Christmas

Sometimes I have to remind myself that Christmas is truly a season and not one day, because the one day goes by so quickly and no one wants it to end. 

The joy and excitement on our children's faces made it all worth it and the fact that they had joy in giving and not just receiving warmed my heart, as well.

What truly touched me was our daughter's insistence on having a cake for the Lord's Birthday.  She wanted Jesus to have a birthday cake.  I saw her "wheels" turning when she asked me about candles.  She asked if Jesus was indeed 2,010 years old.  "That's a lot of candles."  "Yes, honey, it is.  I don't think they'll all fit."  "Mommy, I have another idea."  Scroll down and see what her idea was and how it still brings tears to my eyes just seeing it.  I know the Lord was smiling when we all sang to Him after dinner, but more importantly, because the sweet idea came from the heart of a 7-year old child.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve in pictures

Before Mass

Getting cookies ready for Santa

Putting out popcorn for the reindeer

Pop-Pop blessing the tree and manger

Merry Christmas!!!!

A Blessed Christmas

I just saw a quote in a friend's blog that summed it up so well. (thanks, Allison!)  I wish all of you the most Blessed Christmas and a New Year that is filled with love, health and happiness.  May God bless us, everyone!

"Every mother, when she picks up the young life that has been born to her, looks up to the heavens to thank God for the gift which made the world young again. But here was a mother, a madonna, who did not look up. She looked down to Heaven, for this was Heaven in her arms." Archbishop Fulton Sheen

It is in giving that we receive....

Some years back, we started a tradition with our children.  We take them to a store like "Five and Below" and allow them to pick out gifts for each other, us and their grandparents.  It is awesome to see how much thought and effort goes into the selecting of each item.  Their excitement today was contagious as we got home and started to wrap.  Instead of hearing "gimmes," I heard, "I can't wait to give my brother his present" or "I can't wait to see Dad's face when he sees this!"  Wow.  Isn't that what it's all about?