New Year Update

I meant to post about New Year's when it happened....but better late than never, right? It was nice to have my mom home and she cooked us all a very delicious new chicken recipe...but as usual...she combined several recipes to make her own, so not even sure if she can remember what she did!! Caitlin also made some very yummy Sangria! (Sis, still need to get that recipe!) Then my parents offered to watch the girls while Jason and I joined my sister Caitlin and her fiance Casey to actually go to a theater to watch a movie!! We had been laughing because the last time we were at a movie theater was when I was pregnant with Angelica in 2006 and saw Narnia!! Wow, have our lives changed since then!! So we went and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the movie, VALKYRIE. An amazing story about truly a brave and virtuous man....loved it!! Still want to google his family and see what his wife (who just recently passed away) and children ended up doing. It was nice too because the theater was practically empty!! I was commenting on how nice the seats were and Casey replied that it must have been a long time since I was in a theater...hehe. So while we enjoyed the film, Angel and Emma had fun time watching one too with Marmee and Poppy. We made it back with ten minutes to spare before we wished everyone a Happy New Year!!

On New Years Day we decided to host (what has now turned into our annual) Holiday Open House. We invited the young couples and friends we knew and then additional friends and family for later on. It was a lot of fun to use all the Christmas serving dishes I have and cook yummy foods and drinks. The homemade Egg Nog was a hit and of course the lumpia went fast!! Thanks Mom Hartsell for my new gorgeous poinsettia platter that I used to hold the chocolate cherry cake (which Angel thought was a big donut) which you can see in the pic. Love it! And thanks to the Herrings, Beuchels, Cichy, Campbells, PopPop, My Family, Sullivans, Linda, and Grays for stopping by...it was great to see all of you and hope to next year as well. Angel had a blast with the open food, candy canes and all the dancing with the girls!! I think next year though Jason will decide to take the following day off!! Happy New Year.

Happy Girl

Toddler Talk

Some very funny things Angel has said lately:

1) After I made a tube cake for a party...she looked at it and told Aunt Caitlin, "Wow...that is a really big donut!"
2) We have been working on the difference between girls and boys and the words man and woman. So at the post office today, she looked at the worker and said "You are a man!" At least he had a good sense of humor!
3) We have been so busy celebrating these past couple of weeks and each day explaining what we are celebrating for the special days. So today, Angel asked me "Mama, what day are we?" I said, "Today is Thursday." To which she replied, "No mama, what is special today?" I think I will definitely have to start celebrating a Saint a Day or something!!
4) When we had all the snow and we got stuck in the car....Jason was out shoveling a path for the car....and I must have heaved a big sigh....to which Angel said, "Don't worry mama, papa will save us and fix it!" So sweet to have total trust in your superhero Papa!!

Thanks Joanie

...for my adorable outfit!

Baseball Fan in Training

A Reminder...

...today as I was reading and watching the news of the House and Senate officially declaring Barack Obama our next President...all those post-election feelings starting resurfacing. And then I remembered this wonderful homily that our friend, Father Cihak, gave his congregation after the Election. Please pray for him as you can see by this article, the truth of his words were not well received by all...like they say, "the truth hurts!" I continue to pray for our priests to lead the Church in the right direction, for Catholics to live their faith, and for our next President and the important decisions he must make ahead.

Happy Epiphany!!

We had a lot of fun celebrating the Epiphany today. We started with eating some delicious Gift of the Magi Bread for breakfast, which looks just as pretty as is tastes!! Says it will make two big loaves, so I managed to get one big loaf and then two small ones to give away out of the recipe. Then we read the Nativity story and really focused and learned about the Wise Men (I definitely need to get a Three Kings book for next year!) Angel enjoyed telling me all about the story after that and we must have listened to the Music on the Three King snow globe we have about a thousand times!! I cut out a paper crown (I am no Martha Stewart so don't laugh) and had Angel color it to wear later...Emma tried to help but Angel wasn't too fond of sharing and Emma still mostly wanted to color the furniture. We decided instead of a King Cake we would make cupcakes. So Angel put on her new apron she got from Aunty Megs and Marmee from NYC and "helped" me make the yummy chocolate cupcakes....I actually only have one 12 muffin tin and since the recipe made 24, I decided just to make 3 mini cakes...perfect for the Three Kings. Angel is actually getting very good at holding and dumping the ingredients...but by far her favorite part is still licking the beaters!! I then colored the icing yellow to symbolize the gold crowns and decorated them as best I could to look like crowns. And of course, one of them held a hidden coin and whomever finds it at dessert gets to wear the crown and hand out the presents!! And the winner was ANGEL!! She was very excited and I think a little confused by there was money in her food! So she put on the crown and eagerly started handing the gifts out. Three gifts for everyone (just like baby Jesus received)....and Angel enjoyed opening (I mean helping) them all! Emma liked her gifts but really wanted some of Papa's gummy bears!! It was a fun day for us, filled with focus and meditation on the Journey of the Three Kings and lots of new traditions on how we will celebrate it. I would like to come up with a traditional King Feast for dinner (last night we just did chicken curry) and would also like to add a House Blessing.....I am sure things will change over the years, but these little activities today really made the Epiphany come alive and help even Angel have an understanding about this special day. Happy Epiphany (and remember the Christmas season isn't over until Sunday this year!)

Not Again!!

Yes, this is the scene right now...another 2-3 inches of snow falling!!! Just when the last of the past snow storm was melting!! I am hoping that my poor hubby who just put in a 12 hour day can get home from Seattle!!
UPDATE: We now have SIX inches of snow...Jason did a 360 in his car in Seattle....decided to wait an hour for the Bremerton ferry instead of driving around...was going 5 mph coming home and spun out and ran into a side concrete wall (no damage done) to only get stuck (as usual) getting into our development. After shoveling his way with no success, a nice good Samaritan towed him into our court and he parked at the top of the hill. I spent the whole night shoveling our driveway and walkway so it won't all freeze or block us in....and in my husband's words, "I am AWESOME!" Hoping this stops soon!!

Christmas Home Tour

Faith and Family Live was doing a fun post to see what everyone puts up and decorates for the Christmas season....so I thought I would join in!!! Here are some of our favorites....

I love white Christmas lights and candles in the window....we have a tree in front of the house that looks like a Christmas tree that we put lights on...I made the two wreaths on either side of the garage and the big one above it. And yes...they are decorated with poinsettias just can't see in the dark!!

The front of the house
Love the garland on the porch and around the door. And finally figured out how to make the red bows!! And did you notice the poinsettias??

The place where I wish I had a mantle....and always nice with a fire glowing!!

The perfect place to put our Christmas cards, and the small ceramic nativity on top I have had since I was a little girl...

I made and decorated this tree the first year we were married...

Angel loves the mistletoe (and if you can't tell already I love poinsettias)

The girls new advent calendar...one my Mamasan had given us

Jason's baseball tree (he collects the Hallmark yearly collective ornaments)

I love the stair garland (again I add gold and red poinsettias and holly berries)

This is the most special....I had a Nativity scene IDENTICAL to this growing up that my PopPop made...when I got married I was so sad that I didn't have it around anymore...so my dear husband made an EXACT replica for us!! He painted and then I spent hours making the bushes, the mossy roof and the hay inside. We used an OFF lid to create the fire glow light. WE LOVE IT and this is where Angel loves to say her Angel of God prayer!!

Our tree with all the beautiful hand made ornaments from my Meme...thinking of adding some berry branches next year and maybe a red Angel on top!

Our Blessed Mother with the appropriate holiday background and beautiful Poinsettia candles that my mother-in-law got us from Princess House, so pretty when they are lit.

My grandparents hutch, my Mamasan always had one drawer open with flowers in it, so I have kept up that tradition as well!!

The table where we all gather to eat and enjoy company!
Please share yours!!!

Happy Birthday Megs!!

Happy Birthday Sis, Sis-in-Law and Aunty!! We love you lots and hope you are having a very happy birthday....we will celebrate when you are home in a couple weeks!! Angel has something to share:

Happy (belated) Birthday!

Our niece, September, celebrated her SEVENTH birthday on the 30th!! We can't believe how big and how BEAUTIFUL she is becoming...quite the young lady!! September, we miss and love you lots, hope we can see you again soon. Love this pic...(I stole it from September's mama's site..and that is Aunt Chelle-Chelle with her)

Anniversary Memories

Today would have been my Mamasan and PopPop's 56th Wedding Anniversary. I was thinking about it today and it must be so hard to lose someone and have days like this pass without the person to share it with. I am so glad they were able to celebrate 52 of them together and I know Mamasan is watching over PopPop today and sending him her love and all the happy memories they shared over the years. I am so blessed to have such incredible examples of marriage and commitment as both sets of grandparents have celebrated over 50 years and parents over 30. Days like today make me thankful for the blessings I have in my marriage and the ability to share that every day with my special someone. I hope that PopPop feels the love of Mamasan still surround him and that of his family as well.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Most of you have already received our Christmas card, so here it is and Happy New Year.

After several fun shots, we finally got the ONE!! Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

Maybe One Year....

....we will have a Santa picture without one of the kids crying! (mean mama and papa...this year Angel knew she got a candy cane from Santa and WANTED to go see him!) Here is a pic from last year and the one from this year.

(have to say this Santa looks a bit scary!)