The BEST Christmas Cards Ever

We have already received well over 50 Christmas cards this year. They are all beautiful and I cherish them all. However, this year, I’ll admit that there is one that blew them all out of the water. It will be hard to top it. EVER.

Thomas came home from school the other day and was looking glum. I asked him how he was. “Mom, I made you a Christmas card, but it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to. I wanted you to think it was from Heaven, not from me. I’ll just show you.” He pulled the following card out of his backpack.

 

That was just the cover. I opened it to read the inside:

He said there was a coat he had drawn and stuck in the card but it fell out.

Just look at all the thought he put into that. Look at all the FAITH. Look at all the COMPASSION. Can’t you just feel it? It is  from Heaven.

Today I was cleaning off the table and I found this little gem Veronica had written:

Look at the sentiment. Look at all the LOVE. Look at all the UNITY.

Every week for school Mass, they have to fill out their offering envelopes. If they don’t give money, they are supposed to offer a good deed. I guess they forgot to take theirs this week. I was tickled to find them today:

Life isn’t always flowers and butterflies, but when you take a moment to have faith like a child – to at least listen to what faith is for a child – then even amidst the struggles, life is full of beauty. I don’t bring up Julianne and David very often. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t need to. On their own, these two make the thread between this life and the next, between earth and Heaven, between every member of our family strong, tangible and comfortable.

Infinity–Turned on It’s Side.

EIGHT. 8. Yes, that’s the symbol for infinity (∞) turned on it’s side.

Not quite infinity ago, but an 8 year old’s lifetime ago that we welcomed and said earthly good-byes to our Julianne and David. 8 years ago that their life became ∞ in Heaven.

Another infinity of nights (exaggerated for literary purposes here) on a magnesium sulfate drip in the hospital. Another infinity of nights with a man who loves me infinitely sleeping next to that hospital bed in a chair. That symbol loops around and gives brings us back around to the infinite love of our children – our hellos to their siblings. One in an infinity chance that we would have a second set of boy girl twins. One in an infinity chance that they would look so much like their older brother and sister. An infinite amount of love and respect these children show for two siblings they have never crossed paths with, at least not on this finite earth.

This year we celebrated a little differently. After stopping by my mother’s house, who shares her birthday with Julianne and David, we went to Madison to celebrate with Judson’s parents. I'm so glad we did.

Veronica and Thomas prepared their “notes” to be sent those infinite miles to Heaven, via balloons.

Thomas drew hearts…

Veronica drew angels: a boy and a girl (gril).

Daddy Gayle let the balloons go with us…

…while Mama, in all her strength, cheered us on.

Before we left, we thanked them for sharing in our celebration. (We made them sing ‘Happy Birthday,’ for goodness sake!) Daddy Gayle welled up a little and thanked US. I guess it should not surprise me. It is their infinitely flowing love that brings smiles to Veronica and Thomas’s face, that can make my husband laugh from his gut, that can make me forget I once was not a part of this family. Daddy Gayle thanked us for the opportunity to hold our babies. There are a finite number – a very small number of people who held my firstborn children. An even smaller number who held them while they were living. I’m so blessed that this man and woman who have experienced, seen, and loved many things in their 90 and 86 years would still cherish that experience.

When we left, we went to the cemetery on the way home. We had our second round of birthday cupcakes and balloon releases.

Veronica and Thomas are unabashed about correcting people who mention I have two children. They are proud to tell people about their brother(s) and sister(s). So of course, really knew how to party with cartwheels and dancing!

And so, just a few days later, Thomas was asked to write a personal statement for his reading class. He shared this:

(Funny thing is that he didn’t have title or the last sentence. He was a little distraught over needing another sentence. I said, “you may want a sentence about who “they” are. I don’t think the reading teacher knows you have a brother and sister in Heaven.” He looked at me like I was crazy, but heeded the advice anyhow.)

Just love the closeness of my family. Even if we all can’t physically touch. But, it’s nice when we can…

Veronica’s phrase sums up the infinite intimacy of it all: “I love you permanent.”

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Well, inside our house it is, anyway. Today it was in the 60s! Tomorrow is supposed to hit 71.
At church this morning, Thomas went out of his way – leaving our pew to go to a different section of the church – to give the sign of peace to a lady in a wheelchair. After the service, he went to tell the cantor (who has sung with him twice at church now) that she did a good job. He even left on his own after the service to ask the priest a question.
Veronica was EXTRA snuggly at church this morning. She found her preschool teacher from last year after the service and went in an all-out sprint to hug her after the service. She followed along with the words to some of the songs with me today too!
Later in the afternoon, Pa came by for a visit while Uncle Danny had a meeting in town. We got the tree up!
Thomas collected several ornaments he made and those he felt were special to him. He put them all very close to each other in the same space on the tree.

Danny snuck in after a meeting he had in town to visit as well. Veronica was so excited about having visitors for dinner that she took the initiative to set the table. She found a decoration for the middle – and even put a special towel under it. She worked very hard make place cards for everyone as well!

This Guy!

 

Thomas is an extremely talented kid. He is also an extremely shy kid. He does NOT like the idea of public performance. For example, there’s the Christmas pageant two years ago.

The following Christmas pageant, they sang Feliz Navidad. During the first round, Thomas stood between two kids with maracas. Thomas had both his ears covered with his hands while he sang. Then, on the second round of the song, he was passed a maraca. He used one hand to cover one ear. He used the other hand to shake a maraca on cue while he covered that ear by pressing it against his shoulder.

He thoroughly enjoys watching performances.  He had quite a stomach ache last month before he had to perform again with his class for Grandparents’ Day.

Nevertheless, this weekend he told me he wanted to sing in my “choir.” I have recently started playing the piano at two Masses a month. We have an open-door policy, trying to encourage those who want to participate in the music to do so.  The last time I had three kids participate. Thomas had been ill, so we left him at home. This weekend NO kids showed up. He was still quite excited and ready to do it. About 20 minutes before the service a girl in Thomas’s school whom he knows, Anna, came to help her parents be greeters. He went to ask her to sing. And she did!

Despite the fact there were only 5 singers (including him), Thomas insisted that he sit in the 3rd row. He would be “more comfortable” there. He came down for each song and sang with the group, but then returned to his seat in the 2nd or 3rd row (depending on his confidence level at that point). He took it all very seriously.

Thomas made it through the whole service. He sang every song. Fr. Bob’s homily was about giving of your time and talent. I was pleased to tell Thomas and Anna what a good example they set for the whole church. He was pleased to do it “with the choirs of angels and saints,” understanding it was for Jesus and his brother and sister in Heaven.

My heart is full of love. He is loving. He is faithful. He is awesome. He is my baby. I LOVE this guy.

My New Favorite Book

Thomas has been quite the prolific writer as of late. He has been into comics mostly. I’ll post those later. Tonight’s really captured my heart. He thinks of these topics on his own. Divinely inspired.  Lord, give me faith like a child.

Title page: God Book By: Thomas

Chapter 1: I Met God

Hello! I am……….. Jesus? No! God.

Bow down to God and Jesus. OK?

Say: yes. It is GOOD! OK?

picture: God saying ‘hi!’

But sin (say: s_i_n) is bad. Very bad! I mean very very bad! Now

Picture: God saying, “Sin is bad. Very bad. OK?

I love you!………… ALWAYS!

OK? Yes! AND you love me yes or no? YES! for sure!

Picture: God says, “By the way: I love you!”

 

 

Oh! And about the angels: I am good – Guss what? Angels are to! Yes? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! OK?

 

Chapter 2: Jesus is GOOD!

My son Jesus (say: Je-s-us) is on the cross. I know it is sad. you are sad. I am sad. We all are sad.

Picture: Person on left says, “No!”, Jesus on cross in middle; person on right says, “I love you!”

Jesus is gone? No! We still still love. Now! Maybe…. Now? Yes!

We have to pray…. Always! Ok?

I’m looking forward to chapter 3. He already has it titled: “Loveing is Good!”

What’s in a Name?

This week’s religion homework is to talk about where the children’s names came from. We’ve been discussing it most of the week. I even typed up a paper for them to remember this information. They have proudly taped these to their walls and made binders (all of their own idea) with these sheets (below).

Tonight as I picked the kids up from school, we talked again about their meanings. We talked about the history of St. Veronica. Thomas insisted, "When I'm married and I have a wife who has a baby, we'll name her Veronica. And when she's 5 she can tell her teacher that we named her after her Daddy's sister who is a special girl."

 

THOMAS

RILEY

 

THOMAS

• My brother’s name is David Thomas. He was named after
• Thomas Riley: Mama ‘s (Daddy’s mother) brother. He was very special and helped take care of Mama when her mother died when she was 5.
• David Riley: This was Thomas Riley’s son. He was Daddy’s favorite cousin.
• Thomas means “twin.” Jesus’s apostle Thomas was a twin.
• Daddy’s Confirmation name is Thomas, after St. Thomas Aquinas.
  

RILEY

• This was Daddy’s mom’s last name before she got married.
• Daddy’s middle name is Riley.

Daddy’s name is Judson Riley. He is named after his Grandfather, Judson Riley.
Mommy’s name is Christen Marie. She was born very close to Christmas, so she was named after Jesus Christ and Mary.

VERONICA

JANE

 

VERONICA

• St. Veronica was a very special girl who was kind to Jesus when the soldiers were being mean to him. She was very brave and wiped the sweat and blood from Jesus’s face while he was carrying his cross. She was rewarded by Jesus. He put an image of his face on the veil she used.
• Veronica means “true image.” I look a lot like my sister Julianne. My parents also hope to teach me to show others the love of Jesus. They hope to make me show his image.
• Mommy & Daddy are big fans of Elvis Costello. One of their favorite songs of his is "Veronica."

JANE

• My sister’s name is Julianne Jane.  She was named after
• Julianne: Grandma’s sister was very close to Grandma’s age and her best friend. She died before Mommy was born.
• Jane: My brother and sister, David Thomas and Julianne Jane, were born on Grandma’s birthday!

Daddy’s name is Judson Riley. He is named after his Grandfather, Judson Riley.
Mommy’s name is Christen Marie. She was born very close to Christmas, so she was named after Jesus Christ and Mary.

The Rosie Report: Tears of Joy

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!

Yesterday's post was all about life, death, new life... Well, today I read the best post I could have!! Click below to see what has me so happy and rejoicing in the miracle of life that couldn't be more timely for Easter!!

The Rosie Report: Tears of Joy: "Well, I can hardly believe what I am about to type, but I have it on good authority (from my Aunt Cindy, nurse extraordinaire) that there is..."