December 24, 2014

Tiny, Wonderful, Miraculous News

I feel like I need to start with a BIG Hello!, because it has been forever since I have been able to write!

Needless to say life has been full and very busy for us Bodians. But as I sit here on Christmas Eve (after I just did a sprint of last minute shopping at Walgreens, seriously who shops for gifts at Walgreens- muah!), I just had to pound out in 30 words or less my awe in God's compassion,  goodness, and generosity.

I don't know why I have spent so much time stressing about the perfect gift for each child and family member, when we have been given the most wonderful gift of all this Christmas.

*Hint*


My rather large belly is not just a result of constant eating in the last 4 months, but rather we have a new and precious babe cooking away in there! He or she is 17 (or 16 or 18- I have lost count!) weeks along. Though most days I feel I have the attack of swollen face and major growth of the behind gig going on, we couldn't be happier (and honestly scared out of our minds to how we will manage 5 little people between the 2 of us :). 

Merry Christmas friends and family!! May you truly feel the joy and awe of the Christ child today and tomorrow!

September 4, 2014

My Truth

Today Matt and I were texting back and forth and it reminded me of something so simple, yet so profound. 


Many times I believe a lie about myself, which causes me to live in that lie for an entire day or sometimes sadly an entire week. The lie could go something like this: You are a failure as a wife, you are not a good mother, you're fat, life is just too hard to please everyone, so why even try. As I write those lies out, I think Yuck! What lies! But when I am not rooted in God and His love, I believe them.  

How do we live in His truth? By claiming His truth. 

The truth is that I AM a good and loving wife and mother, God HAS made me beautiful and He, the creator of the universe, calls me His beloved. My life ISN'T about pleasing others, but ONLY about pleasing Him. 

The truth that runs day and night through my mind, spirit and heart cannot be rooted in my short comings and failures, but must be rooted in God's truth. 

And His truth is so very simple, yet SO amazing. I, Kristin Marie Loboda, am His daughter. I am loved. And out of His amazing love Jesus gave His life for me so that I could live in His glory. 

Today I am claiming and walking in God's truth, my truth. And I am praying that all who read this can do the same!

Walking in His Truth :). 

August 16, 2014

Feeding the hungry...

*Photo credit Angelina Arts*

As I woke up today to the cries of my babes yelling "I'm hungreeee!", I am profoundly made aware that as I make grilled cheese for breakfast (don't ask) that I am simply answering Jesus' call to:

  • Feed the hungry
  • To give drink to the thirsty
  • To clothe the naked
  • To harbour the harbourless
  • To ransom the captive

And then as I go about my minute by minute (or more realistically second by second!) work in the taking care of 4 littles that I CAN operate within the spiritual works of mercy: 

  • To instruct the ignorant 
  • To counsel the doubtful
  • To admonish sinners
  • To bear wrongs patiently - I need a lot of grace for this one!!
  • To forgive offense willingly
  • To comfort the afflicted 

What a beautiful and ever so challenging vocation that I have as mommy. Praying for all of you mommy's out there working within the trenches of His mercies and love!


"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning... " Lamentations 3: 22 

May 17, 2014

All will be well

Dan Lyons, a dear friend of ours, has lost his 5 year battle to cancer this morning. I have no doubt that he shot straight like an arrow to Heaven with Mary holding him and presenting him to Jesus. My heart is full of sadness and my eyes tears for his family and beloved wife at their loss of their amazing Dan. 

I had the honor of working with Dan at Ave Maria University in the department of Student Life. And whenever, and I mean every. single. time, Dan walked into a room it would automatically light up. His presence, bright smile, kind words, or funny joke always left me and anyone who was around feeling better about themselves. 

When I close my eyes and remember the many times I had conversations with Dan in my office or at a staff meeting my heart smiles with joy. As his friend he made me feel special, feel loved-- a feeling that I have never forgotten and continues to this very day each and every time I think of him. The thing is, though, I am one of thousands who feel this way about Dan and have been touched so deeply by his friendship. He is one of the truest testaments of being God's smile, God's love, and God's joy that I have ever encountered.  

My heart has been crying for weeks now as I have followed his story and fight with cancer. My friend Ann and I have been leaning on each other through texting and she put it so well this morning when she wrote to me: "So tragic and beautiful all mixed together." 

Dan has suffered so greatly with and through Jesus for over 5 years now and he has been such an inspiration to so, so many of us. But not only did Dan suffer, I have witnessed his wife Hanna (through her writings on their blog) fight and suffer with him. Though I have never met Hanna, she has selflessly made so many feel apart of Dan's battle through her words and pictures. Her example of true love and self sacrifice is one that I will never forget.  
Hanna and Dan Lyons
Dan and Hanna's motto throughout the last 5 years of their battle with his cancer has been "All Will Be Well". And now as the fight is over and Dan is with Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all the Saints and angels, all is truly well.

Dan Lyons, please pray for us.

May 15, 2014

Tea Time with Gracie Girl

It is with many pink and sparkly smiley faces that I have the pleasure of announcing that our Gracie girl is now 4 years of age! Our lil' chatter box has been talking about her birthday for the past 365 days, give or take a few, so we were all more than ready to celebrate when the day came. 

Da Gracie girl woke up to a decorated breakfast nook, then breakfast of her choice- Matt's famous egg n' a holes, affirmations from all of us, and a treasure hunt of gifts to find and open. 

*Sigh* The sleepy eyed look gets me every time. 

After her morning bliss it was on to her Princess Tea Party that I have been thinking about doing since ~oh I dunno know~ she was practically born! Four of her lil' friends and their moms joined us for this special tea party, in which I happily googled, planned, and shopped for weeks in order to create a most perfectly pink and girly atmosphere. When Grace walked in the doors to her party she was left speechless (*ahem* an extremely rare occasion) and just walked around looking and gawking at everything. In that moment the short 4 hours of sleep that I got the night before made it all worth it. 

A huge thanks to my mom who hosted the party at her beautiful home, cooked and decorated with me until 1 am and then was up and at em' an hour and half before all the girls and moms got there. Thanks mom!

Now onto an overload of photos, because I don't want to forget anything and because I have no sense of restraint when it comes to posting pics. 
Some Grammy love. 
Besties.
Cooking decorating. 
Necklace Making.
Tea Cup Painting. 
Cousin Mia
Dress Up Relay. 
Happy birthday, sweet Grace. 
Our family would not be the same without you. Your laughter, never ending talking, and dancing brighten all of our lives every single day!

May 1, 2014

Still celebrating Easter over here!

Oh Naples how we have missed thee!
Our lil' family had just the best time in our old stomping grounds for Easter break and I am not going to lie some (or a lot) of tears were shed when we had to come back home. 

I shared some of these pictures in my fav social media outlet, da Instagram, but just had to share here as well since we are still celebrating Easter! 
My happy place...
Really does it get any better than hanging out at the beach. Nope, I didn't think so.
Babe on the beach!
After she got over her fear of the sand for the 100th time, her favorite thing to do was to give me the gift of sand, which was the gift that kept on giving and giving...and giving. 
My other babe on the beach!
The three biggers and I took a long mile walk on the shore and Gracie carefully found and picked up each and every shell that is in this here starfish sand toy. The shells now still remain one of her most dearest treasures. 
Surfer dudes. 
Love this view...
Her cuteness, it gets me every time. 
Me and my #4 chick. 
Crazy's on the beach. 
Nothing better than when he is happy. 
Da boys. 
Isaiah loves to be styling and this hat hit just the right spot for him. 
The Easter bunny generiously spent 5 dollars in what turned out to make me curse over and over under my breath. $1 kites from Target. Don't buy one. Out of the 5 kites only one took flight. And thank God we got that one to fly without directions (thanks to YouTube and my patient husband).   
Hopie girl was a complete natural at the kite flying :). 
Seriously, this sea creature they found was CraZy.
Hope had her first French braids done by Aunt Katrin for Easter Mass.
Talk.About.Adorable. 

I fought hard for a girls pic and totally lost. 
The before Easter Mass Family picture, if only I had an after mass pic to follow up with-- I am sure it wouldn't have been quite as pretty!

April 20, 2014

He is Risen!

           Indeed He has Risen!



                 Happy Easter!!

April 4, 2014

Funnier :)!

No one hardly ever tells me I'm funny. And I mean ever more than hardly.
And I am fine with that. 

Really I promise, I am just fine with that. 

Now I may get chuckles here or there for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Or I may get a half laugh from someone because I can be purty ditzy when I get one drink in me (or no drinks, but who's counting), making my hair seem just a tad bit blonder than it already is. But the chuckles that I get are never full out laughs that would at all indicate that I am full of funniness. {But I mean heck my better half is lol funny enough for both of us, so I am more than covered.}

Well, just yesterday my funniness status changed and as annoying as this post may be because I continue to use all forms of the word fun, I just can't help myself from writing it.
So, Let me start at the beginning...

This week I went and got on The Frozen wagon and bought it for the kids via iTunes.  We all now refer to Grace as Elsa, Hopie as Anna, and Prince Hans as Prince poopie pants, of course all per Queen Graces' orders. 

Anywho, so we were watching Frozen and the scene with the character named Oaken came on. Oaken is the big guy with an accent who owns the "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna". Well, I started imitating Oaken saying in his accent: "Yoo hoo! Big summer blow out!" Now whenever I try to be goofy or sing at the top of my lungs my kids always say: "Stop Mooooommm." But this time my skills of impersonation just flew out of me as I nailed the character of the goliath Oaken and I got lots and lots of pure belly laughs from all of my kiddos. Of course that meant I milked it for all that it was worth and went on and on and on throughout the rest of the night talking like the big, jolly, rosy cheeked guy. 


I promise there is a punch line in here somewhere....

Well, the next day Isaiah came home from school with a paper he had written where he was required to use all of his spelling words. One of his spelling words was "funnier" and the sentence he wrote using that word was: No one is funnier than my mom.

Yes, you did read that right and in case you missed it he said: No one is funnier than my mom. 

Okay, I know right --- Awesome! The amount of joy and pride that this one sentence written by my 7 year old about me has nothing short of set my heart on cloud 12! Can I get a Yoo hoo! Someone really thinks I'm funny, even if he is only 7 (and a half)  and my own flesh 'n blood.

So that's the story... and let me tell you I am holding onto it for weeks to come :) :).  

This kid thinks I am funny.