Early October Daybook

by | Oct 7, 2022 | Angels, Daybook, Happy Anniversary, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese | 45 comments

A beautiful anniversary bouquet from my husband! He said they reminded him of my wedding bouquet 
 

Outside my window…
I’m sitting at a little table next to one of the windows of Coeur d’Alene Coffee Co at the moment! Our 15 year old had a six hour shift at work and the older girls all encouraged me to spend sometime downtown, instead of driving back and forth today, and take advantage of the opportunity to catch up with work and maybe even put together a blog post or two… I think I remember how! 😉 

I am thankful… 
Definitely thankful for everyone’s health and healing from all the little scares and injuries… It has been a year! The other morning, after driving my husband home from an early morning “trigger thumb” surgery (exercise injury that never healed) and while waiting at the pharmacy for his prescription, I started making a list of some of the medical issues this year… 
  • January:  Covid again (hit me hardest and still dealing with fatigue, some of the kids were also sick), then (Chiquita) dislocated her knee again (second time for that knee, third time overall), plus bad bone contusion on foot (Twinkle Toes)… 
  • February: Split chin that was able to be glued instead of stitches (15year old) 
  • March:  I fell for the third time in a month due to dizziness (wondered if it was all triggered by January sickness?)… this fall, down a couple steps onto concrete garage floor, resulted in a hip injury plus a TFCC tear to right wrist and left me in a cast like brace for 2 months.  I’m still in Physical Therapy working on core strength and other issues.  
  • Also March:  At that point I decided everyone needed to be caught up on Well-child visits… We have an amazing pediatrician who actually made a house-call for the appointments which was so awesome! Unfortunately those check ups led to an Echocardiogram for our baby girl (Joy – she is fine, but having dealt with possible heart surgery with Rose years ago, I was a little stressed…) as well as a spine x-ray for scoliosis for another daughter (she is still on the edge of mild and doesn’t need to do anything more at this time)… Then it was to the eye doctor for glasses (Chiquita). 
  • April: My husband injured his left hand and was in a splint for awhile hoping that would fix the issue (it didn’t). Put the older girls back in PT for their different knee issues hoping to build muscle (one keeps dislocating her knees and the other had knee surgery last year for a torn meniscus/golf injury). 
  • May: Braces (Rose) 
  • June – The fourth the fifth knee dislocations for poor Chiquita… I switched her to my physical therapist and thankfully it hasn’t happened again since! If it does surgery may be in her future.
  • July: Rascal’s wrist was acting up, following a wrist injury in May of 2021… I sent him in for an x-ray… Scaphoid break that healed badly leaving a hole in the middle of it… Complicated surgery with a bone graft and 6-12 month recovery to follow… Two days before his surgery a friend accidentally hit him in the face with a ping pong paddle, cutting through his lip and breaking off that front tooth again! Ouch… Meanwhile my husband walked into a chair breaking his toe and James stepped on a wasp a day or two after returning from the Holy Land causing his whole foot to swell.  (Somewhere in here I started joking about needing to bubble wrap EVERYONE!) 
  • August: Covid again – this time following a road trip to Oregon, mainly hitting our 15 year old and re-triggering extreme fatigue for me.  John’s cast came off and he moved into a removable cast till at Christmas, just in time for his final semester and writing that thesis! (right hand too, and he is right handed of course) He also stepped on a wasp and had his foot swell. It’s almost comical at this point!
  • September: Bee sting and strained back for me… switching back to some simpler PT exercises. 
  • October: Our anniversary was Sunday and (Chiquita) our 17 year old made a lovely brunch after Mass. After serving everyone and filling her own plate, she accidentally dropped it with the edge hitting her big toe… I took her to the urgent care (not broken thankfully, but a subungual hematoma) and while we were there I had them x-ray her wrist too.  It had been hurting since a golf tournament two weeks prior…  Doc came in and said nothing about the toe but rather “So… tell me about what you did to that wrist?!”  Sprained and slight fracture! This girl has had the roughest year…  At that point I did start crying/laughing when she was getting her wrist fitted… The fourth this year! 

I am thinking…
Pretty sure that list above has a lot to do with why I am so tired and overwhelmed this year… Trying to persevere and offer up all these extra little crosses, but it sure can be hard sometimes.  

Learning all the time… 
Despite it all, our school year is off to a great start. I hope yours is too! 

On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Our 17 year old loves having the audible version of A Patriot’s History of the United States and coloring while she listens to some of her reading assignments… She is also enjoying Flowers of Heaven: 1000 Years Of Christian Verse in her Poetry class. 

Celebrating the liturgical year…
St. Therese, Holy Guardian Angels, St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of the Rosary… So many favorite feast days this time of year! 
I recently updated my list of October links
From the kitchen…
Our annual Michaelmas Cupcakes, Rose Cupcakes and a Keto Cheesecake for St. Therese, Apple Puff Pancakes for the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, and our annual Wolf Paw Cookies for St. Francis of Assisi… this year it was all completely planned and pulled off by my older girls with no encouragement or direction from me! 

I am working…
I am still working around 25 hours a week or so as Corporate Secretary and Treasurer for my dad and brother’s electrical business back in Oregon.  Hard to believe it has been six years since I went back to work but definitely grateful for the extra income, being able to work remotely, and the additional income to help pay college bills, medical bills, and some of the other “extras”.

I am creating…
a (very large) file folder with all of our digital pictures. I have been working on it for a couple months now and still not finished sorting through and moving them to one place from a few old computers and an external hard drive. I just take way too many pictures! 

I am going…
to try my best to start posting regularly again, but last time I said that life started spiraling out of control! I have so many things I would have loved to record here and just never seem to be able to make the time now that our children are adults down to toddlers and don’t all take an afternoon nap each day like they did when I first started blogging here over fifteen years ago. 😉 

I am hoping…
we can make it through November and December without any more illnesses or injuries! 🙏🙏🙏

I am praying…
the rosary, especially during this month of October which is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. 

I am reading…
lots of fables and picture books to our littlest two.  We have been working on Primary Arts Language as well as some of the themes in the Little Saints Preschool Program and they love every minute of it! 
Pondering these words…
from Joy in Suffering which I happened to pick up during my husband’s Holy Hour on our anniversary (which is sandwiched on the day in between the new and traditional feasts of dear St. Therese) last Sunday.  We didn’t get to go out to dinner or anything, but the adoration hour together was perfect!

Suffering itself becomes the greatest of all joys when we seek it as a precious treasure. – St. Therese
My joy I find in pain and loss, 
love the thorns that guard the rose;
With joy I kiss each heavy cross,
And smile with every tear that flows. 
– St. Therese

Around the house and One of my favorite things…
I love finding pictures on my phone or camera that one of our children took! 

Photo credit: Chiquita
Thank you, Chiquita, for teaching these two all about St. Francis this year!  They got to watch Francis: Knight of Assisi, color pictures she printed for them, and decorate Wolf Paw Cookies with her even though I wasn’t able to be home much that day. ♥
This week’s plans…
Golf season just ended for our two high schoolers (it was moved to fall this school year!) and pre-season Hockey just started for the boys. We have another full week coming up with work, homeschooling, and a number of other things: 
  • Attending a wedding on Saturday 
  • Dinner with friends on Sunday 
  • Catechism on Monday
  • Hockey on Wednesday
  • Physical Therapy on Thursday
  • Haircuts for older girls on Friday
  • Bridal Shower next Saturday! 

A little peek at our anniversary…

 
(Chiquita) surprised us with Apple Puff Pancakes for brunch after Mass, and (Twinkle Toes) baked rose cupcakes and cheesecake for us to discover when we came home from adoration. They gave us beautiful cards too. We sure love this family of ours! 

45 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    So beautiful! It seems St Therese interceded to send you and your family a year FULL of her favorite treasure: sufferings ❤️❤️❤️ God bless you during these busy times!

    Reply
  2. Corrine

    Happy Anniversary!
    I'm so sorry to hear the list of injuries and illness.
    We also have a large family and I understand the joy and also fatigue that comes with parenting such a broad range of ages.
    We have two daughters at UMary and I think you have kids there, too. I hope they are enjoying it as much as ours are!
    May God bless you and keep you, protecting you all from further illness.

    Reply
  3. Penelope

    Jessica! How lovely you were able to find the time and space to write. I have read your blog since the start — I miss those days of all the homeschooling blogs! So sorry to hear of all the illnesses and injuries 🙏🏽Offering prayers for full recovery for all💖

    Reply
  4. Anonymous

    So so so glad to hear from you again! I will be praying for you and your family to have a quieter winter season so you can rest a bit from all God is asking if you. Hang in there! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
  5. Karen H

    Jessica, dear – what a year! What a joy to see a new post from you and what a sorrow to read all that you and your family have endured. My heart goes out to you. I give many thanks for your precious example of enduring faith and grace under duress. The photos of your beautiful (growing!) children and your lovely anniversary celebration are heartwarming. It is a joy to see you all again! You and yours are in my prayers.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    What a year, Jessica! I’m sorry so many injuries and illnesses have struck you all! Your joy, good humor and good outlook are such a credit to you! I hope this year eases up and you go into the holidays with a little break from the doctor visits! 💕💕💕

    Reply
  7. Jan

    So good to hear from you-you've had quite a year! Happy Anniversary and I hope things quiet down a little! Sending up prayers for healing and peace.

    Reply
  8. Janette McCune

    Oh Jessica! I'm so sorry to hear of all this! I'm sure it's been so hard for everyone, and I pray that you all recover and stay healthy for a long while! <3

    Reply
  9. Jennifer

    I've loved your "Daybook" posts for years now! I hope you'll be able to post more often. You've been missed!

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    Thank you for the update on your family! It sounds like 2022 has been quite the busy year for your family. Will say a prayer these last few months offer a slower pace.

    Reply
  11. olivia

    Your blog is a constant source of information and inspiration to me as I begin my 12th year of homeschooling our children. Our oldest two are in a local Catholic Montessori highschool and we have 5 more at home, 4 school age, and a 7 month old sweet baby girl (Rose!). Juggling all the ages, all the meanring difficulties, the temperaments and personality differences, and doing it all on very little sleep….I know I can, because of people like you who have paved the way. Thank you! I hope you all recover quickly and can enter the holiday season whole and refreshed!

    Reply
  12. Jana

    Happy anniversary! Thank you so much for sharing what’s been happening. It sounds like it’s a record year for all of you, hopefully future ones won’t compare. I’ll keep your family in my prayers, it sounds like you need them. The food looks delicious.

    Reply
  13. Anonymous

    If y'all offer up every injury, pain sickness, medical issue in your family IMAGINE how many souls can benefit from that.

    Reply
  14. Susan

    Perhaps you would do well to give all the "injured" pineapple juice. Pineapple juice has anti-inflammatory properties.

    Reply
  15. Susan

    You would do well to put everybody on pineapple juice. It has anti-inflammatory properties.

    Reply
  16. Jackie

    I'm so sorry to hear about your accidents and illnesses! Praying for everyone to stay healthy!

    Reply
  17. Melanie V

    I'm so excited to see this post! A daybook post, how retro! 😄 I miss reading all the blogs, such a nicer world overall than social media. ❤️

    Reply
  18. Bernadette O.

    What a year it has been for you and your family, Jessica! I pray that you will all be well in the coming months (you could sure use a break!). God bless your beautiful daughters for stepping in and helping you out, and for making your 23rd anniversary a special one. God bless! 🙂

    Reply
  19. foltz06

    Such a beautiful family and great update. I hope you can take a large breath and relax after the crazy year of health issues! Your girls really have grown up and are such a help. I've been reading since your adult children were small. I still can't believe how fast time goes! Love from Maine

    Reply
  20. Anonymous

    Happy Anniversary – your beautiful family has always been a source of inspiration to me and yours was the first Catholic blog I started following when I became Catholic! I'm sorry to hear of all the illness/injuries this year. Just a thought when you mentioned the frequent knee dislocations – Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is frequently overlooked (especially as it affects women and often begins to manifest in the the teens) so it might be worth looking into. Thank you for sharing so many of your talents with us via your blog over the years – may God richly bless you and your family.

    Reply
  21. Jessica Gordon

    Thank you! I sometimes get frustrated with myself that I can't keep up with all the things I did with the older children when they were little, but at the same time my older children did have such awesome older siblings to fill in some of the gaps! I sure love having this large family!

    The oldest two are still at UMary, both seniors this year! Our second will actually be finished at Christmas (he is taking 20 credits this semester, and writing his thesis, to finish a semester early! All with his right hand recovering from surgery!) and we are all planning to make the trip in April for their graduations!

    May God bless you and your family too!

    Reply
  22. Jessica Gordon

    Thank you, Penelope! It's nice to hear from you too! I am really hoping I can keep it up, I have really missed it too! 🙂

    Reply
  23. Jessica Gordon

    Hello Karen, always a joy to see a comment from you too! I'm grateful that, even though it's been a lot, it hasn't been anything too serious. There is so much suffering in the world! Thank you for your prayers and God bless you!

    Reply
  24. Jessica Gordon

    Thanks, Janette! Thankfully it wasn't anything too serious. We've had a lot of good things mixed in this year as well! But yes, definitely hoping things calm down a bit!! 🙂

    Reply
  25. Jessica Gordon

    Thank you, Jennifer! I'm glad you have enjoyed them! ♥

    Reply
  26. Anonymous

    Poor Chiquita! I am Denise Garcia’s daughter, I know your brother(brother-in-law), Fr. Gordon. If ever Chiquita needs someone to talk to regarding knee dislocations/potential surgery. I’d be happy to be an ear for her. I to suffered several dislocations (4 to be exact) and have since had 8 knee surgeries under my belt. I am thankfully, one year post surgery since my last (hopefully final) knee surgery. It’s a rough road and I know what it’s like, feeling alone while carrying this heavy cross. If there is anything I can do please don’t hesitate to reach out! Thank you for being a light in this world with your blogs and stories. You’ve a beautiful family and your traditions have helped my family and I a lot!♥️

    Reply
  27. Anonymous

    Sorry that you have been not feeling well. You and your family are an inspiration. Hope all of your children stay safe and well.
    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
    Joan

    Reply
  28. Anonymous

    Thank you for the latest update. Sorry about all the injuries and illness. You have such a beautiful family. I enjoy reading about your family and how you are all doing. Prayers for a complete healing and good .health to all of the Gordons. God Bless.
    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
    Marilyn

    Reply
  29. Anonymous

    Hi Jessica;
    How nice to open my mailbox and find a newsy post from you. I pray that you are feeling better and your family are all in better health now. Will keep the family in my prayers.Those two little cooks are the cutest. The cupcakes look delicious. We are enjoying the Autumn weather and hope that Summer doesn't make a comeback. Wishing all of the children a successful and happy school/college year.
    Happy anniversary
    God Bless
    Marion

    Reply
  30. Anonymous

    How lovely to see you posting again Jessica. You and your family truly are a blessing and an inspiration to so many families. How wonderful that you began your Daybook post with gorgeous Wedding Anniversary flowers from your husband! As your wedding day began this beautiful faith filled journey with him and your amazing children. Such a perfect place to begin after being away due to all of the health concerns you and your family have endured in this past year. Many prayers for improved health for each of you. Much success in your homeschooling (which I admire so much) and also for your college age children. It was wonderful to see photos of your children. My how they have all grown with your oldest children displaying such sweet maturity and your two little girls are just so precious. I have followed your special blog for many years and I admire all of the traditions you celebrate as a family during our Catholic Liturgical Year! You make each Feast Day so special!!! May God Bless you and your family with a happy and healthy Autumn.

    Reply
  31. Jessica Gordon

    Yes! You can do it!! It isn't easy but God's sends the extra graces we need ♥ Eventually I hope to catch up on sleep 😉 Congratulations on your little Rose!

    Reply
  32. Jessica Gordon

    I haven't heard that before but I have actually been buying more pineapples lately to cut up for snacks or use in smoothies. I'll look into it!

    Reply
  33. Jessica Gordon

    Haha! Yes! So retro! It seemed like the best/easiest way to give a snapshot of life now and catch up a bit. 🙂 I really struggle with the fast pace of social media and miss the blog days too. I'm surprised to see so many comments and that people are actually still reading along!!

    Reply
  34. Jessica Gordon

    Thank you, Jana! It actually hasn't felt nearly as hard as some years (2017-2019 were rough!) but I'd still love for things to calm down a bit! Thank you for the prayers!

    Reply
  35. Jessica Gordon

    I try but wish I was better about joyfully embracing each and every challenge. Praying for all the graces to do so!

    Reply
  36. Jessica Gordon

    Thank you, Bernadette! We only had a nursemaid's elbow to deal with for our 3 year old this week and I thankfully recognized it and was able to fix it at home (having had that happen multiple times with our now 5 year old when she was 2-3)… haha always something! God bless you too!

    Reply
  37. Jessica Gordon

    Thank you for your kind comment and for reading along for so many years! They really have flown by… God bless you and your family!

    Reply
  38. Robyn

    Dear Jessica, Wow what an incredible year for you! You handle it all with such grace and patience. My brood of 6 doesn't even have half of your injuries and sicknesses and I still feel overwhelmed at times! Your are an inspiration, thank you for your witness. Prayers for you and your beautiful family for an uneventfully year!

    Reply
  39. Anonymous

    That is a beautiful romantic bouquet. Your list of health issues for your family during the year is stunning, I admire you for getting through it all.

    Reply

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-23, Ranger-21, Twinkle Toes-20, Chiquita-18, Snuggles-16, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-6 and Joy-4 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

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