Friday Quick Takes

Just because I couldn't let a Friday go by without chiming in with my 7 Quick Takes!

1. A woman after Mass yesterday morning asked me if I am pregnant because I look like it. First, the answer is no, and second, how rude! I have been working my butt off at the gym every day of the week and to be told I look pregnant is just not cool. The woman isn't ancient either, so it's not like I can write it off as just a little old lady being confused. And honestly, did this women never learn that the last thing you ever ask a woman is if she's expecting? I was hurt, but then Brian pointed out that with the ages of our kids, people are starting to think we'll be expecting soon. Which I guess makes sense. Even my trainer is baffled. Come on, people! I just bought size six jeans last Friday night. There's no way my pregnant self could ever fit in those. Ugh.

2. Last night I had a night off from tutoring and both my dad and Brian were working late, so my mom and I took both boys to the mall. I know the mall sounds boring, but my kids LOVE it. They love playing in the toy store and fountain. Eating in the food court is seriously the best thing ever in their minds. And it get us out of the house and burns off some energy. My mom and I had a blast! We hadn't taken the kids anywhere just us for a while, and it was nice to spend the evening with my best friend. We laughed a lot. Good times for all.

3.

This picture speaks for itself....Matthew is officially ready for preschool this coming Tuesday! It will be a big deal for sure in our house. I am so proud of my little guy, and he is so ready for school. I can't imagine keeping him home any longer. He is ready to learn, and yes, I'm a teacher. But I could NEVER teach my own kids. I prefer to let someone else tackled that hurdle. :)

4. Do parents ever get to sleep through the night? I mean, my kids are pretty well sleep trained, but if I have to wipe another nose, untangle another blanket, or find another binky tonight, I will lose it. The wake ups only last for two minutes at most, but it takes me FOREVER to go back to sleep. This Mommy is so very tired. I know it could be worse, but I am so looking forward to coming home from Rascal Flatts next Friday night and sleeping into noon the next day since the kids will be at my parents house. A full night's sleep will be AMAZING.

5.

 

Business is good....very good! It just suddenly started expanding last week as many of the public districts started back to school. I actually have more students than time slots at this point. I'm not sure what the solution is to that, but I'm sure I will come up with something. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the hours I'll be gone each evening, but I also feel incredibly blessed. I can stay home with my kids and still help make ends meet. God is good.

6. My Countdown App says that there are only 48 days, 23 hours, and 53 minutes until mine and Brian's anniversary trip to Wine Country in Erie. We leave on our anniversary (a Friday) at noon and return the following Sunday at noon. We will get to Erie in time to visit one or two wineries on Friday before a romantic dinner that Brian is arranging. And we will have ALL day Saturday to go wine tasting. We even plan on venturing into New York and visiting some of the wineries there. It will be a great getaway. I simply cannot wait. Plus, we have the nicest room in the B&B and it has a fireplace as well as its own, private entrance. We won't have to see another soul that weekend, and that's awesome. October 18 cannot come fast enough!

7. Sara Evans is my favorite singer ever. Love her and every single song she has ever written and performed. Her song, Perfect, is great. And you can jam to it...I do it every day on the treadmill. It breaks up the boy band play list nicely. :) Enjoy!

Happy Weekend!

DIY Teacher Gifts

Matthew starts Preschool this coming Tuesday morning. It will be a big day for all of us. In many ways, I feel totally ready to let go and in others, I feel quite protective. He has already met both of his teachers and a few fellow classmates, and he enjoyed every single one.

As a former teacher, I thought it would be nice for Matthew and I to make his teachers a little gift for the beginning of the year. We decided to make Teacher Survival Kits and completed them this afternoon. Here's how the process played out:

We went to CVS and the Dollar Store and bought the fillings for the Survival Kits. We decided to put inside: tissues, TicTacs, Airborne, hand sanitizer, pens, chap stick, notepads, and a cookie from Potomac Bakery. Technically, I could have baked the cookies myself, but for 60 cents a piece, it was worth not having to turn on the oven in this heat! The bags contents total cost about $10 a piece. Not bad.

 I printed this graphic from the internet and then filled in information like the title of the gift, teacher's name, school year, and Matthew's name with Crayola markers. Matthew then used crayons to decorate the labels in his own original way.

 Here are the finished products.We used freezer storage bags as the actual container and since I already had those laying around, they didn't cost anything. Matthew is excited to have something for his teachers on the first day of school, and I think they will be excited to receive them. Not bad for one of my first DIY projects!

Five Faves

1. *NSYNC Reuniting!

I can still do parts of this dance to Bye, Bye, Bye. Yet I can't remember anything about Physics. Interesting. :)

I loved every second of their performance, and I only wish it had lasted longer. They still got it going on almost 10 years later! Love them. Totally made my week, and yes, I have watched it over and over again. Lance is still my favorite. (Yeah, I know that's strange.)

2.Cartwheel App by Target

So many of you probably already know about this awesome app, but I just happened to come upon it this past weekend. Basically, you put the app on your phone and then add deals to your cart. When you go to the checkout, you have them scan the bar code on the app and the discounts are automatically applied. On top of that, you can use coupons and get the deals that are already on in the store ad. Pretty cool. It saved us a bunch of money shopping there last week. You even get discounts on milk!

3. Teen Mom 3

As if Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2 weren't enough of a train wreck, now comes another group of young women to show us just how hard parenting is as a teenager. So why is this a fave? Do I enjoy watching young girls make messes out of their lives? No, not at all. But I do happen to believe that this show does in fact do a wonderful job at explaining just how hard being a teen parent can be. I would hope other young girls watching the show learn a lesson through these young women who are brave enough to share their stories. I only wish they had featured another couple like Catelynn and Tyler from Teen Mom who chose adoption. In a round about way, the show is extremely prolife, and I think it does a much better job of showing teenagers what parenthood is all about than that goofy mechanical "Baby Think It Over" doll.

4. Long Weekends

I have five, glorious nights off from tutoring starting tomorrow night. I am pumped. I love my job, I do. But I just need a little break. The month of September is already booked solid (and actually overbooked some weeks in the case of cancellations) and I know leaving the house Monday through Thursday at 4:30pm and getting home at 9:00pm is going to be exhausting! But it brings in money, and I can't complain. For now, I can just focus on the much needed nights off. And Brian has a three day weekend (as do most Americans!), and it's always great to get some extra sleep and family time in.

5. My Hubby

Six years ago yesterday, we officially became a couple and have been one ever since. That conversation about whether or not we should date exclusively has to be one of my favorites. Why we even needed to have the discussion is beyond me. We were already holding hands and cuddling. Becoming a couple was the next natural thing! But we did have that awkward conversation, and I'm glad. We never took a break from being a couple either (No typical Franciscan mid courtship break up going on here. That wasn't for us, but I totally understand why it could be a helpful and good tool in a relationship at a certain point) and will live that way for the rest of our lives. He is my best friend, and I love him more than anything else in the entire world. Who would've guessed that six years after becoming exclusive we'd be married with three kids? Wow. A lot can happen in six years for sure! I am so very blessed.

Me and my Prince :)

The Cross of NFP

Disclaimer: This post is not directed at anyone or meant to offend anyone. Some things have happened over the past week that have left me a bit bummed out about postponing another baby, and as I prayed about it on the treadmill today, these thoughts came to mind. 

I read a blog entry a few weeks ago during NFP Awareness Week called "NFP Sucks." And, yes, on some days it does really stink, but this is not what this post is about. No, I don't believe NFP truly stinks (my mother taught me to never use the word sucks, and I will be darned if I start using it now.) I do believe it to be a beautiful thing that, when practiced correctly, can lead to many blessings for a marriage. However, sometimes having to use NFP for a period of time can really be a cross.

I will start out by saying how bothered I get when it is clear Brian and I are being judged outright for using NFP right now. I'm not about to go through our reasons for postponing our next child (they really are no one's business but ours and God's and sometimes Father Jim's when I seek his counsel in confession.) But we do have some concerning and legitimate reasons for postponing. Sometimes when other Catholics find out we are postponing, they look at us like we are crazy. And the judgement begins.

From the outside looking in, what more could we need? We went on vacation, we go on date nights, we do fun things as a family. Money can't be that tight. We seem to be super happy. There can't be an emotional reason, can there? Unless they can look into our souls, they will never truly know the legitimate (the correct translation of the word grave in Italian) reasons we have chosen to postpone our next baby.

There's a line of thinking from some Catholics who don't support the use of NFP to postpone babies in any situation in modern countries. They themselves have chosen to just "trust God" and let Him decide the size of their family. And that's beautiful and wonderful. (really it is! I admire those with large families very much. I meant that in all sincerity. It's when the judging starts that I get uneasy.) NFP is recognized by the Church as a legitimate (yep, I am totally going to kill that word today) form of family planning. Those who choose not to use NFP are no better than Brian and I. They aren't somehow holier or closer to getting to Heaven than we are. I applaud them for being able to and willing to just let God decide their family size. That's cool. But what we are doing in our marriage as parents is pretty cool, too. We are trying to plan our family based on our circumstances and personal spiritual life. The cool thing about NFP is that it allows us to remain open to life during every marital act. So this idea that those of us who use NFP are not open to life is just not correct.

But my biggest issue that I think often times is overlooked by those who don't support using NFP is the fact that needing to use NFP can be a HUGE cross. Those who have large families sometimes see the sacrifices they have to make in order to support those large families as crosses. Well, having to have a smaller family at a slower rate than what you intended can also be a cross.

Here's the thing. I LOVE babies. (Well, once they get to be about five months old and sleep trained and nursing less, I LOVE babies. For the first five months, I go into survival, "Oh my gosh. Brian, don't touch me. I'm never doing this again" mode.) Brian also LOVES babies. I'm pretty sure he likes parenthood more than I do! We long to give our children a house full of siblings because I was an only child and he was one of two and we both see how lonely that is as adults. We want to procreate and fill the world with little, life loving Catholics to combat the Culture of Death. We believe part of marriage is bringing children into this world if you are able to physically do so. We would both love nothing more than to delete the NFP app tonight and let things happen as they may. But right now, we just can't.

And that's hard. Really, really hard. It is a cross to want so badly to bring another life into this world, but to also know at the same time, that now is just not the time and God is just asking you to wait a little longer. It is a cross to constantly be surrounded by pregnant women and know that the time for you to have that baby belly again is at least a year, if not more, away. It is a cross when every month for two days all you do is think about babies and welcoming new life into the world only to be told by your NFP app that now is not the time for such thoughts! It is a cross to worry and wonder each month if when the time comes to delete the NFP app from your iphone if your body's fertility will still be working. And let's face it. Not being able to be intimate in a marriage when you really, really want to can certainly be a cross. Oh that reminds me...when you plan your 5 year anniversary weekend getaway a year in advance and suddenly realize that it's not really during the best time of your cycle, NFP is an even bigger cross! It's hard! Using NFP at times definitely means sacrificing what you want for the betterment of your family, spouse, marriage, health, etc, etc.

I totally get that we are all called to carry crosses with Christ and to sacrifice for Him and with Him. I just find it funny that many overlook what a HUGE cross using NFP can be. It's heavy some days, and sometimes, I just want to throw it away. But Christ didn't do that with His cross, and we won't with this cross either. But wouldn't it be great if those of us who have legitimate reasons to use NFP and those of us who choose not to use it could just smile and get along? Wouldn't it be awesome if we could both recognize in each other the sacrifices and crosses in our lives without getting all judgemental? Maybe both sides of the issue could support each other in striving to live out God's Will for their own marriages. Neither side is better than the other. And using NFP and not using NFP can be filled with sacrifices and crosses.

For now, I will end by saying that I am thankful for the gift and cross of NFP. Our marriage and life would not be the same without it. The blessings from it far outnumber the crosses most days. If you are curious as to what NFP is and how to use it, please message me. I have lots of great information. Lots. :) God bless and happy charting!

Two of our three biggest blessings to come from using NFP. :)

Life Lessons from Dr. Sunyoger

The above picture was taken today at Fort Steuben Mall in Steubenville, Ohio. The woman I am standing with is Dr. Mary Antoinette Sunyoger, my most admired and respected professor from my undergrad days at Franciscan University of Steubenville. She and her husband even attended my graduation party in Pittsburgh and were guests at my wedding to Brian. Today, Brian and I piled the boys into the van and headed out to see Dr. Sunyoger at a book signing for her new book, Life Lessons.

I will always remember my first class with Dr. Sunyoger. It was the spring of 2006, and I registered for Grammar and Its Teaching Methods as well as Rhetoric. I had heard of Dr. Sunyoger through others who had taken classes with her before, and I had met her for about five minutes when she had to sign a form to waive a prerequisite for me to take her class. Everyone raved about her. Still, I wasn't quite sure what to expect on that dreary January day in 2006.

Dr. Sunyoger walked into class and immediately had us put our desks into a circle. She took role and made sure to learn each of our names that very first day. I remember how much she loved my Steelers finger nails (Pittsburgh was on its way to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995, so I went all out!) Then, she got down to the rules and class expectations. She is the only person in the world who can be serious and stern about the rules all while smiling and pleasantly going through them. It was quite the paradox. Somehow, though, within the first ten minutes of class, she had earned every single student's respect. That's not an easy task. Plus, she did it without us even really knowing how it happened. You couldn't help but leave class with a little bit of fear (I had a feeling she'd come down hard, but rightly so, if you didn't keep up with the work and come prepared to class). You were also excited as you left the room that first day. Her class would be exciting and she was beyond passionate about teaching. At 9am, that was a very good thing.

As the days passed, I grew to LOVE her class and LOVE her.  I enjoyed the reading and couldn't wait to participate in class discussions. I also really appreciated the way she cared about us as people, not just as students. I remember one morning when I was feeling particularly homesick. I had cried that morning getting ready and just wasn't into participating much in class. I missed my parents and my house and my two dogs, and I wanted to go back to Pittsburgh at that moment and never return to Steubenville. I had shut down in class and zoned out for much of it. I remember after class, Dr. Sunyoger pulled me aside and walked with me down the hall very slowly and checked in with me to make sure everything was okay. The best was, she actually listened to me! I had never had another teacher or professor ever do that before. It meant a lot to me, and it is a moment I will never forget.

Her class required a lot of writing. For my entire career in school, I had always been told I could not write. My writing was too repetitive, my teachers would say. My mom had been proofreading my papers all through college and that was allowing me to pull high B's on them in English classes. The test and quizzes kept me at A's somehow. However, I knew this writing weakness would be an issue in this class, so I took advantage of Dr. Sunyoger's office hours and had her help me with the first paper that was due. She took extra time to show me how to stop being repetitive, and she taught me how to actually write a strong thesis statement. She was the first teacher in my entire life to say, "You are a great writer. Fantastic job!" She gave me the confidence to write more and made me believe in myself as a writer. She even read some of my still unfinished novel and said, "One day you will be a famous novelist. I just know it." (I'm still trying to finish that novel. One day I will have time!) She believed in me, and she gave me the confidence necessary to finish out college as a good writer. Why it took 21 years for me to hear that I am a good writer, I'm not sure. Maybe it's because Dr. Sunyoger saw the potential in me that others had missed when it came to my writing. Maybe it's because she cared enough to help me become a good writer. She taught me to believe in my writing abilities and not be scared to put pen to paper. That is a gift for which I will be forever grateful.

Dr. Sunyoger is an AMAZING woman of God. She goes above and beyond for her students and loves each one as if they are her own. She is tough but fair, just as any good teacher should be. When I tutor each evening, I try to remember what she taught me and how to really take a special interest in each individual student. I try to ask them about the day they had and take an active interest in their daily activities. I do this because she taught me to do it, and I know from being on the receiving end how beneficial it can be for a student. I am not perfect at it, and I fail all of the time. But I am trying, and I am trying to improve with each tutoring session that passes.

In her new book, Dr. Sunyoger talks about Life Lessons that her students have taught her. I'm pretty sure all of her students could write a book about what she has taught us. I was truly blessed to have her for three classes while at Franciscan University. I wish I could've taken more. I will forever treasure how she taught me to write and believe in myself as well as what she taught me about being a great teacher. How different my life would be had our paths not crossed on that snowy January day. God is good.

Dr. Sunyoger, if you read this and there are grammatical errors, I apologize! I may need to retake one of your classes! I am losing my touch! :)

Dr. Sunyoger and myself at my graduation party back in 2007. I say we have aged incredibly well!

7 Quick Takes: Our First Date Edition

Six years ago tomorrow, Brian and I went on our first date. In honor of that, I'd thought I'd give a run down of that AMAZING date for this version of Seven Quick Takes!

1. My parents had gone out for the night and that meant I was alone to meet Brian when he arrived at my door at exactly 6pm. (Looking back now I was totally crazy for meeting a stranger off of the internet alone at home, but, hey, I was young and naive.) He showed up with a white rose, and my heart literally stopped. Not only was he amazingly good looking standing on my doorstep, but he also came with a white rose. I had always had this thought that my future husband would bring me a white rose.

The white rose Brian brought me for our first date. I have it in our Memory Box dried out in the basement.

2. We set off in his car and headed to Station Square to park and then planned to take the incline to a place on Mt. Washington where Brian had made reservations. It was the hottest August Pittsburgh had seen in decades. The temps reached near 100 degress with 100% humidity. The incline ride was brutal, but we were having so much fun chatting and getting to know each other that it didn't bother us all that much.

3. Brian had made reservations at a place called the Shiloh Inn. If you visit it today, you will see it's pretty family friendly and has a sports bar atmosphere. That's not what it was like six years ago. Six years ago, it was candlelit and romantic. There was a story about how it was even haunted by the mistress of the original owner. The lighting was soft and the conversations were quiet and private. It was a great first date atmosphere. It was everything a first date dinner should be. Brian pulled out all the stops for romance, that's for sure.

The Scene of the Crime about 5 years later :)

4. After dinner we headed back down the incline to Station Square. We walked around for a little over an hour just talking. I stopped off in the bathroom at one point and disappeared for a long time to have a texting conversation with one of my dear college friends, Elizabeth. We were both pretty excited for me!

5. Eventually, we grew bored with Station Square and there was some stranger concert going on, so we decided to head back to my parent's place. I called ahead first, and my parents graciously enough made themselves scarce by the time we got home. So we had the whole living room to ourselves.

6. We talked for hours and hours and hours. No subject was too personal. We both felt like we couldn't learn enough about the other one fast enough. A little after midnight, Brian decided he head to make the drive back to Steubenville where he was living at the time. Reluctantly, I walked him out. We shared a hug before we parted ways and promised to talk the next day. It was one of the longest goodbyes I have participated in!

7. We both knew that something special happened between us that night. And we both knew that we had found our future spouse. Those realizations, although we wouldn't share them for another week, were so exciting. We just knew we had each found the one. As Brian drove away that night, I was already looking forward to the time in our lives when there wouldn't be anymore goodbyes. I was excited for our future ahead.

Our first picture together taken right after our first date.

I love you, Brian! What an amazing journey that first date started us off on! So blessed and so thankful!

Five Faves

1. Spot Shot

This stuff is seriously AMAZING! I picked it up because it was cheap at Dollar General ($2.89), and about a week ago, I had to go out and get more because it's that good! I originally purchased it because both of our boys had severe reflux (like I'm talking Matthew and Noah could both hit walls 10 feet away with their puke and they cried and screamed almost constantly). The reflux lots of time left puke stains on my carpet. Grrr. So I thought I'd give this a try, and it took out every puke stain! Then we recently traded in our 1980's, I Survived a Frat House, plaid couch for a more modern chocolate brown one, and I realized within an hour that a solid colored couch with two little ones wasn't my brightest idea. Noah's favorite activity is rubbing his snot all over it. (On those occasions I like to refer to him as Brian's child, not my own.) And Matthew is found of crushing anything he's eating into it. But I need not fear, this stuff takes out everything! You can't even tell you used it because wherever you spray it dries a normal color. This stuff is a life saver!

2. Diaper Sales

I hunt the ads every week that most people refer to as Junk Mail for diaper sales. I always have a stack of diaper coupons just ready to go to town with. And let's face it. Noah is at least a year away from potty training. Oh my. This week was my lucky week. Rite Aid has boxes of Huggies on sale for $17.99. Then, I had $3.00 off coupons for Huggies on top of that! Yay me! So today I walked out of Rite Aid with diapers that retail for between $20 and $24 for $15 total. HUGE savings! I plan to go back tomorrow and use more of my lovely coupons on top of this great offer. Score!

3. Reasonably Priced Craft Kits

My mom recently bought Matthew a Sock Puppet Kit. This kid is the King of Crafts. Especially in the winter, he loved making new things each day. During the winter months, I'd cruise the clearance section of Walmart and could always find several kits (we painted wooden race cars one day) for less than $3.00....no lie. It was like a Gold Mine. This kit wasn't quite $3.00, but it was under $20 and it was a birthday gift from my mom. The cool thing is that we didn't need any glue at all and all of pieces have stayed stuck on for days. They are sturdy, easy, and Matthew had a blast making them. Plus, no mess for me to clean up when we are done! I know some people feel that crafts come from what's lying around at home. But I am pretty much super organized and clutter does not exist here. If my kids want crafts, we buy kits. And the kits really make life much easier.

4. Date Nights

Brian and I have one of these coming up on Friday. We always enjoy our time out together. It is nice to be able to sit and eat and drink without having to entertain the kids. When Matthew was born we decided that it was important that we make time for just the two of us once a month. Sometimes it happens more, but it's always at least once a month. It's good for our marriage and our sanity. It does help that my parents live just a few streets away and are always more than willing to babysit. But honestly, last weekend we used sitters who weren't my parents and the kids did great and the babysitters LOVED watching our boys. A win for all. I am definitely looking forward to a little one-on-one time with my hubby.

5. A Rumored *NSYNC Reunion

Oh how I miss them!

 I read an article yesterday that said they are rumored to be reuniting at the VMA's on Sunday. So for the first time since high school, I am actually planning on tuning in. I am sure I will be scandalized and appalled at what I see, but it will all be worth it if my boys do indeed take the stage. Growing up, I was super obsessed with them. You couldn't even see my bedroom walls because I had so many posters. And with all the other boy bands making comeback albums and tours, it's about darn time that the BEST boy band of all time (don't fight me on this one. I can name every musical record they hold. ;)) should reunite. I'm hopeful that this could lead to a reunion tour, and Brian looked super thrilled when I announced last night that if that happens, he will be taking me and we will have front row seats. Let's hope the rumor turns out to be true!

Isn't that Everything?

As I sit and write this, Noah is sleeping upstairs and Matthew and Brian are chilling on the couch watching the Steelers not look so great during this preseason game. (Ben says we have hardly seen anything from the offense yet and that Haley is saving it for the regular season. Um, sure. How about Haley just stinks and needs replaced and this offense really has no clue what they are doing?) Matthew is trying to learn all of the players names as well as who does what on the football field. It's cute and makes me love my already fantastic hubby even more!

This past weekend was full of ups and downs emotionally. You know when  you want something really, really bad but you just can't have it? It's like a carrot being dangled in front of you but you just can't jump high enough to get it. This past weekend we had one of those experiences. And me having the mentality of a princess at times, I got really upset and devastated that I couldn't have exactly what I wanted at exactly the time that I wanted. Without getting too personal (what?! I'm not spilling every detail of my life on this blog? How dare I! Sorry, folks. This is not the Real Housewives going on here!), it wasn't totally a necessity what I did not end up getting, but it would've made life a little easier and less stressful.

I spent a few hours and part of today just stewing over it and crying and getting mad. I think I even had a few not so nice conversations with God. But then, I took a step back to look at what I do have. Let's run through that happier list.

I have a cute little townhouse in which to live. Sure we rent. And yes it's not big enough to have more children in, but right now I'm not getting pregnant any time soon for many reasons, and we still have years ahead of us to have more babies. Renting isn't terrible. It is a little frustrating, but when the furnace broke last winter I didn't have to pay to fix it. That was kind of cool. So when things go wrong here, that's a YP (your problem....you can thank my old coteacher at Propel for that one) not an MP (my problem.) Major, major bonus. Plus, the townhouse is in a nice area and we have great, quiet neighbors. Oh, and did I mention our large back yard? With two energetic boys that's definitely a blessing.

We have a great parish to attend. St. Catherine of Siena rocks, and so does our pastor, Father Jim. Our kids idolize him, and Matthew pretends to be him on a daily basis. Our fellow parishioners adore our children, and our new associate pastor, Father Gary, is pretty cool, too. There was a time in my life when I thought I'd never find a devout, conservative parish with a great pastor. WRONG! My faith has been blessed by attending there, and I have grown spiritually in countless ways.

I have three amazing children. Brian and I have our angel in Heaven to watch over all of us. (Which is great because just this afternoon in the back yard, Matthew and Noah crashed into our fence in their Little Tikes truck and flipped over. Not a scratch on either of them. Thank you, Abby, for saving Mommy from a parenting fail!) And then we have our two, wonderful boys here on Earth. I'm not really sure what life was like before them, but I'm guessing it must've been pretty boring. They are so full of excitement and life. They do everything with great vigor and truly live each moment to the fullest. They are fun and have taught me more about life and how to live it than I ever imagined possible. I have loved them instantly since the positive pregnancy test, but I fall more in love with them each day. God has blessed us beyond belief with the lives of our children. They are the best gift I have ever received.

I have wonderful and supportive parents who live about five blocks away. They will drop anything at any time if we need (Yep, I have even called my mom at 2am when Matthew wouldn't stop crying or when he had croupe and couldn't breath and she comes right over), and we know we can always count on them.They love our boys to pieces and spend the majority of their time out of work with them. They rarely turn down a babysitting job (except on their anniversary. ;)) They will bend over backwards to help us and make me staying home during the day work. My mom is for sure my absolute best friend, and she wasn't expected to be around at this point in my life. Each extra day with her is really a blessing. She and Brian are the only two that can talk me down off of my dramatic cliffs some days. Having parents who love and care for us so incredibly much and who will give anything to help us means so much. Not everyone is so lucky.

Finally, I have the best husband a girl could ever ask for. Brian loves me for me. (So much so that when I'm crying about the last ten pounds of Noah that I cannot lose for love or money he simply lets me cry and then reassures me that I've only gotten more beautiful since having his children. And I'm pretty sure he's not lying....) He works hard at a job that is all consuming and requires way more hours in a day than he ever could have imagined. At one point he worked two jobs when I first started staying home with Matthew just to make sure we could make ends meet. He has jumped right into helping me with my business and even designed the logo and business cards for it without me asking. He puts my needs and the needs of our children first. He even lets me sleep until 7:30 on Saturdays, even though I'm sure he, too, could benefit from those extra hours of sleep. He gives so much of himself every day, and he's faithful beyond belief. I owe my sanity to him most days, and I love him more each day, too. Of the two of us, he is the better half.

Okay, so I really do have a lot to be thankful for. Now, most days I find it hard to remember and see things that way, so that's one of the reasons I wanted to write it all down. Most of you know me well enough know that I'm really a sunshine and rainbows and unicorns type girl. I find the glass half empty most times. However, on days when I'm busy having a jealousy inspired pity party, I can come back to this post and remember that I have a great husband, wonderful kids, amazing parents, and a cute place to live, and a wonderful parish to belong to. At the end of the day, isn't that everything? Yes, it really is.

And just cause I love my kids so much, here's a picture of them with their brand new pool toys from our trip to Dormont Pool on Saturday. :) They are my little fish!

I Don't Even Know My Last Name

Last night Brian and I gave our NFP talk at the Engaged Encounter Retreat in Pittsburgh. Many of you who know me well enough know that I have a slight obsession with NFP. I love the subject, and I consider myself pretty well versed in using it. So, I have been dying to share this passion and knowledge on such an important topic for a while. However, somehow last night the nerves kicked into high gear. I may have actually been shaking when we started our introduction. But in the end, I have to say that it went very, very well. Better than we both could have hoped for.

We arrived while the couples were having dinner and that was great because it gave us time for a little prayer time in the chapel, which was desperately needed. The weekend was a small one, with only 10 couples attending. I think that made it easier in some ways and harder in others. The couples who were there seemed to really be taking things seriously and trying to get something out of the weekend. It was certainly easier to get to know something about all of them since there weren't that many in attendance. But when it came time to actually give our talk, having that few people all focused on us was a bit intimidating. And that's from someone who LOVES being the center of attention. As an only child, I quite enjoy and am used to having all eyes on me, but this was way different.

Our talk, however, went really well. The couples all listened attentively, and I didn't even catch one eye roll from anyone! That's got to be a first during a talk on NFP. I think what made it so successful was the fact that we made our talk really personal. We talked about how NFP has worked in our marriage and what a great blessing it has been to us. We also were brutally honest and said that sometimes it's just plain hard and really stinks. I think the couples appreciated that view of it the most. We didn't just stand up there and sing the praises of NFP....we talked about the reality of it. And let's face it. Sometimes that reality of abstinence is super hard!

Once our talk was over, we were invited by the hosting couple to stay for the Discussion Group. During the Discussion Group, everyone sits in a circle and drinks a glass of wine while pulling questions that the couples have written over the weekend from the Question Box. Once the question is read, it's fair game for anyone to answer. Questions last night ranged from how to compromise to who balances the check book. It was great to get to participate in those discussions and offer our perspective as a married couple.

One of the questions that came up in the Discussion Group was whether or not to change your last name. Some women said they were considering not doing so because they were older and had written publications or created art work in their maiden names. One woman blatantly just said she wasn't going to change her name because she was the last of seven girls to get married and wanted to keep her father's name. I have to say that I was shocked to even hear the discussion occurring!

For me, I couldn't drop my maiden name fast enough. I came back from my honeymoon and actually left work early the first day back so that I could visit the Social Security Office and apply to have my name changed. Within a week, my maiden name had been completely erased. And I was glad to see it go.

It wasn't just the fact that I was finally getting a royal title as a last name (I had considered myself a Princess for years at that point! ;)), but I truly felt that in the two becoming one, part of that was changing my last name and taking on my husband's. I felt that if I didn't change my last name, it would be a huge slap in the face to Brian although he had never expressed such feelings. I just envisioned keeping my maiden name as ultra feminist (and I am the furthest thing from a feminist. Yes, I enjoy equal pay and the right to vote, but I never bargained for being able to stay at home with  my children being so difficult to do financially! Seriously, things have gotten out of hand with that movement!). I would never disrespect Brian by not taking his last name. I saw it as a very loving and trusting gesture on my part. And I'm pretty sure he saw it the same way.

Maybe it's just that Brian and I are pretty traditional in many ways. I always felt he should lead our family and be the head. He should be the bread winner. And although there are many times when we both are in control together, for the most part, I try very hard to take a back seat and let him lead us where we need to go. (I'm sure he'd laugh at that since giving up control is not my best character trait!) But seriously, part of having a traditional marriage meant giving up my last name.

I understand every woman is different, but it never crossed my mind that women actually debate changing their last name after marriage. For me it was so natural. So last night was a bit eye opening in that way. I am so proud to have Brian's last name, and quite honestly, I am honored that he chose me to share it with. Being a Prince is pretty darn cool.

Seven Quick Takes, Volume 1

1. So some of you may be wondering who is this Abby I keep referring to? Abby is short for Abigail Grace. She is our daughter who passed away at just six short weeks into our pregnancy on February 2, 2009. Everyone deals with miscarriage differently. For us, it was important that Abby always be remembered as a part of our family. Her birthday would've been September 28, 2009, so every year we celebrate that. I proudly consider myself a mom of 3 - 2 on Earth and 1 in Heaven. And you may be wondering how we knew we were having a girl? We didn't, but when I first started having complications with the pregnancy it felt natural for me to start referring to the baby as a girl, and by that point in our pregnancy Brian and I had already discussed how much we loved the name Abigail. I figure if we never got to hold or see our baby on Earth, at least we got to decide the gender. ;) In all seriousness, she is part of our family, and we love her very much. We are thankful to have our own personal angel in Heaven. Click the link below to hear a song that perfectly describes how we feel about her. :)

See You Again

2. Speaking of children, I adore seeing Matthew and Noah grow up together and interact. They are two years and two months apart and just this summer have really started playing together. Noah has adored Matthew from the very early days of his life, and Noah is slowly growing on Matthew! The more Noah can do with Matthew, the more Matthew enjoys his little brother. It is so dear to watch them together. And Matthew is already fiercely protective of Noah. I overhear him at events with other children many times saying very firmly, "That's my brother!" There's something to be said for having two boys that close together. (Although I'm pretty sure they are taking years off of my life and sanity.) I pray they will be lifelong friends.

3. This Ab Challenge is AMAZING!

Seriously, try it. I did it for the month of June and since then, I've chosen five sets every week to do (taking rest days about every two days.) Doing this combined with my workouts from my fabulous trainer, Christi (let me know if you want her number. She can even train you in your home!) I have lost inches from my waist. I mean, let's face it, I will never be a size 2 again in my life (sad day. I miss being that skinny), but at least my baby pouch is toned and in place and not just sagging all over anymore. It is a ton of hard work, but so worth it. And it's fun to see results. Try this workout. It will change your life.

4. My hubby and I are going on a double date tonight with on my closest friends in Pittsburgh and her husband. They are a great couple, and we very much enjoy their company. We are headed to a Japanese Steakhouse (way different than mine and Brian's normal date night at Applebee's lol). We are all excited to get out without the kids and be able to have a conversation. And let's be honest. I'm looking forward to a good Long Island, too! :)

5.

Carrie Underwood said this in an interview with People Magazine in the Spring. I cut it out and have it hanging on my mirror in the bedroom. I see it every morning when I am getting ready. Obviously, the statement is a bit exaggerated, but it keeps me motivated. I want to look good for my husband. I have always feared letting myself go and blaming it on having kids. I don't think that's right or okay to do to your hubby and all of the moms I hang out with look great every time we get together. (That helps call me on more than this quote!) But as I'm spending time putting on make up and straightening my hair, I can read this and realize that what I'm doing at that moment is important. And it reminds me that if at all possible, the first stop after daily Mass needs to the be the gym. Brian would love me no matter what I looked like (and not a day goes by when he doesn't tell me I'm beautiful), but I want him to be proud to say I'm his wife and be excited to come home to me looking half decent on a daily basis. 

6. So Monday was our first day without Brian around after 9.5 straight days of his company. It wasn't a terrible day, actually, and what made it even better was getting an email in the afternoon saying I had won a backstage pass to meet Rascal Flatts! Woohoo! I am 28 years old and super pumped about this. (hey, I never claimed to be super mature. *NSYNC is my workout music of choice, after all.) I get to meet them before their show in Pittsburgh on September 6. Brian and I were already looking forward to the concert and now it's even more exciting. Plus, the kids are staying at my parents that night. Yay for sleeping in on a Saturday morning! Oh, and I should add that we definitely got tickets that have seats with them for the concert. You know you are pushing 30 and 40 when you swear you will never go to a concert again without seats!

Gary, from Rascal Flatts. He is my fave member. And I kinda think he looks like Brian. :)

7. I have been obsessed with The Band Perry lately. Their song, "If I Die Young," reminds me of Abby in so many ways, but lately their new, rockier stuff really makes me happy. And while I am out tutoring, I totally jam to it in the minivan with the windows rolled down. (I tried to get Brian and the boys to jam with me a few weeks ago, but no go. Well, at least Matthew asks to listen to Carrie Underwood's Good Girl on a daily basis.) Nothing like a good break up song blaring from a minivan adorned with a "Baby on Board" sign as it rolls through the quiet streets of Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. Hey, at least it beats "If You're Happy and You Know It." Anyways, if you're not familiar with them, check out the links to the YouTube videos below:

The Band Perry with Done

The Band Perry with Better Dig Two 

Have a fantastic weekend! Please pray for us and the couples who will be attending the Engaged Encounter Retreat this weekend. We are giving our NFP talk tomorrow and defending the faith at the Wrap Session tomorrow night. Prayers are greatly appreciated.

Don't forget to become a follower of my blog! I'd appreciate it! And I love comments....like really, really love. :)

The Best Email Ever

Six years ago today, I was just beginning my career as a teacher. I was fresh out of college and single, which is not a good thing after graduating from Franciscan University. If you don't earn your MRS degree while you are there, you are deemed hopeless to ever earn it off campus in the real world. But for the first time in my entire young adult life, I was okay with being single. I had decided to focus on my career and put my heart and soul into teaching.

Then I came home from new teacher orientation on Wednesday, August 15, 2007. In my inbox was a message from Brian via AveMariaSingles.com. I inwardly cringed at first because I had already had some not so successful dates (one guy didn't drive well at all and refused to follow my directions to get back home. Talk about awkward!) and conversations with others via online dating. I was tired of trying so hard just to meet Mr. Wrong over and over again. Then, I read Brian's email and profile. I hesitated to respond at first because of the 10 year age difference between us (whoops, guess I just let that secret out of the bag!), but my mom encouraged me to write him back. And boy am I happy I did.

From that first email we were inseparable and moved at lightning speed through our relationship. Looking back at it now, it honestly exhausts me. Here's a Reader's Digest version of our courtship:

August 15, 2007: First email

August 19, 2007: First phone conversation

August 24, 2007: First Date to Mt. Washington (super romantic, btw!)

August 27, 2007: Officially began dating

September 1, 2007: First time we said, "I love you."

February 14, 2008: Got Engaged

October 18, 2008: Said, "I do."

So almost exactly fourteen months after that first email, we were married. In some ways it was the shortest time of my life, and in some ways those fourteen months dragged on forever. But we just knew from the first time we met in person that we had each found "the one." People ask me how I knew, and I can't answer. It was just a feeling and words can't describe it. But I can say for sure that when I looked into my future from our first date on, I couldn't picture doing anything without Brian right beside me. 

Looking back now, our courtship was such a fun time. Brian worked as the assistant men's basketball coach at Franciscan (Go Barons!) during their inaugural year in NCAA DIII. I went to every single game except for one that was an away game during a snow storm. I was their biggest fan, and I loved every minute of it. I had goofy tshirts that I wore to the games that I had made, and I was more than proud to be the coach's girlfriend. We joke that I spent more time on campus during my first year as an alum than I ever did as a undergrad! That team became my adopted children, and I still keep in touch with some of them today. (Maybe they all liked me so much because I baked cookies and cupcakes for them for every single game!) I was and always will be their biggest fan.

Off of the basketball court, we spent every free moment together, and since we lived in towns 45 minutes apart that sometimes meant not getting much sleep. I was probably more sleep deprived than I am now, but back then, I was younger and in love and it was easy to deal with. Most days I didn't feel that tired, even as a new teacher. I was head over heels in love with the greatest guy on the planet, and I was loving life. Who really needs sleep anyway? (Um, this sleep deprived Mommy...) Being able to spend that much time together on a daily basis allowed our relationship to grow and move quickly, and I think that's just how it was meant to be. We weren't meant to be engaged or date for a long period of time. That wasn't us.

Brian completes me in many ways, and as controversial as it is to say this in Catholic circles today, he is my soul mate. He is my other half (and definitely the better half.) He is my best friend. He knows me like no one else can. He is patient beyond words and lets me cry when I need to. He constantly thinks about how he can make my life easier and better and is the most selfless person I know. When we lost Abby he spent hours tracking down the last season of Gilmore Girls so I could have something fun to watch during the week I had to take off of work. Who does that? He does.

He is the most generous person I know and would give you the shirt off of his back literally. He has a way of calming me down when I get all worked up and stressed out and anxious that no one else can accomplish. He has held my hand when two of our babies were born. He was right beside me when Abby died, and I got super sick and needed medical intervention. He would never turn his back on me.

He is the most faithful and devout Catholic I have ever met. Maybe it was his time in the Carmelites, but wow! This guy knows his faith and practices it every day. He calls me on to be a better Catholic.

Over the past six years, we've had a lot of good times, too. We swam with dolphins together, cheered the Steelers onto victory at Heinz Field, enjoyed a tour of Wine Country for our six month wedding anniversary, gone to dozens of country concerts, and shared lots of laughs.

But my favorite thing about Brian is watching him as a father. Our children adore him and he them. Just getting to watch the three of them build a sand castle at Lake Erie last week was enough to make me fall in love with him all over again. I have one heck of a husband, and I am beyond blessed.

Over the years, we have had our share of ups and downs. And sometimes I wonder if we had moved slower if we would have saved ourselves some of our toughest times in our marriage. The answer is no. Marriage is work and hard no matter how long you date beforehand. You will have really good times and really hard times no matter what you do to prepare beforehand. That's marriage. 

Today is also the Feast Day of the Assumption and on that note, I always look back and thank the Blessed Mother for bringing me and Brian together. She worked something really cool out for us, and I ask for her intercession every day to make me a better wife and mother. Without her intercession, Brian and I wouldn't be together and we wouldn't have our three beautiful babies.

Letting Go and Letting God was one of the best things I ever did, and I will never in my life get an email quite as exciting as the first one Brian sent...not even the one I got on Monday telling me I won a contest to meet Rascal Flatts! ;) His email to me will forever be my favorite.

I couldn't resist adding a few of my favorite pics from our courtship. Enjoy!

Five Faves

1. Kindara NFP App

Seriously this NFP app has changed my life. I have been obsessed with NFP since high school and started learning NFP a few months before our wedding. Until a few months ago, I was using the old and hard to read paper charts. Then, I got an iPhone (I know I'm only five years late on that one!) and figured there had to be an NFP app. I did some searching and through some reviews thought that I'd like Kindara the best. I have not been disappointed. Now my chart is with me everywhere which means I can record my data when I have time and not when my chart is nearby. Plus, it makes my charting a whole lot more private. No longer will Matthew be pulling out papers from beside my bed and asking me, "Mommy, are these for coloring?" Yes, this app has changed my life.

 

2. This Cooler, Fall like Weather

I despise the summer heat, so today when I could throw on jeans and a hoodie and pretty much be comfortable all day I was in Heaven. I love, love, love Fall weather and these little previews we've been having this summer here in the Burgh have been delightful. I cannot stand to sweat, and I hate humidity because my hair turns into an afro point two seconds after I leave air conditioning. Today, I had lovely silky hair and didn't sweat at all (except when I pounded out my 5K at the gym.) And with Fall comes football, and I just love football more than any other sport. Watching preseason games last weekend totally rocked. Come on, Fall, hurry up and get here for real!

 

3. Kids' Room at Fitness 19

Okay, so this kids' room is not your ordinary daycare. The women back in that room are AMAZING! Matthew asks to go every day and gets disappointed if we miss a day. They do arts and crafts and have strict rules for the kids to follow to keep them in line. They also aren't afraid to let kids be upset when Mommy leaves. Instead of calling me back after five minutes of Noah screaming, they worked with him for weeks to get him to keep calm, even if that meant he cried for a while for those two weeks. They knew it was best for him and me that way. One of the reasons we kept Matthew out of preschool at age two was because of his experiences at the gym. He was doing a lot of what kids would do in two year old preschool at the gym. When Noah was born, I even transferred my membership to Brian so that Matthew could still have access to the kids' room while I wasn't allowed to exercise. We have even visited one of the teacher's houses, and many of the women who work at the gym actually babysit for us. The kids love going and Mommy gets an hour and a half to herself to try and get her pre baby body back. It's a win-win!

 

4. Big Brother

Totally an addict of this show and so his my hubby. I have to admit that this season is not as good as last, although last season saw the return of Mike Boogie to the Big Brother House, and he is by far the greatest player (next to his buddy Dr. Will) to ever play the game. Just thinking of them together makes me smile. Brian never had the privilege of seeing them play (he was in seminary at the time). So I always have to try and describe how they played and why they were so funny. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you can watch this YouTube video of the two of them. It is hilarious!

Boogie and Dr. Will

But, yeah, this season just doesn't measure up. In the words of Rachel Riley, "Floaters, grab a life vest!" There are too many of them around this year! Ugh. Still, though, Brian and I are addicts. We don't miss an episode, and we talk about the players during daily conversations as if we know them. Wow. We are boring.

 

5. Tutoring

I love my job and my business. I really do. I tutor about 12-15 hours every week, and while it can get exhausting by 8:30 on Thursday night, I would never not do it. Yes, I will totally cut back on hours the minute our budget will allow it, but right now, I can work while my husband or parents are with the boys and it brings in money needed to pay some of the bills and to have fun with! My business, Tutoring with Danielle, allows Brian to now only work one job when he used to work two. (Which meant not Saturdays for us.) Plus, I love working one-on-one with students. It saves my sanity some days to know that in just a few hours, I'll be free for a little while to not have to refill sippy cups and clean up messes and make sure Noah isn't trying to plunge to his death from the couch. It's nice to be just me the teacher for a few hours. I love my kids, but I love my work, too. As a bonus, any money I make extra above what we need for the month can either be saved in our house fund or used to have weekend fun. We are not a family who just stays home on the weekends. We work hard for what we make and both Brian and I feel that we should live life by working hard and playing hard. This summer some extra money allowed us to buy Rascal Flatts concert tickets (yes, I won a contest to meet them!). So it's the best of both worlds for me. I can stay home with my little ones during the day and tutor in the evenings. And eventually my business will expand enough where I will only tutor a few hours each week and make money from all of the other people who work for me as tutors. That day will be amazing!

 

Have a lovely evening, everyone! And remember tomorrows the Feast of the Assumption (one of the best Feast Days ever!). It's a Holy Day of Obligation. :)

Well, I finally did it!

After much thought and hemming and hawing, I finally decided to join the blogging world. Between two busy kids, my own business, and my awesome husband, I'm not sure I'll have time to write much, but we will see.

So why the name Princess? Am I really that vain or full of myself? Well, yes, but that's not where the name came from. A dear friend of mine has an adorable daughter who is two and a half. About a year ago, when trying to say Mrs. Prince, it came out Princess. And let's just say the name stuck. Who wouldn't like being called by their royal title on a daily basis? I did marry a Prince, afterall. ;)

Not much more for today. Our life is pretty ordinary these days. I promise the next post will be way more interesting than this one....then again, probably not! Off to put the big boy down for a nap and to prep for tutoring tonight. Until next time....