Mixin with MOM

 The girls and I played cooking TV show, Mixin with MOM!
 {mom and daughter cooking show, original, right!}

It was sticky,
 it was messy,
it was fun!

Smoothies are a great way to get the kids to drink "a cool drink" packed with fruit and calcium.
They are easy to put together. Use whatever fruit you have available and add a little milk, some yogurt and some ice cubes. It really is that simple. You can also add extra flavors like sugar or vanilla.
 I prefer to leave the sugar out, but it is an individual preference.

Have Fun and get Mixin!

Love for Winter?

 I must admit I'm guilty, most winters I'm counting down the days until the season of spring. The short days, the dark sky and the dormant life that surrounds me can be depressing.

This year is different. Although I have been struggling with the change in our lives right now,  this struggle has nothing to do with winter.

This year I found my love for winter.   

Winter Charm

Down Time- In the months of winter everything slows a bit. We cuddle in our blankets reading a book or watching a movie.  ( I believe so many of us have trained our minds to be constantly entertained, so much that in the season of slowing down we become discontent and antsy. Allow your mind to rest, enjoy the simplicity of stillness.)

Most winters I find myself missing the green life that fills the tree branches. Everything seems dead and dreary, but this year I am enjoying the winter tree's beauty. The crocked limbs that intertwine and the ability to see so much that is usually hidden by the leaves.

The air is clean, crisp and renewing.

The lifeless grass that coats the ground has a quite, softness that goes right along with the white sky.

Day of surprise- How excited we are to wake to sunshine in the winter. We venture out of our blankets and play in the sun.

One of my favorite things to do is close my eyes and feel the sun's warmth as it cover my face.  

Black birds flying south by the hundreds.

The animals are dressed in their winter coat, as their fluffy fur grows wild and thick.

Winter, it really is a beautiful time of the year.

What about you? What winter charm do you love? 

Thanking the Lord for allowing me to see the beauty in his gift of winter.

At the Car Wash

Last Saturday Allen loaded up the family and we drove into the "Big City" for  Sacrament  of Confession and Mass.
We then enjoyed yummy cafeteria food, with funny waiters, jello for dessert and balloons to take home.
Heading out the kids spotted balloons and a sign, announcing TODAY FREE CAR WASH.   So who knows where this adventure may take us.
On this adventure we ended it at the CAR WASH. Sweet Pea was simply amazed.
The little things~

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true."

"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"I have a Dream

I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this Nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed--"we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.


I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the conduct of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its Governor, having his lips dripping the words of interposition and nullification -- one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted: every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plane, and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our Nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together; to pray together; to struggle together; to go to jail together; to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring. From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring, from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring, from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the crevatial slopes of California.

But not only that. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill in Mississippi. From every mountainside.

Let freedom ring and when this happens...And when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at Last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, We're Free at Last!"

Less Stuff =More Life

Simplifying
Less Stuff =More Life
Less Stuff=Less responsibility on nonliving non loving items
Less is always more
 Simplicity is key
It is a new year and a new day

Even on the full blown cleaning days, you must make time to sit in the middle of it all and take in the "good stuff" the hugs, the kisses the love and the laughter.
Because this is really all we carry with us, this is all we really remember....

Looking Back on 2011

 

Looking back on back on 2010

and 2009

Come Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always.
Be our light, our guide and our comforter. Be our strength and our courage.
  May this new year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us.
A time of welcoming your graces and gifts. A time for forgiving freely and unconditionally.
A time for growing in virtue and goodness.
Come Holy Spirit be with us today and always~

High in the Sky

Sweet Pea age 4 " Momma, I want to be this little tiny and ride on a birdy  really high in the sky"

I then tell her that sounds like a wonderful adventure.

Sunshine girl age 8 " Well, you can in Heaven, you can even ride a drop of rain. You can do all the wonderful adventures in Heaven."

and then...... the heaviness of the day is gone and I breathe knowing I will never have the chance to live this amazing moment again. 

Thank You Lord! 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Did you know that the twelve days of Christmas really began on Christmas Day and will run through the Epiphany  (January 6 celebrating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus- The three wise men).

Little Man asked me why we would celebrate the Epiphany only  twelve days after Christmas "if we really do not know when they arrived". I answered him with a question. If we really do not know the exact date of the Epiphany, should we just skip it all together?  Of course not, it is entirely too important for us to not recognize. This is the same for so many of our celebrated feast and holy days.
     

                     If you are like me, you put up your tree half way into fall and are itching for clarity and a clean home just days after Christmas day.  This year I had to ask myself, what about the true twelve days of Christmas? The liturgical calendar states that Advent is a time of prayerfully waiting for our savior to come and on Christmas Day we celebrate the gift of his arrival.
 This day starts the Christmas season.
Of course it would! Why would we be waiting for our savior to come and rescue us {he comes} and boom it is all over, all the celebration out the door. Lets all go back to our everyday lives. 
  Noway, we must go on celebrating this amazing gift of our king. 
Now I am not saying we must keep our tree up or else, but I am encouraged to continue this blessed Christmas season with our nativity, ours prayers and our scriptures. 
Although I do plan on keeping my tree up a week or so longer, so that I may enjoy my time in the evenings prayerfully gazing at the lights and rejoicing in my heart over my Saviors arrival.

 Advent- Four weeks of preparation for Christmas.
(Preparing our hearts for the gift of our Savior.)
Twelve days of Christmas- Starting on Christmas day, The birth of Christ -The Epiphany (The three wise men. This shows us that Christ was sent for all.)Christmas Prayer
Lord God, we praise you for creating man, and still more for restoring him in Christ. Your Son shared our weakness; may we share his glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Before I go I also wanted to share something fun!
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" may be more than a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. Some say it was written in England during the period 1558-1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholicism in England. Catholics were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law - private OR public.
It is said that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith.
The song gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith.
The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings.
The other symbols mean the following:
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity. The Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = The six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = The eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = The nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = The Ten Commandments
11 Pipers Piping = The eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

 

O Holy Night

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoyces. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Fall on your knees.

O hear the angel voices, O night divine!
O night when Christ was born, O night divine! O night, O night divine!

And in His Name, all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus. Let all within us praise his holy name, Christ is the Lord!

Noel, Noel, O night, O night Divine. Noel, Noel, O night, O night Divine. Noel, Noel, O night, O holy Divine

The Nutcracker and My Girls~

For years we have talked about it~
For years we have dreamt about it~
This year we made the memory~

  
The Nutcracker preformed with the orchestra. Just mom and her girls out on a date. I enjoyed watching the shadow of their bright eyes fixed on the performance. They both were amazed. I know I will be visiting this evening for years to come.Thanking the Lord for his blessings.

Saint Lucy (Lucia ) Day 2011

     Saint Lucy (Lucia ) Day is on December 13 . It is an important day on the Swedish calendar. In Sweden it is called Luciadagen. This day honors a young Christian girl who was martyred in ancient Rome. She is always portrayed with her head encircled by a halo of lights. Though it's not officially part of Advent, for many Lucia Day forms the gateway to the Christmas season.  Her feast is also tied in with the celebration of light and winter, as her name means light and her feast day originally coincided with the winter solstice, which marked the shortest day of the year.

While celebrating this blessed Saint, it is  tradition to have the daughter wear a white dress and a red sash. She also wears a wreath crown with white candles, while she serves her family with coffee and Lussekatter (saffron buns).

Saint Lucy, You did not hide your light under a basket,
but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see.May we not suffer torture in our lives the way she did,
but may we hear the calling  to let the light of our Christianity
illumine our daily lives.
Dear Lord, Help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation and every corner of our day. Amen

This year our Sweet Pea served us as the blessed Saint Lucy. The kids and I baked cinnamon wreaths and dressed little St. Lucy, then we all laid on the couch as she walked around for each us to have a bite.
  She really enjoyed serving as Saint Lucy, as well as learning more about this blessed Saint.
   Thanking the Lord for the Saints that have done his will throughout the ages, as I pray that we too may strive to become saints in our own lives.


Click here to read  Saint Lucy Day 2010

Lussekatter (makes 10-12 buns)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
8 ounces (1 cup) milk
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 beaten egg white for egg wash
Using a mortar and pestle, pound saffron threads to break down strands. In a small saucepan, heat milk to lukewarm.
Mix yeast with 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set aside.
On low heat, melt butter in saucepan with milk. Add crushed saffron. Let cool.
In large bowl, mix together flour salt and remaining sugar.
Stir yeast into cooled milk mixture. Mix into dry ingredients, beating to mix well. Add beaten eggs. Knead in bowl for 5 - 7 minutes. Turn onto floured board and knead another 7 - 8 minutes.
Put dough in lightly greased bowl, turn to coat all sides, cover and put in warm, draft-free place to rise for about 1 hour.
When dough has risen, knead lightly to push out air and divide into small pieces (about 10 - 12). Using the hands, roll each small piece into a strip about 8 - 10 inches long. Shape each strip into an 'S' or a figure 8. Place on lightly buttered cookie sheets.
Cover with clean cloth and let rise again until double in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
When dough has risen, brush lightly with egg white. Bake in preheated 375° F oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack.

Was it Almost a Month~ Ramble

                 I could not allow a month to pass. Where did the time go and how have you been my family and friends? So many nights I thought about jumping on here for a quick blog post and then I knew I did not have the time to say all I needed, so I waited.

Well something small is better than nothing at all, right.

So here is the try to be quick catch you up~ ramble

Allen got the job~ He has been apprenticing for over a month now. We are excited to learn he will have collage credited hours throughout this journey. 

He is tired, but happy. I am sure it will just take some time for his mind and body to adapt to the change. 

Our place is for SALE~ Oh how bitter sweet it is to have the homestead open for takers. The first few weeks I was not thinking about the bitter part of it. We had prayed and talked it over. Hearing the Lord, we went for it with a smile on our face. 

As the Christmas "season" approached I could feel the bitter part of it setting in. The memories and the love we have here in our home.  Even with this harder side, we trust that selling and moving is the path our Lord is calling us upon.  We are greatly enjoying our home in this wonderful season of Christ birth. We are not thinking about the sign posted in our yard, Christmas in our home is warm, joyful and filled with love. It is not the house that creates this, it is the Lord and the family he has blessed us with. So wherever this path leads us, our home shall be there.  There is so much more I could share, but it will have to come at a later time, with much less of a ramble.

Church News~ I am busy busy with our tiny church that is overflowing with growth. This year I have ten wonderful boys and girls in my First Holy Communion class and about thirty children all together. As well as newborns, babies on the way and families converting to Catholicism. If you did not know, we are a tiny branch off of a large Catholic church about 45min away, so this growth is something to rejoice over. Now we just need a larger building and volunteers to jump in and get involved. Soon I will be sharing more photos of  All Saints Day and other celebrated feast I have missed sharing here with you.

Last night we had a full church practicing for our Christmas play. I am so thankful two of the other ladies were there to help.  I have glitter everywhere. We have been decoupaging a star, making crowns, pulling out costumes and handing out parts. Sweet Pea will be the angel that delivered the great news. She kicks off the play with a bright star and a Welcome to the Christmas Play greeting. Sunshine is reading a part and Little Man will be Joseph. Little Man also made the manger for this years play. Even with the exhaustion and in times that I must remind myself that in the full season of giving my time, it  is time spent giving to him.  In this I am gratful.

Life News~ As I stated before, we have signed up to volenteer at a local ministries foster/adoption org. We also just wrapped up 40 Days for Life fall 2011. Our church family pulled together to pray every Tuesday night for the unborn and a month long baby shower for the local pregnancy help center. It was really neat seeing our small church pull together for life with so many others across the world. 

Homestead, Critters and Garden Goods~ We still have the horses, but I know we will have to sell them or give them to a good loving family when we move.

Our goat Valentine looks like a big white cotton ball, last weeks snow brought this on.

The chickens are still laying. The dogs are still being overly spoiled by Sweet Pea. Lastly, the garden was a no-go. After my time in the hospital, the fall garden was just not going to work this year.

Home school and Thanksgiving~
Home school has been rolling. Sunshine is doing well with her new Hooked On Phonics, Little Man is doing really well this year. This has been the year I can breathe and know he is really getting the core. Whew~ Now that he has this, he will continue to grow.  Sweet Pea is writing her name and learning her sounds. She loves to draw. She is a talented artist, I am wowed by her much of the time. 

We enjoyed a fall field trip with a new home school group and worked through groups studies on the First Thanksgiving. Along with poems of thanks, crafts and giving.  To our surprise the kids had prepared a wonderful and hilarious Thanksgiving play. I knew they made their costumes, but I had no idea the work they put in this surprise for us.  I was great.

Well I guess this is it for now. I could sit and blog all night, but I better get to bed. I have been following through with our scedule the past few weeks. The kids needed it and so did I.  Be looking in, I plan on blogging almost daily to jump in on the Christmas fun. Oh and tell me, How are you?

Blessed Advent to you and yours, my dear bloggy friends!