Five Favourites: What I've Been Reading

Linking up with Jenna today!

Feeling a bit lazy - well, honestly, more tired than lazy - after our big ol' field trip to the state house today to see the Senate and the House of Representatives at work, so I'm kind of taking the easy way out today (tonight?).   I've not had a chance to do real reading this past week, so how about I throw some links at you?   For your reading pleasure.......

What I've Been Reading, Five Favourites-Style!

1.

Starting it off with one of my favourite bloggers, Brianna .  There are some bloggers that I'd love to meet in person and chat with over a cup of coffee, and she is one.    This post, about why it's okay to have a large family, really spoke to me today.   Go check it out, but here's my favourite part:

There was a time when I too would have questioned the judgment of a married couple throwing caution, good sense, and money to the wind in exchange for a fifteen-passenger-van and four sets of bunk beds.  But that was before I had the misfortune of actually using the pill to prevent pregnancy, and it was before I became a mother, and before I encountered the life-giving truth about the vocation of Holy Matrimony.  Now, I’m raising my eight kids, ya’ll!  Which is funny, because I never really anticipated having a big family, but here I am.  And I don’t worry too much about whether or not other people think that’s the best thing or a good thing or the right thing for kids, because I know, I know, that children are not only a precious gift but that they are also natural to, and good for, marriage.  And I now know too that children are a gift to one another.

Contrary to what people on Facebook were arguing, raising many children is not the same thing as being a teacher or running a daycare, neither of which ever appealed to me in the least.  And contrary to what most people think you don’t have to be a saint.  Kids (usually) come one at a time.  You learn as you go.  Sometimes you mess up.  There are happy moments and sad ones, too.  It’s life, and it’s full.  Oh.so.full.

2.

We had a long break between Nicholas and Ruthie, and a couple of miscarriages along the way.  There were times during those two rascals where I wondered if we were ever going to be blessed with biological children again, and struggling when I saw families around me growing in leaps and bounds.   Comments were made - even by representatives of the church - about our family size and the fact that there were "only" three children.   I feel like now we're on the "large family" side of the rude comments....but there was a time when we weren't and when every pregnancy announcement felt like a knife-stab into my heart.   Where I'd lock myself in the bathroom and cry because, once again, another friend was pregnant and we weren't....but yet, we were one of the "lucky" ones who had been blessed with children before this happened.   

If you don't read anything else that I link to here, please read this post.   It's important to remember that there's another side to the inappropriate comments and questions about family size.

We Said Yes, Too

3.

I read this one earlier today and it made me so very sad.    There's a lot of truth here about the state of our Church and the role of the family in passing on the faith - and a definite wake-up call to us parents.

What Children's Confessions Reveal

4.

Not into March Madness?   No worries......here's a different kind of bracket competition....Catholic- style.  ;)

March Madness, Catholic Style

5.

I posted this the other day on our Facebook page, but if you happened to miss it, please do us all a favour and go read it now.     Simcha has managed to put my entire life experience of owning animals into one hilariously perfect blog post.   I couldn't stop laughing!

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And a bonus one, in case you still need some reading material.   Check out this hilarious song, and make sure you read the comments!!

Weary Parents of Church