Martha Showed Me...

I was skimming through a December 2008 issue of Martha Stewart's Living magazine the other night; and I saw something...
Something that I could actually do.
Something that used items I already had in the house.
Something that wouldn't cost me a single cent.

In the old house we use to hang our Christmas cards around the piano; or on the inside of the front door.  Our cards looked scattered though.  Not like the gallery displays I would see in the Better Homes magazines. 

But with a few supplies... 
I made a super cute, and easy display.

What you need:

1.  Get all the scraps of that Christmas paper around the house

2.  Clothes pins

3.  Glue stick

4.  Ribbon

5.  Scissors

The pictures are pretty self explanatory. 

Using the scraps of paper, measure out the approximate size of your clothes pin

Cut the paper to size

Using a glue stick, spread it on the side the paper with be glued too

and

just in minutes you have...

A pretty display for all those Christmas cards coming your way...

Evidently mine are slow to arrive...

Thank you

Martha Stewart!

St. Andrew's Christmas Novena

Elizabeth Foss first introduced me to this beautiful novena.  It's longer than the 9-day novenas but, worth every extra day.  I usually print out a copy of the prayer and tack it to my refrigerator.  I figure I'd be for sure see it 15 times a day there.

But, Lena @ Joyfilled Family has made lovely Holy Cards.  She is offering a free download and has asked all to share.  So please...

Go, click, and print....

Then PRAY!!

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe,
O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Advent & Christmas Reads:: 2012

Ahhh..
The lists of reads are popping up again.
The season is near.
The stores are always a clear sign of it (I'm so bog hum bug about that though)

But I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE the time of ADVENT!  The slow anticipation growing with each week, as we near and grow closer to that day!   It's just awesome.

We are also in a new house this year.  It's a bit 'undone', the house decor that is.  Not the house.  That's lovely!  And this house yells out "decorate me" and "grow memories here" and 'sit by the fire and READ!"

So we hope to.

We are starting with gathering our books from the boxes.  Looking at our older lists of titles.  Ordering others from the library (our new library has a great book store; where I already found some treasures).   This year I'm not going to wrap the books.  Instead I've group them to go by each week of Advent and Christmas.  So each Sunday of Advent the kids can look forward to a new stack in the basket.  They're kinda set up in groups that are similar to what may be going on in our home as we prepare.

2010 Books

2011 Books (newbies introduced)

2011 Books

~ Our 2012 lists ~

These first two books lead us all the way through Advent

The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean
Jotham's Journey by Arnold Ytreeide

First Week of Advent:
The Candle in the Window by Grace Johnson
The Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot Waiting for Noel by Mark Graham
Saint Nicholas by Ann Tompert
The Miracle of Saint Nicholas by Gloria Whelan
Mary, the Mother of Jesus by Tomie De Paola
Mary, Mother of Jesus by Mary Joslin & Alison Wisenfeld

Second Week of Advent:

The Lady of Guadalupe Tomie de Paola
The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe Empress of the Americas by C. Lourdes Walsh
Our Lady of Guadalupe by Francisco Serrano (an awesome pop up book)
Lucia, Saint of Light by Katherine Bolger Hyde
Santa's Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki
The Christmas Candle by Richard Paul Evans
The Legend of the Christmas Rose by William H. Hooks

Third Week of Advent:

The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie de Paola
The Miracle of the First Poinsettia by Joanne Oppenheim
The Legend of the Poinsetta by Tomie de Paula
B is for Bethlehem by Isabel Wilner
Night Tree by Eve Bunting
A Possible Tree by Josephine Haskell Aldrige
The Christmas Path: A Legend of the Luminarias by Sue Wright

Fourth Sunday of Advent:

Here is Christmas by Donna Cooner
When it Snowed that Night by Norma Farber

First Week of Christmas

The Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett
Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry
Tonight You Are My Baby, by Jeannine Q. Norris
Father and Son: A Navity Story by Geraldine McCaughrean
There was No Snow on Christmas Eve by Pamela Munoz Ryan
Room for One More: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell & Jason Cockcroft
All for the Newborn Baby by Phyllis Root

Second Week of Christmas

Young Mary of Nazareth by Marianna Mayer
The Shepherd's Christmas by Michelle Andrews
The Little Drummer Boy by Carolyn Quattrocki
The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier
Who was Born This Special Day by Eve Bunting
This is the Star by Joyce Dunbar
Silent Night by Joseph Mohr

Third Week of Christmas

The Little Match Girl by Han Christian Anderson
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
The Story of the Three Wise Kings by Tomie de Paola
The Christmas Promise by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and David Christiana
Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers by Kate Andrew Clements
A Medieval Christmas
Angels & All Children: A Navity Story in Words, Music, & Art

(Sophia, already checking out the books)

We are also going to add a bit of Elizabeth Foss's ideas to the mix.  We are catering quite a few events here so, I don't want to add more than I can do.  But I do like the idea of learning how Christmas is celebrated through out the world.  Perhaps next year our group of friends can do something like this.  Asking each family to share a bit of their special celebrated traditions.

Happy Readings!

Christmas memories 2011:: part I

A tale in pictures

The Lineman had been searching the web for weeks.  He looked for breeders, prices, and pictures... he was on a search for a puppy.

A PUPPY!

Oh yes...

We had gone back and forth on this, truthfully a four legged addition to the family wasn't exactly a venture I wanted to undertake.

But The Lineman did. 

 He is dog kinda guy and I knew that having new dog (we had a lab mix many years ago) would be in our future at some point.

Anyways, last week The Lineman found this little guy.  Again we went back and forth. 

Was the timing right?  Would the kids help?  Would I go mad?

It's a big responsiblity to get a pup.

So Christmas Eve, Hubby took a loooonnng drive.  With the kids and his mom in tow, I stayed behind to get Christmas eve dinner ready, they went to check out the pup.  Notice the key words 'check out'.

By the time the prime rib was out of the oven; my SIL arrived with her family,  my FIL arrived and The Lineman entered the house with

our new pup.

Meet Obi

 (his real name;-))

Christmas Eve was pretty fabulous after that grand entrance. 

12 children + 1 pup = FUN

There was an absolutely yummy prime rib dinner, my first attempt mind you (at the prime rib).

There was the Christmas concert before the midnight Mass; Lucy and her cousins were a part of the choir.  There was of course the midnight Mass,

which was beautiful and wonderful!

By 1:30 am I was plum tired

and so was The Lineman

Las Posadas begin today

Will you be joining one?

Christmas Novena ::

†Christmas Anticipation Prayer†

Beginning on St. Andrew the Apostle's feast day, November 30, the following beautiful prayer is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas. This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas and helps us prepare ourselves spiritually for His coming

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen

And a very Merry Christmas to all

Christmas Eve

There can be a whirlwind of events beginning the morning of Christmas Eve and running strong until December 26th.  Baking, visiting, wrapping and such have a way of cluttering the time.  Thus, precious moments can be lost if one isn't careful. 

I didn't want the 'noise' to clutter our time.  So, we took it slow and easy. 

No fuss

No stress

No worries

(or so we tried)

Christmas Eve we would be rejoicing at the birth and coming of Our Lord Jesus

We would be singing under the grace that He has come to save us from ourselves

We would be simple in our own family's need to be still;

reflecting in various ways on how how He has come to one day

die for US

We gave back a little to neighbors, bearing kitchen goodies and Christmas carols.  Wishing them a blessed Christmas season

We had a lovely dinner

I didn't take any pictures during this time, I think I was just in the moment.  It was so pretty with candles and flowers everywhere. 

I just kept taking it all in :)

Then the time came to place Baby Jesus in his manger

Princess was given the special 'job' and didn't let anyone forget it

Then it was off to see Lucy, her cousins, and a few other talented youth sing Christmas carols for Fr. S right before the midnight Mass was to begin

We walked into our parish

It was still, the manger illuminated by lights drew every one's attention

The choir began to sing

and I heard the angels singing in Glory to God 

for He has come down to be among us

We didn't get to stay for the midnight Mass

but instead returned the following morning to celebrate

still all beautiful

still so magical

Christmas has begun

The Word was made flesh, alleluia, alleluia!

And dwelt among us, alleluia, alleluia!

A Cartoon's Lesson on Christmas

A more simpler version, and coming from a secular source, the message is clear. 

A king is born unto us 

Come to save us, O Lord our God

What made them smile...

It doesn't take much to make a child smile.  These are the 'things' that are making their days brighter...

This was right before Christmas and the kids were treated to lollipops that were bigger than their mouths.  It was their Papi's idea to give it to them but, I am cringing at the tought of all those sweets and a near dentist appointment they have.....

He was so excited over this new toy.  Since Christmas day it has been a favorite around here.  The girls turn it into a cathedral with all their wooden saints and I've heard said, at least a few times that, "Dragons can't eat the saints...that would be a sin". 

There is a story here.  Many months ago for her birthday she recieved a qpon for horse back riding lessons.  Unfortunately we were unable to get her lessons back then.  There seemed to be one issue or another and she finally gave in to the idea that she just wasn't going to get to ride anytime soon.   She took it like a champ.

But we knew we had to get the lessona for her.  This was/is such a dream for her.  So, hubby and I searched around and finally picked a trainer close to our home and resonably priced.  If you know anything about horses, nothing about them is "resonably priced".  Anyhow, on Christmas day; tucked inside her stocking was a flyer announcing her lessons.  She was besides herself!  Honestly the picture doesn't do the moment justice. 

It was a bit sad though, hubby was busy building a motorized bike for the youngest one...see that pink thing towards the side in the picture above?  So, he didn't see eldest girl opening her gift.  It was worth every penny. 

Christmas Pictures

What we hold on too...

Our children...a blessing

Siblings being together, though one is missing...where was she?

grandparents love & a godmother's smooch

Uncles being around & a papi's love!

Our Christmas

How do you answer the question "How was your Christmas"?  Do you suck it up and smile saying it was good, nice...interesting.  While in your heart you want to smile and say how beautiful it was...just as I imagined...it was awesome; you can't say it because there was pain, tears, and anger.  Instead of waiting and rejoycing together; as a family we tried to hold on to a sense of falling.  We saw, that evening and then the Christmas Day, become a time of trying to understand what probably isn't ours to understand.  The "why" factor came into play several times...but mostly there was such fear in the air.  Really, this is what it all came down to.  It was fear.  Fear of what is to come, not knowing how to handle it, what to do with it, the changes that all the coming months will bring to a family that is so united; so intertwined.  We are a strong bunch but there is no shame in feeling weak and needing help.  There is no wrong in feeling unprepared for change.  How then, do we move on?
love & mercy
Seeking Him out in the Eucharist, in the Mass.  Remembering that we have all fallen and that none of us is without some wrong.  We stay connected to that same baby that later died on the cross.  We forgive one another but most importantly seek forgiveness of ourselves.  We say we are sorry and truly move on.  We remember that Christmas is more than one night...

Merry Christmas Eve

~ Merry Christmas Eve ~

It is a blue and cloudless day in Southern California.  I normally love the winter scenes and miss them during the winter months.  But today I am glad for the warm weather and the deep blue of the sky.  It looks so pretty....so promising. 

Today is Christmas eve.  The tree is up and the kitchen is busy with baking, cooking, and finishing up the last of the home made gifts.  Earlier, during our morning prayers, we read about Joseph and Mary's travels.  The cold brisk day and the promise of LIFE. 

I hold on to that promise brought by a new born babe.  A helpless little being born under a cold, clear night in a stable.  How humble is our God to have chosen to come in such a meek and  vulnerable way.  We are so blessed to have such a God.  I am thankful for his love of me.  I am thankful for the new life that will come soon to our own family...no not me.  Life brings hope, reminding us of that one special night so long ago...

A little baby...born to be a King!