72 days of #livingmyfiat

So I have been doing this little project-#livingmyfiat-for 30 days.  Have you been following along? So what have I learned from this?

"A high pony fixes everything"

This project wasn't supposed to be just some artsy pictures on my 'gram but also about purposely living life where The Lord has put me right now.

"Lategram of quiet mornings on the balcony"

First, of all I have realized that when I was home I pretty much spend all my time with kids.  In fact I don't think more than a day went by when I was not with kids.  I have also realized how little I am thinking and praying about my life being a living fiat.  I am quick just to go about my day taking one step after another.  However I hope and pray that even though I may not always be purposeful about it by being rooted in His word my life-actions and words-are in fact pleasing to Him.

"You have to praise the Lord for those mornings when you, the nanny, fundemental in the baby-hand-off-kid-on-the-bus-get-to-work scenario, are running late and so are they so it really doesn't matter."

Some of my posts of been simply daily life.

"Life, I am somewhere on this twist before that turn and I am exactly where I am supposed to be"

Others have been exciting announcements.

"Exciting announcement.  Yesterday I accepted a position as an OB nurse at Magee Hospital in Pittsburgh!  I am blessing beyond belief!"

And I have skipped a few days because I just didn't have anything to post but I haven't done half bad at keeping up with it.

"Cocoa Beanery breakfast before leaving Hershey"

In the end, all I want in life, not just my 24th year of life with this little project of mine, is to say each day "Here I am, the Handmaid of The Lord" and that when all my days are done I will get to heaven and the angels and saints will sing "Welcome, good and faithful servant, Alleluia."

"Calm in the middle of chaos."

If you aren't following along already, please follow me on the 'gram, natnatg3

Saint John Paul II, pray for us.

JP2 in Wadovwce Poland, his hometown

I abandon the blog for what feels like weeks and then do three post in three days. I know, send me to the looney bin.  But when your day off coincides with an awesome feast day you have to celebrate big, by writing a post and making Polish food for dinner.

Blurry but this is the baptismal font that JP2 was baptized in. 

What passionately Catholic 20 something year old doesn't love St. Pope John Paul II?!  He challenged the status quo in a way we all desire too  He was radical in the face of mediocrity, war, and a common settling way of life.  He loved his mama in a profound way.  When he was shot, he truly lived out the Gospel forgiving the gun man.  He wasn't average, he was extraordinary.  He inspired saints. He brought men and women to their knees before the blessed sacrament.  He truly loved.  On his first feast day as saint, we must celebrate!  We must contemplate, how can my life more closely reflect all that this man was.  I can't say the words better than he already has...

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.

It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”

Lord, satisfy me.  Give me the grace to never compromise or settle.  Show me how to be genuine. Stir in my life the desire and strength to do something great, to be radically different.  To live in the world but not of it.  Teach me to be humble and patient.  Saint Pope John Paul II, pray for me and guide me in the path of sainthood.   

NAS: Sex

Our culture is obsessed with sex. With anyone! At anytime! If you want to, just do it! But, the Church teaches that sex was created for the context of marriage. Why do you choose to abstain? Why aren't you going around having sex with just anyone? How would you encourage others to do the same? How do you remain strong when everything in our culture is encouraging you to abandon your convictions?

Of course I had to write about this topic.  Who doesn't want to attempt at gracefully writing about such a hot topic.  And the only reason I have a job is because people continue to have sex, just sayin'.

If you look around our culture truly is obsessed with sex.  And for pretty much the first time in my life I am being thrown into a group of people (i.e. most of my coworkers) who don't strive to save it for marriage.  You ask, do I really know?  Unfortunately, people are very open and like to tell large groups of people about their...um..encounters.  I hate having to hear about other peoples choices but that doesn't change my strong conviction that sex was made to occur in the sacrament of marriage.  Not only is that what God and our faith tells us but for a hundred other social, science and emotional reasons it makes sense-children out of wedlock, attachment hormones, STDs, messy break-ups, do you want me to continue?  

Sex reflects the love of the trinity.  That is no small thing.  When I have sex I want it to be with my husband and I want sex to be part of a loving, committed marriage that is welcoming to children-the natural result of sex.  

I don't have alot of experience being the black sheep, but I think I can encourage others saving sex for marriage simply by living my life.  Not talking about the sex I had with my boyfriend this weekend or about my one night stand where the condom broke is radical.  In the little I have learned, I have realized that sometimes other people have the same convictions and it doesn't take long for them to pick up on that.  And than in that mutual conviction you can be an encouragement.  In our current sex obsessed world, waiting for marriage can be alienating.  By realizing someone else is fighting the good fight with you there is comradery and encouragement. 

Well there you have it.  Wow, I can't believe a just sprayed on the internet that much about sex.  Did I handle the s-e-x convo with enough grace and flare? And if you are married, keep having that sex, I like having a job. 

Head on over to Jen's blog @ Jumping in Puddles to read more about sex.    

Life as I know it.

Jen @ Jumping in Puddles casually suggested I write this post after I lamented a little via texting and then I laughed when she wrote a very similar post.

Life is harder than I expected.  Sometimes it is stressful for me to be living in an urban environment.  I miss my family and all the little munchkins I surround myself with in Cleveland.  I am not anywhere close to being competent in my job and that can be super overwhelming.  I sometimes get really bored because I don't have a great friend group here yet.  Going from the comfort of Franciscan to the real world can be overwhelming and it reminds me just how worldly most of the world is. Parking.

However there are good things.  There is a great little core of a young adult group that I am already getting more comfortable with.  The University of Pittsburgh has this great little Church that has a great 5:15 daily Mass.  I can walk lots of places.  My job is an amazing opportunity for my career.  There is two girls in particular in my fellowship program that I share similar beliefs and lifestyles with.

Today at Mass the priest spoke about trusting our life to the divine.  I felt like the priest was looking right at me.  I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and need each and every day to lay my life in the hands of the Lord.  He has me here for a reason and all I need to say is, "here I am the Handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your will."

Big Kid Adventures-Extreme edition!

Well let's see.  I moved on Sunday.  My PA RN license, miracles of miracles came through Monday morning.  Bought matress delivery on Saturday.  UPMC orientation Monday afternoon.  Magee orientation Tuesday.  Bought ikea beautiful dresser.  Got lucky finding a as-is couch that hadn't even been priced yet   even though I didn't intend to buy a couch that day. Both to be delivered on Saturday.  Wednesday OB fellowship stuff continues.  Wow my life is moving at lightening speed.  The big furniture purchases just make it seem all the more huge.  I know life will slow down soon but right now it is like "is this really my life?!". Do I really live in the city working my dream first job?  Did I really just buy a new couch?  Yeah, yeah I did.

NAS: Our Lady

October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, so we wanted to honor Mary and reflect on her help during this time of singleness. How have you called on her intercession before? What is your relationship with our Blessed Mother like? If you don't know much about Mary or the Rosary, is there something keeping you from getting to know her?

Hi, welcome to my blog, have you noticed I kind-of love Our Lady.  I have written a few other posts about her here but also obviously my blog is named after the words of Our Lady of the Annunciation.

It is hard for me to even describe my relationship with Our Lady because it is like describing swallowing or breathing. Spring of 2010 I consecrated myself to Our Lady and it was in fact a life changer.   Mary is my ultimate female role model and who I aspire to be more like.  She is who helps me to know and love her Son.  She shows me perfect femininity.  Her virtues give me a guide. Her gentleness and heroism inspires me. Each day I ask for my heart to become more like her most Immaculate Heart and I am never disappointed.  I am confident one day her interceding will continue when I become a wife and mother guiding me in being selfless, loving, and patient.

I wish I could say that I prayed the rosary every day but I just don't.  I want to but I don't.  I don't have any good excuse because I know that the rosary is the most powerful weapon we have.  I need to not just be disappointed in myself for my lack of rosary praying but make a change and start by getting in the habit of praying a decade everyday.

If you don't know Our Lady, get to know her.  Of course I would suggest starting with chapter one of Luke.  Read the Annunciation and also the Visitation.  Let her show you her son when it was only her, with Jesus in her womb, that knew him.  Soak up as much material about her as possible.  In college, I took a whole semester on Mariology and learned that my love was only scratching the surface of how much I should know and lover her.  Consecrate yourself to Our Lady.  As St. Louis de Mondefort said "The Blessed Mother...is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus."

Please if you have any questions about consecration don't be afraid to ask me and I can guide you to the answers.

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Also FYI update for any of my regular readers, my PA RN license came through in the final half hour Monday morning so I am heading into my second day of orientation today.  Ekkk.  There is still some kinks to be worked out because I was officially hired into the system so last minute but I am an OB nurse!  So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers because it is only because of the power of prayer that this is all happening.

#nannylife Day in the Life

So I am moving really soon and starting my new job as an RN but I have been meaning to do a nanny day day in the life so I say better late than never.  I really enjoy reading days in the life because I like everyday life blog posts so I present to you what I like.  

6:33 Wake Up.  I ran yesterday afternoon and thus showered so didn't need to shower this morning, earning me another press of the snooze button. I think people's snooze habits says a lot about them.   I always snooze once and sometimes one more.

I leave promptly at 7:20 but enjoy having time to drink coffee, pray morning prayer and not rush.  I used butts of breads I have been putting in the freezer and made crockpot French toast overnight, so breakfast is served. 

 Our cleaning ladies were coming on this particular day so my dad and I finished tidying up.  Honestly, sometimes the forced tidying has more of an impact than the ladies' sweeping, dusting and scrubbing have.  Therefore, double win for half the work.  

7:20 I leave for work.  I have to leave by 7:20 otherwise traffic picks up just enough that it takes longer than the 35 minutes.

7:55 I arrive at work.  Obviously I am kindof important in the get to work and school sequence.  It is raining so the mom takes the girl to the bus stop rather than us walking.  

I feed the baby.  He puts up a fight.  He is starting to refuse the baby food.  Personally I am a fan of baby led weaning so I can't say I blame him.  

9:00 We go for an hour walk a majority of mornings but this morning it is raining so the walk will have to wait.  He normally brings me our shoes as soon as I take him out of his chair, that his how much of a routine this is.  He must know it is raining because he is perfectly content playing.  He LOVES reading books so I read many a books multiple times.  

10:45 Down for a nap.  Normally I turn on ABC family, pause it and read for about a half hour and then watch Gilmore Girls.  Today I had the unfortunate pleasure of call the PA State Board of Nursing and told may get my license in time but is guaranteed by three days past my start day.  Call the hospital and find out that won't do even though the first two days are orientation. Begin to storm heaven and realize this is that intention St.  Therese has been having me pray for but can't put to words.  Trust that I will get it in time but still have that worry.  After that hoopla, no reading just Gilmore Girls. 

1:15 Babe wakes up but screaming so we cuddle and watch some Royal Pains. I have learned if he wakes up happy he is ready to go, if he wakes up screaming he needs some cuddles.  

1:45 Lunch for the babe.  I feed him the food straight from the squeezy containers and it seems to work.  Whatever makes you happy babe. 

2:00 Back to playing 

3:00 Let's go outside and play a bit

3:15 Big sis gets off the big yellow school bus at the bus stop.  Walk back to the house and the babe gets a bottle.  

The next hour is a whirl of big bro gets dropped off, big sis' friend comes to play, empty dishwasher and more playing.  

4:30 Their mom gets home and I head out.  

I stop at Gabriel Brother's to look for scrubs, no such luck.  

5:15 Arrive home.  Dad just put Greek chicken and rice in the oven.  My mom is still laid out on the couch most days so the days are filled with Grey's Anatomy marathons.  I am not complaining 

6:00 Yum, yum dinner 

I pretty much spend the rest of the night watching Grey's Anatomy with my mom and head to bed about 10:45.  I read for a bit and pray the St. Therese novena.  Like most days, I am exhausted and quickly turn off the nights and go to sleep.

Well there you go that is a pretty typical #nannylife day in the life.  I am really going to miss working for this family, I have spent countless hours with them over the past two years and the babe and I have really become buds.