Just Another Reason That I Love My Friends

Thanks, Mon.

http://catholicmutt.blogspot.com/2009/09/wound-inside.html?showComment=1254162503463#c8031988878042916332

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend, Ryan, Kathleen, Joe, Roman, and I went to the Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge. I was amazed at how many things they had to offer families! What a fun outing with good friends. :)

Also, to give you a little Roman update, these are his latest words and phrases - which you really have to hear in person to get the full effect. He is so funny!

• That's amazing!
• Rock-a-baby (for "rock-a-by-baby")
• Sit down
• Shut the door
• c'mere (come here)
• want some milk
• ok! (this is often a very dramatic word, ie. OOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKK!)
• read
• his current default color is "white". This could be referring to Kim's hair color or a frog.
• too many others to name!

I hope this finds you all enjoying the beautiful fall weather! We are loving it!
God bless you!

The Beautiful Face of Christ

My friend Monica is, in a word, amazing. She is such a Godly woman...warm and winsome :), refreshing to the soul, and encouraging to the spirit. I have the best group of friends anyone could ask for, and I have always struggled to put my feelings about them into words. Monica did a far better job than I ever could have when she wrote this:

The Beautiful Face of Christ

I am setting myself up for failure, and I am taking a risk. There is certainty of failure in that what I want to try to write about can't be captured in words. It's a little like trying to capture the essence of the mountains or the ocean on a 4 by 6 picture. You can't help but take the picture, but you can't help but be disappointed by the result. No matter how many pictures you take and how many different angles, it simply does not do justice to the subject. I am also taking a risk. It's always a risk to write about what you feel, because, after all, someone might read it. Even worse, there is the distinct possibility of becoming sappy as you try to put your feelings into words. I hate sappiness. It makes me want to gag. But, just as I have been compelled to take literally hundreds of pictures of the mountains, I also have to try to write this.
The subject of this little composition is my friends. Now there are friends, and there are friends. These are the friends that everyone wants, but far too few people have. These are the friends that cry with you and laugh with you and laugh at you. These are the friends that are always there to encourage you and that are always there to tell you when you're being stupid. I would try to name names, but how can I? I might miss someone- because I'm good like that- and it doesn't matter anyway, because they all know who they are.
I have had friends before. In high school and college, there are friends all over the place. They're great to hang out with and many of them helped me in my walk with God...but now that I've been out of college a few (five!) years, I find that there are few people that I still keep in touch with. In grad school, I had some wonderful classmates and roommates. I do still keep in touch with them, but if we're not making small talk or talking about physical therapy things, it can get kind of awkward in a real big hurry. There are always those close friends here and there that know all your warts and love you anyway, but this is even bigger than that, though it certainly applies.
How do you even explain what it is? It's a group of people that have come together with a heart for Christ and who want to deeply search for the truth and who want to have a lot of fun along the way. I truly don't know how to explain it, other than to say that it is friendship the way God meant it to be. I remember when my parents made us read about the saints growing up, and I always thought that it was ironic that so many of the saints "happened" to know each other. I am beginning to see that it is more likely that it is a case that each helped (pushed) the others along the way.
That is not to say that we do not have our faults. We get petty and annoyed. We gossip and hurt each other's feelings. At times we even take each other for granted. Yet, there is something there, Someone that is bigger than any one of us.
I feel that I have known these people forever, but the calendar does not agree. It's actually been only a couple of years for me. Let me try to tell you what that's been like for me. At first, it was simply awkward. I can be shy, and I'm definitely introverted, and this was one large, loud group...and we usually end up being packed into someone's small apartment, so it seems like the place is going to bust apart at the seams. Most of them had known each other forever, so I felt like an outsider, and never got all the inside jokes. Yet, somehow, they kept inviting me back, and I always came. I could tell this was a group of people that I wanted to get to know better.
I finally started to get to know the names and faces a little better and start to figure out who fit in where and how. It really got deeper, though, when I started going to the women's Bible study. Every Thursday night, we meet for dinner and time together. Sometimes we even study the Bible. But this has become the place that we talk about anything and everything, from small talk to God, the good, the bad and the ugly. They challenge me, and they have been the means that God has used for my spiritual life to grow by leaps and bounds.
The guys are also very special to me. I wish that all women could be around guys like these. They are guys in that they can be crude and raucous and proud of an especially loud or stinky fart, but they are also manly in a way that few men are. As a woman, I can say that there are few men that are as respectful of women as these guys are. I honestly don't know how they do it, but they have made me see my worth as a woman in a whole new way. I've tried to think of specific examples, but it's all the little things in the way that they show their respect for all of us women. They also unabashedly love and value children, in a society that says children are a nuisance and a bother. I'm not going to lie, though. They have been known to run from a poopy diaper.
I was once accused of being too picky in finding a guy to date. There was a challenge made that maybe my standards were too high and that's why I'm still single, because what I'm looking for doesn't exist. That is not true. They do exist, and I will be single until I find someone that can treat me the way these guys treat their wives/girlfriends.
I love that there is so much talent in this group and the way that it is used to honor God. I love that I know if I spend the weekend with them, Mass will be a priority. I love that when we go to a Mass, or someone's wedding or a baptism, people see us as a group and see something there that is so special that many have commented on it. I love knowing that hanging out and a game of shooting each other with nerf guns may be paused for a serious theological question. I love knowing that these people are my friends now, and that even as the group changes as some move away and others move in and all the other changes that life brings, they will be my friends when we are in eternity with Christ as well. I thank God for them.
How do I explain who these people are? They are my friends. They are my family. They are the beautiful face of Christ in my life.

Thanks, Mon, for taking a risk and letting your heart spill out through this writing. (Hopefully you don't mind that I am posting this, I coudn't help but share your talent and share about the community that we are so blessed to be a part of).

Don't Ask...

...since I know everyone WILL ask...(how could you not, really??)...this was from my friend Monica's birthday. :) Since we have so lovingly nicknamed her "Mon", we decided that a Jamaican-themed birthday celebration was in order. SO, this was the authentic island garb that Adam chose for the evening...somehow it ended up on my son. Although somewhat disturbing, you have to admit - pretty hilarious.

Kim and Andrew are Married!!

YAY!!!

I had the pleasure of being a bridesmaid in my friend Kim's wedding on Friday. She and her husband had an absolutely beautiful ceremony and we are so excited for them. It is always such an awesome experience to attend or be a part of a wedding. It's literally witnessing someone entering into their vocation...for a lifetime! It's not just a fun day, it's life changing...two becoming one in Christ. What a blessing.

I love being married...not that it's always easy by any means...but there is so much grace in living a reflection of the love of Christ for his people. We fall so short, but we are constantly overwhelmed by the way that God so intimately invites us to be a part of his plan for salvation.

Kim and Andrew have been great friends to us for a lot of years...Kim was the maid of honor in our wedding and we have thoroughly enjoyed watching Kim and Andrew's relationship grow over the past couple of years. These people are amazing witnesses to us and to those around them. Kim and Andrew, thanks for waiting. It's so worth it and it's such an inspiration to everyone who knows you! Just to give you a glimpse into the kind of committment they have, not only to one another, but to God, these are the words engraved on their wedding bands: "free total faithful fruitful". These are the qualities of agape love.

Here are a few pictures from Kim and Andrew's big day...the start of their new life together! Here's to many years of love and joy - may you always turn to God in every situation, may you keep the company of good friends and fellow believers, may your children be a gift to you in the most profound way. We love you guys!

My life in Summary (for the past week or so)!

Hello friends! I feel like I have not really written for quite some time! Life has been busy but good. Let me update you on a few of the happenings in the Pometto household over the past couple of weeks:

1. We celebrated Roman's first birthday on June 15! He is getting to be such a big guy...walking and talking like crazy...and thoroughly enjoying his first cake eating experiences! :) Kim made him the amazing little cake (which he has already pretty much demolished) in these pictures.

2. Unfortunately, bad news for #2. :( My poor sister-in-law, Chelsey, (who happens to be almost 8 months pregnant) fell down her stairs last weekend. My brother wasn't home, so not only did Chelsey break her foot in 3 places, but she had to crawl back up her stairs in order to get to her phone and call 911. She is my hero. She has been such a trooper...learning to hop along using a walker because she can't put any weight on her left foot for the next 6 weeks - and crutches are hardly conducive to help balance a woman who is 8 months pregnant! The good news is that she somehow managed to fall in such a way that their baby, Carter, is doing just fine...and her injuries could have been a lot worse, too. Get well soon, Chelsey! (Here is Carter, our little nephew, who we cannot wait to meet!)

3. Back to happy news! We celebrated Kim's bachelorette party last Saturday! We stayed at the Suites of 800 Locust and ate dinner at Centro. Despite the fact that we had to rearrange plans several times due to flooding, we had a blast! SO excited for Kim and Andrew's wedding this Friday!!!

4. Vow of Silence (the band that Joe plays in) had their first show for a really long time on Friday night in Ames! It was so much fun. They played at Bali Satay - where they will be playing a couple more shows over the next couple of months. Also, it was a super exciting show becuase Joe's brother Tony had his debut performance with the band as their bassist. He did a fantastic job and the boys are really excited about playing as a four piece. Joe's sister Mary took some amazing pictures:

Check out the VOS myspace page at: www.myspace.com/vowofsilencemusic

So proud of those boys! I love them so much!!!

5. We have been enjoying summer with Roman. We got him a baby pool for his birthday, but the other day when we went outside to play in it, he enjoyed Joe chasing him around with the hose much more! :) I will post pictures and videos of him soon!


In conclusion, I will try to keep posting about all of the excitement of our lives! I know I'm leaving things out right now, but hopefully I will catch up one of these days. May God bless you all!!

Joseph Benedict Stone....Our Godson!!!

Here is beautiful little baby Joe! We are so excited! He was born on Monday, May 19th, weighing in at 8lb 8oz, 20.5 inches long. We were thrilled to be asked to be his Godparents. Congratulations Suzee and Phil! We love him so much already! What a blessing!

Spring has sprung...

New babies, Roman's first trip to the zoo, bridal showers, and more spring fun are upon us! We have had so many fun events in the last couple of weeks, so here is a link to my facebook photo album because I thought it would be easier than posting a million pictures directly on this page. :) There are a whole bunch of cute pictures of Roman and Joe and me at the zoo, Kim's bridal shower, and Sarah's new baby, Clare! YAY!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2210719&l=1d425&id=16916593

In other fun news, I have the best husband ever! :) I mean, you probably already knew I felt that way, but this weekend Joe is taking me to Kansas City (it's my belated Mother's Day gift!) So fun huh? We are staying at a resort and spa and we will go to the plaza (where we got engaged), and just have a fun weekend together! Joe's sister Mary has moved back to Iowa so she is going to watch Roman for us. I am so excited! I have to find a swimsuit first, though...that I am not so excited about. To me, swimsuits are the worst item of clothing to have to shop for. But, on a positive note, Chrissy told me that she got a really good one at Action Accents in Des Moines...might have to try that.

Roman is finally not hating grass, so it has been a blast to watch him run around outside. He loves to chase bubbles and kick his bouncy ball around the yard. We just had the living room baracading system perfected...not sure you can baracade a yard without a fence, though, so we have to do a lot of chasing.

I hope you're all enjoying spring as much as we are!!