First Guest Post!

I thought I would share a wonderfully written testimony as our first guest post. We won't have many guest post, but this one was too good to pass up. God bless!  - Sarah

Learning to Love- A Story of Hope
Written by Anonymous



"Dear, Little baby inside, I'm trying to love you.

I want to love you.

My guilt is outweighing the love I should have for you. My heart aches. Your life was an accident. A sad accident that has brought me doubt. How could I ever say that I don't want you, yet I have no idea how to love you?

I wish to love you. Maybe someday I will love you. Right now, my fear is much stronger than my confidence. Please, little baby. Give me time. Give me forgiveness"


A few years ago I wrote this letter knowing my child would never see it. I wrote this because the notion of abortion laid heavily upon me. I would not abort- that was my hard-fast decision. But I still did not want this child.  I was too young, I thought. I was barely out of high school. My life was just starting! Each weekend I watched my friends living it up, and I knew my time for adventure was quickly ending.

Why me? Other girls mess around and they don't get pregnant? Why did I? Wasn't I being sexually responsible?  I cried, I self pitied, I prayed to wake up from the nightmare. I told only a few, very close friends. This baby was my secret. And it stayed that way....for awhile at least.

The day came where I had to go home and tell my parents. I shook as I boarded the plane from my college town. How could I tell them? I thought of their reactions. Would they yell? Would she slap me? Would he humiliate me? Find courage, I thought. This little life need courage even more than love right now. One breath at a time.

Their initial reaction, whatever that may be, would be justified (I gave myself a pep talk). Deep breathing, and speak clearly. I fully expected to be ambushed with questions and words of guilt. Instead though, I was greeted with a lot of love. They loved me anyway. They weren't mad- maybe a little disappointed, but not mad. It was a small relief but nothing compared to the fear of my future and overwhelming sense of shame.

My mom took me for an ultrasound. I was 6 months along. It was a boy! Great- but I still didn't love him. I felt nothing but emptiness.

Another month passed, he was growing and thriving, and I decided to keep him instead of giving him up for adoption. Slowly making those choices, I finally started to feel a small amount a hope. Maybe my life wasn't ruined, just different, maybe even a little bit better.

At 9 months, my baby would be born at any moment. I set up a little bassinet for him next to my bed, and bought a car seat. My boyfriend would come around from time to time. He was loving, but preferred the adoption route and gave me little emotional support. I was on my own with this, but that was okay- I had confidence and I believed my love for my baby would only grow in time.

My love did grow. It grew until I was overflowing with it. My baby boy was born and he was little and perfect. He was beautiful. I starred at him for hours that first night. I loved him more than I had ever loved anybody else. I cried out all of my sorrows and fears onto his little bundled body. He was my future and I whispered in his tiny perfect ear, "to my little baby in my arms, I will love you forever."

Nana's Washington State Visit

After visiting the Gallaher's in California. Nana came to visit us in Washington! I am so grateful to Elise for having William so Mom can come and visit the West Coasters! Thanks Elise!

We had a BLAST as always. This time I could enjoy it because I wasn't postpartum! The only thing I really wanted to get done was starting my vegetable garden, and that we did! I was amazed at Mom's love and knowledge regarding organic vegetable gardening. She took my garden by the ropes and went to town!

I caught her in the corner. This was all weeds -  knee high before Mom transformed it.

The finished product. I am so happy!!

Mom planted about 20 square feet of veggies and flowers for us. Some plants, mostly seeds. She knows what to plant where to keep bugs away. We planted zucchini, tomatoes, sweet peppers, jalepenos, chard, beets, spinach, calendula, marigolds, sunflowers, a vine peach, leeks and more!

The only sunny place in my yard is filled with seeds, now all I have to do is water and wait. My first real vegetable garden.

The kids loved having Nana as well. Mom changed all the diapers and played and played with them, it was so wonderful. 

We rode a gondula to the top of a hospital where we could see the city of Portland.

It was kindv'e fun being touristy in our own city!

We baked, we sewed, we drank lots of tea and ate tons of good food!

Mom and Gianna making Clare's Coconut Lemon Meltaways. They were good! 

Nana was so good to Gianna, letting her help with everything.

I will admit it, the visit was so wonderful that I cried myself to sleep after she left. I only see Mom about once a year and it's so hard. I can deal with  it after awhile but when I see her again it's too much! Mom is the most wonderful woman I know, so full of wisdom and virtue. She will argue with that but we all know it, she's an incredibly lady!

We love you Mom and miss you dearly!

“There is no difference in a life that lasts 30 minutes or 100 years"

I had to pass this story along. If you don't read the whole thing, please at least read what her husband said about her. It gave me the chills, it's so beautiful! They are calling her the next Gianna Molla, what a witness!

 

Emotional goodbye for young Italian mother who died for unborn child

(CNA) Hundreds of Italians gathered at the Church of St. Francisca Romana in Rome on June 16 for the funeral Mass of Chiara Corbella, a young Catholic woman who died after postponing her cancer treatments in order to protect her unborn child.


At 28 years of age, Chiara was happily married to Enrico Petrillo. They had already suffered the loss of two children in recent years who died from birth defects. The couple became popular speakers at pro-life events, in which they shared their testimony about the few minutes they were able to spend with their children, David and Maria, before they died.


In 2010, Chiara became pregnant for the third time, and according to doctors the child was developing normally. However, Chiara was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and was advised to begin receiving treatment that would have posed a risk to her pregnancy.


Chiara decided to protect the baby – named Francisco –  and opted to forgo treatment until after his birth, which took place on May 30, 2011.


Her cancer quickly progressed and eventually she lost sight in one eye. After a year-long battle Chiara died on June 13, surrounded by her loved ones and convinced that she would be reunited with her two children in heaven.


“I am going to heaven to take care of Maria and David, you stay here with Dad. I will pray for you,” Chiara said in a letter for Francisco that she wrote one week before her death.


The funeral Mass was celebrated by the Vicar General of Rome, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, who recalled Chiara as “the second Gianna Beretta,” the 20th century saint who sacrificed her life in similar circumstances to save her unborn baby.


Chiara’s spiritual director, Father Vito, delivered the homily and remembered Chiara as a young woman who chose to risk her own life in order to be an example to other pregnant women, “a testimony that could save so many people,” he said.


Chiara’s husband, Enrico, said he experienced “a story of love on the cross.” Speaking to Vatican Radio, he said that they learned from their three children that there is no difference in a life that lasts 30 minutes or 100 years.  


“It was wonderful to discover this love that grew more and more in the face of so many problems,” he said.


“We grew more and more in love with each other and Jesus. We were never disappointed by this love, and for this reason, we never lost time, even though those around us said, 'Wait, don’t be in a hurry to have another child,'” Enrico said.


The world today encourages people to make wrong choices about the unborn, the sick and the elderly, he noted, “but the Lord responds with stories like ours.”


“We are the ones who like to philosophize about life, about who created it, and therefore, in the end, we confuse ourselves in wanting to become the owners of life and to escape from the cross the Lord gives us,” he continued.


“The truth is that this cross – if you embrace it with Christ – ceases to be as ugly as it looks. If you trust in him, you discover that this fire, this cross, does not burn, and that peace can be found in suffering and joy in death,” Enrico explained.


“I spent a lot of time this year reflecting on this phrase from the Gospel that says the Lord gives a cross that is sweet and a burden that is light. When I would look at Chiara when she was about to die, I obviously became very upset. But I mustered the courage and a few hours before – it was about eight in the morning, Chiara died at noon – I asked her.  


I said: 'But Chiara, my love, is this cross really sweet, like the Lord says? She looked at me and she smiled, and in a soft voice she said, 'Yes, Enrico, it is very sweet.' In this sense, the entire family didn’t see Chiara die peacefully, but happily, which is totally different,” Ernico said.


When his son grows up, he added, he will tell him “how beautiful it is to let oneself be loved by God, because if you feel loved you can do anything,” and this is “the most important thing in life: to let yourself be loved in order to love and die happy.”


“I will tell him that this is what his mother, Chiara, did. She allowed herself to be loved, and in a certain sense, I think she loved everyone in this way. I feel her more alive than ever. To be able to see her die happy was to me a challenge to death.”

When it rains . . .

 

It's raining in Washington, can't you tell?

 

it actually is raining!

In fact, it seems like it's always raining!!! 

 

 

This is how we get through these rainy bluey days:

 We show off what Grandma made us!!

Grandma made me a few headbands and I love them! Don't you love the no shower look? Im pretty good at it!

And some dishrags! I think these are beautiful. I LOVE pretty things in the kitchen, makes me actually want to wash the dishes! (not really, I still love when you do them Cyril!)   : P

 

 Not only are they dishrags, they are Kombucha covers. :) Makes my counters so pretty. Can you tell we are reeeeaaaally bored? hehe

They are even beautiful in the sink. :) Admits all those dishes I love.

 

 

Thank you Grandma!

 

(If you want to do something productive with your boredom, check this story out. Pretty cool, eh?)

Now for the kid's boredom: 

This is what you do with a hat, right?

 

No actually, this is what you do with it.

My laid back little lover

Don't forget to check out Gianna's fingernails, they are all the rage these days!

The Joe Jr. Gallaher Family

                                                              Joe and Max's 1st Lunch

Smiling for the camera! He loves to say cheeezzze whenever I take pictures of him!

Eating Chick Fila!

Max and Dad hanging out in the playground

He absolutely loves slides! he just 

Father's Day in Virginia

Dad and the boys got go-carts for Father's day. Free go-karts! Mom said that Dad looks at the free section of Craigslist often, and I guess it pays off! 

I hear that Dad has already rolled one! Thank goodness he has a guardian angel, or angels I should say. Fran emailed me some pictures so here you go!

Kevin, Edward, Thomas, Stephen and Patrick

Fortnight For Freedom

Are you in on the latest Western Catholic News?

The Bishops of the United States are rallying against the ObamaCare, but more importantly they are rallying for religious freedom. Yup, that's right, religious freedom.

If you saw the movie, "For Greater Glory" you would know exactly what I am talking about. Religious persecution starts somewhere, right here in the US it's starting with the ObamaCare. Taking away our freedom to choose NOT to support contraception, abortion and the like. The government is trying to make us support the culture of death.

No thank you. 

 

 

The Fortnight For Freedom campaign started yesterday. Bishops are rallying in every diocese, united with the lay people to pray and fast for freedom. What can we do?

We can pray.

 

 

And we can take action. Here is a list of all the diocese that have planned events for the fortnight for freedom. Get behind our Bishops, they need our support and prayers!

Please share the information about Fortnight For Freedom. The word won't spread in the mainstream media.

Thank you and have a blessed day!

Adeline's Father's Day Gift.

   For Father's Day this year I didn't want to spend any money (well I did but knew I shouldn't) so Addy and I put together a little photo shot for Daddy. During the photo shot she got to hold signs, each one saying a different word or words and then I framed them to make a loving message for him.

  It was so funny trying to get this outdoor loving, explorer 1 1/2 year old to sit still for a few shots. These pictures tell their own story so scroll down and enjoy!






Her shirt says it all.

 We did end up getting a few good ones so here's the finished product.


 Daddy loved it so much and thats all that mattered :)

Mom/Nana's wonderful visit!

Mom came and stayed with us for a few days in June. While she was here she stayed in the kids room with them, was never without William in her arms and stayed up late chatting with me.  Bobby and Joyce followed her around like puppies.  The anthem of her stay was " Where's Nana, Where's Nana?" We kept ourselves busy with a day at Alum Rock Park swinging in swings.  A day down at my parents' house where the kids played on the slip and slide and Mom and my Mom made a lovely witch's brew. click here to see what its all about.  Saturday was a beautiful day at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.  Where we picnicked and enjoyed the animals and rides.  Saturday night Mom Robert, William and I went to dinner and then to see "For Greater Glory" Robert and I couldn't remember the last movie we saw a movie in the theaters.  We like to have time together on our date nights but were very glad to have seen this one.  This movie puts us in mind that in the span of time these happenings were not long ago and are more like current events then history, also to live the Faith God has so generously given us.  We were so blessed to have her to ourselves for a little while.  Thank you Mom for not only being the best mom and person in the whole world, but also for being an amazing real to life example of motherhood, womanhood and wifehood. We love you.

Joyce on her faithful steed at Happy Hollow

So this was pretty funny.  A s you can see Robert, as any good father would have done, is recording Bobby on the roller coaster while laughing hysterically.  This ride was a bit past Bobby's comfort level.  He was on the verge of crying the whole ride.  He held it together very well and was just terribly dazed for about half an hour after.  I am working on getting the video off Robert's phone.

A ride that is more Bobby's speed.

Nan and her new addition, Mr William Joseph.

Joyce in a dress Aunt Theresa Feller made for her out of Grandma Ruth's material.

Mom helped Grandma Ruth clean out her craft room. She found some paints and brought them back and we had a little painting party one evening.

Best way to clean off paint.

Joyce lounging and eating like Cleopatra herself.

Happy baby, happy Nana

Nana and her happy gran-babies