Snow at Grandma & Grandpa's house

The kids had an AMAZING time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They really enjoyed the snow. Of course, they came in frozen but that was nothing a little hot chocolate couldn't fix :)Grandpa pulling the sleds

Jacob and Grandma (he was a little small for the "power" sledding)

Rebekah and Samuel - being pulled by Grandpa on the tractor

Grandpa re-adjusting himself and the tractor, getting ready for round two!

Jacob by the turtle (he LOVED the snow and would have happily played there alone for hours)

Julianna & Brooklyn behind, Rebekah and Samuel in front

more being pulled

more playing by the turtle

more Jacob and Grandma

Waiting. . . a reflection for advent. . . but fitting for almost anytime

I have been giving a lot of thought to waiting lately. It really seems that waiting makes my world go round. It is so important and yet do we really give it enough credit? I would be so bold as to say a main focus of our life on earth is to learn how to wait. Since I think in bullets (and I'm a bit too distracted to put my thoughts in nice eloquent sentences at the moment - yea kids :) I'm going to make a list to help explain. Here are some things to do with waiting.

* We must learn to wait as adults
1) We wait for coffee to brew.
2) We wait for the mail.
3) We try to wait to have dessert or other sweets (if we are trying to be more healthy) as long as possible - I managed to wait so long last night that I actually avoided having a piece of chocolate - I did not have the will-power to say "no I will not eat it" but I told myself I had to wait and eventually I went to bed without it. The power of waiting is simply amazing
5) We wait for Jesus to come at Christmas.
6) We wait for our lives to be over.
7) We wait for Jesus to come again as King and rule over all.

*We teach our kids to wait
1) A child that can wait for a few minutes is like a breath of heaven. My daughter has learned this lesson so well she will begin her request with, "Mommy, when you are done nursing Jacob could you. . . " or what-not depending on what I am doing.
2) A child that cannot wait and must have his/her toy/milk/food/etc RIGHT NOW is hell because they tell you ever three seconds what they want - sometimes demanding, sometimes getting more violent. . . and even if you wanted to get it for them right that instant, sometimes you just can't.
3) Children need to learn to wait at the store, at school, at home.

*And waiting is not simply something we do when we feel like it (although sometimes conditions make us choose not to wait).
1) We have to wait out in the cold for the car tank to fill with gas.
2) We have to wait in line at the store to buy cough medicine when we have a headache or other ailments. Then we wait at home to feel better.
3) We have to wait for breakfast to cook or other meals to be prepared - often when we are very hungry.
4) Personally I have to make myself wait until the end of my exercise video to quit exercising even though I am in discomfort from the strain.
5) I often find it most difficult to wait for my husband to come home because sometimes I am just having a bad day and miss him a lot.
6) I wait for bedtime for the kids when they are becoming more and more difficult to care for as they get tired, or sick, or wired on sugar.
7) I wait for the next paycheck. . . praying no unexpected expenses come up and that the milk lasts - sometimes we drink water while we wait for the next paycheck or eat hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (my fall-back cheap and easy food).
8) As parents we wait impatiently - with each second seeming like an hour - for our sick kids to feel better - wishing there was something we could do (something we have not tried already).


Waiting. . . it is more than one might think at first glance. I think God is really trying to get me to see, this advent, that waiting is important and definitely worth our time.

Baby Boy to come!

Mom's Family

This one is for Mom's family. In case any of you got my Christmas letter and actually decided to come visit our blog you get to find out I have pictures of you here!! You should feel special :)

(Uncle Mark, Grandma, Uncle John, Madonna (Mom),

Aunt Martha, & Uncle Frank)

Jacob shortage

I just noticed I do not have as many pictures of Jacob here as I do the other two kids so here I will try to even the score a little.

Rebekah explains. . .

I overheard Rebekah talking to Samuel. She said to him, "Samuel, if you want to be Jesus you have to be. . .nice, because Jesus is nice. He gives people things and takes care of them. . . and takes them to sleep. That's what Jesus does."

Hehe - kids

So we were in the car and Rebekah said she needed a tissue because her nose. . . whatever. Anyow, two minutes later Samuel says, "I have boogers, I need a tennis shoe!"

Being Thankful in Advent

I have decided that during Advent I am going to try to find something to be thankful for each day. As Advent started on Sunday and it is now Wednesday I guess I am a little slow to start, but better lat than never would be a fitting motto here so. . .

December 2 - I am thankful for my family. I have a wonderful husband and three amazing kids (with another on the way). I am so blessed - thank you God for my family :)

December 3 - Today I am thankful for my health. I have never been quite perfect (always been a bit heavy and my proportions would never get me a career as a model) but I have been blessed with a good strength of body with no major complaints (yet - heh). Thank you God for my health thus far.

December 4 - I am thankful for my home. It is not the newest house. It could use some minor repairs (or maybe some not-so-minor remodeling) but it has enough room for us to feel comfortable and we can afford it! I am so thankful for our home.

December 5 - I am thankful for my eyeglasses (and my contacts - but I don't wear them much). As I lay in bed the other night it dawned on me that I would not be able to do. . .well my abilities would be VERY limited without being able to see clearly (as my natural eyesight is rather poor). So thank you God for glasses!

December 6 - I am thankful that I have a husband who loves me so much! (More than I can comprehend I believe.)

December 7 - Today I am thankful for hot water!! I was thinking how grateful I am for it as I imagined climbing into a cold shower in this frigid weather. . .I don't think I could make myself do it. Wooohoo, hot water :)

December 8 - Today I am thankful that Mary said yes to God and conceived Jesus for us. In the Church today we celebrate Mary's Immaculate Conception (her being conceived without sin) so that she could be stainless for Jesus to come through.

December 9 - I am feeling grouchy today - not very thankful - so I asked Gordie to help me out. He said he is thankful for meat. Sounds good - Thank you God for meat we can eat!

December 10 - Today I am thankful for our car. It works well (even on ice and snow) and gets us all where we need to go.

December 11 - I am thankful for our work-out room and my exercise videos. If I had not found such amazing videos and some decent equipment - coupled with a space to use this stuff - I know I would be VERY frustrated right now as we do not have money for the local health club and it is too cold outside to go running (not to mention my body does not seem to like it much anymore anyhow). So thank you, God for our "home gym." :)

December 12 - Today I am thankful that I am not afraid of cooking. (Notice I did not label myself a "good" cook - I would not go so far.) I make a few good dishes and most of the others are edible. I am thankful that I have finally reached the point where I would rather eat my own cooking than eat out! (Not to say I don't like eating out for other reasons - mind you :)

December 13 - I am thankful for our basement. It is nice to have a place to go during "crazy" weather and I am convinced the kids take longer naps because it is quieter down there.

December 14 - Today I am thankful for our washer & dryer.

December 15 - Today I am thankful for indoor plumbing cause it just dawned on me that going outside to squat in the cold would be. . . unpleasant.

December 16 - I am thankful we live close enough to school that we can walk on nice days like today (it is almost 45 degrees and the sun is shining! - even if there is still 2 feet of snow on the ground).

December 17 - I am thankful for peanut butter and jelly toast for breakfast - yum yum :)

December 18 - Today I am thankful for the blessing of another boy in our family! Thank you God for this new baby to come.

December 19 - Ummm. . . I think I'm thankful that I got to sleep in today (till 8 am - but that is sleeping in when I normally get up before 6) - but it has come at quite the price! (Craziness all morning since I woke up - heh)

December 20 - I am thankful for an amazing day with the extended family - no one was injured and I don't think any even got mad or anything - hehe - it was a good day with delicious food and lots of little ones with gifts.

December 21 - Today I am thankful for being stubborn. I have a lot to do today and I want to go eat chocolate and watch tv all day but I am going to try and do it all, no matter how difficult, just because I am stubborn. Grrrr. . . here I come!

December 22 - I am thankful that my husband has gotten up two days in a row at 5AM to exercise in the mornings (with me :) before he goes to work. What a commitment to health he is making - and for those of you who know him this sounds absolutely crazy (him awake before noon), doesn't it?

December 23 - Today I am thankful for my stove. I remember a time when our stove did not work and that made cooking a whole lot more challenging. We may not have the nicest stove but it works and I am able to make yummy food with it. (Last night we had homemade pizza that was AMAZING - still licking my lips, mmmmmmm :)

December 24 - I am thankful for being able to stay home with the kids. We don't live like kings, but blessed are the poor, and the minor sacrifices we make are so worth it for the quality time and fun the kids and I have together.

December 25 - I am thankful for Jesus coming among us! Merry Christmas!

Advent!

Advent is here and it is such an amazing time. It is the beginning of the Church year and I really feel a fresh start as well. We do not have many established advent rituals yet but I enjoy giving them all a try and seeing what the kids think. So far they really enjoy having the advent wreath on the dinner table and they always greet the large outdoor holy family we have set up when coming and going from the car.

I think Advent is my favorite season because it is a lot like Lent but not quite so focused on suffering. I think it is still beneficial to say give something up or add extra prayer but it is in joyful anticipation - not sorrowful contemplation. Not that Lent is not GREAT, mind you - of course all the seasons are really wonderful as they are tailored to our needs as persons - and I find the more I try during Lent, the more amazing Easter becomes. In any case, I was talking about Advent. . .or trying to. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to do anything fully again without an interuption ever few minutes (or seconds it seems) by questions or mini-crisises, etc. I definitely should have never prayed for patience - heh.

So, Advent. . . top 5 things I really like about it (no particular order at the moment)

1. Preparing for the coming of Jesus - the fact that He comes for us at all is so amazing and to think that He does not come grudgingly, but with love for all mankind!

2. Outdoor lights - I really like our Holy Family and even the strings of lights (although they can be a pain - the Holy Family you just put out and plug in). I love having a light burning all through the night.

3. Christmas tree - pretty much the same as the outdoor lights - I enjoy having the soft glow of the tree and a lamp and remember that just as it is always green (ours especially since it is fake - hah) Jesus is always wanting to come into our hearts

4. PRAYER - I love an excuse to add more prayer. If I had not gotten married I think I would be a contemplative nun - I could never get enough prayer in my life. (The trouble is that I live in reality where there are children and a husband whose needs must be met so I cannot always spend all my time praying as I choose.)

5. Birthdays! - mine, Samuel, my brother-in-law Jason, my Aunt Martha - it is just a good month to be born in :)

I would add food to this list but since that would make six and we really do not need this time of year as excuse to eat well (we are always enjoying good food and snacks in our house!) I might as well let that slide.

Today's funny

Here is Jacob doing what he does best - get into trouble!