Girls in White Dresses

On this coming Friday, January 13th (the traditional feast of the Baptism of Our Lord) our newest blessing is going to be baptized by his Uncle, who will fly in for a quick overnight visit just for this occasion.

Yesterday morning our oldest two daughters met with our local pastor and were given permission to receive their First Holy Communions (following their First Confessions) this week at the Traditional Latin Mass prior to the Baptism!   It will be such a blessing for them not only to be able to receive these sacraments from one of their Uncles, but also during the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, which is rarely available in our area.  They are both very excited!

Thankfully Hubby has been off work for the past few weeks and was able to really work with the girls on a daily basis, making sure that they were prepared for these sacraments.  I on the other hand haven't had much free time, though I was able to find and order them some First Communion Dresses online and thought I would share them with you all.  Aren't they pretty?!

Dress:  Cinderella Dress  

I purchased these dresses at the amazing price of just $24.99 each from JC Penney's the day after Christmas, thanks to a great sale along with the help of some bonus coupons!  I would have liked to find dresses with sleeves, or have had time to add them, but instead I found a darling shrug/jacket for the girls to wear over the dresses.

Jacket:  White Swirl Faux Fur Shrug Jacket

These were only $22.04 each, after signing up for emails and using the bonus 30% off coupon from Sophia's Style.   I thought this jacket would be perfect for our cold January weather!

Veil:  Beautiful Rose First Communion Headpiece with Veil, White

These veils seemed to match the dresses nicely.   We also liked that it had a nice long 30" veil, and how can you go wrong with roses!? 

Please keep the girls in your prayers this week, as they continue to prepare their souls to receive Our Lord for the very first time!

On the 12th Day of Christmas

A Delicious Twelfth Night Rum Cake...

... complete with three chocolate coins, one to represent each of the three gifts brought by the Magi to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

We had two very excited children (Captain & Twinkle Toes) who found coins in their cake.  The last coin has yet to be discovered, but I'm sure the leftovers won't last long... This cake is so yummy!

Our Completed "They Come Bearing Gifts" Jigsaw Puzzle

The night ended with a sweet Christmas play performed by our children.  I wish I would have recorded it on video... They were so creative, especially with all their costumes and props found around the house!

Happy Epiphany!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life.

{pretty}

Sweet little girls in pretty new nightgowns, saying "Happy Birthday" to Baby Jesus on Christmas morning. 

{happy}

The girls have been so happy to have another new home* (in addition to their Castle and Fairy Forest Lodge) for their Calico Critters!   

(*and I am very happy to have been able to sell all my old Cookie Lee inventory, which has been sitting in my closet for two years, to a new consultant for just enough to pay for the dollhouse! Less clutter in my closet and a beautiful heirloom quality doll house for the girls!  Yay!!)

{funny}

I knew that the girls would love their new Marie-Grace and Cecile Mini Dolls, but I had no idea that this bonnet, which Twinkle Toes also found in her stocking, would be such a hit...  She has been wearing it practically ALL the time! I should have ordered one for Chiquita too!

{real}

A little glimpse of Christmas Morning at our home...  

I have more pictures I'd like to share from Christmas Day, but I'm not making any promises.  In fact the only reason I have another post this morning is because I created this one last night, just before realizing that it was still only Wednesday, and quickly creating this post instead!  ;)

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment!

Two Weeks and Two Days...

Our little Bud spent a few moments this afternoon on one of his new super cute Quilties, made by his soon-to-be Texan Godmother, following his two week check-up.  Isn't it darling?!

And, of course, Snuggles immediately joined him and thinks the "Cowboy" Quiltie is so neat!  Snuggles just can't get enough of his new little brother, even though "he sure loves his mommy the best!"  

Bud is doing well and weighed just one ounce less than his birthweight at 7 pounds 4 oz!   Considering that he nurses pretty much hourly, except for 1 or 2 two hour stretches, both day and night, I'm sure he will be there in no time!

Goodnight, God Bless!

Christmas Eve in Pictures

~ Completing our Puzzle ~

Our second puzzle, the Holy Family Jigsaw Puzzle, finished just in time for Christmas.  This one was much harder than the last, at least for the border and the stained glass windows which I had to finish.  

We started the puzzle on the 18th, just before I left for the hospital, and the girls continued working on it while I was gone.  They completed most of the little scenes (which they loved) and almost all of the middle.  Now if we could just find that last piece that went missing while I was gone...

~ Singing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel ~ 

~ Enjoying our favorite Christmas Gift ~ 

~ Christmas Cookies and a Visit from some of my Siblings ~ 

~ New Pajamas on Christmas Eve ~ 

~ Visiting the Manger after Midnight Mass ~

~ Not a Creature was Stirring ~ 

After setting up some of the boys' train set on the new train table for Snuggles, we were finally ready for a little sleep at 5am Christmas morning!  Even though they were both worth it, two all-nighters in one week are two too many!  ;) 

Gingerbread Fun on New Year's Eve!

Since we didn't have a chance to decorate Gingerbread Houses on Christmas Eve this year, we decided it would be the perfect way to spend New Year's Eve!

Snuggles was just as excited as last year, when he saw all the supplies!

It was also the perfect opportunity for Bud to wear his new outfit, specially picked out and purchased as a Christmas gift from his oldest brother! 

Rose helped me set everything up, while the older kids attended (and the boys served) an afternoon wedding/Mass in town.  

The kids were thrilled that two of their uncles, my youngest two brothers, were able to join us for the evening. 

 

 

Here are this year's finished Gingerbread Houses:

The Snowball Factory by Captain

The Cozy Resort by Rascal

At the Church for my First Holy Communion by Twinkle Toes

The Nativity by Chiquita

Little House on the Prairie by Snuggles and Daddy

Rose Cottage by Rose and Momma

Kevin's House by Uncle Kevin

The Golf Course Clubhouse by Uncle David

Wishing you all a very Happy and Blessed 2012!