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by | Dec 29, 2022

+ Requiescat in Pace +


In your charity, would you please offer a prayer for the soul of my dear mother-in-law, Luz Beatriz Gordon, who passed away on Wednesday evening, August 28th, and for our whole Gordon family…

April 2018 – A couple photos from our trip to Arizona to introduce “Grace” to her grandmother.
It’s been just over two years since my father-in-law passed away the day before I went into labor.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let 
Perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

On the Traditional Feast of Saint Jane

“If we patiently accept through love all that God allows to happen, then we will begin to taste even here on earth something of the delights the saints experience in heaven. But for this we must serve God willingly and lovingly, seeking to obey the Divine Will rather than to follow our own inclinations and desires. For the perfection of love demands that we desire for ourselves only whatever God wills. Let us implore the good God unceasingly to grant us this grace!” – St. Jane Frances de Chantal

(God’s plan is so much better than our own… He knew we needed her!) 

DEAREST Patron, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 
in baptism I received thy name and was put under thy special care. Oh, teach me to be like thee! Help me to avoid sin and to practice virtue. Be always at my side to guide me and protect me, and bring me safe to Heaven, that I may be ever happy with thee in the presence of God.

(She is such a sweetie! I’m hoping to add her birth and baptism pictures to the blog soon.)

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty} 

August 6th (and 7th)
Extra Summer Babysitting Money = 
Another Bird Paint-by-Number for her collection! 
{happy} 

  
My little avocado lover 🥑💗 
#iknowguacisextra

{funny}

Peekaboo!
{real}

August 7th
One of my two baby girls slept through all of Mass earlier this afternoon 💙#despiterepeatkickstotheface

Instagram Recap: DMV, French Toast & Hello Sugar!

August 2, 2019

The women at the Sheriff’s/Driver’s License Office were trying their best to put me into labor this morning… I thought I arrived prepared right at 8am with my birth certificate, social security card, and proof of residency… I passed the test (barely) but then they sent me back home for a different copy of my birth certificate (apparently the one I brought was not certified) and a second proof of residency before they would give me my temp license… when I got back they realized that they also wanted to see my marriage certificate…. At that point the pregnancy hormones kicked in and the tears started falling… Each trip required signing back in at the end of the line. They came very close to not accepting my copy of our nearly 20 year old marriage certificate (despite the clerk’s signature, seal, and number) but eventually got approval from the main office in the capital. After that it was time to head next door (Vehicle Licensing is a whole separate office/waiting list) to start the process of registering all our vehicles (each vehicle had to be present to do that, so musical vehicles began)… After four hours it’s all done and we can finally check that off the to do list! Whew!

#37weeks4dayspregnant #dueaug19th2019 #refusedtoputmyfulltermweightonlicense #babywillbeheresoon #tyinguplooseends #movingoutofstateishard

*They actually called us back a few days later saying they needed Sean and I to both COME BACK and sign MORE paperwork! Apparently they forgot to have us sign some tax exempt forms on the vehicles… It’s all taken care of and we finally have our new license plates and driver’s licenses!

After my crazy morning, I probably should have gone home and put my feet up, but there is so much to be done at home right now I decided to just skip it all and take a couple of my girls shopping instead! 

Look at all the BabyLit Books
We set out searching for a Baby Boutique, but apparently we were spoiled with a few lovely options back in Southern Oregon and there are surprisingly few in our new area… We found a total of one (not counting chain stores like Old Navy, Nordstrom, Target, etc) from Coeur d’Alene all the way over to Spokane!  The store we found didn’t really have much for babies but it was absolutely darling and we did come home with a darling little dolly and swaddle for our soon-to-be born baby girl. 
 
The cashier suggested we also check out a mini donut place just down the road where we ordered their “Carousel” (one of each flavor) and the Lime Kombucha on Tap from the coffee shop next door. 

We could have easily eaten them all, but the girls each enjoyed two, I had the delicious seasonal “Huckaboo” flavor, and we brought the remaining seven back for the rest of the family, after finally making it to Trader Joe’s to restock the fridge and pantry. Now I’m ready for her to arrive tomorrow, just incase she decides to come 16 days early like our last two!

Saints Around the World :: St. Pio of Pietrelcina {Back-to-School Giveaway}

Have you seen the “Saints Around the World!” subscription boxes yet? Our family was recently sent one to review and not only was I impressed, but it was also a hit with our children!

When our older children were younger I included so many more crafts and activities when it came to celebrating feast days and teaching our children about the saints… I still try to do so, but it’s not as frequent as I would like, and definitely harder to fit in to our schedule with a wide family with infants to soon-to-be college students, especially with me working from home on top of homeschooling. During this particular season of motherhood it seems that reading picture books and incorporating Catholic Cuisine is the most I can manage each month…

Featuring a different saint from a new country every two months, this subscription is a perfect way for me to easily incorporate a little more theology and geography for my younger ones with very little effort! Plus my older children were all more than happy to join in and help too.

Oh, and with each box purchased, $4 is donated to the “Culture of Life Studies” program, another one of my favorite resources!

Each box contains a beautiful, kid-friendly, saint statue, a story about the saint’s life, various activities related to the saint, and a special fact card about the saint and his/her country or state.

Your first box also comes with a world map to track the saints and a special “Passport.”  A certain little seven year old especially loved the map and magnifying glass and had so much fun searching for Italy.

Much to his delight, older brother stopped by for a bit and pointed out a number of other European countries.

Our box came with just one Passport booklet, but you can order additional when subscribing, if you’d like one for each child. I definitely need to get an additional Passport booklet so Rose and Bud each have their own.


The Saints Around the World boxes are shipped every two months. The 2019-2020 boxes are September/October, November/December, January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August etc. The box will arrive in that first week, at the beginning of the two month span. For example, you will receive the September/October box within the first week of September and the next box will be shipped at the beginning of November.

A combination of Theology and Geography in One Box!

.: Giveaway :. 

I’m going to try my best to host a few different giveaways this month leading up to the beginning of the new school year!  To begin, Saints Around the World has generously offered to send one FREE “St. Pio” box to the winner of this giveaway!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Start your family on this adventurous journey to Heaven, with the Saints as their guides!

**To receive the September/October “St. Pio” box, please subscribe by August 8th!**

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us!

Baby Updates & Online Baby Pool

“And after you gave suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” – 1 Peter 5:10

I had a little extra time before yesterday’s ultrasound, non-stress test, and doctor appointment, so I decided to visit the hospital and birthing center so we have a general idea of where to head once labor begins. Seemed like a good idea.

The nurses were so kind, and the birthing center is nice, but while they were showing me around I broke into tears and couldn’t stop crying… 
I don’t know if it’s just all the changes this time (new state/hospital/doctors) combined with pregnancy hormones, if it’s the fear or anxiety over what’s coming soon knowing just how many things can go wrong, or if I’m still dealing with some PTSD. My last two times at the hospital were for our last baby’s birth (the day after my FIL passed away after a traumatic pregnancy) and then just over a year ago with my brother and SIL for the stillbirth of my beautiful niece.

I’ve been reading this book throughout this past week whenever I can find a little extra time and it is exactly the encouragement and motivation I’ve been needing. Thank you, Mary!

Here are a few more updates I’ve shared over at Instagram this month:
July 10, 2019 –  34 Weeks 
She had her arms covering her face for most of this morning’s ultrasound, but everything is looking good and she measured 5lbs 13oz. 
  
Some diapers showed up in the mail from a dear friend and the girls found our box of baby clothes!
My brother and sister-in-law also generously gifted us with the lovely crib they had purchased for Millie. We never did replace the crib we had donated prior to our last surprise pregnancy, but I’m so grateful to have one again for this little one.  My parents were able to bring it up when they came for the boys’ graduation party and the girls helped me set it up last weekend!
I had borrowed (and then returned) a few things for our last baby, but I do still have my DockATot, Moses Basket, Tula Free-to-Grow, CarSeat/Stroller, Pack-n-Play, and an amazing Nursing Pillow so we are pretty well prepared for another little one! 
I have been trying to decide on whether to order the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper (We have a narrower bed following our move, plus our 2 year old still ends up in bed with us each night, so I feel like we might need something like this or a different bedside bassinet? Any suggestions?), a double stroller or bike trailer/stroller (Would it get used enough to justify the expense? Still can’t believe the golf team sold my old double stroller for $15… Maybe the bike trailer that doubles as a double stroller would make more sense?), and possibly a baby swing (I’ll have less helpers this time around with half my teens leaving for college soon).  
I signed up for the Amazon Baby Registry to save ideas and to be able to get the 15% off completion discount on whatever we decide to purchase. 

Would anyone like to try and guess when she will arrive? 


You can do so over at Baby Hunch!  
I’ll send a little prize to the winner.

Our due date is August 19, 2019. For reference, here are all of the past stats:

Captain: 5 days early, 10:24 am, 7 pounds 2 ounces, 20 inches

Rascal: 7 days early, 11:19 am, 7 pounds 11 ounces, 19 inches

Twinkle Toes: 10 days early, 12:55 am, 7 pounds 4 ounces, 19 1/4 inches

Chiquita: 21 days early, 9:54 pm, 7 pounds 4 ounces, 18 1/2 inches

Snuggles: 3 days early, 10:37 pm, 8 pounds 5 ounces, 20 1/2 inches (He was also due on June 24th, 10 years ago, just after I started this blog!)

Rose: 10 days early, 11:49 pm, 8 pounds 1 ounce, 19 inches

Bud: 6 or 16 days early (depending on which due date you went with – cycle or early ultrasound), 10:02 am, 7 pounds 5 ounces, 20 inches
Grace: 16 days early (almost 20 days early, but labor wouldn’t progress due to hip issues. I was pretty much in labor that whole week), 1:56am, 6 pounds 15 ounces, 19.5 inches 
Mother of God, remember me! 
Our Lady of Childbirth, pray for us! 

High School Graduation Party {Class of 2019}

This past Saturday we hosted a graduation party for our two high school graduates! They actually graduated Kolbe Academy at the beginning of May, but we just didn’t have an opportunity to celebrate until now…

 
One morning in June, when I was looking at the calendar for July, trying to figure out a date, our eldest son said “Why don’t you just have it on the 20th?” as he was heading out the door to work. With my sister’s wedding in Oregon on July 6th, I didn’t think I’d be able to pull it together for either the previous or following weekend, and I didn’t want to push it out any further than the weekend of the 20th due to my approaching due date… I went with the 20th and mailed out all the invitations. He got home from work, saw the invitations, and said “MOM!!! I was kidding!” Apparently a huge graduation party isn’t our (introverted/melancholic) son’s idea of the best way to spend his 19th birthday… Whoops!

I planned the party as an afternoon BBQ Open House in our backyard from 1:00-4:00. Some guests came for the whole party and others popped in for a little while depending on their schedules. We grilled hot dogs and sausages, plus we had lots of drinks (including IPAs and Peach Sangria for the adults), snacks and desserts. To make it a little easier I asked everyone to “please bring a side dish to share if you are able” and we ended up with more than enough food. 

Knowing that I would be nearing full term (almost 36 weeks pregnant, I delivered our last baby at 37 weeks) I did my best to keep the party “small” but we still ended up with around 80 guests! I spent the previous weekend creating decorations and shopping lists, and it all came together somehow. It was such a lovely day with a wonderful group of friends and family! 

The boys Diplomas and Tassels from Kolbe Academy had arrived awhile back, but I saved them to give them at the party. I love that Kolbe’s Tassels have a St. Maximilian Kolbe medal attached to them. (He is our oldest son’s confirmation saint!)

One of the girls updated the letter board with a quote we used on their Graduation Announcements. 
(Costco did a great job on the announcements!) 
 

I also printed out all of their End-of-School Interviews from over the years to use as decorations!

We only had a couple benches and folding tables, but a nearby friend kindly loaned us a bunch more. I also picked up table cloths at Party City during a one-day sale when they were priced just 4 for $1!
The boys were introduced to Kan Jam during Experience Christendom Summer Camp last year and we picked up a couple sets during a Buy-1-Get-1 sale to pull out for the party, along with Spikeball.
My parents also gifted the graduates with a Cornhole set for the Graduation party! 
(Thanks, Dad and Mom!!) 
Graduation Candy Buffet
(You can download my free printable at the above link with all the signs.) 

The birthday boy and my dad

Me with my mom, Father Gordon (my husband’s youngest brother and our oldest son’s Godfather),
and my Uncle Tom (mom’s oldest brother) and Aunt Toni
We definitely need a larger grill the next time we host a big BBQ!
Father Rapoport, Father Terra and Father Flick (below) also were able to come to the party!

The little kids version of Kan Jam!
“Most loving Lord, Grant me a steadfast heart which no unworthy desire may drag downwards; an unconquered heart which no hardship may wear out; an upright heart which no worthless purpose my ensnare. 
Impart to me also, O God, the understanding to know you, the diligence to seek you, a way of life to please you, and a faithfulness that may embrace you, through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.” 

Graduation Party Candy Buffet {Free Printables}

When I ran across the idea for a Graduation Candy Buffet I knew we had to include one for our boys’ high school graduation party!  Here are some of the types of candies I used:

I was going to use “You’re No Dum Dum” for the suckers, but one of my daughters insisted on “So long Suckers” instead. It cracked the boys up and they know we are all going to miss them dearly. 

There are lots of additional options you can use as well:

  • “Class Ring” – Ring Pops
  • “Smart Cookie” – Mini chocolate chip cookies
  • “Nerds” – Small boxes of Nerds Candy
  • “oFISHally Graduating” – Swedish Fish
  • “Thank you Kisses” or “Goodbye Kisses” – Hershey Kisses

If you’d like to use my signs, you can download them here

I also made a little sign to go along with our Diploma Cookies made with Pirouettes and some of the leftover Cherry Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Candy from our Graduation Cap Cupcakes!

Graduation Cap Cupcakes

On Saturday we finally had an opportunity to host a High School Graduation Party for our two recent graduates! I’m hoping to share all the pictures soon, but first here are the Graduation Cap Cupcakes we made (inspired by lots of different online pictures) for the party. Didn’t they turn out cute?!

Graduation Cap Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. Prepare cake mix and bake as directed on the box for cupcakes; cool completely.
  3. Using a piping bag fitted with a 2Around tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
  4. Pull Twizzlers apart, into individual ropes. Cut each rope into 2-inch long pieces. You will need 48 pieces, two for each cap; set aside.
  5. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the candy melts on high for 1 minute, stir until melted. 
  6. Un-wrap the chocolate squares and peanut butter cups. Place all the peanut butter cups upside-down on two trays. Place a dab of “glue” (melted chocolate) on top of each peanut butter cup and place a chocolate square on top to create the “cap.”
  7. Use another dab of “glue” (melted chocolate) to attach the M&M candies and Twizzlers “tassels” to the top of each “cap.” Let set. 
  8. Top each frosted cupcake with a graduation cap.
Note: If you are hosting an outdoors party, and it is hot outside, 
be sure to keep the cupcakes in the shade or the caps will start to melt! 

On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

“One day through the ROSARY and the SCAPULAR, 
I will save the world.” – Our Blessed Mother 
Salted Caramel Brownie Scapulars

Ingredients:

  • Trader Joe’s Brownie Truffle Baking Mix
  • Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce
  • Sea Salt
  • Caramel Candies (optional) 

Directions:

Prepare and bake the brownie mix according to the instructions on the box.

As soon as brownies are out of the oven and still hot, poke some holes in the top of the brownies and then pour the caramel sauce over the top (the entire jar). You won’t need to spread the caramel. It will even out on it’s own.

Allow the brownies to cool for about 20-30 minutes. Apply sea salt (to taste) right before serving. Remember, a little bit of the sea salt goes a long way in flavor…so start with a tiny bit and then add more if needed. 

Optional: Cut into small rectangles to create “Brown(ie) Scapulars.” Roll out a piece of Caramel into two long “cords” to attach. (We used Caramels that were just brought back from France and given to us from friends following their Chartres Pilgrimage!) Either print out an image to place on top or create a cross out of dried mango.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Ora Pro Nobis! 

Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-22, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-19, Snuggles-17, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (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.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

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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-24, Ranger-22, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-19, Snuggles-17, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (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.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Pre-reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Christmas Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

  • 2024 (17)
  • 2023 (30)
  • 2022 (48)
  • 2021 (48)
  • 2020 (57)
  • 2019 (61)
  • 2018 (90)
  • 2017 (128)
  • 2016 (148)
  • 2015 (172)
  • 2014 (227)
  • 2013 (238)
  • 2012 (308)
  • 2011 (297)
  • 2010 (313)
  • 2009 (486)
  • 2008 (564)
  • 2007 (148)

Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!