tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17815403859459926202024-02-20T00:41:50.369-08:00I Popped My BubbleLittle Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-74635083260338994162016-04-18T11:34:00.003-07:002016-04-18T11:37:49.066-07:00Exploring St. Louis, April 2016<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's a peek at what our family did in St. Louis!</div>
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<a href="http://cathedralstl.org/"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis</span></b></a></div>
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We visited the Cathedral Basilica three times during our visit. Twice for Mass and once for a guided tour. We were absolutely blown away by the beauty and could never even begin to capture it with pictures. There are 41,000,000 mosaic tiles! Here area few of our pictures!</div>
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Door of Mercy</div>
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When we went to daily Mass I was a little disappointed that the tabernacle was not in the sanctuary. However, when we took our tour, and I thought about the fact that tours like that take place all day long, everyday, I thought the beautiful chapel, next to the sanctuary, was the perfect place for Jesus. I have never seen a chapel so beautiful, but for obvious reasons, there were no pictures allowed.</div>
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We got to see so many of our favorite familiar stories, friends, and role models upon the walls.</div>
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Drawing our eyes, upward, to heaven!</div>
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This was used for Sunday Mass!</div>
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The tour guide did a fantastic job of giving the boys "jobs" throughout the tour! In the picture above they needed to investigate whether the picture of Jesus was a painting or something else. It was a mosaic. Below they are identifying the animals on the bottom of the baptismal font. They each represented evil being crushed by the waters of baptism.</div>
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Mass was ultra reverent and full of all the smells and bells. It was absolutely beautiful. We were asked to carry up the gifts and I thought I was going to die of bliss. However, Our Lord had other plans. We waited a moment too long and some lovely sisters beat us to it! I was disappointed to the max, but I'll admit I needed a little humbling. I had been highly distracted throughout the whole Mass thinking about how special it was going to be!!! It was a minor miracle that no screams were released from our five year old who had been prepping the entire Mass for his role in that moment. To my surprise, he simply whispered, "Hey, I thought we were supposed to do that!" After Mass, we ran into the sisters (in full habits) on our way to the parking lot and I got a picture of them with the kids. I'm sure it was kind of weird for them to be treated a bit like celebrities. However, it WAS Vocation Sunday, and it's just not often we get to see holy sisters dressed in their habits! To us, they are celebrities!</div>
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<a href="http://www.shrineofstjoseph.org/"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Shrine of St. Joseph</span></b></a></div>
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In my opinion, this church was almost as beautiful as the Cathedral Basilica, in its' own way. Obviously, it was much smaller and a totally different style, but it possessed a beauty that drew my heart closer to Our Lord. We arrived at the same time as three young men. Two current seminarians and one former seminarian. This was a special blessing! One of them remarked that the sanctuary was a perfect example of what they had just learned a sanctuary should look like<b>. </b>Serving the purpose of drawing our eyes further and further, up to heaven. We were hoping for a guided tour, but we did not get one. So I am not sure what a lot of these things are. A very interesting story we did read before our visit is <a href="http://www.shrineofstjoseph.org/aoap.html">here</a>. There is also and online <a href="http://www.shrineofstjoseph.org/main_altar.html">tour</a>, which we really should have read before going!<br />
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St. Cecilia and St. Agnes</div>
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St. John Berchmans, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and St. Stanislaus Kostka</div>
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St. Joseph, patron of a happy death, pray for us!</div>
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Relics of St. Peter Claver</div>
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St. Peter Claver: One of the <a href="http://www.shrineofstjoseph.org/miracle.html">miracles</a> required for his canonization is linked this this church!</div>
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St. Padre Pio</div>
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St. Francis Cabrini</div>
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<a href="http://www.gatewayarch.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">The Gateway Arch</span></a></div>
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Looking out from the top!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_NC1_LCZcMYaxCHk54MKCpUS8ZFkQIkXfSDa7ufe1Pr6QCUBdYdPJZZz6YVr3WwAXA3WvlTJdTN2lzsB-tUAGig7ITfeCp9ck2MdAOMQi8mtx9Oi3GHyyu-PIUkuu5_OOyDdHFSKrDo/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_NC1_LCZcMYaxCHk54MKCpUS8ZFkQIkXfSDa7ufe1Pr6QCUBdYdPJZZz6YVr3WwAXA3WvlTJdTN2lzsB-tUAGig7ITfeCp9ck2MdAOMQi8mtx9Oi3GHyyu-PIUkuu5_OOyDdHFSKrDo/s400/033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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View to the west: Old Courthouse in the center</div>
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View to the Southeast</div>
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Busch Stadium</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAOJsyckSlkEJ7KIfRmox_TUn9jjzf-nPA3iBXcLaqgJj6ziK9rDtNEoC3c61qkDbMWvpCZVE_gzuODZIVJlfC7xLYa6nROmC1koGEOZ_giYsEU8XuwAV1Z3McuFWLD3sN4zKD-nxXm4/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAOJsyckSlkEJ7KIfRmox_TUn9jjzf-nPA3iBXcLaqgJj6ziK9rDtNEoC3c61qkDbMWvpCZVE_gzuODZIVJlfC7xLYa6nROmC1koGEOZ_giYsEU8XuwAV1Z3McuFWLD3sN4zKD-nxXm4/s400/037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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View to the Northwest: Shrine of St. Joseph slightly behind the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center</div>
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Hard to believe were just up there!</div>
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<a href="http://www.gatewayarch.com/experience/old-courthouse.aspx"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Old Courthouse</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquNw8ne0KBjvAsgDlntxIVdz6Mj-ZJQuUUSNg6qtjxC0Eh1xkRYD9nfa0hJdsFkBHLgvAD44UWPQKce1MDf3s0LRTF1DX8P8Rzc7IX7tM2Q4sdsAI27ZoNnxYTlmInly7BSwPd1cszAA/s1600/061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquNw8ne0KBjvAsgDlntxIVdz6Mj-ZJQuUUSNg6qtjxC0Eh1xkRYD9nfa0hJdsFkBHLgvAD44UWPQKce1MDf3s0LRTF1DX8P8Rzc7IX7tM2Q4sdsAI27ZoNnxYTlmInly7BSwPd1cszAA/s400/061.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Old Courthouse</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccRbGmnj00NiyLrZVzmX2257Uyyqr2pQwsfUZwpGyM5eoDukPfkKDYky5D9TAJbTEbLm-QQTvjLg9siQQ_GsQWLGvI3mugr5VRqap7KMqUvj7uJOM8tLhuvVtC78f2iqy0TSW8-bxNvs/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccRbGmnj00NiyLrZVzmX2257Uyyqr2pQwsfUZwpGyM5eoDukPfkKDYky5D9TAJbTEbLm-QQTvjLg9siQQ_GsQWLGvI3mugr5VRqap7KMqUvj7uJOM8tLhuvVtC78f2iqy0TSW8-bxNvs/s400/062.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Inside: You are able to walk upstairs</div>
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One of the Courtrooms</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1OeEnhPaBQO0UfGJ7TESbInkLYe4uOqKC8zG8AgZueG5tSn0q_Gvx0D4ucBAmteKbuMaapLSbhcTTHtFPz2kGV0-2DmNiZdxesOJDt2dA38kA5tgkHBeTbOGqWTOHsFuhyphenhyphenarVu07oaE/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1OeEnhPaBQO0UfGJ7TESbInkLYe4uOqKC8zG8AgZueG5tSn0q_Gvx0D4ucBAmteKbuMaapLSbhcTTHtFPz2kGV0-2DmNiZdxesOJDt2dA38kA5tgkHBeTbOGqWTOHsFuhyphenhyphenarVu07oaE/s400/070.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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Dred Scott Exhibit: Excellent</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqtk5p7W0RTpiwIwGjeqe2dub0BrhubciIom52LYz3xQV31MuJs7SPdYnj8FTvJwGmN6yrXyoIhW93sWomOvL5kqh9QRIBCCms16Sz87gUQBGZbjYpvDNEVLs8A-PV46zqpd2qHSVuYw/s1600/081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqtk5p7W0RTpiwIwGjeqe2dub0BrhubciIom52LYz3xQV31MuJs7SPdYnj8FTvJwGmN6yrXyoIhW93sWomOvL5kqh9QRIBCCms16Sz87gUQBGZbjYpvDNEVLs8A-PV46zqpd2qHSVuYw/s400/081.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Touring the Old Courthouse is free and we were very impressed with the exhibits!</div>
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<a href="http://www.stlzoo.org/"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>St. Louis Zoo</b></span></a></div>
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The Polar Bear Exhibit was like nothing I have ever seen! Amazingly close!</div>
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<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g44881-d107817-Reviews-Museum_of_Transportation-Saint_Louis_Missouri.html"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Museum of Transportation</b></span></a></div>
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This place was super cool! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.oldcathedralstl.org/">Old Cathedral</a></b></span></div>
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We did not have a guided tour, nor did we stay for very long. However, we did get to pray our morning prayers somewhere new, somewhere historic, and with Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament!</div>
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<a href="http://www.illinois.gov/alplm/Pages/default.aspx"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum</span></b></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Springfield, IL</span></b></div>
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This is located in Springfield, IL, and we only toured the museum, because we were short on time and exhausted. This museum was fantastic! I wish we could have spent an entire afternoon there! Check out the website. There is so much to share and learn about this museum. We only tapped into a tiny bit on our visit! Loved, loved, loved!</div>
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The trip was full and exhausting, but I am grateful we had the opportunity to go and explore!</div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-72940621587599290132016-04-08T11:48:00.000-07:002016-04-08T11:48:00.907-07:00Ft. Myers 2015 in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last April we boarded a plane and headed south to Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. The super-fun, but busy vacation completely wiped me out and the thought of documenting our adventures on this blog made me want to vomit. However, a year later, I find myself filled with desire and motivation to revisit and record our fun! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arrival:</span></b></div>
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Flying into Ft. Myers we had a perfect view of <a href="https://www.leegov.com/parks/facility?fid=0111">Bowditch Point Park!</a></div>
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We've arrived! The weather is warm, the sky is blue, and the water is calling us closer! It is mid-morning and traffic on the sometimes highly-congested bridge, is fairly light!</div>
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We took a break from unloading the van and stole a peek at the paradise which would become home for the next 11 days!</div>
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I was excited to see this view of the pier from our balcony. I made mental plans to try to get in as many walks to the pier as I could while we were there!</div>
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As much as I enjoyed seeing the pier, I liked this view looking south from our balcony, even better!</div>
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After dropping off our suitcases, making a quick trip across the street for groceries, and fueling up on a fast lunch, we made a mad-dash for the beach! The sun was hot and the water was warm!</div>
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By mid-afternoon, the kids were enjoying the pool, and I was enjoying a nice cold beverage!</div>
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After dinner we walked the beach. The kids found great delight in <strike>chasing</strike> harassing the birds!</div>
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One of our first indications that this was going to be a trip filled with treasures...our son found a shark tooth almost immediately!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trip to Venice:</span></b></div>
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We packed our lunches, loaded the van, and headed north to <a href="http://www.bestbeaches.org/best-beaches/manasota-key-beaches/blind-pass-beach/">Middle Beach</a>, near Venice. The water was gorgeous! </div>
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We were on the hunt for shark teeth, and Venice has been called "The Shark Tooth Capital of the World." <a href="http://www.fossilguy.com/sites/venice/">Info and tips</a> We were hoping to find just a few, but we quickly realized just how apt this title is! Fossilized shark teeth were everywhere. I was literally grabbing handfuls of sand as the waves came in, sifting through the handfuls, and finding teeth! We were in heaven! </div>
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So much fun!</div>
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Our hours of sifting fun resulted in more teeth than we could have ever imagined! 175, to be exact!</div>
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We returned home, hit the pool, and enjoyed the view in the evening. While we stayed dry, it rained south of us, and we got to enjoy this rainbow!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Divine Mercy Sunday:</span></b></div>
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Our day began at the <a href="http://dioceseofvenice.org/find-a-parish/full-parish-listing/ascension-parish/">Church of the Ascension</a> with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and a few prayers before the Image of Divine Mercy.</div>
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I fell in love with pelicans when we visited Ft. Myers in 2014. To my great delight, daily, they flew very close to our balcony! I spent some time enjoying the show before we wandered down to the beach! Once there, the day was filled with...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boogie Boards!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Sand Castles!<br /></td></tr>
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At the end of the day, we took a family bike ride and spotted these ladies!</div>
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They were members of the <a href="http://www.childrenofmary.net/">Children of Mary</a>, visiting from Ohio, and on their way to a vocations conference at <a href="https://www.avemaria.edu/">Ave Maria University</a>.</div>
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We were bold enough to ask them if we could join them in prayer. They welcomed us, and we sat on the beach with these joy-filled sisters, singing and praying, while the sun went down. Not a bad way to spend <a href="https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/feast.htm">Divine Mercy Sunday</a>!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bowditch Point Park, the Pier, Ding Darling, and Captiva:</span></b></div>
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We started our day by heading to the north end of the island to <a href="https://www.leegov.com/parks/facility?fid=0111">Bowditch Point Park</a> to look for treasures in the form of shells and wildlife. We were especially hoping to see the tortoises rumored to live there. <br />
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Our youngest couldn't go across this "bridge" enough times!</div>
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I have a passion for discovering what high tide has left behind, and I was not disappointed with what I found on the shores of Bowditch Point!</div>
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Horseshoe Crab</div>
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Crab</div>
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No clue what this is!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdslmZ_2o0wgl1tVT61W1XvU6DyYbBSjcGogTfLCYMvXgnqqEiAHDZSqeXwMwIWumImjrizQXYeC998qlakUOGyl0PxQ-JAaPu_YhvDek_5SMQAw5LUEHmCGjpeTJoVlR5opiZSS10Vgs/s1600/306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdslmZ_2o0wgl1tVT61W1XvU6DyYbBSjcGogTfLCYMvXgnqqEiAHDZSqeXwMwIWumImjrizQXYeC998qlakUOGyl0PxQ-JAaPu_YhvDek_5SMQAw5LUEHmCGjpeTJoVlR5opiZSS10Vgs/s400/306.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The kids loved seeing these guys all over the place!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoWtQBepjkRfLvFJgOeZSq2oFZ_v3uJ7bXfEMXxahgOTI43qwDImwTjfoBokA93V9KhM9q-ji5yofpfLojIOXZc_fGVgw6D7amkwu7_HrN8wFS7IP1jiovuGF2F8uFfrnAmeai4w9pCs/s1600/297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoWtQBepjkRfLvFJgOeZSq2oFZ_v3uJ7bXfEMXxahgOTI43qwDImwTjfoBokA93V9KhM9q-ji5yofpfLojIOXZc_fGVgw6D7amkwu7_HrN8wFS7IP1jiovuGF2F8uFfrnAmeai4w9pCs/s400/297.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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While the rest of us had our heads to the ground, scanning the beach, my husband had his eyes on the boatload of people heading to Key West!</div>
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After searching all of Bowditch Point Park in vain for the famous tortoises, we finally gave up. Before leaving the park, the boys needed to use the restroom. While I was waiting for them to finish, I looked over towards the edge of the park and discovered...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpjd9TThHSUAtPsstWMYzsPmXZVZcKO1kSf_JWDc_lWD1F6tYwjjhDT9aBJFfkQS7nVZlBAyNrv1yG2osFNfuzCGcIXRXcHwbmVDEgQZ9qsxBQSVL15GyepxyyQfwDRmfc7ac2U_MQuE/s1600/327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpjd9TThHSUAtPsstWMYzsPmXZVZcKO1kSf_JWDc_lWD1F6tYwjjhDT9aBJFfkQS7nVZlBAyNrv1yG2osFNfuzCGcIXRXcHwbmVDEgQZ9qsxBQSVL15GyepxyyQfwDRmfc7ac2U_MQuE/s400/327.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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...this guy! We named him Munchers!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQCxCJStGWTnhyInOxwd0mYBMWSnDfA3HFyGdWTXQnP078_2FbVF8J9nH9uU6OfYxktzlkWZwNwFXeLvengdxDsz44FIHL54zjTKBh3-k7vf96XTSdlFwah94LCaZ4hEwgUrimH39Kas/s1600/319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQCxCJStGWTnhyInOxwd0mYBMWSnDfA3HFyGdWTXQnP078_2FbVF8J9nH9uU6OfYxktzlkWZwNwFXeLvengdxDsz44FIHL54zjTKBh3-k7vf96XTSdlFwah94LCaZ4hEwgUrimH39Kas/s400/319.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We were all super excited to see him!</div>
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After spending a good amount of time with him, we were able to watch him run (yes, run) off to his home! Our main mission at Bowditch was accomplished and we headed to </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fort-Myers-Beach-Pier-107723135966416/">the pier!</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsADSxf-YytztL-b90OK6Jlo0u-LfqZfIsSFpPToHV3v2Oq4q_UjI1a5jAm-gRiPOGiwFs-dpt_lQ98qhVOF161a89B-mCQ7kuRVErIO84PFJEdok4k7N1CKllWisskM1_mqGzCwCR48/s1600/329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsADSxf-YytztL-b90OK6Jlo0u-LfqZfIsSFpPToHV3v2Oq4q_UjI1a5jAm-gRiPOGiwFs-dpt_lQ98qhVOF161a89B-mCQ7kuRVErIO84PFJEdok4k7N1CKllWisskM1_mqGzCwCR48/s400/329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We saw this group of stingrays right off the pier!</div>
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And of course the beautiful pelicans!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLIUuS0uw1mAUtdx6QZZwOj8SqqzhNzoTsiQqe1EwevzFyVPBNSsVHp1cj6lxDMdT0wOu4wWQPRaUB_h_sxoze36mJxa4hyphenhyphenp6q4a1fe7nVQ23J_MbPh5qQwdwCRX28j4hDG9fNOWYnWU/s1600/333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLIUuS0uw1mAUtdx6QZZwOj8SqqzhNzoTsiQqe1EwevzFyVPBNSsVHp1cj6lxDMdT0wOu4wWQPRaUB_h_sxoze36mJxa4hyphenhyphenp6q4a1fe7nVQ23J_MbPh5qQwdwCRX28j4hDG9fNOWYnWU/s400/333.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our next stop was <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn_ding_darling/">Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge</a> on Sanibel Island. We were hoping to see some gators. Unfortunately, we arrived near high tide and we saw zero gators. In fact, we saw very little in general. This was a poorly planned visit on our part.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX_Di2QMALAlJcK-T_wNr6CwdD8O0yF4l14FL-wiwSXgjOyaeaY4sTxYy2yNo5zJ724SvPPAySzo9FcUt4VMYeTWNTQL5fbe43IjOjLbDqbrFUhvCDheS_xTGAH9tIa6b89rbvuziyzk/s1600/246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX_Di2QMALAlJcK-T_wNr6CwdD8O0yF4l14FL-wiwSXgjOyaeaY4sTxYy2yNo5zJ724SvPPAySzo9FcUt4VMYeTWNTQL5fbe43IjOjLbDqbrFUhvCDheS_xTGAH9tIa6b89rbvuziyzk/s400/246.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here we are, melting in the heat, looking at nothing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2igGJfiHuPis_PYrnNZGo3v43Ogz4FCqikHG9Mv5B10IVVLkVFgaLoUdccG0690WbLgfEXooZSoZMqFabRMoeysjISxhwCduj9NsaTF41wpDo2RDbvjY4lkFOoZIj5Nxic8uQE_1I7ag/s1600/239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2igGJfiHuPis_PYrnNZGo3v43Ogz4FCqikHG9Mv5B10IVVLkVFgaLoUdccG0690WbLgfEXooZSoZMqFabRMoeysjISxhwCduj9NsaTF41wpDo2RDbvjY4lkFOoZIj5Nxic8uQE_1I7ag/s400/239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This guy was pretty cool, but he's no gator!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwdzXdhv6KLemzt3uWKoLSEEhBSKOfymCVUlTyFyCg_ZtGvd4ULILwbKlkumO0f23mtr3L1jI-bvHxQM9g26XDu3_FlQuBu4z3-Jq4VD9iLnS7_5Ux9-mlsNbovf2bRTnq0rDu9N6l7s/s1600/245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwdzXdhv6KLemzt3uWKoLSEEhBSKOfymCVUlTyFyCg_ZtGvd4ULILwbKlkumO0f23mtr3L1jI-bvHxQM9g26XDu3_FlQuBu4z3-Jq4VD9iLnS7_5Ux9-mlsNbovf2bRTnq0rDu9N6l7s/s400/245.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the few birds we saw. It was beautiful!</div>
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The traffic on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captiva_Island">Captiva</a> was heavier than expected and we had to wait awhile to get a parking spot. We were all pretty tired by the time we actually hit the beach, but it was still beautiful!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITkUhvM4YbP8f97U6fLJZJpgjT_r-vKYGSOdTjJvujU-RLe5U1Kr6okA6QIGJdcFgpHflooBOCTTVDNoUMvWdciH-tcMPiVae2E9X8RkC3gWCqxKB9H0fDqf-CfaeVdFUlCCkYxB4DWU/s1600/261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITkUhvM4YbP8f97U6fLJZJpgjT_r-vKYGSOdTjJvujU-RLe5U1Kr6okA6QIGJdcFgpHflooBOCTTVDNoUMvWdciH-tcMPiVae2E9X8RkC3gWCqxKB9H0fDqf-CfaeVdFUlCCkYxB4DWU/s400/261.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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My mom was burnt to a crisp by this time and began sporting her construction colored orange shirt to save her skin!</div>
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I love this picture of our boys!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mini Golf:</span></b></div>
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Determined to see the ever elusive gators, we relented in our natural hunt and decided to take the kids <a href="http://www.smugglersgolf.com/">mini-golfing</a> where gator sightings were a guarantee!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">More Treasures on the Beach:</span></b></div>
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My husband and daughter found all of these conch shells (with live occupants) on a bike ride to the south end of the island.</div>
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The next morning we all went to explore the area in hopes of seeing them again!</div>
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We were in luck!</div>
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Other cool things we saw on walks:</div>
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Starfish</div>
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Coral?</div>
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A Stingray who'd seen better days!</div>
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And this cool guy...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.islandtimecruise.com/">Dolphin and Shelling Tour:</a></span></b></div>
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This was by far my favorite part of our trip! We boarded a boat with Capt. Jessica early in the morning and headed out into the gulf! Our destination was <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Big+Hickory+Island/@26.3692483,-81.875653,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x88db180460fa2731:0x138297541165204b">Big Hickory Island </a>, which is only accessible by boat. This was where we would do our shelling. After shelling, Capt. Jessica took us on a tour around the bay searching for dolphins and other marine life. It was amazing!</div>
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The pier from the water!</div>
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Out in the open. Only a couple of us got woozy!</div>
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All of the bridges were a huge hit with our youngest!</div>
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The backwaters we took to get to Hickory Island</div>
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So many shells!</div>
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This little guy preferred searching for leaves, rather than shells. I believe he was happy with his finds!</div>
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So beautiful!</div>
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Heading back to the boat for the dolphin tour!</div>
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How fun would it be to travel to Big Hickory via kayak? I was already planning our retirement years!</div>
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We are a water-loving family who loves to boat. We are on the water all summer long. This tour felt like home to us, and we would have been perfectly satisfied with simply riding around on the boat and exploring nature. However, when these friends showed up, our level of excitement rose to the skies!</div>
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The dolphins were amazing. They were definitely used to the tour boats and jet skis and they followed us way longer than I would have ever imagined. We've seen dolphins before on other tours, but nothing like this where they follow the boat for what seems like an unending amount of time, jumping the wake over and over and over again. We have hundreds of pictures and quite a few videos and we never get tired of looking at them and remembering this experience!</div>
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The Wild Kratts' fans in the boat were all over this osprey nest!</div>
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We got to see a couple manatees too!</div>
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Nothing beat the dolphins though!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Super Low Tide:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSv89wt3AuGe8b1FYM56xCktlPrqS6dhQcwh-GTVu_YKPMWBMwjdElKrBMWNC3XjAvH27HmAs1LCrXl0veHcOtx9Te4aFlB2UBb37ciCzCI8RzySVikxaWl9BjZZTfncroQyUvpb-gA8/s1600/824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSv89wt3AuGe8b1FYM56xCktlPrqS6dhQcwh-GTVu_YKPMWBMwjdElKrBMWNC3XjAvH27HmAs1LCrXl0veHcOtx9Te4aFlB2UBb37ciCzCI8RzySVikxaWl9BjZZTfncroQyUvpb-gA8/s400/824.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On our last two nights the tide was super low. The treasure we hold higher than any other beach treasure is the sand dollar. We were in for a big treat!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu7vmQlbLO-P4rmXnHHw0efcw0OAt6vcPzJu3JhvXGymRbYremR35GDBsTjYq-odk8UA5spDAY-E14K0cUnA0qGA1pzUEjxHKE5efwOWoZM9Z75aPMEeDrlqxeuVraaWCoqinvVun1lw/s1600/793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu7vmQlbLO-P4rmXnHHw0efcw0OAt6vcPzJu3JhvXGymRbYremR35GDBsTjYq-odk8UA5spDAY-E14K0cUnA0qGA1pzUEjxHKE5efwOWoZM9Z75aPMEeDrlqxeuVraaWCoqinvVun1lw/s400/793.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Do you see that brownish circle? Do you? In the shallow water between sandbars we found hundreds of live sand dollars! They were everywhere and were so amazing to see!</div>
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Here's one my mom picked up. Don't worry, we put them safely back in place and even moved a few back into the water that were up too far on the beach!</div>
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Here's what the underside of a sand dollar looks like! It's covered in moving cilia! </div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgh1u3OaWR2Pg9tE_J90hEfTt2AY4QkjwyhUT6WMdEwi8zWMf67gTeVnf2_b5m7IB5RNmphbF5sjpSJUvf' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Here's one we found pretty far up on the beach!</div>
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Our youngest loved this little guy!</div>
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It was amazing watching this one slowly trying to make its' way to deeper water in order to survive!</div>
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The end of our trip was drawing near and we watched the famous Ft. Myers' sunset one last time, before heading in to finish packing for our journey back home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicIV05MjXF9GNPK_IrCfQUt1BrpF7xKtiuR5JYnpUCwFWY75ZVvbuoP3GDSrIEzg3vH552XgSL66h7jMuVg6b-LFWCDNWKFBOeLJQdF9eSSXK3YMmJqkc5HFLZjw3F3_F-HP9OJOFWis/s1600/418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicIV05MjXF9GNPK_IrCfQUt1BrpF7xKtiuR5JYnpUCwFWY75ZVvbuoP3GDSrIEzg3vH552XgSL66h7jMuVg6b-LFWCDNWKFBOeLJQdF9eSSXK3YMmJqkc5HFLZjw3F3_F-HP9OJOFWis/s400/418.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Goodnight, Ft. Myers!</div>
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We had a great trip! A beach vacation is not just a beach vacation for me. It is a chance to explore nature and each time I step out into nature I am blown away by God's creation and attention to every little detail. I am amazed at how everything in this world was created to serve a purpose and each creature, no matter how small, or seemingly insignificant, fits into a giant puzzle, where all the pieces work together to form the beauty that is this world. It fills me with awe and gratitude and a realization of just how small I really am. I try to remind myself, even at home, to look out the window and appreciate the beauty everyday!</div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-23440467921692513422015-06-10T19:55:00.001-07:002015-06-11T06:38:20.656-07:00ICP and the Scars of Pregnancy My lower abdomen is home to four fairly straight lines, one on top of the other, beginning a couple inches in from one hipbone and ending a couple inches out from the other hipbone. These lines and the flap of flab that hangs over them are a reminder of how my beautiful babies entered this world. The are not, however, the only scars of pregnancy my body sports. I also have scars on my toes. The consequence of literally scratching myself raw during my fifth pregnancy. The consequence of living with a diagnosis of cholestasis of pregnancy, or ICP for short.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.icpcare.org/overview.html">Cholestasis of Pregnancy</a> is a fairly rare condition that most often presents in the third trimester of pregnancy. It poses no danger to the mother, but the same cannot be said for the baby. The further along the pregnancy progresses, the more the risk of danger increases for the baby, with the greatest risk being stillbirth. Delivery is usually recommended at 37 weeks, but sometimes it becomes necessary to deliver even sooner. The itching that accompanies ICP is intense. I have nothing to compare it to, and there is no relief until delivery. There is a medication that is prescribed which helps to reduce the risk of danger to the baby, but it does not necessarily lessen the itching. For me it did decrease the itching fore a short time, but as the pregnancy progressed, the itching returned and intensified. I have developed cholestasis in my last two pregnancies, and I have read that June is ICP awareness month. So I wanted to share my stories.<br />
<br />
ICP Baby #1<br />
<br />
I was a little over 38 weeks pregnant with our soon-to-be third living child when itching hands and feet woke me up in the middle of the night. It had been a long pregnancy. Eleven months earlier we had lost a pre-born baby boy at 20 weeks. I spent every minute of the pregnancy wondering if I would be able to hold this baby in my arms, or I would bury him too. Like most women, I worried during the first trimester. I was petrified that I would miscarry during that time, but it didn't end when at 12 weeks we saw and heard that wonderful heartbeat. I knew that I had already been in that minority of women who lose a baby AFTER the first trimester, and there are no guarantees. My fear escalated to a level I didn't even know existed when our community experienced an epidemic outbreak out of fifth disease, which if contracted during pregnancy, can kill the baby. I got tested and sure enough I was not immune. I spent the next three months leaving our home only once a week to go to Mass at 6:30 a.m. when there would be no children in attendance and very few adults. We pulled our daughter out of preschool and my husband (who was immune) took on all the extra responsibilities like grocery shopping. Overboard? Probably, but to this day I am glad we did it. Our precautions weren't in vain. In fact, my mom actually did end up getting fifth disease. It was everywhere and I couldn't fathom losing another baby. I would have done anything in my control to avoid potential harm to him. So that is what we did. <br />
<br />
I cried through all of my check-ups that pregnancy. The 20 week ultrasound (where we had learned of the death of our previous baby) was especially difficult, but all was well this time. I relaxed a bit, relishing in the ability to feel the baby's movements, until the gestational diabetes screening at 28 weeks. I had developed gestational diabetes. God did not intend to let me get through this pregnancy without learning to trust Him. I never did learn, but I certainly did a lot of praying and there is a reason our son is named after Padre Pio who said, "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless." I was a champion at keeping the gd under control and was starting to gain confidence. Every once in awhile I even allowed myself to imagine I might, just might, be able to hold and love this baby on the outside of the womb. I allowed the slightest hints of joy to consume my soul for very brief moments. I couldn't allow these feelings for more than just moments, because my heart was so raw and vulnerable that I didn't think it could handle being shattered to pieces again. It helped if I thought of holding this baby as something that might not happen instead of something would definitely be happening. <br />
<br />
A few weeks before my scheduled c-section the movements decreased. I had a feeling something was wrong. I had a feeling, but this meant nothing. After all, I had a feeling something was wrong the ENTIRE pregnancy. I told myself I wasn't going to humiliate myself again by asking them to make sure everything was okay, and I didn't. I worried, I prayed, and the weeks passed. It was a Saturday night when I was awakened by the itching. I scratched and scratched and then fell back to sleep. The next day we went to Mass and to a brunch for religious ed. teachers. I had forgotten about the middle of the night itching. It was gone. In the light of the day all was well, but when I went to bed that night it returned with a vengeance. I couldn't get to sleep and I was scratching myself so hard I woke my husband up. He asked what I was doing and all I could say was, "I'm itchy!" After awhile I wondered if it was related to the gestational diabetes because it was only my hands and feet. I went downstairs to ask my buddy, Google. I ran a search for icthy hands and feet during pregnancy, fully expecting to see something horrible about high blood sugars pop up. Instead I found a page dedicated to helping women who suffer from something called cholestasis of pregnancy. I scanned the <a href="http://www.icpcare.org/symptoms.html">symptoms</a> and had them all. My level of panic rose sharply when I read about the dangers of stillbirth. I had a c-section scheduled for Thursday of that week and had my pre-op appointment scheduled in the morning so I resolved to ask my doctor about it at the appointment.<br />
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In the morning the itching was gone. I began to wonder if maybe I WAS crazy. I went to my pre-op appointment and shared my concerns with my doctor. God bless him. He knew how paranoid I had been the entire pregnancy. He knew intimately, because he was the saint who stayed with me for hours and hours of induced labor AFTER his shift was over to help me deliver my dead baby. He knew. He knew, and he chuckled and assured me this had NOTHING to do with the pregnancy. "Get some creams," he said. I was devastated. I was convinced that this time, I was right and my baby truly WAS in danger. I went home and when my husband came home for lunch I told him what had happened. This time he was convinced too, so he called the doctor and explained that he thought it could be cholestasis. It takes a humble doctor to listen to a patient when he thinks they are off. I was blessed to have a humble doctor and a husband who had the courage to stand up for his baby. The doctor said I could go the hospital and get tested if it would make me feel better. <br />
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I went to the hospital around 1;00. The nurses mocked me. "So, you're itchy, huh," they chuckled. Clearly they had been warned about my insane paranoia. They set me up in a bed and drew my blood. I watched the hands of the clock move on the wall and wondered if I really was crazy. My question was answered when they returned to the room, no longer looking like jokers. "Your liver function tests came back with levels that are a little high," they said. "We're going to need to start prepping you for surgery." I found out in my next pregnancy that by "a little high" what they really meant was "normal is under 50 and yours are over 500." I was frightened and relieved all at the same time. He really was in danger, but now we were in the hospital. He was being monitored. I could almost breathe a sigh of relief. As it turned out our baby was not born until after 8 that night, because I had eaten lunch, but he was eventually born and I held him, and I am still thankful to be holding him to this day. My doctor shook his head and said he was sorry. It wasn't even on his radar because it was not usual for it to present in a woman after 3 pregnancies without it. Just as all the information read, the itching was gone within a few days and my liver function returned to normal.<br />
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ICP Baby #2<br />
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There is up to a 90% chance of a woman experiencing ICP in future pregnancies after having had it once. I knew this so I was on the lookout when I got pregnant again. This time I felt the tiniest bit of tingling in my fingers around 32 weeks. I told the doctor (not the one from above) at my check up and she assured me that it was probably nothing, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Every pregnancy is different." I went home and cried. Especially when the days passed and the tingle transformed to the familiar itch. I called in and requested blood work and was denied. I tried again and this time the doctor on call said yes.<br />
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I was officially diagnosed at 34 weeks. This time the itching quickly moved from just my hands and feet to my entire body. This is the pregnancy that left me with more than just c-section scars. Scratching doesn't stop the itch, but you cannot stop scratching. They put me on <a href="http://www.icpcare.org/treatment.html">URSO</a> and set up weekly non-stress tests for the baby. My levels were being monitored and I knew we were doing all that could be done. This brought some peace, but still each passing day I wondered if I would wake up to a silent and still womb. It is horrifying to know that your body is not a safe environment for your baby, and the chance of your body potentially killing your baby increases daily. The doctor who was now monitoring me made it clear that she thought I wanted to deliver to provide myself with some relief, and she held out on changing my delivery date from 39 weeks to 37 weeks until the very end. This was absolutely the worst part of ICP for me. I didn't care about the itching. I couldn't imagine how I would ever forgive myself, or her, if I didn't speak up and demand a 37 week delivery and my baby died waiting for her 39 week mark. I didn't want my levels to rise, but I was almost thankful when they continued to do so, because she was forced to admit that this baby needed to be delivered at 37 weeks, and he was. He was delivered. He was healthy. His lungs were mature. He had made it. The itching stopped and my liver function returned to normal.<br />
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I don't know if I will ever be blessed with another pregnancy again, but I do know that if I am I will be more confident and assertive in terms of the care that my baby receives. I have two wild and crazy boys that are here with me today, and there is no guarantee that they would be here if it weren't for my husband and I pushing and risking humiliation in questioning my doctors. If you have symptoms that worry you, please don't second guess yourself. Push until you get the answers you and your baby need to find peace. It could be nothing. Or, it could be a rare condition you have never heard of that is a real danger to your baby. It's always better to ask and know that you have done all you can to ensure your baby's safety.<br />
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My absolute favorite<a href="http://www.icpcare.org/index.html"> ICP website </a>, which happens to be the website I stumbled upon on that itchy night so long ago!<br />
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<br />Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-41356250169098008942015-04-01T14:49:00.001-07:002015-04-01T14:50:00.620-07:00Rambling Thoughts on God's Great GoodnessI apologize in advance. This is going to be a rambling grammatical mess. I just need to write this all down and I really don't care about all the mistakes.<br />
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God is great all the time. I know this, but sometimes I forget this. Sometimes I forget this, and almost always, I take this for granted.<br />
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Lent will officially end in a little more than 24 hours. It's been a good lent. A really good lent. A great lent, in fact. I think I can say it has been my best lent since I came into the Church in 2004.<br />
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I haven't felt so close to Jesus in a very long time, and I've missed it. When I was coming into the Church, and for the first several years after I came into the Church, I could feel Him with me always. My heart was on fire for Him and it was like an intense spiritual high. He was constantly sending me consolations and signal graces. This didn't last forever though and although I know He is still always here, the extraordinary little things that blow me away seem to happen much more infrequently. <br />
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I've been questioning everything I am doing and have done as a mother for quite some time. I really don't want to ruin my kids and sometimes I feel like all I ever do is make the wrong choices. For the past couple of years I have been praying for Him to just let me know what He wants me to do. I have been asking Him to show me what He wants, because that is all I want. I only want to do what He wills for our family. I can never seem to discern His reply. During my holy hour on Tuesday I was trying to stop the litany of worries in my head and just listen, but I couldn't do it. Every time I would try to be silent and listen a new question would appear. I was frustrated. How can/could I figure out what He wills, if I can't/couldn't even shut up for one second so I could listen? I desperately wanted Him to just TELL me what He thinks. <br />
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Last night I realized that if I wanted to get to confession before Easter, it was going to have to be after the 6:30 Mass this morning. So, I woke up early, got out of bed, and headed off to Mass. I had taken the time to examine my conscience last night and my list included some heavy hitters that for the first time I was able to admit to myself and prepare to let go of. So, I was nervous. <br />
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Now, I have to say here that I have been begging God to melt the ice that I have built up around my heart for years, and he has been breaking through and chipping away all through lent. I have been feeling little bits and pieces of His love in a powerful way off and on all throughout this lent. Little bits and pieces are nice, but this morning He took a blowtorch to that puppy and melted an iceberg. <br />
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I was standing in the confession line when a dearly loved and familiar face approached me. We hugged and she asked me if she could pray for me. My heart said, "yes, yes, yes!" I nodded and silently worried if I was going to have time to go over my list one more time before my turn in the confessional. I did not need to worry. <br />
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This friend has gifts. She prays, and the Holy Spirit uses her to speak to people like me who are too deaf to hear Him. As she prayed, without having seen my list, or asking me what was on it, she pretty much went right down my litany of sins addressing almost every one, and heavily hitting upon the ones that hurt the most. <br />
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I stared at the Tabernacle, as tears flowed, thinking about how great God is. One time this same friend told me that He told her I was His spoiled little brat (said with a tender fatherly affection). As I am typing this I can't help but think about how true that is, and what a tender love He has for me, despite my spoiled brattiness. I am such a spoiled brat that I complained about not being able to hear Him and He brought me someone who would audibly relay the message. She literally answered all the questions that have been weighing most heavily on my heart, and she didn't have a clue what He had done through her. He amazes me.<br />
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I went into the confessional, already crying, and sobbed so hard I couldn't speak. Father was wonderful and gentle and I received loving and wise advise. I walked out, snot flying everywhere (literally, it was disgusting), and looked again at my love, hidden so humbly in the little golden box. I left the church, my heart bursting with love for His goodness and mercy, and reminded myself that I shouldn't be surprised because God truly is great, all the time, and sometimes He makes His goodness so obvious even I can see it through my "glass is always half-empty," spoiled brat, goggles. <br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-10051881224090342052015-03-10T14:44:00.000-07:002015-03-10T14:44:18.689-07:00It's Not all Sunshine and Smiles We are on day two of the fourth quarter in our fifth year of homeschooling. We've made it through newborns, toddlers, and tantrums. We've made it through super busy phases and super lonely phases. We've made it through, but today I almost threw in the towel. <br />
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Do a little research on any homeschooling site and you will read that traditionally February is the month when most homeschoolers will give up. This has never been true for me. In our house it is always March, and March just slammed into our basement this morning.<br />
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Homeschoolers, books on homeschooling, and homeschooling sites that pop up on google searches all do a great job of shouting the pros of homeschooling from the rooftops. They will tell you all about how smart your kids will be, how much better (yes better) socialized they will be, how your children are going to be BEST friends, and on and on. After almost five years, I call their bluff.<br />
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I'm also not convinced that the whole world is out to get homeschoolers and shut us down. I bought into that one for quite awhile, and in all fairness, it was probably very true a decade or two ago. The reality of my five years of experience, just shouts a different story though. The number one reaction that I get when I tell people we homeschool is, "Wow, that's awesome." This is usually followed up with, "I wish we could do that, but we can't, I could never do that," or some form of admiration. There have been a much smaller number of times when I can tell the person isn't in favor of our choice, but those interactions are far less frequent, and I have never felt threatened. Teachers, coaches, the school district...ALL of our interactions have been positive. <br />
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All of this leads me to this post today. I believe that homeschooling is great. It can be all of those things advertised above. It really can. However, I do see a lot of people almost putting a halo on the head of the homeschool movement, and while the support is needed and very welcome, the halo needs to come off. It needs to come off because people discerning homeschooling need to know that it does not come without hardship, tears, and struggles. So here goes:<br />
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<b>What you will read: Your kids will be brainiacs and love school!</b><br />
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<b>My experience:</b><br />
Yes, my kids are pretty smart, but no smarter than they would be if they were in a regular classroom. I do see a little more zeal for learning than they might have in a regular classroom (like they all come running for history even if it is not their history lesson), but they also complain about school and don't like doing the work. This may be in part because our homeschool is very much a school at home environment. I would venture a bet that a more laid back homeschool environment really can produce a greater love for learning, but again this can also happen in a traditional classroom with a motivating teacher.<br />
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<b>Socialization: Your kids will be socialized better than their peers!</b><br />
<b>My Truth: </b><br />
My kids get lonely. Most of the time they are okay. We do a lot of stuff outside the home, and my kids even go to regular school once a week, BUT they still get lonely. So sure, they are properly socialized (in the true meaning of the word), but they don't have the same opportunities to develop friendships as their traditionally schooled peers. No, they are not having to deal with all the junk found in a regular school, but that can also be a downside. They are not LEARNING how to deal with all the junk. Oh, and about my kids being best friends...they are, BUT they are also the bullies and the bullied, and instead of being hurt by someone outside of their family, they are getting hurt by the ones whom they love the most. Socialization is more of an issue for our family than it might be for others because my older two children are lacking children their age in our homeschool group. I don't see this as much of an issue with our younger boys, and to be completely transparent neither of the older two really complain about playing with younger children, they enjoy it. However, as a mother I know they NEED a bit more interaction with their peers. I am often reminded that children in a regular classroom can be lonely too, and this may not necessarily be a homeschool issue, but since we have chosen to homeschool I have to wonder what if.<br />
<br />
<b>Which leads me to...</b><br />
<b>The issue that brings me to tears:</b><br />
The stress of knowing that this is a choice that we have made for them, and the possibility that it might not be the right choice. The what ifs are never ending. The pressure is high. When your child isn't getting math, YOU are responsible. When your child displays some awful behavior, YOU have been the role model. Insecurity in my head runs rampant. Raising my children is the most important job I will ever have and messing up something so big is completely overwhelming. In all fairness, I am sure this goes through all parents' heads. If I had my kids in public school or private school I am certain I would be wondering if I were ruining them by that choice as well. Worrying about what ifs is just what I do. <br />
<br />
<br />
At the end of the day, or in the middle of the afternoon after a horrible morning, it just comes down to trusting God. I have to trust that we are following His will for us, because He really did make His will <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2013/07/our-journey-to-homeschooling.html">very, very clear</a> for us on this issue. I have also learned not to make any rash decisions in the midst of a meltdown. By noon today I had researched and mentally noted the pros and cons of our public school, the closest private school, and the private school our kids currently attend once a week. I was a ball of tears and ready to send our oldest to the yellow bus tomorrow morning. Two hours later the tears were gone, replaced by hugs and smiles. Our kids were gathered around me listening intently to the state capital quiz taking place between myself and my son. I looked up at that moment and said, "Guys, THIS is what homeschooling is all about." For me, for us, it IS worth it. I really do love homeschooling. It's just after five years, and a really bad morning, I just strongly feel that other parents need to hear about the not so sun-shiny moments too.<br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-49278582345591667842015-03-04T18:35:00.002-08:002015-04-02T13:56:46.804-07:00I Popped My Catholic Bubble: The Reason Behind the Name ChangeWhen I came into the Church I went through a radical conversion. The majority of who I was and what I had done for most of my life made me cringe, and I thought, "I am so glad that I am not THAT person anymore." I got rid of everything that reminded me of who I used to be and promptly created a bubble around myself. I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that my cringe-worthy behavior was over and I wouldn't have to deal with any of that again. Little did I know that 11 years later I would be cringing again. This time because of who I became within my bubble.<br />
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I entered into my bubble with a heart bursting with love. Love for Jesus. Love for my new found Catholic faith. Love for all of His creation and a profound gratefulness for His mercy. I was on fire for the faith. Unfortunately, over time the love in my bubble was smothered by fear and pride. Instead of a beautiful sanctuary, it became a fortress keeping everyone and everything out for fear of contamination. I saw evil in everything and was in constant fear of unintentionally opening a door to the devil. The joy was gone and I began <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2013/09/rediscovering-love.html">searching desperately for the love</a> that was lost. I was beginning to despair and lose my faith. Finally, it became clear that my bubble needed to be popped.<br />
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So I popped my bubble. I popped it, and our family emerged from a place filled with fear and began to rebuild. My heart needed to get back to the place it was in when we began this journey. I felt like I had climbed a mountain just to get halfway up and jump off. I was confused. I questioned everything. Was I going crazy? Was this really what God wanted for us? The answers were made very clear. In my bubble, I had run up the mountain the first time. Pridefully pushing people out of my way in my zeal. Finally I reached a point where I was the recipient of all that I had been dishing out. It hurt very badly, but I needed to feel this. I needed to feel the rejection. I needed to feel what I had done to others. It sparked a flame of compassion in me, and brought to light the need for my own repentance. I needed to go through all of this so that I could start over. This time not trying desperately to bubble up and keep others out, but rather trying desperately to hold onto the love in my heart so that others might see it and want to come with me. I am going more slowly and carefully this time, because I am sure I haven't learned nearly as much as I think I have. The only thing I can say with certainty is that I am never going to be done making myself cringe, and I think that the humility that comes along with making yourself cringe is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, this whole post already makes me cringe.<br />
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<br />Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-80682772423844937292015-01-20T14:47:00.003-08:002015-03-25T10:19:09.221-07:00Here We Go Again We are nearing the end of January and I am in full swing trying to get back on the right track with my body. After many months of feeding the gluttonous demon that lives in my stomach, I am 20 days into a tiny of taste of success in the never ending battle I have with sugar addiction. My goal is to avoid type 2 diabetes at all costs, or at least to delay it, because she most certainly will be knocking on my door in years to come. I don't really know how to make things work this time. In all honesty, it probably won't. I will probably lose some weight and do well for awhile before falling, spiraling out of control, and ending up in this exact same situation in a few years. My newly revised strategy for attempt number 5 thousand gagillion (yes I know that is not a number) is to eat like I ALREADY have diabetes. Back to my gestational diabetes diet. History has proven that this works for me, and it is already working. Sticking to it long-term when I am not being told I HAVE to is going to be my downfall. In the meantime, I thought I would share some of my favorite apps (and one product) to help in working towards a fitness goal. <br />
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For keeping track of calories, progress, exercise, and more: <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/">www.myfitnesspal.com</a><br />
This is hands down my favorite tool. The database of food is incredible so it makes counting calories and other nutrients extremely simple. You can also plug in your exercise, sync it to fitbit, create goals, and track your progress. Love, love, love this site. Oh, and my favorite feature tells you at the end of the day where you would be in 5 weeks if everyday looked like the day you just finished. THIS is awesome. Not only does it send you instant gratification to keep going on your good days, but it puts things into perspective on your bad days too. You would have to mess up A LOT of days in a row to completely ruin your fitness plans. This was KEY for me in losing weight a few years ago, because I tend to throw in the towel as soon as I mess up and deviate from the plan in the slightest.<br />
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For motivation and support to exercise: <a href="http://www.dailymile.com/">www.dailymile.com</a><br />
This is fun because it is a way to get support from friends and it's fun to see all that you have accomplished throughout each week. Even though I used to think of it as a site mainly for runners (I am not a runner), it is not. It is so much more! You can keep track of pretty much any activity that you are doing. You can also sign up for, or create, challenges. It's been a great tool for me!<br />
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For finding out just how much you move throughout the day: <a href="http://www.fitbit.com/">www.fitbit.com</a><br />
Okay. So. I. LOVE. MY. FITBIT. This is the coolest little gadget. I didn't love confirming just how embarrassingly little I move as a stay at home mom who sits on her butt at the teacher's table most of the day, but I LOVE that it CAN tell me! I wear this puppy everyday. Love it. It counts steps, estimates calories burned (from stepping and just living), counts flights of stairs, and estimates distance. It also keeps track of sleep patterns, but I don't use it for that, because I found it was keeping me awake because I was wondering what it was thinking. Does it think I'm asleep now? How about now? Now? I am not sure how accurate the calories, distances, and sleep tracking are, but the steps are spot on. It also syncs with My Fitness Pal....BONUS! I love this because even on days when I don't fit in an actual workout, I can try to bump up my steps to make up for it a little bit. I also love that if I am hungry I can move around a bit more and earn some extra calories over at myfitness pal through the sync. <br />
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<br />Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-56717272116547602262014-07-09T14:34:00.002-07:002014-07-09T14:34:53.910-07:00Backyard Paradise<div style="text-align: center;">
After we returned from Charleston I was missing my afternoons poolside, relaxing in the sun. In an attempt to recapture some of that vacation bliss I headed out to our own deck. Although we are lacking a pool, I discovered, or rather, appreciated for the first time, that our deck is not so shabby and has a lovely view itself. It is also quite hot (which I like), no matter what the temperature is for the day, and if I sit in one of our old comfy Walmart chairs and close my eyes, it totally seems like I'm still on vacation. For awhile that is just what I did. Every afternoon I would sneak out to my backyard resort and just sit, pretending I was still on vacation. Unfortunately, after awhile my conscience got the best of me and I decided I couldn't stay on vacation forever. So now everyday I go out to my backyard paradise and...<br />
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...fold laundry in my sundress!</div>
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My kids kinda think I'm nuts, but</div>
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laundry and I have never had a better relationship!</div>
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Happy summer!</div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-57848646318281030172014-06-09T13:45:00.004-07:002015-03-25T10:19:28.564-07:00Charleston Trip in Pictures<div style="text-align: center;">
Thought I would share a bit of the beauty and charm of Charleston, SC:</div>
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<b>The Battery</b></div>
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Battery Park is on the left, the harbor would be on the right.</div>
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Beautiful homes, such as this one, line Battery Street!</div>
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It was a wet and windy walk!</div>
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Carriage tour...hoping to do this next time.</div>
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Another example of the beautiful homes. Imagine the wealthy sitting on their porches watching the fireworks of the first shots of the Civil War.</div>
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Granite curbs</div>
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<b>Several of the Catholic Churches</b></div>
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The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, on Broad Street. Bishop John England, and his sister are buried here.</div>
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The pews.</div>
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Touching my necklace to the first class relic of St. Catherine of Sienna.</div>
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The outside.</div>
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St. Mary of the Annunciation, the First Catholic Church in the Carolinas and Georgia</div>
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89 Hasell Street.</div>
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The exterior.</div>
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Interior</div>
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The cemetery next to the church.</div>
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Stella Maris, on Sullivan's Island, right across the street from, and built from, the bricks of Ft. Moultrie </div>
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The interior</div>
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Statue of the Blessed Mother</div>
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<b>Ft. Moultrie on Sullivan's Island</b></div>
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That's Ft. Sumter in the distance.</div>
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Notice the steeple of Stella Maris in the background.</div>
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<b>Boone Hall Plantation</b></div>
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The Avenue of Oaks</div>
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Horses</div>
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Monarch in the Butterfly Garden</div>
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The grave of the Boone who planted the oaks for the Avenue of Oaks.</div>
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Slave quarters</div>
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Walking to the dock where goods would be picked up for shipping.</div>
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The home</div>
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Gullah presentation</div>
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<b>The French Quarter and Rainbow Row</b></div>
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In addition to street signs, the streets are also marked in the sidewalk.</div>
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Carriage tour on Rainbow Row</div>
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Rainbow Row</div>
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Not a great city for women in heels!</div>
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I couldn't get enough of the beautiful streets!</div>
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More!</div>
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And the sidewalks too!</div>
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Real lanterns!</div>
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Breathtakingly beautiful!</div>
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East Bay Street</div>
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The boys liked this one!</div>
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Full view!</div>
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<b>Market Street</b></div>
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The Market</div>
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End of the Market</div>
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Shot of the bridge!</div>
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<b>Waterfront Park and the View</b></div>
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The ultimate sign of welcome on the waterfront...Pineapple Fountain!</div>
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USS Yorktown</div>
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Castle Pinckney</div>
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The new bridge, a cargo ship, and a sailboat in the harbor.</div>
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<b>Why We Love VRBO</b></div>
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The House</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWZA4IvU73qiOmANSkLXGZ5m89QZUNtzn-NfEZ5EvHQxdvvQZ4GblnyG7aSeIegeYf9MoKgYrPA-z936tTc0q4jQapCST_Ruov9l6JsGKNPOYY_B6HEKp4VIMHrWANaZiD9T-o5vkbI8/s1600/798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWZA4IvU73qiOmANSkLXGZ5m89QZUNtzn-NfEZ5EvHQxdvvQZ4GblnyG7aSeIegeYf9MoKgYrPA-z936tTc0q4jQapCST_Ruov9l6JsGKNPOYY_B6HEKp4VIMHrWANaZiD9T-o5vkbI8/s1600/798.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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House from the pool deck. One regular porch on the middle level, a rooftop patio, and a screened in porch (not pictured) to the right of the windows!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85ikhk7LXoKT-wsbOlZ6VwLOvmSMTxgj-VLh1Ql5iKJI5JhrGkuolyw5p4tZ3zESSiP0-q6wcpPnPOhJuNyr6ZMWNCXBzneUI21tpBBjnKdmZUlTpbTiNWxm7IpxV_W4AmylkKW-3On4/s1600/322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85ikhk7LXoKT-wsbOlZ6VwLOvmSMTxgj-VLh1Ql5iKJI5JhrGkuolyw5p4tZ3zESSiP0-q6wcpPnPOhJuNyr6ZMWNCXBzneUI21tpBBjnKdmZUlTpbTiNWxm7IpxV_W4AmylkKW-3On4/s1600/322.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Tree house with no way to climb in (much to my relief)! The boys (and men) were disappointed though)!</div>
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The view from the rooftop deck!</div>
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View of the pool area and cabana from rooftop deck!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwaKws4gl8r_F5xsFJvr9da4Zn86g1O7Nr3Grk9-kEHE1oziq-biv04b_SbxSe3aUrmnY8v2RnnhYyHl62j4mdLT9BF68tltcPWuye48IJ5t3UYkEeRWBzbHcbgA5uzGFv__JHe6PiRw/s1600/photo+(28).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwaKws4gl8r_F5xsFJvr9da4Zn86g1O7Nr3Grk9-kEHE1oziq-biv04b_SbxSe3aUrmnY8v2RnnhYyHl62j4mdLT9BF68tltcPWuye48IJ5t3UYkEeRWBzbHcbgA5uzGFv__JHe6PiRw/s1600/photo+(28).JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Sullivan's Island</b></div>
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Cargo ship leaving the harbor.</div>
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View of Charleston from Sullivan's Island</div>
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Walking the path to the beach!</div>
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Shrimping boats at Shem Creek</div>
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<b>Our Trip to Morris Island with Charleston Adventure Tours</b></div>
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The tour boat was parked RIGHT next to the U.S.S. Yorktown (upper left corner of pic.) and this other ship.</div>
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On the other side of the boat was this submarine. We did get a chance to walk through it. It kind of freaked me out.</div>
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The weather was bad so while we waited to see if it was going to clear, Capt. Howie taught us all how to tie different knots.</div>
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Harlow, the beautiful and very friendly dog of Miss Marnie (our shell guide) went along for the trip. We all loved her!</div>
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Ft. Sumter</div>
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Morris Island</div>
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Cargo Ship</div>
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Some friends we met along the way!</div>
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Up close!</div>
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Morris Island</div>
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What's that I see? Good find, Uncle Mike!</div>
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Part of our loot at the end of the morning! Check out all the shark teeth!</div>
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<b>Isle of Palms Beach</b></div>
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Flowers on the path, and they smelled heavenly!</div>
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More flowers!</div>
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Sunrise!</div>
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Playing in the sand!</div>
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Looking for the perfect spot to hit the waves!</div>
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Playing in the warmth of the tide pools!</div>
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Houses along the beach!</div>
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The boogie boarding crew!</div>
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Heading out!</div>
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The pier where we got engaged!</div>
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We were all kind of sad to come home, but look what was waiting for us when we got there...a full rainbow! It was so complete that we could not even fit the entire thing in any of the pictures we took! This picture does not even show a fraction of how beautiful it was. Apparently, God wanted to remind us that beauty resides in ALL of His creation, no matter where you are on the globe!</div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-89918571572864821922014-05-19T14:36:00.000-07:002015-04-02T13:57:09.256-07:00My Journey with NFP I entered the RCIA with full intentions of becoming a Cafeteria Catholic. I had never heard of the term before, and of course I had no clue there might be something less than ideal about this, but that is exactly what my intentions were. The master plan was to become Catholic and pick and choose to believe what I thought made sense. Something unexpected happened though. Everything made sense. Everything. It was the richest, deepest, most perfectly logical theology I had ever learned. Not that I had a large background in theology. I had spent most of my Sunday school days and confirmation classes passing notes and goofing off. But the teachings of the Catholic Church were so beautiful and made so much sense they just completely penetrated my heart and soul. I became like a sponge soaking everything, and always thirsting for more.<br />
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A little over halfway through the year the catechists started tackling the some of the more controversial teachings of the Church. My husband and I had entered the RCIA as a contracepting couple. I had absolutely no clue that there was anything wrong with this. No clue. Not even a smidge of a clue. I had no recollection whatsoever of any hint of this teaching being presented in our pre cana classes. I am certain none of my fellow teachers shed light on my lack of knowledge about this topic while we chatted in the teacher's lounge of the Catholic school I taught in. This was the first time I had ever heard that in the eyes of the Church contraception was wrong. Lucky for me God's timing is always perfect. Lucky, because we were in the process of trying to conceive our second child by the time this class took place. This made hearing this news significantly easier to accept and to at least be open enough to learn a little bit more about why the Church's teaching is what it is.<br />
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So when the lead catechist asked us during a private meeting if we would be willing to accept this teaching and give NFP a try, my husband and I looked at one another, shrugged our shoulders, and said, "Sure, why not?" Learning NFP was not at all difficult for me. In fact, I was already practicing it, without calling it NFP, while trying to conceive. I had also used it when trying to conceive our first child. I already knew all about taking temperatures, being aware of changes in mucous, ovulation strips, the luteal phase, etc. None of it was new. I knew from living my secular lifestyle that using these signs was the quickest way to find yourself staring at a positive pregnancy test. What I had never heard of was using these same signs to avoid a pregnancy, but it didn't matter to me. We were months into a six month wait to conceive our son and wanting to avoid a pregnancy was the last thing on our minds. We fully embraced NFP and learned all that we could, committing fully to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.<br />
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I'm not going to lie. NFP was not quite so beautiful after our second child was born. It was time to test the effectiveness of NFP when trying to avoid pregnancy. It was scary. It was difficult. It was not fun. But we did it. We did it and it was the right thing to do, and THAT made it worth it. The obedience and trust in God's will for our family did bring us closer together and it did eventually bring with it, beauty. NFP does not come without sacrifice. It is often mocked by the secular world and glossed over by the Catholic world. Sorry to all of you ob/gyn's who roll your eyes at me and make snarky comments about how ineffective it is, you're wrong. It is very effective when used correctly. But it's not all roses like so many in the Catholic world proclaim either. Throughout my ten years of NFP I've liked it, hated it, and am currently starting to fall in love with it and see a little more depth into its' beauty.<br />
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Our first child was breech. I chose an elective c-section. At that time the risk of too much scar tissue and a ruptured uterus in future pregnancies was not even on my radar. However, after my second c-section my biggest fear became the chance of a doctor telling me (somewhere down the road) that it would not be safe to have anymore children. This was my biggest fear, because I could not imagine having to use NFP for the rest of my fertile years. I loved using NFP for achieving pregnancy, but hated using it for avoiding. Every pregnancy I feared the doctor declaring, "This scar tissue is out of control," but instead, every pregnancy the incision would be made and I would hear, "Wow, your uterus looks great! Very little scar tissue, for all the c-sections you've had!" So I was feeling pretty confident that we might actually make it through the fertile years without having to endure years and years of NFP. I was wrong though.<br />
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Very often our plans are not the same as God's plan. We lost our third child 20 weeks into the pregnancy. This made future pregnancies for me a time of extreme emotional stress. My last two pregnancies have been spent in a constant state of panic and fear that the baby will die. In addition I've dealt with gestational diabetes and cholestasis of pregnancy (which carries with it an increasing risk of death to the baby the further along the pregnancy progresses). So while many moms worry about losing a baby in the first trimester, it doesn't end there for me. I have an overwhelming and often debilitating fear of losing the baby until it is safely delivered and in my arms. Telling myself to trust in God doesn't exactly help either, because I know that sometimes His plan hurts like hell, and even though I can rattle off a list of ways He brought good out of our loss, I never want to feel that pain again. In essence, during pregnancy I am petrified of what God's plan might entail. All of this makes my pregnancies difficult, not only for me, but especially for the rest of my family. So near the end of my last pregnancy and at the height of my cholestasis when my husband hinted that we should probably not do this again, I was completely devastated. I was mad. I was hurt. I could not believe it. I decided not to say anything and I assumed that after the baby was born and things returned to normal he'd be ready to continue filling our house with little ones.<br />
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But, in the weeks that followed delivery, I began to face the fact that he was right. My heart rate was in the lower 40s for weeks after my surgery and though there was concern, no one could explain it. The doctors shrugged it off as some sort of reaction to the anesthetic and sent me home. I would lay in bed and hear this slow creepy throb pounding in my head, "Thump......................................................................thump........................................................................thump." Now I was scared in a new way. I remember laying in bed, hearing that throb, scared that something was seriously wrong, wondering when/if it was going to get back to normal. Wondering who would take care of my babies if it DIDN'T get back to normal and something happened. I admitted to myself that my husband was right. I admitted that maybe God was not calling us to have as many babies as possible. Maybe He was calling me out on my prideful motives for wanting more babies. All my friends have loads of babies. It's like a badge of honor, and I wanted to continue wearing that badge. I knew some moms who looked forward to a day when God would give them a break between pregnancies, but I'd spent many months waiting for God to give me babies, and then even had Him take one away after the waiting. Having a full womb was never a cross for me. Ever. It was then that I realized that God may be calling me to a different kind of cross. While my friend's wombs continued to expand with new life, mine would remain empty. Laying there, sobbing, I made the most painful promise to God that I have ever made. I promised Him that if He just allowed my heartrate to go back to normal, than I would not try to have any more babies. I would not selfishly be with my husband whenever I wanted. I would use NFP. BLAH!<br />
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I very much wanted to keep having babies. I felt like God was smacking me in the face, telling me I didn't make the cut as a "mother of many." It was very hard. I don't remember how many weeks I cried, but it was a long time. To top it all off, this meant NFP for the rest of my fertile years. Not because a doctor had said my uterus couldn't handle another pregnancy, but because in prayer, I had discerned that GOD had said that I could not handle another baby. Even worse.<br />
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I've never hated NFP more than the I did during the first two years post partum after that last pregnancy. I was miserable, and the intimacy within our marriage suffered badly. I felt like there was no point in our embrace anymore if it would never again result in new life. I knew that even if my body could handle another pregnancy, that mentally I couldn't, and this made me mad. I couldn't imagine taking care of my current children and going through another pregnancy. "No wonder God doesn't want me to have any more babies," I would tell myself. Those words stung and even as I was saying them, the question was always in the back of my mind, "What if you made a mistake, and He IS calling you to more babies, and you are throwing away your fertile years?" This, I believe, is where my true frustration and fear came from.<br />
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It wasn't the NFP. It wasn't that I probably wouldn't get to be pregnant again. It was a fear that we may have messed up in discerning His will for us. That is what was causing the misery. I have learned this in the last year. The further away from the "scary" pregnancies we have gotten, the more loosely we have followed the NFP rules. NFP is extremely effective...if you follow the rules. Not so much so, if you smudge the rules a bit. So, in the last year, there have been a handful of times when He has definitely had His chance to gift us with another child, and He has not. Each time this happens I go through the same emotions. First, panic, followed by hopeful excitement, and ending with a somewhat sorrowful, somewhat relieved, peaceful confirmation that He indeed is not calling us to another pregnancy at this time. <br />
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The most recent incident was a little over a month ago. We do not use the most conservative rules for the beginning of the cycle and usually do not cut off relations until after day 8. This is risky, because you can always ovulate earlier than usual, which is exactly what happened during this cycle. I ovulated on day 12, which has never happened in all of my days of charting. As soon as I realized what was happening I went through my little stages of panic, etc. I was more excited than ever though this time, because it was so very clearly in God's hands. Other times we have been selfish and given into temptation to cause the possibility, but this time, I really felt it was in His hands completely since I can't MAKE myself ovulate early. Wow, maybe I CAN have another baby! The fear of pregnancy problems melted away because of the NFP, because I knew this was not Him giving into OUR WANTS, but something HE was specifically arranging by having that egg drop earlier than usual. I started looking at baby names. I started peeing on the strips at 8 days past ovulation. My temp stayed high. Negative tests did not deter my excitement, I knew it was WAAAY to early. Then came Easter Sunday. I woke up. My temp had dropped, and I thought, "Empty tomb, empty womb." I wasn't pregnant. That old voice telling me I'm not good enough came sneaking in, but this time it was stomped out by a new voice. A new confirming voice reminding me that God calls families of all sizes. A voice telling me what a gift NFP is because it is cycles like this that help us to continue to discern His will for us. He gifts me with cycles like this, not to crush my hopes, but to reassure me that we are following His will for us. So for the first time ever, filled with peace and more confidence in discerning His will, I am beginning to see glimpses of the fruits and rosiness proclaimed in all the Catholic promotions of NFP as a marriage builder, and I'm kinda starting to fall in love with it!<br />
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NFP Methods/Resources:<br />
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<a href="http://ccli.org/nfp/stm-method/index.php">My favorite Method</a><br />
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<a href="http://nfp.marquette.edu/">My Top Pick for Post-Partum, Before Cycles Return</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.creightonmodel.com/">Most of the Ladies I Know Use This Method</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.thebillingsovulationmethod.org/">Another Option</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.fertilityfriend.com/">My Favorite Place to Chart</a> This one is not an NFP site, but I have been charting there since before conversion when I was trying to concieve our first child. It is not meant to be used to avoid pregnancy, but I still use it to chart.<br />
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Info from the <a href="http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/what-is-nfp/">USCCB</a><br />
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<br />Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-28618468288935137732014-05-12T12:44:00.003-07:002014-05-12T12:45:16.421-07:00Summer 2014 Summer break is only hours away, and I cannot wait! I have always loved summer. Growing up my life completely changed for the summer months. I grew up outside of town, but my summers were spent being a town kid, and I loved it. I loved the endless hours of being outside and the carefree freedom of summer fun. For much of my motherhood I have spent my days just trying to survive, rather than just enjoying the time, including summer days. I wanted this to change. So last summer I committed to doing something to put a halt to my collection of hours/days/months wasted and start living! The result was the best summer I have ever had in my career as a mother. All summer long I kept wanting to post about all the things that were delighting my soul, some of them so seemingly small, but nonetheless bringing a bundle of joy to my soul. So, here are some of the things that made last summer rock, followed by how I'm going to try to make this summer just as good:<br />
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<b>No Waste!</b></div>
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We tried very hard not to waste any of the time God has given us. We didn't spend entire days just trying to get the house in order. Instead, we focused on the basics for an hour or so, and then moved on to something else. Real time with the kids, rather than time spent barking cleaning orders at them. I tried to make sure we did something everyday, and didn't just sit around. It might have been just going to the pool, or it might have been a day trip out of town. I think I succeeded, because by the end of the summer the kids were asking me if we could please just stay home! </div>
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<b>Last Summer's Theme Song:</b></div>
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<b>Rediscovering Aldi's!</b></div>
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I hadn't been to Aldi's for almost a decade when I walked through the doors last summer on a quest for a great deal on a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stearns-Puddle-Jumper-Jacket-Orange/dp/B003648NYM/ref=sr_1_1?s=boating-water-sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1399914486&sr=1-1">Puddle Jumpers</a> floatation device. I walked out with two life jackets and loads of REALLY cheap and tasty gluten free foods! We hadn't been to Aldi's for such a long time, because we assumed they would not have many products that would be gluten free. Wow, were we wrong! They already had quite a few gluten free products last summer, but just last week my husband came home with loads of new gluten free products they have developed. We are beyond excited, and so far he and my daughter proclaim everything they have tried to be delicious! What does this have to do with making last summer so great???? Well...</div>
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<b>We Went to the Pool...A LOT!</b><br />
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Growing up my mom managed the local swimming pool, so I practically lived there. I was there most days from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. I ate all my meals there. I kept my bike there. I was picked up and dropped off there when I went somewhere with friends for the day. It was my summer home. To this day there is nowhere I find more serene than underwater. I may or may not have fins. </div>
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Never could I have imagined growing up and being the mother of non-swimming children, but that is what I have become. None of our children are strong swimmers, because I have not taken them to the pool very often, and swimming lessons once a year, with no outside practice is never going to cut it. Make no mistake, it IS very difficult to take multiple small children to a pool by yourself. This is especially true when you spent years in the lifeguard chair yourself, and know how quickly little ones can get themselves into trouble, so I had avoided it. </div>
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Last year, however, we did it! The little boys wore the Puddle Jumpers (still closely supervised, because, although they did not, it is quite possible to slip out of those things), and the older kids developed enough skills for me to be confident letting them go where they wanted as long as they stuck together and stayed out of the deep area. We had so much fun and I am really, really hoping to continue with this in the next few months and if all goes well, I am hoping I can call them (the older two) strong swimmers by the end of the season. That's my goal. </div>
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<b>Favorite Summer Drink:</b><br />
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<a href="http://dailyscocktails.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/s_460x/products/images/beauty/pouch_margarita_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://dailyscocktails.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/s_460x/products/images/beauty/pouch_margarita_0.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://dailyscocktails.com/product/margarita-original-frozen-pouches">Daily's Frozen Margaritas....YUMMY!</a></b><br />
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<b>The River!</b><br />
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We also spent a lot of time out on the river last summer, and I cannot describe how much fun it was to watch the kids having a blast doing the same things we did when we were children! My husband has taken the older children camping out on the river the last few years and last year the entire family went. This year's goal is a 2 day camp suggested by me. I saw no point in going through all the work of setting up camp only to tear it down the very next day!! We are also hoping to get the older kids water skiing.</div>
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<b>Hy-Vee Iron Kids Triathlon!</b><br />
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Our oldest son participated in this race, and though he was close to not making it in the swimming section (we spent the whole summer working with him on the freestyle and he got there and doggie-paddled, almost drowning himself!), he pulled through and finished the rest of the race! This was so much fun and we were so proud of him! I had never been to any sort of racing event and found the atmosphere to be so invigorating. I wish I could run!!!!!</div>
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<b>I very much want to hit repeat this year, with the addition of adding one very lofty goal...</b></div>
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Our woods is a huge mess. The work that needs to be done completely overwhelms me. I keep waiting for someone (my husband) to come in and magically take care of it. The problem is, this is not going to happen. My husband already works hard. He has done very little manual labor in his life and he just simply does not have time to get this done. BUT, I do. After watching The Pioneer Woman all winter long and seeing all that her husband and kids accomplish in a hard day's work, I keep telling myself I can do it! The kids and I can clear out this woods. It may take us a few years, but we can do it! So my lofty summer goal is to: </div>
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-Spend 1 hour per day clearing out the woods, on most days</div>
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<b>My "pump me up" to combat taking the easy route this summer song:</b></div>
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May I not waste a moment of the time God has given me this summer. May I work hard, sweat hard (if I lose a few pounds from the sweating that would be a sweet bonus), and play hard this summer! Thank you Jesus for all you have given me. Thank you for finding me when I was lost. Thank you for my beautiful children and husband. Thank you for blessing me with the resources to live in a way that "everything is automatic," and please help me to stop taking advantage of this and start working hard to achieve my goals!!!!! </div>
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<b>We'll see what happens!!!! Happy summer!</b></div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-70370434160990732782014-05-11T11:48:00.001-07:002014-05-11T18:57:46.316-07:00WooHoo!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Mother's Day to Me!!!</div>
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Look what I found!!<br />
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Yum, yum, and yum!!!!</div>
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Took the kids with me for a second trip:</div>
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1.25 lbs. total for the day! All in one small area. </div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-63763537934559544572014-03-27T14:30:00.002-07:002015-03-25T10:20:18.983-07:00Ft. Myers Trip, Day 9: Heading Home<b>RECAP: </b> My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:<br />
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<b>Day 9:</b></div>
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I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to get dressed in my jeans and long sleeved shirt. I wanted to keep waking up to the sound of the waves. I wanted to keep looking out my window and seeing the beach and beautiful water. I wanted to keep taking daily walks on the beach. I wanted to continue being able to go to daily Mass so easily. I wanted to keep putting groceries in a bike basket. I wanted to stay forever, but day nine had come and it was time to go home.<br />
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<b>Goodbye, sandy toes!</b></div>
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<b>Goodbye, sand dollar path to the beach, I will miss stepping over you and seeing our littlest one jump on you!</b></div>
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<b>Goodbye, freezing cold, tiny pool and "train track." I kinda won't miss you.</b></div>
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<b>Goodbye, Sunset!</b></div>
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<b>Goodbye, Coconut Trees!</b></div>
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<b>Goodbye, Beautiful View!</b></div>
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<b>Goodbye</b></div>
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In the morning, after the van was all packed up. We walked to the beach one last time. Our sand castle, built the day before, had survived the night and even the traffic of morning walkers and bikers. I looked at it and wondered how long this reminder of our family's presence on the beach would remain. It felt like we were leaving a small part of us there, on the beach. It was only fitting because I believe the beach left its' mark on our hearts forever and none of us will ever forget the wonderful family memories made there. I could hardly believe how sad I was to walk away from it all, but that is exactly what I had to do.</div>
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<b>We turned our backs to the beach and began our walk down the now-familiar path, for the last time.</b></div>
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<b> I would have given a great deal to make a right turn off of the path and head into the house, as I had done so many times before that week. Instead, I just kept walking, heading to the jam packed rental van, to squeeze in, and start our journey back home.</b></div>
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Obviously, we made it home. The airport was a train wreck. We packed WAY too much and none of the adults made it to check-in unscathed. Grandma looked like she was having a coronary. I fell and all the luggage/car seats I was hauling landed right on top of me. Dave was listening to me snarl at him for going too fast and informing him that, "I EVEN fell," when he himself, fell over, and the kids were hot, whiny, and exhausted as well. It was 80 degrees and we were dressed for 0 degrees, so that did not help. BUT, we made it. We made it, and despite the long and uncomfortable days of travel to get there and back, we all look forward to doing it all over again when time and finances allow, and next time we know to<b> PACK LIGHTLY!!!!!!</b></div>
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<b style="text-align: center;">Here's what we did on :</b><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 2</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 4</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 5</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 6</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 7</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 8</a><br />
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<br />Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-41108172764476390452014-03-27T11:28:00.002-07:002015-03-25T10:20:32.437-07:00Ft. Myers Trip, Day 8<b>RECAP: </b> My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:<br />
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<b>Day 8:</b></div>
Our last full day in Ft. Myers began with everyone going to daily Mass. Still impressed by the ability to leave for Mass with only 8 minutes to spare, and be early enough to quiet ourselves before it began, we loaded the van at 7:52 and headed south to the church. After Mass the morning plan was to head to the north end of the island to visit the pier.<br />
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Our son and I rode the bikes to the pier while the rest of the family drove. We beat them. Have I mentioned before how horrendously slow traffic is on Estero Island? The north end of the island was packed and the pier and shopping area were loaded with visitors. <br />
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Throughout the week I discovered a new-found love of pelicans. Watching them soar up and down the shoreline and dive-bomb into the water in search of food, totally fascinated me. So my favorite part of the pier was of course the resident pelicans hanging out there, who were so accustomed to the crowds that they did not move no matter how close you got to them.</div>
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I am pretty certain they would have let me touch them, but THAT was against the rules, so of course I did not try!</div>
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The bridge to Sanibel Island, taken from the pier:</div>
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Checking out the view!</div>
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The trip was getting a little old for the guy on the left!</div>
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In Times Square, where all the shops are and the pier begins, I spotted what I thought was a very appropriate statue of a man on a bicycle. How appropriate, I thought, to have a statue of a bicycler here on the island where everyone gets to where they need to go via bicycle! A while later I looked up to see the statue I had been admiring chasing people around and chirping like a bird. What?!! This talented man looked so authentic in his disguise. I would have never known he was not a real statue, which was exactly his goal, I guess. What great entertainment. One of our sons is a real joker, and I wanted the man to "get" him, so as soon as he and my husband reached the area we sent him over to: "check out the cool statue." </div>
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Here he is approaching the "statue." He was still in full pout mode (see picture from the pier) so he wasn't too excited, but I was eagerly awaiting and anticipating his reaction. I was certain I would see a grand jump followed by laughter when the man got off his bike and startled him.</div>
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As it turned out he was a little more shocked than startled, and apparently jokes aren't quite as funny when they are played on you instead of others. He did not laugh and was less than enthusiastic when we sent him back to the statue with our tip for the performer. He shuffled his feet in slow motion and lethargically dropped the money in the bike helmet. The donation delighted the man and his response finally caught the attention of our boy, who then took the time to unabashedly stare in amazement at this mind blowing site! And for the record, he admits that he was indeed, scared.</div>
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My favorite picture of the pier. Isn't my husband a great photographer?!!</div>
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The kids had some ice cream and then it was time to head back to the house. This time it was our daughter's turn to ride the bike, while our son took her spot in the van. This was by far the windiest day of the trip and we were riding against the wind on the way back. It was a much more difficult ride and we definitely did not win the race back home!</div>
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We spent the rest of the day on the beach, and with the increased wind came larger waves. The kids were finally able to have a little fun boogie boarding. Dave and I relived our days of living in Charleston, and did a little boogie boarding ourselves. The kids had a blast and so did we!</div>
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She found a sport she likes!!!!</div>
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Learning the virtue of patience...waiting for the perfect wave pays off!</div>
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The two little guys were totally over the beach, and we the adults, were totally not. We wanted to spend as much time as we could on the beach especially since it was our last day. So....we resorted to piling frosting in their bag of plain animal crackers. This yummy surprise kept them quiet while eating, with the added bonus of the many minutes it took for them to lick the sticky mess off of their fingers! </div>
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We worked together on a family sand castle and in this picture, it is almost finished!</div>
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Of course, it HAD to be a Christian sand castle! We built it out of the reach of high tide and were all surprised to see our cross still standing later that evening!</div>
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It was overcast most of the afternoon and there was no good view of the sunset that night. We spent the night cleaning, doing loads and loads of laundry, and packing up. None of us were quite ready to say goodbye, but you can't stop time, so we faced the fact that it was time to pack up, leave the heat, and go back to the cold! I traded moods with our son and became the resident pouter.</div>
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<b>Here's what we did on :</b> <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 2</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html">Day 4</a>, <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 5</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html">Day 6</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html">Day 9</a>Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-36143047914318681912014-03-22T07:46:00.000-07:002015-03-25T10:20:46.666-07:00Ft. Myers Beach Trip: Day 7<b>RECAP: </b> My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:<br />
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<b>Day 7:</b></div>
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We started the day rushing to the beach (some of us in our pajamas) hoping for another dolphin show. My husband and I had spotted the fins from the balcony shortly after rolling out of bed. We didn't get another front row seat to a <a href="recap: My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:">nature show</a>, but we did get to watch them swim along the shoreline for a few minutes. While Dave chatted with walkers, I continued the unsuccessful search for whole sand dollars with our daughter, before heading in for breakfast.</div>
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One of my favorite pictures from the trip was taken on the beach that morning!</div>
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We spent the rest of the morning exploring the shops of the <a href="http://santinimarinashopping.com/">Santini Marina Plaza</a> on the south end of the island. After shopping, we took a little drive towards Bonita Springs. We found <a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey/">Lover's Key State Park</a>, and noted that it looked like it would be a fun place to visit on a future trip to the area (yes, we had already started planning return trips)!!!</div>
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The afternoon was spent on the beach and at the pool. We were all pretty tired and starting to get a little cranky. We were so tired, in fact, that at sunset we were too lazy to even get up and move to the beach. We made it to the retaining wall and glued our bottoms to it while the sun went down.</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Here's what we did on : </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 2</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a><span style="text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 4</a><span style="text-align: start;">, </span> <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html">Day 5</a><span style="text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 6</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html">Day 8</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html">Day 9</a></div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-77901560507509405572014-03-20T15:59:00.000-07:002015-03-25T10:20:58.034-07:00Ft. Myers Trip, Day 6: A New Friend<b>RECAP: </b> My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:<br />
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<b>Day 6:</b></div>
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<b> </b>I am fairly certain that what happened on day 6 was one of the biggest highlights for everyone on our trip. The day started out very normal. Our entire crew went to Mass and then we hurried home in an attempt to make it down to the beach in time for low-tide. We still hadn't found any whole sand dollars and we were really hoping to find just one! We never did find a whole sand dollar (just lots of pieces), but God had something bigger and better in store for us! </div>
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We were all pretty spread out, heads down, scouring the sand for any sign of just one little sand dollar that had somehow escaped the bashing of the waves, the walkers, and the bikers, without getting broken. I took a little break and looked up to see my husband in the water searching. I was admiring his handsomeness when I caught a glimpse of something behind him:</div>
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My first instinct was excitement. We had seen the dolphin at Sanibel a few days earlier and it had looked just like this. I started yelling my husband's name trying to get his attention. He was oblivious to the fact that there was a dolphin in the water with him, heading his way. He couldn't hear me, and the dolphin, who wasn't doing any cute little dolphin jumps, was increasingly looking more and more like a shark in my paranoid brain. My calling to my husband became a little more anxious, and I stopped standing and started moving. I'm glad my panic didn't escalate to the point of me yelling, "SHARK!" because, well, that would have been extremely humiliating and I'm not sure I am flexible enough to bend over and bury my head in the sand. It was indeed a dolphin, and we were all treated to about a half hour fishing show just feet off of the shore. There was quite a crowd, and cell phones were out in full force snapping memories while we all followed our new friend up and down the beach. Here are a several of the hundred (literally) pictures taken on our cameras:</div>
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Our daughter was mesmerized. She loves animals and this is the day we say she transformed from Penguin Girl to Dolphin Girl, with dolphins doing the impossible and replacing penguins as her favorite animal (at least for the week)!</div>
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The Blowhole: Proof it is a dolphin and not a shark!</div>
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It would just barely move around, almost to the point that I worried it might be sick, and then BAM, it would take off like torpedo.</div>
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Annnd back to the slow and lazy speed.</div>
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At one point it put on a full Sea Worldish show, and did a series of spins and turns.</div>
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Who needs Shamu?!</div>
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Fantastic!</div>
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And back to the lazy swim...notice how close to shore this all took place. Amazing!</div>
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The rest of the week our dolphin friends continued to make appearances, but this was the longest show we caught. What a treat!</div>
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The rest of the day was pretty bland in comparison. Nothing new. Beach, bike rides, and sunset. Good fun!</div>
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Cruisin' the beach on the bike!</div>
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Our daughter's turn on the bike!</div>
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This is the mom I remember from childhood. Sitting in the pool chair soaking in the rays.</div>
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The little guy discovered the joys of driving his "boat"!</div>
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After a great game of "Red Light, Green Light" </div>
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It was time to wave goodbye to the sun!</div>
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And I enjoyed checking out the sunset, with MY new favorite animals, the pelicans!</div>
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<b>Dolphin Video:</b></div>
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For those who are prone to motion sickness, beware...it's a little shaky!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LC9juOIUdXc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Here's what we did on : <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 2</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html">Day 4</a>, <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 5</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 8</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html">Day 9</a>Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-88317096009514257052014-03-17T17:37:00.000-07:002015-03-25T10:21:11.306-07:00Ft. Myers Trip: Day 5<b>RECAP: </b> My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:<br />
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<b>DAY 5:</b></div>
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<b> </b>Day 5 is the day we really settled in. It was Tuesday and we had no intentions of leaving the island for any reason until it was time to go home. The weather had warmed up, and stayed that way for the rest of our trip! No more cool mornings and evenings...even for me! We were adjusting quite well to our little home for the week!</div>
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Dave and I started the day with Mass, while Grandma stayed behind with the kids. We made it in time to pray a couple decades of the rosary and were able to stay for the Divine Mercy Chaplet after Mass. This reminded me of my former days of daily Mass back home, with the added bonus of having my husband with me! A great start to the day!</div>
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Next up on our list of things to do was figure out the bike situation. There were two adult bikes in the garage and one children's bike. All of which had flat tires and rusty chains. Dave picked up an air pump and some oil and went to work. He had some success and was able to get one of the adult bikes and the children's bike working. He and our oldest son then took a ride a few miles down the beach to check out an area we had thought looked cool on Google Earth. </div>
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The Area:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nYDfosImX5mywKLwkpMEOSXveii5vmVpJUXoztwZAa5lYtEvnmcVYozOV_zKoa9EftHQ1e2BjMSXQTsIi4C6yXSgX7zSQNMcMU9N-XOUEDlhVNqvCxuJRH1VIA1lWWPd7lW3IjhhMT0/s1600/20140218_094104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nYDfosImX5mywKLwkpMEOSXveii5vmVpJUXoztwZAa5lYtEvnmcVYozOV_zKoa9EftHQ1e2BjMSXQTsIi4C6yXSgX7zSQNMcMU9N-XOUEDlhVNqvCxuJRH1VIA1lWWPd7lW3IjhhMT0/s1600/20140218_094104.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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When they returned, Grandma and our daughter took the bikes in the opposite direction. In the meantime, the rest of us decided to talk a walk. </div>
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Unfortunately for for the biking crew, the children's bike did not hold up and we saw Grandma and our daughter walking the bikes back home (we ended up renting two more bikes for the rest of the week and it was money well spent)! We did a partial kid exchange, with some continuing with us, and some going back with grandma, and we continued on our separate ways. </div>
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The walkers got to see a little white crab!</div>
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We also saw a live starfish, but the waves were quicker than the camera, and it was covered in sand before we could snap a photo!</div>
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Of course we saw plenty of pelicans too!</div>
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We spent the afternoon...you guessed it...hanging out on the beach. </div>
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With the warmer weather there was a lot of action out on the water!</div>
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The little guy discovered a great love for jumping in the waves!</div>
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Still searching for shells, especially whole sand dollars!</div>
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Going for a swim with Daddy!</div>
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Relaxing!</div>
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By mid-afternoon, the little guy had run out of gas!</div>
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That evening Dave and I got to take a bike ride, which was so much fun. We were trying to make it to the pier at the north end of the beach by sunset, but just when the pier was in sight and we thought we had a chance to make it, the chain fell off my bike. The sun set while we were trying to fix it, so we didn't make it. It was still absolutely beautiful though, and the whole experience was fun whether we made it to the pier, or not. After the chain was fixed we rode back, stopping at Publix along the way. Who cares about a trip to a grocery store? No one, but going to Publix on the bikes became our little mini-date every night. So...it holds a very special place in my heart, and who could leave a thing like that out??</div>
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The Sunset</div>
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Even better post-sunset if you ask me!</div>
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We also saw a horseshoe crab, which I thought was soooooo very cool!</div>
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By the end of the day I was REALLY beginning to wish I could just hit repeat everyday for the rest of my life!</div>
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Here's what we did on: <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 2</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html">Day 4</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html">Day 6</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 8</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html">Day 9</a><br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-33994259459177175072014-03-13T08:56:00.000-07:002015-03-25T10:21:23.586-07:00Ft. Myers Trip, Day 4: Sanibel Island<div style="text-align: center;">
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RECAP: My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">DAY 4:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Trip to Bowman's Beach, Sanibel Island</span></b></div>
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<b> </b>8:00 a.m. found us loaded into the van and heading to Sanibel Island, hoping to reach it in time for low tide, on day 4. We had read that Sanibel is known to be one of the <a href="http://sanibel-captiva.org/sanibel-island-shelling/">shelling capitals of the world</a>, and we were not disappointed when we arrived, shortly after low tide. The weather was cool when we arrived, but was pretty toasty by lunchtime and some members of our crew warmed up enough to require their first official swim in the gulf! This was a super fun day!</div>
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While Ft. Myers Beach is more built up with condos, hotels, and beach houses, Sanibel remains in a much more natural state. There is public parking for Bowman's Beach with a rate of $2 per hour and at 8:45 in the morning the lot was pretty vacant and we had no trouble finding a spot. Next to the parking lot are dressing rooms and restrooms, which were an unexpected convenience. We walked about 1/4 mile from the parking area to the beach, including a couple bridges over fresh water. The boys and I were heavily scouting for gators...no luck! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Walk:</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the bridges over fresh water</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband/the kids' science teacher was pretty pumped up to see the mangroves, which he had just taught the kids about the week before!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Beach:</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardly any visitors so early in the <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1nDY1xPcg-tjh6Pj7x94y_mQ-wQg12KFHwQL2BJuQplD2Z_FOeIjrf5ZASarJ9Q6UY7EQXSndBn5IAJUQ6r-kIzmB-OhIbD2JsxxS1DpTh97OwfZKlPDzgGva0XPEpxedvGQa3prOgY/s1600/20140217_111538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1nDY1xPcg-tjh6Pj7x94y_mQ-wQg12KFHwQL2BJuQplD2Z_FOeIjrf5ZASarJ9Q6UY7EQXSndBn5IAJUQ6r-kIzmB-OhIbD2JsxxS1DpTh97OwfZKlPDzgGva0XPEpxedvGQa3prOgY/s1600/20140217_111538.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many shells!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">So pretty!</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Wildlife:</span></b></div>
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We may not have seen any gators on our walk, but Sanibel did provide us with plenty of wildlife to view! Shortly after we arrived I was a few feet into the water searching for shells when I heard movement to my right. I looked over expecting to see a jumping fish, and saw instead, an annoyed stingray inches from my ankles swooshing away from me. I get super excited about things like that, and it may or may not have been the highlight of my day <b>and</b> scared me silly all at the same time! The dolphin, directly below, was a little less startling!</div>
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Our first dolphin sighting of the week also occurred on Sanibel. I am 100% certain this was our daughter's highlight of the day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BEEuKGwy-MKIgFUuo1Sc2bQZ-o-y2VY_CrP_rpqrFinEBYQZHqbJOOFL3kELYjbnybOwvX3EN2WGvQQcfjS1h_Kzh5TbNDINQIEG9F-4lsXNvTmVWPIQE9XvafOaAEi5FOLHCASbd5k/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+169.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BEEuKGwy-MKIgFUuo1Sc2bQZ-o-y2VY_CrP_rpqrFinEBYQZHqbJOOFL3kELYjbnybOwvX3EN2WGvQQcfjS1h_Kzh5TbNDINQIEG9F-4lsXNvTmVWPIQE9XvafOaAEi5FOLHCASbd5k/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+169.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The beach was full of seagulls and our 3 year old took GREAT delight in feeding them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_NJs4zvRNnNPK9EzBtmfCMbZHv9Vzc8MtX4QSb4iROoHwE3MVlECT9vElyvsTcWWNDktAMmYMbHuLBML43nLuG0_NC94RnGVnT2dLbpViWzgHC5tlpAmvrumIMwKtDC1slJnQshuaoI/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_NJs4zvRNnNPK9EzBtmfCMbZHv9Vzc8MtX4QSb4iROoHwE3MVlECT9vElyvsTcWWNDktAMmYMbHuLBML43nLuG0_NC94RnGVnT2dLbpViWzgHC5tlpAmvrumIMwKtDC1slJnQshuaoI/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+191.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The rest of our family took great delight in hearing him laugh as they flocked around him!</div>
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And I enjoyed this memory as one of the highlights of my Sanibel day until...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAgrXElfRfj_WWhpq3eOhnVyynPoDRHsEmMESpzeNGrG3U-BRFvaTr6lcilXsc0UQOeH-sReBk2SU_QejrYkx9dnJXatqy9HNdVlqD3oqM3xGSHzFLynRO6bmdF0Nf-c71Eq01Klzwz8/s1600/20140217_103235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAgrXElfRfj_WWhpq3eOhnVyynPoDRHsEmMESpzeNGrG3U-BRFvaTr6lcilXsc0UQOeH-sReBk2SU_QejrYkx9dnJXatqy9HNdVlqD3oqM3xGSHzFLynRO6bmdF0Nf-c71Eq01Klzwz8/s1600/20140217_103235.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
...later in the week when my husband zoomed in on this photo of the "Welcome to Sanibel" sign he had taken. There, right on the sign, plainly written, were the rules. To my absolute HORROR, listed as rule number one was: NO FEEDING WILD BIRDS! Oops. I suppose it's probably not good for the birds and perhaps people don't like the fact that after you feed them they become a little too confident and try to steal food directly from your hands. Half of my mom's sandwich was swiped right out of her hand by one of the fattest, bravest seagulls on the beach that day. We, of course all thought it was a total hoot!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>More Fun in the Sun!</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhln6Kt-7YgDGekHskz_r_kk1naiGiY1qxevy5a0STtGlXQrFHBxF3BpU1n9zKaouMxbtO-DbNnY-N1thY0Sl6G986aPs7OS7w9R_43xaEXI29rts9114XjVVUpVZPvF7hMzRyqLSrUq30/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhln6Kt-7YgDGekHskz_r_kk1naiGiY1qxevy5a0STtGlXQrFHBxF3BpU1n9zKaouMxbtO-DbNnY-N1thY0Sl6G986aPs7OS7w9R_43xaEXI29rts9114XjVVUpVZPvF7hMzRyqLSrUq30/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+174.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smashball, the beach game of the week!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Do you think we'll EVER find any shark teeth?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelling and cooling off!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">By the time we left Bowman's Beach, it was PACKED. The empty lot we had found in the morning was full, and the traffic was slow. The drive that took us only 42 minutes that morning, took over 2 hours on the way back home. When we finally did arrive home we headed back to the beach and pool, not wanting to waste a minute of the warm weather and sunshine!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcnyJpXdqAUwMcEb2xdLpBqj9JLeLHq3mLOyKDH78p6f8z0eBTWxcDHCj7swpmEUc091psN019S0w-Iho1lrYVAOkphHijbel60ATIrVfm5y_efp1A466AMM2gjkwiLREXA7QwAspFYI/s1600/20140217_161100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcnyJpXdqAUwMcEb2xdLpBqj9JLeLHq3mLOyKDH78p6f8z0eBTWxcDHCj7swpmEUc091psN019S0w-Iho1lrYVAOkphHijbel60ATIrVfm5y_efp1A466AMM2gjkwiLREXA7QwAspFYI/s1600/20140217_161100.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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We were all tired by the end of the day, but our wildlife adventures were not quite over yet. As we lounged around the house, barely moving more than beached whales, we discovered a little friend living with us:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAhoEfNeYJlV3-v_aPEjba6m4ufs3n-6Ya3y8zQrFX53PeypMidnE3LY6Bi2fyzimG1KEyJhW7WxzFfcpzeMIAoz_gybonPIPViwwb4QDwalMGS49UxcD3CL0Cv2Apt8qjkQLAc6Lf_M/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAhoEfNeYJlV3-v_aPEjba6m4ufs3n-6Ya3y8zQrFX53PeypMidnE3LY6Bi2fyzimG1KEyJhW7WxzFfcpzeMIAoz_gybonPIPViwwb4QDwalMGS49UxcD3CL0Cv2Apt8qjkQLAc6Lf_M/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+209.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Dunk, the Living Lizard," named after "Dunk," the original toy lizard of our 5 year old.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">This little guy/gal was great fun for the kids. As for me, I was so stuck to the couch that despite my great love for seeing animals I don't usually get to see, I simply had to view this little one from the camera. Grandma and Daddy put it outside where it reportedly</span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"> ran like a mad-lizard, most likely to its' sudden and untimely death, off the patio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Sanibel's Treasures at the End of the Day:</b></span></div>
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Here's what we did on: <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html">Day 1</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html">Day 2</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html">Day 3</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html">Day 5</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 6</a><span style="text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html">Day 8</a>, <span style="text-align: start;"> </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 9</a><br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-14699237256697766262014-03-10T15:19:00.000-07:002015-03-25T10:21:33.642-07:00Ft. Myers Trip: Day 3<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">RECAP: My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"> I've been saving one of my very favorite things about our vacation and it's time for the big reveal!!! </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"><a href="http://www.parishesonline.com/scripts/hostedsites/Org.asp?ID=14193">Ascension</a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.parishesonline.com/scripts/hostedsites/Org.asp?ID=14193"> Parish</a></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">Located just ONE mile from our rental house!!!!!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">We are used to a 15-20 minute drive to get to Mass, so we were super excited to have such a short distance to drive, walk, or bike, to our parish for the week! The Mass was packed and we later learned that it can take up to, and sometimes over 2 hours to get off the island for Mass. In fact the church we attended was built just to accommodate all the visitors. It is just across the street from the beach and everything inside reflects its' unique location. You could literally walk or bike on the beach to get to and from Mass and although we didn't get to do that this time, because it wasn't practical with the kids, I could not imagine any better way to start a day!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shell shaped Baptismal Font (the Holy Water Fonts were shells too)</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">It has been quite a few years since I have been able to attend daily Mass more than once in one week, and I miss it so, so, much. Due to the close proximity of this church we were able to make it to daily Mass several times throughout the week. Daily Mass was at 8:00 and we did not have to leave until 7:52 in order to arrive and still have plenty of time to park, speak to the priest about Holy Communion for the gluten-free members of our crew, and pray a bit before Mass. This made the trip a spiritual retreat for us, in addition to just being a relaxing beach vacation, and thus, one of my very favorite parts of the trip! In case you don't know, the number one component of my dream retirement is being a daily Masser. I can't wait to go to daily Mass. I just can't wait! So within minutes of seeing how smoothly this all worked, I was totally daydreaming about the possibilities of becoming a snowbird daily Mass goer right there on Ft. Myers Beach! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">One more thing about the church and then I will move on. We also learned there is a cloistered </span><a href="http://home.comcast.net/~saintclare/welcome.htm" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">monastery</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;"> next door. I am hoping to visit on the next trip! We weren't sure if it was allowed when we were there this time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;"><b>And watching the sunset!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">After sunset, we thought we would venture to the north end of the island to check out all the little shops and restaurants. It only took us 45 minutes to drive 3 miles. That's about all I have to say about that adventure. Unless you would also like to hear about how there was nowhere to park once we got there. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">Day 3's weather was cool in the morning, warm throughout the day, and downright cold (to me) that night. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-align: left;">Here's the fun from: <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html">Day 1</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html">Day 2</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html">Day 4</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html">Day 5</a>, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 6</a><span style="text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html">Day 8</a>, <span style="text-align: start;"> </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html" style="text-align: start;">Day 9</a></div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-50985937845934047482014-03-06T16:40:00.000-08:002015-03-25T10:21:48.324-07:00Ft. Myers Trip: Day 2...I'm a Little Nuts...This is a LOOOONG Day...Paradise!<br />
RECAP: My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myers Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:<br />
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<b>Day 2:</b></div>
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<b>Rise and Shine!</b></div>
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Day number two was our big travel day. We woke up around 3:30 and got on the shuttle bus to the airport around 4:30. Surprisingly, the kids were wide awake. The little boys seemed especially pumped up to be riding on a bus with just their regular seat belts (<a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-ham-sandwich.html">something that would NEVER happen at home</a>)! The eyes of our three year old, who is addicted to Dinosaur Train and who makes time tunnels and trains out of EVERYTHING, lit up like a Christmas tree when the shuttle bus traveled through a bit of a tunnel on the way to the airport. He broke his shy silence then and in a whisper laced with excitement and eyes as big as saucers, announced to all the passengers on the bus, "Time Tunnel." I could see this was going to be a big day for our little homebodies! </div>
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<b>The Airport/Flight</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't this just a cool photo my husband took of the panhandle?</td></tr>
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My husband and I had not flown since March 2002 and our children had never flown. We were all very excited and a little apprehensive. Okay, I was a little more than a little apprehensive. I was TOTALLY FREAKING OUT! I had really not slept at all the night before. I was rolling around certain that we had packed things that shouldn't be packed. They would find all sorts of contraband in our luggage, pockets, shoes, etc., and we'd never be able to leave Milwaukee. I had packed food and gluten-free cookware and I was certain this was NOT going to be okay. So, while I was excited to fly and get to some warmer weather, I was a ball of nerves worrying that I may have mistakenly broken a TSA rule! As usual, my worrying was pointless. Check-in and boarding went very smoothly. All the carry-ons fit in the overhead compartment. None of our suitcases were over the weight limit. No one arrested me for packing a forbidden liquid or blessed salt.</div>
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We flew on Southwest Airlines and their seating is not reserved so the earlier you board, the better the chance you will get to sit where you want. Having our children spread throughout the plane was another fear I had, but we all got to sit close to one another. We had paid a little extra to try to ensure early boarding positions. We had also purchased <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-High-Back-Booster-Car-Seat-Realtree/16932758">car seats</a> specifically for the flight. The reviews I read before purchasing proclaimed they were inexpensive, narrow, and lightweight. All of this proved to be true and they fit without any problems at all. So finally I relaxed...until I started worrying about one of the children getting sick, even though they had taken their Dramamine. I was worried, but I was able to relax enough to start to get excited and enjoy the flight. I used to love flying and flew at least couple times a year when my husband and I were dating long distance and I always enjoyed looking out the tiny windows wondering what was below me. So you can imagine my amazement and utter delight in using Southwest's Flight Tracker on the ipad for the whole trip! I think my excitement over this little feature rivaled our three year old's excitement over the "Time Tunnel" that the shuttle bus traveled through. I was also pretty pumped up about how decent the ipad pictures turned out from the air, and to have a general idea of what I was taking pictures of was just the icing on the cake!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains in Georgia (if my Flight Tracker was accurate)</td></tr>
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<b>Welcome to Ft. Myers!</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Ft. Myers Beach taken by my husband!</td></tr>
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We were on a nonstop flight and everything was perfectly on schedule. We landed and our luggage came around the carousel in record time. We could feel the warmth and couldn't wait to get the rental van, grab a bite to eat, and hit the beach. Except all the speediness and perfect timing of the day came to a screeching halt when we saw the line for the rental cars, and by the end of the day we would learn that Ft. Myers is an excellent place to go if you are looking to grow in the virtue of patience. Quite some time later we had the keys to our "new van" as the boys called it, and were heading to the parking garage. Unfortunately for us we learned that the back of a Honda Odyssey holds a whole lot more than the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan and we had to squeeze luggage in all sorts of creative places in order to make everything fit. I won't go into the details, but we then spent about an hour driving in circles while we waited for our navigation technology to actually work and get us to an Outback for lunch. I will say there were some tense moments in that hour and I may or may not have muttered, or snarled, or growled, an "I told you so!" approximately every 5 minutes.</div>
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We did finally find the Outback and I have to say it was the absolute best Outback food I have ever tasted. It probably helped that it felt amazing to sit outside eating in the warm sun, in the middle of February, knowing that we had just been in sub-zero temperatures just hours before. After lunch we found a Walmart and stocked up on food and supplies for the week. We had read that traffic on and off Estero Island, where we were staying, was horrendous and so we wanted to make sure we did not need to make any unnecessary trips off the island. Our cart was overflowing when we left Walmart and we literally had to buckle everyone in and then pile the groceries on top of ourselves. There were bags in every nook and cranny. The traffic descriptions we had read were no exaggeration and it took us a very long time to get onto the island, and to our rental home, but finally around 4:30 we made it. We had been up since 3:30 and traveling since 4:30, and 12 hours later we were at our final destination!</div>
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<b>The House</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back side of the house (this is what faces the Gulf)</td></tr>
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We rented a house, 2nd row, on the ocean side of the island. It was in the perfect location for us, because it was away from all the businesses, crowds, and action on the north end of the island. There was a Publix (grocery store) a little over a block away, which carried everything we could possibly need, including tons of gluten-free foods, all very reasonably priced. Had we known this we would have skipped the Walmart trip (we did know there was a<a href="http://www.publix.com/"> Publix</a>, but did not know how many gluten-free products they would carry and we assumed since people were sort of stuck on the island that the prices would be outrageous). The house itself was in our minds the perfect beach house. <span style="text-align: center;">Even though we were not front row, we had a few great ocean views. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from south side of Master Balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the north side of the Master Balcony</td></tr>
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The kitchen was perfect, bedrooms and bathrooms, great, and the garage was full of beach supplies, chairs, toys, bikes, etc. Quite a few of the items were in need of repair, but we had no expectations of having these items so even if they needed a bit of work, it was still a treat to have them in the first place. My husband was able to get one of the two bikes working so that made one less bike for us to have to rent for the week! After our trip to the Outback we did not eat out again for the remainder of our stay in Florida. The house became our home for the week and it was business as usual in terms of eating, laundry, and bedtime. It just happened to be business as usual...in paradise. Perfect!</div>
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<b>First Night</b></div>
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<b> </b>It took quite awhile for us to settle in and we did not do much that first night. We made it down to the beach as quickly as we could and I loved seeing the kids see the beach and ocean for the first time. Our three year old stood laughing hysterically while throwing handful after handful of sand into the waves and yelling (we don't know what) at the Gulf of Mexico. It had gotten pretty cool and the water felt like ice to me, but he did not care. He stood there shivering, throwing, and laughing. The older kids started what would become their week-long search for seashells and shark teeth, and we all knew this was a place that was going to stay in our hearts forever.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letting loose after being cooped up all day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the pool area, walking back to the house on the first night!</td></tr>
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Other days of our trip: <span style="color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 4</a></span><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 5</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html">Day 6</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html" style="text-align: center;">Day 8</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html">Day 9</a><br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-65135444087621758182014-03-03T12:24:00.000-08:002015-03-25T10:22:21.219-07:00Ft. Myer's Trip: Day 1 (The Basilica of St. Josaphat)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband and I both grew up on the river. Literally. The river was just footsteps outside of both of our front doors. We love the water. We love the beach. So when we decided to start venturing further than a day's drive away from our home for a family vacation, we chose the beach. Ft. Myer's Beach, FL, to be exact. Here's what we did on:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 1:</span></b></div>
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We started our trip in Milwaukee. We didn't have too much time to explore, so we chose:</div>
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<a href="http://thebasilica.org/visit.php"> The Basilica of St. Josaphat. </a> </div>
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This was by far the most beautiful church I have ever seen. Not that I have been many places, but still. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Every movement of my eyes was rewarded with a new visual treat. We did not have enough in our group for a personal tour, which would have just been over the top fantastic, but we were grateful to at least have the opportunity to walk through on our own. </div>
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We took loads of pictures, but none of them even come close to capturing the<a href="http://thebasilica.org/photos.php#"> beauty.</a> All I can say is if you are ever in the area...GO!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7i1zvaLYlJqFa3vM2xBnNLFClcMMWHxqG3vK_pX2EdAy07AREOzpdmnbDSKFvmO8n_uGVV2rNcbU2xqmM-A2bjAjf1aG_z4dB1aFuFgb8FjKYT9hHKV9Ep4CDMOdXP5nEikt5Vj2uhMY/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7i1zvaLYlJqFa3vM2xBnNLFClcMMWHxqG3vK_pX2EdAy07AREOzpdmnbDSKFvmO8n_uGVV2rNcbU2xqmM-A2bjAjf1aG_z4dB1aFuFgb8FjKYT9hHKV9Ep4CDMOdXP5nEikt5Vj2uhMY/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+028.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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We use Seton English in our homeschool and the third grade text details the life of St. Josaphat throughout the year, so this was an added bonus for us (or at least I thought it was pretty cool)!</div>
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One of the most touching things for me...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcWZWOm9trZec3oMyvMpDXZxidzrN5QNDmzA0S4JN7DmLFZ_41yO6cjvValTPLvm0xEzvV46q8cGMf6Ff0Mn8vAog4KZCSWilaiU45-woBfMm5B4kGJOP8akxuHiNe1dHJX_ElYh57xU/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcWZWOm9trZec3oMyvMpDXZxidzrN5QNDmzA0S4JN7DmLFZ_41yO6cjvValTPLvm0xEzvV46q8cGMf6Ff0Mn8vAog4KZCSWilaiU45-woBfMm5B4kGJOP8akxuHiNe1dHJX_ElYh57xU/s1600/Fort+myers+beach+trip+2014+038.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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On a side table next to the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine they had roses in different colors. A card explaining the different colors invited visitors to place a rose in the vase in front of the picture of OLG with their intentions. There were cards attached to the roses and if you filled out the card, parishioners would pray for your intentions (basically the cards corresponded with the issue and you just filled out the questions about the issue). I waited too long to write this and I cannot remember exactly which color represented which issue, BUT I do remember one color was for couples who were currently pregnant, one was for couples who were struggling with infertility, one (the white) was for miscarriage/loss, and the final one was for healing from abortion. We placed a white rose in the vase in memory of our Michael Maximilian. My heart swelled in this reminder of how BIG our Church is. Strangers all over the world are praying daily for one another. It just blows me away. </div>
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I was also pretty pumped up right away when we entered. We came in a back entrance and the second thing I saw was a giant painting of St. Maximilian Kolbe.</div>
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I could go on and on about this place, but the truth is, without a guide, and with a three year old who all too quickly made himself at home (and was starting to run the long aisles) we didn't have enough time to really delve into figuring out what everything was. All I knew was it was the most beautiful church I had ever been in, and I wished we could stay much longer, AND have a guided tour. Maybe next time!</div>
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After touring the basilica we drove to a frozen over park to show the kids Lake Michigan. We snapped a couple photos in the cold, marveled over the city skyline, and loaded back into the van to find the nearest Red Robin for some yummy gluten-free food!!!</div>
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Here's what we did on: <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on-river.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 1</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-2im-little-nutsthis.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 2</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-3.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 3</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px;">, </span><a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/recap-husband-and-i-both-grew-up-on.html" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 21.735000610351563px; text-decoration: none;">Day 4</a></span>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-5.html">Day 5</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-6-new-friend.html">Day 6</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-beach-trip-day-7.html">Day 7</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-8.html">Day 8</a>, <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2014/03/ft-myers-trip-day-9-heading-home.html">Day 9</a></div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-48710811567880761442014-01-11T12:05:00.004-08:002014-03-17T17:39:40.532-07:00The Good, the Bad, and the Imminent Poopy Explosion<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>The Good:</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1781540385945992620" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>On New Year's Eve day our 3 year old finally decided to join the ranks of official "potty trainers." We've periodically tried for many, many months and he has consistently ended up wet if I am not setting a timer and dashing to the pot every 30 minutes. My potty training philosophy has therefore been, to try for a couple hours, and when he has an accident we're done for a few weeks. Well, on December 31, 2013, the hours kept passing, and he remained dry. He wore a diaper on that day and switched to undies the next. He's been proudly sporting undies ever since, with only a few pee pee accidents.</div>
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<b>The Bad:</b></div>
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As great as it would be to continue filling this post with brag after brag about how genius my boy is on the pot, it's not the end of the story. Unfortunately, he appears to be certain that pooping on the pot is going to be a nightmarish experience. No surprise here. This is par for the course with our kids. They've all avoided the pot like the plague when number 2 time is calling. We spent the first week reminding him that we are here to help and that we will even get him a diaper to poop in if he is afraid. He just has to ask us. He doesn't though. He has made it clear he can hear us though. He just likes to do things his own way.</div>
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<b>The Imminent Poopy Explosion:</b></div>
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He's a smart boy. He's a stubborn boy. He knows pooping in his super cool undies is going to disappoint Mommy, AND if he poops on the dinosaurs he might get stuck in some plain old boring undies. So, he does the only logical thing. He waits until nap time. I don't know if it's the beginning, the middle, or the end, but it's nap time, when he's out of his undies and in his nap time diaper, and he poops. Not a big deal, right? One might even suggest this is convenient for Mom and Boy. Except, he doesn't stop at just pooping. He goes one step further and takes it off. The first day it happened I was heading to his room after nap and he was screaming, "Let me out of here! This poop stinks!" My step got a little quicker and panic struck when I opened the door and saw him. The stench was indeed pretty intense and there he stood, not in his poopy diaper, but naked. "Where IS the poop?" I inquired. He response, "In the closet." I imagined all sorts of terrible things as I approached the closet. Would it be on the walls? Would it be smeared into the carpet? I expected the worst. Phew. There on the closet floor was the poop, still fully contained in the open diaper. We talked about just leaving the diaper on if he poops. I not so calmly reminded him that I will change him, and that he is not to change himself. The following day you could pretty much just hit repeat, minus the closet. It was right next to him and this time, unlike the day before, his bottom was full of evidence. Today is day three. It's only a matter of time before this gets very, very, ugly and everyone in this house knows there is an imminent poopy explosion coming our way, because as he himself proclaims, "I potty trainer, Mom. I not poopy trainer."<br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-39205623411949142582014-01-02T12:30:00.001-08:002014-01-02T12:30:39.999-08:00Advent 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have already written about quite a few of our family's Advent traditions in another <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2011/11/celebrating-advent.html">post</a>, but this year we tried a couple of new ideas that I would like to share. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hearts for Jesus:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi81NAAll6B5IAIypsOt6XJudR69e9mMNPWSuCHHu7BOWKFjDFg-qvGSA1IUWEx1d_lubp7fFEIJ62O-T_4NGkUMXlDf9bjuenOEKynYeNsvs1T3BfPf2Sb_Zx7aNclXVz8s33d8Mr8c/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi81NAAll6B5IAIypsOt6XJudR69e9mMNPWSuCHHu7BOWKFjDFg-qvGSA1IUWEx1d_lubp7fFEIJ62O-T_4NGkUMXlDf9bjuenOEKynYeNsvs1T3BfPf2Sb_Zx7aNclXVz8s33d8Mr8c/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b> The Idea:</b></div>
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A good friend has her kids craft hearts to give to Jesus (I think on Christmas Eve). I really loved this idea. I had also read somewhere about a sacrifice chart during Advent, which I also wanted to try. We ended up combining the two ideas and came up with these:</div>
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<b>The Details:</b></div>
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We drew hearts on construction paper and hung them on the bedroom doors at the beginning of Advent. The kids were reminded that Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus, and that these paper hearts which we can see, would represent our real hearts. We talked about how plain the hearts were and how wonderful it would be to decorate them and make them beautiful for Jesus. But how could we decorate them and make them beautiful??? By making sacrifices and doing good deeds of course!!! The children were instructed to place a sticker on their heart every time they made a sacrifice or did something good for Jesus during Advent. </div>
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Now, I AM lazy and Advent is already busy enough so I had to make sure they could follow through with this without much help from me. I gathered all the stickers in the house and placed them in an easy to access location for the kids. Each time they made a sacrifice for Jesus during Advent they were responsible for putting a sticker on their heart for Jesus. If they asked me if something had earned Jesus a sticker I reminded them that this was something between only Jesus and themselves. There were lots of conversations about how only they and Jesus knew what was in their hearts and whether or not they should put a sticker on. I did guide them with ideas of things I thought Jesus would consider to be sacrifices. </div>
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On Christmas Eve after the baby Jesus was placed in His Crib under our tree, the children took down their hearts and laid them next to the statue, giving their hearts to Jesus. After Christmas Day we taped them on the wall, next to the tree.</div>
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<b>Problems:</b></div>
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Overall, everything went quite well. However, there were a couple of bumps in the road. First, the very young three year old obviously wasn't old enough to figure this all out and so we pretty much just let him run and put stickers on as often as he pleased. He happened to really like the stickers though and more often than not as soon as he put one on, he tore another one off for his own pleasure. You can see his heart is quite empty (above). I was fine with this. Seeds are being planted for future years and I just did not have the energy to help him do things the right way this year. Besides, I am certain that Jesus LOVED his little heart!</div>
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A real problem did surface about halfway through. One morning the boys were playing some version of indoor football. My oldest son kept joyfully saying, "That's a cheap shot!" to my middle son. He would then put a tally mark on a sheet. I naively thought this was all part of a score system for their made up game. However, at the end the oldest son counted tallies and shouted, "Yes!" "That's 28 stickers for my heart." This got my attention and he informed me that since he did not lose his temper each time his brother "cheap shotted" him that that earned him a sticker for every cheap shot!!!! ACK! I had watched the whole thing and now it was clear why he was sooooo joyful each time he declared, "That's another cheap shot!" We had a good talk about true sacrifices again, which was laced with loads of "Only Jesus knows what is REALLY in our hearts," and I kept my ears and eyes a little more open to any future cheating!</div>
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<b>Final Verdict:</b></div>
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I loved this and we will definitely be doing it again in the future!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Addition to the Advent Angels</span></b></div>
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We also draw names for Advent Angels every year. This year I decided to fill a box with little gifts for the angels to place in stockings throughout Advent. I purchased things like Hershey's kisses, candy canes, and small dollar toys. The limit was one piece of candy per day and one small non-candy item per week. I placed the box in an easy to reach location and that was it. It worked pretty well, although all the daily treats seemed to make Advent a little too celebratory and I think next year I will keep the box, but fill it with paper notes that say nice things, instead of all the treats/toys. Or better yet, maybe paper notes with ideas of ways to do something nice for the person they have.</div>
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Last year I purchased the Jesse Tree activities from <a href="http://www.holyheroes.com/Holy-Heroes-Advent-Jesse-Tree-DVD-p/aa-jt-dvd.htm">Holy Heroes</a>. If I remember correctly the idea was to watch the dvd daily and then color an ornament for the Jesse tree. It was a great activity and the kids enjoyed the dvd. The problem was my own lack of consistency. We were supposed to watch a section of the dvd daily. We wound up watching 5-10 at a time because I would forget so many days. We did not do it this year and read the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Advent-Jesse-Catholic-Publishing/dp/0899424953/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388692435&sr=1-1&keywords=celebrating+advent">book</a> below instead, which surprisingly, our 4 year old loved it and would remind me to read the Jesse Tree story! I am hoping to try Holy Heroes again next year and with the help of the older kids, to actually remember to do it daily!!!!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The 12 Days of Christmas...Something for Next Year???</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"> </span>As hard as I tried to get all the shopping done early this year so I could really be at peace and have the proper focus on Advent, I failed. I failed, maybe worse than ever. I decided before Advent even began that the cause of my troubles was our 3 gift policy and declared that this year I was just going to buy what I wanted and be "free". What a joke! It was worse than ever. I could never remember what I bought and for whom and every time I went out I found something someone would like even better than what I had already purchased! So, along with vowing to shop for Christmas this summer (a vow I seem to make every January and forget every June), I am trying to talk my family into 12 gifts total. One to open each day of Christmas. So far, I think I'm the only one sold, and the reality is it may not solve any shopping problems, BUT I think it would be beautiful. <a href="http://catholicism.about.com/b/2013/12/26/celebrate-all-twelve-days-of-christmas.htm">Info/Idea</a></div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-25175593784287461662013-12-30T09:11:00.001-08:002013-12-30T09:11:30.310-08:002013 All Saints' Costumes<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes, I know this is totally out of season...BUT since it IS the Christmas season that means I am on break from school and actually have TIME to do this!!!</div>
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2013 All Saints' Party Costumes...low budget and little effort!</div>
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St. Francis: </div>
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Monk costume and wig. Purchased little wooden birds and had our daughter paint them, and grabbed a stuffed animal from the playroom to pin to his side. The stigmata markings are red finger nail polish.</div>
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St. Clare:</div>
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Sewed the brown habit, purchased the wimple(?) and veil with a nun costume. The monstrance was cut out of cardboard and covered with golden material, which we had in our leftover fabric tub. I used fabric glue, but it didn't work very well. The host was cut from leftover fabric from St. Maximilian's costume (see below).</div>
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St. Cecilia:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTHc4MFvWeGDsubXtB41ij18X9854DKzVPMoQfQgOkJwZiQiwAffEHJWWAXKeoMQv_80mHKI5qucChw0_qwSirTAcPHSFyBesbaBX5281U2ijizlJVunXX7HAtKU7ULDB1ytJWSNVXKs/s1600/027+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTHc4MFvWeGDsubXtB41ij18X9854DKzVPMoQfQgOkJwZiQiwAffEHJWWAXKeoMQv_80mHKI5qucChw0_qwSirTAcPHSFyBesbaBX5281U2ijizlJVunXX7HAtKU7ULDB1ytJWSNVXKs/s320/027+-+Copy.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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The dress is an old dress of mine that our daughter plays dress up in all the time. The golden cape was an extra piece of material from our costume tub that just needed to be sewn around the edges. We did purchase the violin.</div>
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St. Maximilian Kolbe (my favorite of the year):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9O9Z9zVvK4utfXMTzo5Fo-RDIIHOVLi7mbdwSaE4ZinyEonTNCjXSHPtonwUEyoqsSlLJzKfVB9HKYFvVnrd8EKeOpMaHzXRUoFo21fNstN-8Z9GnARPPr4lFSMJG-BMUZ2Q2BpU2ic/s1600/020+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9O9Z9zVvK4utfXMTzo5Fo-RDIIHOVLi7mbdwSaE4ZinyEonTNCjXSHPtonwUEyoqsSlLJzKfVB9HKYFvVnrd8EKeOpMaHzXRUoFo21fNstN-8Z9GnARPPr4lFSMJG-BMUZ2Q2BpU2ic/s640/020+-+Copy.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
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Prisoner costume purchased last year on clearance. The cassock is from the nun's costume purchased for St. Clare's veil. A rosary laying around the house. Red and white felt with letter/number printed with black puffy paint. They are glued with fabric glue to the shirt. Quote printed on heavy paper and pinned to costume, and Daddy found us some free round glasses (that you can't see since I don't like my kids faces on the web)!</div>
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We also had St. Michael and St. Gabriel, both of which are repeats you can see <a href="http://littlecatholicmama.blogspot.com/2013/10/all-saints-day.html">here</a>.</div>
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781540385945992620.post-37688896472308041912013-10-26T19:15:00.000-07:002013-12-30T09:12:00.967-08:00The Ham SandwichI like to follow the rules. I'm a little weird about it, and my husband sometimes gets annoyed, and at the very least, likes to make fun of me. If you are wondering what types of behaviors warrant my husband poking jokes at me, read on. I will share.<br />
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<b>Example #1: </b> Last winter a couple moms and I would take our kids to the local YMCA to swim. The open time in which we were allowed to swim ended at noon. At 11:57 if my kids weren't making their way towards the edge of the pool my heart rate would start to rise, and my gentle reminders of, "It's almost time to get out," (which incidentally started around 11:45) quickly transformed into a much more irritated, "It's time to get out, now!" I don't know what would have happened if 12:01 would have rolled around and they were still swimming. I realized this was a little strange when I noticed that it could be 12:02 or 12:03 and my friends might still be calmly and happily gathering their little swimmers from the pool, while I stood flustered and panicked from the close call I had getting my kids out of the water on time! :)<br />
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<b>Examples #2 and #3:</b> Do you need to use your turn signals if there is no one around? I do. I turn on my blinker when leaving our driveway, when we're out in the middle of nowhere, and even sometimes to turn into the garage FROM the driveway...where else would I be going?!!! That one, and the fact that no matter what, I will not, under any circumstances change lanes after the dotted white line turns solid, are the ones that REALLY drive my husband nuts. The conversation goes something like this: My husband, "Change lanes." Me, "The line is solid." My husband, "So, there is no one around, change lanes." Me, "I can't the line is solid. You are not supposed to change lanes when the line is solid." Life in the van gets really colorful when he's driving. <br />
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<b>Example #4: </b>Sometimes when it's really, really, cold out and there is a 4 inch layer of slush in the parking lot I am tempted to not put my cart back...but I ALWAYS do. You are supposed to.<br />
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<b>Example #5: </b>My almost 11 year old is still in a high back booster seat...come on, it's the <a href="http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/gtsb/pdfs/2010_CPS_Guide.pdf">national recommendation</a> for kids to be in a booster seat until they are 4'9", and she's short, like me. I know it's not the law, but how can I not follow the recommendation??? Okay, even I am embarrassed about this one. Lucky for me she <b>isn't</b> embarrassed and actually likes it because she can see better. <br />
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I like the rules, and I like to follow the rules.<br />
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One day six years ago I decided I was tired of following the rules. I was pregnant. I was sick. I was tired of being sick. I had gone through two full term pregnancies, and 18 weeks of a third one, following every rule I could find. I followed rules people had never even heard of. Sometimes I felt stupid for following those rules. That day, I resented following all the rules. That day, I decided I was going to break a rule. That's right, I was tired of being the only pregnant woman I knew who avoided cold meat during pregnancy. We were at a funeral dinner and I wanted a ham sandwich. I decided it was my day to break the rules. I was going to break a rule and eat the ham sandwich. My husband, who doesn't mind my "following the rules" during pregnancy said, "You can't eat that ham sandwich." I responded with irritation telling him I was tired of being the only pregnant woman who DOESN'T eat deli meat. I proceeded to tell him I was going to eat the ham sandwich, and did.<br />
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Two weeks later our baby was dead.<br />
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It was a few days after delivery before I remembered the ham sandwich, and how I had broken the rule. My husband's plea for me to not eat the sandwich echoed throughout my head. I broke into hyperventilating sobs. I was certain that my act of disobedience and rebellion had killed our baby. I crawled into the confessional, a sobbing mess. Father talked a little bit of sense into me, but the truth is I would never know if it was that sandwich that killed our baby or not. Father didn't think so, and my Ob/Gyn actually laughed when I shared my theory with him. This helped. He remarked that about 95% of woman eat deli meat during pregnancy, and that he very highly doubted the ham sandwich had anything to do with our son's death. "Highly doubted," still left room for me to wonder though, and I still do.<br />
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I still wonder, but I don't spend much time beating myself up about it anymore. Reason that was not able to penetrate my mind in the weeks after his death, is now present in my mind, and I too, really do doubt that it was the ham sandwich. It doesn't really matter, even if it was. Nothing happens without God allowing it to happen and He brings good out of every situation offered to Him. I have never felt closer to Him or more dependent upon Him, than in the weeks and months after our loss. For a very long time I unsuccessfully held back tears every time I received Him in the Holy Eucharist after the death of our baby. The tears came in the same way that tears come when you are going through something rough and you see a friend, someone you know who loves you unconditionally. Maybe it's your mother or father, maybe your husband or wife, maybe your best friend. When all you need to do is look at them and know that they know just how awful everything is, and you know that they "get" it, and are there for you. That is what every Holy Communion was like for me during that time. I grew closer to Him. I'd count that as something good coming from something bad.<br />
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Tomorrow, October 27, is the six year anniversary of the silent birth of our 20 week old son. I try to allow the memories of him around this time of year to resurface and I'm not sure why, but this year, that dreaded ham sandwich came to mind again. Perhaps it's an issue I've shoved aside and the Holy Spirit is prompting me to reflect upon it once again. Maybe I need to forgive myself one more time. Maybe. I don't really know, but I do know that all the crazy things I share on this blog, tend to lead to healing for me, so I'm guessing that whatever the reason is, some ham sandwich healing is in store. <br />
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P.S. Listeria, I don't like you.<br />
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P.P.S. Maybe it's pride. Maybe I think if I follow all the rules nothing bad is going to happen, and that's just not the case. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to learn from all of this. Maybe it's just plain pride rearing it's ugly head in yet another way. So many weeds, so many weeds...<br />
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Little Catholic Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01059010516645493248noreply@blogger.com0