The Many Gifts of Christmas

This was a wonderful Christmas.

The kids were all home for Christmas Eve festivities which include Mass, pizza and presents.

There were several awesome homemade presents this year:

Michael made, for a secret santa gift, and received from loving sisters, a tie blanket with the 21 Pilots logo on it.

It's actually black, not brown.

It involved a lot of knot tying:

A WHOLE LOT of knot tying!!!

Our tenacious one made a jewelry box, and some jewelry for her cousin:

A friend from church made this angel for me.  Yes, she made this!  

And our oldest daughter and our son-in-law made us 

GRANDPARENTS!!!! 

Christmas gets better every year! 

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com

The Home Stretch on Several Fronts

Once again, it's finals week and the week before Christmas.

Josh is done!

Amanda is done!

Michael has one more final.

Our high schooler has three more. (Four if you count the hour he has to spend in study hall tomorrow.)

And the youngest final taker has one more.

So far everyone is pleased with the outcomes of their exams.

This has been a busy week of extra driving because:  Michael is moving home from college and has decided to commute for his finals.

The high school only wants the kids there for finals, which means they go in at the normal time and get out before lunch.

The middle schooler, who is also taking finals, has to be there all day every day all week.

Throw in swim practice and a meet, gymnastics, Bible School, driving number one son to the dealership for car repairs and then to work, and then taking him to  and from school since he did not have a car that night and it adds up to a lot of extra miles.  Thank God gas is so cheap right now.

Christmas is a week away (we open on Christmas Eve which gives me one less evening to prepare) and the shopping is only mostly done.  More driving to come for shopping, than wrapping and celebrating.

My other countdown is to the shortest day of the year.  Four more days and they start getting longer again!  Woo hoo.

I was really looking forward to not driving for two whole weeks, but our high schooler is now on the swim team and has practice just about everyday all of vacation.  He has the hard part though. He has to swim for two hours. I just have to get him there.  I'll take it!

Merry Christmas to all.

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com

Grand(ma) Inspiration

It started with an idea.  A friend asked my mom if she wanted to walk the Detroit Free Press 1/2 Marathon.  She accepted and so did a mutual friend from California. (Leave California in October to come to Michigan to walk a marathon?)  

Let the training begin.  New shoes made for walking long distances were a must.  Have to protect those feet!  Mile after mile, she built up her leg muscles and her stamina.  She got to see lots of Dearborn in her efforts to find longer distances to walk.  She even made it 13 miles down Hines Drive. 

Then came the excitement when the race was getting closer and we, her children and grandchildren, wanted to show our support.  So we ordered t-shirts.  Green of course, since she is 100% Irish.  

Hers says: NOREEN  75 YEARS STRONG & STEADY on the back and Detroit Free Press 1/2 Marathon Walk 10/19/14 on the front. 

Ours say, TEAM NOREEN on the back and pretty much the same on the front but include the words Pit Crew. 

The  13.1-mile walk included the Ambassador Bridge and the Tunnel. She and her friends finished in under 4.5 hours.  

L-R Dorothy, Noreen, Sandy

Way to go ladies! Congratulations. 

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com

Cooking For How Many?

Well, in the past year (Sunday is the Beams' first anniversary--how did that happen?) three "kids" have moved out of the house.

I don't even know how to cook anymore!  Nor am I really sure what to buy at the grocery store. Not only was I used to cooking for our family, we always had extras at the table with fiancés and friends. That's not the case any more.

It is taking me a long time to figure out just what to buy because I didn't really keep track of who ate what, other than what I made for supper.  That and what disappeared from the pantry shelves.

So far I've figured out that it is Michael who battered and fried the cheese sticks (keep those around for weekend visits home.) Michael is also the only one who regularly ate turkey sandwiches.  Hold off on the Italian bread and sliced turkey.

Liz liked the instant oatmeal which is why I have an 18 pack still sitting in the basement. Note to self--give oatmeal to Liz.

Caitlyn's favorites changed depending on how her head was feeling and if she felt something she was eating was contributing to her migraines.  Then she would stop eating that and try something new. (Her hubby is doing a great job cooking for them and trying new things that taste delicious but don't cause pain.)

Liz and Caitlyn must be the ones who ate all the hummus and pita because now it turns green faster than I can finish if off by myself.  I know it was Liz who ate the guacamole--eww.

Portion sizes at dinner have drastically diminished even though Amanda eats like a guy because she works out every day and keeps track of her macros.  (Don't ask.) The leftovers sit in the fridge and beg for someone to eat them. Never mind, that's ME begging someone to eat them.

I made vanilla cupcakes and there they sit, tempting me, but no one else.  And birthday cakes don't disappear as quickly as they used to.  I guess I figured out who was eating cake for breakfast.

Somehow, though, the food bill has not gotten any lower.  Because the other foods I used to buy are being replaced with things like protein powder and lots of extra fruit.  That's okay, fruit is good for them, right?  I rarely get any of that though because it now disappears faster than cupcakes.

Change is good. It keeps me on my toes and gives me something to look forward to!

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com

My Weekend

I asked my dear one to please take the little (ok, not so little anymore) girls up north to see his parents for the weekend.

About every 5 months or so, I just need some "me time".  My dear one is very willing because he knows it makes me a better person, wife and mom.

The past couple of times I've needed some time alone, I have gone away.  But, hotels are expensive and sometimes, a little lonely if there is no other plan for the weekend.

So this time, I got to stay home, while he took those who need me the most, away for a little other-side-of-the-family time.

This was my weekend.  On Friday, I cleaned so that I could enjoy Saturday and Sunday.  Bathroom, bedroom, laundry,  ironing, vacuuming,  and that awesome (always messy) kitchen were all tackled and conquered.

Saturday morning I woke up and finished folding the last load of towels and then I had some fun.

I went to Mass,

faith.sfamanitowoc.org

had lunch with a friend,

❤

had a massage!,

went to confession,

Ahhh! 

 and went to Mass again (for Sunday) with these two cuties:

After supper, I went for a very long walk with my mom, who is training to walk a 1/2 marathon in  October (more on that in an October post).  We walked 4.7 miles and I was exhausted. My mom was ready for more as she was supposed to go 7 miles per her training schedule, but I could not go on!

After our walk I collapsed into bed with my book.  I'm reading "The Kitchen House".  

Sunday I woke up early and, yes, went to Mass.  (What can I say? I'm a glutton for Jesus!!) 

Then I cleaned the kitchen. Again!

I was then ready to write.  Amanda showed me many fun tricks while I wrote my blogs because I am not at all computer savvy, but I had all these photos I wanted to add that I got from various locations.  She was a big help!  

The day is not over. I may go take a nap!  Or, I could read some more; or go for a walk (much shorter!) or write some letters or go to Adoration or…. hmmm the possibilities! 

Enormous thanks to my dear one for my "me weekend".  I'm ready to head back into the school year, which, unbelievably, begins Friday.  

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com

Home For School

Our tenacious one has decided, after much prayer on her part, that she would like to be home schooled this year. She was home for kindergarten and first grade with her siblings.  In second grade and again for third she was in private school.

She did very well both years, even conquering spelling!

I'm very sure she made the right decision because for days afterward she had more energy and more joy than during the rest of the summer (and until she got poison ivy!)

It was like this huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders and she was free.

Being thrilled with her decision, I immediately let the school know what was going on, and then ordered her books.

When the books came, true to form, she had a plan. At first, she was much more interested in the box than the books.

 This is why:

She needed it to make a locker for her supplies. 

It is complete with a "combination lock".

She has all of her books in there, plus various trinkets to make it personal.

She even decorated the insides to her liking.  

On top of the locker are her three science kits, which she was very excited to receive.  We've already done the first two experiments which involved growing bacteria and fungus (including making our own agar!)

Anyone who knows me knows how I hate clutter.  However, in the hopes of a great school year, this locker, in all it's "loveliness" will grace that portion of our living room until next June.  

Here's to a great 4th grade school year.

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com

Put Your Hands Together

Do you hold hands with your Honey?

My dear one and I hold hands a lot!  It is an example I learned from my parents, who still hold hands, after nearly 54 years of marriage.

Wayne and I were walking in the Kroger parking lot tonight, holding hands, and a gentleman approached us and said, "There's something you don't see very often anymore; holding hands."

I replied, "We're trying to set a good example."

This photo reminds me of when we were dating.  We were holding hands and talking about marriage and family, and Wayne held up our hands and said, "I wonder if our children will be striped?" 

I notice, when I am with other couples, whether  they hold hands or not.  At Mass every morning, there are many couples praying together.  None of them hold hands and most don't even let their arms or shoulders touch.

At Sunday Mass, when families are together, it always amazes me to see couples sitting at book ends with their children in the middle.  Most of these are not  families with small children where the parents are trying to keep thing under control. These are families with teenaged children, with the parents sitting "miles" apart from each other.  What a foreign concept to me.

This is true not only at Mass, but in the park, at the grocery store, out to dinner.  Wherever couples are together, most do not hold hands.

Many studies have confirmed that physical touch releases endorphins and oxytocin, which makes us happier and keeps us healthy.  It's GOOD for us.

What keeps couples from holding hands?  I've never asked, but often wondered.

Do you hold hands with your Honey?  Give it a try.  It's very nice.

www.centeredinchrist1.blogspot.com