An Urgent Prayer Request
We have heard tragic news that Ryan’s body has been recovered. Please pray for this family and all who are suffering.
Please join us today in praying the Seven Sorrows for Mary Ellen.
Update from Michele:
We are so very sorry to have to share the devastating news that Ryan Barrett has drowned. Our heartfelt love and prayers are extended to Mary Ellen and Dave and all the Barrett family. Words cannot convey the depth of this sadness. We pray that God will grant them strength and peace in this horrible time of loss.
Small Successes :: August 13, 2009
I began organizing and de-cluttering some of my kitchen cupboards and drawers. Here are a few before and after pictures:
We hosted a “little” family get-together this past Saturday since some of our relatives from out-of-state were in town. I made WAY too much food, but we were able to enjoy the leftovers for days! My favorite was the Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad (I’ll try and post the recipe soon), though the Blueberry-Strawberry Cobbler I made from the leftover berries was delicious too!
After starting to read “It’s So You! Fitting Fashion to Your Life
I found it interesting that most of the clothes in the stacks are things I hardly ever wear, even though I “like” them…
I must admit that I was disappointed to read that green is not in my “color palette” and I am really hoping that I am one of the rare women with “cool undertones” that can get away with wearing chocolate brown. It’s another one of my favorites!! On the other hand, yesterday I was wearing a shirt that I picked up at Motherhood on Monday (following the guidelines for my body type and color palette from the book) and hubby kept saying “You look really nice today!” You know, there just might be something to it all! (Or perhaps his anesthesia hadn’t completely worn off!) 😉
I guessed correctly!! I just knew she was a little girl! Now, I need to start thinking about pulling out all those darling little outfits which have been packed away for over 4 years. Yay!!!
Wordless Wednesday
Ideas for Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption
On August 15th the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.
Finally; the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:
In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death…. She is our Mother in the order of grace.
~ The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Chapter 3, ¶6
I been working on our plans for celebrating this feast and have compiled the following list of suggestions. We will be using just a few of these ideas in our home. Now if I could just decide which ones!
- Mary My Mother by Father Lovasik
- The Life of Mary for Children by Sr. Karen Cavanaugh
- Teatime Chat from Mondays With Mary by Meredith Henning
Crafts
- Here is a beautiful coloring page of the Assumption and here is another simpler version.
- Three more coloring pages can be found here.
- Fenestrae Fidei: A Coloring Companion for Catholic Mosaic has a lovely stained glass coloring page and yet another can be found in the “Coloring Book about the Rosary.
- Make an Assumption shoebox triptych.
- Jenn shared a lovely post last year with instructions on making Lavender Sachets.
- I just love Dawn’s Assumption Star and Dancing Sun! (Which was inspired by Alice’s beautiful Star of the Sea!)
Copywork
“See the beauty of the daughter of Jerusalem,
who ascended to heaven like the rising sun at dawn.”
~ Benedictus antiphon of the Daily Office
Games
- Rosary Rummy (link no longer active)
- Mary Memory (link no longer active)
Food
- Since it is traditional to bless fruits and herbs on the feast of the Assumption, incorporate fruits and herbs into your dishes for today — how about Assumpta Salad or Lavendar Sticks?
- The other night I made an amazing Blueberry-Strawberry Cobbler, which would also tie in the use of fruits! (Update: I posted the recipe over at Catholic Cuisine.)
- For breakfast I am thinking of making a different version of the Ascension Pancakes… Perhaps replacing the Strawberries for Blueberries since the color blue represents Our Lady. Ooh!! Or maybe even some fresh Marionberries, or Marionberry syrup, if I can make it to our local farmer’s market…
- Bake Assumption Rolls.
- In Katherine Burton’s Feast day Cookbook she shares a recipe for Shrimp in a Béchamel sauce, a traditional French specialty for the feast of the Assumption. I have some shrimp in the freezer right now, so I am hoping to try this recipe.
- A Fluffy Cloud Dessert would also be very fitting.
- An even easier dessert would be to make some mini fruit tarts using mini graham cracker crusts, vanilla pudding, berries and whipped cream. Yum!!
- Another fun option would be to make a cupcake rosary since the Assumption is the 5th of the Glorious mysteries.
Prayer
- Pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary together as a family.
- Sing Immaculate Mary.
- Pray the Assumption Novena.
Even more ideas can be found at Women for Faith and Family and Catholic Culture’s Assumption Day Traditions.
In Honor of St. Clare of Assisi
The feast of St. Clare is celebrated on August 11th, as well as August 12th on the traditional calendar. Here are a few pictures from our simple celebration of this wonderful saint!
P.S. Tomorrow is also the feast of St. Jane Frances de Chantal. Here is a link to our Little Flowers meeting last December with a few ideas for celebrating her feast.
Oh Boy!!!
This morning I had my 20 week ultrasound.
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Update: Just to clarify, although I plan to call her “Rose” here on my blog, since I use nicknames for our children online, that is not the name we have chosen for her… I do think of her as my little Rose after all the roses I received around the time I found out I was expecting, including this one I noticed just moments after I found out on April 14th! Although Rose is a beautiful name, I love the one we have chosen for her even more! ♥
Everyone is ready to go!
We are headed to my 20 week ultrasound appt. this morning.
Everyone is so excited!!!!
Graduation Day 2009
Assumption Novena
Our family will be praying the following novena beginning today, August 7th, and finishing on the Solemnity feast of the Assumption on August 15th.
Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.
Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.
From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help. In honor of your Assumption into heaven I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).
When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.
~ From Favorite Novenas to Maryby Father Lovasik
Small Successes :: August 6, 2009
Unfortunately one (of our two) local bookstores is in the process of hopefully moving to a bigger town about 25-30 minutes away. (We live on the outskirts of a tiny little town…) Despite being sad to see them go, I was thrilled to be able to check a few more things off my Christmas list since everything in the store was at least 50% off last Saturday during their final day.
I didn’t buy very many books, but I did buy one of just about every little Folkmanis Fingerpuppet they had in stock and now have 3 for each of my children’s stockings and only paid between $2-3 dollars for each of them. I had been noticing these little guys on a couple of my favorite blogs and never even realized our little store carried them!
I also purchased a Gray Squirrel Puppet
I baked 4 loaves of delicious zucchini bread. The first two loaves I baked using this recipe. For the second batch, I substituted 1/2 cup of the oil for 1/2 cup of applesauce and reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup. It was just as good and didn’t give me heartburn like the first batch did. I’ll definitely be using this recipe again in the future.
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I finally washed my girls’ chapel veils! They were looking pretty dirty and now look brand new once again. Oh, and speaking of laundry, even after a week (make that two!) of swimming lessons and lots of extra towels (and all the clothes from Life-Saving Day), it is ALL caught up, at least until tomorrow!
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