"I bet you want a girl this time"

"I bet you want a girl this time"

Oh my, I can't tell you how many times I have heard this. I'm not complaining, or disagreeing. I would love to have a girl. I just don't know what I would do with her.

I have some pretty strong feelings about women, women's rights and the role of Catholic women in particular. I don't think it would be easy to be my daughter. Its probably not easy to be my son.

It would be nice to have a little pink in our house (or my mom's house). In particular I have some pretty grand ideas for Baptismal Gowns and First Communion dresses. But thats no reason to have a daughter.

More than anything I am just happy to be blessed with another one. Blue or Pink I just pray for another healthy sweet little baby that will fit right in with the other two. I always thought of myself as a boy's mom and so far thats been the case. Next week we will find out if the streek continues.

So go tell John I love my boys and will take however else God will bless us.

Yes, we are having another baby!

You read that right we are having another baby. And to be honest its kind of old news. We are 18 weeks in and I really haven't announced it. I kind of let people find out and only told my family and friends I've seen in the last 12 weeks (ok well I guess telling my family was kind of an announcement).

This week I told everyone at work (or just my department and kind of let my belly tell the rest). My clothes are starting to not fit, but I can still sleep on my belly at night which I have a hard time giving up.

18 weeks, only 22 more to go (or as my track record has shown...only 20 more weeks? we will see).

But lets talk about the last couple of weeks.  As of Wednesday our house is listed! Everyon chipped in to help get the house ready, even Nicholas and Jack.

The boys are pretty well settled here. They love their new school. I went to pick them up on Thursday and Nicholas said "can you run som errands and come get me later?" That never would have happened at the old school.



Its nice to be back to the West Side. Everything is so close. We were able to play with Gracie and Noah on Friday night and yesterday we spent the ENTIRE EVENING at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. I swear our kids were the last little ones there. We had a ton of fun even though I found myself getting "west side" on my kids and yelling at them in public (but they just weren't listening :-))

I went on a "retreat" for work yesterday and heard all about the the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of Charity. It was really inspiring. I like to be humbled and reminded that the acts we do are in the tradition of Christ. I'm so blessed to be in this place at this time. I just pray that God continue to let me know His Will and help me to have the grace an courage to do it.

Go tell John, things are going well!

Todays Gospel - The Last Shall Be First

Matthew 20: 1 - 16
1	"For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2	After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3	And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;
4	and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5	Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
6	And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?'
7	They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.'
8	And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
9	And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
10	Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
11	And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,
12	saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
13	But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14	Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you.
15	Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'
16	So the last will be first, and the first last."

September 11th

This morning I thought that I would reflect on September 11th, 2001 and the last 10 years since that fateful day.

September 11, 2001
This was my first day on my own in college. I had spent the last couple of days moving into my dorm room at Wright State University with my room mate and high school friend  Annie Felix. We were just waking up, watching Regis and Kelly when news broke in that a commercial airliner had crashed into one of the twin towers.

I remember talking with Annie and our Suite mates about how dumb that was, and the pilot must have really been an idiot. We were planning out the rest of our day, eating cereal and sitting on our beds when we both saw the second plane go into the second tower. Our hearts dropped. We both got on the phone with our parents. We jumped in the shower and we made plans to go home.

By the time we were ready to go the pentegon had been hit. We were at Wright State University which sits right next to Wright Patterson Air Force base.  We were terrified. I recruited a couple of other girls I knew from home and before long we were in my Buick racing down 675 towards Cincinnati on the most beautiful day I ever remember.

Lots changed within a day, just 3 months earlier I was sitting in St Peter in Chains Cathedral celebrating my High School graduation. We all became much more aware. I remember crying for all of the people I didn't know. Crying for wives and children, policemen and firefighters and I cried for myself and my family because there was so much I didn't understand.

10 years later I am a completely different person thanI was on September 11, 2001. 

I suffered some of the greatest personal loss I ever endured with the loss of Mr. Ben Price and later the death of my grandma Dorothy Hensler.

I gained great confidence and experience through my involvement with Alpha Xi Delta, American Humanics and volunteering with the American Diabetes Association.

I graduated from Wright State University with a BS in Public Administration and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management.

I bought my first house with my best friend.

I married my best friend.

I had 2 beautiful children with my best friend.

I started Saints Helping Saints with a handful of the most genuine and selfless women I have ever known and I can say I would never have gotten to know.

I am not the same person I was 10 years ago, just as this country isn't the same as it was 10 years ago. We are all more aware. We are all more tolerant. We are all more unified and we are all more proud to be Americans.

So, here I sit 10 years later. Living in my mom's basement with my family of 4 and preparing for the next one. I just started a new job and we are starting a new life in a new place, but it all feels like home.

Go tell John, we are back at home and ready for whatever the next 10 years bring.

Todays Gospel Reading - Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Matthew 18: 21 - 35
21	Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"
22	Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
23	"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24	When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;
25	and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26	So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
27	And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28	But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.'
29	So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
30	He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt.
31	When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
32	Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me;
33	and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
34	And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt.
35	So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."