![Celebrating Thérèse]()
by Catherine | Dec 10, 2012 | Faith, Family
After a lot of prayer, Philip and I decided we wanted to celebrate our baby Thérèse’s life formally with our family. Thérèse will be buried at a Catholic cemetery, but there will be no formal burial ceremony. (I’ll go into the logistics and hoops I had to go through to set all of that up another time.) Instead of a memorial Mass, we decided to gather our family and my Bible study girlfriends together to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and have a dessert reception afterward.
We met on Sunday at our parish Our Lady Chapel. Isn’t it beautiful?
The space was perfect for our intimate prayer time together. Philip and I wanted to make sure that everyone there felt that they were active participants, so we made a few preparations.
First, we typed up a program. On the front were our family’s intentions for each of the five Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and a small note of thanks:
Please Join Us In
Praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
To Celebrate the Life of
Thérèse Patricia Boucher
The First Glorious Mystery – The ResurrectionWe pray for the gift of strong faith–both in times of sorrow and joy. May we always find hope in the Resurrection of Christ. Let us ask Mary for the gift of an unshakeable faith.
The Second Glorious Mystery – The AscensionWe pray that our lives are a sign of hope for others. In times of sorrow, grant us the grace to remain hopeful, trust in God’s will, and remember the promise of salvation.
The Third Glorious Mystery – The Descent of the Holy SpiritWe pray for a deepening in awareness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. May we use them to show our love of God and each other. Help each of us to be a faithful disciple and steward of Your gifts.
The Fourth Glorious Mystery – The AssumptionWe pray that each of us will model our lives after the faithfulness of Mary and rejoice in God’s faithfulness to us. We pray for the grace to obediently answer God’s call in our lives and joyfully accept His will for us.
The Fifth Glorious Mystery – The Coronation
We pray for a deeper devotion to Mary, our spiritual mother and intercessor in heaven. Mary, draw us close to your Immaculate Heart, where we may take refuge in times of trouble.
Thank you for your prayers and for all of the different ways you have helped us this past month. We ask for your prayers as we continue to heal. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.
Love,
Catherine, Philip,
Jane, and Walt
On the back, we wanted to provide a typed-up guide with the various prayers of the Rosary as well as their order. Rosary Army is an apostolate dedicated to spreading devotion to the Rosary throughout the world. They have a fantastic PDF that we downloaded and printed on the backside of the program. I think this was a beautiful guide for those unfamiliar with the Rosary to follow along.
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| PDF from Rosary Army |
Since we have so many young nephews and nieces, we wanted to be sure and include them in this special Rosary for their cousin. Ahead of time, we asked them if they would be willing to lead our family in a decade of the Rosary. We decided to “spice things up” a bit by using the Rosary Army Scriptural Rosary for the Glorious Mysteries. The Scriptural Rosary brings the Mysteries of the Rosary to life by incorporating verses of Scripture that pertain to each Mystery before each Hail Mary. (Rosary Army has a version of the Scriptural Rosary for each of the Mysteries of the Rosary.) We printed off “scripts” for our nephews and niece to practice ahead of time.
When it was time, we gathered in the chapel, handed out the programs, distributed Rosaries (some belonged to great-great-grandmothers), and Philip started our prayer time together. He welcomed everyone, thanked them for coming, and explained that we would be praying the special intentions on the front of the program. To help keep everyone’s focus, we purchased 8″x10″ images of the Mysteries of the Rosary from our local Catholic bookstore. To make them last longer, I laminated them. We brought a stand to prop them up on the altar in the middle of the chapel for everyone to focus on as we prayed.
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| The Resurrection image laminated and propped up on the stand we used |
I hope our family will develop a devotion to the Rosary and other special prayers, so I decided to put together a little prayer binder to store our prayer materials. I stored the laminated images of the Mysteries of the Rosary in the divider pockets and printed off the Scriptural Rosary that accompanies the various mysteries. I separated them by category and left room with future dividers to add other novenas or special prayers for our family prayer time together.
To set the tone and demonstrate how to lead the decades, Philip lead the introductory prayers and First Glorious Mystery. Since he’s Super Dad, he managed to do that and hold Walt in his arms while Janie and I sat in the chairs. In that moment, watching him lead a Rosary for our baby in heaven as he held another one of our babies in his arms, I felt as though my heart could burst. I prayed in thanksgiving to God for giving me such a wonderful, godly man to be the head of our family.
With each decade, we changed the image on the stand and our nephews and niece took turns leading us in prayer. Their innocence and reverence helped all of us to slow down and meditate on the words as they read them. I was blown away by how naturally they led the room full of people in prayer! The future of the Church is alive and well! When I explained to my 8-year-old nephew how the Rosary was going to work and what he was going to do, he said, “Wow! Cool! This is going to be so awesome!” I don’t think my nephews or niece will ever know what their participation in our family Rosary means to me and Philip, but we are so grateful.
After the Rosary, we headed back to our house for a little reception. Philip and I prepared some treats and snacks and had some refreshments. The bad news is I forgot to take a picture of the spread because I was busy visiting with everyone and playing hostess. The good news is I was so busy enjoying everyone’s company that I wasn’t spending the time snapping pictures! We did manage to get a picture of the reindeer cookies ahead of time, though. (To make the “antlers,” I used chocolate-covered tree pretzels cut in half.)
I found some absolutely gorgeous red roses from a nearby grocery store floral department. It’s as though they were meant for our Rosary for Thérèse. They weren’t in the case the first time I looked through the flowers. I was going to settle on some white spray roses and pink alstroemeria, but I decided to think about it while I went to the bakery to pick up the chocolate-covered pretzels for the reindeer cookies. When I came back, the florist said, “excuse me” as she put this beautiful arrangement of a dozen red roses inside the case. As an added bonus, they were “on special” at half off what they would have cost if I had called in to order a dozen roses! (Have you ever heard of St. Thérèse of Lisieux bringing people roses after they pray a novena to her? Well, I think this was our own “Little Flower” in heaven saying, “Here, Mom! Do you like these?”)
Philip’s family gave us some beautiful red, white, and pink roses. Whether it was a happy coincidence or intentional, I love that they picked roses for our Little Flower, Thérèse, as well.
I am so thankful that my dear girlfriends from my Bible study were able to join us. One of my friends, Annie, gave me a beautiful present to remember Thérèse and the day we prayed the Rosary for her. It’s the most precious itty bitty little Rosary I’ve ever seen! The delicate little pink beads are for our little girl, she said, and she hopes it will be a treasured Rosary for Thérèse’s siblings as they get older. I know I’ll treasure it forever!
My oldest brother and sister-in-law also gave me an incredible keepsake and present. They said it was a “belated” birthday present, but I think they gave it to me at just the right time. It’s a beautiful locket necklace from Origami Owl with little charms inside. From left to right, there is: a cross, an angel baby, a baby’s footprint, and a “T” for Thérèse. I wore it the night of the Rosary, and I’ve been wearing it all day today, too. It’s such a special, thoughtful gift and reminder of our precious baby.
Aside from the very thoughtful presents, Philip and I were so overwhelmed by the response we received from our family members and friends. Over and over again, individual family members or friends took each of us aside throughout the afternoon to tell us how beautiful and special the Rosary and reception were. They said that they were “so glad we did this.” Several teared up as they thanked me for including them and gave me big hugs.
Thérèse deserved to be celebrated and prayed for. We are so glad we shared that day with others because they needed it, too. Philip and I went to bed last night saying how to-the-core happy and at peace we feel knowing that our prayer warrior, Thérèse, is in heaven, and that we have so many wonderful people on earth lifting us up in prayer.
When we found out Thérèse died and that I would be miscarrying, Philip said we were lucky to have the extra motivation to get our entire family to heaven since we knew one of our babies was already there. Now that more than a month has passed, nothing gives my life more purpose and truth than those words. My life’s mission is to get Philip and the rest of our children to heaven. Having hope in my vocation brings me strength, joy, and peace.
![Our Jesse Tree]()
by Catherine | Dec 6, 2012 | Faith
Have you ever heard of a Jesse Tree? Until last year, I never knew the significance of the tree or the ornaments/images on the tree. In anticipation of Christmas, the Jesse Tree tells the story of Jesus’ family tree. Starting with the story of Creation and ending with Himself, the Jesse tree chronicles stories from the Old and New Testament, weaving together all of salvation history into a beautiful visual aid to help your family prepare for the birth of the Christ Child.
The story of Creation, Adam and Eve, and other Old Testament figures are aptly placed on the bottom (the “roots”) of the tree. As you place each ornament on the tree, read the Scripture passages about each story or person and reflect on their importance in salvation history.
One of our local Catholic bookstores sold this simple wooden Jesse Tree:
To make it a little more seasonal, Philip spray painted the honeycomb balls and base gold and the “branches” evergreen.
We found beautiful Jesse Tree ornament images on the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania webpage. Click here to download the PDF files of the ornaments. (Illustrations found on the ornaments are by Carolyn Pikoulas.) In addition to the beautiful ornaments, the Erie page provides a link to beautiful reflections and Scripture passages from Faith magazine by Anne-Marie Welsh to go along with each ornament.
I printed off the ornaments on white card stock, cut them out, cut holes with my hole punch, and strung metallic cord through them to hang on the tree. I found the metallic cord at a local craft store for $2 for several feet.
The Jesse Tree is a fun addition to our already existing Advent traditions. As the matriarch of our little family, I am trying to slowly add to the things we do each year during Advent. I keep reminding myself that there is no need to try to do it all anyway! We have yet to read through the Scripture passages and reflections accompanying the ornaments as a family. In full disclosure, I hung up the ornaments from the dove through the lamb all at once tonight because Philip finished assembling the tree last night.
We placed the Jesse Tree on our mantle in the family room so that little hands aren’t tempted to remove the ornaments. It’s a beautiful reminder of the “reason for the season” as well as all of the events that led up to the birth of the Christ Child.
As an added bonus, if you reflect long and hard on the wild and crazy stories in Jesus’ family tree, you might find reassurance and comfort that your own family tree looks pretty darn good by comparison!
I hope you are having a blessed start to your Advent!
![My Christmas Planner]()
by Catherine | Dec 2, 2012 | Faith, Family, The Homefront
In March, I created a Boucher Family Binder to serve as our family’s central information hub. Since creating that binder, life is much more organized and less stressful around here. To learn more about the forms and information contained in the binder, click on the link.
Much of the formatting I used for my family binder came from ideas in the book House Works: How to Live Clean, Green, and Organized at Home and the author’s website OrganizedHome.com.
When I created the family binder in March, I read about making a Christmas planner notebook to keep Christmas organized. I finally decided to tackle the project this week, and I am so thrilled I did!
I purchased a 1″ red D-ring binder at Walmart with clear pockets so that I could insert some scrapbook papers and stickers from JoAnn’s to make it a little more festive.
With a lot of brainstorming, I came up with all of the different categories I wanted to include in our family Christmas planner. I printed off a Table of Contents on some white cardstock and put labels on some plain white dividers.
Some of the forms are adaptations from OrganizedHome.com, others are directly from the site, and others are uniquely my own.
1. Budget
I created categories (gifts, charitable giving, decorations/lighting/home, food/entertaining, Christmas card/supplies) to keep the financial end of things organized and in balance. My hope is that this form will keep the Christmas season financially on-track! We’ll see if I prefer the paper and pen method or want to put it on Excel next year.
2. Master Gift List
I created this form with spots for your spouse, children, and non-family gift recipients to keep track of what you bought, where you got it, whether you already purchased it or had it delivered, whether you wrapped it, how much it cost, and your running total of how much you spent.
Our family does an adult gift exchange, and the grandchildren exchange a book. I created a separate form for future years with names to cut out for the draw and a fillable list of the gift givers and gift recipients. (My version has the family member’s names filled in.)
3. Stocking Stuffers
Philip and I are still playing around with the idea of starting a tradition with the stockings to make it a little simpler. We might fill them with winter jammies and a book each year to be opened, worn, and read on Christmas Eve. That way, there’s no need to buy a bunch of little things for each family member!
For now, I created this form to keep track of all of the little stuffers for each family member to make sure that everyone gets roughly the same amount.
4. Room-By-Room Décor
To make “decking the halls” and un-decking the halls after the Christmas season less stressful, I created this category and form. It’s a room-by-room guide of what décor I have, where I place it, and where it’s stored. My brilliant husband suggested taking photos of each room and the different arrangements and keeping the photo album in my “Christmas Planner” folder on the computer.
5. Menus/Recipes
Here’s the central hub for the go-to and favorite brunch, dinner, goodies, and other Christmas-related recipes. I’m in the process of compiling these items, so I don’t actually have the forms yet. I will separate the items by category and include the hard copies of recipes or the websites where they can be found. I know I will be glad to have all of the recipes finally compiled in one spot! No more searching for “that one cookie recipe!”
6. Our Holiday Traditions
This is the place to list and describe the different things your family does that makes Christmas uniquely yours. For our family, this section includes things like: how we use the Advent Wreath and Jesse Tree, visiting an area parish’s local living Nativity, celebrating St. Nick’s day (December 6th), Bernie (Our Catholic Elf on the Shelf), gift exchange, baking goodies for neighbors, singing “Happy Birthday” and eating birthday cake for Jesus, visiting the botanical garden poinsettia display, etc.
7. Advent Wreath
Philip gave me a beautiful Advent wreath with candles for my birthday (November 26th) last year. We decided to put the Advent wreath on the kitchen table this year, and we’re using Lisa Hendey’s O Radiant Dawn: 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath to lead our prayers after dinner.
I also collected and printed off copies of the Christmas songs we sing around the Advent wreath as a family.
8. Jesse Tree
I printed off the corresponding Scripture verses (Revised Standard Version) and reflections to read as we place each of the 25 ornaments on our brand new Jesse Tree. (More to come on that another time!)
9. Ornament Journal
If you’re like me, you struggle to keep straight who gave who which ornament, and you want to remember those little details when you unwrap the treasures that go on your tree. This is a central hub to record information about those ornaments to (hopefully!) be passed down to future generations.
10. Holiday Favorites
This form, directly from
OrganizedHome.com, is a place to keep track of favorite Christmastime movies, books, music, and a wish list.
11. Recipes to Try
When I find a recipe I might want to try next year from a magazine, I tear it out and put it in here. If I see a recipe on Pinterest or somewhere else online, I’ll jot down a description of the item and the website where I found it. If this section gets big enough, I’ll categorize the items.
12. Craft Projects
The place to put fun craft ideas to make with your family. My Christmas Pinterest page is bringing me all kinds of inspiration. I’ll list the winners in this section!
13. Entertaining
This is the place to include things like: buffet layout ideas, bar set-up, music playlist names/Pandora stations, Christmas Minute to Win It games, menus, etc.
14. Christmas Card
We made a Christmas card and included a letter for the past few years. With all of the chaos of this last month, we didn’t get around to making a card or writing a letter, so we sadly won’t be sending one this year. Maybe I’ll still write a letter and post it on my blog.
This section of the planner is the place where I’ll archive old letters/cards, store favorites from friends and family, keep the list of recipients, and record prices and shopping information for cards and stationery.
15. Post-Holiday Debriefing
Perhaps this is the teacher in me that wants to evaluate how things went, but I’m excited about the Christmas debriefing form. This form, directly from OrganizedHome.com, is the place to “record the highs and lows of the season just past. Stored in your Christmas planner, it’ll guide you toward more satisfying, less stressful holidays next year!” It includes questions to get you thinking about what worked, what didn’t, and what you can do to make next year more enjoyable for you and your entire family.
That’s it–for now! As I use the Christmas planner and celebrate the Christmas season with our family, I’m sure I’ll learn that some things in the planner need revision or that we need to add more categories.
Is there anything you think my Christmas planner is missing? Please suggest additional categories or any revisions.
I created a Google docs page for anyone interested in using my forms. You can access all of the forms here and print them off for your own use.
I hope they help to make your Christmas season more organized and give you time to focus on what really matters–growing in holiness and sharing Christ’s love alongside your loved ones as you prepare for Christ’s birth. I hope that you and your family have a blessed Advent and Christmas!
![My 28th Birthday]()
by Catherine | Nov 26, 2012 | Faith, Family
Last night, after we finished our nightly reading of Magnificat and said our prayers, Philip and I did our nightly check-in to see how the other was doing. We both said that we were mostly feeling numb and that the sadness is starting to creep in. Now that we’re not consumed with my physical recovery or preparing for Thanksgiving, we have time to process everything that happened this month. When it was my turn, I rattled off my emotions:
- I’m sad that we lost our baby, Thérèse.
- I’m happy that she’s our beautiful saint in heaven who can intercede for our family and propel us to meet her there one day.
- I’m glad we are gathering our family to say the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and have her buried in a Catholic cemetery.
- I feel strange just entering into the grief since most people have stopped asking about losing Thérèse, and I suppose I’ve allowed how other people are acting to determine how I’m feeling.
- I’m anxious to try to have another baby and impatient with our 3-month waiting period.
- I’m praying for the ability to be present now and find the graces in this waiting time.
- I’m excited to celebrate Advent with our family.
After blabbering for a few minutes, I sighed and asked Philip to cheer me up. We were laying on our tummies, facing each other, and he asked, “Want me to play with your hair and tell you sweet things?” He said how happy he is that we added “God bless baby Thérèse in heaven” to our nighttime prayers so that the children will never remember not praying for her or asking for her intercession. He said how neat it will be when they are old enough to understand that their sibling is a saint in heaven. He said how excited he was to celebrate my birthday as a family the next day, and I could tell by his vague description of the day that he had a few surprises up his sleeve. We gave each other a hug and a kiss and dozed off to sleep.
This morning, I woke up to the smell of coffee and heard the bedroom door open. I heard Philip whisper, “Tell Mommy, ‘Happy Birthday!'” Little Janie climbed in bed next to me, and Philip stood over my bed, holding Walt. Janie wished me a happy birthday and gave me a big kiss on the cheek.
I didn’t know it yet, but Philip, sly husband that he is, woke up early, got ready, went out to get donuts (my favorites–apple fritters and long johns), came back, got the kids up and dressed, and the three came in to get me for breakfast. When I walked out to the kitchen, fresh coffee, milk, and donuts were on the counter next to birthday cards and presents.
Philip told me to take a seat while he situated the kids and got them started on breakfast. He handed me my birthday cards to open–one from the kids, and the other from him. Of course, they both made me tear up!
Next, Philip told me to open my presents. I am so excited to announce that I am now the proud owner of a Scotch Thermal Laminator and a huge pack of thermal pouches! YESSSSS!!! Laugh all you want, but this mama is over the moon happy about this present. My ABC 123 Pinterest board full of things to laminate for preschool-ish learning activities and games can now come to fruition! I can’t wait to make all of those fun things. First on my list is a printable Nativity set to cut out and make into magnets for the fridge.
Philip had to leave to go to work, so we exchanged hugs and kisses and wished each other a great day. The kids and I got ready for my young mothers group that meets at our parish on Monday mornings. As I hopped out of the shower, Janie came to the door to announce, “Mama! It’s SNOWING!”
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| Don’t mind the beer bottles or coolers. Our fridge broke, and we’re living out of coolers until our new fridge arrives on Thursday! |
Sure enough, I walked out to the family room in my wrap towel to see beautiful white snowflakes coming down. Almost instan
tly, I teared up. I knew this little gift was a present from our Little Flower, Thérèse.
Let me explain the connection…This summer, I started reading St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s autobiography, Story of a Soul, on my Kindle Fire. (By the way, it’s a free ebook on Kindle in case you’re interested.) I know that reading her autobiography helped me to develop a fondness for the Little Flower.
In her autobiography, St. Thérèse recounts the story of her clothing day (one of the steps on her way to entering Carmel and professing her vows as a Carmelite nun). She writes to “dear Mother,” her religious superior who asked her to pen the autobiography as a testament to her sanctity. The part that instantly stood out in my mind as I watched the snowflakes fall on our deck this morning was the story of her prayer to Jesus, her Bridgegroom, for snow on her clothing day.
Do you remember my telling you, dear Mother, how fond I am of snow? While I was still quite small, its whiteness entranced me. Why had I such a fancy for snow? Perhaps it was because, being a little winter flower, my eyes first saw the earth clad in its beautiful white mantle. So, on my clothing day, I wished to see it decked, like myself, in spotless white. The weather was so mild that it might have been spring, and I no longer dared hope for snow. The morning of the feast brought no change and I gave up my childish desire, as impossible to be realized…
The instant I set foot in the enclosure (the courtyard outside of the Church) again my eyes fell on the statue of the Child Jesus smiling on me amid the flowers and lights; then, turning towards the quadrangle, I saw that, in spite of the mildness of the weather, it was covered with snow. What a delicate attention on the part of Jesus! Gratifying the least wish of His little Spouse, He even sent her this. Where is the creature so mighty that he can make one flake of it fall to please his beloved?
The snowflakes this morning marked the first snow for this winter. It has been uncharacteristically warm this fall, and the rest of this week looks to be warm as well. When I saw the flakes falling this morning, tears poured out of my eyes, and I said a silent prayer, thanking God for the beautiful mantle of white to remind me in my sadness that my own Little Flower was still very much with me and interceding for me on my behalf from heaven.
At the end of my young mothers meeting at church this morning, my dear friend, Nicole, gave me a card and an envelope, wishing me a happy birthday and saying that it was a small gift she knew was meant for me. We were busy bundling up our kids so she stuck it in my diaper bag and we didn’t have a chance to have a real goodbye, but she’s the kind of friend who doesn’t need a proper goodbye to know that I love her.
As we walked through the church narthex, I asked the kids if they wanted to “say ‘hi’ to Jesus in the castle” (Janie’s name for the adoration chapel where the consecrated hosts are stored in an ornate tablernacle that looks like a gilded fortress). We peeked through the glass doors since someone was praying silently inside. Janie whispered, “Hi, Jesus!” and said she wanted to see “Boy Jesus” (the Child Jesus statue in the church courtyard). We opened the church doors to reveal a snow-covered courtyard. Just like on St. Thérèse’s clothing day, our own parish statue of the Child Jesus was smiling on us amid the snow-covered flowers.
When I got home, I opened the beautiful card from my friend that included “a little story” about my present:
I love to vintage shop and was searching on my favorite seller on Etsy. They listed a vintage Italian Rosary and got me interested right away! I then see that it has St. Thérèse on it and immediately thought it might be something nice for you. I order it, and then get this “strange” feeling. I look up on Google, what is the Emerald the birthstone for (the stones used in the vintage Rosary) and find out MAY! (Thérèse was due in May.) I said a prayer of thanks as I truly felt your little angel saying that “This is something my momma needs!” I hope you can use this during times of sorrow, joy, peace and growth to remember your blessing of Thérèse in prayer. Love you!
I know I will be praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary with my family in honor of Thérèse with this beautiful gift.
The most important lesson I learned
this year is that God is Love and that He knows better than I ever will what is best for me or my loved ones. Good Father that He is, He won’t always give me what I ask for, and if He does, it won’t necessarily be on my timeline. Nonetheless, I am learning to place my trust in His will for me and my family. The simple prayer, “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You,” got me through losing Thérèse, and I know it will get me through the rest of my life.
Much like the anonymous Confederate soldier who wrote “A Soldier’s Prayer,” I feel “almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed.”
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey….
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things….
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise….
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God….
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things….
I got nothing that I asked for –
but everything that I had hoped for,
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
Thank you to my dear friends and family for lifting me up and bringing my life countless blessings. You were the Body of Christ to me this last month–His lips in your sweet words of truth, His feet when you came to visit, His arms in your embraces, His hands in your preparation of meals or care for our children. I pray that I may somehow reveal the Body of Christ to you in my 28th year and beyond.
![Thanksgiving]()
by Catherine | Nov 26, 2012 | Family
We spent Thanksgiving day with Philip’s family. It was a wonderful, relaxing day full of great conversation and fantastic food. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera at home, so we don’t have any pictures to share. Many thanks to Philip’s wonderful family for hosting us and for a delicious meal. I always knew I loved Philip’s family, but with each year, I feel like I am truly a part of their family as an adoptive daughter, and I love them.
On Saturday, Philip and I hosted my side of the family at our home for Thanksgiving round two. We opted for the traditional fare. I wish I took more pictures of all of the beautiful food! It was a feast to remember. With nearly five years of marriage under our belts, Philip and I are getting the hang of hosting family events. We made a great team getting the house and food ready for the big day.
Our contributions in the food/drink department included Honeycrisp Apple Sangria, Turkey (combo of Martha Stewart and Pioneer Woman strategies), Green Bean Casserole, and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie.
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| Straining the Honeycrisp Apple Sangria. Yummmmm! |
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| This photo is from Nutmeg Nanny, the blog where I found the recipe for Honeycrisp Apple Sangria. I forgot to take a picture of the glasses with the cinnamon/sugar rims. Delish! |
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| Philip totally dominated our 19-pound turkey. He brined it overnight, basted the heck out of it, and used a cheesecloth. |
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| Chocolate bourbon pecan pie, photo from Southern Living. This and pumpkin pie are in a dead tie in my book. |
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| The Paula Deen green bean casserole used fresh green beans and mushrooms. I’m never going back to the canned version again! |
The rest of our family brought beer, wine (hooray for a bar-owning brother!), appetizers (my sister-in-law could have fed the entire army with her smorgasboard of delicious nibbles!), rolls, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and birthday cake.
Instead of going completely formal or informal, I opted for somewhere in between. As host and hostess, we insisted that everyone wear jeans and be comfy. We had ten adults, but we wouldn’t all fit around our dining room table, so Philip and I moved the furniture around. We moved the dining room table out to the front living room and added on a small table to the end. I said to heck with cloth napkins and opted for paper.
For centerpieces, we went simple but elegant. I used my grandmother’s old lace tablecloth on the dining table, bought a new ivory one for the side table to complement it, and ran a cranberry-colored table runner down the middle. We got some new taper candles and filled mason jars with greenery from our backyard bushes, cranberries, and floaty candles.
We moved the loveseat that usually sits in the front living room into the dining room. The five older cousins sat at a card table in the dining room next to the buffet.
The “babies” sat at the kitchen table in their boosters, above the linoleum floor, and away from the carpet. Barney had to join them.
Unfortunately, our fridge died on us an hour before my family arrived. The good news was that it was a chilly afternoon/evening, so we were able to keep the foods that needed to be refrigerated cool on the deck in coolers or on top of our patio furniture. Classy, right?
Had our fridge died on us a year or two ago, I probably would have cried or panicked. Recent events helped us to keep things in perspective and remember that we’re blessed to even have a Thanksgiving feast at all.
To conclude our feast, we sang happy birthday to the November birthdays (myself included) and had some dessert and coffee.
Walt loved the birthday cake in his jammes! I think he looks like the Gerber baby in this shot.
After dessert, we drew names for our annual Christmas book/gift exchange. The grandchildren draw names and exchange a book. The adults draw names and exchange a present with an agreed upon price limit.
We took a little time to digest and rinse off a few dishes before moving on to my favorite portion of the evening–game time. The grandkids cuddled up on the couch and watched movies in the family room while the adults played Catch Phrase and Guesstures around the table. I am pleased to report that the ladies handily beat the boys at both games.
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| The dudes. I think Philip is stiff-arming a nephew to keep him out of the shot… |
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| Fuzzy but cute group shot of most of the group. My ten-year-old nephew is a good photographer! |
What a fun and blessed holiday weekend! I hope you and your family had an equally fun time celebrating with your loved ones.
