catching up

Hello there!

Well, it's been quite a while, hasn't it? I apologize for the rather lengthy hiatus, but life has really been quite occupying as of late. I hope you enjoyed my last post, however, which was originally intended for Facebook, but I haven't plucked up the courage to post it there quite yet. I apologize for how preachy it is, and hope it is not too much so and that is it not bothersome.

First off, Father of the Bride, the high school comedy my homeschooling group put together this fall, went just beautifully both nights (the twenty-seventh -and-eighth of November). There were a couple instances when some actors laughed during a part they weren't supposed to laugh in, but it was no big deal and I actually recently watched the DVD of it and it was very sweet. Everyone worked so hard and it really paid off by two wonderful, professional performances. This year I was just a background character - one of the "cake girls," to be specific, but it was still so fun and I was glad of the break from being a lead actress like last year, and to get to know a new girl in our group, Mariana, who was the other cake girl (far left in second picture).

Then (because I really can't think of anything too momentous after that besides this) Christmas break was just lovely. From December 20th to January 11th, I had a break from school and could just spend time with the "college kids" and "teacher," which I guess my siblings now are, which is very weird, but at the same time, just right. They're mature and old enough to be all those things, but I suppose I just don't feel old or mature enough for my siblings to be those things. ;) It was so nice having them here for the three weeks that they were. Many laughs and great memories were shared. And I had my roommate back (Mary-Catherine), and we had plenty of good, long chats. I was so, so, so happy to know that nothing had changed in our relationship - it was just as sweet and easy and close and happy as before. I miss her a lot again, but now that I'm used to her being gone it's not quite as painful as when she first left, when I actually experienced depression and separation anxiety, and, well, just a lot of stress being the oldest girl and creating all this responsibility in my head, when in reality, it did increase, but not quite as much as I thought it did. ;) I tend to do things like that. And the Silver and Gold Ball was just magical. A week or so before the event, my oldest sister Lucia surprised me with a dress she bought in Arizona where she teaches at a thrift store. A beautiful, full-length, navy blue dress with lovely detail on the top that was just perfect for this ball and I hadn't had one before she gave it to me. She was just like an angel in that moment. I was so relieved and happy. It was a bit long and I had to hem it a bit, but otherwise it was a perfect fit and I loved it. Other than that (which is rather important, mind you) the evening was just lovely in every way. Several guys asked me to dance, and I only asked one. There were many times I felt like a princess and I had such a good time with all of my dear friends. Deanna Casey, a good, sweet friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a long while, who is in a band with her sisters, write songs, and plays the violin was there and it was great to see her and catch up with her.

We hosted a couple of new priests (one of them being our new pastor) a few times over Christmas break as well, which was a lot of fun. They're very sweet, generous, fun, conversational guys and are such blessing and we love having them at our parish.

Then a few days afterward, we went on a spontaneous, last-minute trip with the whole fam to NH. I prayed the night before that we might be able to visit with cousins during the Christmas season this year like we had planned to for years before then but hadn't been able to due to someone always getting sick or a snowstorm always happening, despite the, once again, impending snowstorm, and my oldest sister having to leave on New Year's Eve. But, sure enough, the next morning, the morning of December 28th, after I had long forgotten about my prayers, Dad woke all the older kids up, thus waking me up as well since I share a room with Mary-Catherine, to go to NH to see grandparents and possibly our cousins, the Bean family, before Lucia had to go. He was only going to take them at first, but then, last-minute, after Bridget expressed sadness at not being able to go that day to Mom, our parents decided to take everyone, and before the clock struck eleven the Froula family was on the road, all of us very happy, expectant of an adventurous, great day. And that it was. We shared and enjoyed a meal of pizza, cookies, and leftover pie from hosting new priests at our house, caught up, and played Trivial Pursuit among many a laugh. It was a beautiful, grand old time.

And on that nice note, I think I'll sign off. A beautiful night or day to you, wherever you are!

thoughts

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" ~ Micah 6:8

Last year I wrote in little bits of pieces of paper little memories or things that happened to me that made me smile and put them in a jar throughout the year. I did this the year before, too, and both times I forgot months in the middle, but it's so nice to read the ones I remembered to include at the end of the year/beginning of the next year. This year I found this one that wasn't necessarily a memory but something I was inspired to remind myself of: "Practice kindness. The soft-hearted are let into the Kingdom of Heaven." I think this is one of the most basic reminders but also easiest to forget. Just one simple word, smile, hug, or using your artistic, musical, cooking, or anything talents to bring someone else joy, or simply letting our anger die and forgiving someone (no matter what they did or who they are; even if we don't know them), choosing not to yell at someone or insult them (even in our minds), even if they don't know we are, just not complaining about anything we have to do, be it eating something that's not our favorite or doing a chore we'd rather not do, or even doing the same things we do every day with a little more love, a little more gentleness. This is so easy yet so hard to do sometimes, but we're always paid back for it in a hundredfold and never regret it. And it is in these small but easy and simple steps that we grow closer to God. I'll be the first to admit I'm the last one to say these things, but I suppose that's also why I'm saying them: to remind myself as well. As the famous words of Mother Teresa go: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” And this is what so many of us, seemingly most of us these days, are called to do.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my cliche, rambly, unqualified-to-say words! Have a great day!