mum2twelve... now My Bakers Dozen

I'm moving...

2011-01-04T05:43:00.000-05:00

...to a new blog. And here is one of my most recent posts on it. WHY am I moving you might well ask? Well, I wanted a forum where I have more options while designing my blog. And wordpress seems to offer me that and eventually I can host a website through them on a server of my choice (Have I explained that correctly - I think the person for me to ask is Beyond Pearls because that is what she has done!)

I have been toying with the idea of new blog since I knew I was expecting number thirteen (number 20 if we count the babies who bypassed earth and went straight through Mary's loving embrace to Jesus!) After all - if I did not loose that precious baby as well... mum2twelve would no longer fit as my blogger identity. But I had been mum2twelve for so long it was hard to leave that identity.

Once I was ready I decided to do more than just rename my blog. So without further adieu - I introduce my new blog:

Our Bakers Dozen - formerly mum2twelve.

(Note it is still under construction but all of my posting will now take place there and you can easily subscribe to it through a subscription link on the right at the top! Hope to see you over there...)

update as of January 4th of 2011: still blogging over at wordpress but seriously considering meshing the two together somehow... not sure how though. Interestingly the Jesse Tree post (below) - posted itself and is undeletable - if that is a word??? SO I am reposting this post as I think many are using it to find their way to my newer blog.

See ya over there.... :-)

ignore

Anniversary of the passing of a beloved Father

2011-01-01T17:33:00.000-05:00

From January 31st 2006

Last night at about 11:35, the phone rang in the darkness and I struggled to reach over the baby before the ringing woke her, while also trying not to wake her myself. I wondered briefly as I stared at the letters UNKNOWN CALLER flashing on the face of the phone if the culprit for this late night call was perhaps another customer on the West coast, forgetting that because it was 8:30 pm his time, this did not mean it was still 8:30 pm here on the East coast. I clicked the answer button, and heard a male voice just trailing off with my nineteen old son answering; “Un momento “. I then heard his foot steps heavy on the stairs, our door open and saw his shadow begin to pass me a second phone.

Realizing this was likely a call from Argentina, the one we have been expecting and dreading for months, Hugo took the phone instead. It was his brother-in-law David who, after announcing who was calling, said to Hugo:

“Don Erico no es con nostros nada mass.”

Don was a title of respect reserved within the family for only Hugo’s father and was used by much of the community whether talking to, or speaking of him. He was a man who commanded respect and was, if not loved by all, deeply cherished. His loss will be sorely felt, and I suspect his funeral well attended. Sadly Hugo will not be able to return to Argentina for it, and it is in this regard that we grieve most for Hugo while he grieves alone without the comfort and support of his 6 siblings and mother. They will have each other to share the memories and stories of Abuelo and the familiarity of the daily routine without his presence t0 acclimatize them to their loss. Hugo will not.

We did not have the fortune of meeting Abuelo due to the distance and expense of traveling with such a large family. We have spoken to our family in Argentina by phone, exchanged emails lately, as well as letters and photos but we have come to know Abuelo more though Hugo’s memories and stories than by correspondence.

Don Erico Teodoro Luis was the husband of Lidia for over 50 years, the father of 8 children, 7 surviving. He was the grandfather of 29 grandchildren and I am uncertain of how many great grand children. He was a tower of strength and worked hard providing for his family until his very last years. And in those last years, he suffered much, but silently, an example to all. I will be forever sad not to have been able to meet him in person in this life time.

My one comfort that I hope to be able to share with our children is that with his passing on, we can now speak to him all the time, at any time. We may not be able to hear his reply, but we can be assured of his hearing us and praying for us. In this way, he is more present to us now than he was in life. God rest his soul.

Don Erico Teodoro Luis November 8, 1915 - January 30, 2006

Even though it has been five years since his passing and much has changed, another child born in our family... as well as grandchildren added; who are Don Erico's American born great grand children, he is still thought of often. His portrait has a place of honour on our mantel in the formal living room. And a place of honour in all our hearts.

Jesse Tree - Fourth Thursday in Advent

2010-12-23T05:39:00.001-05:00

Thursday:
Reading: Matthew1:18-25
Todays' reading is about Joseph learning that Mary is with child and the dream he receives from the Lord encouraging him to marry Mary.

22Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, " GOD WITH US."

(Mathew 1:22- 23)

Symbol is a hammer and saw - representing Joseph's part in the story as a carpenter.

The link to the symbols for the fourth week is here.

IGNORE

three birthdays...

2010-02-11T09:47:00.006-05:00

...and we managed to cram them all in the shortest month of the year.

The twins... four years apart!

Well okay - this is not a picture of one of my February birthday girls but rather of her beautiful daughter - Lydia... just couldn't resist posting such a cute face! Her mum is on my banner dancing with Nathaniel on the occasion of her marriage! But if I had Jenny's baby pictures on my computer... I think we would see a lot of resemblance. Same blond hair, chubby cheeks and blue eyes!

Tomorrow brings an important announcement that you will NOT want to miss. See you then and I promise you will not be disappointed. Surprised, yes, but not disappointed!

ignore

credit card heaven

2010-02-10T05:02:00.001-05:00

Four year old Elsa carefully adjusting a full deck of playing cards into the waist of her skirt asked Emma if she liked them. Before Emma could answer I asked Elsa if she knew what they were. "Yes", she said "they are my credit cards!"

A little taken aback I asked her if she knew what credit cards are.

"Oh yes" she said, "they help you do things - like drive."

"Well" I said, "you must be planning on doing a lot of driving then." She just grinned and patted them tenderly.

7 yr old Emma piped up and said proudly: "I KNOW what credit cards are."

"So what are they?" I asked.

"Well," she said, taking in a deep breath; "They have money on them and they help you not waste your dollars when you buy stuff..." (I wish that was so - don't you?!)

Elsa then walked out of the room admiring her wad of credit cards still tucked in her waist band.
"I just love, love, love my credit cards. I just have a TON of them!"

I hope her husband is very, very, very rich or he is going to have a very difficult life keeping her in the "style" she seems to be acquiring!!

ignore

What's roast pork without potatoes...

2010-02-09T05:43:00.000-05:00

or "Where can 10 lbs of Potatoes Hide?

It was four pm and time to prepare the meat if I wanted the roast pork ready for our Sunday dinner. I ambled into the kitchen where all was quiet because a friend had borrowed most of the kids and taken them back to her house. Hugo opened the roast and placed it in the roaster while I assembled the chief ingredients for the roast and side dishes.
Apples & onions - check
Spices from the spice drawer - check
corn - check, but will take the bags out of the freezer later
potatoes....

Here is where I ran into a problem. The 10 lb bag of potatoes was not in the pantry nor in the storage area on the other side of the pantry... A little concerned I began to retrace the path from the van to the kitchen wondering if the potatoes had been deposited somewhere along the route and forgotten before their handler could put them away. Nope, a few shoes were found along the route but nothing resembling 10 lbs of potatoes.

Retraced the route checking for deviations - had the person charged with bringing in the potatoes left them in the school room, under the dining room table or even perhaps the bathroom? All are areas along the possible paths traversed from the van to the kitchen. Nope - nary a potato to be seen. Not even a peel. Went out and scouted out the van and porch praying that with the sub zero temps we have been having of late that the potatoes had not been left in either spot.

Nada... somewhat relieved but very frustrated by this mysterious disappearance I returned to the house where the air was beginning to be perfumed by the odor of apples and onions baking in the oven. Time was running out to have these potatoes peeled and boiled in time to whip them into buttery mashed potatoes and what's pork roast without potatoes?

Now Hugo and began to search our memories... had we actually remembered to put them in the van? I had no memory of them save putting them originally in my cart. Hugo was 98 % sure he'd put them in the van. Listening to our puzzled voices Emma suddenly piped up and said "Tanny and I were trying to decide who would bring them in and HE said he would, so he picked them up - I saw him bring them inside..."

Well, that was comforting to know BUT where had he ~~hid~~ put them. I went to the front door and stood there while I asked myself if I were a nine year old boy, possibly distracted, where might I put the potatoes? From the front door I spied the stairs and sent Emma to check Nathaniel's bedroom. She was back in seconds dragging the 10 lb bag of spuds behind her.

Mystery solved.... dinner prep resumed. And, yes, the pork roast WAS fabulous and the potatoes even better!

ignore

50 rules...

2010-02-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

that the schools won't teach your kids and here are thirteen of the rules as found on Larger Family Life – a blog I discovered today via Happy Housewife.

Rule 1: Life is not fair; get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called any chance to work an opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents’ generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

Rule 12: Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic. Next time you’re out cruising, watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That’s what you look like to anyone over 20. Ditto for “expressing yourself” with purple hair and/or pierced body parts.

Rule 13: You are not immortal. (See Rule No. 12.) If you are under the impression that living fast, dying young, and leaving a beautiful corpse is romantic, you obviously haven’t seen one of your peers at room temperature lately.

(Although often attributed to Bill Gates, the above rules were written by Charles J Sykes in his book “50 Rules Kids Won’t Learn in School“.)

PS Larger Family Life is having a contest where you can win this book but you don’t really want to know about that now do you – because the more of you who do… the smaller chance I have of winning what sounds like a great AND funny book!

ignore

Morning Offering

2010-02-08T08:04:00.002-05:00

found in Conversations With God

"May the whole of our day, our prayer and our work take their strength from you and always begin with you O Lord, and may all that we have begun through you reach a happy conclusion."

A Lenten activity I am planning on doing this year. Only thing left to decide is whether we will do it only on Friday or throughout all of Lent... (Thank you M.T. for sharing this with me!)

IGNORE

another great post...

2010-02-07T05:50:00.000-05:00

... if I must say so myself! Ever thought of an onion as an inspiration? Well, apparently Mothering Sunshine has. Click here to read all about it.

(And no, I have not had time to edit and post the graduation pictures. Hopefully soon!)

ignore

URGENT!!!

2010-02-06T18:03:00.003-05:00

Mothering Sunshine and company is suffering from cabin fever and asking for Boredom Busters. To help her out click here and leave a comment with your favorites things to do on a rainy day when you are 18 months old and tired of all your toys and even mummy is getting a bit... umm stir crazy with cabin fever!

what is it...

2010-02-06T05:06:00.000-05:00

...about babies feet that cause us to kiss them and eat them all up?
They are just so irresistible, are they not?

(Photo credit: This image was found here.)

Can I go to bed yet???

2010-02-05T14:06:00.003-05:00

or : A break down of my day and it's not one yet...

1) try to secure my seat belt this morning by inserting my car keys into the receptor for the seat buckle
(good point - I did not break the receptor or whatever it's called)

2) Realizing my error I reach back and to grab seat belt and put it on... and then immediately reach back to try to put it on a second time...

3) Got ready to back up by shifting gear and looking backwards, Lift foot from brake peddle and pause before applying gas as van typically backs up a bit by itself once in reverse. Van does not do so. Check emergency brake (with foot still lightly resting on gas peddle)
Yup - emergency break already released. Seriously confused I look at gear - I'm in drive and about 3 feet from a store window. I'll leave the possibilities I narrowly avoided to your imagination.

4) Get home from dropping Hugo off at work and checked email discovering:
a) bank account overdrawn and pay cheque NOT deposited????
b) ezfile is rejecting my tax return because someone in the tax department has spelled our last name wrong for two of the children...

5) while following Turbo tax's directions to remedy situation I receive phone call from Hugo - paycheque is lost in cyber space and new ETA is NEXT TUESDAY! Any other week this would not have been a problem as I typically have a cushion in my checking and $$$ in my savings... this week I had zip due to the expences of our trip to Kentucky! Was planning to rebuffer every thing this pay period....

6) Mozilla crashes and as I attempt to open my picture folder - multiple software programs open simultaniously. Lose my temper big time and work very hard not to yell at kids for something they have not done. Tell little ones it's better to stay away from mummy as possible as I'm very upset and liable to yell at them for absolutely nothing. They listen and leave the room... quickly.

7) Trying to ressurect the day I go to grocery store to buy a few groceries and forget a few essentials even while thinking about their necessity.

8) Pay for groceries and leave store calling a friend to gripe about my miserable day. Look for my cell phone while talking on it - with intention of unlocking van with it. Don't know about you - but my cell phone does NOT actually unlock my van. (Maybe some day ... but not yet!)

9) Fish out keys in pouring rain, unlock van and throw keys onto drivers seat. While still griping to sympathetic friend, load the meagre load of groceries and put wallet on front passenger seat, hit the auto lock and close van door and head (still in poring rain and -1 c temps) over to drivers side of van and grab door handle...

10) reread # 9 if you haven't yet realized my current problem.

11) Tell my friend about the new problem facing me. She offers (good friend that she is) to come out in freezing rain to get spare key from kids and bring it to me.

12) Think about buying coffee to keep warm and remember wallet is in van

13) call kids to tell them to get spare key from my dresser.... they don't answer. Send them text threatening to cancel their phone line and I get a return call within seconds.

14) Friend pulls up in front of store and tells me she has my van key BUT is holding it hostage... unless I let her buy me a coffee... Given my options how could I refuse? We each get a hot mocha and chat in parking lot for forever. Someone who was looking into a mess up with some scheduled payments calls me with some good news about them and I feel like - "okay hot mocha AND good news: my day is getting better".

15) Get home, kids put away groceries and laugh with me over the stupid things I have done all day.

16) Check my email.... ezfile has refused my return AGAIN... Turbo tax wants me to refile... I ask "helpful Tina" in the chat box what I should do - only to realize I am talking to a computer and not a real person. Decide to print and mail my return and just accept the incredible delay that means....

17) Printer prints two pages of my return and decides its going to Tahiti for a vacation and will not print the rest of my return. (By now I'm feeling someone in cyber space is holding my return HOSTAGE... but unlike my good friend is not willing to buy ME a coffee for its release!)

18) Its only 1 pm.... and I am dreading the rest of the day. Seriously considering going back to bed and calling it a day before I do something else stupid.... or something else goes wrong!

UPDATE was finally able to convince printer that it could indeed print while in Tahiti. But only if I sent it one page at a time....

Final Tally: Murphy's law 15 Christi 3

(looking for Lawyer to sue pants off of Mr Murphy for pain and suffering as well as financial damages!)
ignore

Formal Pictures from the dinner...

2010-02-05T05:38:00.003-05:00

Close up of Miguel, in the middle, in the back row.

First Platoon... can you find Miguel?

By this time Hugo and I have been up since 6:30 Tuesday morning and it was now about 8:30 pm Wednesday. The same more or less applied to all the kids as they had not rested very well in the van.

(Remember that you can click on the photos and they will open up in a seperate tab or window allowing you to see them in a larger format and see more detail.)

ignore

Relaxing with Miguel at the dinner

2010-02-05T04:49:00.001-05:00

Miguel and Emma shortly after we arrived at the dinner.

Listening to Miguel's stories...

Hugo and Miguel talking about the last days before graduating.

Miguel and I talking about his future orders and training while he eats!

(Best pic of us together... sadly he is swallowing so as to answer me)

Meltdown... one of a few during the evening.
It had been a very long day for the poor baby.
But she did enjoy most of the evening - between her meltdowns.

Chatting with a fellow graduate.

Bethany Rose

Ashley and Anna with Anna's twin shadow... Elsa

Emma and Ashley

Elsa Marie Bernadette

Cardsharks in the Leaders Club!

Tomorrow - pictures from the graduation!

ignore

Happy to be out of her carseat!

2010-02-04T05:29:00.001-05:00

Playing some tunes on her portable radio

Notices the camera...

and waves off the paparazzi ...

ignore

How teenagers appease a cranky baby...

2010-02-04T05:25:00.002-05:00

...while both parents are in the Leader's Club trying to learn when, where and if we can see Miguel...

Feed her chocolate covered cookies - one per hand thank you very much!

ignore

Breakfast on the Road continued (And Cecilia's mystery gift is revealed)

2010-02-03T05:01:00.002-05:00

Jennie had piping hot coffee ready and before we knew it there were coffee cups on the table and sugar and milk ready for our use. Several of our children were ready for another ~~meal~~ snack after the ~~meager~~ healthy meal that had recently been consumed so we had brought in with us a basket filled with homemade cininamon rolls and peanut butter cookies. A few of the childen from each family enjoyed helpings of both.

While Jennie, Hugo and I swaped farming stories and I plied Jennie with oodles of question about their future farming plans the kids visited. Bethany and Delany hit it off really well and there were several brunnet heads flashing by and more than once I caught myself almost calling one of Jennie's girls by Emma's name as Emma could have easily been one of her brood; most of whom had Jenny's gentle features clearly stamped on thier faces. There was little doubt they were her daughters!

Hugo was very tired and, I could tell, impatient to get back on the road as he hoped the hotel, still an hour away, might allow us to check in early. As we stood to gather up our crew I noticed a rather large smudge of brown on the floor. Cecilia was beside it. It looked like it could possibly have come off of a person's shoe - if they had recently stepped in a cow pie. Near by was a small print of the same colour - close in size and shape of Cecilia's foot. Inside I groaned. Oh, please let that be melted chocolate and not a gift from Cecilia's diaper. Closer inspection of her diaper revealed the answer. Blshing inwardly I apologized and several people jumped into action as we tracked down Cecilia's previous journeys, wiping up as we went along. While people wiped under Jennie's directions, I quickly wrestled Cecilia to the ground and placed a clean diaper on the offending culprit. Jennie was an absolute angel about it! All I can say about it all is... "I was soooo embarrassed!"

Jennie gave us directions on how to get to Louisville and we waved goodbye and after ~~cramming~~ helping the kids back into the van (snatching wet and muddy shoes off of people's feet as they entered in vain hopes of keeping mud off the pillows and blankets) we waved good bye to Jennie and the kids and headed back down the long drive. I wanted to get my own picture of Maybelle and Daisy but was not quic enough! Ahh well, I'll just have to depend on the inner pictures of my memories. If anyone is heading through Kentucky near Fort Knox be sure to look up the Coopers and, if Maybelle isn't nursing a calf you just might get fresh cream with your coffee!

Breakfast on the Road

2010-02-02T05:07:00.001-05:00

We finally left the house around 9:30 pm and realized as we maneuvered towards the highway that Ashley did not have her ID as she had left her wallet in her parents' car the last time she had gone out with them. So we quickly deviated from the printed driving directions and headed for a nearby town to meet her father and get her wallet. No id - no admission to the base! We were so grateful that we realized this when we did or it would have been a catastrophe.We prayed a decade of Rosary to help Cecilia settle in her carseat and I also gave her some teething tablets to help calm her as she was very agitated due to her ear infection and teething! Thankfully the nurse practitioner had prescribed a decongestant for her to help combat the pressure we expected her to feel in her ears as we hit the quickly changing altitudes through the Appalachians in West Virgina. Sadly she did wake as we hit that area and screamed while pathetically stretching her arms out to me; signing that she wanted me to pick her up. We had to stop for a while to help calm her. Once she was calmer we headed back onto the highway again, and when we hit Kentucky pulled into a truck stop and parked in what felt like full sunlight. Hugo laid down on the bed that was made up behind the front seats to try and get an hour or two of rest. Unfortunately all of the children woke and there was almost constant murmuring as they tried to rearrange themselves and get comfortable. Cecilia cuddled gratefully in my arms - ecstatic to be free of her car seat. I sat in the front passenger seat with my coat over her and tried to sleep... with little success. After an hour of this constant fidgeting, Hugo gave up and before hitting the highway again we stopped by MacDonalds and grabbed some coffees. A few hours later we drove into the daybreak and sighed in relief. Kids were now fully awake so I passed out the yogurts, muffins and juice boxes.

We reached the base at about 8:30 am only to learn that Miguel would not be available to his family until after 4 pm. (They were preparing for graduation and going through the various stages of it!) We could not check into the hotel until 3 pm.... By now Hugo and I were pretty desperate for another caffeine fix.

Jennie had emailed me a few times and told me to call her once we were at Fort Knox so I did.

"Hi Jennie! We are here! We are in desperate need of some coffee so do you know of a coffee shop or can we swing by for one at your place?" Her warm laugh filled my ear as she explained that she does not go out for coffee so the only solution she could offer was coffee at her place. She gave wonderfully detailed directions that were so easy to follow! Little did I know she was having serious back pain and she also hid it well while we were there! We enjoyed meeting Daisy and Maybelle but only Maybelle greeted us as soon as we parked. It was a cold day and soft wisps of breath blew from her soft black nose while some of us rubbed it. Her calf remained lazily curled up in her warm pile of hay watching curiously as we greeted her mama.

Once the whole crew had disembarked from our now very disordered vehicle, with the occasional pillow or toy tumbling out, we headed over towards the back door of the house. It was a good guess as to which door to approach because it opened before we were all across the wide driveway. There in real life was Jenny holding Thomas and the other children gathered behind peering at the rest of us. There was some to be expected shyness on both sides but Jenny greeted us like old lost friends and we immediately felt at home in a way we would never have felt in a coffee shop!

More later...

We interrupt the previsously scheduled posts to...

2010-02-01T19:50:00.014-05:00

bring you an update from the front!

Both sides dug in while peace aids desperately tried to get the stalled peace talks jump started.

Determined to make the best of the current conditions (loads of snow and sun in the enemies' eyes) a first shot was fired at about 1:15 pm EST

Return fire was immediately volleyed into the opposites' camp!

Both enemy camps continued fire until Peace Negotiator,
Tanny Paul, unleashed his secret weapon.

the Mega Snow Ball

After a demonstration of its lobbying capabilities a truce was called and it was determined that no casualties had occurred and fun had been had by all!

ignore

Stay Tuned This Week...

2010-02-01T05:32:00.000-05:00

... as I will be posting pictures through out the week.. shamelessly blackmailing into you coming back daily for another little peek at our quick but pack filled jaunt into Kentucky. There will be peeks into what it is like to travel with a van load of kids while we breakfast on the road, peeks into the Leaders club at Fort Knox, juicy details about our visit with the Coopers and just what little gift did Cecilia leave them? Then we will share pictures of the actual graduation of of the 5-15 Calvary Squadron E troop of January 2010. This ceremony was entertaining and inspiring - if only we could share our videos of it. If you ever have the opportunity to attend such a graduation - don't miss it.

So stay tuned and be entertained in the days to come this week! (Yes, I know, I am shameless! But, as a busy mum I really need to draw these pictures out so as to keep up with my kids busy schedule, countless doctor appointments, dentist appointments whilst squeezing in a few hours of schooling and still have something new for you to look at each day this week!!)

ignore

Mothering Sunshine

2010-01-31T10:05:00.006-05:00

...is a new blog that has been launched. It only has a couple of posts on it thus far but the most recent one is quite lovely and belies the author's assertion that she is not a good writer. Now to be quite honest... the author is my daughter. Still I think that, despite the obvious prejudice that that implies, most of you will agree that "A Silly Little Thing Called Love" is quite a beautiful post! I am looking forward to more.

Welcome, Jenny, to the world of blogging!

ignore

We are HOME...

2010-01-29T12:17:00.003-05:00

...and under the gun to clean up from the trip as a severe snowstorm is bearing down on us. And while it would problem be a punny little storm to the experienced northern States - even just a little sleet or snow can really create a serious problem for those of us in the South because our State and County dollars are not relegated to serious snow cleaning equipment. With snow typically being rare - it makes sense. This time of year state and county workmen are typically blowing leaves or cleaning the roads of debris - not snow and ice!

So today there will be LONG lines of people in the stores gathering up last minute supplies such as milk and bread. By now I imagine most bread shelves are empty in all but the largest stores. ~~read Walmart~~ So I'm not sure there is even any point in even trying to get some. I think I will just bake some rolls and breads. However - first I have to find my kitchen table as it is buried under items carried in from the van. This is the second time we will be digging it out today as Noah unburied it earlier from all the pantry items that were placed there by the repair guys who were here removing the part of the pantry ceiling that didn't fall on Monday! They swept and washed the pantry floor so I am NOT complaining - just saying its the second time today we are digging out the table. Personally I think it was very considerate of them to remove all of these items - otherwise I would be washing all of this stuff....

Time to make lunch, start the baking and if at all possible reward myself for a job well done by taking the time to post pictures from the dinner and graduation! And if any of you have time in your busy day to say a prayer for Noah - please do. He is suffering from a severe allergic reaction in the form of a raised itchy and burning rash covering most of his body. His appointment with the Doctor can not come fast enough for him!

Hopefully I will see you all later this afternoon with some graduation posts and pictures!

Survivorman...

2010-01-28T05:21:00.000-05:00

Our newest craze and night time entertainment is Survivorman. Watch this youtube clip below for a taste of what we have been enjoying these evenings. We watch it on Netflix because we do not have cable or even an antenna to watch tv through. This is by preference as in this way the children (and Hugo and I for that matter) are not exposed to the ~~often xrated~~ commercials.

So while we are (hopefully) enjoying Kentucky and the wonders it has to offer - Check out Survivorman. And if you don't have Netflix instant watch - there is always youtube!

See you soon when we get back to NC.
ignore

Not quite the Crocodile Hunter

2010-01-27T05:10:00.002-05:00

found via Danielle Bean where you can follow a link to a wonderful article about how much praise the dads and husbands in our lives deserve for the wonderful things they do for their families. ~~Like catching nasty insects for us~~.
ignore

posting from the road.

2010-01-26T21:52:00.002-05:00

Havingsome some trouble with it so please forgive an y errors in this post. We left just a tad after 9 and prayed Cecilia asleep with a decade of the Rosary. Kids have all munched down the first of many snacks and the littlest are now all asleep so the oldest children are listening to Dracula.

Will try posting again in the am when we are closer to or actually in Kentucky as I'm afraid the story is distracting me. See you in the morning.

ss="fullpost">And here is the rest of it.

And we are off...

2010-01-26T19:37:00.002-05:00

Van packed.

Kids impatient and chomping at the bit.

Prescriptions packed and waiting to be double checked.

Maps printed, Rush Limbaugh downloaded on memory stick so we can listen to it in the wee hours of the morning accompanied by the (gentle) snores of those sleeping...

And we are off to KENTUCKY! Jennie put the coffee on - we will be calling when we get there! (Although since my hubby is predicting we will arrive around 3 or 4 am - we won't call THAT early! I am guessing it might be later than that - depending on how often we have to stop for me to nurse Cecilia!!!)

Its 6:59

2010-01-26T18:57:00.003-05:00

and we're still packing the van and I have yet to eat supper... ARGH! Hubby suggesting we wait until nine so that kids will fall asleep more easily....

Oh my - we are out of 'travel shape'... been a year since we have done this. Did we actually do this monthly and even bi-weekly for seven years?

ETD...

2010-01-26T17:03:00.007-05:00

The estimated time of departure is seven pm and it is now five and I have literally spent the day on the road. Was up by 5:30 am with a cranky baby and at Walmart by 7:30 am. Was promised the van would be ready in an hour and at 1/4 to 10 they told me there was a problem... Cecilia's Doctors appointment was at 10:15. Called the girls and asked them to walk her over... As the boys (13 and 14) were then going to be in charge I spoke to the 14 yr old and ~~begged~~ told him to please make sure there were no fights between him and his brother while they were in charge. (Given their age and testosterone levels verbal disputes can rapidly become physical!)

Finally got off the phone with the kids and called Drs to tell them they were walking and did not know the neighborhood that well and might be a bit late... by then it was 10:20. Drs office said if they are one minute past 10:30 they would not be seen... so rescheduled for 2:15 and called girls back and told them to turn around and head back home.... This was answered by some rather heavy groans.

Meanwhile technician, cashier and manager were sorting out the problem with the tires. Seems the tire we bought for our van in December was not "legal" for a 15 passenger van and the technician who sold the tire to Hugo had fudged the paper work to get around it. Yet all he had to really do was report the tire as a 'walk in' - which is what it actually was! Hugo had walked it in as the van was sitting in our driveway sans the very, very flat tire he was rolling along beside him that day.

Solution: Replace the tire sold in December with an upgrade @ no charge, sell me three more tires of the same grade at the lower price. Over all: saved eighty dollars but lost three precious hours of my day!

Just barely got Cecilia into the office in time for new appointment, walked out with three prescriptions and headed over to school to pick up Hugo and go back to OUR doctor as we suspected he had a sinus infection. Left with three prescriptions for him and while we were in the parking lot of our pharmacy the car next to our van was robbed with the driver sitting there in the front seat.... The gentleman was rather ill and his wife was inside picking up his prescription. He was dozing and the culprit simply walked up to the car, opened the front passenger door, grabbed the wife's purse and ran!

Now I am about to head back to pharmacy to pick up the scripts and I am seriously doubting that E.T.D. will be met. If I have time I'll let you know just how off of it we are before we hit the road!

God Bless and feel free to heap the prayers on, eh?

BETH! Oh how I wish we could have made a little detour to visit... but hubby has to be back to work by Friday! Still hoping we can meet up in February though???

Calling it a night...

2010-01-25T20:48:00.002-05:00

...there is still a lot left on the 'to do' list - more than I care to admit but the baby is begging to nurse, Elsa wants to cuddle, Emma needs something for a toothache and I am poofed. Has to be the meds 'cause I sure don't feel like I actually did much! Praying that tonight Cecilia will sleep better than last night, no more ceiling plaster will fall and that I can tear through that list tomorrow!

ignore

OOOooops!

2010-01-25T19:37:00.002-05:00

A few kids are complaining of tummy aches. ~~It couldn't be because I have lost track of time and haven't started dinner yet could it?~~ Still printing up activity pages... I'm stupid from all the meds so I'm not to be trusted near the stove right now so have assigned the stir fry to Anna. At least I knew what was for supper even if I forgot to make it!

Emmm - delicious smells issuing from the oven.. cinnamon rolls - thank you Hugo!

Ignore

Printing up activites for the little ones to do in the van

2010-01-25T19:07:00.005-05:00

Mazes

Connect the Dots

Colour by Number

colouring pages etc

Hidden pictures

Word Puzzles

Hoping to keep the younger crew busy... for a few minutes anyway!
(These are for section of my crew that are 9 and under.)

ignore

Update 6:10 pm

2010-01-25T18:11:00.003-05:00

My bed is covered in clothes... on top of the knapsacks. Progress is s l o w l y being made. Oven preheated for ... cinnamon rolls... that are not yet mixed. But the hotel room is reserved. Oh yeah. That was already done by my last post... Well you all can check off clothes have been gathered. Soon we can all check off PACKED!

Wait, wait - I can at least brag that the first aid bag is packed complete with current prescriptions! (Whew - was wondering where the afternoon went!)

I'll be back again later - hopefully with more a completed check list!

ignore

Update...

2010-01-25T14:10:00.003-05:00

One hotel room booked. Here is where we are staying. Here is who we might get to meet while in Kentucky. We will be staying an hour away from the base where the dinner and graduation takes place but I am happy to be staying in one of our favorite hotels and we got the military discount! (Yes with all the business traveling we have done the previous 7 years - we have found a favorite hotel!)

Baked: one batch of pumpkin (Texas sized) muffins. Still to be baked - too much to list here!
Packed: nothing... but we have the knapsacks found and all on my bed.

Van: cleaned but not inspected....

Trip to library (completed by Anna and Emma) - several books on CD chosen. (Thank you Bekah for the suggestion!)Some of the titles are:
Five Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (for the under 7 crowd) though I am being regaled the song as I type by the 4 yr old so this might be old before we even play it in the van!
Ramona Quimby, age 8 read by Stockard Channing (will let you know on our return who well that one went down though we have read just about all of Cleary's books and love them! Have most of them on our shelves.)
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke read by Lynn Redgrave
(Focus on the family Radio Theater) Father Gilbert Mysteries (this is a first for us, really curious how they will be!)
Charles Dickens "Hard Times" read by Frederick Davidson
and a few others that I don't remember and are already packed by Anna.

Still to do: ~~too much!~~
review clothing picked by kids to wear ~~and most likely have to revise~~ and then actually pack... assuming nothing needs to be washed.
Get new tires on the van and an oil change.
More baking....
Freeze water bottles
Clean up ceiling that fell on the floor in pantry this morning (seriously, this is not a test to see if you are paying attention)
Locate all the various medicines we need to bring which includes several prescriptions.
Locate Camera and pack it, making sure I have sufficient batteries and that my card is empty.
(was not that long ago one would have said 'make sure I have sufficient film'... now its 'making sure I have enough megabites free')
Restock diaper bag with diapers and wipes!
Get off the computer and start turning this to do list into a finished list!

I'll check in later and let you know how its going...

Prayers for Perseverance and Safety

2010-01-25T09:01:00.002-05:00

Praying for perseverance as we begin our preparations for our trip to Kentucky for Miguel's graduation and safety for our drive there and back. We are trying to be as economical as possible for this trip as the budget is very tight this month - thanks to a very large heating bill. (It was almost equivalent to our rent!) I have a little money saved but am hoping we won't need to break into that account!

Baking List:

Mrs Ryan's pumpkin Loaf (thinking of baking this as muffins)
Pineapple Bread (again - planning to make them as muffins)
Biscuits (possibly bacon biscuits)
Cookies - molasses and/or peanut butter ones.

Current plan is to drive through the night (please pray for Cecilia who is teething and really NOT coping well with it) Tuesday night and arrive Wednesday morning in time for the family activities that culminates with a large dinner on base. Graduation is Thursday morning and we plan on driving home through the day as Hugo needs to be back to work on Friday. (Again - may I request for prayers for Cecilia - did I mention she is teething and Is. Not. Dealing. Well. With. It! This could be a recipe for the longest, most tortuous road trip we have ever made. Did I mention that Cecilia does not like her car seat... Could I ask you all for prayers yet again!

Now I am off to rest my back before starting our baking marathon...

Facebook...

2010-01-23T05:59:00.001-05:00

Anyone using Facebook? Want to read a really interesting interview that 'tells all' about privacy, faster page loading and tracking users eye movements? Than just click here!

WARNING A FOUR LETTER WORD STARTING WITH "F" IS USED
TWO OR THREE TIMES IN THE INTERVIEW

OKAY...

2010-01-22T17:52:00.002-05:00

As I suspected it is proving easier to hold my breath than to not use my right arm for an extended period of time...

ignore

Hmmm...

2010-01-22T14:34:00.002-05:00

So this morning I woke up to a burning pain in the right side of my chest that went right through to my shoulder blade. Way back in November I fell and HARD! I landed on my right side and ever since then have been having trouble with my right shoulder with the pain sometimes extending into my chest. But it was a sharp, stabbing pain made worse with movement or breathing... Finally had x-rays in December. Nothing broken...

Pain started to get better - until yesterday.

Diagnosis: sprained shoulder
Prescription: steroid for the inflammation and was told to try not to use that arm for a few days...

Hmmm - might as well try not to breath, eh?

ignore

A One Minute Day

2010-01-21T12:05:00.004-05:00

I'm having a bad day, You know one of those ones when you really feel sorry for yourself. And unhappy with yourself. A day when everyone else seems a hundred times better than you. A better mum. A better homescooling parent. Better organized...

One of those kinds of days when you know if that darn dog whines one more time - you. will. kill. him. Just absolutely murdilize him because your nerves are thread bare - at best. Any argument between the kids causes the same reaction as nails on a chalkboard and you physically wince and pray, pray, pray for God's graces not to lose it. That kind of day... and its raining outside. So even the weather seems to be feeling like me - dreary.

What do you do on that kind of day? How do you get yourself out of that kind of funk? I have to get through the day ONE MINUTE at a time. I can't let myself think too far ahead. I have to pick a job to focus on and pray, pray, pray. "Jesus have mercy!" Jesus give me the grace to keep it together for another minute. Just one minute Jesus!" Sometimes I sit down and write... and write myself out of my depression. But some days even that is not enough and as soon as I stand up from my desk the walls close in again and I feel the stress rapidly rising. Sometimes my husband can talk me out of this mood, sometimes one of my good friends is the saviour of the moment.

And some days its just me and Jesus - all day. One minute at a time I am begging Him to help me. I think that is what today is going to be; a one minute at time with Jesus day. And those days really bring home to me the meaning of the quote that it is in 'being weak that we are strong' because it is in my weakness that Christ gives me the strength to go on.

Defining Decade

2010-01-20T05:40:00.000-05:00

As in Decades old stove! Way back in November while we were stumbling through the month as well as back and forth between the Doctor's office and the pharmacy I remember almost crying when Margaret referred to her broken oven as a decades old stove in THIS post!

Why, you ask, would I do that?

Because this is how I define a DECADES old stove...

and this

was what I was trying to cook on for a minimum of twelve. In addition to being avocado green and almost certainly the original double oven, only ONE burner was working and at it's best took over thirty minutes to bring a pot of water to boil. Since we had moved I had yet to produce a cake that was not at least singed around the corners. Don't even start me on the batches of ruined cookies. So, yes, even Margaret's BROKEN stove turned me avocado with envy!

But fast forward to Christmas and Miguel's Christmas gift to me. Rosetta Stone for Spanish. But unbeknown to him I already had one. He suggested I return it for hte next level. My husband suggested that, as much as I complain about my computer, perhaps I could exchange it for a PC. I said no to both ideas and used the refund along with some savings and a Lowes gift card (Thank you Hugo!) to buy this:

Is she not gorgeous? Almost as gorgeous as Margaret's new darling. Mine is not gas ( I held my breath when we checked behind our stove in case I would get lucky and find a hidden gas line!) And no - it does not have a convection oven - I love convection ovens. I have had them in the past, they are in deed awesome! But I am in LOVE with my stove and wash it lovingly (almost) every day! My kids are loving the baked goods issuing forth from it and my husband, I am sure, will love the lower electric bills! And when we move - it will move with us and the green monster, as we ~~affectionately~~ refer to the old stove, will remain here.

Thank Miguel and Hugo for making this dream come true!

Ignore

A very bad no good week....

2010-01-19T19:37:00.002-05:00

...is how I started the early part of the New Year. And this is what one very good friend shared with me to help cheer me up. Thank you Peg!

A little ray of light

2010-01-16T22:15:00.003-05:00

in a very dark tragedy.
(Link working at time of posting but link may break over time)

(Photo credit Mailonline ~ World News)
ignore

Last Night Home

2010-01-16T21:40:00.004-05:00

On Miguel's last night home he took the family and a few good friends out for dinner. We all met up at Olive Garden. With Ashley's family joining us there were 18 of us at the looooooong table they set up for us. And we didn't even have all of our family there! It was a lot of fun though. Then we split up for a while. I took the kids to a New Years youth group party while Hugo stayed home and worked on lesson plans. Miguel, Ashely and Anna went bowling with Anthony and Don - old friends of the family. Then we all got back together again and after Miguel changed out of his civies into his uniform we took a number of photos. Here is one of my favorites.

I think Miguel looks great in his uniform. He's holding Emma and Elsa - one in each arm. Anna is holding Cecilia who is looking away so you can't see her. Unfortunately in the other photo of them all together - Miguel's eyes are closed! Those ten days at Christmas just flew by but in a few more days we head to Kentucky, God willing, to attend his graduation. (Remember if you click on the photo it will open up in a larger screen and you can see more details.) BTW Miguel is at least 6 ' 4" and look at that tree we were blessed with for Christmas. I think it was one of my favorite trees of all the ones we have had over the years. I was actually sad when it was time to take it down and wished I had had more quiet time to just sit and enjoy it in the dark. My goal for next year is to have 'Christmas' ready BEFORE Advent even starts so that we can actually focus on Advent no matter what happens. (Keep your fingers crossed for me, eh!)

Alexander's Baptism in December

2010-01-14T05:48:00.000-05:00

From Alexanders baptism

ignore

Our family

2010-01-13T05:54:00.001-05:00

Here is the whole family sans Aimee, John, and Alicia! Perhaps this October we will manage to think of getting a photo of everyone. I have heard a rumour that Aimee's boyfriend might come over with her so we will REALLY have all of the family in the picture then!

Thanks Peggy for snapping this one for us!

Twins

2010-01-12T15:33:00.002-05:00

Need I say more?

Abortion and the pill...

2010-01-12T14:59:00.003-05:00

Are they connected to breast cancer? Is the National Cancer Institute (NCI) doing a disservice to women and their families by not making the results of this study more known? I learned about this study here. Why are articles like this one not being shouted from the roof tops? (That's a rhetorical question.)

ignore

Has it really been 10 days...

2010-01-11T20:12:00.002-05:00

Since my last post?

Today my husband called me from work to ask me who had brought in the manila envelope for our priest with all the hand made thank you cards our children had made for generous gift we had received anonymously. Our priest had dropped by his classroom to ask him if it was ready.

"But I gave it to you!" I exclaimed. "Don't you remember?"

"No - I thought you took it in. Something about going in for RCIA or something? "

RCIA??? Why would I have been going by the office to drop off something for RCIA classes... Truth be known I had NO clue as to who had really taken it in! But that it had been delivered - I was quite certain. I felt in a fog trying to even remember the month of December, never mind this envelope? There had been Christmas... I vaguely recalled that. Our son had visited from from Fort Knox and that was about all I could recall... It was like December had never been. So much has happened. Our DIL so very ill and still ill. So many appointments. All the children sick. Hugo and I sick... and now more children ill with sinus infections and one child with a mysterious rash and fever of 104... also being treated for sinusitis...

I could not remember what had happened to a brown manila envelope .... that one of us had dropped off sometime in December.

So it is no surprise that it has been ten days since I last posted and it feels like it was yesterday.

And yes.. we did finally learn what happened to the envelope. I had indeed0 dropped by the office to bring Miguel to meet with the priest and left the envelope with the Secretary.

She gave it to the priest.

Who

Threw

It

Out...

By accident while cleaning his office. Its been a long fall and winter for him too!
So sometime this week we will remake all of those thank you notes... that we thought had already been delivered and enjoyed. One of them included an embroidered ornament hand crafted by Gabriela. Ah well... C'est la Vie!

I have many, many wonderful pictures I am impatient to share... but I know you will understand when I say I have not a clue when I will get them up. But if you all pray for me - perhaps I will somehow find the time and energy to do so! (And yes - that's a bribe!!!)

Happy New Years

2010-01-01T16:17:00.008-05:00

Here, to help usher in the New Year, are some pictures taken last week on Cecilia's first birthday. We postponed her first birthday cake until today and it is smelling delicious right now as it bakes in the oven. (Thank you Bethany!) However, we could not forgo the official first taste of chocolate on the actual day...

"Hello - don't you wish I had shared that dark chocolate pretzel stick with you? Please join me below in seeing how I rescued my sister from some very strange things that were on her face!"

"What are those silly things on your face?"

"Here let me relieve you of these silly things! "

"Here - take these someone..."

"Look forward to pictures of the actual face down of my first cake!
It should be...
SWEET!"

ignore

Silent on the homefront...

2009-12-30T11:03:00.004-05:00

I imagine by now you have all noticed how silent I have been. No doubt you have assumed that it is because I have, as Cratchit stammers to Scrooge "... been making quite merry" the past few days.

Oh, how I wish I could say that was the case.

However, not long after the last chocolate had been consumed from the little ones' stockings and the last gift had been opened and all scraps of wrapping paper and ribbon had been cleaned a number of the little people began to complain of tummy aches.

We tried in vain to explain it away by the number of chocolates and candy canes already consumed. When the first of them finally ah... upchucked... shall we say - we tried to explain it away as possible food poisoning from the traditional Christmas Eve oysters...

As those who had not consumed oysters in any quantity joined those with buckets on the couch we began to debate about the possibility of it having been the olives. Surely anyone who had consumed that many olives would be sick... Meanwhile, those not yet with stomach aches confined themselves in the dining room away from the inmates of the ~~sick room~~ living room. Anyone who dared to moan with a tummy pain was immediately banished to the, ah, living room.

Jenny and Anna optimistically cooked a large Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. However, by the time it was served the numbers joining in the feast had been drastically reduced even though we still used two table to accommodate everyone who did eat.

It was a fast moving ~~epidemic~~ flu but it still took a full three days to hit all in the house but the two babies. Praise God, He spared those two little ones as this flu was so virulent that I was worried it would possibly cause them to be hospitalized. The younger the victim - the longer the duration and severity of the symptoms.

We are finally recuperated and, at long last, I am getting some Christmas baking done during these 12 days of Christmas which is also the time period when little Cecilia Therese made her appearance last year. She is celebrating the anniversary of her birth by walking all over the place and pushing her (new) dolly's stroller with great joy and gusto. We will have the traditional first birthday cake complete with dark chocolate icing on the First of January as Gabriela is away this week visiting her sister in the Charlotte area. Gabriela is like Cecilia's second mum and we want her to see Cecilia enjoy her first piece of cake with icing...
(Typically I could say FIRST piece of cake EVER, but having been born during the Christmas season, that is filled with so many goodies, I am afraid Cecilia has already made her acquaintance both with cake and chocolate - even though the family thinks I am not aware of this! Even my best friend sighed a breath of relief that she ~~no longer needs to share on the sly~~ can openly share chocolate with Cecilia. )

And now I must join Bob Cratchit, and my family, by making merry these last days of the Christmas Season. If I can - I will post some pictures during our holidays. Until then:

God Bless and a peaceful, joy filled New Years to you and yours!

mum2twelve ~ now a bakers dozen

ignore

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T05:09:00.001-05:00

Today the reading for the Jesse Tree is John 1:1-18 and the symbol is that of the P with an X over it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

IGNORE

It's Official...

2009-12-24T23:02:00.002-05:00

Christmas May Begin

5 rolls of tape, 6 - 7 rolls of wrapping paper, approximately 80 gift tags and a few gifts bags later and I am done - with St Nicks help of course! Sixteen stockings are filled and awaiting delivery by the Jolly old Saint himself. Gifts have already been placed under the tree which is lit and looking beautiful. So it is now official - I am ready for Christmas! Oh wait... still need to put the apple cider on for tomorrow!

We attended Christmas Eve Mass tonight at seven, in our new church, and Benjamin and Noah both served. It was beautiful. And now I am off to bed BEFORE MIDNIGHT. I think this is a FIRST! All I can say is PRAISE GOD and thank you to all my children who have chipped in and helped so much! We have had so much illness that less than two weeks ago I only had about 6 gifts purchased and not a single one wrapped! That I am so close to being able to go to bed before 1 am is simply a Christmas miracle! So good Night and God Bless, I pray you all have a peaceful and joy filled Christmas!!

ignore

Jesse Tree - Fourth Thursday in Advent, Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T04:56:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve: Reading is Luke 2:1-20

Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem

1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

2This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of ^(C)Syria.

3And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

4Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

5in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

6While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

7And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

11for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

15When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

16So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

17When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

18And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

19But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

The symbol is the manger.
The link to the symbols for the fourth week is here.

Fourth Friday in Advent:
Reading: Matthew2:1-12
This reading is about Herod and the three Kings and the symbol isa candle - representing the light Christ brought to the world.

The link to the symbols for the fourth week is here.

Praying all of my readers have had a peaceful Advent and will have a joy filled Christmas Eve and Day.

Ignore

Jesse Tree - Fourth Wednesday in Advent

2009-12-23T05:57:00.000-05:00

Today we read about Elizabeth giving birth to John the Baptist which is followed by Zechariah's song. This song is another prophecy foretelling of the coming of our Saviour. Through this reading we see that John not only prophetized Christ's coming as an adult but that his very birth was used to herald the coming of our Saviour. The symbol is that of the Dove flying downward with what appears to be either manna or a Host in its mouth - symbolizing the Holy Spirit foretelling the coming of Christ through Zechariah.

Reading for the day Luke 1:57-80

67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant-- 70As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-- 71Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; 72To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, 73The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 76"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; 77To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace." 80And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

IGNORE

Jesses Tree Fourth Tuesday

2009-12-22T05:32:00.000-05:00

Today's readings treat us to the Magnificat when Mary, though already in the early stages of pregnancy, makes her way to Elizabeth to help her. Upon hearing Mary's voice and sensing our Lord's presence John the Baptist leaps for joy - announcing for the first time the coming of the Saviour.

"...Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

This is followed by Mary's song (another title for the Magnificat). The symbol for today is Saint Elizabeth holding the baby John.

Luke 1:39-56

Symbols for week four
ignore

Can anyone identify with this...

2009-12-21T10:33:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning the van was locked... and the van seats were sitting on the porch where they had been placed to make room for the Christmas tree that we had picked up the night before. The clock was ticking, ticking, ticking. And we needed to get to the new church in time for the boys to serve... Now that the Church was officially moved - there is no more walking to Mass.

Desperately we were hunting through pockets for the missing keys. BOTH SETS... Hearing the frustration in our voices and noting we were looking for something that had disappeared from a pocket; Elsa piped up "That happens to me too... whenever I put money in my pocket - it just disappears!"

Can anyone identify with that? I know I can!

ignore

Jesse Tree - Fourth Monday in Advent

2009-12-21T05:00:00.003-05:00

Monday: Reading is Luke 1:26-38
We learn of Mary and Joseph's betrothal.
The symbol is a Lilly.

The link to the symbols for the fourth week is here.

(credit for photo )

Jesse Tree - Fourth Sunday in Advent

2009-12-20T04:50:00.001-05:00

The reading for today is Luke 1:5-25 and here is the link to the symbols for the fourth week. Today we are introduced to Elizabeth, who was barren, and Zacharias and the conception of John the Baptist. The symbols are again of angels but this two of them with a chest between them.

Ignore

Overload...

2009-12-19T05:28:00.002-05:00

Anybody besides me struggling with forgotten teas that have been microwaved and promptly lost - only to be found when the tea is cold again... How about the toast that was put in the toaster at some point and walked away from; forgotten about - until it is stone cold too?

Or what about that eleven month old that you have cuddled on your lap as she nurses and you look up from your multi tasking to scold the 11 year old for not haven taken said baby downstairs when you asked her to a few minutes ago. She looks at you puzzled while your eyes quickly scan the room looking for the missing baby....

Perhaps I am in overload. I think I need to slow down and reboot before I lose ALL of my memory!

ignore

Jesse Tree - Third Saturday in Advent

2009-12-19T05:19:00.001-05:00

The reading for today symbol is Hebrew 1: 1-14 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. The passage we are to read today is a direct heralding of the Messiah to come. Here is a portion of it:

"For to which of the angels did He ever say,
"YOU ARE MY SON,
TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"?
And again,
"I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM
AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"? "

Appropriately the symbol today is an angel with a trumpet.

(The angel came from these colouring pages)

Ignore

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...

2009-12-18T05:48:00.006-05:00

I think only in a family of a bakers dozen with two babies (now referred to as baby Sr and baby Jr ) can a mother be given permission to whine because she was wakened at 4 am by her 16 year old daughter looking for a diaper so she can change her nephew... at 4 am.

But am I whining about my sixteen year old daughter waking me up? Actually no - I am whining about the fact that I could not fall back asleep. So its 5:36 am... and I am ~~gulping down~~ enjoying a hot cup of tea and eating hot buttered sourdough toast. The bright side is 1) I have completed some last minute online shopping of some items I could not find in our local stores and cheap enough that I could afford expedited shipping so hopefully these items will arrive in time for Saint Nickolas to help Baby Jesus put them under the tree. 2) Since I am already awake - I won't have to struggle to wake up so that I can wake up the rest of the family at six... is my lack of sleep showing?

On a more serious note please keep praying for my DIL. She is home from hospital but extremely weak and tired. She is too weak to hold the baby for long and so we are doing all we can to care for him and help her to not feel the guilt that any mum feels when she can not care for her baby. Please keep praying for her.

We have another set of hands at home and she settled down to work within minutes of being home and SUPER cleaned the kitchen, the pantry and one of the two fridges. (The messiest one!) I brought home a ton of groceries and the kids refilled the pantry and fridges while Jenny and I headed out the door to buy a gazillion gifts which ranged from those special items that have been whispered to you, emailed and even texted to itsy bitsy stocking stuffers. With all of the illness in the family I simply had not had time to do more than grab a few gifts way back in October when I had the ridiculous notion I would be organized before Advent. With only seven days to Christmas Eve the stress was mounting and my daughter kindly canceled two events to help me out.

Next step is to sweep out the classroom and set up 'Operation Christmas' so that Saint Nicholas can drop in, as he does every year, to help me wrap up the gifts. The little ones love to listen by the door while he and I joke and they hear his gruff, but jovial chuckles while he and I work and listen to Christmas music. Who helps you with your wrapping? Any special traditions in your home to help that ~~dreaded~~ happy chore easier to do? I love the little notes and treats that the children slip under the door or leave by it for Saint Nick and I to share.

Thank you to Jenny, Anna and Gabriela (who watched babies all day!) and the big boys! (They cleaned my van for me)! The next few days are going to be so much more enjoyable as a result.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

ignore

Jesse Tree - Third Friday in Advent

2009-12-18T05:38:00.001-05:00

The reading for today symbol is Nehemiah 13:10-22 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. Today we learn about restoring the Sabbath to a day of rest within Jerusalem and the restoring of tithes.

The symbol is that of the walls of Jerusalem.

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - Third Thursday in Advent

2009-12-17T05:29:00.001-05:00

The reading for today is Jeremiah 31: 31- 34 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. Today the Lord announces:

They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:34)

The symbol is once more holy scriptures, this time as a book.

Ignore

Too Awesome!

2009-12-16T09:05:00.002-05:00

Too Awesome NOT to share! Here is the fondant cake topper my friend, Good Remedy, has created for the Church Dedication coming up this month.

Ignore

Jesse Tree - Third Wednesday in Advent

2009-12-16T05:16:00.001-05:00

The reading for today is from Isaiah 6:1-8 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. The reading is about one of Isaiah's visions and the the symbol today is that of Holy Scrolls.

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - Third Tuesday in Advent

2009-12-15T04:55:00.000-05:00

The reading for today is from 2 Kings 5: 1-27 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. The passage we are to read today is still from Kings but from 2 Kings. It is a long story but very interesting. It involves Elisha the prophet, the Arameans and the disease of leprosy which in this story involves the transition of this hideous disease from one person to another because of the disobedience of Elisha's servant.

"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever." So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (2kings 5:27)

The symbol today is that of the dove of peace - perhaps symbolizing the peace that Naaman, captain of the of the Arameans army, approached the Israelites with when he sought a cure from leprosy for himself.

Ignore

Jesse Tree - Third Monday in Advent

2009-12-14T04:46:00.000-05:00

The reading for today symbol is 1 Kings 17 1-16 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. We are still reading from 1 Kings, as you can see, and today we read how God commands the ravens to provide for Elijah.
The the symbol for today is a raven.

My Apologies

2009-12-13T21:41:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry that I was late with the last two posts for the Jesse tree. I thought that I had more of them scheduled than I did.

My DIL is very ill but slowly making progress and could use your continued prayers. We, in the meantime, are basically dealing with Irish Twins - though not in the strictest meaning of the term. In other words they are aunt and nephew - not siblings. However, we are enjoying all of the fun and complications of having babies 8 months apart in age.

For instance - Cecilia has figured out that Alexander is waking up at 5:20 in the morning so she too now wakes up at that time... This afternoon Alexander was enjoying the baby rocking chair and Cecilia after tenderly kissing him carefully edged her way around the chair until she was standing behind the chair. She began practicing her baby steps and the chair began to side forward, quickly picking up speed. They sped across the room only halting when they reached the playpen. Both thoroughly enjoyed themselves while the rest of us laughed ourselves silly. Lydia, the eldest of these three nursery stars, looked on with great dignity from the couch. At 15 months she is above such shenanigans - especially if in the process of getting her diaper changed!

So life as always is: lively, interesting and a challenge, in our home!

God Bless and a peaceful Advent to you all!

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - Third Sunday in Advent

2009-12-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

The reading for today symbol is 1 Kings 3:3-28 and here is the link to the symbols for the third week. We learn about one of the most famous historical figures from the old testament today - King Solomon and appropriately the symbol today is a King's crown.

Jesse Tree - Second Saturday in Advent

2009-12-12T04:59:00.000-05:00

Today we are reminded of God's love and protection of us as we read the 23rd psalm. The symbol for today is a lamb with a cross and flag which I think is the Pascal Lamb and this is EWTN's explanation of it. "The Paschal Lamb: At the yearly Pasch, the Jews sacrificed a new, unblemished lamb in thanksgiving for all that God had done for them and as an atonement offering for all their sins. This sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb was fulfilled in Christ, the "Lamb who takes away the sins of the world."

Here is today's reading: Psalm 23 and the symbols for this week are here.

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - Second Friday of Advent

2009-12-11T04:35:00.001-05:00

Todays reading may feel somewhat familiar and this is because it encompasses the reading from the first Sunday of Advent when we were introduced to Jesse and his son David - which is the line of Kings that Jesus is descended from. Here we learn that Saul, who has found disgrace before the Lord and lost his kingship (1 Samuel 15) through disobedience, is feeling tortured by an evil spirit but when David plays the harp for him, he feels peace. Todays symbol is the harp.

Here is today's reading: 1 Samuel 16:14-23
This weeks symbols are here.
Ignore

prayers please

2009-12-10T09:34:00.002-05:00

A member of the family has become seriously ill and is now in hospital. Please pray for their recovery, for the medical staff caring for them and for those of us at home coping with the suddenness of this illness and the worry for their recovery. The earliest we can expect our loved one to come home is next Monday if they respond well to their medical treatment.
Thank you for your prayers - you guys are the greatest and I always feel the graces when my readers pray and offer up little things for us.

ignore

Jesse Tree - Second Thursday in Advent

2009-12-10T05:13:00.001-05:00

We are introduced to the prophet Samuel today and in the reading learn that at this time it was rare to hear God voice and that 'visions' were infrequent' and yet Samuel hears the word of the Lord on this day and becomes confirmed as a prophet. The symbol for today is that of man lying down resting - and this could be Eli who is lying down and resting when Samuel hears God calling. Or it could represent Samuel who is also lying down each time he hears God's voice calling him.
(For my symbol for this post I finally chose a stone bed as I was unable to find a man resting from the appropriate time frame.)

Here is todays reading. 1 Samuel 3: 1-21
The second week of symbols from the Domestic Church are here.
Ignore

Jesse Tree - Second Wednesday In Advent

2009-12-09T05:01:00.001-05:00

Slowly advancing through the ages we are still with Moses and today we learn of the blessing that God taught Moses and Aaron, so the symbol for today is that of a hand extended in a blessing.

Here is today's reading: Numbers 6:22-27
To view this week's symbols from the Domestic Church click here.

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - Second Tuesday in Advent

2009-12-08T04:53:00.001-05:00

Today we are introduced to the ten commandments and so the obvious symbol is the traditional slates of rock with the commandments engraved into them by the very hand of God.

Today's reading is Exodus 20:1-17
To view this week's symbols from the Domestic Church click here.
IGNORE

Veni, vidi, vici

2009-12-07T07:21:00.002-05:00

I came, I saw, I conquered....

Julius Caesar

I came, I saw... I fell!
Christi

ignore

Jesse Tree - Second Monday in Advent

2009-12-07T05:48:00.001-05:00

Today, on the second Monday in Advent we are introduced to Joseph and his famous coat of many colours and so the symbol chosen for today is a coat of many colours. This is a symbol the children will really enjoy colouring as you read today's reading, Genesis 37:1-36.

Here is the link to the second week of symbols as created by the Domestic Church.

ignore

Jesse Tree - Second Sunday in Advent

2009-12-06T05:29:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful image for this Second Sunday in Advent for the Jesse tree. A single lit candle representing the following:

"The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. "

which is taken from today's reading Isaiah 9:2-7.

Here is the link to take you to the Domestic Church's symbols for the second week of building a Jesse Tree.

IGNORE

Happy St Nicholas Day

2009-12-06T04:50:00.000-05:00

Ignore

Where are all the children???

2009-12-05T20:37:00.003-05:00

Its only eight thirty and I have not seen hide nor hair of any of the younger set for at least half an hour. Now where can they be? Not already tucked into bed and courting sleep filled with sugar plums and Saint Nicholas? Could that possibly be where they are?

Makes me wish this lively old saint came every night!

Ignore

WARNING!!!! HOLLY BERRIES ARE POISONOUS!

2009-12-05T12:55:00.004-05:00

How do I know? Because Cecilia ate one the other night causing quite a stir amongst the children. They came tearing to me pale faced and stumbling over their tongues. "Mummy, mummy Cecilia ate some Holly Berries - she has Holly berries in her mouth."

I quietly picked her up and carefully dug around inside her mouth as she screamed in rage at me. I massaged out some red bits and a small chunk of holly berry. Yup, she had indeed consumed at least one Holly berry. Initially I was not worried. Had I not just researched whether or not Poinsettias were poisonous only to learn that they are NOT.

No - that is not a type o. My tired brain simply was not working properly. Poinsettias might typically be red but they are NOT Holly Berries ... Something finally clicked in my brain and I had my husband hold Cecilia while I not so calmly typed into google 'Are Holly Berries poisonous'.

The first link I came upon was rather impressive as it cautioned that Holly Berries are poisonous and if your child had ingested some to call the poison control immediately. Feeling even less calm I then searched for the poison control number and a very nice and CALM lady asked important questions like the child's age weight and then told me she was okay if she had ingested less than five... We were pretty sure it was only one berry but I was to call poison control back if she started to vomit...

Here are some important links. This one is about poisonous plants and this one is about dangers the holidays can bring into our homes. I think a review of these links will become a Holiday tradition in our home!

POISON CONTROL NUMBER: 1-800-222-1222
and
here is their site.

ignore

Houston... we have....

2009-12-05T12:02:00.002-05:00

ADVENT CANDLES!!

We were a few days late getting them this year but I can't think of a more fun way to get a set of Advent Candles than how we did it this year. It was worth the wait.

Just where did we get them you ask that it was such an exciting event?

Well, our oldest son is now working at a lovely church as their DRE and the church is within an hour from us so he invited us to their Advent Wreath making potluck dinner on the 4th. We met our second oldest daughter and her family there as well as Alicia (Jonathan's fiance) and it was a great time. We took some photos of the kids playing together and a few photos of some of the wreaths that were made. However, those photos are on my husband's phone so... it'll be a while before I get my fingers on them. Once I do though I will post them - I promise!

One of the best parts of the party after getting to spend time with my adult children and their growing families was getting to remeet one of my readers. 'Just Jo' and I met 2 years ago at the Envoy Institute's first annual conference. I was pregnant with number 13 and Jo, at 12 children thought her family was complete, so she offered me her maternity clothes. However God had a surprise for her and a few weeks later she informed me that she too was expecting... So we are both mums of a bakers dozen and it was so much fun chatting with her at the pot luck. Hugo and her husband chatted for some time as well.

ignore

ignore

Second Sunday in our Advent...

2009-12-05T11:16:00.004-05:00

How has your Advent being going? Are you finding it hard to stay focused on quietly waiting the birth of our Saviour when the rest of the secular world is already partying and maybe even your own church is already celebrating the Christmas Season when it is really still Advent?

It is hard to find that balance between allowing your children and family to participate in Christmas parties and activities that are already happening while also observing the quiet waiting that Advent asks of us. Most years I try to have a number of Advent activities planned and last year we had home made Advent calendars that had activities and prayer suggestions behind the numbers on them. And if we should want to have a party during Advent we try to plan it as close as possible to one of the many Feast days that are in December. We have St Nicholas Day, The Immaculate Conception, Saint Lucy, Our Lady of Guadeloupe to choose from.

This year after a whole month of serious illness in our family I did not really have time or energy to plan much in the way of activities. I did manage to make three Advent chains with the younger children, which we did last year. I love this simple activity. Chains are a sign of bondage and this paper chain that we make out of purple and rose coloured construction paper is a wonderful visual reminder not only of how we are coming closer to Christmas and the birth of the Light of the world, but also a reminder of how Christ's birth, death, and resurrection saved us from the bondage of sin. This chain can actually completely replace the traditional calendar if you choose to do so and can simply be paper links the child tears off daily or you can choose to write on each link an activity, small sacrifice or prayer intention for you to do as an individual or family. It is also a very inexpensive activity so that you can easily afford to make one for each child and ease that tension that sometimes comes as children struggle to remember who opened the last window on the calendar.

I have only two other activities planned for Advent, one is an open house on the Feast day Of Our Lady of Guadeloupe and another is a spiritual exercise built around the Cardinal Virtues. I had hoped to have this exercise researched and written in time for the first Sunday in Advent but this was not the case as we were still recovering from the long illnesses that struck in early November. So we will either begin it tonight or tomorrow; the second Sunday in Advent. My hope is to help create more peace in our home than there has been recently through the study of the virtues and how they help us as well as the the resulting 7 Capital sins that can trip us up through the lack of practicing the virtues in one's life.

Our children are good children and are usually very happy but over the past months some bad habits have formed and we need to weed these out sooner than later. What better time to focus on this than Advent and what better way to replace a bad habit than to practice a good one. I plan on sharing this activity later with my readers but first I have two priests reading it to make sure that there are no glaring errors in it. So once more I suggest that you stay tuned!

ignore

Jesse Tree - First Saturday in Advent

2009-12-05T05:23:00.000-05:00

The reading for this day are filled with betrayals and the resulting anger due to Jacob stealing his Father's blessings in earlier in the chapter. But the crux of the reading seems to be God's promise to Jacob as revealed in this dream:

...which he saw a ladder resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Hence the symbol for the first Saturday is that of a ladder and again, here is the link to the Domestic Church's page for this week's symbols.

The reading for today is Genesis 27:41-28:22
(Which is the same as Genesis 27:41-46 and Genesis 28:1-22)

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - First Friday in Advent

2009-12-04T05:37:00.001-05:00

On this day, the first Friday in Advent we are reminded of God's testing of Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. When God sees that Abraham loves Him enough to do even this - God sends a ram to take the place of Isaac. A foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice for us a ram is the typical symbol for this day.

Here is the page from Domestic Church for the symbols of this week.

Today's reading is Genesis 22: 1-19

(photo credit - go here and enjoy awesome pictures of various wildlife!)

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - First Thursday in Advent

2009-12-03T05:25:00.001-05:00

On the first Thursday of Advent we are reminded of the promise made to Abraham by God to:
"... make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." This event is symbolized with a tent and here is the link to Domestic Church with their symbols for this week.

Here are the readings:
Genesis 12: 1-7
Genesis 13: 2-18

IGNORE

Anonymous Comments

2009-12-02T22:05:00.004-05:00

As of today anonymous commenting has been blocked on this blog. I am sorry for this as I know some readers are not registered with google and, as such, will no longer be able to comment unless they register. However, I have yet to receive a nasty comment (and I mean NASTY!) that was NOT anonymous.

I am tired of cowards.

One of the more recent nasty comments was like a kick in the stomach and took my breath away. I could not understand what I had done or written to unleash such a vicious comment. I don't like that an anonymous person was able to leave such a stain on my day. And, as I believe that all nasty comments that are left anonymously are left by cowards... I sincerely doubt I will have to moderate any more nasty ones. These individuals simply will not have the courage to leave their name attached to their ugly words.

I have no problem publishing varying views from my own and I don't mind publishing comments that are critical of me. I have done so in the past. But some comments are just plain ugly and not deserving of being published and so my readers have not been subjected to them. But I am no longer willing to subject myself to them because, you see, while I have not published the ugly nasty comments - I have still had to read them.

Now if someone wants to be incredibly rude, offensive and/or vulgar... they will have to do so while leaving a trail that can be followed. This will allow me to be able to report them to Google should I warrant it necessary.

Again I apologize to the readers who have taken advantage of the anonymous comments to leave positive, interesting and sometimes critical comments while also including a first name. I am sorry that the cowardice of others has forced me to take this route. I hope you will understand.

ignore

Jesse Tree - First Wednesday in Advent

2009-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

This, the first Wednesday in Advent, takes us back to the 40 days of the flood and Noah and is typically represented with a dove over water with what I think is an olive branch in its beak.
Click here to go to Domestic church to find the matching symbol.

Readings
Genesis 6:11-22
Genesis 8: 6-12

IGNORE

Jesse Tree - First Tuesday in Advent

2009-12-01T06:08:00.000-05:00

The reading for today is about the fall and the resulting expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Some like to represent this with an apple - especially one with a bite out of it. Others will use a serpent. The Domestic Church combines the two images.

Here is the reading for today which is Genesis 3: 1 - 24

IGNORE

Jesse Tree

2009-11-30T07:48:00.003-05:00

Last year I was a lot less active than I am right now... as I was quickly advancing to my due date so we took the season of Advent off last year to focus on preparing for two babies... baby Jesus and our baby - who was due so very close to His birthday. We were blessed with Cecilia's arrival after about 36 hours of labour at home during the Christmas season but thankfully not on Christmas day! (In truth, though long - it was a very easy labour. Delivery was a little tricky and recovery - a nightmare, but Praise be to God, Cecilia was a very healthy baby!)

As a result of the hiatus we were on I had time to create many posts for the Jesse tree advent activity. I am going to repost these for the readers who wish to use them again this year. I hope you find them helpful... and I apologize for being late with Sunday's. As you know we have been ill most of November and I think (and pray) we have turned the corner...

So here is the link to last years introduction and let the waiting begin!

ignore

Jesse Tree - First Monday in Advent

2009-11-30T05:54:00.000-05:00

God's Creation; the reading for this day reflects the first days of the creation so many different symbols can be used. Some prefer to use a symbol of God, others of the wonderful earth that God created.

Here is the reading , which is Genesis 1: 24-28.

Again, to use the symbols for this week from the Domestic Church, click here.

Ignore

Jesse Tree - First Sunday in Advent

2009-11-29T06:26:00.000-05:00

The Jesse Tree is similar to a family tree - in this case Jesus' family tree. This tree, with its symbols, takes us through what some refer to as the first Advent. The long wait for the Messiah, our redemption, which started with Adam's and Eve's fall from grace through to the incarnation and the first Christmas in Bethlehem.

So the first symbol chosen is the tree which symbolizes the family tree we are building during Advent.

Here is the reading for the first Sunday in Advent which is 1 Samuel 16: 1-13

I am using the Domestic Church website and following their readings and symbols. To use their symbols for this week click here. To see their page about the Jesse tree click here.

Ignore

Needing God's Armor

2009-11-26T12:18:00.002-05:00

Since man's life on earth is a time of trial, and all who would live devotedly in Christ must undergo persecution, and the devil your foe is on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for prey to devour, you must use every care to clothe yourselves in God's armor so that you may be ready to withstand the enemy's ambush. - Saint Albert of Jerusalem (1149-1215)

And how do we clothe ourselves in God's armor: prayer, fasting, frequent reception of the sacraments and feeding our minds with good materials, whether spiritual reading or movies about the Saints and/or religious documentaries. What things do you do to keep yourself clothed in God's armor? Any good movies or documentaries you can suggest, reading materials? Feel free to leave your ideas in the comment section.

In the meantime I pray you all have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. We are still struggling with illness and now have a 4 year old who might be having a response to a recent MMR vaccination which only 5% of the population experiences.

ignore

illness abounds

2009-11-25T11:59:00.003-05:00

It is feast or famine for us with health and sickness and right now we are in 'the revolving door at the doctors' phase. Currently we are waiting on blood tests in hopes of revealing the newest culprit to knock us off our feet. Keep us in your prayers please as we wait and hope for a simple explanation for some rather serious illness in a few of our children.

Details later - but if I am away for a few days it is because we are really snowed under with sick children. I am working on a post about it all ... but... it might be a few days before I have the time to finish it and post.

God Bless and I pray for a Happy and HEALTHY Thanksgiving for you and yours!

ignore

High fashion

2009-11-23T09:54:00.002-05:00

Today I am wearing my baby and I can think of no other fashion accessory that could outshine this beautiful jewel that is clasped to my chest. Thank you Jesus for this priceless treasure which is adorning me and warming my heart and soul with her beauty and innocence.

ignore

Tired to the point of being tearful and feeling guilty...

2009-11-19T11:19:00.003-05:00

The dishes are piled up and despite the fact that I really, I mean really, want one of my own freshly baked molasses cookies I am "making do" with a Nonni soft baked almond cookie that is store bought. Gasp - did I really say 'making do' to one of those delightful cookies? Yes, I did because what I really want is a home made fresh from the oven molasses cookie and I am too tired to make them, despite being bed by 9:30 pm last night. (Could this possibly be because of the countless end to end doctors appointments, keeping track of several antibiotic prescriptions and attempting to jump start our schooling program after a two weeks sick hiatus??)

And I feel so guilty because instead of teaching math to my four year old who pleaded with me to let her do her math sheets - I cuddled my sleepy 10 month old who, after weeks of cat naps (a total of maybe four in the past week, each lasting a total of possibly 20 minutes, tops) crawled into my lap and voluntarily fell asleep. Could she possibly have done this because out of desperation the past 2 days we have put her down to sleep in, gasp, a crib - alone, and let her cry herself to sleep?

When she crawled into my arms and fell asleep I pushed away the guilt because after all she is most likely the last baby and how many more times will I have the opportunity to cuddle something so small and precious that is all mine. Regardless of why this clever little one decided to take a nap, I allowed myself the time to enjoy her warmth against my chest, the limp weight of her body in my arms and her head on the side of my neck as well as her baby fine hair smooth on my cheek. The dishes could wait, the baking could wait and the guilt could flee.

We are hours behind what I "wanted" to do. But the rest of the day is still here waiting to be filled and it can be started anew at any moment.

So I will try to ignore the fatigue & brush the guilt aside like crumbs off my lap as I have a cup of tea, enjoy my tusani cookie and then I will pull out the math sheets and also do a phonics lesson with Nathaniel. After lunch I will maybe try baking my craving and plan dinner.

It is never too late to start the day fresh...

Babies don't Keep...

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

~Ruth Hulbert Hamilton~

The full poem can be found here and the 8th comment (left by Sherry Goodwin) is particularly moving...

ignore

A Truely Blond Moment

2009-11-19T05:19:00.000-05:00

Younger brother to older sister as they drove by the local college:

"Hey - that's a really pretty church, have you ever been in it?"

Older sister to younger brother:

"Ah yeah - I got married in it..."

Ummm - yeah, and we have attended Mass there numerous times...

ignore

Oh MY G O S H !!!!

2009-11-18T16:30:00.004-05:00

There are only 11 more days to the first day of ADVENT!

Do you have your

???

(GULP - I don't... BUT I know where my wreath is... I think!)

ignore

Over at Good Remedy...

2009-11-18T07:34:00.004-05:00

... Peggy has found a great menu planer that is saving her dollars. And in this economy THAT is nothing to sneeze at. Want to check out her review? Here is her original post about E-mealz and here is her first review after trying it for a week. It's looking good! I'm even thinking of trying it even though I have created my own three week cycle of planned meals complete with grocery lists that is largely based on using a crock pot through out the week. The idea of throwing some ingredients in a pot early in the morning and not thinking about dinner again until its time to serve dinner is extremely appealing to me.

Still - I am looking forward to some new recipes without having to work hard to find them, print them and then create a matching grocery list... and this E-mealz even matches its meal plan/grocery list with the current sales from various nation wide stores. How can you beat that? So check out Peggy's post and see what you think. Hope to see you later over at E-mealz!

IGNORE

Ooops!

2009-11-17T16:52:00.001-05:00

If you're gonna mess with the settings on the electric hair trimmer and not tell your mum - you shouldn't be surprised when you end up with a buzz cut. I'm just saying... you know!

ignore

Check this out!

2009-11-16T07:38:00.002-05:00

Hey - have any of you heard of Catholic TV? I have heard some murmurs that are lodged deep in my memory banks but had not gotten around to actually looking into it. Well - here is a blog that I am checking out that is all about it. So far I don't know if this is something free or something you have to join - but it looks good. Come on over with me and check it out! And for those of you who were already in the know - ok - I'm square and I admit it!