My part of the Christmas letter. Thanks again for reading!
This sure was a big year for our growing family. We celebrated the arrival of our precious little boy Dominic, and we bought our first very own house! Here are some of my reflections on the past year. May God bless you and your families throughout the coming year and always.
*Years of not feeding the dog, Payton, from the table can be quickly undone when a 9 month old realizes that the dog will eat his carrots.
*Experiencing stuff for the first time through the eyes of your child is truly a treat. Whether it is a new food, the first snow, or a beautiful song.
*Parents have always said that when a little kid gets a new toy, all they want to do is play with the box. Dominic is no exception. His favorite toys are generally the kitchen strainer, the buttons on the television, the Xbox controller, and anything that goes in Payton’s mouth. Yuck!
*Making up silly songs and singing them to your children is a serious disease in my family. It is finally confirmed, I do have this. Don’t worry, it probably isn’t contagious.
*When you buy a house, make sure to paint every inch of every wall and closet, and choose as many colors as possible to make things really difficult.
*The Office theme song makes for great dancing music, at least Dominic thinks so.
*Do as many St. Joseph novenas as you want, he will always come through. He has twice found us a house!
*Watching your beloved husband become an amazing father, is just about the coolest thing ever.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Unsent Letter
I've always wanted to send out a Christmas letter, and this year we came close. Next year the goal is to get it in the mailbox out to all our wonderful friends and family! But seeing as it is Christmas until Epiphany Thursday I thought I would share it via teh interwebs. This was written by my wonderfully talented and loving husband. He has such a beautiful way with words and this is no exception. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy! (I will post my part tomorrow).
For many people, Christmas simply boils down to a time of stress—a time for too much to do, in too little time, a time to worry about what to get for whom and who we’re leaving out, a time for cold, a time for shoveling, for high-heating bills and higher costs at the pump. But, when I look back over this year and remember just how blessed I’ve been with graces, generosity and good will, it’s tough for me not to disregard all those other things and discover my Christmas spirit.
This was my sons’ first Christmas, and though I know he won’t remember it, I think we made some good Wells Family memories. Dominic turned 9 months old on December 9th, and he is a crawling, giggling and screaming machine. He’s such an absolute joy to have, and I’m so excited to make Christmas the same magical time that it was for me as a child. He is healthy, happy and never ceases to have a smile for me, and those blessings alone made this the best Christmas of my life. It’s an incredibly powerful experience to witness him grow, from his first teeth to standing on his own. He’s not quite yet old enough to learn about dinosaurs and light-sabers, but rest assured, I’m on it.
On May 1st, we moved out of our house of three years in Sycamore. It was a scary time, but we were graciously welcomed into the home of Dacia’s parents. Living in the country for half a year was a wonderful experience, and though I struggled to remember how to share the remote and keep the volume down, I can honestly say it was nice to be in a full house again. I will always hold dear how close I became with my brother and sister-in-law, and how more often than not, it felt like a long sleep-over than a hurried hotel stay. I can’t thank my mother-in-law, Terri, enough for all the warm meals and hot showers she provided, but more than that, I was overwhelmed with her patience—with us in finding a new home, but especially, for my dog, Payton. Her patience with the dog hairs that will certainly be popping up on pillows and in glasses for months to come prove that she’s well on her way to sainthood. More than that, I’ll never forget how thankful I was to have my son’s initial months be spent in such a beautiful, welcoming place, filled with love and happiness. What could have been the beginning of a nightmare ala Montell turned out to be a dream come true.
In early May, Dacia became Youth Minister at a Parish in Rochelle, and finally we felt confident enough to continue our house hunt. On the morning of September 10th, we signed the papers and officially became homeowners! The house in itself was a blessing; it was in good shape, the price was right, and it came with tons of stuff we otherwise would’ve had to purchase separately on our own. On top of all that, it is sandwiched right between both our parents’ houses. We were also overwhelmed by the response and willingness from family and friends to help get the place ready for us to move in. All the painting, flooring (thanks Jeremy!), moving, and praying paid off in November when we spent our first night in our new home. After months of sleeping on an air-mattress (albeit a comfortable one) it was nice to be back in our own bed. The help we’ve received from family financially has brought me to my knees more than once, and I’ll never let Dominic forget that if it weren’t for Aunt Chrissie, his occasional bonks wouldn’t be padded by the best carpet money can buy.
With so much to be thankful for, it’s easy to let proper thanks slip by, but all of your support for our growing family has not been ignored and will never be forgotten. The pillars of my faith are strengthened daily by the graces we’ve gained through your toils, tears and intercessions. May the spirit of the season remain with you always, and I pray that 2011 will bring you the same fortune, rejoicing, and humility that Dacia and I experienced so fully in 2010! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
For many people, Christmas simply boils down to a time of stress—a time for too much to do, in too little time, a time to worry about what to get for whom and who we’re leaving out, a time for cold, a time for shoveling, for high-heating bills and higher costs at the pump. But, when I look back over this year and remember just how blessed I’ve been with graces, generosity and good will, it’s tough for me not to disregard all those other things and discover my Christmas spirit.
This was my sons’ first Christmas, and though I know he won’t remember it, I think we made some good Wells Family memories. Dominic turned 9 months old on December 9th, and he is a crawling, giggling and screaming machine. He’s such an absolute joy to have, and I’m so excited to make Christmas the same magical time that it was for me as a child. He is healthy, happy and never ceases to have a smile for me, and those blessings alone made this the best Christmas of my life. It’s an incredibly powerful experience to witness him grow, from his first teeth to standing on his own. He’s not quite yet old enough to learn about dinosaurs and light-sabers, but rest assured, I’m on it.
On May 1st, we moved out of our house of three years in Sycamore. It was a scary time, but we were graciously welcomed into the home of Dacia’s parents. Living in the country for half a year was a wonderful experience, and though I struggled to remember how to share the remote and keep the volume down, I can honestly say it was nice to be in a full house again. I will always hold dear how close I became with my brother and sister-in-law, and how more often than not, it felt like a long sleep-over than a hurried hotel stay. I can’t thank my mother-in-law, Terri, enough for all the warm meals and hot showers she provided, but more than that, I was overwhelmed with her patience—with us in finding a new home, but especially, for my dog, Payton. Her patience with the dog hairs that will certainly be popping up on pillows and in glasses for months to come prove that she’s well on her way to sainthood. More than that, I’ll never forget how thankful I was to have my son’s initial months be spent in such a beautiful, welcoming place, filled with love and happiness. What could have been the beginning of a nightmare ala Montell turned out to be a dream come true.
In early May, Dacia became Youth Minister at a Parish in Rochelle, and finally we felt confident enough to continue our house hunt. On the morning of September 10th, we signed the papers and officially became homeowners! The house in itself was a blessing; it was in good shape, the price was right, and it came with tons of stuff we otherwise would’ve had to purchase separately on our own. On top of all that, it is sandwiched right between both our parents’ houses. We were also overwhelmed by the response and willingness from family and friends to help get the place ready for us to move in. All the painting, flooring (thanks Jeremy!), moving, and praying paid off in November when we spent our first night in our new home. After months of sleeping on an air-mattress (albeit a comfortable one) it was nice to be back in our own bed. The help we’ve received from family financially has brought me to my knees more than once, and I’ll never let Dominic forget that if it weren’t for Aunt Chrissie, his occasional bonks wouldn’t be padded by the best carpet money can buy.
With so much to be thankful for, it’s easy to let proper thanks slip by, but all of your support for our growing family has not been ignored and will never be forgotten. The pillars of my faith are strengthened daily by the graces we’ve gained through your toils, tears and intercessions. May the spirit of the season remain with you always, and I pray that 2011 will bring you the same fortune, rejoicing, and humility that Dacia and I experienced so fully in 2010! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Merry Indeed
Last Christmas I was expecting, and what a joyful time it was. I felt such closeness to our Blessed Mother as I awaited the birth of my child. It gave Christmas a whole new meaning to me as I felt my baby move and wondered when it would come, what it would be, and how this would change my life.
This year was a whole new experience, and a wonderful one. On Christmas day when everyone was sitting down to eat a wonderful Christmas dinner, I was in the other room rocking my baby to sleep, putting him down for a nap. For a second I wished I was out eating dinner, and then I decided I was going to enjoy the quiet Christmas moment just me and my son. And what a blessed moment it was! I meditated again on Mary and her sweetly holding her newborn Son. Gazing at his beautiful face, and thanking God for such a blessing I was grateful for spending my Christmas taking care of my beloved son and again I felt such closeness to our Blessed Mother. What a gift.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Friday, December 17, 2010
It's Breakfast Time!
Today was one of those moments as a mother that I want to remember forever. I made Dominic pancakes for the first time! It may not seem like a big deal, but I see taking the time to make breakfast as a mark of a good mom. I was blessed to have a stay at home mom who is an excellent cook, a genetic gift I like to think she passed to me. :) Sure some mornings we had cereal, but quite often my mom made those yummy breakfast foods; waffles, french toast, cornmeal mush (my fav!), crepes, egg muffin, etc. Everything, no matter how big or little the effort was made with such love, also known as bacon. But today, making pancakes really hit me as a special moment. It was a little "I love you" to my precious growing son. We may have a busy day ahead of us, but let's take some time in the morning to sit and eat yumminess together. I hope one day it means as much to Dominic as my morning breakfast memories do to me. Thanks mom!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Ode to a Crockpot
Oh crockpot so big and perfect
where have you been?
Packed away in a box.
I have missed you.
But today is a new day and you are back in my life.
Oh what joy!
I throw a bunch of food in, and you make it tasty.
We have many happy days ahead of us.
Ham and bean soup. YUM!
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