There is a reading in the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, which I have written about before, that has been on my mind a lot lately.
The reading speaks about how a faithful man walks into a church and falls prostrate on the floor, calling out in desperation, "Oh, if I only knew how to persevere!!"
And the voice of God answers: "And if you did know how to persevere, what then? Do now what you would do if you knew."
It's been on my mind because I've been thinking about infertility, where it has lead me, and the place it holds in my life currently. I have reached a point that most women can only dream about - the point of not feeling all-consumed by my childlessness, and having an overall peace about it. Though, to be clear, I am not a Saint. There are still days, and moments, when I succumb to all of those wonderfully anger-ridden emotions, particularly on certain days of the month. But for the most part, I have a clarity I used to yearn for, almost as much as I yearned for children.
I used to say that one of the toughest things about infertility was the not knowing. "If I only knew that in 'X' amount of years, we will conceive, or that by the time I'm 'X' years old, we will have adopted, or that I will never have children in this lifetime... it would be easier to deal with." And rightfully so. Not knowing is harsh. It is cruel. It is stripping away our ability to plan the lives we've dreamed of, an ability that most people do have, and an ability many people abuse.
And this is what I've been thinking of lately. How I used to feel that way, but how I don't anymore. I don't yearn to know what the future holds. And it's not because I fear it. No. It's because I trust it.
I began to examine how this change in my perspective came to be, because it seems so polar opposite from where I was. The girl who quite literally flew all over the country in a matter of days getting IVs, infusions, high-tech Doppler uterine profiles, daily injections, uterine washes, etc. etc. etc. How did that girl become this girl?
And the thought I kept coming back to was this...
"If I had only known where my life would lead me, I would have done 'x, y, z'..."
This is the thought of my future self. It is a thought I hope to never have, you see.
Because just like that reading from the Consecration, I think of the oh so simple answer... so simple, it slaps us right in the face with clarity and logic:
"Do now what you would do if you knew..."
And this thought has brought me so much peace, as I continue to navigate these treacherous waters of infertility, childlessness, inadoption, sickness, pain, sorrow, financial stress, and so much more.
It doesn't make 'those moments' less painful. It doesn't make the road any shorter. But it has surrounded me in God's peace, knowing that I am doing now what I would do...
if I had only known.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #7
The Screllos
I'm a 27 year old dietitian living in Nebraska with my husband Ryan and our daughter Elise (3 months). I started blogging in 2010, and was introduced to the IF community by Beth (at "Beautiful Day" blog). It was great timing because I had my second surgery for PCOS/endometriosis that December - the blogging community was a great support system for me at that time. I don't blog about anything specific, but some common topics are fertility/infertility, contraception, abortion, prayer requests, and now motherhood.
My blog address is thescrellos.blogspot.com - it is private now, due to internet privacy concerns (particularly because of my daughter)).
Lavished with Lemons
I am in my late 20s. My husband and I have been TTC since our wedding in September 2010. I found out I was pregnant in April 2011, but sadly it was an ectopic pregnancy. My blog is about my struggle with the loss of my first child, as well as the struggle to achieve motherhood. At the current time, I know I have progesterone issues and my Napro doctor suspects endometriosis. I have been charting my cycles since 2008 and began to suspect fertility issues around that time.
I blog at
lavishedwithlemons.blogspot.com
Email: lavishedwithlemons@gmail.com
The Road Home
I am a 32 year old cradle Catholic re-vert. The Man and I have been married for 7 1/2 years and share our home in West Virginia with our 3 fur-babies - Kali, Mei Mei, and Max.
I blog about our journey, which includes, but is not limited to: Infertility; being Catholic; NFP; West Virginia; and Football.
www.theroadhomewv.blogspot.com
Hope and Faith
My name is Suzy, I'm a wife and step-mother, we struggled with infertility for almost 7 years and are now awaiting the arrival of our first baby girl! :) My blog was about our struggle to get pregnant and now it's all about baby and whatever else I find interesting on any given day.
Suzy blogs over at
http://lovemyscrappy.blogspot.com/
or you can email her at se.armenta@yahoo.com
Somehow-Someway-Someday
I am working full-time, but want to be home full-time. I have always wanted to be a mom, but just now getting the chance through foster care. I blog about Faith, Hope, Love and Life as I know it.
You can read about our adventures at http://somehow-someway-someday.blogspot.com/
My Journey to Get Fit and Battle PCOS
I am a farmer’s wife and a farmer’s daughter and agriculture and cattle have and will always be a part of my life. I am married to the love of my life, my best friend and high school sweetheart. We have 2 dogs and cat which we treat as members of our family. We are just trying to figure out this infertility struggle and my own weight issues and hoping in the end we get to bring a little farmer home.
Stop by and say hi at
www.myjourneytogetfitandbattlepcos.blogspot.com
I'm a 27 year old dietitian living in Nebraska with my husband Ryan and our daughter Elise (3 months). I started blogging in 2010, and was introduced to the IF community by Beth (at "Beautiful Day" blog). It was great timing because I had my second surgery for PCOS/endometriosis that December - the blogging community was a great support system for me at that time. I don't blog about anything specific, but some common topics are fertility/infertility, contraception, abortion, prayer requests, and now motherhood.
My blog address is thescrellos.blogspot.com - it is private now, due to internet privacy concerns (particularly because of my daughter)).
Lavished with Lemons
I am in my late 20s. My husband and I have been TTC since our wedding in September 2010. I found out I was pregnant in April 2011, but sadly it was an ectopic pregnancy. My blog is about my struggle with the loss of my first child, as well as the struggle to achieve motherhood. At the current time, I know I have progesterone issues and my Napro doctor suspects endometriosis. I have been charting my cycles since 2008 and began to suspect fertility issues around that time.
I blog at
lavishedwithlemons.blogspot.com
Email: lavishedwithlemons@gmail.com
The Road Home
I am a 32 year old cradle Catholic re-vert. The Man and I have been married for 7 1/2 years and share our home in West Virginia with our 3 fur-babies - Kali, Mei Mei, and Max.
I blog about our journey, which includes, but is not limited to: Infertility; being Catholic; NFP; West Virginia; and Football.
www.theroadhomewv.blogspot.com
Hope and Faith
My name is Suzy, I'm a wife and step-mother, we struggled with infertility for almost 7 years and are now awaiting the arrival of our first baby girl! :) My blog was about our struggle to get pregnant and now it's all about baby and whatever else I find interesting on any given day.
Suzy blogs over at
http://lovemyscrappy.blogspot.com/
or you can email her at se.armenta@yahoo.com
Somehow-Someway-Someday
I am working full-time, but want to be home full-time. I have always wanted to be a mom, but just now getting the chance through foster care. I blog about Faith, Hope, Love and Life as I know it.
You can read about our adventures at http://somehow-someway-someday.blogspot.com/
My Journey to Get Fit and Battle PCOS
I am a farmer’s wife and a farmer’s daughter and agriculture and cattle have and will always be a part of my life. I am married to the love of my life, my best friend and high school sweetheart. We have 2 dogs and cat which we treat as members of our family. We are just trying to figure out this infertility struggle and my own weight issues and hoping in the end we get to bring a little farmer home.
Stop by and say hi at
www.myjourneytogetfitandbattlepcos.blogspot.com
Monday, March 26, 2012
What I've Been Up To...
among other things.
Since February 1, 2011, I have been on a strict gluten-free/dairy-free, low glycemic index diet. I was AMAZED to see in July 2011, my labs revealed that my FSH:LH ratio FLIPPED TO NORMAL. What that essentially means is, the diet reversed my PCOS (the hormonal component). This was nothing short of a miracle.
But after July, I became more lax with the low G.I. part of my diet. I LOVED me some Udi's muffins and cookies. I enjoyed GF/DF pasta meals. And once I started eating them, I couldn't stop. I knew something had to give.
My nutritionist had given me a bunch of recipes and meal plans last year for what she called The Caveman Diet. I didn't realize this was essentially the Paleolithic Diet (Paleo for short). And for the past few weeks, I have been getting signs that I needed to look into going full-blown Paleo.
Most obviously, my NaPro Dr (with whom I work) recently shared with me a daily log that one of her patients had kept. She is a middle-aged single woman, whose blood sugar last month was through the roof in the 400s. She took the Dr's advice and ran with it: cut out wheat and sugar, and cut WAY back on carbs. She kept a daily log of how many calories, how many carbs, and her at-home blood sugar reading.
The results were unreal. When her carbs decreased, her blood sugar steadily and QUICKLY decreased! One day she had about 4-8 extra carbs than normal- her blood sugar climbed by 30 that very day!! At the end of the month, her blood sugar was in the 120s.
I believe it was the next day I started Paleo :)
Yes. I am on the bandwagon. But you all know me by now... when I do something, I do it right, and I do it ALL THE WAY.
And so, I decided to drop my delivery organic meat/fish company like a bad habit (long story short: they suck), and find a local farm for my meat. This Saturday, we took a trip down to pick up our first order and meet the woman and her animals - it was awesome! Not to mention, there was a giant statue of Our Lady in the driveway ;)
Here's a little sampling of what I've been up to.
Apple-Cinnamon Omelet (made with pastured eggs... they cooked fluffier than anything I've ever seen) and Farm Bacon on the side
Our Paleo St Patty's Day: Beanless Texas-style Chili with Braised Cabbage and Bacon (braised with duck fat... OH. MY. GOD.)
I'm realizing now that this picture probably doesn't look very appetizing... It's Paleo Chocolate Pudding (made with Avocados). It is SINFULLY rich and creamy. I know I've seen people write about it and post about it for months, now, but honestly, Avocado Chocolate pudding kinda made me wanna barf at the sound of it. That's why I'm calling it Paleo Chocolate Pudding ;)
Bacon-Wrapped Sausage (all from the Farm) brushed with Dijon mustard, with homemade Garlic Mayo for dipping (seriously, THE BEST MEAL YET!!!) and Homemade Coleslaw
And tonight... (still cooking in the crockpot)...
Paleo London Broil: Butterflied (I butterflied my first cut of beef!!!) London Broil, stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, red onion, and garlic - Surrounded by Acorn Squash chunks.
And yes it appears from these pictures that I eat bacon all day long. I do not. But any meal with farm-fresh organic bacon is picture-worthy in this house.
Other meals not featured in today's pictures have been:
Shrimp, Mango, Avocado Salad
Olive Garlic Lemon Chicken
Banana Almond Pancakes
Borscht (no sour cream needed)
Eggs with Avocado and Salsa and Slivered Almonds
These meals have consistently lead to this scene, every. single. night. :
Everything has pretty much gone over without a hitch, with the exception of my first try at homemade mayo (yesterday). It was waaaaaay too liquidy at first. Thank goodness I have a handy C.I.A. (Culinary Institute of America) chef in the house, who knew just what to do to bring it back to life! We started with another egg yolk and slowly brought it back in the blender.
Other than that, I am absolutely amazed at how well everything has been turning out!
I have always liked cooking, but I didn't think I had any time to do it. With a little bit of re-arranging of my schedule (I now have most afternoons free and only go in to my 2nd job as needed), and some meal planning in advance... I have become quite the little homemaker!
I'm sharing this with you because you can do it, too!! (SAHMs don't have the monopoly on meal planning and good cooking!!) The crockpot is our friends, working ladies! As are days off (weekends, afternoons, etc.)
Also, in TCIE becoming Martha-Friggin'-Stewart news, I threw a bridal shower for a co-worker earlier this month and these are the favors I put together:
Picture them all over the table, with yellow daisies inside :)
There were also 3 shorter fluted vases with candles inside. All of them had yellow ribbon with a St Gianna medal tied around the neck. (Those marble-looking things inside are from the Dollar Store!! I was going to get real marbles, but these are even better, they're gel and you can add water for floral arrangements!)
I don't even know who I am?!?!?!?! ME?? Crafty???!!!
There's a lot of other things going on around here, but these are just some highlights of the "good" things. We could still use prayers, for God to lead us where we need to be.
I have an actual Infertility post in my head, ready to write, too... will do that soon, I promise. Sorry for the Off Topic post today.
Since February 1, 2011, I have been on a strict gluten-free/dairy-free, low glycemic index diet. I was AMAZED to see in July 2011, my labs revealed that my FSH:LH ratio FLIPPED TO NORMAL. What that essentially means is, the diet reversed my PCOS (the hormonal component). This was nothing short of a miracle.
But after July, I became more lax with the low G.I. part of my diet. I LOVED me some Udi's muffins and cookies. I enjoyed GF/DF pasta meals. And once I started eating them, I couldn't stop. I knew something had to give.
My nutritionist had given me a bunch of recipes and meal plans last year for what she called The Caveman Diet. I didn't realize this was essentially the Paleolithic Diet (Paleo for short). And for the past few weeks, I have been getting signs that I needed to look into going full-blown Paleo.
Most obviously, my NaPro Dr (with whom I work) recently shared with me a daily log that one of her patients had kept. She is a middle-aged single woman, whose blood sugar last month was through the roof in the 400s. She took the Dr's advice and ran with it: cut out wheat and sugar, and cut WAY back on carbs. She kept a daily log of how many calories, how many carbs, and her at-home blood sugar reading.
The results were unreal. When her carbs decreased, her blood sugar steadily and QUICKLY decreased! One day she had about 4-8 extra carbs than normal- her blood sugar climbed by 30 that very day!! At the end of the month, her blood sugar was in the 120s.
I believe it was the next day I started Paleo :)
Yes. I am on the bandwagon. But you all know me by now... when I do something, I do it right, and I do it ALL THE WAY.
And so, I decided to drop my delivery organic meat/fish company like a bad habit (long story short: they suck), and find a local farm for my meat. This Saturday, we took a trip down to pick up our first order and meet the woman and her animals - it was awesome! Not to mention, there was a giant statue of Our Lady in the driveway ;)
Here's a little sampling of what I've been up to.
Apple-Cinnamon Omelet (made with pastured eggs... they cooked fluffier than anything I've ever seen) and Farm Bacon on the side
Our Paleo St Patty's Day: Beanless Texas-style Chili with Braised Cabbage and Bacon (braised with duck fat... OH. MY. GOD.)
I'm realizing now that this picture probably doesn't look very appetizing... It's Paleo Chocolate Pudding (made with Avocados). It is SINFULLY rich and creamy. I know I've seen people write about it and post about it for months, now, but honestly, Avocado Chocolate pudding kinda made me wanna barf at the sound of it. That's why I'm calling it Paleo Chocolate Pudding ;)
Bacon-Wrapped Sausage (all from the Farm) brushed with Dijon mustard, with homemade Garlic Mayo for dipping (seriously, THE BEST MEAL YET!!!) and Homemade Coleslaw
And tonight... (still cooking in the crockpot)...
Paleo London Broil: Butterflied (I butterflied my first cut of beef!!!) London Broil, stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, red onion, and garlic - Surrounded by Acorn Squash chunks.
And yes it appears from these pictures that I eat bacon all day long. I do not. But any meal with farm-fresh organic bacon is picture-worthy in this house.
Other meals not featured in today's pictures have been:
Shrimp, Mango, Avocado Salad
Olive Garlic Lemon Chicken
Banana Almond Pancakes
Borscht (no sour cream needed)
Eggs with Avocado and Salsa and Slivered Almonds
These meals have consistently lead to this scene, every. single. night. :
Everything has pretty much gone over without a hitch, with the exception of my first try at homemade mayo (yesterday). It was waaaaaay too liquidy at first. Thank goodness I have a handy C.I.A. (Culinary Institute of America) chef in the house, who knew just what to do to bring it back to life! We started with another egg yolk and slowly brought it back in the blender.
Other than that, I am absolutely amazed at how well everything has been turning out!
I have always liked cooking, but I didn't think I had any time to do it. With a little bit of re-arranging of my schedule (I now have most afternoons free and only go in to my 2nd job as needed), and some meal planning in advance... I have become quite the little homemaker!
I'm sharing this with you because you can do it, too!! (SAHMs don't have the monopoly on meal planning and good cooking!!) The crockpot is our friends, working ladies! As are days off (weekends, afternoons, etc.)
Also, in TCIE becoming Martha-Friggin'-Stewart news, I threw a bridal shower for a co-worker earlier this month and these are the favors I put together:
Picture them all over the table, with yellow daisies inside :)
There were also 3 shorter fluted vases with candles inside. All of them had yellow ribbon with a St Gianna medal tied around the neck. (Those marble-looking things inside are from the Dollar Store!! I was going to get real marbles, but these are even better, they're gel and you can add water for floral arrangements!)
I don't even know who I am?!?!?!?! ME?? Crafty???!!!
There's a lot of other things going on around here, but these are just some highlights of the "good" things. We could still use prayers, for God to lead us where we need to be.
I have an actual Infertility post in my head, ready to write, too... will do that soon, I promise. Sorry for the Off Topic post today.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #6
Hidden Fern
Hello! My name is Jenny, married 11 years to John (we met at Univ.of Dallas), and I'm a foster mom to three under 4 living in the Pacific Northwest. My husband and I have had difficulty conceiving, and are still hoping to with help from the Creighton model. John is a third year Physical Therapy student and graduates in June, while I work full time in the insurance industry. Mostly, I blog about fostering and family, sometimes IF, although, I have neglected my blog for a while. The blogger bio idea has inspired me to get back to it.
You can visit Jenny at www.hiddenfern.com
or email her at jenny@campbellfam.com
All in His Perfect Timing
I'm almost 31 and have been trying to have a baby since August of 2006. We are working with the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha to get my body healthy and find the reason for my infertility. I have had 2 surgeries for Endometriosis and 1 surgery to remove part of my thyroid. We decided to pursue adoption last June, were picked by a birthmom a few weeks ago and now are waiting to meet our baby boy, who is due April 1. We are praying for a smooth adoption finalization.
Visit me at
www.allinhisperfecttiming.blogspot.com
Infertility Me
I am CS from IF Me and we've been TTC for ~2.5 years (sad when you switch over to counting in years isn't it?). We have done 2 IUIs so far, we are not at this time planning to ever do IVF. We were male factor last year, but that has been fixed since July 2011. I ovulate every month and my hormone levels are great - so I'm scheduled for a lap March 21st to see if there is any endo that is causing our trouble. We are open to local adoption of a 2+ year old, but haven't really started down that path yet.
I am 33, an Electrical Engineer, live in Toronto, am an alto in our church choir (United Church of Canada), and I love nutrition!
Say hello to CS over at http://infertility-me.blogspot.com
The IF Cross
My name is Teresa and I started blogging in November 2010 because I felt a need to connect with other Catholic women struggling with infertility. My blog is just about me and now my daughter Magdalene who was born 12/10/11. I'm not a very consistent blogger but I hope to be once I settle in some kind of routine with this new little one :)
Blog address: theifcross.blogspot.com
and my Email:theifcross@gmail.com
Julie and Andrew’s Adoption Story
My name is Julie. I have been married to Andrew for almost 11 years. We suffered from childlessness for the first 9 years of our marriage, due to infertility and adoption failures.
In June of 2010, we were blessed with our first child, Isabella, through the amazing gift of adoption. Our hearts yearned for a sibling for her (Andrew and I both come from families of 7 children) and thus we hit the ground running with pursuing another adoption starting in January of 2011. After 6 failed adoption placements, we welcomed our son, Isaiah, in September 2012. We truly believe that God chose these children from all eternity to be a part of our forever family. My blog shares my heart about infertility, adoption, my Catholic Faith, and my family!
You can read my story at andrewandjuliesadoptionstory.blogspot.com
and email me atandrewandjuliesadoptionstory@gmail.com
Lucky As Sunshine
HI Lucky as Sunshine here, aka Kristen. I found all the wonderful infertility blogs, after suffering 5 years, thinking I was alone. I blog about daily life, as a wife, sister, daughter, grand-daughter, god-mother, yearing to be a mother. I may type about my daily life which includes my daily job in the auto parts industry, my hubs business, my catechists stories, or ife as a super aunt. I love farmers markets, baking, and relaxing. I can't wait to get to know more bloggers.
Blog: http://luckyassunshine.blogspot.com/
E-mail: luckysunshine25@gmail.com
Made For Another World
I am a daughter of God, follower of Jesus, fervent Catholic, wife to Guitar Man, mom to AJ, sister, daughter, friend and teacher. I am experiencing secondary infertility, will celebrate my 41st birthday on St. Joseph's Day and my lifelong fatigue has been healed with the help
of NaPro. The Catholic IF blogs have been a source of inspiration, information and comfort for the past three years. The women who paved the way in this journey and are willing to share it are heaven sent. At Made for Another World, I share my struggles, hopes, joys and
prayers as I surrender to God's will through this infertility journey.
Made For Another World at dwellinhope.blogspot.com
Hello! My name is Jenny, married 11 years to John (we met at Univ.of Dallas), and I'm a foster mom to three under 4 living in the Pacific Northwest. My husband and I have had difficulty conceiving, and are still hoping to with help from the Creighton model. John is a third year Physical Therapy student and graduates in June, while I work full time in the insurance industry. Mostly, I blog about fostering and family, sometimes IF, although, I have neglected my blog for a while. The blogger bio idea has inspired me to get back to it.
You can visit Jenny at www.hiddenfern.com
or email her at jenny@campbellfam.com
All in His Perfect Timing
I'm almost 31 and have been trying to have a baby since August of 2006. We are working with the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha to get my body healthy and find the reason for my infertility. I have had 2 surgeries for Endometriosis and 1 surgery to remove part of my thyroid. We decided to pursue adoption last June, were picked by a birthmom a few weeks ago and now are waiting to meet our baby boy, who is due April 1. We are praying for a smooth adoption finalization.
Visit me at
www.allinhisperfecttiming.blogspot.com
Infertility Me
I am CS from IF Me and we've been TTC for ~2.5 years (sad when you switch over to counting in years isn't it?). We have done 2 IUIs so far, we are not at this time planning to ever do IVF. We were male factor last year, but that has been fixed since July 2011. I ovulate every month and my hormone levels are great - so I'm scheduled for a lap March 21st to see if there is any endo that is causing our trouble. We are open to local adoption of a 2+ year old, but haven't really started down that path yet.
I am 33, an Electrical Engineer, live in Toronto, am an alto in our church choir (United Church of Canada), and I love nutrition!
Say hello to CS over at http://infertility-me.blogspot.com
The IF Cross
My name is Teresa and I started blogging in November 2010 because I felt a need to connect with other Catholic women struggling with infertility. My blog is just about me and now my daughter Magdalene who was born 12/10/11. I'm not a very consistent blogger but I hope to be once I settle in some kind of routine with this new little one :)
Blog address: theifcross.blogspot.com
and my Email:theifcross@gmail.com
Julie and Andrew’s Adoption Story
My name is Julie. I have been married to Andrew for almost 11 years. We suffered from childlessness for the first 9 years of our marriage, due to infertility and adoption failures.
In June of 2010, we were blessed with our first child, Isabella, through the amazing gift of adoption. Our hearts yearned for a sibling for her (Andrew and I both come from families of 7 children) and thus we hit the ground running with pursuing another adoption starting in January of 2011. After 6 failed adoption placements, we welcomed our son, Isaiah, in September 2012. We truly believe that God chose these children from all eternity to be a part of our forever family. My blog shares my heart about infertility, adoption, my Catholic Faith, and my family!
You can read my story at andrewandjuliesadoptionstory.blogspot.com
and email me atandrewandjuliesadoptionstory@gmail.com
Lucky As Sunshine
HI Lucky as Sunshine here, aka Kristen. I found all the wonderful infertility blogs, after suffering 5 years, thinking I was alone. I blog about daily life, as a wife, sister, daughter, grand-daughter, god-mother, yearing to be a mother. I may type about my daily life which includes my daily job in the auto parts industry, my hubs business, my catechists stories, or ife as a super aunt. I love farmers markets, baking, and relaxing. I can't wait to get to know more bloggers.
Blog: http://luckyassunshine.blogspot.com/
E-mail: luckysunshine25@gmail.com
Made For Another World
I am a daughter of God, follower of Jesus, fervent Catholic, wife to Guitar Man, mom to AJ, sister, daughter, friend and teacher. I am experiencing secondary infertility, will celebrate my 41st birthday on St. Joseph's Day and my lifelong fatigue has been healed with the help
of NaPro. The Catholic IF blogs have been a source of inspiration, information and comfort for the past three years. The women who paved the way in this journey and are willing to share it are heaven sent. At Made for Another World, I share my struggles, hopes, joys and
prayers as I surrender to God's will through this infertility journey.
Made For Another World at dwellinhope.blogspot.com
Monday, March 19, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #5
Catholic Mutt
I am Catholic Mutt and I am a single Catholic in my 30's. In many ways, life is a lot of fun, and I've recently taken up new hobbies like skiing and rock climbing, so many of my married friends wish they had some of the freedoms that I have. However, my friends and I all know that they would never give up their families for my opportunities, and I would gladly give up my activities for the chance to be a wife and mother.
My blog is about all of that, my Catholic faith, and whatever other randomness appeals to me at any given time.
You can stop by catholicmutt.blogspot.com
or email me at catholicmutt@gmail.com
Infertility Options
Simone writes: About 2.5 years after I started ttc, someone mentioned NaPro and my whole world changed. I found a napro dr and properly diagnosed me with more than one issue. I have not had success but at least I have peace knowing what my issues are and that IVF would have never worked. I am thankful that my dh was able to be stronger than me and stopped us from even trying IVF.
I know that many women out there were like me, lost at sea without any direction to go in. I created my blog to help others find options and get the proper treatment. I also use this blog to help me deal with the pain of if. I have been a part of the blogging community for about two years now. I rely on the many wonderful women out there for support and information. I could not have made it this far without them.
You can visit Simone at
http://simone-perseverance.blogspot.com
or email her at leapfrog72@yahoo.com
St. Henry II
Hi, I'm Mary, a thirty-something childless Catholic woman. I blog about prayer, spirituality, books, and the occasional snappy comeback. My DH is an atheist and I sometimes blog about living in a mixed marriage as well.
Why does the blog have a male saint's name? Well, I went over to Jennifer Fulwiler's Saint's Name Generator, and asked God that if He wanted me to start blogging, he give me a saint related to childlessness. Lo and behold, I got St. Henry II, a Holy Roman Emperor and a married man who never had children. Thus, the blog was born. Thus far, it's been good to see I'm not the only Catholic women with no children, and hopefully I can show my readers (and remind myself) that you can be denied your heart's desire - a baby - and still have a good life.
Blog address: http://sthenryii.wordpress.com
E-mail: henryandcunegonda@gmail.com
Megnanimity
My name is Meg. I am a former political junkie with a law degree and a propensity to talk about things that are socially taboo- religion, politics, moral theology. I am a wife to an Army Officer and mom to five great kids in the process of moving to the Washington, DC area. I usually blog about stupid and funny things (but I don't do photos because I am terrified of people using them nefariously), and in a perfect world I would be hitting heavier topics and actually practicing my writing skills which seem to have atrophied in the last ten years.
Stop by and say hi to Meg at www.megnanimity.blogspot.com
or shoot her an email at megnanimity@gmail.com
Joy Beyond the Cross
My name is Marie and I blog at Joy Beyond the Cross. I am Catholic and after almost 3 years of struggling with infertility and experiencing 2 miscarriages, we have been blessed with our daughter Elizabeth who was born on 12/26/11. I am married to Mr. B and I blog about a lot of different things, including motherhood, the Saints, prayer, interesting books, infertility and its lasting impact, getting more organized, etc. I enjoy reading, blogging, doing crafts, learning about the faith, playing in the snow (yes, I enjoy winter!), cooking and baking. I work 4 days a week as a finance analyst and my background is in accounting. I am a cancer survivor. I love interacting with other bloggers and readers and am excited to learn about other blogs with similar interests!
My e-mail address is gaudium08@gmail.com.
Second Chances
I'm a 34 year old Roman Catholic wife and mother. My husband and I have been married for 12 years. After our son Mikey was born in 2001, we experienced 7 years of secondary infertility. We sought treatment from the PPVI Institute, and have since been blessed with two more boys! Dominic Paul was born in September 2010 and Joseph Anthony was born in January 2012. Although I'm a little sleep deprived these days, my blog is generally about secondary infertility, the Catholic faith, and motherhood.
I blog at secondchancesblog.blogspot.com
and can be reached at reneespez@hotmail.com
***If you are interested in having your blog featured in Blogger Biographies, please send an email to thehendersonstory@gmail.com!
I am Catholic Mutt and I am a single Catholic in my 30's. In many ways, life is a lot of fun, and I've recently taken up new hobbies like skiing and rock climbing, so many of my married friends wish they had some of the freedoms that I have. However, my friends and I all know that they would never give up their families for my opportunities, and I would gladly give up my activities for the chance to be a wife and mother.
My blog is about all of that, my Catholic faith, and whatever other randomness appeals to me at any given time.
You can stop by catholicmutt.blogspot.com
or email me at catholicmutt@gmail.com
Infertility Options
Simone writes: About 2.5 years after I started ttc, someone mentioned NaPro and my whole world changed. I found a napro dr and properly diagnosed me with more than one issue. I have not had success but at least I have peace knowing what my issues are and that IVF would have never worked. I am thankful that my dh was able to be stronger than me and stopped us from even trying IVF.
I know that many women out there were like me, lost at sea without any direction to go in. I created my blog to help others find options and get the proper treatment. I also use this blog to help me deal with the pain of if. I have been a part of the blogging community for about two years now. I rely on the many wonderful women out there for support and information. I could not have made it this far without them.
You can visit Simone at
http://simone-perseverance.blogspot.com
or email her at leapfrog72@yahoo.com
St. Henry II
Hi, I'm Mary, a thirty-something childless Catholic woman. I blog about prayer, spirituality, books, and the occasional snappy comeback. My DH is an atheist and I sometimes blog about living in a mixed marriage as well.
Why does the blog have a male saint's name? Well, I went over to Jennifer Fulwiler's Saint's Name Generator, and asked God that if He wanted me to start blogging, he give me a saint related to childlessness. Lo and behold, I got St. Henry II, a Holy Roman Emperor and a married man who never had children. Thus, the blog was born. Thus far, it's been good to see I'm not the only Catholic women with no children, and hopefully I can show my readers (and remind myself) that you can be denied your heart's desire - a baby - and still have a good life.
Blog address: http://sthenryii.wordpress.com
E-mail: henryandcunegonda@gmail.com
Megnanimity
My name is Meg. I am a former political junkie with a law degree and a propensity to talk about things that are socially taboo- religion, politics, moral theology. I am a wife to an Army Officer and mom to five great kids in the process of moving to the Washington, DC area. I usually blog about stupid and funny things (but I don't do photos because I am terrified of people using them nefariously), and in a perfect world I would be hitting heavier topics and actually practicing my writing skills which seem to have atrophied in the last ten years.
Stop by and say hi to Meg at www.megnanimity.blogspot.com
or shoot her an email at megnanimity@gmail.com
Joy Beyond the Cross
My name is Marie and I blog at Joy Beyond the Cross. I am Catholic and after almost 3 years of struggling with infertility and experiencing 2 miscarriages, we have been blessed with our daughter Elizabeth who was born on 12/26/11. I am married to Mr. B and I blog about a lot of different things, including motherhood, the Saints, prayer, interesting books, infertility and its lasting impact, getting more organized, etc. I enjoy reading, blogging, doing crafts, learning about the faith, playing in the snow (yes, I enjoy winter!), cooking and baking. I work 4 days a week as a finance analyst and my background is in accounting. I am a cancer survivor. I love interacting with other bloggers and readers and am excited to learn about other blogs with similar interests!
My e-mail address is gaudium08@gmail.com.
Second Chances
I'm a 34 year old Roman Catholic wife and mother. My husband and I have been married for 12 years. After our son Mikey was born in 2001, we experienced 7 years of secondary infertility. We sought treatment from the PPVI Institute, and have since been blessed with two more boys! Dominic Paul was born in September 2010 and Joseph Anthony was born in January 2012. Although I'm a little sleep deprived these days, my blog is generally about secondary infertility, the Catholic faith, and motherhood.
I blog at secondchancesblog.blogspot.com
and can be reached at reneespez@hotmail.com
***If you are interested in having your blog featured in Blogger Biographies, please send an email to thehendersonstory@gmail.com!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #4
Blessed and Broken
I am a 33 year old wife, mom, foster mom, adoptive mom and FertilityCare Practitioner. After 5 years of infertility, and while waiting to adopt, we conceived our first miracle. With secondary infertility we became foster parents. We adopted miracle #2 last July and are hoping to adopt miracle #3 in the spring.
www.blessed-and-broken.blogspot.com
Magnify the Lord with Me
“Magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” summarizes the purpose and mission of our marriage and this blog. Through our marriage and family, we hope to magnify the Lord and bring glory to His name. We married in June of 2006 and thereafter began our journey of infertility and adoption. After three unsuccessful adoptions, we brought home our baby girl, Abigail Chiara, in September of 2010, followed by our precious girl, Gianna Luce, in November of 2011! This blog shares my heart, my life, and what I am learning.
You can visit Lauren and her family at
www.psalm34-3.blogspot.com
and can email her at psalm34.3_magnifythelord@yahoo.com
Knowledge Hungry
My name is Jeanne G. I am 33, I've been married to Brett since May 2009, and we don't have children yet. I am a cradle Catholic and a novice Lay Dominican. I love to learn, so I blog about things I learn: books I read, Church teaching, cooking, NFP, natural homekeeping, and sometimes crafts.
My blog is Knowledge Hungry (http://knowledgehungry.wordpress.com)
My e-mail address is pineconejg@gmail.com
Women for all Seasons
My pen name is January. I'm 27 years old, and my husband and I have been trying to conceive (without success) since August 2010.
I blog mostly about my infertility, but also about Catholic things and random goings on. My blog is a little different because my friend November blogs with me, and she's a fertile mom of two beautiful little ones. My picture is of a pie because I love making and eating pie, and my dream job would be to run a pie shop!
January writes at:
http://womenforallseasons.blogspot.com
or you can email her at novieandjan@gmail.com
Surprise of Unfolding
A writes:
DH and I have been through some hard times together, including some years of the heartbreak of IF. We welcomed our son (now 7 yo) and our daughter (now 5 yo) with such joy. Our struggles now come about due to financial hardship.
I have a special place in my heart for IF'ers, and IF'ers who have taken the child-free (child-less) path, and singles who feel called to marriage but haven't found their partner.
You can visit me at http://surpriseofunfolding.wordpress.com
My Heart Exults
My blog documents our journey through five years of infertility (PCOD and endo), one devastating miscarriage a year ago, and our blessing beyond belief, our son, John Benjamin.
My blog allows me to discuss my feeling about my loss, which I struggle with daily, and the joys of our precious baby - all while trying to live my Catholic faith the best I can. I have a separate, private blog dedicated to the cuteness of little JB, which then allows me to focus MHE on my thoughts and experiences as I attempt to figure out His Will for me.
My Blog Address is
http://myheartexults.blogspot.com
and my email is myheartexults@gmail.com
***If you are interested in having your blog profiled, please send an email to thehendersonstory@gmail.com!
I am a 33 year old wife, mom, foster mom, adoptive mom and FertilityCare Practitioner. After 5 years of infertility, and while waiting to adopt, we conceived our first miracle. With secondary infertility we became foster parents. We adopted miracle #2 last July and are hoping to adopt miracle #3 in the spring.
www.blessed-and-broken.blogspot.com
Magnify the Lord with Me
“Magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” summarizes the purpose and mission of our marriage and this blog. Through our marriage and family, we hope to magnify the Lord and bring glory to His name. We married in June of 2006 and thereafter began our journey of infertility and adoption. After three unsuccessful adoptions, we brought home our baby girl, Abigail Chiara, in September of 2010, followed by our precious girl, Gianna Luce, in November of 2011! This blog shares my heart, my life, and what I am learning.
You can visit Lauren and her family at
www.psalm34-3.blogspot.com
and can email her at psalm34.3_magnifythelord@yahoo.com
Knowledge Hungry
My name is Jeanne G. I am 33, I've been married to Brett since May 2009, and we don't have children yet. I am a cradle Catholic and a novice Lay Dominican. I love to learn, so I blog about things I learn: books I read, Church teaching, cooking, NFP, natural homekeeping, and sometimes crafts.
My blog is Knowledge Hungry (http://knowledgehungry.wordpress.com)
My e-mail address is pineconejg@gmail.com
Women for all Seasons
My pen name is January. I'm 27 years old, and my husband and I have been trying to conceive (without success) since August 2010.
I blog mostly about my infertility, but also about Catholic things and random goings on. My blog is a little different because my friend November blogs with me, and she's a fertile mom of two beautiful little ones. My picture is of a pie because I love making and eating pie, and my dream job would be to run a pie shop!
January writes at:
http://womenforallseasons.blogspot.com
or you can email her at novieandjan@gmail.com
Surprise of Unfolding
A writes:
DH and I have been through some hard times together, including some years of the heartbreak of IF. We welcomed our son (now 7 yo) and our daughter (now 5 yo) with such joy. Our struggles now come about due to financial hardship.
I have a special place in my heart for IF'ers, and IF'ers who have taken the child-free (child-less) path, and singles who feel called to marriage but haven't found their partner.
You can visit me at http://surpriseofunfolding.wordpress.com
My Heart Exults
My blog documents our journey through five years of infertility (PCOD and endo), one devastating miscarriage a year ago, and our blessing beyond belief, our son, John Benjamin.
My blog allows me to discuss my feeling about my loss, which I struggle with daily, and the joys of our precious baby - all while trying to live my Catholic faith the best I can. I have a separate, private blog dedicated to the cuteness of little JB, which then allows me to focus MHE on my thoughts and experiences as I attempt to figure out His Will for me.
My Blog Address is
http://myheartexults.blogspot.com
and my email is myheartexults@gmail.com
***If you are interested in having your blog profiled, please send an email to thehendersonstory@gmail.com!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #3
The 411 on the 418’s
Hi! I'm Ania McDonnell and I'm happily married to my husband Chris of (almost) 3 years. We've been TTC for about 2 years now and I've been diagnosed with PCOS. I started blogging to keep in touch with far away family, but the majority of my posts revolve around our journey through infertility and our battle with PCOS. I've found a great support community online here and I can't wait to meet more of you!
My blog address is mcdonnell418.blogspot.com
and my email is mcdonnell418@gmail.com
Why, yes, I AM crazy. Thank you for asking!
I'm Mary Kate and I am a Catholic wife of 18 years, mother to 6 earthly souls ages 2-16 (with #7 arriving in 2 weeks!), 3 Heavenly souls. I live by the seat of my pants, hounded by vague ideas and a purse full of receipts.
I blog about being a "large" family in our crazy Western culture.
You can find my infrequent posts at
http://whyyesiamcrazythankyouforasking.blogspot.com/
and I can be contacted at celticfamily@comcast.net
Open to Life (and God’s plan for it)
I'm Lisa with Open to Life (and God's plan for it).
I was married in 2004 and TTC from the beginning. We learned early on that there was a serious mess in my reproductive tract. We started working with a FertilityCare OBGyn to find and fix the problems. We started researching adoption in early 2007 and finally decided in August that we'd pursue both avenues...fertility and adoption.
God was apparently ready for us to open that adoption door because we got a referral (from a counselor friend who knew we were considering adoption) before we even had a chance to call an agency! We met the birthmom, rushed through a homestudy and became parents in the next two months. We returned to fertility fixing when our daughter was a year old and also started a new homestudy about the same time. We've now been waiting three years for baby #2 but remain confident that God has a plan that includes another child in this family. We are trying very hard to remain patient and wait on Him.
You can visit Lisa over at
www.pursuingparenthood.blogspot.com
or can reach her at her email, cook1137@gmail.com
Home Sweet Hjelmstad
M writes: I'm an incredibly blessed mom of 3 beautiful miracles here on earth and two tiny blessings in heaven. This Lent is one of transition for me: completing my service in the Army, moving across the country, and embarking on the adventure of being a stay-at-home-mom for the first time.
I blog about our life--the joys, the struggles, and the wonder of God's plan through it all!
You can say hi to the Hjelmstad family at
www.hjelmstadhome.blogspot.com
No Longer Waiting for Baby Blondie
After 3 years of infertility and 2 surgeries with Dr. Hilgers, my daughter "K" was born in April 2011. Now I mainly blog about her updates and mom things like cloth diapering, breastfeeding and baby led solids. We plan to start trying for a second child once my cycles finally return, so in the near future I will either return to blogging about trying to conceive (possibly secondary IF) or about pregnancy.
Mrs. Blondie blogs over at http://mrsblondies.blogspot.com/
Email: mrsblondies@gmail.com
The Feminine Gift
I'm Sarah and it was only recently that I discovered that I love to write when my best friend started her own blog - and I began lying awake at night with blog posts floating around in my head. That coupled with my borderline obsession with all things feminine resulted in my blog. I thoroughly enjoy seeking out topics that intrigue women of all ages and vocations in order to encourage women to re-discover who they are at their very core. I spend my days working for Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, a small Catholic college in Northern Ontario, and my nights writing and listening to the loon calls over the water (in the summer) with my husband.
I write over at
www.thefemininegift.blogspot.com
and my contact address is thefemininegift@gmail.com
***If you are interested in having your blog profiled, please send an email to thehendersonstory@gmail.com!
Hi! I'm Ania McDonnell and I'm happily married to my husband Chris of (almost) 3 years. We've been TTC for about 2 years now and I've been diagnosed with PCOS. I started blogging to keep in touch with far away family, but the majority of my posts revolve around our journey through infertility and our battle with PCOS. I've found a great support community online here and I can't wait to meet more of you!
My blog address is mcdonnell418.blogspot.com
and my email is mcdonnell418@gmail.com
Why, yes, I AM crazy. Thank you for asking!
I'm Mary Kate and I am a Catholic wife of 18 years, mother to 6 earthly souls ages 2-16 (with #7 arriving in 2 weeks!), 3 Heavenly souls. I live by the seat of my pants, hounded by vague ideas and a purse full of receipts.
I blog about being a "large" family in our crazy Western culture.
You can find my infrequent posts at
http://whyyesiamcrazythankyouforasking.blogspot.com/
and I can be contacted at celticfamily@comcast.net
Open to Life (and God’s plan for it)
I'm Lisa with Open to Life (and God's plan for it).
I was married in 2004 and TTC from the beginning. We learned early on that there was a serious mess in my reproductive tract. We started working with a FertilityCare OBGyn to find and fix the problems. We started researching adoption in early 2007 and finally decided in August that we'd pursue both avenues...fertility and adoption.
God was apparently ready for us to open that adoption door because we got a referral (from a counselor friend who knew we were considering adoption) before we even had a chance to call an agency! We met the birthmom, rushed through a homestudy and became parents in the next two months. We returned to fertility fixing when our daughter was a year old and also started a new homestudy about the same time. We've now been waiting three years for baby #2 but remain confident that God has a plan that includes another child in this family. We are trying very hard to remain patient and wait on Him.
You can visit Lisa over at
www.pursuingparenthood.blogspot.com
or can reach her at her email, cook1137@gmail.com
Home Sweet Hjelmstad
M writes: I'm an incredibly blessed mom of 3 beautiful miracles here on earth and two tiny blessings in heaven. This Lent is one of transition for me: completing my service in the Army, moving across the country, and embarking on the adventure of being a stay-at-home-mom for the first time.
I blog about our life--the joys, the struggles, and the wonder of God's plan through it all!
You can say hi to the Hjelmstad family at
www.hjelmstadhome.blogspot.com
No Longer Waiting for Baby Blondie
After 3 years of infertility and 2 surgeries with Dr. Hilgers, my daughter "K" was born in April 2011. Now I mainly blog about her updates and mom things like cloth diapering, breastfeeding and baby led solids. We plan to start trying for a second child once my cycles finally return, so in the near future I will either return to blogging about trying to conceive (possibly secondary IF) or about pregnancy.
Mrs. Blondie blogs over at http://mrsblondies.blogspot.com/
Email: mrsblondies@gmail.com
The Feminine Gift
I'm Sarah and it was only recently that I discovered that I love to write when my best friend started her own blog - and I began lying awake at night with blog posts floating around in my head. That coupled with my borderline obsession with all things feminine resulted in my blog. I thoroughly enjoy seeking out topics that intrigue women of all ages and vocations in order to encourage women to re-discover who they are at their very core. I spend my days working for Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, a small Catholic college in Northern Ontario, and my nights writing and listening to the loon calls over the water (in the summer) with my husband.
I write over at
www.thefemininegift.blogspot.com
and my contact address is thefemininegift@gmail.com
***If you are interested in having your blog profiled, please send an email to thehendersonstory@gmail.com!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Our Marriage
Our marriage is under attack. I see it so clearly now. I was naive to think that our "period of purgation" would be over at Christmas... this is going to be a loooooong process.
I unfortunately cannot delve into too much detail here. It's not fair to my husband or to us. At the core, our marriage is strong and bulletproof. I have faith that we can survive this, but the necessary steps have to take place first. And that is where we are under attack.
We need your prayers more than ever before. Continued prayers. We are discerning where God wants us to be, and some drastic, drastic changes may take place. It is scary, and exciting, full of anticipation and trepidation at the same time.
My goal, and my prayer is that by the end of 2012, we will both be healthy and joyful, our marriage will be stronger than ever... and we will be completely transformed.
Please pray for us.
I unfortunately cannot delve into too much detail here. It's not fair to my husband or to us. At the core, our marriage is strong and bulletproof. I have faith that we can survive this, but the necessary steps have to take place first. And that is where we are under attack.
We need your prayers more than ever before. Continued prayers. We are discerning where God wants us to be, and some drastic, drastic changes may take place. It is scary, and exciting, full of anticipation and trepidation at the same time.
My goal, and my prayer is that by the end of 2012, we will both be healthy and joyful, our marriage will be stronger than ever... and we will be completely transformed.
Please pray for us.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #2
True, Good and Beautiful
My name is Meg and I started blogging about being a Catholic woman journeying through infertility (alongside my husband Ryan) a few years ago. After nearly 5 years of infertility and being 3 weeks away from adopting a baby girl, I became pregnant and just had my son in August of 2011. We have no idea if I'll ever get pregnant again, but are hopeful for biological and adopted children in the future. I am very active in my parish doing music and youth ministries and always seem to have a home improvement project going. And I blog about all of the above. :)
You can visit Meg over at
http://truegoodandbeautifullife.blogspot.com (formerly Complicated Life, so you may know her from that name)
or email her at truegoodbeautifullife@gmail.com.
This South Korean’s Got Seoul
I'm Roxy over at This South Korean's Got Seoul. Most of my blog is probably only interesting to the handful of people I know in real life who feel obligated to read it but once in a while you'll find a decent recipe or a funny picture/story about my life as a wife, mother, Catholic, and engineer amongst other things...but not necessarily in that order. I'd love to hear from you. :)
Go say hi to Roxy over at http://tskgs.blogspot.com
or email her at rsin83@gmail.com ("questions pertaining to me and compliments only please!")
8 Little Arrows
My name is Colleen. I'm a Catholic, homeschooling mom of 8. I started blogging a couple of years ago as a way to record and process (and share with anyone else who was interested) my attempts to incorporate my faith into my parenting, homeschooling, holidays, and daily life. I also use my blog to pass on great resources I have found that have blessed my family.
Visit Colleen at
http://8littlearrows.wordpress.com/
or shoot her an email at cobfree@gmail.com
Bright Love: Living Large in a Big Family
D says: I am a housewife and mom to 5. I am an "older parent," a cook, a little "green," a committed Catholic and non-political for the most part.
I blog on four topics: Catholicism, life family, life coaching and weight loss/healthy lifestyle. I also blog professionally for adoption.com.
Since all my blogs have links to the others, you can visit D at any of the blogs below:
Bright Love: Living Large in a Big Family
Bright Catholic
My blogs for Adoption.com
This Cross I Embrace
TCIE writes: I am a 30 year old Catholic woman experiencing primary infertility (5
1/2 years) as well as a somewhat unique inability to adopt or foster
at this time. As I navigate through these crosses with my husband, I
blog about the struggles, the joys, the hope, the pain, and the love
that has met us along the way. I hope that through my words and
experiences, others can come to love the faith, know the Truth, and
find hope themselves in whatever life brings to them.
Check out www.thiscrossiembrace.blogspot.com
or email her at thiscrossiembrace@gmail.com
Crowley Coupledom
J writes: I became Mrs. Mark Crowley in June 2009, and my blog follows my life as a newlywed! From learning how to be a good wife to first experiences to shared advice and more, my blog is my chronicle of all things Crowley coupledom.
You can visit J over at http://www.CrowleyCoupledom.blogspot.com
or email her at jen0414@gmail.com
My name is Meg and I started blogging about being a Catholic woman journeying through infertility (alongside my husband Ryan) a few years ago. After nearly 5 years of infertility and being 3 weeks away from adopting a baby girl, I became pregnant and just had my son in August of 2011. We have no idea if I'll ever get pregnant again, but are hopeful for biological and adopted children in the future. I am very active in my parish doing music and youth ministries and always seem to have a home improvement project going. And I blog about all of the above. :)
You can visit Meg over at
http://truegoodandbeautifullife.blogspot.com (formerly Complicated Life, so you may know her from that name)
or email her at truegoodbeautifullife@gmail.com.
This South Korean’s Got Seoul
I'm Roxy over at This South Korean's Got Seoul. Most of my blog is probably only interesting to the handful of people I know in real life who feel obligated to read it but once in a while you'll find a decent recipe or a funny picture/story about my life as a wife, mother, Catholic, and engineer amongst other things...but not necessarily in that order. I'd love to hear from you. :)
Go say hi to Roxy over at http://tskgs.blogspot.com
or email her at rsin83@gmail.com ("questions pertaining to me and compliments only please!")
8 Little Arrows
My name is Colleen. I'm a Catholic, homeschooling mom of 8. I started blogging a couple of years ago as a way to record and process (and share with anyone else who was interested) my attempts to incorporate my faith into my parenting, homeschooling, holidays, and daily life. I also use my blog to pass on great resources I have found that have blessed my family.
Visit Colleen at
http://8littlearrows.wordpress.com/
or shoot her an email at cobfree@gmail.com
Bright Love: Living Large in a Big Family
D says: I am a housewife and mom to 5. I am an "older parent," a cook, a little "green," a committed Catholic and non-political for the most part.
I blog on four topics: Catholicism, life family, life coaching and weight loss/healthy lifestyle. I also blog professionally for adoption.com.
Since all my blogs have links to the others, you can visit D at any of the blogs below:
Bright Love: Living Large in a Big Family
Bright Catholic
My blogs for Adoption.com
This Cross I Embrace
TCIE writes: I am a 30 year old Catholic woman experiencing primary infertility (5
1/2 years) as well as a somewhat unique inability to adopt or foster
at this time. As I navigate through these crosses with my husband, I
blog about the struggles, the joys, the hope, the pain, and the love
that has met us along the way. I hope that through my words and
experiences, others can come to love the faith, know the Truth, and
find hope themselves in whatever life brings to them.
Check out www.thiscrossiembrace.blogspot.com
or email her at thiscrossiembrace@gmail.com
Crowley Coupledom
J writes: I became Mrs. Mark Crowley in June 2009, and my blog follows my life as a newlywed! From learning how to be a good wife to first experiences to shared advice and more, my blog is my chronicle of all things Crowley coupledom.
You can visit J over at http://www.CrowleyCoupledom.blogspot.com
or email her at jen0414@gmail.com
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Blogger Biographies- Installment #1
The Happy Hubbards
I am a joyful young woman- striving for holiness and to do something beautiful for God with my life. I am a Youth Minister and working on a Master's degree. Between that and wedding planning, life is full. I am living a beautiful life as I prepare to marry in June.
This blog is the story of all the crazy adventures along the way as we become a family together...The Happy Hubbards :)
Patty blogs over at www.thehappyhubbardfamily.blogspot.com
You can reach her at smileybreen@gmail.com
Grace in My Heart
Hi there! I'm a former 1st grade teacher turned stay-at-home wife and mama. I carry the cross of infertility, but the beautiful gift of adoption has healed my heart. My husband and I adopted our son, E, in November 2009 and we are excitedly on the waiting list again. :)
My hope for blogging is to connect and share with others about the joys of adoptive motherhood, Catholic life, and I also love writing about activities that make me smile such as home decor, teaching/learning, arts/crafts, and cleaning...(yes, you read that right!).
Visit my blog over at http://www.graceinmyheart.blogspot.com
Or you can email me at graceinmyheart@gmail.com
Almost There, On the Way
I'm a 24 year old stay at home mom to my 5 month old son, Theodore. After struggling with PCOS for two years and having one miscarriage, God blessed us with Theodore. My husband has an MA in Theology and works as a youth minister/director of religious education for two different parishes in south east Wisconsin.
I mainly blog about the randomness that is our life these days. :)
My blog address is
http://almostthere-ontheway.blogspot.com/
or you can email me at justine.bator@gmail.com
A Star of Hope
J writes: I've been married since 9/01/01 to my wonderful husband, Collin. We have 4 children: Elanor Mary (age 7), William Joseph (age 4), Violet Elizabeth (2 on 3/5/12) and Gabriel Keith (born 11/26/11). We also have two babies we lost via miscarriage, "Noel" in December 2006 and "Chris" in March 2009. Both Collin and I are lifelong Lutherans who converted to Catholicism in May 2003, and we've never been happier!
I primarily blog about my family and also in defense of the Catholic faith.
You can visit J at http://a-star-of-hope.blogspot.com
or e-mail her at jrwahlund@gmail.com
I am a joyful young woman- striving for holiness and to do something beautiful for God with my life. I am a Youth Minister and working on a Master's degree. Between that and wedding planning, life is full. I am living a beautiful life as I prepare to marry in June.
This blog is the story of all the crazy adventures along the way as we become a family together...The Happy Hubbards :)
Patty blogs over at www.thehappyhubbardfamily.blogspot.com
You can reach her at smileybreen@gmail.com
Grace in My Heart
Hi there! I'm a former 1st grade teacher turned stay-at-home wife and mama. I carry the cross of infertility, but the beautiful gift of adoption has healed my heart. My husband and I adopted our son, E, in November 2009 and we are excitedly on the waiting list again. :)
My hope for blogging is to connect and share with others about the joys of adoptive motherhood, Catholic life, and I also love writing about activities that make me smile such as home decor, teaching/learning, arts/crafts, and cleaning...(yes, you read that right!).
Visit my blog over at http://www.graceinmyheart.blogspot.com
Or you can email me at graceinmyheart@gmail.com
Almost There, On the Way
I'm a 24 year old stay at home mom to my 5 month old son, Theodore. After struggling with PCOS for two years and having one miscarriage, God blessed us with Theodore. My husband has an MA in Theology and works as a youth minister/director of religious education for two different parishes in south east Wisconsin.
I mainly blog about the randomness that is our life these days. :)
My blog address is
http://almostthere-ontheway.blogspot.com/
or you can email me at justine.bator@gmail.com
A Star of Hope
J writes: I've been married since 9/01/01 to my wonderful husband, Collin. We have 4 children: Elanor Mary (age 7), William Joseph (age 4), Violet Elizabeth (2 on 3/5/12) and Gabriel Keith (born 11/26/11). We also have two babies we lost via miscarriage, "Noel" in December 2006 and "Chris" in March 2009. Both Collin and I are lifelong Lutherans who converted to Catholicism in May 2003, and we've never been happier!
I primarily blog about my family and also in defense of the Catholic faith.
You can visit J at http://a-star-of-hope.blogspot.com
or e-mail her at jrwahlund@gmail.com
Monday, March 5, 2012
Offering It Up
Oh, so many things to write about... and no way to get all my thoughts out on any one thing in a cohesive manner.
Wait... why do I have a blog?? :)
I have had so many opportunities lately to offer up suffering and anxiety for my Prayer Buddy. I hope she's been feelin' it!
Most recently, we had another (long overdue) marital session with our therapist on Saturday. As always, very eye-opening and affirming. I ask for your continued prayers for our marriage, and for the next steps on our journey. We actually brought the therapist to tears at the end of the session, as he marveled at what our future could become. The possibilities are endless... but the road is long. We are currently praying through Lent to be open to whatever and WHEREVER God may choose to lead us next. As a planner - this truly brings me to my knees. I am nothing. I am letting go.
Speaking of letting go, lots of things over the past week have angered me. Anger seems to come on quickly and then fade, these days. I used to stay mad fordays (oh, who am I kidding) months. Now I just find it silly to stay mad about something trivial. This is such a grace. From where it came, I do not know, but keep up the good work, Prayer Buddy o' mine!
Cycle wise (do I even deserve to call it by this name if I'm not actually using it as such??), I am beyond frustrated. No, seriously. Beyond it. I passed frustration last year, and now it's a thing of the past. Since I'm not charting, all I know is that my period arrived 3 Sundays ago. (I only remember this because we had another P+18 and no AF and NO MEDS fiasco. I'm sorry for keeping all that excitement from you.) And so, time wise, I assumed I'd be ovulating this past weekend. Except not only has mucus been MIA, so have my oh-so reliable "You Have Ovulated" symptoms (sore breasts, bloating). With constant access to ultrasound, it would be sooooo easy to just take a sneak peek and see what the heck is going on in my ovaries... but then that would imply that I care. Yeah. Of course I care. But I don't want to care. And I'm sticking to this. It's like my Lenten piece of chocolate cake (never really been a fan of chocolate cake). I will not fall into the temptation.
I've resolved that if my cycles become crazy and possibly anovulatory again, then I will ask for bloodwork after Easter, to see how bad my PCOS is currently.
Guess I needed meds, after all. I justhope pray I don't need to go back on any long-term ones again.
I often think how much easier it would be if I had had a disease that required an oophorectomy or hysterectomy. But this cross has never been about "easy." Wouldn't be much of a cross, then, would it?
I was talking to my mom earlier this evening, and she mentioned that she was worrying (it's what Melancholic moms do best) aloud to my sister the other day about me and DH, saying that she just didn't understand why we had to keep suffering so much. She said, "And it's not just the infertility. It's EVERYTHING." Many aspects I've never mentioned on this blog. Before I could answer her, she said that this weekend's readings and homily put it all in perspective for her, a new perspective that she's not used to holding for herself.
Letting go of plans. Letting go of the way you envisioned your life to be. Letting go of the drive to fill desires so strong they keep you up at night. All night. Every night. Lying awake in the awful silence of an empty house... realizing that the love of allowing God to work in you however He sees fit is a much greater love than you could ever find by becoming what you want most in the world.
I am working on it, Lord. Help me.
Wait... why do I have a blog?? :)
I have had so many opportunities lately to offer up suffering and anxiety for my Prayer Buddy. I hope she's been feelin' it!
Most recently, we had another (long overdue) marital session with our therapist on Saturday. As always, very eye-opening and affirming. I ask for your continued prayers for our marriage, and for the next steps on our journey. We actually brought the therapist to tears at the end of the session, as he marveled at what our future could become. The possibilities are endless... but the road is long. We are currently praying through Lent to be open to whatever and WHEREVER God may choose to lead us next. As a planner - this truly brings me to my knees. I am nothing. I am letting go.
Speaking of letting go, lots of things over the past week have angered me. Anger seems to come on quickly and then fade, these days. I used to stay mad for
Cycle wise (do I even deserve to call it by this name if I'm not actually using it as such??), I am beyond frustrated. No, seriously. Beyond it. I passed frustration last year, and now it's a thing of the past. Since I'm not charting, all I know is that my period arrived 3 Sundays ago. (I only remember this because we had another P+18 and no AF and NO MEDS fiasco. I'm sorry for keeping all that excitement from you.) And so, time wise, I assumed I'd be ovulating this past weekend. Except not only has mucus been MIA, so have my oh-so reliable "You Have Ovulated" symptoms (sore breasts, bloating). With constant access to ultrasound, it would be sooooo easy to just take a sneak peek and see what the heck is going on in my ovaries... but then that would imply that I care. Yeah. Of course I care. But I don't want to care. And I'm sticking to this. It's like my Lenten piece of chocolate cake (never really been a fan of chocolate cake). I will not fall into the temptation.
I've resolved that if my cycles become crazy and possibly anovulatory again, then I will ask for bloodwork after Easter, to see how bad my PCOS is currently.
Guess I needed meds, after all. I just
I often think how much easier it would be if I had had a disease that required an oophorectomy or hysterectomy. But this cross has never been about "easy." Wouldn't be much of a cross, then, would it?
I was talking to my mom earlier this evening, and she mentioned that she was worrying (it's what Melancholic moms do best) aloud to my sister the other day about me and DH, saying that she just didn't understand why we had to keep suffering so much. She said, "And it's not just the infertility. It's EVERYTHING." Many aspects I've never mentioned on this blog. Before I could answer her, she said that this weekend's readings and homily put it all in perspective for her, a new perspective that she's not used to holding for herself.
Letting go of plans. Letting go of the way you envisioned your life to be. Letting go of the drive to fill desires so strong they keep you up at night. All night. Every night. Lying awake in the awful silence of an empty house... realizing that the love of allowing God to work in you however He sees fit is a much greater love than you could ever find by becoming what you want most in the world.
I am working on it, Lord. Help me.
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