~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{PRETTY}

The girls and I helped with clean-up and set-up at our parish on Christmas Eve.

{HAPPY}

Our happiness is found in Him, alone.  Dad and I give thanks for the stripping that He has allowed. We have been freed to seek Him first with limited attachments.  This year was no different, we had no budget for gifts.  Our eyes were solely on Him.  All were joyful and ready to celebrate His birth with humble surroundings. 

The good Lord was generous and blessed us through Dad’s parents.  They gave us cash during the week of Christmas.  It was enough to cover our monthly expenses and provide some modest gifts for the kids and loved ones.  DEO GRATIAS!

Christkindl exchange.  Each sibling had a max of $5 that could be spent on their Christkindl.  Dad took them shopping.  The girls received yarn, on sale at JoAnns.  The boys received a box set of cars.  The total of the exchange was $21.

Sweetie and Sparkles received a toy horse and couldn’t have been happier. (Costco – $9.98 ea)

Dragonfly got a set of tractors from his Christkindls – all the kids. (Wal-Mart – $5)

Papi was so excited with a simple dino book that I couldn’t capture a clear shot of him. (TJ Maxx – $3)

Rose got a plush robe. (Kohls – $20.  It was a bit more than we would have liked but it worked out.  Between her robe and 2 Fisher Price Nativity Sets ($13 ea), we earned $10 Kohl’s Cash)

Dad received the one and only item he requested, gloves. (Costco – $12)

I was happy with my gift of a clean house pre-Christmas and a coupon for a guaranteed clean house for the remainder of the Christmas season.  In other words, I am exempt from cleaning until post-Baby G. (PRICELESS)

{FUNNY}

The lengths we have to go through to get Papi in a picture.

{REAL}

We left our home at 9:00 pm for Lessons & Carols and Midnight Mass.  It was a very long night – ALL FOR!!

We look forward to keeping CHRIST in Christmas and continuing our celebrations for the entire duration of the Christmas season.  The Christmas season does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve, and doesn’t end liturgically until the Octave of the Epiphany on January 14. It goes on in the spiritual sense until Candlemas on February 2, when all celebrations of Christ’s Childhood give way to Septuagesima and Lent.