Wacky Weekend!

Well, it was a very busy weekend (as usual). 

SATURDAY...

I cantored a funeral in the morning, met again with the florist, took my Mom (& Mom's dress) for alterations and shoe shopping, Met the guys in the Parish hall who were working to put up wires for the reception (to hang lights off of) made it for practice a little after 3pm, cantored the 4pm Mass, finished grocery shopping and wrapping gifts for the party that evening and went to a BEAUTIFUL Youth group Christmas Party.

Shaun went to morning Mass and met his brother and best Man, Paul and Groomsman (I don't think that's the official term, but I like it better than "Usher") Bob, to set up an elaborate series of cables in the parish hall where we will hang lights for the reception... all with a "broken wing" (torn rotator cuff).  I stopped in from time to time during my hectic day to check in on them.  GREAT JOB GUYS!!!

We have been looking into getting a pellet stove and as God would have it, while I was driving my Mom for alterations, what did I see for sale?  A pellet stove!!!  Just like the kind we were looking for! ...but around $1500 LESS than what we had seen them for sale for!  God is so good!

The Youth Group made me SO proud because they chose to offer "spiritual" gifts for each other instead of monetary presents.  They eagerly exchanged their "Palancas" after we said a beautiful Christmas Novena.  You'd think they'd recieved the BEST gifts in the world (which they did) as they opened and saw what had been offered and sacrificed for each other over the last month and a half.

I was moved to tears as I opened my gift and found a beautifully handpainted heart shaped box filled with slips of paper that said things like: "I offered studying for my final for you", "I offered up driving in the car without heat for you", "I offered a meal for you", "I offered up NOT procrastinating for you", "I offered up a Chaplet of Mercy for you" and a ton more!

Shaun's name was chosen by a remarkable young man who bought him a beautiful glass beer mug and filled it with a prayer book and slips of paper all typed out that said things like: "I helped clean the pantry for my sister", "I didn't complain about videogames to my parents", "I washed my sisters dishes", "I offered 36 Masses for you!", "I offered 36 rosaries for you", "I prayed hail mary's every night until I fell asleep for you" (I LOVED that one).

Sigh... best kids ever!

SUNDAY...

was busy with Adoration at 4am, Breakfast with Shaun (have to find time to keep traditions) wrapping gifts for the Christmas Party, Shaun going to pick up the girls go to Mass & head to Worscester, while I stayed behind to Cantor the Mass, Meet with the young lady who will help run the reception, drop off charity gifts, help at our school Christmas Pageant (beautiful job!) and afterwards drive up to Worscester to catch the tail end of Shaun's family Christmas Party.  I LOVE Shaun's family!  I feel so blessed with them.

This week brings us into the home stretch.  Both Christmas Crazies (and trying to maintain a sense of prayer and peace as we meditate on Christ's coming) and last wedding preparations while still getting all the school work and Shaun's work done.  Keep praying for us!!!

In the last week...

So... there's only a little over 2 weeks left till the BIG day!!!  The question on everyone's mind, "So, are you getting nervous?" and Shaun & I answer, "No.  Not really".  I personally just get anxious that there's still so much to do and I'll forget stuff... but either way, it'll be a wonderful day and at the end of it, I'm looking forward towards the rest of my life with the most perfect man... for me!

In the last week lets recap.

I've entered into one of the busiest times of the school year (and have to admit that my kids have been a blessing), and everyone's eager about the wedding.  Even the flowers are over eager and ended up blooming early... well... SOME of them, just couldn't wait.

Seems like we just planted them...

and they went from THIS

to THIS

to THIS

In NO time!

Same thing with the Paperwhites...

they're blooming like crazy.  Hope some will wait till Jan 1st!!!

This weekend I met with the Photographer, the people cooking all the "Main Food", the DJ, the Florist and more.  Busy busy...!!!

Shaun & I also headed over to friends house for dinner Sunday night and were surprised with ANOTHER Bridal Shower!!!  This time it was put on by the Youth group & I loved feeling surrounded by "my kids" and their families.  Thank you everyone for your generosity, We had a LOVELY time!

This past week has whipped by with our Last Meeting with Fr. Landry on Monday night.

My Bridesmaids coming to "Wedding Central" on Tuesday

to help me make 450 ornament "favors" until well past midnight.  Cute huh? 

Poor Shaun's house has seen better days.... 

There are literally projects in every corner & under every table and chair.

Wednesday Shaun made his "Marian Promise" to Our Lady and promised to live for one year a life more fully dedicated to Our Lady intending to be "like another Mary in the world" and spreading knowledge of Jesus' and trust in His love to all.

I was SOoooo proud!!!

Yesterday, Shaun also recieved the "Official" diagnosis of a large tear in his rotator cuff

which equals = Surgery ...and a LOT of recoop time.  We're looking on the bright side that this could mean LOTS of time together right after we're married, but I hope he heals well.  Please pray for us.

And tonight after sorting through over 150 charity gifts for a friend who runs a non-profit agency.  I met with my friend Julie who will be coordinating the reception, etc..  What can I say?  She's just awesome!

Tomorrow is Friday. 

I told one of the kids today that I liked Thursdays because our schedule on Thursday lets us get more done!  She turned to me and said, "Yeah, But I like FRIDAYS".  I just said after a moment's thought.... "Yeah, me too!"  On that note, have a happy Friday & continue to keep us in your prayers!!!  We'll be seeing each other REAL soon!

Happy Feast of the "Immaculate" Conception!

So today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  A very "heavenly" mystery. 

Today's experience at Mass was utterly "human", though.  We went to Mass today and it's always interesting going to Mass with 25 - 3 year olds, but today became more so.  They were all pretty well behaved, I have to say, but at some point RIGHT before everyone got up to recieve communion, one of my three year olds while kneeling reverently during the concecration, obviously did not want to disturb this sacred moment and instead ...decided to leave a BIG pee pee accident on the floor... right in the FRONT row. 

So... knowing how much little children enjoy jumping in puddles, I'm running around after communion trying to find something to mop up the puddle and rearrange the other kids (in a "reverent" way) so no one slips...or jumps in.  Thank GOD for good help!  My classroom helpers are ever my life savers, always jumping in as needed... no pun intended

Then there's the explaining the whole mystery/feast to 3yr olds.  Explaining the Immaculate Conception to adults is tough enough!  They understood that it was a special day given to Mary.  We basically we talked about how Jesus/God can "walk back" in time and "walk forward" in time, he's essentially not "bound" by time... because he's God.  So he decided when he was beginning to make Mary, to take all the "graces" (special gifts from God) that he would win on the cross and bring them "back in time" where he gave them to Mary when she was still in the belly of HER mommy, St. Anne.  He gave her these special graces because he knew that when she was born & grew up, he was going to ask her to be Jesus' Mommy.  A VERY special thing.

It's funny how kids sometimes "get" what grownups don't.  They understand how much Jesus loves Mary & Mary loved Jesus.  They don't have trouble with God going back and forth in time and because they're so used to "depending" on grownups for all their needs, it doesn't seem strange to them that God gives gifts to us and takes care of us in the most beautiful ways. 

So on the day when we celebrated God's preparing Mary to be his Mother in the womb of St. Anne by keeping her free from all stain of original sin, we also remember how Jesus would desire to become man and enter into our humanity in a real way. 

I guess Mary may have smiled at my very "human" scenario as I hurried to mop up the pee pee mess in church right after recieving Jesus.  It's like Jesus was inside of me, helping to clean up this mess.  And I guess ...It's sort of like meditating on how God came and cleaned up a MUCH bigger mess that we leave with our SIN. 

Hmmm... Thank God for that!

All in a week's work...

Well... more like a week and a half.

So it's been busy busy busy since Thanksgiving!  We spent Thanksgiving at Shaun's sister's house.  Last year, I had cooked up a little "belated" shin-dig for my family and some friends at Shaun's house. 

This is a picture from last year:

Cute huh?

...but I think we look even happier THIS year:

AFTER Thanksgiving, Cheyanne came to visit to work on a school project with her Dad & Uncle.  She got an A+ (of course).  It was great to have her visit!

The next week was super-busy helping my Mom move into MY apartment before the beginning of December... and trying to move most of my things out to make room for her. 

Thank GOD for my unbelievably good friends who all came after long work days, drove 45 min to Mom's and helped me do it all last minute.  It was a lot of work and my "ride" to work the next day looked a lot like this:

Snaaazzzy huh? 

Mom's still weeding her way through everything, but the good news is that because my apartment is only 3 streets away from Shaun's house, when we're married and I move into his place ...she'll be close by from now on.  I cannot adequately express my gratitude enough for the help of my friends who were unbelievable LIFESAVERS!!! 

I'm ALSO thankful that we got this done before Shaun hurt himself at work.  Unfortunately he was injured at work on Friday and was diagnosed today with a "torn rotator cuff".  He's no wimp, so I KNEW it was a big deal when he couldn't lift his arm almost at all and needed to ask for my help to do even little things.

We're not sure what's going to happen with him and work, but it's led to a lot of discussions about how much real love shows itself in difficult moments.  We've been so blessed in so many ways, we have to "roll with the punches" and trust that God will help us through anything, anything at all...

We also had a great time at Shaun's company Christmas party and I was so proud of him when SOooo many people came up to me and utterly "sang his praises" telling me what a "great worker" and "wonderful guy" he was.  "I wish I had a hundred Shaun's" I heard among many other comments.  I am really lucky to love a man who I know has such integrity in every area of his life that I can be proud of him ...whether he's WITH me or AWAY from me.  I am truly blessed. 

We cleaned up and got all snazzed out for the night

...he in his suit:

...and I in my pretty purple dress

On Sunday...

I was SO grateful once again that some of the parents from the school got together to help me make some of our Wedding favors!  Nearly 600 in fact!!!!  Here are some photos of the "Popper making Party". 

Turns out this little guy's daddy WORKS with Shaun ...and here' I've been teaching him all year!

He doesn't much like pictures, though...

 Team-work! Team-work!  Everybody do their SHARE!

 This little guy helped dad hold the poppers while he tied, then he'c hop on my lap and "inspect" each popper to make sure it was labeled and all the ribbons were "curled"

...while Mom was nearby working hard too!

 Taking time out for a quick snack!

One of the parents (a former teacher) organized a station where the kids even painted handmade ornaments for our first tree!!!

 

 The party "Host" and her cherub!

One of the Dad's commented that I sounded like "Tiny Tim" when he said "God Bless us... everyone!" ...but he's not too far off with my level of increasing gratitude.

But honestly... after looking at all of these... wouldn't YOU be grateful too???? 

Thank you thank you EVERYONE!!!