Cupcake Forest on the Feast of St. John Gualbert
Variations of our Deer in the Woods” Birthday Cake and Snowy Mountain Ski Resort Birthday Cake would also be fun for this patron saint of foresters, forest workers, park rangers and parks!
Summer Daybook :: Big Changes Ahead
Outside my window…
From my kitchen window I can see the beautiful rose bushes that my husband planted in the garden on Mother’s Day a couple years ago. Last year the garden gate was accidentally left open one night and the deer enjoyed all the buds before they had a chance to bloom and gave the bushes a major pruning… I wasn’t sure if the bushes would survive the winter, but this year they are covered in the most gorgeous roses.
I am thinking…
We have some very big changes ahead for our family. At the end of May my husband and I were sitting out on the patio, enjoying the lovely spring day, and I said to him that I felt like I could finally breathe… The past two years have been so hard. I’m finally getting a combined total of 5 hours of sleep at night on average each week, up from just 3-4 hours of sleep per day/night on average, the baby is healthy and happier more often each month, and we made it through the hardest school year ever. That peaceful afternoon was just another little calm before the next storm…
The very next week my husband found out that there was a job opening near the area where we had spent years, up through a few years ago anyway, trying to move… My husband has always wanted to live in an area with an Fraternity of St. Peter parish. (All three of my husband’s brothers are FSSP priests.) He almost didn’t apply for the job but then decided to send in his application and leave it in God’s hands. We prayed that if it was God’s will for our family to move that he would be offered the job. We asked family, friends, and the dear sisters at Carmel to pray too. A friend suggested we pray to the Holy Face for guidance. On June 1st my husband sent in his application.
Towards the end of June we hadn’t heard back and started to think that it wasn’t going to happen, like all the other times in the past, but then he received the call on June 29th, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and was offered the job! Of the fourteen other foresters from around the country who applied for the job to replace the one and only forester in that office who is retiring after thirty five years, my husband was the most qualified for the job. He accepted the job and will begin on October 1st, the feast of St. Therese!
So very thankful for little consolations from Our Lord… Roses on my bushes (thank you St. Therese!), big changes taking place on special feast days, being able to spend some one-on-one time with my parents, and little notes and phone calls from friends when I’ve needed them the most. Even though I know the move will be such a great thing for our family, it is still going to be so hard… I spent most of the first week of July crying… and not over a silly hair cut this time… The upcoming months will require so much detachment on my part from my home and extended family… Moving away from my parents will be so hard… I’m very grateful for each consolation, little reminders that God loves us all and that He will send us the strength and graces needed. Please keep us in your prayers!
Celebrating the liturgical year…
The feast of St. John Gualbert, patron of Foresters is coming up on July 12th. I think I’m going to bake and decorate some more cupcakes to celebrate my husband’s new job. I haven’t shared these here or over at Catholic Cuisine yet, but here are the cupcakes we made last year.
I’ll probably make a little something for the feast of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin too. Last year I made a Watchmaker Cake with Cameo in Lace Candy.
From the kitchen…
My kitchen. Why are the kitchens and dining rooms so small in so many homes?! I hope whoever lives here next will love it as much as I have since we finally remodeled it eight years ago.
I am working…
I’m still working part time as the corporate secretary and treasurer for my dad and brother’s electrical business. I have loved working these past few years and am especially grateful for all the extra time I’ve been able to spend with my dad and mom. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue working remotely for the company once we move. In the meantime I have my work cut out for me as I try to figure out just how I’ll accomplish it all and get everything set up.
I am creating…
Lists, lists, lists. If you have any moving tips and suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I have absolutely no experience with this and it is overwhelming to say the least. Thankfully we have a little time.
I am going…
There is a chance that the kids and I are going to be staying here for the upcoming school year. At least that is what we had discussed before my husband even applied for the job. We are keeping all the options open though and it really all depends on how quickly the house sells. The older boys are both getting ready to start their senior year and are really looking forward to hopefully returning to state next spring. Especially after the ordeal we went through this past golf season. Moving out of state complicates things a bit…
I am hoping…
I’ve been hosting Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop for years and am hoping to pull together another one this year. Anyone interested? Hmmm… I wonder just how many thousands of pounds of books we will need to move to our new home. Tons!
I am praying…
the Prayer of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face to the Holy Face:
I am reading…
The Golden Arrow: The Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter (1816-1848 On Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus) by Sr. Mary of St. Peter which was just given to us from a friend.
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| Enjoying a quiet(ish) afternoon outside on the patio with a new book from a friend and cup of roasted dandelion root tea… while the baby tries to sneak a bite of my lunch! #thegoldenarrow #holyfaceofjesus #srmaryofstpeter #offeritup #13monthsold #shelovessweetpotatoes |
Pondering these words…
from Divine Intimacy:
Around the house…
Our home…. Oh how I will miss this home… We have lived here for over eighteen years, by far the longest I’ve lived in one place. We bought it when I was pregnant and on bed rest with our oldest son. The original “little house with so much potential” has changed so much and grown with our family over the years. I’ve been searching for new homes online and just can’t picture living somewhere new. It will be an exciting adventure, right?
One of my favorite things…
Roses. My husband keeps refilling the vase in the living room with roses from our garden.
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| Shortly after my husband was offered the job I went to look for a holy card from my closet to use as a bookmark… This Holy Face holy card was loose next to where I keep all the others. So fitting after praying to the Holy Face for weeks. It also happens to be my bil’s ordination card and he is the pastor of the parish where we will be moving. |
This week’s plans…
- The older boys are over on the east coast this week getting to Experience Christendom! Can’t wait to hear all about the camp when the boys get home next weekend! Hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since I was a student at Christendom… The girls and I are enjoying looking for the boys in the various videos and photos posted over on Facebook.
- Our oldest daughter is getting her braces off tomorrow morning. She is pretty excited!
- The little boys will be attending a birthday party for one of their friends.
- We’ve all been enjoying summer! Hope you are too!
A little peek at my day…
This blog post was made possible by an afternoon off work and nap time… Shhh!
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| DockATot Grand • 100% Pro-Life Onesie • Jellycat Bashful Bunny |
From Sea to Shining Sea
While we had a simple celebration out here on the west coast, the older boys spent the 4th of July visiting battlefields with their cousins over on the east coast! One of their uncles was able to drive up from his parish and join them as well! The last time we saw him was last year on the 4th of July when he flew out and baptized our baby girl. The year has flown by!
Secrets: Visible and Invisible {Sponsored Giveaway}
To celebrate today’s feast of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the Patron Saint of Young Adults, Catholic Teen Books just released their brand new anthology, Secrets: Visible and Invisible, and I’m hosting a giveaway!
- In a dystopian future, an innocent picnic turns deadly!
- Elijah knows nothing of the elderly stranger’s secret past–until her disappearance changes everything.
- A mysterious, ever-changing painting alarms a group of teens.
- The cannonball took Dario’s legs . . . Will he lose his soul too?
- The arrival of a mysterious girl challenges everything about Jason’s life.
- An unlicensed driver. His dad’s truck. What could possibly go wrong?
- An old tale of murder and forbidden love leads to a modern day treasure hunt.
“This anthology of short stories for Catholic teenagers is a true literary treasure. It provides genres for every type of reader, each so well written that the reader is invited to fully escape into many different worlds and places. The short stories will take its readers to dystopian Europe, high school hallways, a city block in summer, and a soldier’s medical ward in 16th-century Italy, just to name a few. The characters are diverse, exciting, relatable; their adventures are accessible, mysterious and enthralling. But within these different settings, there is one uniting comfort: God is always there, whether revealed in a desperate prayer to a guardian angel, through pure romantic love, the presence of Christian charity, men and women religious, or within the sacraments. The hope that comes through Catholicism and Jesus prevails in each vignette, and yet there are still heavy doses of drama, suspense and tactful violence. So if your teens seem totally spaced out and properly engrossed, take courage knowing their love of reading and their love of the faith are being fed through these beautiful stories.”
My First Communion Journal {Sponsored Giveaway}
Have you seen the brand new First Communion Journal from Peanut Butter & Grace yet? I have created homemade First Holy Communion Spiritual Bouquet Keepsake Books for some of my children in the past but this includes much more! In addition to pages for children to record their memories of their First Holy Communion, and for friends and family to write special messages, it also includes:
- St. Therese’s First Communion (pictured below) with space for the child to record their own sacrifices of love for Jesus.
- St. Dominic’s First Communion with space for the chid to record their First Communion resolutions.
- St. Francisco’s First Communion (Note: He is listed as Blessed in the journal but was canonized May 13, 2017. Perhaps this will be updated in future printings), Blessed Laura’s First Communion and Pope Benedict’s First Communion
- Pages to record details about their own patron saint.
- Space for children to write memories of their Baptism and First Confession.
- Quotes and wisdom from the Bible, the saints, the popes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- Activity pages and more!
This beautiful First Communion journal is full of fun ways for Catholic kids to prepare for, remember, and live out their First Holy Communion. With its colorful design, prayers, devotions, special activities, and quotes from the saints and Scriptures, the My First Communion Journal can be used both before and after the child’s First Communion day.
Wild One Birthday Party
I still can’t believe our baby girl is one already! At just 16.5 lbs she is still one of our smallest children, but she doesn’t let her tiny little body keep her from doing anything and everything. She seems to have endless energy and has no trouble keeping up with all her older siblings. So far she only has two teeth on top and two on bottom, with a couple more trying to come through which has made the last few nights especially hard since she doesn’t usually sleep much anyway. She brings so much joy to all of us and we are so grateful for this sweet, sensitive, funny, active, and wild little one of ours. Celebrating her first birthday was a blast and she loved all the extra attention!
I had a hard time deciding on a gift for her… Being the youngest of eight she has so many great hand-me-down toys already and I’m a lot pickier than I used to be when it comes to purchasing new toys. A Most of her birthday gifts ended up doubling as party decorations including a new teepee which was a hit with all the kids! I even caught our 17 year old in there with her at one point. She woke up to it all set up in the living room and wasn’t sure what to think of it at first, but with a little coaxing from her older brother and sisters she realized it wasn’t anything to be scared of and started playing.
She had us all laughing as she crawled into the Tnee’s Tpee, pulled the flaps down, then stuck her head back out to wave bye bye to all of us before going back in. Her little princess wave is the cutest!
After her afternoon nap we dressed her up for the party. I had ordered a “wild one” onesie from Bitty and Boho and found a cute little tutu and flower crown at a local baby store.
While I got started on prepping all the food for the party, our 8 year old helped update the book cart.
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| Outside Your Window • Mossy • Backyard Birds of Summer Born in the Wild • Rosalind and the Little Deer • Joyful Colours of the Year Baby Animals • A Time to Keep • You Are My Little Cupcake • When You Were Very Small How Animal Babies Stay Safe • Wild Backyard • National Parks: Wildlife Primer • The Elsa Beskow Baby Book Pastel Rainbow • Wooden Nesting Trees • My Family Rosary Roses • Grimm’s Little Flower • Stacking Birds • Ostheimer Wooden Animals |
My Mom and Dad gave her some darling Moccasins! She tried them on and had to walk around to try them out and show them off to everyone. This baby girl is surrounded by so much love!
Dear St. Anthony
St. Anthony’s Sermon to the Fishes
Saint Anthony at church
Was left in the lurch,
So he went to the ditches
And preached to the fishes.
They wriggled their tails,
In the sun glanced their scales.
The carps, with their spawn,
Are all thither drawn;
Have opened their jaws,
Eager for each clause.
No sermon beside
Had the carps so edified.
Sharp-snouted pikes,
Who keep fighting like tikes,
Now swam up harmonious
To hear Saint Antonius.
No sermon beside
Had the pikes so edified.
And that very odd fish,
Who loves fast-days, the cod-fish,
The stock-fish, I mean,
At the sermon was seen.
No sermon beside
Had the cods so edified.
Good eels and sturgeon,
Which aldermen gorge on,
Went out of their way
To hear preaching that day.
No sermon beside
Had the eels so edified.
Crabs and turtles also,
Who always move low,
Made haste from the bottom
As if the devil had got ’em.
No sermon beside
The crabs so edified.
Fish great and fish small,
Lords, lackeys, and all,
Each looked at the preacher
Like a reasonable creature.
At God’s word,
They Anthony heard.
The sermon now ended,
Each turned and descended;
The pikes went on stealing,
The eels went on eeling.
Much delighted were they,
But preferred the old way.
The crabs are backsliders,
The stock-fish thick-siders,
The carps are sharp-set,
All the sermon forget.
Much delighted were they,
But preferred the old way.
.: ST. ANTHONY’S SERMON TO THE FISHES :.
by Abraham a Sancta-Clara (Augustinian monk, 1607–1680)
Source: Public Domain Poetry
I’m planning to read this poem to the children this afternoon… and serve cupcakes!
Wild One Birthday Cake
We are celebrating our little one’s first birthday today! I only have a few minutes before our guests begin to arrive, but I wanted to share her birthday cake real quick. It turned out so cute!
Here’s what I used:
- Trader Joe’s Party Cake (I also picked up a Strawberry Cheesecake and baked GF cupcakes.)
- Ostheimer’s Baby Forest Animals (So many options! I used the Roe Fawn Head High, Fox Small Sitting, Rabbit Small Classic, Bear Small Sitting, Wolf Small Playing, Hedgehog Small. You can find a set of most of them over at Nova Natural or individually at The Wooden Wagon. Watch for coupon codes and sales.)
- Scrapbook Paper, Scissors, Glue Stick (to make tiny little party hats for the baby animals)
- Pearl Beads and Tiny Pompoms (I used a dab of hot glue to add these to a few of the hats.)
- Wild One Cupcake Topper
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| Crafting tiny little party hats for all the forest babies… |
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| I ended up making a little crown for the baby bear. |
It’s been a long time since I’ve used my Cricut but I pulled it out to make a highchair banner and food labels. I’m sure I’ll be back with the rest of the pictures soon. First birthdays are so much fun!
{this moment}
Our baby girl… Oh, how I love her! When she wakes up (probably in an hour or so, since that’s about as long as she will sleep at a time) she will be a year old… What a year it has been!
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| She still smiles when she sleeps ❤ |
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