Pro Life Rally

We had a pro life rally in our city last weekend.  My husband and I had gone 3 years ago but hadn't made it since so we took the kids up in the rain.  It lasts about an hour of prayer and speakers then a march down the street.  It was really hard with the kids, of course, they didn't care about the speakers and Luke was pretty bored.  Oh, and no bathrooms so we had to go across the street to Nordstrom so Luke could pee.  But overall it was amazing.  It is so awesome to hear the speakers talk about abortion. 
I remember one in particular speaker (the only one I really heard) saying that abortion degrades motherhood.  And that in our society motherhood isn't valued as much as it should be.  I very much agree with that.  Sometimes I feel that people see me as just a stay at home mom when really being able to stay at home and take care of my children is such a blessing.  It is so important and I feel so blessed, sometimes people don't see that.
I really could go on and on about how I feel about abortion.  When I was a baby my mother gave me up for adoption because she was a teenager and couldn't care for me the way she knew someone else could.  What a selfless act.  I'm so grateful to her.  I know that a lot of people argue that some people couldn't take care of children, but I feel there is a great need to help these mothers who are lost and feel there is nothing else.  I would much rather have my tax dollars going to women's shelters than to planned parenthood (which thankfully isn't anymore). And women who have gone through this need help and healing, and we need to help them too.

And I know people say that it should be the mother's choice, but what about the baby?  A poor small baby with no choice, left up to her mother to give life and to care.  It makes me so sad. 

Then we were on the way back from the march a man started yelling at me and my husband.  He yelled F you prolifers!!  (really nice in front of small children right?)  So we talked to him for a while.  He was so greatly concerned with abortion, in fact it brought tears to his eyes.  He talked to us about how sometimes the situation is so bad and there is no money to raise a child.  I could see into his eyes that maybe he has been in this situation, I saw his heart in pain.  We talked for a while saying how we need to do more to help people who find themselves in this terrible tragic situation and help them.  He agreed.  He apologized for yelling at us and was very nice saying goodbye.  I prayed for him today but I should keep praying for him.  He seemed so hurt.

We'll probably go next year.  It was so empowering.   

“If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people to not kill each other? Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.”
-Mother Teresa 

 

Food and Me

We have been seriously paleo here for the last 7 months.  Really being pretty strict.  Well, just recently I've tried a few new foods out, and a few old ones and here's what I got...

Problem foods

Peanut Butter  I haven't had peanut  butter in a very long time.  Probably over a year.  I tried it again because my friend, Lisa, accidentally said it was a GAPS acceptable food.  Anyway, she thought it was but it wasn't.  Regardless of whether it is or not, it was fun to test it out.  It was not a good one.  I kinda got diarrhea from it, well not exactly, but every morning I had the urgent feeling to run to the bathroom.  Maybe that's a food for later.

Beer  I love beer.  Especially dark winter beers.  But wow, do they give me a headache.  Now, I'm not drinking like college here, I'm only having one.  But I always wake up with a headache.

Sushi Night  I had rice and probably some gluten in the sushi rolls (some of it was fried).  The next morning major moodiness.  I just have irritability and I'm very impatient, two things that are not great when taking care of small kids.  This also happened with chips and salsa at Chevy's, and probably food was cooked in strange oil.

Potatoes  Lisa also told me that people should wait to have potatoes on GAPS and that starch seems to be a problem for people and may be the cause of my sinus headaches.  So I tested it a little (still need more testing)... I didn't have potatoes for a couple of weeks then we got some from out CSA this week so we had some.  Boom, sinus headache the next morning.

Apple Juice  Ok, I didn't have this one, Luke did.  He never eats any sugar but honey and maple syrup once and a while or some dark chocolate.  We were out at a restaurant and we got him some.  I can finally understand the phrase terrible twos after that.  It's no wonder two year olds have mood swings and temper tantrums- SUGAR!  He won't be getting that again.


New Foods

I've tried a lot of new foods recently because I've been reading about certain foods being high in vitamins.  I can't say that I like them really but maybe my body will start to crave them.

Chicken Liver (cooked and raw)- trying to have once a week
Bone broth (last batch made with chicken feet- try seeing a claw surfacing in your broth GROSS!) - at every meal (I actually like this)
Salmon Eggs- yuck but really high in Vitamin D.  My kids LOVE them.
Oysters- They are ok.  High in Magnesium and many other things.
Raw fish at sushi- Pretty good but need to not eat rice and other things with it.


I'm really proud of myself for trying some of these foods... I'm becoming slowly more adventurous. 




I am tempted to start the GAPS diet, or at least do the intro.  I think that my gut could use some healing and then maybe I won't have the sinus headaches and could eat dairy again.  But I'll need to read (and buy) the book.  Lisa is starting GAPS soon over at Nourishing My Life and I'm really excited to see how it effects her before I try :)
I still have a long ways to go till I find the optimal diet but I'm making headway.

Wordless Wednesday- crawling out of sink

I used to put Luke in the sink all the time while I did dishes. So I started putting my daughter in now too since she's old enough. But she got the 'I can crawl out of the sink' thing a little too fast.
For more check out hobomama.com

Childrens Museum

My husband is busy on a project at work so he's been working more lately.  Yesterday we went to the Children's museum and became members and can go anytime.  It was really fun.  Both kids slept on the way there and even after a short nap Luke (usually has a long nap) played for 3 hours straight!  Taryn enjoyed herself, too.  We had to leave though because Taryn was so tired.  Can't wait to go again.

Science museum

We went to the science museum twice last week. We have a membership there that was a gift and we are due to expire at the end of February, unless we renew (which we might). I have good incentive now as I just found out one of my good friends has a membership too!!
Here are the pictures.

Epiphany of the Lord

While Luke was using the bathroom today, we were reading books as we usually do when he has to make a longer bathroom trip. We were reading a Christmas angels book. I was telling him how the star showed the way to baby Jesus and how the wise men brought Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then Luke says 'yeah, that's what the priest said today.'
Wow, I had no idea he was listening so well.

To lay down your life

I was listening to this homily from the daily Mass on EWTN in the car while running errands today.  I didn't even get to hear the whole thing until I came home and replayed it.

The priest started off talking about love.  Then hate.  And how anger is often the manifestation of hate.  Then he said this quote from Saint JoseMaria Escriva that really hit me.

“Force yourself, if necessary, always to forgive those who offend you, from the very first moment. For the greatest injury or offence that you can suffer from them is as nothing compared with what God has pardoned you”


Wow.  Then he goes on to say that when you get angry, it happens and that situation is gone and most of the pain or suffering is what you inflict on yourself.  But if you just forgive right away, even out of force, you are taking a part of the suffering of Christ. 

And that's when I realized that sometimes I let things fester, sometimes I let them go, but sometimes they fester.  The anger festers.  The anger that leads me to hate and the hate that is the opposite of love.  If God is love, then hate is the Devil.  So I am letting the Devil work in trying to destroy relationships and friendships.  Then I have a choice.  Do I want to let the Devil inch into my life because of my humanness to not be able to forgive right away?  No I don't.  How easy it would be to just love like God and forgive.  What a sacrifice sometimes to just forgive.  It would also be very humbling but very pleasing to God.  Jesus says to love is to lay down your life for your brother.  If I can't humbly forgive then I can't love.

I pondered this all day.  I thought about all the times I've been angry at my husband or my kids.  That is the Devil trying to inch into my life, trying to get me to hate and fester anger.  And just like that I would be down the wrong path.  I want to live in the light of Christ.  I want love to be there instead of anger because love never fails.

Resolutions

I thought New Years resolutions were dumb until I read this post today from Mark's Daily Apple.  It says people who make resolutions are more successful at reaching goals, actually 10 times more.  So, I will write them down again.  And this makes a good place to go back and see.
Here we go, 2012!

• Better budgeting.  This was a goal last year, too.  But this year I want to do it every month instead of off and on.  We really want to do better at keeping track of spending and do a good job on saving (we really want to go to Hawaii before Taryn is two).

•  Improve my health.  I did amazing last year, after I had Taryn, at sticking to a really healthy paleo diet.   I'm figuring out more now what works for my body.  I've noticed that I have issues with dairy.  I noticed that having gluten gives me a terrible sinus headache.  Too much chocolate makes me have eye and muscle twitches.  I want to try and have more bone broth, eat less chocolate (some is ok) and keep avoiding foods that hurt me.  I'd also like to get back to pre-pregnancy weight (and maybe lower), that is less important than being healthy, but something I'd like to do.

• Read the daily Mass readings every morning along with this reflection and listen to my favorite Nun's podcast more regularly. I already do this most days but I want to keep doing it.

• Teach Luke The Angelus prayer.  This prayer is traditionally said at noon.  So I was thinking about setting an alarm on my phone to remind us to do it everyday. 

•   Do some more exercise.  FUN exercise.

That's about it.  Happy New Year!  (and Merry Christmas, too, all the way till the Baptism of the Lord)