Happy New Years

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!"

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Silent on the homefront...

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

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Merry Christmas

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!!

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It's Official...

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!!

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Jesse Tree - Fourth Thursday in Advent, Christmas Eve

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.

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Jesse Tree - Fourth Wednesday in Advent

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.

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Jesses Tree Fourth Tuesday

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
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Can anyone identify with this...

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!

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Jesse Tree - Fourth Monday in Advent

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 )
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Jesse Tree - Fourth Sunday in Advent

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.



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Overload...

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!

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Jesse Tree - Third Saturday in Advent

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)

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

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!

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Jesse Tree - Third Friday in Advent

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.

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Jesse Tree - Third Thursday in Advent

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.

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Too Awesome!

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.



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Jesse Tree - Third Wednesday in Advent

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.

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Jesse Tree - Third Tuesday in Advent

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.

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Jesse Tree - Third Monday in Advent

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.
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My Apologies

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!

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