The local paper was at our parish tonight and took pictures of parishioners receiving ashes on their foreheads for Ash Wednesday. This year was unique in that the ashes were distributed using q-tips. The online article contained a gallery of 10 photos and one of them was of three of the Shecklets!
Shecklet #4 received her First Reconciliation this morning! We are so proud of her for taking this next step in growing in her faith!
We went to Jake’s parents’ house for Christmas dinner. Two of his sisters, one BIL, and our nephew were able to join us there as well. The ham dinner was delicious and afterwards we played a few games before opening presents. It was so much fun to have a toddler in the mix again – they bring such joy to the holiday and are very helpful with tearing wrapping paper.
Shecklet #4 gave out massage certificates at the end of the night. They never expire and can be used an infinite number of times!
The Shecklets were up before the sun this morning and discovered the surprises in their stockings. After a breakfast of eggbake (Grandma Patti’s recipe,) muffins, and juice, we opened gifts as a family.
It was a snowy, chilly Christmas Eve. We finally received a substantial amount of snow yesterday along with strong winds. Today the whiteout conditions subsided enough for us to have one of Jake’s sisters join us for the second half of the day. We went to 5pm mass and then came back to the house for pizza soup (Grandma Fran’s recipe,) garlic bread, cookies, and a movie – Elf. (The church was almost empty so we took the opportunity to take a few pictures – masked and non-masked.)
December’s Handmaidens meeting was in person for Shecklet #3. This month she learned about St. Kateri, spent time in the chapel in prayer using Lexio Divina, heard a talk from a high school senior at our church, and decorated her own teacup. (Part of the project involved baking the cup and saucer after she decorated it, so we did that step this morning.)
She came home from last night’s meeting so excited about everything she did. She even volunteered to give next month’s saint presentation on St. Teresa of Avila!
During the month of October, a local artist, Bernadette Gockowski, offered to paint watercolor cards with the name (or names) for mothers of a baby (or babies) who died before they were born. I received our name card during Advent, which was a beautiful gift.
We’re thankful to still be able to meet monthly for Family Formation at church. As we left this month’s meeting, the girls were able to get their picture taken with St. Nicholas.
This year’s St Nicolas Day gifts include the usually new ornaments and chocolate coins as well as window clings (since all of our Christmas ones had their last run in 2019.)
I also have two ornaments for Astrid – her “A” initial like her siblings as well as a little pink sled with 2020 that I will put her photo in. The kids also asked for their own photo ornaments to remember her by – I’m still trying to figure out what those will look like or be.
Shecklets 1-4 are getting cactus ornaments for 2020. Jake’s Aunt Nancy sent the kids mini cactus plants after Astrid died, so when I found these ornaments I thought they would be perfect way to remember the live gifts the kids received in memory of their little sister.
One of the activities Shecklet #3 has been able to participate in from home (and eventually in a socially-distanced environment) is a group at church called Handmaidens of the Lord. Each month they talk about a virtue, learn about a saint, have time for prayer, and work on a craft. This month’s craft was making a countdown to Christmas. She let me help decorate the individual cards – she loved working on it.