April showers bring May flowers! We're finally in the month of May which means the temperature is rising and the sun is shining! It's been so lovely here seeing things develop into a vibrant green and flowers blossoming. May has also brought another wonderful thing...3rd trimester! Woohoo! It's so nice to finally be in the last stage. I can't believe there are only 3 months left!! Emma seems to be really excited as she's busy kicking and moving around. I'm constantly reminded of her presence with how active she is! I think she likes that fact. ;) Doesn't look like her pattern of sleep involves night time either. ;) I read a great chapter in "Your Labor of Love" book yesterday about sleeplessness. The authoress, Agnes Perry, talked about some religious orders that get up in the middle of the night to say prayers to Our Lord so that He is kept company at all hours. They also use this time to pray for poor sinners who may be committing sins during the hours of the night. She then compared this to expectant mothers saying that our sleeplessness, whether it be from restlessness, discomfort or frequent trips to the restroom ;), that we have the perfect opportunity to use this time wisely the same way these religious orders do. If we are going to be up and wide awake anyway, why not take the time to keep Our Lord company, remind Him we love Him and pray and offer up the discomfort in reparation for the the sins being committed at that time? I just love this idea! I often lay wide awake with nothing to do and getting myself all aggravated for not being able to fall asleep. Why not use it for something else? That's the beautiful thing about being a Catholic....these sacrifices can be used for a purpose, to grow in love of God and to help our neighbors...if we can do this, why waste a single sacrifice on selfish thoughts and being upset about it? I don't know about you, but I receive so much more consolation by thinking of what my sacrifices can do to help my soul and others get to Heaven rather than by thinking of how ridiculous the sacrifice is and how inconvenient it is.
What I'm looking forward to: Our summer vacation in June!! It's coming up so quickly and Thomas and I can hardly wait to fly out to NH for a week of lounging out at the coast with my family. I'm so excited to be in the area of Cape Cod again...one of my favorite spots! You just can't beat the quaint and beach cottage atmosphere with little shops and peaceful evening strolls along the coast. Isn't the rental house beautiful???
Big News in Kansas City: A child has been born! Maddie and Maarten's daughter, Marie Godelieve, a precious and sweet newborn. And now we also have a new member of the Catholic Church! May she always stay close to Our Lady and strive for holiness. Congratulations Maddie and Maarten, we love you!
Days to Remember: Last Saturday Thomas and I decided to have a fun day. We were in Kansas City and took advantage of the nice weather together with mini golfing, Sheridans for ice cream, arcade and then finished with a nice Italian restaurant for dinner and a movie at the drive-in theater. We had such a great time and felt like we were courting again! It's so nice to do that every once in a while!
I hope everyone is having a happy and beautiful Spring. :) Today sure is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the weather...
Looks like Thomas and I are off to the park to play some croquet! Enjoy your day. :)
