Outside my window...

A gray February morning.

Thankful for...

Thinking about...
How good social media and networking can be.  Like many people, I have a love/hate relationship with it but there really is so much good to be found.  I have learned so much through others sharing their lives via blogging and have reconnected with old friends and found new ones via Facebook and different communities.  It is an awesome opportunity for evangelization and fellowship that our world has never before had.

And thinking about Sarah.  I am just so very happy for her and her family, which I think is what prompted my musings on the whole social networking thing...

 Learning...

Last Friday I took the boys to a town hall meeting with our Congressional representative.  There was a standing room only crowd with all but a handful there to discuss the HHS mandate.  It was quite the learning experience for all of us.  On the way there, we discussed why we were going (age appropriately) and the structure of our legislative branch and how Congress works.  On the way home I answered questions about what we saw and how she answered the questions.  Homeschool civics class at its finest.  And I did it with all four boys.  On my own.

Oh, and I got on the local news as did Luke in all his moby-wrapped cuteness. 
(Note to self:  You have perfected the 'deer in the headlights' look when approached by a news reporter and a microphone is thrust inches away from your face.  Good work.) 

From the kitchen...

Guess what, guess what, guess what?  We're getting a new refrigerator this week!  Yes, we still don't have one!  But after a very very very long process, we finally got Bosch to send us a new refrigerator.  We had to go through the Better Business Bureau and even after that, they still refused to replace the refrigerator.  They wanted to simply give us our money back which, since we got such a crazy deal on it, would not have covered the cost of even the most basic of refrigerators.  And as per their own warranty and U.S. warranty law, what they were trying to do was illegal.  Our last ditch effort after finally tracking down the corporate offices worked and the new fridge should be here this week!  It is going to feel like such a luxury after two and a half months without one.

Creating...

I am going...

To work on more read alouds with the boys.  We're half way through The Jungle Book.  It is a good thing for all of us.

Hoping...
To be able to celebrate our ten year annivesary this year with something special.  A trip?  A real family vacation (out west is what we've been hoping)?  Those are the only ideas I've come up with so far.

Reading...

I'm still working on Walden and it's becoming a better read.  I've also been reading a chapter from Life of Christ in the mornings and evenings.  Man, this one is good.  Every sentence Sheen writes could be a quote in and of itself and he brings so many new insights to the Gospels that I've never before encountered.  Highly recommended.

Praying...

For my Grandpa as he recovers from a broken hip and continues to struggle with emphysema.  In his 87 years this is the first time he has ever been admitted to the hospital.  For real.  He was even born at home.

For a 29 year old man we know battling cancer

For John Paul as we prepare for his first Holy Communion (!)

For our country and the upcoming elections

For Sarah and her beautiful little Posy.  May they have a beautiful peaceful babymoon!

Hearing...

The radio and Michael and David discussing David's math book (i.e. John Paul's old Kindergarten math book) while loading nerf guns and sitting amongst Stratego pieces.

Around the house...

The Lenten reminders are up (maybe a post on that in the future?) and I'm beginning to feel the itch to start some of the other spaces we haven't gotten to since moving here.  Once Brian is done with his latest project I may just head us on over to the stairwell where there is old peeling wallpaper just begging to be ripped off.

One of my favorite things...

Luke's smiles and cooing.  He's awesome at it.  And if you sing to him he sings right back to you.  So amazing, he is.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Welcoming the husband back from a short trip out of town, soccer, a craft night with some friends!, and we'll see what else comes up.  Hey, March is this week!