NAS: Thankful

It is late November and many a turkeys are defrosting.  What more could you expect than a little thankful post. I realize I am really bad at verbalizing, and honestly realizing what I am thankful for.  That needs to change.  Let it begin with a classic thankful post Thanksgiving week hosted @

I am thankful that I am basically living my dream.  I earn a paycheck working in OB services.  Just last week I got to watch four babies take their first breath.  Some days I literally stand in the middle of the newborn nursery with 15 or so babies around me and I realize how much I have what so many people want.

I am thankful that I have second job helping take care of 3 month old twin boys.  I sit for 5 hours three days a week feeding, changing, and holding these boys.  It may mean for some late nights but I am very blessed.

I am so thankful for the authentic friendships that fill my life.  People who I can enjoy being around.  Individuals who are joining me on my journey to heaven.

I am thankful during these cold months for cozy blankets, warm pajamas and radiators.

I am thankful for days off when I can relax and rejuvinate.

Coffee.  Always thankful.

I am thankful for the scripture that begins my day.  The very Word of God that sets me on the right track and grounds me.

I am thankful for yummy food, fresh laundry, a drink after a long day(s), texts from friends, Netflix and all the little delights that make life sweeter.

I am thankful for hope and joy.  Virtues that keep me going.  Virtues that cause me to rejoice and to also seek more.

Above all I am thankful for my personal relationship with Jesus.  Call me cheesy but I am thankful for that I know a God who loves me.

Week in My Life

Well over at Team Whitaker, Kathryn is hosting a #weekinmylife link up and being the nosy-in-other-people's-daily-extraordinary-ordinary lives I was happy to join the party.  Technically you were supposed to do a post a day for the week but all these busy moms are showing me up.  In the meantime this single lady who just works a 40 work week is going to do one lump post.

Before I jump into Monday lets back up a bit.  I worked Friday night from 7p-3a, drove to Cleveland and got to my parents house about 5am and slept until 9ish, woke up and got ready for a 11 o'clock wedding.  The wedding was a beautiful extraordinary form Latin High Mass.  After Mass, I grabbed lunch with my parents, we went back and slept for two hours and then moved over to cocktails and appetizers at about 5:30.  That night I slept at my parents house but had to for leave at 8am in order to work from 11a-7p.  I got off work about 7:30 and went to adoration before Mass at 9.  I tell you all this because I went into my Monday running on a less than ideal amount of sleep.

#livingmyfiat The Bride and I.  Made all the sleepiness worth it.

So Monday.  As part of my job we have class every Monday.  On this Monday I had class from 8-4:30.  We learned about the hospital's Pitocin protocol, video conferenced in the for the systemwide Ebola meeting, and learned a bit about epidurals from the chief of anesthesia.  I can't even remember what I had for dinner on Monday but I am sure I crashed pretty hard.

When I was eating my morning breakfast and reading scripture I noticed this and laughed.  Life as a Catholic nurse. Spread the Gospel not communicable diseases.  

Tuesday I worked 7-3.  I wish I could tell you lots about my job but, well, HIPPA.  I can tell you I had some of my favorite patients and the day went well.  I paid my credit card, set up my student loan payments and sent some money to NET ministries so I remember feeling like I just spent a whole lot of money.

I also had dinner with two of my friends from work.  You want to hear this crazy.  The first two girls I met at my job were friends in high school with my roommate from last year!  It is such a small small world.  We want to periodically go out to dinner and try restaurants that none of us have been to.  It was an enjoyable evening venting and sharing our jobs.  As a bonus we found a restaurant with some great fries!

Wednesday wasn't all that different expect I know I made pasta and garlic bread for dinner and that I went to bed about 8:30.  When I was falling asleep at 8 I just gave up.

I posted this on the 'gram asking how many of these my fellow nurses eat.  I found out that I am pretty sure the nurses eat more of these than the patients do.  

Wednesday was also the three year anniversary of me intenting to my household.  This is the actual day three years ago.  What a crazy adventure and blessing it has been.  I love people's reactions.  

Thursday was my first of two days off.  Ahh deep breath.  Because I went to bed so early I woke up about 6:30.  Still sleeping in compared to my usual 5am wake-up.  I started the morning with some french press coffee and pumpkin pancakes from Trader Joe's.  I putzed around on the computer before I finally convinced myself to work out.

Putzing and crocheting

My working out wasn't my normal run, but Soul Core Yoga.  I will do a full review once I do it a few more times but already I can tell you it will be a rave.  Want to combine prayer and exercise in a very really, concrete way?  Soul Core Yoga is the answer.  As you are doing various yoga poses the leader also guides you through praying the rosary. In addition, the work out is perfect-challenging without being impossible.  Right now I only have only bought the Luminous mysteries but I will be buying other mysteries!

Shower followed before I walked to Mass.  Once again I was probably the youngest person there by at least half a century.  Came back home and made myself a lunch of an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich.  Next I went to Target to look for a garmet rack that they said they only sold in online but with nothing else to do why not make a trip to Target.  They in fact only sell it online but I did come out of the store with two tunics that I think will get tons of use this winter, a Minnie Mouse costume for my Goddaughter, and some Christmas gifts.  I get to check out and realized I left my wallet on the couch.  The very kind cashier suspends my order, I run home and grab my wallet (of course there is construction) and come back.  The only reason I only actually went through all that trouble was because I still had two more stops (and lets be honest I really liked my purchases).  Next up was Trader Joe's to grab some yummies and pick up some produce for my bro.  Finally I had to go pick up stuff for the Color Run.  Unfortunately I signed up for it before I knew my work schedule and I am working the day of the run but I wanted to pick it up because I still might sell it or at least I get a free t-shirt out of it.   The idiot I am didn't know the pick-up location was on the other side of the tunnel so I sat in the beginning of rush hour traffic.  At least it gave me an opportunity for patience.

I got home, made hamburgers, laid around and watched Gilmore Girls before I went to bed.  I would call that a successful day off. 

Now you want a donut.....sorry. 

Friday morning after getting confused about what time it was I headed to Steubenville, an hour later than I had planned due to said confusion but hey we roll with the punches.  I had already enjoyed a delicious donut at the donut shop I had finally tried out down the street.  After noon Mass at Franciscan I had lunch with a friend and spent the afternoon at the house of the family who I babysat since I was a freshman in college.  I had missed them so and it is always crazy to see how much all the kids have grown.

After dinner, I headed back onto campus for a talk by one of my graduated household sisters about porn and the overwhelming love and mercy of Christ.  She works for the Culture Project (that picture of the two red heads, household sister and household brother, I am a lucky woman) and spends her days traveling to middle schools, high schools and colleges spreading the chastity message.  Before heading back to Pittsburgh, I caught up with another household sister who was in town for a few days.  We lamented and celebrated all the struggles and joys of life on the otherside-after graduating from Franciscan.   How good it is for the soul to spend a day bathed in the richness of genuineness.

Kuddos to all of you who made it to the end of this long winded post.  My weeks can be all over the place but I am blessed to be living the life I have been given, to be living my fiat.

NAS: Still have those deal breakers?

We have chatted about our deal breakers/non-negotiables before, but how do you keep from letting your standards fall? What prevents you from just dating any guy out there? What keeps you going?

It is interesting to look at my old post about deal breakers because I wouldn't write it just like that now howeve my desire for heaven has never changed  

So I chatted about my very recent trip to New York City and from that stems my answer to today's prompt.  It is so easy to consider letting your standards fall and dating mediocre guys.  Even guys who are "good Catholic guys" but you just aren't attracted to.  Because sometimes our deep good desire to be desired just wants to be satisfied.  This weekend however I was able to spend time with three of my household brothers.  These are good men striving to grow in their manhood and intimacy with the Lord.  These are guys who already love their wives immensely.  And when I spend time with genuinely good men, I remember just how high my bar is.  I keep seeking and waiting for the man that the Lord desires me to call my husband because I want a man who loves Our Lady, one who longs for the Eucharist, a guy who already hopes for his wife, one who desires to lay down his life for his bride.  That is the man I will marry.  Knowing that those men do in fact exist keep me going.  Knowing that it is that sort of man that will walk hand in hand with me towards heaven keeps my standards high.  

Ladies, keep fighting the good fight of faith.  Stay patient for the man who will love in such a way that reflects the love of Christ for the Church.  Keep seeking for the man who will walk hand in hand with you on your journey toward heaven,  

NAS: Makeup Routine

What are your thoughts on wearing make-up? Do you see a tension between a pressure from society and a God-given desire to be and make life beautiful? Is your use of makeup compatible with the idea that God sees you as naturally beautiful?

This past Sunday I was sitting in the car after Mass and I thought to myself "yeah I should have at least put some mascara on today."  

So my make-up "story".  I wear foundation, bronzer, concealer when needed, mascara and subtle eyeshadow most days that aren't summer.  (Because summer is sweaty and makeup is a waste in my book).  I love lipstick and when I start working I plan on wearing it everyday, secretly hoping it will become "my thing".  If I forget to put any makeup on I am fine.  I absolutely do not need it. However, I do enjoy putting it on and wearing it, feeling like it accentuates my femininity.  Because of all of these, I obviously have no problem wearing it and don't feel takes away from knowing that my beauty is deeper and God-given.  

But, I do think ladies have to be careful to not become obsessed with makeup, use it as a mask, or have an anxiety attack when they don't wear it.  I think that stems from poor self-esteem and/or making make up into a God, pick your poison.  And it really is a posion.  Letting make-up have a control in your life is a worse poison than cheap crappy make-up.  Satan wants you to think you need make-up.  The only antidote to this poison is through prayer coming to realize that God sees you as naturally beautiful.  

Now if you want to see exactly what make-up I wear, because I know you all do, you can check out my post from my make-up link up.  And that Arbonne bronzer and mascara are still the bomb diggity. I still wear those eyeshadows from that post however more often I reach for my Naked3 palate-so much pretty!  

I did it again.

She said come surprise me.  I said I happen to have three days off in a row.  Before you knew it I was going to New York City for a weekend.

I was on the phone with one of my dearest friends and she reminded me that this past weekend was Franciscan's fall break so two friends were coming to NYC to visit.  I happened to have three days off in a row and she said I should see if I could come but to surprise her if I could.  Well as it turns out it worked out perfectly to take the overnight Megabus Thursday night and drive back with these friends on Sunday.

I called her when I got on the Megabus and asked if she could pick me up the next morning.  She was freaking out and so excited.  Of course the other people knew I was coming to make sure that someone could pick me up if for some reason she couldn't .

This weekend was exactly what I needed.  Most of the weekend we just hung out.  Went to Mass everyday, made dinner one night, had pizza the next, and walked around Central Park in the rain.  Otherwise we contemplated life and watched lots and lots of cat videos. And of course we had New York bagels every morning.

The classic Everything and cream cheese.  

Going crazy with bacon, egg and cheese on whole wheat everything.  

I needed that hanging out.  I needed to be with other Franciscan students and alumni.  I needed that guy friend time (I work with ALL women).

Genuine joy all around. 

The Lord always knows exactly when we need refreshment and encouragement.  When we need a pat on the back that says keep fighting the good fight.  I feel energized and renewed to keep pursuing the Lord passionately.  He is so good to me and never out done in generosity.

This wasn't the first time and I am confident it won't be the last time you hear about my NYC adventures.  Because as long as one of my best friends lives in that city I will continue to be intrigued by the crazy social experiment that is New York.