Feast of the Holy Family

As most people are contemplating taking down the Christmas decorations and tree,  Catholics are just now "celebrating" Christmas. Christmas begins "on" Christmas, and continues over the 12 days of Christmas.  This is known as Christmastide, or Christmas Season, which lasts all the way to the Epiphany celebration, when many Catholic churches celebrate a meal together with their church families.

To read more about how to continue the blessings of Christmas and get the most out of the birth of our Savior in our chronological timeline in history, follow this link: Feast of the Holy Family

Let’s be real, Wishbone taught me everything I know about Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We loved that episode of Wishbone!



Let’s be real, Wishbone taught me everything I know about Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and True Human Nature | Word on Fire

Our Lady of Guadalupe and True Human Nature | Word on Fire

Dr. Bruchalski, a giver-of-life - The Arlington Catholic Herald

Dr. Bruchalski, a giver-of-life - The Arlington Catholic Herald

We are the work of your hands....

Life is very busy here.  December just suddenly appeared out of nowhere!  I have so much to do to prepare for the holiday ahead.  I would say I'm half way into this, but it's that other half that worries me!  -_- All this while home schooling throughout.  We can do this, we can do this.....well, I've been saying that for nineteen years of home schooling and by golly, yes, we can do this!  And we will!  :) 

Keeping the balance of home schooling going and other activities that the holidays afford is no easy task. You do have to set some good points of reference, cut off dates for when it makes sense to end, or to continue something -- maybe that's just math every morning, or evening, or history reading.  My children will continue reading, (that just doesn't stop) and my oldest will continue math up through Dec 23rd!....he's thick into two maths simultaneously by choice, and it's best to keep this one's mind filled with puzzles to tackle and math suits him very well.  A busy mind is not the OCD devil's workshop!  

We did enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving and I'm sure in time we will enjoy a beautiful Christmas as well.  We already have our familys' parties lined up with locations and dates scheduled; both sides.  With a father in law of 92 yrs old, still mobile and willing to go out and about, we all file into a buffet for the afternoon and eat then head to one of the closest homes to celebrate a while.   

The children have done youth group projects for Christmas that I oversee as director, twice now, and we are working on our Christmas child (Salvation Army giving tree child).  One thing I've noticed this year, is no matter how pressured I feel, that I'm not going to have everything completed, I realize we have much completed through our outside giving to others.  My children are always with me here - or not far from reach, and I can always get them something quickly.  These other people we are helping, I do not see or know personally, so I put them first.  Yes, I put other unfortunate families first, before my own.  My thinking is my children have pretty much everything and anything they want (within reason), kind of on the "tad bit spoiled" end.  I have no second guessing in putting those in need first.

So today, this third day in Advent already, I recall the many Advents of anticipation before; how I was able to spiritually prepare myself to celebrate in our beliefs of Lord and Savior, Emmanuel among us, and how I know, no matter how much I feel unprepared for the entire holiday.....that really being prepared within trumps all.   

But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of  your hands...  Is 64:8