Christmas 2019: Sick, Slightly Stressed, but Very Blessed

Our Christmas vacation was not exactly the one we had hoped for, but it was blessed nonetheless :}  Four out of five of our kids ended up getting the stomach flu, and Paul ended up having to do a bunch of stressful School Board meetings because unfortunately our school is going through some turbulent times. (Please say a quick prayer for our school if you have the time).  We were also hoping to go on a short ski trip somewhere, but sadly there has been no snow for the past month.  But hopefully we will still get plenty of skiing accomplished in the New Year.  Despite the unexpected illnesses, the school board meetings, and the lack of snow, we still had a grace-filled Christmas break.   Here are some of the highlights:

1. Midnight Mass!!!!  For the first time ever, our entire family went to the beautiful Christmas Midnight Mass at St. Helena's Cathedral.  Our oldest two boys were asked to be altar servers, along with about 14 other senior servers.  It was such a holy, awe-some sight to see all those young men with their black and white albs and 2 of them doing incense during the holy Consecration of the bread and wine.  I felt so blessed to be a Catholic and to be able to attend such a holy ceremony and receive the Real Presence of Jesus Christ--body, blood, soul and divinity--into my own body on the Feast of His Birth at Christmas.  It really doesn't get any better than that.
2. Watching my boys open their few presents and seeing the joy on their faces, even though they didn't get a whole lot this year.  
3. Cutting down a beautiful Christmas tree with some dear friends who own over 100 acres in the Montana wilderness, followed by great food and holy fellowship.  I am so grateful that God has given us great friends and this gorgeous state to live in.
4. Sleeping in!!!  About a month ago I was asked to be the 3rd grade teacher at our boys' school, and now that I have been working full time, I really treasure the days that I get to sleep in :)
5. Playing the new board games that the boys got for Christmas, as well as lots of card games.

And now for the picture highlights:

Even our cat liked the Christmas tree :)

One of my favorite ornaments:  Our Lady of Medjugorje, the Queen of Peace.

May she continue to guide souls to her Son, Jesus--the only place to find true peace.

Nathanael happily found his presents :)

He really liked this bubble gum bat from his buddy, Stevie :)

Isaiah, happily showing off one of his unopened gifts.

He guessed it was baseball cards, and he was right :)

Joseph chillaxin' with a Coke.  

Drinking copious amounts of Coca-Cola was probably the highlight of his Christmas. :)

Paul got a new Irish sweater and a cuddly kid for Christmas :)

I think Michael was happy with his framed baseball photos,

which shows him making one of the best catches I've ever seen in a game.

I love how the boys find just as much joy watching their siblings get presents.

I think this ended up being Isaiah's favorite gift,

and he's been bopping all over the house with it :)

Christmas wouldn't be complete without another Garfield book.

All 5 of the boys still love reading Garfield comics,

just like my brothers and I did!

Just like Mary and Joseph and the 3 Kings,

our family comes to Mass to adore the King of Kings.

I was so thankful no one was sick on Christmas Eve,

which allowed our whole family to come to Mass together.

My holy and handsome husband praying before Mass.

How blessed I am to have him in my life,

helping me get to heaven.

I love how the altar seems to be illuminated by miraculous light.

The miracle that takes place on that altar is definitely the highlight of Christmas.

"Thank You, Jesus, for coming into our world on Christmas long ago,

but also coming to give Yourself to us at every single Mass!

We love You and adore You until you come again to take us to Heaven!"

Merry Christmas!!!

(Here is our 2019 Christmas letter for those who did not receive it)

God’s blessings be upon you this beautiful and holy season!  In this year’s letter, I thought it would be fun to incorporate song titles from the 80s since that genre has made such a big comeback—especially with our teenagers anyway!  Speaking of teenagers, I’ll start our year-end summary with them—I’m Thunderstruck that we now have 3 teenagers in our house, and one soon to be leaving!

JOSEPH turned 18 this fall and is a senior, which obviously means he’s Under Pressure to do well on the ACT, apply to colleges, submit scholarship applications, discern what degree to get, and Party Like it’s 1999 before he heads off to the adult world of heavy responsibilities.  His Sweet Dreams are Made of This:  being able to play baseball at college while earning an awesome degree and growing in his faith at the same time.  And who am I to disagree with that?  These upcoming months are literally the Final Countdown to college and now we just have to wait and see where the good Lord guides him.  Hopefully he won’t run So Far Away that we rarely will get to see him, but he is looking at colleges like Ave Maria in Florida, Benedictine in Kansas, and Franciscan University in Ohio.  Thankfully, nothing as far as Africa or the Land Down Under, but I’m sure no matter where he goes I will constantly be reminding him to “Call me!” J  When he is not studying or working on college applications, he can be heard Time After Time playing his favorite Led Zeppelin songs on his Eddie Van Halen electric guitar, mountain biking with friends, skiing, or playing baseball.

MICHAEL is 16 and is a junior this year.  He is doing great in school, but to be Straight Up I’ll tell you that he is not fond of studies and sometimes he would like to Shout something like---“We’re Not Going to Take it Anymore!”  He thinks the homework load is unjust and would rather spend his time playing sports.  He Just Can’t Get Enough of playing baseball.  Competitiveness courses through this kid’s veins and he has to work hard to keep his “We Will Rock You” mentality in check.  But we Don’t Stop Believing that his “Won’t Back Down” personality will make him a great leader someday (with a healthy dose of humility mixed in, of course).  To be honest, there are moments when his teenager attitude makes us think, “We can’t live With or Without You, Michael,” but just as quickly, we see a Total Eclipse of the Heart and he is suddenly our joyful, sweet son again.  So I guess we won’t say “Beat It” just yet. J  Michael grew like crazy this year; perhaps that is because he eats as if he’s Hungry Like a Wolf and spends many hours a week at the gym working out like Rocky (this should make you start humming the Eye of the Tiger tune in your head---sorry if it gets stuck there! J)   

DOMINIC is 13 and in the 7^th grade.  He has a Burning Heart for math, cello, robotics, and playing basketball.  When he’s on the basketball court wearing his red team jersey, he looks like a Little Red Corvette, but his coach chooses to call him “the Ferrari.” J  Dominic also enjoys long-distance running and he ran his first 10K last Spring.  He placed 3rd in his age group, and finished in the top 1/3 over all the age groups…Let’s Hear it for the Boy!!!  As you know, One Thing Leads to Another, and now he would like to train for a half marathon this Spring, and perhaps a full marathon someday down the road to follow in his uncles’ footsteps.  This boy has so much energy that if he was asked to Walk 500 Miles, he would choose to run them instead! Now that is what I call The King of Pain! J

NATHANAEL is 9 and is excelling in the 3^rd grade.  He is our little Crazy Train, always running around wanting to play something wild and crazy, like an Air Soft Gun Battle on our property, a Laser Tag War in the dark, or a 5-day Axis and Allies game with one of his brothers.  He is always filled with energy, and is always willing to do something that might take him to the edge of the Danger Zone.    He likes to play baseball, but I think he likes collecting baseball cards even more than playing the game.  With his countless freckles and those Irish eyes that are always smiling, There’s Always Something There to Remind Me of the Russell side of the family. J

ISAIAH, our baby, is already 6 years old and in the 1^st grade, which nearly Takes my Breath Away!  Oh, Sweet Child O’ Mine, how did you grow up so fast!?  What I Like About You is your sweet smile, your contagious laughter that makes everyone around you feel like they are Walking on Sunshine, the way you still don’t mind a Kiss and snuggle-time from your momma, your timid but kind spirit, and the way you always offer to help with chores.  It makes me want to Jump for joy when you offer to help out without even being asked (will you teach your older brothers to do that, please?). J

PAUL AND MARIA still live in our Love Shack in the woods of Montana.  With all the crazy wildlife that we see on our property, along with the wild and crazy things that our 5 boys are always up to, we have thought about putting an entrance sign in our driveway that reads:  “Welcome to the Jungle,” or perhaps, “Now Entering the Hurlbert Zoo.”  Paul still loves his job with the FAA.  What a blessing for him to be able to work from home and stay in his flannel pajamas pants or scrubby jeans all day if he wants to!  Yep, he’s my Sharp Dressed Man J  I am still crazy about him and he still Makes My Dreams Come True after almost 20 years of marriage.  I can tell Paul’s job is very fulfilling for him, but I often wonder if he’s just Working for the Weekend, where he spends his time mountain biking and perfecting his homemade chokecherry wine recipe.  Wine-making has become a fun hobby for him and it definitely has a learning curve.  He’s had to dump a bad batch or two down the drain and say, “Oh well, Another One Bites the Dust.”  But most of his home-brewed wine tastes amazing and we hope you can come sip a glass with us sometime at our jungle/zoo.  As for me, I have started to substitute teach at the boys’ Catholic school, which I really enjoy so far.  I also enjoy my weekly prayer group with my girlfriends and occasionally going out with the gals for a glass of Red Red Wine—because, after all, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.  Lately, I’ve been having fun learning to crochet hats.  Paul thinks I should make a Raspberry Beret to wear around the town, but I told him to Dream On. J

Well, I’m sure you can tell that it has been a blessed year for our family, and I hope for yours as well.  We would be so grateful to hear what is going on in your lives and also for you to say a prayer for us as we strive to be a holy family in this secular world.  There are so many distractions and evils in our world that are fighting to destroy good, holy families; truly, Love is a Battlefield.  The good news is that Jesus is always ready to supply us with the graces and the mercy that we need—Faithfully.  He is just waiting for us to ask.  He loves it when we talk to Him frequently, when we are Livin’ on a Prayer, even just little prayers like:  “Jesus, I trust in You,” or “Thank you, Jesus,” or even, “Kyrie Eleison” (Lord, have mercy)!  Perhaps that is the greatest gift of Christmas—Christ coming to give us His mercy!  Let’s keep sharing the Good News of God’s love and mercy with those who Still Haven’t Found What They are Looking for. J 

Love through Jesus, our Stairway to Heaven,

~the Hurlberts

Family Photos and Senior Photos

With Joseph being a senior this year, we decided to get a good photographer to take some family pictures and also Joseph's senior pictures.  It was a great experience, with great results, at a great price.  It will be so fun to look back at these pictures in years to come...  I wonder what Joseph will think of his hair 20 years from now!  :)  He wanted his hair as long as possible for his senior pictures, so we got them taken right away when the school year started because he knew the school was going to require him to cut his hair to meet the handbook requirements--just like last year. (Rules can be such a drag)! His hair was so long that he could easily pull it back into a ponytail when it was wet!  He was very sad when he had to get it cut, but at least he can remember the "glory days" of his long hair forever with these photos.  Plus, we reminded him, it's just hair.  It will grow back.  And at the end of this school year he can grow it as long as he wants (which isn't too far off)!  Gulp.

But, without further adieu, here are the photos:

And now the senior photos...

Well, there they are! I'd be curious to hear which ones are your favorites because I'm having a hard time choosing which ones I like the best :)

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Even with all the stresses and disappointments of life, there is always so much to thank God for when we stop to ponder all the gifts He gives us each and every day!

Totus Tuus,
~Maria

Florida...Ave, Alligators, Awesome beaches :)

It is early November and we have already had at least 3 snowstorms--one was even in September!  Whenever it is snowing outside, (like it is as I type this), it makes me think of Florida and how much I love the warm sunshine, white sands, and salty seawater.  So today as I look at a blizzard outside of my window and long for the warmth of Florida, I will finally get around to posting our photos of our September trip to that tropical paradise!

Our reason for the trip was two-fold:
1)  We wanted to take Joseph and Michael to see Ave Maria University, a beautiful, traditional Catholic college founded by Tom Monaghan (the generous, faith-filled Catholic millionaire who started Domino's pizza and owned the Detroit Tigers for many years).  Ave Maria has a great reputation for being a conservative Catholic school; plus, it also has a baseball team, so Joseph was interested in checking it out and then applying there to see what scholarships they offer.  We wanted both boys to experience what it would be like to visit a college that was far away from home and in a totally different climate so that they could start seriously pondering the different college options that are out there.

2)  We wanted to spend some fun, quality time with our two oldest boys before they graduate.  The reality that both Joseph and Michael will soon be out of our home and starting the grand adventure of independent adulthood is suddenly upon us, and we want to treasure these last months with them.  We thought Florida would be the perfect spot for a fun vacation with our teenagers.  We were able to spend lots of time at the beach relaxing, we arranged a fishing excursion to catch big salt-water fish (including SHARK!), we took the boys to a Yankees vs. Rays game, we ate authentic seafood and even an alligator appetizer, and just had a fun time being together.  I hope it was a trip they will never forget and helped them to start discerning where God is leading them in regards to college, career, and vocation in life.

Here are the photo highlights of the trip:

Joseph,  Michael, and Paul at Ave Maria University,

with the gorgeous church in the background.

The noon Mass we attended at Ave Maria Parish was beautiful and traditional.

A clam and sand dollar that Michael found alive under the water.

I had never seen a "live" sand dollar before!  So cool!

Michael got the award for finding the more ocean treasures!

He found lots of sand dollars hiding under the sand,

and he even found a starfish.

The starfish Michael found while snorkeling.

Looks like it's "waving" to the camera :)

Paul and I enjoying fun in the sun

and the cool treasures Michael found in the ocean.

Joseph snorkeling on the left,

Michael being a typical teenager on the right.

The boys and I at the Rays vs. Yankees game!

So much fun!!

The Rays won in overtime so we sure got our money's worth!

You could touch real rays at the stadium.

We got to see Aaron Judge, which is is Nathanael's and Isaiah's favorite player.

You can see his picture on the huge screen.

Hard to see clearly, but this is Aaron Judge at bat.

We also were able to see Aroldis Chapman and Adam Ottavino warming up in the bull pen.

Aroldis Chapman is the Yankees closer who has a 100+ MPH fast ball!

Our seats had an awesome view of the Yankees bull pen.

The boys chillaxin' on the white sands of St. Pete's beach.

A seagull by the shore--even that is a fun sight for Montana tourists!  :)

Paul was the first to spot this "dark shape" in the water..

We weren't sure what it was until it came up for air...

It's a MANATEE!

Literally a few yards away from us!

Michael observing this gentle giant of the sea.

It slowly continued on its journey, so we were able to watch this majestic animal for many minutes.

Once the manatee swam away, Paul felt safe to get in the water again :)

Heading out of the harbor for our for our fishing adventure!

Almost immediately we started catching fish,

and we continued to catch them constantly for about 4 hours!

  

Michael with a Jack fish, a fun, fighting fish to reel in.

Joseph with a grouper.

A bonnethead shark we spotted in the shallow waters.

Heading out to deeper waters.  

You can see the "Sunshine Skyway Bridge" in the distance.

Michael caught a beautiful Spanish Mackerel, which were also fun fighters to reel in.

A Sail Catfish that we caught and had to be extremely careful NOT TO TOUCH.

The sail tip is extremely venomous.  Glad we didn't need to take a trip to the ER!

Michael caught the first shark of the day...a sand shark.

The blood and the scary eyes make even this small sand shark look frightening (to me, anyway) :}

Joseph pulling in a black tip shark---super fun to reel in!

Joseph with the blacktip shark.

Joseph feeling the shark's rough, sandpaper-like skin before setting it free.

Joseph about to release a Ladyfish.

Michael with "Captain Kenny" and the biggest catch of the day:

a blacktip shark.

A close-up of the blacktip shark's teeth.

Joseph taking a break from fishing to get a good view.

Our favorite food experience of the trip where we tasted Gator Bites for the first time.

Alligator tastes delicious, and it's the only place I want to see a gator...on my plate! :)

Here you can see a couple of men kiteboarding in the St. Pete's sunset.

And here is another beautiful sunset with someone kayaking in the distance.

Michael skipping some shells into the surf.

In the evenings the waves became bigger and more majestic (but harder to snorkel in!)

I am eager to visit these waves again and hear the sound of the surf upon the shore.

Perhaps one of our sons will attend Ave Maria University or some other coastal college 

so that I can visit the ocean quite often :)  

A girl can dream, can't she?

Totus Tuus, ~Maria