A Special Thanks

to my #1 fan. I have learned that my littlest niece spends a lot of time on my blog. She's the first to notice the new backgrounds and pictures. How sweet! Thanks, Tori!

Lots of love, Auntie Lisa

Happy New Year

There is something magical about New Year's Eve. At least I always thought so as a kid. These days, I am more introspective and thoughtful about it. We try to remember all the milestones of the past year together as a family and pinpoint what we need to do better for next year. Here are some questions from Danielle Bean at Faith and Family Live! that we will ponder as a family tonight and tomorrow:

1. Did I grow closer to God in the past year? How will I grow closer to God this year?
2. What is one new thing I will pray for this year?
3. What would I consider my worst habit and what can I do to work on it in the coming year?
4. What is the one thing I will do in the coming year that will most benefit my family?
5. What is the most important decision I made last year or will make this year?
6. What new habit would I most like to adopt this year?
7. What is one new skill I would like to learn the coming year?
8. What was the most important book I read last year/want to read this year?
9. What are my talents and what will I do to better serve God and the Church with them in the coming year?
10. What is one thing that I regret in the past year and what can I do about it in the new year?

Isn't it wonderful that, in her wisdom, the Catholic Church gives us the privilege of beginning each New Year with the feast of Mary, Mother of God? Who better to lead us down the difficult path of self-knowledge and into the heart of Her Son's plan for us? We are so blessed!

May God bless us all with peace, health and joy in 2009. Happy New Year!

What is he really saying?

My memory is so NOT what it used to be. Many times I have returned from the grocery store to have my dh ask, "Did you pick up razors/contact solution/lightbulbs/whatever?" Often, the answer to his question is "no". What makes it worse is that he probably reminded me that morning, but "life" got in the way and I forgot. Even though I am a prolific list maker and that helps, sometimes I forget to write things on the list....oh dear....

For Christmas, my dear, thoughtful hubby got this cool gadget for me!! It sticks (magnet) to the fridge...just push the record button, say what you need, and it is added to the grocery list. Before I go to the store, I can push another button and the list is printed out...grouped into categories!!! Hello!! How cool is that!!

I do have a little bit of a concern though. Some of the other gifts he got me were a new sewing machine and new knives. Great, useful gifts, and I am happy to have them, but what do you think he's trying to tell me about my job performance?

On the Second Day of Christmas

We celebrate my dear mother-in-law's birthday. She is a woman who loves God and her family and we are blessed by her. Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you.

Venite Adoremus

Christ is born! Oh, come let us adore him!



On Christmas Eve, due to scheduling conflicts, we attended Mass at a local parish that we had not been to before. It was a lovely stone church very tastefully decorated with evergreen, pointsettias and twenty (!) Christmas trees adorned simply with white lights. It was just beautiful, and the beauty of it lifted my sagging spirits. It had been a difficult Advent for me, and as Christmas approached, I was having a difficult time summoning up any joy....peace was waaay beyond my reach. The busy-ness of my life these days exhausts me. We have 3 boys playing basketball, so every afternoon or evening finds me in a gym. Teen son is taking driver's ed (4 days per week), College girl needs a ride to work, dentist appointments, haircuts, shopping, cooking, cleaning....it's been too much for me this Advent. I have not had quiet time with God or my family. I still have Christmas cookie dough in the fridge that never got baked into cookies! Our Jesse tree is incomplete and we are behind in our reading of Jotham's Journey.

So,Christmas Eve found me feeling tired, overwhelmed, and quite discouraged. When will I get this Christmas thing right? Every year we try to simplify, yet there is always this last rush of craziness just before the Holy Day. The visions I have of the old-fashioned, family-oriented, Jesus-centered Christmas never materialize. I am finding, with a daughter in college, that I really want to establish some firm traditions within our family that our daughter can look forward to and want to bring her future family back to. Am I putting too much pressure on myself? Maybe. Probably.

OK, in fairness to myself, Jesus is always the focus of our Christmas celebrations, I just haven't spent much time alone with him and that is where I feel the void. We do have traditions that involve extended family, which is great, but the traditions within our nuclear family need to take shape.

So as I said, I was at Christmas Eve Mass, but not feeling much peace or joy.

Suddenly, my husband poked me with his elbow. I looked at the kids to see who was doing something they shouldn't, but they were all behaving; in fact, they were all quiet and focused on something. I turned to look and saw Santa Claus, yes, Santa Claus walking down the aisle of the church. I have to admit, my first thought was, "Oh, no, this isn't a funky, liberal parish is it?" (yeah, I know...."Judge not, that ye not be judged") Surprisingly, the children in the church, including my own, were NOT squealing with excitement and jumping around. They sat in hushed awe. Santa slowly made his way to the front of the church and knelt reverently before the manger. As St. Nick adored the One he served as bishop so many years ago, the proper "order" of Christmas was made visible, and the atmosphere in the church subtly shifted. After several minutes, Santa rose and with hands joined prayerfully before him, slowly and quietly left the church. No Ho, Ho, Ho's; no "Merry Christmas"; no waving at kids; no candy canes; no jolly old elf....just silent reverence. The gift of perspective was bestowed upon the worshippers.

My soul quieted. Mass began. A Christmas pageant was performed which was very sweet. The soul-stirring music was familiar--then I realized it was the same music played at Franciscan University--our daughter's college!

Then Fr. Peter began his homily. He spoke to the children but his words penetrated adult souls. He began with a grammar lesson (the homeschooling mom in me rejoiced!) Homonyms...two (or more) words that sound the same but have different meanings. He asked the kids for examples and much to my dismay, none of my children would raise their hands--even college girl who is quite familiar with homonyms! Anyway, the homonyms Fr. Peter wanted to talk about were piece and peace. He held three puzzle pieces in his hands. He first asked the children, "Why do we use lights to decorate for Christmas?" Then he added that if anyone said because of the winter solstice he would whack them on the back of their head because, "We don't celebrate pagan feasts here!" (No this is no funky, liberal parish!!) The children finally came up with the answer -- Jesus is the light of the world, and Father stuck one piece of the puzzle on a board. The second question, "Why do we use evergreens to decorate for Christmas?" The answer took a little longer, but in Fr. Peter's humorous way, he led the children to "because Jesus gave us the gift of Everlasting Life." Father fitted the second piece of puzzle on the board.

The third question was easy, but, again, none of my children would answer it, and 9 year old boy actually told me that I had never taught him any of those things!!! (he's either lying or not paying attention in class...either way, he's grounded!) Father Peter asked why we use stars in our decorating. Of course, that was easy...the Star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to Jesus. The third piece of the puzzle was fitted into place to reveal a picture of the baby Jesus.

Then Fr. Peter said, "Christmas can be a time when we feel like we are going to pieces." My ears perked up. He noted how the busy-ness, excitement, anticipation and preparation of the season can distract us and make us feel like we are falling to pieces, but Jesus always brings us peace.

A very simple message for children that pierced this adult's heart. It was nothing new or earth-shattering...it was a message that I was already familiar with, but had forgotten to practice. I had allowed the circumstances of my life to pull me away from Jesus, my peace. Placing Him first in my life and giving Him the time he deserves is the way to true peace. The Giver and Author of Time will bless us with more time when we put Him first--frantic schedules calm, stress melts, and peace reigns. I know this, but I had forgotten. I needed a gentle reminder from a devout Santa and a holy priest.

Let it Snow?

I am sitting at my computer trying to think of something insightful or even funny to write...but I've got nothin'. Since December 11th--a mere 10 days ago--we have had a major ice storm which knocked power out to over 400,000 people across the state of NH; just as the power came back on for some people, we got another 4-6 inches of snow; Friday we got 10 new inches of fresh powder (a skier's dream), and today, Sunday, we are getting about a foot more snow with high winds developing later causing drifting and blizzard conditions.
I know...I know....I live in New Hampshire and should expect this and not complain....I really do try to stay positive..this is great for the ski industry and our local economy....teen son loves to snowboard....hubby plows and this is good winter income....it's very pretty and cozy feeling....but....Ugh!

And that's all I have to say about that.

'Tis the Season for Giving

I feel like sort of a slouch. I enjoy reading lots of Catholic moms blogs and gleaning ideas and even lesson plans from them, but I haven't really given anything back. Well, it's not much, but I'll show you how we celebrate Advent and decorate for Christmas. Keep in mind that we are renting a house right now, so the "decor" isn't what I would like it to be, but it's the best I can do for now. So, in the spirit of giving rather than receiving (taking, downloading, printing, whatever you want to call it) here goes:

Here's the tree and a few select ornaments, including a Chrismon. The kids and I have made different Chrismons over the years, for our own tree and as gifts for others. Dear sons #2 and #3 decided to decorate the tree themselves yesterday. I walked into the living room and they had over 1/2 of the ornaments already hanging on the tree. Thankfully, the lights were already up, but the beads I use for garland were not. It would've been too difficult to try to hang and drape beads "just so" with the ornaments already there, so I reverted to one of my favorite looks--horizontal wired ribbons. I think they're beautiful. Dear hubby campaigned for tinsel (some people call them icicles--I just call them tacky). I actually relented and bought a package, but dreaded putting them on the tree. Thankfully, the tinsel got "vetoed" by the kids, especially College girl, who has decided for some reason that she gets to choreograph our holidays to conform to her memories--or how she thinks her memories should be.

This is our Advent Wreath with the Advent Candle I made last year. And our "Jesse Tree". I have a really nice felt one that I made a few years ago which we normally use. But I was given this one (and another one by my mother-in-law) and decided to do something different. The kids can color the symbols on these and the readings are a little different, so they get more bible exposure--always a good thing. We are just stapling these symbols onto pink and purple ribbons. This one pictured is 3 year old princess' "tree". She likes to use a lot of pink:)

Here are pics of some of my angel collection and one of our nativity sets, our "good deed" manger (which looks like it could use some more filling--BTW those are muslin strips) and our matching stockings, hand-knitted by my husband's Aunt Nancy.

We have two snowstorms coming in the next few days, so I will just relax in my freshly decorated house, read Christmas books, bake a batch of cookies or two and address my Christmas cards....no, I do not have all my shopping completed, or ANY wrapping...it will get done...it always does...never early....never smoothly...but I'm convinced perfection is overrated anyway. Please don't burst my bubble.

A blessed Advent to all!

Never mind

Well, my completely out of the blue, unexpected, totally awesome, surprise trip to New York City (Yes, NYC!!!!) ended before it began. In the early hours of the morning, as my traveling companions and I made our way to Bellows Falls, VT, where we would meet the bus that would take us to NYC, the mild queasiness that I had begun feeling the night before returned....and increased. By the time we reached Bellows Falls, my head was swimming and I was fighting nausea and stomach pains. I could not face a bus trip to NY. So, I phoned dear hubby and he rode in on his white steed (GMC) and rescued me. The stomach bug never did materialize, but I remained queasy and experienced such extreme fatigue that I slept the entire day. I could not get warm nor could I stay conscious for more than a few minutes. I finally forced myself out of bed at dinner time--grumpy as all get out--and managed to keep my eyes open for a while.
I feel better today--still a bit tired and quite grumpy--not to mention disappointed--I could be watching the Rockettes right now....ah well, c'est la vie. .
Things could very definitely be worse. We could be one of the 200,000+ people in New Hampshire (many who are our neighbors and friends) without power for the past 3 days, and looking at perhaps a week until it is back on. I will offer my "suffering" -such as it is- for them.

Out of the Blue

Guess where I have been given a completely unexpected opportunity to go this weekend? I will be having a high-kickin' time. That's the only hint I will give. I'll be back with pix on Monday.
God bless!

Am I not here?

"Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son: let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you: let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?" (Words of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego)

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us!

But does he have Spidey-sense?

At Mass last night, for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, I was explaining to 3 year old daughter (as I do at most Masses) what happens at the Consecration.
"Watch. Fr. Shawn is going to change the bread into the Body of Jesus. Listen for the words."
She obediently turns her gaze to the altar.
I use the same words for the wine as it becomes the Precious Blood.
When the Consecration is over, she turns to me and in her loud 3-year-old "whisper" says,
"Mommy, Father Shawn has POWER!"

Words to live up to

How cool is this anonymous quote I found:

I want to be the kind of person who, when my feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan says. “Oh no she’s awake.”

A new passion

As we passed through the produce section of the grocery store the other day, three-year old girl began making hand gestures and incomprehensible noises as she struggled to find the word that was eluding her. I stopped the cart and asked her what she wanted.

"I want the um, um, juicy sings(things) with grass"

OK, I was having a bit of a hard time solving this riddle, then she pointed to the shelves where the strawberries were displayed....Of course! She has recently developed a love/passion/obsession for these yummy juicy sings. I can't say that I blame her; I love them too....as long as the grass is taken off.

Disturbing

Planned Parenthood of Indiana has suspended a nurse after the release of an undercover videotape showing her coaching a supposed 13-year-old on how to duck Indiana's laws about parental consent on abortion and the reporting of child sex abuse.

The videotape shows Lila Rose, the president of a university pro-life group and a brunette, posing as a blond 13-year-old girl named "Brianna" and telling the Planned Parenthood nurse at the clinic in Bloomington, Ind., that she is pregnant by a 31-year-old man.

"I am supposed to report [you] to Child Protective Services," the nurse says on the videotape, though she assures "Brianna" that she will not do so if she can tell a plausible different story.

"I didn't hear the age. I don't want to know the age," the nurse says at a later point on the tape.

The nurse, who is referred to on the video as "Diana" but whose face has been blurred, knew neither that the session was being taped nor that "Brianna" really was Miss Rose, a 20-year-old pro-life activist at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Miss Rose told The Washington Times on Thursday that this footage is only part of an ongoing project with many examples of such conduct. Her group and other student pro-lifers have released tapes of similar counseling.

Indiana is not one of 12 states that restricts or prohibits surreptitious taping.

Click here to view the video

Also, Planned Parenthood in Indiana is giving out holiday gift certificates for services including abortion!
Read about it here