Silver Falls Park on Michaelmas
It was a long 4+ hour drive to get to where our teens were going to be confirmed. Since Confirmation was scheduled for 7pm, with Benediction following, we decided to turn the trip into a little vacation! It’s not easy finding affordable accommodations for a family of ten… We ended up booking two cabins at a (fairly) nearby state park to stay the first night following confirmation! It sounded like a good idea at the time (both cabins cost just a small portion of what hotel rooms would have cost) but I didn’t really consider that we’d have zero cell service while in the park, and that I’d be spending the night in a sleeping bag with the baby, and walking to the outdoor bathroom in the rain at night… The baby did great though and it was a fun and memorable “camping” trip for all of us!
(A little blurry… I balanced my camera on the cabin deck railing and set the timer!)
Sean and I were in one cabin with all the girls and the boys had the other cabin. The older boys slept in, but the little guys were up early and ready to explore!
After turning in the keys to the cabins, we headed over to the hiking trails to check out some of the waterfalls before driving further north to spend the weekend with friends before driving back home.
The waterfalls were gorgeous! However hiking 3 miles, carrying a 3 1/2 month old, after a difficult pregnancy/not being able to walk much at all, in the rain, was probably not the best idea… It was so worth it though and I some how made it back to the lodge for coffee, tea, and hot cocoa! 🙌🏻
Soldiers of Christ :: The Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form
On September 28th, 2017, our three teens received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form. It was so beautiful and inspiring to see these young men and women receive this final sacrament of initiation in the ancient rite (I’m pretty sure for the first time in over fifty years here in our diocese) and hope that it will be available when our younger children are ready for the sacrament as well. We are so grateful to Archbishop Sample for offering this option this year!
The bishop then strikes each lightly on the cheek, saying: “Pax tecum,” which means,”Peace be with thee.” This symbolizes that the Christian is now a soldier for Christ and must endure suffering and the persecution that comes from conflict with the world. If the candidates for Confirmation are numerous, chants or hymns may be sung. When all have been confirmed, the following is sung or recited as the bishop washes his hands.
New Picture Book for Our November Book Basket: The All Saints’ Day Party {Giveaway}
All Saints’ Day is just around the corner and I still haven’t decided if I’m up for trying to host our annual All Hallows’ Eve party – it may end up just being a small/family party this year – but I DO have a fun new book to add to our October and our November Book Baskets!
“Maggie and Max can’t wait for the All Saints’ Day party: there will be games and candles and treats . . . and costumes! There’s just one problem: they can’t decide which saint to dress up as . . . and the party is just a week away! The siblings turn to their friends and family for help, and get introduced to six saints, each of whom had his or her own way of being holy: St. Martin de Porres, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Joseph, St. Josephine Bakhita, and St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Which saint will they be? It’s a surprise–you’ll have to read the story to see! Join Maggie and Max as they learn about what it takes to be a saint…and how each of us is called to be one.”
You can preview the whole book over at Gracewatch Media. The All Saints’ Day Party is available in either paperback or hardcover from Amazon {aff link} and Gracewatch Media.
Gracewatch Media has generously offered to send one of my visitors here at Shower of Roses a copy of the hardcover edition of The All Saints’ Day Party!
You can find our complete list of saint books for the months of October and November here:
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun
This year we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Fatima apparitions and the Miracle of the Sun. Here are seven ways to commemorate this special anniversary with children:
1 – Picture Books
Here is the list of the books that are pictured on our book cart above:
- Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue
- Mother of God Coloring Book
- An Alphabet of the Altar
- Mary Most Holy Coloring Book
- Mary Holds My Hand: A Child’s Book of Rosary Meditations
- Mary Mother of Jesus
- Mary and the 50 States
- Our Lady Goes a-Maying
- Our Lady of Fatima Coloring Book (not pictured)
- Mary
- The Children of Fatima by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (Also Available from TAN)
- Our Lady Came to Fatima by Ruth Foxe Hume (Vision)
- Jacinta’s Story (OOP – purchased a used copy in very good condition)
- Most Beautiful Story Coloring Book
- Mary and the Little Shepherd’s of Fatima (arrived in an Easter Basket this year!)
- The Children of Fatima (OOP – purchased a used copy in very good condition)
- The Holy Rosary
- My First Pictures of Mary
 |
| The Rosary for Little Catholics (reprint of the original 1952 edition) |
 |
| The Children of Fatima |
2 – Coloring Pages
I love the beautiful coloring page from Catholic Playground: Our Lady of Fatima Coloring Page. It’s the one that we printed out to color this year.
3 – Our Lady’s Rosary Craft
When we made rosaries for a service project a few years ago, my friend Aleesa sent us extra supplies to make one for each of the kids to keep as well. After making thirty-five to giveaway we never did get to those extras… I pulled the supplies out to the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun! It was a perfect craft for the anniversary of the apparitions this year.
4 – Audio + Video
The Day the Sun Danced DVD – one of my own childhood favorites!
This film accurately portrays the story of Our Lady’s appearances to the three children in 1917. From the angel’s appearance to the Miracle of the Sun, the full story is so captivatingly presented that young viewers will want to watch it again and again.
Secrets from Heaven: The Story of the Children of Fatima (Glory Stories: Volume XIII) is available from Holy Heroes
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima DVD
Mary Machado, one of my contributors over at Catholic Cuisine, kindly took the time to compile all the past posts for easy reference! We decided to make her Spinning Sun Cake for our family celebration, spinning it on our Cake Turntable/Rotating Cake Stand.
6 – Favorite Dolls
Our Lady’s Rosary
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee. Amen.
The Rosary is a special prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary that recalls events in the Life of Christ and of His Blessed Mother. The use of a string of Rosary beads helps to pray the Apostles Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and Glory Be to the Father. On each large bead we say an Our Father and on each small bead a Hail Mary. The Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s is followed by the Glory Be and together referred to as a decade of the Rosary. While reciting these prayers, we think of Our Blessed Lord and look at Him through Our Blessed Mother’s eyes to understand Him with our heart. We should try our best to pray Our Lady’s Rosary, bringing our mind back to the mysteries if our mind wanders or we get distracted. Families that pray the rosary together daily are especially blessed by God.
In 1571, Pope St. Pius V urged all of Christendom to implore Our Lady by means of the rosary in defense against an advancing Moslem Turkish force that threatened the Mediterranean and the West. The outnumbered Christian fleet prevailed at the Battle of Lepanto and, attributing this victory to the praying of the Rosary, the Feast of the Holy Rosary was established the following year on October 7. Such importance is the value of the rosary in the life of the Christian that in 1858 Our Lady appeared 18 times to St. Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France each time holding a Rosary in her hands and imploring us to meditate on its mysteries, to help her save souls. Then in 1917, the Blessed Virgin appeared again to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal asking for penance and prayer, and for the Rosary to be said daily and devoutly for the peace of the world. At the last apparition on October 13, 1917 she said that she wanted to be called Our Lady of the Rosary while warning the faithful to amend their lives, ask pardon for their sins, and that “they must say the Rosary.”
Supplies For Each Rosary:
- Pre knotted string
- 53 Hail Mary beads
- 6 Our Father beads
- Crucifix
- Copper rose center bead (or other bead of choice)
- Small beads for on either size of the Our Father beads
- Small bead to connect the crucifix
Directions:
1. Take the pre-knotted string and start by threading a small bead, an Our Father bead, then another small bead, followed by 3 Hail Mary beads, then once again with a small bead, Our Father bead, and another small bead.
2. Add the rose center bead followed by 10 Hail Mary beads. Then a small bead, Our Father bead, small bead, and 10 Hail Mary beads again. Repeat this pattern until you have all 5 decades on the string.
3. Now take the string end and feed it back through the copper rose center bead. Pull until tight. Split the string and tie a few knots around the center string.
4. Add the small clear bead and crucifix to the other end of the string and feed the string end through the small bead. Tie off like the center.
5. After you have tied all the knots trim the strings to about ¼-½”.
6. Have an adult take a lighter and melt the trimmed ends.
7. As Our Lady of Fatima instructed Sister Lucia, “Continue to pray the Rosary every day.”
{It’s taken a few years to get around to sharing the pictures from this craft/service project, but on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in December of 2014, we spent the afternoon (and late into the night!) assembling thirty-five rosaries (five each – the older boys and I helped the younger ones finish theirs) to send to children at an orphanage in Nigeria for Christmas that year. This project was coordinated by my friend Aleesa and her business donated all the supplies. Aleesa’s pastor was from Nigeria, going back for Christmas, and had requested 70 rosaries to give to all the children.}
Four Months
Constellation Pies, Spanish Cocoa and Stargazing
Soft Saints + Our Lady of Fatima Giveaway
To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun, Ann-Marie has generously offered to send one of my visitors here at Shower of Roses her limited edition Our Lady of Fatima Soft Saint Doll!
This Special Edition Our Lady of Fatima Handmade Soft Saint Doll is approximately 13″ tall made with soft fleece, making it perfect for your little ones to cuddle up with. Embroidered with a sweet friendly face your child will love and a gold beaded rosary sewn into the doll (not recommended for children under 3). This doll is white with gold trim. What better way to help little ones learn about the Our Lady of Fatima and her important message.
The apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima began on the 13th of May 1917. Our Lady came to the three Fatima children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta on the 13th of each month from May to October. On the 13th of October the Lady promised to reveal her identity and perform a miracle “so that all may believe”. The Events of October 13th became known as the Miracle of the Sun.
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below. US residents only please.
This giveaway will run through October 12th and the winner will be announced in this post on October 13, 2017 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun.
Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1 29 oz. can pumpkin purée (or 2 – 15 oz cans of organic pumpkin)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups almond milk (can substitute with milk of choice)
- 5 cups old fashioned oats (I used gluten free)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Whisk in the milk.
Mix the old-fashioned oats into the pumpkin mixture. Coat an 9×13 baking dish with coconut oil or butter. Pour in the pumpkin oatmeal mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until the center no longer looks wet and the edges are lightly golden brown.
Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with homemade whipped cream and maple syrup. Milk, yogurt, nuts, would all make great toppings too.
Lisieux For You
Kristen recently offered to send us some of their new nail polishes! It was so much fun to open the package, look through all of the beautiful colors, discover the rose bead rosaries from the Holy Land, and try the darling red hat on our baby girl. Thank you Kristen!
Nail polish is the only cosmetic you can see and enjoy without looking in a mirror and the girls and I love that all of the nail polish is named after the saints (including the Little Flower!), Biblical events, and Catholic tradition! (Read more fun facts here.)
St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!
0 Comments