#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!

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.

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!