Author Archives: tracye1

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About tracye1

A wee bit about me, Tracy. Married to my high school sweetie for a looooong time. Mama of 4 beautiful kiddos, now ADULTS!!!! This blog is a potpourri of posts. Some wax on about my Catholic faith, others family, some are just a “diary” of life updates. Life is a journey, taken one day at a time (sometimes one step at a time) and my blog is about my personal trek through life. Peace!

I can’t do it all!!

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I am fascinated by some of my friends and the number of TV shows they DVR and actually watch!!  And I wonder what in the heck am I doing wrong?  Personally, I have nothing against TV (though some of the content shown is suspect, and seriously??  I know CSI is a huge hit, but how many versions do we need????) but I just can’t seem to find time to watch it.  Truth be told, without DVR, I don’t think I’d have the patience for it either.  So, I am dissecting my “problem” this morning, in the wee, quiet hours of the morning with the windows open and the entire house blissfully still sleeping.

1.  We have 4 children and currently 1 TV.  Our kids actually don’t watch a ton of TV; they enjoy it, but prefer to be doing other things.  Of course with time change right around the corner, outside activities will be curtailed at an earlier hour and as a result, TV viewing will go up.  It’s a cycle…However, there is frequently homework to be done, reviewed and helped with; blaring TV’s (even softly blaring) are a huge distraction and so it stays off.

2.  I like to read.  We all actually like to read.  nerdy.  I’m good with it.   And once we enforce “reading time” we usually have to wrestle the books out of their hands for lights out….one more page, please???  ahhhh, it’s great.  The 14 year-old is a little trickier, but once he gets a book he enjoys….look out.  The 8 year-old likes to talk about reading…for a LONG time…before she actually reads, but then she’s hooked and obsessed with how many pages she’s read and how many are left, so reading AND math=double bonus!!  and so the TV stays off.

3.  I get up ridiculously early.  We have 4 children (see #1) and I enjoy peace and quiet.  O’Dark Hundred is the only true peace and quiet I can call my own.  Even dear hubby knows…don’t talk to me in the morning until I’ve had at LEAST my first cup of coffee!!  I read the Daily Readings, pray, blog, catch up on news and Facebook and drink coffee.  Some days I mix it up and go to the gym.  Or with the cooler weather, walk around the neighborhood instead of the stuffy gym.  The TV doesn’t work well with these activities. and so it stays off.

4.  I like sleep.  and since I get up ridiculously early (see #3), I really need to hit the hay earlier to get a respectable 7 hours.  I love our bed.  It’s like a big marshmallow.  Open window+Cool fall air+cozy comforter+good book+kids in bed=happiness.  ABSOLUTELY no room for the TV in that.  and so it stays off.

5.  I like to catch up with hubby.  Now with all those kids, homework, extracurricular activities and stuff, we have to fight for those minutes and therefore….the TV stays off.

And now that I’ve dissected WHY I don’t get to my several behind episodes of Gene Simmons and Real Housewives (yeah, quality TV, baby!) I am continually fascinated by my friends.  HOW do they get ANYthing done?!?!  I clearly need to work on my organizational skills or learn to live with less sleep and quite honestly, I just don’t feel like doing either!

Proverbs 31:15  She rises up while it is still night and provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.

OK, disclaimer here…I don’t profess to be a Proverbs 31 wife, though it IS still dark when I rise, my early rising makes me a better mom and wife, sometimes I DO get the crock pot going, but I don’t have female servants…unless you count doling out chores for my daughters.  Just didn’t want anyone thinking I’m all that….but getting up early really works for ME.  and so does keeping the TV (mostly) off.  

Our God is an AWESOME God!!!

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Hubby was having a tossy-turny kind of night last night and I was afraid he was up for the day at 3 A.M.!!   However, he said when he was tossing and turning at 3 A.M. he felt the call to go look at the stars  (the FIRST thing he does when he wakes up in the morning) and he saw a shooting star. He was able to go  back to sleep until 5.

God is good.

With the brisk fall temperatures this morning, I opted for a walk around the neighborhood today versus the gym.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see my own shooting star, but the morning sky did not disappoint with thebrightly shining  crescent moon and array of twinkling stars; add in the crisp air and the day is off to a great start!

God is good.

Talking with a friend the other day as to what some expectations are for their family as their son begins to serve his sentence,  I am reminded that God IS good. All the time. In every situation. Though their journey is just “beginning”, I have every confidence that God will guide them through every step of this chapter. Time will fly. Time will standstill.   Holidays, birthdays, and family celebrations will come and go. Life goes on. And God is there. On both sides of the fence.   Waiting for the invitation to let Him take over. To trust in His plan. To let go.

God is good.

Rejoicing with a friend at the long awaited news of a pregnancy after many, many years. God is good.   Praying for friends who hope to adopt after years of infertility. God is good.

“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24  

(my prayer mantra during my marathon run in Nashville in 2000)

Mary is MY Homegirl….or Love me some Rosary!!

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October.  And if you are Catholic, like me, you may know it’s the month we celebrate Mary and the Rosary.  If you aren’t Catholic, or you might want to be or even if you just are curious as to what in the world I am talking about, you can Google more info on this or even check this link for more information; and in a week or so, one of my favorite podcasters, Pat Gohn will be featuring Rosary stories on her podcast, Among Women.  

When Pat was asking for contributions of “What the Rosary means to you…”, I was really kind of surprised at what a HUGE impact Mary and the Rosary have in my life.  Don’t get me wrong, I am FULLY aware that my Faith and trust in Christ have gotten me where I am today, however, when I put it into words, it was pretty apparent that Mary has my back, and has for quite sometime.

The Rosary has been one of my favorite prayers for many years now, probably taking hold of my heart since a “Christ Renews His Parish” retreat 11 years ago.  A great way to focus on Christ’s life as it pertains to my own.

  • On 9-11 I sobbed my way through as my husband and I prayed at the end of the day.
  • During EVERY 7 hour trip to and from visiting my husband in prison.
  • For every 45 minute commute to work/school the first year of his incarceration.
  • Sunday evening family Rosary time with the kids–even amidst the squabbling, wrestling, exhaustion and mayhem 4 kids can create during “prayer” time, by the 3rd decade we almost always hit our peaceful stride.
  • During Lenten Adoration time.  A time when I put away MY concerns and focus on others…..though I do my best throughout the year, during Lent I am FAR more consistent…but don’t worry….if you ask me to pray for you, I’m ON it!!
  • When our 2nd oldest struggled with night terrors at age 10 (terrifying for ME, especially when he hopped on the couch on his haunches and stuck his tongue out!), at the suggestion of a friend who had similar experiences with one of her sons, he began to sleep with his Rosary; we put the Rosary on his iPod and 2 years later he and his brother fall asleep with it almost nightly; not to mention the terrors ended almost immediately when introducing the Rosary on “repeat” all night long.
  • With our youngest child and “diva” at bedtime–our most NOT favorite time, but improving with Mary’s help, we’ve had a great run several nights in a row!
  •  And now with my husband home, and our family re-united,  we work toward establishing our new Rosary routine!

We have Rosaries in the car, my purse, the kid’s rooms and several in a desk (see picture above).  So anytime you want to pray the Rosary, come on over…we’ve got plenty!!  Now if  you’ll excuse me, my procrastinating self has a lot to do in the next 45 minutes to get ready to get out-of-town on a girl’s weekend!

Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.


This is the day….

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Up early to take hubby to his Sunday morning gig and it was still DARK when we left the house.  Coming home, however, the sun was beginning to rise.  I took the extra 15 minutes and headed over the bridge to breathe the salt, let the 59 degree air tickle my skin and enjoy the quiet of the morning.  No wonder I am a morning person!!!  (maybe next time I’ll take my REAL camera and not just my iPhone….)

 

 

No traffic…just quiet….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing like the beach at Sunrise….

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and give thanks in Him!   Psalm 118:24

 

Finally Friday…and 7 Quick takes!

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— 1 —

I’m joining in with Jennifer Fulwiler @ ConversionDiary for quick takes Friday.  She’s among one of my frequented and favorite bookmarks, though I’ve not really joined in for Quick takes before.  However, since I’m on a blog “roll”–pun intended–I figured I’d join in this week and…..”Holy COW”! I can’t believe I figured out how to paste in the code for this.  It’s a banner week, I tell you!!!  You can visit her site and see what she’s been up to as well as everyone else!!

— 2 —

This week marks week 3 of a  FULL week of regular workouts @ O’dark hundred-ish, aka 5:15 a.m..  I was hit and miss about 2 days a week for a few weeks before that and then my sister (God love her little cheerleader-self), graciously offered to text me in the a.m. at 4:45 a.m. as she heads out on her early morning walk to assure that I’m awake.  And then continues to pester text me until I am REALLY up.  And since I actually have to get out of the bed to avoid waking  hubby who does NOT need to be up that early, it’s working….not to jinx, but it might even be getting easier.  Hmmm!  Who knew?

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

— 3 —

My mom was visiting this week from Pennsylvania.  It’s been 3 months since she moved and we all needed a fix of Mimi.  Especially our youngest.  They have a very special bond.  We picked her up from the airport on Saturday and had Olive Garden lunch with my step sisters and nieces and then had her over tonight for dinner…coincidentally, my husband’s cousin from New Hampshire was here at the same time with his brother who lives in town, so dinner time was  HOPPIN’ here tonight.

— 4 —

We measured the boys this week and Son #1 has officially bypassed me a good 2 inches!  14 years old and 5’8″.  Son #2 is neck in neck with me.  12 years old and 5’6″.  Daughter #1 is still shorter, but at 9 years old and 5″, it won’t be long.  Fortunately, daughter #2 appears to have gotten the short end of the stick (pun intended….I should stop that…or not….) and will continue to be our little peanut.  Phew, I’ll need someone to commiserate with in this tall family…how in the world did they get so grown so quickly?  I think my uterus is aching…..

— 5 —

TGIF!  For me that means a 2 day work week next week!  Can you hear the WOOT WOOT?!?!?  I missed my annual scrapbook weekend last year and now that hubby is home, next week I am taking the girls with me to North Florida to hang with my sister and her family.  (things are going great, but hubby and I agreed it might be better to split the kids for the weekend) The girls and I will visit our old friends for a day or so; then I will leave the girlies with Aunt TT and the gang and head to the beach with the big girls and catch up on everyone’s life IN PERSON…not just on FB, email and texting.  We’ll eat, laugh, stay in our PJ’s, walk on the beach and maybe even scrapbook in between.  I’ll miss my boys within the first 5 minutes of hitting 95, but a girlfriend weekend is salve for the soul!!!

“A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. ” Proverbs 18:24

— 6 —

Hubby has worked so hard these past few months.  For the past TWO months he’s worked 7 days a week, and doing HARD  labor, at the end of the day, he.  is.  spent.  So we are ALL super excited at his new job that starts Monday.  ONE job.  FULL TIME.  Some commuting.  Some work-at-home.  We are blessed.  We are grateful.  We are in awe.  In this economy, it’s tough enough to get a job and when you have the odds stacked against you like he does, it is amazing to watch God work a miracle and knit this together for us.  WOW.

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself.” Matthew 6:34

— 7 —

This weekend we have a fun family parade to look forward to with both girls walking in it with their respective music and dance groups (parades are so NOT my cup of tea, but the girls sure get a kick out of them, so I will “take one for the team” and suck it up—don’t judge me, just keeping it real).  Our church has a  family living Rosary and pot luck dinner on Sunday afternoon, followed by Youth Mass.  And did I mention, we are supposed to have mid 80’s for the high and high 50’s for the low? HELLO there Fall weather…..OH how I have missed YOU!!!  Happy Weekend and……  For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!