Aebleskivers!

Mike has been the master chef in our house lately. I could get used to this! :)

The last five or six years (?) we have been going to our Danish friends' breakfast that is served every so often in Minneapolis. They make delicious aebleskivers (basically pancake balls) sausage, coffee and juice. For Christmas this year, Mike got me a aebleskiver skillet so we can make our own at home! Mike made them plain this time, but apparently they can be filled with jam, chocolate, or other fillings. I will certainly have to try that at some point! I enjoyed mine this morning with some rosemary rhubarb jam that a friend gave us. Delicious.

In loving memory

Yesterday would have been my Mom's 66th birthday. Family gathered at the cemetery to honor her, remember her, and read a few scripture passages and readings. A family friend is buried right next to Mom and there also happens to be a little tree next to both of them. The Krause family decorated the tree as a Christmas tree and put family pictures on it. What a great idea! That was extra special. Afterward, we all went to breakfast as we have done the past few years.

I think it is no coincidence (although I don't believe anyone realized it at the time of picking Mom's card) that the picture on Mom's holy card is an image of the Holy Family and her birthday happens to be the Feast of the Holy Family in the Catholic Church. I don't recall making this connection the past few years, but somehow it makes sense.

One of my brothers read 1 Cor. 13:1-7 - this is one of the more well known passages saying "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." And he went on to explain how Mom showed this love to us all.

I read a reading about the Holy Family. One paragraph that especially reminds me of Mom is the following, "The family is the fundamental project and pursuit of the human person. It is the place in which human life begins, is nurtured, and is cherished. In the family, the human person learns to love by being loved, and learns that each person has an incalculable dignity that must be respected and affirmed in small or great ways each day."

We sure miss Mom, but we are thankful that we can do our best to live out the Christian life she taught us.

A new sibling

Mom and Baby Benedict came home Christmas Day evening and it is good to be home! Things are well and Faustina and Jude are adjusting to having Benedict around the house. Faustina is wonderful with him and loves her new brother while Jude is a bit unsure at times, but seems willing to like him. He will hold Benedict and then say, "I'm done with this!" Benedict is a very good eater; since we have been home he has already gained 9oz and is up to 8lbs 15oz!

Welcome, Benedict Joseph!

Merry Christmas!
Benedict Joseph was born at 1:17 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
Specs: 8 lbs. 9 oz. / 21 in. long / 13 in. head circumference
Both mom and baby are well and we hope they'll be home this evening.
Jude and Faustina anxiously await their arrival! Deo gratias!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Blessings to you and yours on this Christmas day!

Waiting and creating

Still waiting on this babe to come. I'm doing okay, tons of contractions, but hanging in there.

Meanwhile, I was able to finish this little sweater. There are so many projects I find I want to do, (I find a downfall for me is that I spend more time looking online or at quilting & knitting blogs than working on stuff myself), but it is good to complete at least one!

In the Spirit of the Season

As I placed part of Jude's lunch before him, without any prompting, he was ready to bless the food. Can't find much cuter of a picture than this.

A little tease

Well, this baby number three of ours is certainly keeping us (me especially!) on our toes. S/he already is playing psychological games with me. I was sure this little one was going to have a grand debut last Friday night. I had about 3 hours of serious contractions, my bags packed for the hospital. And then - everything stopped.

Now, yes, the 'official' due date is the 25th of this month. Still a few weeks away, right? Yes, well, since both Faustina and Jude were early, I have been ready for this one to follow that same pattern. Faustina was 11 days early and Jude 13 days early which would be either tomorrow or yesterday if this baby would follow suit. I have been laying pretty low around the house with the constant (good) feeling of anticipation. Meanwhile, the baby does not stop kicking, moving around, poking or punching me. This one is by far the most active in utero.

This baby is the family tie breaker - will the males or females be in majority? Although we have thought it likely for this baby to be a little guy, I really am curious to know whether this one is a boy or girl. Either way, we don't have a name, so that will end up being another surprise for us.

Although I continue to have many contractions, who knows the timing of this one. Maybe if I just keep eating a ton of food like I have been, there will literally be no room left in there and s/he will just have to pop out.....?! 'Tis the season for excitement!

Faustina Elaine 5lbs 5 oz

Jude Michael 7lbs 3oz

A healthy detachment

This Advent season the Christian message "Being in this world, but not of this world" has been on my heart. I have heard it during Mass, read it myself many a time in Scripture, meditated on it, read commentary on it, etc. After all, it is a fairly basic message. For me, I have always understood it in light of things of this world - being careful to not be too materialistic, too attached to wealth, money, reputation, or ideas.

John 17, John 15:19, Romans 12 are a few Scripture passages that talk about this. John 17, particularly strikes me this Advent season as Jesus discusses PEOPLE being in this world, leaving this world, or being 'of' this world. Here, Jesus is not talking about THINGS he, he is talking about PEOPLE. Jesus talks about how he will not always be present on earth with his disciples, but he prays for them.

During the Christmas Season, we celebrate God's incarnation in this world as a baby. Why does God come as a human? He comes to save us - to give us eternal life! To show us the way. How amazing is that?

This Advent season as I (or Mike and I) go through different fun and trying stages with our two little children and excitedly await our third - I find it important to remember that these little people are gift to us and we have the responsibility to train them and teach them. I cannot control them, my happiness cannot depend on them, they will fall at times and I will not be able to help them and that is okay. In other words, I cannot be too emotionally attached to them. As the Christmas Season is so much about family and friends, I need to remember to have a healthy detachment from adult relationships as well.

Sunday night at a book club discussion on Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, this idea again came to light for me as we discussed Lady Marchmain's character. As the woman of the household and the mother figure, she can at times give the perception of being cold or too detached from her family. Although there are good arguments pointing out her faults, I think she has something right. She pursues God before people and relationships and spends much time with the sacraments. Given human emotions, it could be easy for me at times to pursue people before truth.

But what does that look like to love someone unconditionally and with your whole heart, but give a person freedom to make his or her own choices? How was Mary able to bear watching her son being crucified on the cross? How was Abraham able to even be willing to kill his only son Isaac?

Well, I think that is the paradox. And therein lies the desperate need for constant prayer, I guess.

For me, I consider myself very lucky that I believe I have a model which I can think of in regard to these ideas which makes sense to me. When I was 15 years old, my own mother was very concerned about me. Years later she had a conversation with me and told me why she was concerned about me at the age of 15, but that the Lord made clear to her that she needed to 'let me go'. She described how and why that was hard for her, but that she was able to do it. And on my part, I distinctly remember that my relationship with her improved when I was 15 years old and on. She gave me a freedom yet at the same time a motherly love that spoke truth.

What exactly did this 'detached' motherly love look like? Well, it is hard for me to clearly articulate, but with my Mom I always had the feeling of unconditional love, I respected her, she did not push ideas or opinions on me ever, she mainly listened, she told me she prayed for me, she had a gentleness about her, she accepted my downfalls, and she was always just 'there' for me.

As I think of Christ coming to the stable manger December 25th, I think of his godly love for us humans. We only had Christ here on earth with us for 33 years! But, thankfully, we do have the opportunity to spend eternity with him, which is his ultimate desire for us.

Faustina's first drawings

These are a three year old's attempts at drawing a person. I believe these are Faustina's first drawings that were more than random scribbling.

She wants what she wants... and she wants it NOW!

Faustina: "Dad can we go to the mall?"

Dad: "Sorry, not right now."

Faustina: "Why? I want to."

Dad: "Well, because it is night time and all the stores are closed."

Faustina: "No. [In dictator voice.] I don't want it to be night time."

Dad: "Sorry. Look outside, it's dark. That's just the way it is. People go to bed at night and stores close when it's dark. So, we can't go to the mall."

[A minute passes.]

Faustina: "Dad, can you get a big ladder and climb up it to the sky and heaven, and then make it summer time and day outside?"

Keeping this in mind today

“What must you do to have life? Before all else, the first thing you have to do is pray for courage every day to carry the cross the Lord has assigned you. Then let each of you do your own work really well, the work proper to your state, as God wants it, and according to your condition.”
~ Blessed Philip Rinaldi