2 more days!

...till Christmas Eve!

My kids will surely tell you and everyone else they see or bump into lately!

ONLY 2 more days!    Yipeeeeeeeee!!!

But...we have a smidge bit of school left to my kids' dismay.  It is sort of like "1/2 days"  and it has been very difficult to keep their attention this week...as you can imagine.  But to make it easier, I have also incorporated lots of artsy crafty stuff and they love that!  Currently our dining room and kitchen room look like art rooms, tons of scraps all over the floor and tons of creations hanging all over the walls! 

For me, these next 2 days consist of wrapping, wrapping and wrapping some more.  I don't know about you but I really don't mind wrapping, esp. when there is some great Christmas music to set the mood.  The only problem is that I cannot find the time ALONE to wrap!  To date, I have only wrapped 2 presents which are not for my kids.  With all the sicknesses abounding in our home, this time alone is far and wide between.

It's a great reminder that Christmas is NOT about the presents and even though my kids are just like any kid who awaits Santa's arrival, I hope that I have helped to instill HOPE in their little hearts as we have prepared this (crazy) Advent and  esp. in these last 2 days for the coming of the Christ Child. 

• How will you receive Him this year?
• Have you prepared well enough?
• What can you do differently these last 2 days to help prepare?
• Are you caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, loosing sight of the true meaning of Christmas?
• Have you thanked God for the gift of His Son-the gift above all other gifts?

Lots to think about...

God bless,
M

Baby, you're a Win-Win for us!

The homemade chicken-cheese pizza is baking and our home smells oh-so-deliciouso! 

Hubby is working a bit late, kids are all occupied (for the time being!) and so now I have a few mins to post ...so here I am!

I am 36 and 1/2 weeks pregnant right now! 
The baby is constanting kicking to find room in my big jelly belly. 
The baby is full of hiccups and kicks and punches and all those movements we somehow wish to stop but then we love them at the same time. 
The baby is head down and ready.
The baby is making my legs swell by 5pm.
The baby is causing some big Braxton Hicks contractions in which I stop to think "Woa, maybe?" and then they stop.

This baby.
This sweet baby I cannot wait to hold in my arms and nurse and cuddle with.
(The labor and delivery I can do without, thank you.)

Here I am in the last part of this pregnancy and when I actually stop to think about it, those long 9 months, I am in awe that God has blessed us with another baby. 

I am curious to the BIG QUESTION-a BOY or a GIRL??? 

For the record, all of my kids either think it will be a girl or are wanting a little baby sister.  The boys, in the beginning, stuck with their own and wished for a boy but as time elapsed, they too figured a girl would be delightful.  (Truth be told, shh.....I too was hoping for a girl....) With 2 boys in a row with the last 2 babies, who wouldn't start thinking pink again? 

But then, about 2 weeks ago, a great calm came across my heart, mind, and soul.  I prayed and consecrated (in my own words) this new little blessing to our Blessed Mother Mary.  I asked her to help this child imitate her in her kindness, gentleness, generosity, calmness, obedience and all things that make our Blessed Mother Mary so wonderful, so "Blessed among women".  After hoping and wanting a little more pink in our household for a while, after that prayer time, I am at ease to whether this baby is a boy or a girl.  No more wishing and hoping just for pink.  I can go either way-pink or blue!  :)  I am trusting that Mary will cover this baby in her sweet mantle and make this child like her.

In this way, I cannot possibly be disappointed, huh?!  :) 

I think this is a win-win, wouldn't you say? :)

Here is a song that our family really likes and sings along to.  I think it is fitting to post it on this post:

Mary, this baby is yours.  Mary, I trust you. 

My Jesus, I love you.

My Jesus, this baby is All Yours.  May this baby grow ever closer to You all the days of his or her life. 
God bless,
M

Snowman!

Our FIRST snowman of this Winter Season!
Bring it on'~!
Who would have known that moving to the "South" we'd have more snow than the North?
Sorry guys up there, I know you miss this white stuff!!!
We're pretty happy to have some-just 2inches but it goes a looooooooong way with little ones.  Just perfect for them...not too much to not be able to walk in but enough that it does not melt right away :)

I do have to say that it is really funny to see that these folks down here have no idea what to do when it snows.  For ie:  yesterday it snowed and it is over 24 hours since it stopped and STILL there has been no plows to be seen!  Our road is still pretty much covered in snow still!  It's like they are at a standstill not knowing what to do!  so funny.

God bless,
M

Today

We are recovering, thank You God. 
What a whirlwind it has been.

Today we've had some welcoming change-our First Snow of the winter season 2010!

My kids were so excited and even much more b/c they were well enough to enjoy that inch or a little more of it!  We have a little hill in our backyard-it is perfect for them to get real tired on-perfect for sledding down and hiking back up only to sled donw again and then hike back up to sled down again...you get the drift!!!

I am anxious to see if all this fresh air and outside exercise is going to help our little sleepers sleep a whole lot better!??!?  I'll keep you posted on that one...I do hope so, very much so.

It's so nice to be blogging about some better things other than complaining...I am sorry about that.  I needed to vent and I hope you did not mind too much! 

This crazy computer and blogosphere is my link to the outside world lately, as our road to Bethlehem gets less bumpy!

Today was great.  Lots of white snow lighting up our inside of the house, lots of hot chocolate to keep those insides warm, lots of little bowls of warm/hot water for those freezing hands after snow time, lots of fresh air, lots of hugs to keep them warm, & lots of love.

Here are some pics.

God bless,
M

Sick

Here we go...
On Sunday, one kid has stomach bug.
On Sunday night,  another kid gets the bug.
By Monday afternoon, 4 kids get the bug.
By Monday night, 4 kids plus this Momma gets the bug.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that we are dealing with lice too?  Not sure if we have it, have not seen any little pesters yet but we were exposed so I am doing all this washing, shampooing, washing, drying, shampooing etc...just in case.

Yup, this has been some Advent.

All for Your Greater Glory, Lord.

God bless,
M

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

God bless,
M

One thing to say

or rather SCREAM FROM THE ROOF TOP....



WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!
WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!
WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!

DO YOU HEAR ME?

WE SOLD OUR HOUSE...FINALLY!!!!

ALL THANKS BE TO GOD-HE SURELY INTERVENED AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL AND RELIEVED.  FINALLY.  FINALLY.

THANK YOU GOD!

God bless,
M