Outside my window… we replaced our fall wreath with an evergreen wreath for Advent and Christmas.
I am thinking… about this year’s Christmas gifts for our children. I had hoped to have all the gifts purchased and wrapped before Advent began, but I wasn’t able to pull that off this year.
I am thankful… that we were given permission from our local pastor for Twinkle Toes to receive her First Holy Communion from one of her uncles, during a Traditional Latin Mass, if one of them is able to come out to baptize our new little one in January. I just need to take her in to be tested to make sure she is ready. He may meet with Chiquita as well, and we may end up having two First Communions, in addition to the Baptism! We’ll just have to see!
From the kitchen… leftovers! Since we went to my parents on Thanksgiving, I knew we wouldn’t end up with any leftovers, so I planned to make our own turkey dinner on Saturday. I ended up spending much more time in the kitchen than I would have liked, but everything turned out great. Here is a list of what we made, with links to some of the recipes:
(made with my iSi Easy Whip, Cream Whipper)
(also tripled for a 9×13 casserole)
We never did get a chance to make the Oreo Turkeys or Pilgrim Hat Cookies that we had planned, and the ingredients are all still sitting on the counter… :/
Learning all the time… we are back to school after a couple days off last week for Thanksgiving. My hope is to wrap up our Colonial Unit Study this week and have the children assemble their lap books. I’ve had to cut back on a lot of the activities we began at the beginning of the year, since I just haven’t been able to keep up with everything. Mainly we have had to cut out the girls’ weekly state-by-state recipe – we’ve decided to catch up with a States Dinner/Party sometime in the next couple months – though they are still studying a state each week. I also haven’t been able to spend much one on one time with Snuggles, though he has really enjoyed a few new workbooks and participating in the big kids projects. This afternoon we will be heading out on a field trip that will tie in nicely to our Colonial studies!
Living the Liturgical Year at Home… Last night, before our family rosary, Hubby blessed our Advent Wreath and we lit the first candle. The pillar candles from the Monastery Candle Shop arrived a little lighter in color than I expected, but they are very pretty and will work out nicely this year!
After the rosary we read the story of creation and added ornaments to both our traditional felt Jesse Tree (which I started to worry we weren’t going to be able to find, since it wasn’t with the rest of our Advent decorations), as well as a new beautiful wooden ornament to place on a little artificial tree. The kids unwrapped the first book from this year’s Advent Book Basket and cuddled up on the couch with their Daddy to listen to a story before bed. It was a very nice and peaceful evening at home, even if the kids didn’t get to bed until really late!
I am creating… (or will be just as soon as I can!) a Notebook page for this week’s Little Flowers meeting, in addition to preparing for the craft. I really wish I would have been able to finish my plans for this year this past summer. Hopefully it won’t take too long!
I am wearing… my hair a little shorter and darker. I originally was just planning on getting it cut and layered last week, but the hair stylist convinced me to color it to match my roots, covering up the old highlights from a couple years ago. It has taken a little getting use to, but I think I am starting to like having it all dark once again. Captain cracked me up when he told me that he liked it “but wasn’t sure if it made me look older or younger!”
Noticing that… now that the baby isn’t breech, he is really low. It is getting very hard to stand for long and walking through a store is next to impossible, without starting to contract. (Thank goodness for online shopping!) I am so glad that Hubby is coming home early to go on our field trip with us this afternoon. I don’t think I could manage it, without his help!
I am listening… to our Advent/Christmas station on Pandora, while I work on folding tons of laundry.
Around the house… after spending most of Friday and Saturday organizing and de-cluttering the kids bedrooms, they are finally almost done. I still just need to go through their clothing drawers. Hubby assembled the drawers for the closet organizer in the babies room on Saturday, so I finally have a place to put his clothes, once I get around to washing them. Maybe this week, once I catch up on the mountain that appeared after cleaning the bedrooms? I am running out of time!
I am hoping… that I can move on to cleaning my bedroom and the schoolroom, now that the kids rooms are almost done. The piles have gotten out of control. I just haven’t been able to keep up with everything lately.
I am praying… this prayer to my little ones, who I remembered especially this past week, on the anniversary of when they were born too early and miscarried, which happened to fall on Thanksgiving Day this year:
My darling (mention the child’s name) you are now in joy in the presence of our God; and in your spotless innocence, which he loves, you can speak to him with a voice that he will heed. You are still my little baby and will surely regard the prayers of your mother, who bore you. So with confidence, then, I speak to you. Intercede for me to obtain the favor that I here ask as a mother through her child who stands before the throne of God (here mention petition). But if what I ask is not according to the wisdom and loving designs of almighty God for me and others, then ask Him to grant what is best according to His good pleasure and to give me the wisdom and faith to conform my will to His.
One of my favorite things… celebrating the seasons of Advent & Christmas at home with my family!
A few plans for the rest of the week:
- Hubby went back to work today, after a very quick 4 days off. I had hoped he’d be able to take a little more time off. Maybe later this week…
- Colonial Themed Field Trip, followed by Hockey Practice this afternoon
- Tutor from 9-1 and Piano Lessons from 2-4 on Wednesday
- Final Little Flowers Meeting (until March) on Thursday (which I haven’t even begun to prepare for!)
- Team Hockey Practice on Thursday
- Boys’ Hockey Game on Saturday Morning
- Parish Anniversary Dinner on Sunday
A Picture thought I am sharing:
Family picture on Thanksgiving Day 2011
P.S. Charlotte has convinced me to host a “Favorite Advent/Christmas Book Link-Up” here at Shower of Roses! I will try and post the link-up either late tonight or tomorrow, so start working on a post with your favorites to share!
Dear Jessica, I have read your blog for some while now and even though I knew that you had suffered pregnancy loss, somehow I did not know about your dear little son Christopher. Oh Jessica, my heart goes out to you. I lost my own first baby at around the same gestation. My Stephanie lived only a little while … I carry her in my heart, think of her daily, she is always in my prayers. I am so very sorry that the hospital had that policy. How incredibly sad. My Stephanie came very quickly, she arrived before the ambulance. It was so long ago and feels like last week sometimes. Sorry for the long comment! Peace and Blessings to you this night,
Ellie
Remember, Jessica, the beautiful book THE LITTLE WAY OF HOMESCHOOLING when you feel like you are not achieving all that you would like. You do so very much!
How wonderful to have uncles who are priests and can celebrate First Holy Communion with your daughters! I pray that goes as you hope!
A beautiful picture of a beautiful family!
Peace and prayers, Annita +JMJ+
Hi jessica,
Noticing that you have a pandora station, I'm hoping you don't mind me bouncing around a concern I'm presently having with it… I really do like Pandora, like the stations, the song choices, etc. But I'm REALLY not liking the ads that pop up on the sidebar. Do you have any solutions to this issue? I'm struggling with the scenes showing up that I don't want myself or any of the children to see vs. the commodity of having music playing around the house. Do you have any thoughts on the matter? Solutions, maybe?
I just had to smile when I saw that you had black olives as part of your Thanksgiving meal… this has always been on my family's Thanksgiving table every year while I was growing up! To me, a dish of olives is a normal part of a big family meal, but my mother said she thought it was the strangest thing that my father's family had olives at big meals… but she has continued the tradition. My dad's family was Polish/Scottish/Irish Catholic; not sure if the olives are a tradition from any of those cultures.. ?
Your family is beautiful – great family photo!
Think I'll have to try those chai pumpkin thumbprints, yum!!
Ellie ~ Thank you for your comment. I am so sorry to hear about your little Stephanie! Yes, we never forget these sweet little ones, no matter how much time goes by… God bless you and your family!
Annita ~ YES!! I DO need to remember that book! Thank you for the reminder! It is so hard at times to just say no to things that I would like to do, or wish I had the time or energy to do… I know my kids are getting plenty, even if it is just a simplified version of my "plans." lol!
Margaret ~ I actually haven't really noticed the ads, other than the commercials that come on every once in awhile… Maybe that is because I only play it on my iTouch, attached to it's dock/speakers, and usually then return it to the main screen?
Erin ~ How interesting! Maybe it is an Irish tradition? I never realized that it was something "extra!" lol! We have always had them as part of our Thanksgiving meal, for as long as I can remember. 🙂
Oh my goodness- your family is gorgeous!
I also had hopes of having Christmas shopping done or at least started. Neither has happened.
I will continue to remember you and your little expected one in my prayers.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful prayer!