Faith is what gets you started.  Hope is what keeps you going.  Love is what brings you to the end. – Mother Angelica

+ We all finally caught the Influenza A that has been going around all winter.  It wiped us out for a solid two weeks.
+ The coronavirus turned the world upside down.
+ We got a good start on garden construction: beds made, plot prepared, gravel walkway laid and some of the soil filled.

A FEW FAVORITE RECIPES

• My go-to.  I start this bread in the machine and finish in loaf pans.
• I made pumpkin scones because we had a can in the pantry and they were a big hit.  Perfect for breakfast.
• My oldest made these mini meatloaves and potatoes for dinner one night.  One of our favorites and good for people who don’t really care for traditional meatloaf.
• Sourdough bread is back!  I went back to my favorite book (affiliate link) on the subject and while I’m still working out a few hydration issues, it’s fun to return to this kind of baking again.  Also: I’ve been using the discarded starter to make waffles, so there’s no waste.

• ✔ I want to spend time with God everyday.  I’m a broken record at this point, but still working through the Bible (as of March 31, I was on day 265/365).  I am also about halfway through the 54-Day Novena, which has been such a fruitful and calming part of my days.

• ✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey.  Most of our extra money went toward our new garden, but we were able to put a tiny bit extra toward the car and the student loan.  Every little bit helps.

• ✔ I want to be a better steward of my home.  I’m still using The Confident Mom’s Household Planner and being sick really showed me how much it works.  It’s taken me the rest of the month to get caught up and back into a groove.  

• ✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail.  I sent out 10 pieces.  (Here is the post.)  Current total = 34

• ✔ I want to write 150 blog posts.  Like everyone else, the global pandemic had me distracted and anxious and spending waaaay too much time on my phone.  I only posted 13 times and hope to increase that number in April.  Current total = 47

• ✔ I want to read 52 books.  A strong month for reading!  Thank you, insomnia.  I read 10 books. (Here is the post.)  Current total = 24

• ✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification.  Still nothing.  

• ✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity.  
• March’s $20 Donation // We donated to our community food bank.
• March’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // .This is really tricky while being quarantined!  Mark hosted his men’s group virtually and the kids have worked so hard as we create our garden.  As for me, does snail mail count?

Looking back at the numbers (which, Nerd Alert, is one of my favorite things ever), I’m really pleased with my progress so far:

With the world as it is right now, I’m wondering if I should shelve the postpartum doula certification for now and focus on other things.  Looking forward to keeping the momentum for all the other goals in Q2, because goodness, do I need the distraction!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie

+ Celebrated Mark and our dog Lucy’s birthdays!

FAVORITE RECIPES FROM LAST MONTH

• Chicken Fried Rice.  This recipe satisfied our craving for Chinese takeout.  We served it with eggrolls from the freezer. 
• Pretzel Bread.  My favorite bread of the month!  Because the bread machine does all of the mixing and rising, the hands-on time is only minutes.
• Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins.  Thank you to my dear friend Tabitha for this one.  I had D makes these on his own and he’s made them about six times!  The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar, but we’ve reduced that to almost 1/4 without any complaints. 

• ✔ I want to spend time with God everyday.  I’m still working through the Bible (as of Feb 29, I was on day 234/365) and haven’t missed a day.  I also watched the first six segments of The Wild Goose series on the Holy Spirit.  I’m really enjoying them and recommend it.  It gave me a lot of clarity as I struggled through the roots of my latest bout of stress/anxiety.  

• ✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey.  We used most of our tax refund to pay a big chunk off of our car loan.  The end is near!

• ✔ I want to be a better steward of my home.  I’m still using The Confident Mom’s Household Planner with great success.  I completed only 9/29 decluttering “missions” but still find it helpful, so will continue in March.  Frugal accomplishments hit an all-time high in February – I was on a roll!  

• ✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail.  I didn’t have anywhere near the numbers I pulled in January, but I’m still on track!  I sent out 5 pieces.  (Here is the post.)  Current total = 24 pieces

• ✔ I want to write 150 blog posts.  I hit a mini writing slump at the beginning of the month, but still managed to post 14 times.  Current total = 34

• ✔ I want to read 52 books.  I read 6 books. (Here is the post.)  Current total = 14

• ✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification.  Still nothing.  

• ✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity.  Another successful month with our 20/20 Giving:

• February’s $20 Donation // We learned about a holy priest who has recently been diagnosed with ALS.  We donated to help him with expenses that are not covered by insurance and for the eventual need of assistance as the disease progresses.  
• February’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // leading a men’s group at church, altar serving, baking cookies for the first Lenten Supper, helping out at a children’s retreat

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“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.
Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”  – Thomas Merton

+ We committed to a No Spend Month.  We did have some unexpected purchases come up, but were able to pay them without too much stress.  Our goal was to use this month to gain some momentum on our debt and we were able to do that – (see below) – so I’m considering it a success! 

+ It snowed!  The first storm of the year gave us 4-5″ and hours of playtime outside.

+ I started a 90 Day Sugar Detox, one of my 100 Little Things goals and something I really wanted to start after all of the Christmas treats.

+ I also started the Women Empowered Program, a self-defense course I got for Christmas.  (And another 100LT goal!)  I’ve completed the first two lessons.
+ M started learning the guitar.  He’s enjoying the process and is a quick learner!

FAVORITE RECIPES FROM LAST MONTH

• French Bread Pizza.  Big loaves of french bread are only $1 at our Walmart.  I just cut it in half lengthwise, sprinkled with sauce and cheese and stuck it in the oven for an easy weekend lunch.
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole.  This casserole was fairly inexpensive and the boys devoured it!  I may need to make a double batch next time.
• Slow Cooker Taco Chili.  This recipe makes a ton and I was able to get two meals out of it.  The second night, we put the leftovers on top of baked potatoes.
• Crockpot White Chicken Chili.  I couldn’t eat this chili because of my dairy sensitivity, but the others said it was delicious.
• Bean and Cheese Burritos.  I’ve been on the hunt for meatless meals that my kids will eat and stumbled on this simple recipe on Pinterest.  You mix a can of refried beans with a can of Rotel and heat on the stove.  It definitely brings the flavor up a notch!  Some of the kids drizzled queso blanco on top too.

• ✔ I want to spend time with God everyday.  I started again where I left off with my Bible in a Year plan (as of Jan 31, I was on day 206/365) and didn’t miss a day all month!  I also worked through a Bible verse writing challenge that I found on Pinterest (I just did step #2).  It was the first time I’ve ever physically written out Scripture every day and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

• ✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey.  We paid off another student loan!  Feels so good to see some forward progress.

• ✔ I want to be a better steward of my home.  I started using The Confident Mom’s Household Planner and it is working so well for me so far!  Every morning, the kids and I have a “morning meeting” and divvy up the chores for that day.  It usually takes us less than 15 minutes to complete.  The house is still a work in progress, but we’re making big strides in the right direction.  Also!  I found a monthly decluttering plan from Home Storage Solutions 101 and have been loosely following that as well. I completed 20/31 “missions” in January.

• ✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail.  A strong start!  Current total is 19 pieces.  (Here is the blog post.)

• ✔ I want to write 150 blog posts.  Another solid start!  I wrote 20 posts and participated in one linkup: Top Ten Tuesday.  (I hope to find and participate in more linkups in the coming months.)

• ✔ I want to read 52 books.  I read 8 books. (Here is the blog post.)

• ✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification.  Nothing yet.

• ✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity.  After reading Emily Freeman’s book, Simply Tuesday, I’ve been pondering the idea of taking back “small.”  I may not have hundreds of dollars to donate or the ability to spend weeks in third-world countries, but I can still do something.  Lots of small acts can still make a difference.  So this year, my family and I are committing to something we’re calling 20/20 Giving: a $20 donation to non-profits we love and 20 minutes of using our time and talents to serve others.  Obviously if we’re able to give more, then we will, but this is the minimum we hope to achieve each month.  
• January’s $20 Donation // We read this powerful story about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah in school and then watched this documentary about him.  It was such a beautiful testament to the dignity of all human life.  My biggest boys were especially impacted by his story and his unwavering mission to help the disabled in Ghana.  Inspired by Emmanuel, we gave our first $20 donation to the Free Wheelchair Mission, an organization that provides wheelchairs to disabled men, women, and children around the world.
• January’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // Teaching the high school CCD class at church, altar serving at mass, and responding to the latest call for non-perishables for the church food pantry

I could write a book with all of the embarrassing moments that have happened in my 35 years, so I thought I’d start recording the best ones!  This story is from two Sundays ago, when we traveled to a nearby church to attend a Latin Mass.  Imagine a three-year-old little boy who has had enough of Mass and is starting to be vocal about his readiness to leave the church.  I convince him to wait just a little longer because it’s time for Communion.  I carry him in line and he starts playing with the necklace around my neck.  And then, to my horror, he SNAPS my necklace and beads fall everywhere.  Like everywhere.  The way-too-nice young man in line behind me crawls on his hands and knees – HIS HANDS AND KNEES – to collect them on the floor and under pews.  People from all over are passing me small handfuls of beads.  Oh my word.  I was beet red for a solid 15 minutes, ha!  God sure likes to keep me humble.