The Story of a Long Weekend Away and Longing to Blog

My husband's family lives east of the mountains, so when there is a long weekend, there is a possibility we will go visit. This weekend is extra long, because he took Friday and Tuesday off. Let me tell you, it's so much better to do it this way than not really be able to relax and enjoy ourselves.

Saturday we spent hanging out (and I read a lot, AND I started yet another book), Chris's grandparents came over for lunch and the girls got their Christmas gifts (in February!) and I got FOUR CUSTOM ROSARY REQUESTS! What?! I also got one on Friday, so that's five in two days. All the parts have been ordered and I'm excited to get them all assembled and off to their new owners.

The Devil's Cup by Stewart Lee Allen

I also got this weird craving to blog on Saturday. I guess the bug is in me now! I decided to hold off until I got home, maybe make a few notes in my phone, and blog when I got home. I sit here, listening to my family snore, writing this because I just can't wait to do so until I get home. Saturday was, let's day, lovely and relaxing.

In the book about miscarriage that I am reading, I had read about the Book of Life at the Church of the Holy Innocents so I went and entered Baby E's name and will receive a certificate. I read that on the first Monday of every month, the 12:15 Mass is said in honor of all babies who died before birth. This is extremely comforting to me, knowing that all these people are praying for all the babies, mine included. 

"Hear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry come to you!

Do not hide your face from me

in the day of my distress!

Incline your ear to me;

answer me speedily in the day when I call!

For my days pass away like smoke,

and my bones burn like a furnace.

My heart is struck down like grass, and withered;

I forget to eat my bread.

Because of my loud groaning

my bones cling to my flesh."

--Psalm 102:1-5

Sunday arrived and, per usual, we were running late for Mass in the morning. We met my best friend Jane at her parish in Spokane, and to my wonderful surprise, her mama was there, too! So great to finally meet this sweet woman who raised my best friend. Since it was cold and super windy, Chris dropped off the girls and I off in front of the parish so we could run in, and he parked the car. I didn't miss any of the readings this time, thankfully! Last time, we walked in during the Gospel reading, which was kind of embarrassing, but oh well, I tried! After Mass, we headed to The Ultimate Bagel instead of our usual Starbucks. I had this delicious Eggcellent (Canadian bacon, egg, and Tillamook cheese) on a garlic bagel and I wanted to eat like 5 of them! We chatted and caught up and it was all things lovely and wonderful! I miss her already and can't wait until the next long weekend!

We gassed up and headed north to Chewelah after that to visit his dad and family. (There was a need for caffeine, so we did stop for that!) It was great to catch up with them as well! The girls' Aunt Lysi gave them some toys she had outgrown, one of which was a clock **(more on this later). We headed back toward Spokane and had pizza for dinner then played a board game that the Kinyon boys played when they were kids. It was...interesting. I liked it but it was really hard to understand and I relied on the help of everyone, so eventually I just quit! I'll stick to The Farming Game or even Rail Barron next time.

It's Monday morning, and we have one more full day with the family. I don't know what is planned, but I'm sure it will be relaxing and fun!

**So, about that clock! It's probably a 1' diameter clock with Strawberry Shortcake on it, I think. It is a standard clock with hands and one hand for an alarm. The alarm setting got turned on at some point during the day, and come about 3:45am it goes off! A loud, annoying ringing of the hammer hitting both of the bells! I'm pretty sure both girls stayed asleep somehow, thank God! I'm thinking I'll be keeping the batteries out is this thing for a while...

"You formed my inmost being;

you knit me in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;

wonderful are your works!

My very self you know.

My bones are not hidden from you,

When I was being made in secret,

fashioned in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw me unformed;

in your book all are written down;

my days were shaped,

before one came to be."

--Psalm 139:13-16

Anointing of the Sick and a Trip to the Catholic Bookstore

I got a call from the priest at our parish yesterday so we could reschedule my Anointing. I have had a rare blood disorder called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) since middle of last year. Basically, my blood is mostly normal, except I have extremely low platelets. When I was first hospitalized, I had 9K platelets, with the normal range being 145-400K. I was discharged with 100K and have been hovering between 30-40K ever since. Biweekly blood draws to see where I'm at, and constant prednisone in my body. It's annoying, and can be very dangerous if they get too low (below 30K). Platelets help clot your blood, so you could bleed severely if cut or even bleed internally. I'm thankful that God protected me during the time I didn't know I had this autoimmune disease. I am thankful to him that I am alive!

Today's Mass was the regular 9:00 am Mass with the school children. The girls and I sat in the very back pew and got too many glances our way when one of the girls screeched or started crying. I'm pretty sure all the kids thought that mine were cute, but I still felt a judging eye toward me. It was good to have an adult that I knew nearby, and she reassured me that I was fine and had nothing to worry about. I had been to another Mass with the school children before, but lucked out and got to drop off the girls at the nursery downstairs, with the ladies who watch them during our Walking With Purpose Bible study. Well the girls weren't too bad, and I received the Eucharist and the girls were blessed by Fr. Seamus.

We met Father at the back of the church after Mass was over and I received Anointing of the Sick, the last possible Sacrament I can receive. (I wish I had grown up Catholic so I could have received all of the Sacraments as a Catholic, but I'm thankful that my parents had me baptized as a baby, and that Chris and I wed in a Christian ceremony.) He blessed me with the oil on my forehead and the palms of my hands, prayed over me, my sins were forgiven (now I don't have to go to Confession for a while...KIDDING!) and he blessed the girls again. I left feeling more awake and with a heart on fire for Jesus!

Hannah wanted to go to the Catholic bookstore, Vercillo's, after Mass, and I agreed it was a good idea. I wanted to get some more holy cards, the non-laminated ones, for my Bible, and some more medals to wear, because you can never have too many of either of these things! While browsing, I also found Pope Awesome and Other Stories by Cari Donaldson, with whom I interact on Twitter and Facebook. So in essence, I know the author. Heh! The girls were having a hay day in the children's book section, and Nora kept picking up a book on the Holy Family, so I got that for the girls, too. At checkout, Regina, the employee (whom I saw at Mass just before!) gave me free Holy Face medals for our family, and also Holy cards with the devotion on them. Such a wonderful thing, I hear, and so now I do research! St. Veronica was my Confirmation saint, so this was neat!

Back home, we are, and I can still smell the oil on my forehead! It reminds me of the Rite of Sending Mass and also Confirmation. Must get the toddlers some lunch, so off I go again!