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{pretty, happy, funny, real} :: A Few Pictures from Christmas Day

Jan 8, 2015 | , , , , , , | 12 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life with Like Mother, Like Daughter. ~

{pretty}


This gorgeous hand-embroidered scapular was tucked into the toe of my stocking this Christmas! 
Isn’t it so pretty?!?


Our oldest two daughters also found pretty new scapulars in their stockings too!



{happy}


Last Easter Bud received a darling embroidered saint pillow from his Godmother. For Christmas she made him another one of his patron saints. He was so happy!



{funny}


When Captain was opening his stack of books he closed his eyes when he got to one that he thought *might* be a new book from the Brotherband Chronicles. He, of course, knew there would eventually be a new book in the series, but I hadn’t told him that Book 5 had been released. 


It got even better when I told him to open the book and look at the first few pages.  The boys were both so excited when they saw that the book had been signed to both of them by the author! 


“JOHN FLANAGAN ACTUALLY TOUCHED THIS BOOK!” 


Thank you, sweet friend, for making this possible! It was such a treat for our boys!


{real}


Of my parents twelve children only a few of us still live in the area. It isn’t very often that we are all together, it wasn’t quite everyone, but this Christmas my parents, nine of my younger sibling, and Brian’s wife and two girls, all came over for drinks and dessert!


The kids played Mr. Men and Little Miss Christmas Mad Libs with their aunts and uncles.


And Kevin kept everyone entertained with his new remote control drone.
(I’m going to have to keep these in mind for my boys! Very fun!)


My husband took a picture of all of us before they left. This picture is just missing my brother Sean and my sister Jamie, who both live on the East coast.  Hopefully someday we will all have the opportunity to be together again.

From left to right: Julianna, Brian, JoAnn, David, Mom, Dad, Jessica, Kevin, Mary, Jennifer, Scott, and Paul

Twelve Days of Christmas Instagram Recap

Jan 6, 2015 | , , , , , | 6 Comments

Today is my husband’s first day back to work following his vacation, I have some Chicken Tikka Masala simmering in the crock pot for today’s traditional feast of Epiphany, and we are easing back into a partial school week following our much needed two-week break.

I don’t even know where to start with all the blog posts that I’d love to write but I think I’ll just ease back into blogging with another Instagram Recap from our Twelve Days of Christmas!

January 5th – On the 12th Day of Christmas: 

Twelve Days of Christmas Appetizers, Desserts, and Family Game Night! 

Twelve Days of Christmas Dinner Party

We are still celebrating Christmas and just added another ornament to our tree!  I’m headed to the kitchen now to start preparing this year’s Twelve Days of Christmas Dinner Party… Happy Twelfth Night!

January 4th – On the 11th Day of Christmas:

“Mommy! I the KING!”

Bud received the large Wheely Bug for Christmas and has been riding it every day! Remember his moves on the small Wheely Bug? He hasn’t forgotten any of them! 😉

January 3rd – On the 10th Day of Christmas:

Ignoring my to-do list, starting another beautiful puzzle, and enjoying every moment of these last few days of our Christmas break!

Heaven on Earth 1,000 Piece Puzzle

January 2nd – On the 9th Day of Christmas:

I don’t believe in coincidences and always love noticing the little reminders of God’s love and presence in my life. Many times in my past He has used special dates and feast dates to remind me that He has a plan and that “all things work for good for those who love God.” It brought tears to my eyes (but I wasn’t at all surprised) when the Saint Name Generator created by @jenniferfulwiler gave me St. John Neumann as my personal patron saint for 2015. His feast day is coming up on January 5th, my original due date for our last baby, Anthony, who I miscarried this past June 13th. God is good! I’m looking forward to this new year and seeing what He has in store for our family.#stjohnneumann #orapronobis


 January 1st – On the 8th Day of Christmas:

Yesterday we took our children sledding for New Year’s Eve! 2014 was such a challenging year for our family, from start to finish, and this was such a nice way to end the year. {additional pictures here}

Love this guy! #soblessed {and, yes, I’m totally trying to hide my braces… has it been six months yet?!}


Following Father’s advice at Mass this morning, Sean and I spent some time together this afternoon enjoying the sunshine… It was so nice to walk the greenway and discuss our family resolutions. Happy New Year!

December 31st – On the 7th Day of Christmas:

Last sunset of the year… Goodbye 2014!

December 30th – On the 6th Day of Christmas:

We came home to some very happy kiddos and a darling gingerbread house! Thanks for babysitting, Julianna!

Floor seating at a local Japanese restaurant… It’s such a treat to have one of my little sisters babysit tonight so Sean and I could take our oldest two out to dinner and a movie!

December 29th – On the 5th Day of Christmas:

I ❤ puzzles

Stained Glass Nativity Puzzle

Baking a Orange Rum Zum Cake in a Cathedral bundt pan for today’s feast of St. Thomas Becket {and resisting the urge to drink the rest of that bottle of rum, or at least a few shots!}
It turned out SO good! I haven’t posted the recipe yet, but I found it in The Cake Mix Doctor.

December 26th-28th – On 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Day of Christmas:

I didn’t post on Instagram and only picked up my camera once during these three days of Christmas… Not like me at all, but they were some very emotionally difficult days for me which included the memorial of an old friend at a local Christian church and conversations with people I hadn’t seen or even spoken with in nearly 18 years. Thank you all for the prayers, they were such a blessing!

December 27th – Building his Christmas gift, the Lego Creator Pet Shop!

December 25th – On the 1st Day of Christmas:

I can’t remember the last time I’ve had nine of my siblings over at the same time! (Just 2 of the 12 of us missing – wish you were here too Sean and Jamie!) My kids are in heaven visiting with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and a couple cousins! Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! 

I posted additional pictures from Christmas Mass here. 

You can follow me on Instagram here.

If you’d like to share your own Instagram Recap from the 12 Days of Christmas (or just a photo recap if you are not on Instagram!) I’d love to see your pictures! You can add the direct link to your post below and please include a link back to this post.

Sledding on New Year’s Eve

Jan 1, 2015 | , , | 16 Comments

Sing a song of winter,
Of frosty clouds in air!



Sing a song of snowflakes
Falling everywhere.


Sing a song of winter!
Sing a song of sleds!



Sing a song of tumbling
Over the heels and heads.

Up and down a hillside
When the moon is bright,

Sledding is a tiptop
Wintertime delight.

~ A Sledding Song by Norman C. Schlichter

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! 
May God bless you abundantly!

Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus!

Dec 26, 2014 | , , , | 15 Comments

Always I loved a baby, 
A baby loved to hold,
See, I have stolen a Baby
Out of the House of Gold.

I found in the Tower of Ivory

A Little One asleep,
I have carried Him down the mountain,
He is mine to keep.

His Mother is my Mother,

His Foster Father my friend,
And I shall have Him and love Him
World without end.

~ Song of Love by Charles L. O’Donnell, C.S.C., from The Eternal Babe
The very first thing our sweet little “Christmas Rose” wanted to do, after arriving home from Mass at 2am Christmas morning, was place Baby Jesus in His manger under our Christmas tree. 
This year we were blessed to be able to attend Christmas Mass During the Night at the church where my husband and I were married fifteen years ago. It was so peaceful and beautiful. 

On the way to Mass at 10:30 pm Christmas Eve

After Midnight Mass at 1:30 am Christmas Day

Merry Christmas, From Our Family to Yours!

Instagram Recap

Dec 23, 2014 | , , | 10 Comments

“Time is but a shadow, a dream; already God sees us in glory and takes joy in our eternal beatitude. How this thought helps my soul! I understand then why He lets us suffer…” 
~ St. Therese

On Saturday evening, after a fun filled day with my family at the end of our “birthday week”, we went out to dinner with friends and I was telling them that I felt like I was finally turning a corner. My energy seemed to be starting to return and the painful rash I’ve been fighting for the past six months, since my miscarriage last June, seems to be healing. I was so excited for our Christmas break to begin! When I got in the car and charged my phone I had urgent messages from the mother of an old friend of mine asking me to call as soon as possible… Since then it has been a flood of emotions, tears, and memories from the past. My husband and I will be attending his funeral next Saturday. So many people are experiencing so much heartache and pain. Be sure to remember them in your prayers during this most blessed time of the year! 

December 20th:

Ending this day in prayer and with such a heavy heart… In your charity could you please offer a prayer for the soul of an old friend of mine who took his life this morning, and for the family and friends he leaves behind? May God have mercy on his soul and may he rest in peace+

Andrew (the older brother of one of our godsons, and godbrother to one of our boys) did such a great job!#teenmusicaltheater #achristmascarol

“Bah, humbug!”


A Christmas Carol the Musical



At the theatre with friends! It’s the final show and it’s sold out, the seats are filling up quickly!



Our boys are the two in the blue… It was such a fun game to watch! Their team just won 12 to 6!

Another Saturday morning at The Rrrink! This little guy’s hockey game is over (the goalie was having a bad day and their team lost 3 to 10!) and now we are watching the older boys play! Last game of the year… Our Christmas break officially begins this afternoon!

December 19th:

“Happy Birthday to youuu…” that was as far as we got before he leaned over and quickly blew out all three candles with one little blow! Hahahaha! This little boy loves candles and has been practicing all Advent – in fact, he beat his sister to some of her own candles on Monday! Of course we relit them so we could finish singing and he could blow them out once (or twice) again!

You can see a few more birthday pictures here. I hope to eventually have a chance to post the rest… and the pictures from Rose and Twinkle Toes birthdays as well!

December 18th:


O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento. 

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! 

#oantiphons #catholic #advent #catholiccuisine #gingerbreadhousecookies #madebythegirls #stillneedtobedecorated
Made with this cookie cutter and decorated the next morning.

December 17th:

O Sapientia, quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ. 

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!

December 16th:


I finally had a chance to look through the photos from the feast of St. Nicholas and post some on the blog! I had a hard time choosing which of the pics to post of our littlest one on his Daddy’s shoulders, so I’m posting the other here!

December 15th:

Happy 5th birthday to my pretty little peacock!

December 13th:

I just finished watching the Nutcracker Ballet with my three girls for their first time! It’s late, especially for my littlest one, but she loved the performance! Half way through Act I she leaned over and whispered “Can I have a Nutcracker Birthday?!?” (Her birthday is Monday and I was out late last night grocery shopping and buying supplies for a completely different theme- which I know she will love!) Then, during the Peacock/Arabian dance in Act II, she leaned over and said “I really wish I could have a peacock costume!” (The first gift she has asked for!) Now THAT I can do! I just happen to have a whole peacock outfit – costume, tights, wings, wand, and headband- thanks to the Gymboree clearance sales after Halloween! I can’t wait to give it to her! And maybe I can come up with some “Nutcracker” fun for during the upcoming Christmas season!

Sean took all the younger children home from Hockey so I could take this quickly growing teen of ours shopping for some new clothes! It’s so nice to spend some time with just him. 

“Mommy, hold me!” It’s freezing cold here at the rink… I think it’s time to move to the fireside room for the rest of the boys game!

Darkness shall soon depart From vale and mountain She brings good news to us Light like a fountain Soon day shall rise anew Day-star is coming In skies of rosy hue Salvation’s dawning Maiden so sweet and fair, Bright candles in your hair, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!  Happy Santa Lucia Day!


I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed lately and Thursdays are especially full from start to finish. I’m not complaining and it’s totally worth it, but homeschooling all these kids is HARD work! In between piano lessons and taking the 7 year old to the dentist I picked up a coffee to help get me through the rest of the day. I’m not sure what I love more… My favorite Coconut Milk Annihilator or the lid! #thanksforthepeptalk

Little Creatures… How do they Move? #homeschool#sciencelab #focusonbiology

December 10th:



Making rosaries to send to children in an orphanage in Nigeria for Christmas.

Celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas :: 2014

Dec 18, 2014 | , , , | 12 Comments

Each year our celebration of the feast of St. Nicholas looks a little different, but some things always stay the same… The children always wake up to their slippers or shoes filled with treats and receive new Christmas books! Last year we stayed home all day enjoying the snow (completely unaware that we would soon be without running water for six days due to freezing pipes!), this year the weather was much warmer and we spent most of the day enjoying activities outside of our home.  Of course I have some pictures to share with you all!

.: Gifts from St. Nicholas :.
We have had a very full schedule this year which doesn’t leave much time for crafts. My children didn’t even notice that the coins weren’t decorated with images of St. Nicholas and they loved this year’s Blended Maple Candy St. Nick’s from Maple Grove Farms in Vermont and purchased at our local health food store! 
Our oldest two boys still fit last year’s slippers, so instead of new slippers they were happy to be able to make a donation to a local charity. Our younger children were delighted to discover their new slippers and all the children loved discovering all the treats.  In addition to the candy mentioned above they also received a cutie, Saint Blessing Blocks, a painted saint doll, and a new picture book.  There was even a St. Anthony painted saint (a gift from Catholic Folk Toys) to remember the baby we would have been preparing to welcome (Jan 5th) this month or next… 
.: St. Nicholas Day Brunch :.
My boys had been asking me to come watch their Saturday morning Hockey games for a few weeks and I wasn’t able to go due to other commitments. With St. Nicholas Day falling on Saturday as well I told them I could go this week, as long as they didn’t mind skipping our usual brunch and have a simple breakfast. They didn’t mind at all and were so excited! And, even though I didn’t get many pictures, I ended up being able to throw together a couple Cherry Cheese Candy Cane Coffee Cakes while my husband scrambled eggs and cooked some maple sausage, before we all ran out the door after all!  
.: Hockey :.

It was so much fun to watch them play… and they won their game! 
.: Victorian Christmas :. 
After the hockey game we drove out to one of our favorite little historical towns in the area, where I used to own the local phone book! We visited many of the little shops including the toy store, enjoyed the popcorn and cider that was being handed out, toured the Catholic Rectory, went on a horse-draw wagon ride, and then shared a gourmet pizza before heading home! 

 

 

The evening ended with a 7pm bilingual Quinceañera Mass and reception for one of my past Little Flowers! It was such a wonderful day filled with so many blessings… 
God, we pray that through the intercessions of St. Nicholas
you will guide and protect our children. 
Keep them safe from all harm and help them grow
to become loving disciples of Jesus in your sight. 
Give them strength to always mature into deeper faith
in you, and to keep alive joy in your creation. 
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Regina Martyrum Productions {Sponsored Giveaway}

Dec 17, 2014 | , | 0 Comments

I know I told you all that I wasn’t planning on hosting any more giveaways this year, but when Regina Martyrum Productions contacted me about hosting a giveaway here at Shower of Roses for $150 IN GIFT CARDS I knew I had to carve out a little time, in between the birthday parties this week, to put together one more giveaway post for you all!

Regina Martyrum Productions produces the finest works of Catholic audio theatre. With emphasis on the lives of the Saints, these products are edifying, and entertaining.

Stories hold our attention, teach us morals, and can teach a moral lesson while entertaining. We all love stories. Here at Regina Martyrum Productions, we provide high-quality, fully-dramatized Catholic stories. From Old Testament scenes to New Testament saints, we provide the best, timeless stories for today’s Catholic audiences. Engaging the power of your imagination while listening, you and your children will walk through the pages of the Church’s history. These are not your run of the mill “books on tape!” Every production is packed with full cast, great music, and realistic sound effects! They are great in the car, at story time, or at anytime! 

I have been a fan of Regina Martyrum Productions ever since our oldest children were toddlers! I treasure our collection of CDs, and even some audio cassettes which we were given many years ago. Now these timeless Catholic stories are available as digital downloads!

These inspiring stories of the saints will make a deep impression on both children and adults! We love all the stories, but my personal favorite (and my husbands too!) is the story of St. Gerard Majella, To Heaven Through the Window.

Regina Martyrum Productions is working on adding new stories to the digital collection each month and yesterday they released the story of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton! I downloaded and enjoyed listening to Valiant Daughter of America last night and look forward to sharing it with our children on her feast day next month.

Regina Martyrum Productions offers Gift Cards which would make perfect Christmas gifts for family, friends, Godchildren, and Godparents! You can purchase gift cards for 1 story, 2 stories, 3 stories, or more!

I have FOUR GIFT CARDS to give away from Regina Martyrum Productions totaling $150! Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below. Four winners will be randomly generated using the entries from Rafflecopter and contacted via email on December 23rd:

  • First winner will receive: $60 Gift Card
  • Second winner will receive: $45 Gift Card
  • Third winner will receive: $30 Gift Card
  • Fourth winner will receive: $15 Gift Card

Note: Bonus entries will be awarded for helping to spread the word about this great company, visiting and following them on Facebook, subscribing to updates, and/or ordering a gift card!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Roses in the Snow {A Brand New Picture Book!}

Dec 15, 2014 | , , , | 8 Comments

We are celebrating a sweet little girl’s 5th birthday today!  I can’t believe my little “Rose” is already five years old… How did that happen so fast?!?  I’ll be back later with pictures from our party, but in the meantime I wanted to share one of her birthday gifts with you all.

This sweet book about St. Elizabeth of Hungary was just released on December 6th and would make a lovely Christmas gift! It was written by Dessi Jackson and Illustrated by Lydia Grace, the same author and illustrator of Saint Felix and the Spider, and it is beautiful! I can’t wait to read it to my children! You can order it from Amazon here.

Update: The publisher has audio pronunciations for the Hungarian words in the story! Visit www.quisutdeuspress.com then click on “Roses In The Snow” On the bottom left hand side of the page you will find the pronunciations for nagymama, édesem, kifli and kalács!


Our Family

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

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

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

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

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

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Christmas Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

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Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

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