Cheers to you in 2010

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.- Benjamin Franklin

Happy New Year!

I know they've never heard of the Waltons

..but I'd have sworn tonight they were regulars to the show. As I stood in the kitchen dishing out supper, I could here the mumblings of the kids in the basement..."Good night John, good night Mary, Good night Lucy..." and on and on. I snuck down to find out what was going on, and turns out they had the sleeping bags unrolled and were "camping." Bedtime meant good-nights all around. Do you remember watching the Walton's...and the close of the show?!

The girls had one side...

Boys on the other...

and Charlie snuggled in the middle, right under the tree...

On the sixth day of Christmas...

my true loves gave to me...
6 Bakugon balls, 5 extra pounds, 4 boys still in helmets, 3 Auto-mo-blox, 2 masked marauders, and a song from my new rock star!

(I still have no idea what these things are exactly...but he does, and he's happy. I do know they're magnetic somehow, and pop-open into gnarley little creatures.)

on the fifth day of Christmas...

my true loves gave to me...FIVE EXTRA POUNDS!

(thanks to scrumptious yummy gifts like these, not to mention all the delicious party foods, and the baking that occured here at home.)

On the fourth day of Christmas...

my true loves gave to me...
FOUR BOYS STILL IN HELMETS, 3 auto-mo-blox, 2 masked marauders, and a song from my new rock star.

There was no shortage on dress-up/role playing toys this year...and the boys are LOVING it!!!

Happy Birthday Dear Sam!

Today, there are three 9-year-olds in my house...the newest of which is Samuel. In just a couple weeks, Alice and Emma (my oldest pair) will be turning 10. We prayed and hoped for all of our children...except for Sam...who took us completely by surprise, born 11 months after our first twins. He's the icing on the cake after 4 1/2 long years of infertility. Thank you God for the perfect pleasant surprise of him! We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas gift!

Happy Birthday Samuel Joseph!!

On the third day of Christmas...

my true loves gave to me...
THREE AUTO-MO-BLOX, two masked marauders, and a song from my new rock star.

John was excited to get these new wooden cars that can be taken apart and rebuilt endless times. (just like his cousins have!)

On the second day of Christmas...

my true loves gave to me...
TWO MASKED MARAUDERS , and a song from my new rock star.
Frank and Charlie are LOVING their new dress-up that Santa brought. Mom, can we sleep in it?! (umm. NO.)

On the first day of Christmas...

my true loves gave to me...a song from my new ROCK STAR!

Alice serenaded me with her new guitar. What a wonderful gift...she's so excited! Now we just need a few lessons to get started...

...and the best gift of all.

Having my family together for Christmas...Mom, Dad, brothers Jim & Joe with their families, and my little bunch together for Christmas eve. Our first Christmas together in 8 years. (My niece Jenna was absent...stayed behind in Florida due to job and other commitments. We did miss having her.)

What a wonderful, fun, laughter-filled Christmas!

In case I get too busy to mention

Join me this coming Monday, December 28th for another 1 hour program on Radio Maria. 88.7fm or listen live online 11:30a-12:30p

Some of the kids may be joining me on-air for a bit. I'd love to hear from you...it is a call-in show!!! 1-866-333-6279

Christmas, 2009

May your hearts and homes be filled with peace this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

John, Jamie

Alice, Emma, Samuel, Grace, Mary, John, Charlie, Frank, Rose & Lucy

pluggin along.

With Christmas less than 2 days away now...though beginning for us tomorrow, I've made a push to finish a little more Christmas baking, wrap a few gifts (ahead of schedule), and recruited the kids to help with some much needed cleaning. Sam ran the vaccuum in the basement while I was at work, and Emma tackled the upstairs bathroom.
Frequent phone calls with my parents indicate that both of my brothers and families are on their way home from Florida, though slightly behind schedule. They're expected to arrive home sometime around 3am. Yikes. (My big brother who lives in Jacksonville is driving his family home for Christmas, and our younger brother who lives in town here, is returning from a pre-Christmas Disney cruise with his family.) Just so happens they managed to meet up on the interstate and are caravaning home together. It IS a small world afterall!
I'm actually looking forward to scrubbing the kitchen floor tonight (how sad is that?) and have a handful of other things to check off my list...like browning sausage for my Christmas morning brunch, wrapping a few more gifts, maybe even splurging a little and dipping my feet in a warm soak for a little pedicure. I'll be working tomorrow and plan to get home just in time to help everyone get ready for the 4 o'clock Children's mass. That reminds me...I better see who needs ironing done for mass. Add it to my list...

I was going to skip these, but decided last minute that it just isn't Christmas without frosted sugar cookies. Yummm.

A few minutes of snuggle time with my baby girls and their "naked toes."

Charlie got a boo-boo. Accident with the scissors while "crafting" with his big sisters. Alice made it all better with a much-too-big bandaid.

The girls (and a few young boys) stayed busy in the kitchen making cards and posters to welcome home Jim, Judy and Jamie from Florida. It's Jim's birthday on Christmas eve.
Happy birthday big brother!!

Bullseye.

Charlie's it. That makes us 12 for 12 with the stomach bug. Yuck.
Good news...it will be over by Christmas!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!

So honestly...

How are you holding up this Christmas? I'm exhausted, I'll admit it. Thanks to the additional hours at work, the stomach bug that hit us hard last week, and the constant list of things to do...I'm starting to feel the burn. I didn't finish all my Christmas baking...and honestly, not really disappointed. I got a good part of it done. I bought Christmas cards, but have yet to write them out. Starting to feel like it's okay to let that slide too. Aside from the gift exchange gifts for school tomorrow, I've not wrapped the first gift. I should be thinking about that. Actually though, John and I have gotten into the habit (tradition?) of sharing that task late into the night on Christmas eve. It's fun staying up late with him, and it allows him to see what I've accomplished shopping, before the kids actually unwrap it all. So, I'm not really even sweating the wrapping yet.
Oh, but trying to keep the house clean for visitors to stop by, attempting to stay ahead of the laundry so we have clean clothes for the parties and special masses, and wondering if I should get groceries again before the Christmas weekend...when all I really want to do is take a nap...yep. That's what's wearing me out.
I'm so looking forward to entering into Christmas with the 4 o'clock Children's mass on Christmas eve...where Alice and Sam will be singing in the choir, Emma has a reading part, Grace, Mary, John and Charlie will be dressed as angels...leaving just a few of us left in the pew together to enjoy it. We'll follow that up with Christmas eve dinner and celebrating at my parents, where my brother and his family will be home from Florida for our first Christmas together again in 9 years. That will be Christmas!
Yep...I can't wait for it to be here. All this waiting in joyful hope...it's exhausting. I can't wait to be in the heart of it...the love of family, the joy of giving, the peace that seems to follow in those 12 days of quiet Christmas at home. I'm ready to soak it all in.

O Come Let Us Adore Him

5th in a series...

This Willow Tree Nativity set was a gift from John on our 10th wedding anniversary. It too, stays out year round, typically on the dresser in our bedroom. I moved it out to the bookshelf in our family room this Christmas though, and added a single white light behind it to make it glow. I believe there are many more pieces now to the set including a creche, animals, kings, etc. But I've never looked into collecting them all. I kind of like it just as it is...simple.

This next one sits very high atop the 7ft bookshelf in our tv room year round. It's a Fontanini set that Grace received when she was born from a dear friend of mine. It looks a bit cheesey with the colored lights around it, but most of our Christmas decor is colored lights. It glows quite beautifully in the evening. And I like it despite the cheese.

thoughts and pics from the weekend

We celebrated our first Christmas party of the season on Saturday evening. My mom's family gathered in St. Henry and we enjoyed a wonderful meal, singing, Santa with gifts for all the children, even some reminiscing about Christmas' past. It was well attended (near 150), with mom and all but 1 of her 10 siblings, their children, grandchildren and great granchildren. What a crowd!
Unfortunately, John had to leave early with one of the girls who was overcome suddenly with the aweful stomach virus that had hit most of the others. By Sunday, 11 of us had been hit. Charlie seems to be walking around with a big red bullseye on his back, and we keep waiting for him to show symptoms. I pray he's just fortunate, and avoids it altogether.
There were enough well here on Sunday to finally celebrate Lucy's 2nd birthday, just 2 days late with cake, and a visit from grandparents... even an unexpected visit from her Godfather who lives 2 hours away. How kind of him to think of her, and make time to stop in!

Happy Birthday Dear Lucy!

Traditionally, Lucy receives another piece to the Nativity set her grandparents started for her when she was born. This year, she got Gabriel, the shepherd. I love the admiring little look she gives as she checks the set out together. This one stays out year round on a little shelf in our bathroom. It's just too pretty to box up after Christmas.

Ever-thankful for you Lucy, God's Little Princess!


Sunday evening, Alice and Sam donned their finest Christmas duds to participate in our parish's Christmas Concert. The evening included Christmas music performed by our Men's Choir, Mixed Choir, Children's Choir, Bell Choir, Folk Group and even the Brass Ensemble. John took Emma and Grace along for the evening, and I stayed home with the rest of the crew. Everyone enjoyed it immensely. I was tickled just to see my two leave here looking so handsome/beautiful! Melted my heart...

Fourth Sunday of Advent

prayer, reflections


Sunday
Prayer: Come, O come, Emmanuel; ransom captive Israel!

Monday
Mary and Joseph waited patiently for the coming of Jesus.
I will try to be patient today, especially when others keep me waiting or do things that bother me.

Tuesday
Mary and Joseph thanked God for a safe trip and the stable to stay in.
I will thank God for all he gives me. I will show my parents I am grateful for all they do for me.

Wednesday
Mary and Joseph were at peace because they trusted God to care for them.
I will trust God to help me today to be a peacemaker in school and at home.

Thursday
A beautiful, very bright star shone in the night sky over the stable.
I will bring the brightness of joy to everyone I meet today.

Christmas Day
Mary and Joseph welcomed Jesus with great love!
I will welcome Jesus with great love also and offer him all my good acts and prayers during the weeks of Advent & Christmas.

A Blessed Christmas to you all!!

Welcome winter!

It snowed last night! Wooohhoooooo!

The kids (despite the belly aches and illness plaguing our home) scurried for snow clothes to spend an hour or so outside in the white stuff. Neighbors gathered to help us build this massive snowman. Alice posed with it later in the day for posterity sake.

My baby is two!

Can't believe I missed the opportunity to post about baby Lucy's second birthday on December 18th. Perhaps it was the raging stomach virus that tore through our ranks, that kept me from writing. As a matter of fact it kept us from celebrating at all. From Thursday through tonight, 11 of the 12 of us have been hit hard with a messy, but thankfully short-lived stomach bug.

Lucy's cake went right into the freezer, and we're hoping tomorrow might be a good day to celebrate. Cheers to good health, and another year with our baby girl. (okay, 'spose she's not my "baby," and yet...she'll always be my "baby!")

The birthday girl enjoying cupcake and cocoa earlier in the week.

The cake and candles will have to wait till bellies here can tolerate it.

Happy Belated Birthday baby girl!