A Christmas Surprise
Nothing happens in the universe without God willing and allowing it. This statement must be taken absolutely of everything with the exception of sin. ‘Nothing occurs by chance in the whole course of our lives’ is the unanimous teaching of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, ‘and God intervenes everywhere.’ – Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I didn’t mean to disappear following my post last month, but there’s a good reason, and I would really appreciate prayers!
On December 12th the stomach flu started hitting our family. I was grateful that I didn’t come down with it until the following weekend, after we finished celebrating our daughter’s 9th birthday and that I felt well enough to bake another cake the following week for our son’s 7th birthday… But then, the weekend before Christmas, the stomach flu really hit me. When I didn’t fully recover, along with the rest of the family, I went and bought a pregnancy test on December 23rd. I really thought it would be negative.
It’s no secret that my last pregnancy was especially hard, between the hyperemesis gravidarum and back/tailbone/hip issues that left me barely able to walk it was a traumatizing pregnancy. After I delivered I told my husband, “I can’t do this again. I really mean it this time.” He understood. I’ve joked with friends that there was a good reason God sent us this last baby as #8 instead of one of our first! Despite how difficult it was, and how difficult our darling baby girl has been (she is finally, after 19 months, sleeping a few hours straight each night!), we just can’t imagine our family without her. She has brought so much joy and laughter and we all love her dearly! God knew that we needed her. Still, I was too scared to chance another pregnancy.
I wish I could say that I met those two little pink lines with joy and excitement, but honestly I sobbed. It was Sunday night. I had missed Mass and spent all day sick in bed until going out to the store. I had to get out of the house so I got back in the car to go for another drive. I ended up at the church and thankfully there was still a priest in the confessional following the 5pm evening Mass. I was so grateful for the sacrament and for the advice and encouragement I was given that night. I know God will send me the graces and strength I need to carry this precious baby!
“How can there be too many children?
That is like saying there are too many flowers.” – Mother Teresa
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| January 3, 2019 – Our Baby at 7 1/2 weeks |
Having miscarried a number of times in the past, I was very thankful and relieved to see the baby’s heart beating when we met with a new doctor for the dating ultrasound. Apparently I must have ovulated on about day seven and my due date was moved forward a week. Our little one is due August 19th – just before our oldest two will leave for college! So much for things calming down this year. 😉
As of today our little one is 10 weeks old! I will see the doctor again next week, though I caught a cold that seems to have turned into bronchitis so I may be going back in sooner. (I guess one good thing that has come out of this whole government shutdown is that my husband has been home to help… Just as long as they reopen before our savings runs out!) We would be grateful for any prayers you can send our way as we prepare to welcome this new little soul!
Judge then what recompense those persons will receive from Christ who have followed Him along the way of His Cross. On the judgment day we shall understand how much God has loved us by giving us the opportunities to merit so rich a reward. Then we shall reproach ourselves for complaining at what was meant to increase our happiness, for grieving when we should have been rejoicing, for doubting God’s goodness when He was giving concrete evidence of it. If such will be our feelings one day, why not anticipate them now? Why not bless God here and now for something we shall be thanking Him for everlastingly in Heaven? – Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence
The Great O Antiphons, The Golden Nights
Ever since our oldest children were very little, we have been implementing an old monastic custom in our home by providing special treats, representing each of the “O Antiphons” on the days leading up to Christmas. The O Antiphon prayers begin on December 17th and end on the 23rd, which is the last Vespers of Advent, since the evening prayer on the 24th is the Vigil of Christmas.
The Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.
Each night, following our family rosary, we pray the O Antiphon for the day, sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, which was inspired by this ancient tradition, and then give the children a special treat.
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| Advent Hymns from We Sing and Chant |
The “treats” have varied from year to year. Some years it has been little gifts or activities for the family, some years it is all food related, and some years it is a mix of both, depending on our schedule and budget. It doesn’t need to cost much or even anything at all! Be creative!
Sometimes the treats are a bit of a stretch, but my goal is try and find gifts that will either help increase our faith (Catechism books, holy family, saints, prayer, etc) or encourage family time (games, puzzles, going to look at Christmas lights, etc). You can find some of our past O Antiphon treats by scrolling through the archives and visiting Catholic Cuisine.
Our family loves this tradition. It is such a fun way to teach the children about these beautiful prayers of the church and also increase their excitement as Christmas gets closer.
Below I’ve listed the treats I choose for this year, as well as additional ideas (food, activities and gifts – or simply decorate chocolate coins) for each of the O Antiphons.
Once again I am hosting an O ANTIPHON GIVEAWAY! One lucky visitor here at Shower of Roses will receive a gift package including seven Cookie Stamps, one to represent each of the seven O Antiphons! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the details and to enter.
.: December 17th :.
O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!
O Sapientia (O Wisdom) – SaintCards + Holy Helpers & Doctors of the Church
Since the symbol for wisdom is a book, I usually choose a new Catholic book for our family. Last year it was two books in The Wonder Series: The Wonder Story and The Wonder Days. The year before it was An Alphabet of the Altar which had just been reprinted by St. Augustine Academy Press. This year I’ll be giving them SaintCards + Holy Helpers & Doctors of the Church. I think we’ll all enjoy playing this and learning more about the saints!
Additional Ideas:
- Bible Cookies or Bible Candies
- Brain Food (Dark Chocolate, Deviled Eggs, etc – I’m hoping to tuck some of the Theo Christmas Bars into stockings this Christmas.)
- Play a Trivia Game (Christmas Trivia, Catholic Trivia, Cranium)
- Play Memory with Catholic Words Memory Match, Saint Memory, or Catholic Quiz games (Scattergories-Catholic Edition is fun with the older kids too!)
- Bookmarks or Holy Cards
- Family Prayer Book, Catechism, or other Book (The Christmas Book, The Catechism in Pictures with review here, Jesus Make Me Worthy, My Catholic Faith, A Catholic Child’s Picture Dictionary, Around the Year: Once Upon a Time Saints, etc… The possibilities are endless.)
- Books including The Wonder Story and The Wonder Days from St. Augustine Academy Press.
.: December 18th :.
O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!
O Adonai (O Lord) – Gingerbread House Kit from Trader Joe’s
In the past we would emphasize the word “house” in this Antiphon, and have made our Gingerbread Houses or Gingerbread Cookies on this night. Now that we have two birthdays this week (and two birthday cakes to bake and decorate!) we usually wait until Christmas Eve, or sometime during the 12 Days of Christmas to decorated Gingerbread Houses but I’m hoping we can fit it in this year!
Additional Ideas:
- Ten Commandment Cookies
- Cookies made with this Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter or this cute 3-D Mini Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter made by Sweet Creations, emphasizing the word “house”
- Pull out the Smore’s Maker or light a bonfire and Roast Marshmallows, in reference to “Moses in the burning bush”
- Decorate Gingerbread Houses (my girls surprised me with this pan one year)
- Notre Dame 3-D Church Puzzle, Forest Nativity Shaped Puzzle (shaped like house), or this Stained Glass Holy Night
- Father Leopold Lego Set or Architecture Blocks would also tie in nicely
- Discuss the various names for Our Lady, including House of Gold! The Virgin Mary Around the World or any of the Marian dolls (Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of China, Our Lady of Vailankanni, etc) would be perfect.
.: December 19th :.
O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) – 2018 Family Ornament to add to the Christmas Tree
Additional Ideas:
- Root Beer Floats or Carrot Cake
- Roasted Root Vegetable, Hearty Healing Beef Stew or Hamburger Stew (pictured)… Yum!
- Purchase a Christmas Poinsettia (In the past we have also incorporated other Poinsettias: 12 Red Glitter Poinsettia Ornaments, Miracle of the Poinsettia, The Miracle of the First Poinsettia and Poinsettia Cupcakes)
- Play some sort of Gardening or Nature Game as a Family (perhaps Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game, Gathering a Garden, or The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game!)
- A new “Family” Ornament
- Old Fashioned Root Beer Drops
- Bonus: You could even have a Jesse Tea!
- Shepherd Puzzle Set made by Naturally Catholic
From Jesse, the shepherd, to Jesus, the Good Shepherd… Shepherds tie in nicely this year!
This year, in addition to the new family ornament, our children will be unwrapping this cute Shepherd and Angel playlet from Shining Light Dolls.
.: December 20th :.
O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.
O Clavis David (O Key of David) – Fishing for Bible Characters
We’ll have another family game night, along with some sparkling drinks!
Additional Ideas:
- Key Lime Pie
- Special drink with dinner. Since this is initially a monastic tradition, and on this night, the monk in charge of the wine cellar would provide a special bottle of wine.
- Surprise the family with tickets (“key”) to something local – Christmas play, the Nutcracker, etc. One year I took our older children to see A Christmas Carol at the theatre.
- Key Puzzle/Brainteaser
- Tiny Saints Key Hooks (One year I purchased a couple key hook rails to use to hang our Rosaries. You can see them in our old home in this post.)
- Advent At Ephesus, Caroling at Ephesus, or this Music of Midnight Mass!
- Incorporate Music “keys” with Catholic Songs for Children CD, Sheet Music Book and St. Cecelia Doll
.: December 21st :.
O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!
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| Christmas Morning 2017 |
O Oriens (O Dayspring) – New Christmas Pajamas
I decided to go a different direction all together this year… I’m going to surprise the kids with their Christmas Eve pajamas a few days early. I’ve found that there is just too much going on Christmas Eve (especially since we love to attend the midnight mass) to wait until then. Last year I gave them to them all on the feast of St. Nicholas, but this year I didn’t have them all in time. I think they will be perfect to go along with this O Antiphon. We’ll also try and go out to see Christmas lights, as usual, weather permitting.
Additional Ideas:
- O Dayspring Ice Cream
- Non-Alcoholic Mimosas or Texas Sunrise with Breakfast
- Decorate a Christmas Candle (We use a tiny wax baby Jesus I purchased years ago along with Stockmar Gold Decorating Beeswax.)
- Our favorite tradition for this O Antiphon is to pile in the car after dinner with hot cocoa and drive around to look at all the Christmas lights. We have also added these to our tree: Kurt Adler 10-Light Candle with Gold Dish Light Set
- Candles from The Cloister Shoppe
- Our Lady of Fatima: The Graphic Novel and Coloring Book (miracle of the sun)
- Grimm’s CASA SOLE Stacking Blocks (The set we have isn’t currently available. Other options can be found online and over at Etsy including: Sun Block Wood Toy Stacker and these)
.: December 22nd :.
O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!
O Rex Gentium (O King of the Gentiles) – Three Kings Playset from Shining Light Dolls
Additional Ideas:
- Crown Cake, Cupcakes or Cookies
- Bake Cookies using the Wise Men Cookie Stamp from Rycraft, Inc
- Assemble a Three Kings Puzzle and this beautiful Stained Glass Nativity Puzzle
- Listen to King of the Golden City CD
- One year I picked out one of the beautiful sets of Three Kings Gifts – we pull it out every Christmas!
- Rex Gentium Nail Polish
- Twas the Evening of Christmas Picture Book – Our daughter received this one year on the feast of St. Nicholas. It’s such a lovely book!
.: December 23rd :.
O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!
O Emmanuel (O With Us is God) – The Holy Family Nativity Playset from Shining Light Dolls
Some year’s I’ve given our children a new nativity set on this day… This year I’m splitting it up, giving them the shepherd/angel one night, the three kings another, and finishing it with Mary & Joseph. I love that it comes with two Mary dolls – one expecting and one holding Baby Jesus!
Additional Ideas:
- Make a Chocolate Nativity Scene for Christmas
- Decorate Nativity Cookies to give as gifts or Cookie Cutters Tell the Christmas Story
- 500-Piece Stained Glass Jigsaw Puzzle or Holy Family Puzzle
- Decorate Chocolate Christmas Coins using this FREE Printable
- Children’s Nativity Set – you can find some of our favorites in this post and more of our collection here (scroll down a bit)
- Christmas picture books, coloring books including the beautiful Eucharistic Adoration: With Saints And Symbols Of The Eucharist coloring book, or the Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring: Christmas with The Dominican Sisters of Mary.
- Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story Board Book
- Midnight Mass Puzzle
.: O ANTIPHONS GIVEAWAY :.
Here are the cookie stamps I picked out to go along with each of the O Antiphons.
The winner will recieve one of each!
Wisdom: #460 – Triune God
House: #214 – Home Sweet Home
Root of Jesse: #520 – Willow Tree
Key of David: #543 – Key to My Heart
Dayspring: #291 – Moravian Star
King: #448 – Norwegian Wedding Crown
Emmanuel: #368 – Nativity
Sponsored by Rycraft Cookie Stamps
(7 cookie stamps with recipe booklet @ $12.99 ea = $90.93 value)
Enter the Giveaway using the Rafflecopter Box below:
Scroll through all the past “O Antiphon” posts here.
If you are looking for gift ideas, you can find my lists of Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers here (2015), here (2016), here (2017), and here (2018).
Stamped Shortbread Cookies (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)
My girls made sure I had treats for the feasts of St. Nick and St. Lucy too. It IS possible to make gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free, sugar-free shortbread cookies! This is the second year they have made them for me and they are such a nice little treat along with a cup of tea.
Stamped Shortbread Cookies
(Paleo, AIP, Vegan)
Ingredients:
- ½ c Coconut Flour
- 2 tbsp. Arrowroot Flour
- Pinch of Sea Salt
- ½ c melted Palm Shortening
- 2 tbsp. Maple Syrup
- ½ tsp alcohol-free Vanilla Extract
- 4 tbsp. Water
Instructions:
- Set oven to 325 degrees.
- In a medium bowl sift together the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, and pinch of salt.
- Make a well in the center and add the melted palm oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Add the water and continue to stir until you have a nice dough. The mixture will continue to thicken after the water is added.
- Roll into one-inch balls, and place on uncreased cookie sheet.
- Stamp with cookie stamp. (Tips for using stamps can be found here.)
- Bake at 325 for 15 minutes, until lightly golden on edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.
- Enjoy!
We have quite a few Rycraft Cookie Stamps including the cookie stamps featured in this post:
If you have a favorite AIP cookie recipe, please share!
2018 Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers {Plus Another Sleighful of Giveaways}
It’s time for this year’s list of “Christmas Gift Ideas” and another “Sleighful of Giveaways” from my amazing and generous sponsors! Despite our big move last month, I somehow managed to pull it together at the last minute with some help from my children!! Now I need to get back to unpacking and find the rest of our Advent boxes… We are all looking forward to Advent and Christmas in our new home and parish!
You can find the lists from the last three years here, here and here, as well as even more Catholic gift ideas listed in my past Easter posts as well: 100+ Easter Basket Stuffers & Catholic Gift Ideas and Easter Symbols: Catholic Gift Ideas. Some of the items below have been featured in the past but they are still favorites.
Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of 25 PRIZES, from my generous sponsors here at Shower of Roses, with a combined value of over $1,800! Please keep these Catholic businesses in mind when shopping for gifts this Christmas season!
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
.: Fun New Finds for Advent and Christmas 2018 :.
- Drinking with St. Nick: Christmas Cocktails for Sinners and Saints from the author of Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner’s Guide to a Holy Happy Hour – I don’t drink but I enjoy reading these books!
- The Holy Family Nativity Play Set from Shining Light Dolls – Love the expecting Blessed Mother! Perfect for Advent!
- Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Graphic Novel – Also available directly from TAN.
- LEGO Advent Wreath – My boys have all the LEGO they would need to make this on their own, but fun idea!
- Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family – I have a treasured vintage out of print copy of this book and am so happy to see it back in print! I pre-ordered a copy of it to give my oldest daughter back in September… but I forgot to change the shipping address and it’s sitting on my porch back in Oregon.
- My Jesse Tree Sticker Set – This looks fun!
- Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas: A Guide to the Customs and Feast Days of Advent and Christmas – Haven’t seen this in person yet but it looks great!
- Nativity Tea Light Candle Lantern – I bought this last Christmas but I don’t think I ever shared it here on the blog.
- The Bible Story from St. Augustine Academy Press (Also available on Amazon here) – This would make an excellent addition to the Jesse Tree.
.: Some Favorite Advent and Christmas Music :.
** Some of these have unlimited free streaming included with Prime on Amazon! **
- Advent at Ephesus
- Adventus
- Legends of St. Nicholas
- Caroling at Ephesus
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring: Christmas with The Dominican Sisters of Mary
- Catholic Songs for Children – includes: Gather Round the Crib at Christmas and The Best Christmas Present of All
.: Favorites for the Feast of St. Nicholas :.
- St. Nicholas with Moveable Arms from Ostheimer – Plus Free Printable St. Nicholas gift Tags in the archives! You can find him from Bella Luna and The Wooden Wagon. This is another version.
- Saint Nicholas Cookie Stamp from Rycraft
- St. Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins – Review can be found here. Plus decorate your own St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins with this free printable.
- TruSweets Organic Candy Canes – One of our children is allergic to Red 40. Love that theses are made without food coloring! I bought a couple boxes from Thrive last year. If you don’t have a Thrive membership, here’s my referral link to save you 20%. You can also find them at Natural Grocers.
- The Bakers Dozen – and recipe for cookies in the archives! Unlike the candy canes, these were unfortunately not Red 40 free…
- St. Nicholas Shining Light Doll – picture from our snowy 2013 celebration!
- St. Nicholas Statue
- St. Nicholas Block from Almond Rod Toys
- The Miracle of St. Nicholas
.: Favorites for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe :.
- Mañanitas CD or MP3 from Casa Maria/Sister Servants
- Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Guadalupe Pop-Up Book – More pictures can be found here.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe from Prayer Pillowcases
- Cloak of Roses – Our Lady of Guadalupe from Regina Martryum Productions
- Our Lady of Guadalupe and Crown from The Little Habit – You can enter to win this below!
- The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas
- Juan Diego: Messenger of Guadalupe DVD
- Our Lady of Guadalupe from Almond Rod Toys
- Our Lady of Guadalupe from Shining Light Dolls
We also love the Our Lady of Guadalupe Puzzle, if you can find it,
and we usually celebrate with an Our Lady of Guadalupe Brunch or Dinner!
.: Favorites for Santa Lucia Day :.
- Santa Lucia Girl from Armadillo Dreams
- Baby Lucia Crown and Attendants Candle
- Lucia Morning in Sweden
- St. Lucia 8×10 Print from Sleightholm Folk Art
- Lucia Crown for Real Candles
- Lucia Mug with Song – Such a cute mug! It’s no longer available from where I purchased it, but I just found it online here.
- Saint Lucia Dress & Wreath from The Little Habit (also pictured are the discontinued American Girl doll outfits and accessories as well. I found them on eBay years ago.)
- Lucia Cookie Stamp from Rycraft
- NEW this year: Saint Lucy from Shining Light Dolls
I couldn’t fit everything above! Here are some more great items to check out:
.: Favorite Advent and Christmas Puzzles :.
Our family loves putting together puzzles during Advent and Christmas.
Here are some past favorites that are still available to purchase:
Here are some past favorites that are still available to purchase:
- The Invitation (Noah’s Ark – perfect for with Jesse Tree) – more pictures in the archives
- All Will Adore Him Jigsaw Puzzle – similar to this one in the archives
- Glorious Nativity Jigsaw Puzzle – more pictures in the archives
- Stained Glass Holy Night Jigsaw Puzzle
- Forest Nativity Shaped Jigsaw Puzzle
- Holy Family Jigsaw Puzzle
- Heaven on Earth Jigsaw Puzzle
- Stained Glass Nativity Jigsaw Puzzle
- Midnight Mass
.: Favorite Nativity Sets :.
These are some of the nativity sets our family has collected over the years.
- Kurt Adler Wooden Nativity Advent Calendar with 24 Magnetic Figures
- Playmobil Nativity (we have an older style)
- Nativity Fabric Advent Calendar
- Mary on Donkey and Joseph Walking
- Wooden 5-Piece Nativity scene Puzzle
- Ostheimer MINI Nativity – I purchased some of the pieces during a sale last year and plan to add a few more to our collection this year.
- Childrens Nativity Blocks Starter Set and Deluxe Wooden Nativity Set from Almond Rod Toy
- Ostheimer Nativity Set Full Size – This was a gift last year and I look forward to adding to the collection one or two pieces at a time. Available from Bella Luna.
- A Child Is Born, Three Kings, and Shepherds and Sheep from Naturally Catholic
Brand new Nativity Set from Shining Light Dolls – I think this will become a favorite too!
As I mentioned above, our children helped again with this year’s “Christmas Gift Ideas” post. I had them each list nine gift ideas for me to share with you all. Here are their answers:
Please note: In addition to their stockings, our children usually unwrap three gifts from my husband and I on Christmas morning – something they need, something they want, and one other gift which is usually faith based. We draw names on the first Sunday of Advent for Christkindl and end with a family Christkindl gift exchange. It’s always the first thing they want to do after our morning prayers (or morning Mass if we didn’t make it to the Midnight Mass) on Christmas Day! They also receive a stack of books either on Christmas or Epiphany. The gifts listed below have been received over a number of different years/occasions.
.: Captain’s Picks – Age 18 :.
- The Shadow of His Wings: The True Story of Fr. Gereon Goldmann, OFM – Still a favorite.
- Gift Cards – Like food/snacks, gift cards are always a great gift for teens.
- St. Maximilian Kolbe Quote Mug
- T-Shirts (He got this Prancing Pony T-Shirt in his Easter Basket this year.)
- Liturgy of the Hours
- Fun Ties: He loves his Star Wars Line Drawing Tie and Irish Flag Tie
- Star Wars Catch Phrase – Played at friend’s home. Very fun!
- MacBook with Captain America Shield Decal
- Chips and Playing Cards Poker – Hearth And Hand
.: Ranger’s Picks – Age 16 :.
- Wish List: LEGO Creator Expert Downtown Diner – The Detective’s Office is definitely his favorite out of all the Modular sets, but this one is at the top of his wishlist. He also loves Architecture and Creator sets.
- Spikeball – We don’t own this the boys had a blast playing it with their soccer team in Oregon! My mom let me know that she is planning on giving it to them this year! shhhh!
- 7 Wonders – A bit of a learning curve to play, but fun!
- Video Drone AP – This gift from Uncle Brian and Aunt Meagan last Christmas was a hit!
- Ranger’s Apprentice Books and The Brotherband Chronicles (Always a suggestion from one of my boys… He’ll be receiving the brand new release of The Red Fox Clan. Shhhh!)
- Sushi Go! – The Pick and Pass Card Game
- Wish List: MacBook (Our oldest son received one for his 18th birthday last summer. Our 16 year old is a senior this year too and we’ll most likely get him one for his 17th birthday or as a graduation gift. Can’t believe they will both be headed to college next year!)
- North Face Men’s Inlux Insulated Jacket – found this on clearance last year and it’s now his favorite. Basically clothing is always a hit with my teens!
- Taylor Made Spider Putter – He saved up and bought this putter for himself last golf season.
.: Twinkle Toes’ Picks – Age 15 :.
- Emily Books: Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily’s Quest
- St. Joan of Arc T-Shirt from Catholic T-Shirt Club – The boys enjoyed this subscription for awhile and then I changed it to a size S subscription for the girls to build up their collection of Catholic T-Shirts. Such a fun club!
- Floral Coffee Mug
- Little Secrets All Natural Chocolate Candy
- Montana Emu Ranch Lip Balm – Finally something that works!
- Wish List: When Calls the Heart Christmas Special and Complete Season 5 – She already has and loves When Calls the Heart Year 4 DVDs (She has the Collector’s Editions of Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4.
- Coach Satchel – Watch for sales on this… I paid less than $100.
- Long Sleeve Floral Casual Swing Pleated T-Shirt Dress with Pockets
- Custom Book Blanket from Sweet Sequels with all of her favorites!
.: Chiquita’s Picks – Age 13 :.
- St. Philomena Outfit for 18″ Doll from The Little Habit
- The Green Ember Books
- Into the Wardrobe Book Blanket from Sweet Sequels
- Wingspan Optics Spectator 8X32 Compact Binoculars for Bird Watching
- Hand-embroidered Scapular from StellaMarigoldArt – She and her sister received these years ago and after wearing them daily (including camping/swimming in them during the summer) they are starting to wear out.
- Kipling Sebastian Crossbody Bag
- Lisieux Nail Polish
- Kindle Paperwhite with Leather Case and Vera Bradley E-Reader Sleeve in Northern Lights to match her Backpack (great sales directly from Vera Bradley)
- St. Clare of Assisi Quote Mug (from this year’s Easter Basket)
.: Snuggles’ Picks – Age 11 :.
- Mines of Moria: We Dwarf the Competition T-Shirt (to go along with his favorite book: The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition)
- The Wingfeather Saga: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! Or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, The Warden and the Wolf King
- Sting Sword
- Snap Circuits Extreme (All the Snap Circuits sets are great!)
- Custom Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Book Blanket from Sweet Sequels
- LEGO Creator Sets and City Sets (On his last birthday he loved the LEGO Pickup and Caravan from Grandpa and Grandma.)
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Game
- Singtrix Party Bundle Karaoke System
- Flag Football (I am not sure what set my husband picked out from Dick’s last Christmas, but the Flag Football has been a hit with all the kids this past year.)
.: Rose’s Picks – Age 8 :.
- St. Joan of Arc Paper Dolls – available from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts
- Lunch Basket with Liner from Bella Luna Toys
- Ostheimer Goose Girl with Geese – I purchased them from The Wooden Wagon
- Jellycat Twinkle Bunny
- Little House on the Prairie Audio CDs
- Adventures of Nathaniel B. Oakes and Never Squeeze a Honeybee! The Continuing Adventure of Nathaniel B. Oakes
- Little Women Blanket from Sweet Sequels
- Calico Critters – These have been favorites for many years and are always on the list of favorites for all the girls. She loves her Kangaroo family!
- Pride and Prejudice Seek and Find
.: Bud’s Picks – Age 6 :.
In addition to our collection of Lincoln Logs, Playmobil, Thomas Wooden Railway, and LEGO, here are some more favorite toys that Bud loves and I would buy again… He still LOVES his Red Fox too!
- “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas…” – Last Christmas he got a Hippopotamus and this year the Baby Hippo is at the top of his wish list. Ostheimer Noah’s Ark, Figures, and Animals have been past gifts and they are played with daily. I plan to add the Baby Hippo to his collection this year and maybe a few others. Like all handcrafted wooden toys, these are an investment, but they are so beautiful and definitely heirloom quality. I always watch for sales from Bella Luna Toys and The Wooden Wagon.
- Franklin Sports NHL Mini Hockey Goal Set of 2
- Fagus Tipper Truck (Available Fagus Toys from Amazon and The Wooden Wagon)
- Interlocking Wooden Blocks from Nova Natural … “Can I play with these now?! You can make all sorts of stuff with them!”
- The Biggest Bear … “It’s awesome.”
- Cash Register from Nova Natural … “It dings and it has real paper!”
- Red Fox – This one was on last year’s list, but he still loves his Wild Republic Red Fox from his godparents. All of the Wild Republic stuffed animals are great.
- St. Thomas Becket Soft Linen Doll – I bought this last year and forgot to give it to him. It will be one of his gifts this year.
- Sequence for Kids … “Most of the games we play are boring…. but this one IS NOT!”
.: Grace’s Picks – Age 1 :.
- Extra Large 12-Piece Rainbow Tunnel
- Hape Mr. Tambourine Kid’s Wooden Instrument
- Ostheimer Wooden Animals – She loves these too and will often be seen carrying around the Mama and Baby Giraffes. They are her favorite.
- 100% Pro-Life Onesie and Jellycat Stuffed Animals – She has this Bashful Bunny in Tulip Pink and Cream, Lamb, Black and White Cat, and Fuddlewuddle Monkey
- Baby Baby Signing Time
- All Natural Tnee’s Tee from her Wild One Birthday – Available direct on their website.
- Idaho State Wooden Baby Rattle from Bannor Toys – I got her the Oregon Rattle last year (with Black and Orange Beads – Go Beavs!) and now we need to get her the Idaho Rattle too!
- Shining Light Dolls
- Hydro Flask Sippy
- She still loves her Rosary from Chews Life too!
.: A Few of My Favorite Things :.
.: 2019 Catholic Calendars and Planners :.
- 2019 Traditional Latin Mass Calendar from FSSP (Extraordinary Form)
- 2019 Catholic Calendar from Saints Galore (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
- 2019 A Nun’s Life Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
- 2019 Saints Calendar and 16 Month Daily Planner from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form -My husband and I both use this every year!)
- The Catholic Daily Planner™ from Michele Quigley (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
- Blessed Is She 2019 Calendar YEARLY Planner (Ordinary Form)
- 2019 The Life of Our Lord Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
- 2019 Defending Christendom Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
- 2019 Mary and the Saints Wall Calendar from TAN (Ordinary Form + Extraordinary Form)
Here are the links to all of our book lists, our 2018 Advent Book Basket and the list of books our children will receive this year on the feast of St. Nicholas.
.: A Sleighful of Giveaways :.
There will be one winner for each of the following 25 PRIZES from many of my generous sponsors here at Shower of Roses with a COMBINED VALUE OF OVER $1,800!!!
Prize #1 – Chews Life Rosary featuring brand new Miraculous Medal designed by Providential Co, A Little One Chews Life Decade Rosary, Lupita Mama Necklace, and Our Lady of Loreto Rosary Bracelet sponsored by Chews Life. Winner will be free to mix and match colors! (value $125, including s/h)
Congratulations, Trisha!
“Wow! What a great giveaway!! Sure would be helpful to be a winner. “
+ + +
Prize #2 – $50 Gift Certificate for Custom Missal & Breviary Covers, Rosary/Pray Together Apron, and Catholic Cuisine Apron sponsored by MissalCovers.com (value $110.00)
Congratulations, Rebecca B!
“I always love coming to your blog for ideas! Thank you! And I want an apron!! 🙂 “
+ + +
Prize #3 – Set of 8 Cookie Stamps with Recipe Booklet (Includes: #416 – Snow Star, #463 – Christmas Ornament, #020 – Frosty, #034-18 – Heralding Angels, #023 – Holly Sprig (1), #030 – Christmas Tree, # 368 – Nativity and #271 – Jolly Santa) sponsored by Rycraft Cookie Stamps (value $103.92)
Congratulations, Nadine!
“Thank you so much for your hard work in compiling all of this! We would love prize #3,5,17.”
+ + +
Prize #4 – Black Stone Cross Necklace, Pray More, Worry Less Artisan Jumbo Mug, Be Still & Know Navy Tshirt and Faith, Hope, Love Canvas Pillow sponsored by Grace & Grit Design Co. (value $100.00)
SAVE 15% off any product through Dec. 31, 2018
with coupon code: XMASROSE
with coupon code: XMASROSE
Congratulations, Beth!
“Jessica, What lovely gifts! My favorites are the Grace & Grit set, st. therese rose earrings, almond rod blocks, sleightholm folk art, chews life rosary, cookie stamps, illuminated rosary book, and saintcards mega set. Thanks also for all the other great ideas selected by you and your children. Have a blessed advent!”
+ + +
Prize #5 – Set of Six Audiobook CD Sets Including A Christmas Carol, The Adventures of Buster Bear, Angel Food Series: For Heaven’s Sake, Anne of Green Gables, Just Stories: The Kind That Never Grow Old and Tales Of King Arthur And The Round Table sponsored by St. Clare Audio (value $94.70)
Congratulations, Laura!
“Love all of the Catholic resources, especially the ones for children and young adults (saint cards, catholic books and nursery rhymes/audiobooks, chews rosary, missal cover, Jesse tree ornaments, Rosary hardcover book, and the OLO Guadalupe doll). Love your blog and Instagram page. You are so resourceful and have so many great Catholic Tradition ideas to help sanctity each liturgy season and feast in the home. God bless you!”
+ + +
Prize #6 – The Complete Illuminated Rosary Hardcover Edition sponsored by Peanut Butter & Grace (value $83.95)
Congratulations, Elizabeth!
“I would absolutely love to win! Wonderful prizes!”
+ + +
Prize #7 – Floressa Complete Set including: Small Flexi Clip, Bobby Pins, Earrings and a Necklace sponsored by Christine at Lilla Rose (value $90.00)
Congratulations, Genevieve!
“This is incredible!!! Everything is lovely! A favorite? The missal cover, or Lilla Rose, or the Heirloom seeds or…seriously! Thank you for the opportunity! Have a happy Advent!”
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Prizes #8 – Scapular Kit, Miraculous Medal Necklace, Rosary, Rosary Bracelet, and Hand Painted Rosary Box (these last three items are all one of a kind and can be found in shop when available) sponsored by Saong Jai (value $83.00)
Congratulations, Mary!
“I absolutely love your blog and return to this happy place on a weekly basis just to get inspiration and ideas! I have four small boys and we homeschool here. Thank you for all of your work – sharing your world with us. And thank you to all of your sponsors who help keep your blog going!”
+ + +
Prize #9 –Large Family Heirloom Seed Collection sponsored by St. Clare Heirloom Seeds (value $79.99)
Congratulations, Josephine!
“Wonderful post! Such great gift ideas! My favorites are #2,8,9 & 11”
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Prize #10 – Catholic Nursery Rhymes, A Child’s Garden of Religion Stories, Wonder Stories of God’s People, Heroes of God’s Church and A Child’s True Story of Jesus sponsored by St. Augustine Academy Press (value $79.05)
Congratulations, Gian!
“I would be happy to win just about any of these but the books from St. Augustine Press and the almondrod wood block nativity prizes are a couple favorites.”
+ + +
Prize #11 – 1 year subscription to The Wanderlust Catholic! Each month, your family will receive a hand-lettered and illustrated letter exploring a Catholic treasure! (value $72.00)
Shower of Roses readers can always save 15% off the first 3 months of their subscription with coupon code: SHOWEROFROSES15
Congratulations, Katie!
“I’d love to find out more about #11 and we’d love the saint cards/#13.
Thanks for hosting this huge give-a-way!”
+ + +
Prize #12 – Set of two 100% Pro-Life Sweatshirts (you choose color and size) sponsored by Culture of Life Studies Program (value $70.00)
Shower of Roses readers can always save 20% off their entire order using the code: ROSES20
Congratulations, Valerie!
“So many great things! My favorites would have to be the heirloom seeds, the prolife sweatshirts, and the cookie presses.”
+ + +
Prize #13 – SaintCards: Mega Set (Base Set + Doctors Expansion + Holy Helpers Expansion) sponsored by Saint Cards (value $69.99)
Congratulations, Sara M!
“I would love to win one of these prizes: Prize #4, Prize #13, Prize #7, Prize #16, Prize #24, Prize #25, Prize #17, Prizes #8, Prize #9”
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Prize #14 – Little Girls Christmas Nativity Print Cotton Raglan Top with Ruffle Capris sponsored by Paradise Jewelry and Natalie the Nativity Angel sponsored by Trendzilly (value $63.00)
Use Coupon Code: ROSES15 to save 15% at Paradise Jewelry
Congratulations, Mindy!
“So many favorites, difficult to choose any one or few. With my six children any of them would be so wonderful! Thank you for opportunity to enter this giveaway and for putting this together. I love reading your blog, keep it up. God bless you this Advent season.”
+ + +
Prize #15 – Set of 5 December Saint Blocks and Nativity Blocks Started Set sponsored by Almond Rod Toys (value $60.00)
Congratulations, Sarah O!
“Always excited about AlmondRod Toys and seeing what new saints she’s creating!”
+ + +
Prize #16 – Set of 4 Faith-filled teen novels including The Perfect Blindside, An Unexpected Role, Where You Lead and Secrets: Visible and Invisible from author Leslea Wahl (value $58.52)
Congratulations, Jen!
“Prize #2 is definitely my favorite. Runners up are 16, 2, 19, 17, and 9. Thank you for all of the work you put in to put this list together! There are many great ideas here!”
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Prize #17 – Our Lady of Guadalupe Outfit, 18″ Catholic Doll Clothes with Our Lady of Guadalupe Crown sponsored by The Little Habit (value $56.50)
Congratulations, Jennifer F!
“Thank you for putting this together in the midst of your move. I know how hard moving can be, physically and emotionally. I love looking at these every year.”
+ + +
Prize #18 – 4 Color-Me Prayer Pillowcase designs: Prince of Peace, Happy Birthday Jesus Nativity, The 3 Kings with Scripture & Prayer and Jesus is the Reason Nativity. Your family can color their way through advent while keeping hearts set on the Reason for the Season! Use your favorite fabric pens or paint to complete these limited edition Christmas Prayer Pillowcases sponsored by Joseph & Leane at PrayerPillowcases.com (value $55.00)
Free Personalization on any pillowcase now through December 5th, 2018 with coupon code: NameMe18
Congratulations, Lilyan!
“I would be so thrilled to win any of the prizes, but especially the missal cover, my dear hubby would love it!”
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Prize #19 – A Visit from St. Nicholas, Forest Lucia and Woodland Madonna 8×10 prints sponsored by Sleightholm Folk Art (value $54.00)
Congratulations, Martha!
“I love all of the gift picks by the kids. I must say that prize # 19 and prize #21 are my top picks of prizes mostly because I don’t have any religious earrings and they are beautiful and also because I love folk art with a passion and love drawing my own.”
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Prize #20 – Saints and Festivals, Bobby in Movieland, Cupid of Campion and Character Calendar sponsored by St. Augustine Academy Press (value $53.60)
Congratulations, Christine!
“How generous! May God bless you!”
+ + +
Prize #21 – St. Therese Rose Earrings and St. Francis Bird Earrings sponsored by Gail’s Designs (value $53.00)
FREE SHIPPING through December 24, 2018
with coupon code: MARY18
Congratulations, Izabela!
“Love reading you different blog posts, and we will miss you in Oregon! I’m loving the earrings :)”
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Prize #22 – Set of 5 Blessed Mother Bows: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Knock, Our Lady of the Rosary, and Miraculous Medal sponsored by Hair Bows 4 Life (value $50.00)
Free Shipping and 20% off on any order over $15 using code: Roses2018
Congratulations, Holly!
“Would love the chance to win the almond rod saint blocks!”
+ + +
Prize #23 – Jesse Tree One of Everything, Bible Characters Stickers, and Saint Stickers sponsored by My Catholic Kids ($50.00)
Congratulations, Nicole E!
“I love your list of ideas!!! Thank you so much for putting this together”
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Prize #24 and Prize #25 – $50 Gift Certificate sponsored by Regina Martyrum Productions (two winners, value $50.00 each)
Congratulations, Rebecca M!
“Amazing giveaways! Always a fun time, and a blessing to see what you have going on each year.”
Congratulations, Catherine B!
“Thank you for the lists! Many of my kids’ genders and ages match with yours.”
+ + +
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:
Our 2018 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels {Plus Lots of Christmas Books to Giveaway!}
Advent begins in just two weeks! Advent always varies in length from 22-28 days, beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30th) and embracing four Sundays. The first day of Advent can fall as early as November 27th or as late as December 3rd. This year Advent begins on December 2nd.
Years ago, when we didn’t have enough Christmas themed picture books to wrap one for each day of Advent, I would check some Christmas books out from the library just before Advent began, using Christmas Mosaic as a guide. We have added many books to our home library since then, giving one Christmas themed book to each of our children on the feast of St. Nicholas, and our collection has definitely grown. (You can find this year’s picks here!)
In the past I have filled our basket with Christmas Mosaic titles and our children’s 35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books. One year I picked twenty-six of MY favorites (although I still find new favorites to add to my list each year!) to wrap up and one year I left the choosing up to my husband and our oldest daughter.
I really loved the collection we read last year and this year I had a really hard time choosing new books to wrap up and read instead… I tried my best, but there are still a few that make the list nearly every year including The Donkey’s Dream, The Miracle of St. Nicholas and Bambinelli Sunday.
I did include a few books (In the Candles Glow for the feast of St. Ambrose, An Alphabet of the Altar for the O Sapientia Antiphon, and The Three Trees for the O Radix Jesse Antiphon) that we don’t keep with our Christmas book collection, but they tied in nicely for the theme of that particular day of Advent so I added them to read aloud this year.
I don’t have a copy of the brand new Our Lady of Guadalupe Graphic Novel, but if TAN Books has a great sale later this week I plan to order a copy and wrap that up for the upcoming feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe next month. Otherwise I’ll wrap up one of our other favorites.
About four or five years ago I switched to brown paper, instead of the purple and pink wrapping paper, along with purple and pink ribbon (which I save to reuse each year) and homemade labels for each day. I haven’t been able to find the box with my wrapping supplies yet though following our move… I need to keep looking so I can get these books wrapped and ready! Advent is coming up fast.
If you’d like to use my little labels too, you can download my Advent Book Basket Labels for 2018 over at Dropbox.
As always, we’ll unwrap and read one book each night during Advent, following our family rosary. The rest of the books will be placed in additional baskets for the kids to read whenever they’d like during the seasons of Advent and Christmas.
Here are the 23 picture books that I am wrapping up for our 2018 Advent Book Basket:
December 2 – 1st Sunday of Advent: The Way to Bethlehem
December 3: S is for Star: A Christmas Alphabet
December 4: Saint Francis Celebrates Christmas
December 5: The Baker’s Dozen – write letters to Christ Child/Saint Nicholas, bake Speculaas or St. Nicholas Cookies, and decorate St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins to give to others
December 6 – St. Nicholas: The Miracle of St. Nicholas
December 7 – St. Ambrose: In the Candles Glow – Honeycomb Cake, decorate Christmas Candles
December 8 – Immaculate Conception: The Donkey’s Dream *Catholic Mosaic – pray Litany of Mary from which the names of Mary used in this book were taken
December 9 – 2nd Sunday of Advent: The Gospel Told by the Animals
December 10: Babushka: A Christmas Tale
December 11: The Little Fir Tree
December 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 13 – Santa Lucia Day: Lucia Morning in Sweden
December 14: The Huron Carol
December 15: Too Many Tamales
December 16 – 3rd Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday: Bambinelli Sunday
December 17 – O Sapientia: An Alphabet of the Altar
December 18 – O Adonai: An Ellis Island Christmas
December 19 – O Radix Jesse: The Three Trees
December 20 – O Clavis David: Silent Night
December 21 – O Oriens: Little Star
December 22 – O Rex Gentium: Twas the Evening of Christmas
December 23 – 4th Sunday of Advent – O Emmanuel: The Wonder Story
December 24 – Vigil of Christmas: Why Michael Whispered (This darling book is out of print… I found this at our old parish’s book sale last year.)
.: GIVEAWAY :.
Prize #1: The Wonder Story, The Christmas Book, Catholic Songs for Children CD, An Alphabet of the Altar, and the brand new release The Bible Story
Prize #2: The Gospel Told by the Animals, Mary Stories from the Bible, Watch Over Me Little Angel and My First Prayers for the Whole Year
sponsored by Ignatius Press (value $57.96)
Prize #3: The Catholic All Year Compendium
sponsored by Ignatius Press (value $18.95)
sponsored by author Susan Peek (value $11.95)
Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:
For additional Christmas book suggestions you can find some of our lists in the archives:
You can find the rest of our booklists here.
P.S. There is still time to enter the St. Nicholas Giveaway!
P.S. There is still time to enter the St. Nicholas Giveaway!
{this moment} Saying Goodbye
“The world’s thy ship and not thy home.”
― Saint Therese of Lisieux
It was so hard to say goodbye yesterday before driving back to our new home in Idaho… knowing that this could most likely be the last time all our children would be together at our home in Oregon before it sells. They have all lived in this home since birth and it has grown along with our family over the years. So many wonderful memories!
Our little wild one didn’t want to cooperate while we were trying to get that one last picture of all the children outside their childhood home.
I’ve shared this picture before but wanted to share it again w. This is what the house look liked when we purchased it back in May of 2000, while I was on bedrest with our oldest son who was born a couple months later. The house has grown with our family over the years, first adding on three more bedrooms and two more bathrooms in 2005 when baby #4 was on the way, and then adding on a dining room and family room and remodeling/expanding the kitchen (scroll to bottom of linked post to see the original kitchen), original bathroom and laundry room in 2010. Pretty much everything was updated or replaced over the years except for the wood ceilings in the entry/living room and two original bedrooms. We never did get around to building a new garage or shop (it was next on the list of projects we were saving up for) and that has been the main factor in why our home hasn’t sold yet and why we’ve needed to continue dropping the price… We have another showing this afternoon so I guess we’ll see what happens! 🙏🏻
Home Sweet Home
While I’m sharing pictures of our home, and what it looked like when we first purchased it back in May of 2000, here are some that we had taken for the real estate listing. I shared these on my personal Facebook page when it first went on the market, but want to record them here on the blog too. We listed our home at the worst possible time of year – in August in the middle of fire season when our house was buried in smoke (this was the worst fire season we’ve ever had) – and everything has been so horribly dry and brown outside. Our photographer did the best he could to clear it up and add some blue back to the skies. Landscaping has never been something I am any good at and all our efforts went towards adding on and remodeling the house. A new garage and landscaping were next on the to-do list had we stayed in Oregon. As things continue to get greener we will probably have some new pictures taken, unless the house sells in the meantime. St. Joseph, pray for us!
This has been such a great home for our family for the past 18 1/2 years.
If you are interested you can scroll through some of the Home Improvement posts I’ve shared over the years in the archives. Here are a few to get you started:
New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas {and a St. Nicholas Giveaway!}
The feast of St. Nicholas is just a few weeks away! On December 6th our children always wake up to find that the letters they wrote to the Holy Child and/or St. Nicholas have been taken and their (sometimes new/replaced) slippers have been filled with little treats, oranges, chocolate gold coins, candy canes, and often times a note from St. Nicholas. Our children (and teens!) have always received a new Christmas book as well, which has helped us build an amazing collection over the years!
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” – C.S. Lewis
I picked out some of this years books months ago, before life started getting really crazy with our out-of-state move, and last week I went hunting for bookstores near our new home to find a few last books to finish the list. I haven’t wrapped them up yet but plan to once again use the brown paper, red ribbon and little St. Nicholas labels.
Here is the list of books my husband and I picked out for our children this year:
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
For Captain:
“Celebrate Christmas with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang in this gorgeous deluxe storybook retelling of the beloved Christmas special! Christmas is almost here, which means ice-skating, Christmas carols, and sparkly lights everywhere—even on Snoopy’s doghouse! Everyone is enjoying the holiday celebrations except Charlie Brown. Can the Peanuts gang help Charlie Brown discover the true meaning of Christmas? Find out in this beautiful deluxe storybook with a cloth cover, lush foil stamping, and incredible illustrations! This makes the perfect holiday gift for fans of Peanuts and the classic Christmas special.”
Our eldest son has always loved Charlie Brown! This book will be a fun addition to his collection.
For Ranger:
“On a snowy hilltop in the north of England lives a lonely old farmer. Every night, he watches the lights flickering cheerily in his village–until World War II brings darkness to his country. As Christmas approaches and the village is threatened by enemy bombers, the old farmer devises a plan to bring hope and light back to his friends and remind all of the peace the Christmas season brings.”
I had a hard time deciding which of the boys to give this story to… They will all love it!
(Originally I thought I’d give this one to our 11 year old and the LEGO Ornament book to Ranger…
but Sean voted for the opposite.)
For Twinkle Toes:
“Queen Charlotte brought her family’s festive holiday yule bough from Germany to England. While planning a Christmas Day party in 1800 at Windsor Castle for over 100 children, she realized a single bough isn’t enough. So she brought in the whole tree instead, making it the first known Christmas Tree in England. This story tells a little known fact about a favorite holiday tradition.”
For Chiquita:
“A warm and wonderful story of the creation of the timeless hymn, Silent Night, and its creator Joseph Mohr. Silent Night celebrates the 200th anniversary of the beloved hymn, and shares the story behind the creation of one of the world’s most recognizable tunes. “
Our older two girls have both joined the choir at our new parish and I know they will especially love reading this story about the hymn Silent Night.
For Snuggles:
“Building instructions for 16 clever Christmas ornaments that can be built from standard LEGO parts that fans are likely to have in their collection. These small and uncomplicated ornaments are quick to build and a joy to display. “
**I might end up just giving this to all the kids and giving Snuggles the brand new book by Susan Peek, Saint Rudolph and the Reindeer.
For Rose:
“When Wilma decides her garden needs a new beginning, she gathers string, scissors, shovels, sixty-two dozen balsam seedlings, and Parker, her five-year-old neighbor. Year after year, Wilma and Parker nurture their trees, keeping careful count of how many they plant, how many perish, and how many grow to become fine, full Christmas trees. A cozy, holiday read-aloud and a lyrical way to usher in the month of December.”
For Bud:
“This classic Christmas story about a shy boy who plays his trusted drum for the newborn king will charm children and parents alike. A brand new story from Bernadette Watts, never before published.”
For Grace:
“With this colorfully illustrated board book version of the classic Christmas-time ballet, Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver present a new holiday favorite, The Nutcracker: A BabyLit® Dancing Primer. This board book features soldiers marching, mice prancing, snowflakes swirling, dolls bending, and buffoons skipping as a way to introduce basic movement terms to babies and toddlers.”
Bonus – For Sean and I:
Michael Foley, author of Drinking with the Saints, presents cocktail recipes and wine, beer, and cider recommendations that will keep hearths warm and parties joyful throughout the holidays. With stories about the history of St. Nicholas and other saints, as well as an advent calendar leading up to Christmas, this gift book is a must for anyone who starts stringing lights and playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. Let the Christmas games begin!
Bonus – Family Read Aloud:
I found this book on Ebay a few years ago (back before Grace was born when we still had seven children) and keep forgetting to pull it out for the feast of St. Nicholas. It’s about seven children in New Amsterdam who worry that St. Nicholas will not be able to find them in the New World. I’m hoping, as we get settled into our new home, that I’ll be able to find the time to read it aloud this December. I’m looking forward to it!
The darling wooden St. Nicholas toys in the above two pictures are from Naturally Catholic and Almond Rod Toys.
.: Giveaway :.
I’ll be hosting four Advent and Christmas themed giveaways again this year – at least that is the plan! I had hoped to get them on the blog each weekend of November leading up to Advent but I’m running way behind with the move. Here is the first giveaway in preparation for the feast of St. Nicholas!
Prize #1 – Set of Five Cookie Stamps with Recipe Booklet
Prize #2 – A Brand New Picture Book by Susan Peek
A baby reindeer longs for a name. Before his mother can choose one, invaders come and the herd flees . . . except for him. His wobbly legs are too weak to run. Captured and taken to a new land, the little reindeer yearns for escape . . . and for a friend. Meanwhile, as Christmas Eve draws near, a saintly bishop and a holy monk plan a surprise for the poor of their village. When problems arise, all seems doomed, until their paths cross with that of the baby reindeer . . . and a legend is born.
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:
For additional Christmas book suggestions you can find some of our lists in the archives:
Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins {Beautiful book!}
Christmas Mosaic: A Review & Featured Book List
35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books for Children
Feasts & Seasons :: Advent & Christmas Collection
Our 2015 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels
Our 2016 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels
Our 2017 Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels {I’m planning to share our 2018 Basket and Labels soon!}
New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas:
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Stacks of Books on Christmas Morning or Epiphany:
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
You can find the rest of our booklists here or scroll through all our past St. Nicholas Day Celebrations in the archives.
Even more St. Nicholas themed gifts can be found in these past posts filled with Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers from 2015, 2016 and 2017 including suggestions from our children!
Celebrating Martinmas
Our Martinmas celebration is simple this year but we are reading a new picture book that was sent to us from Pauline Books & Media: The Sword and the Cape: A Tale about Saint Martin of Tours.
We also pulled out Snow on Martinmas to read again as well and might try and have a little bonfire this evening after Mass.
“Martin, so comfortable on his horse and cozy within his beautiful thick coat, took the coat from his shoulders, cut it with his sword and draped the largest part on the man. Something spoke inside his heart and said it was the right thing to do.“
– Snow on Martinmas
– Snow on Martinmas
On Friday morning, when I went out for early morning Mass, I realized just how unprepared we are for a winter up north… As I stood shivering in my little sweater type “jacket” a friend was telling me what type of winter coats to look for and where the best thrift shops in the area are located… Not even an hour later another woman from our new parish, after hearing that we needed coats, showed up at our doorstep with a car full of coats (14 to be exact) just before the snow hit! What a blessing!! The girls especially love their new red coats and I now have plenty of coats for winter too. Everyone at our new parish has been so incredibly welcoming. May God reward her abundantly for her St. Martin like generosity!
Hope you all have a very blessed Martinmas!
Prayer for the Holy Father on the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica
 |
| Pope and Swiss Guard Set • Vaulted Cathedral Cake |
“For even now miracles are wrought in the name of Christ, whether by His sacraments or by the prayers or relics of His saints.”
– St. Augustine
After attending the early morning mass at the Carmelite convent near our new home, I came back and found the box with all of our Naturally Catholic toys and dug out the Pope and Swiss Guard Set for the little ones to play with while I baked a Vaulted Cathedral Cake for today’s feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran!
(While the cake was baking we had our very first snowfall in our new home so I dusted the cake with powdered sugar too! The ground is now covered with snow. The kids are all thrilled and I’m trying to decide whether or not to still try and make the long drive back to Oregon tomorrow…)
The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral of Rome, the Pope’s church, and “Mother of all churches of urbe et orbe.” On this special feast, and each and every day, let us remember to pray for our Holy Father.
Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to Your shepherd, the Pope, a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care may he, as successor to the apostle Peter and vicar of Christ, build Your church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Shower of Roses is an affiliate for All About Learning, Ignatius Press, The Catholic Company, Cloister Shoppe, Homeschool in the Woods, Institute for Excellence in Writing, St. Augustine Academy Press, Tan Books, Platinum LED, The Purgative Way, Holy Heroes and RC History.
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