With My Sisters
Mood:  a-ok
Ok, so I'm writing on my break from work (which isn't very long to say the least). I've moved in with the Sisters and sort of had a baptism by fire so to say. My first day there was Sunday of last week and I've only been there a week. This past weekend I was up in Toledo with the Sisters in formation and those who are in charge of formation. Some told me that I just "made the cut" to make it to the gathering as it's only for people who are doing live-ins through Junior professed Sisters. Anyways, I had a blast!

The Sister that did the talks was from their Chardon Province and her name is Sr Melannie Svoboda...she's written many books and was an awesome speaker to say the least.

Well, gotta go. Break's over. Will write more later.

Here's a picture of the group that gathered in Toledo.

Turning a Page
Now Playing: Rerun episode of Full House
Please pray for me as I start my live-in with the Sisters of Notre Dame tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, but I think it will be ok. I'm actually looking forward to getting to talk with the Sisters that I'll be living with a little more than I have been able to. I only met them a week or so ago.

The day that I met them for the first time, there was a rainbow in the sky. I took it as a sign....a sign that it's all going to be ok.

Happy New Year!
Mood:  a-ok
I just got back from the New Years Eve party at the Heights and it was nice. I went at 4:30 to join them for prayer and then we ate chili for dinner and played games.

We played Chinese Checkers and a game called Sequence. It was really interesting because I was a bit rusty at Chinese Checkers as I hadn't played since I was really little. I'd never played Sequence before today, I don't think. It was complicated.

Only a week until I move in with the Sisters. I'm more excited than nervous now.

I got a new car. It's like the one that I drove when I rented a car and drove to Chardon.

Peace,
Anne

Moving Forward
Mood:  happy
Well, I've finally met the Sisters that I'll be living with. They were very nice. That day was really hectic though. Since I've been packing and moving things, I had nothing to wear. So, my boss found some things that I could wear and I spent some time trying things on. I was quite embarressed about that whole situation. My boss and one of the other Sisters wanted to see how I'd look in everything I tried on. Eep! They told me that I would need to get used to wearing things like suits. Yeah, that's going to take a little getting used to...

Anyways, I do admit what they found for me to wear looked nice. I ended up in a sweater, a skirt, and a blouse.

I was really nervous when I went to meet the Sisters that I'm going to be living with. They seemed nice and I believe that I'll get used to being there. They have a really cute, though hyper, dog. I spent alot of time playing with the dog as did some of the other Sisters around the table.

Before I went inside, we (my boss and I) saw a rainbow. I take that as a sign from God. God is good and everything is under His control.

Peace!

A Light
Mood:  bright
I finally know where I'll be living for the next few months. I'm really excited about it, but I really haven't gotten the chance to meet the Sisters that I'll be living with yet. I could probably only pull one of them out of a line-up.

I'm excited and I'm nervous. What a combination. I've got butterflies in my stomach and a feeling to run, but my prayer has been that since God got me this far, He'd have to hold me down and help me during this part of the journey. I know that He will take care of me.

Anyways, I met with the vocation director the other day...actually she kinda snuck up on me as I was praying in the chapel... Pretending to be the voice of Our Lady and telling me to follow her... Ha! That got me thinking.

I finally got the chance to WANDER in that chapel, something that I'd been aching to do for a long time, but there was always someone in there and I didn't want to disturb their prayers. I got a good look at the stations of the cross in there and they were awesome. There are some very symbolic things in each of the carvings (if that's what you call them) of each station. I really did some great wandering reflection until one of the Sisters came in to pray. I don't like being a distraction, so I stopped wandering when that Sister walked in.

I am excited to meet the Sisters that I'll be living with. I can identify one of them, but the other two names don't ring a bell. I am looking forward to getting to know them all.

So, there's also going to be a dog where I'll be living. That's going to be cool. I hope that I like the dog.

Well, I'll close for now.

A Part of Something
Mood:  chillin'
I got invited to go with the women in formation to Toledo. I think that it's wonderful that I was invited! I'm really excited about it. I will get to see some of the other novices and see who else is in formation. That will be interesting.

I'm still in the process of moving things from my apartment to my parents' house for storage. I'm looking at things to see what all I can get rid of and what I might still need. I'm super nervous, but excited at the same time. I wonder where I will live. I wonder what the people who I will live with are like.

I need lots of prayers.

Strange Dreams
Mood:  happy
Last night as I was sleeping to recover from a sore throat, I had some really interesting dreams.

First I dreamed that I was back in college and I forgot how to get to where I was living. My friend Jessica was with me. I've had dreams like that before, and usually they have to deal with my fear of being lost. While I was looking for where I lived, I lost my silver ring that says "God is Love". I was upset about losing this ring and looked all over for it. I found two similar rings which had sayings about God on them, but not my ring with that particular saying.

Then I dreamed that I was back up in Chardon and the Sisters were having some sort of party. My friend Jessica was still with me and so were some of the members of my family. I dreamed that I was looking for Sr Sandra and I couldn't find her. I dreamed that I just went ahead and joined in the festivities.

Happy Turkey Day!
Mood:  cool
I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving! I'm currently at my parents' house. The festivities have not started yet, but my sister and brother-in-law are supposed to come over as well as my brother. I wonder if my brother invited his girlfriend to come.

Please pray for me as I am taking my next step in January and moving into a live-in community with the Sisters. I am excited and very nervous and scared all at the same time. You'll all probably hear more about that in the coming month.

Right now, I'm focused on trying to move things from my apartment back into my parents' house. I'm finally getting into the groove of that. I've moved out all of my wall hangings except the crosses. I'll move those out last.

I wonder what the local community that I'll be living with will be like. I'm excited about being able to join them for prayer and to live with them day to day. I just don't know where I'm going to be living or with whom yet. Talk about taking a leap of faith.

I've been reflecting on Our Lady alot lately. I wonder if she had a million questions as she faced what God asked of her. She said YES to everything....what a wonderful model to have. I wonder if she was ever afraid and nervous and excited like I feel.

Confusion
Mood:  quizzical
Well, I'll be doing a live-in with the Sisters in January, but I don't know where or with whom. That's scary in my textbook. This is all in God's hands. I'm scared as heck.

How did Mother Mary handle all of this? I'm sure she had lots of questions for the angel and turned alot of them towards God. I need to pray to be more like her. I bet she was really scared at first too.

I was on retreat on Saturday with the Sisters and some of the associates. It was really nice. We sang alot and also did alot of reflection. We also lit candles in memory of a person who has been a big part of our lives and a big influence. I lit it for my grandma.

A couple of the Sisters and some of the associates said that they'd pray for me. There was a real warmth there. I really felt as if I belonged.

All Nerves
Mood:  special
Now Playing: Radio is on
I'm nervous...tomorrow's the day that my parents will meet my vocation director. I don't know who that's going to be more scary for...me, her, or them. I've tried to prep my vocation director for what my parents might do or say. Mainly, my mom still thinks Religious Life is a cult, and my dad likes to tell jokes about nuns and their rulers. I don't know if Sister knows what she's gotten herself into.

And since there will be four of us in the restaraunt, I wonder how we'll sit. My mom and dad will probably want to sit together, so that puts me on Sister's side. I won't be able to observe her reactions too easily then, but I'll be able to see what my parents' reactions to her will be. She's an extrovert, so this lunch conversation promises to be exciting. There's not a dull moment with an extrovert. My dad's one too, so I think that they'd hit it off. I wonder about my mom though.

So, I know that my vocation director will be nervous about driving up close to where my parents live. I hope to maybe get to the restraunt a little before everyone else to get a place.

Please pray for me that this all goes well.