Fun in the Snow!

It is our tradition to go sledding at least once a year. If the snow doesn't come to us, we go to the snow. We went up to Tollgate on Sunday for some fun in the snow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqIlM27s3kI

Our Christmas Card Rosary

We have now prayed our yearly "Christmas Card Rosary." We were joined by my nephew Paul this year who stopped in for a visit. Each year after Epiphany, we divide our Christmas cards into piles of 10. We then say our Rosary and reverse the Hail Marys so that the group begins the prayer and the leader (with his pile of cards) ends the prayer saying "Holy Mary Mother of God pray for ______now and at the hour of their death. "We insert the names (however they sign the card) into our prayer. It is a wonderful close to Christmas. We have looked at all of our cards again and remembered and prayed for our love ones by name. We thought of this about 15 or more years ago and have done it every year since.

Annie getting ready to ride in the carriage! She was early(imagine that) for a friends birthday party and her grandparents had rented the carriage as a surprise.

Epiphany 2012

On Epiphany, it is our practice to have a family over for a big breakfast after Mass.One of our courses is Muffins with medals and money planted inside. After breakfast, we have a reflection and usually a song as the kings are placed in the manger scene. This year we had John playing the Saxophone and Blase on the Bongos. The younger kids joined in with tamborines and we all helped to sing. After prayer we pick a saint for the year that will be a "star to guide us"  closer to Christ, by emulating his or her life and learning about them and asking them to pray for us. Here is a link to writings by some of the saints that we picked this year.

 St Margaret Mary Alacoque

http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Margaret%20Mary%20Alacoque%20-%20Letters.pdf

St Benedict

http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Benedict%20-%20The%20Rule%20of%20-%20Latin%20and%20English%20Edition.pdf

St Elizabeth of Hungary

http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/The%20Count%20of%20Montelembert%20-%20Life%20of%20Saint%20Elizabeth%20of%20Hungary.pdf

St Thomas Aquinas on The Gospel of St Matthew

http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Thomas%20Aquinas%20-%20Catena%20Aurea%20-%201%20-%20The%20Gospel%20of%20Matthew%20-%20A%20Commentary%20on%20the%20Gospel.pdf

St Bonaventure on the Life of St Francis

http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Bonaventure%20-%20The%20Life%20of%20St.%20Francis%20of%20Assisi.pdf

St Faustina's Diary

http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/St.%20Faustina%20Kowalska%20-%20Diary.pdf