Epiphany...

More than six weeks ago we had a snow storm.  It was Epiphany.  And we still had our annual Epiphany blessing by a priest.  We've had plenty of snow since then.

I wanted to post these "before"photos because we finally have ripped down all the wallpaper and painted.  But it was a glorious celebration.  And so many great shots!  (thanks honey for letting me get a "fancy" camera!)

Special epiphany water and chalk.

A special wine bottle cover from a friend. And a glimpse of the wainscoting and wallpaper that was to come down.

Beeswax candles.

Magi painting.

Incense.  Frankincense of course.

The priest.

And enough incense that you can't see the walls.  On the left was removed wallpaper and a first coat 

of paint.

Writing 20+C+M+B+14 over each doorway.

lots of sprinkling of water.

Here you can see ALL the wallpaper that we tried to hide under kids artwork and Christmas cards.  BUSY walls!

Front door. (see that wallpaper!)

3 year old couldn't stay awake anymore.

The Trinity icon that hangs in our dining room.

A child's penny doll house needed blessed too.  

And now all the kids eating dessert with the priest.  

An Epiphany to remember

We have a joyous tradition of celebrating Epiphany in our household. Each year a dear priest friend of ours comes for a visit. We eat a nice meal, drink some wine and he blesses our house royaly. The children help by carrying the chalk and an icon. Daddy fills the house with incense and mommy tries to fill it with good things to eat! We marked each entrance to our house with the traditional sign of the three kings 20+C+M+B+08. It seems only yesterday that we celebrated the end of the Christmas Season and already I can see the beginning of Lent in the wings. This Epiphany we will not forget.

Epiphany celebrated and celebrating...

"If you can see across the table, there isn't enough incense".

Our annual tradition of the blessing of the three kings was so much fun for the kids. We leave up our tree and decorations through the 12 days of Christmas. On the Sunday closest to Epiphany we have our priest friend over. The children enjoy processing through the house each holding something to help with the blessing. Holy water, an icon of the holy family, the "creature" chalk,...

Over each doorway to the outside is written 20+C+B+M+09 to represent the three kings and the coming year.

This year we did a chocolate cake with a crown hidden inside for our dessert. The children each decorated a crown to adore the top as well. Our dinner consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, edamame, and bread. I had made individual servings of layered bean dip. We snacked on this (and double dipped all we wanted) while many gifts were opened.

And we finished with Tomie dePaola's version of the Story of the Three Wise Kings.
This year we were blessed to have a special guest at our celebration.

Celebrating Christmas

How long do you celebrate Christmas?  Are you still celebrating?  We are.  We are just finishing up the whole 12 day celebration.  No formal schooling, but loads of learning.

I've had some discussions with moms about our peculiar gift giving habits.

Perhaps it would be good to share them!

When our oldest daughter was a little girl, we felt the rush of opening gifts we had given her with the need to visit family and attend Mass.  Her tears at being unable to continue to play with her gifts distressed us too!  So we thought through our gift giving a little more.

The following year we gave gifts on St. Nicholas day (Dec 5) and Epiphany (Jan 5)only.  The grandparents and extended family gave gifts to her on Christmas day and Christmas Eve.  This seemed to suffice.  So we have continued this way to celebrate Christmas.  It lasts a whole month or more!

Suggestions for St. Nicholas gifts?  Chocolate coins of course.  Things that celebrate virtue of generosity.

Suggestions for gifts given on Epiphany?  Three gifts if possible to remember the gifts of Gold, Frankinsence and Myrrh.  Perhaps a practical gift, a fun frilly gift and a thoughtful gift?

Catholic Schools Week

So we have a non-traditional Catholic school in our home.  It's perhaps like a one room school house in that we have a variety of ages, but we never school in just one room.  We travel around the house based on the needs of the children.  (I'm tired, can you read to me in my bed?; I need a snack, can you read to me at the table?; I need to be outside, can you read to me on the porch....get the idea?)

This week across the nation and in our Diocese it's Catholic Schools Week.  I applaud our Bishop for his commitment to keeping the option available for families.  I know of some priests that find keeping a Catholic school open to be the hardest work they do for their parish.  It can be one of the hardest things we accomplish at this domestic church too!

Our Bishop put out a statement for all Catholic schools this week.  The schools should stand for Faith.  Academics.  and Service.    The Bishop encouraged each school to have an open house to show off how they live these standards.  Since I doubt people are dying to put their children into this school, I decided a virtual tour is in order.  Of couse the children are the hosts.

I asked the children in this school how we live out this mandate from our Bishop.
Their responses:  "We go to Mass on Wednesdays nights as well as on Sunday."

Epiphany 2012

"We celebrate special feast days with readings and special foods. "

"We go to Atrium every week!"

"We study history a LOT! "

Quick reading time on your own

"Today we did a lot of Math."

Letter practice while mom reads

"We did that service project for the HomeCare"

Heart shaped rice warmers for Hospice patients

Even more reading aloud

And even though our Bishop will never darken the doors of this school, we thank him for his guidance.

A rather quick 1st week of Lent

We began the week with a family hike at a local nature center.  (Mom's have the best job of taking photos)  It was a chilly one, but much needed exercise for the whole family.  

Oldest daughter (now 10) caught a shot on her newer camera from Epiphany (thanks to a generous priest).  See how my hair is growing and I'm too poor  lazy to keep it trimmed nicely.

Little girl is fixated on a pink shirt for every day of the week and is reading all she can on what babies are like.  

And someone has a mouth full of silver.  She's done so well... even back to playing the clarinet with those braces in Lenten hues of purple.

I must say it's been hard to stay focused with regular schooling at table and home this week, but we've managed to visit an elderly shut in and have a great discussion about the Dust Bowl and the Depression.  We've visited our old neighbors and gone to Mass.  The children have continued to practice their instruments and I've had meals on the table.  So all is well with this house.

Epiphany prayer

O sweet Jesus
accept my heart
as an altar on which
I will sacrifice to you
 the Gold of ardent love,
the Incense of continual
and fervent prayer
and the Myrrh of
constant mortification.

St. Paul of the Cross

Epiphany Plans

Menu: Italian!

home made crostini with beluga lentils and goat cheese (omit the rosemary)

pasta fagioli number 67 in Fast Italian book

chicken cacciatore in crock pot with rice from C. Karl

salad with feta and olives from Sahid (okay so that's more Syrian)

easy tiramisu

Books being read this week:

The little Boy's Christmas Gift by John Speirs

Under the Star by Jane Yolen

Baboushka retold by Arthur Scholey

the story of the Three Wise Kings retold by Tomie dePaola

Do Re Mi If you can read music, thank Guido d'Arezzo by Susan Roth

Blessing of the Three kings

20+C+M+B+11

Sometimes the simplest traditions can be the most full!   And we like the consistency of having the same priest friend over each year.  

Brother Incense bearer

the "Presider" at our home blessing for 2011.

Sister icon bearer

Sister chalk bearer

first Epiphany listener

All interested except lil guy.

He really enjoyed being part of it all.  

a gift from Jerusalem that plays the most annoying music....over and over and over.  Thanks Fr. E.

Visiting the camel at the zoo.  (thanks for being one of the first to adore!)

A house blessing

There's nothing magical about comitting your house for God's use.  Choosing to have a house be a blessing to others is a yearly commitment we make at Epiphany.

But then we moved!

So after we moved we asked our priest to come and help us bless this house for God's use.

Here are the photos (long overdue!) from the blessing in July.

May God take this little abode and turn it into a blessing for others.  

(and thanks to a God mother who took all these photos!)