Feb 2017-March 2017 Catch up! February birthdays, the Oscars, Steve's birthday, Lent begins, Last Centergy Launch

Okay....my pictures and my thoughts are ALL over the place....but after 8 months of not blogging here, I'm trying to get my bloggy life back in order....wish me luck!!! 

  

Spring 2017 South Knoll Spirit Night to Blue Baker after basketball practice - three cheers for sammies!








Oscars party at our friend Shay's home! We had to pause of course for a selfie with Ryan Gosling. That same day I was blessed to have a movie date with Mom to see "Lion." My kind of  day through and through!






Happy birthday to our dear Amber!!! I have learned so much from this sweet friend of mine, I thank God for the gift of her strong, gentle, generous heart and determined spirit EVERY day! I am blessed to have these great women in my life!!!






After Mass one Sunday, my friend Erin and I popped in to our St. Thomas Aquinas bookstore where we met a local celebrity, Rico Rodriguez, who was as sweet and genuine as can be.

And Lent began. Reminding us to keep holy the days which journeyed us to Easter and the promise of our Beautiful Savior.  

We enjoyed a fun family excursion on Spring Break to Corpus Christi with the grandparents! Later that month, we took a day trip to Austin to meet the grandparents and enjoyed the grounds of the Contemporary Art museum and a hike up Mt. Bonnell. My kind of Saturday!!!

And my brother Steve celebrated his birthday and gave us the best gift of all - an announcement that he and his wife Kristin have a baby boy due November 2017!!!! I treasure this time with my Houston family, it is rarer and rarer to be able to be (mostly) all together!
   

 

My LAST launch for Group Centergy at the Dome. Oh how I miss this program.

And a happy birthday haircut day for me!

   

Mom and dad surprised me on my birthday by coming up to celebrate dinner! It was such a precious gift!

We celebrated Bronius' birthday with dinner with Senele.

And again at the World Marriage Day dinner and dance at our parish! The theme was "An Evening in Paris" and it was lovely!!!! 

Making valentines with my boys.

Mother's Day tea at Traditions Montessori

What a special morning with my littlest !!! 

Date night, dewberries and launch week

Best date night EVER! We found a quiet restaurant with a little corner where no one could find us. :) We desperately needed a date and we had a lovely meal, good conversation and fun! We enjoyed the jazz festival in downtown Bryan afterwards.  We felt like kids again :)

We are growing all kinds of garden goodies.  We are awaiting the growth of these dewberries so we can make cobbler!

I survived launch week at the gym! I wasn't able to finish all the classes I was teaching this week because Jonas caught a bug.  Spent the rest of the week nursing my baby back to health and praying that all will be well for Milo's First Holy Communion weekend. :)  Hopefully, some pics to come soon!

Puppy, Bells visit, first day of school, art class, my haircut

Here is our little puppy "Hawkeye" (whose real name is Hugo).  He is a Labra-hound (so we think, anyway!) He is growing like a weed! Sleeping through the night GREAT, hardly any potty accidents in the house.  He is happy in his crate and when it's time to come out, the boys are teaching him tricks, playing fetch and running around with him outside. He is chewing everything though, sometimes our shoes, sometimes our hands and feet! Official puppy kindergarten class begins Monday! :)

Our friends the Bell's came to visit and we celebrated everyone's birthdays all together! What a fun day of pizza, brownies, a trip to the splashpad, a movie at home and legos galore!

First day of 4th grade, Dominic is in Mr. and Mrs. Stearns class. We are so excited have this amazing married couple / seasoned team of educators!

Milo, 1st grade, has Mrs. McQueen this year. We have loved getting to know Mrs. McQueen through the years and we're so excited to get to have her as our teacher this year!

Jonas started at Aggieland Montessori, the preschool of all Motekaitis boys! :) He has Ms. Tena and Ms. Corinne, whom we have known since Dominic was there. I'm so excited to watch how he grows this year!

The boys are part of an after school Art Club in the Creative Capsule this year. I love sitting and watching the lessons, and learning along with them.

I got a hair cut! I may have waited all summer, but it was worth the wait!!!! :) 

Hope you are having a wonderful back to school transition! Thanks for visiting!

A Liebster Award - that's a cool feeling!

A very lovely, sweet and thoughtful Cristina at All Things Reintjes has nominated me for A Liebster Award. I am so thankful for her visits to my blog, which are always like a fresh breath of sea air for me! And the interviewer in me certainly can never resist a chance to gab over a Q&A session. ;)  Thank you, Cristina, my bloggy friend!

                                                            "Thanks Cristina!"


1) Where do you live, and why do you live there now?

I live in a college town in Central, Texas. :) I live here because my husband grew up here, and was working here when he proposed to me. After I graduated college, I was very blessed to find a job here to be closer to him as we planned our wedding nearly 11 years ago. As time went by, God's will for our marriage and family became more and more evident, and we felt called to stay here for an indefinite amount of time. This community has formed us, has helped us raise our children and helped us grow up ourselves! :) One day, we hope to travel abroad in the summers, if kind-hearted relatives can bear the visitors! 

2) What are you currently watching, or reading?

I was feeling nostalgic for a Hayley Mills movie called The Moon Spinners that I must have seen on t.v. when I was young, so I'm watching that tonight. During Lent, I am alternating between reading Flannery O'Connor's Prayer Journal and Heather King's book of reflections for Holy Days. 

3) What kind of Catholic are you? (cradle, convert, considering)

I am a cradle Catholic. :)  My Dad was a Jesuit, my Mom was a convert.  I have a very large Indian Catholic family on my father's side and a very large German Lutheran family on my mother's. :) ( so Lutheran we sometimes wonder if our German lineage can be traced to Martin Luther himself in fact....) 

4) Can you point to one moment or experience that made you a practicing Catholic? (Or want to be?)

When I attended my senior year in high school and all four years of college in Texas, my most active Christian friends were not Catholic.  I admired the way they lived, and spoke, and behaved...and wore their faith on their sleeves.  Even while President of the Catholic Student Organization, I often felt most comfortable with my Southern Baptist friends.  They challenged, questioned and inspired me. And because of them, I dug deeper than I ever had before to grasp the richness of the fullness of truth. And I am still on that journey every day. 

5) How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Now that I've graduated to expensive ORTHOPEDIC shoes because of my feet woes, not many.  I wasn't much of a shoe hoarder before though. I do love fashion and style, but I don't fuss much with accessories etc. I suppose that has only helped prepare me for having three sons. :) However, I will say, I have a new appreciation and love of quality footwear. 

6) Are you a good dancer?

Such a subjective question. If you asked me....of course I'd say emphatically YES. If you had to ask my husband who always complains about how I won't let him lead, or my children who have to deal with me snapping in the car to music.... they might have a different opinion to offer you. My favorite reality show, and the only reality show I'll ever watch, is So You Think You Can Dance.  I started watching when  I was nursing a newborn one summer and it started a fire in me. I did take dance classes as a child and in college, so I have some level of knowledge and experience. But anything I do now is highly unstructured, and usually involves 80's music and waving a wooden spoon in the kitchen when I cook dinner.

7) Who usually drives, you or your husband?

Hubby works from home, so I'm usually on chauffer duty.  But road trips, dinners out, and church on the weekends is hubby's speciality. 

8) What's your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?

All religious holidays aside, I really love New Year's Eve.  It's so romantic and exciting and so unified, the whole world takes part.  We usually have friends over for fondue and then chill with champagne waiting for the countdown while kids run around. One of these years I'd like to make it a little more exciting! 

9) Which is correct, left or right?



Definitely asking the wrong gal on this one, but I'll go with left because I think that's what my logical husband would probably pick, who tends to be right about these sorts of important matters.

10)  Do you have any scars?

Nothing exciting to report. Just the expected knee scrapes from falling off my bike as a ten year old, and a few chicken pox marks! 

11)  What's the most famous thing you've ever done?

I once did a spot on the news to promote an event, and here lately I recorded a radio commercial! :) I much prefer to be a background figure. It used to be a dream of mine to be a back up singer for someone famous.  Still wouldn't mind that! 


I would like to nominate Katherine whom I haven't heard from in awhile ;) and Stephanie, who is a great teller of stories, and Elizabeth, who is the most "keepin' it real" Mama friend I know. And hopefully they won't be too mad about me giving them one more extra thing to do! ;)

My 2014 resolutions

Action shot! That's me there, right before journaling about my resolutions.

                   

1) Take on an adoration hour.  It has been a few years but I need to get back in the game. I need this time with Jesus.  I know that it's me that has everything to gain from it, not the other way around!

2) Drink more water.   A little boring, but really important.

3) Start ironing.  Because the kids look like motherless children at Mass every Sunday with their crumply shirts.

4) Eat more anti-inflammatory foods.   Because it helps with almost every kind of body problem you can imagine!

5)  Make over my blog.   Because it's kind of a beautiful mess right now, like its creator.

6) Get to bed on time.    With the help of this bit of coolness....

7) Unplug and Play with the Kids.    I have really cut out non writing/reading time on the internet and it has felt FANTASTIC.  It's weird to say that I have to discipline myself to play with the kids, but I do.  I am striving to make our interactions more intentional again.

8) Love better, Listen better.  Because Hubby has things he'd like to talk about, too! This one's for you, B!

9) Daily Mass dates with the kids.  B and I are both looking forward to doing this for more one on one time with the kiddos. Going to sometimes pair it with a meal or treat out afterwards.

10) Make time for more life-changing books and films.   Because it stirs my soul and challenges me out of complacency and my comfort zone.

11)  Don't take things personally.  Unless of course, I did something that upset somebody, in which case, I totally will, and try to fix it!

12) Kick up the fitness.   I've got my pilates class once a week, hoping to walk with my awesome friend Mary once a week, and try to run to the park with the kids once a week.

13) Take on some weekly photo challenges.  I don't have a real camera, so I like the idea of this iphone photo challenge app.

14) Visit with friends, call family members more, help people and have a thankful heart!   Saved the best one for last!

Not tearing down the old, but building the new

A simple goal I hope to work on in 2014 is to strive to focus my energy not on tearing down the old, but on building the new, by giving more unconditional love to those near and dear, and to model a heart of peace and gratitude. Along with this, I also want to accept the challenge to shake things up and encourage myself to believe that I can be the person I struggled to be in past year.

   I'm learning that there is a big difference between just asking God for what I think I need, versus recognizing the various opportunities He is giving me to actually grab on to those things I need, to be the better wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, teacher that I am hoping to be.  He is always giving to us, but we have to grab on, and sometimes do a little hard work that is scary and uncomfortable, and there's nothing to be done but to get through it. But on the other side, there is beauty, strength and hope, and that lovely meadow of sunlight which God has promised to us all. My prayer for myself, and for all those who need it, is summed up in one word....endurance. All that we endure makes us who we are.

Happy New Year, friends, family and kind readers.  Wishing you a year of hope and fresh starts!

The Meme Team

                                                     
                                   our little door of love              

All right, so you may have noticed, all ye faithful readers (namely Mom and Bronius' Mom) that I've been less descriptive these days about our life here.  It is not for lack of words, for we all know that I do not suffer from that problem, but nay, it is a dearth of time from which I suffer.  I have been noticing more and more of my blogger buds (oh, and the ones who don't know that we're buds yet) have been using memes and I think I'm going to join the meme team!

So the pressure is on for me to say at least 7 useful, interesting or entertaining items each week. Don't hold your breath.

Here goes!

1) I joined twitter.  When Bronius explained twitter to me years ago with stars in his eyes, I heard myself bluntly say "what's the point of that?" even when I thought it was only in my head. I'm super picky with what I do with my precious free time, and also a bit panicky (like, I can't breathe) about how comfortable everyone else seems to be about letting loose private information. But.... I admit. Now I do get the point of that. Because I'm following some really neat people who inspire me and make me think, and feel, and laugh. And maybe I can be cool like dat one day too.

2)  I borrowed a really cool idea for our Lenten crown of thorns centerpiece this year.  When the toothpick sacrifices have all been pulled out of the wicker wreath, they are replaced with silk or paper flowers for Easter.  In the past I've been left with an oddly perforated salt dough braid that just gets pitched!  (don't we all!)

3) Big Event coordinators came to visit us today! With their generous time and assistance, we will finally be able to finish out our yard. We plan to seal the fence, fill in the infamous "chessboard sod job of 2012," and do some mulch landscaping.  We are very grateful for these students!!!

4) I am trying to read 3 books at the same time in the midst of very busy days, which feels very similar to juggling while standing on a tightrope, but without fire. I am reading "Prayer and Temperament" by Chester P. Michael,  "Persuasion" by Jane Austen for my book club, and "Daring Greatly," by Brene Brown.  It's about having the courage to be vulnerable and how it transforms the way we live, love parent and lead. Good stuff. 

5) I received some beautiful earrings from my Sister way out West (who used to be way out East) for my birthday from 10,000 Villages. I love them.  Mostly because they are from her.  But also because they are purple and liturgically appropriate. :)

           

6) Dominic had his first school musical this year. It was a Valentine program. It was pure sweetness. He had a speaking part, too! I also helped at his school with the Valentine Lollopalooza event this week and got to know roughly 150 2nd grade children. I was blessed by my time spent with these kids.  And had a great nap, afterwards. ;)  Bronius got to go to Milo's preschool for a sweet Valentine with Dad breakfast. Jonas played with a babysitter all morning. A good time was had by all!

  

7) Here is what I wrote for Austin Catholic New Media this week. I pray it will be useful to someone this Lent. I am very honored to be writing with the wonderful people at ACNM and ever thankful for Lauren's help in getting me there.

Here is a Valentine moment, brought to you by my good hair day.

             

And lastly...the Valentine I gave to Bronius. A big thanks to Terri who inspired us to become Whovians!

Ruby Tree Design - by Julia

These are some samples of cards I have made in the past. I am considering unearthing my materials and getting back in business for Valentine's day. If anyone would be interested in some handmade Valentines, let me know!

(And a brief footnote... please excuse the odd lighting from the camera phone and the funky blog formatting...in fact a Sasquatch was not lurking behind me as I took these pictures, it's just school pick up time and I don't have time to puzzle that out but will later! :)