With Advent beginning on December 1st, it’s time for my annual reminder to get prepared! 🕯️ If you’re looking to order Advent candles for your wreath, there are some lovely options below! The dear nuns at The Cloister Shoppe have beautifully crafted candles ready to...
Celebrating the Saints: Our 2024 Saint Costumes
Celebrating the Saints: Our 2024 Saint Costumes For the FIRST TIME EVER we had all NINE of our children together for All Saints Day! The younger kids woke up to a surprise on the morning of All Hallows' Eve and then the four oldest kids spent some of the afternoon...
All Hallows’ Eve Party 2024
This year’s All Hallows’ Eve Party was extra special—it was the first time we had all nine of our kids together for the feasts of All Saints and All Souls! I shared about the surprise visit from two of our young adult kids here. We kept things simple but festive, with...
All Saints Guessing Jars: 12 more for 2024
Even though All Saints’ Day has come and gone, I wanted to post this year’s All Saints Guessing Jars so they can be found in the archives next year! These 12 new additions bring our collection to an incredible 130 saint-themed guessing jars! I’ve also finally created...
All Saints Scavenger Hunt – Fifth Edition
Back in 2012, my husband and I created an All Saints Scavenger Hunt {Printable Party Game!} for our annual All Saints Party. The following year we created a second version featuring sixteen additional saints with new clues. In 2015, we came up with...
Christmas Came Early
Look who I found at the airport late Wednesday (10/30) night!!! They were supposed to land within 15 min of each other, but Clare’s flight came in a little early at 10:15, and James was delayed and landed at 11:25. Three weeks ago, on October 10th, I managed to talk...
Saint-O-Lanterns
Every fall we have a little family tradition of carving Saint-O-Lanterns to light up our front porch for our annual All Hallows' Eve party with symbols of saints and our beautiful Catholic faith! I love seeing everyone's creativity year after year. This year we...
Carving Our 2024 Saint-O-Lanterns
Here are the pictures from our annual Saint-O-Lantern carving last Wednesday! My parents had just arrived from Southern Oregon for a quick visit, making it extra special! I have a little catching up to do on the blog, before I get started posting all things Advent and...
Chicken Pumpkin Carving Experiment
This year, we decided to try a little chicken pumpkin carving experiment after seeing it online, giving one of our small pumpkins to the chickens to see how they’d do! Our 17 year old cut a little starter face and let them have at it, and soon enough, they were...
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.