it for a purpose. As heard at my brother-in-laws funeral yesterday morning, "cling to the old rugged cross..." Now, more than ever, cling to your Faith and draw your family near. The road may get rocky, but Jesus and His Mother still walk with us...It is well worth remembering:

“Let nothing disturb thee;
Let nothing dismay thee;
All thing pass;God never changes.
Patience attains all that it strives for.
He who has God finds he lacks nothing:
God alone suffices.”

--St. Teresa of Avila

Shepherd Me, O God...

There is a variation of the 23rd Psalm that we sing at Mass that goes:


"Shepherd me O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death in to life...."


It has been going through my mind for the past week or so since we learned that my brother in laws battle with cancer had taken another bad turn... Between that and the pending arrival of our newest little one...


I know when I first learned of this pregnancy and wondering the "why" of it all... though I wanted to be happy, I just couldn't bring myself out of my fear and anxiety ... And now, here we are, full circle and I am once again amazed at the timing and outcome of God's perfect plan...

"Uncle Chuckie" passed and was born in to eternal life at about 2:45 last Thursday afternoon. It was only an hour and 20 minutes later that Samual Charles was born and taking his first breath of his life here on earth... My sister said she is sure that Sam and her beloved husband must have waved at each other in "passing"... It is a bittersweet time... We mourn the loss of a wonderful man that was so good to my sister and their son. We mourn the loss of a man that I admired for doing so much to especially step in and help take care of my mom, after my dad passed away 5 years ago. He was a true, honest and hard worker who spent most of his time worrying about taking care of others, either at home or at work. He will be missed...

and now we have Sam as that constant reminder that our birth in to this life is to be lived in honor and glory to Him, that we may live with Him forever, in the next life. As my pastor so sweetly wrote to me this morning, "God rest Chuck’s soul, part of which lives in Sam!" Amen and amen! This is a picture of Chuckie's son, my nephew, and Sam's soon to be Godfather... "from death into life..."

Continued prayers for our family are truly appreciated as we get through this tough week... The funeral will be Wednesday morning...

A Change in Plans...

So, as it happens, I go in to see my doctor today, one last visit before surgery next Friday the 7th. I had told him that I really wasn't having a good day. I just wasn't feeling very good, it had been a crazy week, my brother in law was in the hospital and I was pretty much just "spinning"... My contractions were increasing, but nothing that had my body doing anything... Sam is still locked up tight...

After examining me, weight was the same, BP was 128/72, no protein, etc... he told me that he wanted to see what he could do about delivering earlier... though the problem was he was going to be gone out of town until Wednesday next week. I thought "well, I'm already scheduled for Friday, what difference would one or two days make?..." Anyway, he said he wanted to check and left me to get dressed. While he was gone I said a prayer, telling God, "You know what is going on with my family right now. You know what is best... You know I want to be available for my sister and nephew when I am needed most... Your will be done..."

About 2 minutes later the doctor popped back in and said, "How about tomorrow at 3:30?"

Wow... Sometimes God answers prayers VERY swiftly and still, quite unexpectedly... So, after a couple of phone calls, it was decided that we would go ahead and do this... My brother in law is fading... right now my sister is focused on her husband and his needs... and I'm thinking that this way I will be there for my sis and nephew when and if they need me most... It may all be just another product of God's perfect timing... from death into life...

So, I'll be off for a little bit, but please keep us all in prayer... for my brother in law to have a peaceful and happy passing from this life to the next, for my sister and her son to be surrounded with love and grace to sustain them through this dark time... and for a safe and happy surgery and delivery for myself and Sam... Thanks!

We ARE NOT a Punishment

The son of my friend WI Catholic, has made an AMAZING video VERY appropriate for these times... Please, take time to watch and pass it on...



*Warning... there are some graphic photos at the end of the video that may not be suitable for young children. Be advised when viewing...

Gianna Jessen's Responce to Barak Obama

God Bless her! What better way to get the word out that these little helpless babies are REALLY people?? This is Gianna's second ad. If you haven't seen the first one, you can see it here.

Another BIG Thank You to Our American Bishops Making a Stand for Life!

As previously stated, it is SO refreshing to see and hear more of our American Bishops making a stand about the five key principles that we, as Catholics MUST consider, in order to vote this election with a clear conscience. They are 1. abortion, 2. EMBRYONIC stem cell research, 3. euthanasia, 4. cloning, and 5. defining marriage as between one man and one woman. All have to do with LIFE or death... As Tim Staples reminded listeners this morning on their Catholic Answers Live Show, a Catholic can NOT vote for a pro-abortion candidate, justifying that they aren't voting for him because he's pro-abortion, therefore it's "okay"... They can either choose the one that would cause the least amount of damage in the above instances, or they can choose not to vote... Though, in choosing not to vote, that can also cause problems in giving the opposing side an advantage... so we must choose carefully... and LIFE issues always take precedence over all other issues...

That said, Lifesite News posted yesterday a list of over 80 Bishops that have stated that the Life/Abortion issues are KEY in this upcoming election. No "ifs" "ands" or "buts"... No "maybe's"... So, did your Bishop make the list? Congratulations if he did! Unfortunately, I didn't see mine...

(Note that numbers 58 and 59 encompass 22 and 10 bishops respectively, who
are included in joint statements issued by the bishops of New York and
Pennsylvania)
1. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver

2. Bishop James Conley, auxiliary of Denver

3. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C.

4. Justin Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life
Activities

5. Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, chairman of the Committee on Doctrine

6. Edward Cardinal Egan of New York

7. Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo

8.Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh

9. Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs

10. Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio

11. Bishop Oscar Cantu, auxiliary of San Antonio

12. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville

13. Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa

14. Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas

15. Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin

16. Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston

17. Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando

18. Archbishop John Nienstedt of Saint Paul/Minneapolis

19. Francis Cardinal George of Chicago, President of the USCCB

20. Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker

21. Bishop Jerome Listecki of La Crosse

22. Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland

23. Bishop Ralph Nickless of Sioux City

24. Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco

25. Bishop Glen Provost of Lake Charles, LA

26. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn

27. Bishop Joseph F. Martino of Scranton

28. Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura

29. Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte

30. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh

31. Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, KS

32. Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO

33. Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison, WS

34. Bishop Ronald Gilmore of Dodge City, KS

35. Bishop Paul Coakley of Salina, KS

36. Bishop Michael Jackels of Wichita

37. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of Palm Beach

38. Bishop Kevin W. Vann of Fort Worth

39. Bishop Rene H. Gracida, retired, of Corpus Christi

40. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo of Houston

41. Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington

42. Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond

43. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center

44. Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester

45. Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Patterson

46. Bishop Robert Herrmann of St. Louis

47. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore

48. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix

49. Bishop Thomas D. Doran of Rockford

50. Bishop Joseph A. Galante of Camden

51. Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham

52. Archbishop Alexander J. Brunett of Seattle

53. Bishop J. Peter Sartain of Joliet

54. Bishop John M. Smith of Trenton

55. Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing

56. Bishop Leonard R. Blair of Toledo

57. Joint Statement by the bishops of New York State (22 bishops)

58. Joint Statement by the bishops of Pennsylvania (10 bishops)

For Obama, Babies are a Burden...

Found at Go Sarah Go ... this just brings tears to my eyes... and people want HIM to run our Country? They STILL want to say that they don't know his stance?... There are Catholics that STILL want to justify their reasons for voting for Obama?... I just don't get it...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Long Awaited and VERY Appreciated!

I am SO proud of the what seems to be more and more of our Catholic Bishops making a stand for Truth! Highlighted today by Bishop Gracida releasing a radio ad along with Catholic protests planned. Regardless of how much the "'catholics' for Obama" want to try and justify their stance, the Church CLEARLY states that there is NO WAY that a Catholic can vote with a clear conscience for Obama given his VERY WELL DEFINED stance on abortion. And let's face it, at THIS point, there is NO WAY ANYONE can say they don't know his stance on this issue...

Bishop Gracida's message is short, sweet and to the point:

"This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics
that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience. A Catholic
cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they
have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion
candidate."

You can listen to the ad at Randall Terry's website. Also, today marks the final nine days before the election. You are all invited to join in a novena for our nation, by praying any of the suggestions on CatholicVote.com or taking a few minutes to pray in ANY way for our country and our future leaders... this will be a history making election either way... But please God, may those who stand for life and will help protect our most innocent come out in DROVES to have their voices HEARD... Amen...

On Death and Dying...

It seems as Christians, our goal is to try to prepare ourselves, not more for this life but for the next... What is it we are taught from the beginning? Why did God create us? To love, serve and honor Him in THIS life, so that we may be with Him FOREVER in next... So when it happens that a loved one among us has reached his time to go and be with God, it is not for him that we mourn, but for ourselves... those of us left here to continue to fight on the front lines in hopes that one day, we too will have the opportunity to stand before God and hear Him tell us, "well done, good and faithful servant" and remain with Him forever....

Very soon I will be going to the hospital to see my brother-in-law and say my final 'goodbyes'. After his less than year long battle with an aggressive cancer, he has found his way home to the Catholic Church. God is good! He was able to partake in the sacraments, giving him strength and courage, to go forward for as long as his body would allow him to. The oncologist only yesterday told them that his body was done. It is shutting down and there is not much more that can be done, but pray... So pray, we will continue to do...

We pray for miracles, as we know that God is the God of miracles and no matter the outcome, we have already witnessed wonderful graces come from this terrible time... No matter the outcome, my brother in law has been able to partake of and receive the graces of the sacraments these last couple of months with much joy and peace. My prayer now is that he will hang on at least until Saturday, November 1, the feast of All Souls... What better time?... It was only yesterday when our parish pastor and associate came to his bedside and prayed over him, giving him yet another opportunity to receive the body and blood of Our Lord to sustain him on his journey 'home'... He will be good. He is as ready as one could be... But it is for my sister and nephew that my heart aches... This has all happened so fast... and I don't know if any of us left here can ever be "ready" to let go of a loved one in death....

Please say a prayer for the family. They really are priceless and felt as a soft place to land when they need it most... God's will be done...

A Word From History... Will Enough People HEAR It?...

Something I received from a friend today...

Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a
sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money." I laughed.

Once in the restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08"
tie, again I laughed as he had given away his political preference--just
imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and
explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth
concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going
to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the
homeless guy outside.

The server angrily stormed from my sight. I went
outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside
as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was
grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific
redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful
for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave
away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient deserved money
more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to
swallow in concept than in practical application. During this
political season let's be reminded of these wise words:

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the
rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot
bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage
earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood
of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by
taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people
permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for
themselves."

--Abraham Lincoln

Is it Time to Give Up? But, I Haven't Sung Yet!!

I get so tired of the liberal media, that it gets to the point of where i just don't want to listen to them anymore... they have been PUSHING their one-sided agenda for months/years, and they've stepped it up even MORE so, it seems, since Sarah Palin made her entrance as the Republican VP pick. They can't stand even the THOUGHT of having a conservative, moralistic person with real values in office. How the heck could she EVER lead people in "real life"?...

But, so it goes... It seems we are again bombarded with Obama coming out on top of all the "polls", sometimes the margin being greater than others... more and more we are hearing the drama from the "catholics" for Obama, etc... and WHY are we "conservatives" such "one issue voters".... Why can't people WAKE UP and SEE how they are being led right down that WIDE road to perdition? Why can't they see and hear that the "change" that the Obama-mites are chanting about are changes that they really don't want to happen?... Why can't they see the big picture??!! There are so many seemingly intelligent people jumping headlong into the proverbial pot of warm water sitting on the stove, steadily getting hotter... In search of what? "change"... "something better"... "something" to fill that empty space they feel inside... it's called "life"...

I know I shouldn't lose hope... but sometimes it's really difficult to not... despite our best efforts, it seems our culture marches onward toward this culture of death... if "it" (insert: he/she) doesn't work, kill "it"... Our innocent unborn, our elderly, our sick, our disabled... "you can't possibly take care of yourself... not the way 'WE' want you too.. so let "us" do it for you... "WE" know what's best for you and for EVERYONE... We will provide you with food and health care and schooling, etc... as long as "WE" think you are worthy... If your not worthy, well we just call that "cutting costs"... According to what i understand about Obama's budget plan, my family and I will still be considered "poor", I guess, so I wonder just how much of Oprah's money will be coming my way?... don't worry, I'm not holding my breath... Perhaps this will be part of the "chastisements" we've heard about... I'd really like it not to be... and I think I fear for my children more so... still, God's will....

Our prayers continue to be lifted high on behalf of our Nation, our families, and most especially for our children. This election will be a life changing one, for sure... Fr. Corapi offers a Novena for us to join... No matter how, I think it is vital that we step up our prayers and sacrifices in whatever ways we can to do our part to stand for the culture of life... Who knows? Our OWN lives may depend on it... We can't throw the towel in yet! God is STILL the God of miracles! He still has the ability to bring GOOD out of everything! Even evil! So we pray, and we trust...

A Funny for the Season

Good News All Around!

So I got another update from my friend this morning about her nephew, Dylan. They got a call from the doctors last night saying that the bone scans were all free and clear of cancer. The small 3mm spot on the back side of his lung now appears to be "nothing" but they will keep an eye on it, anyway. This is helping the family all breathe a little easier in general, though Dylan's mom is still having a hard time letting her guard down, bless her heart... I don't blame her a bit... can't say that i wouldn't be the same way... Please continue to say a prayer for the family...

And my brother in law was going to have a laparoscopy at noon (PST) today to remove his gall bladder, the source of his infection. Now, hopefully, he will be feeling a whole lot better, soon and back on his road to recovery! It's been a tough road for he and his family, but we are so grateful to God for the good that He has worked through it... Thanks again for all the prayers!

November 7...

I can't see my toes... But 3 days after the election, 2 days after my 20th wedding anniversary, that's Sam's BIG arrival day. November 7, 2008 at 12:30 pm surgery is scheduled. Given my current state of discomfort I was really hoping that it would be sooner, but I trust that this is all part of God's plan and in His capable hands... All is offered up for my friends and family in need, though... I still have SO MUCH to be thankful for...

I went in to the doctor Monday morning only to be delayed by a his being called next door for an unexpected early delivery. After waiting about an hour and a half after my scheduled appointment I was told the doctor was in with the girl just before me, when a few minutes later I was again told that he was now called out for an emergency c-section... So... after remembering to say a prayer for the mom and baby in crises, I went home and returned later in the afternoon... long day... but when I finally saw my doctor he referred to me as his "Mystery-Miracle Lady"... the one that was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and blood pressure issues, but my last blood test showed my sugar levels to be better and my blood pressure was still 178/80. : ) go figure...

So, other than the increasing back pain, and trouble getting around, everything seems to be going fine. He still wasn't sure how big the baby might be. He said it was "hard to tell" with me, whatever that means... but, I really don't want to pay for another ultra sound (20%) just to see how big.... so, I guess we'll all just have to "wonder" until Sam arrives... my biggest delivery was at 40 weeks and he was 8 lbs.

So, short of a miraculous, spontaneous labor, or emergency (Please, God, no...) I will continue to finish up my "nesting" here at home and wait the next couple of weeks out. With my brother-in-law still in the hospital and little Dylan's new diagnosis, I have plenty to offer up for... thank you all for your continued prayers...

Sad News... Please Pray...

Before i started my blog, over a year ago ago a friend of mine had a nephew that was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer just prior to his 3rd birthday... After intense treatment and some very close calls Dylan came through with flying colors, along with some nice family perks that included being a poster child for children's cancer research and a trip to Disney World that he will never forget! Through it all, the little guy kept his awesome spirit, being an inspiration to all that knew him and knew about him... We were all so grateful after almost an entire year of treatments that he was given the "all clear".

Of course, with that comes the requirements of returning to recheck every few months. Unfortunately, this weeks scan returned some not so good news... There is a spot on his lung that would require going through a portion of his heart and spinal nerves to get to. He also had bone scans done that they will find the results for today... As I said, Dylan is a trooper, now 4, and we beg for prayers for him and his family, now... He has his mom and dad and two older sisters.

Thanks so much, and I will keep you all posted.

McCain-Obama Roast Charity at Annual Al Smith Dinner

I had never heard of this event before, but apparently it's an annual one... My hubby caught it last night and I took some time to see if I could find it on Youtube. This part, I think, was my favorite... But if you get a chance you might check out the other segments... My only regret is that CNN is the only station that carried it... But, it's good for a few laughs, and it's nice to see, even in the midst of all the chaos of an election year, candidates can still laugh at themselves...

What Obama Will Fight for...

Okay, just one more h/t to Mama Says, because I believe it is SO important that everyone understands WHAT exactly Barak Obama is standing for... again, I refer to her quote: "How can Obama lead a people, if he won't recognize a person?" Watch this video and then pass it on to any/everyone that you can... There is NO dancing around THIS truth....

We Did it! We Did it! Yeah! Lo Hicimos!

This "Dora Moment" brought to you by... The third presidential debate last Wednesday night... In my humble opinion, "political analyst" that I am... lol... I think it went pretty well. I had to watch it on Thursday, via- youtube, as I was gone Wednesday evening. I appreciated moderator Bob Schieffer, who seemed to be fair and include MORE topics than the same ones that have already been covered over and over again. Though, I have to say, my condolences to Joe the Plumber... poor guy's life will never be the same...

Two things that I found of particular interest in this debate: #1, the abortion topic was FINALLY covered, and was it just me, or was Obama squirming?... He was quite obviously NOT comfortable with this topic at all, where as McCain appeared to be QUITE comfortable and confident. To Quote blogger Mama Says : "How can Obama lead a people, if he won't recognize a person?"

The other topic, near and dear to my heart was the topic of education. The question was WHY do Americans spend MORE on our education programs yet have the lowest testing scores of anywhere else in the world? and what do YOU plan to do about it? Obama's 'solution' is to "get 'em in school EARLIER'??!!

This topic and question in and of itself was enough to make me almost laugh, if it wasn't so pathetic... Why, they ask, do we spend SO MUCH but GET so little in return from our students?... Well let's take a look at how curriculum has changed in lets say the past 25 or so years... Speaking as one from here on the "left" coast, land of fruits and nuts... HOW MUCH money is being WASTED on sex education programs for our kids? Teaching everything from when, how, how much, where, and how to do it 'safely' (matter of opinion) and what to do and where to go in case there's a "mistake" or "accident" as well as providing TRANSPORTATION to keep those "pesky parents" out of the equation and interfering with their kids "decision".... teaching pretty much EVERYTHING on the topic EXCEPT modesty, self control and self pride and worth...

HOW MUCH money is being spent on providing 'health care centers' on campus, complete with nurses and condoms, and other forms of artificial birth control? HOW MUCH money is being spent on books that cover such "enlightened topics" as the life styles of homosexuality, and transgendered? HOW MUCH money is being wasted in discarding books that use "discriminatory" words like 'reproduction' and 'traditional families' or *gasp* "Christianity"? Replacing these with "less offensive" (matter of opinion) topics like "My Two Mommy's/Daddy's". HOW MUCH money is being wasted on "school functions" that "celebrate" the gay life style? HOW MUCH money is spent on security, campus cops, metal detectors and investigators that are anymore pretty much common place on jr.-hi and highschool campuses nationwide...? Just HOW MUCH money is being WASTED on the INDOCTRINATION of our young people??!!

Whatever happened to teaching the BASICS of reading, writing and arithmetic? What happened to teaching kids REAL values, like the value of self worth, and self control? Giving themselves a LOT MORE value at a LOT LESS cost...

WHERE can they cut costs? Well, I got a few ideas.... and letting the government educational system get to our kids SOONER is NOT one of them... They are exposed to this garbage soon enough... As a home school mom, I know that I have "those days" when I just really want to throw my hands up in the air and put my kids back in to regular school... Fortunately, it never lasts for long...

The bottom line is, I think that John McCain and his running mate have done a decent job of getting their "plans" out there, of where they stand and what they what direction they would like to lead this nation. The Obama camp is still trying to dish their "camouflaged" rhetoric of culture of death, "spread the wealth", socialistic ideals... Not much we can do about those who continue to bury their heads in the sand and ignore the obvious all in the name of "change"... Not much except to pray... Pray for our nation... Redneck Catholic suggest prayer and fasting... Not a bad idea... Only 18 days left...

Will Abortion EVER be Brought Up in the Debates?

Wednesday night will be the third and final debate between presidential hopefuls Obama and McCain. We have heard them debate war and the financial crisis, but none of the moderators or "towns people" have asked about abortion... Pastor Rick Warren is the only one I recall asking, which brought forth Obama's brilliant "above my pay grade" response... Is that ALL we're going to hear from him on the subject? C'mon!

ProLife Blogs is encouraging us to petition Bob Schieffer for a fair debate this coming Wednesday and let's hear what else(if anything) that Obama has to say about the abortion "issue". After all, I think it's a pretty important thing to talk about, as I believe a lot of others do, to... It MUST be, the way the Obama camp and it's followers want to duck and dive around to avoid it...

Please check out the FRC Action web site to get your voice heard, and maybe, just maybe we will hear a fair interchange Wednesday night on that which matters most to me and many others....

"It's Gonna Happen.. Like it or Not..."

The ANNOYING words spoken by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome in the "Yes on 8" campaign commercial.

If you're not familiar with it, 'yes on 8' will keep traditional marriage between one man and one woman. For those of you here in California, you know last May, four California Supreme Court judges took it upon themselves to disregard the California voters voice for traditional marriage, making same-sex marriage legal. As we gather momentum toward the November 4 elections, the campaigning is heating up and the commercials are hitting the airwaves. Surprisingly, up to this point, I have seen MORE 'yes on 8' commercials than contrary... though the anti-family sect is definitely making their presence known... Even within our own Diocese there's been a recent "coming out" of a Catholic priest who, following his Sunday mass last week decided to purposefully invite the media to witness his closing thoughts and opposition to Proposition 8 to his congregation...*sigh*... applauded by some, others leaving in tears... It is so sad when even within the Church there is SUCH confusion...

This morning I woke to find a story of California's Creative Arts Charter School based out of San Francisco taking 18 FIRST graders on a "field trip" to witness their lesbian teacher's "wedding" to her same-sex partner... I just wonder how many "traditional wedding" field trips this class has taken or will take?... Are we really THAT hard up for educational material that we have to stoop to taking "wedding" field trips?... It is just yet another attempt by the secular agenda to FORCE their views upon our most innocent, our children. Indoctrination at it's worst... But THIS is not only what's "gonna happen", as we are hauntingly reminded of by SF Mayor Newsome in the "Yes on 8" campaign ad... apparently THIS is what is ALREADY HAPPENING... Is it getting so bad that even a word like "reproduction" becomes a "discriminatory word" that needs to be eradicated?... unfortunately, some say "yes"...


Right now, I feel my children are relatively safe... We home school... but I can already tell that it won't be long before even that becomes more and more threatened by the liberal agenda wanting to get their hands in and on our children, filling their minds with all things "open"... We must protect our children! I have my "Yes on 8" yard sign posted, and happily, have seen several posted in and around our neighborhood. But sadly, because I have a 12 1/2 year old son, he has been MUCH MORE aware of the upcoming election issues than the younger ones and has asked many questions, so we have had to discuss some of these issues that I wish we really didn't need to... But even he understands that two roosters can't lay an egg and two hens can't make a baby chick, so either pairing will eventually die out...


Most of all we must continue to pray for our broken land. Traditional marriage isn't about "taking rights" from anyone, but for preserving that which was established from the beginning as God meant it to be... The Church STILL teaches that compassion and human dignity should be given to any and all men/women, despite their state in life. We just can't make marriage what it is not. Cling to your Faith and cherish it. Pass it on to your children as well as you can... It is the BEST defense that we all have as the fires are turned up and the water starts to get warmer...


I wish I could find WHO said, "the only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." The WORST thing we could do, especially now, is "nothing". A few days ago I blogged about at least one California Bishop who is certainly DOING his part.... Holy Family, pray for us!