Merry Christmas---2022

Merry Christmas from our home in the mountains!

And Happy New Year too!

My Christmas present this year was having all of my boys home for the holidays!  What a gift it is to have them all under the same roof now that a couple of them are in college.  Michael was delayed from coming home for a few days due to a South Dakota blizzard, so we were especially grateful when he arrived safe and sound.  We have been having wonderful family-time over the Christmas break.  Numerous board games per day are being played (especially Catan and Axis and Alies), as well as frisbee golf and baseball on our ancient Wii machine. :)   I usually get a bit homesick during the holidays, so I made some traditional things that my mom and dad made every year when I was growing up to remind me of my childhood days---homemade deer jerky and Tom and Jerry with rum...yum! Joseph and Michael have gone on a couple of skiing adventures, and we were able to do one family ski event as well. The snow wasn't amazing, but the cheesy fries and being with my boys was :)  We also went soaking at our local hot springs after our day on the ski hill, which was definitaly my favorite part of the whole day! :)  Christmas morning was very special with a beautiful Mass at the Cathedral of St. Helena, followed by opening presents when we got home.  Of course, we had to do our tradition of opening 1 present per person on Christmas Eve too.

But I guess I'm getting a bit ahead of myself...  The pre-Christmas fun began when we were invited once again to our dear friend's property to cut down a Christmas tree.  I think there were 5 other Catholic families who came for the tree-cutting event this year, so it was extra joyous.  We found a lovely tree, and it is always one of my favorite events of the year to decorate the Christmas tree during Advent with my kids.  I always used to decorate the tree with my mom growing up, with the sounds of Anne Murray and the Stadler Brothers singing Christmas carols in the background.  And now I do the same thing with my kids---with some newer CDs mixed in with the old :)  I'm so grateful to have a couple of my boys who still like to decorate the tree with me.  I hope they keep fond memories of decorating the tree with their mom just like I still have of decorating with my mom :)

Here are the highlights of our Advent and Christmas---although I'm a bit bummed that I didn't take more pictures along the way.

Toasting to the Christ-Child after finding the perfect tree!

The perfect tree (even though we only used the top third) :)

Dominc chillin' in the snow waiting for Dad to cut down the tree.

Tiiiimmberrrrrr!!!

Down she goes!

Paul doing the final trimming.

Dominic doing the heavy lifting :)

Dominic carrying the tree to the truck.

Dominic waiting for the truck :)

Joseph, Nathanael, Isaiah, and  Michael playing an intense (and long) game of Axis and Allies.

Deeply pondering the next move in Axis and Allies.

Nathanael opening his present on Christmas Eve.

Michael taking a nap on Christmas Eve :)

Michael somehow slept through the opening of presents on Christmas Eve!

Not a creature was stirring, not even a college kid.

Our handsome boys on Christmas morning.

Isaiah likes his new 3-in-1 sports center!

Nate slightly disappointed by all the plastic grocery bags in the top of the box...

...then he gets shocked by the real present at the bottom...a new baseball card binder!

Dominic happy with his running socks, water bottle, ski gloves, and wireless speaker.

Joseph happy with the gift he received from Nate and Isaiah...cash and some fun odds and ends.

Isaiah bought Joseph this "hog" at a garage sale earlier this year.

Isaiah and Nate have called Joseph "the hog" as his nickname for years, so it was a fun gift.

Nate likes his new ski gloves.

Michael super enthusiastic about opening presents :)

Our fishoholic son got a fishing hat, a fish-pattern hammock, and fish-pattern socks

Dominic happy with his new Garfield socks...

...and Garfield pajama pants that say "I hate Mondays!"

Dominic has always loved the Garfield books, so this was a fun gift.

Isaiah got this new Nerf gun from his Secret Santa---Joseph :)

We wish you a very merry Christmas season from snowy Montana!

May Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and His gift of salvation 

bring you JOY every day all year long!

 Totus Tuus,

~Maria

Fall Fun of 2022

Fall was filled with lots of fun, and I managed to cature a few of the highlights with my camera....

I'm not sure if the boys would consider going back to school as "fun," but I think they would admit that  once they were back with their friends again they really started having fun.  Joseph returned to Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio as a junior this year.  He is still majoring in Economics, and still dating a very sweety, pretty, and holy young lady there named Bailey.  He had shoulder surgery late last Spring and spent the summer recovering, so he is sure hoping to be able to pitch again for the Franciscan Barons by the Spring of 2023.  Michael returned to NSU in Aberdeen, SD where he is still pursuing a business degree, playing baseball for the Wolves, and being spoiled by my parents. They take him out for breakfast every Sunday after Mass, and grandpa takes him fishing as often as possible.  Dominic was the happiest one to head back to school because that meant he could start competing in cross country with his very best friends. He is a sophomore this year at JHS in Boulder, MT. He loves to run, loves his friends, loves his coach, and he honestly loves academics too (he didn't get that from me).  Nathanael was excited to be in JUNIOR HIGH for the first time this year as a big 6th grader!  The only down side to junior high is that there are no more recesses---except a brief one after lunch.  But he thinks the JH teachers are the coolest and really enjoys being with his friends--especially doing anything competitive at recess or PE.  Isaiah is in 4th grade this year and was probably the most reluctant to go back to school.  He is a gentle-spirit-home-body.  He really wants me to consider homeschooling, which I am certainly praying about, but in the meantime, he is excelling at Montana City School with his older brother!  As you can see in this picture, these 2 are like two peas in a pod!

Here are Isaiah and Nate ready for their first day of school.

After their first day of school, I drove the boys to our local old-fashioned candy store for a treat.

Isaiah got a hot fudge sundae, and Nate got a huckleberry milkshake.

Sweet treats made the school year a little bit sweeter, I hope.

This is Dominic's cross country team at the State meet right before their race.

Dominic ended up making All-State with a 13th place finish and a time of 17:10.

It was a drizzly Fall day for the race---perfect for runners, I guess.

Dominic's JHS team got 3rd place overall, which was a huge success for this small B-class school.

His coach was so proud that he cried.

The 3 youngest boys celebrating the Feast Day of St. Therese on October 1st,

with some rose-shaped cinnamon rolls that I make for the occasion.

The boys next to our dragon pinata that I bought for our All Saints Day party.

This year Paul dressed as St. Simon, Nate was St. JPII, I was St. Catherine Laboure, and Isaiah was St. Theodore this year.

The last big event of the Fall was Nathanael's 12th birthday!

Hard to believe we have a "tween," which means we nearly have another teenager---gulp!

Nate wishing for more baseball cards and Garfield books perhaps :)

Isaiah gave Nathanael this little slinky...

...and Isaiah also made this rosary for Nathanael.

Nathanael was also happy to get a new baseball backpack and a new Garfield book.

The Garfield book was probably his favorite gift.

Maybe because he and Garfield have so much in common! :)

Happy Birthday, Nathanael!

You are growing up so fast and are so much fun!

We are so proud of the holy, smart, funny, and competitive boy you are.

We love you more than all the Garfield books and baseball cards you own

(and you know that's a tremendous amount of love!!!) :)

Love, Mom and Dad