Picture Dump ;)

I really need to get better about writing on here more consistently. It seems like when there's nothing going on I don't have anything to write about, and when there is a lot going on I have no time to write it. A picture says a thousand words, so I'm going to put a bunch of pictures up, (mostly of Daria) and hopefully I will write more posts in the near future.

Here we are at the pumpkin patch! 

Little cheeser

I don't know why she was upset by getting eaten by a giant pumpkin. ;) 

Although the leaves don't really change around here during Fall, I still insisted on taking some Fall pictures. And although it was pretty windy and cold and Daria was not a happy camper most the time, we still got some good pictures, plus it was a fun Autumn day at the park. 

And then a few Fall pictures

Like I said, it was pretty windy and cold, so we didn't get too many pictures of Daria smiling...or looking at the camera. ;) 

And my final picture dump of the day is Daria's six month old pictures.  Time really has flown by. It's crazy my little baby is six  months old already and so ready to crawl and walk and be a big girl. She is definitely getting her own little personality and character. She is a wild child, for sure, but I suppose the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.  ;) 

She loved the flash...And she's just a natural! ;) 

Trying soo hard to sit up

Alright, well I'll end there before I find more pictures I need to put on. I hope you enjoyed Daria's cuteness. I certainly do, well most the time at least. ;) 

The Scarecrow

I'm awoken from sleep, and I start to remember

There's a smell in the air that means it's September.

The field is awaiting and so are the crows,

Though I doubt I can scare them in these ragged clothes.

Autumn approaches but you know, after all,

I have never been a great lover of Fall.

The crows bore me to tears and the corn does too

And it grows so tall that it blocks my view.

I can't see the bonfires that are roaring nearby 

Or the children as they throw leaves in the sky. 

And I just wish I could taste that smell in the air 

Of the apple and pumpkin pies being prepared.

Though there's nothing quite like an October sun rise

It does wake up the crows and get in my eyes.

It is a great pleasure to feel the crisp breeze 

And watch the leaves twirl as they fall from the trees.

And there are I suppose lovely colors displayed  

on calm quiet evenings of still Autumn days.

There are some Fall  things that aren't bad I confess,

But a scarecrow's opinion isn't the best.

If the crows weren't so dull and the corn weren't so tall

I think I could actually learn to love Fall. 

Written by: Yours Truly. ;)

Our childhood scarecrow who almost always makes his Autumn debut. "Jack the Haystack" has been around since before I can remember and he was always a necessity to bringing on the season.

The rather old picture was stolen from my Mom, Lisa Davis. Thanks Mom. ;) 

My late first day of Fall post...

The stunning Ouray, Colorado, where I so wish I could be.

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything on here. I have had so many ideas that I've been wanting to write about, but I haven't lately because I have a teething five month old who hardly ever sleeps. So my extra time usually goes to other things (like taking a shower, doing laundry, etc etc.) However, my awesome husband let me have the morning to myself and took Daria to his parent's house, so I decided to finally write my post about the FIRST DAY OF FALL! :)

Let me start by saying, I have been counting down the days until the first day of Fall since at least August. Fall has always been my favorite season. Nothing compares to the crisp October sweater weather mornings or the beautiful and subtle transformation of the leaves on the trees, and not to mention pumpkin spice everything! (My white girl is definitely coming out.) What's not to love?

 Since I live in the Mojave desert now, Summer's really are not the ideal season, which is another reason I was eagerly counting down. Although we don't really get four seasons here, we at least get a little break from the 110 degree days, and it usually cools down and even gets chilly. It's definitely a big change from growing up in Colorado, where Summer's can be hot and Winter's can be cold, but they also have some of the most beautiful Fall's and Spring's anywhere in the world.

But my point of this was not to complain. (It just comes out sometimes.) My point is that Fall is awesome, and on the 22nd, I was very happily wearing a sweater and a scarf and drinking a pumpkin spice latte. I was amazed it was actually chilly enough to break out some seasonal clothes. It only lasted until about 10:00 a.m. but boy was I loving it while it lasted. (I probably would have tried to wear cozy clothes and drink a hot pumpkin spice if it had been 90 degress, but it wouldn't have been the same.)

Now my house is decorated, there is pumpkin bread on the counter, and my sweaters are coming out of the garage, because BABY IT'S FALL! And ain't nobody stopping this white girl! ;)

Ps. more pictures to come if I can ever find my camera, or use a phone that actually takes somewhat decent pictures.

My Silver Linings

I don't know why, but this last week I have been more brain dead than usual...Among other things I have: dropped a freshly baked pie on the floor, put the baby's clothes on backwards, forgotten my phone at least twice, and last but not least, backed our practically brand new car into a telephone pole. I can't really blame my clumsiness and forgetfulness on baby brain any more since my daughter is almost four months old now, and I also can't blame it on lack of sleep since she practically sleeps through the night. I guess sometimes we just have those days, or in my case, those weeks. Sometimes, shit just happens and the dark grey rain clouds seem to follow you wherever you go.


I will admit that it's not always easy seeing that silver lining people always talk about in the midst of the clouds, (like when your brand new car now looks trashed because you backed up into a telephone pole...) but I also think it is easy to take your silver linings for granted.  After my little accident I was obviously pretty upset and a little scared to tell my husband. With insurance, hospital bills, house payments, and all the other expenses that rack up so quickly, I knew that the car's aesthetics would not be a welcoming bill to add on to the list. However, my wonderful husband was not upset in the least. He was completely understanding and immediately made me feel better about the whole situation. Then that night he even showed up at our door carrying flowers and wearing his nicest dress clothes to take me on a dinner date.

It was my favorite day in a long time, even after what had happened. He is my silver lining, but I am also blessed with so many more. After all, my car has more character now and I guess you could say it's broken in. I can still drive it, nobody was hurt, and it doesn't have to get fixed right away. I have the sweetest husband who didn't get upset with me in the least and a beautiful sleeping baby in the back seat who didn't even wake up when it happened.

When the dark cloud don't seem to go away though, it's so easy to get caught up in the things that are going wrong and forget about the things that are going right. It's so easy to focus on the dark clouds instead of the silver linings. Sometimes you may have to look a little harder but they are always there, and the days (or weeks) you feel like you can't get anything right may end up being some of the best days of your life. You just have to get through the storm to see all the beautiful silver linings.

Daria's 3 month old pictures

My cutie is 3 months old today!! :)

                                      

Feast of St. Anne

Two years ago, I had to make some pretty tough choices. I was living out here in California with my brother and sister-in-law and had just found out they were moving to Florida because my brother was being stationed there with the Marines. I had to decide whether I was going to move back to Colorado where my friends and family were, or move up to a little converted garage apartment in the middle of the desert so I could be closer to my boyfriend.

I started praying to St. Anne, and began a novena to her on her feast day (which I didn't realize at the time) and she definitely pulled through. After I finished the novena, it just seemed so obvious that I should stay here in the desert with my future husband and start the vocation that I had been called to. I wish I had known St. Anne sooner, she hasn't always been my special patron, but I can say that she is now.

She is an excellent model for wives and mothers and a perfect saint to pray to about relationships; Whether you are trying to find a husband or already have one.

                Novena to St. Ann

O glorious Saint Ann, 
you are filled with compassion 
for those who invoke you, 
and with love for those suffer. 
Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, 
I cast myself at your feet 
  and humbly beg of you to take the present intention, 
which I recommend to you in your special care.

Please recommend it to your daughter, 
the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
and place it before the throne of Jesus, 
so that he may bring it to a happy issue.

Continue to intercede for me 
until my request is granted. 
But above all obtain for me the grace one day 

to see my God face to face, 

and with you and Mary and all the saints 
to praise and bless him for all eternity.  Amen.

Our Father; Hail Mary; Glory be.

Saint Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death! 
Good Saint Ann, intercede for me!

FIRST DAY

Dear Saint Ann, I appeal to you and place myself under your great motherly care as I begin this novena in your honor.  Please listen to my prayers and requests.

Help me, also, to begin this time of prayer with a heart open to the loving grace of God.  Give me the strength to begin a new life that will last forever.

Finally, blessed Saint Ann, I ask you to recommend me to your daughter, the most holy virgin Mary.  Through her, may I receive the spirit of prayer, humility, and the love of God.

(Recite the Prayer to Saint Ann above, followed by the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, and the invocation to Saint Ann after each day’s reflection)

SECOND DAY

From the depths of my heart, good Saint Ann, I offer you my homage and I ask you to shelter me under the mantle of your motherly care.  Help me to purify my thoughts and desires.

Aid my decisions that all that I do may be done in love.

THIRD DAY

Good Saint Ann, you were the first to respond to the needs of Mary, the mother of our Savior.  You watched over her in her infancy, presented her at the temple, and consecrated her to the service of God.

By the great power God has given you, show yourself to be my mother and consoler.  Help me dedicate myself to God and to my neighbors.

Console me in my trials and strengthen me in my struggles.

FOURTH DAY

Good Saint Ann, you offered your daughter in the temple with faith, piety, and love.  With the happiness which then filled your heart, help me to present myself to God and to the world as a committed disciple of Jesus.

Take me under your protection.  Strengthen me in my temptations.  Show yourself to be a mother and help me to live a life of holiness and love.

FIFTH DAY

Good Saint Ann, by God’s special favor, grant consolation to us who invoke you.  Help us to grow in spiritual wealth for the life to come, and guide us in our temporal affairs as well.

Grant us the gift of continuous conversion and renewal of heart.  Help us to accept the Gospel of Jesus over and over again so that we may be ready to be true disciples in whatever situations we may experience during our lives.

SIXTH DAY

Good Saint Ann, free my heart of pride, vanity, and self-love.  Help me to know myself as I really am, and to learn meekness and simplicity of heart.

I realize God’s great love for me.  Help me to reflect this love through works of mercy and charity toward my neighbor.

SEVENTH DAY

Good Saint Ann, by the power and grace God has placed in you, extend to me your helping hand.  Renew my mind and heart.

I have unbounded confidence in your prayers.  Direct my actions according to your goodness and wisdom.  I place myself under your motherly care.

Pray that I may receive the grace to lead a devout life on earth, and that I may obtain the everlasting reward of heaven.

EIGHTH DAY

Saint Ann, you gave birth to Mary, whose divine Son brought forth salvation to our world by conquering death and restoring hope to all people.  Help me to pray to him who, for love of us, clothed himself with human flesh.

May I be guided from anything that is displeasing in the sight of God.  Pray that the Spirit of Jesus may enlighten and direct me in all I do.

Good Saint Ann, keep a watchful eye on me.

Help me bear all my crosses, and sustain me with courage.

NINTH DAY

Good Saint Ann, I have come to the end of this novena in your honor.

Do not let your kind ear grow weary of my prayers, thought I repeat them so often.

Implore for me from God’s providence all the help I need to get through life.  May your generous hand bestow on me the material means to satisfy my needs, and to alleviate the plight of the poor.

Good Saint Ann, pray that I may praise and thank the Holy Trinity for all eternity.

My knight in jeans and a Rockies hat

Five years ago today (give or take a day or two...) I met my one and only other half, and I guess you could say that the Rockies played a very important roll in our relationship and is probably one of the main reasons that we are happily married today. How you may ask? Here's how the story goes, and excuse me if some of the facts are a little wrong, it has been five years after all. ;)

It all started at Magic Mountain. My family and some close friends took a California trip in the Summer of 2011. We took the extremely scenic and long route starting in Colorado and going up through Washington state and then down the coast and through the Redwoods. It was a lot of driving, but definitely an epic trip. On one of the days the older kids went to Magic Mountain with a big group of people from the California Church. some of which we knew and some we had never met.

Amidst all the new faces, one stuck out in particular, partly because he was tan and had nice teeth and was really cute, and partly because he was wearing a Rockies hat.  I was born and raised in Colorado, so I have been a Rockies fan from birth, and the last thing I was expecting to see was a good looking California boy wearing a Colorado Rockies hat. I immediately thought he was awesome and wanted to talk to him. I did a little bit, but found out later he had a girlfriend, so I moved on and didn't really think too much more about him.

Fast forward two years, I'm eighteen and single, and randomly my friend tells me that Ben, (The cute California Rockies fan) is also single. So without much hesitation, I got his number and started texting him, and I guess you could say the rest is history. Our next California trip that same summer, we went to his house and at that point I was head over heels and there was no going back.

I thank God that he decided to wear that
hat that day, because little did I know five years later we would be married and have a sweet adorable baby girl, all thanks to the Rockies. ;)