MPM: Week of 3/2

Not only is it the very first (full) week of March, it's also the start of Lent on this week, beginning with Ash Wednesday. As a convert to the Catholic faith, growing up I had never even HEARD of Lent! Even though I was raised in a Christian home - but wasn't baptized and only went to church sporadically - we never really talked about much outside of Christmas Day and Easter Sunday for "holidays" or special occasions. Over the last several years, since joining the Church, I have tried to embrace the sacrificial and penitential nature of Lent, usually failing miserably. Still learning, and trying is a step in the "right" direction, I suppose.

How does this pertain to our menu plan this week, you ask? Practicing Catholics over the age of 14 are to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent, up to and including Good Friday, as well as those between 18 and 59 are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The boys and I will sit down tonight to discuss their Lenten sacrifices and anything extra they would like to do (extra prayers, an extra weekly Mass, donating their allowance/toys/etc, volunteering, whatever else may pop in our heads), but I have already given some consideration for myself. I plan to, for the most part, Monday through Saturday, for the entirety of Lent, abstain from eating meat. It won't be easy for 2 big reason: 1.) I enjoy eating meat, whether it be a nice juicy hamburger or a piece of chicken or even kielbasa. 2.) Jason is definitely a carnivore, and while he will "give up" meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays for the next 40 days, I don't believe that he would ever willingly go an entire 40 day period without it! Now Sundays are not included in the 40 days of Lent, and so we will be open to a less restricted meal plan. (Lucky for me, my birthday falls on a Sunday, so I won't feel as though I'm "cheating" by not sticking to this on that day :) )

If one of the following meals calls for meat or the main entree is meat, after Wednesday, I will be just eating the other parts of the meal. I'm not sharing this to pretend to be "holier than thou" but as a way for me to be accountable to myself.

Last Thursday, the boys and I stopped and grabbed some frozen pizzas for dinner, and then Friday night, we opted for Chinese takeout. So much for sticking to the plan last week. We did have cheeseburgers on Saturday and the meat/chicken veggie dish - cooked in the oven in a baking dish rather than foil packets - on last night. That left us with one other true "hold-over" meal, which works out fine. See Friday below. It will be getting made this week, as the boys don't have school and I won't want to leave the house and go anywhere! HA!

Without further ado, here is our menu plan starting today:

• Monday: Leftovers
• Tuesday: Taco macaroni and cheese (made with homemade creamy mac and cheese - see last week's menu for link to recipe - ground beef and taco seasoning to taste)
• Wednesday: Individual cheese pizza - the boys have play rehearsal until 6:30 and Jason has class at 6pm so it's going to be a made-to-order-when-you-are-ready kind of night. Jack and I will probably eat with Jas before picking up E and Alex. They'll eat once they get home.
• Thursday: Spaghetti (with ground beef for Jason and if the boys want some)
• Friday: Tuna noodle casserole
• Saturday: Zucchini and potato pancakes (with sausage for the boys)

Check out more menu plans here: Menu Plan Monday

Habemus Papam ~ We have a Pope!

Pope Francis.

If you haven't been watching the news, then you may have missed this whole process. As a Catholic, I have been trying to keep up with all of this. Pope Benedict XVI was elected Pope just a year before I went through RCIA, almost to the day - and a month and a half before Alex was born. Here we are almost 8 years later, and we have a new Pope.

Some thoughts. I find it very interesting that this is all happening about a month before that child I was pregnant with last time this happened receives his First Communion. I also find if fascinating that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose the name Francis. I think it is pretty neat that he chose Francis because it is also Alex's middle name!

Anyway, I look forward to learning more about our Pope and also to see how he leads the Church. It will be very interesting indeed.

I do know he is a Jesuit, and is from Argentina, both of which are a first for a Pope, I believe.

I think the next few weeks will be telling in how people react to his election and any "backlash". I am definitely curious. :)

Lenten Photo Challenge: Take 3

Day 15: Word

Today, I chose to take a picture of the Little Black Book. Today's photo was "word". How fitting to share God's Word.

"And behold, two men were conversing with Jesus, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem." Lk 9:30-31

Day 16: To be still

My caption for this photo was that it may have been the first time Jack had been still all day long. He's getting so big and is checking everything out. He really is a boundless ball of energy some days ;)

Day 17: Joy

Paying off this furniture store credit card bill was definitely a joyful experience. We used most of our federal income tax return to take care of this bill. Saving ourselves all the back interest (about $1000!) was a really big deal. We had to pay Michigan state taxes this year, so between the two our return is gone already! :( At least it went to something important.

Day 18: Kindness

Alex wasn't feeling well and was cold so Ethan decided to give him a blanket to cover up. :)

Day 19: Joy

Jackson has discovered cupboard doors, and will stand there all day opening and closing them, all the while looking up at you to see if you notice and then just giggle and smile away! Oh the joy of being one and discovering things the first time.

Day 20: Flexibility

We were going to have tacos or something else for dinner but I really didn't feel like cooking. Plus Tuesday is trash day, so we try to have leftovers Monday night. Leftover night is all about flexibility. You have a few choices and when it's gone, it's gone!

Day 21: Time

After Cub Scouts, I was not feeling so hot. I took this picture right before I headed to bed for the night. It was a very early night for this sick mama. Of course, I didn't sleep good at all and am going to bed early tonight also. I'm glad I took time to take Alex to Cub Scouts last night though. He had fun and I got to see how it goes firsthand.

Lenten Photo Challenge, week 2

Sharing my photos again from the Lenten photo challenge on Instagram.

Day 8: Gift

Gift: E's teacher (as well as Alex's teacher) has truly been a gift to our son, and our family. I'm grateful everyday for them both and the school as a whole!

Day 9: Family

Family: This only part of my family. Our nieces and nephews and our sons from my side of our family. Not everyone is here. 3 of our nephews are not in the picture. We also have a beautiful niece on my husband's side of our family. I'm thankful for all these special kids!

Day 10: Something I carry

I don't do it as often anymore in a baby carrier or wrap but he's still in my arms plenty. This is an older picture of me wearing Jack in the Moby Wrap.

Day 11: Witnessing

Ethan and Alex are always playing with and helping to take care of Jack. They truly love him and he loves them too. It's hard to snap a picture with both of these boys not in motion, LOL. Alex is always on the move and Jack is definitely following in his footsteps! I was "witnessing" brotherly love in this picture. :)

Day 12: Charity

This one took me a while, but I found this carton in the boys' room for Habitat for Humanity. They are supposed to collect money to donate.

Day 13: Humanity; Day 14: Alive

The next two days I put two photos together. One I've had for over a year, the ultrasound picture. It's the very first picture I have of Jackson. The other is from just a few days ago. Just as I wrote on Instagram, this IS humanity, and he truly was no less alive the day of that ultrasound than he is today. I really believe that. A baby is a baby, no matter how "big" or how many cells they have. Conception is the beginning of life. What you do with that truth, I suppose, is up to you. But it is the truth.

Lenten photo challenge

You may remember that I'm participating in a Lenten photo challenge. I figured I would share here for my less computer-savvy readers that may not get to enjoy my pictures on instagram, facebook or twitter but will come read the blog. (Hey, Mom!!) I will try to remember to share my pictures and thoughts once a week on here. Not only is it nice to share, but it really got me contemplating more too.

Day 1: Cross

This first picture is of a Crucifix I bought
when we lived in Ohio. A family was visiting
that was selling these beautiful hand-made
items and I fell in love with this. It's made
from olive wood. I chose this for the first day
as it's actually only on of two crosses we have
in our home. The other is a small pewter cross
that E received as a gift in celebration of his
First Communion 2 years ago. I'm sure we
have many small crosses somewhere, on the
many Rosaries we have but those are the only
"separate" crosses/crucifixes that we have.
Now that I'm thinking about it, it makes me
somewhat sad. On either side sit Angels, both bells, both gifts. They remind me of my Guardian Angel who is with Jesus!

Day 2: To Pray With

The second day we were to take a picture of something we can pray with. While I don't use it often enough, and I don't pray the Rosary nearly enough, I do carry this is my purse, along with a second one. This was a gift, and as horrible as this will sound, for the life of me, I can't recall from whom I received it! :( It is beautiful though and smells faintly of roses. The Rosary is a beautiful prayer, not to Mary but about Jesus, to Jesus, through Mary. The scriptural Rosary is a very powerful prayer, that helps you contemplate her life, Jesus' life and death, and brings you closer to God. I'm not sure why I don't pray it more, other than the fact that I just don't find time in my day to do it.

Day 3: Peace

Peace. What brings peace more than sleep? Ah, the sight of a sleeping baby. ;) This picture makes me smile, mainly because for a long time (and I very much treasure those moments!) Jackson wouldn't sleep anywhere but on my chest. Lately he's been sleeping in the crib at naptime most days, and at night for the first several hours and then co-sleeping in our bed after he wakes for that first night-time feed. Yes, he's still nursing during the night, at 13 1/2 months old. LOL. In fact, as I write this, he's napping very peacefully in our room and I am taking full advantage ;)

Day 4: Love

Love is many-splendored thing. Or something like that. It is unconditional in it's true form. This picture is of an image on a decorative plate that I found at a thrift store a few years ago. It has the Last Supper image in the center, and several images around the outer edge. It hangs in our dining room currently. This particular image, as I shared on instagram, reminds me of a mother's love for her child, the love Mary had for Jesus and the perfect Love God has for us. It is also a reminder of the love our children have for us. Jesus loves us even when we screw up, even when we sin. He knows we are not perfect, that we are "only human", after all God the Father made us this way, in His image, but not perfect or all-knowing. Yet He forgives us and loves us and encourages us to do better and "sin no more" even though tomorrow we will, and can only hope to try to do better.

Day 5: Light

I was trying to get a picture of the sanctuary lamp but as I was trying to take it, I decided it was easier to get the Tabernacle as well. It's truly fitting though, because He is in there, in the form of the Eucharist and He is the the Light of the World. The picture is blurry because I was holding a very squirmy 1 year old after Mass! Still, I think it conveys the message.

Day 6: Happiness

Happiness is bath time... (with daddy!) I only add the "with daddy" part because a.) I always just take over with the baby duties, i.e. feeding, bathing, etc, so it's a rare thing daddy gets the opportunity to do this, and last night, he just took over. LOL. He didn't even give me the chance to do it. b.) It was truly a happy moment for Jack, as he thought it was so neat that daddy was giving him a bath and was playing and giving him a mohawk with the shampoo. I love seeing my boys spending time with their dad. It really makes my day :)

Day 7: Fruit

Fruit given to us from the Earth, by God. A small harvest, truly: bananas, red grapes, strawberries, avocados, blueberries, pears, clementines, apple slices, and a mango! It's a true blessing. But what other "fruit" are we given? We will be known the fruits of our labor, our good works. This got me thinking. What fruit do I bear? Good will towards others? Surely not enough. Kindness? Nope. I argue with Jason and yell at the boys. Almsgiving? Not really, since it seems we never have anything to give. Service? The only place I volunteer is at school once in a while. Praying for others? On occasion, if I really remember to, though people I care about are always on my mind and I guess I do say a quick little prayer for them if something is going on. I'm truly grateful for all the "fruits" we have been given, the blessing from God - good, healthy food; Jason's job and paychecks; two vehicles that are safe and reliable; 3 amazing sons; all the extras that make life a little more fun; my sons' school and teachers; friends and family. But how do I give back, spread the blessings, bless others, share God's love? What can I start to do? What can I change? Food for thought...