Time for your favorites folks. We’ll bump the thread later this week, so if you want to start with snacks, appetizers, and treats that’s fine and you can come back later and add your best ham recipe or Aunt Polly’s green beans. Whatever works for you.

Has your menu changed throughout the years, or is it the same favorites your family has always loved? We kind of have it both ways in our family. We used to have a huge breakfast after Midnight Mass (with gravy nyet, made from bacon grease ZM) but we’ve had to bump the breakfast up to morning hours thanks to the three little ones who really make our Christmas special now. Yes, you can expect me to shamelessly post one or two Baby Conner pics later this week. (more…)

The rat race is underway. So many are trapped in the misery of our own expectations of perfection, in the ever increasing list of to dos that we impose on ourselves and families during the holiday. Let’s pause for some fun. Post your favorite fun videos, cartoon, lights, and whatever brings a smile to your face.

GospelLK 1:39-45

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

A few conversations this week have made me remember some of my long ago favorite Christmas toys, and I thought it might be fun to reminisce, Top9Rated did a piece on this. Do you have memories of a favorite toy or present from when you were a child? How about the favorite gift you have ever given? Tell us the story, and don’t spare the details! For example mine was a scooter I got as a child, I had tons of fun with that thing ridding everywhere in my neighborhood now you can get those at https://www.myproscooter.com, in case you want your kid to have that much fun.

The Latin word Gaudete means rejoice.  Rejoice Sunday, as we prepare for the birth of the Christ Child in our hearts.

(more…)

Despite all our moaning and groaning about how modern commercialism has ruined Christmas, there are fun technical advantages to enjoy during the holiday season. Personally, I am not letting anyone ruin my anticipation of the birth of the Christ child. I am in control of what I enjoy, what I treasure, and it is my choice, as I recite in mass each Sunday “We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.”

In recent years the Catholic Church has stressed the importance of penitence during the Advent Season, emphasizing the great joy of Christmas continues through January  6, Epiphany. Well, I can be penitent and still wait with happiness and joy. This year my oldest grandchild is 3 and her unlimited joy is making this the most wonderful Christmas ever.

This post is for you to share what has meaning for you, makes you laugh, pray, ponder or just feel plain old happy. The world has always had deep and desperate troubles and struggles, indeed Jesus was born in the center of an epic one. We cannot forsake joy and happiness because of toil and misery.

(more…)

Okay Treepers, time to pull out those cookbooks and dust them off, flip through those well worn pages and share your family favorites with us. No matter what Zurich Mike says, bacon does not have to be an ingredient for you to share with us.

We always get some great recipes, old and new, everything from appetizers on through the main course. It’s wonderful to see such delicious recipes, shared with a memory or two of things gone by. We also get some new ideas each year as people try something different, and new traditions and favorites are discovered.  (more…)

https://youtu.be/X-BephrXDwY

 
 
This morning, my heart overflowing with happiness and gratitude, I began my day wondering how I might adequately express my gratitude to God. I quickly came back to reality and knew of course that we can only inadequately express anything, especially gratitude, to God. But that’s okay, He is entirely okay with what we give Him, as long as we do indeed give it.  (more…)

At the end of July God chose to bestow upon our family one of the finest and most wonderful of His gifts. The Author of life sent a little boy named Conner to enrich our lives and reflect the great and abiding love of our Creator. He has big blue eyes that stay wide and intense as he looks at you for long moments, skinny long arms and legs, dark hair, and two holes in his heart. (more…)