Quick Takes Friday: Wish List

It is Friday! Yea! I'm taking the big girls to see The Chronicles of Narnia in musical format tonight. Two friends are in it and we are very excited.

For my quick takes, I'm going to share some Etsy treasures I happen to love. These are things I found just browsing around one day. I could spend a lot of time over there, but I'm working on contentment, so I try not to indulge too often.

1. I have no keychain right now. Just the boring key fob for the car and too many membership cards. I would love one of these adorable wristlet key fobs from not a potato. I think it might be easier to grab my keys from my (too big) bag with one of these. There are quite a few cute patterns to choose from.



2. Speaking of too big bags, I'm looking for a new handbag. Perhaps one smaller than my current diaper bag/purse combo. It has served me well, but I've been carrying it around for a year. One of the things that draws me to Etsy is the appeal of buying unique items. I love me some Target merchandise, but I love knowing I'm carrying something original even more. And there are so many affordable options. Like this bag, from LiReca.




3. I like this bag too, for a larger option, from Jozanie's.


4. I would also like a new wallet some day. I usually don't carry my checkbook around, so I opted for a smaller billfold wallet. But now I want to go back to the larger size. It just looks better I think. I've had my eye on this one from Cotton Purr, for a while now.


5. Let's finish our list with jewelry. Who doesn't love sparkle? My top pick is these earrings from The Jewelry Workroom.

6. I love the colors in this pendant from GamiWorks.


7. And finally, these earrings feature my favorite color. And the shop is local and supports charity.


These items are just a few examples of the awesomeness that is Etsy.

For more (less materialistic I assume) quick takes, visit Conversion Diary.

Wallowing (Again)

I'm having a little pity party for myself today. My parents and brother spent the night last night, because they had a morning flight today to California. My cousin is getting married and the whole family is gathering for the occasion. And y'all, my family is fun! My mom is one of seven kids, and most of them have children that will be there. Plus, it's in California. I'm pretty sure I have a beach-shaped hole in my heart that can only be filled with more beach.

But, hey, I'm healthy, my kids are healthy, Husband has a job, and life is good. I'll make it to a beach eventually, and it will be great because we won't be sacrificing financial responsibility to do it. And I know that will be a better vacation than one that we can't afford.

To compensate, I'm enjoying some very good books. I recently read The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb and it was fantastic. I can't even really explain what made it so good, I just know that I loved it. It was a story, with characters I cared about, even when I didn't like them that much. I'm finishing up The Given Day by Dennis Lehane right now. He wrote several detective novels that I enjoyed because they were less about the crimes and more about the detectives. This newest book is still about police officers, but set in Boston in and around 1919. It is broader in scope, but fascinating. Again, characters you care about, even when you don't like them. If you're looking for a good read check out either of those books.

And my pity party has ended, because how can I look at this and not feel blessed?

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy Fan

Oh my word she can have a pony or whatever she wants.

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

What I Learned: Food and Muscles

I might be the biggest dork on the planet.

I have muscles! Okay, obviously we all have muscles. But mine are starting to show a little bit, at least when I'm working out. Silly vanity has kept me in t-shirts for my classes at the gym. But I decided today to wear a tank top, because I've noticed that other women wear them and I can see their muscles, and it is kind of inspiring. So today I got to see my arm muscles while doing an interval class. And it was awesome. That is all. Enter me in the dork olympics.

About food. Jo-Lynne has been sharing her and her family's journey to change the way they eat and it is fascinating stuff. I like reading her posts because she keeps it real. She tells us what is hard and what is easy and her misconceptions about eating well and it is just so real and I like it. And maybe I'll start making some changes. Because Jo-Lynne has taught me that it can be done and starting small is okay.

Finally, I'm super excited that Harry Potter comes out tomorrow and that I will get to see it for free. Also, The Time-Traveler's Wife comes out next month, and I'm pretty sure I will use the birthday angle to make Husband see it with me. Also, new books coming out this month and next have me more excited than is sensible.

Monday Mash

Hello. This is one of those posts Husband hates, but I can't stand the blog silence one day longer. So you're about to be bombarded with some ho-hum content. Don't say I didn't warn you.

My new bathing suit top came in! Yippee! I got to try it out yesterday and I love it. It looks great on me (sorry for bragging) and it fits well and the straps don't fall down. I felt hot in it! So call it a success.

Now for something less positive. I am a forgetful moron sometimes. I had to buy some grocery items yesterday, as well as a couple household items. I went to Target because they had yogurt and sunscreen on sale and I had coupons for said items. I was kidless for the trip (alleluia, thank you Lord!) and spent some time wandering before tackling the list. When I finally made it to the checkout, I got so distracted making sure I used "blow" money for some items and "food" money for other items that I forgot to use my coupons. D'oh. Also, I have some super cute reusable bags from Land's End. But I keep forgetting to put them in my car and actually use them. Double D'oh. So instead of saving money and the earth, I spent an extra $1.80 and used more plastic bags.

Why is sunscreen so expensive anyway?

I think the heat is melting brain cells. It was 104 yesterday, and it was not the first day of that kind of heat. I still love Texas though.

Go Read Elsewhere

As usual, my blogging well is running dry. I just don't have a lot to share these days I guess. So, today I'm going to send you to a few other places. Enjoy!

Jo-Lynne has a great post about the efforts she is making to improve her family's eating habits. As I told her in the comments, I'm at the stage where I know we need to make some changes, but I'm also in complete denial. Does anyone else find it infuriating that the food that is the best for us is often expensive and difficult to find?

Stuff Christians Like is a funny read most days. But also a place that can catch you unexpectedly and make you think. After what I wrote this week on NFP, reading this post was just what I needed.

MommyMaria is putting all of herself out there in a bid to change her life. Go read and be inspired.

Finally, Darcie and her husband have come up with an idea that I know we could all think of one or two reasons to use.

Happy reading!

Not There Yet

I have been writing this post in my head for days, but have had a hard time getting to the draft stage. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm going to attempt to write it and publish it anyway.

I feel like I should start with a disclaimer, which is probably not a good sign. First, I might overshare here, and I'm sorry. Second, I'm going to be talking about NFP and our journey. I welcome comments and questions that are respectful and intended to further a conversation. I do not welcome comments that are rude, disrespectful and so on. Third, I pray that what I say is not hurtful to my readers (especially IRL friends) that struggle with infertility. I do not mean to belittle your struggles at all.

Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's get started.

NFP is the common name for one method of natural (no hormones, no drugs, etcetera) fertility awareness. It is short for Natural Family Planning. The method involves taking your temperature daily and interpreting some more personal signs of fertility. Husband and I have practiced NFP for the length of our marriage. Well, more accurately, have not used any form of artificial birth control for the length of our marriage. We didn't actually learn the method until our third child was born (hence three consecutive October birthdays).

We choose to use NFP for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is that we are faithful Catholics and we accept the authority of the Church in our lives. I realize that not every person, even every Catholic, is able to say this. I'm not here to preach to you, or change your mind. My words are not likely to do that. Second, I'm a healthy woman and have no desire to introduce artificial hormones to my body. I'm blessed that my body functions precisely as it should. I know that is not the case for far too many women. Third, we don't just accept the authority of the Church, but have come to an understanding of the reasoning behind these teachings and embrace them as true.

But this post is not even about all of that. This post is about how hard it sometimes is to do something, even when you know it is right and exactly what God wants for you.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light." Matthew 11: 28-30

That passage is a tough one to understand. I'm pretty sure I still don't fully understand it, and might never do so. But I think it is an essential passage for my life.

Sometimes I rail at God and want Him to know that I find nothing easy and light about being His child. This is certainly the case more days than not lately in terms of our family life. We are SO blessed to have had five healthy children. I have never lost a child through miscarriage. I know that I am the exception in that experience. But being that exception is not always easy. I am very aware of how easily my body accepts a pregnancy and kicks into gear to protect and grow a baby. And, well, sometimes I wish I wasn't so dang fertile.

Part of using NFP is abstaining from relations in a fertile period if we are not seeking pregnancy. Given my history, that can be a pretty long time. We are in a season where extreme caution is required. We do have serious reasons for postponing pregnancy (indefinitely at this point). Financially, we would put our whole family in danger with an unexpected pregnancy. Emotionally, we (and especially me) would be at a breaking point. Spiritually, I fear I would be even further from where God wants me. Our marraige would be strained by the demands of our family.

There is a misconception out there that once a couple comes to embrace NFP that they want a million kids and that they throw caution to the wind regarding their fertility. People think that we eagerly look for a positive sign every month. I guess this is true for some families. They have reached a point in their walk with God of complete surrender, I guess. But we are not there. We love each of our children and are grateful that we have been blessed beyond our imagining in our family. But we do not feel called to grow our family at this time.

This is where the hard part and the oversharing come into play. We're young, we've only been married eight years, and I've been pregnant five of them. Throw in nursing, and you find that my body has not been my own for a long time. So those brief windows when not pregnant and not nursing have been treasured. Are treasured currently. But. I'm young, I'm healthy, and my body seems to like pregnancy. So we chart the signs and we avoid each other. We carefully choose our moments. And lately it feels like the moments are far too infrequent.

NFP advocates like to tout the low divorce rate among couples who use it. I am happy about and take assurance in those positive statistics. But I want some reality too. I want people to talk about the struggles. The questions. The times when we question what we believe and feel burdened by our convictions. I think more of us should be telling others about the months that we feel like roommates more than spouses. I want to know what other couples are doing to keep their passion alive when their options are limited.

So I'm telling anyone who will listen. It is hard. There are days, weeks, months when you feel like you are surviving, not thriving. Real work is needed to grow and nurture a marriage in these circumstances (and any circumstances of course).

But, then you are blessed with that moment of clarity. That instant when you feel that you are right where God wants you to be, and that you are moving to an even better place in your journey. That moment when you get it, if only for a moment, when you read this:

"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8: 31-32

We're not there yet, or we might not stay there, but we're trying. And some days that is enough.