Our Family Update

Yesterday I just dropped of a big stack of Christmas cards with love at the post office. I love Christmas cards. I love thinking of an idea, I love creating them with Scott on photoshop, I love ordering and when they arrive I hold my breath hoping they will turn out as I saw in my mind. (and hoping everything is spelled correctly since we probably ordered them when we were too tired late one school night)

I love when cards start arriving to our home. I love to see the pictures of friends far and wide and how God has blessed them. This year I opened three cards from former students: one very beautiful bride (I was her first grade teacher), one handsome groom (I was his second grade teacher), and one new Dad (I was his first and second grade teacher - I looped with me class that year). What a blessing to see them. 

I carefully hang each one up on a garland above our kitchen window, remembering to pray for all of them throughout advent and the Christmas season. 

With our family card now out and arriving at others homes I thought it might be a good idea to update 'where we are' in our little family, in case anyone is wondering. (I do put this blog address on all of our cards to visit us) 

Let's start with Scott and I. 

Scott and I are celebrating our 30th married Christmas. Yes, it's our 30.  💕 We are busy, we are happy, we are loving our lives. 

Scott is a principal at a middle school in Simsbury, Connecticut. It is a huge school and a huge responsibility. He has a heart for education and loves what he does. But it's a big job and once in a while I hear him counting the years (not too many) until retirement. He trusts in the Lord for guidance each day in his work, both the little day to day, and the bigger picture of why he is called to education and the specific work he is doing. 

I am a fourth grade teacher. It is my eighteenth year as a classroom teacher, nine years before my babies came into my life and I had the amazing privilege of being a stay at home mama for many years, and nine years so far since I went back to teaching. I love love love what I do. I love learning new ideas and perfecting what I can with my teaching and education. I am finishing up my + 30 credits (since my masters way back in 1999). 

Motherhood, marriage, faith, and homemaking are my passion. I believe that home is meant to be heaven on earth and the place where faith is nurtured and grows. 

Scott and I both believe in discipleship parenting and being 'never done'. We believe that they still need guidance, love, support, and now friendship in a sometimes dark and confusing world. Both in their young adult years, the foundation that we set is strong, but we want to be servant leaders always giving, supporting, loving (even from afar). Sometimes that can mean when they are home a hot bowl of their favorite soup, a listening ear, little surprises, lots of talking on the phone when they are far away, encouraging daily, and affirming their gifts and abilities. 

Anna is 22 years old. How did that happen? She is beautiful. Her heart is of gold. And having her home while she is in graduate school has been such a gift to Scott and I. We are so lucky. 

Anna graduated from the College of the Holy Cross this past May. 

She applied for graduate schools throughout her senior year of college. She was accepted into a 3 year program for masters + 60 (I believe) in school psychology. She will become a psychologist in 3 years. She is attending Fairfield University and commutes over an hour 3 afternoons/evenings a week. It is a tough program and highly regarded. She is in a cohort and will be with the same students all 3 years. She's met friends and even carpools with one she's gotten to know really well. 

Anna is a strong student and one of the hardest workers I know. She also acquired a gradship with the university to help pay for her masters. She works for a professor as writing/editing articles, with class details, things like that. 

She is also working at an elementary school over 20 hours a week as a math tutor. She has to plan, test, adjust, and teach small groups of students who need to receive math support. It is an important role in the school and she has to attend meetings with the principal each week with updated data from her students. She takes her position very seriously and loves 'her kids'. She often talks of them them it so so so so much fun to have now education and teaching in common with her. 

Abigail just completed her first semester of college. (graduation here) (college decision here) She had so many wonderful catholic choices. And boy! She chose right! Fairfield University is a Jesuit college steeped in catholic tradition. (college drop off here) She loves that her college is catholic. She is majoring in social work and minoring in Catholicism. She has taken some hard classes this first semester but wow! What a writer.  So proud of her and how she is allowing God to stretch and move her during these college years. What happened to my baby girl? I miss her more than I can say and the first few months she was gone I had moments of pure sadness but Scott and I are slowly getting used to our new role in her life and loving on and supporting her from a far. 

We are grateful for all that God is doing in our lives and completely trust him, rely on him, love him above all. Jesus is the center of our family and without our deep, rich Catholic faith we could not thrive in our lives. Scott and I attended the same church we found (in the city of Hartford) since we were young newlyweds. We believe in the mission, the heart, and the work that the friars are doing there. It is a joy to be a part of something 'bigger' than the day to day. 

With that, on to the end of Advent and the beginning of the Christmas season. It is such a joy to write here and have this space filled with so many memories, pictures, and thoughts. Feel free to click on a different year and read. I have over ten years of posts in this little blog of mine. 

I pray that anyone that clicks on this spot will be blessed by God and find joy this Christmas season as we have. We are so blessed. Merry Christmas everyone! 

2024 catch up post 

The Best Christmas Post of All Time

Way back when my girls were little, oh so adorable, Christmas was magic. 🌟It still is magic, of course, because we are together. ❤️

But each year I feel so lucky that I have all of these memories to look back on... the sweetest of memories. 

And I thought I'd post a memory. 

It's from a North Pole Party I created for my girls. I think I did it three years in a row.

Magic

Magic

Magic

How did I ever get to be so lucky to be their mama.

Here's the repost 

Sunday, December 22, 2013

North Pole Party

After all of the glitter was swept away, the "flying powder" vacuumed up, and the signs came down I looked at the pictures that had recorded the magic for this night. And I cried.

You think it, plan it, dream it, shop for it and pull it all together. And then you "do" the party. It doesn't leave much time for soaking it in. But when I looked at the pictures I was able to see the joy. From the smallest six year old to the one who'll turn eleven in a few weeks, there was magic.

This North Pole party was simple really. Nighttime, lights and children just a few days before Christmas. Well, that's magic for sure.

Thank you girls who came for giving my two girls the sweetest party ever. For you know that you brought the fun, the joy, the laughter. And I'm so glad you believe... in the magic of Christmas.

 (just click on the video to watch it larger) 

Little Christmas Scenes (part three)

part one is here

part two is here

On to the baking center.... oh how I love this space  💕 And really there is no need to comment... its all just pure magic for me this time of year. 

Little Christmas Scenes (part two)

Part One was back here  

And today I have a few more pictures to post. 

It's so much fun to Christmas up our little breakfast table area. This was what sold me on this house. I remember walking through the kitchen and thinking, nice. Then I turned toward this area and I wanted to move it. 

It was so cozy, so cheerful, so lovely. I knew I could make a million memories around a table right there. 

Here is how I set it all up (for fun) today: 

This is our 'everyday' Christmas dishes - I love so much the woodland animals. And we love to use these all season long! 

Open shelving is so much fun to style. Last year I turned it into a 'general store'. This year I wanted to keep a lot of the ironstone pieces on there and just add bits of Christmas throughout. I love how it all turned out. 

This gorgeous holly is from my Dad's yard. It makes it so stunning in that ironstone pitcher right in the middle of the table. 

This is looking in from our laundry/mud room/back door. This is the scene we all see when we come home after school each late afternoon. It's a cozy happy space. 

Another peek at the woodland animal plates ... 

Some biscuits and a pretty little green teacup - I love taking out all of the red and green anything I can find to decorate with. 

A sweet little print from Lore Pemberton. The dark hair and red hair remind me of my precious girls. 

Extra large homemade (looking) candy canes on the top shelf are sweet as can be. 

And oh goodness, this mug collection is the first thing I want to decorate with every single November 1st. I can hardly wait to see these mugs in here and use them every single day! 

My favorites are the ones that are little scenes - I want to jump right in and live in them! 

An antique basket looks charming with the Susan Branch Christmas book. 

This Christmas I've had this little kitchen tree for 30 years!!! Every so often I add another 'baking' ornament to it! It certainly is filled with memories! 

Red and green ironstone plates on the wall to me make it feel cozy. 

The china cabinet is filled with all of our Lenox Christmas china. 

I love our Connecticut colonial home and this spot is so dreamy and happy to me. 

Lessons and Carols ~ Fairfield

We are no stranger to Lessons and Carols. For the past four years we've attended Anna's Lessons and Carols at College of the Holy Cross. 

2022

2023

2024  

Each year filled to the brim with goodness, light, beauty, so much so that tear up. Crying just because it is Advent. 

This year, Abigail going into college we didn't know what to expect. We knew she would be a part of Catholic Campus Ministry. We knew she wanted to play her viola at Grace Notes (for Mass each week) but we had no idea if there would be an opportunity to hear her play. 

Oh how delighted we were when she told us that Fairfield University would have a Lessons and Carols on the same night as the tree lighting and celebration. 

Of course we would be there. Through snow and driving rain and oh so cold, but we made it. Our hearts lifted when we walked into her chapel, the place she calls her 'home' parish. 

Just to sit there and wait was a gift. 

Such a prayerful and pretty space this chapel was... 

It was a traditional Lessons and Carols with all of the Bible readings and the songs in between. 

The last song 'O Come Emmanuel' was candle lit and beautiful. 

and I could tell that she was playing from her heart... just like she had been taught for all of those years. Music comes from the heart. 

Two quick hugs and two quick pictures before our girl was off with her friends headed to the tree lighting. 

We are so so proud of you Abigail Mei. Thank you for filling us with the gift of your music, again. 

Little Christmas Scenes (part one)

Instead of posting one big long blog post of our home all dressed up for Christmas I thought I'd put little scenes here and there as I begin to take pictures.  Decorating our home for Christmas is one of my very favorite things to do. I love to change things around and I love the tradition of using what we love so much year after year. I always seem to find a new way I want to do things but use the things we love the best. So make yourself a cup of something warm and wonderful and join me on part one: 

~ I adore this peg shelf. It's the perfect spot to display tea towels and my Emma Bridgewater Christmas in the Country mug collection 

~ On top I have a silver tray I chalk painted white to give it a cheery look. I have two china Christmas cups, marshmallows for hot chocolate and little individual jars of honey 

~ On the other side of our kitchen is open shelving and this is one little peek into that

~ Susan Branch china mugs for Christmas and winter are on display

~ Ironstone pitchers are decorated too and look lovely in all seasons 

~ I took these pictures on a dark and cloudy day but I still love it

~ Scott and I added this brass curtain rod which really warms up the windows

~ I hung 'curtains' from napkins I found in a beautiful little shop on main street, Fairfield Connecticut 

~ In the middle of the windowsill is a Lore Pemberton print that is so cozy I want to live in it! 

~ I usually display my Christmas creamers collection across the windowsill but they look darling in their own little basket 

~ Easy to grab for warming syrup or adding cream to tea 

~ I collect these 'made in England' mugs and I love displaying the green and red ones during the holiday season 

~ The teapot shelf is all dressed up for Christmastime 

~ An antique hanging basket holds a beloved book given to me by a student back in 1997 with an adorable tea towel and lights to add in that sparkle 

~ Our mud room / laundry room just as cozy as can be with a candle always glowing inside 

~ Santa's sleigh bells are hanging and remind us of the magic of the season 

~ This little vignette makes me oh so happy - another little scene I want to live it 

~ On top of our washer and dryer is a mixture of supplies and a Christmas store filled with hot cinnamon buns, a real vintage child's play cash register, and homemade gingerbread men 

~ A peek from the living room into the family room 

~ This year, I kept it a country cozy look with quilts (not red and green) and lots of pillows (I'll have to take more pictures of this area soon) 

~ I always decorate with vintage books and my Christmas collection is my favorite 

~ So much more coming soon!