While I plug away on my new blog (hopefully ready to roll out next week), I just have to ask:  “Have you been watching the Pope?!?!?!?!?”  I am so fascinated.  It started with his virtual audience around the U.S. in which I used a ridiculous amount of tissues.  His compassion is so genuine and his message of LOVE so pervasive in every homily, every action, it is easy to see why the whole world is falling in love with Papa Francis.

So, it was really cool to see my new friend Maria pilgrimage to Cuba (her birthplace) to see the Pope and now watching Pat and Lisa pilgrimage to Philly and EWTN at night to catch the recap of the day.  It is FASCINATING!!!

The icing on the cake was when a good friend and fallen away Catholic texted me throughout the day as she watched the Pope and how her faith is restored in the Church due to Pope Francis’ example of love and kindness throughout the world.

Just awesome.  Fascinating.  And so much hope.  Godspeed, Papa!  May we all live this example.  Love one another.

and Pope Emoji App…..so much awesome!!

It’s a funny thing when you change things up.  Things change.

About 6 weeks ago the Hubby and I started Dave Ramsey’s program, offered at my job (FREE) and during this time, I’ve felt other areas of my life begging for a re-constructing as well.  Change is good.  Hard.  But good.  And generally, the good stuff is worth it in the end.

So, I’m slowly re-vamping my look at my healthy choices and fitness and trying to make the effort more consistently and less obsessively.  THAT, my friends, is flippin’ hard.  I’m all or nothing and this is an area that needs balance or it doesn’t stick around.

I’ve also been feeling the need to blog more.  And in that, I mean actually carving out time specifically for blogging.  Away from the house.  I’m far too easily distracted at home and I am sensing the blog is in need of an overhaul:  new name and new focus.  Moving more into the deep conversations that I need to hash out in words.  on a laptop.  It’s my therapy.

Get ready.  New things are a comin’.  Slowly, but surely.  Change.

Blessings!  Now it’s off to spend some time with my man.  and a paddleboard.

Two whole weeks into school and so far so good, which means the shoe should drop ANY miiiiiiiiiinute now.  Although, with the long Labor Day weekend, perhaps this is the PERFECT timing for a little time off, recharge and roll back in to our new schedules.  Time will tell and I am not counting my chickens–that is for certain!

With a senior, sophomore, 8th and 7th grader this year I can’t help but to look back and wonder, where the hell time goes.  Not to mention, that now we are at a pivotal “life event” of senior year and graduation……we are on an every-other-year trip with this!  Crap.  Just when I was getting over the physical exhaustion (some days) of parenting littles and coming to grips (some days) with the emotional exhaustion of parenting bigs, they are going to grow up and go.  I’m still processing this.  But for now…right this second…it’s good.  Because they never really were “our” kids anyway, right?  They belong to God and we are amazingly enough, given the task to raise them up, hold them close and take care of them and set them free…..crossing our fingers and praying all the prayers every second that we prepared them well and gave them every tool they need.

In the meantime, we will take a few deep breaths when that motorcycle roars out of the driveway to work/school/play.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving for sweet people when the boy asks to be picked up at the girlfriend’s house after dinner.  Again. Smile at the sight of your youngest as you pull away from the high school football game and she’s surrounded by her girls.  Chuckle at technology and the gift of “snaps” during the day from your oldest girl at the shenanigans and fun in middle school.  We’ll hold tight to those moments.  Try to be present in all the moments.  Knowing that all may not always seem to be well…..but we are given what we need.  Our task is not to control each moment, but to guide, to trust and to make the most of what we are given finding contentment in what we have.  In this we will know we genuinely did our best and let God take care of the rest.

Happy Saturday, all.

I’m off to make the most of my day and start it out by getting my hair did!

PEACE!

  
3 days off. The Hubs and I. And kiddos winding up summer.  

A weekend trip to our old town. 

Haircuts, doctor appointments, orthodontist, and the ever-fun school supply shopping. 

We mixed in some beach time. Dinner. Prayers. 

Add in a nasty skin infection and possible parasite complication and I’d say we hit allllllllll the fun stuff a mini-staycation can possibly offer. 

But
God is good. He is faithful. And even in the midst of the unexpected junk thrown in the middle of rest, He is still there. 

I’m on a few vacation days with the hubs here at the homestead.  Soaking up the last few days of summer before we kick back into the school year (24th here).  It’s about a million degrees here and we are pretty sloth-like during the day (except my hubs—he’s like a shark, always moving).  Anyhoo.  The girls and I went to visit my sister and some friends in Tallahassee over the weekend for a long, overdue visit.  It was wonderful.  Here’s the breakdown:

• Lunch with one of my besties for her (July) birthday at a sweet cafe (Paisley Cafe)  followed by a cupcake (Lucy and Leo’s)—I do love cupcakes!!  It was a fun outing with the kids all at her house (this is a wonderful season!) catching up and enjoying time together—and when you live 4 hours away you soak every second UP.
• Trader Joe’s for some cookie butter and TJMaxx for a school backpack
• Golf cart riding around the ‘hood and stopping by some friends to say “Hey”
• A visit from another dear friend at my sister’s to catch up
• Long-distance nursing consult with my hubs as he sliced his finger on a razor—he survived
• 
• Mass at our old church with a young priest (my girls were fascinated, as all our priests here are “Old”)
• Post Mass visit at another friend’s house (she makes the yummiest scones)
• An additional (unplanned) night and house warming party for my sister’s boss where I ran into a friend from our boy’s preschool days
• Early a.m. walk before we hit the road (my rear forgot about those Tallahassee hills)
• Depletion of my sister’s Chai Latte for her Keurig courtesy of me (they don’t like that flavor anyway)

It was a relaxing weekend and always does my heart good to catch up with friends.  Sadly, with school starting many people were out of town or just unavailable due to various pre-school activities….so I take what I can get.  Life is good and far too short; make the most of every day, right?