Summer Daybook :: Camping at Willow Lake
We arrived home again yesterday afternoon, after spending four beautiful days and three nights with some friends and family at Willow Lake, a wooded escape set at the base of Mt. McLoughlin.
I am thinking…
The last (and only) time I had ever been to Willow Lake was fifteen years ago this summer, when Sean and I were engaged. We drove out for the day, sat on the banks of the lake, talked for hours, and read a few chapters from Three to Get Married. *This post contains affiliate links.
I am thankful…
Sean was able to camp with us! His boss called him off the engine and back to the office for some meetings this past Wednesday-Friday. He was able to get off work Friday at noon to make the 12:05 Mass for the Solemnity feast of the Assumption and then we headed to the campground! He is back in the office today and will most likely be heading back out soon on another fire assignment.
Learning all the time…
My youngest brother also went camping with us and two of his good friends from college drove out on Saturday with their jet ski and two-rider tube (like this one). I loved jet skiing as a teen, but that was years ago and this was the first time for our three oldest. It was also their (our oldest three) first time being out on a lake (other than a couple boat rides when they were younger) and their first time tubing. Oh my, did we have a BLAST! Even I went for crazy ride on the tube with my brother. I think he was trying to kill me and kept telling his friend to speed up and spin us while I clung to the handles with all my strength. . . I’m still sore!
I didn’t have my camera down at the lake when we were jet skiing, but I did take some pictures of the children enjoying the rafts (brought by friends of ours) each afternoon.
Celebrating the liturgical year…
It was such a blessing to have a priest drive out to the campground to offer Mass for us on Sunday evening!
From the kitchen…
On our way out of town I stopped at a local farm to pick up a couple dozen ears of sweet corn to go along with the Hamburgers and Hotdogs one of the other families provided following Mass on Sunday. We soaked the corn in water for about an hour and then Sean cooked them over our campfire. It was amazing!
I am working on…
responding to emails… I had “No Service” on my cell phone up at the lake and came back to “160 New Messages” and a Catholic Digest deadline on Monday night! I did manage to send my November submission off at 11:22pm last night, but it might take me a little while to answer some of the emails.
I am creating…
a list of things we need for the motorhome. I need to get a collapsable hamper for laundry, baskets to hold various things in the cupboards, some extra utensils and potholders, extra toothbrushes for each of the children, and a number of other random things that would make traveling a little easier.
I am going…
to try not to lose the list this time!
I am hoping…
that we are able to take a few more camping trips this fall, after fire season ends.
I am praying…
for my husband’s safety, and for the safety of all our firefighters.
I am reading…
I downloaded Full Steam Ahead to my iPad’s Kindle App before we left and actually managed to finish reading it over the weekend while camping! I have always enjoyed reading historical romances, but it had been awhile since I’ve spent time reading anything “just for fun.” Hopefully I can squeeze in one or two more books before the end of summer!
Pondering these words…
I also picked out a little book for myself when I was placing an order for school books from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts last month. I’ve been reading a couple pages or so each day and Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart is such an excellent and inspiring book!
I am listening…
to Bud talking all about the “rocks, rocks, rocks… and BIG ROCKS!” He played with the rocks for hours while we were camping, stacking them on his daddy and on his head!
Around the house…
LOTS of laundry and boxes of new school books! I’ve been having fun looking through the new books in between loads of laundry.
I love seeing my girls playing sports in their bonnets. Last week I shared a picture of Twinkle Toes playing baseball in her bonnet and while we were camping Chiquita was playing 500 with all the boys wearing her bonnet.
This week’s plans…
- Visit from my cousin and her family!
- Dentist Appointments
- Back-to-School BBQ
- Meet with potential Piano Teacher
A little peek at my day…
End-of-School Interviews for 2013-2014
Summer Daybook :: August 12, 2014
Outside my window…
I ignored my never ending to-do list yesterday, took the children to the library to turn in their summer reading check lists, and then headed out to my parents home for the day!
My mom made lunch for all of us and the kids had so much fun visiting with their Uncle David and Uncle Kevin, who will both be headed back to college soon.
I am thinking…
about blog nicknames, and how necessary it is to keep using them here at Shower of Roses. When I first started blogging over seven years ago, back in 2007, I was pregnant with our fifth child and our oldest was still only six years old! There weren’t very many other Catholic bloggers and using nicknames was common. At the time using nicknames made my husband and I more comfortable with sharing our family online even though I’ve dropped little hints over the years. It doesn’t seem nearly as necessary any longer and my husband has given me permission to use their names… but I’m still thinking about it. 🙂
I am thankful…
that my husband arrived home safely last Tuesday night! However, even though he is back in town, we haven’t gotten to see him very much. He worked at the office on Wednesday and Thursday and then, following some meetings on Friday morning, has been working on an engine since. Last night he didn’t get home until after 11pm and was gone again around 6:30am this morning. Despite the extra challenges, we are thankful for the overtime too! It is always such a blessing each fire season.
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| August 5, 2014: “Daddy’s Home!” |
Our little “Rose” ran and jumped into his arms when he walked in last Tuesday night, after being at fire camp for the previous 10 days. The kids were also excited to see what sort of lunch leftovers he had for them this time!
Learning all the time…
The children are all enjoying their summer break and we won’t be starting our new school year until after Labor Day! Nevertheless, we have been working on some math lessons to get a jump start on the year and hopefully give us some flexibility to go on a family vacation in the fall. Our summer days have also been filled with great books and art projects. I love how they truly are “learning all the time.”
With Sean still working on fires (currently on an engine locally) and fighting this head cold, I COMPLETELY forgot that the boys were suppose to serve Mass on Sunday morning. (It probably would have been a good idea to write it down in my planner.) I woke up thinking we’d go to an afternoon Mass but remembered at 10:20 that it was the annual St. Anthony Festa! Oh, NO!!! I sent a friend a text msg to see if it was at 10:30 or 11:00, grabbed some Mass clothes for myself and the little ones plus the boys’ cassocks and surplices, and loaded the car with all seven kids. We left the house at 10:35 to drive to the fairgrounds (we usually allow 30 minutes) and the boys miraculously arrived at 10:55, five minutes before Mass, to find to rosary just ending and Father waiting… Whew, that was way too close! (And thank you Guardian Angles!) On another note, I realized during Mass that the last time we saw Father Carmelo was when he met us at the cemetery in June to bury our little Anthony, who I miscarried on the feast of St. Anthony this year. What a morning… I think it might take me all week to recover!
From the kitchen…
On Saturday morning my mom picked me up and we headed to the local Growers Market. I came home with lots of freshly picked produce to help us get over the colds we have been fighting since last week. I think I’m actually getting over this one without it turning into secondary infections, for the first time in over a year!
I am working on…
stopping what I’m doing to play with the children. After watching The Perfect Game recently they have all started playing baseball together each afternoon and I’ve been joining the fun!
(I actually ordered the Blu-Ray version of The Perfect Game, but it’s also currently available for Free Streaming with Prime!)
I am creating…
a list of the books that are on the girls’ bookshelf for those who have asked. I’ll try and post it soon!
I am going…
to the dentist this afternoon for a filling… no fun.
I am hoping…
to come up with some plans for our oldest daughter’s birthday at the end of the month! Where has the summer gone?! I really need to find the reset button… With our miscarriage at the beginning of summer, and everything that has followed, it has gone by so quickly and I’m just not ready for school to start again in a couple weeks.
I am praying…
for my husband’s safety, and for the safety of all our firefighters. We are also praying for a special intention for our family, and that God will make His will clear to us. (And for so many other intentions including all the Christians in Iraq…)
I am reading…
lots of picture books to the little ones. Yesterday was the last day to turn in the summer reading lists and book reports at our local library, and I woke up to find the boys sitting outside working on their reports on The Hobbit (Audiobook with Tolkien Dictionary) and Shadow in the Dark.
Pondering these words…
from St. Jane Frances de Chantal:
I am listening…
to this little guy pretending to be Johnny Cash with his sister’s “Sound of Music” guitar.
Around the house…
LEGO! I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera the other day after walking by the boys’ bedroom and seeing an ent hanging from the side of one of the houses in their LEGO town! I really need to share pictures of some of the boys’ creations.
One of my favorite things…
the wi-fi function on my camera! I finally figured out how to enable the wifi and transfer a photo from my camera directly to my iPhone using the EOS Remote app. I ❤ this feature!
This week’s plans…
We have a camping trip with friends coming up and I am praying that I can still pull it off without Sean’s help. Please say a little prayer for me!
A little peek at my day…
My youngest brothers pulled out there Slow Stick Airplanes yesterday to show their nieces and nephews, then played a game of Frisbee Golf before the smoky skies started getting worse and it was time for us to go home. It was such a fun day!
Gail Girón Design {Sponsored Giveaway}
I have another giveaway for you all today! In addition to creating beautiful rosaries and jewelry, Gail Girón Design recently started designing magnets as well! Every item in Gail’s Etsy Shop is handmade and ready to ship. You can also contact her directly to request a custom order.
Gail is offering to give away three of her inspiring magnets featuring St. Michael, Pope St. John Paul II, and St. Therese of Lisieux! Three winners will be chosen, one for each magnet. The giveaway will be open through August 14th, and the winners will be chosen, contacted by email, and announced here in this post on August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
The Big Girls’ Bedroom {and How We Organize Their American Girl Dolls and Clothes}
“Buttercream is a soft yellow with just enough pink to give it a rosy glow without turning peach. It is a mental, intellectual color promoting creativity, logic and organization. Reminiscent of sunshine, it also encourages hope and optimism.”
The girls dresser is one that I was given. I had it painted and the knobs replaced by the same lady who painted my dining room hutch. The “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” sign reminds me of my Grandmother, who would always sing that song to me as a child, and was purchased from a local boutique when the girls were younger.
Twinkle Toes keeps her American Girl Dolls on top of the dresser along with her doll cradle.
Chiquita keeps her dolls, along with Kaya’s Animals and Josefina’s bed, on top of the short bookcase in between the foot of their bunk bed and the bedroom door.
When I had to give up our little school room to the younger boys last summer (sniff, sniff . . . I’m still recovering from the loss and struggling to find new homes for everything), I moved two of the newer white bookcases to the big girls’ bedroom. The taller bookshelf is filled with quite a few books from my childhood, as well as some of the girls own favorites. The bottom shelf has Magazine Files for all of their Lap Books (both completed and in-progress) as well as three-ring binders that contain their individual Holy Card Collections.
We usually hang a crucifix above each bed, but the girls’ crucifixes are still hanging above the beds in their old room. Using a couple holes that were already in the wall, I “temporarily” hung a crucifix and our Our Lady of Mount Carmel picture (also from the school room) last summer.
The smaller bookshelf was transformed into their American Girl Clothes Closet and Bookshelf!
Last year I ordered some tiny wooden hangers at the suggestion of a friend (Thank you, Aimee!) and they are just darling!
I ordered a mix of the standard Doll Clothes Hangers and some Doll Clothes Hangers with Clips.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little tour of their bedroom. Now I have proof that it was actually clean for a couple days! Time to move on and see if we can tackle another room or two in this house before our school year begins. . .
Summer Fun :: Paint By Number
A few years ago the girls were each given a Paint-by-Number Craft Kit for Christmas from one of their uncles. They were a little young for them at the time, but inspired by our most recent Meet-the-Masters lesson on Claude Monet (a favorite from Tract A which I still need to blog about!) they asked if they could try painting the pictures. After a couple late nights and extra early mornings, the girls were able to complete their paintings before their Daddy and older brothers arrived home from summer camp on July 19th. I had no idea that a paint-by-number could turn out so nicely, or that our little artists would enjoy them so much!
Looking Down…
… 110 feet, from the top of a lookout tower. Apparently it doesn’t look like there is much work left to do (at least at the fire complex where my husband has been working – we have smoky skies here at home) and he will be heading home tomorrow!
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| Fire Lookout Tower – Built in 1944 |
St. Michael Cap {Sponsored Giveaway}
Defend us in battle! It’s a prayer and devotion to a very special saint that invigorates souls with that holy fervor for defending the Truth and choosing the Light. Catholic Embroidery’s newest design and ball cap brings the fervor to the field! The St. Michael Sword symbol contains the sword and flames of St. Michael, scales of justice in the hilt, and the Angelic saint’s famous ejaculation, “Quis ut Deus” (Who is like unto God?) in bright white lettering. Available in adult and child sizes.
Adult Cap: High quality 6 panel structured black cap with red sandwich bill and buckle closure. 100% brushed cotton
Child Cap: 6 panel unstructured cap with buckle closure. 100% cotton
Catholic Embroidery is pleased to offer 1 cap to a lucky reader of Shower of Roses in their choice of adult or child size.
And to make sure that everyone has a chance to be a winner and bring St. Michael’s symbol into their home, we’re giving away a FREE St. Michael Handkerchief with every St. Michael Cap order. Just mention “Quis ut Deus” in the note box at checkout to claim this FREE handkerchief!
4th Annual Online Curriculum Sale Blog Hop {August 1-7, 2014}
- Create a blog post with your gently used curriculum (and any other books/items) that you’d like to sell or pass on to another family, with pictures if possible.
- Add a link to your post, referring back to this post, so that others can find the link up.
- Using the linky below, enter the direct link to your post.
- Out of consideration for everyone participating in the Curriculum Sale Blog Hop, please only request items that you intend to purchase and are able to submit payment for promptly, preferably within 24 hours, unless prior arrangements have been made with the person selling the books.
- Sellers please update your posts with “sale pending” or “sold” when possible.
- Purchasers, if you request books from a seller, please don’t leave them hanging and respond to their confirmation email within a reasonable amount of time. If the seller doesn’t hear back from you within 24 hours they may decide to remove the “sale pending” and make the books you requested available to others.
- The linky will remain open from August 1-7, 2014, so be sure to check back for new links! I’ve added a button to the right sidebar of the blog so this post can be found easily.
Our 2014 Used Book Sale {August 1-7, 2014}
It’s time for the 4th Annual Online Curriculum Sale Blog Hop! You can find all the details, browse books for sale on other blogs, or add a link to your own post here.
Most of the books in this post were left over from the last book sale in May. I’ve reduced the prices and added some new books as well. I really don’t have that much to sell this time, but I may be back later to add some more if I get a chance to go through the bookshelves in the bedrooms.
If you are interested in purchasing any of the items in this post, please leave a comment listing the books you would like, along with your email address. (The email address box is now part of the comment form here at Shower of Roses and it won’t be displayed publicly.) I will send you a private email with your total, including shipping, along with my Paypal address.
Shipping will be a flat rate of $4.00 for 1-3 items (if they will fit in a padded envelope) and $7.00 for a box of any size, to help cover the cost of packaging and media rate postage in the United States.
Out of consideration for myself and everyone else participating in the Curriculum Sale Blog Hop, please only request items that you intend to purchase and are able to submit payment for promptly, preferably within 24 hours, unless other arrangements have been made.
Thank you! Note: Most links are affiliate links.
Saxon Math 7/6 ISBN 1565775074, $10.00 (Previous school textbooks, with wear to covers, fourth edition and nearly identical to the Saxon 7/6: Homeschool Edition. Last year my two oldest boys used 7/6 together with tutors, one the hardcover and one the softcover.)
Asking $10 each (3 1 available at $10)
We Follow Jesus: Image of God Series 4, very good, some wear to cover $1.00 (sold)
Jesus our Guide Activity Book (not pictured) ISBN 9780898708974 Revised Edition, $4.00 (sold)
Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers (Very Good Condition) and Alpha-Phonics Companion Workbook (Like New) – Purchase the set for $15.00 (sold)
To Grow By Storybook Readers Series A, Books 1-9 plus Activity Book, $20.00 for set OBO(for use with Play n’ Talk or as reinforcement of any reading program) (sold)
To Grow By Storybook Readers Series B, Books 10-18 plus Activity Book, $20.00 for set OBO(for use with Play n’ Talk or as reinforcement of any reading program) (sold)
The Universe in my Hands with Dividers, Asking $20.00 OBO
Humility of Heart, older version of this, binding loose on one end, FREE for postage
Purgatory Explained, $1.00 (sold)
Christs Appeal for Love, $1.00
The Saints Show Us Christ, paperback, shelf wear, $2.50
The Last Things, paperback, $2.50
A Man for All Seasons: A Play in Two Acts, $2.50
St. Margaret Clitherow – “The Pearl of York”, $2.00 (sold)
The Divine Life of the Most Holy Virgin, $5.00
Mom to Mom, Day to Day, like new, $3.00 (sold)
All About the Angels, $2.00 (sold)
A Pilgrim’s Journey: The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola, $4.00 (sold)
Dollfuss: An Austrian Patriot, $5.00
Secrets of the Eucharist, $1.00 (sld)
How Christ Changed the World, highlighting throughout, FREE for postage
Angels (and Demons): What do we really know about them? $2.00 (sold)
The Angels: The Catholic Teaching on the Angels, $2.00 (sold)
Christ and His Sacraments, 1958, ex-library, binding cracking, wear to cover with age, $2.00 (sold)
A Short Life of Christ, 1952, $5.00
The Black Arrow, $2.00
The West Point Story, copyright 1956, ex-library, $2.00 (sold)
Pampered Chef Cookbooks/Recipes: Classics; Light & Simple; Great Grilling; Soups, Stews & Chilis – $3.00 for all four (sold)
Christmas Drinks, $1.00 (sold)
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