Karen H said..

Hi Brooke! I am a relatively new Fish listener and have started reading your blog. Actually, I started reading late at night when I couldn’t sleep and was moved by the beauty and love of your family!

Anyhoo…my husband and I research everything to death (2 engineers.) Don’t get a plastic wagon!! Is it lighter and sometimes cheaper? Yes, but there’s a reason for that! Get the Radio Flyer original style metal wagon. It’s hard to find in stores but you can buy it on-line. Your older boys could probably sit in it! It also has real pneumatic wheels — more comfortable ride — not plastic ones!
As for a double stroller? Just sold ours and it was sad! We LOVED our Bob Revolution Doullie (or something like that.) You can get an attachment to fit a car seat base in it and Karolina could sit on her side. It’s pricey, but can also be used as a VERY sturdy jogging stroller! (Go mom go!) Again, buy on-line. Cheapest way to go and shipping is usually free!
God bless!

I should’ve heeded her advice at the time. We ended up buying the cheapest jogger we could find, and less than a year later?  It’s kaput, unfortunatley. Considering how long the babies will still be in the stroller stage, we knew it would make sense to get a quality item. So..here we go! K & G look like happy customers:

My smile was just as big (except not nearly as cute, so no pic from me).   Hands down, the best jogging stroller on the market. Period.  I am always an advocate for frugality, and wouldn’t buy something just because of it’s “brand name,” but this is a time when the cost yields a profit in terms of quality, and even resale value.  

And that’s what Stroller Mama is all about! A small local business, super-serving their customers with awesome, unique, and high-quality products and GREAT customer service.  I was so excited to connect with Erika and hear about her passion for blessing other families…and she means business! Right now she is offering you 10% off everything in her store, and every brand, for a limited time! Just type in the code: “TheFish” at checkout.  They ship anywhere in the US for FREE with orders over $99!  This discount is also valid for anyone who visits the store in person and mentions The Fish.  Erika is offering the discount for a limited time, so please spread the word to any other Mom, Dad, Grandparent, cool Aunt and Uncle that might be in the market for baby items. This is a wonderful deal! Here is the official website.  Thanks again to Erika and everyone at Stroller Mama, this mama is stocking up!  Happy (early) Mother’s Day!

   On our first day, we traveled to a mountainous region called San Geronimo. We met Sister Marta who tirelessly works on behalf of the community she serves. She runs a school and feeding center. Here are some of the beautiful faces we encountered (the iPhone needs no translation by the way, they loved it)! 

Look at those smiles! The kids were beaming with joy. We visited a kindergarten class where the students serenaded us with prayer and song.. it was magical. The kids love school,  it means they will at least receive one meal that day, and that offers much cause for celebration and prayers of thanksgiving. 

 On our second day, we visit the “Red Zone” of Guatemala City. This is the most dangerous area of the city, and one riddled with crime, gangs and addicts. We walked into the garbage dump, with raw sewage and flies, and into the shack where Hermalinda lives with her children. Her beautiful baby boy did not have a diaper, his fingernails were dirty, and her daughter (in the pink shirt) is already severely stunted due to malnutrition. Would you believe, this young woman is 16 years old? Hermalinda’s husband is in jail for beating his son, so she must provide for her family, alone.  In fact, of all the many families we met, and homes we were welcomed into, it was rare to see a man with his family. A great many of these men succumb to alcoholism, and one priest we encountered told us the men just don’t know how to deal with it, they become depressed, and leave or drink themselves into oblivion. Fatherless homes. This is a great scourge for the people of Guatemala. And really, where isn’t this a problem today?  It was a sobering reminder to pray for the strength of men, that they may be courageous and affirmed, and able to carry the heavy load on their shoulders with faith and grace.

Here is a brief video I took of Hermalinda’s home. My apologies for the poor audio quality (you will have to turn your speakers up to hear the narration). This was a very emotional visit. I kept wishing that I had packed more toys for the children, or worn layers of clothing that I could just peel off and give to her. How can you come face-to-face with another mother with the same heart and hopes for providing for her family, hear her story and then just...walk away?  I wanted to physically pick them up and carry them all out of that place. If it was the US, we would not even allow a dog to live in those kinds of conditions.  It is heart-wrenching. Thankfully, our team leaders from FFP brought food, supplies, and small things for the children as a thank you for graciously opening her home to us. 

After that we traveled back into the mountains, and it was then I discovered, yes, I AM indeed afraid of heights, (especially on hairpin turns on Guatemalan buses)..surprise! I white-knuckled it until we reached the top and provided Jen with a good laugh at my expense (glad to help, girl). We walked a ways and then caught sight of this amazing woman. 

 She is Mayan, and clearly has had a lifetime of experience carrying bundles like this one, on her head. We couldn’t help but notice that seemed to be the preferred method of transport for just about everything. And just in case you aren’t impressed yet, let me show you the pièce de résistance:

Can you see it? Not only is she carrying a tub on her head and a baby in a sling, but she’s breastfeeding at the same time! Wow, now that is one multi-tasking mama! R-e-s-p-e-c-t. Remind me of this the next time I’m grumbling as I walk down the stairs with my baby and my laundry basket to my electric washer and dryer. How quickly I forget how good I have it!

In the mountains, near the side of a cliff (quite literally) lives Mary Trinity Wheat Hernandez with her five children. Her daughter was born with a turned-in foot, something that could’ve been easily corrected with medical intervention. However, here in this region of Guatemala, health care is virtually non-exsistant. Which means that her foot is permanently crippled and she will never walk. She is either carried by her mother or a sibling, or drags herself along the ground. I wanted to scream “This is not right.”  ”This is not fair.”  What is altogether remarkable about Mary Trinity though, is despite the pain of hunger, her daughter’s health, and a leaky shack, she smiles; and she thanks God. This is not a superficial faith. This is a faith that is tested daily, sometimes hourly, and one that Mary says sustains her and God gives her joy.  Oh, what the world could learn from Mary, and Hermalinda, and Luisa, and so many others like her that we met, and that shared the same amazing grace. It is a reminder to all of us that this is the real world. Those images piped into our living rooms through reality TV of “Real Housewives” or “Sweet 16″ parties are a gross distortion of the life that really exists for most of the planet. A reminder of the words of Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are they who mourn, 
for they shall be comforted. 
Blessed are the meek, 
for they shall inherit the earth.”

 One interesting observation to note, is that in places where poverty was the most severe, those areas are very quiet. There is a heavy blanket of silence as people just do not have the strength to be “bustling” about.  So that’s why it was instantly obvious when we approached a laundry station, the sounds were different. Laughing, conversation, water, kids playing and splashing! This is one of the fruits of your donations to Food for the Poor. A fully functioning laundry area with 25 washing stations and running water!

Her joyful spirit reminded me of the Proverbs 31 woman:

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

    she can laugh at the days to come.

On our last day, we visited a “Nutritional Triage.” 71 children are currently being treated here, and are among the most malnourished. From the moment I walked in the doors, I was in flashback mode. From the pictures on the wall to the color of the paint, it was eerily similar to Karolina’s orphanage in Poland. I wasn’t ready for that one.  I still think of the children at Karolina’s orphanage. I see them at night, and I worry and wonder where they are. So, to be in Guatemala, and be transported to Poland..was more than my heart could quite endure. All my tissues in my fanny pack were gone in no time. The great thing though, is that fortunately we were able to hold the children!  Jen and I (and all of us in the group for that matter) when on a baby-holding binge. It was magnificent.

This little guy held on to Jen for so long. And she held right back! Instant love.

 This is the Executive Director of Food for the Poor, Angel Aloma. A finer man, I have not met. It is due to his ceaseless perseverance on behalf of the poor, that I will forever support and donate to FFP.

It’s impossible to fully articulate the enormity of this  journey, not just from a need standpoint, but also from a beauty standpoint. There were many, many life lessons to be learned about treasuring family, simplicity, and rejecting the things of this world that do not endure.  To use the time we have on this earth to help one another, and to support ministries like Food for the Poor who are moving mountains (with your help and the Holy Spirit)!  I encourage you to visit their website to find out more (you will be amazed) and keep us in prayer in June when we share these stories on the radio to raise funds for FFP.

“If we pray, we will believe; If we believe, we will love; If we love, we will serve.” -Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Believe it or not, I actually have about 1oo more pictures and dozens more stories, but, seeing as how this is the longest post I think I have ever written already, I best wrap it up for tonight. Thank you for reading, and please be gentle with me, after what I am sure will be a record number of grammar and format errors (I just know it)l!:) I’m a little rusty. Happy (belated) Easter, my friend. God bless you.

And yesterday I was vacuuming and minding my own business, only to turn around and see this Gus-in-Disguise:

 What a ham!  Have I told you how much fun babies are?  We are still knee-deep in diapers and have various challenges, but it’s a blessed adventure I would trade for anything. Okay, so, back to Lent.  I have managed to get a few things ready, although not as much as I would like. We have our Lenten prayer corner up and decorated.  

The rooster represents Peter’s denial “before the cock crows.” 

The nest is a crown of thorns that will be transformed into a bird’s nest with eggs for Easter (representing new life)

The sticks represent the wood of the cross.

The rooster picture was less than $3 at The Flower Factory.  I was so grateful (and so was Jim)!  I got the idea from Pinterest where I have a “Lent” board.  If you get a chance, I would love for you to check it out. 

We’ve also been obsessively playing, and singing this song that was one of our faves from last year. I can’t help it..it’s just cool and catchy. I’ve also been basking in the blessing of one of my favorite modern day writers, Fr. Edward Hays’ new website and blog.  He is one of my spiritual heroes and I was so overjoyed to see he launched an official website and blog! In fact, he even has “Lenten Conferences” you can listen to once a week. Click here for his website.  He also has posted artwork and prayers posted, and lots of fantastic books. I will leave you with one of his thoughts:

The Lenten Desert

{Source: Sally’s Baking Addiction}

  Yes please!   The recipe is SO easy, except I would recommend doubling it if you have a large crew to feed.  These babies were a crowd pleaser and super easy to whip-up.  Best of all, there’s more where that came from!  Sometimes Pinterest is too much of a good thing, I had muffin overload and choices galore, but it also led me to this website with “30 Sweet Muffin Recipes.” Hot Chocolate,  Apple Fritter, Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip muffins.  Muffin Mama’s rejoice!  Delicious decisions make life sweet.  I’m still working on finding easy weekday dinner meal recipes (that the kids will actually eat), but this was a start, and I wanted to share it with you.   Happy baking!

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”  

Oh, what a thought!  

This year is already off and running with much to keep up with and a full plate ahead!   Most notable, I’m excited (and pretty nervous too) to join Food for the Poor for a mission trip in February.  I will be going with a group of radio peeps from across the U.S. for a short trip to Guatemala.  

This was a HUGE decision that took me months to discern.  The opportunity to witness the work of Food for the Poor, help, pray , be a part of the ministry and bring back the stories of those I meet to our listeners is an honor.  Yet, as a mom of five, the guilt-factor has been pretty enormous and I’ve really waffled about the wisdom of taking such a trip.  Thankfully, it’s only a few days but if it hadn’t been for Jim pushing me out the door with love and support (ha ha) I wouldn’t be going.  That, and one of my dearest friends was approved to go and we will be traveling together.  It’s truly a unique chance to share a special adventure, and now that it’s really happening I have to admit, I’m really looking forward to it. 

February will also bring a new experience with Karolina’s therapy.  I will be attending a comprehensive workshop dealing with a new platform of working with children with Autism at the Cleveland Clinic.   I intend to bring back what I’ve learned and share it with the boys, Jim, my mom and Karolina’s babysitters.  It’s exciting to “dig in” and be able to tap in to new tools and utilize different techniques.  I can’t wait to give it a try.   My my goal is, to somehow retain 2-days worth of invaluable information and put it to use!   

The boys just walked in the door from school so my time is up.  

I know this is a little late, but since I wasn’t able to post around the New Year, I hope you’ll accept this belated prayer.  God bless you, and thanks for reading!

May you be aware of all the places your feet carry you in the New Year and conscious that “The feet of those who bring glad tidings are blessed indeed.”

May you have compassion so deep that you can taste the tears of all your brothers and sisters who know pain and hurt in the far corners of the world.

May you be the one with welcome written on your smile and hello etched upon your outstretched hand…the hand you extent to everyone who blesses you with their presence.

May you awake each morning with “thank you” on your lips and in your heart, recognizing that all is gift…all is blessing.

May the grace of these sacred holidays spill over into your New Year and increase your joy and peace.

May God bless you, throughout the New Year.

Amen.
 
(Prayer by Sr. Mary Elizabeth Tebo, FSP)

Speaking of the miracle of adoption, and the gift of love (and yes, more tears):  look at what my little beauty made at preschool!  She has amazing therapists, and together, they made this ornament.  Hand-made (literally) by Karolinky!    Already my favorite gift of the year.   

I wish you a most blessed week before Christmas!

Oh How He Loves

-David Crowder (Lyrics)

And He is jealous from me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory

and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us, oh Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all

And we are His portion and He is our prize, drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes

If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
 And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, I don’t have time to maintain these regrets

When I think about the way

Oh, how He loves us, oh  

Oh, how He loves us, how He loves all 

This past week we celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas.   The kids awoke to see a few goodies in their shoes in the morning:  new books!   As we read each story, I was surprised that one in particular, seemed to be directed less at the kids, and more towards busy mamas in the midst of the hustle and bustle.  I was caught with my guard down,  and translated into a lump in my throat and a cracking voice.  The boys always know when I’m about to cry at a story and react with a dramatic “come ON mom!”   Fair enough.  They just want a light-hearted tale, and I seem to always get choked up.   This book hit me right in the heart, as it has a very Mary/Martha type lesson.   It’s called “Baboushka” (saying the title alone is half the fun) and I came away with a renewed sense of focus on the purpose of the Christmas season.  The gift is in focusing on family, on others, and less on my messy home and “preparing” for Christmas.  Sometimes we just need to sit at the foot of the manger and BE.  With Jesus.  In all his radiance.   To remember the night of his sacred, precious birth, being wreathed in flesh, that ushered forth the dawn of redeeming grace.      The story of Jesus’ birth is wrapped in such rich imagery and awe, it should be no problem for us to reflect on the power of Christ’s birth and it’s impact on humankind, life and death.  Yet, I confess that all too often I’m stressing about finances, our busy December schedule (and will there be enough weekends to finish my shopping, wrap the gifts, and mail the packages)?    So, I look to Mary.  How did SHE handle the few weeks leading up to the Lord’s birth?   I love this reminder from writer John Lynch, and his poem “Wrapped in Silence” 

Mary was a woman wrapped in silence. Her life was a contemplative response to the action of God in her soul. Our Advent is also meant to be wrapped in silence, enabling us to respond to God’s love with openness.
Jesus, in the womb of Mary, was also wrapped in silence. His divinity was clothed in human flesh, given to him from the genetic material of his mother Mary. As an unborn child, Jesus lay in the silence of Mary’s womb, awaiting the moment of his birth.

I pulled this excerpt from a wonderful blog post I recently read about implementing silence into our Advent.  

Appreciating the example of Mary and hoping to take a cue from her:  silence, trust, and peace this Christmas.   Mary, Sweet Mary.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

1 Corinthians 13 – a Christmas Version                 (via email. source unknown)

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

As I type this, the house is blessedly quiet and I am finally getting around to saying hello. Life continues to overflow with demands, joys & challenges, and scarcely anytime to slow down.  I’m not sure where I would start with an update, so I’ll just say:  overall,  life is beautiful.  The kiddos are so much fun, and Jim is an amazing partner in all of it.    It’s not to say we aren’t without our share of worries and bumps in the road, but I’m humbled by the budding faith of the older boys and Jim’s broad shoulders, carrying an impressive amount.    I think for me, one of the biggest challenges continues to be just managing my daily life responsibilities.  Between residual doctor appointments after Garrett’s stroke this summer, and Karolina’s ongoing therapy, medical appointments, and my own research of different special needs, it adds up.   That doesn’t even include my full-time job and trying to wear the “Domestic Engineer” apron, however inadequately.    I know I sound like a broken record!  I’m sure my last many posts have echoed the same sentiments, but until I meet a rock star or go on an exciting trip….you’ve just got the busy-mom version.      Although, speaking of trips, I do actually have an exciting mini-getaway to tell you about.  Not of the physical kind, but a spiritual retreat I am just wrapping up.  For the last 33 days, I have been participating in “33 Days to Morning Glory: a Do-It-Yourself Retreat- In Preparation for Marian Consecration.”

During our “Weary Woman’s Weekend” in Savannah, my BFF Jennifer Willits asked if I might join her in this retreat.   I had never made a Marian Consecration a la’ St. Louis De Monfort, but I had always wanted to. I had heard about how powerful, and life-changing this “entrustment” had been over centuries for so many holy saints.  Pope John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa, to just name a few.   Yet, I was intimidated by the depth, and time commitment to do this (see paragraph 1).  Anyway, after she explained this newly revised retreat, I was in.  After all, if she, as a mom of five could do it..then I thought maybe I could too.  It soon grew from two to three, and then four of us who would participate.   Two of us live in Ohio, while Jennifer and another friend live in Georgia.  We signed up on Google+, created a group, and met via web cam once a week for our group session.  

I could go on and on about how glorious this retreat has been for me personally, and I still don’t think I could scratch the surface in conveying it’s beauty.  For the last month, I have felt like I have been floating on air.   I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I can tell you,  I was not expecting an experience that would profoundly change my life.    The first few weeks for the most difficult for me because it IS still a significant time commitment, but I found ways to fit it in.  Each day, you read a devotion from the book, then answer 4 questions in the Retreat Companion booklet.  The questions were the tough part, because they take time.   For me though, I found that was where I felt the biggest impact.  Something in my brain is reached at a deeper level when I have to “ponder” and then write out an answer.  It may sound like work, but it’s not..it’s just a way to drill deeper than surface level and see things in a way you might not otherwise.   Little did I know, it would be  just the thing my tired soul was thirsty for.

  So, even though I haven’t left the house, the piles of laundry and stacks of papers, I have truly, truly felt renewed, lifted up, and lifted out of the fatigue of the daily grind through this 33-day retreat. If you are interested in learning more, click here for the official website.  With that, I enter Thanksgiving truly humbled and happy for much more than I can ever remember.  I hope to begin Advent with my sights focused on the only gift that matters, and what God can do in the lives of all who say “yes” to Him, like Mary.  Fiat.   

God bless you and shine on you this Thanksgiving, 2012.  

Thanksgiving Prayer

Pooh Bear cake

“Mmm, all for me you say? I shall start with just a taste..”

My blue-eyed puppy!

There was a 0% chance of getting everyone to look and smile.  Extra points for Grant though who managed to hold a screaming Gus and still strike a pose.  Ha.   We’d better try a different tactic.

The sentimental hand-holding shot will work! 

Cake, candy and costumes…what a day!   Bedtime for this sleepy puppy.

Have a wonderful week!   

It’s nice that Gus’s birthday is on a Saturday, and it happens to be Trick or Treating in our neighborhood, a built-in in party.  Gus is going to be a puppy dog,  just like his big brother Garrett was.   I love hand-me-down family costumes!  Twice the cuteness.   Karolina is going to be Cinderella…our first Princess costume!    We have  wings and a halo and she was going to be our little angel, but once I saw the pretty princess dress (40% off) I just couldn’t resist.   I’m trying to figure out if/how I can curl her hair?  My mom used to use pink sponge rollers on my hair as a little girl so I’m hoping to find some  and give it a try.   

Finally, I have to throw in a quick plug for the new Bebo Norman album “Light of Distant Cities.”   Bebo is one of my favorite CCM artists and a gifted songwriter, and the album is spectacular.

 My early favorite is “At the End of Me.”  I usually have to listen to the album a few times to really warm up to it, but there’s always a few songs that instantly catch hold.  That one was an instant repeat,   and also “Collide.”  A sentimental honorable mention is “Go With You.”

I had several pictures to post today, but my uploader has stalled and my time’s up…oh bother.   God bless your week and enjoy these last few days of October!