Sacrifices

Today I was at the Physical Therapist... getting my hips/pelvis/whatever-else-was-out Re-Aligned. I feel much more "even" now... :) and hopefully things will be less painful for the duration of this pregnancy if I just maintain with some exercises.

But anyway, the secretary says to me, "Oh this is your 3rd?" I said, "No, my 4th." Of course she proceeded to ask me my children's ages and when I told her (5 yrs, 3 yrs, almost 2 yrs) I heard about how "full my hands are" (this is a daily comment we Mom's hear folks, just FYI, find a new comment.)

I smiled. (I sometimes respond, "Yes, Full of love!!") but I just smiled. She was continuing on saying, "And this one is already giving you trouble?" I responded, "OR... my BODY is giving me trouble. This is a very small sacrifice for a very big gift. It's worth it."

Sacrifice...is not something our modern culture understands.

Sacrifice... what do you think of when you hear that word? When I stop and think about it, there are a lot, ok a LOT of small sacrifices, some large, that we make as parents for our children...that we make as a spouse for our husband/wife, that we make to help out friends and family... but also I think about the Ultimate Sacrifice.

Christ DIED on the CROSS for me. He was crucified for me. If HE asks me to have a 4th child... to have an 8th child...for that matter, despite the pain it may temporarily cause on my body, who am I to deny Him?

Once the pregnancy is over, I go back to feeling well again. Sure, if I'm completely and totally honest, I'd love to never be pregnant again. Unlike some women I know... ahem... you know who you are ;) I don't dance around and hop on and off the couch like a happy rabbit at 9 months pregnant and manage to just love every  minute of it. I do not like being pregnant. It is a sacrifice for me. Basically all 9 months are. (There are parts I like, obviously, feeling a new life moving around inside me!) but I think this sacrifice of uncomfortable pregnancies... especially compared to the ULTIMATE Sacrifice is so very worth it. It's such a small thing for the Lord to ask of me. There are people out there who are REALLY suffering... I look at the daily ins and outs and pains of pregnancy as a way to "offer up" that pain in prayer and sacrifice for the much more difficult challenges they are going through.

The Catechism of the Catholic church (ahhh how much do I love the wisdom of Christ's church here on earth!?) states that idea of the Gospels and Jesus' words where it says...
"The sacrifice of Jesus "for the sins of the whole world"⁴¹⁶expresses his loving communion with the Father. "The Father loves me, because I lay down my life", said the Lord, "[for] I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father."⁴¹⁷

It seems only natural then... if we are, as Christians, to be imitators of Christ... to lay down our lives (entirely, if needed) "so that the world may know that I love the Father." If being pregnant, if giving life, if allowing the Lord to work miracles through my body, (however painful) is what He asks of me.. seems the only answer to me, is to say Yes.

The Nativity Play

Each of our beautiful children starred in our homeschool co-op's first annual Nativity Cantata this year. We were all SO proud! J- Man was the 3rd Wise Man/King and delivered his line beautifully, "Let us go now and worship our King" and LadyBug was the prettiest Angel in the choir of Angels, and BabyBoy was a super cute little sheep! ;) haha. He actually STAYED with his shepherd too and didn't run off to Mama...what a good lil sheep! :)

We were so proud... Enjoy the pictures!

Shepherds and their sheep off to the right of the main stage area (Black fuzzy sheep in center is our B!)

The Kings circling around the audience as all sang, "We Three Kings..." J man proudly donning purple and carrying his Myrrh

The Kings deliver, J Man bows to the Christ child and gives his gift-- it was beautiful!

The Choir of all the beautiful little angels!

(Hard to spot, L is third from the left)

Most of the scene, plus "tech" in black coming out for a bow

Sheep and Shepherds on the left now... so. cute.

Very happy to be done acting- little shedding sheep running my way!

Our Wise Man! 

King and Angel

Our Three Wonderful children!

The Holy Spirit was truly present and we were honored to be a part of bringing the true meaning of Christmas to life this year...what fun!!! :)

Advent and the EPIC St.Nicholas Day

Well we're gearing up to welcome the Savior around here... we've been enjoying Holy Heroes "Advent Adventures" and also preparing for our homeschool co-op's Nativity play  next week! J is King #3 and has one line,... "Let us go now and worship our King." I'm pretty sure I'll cry. That's what pregnant hormonal mommas do anyway. L is an ANGEL and B is a sheep. BAAAAAA. Hopefully not the "lost sheep" but the good quiet sheep that stayed quietly near the manger... ha...ha... we'll see :)

Hubby is singing in a Christmas concert this Friday and then on Sunday it's the Crazy Cooke Cousins Christmas party HERE in my HOUSE!! Bound to be epic. Or at least fantastic. With minimal injuries. I think we're going to carol around the neighbor's houses...they would LOVE that!! We'll see. :)

December 6th was the Feast Day of St.Nicholas!! So the kids found their stockings filled by St.Nicholas that morning, they were pretty excited! We made a craft later in the day too.

Gold coins!!! Boy how much more exciting they were when they found out they were actually chocolate... ;) B got toy cars too.

J-Man, toy cars, St.Nick knows whats up.

Princess purse and jewels for the Princess! Man, that guy is good.

A tiny puppy, that when squeezed says, "I WUF YOU! WUFF! WUFF!" hilarious. He loved it.

The St.Nicholas day story has to get told. It's really funny.

I asked Hubby if we should take the idea of filling the kids stockings for St.Nicholas day, rather than Christmas. On Christmas day they are so occupied with the presents that they totally forget about the stockings anyway, so we agreed, good plan!

Then we forgot. Til about 10:30pm the EVE of the big day.

I laid down in bed and went, "Oh no." It was decided one of us better run to the 24 hr Walgreens, they have really great stocking stuffers anyway. So Michael says, "I'll go..." he had borrowed a zip car home from work that day. So he locks up the house, gets his zip car card or whatever, and off he goes. 

He gets home after ...I don't know...1/2 an hour? and I'm asleep (he told me to go ahead and sleep). Well, he was locked out. He'd taken the zip car so he didn't have our car with our keys! He texted me to let him in, and my phone was OFF. and in the living room. He called the home phone. I apparently didn't hear, which is very abnormal. He goes back in the car to stay warm, and sleeps a while.

Then at 1:30AM I am JOLTED awake by Three loud knocks on my bedroom window. I sit up, panicking. Look over to find my husband, who isn't there. I remember he left at like 10:30pm, think HUH!? and go looking for him. I didn't want to open the door to just ANYONE... but then I found my phone. And realized he was locked out. poor guy. 

Let's just say he's an amazing St.Nick. He not only got the most well loved gifts and treats, he even scared the crap outta me like some old man coming down my chimney would! ;o)