New Year's Eve 2017

Well we are somehow more than halfway through January, and I'm finally caught up to New Year's Eve on the blog.  So here it is, in all it's silliness, family fun time, and yummy treats.  

The big girls and Mommy and Daddy playing Disney Pictopia game (gift from my sister's family for Christmas).  They love this game and it's fun for all (and isn't ridiculously looong).  

As the little ones started waking up from naps, we switched to Jenga.  

Ava was too afraid of knocking it down to even play, but she watched rather nervously.  

 

Chris, expert status

Kayla working her magic. 

 

The shot above on the left, Elise actually got out, but a turn or two later, she pulled a block out that was a little stubborn and she knocked the whole stack down.  She just laughed.  

Just some silly selfies after the game

Later on, after dinner, Chris planned some more fun, pulling from both the Bissonnette and Cruess family traditions for New Year's Eve and coming up with some traditions that will be unique to our little Bissonnette clan.  

First up, root beers floats (Cruess family tradition)

Not pictured was the Skyline Chili Dip (Chris' family's tradition) and other fun snacks.  

Later he planned a Mario Kart tournament.  

Round one was Elise vs. Ava in an elimination round of 3 races.  

Ava won.  

            

Ava really likes to move her steering wheel all over, but she fared ok. 

Round two was Kayla vs. Mommy.  

Mommy won.  

And the final round consisted of the winners from previous rounds vs. Daddy

Ava was pretty into it.  

Of course, Daddy won, but everyone did well and had a lot of fun.  

There were no bad attitudes or poor sports in the house. 

We toasted with sparkling cider with the three oldest at about 9pm and sand Auld Lang Syne.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2017 was full of wonderful memories made.  We are so blessed.  

Cheers to 2018!

Christmas 2017

Christmas Eve Mass pictures.  The girls were so sweet in their new dresses from Great Grandma and Kolbe was adorable in his suit and bow tie.  

I even commissioned Kayla to take a shot of Chris and I because we rarely get one.  

Christmas morning dawned bright and early with little ones jumping on our bed and accompanying squeals of delight. We read the Christmas story.  Kayla had gathered every Bible (including many kids' versions) and insisted that we read the Nativity story from at least 3 of them.  

Next we headed downstairs to survey the tree and the manger scenes.  

 

We opened gifts in a somewhat orderly fashion and oohed and awed over everyone's gifts.  

 

Growing up my grandmother always sent cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning each year.  I have tried to keep up the tradition of cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, but this year I didn't have to put forth the effort because my grandmother surprised us all with her cinnamon rolls which arrived in her Christmas box a couple weeks before Christmas.  I promptly put them in the freezer to keep them fresh so we could enjoy HER delightful gift (and tradition) on Christmas morning.  

Another tradition-

Chris' dad carves each of the kids a wooden ornament each year.  The girls all got lovely angels in their favorite colors (Kayla-lavender, Elise- green, Ava-yellow, and Sophie- purple).  Kolbe received a little drummer boy teddy bear.  

 

I must admit that I'm just as excited as the kids each year to see the love, care, and creativity that Chris' dad has put into this labor of love.  How blessed our children are to have such a talented Granddad who takes the time to create such beautiful memories both now and into the future.

The girls thought the skittle mustache/beard was hilarious.  

My sister's family had our family this year, and one of the gifts they gave us was a huge set of Magna-tiles.  The kids love them and played with them for a good part of the morning, building all sorts of creations.  

 

Including a home of sorts for some of their new "stuffies"

Kolbe wasn't so excited about the gifts.  He was more excited to sneak into things he normally doesn't have access to.  But with all his sisters and his parents preoccupied, he found the markers and coloring books and a little corner and got busy.  Fortunately for us he was using them as they should be used, though I had to take them gently away before he got any other ideas....

He latched onto one Christmas gift, which was a little bulldozer from my uncle Jeff.  It makes noises and sings (rather annoying) songs, but he loves it and it's really the cutest thing in the world to watch him push it around and play with it.  That smile!!

 

It was a quiet day, filled with family (just our 'small' one) and relaxation.  We played together, and Chris and I cooked dinner together in the kitchen.  He made the turkey, which was moist and flavorful and all around delicious.  I made a bunch of sides to go with and we enjoyed a (mostly) quiet and very enjoyable dinner together with no where to go and no expectations.  

How blessed we are to have our Faith, these 5 beautiful children and each other.  

Merry Christmas!

Advent 2017- The Word Became Flesh

I began Advent with an idea of what I thought my Advent should look like.  And though it wasn't all wrong, it was limited.  I read the Blessed Is She Advent journal and was surprised by the introduction which challenged my limits and boxes with the reminder that "anything could happen."

ANYthing can happen.  

God can transform me.  He can teach me.  He can heal me.  He can fill me.  

He loves me.  

Do I believe that?  Truly?
Do you?

HE LOVES US!

God repeatedly spoke to me through the journal reflections and my own conversations with Him of my need to embrace BABY Jesus. I was prompted to reflect on my fears, on the the things that often steal my peace. And as I did, I realized that I'm often not really PRESENT in my relationship with Christ and often I am not really present with my children.

 I began to see glimpses of my need to embrace the baby King in my life especially in this stage of motherhood. And he showed me in the form of completely slowing me down this Advent.  Kolbe got sick.  So we bowed out of parties and time spent in community with others.  Kayla got sick.  And then we all got varying forms of the illness.  So we slowed down more.

Even my mom got sick when she visited us and I joked (but not completely) that perhaps God was slowing us down.  My parents left.  Kolbe continued to feel unwell and I had to bow out of my Advent mom's retreat.  I'll admit, I got a bit frustrated with God.  I felt like I had given up all the fun already.  Now He was taking my morning of quiet time with HIM too?  It's for YOU, Jesus!  A retreat to focus on you during Advent!

Or was I still focusing on me?

More journaling, more praying, more snuggling with my baby.  

And He just kept telling me not to be afraid.  For "blessed is she who believed".  

Time and again, God brought me back to the baby Jesus.  To the beauty of embracing the Word become flesh.  To the truth that God is WITH us.  

Yet every time that I tried to do all the "right" things that one would do during Advent (liturgical parties, retreats, rosaries etc.),  Kolbe would suddenly have issues again.  So I began to ponder with Mary and I just embraced motherhood.  Motherhood at it's simplest form.  Taking care of a helpless child with love and yes, even joy. 

Holding my children and taking the time while they are small and snugly to soak that in.  Understanding that they are young and that they are learning.  Letting go of my (and others') unattainable expectations for them.  

They need my love and care in these tender years more than they need a thousand reasons that they just aren't "enough".  They need affirmation that they are special, beloved, and worth my time and attention.  They need to see love in my gaze, joy in my smile, and peace in my heart.  

As all this wisdom poured into my heart and mind, I realized that Christ, too, needed his mother in these ways. He was humbly born into this world as a helpless, delicate baby. Mary lived out the beatitudes and the works of mercy to her Son. The Son of God.  Emmanuel.  God with us! 

She fed him, clothed him, protected him, comforted him, 

and sacrificed herself and her desires for him. 

And I am to do the same.

 For Him. 

For my children. 

And in caring for my family and being truly mindful of their needs, I am seeing how love does win. Love wins when we stop making it about us and instead turn our gaze to Him. 

Love wins when we give of ourselves for others.  

Love wins when we embrace the child in every person we meet; 

the child that so desperately needs love, care, attention, and tenderness. 

Jesus dwells among us.  

One of those ways is through those he places intentionally in our lives.  

As I prayed through Advent asking the Lord for a word for 2018, he answered.  

New.  

NEW.  

Chris got me the (first ever and available through Blessed is She!) Catholic journaling Bible for Christmas and since it was not yet 2018, I hadn't yet asked Christ anything more about the word new and what He wanted to show me through it.  

But He showed me anyway.  As I opened the Bible to take a picture to send my friend (because she received one too, and I was so excited to show her mine!!) it fell open to this verse.  

"I will give you a NEW heart and a NEW spirit."  -Ezekiel 36:26

I'm not sure what this word will end up holding for me this year, but I'm very slowly beginning to listen more for Christ speaking to me through the very small and simple aspects of my day and my vocation.  I'm slowly seeing his whisper of love even in the face of another sick child, another child exhibiting a relentless case of selective hearing, another cup of milk spilled on the just-been-cleaned floor, another scuffle I had to break up....

Slowly, oh so slowly I'm learning to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit challenging me to give it to Him, who loves me and trust that he will give me a new heart and a new spirit.  He will make all things new.  He will take care of everything if I only let go of my own plans and expectations.....