more of Frank's genius

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."
~unknown

Teach a man to squeegie the shower doors, and you've got one happy mama.
(You can quote me on that.)

Mama loves you Frankie-boy!

diaper bags.

I always felt that carrying a diaper bag on my shoulder made me feel...well, younger. Despite the fact that I'm pushing 40 this year, somehow a diaper bag helped me relate to those new mommas...first-timer, 20 somethings. Never mind that I have 10 others out of diapers by now. Still. Diaper bag in my mind helps me feel well, younger.
Younger that is, until I'm toting it (and all 11 kids) to my 12 year old's rockin girl-band concert ("Chatterbox" LIVE on stage at the New Bremen bowling alley!)

It felt wrong to walk out the door with all the kids in tow and say "Alice, don't forget your guitar. John, I've got the diaper bag."

My first "rock concert" with a diaper bag. Seriously. Crazy. And feelin well, old.

This is NOT how we geared up for Van Halen in the early 90's.


Here's Alice and her band-mates prior to taking the stage...
And the girls rockin' the house...

Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

(a little post-Ashes humor.)

Today little Annie broke thru the plastic barrier that is separating our kitchen from the drywall mud/dust renovation beyond. She delighted in the fact that I hollared out her name, and giggled over her shoulder at me as I proceeded to make chase. I caught her seconds too late...just after she dove into the piles of dust and proceeded to make dust-angels on her belly. She laughed outloud then as she rolled over onto her back with a toe-point and an arched back...quite pleased with her efforts. I couldn't help but laugh out loud too...until she started licking the dust off the floor making a paste on her tongue. Ewwww....

I should have just taken her to mass with us for ashes on her forehead.

Seriously Anne.

date night.

John and I managed to sneak out of the house unattended last evening. What a rare treat. Times are changing, and kids are growing so that we're able to get out for brief intervals for things that require the both of us. (We rarely go on "dates," these brief outings are usually matters of practicality.)
This time was no different. The school kids had all attended mass in the morning with their classmates, leaving John and I the only ones needing to get to church yet. We left a few minutes early and stopped by our local decorating store to choose flooring for the "apartment" as well. (*Side note: we're not sure if/when we'll ever stop calling that new space "the apartment." Hopefully someday it will be "family room"...but not yet...it doesn't sound right, yet.)
Anyhow, in just 20 minutes we had linoleum and carpeting chosen, thanks to a really great saleslady who showed us just the right stuff...durable, stain-resistant, and in the perfect shade of "dirt." Oh, and budget-friendly. Sweet. Sign us up.

We made it to mass just in time to find a seat...the place was packed. Awesome!

What a gift it is to attend mass as a couple. Truly a gift. Don't get me wrong...I love when our entire family sits together, over-filling an entire pew...all of us present for the Lord. But sitting with John, just the two of us...well, it's a beautiful reminder of how it all started. I couldn't help but think of our early years when we were dating, and first married, and had all sorts of dreams and plans and hopes mapped out for our future. And we'd bring them to God in prayer. And here we were, holding hands at mass again...just the two of us...no eye-rolling, or pinching or flicking or asking "how many more songs?" or climbing over pews (Johns's so well behaved when the kids aren't around.) This time with the knowledge and understanding of God's total love, and mercy, and providence. And how when we make room for him as the center of our marriage covenant, at the center of our families, first in our hearts...everything else falls into line. Maybe not as we'd mapped out...but certainly far greater than anything we could have hoped for. All is good and right.
It was a perfect way to start Lent I think. With that reminder to keep Christ at the center. To take time to look away for a moment at what we think we want/need, and reflect and listen to what Christ may be calling us to...first and foremost a closer relationship with Him.

A perfect date-night indeed.

Oh, and I'm pretty stoked about the new flooring too. It could be installed as early as next week already!! Woohooo! God is gooooood.

Ashes, Ashes.

We all fall down...this time, in prayer.
I was pleasantly surprised when some of the kids asked if we could restart family rosary times for Lent. Awesome! (and here, I thought they HATED family rosary...what with the occasional eye-rolling and moaning, it was hard to tell.)

But they asked, and so they shall recieve. Wednesdays and Sundays-family rosary. Fridays-Way of the Cross.


Anyways, as always, my kids never cease to amaze/inspire me. When I just stop for a minute thinking I got it all figured out, and listen to their little-God-like voices.
Just get over yourself Jamie.

It's a new day...

I've posted this before, but I still love it's simple reminder of self-transformation at Lent...and always...

Fast from judging others; feast on Christ in them.
Fast from wanting
more; feast on being thankful.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on enjoyment.
Fast from negatives; feast on postitives.
Fast from stress; feast on
prayer.
Fast from anger; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from fear; feast on truth
Fast from
discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from gossip; feast on silence.
Fast
from fighting; feast on peace.
Amen
~Adapted from a Lenten prayer by
William Arthur Ward in Take Out, Family Faith on the Go

Fat Tuesday

We're contemplating the journey called Lent, here.

That is, we're eating cake, and watching tv, and sucking up all the things we plan to do without for the next 40 days. It's like a last-minute "fix" before the long haul.

Tomorrow over breakfast we'll pen a list of final Lenten promises. Not so much to dwell in it, but so that I can keep track...of who can eat today's leftover chocolate cake, and who can have computer time, etc. Far be it for me to tempt anyone into failure. Heaven's no.

The kids asked me this evening what I'm "giving up." I'm still not sure. God seems to be telling me to give up "holding in." I've been a bottled up mess of thoughts and stories and ideas...revelations and opportunities, and all sorts of just "stuff" filling up my head. I've been very restless lately, and feeling too busy to do any sort of writing. But these last days, it's as if I can't hold it in anymore, and God seems to be telling me just to let it go.
So one of my Lenten commitments is to quit holding back. To write every day, even if it seems trivial. I feel a physical~spiritual connectedness to each one of you...we need each other...that is, I need you all. God knows it, and he's encouraging me to reach out...to accept each of you, individually and as a whole, and the outstretched hand you offer each time you check in to read about my little corner of the world. He reminds me that none of us are in this alone. None of us are perfect. None of us are meant to be super-woman, super-mom, super-anything. Just meant to be faithful. And to hold each other up.
So to start these 40 days, I commit to be faithful. To continue to write. To share and to know that you're out there, lifting me up.
God is so good.
Prayers being offered that we may all have a transformative Lent...one that brings each of us closer to Jesus and the supreme love He has for each one of us.


And God was speaking outloud through little John tonight. We were discussing ways he could earn money to donate to the kids' Parish Lenten Mission project. Monies are being collected to help some Precious Blood Priests in Chicago who have set up a safe house for kids there. They're trying to raise money for a van to help transport kids safely through the bad neighborhoods.
Anyhow, John mumbled..."Mom, I"m gonna find ways to surprise you over these next 40 days...to earn the money. It would just be awesome to get enough so they could buy 2 vans!"

Yes, John. It would be awesome. And that's exactly how God must think...full of surprises, and better than we could expect/imagine.

Blessings to you all this Lenten season.

What the world needs now...

is love, sweet love.


Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Happy Valentines Day!

you can imagine their surprise

Scissors and Sharpie markers...two things that are pretty much under lock and key here. Or at least require a signed permission slip and 2 forms of i.d.

There have been too many near misses...haircuts, marked furniture, injury, etc.

You can imagine their surprise then, when I handed over a whole box of Sharpies and crayons and told them to "have at it."

The kitchen wall was a free-for-all.

And they handled it beautifully.

Couldn't be prouder of their team work to pull this off...






Two more days till this wall disappears forever...

I love Dory.

"just keep swimmin, just keep swimmin, swimmin, swimmin."

It's my montra these days.

In this crazy sea of every-day-life, where the rivers of home renovations and prior commitments converge...I'll just keep swimmin.
Today I find myself wearing yoga pants that I slept in last night. Splash of deoderant, a clean shirt and some water to tame the bed-head and I'm good. It's the best I can muster this morning...day three of work-crews here by 7:30 am. Seriously 7:30. I'm usually in pj's well past 10. I need to focus my energy to answer such daunting questions as "Mom, where's my Ninjago-Lego dude?" and "Mom, can I have gum?" (before breakfast?!) Those are the easy ones...the questions my brain has been fielding for a dozen years now. There are new questions these days though...stumpers...questions that have me scratching my head in wonder...like, "How many recessed lights would you like in the family room?" and "Where would you like the switches for those?" or "What color vanity top would you like in your bathroom?" Seriouly...I went through a whole box of marble chip samples only to learn that NONE of them have mint green flecks?! How is this progress?! Nobody's thought to create a bathroom vanity that camoflauges toothpaste spittings?! Oi. Guess we'll go with beige. Whatever. As for switches...a single master switch near my bed would be fine...ON in the morning, OFF at night. Really...nobody else bothers with turning lights off in this house anyway...it looks like a party in every room at least 10 hours of every day.
These questions should not be difficult. Really. But they are. Just more wonderful things to think about at night as I lie in bed trying to solve the problems of my little world. Not really problems at all when I remember to thank God for these blessings, and realize just how truly good he's been to us here. No room for complaints, or concerns. It will all come together in the end, I know.
Truth is, it's quite exciting...VERY exciting to see the progress at the end of each day. Also exciting to realize I likely won't clean house for several weeks...it's just not worth trying to keep up with all that dust. No house-cleaning=more play time, more reading time, more puzzle time, more time to find that darn Ninjago-Lego dude, and fold that crazy laundry. Yes. Life goes on.
And I'll just keep swimmin.

sweat equity

Even the kids found ways to contribute to this project.

Our (former apartment) new family room remodel:

Phase 1: Demo. (check.)

We spent this past weekend readying the space by clearing it of everything. No more carpet, no more cabinets, or appliances, or plumbing fixtures. Shoot...no more walls, no more ceiling tiles. Even the electrical wires were pulled to make way for a completely new open floor plan...an extension of our kitchen, an added bathroom, and a family great room.

My dad and brother along with John did the largest part of the labor, but the older kids sure did their share as well. Alice, Emma and Sam helped with hammers, and hauling, and even hours on step ladders pulling the staples left overhead after the ceiling tiles were stripped away. I was never more proud of their hard work.

In another week or so, contracters will be coming in to remove a couple walls between our kitchen and this unused space...and the room will blossom from there.

I've not decided if I'll post pictures as the work progresses or just tease you with a couple "before" shots, and a final "after"...and then backtrack. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Here are Lucy, Mary & Grace showing the kitchen wall "before." That wooden door down the hallway on the right is currently our only access to the apartment space. For now.
Here Alice and Grace are dodging dust and debris in the completely gutted apartment space. In this photo, I'm standing on the backside of the wall I just showed looking across the space, toward the street. Things will look different very soon. (and I couldn't be more tickled.)

random acts of kindness

The weekend brought snow to these parts. Unfortunately, the rain that came through last night washed it all away just as quickly. While it was here though, we made the most of it. The kids spent a large part of Saturday outdoors building forts, clearing sidewalks, engaging in snowball battles, and the best...building a snow family in our front yard for all the passers-by to see. It took them the whole day, in shifts, to develop the ideas and finally build each member...dad, mom, a child playing in a pile of snowballs, even a snow-puppy whose tail wags in the breeze. Very cute indeed. All the while, those "on break" warming indoors to hot cocoa (coffee for me) would supervise from the snuggly comfort of the couch in the front window. It was great. A real team effort. Well, except for me and Anne. We just kept hot cocoa on the stove, and enjoyed the mostly quiet afternoon. (Laundry kept me plenty busy during her nap time.)

Dark came too soon, and I had to beg them all inside, assuring them there would be snow left on Sunday for another day of play.
Just as the last ones stripped off their snow clothes and settled inside, waiting out supper...the doorbell rang. None of us recognized the kind stranger at the door (I apologize if I should have...I'm terrible that way.)
Turns out, someone driving by saw the kids hard at work finishing the snow-family, and enjoyed the view. Enjoyed it enough in fact to be moved to stop by the grocery and pick us up a little treat. This kind lady on our front stoop, thanked the kiddos for their hard work, and handed over a grocery bag of 'smores fixins. Just like that. Random kindness.

I thanked her as she walked away, with a "thank you" that seemed way to insignificant for the trouble she'd just gone to. Sometimes I get so caught up in myself, and my little world to forget how simple, and powerful a little kindness can be. AWESOME! And the coolest is that the kids really got it...they couldn't say enough about the "cool" lady that stopped by.

In fact at dinner later (the one none of the kids ate much of, cause they were too full of 'smores and hot cocoa...and I was cool with that) we went around the table sharing the day's "Best" (an opportunity for everyone to speak about the best thing that happened that day) They were all in agreement that the BEST thing was that a total stranger would do something so nice. Me too. That is the BEST. And such a simple lesson for us all (especially me) about doing little things with love...and how it leaves us better for it...the giver and the reciever. So cool.

That kind lady with 'smores...she was God's hand in that moment.
And God is good (and apparently enjoys snowfamilies, and teamwork too.)
Thank you for reaching out to us in such a fun unexpected way.

Here's our snow family reaching out their hands in a friendly hello, and "thank you!"

ancient chinese secrets...debunked

A few of us ordered Chinese take-out Sunday night. (Yummm. HUGE treat.) Only a few of the older ones care for it, so it's a relatively inexpensive meal, while the younger ones nibble on baked chicken nuggets or some other "favorite" from home.

Anyhow, Rose opened one of the fortune cookies and asked me to read...

"Ignorance never settles a question."

Charlie was quick with a "What the heck does that mean?" and before I could muster some nonsense response (cause I really had no clue,) Rose saved me.

"It means, that's a DUMB fortune."

There. Settled.
Confusious might say that's one genious 5 year old. I'd agree.

obedience

It's my word.

Pam over at Roamin Catholic Mom challenged her blog readers to find their "word" for the New Year...a montra, or theme, or thought to ponder/consider. Sort of resolution word.

Mine's easy. Obedience. And already being challenged. Big time.

You see, I've been praying since early December for some clarity in the New Year. Clarity to hear God's call, to recognize it, and more importantly to answer with a resounding "Yes." His joy being my strength and all, I want to please Him. And in doing so, recognize that if He's happy, I'm happy and back and forth. Sounds simple enough, right?

Till he comes calling...

And then I want to say..."is that really you, Lord? Or just a wrong-number? Cause, this doesn't sound like something you really want me to say yes to. Does it? Or does it. Oh Lord, how bout Maybe. Are you okay with maybe? Or how bout Next time. Or Not this thing, but the next thing, I'll for sure say yes then. I promise. Seriously. This doesn't seem like my thing...

Obedience. Ugggh. I stink at that.

The readings all last week weren't much help, either. (Thanks a lot God! You know how to nudge my heart just so, don't ya. Darnit.)

This song at mass on Sunday put me over the edge...oh, He's gooooood.


The Summons

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

So after a lot of ignoring, and him-hawing, and procrastinating, I gave a reluctant Yes. And now, giggling a little bit, cause hubby's involved in this too. We were asked to speak as a couple at an upcoming marriage retreat. He's reluctant too, but we both commented after mass Sunday that God's pretty clear about what he wants.
Somehow it seems easier to speak about the whole mom and chaos and kids topic, but sharing about our marriage, well...that's a whole 'nother ballgame.
One that's sure to inspire some good conversation and reflection as a couple as we prepare.
Shoot. Maybe that's okay.
Maybe, well maybe the Good Lord knows what he's up to afterall.

Speak Lord, I'm listening. I want to do your will...not? Yes, Jamie. Yes you do.

and his droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow

Droll...d-r-o-l-e...(ding) That is incorrect.

The book she's had memorized word for word since the age of three ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)...and it was a simple, strange word that caught her up in the fifth round of the school spelling bee.

Darnit.

What the heck does "droll" mean, anyway?! It means she won't be going on the the county bee.

Still incredibly proud Emma! Way to represent!

Frank-the story teller.

I'd be a lying fool to tell you that our kids don't fight and bicker and argue and annoy the heck out of each other...often. They are brothers and sisters after all. One of my biggest pet peaves right now is the way any two of them can go on forever with Nuh-uh, yuh-huh, Nuh-uh, Yuh-huh business. Seriously! Someone just end it already!

But a weeks' worth of those drive-me-nuts--God-grant-me-patience--we-can-get-thru-this-together--Mom's-gonna-lose-it! moments, can be cancelled out with a single moment like this...
Frank barreled down the stairs the other morning, just as the older kids were gearing up for their walk to school. He was all fired up and excited about the dream he'd just awoken from, and wanted to share the good news that he'd "won first prize in a contest for a brand new Nerf Stampede ECS" (the coolest in Nerf's arsenal). He's been wanting one for awhile, and was so ecstatic by his dream, that even though he seemed aware it was only a dream, the joy it gave him was enough to last the whole day. And the big kids recognized this, and dropped everything while they gathered around to hear his story. It was awesome. I couldn't have begged them to do something this kind...but sometimes they just get it. They get the joy, and the need for attention, and know how to pull together when they should. Totally awesome. All eyes on Frank as he recalled his First Prize dream.
Made my little heart all warm and fuzzy and full again...seriously...yuh-huh!

Thank you God for these moments...to get me thru the others.

Christmas Wrap

--of birthday bashes, christmas chaos, and seasons smooching. Yes, I mean mistletoe!
I love Christmas! I enjoy advent, and the waiting & anticipating, and surprise planning, and sneaky-wrapping, and all that comes with the prep-work. But I LOVE Christmas! The big show. I love the family time, and the laughter, and the letting loose after weeks of well, hard-work, and the food, and the family time, and the laughter, and the music, and silliness, and even whiney kids all hopped up on too much chocolate and sugar, and even POP! Yes, Christmas means the older kids get soda. Wooohoooo!
I love that at our house Christmas lasts a full 12 days...and sometimes longer. Seriously. It's just that good. And by the time that first day of school rolls back around, it's darn hard to crawl out of bed. But being back in some sort of routine is good for us too. Sort of. Okay, yes it's good.
Anyways, since I've really slacked at telling you all about our 12 days of Christmas I thought I'd summarize with a few pics and thoughts.

Of course there are birthdays to celebrate. (Jesus...obviously.)

But then we've got a few here too.

Like Lucy... (okay, she's before Christmas, but I need to give her equal time)


And Sam, who turned 11 on the 28th. (that's 3 11-year-olds in the house now)
And me. 29 on the 29th! (my lucky year) Of course no cake or pictures. But Emma did make brownies, and I got the best birthday party EVER. Even my kids would agree.

Oh, and January 6th...baby Grace turned NINE! Oh my. Not baby Grace anymore.
Yes that's an ice-cream cake...cause by this time of year, I'm over birthday-cake-baking.

Next week (the 16th) my oldest pair, Alice and Emma will turn 12. And then we've got a break from birthdays until February 11...when we clebrate the gifts of John and Mary. Whew!

Okay...so moving on. As if Christ isn't enough reason to celebrate.

We also spent a few days hanging out with cousins over the Christmas break. Moms and dads visiting, and laughing, and eating, and story-telling (occasionally sitting in on a random card game or tiny tea-party, or joining in an impromtu karaoke show in the "quiet" room. Ha!) All the while kids doing what kids do best...playing hard...making memories with cousins...playing hide-n-seek, and games, and Nerf wars, and dance/karaoke parties, and even a sleep-over. (That was on my birthday!) Yes, we had 23 people sleeping under this roof for my birthday...only 3 adults and the other 20 ranging from ages 1-14. It was totally AWESOME!!! And, I should mention, that when I woke up the next morning to a quiet house, and sipped my coffee in the sitting room, no one ever would have guessed there were that many people sleeping in! I felt so incredibly blessed in those moments. For our family, immediate & extended, and for our home, and for all the goodness God brings into our lives. My heart was full. (and luckily so was my fridge!) They all woke up hungry, and I was tickled to death welcome them all around the table.

My niece and her long-time beau got engaged for Christmas! More celebrating! They live in Knoxville, TN. Although he is a native Canadian..."french Canadian!" my kids are quick to tell everyone. They spent Christmas with his family in Montreal, and then joined us after the first of the year for a couple days to visit, and what else? celebrate! More card-games, and laughter, and family times, and of course good food! We could listen to J.F. talk all night with his french accent...we're simple that way. I think he could be telling us that we have bad breath, and stinky feet and it would still sound beautiful. The kids love asking him to translate everything into french. Pretty sure he was ready to hit the road after a couple days...though they've visited before, and they've managed to stay together. Our family is a test for relationships that way...he still seems anxious to get married, and wants kids. We think he's a keeper! Conratulations Jenna!

Anne was a treasure this Christmas...at that stage where real joy comes in the paper and boxes. And most of her time at parties was spent doing just that. Running through the paper and squealing with delight. (or mooching for treats at the food table...she was on a 12 day sugar buzz I'm sure!) I tried desperately to pin her down for photos...I stink at that...here's what I got...

Yep. Dear Santa...next year I'd love a camera that doesn't have a 9 minute delay...I'm just sayin'
I'll try to be good.

Well...mostly good.

Can't be good all the time...not with this around...

Merry Kiss-mas! (I mean...Merry Christmas everyone!)

Ozzy.

Not this one...

But this one...



A few Christmas' back, I spotted this adorable little Elf on the clearance sales at our local Hallmark store. I fell in love instantly. Not because I read the box, and understood that this was a "magical" scout elf from the North Pole. No. Definitely NO! If I'd read the box, I might have put it back on the shelf. I fell in love for purely nostalgic reasons...my grandparents had one exactly like him that they hung over the doorway to their kitchen every Christmas. Yes...Christmas at Grandma's...and Bing Crosby, and dancing, and card games, and hard tack candy and chocolates of every possible kind all spread out on colorful plastic trays on the coffee table...within kids reach. This elf brought the memories flooding back in...so I bought it immediately.
And then I got home and read the book...and the "strings attached." And at first it sounded fun. He arrives at our house each season with St. Nicholas (Dec. 6th) and leaves again with Santa on Christmas eve. In the meantime his job is to keep an eye on the kiddos and report back to Santa each night. (He's a flying, spying magical elf, you know.) After a night of flying north and back, he lands at the house, in a different location each morning for the kids to find him, and be mindful. (right.) Sometimes he plays pranks thru the night. Sometimes he likes where he's at and doesn't move for several nights (if mom forgets.)
Truly, some nights it's fun and silly, and makes me feel like a kid dreaming/scheming up little pranks or places for the kids to find him in the morning. But mostly, it's become one more thing that demands energy from me at the holidays...not good energy...not focused on Jesus-energy. And I forget sometimes to remember about Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's when I see him, cause I'm forcing myself to remember to just move the darn thing somewhere else before I go to bed.
Alice and Emma helped me with the scheming this year...and on his last night with us...before catching the sleighride with Santa...he threw us one wing-dinger of an Elf-surprise. He "elfed" our family room. Paper chains, tacky gold tinsel that we found in a bag of stuff from a house-warming prank years back, colored lights and paper snowflakes...a kids christmas wonderland. It was a fun farewell...

And it's more fun now that the older kids can help in the surprise and fun for the younger ones. But I have to say (scrooge that I am) I'm really looking forward to the year I can just pull him out of the box and set him in the doorway to my kitchen, and let my grandkids "remember" songs and dancing, and cardplaying, and christmas treats within easy reach...a silly elf bringing smiles and happy christmas memories of grandma and grandpa's house.

“These are days you’ll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it,
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky.”
~lyrics, "These are Days" by 10,000 Maniacs

I borrowed these lyrics to paste into my Christmas letter this year. Simple words that manage to sum up my feelings for where we're at in life right now. One of my favorite songs from---shoot---many years ago, that somehow made their way back into my head recently.

We kicked off our days of Christmas on the Eve. We all (minus little Anne, who preferred to nap at Grandma & Grandpa's) attended 4:00 Children's Mass at our parish. Eight of our kids had "jobs" to do, ranging from singing in the choir (3 oldest girls) to dressing up in the Nativity play...4 Angels and a Dove to be exact. Sam and Lucy were the only ones in the pew with us, which somehow made me feel older, and lonelier...it was a strange mix of feelings at the realization that the day will come when there will be no little climbing toddlers or crying babies at Mass with us anymore. I didn't know whether to cheer or cry. I kinda missed the climbing babble...kinda.

Anyhow, it was a beautiful Mass, and I particulary enjoyed visiting the Manger scene afterwards with the kids and pointing out the various "players" (statues) in the real story of Christmas.

Afterwards we celebrated at my parents for their traditional Christmas Eve get-together. My brother and family from Tennessee weren't able to make it, but we talked on the phone briefly, and celebrated both Christmas, and his 40th birthday in his absence. We whooped it up good.
Dad likes to come up with Trivia games for the kids...their answers are sometimes priceless. I can't recall them now, but I know we giggled more than a couple times at their simple words of wisdom. Too cute.
We exchanged gifts, and played games, and ate good foods, and just enjoyed spending happy times together; adults grateful for each others' presence, kids grateful for well, presents.

~Our traditional pose in front of the tree...just after mass before sweaters and "stuffy church clothes" are ripped off, and just before diving into the food goodies. Say CHEESE!

on the 10th day of christmas...

Wow! Has it been nearly 2 weeks again, since I've posted?!

I hate that.

I mean, I love that our days have been so full...good full. Each day blessed, like a new gift to unwrap. Truly these have been the richest days of Christmas I've ever experienced. Maybe it comes with age...or wisdom...an increased understanding of God's great love...maybe I just have my eyes (and heart) open. Who knows. It's been a wonderful Christmas season thus far, with more treasures to come. It's gonna take me several posts to unravel exactly how we've spent our time since I've last written (Christmas Adam, I believe.)

I'll start with something from this morning though...very random...and completely unrelated to Christmas at all. Can't help it, that's how my mind works...randomly.

As I was wiping down the windows and glass doors in the kitchen this morning...God laughed. And sent me a "helper."

Ewwww....gross boogies, and drool mixed with tears. Had to set down the windex and towels to clean her up, and just love on her for a bit. 'Tis the season for runny noses, and babies needing extra snuggly time.

and the day rolls on.

We had peanut butter and jelly on BUNS for lunch. Because we're crazy like that...and it's Christmas Adam. Alongside Ramen noodles and apple wedges, we're pretty sure this is what the modern day Wisemen would have come bearing. Because it's just that good.

Oh, and we're (okay...only me...the kids cleared the room as soon as I started singing) jammin' out to this... one of my faves. Merry Christmas!