Coming up....Advent

It's around the corner.  Advent that it is.  I looked at my archives to see what planning I had done for Advent last year and realized I hardly posted a thing.  I think most of my planning was done on my calendar or put on a saved document on the computer.  But, there isn't much to go on here on the blog. 

Ah well.

Which puts me in a very unorganized place.  Feeling quite overwhelmed by the ideas in my head; I dedicated part of my planning day to complete our Advent "to do" list.  This time I'm going to post it ALL here, on the blog.  Looks like it's the thing to do too.  Just check out Jessica's, Charlotte's, Elizabeth's, and Lacy's Advent Linky post to see all the great ideas. 

Our plans are a mix of all the ladies mentioned above and a few spins on what we've done in the past or hope to start.

~ The Advent Wreath ~

We brought ours from Catholic Supply store a couple of years ago.  This year I'd like to get a fresh wreath of evergreens and pillar candles (from the same store) and place it on our kitchen island.  We'll see if the budget allows a little extra for the candles. 

On a side note. 

I just purchased the Wood Nativity Advent Calendar from Catholic Supply store. 

 It's on sale for $39.95

So, excited I've waited a couple of years to purchase this.

~ The Jesse Tree ~

We've been through one version or another for our Jesse Tree ever since Lucy was little.  In the last few years we've been using this set we found at our local Catholic Store, Morning Star.  But, this year I'm trying really hard to make our own.  I did this for my SIL a few years ago, meaning to make some for our own family.  But, I just haven't done it. 

I'll be hand stitching round felts each with a hand stitched Jesse symbol. The ones I previously made came out really cute.  Hopefully I can get them done B4 Advent begins.

I love Annie's version here, I may just try this.

Jessica and Lacy both have a great list of resources for Jesse Tree ornaments.  You can link to their sites here and here.

I must say there are some great ideas on Lacy's site.  The cookies have my creative juices going...:)

~ the Book List ~

(a complete list organized by date will follow this post)

It's just too many to list under one post.  A couple of years ago I came across this fabulous little gem, you may recognize the title, Christmas Mosaic, An Illustrated Book Study for Advent and Christmas.  I love this book and Cay Gibson's previous one, Catholic Mosaic.  The book sparked an interest to have a book to read to the kids for everyday of Advent and the Christmas season.  I was not alone here.  The concept of having a Christmas basket of books was and is quite popular.  A great idea for any family!!  Just be prepared.  After a few years of doing this our basket is now quite large.

Our lists is a mix of known favorites and new found ones.  Where I can, I am adding a creative project or treat.  Just to further the anticipation to Christmas.

Here is a sample of some of our books:

More to come

~ Our Jesse/Advent Tea ~

I first saw this idea from Alice at Cottage Blessings and last year Jessica posted her ideas here.  I thought I had posted the pictures of last years Jesse Tea afternoon but, I didn't see them.  So perhaps I just never got around to it :(  So funny, I really thought I had. 

 I followed a mix between Alice's and Jessica's plans.  We made pretty label cards with the scripture displayed by each dish and had my MIL, SIL, all the kiddos and my brother here. 

It was such a hit that Rose has wanted a liturgical tea everyday.

This year I'm really hoping to have our tea after Mass on the 1st Sunday of Advent.  We'll be in Fresno visiting my mom and siblings so I'm not sure how well that will work out. 

~ Feast Days ~

December 6th: St. Nicholas

With the kids having their shoes waiting out the night before, they will awake to hopefully chocolate coins and a new book for their own collection.  I like Jessica's idea of a note from St. Nick telling the kids what they should work on.  Really cute idea.

The table will be set with

candy cane cocoa (coffee for mom)

speculatius cookies (for that evenings readings)

candy cane coffee cake (made this twice..really good)

December 12th: Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe

I love this day.  It's a favorite day in the Church for our family and this year our kids might be old enough to handle las mañanitas for Our Lady.  This means being at our parish by 5am.  Ready to sing to Our Lady as the sun comes up.  Adoring her with flowers and song...it's so so cool!

Then its..

pan dulce

coffee

champurado

(lots of coffee for me)

crafts:

Paper Dali's Virgensita and St. Juan Diego

Charlotte's color page

and another idea that needs working on b4 posting :)

dinner:

a nice Mexican dinner of mole, chicken, rice, beans, guacamole. 

December 12th: Christmas Rose Novena

With all St. Therese has done for me this year the novena will have a special place in my heart.

December 13th: St. Lucy

Hoping, hoping, so hoping this works out.

St. Lucy's crown (for the girls to wear, Lucy still has hers from Saints Day)

St. Lucia's Bread

Lucy is an early riser, so our hope is for her to wake right before her Papi does for work.  Wouldn't he be surprised to have his eldest daughter present him with a yummy treat and coffee.  This will be a surprise treat.

~ O Antiphon's ~

Last year was our first year that we prayed the "O Antiphon's".  Catholic Culture has a wonderful article of "the seven jewels of our liturgy".  We followed a mix of Jessica's and Charlotte's ideas and I'm excited to further these seven days leading to the birth of Christ fuller and richer than before.

I'll post what we did last year here just to make it easier on me.  But please check out their blogs for the OG plans.  Aahhh sometimes the East L.A kid in me just pops out :)

Each day I had a copy of that days prayer set up on our home altar.  We then had a craft or treat to share along with our evening reading.

December 17

O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!

~ the family will receive a new prayer book.  I have my eye on this one for Lucy especially.

~ and I already have this one for the whole family

December 18

O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

~ a collection of candy and gingerbread for gingerbread houses.  Perhaps one of the kids can build a gingerbread church

December 19

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.

My kids love root beer.  So they get to make their own root beer floats while momma picks up a few poinsettias for our home.

December 20

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death

Last year we followed Jessica's idea here and served Key Lime Pie for dessert. 

December 21

O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

It's pastels and art paper for us.  Each child draws his/her own reflections of the new day.  The brightness of dawn and all it's promises.  Just as we continue to wait for the promise of Christ.

In the evening Papi and momma enjoy an alcoholic Sunrise 

The kids enjoy Jessica's "O Dayspring Ice Cream"

December 22

O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!

~ plans to come

December 23

O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!

~ plans to come

That's it.  My time is up and I have to get to some reading.

The Moment~

~This Moment~

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

visit SouleMama for a link to more moments

For our vets!

Mansions of the Lord

In honor of the fallen heroes,

Thank you for your service!!!

St. Martin of Tours,
 patron saint of soilders pray for our fallen ones and all those that continue to serve their country.

A Colonial Kind of Time

I love the CurrClick web site and all it's lessons & online classes.  Their products are affordable to most all budgets and you can't beat their freebie of the week! Their classes have, thus far, been great.  Very informative, well organized, and the kids love them. 

Today is one of the classes we enrolled in.  The kids are taking a live class titled "Thanksgiving Fun: Colonial Days and Pilgrims".  Their teacher sent some great links and project ideas early on in preparation for the class.  She had quite a list :)

Our family has done a lot with that time period so, we also had some great resources on hand.  Mainly we used our Homeschool Woods: Time Travelers Colonial Life CD for the resources.  With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching the timing couldn't be better.  So for one whole month we have have put aside our RC History trek in Rome to spend some time in Colonial America.

I'm going to post our progress as we go along here on the blog and take any of you on a little time travel adventure.  It'll hopefully be a blast with the comforts of all 2010 can offer too.

Part of what we did was spend time in the kitchen

Rose is setting up the apples to string and dry them later.  She's done this before and was really happy about doing it again.  In fact she nagged made this suggestion at least once a day:)

She made me awfully nervous while she cut her slices.  I ended up taking over.

Tada....

our sliced drying apples

Rose's paper doll colonial girl

and her cornucopia

There were lots of other projects  and we'll spend a whole month in this time period.  I bet I'll have some pictures to share.

The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

"From the beginning, Christians have prayed for the dead and have undertaken works of penance on their behalf. There is scriptural basis for this intercessory prayer for the sins of others and for the dead in the Old Testament. Job's sacrifices purified his sons (Job 1:5); and Judas Maccabeus "made atonement for the dead that they be delivered from their sin" (II Macc 12:46)."

(source: Women for faith and family)

~ Papi ~

(my parents' wedding day pictured with my paternal grandmother)

I remember my father as a devoted and affectionate man.  My siblings and I have been told zillions of times of "how much" our father loved us.  We were his world and he made sure we knew it.  We were his companions where ever he went.  We were made to feel important and secured.

I remember my father from the eyes of a six year old girl.  A little girl adores her Papi and I adored mine.  He meant the world to me, that I remember clearly. 

Today, I remember and pray for him.  He left this side of Heaven when I was only six years old.  That little girl, who hid under the dining table hearing the horrible news that her father wouldn't be coming home, remembers him. 

Nana

(pictured to the right holding her infant son; he passed away a couple of years ago)

There are grandmothers and then there are grandmothers.  Our Nana was the kind of grandmother that oozed love in every way possible.  She was an affectionate woman, smart and a great cook.  We weres fortunate to have both our grandparents living with us for a period of time.  Her soft hands making the sign of the cross on my forehead before bed, going to school, and always before my trips to the hospital (the hospital stories are another story altogether). 

Nana was a woman to be admired.  She was strong and remained faithful through many trials.  Even towards the end, when the cancer had completed destroyed her; she was more concerned over others than herself.  This was the kind of woman she was.

~ Payo ~

(pictured to the left, my grandfather)

 What a grandfather he was.  He was the tough guy.  Not the touchy-feeling kind of man but we knew he loved us.  His smiles and gaze showed that love.  His gentleness expressed that love.  Something about him always made me giggle.  I don't know why but I always thought him to be so sweet and goofy.

He was a Dodgers man.  So many memories of him sitting by his radio listening to the games.  He was also a hard working man and his hands had many stories to tell.  His life was not easy and some of it showed in his hands and around his eyes.  I do wish he had lived a bit longer.  Just so I could have showered him with more hugs and kisses.  This granddaughter misses him.

Eternal Rest
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.

Requiem Æternam

Réquiem ætérnam dona eis, Dómine,
et lux perpétua lúceat eis.
Requiéscant in pace. Amen.

How ever can I express my gratitude

My heart is full from the many acts of kindness that has been given to myself and my family.  From my loved ones around me to so many that I haven't even met.  I have been left speechless.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Thank you for your prayers.  They have been a source of comfort and I am humbled by them all.  Thank you for sharing your stories with me,

thank you for offering to share a bit of you with me.

God is so very good to me!

In this tragedy I see clearly the gifts I have,

my marriage,

my children,

my loved ones,

my life!

We have given our baby the name

Maximiliano Santiago

We will always remember him.

Thanks to Jessica, for her thoughtfulness!!  You all will be in my prayers and I will be forever grateful to each of you.

(photo credit: Shelly)

Saints of 2010

Today is catch up posting day...LOL it feels good to look at the pictures I'm gathering to post.  It's making a difficult time a bit easier. 

Our family of Saints ~

St. Lucy

St. Nicholas

Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe

Mother Mary

I just loved how the veil looked as Rose was walking. 

Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,

 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads." And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!"  And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen."  Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Rev 7:2-4, 9-14

All Saints Day

"The church in this great festival honours all the saints reigning together in glory; first, to give thanks to God for the graces and crowns of all his elect: secondly, to excite ourselves to a fervent imitation of their virtues by considering the holy example of so many faithful servants of God of all ages, sexes, and conditions, and by contemplating the inexpressible and eternal bliss which they already enjoy, and to which we are invited: thirdly, to implore the divine mercy through this multitude of powerful intercessors: fourthly, to repair any failures or sloth in not having duly honoured God in his saints on their particular festivals, and to glorify him in the saints which are unknown to us, or for which no particular festivals are appointed."

(source: EWTN) 

As we remember those who have gone before us we hope we did them just at our All Saints Day carnival this past Saturday.  For the past few years our kids have dressed up as their favorite known and unknown saints.  We celebrated with games, monologues and tons of food.

I present you the saints of 2010

left to right: Lucy as St. Lucy, Max as St. Nicholas, Rose as Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe

and out in front is Princess as Our Blessed Mother Mary

Each family was to bring little gifts to give away at each of the games.  I opted to decorate sugar cookies and make little saints to give away at the "Spin a Saint Wheel"

above: St. Therese of Lisieux, Mother Mary, St. Lucy, St. Benedict, St. Padre Pio

below: St. Clare, Bl. Kateri, Bl. Mother Teresa, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Frances

At the carnival

 

My nephew as St. Padre Pio, and nieces as Bl. Kateri and St. Gianna Beretta Molla

(please keep the two older children in your prayers, we believe we may have a priest and a sister in our midst)

The games were built by one of the hostess of the carnival.  She had made them along with her mother for a parish event.  The pictures don't do them justice...they were so cool!

Spin a Saint

St. Joan of Arc and St. Martin de Tours ran the St. Therese Plinko game

The St. Patrick Snake Toss was run by some familiar faces and St. Joan of Arc

St. Elizabeth Drexel along with this young saint, who you'll have to forgive me I just can't remember the name...so sorry. 

This was finding Jonah in the whale's mouth

This little guy to the left, St. Alexander the Charcoal Worker is so precious he just melts your heart when you see him

We have two more games, just check out Noah's Ark...

We had parents get into the day's festivities with St. Joan of Arc to the left and St. Frances of Assisi to the right

And all for the Glory of God I present to you,

All the Saints of 2010

May the Church Triumphant continuously pray for us

and may we see them as our examples as we follow their trail to Heaven!

No Longer the Baby...

(her birthday was this past Friday)
But you will always be OUR baby

Happy Birthday Princess

The tiniest of the bunch

immediately after birth
you looked at everyone around you as if you knew something quite special about them

Such looks you gave
eyes wide open
ready to see the whole world

the phrase that one shouldn't judge a book by it's cover applies to you my dear

 you are small in size

but you are quite the character

full of joy

full of laughter

You were born with an agenda

you seem to know it still

your hugs have weight and meaning

your smirks a bit of mischief

But we ALL melt with your gaze

Our little girl,

so ready to learn,

exploring every opportunity,

fearless yet cautious,

a natural little momma,

that doesn't mess around;

sensitive to discipline,

so dainty,

so determined,

such a joy to watch grow!

We love you

and can't wait what other adventure you have ready for us still!!