A Few Quick Takes

If you're wondering how I'm doing these days, I can only say...

1 week until home ownership.
3 1/2 weeks until I leave my 20s behind.
8 weeks until baby's due date.
9 weeks until Christmas.

Need I say more?

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Yesterday Lucy graciously began sharing her fruit snacks with Paul after he had wolfed his down in 2.3 seconds. "Sharing makes mommy so happy," I told her. "It makes Jesus happy, too."

"Oh, I know, " Lucy said so sweetly. "Jesus is my favorite friend."

It's times like this that you feel like you're doing something right.

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Last weekend I experienced a true blessing thanks to my loving husband and the very sweet, generous Sisters of the Visitation at Monte Maria monastery. I actually went on retreat - completely alone - for 48 hours. It was the first time I was away from both husband and children since I was married. I felt it was time.

Blessed silence. Such peace and order. True rest and refreshment. Truly, the Lord provides.

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I haven't been in a Visitation monastery for several years. The last time I visited the Visitation, I was much younger, single, and discerning a vocation to the order. It was quite a different experience coming as a married, pregnant woman with a houseful of kids back at home. One difference I noticed really made me laugh: I eat amazingly fast now.

Seriously, I can't imagine what the sisters thought. I mean, I finished my meal before most of the sisters had finished buttering their rolls. Now I've never been a slow eater. You don't come from a large family of big talkers without learning to eat fast so you can jump into the conversation whenever there is an opening. However, the addition of several small children has clearly taken me to a whole new level of speed eating. I'm often so busy serving food, cutting up bites, pouring drinks, cleaning up messes, and making food helicopters that I simply inhale my food in the few seconds I have to spare in between requests. I never really noticed how bad it had become until my retreat, though. I guess I should work on slowing down during meals. Or start a second career winning those speeding eating contests.

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I have to get back to packing. I'll probably not be posting until after the move, but I promise to have pics of the kids in their Halloween outfits!