Christmas Fun......

It's been a busy month....We have been celebrating Christmas all month.

Here is Ben's 4th Grade "Santa Goes Green" Christmas Program.... Here he is "Recycling" the Fruit Cake.....

He got to be a Rappn' Penquin....

He spots me!

Singing his heart out......Good Job Ben!

Ben's PSR Class made little blankets for Project Linus. They will be sent to the hospital to give to little babies.....

And here is Abby and Beau's (and Brian, since he teaches it) High School PSR class. They were able to "adopt" 3 families this Christmas and supply them with gifts and Christmas dinner! Isn't this really what Christmas is about? What a blessing they were able to do.

Ben and Gabe were invited to Great-Aunt Jeanne's house to help decorate cookies...Here is some of the others that came....

Ben is getting ready to decorate a cookie...

Gabe and Ben ready for fun.....Thanks Aunt Jeanne!

And a few weekends ago we were invited to Camp Walter Scott for a Christmas party...CWS is a special place for Brian and I and they are also a customer.

Beau....he had a good time....

Me and Gabe by the Navitiy Set.....Yeah I know, not a really good photo of me but I try to get my photo taken once in a while (to show I was around all these years).....BTW..Ben took this.

Ben ready to get his gift....they had something for everyone, plus great food!

And the boys by the CWS Fireplace.....

Like I said...we have been busy! Gifts are bought, cards mailed, baking done, decorating done, last day of school until after the New Year is today....now we just wait for Christmas.

My Nativity Collection.....

I love Christmas because it is the time I get to take out my nativity sets...

This was my first set....I got it back in 1986. The straw is from when Brian and I lived in Alton and went to St. Matthew's. The parish gave each family a small bail of hay that had been blessed to place with their nativity sets. Have you ever seen a happier baby Jesus?? Mary and Joseph look awfully happy too!!!

This is the full set of the happy baby Jesus. It's really cute and mini. The tallest piece is only 1 inch tall.....

This set belonged to my Mom. It's a Avon collection that is dated 1981. It's porcelein and really special.....

Here is a set Brian got me a few years ago.....Porcelein with gold trim....

I just got this one a few weeks ago. It's crystal (but plastic). This photo does not do it justice when the light shines through it.

This set was given to us by Brian's Aunt Pat over 10 years ago......

I don't remember who, what , where on this little set but it's cute. Only about 3 inches tall

And my Advent wreath nativity set that sits on our dining room table.....

I have a few more sets but don't have any photos of them. As long as I have my trees and nativity sets up it's Christmas Time for me!

Gabe's First Reconciliation

This afternoon we celebrated Gabe's 1st Reconciliation at St. Anthony's. It was a nice little prayer service.

The second graders singing and signing a song at the end.... Gabe singing.....

Gabe with Fr. Joe. He went to Father for his first confession.....

We are proud of Gabe for receiving this gift. God has a special plan for him.

"It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas"

We got up our tree and started decorating last weekend. It always fun getting the Christmas stuff out each year and remembering Christmas' past. I thought you might like to see some of my favorite things.....

Our tree.....This year put together and decorated by Ben and Gabe. I did the lights and tinsel.
Our ceramic Santa made by the Grandma Betty (my Mom's mom!)....It's almost 30 years old.

St. Nick sun catcher.....I also have an angel. These were something my Mom always used in her decorating...

The cutest tree ever made by my dad.....Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree! Isn't it cute?

My 2009 ornament with the kids' name of it...I love frogs, always have so I might even keep this one up somewhere yearound.....

Here is another specail ornament....This was Brian's growing up....I actually used this one year for our Christmas cards a few years past.....

This is the only ornament that I have of my childhood.....Kermit is my friend! Dated 1981. I am thinking my Mom made this one.....

Another one of Brian's childhood ornaments.....

This is one from our first Christmas together after we got married....1988. It's made of sourdough and I am really afraid it's going to break it's getting brittle....

Our porch has some wreaths, garland and this sled. The sled was mine when I was growing up and the skates were my dads!

My little kitchen Christmas tree.....love it

Our tree from another angle.....The red stack next to Santa is our Santa hats!

Our mantel with ALL our stockings....7 + one for the dog + 2 for the cats!

The Madonna....this was something my mom used every Christmas....

Santa.....

Tree #3 in the dining room.....This is my tree I have it decorated in all my Santa ornaments! This used to be my Mom & Dad's tree....

Every year when I decorate I realize more of all the stuff I use was my Mom's. She loved Christmas and decorations....It's wonderful to use her stuff each year.....

Next post I will show you my nativity sets collections I have started the past few years.

Pumpkin Carving/Halloween

The Annual Schuette Pumpkin Carving took place on October 31 (only 3 hours until Trick or Treating!) Here is the gang working out their designs.... Gabe playing with the "insides" of the pumpkin....

The carving has now begun......

My table....

Ali, Ben and Gabe show off Ali and Ben's finished pumpkins.....

Now on to Trick or Treating....Ben was a "scary" pizza delivery driver.....

Ben's Pizza "It's too die for!".....

Gabe was a hobo......And before anyone calls DCFS there was NO WINE in the bottle!

I love is face in this one.....

Trick or Treating.....

Here is Beau with his pumpkin....

I got Shakes a new costume this year.....A Witch! She was really good about wearing it.

Ali with Cheese also wearing Shakes witch hat...

And Abby....She went as a Verizon saleswoman!

We had a good time and the kids got a ton of candy....