Brotherhood Revisited {Full House for Christmas}

Under obedience to photographer-mom, Zachary holds his little foster sister for the first time, as Peter assists.

"Are you glad to have your son home?" a friend at Church asked before Mass yesterday.
"Sons. Yes, very glad to have them home!" I answered honestly.

Our family reunification project - aka Christmas Vacation - has begun in earnest, with dual arrivals within 24 hours: Peter from Christ the King high school seminary in BC, and Zachary from sophomore year studies at Notre Dame. 

Learning new skills on Christmas Break, Zachary comforts a newborn.

Zachary's homecoming package included an introduction to his foster sister (known on the blog as) Angelina.  After being home for a few days, Zac asked if Angelina does anything other than sleep and eat, but so far only one fussy stretch and a few alert moments have convinced him otherwise.

Back to the joys of brotherhood, our three guys have enjoyed time together doing guy things like working out after dark in the snow and watching the televised Seahawks game with Tim on his birthday.  This time with a full house will surely fly by, but we will certainly do our best to make the most of our every moment together.

Peter shows 'Luke' and 'Leia' the ornaments on our tree.

Hosting our former foster twins for two days, a favor to their mom whose work schedule conflicted with the daycare holiday closure, brings us ever more family fun in these final days before we celebrate the birth of Christ.  So much joy, such great times to cherish...

 

Peter continues the Christmas decor tour with little friends in tow.

Training Future Fathers {On Handling a Newborn}

Pre-performance rehearsal with first time baby handlers and 'Angelina'

When Father Abbot suggested little Angelina play the part of baby Jesus in Peter's high school Advent play, we were quick to give our consent.  The high school boys were delighted to have a real live baby in the play, rather than the lifeless doll with which they'd been rehearsing.  But their delight was tainted with a dose of understandable nervousness, given that the two young men with baby handling parts were novices in handling a newborn.

Tim gives a few baby handling pointers to the cast of Christ the King's Advent play before showtime.

Tim gladly stepped up to the task of training the guys in the fine art of baby handling, meeting about an hour before show time to offer a few pointers and allow for hands-on experience under close supervision.  The guys warmed up to Angelina right away, and practiced picking her up and passing her off, two important movements for 'baby Jesus' in the upcoming Advent show.

Rehearsing the hand-off of baby 'Jesus'

As the time for curtain drew near, we prayed that our little foster daughter would remain calm and quiet for her debut performance as our Newborn King.  Our prayers were answered, as Angelina gave only the slightest indication of liveliness during the show, squirming a bit in the arms of 'Mother Mary' to the excitement of the audience, many of whom had assumed the figure was probably a doll.

The Three Kings pay homage to baby Jesus in the arms of Mary.

Cast of Christ the King's Advent play, with our son Peter the centurion

Seminary of Christ the King's high school orchestra performs at the Advent program.

In addition to the great privilege of delivering the 'baby Jesus' for the high school play, we enjoyed an outstanding Advent program by the high school and college seminarians of Christ the King.  The high school orchestra, though only a few months along, performed pieces suited for third year, including a favorite piece from Lord of the Rings, and pulled them off beautifully under the direction of Father Peter Nygren.  The entertaining vignette put on by the major seminarians highlighted their unique skills and abilities, including a humorous and fantastic martial arts display and a rousing Celtic musical number.   Under Father Prior Benedict, the high school boys' choir sang "O Holy Night" in its original French, an angelic delight for those of us in the audience.

Bridget, Peter and baby 'Angelina'

Our heartfelt thanks to the monks, teachers and prayer warriors at Christ the King Seminary and Westminster Abbey.  We trust that your efforts, by God's grace, will have everlasting results in the lives of our son(s) and in our families.

Christmas Tree Hunt {U-Cut}

Noon Road U-Cut Tree farm owner shows us the tree variety map.

We veered off the tried and true Christmas tree route this year, exploring a new U-cut tree farm at the suggestion of a friend.  On the coldest day of the year ~ perhaps the coldest day in human history ~ we braved the great outdoors amidst the bitter winds of North Whatcom County.  Leaving our little foster daughter with Grandma Billie due to the severity of the weather, we made a threesome: Tim, Joseph and me. 

Follow the rules and no one gets hurt.

Being the smallest tree contingent in recent family history, we didn't have to negotiate as many opinions on which tree took top honors and earned a ride home to be lit and decorated in anticipation of the big celebration of our Savior's birth.  Regardless, the selection process did drag on for what seemed like hours.  The tremendous freeze began to paralyze our faces and our fingers, making the discussions of our tree selection brief and to the point.

Taking a moment to refer to the tree varieties map, Joseph and Tim plot out our route through the tree farm.

The old amidst the new

Tim stomps through the lane, looking for the ideal tree to take home.

When the time came to chop, or rather saw down our tree, we were consoled by the fact that we would soon be in a warm car heading toward our warm home.  However, as we loaded the tree into our van, we discovered that its length would necessitate driving with the back door tied down, rather than shut properly.  A relatively small price to pay, both for the tree itself (compared to years past), and for the short open-air ride home, our Noble Fir soon graced the living room ready for illumination.

Joseph begins the sawing chore, through a frozen trunk.

Our tree-cycle

 

Loaded up and ready to roll

Lit and ready for ornamentation

Advent Displays {Interior + Exterior}

Preparing a place in our main living room for a Christmas tree will be slightly more complicated this year due to my annual (but slightly belated) soap making chaos taking up half the room. The crafty clutter, though hard on the eyes, is easy on the nose ~ the scents of the essential oils beautifying the air.  Soon the freshly minted bars will be mature enough for their relocation to obscure curing areas in the home, but for now they stand in opposition to any urgent decorating or tree importing schemes.

On a short furlough from high school seminary for a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Billie's, Peter stayed up well past his normal bedtime to hand the outdoor lights with Joseph.  Their decorative enthusiasm, dampened slightly by the parental regulation not to climb upon the high roof in the rain after dark,  netted many strings of lights strung, powered and illuminated before the official end of Thanksgiving and Peter's return to school.

As important as the external preparations for Christmas seem, the internal preparations are much more urgent.  Advent, offered for our eternal benefit as a season of penitence, or repentance, should be a time to clear the ground a bit, making the soil of our souls more fertile for the Lord's coming.  Along those lines, I stumbled upon a tremendous series of sermons for Advent Recollection at the Audio Sancto Sermon Series.  I highly recommend making time to listen to the three sermons on silence, prayer, and the spiritual life.  Amidst your bustling to-do lists and business of the season, give yourself the gift of time to prayerfully fortify your soul for the coming of our Savior.

Jesus is coming!  Will we be ready?

Our New Arrival {Zac Returns from Notre Dame}

Joseph, Zachary and Peter together after daily Mass at Sacred Heart

His first semester at Notre Dame behind him, Zachary returned to the fold for a month's Christmas break.  Luggage in tow, fully bearded and dressed to the nines, Zachary arrived in fine form and our family of five was once again whole. 

With Zachary's return comes the reunion of his old gang of solid friends;  guys who have obviously missed Zachary and anticipated his return.  He's a wanted man, and does a fine job balancing his family time and 'bro' time.  The shortage of hours of sleep notwithstanding, Zachary's adjustment to life at home seems fairly seamless. 

One semester of intense German in his wake, with another on the horizon inspired Zachary to read the Gospel of John in German over the break.  Following along in English, I listened as he read the first chapter aloud.  I'm no German scholar, but he sounded proficient and certainly confident in his pronunciation. 

In these final days of Advent, our family and individual preparations for the celebration of Christ's birth draw us closer to one another, and closer to Him.  The excitement of having our first-born son return from college, as awesome as it is, pales in comparison to our hope-filled anticipation of the coming of our Savior ~ as at the remembrance of His Holy birth on Christmas we await our Returning King who promised to come again to judge the living and the dead.  Are you ready?

Perilous Preparations {Advent Lights}

Joseph makes a mad dash to get to geometry class, with Peter on high.

Sparing no efforts and wasting no time, Joseph and Peter cooperatively executed a well schemed decorating project which effectively illuminated our exterior surroundings.  Following in the footsteps of their Grandpa Cliff, famous for fantastic lighting displays, the boys spared no expense, spending their own money to acquire new strands of lights for the festive design they envisioned.

A written plan, complete with diagrams and check lists kept Peter and Joseph focused and coordinated their efforts to meet a common goal: become the brightest house on the block. 

Alpine Christmas (a planning list)
1. Get more lights soon (extra bulbs)
2. Acquire evergreen branches
3. Place lights with branches
4. Eat dessert
5. Pray to Baby Jesus

Decorating into the night, Peter perches near his handiwork.

  
Not without great danger was this enterprise accomplished.  The farthest reaches of our roof top stand about thirty feet above the ground and come to a small point on diagonal angles.  Although Joseph knew this section of the job was beyond his comfort level, Peter volunteered willingly.  Disappointed that Dad wouldn't let them attempt reaching this corner in the dark, they begrudgingly agreed to postpone completion.  This most perilous corner had to be accessed twice, as the first attempt to secure the lights failed at first wind.   Admittedly quivering, yet bravely determined to complete the project, Peter scaled the heights a second time to attach the wayward strand. 

Joseph and Peter strike a post-decorating celebratory pose.

The great reward for their decorating efforts came in the form of Grandpa Cliff's compliments, complete with an honest expression of his amazement, "I can't believe you put lights up to that corner!"
Mission accomplished.

Countdown to Christmas

1

Watching and waiting for Christmas with only hours to go...

2

But first, we celebrated Tim's 44th birthday at his parents house.

Potato pancakes highlighted the birthday menu, thanks to Chef Grandpa Cliff and his Polish family recipe.

3

Tim takes a trip down memory lane, in search of old DnD books to pass along to Zac (none found); boys delight in his old school caps, pennants and rock-n-roll posters.

4

44 candles atop the apple crisp birthday 'cake'; the force of extinguishing the flames blew the top of the crisp away.

5

The highlight of our final week of Advent:

Confession and daily Mass at our home away from home, Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Our pastor, Father Qui Thac, spent an hour before and at least an hour after each day's Mass in order to hear all the confessions... how blessed we are to have such access to this amazing, healing grace!

6

The wrapping continues~the gift giving bug hits hard at our house, and much extra energy goes toward clever wrapping jobs and guessing games.

7

Amidst Christmas preparations, university admissions deadlines loom, and a new set of SAT scores (incredible) have Zachary on his toes.  With his swim team trip to California next week, the time available for completing his college applications is running short.

~and that is a very quick take

on the night before Christmas!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary.

Watching and Waiting {3rd Week of Advent}

Tony places the nativity figures on our mantle. 

Our foster children will be with their parents over Christmas weekend; the regular visits rearranged to make a holiday weekend together possible.  For Tony this will be the very first sleep-over with his parent in a new 'safe' living space.  He is counting the days in anticipation of his overnight visit, and tells us every day about the rocket ship blankets on his new bed.  Today he exclaimed that his parent got a TV,  "And it won't even hurt my head, not even a little bit!"  Guess he took me seriously when I told him the reason our kids don't watch TV is because it will rot their brains...

Letting these kids go comes with the territory of fostering.  Their schedule and ultimate destination is not of our doing or choosing, doesn't need our approval or permission, and changes and fluctuates rapidly and without notice.   Of course it would be lovely to have them here with us to share the joy and wonder of Christmas morning, and they will be dearly missed in the sacred moments as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  But they will be in the arms of a parent whose love is immeasurable and whose desire to hold them and treasure them is real, though they may be in difficult circumstances and facing great challenges.

Of course we will make time to celebrate the holiday with each of them and let them know by our shower of love and a little gift giving, too, that they are treasures to us as well.

Tree Hunting {Chop Chop Chop}

1.

What do the following have in common?

• cancelled naps
• three generations
• three vehicles
• three cameras
  
• double stroller off-roading
• young children + sharp tools
• hide and seek
  
• candy canes for everyone 

 Tim takes the twins on a bumpy ride at the tree farm

 Joseph carefully inspects the saw blades before choosing his weapon tool of choice; 

Peter heads for the trees.

2.

Our annual tree hunting expedition in the foothills of Mount Baker at a family owned tree farm about 30 minutes from home involved a diaper bag for the first time in who-knows-how-many years.  The twins didn't complain until their little fingers and toes started to freeze get cold.  Theirs was the least exciting role to play: being held hostage in the stroller for a four-wheeling adventure in very monotonous territory.  "Seen one evergreen tree, you've seen them all..."

Zachary and Peter circle their prey.

3.

Unless you're a member of our family, in which case you will likely spend days deliberating over the perfect evergreen tree for the year's haul.   Joseph planned ahead and wore a second hat so he could use one for marking his favorite tree before the family vote.  Since Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff also hoped for the perfect tree (of smaller stature) we doubled our searching pleasure.

Joseph takes the prize.

4.

Like any shopping isles, tree farm isles inspire the boys to run, dodge, disappear and hurdle.  Tree hunting is an athletic event, and the competition to find the perfect Christmas Advent Tree {which becomes a Christmas Tree ON Christmas} is fierce.

5.

Peter and Joseph raced with saws to be first to attack the trunk again this year; Zachary still doesn't favor the whole seasonal killing of the trees.  Now say we were going to burn the tree...he would be the first in line.  The boys took turns on saw duty, and Tony experienced the thrill of sawing for the very first time (with close supervision).

Tim, Bridget, Zac, Peter, Joseph, Ezra... and our 2011 tree

6.

A new athletic event was added this year: tree running.   Rather than leaving the chopped tree at the side of the lane for the tractor to haul back to the check-out area, Joseph and Peter decided to race the tractor back to home base.  Other than losing a hat in their mad dash, it all ended well.

Tree runners attempt to beat the tractor back to the base.

7.

Home, lit, and partially decorated, our tree now has to compete with the dogs for water.  Charlie and Rocky seem to think that having a new source of hydration in the home is our early Christmas gift to them.  The lower branches are toddler-proof, the non-breakable items ready to be pulled off and played with.  Only one gift wrapped and placed under the tree so far, and it's already been mauled by an unnamed pet or small person.  The mystery continues...

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Who Let the Elves Out? {Advent Decorating}

Joseph sets the outdoor timer to display the lighted house from dusk 'til dawn.

A passion for festive decorating hit our house this week with a fury.  Ladders scaled, boxes unearthed, extension cords creatively linked, and strings and strings of lights of every variety and color scheme were attached to the front of our house.  Joseph set a timer set for optimal display hours, and WHAMMO, our house stood transformed for the season of anticipation of Christ's Birthday.  Joseph led the charge as our always-ever-so-excited-puppy-like-holiday-spirit guy.  With Peter right by his side, they crafted and conspired to create the desired display.  At this very moment, a 15 foot ladder-on-stairs operation is underway (in the dark) in an attempt to put up $20 of new icicle lights (which Joseph purchased with his own funds on a trip to the hardware store with Grandpa Cliff today).

Peter trades out ordinary white for a colorful bulb at the entry-way.

The boys' desire for a festive environment is a distant second to "beating the neighbors" in the sheer volume of display lights on the property.  It turns out they were born with a few extra 'competitor' genes, and into a family with a master holiday decorator (Grandpa Cliff) to emulate.  With these factors in play, the ongoing efforts at out-doing themselves may well extend into the New Year!

Peter and Joseph work on the roof-top to illuminate the house.

Guests Duncan, Cam and Connor admire the fruits of their friends' decorating labors.

Our Rudolph needs a new nose!  He was a gift crafted many years ago by Zac in Grandpa's shop.

Master decorator and craftsman Grandpa Cliff, with apprentice elves Peter and Joseph, assembled the hand-crafted nativity scene in our front yard.

Time for Desert {Not Dessert}

Finding Sacred Silence

Joseph ties a knot to secure greens on the wreath.

Zachary teaches Peter the finer points of knot tying.

Hosting his grandkids in his shop, Grandpa Cliff teaches Violet and Sawyer basic wreath making skills.

Our newest Godson, Phillip, makes his very first Advent wreath, with help from Zachary.  

Phillip came to the US from Lethsoto about 4 months ago, after his mother died of AIDS.

His courageous Aunt Selloane and Uncle Mike are now his adoptive parents, and we ask you to pray for Phillip and his siblings: Patricia, David, Alex, and Michelle.

Three of the four Advent candles are lit, with one final violet candle awaiting ignition this Sunday.
The external preparations for Christmas are well underway: the tree is up and decorated; the stockings are hung; the Nativity scene awaits the babe; the wise men are journeying from afar (the other side of the living room) toward the stable (on the mantle); the countdown calendar is over half way decorated; a few gifts are wrapped and waiting under the tree.

What next?
Address the cards? More shopping? Hang the lights waiting in a pile on the windowsill?
Or do nothing... and simply wait?

Finding the time to truly prepare for Christmas, to make room in our hearts for the coming of Christ may require a trip to the desert, to an inner stillness where we can ponder God's amazing love for us and nourish our anticipation of His coming.  St. John the Baptist, so often present in our Advent Gospels, shows us by his dramatic example that in order to prepare the way of the Lord, we must first empty ourselves and find silence to make room for Him.

The excitement of this season can be overwhelming~ with Christmas music coming from every speaker, and images of holiday bliss plastering every ad.  Our senses are blasted with constant reminders that something very big is about to happen.  And yet somehow, we can completely miss the whole event, really, if we aren't prepared properly.

A friend recently admitted to Tim that until about three years ago, he didn't know that Christmas was the celebration of Christ's birth.  He was raised in an all-American, but non-believing home, with all the external Christmas hoopla, including piles of gifts to tear open on Christmas morning.  But he simply did not know nor was he ever taught what Christmas meant.  He admitted that once he understood that the birth of Christ was the reason for Christmas, suddenly all the Christmas songs made sense!  Wow.

How often do we take the time to discern what is meant by what we do~to be careful that we aren't just operating on auto pilot and charging our way through the season with our monumental to-do lists and holiday social engagements? When added to the already busy lives we tend to lead, this kind of reckless "doing" can make for very unpleasant moments when stress builds and patience wanes.

Making time for prayer and finding silence for reflection may be the greatest gift we could ever give (or receive).  Let us find time for the desert in these final days of Advent, so that our hearts may be truly prepared for the coming of Christ at Christmas.


Today's Gospel:

When the messengers of John the Baptist had left,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. 
“What did you go out to the desert to see a reed swayed by the wind? 
Then what did you go out to see? 
Someone dressed in fine garments? 
Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously
are found in royal palaces. 
Then what did you go out to see? 
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 
This is the one about whom Scripture says:


Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
he will prepare your way before you.


I tell you,
among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”

~Luke 7:23-28

Armor of Light {Advent 1}

Zachary lights the first Advent candle before Mass, as Father Qui Thac blesses the Advent Wreath.

Preparing ourselves for the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas is important, 

but preparing ourselves for the day when we will meet Christ is paramount.

Advent allows us an opportunity to do both.

For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;

the night is advanced, the day is at hand.  

Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;

let us conduct ourselves properly...

~Romans 13:11b-13a

At Church and at home, our domestic church,

the season of Advent provides many opportunities to ready the way of the Lord, and put on the armor of light.

Added prayer time, extra acts of charity, offering up unpleasant tasks or suffering, decorating (armoring our home with light!) and even baking special treats are all ways we can stay awake, for although we know the exact date that our celebration of Christmas will begin, we must

be prepared, for at an hour (we) do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

This Advent, my hope is that we do not get lost or spiritually bankrupt in the chaos of mounting "to do" lists and extra business.

It's far too easy to be caught up in the action of this season

and miss out on the meaning.

May we truly long for Christ, and not go through the motions of the external arrangements for Christmas without a sincere interior preparation which will allow us to grow in His love and truly rejoice in His presence.

Let us conduct ourselves properly...

Our Savior is coming!

Thoughts for this week:  

What 'works of darkness' do I need to throw off?

In what ways can I put on an 'armor of light' this Advent to prepare for Christ's coming?

Advent Finale

Here we go... the final days of preparation for the celebration of the humble birth of our Lord and Savior! 

The first day of winter. 
The day before Tim's birthday. 
The day we will set up our life-sized nativity scene in our front yard. 
Another day to pray for Grandma and for all those who suffer or who are alone or are without faith.
A day to rejoice!

O come, O Day spring,  come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!