7 Quick Takes #6

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Yesterday I shared pictures from our recent trip to Monterey. Here are a few more. Notice how Jacob is putting sand in Alexa's hair. Just like a big brother don't you think.

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Fall ,where are you??? I've been asking this question all week. I can't believe the temperature has still been reaching the 80's. Please cooler weather, make an appearance and stay a while.

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Alexa had some blood tests today. She was a trooper, she sat still and cried only a little bit. I'm so proud of her. Her doctor wants to test her for anemia. We are hoping this could explain Alexa's need to eat strange items, like chalk, crayons, pine cones, dirt, paint, paper, and ice. This is just the short list... If her tests come back negative her doctor thinks her strange eating habits are just a phase. If it's a phase I hope it ends quickly. 

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As you may have noticed from some of my recent pictures, Jim is missing something. Last week he shaved off his goatee. It was a total shock, I've been asking him for years to shave it off and he has always refused. Then last week I walked into the bathroom and it was gone. I love it!!!!! I think it make's him look much younger.

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Basketball season has begun for Jacob. This is his final year in CYO Basketball. He is currently playing in a tournament for 8th grade boys which ends this weekend. So far they are 1 and 1. I'm going to miss CYO when it's over. I love the idea of the boys praying before each game. When Jacob played on a travel team last Spring it was a practice I really missed. I anticipation of his final year I found this great prayer to St. Sebastian, patron of athletics, for us to pray:
Dear Commander at the Roman Emperor's court, you chose to be a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King of Kings---for which you were condemned to die. Your body, however, proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak. So another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. May athletes be always as strong in their faith as their Patron Saint so clearly has been. Amen.

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On the 10th of October the Catholic Church began to celebrate the Year of Faith. I've been very excited about this upcoming celebration and have been planning many ministry activities for work. One including writing a retreat for the teens this Spring. I've been so busy with work plans, it didn't dawn on me to make plans for my family until I received my Marriage Monthly newsletter from the USCCB. Boy talk about a major fail on my part. It's really true that if you don't be careful ministry can take over. It's really a fine line that even after 4 years I'm still struggling to walk. If you are also looking for ideas for your family check out the For Your Marriage website.

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Blogging took an unexpected break this week. Alexa likes to pull on the power cord from my laptop and plug it back in , well she pulled and plugged one too many times and now the port for power cord is broken. I took it to Best Buy because I had purchased a Geek Squad protection plan the last time I had a problem. Of course I have a software protection plan and my problem is a hardware one so I'm going to have to pay to get it fixed. I was lucky to pickup my work laptop to keep me up to date since it could be 4 weeks before mine is fixed. 

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