Wordless Wednesday

SPT - Hopes for the New Year!

Here are the rules and you can check out Lelly's site for everyone's SPT's.

i don't want spt to add to the chaos. quite the opposite - i hope to continue to enjoy it throughout the holidays. to be able to find those moments throughout the season where i choose to be still. the challenge for us this month will hopefully give us an excuse to remember to care for ourselves while we are busy creating amazing holiday memories for all.

take deep breaths. channel your chi. don't sacrifice the small, still moments. enjoy them! and photograph them!

tuesday, december 2 love
tuesday, december 9 joy
tuesday, december 16 comfort
tuesday, december 23 joy
tuesday, december 30 hope

enjoy the season!

Now I have been busy and stressed so I haven't posted ever week but I am going post today!
The past couple of days we spent in Chicago with my husband's family. We don't see them as much as we would like but when we get together the kids are "bestest" of friends. We had a great dinner with the family. Papa cooked his famous Crown Roast of Pork with stuffing, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Oh, don't forget the salad with lots of fresh tomatoes!






After dinner we opened presents. It was a simple gift exchange. My kids were great! I never heard a "that's all" or "I only got". They were great! I was really proud of them. Papa got all of his little fishermen/women hats! It was great! Here is everyone smiling! This is to hoping for a New Year filled with smiles, family, friends and fishing!

The electronic presents are abound

Here I sit typing on my new laptop! I have finally broken down and entered the electronic age. I hate spending money on stuff and I have always considered a laptop stuff. I have a desk top that is enough. I decided that with two adults who both would like to be on the computer at the same time and the kids who want to be on the computer that it is time to open up my wallet and buy a laptop. This way it is mobile so when we go out and about we can bring it with us.

Here is an example as to why we need a laptop. On the way to a basketball game, about 30 minutes from our house, S was working on homework and we needed to goggle some question for her geography homework. The question was, what bay is between Denmark and Sweden, I think? Seriously, I don't know or care! If I was traveling maybe but sitting in a car driving to a basketball game, I really didn't care! It would have been great to google it! Now my daughter will get her answers right. Instead of guessing at 70 mph on the way to a basketball game!

J also says he can "tether" his phone Internet to my computer so I won't need a Internet phone card, is that what it is called? Yes, did I say I am electronically challenged!

Christmas

Well we have been up for hours and are having a fabulous day. We spent the morning getting ready for church. That is what today is about. Celebrating Jesus' birthday. We done this for years and have it done to almost perfect. We get ready and dressed for church. Once everyone is ready, hair combed, shoes on, pantyhouse pulled up, we can open our Christmas stocking if we have time. I have never seen my kids get ready so fast and look so good as Christmas morning. While we are getting ready my husband is finishing up the Christmas Cassorole, the eggs, bread cheese, sausage with the Cream of Mushroom soup on it, to throw it in the oven while we go to mass. I know don't tell the fire marshal we leave the oven on while we are at church.

Then we spend an hour or so at mass. It was a service that goes by very quickly the kids love singing all of the Christmas songs which helps hold their attention so they aren't thinking about opening presents. Mass today was a record because Father finished by 9:50 and we were home by 10:00. Of course, we plan for the cassorole to cook for 1.5 hours so we had time to open presents. The kids didn't get as many presents this year, but the cost was the same. The the received some clothes, lots of books and Ninetindo DS's w/ one game. They now are waiting for them to charge.

John is preparing/cooking some scalloped potatoes'. John loves to cook and is one of those people who can threw things together, sort of like the MacGyver of cooking. You can give him 3- 5 ingredients and he whips up a meal. I gave him these really cool measureing spoons for Christmas and he laughed. Is this for the guy who never measures, I said sure or his wife who always measures!

Now we are just waiting....for dinner at my sisters!

Merry Christmas to all!

Family Brunch and Chuck E. party pictures

Well it is almost Christmas and I have missed posting my SPT's so here is a bunch of stuff together. First we decided to not drive to Owosso for Xmas b/c of weather. I know we live in Michigan buck it up camper! but as I get older and were I work, I would rather be safe then sorry! Maybe next week?

Now to start out with the December pictures I have missed. The Thanksgiving brunch with the cousins. We don't get to see our cousins very often but when we do they all act like old friends. I wish we could spend more time with Family.







Now comes the 8th birthday party for Katie. She picked Chuck E. Cheese. Here classmates joined in the fun and a good time was had by all. I think everyone went home that night and slept well because they RAN around for two hours and had enough cake and pizza to feed an Army.
Here is Katie giving Chuckie his hug for singing to her.

Joy

SPT this week is Joy check out Lelly's sight for instructions. I know I am suppose to be in the picture but I just couldn't do it! Let me start out by saying on Sunday we went to a basketball game and to the Christmas tree farm. My daughters team didn't win the game but we all had a great time just being together. I usually work on the weekends and miss out on quality family time because I am working or sleeping! Today turned out perfect. We went arrived at the tree farm at about 4:25 pm and they close at 5 pm so we took the tractor to the area we usually cut down our tree. Then the girls and I walked back while John rode with the tractor and the tree and all the other people out that afternoon. Here are a few shots of the girls playing in the snow on our walk back to the barn.



When we got home on Sunday night John put the tree in the basement to warm up and dry off. On Monday nights I started going to a knitting club. Samantha comes along while John takes the other two to basketball practice. Tonight he picked up Samantha on his way home so I could stay knitting and chatting longer. He gave the kids showers and put them to bed. I got home around 11pm and this is what I found in the tv room. Yes it brought great JOY to my heart that my husband let me stay out with my friends while he did the task of "putting up the tree" He rocks!

Thanksgiving and cookie day

We spent our Thanksgiving in Chicago. My sister, Lois lives outside of Chicago and my hubbies family is also in the suburbs. We had spent turkey day at my sister's. She and her hubby made a fabulous dinner. Her two sons, daughter-in-law, grand daugher and mother-in-law were all there for dinner. I brought the pies. I know I wasn't feeling well and broke down and went to baker's square for pumpking and chocolate cream silk pies. I know, I know, it should be homemade. But as my sister said once you add the whip cream who can tell anyway! I forgot to bring in my camera so know pictures! opps!

The day after thanksgiving the girls and I went back to Aunt Lois's house and made cookies and hard candy. John and his dad went to IC's, state finals, football game at U of I. During cookie time I did take pictures, so you are in luck. First Aunt Lois gave the girls all aprons, made them pull their hair back and wash their hands, all good rules!

Ready Set GO!

Get mixing!

Taste test!

All in all it was a yummy day! We also watched Aunt Lois make her secret hard candy receipe. The girls LOVE it they have been bring a couple of pieces to school each day and can't get enough. I have to steal the secret receipe! Please Aunt Lois!!

Thanks for a great holiday and I hope we can do it again!

K is 8 today and made her first reconciliation

Today my baby K is 8. She is really the joy of my life. She is such a happy kid and has such a loving heart. Don't get me wrong she can also be a typical kid! Doesn't want to pick up after herself, fights with her sisters and wants to watch toooo much TV. But she has an infectious laugh and smile.

Today she also made her first reconciliation. She has been practicing and talking about reconciliation at school for months. The practiced going into the confessional, that she could go face to face with father or sit behind the screen. When K does something wrong and you call her on it or she has to apologize she becomes visible upset. She cries and can't talk. In her head she was was going to sit behind the screen and not have to look father in the eye. Well, father set up a couple of chairs behind a screen for him and the 2nd grader to sit on and "confess" their sins. K freaked out that she had to go face to face! She started crying and was so upset I almost had her pass going to confession today. Then she calmed down as we talked about what was going to happen when she talked to father and she got up when it was her turn and went to talk with father.

Drying the tears and getting ready for confession.

Father blessing her.

Penance and Prayer to come.

SPT

The Lelly SPT for the month are below:

take deep breaths. channel your chi. don't sacrifice the small, still moments. enjoy them! and photograph them!

tuesday, december 2 love
tuesday, december 9 joy
tuesday, december 16 comfort
tuesday, december 23 joy
tuesday, december 30 hope

enjoy the season!

When I look back at my postings for the week they are some of the things I love! I promise to catch up next week!