Baptism of the Lord (Sunday Update)

A 9 inch snowfall was predicted.  We got about 4 inches, which is perfect.  A nice white snow to freshen things up...but maybe not quite so long to melt.

With the warm winter we've been having lately, our house has been invaded by "stink bugs".  They're totally harmless, but last night my kids caught one.  Someone reported that some others were trying to drown the bug.  My husband, without thinking it through, said "guys, just let it go outside".  My 16-year-old son had a wonderful time regaling his father about "saving" the stink bug by tossing it out into the blizzard outside!  Eowyn asked if she could "keep it for a pet."  A quick google search confirmed that they eat fruit and leaves, amongst other things.

Muffin is still the "dumb blonde" of the household.  Still working on house breaking...(sigh).  One tip, which no one but me would need to hear, is that when purchasing a dog, make sure you research it's grooming requirements.  Teddy bear's do not shed, but their hair continues to grow, apparently, indefinitely.

 Since I haven't taken her to the groomer in a month,  Muffin's hair goes straight over her eyes so she can't see.  With four girls in the house, I now am adding doing my dog's hair to my list of girls to groom!

 Cute though.

stress relief

 And on the home front...that backsplash I mentioned last month?  It is supposed to be installed on the 22nd.  But I changed my mind on the tile.  It's kindof a long story, but my old "backsplash" was just the formica countertop that was installed about 8 inches up from the counter (that's where the white torn up wall is in the pictures.  I thought I was only replacing about 8 inches with tile, but when Home Depot came to measure, they measured the full wall space between the counter and the cabinets. which is now normal.

Because I had thought I only had 8 inches to work with, I had to rule out any larger patterns which wouldn't have enough room to show the pattern and I chose the tile below:

 It reflected light and matched the countertop.  It wasn't not my "dream" tile.  I liked it, but I thought that with 20 inches instead of 8, it might get too "busy" for me.  I'm kindof a minimalist, and I want a "white" kitchen.

Yesterday my Mom ran over to Home Depot and agreed with the "other" tile I had seen, and loved, and wanted to change to.  So, we put in a new order and if the new tile comes in before the 22nd, we can still install before the end of the month!  Cross your fingers!

Happy Feast of the Baptism of the Lord!

Happy Sunday!

January

January 1st is one of my favorite days of the year.  It is the Solemnity (high feast day of the Church) of Mary Mother of God.  There is often snow in the first week of January, and after a green Christmas, the fresh white snow seemed appropriate for the New Year.  Snow usually leaves clear skies in its wake, and sunshine streaming from a blue sky, bouncing off of white snow, makes the most beautiful of the winter scenes!

All is calm, all is bright.

All was blue and white, bathed in cold sunshine.  Even the world bedecked itself in Mary's colors of blue and white.

I snapped a picture through a screened window (sorry, I know, why bother) of a morning sunrise sometime this week.   

 Wilma under the tree.

Tree skirt now rumpled and in need of vacuuming.  Needles falling.  I can't believe how quickly the Christmas octave passed!

The board games always come out after Christmas.  The chess board has been on our dining room table as a stable fixture.

My sister's family came in on the 26th.  The girls got to go to a movie, ice skate and have a sleepover in the basement.  The 27th was our 19th Wedding Anniversary, and I got to go on a very special date to a new restaurant with my wonderful husband.  The 28th was a baptism for my new niece.  The 29th my brother, the priest brother, said Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family.  Everything was bustling and busy (I did have one sister whose family was totally laid low with the flu...) ....until Sunday night.  We got a text from my brother-in-law saying he couldn't get ahold of my mother-in-law.

After a flurry of phone calls and texts, we were able to get a friend to my mother-in-law's house to check on her.  She wasn't ok.  She was home, but had had a stroke.  

That night I felt the fever come on.  I got the flu.

I never left the couch the next day.  Or the next.  By day three I was on the road to recovery.  Day four gave my husband the confidence to leave me in charge of the family for a while and fly to see his mom.

Sick, sleeping kids are much cuter than sick, sleeping me!

My Mother-in-law is out of the ICU and in rehab.  It's pretty awful, but it could be worse.  She can move, but she can't really talk.  Apparently the rehab people said they've seen worse, and seen those people leave speaking.  Please help us pray for Gramz!!

November, December...

I'm going to throw this up on the blog, out of chronological order!  It begins with an Advent mantle scene (with our new mantle cloth this year), but tracks backwards to Thanksgiving, when my Mother-in-Law came to visit for a week!

My Mom bought me pieces from the Lennox Nativity every year since my wedding (until I had this much of the set), when I was married two days after Christmas.  There are more pieces that I might start adding myself.  I've got my eye on an elephant and camel!  (Baby Jesus is hiding until Christmas).

Gimli turned 15 and got his annual chocolate cake.  This year it was decorated with candy canes left over from St. Nick's hot chocolate!

We got our new counter tops installed...and we're still waiting for the backsplash to happen sometime in the new year...

Discovered this beautiful "Surrender Novena" (only the outside cover is in French!lol)  I'm working on trust and surrender to God's will and providence in my life.

(Welcome sign for Gramz)

I'll consider this "all caught up"!  Peace and love!:)

Christmas Photo Dump

I should make two New Year's resolutions: 1) to get a new phone because my phone is on the fritz and the camera is really sketchy, so sorry for the blurry pictures! and 2) consider getting a real camera out again, so my blog is prettier!lol

My sister came for a Christmas visit with her beautiful family.  On the day they arrived, her little Elizabeth came down with a fever.  Luckily, she rallied enough the next day to come play at our house and make a little Gingerbread house!

Sprinkles!!

Eowyn (my 6-year-old) happened to snap this picture of our tree.  It's not clear, but it makes a nice impression and captures my new favorite Christmas throw pillow. :)

 This year, we had a real live Chrsitmas infant to ponder and love.

This little angel became a newly baptized saint on the Feast of the Holy Innocents!  Blessings upon blessings.

I'll try to come back with pictures from the Baptism.  I didn't remember to bring my phone to Christmas Day (this was Christmas Eve).  My youngest sister and her family came down with a terrible flu that turned into bronchitis (or possibly pneumonia??) for my sister! Ugh!  We've missed her like CRAZY for the days after Christmas.  Never as fun without her and her children.  Many prayers for full and complete recovery ASAP!

So, for 2019, Merry Christmas!

Eowyn's 6!

Eowyn's birthday was on November 20th.  I've always said she was my Thanksgiving Turkey!  

If I had to try to describe Eowyn...it would be very hard.  She is a quirky, nymph-like creature, with whimsical tendencies.  Her eyes aren't quite the same color brown.  She is both strong-willed and shy in public.  She fights for her own way (spoiled baby girl, but still working on it) but loves to play.  She loves princess dresses, everything that sparkles, and unicorns.  She loves Wilma, the white cat she cried and cried for.  She is incredibly loving, loves to cuddle, and is particularly attached to her biggest sister, Arwen.  Those two remind me of myself and my youngest sister.  It bodes very well for their future!:)

Eowyn only ever wants strawberries and whipped cream.  This is her second year now with Strawberry Shortcake for her birthday.

 She was definitely excited!

I don't really celebrate my kids birthdays with big parties, but my second youngest sister was 9 months pregnant and nesting.  What that means for her is that she starts being incredibly active in taking care of all of her own home projects, but also in taking care of me!  She knew my in-laws were planning on coming for Thanksgiving, and, being the wonderful baker that she is, she said she would make "Thanksgiving Turkey" cookies for me to put out on a platter when they came.

Capitalizing upon this idea, I said, "Say, what if you brought everything here and we let the kids decorate and we called it a birthday party for Eowyn?!"

And so, my sister threw Eowyn a party!  She brought 6 kids, cookies, frosting, and sprinkles.  I asked my other sister to come with her 4 children and join us.  Insta-party!  (The three of us have 20 children together!!  Well, #20 was on the inside at that point...not any more!!)

Of course, my in-laws cancelled (other than my Mother-in-law), but the party was still a beautiful memory, and I will always be indebted to my amazing, talented, beautiful sister.

Mud Bowl: 2019

Just had to catch some of this on camera.  On the (one) warm day between snow and Arctic Blasts, my boys went out to play football in our backyard, which is a mud pit.  The yard is surrounded by trees which a) block sunlight from reaching the ground and b) suck up all of the water, leaving the grass...well, non-existent.

 Now, at times there is grass, but not after a tough stretch of weather, a thorough raking of leaves, and...a tackle football game.

Perhaps you've heard what I've heard said, that "I'm not raising grass, I'm raising children".

I hope that my kids remember their childhood as one in which they had a blast together, playing ball and wallowing in the mud.  Honestly, I'm so grateful that I have FIVE sons to play together, that it only gives me joy.

 Some day I might have grass, but I'd rather look at my boys, playing and best-of-friends, any day!