Weekly Roundup...

It's been awhile since I did one of these posts! I haven't felt up to writing much for a few weeks because of some new liver cleansing herbs I've been taking, so I'm going to combine the last few weeks into this post to get caught up. =)

What I Liked...

...spending a day at the park with some friends.  Yes, I felt absolutely miserable from the aforesaid liver cleanse, but the sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and I still managed to have a wonderful time.  We played tennis, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, went for hikes, had a picnic lunch, biked for hours, raced each other, visited the horse stables...in short just had a really fun day...

...spending several days with out of town friends

...attending my friend's sixteenth birthday party...so blessed to be friends with lovely young ladies I can stay up till ten P.M. watching Clark Gable movies with...

...helping plan a formal dance for May

...the soundtrack for "The Longest Ride"

... the movie "Unbroken"

...hearing yet another friend is engaged...we already have three weddings coming up this year, from my circle of friends alone!

...the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima coming to our parish for the first time 

What I Didn't...

...lack of energy for the past two weeks

...our oven breaking...on Easter Sunday, no less

...one of the parts on our trampoline breaking...it's supposedly still safe but I'm wary of bouncing on it

...learning we will not be having any waltzes at our dance in May =(

...learning that we can't take off our shoes during the next dance..."You don't understand; I love dancing barefoot!"...and then my friend informs me I would be such a good hippy (haha, very funny) =p

What Made Me Laugh...

...my little brother coming and asking me to preview "Mulan" for him because he heard there was a part where the main character goes swimming without any clothes (seriously, why is this in a G rated children's cartoon?!?! I was furious...) and, to use his words, "I do NOT want to see that, thank you."

...our dog Lottie catching a Frisbee for the first time

..."It Happened One Night"...this movie had me and my friends laughing so hard

...my friend's brothers all enlisting me to convince both of our mom's to let them come watch "Captain America The Winter Soldier" at our house that night..."You can convince anybody to do anything!"

...helping a neighbor milk their cow while they were out of town and their "guard dog" didn't even bark when we came to their house

...the aforesaid neighbors showing us how their milking system works...the parents showed Dad and my brothers and the kids showed me, with much more detailed instructions..."This is Mabel, and we named her new calf Cain, so it sounds like Cain and Abel from the Bible, but it's not, it's Cain and Mabel, and Mabel always gets extra grass that I pick her after she's milked because she's a good cow, not like our other cows that broke our fence and tore up the garden, they were bad cows, but Mabel is a good cow so she gets more grass than the bad cows..."=)

...a friend's mom asking me for directions...I guess she hasn't heard about the time I got lost leaving the neighborhood...after living here for nearly six years...

What I Accomplished...

...designing and sewing my first formal dress...all I have left to do is hem the skirt and sleeves; when it's finished I'll post some pictures...

...learning three new dances and helping teach some friends all the steps

...singing Benediction with just one other friend...it was the first time we had ever had to do this without anyone else in the choir (not even the choir director!) and I thought for sure we were going to forget something or not be loud enough (we actually did forget one "Alleluia" but nobody noticed except Father =)) but thanks to my levelheaded friend, we made it through and everyone was impressed...

...figuring out my Dad's system for stocking inventory (finally)...once you figure out everything is divisible by eleven, it all falls into place...

...finding my puppy.  MY puppy.  A little Yorkie on CraigsList.  Now I just have to make sure the owner isn't a serial killer...

...teaching my brother's friends how to do "Cups"...we even figured out how to pass the cups back and forth between us!

...making coffee caramel creme brulee...it was deeeeeelicious...

...finishing Father Faber's "Sermons On Kindness, Death, and Vocations"...I highly recommend these to everyone, they were wonderful!

How Was Your Week?

Weekly Rounup...

What I Liked...

...helping at the annual convent/abbey workday

...reading about life in Goa, India...I know where I want to live one day

...coconut milk ice cream on Sundays

...listening to Father Issac Relyea's mission on the Four Last Things...you can listen to it here

...helping a one-year-old little boy build a lego train...after we built it we would ram it into walls and look at each other with shocked expressions =)

...winning at pool against my brothers and my friend, even though I haven't played in months

...a sudden brilliant inspiration for my Easter dress

...learning that Saturday, the fourteenth of March, at 9:26:53, was "Pie Day" ( 3/14/15 9:26:53)...and we got a picture so we'd never forget =)

...getting back in touch with an old friend

What I Didn't...

...seeing my best friend and I in a mirror for the first time in months and suddenly realizing I am now a full head and shoulders shorter than her

...cleaning the floor of the convent chapel till it shined...and then a couple construction workers walking in with muddy boots

...the state of the ground outside our house right now...icky, sticky, muddy goosh

...the mail man not delivering my ThredUp package...though I KNOW it's been sitting at the post office since Friday...

...daylight savings time ruining my whole week

What Made Me Laugh...

...the many different responses of the boys I helped serve lunch too at the workday...you have the shy ones-"Thanks."-who don't even look at you, the cowboys-"Thank ye, ma'am."- who tip their hats, the friendly ones-"Oh man, food.  Thank you so much; you girls are awesome!"-who have more food on their plate than I and my friends could eat in a week, and the little boys under ten-"Yes, please!"

...walking my bike up a very long, very steep, and rather exhausting hill and being passed by multiple cars with the passengers yelling out encouragement as I went

...being made the "Responsible Adult" to accompany my underage (almost 17 yo) friend and her little brother to the workday

What I Accomplished...

...learning to play "Little House" by Amanda Seyfreid on my guitar

...working in every single group at the convent...polishing candle sticks, cleaning the altar cloths, sweeping and mopping the floors, polishing the furniture, dusting, laundry, garden work and lunch...

...cleaning out my closet...and I mean a GOOD clean-out.  I'm talking a jumbo-sized garbage bag of clothes for Salvation Army...

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked...

...roaring fires when it's 16 degrees outside

...the astonishing amount of money I save at ThredUp (click the link for ten dollars credit and free shipping!)

...babysitting a little girl and showing her my box of dress-up clothes from when I was little...her reaction to every dress: "It's soooo pwetty!!!"

...finally being able to use our new sleds...yep, they work just fine =)

...starting Father Fabers "Sermons on Kindness"...very humbling

...finding out my personality type through the Myers-Briggs test...I'm INFJ apparently, the rarest type.

...planning our annual St. Patrick's Day party

...our latest batch of homemade kombucha...it seems we've finally perfected our recipe

What I Didn't...

...more snow and winter weather for the next week...I'm so ready for Spring

...getting a handful of snow smashed on my face by my brother's friend...grrrrrr...sometimes its hard to remember you're an adult and can't completely pulverize someone every time you feel like it

...getting flat tires regularly

...not sleeping again

...being dared to go down the hill on my friend's sled, snowboard style...annnnnddd falling flat on my face after staying on for approximately two seconds.  And the fact my friend made it the whole way down the hill without falling once...

What Made Me Laugh...

...a neighbor knowing ahead of time when her boyfriend was going to propose because her dad couldn't keep it a secret

...our dog Lottie's mournful face when it started snowing again

...our cat using all the other cats as a bed to sleep on

...trying to sled down our friend's huge sled hill on the "super-fast-sled"...it would have been more fun if the sled hadn't started two seconds before I got on...

...Blimey Cow's "Why I Kinda Hate Black Friday" video

...how the same birds seem to return to our yard every year...and they have gotten unbelievably fat 

What I Accomplished...

...making the "perfect biscuit"

...getting caught up on all my reading...now I just need to get caught up on my health studies

...parking the suburban perfectly...I've been driving for over two years now and finally managed to park straight =p

...learning to do the "Cups" from "When I'm Gone"...the only person it impressed was my little brother's friend

How Was Your Week?

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked...

...helping prepare for a masquerade ball to be held in our community

...finding this mask on Etsy

...new makeup brushes made from natural fibers

...the way our living room looks now that my brother rearranged all the furniture

...friends who take great pains to make Paleo dishes for my mom and I when we go to their house

...my first ThredUp order coming in (yippee!!!)

...how the employees at Natural Grocers all know my mom and I by name

...the song "I Will Never Love Again" from The Princess Bride...I'm listening to it as I write this and it is so beautiful it will break your heart

...a third person telling me that if I had dark hair I would look like Keira Knightley...I don't see that, but thank you...

...a completely different person telling me I look like Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind

What I Didn't...

...really nice, warm weather turning into sub-freezing, grey weather...overnight

...not sleeping for a week and the consequential dark, baggy circles under my eyes

...feeling terrible for a whole week and not being sure if it's a good sign (the new enzymes I'm taking starting to work) or a bad sign (something is wrong)...the life of someone with an Autoimmune Disease...

...hearing our parish priest may very well have been exposed to whooping cough

...being unable to log into Blogger on our new tablet...for some reason it only has my dad's account on there

What Made Me Laugh...

...these remarks from two little boys we were babysitting as they colored pictures "I'm the best color-er in my whole family!" "Yeah, except for me."

...playing fetch with our dog, Lottie

...my brother's friend saying he wants to wear one of those Medieval Black Plague Masks for the masquerade...sure, that will get you a lot of partners, all right...=)

What I Accomplished...

...finishing the back of my quilt...for real, this time

...finding enough music for us to have thirty-two reels and eight waltzes at our masquerade...no danger of running out of songs, I guess...

...getting caught up on all the business bookkeeping...I feel like Bob Crachit

...cleaning out my closet (finally)

How was your week?

What did you like/not like/laugh at/accomplish?

(I forgot to publish this last week!)

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked...

...celebrating my twentieth birthday!!!...and everyone thinking I was either turning sixteen or twenty-one...

...attending our community's first dance...we had lessons beforehand (thank heavens!) so we could all get the hang of the waltzing and swing dancing.  It was a lovely, family-friendly way of starting the New Year, and we all are requesting another dance as soon as possible.  I haven't had that much fun in years!

...an unexpected parlor with my favorite monk

...seeing the Russel Crowe "Robin Hood" for the first time

...the "Napoleon Dynamite" birthday card my family made me

...the birthday video my brother made me...my hair used to be sooooo loooonnnnggg...

...starting "Plato's Republic"

...shirataki pasta with cheese sauce

...Bulletproof Coffee

What I Didn't...

...having a head cold for nearly two weeks

...four degree weather with NO SNOW

...reading a few chapters in "The Woman In White" before bed...BAAAADDDD IDEA...

What Made Me Laugh...

...my brother and I trying to practice the "crowbar" dance move

...our poor ducks trying to swim in the frozen water trough

...Blimey Cow's "Seven More Lies About Homeschoolers" video

...finding battleaxe hair sticks...with actual blades

What I Accomplished...

...building my very own fire 

...dancing a half-hour long "Virginia Reel Marathon"...now THAT is the definition of fun...

...finishing "The Adventures In Odyssey Novacom Saga"...I've been waiting twelve years to hear the last four episodes...

...starting to do all the bookkeeping for our seed business

(Last Three) Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked:

...attending a St. Nicholas party at a friend's house! There were games, delicious food, singing, and even a visit from the great saint himself! 

...having some new neighbors over for Thanksgiving dinner...then, after they left, heading over to another neighbor's house for dessert

...starting the Ketogenic Diet

...thoughtful friends who think to buy my brothers and me Almond Milk Eggnog

...the new "Maze Runner" movie...they followed the book closely enough to make me happy, though I was very disappointed about the language in there...

...finding THE Christmas tree

...having turkey for Thanksgiving...for the first time in ten years

...my new eShatki Christmas dress

...the rumor that a friend may be hosting a New Years Eve dance

...receiving the Piano Guys "Family Christmas" sheet music from St. Nicholas...I can only play one song so far, but as I'm not Jon Schmidt, I am not surprised

What I Didn't:

...finding out the Warren Theater will not open until December 23rd...so I will have to wait until January to see "The Battle of the Five Armies"

...no snow.  Last year had at least three blizzards by now...

...the news that our friends may have to go out of town right after Christmas...which means they will miss our Christmas party AGAIN...

...the Christmas gift I got for my mom taking an unpardonable amount of time to get here

...no internet for nearly two weeks

What Made Me Laugh:

...at the St. Nicholas party, when the saint called my little brother up to give him some candy, he bounced out of his chair and said "Hi! How are you doing?" like it was the most ordinary occurrence to meet a saint from Heaven.  I have a feeling he would say the same thing if he really did see an apparition.

...reading "Go, Dog, Go" to a friend's little boy...he always gets all worked up at the "Where are those dogs going?" part...the suspense is such torture...

...my photographer brother offering to take pictures of one friend's family...and suddenly everyone in the neighborhood wants their portraits done

...the Nutcracker song by Straight No Chaser...you must listen to this...I defy you not to roar

...my little brother dressing up as St. Lucy and bringing St. Lucy buns to my room because I overslept on the feast day and forgot to do it myself

...some friends from out of town telling me that they love coming to our house because me and my brothers make such great food

...babysitting some neighbor's kids, and the reaction of the five-year-old when his little brother started swinging a rosary around like a whip..."L----! YOU NAUGHTY BOY! THAT'S A ROSARY!!!"

What I Accomplished:

...getting my body into a state of ketosis in only three days...the average is two weeks...=)

...making grain-free St. Lucy Buns

...learning an entirely new Latin Advent Hymn for Mass in approximately three minutes

...making it to the 6:50 AM Low Mass three days in one week...my friends were about to give me three cheers

...winning every game of "Catholic Trivia"

...getting our Christmas card photos done with minimal stress..thank heaven for brothers with professional cameras...

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked...

...warm eggnog with whipped cream

...snow

...suddenly losing my fourteen-year-long aversion to cheese

...roaring fireplaces

...my new book of Christmas carols

..."Saving Mr. Banks"...a WONDERFUL movie with only one part to mute...

...UGG boots to wear on cold days

What I Didn't...

...chapped lips and no chance of getting any lip balm for another week

...tearing my only pair of tights

What Made Me Laugh...

...my brothers loudly protesting my new love of cheese..."She's eating us out of house and home!"

...our cat Winkin who now thinks she's a dog

...our new goose, MacHenry, who has NOT been accepted by our ducks

What I Accomplished...

...ordering my first eShakti dress (fingers crossed...please let it work for Christmas...)

...starting the Ketogenic Fat Fast...only twelve hundred calories a day, all from fat...

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked...

...sitting in the parking lot of Bass Pro Shops when a mini van pulled in and parked close to our car.  A little boy (maybe six years old) jumped out, ran to the back, opened the door, and pulled out a wheelchair that was almost bigger than him.  He set the whole thing up, put a pillow at the back, wheeled it to the driver's door, and helped his mom into it.  Then he ran around to the other side and helped his little sister out of her car seat, had her put her hand on the arm of the wheelchair, and started pushing it towards the store.  It was soooooo sweet...

...the cold front that is supposed to come tonight...highs in the forties tomorrow!

...playing the "Dear John" theme on the piano

...chocolate truffles from Whole Foods...mmmmmm...

...the demo track of the credits song from the newest "Hobbit"movie sung by Billy Boyd

...selling our Jeep Compass!!! Thank you, St. Joseph!!!

...new neighbors who are living behind us for the winter months

...discovering eShakti.com 

What I Didn't...

...windy days.  And I don't mean days with a little breeze...I mean the "Tornado-Winds-Don't-Even-Think-About-Wearing-A-Flared-Skirt-Or-Fixing-Your-Hair" days we've been having lately

...getting the results from my hair analysis test and being told that I am one messed up girl with high levels of Aluminum in my system and practically no thyroid gland left...

What Made Me Laugh...

...a friend's little boy at church, who looks all around until he sees me before he can settle down for Mass

...my brother opening up the birthday gift he bought for his friend because he wanted to build it first...and his friend being the only one who completely understood because he would have done the same exact thing

What I Accomplished...

...sewing a new nightgown for Mom

...converting a "Cream of Mushroom Pot Pie" recipe from a neighbor into a more Paleo style dish...and yes, it did taste good.

...making a birthday card in less than five minutes

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked:

...attending the beautiful ceremonies at the Abbey for All Saint's and All Soul's Day

...Daylight Savings Time

...finding the original sheet music to "River Flows In You" by Yiruma online FOR FREE!!!

...all the lovely Fall colors

...this WONDERFUL weather we've been enjoying

...my brother's Paleo Samoa Donuts...to DIIIIIIEEEEEE FOR...here is the recipe

..."Dear John"...such a sweet movie, though it requires some editing

...getting some new leather boots for this winter

...a campfire/chili night at a friend's house

...organic, all-natural, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, fruit-sweetened blow pops...and chocolate truffles...and Tootsie rolls...oh my!  Didn't realize these things existed...

What I Didn't:

...suddenly realizing there weren't any meals made in the house...and I am starrrrrvvvviiinnnggg...

...Dad taking the laptop to South Carolina for a week, thereby preventing me from using it

...the library notifying me that the movie I ordered had come in...after I had picked it up, rechecked it twice, and returned it

...old friends who were supposed to come for dinner but couldn't because they got sick

...four hour old Whole Food's rotisserie chicken...ugh...

What Made Me Laugh:

..."Seven Brides For Seven Brothers"...I love that movie!

...winning the "St. John Bosco Relay Race" at our party and hearing all the younger boys cheering me on...until they remembered I was on the other team...

...King St. Edward and St. George chilling out on the porch with their blow pops...

What I Accomplished:

...beating my friend at "Dunk the Devil"

...making myself and both of my brothers costumes for All Saint's Day

...learning the words to "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" after hearing it only twice

...Paleo Italian Flat-bread

...introducing my friend to Pinterest...Her life will never be the same...

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked:

...starting a cake decorating class at Hobby Lobby!

...discovering an amazing state park right down the road from our house...complete with beaches, playgrounds, hiking trails, horse riding, boat rentals, basket-ball courts, volley-ball courts, tennis courts, and even a restaurant!

...going swimming at one of the aforesaid park's beaches...first swim of the year!!!

...finally seeing "The Scarlet and the Black".  I highly recommend this movie!

...finally getting our four-wheeler back from the mechanic.  I haven't even been able to drive it yet because Dad and the boys have been on it all week!

...going into the library and walking out with a bag full of books...I love that feeling!

...ordering and promptly receiving a new jewelry making kit.

What I Didn't:

...slow internet...it reeeaaalllly gets on my nerves...

...wasps that buzz around my head every morning while I'm sitting on the porch trying to read my Bible.

...our cow Ellie watching for me to leave my shoes unguarded so she can lick them.

...Silica powder...ughhh...

What Made Me Laugh:

...the poor AT'T salesman trying to help us...you know he's given up when he starts telling you that you really don't need to buy a phone today...some other day might work better.

...calling my friend four times in a row because each time her little brother said she was in the shower...the fifth time she answered and said that she really had been out the last time I called: her brother just wanted to see if I would keep calling back.

...the Beatrix Potter Tales...so funny.

...my brother's almond flour pancakes...they turned back into almond flour when he started cooking them.

What I Accomplished:

...learning to parallel park!!!

...making Paleo Club Sandwiches...the best thing I have eaten since going Paleo.

...making two new sets of jewelry out of my new jewelry making kit.

...Paleo Peach Cobbler...even without ice cream it was amazing.

Weekly Roundup

What I Liked:

...Easter Sunday!

...out of town friends who came for Easter

...visiting after Easter Vespers with Fr. Abbot and another priest...yet another perk that comes from living next  door to an abbey!

...dark chocolate eggs in my Easter basket

...watching "Frozen" for the first time...one of the funniest movies I have seen all year!

...being able to attend the beautiful services at the abbey for Holy Thursday and Good Friday

...our ducks sitting on eggs for the past week...we might have ducklings soon!

...my friend letting me borrow "Letters to Juliet".  It was such a sweet movie, though the costumes left much to be desired.

...buying a fedora hat...I love it!

...Fr. Chad Ripperger's conference on "How To Raise A Man".  I very highly recommend it to boys and young men...it will really inspire you to man-up and...well, be a man.  You can listen to it here.

...being well enough to go help Dad and the boys at the local farmer's market...it's been at least three years since the last time I was able to go!

...watching "The Desolation of Smaug" on our new 3D projector!

What I Didn't:

...my whole family catching the flu, one right after the other.  We were all miserable and blowing our noses for about two weeks.

...watching "Kung Fu Panda", one of the dumbest, most worthless, pointless, and plot-less movies I have ever seen.  I could almost feel my brain cells evaporating...

...trying to make chocolate covered marshmallows...failure.

...the headache I always get when I don't sleep well

What Made Me Laugh:

...Olaf the Snowman from "Frozen"...I just love him!("I've always wanted a nose! So cute...like a little baby unicorn!")

...Charlie from "Letters To Juliet"...he has the same exact personality as the older of my two younger brothers, and I laughed at almost everything he said.

...my friend's thirteen year old brother.  He can make me laugh anytime, any day.

...watching my brothers and some of their friends learning to do back flips on the trampoline...and succeeding (I'm really jealous, actually.)!

...seeing a man who looked just like Kili the Dwarf...long hair and everything.

...a little boy's t-shirt that said "I'm warning you, if ninjas attack, I will use you as a shield."

...passing by an open door at the civic center and catching a glimpse of a dance marathon...done entirely by elderly women and one elderly man holding pom-poms.

What I Accomplished:

...chocolate chip marshmallows...much better than the chocolate covered ones.

...learning to play "I Dreamed A Dream" on the piano...while my brothers are singing it.

...sewing my Easter dress, and making up the pattern as I went along.

...fixing Easter Dinner all by myself.

Weekly Roundup

What I liked:

...starting the Reclaiming Beauty Study Course by the Botkin sisters! I'm trying to do one video a week, and I've already learned a lot!

...babysitting a friend's four toddlers for a day.  We were all pretty worn out by the end of the day, but hearing the kids say things like "Do we have to go home right now?", "I like playing with you.", and "Can you come get us again soon?" made it all worth it.  And the relieved look on their mom's face when we first picked them up.

...one of the aforesaid toddlers reading a whole Curious George book to me, and only needing help on three big words!

...my brother learning to play the Cinderella Man theme on the piano by ear.

...having a friend who will tell me the entire plot, character list, and story line of all her favorite movies, and even furnish me with all the good quotes, so I don't even have to see it!

...my sheet music FINALLY coming in!

...attending Father Chad Rippenger's retreat on Mental Prayer and Sacramentals!!! It was a wonderful experience, and I took lots of notes...depending on my schedule, I'll try to summarize it in a post sometime.

...trying Herbert's Strawberry Lemonade for the first time!

What I Didn't:

...my friend telling me I look like Charlotte Church...when she was twelve (uhhh...thank you...I think...).

...waiting two months to be able to wear my new dress...and then it being so windy I can hardly move without the skirt flying up.

...putting an avocado in my hair with sour cream and lemon juice (it smelled delicious!) because it's supposed to be a great conditioner.  I put it in LAST SATURDAY, washed my hair every day with no added conditioner, and my hair just got back to normal FRIDAY.

What I Accomplished:

...our Abbey's first pilgrimage! Father Abbot held it as a sort of roundup to a community novena we've all been praying.  Most of the participants started about five miles away, but a few of us (including me and my little brother) joined them about a mile from the Abbey.  It was so beautiful; we prayed a couple of litanies, sang hymns, placed our flowers at an icon of the Annunciation, and wound it all up with Vespers and a De Profundis prayed in the Abbey Cemetery.  Everyone ageed we need to start doing this more often!

...making a delicious french egg dish for breakfast...I'm not sure what it is officially called, but it has spinach, sausage, tomatoes, and eggs all baked together in a ramekin...and it was delicious!

...making coconut whipped cream for Mom's fruit parfaits...who would of thought that something so easy to make would be so delectable? 

What Made Me Laugh:

...while we were all resting on the pilgrimage, a friend's little boy started collecting rocks and bringing them to me one by one, and blushing when I said "thank you!".  This went on for almost half an hour (and I had a rather large pile of rocks in my lap) when his mom noticed.  She shook her head and said "Some boys give flowers, some boys give rocks."

...one of my brothers put a bowl of confetti on top of a door as an April Fool's Joke.  Unfortunately, my other brother noticed it and the trick backfired on the original brother, who got confetti all over himself.

...walking past a friend's mom, when she suddenly says "Hey, you got a date yet?" I was taken aback for approximately ten seconds...before I realized she was talking to someone behind me about calendar dates.

What did you do this week?

Weekly Roundup

What I liked:

...being able to witness the profession of Br. Miguel Marie on Tuesday.  One of the many benefits of living next to an abbey!

...some friends from a neighboring state coming over to spend the day.  We all had lots of fun, and there was hardly a moment when we weren't all laughing.

...finding some new heels for Easter at a decent price!

...finding a new consignment store called The Echo Shop! They're a little pricier than Goodwill, but the quality is MUCH nicer.  I was able to get a black Maxi dress and a denim vest for a very decent price!

...my brother downloading the Duolingo App on my mom's phone.  It certainly helps with learning French, that's for sure!

...Mom's new "Better Than Lara Bars"...they really are!

What I Didn't:

...more cold, gray, rainy weather.  I'm ready for Spring!

...getting several "Frozen" ringtones for my phone...only to find out later they don't work.

...yet another person asking me "Are you really nineteen?" (Sigh.)

...my sheet music STILL not coming in.  It was shipped back to the supplier because it was damaged (a likely story) and is now supposed to come in Monday.

...having to fast all morning and drive an hour away to get my blood work done.  Did I mention that if I don't eat every three hours my blood sugar drops drastically?

...getting stuck with the newly hired cashier at the grocery store.  I had to explain to her how to check out some of the items...I am not kidding.

...having the Algebra Blues...not me, my little brother, but I've had them before and I can sympathize.

...seeing a policeman pull out in front of me and saying "I'm being good, I'm being quiet, I'm being 'have."... and no one getting it.

What I Accomplished:

...driving an hour away to Mass and driving through town afterwards! Without running into anything!

...making grain-free, dairy-free, meatloaf!

...my first storm novena.  I followed a good friend's recommendation and prayed it every half hour as opposed to every hour...I was rather flurried by the end.

...winning at carpet ball for six games in a row!

What Made Me Laugh:

...telling Mom I needed some "nude" heels for Easter and my brothers overhearing.  Their jaws dropped and they look positively scandalized, so now I refer to them as tan.

...a sign in the shoe store that said "Five Dollar Charge For Whining".  I want one of these in my house...

...this picture:

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...the look on my brothers' and their friends' faces when I said "After Earth" was a "cute" movie.

How was your week?

Weekly Roundup

Hi everyone! I hope your week has been lovely!

Blessings

...all the wonderful feast days this week! It's delightful to have a nice break from the rigors of Lent.

...having a party with some close friends to celebrate the feasts of St. Patrick, St. Benedict, and St. Joseph.  We sang karaoke, drank root beer, bounced on the trampoline, and swung on the hammock, and everyone agreed it was a "sequence of continuous delights". 

...Earl Grey tea...drinking a cup before bedtime is a wonderful way to wind down.

...my brother baking some Paleo sandwich bread...it was HEAVENLY.

...ordering the sheet music to "Weep You No More Sad Fountains" and "The Dreame" from Sense and Sensibility.  I have wanted to play these for a while, and finally found them on Amazon for only five dollars!

Penances

...trying to feed a friend's little boy and getting spaghetti sauce all over myself.  It seems I need some practice in this area.

...a suspicion that dairy might be affecting me again, and deciding not to have any more for a while.

...UPS not delivering my package when they were scheduled to.

...burning my hand on the trampoline from doing cartwheels.

Accomplishments

...learning to play "Set Fire To The Rain" on the piano!

...playing "Spider" on the trampoline with some toddler friends so well that they insisted that I be "it" for the rest of the day.

...teaching my brother some new kettle-bell exercises.

...beating my younger brother at backgammon.  I think this is the first time ever!

...making caramel filled chocolate hearts for St. Patrick's Day.

How was your week?

Weekly Roundup...

Hello there! This has been quite a busy week for me, with leaving the house four days in a row and then sewing, knitting, helping the boys with their school, trying some new Paleo recipes, and exercising when I was home.  I hope your week has been as productive!

Blessings:

...finally(!)  finding a pair of casual shoes for only seven dollars (every other pair I have found in this style has been at LEAST thirty dollars, but this pair was on sale!) I love them...they're so comfortable and my brother told me "they're so ugly they're actually cool" I think that means he liked them...

...finding enough lovely material for only ONE DOLLAR A YARD(!) to redo all the curtains in the dining room

...starting a quilting class taught by one of our neighbors.  I've wanted to learn for a long time, and it's lovely to get to learn with your friends and neighbors instead of strangers! And we get to drink tea while we're working...

...trying Guava flavored Kombucha for the first time.  And I thought I liked the strawberry flavor!

... sharing a long phone call with a dear friend, and talking about exorcism stories.  Right before going to bed, I might add. :0 

...signing up for the Primal Palate Meal Plan.  Lots and lots of wonderful recipes, and you can organize them into your own menus to save!

...picking up our two pigs we just had processed.  We had baby back ribs on Wednesday...mmmmm...

...lovely, sunny, warm days all week! The boys and I have been doing all our reading on the porch swings, and we've had all the windows open!

...discovering these amazing snacks at Whole Foods called Plantain Chips.  They taste just like potato chips, but are much better for you!

...finding a recipe for CHOCOLATE COVERED PALEO DOUGHNUTS!!! I "can" "not" "wait" to try these!

...singing "A Thousand Years" on the karaoke machine with my brothers when they both had colds and sore throats...I was sorely tempted to record it. 

Penances:

...Ember days.  They always seem to sneak up on you, then right as you're about to snack on something... you remember "Oh, wait, it's an Ember day..."

...REALLY strong winds coming up all of a sudden while you're in town.  It's always embarrassing having to bend over almost all the way to hold your skirt down while running for cover.

...Best Buy employees waiting around every corner, ready to spring out and sell you something, and having to say "I'm fine, just browsing." over and over.

...Academy employees (or lack thereof) who are no where to be found when you need them.

Accomplishments:

 ...making new curtains and altar cloths for the dining room

...using the credit card at Sams for the first time, and only having to ask the cashier for help ONCE.

...getting caught up on all my letters.  For this week at least. :)

...learning to do flips and cartwheels on the trampoline without my skirt flying up.  For some reason, everyone who I tell about this exclaims "You can do flips?" Is it really that astounding?

...doing my Kettle Bell Workout with a twenty-five pound weight! Of course I can hardly move today...

How was your week?

Weekly Roundup

Blessings

...our new trampoline!!!

...thoughtful friends who make us Key Lime Fudge

...cherry chia kombucha

...starting "The Golden Arrow"

...cheesecake bites with whipped cream and strawberry sauce for Fat Tuesday

...a brother who makes things like cheesecake bites with whipped cream and strawberry sauce

...a mysterious rash on my arm turning out NOT to be poison ivy

Penances

...a mysterious rash on my arm that is not poison ivy, but still itches like it is

...an unexpected ice storm hitting our community while we were all in Mass

...colds circulating through my family

...doing a flip on the trampoline...and landing on my toe

Accomplishments

...publishing my first post!

...sewing two new summer dresses

...learning to use Photoshop

...Spring cleaning our house, and

... MAKING PALEO GRANOLA!!!

What has your week been like?