7 Quick Takes (#52)



Linking up with Cari, Author of Pope Awesome and Other Stories, for this weeks 7 Takes!

My brand new squishy delicious niece was born yesterday morning!!!  Lucy Ryann was born on her due date at 9:40 in the morning.  I'm so happy for Nicole that she is no longer pregnant!  And major kudos for the 100% natural delivery - no drugs...again (she did a drug-free delivery with the twins as well!!)


The twins are going to be all the entertainment this little girl can handle.


Elena got so excited she asked if she could go play with the baby.  I told her the plane tickets cost too much money and she said, "No mom, look at all the money in your money jar!"

We did just visit our cousins a month ago.  I put a few photos on Facebook, but here are some pics of our visit with family!

We gathered our family from 4 different states (Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas) for the 2nd anniversary of my mom's death, and we did exactly what she would have expected us to: We drank a toast to her!






Seriously - they are as tall as a human gets.  It was ridiculous.  And I felt claustrophobic all week.

My Goddaughter Audrey!! 

Annual Lobster Feast - a Nova Scotian thing



Instead of finishing his summer reading, Gavin built them a fort and then hid from his parents in it with Elena







It was a good trip and now I'm ready to go home and visit again!  

I am participating in another Jesse Tree Swap this year.  Last year was a nightmare.  I crocheted tiny little swords and anvils and it took WEEKS!!  This year, I saw that the Stump and Sprout were still available and jumped on it.  It took a whopping 2 hours!

While I read a book in front of the fire, Jason saws 2 pieces of firewood into tiny little circle ornaments.  He drilled a hole through the top for the string, and made a small angled hole in the bottom (not all the way through) to hold the "sprout".  I bought an ornate leaf thingy from Hobby Lobby and tore it apart to attach sprouts to the wood.


And seriously - that was IT!!  It took a few more minutes to attach the string.  But 2 hours max.  I might get around to writing Isaiah 11:1-2 on the back as well.


Isaiah 11:1-2

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Peaceful Kingdom

11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might,
    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Jesse Tree - Isaiah 11:1-2

Ever since I gave up Facebook, dinner has been on the table by 6 every night.  It is magical.  Last night we had my brand new favorite meal.  We had it when we visited friends for dinner a couple weeks ago and now it is a Gale Household staple!

Creole Red Beans and Rice with Cunapes
(Of course I don't have one picture because it gets eaten so fast - I'll get photos tonight and add them!)

Ingredients:
1 cup dry red beans
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth
6 slices bacon
Creole Seasoning (from Allrecipes)0

Directions:
1) The day before, soak the beans in warm water on the counter overnight.  The next morning, rinse the beans thoroughly and soak again.  At least an hour before you want to eat, boil water and cook the beans for about an hour.
2) Pour the broth and rice (rinsed) in a pot and bring to a boil, put the cover on and allow steam to come out and cook for 20 minutes.
3) Bake the bacon in the oven at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Crumble.

Serve the red beans and rice with the creole seasoning poured on top and crumbled bacon.  Serve with cuñapés.

Cuñapé

Ingredients:
8oz round of queso fresco grated
1 cup Yuca Harina (tapioca starch)
Salt to taste
~1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Stir ingredients together adding milk only as needed to get a dough (but not too wet).  Form balls and push your finger in the bottom to create an indent (will help them not stick to the pan).  Bake at 375 for 15-25 minutes.  This depends completely on your oven but they should look like this when done:

Credit: Wiki - "Cheese Bun"

And go read The Origins of Cunape in the comments over here: http://www.boliviabella.com/cunape-cheese-bread-balls.html.  I felt like I was in 5th grade all over again when I read it *snicker*


We only have one more soccer game before the end of the season!

 This was from our last practice of the season last night.  That was the first time Leo actively tried to engage with the ball.  And the only...

He usually spends his time on the field being silly

Not paying attention 

Or stuck in the imagination world of a 5 year old
He is certain this red jersey makes him an official Power Ranger.

One time during a game, the ball hit his foot and went straight to his teammate who kicked it in the goal.  We whooped and hollered like he won the Olympics hoping that he would finally understand the concept.  

Maybe he can get a Lego scholarship???


Awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!




Here is what the other children do during Leo's practices/games:






Hey - I'm just doing my part to encourage other families to have lots of children...

For more Quick Takes, visit Cari!

WWRW - C.S. Lewis


Okay - so the kids are reading a whole lotta nuthin.  I picked up 10 awesome books from the library and we read them the first two days we got home and then they lost interest.  I am really looking forward to reading next to my children instead of reading everything to them!

But let's just skip to the awesome stuff I have been reading.  We'll start with the one that has taken me the longest but is the most awesome:


I started this one on recommendation by a friend after I told him about the charismatic community (aka cult) I grew up in.  This book was amazing.  But you won't believe me that I think it is amazing if you hear how long it has taken me to read it...since January!  Walking past this book every day for 10 months is the reason why I gave up Facebook!!

I am at the end and loved every bit of this book.  Especially after visiting Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje in college.  And the way the author writes the book from the perspective of a doubting Thomas makes it so much more interesting.  It is also really interesting to learn more of the Bosnian war after having driven through the areas with evidence of bombings still.  I plan on finishing this one right after:


This is a true love story about a self-professed "Pagan" couple in the 40s and 50s who pledge to live a life out at sea on a sailboat free from time, worry, obligation and responsible only for keeping their love intact.  Before they shove off for sea, they spend a couple years at Oxford studying, during the same period that C.S. Lewis is a professor there.

It is finally cold enough for a fire in Texas!!!

I am on the last 20 pages and will finish this one in less than a week.  Just put down the 50 Shades of Grey and read a REAL love story!!!  Scratch that - never pick up 50 Shades of Grey to begin with...


And lastly - the book I finished right after I swore off Facebook (and with the most perfect timing),

Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

All I have to say about this one is that it came at exactly the right time.  If I wasn't sure I wanted to quit Facebook before I read it, I sure as hell am now!!!  I think this will be a good book to re-read each Lent.  It is quick and really interesting.

I blame the last two books on the dark and sad post from yesterday.  It is impossible to read books that are this deep and introspective without getting all weird!! But hopefully this post is a little lighter :)


Now head over to Jessica's blog, Housewifepice to see what everyone else is getting into.  Jessica's book looks really interesting!!!

A special birthday coming up next

Warning: this is not a funny post.  But the pictures at the end are!!

Whenever October hits, I am always reminded of someone I never had the chance to meet: 

My brother Kevin

He was only 9 years old when he was hit by a truck and killed.  It was so sudden and tragic that I'm not really sure how my mom survived it.  Somehow she did.

A couple months ago, my Uncle sent me this adorable photo of Kevin as a baby.  He would have turned 43 years old next week.

(I think his chin and cheeks resemble Roman just a little!)

There is something very different about a family that has experienced a loss like this.  I think that a lot of people spend time worrying about life and death, especially parents.  But a family that can put a face and a name to tragedy, and a time, and an age...well, it is just different.  Whenever I meet a woman who tells me about all her grown children, I am always surprised to hear that they are all alive, and I am less surprised to hear if she has lost a child.  It should probably be the other way around??

My oldest brother Steve was 12 years old when Kevin died and my sister was 6.  I just can't imagine.  Whenever I see Roman and Leo playing together, I immediately think of Steve and Kevin.  The connection I draw isn't because I worry that something will happen to one of them.  I just think about the relationship my brothers must have had and how long they had spent every single day of their lives together.  I think of my own children and husband in a much more temporary way, always surprised that I get another day with them.  Especially in October around Kevin's birthday.  

The reason I started thinking about it so heavily this month was because the connection between Leo and Roman is so strong right now.  Now that Roman is so verbal, I know exactly how many times a day he thinks about Leo.  The first person Roman asks for when he wakes up is "Wo".  And when he goes to bed at night, he always asks where "Wo" is.  And they are only 5 years old and 20 month old!  


The other day I was working in the den with the door shut and Roman was trying to get in there to see me.  When he asked Jason, he just told him to leave Momma alone and go play.  So Roman went into the playroom and asked Leo, "Momma?  Momma?"  And Leo said, "Okay little buddy!  C'mon!" and the next thing I knew the door to the den flew open.  


Leo takes his role as big brother very seriously.  He even attached a baby doll stroller to the back of his bike so Roman can ride around the house.  







I don't mean for this to be a dark or creepy post (even though it it turning into one...especially with all the creepy Nursery Rhymes my kids are singing right now).  It is just something that I think about all the time.  And I don't really think about it with Elena - mostly just Leo and Roman.  And even though these children don't belong to me, they belong to God, I really hope He doesn't have any plans to take any of them early.  I think I'll probably view their 10th birthdays as major milestones.  

I am fairly sure that this is a result of Kevin's death (a person I never even met!), but I wonder if other people see their kids the same way because we are all so worried about something happening to our children??
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