My Sunday Best: Christmas Eve Edition

Christmas is the second most important day of the year! Easter being the first because it is the day that we were given everlasting life thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ. But without his birth on Christmas there could be no death or Resurrection. I love the Christmas season so much! The catching melodies of carols, the gorgeous lights, the happiness that is emitted from everyone you come across. It is purely magical, possibly a small heaven on Earth experience. 

We attended the Christmas Eve Mass at our Parish this year to celebrate the birth of Jesus because our boys were singing in the Christmas Eve Children's Choir. We were all dressed in our Sunday Best and wish big smiles! Goalie was the most excited about being part of the choir. He feels a little left out since Little Man gets to altar serve frequently and he isn't old enough to really participate in the Mass except from the pews with me. He is always upset during Communion too because yet again it's just something he can't do. His attitude toward Mass was completely different this night. I'm sure you can feel his excitement from his huge smile! These amazing outfits were gifts from family and the boys opened them up during the O Antiphon celebration on December 22nd to celebrate O Rex Gentium or O King of the nations. They get new outfits "fit for a king".... at least that's how we have explained it. The boys normally get a nice outfit for the Christmas season on this night but they were also lucky enough to get brand new shoes too! I think it's funny but the boys were a little disappointed they didn't get haircuts before their big debut, they normally don't like getting haircuts but I love that they wanted to look their absolute best for Jesus on his special night. 

Upon entering our church, I was so excited to see how beautifully the place was decorated. Filled with beautiful Christmas trees lit up with classic white lights, poinsettias everywhere and a gorgeous Nativity with an eye-catching star hanging above it. It's not pictured but there where teardrop wreaths at the end of every other pew and beautiful evergreen wreaths along the stations of the cross as you walked into the church as well. Just a picture perfect adoration of the church to honor Jesus and the Christmas season.

One of my most favorite part of the Vigil Mass is when they Bless the Nativity. I love the aroma of the incense and the reverence that is shown while it is being blessed by the altar servers. It's just a beautiful tradition that I look forward to each and every Christmas Eve. What is your favorite part? The songs? The prayers? The addition friends and family joining us in celebrating? There is just so much to this feast day that it is hard to choose the best parts!

Another amazing moment from the Christmas Eve Vigil was when Monsignor invited all the children to sit with him while he read Santa and the Christ Child. As you can see, the children all sat so still to listen to this beautiful story and one of the younger children crawled into Monsignor's lap. I think this will be a purchase for next year to add to our Christmas Book Collection!

Don't think I forgot about video taping some of the Children Choir! If you are interested in hearing the beautifully sang song, Rise Up Shepherds and Follow, by the Children's Christmas Choir, please checkout my Instagram page! It should be one of my most recent posts, as I have been taking a small hiatus from social media to really enjoy this season with my family!

After Mass, the boys were full of energy! We headed home and finally got to open that special Christmas Eve gift they had been dying to rip apart all day! The gift was from Buddy the Elf since it was  his last night with us until next year and it included Star Wars Christmas pajamas, popcorn and the movie Risen! After baking Santa's cookies we enjoyed some hot chocolate and snuggled while we watched our movie before heading to bed. I mean the kids went to bed... my husband and I had to stay up for Santa duties (making sure he enjoyed the cookies and cocoa of course) and watched Scrooged. I hope you had an amazing Advent season and are enjoying this truly magical season of Christmas. I am sharing this with A Blog for my Mom for her fun My Sunday Best linkup.

God Bless!

Menu Plan Monday: Christmas Edition

I had to take some time off the past week to really enjoy this beautiful season of Advent with my family. I enjoyed it so much we have been "winging" it all week and so far it's been ok but now I am feeling the need to get reorganized, finish my baking and cleaning and be ready for Christmas! I am starting a bullet journal, revamping our menu plans and so much more for the upcoming year. Do you have a Winter Bucket list? I would love to hear what you have planned. 

Back to the main event.. our menu for Menu Plan Monday: 

Monday:

KFC Family Dinner

Tuesday:

Turkey Meatloaf and Salad

Wednesday: First Day of Winter

Cheddar Broccoli Soup with French Bread

Thursday:

Spaghetti and turkey meatballs

Friday:

Vegetable Stir Fry

Saturday: Christmas Eve

Eating Out or Pizza

Sunday: Christmas Day

Christmas Ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, christmas cookies and much much more!

I won't be sharing a recipe here this week because...as a thank you to all my readers, I offered some amazing Christmas recipes with help from the Zelie Group. If you are interested in receiving these beautiful printables check out A Special Holiday Present For You! There is also 10 hours left in my Christmas Giveaway! Want to win a beautiful metal stamped bracelet?! Checkout Keeping Christ in Christmas and join the raffle.

#WorthRevisit: Getting in the Holiday Spirit

A lot has changed over the past few years and man oh man has this family learned some hard lessons about being humble, frugal and appreciating what you have. The true meanings of Advent and Christmas are about love, family and sacrifice. This holiday season has been amazing and I still have much to share about all of our experiences since I have been on a small hiatus. I promise to bombard you with recipes, ideas, crafts and pictures in the upcoming weeks! For my #WorthRevisit post with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb, I thought I would share about one of the most difficult Christmas seasons we had as a family. I was a single parent, completely broke, I was working three jobs that took so much of my time. We were blessed with giving friends and family and we would never be able to fully give enough thanks to the ones that were there for us while we struggled to find happiness in the struggle. I am beyond grateful for the time I have been given back to enjoy my children and husband and that God always provides.

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

Sorry I have not been blogging much lately but thank you for the kind emails asking how myself and my children are doing. Your prayers have touched our hearts! I am finally getting settled into a new routine with my kids. I am hoping to incorporate blogging more but since it has been such a long time here is a summary of our Advent and Christmas preparations and celebrations.

God truly provides. My kids and I have been blessed with my friends and family members coming to aid us during our greatest life change. At times it's hard to imagine what plan God has for us but I am beginning to see that his plans are more amazing than anything I could plan for myself and my family. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue down our new path.

Since I have not been blogging consistently there is so much I would like to share so I will apologize in advance because the rest of this is going to look like a mini scrapbook with random thoughts and pictures. I will try to keep everything short and sweet :)

Picking the Perfect Christmas Tree
We decided to purchase a real tree this year and the kids were so excited running through the forest or trees on display. It was a beautiful night and the smell of the Christmas trees and wreaths was amazing. I hope one day I can take the kids to actually cut down a Christmas Tree. 

Decorating the Tree
We were going to wait to decorate our beautiful tree but the boys were so excited after buying ornaments and lights that we couldn't say no. I think putting our gorgeous Star on the top was their favorite part of the entire experience.

Feast of Saint Nicholas

I absolutely love reading Jessica from Shower of Roses blog on all her traditions with her family. I wanted to write letters to the boys from Saint Nick but I had been working extra shifts due to the seasonal rush this time of year and starting a second job.

This year Saint Nicholas brought the boys some Christmas books, The Legend of the Candy Cane and A Christmas Prayer. There was also chocolate coins and candy canes with Christmas socks filled with several real gold $1 coins.

Squishy's Holiday Program

Squishy had the cutest holiday program at his daycare for the children ages 3 and under.

His class sang Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Although none of the children really sang, it was more the parents in the audience since the children were overwhelmed. Squishy was sitting next to a little boy wearing a Rudolph nose and stared at the blinking light on the little boys face until half way though the song he decided to poke the poor kid on the nose. It was hilarious! I will always remember this production and I am so excited to see Squishy participate in more programs like this soon.

Baking Gingerbread Cookies
Decorating cookies has always been a favorite activity for Little Man during the holidays. This time Squishy was able to participate but he chose to eat the cookie decorations instead of decorating his cookies.

I am hoping to post about Christmas Day soon... I have until Candlemas though right? In addition to the activities above we also decorated gingerbread houses and went for a walk through Christmas Reflections. I tried my best to incorporate our normal traditions but this Christmas was a very simple one due to lack of time and money. I think it actually made it one of the most meaningful Christmases we have shared as a family. I also have some ideas about celebrating The Baptism of the Lord this upcoming Sunday I would like to share along with a review of The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their friends and families!

God Bless!

#WorthRevisit: Saint John Vianney

Advent is more than half way over and we are quickly approaching the Christmas season. In a recent post, Seven Reasons to Write and Send Christmas Cards, I discuss how writing cards, notes and other handwritten things are falling out of style and are important. I felt that sharing the idea of celebrating your priest throughout the Liturgical year is important too. I thought this post would be a good reminder to not forget the priests at your parish while participating in your family activities throughout Advent and Christmas. Here is my #WorthRevisit with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb:

Also I am running a Christmas Giveaway and you still have eight days to join! Checkout Keeping Christ in Christmas for access to the Raffle.

Feast of Saint John Vianney: Celebrate the Priests in Your Life

Today was a beautiful day! We woke up to a partly cloudy sky but a nice cool breeze has been blowing all day giving us some relief from the crazy hot summer days we've had recently. I am so excited for the crisp autumn air to finally arrive here in Colorado! Autumn is my most favorite time of the year and this will be my first experience in the mountains. We just got word Little Man's first football practice will be tomorrow and I have to finalize school registrations too. Still waiting to hear about Goalie's soccer team. All of these fall activities reminds me of the quote from The Great Gatsby, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."My anticipation for all things autumn got the better of me and I already pulled out the fall decorations.

Besides getting to enjoy my newly fall decorated home today, we are celebrating the Feast of Saint John Vianney. Saint John Vianney is known for the many hours he spent hearing confessions, sometimes over 16 hours a day! He was tormented by the devil for converting many sinners. The torment was known by many who knew Saint Vianney and they witnessed his bed frame even having singe marks on them. It is said that the Devil told St. John Vianney, “If there were three such priests as you, my kingdom would be ruined.” The Saint, for his part, developed a remarkable sense of humor about the supernatural assaults, saying, “Oh! the grappin” – his nickname for the Devil – “and myself? We are almost chums.”

He is the patron saint of priests so a good way to honor the day is by celebrating the priests that have inspired and motivated you in your faith. We are new to the parish here in Colorado so I felt it would be a great idea to write them thank you notes for helping us feel so welcomed and helping Little Man get back into Altar Serving. In addition to the priests at our parish we wrote another thank you note to a priest that helped me and my family through the toughest time in our life (up to this point). Father Dominic was our priest in Florida and to be blunt, he saved me and my family. I was drowning in sadness, pain and confusion and he brought me back to an understanding of faith and trust. He had a special connection with my children and we all cried when he was relocated just a few months prior to us moving to Colorado. I hope everyone has a Fr. Dominic in their lives. A priest who has truly touched their lives in ways that words can not describe.

Because of the cloudy weather today we decided to color as a family and watch a few movies. It was a nice peaceful way to spend the day. Especially since Goalie had behavioral therapy and was super energetic this morning.

Saint John Vianney lived in France and fasted often. He would boil potatoes and eat a few each day until they were gone... even when they were often times moldy. I wanted to create a French dish that included potatoes so I decided to make a French Pot Roast! A small simple meal would suit this feast well considering Saint Vianney's tendencies to fast. The Pot Roast was super simple to make. I threw in the roast, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery and then I made a French onion gravy and poured it over the roast in the crock pot. I set it on high for 6 hours because I forgot to start it after I returned from Goalie's appointment this morning. You could cook it on low for 10 hours for a more tender meat.

“Private prayer is like straw scattered here and there: If you set it on fire, it makes a lot of little flames. But gather these straws into a bundle and light them, and you get a mighty fire, rising like a column into the sky; public prayer is like that.” 

-- Saint John Vianney

I will be praying a novena to Saint John Vianney starting today. I hope you decide to join me and pray for your priests and future priests along with any other special intentions you may have. Here is Day 1 of the Novena:

Saint John Vianney, you were blessed with a loving and devout family who supported your desire to increase your faith and devote yourself fully towards imitating the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your quest to pursue your holy vocation, you were not deterred by the many obstacles that came your way. Your strong faith carried you through all of life’s trials to your place in God’s kingdom.

Obtain for me the same courage and faith that allowed you to give all to God without counting the cost. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide me to the right decisions that will best serve God and my neighbor.

Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena...

(Mention your intention here)
Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. 

Saint John Vianney, pray for us!

Keeping Christ in Christmas and {GIVEAWAY}

Over the years , the Advent and Christmas seasons have somehow lost their uniqueness and their TRUE meanings. Advent is the four weeks prior to Christmas and is meant to be a time to prepare or the coming of Christ. It is a time of anticipation and longing. This is when we clean our homes, eliminate clutter and decorate. We begin cooking special treats that will be shared during the Christmas season. If you are still searching for some ideas on how to make your Advent season more Holy check out my entire Advent series below:

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 1

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 2

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 3

How to Prepare for a Holy Advent Series: Part 4

Now, Christmas is the season following Advent and is so much more than one day of unwrapping presents. The Christmas season is actually much longer and means so much more! The official end to Christmas ends with the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Why are we in such a hurry to finish celebrating the birth of our Savior? I am going to share some ideas that will help you recenter the focus of your Christmas season.

Christmas Day: December 25th

The most important thing to remember today is that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is his birthday! If you take a look at all the family traditions you have on this special day from the perspective of you celebrating baby Jesus's birthday, everything will become more meaningful. Those presents under your tree are not just presents, but gifts that Jesus wants you to use to spread joy and love because he is the light of the world. Another easy and simple way to make today about Jesus is to bake him a Birthday Cake! You could even top them with candles: one for each family member, or even put the year written out with number candles. Today is also the day we light our Christ Candles. If you have a nativity displayed, now would be a perfect time to start moving the wise men a little closer to the Nativity each day, until they arrive on the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day.

Feast of Holy Innocents: December 28th

The feast of Holy Innocents is celebrated in remembrance of all the babies that were martyred while King Herod was searching for the baby Jesus. Today is also known as the youngest day. It is traditional to allow the youngest child to dictate the day and to celebrate with special treats that are white and red. White represents the purity of the innocent children and red represents their blood that was shed. Start a new tradition of blessing your children before bed with holy water each night. I know my boys love it! 

O Lord, omnipotent Father, we give you thanks for having given us children. They are our joy, and we accept with serenity the worries, fear and labors which bring us pain. Help us to love them sincerely. Through us you gave life to them; from eternity you knew them and loved them. Give us wisdom to guide them, patience to teach them, vigilance to accustom them to the good through our example.

Support our love so that we may receive them back when they have strayed and make them good. It is often so difficult to understand them, to be as they would want us to be, to help them to go on their way. Grant that they may always see our home as a haven in their time of need. Teach us and help us, O good Father, through the merits of Jesus, your Son and our Lord. Amen.

Feast of the Holy Family: December 30th

The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. This is a day to celebrate the "domestic church" within your home.

O most loving Jesus, Who by Thy sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience and gentleness, and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst bless with peace and happiness the family Thou didst choose on earth, in Thy clemency look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee; for to Thee we have in a special way dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness; preserve us from danger; give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in the imitation of Thy Holy Family; that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully on earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in heaven.

O Mary, most sweet Mother, to thy intercession we have recourse, knowing that thy Divine Son will hear thy prayers.

And do thou, O glorious Patriarch, St. Joseph, assist us by thy powerful mediation, and offer, by the hands of Mary, our prayers to Jesus. Amen.

Feast of Mary, Mother of God: January 1st

This is the first Holy Day of Obligation for the New Year. It's fitting that it is the first day of the New Year as well. Calling Mary "mother of God" is the highest honor we can give Mary. Just as Christmas honors Jesus as the "Prince of Peace," the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God honors Mary as the "Queen of Peace" This solemnity is also designated the World Day of Peace.

Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus: January 3rd

Today we celebrate Jesus being named. It is after his circumcision and in honor of Mary fulfilling what the angel foretold. 

Feast of the Epiphany: January 8th

Today is known as the day the three wise men came to see the new born king. It is known as the Epiphany and Three Kings Day. It is traditional to have a celebration on this day that includes enjoying a King Cake and blessing your home with blessed chalk. On your home paint the letters "20+C+M+B+17" which are for the Latin Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Christ bless this house). At the same time the letters are the first letters of the names of the wise men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. 

Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord: January 9th

This is the "official" end of the Christmas season and is time to remove the Christmas decorations. It is custom if you have a real Christmas tree to celebrate the end of this magical season with a bonfire. Celebrate a renewal of your own Baptismal vows and finish off your Christmas treats today.

In addition to these special feast days and their traditions, remember to keep Christ in Christmas by sending Christmas Cards, singing Christmas Carols, plan a Twelfth Night party! I came across this neat resource called Why Christmas? and it has many online games including build your own nativity and build your own wisemen! Want to see more? Make sure to come back and see how I celebrate with my family throughout the Christmas season.

I am sharing this post with the CWBN Blog Hop. The hoppers participating here - affectionately calling ourselves the Siena Sisters* -- will post on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The posts go live at the same time; and are all linked to this central landing page; allowing for easier visiting between blogs. We hope you will read many of them; as well as comment on the posts, and share them on social media.

In honor of Keeping Christ in Christmas I am running my first ever Giveaway thanks to the amazingly talented Jen from Faith and Fabric! The winner will get to pick one of the beautiful metal cuff bracelets stamped with "Pinot Noir and Prayers". Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seven Reasons You Should Write and Send Christmas Cards

Advent season is a time of preparation and anticipation of the birth of Christ. Christmas cards are an exceptional way to celebrate the Advent season and can accomplish so much more than you can imagine. Below are seven reasons that you should both write and send out those Christmas cards this season. This is a simple act that will send a positive change into the world.

{ONE}

EVANGELIZING:

As Catholics, we are called to share the important news of our Savior and the promise that his birth, death and resurrection mean to us all. Sending a beautiful Christmas Card with a Nativity portrait and filled with words of hope, love and joy is a beautiful reminder of the real reason for the season and it may be the only time someone you knows gets told of the wonderful gift that Jesus's birth is to their families and the entire world. 

It is a tradition in my home that we send out our Christmas cards on December 17th because it is the first day of the O Antiphons and we celebrate the name of Jesus of O Wisdom on this night. Don't be shy to share your love of Jesus and touch the heart of those that need to learn of his love. 

{TWO}

MEMORIES:

The art of handwriting letters, notes and cards is a dying art. I have a small collection of letters and special mementos from over the years that bring me great joy from throughout the year: Mother's Day letter's from my children, love notes from my husband and words of encouragement from friends. Create a work of art that can be saved and enjoyed over the coming Advent and Christmas seasons. These beautifully written pieces will one day be what you leave behind for your friends and family to remember you and the happiness you brought to their lives.

{THREE}

COUNSELING THE DOUBTFUL:

Depending on your relations within your family and friends, you could be completing a Spiritual Act of Mercy with sending out those beautiful Christmas cards. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you hand write a special message to those you love this Advent season. Of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, there are four that I could easily see being accomplished through your Christmas Card:

Maybe you have a friend or family member dealing with a crisis of faith? Your Christmas Card could bring light to them in a time of darkness and help counsel them back to their faith. God works in mysterious ways and you never know when you are being called to do his good work.

{FOUR}

INSTRUCTING THE IGNORANT:

This is another Spiritual Work of Mercy. We all know people that are not taught in the Catholic faith, or maybe have questions about it. A simple card could with an invitation to Mass or Christmas dinner could be the action that opens their hearts and eyes to the love of the Catholic faith. You might be their only link to Catholicism and God is asking you to be their light in the darkness.

{FIVE}

COMFORTING THE SORROWFUL:

The holiday season can be more sorrowful and sad to those that may be dealing with a void of a loved one; whether this be though death, distance or other circumstance. An older widow celebrating their first Christmas without their spouse, a parent who is dealing with an empty nest, a family that is torn by an argument, the list can go on and on. Reach out to someone that has a hurting heart by showing love and compassion for them during this difficult time.

Deployed Soldiers, Wounded Warriors, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Homeless Shelters and so many other places are always looking for a way to comfort the sorrowful.

{SIX}

FORGIVING INJURIES:

The final Spiritual Work of Mercy you could complete is through forgiving. Forgiveness is hard and can almost feel impossible in certain circumstances. Reaching out to someone that has betrayed you, not only helps show your forgiveness, but can be an amazing gift to offer someone during this season of hope, love and joy. Free yourself of the anger and rebuild relationships that have been broken with the love of God at the center.

There are two sides to this coin: What about asking for forgiveness? If you have wronged someone and not apologized fully or maybe not at all, ask for forgiveness and mean it. Feel sorrow and guilt and attempt to fix your wrong doings with penance.

{SEVEN}

KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

This is one of the most important reasons you should take the time to write and send those Christmas cards this year. The true meaning of Christmas is often overshadowed with the commercialism of gifts, the distraction of shiny new things and to be drawn into the masses of the overwhelming majority that don't celebrate Jesus during Christmas. Take the time for yourself and your family to sit together and pray before you write out your family Christmas cards. Ask that the words you share are ones that help grow your faith and the faith of the recipients as well. Be still and feel the anticipation and longing that is the season of Advent before celebrating the birth of or Savior.

If you are still searching for the perfect place to get your Christmas cards or Holiday invitations, please consider Paperless Post! In addition to offering beautiful and unique products, if you purchase from their RED Christmas Collection, you are supporting the fight against AIDS. Another important aspect of the Christmas and Advent season is charity, so your purchase would help you and help others! This is a special holiday partnership and your support would be greatly appreciated! Remember it is not too late! The Christmas season doesn't end on December 25th, it is only the beginning! You still have time to send out those very special and meaningful Christmas cards.

This is just one of many ideas that you can use to keep Christ in Christmas. I am sharing this with Seven Quick Takes.

Feast of Saint Ambrose: Celebrate the Light of the World

I can not believe how quick and smoothly this Advent has been! Today is the feast of Saint Ambrose and we kept it quick and simple. Saint Ambrose is one of four Doctors of the Church and has some amazing stories to accompany his great stature as a saint. There is a legend that when Saint Ambrose was just an baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face but instead of stinging him, left behind a drop of honey. To his father, this was a sign that Ambrose would become someone with a special talent for speaking. As an adult, Saint Ambrose became the bishop of Milan. He donated all of his land and money to the poor. These reasons and many more made him extremely popular among the people and even more politically powerful than the emperor at times. He is the patron saint of bee keepers, beggars, learning and Milan.

To start our morning, we were welcomed with another note from Buddy the Elf reminding us of this very special feast day. He brought us some candles and requested that we make our Christ Candle today. Creating the Christ Candle is a very fun and appropriate craft since bees are known for their wonderful wax.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, we easily created our Christ Candle with a gold Sharpie and a glass candle from the Dollar Tree. Placing the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is a great way to incorporate it into your Advent celebrations. It is something to anticipate and you light it on Christmas because we have been graced with the Light of the World.

After we finished our Christ Candle, we enjoyed a nice family dinner of Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken. It was modified slightly from the recipe I shared on my Menu Plan Monday post because I forgot to defrost my chicken breasts! So I cooked everything in the crockpot on high in the crockpot for 2 hours and then grilled the chicken until it was cooked fully. It turned out amazing!

I am now enjoying a nice cup of mint tea with honey to end today's festivities! How is your Advent progressing? It's not too late to make it the best Advent ever! Just let me know if you need some suggestions or help... I have tons of resources to share!

Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan:

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,

take away from me my sins,

and mercifully kindle in me

the fire of thy Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone,

and give me a heart of flesh,

a heart to love and adore Thee,

a heart to delight in Thee,

to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake

Amen

Saint Ambrose, pray for us!

#WorthRevisit: Mothering Sunday

Have you ever noticed how similar Advent and Lent are? Both are periods of waiting, preparation and anticipation and they also follow a similar flow through the liturgical year. This upcoming Sunday is Gaudete Sunday and the vestments worn during this day are rose just like the vestments worn during Mothering Sunday during Lent. Advent is suppose to be a mini-Lenten season and sometimes that is overlooked or not noticed. I hope your Advent has been prayerful and meaningful. Take a look at Mothering Sunday from Lent and see just how similar it is to the celebration of the third Sunday of Advent. Here is my #WorthRevisit with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb:

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Mothering Sunday 2016

Laetare Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is also known as Mothering Sunday and Rose Sunday. Laetare means "rejoice" and as the name "mother" insinuates, the mood of this day is more hopeful and a reminder that Easter is almost here. It was once a custom to visit the cathedral, or Mother Church on Mothering Sunday. The vestments for this day are rose/pink not violet. The rose color is symbolic of the hope and rejoice of the day but is also in reference to the Golden Rose, an ornament made of pure gold that the popes have blessed each year on this day and is a symbol of the Risen Christ. Traditionally, I try to have everyone in our family wear something pink to Mass on this day to help set the tone for the day.

In celebration of this day, I have our usual big Sunday family dinner planned with the addition of a Simnel Cake. A Simnel Cake is pretty much a yellow cake that contains 2-8 layers and covered with almond paste icing and decorated with 11 or 12 almond paste balls. The almond paste balls symbolize Jesus's apostles but exclude Judas. If you decide to make a cake with 12 almond paste balls, the 12th is Jesus himself. Traditionally I am sure these cakes took many hours to prepare because they were prepared in a special way for children away from home to bring a gift to their mothers With the convenience of yellow cake mix I will be saving a lot of time! Sometimes I like to do things the more traditional way to fully understand the experience and make the celebration more interesting but during weeks like the one we have been having I am so thankful for the boxed mix! There are many different recipes you can find at CatholicCulture.com including traditional and ways to use the box mix :)

A fun craft would be to make your family a Golden Rose to have on display on your home altar or dinner table. You could purchase some fresh yellow roses and adorn them with gold glitter or you could purchase some craft roses from the dollar tree and spray paint them gold to reuse ever year! Today would still be a great day to make your Resurrection Garden too! There is still 3 more weeks for them to sprout before Easter.

Sundays in general are my FAVORITE day of the week! It is the day my family goes to Mass together and we try to do something fun together like hiking, going to the movies or bowling. No matter the activity we plan, we always end the day with a nice big family dinner {I really enjoy using my crockpot on Sundays to because I can throw the ingredients in before Mass and dinner is ready when we return home in the evening}! I try my best to eliminate any chores or errands that may interrupt our family time throughout the week. Sunday is my "reset" button to shake away the stresses of the previous week and it helps everyone in our household to start fresh the following week. I hope everyone enjoys their Mothering Sunday with their families and is starting their preparations for the feasts of Saint Perpetua, Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph. Palm Sunday and Holy Week are quickly approaching too!

"There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root."
--Isaiah 11:1

Feast of Saint Nicholas: Stockings, Candy Canes and So Much More!

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December 6th is the feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra but the fun begins the night before when you pull out your shoes in hopes that Saint Nicholas will fill them with treats and goodies. I normally have the children put out their church shoes but they had already put out a pair of Crocs and Running Sneakers before I had the chance to ask! I think that may be because Buddy the Elf gave the boys a heads up this morning.

The boys found our Elf on the Shelf named Buddy, hiding in a stocking with a note. The note reads: 

Today is the Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas. Remember to put out a pair of shoes tonight and maybe you'll get some goodies. Remember to keep up with your Advent sacrifices. Behave for your parents. Love Buddy

If you utilize the Elf on the Shelf, it can be used to draw attention to the liturgical aspects of the Advent season. Interested in ideas? Checkout #BuddyKongElfAdventures  where I'll be sharing Buddy's Liturgical Adventures this Advent season.

It is tradition in our home that the boy's old shoes will be replaced with new or some slippers will appear. This year the shoes remained the same but the boys each received a new book, a chocolate Saint Nick, chocolate coins, candy canes and oranges (not pictured). The oranges were actually brought home by my husband because I COMPLETELY FORGOT to pick some up on my way home yesterday! OOPS! Either way, daddy came to the rescue! Another neat fact is that all of these gifts and goodies came from the Dollar Tree so it was inexpensive but super memorable.

It just so happens that this feast day fell during the school week so there was no problem with the boys staying up too late from excitement but we did have a blast watching Saint Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa and Veggie Tales Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving together. We also read The Legend of the Candy Cane before bed because it is traditional to bless candy canes on the feast of Saint Nicholas. 

This morning the boys woke up bright and early! They actually got into their treats and cutting up their oranges for school before I had a chance to snap any pictures. They are getting to quick for me lately. They devoured their oatmeal and we dropped the boys off at school since the weather is going a little crazy around here. We are suppose to be hit with a pretty big snow storm tonight so we will see. 

After school we were able to do our Candy Cane Blessing! It had been on the kids' minds all day and they shared their excitement with teachers and fellow students. As you can see from the picture above we had tons of candy canes to bless. Have you ever done a candy cane blessing? If not, I highly suggest checking out the Saint Nicholas Center: Candy Cane Blessing! We have used it several times and the whole family loves it.

Something you may not know about one of the most famous saints of all time is not only is he the patron saint of children, especially young boys, but is also a patron for travelers and brewers! You read that right! Brewers! That means the adults in the house can raise a glass to Saint Nicholas tonight too. There is a legend about Saint Nicholas that ties him to beer. The story says that 3 church scholars, who stopped for lodging at an inn, were killed by the innkeeper for their money. Saint Nicholas disguised himself and invoked God's help to resurrect the church scholars. This is how he became a protector over travelers and brewers. In honor of this amazing story we enjoyed some Beer Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers for dinner.

Now that we are stuffed! The boys decorated the Christmas Tree with our blessed candy canes and I am about to make the boys some hot chocolate while I enjoy a Blue Moon: Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout! A nice root beer float would be a fun way to celebrate tonight but it is too cold for ice cream here!

I hope your family enjoyed the feast of Saint Nicholas as much as mine did! I would love to hear about your traditions and see your beautiful pictures!

Children's Prayer to Saint Nicholas:

God Our Father we pray,

That through the intercession of St. Nicholas,You will protect our children.Keep them safe from harm,And help them grow,And become worthy of Your sight.

To keep their Faith in You,

And to keep alive their joy,

In Your creation.

Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Give them strength,

Amen.

St. Nicholas, pray for us!

Menu Plan Monday: December 5- December 11

As Advent progresses, each week brings more and more excitement. It's building the anticipation for the Christmas Season. This week will also be freezing cold so we have some nice hot family meals planned for this week. There are exciting feast days to celebrate, traditions to enjoy and amazing food to devour. What do you have planned for this upcoming week? Any special recipes? Here's our menu for this Menu Plan Monday:

Monday:

Leftover Tacos and Salad

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Nicholas

Beer Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers

Wednesday: Feast of Saint Ambrose

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Thursday: Immaculate Conception

Baked Chicken with Rice and Cauliflower

Friday: Feast of Saint Juan Diego

Boys will Eat at Pack Meeting and Taco Salad for me!

Saturday:

Turkey Burgers

Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent

Crockpot Chili

I thought I would share this super aromatic and tasty recipe for Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken! It's a favorite around here!

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken:

2-3 Medium Chicken Breasts
2 Large Russet Potatoes (Diced)
1 lb Bag Baby Carrots
1 lb Bag Frozen Green Beans

Sauce:
1 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup Barbecue
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Mix all the Sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and place to the side. Add the Potatoes, Carrots, Green beans and Chicken in the Crockpot. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.