Waiting for Patience

Today I am going to visit some great little ones and their momma!  So un-believably excited! Silas & his siblings are my morning date! Also going to try to make mac'n'cheese cupcakes - best described as this: my lunch side item will be what would happen if a cupcake and mac'n cheese got married and had babies. It might be the cutest kid you've ever seen, or one hot mess that tastes delicious! for more 'simple saturdays' head on over to see Iris (doesn't look like there's a link-up, but oh well; I'll leave up the post since Silas is so darn cute!)

For More Quick Takes, visit  Conversion Diary ! 1. Well, I downloaded the new iOS 7 onto my iPhone 4S - and I'm so glad I did!  I really like the new features especially in the camera and the notification center (both the top one and the bottom one).  I like it most especially because I feel like I got a brand new phone without paying anything - except the 4 hours it took me to update last Wednesday!  The price I paid to have it on the day it came out! 2. Roommate and I have participated in two book clubs in the last two weeks and I'm not sure what I think.  I've been trying since I met MG to start a book club, but I can't get anyone who's willing to read the same kinds of books I want to read and have the same regularity of meetings I want.  I've tried restructuring my wants - and I'm still coming up empty handed.  Anyone participate in one or begin one who's willing to offer some advice or encouragement?  3. Roommate and ...

  I have been noticeably absent from blogging for a while (except for Five Favorites) - but the reason is because I've been trying to catch up on my book club reading (see below) and that I went to New York City this weekend to purchase a car!!! So, some favorites, just for y'all! 1.  This is the book club book that is excellent! But it's keeping me from these great books I just got in the mail (and one I've had for a while, but it's Novena time for St. Therese so it's been brought back out!  2.  I've been missing Elisabeth this week - and friends from the past in general so I made her famous S'Mac and Cheese for dinner the other night! Hoping I can turn some of the left overs into little s'mac and cheese cupcakes for book club on Thursday! YUMMY!!!  3.  When we were in New York (roommate went with me to keep company on the 635 mile drive), we found this gem right on the street!  It'll help us display our fancy wine ...

  It's been a few weeks, so here are some favorite things or moments from the last month! 1.  What are you teaching the world today?!  This Kid (President) knows how to spell it out! 2. This week's Not Alone Series Link-Up - all kinds of Favorite Mom Blogs!  (this is one of my favorite link-ups - Five Favorites, that is!) 3. New York City!!!  I love going to visit this city and am super psyched to go this weekend to see my baby brother!  I'm purchasing a car - and I lack all of the anxiety that typically goes into that event!  YAY for family! 4. This Recipe - excellent individual cookie serving ... now only if I had some eggs left! Oops - should have saved that for a Not Alone Series topic that's coming up...favorite recipes for one!  Oh, well!  Too Good not to share now! 5.  And this one too - pancakes!  I purchase the Fage 0% with the flavor on the side and use it for these pancakes - then put the flavo...

I've been dragging my feet about linking up with Morgan and Jen and the Not Alone Series, but I saw the topics for the next few weeks and feel like it's time to join in on this community.  After all of the support from Cindy a few weeks ago, I've decided I need to do this!  So, my first jaunt into the group... Favorite Mom Blogs Well, I have SO many that I think this post could be a series in and of itself, so here goes (as I look at my BlogLovin' subscriptions - of which I have 218 unread posts): 1. Camp Patton : Grace is amazing - she someone keeps it together and still has the cutest little kiddos ever  (no offense to the rest of the mom bloggers below, but her Theo looks like a cabbage patch doll!)!! 2. Carrots for Michaelmas : I stumbled upon Haley with the Women Speak on NFP Series  post that someone who I cannot remember guest posted for a while ago.  I love that she is trying to be a Catholic Urban Homesteader (or something like that) ...

And I haven't posted for real in a while, so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts - since my facebook friends are probably tired of it all!  It's not Friday - so instead of quick takes how about some musings! ------------- Yesterday at Confirmation III, we were talking about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and I was trying to get the kids to memorize them.  So for Gifts - I had them repeat after me: knowledge, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord.  Then, for the fruits - I sang them the chorus of this song: And rightfully embarrassed myself: love, joy, peace, and patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control - don't forget about all the faithfulness - ohoooo....  Anyway, I told them to learn it, so we'll see if they do in the next couple of weeks! ------------- Today (and yesterday actually), I made coffee, like I do every day, and I don't have any half'n'half.  I had to use Light Org...

For More Quick Takes, visit  Conversion Diary ! 1. Pope Francis lays it all out there.  What is Gossip? “A Christian murderer…. It’s not me saying this, it’s the Lord. And there is no place for nuances. If you speak ill of your brother, you kill your brother. And every time we do this, we are imitating that gesture of Caine, the first murderer in History”  ( source ) Well, there you go.  Get thee to the confessional! 2. The aftermath of the accident is still coming.  Regular adjustments are helping, but there's till pain in my neck - and I'm still nervous driving.  I went to the doctor on Wednesday and my blood pressure was up.  After driving yesterday afternoon I know why - it's because I'm super nervous driving and after going 30 minutes in lots of traffic, I had worked myself up so much.  So here's to some calm driving in my future...hopefully! 3. There seems to be SO much work that needs to be completed this week at work....

Okay - whoever is out there reading this - the two people who read each post and my mother.  I am in need of a few pieces of advice! So whatever you have to offer, I'd really appreciate it! You may know I was in a car accident last week (read more here ) and now I find myself in need of a new car (either new or new-to-me).  I find that I cannot decide which is the best option: emotionally, safety, financially, etc...  I was 5 payments from being without a car payment!  I was going to be done in February - after 4 1/2 grueling years of payments that were sometimes a stretch to make, I was going to hold the title in my hand of my little trustworthy car!  Now I find myself car-less, well, besides the rental; which is nice, but not mine of course.  So I need to purchase a new one - normal people wouldn't have any issue with this - they'd be excited about purchasing a new car.  But as you probably know, I am the queen of the 'what if' game, and I'm just...

For More Quick Takes, visit  Conversion Diary ! 1.  This has been quite the interesting week.  I know I can be over dramatic, but I can say with all certainty that I am lucky to be alive.  Yesterday morning on my way to work, I was at a complete stop and was rear-ended by a woman traveling at approximately 40-45 mph.  She completely totaled my car (confirmed today by the Insurance Adjustor) and scared me up pretty good.  That's what's left of my car.  I did walk away with just a few sore muscles and some misalignment in my back (probably, still need to get checked by my chiropractor).  This pic is from yesterday when I was surprisingly calm during the emergency.  She hit me when I was stopped - this is where my car landed - about 50-75 yards from where it began.  As I was moving, I was trying to stop but couldn't - as you can see, I don't think my breaks really exist anymore!  I got out, and she did as well - asking if I ...

This week for {simple saturday} I present two beautiful videos from JJ Heller for your viewing and listening pleasure: Her newest lyric video and The Boat Song - my favorite music video ever And a Happy 24th Birthday to my baby brother!   I posted a pic of us last week with our Great-Aunt Hy! for more 'simple saturdays' head on over to  iris and friends p.s. if you want another great music video - check this out! and get up and dance in the streets - or the library - or wherever you are!

For More Quick Takes, visit  Conversion Diary ! This week's quick takes is a Hats Edition  - not these hats: More like the hats I wear at work!  These week has been extra-ordinary - meaning out of the ordinary not extraordinary as in amazing!  So, here are the hats I wear: 1. Plumber - Do I have a degree in 'plumbery'? NOPE!  But I was trying to fix water coming out from the wall, yes, you read that right.  Water was coming out of the wall behind the toilet.  Which when the guy came, he said: "This is an emergency, I don't think they knew that at the office."  Another toilet had a ripped flapper, which needed to be replaced so it would flush.  How are these the office manager's problem?  I'm really not sure, but when no one else is around the deal with it, I guess it falls on me.  So hat #1 - plumber!  Luckily, I did not have to acquire their pant style to do the job! 2. Web Designer - Do I have a degree in Compu...

  1. Lino Rulli, the Catholic Guy - his new book is being released on Sept 3rd and I'm sad I didn't pre-order because it might be here tomorrow! But I need $2 more in my cart to get free shipping so... What I really need is a recommendation for a great book I wan to purchase for under $5, which probably doesn't exist! If you've been waiting for a saint that cries like a schoolgirl, was once an aspiring rapper, is a really good kisser, and rode an elephant in the circus...then your prayers have been answered! Lino Rulli is hilarious, brutally honest, and ready for his canonization. Saint picks up where Sinner left off. Lino's stories of triumph and failure suggest that you might not be as big a sinner as you think. And that, with God's grace, you might just become a saint. 2.  This documentary!  I found out this is free on Hulu this week (and for a while) and it changed my perspective on the holocaust and abortion when I watched it.  We ...

It's been many weeks since I participated in simple saturday , but I'm back today! I'm home this weekend for my dad's retirement party and got to visit with these great people as well! This morning my baby bro and I stole Aunt Hy out of exercise class for a chat over some coffee. In October, she's turning 97!  It was such an amazing visit! Nate, Aunt Hy, and Me! Yesterday I had the chance to spend the afternoon with Michael - it's been almost 6 years since an afternoon for lunch and touring the town (we went to the Elk Country Visitors Center) were in our grasp! Michael & Me - and the Elk! Feeling very blessed to be able to spend time with these people and my family, of course! just a few times of year seems to be our 'norm' - so we have to take advantage! Happy Retirement Party! for more 'simple saturdays' head on over to  iris and friends

For More Quick Takes, visit  Conversion Diary ! 1. These past few weeks, besides crafts, I've been pretty quiet on the blog.  There have been a few reasons, but most of them don't matter.  A few highlights from the past month - after getting home from World Youth Day.  One has been I am finally using my Living Social  deal I purchased for Okra Yoga Tea and Massage back in June - and it has been so relaxing.  I have enjoyed going to the class so much (well, it's only been two weeks).  I will be making it part of my weekly Monday routine! 2.  I am home at my parents for the weekend and even though they all left me this morning!  I did see that I'm taking over their refrigerator with all of my photo postcards! 3.  A few weeks ago the girls and I went to Atlanta and then came back to take Devon out for her bday!  We had tons of fun, and the mango shrimp was de-lish! 4.  The other night MG and I went to a paint and ...

We got super crafty for our shower - remember the soaps?  There are also tons of little chocolate ducks to go with them too ... see? Super cute and super delicious! Back to the watermelon baby! I took these ingredients: and created this: A true fruit artist!  Maybe there's a career in this?

We had this idea for the favor that seemed a little crazy, but hey - that's really what we're after for shower stuff!  We purchased a cute duck mold to make yellow chocolates for cupcake toppers.  And we decided to make soap ducks as well! How does one make their own soap, you ask?  Well, here's how: 1.  You will need a glass pyrex bowl, soup spoon, and knife to cut the soap. 2. Next purchase some soap - I chose the Shea Butter soap (which I couldn't get the picture to turn around, so sorry - turn your phone, tablet, or computer over!  This 32oz size ended up making 50 little soaps for us! 3.  You'll need some dye (the two colored bottles) and a fragrance (the unknown item). 4. And a mold - Hobby Lobby had all kinds of molds, but we were set on the duckies! 5. This mold took 6oz of soap, which were 6 little cubes for us, so we cut them up and put them into the glass bowl to prepare for... 6. 40 seconds in the microwave - be su...