Advent Highlights...awaiting the Light

This has been a lovely Advent all in all.  Yes, there were moments of stress as I got sucked into the whirlwind of shopping for the so-called perfect gifts for the myriad of people on my shopping list, moments of losing focus on the reason for the season, and even some moments of battling the darkness.  But I think I'm finally learning that it's OK not to be perfect, because we have a perfectly loving, merciful, and patient God who can consume our imperfections with a single glance, with a single ray from His heart burning with love and waiting for us to ask for His mercy.  That truth always brings me hope and shines light when things get dark in this heart of mine.

There were a few traditions--some old and some new--that helped make this Advent special and helped our family keep our focus where it belongs...  Here's a list of a few:

1) Making a renewed commitment to doing morning prayer with my husband and praying the rosary in the car with the kids on the way to school was a great way to start our days.  Striving to stay close to Mary, in general, is a great way to grow closer to Jesus.  As a sweet and silly sign of our love for Our Lady, we decided to place a scarf around our Mary statue in the backyard and sweep the snow away to keep her "warm."  Hopefully our love for her truly warms her heart.

Nathanael was my big helper to make Mary warm!  :)

I'm sure his genuine effort warmed Mary's heart more than the scarf.

It was also special to have the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the midst of Advent.
These rose-shaped cinnamon rolls are always a hit.  They are a lot of work, but so worth it!

2) Each week we picked a new "Secret Santa" within our family to remind all of us to do extra kind deeds secretively like the real St. Nickolas did.  Then we would try to guess at the end of the week who each person had and draw new names for the following week.


3)  The kids put straw in baby Jesus' manger when they were caught doing something kind, but they had to remove a piece when they misbehaved or whined, etc.  This was a concrete reminder that our acts of love can bring comfort to Jesus just like soft hay in His manger, but when we sin it hurts our Savior.  I hope we will have lots of soft hay for baby Jesus on Christmas day!

4) Decorating the tree as a family is always one of my favorite Advent traditions (well, two trees actually...we put the artificial one up first because I love to decorate the tree as soon as Advent starts, and then we cut a real tree later in the Advent season so that it would stay fresh and not drop pine needles all over the floor).  This year we gave away the angel for the top of the tree and chose a beautiful star instead, to remind us of the Star of Bethlehem and Jesus being the Light of the world.

5) The boys' school put on a beautiful Christmas program to help prepare our hearts for the joy of Christmas.

Our little "star" Nathanael with one of his best friends named Emily

Nathanael letting his light shine

Bow-tied Dominic had a solo speaking part in the concert, as well as playing the cello in the orchestra.

Joseph and Michael looking handsome in their red ties prior to the concert.
They are both becoming young holy men, and I am so proud of them.

The junior high and high school choir
(Michael is in the center with glasses; Joseph is on the top row, far right)

Joseph playing 1st chair violin in the orchestra.
This boy truly has musical talent far beyond his mom and dad.

6) But I would have to say that our evening Advent traditions were the most meaningful to me.  Each night for supper we would light our Advent candles, say the prayer for that week, and then eat the meal by candlelight.  Later in the evening, right before bedtime, we would gather again by the light of our Christmas tree and read our Advent devotional stories (one book had a Scripture meditation for the day, and another book had a traditional Christmas read-aloud story).  Some of the stories were truly touching and I hope the messages will bear fruit in our hearts for years to come.

My mom made this beautiful wood-burned Advent candle holder,
and this year we were able to make a homemade wreath from boughs from the trees on our property

Of course the kids thought that blowing the candles out was the best part!

Thank you, Jesus, for being our light in this dark world!  I hope this Advent season has made more room in our hearts for You and prepared us for Your second coming or whenever you may decide to call us Home to be with You!  Come, Lord Jesus, come soon!

Highlights (and lowlights) from last week...

Life with 5 boys is always a bit crazy, but I'd say that last week was even a bit more so than usual...

The week started off with beautiful snowfall, which meant driving the kids to school extra cautiously and a bit earlier than usual on Monday morning.  Half way through town, my 3 year old started throwing up in the car (which I was totally unprepared for), and a few minutes later as we were waiting in the turn lane a car crashes into us due to the snow-packed/icy roads (totally unprepared for that too).  But God gave me extra graces to handle all of it with peace, and I was just abundantly thankful that no one was hurt and that the week could only get better, right?

Isaiah handled the flu like a champ.

With his puke bucket and his ipad at his side, he was content as can be.


Well, the next day another child started throwing up with the stomach flu...

But then the week did get better after that...

Our big Kindergartner pulled his first tooth (all by himself!) and the tooth fairy made a visit to our house (despite the frigid flying conditions outside) :)

Another highlight of the week was that the local deer have learned that even though there is less food available in the snowy winter weather, there are sympathetic (or just pathetic?) animal lovers who will feed them.  It's fun, but also a bit strange, to have deer run to greet us when we open the front door or follow us when we walk to and from the chicken coop!

Michael is our greatest animal enthusiast and loves to spend the day hanging out with the deer or hiking around our property with my camera to get pictures of all the wildlife.

The weekend got even better.  There was so much snowfall during the week that we were able to go skiing for the first time of the season on Friday night!  The two older boys invited some school friends, and I got to go skiing with my sweet son Dominic (who is still young enough to think that skiing with mom is cool) :)

And then over the weekend we got to go out into the wilderness with some awesome friends to go cut down a Christmas tree and have hot dogs over a bonfire while sipping on hot cocoa and eating cookies in the snowy mountains of Montana.  It just doesn't get any better than that.

Thank you, God, for all the highlights (and even the lowlights) that we experienced this week.  All is a gift.

I wonder what this week will bring? :)

Let's console Mary's heart!!!

Today is the 1st Saturday of December, and the Catholic Church has the beautiful tradition of dedicating the 1st Saturday of each month for the purpose of consoling Mary's sorrowful heart.  Why is Mary's Immaculate Heart sorrowful, some would ask, when she should be happy in heaven rejoicing with God and all the saints...  Well, the way I look at it, she is sorrowful because once you're a mother you are always a mother, and when a mother sees her children sad or sinning, it breaks her heart.  Mary is the mother of us all, and so many of her children are turning away from God and might be choosing hell through their sinful actions.  So no wonder she is sad.  That's what this latest Medjugorje message made me think of...a very sad mother who is trying to do everything she possibly can---even miraculously appearing every day with messages of motherly wisdom---to try to bring her children to heaven to be with her and Jesus forever.  So let's start listening to her, let's start praying, let's start seeking God's will rather than our own, let's start trying to help other souls turn back to God...let's start consoling our sweet mother's heart!!!


December 2, 2016 Message to Mirjana

 "Dear children, my motherly heart is crying as I am looking at what my children are doing. Sins are multiplying, the purity of soul is all the less important; my Son is being forgotten - honored all the less; and my children are being persecuted. That is why, you my children, apostles of my love, with soul and heart invoke the name of my Son. He will have the words of light for you. He manifests Himself to you, He breaks the bread with you and gives you the words of love so that you may transform them into merciful acts and, thus, be witnesses of truth. That is why, my children, do not be afraid. Permit my Son to be in you. He will make use of you to care for the wounded and to convert lost souls. Therefore, my children, return to the prayer of the Rosary. Pray it with feelings of goodness, sacrifice and mercy. Pray, not only with words, but with merciful acts. Pray with love for all people. My Son, by His sacrifice, exalted love. Therefore, live with Him so that you may have strength and hope; that you may have the love which is life and which leads to eternal life. Through God's love, I am also with you, and will lead you with motherly love. Thank you."

(Mirjana said that Our Lady was very sad.)

WANTED: Advent Ideas

St. Teresa of Calcutta, once said, "Before the birth of Jesus, His parents asked for a simple dwelling place, but there was none. If Mary and Joseph were looking for a home for Jesus, would they choose...your heart, and all it holds?"


So the question to ask ourselves as we begin this Advent season is how to make our hearts ready for Jesus's coming? I wish I had the answer, and I don't think there is one right answer, but rather many different ways that we can make more room in our hearts for Christ and declutter the things that distract us from Him and His will.

Today as our family decorates for Christmas, I am going to ponder that question and try to decide what traditions or devotions our family should do this Advent.  I would truly love to hear some of your ideas, so please post them below!

A Thanksgiving message from Our Lady of Medjugorje

Here is the latest message from the Blessed Virgin Mary who is still appearing daily to 3 visionaries in Medjugorje (Vicka, Ivan, and Marija).  Mary also appears yearly and sometimes monthly to the other 3 visionaries (Ivanka, Jakov, and Marjana) who have already received all 10 secrets that will be revealed to the world at God's appointed time.  She has been miraculously appearing to the visionaries in Medjugorje since 1981, giving our world messages to guide us closer to her Son.  What a loving mother God has given us to patiently teach us slow-learners all these years! :)

November 25, 2016, Message to Marija

"Dear children! Also today, I am calling you to return to prayer. In this time of grace, God has permitted me to lead you towards holiness and a simple life - that in little things you discover God the Creator; that you fall in love with Him; and that your life be a thanksgiving to the Most High for everything He is giving you. Little children, in love, may your life be a gift for others and God will bless you; but you, witness without interest - out of love for God. I am with you and  intercede before my Son for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

(for more history on the miraculous apparitions in Medjugorje, you can read this post that I wrote shortly after our pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 2015)

Thanksgiving Blessings---from our family to yours!

(This is the Thanksgiving letter I sent out to our family and friends on our mailing list, but since I don't have the addresses of all my blog readers, I thought I would post it here too. Thanksgiving Blessings be upon all of you!!!)

Our family wishes you a happy and holy Thanksgiving holiday!  Many of you already know that the Lord blessed our family with a new home this past year—thank you again to those of you who helped us pray our way into this new home!  Our hearts are still overflowing with thanksgiving for the gift of this home and the acres of wilderness that our boys are now able to explore.  God feels so near as we look around our property and see all of His creation surrounding us—the grove of colorful aspens amidst the pines, the deer we sometimes feed by hand, the array of birds (even owls!) who take baths in our pond, the wild turkey (named “Jake”) who sleeps in a Ponderosa tree in our backyard… It’s all a gift—just like God’s grace—which we do not deserve but that He gives us out of His goodness and love.

I almost hesitate to share our abundant blessings because some people may look at our home and our family photo and think that our life seems “picture-perfect.”  Allow me to quickly dispel that false notion of perfection.  Yes, God has been good to us and He is perfect, but no, our family is not perfect.  I could give a litany of our imperfections—marital tiffs, bickering boys, sins that outnumber the pine cones on our property, and times of intense darkness—but we’ve always held on to HOPE.  The reason we have for our hope is JESUS—His love, His strength, His saving grace—all of which helps us weather any storm that this world sends our way.

So this Thanksgiving season, we would like to leave you with a message of hope.  We want you to know that no matter what storm you may be going through right now or what storm you may have to face in the future, Jesus is there to help you take the next right step or to carry you if you can’t even take another step.  Just trust in His merciful love, which is far bigger than any of our sins, and cling to the hope that heaven awaits those who believe and persevere to the end.  And then go out and share that hope with the world!!!

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

Always be prepared to give an answer

to everyone who asks you to give the reason

for the hope that you have.”

1 Peter 3:15

Love from our imperfect family, striving to be a “Totus Tuus” family,

Christ the King prayer

On this solemnity of Christ the King, here is a beautiful prayer to help remind us to place Christ as King of ALL areas of our lives!  Happy Feast Day!  This is also the last day of the Year of Mercy in the Church, so we thank and praise God for the gift of His mercy and the graces given in this Jubilee Year celebrating His merciful love!!!

Christ, our Savior and our King, renew in me allegiance to Your Kingship.

I pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things.
I pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority.
I pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your Kingdom in my family and community.
I pray that You will reign in my mind.
I pray that You will reign in my heart.
I pray that You will reign in my will.
I pray that You will reign in my body.
I pray that You will reign throughout all the world.
I pray that You will reign in every area of my life.

O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in my life and in the life of the world. Christ, my King, please answer these petitions if they be in accordance with Your Holy Will…

[Mention your intentions here]

 As I reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, I beg You to show me mercy and give me the grace to become a great saint. I pray that not only will I spend eternity with You but that You may use me – a sinner – to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory. Christ the King, Your Kingdom come! Amen.