Pretty, Happy Funny, Real Christmas 2013

 

St Nicholas Feast Day

 

Piano Ribbon Festival...hurry mom it is cold out here and we did not wear coats!

 

Keepsake Cookbook and Holiday Traditions at the Bellville Library

 

Decorating the tree or in this case...Elle!

 

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

 

Holiday Floral arranging at Lex Library...love my library!

 

Scout Christmas party...Thomas achieved Tenderfoot rank

 

Advent Wreath 2013 and Christmas Countdown prayer chain

 

The reason for the season...JOY in Christ!

 

Bingo fun at Rooney Christmas

 

Korte Christmas...the "kid" table

 

1st annual white elephant exchange...

so glad Aunt Ann ended up with the pig platter and salt and pepper shakes

 

cousins

missing Sean who was sick and Michael who was working

 

more like sisters

 

Korte kids before opening presents

Our tradition has been to spend Christmas eve at my mom's. We used to go to the children's Mass here when the kids participated and then we started going Christmas morning with mom at St Joan of Arc. This year we went to both Masses and it was lovely. Christmas morning the kids open stockings and then we come home Christmas Day and the next morning they open their big presents here. The last couple of years we have had to be flexible due to work schedules and this year making time for Colleen to spend time with Zach's family. I have found as much as I do love tradition it is more important to enjoy the moment however it plays out. 

 

God bless us everyone!

Thankful

 

Korte Family Thanksgiving!

 

This past week-end was difficult. I won't go into details and really it was not anything major...just a lot of little things. Then to top it off I was not able to post on my blog Sunday. Once again not a big deal but it did make me realize how much I enjoy this little outlet. Remembering I have so much to be thankful for. I decided this year to make a little post thanksgiving dinner on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. It was a small gathering but lovely. I hope it to be the first of many. What a memorable afternoon feasting and telling stories around the table. Good practice too for hosting Korte Christmas!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real... Trees

 

The moon has been incredible this week. This is the best I could do with my camera.

 

The winds of the last week have stolen most of the fall colors.

Still a beautiful view!

 

Colleen and I have been wanting to paint a "family tree"

but decided to make do with a wall decal for now.

Love doing projects with my daughters...

so blessed to have 2 precious daughters.

 

 

I spent Saturday with my college roomates having lunch and

 shopping in downtown Mansfield.

So grateful for friendships that stand the test of time.
Saturday night I had a hot date...dinner at Olive Garden

where the best hostess ever works (sweet Colleen) and then

Gary and I wandered around the furniture store where

we contemplated what we would buy if we suddenly

found ourselves with money to splurge with.

 

They are home!

Thomas was on a camp out and survived arctic conditions.

 He had Gary and I laughing with stories of trying cook chicken and build a fort.

My favorite part was him describing the stars at 4 A.M.
John came home smiling and tired with a few stories of his own and more impressively

money in his pocket! So good to have the boys home...I love being a mom!

 

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real...November

 

All the Saints in heaven pray for us!

 

November means it is time to be aware of all that we are blessed with.

I am feeling very hopeful as this year and so I made 2 sheets to fill with a list of our blessings!

 

On the road to Columbus for some much needed family time.

I kept trying to roll down my window and take pictures

of the sunset. Everyone in the back of the van kept complaining about

 the cold wind so I resorted to taking them out the front windshield.

 

Amazingly we were able to get everyone together for a Sunday night dinner at Max and Erma's in Columbus. My 2 favorite ways to spend time are both around a table...family dinners and Mass!

 

As usual it was impossible to get everyone to cooperate for a group shot.

Right as I took this Gary decided to jump in the air!

Never a dull moment with the Korte family!

 

John photo bombing...he is getting to be a pro at this.

Not sure if that is good or bad...at least I will have some pictures of

 him or at least part of him :)

 

Thomas tested for Green Belt AND broke a board for the first time!

I am so proud of him for all he has accomplished in karate.  

 

2 times in one week I had all four of my children together which makes for one happy mama!

 

Top of the hill...the first of November

 

With the time change I get to experience the sunrise again.

What a beautiful way to start the day.

 

 

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real... the Number 17

 

 

17 is the number of the week!

Last Sunday the reading was from Exodus 17. Such a dramatic reading with powerful images and I have been thinking about it all week. I didn't hit me right away but at some point the phrase top of the hill caught my attention.  My blog! Way back in 2008 I chose the name because of 2 basic reasons...#1 we live on top of the hill and #2 at this point in my life I am considered middle age or at the top of the hill  (not that I will ever think of myself as over the hill).  It never occurred to me the image of the top of the hill as being a place of prayer. That has been an inspiration to me this week.

Sunday October 20, 2013 

Ex 17:8-13

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
"Pick out certain men,
and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.
I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand."
So Joshua did as Moses told him:
he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
Israel had the better of the fight,
but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.
Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 17th Birthday John!

 

 

It seems like John's birthday week is always a a busy one.

This year it was more of a birthday month. He had some friends over the Friday before his birthday. On his actual birthday he went to school, piano, driver's ed and from there to Steak and Shake with mom and dad and Thomas. We finally were able to celebrate John's birthday with our extended family last night at Granny and Papa's. The windy weather forced us to cancel the bonfire but we had an enjoyable evening visiting and eating grilled hot dogs and all kinds of other delicious food and topped off the evening with confetti cupcakes and Klondike bars!

May God bless you in many special ways this year John.

We love you!  

 

 

 

A few photos from our Friday field trip to the McKinley Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty, Happpy, Funny Real... Discoveries

 

Almost forgot about those late summer raspberries!

 

October colors from the top of the hill

 

Thomas has been asking for an apple pie...his fav is pumpkin

but for some reason he has been craving apple! 

 I don't remember when I last baked an apple pie.

We are going to take a drive in the country and come home to some apple pie ala mode.

 

 

Thomas received this medal today after a Mass at the Holy Family Church this morning. He earned it by attended a session on the Santa Maria. They learned history, visited the Holy Family Museum, and then spent the evening on board a replica of the Santa Maria on the Scioto River where they did all those things one would do on a ship in the 1600's and ended the evening in the wee hours of the morning sleeping in the cargo hold. Thomas said he was so cold this morning he could not button his boy scout uniform shirt. I sent him with a camera and he said "wish I would have taken some pictures but I didn't want to mess with that"

 

My fall reading stack...it keeps growing!

One down...Quo Vadis...amazing book...wish I had time to say more.

The rest of them started and making progress...my goal is to

finish at least one more by the end of October.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real... October Begins

 

 

 

                             The first week of October begins with a smorgasbord of Saint feast days...
                                                       Therese, Guardian Angels, and Francis!

 

Just like his big sister John likes to make the sweet treats and

share them with his friends at school.

 

Thomas soaking up the autumn rays!

 

Once a month we are hosting a book discussion group for moms here.

 I try to sneak in art projects as Thomas is not a big fan of art lessons

but it is more fun when there is a group.

 

 

It took Colleen and I a good 5 minutes to stop laughing at her little trick so

I could take a picture. Then we enjoyed a small bowl of peanuts, candy corn,

and some wonderful mother "grown up" daughter time.

 

 

Trying to capture fall creeping in from the top of the hill.

Above was about the 3rd week of September and below was yesterday.