Outside my window… it is so warm! The kids and I have been going outside every day and it is so nice! I’m so ready for spring it isn’t even funny. We are going to have an awesome summer, both kids will be walking! I’m looking forward to lots of camping.

I am listening to… The Doctor is In podcasts. Podcasts are wonderful things. I rarely get a change to listen to Dr. Ray when he is actually on but with podcasts I never have to miss one.

I am thinking… about the awesome book I’m working my way through. It’s called Simplicity Parenting and it is fabulous. Lots of food for thought.

I am thankful for… Lent. I was very overdue for a slowing down/refocusing and it has been great so far. Our theme this lent is simplify and so far it’s going great.

I am praying… for my husband. He works so hard every day, getting up at 4:30 and not getting home until 7:30. He is awesome.

From the kitchen… We have been having very plain meals on Fridays (lentils or beans and rice usually) and I haven’t been using any seasoning, not even salt. We both find this to be great penance… have you ever tried lentils and rice with no seasoning? Blah.
Today though there is a roast with veggies cooking in my crockpot. It smells delicious!

I am creating… a rather ambitious knitting project. I’m not sure how it’s going to come out or if I’m ever going to finish it but I’m trying!

I am wearing… a skirt! I am too much of a sissy to wear skirts when it’s cold but this warm weather has brought out my skirts. I love wearing skirts, I really should get some nice long ones I can wear in winter but I haven’t found any that I really like yet.

I am reading… That book I mentioned before, Simplicity Parenting. It really is a gem, exactly what I needed for this season.

Noticing that… a certain little man is finally getting confident enough to try walking again. His ear infection really threw him off and he stopped trying but he is taking 4-5 steps again. It won’t be long!

One of my favorite things… not having to worry about dinner for a few days! Hooray for cooking a big (and easy!) meal that will last us for awhile.

A few plans for the rest of the week: We are busy busy busy! Tomorrow we are watching a friends little girl then Wednesday Mary has gymnastics, Thursday we have a lady from our county’s literacy program coming (we are participating in the pilot program), then Friday it’s music. Phew. Too busy. Something is going to have to go soon.

A Picture thought I am sharing:
Some friends and I started a photo challenge group on facebook and this weeks theme is ‘the back of things’ this was my entry. 🙂

This is going to be a rant. You’ve been warned. 😉

Lent is a time to prepare for Easter. A time of fasting, praying, alms giving, and sacrifice. A time to step back, look at our loves and see where we can improve. A time to focus on our relationship with Jesus in a more intense way.

We (Catholics) eat meatless meals on Friday and Ash Wednesday as a form of penance. I try and make something simple, without spices or seasoning because I just don’t feel like eating salmon, shrimp, or our favourite lentil soup is any sort of sacrifice. The first year we were married I made that lentil soup on Ash Wednesday and we both loved it!

I’ll never forget being at a friend’s one year, her family always has lentil soup for Ash Wednesday but they add a few tablespoons of vinegar to it, but this particular year there was a misunderstanding and 1/4 cup of vinegar was added! The soup was still edible but it definitely wasn’t enjoyable! I now hold that to be my goal for meals on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

It is definitely a struggle finding good meals for Fridays during Lent. Often we will have a can of soup and dry toast, or plain rice and plain chicken (no spices or condiments). It has also been a challenge for me personally because I have been either pregnant or nursing every Lent since we got married. I used to use this as an excuse as to why I couldn’t fast but a good friend showed me what a cop out that was. I can’t fast in the traditional way but there are many other ways I can.

A lot of people give something up for Lent as an added sacrifice. Along the same lines as meals though, it isn’t much of a sacrifice if you give up one thing only to find something better to replace it with. For example giving up cream and sugar in your coffee only to find a herbal tea that you enjoy more anyway, or giving up facebook only to spend more time reading blogs (these examples are from a forum I read). I have definitely been guilty of this in the past, giving up chocolate or candy only to eat more salty snacks… not much spiritual growth there….

This year we are trying hard to be very purposeful about our Lenten sacrifices. We are looking for things we love and things that will be difficult to give up and are trying to replace them with things that will bring our family closer to God. It is our most ambitious Lent yet but we’re confident that God will bless our efforts.

Just needed to get that off my chest. I think I read a few too many threads on Lent. This really wasn’t directed at anyone, obviously everyone’s family is different and everyone has different ideas of sacrifice and that’s great, they should do what works for them. This is just my opinion… after all it is my blog 😉