Christmas And Epiphany, 2010-2011

35 dollars for a package of pictures with Santa?


Really? And it is not even the most expensive one!


Man, I'll take my own.


For whatever reason this past Christmas, the two smaller kids wanted to mail off letters to Santa.


They never asked to do this before!

The letter is off to the North Pole.

Christmas Eve dinner. We lit up the advent wreath for the last time.

After dinner it was off to Byzantine Divine Liturgy. It was one of their shorter liturgies. Only three hours.

Lizzie has been wanting to wear Monica's old First Communion dress somewhere. We decided Christmas Eve was special enough for a dress that fancy.

In spite of our late night, we all woke up early Christmas morning to open presents.

She actually chose a Hat over a video game.

It's not rattling...

Christmas Win!

Twelve days later, it was time to break out the Official Mendoza Family Epiphany Wrapping Paper.

After Mass, we had a Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings Bread). The lucky person to find the hidden baby Jesus figure in the bread won a glamorous aluminum foil crown and a collectible photo of the Mission. Taken by your humble blogger.

Funny, a lot more people showed up to share the Rosca than we thought.

All in all, it was a beautiful Christmas Season, which is still going on until Christmas ends on the 2nd of February, the Purification of Mary.

Thank you all for the prayers and the presents, both known and anonymous, and God bless you!

Epiphany 2010

Epiphany is still a part of Christmas, and is the 12th day after Christmas. On this day, we commemorate the three Magi who visited the Lord Jesus. We try to give our presents on this day, but it turns out to be one of three days we give presents, along with Christmas and St. Nicholas' Day.

Here the girls open up new Pajamas they got.


A Lego shirt for Nicholas. Why so serious?

A Mexican tradition for the Epiphany is to make a Rosca de Reyes. It is a cake that is in the shape of a crown, symbolising the Three Kings as well the Kingship of Jesus Christ. Hidden in a slice of the cake is a small ceramic statue of the Baby Jesus. the child who get this in his or her slice gets an extra small prize. Here it is just out of the Oven.

Now iced and decorated, and ready to be eaten after Mass at Mission San Juan Bautista.

Between Epiphany and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, homes are blessed if they can be by Priests. One also writes on the Lintel of the front door the following with Blessed Chalk.

20 C + M + B 10

It is meant to represent the current year, broken up by the initials of the three magi by which they are traditionally know, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

The Rosca is ready to be eaten, with some nice Hot Chocolate.

And the winner of the extra candy....

...Is Nicholas!

Have a Blessed Christmas, and Happy Epiphany!

I Would Rock This Hat

In a desperate attempt to find a Friend of mine an Epiphany present on Monday night that had to get mailed the next day to get to its destination, I actually went to the Mall. I used to love to go to the Mall before the Internet, and I could watch Teenagers be jerks in the comfort of my own home instead of driving out to go see them.

Even though I did not find what I was looking for (I did find something, but that is a post for another time, when little children are not around, mine, and yours), I did see a hat that I would love to wear.

How many votes do I get? Yes, it does go with a Zoot Suit. Come on. It would look cool.

Even Commander Adama looks good in one.

I want to play him in the biopic.