Normal

{Right Now} It's 8:51 am.  I resisted the tempation to get online first thing in the morning and did some house work (changed a very poopy diaper), made a nice morning meal (breakfast sandwhich) and then I did my prenatal workout.  It's pretty hard core...and I'm only 14 weeks.  I'm just not in very good shape at all because exercising is not at the top of my priority list, like it should be.  I'm working on it though, little by little.  I only did twenty of the forty minute workout, which was the cardio part.  Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll do the floor workout.  Those are my favorite.

{This past weekend} On Saturday, we had a post-moving garage sale.  It was quite a bit success.  We got rid of all our big things, furniture, a mattress, box spring and many other things. 

{Some plans for this week}  We are still getting settled so we are fixing things in the house, arranging furniture and rearranging it again.  Isaiah's been wanting to wash the car, so that's on the to-do list tonight, along with family night at the bowling alley.  We can't wait for the fourth of July this weekend, because the post will have lots of festivities, fireworks, concerts and canons. 
 

{If I can find some time for myself, I want to}  Make a few of these for a new baby.

{image}

{Special prayer intentions}  My sister has breast cancer.  Please pray for healing.

  

{Something that makes me smile}

Isaiah (4.5 yrs), if he finds my camera laying around, will take it and snap some shots.  I just love this expression on Luke's face because this is how he looks at his brother.

Thank you, Nadja, at Patch O'Dirt Farm for hosting Monday Morning Musings.

Summer Breakfast

We drove an hour yesterday to pick up a gallon of raw milk from a local farmer.  (My maternal grandparents were dairy farmers in Switzerland, so I could never believe that milk straight from the cow is bad for you.)  It's a special treat.  We left the farmer's market with a few pounds of grass fed beef, peaches, a melon, yellow tomatoes and some cute little cucumbers I want to pickle.

My husband always has to laugh when I pull out the camera right before I eat my food.  I just love the way the colors look!

Granola (it's store bought...hit me up with some creative recipe links) in real milk with a couple slices of Texas peaches.

The colors of the fruit happen to complement my dress. When I dress up I feel fantastic!  I have a statistics midterm this morning, so I wanted to look and feel my best.

This was my view while looking at my dress this morning.

{Fourteen weeks.}

PS: If you've never had raw milk, you're missing out.  Check here for a dairy cow near you.

Happy Father's Day!

Thank you, Andrew, for being a wonderful father to our children.

Getting Settled

After four months of being without our household goods and living out of a suitcase, we are finally in our house.  It is a two story four bedroom.  We didn't know what we would need once we got down here (and we couldn't really have a sale in the cold of New York in February) so we had the Army move most of our things, but now that we are here, I am ready for a garage sale!  Well, not quite ready yet...I still have a few boxes left to unpack.

Look what I found here?

That is Luke having fun while I'm unpacking the kitchen.

Last night I cleaned out the carport which was packed full of boxes and lots of other random things.  This morning I watered the lawn, which looks like it's been neglected for a while, and the boys played in the sprinkler while I made them breakfast sandwiches and shakes, which they ate outside on their little folding chairs.

I really like our backyard.  It has a big tree and underneath it, lots of rocks, leaves and baby trees.  It looks kind of wild, like a forest, and if you know anything about me, you know that I love that!  On the one side of the tree, I want to make a garden dedicated to the Virgin Mary (without getting rid of too much of the wilderness).  I want to add a bird bath and a bench and some things that will remind me to pray during the day.  On the other side of the tree I want to hang a tire swing for the boys.

The half of the yard that isn't under the tree has nice green grass and a patio.  The backyard is fenced, and beyond the fence, instead of a noisy street, there are more trees, wild grasses, cacti and endless possibilities for adventures!  How fun!!

Our house is in a cove with lots of children who come out right around bedtime.  Two six-year-olds and a two-year-old rang our doorbell just before 8 pm asking for the boys.  It was so cute.  We are thinking of moving the kids' bedtime back so they can be outside when everyone else is.  Hopefully this will also help them sleep past 6:15.

We are actually in a duplex, but you wouldn't know it if it weren't for the fence in the back yard.  The neighbors have a dog the size of a lion, but to my delight, he is tame as a lamb and quiet as a mouse.

That's the end of my little blogging break =)

Now it's back to organizing, unpacking, rearranging and preparing lunch in my new large, (gas range!) kitchen.

=)

Family Devotions - The Rosary

  Alessandro Botticelli. The Virgin and Child with John the Baptist. 

Louvre, Paris, France.

I have been thinking about this for quite some time.  The problem is, we just haven't done it yet.  I've been wanting to pray the Rosary daily as a family since I've been married.  Then we had a baby, went through a deployment, moved a few times.  All these things seemed to get in the way of our spiritual life as a family.  Of course, we've always gone to Mass on Sunday, but I really wanted to do something more.

I'm sure I'm not the only military wife who has struggled with this.  I think it is that much harder for us military moms to stay organized and have routines because we are constantly going through changes.  These last five and half years I've been waiting for the perfect time to start.  I am realizing more and more, with all things, the time is now.  

I recently found some really nice tips from Catholic moms about praying the Rosary with the family, especially with little children.

This idea by Kimberlee is just brilliant!

She crocheted ten red roses for the Hail Marys and one white rose for the Our Father.  She uses two baskets and has the children transfer one rose for each prayer.  It helps her children stay focused and is much easier for little fingers to do than keep track of the tiny beads.

Another idea I liked is from Angèle who posted it to the Faith & Family Community.

To help her concentrate on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary while doing laundry, dishes, etc., she says:

St. Louis de Montfort recommends (if you know you're going to be distracted) that for each Hail Mary you say a word or two after "Jesus" in the Hail Mary to remind yourself which decade you're on ("...fruit of thy womb, Jesus scourged. Holy Mary..." "Jesus crucified," "Jesus presented," "Jesus risen," "Jesus' mother assumed into heaven" etc.).

Here are a few more reasons to pray the Rosary daily along with some quotes, one of which is from Our Lady of Fátima:

"Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world."

We are starting the daily family Rosary this evening. We will pray it after dinner.  The good thing about the Rosary is that we can pray it no matter where we are.  We can pray it while in a car, at a hotel or in a temporary apartment.  I know it will take commitment and perseverence, but I hope that our family can come to love this daily tradition and look forward to it in times when the only thing constant in our day is the praying of the Holy Rosary in the evening.

Crafty Yummy Inspiring Magazine

Why did I name my blog Elisa loves?  I named it that because when I like something, I tell the world about it!  Nobody pays me to do this, I just think that if I love something, someone else might be missing out by not knowing about it!  I used to do the same while eating out with my husband when we were newlyweds.  I'd order something and he'd order something different (he has rules: he never orders the same thing I do).  I usually like my food so much that I say: "Here, this is SOOOO good, try it!"  He'd say:  "No thanks."  I'd scoop some on the fork for him, put it close to his mouth and say: "No, really, you HAVE to try this!"  He'd usually give in (back in the day) but since then I've learned (he's done it to me a few times) that he likes his food and I like mine and I have stopped trying to shove food down his throat.

So that is why I blog about things I love.  I can't help it!

Back to the topic...the great thing I just found.

Well, I already told you about Ginny and how much I like her blog.  Well, she just wrote an article on creating a mud-pie kitchen in this awesome little online magazine I had never heard of until today.  If you're like me, you're going to love it!

This online magazine is called Rhythm of the Home and this button below will take you to it.

You'll see these four categories which are packed full of beautiful photographs, crafty ideas, delicious recipes and loads of other things that will inspire you.

Enjoy!  I'll see you later =)