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Somehow we have avoided the stomach flu reeking havoc among our friends. All four families in our homeschooling co-op were down for the count. At soccer this week, another friend's kid began throwing up on the field. Miraculously, we've been spared. I don't question it; I just give thanks.
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So I've been packing all weekend to leave for our trip to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, but most importantly, to attend my sister Cate's wedding. I am happy and excited and, of course being an older sister, nervous for my sister and her fiance as they enter into marriage. They are a strong, joyful, fun-loving, Catholic couple. I thank God for blessing me with them and look forward to watching their family grow throughout the years.
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Of course, having the first of my six younger siblings get married, right on the heels of my latest birthday, has definitely made it clear to me that I am officially in adulthood. You would think the three kids, the gray hair, and the minivan would have been sufficient, but nothing like a little sis getting married to make you feel your age.
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One week until Advent begins. I just began my Christmas shopping this weekend, woefully behind schedule for my hyper-Type A self. With the state of the national economy and the state of our household economy, I am trying to keep the costs low this year. So far, the Lord has provided beautifully. Paul desperately wants a train set and skates, along with about a hundred other things, but these items top his list. Instead of rushing to check craigslist, ebay, and Goodwill, I have been doing some praying, simply asking the Lord specifically to provide for the kids this Christmas.
On visit to Grammy's house a few weeks ago, my mother-in-law told me that a family friend had dropped off some of their old toys for the kids. Not one, but two train sets in pristine condition! And, you guessed it, skates.
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Speaking of Advent, if you are looking for an easy, fun way to help your family prepare for Christ's birth, check out the Holy Heroes Advent Adventure. It is a free service that sends you a daily e-mail with that day's activities - a short video on Advent topics and saints, an audio link to a decade of the Joyful Mysteries, and downloads of coloring pictures, word searches, and Jesse tree ornaments.
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This is for my Virginia readers. For the last two weekends, our family has been involved in helping to an effort to make "Choose Life" license plates available here in Virginia. The plates would be a visible, clear pro-life message to drivers everywhere, but most importantly, the majority portion of the proceeds from the annual fees would go to support pregnancy resource centers in Virginia. Similar efforts in other states have been very effective at raising funds for pregnancy resource centers.
To see how you can help in this effort by pre-paying for a "Choose Life" plate, visit the Richmond Coalition for Life's website.
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Okay...hope these quick takes hold you over as I leave for my family's home in Ohio, otherwise known as the Internet Dead Zone.
