Leading Up to Christmas

It was a busy week before Christmas...we had decorating and last minute cleaning, but most important were the family and friends visiting.  Here are some of the highlights:

O, Root of Jesse, come!

Our Advent Angel sent the following message:

"Remember why we have Jesse Tree?  We focus on the foretelling of the Messiah from the promise given to Jesse.   We also remember some other characters who stumbled into the tale thanks to a message from the angels!  Enjoy your time with family!"

A quick trip to pick up my mom and keep an appointment with our favorite hairdresser turned into an all day event!  However, the boys did not mind since they had Shane to play board games.  They loved their time with him and they were probably glad we stayed away so long!  The "girls" enjoyed our time together also.  Just wish we could have had Amanda with us.  Hoping to see her soon!

O, Key of David, come!

Today we learn about a special place in the story of Jesus.  God’s Chosen People once had to go to the only one in the world to worship God properly but now we can go to church all over the world!  God wanted all people to worship and adore him!   Spend the day with family and friends but remember to always worship our Savior and King!

We headed out to spend a day with family at Sea World.  At first, I did not think it was a good idea but as we walked around the park we were very impressed that the park actually showed signs of the real meaning of Christmas.  There was a LARGE nativity scene set up and a group of singers dressed as shepherds entered from a side path to share a musical medley to adore the king and savior!  It was a beautiful show. There was also the same appeal to remember the meaning of the season in the big Shamu show at the end of the night.  I am so glad we were able to be there during this time of year.

Also, we introduced the joy of geocaching to Christina and Shane this morning.  It was so much fun!  We all thought it was funny to find out Christina thought we were looking for a tree because I told her the cache would only have a log!  To make it even better the second cache of the day WAS in a log!  I love this hobby!  I think they will also.

O, Radiant Dawn, come!

We started out the fourth Sunday of Advent remembering the star that led the way to Bethlehem...not the one in the sky, but the true light that rises each day if we will only let him dispel the darkness in our lives.

The day has almost come for the celebration of the birth of our Lord!  After all the preparation of the home, it is time to decorate the tree and the rooms to welcome the king to your home.  Do not forget that as you decorate you must also be prepared to welcome Him into your heart.

We gave out new tree ornaments to everyone this morning.  We were so excited to give the ornaments to Christina and Shane...new dad and baby ornaments along with an owl ornament for fun!  We also gave my mom a coffee mug with all the pictures from the National Parks she visited with us.  We told her it was for all the hard work she gave to help the children earn their junior ranger badges!  We still have an ornament to give to Amanda ...an angel, of course!

We also did something crazy today...not related to Advent...we looked at homes in a neighborhood we have grown to love.  Are we crazy to want to move again so quickly?  Probably...but we are praying about it and we will see what the new year brings us!  The best part...we were able to enjoy the time with my mom as she stayed with us through the weekend!

O, King of the Gentiles, come!

Many think of the three kings as the first royalty to arrive on the scene.  However, we know that it was actually a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes!  And, the best part?   The three kings knew this as well!  Do not forget to adore the newborn king this Christmas.  Wise men still seek him!

Another busy day, but this time it was because of an appointment with Sean's doctor.  We have learned a lot about how he will transition into adulthood (only 6 months until he is 18!).  We have a lot of work to do in the next year.  More on this as we make our way through the steps to help him.  Maybe one of you will learn from our journey into adulthood for a son with Asperger Syndrome.

Mom graciously watched the children so we could give our full attention to the doctor's comments.  My brother Adrian also came to the house.  We enjoyed a nice Polish meal to honor St. John of Kanty.  Then Adrian was able to take mom home.  We sure enjoyed their visit!

O, Emmanuel, come!

The message from our Advent Angel read:

"God is with us as we enter into the special season of Christmas!  It is time to finish any last minute preparation.  He will be here soon!  Are you ready?  Take some time today to write down some of the ways you have shown love to others in the last four weeks.  Also, write down ways that you would like to improve for the next year.  This is the gift Jesus is looking for under the tree!  If you meet him there with your gift, then he will be there to share his with you!"

Christmas Eve!

It is easy to have our focus on the coming of a little baby, but we cannot forget the rest of the story.  Take some time today to remember that the baby in the manger grows up to be our savior!

We went to Mass this afternoon and there was standing room only overflowing into the hallways!  Oh how my heart desires the church to be full like this at every Mass.  What a special gift to see everyone gathered together for this celebration!

So much more I anted to share...I guess I will save that for next time!  We are looking forward to the twelve days of Christmas!  May God bless all our family and friends. And may all those who do not know the Savior come to learn about the joy he has to offer them!

O Lord and Ruler

O, Lord of Might!  We hear from high!  Do you hear it?  That is the sound coming down through the ages for the Messiah.  Did you know that some people are still calling out for the Messiah?  Not just the Jews, but many Gentiles are still looking for a Savior in their lives.  Will you help someone this season to know Christ?  The message comes from God to all His people, the message comes in many forms.

We had a day of baking so I could keep my mind focused on something else...Why?...Because I had a secret!  We made three different types of cookies and I even let the boys watch Netflix into the evening.

I told them that I had something to show them but I was not sure when it was going to be ready.  We were in the middle of a TV drama when the doorbell rang!

SURPRISE!  Christina and husband Shane arrived for the holidays.  They are fortunate to have a long leave for the Christmas season.  They will be staying with us for the next couple of days before heading to East Texas to visit family.  Then they will return for a couple of days next week before heading home.  I was so excited for them to be here and knew it would be a fun surprise for everyone!

We ended up staying awake way past bed time but it was worth it.  And, Shane even read to the boys for bedtime...an added treat!

We added an angel to our LEGO figures.  It was a perfect addition as we also talked about the special messengers in the Christmas story.  We also added presents to the nativity scene to remind us that this is a time of giving.

I read a book about Christmas told by an angel...Bright Christmas:  An Angel Remembers.  I love it when I can read a book that relates to the lesson of the day!

It was great day of excitement!  Looking forward to the days ahead as we continue to prepare for Christmas.

The Donkey's Journey

I woke up and snuck out of the house early this morning to attend a breakfast with all the volunteers at the pregnancy center.  We had a lot of fun just talking about how much God has such a great plan in our lives.  It was really nice to be able to talk about the blessings of our ministry from the last year.

Michael did not have such a fun morning, as he took the two youngest to the dentist for a much overdue check up.  We found out their teeth are so terrible because our amazing water filtration system is taking out the fluoride in our water along with all the other chemicals.  SO...another trip to the dentist is in store for our future.  I guess this is one more way for us to get ready for the new year...healthy dental health is just as important as everything else.

Then we had a fun morning at the library with story hour and learning the letter Mm.  The older boys checked out new books and we all left happy with books in hand for the next two weeks.

We caught up on our LEGO pieces that our Advent Angel guided the children to make.  Due to our busy schedule we did not have time.  The boys made a stable, manger, baby, blankets and a sheep.

We also added a donkey to our nativity scene to show that we need to be strong and faithful.  It was a perfect time to read one of my favorite books of the season...The Donkey's Dream.  It shows the donkey carrying Mary to Bethlehem.  A great way to also start the journey of the Holy Family around our home.

Tonight also begins the mounting of anticipation represented in the calling of the Messiah with the O’ Antiphons.  We are prepared to call for Jesus and ask Him to enter into your heart to stay.  Are you prepared to make him your guiding shepherd?

We ended the evening by adding a wall to show the story of the wall that was built around Jerusalem in order to keep holy the Sabbath day (Nehemiah).

The excitement is mounting as we enter into the last week before Christmas!

Also, we finally decided on our BIG gift for this Christmas!  I can not wait to share but I will wait until we make the delivery later during the Christmas season.

Preparing and Playing

Yesterday was spent cleaning the house.  We really are trying to have everything looking nice before we start decorating on the Sunday before Christmas.  We also have some special guests coming at the end of the week.  This meant preparing a place in the "inn."  We had to clean up the guest room (It had become a storage room.) and also find a bed.  We also did some painting in the guest bathroom.

Needless to say, we were pretty busy yesterday making everything look nice.  We did have our additions to our nativity scene and Jesse Tree as well.  And, Michael continued the Advent story.

One other thing we were able to do today...complete our Christmas outfits.  I love choosing outfits that are special and will make the day special.

The motivation to have everyone working so hard yesterday was to spend today away from the house.  I spent my morning at the pregnancy center.  I had a great morning helping women in need.

Michael and the children headed to our local museum.  They arrived just in time to join a filed trip group.  This meant they were able to use the rock climbing wall.  They spent their entire visit going p and down all the levels.  Even Brendan just made the height/weight requirements to climb.  Unfortunately, Zaira had to watch from the sidelines and cheer the boys to the top.

Then we all met at the park and had lunch.  We had wanted to visit the Sunken Gardens & Tea Garden.  We found out that we could walk through the area but the gardens were drained and were being repaired.  I suppose it is more interesting to visit a garden in the spring.  We will try again later.  However, that did not stop the children from running around the area, and possibly wearing themselves out.

We were able to add our first animal to the nativity scene.  The ox represents the stubbornness that we must shed in our lives as we accept the will of God.  We then added a watchtower ornament to our Jesse Tree to remind us of the story of the prophet Habakkuk.

As I was looking at the Jesse Tree tonight, I thought about the cards we have received from family and friends.  A thought came to me to tuck these cards into the bare branches.  Now we can remember to pray for everyone every time we look at our tree!

As we continue the baking of Christmas goodies, I like to read the book about the traditional candy enjoyed during this time.  The book is The Candymaker's Gift.  A very nice book with wonderful pictures.

Gaudette Sunday

The third week of Advent begins today with Gaudette Sunday!  It is a time to be joyful as the coming of the Lord is drawing near.  The anticipation that is building is a lot like you feel when you are waiting for a special visitor to arrive from out of town or a new baby to be born.  Of course, this is not surprising to most, as this is the time we remember the birth of Jesus.  We often have family who come to visit during this time of year.

Even though we have a lot of family coming and going to celebrate, we should not forget that the most important visitor we will have in our home should be Jesus!  Many times that means sharing the story of Jesus with the people who come to your home as well.  Remember to make way for the Lord.

Today we arrived at our religious education classroom for a celebration for Gaudette Sunday.  We served snacks and made special crafts to take home.  It was a lot of fun for everyone involved.

Then we went to Mass...the deacon said something about the season that I really appreciated.  "We need to remember that joy is something we can all have if we remember that all of our joy is centered around Jesus being born so we could have salvation."  It is easy to fall into the trap that there is not enough and we lose sight of the joy that the season should really bring to us.

We then rushed home to grab a bite to eat before going to a caroling event with our 4-H group.  Read more about that on my 4-H blog.

We ended to day by FINALLY watching the end to Tora! Tora! Tora! and then off to bed.  Of course, we added our ornament to the Jesse Tree and a figure to the nativity scene.  Michael was also able to read some more of our Advent story.

A full day and it was nice to go to bed by the time we were done!

The Feast of St. Lucy

Today we were awakened by the sound of the prophets…Make way for the Lord!  We also enjoyed the special breakfast that St. Lucy brought to us this morning.  Our Advent Angel reminded us to not forget to heed her words…Make way for the Lord!

We were to take some time today to think about what you were told by St. Nicholas earlier this month and try to think about how we will be a better person for the new year…Make way for the Lord!  However, Michael spent most of the morning completing a bathroom remodel...yes we did this in the middle of all this rush of preparation!  Then he was off to work.  SO...we decided we would work on this tomorrow when we had more time to focus on our resolutions.

After our morning visitor who brought us breakfast we set in to cleaning house.  We were surprised to hear a loud sirens coming into our neighborhood.  We all rushed out the door to see what was happening.  It was our local fire department making their rounds to tell us Merry Christmas!  They did a good job of surprising us, and we will not forget them on Christmas Eve when we make our annual trip to see them with a special surprise from our family.

We added a supply of food to the nativity scene to remind us that we should nourish our souls with God's Word.  We also added a tent ornament to our Jesse tree to remind us of King Hezekiah who trusted God to find his enemy vanquished leaving only their empty tents behind (2 Kings 19).

Lost Days Recorded

Well, I lost a few days due to some technical difficulties but also because we have just been so busy!  So here are a few of the highlights from the last four days.

On Monday, Sean and I left the house early for a full day of testing at the doctor's office.  The other children were asked to start our Christmas baking by making cookies.  They made a new recipe...Chocolate Crinkles...we look forward to enjoying these during the Christmas season.  We also started a batch of Anise Cookies but the process is a multiple day event so we did not complete these until the end of the week.

We did not have a lot of time for our Advent Adventures that day...we discussed the importance of the symbol of light during the Christmas season.  This theme will come up again at the end of the week (and of course on Christmas day!).  Our family saves the lighting of our tree for Christmas Eve after we return from Mass.  

The Advent Angel was found throughout the week, and we discussed the importance of Joseph in the Christmas story.  This theme would continue for the next two days as well as we learned about his obedience, righteousness, and dedication.  We should also seek these virtues in our lives and Joseph makes a good role model.

Tuesday our morning was spent celebrating St. Nicholas with an event I organized with our local home school group.  We went to a nursing home to carol for the residents.  We also served cookies and wassail, gave out Christmas cards and read different Christmas books.  This was so much fun and the activities director was enthusiastic about our visit.  By the time we left we were talking about planning our next visit.  I hope we can go there more often in the new year.

Wednesday was filled with our routine visit to the library.  We always enjoy this visit with our friendly librarian.  We then joined some friends at the local park near our home.  We had just completed our Joseph study.  The suggestion for an obstacle course to reenact the story sounded like a great idea fora larger group.  Thankfully this work out with a impromptu set up with five stations around the playground.  Here are the events we highlighted:

• Betrothal to Mary-show love by hugging your mom!
• Dream from the Angel-lay on the rocker bench and count to ten
• Journey to Bethlehem-weave through the swings and pay tax by slapping your hand on picnic table
• Rock the Baby Jesus-rock the bouncy ride 
• Dream to Escape Herod-lay on the baby gym and run to the fallen log

The children loved the relay so much that they raced through it twice!  It was also nice to see the older ones helping the younger ones!

Another round at the doctor's office kept us buy on Thursday along with a little bit more drama then I care to share with the world.  Oy!

Then today we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I am sure there were celebrations with traditional dances and performances somewhere in San Antonio.  We will need to be more vigilant about finding these events for next year.  We stayed home and listened to the story from one of our favorites...Glory Stories.

We also added to our nativity scene and Jesse Tree throughout the week.  We need to bake more and prepare for a special visitor.  We have a special trio arriving next week.  I also just invited my mom and brother to our house for next week.  I think our house is in need of a deeper cleaning for many reasons!

A full week and in spite of the outside events I think we were able to keep our Advent focus.

Remembering with Peace

It is hard not to think about the history of this day for our country, especially as a military family..."a date which will live in infamy."  I think we feel even closer to this historical event after our visit three years ago, along with meeting some of the survivors.  Pearl Harbor is just a special place...if you have never made the journey, then I encourage it because it was almost like a pilgrimage...I was surprised that a place that was such a tragedy was actually very peaceful.  

Remembering this experience really is a great way to enter into the second week of Advent.  Each week of Advent has a traditional theme and this week it is the desire for peace.  In this case, we are talking about the peace that only God can bring to our lives.

The children got a funny note from Sariel  this morning.  The Advent Angel had to apologize for not being ready with new activities for the day!  LOL...that is right...I did not get it ready last night...I fell asleep after an exhausting couple of days.  It all worked out because we had to race out the door for religious education classes (We waited to go to Mass with Michael this evening.).  Sean has been going to a class to discuss the references to the Bible for the Mass.  Henry is in a class that has great teachers that really get the teenagers discussing their faith.  Brendan loves his male teacher who always has lots of fun...today they discussed John the Baptist because of the Gospel reading for the day.  And, Edward... well he got a surprise...ME!  I got to sub in his class so we talked about prayer...and the model of prayer given to us by Jesus...the Our Father.  Zaira tagged along and enjoyed a snack while I was teaching.

We returned home and watched the first half of Tora! Tora! Tora! (It is a very LONG movie but very accurate and worth it to see.).  Then with the Advent Angel hidden (clever, right?), we had fun discussing the readings for Mass and thinking of a way to represent music for our mantel piece. Today Sariel asked us to think about Mary's response to Elizabeth.  This is often referred to as Mary's Song or the Magnificat.  

Michael arrived home from his Army training soon after we completed the activities.  We hopped in the van and listened to worship music as we headed to Mass.  Then we enjoyed a rare dinner at a restaurant before heading home.

We added straw to the manger in the nativity scene (We will add more throughout the season.).  Then an ornament with the Ten Commandments to the Jesse Tree.  Then off to bed for the children.  Snuggled under their covers, Michael was able to read more of the Advent story.  After we listened to a song about the day both sides of a war stopped to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  We do not have a children's book for this story but I have found two versions to add to our collection soon...Christmas in the Trenches and War Game.

We had another late night but it was a full day of learning.

St. Nicholas Boot Exchange

Our family set aside Santa fairly quickly on our journey to place Jesus at the center of our celebration.  He just did not fit in to the big picture.  It always amazes me to hear school children are supposed to believe in this fantasy figure with flying reindeer who can deliver Christmas presents around the world in the twinkle of an eye.  However, to ask them to believe that a young virgin gave birth to our Messiah should not be mentioned in our classrooms.  Well, we never had our children in public school for any long period of time but you still hear about these things happening.  And more important, my children hear about these things happening.

So, we set the record straight about Santa Claus long ago.  St. Nicholas was a 4th century bishop who carried about his spiritual flock so much that he worked miracles through the grace given to him by God.  There are many examples of these miracles told throughout the ages.  We read two books that give some of these stories...The Legend of St. Nicholas and A Place for Santa.  The boys especially love the story about the boys St. Nicholas saved that were discovered in the pickling barrels.  Sometimes this story becomes a gruesome legend and I have to remind the boys about how stories can be exaggerated over a long period of time.  I always think it is funny that a great story has to be stretched to get attention...the original story was a miracle without the need of imaginative flourishes.

OK...off my soapbox so I can dive into our St. Nicholas feast day fun!

Last night, Michael and I stayed up late after the children were all in bed.  Each year we write the children a note from St. Nicholas.  No letters to Santa around here!  In the notes, we try to encourage the children in what they are doing that is "nice" and to avoid the things that are "naughty."  Yesterday, I even sang the song "St. Nicholas is Coming to Town" with the lyrics changed to emphasize that the list that he is making and checking twice is not about the gifts that he will bring but the things we need to improve upon in our lives.  It is just not good enough to know if you are naughty or nice, but to find a way to be the best for the coming Messiah.  The notes always end with "Remember to make your self ready for the Lord."


The idea of the notes is to get the children thinking about how they are going to be better in the next year.  Yep...This leads right into the idea of new year's resolutions!  The children are guided to pray about the changes that need to be made throughout the remainder of the Advent season.  This idea will come up again later in the season.

Along with the notes, the children are asked to set out their shoes or stockings the night before to see what else St. Nicholas might bring them.  This changes from year to year...some times we give fruit or candy....St. Nicholas coins....or a little gift.  However, the main focus is always on the personal message in the notes.

Well, last night the children put out their cowboy boots.  Most of them were battered and worn out...and also too small (for those who still have growing feet!).  SO...I replaced them with new boots!  It think we have started a new tradition...I wonder now why I had never thought of this before!  

We also had our message from Sariel, which was focused on the continued story from Luke.  This time we learn how Mary and Elizabeth meet.  When I think of this part of the story, I always think about Mary's virtuous life.  She had just found out the plans God had for her.  However, she was also told about her cousin Elizabeth, and Mary immediately left to help her in her time of need.  AND...what was Elizabeth's response when Mary arrived?

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." (Luke 1: 42-45) 

The presence of the Messiah was already evident.  We often talk about the glow a woman has during pregnancy...Mary must have been brilliant!  Edward added his version of a LEGO Elizabeth to our mantel.  The boys acted out the full story with their LEGO figures.  So much fun!

Then the oldest two boys were off to a St. Nicholas party.  They had such a great time...roasting hot dogs and making s'mores.  They also played some fun games.  One game was to hunt for letters around the property and unscramble the letters into words.  They were divided into two teams.  Once the letter was unscrambled, it spelled out "Star of David."  The teams were then to hunt for the star hidden around the area.

While they were at their party, the rest of us went to our favorite spot...our local library.  There was a class on the essential oils in the Bible.  It was very interesting (although the children decided to play in the puzzle room instead) and I am hoping to find out more about the use of oils soon.  The oils we discussed were:

• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Onycha
• Myrtle
• Rose of Sharon
• Spikenard
• Hyssop
• Galbanum
• Sandlewood
• Cassia
• Cypresswood
• Cedarwood

We came home and made Greek-style pizza for our special Greek saint.  We also had fun change Santa candy into St. Nicholas candy.  We will be giving these out next week when we go caroling with our home school group.

We added our St. Nicholas to our nativity scene along with an empty manger.  We will add straw to the manger each time we do a good deed throughout the remaining days of Advent.  This will make a soft bed for baby Jesus.  Our Jesse Tree was given a new ornament...a lamb...to represent the Exodus.  God saved the Israelites from the Pharaoh by having them sacrifice a lamb.  The first Passover must have been very stressful and fearful, but they trusted in God and followed the way.  We are also given a sacrificial lamb to save us.

What a full day!  I look forward to a good night rest!

First Friday

Just so you know it is not always "all things rosy," this was one of those days when I did not think one of us was going to make it to the end of the day!  I think the excitement of officially starting our break from school was just a little too much for all of us.  Maybe it was just a sign that we really do need this break.

We started off with a late start to the morning...mainly because Little Miss decided to stay up late into the night.  We had to be out the door by 0930 to make it to Mass.  However, the children were eager to find our Advent Angel.  We looked back at the story from yesterday and focused our attention on Mary.  She was willing to do God's will.  How would you react to a visit from an angel?

Brendan made a cute LEGO version of Mary when returned later in the afternoon.  However, we did not have a lot of time to go into details as we rushed out the door.

When we arrived at the church, the older boys had the opportunity to go to confession.  After our car ride to the church it was very much needed to clear the air!  The boys were really wound tight and were really getting on each others nerves!  We also had arrived early because the older two were serving on the altar today.

This Mass is set up each month for the home schoolers in the area, which means we are all in the same position...moms trying to encourage the love of faith in our children.  So, we all huddle close together and have a lively Mass without worry of disturbing those without children.  I usually do not go into the cry room for this reason.  However, because we were early, I decided to start out there for those who wanted to have quiet prayer time before Mass.  The two youngest were also wound up and were running in the cry room.  I told them to stop so they would not get hurt, but the next thing I knew...Little Miss was head over heels tumbling over the pew!  She bang her nose and mouth hard on to the tile floor.  She is truly a girly girl when it comes to seeing her own blood!  She was frantic but I got her calmed down.  Another mom was in the room with me and asked if she was OK.  After checking to make sure she was fine, I told the mom that by the end of Mass she would probably be doing it again!  Do they ever learn?   In spite of the mishap, we did enjoy Mass.  It was nice to hear Fr. Michel emphasize the same lessons we have been discussing all week.

We made our way home and planned to finish up the last of the school work.  However, SOMEBODY decided he did not want to have a clean break.  I won't mention names but I am hoping the activities planned for tomorrow will motivate him in the morning.

Zaira added a fence around our nativity scene to represent the need to guard our hearts.  She loved being able to do this...it was so cute to see her place everything just right.  She even "read" the prayer card for the day!  She also let Brendan help.  Then Brendan added an ornament with a burning bush to represent the story of Moses being called by God to help the Israelites escape the Pharaoh.

We ended the day with Michael reading more of the Advent story, along with a book called The Miracle of St. Nicholas.  It is a story about a Russian town who had hid the items needed for Mass from being stolen.  The day before Christmas these things were gathered and brought back to the church in time for Mass.  This is a great story to show the need for a community to come together in faith.  

This was one night I was glad to see everyone tucked into bed.  I was tired and drained from the day.  However, the day did not end for me just yet.  I had work to do...you will find out why tomorrow.

Michael Wings It

Today was my day to volunteer at the local pregnancy help center.  I had to leave the house before some the children were even awake (possibly Michael was only a little awake as well!)  However, as I was leaving, I heard them say, "Zaira found the angel!"  It put a smile on my face to know they like the new tradition enough to do it even when I am not there to guide them.

Michael made sure to read the remaining part of the story (Luke 1:26-38).  This time the angel (Gabriel) seeks out a young virgin (Mary) who is told she will be the mother of the Messiah.  "And Mary said,  'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her." (verse 38)

If Gabriel visited you, would you listen to him and do what he said? Would you be like Zechariah and not believe? Or like Mary and believe?

The children sang one of our favorite songs...An Angel Came from Heaven (link to cute video...not my children...maybe another time I will video them).  It has a tune that just makes you want to dance.  Then Sean was asked to make a LEGO angel.  He used the wings from an CHIMA eagle.

Then they discussed the many jobs that angels do for God.

• MESSENGERS
• GUIDING
• PROVIDING
• PROTECTING
• STRENGTHENING
• WORSHIPING
• PRAISING
• CARING

We also had our first little gift giving opportunity today.  Zaira had diapers she did not need anymore, so she wanted to give them to a baby.  It worked out great as Michael was meeting me at the pregnancy help center today.  Zaira was so sweet when she walked in with her diapers to donate to the babies in need!  Brendan came to help her...such a gentleman!

This evening we added an ornament with wheat represented to our Jesse Tree.  We learned about the story of Joseph saving his people from famine.  I always thought of this story as one of forgiveness.  Joseph spent many years away from his loving father because of his brothers' jealousy.  He had all of those years to harbor feelings of rejection.  He could have sought vengeance once he was given his position of leadership, and especially after seeing his brothers in need.  However, Joseph only wanted to help his family.  He saw his ongoing situation as a way for God to provide for his family during the famine.  He accepted the will of God in spite of all he went through.  I think his story is especially helpful for those who need healing from past hurt during this season.

This story also links to the broom that we added to our nativity scene today.  The broom is used to clean away the cobwebs.  We need to remove any debris that might hinder us from reaching out to God.  These cobwebs can come in many forms...regret, jealousy, vengeance, hate, and so many other forms.  This is the time of year to rid ourselves of these feelings.

We ended the day by reading the book entitled The Christmas Cobweb.  After all the discussion from the day, it just seemed right to turn those cobwebs into something wonderful in time to celebrate the birth of the Messiah for Christmas.

God always gives us second chances! A nice thought as I tucked the children into bed tonight.

Feast of the Missionary

The boys were on the hunt for Sariel most of the morning.  Edward was the lucky one to find our Advent Angel.   The first thing they learned was that today is a feast day!

We celebrate the feast dedicated to St. Francis Xavier.  He was a friend of St Ignatius of Loyola (they met in college) and he later became a missionary to India and then on to the islands surrounding the Philippines.  He wanted to expand his evangelic work to China but he became ill and died on his voyage.



As I sit and type this blog, I asked Henry what he remembered of St Francis Xavier.  He had read a book about this saint a couple of years ago.  I think we have been watching to many TV shows with police investigations.  He went into elaborate details about the decomposition of the saints bones!  Actually, it is kind of interesting what happened after he died...his companions were determined to bring his remains back home, but the ship captain refused because he said it would smell too bad.  His companions were told if the body decomposed enough before the ship set out, they could bring the body.  So, they poured lime to speed up the process!  I guess he was not meant to go home, as the companions returned to collect his remains and he was found to be incorrupt!

Of course, the boys thought this was a pretty cool story!  Personally, I thought the life story of St. Francis Xavier is very inspiring BEFORE he died.  I am glad that my missionary work is not in the far reaches of the world...I like to show Christ to the world around me.  However, hearing about his life reminds me to pray for those who do spread the message to these countries.

After hearing these stories, we read from the Gospel of Luke about the angel's (Gabriel) visit to Zachariah (Luke 1:5-25).  Zechariah was told that his barren wife would conceive a child.  When he questioned Gabriel, the angel gave him a sign...he would not speak until all came to pass as was foretold.  Just think what would happen if God gave us a sign like this every time we doubted Him?   I guess our world would be a quieter place, right?

To demonstrate to the boys that we should not question the will of God, we told them that they should follow our directions without question.  Then we told them to jump on one foot and jump around, then they were to shout out God's praises!  Now the chance God would ask us to do something so silly is slim, but the idea is that we should not question God's will.  Trust is an important part of our faith.

Henry was asked to make a representation of Zachariah for our mantel.  He came back with a bearded LEGO man!  We added it to one of the LEGO gingerbread houses they made yesterday.

Edward then added a blanket to our nativity scene.  This was used to cover the crevices in the roof and walls.  We are told to repair and cracks in our spiritual lives that tempt us to turn away from God.

This evening we added a ladder to the Jesse Tree.  Do you know what this represents?  Do you remember the story in Genesis 27 about the dream of Jacob (verses 12-15)?  Jacob has just tricked his brother out of his inheritance and runs away in fear of his life.  While in the desert he dreams about a ladder that takes him to heaven.  God tells him that he will prosper in all that he does, including a multitude of descendants.  The ladder represents God's desire to reunite the earth with the divine.

I think the two stories go together...in both stories communication with God were important.  In both stories God reached out to the people.  Zachariah was visited by an angel....Jacob spoke to God through a dream.  In both stories the people needed to choose to listen to God's will.  We are given opportunities to communicate with God through prayer...lifting our hearts and minds to God.  We also must choose to listen to God's will.

The season continues and we reflect on our lives in union with God.  An area that is crucial to our relationship is communication.  So glad we have this time to get it all together.

Potty Training the Princess

We started this journey about ten months ago...not our choice...she wanted to sit on the potty!  So we thought she might be ready at 18 months.  It did not happen!  No big deal...we would just try as she felt the desire to try.  After five children going through the process, if we learned nothing else it was not to rush the experience.

Now she is actually getting to the potty before she wets herself so we thought this was the time to try with more earnest.

Yes...she actually fell asleep on the potty and Michael had to catch her!

It just so happened that I was at the park with another mom of many children.  She said that she pays an older sibling a small fee to keep track of the potty use...they seem to have more time to follow the two-year-old around without distraction...HA!

So...we gave this a try.  I chose Edward to follow Little Miss around for a week to try to make that magical experience take hold.  He was paid a quarter for every time she used the potty correctly and a dime for every time she tried.  The idea was that he would earn an extra ten dollars if he was successful without accidents for a week.  A good incentive for him, but she just did not quite get the hang of it.

SO...we went up a sibling...Henry got his chance for a week.  He did better but still no real progress!

So funny to see but whatever works!
In the end it was just a reason to ask to watch her TV shows!

AND THEN...one day Zaira decided she did not want to wear diapers anymore!  Just like that....and she has never gone back to diapers.  She even has the night time potty situation down without any trouble!

I usually do something really big when the child is potty trained.  It is really based on something specific for the child.  It was not a hard choice for Zaira.  She was going to have her own room!

We are a co-sleeping family...well...we let the babies sleep with us until they are two-years-old.  Then out they go into their own bed!  Zaira was well past this mark BUT...when we moved here a year ago, she did not need her room so it became the storage room!  Boxes we still had not unpacked, tools, unused household supplies, and things we really just needed to take away....we had it all stuffed in that room!  What a mess!  We also had pulled all the carpet and had not tiled the floor.

We had our work cut out for us.  However, after much ado, we got the job done!  She slept in her room all by herself...until she slumbered into our bed around 4am this morning.

The only issue in all of this is TOILET PAPER!!!!  Why is so hard to tear off a small amount and not clog the toilet!  BUT...I know she will get this too!  She is growing up so fast!  Why do babies have to grow up so quickly!?!?!?!

Winter Break Approaching

The boys are getting excited...not sure if it is because of Christmas coming so much as our winter break.  For several years, we have made the decision in our house to take a break from school throughout the Advent and Christmas season (We make it up during the hot days of summer when no one wants to be outside!).  They know that the big break begins on the feast of St. Nicholas (December 6th) and lasts until the Monday after Epiphany (January 6th).  An entire month to dedicate to preparing for Christmas and then celebrating the 12 days of Christmas.  A great time of fun for everyone here.

SO we still have school this week but are trying to hold back the excitement with a few more Advent traditions.

This morning we found Sariel and we were told in a letter that we should focus on the kingship of Jesus today.  Edward was asked to make a crown out of Legos...he decided a miniature one would never due for our KING!  He thought he could take the entire morning to make a very bejeweled life-size crown!  I told him it was a great idea but would need to continue his creation AFTER school.

We also got active with a crown lifting exercise!  The official exercise is a simple overhead press, but we talked about the kingdom of God and how Jesus wears the crown.  As members of His kingdom through baptism, we are called to be priest, prophet and king (CCC 897-913)!  As we lifted our crowns in honor of Jesus, we called out words that describe our king:

• AWESOME!
• POWERFUL!
• ETERNAL!
• WONDERFUL COUNSELOR!
• ALMIGHTY!
• ALL-KNOWING!
• and many more!

We will continue throughout the day discussing this theme.  We will also add a roof to our nativity stable!  The Jesse Tree will lead us on the journey through salvation history stopping long enough to tell a story of sacrifice.  In Genesis 22, we read,

...the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Henry placed an ornament with a ram head to represent the sacrifice God gave to Abraham in place of his son, Isaac.

We also began reading from our Christmas library.  (We add more books to this each year.) Yesterday, Michael began Tabitha's Travels.  This is a story broken into parts for each day of Advent.  I also read what I like to call our "cuddle books" to anyone who wants to sit around me.  Today's book is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.  If have never read this book, be prepared to be touched.  I still feel a special joy when I read this book.  It is a great Advent book because it shows the healing that can take place as one prepares for Christmas.

Have I mentioned that I love this season?

Advent Angel Appears

This morning the boys were SUPPOSED to discover our new addition to our Advent tradition. Unfortunately, I had an early morning doctor's appointment and I was not at the house when everyone woke up.  So, I expected the boys to meet me at the door wanting to have some fun activities.  Well, I was mistaken....they did not say anything about our angel in our empty tree!

Yes...that is right...we have an empty tree in our front room.  We are using our Christmas tree (not lighted) for our Jesse Tree (If you do not know this tradition...here is a link to more information).  The idea is to fill the tree with ornaments that tell the story of God's promise for a savior throughout Advent.  Then we will complete our decorating on the last Sunday of Advent.  We have had a Jesse Tree for a long time and have always waited to decorate our tree.  However, setting up the tree AND decorating was always too much.  This was a perfect solution and we look forward to carrying on this tradition for years to come!

As for our Advent Angel, Sariel (which means Angel of Guidance), the boys said they saw the angel in the tree but did not give it much thought.  When I told them there was more to the angel, they ran to see what we were going to do for the day.

The main theme for the day was the candle that lights our way to Jesus.  We read from Isaiah 9:2-7...

"The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
...
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Then Brendan made a candle out of Legos that we placed on our mantel.

We talked to the boys about what is like to be in complete darkness.  We took the boys into our closet to give them the idea of being in darkness.  I talked to them about the darkness we saw in the closet was like a sinner feels in his life.  I asked them how they felt and what they wanted to do.  One said he felt scared...another wanted to fight back against anyone who touched him, and another said that he was fine in the dark.  Our little miss was back out the door and did not look back as she hopped into her Daddy's arms!

I told the children that that experience was much like what happens when we are in the darkness of sin.   Some are scared but do not know what to do, so they stay in the darkness.  Others will be angry and lash out into the darkness, which often times hurts others in the process.   And, still others do not see what the problem is...being in darkness is not so bad.  However, the one who wants nothing to do with sin and is willing to admit that they do not have the answer and will then run into the arms of the father...that is the person who will find the light and be forgiven.  I told them that to do anything else will keep us in the darkness of sin and lead to a state of despair.

SO....off they all ran out of the dark closet and back to our well lit dining room.  We talked about the need to seek the light of salvation.  It was a great lesson followed by dinner.  We all enjoyed a steamy bowl of broccoli cheese soup.  Then we placed the stable in the nativity scene and moved our candle to the next spot along the trail.

We ended the day with our Advent Adventure and placed our first ornaments on our Jesse Tree.  I think we will start doing this in the morning and discuss throughout the day.

More fun to come!  Happy Advent season to you all!

Amber Alert!

About a month ago, I was just walking around a little resale shop trying to find some cute outfits for Zaira.  I was heading toward the back of the store when a young girl approached me and asked for help.  I did not think much about this request at first.  I was glad to help her...thinking she needed me to help her with something on a higher rack.  I was a little surprised when she said that she was afraid because a man in the store wanted to take her away from the store!

I asked her where her parents were and was told that they had dropped her off to shop.  That was as  big a red flag as the man in the store!  She was only NINE YEARS OLD!!!!  I told her I was leaving the store and I wanted her to stay with me.  My thoughts were racing a mile a minute but I stayed calm and kept her by my side as I checked out.

These were my thoughts:

• How can I protect this girl from the man? Keep her away from him.
• Why did her parents leave her alone?  I cannot believe this is possible!
• Can I get her out of the store safely so we can call 9-1-1?  I will protect her no matter what happens.
• Is this a scam to get me to give her money or do me some harm?  I have to take the chance.
• Am I willing to take that risk and help her anyway? YES!!!
• Why is it taking so long to check out?!?!!?  Stay calm and reassure the girl that everything would be OK.

I finally got the clothes purchased, and we began to walk out of the store.  Then a group of people surrounded me and asked me what was happening!  I was thinking that this was a good question!  What WAS happening?

I told them I was trying to help this little girl because a man was trying to take her from the store.  This is when I realized the group surrounding us was a camera crew and a reporter!

They asked me some questions and told me that I had done the right thing.  I was surprised when they told me that many people did not want to help the little girl!

SO...I made the news!  I do not watch TV but they told me they were doing a report like a show called "What Would You Do?"  They did not know when their report would broadcast but it might take a couple of months.  Since I do not watch TV, I just thanked them for the story and left feeling good that I did the right thing.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to church and a friend told me she saw me on the news.  I decided to see if there was a internet site with the report.  I did not have any luck finding it.  So I let it go again.

Then I went back to the store today and they told me to check out their website to find the link.  Cool!  I found it and thought I would share.  AND I am sure I do not have to tell you, BUT if you are ever approached...take a chance...you might prevent a real Amber Alert.