A few years ago I was going through some boxes I had packed up and stored in the closet. They were filled with things I didn’t know what to do with. As I opened the boxes and went through them, I was overwhelmed at all the Christmas cards I had saved. Pictures of friends and their children smiled up at me. I read through old … Continue reading Spreading Christmas Blessings and Graces All Year Long
When I was growing up Advent was never a big deal. I went to Catholic school, but to be honest our Catholic education was lacking. I remember learning about Advent, but the beauty and necessity of readying our hearts and minds was never stressed to us. Our Catholic home was even worse. We prayed before we ate and we went to Mass each Sunday, but … Continue reading The Gift of Self: An Advent Tradition
With Advent just around the corner (less than a week away!), I thought this week I would share a few Advent traditions that we do at our house. It is important to me that during this time we make sure our children understand the true reasons we are preparing to celebrate Christmas. In a world where commercialism reigns, these little family traditions can help us … Continue reading An Advent Tradition: The Jesse Tree
The kids were excited last night to put out their shoes for St. Nicholas to come and fill with goodies. It is a tradition they look forward to each and every year. Our kids know that St. Nicholas is Santa and Santa is St. Nicholas. His feast day is December 6th and on that day he comes to remind them the reason we are preparing for … Continue reading St. Nicholas’s Surprise
It’s hard to believe that Chris, our elf, has been a part of our family since 2006. I saw him sitting in a little boutique in Marietta before he ever sat on shelf in Target. Not many had heard of him at that point, in fact, no one we knew had ever heard of him. I looked him over and worried about the cost. He was … Continue reading Just Elfing Around
tales from the side of the tub 