Haiti :)

I meant to post before now, but my break has gotten away from me. I leave for Haiti tomorrow, so I will post when I get back :)

Current Countdowns:

2 days until finals are over, which means HOME SWEET HOME!!
4 days until Yates Christmas
10 days until Christmas
13 days until Haiti
89 days until Spring Break
109 days until Easter Break
124 days until Dad’s Ordination
145 days until Bridge the Gap
160 days until Graduation
161 days until Baby Painter is due
162 days until Twin’s birthday
203 days until my first day of grad school

I'll love you forever, Twin

Tomorrow one of my best friends will be having surgery. Gabrielle, or as I like to call her, my twin... has a Chiari malformation. A Chiari malformation is a structural defect in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. When the indented bony space at the lower rear of the skull is smaller than normal, the cerebellum and brainstem can be pushed downward. The resulting pressure on the cerebellum can block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and can cause a range of symptoms including dizziness, muscle weakness, numbness, vision problems, headache, and problems with balance and coordination.

Unfortunately this week is finals week with me, so I won't be able to be in Chicago with her for the week as I would like. My prayer for her is that God will watch over her as she goes through the surgery and during her recovery. I also pray that the Lord will be with the surgeon as he operates on her. And lastly, that He will be with her family.

Twin, I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my twin you will be. Don't forget your prayers. I love you Gabbo!

Also, it's my Granny's 85th birthday tomorrow. So a special Happy Birthday wish goes out to my Granny. I hope it is wonderful!

This specific post is for my brother, Matthew. To the rest of you, it probably won’t have much meaning.

I’ve always been a huge believer in signs. When I pray, I ask for a sign, to let me know that my prayer has been heard. It may not be answered the way I would like for it to be, but when I see a sign, I know it has at least been heard.

So… when I went home for Thanksgiving break, I found a Novena that my Mom had given to me during my freshman year of college. It was the Novena on the Spirituality of St. Therese. For those of you reading this that don’t know what a Novena is, it is a nine day prayer for a certain intention. The day before I left to come back (it was Saturday) to Quincy for school, I decided I was going to pray this Novena.

My mother loves St. Therese, not only because it is her patron saint, but also because of the wonderful example she has set. St. Therese is known as “The Little Flower.” One of her quotes is, “I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven, doing good on earth.”

On Thursday, I got an email from my Mom… I am one of five kids, so a lot of times she writes to all of us in one email. This is what part of it said:

Dear Kids,

I find that I have less and less time all the time, but I wanted to write a few lines. Several days ago when I went outside I saw a pink rose bud. I thought it was ironic that it was budding when it was so cold out, but then I do believe in miracles! Today when dad went out he noticed that it had bloomed! It has been freezing temperatures and we have strong blowing wind, so it certainly isn't the right weather for roses. But I wanted each one of you to know that if you have been praying for something or just turning things over to God, He (along with St. Therese the Little Flower) has sent a rose our way. I simply believe that there is no other reason for it, other than to give us hope! So, say a prayer of thanks tonight, for whatever it may be.

Love, Mom



I told my Mom about the Novena I had started praying, and she also told me that my oldest brother, Matthew had called home saying he was praying for something too and he felt like the rose it was also a sign for him. So this is it. The rose was my reminder that I need to keep an open heart and open eyes to all that He is trying to tell me!