Outside my window...
It has been cold, rainy, and cloudy, but the kids have been enjoying playing inside with all their new toys, including the
little set of stacking sun blocks that they received as an
O Antiphon gift this year!
As you can see, all blocks make excellent cellphones!
 |
"Hi Dada!" |
I am thinking...
about how quickly the past year flew by... How did our baby turn one already?! He continues to bring so much joy to our family!
Bud was waiting for Rose to push the button on one of our musical ornaments.
Each time she did he would sit up and start bouncing (dancing). It was so cute!
I am thankful...
that my sister JoAnn was willing to babysit so we could take the oldest two on an "
Unexpected Journey" to see The Hobbit!
I was also very thankful that David (my youngest brother) and I were able to get in to the movie too!
David and I were going to meet Sean and the boys at the theatre, since they (JoAnn & David) were running a little late getting to our house, and when we got to the theater the line was so long and the last tickets sold to the people in line a couple groups in front of us... They told us sorry and I got out of line and called home - to give my sister a hard time! ;) Anyways, I went back to the ticket booth to ask if I could at least go inside to tell my husband (who was going to try and save seats for us) that we wouldn't be joining them. She asked how many there were of us and when I told her "just us two" she said that there were only two seats in the whole theater left and they probably weren't together, or anywhere near my husband. She said we could go in and see, and come back and purchase the tickets. The theater was PACKED, but an usher walked over to us and directed us to the two seats, which were
right next to my family!!!
Note: Had Sean and I previewed the movie we probably wouldn't have taken the boys, but thankfully they had finished listening to the book and knew what to expect. They absolutely LOVED the movie and are still telling us that it wasn't "too scary" for them!
.jpg) |
Kevin (18), David (16), Mary (20), Jessica (old), and JoAnn (20) |
After the movie I went on another unexpected journey (after coming back home to nurse the baby and get him to bed) - this time to the bowling alley with my four youngest siblings and some of their friends. It was so much fun, even if it made me feel
really old! ;)
Learning all the time...
As much as I am enjoying our Christmas break, I am starting to look forward to getting back to our
school work and
normal routines next week. We still have quite a few things that I would like to complete before the end of our 2nd quarter on January 25th!
Celebrating the liturgical year...
I meant to share about
this lovely set of Ornaments for the 12 Days of Christmas before Christmas, but just never had a chance. I love that they focus on the faith filled meaning behind each of the gifts in "The 12 Days of Christmas" song. Perhaps consider
ordering a set now, to have ready for next Christmas! They tie in nicely to our
12 Days of Christmas Lap Book.
From the kitchen...
Chiquita, (my sister) Julianna, and I all worked on this Gingerbread Nativity on Christmas Eve, while Rascal made
his own Gingerbread creation.
Snuggles, Twinkle Toes, and Rose also assembled houses, but they are still waiting to be decorated. With all of our company and getting ready for Midnight Mass, finishing the gingerbread houses wasn't hight on the list of things to do this year! Maybe we will get back to them, maybe not...
I am working on...
sorting through my pictures from Christmas Day, rather slowly! I haven't wanted to "waste" any of this glorious Christmas break in front of the computer. I will have plenty of time to catch up on emails and blogging next week, when my husband is away on training...
I am creating...
not much at the moment, but I do have plans for the new
Knit and Weave Loom Kit that Sean gave me for Christmas! Just as soon as I can pick up some yarn from the craft store.
I am going...
to miss having the twins in town! Mary left today and is headed back to Texas, and JoAnn left a couple days ago to get back to work and college. I think I need to plan a couple trips to visit them!
I am hoping...
that I am not allergic to our cat... Our kids love him so and (as much as he drives me crazy) I would hate to have to get rid of him. I am still waiting for my referral to the allergist, but I had another allergic reaction late last night (for no apparent reason, after brushing my teeth and drinking a glass of water). Thankfully I had some Zyrtec on hand this time.
I am praying...
with the help of my beautiful new prayerbook - Mother Love! Originally published in 1888, it was just
republished by Angelus Press.
I am reading...
A Darcy Christmas and the
various books by Karen Witemeyer. I've also been flipping through my new
2013 Day Planner! My dear Mother-in-Law sends me a new copy every year and it is my favorite. I use it for planning out all of our feast day celebrations and it sits next to my computer for easy reference!
Pondering these words...
spoken by Bishop Cramer which I read in my copy of Mother Love:
"O, that we could proclaim throughout the whole world and impress deeply upon the heart of every mother the words: PRAY! Pray incessantly! Pray earnestly and fervently for your children."
I am listening...
The boys have been having so much fun assembling all their new lego sets while listening to hours and hours of
The Hobbit and
Fellowship of the Ring! (The unabridged versions narrated by Rob Inglis are excellent! Thank you for
the recommendations!)
By the end of Christmas Day the boys had finished listening to
The Hobbit and building
The Hobbit Home (we decided not to save it and switched it out with a different set to save for February) and
Barrel Escape among other things!
Around the house...
lots of kiddos in new Christmas Pajamas... Christmas morning just gets better every year!
One of my favorite things...
This gorgeous St. Francis Tenner, which I gave to my mom for Christmas, was made by
Barbara. My mom loved it so much that she said she'd like to order Tenners for each of her children for their birthdays this year. That's a lot of Tenners! ;)
This week's plans...
Monday :: New Year's Eve Party
Tuesday :: New Year's Day and Mass (Holy Day of Obligation)
Wednesday - Thursday :: Enjoy the rest of our Christmas Break
Friday :: Mass and Brunch with Father C.
Saturday :: Attend the Vigil Mass and take down our Christmas tree...
(Unless I want to figure out how to do it myself this year!) Our Nativity Sets will remain out until February 2nd -
Candlemas Day.
Sunday :: Celebrate Epiphany; Sean leaves in the early morning for another training session... He will be gone for three weeks. Please keep us in your prayers!
A little peek at my day...
Headed to the pizza parlor (a couple days after Christmas) to visit with relatives from out of state...
(And wearing my favorite new neck warmer! Thank you Jacqui! I love it, and what a fun surprise!!)