What I Really Want for Christmas

is this kind of Christmas tree, sparse and simple.

Ok, the bottom one, from The Bishop's Wife, isn't simple. But it's from an old Christmas movie, so I included it. For nostalgia. (Lisette, are you feelin' me? Or is Christmas where we part stylistic ways?)

Dreamin' of the Dream Castle

I remember lots of magical Christmases. But the year I got decked out in My Little Pony was The Best. It's my reference point when selecting gifts for my own kids. (Leo is getting the Batcave - shh!)

Oh it really is the best day of the year! I am so excited for Christmas this year.

What was your favorite gift??

What a great party!*

Thank you Lisette, Martha, and all for the planning and work you put into this party. As Martha said to me before Mom got there, we will remember this night forever.

I don't want to be a spoiler and post our family picture for BMills readers. It and more photos are on flickr. //www.flickr.com/photos/cosmic-charlie/

*With a second look at this post I realize how gay that title was. Sorry boot that. 

Christmas Wish List

Let's do this thing!

The Time Has Come

If you've been good this year and have a wish list for Santa, please leave it here.

Happy Christmas and a happy and holy advent.

Wish List Reminder!

A wee little elf contacted me asking that I re-post my Christmas wish list, lest folks thurget. So, if you'd all be so kind as to fill everyone in on the gifts that would make you the MOST HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD COME CHRISTMAS MORNING, it would be much appreciated :)



2 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Wish Lists

Ahoy, family! Once Mom sends out our Kris Kringles, I would like to start my shopping right away. So, if you would all be so kind, please offer some suggestions so that I may make my wee Kringle most happy come Christmas day. I will start with my own requests but, of course, if you think of something on your own, surprises are the best :)

Merry Christmas!

PS - Mom and Dad, you too!

Christmas Goals

November first, for me at least, starts the Christmas Season. That doesn't mean decorations go up, but it means I get to mentally prepare for Thanksgiving (which I love more and more) and Christmas (which I love the most), and all the excitement and coziness that goes with both.

This year, however, November 1st sort of popped up, as I'm sure it did with the rest of you, and it has now dawned on me that I haven't been relishing in the first Christmas commercials and decorations in Stop&Shop. I think this isn't just due to how crazy things have been lately, but because of the significance of them all. Whilst sipping tea and talking with Clare last night about her going back to Brooklyn and St. Agnes, and all that entails, and the planning I need to do for Kenya, I finally FINALLY realized just how much is going on in our family right now. I mean not just the obvious things. Clare was in the hospital and I am going to Kenya but also, Annie and Frank moved in and then are moving out and are having their third baby, Martha is itching for a baby of her own (hear that, Chad?), Catherine is getting MARRIED, lest we forget, Aloise is graduating college, Mary and Cyrus' families both just had their third babies, and the Captain has finally retired and is home with Ma for good.

Of course with the size of our family it is expected to have so much activity, but not really. I don't think anyone has begun to fully process what happened last month or why it happened or what we're supposed to be taking from it, but I do think there is some significance to it all happening during this season. What a wonderful time to reflect and be surrounded with family. While I still plan on diving right into Burl Ives and sugar cookies as soon as Thanksgiving passes, I'm also so looking forward to a peaceful December to pray and meditate over all that is happening and all that is good. And also to thank God, so so much, for what He has given us.

My goals for the next month and a half are to do the above, way more often than I do now, and to really celebrate the season. Which means good meals and discussions, and gratitude upon gratitude for the Lord and all of our family and friends who prayed so hard for us. How humbled and lucky are we.

How about everyone else?

Happy 3rd Day of Christmas!

How was everyone's Christmas?? Ours was WONDERFUL!!

Christmas Eve was just lovely, drink and snack in hand, visiting.

Then home to drink eggnog, watch "Scrooged" and wrap presents.



We had a lazy, long, magical Christmas morning with two angels who took their sweet time opening presents.


Meet Luca's Rody Horse, whom he Christened "Terrence". Don't ask us.



And then headed midafternoon to the Gramuglias for more food and drink and the unveiling of Luca's tricycle!

Just a wonderful, wonderful day. And 2 days later, it still feels like Christmas. Merry Christmas!

Excerpt from "The Wonder of the Incarnation"

"The very Son of God, older than the ages, the invisible, the incomprehensible, the incorporeal, the beginning of beginning, the light of light, the fountain of life and immortality, the image of the archetype, the immovable seal, the perfect likeness, the definition and word of the Father: he it is who comes to his own image and takes our nature for the good of our nature, and unites himself to an intelligent soul for the good of my soul, to purify like by like. He takes to himself all that is human, except for sin.

He was conceived by the Virgin Mary, who had been first prepared in soul and body by the Spirit; his coming to birth had to be treated with honour, virginity had to receive new honour. He comes forth as God, in the human nature he has taken, one being, made of two contrary elements, flesh and spirit. Spirit gave divinity, flesh received it. He who makes rich is made poor; he takes on the poverty of my flesh, that I may gain the riches of his divinity. He who is full is made empty; he is emptied for a brief space of his glory, that I may share in his fullness. What is this wealth of goodness? What is this mystery that surrounds me? I received the likeness of God, but failed to keep it. He takes on my flesh, to bring salvation to the image, immortality to the flesh. He enters into a second union with us, a union far more wonderful than the first."

From The Wonder of the Incarnation, St Gregory Nazianzen, Office of the Readings for 12/02/08

Happy Incarnation!

(I know this isn't new or deep, but it's made such a difference for me this year, so I thought I'd share. Plus, Dad reminded us some time ago that maybe we could use this blog also for exposing what's on our hearts. This is what's on my heart right now.)

A few years ago, I was driving on Christmas alone in the car. It was a little bit of a raw day, no snow, just cold. And it felt all the more Christmassy. This year, I've tried several times to turn on the Christmas carols, and it just isn't feeling right at all. Sunday night I was driving to mass, at St. Marty's of all places, tired and in the dreary rain, and again, it felt quite Adventy. And of course, like many of you, I have a nagging, only growing aversion to stores and catalogs and the glut of gifts and purchases this time of year.

Here's what it adds up to for me: Perhaps Christmas is a raw holiday. Comforting that our omnipotent, omniscient, all loving, eternal, limitless God took the form of a completely defenseless baby at the mercy of human beings? Yes.

But raw because, well, our omnipotent, omniscient, all loving, eternal, limitless God took the form of a completely defenseless baby at the mercy of human beings. He came to this cold, dreary, tired world. This is such a physical holiday. And maybe in the same way that Easter just isn't Easter unless you've observed Lent well, maybe Christmas isn't Christmas - a massive celebration of all things comforting and cozy and bountiful and loving - unless you've really meditated on the broken physicality of the world, and the sin that wrought this brokenness, in order to truly appreciate what our God did when He sent His SON, His Child, into our bloodied hands. And what that Light really means for our world.

Though I'm tempted not to, I will put the decorations up. But I don't think I'll be chasing any Christmas cheer, not until December 24th at midnight. I'll be soaking up a bit of the wretchedness first. And not because I feel Scroogy, quite the opposite.

Thoughts?

---
3pm: Well, I've already had a change of heart, and really want my decorations. Maybe this is really about me, and formerly needing that perfect Christmas experience for it to be Christmas, and realizing that misses it entirely. Maybe I'm all grows up now. xo

It's that time of year!

I hope everyone had as nice and relaxing a Thanksgiving as we had.
But now the blessed time of Christmas is here, yay! And secret santas are picked.
So.....it is very helpful if everyone takes a moment to comment with some thoughts about what we may like to rec'v from our siblings. This is where we get to feel like children again.
$50 limit has been established. These are only helpful hints, as not to discourage the giver who may have their own ideas, but some of us may have no idea at all!!

Dad, from all of us,however, the best gift is you coming home:)
Merry Christmas!!

Secret Stockings

While decorating the tree tonight (jealous?), Dad, Mom, Brent and I were discussing who was old enough to be getting stockings this year. The tradition has depleted over the years for obvious reasons, but I think we should bring it back. I personally love stockings and everything that goes with them -- the instant gratification, the sifting through of the stupid items inside, and also the Christmas where Mom got us three youngest Disney character shampoo bottles (Aloise got Jasmine, Brent get Aladdin, I got the Beast....).

Anywho, we thought it would be cool if made stockings for our Kris Kringles! Nothing big, just add their favorite candy or snack, maybe make a CD, etc, etc. I think it would be a lot of fun to see each other's creative sides. We could get the stockings to Mom before Christmas and she would lay them out for us in the morning with just the recipients name. Of course this brings up those who won't be there for Christmas, but we could work those kinks out. We all liked the idea. Thoughts???

Christmas List(s)

'Tis the time to get started on my Christmas-ideas list. So, on that note: will those of you who have already shopped for or have definite ideas about "what you're getting" your Secret Santas, let me know by email?

This way I can go through your wish lists and decide if I want to choose a gift (or gifts) from your lists.

FELIZ NAVIDADES ( still too early, but what the heck)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I'm so sorry I'm late with this -- but as you all heard, my blogging rights have been expelled from MetLife of Connecticut. Anywho...

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

Man, I've been waiting to say that for 311 days now and I ho-ho-hope you all have to! While it's not quite time to light your advent wreaths or hang up your stockings, it's that special time of year where the malls bustle with glistening Christmas trees and ornaments and the radio stations start playing the classic tunes of Bing Crosby and Judy Garland. It's the month of Christmas preparations!

So... get out of your holiday cookbooks, start making red and green paper-links, plan to go see the tree in Rockefeller Center, and put those carols onto CDs (don't ignore that various and equally wonderful versions of "O Holy Night," sung by The Vienna Boy's Choir, the Home Alone Soundtrack, Celine Dion, Andrea Boccelli, Josh Grobin, and Mariah Carey!) and get ready for CHRISTMAS!!! IT'S ONLY 54 DAYS AWAY!!!

Mary, I vote this be added to our favorite sites list:
http://xmasfun.com/

A Friendly Reminder

I just wanted to repost this since I know most of us stop scrolling after awhile when posts get older. I have copied the old responses (as far as gifts are concerned) and have added mine. I encourage all to do the same as time is ticking.

Kicked in the Bells

Thanks a lot for the repeated and vicious insults (and undeserved I should add!). You've killed the Christmas spirit in me. Please do not include me in the Kris Kingle fiasco this year. I am dropping out.

You know something, Virginia. I'm changing my answer. I think you're right.

Kris Kringle

Can we pick names ASAP?

I don't want to do any shopping after Thanksgiving this year. Anyone with me?

Mom, can you facilitate by, um, maybe possibly, picking the names and letting us know?