Ah! Catholic Family Life! There is nothing like it.
Home should not be just a place. Rather, it must be the place. All else should be “outside.”
Home should be the center of activities and interests. It was built for births, courtship, marriage, and death. It is maintained so that children might grow, trained by precept and example – so that they will develop spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, just as they do physically. -Fr. Lovasik
Below is a gallery of our doing’s in the last month. Don’t forget to read the comments to get the (amazing! hehe) narrative. And don’t forget to click on the first picture to view the gallery!
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- Theresa came and helped us with our decorations. We teased her about her “bulbous boufante” hairdo.She thought for the pictures she should probably put a hat on!
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- (I caught one before she did!)
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- Everyone likes to decorate the tree.
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- It is Margy’s last Christmas with us…we were supposed to wait for her to decorate the tree. We forgot.(She lived through it.) (This is Rosie in the photo)
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- Nini (Sienna) hangs a bulb or two, or even a birdie.
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- Our friend, Doc, does the honor and puts the Angel on the top.
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- Our tree
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- Our Lady…as you see there is a good-sized crack in the concrete wall. She is holding the it up…
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- Infant of Prague…I love His beautiful Christmas garb.
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- I got the beautiful Blessed Mother lamp from a Thrift Shop. It has 3 dimmer brightness options. Quite lovely!
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- Angelo decided to decorate his room this year. These are leftover decorations from the Traditional Family Weekends we used to have at Christmas time.
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- This wooden angel was painted for Z’s dad 40 years ago.
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- This sleigh was painted for him, too. They are both cherished to this day!
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- Gin made these sweet decorations for me. She had Vin cut the slices of wood and she painted them.
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- Gin made this one for Vin’s birthday. Notice the little one that hasn’t hatched yet….And then there were nine!
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- A lovely Willow Tree statue that Theresa received for Christmas.
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- Jeanette’s new home is lovely. And the decorations are beautiful, too!
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- Agnes in front of their tree. Mrs. Claus, perhaps?
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- Working on the Spiritual Christmas Crib. There is nothing like friends to make these times more memorable!
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- When I can, I get into the project, too!
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- So does hubby. Here he’s blowing glitter onto the stars.
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- This is the finished Spiritual Christmas Crib. The Three Kings made their way in a bit after Epiphany…
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- David and Margy…
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- Emma likes her new snow garb she got for Christmas!
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- Gemma and Hannah pose for a picture to include in their appeal letters for sponsorship to their Pilgrimage in Chartres.
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- Margy and Hannah milk at a friend’s home when they are gone.
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- Vin and his kids are waiting for midnight on New Year’s Eve. Gin is trying to catch a wink or two.
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- Midnight….2020 has arrived!
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- Some of the grandchildren came for brunch on Sunday. 17 at the table!
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- Mike and his little people making cranberry and popcorn strings.
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- On to baking cookies….an intricate project!
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- Rosie and Nathan commiserating.
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- Doc and the kiddos. They love him.
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- Poring over some hairstyles for the wedding. Rosie got the books for Christmas. She is very good at hairdos…well, except for her own as you can see in the photo. 😀
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- Margy and Hannah
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- Gemma
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- Hannah
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- Gin’s Craft Room
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- And her table runner from Rosie
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- Grandpa….
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- Friends visit from Minnesota and lots of baking!
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- Rosie…warming up!
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- Margy….warming up!
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- Angelo…icing up!
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- Dev and Theresa’s little people icing up, too!
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- Mike and Jeanette’s little people…
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- Mmmmm
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- Rosie made the rounds this Christmas season. She managed to make it to each of the couples’ homes to help with cleaning and baking before she crashed in the early evenings.
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- It meant a lot to her and such a contrast to last Christmas! She is not all better…but very grateful for progress.
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- Father is busy drinking his tea and looking jolly… hehe
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- Candles!
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- a lovely post on candles here: https://finerfem.wordpress.com/2020/01/09/the-meaning-and-beauty-of-candles-2/
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- Tealight holder that Angelo made for Christmas!
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- Snowman! Rosie and Nathan
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- We don’t often get enough snow to make a snowman this size!
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- Rosie and Margy
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- Silly Brendan!
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- Little present waiting under the tree to be opened…love the little birdie!
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- Praying the rosary.
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- The Hail Mary’s make Charlotte tired…
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- Peter, too!
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- We pray in front of the Nativity as the manger lay empty awaiting its Divine Arrival.
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- Colin’s birthday is close to Christmas. After overlooking it a couple of years, because of the busy-ness of the season, we always make a point of doing something.
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- Colin is very special to us….he is a light in our lives!
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- Rosie makes butterhorns!
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- Dough is ready!
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- They are simple…but delicious.
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- They melt in the mouth because of all the butter. Frosting and peanuts are added on top.
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- We made some healthier ones, too, with spelt flour and xylitol powdered sugar. Delicious!
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- Vin and Gin’s little people make Christmas gifts.
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- Benjamin is careful to get it just right!
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- Nathan is busy making decorations, too. Must be cold in the house!
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- Devin and Theresa are busy making their house special for the season!
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- Avila looks like a little “Who” from “Who-Ville”!
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- Here is Angelo. I was wondering what he was doing.
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- Then I figured it out. There was a party coming up…and we were to wear funny sweaters for it…or just loud silly ones! Angelo was working on his.
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- He embroidered this.
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- Here’s his sweater…and his face. Ugh.The sweater lights up! His face needs to be left at home…
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- Margy and Hannah’s sweaters.
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- With hairdos to go with them!
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- Ummm…..Silly girls!
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- Gathering at Mike and Nettie’s.
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- Playing games at the party.
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- Theresa’s family is ready for the party! Look at those outfits!
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- Devin and Avila have hand-knitted sweaters on!
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- Adrian’s garb…haha
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- The girls picked me up this elf poncho-sweater. I told them it was the only time a belt looked good on me! hehe
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- The back of Mike’s sweater.
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- Z’s outside wreath
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- And her welcome planter.
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- And Charlotte Rose says, Happy New Year!”
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- This is a neat gift. Our son, Sep, owns a granite company. He flew to Brazil and while there picked up this lovely parrot made with granite.
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- Rosie and Hannah
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- Mike and Jeanette’s lovely woodstove hearth.
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- Vin and Gin’s Nativity Scene
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- It has 3 levels
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- Very lovely
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- The whole picture…doesn’t do it justice. I was quite surprised at how beautiful it was when I saw it in person. A lot of hard work went into it!
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- My sister gave all the couples a cute little tree with little decorations to go with it. This is Gin’s in her bedroon.
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- Gin’s “Joy” Corner. She was really into the black and white and buffalo plaid this year.
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- Mike, Jeanette. Agnes, Magdalene and Toby…oh yes! And expected new one!
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- Colin and Z’s little guys had a Tea Party with their cousins.
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- Ethan is excited!
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- Sweet Christmas Craft.
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- Colin and Family at their table with tea and cookies…a lovely mid-afternoon snack!
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- Our choir director with the girls singing at a party.
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- Rosalie (grandma on the other side of Mike and Nettie’s family). What a very special lady…always ready to have fun with the kids!
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- Lots of good times with family and friends. Here they are palying “Moose Master”…a very fun game that I bought off of Amazon because of the reviews. It’s a blast!
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- Angelo keeps the boys occupied as they try their hands at Moose Master.
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- “Hangman” game and hairdos…
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- Tony and Emma help with dinner. Angelo got a “Fry Daddy” for Christmas so they are making french fries!
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- Ah yes! TEA!
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- With a new kettle and cup.
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- Theresa made the Christmas Cross for Grandpa’s grave.
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- Dev pounded it into the ground…Eternal Rest Grant Unto Him. Love you, Dad.
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- Every year we buy a Norfolk Pine from Sam’s to display the lovely ribbon Kanzashi Snowflakes and Tree Topper Gin made for us one year.
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- Like the flowers she sells on our shop, she takes little pieces of ribbon….
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- Burns the edges to prevent fraying….
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- Folds them and glues them…
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- To make the most beautiful flowers (or snowflakes) to use as accessories.
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- So pretty…
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- Peeking among the delicate needles of the Norfolk…
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- And every year I take pictures…
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- and share them with you!
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- Also included is the Christmas balls Rosie made last year when she was so sick.
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- Here is the Tree Topper. What time and effort!
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- A beautiful addition to the decor!
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- My little Christmas Village.
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- The grandkids and we big kids get warm fuzzies from its charm.
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- The Cathedral
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- Little skaters
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- I got all of the houses from a Thrift Shop…very cheap, yet so pretty.
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- Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet..
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- Christmas morning at Vin and Gin’s
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- Christmas morning before the gifts, Dad reads from the Bible
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- Christmas morning
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- My lovely doily from Rosie with the beautiful Christmas accessories
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- Just things collected along the way.
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- Rosie and Hannah
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- Rosie and Gemma….Looking at the hairdo’s
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- My lovely “singing” clock and hubby’s Christmas jerky…with Angelo photobombing!
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- The clock has musical bells that go off on the top of every hour. Right now, the Christmas playlist sings its tune….very lovely!
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- Rosie’s gift to us for the round “card table”.
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- Angelo’s happy about his new Divine Intimacy meditation book!
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- Dad with his new St. Joseph statue and Rosie’s doily to go with it.
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- Enter Baby Ann-Marie Marguerite!
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- Enter Vinnie…the new mid-wife (mid-husband)!
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- They left at 3:30 a.m. for the Birth Center. I got the call at 4:00 a.m. from Vin that Gin had the baby in van! I was in shock….Vin was in shock!
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- Everything turned out just fine….though Vin needed a few days to recover!
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- Isn’t she precious…this is a few hours after the birth.
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- Friends and family gather for the Baptism.
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- Big Brother Edward is the altar server.
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- Outside the doors of the Church entrance.
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- At the font
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- Magdalene is mesmerized
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- Baptism! A new Child of God!
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- Consecration of the baby to Our Lady.
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- Back to mom
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- The “Churching” of the Mother
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- Godmother, Jeanette and mom, Gin
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- Parents and God parents
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- With Father…Happy day!
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- May this be your motto for 2020!
Thank you for sharing the family photos with entertaining comments!
You’re welcome, Nancy.
Wow! When was she born, what day? Vin looks like the type of guy that could handle the situation well. 😉 Congratulations! Lovely pics! Exciting births this time around….
I can’t remember what day exactly. She is a week and a half old now. Yes, exciting births! Hoping for some humdrum ones coming up! (Gin ended up going to the Emergency Room twice. She had endometritis and was very sick…all is well now. Just recuperating.)
So that would be one of the 12 days of Christmas, right?! 🙂 yeah! 🙂
I’m going through some difficult family problems after my mother’s death last Spring….lots of turmoil concerning her estate. It is so wonderful to see such a happy family who shares life’s experiences whether they be sad or happy. Do you have any advice for having a peaceful family life? THANK YOU for your uplifting posts and wonderful family pictures….I always look forward to receiving them in my email. God Bless all of you!
I answered your question in this post. 🙂 https://finerfem.wordpress.com/2020/01/22/tea-time-with-finer-fem-purity-for-boys-family-devotions-peace-in-the-family-etc/
I love being Catholic. It’s heart warming to see it in another family (We’re not alone in the world.).
Beautiful everything, family, decorations, hairdos, caring and sharing, doing and being.
So exciting to see baby Charlotte thriving.
Lovely statue of St. Joseph.
Great patron saints for the wee baby. 🙂
(My 3 month old baby shares a patron saint)
God bless you all!!
Never fails to impress me how your humble home seems to be forever brimming with love and creativity. I love it.
I also recently had a baby, our 7th. My husband would’ve died if he had to “catch” the baby!