Happy Advent!

Dear Friends and Family,

We are officially in Christmas countdown mode over here. The decorations are up and the kids are making sure we keep to our traditions - especially in the baking department! This week we baked our own gingerbread houses and then spent a few days decorating them. This time we decorated the sides before we assembled them! (Just now figuring that out!)

Homemade gingerbread houses are delicious! 

This weekend Claire attended a funeral with me for my dear friend and book club member, Loretta, who passed away in her sleep on Thanksgiving morning. We all hope to go so peacefully, and I'm sure Loretta was surprised and thrilled to get to celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast in heaven with God and her family who had gone before her. Loretta was my August 16th birthday buddy. She was always encouraging and supportive. When Claire was very little, Loretta would hold Claire's hand to go up for the Eucharist at Mass. I will always treasure that memory.

Last week Will's elementary school had it's first STEM fair. Parents set up tables to show how they used STEM in their jobs, and I set up a code breaking scavenger hunt. I was actually pretty impressed by how dedicated the kids were to cracking the messages. I think the big bag of lollipop prizes kept them motivated!

Claire got to practice her surgery skills with laparoscopic tools on a box filled with tiny toys! I talked to the Medical Equipment Sales person about how I had that surgery for my appendectomy and it was cool to see what the doctor used and how he used them. 

Our neighborhood participates in a holiday toy drive through the Fire Department called Firehouse Santa. Claire helped me pick out toys to bring to Santa and his elves. Of course she had to get Winnie dressed up first!

Winnie and her best friend, Fisher! Fisher's face is definitely "Meme" material!

I'm so glad my kids didn't feel too old to get a picture with Santa!

This week is a busy one for us on the musical front! Claire had her Middle School Orchestra Concert last night and she has her big All County Orchestra Concert on Saturday! We have lots of practices leading up to that day. Good thing she loves her viola!

The Viola girls on Turkey Point Island!

This week was also First Reconciliation for the children in my sacraments program. I think we were all nervous about how the Prayer service and confessions would go! But the look of satisfaction on the children's faces as they came out of the confessionals was so encouraging. One of my students even ran up to me after he came out and said, "Miss Beth, you are just the best confession teacher that there ever was!" (That's how I get paid, folks! Those honest kid compliments are the best!)  I had some parents also go to confession for the first time in a long time. Later they commented on how transformed they felt.

Speaking of self care, my favorite radio station had a DJ ask me how I was doing yesterday afternoon, and then she got deep and said, "No, really, ask yourself how you are doing!" She reminded everyone listening that this is a fun time of year at the surface, but there are lots of other emotions we may be struggling with deep down. So, I'm taking time to think about how I'm doing in all the rush of everything and taking time to forgive myself for things that just don't get done. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! 

Love, 

Bethie