Christmas Day

Well, I wrote a whole speel about the day but it became erased .. AUGHHHHH!!  LOL .. So I must begin again.

Once upon a time.. Oh, that is not how this is supposed to start. On a cold winters night we were visited by Santa and his reindeer.. we didn’t put out the reindeer food we had bought in these little tubes… didn’t make or put out cookies.. and Michael had drunk all the eggnog *gluck gluck gluck – if you know what I mean (wink). The stockings were hung on the cabinet with care in hopes that the kids ..errr…would fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow so we could getta stepping and get ourselves to bed.  Head.. bed.. it rhymes..

Michael had made us a nice breakfast of cinnamon rolls, sausages and bacon, with juice and the kids enjoyed opening their stockings and gifts from Santa first.

We relaxed and let the kids play till 2 then headed over to moms for her festivites. Lots of food.. presents handmade from Elizabeth.. and good conversations. Camden has grown so much and is quite the talker now and seems to have grown a few more inches since the last time we saw him.

Mom had a really great beef dish with french fries shallots, baked potatoes with the works, her spicy sausage mushrooms and her blue cheese stuffed mushrooms, popovers, and Christopher made a green bean hazelnut dish that was amazing as well. Mom made a pear tart and Maria made a pecan cranberry pie.

I love this picture of the boys. ( Camden, Joel, Christopher, Ethan, Michael, Ryan)

Michael, Dad, Christopher

Maria’s pecan and cranberry pie

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77120&l=91e17&id=538489427 Christmas morning

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77126&l=7bad9&id=538489427 Christmas day

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77138&l=cc244&id=538489427 Christmas evening

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve morn we jumped in the car at 830, not soon enough for the kids mind you, and headed up to Antioch to spend the day with family. Christopher was supposed to join us for the day but he caught the strep we had and became a germ factory thus keeping him home.  We had a nice day with the family.. plenty of catching up, card playing, movie watching and great food as always. Michael’s sister Deanna is an amazing cook and always has wonderful food for us to eat.

John even dressed up for the day. Of course this was after getting teased merciless from Deanna on his long sleeve plaid and solid goofy pj shirt and shorts. He was in a nice pale yellow polo and khaki shorts which I have to post a picture.

Deanna’s son Christopher was in from Indiana where he has been living with his dad for the last two years. It was great to see him and I can’t believe both of those boys are practically adults now with Christopher being 17 and Brandon 15.  Here is Brandon, being the good cousin he is, and rough housing with the boys which they love.

We had an early dinner at 3 so the kids would have time to open gifts and play awhile before packing up and heading home.  Katilin receive this American Girl Doll Mia from Grandma but it’s looking more like a chucky doll especially in this picture.

On the way home Katilin was begging us to take them all to midnight mass. Ryan was already asleep at about 745 shortly after we left their house so we were thinking it might not be the best idea but Katilin wouldn’t let up. So Michael and were continuing to discuss when I noticed a bulletin was in the car from our church and low and behold the midnight mass was at 10pm. We figured since we will be getting home a little after 9pm we could just dress and head to church. The boys were none too happy but the smile on Katilin’s face through the whole mass was worth it. She really enjoyed going to mass at night and being up that late. I think we didn’t get them in bed till after 1130 because we were chatting with families after mass a good while. Ryan slept across my lap the entire mass so he didn’t lose any sleep. Katilin had told us after that while we were deciding what we were to do she was in the back seat praying that we could go. She said she said 30 Hour Father’s and 5 Hail Mary’s.. I guess pray works!

Link to the rest of the Christmas Eve pictures http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77084&l=ff3d2&id=538489427

Taking Santa Seriously

When the kids were little I didn’t want them to ever figure out that we were Santa so took precautions so they wouldn’t find out. We always used a new wrapping paper and then threw the rest away so there wouldn’t be any evidence that they could catch on to. I also bought these rubber stamps with their names on them as well as Santa’s and a postage stamp ‘from the north pole.’ I would buy labels that were big enough to stamp on and they all had Santa pictures on them. I would keep them in a little tote in the back of the closet and just bring it out each year hoping they would never catch on.

I wanted to find new and different tags for the kids and ran across these. The seller made them look old by staining them and love the vintage look about them. I especially like the ‘Santa’s Toy Co’ & ‘Do not open till Dec 25th’ ones.

Vacation in the Head

I pretty much had a month off of blogging and couldn’t get myself to want to write. I could of written so much just in it being Christmas and vacation but then again we were all sick for a good 2 1/2 weeks so that put a damper on things as well. So I am hoping I am going to get that spark in my underside, so to speak, and keep up before the year passes me by.

Katilin heard..

Yesterday ( past ) is history… the tomorrow ( future ) is a mystery… but today ( present) is a gift that is why they call it ‘the present.’

sounds good to me

St. Vitus, Patron Saint of Nerve Diseases

I found the Patron Saint of Nerve Diseases and his name is St. Vitus ( pronounced Vits ), born in 291 in Sicily. He was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Most know the Saint through the phrase ” St. Vitus’s Dance” meaning people’s bodies ‘dance’ or jerk when the nerves are short circuiting and dying. 

Saint Vitus is the patron saint of dancers and of people with nerve afflictions. The nerve disease Saint Vitus Dance, or chorea, is named after him.

Unreliable legend has Vitus, the only son of a senator in Sicily, become a Christian when he was twelve. He was martyred with Modestus, his tutor, and Cresentia, his nurse, during the Diocletian persecution (303). For more on his life, read http://www.catholic.org/saints/saints/vitus.html and http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintv07.htm

He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a collective cult of saints that originated in the 14th-century Rhineland, believed to intercede effectively against various diseases. Vitus is invoked against diseases including epilipsy, nervous disorders, and St. Vitus’ Dance (Sydenham’s chorea). In Germany it was believed in the 16th century that good health for a year could be secured by anyone who danced before the statue of St. Vitus on his feast day. This dancing developed almost into a mania, and came to be confused with chorea, which was subsequently known as St. Vitus’ dance, the saint being invoked against it. From this confusion comes his patronage of dancers. There is an interesting article in the Skeptical Inquirer about the mediaevel dancing mania.

There is a Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague, the city of which he is the patron saint; see http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761580882

Saint Vitus’ feast day is June 15.

I am saying a Novena to St. Vitus for the healing of my nerve disease and if anyone wants to join me that would be great.

9 Day Novena to St. Vitus

Patron Saint of Nerve Diseases

Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy Divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy Heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy Divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the Saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy Divine Son.

Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saying, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.

My Lord and God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the Saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.

Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/05/04/saint-vituss-dance/

Ryanism

Michael was sitting on the red couch and Ryan was moving round so Michael sat up straight and Ryan pipes up,” It’s ok Dad, you don’t have to move.” Someone feels entitled..

Michael’s Birthday December 4th

We had our own little birthday celebration for Michael with his favorite of Chinese food from Chef Chu’s and an ice cream cake as well. The kids were very excited to give him their special gifts and share in the cake. I had fun shopping for him with the list he gave me.  A few fun items he asked for, one being a lunchbox that could also be funky. I loved the monster print on the box as well as the containers that matched. Ethan loved giving him a mother board Christmas Tree that lights up for his desk at work, Ryan got him a junkfood tee that was a boy scout print, Katilin the set of Peanuts movies he wanted.

Michael’s Birthday with his family

We have been quite busy with seasonal celebrating, crafts, school, and such so I haven’t been blogging for a bit and thought I must blog on all of Michael’s wonderful birthday celebrations. We had a wonderful day up in Antioch with his sister, parents, and nephew. Deanna had a wonderful mexican fiesta for him making his favorites of crab enchiladas, burritos, taco’s, homemade guacamole, & pico de gallo. Michael’s mom made his favorite childhood dish from her which is chili riano bake. All of the food was amazing and had lots of love in every dish. Deanna was also really sweet and picked out the cutest snowmen ice cream cake for him. It was a great day spending time with the family. Christopher was able to come up with us and the boys were able to watch there blessed 49er game.. haha… and they won which was a great finish to Michael’s birthday.

Ryan pays for his haircut

On Saturday morning Michael took both Ethan and Ryan to get their haircuts and as they were sitting waiting for their turn Ryan pipes up to Michael that he wants to pay for his own haircut that day. He then pulled out two pennies to pay for it! Michael told him to save them and maybe he can pay next time and Ryan insisted on him paying for his own haircut so when the guy bought him to his chair Ryan held out  his two pennies and said,” I would like to pay for my haircut.”  How cute is that?