Cooking up a storm!

Well, a winter storm warning is in effect this evening around here, but we created our own * cooking* storm today!
I started out by making some homemade stuffing for our turkey. I was going to run to the store and get some mix, but our dinner had to be earlier so I needed to get the turkey in asap. Thankfully I had a good mixture of dried bread around. :) Yum, it tasted just like my grandma Lancaster's!
I then moved on to preparing two batches of homemade bread. One for dinner rolls and the other to make loaves out of. Next came no-bake cherry cheesecake for our dessert tonight.
Zak stepped in and helped me make ham dip for our New Year's Eve party. I made spinach dip.
I then got started on homemade cranberry sauce for dinner and peeled a half a bag of potatoes before Al relieved me. :)
Dyl made the mashed potatoes and gravy, and I finished up dinner by making some Maple glazed steamed carrots.
Dinner was on the table by 2 pm so Al could eat with us before work.

After dinner, Naomi made a cake for Manny's birthday. She also made homemade frosting and a *Larry Boy* out of fondant. Very cute. I made an apple pie and some crockpot chili for tomorrow. Zak made a batch of fondue.
Now we await some of our party fare finishing up in the oven ( ham dip). Time to go get the rest of the spread on the table. The aforementioned ham dip, spinach dip, fondue, taquitos and guac, chips and dip, shrimp cocktail, christmas cookies and cherry cheesecake.

Happy New Year!

THANK YOU NAN ( and Granpa and Irene!)

A vote was take on what to buy with our generous Christmas checks from Nan and G'pa and Irene.
Since our tv was showing signs of biting the dust, and since watching sporting events and Veggie Tales dvds are such a vital, important part of family life around here ( cough, cough).....by almost unanimous vote a new tv was chosen.
The dissenter was allowed a stipend to buy herself....er...she and the littles, a yearly pass to the zoo! :)

More pics of the boys enjoying their new Christmas train and Jed with the coveted *King Car-nivore!

Despite wearing two different earrings to Christmas Eve Mass......

( a hoop and a dangling one, no less....good thing I wore my hair down!) we had a lovely evening.

Picture #1- Ella with cute new hat from Aunt Becky.

Picture 2: Manny with his new train set from Mee Maw and Papa.

#3- Jax, George and Manny waiting anxiously to open gifts.

#4- Christmas Eve dinner prepared by the boys ( and table set by them too! isn't it loverly?)
Chicken wings, homemade blue cheese dressing, soft onion breadstix ( homemade) greek salad and Christmas cookies for dessert. It was all ready for us when we got home. The older boys went to midnight mass at Grotto.

#5 Ella with new Christmas coat from Mee Maw and papa!

#6 Before mass

#7 Jed and Mom ( let's ignore those messy wardrobe shelves--who left the door open anyway? :)

#8 Ella with birthday jumper from Mee Maw and Papa!

#9 Christmas cheer!


Hmmm- no pictures were taken on Christmas day itself :) but we had fun anyway!

Christmas breakfast menu:
Sausage/hash brown/egg casserole
home made bread
strawberry freezer jam
fresh pineapple and cherries ( suprisingly cheap at Randazzo's! :)
cider and hot choclate

Christmas dinner:

Marinated Roast beast
smashed red potatoes and gravy ( thanks dyl!)
green bean casserole
fruity jello
rolls
homemade limeade
fresh ice tea made with my new ice tea maker! yahoo!
and the hit of the meal---we tried a new dessert, fried ice cream! frozen ice cream balls rolled in cinnamin corn flake crumbs, deep fried very quickly ( you have to freeze the balls for several hours to get them extra firm) and then drizzled with honey. Terrific!

Was it really 1 year ago today............

.........that Tim and I got up before the crack of dawn for the long drive to the hospital?
I can't seem to remember the weather. Probably cold, but I don't think it was snowing.
We checked in, went up to our room, got prepped, and at 8:30 am Gabriella Ruth came into the world.
What a mixture of joy, relief and thanksgiving! A new daughter! Only our second and after 12 years since our first daughter was born. Such fun to get pink out again. Healthy! After so many worries and cautiously, carefully moving through the pregnancy with our dear Dr Greene's help.

A year later our joy has only increased as she has grown. I can't say how many times just the mere thought of her has jolted me out of a glum mood. She is sweet, fun, darling, yummy and OURS! Thank you God! It is her birthday today, but she is still *our* favorite present.

The Christmas *Ideal*

My mom gave me some old pictures this year in her quest to *purge* their house in order to (hopefully) move at some point. One I kept and framed was a picture of me as a toddler, sitting on Santa's lap with the most ridiculous look of terror. My mouth is wide open as if I am screaming in pain, and poor Santa looks a bit taken aback. :) ( She had two such pictures).
I often look at that picture and chuckle. In some ways I have that sort of feeling about this Christmas. It has been one of those years and it seems like it just keeps coming.
For instance this morning I awoke to the kitchen ceiling leaking in two places, the basement floor with a puddle on it ( and it is carpeted), the dishwasher not working ( how did we do without one for years?) a 2 yo with croup, a baby and 4 yo with runny noses that threaten to turn into full blown colds and a teen with bronchitis. And that is just the easy stuff to deal with! :)
The other day ( in a weak moment, of course :) I was dialoging with God and rather chippily asked Him the dumbest question of all. WHY?! Why now, why at Christmas time? Why can't we have a happy, peaceful Christmas?
Of course it didn't take long for Him to answer me *Why not?*. *Why* is it we expect Christmas time to be pain-free and stress-free? Could it have something to do with being constantly bombarded with commercials and magazines, newspaper articles, etc. that portray the picture perfect Christmas? You know...the one where the house is perfectly decorated, the table is perfectly set and loaded with scrumptious dishes while family members sit about laughing and chatting merrily. The *Christmas Day* scene where gifts are piled under the tree and exhuberant, happy children are opening their gifts ( and of course, they got EVERYTHING they desired).
I am often reminded that Jesus was born in a barn. Duh. Do I really reflect on that? I am sure the barn ( or cave, or whatever it was) wasn't pristinely clean. It may have smelled. Mary may have been mighty chilly, probably very uncomfortable and she certainly didn't have a cushy ride to her place of delivery.
There wasn't a top notch spread waiting for her, Joseph and whoever else showed up after the birth ( or even top notch medical care). There was much uncertainty in their lives at that brilliant moment when God became man.
Yes, Christmas is a feast day AND it should be a celebration of this wondrous fact, yet there are other things to ponder along with the celebrating.
Jesus suffered, Mary suffered, Joseph suffered. That moment of birth, however terrific for us all, also started another ball rolling. The one where Jesus showed us what life should, could, will be for those of us who follow Him. Not always pain-free ( even at holidays) not always comfortable, smooth, ...in other words, easy.
That is not to say we should always celebrate suffering, but we should accept it, no matter what time of year :).....and know that like in His life, it always leads to a greater good.
My friend Marie has a great quote:
"Life is not how it is supposed to be, it is how it is......
how you deal with it is what counts" ( paraphrased from Aquainis)

We are ready for the big day!

Perhaps the funkiest advent wreath ever :)

Thanks to IKEA and the fact that I didn't feel like going up to the attic and looking for the one from last year. :) As it turns out, this one has been GREAT. Very simple, easy to transport from table to table and fairly durable!

Can there ever be too many pictures of baby Ella? :)

Of course not for mom!

All taken by big sis, Naomi.

The Grotto Panther's New Basketball Team Captain!

Dylan C. Vrazo :)

Does Wayne State REALLY want this man attending their university?

More museum fun!

Our Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang or Cheaper by the Dozen Shot :)

Fun at the Detroit Historical Museum

Our train fanatics!

Thanksgiving Bounty

Father in Heaven, Creator of all and source of all goodness and love, please look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt gratitude in this time of giving thanks.

Thank you for all the graces and blessings you have bestowed upon us, spiritual and temporal: our faith and religious heritage. Our food and shelter, our health, the loves we have for one another, our family and friends.

Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity, please grant us continued graces and blessing throughout the coming year.

This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Your Son and our Brother. Amen.

Mistakes in hair replacement therapy

Drum roll please!!!!!

First quarter award ceremony @ Prevail Academy.

George Vrazo- Honor Roll

Jackson Vrazo- Honor Roll ( with a 3.9 GPA) and Principal's Award

Naomi Vrazo
Magna Cum Laude- All A's
Outstanding 1st Quarter Technology Student
Outstanding 1st Quarter Music Student
Principal's Award
Perfect Attendance


Way to go, my dears!

Play

I would guess that most mothers don't feel like they *play* enough with their children whether they have one or 15. I will admit I don't. I like being with my kids, I like hanging out with them, going places with them, doing things with them. I like interacting with them, chatting and joking with my teens, etc......but getting down on their level and *playing* with them, that leaves room for improvement. I suppose because I am not much of a person who really *plays* a whole lot even when it is adult fun. I am not overly fond of board games or cards. Sports....ho hum. :) I don't like comedies as a general rule nor reading the comics. Ok, I am a sour puss. LOL!

Well, last night Gabriella and I *played*. I was once again exiled at home with a sick child while the rest of the family went to Dyl's soccer banquet. Maybe I shouldn't use the term exiled as it sounds rather grim ( I was sad to miss out, but I like being home, too).
It was just Gabriella and Jackson and I....and Jackson was laying on the couch feeling ill. Gabriella went upstairs in my room so I could fold and put away clothes, but she wasn't overly happy with that plan. So we played. We played *peek a boo*, we played with her socks ( which she takes great delight in taking off), we played *walk to mommy!* ( she is standing unaided, but no steps yet). It was FUN! It was a little bittersweet, too.
My little, sweet baby girl is changing. Working on being a toddler soon, expanding her horizons and her personality is developing. It is fun to watch, and fun to *goof off* with her.

When I am so blessed to have these opportunities ( and they are soon gone) to just experience the joy of playing with my children, I should think more about taking them. I should *plan* to do it or stop what I am doing at regular intervals and take advantage of these fleeting moments when they are young and innocent and full of exhuberence for just playing.
I will. All too soon they are out and about and *playing* with someone else. :)

Today I walked into the living room and saw something that stopped me in my tracks.

A chair. (Yes, there are chairs in the living room, but this one had not been there previously :)
It was leather and a bit worn.
I turned back around and went into the kitchen looking for more information. Dylan and Al were there fixing themselves lunch.
"Where did that chair come from?" I queried.
Dyl- "Someone was throwing it away down the street so I took it for my room."

Stunned silence!

Was this the boy who would roll his eyes and shake his head everytime I found a treasure being pitched from the neighborhood? Who grimaced when I asked him to come help me put it in the van? Who vehemently stated we had *NO ROOM FOR ANY MORE FURNITURE* and sighed, moaned and gnashed teeth as it was brought in the house? ( and lest I just pick on him, these are the reactions from all 4 older boys :)

Heh heh--I guess I've taught him well! *wink*

Some men know how to make your day!

Manny, age 2......slipping his arm around my neck while reading his favorite book.
"Mom, you are my best friend!"

Bob....er...Jed.....the Builder!

More birthday party pics

Picture #1- Dylan w/ Gabriella, Al & Tim
Pic #2- Jay, Dyl, Ella, Gwen and George
Pic # 3-Jessica, Naomi, Sara & Tammy
Pic # 4 George w/ Jay and Noah
Pic # 5- Papa and Jackson, Jessica and Josh
Pic # 6- little bit of Jed :). Aly, Gwen, Nita, Joe, Nancy, Noah, Naomi, Manny, Sara, Jessica, Josh and Tammie






Aly and Gabriella