My Soapbox :-)

Many of you know that I have now "crossed over" to becoming a Catholic. :-) Well, I affectionally call myself a Batholic (Baptist-Catholic) as there are just somethings that a Southern Baptist girl can't give up--like wanting to just sing to the rafters or praying "outside the box" or just every now and then, wanting to just say, "AMEN!" Sweet, conservative Jack has tolerated me well over 16 years! But I have had more fun in the last year becoming a true part of a church again. If you "knew me when" I was a child/teenager, you know how HUGE a part of my life my church was. I didn't know how much I missed it until I had it back!

There are many things that I have come to just truely adore in my Batholic faith. The fact that so many of our traditions and ways of doing things are really Jewish is amazing (and something that I really feel I'll spend some study time on in the future). The fact that I literally get to come before the altar every week on my knees is at once humbling and freeing. To hear a congregation praying the same Lord's Prayer outloud everyweek is awesome, especially if I take the time to really listen and pray it, not just say it!

But there is one area that I think that the Catholic church is just now coming to the game on, and that's the personal study side of faith. I am all for men being the head of their families and churches, believing that God puts people in authority over us all the time. But as women, I think we're the soul of our families...the neck, to put it in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" terms. And I think it's time that Catholic women started getting a little personal with their God.

One of my Bible study group leaders/friend/mentor sent me this website (http://www.breakpoint.org/) from a Catholic man who became an Evangelical. His whole point of breakpoint.org is to begin to take away the disunity of the faiths, celebrating what we DO share in common! I've said for over a year now that if you talk, really talk, to people in leadership roles in the churches, we are not all that different from each other. The below is from an article about women needing to become a bit more familiar with theology. I send it to you to be able to confirm in yourself or in a woman in your life that her studying God's Word is not only GOOD but VITAL! And that's my soap box for the year :-)

James writes:
Knowing God is a woman’s highest calling and her most pressing need. What we know of Him, whether it is a little or a lot, is all we have to hang on to when the storm hits and we are being pulled into the downward spiral of worthlessness, despair, and defeat. It is also what energizes and guides us as we tackle the task before us—as mothers, daughters, wives, and friends.
It is what upholds a woman when a marriage engagement comes crashing down around her. It is what teaches her humility when she receives an unexpected promotion. It is what sustains her when she receives a grim medical diagnosis. It is what points her to gratitude when she watches her child succeed. It is what meets her in her deepest ache and her greatest hour. And it is what tells her who she is, in Him.
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1 Peter 2:9
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Isaiah 43:1
But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Spring Break in Mississippi!

We had such a good trip home to Mississippi over Spring Break! It was just what our cold bodies needed. We were able to spend Easter with my family for the first time since Jack and I got married, I do believe. It was such a warm feeling to be back in my home church, in our home pew, with all my home people around me. Ain't nuthin' like it. I don't have pictures of all of us in front of the beautiful cross filled with flowers as my camera decided it didn't have enough juice! But trust me, it is a great picture!

We spent the rest of the week just having fun. Uncle Lee got a turkey, so we have our first Indian Princess headdress for Ellen Claire as Princess Mini-haha (spelling suspect!), as you can see above. She also would wait for Pop Pop to get home and say,"Would you like to push me on the swings?" or "Pop-Pop, should you push me on the swings?" How could he say no to that?!?!? He also helped Turner and ECP start some seeds that will be in full growth when we return in June. They let Pop-Pop do all the work and then had the fun of spreading the seeds!

Speaking of doing all the work, Meg and Will spent some good time in the yard picking up pinecones for pay :-) Daddy convinced them last year to pick them all up before he mowed the yard. So this time they came to him first! They didn't negotiate a fee (perhaps a poor idea considering they were dealing with a lawyer) up front but assumed he would pay last year's rate. He did, but this time "charged" a bucket fee, a working tax, you get the picture! A lesson in big government as well, I do believe :-)

Meg's favorite activity of the week was learning to drive the golf cart. It's all about the driving these days. She just took and passed her permit test, so in one month she can be behind the wheel practicing. I'm letting Pop-Pop and Jack handle this one. You can hear Will squeel when Meg takes off in the golf video below. The other video is of Ellen Claire and Turner sitting in the "summer"! Poor ECP, that's the only time she gets sun!

It was so very hard to leave. I keep begging (and that is not far from the truth) Jack to let me go back home for good! At least get me closer than a 13 hour drive or a $1000 plane trip. If we've learned anything from being in IL these past 3 years it's that family--ALL of it--is so important. We're tired of our visit being a big deal, something special and rare. We're ready for Nana and Pop-Pop to tell us that they're sick of having us around and to go to our own house! Maybe one day.

Aquarium Trip

It was the first decent day we've had in an eternity! Veronica and I have been trying to get the girls to the Shedd Aquarium since January. Every time we would schedule it, Chicago would be hit with ice/snow/do not get on the roads weather. But it came down to one week before their move, so it was now or never!

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. We went on a school day so the aquarium was relatively empty! The girls were able to walk around without our wishing we had a leash (and for those of you who have heard of ECPs escapades, you know what I mean!) and able to spend as long as they wanted at each exhibit. We saw divers feeding the reef fish and a great dolphin show. Ellen Claire was our tour guide as she loved the map (we still have it). And since we didn't have the big kids speeding off to the next exhibit, we were able to do whatever the girls wanted! The dolphins and penguins were the favorites.

Afterwards, the weather was so nice that we spent time strolling around the Museum Campus and Soldier Field. The picture above was taken from the aquarium plaza. I can't wait to get one with everything in bloom!

We Miss Victoria!!! (and Oscar, Veronica, Christian, too!)

What's a girl to do when her bestest friend in the whole world moves, and you don't even realize that's what is happening? Well, you have a mom who just cries for you, that's what! Our dear friends the Fondeurs moved back home to Boca Raton this past month. Y'all have seen pictures of all of our kids together for the past year. We consider ourselves VERY lucky and blessed to have these friends that we lived near in Georgia up here in Chicago with us again. We just now miss them so much! Ellen Claire asks every night if Victoria can come play tomorrow. Then she gets very mad at Victoria for NOT coming :-) and creates major "fights" that they've had. Last night at dinner ECP came up with her Best Part/Worst Part with Victoria at the center of both!

So, Fondeurs, we miss you! See you this summer!!