Somehow, I totally forgot to post about Saint Emilia on her feastday (May 8th). I am very honored to be named for this saint as she was a wonderful example of wife and mother!
One of the things that we have been really looking forward to is eating out on our screened-in porch. We were so excited to rent a house with one, but somehow didn't use it for eating last summer and fall. Since my sister graciously gave us a patio table she was no longer using, we've renewed our interest in al fresco dining. This picture was taken last week (on my namesday)... dinner was wonderful! Our daughter was thrilled beyond words to be eating outside! I'm hoping that the torrential rain and wind (though I have been enjoying that too!!) we've been having lately will give way to warmer weather and sun so that we can do this more often!
I cannot believe that our little boy is already five months old! He has been doing quite well these past few months! He now weighs about thirteen and a half pounds (catching up to his nearly two year old sister who is only 20 lbs!). He smiles, coos, and even shouts a little. He is a demanding little guy... When he's hungry or dirty, he NEEDS MAMA NOW! He is starting to get a kick out of some of the baby toys we have and learned how to roll over last week. We were startled to see how far he rolled a few nights ago because it was easily a few feet! It is amazing how well he is doing given his very early arrival. We thank God every day for our little boy!
I picked up this little Martha magazine at the checkout a few weeks ago and am so glad that I did. I have become more and more interested in living a more healthy life and have enjoyed using this little guide. Martha has an gone through the main things that people use in their homes and given some suggestions to make our lives a bit healthier... for most of her topics she has suggestions to be careful, more careful, and most careful. Check it out!
Airing May 4, 11, and 18, 2008 on PBS 
This is our Bunny Basket. We were given a bunch of little bunnies by different people this Pascha and so I gathered them all into a basket that our toddler loves to tote around... I think that I may do this every year and use it as a decoration!
One toddler teething (6 new ones coming in!) and starting a cold that the baby has also managed to succumb to... the picture says it all!
Our son's godfather and his wife are avid gardeners. They gave us this gorgeous bouquet and some asparagus as two (of many) Pascha gifts... I don't think that I've ever seen more beautiful flowers and I know that the asparagus will go perfectly with our Chicken Cordon Bleu and Mashed
Please pray for the safe and speedy return of a friend's teenage daughter (Susan).
Great-Grandmother's 3 Bean Casserole
With spring cleaning getting underway this week (I'd like to have it all done by Pascha - Our Easter), I decided to rearrange things in the kitchen cabinets and drawers. Our daughter has become quite the little helper these past months and so I decided to follow another of Barbara's suggestions for setting up the kitchen so that the kidlets can help a little. Fr. John is a bit skeptical (He's afraid that our dishes will all be smashed within a week), so I think that I will hold off on allowing her to help set the table for a few months.
I banished my bad mood today by watching a few of these little videos by the author of the French Women Don't Get Fat books, Mirelle Guiliano:
I was so happy to find that D'Rae is blogging again! I really enjoy her daily posts of the outfits that she wears, especially because she wears skirts daily.
Last night, I discovered that one of my favorite priest wives has a blog... I think you will really enjoy this essay she wrote on Barbie.
While replenishing our stock of teething tablets for our Little Miss at our local health food store last week, I noticed that they were now stocking some baby slings. Since we had just loaned our Baby Bjorn (which I don't like, btw) to one of our parishioners to try out, I decided to pick this one up to use with both of our children. So far I really like it and it has come in handy for grocery shopping and homemaking with our son and singing in the choir with our daughter (she likes to "sing" with me and there is usually someone that is very willing to hold Mr. Chubbs during the service!).
Since the start of Great Lent, every Monday night (except the first one due to the Canon of Saint Andrew) has been Orthodox Movie Night at our church. Fr. John sets up a projector and projects a dvd onto one of the walls. the chairs are set up in a semi-circle and the church is instantly transformed into a movie theater. All we are ever missing is popcorn and soda!Ostrov (Russian: Остров, The Island) is a 2006 Russian biographical film about a fictional 20th century Eastern Orthodox monk. The film closed the 2006 Venice Film Festival.
The film is focused on father Anatoly's repentance of his sin (therefore the virtually continuous occurrence of the Jesus Prayer); but the transgressions of the depicted character (a fool for Christ) and their impact on the others are the means by which the actual plot develops. Thus, talking on character's self-awarness, film's director Pavel Lungin said he doesn't regard him as being clever or spiritual, but blessed "in the sense that he is an exposed nerve, which connects to the pains of this world. His absolute power is a reaction to the pain of those people who come to it;" while "typically, when the miracle happens, the lay people asking for a miracle are always dissatisfied" because "the world does not tolerate domestic miracles." Dmitry Sobolev, the scenarist, further explains: "When people ask for something from God, he is often wrong because God has a better understanding of what a person wants at that moment."[1] Pyotr Mamonov, who plays the lead character, formerly one of the few rock musicians in USSR, converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in the 1990s and lives now in an isolated village. Pavel Lungin said about him that "to a large extent, he played himself." Mamonov received a blessing from his confessor for playing the character.[1]
The simplicity, the humbleness, the remoteness, the miracles converge into creating a timeless snapshot of the Orthodox spirituality, apart from the historical circumstances. Patriarch Alexei II of Russia praised Ostrov for its profound depiction of faith and monastic life, calling it a "vivid example of an effort to take a Christian approach to culture."[2]
The filming location was the city of Kem, in Karelia, on the shores of the White Sea.[1]
Using a chocolate mold never created such a nice addition to your Paschal baskets! One of our parishioners made a basket full of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and mint chocolate crosses for us to sell at the church... everyone is so excited!
If you are an Orthodox mom, you might want to check out Monica's new blog, Orthodox Mother's Digest. See you there!
Tagged by Lydia!
