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| 8/31/2010 8:42:21 PM |
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 8/15/2010 2:17:14 PM |
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 The Assumption of Mary by Francesco Botticini (1446 - 1498)
Solemnity: August 15
The Assumption has been believed and celebrated since the earliest
times of Christianity. Today's feast was celebrated under various names
(Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, Assumption) from at least the fifth
or sixth century. Homilies concerning the Assumption go back to at
least the Sixth Century. However, in order to make it a dogma of the
faith meaning all Catholics must believe it, Pope Pius XII dogmatically
declared Mary's Assumption into Heaven in 1950:
"... by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles
Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and
define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother
of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her
earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory" (Munificentissimus Deus)
The Eastern Churches (which are still in union with Rome) refer to
today as the Dormition as opposed to the Assumption because they
believe that Mary died and was then assumed into Heaven. As Roman
Catholics in the Latin Rite, we are free to believe that Mary died and
then was assumed into Heaven or that she didn't die but right before
her death she was assumed into Heaven.
Some claim that the Assumption never happened because it is not in the
Scriptures, but remember that the Bible deals with God not Mary. The
Bible does not deal with the earthy end of any of the original
disciples after the Gospel ends.
Remember, today is a Holy Day of Obligation, meaning all Catholics must attend Mass.
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 7/8/2010 9:40:32 PM |
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Please pray for me this weekend, as I will be taking the Holy Trinity Youth Group to Springfield, MO for a Catholic Youth Conference! It is a awesome, powerful weekend- but also one that is a lot of work! Please pray for us as we travel, and that the Holy Spirit fills the hearts of the 4000 teens gathered!
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 5/3/2010 9:50:30 PM |
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So it's been a crazy long time since I have written anything new here. I guess that since I have been on Facebook, I just use that as my place to vent and share my life. I don't even know who, if anyone still visits here anymore! I know that at one point, about 4 years ago, this was actually a very heavily trafficed site- I was told by one person who creates websites that he is paid alot of money by companys to try to get people to come to their site, but we were getting more hits than they ever did. At that point though, I was posting something new weekly- if not more often! If you look in the archives, and type "K-Rant" you can find a lot of my old blogs... Meanwhile, I guess since I am already here I will just go ahead and update you on life..
Busy. Busy. Busy. Busy. Life with 4 kids is crazy and hectic and awesome. Emily is perpetually tired, but joyous (mostly). I am always late for work because I am trying to get the kids ready for school. I rush out the door to get to work, then I rush home to help with the family! At the same time, I am doing as much extra work in the evenings as I can, which is great for our bottom line, but not always so great for the family. It is a tough balancing act- and not one I always get right. In addition to this, for those that don't know- I am now the Youth Minister at our church. I have been involved with ministry work for almost 10 years now, but this is the first time I have ever been the "leader" of the group. It is a challenging, exciting, and rewarding position, and it has been a blessing. I was worried how it would affect our family, and how Em would do with it- but I have been very pleased to see that it has worked very well for us. I have developed systems so it does not eat up too much time, and so I can better balance my life (mostly).
That's about all for now... Mia is growing rapidly- it's true, once you have kids time speeds up. Never would have believed it. The older 3 seem so big now...
Well, now that I wrote something maybe this will get me back into the habit. Eh, stay tuned.
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 4/10/2010 4:39:32 PM |
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In case you wanted to know...
I had been trying to get labor moving for a few weeks. I'd have
contractions, sometime regularly and then they'd stop. It was very
frustrating. It was hard to be patient and trust in God's timing. I
also knew, though, that this was most likely the last time that my body
was going to have a little one inside, so I was trying to enjoy and
remember every hiccup, every kick in the ribs and enjoy the belly. The
other symptoms I wasn't enjoying so much!
Then we get to the big day...
On the morning of Feb 25 I rolled out of bed and the baby dropped
really low. I knew she couldn't, but it felt like she was going to fall
out! I also started spotting. It just felt like "today is it". I went
about my day as usual, nesting a bit in the kitchen and sitting in my
favorite local coffee shop with my book while my kids were at school.
It felt good to just be still. I then went to my OB appt in the
afternoon and he told me I was favorable and 3 cm, 20 % and -2. We
decided to strip. I then went to Cotton Babies for a few things and
then to my Mom's to pick up the kids. It was about 4:15 when I left her
house in SoCo. I started having contractions on the way home. I call
Ken and tell him that my Mom had sent us home with dinner and could he
please feed the kids so I can concentrate on getting labor moving. I
get home around 5:00 and decide to go walking before it gets dark. The
contractions grow closer together and stronger. I think I do about 2
miles. It's about 5:30 when I come back and contractions are about 4
min apart. I come home and Ken has a plate waiting for me, but I'm not
hungry, feeling slightly nauseous, but drank lots of water and juice.
I'm starting to find the kids irritating, so I know this is the real
deal. I tell Ken I'm going to retreat into our room and would he please
mind the kids for the rest of the evening including giving them a bath.
He checks on me every 15 min or so. I try helping with the bedtime
routine, but find it hard to keep it together. I liked spending that
one last evening with my kids before we added a new family member. I
take a really long shower and labor pretty much stops. It feels nice,
but I knew I had to get out if we were to keep things moving. As soon
as I'm dressed, things pick up again. Fast. Now I need Ken. He calls
his Mom to take over kid duty so he can focus on me. He even suggests
we go out to dinner! Not in my plans. He calls Dr. Dixon. I kiss the
kids and tell them what's going on. The boys could care less, but Chloe
gets really excited. Like with my labor with Ben, I'm not completely
convinced that this is it. I was certain they'd send us home since I'd
been having contractions for weeks and that this was the same thing,
even though they were stronger. We arrive at the hospital around 9:15
and I'm excited when they tell me I'm 7 cm!! On the way to the hospital
we had called our chiropractor who was going to help me through labor,
Dr. Rachel. She arrives shortly after us. I'm given a hep lock (Dr.
Dixon wanted a line open b/c of the post-delivery hemorrhage with Luke)
and some brief monitoring and then I'm free to labor how I like. I
"slow dance" on Ken, walk around and Dr Rachel suggests some squatting,
so I lean on the bed. She wanted my water to break so things would
speed up. I think the speed that things were moving was just fine! And
I remember with Ben Dr. Dixon telling me that my bag of waters was
acting like a cushion, keeping the contractions from being too painful.
I didn't want them to get more painful! Dr. Rachel kept me hydrated and
then gives me an adjustment, helping to move things along. She then
helps with the pain. She certainly made it more bearable and helped me
keep focus on the job I had to do. Ken was fantastic in helping me
labor and I truly feel as if we labored together. This was the first
time I didn't ask for pain relief. I didn't want it with the others,
but still asked for it. I then had the urge to push. In the past Dr
Dixon and nurses told me to go ahead. This time Dr. Rachel was telling
me to wait. To let my body bring the baby down. It was hard to fight
that urge and not listen to my body, but I'm glad I waited. And Ken was
right there, gently in my face, helping me focus. Then after a few
contractions I couldn't wait any longer. Dr. Dixon told me I could have
this baby in whatever way I was most comfortable. I was in the bed from
having been adjusted and didn't have the energy or leg strength to
squat, which is what I knew was best. So, I raised up the head of the
bed and laid on one side. No one holding my legs. No "purple
pushing". No bed being broken down into a delivery table. He just sat
at the foot of the bed and let me do my thing, quickly praying with us.
I pushed once. My water broke and baby's head was brought down and I
felt the "ring of fire". I quickly pushed through that pain and out
came my beautiful baby princess at 10:29 PM! 5 hrs of labor! We then
waited for the cord to stop pulsating before cutting and she latched on
right away. All while this is going on, my sister-in-law, Ashley, is
there snapping pictures. She was very professional and discreet about
it. I was so glad she was there! About 20 min later I deliver the
placenta and have only 2 small tears that need stitching. I feel as if
because Dr. Rachel helped my prep my body for this big day, the wear on
it is minimal. After about 1/2 hr of nursing the nursery staff comes in
to asses her. No wheeling down the hall to the nursery! I get cleaned
up and something to eat (so starving!) and we go to the postpartum
side. Mia fully rooms in with us and even sleeps in bed with me, which
they didn't support when I was there with Ben, but turned a blind eye
to and just told me to be careful. I was slightly frustrated when they
come to get her when the ped is there to see not only her, but other
babies as well. I wish they would have gotten her when it was her turn.
Dr Dixon and I made sure though that the nurses were hands off and were
there only if we needed something. We then go home early Sat afternoon,
stopping for lunch first at our favorite Mexican place. It was a great
experience all around and I wouldn't change a thing!
And her name. She's named Maria after the Blessed Mother. We call her
Mia because Mia is a form of Maria, not Mary, and we liked Mia. Yes, we
know that Mia is a name all by itself, but we wanted to name her after
the Mother of all Mothers, and we wouldn't be doing that by simply
naming her Mia. Mackenzie is my Mother-in-law's Mom (Ken's Grandma's)
maiden name.
To read the birth stories of my other children:
For Chloe "archive" "2004" "Oct" and scroll down
For Luke "archive" "2005" "Dec" and scroll down
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Submitted by: Emily |
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| 3/18/2010 7:04:12 PM |
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Family Prayer
God made us a family.
We need one
another.
We love one
another.
We forgive
one another.
We work
together.
We play
together.
We worship
together.
Together we
use God's word.
Together we
grow in Christ.
Together we
love all people.
Together we
serve our God.
Together we
hope for heaven.
These are our
hopes and ideals.
Help us to
attain them,
O God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 2/20/2010 9:20:48 AM |
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If link had used a real boomerang in "Zelda"..from cracked.com
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 2/13/2010 1:26:26 PM |
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Emily, I love you!!
 
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Submitted by: Ken |
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| 2/5/2010 3:26:13 PM |
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Read this story and then say Ew...Restaurant promotes sex in its bathrooms
Mildred's Temple Kitchen invites diners to visit its unisex stalls for a little Valentine's Day loving
Published On Wed Feb 03 2010
A hostess shows off a washroom at Mildred's, where sex is
Mildred's Temple Kitchen is inviting customers to have sex in its bathrooms.
The
Valentine's weekend promotion takes uncomfortable but electrifying sex
from the close confines of an airplane and transfers it to the unisex
stalls of the Hanna Ave. restaurant.
The Liberty Village restaurant proposes its modern bathrooms become one of the "101 places to have sex before you die."
Mildred's
has always elicited a certain response. One customer, who didn't want
to be named, remembers going to a wedding at the eatery's old location
and seeing a copy of the Kama Sutra in the bathroom.
"They invite it," said the customer.
This time, the invitation is explicit. On its website, Mildred's asks: "Have you given any thought to moving beyond the bedroom?
"Check out Mildred's Sexy Bathrooms throughout the weekend of Big Love. You get the picture."
Actually,
the picture is clouded by practicalities. Is the restaurant supplying
condoms? What about the health risks of body fluids? And who's cleaning
up?
"We've always had little trysts in our bathrooms," says
chef/co-owner Donna Dooher, pointing to lingering weekday lunches as a
popular time. "We're taking it to the next level on Valentine's
weekend."
The restaurant's four bathrooms light up outside
when occupied. Staff have learned to watch the light flicker twice when
two customers enter the same bathroom, usually a few minutes apart.
Toronto
Public Health says as long as there's no sex in the kitchen and the
restaurant keeps its washrooms clean and sanitized, it's not fussed.
"As far as bodily fluids, it's pretty much similar to the other human
functions going on in there," says Jim Chan, manager of the food safety
program.
Dooher says customers must bring their own condoms
but she's hiring a maid to tidy the washrooms that weekend. "She'll be
there with her feather duster and cleaning supplies."
At
least diners aren't encouraged to use furry handcuffs, part of a $55
"naughty love hamper," while at Mildred's. "Best to savour and enjoy
(those) long after you leave the restaurant," the restaurant says.
apataki@thestar.ca
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Submitted by: Ken |
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