Post Christmas illness!

Well, apparently I have succumbed to the sickness that my children have been sharing for the last several weeks.  It started on Christmas Eve, but I figured I was just exhausted from all the activity and lack of sleep.  As it turns out, I must have been brewing something.  I have been sporting a low grade fever (highest was 100.9) and a cough that sounds like I'm dying!  As a matter of fact, it's one of those coughs that make you dizzy. 

I went to work today, against my better judgement.  Ended up coming home around lunch time.  I've slept on and off all afternoon.  Had some soup for dinner and I've been laying around since.  I don't feel good...but I can't really pin point what the problem is.  Just general uckiness.

I have lots to share with you about our Christmas!  Lots to say, and lots of pictures to show you.  I promise to get this done as soon as I have some energy.  BTW, my laptop died...so I've been using Dan's for the last several days.  It's a pain to access my email and impossible to access my pictures.  Hopefully, things will be back to normal soon.

In the meantime, I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Wrapping paper codes!

 

 

Well, isn't this a great idea!  To tell you the truth, I've thought of the different wrapping paper idea before....but cutting a square and stuffing it in the bottom of the stocking????  Now THAT is a good idea!!!

Is it must me or has the world gone mad?????

I think the world has gone completely nuts!  Have you read (or watched) the news lately?  Here are some headlines that I've seen over the last week.  Read some of these and then try to tell me that there is not something sinister....or....dark happening.  I think, for whatever reason, we have been allowed to be alive at this particular moment in history for a purpose.  All I can say is to LISTEN....WATCH and PRAY.  Lay low and pay attention!

Christmas Tree Banned:  "Religious Symbol"

Rhode Island Governor:  "It's not tradition to call it a Christmas Tree.....

Men busted for tailing UPS truck and stealing gifts....

Hundreds of donated gifts stolen from church.....

Baby Jesus goes missing....

Church cuts Charlie Brown play after backlash....

Lawsuit threat cancels Christmas concert....

Berkeley students seek ban on Salvation Army bell ringers....

America suffering baby shortage....

Brad Pitt:  The kids want me to marry their mom....

Vermont Governor "confident" assisted suicide will pass next year....

Federal tax dollars being used to prepare for a "zombie apocalypse"...

I mean...am I the only one who is wondering what in the heck is going on? 

Sometimes, I believe that I was born in the wrong era.  Do you ever feel like that?  The older I get, the more conservative I get...the more "old-fashioned"....the more plain...the more ordinary I'm becoming.  I'm just not sure that the way that our society is "progressing" is really good for us.

I don't know, I'm just rambling.  All I know is that I hesitate to read the news these days.  I skip it for several days, and then, when I think I'm brave enough to check it...these are the types of stories that are being reported.

What must Our Lord think?

1st Sunday of Advent - 2012

I've put my Sunday Fun Links on hold until after Christmas!  I wanted to spend the next few Sundays sharing with you the traditions and activities that we are doing as a family for Advent.  None of these things are earth shattering...or new.  These are just ordinary ways of celebrating this season of anticipation with an "extra-ordinary" Widener spin!

Last year was the first year since Nathan was a baby that we've had an Advent Wreath using real candles.  I thought we ready.  I thought wrong.  It's too much stress for me worrying about who is touching the candle...who is sticking their fingers in hot wax....or who is blowing them out too hard and blowing wax all over the place!  Real candles are still too much of a temptation for my kids.  So, with the help of some wonderful ideas on Pinterest....I found one that we could make.  It was fun and easy.

I started by making the wreath itself.  I traced the girls hands 4 times each using two different shades of green.

 

I cut them out and then glued them together in a circle. 



 

 

 

I had been saving up my toilet paper rolls for just this occasion!

 

A little glue...

 

A little purple/pink/white scrapbook paper....

 

Roll it on up.

I measured the paper slightly longer than the tube.  I don't really know why.  I suppose they could have been exact and it would have worked fine too.  I just thought the edges were cleaner this way.

 

Slit the excess paper with scissors and then fold and glue them down.

I cut out a circle of paper for the tops...made a slit in the middle of the circle and then inserted a "flame" that I traced and cut out.

 

I think it turned out cute.

 

Now I don't have to worry about little burned fingers or scraping wax off of my dining room table!

Enjoy your first week of Advent!  Happy New Year!