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Please Pray

Jun 12, 2014 | , | 8 Comments


Please pray for the soul of Fr. Kenneth Walker, FSSP (pictures from his First Mass in 2012 here) who was shot and killed during a robbery at the Mater Misericordiae (Mother of Mercy) Mission in Phoenix, AZ.  Please pray for the family of Fr. Walker.  Please pray for Fr. Joseph Terra, who is in critical condition but stable.  Please pray for all the families who attend Mater Misericordiae. Please pray for the safety of all FSSP priests.   (Update: Pray For The Priests of Mater Misericordiae in Phoenix on FSSP website)

Requiem aeternum dona ei Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. 
Requiescat in Pace. Sacerdos in Aeternum. Amen.

Hiking the Gorge Trail

Jun 12, 2014 | , , | 5 Comments

Last Saturday afternoon, during our recent camping trip, we went on a hike along the river to see the Gorge! It was absolutely breathtaking and the pictures don’t do it justice.

In this area the river cascades through a constricted channel of basalt lava and the gorge was formed over many years by the erosive action of the river. 

I still can’t believe that I’ve lived here since I was a teen and this was the first time I had seen the Gorge. I have driven by in the past, but never stopped to walk the trail…  I guess it took me over 20 years to visit Crater Lake for the first time too!

.: The Gorge Inlet :. 

.: Overlooking the Gorge :. 

.: Lava Tubes :. 

Here the opposite wall of the Gorge exposes two lava tubes. One, partially collapsed, looks like a cave. The other tube was plugged by a later lava flow.

The lava tubes were formed by the rapid cooling of the outer surface of a basalt flow, while the hot lava continued to flow underneath. As the molten lava drained out, it left behind a hollow tube.

.: The Chasm :. 

The Gorge forms a chasm 500 feet long.  The Gorge narrows to 25 feet from the platform’s edge to the opposite wall, and it drops 45 feet to the River. 

Look down at River: enough water (410,000 gallons) flows beneath your feet each minute to fill an Olympic-size pool . . . but with an average temperature of 44˚F would you want to swim in it? Because of the upper Rogue’s very cold water, native fish do not grow to a large size. 
.: The Living Stump :. 

Here on the flat surface of the lava flow, away from the Gorge wall, the trees live as a group rather than as individuals. The roots of these Douglas-firs have grown together, providing each other with nutrients and water. 

Before it was cut, the roots of this tree had grafted onto those of a neighbor. Because of this, the stump continues to live. 

.: Nature’s Rock Garden :. 

Here at the outlet of the Gorge, a tree must be a “rugged individual” to survive the harsh conditions – the lack of soil, hot and dry summers. The Douglas-firs across the River – by sending their roots deep into the fractured rock in search of water – cling to the wall like climbers on a cliff. 

.: The Gorge Outlet :. 

This was as far as we hiked with with the little ones, but Sean took the older children down to the end of the trail to the Natural Bridges where the river disappears entirely underground into a lava tube for about 250 feet before reappearing and then continuing it’s journey towards the ocean.

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Camping

Jun 12, 2014 | , | 4 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~
{pretty}

We hiked the Gorge trail last Saturday and it was incredibly pretty… and pretty terrifying! I was thankful for the safety fences along the trail, especially hiking with all the children, and that we had chosen a campsite (at our campground upstream from the Gorge) that wasn’t along the River. 
{happy}

Happy Campers

{funny}
While we were roasting marshmallows, Captain pulled back his stick too quickly to check his marshmallow and all the outer layers flew off the stick and landed right behind him! 
His Dad told him that a two prong roasting stick (like I was using) was probably a better idea.  

He grabbed another stick and made his own.
{real}

Of all of our children, Rose definitely likes camping the least.  
She did like sitting in her Grandma’s reclining chair and watching the river at their campsite!
When I asked our little princess if she liked camping she hesitantly said, “yyyyes…” 
… and when I asked if she would you like to go camping again she said, “ummm, maybe NOT!” 

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment.

Maiden Voyage :: A Daybook Following our First Camping Trip of the Summer!

Jun 12, 2014 | , , , | 16 Comments

Outside my window… 
Our family arrived home Monday night after spending four days and three nights at a beautiful, secluded campground in the midst of an old growth forest along the river. This particular campground is a favorite of my parents and they suggested it might be a fun place to visit for our “maiden voyage” in the motorhome!

I am thankful… 
that we weren’t camping in tents and I had driven the van, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it through even the first night. Rose ended up coming down with a high fever around 2am and my husband ended up leaving the campground to make a 2 hour round trip to the closest 24 hour store to purchase Tylenol, while I kept cool rags on her forehead. We have quite a long list of things to remember to pack next time!

I am thinking… 
We should have known better than to plan a camping trip the day after swimming lessons ended.  I guess I thought we’d make it through without catching any bugs this year since the classes were smaller. . .  Rose felt better by morning, but the next evening Chiquita started throwing up and Bud had a runny nose. Once again I considered driving home, but at least we had a bathroom for her to use in the motorhome and if I left with the van the rest of the family would have had a difficult time getting to Mass Sunday morning. Ultimately we ended up staying and I stayed at the campground with the sick ones while Sean took the rest to Mass on Pentecost. Thankfully it was a quick moving virus and it didn’t seem to last for more than 24 hours for anyone, except Bud who is still fighting a runny nose.

Learning all the time…
Sickness wasn’t the only challenge we had. Half way to the campground I called my Dad to ask a question and he asked if we remembered to fill up the water tanks. . . ummmmm.  no.  we hadn’t. Thankfully the gas station we stopped at to fill up the gas and propane tanks had water available too.  whew!  It was a good thing too.  On Sunday our campground and everyone else in the area was without running water do to some plumbing issues up the mountain.  The water faucets and bathrooms were all out of service for the day. The whole weekend was a learning experience when it came to operating the motor home, but I think we are starting to figure it all out!

Celebrating the liturgical year…
It was interesting spending Pentecost in the forest!  While Sean took most of the children to Mass I stayed at the campground with Bud and Chiquita.  I built a campfire to heat water for white cocoa, washed strawberries, and filled a paper tray with some white donuts.

I had also packed along some candles, strawberries, whip cream, and angel food cake for a simplified version of our usual cake, though we kept the “mighty wind” to a minimum since a couple of the kids were still not feeling well.

My parents actually met up with Sean and the kids at Mass and drove up to stay the last night in their motorhome, which kept me from heading home on Sunday afternoon! 😉


We had so much fun playing Apples to Apples, roasting marshmallows, and listening to all of Grandpa’s stories around the campfire. 

From the kitchen… 
I learned how to operate the motorhome stove and cooked the eggs inside…

…while Sean cooked the delicious Applewood Smoked Bacon outside! 

I am working on… 
a separate post with all the pictures from our hike on Saturday.  I already have way too many pictures in this post! 🙂

I am creating…
Snuggles enjoyed creating boats to send down the river.

So did Captain… when he wasn’t busy skipping rocks.

Ranger had fun fishing…

… while the girls learned all about Grandpa’s various hand-tied flies.

I am going…
to have to talk my my Mom and Dad into coming camping with us more often. It was such a treat for the kids to have this special time with their grandparents!  

I am hoping…
to see a beating heart in the morning. ♥

I am praying…
for the baby.  I haven’t been feeling nauseous this week and that has me worried.  Please continue to pray for us.  I will be going in tomorrow morning for a 3rd ultrasound.  Last week’s ultrasound didn’t go as well as I had hoped it would.  {Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary. . .}

I am reading…
not much.  Please forgive me if I owe you an email. After being offline for days (we didn’t even have cell phone service at the campground) I’m even further behind than usual.

Pondering these words…
from Mother Teresa:

“We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

I am listening… 
flowing water, forests alive with birds singing, wind through the tall trees, crackling campfires, the hum of the mosquitoes, and happy children!  I love (almost all) the sounds of camping!

Around the house campsite…
Chipmunks!  Bud had so much fun watching them each day.

One of my favorite things…  
S’mores!

This week’s plans…

  • Monday: Arrive back home from Camping!
  • Tuesday: Laundry, laundry, laundry. . . 
  • Wednesday: Doctor’s appointment for me (Blood Tests) in the morning. Friends coming for lunch and to visit for the afternoon! 
  • Thursday: My 3rd Ultrasound in the morning and another doctors appointment in the afternoon. 

A little peek at my day…
The campground had an amazing children’s play area and I took some pictures of the children playing just before we packed up to head home on Monday. 

Despite the challenges we had such a great time creating wonderful memories as a family.  I’m looking forward to our next trip, wherever it may be! 

A Secret Garden Birthday on Easter Sunday

Jun 6, 2014 | , , , , | 16 Comments

I am so pleased that my girls love reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett as much as I did as a child.  It has always been one of my favorite books ever since my parents gave me a copy illustrated by Graham Rust for Christmas in 1988, when I was 10 years old. I still have my treasured and well loved copy today. 
I ended up choosing different versions for my girls, giving the Tasha Tudor illustrated edition to our oldest daughter on her last birthday, the Inga Moore illustrated edition to Chiquita last Christmas, and I do have the Graham Rust illustrated edition (like mine) to save for Rose.   (Note: This post includes affiliate links.) 
.: The Birthday Girl :. 
Chiquita’s 9th birthday fell on Easter Sunday this year and her Secret Garden themed party tied in perfectly. It was such a special day!

 
Birthday Hugs and Visiting with Grandpa & Grandma on the phone
.: In the Garden :. 

But she was inside the wonderful garden, and she could come through the door under the ivy any time, and she felt as if she had found a world all of her own.

The older boys helped me create a door out of brown paper.  We added some watercolor wood grains and then created a Key Hole and Keys using black and purple card stock with my Cricut with the Sophisticated Cartridge.

I also used the Sophisticated Cartridge to create the letters for her Birthday Banner placing them on backgrounds cut with Elegant Edges.

I picked up a strand of Ivy with purple flowers and butterflies at the craft store, as well as a few flower plants to use as decorations as well.  It was simple but pretty!

.: The Robin Who Showed the Way :. 

“You showed me where the key was yesterday,” she said. “You ought to show me the door today; but I don’t believe you know!” The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show off – and they are nearly always doing it.

.: Garden Gate Keys :. 

It was more than a ring, however; it was an old key which looked as if it had been buried a long time.

Chocolate keys with Dark Cocoa, Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Candy Melts and a Skeleton Key Chocolate Candy Mold
.: Nest Building :. 
“It’s part o’ th’ springtime, this nest-buildin’ is,” he said. ” I warrant it’s been goin’ on in th’ same way every year since th’ world was begun. They’ve got their way o’ thinking  an’ coin  things, an’ a body had better not meddle. You can lose a friend in springtime easier than any other season if you’re too curious.”  
.: A Bit of Earth :. 
“Might I,” quavered Mary, “might I have a bit of earth?” In her eagerness she did not realize how queer the words would sound and that they were not the ones she had meant to sat. Mr Craven looked quite startled.  “Earth!” he repeated. “What do you mean?” “To plant seeds in – to make things grow – to see them come alive,” Mary faltered. 

Chocolate “Bit of Earth” Cupcakes baked in Flower Pots (similar to these) with Chocolate Carrots
.: Bird Bingo :. 
“What kind of bird is he?” Mary asked. “Doesn’t tha’ know? He’s a robin redbreast, an’ they’re th’ friendliest, curiousest birds alive. They’re almost as friendly as dogs – if you know how to get on with ’em. Watch him peck in’ about there an’ looking’ round at us now an again. He knows we’re talking’ about him.”

.: Skipping Rope :. 
The skipping-rope was a wonderful thing. She counted and skipped, and skipped and counted, until her cheeks were quite red, and she was more interested than she had ever been since she was born. 
The girls all received jump ropes in their Easter Baskets this year! 
.: Searching for Easter Eggs :. 
Our Annual Easter Egg Hunt was another fun birthday activity this year!  The birthday girl was totally confused when Uncle Brian gave her a hint: “where was the garden key found?”  She started looking for signs of where eggs might be buried (the key was discovered buried in dirt in the actual book) while her older brother discovered the stash of eggs behind a dislodged brick (the key was found behind a brick in the version of the movie my siblings and I watched recently when we were kids).  The birthday girl was so excited to find the Golden Egg this year! 
.: Birthday Gifts :. 
As I mentioned in this year’s Easter Basket post, I usually fill a “Family Easter Basket” with gifts representing the various Easter Symbols. This year the basket was filled with extra gifts for the Birthday Girl:

She also received a card and spending money from her out-of-state grandparents and The Beaver Family from my parents (we are all Beaver Fans after all!) , and even an Easter Egg filled with candy and more spending money from Uncle Brian & Aunt Meagan!
She also received sweet and thoughtful little gifts from her siblings… 
.: Secret Garden Birthday Cake :. 
I posted all about the cake here: Secret Garden Birthday Cake

It was such a fun birthday and so special that it happened to fall on Easter Sunday this year!

Secret Garden Birthday Cake

Jun 4, 2014 | , | 16 Comments

On Holy Saturday, somewhere between preparing food and clothing for Easter Sunday and filling Easter baskets and eggs for the children, I had a birthday cake to bake and decorate!  This was the first time Chiquita’s birthday has fallen on Easter Sunday and it won’t fall on Easter again until her Golden Birthday (she’ll turn 20 on the 20th) in 2025!

I wasn’t able to talk the birthday girl into an “Easter” theme with perhaps another “Lamb Cake.” Actually I probably could have, but I knew how much she had been enjoying her copy of The Secret Garden ever since she received it Christmas morning so I thought I would try my best to pull off an Easter-ish Secret Garden theme for her this year.   (Note: This post includes affiliate links.) 

I went to the craft store on the morning of Holy Saturday to try and find a few decorations, and by evening I still didn’t have a plan for the cake.  I looked through my stash of decorating supplies and decided to see what I could come up with using Green, Lavender, Dark Cocoa, and Peanut Butter Candy Melts.  I had an idea of how I might be able to possibly make a green candy vine to wrap around the garden/cake, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull it off or not.  My oldest son, who was my helper (I needed an extra set of hands), wasn’t sure either and we were both so excited that it actually worked and the small “Secret Garden” cake turned out darling!

Secret Garden Cake

Supplies: 

2 – 6″ Round Cakes
Light Green Frosting (we used Pillsbury’s Key Lime) 
Dark Cocoa Candy Melts
Peanut Butter Candy Melts
Green Candy Melts
Lavender Candy Melts
Disposable Decorating Bags  (I used a baggie with one corner trimmed off)
Mini Roses Chocolate Mold
Green Decorators Icing
Parchment Paper
Large Coffee Can or Other Cylinder (it needs to be slightly larger than the cakes in circumference) 

Directions: 

To make the garden door I sketched a door, with a key hole, and placed it under parchment paper. I then used some Dark Cocoa Candy Melts for the keyhole and wood grain.  Then I outlined the edges of the door and filled the center in completely with the Peanut Butter Candy Melts.

Next I created some lavender roses for one side of the cake. These could be made in any color, but this particular birthday girl loves purple.

For the green vine to wrap around the garden, I sketched a design and taped it to the outside of a large Costco sized can of Folgers Coffee to use as a guide and then covered it with parchment paper.

While my oldest son held the can I piped on the melted green candy. We held it for about 10 minutes until the candy had hardened completely. Then carefully slipped it off the parchment paper!

Our cake was chocolate with key lime frosting at the request of the birthday girl – a strange combination but it was actually really yummy, even paired with strawberry ice cream. . . 
After the cake was trimmed, stacked and, frosted, I added the door, vine, and then roses on the other side connected with green decorator’s icing.  We topped the cake with nine green candles for the birthday girl. 

Railroad Park

Jun 3, 2014 | | 4 Comments

Our official school year has been coming to an end with all sorts of fun: daily swimming lessons for two weeks, Young Hunters Day, and even a trip to the Railroad Park. Today the kids had their last lessons with the tutor and as a little reward for doing so great on all their testing this year she took them all (including Rose) out for pizza!  Since the two year old had fallen asleep I ended up staying home and I’m not sure who is enjoying this special treat more, me or the kids! 😉

Anyways, of all the things I could be doing with this rare quiet time, blogging was the first on my list! I am working on the list of books that are in our June Book Basket, but in the meantime here are some pictures from our trip to the Railroad Park on Memorial Day weekend.

The park is only open to the pubic two Sundays a month from April-October and admission is free. My sister JoAnn and brother David were both home from college for the weekend so they met us there, along with my Mom, brother Brian and his family, and Aunt Bridget.  It was packed and hot, but had fun before leaving to pick up Chipotle for lunch and spend the afternoon swimming at Brian’s house.

At the Railroad Park you can ride miniature trains pulled by various “Built to Scale” live steam and “diesel” locomotives over nearly a mile of track.  Our group of 16 all piled on the train.  You can see my mom waving towards the back! 🙂



We got to see a working exhibit of Morse telegraphy: the way railroads communicated a hundred years ago.

The park has a Willamette Geared Steam Locomotive that has been undergoing extensive rebuilding…

… as well as numerous pieces of full sized railroad equipment, restored or being restored. Three cars are open to the public.

There is a permanent G scale garden railway…


… and the park wouldn’t be complete without Thomas the Tank.  Bud was in heaven!

Young Hunters Day 2014

Jun 3, 2014 | , | 5 Comments

For years we have been taking the children on a “Field Trip” to the Young Hunters Day, an annual event which includes lots of fun activities, lunch, and even a raffle.  It is sponsored by our local Hunters Association and is always completely free to attend. In 2008 my husband took just our oldest two boys, in 2009 and 2010 we all went, I stayed home with the babies in 2011 and 2013, and I took all the kids myself back in 2012 while my husband had to work. Sean was able to work overtime this past weekend so I took the kids once again.

The Tomahawk Throwing was probably everyone’s favorite this year, especially Snuggles.  Twinkle Toes always loves the archery, the big boys always love the Lazer and Trap Shooting. We ran out of time for fishing, and I didn’t get any pictures of the Arrow Head display or all the amazing boomerangs, but I did manage to take pictures of everything else!

.: Tomahawk Throwing :.
First attempt!

.: Lazer Shoot :. 
.: Pelt Identification :. 

.: Archery :. 

.: Trap Shooting :.

.: Color-Ons T-Shirts :.


At the end of the day there is a raffle. Each child receives a ticket and when their name gets called they get to go into the building to choose their prize. (No parents allowed!) I always love seeing what each child chooses on their own. This year Captain picked out an Emergency Blanket and Camping Cutlery, Rascal picked a set of Flashlights, Twinkle Toes picked a new sleeping bag, Chiquita picked a pack of Paper targets (to go with the grand prize air shot riffle she won last year. . .  much to the amazement of her older brothers. Twinkle Toes also won a grand prize back in 2009 and came so close this year with her name called 4th after the three grand prize winners!), Snuggles picked out his very own canteen, and (our Play Dough deprived) Rose was incredibly excited about her Dough Go Round and has been asking to open it every day since. . . 

My Daybook :: May 31, 2014

Jun 1, 2014 | , , , | 35 Comments


Outside my window… 
We have had contractors working outside again this week.  Our garage is on hold while we work on getting permits, but we have made progress on the patio outside of the dining room addition! We have been putting this project off for the past 3-4 years and it’s so nice to finally have it started.  Part of this project includes building a permanent shed and enclosing our water pumps, pressure tank, etc, to hopefully help prevent them from freezing again this next winter.

 
 

I am thankful… 
that we were able to overcome the “Concrete Emergency” that happened sometime between 12-1pm on Friday… It was “Pour Day” and the contractors had arrived at 6am to prepare for the concrete arriving at 7am.  Everything was going beautifully until the concrete started to dry. It was time to start hosing off the top to finish the “Exposed Aggregate” patio.  The contractor turned on the hose and nothing came out. I found the key to the lid on the holding tank and sure enough it was empty. I had no water in the house and the deep well wasn’t pumping any water into the holding tank.   The contractor yelled “I need THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER. NOW!”

I pretty much had a panic attack right then and there, and I am still trying to recover from the stress! It never occurred to us that he was going to need so much water and that we were going to have a problem. He knew we had a holding tank. Anyways, I ran back behind the house and flipped the breaker to the well which got the well pumping again, then I tricked the restricter float into thinking the tank had more water left than it did so the hoses would work again, but that only lasted 5 minutes, at best.  I got on the phone with our the pump guys to try and figure out why the deep well wasn’t producing water (they headed out immediately), called every water delivery service in the area (not one could bring us emergency water), and ultimately was able to contact my neighbors for permission to run hoses from their well! (We live on a few acres, but were able to make it work with five long hoses. Thank you Don & Bev!) Catastrophe avoided.  Barely.

I am thinking… 
If yesterday was any indication, we are really going to need to work on conserving water this summer.  Our well is a low producing well, which is why we have a holding tank, but the reason the water kept stopping was that it wasn’t producing enough for even a steady stream to flow into the holding tank.  We usually have problems with running out of water towards the end of summer, but never in May. Everything is so dry already this year.

Learning all the time…
In addition to learning all about concrete this week, the children all started swimming lessons on Tuesday!  All seven are taking classes and we’ve been at the pool from 3-7pm each day.  This is actually the first year that I have not had to get in the pool with the little ones for the “Mom & Baby” classes!  Ranger has been learning how to teach Bud to swim, and Twinkle Toes has been working with Rose.

 

Just before the first class  – Bud wasn’t too sure what to think! 

Celebrating the liturgical year…
This week we celebrated Ascension Thursday (which has been transferred to Sunday/tomorrow in our diocese), the feast of St. Joan of Arc, and the traditional feast of the Queenship of Mary.  I had big plans, but ended up having to keep our celebrations extra simple this year.  We decided to save our Ascension Picnic for Sunday so that Sean would be able to join us.  He has been working long days and lots of extra hours due to an upcoming deadline he has at work.

From the kitchen… 
The big boys took over the kitchen recently while working on an optional Chemistry experiment from the lesson about “Mixtures” — Baking a Chocolate Cake!  I’m still avoiding all dairy so I didn’t get to taste it, but they got an A+ for cleaning the kitchen and washing all the dishes.



I am working on… 
finding ways to control the nauseousness. I’ve been so sick!  I keep reminding myself that this is a good sign, and trying my best to offer it up.

I am creating…
a Chemistry Study Folder with Snuggles as we review all of the lessons we’ve completed so far this year in Focus on Elementary Chemistry.  He has really been enjoying this unit study and it’s the first thing he wants to work on when he wakes up in the morning!

I am going…
to sleep so early each night…  I can’t seem to stay awake much past 9pm, which is crazy! I’m falling behind on all the things I usually get done late at night, after the children are asleep, like blogging and answering emails.  I know I need the extra sleep. Snuggles keeps reminding me that I’m “Growing a Baby!”

I am hoping…
to have a chance to post Chiquita’s birthday pictures. She keeps asking when they will be on the blog.  Soon!

I am praying…
that baby is healthy and growing, and that all will look good at my ultrasound next Friday.

I am reading…
The time at the pool has finally given me a chance to start reading some of the books that have been piling up on my nightstand beginning with Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler! Next up is The Little Oratory and Teaching From a State of Rest (or Kindle version here).

I’ve also been reading Hittite Warrior aloud after lunch while the children work on various projects.

Pondering these words…
from today’s Quiet Moment in Catholic Digest:

“One of the most beautiful moments in history was that when pregnancy met pregnancy when child bearers became the first heralds of the King of Kings.“ Ven. Fulton Sheen

I am listening… 
to the Andy Griffith Show.  The children are watching an episode with their Dad.

Around the house…
I keep finding little Bible Story illustrations that Chiquita has been creating inspired by her Great Adventure Kids Bible Story Coloring Book. We will have to add these to her timeline.

One of my favorite things…  
watching Rose with her big brothers.  She sure has them wrapped around that little finger of hers.

This week’s plans…

  • Sunday: Mass for the Feast of Ascension 
  • Monday-Thursday: Swimming Lessons
  • Tuesday: Final Lessons with Tutor before Summer Break
  • Friday: Dating Ultrasound!

A little peek at my day…
My husband had to work again today so I took the children to the annual Young Hunters Day.  They had a blast shooting arrows, throwing tomahawks, and so much more!

On Easter Morning {Our 2014 Easter Baskets!}

May 28, 2014 | , , , | 15 Comments

I have already shared Pictures from Easter Sunday and Our Annual Easter Sunday Egg Hunt. Before I move on to the pictures from the Chiquita’s birthday I have Easter Baskets to share, following morning Mass on Easter Sunday.  You can find my past post where I listed the various books and gifts I purchased for this Easter here, but I will include the links in this post as well. (Note: As you already know, all Amazon links are affiliate links.)

It is always so much fun to watch the littlest ones with their baskets! The first thing Bud pulled out of his basket was the Hollow Chocolate Egg with a White Chocolate Chick inside from See’s. He immediately unwrapped his candy and took a bite. We all watched and waited to see him discover the chick inside. So cute!  We saved his chocolate cross and lamb for later.

After he finished his egg he sat back down to see what else there was to discover inside that basket of his.  Bud read through (at least once) each and every new book he found in his Easter basket.  

Bud immediately fell in love with his handmade St. Andrew Pillow Doll from his godmother! 
And then went right back to reading his new books! 

In addition to a pink chocolate Hello Kitty bunny, Hollow Egg, and Chocolate Lamb, Rose received the following books in her basket: Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls, All Creatures Great and Small, Quiet Time With Cassatt, Sharing with Renoir and Painting with Picaso, Sense and Sensibility: A BabyLit Opposites Primer, My First Pictures of Mary, and Easter Bunny’s Amazing Day.

She also was given a beautiful St. Therese Pillow Doll… 
… along with a pink headband with little roses and a darling apron covered with cupcakes from Sew Sweet by Shannon. 

Snuggles reactions to all his books were so cute. I just love how excited he was to discover books about St. George, St. Michael, Blessed Miguel Pro, and the Holy Father! His older brothers couldn’t wait to get their hands on his new illustrated version of The Hobbit too and plan to start reading it to him soon. His books included: Heroes of God: Saints for Boys, Jorge from Argentina, The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition, Saint George and the Dragon , Saint for Boys: Sticker Book, A Little Book About Confession for Children. I also included The Saint who Fought the Dragon: The Story of St. George.


He also found a See’s Hollow Egg, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg, Chocolate Lamb, St. Michael Pillow Saint, Paper Chalk, a set of 12 Soft Pastels, and buried at the bottom a little lego set! 

Yes, Mom is sneaky like that!  I took all the legos out of the boxes and used them as filler for the bottom of the boy’s baskets this year.  As soon as Snuggles discovered his the big boys checked the bottom of their baskets and sure enough they found lego sets too! 😉

 

Chiquita received the following books in her Easter Basket: Book of Saints for Catholic Children: 96 Illustrated Stories, Heroines of God: Saints for Girls, A Story of St. Clare, The Queen and the Cross: The Story of Saint Helen, Saints for Girls: Sticker Book and Saint Bernadette: The Miracle of Lourdes.

Chiquita also received a Saints ‘N Stiches Kit of her Patron Saint, a green headband and Purple Tote from Sew Sweet by Shannon, a Cake Batter Filled Easter Egg (it was her birthday after all), a Chocolate See’s Egg, a Chocolate Lamb, 12 Soft Pastels, Lyra Aquacolor Crayon, Pentel Oil Pastels, Passion Fruit EOS Lip Balm in a Purple “Egg”, and a new jump rope!

I usually fill a “Family Easter Basket” with gifts representing the various Easter Symbols.  This year the basket was filled with extra gifts for the Birthday Girl:

Twinkle Toes’ Easter Basket was filled with Saints & Heroes, Saint Joan of Arc: Quest for Peace, Sisters of the Last Straw, Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits: A Patria Story (Volume 1) and (Volume 2), and The Story of Saint John Paul II, A Boy Who Became Pope.

She also received a Saints ‘N Stiches Kit of her Patron Saint, a blue headband and Pink Tote from Sew Sweet by Shannon (she LOVES this tote!), a Chocolate Easter Egg wrapped in pink foil, a Chocolate See’s Egg, a Chocolate Lamb, 12 Soft Pastels, Lyra Aquacolor Crayon, Sakura Oil Pastels, Paper Chalk, Strawberry Sorbet EOS Lip Balm in a Pink “Egg”, and a new pink jump rope! 
 

Ranger loved the personalized St. Joseph Prayer Pillowcase he found in his Easter Basket, along with his Twix Egg, Chocolate Hollow Chick Egg, and Chocolate Lamb.  He has also already built the Metal Earth Parthenon.  His new craft supplies (to go along with our upcoming Meet the Masters lessons) included Lyra Aquacolor Crayons, Paper Chalk, 24 Soft Pastels and Oil Pastels from Pentel.  He also loved the lego set he found buried in the bottom of his basket. 

Captain also recieved a personalized Prayer Pillowcase, with St. Patrick pictured. He also has a love of Peeps (which I just do not understand) and was thrilled to discover a Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg with a PEEP inside.  His basket also included the See’s Chocolate Egg, Chocolate Lamb, Art Supplies (Lyra Aquacolor Crayons, Paper Chalk, 24 Soft Pastels, and Oil Pastels from Pentel), the Metal Earth Brandenburg Gate, and a lego set (my boys have been enjoying the Great Vehicles legos lately, ever since our trip to the hospital). 


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

  • ▼2024 (28)
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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!