HERE WE COME!!!!

It's Official...The Concordia Cavaliers WON the semifinals today and advanced to the NATIONALS FINALS!!! We were ready to cheer them on today with blue and white decorations, and lots of fans....within the first 12 minutes we scored!!! (this was the #1 ranked team so we were all so excited....then if we could just hold on)....then CAITLIN (yes my sister) had a GORGEOUS goal to give them a 2-0 lead (I believe only her second goal of the season). And to top it off in the last SECOND of the game, we scored again to win 3-0. CHECK HERE for the review. Thanks to all the fans that came and helped us cheer her on, it was lots of fun. If you want to come over tomorrow for the FINAL GAME, it starts at 3 pm!!! Go CAVS and GO CAITLIN.

Novena in honor of...

...Our Lady of Guadalupe...Feast Day December 12th.

First Day

Dearest Lady of Guadalupe, fruitful Mother of holiness, teach me your ways of gentleness and strength. Hear my humble prayer offered with heartfelt confidence to beg this favor......

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Second Day

O Mary, conceived without sin, I come to your throne of grace to share the fervent devotion of your faithful Mexican children who call to you under the glorious Aztec title of Guadalupe. Obtain for me a lively faith to do your Son’s holy will always: May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Third Day

O Mary, whose Immaculate Heart was pierced by seven swords of grief, help me to walk valiantly amid the sharp thorns strewn across my pathway. Obtain for me the strength to be a true imitator of you. This I ask you, my dear Mother.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Fourth Day

Dearest Mother of Guadalupe, I beg you for a fortified will to imitate your divine Son’s charity, to always seek the good of others in need. Grant me this, I humbly ask of you.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Fifth Day

O most holy Mother, I beg you to obtain for me pardon of all my sins, abundant graces to serve your Son more faithfully from now on, and lastly, the grace to praise Him with you forever in heaven.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Sixth Day

Mary, Mother of vocations, multiply priestly vocations and fill the earth with religious houses which will be light and warmth for the world, safety in stormy nights. Beg your Son to send us many priests and religious. This we ask of you, O Mother.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Seventh Day

O Lady of Guadalupe, we beg you that parents live a holy life and educate their children in a Christian manner; that children obey and follow the directions of their parents; that all members of the family pray and worship together. This we ask of you, O Mother.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Eighth Day

With my heart full of the most sincere veneration, I prostrate myself before you, O Mother, to ask you to obtain for me the grace to fulfill the duties of my state in life with faithfulness and constancy.

Our father, Hail Mary, Glory.

Ninth Day

O God, You have been pleased to bestow upon us unceasing favors by having placed us under the special protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Grant us, your humble servants, who rejoice in honoring her today upon earth, the happiness of seeing her face to face in heaven.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.

I want MORE!

Finally (like they haven't been busy or anything) my sister's hubby put up a few pics....here are a couple.....although I want to see MORE!!

The New Mama to "Bertie"

The Sturhahn Family

Proud Marmee...three grandkids in less than three years!

Calling all FANS!!!

Well, if you want to see a good game....tune in this Friday and watch CAITLIN and the CU CAVALIERS in the SEMIFINALS of the Women's Soccer National Championship. Yes....they won the Quarterfinals today! After another GREAT but nail biter game....we were up 1-0 until the last 5 minutes of the game...when it got tied up. But in the first 92 seconds of sudden death overtime...we scored and took the WIN.....still UNDEFEATED for the year!! Caitlin had a great game, despite the two small injuries and the UNDESERVED yellow card....ridiculous. We are so excited as we were not expected to win this game, we never beat this team before. Check out the STATS and REVIEW!! So.....I hope all the fans are cheering and watching if you can when they play on Friday at 2 PST...wish we could be in FL watching (we did check airfares, but too expensive for all of us to go)....so if you are a local and would like to watch the game WITH US....we can cheer them on here!! Go to the NAIA site if you want to watch it LIVE. GO CAVS GO....good luck....we love you Caitlin!!

Albert Gregory has Arrived!!

Totally excited to announce the birth of my new nephew and GODSON, Albert Gregory Sturhahn!! He arrived at 8:12pm EST and weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces (not small at all for 3 weeks early!) and 20.5 inches long!!! Mom and Baby are doing quite well, although I wish I could talk to them more and be there and I WANT TO SEE PICTURES!!! Amazing to think I now have 5 nephews and 6 nieces....although this is the first niece/nephew on my side of the family and my first GODCHILD!! Can't wait to hug and meet him. And did I say SEND PICTURES??? Thanks to everyone's prayers!!

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a very nice and low-key Thanksgiving this year. It started off first with Mass in our newly renovated GORGEOUS church....will have to post about that later and hopefully have some pics to show. Then we gathered up all the fixins I was in charge of and headed over to my parents house. We spent the day getting food together, doing arts and craft Thanksgiving projects and traditions and enjoying each other's company especially since my sister Caitlin was home from college and my PopPop was there. Of course we had to try and get some pictures...last year we got a great one of the whole family by setting the automatic camera up...so we tried it again....and got a pretty good one after many attempts of trying to get a very confused Emma to look at the camera and the dolly we put behind it...she did not know what was going on. I have some hilarious shots of Jason and Caitlin while I was setting the camera up being silly in the slide show...take a look. Also when we went outside, Emma was fascinated with the birds and Angel was terrified of a dog...so it made for some very entertaining and draining picture taking and some candid shots...also in the slide show. The girls were in heaven coloring and eating and playing all day...yes, they missed their naps and after the delicious dinner....they crashed!! Well, first Angel decided to literally crash and burn over her feet and busted her bottom lip open. So with ice on lip, she fell asleep and Emma decided she was tired as well....and she didn't even eat a lot of turkey!! I made a new dessert recipe called Chocolate Caramel Slice (thanks to my friend Kate for the recipe) and a new potato recipe,Mustard Roasted Potatoes. All the other foods were family favorites and as always delicious. We went around the table that night saying what we were thankful for and for the most part it was the faces sitting around the table....nothing like the love of family and friends, we are truly blessed with that!! Hope your Thanksgiving was just as wonderful....(I posted our crafts in another post below....quite fun..thinking I enjoy it just as much as the kids!)

Thanksgiving Crafts

We enjoyed some arts and crafts for Thanksgiving this year...continuing old traditions and starting new ones. My mom started this first one and Jason and I have done one every year since we got married...it is the We Are Thanksful Poster. You get some of your favorites pictures of the last year and put them on a poster. We do this Thanksgiving Day and it is lots of fun to look through all of them and put it together. Then we have it laminated to protect it. I have found a way for now (until there are too many) to hang them. I punch two holes at the top and connect with a metal ring and hang on a small dowel rod.....We love looking at all the pics hanging up throughout the year and amazing to look through the past ones as well!!

Ever since I got married I have enjoyed making place cards for each person at the dinner table. This year, Angel helped!! We used her little hand to paint turkeys and it was lots of fun....especially putting the googly eyes on them!

This year I made the girls some Indian feather hats....although had trouble keeping Angel's feathers straight and Emma just wanted to pull hers off!I also started a new tradition we hope to do every year. I printed out templates of leaves and we all enjoyed coloring our own sheet....ok we helped with Emma's. Then we all (again we helped Emma this year) thought of things we were thankful for and wrote one on each leaf. Then I put together our "Thankful Tree" on Thanksgiving and it has been our table centerpiece since....yes I know, now I need out the Advent decorations...I am just behind schedule!! Anyways....I hope to keep the leaves in an envelope labeled with the year and look back at them as time goes by!!
Any fun and neat crafts you do for the holiday??

Prayers Please....Baby Sturhahn

My sister Meghan called me at 630 this morning, so I immediately knew it was baby news. She went in for her check up today (her due date is the 20th) to find out she is already 5 cm dilated....I guess that uncomfortable feeling Megs the last couple of days has been LABOR!! (reminds me of how it all happened with Emma...a bad night sleep was active labor!) So the labor nerves are starting....the doc wants her to come to the hospital and will see what happens next....Mom of course (just like Emma's birth) is in Daytona, FL for Caitlin's national soccer tournament....so she is busily making her way to the airport to catch the next flight out to NYC...at least this time she is on the right coast!! So please pray for a safe labor and delivery and a healthy baby boy!! We will keep you posted!! Wish I could beam myself to NYC!!!

A Prayer to St. Gerard for Safe Delivery
O great Saint Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of your meek and humble Savior, and devoted child of Mother of God, enkindle within my heart one spark of that heavenly fire of charity which glowed in your heart and made you an angel of love.
O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, you did bear, like your Divine Master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the patron and protector of expectant mothers. Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child which I now carry, that it may see the light of day and receive the purifying and life-giving waters of baptism through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

*And while I think they have the name picked out, here are the Saints of the Day...hehe.*
St. Bibiana
St. Chromatius
St. Lupus of Verona
St. Pontian

Sisterly Entertainment

And we thought it was for the dolls....

GO CAVS GO

Today Game #2 for the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship was between CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY (of which my sister Caitlin is the Senior team captain) and Berry College from GA. So since we couldn't be in Daytona with her, we paid to watch the game live on the computer....so Angel and I got in our Concordia attire, made a poster (of which Angel colored), made some popcorn and got some bubbly cider ready.....and it wouldn't be complete with a CU and GO Caitlin CHEER (see video below)....

...then it was a NAIL BITER of a game...Angel watched in earnest (and some confusion as to why we were watching a soccer game on the computer and why we were screaming for Caitlin)...Thanks Theresa for watching with me....

(Caitlin shooting a beautiful corner kick!)

Every time we yelled...Emma cried..and poor babies naps kept getting postponed because the game ended up going into double OVERTIME....with a tie game of 1-1 and if no one scored it would have gone to a shoot out (yuck!)....but (this is where I really get to brag).....with 90 seconds left in the last overtime....CAITLIN....yes my sister, CAITLIN #6...did one of her beautiful crosses to the goal...and her teammate knocked it in!! The CAVS advance to the quarterfinals and we continue to cheer them on....even if it is from a distance!! GO CAVS GO. Anyone interested in watching the next game with us....it is 8 AM our time Wednesday morning!!

(the concordia Men's team also won their NAIA game in a shoot out and will advance too)

Beautiful Example

Last night we had the privilege of attending a foster parent couple shower for our dear friends, John and Jenny. I had never been to a shower to celebrate the decision to become foster parents. They have worked so hard through the classes and training and preparing to get ready to welcome children into their home. They are such a beautiful couple and the children that get placed with them are going to be so blessed to have a wonderful example of loving parents. I look forward to witnessing them transform and impact these children's lives and watching their family grow....I am touched by their courage and generosity to open their hearts and home to children just waiting to find a family!! I hope someone took pictures last night because I forgot my camera and would love to have some!! But....of course there were lots of good friends to catch up with and like usual some yummy food!! I am posting the recipes of some things I brought and were a huge hit.....enjoy!!

Meringue Cookies
Chocolate Caramel Slice (a recipe from my friend in Australia that converted the measurements and ingredients for me...thanks Kate)
BBQ Glazed Homemade Meatballs....these were a HUGE HIT and very yummy.
Zippy Cranberry Appetizer
Apple Cider (I just buy apple cider and then in stock pot add numeg, cinnamon, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup OJ, 1 TB butter, and mulling spices...so yummy)

St. Andrew (Christmas Novena) Starts Today

St. Andrew Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and momentin which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!to hear my prayer and grant my desires (here is where you mention your request), through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a dayfrom the feast of St. Andrew, on November 30th, until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

[Imprimatur: +MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York, New York, February 6, 1897.]

Making our Thanksgiving Place Cards

For the past several years, I have always liked making personal place cards for our Thanksgiving table. This year, Angel helped and did a fabulous job making hand and finger turkeys...the perfect size hand for this project. She wasn't too sure about getting her hands dirty at first....my little clean queen!

Emma's gifts or Angel's new toys??

Emma's Birthday Party

On Monday we celebrated Emma's birthday with a spaghetti dinner (which she loved as long as it was ground up) and the most delicious cake....I have made it the Hartsell kid's traditional first birthday cake now...the super moist Chocolate Carrot Cake. Angel and I enjoyed making a poster and decorating the house with streamers for the party. Marmee and Poppy brought some balloons and we all had a fun time watching Emma (or Angel) open her gifts (including a piggy bank, beautiful engraved jewelry box, blocks and a dolly) and of course eat her birthday cake!! (video below) (although she was hesitant, making funny faces and just wanted to mush it more than eat it....she would rather have ice cream...which I gave her after she got messy!) Thanks to all for her gifts and birthday wishes!! (there are some funny pics in slide show including one of my dad with the new doll!!)