Oh Christmas tree...

This is our very special Christmas tree, our first christmas home!

The Livingroom

So here it is the livingroom without a T.V. how quiet and peaceful... and LOVELY!
I am sitting here blogging and Eva is in the other room watching a movie and I can just faintly hear it. The door in the picture below on the left side is the door to the chicken coop!

The Chicken Coop...

This is the chicken coop, this room is an addition off the living room and when we first moved in I told Steve that this could be the chicken coop cause that's all it's good for... ( I had verious reasons for this) way chicken coop - kids playroom pretty much the same thing as far as I'm concernd! Last night we removed the TV from the livingroom and set the chicken coop up as a family/playroom however, the name chicken coop lives on because that's what the girls contiune to call the new family/playroom!

Cardinal Burke

This past Saturday we went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse to attend Mass being given by Raymond Cardinal Burke what excitement! Cardinal Burke is responsible for the inception of the Shrine, which is a place we have been several times now and just love it he is also responsible for bring the Institute of Christ the King to the United States and it's first home and headquater's was in Cashton, WI! But where was my camera when we stood in line to meet the Cardinal at home and where was my camera phone when we finally made it to the front of the line to present ourselves to the Cardinal in the truck... and Steve phone in the truck! Good work Jess, what amazing pictures we could have had kneeling before the Cardinal as he blessed our family or the picture of when asked the girls their names and the best picture of all would have been the one of when he patted Steve on the cheek as though it was a friendly huge when Steve told him that we recently moved to Cashton, Wisconsin to be part of the Latin Mass Community of the Institute of Christ the King. Yes that was my favorite moment I was so humbled, I was speechless. What a holy man, what a saint it just radiated from him and we have been so bless to be in his presence and meet this man who will most likely be voting for the next Pope or perhaps could be the next Pope! WOW this was big for us!!

Norsekadalen

On Saturday we went to Norsekadalen "Norwegian Valley" it's a nature and history center very close to our house and we have been wanting to check it out... it's very similar to old world wisconsin but better! This certainly is Eva's winter she is enjoying every minute of the outdoors and winter she is very much like her Momma and Papa Daddy!!

St. Croix Valley Trees

Last week Friday we drove to St. Croix to cut our Christmas tree down, why St. Croix because I was not going to cut my Christmas tree down with out any snow on the ground!!! Well we found snow and the most beautiful Christmas tree we have ever had, just ask Steve he'll tell you all about it's beauty! Eva drug that little purple sled behind her the whole way and the girls had a ball there it was much fun.

Steve cut just over a quater into the tree and I finished the rest, perhaps that was my penence for making him drive so far to this tree farm... which I happened to see an article in Midwest Living about! I enjoyed cutting it down however, next year we will bring our own saw cause the one's they supply are not very harp!! So we took lots of pictures and had lots of fun and now for the next 8 weeks we will have a beautiful Chirstmas tree in our house as a reminder of what a BLESSING this year has been for us!!

St. Croix Valley Trees

St. Croix Valley Trees

St. Croix Valley Trees

St. Croix Valley Trees

St. Croix Valley Trees

St. Croix Valley Trees

the little fellow in the picture is a elf at St. Croix, his name is Charlie and he followed us everywhere cause he wanted Eva to play with him! Steve thought it would be great if they took a picture together hence the top right photo. I don't think I have ever seen a smile like that on Steve's face! :-)

ATC Swap

These are the ATC's that Eva and I recieved and were delighted with each one!!

Eva's cards: What a great job from a group of 3 year olds and to there parents for getting them involved... I was a little reluctant for Eva to get involved know that her skills for art are not the best but we did great and so did the other 3 year olds! These are all so great one of them comes from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada!! and Steve says to me do you know where that is from and I said "yeah, it way up there" and he replyed "yeah, way way up there" :-) and the little angel on the bottom right is St. Michael who mama's blog Shower of Roses we have been following for 2 years, I'm just a lerking I don't think I have ever posted but we loved her blog and all the ideas we get from it!! Momma thought this was pretty cool, and Eva thought they were all pretty cool!

Momma's Card:
St. Bernard came all they way from Wasilla, AK which is pretty cool cause Steve and I went to Alaska on our honeymoon!
I and interested to learn more about St. Piccolo, I am completely unfamiliar with him he came from Oregon. St. Lucy is special to me because I just learned about her this year and have been asking her for some prayers for a special person in my life. Blessed Anna Katharina Emmerick came all the way from Germany and I just discovered her this past fall and am wanting to read some of her stories. and St. Helen... Helen was my great grandmother's name and she's been a special patren for me... So you see each one of these cards was so very special and touched me in a very unique way!!

So we want to say THANK YOU to the Ponder in My Heart you guys are great!!!!

oops...click on the header to refreash and see the one's we made!

ATC Swap

This past May I came across a Marian Artist Trade Card Swap that looked like alot of fun however, I was too late to join at that time. But when Kimberlee at Ponder in My Heart anounced that she was going to do a Fall Artist Trading Card Swap - For All the Saints Eva and I were In!! So we went to Hobby Lobby and bought all our supplies and got to work, they turned out much better than I thought they would and it was alot of fun. Inspite of how busy I was with unpacking and getting settled in I some how found the time and am glad I did!

So these are the cards Eva and I made:

Eva age 3

Momma