Carowinds

We live less than 10 minutes away from Carowinds amusement park and pass it almost every day driving to and from the highway. I have been a long-time lover of roller coasters and other wild rides, and it seems Teresa is equally attracted to them (even though she won't be able to ride the big rides for several more years). David is eager to get Teresa comfortable in the water so she can pick up swimming skills. All of these factors contributed to our decision to purchase season passes to Carowinds again (only David and I need them, as Teresa is still able to get in free).

David has made great use of his pass already this spring and summer, taking Teresa to ride the kiddie rides or play in the water at least 4 times. She can't stop talking about her visits to the park or how much she wants to go again; it's often the first thing she tells strangers who make the effort to chat with her. "I go Carowinds!" she smiles. "I ride in boat!" (They have a boat ride for the little ones.)


We decided at the last minute (as usual) on Monday morning to go to Carowinds as a family for the first time since Cyprian's birth. I worried about all sorts of things that could go wrong (mostly about the baby being too hot) but tried to remain positive. In the end, we all had a great time. We set up in the shade, where Cyprian slept for most of the visit. David and I took turns being with Teresa in the water at Kookaburra Bay, and he took her for a ride down the lazy river. I sat with Cyprian and soaked up all his smiles (unfortunately, none made it onto the camera). I even nursed him without trouble while wearing my swimsuit. When Teresa took a snack break, David and I took turns going down one of the water slides. And on our way out of the park David insisted I do one ride. So I gave the Intimidator another try and found it thrilling. Nothing matches that experience of weightlessness!

Bike riding with Mama

David and I found this bicycle with a child seat attached at a yard sale for $10. It's obvious that the seat is old, but everything is in very good condition. I gave the bike a bath and an adjustment, filled its tires, bought Teresa a helmet, and we were good to go.

Ready to ride?

When her helmet arrived, Teresa was very excited and wore it around the house. She let me put her in the bicycle seat without any fuss and seemed to enjoy our first ride.

Let's go find some yard sales!

We've gone out maybe 5 times total, and 3 of those were yard saling trips on Saturday mornings (I can hit more yard sales in the surrounding neighborhoods riding the bike than I could pushing Teresa in the stroller). Lately Teresa is not as fond of the bicycle; I think she gets tired of killing time at the yard sales while I shop!

I don't wanna!

Honey Do lists work

So the day before he went back to work for 3 days straight, David asked me to make him a "honey do" list. I wrote down about 7 things, one of which was "look for camera and/or start making replacement plans." After a brief post-lunch rest, David PLOWED through that list. He was amazing. When he started the camera search, he decided to look in the hall closet. Therein hung his winter coat, which is certainly too warm for these days in Charlotte but not too warm for a cold night camping...the last time he wore it was in Virginia. Guess what he found in the pocket?

Our camera is back!!

Here are some pictures from the camping trip:

Hanging out with Aunt Shannon

Running away from Aunt Katy

Sampling camp food with Aunt Jenny

Riding with Papa for a hike

Snoozing in the tent

We made an offer on a house today

Some of you know that David and I have been seriously house hunting for about a month now. So much time and mental energy has gone into this process, especially David's. He's been incredibly diligent with researching areas of town, crime maps, flood plains, home listings, repair/renovation estimates, and more. We've been out with our realtor several times and have seen about a dozen houses. We've number crunched, deliberated pros and cons, and pored over pictures and details with family members.

Yesterday, after seeing 3 new (old) houses, we returned to our previous top choice and sat in it for a while (I nursed Teresa while sitting on the hearth). It just felt right. So we decided to make an offer. This morning we met with our realtor to complete the paperwork. Now it's in the seller's hands.

Overall, we have great peace about moving forward on this house. We've put it all in the Lord's hands and we trust that He will continue to guide us. However, an eminent "big change" has left me unsettled and poor David is suffering the brunt of my stress-induced behavior. My mind is already racing ahead to all the stuff we will need to get and do if we get the house. A mixture of excitement (so much to learn!) and fear (so much could go wrong!) about the future is hindering my ability to function in the present. Lord, help me!

David knew we both needed a break, so he suggested we go to see the movie "Up." I was fearful about taking a 3-and-a-half-month-old into a movie theatre, but David was reassuring. Everything turned out wonderfully! The movie is really cute and, although the high volume woke Teresa up as soon as we took our seats and kept her awake the whole time, she only fussed briefly twice. The rest of the time she nursed, stood supported on my legs, or sat in our laps and watched the screen. We covered her ears when the soundtrack got intense, but she was happy as a clam. Even changing her diaper in my lap went smoothly. Deo gratias!

One last little thing to share: when the movie ended, I had Teresa in my lap covered by a cream-colored blanket with medium-sized bears on it (a spare blanket we keep in David's car and rarely use). She actually bent forward and stroked one of the bears repeatedly. She is amazing!

Humbling experience of the day

Today I bit the bullet and performed one of my least favorite chores: I scrubbed our bathtub. Just as I was finishing up the job (rinsing off the walls and knob and spout), the drain stopped draining. Dirty water pooled in the bottom of the tub.

I reached in to see if the drain was plugged with hair - nope. I tried the plunger - that only stirred up more muck. So I called our apartment office and asked whether a maintenance man could come and unplug my drain. The assistant manager wrote up a ticket for me.

Two hours later, the friendly maintenance man arrived. When he first came to work for the apartment complex and paid a call to our home, he noticed all our sacred art and inquired about my faith. He shared the story of his (recent) conversion to Christianity. So we have a little bond. And maybe he won't tell everyone how silly I am after our encounter today!

Back to the story: after he explained that my long hair was the likely culprit (even though we use a hair trap), he took a wetvac into our bathroom and started suctioning. Then he turned the machine off and called out to me: "Do you ever take baths?"

"No," I replied as I went into the room.

"How long have you lived here?"

"Two years."

"Have you ever taken a bath here?"

"Maybe two when I was pregnant," I answered, remembering the relief a hot water soak provided when I was in labor and forgetting the lovely little soaks I took postpartum.

"Did you use a stopper or did you flip the drain switch?"

"I used the switch," I assured him. Then the lightbulb went off.

"It was up."

Doh! I had accidentally flipped up the switch while I was cleaning it, but I didn't even think about it when the water didn't drain. So silly!

I thanked the maintenance man profusely, apologized for taking his time for something so silly, and lightheartedly proposed that it was probably a pleasure for him to get such an easy job. He agreed, having replaced a water heater and a garbage disposal already today.

As we prepare to purchase a home this summer, I'm thinking about how much I'm going to miss the ability to call the office for maintenance help. Then again, I'm sure I'll learn a thing or two when I have to do it myself (with David, of course). For instance, how bath drain switches work!

Cabarrus County Fair

After all the hype, tropical storm Hanna sent absolutely nothing our way this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday were clear and hot! So I was very glad I had held fast to my plans to visit friends and go with them to the Cabarrus County Fair on Saturday. David would have liked to come, too, but he had to fulfill a nursing school requirement and complete a 10-hour shift with an ambulance crew (it went well).

Besides enjoying the company of my friends, I had a great experience at the fair. The highlights were pigs swimming (they actually jumped into the pool!), piglets being born, and a thrilling circus-type show.

Here are the newborn piglets, some already nursing (like pigs!) and two figuring out how to stand up and walk (the one farthest back was born while we watched and, within 15 minutes, successfully made its way over to nurse).



When we arrived at the pen and found out why there was a crowd around it, the sow had already delivered at least five piglets. The farmer predicted she would have around six more. Someone nearby told us that the sow was pushing one out every ten minutes or so, so we stayed for two rounds. Sadly, the second round contained both a live piglet and a stillborn.

They also had two cows set up for milking, which is something I've always wanted to try. But it wasn't worth $2 to me! So we pressed on, looking at the exhibits. When my friends saw a pretend cow ready for milking (rubber teats hooked up to a bucket of water) in the kiddie corral, they encouraged me to give it a try. Wee!

Up at the River

Although the dip in temperatures, our colds, and my pregnancy limited our ability to enjoy all that that my parent's river place has to offer, we did manage to enjoy the sunshine and a few fun events.

My dad instructing David in the proper use of a chainsaw before they cut the logs for firewood.

David braving the chilly water for a brief swim. (I LOVE watching my husband swim - it was his competitive sport through high school and into college, when an injury derailed his training. He subsequently coached youth and adults in swimming for 8 years.)

Dad preparing the boat to take the guys out for some skiing. (I got to see David ski by!)

David helping our neighbor friend Randy mop the ribs with sauce. They were sooo delicious!

Me lounging in the rocking chair in the bunk house garage, where we gathered for eating, chatting, and games. You can see a little bit of the northeastern Washington mountains in the background - no huckleberry picking this trip, but we did enjoy some sweet huckleberry bread with berries from the freezer.

A group shot of some of my siblings and spouses with our childhood neighbors and friends (all grown up now). My brother Will & his wife Christi, David & I, my sister Ellen, Dave & Stasia, and Tony.


To share this Saturday together, in addition to David & I flying in from Charlotte, Dave & Stasia flew from St. Louis and Tony caught a ride from western WA. If only vacations had aligned so that my sister Beth and her husband Michael could have been there, too...but their trip to Spokane isn't until the end of this week.

I also regret that I have no pictures of the Kalispel Indian Tribe powwow to share, but they are all on David's phone. Rest assured: the costumes were full of colors and feathers, the dancing was rigorous, and the drumming/singing was extreme.

Frances Kayaks

While up at the river I decided to try out my dad's new pedal-driven kayak. Here's a little video David took of my experience - I especially enjoy what the baby "says" near the end.

The Woes and Blessings of Vacation

Sorry for the absence - we just got back from our long-anticipated vacation to eastern Washington state.  We flew to Spokane to enjoy the company of my family there and join them for a weekend up at my parent's river property.

Blessings:

• wonderful hospitality and generosity on the part of my parents
• a lovely morning spent with my dear friend Julie and her family
• lots of delicious, comforting food that we didn't have to prepare ourselves
• relaxing "do nothing in particular" days at home
• a successful run to the thrift store for maternity and baby clothes (can't do much better than 50 cents per item!)
• a beautiful weekend at the river, complete with family & friends time, water sports, ribs, Mass at a "country" church, and an Indian powwow
• playing games (verbal and board) and doing crossword puzzles (Sudoku for David and Dad)
• watching movies (including "The Mission," which is heart-wrenching and inspiring)
• sharing the joyful news that my middle sister, Beth, is expecting a girl (her 18-week ultrasound revealed little Arianna to us) 

Woes:

• getting really sick the second day of a week-long visit and staying that way the entire time

Explanation:  no, not morning sickness (thanks be to God, mine has all but vanished since week 9).  David and I both got sniffles which turned into full-blown congestion, sneezing, coughing, aches, and exhaustion.  We ended up taking David to Urgent Care for an antibiotic prescription for his sinus infection.  We believe that several factors converged to make us miserable: we were on three planes for a total of 8 or more hours on the way there (small spaces + sick people = sharing viruses), we were exposed to unfamiliar allergens in Spokane, the daily temperatures were abnormally low (lows in the 50s to highs in the 80s), and the air is virtually humidity free there, so it continuously sucked the moisture from our bodies (we are used to high humidity - we even run a humidifier during nights to counteract the drying effect of the air conditioning).  By day 3 I was feeling so lousy that we called our health insurance's nurse hotline to ask what medications I could safely take during pregnancy.  Benadryl got the okay and it helped me sleep a few nights, but I couldn't take anything to relieve my daytime suffering.  Thanks be to God, my family was incredibly understanding.  They rearranged their plans and refrained from complaining about our condition the entire time.

I look forward to posting some more pictures and stories soon.  For now, here is one of David and I:

The Happy Couple

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
July 5th, 2008

Deo Gratias: Foresty Getaway

In just a few hours David and I will be driving to Tennessee. We're visiting my aunt and uncle over the long weekend - they live on the other side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As much as I loathe unnecessary fuel consumption, I have been looking forward to this trip. I've never seen the house my aunt and uncle built. Because it is "set apart" on a large piece of land (hopefully with lots of trees) it nearly promises the peace and relaxation I so desire. And David and I have a history of really enjoying our time together on long car rides. He's loaded up the iPod and I've cut up some watermelon for the cooler.

May you and your loved ones rejoice in your freedom today! How precious, too, is the freedom of spirit we Christians experience when we turn to the Lord and place ourselves under His mercy again and again. Deo Gratias!

Free Haircuts!

For David and I, anyways . . . I don't know if anyone else would be brave enough to face the scissors in our hands!

Since our marriage, I have been cutting David's hair. We bought a new set of clippers that came with a DVD tutorial. I watched, I listened, I tried. I've had mixed success. Three out of the four times, it looked mighty fine overall (only David and I noticed the little mistakes around the ears, etc.). This last time I must have gotten over-confident and rushed, and the job came out a little sloppy. But time heals all wounds, especially when it comes to hair.

Before

After

Tonight, for the first time, David cut my hair. I've always been cheap when it comes to my hair - once a year or so I visited a chain hair cutter and got about six inches chopped off (and whenever I could, I used a coupon!). Curly hair is very forgiving. But I didn't always appreciate the conversation in those places, and even the "cheap" haircut was too much for my frugal soul. So I asked David to give it a try. He watched the DVD tutorial, and then improvised. He aimed for four inches, just in case. I am pleased with the results!

Before

After

Deo Gratias: God gave Frances a new job!

To continue the story from this post...

Exactly one week ago today I received a phone call from a fellow parishioner (the NFP dad). In his voicemail he told me that his company had a position opening that he thought I might be well suited to and he invited me to call his brother-in-law to find out more. I was on my way to an appointment, so I debated whether to make the call in the 20 or so minutes I had before the appointment or wait until afterwards. I waited. Then, safely in my car in the parking deck (with shade, silence, and privacy), I made that fateful phone call.

I am not sure how much detail to provide here - if you have questions about some specifics I neglect, feel free to ask in the comments or via email. Here goes:

The Director of Publishing of Saint Benedict Press, currently based in Gastonia, NC, (about 20 minutes outside of Charlotte) is expanding the business and looking for an Associate Editor to help him write book prefaces and back cover descriptions and contribute to decision making on all aspects of the business, from marketing to artwork to book selection. For various reasons deadlines loom and he needs a right-hand man (or woman) as soon as possible. Ideally, this person would possess writing and editorial skills, the ability to handle all sorts of practical and creative business needs, AND a lively Catholic faith with a strong appreciation for quality Catholic literature.

We chatted for about half an hour and then he invited me to meet him in person - as soon as possible. I shared without any need for secrecy that I was on my way to Adoration and Mass at St. Ann's and would not be available until 8 pm. He agreed to meet me at a coffee place five minutes from where I live at that time.

With my heart racing and my mind reeling, I called David as I drove to church. He listened and then encouraged me to be open and put it all before the Lord in prayer. We met in the church parking lot and went in for some awesome Jesus time. As I prayed I realized all the things I love about my current job (great environment, varied work, excellent pay and benefits, and not too much stress) and all the reasons I had concerns about taking a new job at this stage of our life, especially one that was further away, promised to be more stressful, and paid less. I left Mass believing that this was not the right opportunity for me.

But when I spoke with the Director on the phone on my way home, he listened to all of my concerns and countered them: the commute isn't really very long or difficult (just 35 minutes going the opposite direction than most on the highway), the job might be stressful at times but not constantly, and he was willing to negotiate salary. When I told him point-blank "we're hoping to be blessed with a baby soon and I'm concerned about starting a new job, being sick in the first few months, and then having to leave less than a year later" he assured me "we can work with that." Can you believe it? (Keep in mind that he and his wife have five children ages six and under. And that they met at Franciscan.)

So I agreed to meet with him as planned. We spent almost 2 hours sitting at a table in the open air, talking about Catholic classics, business practices, artistic design, and my background. I left with a lot of excitement and uncertainty.

On Thursday afternoon the Director called. He wanted me to visit the offices of Saint Benedict Press and its parent company, Good Will Publishers. The CEO and other key personnel needed to meet me. We coordinated our schedules and I drove out to Gastonia that very afternoon. (Can you believe how quickly this was all going?) For another 2 hours I toured the facility, learned all about Good Will, chatted with employees, and endured a grilling from the CEO. Once again, I left excited. But was I ready for such a big change? Was this really what God wanted me to do?

I spoke with friends and family and discussed the pros and cons. I prayed fervently - I haven't been so communicative and close with God in a long time (I call the whole ordeal the "spiritual kick in the pants" I needed). On Friday morning I shared the possibility of a new job, my dream job, with my supervisor and a few friends at work. Their overwhelming response: do it. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Mid morning the Director called: "we want to offer you the position." (Fact check: that's less than 48 hours from finding out about the job to being offered the job. Whoa!) My response: "my husband wants to meet you" (quite a logical request, considering that I would be spending much time one-on-one with this other guy). The Director agreed to meet us for lunch. Over lunch, David asked all the questions that he needed to ask, in a gentle but serious way. I loved him so much for that! The Director's answers satisfied David, and we told him we would take the weekend to discern our response.

Lots of great conversations and prayers ensued and by Sunday we were certain that God had orchestrated this blessing. Despite the sacrifices taking this job necessitates in our lives (I will be away from home more, our costs will go up and our income will decrease, and the stress might further delay our hope for pregnancy), we see that God will use it to challenge me spiritually in the best of ways (I will be reading awesome spiritual texts) and provide a beautiful opportunity for me to evangelize (I will be writing to encourage others to read these awesome spiritual texts). I will use all the skills I've developed in school and my previous employment experiences. And, I do believe, this work will bring me great joy. (It makes me chuckle to realize I actually told the CEO I have a gift of joy. It was so refreshing to be completely transparent about my faith the entire time.)

I filed my two-week notice at the library on Monday. Friday, May 16, 2008, will be my last day with PLCMC. Although my first official day at Saint Benedict's will be the following Monday, I've already started writing for an assignment. Here I go!

We truly appreciate your prayers as we go through this transition and prepare for whatever God might have in store for us!

Frances' new job: the background

First, let me set the scene: my junior year of high school we were required to complete a career project that included a presentation in front of my English class. I chose to research and share about being a Book Editor because I excelled in spelling, grammar, and writing and thought editing books sounded like a pretty cool job. I still remember the B.E.B. (Book Editor's Bag) I brought to class for my presentation - a brown paper bag decorated and filled with funky props that helped me tell the story of book editors. I had a little plastic ladder that prompted me to talk about the steps one goes through to become a book editor and how to make one's way up the chain of the command in a publishing house.

In college I majored in English - mostly literature with a little creative writing thrown in for good measure. I also took a class called "Composition Theory and Pedagogy" as training to become a tutor in our college Writer's Workshop. In the workshop (usually 4-6 hours each week) I helped hundreds of students develop, edit, and revise their scholarly papers on a variety of exciting and not-so-exciting topics. Overall, I really enjoyed the work.

As I thought about a future career for myself (although I never really saw myself as a career woman - I knew I'd leave work in a heartbeat when the Lord blessed my future husband and I with our first child), my love of editing and my love of my faith came together in one thought: Catholic publishing. I knew I'd have to start entry-level and gain experience to become an editorial assistant (or maybe something even higher!) with a publisher of Catholic books.

After college I became a Benedictine Lay Volunteer at Queen of Angels Monastery in Mt. Angel, Oregon. I'd love to share more about that some other time.

From Oregon I moved to New Jersey. I searched for Catholic publishing houses online and discovered that they are mostly in New York and Chicago. I found one in Eastern PA but it didn't call me for an interview. I applied to a couple of secular publishing houses in Philadelphia (to get my foot in the door of the publishing industry) but got no responses. Instead, I took a job with the Diocese and ended up loving it.

When I searched for a job in Charlotte I barely considered publishing. I found a great position in the Public Library and have worked there for almost 2 years.

Near the end of last year David and I went out to lunch with a family from our parish (the couple had instructed us in Natural Family Planning during our engagement). As we chatted over our food the subject of schooling or employment came up and I spoke of my dream to work in the Catholic publishing field as an editor. The father of the family shared that he works for his wife's family's business, a Christian publishing company. He said it wasn't hiring at the time but he would keep me in mind if something ever came up. I proceeded to forget about that conversation for 6 months - that is, until I received a phone call on Wednesday.

To be continued...

Photo credit: sgs_1019

O God Beyond All Praising

God is awesome! This morning as I left the church parking lot after Mass on my way to work, I was still praying intensely for guidance regarding a new opportunity. Ever since I discovered this possibility yesterday I have opened wide my mind and heart to God's will and knelt before Him in awe and love. Radical changes like this require radical reliance on God - and I find Him to be so trustworthy! As I passionately seek God's direction for my life I am also falling passionately in love with Him again. It is very good.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I turned on my car radio to listen to some calming classical music (I highly recommend WDAV 89.9 FM to my Charlotte readers) and Gustav Holst's "Jupiter" from The Planets was playing. And not just any old section of Jupiter, but THE VERY SECTION that Michael Perry set the lyrics of "O God Beyond All Praising" to. I fell in love with this hymn two years ago. My friend Ben gave copies to my fellow LOJ music ministers and I, hoping we would use it in a Mass or prayer meeting. Since then, I've heard Libera sing a different hymn ("I vow to thee my country") to the same music so beautifully on their Free CD. Then the Charlotte diocesan choir chose it for their concert at a Eucharistic Congress and our own parish choir (which, at the time, included me) sang it several times. I just discovered that "O God" was sung during Pope Benedict's Mass at St. Patrick's in New York on his recent US visit.

Check out these fabulous lyrics:

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Savior,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favor
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we'll triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.

I love this song so much that I practically begged David to let me include it in our wedding Mass. He gave in lovingly agreed, and the St. Ann's choir did a beautiful job of singing it during our procession into the church (none of that "Here Comes the Bride" froo fra - our wedding was all about giving glory to God).

O God, You ARE beyond praising, but I praise You still, even in the midst of my uncertainty. If this opportunity is a gift you are sending, I will receive it with wonder and gratitude. In the meantime, I lift my heart before you and wait upon your word.

Our Old New Old Parish

When David and I moved to Charlotte in June 2006, we "shopped around" for a parish. I scoped out all the parish websites (their links and advertised activities gave me a feel for the orthodoxy of each priest/parish) and emailed questions to the coordinator of the diocesan young adult group. We attended Sunday Masses at several parishes and reviewed their bulletins for possible ministries in which to involve ourselves. David lived near one parish and I lived near another, and three other parishes were within 20 minutes driving (I know, can you believe we had so many options here in the South?!). As "roamin' Catholics", we felt free to choose where to make our new spiritual home.

After two months we registered as parishioners at St. Ann's, a fifty-plus-year-old parish with a school and a new pastor. Masses in Spanish and English were held in the cozy "basement" church (the upper church had never been constructed) and the small, diverse community was known for its warmth, music, and big heart (lots of service in the city and beyond). I felt God calling me to St. Ann's because it offered lots of opportunities for me to get involved in ministry and make a difference. I joined the choir, and David and I decided to try out youth ministry together.

When we got engaged and approached the pastor to schedule our wedding, he told us he couldn't guarantee that the church would be available in August of 2007 (the parish hoped to begin constructing its "real church" at last). So we booked our wedding at an aestheticly pleasing church down the road (St. Vincent's). Soon after, St. Ann's got a new pastor. After some discernment, we felt God was not calling us to continue with youth ministry there.

Several people told us that the youth ministry program at St. Vincent's was exemplary, so we called the director and spoke with her about getting involved. She welcomed us, and we deliberated over whether to leave St. Ann's to join St. Vincent's. I'm a big believer in attending Mass where you minister to provide a continual witness to the ministry participants and to develop relationships with them in a variety of contexts. At the time, we felt that St. Vincent's parish family offered us a more orthodox and visibly pro-family atmosphere. If God blessed us with a baby, I thought I'd find more support and enrichment for holy family life at St. Vincent's. So, in the month after our wedding, we transferred parishes.

Long story short: St. Vincent's liturgies are lovely, families are abundant (and large), church is bright and peaceful, and youth ministry is truly blessed. I enjoyed my time experiencing all of them. While David enjoyed serving at St. Vincent's, he discerned that God was calling him away from youth ministry. The new pastor at St. Ann's will soon be offering the Latin Mass there, and he invited David to serve at the Mass (and to help him coordinate/train the other servers). David agreed, and has been studying Latin as nursing school allows.

Already the parishioners at St. Ann's have welcomed us back - and asked us why we were gone so long. We tell them about our involvement in youth ministry there, and then we tell them how much we're looking forward to our new ministerial involvement at St. Ann's.

I'm sad at the prospect that David and I may not be serving together in the same ministry, but I am excited about our new opportunities. I will attend a few more YM meetings at St. Vincent's, but we are participating in Masses at St. Ann's beginning this past Sunday. I asked the pastor how I could serve at St. Ann's, and he recommended a few options. A couple days later he told me that he prayed about it and wanted me to join his RCIA team for the next year. I quickly agreed. My administrative skills will be put to good use (I'm pretty familiar with sacramental certificates and other important canonical paperwork because I previously worked in a diocesan diaconate office). My spirituality and knowledge of the teachings of the Church will be challenged (and shared!) in my interactions with the candidates and catechumens.

This is a big step with an uncertain outcome - but I've taken lots of those in my journey with God. I have faith that He will carry us through - and teach us along the way.

Brrr...

(post title courtesy of my mom)

Now that we're home and getting back into the swing of things (David has already started studying for Pediatrics, an intense eight-week course that begins Monday), I'll provide a report on our camping experience:

David: "it was great!"

Frances: "it was cold!"

Overall, the experience was worthwhile. We found a great campsite (Cypress Black Bayou, north of Shreveport, Louisiana), set up camp without difficulty, cooked a yummy supper (thanks to David's foresight - he prepared meat sauce and spaghetti noodles before we left, froze them for the long ride in the cooler, and then just warmed them up on our Coleman stove that night), and even built a decent fire. Alas, the cold was all-consuming for me. I couldn't really enjoy all the other blessings through my constant shivering. Four layers of clothes, a heavy-duty sleeping bag, and three blankets couldn't keep me warm in the night (in the upper thirties). Am I a hopeless case?

Here are some pictures:

David chopping firewood (before a helpful fellow camper told us where we could find a stack of precut logs, free to campers).

David warming up our dinner on the Coleman stove.

David starting our first campfire (with some helpful tips from a nearby camper, he made an even better one the next morning). David thinks we should invest in charcoal and lighter fluid for next time, but I'm not convinced they're necessary. Maybe in rainy weather, but do I really want to camp in rainy weather?

I really tried to enjoy this camping experience. But I'm afraid trying to maintain body heat that night negated the positive results of my recent campaign to fatten up. So David was incredibly gracious in allowing us to spend the next night in a cozy hotel. (By the way, you know you're a nerd when you finally have the chance to watch cable television and you choose the Discovery Channel. We watched a great program about the brain!)

Pseudo Camping

David and I are leaving on a trip on Friday, so we're busy with preparations. After his maternity final tomorrow morning, David has a week off. We're going to visit David's father in Louisiana for a few days, then his sister in Florida for a few more (with a quick stop in New Orleans to say hi to family). If circumstances allow (which means, if I am not an ice cube due to cold temps), we plan to camp two nights in Kisatchie National Forest.

With great foresight, David planned a visit to a nearby campground this past Sunday so we could familiarize ourselves with all the great camping gear we received as wedding gifts (or purchased with gift cards). We enjoyed the weather, the scenery (daffodils are blooming here!), and the time together. And we learned some things. For example: when you fill the water jug, make sure you screw the lid on tightly before putting it in the car. Water bottles cannot be refilled by water that has spilled all over the floor of the car. They can, however, be filled by campground pumps - at least the ones that have clear water. Second lesson: let the pump water flow out onto the ground to check its color before putting your water jug under the tap. If you accidentally get yourself a jugful of brown water, just dump it out (but not on your shoe!), rinse with clear water from the other pump, and say a prayer that your immune system exhibits great strength.

All that, and we hadn't even gotten to a campsite yet!

But when we did:

We figured out how to clear the ground, lay out the tarp, and unfold the tent.

We got the tent up, covered, and staked.

We sealed the tent and fly seams and let them dry.

We took a break to sit and pray.

David burned the lantern mantles (they took forever to turn white!).

And we brainstormed ways to get the lantern to light (the little matches didn't reach up close enough to the mantles, so David held a match with pliers, lit it with a lighter, and carefully guided it through the hole).

It worked!

We also learned it's not a good idea to spread the tent fly out on the ground, even on a dry day - the underside was wet when we picked it up, so we hung it out to dry on the clothesline when we got home.

Please say a prayer for a successful camping experience for us this weekend, in addition to safe travels. Things will be quiet around here while we're gone.