It was three months after my fourth baby was born and I had been feeling like I was going to have a panic attack all morning. On the verge of tears, lump in my throat, brain whirring through all the things that needed to get done. On repeat: “You’ll never get it all done. You’re terrible at everything. You’re failing at everything in your life. Mothering? Homeschooling? Writing? Housekeeping? … [Read more...]
Pursuing Beauty Must Be an Intentional Choice
Carissa Pluta's beautiful blog The Myth Retold is a new favorite of mine and because I loved the idea behind her blog so much (finding beauty in the everyday) I asked if she'd expand on the idea for my wonderful Carrots readers. Here's her post. I know you'll love it. -Haley Have you ever watched a sunset, breathed the air from the peak of a mountain, or looked out over the sea? Have you ever … [Read more...]
What’s More Important Than a Baby?
The other day I was finishing up something that seemed very important at the time when the baby woke up from a nap and started fussing. Chopping up veggies for dinner or writing the last sentence of an email, I can’t even remember anymore. In the moment I thought, “I’ve got to do this right now.” Hildie wasn’t all out crying. She was just starting to make “not happy noises” as my kids call … [Read more...]
Parents, It’s Better When You Give Up
My 9yo son asked me yesterday if it was easier having a baby in the house with big kid helpers or if it’s easier to just have one baby in the house and no other kids to care for. (We just had our fourth little one in August.) I had to think about it for a minute. Having big kid helpers is so different than having only toddlers! It’s downright dreamy. But life is certainly pretty busy over here, … [Read more...]
Mystery and Motherhood: Is This Not Where Love Dwells?
The thought has crossed my mind lately that while I love the idea of pregnancy, the practical aspects feel nightmarish right now. At 36 weeks pregnant with my fourth baby, all the pregnancy discomforts are here in full force: the aches, extreme fatigue, pressure, acid reflux, feeling that I can’t take a real breath because baby is pushing up against my lungs, lightheadedness in the July Texas … [Read more...]
This Is My Body, Broken for You
I was staring up at the crucifix during Mass. I was too sick to kneel, so I was just sitting in the pew while everyone knelt around me. I was desperately trying not to throw up, the pregnancy nausea coming in waves, impossible to ignore. It was my first Mass in a month. I had been too sick with hyperemesis gravidarum to leave the house for weeks. The previous week I had tried to get out of bed … [Read more...]
9 Ideas for Observing Lent with Kids: Holy Heroes Review (and free coloring books for you!) {Sponsored Post}
This post is sponsored by Holy Heroes. Is it just me, or is Lent painfully early this year? I feel like I'm still recovering from Christmastide. On the other hand, I'm a big Lent fan. I love that the Christian Year offers us a time set aside to clean house. And no, I'm not talking about my dusty baseboards, although that would be a good thing to tackle during Lent, too. I'm talking about our … [Read more...]
Our Real Mommy Problem (Guest Post by Nicki)
Good morning, friends! I am under the weather with a sore throat and trying to avoid my nemesis, Tonsillitis (hence the quiet on the blog this week). But luckily, sweet Nicki is here to save the day with a guest post, so enjoy!-Haley This is a guest post by Nicki of Full Hands, Happy Heart. In case you missed it, “Our ‘Mommy’ Problem” was an opinion piece published recently in … [Read more...]
Harry Potter, Dumbledore’s Mercy, and the Triumph of the Holy Cross
It's the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. What does that have to do with Harry Potter? I don’t try to hide the fact that I’m a Harry Potter fangirl. I’m often reflecting on the plot and themes, whether kids should read the series, and how Molly Weasley is fantastic. (SPOILER ALERT: Do not continue if you haven’t completed the series.) One of the most memorable scenes in the … [Read more...]
The One Thing I Regret About My Wedding
I was 20 when we were married. Generally speaking, I didn’t know much of anything. I knew I wanted to marry Daniel in a church. I didn’t even care so much which church (it was a few years before we became Catholic). I didn’t care what our wedding colors were. It didn’t make much of a difference to me what song played when I walked down the aisle. It was before Pinterest. I just wanted a white … [Read more...]
