To help raise some dolla-dolla bills to offset his medical expenses, Marti's co-workers organized a trivia night in Des Peres. I love how people come together in the face of adversity. Inspiring.
The night was a huge hit, and we had a great time!
Our awesome trivia team! Table 10: we rocked it!
Such a supportive family! We love you, Marti!!! :)
I've always hated saying goodbye. In college, I was notorious for hiding out in the student center's coffee shop at the end of every semester. [Oopsie.] I didn't like saying goodbye to the great friends who had become my family. It killed me slowly to see people separate with tears and watch everyone roll out of the dorms with their suitcases. So I escaped it. Because after all, it was never really "goodbye;" it was just "see you next semester!" [Yes, that's totally a true story. And my friends started to catch on by sophomore year and always knew where to find me if they really wanted to say goodbye before summer break. Humph.] I still hate saying goodbye. Last weekend, I said "goodbye" to a parish who has nurtured me and loved me and grown me for the past four years. I started song leading at this parish on Saturday afternoons during my junior year of college as a side job [a little extra cash never hurt a college student!]. And honestly, I had no clue how much I would become attached to them and their mission. Four years later, it's not at all considered just a "side job." With moving soon, Brian and I decided it was time to settle down and join a parish in our new hometown; and unfortunately, this means letting go of St. Vincent de Paul. I will miss this awesome parish and loving parishioners a lot! *sniff sniff* Fr. Ed, Dennis, Earle, and St. Vincent parishioners: I love you so very much and will always keep you close to my heart and high in my prayers! After lots of hugs and sad goodbyes [there was no coffee shop to escape to this time...], I promised I'd be back. Whether I'm a song leading sub or just a regular 'ole person in the congregation, there will be no quitting cold turkey at this place! :)
Because after all, it isn't really "goodbye;" it's just "see ya later!"
Other week highlights:
-- Brian's niece Chrissy made her confirmation this weekend! We celebrated afterwards with dinner at his parents' house.
-- When all else fails, we go to Fast Eddies! :) Brian's friends from work met here Friday night for food and drinks. Fun times.
It's pouring down rain today... ...but I've got a cuddly baby in my arm and a captivating book in my hand! I've been babysitting a few days a week for an unbelievably beautiful 3-week old kiddo. She is so sweet and snuggly and such an easy baby to take care of. I love hanging out with her and knocking some books off my reading list at the same time. Oh, did I mention I get PAID for this?! I know, it's pretty ridiculous.
These are EXACTLY the kind of bad weather days I'm talkin' about! #happygirl!
Other week highlights: -- Brian and I took a really long walk through Forest Park this weekend; we can't get enough of the suddenly warm weather! We came up on the bench where we got engaged 1.5 years ago, and Brian blew past it like nothing ever happened there!! ...Men. [His aunt suggested that maybe it was painted and he didn't recognize it? ;) ] -- Kirkwood Station Brewing hosted another Theology on Tap this week. Of course, we were there with a blackberry wheat in hand! I love having a night out where we are immersed in people who share our faith. It's so refreshing. And so is the cold beer. -- Tons of blogging to catch up on... I spent a morning at Einstein Bros. to sip coffee a little and blog a lot!
I'm a little bit of a creeper and I love babies, so it really isn't at all surprising that I am kind of stoked about the zoo's newest member. What? Added in with the convenience factor that our apartment is literally across the street, I visit the zoo regularly for two legit reasons: a) walking/exercising, and b) animal/people watching. After my mom finished her St. Louis errands today, we decided to meet up and go for a walk through Forest Park. Naturally, we diverted towards the zoo. Up the hills and in the middle of the Red Rocks, we came upon a crowd of awkwardly gawking tourists. What was everyone staring at? ...A new baby camel! The zookeeper standing by said this creature was born only about two hours ago. How awesome would it have been to see the birth live?! [...Super super awesome for an L&D nurse! Seriously, I would kill to see that.] While still being very protective, the momma camel was kicking and pushing her new baby to get up and walk. Tough encouragement, eh? Can you imagine being two hours old + trying to walk for the first time on those gangly, wobbly legs?!
[PS - How awesome is that HUGE fresh placenta to the left??! This one's for you, fellow L&D nurses!] After 10 minutes of wobbling and falling and standing back up and repeat x 3, the baby took some of its first steps. Totally awesome!! It won't be long before this humpless little guy is up and running... Witnessing this today made Mom and I laugh at how human babies are so pitiful and helpless for so long! I guess it's time we raise the bar and kick our kiddos around until they can walk home from the nursery, don't you think? ;)
We're only a month behind the crowd... Have you been watching this series on the History Channel? We caught up to episode 4 this week and are loving every second. It's a perfect [and quick] summary of the Bible and the great victories of God's chosen people. Here's to hearing the Good News from the couch... Can't complain! ;)
Other week highlights: -- House lighting is picked out and ordered! -- Laura presented her first successful Thirty-One party! Pat was a great hostess and a fun night was had by all. Thanks, girls!
"Everything that is and ever was and ever will be -- the galaxies beyond number and the microbes beyond notice -- everything is mysteriously entangled with what happened, with what happens, in these three days." -Fr. Richard John Neuhaus
See the previous post for some of my Easter week thoughts...
Happy happy Easter!!! :)
Other week highlights:
-- Our landlord showed the apartment to a few prospective tenants, and the first person who saw it has already signed on to rent! Woohooooo! :) We are planning to move out mid-May and are already counting down the days!
-- We spent 2 days/1 night in Schaumburg this week looking at lighting and other necessities for the house. Of course, we made a 5-hour pit stop at the beloved IKEA! It was quite depressing to come home empty-handed [seriously, who visits IKEA and leaves with nothing?], but at least we made a long list of "future possibilities." I guess this means I get a return trip in a few months?
-- Happy Easter! We spent the holiday laughing and feasting with both of our families. Hope your Easter was blessed, as well.
[A post steal-borrowed from my old blog ..... April 6, 2012]
I stumbled into this quote this morning: "Everything that is and ever was and ever will be -- the galaxies beyond number and the microbes beyond notice -- everything is mysteriously entangled with what happened, with what happens, in these three days." -Fr. Richard John Neuhaus
I love this. It's so true, isn't it? As I read it over and over again, my mind started spinning through the Holy Week traditions and the Paschal mystery in its culmination. Holy moly. We're Catholic... But what do these days and mysteries actually mean to us and our faiths? Do we know?
For an awesome two minute "scratch the surface" Holy Week blurb, check out this video!
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If that video left you aching to hear some of my early morning thoughts, join me with a cup of coffee and keep reading. ;)
Back to my beginning thought: we're Catholic. But the Catholic Church's education methods need to be flipped upside down and rejuvenated and started back at square one. Energy should come from the bottom-->up instead of the top-->down. Yeah? Our catechism isn't taught well, and confirmed adult Catholics are going out into the "real world" unsure of what kind of faith they actually profess. The Church's statistics tell us that, on an average weekend, 75% of people in the pews have no idea why we do what we do OR why is our Mass so traditional and meaningful. Is that the Church's fault, or is that our faults?
During the entire liturgical year, Easter should be the one thing we look forward to for weeks and weeks and then celebrate for even more weeks and weeks. Easter defines us. "We are an Easter people, and 'Alleluia!' is our song." But what do we look forward to during this holy season? Candy and eggs? :/ What is this Holy Week business all about?
On Holy Thursday, we wash the feet of others to serve as Jesus served. And in the Christian way, we celebrate the Jewish feast of Passover. In Exodus, the Israelites marked their door posts with the blood of a spring lamb. Upon seeing this, the Angel of Death would pass over their houses and spare their families. Get it? Passover? So after the lamb was killed every year in the Passover, the Jews had to eat it. Because, well, if you didn't eat the lamb, you died. Our Last Supper and Holy Thursday Mass is the institution of the Eucharist; at the Last Supper, Jesus said something like, "Eat this bread. Drink this cup. Do this in memory of me." Live in me forever, and you will not hunger or thirst. On Good Friday, Jesus goes to trial, is sentenced, and is crucified. When he says, "It is finished," as he hangs on the cross, he isn't talking about his work on earth. Say whaaa? Why not? Because he still has to rise! He's referring to the old covenant. Think back to the Old Testament. All of Israel's history is basically summed up in cups, and there are three:
first cup = passed in welcoming
second cup = passed with bitter herbs to remind the Jews of slavery
third cup = passed with bread (manna of the desert) to remind of union with God
But when Jesus comes to earth, he instates a fourth cup of consummation or blessing, and he doesn't drink this cup until he is on the cross. ...Wine on a hyssop branch in all the gospels, yeah no?! At the Passover, the Jews used hyssop branches to spread lamb's blood on the house. So many things from the Old Testament are entangled with the New Testament. And both Testaments are entangled with our modern day Masses. It makes sense in a mysterious way... Ok, so here's the New Testament thing: Jesus IS the lamb! [The "lamb" with a capital L.] Handed over for our offenses, crushed and sacrificed for our sins. So as this fourth cup of wine goes up to Jesus's mouth, he says he's the Lamb of the new covenant. (Matthew 26 – “…this is the blood which seals my covenant…”) The old supper of the old covenant has finally come to an end. Look back to the Holy Thursday paragraph: "...if you didn't eat the lamb, you died..." Jesus promises that participating in the Eucharist and eating the Paschal Lamb will give us everlasting life.
The Eucharist is the essence of Christianity, just as it is the new meal of Christianity. Holy Week initiates all of these things, but we celebrate them every week. I love that part of the video: "Every Sunday is an Easter. Every communion a Resurrection."
All of the Paschal mystery is quite a paradox if you think about it... In Jesus's ministry and most significantly on the cross, power is manifested by weakness. Ironic. God loved us so much that He became mocked and scourged. He loved us so much that He became death. "My perfection is yours and yours is mine." In 1 Corinthians, St. Paul says: "If Christ had not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." Christ died to free us from our bondage to sin, and he rose to give us salvation and new life. This is a huge gift and an amazing promise!
Back to Fr. Neuhaus's quote at the beginning... How are the aspects of your faith life entangled in these Holy Week mysteries? What do these symbols and sacrifices mean to you? :)
Happy Easter!!! Know of my many prayers for you during this Holy Week!
The snow was pounding down all day, but it didn't stop us from making progress at the house. Biggest accomplishments: washer and dryer installed [see previous post] and toilets picked out and installed!
Every now and then, we took a break to look out the window!
16+ inches accumulated in Mt. Olive today... When will the heat wave come? This girl is so ready for summer!
The long-awaited moment is here!!! Never again will I tote 5 loads of laundry down 3 flights of stairs to a bunch of old janky coin-operated machines! So stoked.
Garett Fleming, I [officially, publicly] love you!!! :)
[Now, if I can just train my sweet husband to do laundry...!]
In honor of Uncle Marti who is fighting colon cancer, a few of us walked the St. Louis Undy 5000 this weekend in Forest Park! Unfortunately, Brian and I didn't get there in time to get the awesome yellow and blue undies....... Cheers for Team Marti: "Busting Our Booties for Marti's Patooty!"
Other week highlights:
-- I'm 24!!!
-- Brian's work gave us tickets to see War Horse at The Fox. We had a great afternoon and evening with Andy and Angie! So great to catch up.
-- More house work... Lots of progress being made!
Well, I'm another year older and another year wiser! ;)
First birthday as a married chick and also the first birthday I haven't gotten depressed about an oncoming mid-life crisis! ;) Haha just kidding.
Who throws a birthday party at midnight? Only the BEST co-workers! I came out of my patient's room at 12:03 to a huge spread of food and a big cluster of nurses cheering. ...Only at Mercy... I love these girls! Oh, and I even got to ride the cleaning scooter with Sean. #birthdayprivileges
After I woke up from work, Brian took me out for dinner [it felt weird that it was STILL my real birthday!?]. This guy really knows how to wine and dine his wife! I'm treated like a queen every day, but especially today!
Wine, chocolates, and flowers... Boom.
We went to Gian-Tony's on The Hill and were seated and served by our friend Dionna! Thanks for everything, D! You are great!
If you can believe it, the birthday festivities continued for a third night! My parents came to St. Louis to take us out for dinner. No meat is allowed on Fridays during Lent, so we enjoyed some delicious alternatives at PW Pizza.
We had Orange Leaf fro-yo and my mom's homemade red velvet cupcakes for dessert after dinner!
Turning 24 is the best! I am so lucky to be the birthday girl! Many many thanks to all who made me feel so special this week! Can it be my birthday again next month? :) "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln
There's nothing quite like celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the heart of Dogtown. One of our absolute favorite things about living in this area is being able to take part in the best Irish party in the city! Although this year was cold and snowy, it hardly put a damper on the parade or street celebration! I guess the Irish know how to do it right! :)
Brian was still a little sick from the night before, so his fun-loving siblings brought the party to the bedroom! ;)
Another Easter season = another opportunity for The Promise cast to touch lives across the country! I was a little upset that I couldn't be part of the cast this year [trust me: it's hard to sit in the audience after 13 years of being on the stage!], but I was completely taken back by the awesome talent and the profound message. Unarguably, this year's cast was one of the best! Sweet friends: thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication to the message of Christ! You talented, dedicated, wonderful people really know how to spread the Easter hope! :)
Sitting in the audience may've been tough, but you bet Mike and I were singing along to all the songs anyway! ;) We loved catching up with everyone during intermission and after the show!
Other week highlights:
-- Cheers to Sean and Catherine! We were glued to the TV for all 180 minutes of the Bachelor's season finale!
-- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Millions of thanks to my mom for coming down to help me clean/cook/decorate for the party this weekend.
THE PAINTING IS FINISHED!! We had lots of help this weekend and accomplished everything! Wowza.
While Ann and I painted the master bedroom, Lisa and little Ellybean worked on the guest bedrooms!
Thanks for all your good help and hard work, sweet girl! :)
Before we knew it, we were out meeting in the middle of the kitchen, family room, and hallways. Times flies when you have great helpers!
Brian walked behind us to edge all the corners and fix all the [tiny] mistakes...
...and Petey stayed around to refill our paint buckets and supervise!
While the girls were painting, the boys spent the day cutting and laying tile.
Both bathrooms and the utility room were all laid out by the end of the day! A little grout + some sealer = almost time for my long-awaited laundry machines to move in!
Lots of hard work deserves a coffee break!
I wanted to add in some personal [love] touches as we're finishing the house, so here's the first...
We had time to snap a quick picture before the paint dried a permanent heart on the wall!
...And back to work!
Of course, WE know that heart will be there forever! <3 Thank you, thank you, thank you EVERYONE who helped us so very much this weekend! There is no way we could make it through this project without you! After painting and tiling, we're definitely two big steps closer to having the home of our dreams! ...Goodbye house, hello home!
