Christmas List

1.  Wish for a White Christmas.  Get wish, over and over and over again.  Watch husband shovel copious amounts of snow.  Shovel some snow yourself.  Send kids with cabin fever outside.  CHECK.

2.  Decorate tree.  Decorate it some more.  Decorate while drinking.  CHECK.

3.  Knit matching Christmas sweaters for the kids.  Listen to husband talk about how dorky matching Christmas sweaters are.  Keep mouth shut so as to avoid having to shovel again.  CHECK.

4.  Watch kids watch non-stop Christmas shows.  CHECK.

5.  Enlist baking elves, some of them pantless elves, to assist with Christmas Eve meal preparations.  CHECK.  

6.  Become totally desperate to end all fighting.  Have elf, Terra, send Maguire and Gannon threatening note about not fighting anymore.  CHECK.

We are officially ready for the Christmas festivities.  Bring it on.  

Merry Christmas!! To those of you who are far away, we miss you.  You are not far from our thoughts and hearts.

Love,

Momma T. and the Mighty Murphys

Sacramental Advice

My baby girl did her first reconciliation this week.  She is officially sin-free.  She took the whole thing very seriously, which made us proud.  She learned her Act of Contrition; she read and re-read her reconciliation pamphlet; she asked lots of questions about sin; she made a beeline to the head Jesuit priest who had come to help hear the dozens of kids' confessions so she could be sure her confession would be heard by the "boss priest;" and, of course, she planned her outfit.  

The morning after the reconciliation service, she was up at about 5:30 am.  She had gotten out her art supplies and was making a card of some sort.  I snooped and saw that the card was titled, "Dear Gannon."  She worked on this card for a while.  Finally, a lightbulb went on for me, and I asked her if this was part of her penance. 

She paused and said, "Yes.  I thought I should finish my penance before Santa comes."

That's good advice, people.  Good advice.  Go forth and finish your penance so you don't get coal.

Love,

Momma T.