Our New Years Eve Plans

Today we celebrate Pope St. Sylvester. He is remembered for baptizing Emperor Constantine,who was cured from leprosy afterwards. He was the first pope to be called a saint who wasn't also a martyr.

Austrians dedicate this day to him and celebrate how he brought about the dawning of a new era for all of Europe. Sylvester Punch is served on this night.

Well, I don't have the ingredients for that and I know my kids wouldn't drink it! So.... instead I think we will have some yummy ice cream punch instead. To make it you let 1/2 gal (box) of vanilla ice cream soften in a punch bowl. Once it is soft you pour Cream Soda in until full. This is my kind of recipe! Quick, Easy, and Delicious! I'm definitely the semi-homemade kinda cook! :)

I started my day off wondering what movie we could watch tonight as a family. After reading about Austria, I'm definitely thinking of The Sound of Music. I'll get my honey to pick up pizza from Sams on his way home. So we'll enjoy pizza and ice cream punch while we watch our movie. We may as well have one last calorie blow out before tomorrow. Yep, 2010 is our year to get in shape :) I know, I know, you've heard me say it before. But, this time I pray God will give us the grace to do it for HIM! Weight Watchers is calling my name and I'm starting back going to the meetings next week. I've already gone online, picked a meeting time, and added it to my calendar. I weighed this morning -OUCH- :( No wonder I'm staying tired all of the time. Please pray for us as we start this new journey towards eating right and exercising. Watch my sidebar for updates on how we are doing.

I pray you all have a wonderful last day of 2009. May God Bless You All Richly in 2010!

St.Thomas Becket

Today we remember St. Thomas Becket bishop and martyr. Bethlehem Books has a wonderful living history book about him called, If All the Swords in England. Here's a little about it...

"Young Simon, recently and tragically orphaned, becomes a scribe in the
following of the exiled Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The uncertainty
of the tumultuous years leading to the infamous cathedral slaying is heightened
by Simon's separation from his twin Edmund, who is in the service of King Henry
II. With an expert pen Barbara Willard deftly recounts events leading to the
bishop's martyrdom in 1170."

Snuggle Bug read it recently and LOVED it.

Saint Thomas Becket ~ Pray For Us!

Blessing of Children on Holy Innocents (Prayer)

Taken from Catholic Culture.
The feast of the Holy Innocents is a good time to teach the children about their special patrons. There is also a traditional children's blessing for the feast of the Holy Innocents that can be performed by the parents in the absence of a priest's blessing at church.
The father leads everyone present in the Our Father. Then he says the versicle, 'O Lord, hear my prayer,' and all respond, 'And let my cry come unto You.' The father proceeds with this prayer, taken from the blessing for children:
Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, once You embraced and placed Your hands upon the little children who came to You, and said: 'Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and their angels always see the face of my Father!' Look now with fatherly eyes on the innocence of these children and their parents' devotion, and bless them this day through our ministry. (The father signs the forehead of each child with the sign of the cross.) In Your grace and goodness let them advance continually, longing for You, loving You, fearing You, keeping Your commandments. Then they will surely come to their destined home, through You, Savior of the world. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
All answer, 'Amen.'
Then the father says to the children: 'May God bless you. And may He keep your hearts and minds — the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.'
All answer, 'Amen.'
The father then sprinkles the children with holy water. (The Church's official blessing of children is included in the Roman Ritual.)

Prayer Source: Twelve Days of Christmas, The by Elsa Chaney, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 1955"

Consecration of the Family to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Most holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary,united in perfect love,
as you look upon us with mercy and caring,
we consecrate our hearts,our lives, our family to you.
We know the beautiful example of your home in Nazareth was meant to be
a model for each of our families.
We hope to have, with your help,
the unity and strong, enduring love you gave to one another.

May our home be filled with joy.
May sincere affection, patience,
tolerance and mutual respect be freely given to all.
May our prayers be filled with the needs of others,
not just ourselves and may we always be close to your sacraments.

Bless those who are present, as well as those who are absent,
both the living and the dead; may peace be among us
and when we are tested, grant us the Christian acceptance of God's will.

Keep our family close to your Hearts;
may your special protection be with us always.
Most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
hear our prayer.

By Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary"

Come Holy Spirit

“Holy Spirit, I want more of you! Fill me anew today. Teach and form me; lead and equip me. I surrender myself to you." Saint Stephen ~ Pray for us

Happy Birthday Jesus! We Love You!

 

Mortimer's Christmas Manger

Snuggle Bug, Buck and Honeybee have been busy making gingerbread (graham cracker) houses. First, I read aloud Mortimer's Christmas Manger to them. It's a precious little story about a mouse whose looking for a soft, warm, safe place to call home. At first he takes Baby Jesus's manger. However, he changes his mind once he hears the true story of Christmas. He ends up moving into a gingerbread house :) A perfect book to read leading up to building time!

Our Christ Candle

Nice job House Cat! Check out Waltzing Matlida for her easy directions.

My Daybook ~ Getting Ready For Christmas

Around the house ~

Our Jesse Tree is filling up.

Mary and Joseph are moving towards the manger (Bethlehem).

All of the Advent candles have been lit and 20 doors have been opened on the Advent calendar.

The tree has been decorated.

The book baskets are overflowing with lots of wonderful books!

The CD player is filled with our favorite holiday music.

The kitchen is bright with gifts from friends :)

The Nutcrackers are all assembled.

The Flower of the Holy Night awaits week end.

Honeybee’s Christmas Star hangs on the tree.

It’s time to make the Christ Candle and finish up the ornaments.

And time to get the Christmas cards in the mail!

Tonight we will meet a bunch of friends to sing and play Christmas carols at Children’s Hospital.

Tomorrow is my mama’s birthday. The kids and I are planning on going to do some Christmas baking with her. I guess I should open the boxes that came in from Amazon. There’s still four days until Christmas :) The air is definitely filling with excitement as we await the birthday of Our Lord!

I pray your week will be full of blessings! Love, Lori

O Christmas Tree

Yesterday was Christmas Tree Day. The girls wrapped up their math work until after Christmas and we turned all of our attention to readying ourselves for our "field trip." The girls began Christmas Copywork Books and decided they would focus on Christmas carols this year. The song for today ~ O Christmas Tree . Here's Snuggle Bug's work :)

We read a couple of great books

Honeybee made this Christmas tree craft




Buck worked on his reindeer. He wants to hang it in the bag yard and use it for a target :/

Once Dad was home we headed out to the Christmas tree farm.

The weather was nice and cold - just as it should be :)

We all enjoyed the wagon ride down to see the reindeer!

You should have seen Buck eyeing these! He is a true hunter in the making!

There were lots of trees to chose from.

Buck helped his dad saw down this one - while all of us ladies watched :)

The sun was setting as my honey dragged the tree up the hill.

The complimentary apple cider was a most welcome treat! The gift shop had soooo many beautiful things to peruse as they got the tree ready and tied it to the top of the van.Once we were home, The House Cat, Snuggle Bug and Honeybee went up to the kitchen to bake some yummy cookies. They were sooo cute and good.

I loved the way the ornaments popped up off the trees when they were done. Too cute!

The excitement in the air was crazy! Or maybe it was the sugar?

Everyone agrees this is the most beautiful tree we've ever had. It is dark green and so soft. Visions of sugarplums?

Before bed I read aloud these two books telling where tinsel came from:)

It was a nice ending to a fun day!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Advent Calendar

More Wordless Wednesday

The Christmas Novena Begins Today

Christmas Novena

Be A Faith Detective

Buck, Honeybee and I enjoyed working on this "faith detective" page this morning. The people from That Resource Site were nice enough to contact me a while back sharing their free Cathoic Homeschool resources site. If you have a minute, check them out. You can make an Advent sheet of your own with your little one :)

My Daybook Entry ~ Advent Week Three

For Today ~ Monday, December 14, 2009

Outside my window ~ Wet and cloudy. It's not helping me to feel very energetic this morning.

I'm thinking of ~ A very blessed, busy weekend. Is there any way not to be busy this time of the year?

Plans for the week ~ Hopefully the weather will clear up and we will make a trip to a Christmas Tree farm. I've been wanting to do this for a few years but, it hasn't happened yet. I have a couple of books checked out from the library to read before we go.

On Tuesday ~ Snuggle Bug has a piano lesson and The House Cat will follow her with her first lesson. She noodles around on the piano a lot but, we want her to learn to read music too.

On Wednesday ~ we begin praying the Christmas Novena. The forecast looks pretty good for Christmas tree shopping today :)

Thursday ~ The O' Antiphons begin. Thanks for sharing your plans Jessica!

Friday ~ Gym day with our home school group and our Christmas Play. The House Cat has been getting ready to lead the Christmas songs with her guitar at the end of each scene. Snuggle Bug will narrate The Annunciation and The Visitation and then join The House Cat in singing. Buck will be the Angel Gabriel in the first scene and a shepherd in The Angels and Shepherd's scene. Honeybee will be Mary in the Annunciation and The Visitation. We'll need to get together their costumes before Friday.

Saturday ~ Cookie Swap with the girls. I think we'll take Snicker doodles this year. I've never made them - but, they were one of my favorite desserts brought to me while recovering from surgery.

We'll also be decorating as we go this week as we prepare for Christmas next Friday. I've also got Christmas cards to address and mail, presents to wrap to put under the Nativity set like last year on Christmas Eve, and a meal and shopping list to make for my sweet husband who does the majority of the shopping.

I hope to ~ make homemade Christmas Ornaments with the kids this week. A Year With God has a precious one of baby Jesus that you can make into an ornament or a cake topper for his Birthdy cake.

We'll also be preparing for an outing next Monday to sing Christmas carols at Children's Hospital with lots of good friends. I need to pick up stuffed animals to place under the tree for the staff to give to the children there. May God watch over and bless all families spending this season in the hospital with sick children.

My Picture Thought ~

Mexican Wedding Cookies and Paper Roses from Our Lady Of Guadalupe's Feast Day Saturday.

Visit Peggy for more daybook inspiration.

Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Loreto

O Immaculate Virgin Mary, we come to you with confidence:

welcome this day our humble prayer and our act of consecration.

O Mother, you did carry the Divine Saviour in your most pure womb: receive our homage of faith and filial love as we come in spirit into your Holy House. It is also, by the presence of the Holy Family, the holy home par excellence. And it is our wish that every Christian family be inspired by it.

From Jesus, all children learn to obey and to work. From you, O Mary, all women learn humility and the spirit of sacrifice. From Joseph, who did live for Jesus and for you, all men learn to believe in God, to live in and for you, all men learn to believe in God, to live in the family and in society with fidelity and honesty.

O Mary, we pray for our Pope and for the Universal Church, for our country and for all the nations of the world, for the suffering souls for all sinners. And we all wish to consecrate ourselves to you.

Spiritually present in the Holy House, where you did conceive by the Holy Spirit, we want to repeat with lively faith the words of the Archangel Gabriel: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!” We want to invoke you still, saying: “Hail Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church!”

We turn to you, Mary. Receive our consecration to your Immaculate heart. Totally yours, we wish to confirm by this act of love our unlimited love for Jesus, your Son, and our hope in you, our Mother. And you, O Queen and Mother of Mercy, grant to your children an abundance of heavenly blessings. Amen.

Thank you ladies for sharing this.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Buck's "Non-School Work" Game ~

"Mom, I don't feel like doing school work! Let's play puzzle solving."

OK Son -whatever you say :)

More WW fun!