March's Joys (a bit late - yes its a trend!)

March's Joys, Gifts, Blessings

3-1-2013 - 3 gifts at 3 PM

1. Chaplet of Divine Mercy

2. nap time

3. 3 PM on Good Friday

3-2-2013 - 3 gifts green

1. sod in a box for the home show - a bit of green in a dreary winter

2. our St. Patrick's Day shirts worn all year long

3. newly sprouted tomato plants

3-3-2013 - 3 gifts worn

1. a smile

2. wedding ring - though I can't wear mine right now

3. a skit that belonged to Grandma Bestgen

3-4-2013 - 3 gifts hard to give thanks for

1. Darren working at CAT

2. Lenten sacrifices

3. certain family members

3-5-2013 - 3 gifts found

1. a great saint quote

2. robin's egg shells in spring

3. a rare book bought online

3-6-2013 

a gift bend - an old tree still standing

a gift broken - the heart of a child, the chance to comfort

a gift beautiful - sunsets on the prairie

3-7-2013 - 3 gifts in the kitchen

1. someone else cooking

2. cooperation from the family

3. a new cookbook

3-8-2013 - 3 gifts loud

1. my children

2. branding time - only because I know how much it means to Darren

3. my favorite song turned up

3-9-2013 - 3 gifts carved

1. a good roast for supper

2. Stephen's homemade arrow

3. snow forts made by the boys

3-10-2013 - 3 gifts in Christ

1. examples to live by

2. redemption

3. His Mystical Body

3-11-2013 - 3 gifts read

1. herbal information to heal my family

2. Kindle books in the ER

3. encouraging emails from friends

3-12-2013 

a gift in wind - seriously? maybe a slight breeze

a gift in water - skipping rocks

a gift in white -  snow falling peacefully down

3-13-2013 - 3 gifts round

1. snowballs flying through the air

2. shortbread cookies

3. eyes full of wonder

3-14-2013 - 3 gifts found in silence

1. deep breathing

2. duh- silence itself

3. God speaking to your heart

3-15-2013 - 3 gifts given away

1. kisses

2. meals shared with others

3. hand-me-downs from others

3-16-2013 - 3 hard eucharisteos

1. trusting those who have hurt me

2. asking for and accepting help

3. forgiving knowing it will happen again

3-17-2013

a gift turned - pages of a new book

a gift folded - small hands in prayer

a gift hung - picture colored by Goddaughter (Taylor) to help me not throw up as much

3-18-2013 - 3 gifts red

1. cheeks of my hard-working boys after they shoveled the driveway

2. fresh fruit I'm craving

3. church shirts on my handsome boys

3-19-2013 - 3 gifts eaten

1. Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake

2. lunch out with Darren

3. snow peas

3-20-2013 - 3 gifts that make you laugh

1. finding the picture of Luke in his wig

2. Brech Earl's infectious laugh

3. telling the boys stories from my childhood

3-21-2013 

a gift salty - honey-roasted peanuts

a gift sweet - Easter candy opened early

a gift just right - bath with no interruptions

3-22-2013 - 3 gifts found in His word

1. reading the Psalms to Stephen - always refreshed by the Psalms

2. The Beatitudes

3. Matthew 6:21

3-23-2013 - 3 gifts found in women today

1. courage

2. knowledge

3. love

3-24-2013 - 3 gifts spoken

1. prayers as a family

2. "I love you," from the kids

3. a saved birthday message from my dad

3-25-2013

a gift sung - Gianna's simple song to me

a gift written - old journal entries

a gift painted - toes in the summer

3-26-2013 - 3 gifts almost gone

1. winter

2. Lent

3. morning sickness medication

3-27-2013 - 3 gifts redeemed

1. free shipping - I love free shipping

2. my sins - thanks to Jesus and confession

3. vacation days randomly used here and there

3-28-2013 - 3 gifts entwined

1. my hand in Darren's

2. love and sacrifice building off of each other

3. Domestic Church - where the world and the liturgy blend in harmony

3-29-2013 - 3 gifts of His promise

1. forgiveness

2. crosses to bear

3. sacraments

3-30-2013 - 3 gifts uncovered

1. missing sled buried under snow

2. patience during the hard times

3. an idea for Mother's Day from my family

3-31-2013

a gift heard - sung High Latin Mass

a gift held - my children

a gift hoped for - springtime before summer comes

Citywide Explorers

Remember when we were just Neighborhood Explorers?  Yesterday we drove around the city looking at different rivers and diversions.  While most people around here have lived through a flood every year of their lives - we, on the other hand, are excited for this is our first TRUE flooding experience.

 This is the field that was under water at the turn off to our neighborhood.  No more water.

This is "The Nile" as the boys call the water collected in the road ditch next to the interstate. 

 It looks deep and it takes up most of the road ditch.

 This is the only picture of the Red River I took. Usually the trees are NOT under water.  I believe it should be at its peak within a day or two.  They are saying it won't be as high as previously expected.  I think 37 feet is the new projected high.  That's still high enough.  We did drive over the river in a few other places.  They are all flooded and quite impressive.  There are dikes up all along the river.  These people are pros.  You can tell they know what they are doing.

 This is our sweet "little" Sheyenne River.  This is a stone's throw from our house.  You can see where it is spilling out into the diversion.  What a blessing the diversion is!

 This is also the Sheyenne River just down the road from us.

 Same story, different area of the river.

 This is a "to the west" picture of the same spot in the river as the picture above.

 This is the diversion right behind our house.  This was in the first picture of the Sheyenne River.

 The tree line is our neighborhood.

 This is the "stream" in our ditch.

We had a 70 degree day so our snow bank is ALMOST gone!  Yippee!!!

Goodnight, Sweet Jesus

I found a beautiful poem in an old missal for little children from the early 1920's.  I thought it was one of the sweetest poems I have ever read.

Goodnight, Sweet Jesus

Goodnight, sweet Jesus,
Guard us in sleep;
Our souls and bodies
In Thy love keep!

Waking or sleeping,
Keep us in sight;
Dear, gentle Savior,
Goodnight, Goodnight!

Goodnight, sweet Jesus,
Grant that each day,
Of our lives mortal
Thus pass away...

Thy Love e'er watching,
Guarding aright,
Dear, gentle Savior,
Goodnight, Goodnight!

Goodnight, sweet Jesus,
Goodnight, Goodnight!

Neighborhood Explorers

Exploring the great outdoors had to be done from a van today.  There is no way that my body is up to walking or herding children.  It was well worth the 1 mile drive (yes, only a mile) to see what was just beyond our neighborhood.

This is a bean field.  This is a bean field under water. 

 These are the swans in the water on that bean field.

Beautiful animals surprised by our van. 

 There they go to the other side of the road.

 That's a bean field island in the middle of the bean field lake.

 This is the other side of the road.  There were a TON of swans and other birds resting.

 The water goes on for a long ways!

 See that row of trees WAY over there?  That's our neighborhood.

 This is the corn field just to the south of our neighborhood.  There is a nice sized pond there too.

 This is across the county road at the turnoff to our neighborhood.

 This is on our side of the county road at the turn off.  This is actually fairly low compared to other ditches in the area.

 This is our front yard's "river".

And finally - a picture of what is left to melt in our front yard.  There is still probably a foot and a half maybe two left in some places.  Melt slowly dear snow, melt slowly!

Ten Years Old

Today is Stephen's 10th birthday.  The poor kid had to do school on his birthday.  He was not thrilled. 

Ten years ago I was in labor all day long.  I was not thrilled.  He is the only baby that was born in the night - close to 11 PM if I remember correctly.  I remember having Blase (who wasn't quite two yet) with Darren and I in the labor/delivery room in the morning because our babysitter couldn't come until after 1 PM. I think that's the only labor I watched ended up watching cartoons during.  I remember being exhausted and quite frustrated by the end of the afternoon.  It is a good thing I didn't know how much more I actually would have to labor before sweet Stephen would show his fuzzy little head.

On the other hand, Stephen was thrilled about going to Perpetual Adoration for an hour.

 

 

 It is becoming a fire hazard around here!

 He missed ONE candle.

A STAR WARS LEGO SET?!?

 He was reading his card from Grandma and Grandpa Bestgen.  He was told to buy some coin collecting materials with the money they sent.

 Lucky for Stephen his mom and dad were on the ball and bought some coin collecting folders.  Poor Stephen had to hand over his money before he even got to enjoy it.  The "treasure box" is very special.  It was given to Stephen's Uncle Mark by his Grandma and Papa Bestgen.  After Mark died, Mom gave the box to me for Stephen.  It has a collection of Wheat Pennies in it.  I've been saving it for this special boy for just a special birthday.  It seemed this was the one.

 Rex gave Stephen Angry Bird fruit snacks and a whoopee cushion.

 Gianna gave him Spiderman fruit snacks.  She was a bit upset he wasn't sharing RIGHT NOW.

 Carnivorous plants to control the insect population in the house.  (from Mom and Dad)

 Cormac gave him a 4-leaf clover growing set and gummy worms.

 Brech gave him a wallet for his money and Sweet Tarts.

 A coin collecting book from Dad and Mom.

 This was his "How do I pronounce this game's name?" face.  It is called Bonka Zonks Spiderman set.  It was from his Uncle Peter, Aunt Mauri, Bella and Jenna.  (Thanks for the gift and card!  The kids have enjoyed playing it.  Even Darren played a round.)

 MORE STAR WARS LEGOS??!!  You've got to be kidding me!! 

 A bb gun from Dad and Mom....'cause that's what you get when you turn 10 in this family.

Stephen has been into building things.  He now has his own hammer and tape measure which will come in handy to build the birdhouse and bird feeder.  Stephen "This is for the birds!" 

What a haul!  Stephen kept saying "This is just what I wanted," after he opened every present.

A big thank you to Grandpa and Grandma Gebes for the card and money.  Another thank you to Uncle Dirk, Aunt Twyla, Shelby, Taylor, and Tory for the card and money.  And yet another THANK YOU to Uncle John, Aunt Maria, and Baby for the card and holy card.

Community Helper

Darren and Blase spent some time on Saturday filling sandbags for Cass County and the upcoming flood season.  They have filled well over a million bags at that location in the last few weeks.  Blase had a great time.  There is talk that they might go help again.  I'd like to say Blase's favorite part was filling the sandbags, but I think it was the water bottles and flavored  pouches for them that were handed out.  He said they tasted great.  Good job, Blase!  Whatta helper!!

We had a Party

We said "good bye" to our helper on Thursday.  She's off on an adventure.  She'll be back in November so we may see her again at that point.  She was a WONDERFUL mother's helper and the kids LOVED her, especially Brech Earl.  I'm not sure how he will function without her coming to see him two days a week.

We had a cake party at lunch.  It was yummy.  Stephen has requested one for his birthday (minus the pink frosting).  As you can see from the picture - Gianna wanted cake and Cormac wanted cake.  Goofy kids!

We wish Sara a blessed time on her adventure.  She'll be seeing the Eastern Coast, working as a nanny.  Sounds like a blast!  God bless you, Sara!

HAPPY SPRING....HA!

 "Happy Easter" the rabbit says.  Colorful eggs still decorate our windows.  Why?

Well, because it's still gloomy around here.

Just because we didn't have enough snow on the ground already, we received another 12-14" of snow since yesterday.  Happy spring!  Happy new life sprouting - everywhere but here today!

At least the snow looks pretty in the yard.  That's about all the positive remarks I'm sure you will hear someone say up here.  Oh, and the snow day that some of the kids are getting.  (Not my kids of course!)