Merry Christmas

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS TO ONE AND ALL!

FOUND!

The ornaments were located just in the nick of time! But since we keep our tree up past the new year, we have plenty of time to enjoy them!

A Little Update

I thought now would be a good time to give an update of what's been going on around our household.

The kids are enjoying their Christmas break. They get a whole three weeks off! So they won't return to school until January 11th. Needless to say, they are so excited about Christmas coming.

Emily recently participated in the school Christmas program with her class. They sang a little song that I don't remember the name of - not a well known carol. She also portrayed a shepherd in the little class play they performed - real cute! Now during this vacation, she needs to practice a cheer that she will be performing during halftime at a basketball tournament in January. It's just a minute routine that anyone in the school can participate in, K-8th. She really wants to be a cheerleader, when she's older, but I don't know if that will happen. It's quite expensive.

Ryan also participated in the school Christmas program. His class sang Away in the Manger. He enjoyed it, but doesn't get too excited about those kinds of things. Right now, he spends his time reading about animals, playing with his toy animals, watching animal shows or doing anything with animals. He just loves animals and knows so much about any kind. He talks about wanting to be a zookeeper. I'll have to look into some programs that our local zoo has to offer. His favorite animal is the koala. Lately, he's asking me to get a chameleon---- not yet!

Kathryn got braces about two weeks ago. Luckily, she didn't have much discomfort with them. She doesn't mind wearing them, because she sees so many other kids with them. She's twelve now, and I can see little changes going on with her. Friends are starting to be a big deal with her. Parents can sometimes do embarrassing things-LOL! Last night, she had a sleepover with one of her friends and I just got a call asking if she could stay just a little bit longer--pleeeease!

This is the picture we settled on for our Christmas card. Everyone is smiling and looking at the camera. It was cold that day and no one wanted to go down to the beach to try and attempt to get decent poses so we decided to just have the kids sit on our front porch. This picture was taken before Kathryn got her braces.

Steve also has three weeks off of work. The university where he works has mandatory furlough days and that combined with vacation days enables him to take the time off. We're not taking any trips, but just enjoying family time together and doing some fun local things.

I still have to do a little wrapping and a little bit more baking. I made pumpkin bread yesterday and today I want to make cranberry bread. Kathryn wanted to try her hand at making eggnog muffins, so I looked up a recipe and maybe we can to that tomorrow.

Oh, and I need to find our tree ornaments! We have our tree, but we cannot find the box with our ornaments! They should be in the garage, but so far, no luck. Maybe we'll have to go to the dollar store and see what they have!

Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God's love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

Second Sunday of Advent

OOPS!

I just noticed on my previous post that one of the pictures of a rose didn't appear. I had to include it here because I thought it was such a perfect, beautiful creation!

A Few Shots from Last Weekend

Last Sunday, we went out to take some shots that would hopefully be good enough to put on our Christmas card this year. We didn't get any that we liked. It was windy and the kids were getting impatient.

Ryan has his eyes closed here.


Kathryn is not a happy camper!



A little too windy!

I did manage to capture a few good shots!

Then we headed out to get something to eat. We headed out to TGIF. We all had delicious food and the kids shared a yummy dessert!

First Sunday of Advent

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Happy Thanksgiving

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A Little Nostalgia

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Funnel Cakes

Yesterday, we were able to get out and after Mass, we headed out to get some funnel cakes. During the summer Steve won some coupons for free funnel cakes and today we decided to redeem them.

We drove down to Shoreline Village in my old hometown of Long Beach. It's situated near the water and has lots of shops and eateries. It has changed quite a bit since I lived there.

Ryan at the entrance of the Funnel House.

The funnel cakes were delicious!

Some sights at Shoreline Village.

And as a side, here is Emily in her Our Lady of Lourdes costume that I fumbled my way through!


I don't know who the saints are in front nor in back of her. Cute!

Our household has been hit hard by the flu, colds, whatever. Ryan was well enough to return to school on Wednesday, but Kathryn got sick on Sunday, Steve got sick on Monday, and Emily got sick on Tuesday. Everyone is improving, but Kathryn and Emily are still fighting a bad cough.

Thank the Lord I've been spared from getting sick, so far. I've been able to tend to everyone as needed. I hope this has us covered for the rest of the season, but we have a long way to go.

Our mornings are cold but the days warm up to the low 70's. We're probably good for a few more weeks of warmer weather before it gets to be cold all the time.

I'm planning on knitting up some scarves and hats for the kids. I also want to start up some dishcloths for Christmas giving. I want to say that I'm going to start my Christmas shopping and all that planning, but my track record proves that it probably won't happen. I'll just say that everything will get done by December 24th!

Pictures of Emily in her homemade costume of Our Lady of Lourdes are still forthcoming. For some reason, I couldn't upload any pictures onto the computer tonight. I'll try again tomorrow.

Friday

We've finally arrived at the end of the week. Most of the week was spent cleaning up in areas that don't get frequent cleaning, like behind the entertainment center, behind the huge TV that never gets moved, etc. I needed to have those areas clean because we were upgrading our computer/phone/TV systems - you know those packages that the phone companies give you to save money.

After all that cleaning, it ends up that the new wiring that was installed (down the street a couple of blocks away) doesn't reach to our house. The technician apologized, but I guess it wasn't really his fault. He's under the assumption that wiring is ready to go and he just puts things together to make it work. It's a good thing that I didn't cancel are current satellite programming.

At least I got some good cleaning in behind those hard to get to areas!

I also spent a lot of time during the week on attempting to sew Emily a costume for the school Saints Day festivities. She wanted to dress as the Blessed Mother, so we chose Our Lady of Lourdes. It looked like an easy costume to sew. I bought her an XL T-shirt for the gown and then sewed the veil. She wore a blue sash around her waist, a rosary hanging from her arm, and two pink roses as her feet. I based it all on this picture:

It was actually quite easy to sew. The hard part was trying to figure out where all my sewing tools were. I couldn't quite remember where all my bobbins were and where the pins were. My organizational skills are lacking in the sewing department. Oh, and then once I was ready to actually sew, my presser foot was missing! Who knows where that went. I used a different one that did the job.

Oh, Therese! I wish I could sew like you! I need to start practicing!

I hope I can post a decent picture of Emily wearing the costume. Steve was the assigned photographer and I haven't seen any of his shots. He's not home yet. I didn't get to attend the actual parade because I had to stay home and take care of Ryan, who's sick and didn't go to school.

Thank you all so much for keeping him in your prayers. I took him to the doctor today as he developed some flu symptoms that got me concerned. The doctor seems to think the stomach problems are just remnants from "irregularity". It can take a while for his insides to feel better. That was good to hear. And his flu symptoms are just that. He has the flu.

I asked if it was the dreaded swine flu. He said it was possible, but he didn't do any tests on him. He said treat it like any other flu - lots of fluids and rest. I'll be busy sanitizing everything hoping this doesn't spread! And my mother is here visiting! She better not catch this or I'll feel horrible!

Now it's time to wait for the girls to arrive home. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the Saints Day parade and checking out the pictures!

I Got a B+!!!

I mean, er, SHE got a B+! Kathryn had to do a video project at school and neither she nor her partner knew how to put one together. They knew how to film it and upload it onto the computer, but no one knew how to make the actual video, putting it onto a DVD. According to Kathryn, no one else knew how to do it either, but I'm not sure that's the case.

So after all the filming was done, I thought I'd give it a try, not knowing the slightest thing about putting a movie together. It took such a long time, with trial and error, but I finally got it put together. Kathryn told me where she wanted the scenes to go and voila! Of course, it was pretty plain, no special effects, music, etc. But, I can say that we both learned a little about movie making! With a little guidance, I think she can handle the next one, if there is ever another one.

Ryan has been suffering from tummy problems lately. He's been having stomach aches and after about a week of dealing with that, I took him to the doctor where it's thought he may have constipation problems. Well, after giving him medicine and making changes in his diet, the stomach aches are still there, but seem to be getting better, so I guess I'll just wait a little bit more for any changes. He's still in great spirits and the discomfort doesn't seem to keep him from having a smile on his face and a kiss for mom! He's anxiously waiting for the Ice Age movie to come out on DVD tomorrow. He loves that movie and anything else that has to do with it.

So, I guess tomorrow I'll hit the store and get it for him. Hopefully, I won't get tempted to get something for me. Maybe since Halloween is just around the corner, I'll get a bag of Sweet Tarts! I love that candy!

Flash Forward Trailer

A new show I'm enjoying this Fall!

Making My Menu Plan

Taking the time to make a menu plan has really helped me in making sure that I'm using up my food wisely and providing decent nutrition for my family. When I don't plan, I tend to make up something quick and easy, and it's not as balanced as I would like.

I do have to say that I'm not a natural cook, meaning, I'm not very imaginative and I can easily get into a rut, having the same meals over and over. I don't experiment at all. I'm not good at combining spices together on my own, just to try it. I need to follow recipes.

Growing up, my mother cooked the same foods over and over because my father was a very picky eater and only wanted certain foods. Sadly, I never saw my mother enjoying herself cooking. When I moved out on my own, I only knew how to cook a few things, so I began to look for recipes that would expand my palate. I discovered lots of new wonderful foods.

So, on to how I make my menu plan. I usually start by asking everyone if there's something special they would like to have for the week. Most of the time, it's something easy like tacos or spaghetti. I try to incorporate something like that.

Then I check my freezer, refrigerator, and pantry to see if there is anything I can plan a meal around. For example, I have lots of chicken thighs in my freezer, so I look to see if I have any recipes that can use them. If not, I look up recipes online like Allrecipes or Taste of Home. I just plug in the ingredient and recipes will pop up using that ingredient. Then I just choose one that sounds good and doesn't have anything exotic or elaborate procedures. I do the same thing if I need to use up some cans of kidney beans, evaporated milk, or even some bottled sauces that have been in the refrigerator for awhile but haven't expired yet.

Once I've decided on my main meal, I decide on what sides could go with that. I find a starch like rice, potatoes, or noodles and then find a vegetable dish. A salad is usually included but not always.

Some people look at the sale flyers to see what's on sale, and plan meals around that, but I have to admit that I'm not in the habit of doing that. I get flustered having all those flyers around and then feeling like I have to visit these different stores to take advantage of the sale.

I also take into account if there are any days during the week where I won't have much time to cook, like school meetings, sports practice or anything like that. On those days, I plan on something simple that I can just throw together, leftovers or a slow cooker recipe.

And, that is how I develop my menu plans! Some helpful sites that I go to when I need some ideas are:

I'm an Organizing Junkie (she's the host for Menu Plan Monday where you can get lots of ideas from other people's menus for the week)

Diary of a Stay at Home Mom ( she hosts Slow Cooking Thursday's with lots of great recipes using the slow cooker)

Menu Plan Tuesday

Here is my menu plan for the rest of the week. I think I'm settling down a little, getting used to the routines of school activities and sports schedules. A few of these meals are new recipes for me (the highlighted ones). Lots of Latin flavoring this week. I have to use up a lot of items that are taking up freezer space.

Tuesday: Hamburgers, Waffle fries, corn on the cob

Wednesday: Hot dogs, chips, carrot sticks with Ranch, fruit. This is my busy day with all the kids having practice, so this is something quick.

Thursday: Cheddar Beef Enchiladas, Spanish rice w/pinto beans, salad

Friday: Orange Chicken, rice, salad

Saturday: Nachos, fruit

Sunday: Slow Cooker Latin Chicken, Spanish rice w/beans, salad

Gosh, Where Have I Been!

I really haven't been anywhere, but I've been busy taking care of home and family.

Emily is enjoying Kindergarten. She loves learning all the songs at morning prayer and Mass at school. I really must try to get her on video. It's just precious. Right now she sings Immaculate Mary, The Servant Song and a version of Glory to God in the Highest. Maybe she'll like to sing in the children's choir. But, she can't do that until the 2nd grade. She's also doing great at soccer. She scored five goals in her last game! Her coach has to rein her in so that others can have a chance at scoring. I have to say that she's the most competitive of my children!

Ryan is all into the Ice Age movie right now. He's counting the days until the movie comes out in DVD. His favorite subject in school is spelling. This week he is the Student of the Week. He gets to bring in some of his favorite things to share with his class. He's very excited!

Kathryn is getting excited for her birthday coming up. She gets to go to Disneyland with Steve. They have some deal where you can get in free on your birthday, so Steve is going to take her. We can't afford to all go. It costs so much now. She made some new friends at school and they are having loads of fun doing projects together.

Steve is in baseball heaven right now helping to coach Ryan and his team this Fall. So far, the team is doing well, they haven't lost a game yet. It's surprising because there are many players on the team that have never played before. They can barely swing the bat. But Fall ball is mainly instructional. No official score is kept and there are no wins and losses (but we still like to pretend-hee hee).

As for myself, I'm enjoying having the house to myself while the kids are in school. I'm able to get more done for longer stretches. It's nice when I'm able to wash, fold and put away the laundry all in one swoop! I'm having to learn to pace myself because I tend to try to do so much to take advantage of the kids being gone that I don't take breaks and end up exhausting myself. Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not working bringing in a paycheck and heaven forbid that I lay on the sofa or bed and read a book! Anyway, I thank the Lord that at this point in my life, I'm able to be home.

So that's what's been going on in my household. I hope I can start posting more often. I still need to put up my blogroll, and I've read a few more books, so I can add them to my list.

Blessings to all!

School Has Begun

The kids started school last week and so far things have gone smoothly. This is Emily's first year of full time school and yesterday was the first day she said she didn't want to go to school. She was so excited the first week, then the novelty wore off and she realized that she needs to go EVERYDAY!

There is a spirituality group that meets every Thursday morning to pray a decade of the rosary and to pray for the, students, teachers, school, etc. I'm thrilled to be a part of it because goodness knows the spiritual education of our children is so important.

I'm going to be re-evaluating my schedule now that all the kids are in school full-time. I hope to be able to make good use of the time that I have to make a good home for my husband and kids.

Have a good weekend everyone. I'll leave with a recent song that I like. YouTube won't allow me to embed this but I can leave this link.

Matisyahu is an Hasidic Jew and there is such a good message with this song. Let us always pray for peace and bring love wherever we go!

YIKES!

I was updating my blog sidebar and I accidentally deleted my blogroll!! No offense to anyone! I will be working to restore it but the kids are calling for lunch!