Daddy Update

(Because yes, this awesome man’s my “daddy.”)

(I am 46 and he is 88 and he will always be my daddy.)

The little boy in this photo is now six feet tall. Craziness!

I would like to thank you, dear readers, again & again & with all my heart, for the prayers you are offering for my father. Certainly “cancer” is not the most upbeat of topics, but hey, what’s the point of my writing it all down if I can’t speak to the things that matter most?

This in addition to those Angela stories.

When I called my dad on Thursday night—the same day he received the prognosis—he was as cheerful as always. He had gone for a walk and was having a beer; he was watching the news; he was starting supper. That’s my daddy. He’s 88 and still going strong—still cooking up meals for my mom & my brother; still taking tireless care of the home I grew up in.

My children look up to their grandpa!

Though granted, he’s slowing down a bit.

Dad told me that his first appointment is not until May 30th. From the sounds of it, all four of my beautiful sisters will all be accompanying him! This gives me, the youngest chick and farthest daughter, great comfort. We will know more then about the lump that was taken from his chest; will know more then about how to proceed.

(Speaking in medical terms, that is.)

(Because spiritually, we have begun.)

Love is Everything

Early this morning I dropped my boys off at school. “Only one week to go!” 15-year-old Joe remarked. “And then I start my driver’s training.” As we pulled up to the entrance, my eyes were drawn to a girl on the sidewalk. In most every way, she looked like the other female students—standard white polo, navy skirt—but in one distinct way, she was very different.

She was bald, for the most part, with only a few blond strands framing her pretty face.

“Oh my gosh,” I said. “She must have cancer.” My sons murmured something in return and I turned to face my oldest directly. “Do you ever talk to her?” I asked him.

“No,” he replied. “I don’t really know her.”

“Well,” I said, “that young lady has a tough row to hoe. If you boys catch her eye today, give her a nice smile. I mean it! You’re handsome when you smile. It warms the heart.”

“Offer it up for Grandpa,” I added, and with those last five words, I started to cry.



You see, we got the news yesterday that my dad has cancer. We don’t know very much at this point, only that the results from a biopsied lump came back positive. He will be seeing several doctors today and our family will go on from there...one day a time. 

Will you please pray for my father, George? He has been a faithful servant all his life—so cheerful, so kind, so very hardworking—and he’s been the very best husband, dad & grandpa ever. As a Catholic deacon, he has baptized several of my children, and his humble & heartfelt homilies were among my favorites.

(Of course, I’m pretty biased there.)

God’s strength to pilot me.

God’s might to uphold me.

God’s wisdom to guide me.

God’s eye to see before me.

— From The Lorica of St. Patrick

 
Ss. Patrick and Peregrine, pray for us. 
Ss. George and Edward, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us. 

“The Interruptions ARE your Day”

This came to me via my dear friend, Tina. It blessed my day and I’m fairly certain…

It will bless yours, too.

“Where You Water It”

PS. Those “interruptions” include bickering siblings.

And tattling tots.

And sticky spoons.

And ants.

(Damn ants.)

Playing Catch-Up

...today after our trip to North Dakota and you know what?



It was totally worth it.



(Baby Francis, shown here on Grandma & Grandpa's living room floor, agrees wholeheartedly.)

It was the shortest and sweetest of trips--just Cate, Felicity, Francis & me--arriving at 4 p.m. on Sunday and getting back to the Cities just 24 hours later. We would have stayed up there longer but we had our AHG award ceremony on Monday night and needed to be back for that. 

Plus I'm always, like, worried that my husband will forget to feed the kids.

So, yeah! Today is crazy lady laundry day and all that but before I go...

LOOK! 

The girls and I noticed for the first time ever that the GIANTS sunflower seeds factory is located RIGHT OUTSIDE OF MY HOMETOWN. 

Don't believe me?

So that was totally cool and my inner homeschooling geek was thinking, I am so planning a field trip the next time that we're home!

(Wanna come?) 

I love going home, for what it's worth.

It's worth a lot, you know?

Happy Mother’s Day!

I hope you have (had? are having?) an awesome day!

This was the family photo that we took last night, minus the 3-year-old who passed out in front of the movie. We celebrated Mother’s Day Eve because, on a whim and in a fit of inspiration, I decided yesterday to drive up to North Dakota today.

(Don’t tell my mom! I’m surprising her for Mother’s Day.) 

(And a good thing, too, because I forgot to get a card in the mail.)

So! It is to your advantage that I’m announced the giveaway winner today! Please don’t be discouraged by the fact that there is only one winner. I am, after all, a poor little church mouse these days but I did pray hard for all of your intentions this morning. I thought about our strengths and weaknesses as mothers, especially the ones that you listed in the comment section, and I offered up our pride & our perfectionism…our laziness & our fear.

(Those would be the weaknesses.)

(I also thanked God for all of our strengths.)

Okay! I gotta get this giveaway show on the road so that I can get my own self on the road. It’s a quick impromptu trip, as I’ve said—just Cate, Felicity, Francis and me—but still, I’ve gotta pack diapers & wipes & a toothbrush & jammies.

And maybe my iPad.

To play Candy Crush at the rest stops.

Enough of all this yakking already! The winner of my Mother’s Day giveaway is…

~ Bridget M. ! ~

Shoot me an email, Bridget, just as soon as you’re able! But please, and this goes for all of you, do have a beautiful Mother’s Day first.

Ciao!

7 Quick Takes Friday

(Vol. XXXII for Me)

The Mother’s Day Giveaway Edition

--- 1 ---

Happy Almost Mother’s Day! In honor of each and every over-worked mother out there (you know who you are) I am dedicating this Quick Takes post to you. Got kids? You’re a hero.

Plus, you know, without them how would we get our laughs?

--- 2 ---

Like, the other day we went out for a walk. We passed a street with a “No Outlet” sign and one of the kids asked what that meant.

“It’s a dead end,” I told her.

“Oh!” she replied. “I thought it meant, like, there was no plug-in.”

I laughed. “No charging your cell phone down there!” I said.

--- 3 ---

Guess what? 4-month-old Francis has started giggling!



(Cheesy video edits warning.)

--- 4 ---

I asked my two teenaged sons if they knew what day Sunday was. They blinked at me. Neither of them had a clue.

“I’ll give you a hint,” I told them. “It starts with Mother’s and ends with Day.” This information made them squirm, of course. They knew full WELL that something was coming.

A poem, I told them.  7 stanzas. Get to work.

(The things these boys do for extra computer time.)

--- 5 ---

Conversely, my three little girls have been busy for days, making cards and designing envelopes and hanging “Do not disturb!” signs on their door.

It’s a Mars/Venus thing.

--- 6 ---

Here’s a fun question for you: if you were to describe yourself with two words and two words only, what would they be? Going with sort of a strength/weakness theme, mine would be Sassy Distractedness.

As in, I like to have fun. Fun! Fun! Fun! 

As in, I like to have fun but do I get stuff done?

(Do not disturb!)

(I’m a work-in-progress.)

--- 7 ---

Alright. Here’s the very best part of this post. I would like to make a gift to you--two gifts, actually, if you play along. The first is a holy hour offered for your intentions. I’ll be making it on Mother’s Day--how providential!

The second is a care package sent to one lucky winner. It will have chocolate, of course, and a bag of  GIANTS sunflower seeds because, deep down, I’m a North Dakota girl.

It will have a copy of  this book. It will have lots of love tucked in.

You deserve it, Momma! Just leave a comment telling me your two words (see Quick Take Number 6) because, you know, we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses.

It’s what makes us mommas us.

* * *

Update: I need to close comments at midnight on Saturday! I'll explain later. Thanks for understanding!!

Happy Almost Mother's Day! Giveaway ends on Sunday Saturday at midnight with the winner announced on Monday by noon.

Oh, and for more Quick Takes, visit  Jen!