World Cup character

The World Cup game this morning between the U.S. and Algeria is why I love soccer so much and why I appreciate sports in general so much. The U.S. should have won their last game against Slovenia 3-2 last week; BUT the referee called a 'mysterious' foul on us and the goal was disallowed. (Since then, that ref has been sent home! No more World Cup for him.)I was very impressed with the U.S. players' and coaches reaction to that injustice. They were classy, respectful and looking forward to their next game instead of publicly grumbling about the bad call.

This morning the U.S. scored in the 91st minute of the game which is technically overtime (they play 90 minutes plus injury time). The U.S. had many many good chances, but they did not give up physically or mentally and they got the job done. The U.S. was incredibly fun to watch as they so clearly wanted the win as they hustled and did everything in their power to put the ball in the net. Our small gang at my Dad's place erupted when we scored; poor Jude, he thought the world was ending. Over the years, soccer has taught me so much about hard work, teamwork, determination, perseverance, cooperation, mental toughness, concentration, patience, and the list goes on and on. These all build a person's character and also apply to most every other area in a person's life.

I have been watching one World Cup game every day. The thought runs through my mind, "What a waste of time!" but then immediately I shrug that thought off as my competitive spirit soaks in the the game, I think about the fact that it is summer time, soccer is the most beloved sport worldwide, this is the best soccer a person can watch and it only happens once every four years! I love it and it is worth it.

Berry Season

I love berry season. I have fond memories of going berry picking with my Mom and various other people growing up. So, needless to say, I am thrilled that our neighbors raspberry bushes fall generously into our yard!

Faustina spent 25 minutes the other day just picking raspberries from this bush and looking at the insects (I even timed it because I was so surprised by her attention span!). I came outside to see what she was thinking about and she kept saying "Wook! Wook, Mama! Bugs!". Can't wait until we can go to the fields and get our fill of strawberries and raspberries....

Our friend Maris Stella

On May 31st, our family had the privilege of visiting our friend Rose Coleman in Searles, MN after she had taken vows to join her convent, The Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus.



We have been very blessed to see Rose walk the road of discernment of God's will the past few years. In the Roman Catholic Church it is the Year of the Priest; we pray for our priests and we pray for more hearts to be open to the vocation of being a priest. As it has become more and more rare to see nuns over the years and then many nuns have gone the route of not wear their habits, it is truly an answer to prayers to see Rose's new convent begin a good work and to see these young women dedicate their lives to God's calling for them.

Rose's new name is Maris Stella which is Latin for 'star of the sea'. This name is so fitting since Rose has traveled all over the world, and much of it was on a boat traveling. The Handmaids have a terrific living space and a nearby farmer gives them free reign of his beautiful farmland to explore. They are doing great work in small towns of giving womens' retreats, working with school kids, and providing any services needed to the community; but most importantly they are praying! They are praying in a dedicated, regular, and concentrated way for grace for us, any people who request prayer, and in a serious way for our world.

We continue to pray for The Handmaids and may the Lord richly bless in them!

The well-educated person

Faustina is still so young, yet it is not too early (I don't think it ever is!)to think about the kids' education. I was chatting with a woman yesterday who adopted twin girls from Romania and she was saying that at the age of 15 her girls are still developmentally delayed because of their first year in an orphanage where they did not receive proper attention.

Mike and I are both very tuned into the education world. It is not that we are especially smart (not at all!!), but I like to think it is that we are very average people with common sense that care about a good, traditional, classical education. We both have our BA's in Classics. We both are or have been teachers, and Mike is an Academic Dean.

My book lists are always long and I always have a new area that I would like to learn more about and dive into. I have been fortunate with a family and parents that instilled a love of learning in me and I also have had a good education. Truly, the most important habit a person ought to practice is the love of learning. While teaching the Republic at Trinity, our friend Scott Pentecost gave me an article about "Immanence and Transcendence". This article was very insightful and layered with complicated knowledge, but a main idea was that our world is always both paradoxically concrete, present, and tangible ('Immanent' from the Latin 'maneo' to stay or remain) and our world is 'beyond us' it is transcendent in the supernatural. The fact that truth does not ever change, but our life circumstances and experiences do leave us with an infinite amount of learning to be done.

Children are always learning, and it is a fascinating journey to guide them and be a part of their learning. Lately, I have been reading more books about education, classical education, curriculum, and different methods of learning. Mike and I do not know what we will decide in a few years to do for a more formal education for Faustina and Jude, but the fact remains that they are learning every day now and it is never too early to begin even a somewhat informal 'formal' education (if that makes sense!).

As I begin to build our 'library' for the kids, I am shocked as I go to 1/2 price books, Barns N Noble, or any bookstore and see how dumb the little kids' books are!! That probably sounds harsh, but....wow. Most the pictures in books just about drive me insane. I have found that I need to have a list of books I want and look for those more traditional books, and often I go to several different places (especially if I am looking for good prices!).

Of course, a good education is worth nothing unless it is oriented toward God, toward truth. It is so amazing in our secular culture how people believe they know so much (often they are very book smart) and how it is so easy to become engrossed in entertainment, money, possessions, and pleasure when really none of that is important in the long run. Life is short and we are always moving toward the end of our life and the afterlife. As morbid as that may sound, it is true and as parents Mike and I want to help our kids to always keep this in mind in their education.

The great St. Paul get together

Where have we been? Well, Jude sleeps in the computer room, so it is becoming more and more difficult to use the computer when I want too! Room rearrangements are soon coming.

Most people have fond memories of the MN State Fair and are thrilled when the end of August comes. Well, I have always looked forward to the first Sunday in June for Grand Old Days! It continues to become bigger every year with people coming from all over, but I can be a bit snobbish and protective when I say it really is a St. Paul gathering. Growing up in St. Paul and living a mile away from Grand, I have fond memories of going since I was young. The most fun thing about it for me is that I knew and would run into so many people there!! People who live and people who grew up in St. Paul often end up sticking around.

This year was a bit different, and perhaps the most fun yet. We did not see many people we knew, but we went very early because of the kids schedules. The Como Zoo has all their ride equipment there and bring some animals and the kids can pet the animals, have pony rides, and use all the rides for free!

The other fun part is simply walking down grand, people watching, and going into different stores that are so familiar. We walked about 3 miles round trip as we went from Cleveland to Lexington and back . Jude and Faustina took especially long naps in the afternoon!

Grandpa and the girls

Grandpa and Audrey stopped over this morning to say hi. Great minds think alike because Faustina, Jude and I were going to do the same thing! Grandpa is the center of attention with this two little girls. And I think they have him wrapped pretty tightly around their fingers. As Grandpa and Audrey were leaving Faustina insisted on getting into the car too and Grandpa caved - he drove both of them away! As they took off, Faustina was waving and said, "Be good, Mama!" Whether she was telling me to be good or trying to say that she would be good herself is left for interpretation.

Faustina's first car

We had a small gathering for Faustina's birthday yesterday. Mike and I got her a power wheels car which is pretty fun if I do say so myself. Everyone had fun with it yesterday in the backyard. I am sure it will get a great deal of use!

Little Miss Independent

Grandma and Grandma called Faustina 'Little Miss Petite' when she was born. Well, now she is Miss Independent. I hear "I'll do it!!" at least 100 times a day. No exaggeration.

She wants to pick out her own clothes to wear, dress herself, when helping her with the potty she will have none of it, when I am changing Jude she tries to push me aside and says "I'll do it!", she refuses any help in understanding how toys work: "I'll do it!", she wants to work in the garden by herself, she 'cleans up' and yells 'I'm doing it!' as she imitates Mike and me.

She is so adamant about being in charge that we are at the point that I can't read a book to her. She'll sit on my lap, we'll start a book and then 2 pages in she'll start yelling, "I'll do it! I'll read the book, Mama." And she turns the pages and talks about the pictures and shuts me down if I read any words.

I'm glad she wants to learn and be independent....we'll just have to channel this energy in the right direction...!

Sleeping through the night!

Jude has now slept through the night 5 nights in a row. 8pm-7amish. It is so wonderful!

The Cornerstone

"Following Christ influences the very core of our personality. When someone is in love, this fact influences his whole view of things and events, however trivial they may appear. He is influenced by it as he walks along the street, when he is at work, in his attitude toward social relationships - and not only when he is in the company of the person he loves. Being a Christian is the most important characteristic of our existence, and it has to have incomparably more influence on our lives than even human love has on the most ardent lovers.
Christ is the center of our lives and our whole being. Cassian comments, "Let us imagine an architect, who wants to construct the vault of a Cathedral apse. He has to trace the whole circumference beginning with a key point - the center. Guiding himself by this infallible norm, he then has to calculate the exact circumference and the design of the whole building...In this way, a single point becomes the fundamental key to an imposing building." In a similar way, God is the point of reference of our thoughts, our words and our deeds. We should want to build our very existence in relation to him."

- Monday's reflection from In Conversation with God

Encouraging article on our food industry

This article from The Atlantic was a pleasant surprise for me to read. It is about how Walmart of all places is starting to compete with high end grocery stores like Whole Foods. Walmart is working with small local farm within 50-100 miles of their store and making organic produce affordable. It, actually, is quite shocking and very uplifting when it is easy to despair about the dire state our food industry is in.

Last summer I went to the movie "Food Inc" with my Mom and Dad at the Lagoon Theater. I could not bring myself to eat store bought meat for several months; even when I would be at restraunts or friends' houses I would think about the meat after seeing that movie. I am grateful that twice a year our family buys a cow from a local farm and splits it up 4 ways. The cows are grass fed, the prices are very reasonable, and the meat is delicious. I don't have to worry about ingesting an animal that was wading around in its own manure on the farm (yuck!).

Teeta is two!!

Faustina is two years old today!! Wow. It is hard to believe. It seems like yesterday that it was May 19th when I was in labor for 24 hours and spent the day with my Mom walking around the neighborhood in excited anticipation - and pain! :)

We are so proud of our little girl. She is growing up into quite the young lady. She has a passionate heart, a will of steel (!), an intense desire to learn, crystal clear articulation as she is saying EVERYTHING now, she has a sense of humor, likes to have fun, and she loves her brother.

We are so excited for this next year to see her person develop. Happy birthday, Faustina!

The graduate

Another chapter is done in the Adkins' lives. Mike is officially finished with his MA in Catholic Studies at St. Thomas University! Hooray!

We are so thankful that Mike was able to spend these last three years immersed in this program. He met many new people, wonderful professors, he made several new lasting relationships, and of course he learned SO much. For me, it is bittersweet for him to be done. I loved when Mike would come home from classes and we would sit sometimes for another couple hours while Mike reiterated his class to me and we would discuss the material. I was lucky to learn so much through his program! I also associate his masters program with the time that we were married, we both worked at Trinity, and both Faustina and Jude were born! We are now into a new stage with Mike at a new job, me staying home with the kids, and the kids getting older.

Last night Mike presented his thesis to a group of professors, students, family and friends. It went well; the work of finishing off his thesis was Mike's biggest challenge since he has been so busy with family and work. Perhaps, Mike would have liked to have spent a bit more time on this project, but everything went fine and he is done. Last night I was so proud of seeing him explaining his thesis and finishing the last leg of his journey. Good work my dear husband!

Two in one

This won't last too long! But at this point they love sharing the sink for a bath as well as the single stroller.

One more surgery

We had Jude's 5 month check up on Monday to see how his kidneys are functioning. There was good news and bad news. The good news is his kidneys are doing fine and there is very little reflux (when urine kicks back up into his system). The bad news is that Jude needs to have the same surgery he had 5 months ago. The doctor punctured a hole in a flab of skin that was not allowing urine to flow out; this hole, unfortunately, healed up. It is a fairly minor surgery, but it is, nevertheless, a bummer that Jude has to go through it again. The surgery is scheduled for July 21st. Hopefully, this takes care of the problem; if this one does not take, we'll have to do a much more invasive surgery involved removing a good portion of his upper left kidney. St. Jude, pray for us.

Teeta's velveteen rabbit

I had to see it to believe it. But this is for real. Faustina's love for Teddy is beyond anything I have witnessed in a young child. I know kids become attached to stuffed animals and blankets. They are a source of comfort, security, and often need to these objects in order to fall asleep. But Teddy is not just a source of comfort or security - he is real!


Teddy is part of the family - if anything ever happened to teddy we all would be devestated.

The love affair began when Faustina was about 3 months old. It was the first time I remember hearing her laugh. She was on the changing table in her room while Mike and I held Teddy in the air and slowing zoomed him in on her as she giggled uncontrollably. For about the last 10 months, every half an hour Faustina checks in with Teddy to take care of him and make sure he is doing okay (I am not exaggerating!).

Faustina sleeps with Teddy, nurses him, takes him for walks (a few days ago we went for about a 1.2 mile walk in which Faustina walked the whole entire way with Teddy in her shopping cart- I clocked the mileage on the car),changes his diaper, she asks him how his day was, how he is doing and what is wrong, feeds him, carries him on her shoulders, he goes shopping with us, he goes on every car ride with us, to church, to the park - EVERYWHERE. Last night, Dad and Faustina sat in front of the washer for THIRTY minutes while Teddy got a 'bath' in the washing machine.

This is the real deal. Faustina is a loyal one.

"Amen!"

We were saying grace before dinner yesterday, ending with the usual sign of the cross "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Faustina was making her usual cute attempt at making the sign of the cross, and then she said, "Body of Christ, Amen!"

No, we did not teach her that! She has only heard that at Mass when we go up for the Eucharist. It's amazing what kids pick up and remember through association.

Something to keep in mind....

This is a good quote to keep in mind while raising children, but also to keep in mind about one's own childhood. This is from "The Brothers Karamazov". Alyosha, the youngest Karamazov brother, gives this speech at a young boy's funeral. He is specifically addressing a group of the boy's peers who had taunted the little boy at times.

"You must know that there is nothing higher, or stronger, or sounder, or more useful afterwards in life, than some good memory, especially a memory from childhood, from the parental home. You hear a lot said about your education, yet some such beautiful, sacred memory, preserved from childhood, is perhaps the best education. If a man stores up such memories to take into life, then he is saved for his whole life. And even if only one good memory remains with us in our hearts, that alone may serve one day for our salvation...and keep us from great evil."

Mother - daughter moment

I've probably mentioned it before, but I've always considered myself a bit of a tomboy. My poor Mother when I was growing up - I never liked to wear dresses, I wanted to play sports and be outside, etc, and the list goes on.

When Faustina was born, I was actually a bit worried, "What will I do with a girl??!". I always relied on my girlfriends to help me any 'girly' stuff. I never had any sisters; and, actually, my Mom was quite 'natural' as she never work make-up or much jewelry.

Well, I was caught by surprise on Friday when Faustina came up to me and said, "Do my hair, mama."(she had seen me blow drying mine). I was almost shocked to feel the emotion of excitement at the thought of dolling my little girl up. It was one of those parent moments when your heart swells up with pride and love for your little one.

We sat down on the bed and looked into the mirror. And she actually sat still and watched intently. I was instantly brought back to my own childhood when my Mom would put french braids in my hair while I sat at my little 'beauty dresser' in my room. Unfailingly, every time she would recite
the poem:

"There once was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid!"

And I really believe she meant this poem when she said it! :)

I love having a girl as our oldest child - God certainly knew what he was doing when he gave us Faustina.

Stretching

Faustina is into taking her clothes off, trying to put them back on (the shirt around her waist), putting shoes on (her black dress shoes) and imitating people.

Faustina is stretching along side Mike as he gets ready for his soccer game. The other day Grandpa commented that he wouldn't be surprised if Faustina had some athleticism in her. I would not be surprised at all either after we spent a few hours at Fort Snelling State Park last night and she ran 2.5 of the 3 miles we walked on the paths. I couldn't believe it! She just kept running, and running, and running....