Giving and Receiving

One of the many hats that Mark wears is President of the Dad's Club at SSJ.  This year the dads decided to help out a family in need for the holidays.  Sr. Loreto was aware of a family with 5 children whose father was out of work so a collection was taken up and Mark volunteered to shop for and deliver gifts to the family.  I am so thankful he did. 
Last Sunday Mark and his Mom and Tia Linda took our kids out to shop for this family.  All that they asked for was clothes.  No video games, ipods, etc.  Clothes.  Of course our kids complained and did not want to go, but they came back with smiles and I think they really enjoyed it.  They helped organize, sort and wrap.  And yes, they came along to deliver the gifts. More complaining. 
We pulled up to the house and were told by the lady out front that the family we were looking for lived in the back.  We made our way back and found their place - a 2 room apartment with a kitchen and a bedroom.  This is a 7 member family, just like ours.  I could not help but notice that even despite the conditions, there were Christmas lights over the door.  The family was beautiful and I was so glad that my mother-in-law came because she was able to communicate with them and give us a little window into their lives.  They were from El Salvador and had been here for 4 years.  He is an electrical engineer but has had a hard time finding work.  Their kids were beautiful and the older 2 boys spoke English very well.  The 17 year old was looking into college, had already received some scholarships and was hoping to go to Embry Riddle.  The mother was so welcoming and frieandly and I wished I could speak Spanish because I felt like we would have had so much to talk about.  She wanted to know if people thought I was crazy being the mother of five and we laughed at the things people say and how they don't get it.  They were very proud of their Catholic faith and expessed concern that their children would not find Catholic spouses in America.  They were grateful and humble and happy.
Sometimes it is hard to balance everything this time of year - the events, the shopping, the FINANCES.  The past week or two I was starting to feel the small pricks of anxiety that come with Christmas - and I didn't like it.  We showed up with boxes of gifts for a family in need.  They opened their home, offered us food and drinks, insisted that we sit down and get comfortable in their small kitchen.  They laughed and cried and sent us on our way with a bottle of sparkling grape juice and some homemade meringues.  There we were to bring them gifts and help ease their burdens - who knew they would do the same for us. 
On the car ride home I felt so many mixed emotions.  I felt incomprehensibly blessed.  I felt disturbed that there can be such economic disparity between people.  I felt peace that God lives and works and speaks among people of all cultures and conditions.  And I felt that unnecessary companion -  anxiety - slip right out of me.  Everything will get done, everything will work out.  All is calm, all is bright.  Thank you Lopez family.

Angels and Cookies

During the last week before school gets out there are several Christmas plays that the kids do and this year we had three!  Starting on Tuesday, Juliana was one of 75 students selected to be in the choir for the 8th grade pageant.  This pageant has been going on since before my time at SSJ and it really is beautiful.  I forgot my camera that night but it really was a wonderful performance of the Christmas story and I just kept hearing from the teachers that it was one of the best choirs ever! 

On Thursday we got to see our little Kindergarten angel perform.

B is for the Baby that was born on that day.



They do a sweet poem where each child memorizes a line and they each have a letter and when you hear their little angelic voices - aaaah, the world is good. 

After the poem they sing lots of songs.

Costume changes.....

We love our letter B!

And we had another little angel at our house.  Elise was very excited to have gotten the part she wanted.  The 2nd grade always does their version of the Christmas story and it is also sweet and adorable.

She is growing up so fast and she really looked beautiful.

I think she kept her hands folded the whole time!  I had to take a picture of Joseph and Mary. Joseph just kept his arm on her back like they had just made the long trek to Bethlehem and he needed to support her.  So sweet.

Friday was also the Grandparent's Mass and Grandma and Grandpa were able to sit with us and stay for Elise's show.  As busy as it is, I really do love this time of year.

Earlier in the week we were able to squeeze in tree decorating.  With our crazy schedule it is hard to find a time when we can all do this together.  Mark has missed the past 2 years but I am not sure he minds :) 

Then we had our 3rd Annual cookie decorating party.  It really is quite impressive.  First we star with this -

Then we add a little of this -

And don't forget hard work and concentration -

And here is what you get.......



And yes, Elvis!

Everyone gets so into it (especially the adults) and I am always amazed by what is created.  The kids have fun too!

Catching Up

This was a note I left for Diego early last week.  Sometimes I forget to tell him when I am going running in the morning and I worry he won't know where I am.  Anyways, I thought it was indicative of my life right now.  Not only is it a busy time of year but I have been dealing with illness in our house since Halloween.  It is starting to get me down.  But I want to attempt to get caught up with this old blog and not miss any of the fun and memories of the season.  I am still hoping for the day when I can blog every few days instead of every few weeks and not have these mega-all-in-one-multi-event-catch-up-blogs.  Someday.

The  first weekend in December we went to the Electric light parade.  This is something we have done on and off for years.  A friend of mine from elementary school lives very close to the parade route and she invited us to come hang out and walk to the parade.  It was a very cold, very wet night.  I love seeing the kids all bundled up. 

We walked (or hitched a ride in a wagon) to the parade route, hot chocolate in hand.

It was so fun sitting with Ava on my lap - everything was so exciting and magical.

Exciting and magical - until it started to rain. Freezing cold rain.  Fortunately Mark had brought our gigantic golf umbrella so we were ok for awhile.  Eventually we just had to pack it up and call it a night.  I have to admit, I loved how cold it was.  It makes it feel more like Christmas.  We had fun.

The following weekend was our tamale making extravaganza.  We have been doing this for at least 10 years and now that the guys are involved it has become an all out party.  I was about three days into my cold so I was not feeling so hot.  I was able to get some pics.

Here the kids are preparing the maza.  They always enjoy mushing and sqwuishing and when Nana pours in the warm broth it feels so good.

The assembly line.

When you are making 60 dozen tamales you gotta keep the workers happy :)

This is shortly before I dropped out and took a nap.

These Santa hats got a lot of use.  Earlier in the day I had all the kids put one on to try to get a Christmas card picture.  Not great but they are all there!  Note to self - look for opportunities to get a family pic before the second week of December.  On Sunday Mark took the kids to get a tree and they came home with a beautiful, big tree.  Our schedule for the week was so hectic that the only day we could decorate was Monday afternoon and we had to squeeze it in between homework and dinner.  Mark had to work.  It makes me a llittle sad to think we have officially entered the phase of a family when everyone is coming and going all the time. The kids had a great time - the girls insisted on wearing their pjs in the middle of the afternoon.  I love how they go through the ornaments and talk about where they are from and whose they are. They start reminiscing about past Christmas' and seeing their excitement and joy helps put me in the mood for the season.





Thankful

Thanksgiving just might be my favorite holiday.  No matter what, our crazy, materialistic, over-the-top society really can't do anything to spoil it (except opening stores for Black Friday shopping ON Thanksgiving night!).  I love that it just kind of sneaks up on us.  I am so fortunate that my family does a potluck style dinner every year so I never feel overwhelmed.  Kentucky Pecan Pie and Green Bean casserole.  Every year.  Easy.  So really, Thanksgiving gets to be about well, being thankful.  So here is my list..... 

1.  I am so thankful to have grown up in a loving, stable, family.  My needs were more than met and even though I am one of six, I never felt slighted or neglected.  I had rules and boundaries, and while I may not have always felt this way, I see now that those rules and boundaries were created to protect me and help me grow.  Thank you Mom and Dad.

2.  I am so thankful for my education.  I attended a solid elementary school, a High School with enough diversity to keep me real, and an amazing Catholic liberal arts college that taught me above all to seek the Truth.   My college education was a luxury and I absolutely know it.  Hopefully I will pay it forward with my kids.

3.  I am so thankful for my marriage.  I think deep down all everybody wants is to love and be loved.  I get that every day and I am not saying it is always easy but it IS a gift. 

4.  I am thankful for health.  It is so easy to take for granted the simple blessing of health.  I know that the future can hold many things and I see people who are dealing with major illness either in themselves or their children and I wonder how I would manage.  For now I will just try to remember to give thanks each morning I wake up and everything is working.  And I will give double thanks for the health of my kids.

5.  I am thankful for my children.  Without them I would not have the constant, daily task of self evaluation.  I would not have to continually look in the mirror and wonder how I can do better.  I also would not have a lot of hugs, kisses, giggles, smiles and adventures.

6.  I am thankful for the gift of faith.  I did nothing to earn it or deserve.  But I did accept it.  All this thanks is pretty vague unless you have somewhere to direct it.  I am thankful to God, the giver of all gifts.

Of course this list could go on and on but I felt the need  to get at least a few in writing.  Gratitude is certainly one of the most reliable sources of joy. 

Circle of Life and I LOVE BEING CATHOLIC

The weekend festivities continued with a Saturday morning Baptism.  Becky was able to arrange for Maren's baptism since they were going to be in town and she and Tyler asked Mark and I to be her Godparents.  We gathered at SSJ and Fr O'Grady baptized her.  I love private baptisms especially when you have a priest like Fr. O'Grady who explains the significance of what we do.  Maren was an angel - not a peep!

She is such a beautiful, happy child.  Here we are making the sign of the cross on her forehead.

I look like I have never held a baby in my life!  I think I just did not want to drop her in.

It was so special because Fr. O'Grady called Diego up to help him.  Diego later informed me that the Godparents pay the altar boys :)

Mark is lighting the baptismal candle from the Easter candle.

And here we are all holding the light for Maren.

When Fr. O'Grady annointed her with oil, I was struck by the beautiful aroma.  I love the richness of all these symbols - water, fire,oil.  They are so earthy and timeless and life giving.  She is all wet and oily and HOLY - I love it!

As if that weren't amazing enough, following the baptism, Joe and Michele renewed their vows and Fr. O'Grady gave a special blessing.  He had them come up to the altar in the very same church they were married in 25 years ago and repeat the same words of love and fidelity.

I love being Catholic because events like marriage and having children become elevated into these profound, blessed, meaningful and holy experiences.  I love the prayers, the blessings, the acknowledgement that we need grace from our heavenly Father to meet the demands of these roles in our lives. 

We had a wonderful reception at The Windsor and the manager was outstanding (Leslie on shift!).  Then that night, Joe and Michele hosted a party to celebrate and it was a blast!  It is always fun to have a reason to dress up.  Dan and Rick and Michele played music and sang and it was literally like being in the front row of a concert.  After that, Chris DJed and needless to say, I danced the night away.  I danced and danced and danced. SOOO Fun.

I was not kidding about the concert.

I hope to celebrate in a BIG way like this when we hit our 25th!