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by Jessica | Dec 29, 2022

Celebrating the 4th of July

Jul 5, 2013 | July 4th | 9 Comments

Here are Seven Quick Takes from our 4th of July Celebration!

For additional quick takes visit Conversion Diary.

.: American Flag Cupcakes :.

We have been reading about Our Flag this week, from the sweet Little Golden Book, and the girls were very excited to help create this year’s Flag Cupcakes. Since we were using all the berries on the cake and brownies the girls decorated the cupcakes with white frosting with white and red sprinkles and blue frosting with white stars! I thought it turned out great, even if we were short on stars… Just think of it as the Flag of 1822! 😉

.: Red, White & Blue Berry Brownie Torte :.

This was inspired by Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Brownie ‘n Berries Dessert Pizza. I baked a batch of Fudge Brownies in my Pampered Chef Torte Pans. After they had cooled I combined 1-8 oz package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla to divide and spread over the top of both tortes, topping it with blueberries and chopped strawberries. Yummmmm!!!

.: Flag Fruit & Marshmallow Kabobs :.

We have made a variation of these Red, White and Blueberry Skewers back in 2009 but this year we made the Flag themed Berry Kabobs from Family Circle.

Directions: Thread 4 blueberries, 2 mini-marshmallows and 2 raspberries on each of five 10-inch wooden sticks. On the remaining seven sticks, thread 4 raspberries and 3 marshmallows to create this all-American treat.

.: Star Spangled Berry Cake :.

I posted all about our cake here.

.: All Ready to Go :.

.: At the Party :.

Don’t you just love those red boots?! I was able to combine an extra coupon with a great sale at Gymboree and get boots for a couple of the girls for less than $10 a pair! Unfortunately they were already sold out in Chiquita’s size, but I was able to find her a festive 4th of July skirt instead.

I think Bud was having fun reenacting the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima which we had read about earlier! 😉

And Snuggles t-shirt? I had been looking for a Texas Flag Tee for Bud (which had already sold out) when I ran across this “Awesome Sauce” t-shirt. The day before we had been at my brother’s house and my SIL asked this picky eater of ours if he wanted a hot dog. He said “Only if it is a good one!” (The little stinker!) She went on to ask him what a “good” hot dog is and he said “one with ketchup!” The t-shirt was perfect for him and he is wearing it again today… I’m going to have to sneak it out of his room tonight to wash!

.: Fireworks :.

The fireworks were beautiful! Bud especially loved them this year and was so cute as he tried to blow them out!

Happy Independence Day!

Star Spangled Berry Cake

Jul 5, 2013 | Cake Decorating, July 4th | 6 Comments

A couple days ago I still wasn’t sure what I was going to take to the annual 4th of July party we attend each year. The sweet hostess, who had just arrived home after spending the school year on the opposite side of the country, asked me to just bring “one of your FABULOUS dessert items.” I somehow missed reading the “one,” looked back at what we brought last year, and had a panic attack. Yes, my archives stress me out sometimes and I occasionally think “How does she do it?” I can’t compete with THAT!!! 😉

Thankfully my husband was able to pick up some berries at Costco on his way home from choir practice Wednesday night and after a quick google image search I had a plan. The girls and I ended up only having enough time Thursday afternoon to make four (of the six) items I had chosen, but it ended up being a smaller party this year and was plenty. This “Star Spangled Berry Cake” (inspired by this picture) was my favorite! It was so easy to decorate and turned out beautifully!

Ingredients:

2 – 9″ Round Cakes (I used a Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix)
White Frosting (I used Betty Crocker Fluffy White)
Sliced Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Optional: Large Star Cookie Cutter (I used the 6 1/2″ Star Cookie Cutter from this set)

Directions:

Bake and cool cakes according to directions. Trim the tops off of each cake. Place one cake bottom side down on cake platter. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over cake and layer with strawberries. Place second cake, top side down, on top of the strawberries. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the whole cake. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to seal in any crumbs. Spread the remaining frosting over the cake. Using a large star shape cookie cutter as a guide, arrange blueberries on the top of the cake in the shape of a star. Fill in the rest of the top of the cake with raspberries. Place blueberries in around the base of the cake.

I took this last picture to post to Instagram/Facebook while I was balancing the cake on my lap during the 45 minute drive to the party, but thankfully it arrived safely and was definitely a hit. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! I’ll be back with a few more pictures from our celebration soon!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Jul 4, 2013 | {phfr}, My Siblings, Nature, Parade, Precious Moments: 06, Precious Moments: 07, Wildlife | 3 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

{pretty}

Yesterday we spent the day at my parents home and Rose enjoyed picking flowers with Grandma.

{happy}

Sean had to work last Saturday, but the kids and I spent the morning with my two youngest brothers watching our hometown parade and then the afternoon swimming at my brother Brian’s house!

The kids loved watching the parade, and they were all very happy when the employees from the local building supply store handed out full size candy bars to each of them!

7 kids + sitting where the parade begins = enough candy to fill a piñata!

{funny}

Bud was so cute playing peek-a-boo with himself at the doctor’s office on Sunday,

as we waited for the doctor to remove his stitches!

{real}

Bud’s injury wasn’t to be the last of the “excitement” for the month of June… On Friday this poor little baby deer was stumbling around our yard… We gave him water and called both the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and the Department of Fish & Wildlife and basically neither of them do anything to help save injured deer. I was told that if they came to pick him up “he would just be Euthanized and his best chance for survival is to hope that the mother isn’t dead already (from trying to save her baby from whatever attacked him) and that she will try and find him during the night once it is safer and has cooled down. Otherwise this baby will just become food for some other animal (i.e. cougar).” Ugh! It was really hard to tell the children that we had to just let him go…

Right after that I was sitting on the porch and Rose was playing with Snuggles on the swings when she did a face dive resulting in yet another mouth injury. She had torn the frenulum on the top and had put a few of her bottom teeth nearly all the way through her bottom lip. Thankfully, she didn’t have any loose or broken teeth, since it was on the inside of her mouth she didn’t need stitched, it has healed amazingly fast, and we haven’t had any injuries yet this week!

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment.

Happy 4th of July!

A Virtual Baby Shower for Sarah and her TWINS!

Jul 1, 2013 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

You are invited to another Virtual Baby Shower! I’ve hosted one here before and was so happy to see that Mary is hosting a shower for Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things and her TWIN boys!

Click on over to Better than Eden to join the fun and get a chance to win some great prizes (including one of Charlotte’s awesome quilties or one of Barbara’s beautiful handmade scapulars or tenners!) after signing up to offer prayers for Sarah and her family, donating to a diaper fund, or just by helping spread the word!

The 2014 Saints Calendar & 16-Month Planner

Jun 29, 2013 | Calendars, Organization | 4 Comments

The Saints Calendar and Planner from Tan has always been one of my favorite planning tools for Celebrating the Liturgical Year. This calendar sold out quickly last year and many of you were not able to purchase a copy.

The new 2014 Saints Calendar & 16-Month Planner begins September 1st of this year, so be sure to pre-order a copy soon!

The ever-popular 2014 Saints Calendar and Daily Planner is a 16 month calendar ready to use in September. Our spiral-bound design allows plenty of space for daily appointments in a lay-flat format.

This Calendar has become a favorite for home or office with professionals, students, and busy homeschool families.

TAN calendars contain special feasts and fascinating Catholic traditions. They are marked with days of Fasting, special Saints Days, and the Sundays of the Liturgical Year for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Calendar.

You can see sample pages from my 2013 Saints Calendar here.

The beautiful wall calendars published by Tan for 2014 will include: The Life of Our Lord, Mary and the Saints and The Angels.

The planner and calendars are available to pre-order from Amazon or directly from Tan.

I hope you all have a blessed Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul!

Tidepooling

Jun 27, 2013 | Field Trips, Nature, Pacific Ocean, Tidepools | 7 Comments

Monday morning we woke up to the sound of waves crashing on the beach and the lowest tide of the year!

It was a negative tide (-2.21 at 7:10 AM) and absolutely incredible!

(Additional pictures from our trip can be found here and here.)

Another Trip to the Ocean

Jun 27, 2013 | Pacific Ocean | 4 Comments

After Mass on Sunday our family went on another road trip to the coast to meet up (once again) with our dear friends who moved to the midwest a couple years ago! It has been a rainy couple weeks, and it was chilly and misty when we arrived at the beach. All the kids were so excited to be back at the ocean and I was very thankful to breathe the salty sea air as I continue to fight this summer cold. 😉

After unpacking the car and saying hello to all our friends, Sean and the boys started a campfire on the beach with some of the wood they had squeezed into the back of our overcrowded minivan. It was raining but we were determined to roast hot dogs and marshmallows!

One of our little guys forgot his jacket at home and looked so funny in his “homemade” rain jacket recycled by his daddy from a case of water bottles! At least it helped keep him dry.

(Day 2 Pictures can be found here.)

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Jun 27, 2013 | {phfr}, Chapel Veil, Pacific Ocean, Precious Moments: 07, The Veil, Veiling | 7 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

… with a few Instagram photos from the past week…

{pretty}

My beautiful new rose covered chapel veil from Michele isn’t just pretty, it is gorgeous!! I absolutely love it and am so glad I happened to see it when she announced that she had a few for sale. She doesn’t have any more of the lace to make and sell more, but she will be posting a tutorial sometime soon!

{happy}

Very happy to be back at the ocean and to be meeting up with some of our BFF’s at any minute!!!

We were also happy to discover that we happened to wake up Monday morning to the lowest tide of the year. There was so much awesomeness to explore and discover!

{funny}

Instagram Photo taken on the way to the beach…

Instagram photo taken the following afternoon on the way home from the beach!

{real}

Bud wasn’t sure what to think of the operating room as we waited for his doctor…

He ended up with “just” three stitches since the cosmetic benefits of five were not worth the extra trauma for our scared and mad mad mad little man. He did not like getting those stitches!

Colds & Flu and Overtired & Cranky – I was mixing them all last Saturday night…

As for me? June has been crazy… Car repairs, Conferences, Camping, Golf Camp, a Birthday, Summer Colds, a Trip to the Coast, and then Dentist appointments (sealants and fillings) for three of us (including me) on Tuesday followed by a trip to the Pediatricians for stitches just as overnight company was about to arrive for dinner.
I think I am ready for a break!

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment.

If Only

Jun 27, 2013 | Marian, Prayers for Children, Precious Moments: 07, The Child on His Knees | 11 Comments

I WISH I’d been a child, dear God,

When You were little too!

O! Think of all the lovely things

We would have thought to do!

Perhaps I would have lived across

The street, and everyday

Perhaps You would have asked me to

Come over, God, and play?

Perhaps You would have taught me how

To saw up wood or clean

The shop or build a little house?–

What fun that would have been!

And then perhaps when we had worked

At that for quite a while,

Your Mother would have come right in

And kissed us with a smile!

O! If I’d only been a child

When You were little too!

Just think, dear God, of all the things

We would have thought to do!

“If Only” from The Child on His Knees by Mary Dixon Thayer

These pictures were taken last Friday afternoon. Our sweet little Bud has been giving Mother Mary kisses and hugs each time he passes her statue next to our front door. ♥ If you could offer a little prayer for Bud it would be greatly appreciated. He keeps falling/hurting himself and ended up needing three stitches last night after splitting his chin. It was definitely a traumatic expierence for my poor baby…

Hi-Yo Silver! A Lone Ranger Birthday Party

Jun 26, 2013 | Birthday Parties, Happy Birthday, Lone Ranger, Precious Moments: 05 | 14 Comments

Last Friday our little Snuggles turned 6 years old and we celebrated with a Lone Ranger themed birthday party. The birthday boy loved every moment of his special day! (Birthday Picture here.)

His answer to “How old are you today?”

.: Decorations :.

The day before his birthday Snuggles asked how I was going to decorate… I told him that since I wasn’t feeling well there might not be very many decorations this year, but that we would have cake, ice cream, pizza and presents after golf camp! I did ask if he had anything specific in mind and he said, “You could just cover up all those married pictures with the LONE RANGER!” Ooh! Great idea! That I could do, and you should have seen his smile when he discovered them in the morning.

On the counter next to his cake, he also found some Lone Ranger themed accessories when he woke up in the morning! I found the Kids Black Hand Tooled Leather Double Holster, Big Tex Pistol, Black Hero Mask and Solid Red Bandanna online. As for the White Cowboy Hat, I searched everywhere the night before his birthday, while out purchasing a few supplies for the cake, without any luck. In the end I went with a light pink foam hat from Michaels and a can of white spray paint. 😉

.: Games :.

The birthday boy also discovered a new-to-us vintage board game on the coffee/train table:

The Classic Lone Ranger & Tonto Board Game!

(Note: It doesn’t seem to be available for a reasonable price from Amazon any longer but Ebay might be an option.)

After getting back home from the golf tournament we enjoyed playing the game together.

I had filled a basket with candy bars that I thought tied in nicely to our theme to use as prizes including Rocky Road, CupoGold, PayDay, 100GRAND, and SKOR bars!

.: Party Favors :.

“Around a campfire four men were sitting.

Beside the men lay the stolen bags of gold!”

~ The Lone Ranger (Little Golden Book)

I had also picked up some Hershey’s (Gold) Nuggets to bag up as party favors for each of the children.

.: Birthday Gifts :.

The leftover wrapping paper from our Josefina Birthday earlier this year was perfect to wrap up the new “Lone Ranger” Legos including: Lone Ranger Calvary Builder Set, Stagecoach Escape, Comanche Camp, and Colby City Showdown. I also placed copies of B is for Buckaroo and The Lone Ranger (Little Golden Book) along with some Chocolate Gold Coins on the table as simple decorations.

Snuggles had no idea that there were new “Lone Ranger” Legos!

Our older children had been saving up their Summer Bingo tickets to use to purchase gifts for their little brother including the New Adventures of the Lone Ranger DVD, a Lego Minifigure, and Tonto’s Campfire. He also loved his new Archangel from Sean and I!

Playing “Peek-a-Boo” with Daddy while his brother opened gifts

.: Cake :.

The Campfire Cake tied in nicely to our Lone Ranger party…

… served with campfire S’MORES Ice Cream of course…

… following ~~some of our Vegas in the Valley Winnings~~ a perfect pizza dinner for our picky eater!

Happy 6th Birthday!

Even though it is blurry, this picture is one of my favorites, perfectly portraying the joy and happiness of the day.
I just love celebrating our children’s birthdays!

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Sean & Jessica, Captain-25, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-18, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (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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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.