Ash Wednesday

Oh Lent, how we dread your coming each year. The thought of giving something up that is favored and having to remember what days to fast and when not to eat meat. It is sad that people feel this way. We are learning that Lent is a penitential season, but it is also a time to refocus on our love of God. He did this amazing thing by dying and rising. Surely we can take the 40 "days" before the Easter season to truly remember and reflect on how our mortal souls have been saved by the greatest sacrifice known to man?

This year, being very pregnant. I am again pretty much not allowed to do most of the fasting and abstaining from meat. Not that I will be enjoying Steak dinners every Friday or anything. But if I accidentally forget I won't feel so bad that I fed my kids nuggets and enjoyed a few myself. We are planning on taking the kids to a few Fish Frys at church and I already stocked up on fish sticks and beer battered fillets for easy Friday meals.

So instead of focusing on the giving up, I am going to instead do more. I have a lenten reflections book to read each day(and one for the kids somewhere around the house, I am in the process of scouring for it.) and I am going to make praying with my Husband a priority. Kind of important no?

I am also going to be focusing on getting the house cleaner (since I am already in that mode) and to let go of more things. I don't want to feel as if we are drowning in "stuff." I want us to feel like this is our home and not the house that is overloaded with people and the things we bring in it. The focus will be in our Master bedroom, which has come a long way and still has so far to go. But I am hoping a little paint and a real headboard will get us to the point where 99% of the house feels like it is "ours" and we are not just living here for a bit of time. David doesn't understand this about me, but I went to college for Interior Design and living here the past 5+ years with someone elses paint colors on the walls (even if they were ones I could live with for awhile) just drives me batty!

I am also focusing on getting everything ready for the baby. We still need a crib and mattress and to get all the "baby gear" out and prepped and ready. I am going to be going consignment shopping this weekend and hope to fill out a bit of the summer newborn/3 month wardrobe for the little guy and maybe find some other little things for a good price. We got the new infant car seat this Monday at the BRU trade in event. So we can at least bring our baby home, to sleep in the bassinet if we are still deciding on the crib!

So my Lenten To-Do list is:

• Do More, read my reflections book and make praying with David a priority
• Keep purging and reorganizing to make the house work for us
• Paint Master Bedroom
• Purchase a headboard for our bed
• Prep baby things
• Decide on (and hopefully purchase) a crib and mattress

Hopefully all of these things will be crossed off and I can call this season a successful one. I pray your Lent goes just as well.