For her birthday, my daughter, Hope, asked for a Christmas tree this year. Her birthday is near Christmas.
Here she is saying a prayer around Thanksgiving time.
Here are a couple of family Thanksgiving photos that started the busy-ness of the Christmas season for our family:
@ the in-law's:
Thanksgiving @ my mom's and Papa Hardie's:
I am grateful for my Mom.
I took a couple of weeks of time off from the office.
father-son time … I think I was practicing a song with him for his mom or his sisters, when I took this photo:
My daughter asked to help me type my homily for Gaudete Sunday (3rd Sunday of Advent).
I think my son, E.J., took this photo.
Mariana transcribed these notes as I spoke them to her.
While we were doing this, my other daughter, Hope, grabbed my cell phone and started being silly.
As my now-wife used to say back in our dating years, "Silly goose!"
The final homily version can be found on this blog link HERE.
The vestment, btw, is rose (not pink) for Gaudete Sunday (Rejoice Sunday).
Speaking of Gaudete Sunday, we actually waited until Gaudete Sunday weekend to get a tree. These trees came from Oregon.
This is the closest -- and only -- Santa photo of the family.
My eldest son, John Paul, helped with the tree that Hope selected.
Daddy-Daughter moment:
She gave a $2 tip to the guy that helped put the tree on our car to take home.
The older kids set up the tree and other decorations around the house. Hope then spent "mommy-me" time with her mom.
If you see that small tree on the right (under the lamp), that was our family tree for many years. It was simple. But so was the first Christmas.
My dad recently said to me about Christmas, "Do it for the kids."
Here is my father-in-law with Hope and the others.
Eventually, after Mass for Hope's bday, we went to a Vietnamese restaurant. My family goes to daily Mass.
We brought a cake in the restaurant, but the owners didn't mind.
daddy's princess
A few days later, the kids did more decorations for the tree.
I dedicate this song, Butterfly Kisses, to my daughters:
On Sat. morning, we then had a Clergy Christmas Lunch.
Father Glenn, our pastor, is on the right with 4 of the deacons and their wives.
L to R:
Deacon Bobby & Amy Peregrino
Deacon Juan & Olivia Moreno
Deacon Pete & Agnes Lobo
me & Tove Ann
Fr. Glenn
Deacon Rudy & Rory David (on leave)
Deacon Alejandro & Teofila (from Spanish community couldn't make it)
Fr. Glenn with the kids
Fr. Glenn with all of us
just the boyz:
just the girls:
A deacon's wife is tough as nails.
Fr. Glen then had to leave to do a house blessing.
After the Clergy Christmas Lunch, the kids helped mail out our annual family newsletter which we tend to send during Christmas.
The newsletter is a type of Christmas card and a way to keep people updated.
It also gave me a chance to talk about the post office system.
Here it is below:
w/Hope & Santa & the tree she picked:
Mariana & Faith sang "Reason" by Unspoken for my dad. John Paul played the tune on the piano.
John Paul can pick up on the notes for a song.
I only have photos for this blog, at the time of this writing, so no videos.
Dec. 24
We spent time with my side of the family first.
kids playing with a drone with their Uncle Joey
My nephew, Joseph, and I joked about asparagus with John Paul.
Faith (center), Hope (left) & Love (right) with the grandparents:
Joseph recently graduated from San Diego State University in 2019.
I wrote 3 pieces of advice for him:
1.) Be grateful. (No one really asks when you graduated but rather that you did.)
2.) Remember those that helped you graduate. (Joseph seemed to like this advice the best.)
3.) Stay humble and remember to help others with your degree.
I was asked to bless the place. I actually had my deacon stole, the Book of Blessings, and Holy Water in the family car. I didn't have an alb.
Dec. 25
On Christmas Day, I covered 2 Masses: the 10am & 12pm. My family joined me for the 12pm.
This is me taking a picture of my son, Peter, in what is called the ready room, a type of sacristy. For some reason, Peter doesn't like to wear shoes at this age.
Family visited the Nativity scene.
Then, after 12pm Mass, we stopped by Tove Ann's side of the family.
During grace before meals, I invited people to say a few words.
I also toasted my sister-in-law who finished paralegal studies. The bottles are apple cider.
John Paul said some beautiful words.
posing with the Catubig side that I married in to; my brother-in-law couldn't make it this year, but he did visit the family on a different day
matching shirts and sweaters:
Papa Ernie with the grandkids
kids provided some entertainment with a new sound system that the SF Cats gave them.
Mariana sang "Trust In You" by Lauren Dagle and "Amazing Grace" by Phil Wicom.
At some point, we visited this very popular Vallejo home known for annually decorating their house in memory of their daughter. This home is in Glen Cove.
The whole house was decorated. This was our fave part:
I am grateful for family and friends, but I also remember those for whom Christmas is difficult.
Kids made this gingerbread house.
He wrote, "One good photo deserves another good one in return."
He is retired.
R to L: In this photo are Bishop Rich Garcia, RIP (right), Deacon Bobby Peregrino (2nd from right), Fr. William Kinane (center), Deacon Pete (holding chalice), and unknown priest (far left) from a long time ago.
My Uncle Olan & Auntie Helen gave Hope a tricycle for her bday.
We drove around town dropping off presents.
While we drove around, I taught the kids "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" (with the echoes that I learned in Elementary School) and "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells." Their mom added "Silent Night" during our road trip.
Also, this Christmas season, we watched 3 family Christmas movies:
1.) The Nativity Story (2006)
2.) Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (1970) - this took us 2 days to watch as a family
Someone who I trust in forming souls once told me that classics are pretty good family movies for kids.
The classic movies don't have some of the junk that is coming out of Hollywood these days.
Cardinal Tagle was appointed to one of the oldest Vatican offices for evangelizing mission dioceses in 2019. Behind him is Cardinal Schonborn.
I include it here briefly b/c it is a big deal in the Church.
Christmas does not end with Dec. 25.
Some calendars go to the Baptism of the Lord (mid-Jan.) and even the Feast of the Presentation of Mary (Feb. 2).
My other daughter's birthday falls within Christmas.
Her godmother, Myra, made her a chocolate cake:
I didn't get any photos of those, but here are some of the 2 boys later serving at during the Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings).
Merry Christmas 2019 & Happy New Year 2020!!!
The details of these pens are for another blog. I bring it up here because I wanted to teach a lesson about materials goods to my other daughter, Mariana.
In summary, someone I was preparing for marriage accidentally left her pen (on the left with me) which I used to help others. I told this to another friend who gave me a pen (on the right) to use.
Another time, I guess. For now, this is for Mariana. Perhaps when she is older, the lessons will make sense.
'Hope you enjoyed these photos.
I am grateful for taking some vacation time which allowed me to do many of the family moments for Christmas.
May the Newborn King bring joy and salvation to you and yours!
