Unexpected Visitor

We were so blest to enjoy a visit with an old college friend on Saturday...

Sr. Maria Cristina Ouano! We didn't have to go to Illinois, Texas, Cebu, Taiwan, or even France... just out to the CKs!
Lori & baby Joy were able to join in the fun.

Sister, you are in our prayers! Thanks for the visit!

Pumpkin Designing & Painting

Wow!

Congratulations to Sr. Mary Rebecca on her final vows!

I can't believe how blest we are to have such good friends that are now priests & professed sisters... what a gift.

Thanks to Megan for the photo!

Julia Irene

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Happy Birthday, Julia!
We are so blest to have you as a niece & goddaughter.

Scrapbooking Cards

A simpler, less bulky way to *keep* their birthday cards in the kids' scrapbooks:

Jesse Tree

As multiple relatives keep reminding me, Christmas is just 2 months away. Though I feel like I just barely pulled together Halloween in time... I've been asked to start thinking ahead. One favorite Advent tradition that we have adopted is the Jesse Tree. If you'd like to try it this year, I recommend planning now!

The
Jesse Tree
is an Advent tradition
named after Jesse,
the father of King David.
Biblical symbols representing the
ancestry of Jesus,
either in faith or bloodline,
are added one by one onto a tree.
As each ornament is
added, a Bible verse is read to
explain the symbol. There is one ornament
for each
day in
Advent.

I feel like praying through the stories of the Jesse Tree has really increased my understanding & my recall of the Old Testament in relation to the New. There are many ways to do it. Each night during Advent our family goes downstairs around the *Christmas* tree. We read a story out of the children's Bible, sometimes sing a verse of an Advent song, & hang the ornament related to the Biblical figure on the tree. A couple of years ago a bunch of friends each picked a story, meditated on it, made 25 of ornaments to represent it, & then swapped with each other to have a full set. It turned out awesome! If you would like details on how we made it work, I'd be glad to pass them along. Below are the readings & associated ornament for each day of this Advent. The third week is the 'O Antiphons' & the final week finds us reading many Christmas stories & travelling so I we stop with the actual Jesse Tree additions on the 21st.

November 29 Explain Jesse Tree

Put up tree & add only lights
November 30 Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4

Symbol: earth star
December 1 Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24

Symbol: tree
December 2 Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7, 23-24

Symbol: apple with snake
December 3 Noah: Gen. 6:5-22; 7:17-24; 8:1-22

Symbol: rainbow with dove
December 4 Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3

Symbol: torch & sword in starry sky
December 5 Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14

Symbol: bundle of wood
December 6 Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15

Symbol: ladder with angels
December 7 Joseph: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15

Symbol: coat of many colors
December 8 Moses: Ex. 2:1-10

Symbol: 10 Commandments
December 9 Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18

Symbol: oil lamp
December 10 Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13

Symbol: stump with leaf
December 11 David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51

Symbol: slingshot
December 12 Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-28

Symbol: temple
December 13 Jonah: Jonah 1:1-17

Symbol: whale
December 14 Nativity Story

Christmas Angel
December 15 Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25

Symbol: Joseph’s shield on fish
Mary: Luke 1:26-38

Symbol: crown of stars
December 16 John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8

Symbol: shell with dove
December 17 Jesus is Wisdom: Sirach 24:2; Wisdom 8:1

Symbol: open book
Jesus is Lord: Ex. 3:2; 20:1

Symbol: I AM burning bush
December 18 Jesus is Flower of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3

Symbol: flower
Jesus is Key of David: Isaiah 22:22

Symbol: key
December 19 Jesus is Radiant Dawn: Psalm 19:6-7

Symbol: globe with rising sun
Jesus is King: Psalm 2:7-8; Ephesians 2:14-20

Symbol: crown
December 20 Jesus is Emmanuel: Isaiah 7:14; 33:22

Symbol: chalice with Eucharist
Jesus is Light of the World: John 1:1-14

Symbol: sun
December 21 Nativity: Luke 2:1-20

Symbol: baby Jesus

Decorate tree!

Happy Halloween!

Teresa, our little star

(adorable outfit made by my sister Melissa)

Officer Andrew & firegirl Rebecca

Girls, girls, girls

We joyfully welcome Abigail Loretta to the family! She was born last night & weighed in at 6 lbs 13 oz at 20 inches long. Congratulations, Dan, Andrea, Alaina, & Adam. We can't wait to come & meet her!

***

Congratulations, too, go out to friends Peter & Lori who welcomed Joy Marie on Wednesday morning. All these sweet little girls within three weeks of each other! I wonder how alike/different they'll be. : )

What's in a name?

Two of my sisters, having big kids of their own, anticipated Andrew & Rebecca being more excited about opening presents for Baptism than Teresa. So, Denise brought these awesome ScribbleMats for the kids. You can color with crayons, wipe off, & recolor as many times as you want. So fun. I also like the fact that it takes about as much time for them to wipe them clean as it does to color in the first place! A good 20 minutes of fun each shot. =]

Chris found these adorable little babies for the kids, too. They come in & out of the little cover snuggly. Rebecca's is called Hunny Bunny, Andrew's is Snuggle Bug. They've been sleeping with them & carrying them around constantly. Though he is NOT opposed to having his own little baby to love, Andrew IS opposed to such a cutesy name as Snuggle Bug. He informed us that he has oh-so-affectionately renamed his "Black War".

...boys!

White as snow

This Sunday we celebrated Teresa Rose's Baptism. It was a joyous occasion with many family visiting & fun to surround the Sacrament. Thank you to all who joined us! Thank you for your prayers for her perfect little soul! Teresa with Aunt Chris & Aunt Denise
More adoring fans: cousins Lucy & Maria

Teresa was the 27th to wear this adorable Baptismal gown. Her godfather Doug was the first. Many aunts, uncles, & cousins have shared the honor.

We were blest to have Uncle Fr. Jon baptize little Teresa.

Our first *fancy* picture of our family of five.

(Rebecca looked adorable, but was not so happy about wearing her flower girl dress again. "I don't want to be a princess!!!" she repeatedly screamed as we were leaving the house.)

Godparents Uncle Doug & Aunt Denise

My family

Amazingly ALL of my siblings, though unfortunately not their entire families, were able to join us. What a special gift!

Darren's familyYummy treat... one of the first in probably a long life of name misspellings!

She slept like an angel through most of the Baptism AND the party that followed.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for her.

St. Rose of Lima, pray for her.

Mom Prom

Thanks for a super fun time, ladies!

(Photo credit: Andrea)

Clarifications

Lately, Rebecca has been very specific about clarifying what she means. For example, the other day she was set on having candy. She kept asking & asking & asking, when each time I offered a different option. Finally it came down to this:

Mommy: Okay, fine. Would you like a piece of candy?

Rebecca: NO!

Mommy: You don't want a piece of candy?

Rebecca: No. Not a PIECE of candy, a BIG candy.

***

She's also been very particular about what people call her & her little sister. I guess I didn't realize how often I use nicknames around here! Here's a sample of what I've heard probably 20 times in the last two days:

Mommy: Hi, peanut!

Rebecca: I not "peanut", I "Becca"!

***

Mommy: (to Teresa) You're sure a sweetie, kiddo.

Rebecca: She not "kiddo", she "Teresa"!

Green Grandma

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We love you & are so thankful for the wonderful husband/daddy you have given us. May God smile upon you today & always!

Here she is!

Our littlest princess...

Teresa Rose has arrived!

After much anticipation, she finally showed her pretty little face on Monday, October 12th at 2:09 p.m. She weighs 7 lbs 15 oz & is 21 inches long. She has a sweet little mess of brown hair on top, long lashes, her Daddy's chin dimple, & long toes. I see an amazing resemblance to big brother Andrew when he was a baby. She is healthy, happy (especially when I let her nurse for hours), & just so perfect!

We named her after Blessed Teresa of Calcutta & Great Grandma Rose F. She nows shares a birthday with cousin Lucy! Andrew & Rebecca were just bursting with joy when they met her last night. Andrew even kind of choked up when he was first holding her. : ) Rebecca asked, "Can we bring baby home with us?" Hooray! I hope that attitude lasts for a while. =]

I'll post pictures & more details later, but for now I'm just basking in the wonder of this tiny little princess. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Lucy

Happy Birthday, Lucy!
You are such a sweet & fun niece.
May God smile upon you today!

Autumn Wonderland

Gotta love Nebraska! After a day out at the pumpkin patch that really made it feel like autumn, we awoke to a wintry mantel of beautiful white snow yesterday morning. I had to practically lock the kids in their room to keep them from frolicking in it at 6:30 a.m. ... I gave in about 8:30, when the thermometer hit 29*.I was pleased to discover that we have enough hand-me-downs & hand-me-overs to keep them warm. What a gift to have such generous families & friends!

Dad

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Thank you for your generous love, sacrifice, & support.

I'm so blest to have you as my father.

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Pumpkin Fun

Today we ventured out with Andrew's preschool class to a local pumpkin patch. It was quite the experience compared to our normal stop just down the road. His afternoon was highlighted by riding the school bus though Rebecca & I rode with some friends in their van. Tons of displays, barnyard animals, a huge castle slide, & ride-on toys... not to mention pumpkins galore...

made it a lot of fun.

Rebecca is such an animal lover. She was hugging & feeding everything that would let her.

"Come on daddy sheep. Let's go!"

P.S. Thanks to Kim & Andrea for your encouragement to go... it was a break that I needed & I'm glad we did!

P.P.S. Yes, I'm posting to stay caught up AND to keep you from wondering if we are at the hospital yet. No such luck, even on the due date today. If you want to give me a ring, I'd love to chat (as long as the conversation doesn't include, "Are you ever gonna have that baby?"). ; ] I'm running out of ways to distract myself! Halloween costumes? Thanksgiving dinner prep? Christmas shopping???

Creating

In preparation for their little sibling, I made these shirts for the kids. They're so excited to wear them! I said they have to wait until they come to visit us at the hospital... one more thing to look forward to with anticipation. As I've been busy attempting to create order around our home, Rebecca's been more busy creating... well, scenes like this. Busy, busy, busy.

Cinco!

Well, Andrew turned the big 5 yesterday. Hard to believe it's been five whole years since he was the one we were waiting so anxiously to meet! His doctor check-up measured him at 45 1/2 inches tall & 43 pounds... long & lean. He's a healthy, happy, wonderful kid. He made the whole day yesterday a bunch of fun with his positive & giddy attitude. We even had fun on a Walgreens run! =]

We gave him his first 2 wheeler as a gift... big hit! (The striped box in the first picture is actually a wrapped kick-stand. Darren had him convinced that we would just buy him a piece of a big bike every year, then when he's 12 he'd have a whole bike! He seemed okay with that, but thrilled/relieved when I told him maybe he should peek in the basement, too... where the bike was hiding.) He's been riding it in spite of huge wind gusts, cold temps, & rain. Red Grandma & Grandpa gave him a super cool helmet & pads to go with it, so that makes it even more fun. Thank you!

Werners, Uncle Jon, & Green Grandma & Grandpa joined us for a lovely lunch of pancakes, eggs, fruit, cupcakes... & pizza courtesy of Grandma. They gifted him with a Playskool Police Officer Helmet... very loud but very cool.

From the moment she saw the balloons in the kitchen, Rebecca was excited as well, especially at the prospect of having cupcakes for lunch & then cake for supper!Auntie Cara & baby Jonathan stopped over yesterday with birthday wishes & another super gift: a Nerf suction cup gun. Though one of the "bullets" is already missing, it has been a non-stop thrill! Lucky, lucky boy. Thank you for all of the well wishes, cards, prayers, visits & presents everyone! You've helped fill #5 with good memories.

Bubba is 5!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

God has truly blest us with you.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything

but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus."

~Philippians 4:6-7

~~~

Our Bible Study has recently started Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. It has been a fantastic read & perfectly timed for my spiritual life right now. I've never felt more like a Martha in my life! There are so many nuggets of wisdom, new perspectives, & relevant references to make it one of my favorite studies yet. Especially helpful as of late is the discussion of anxiety & it's place in our lives. I could type forever...but you should just read the book. ; ) I'll just give you three of my favorite passages so far.

***

p. 34

What We Worry About

40% are things that will never happen

30% are about the past - which can't be changed

12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue

10% are about health, which gets worse with stress

8% are about real problems that can be solved

(...all of my worries fit into that 8%, right?)

***

p.38

Healthy Concern vs. Toxic Worry

Concern

*involves a legitimate threat

*is specific

*addresses the problem

* solves problems

*looks to God for answer

Worry

*is often unfounded

*is generalized

*obsesses about the problem

*creates more problems

*looks to self or others for answers

(so I guess when it's too much & I just can't say WHAT exactly is wrong...)

***

p.59

"I realized then that, while there are many things that need to be done, things I'm capable of doing & want to do, I am not always the one to do them. Even if I have a burden for a certain need or project, my interest or concern is not a surefire sign that I need to be in charge. God may only be calling me to pray that the right person will rise up to accomplish it. What's more, I may be STEALING someone else's BLESSING when I assume I must do it all."

(I've often considered that I'm doing too much or being asked to do too much, but I rarely have thought that I might actually be taking away an opportunity for growth from someone else.)

***

Any of those strike a cord with you? Are you a toxic worrier? How do you separate what God wills for you to do from what you feel you must do for Him?