What I Wore Sunday

*Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple*

Happy, happy Lord's day!

- Last night we welcomed in the Lord's day with our great friends Laura and Travis, who so kindly hosted us and all our babes. Laura is a dear friend from College and she and Travis have 3 adorable littles, one being my sweet Godson whom I just love to pieces. 

Laura with the Lord's day candle and prayers.

- So last night was awesome, but this morning not quite as dreamy... Before the clock even struck 9am I had already lost my cool with one particular blonde haired 5 year old boy two and a half different times. Matt like always took it in stride, while filling in the gaps during my rants on sitting still while I put sunscreen on and eating the breakfast that I slaved over. Later though, when things had settled down, my Matthew encouraged me to make a commitment to take specific time to pray every day this week, because as he said: "Well, it could only help you."  Being the incredibly nice man that he is, he said this comment oh so kindly and lovingly to me. But if I were him I would have probably said something like this: "Girl, you really need to pull your sh** together, so please start praying for some serious grace from our good Lord." 

Well, then again at Mass tonight our priest challenged the whole congregation to set aside daily time to pray. Thus, I am taking this as God gently tugging at me to come to him at the start of my morning each day this week. 

Pray for me, as I will for you!

- The boys have been kayaking all day with my Dad, Uncle Nate, and Aunt Mags, so it has just been the girls and us. I wish I could say we spent the whole day at the pool and on our bikes, but instead we were camped out at carmax looking for my new, hot, mom mobile. 

The girls were good for about the first 2 hours, but lo and behold when they hit melt down the ENTIRE car lot knew about it, which seemed make Mr. chatterbox (our salesman) feel the need to draw out the process even longer. We barely made it out of there before I resorted to putting plugs in my ears. Next week when we go back to check out the Toyota Sienna that is being transferred from Clearwater, I will be bringing lots of snacks and crossing my fingers that it will be chatty pants day off. (See, there again my need for prayer at its best!) 

Hope y'all have a great week!

Sanctifying Sunday, Sunday Best, WIWS, Birthday Blog-- or whatever!

I can't help but love how he contributes to my blogo! He said he wanted to write something to make me laugh on my birthday, which really is so thoughtful of him. 

But before I turn it over to my Matt, just one little FYI that I thought you should be aware of. 

He did ask  me: "Do you think people are going to think I am funny or really weird for writing this." 

I had no answer for him. 

Now for da man of the hour (or 3.5 minutes, however long it takes you to read this)...

This ol' move to TizzyTampa (thats the Bronx coming out of me, which I'll push it back in, but someday I'll video my shimmy or shake depending on if you're from the Bronx or Harlem--- trying to keep ya in suspense) has got us crazy. Butt (I LUV using the the wrong "but"), I'm taking time out to hook up for Saturday or Sunday best or WIWS.

The deets on my apparel

Hat: Converse, Target 4 yrs ago. LUV hats and I'm simply fine with being the old dad w 4 kids trying to hold on to my converse hat. I'm not giving it up, BAM! Nor my red vans BOOM! But, I did by a wild hat from polo 70% off that may not fly to well with the wifey- I'll keep ya posted. 

Glasses: No name. Lost my favorite pair of glasses, which Kristin consequently HATED.  I tried to remind her that as Disciples of Christ we should not hate.  Well, the old glasses are floating somewhere with cement shoes in the Gulf of Mexico. These new suckas were $75 bucks. I walked in, told the optometrist my wife off'd my fab pair and he pulled this box out of the garbage and said pick one & I'll put your lenses in & they're yours for $75. I asked if there was a warranty and he laughed.  

Polo TShirt: 2XL at only 11.99. I waked into Ambrcrombie and Finchbigots and the guy who weighed a buck ten soak n' wet (my rt leg weighs more than that on a diet) informs me right off the bat, before I have even crossed through the threshold of the store, that "we don't carry your size." Whhhhooa. Maybe I should call my lawyer and y'all be whooping it up at Ambercrombie and Matt!  HAAAAHAAAAHaHAhizzyha.

Beard: Super trimmed up since last week.  I LUV it long, but Isaiah said that I looked like the guy on the side of the road asking for money the other day.  I took his words as a compliment. However, my poor brother on the side of the road held a sign that said, "will work for food."  My sign would have been like my other friend at another intersection in Tampa that says, "I'm not going to lie- I need a beer."  I give that guy $20.  It's HOT down here in Florida.

Now onto Some Sunday Meat: 

Thus says the LORD:

I will pour out on the house of David

and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem

a spirit of grace and petition;

and they shall look on him whom they have pierced (also translated as THRUST THREW),

and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,

and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.

From the Minor Prophet Zechariah.  

Jesus is close to us. So close to us. 
He opens himself up to be close to us so that we can identify with him and others.  It's tempting for me to hit auto pilot when I hear: "Thus says The Lord." Often times I am sitting at Church thinking: "I've heard this before...." Well, I have heard it, but understanding it is completely different! Jesus' Incarnation puts Him close to our hearts. One translation, as I noted above, is rendered "Thrust threw".  I think of all the people I know (knew and will meet someday) who have been "thrust threw"and my heart breaks. But, I'm sure God's heart breaks more..... And, Jesus knows--- he really, REALLY knows how excruciatingly painful it is to be "Thrust threw."

We have a God who became fully human and knows the pain to lose a first born child-- Jesus and us.  We have a personal God who knows the pain of betrayal- by others, by ourselves, our emotions, our bodies....

He's really closer than we think. 

Shifting gears again to some photo commentary:

The kiddos were starving and the table was set and they were soaked from swimming. So, I had to change 5 kids by my lonesome (super easy by way of this deficient daddy). I am the first born and see everything as a competition.  Unfortunately the picture above can show how my determination can be a little reckless.  I was changing my God-Daughter out of her wet suit (which why the heck is that SO HARD) and she was crying when I was taking her swim top off: "You're hurting me, you're hurting me!"  I responded: "Mia, since you are part of this family, you've simple got be tough." Well, look closely at the pic above. She did have a legit claim against me.  A little hair will grow back, right? No big deal.  

I seriously almost burnt my face off taking this pic.  This is a breakfast pizza that I made for dinner as the kids were swimming. G-Free. That's all I can tell you. I'm like a mad scientist in the kitchen and I don't measure shat.  Just a big dose of LUV.  

Isaiah said: "This is awesome dad. Thanks!" Gotta love a thankful heart. 

That's all he wrote folks! Till next time- Happy Birthday, Babe.  

Sunday Best

This week our darn packing up the house has kept most my free time pretty much all tied up, but of course I had to take a break from the boxes and make it for Grace's Link Up!

For those that don't see me on a day to day basis, it must be said that I am the type of person that if I like something, I wear it EVERY single day for like 5 years straight. Really, I am not exaggerating! Well, this here skirt (a Ross super buy) has been worn daily pretty much for the last week and today for my Mass. (I am thinking it may need to be thrown in the wash tonight, but most likely my lazy bones will give it one last whirl tomorrow).  

Kiddos Behavior: 
Matt's parents and the cousins were with us today for Mass, which made our kids behave (yet again) super good. I just love having a big crew of Loboda's taking up the entire row at Mass and I so wish they all could be here every Sunday. However, with their abode residing in Cleveland the possibility of that is Nada. But, I am still hopeful that the last two Sundays are a clear sign that we have crossed over into a new kids-somewhat-well-behaved-for-Church zone. I am cheers-ing to that tonight and to the possibility of a lot less headaches on Sundays. 

Isaiah and Isaac: B+ (I don't know, just because).
Grace: B (Grace was still Grace, but she was super tired, so I am giving her an extra half a point). 
Hope: A- (The minus is for chomping on my hair INSTEAD OF the 10 teething toys and necklace that I brought). 

Matt has been wanting to write again for Sanctifying Sunday's, but alas I keep working him too hard and he is already passed at only 9pm. But since I know y'all have been missing him, here is a special tribute of his Sunday Best. 

 Working it. 

 His flips. 

Do you find those as funny as I do, probably not, but still just had to post. 

Sunday Thoughts: 

Well, if I am being honest here, I can not even recall the readings for today. Uggh, so embarrassing. But between holding a tired Grace, nursing Hope, and telling Isaiah to put the bulletin DOWN, I just missed them. (Don't worry, after this I will be googling them to refresh my non-rembering brain.) But one thing that really hit me today was something Dad Loboda told me. He said: "We have to always remember that God does not make trash." He said this, of course, in context to what we we were talking about and it has stuck with me all day. Such a good reminder that God only makes beautiful, beautiful people, which I pray I remember the next time someone really ticks me off. 

Praying your Sunday was great! Go and visit Grace for more.

Sunday Best

Linking up with Grace@ Camppatton!!

I sincerely mean this when I say that my Sunday is not complete until I have seen what she (Grace) has worn and how her kids have behaved, so it is only appropriate that she now has this linkup!

As far as the clothes, this thrown together original (HA!) outfit has been in my closet for so long that I don't even remember where some of the items came from.

But just for the sake of the linkup, here is what I do know:
Skirt: Target, bought 4 years ago. Is it still in style? I don't know. But Matt really liked it, which is all that matters (and probably means that it is now out of style!).
Necklace: Teething necklace given to me from my dear friend Theresa and I wear it EVERYDAY with EVERY outfit, because Hopie girl loves to eat it.

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi! I was made aware of the feast day half way into Mass when Matt pointed out that the sequence singing between the 2nd reading and the Gospel was due to the feast. What a great Feast day in celebration of the Eucharist which is what makes us Catholic! My goal this week is to attend a daily Mass and spend alone time with Jesus every day. Pray for me, as I will for you!!

Funny Mass Happening:
Hope spit up all over Matt, leaving a trail of wet, stickiness covering his polo. Being the oh so nice wife that I am, I helped him by wiping all the goo off with a wipe from the diaper bag. Matt then, without my knowing it, threw the WET wipe onto my seat, where I sat down for a couple of minutes before we all got up to receive our Precious Lord in the communion line. When I stood up my entire bottom was covered in wetness, looking like I completely wet my pants. I may have turned a little pink walking in front of my church peers with the looking of pee running down me, but I went ahead in all humility.

Kids Behavior: I do have to say, THANK THE GOOD, GOOD LORD, that my kids have slightly improved their behavior at Mass.

Isaiah and Isaac: A-, Minus for the fact that Isaac pushed the button on Hopes toy TWICE playing its lullubye for all to hear.
Grace: C+, Because she is just plain too loud for my taste.
Hope: A+, Because she is perfect.

Grampa and Gramma are in town from Cleveland, which is so exciting for us. As you can see, Hope was pretty taken by Papa.

All the cousins from North Port came down for Church and pool party. Nothing makes my kiddos happier. 

Now go and visit Grace, for you will never ever be disappointed that you did.