Happy birthday, Jesus!!!

 We began our Christmas celebrations by going to Mass on Christmas Eve - our big boys were altar servers and our girls sang in the children's choir.  Then we headed out to my parents for all the fun and festivities there.

We took our jolly ole time Christmas morning waking up and had heart-shaped biscuits and gravy and smoothies for breakfast.  It's so nice that St. Nicholas comes early to our place every year.  It not only helps us focus on Jesus more during Advent and on his birthday, but it makes for a very peaceful Christmas morning and the celebrations surrounding Christmas day!  Of course, there were a few presents to open in the morning - the only presents our kids opened then and the MOST important gift of all - Jesus!!

And, then after our relaxing morning as family, we left for and celebrated with Neil's family in the early afternoon and almost til midnight!  How blessed we are to have such wonderful family on both sides whom we love SO much!!  

Happy birthday, Jesus!  

We love you!!!

(picture credit from "Catholic Memes")

School pics 2013

We had pictures taken last month and I am SO happy how they turned out!  I guess I should expect that from a bunch of cute kids though, huh?  (just a tad biased, eh??)

**Fone - 12 years old - 7th grade**

**Mario - 10 years old - 5th grade**

**Melody - 9 years old - 4th grade**

**Ariel - 7 years old - 2nd grade**

**Max - 5 years old - kindergarten**

**Pookey - 4 years old - pre-school**

**Rose - 1 year old - pre-pre-pre-school**

++Thank you, God, for these beautiful children who call me "mom".  You have given them to me and appointed me to the best job in the world, in leading them closer to You.  Please help me be the best mother I can be to them, and bless them every moment of their lives.++

2013 Litany of Saints for our saints-in-the-making

We prayed the Litany of Saints tonight asking for the intercession of each of our children's patron saints.  Starting with little Rose, we worked our way up to Fone (who was playing the piano).  Gotta love our sweet little photo/video bomber....  (what a blessed distraction she is - love that girl!!)

Book reading with a 9 month old....

We all know how much Melody loves spending time with her baby sister, Rose.  She just loves her to pieces!  Often, I can walk into our living room to find the two of them snuggled up together reading/looking at a book.  But, with Rose getting more active and mobile, this is becoming quite a challenge, as you can very well see....

++Thank you, God, for big sisters and little sisters!++

"Up and down"

 "Up, up, up, up, up...."

 "Down, down, down, down, down, ..."

 Rose has the best 6 brothers and sisters ever.  They love her so much, they can't keep their hands off her. I heard Melody carrying on with her sister, Rose, playing the "up and down" game earlier today in the living room.  Rose was all smiles and giggles, and obviously, Melody was having a wonderful time too.  These are the moments that I just want to PAUSE and watch from afar and cherish.  Sisters loving each other, playing with each other, giggling with each other!  Absolutely precious! 

"Up, up, up, up, up...."

SO BIG!!!

Melody told me that the best part of this game is "holding her close and hugging her!".  Awwwww! 

 Thank you, God, for helping me STOP and see these precious moments.  Thank you for sisters who love each other.  Thank you, God, for blessing me as a mother to these wonderful, beautiful children!!! 

The Making of a Princess: DISNEY-style

We just came back a few days ago from an AMAZING family vacation -- Disney World!!!  It was our third time going as a family.  Neil and I went for our honeymoon and were totally hooked.  There is just something SO magical to be part of every Disney movie you have ever seen and all you have to do is walk through the gates and just show up to let the fun, festivities, and feasting begin.  JUST.  SHOW.  UP.  In a world that is busy, busy, go, go, go, Neil and I made a pact at the beginning of our homeschooling journey to make family vacations a MUST.  Obviously with our family size and the expense of Disney, we really can't go every year (although we would LOVE to!).  We've been able to space out our trips every three years, and it has seemed to work good for us.  This year, we went with two of my sisters and their families - there were a total of 18 of us!!  My other sister and her family weren't able to go, but you'll notice in the pictures some "flat" people....  my parents and my sister (who couldn't go) made up "flat" people for us to pose with and to take along to the parks so their presence could be made known and they could stil be part of the fun.  I will be writing up many posts over the next couple weeks with tips and plenty of pictures of our lovely vacation, so stay tuned.  For now, we'll start the posts with the way we started our 2013 trip - the "official" making of the "Princesses of Illinois"!! 

BEFORE:  Melody, my niece, Ariel

checking in

an official invitation to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique

They accepted!!!

Ariel with her Fairy Godmother AND holding Flat Grandma Mary and Flat Aunt Carie

Melody with her Fairy Godmother AND holding Flat Aunt Carie and Flat Grandma Mary

Melody getting all "dolled up"

Ariel getting all "dolled up" -- look at that pretty crown!

My niece getting all "dolled up"

Ooooh, look who else has a crown -- Melody! 

Make-up time

Fairy dust

Princess Ariel

Princess Ariel (posing with her Fairy Godmother)

Melody getting her make-up done

Me nursing Baby Princess Rose

Melody getting her nails done

the great reveal of Princess Melody!! 

Introducing the "Princesses of Illinois"  (who even starred on, were introduced, and made it  on-screen at the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor!!!!!!!!!!!!)

My 3 princesses and I, my sister (Laura) and her daughter, and the youngest of our sisters (Amanda), and LAST, BUT NOT LEAST....  we even included Flat Grandma Mary and Flat Aunt Carie

My Young Princesses

And, like I mentioned above, when we attended the Monster Inc Laugh Floor show that afternoon, they always pick people from the crowd and ask them questions and introduce them, and what a SHOCK and wonderful surprise to all of us that our 3 princesses were chosen and were introduced, shown on-screen and asked a joke....
Why was Cinderella never good at sports?? 
She ran away from the ball!

Hee, hee!!!

What a wonderful, fun, blessed day we all had during our first day down at Disney!!  Thank you, God!!!!!!!!!!!!