The Feels

I've been pretty moody lately.

You'd think that would be obvious considering I'm almost 10 weeks pregnant with baby #3. But it's more than that, or maybe it's amplified because of that. I don't know.

What I do know is I feel like I'm stuck.

I've started watching my 18 month old niece five days a week. I love being able to see her every day. I love being a part of her learning and development. I love watching my kids interact with their cousin, especially Samuel who needs a healthy dose of humility most days.

The one thing I don't like is feeling stuck at home. I feel that way a lot despite having Ellie or not.

I am a home body for sure, but being at home day in and day out 5-7 days a week really gets to me. I can easily fill my day between housework and caring for my children. But when I have extra kids over I feel I can't get anything accomplished. My laundry goes undone for another day. My floors become more filthy. Beds go unmade.

I've learned to not let the housework bother me.

What does bother me? Not having time to myself. ALWAYS being around children. No time to do what I love like read a book, take a shower uninterrupted, make cards…

I also don't have time for anyone outside of my house. I'm constantly around my husband and children, which most days is fulfilling and all I need. But recently I've been craving time with another married couple with children that both my husband and I can become friends with. I've been craving activities outside of my house. I've been craving time with our parents and siblings.

I'm tired of not doing anything. I'm tired of the mundane day-to-day routine that we can't seem to break out of even for a night.

Soap Box

I don't let what I read on social media affect me too often. But this is an exception.

Everyone has read/heard about Hobby Lobby being able to not provide birth control for their employees, right?

Again, I usually don't pay much attention. I think it's the company's right to withhold that if they have religious standards they are trying to uphold. I think it's crap that a Supreme Court Judge had to give the company "permission". I think it's crap that everyone in the world seems to care.

STOP TAKING EVERYTHING SO PERSONALLY!

For all those birth control supporters out there, there is another way to avoid a pregnancy.

It's called YOUR BODY.

Your body does amazing things. It gives amazing cues and signals to when you're supposed to start your period or start ovulating. There are changes you can observe that will help you.

Yes, you have to abstain from sex during these times. But isn't it worth it when you don't have to pump carcinogens through your blood stream? We're talking about a week, tops. You do that when you're on your period already, why can't you wait another week?

I am, of course, naturally biased to a more natural way to plan a family. I am Catholic, after all.

But what bothers me is women don't know they have other choices out there. Birth control or no birth control isn't the only option. What about condoms? What about Natural Family Planning? WHAT ABOUT NOT PUTTING ANYTHING FOREIGN INTO YOUR BODY?

I wish more women were open to NFP. I wish more women were educated correctly on how their cycles work.

I'd be more than happy to talk with anyone who has questions. I've been practicing NFP for 7 years. I can attest to it's accuracy.

Please educate yourselves, ladies. We owe it to ourselves.

Tropical Dream Cake

This cake recipe is simple, fast, and delicious.

I think it tastes like my Granny's mini cheesecakes.

Please try it soon. I promise you'll like it.

Tropical Dream Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup oil  - I like using coconut oil
3 eggs
1 can mandarin oranges and juice

Mix ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cake cool completely.

Icing:
16 oz can crushed pineapple and juice  - I used a 20 oz can which is fine, too.
1 box (3 oz) dry instant vanilla pudding  - I used a 5 oz box which is fine, too.
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
9 oz. Cool Whip

Mix crushed pineapple, vanilla pudding, vanilla, and lemon juice together. Once combined, fold in Cool Whip.

Garnish with halved maraschino cherries (optional).

Lent Day 32

This is 2 days late, but I just got around to reading my Lenten reflection from day 32.

Fr. Robert Barron's website, WordonFire.org, is an excellent source of Catholic materials. I signed up for his Lenten emails a couple weeks before Lent even started. If you can, try and find his Catholicism series. It's amazing!

The title of day 32's reflection is "Befriend a Saint."

The saints is one of the topics I had a hard time wrapping my mind around when I first started my RCIA journey.

This is what the email said:
"In the Catholic tradition, the saints are not simply models or people to be admired. They are, above all, friends. When we have a devotion to a particular saint, we've found a soul companion, a spiritual guide.

In these last couple weeks of Lent, find a saint who is like you in personality, who struggled with some of the same things you struggle with, or who loved the same things you love. Find a heavenly soul-mate and make him or her part of your prayer life - read about them and pray with them. You might not connect with every saint, but chances are you'll find one whose style is agreeable to you.

Also, and here's the more challenging suggestion, choose another saint who bothers you, one whom you don't really appreciate or who maybe rubs you the wrong way. It might be just this saint who helps fill you out, to realize in you that aspect of the holy you especially need.

The ordinary goal of the Christian life is to be a saint. God has painted all of these masterpieces, clear and messy, attractive and strange, in order to help us toward that goal."

It also included a link to a Saint Name Generator.

Of course I clicked on it.

And I was kind of blown away. Definitely a God moment.

St. Anthony of Padua came up.

His feast day is June 13, and he is the patron saint of infertility and pregnant women among other things.

This is a God moment because my pregnant cousin and sister-in-law have been on my heart, as well as a couple friends who are struggling with infertility.

Read more about St. Anthony of Padua here.

The Saint Name Generator can be found here.

I hope you find someone that can be your friend in prayer, and touched in a way you didn't think possible.

Chugga Chugga Two Two!

It's been almost a month since Samuel's 2nd birthday.

Time sure does fly fast.

Since his birthday fell on Fat Tuesday this year, we had a small Mardi Gras party complete with homemade red beans and rice and a king cake!

I love my sweet kids and couldn't imagine my life without them.

Book Reviews: Bossypants, Crossfire series, Allegient

I love reading (auto)biographies, and I've had pretty good luck with finding good ones. Rob Lowe? Amazing. Portia de Rossi? Enlightening.

I guess you could say I had some high hopes for this one. Tina Fey is a funny lady! I loved 30 Rock! I couldn't wait to dive in and get a glimpse of who Ms. Fey is as a person.

But I was kind of disappointed. 

Her humor didn't come across on a written page very well. She was very vague about her past, and when she did talk about something it wasn't in much detail. 

I got half way through the book, and still didn't know if I was enjoying it or not.

But then… FINALLY! She started talking about the days leading up to the brilliantly hilarious 30 Rock television series. And FINALLY it was the kind of funny I had expected all along. 

If I had to rate this book on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 5. 

This series… oh my goodness. 

It's amazing.

The writing. The characters. The plots. 

This is the second time I've read this series. 

Reading these books is like watching a movie in your head. I wish they'd make movies out of this series instead of the stupid Fifty Shades of Grey series. 

Oh yeah… This series is like Fifty Shades of Grey. If that's not your thing, that's okay. I enjoy reading a bunch of different genres, and usually steamy romance is not for me. But my goodness are these books good. There's a 4th book coming out… soon. I hope it's soon anyway. The author's website still says TBA.

You know who I picture as Gideon Cross? Ian Somerhalder. 

I really saved the best for last. 

Have you read Divergent yet? If you haven't you have been living under a rock. 

Have you read the Hunger Games? Again. Under a rock.

The Divergent series is a lot like Hunger Games. But darker, and more emotionally stirring. You can really imagine yourself in Tris or Four's shoes. You can really imagine something like that occurring in today's world. That's what makes it so scary. (And not BOO scary. Hopefully you know what I mean.)

Allegiant is the last book. There's a sense of finality about it that is hard to miss. 

SPOILER ALERT! 

DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE RUINED FOREVER!

SPOILER ALERT!

My sister and I have mad respect for Ms. Roth. Killing off your main character takes guts, man. Maybe that's what gives it the finality I mentioned. You read about how it happens. How the character feels as it happens. How the remaining characters are affected by such a profound death. 

On the other hand, it was so very anticlimactic. I read all that for THAT? I don't know. It was a hero's death. A brave death. But the killer? Him? REALLY? 

I'm glad the author went on to write about a couple years after it happened. How the loved one of the dead character is changing their life and moving on. For someone who has issues with thinking and talking about death, it was nice to see what happens when someone you love is left behind. 

These books are just the beginning. I've started a new series called The A.D. Chronicles by Brock and Bodie Thoene, and so far it is amazing. I love these authors, and own a large collection of their books. 

I highly recommend reading:

*Shiloh Legacy - In My Father's House, A Thousand Shall Fall, and Say to this Mountain

*Zion Covenant - Vienna Prelude, Prague Counterpoint, Munich Signature, Jerusalem Interlude, Danzig Passage, Warsaw Requiem, London Refrain, Paris Encore, and Dunkirk Crescendo

*Zion Chronicles - The Gates of Zion, A Daughter of Zion, The Return to Zion, A Light in Zion, and The Key to Zion

I'd also like to read Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's (it's my favorite movie), and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (can you believe I've never read it?) 

I'll be sure to write more reviews as I finish books!

Cousins and Pancakes

Thursday I had the privilege of watching my sweet 17 month old niece, Ellie.

After I dropped Claire off at school, I went to my grandma's house to pick up my Ellie-phant. She was SO excited to see Tante and cousin Samuel that she wanted nothing to do with her momma (sorry Jacque!) I got her dressed and fed her breakfast (the girl ate half a waffle and an entire bowl of oatmeal) and then we packed up and headed to my cousin's house for a coffee playdate.

After coffee we came back to my house and both babies went down for a nap. They slept for 2 hours!

After their amazing nap they ate lunch and played before we had to leave to pick up Claire from school.   

We had such an awesome day! I can't wait until I can watch her again. I truly enjoy being with her, and relish my time with her. I love that little girl! Who knew having nieces and nephews would be so much fun?

In other news...

I made these today.

Pancake Mini Muffins

And they were delightful!

The batter was a cinch to make, and putting it in mini muffin tins? Absolute genius.

I want to be Ree Drummond's best friend. Seriously.

Okay, now I have a kitchen to clean and children to bathe. Please make the muffins. 

And please beg your brothers and sisters to have babies ASAP so you can experience the joy that comes with being an aunt. It's the least they can do.

Why I'm Giving Up Social Media For Lent.

In the past I have written about how what I give up for Lent ultimately prepares me for a bigger picture.

I don't think this year is any different.

I've been growing in disgust the more time I spend on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Topics range from gay marriage, to dinners planned for the week, to sickness. Generally, I can scroll through fairly quickly, pick and choose what I want to read, and move on with my life. However, I'm finding myself getting more annoyed.

I love reading about the shenanigans a toddler is pulling, and seeing pictures of growing baby bumps, but I hate reading about what people hate or like about our government, or how someone can't stand the  grammar people use.

Everyone has a right to post what they like on their Facebook, etc. But what has happened to people's dignity and respect for others?

Did you know I'm going through RCIA at my parish so I can convert to the Catholic faith? If you're not a close family member or friend you probably don't. I don't feel like that is something I need to shout to my Facebook friends. Why start a topic of conversation with people who will refuse to understand why I'm doing it, or persuade me to think my decision is a wrong one?

The other major reason why I'm giving up social media for 40 days is because of the time.

I spend so much of my precious time on my phone, computer, or iPad reading through other people's lives and opinions, when I could be spending that time being productive in my home, listening to my children better, or having an actual conversation with my husband.

I want to read more.
I want to craft more.
I want to clean more.
I want to pray more.
I want to listen more.

Isn't all of that worth it?

Yummy Recipes

I've made a couple of new recipes the past few days that I just had to share with you.

Please make them. They are delicious, easy, and your entire family will like them.

First:
Pizza crust.

Don't be intimidated. It's easy peasy, and to make it better, a Pioneer Woman recipe.

You can find multiple pizza recipes on her website that include the recipe for pizza crust, but if you have her 2nd cookbook it's in there, too.

I guess I'll share it with you.

But go buy her cookbooks because all three are amazing.

Pizza Dough via The Pioneer Woman
1 scant teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Add the flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Sprinkle in the salt.

Turn the mixer on low, then slowly pour in the olive oil.

Finally, pour in the yeast/water mixture.

Stop mixing when everything comes together. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise 1 hour before using.

The dough can be stored in the fridge for several days before using.

The dough recipe may be doubled or tripled depending on the quantity you need.

To assemble your pizza just stretch out the dough on a cookie sheet, add your toppings, and bake at 500 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

See? Super simple.

My awesome friend, Liz, shared the next recipe with me. She found it on Pinterest and was telling me about how her entire family gobbled it up. I love new spins on tired and true recipes and was anxious to make this one.

Parmesan Meatloaf
1 pound of ground turkey
1 pound of ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon of the jarred stuff)
1 small onion, grated (I used chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup marinara
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, onion, salt, peppper, and Parmesan together in a bowl.

Form meat mixture in a loaf pan, and top with the marinara sauce.

Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

You can obviously tweak this recipe to whatever you have on hand. I only had 1 pound of turkey thawed so I cut everything in half. Do what works best for you!

I really hope you include these recipes in your weekly menu. They are delicious and easy to make. Let me know how you like them if you do try them!

Italian Sausage Soup

Okay you guys. I know the name sounds kind of gross, but this was the most flavorful, delicious soup I have probably made.

Look how yummy that looks! And it was a cinch to make.

1 pound Italian sausage

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

1 can of tomatoes juice and all

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

pasta - I used about half a box of medium shells

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the sausage until no longer pink.

Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until veggies are tender.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and seasoning. 

Bring to boil and add pasta. Serve when pasta is cooked. Add shredded mozzarella if you so desire.

So simple yet so full of flavor. I hope you try it soon!