So, I posted a couple of days ago about Jason learning his phonetical sounds. WOW!! From watching that video for less than a week he now knows ALL off his Capital letters and their sounds. He can now sound out and read/write simple words! He sat at the table last night and wrote MOM, DAD, JET, MAT, HAT, AND, ANT, and many others! When Chris was putting him to bed he sounded out the title on his story book. I'm so amazed. I've been kind of mourning his growing up, but when I can sit and watch him comprehending a concept and using it it amazes me! I just hope that he'll have the confidence to show Miss Keller what he can do on his next school day!

Boys and Video Games

Chris stood in line on Sunday morning to get a Nintendo Wii. Now our evenings are filled with video games. That's all Chris and Jason want to do for hours on end. This morning out of nowhere my five-year-old proclaimed "I am OBSESSED with Wii." Great. Another generation of Carnell boys and video games. *sigh*

Gillian!

I'm making you your own post, since you're so faithful of a reader, haha.

Anyway, yes, I was at the Day of Reflection, and I was going to tell Fr. Tom to say hello to you from me, but he had left before I got a chance. It was really a great day for me, and I enjoyed hearing his stories very much. WHAT a story teller! When I came home I was checking out the Salt and Light website, and saw you on the video clips! Chris was watching T.V. and as soon as you came on he perked up and said, "Hey! Gillian!" So you have a famous voice in the Carnell household. I hope you're doing well and enjoying newlywed bliss! What is your email address, because it would probably be easier to communicate that way, than through blogging/commenting.

The 'A' says 'Ah"...

Every letter makes a sound the A says "Ah". Will I ever get this song out of my head?????

We're working hard with Jason to help him recognize his alphabet and the sounds each letter makes. We bought a couple of Leap Frog videos,which have been VERY helpful (he has most of the letters down pat now after watching the video 3 or 4 times.) However, I now walk around ALL day singing to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell, "The B says "buh" the B says "buh" every letter has a sound, the B says, "Buh." I'm about to lose my mind (who am I kidding-- as if the song caused it).

In other news, I think Jonah just microwaved our phone. He just brought to me smelling kind of burnt, and when I went into the kitchen the microwave is running with nothing in it now. Yay!! I can't wait to tell Chris that we have another broken phone!!!

A Mom Just Like Me???

I was at a retreat on the weekend led by Fr. Thomas Rosica, and he spoke to us about the St. Gianna Beretta Molla. What an amazing day it was for me, and I'm not even sure I can begin to explain why.

St. Gianna Beretta Molla lived in Italy during the mid-twentieth century. She was a doctor, a wife, and a mother. Two months into her pregnancy with her fourth baby it was discovered that she had a tumor in her uterus. Her doctors suggested that she abort the child that she was carrying, but because she believed that the baby in her womb was indeed a person with full dignity, she chose to have surgery to remove the tumor only. She died a week after giving birth to her daughter Gianna Emmanuela.

I have known her story for a few years, so that part of it wasn't new to me this weekend. However, when I watched the home video clips of her with her children and her husband, and as I viewed the joy that radiated from her, I realized that if I were in the same situation, I'm not sure the choice would have come so naturally to me.

St. Gianna's family and friends have testified that she prepared herself for her heroic decision every day of her life. She lived in constant love of Jesus, and with a desire to please him first above all others. She wrote once to her husband, "I would rather die than commit a mortal sin". I could so easily say this, but do I live it??
If I were to come to the end of my life soon would I be confident that I have planted the seed of faith in my children deep enough that it will flourish and grow without my pruning and watering later on? Have I loved my husband well enough that he would fight to make my life and my story honoured?

We so often hear the stories of the saints and believe that they were different than we are. It's almost like we think they weren't faced with sin or temptation, but that's not true. They were faced with the same struggles, difficulties, hardships, and persecutions that we are, but they made the right choices in how they dealt with those struggles. All the time? Maybe not, but definately when it counted.

"Lord, keep Your grace in my heart. Live in me so that Your grace be mine. Make it that I may bear every day some flowers and new fruit". - St. Gianna Beretta Molla