It's so hard for me to leave them....

I went on retreat last weekend.  The week before the retreat was tough: super busy and overscheduled.  For me, that is a terrible combination.  I hate disappointing people.  And I get crabby when I'm tired.  And for most of the week I was thinking about how I was going to be away from my loves for the entire weekend.  Friday came, and Pia helped me pack and put my bag by the door (super weird!).  Dulce kept her composure as I left.  I kept mine, but barely.

I knew they were in good hands with their wonderful dad.  I headed off with good friends to a "silent" retreat.  It was fruitful in many ways-such a beautiful location to spend time with our Lord.  And Lent is such a good time to go on retreat.  My first retreat since I've been a mother.  Some things I want to remember from the retreat:
-balancing is important, everything should be running at a B level and prayer at an A
-Redwoods!
-the answers that God gave me to the questions of my heart
-Love is how you sanctify everything, doing things with love
I came back (not feeling great, and exhausted!)

and found my family to be doing great (hooray!).  We were all a little bit tired, and I'm still not caught up on my laundry and housework.  I think Pia missed me the most.  I told her how much I missed her and she told me she missed me more.  More than I missed her.  I called her Big Nutbrown Hare.  I told her I missed her all the way to the moon.  She told me she missed me all the way to the middle of the sky. (Ron laughed at her).

It has been a freezing week, even though it is the first week of Spring.  Poor Pia is so disappointed, she had such high hopes for lovely weather in Spring.  I felt compelled to deep clean the bedrooms and bathrooms and they entertained themselves by jumping on everything and running around like the crazy, cooped up kids that they are.  Pia put all of Dulce's clothes on her baby dolls but spent the entire day in her undies and tights (don't worry Pia, there is a picture!).

Today we had corned beef and cabbage for dinner and I made Irish soda bread.  We went to dinner at Nana's for St. Patrick's Day so we had another little celebration today, just us.  We are Irish, so it is fitting.  Ron's grandparents came from Ireland and I'm half-Irish or so.  I asked Pia if she knew where Nana C is from and she said, "Yeah, Iowa."

By the time I got home from retreat, our "We Have A POPE!" sign had been completely decorated.  Someone even gave Pope Francis some new purple glasses.  He looked good.  (Thanks Pia.  Missed you all the way to Heaven.)  Goodness, I love my family and I am so glad to be home with them!