Sponsor Love: Quarterly Update & Current Specials
Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to all of my new (and returning!) sponsors here at Shower of Roses. The new school year is right around the corner and many of my sponsors are offering some great back to school specials! You can find the links and coupon codes listed below.
Please welcome my new sponsors by visiting their websites:
Ave Maria University
About one-third of students at Ave Maria University were homeschooled all the way through high school. In fact, many of our most successful students come from a home education background. Homeschool students love Ave Maria because they find the rigor of academics challenging, engaging, and truly useful. Parents appreciate that the moral climate on our campus respects and supports the values which they have instilled at home. Our pro-family culture is welcoming, and it’s not uncommon for siblings to attend university side by side or one after another. We are proudly Catholic, rooted in our faith, and open to engagement with the world. We believe very strongly that students must grow virtue in freedom and our job is to create an environment that encourages the flourishing of faith and a spiritual, emotional and social maturity that will last a lifetime.
Christ 101
The Christ 101 program is the first complete, full-blown, semester long, multimedia course specifically made to address the problem of using reason and evidence to establish the truth of Christianity. Made by a homeschooler with other homeschoolers in mind, Christ 101 helps teens and adults intelligently articulate a reasonable defense of Christianity in opposition to skeptics and atheists. The course comes with 28 video lessons and a manual, and teaches students things like why religion is important, what faith really is, how there can be a true religion, why the Gospels should be taken as historically reliable, why there are good reasons to think Jesus was in fact the divine being he claimed to be, and why an act of Christian faith is, at the end of the day, more rational than to not believe. Combining entertaining video lessons and helpful graphics with academically solid information, Christ 101 is the perfect choice for parents who want to make sure the faith of their children is as solid as it can be.
Harvey House Publishing
The mission of Harvey House Publishing is to provide exceptional reading for children that celebrates the Catholic Faith, modesty, the gift of life, and a wholesome childhood. All reading material is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.The pre-teen/early teen novel, The Gate, won first place for Best Novel at the Catholic Press Association Book Awards in June. The Gate is Nancy Carabio Belanger’s latest and third award-winning novel for Catholic ‘tweens. The Gate tells the story of a struggling thirteen-year-old boy who discovers God’s calling for him and his life as a young Catholic. The novel also celebrates the dignity of the priesthood. The Gate has been endorsed by Fr. Brett Brannen of the Archdiocese of Savannah, GA, author of To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide to Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood.
Nancy is also the author of Olivia and the Little Way and its pro-life sequel, Olivia’s Gift. Since 2008, she has been visiting Catholic schools, homeschooling groups, and book clubs to talk about writing, the lives of the saints, and to encourage children not only to live their Catholic faith to the fullest, but to love and cherish it, too. Free discussion guides are available for all three books.
Behold Publications, LLC
Behold Publications, LLC is more than just a publisher! Family owned and operated since its founding in 1999, we have developed great Catholic clubs like the Little Flowers Girls’ Club and Blue Knights Catholic Boys’ Clubs for Catholic girls and boys ages 5 and up. What makes these clubs unique is that they are at their core faithfully Catholic. We don’t “tack on” Catholic identity as other clubs might, but begin and end with a Catholic world view. We also believe that local clubs best operate the way they see fit, so there is no national organization, policies, registration or dues. Groups can easily adjust the program to fit their local needs. Behold Publications also produce a line of historical fiction based on American history and American saints for ages 7-15.
Please visit my returning sponsors:
Holy Heroes offers great back-to-school resources, such as our Life of Jesus (Rosary) Coloring books, Glory Stories, and DIY VBS!
Prayer Pillowcases offers such beautiful products! Our children love all their Prayer Pillowcases and you can see our teenage son heading home from summer camp with his here.
Catholic Embroidery is now offering a new line of rosaries handmade by a Benedictine Monk! They are pleased to carry three styles and are offering them as sets too, with our embroidered rosary cases including the beautiful Divine Mercy Rosary/Chaplet with the matching Divine Mercy Tapestry Pouch. Coupon Code: MONK in the checkout coupon box will give FREE SHIPPING to all orders $25 or more until August 2nd.
Mama’s Notebooks is offering 10% OFF ALL PRODUCTS for the Month of August!
Jesse Tree Treasures creates beautiful handcrafted gifts for the liturgical seasons. Now is a perfect time to order a Custom Set of Jesse Tree Ornaments to use with your family this upcoming Advent!
Gail Giron Designs is currently away at a trade show until August 3rd, but she’ll be open again soon and will be listing many lovely new items in her shop!
Catholic Child is the perfect place to find inspiring gifts for Catholic youth – from toddlers to teens!
Holy Heroes is currently offering a free copy of Glory Stories CD vol 1: The Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini & The Story of St. Juan Diego. You can order the FREE CD here.
Sacred Heart Books & Gifts is offering one more round of FREE SHIPPING before the school year starts! All orders totaling $40.00 or more placed between Friday, August 1st, and Monday, August 4th, will not be charged a shipping fee with coupon code JMJ595.
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Holy Learning knows that August and the back to school time is costly for most families. For the month of August Lindy is offering 50% off all orders with the code “backtoschool“. All products qualify. This is the perfect opportunity to stock up on curriculum supplements or try just one item if you’ve never created a lapbook before!
Sew Sweet by Shannon offers a wide variety of handmade accessories and clothing for children.
Catholic Cuisine offers beautiful embroidered aprons for sale, shipped directly from Catholic Embroidery. You can find all the Catholic Aprons available here, including my favorite “Living the Little Way” apron in honor of St. Therese!
Feasts & Seasons :: Our August Book Basket
At the beginning of each month I fill a basket with books featuring the the various saints whose feast days will be celebrated during the month and place it in the living room. Throughout the month I will find the children curled up on the couch reading books they have chosen from the basket, either on their own or to their younger siblings. I also choose books from the basket for some of our afternoon family read-alouds. Our collection started very small and we have continued adding additional books over the years which we have either purchased or have been given as gifts. Some are picture books, some are chapter books, and some are collections of saint stories. This post is a work in progress and I will continue adding links as I sort through our collection.
August 2nd, Our Lady of the Angels (Hist.):
- Juanita and Our Lady of the Angels by Elizabeth Loch
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| Juanita and Our Lady of the Angels by Elizabeth Loch |
August 4th, St. John Vianney (New) (Trad. – Aug. 8th ):
- A Story of Saint John Vianney by Brother Ernest (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- John Mary Vianney: The Holy Cure of Ars by Sophie de Mullenheim
- Saint John Vianney: A Priest for all People by Elizabeth Marie DeDomenic
- The Cure Of Ars: The Story of St. John Vianney Patron Saint of Parish Priests by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
- The Cure of Ars, the Priest who Out-Talked the Devil (Vision) by Milton Lomask
- Sermons of the Cure of Ars is simply amazing! My husband will sometimes read sermons from this book during dinner, and in the past I have found so much encouragement and inspiration from this book.
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| John Mary Vianney: The Holy Cure of Ars – I just love all our books in The Life of a Saint series from Ignatius, which also includes Therese, Bernadette, and Francis! |
August 8th, St. Dominic (New) (Trad. – Aug. 4th ):
- Saint Dominic (More Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- Saint Dominic (Saints for Boys) by Alma Savage (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- D – St. Dominic (An Alphabet of Saints) by Robert Hugh Benson (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- St. Dominic and the Rosary (Vision) by Catherine Beebe
- St. Dominic: Preacher of the Rosary and Founder of the Dominican Order by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
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| Saint Dominic from Saints for Boys |
August 8th, St. Hormisdas:
- St. Hormisdas and the Camels (Brother Wolf, Sister Sparrow) by Eric A. Kimmel
August 9th, St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein):
- St. Edith Stein: Blessed by the Cross (Encounter the Saints Series)
August 10th, St. Lawrence (New, Trad.):
- A Story of Saint Lawrence by Brother Lawrence Emge (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- Saint Lawrence (Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
August 11th, St. Philomena (Historical):
August 11th, St. Clare of Assisi (New) (Trad. – Aug. 12th ):
- Saint Clare (More Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi by Helen Walker Homan (Vision)
- Clare and Francis by Guido Visconti
- A Story of St. Clare by Brother Ernest (In the Footsteps of the Saints)
- A Sparrow in God’s Hand: The Story of St. Clare (Glory Stories: Volume VII) available from Holy Heroes
- A Light Unto the World – St. Clare of Assisi (Audio)
August 11th, St. Xystus:
- X- St. Xystus (An Alphabet of Saints) by Robert Hugh Benson (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- St. Maximilian Kolbe: The Story of Two Crowns by Claire Jordan Mohan
- Saint Maximilian Kolbe: Mary’s Knight by Patricia Edward Jablonski, FSP
- St. Maximilian Kolbe (Lives of the Saints: An Illustrated History for Children) by Bart Tesoriero
- Saint Maximilian Kolbe (More Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- The Knight and Our Lady!: The Story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe (Glory Stories: Volume X) available from Holy Heroes
August 15th, St. Tarcisius (Hist.):
- Saint Tarcisius by Mary R. Berardi (Whenever I hear St. Tarcisius mentioned, this beautiful book from my childhood comes to mind. My mom gave me this copy, along with the book about St. Agnes, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with our children.)
August 15th, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (New, Trad.):
- The Story of Mary: Our Mother (also available from Sacred Heart Books & Gifts)
- My First Pictures of Mary
- See Our May Book Basket for additional books about the Blessed Virgin Mary
August 16th, St. Roch (Hist.):
- Saint Roch and the Dog (Legends of Saints and Beasts) by Ann Marie Jauss
- St. Roch (Lives of the Saints: An Illustrated History for Children) by Bart Tesoriero
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| Saint Roch and the Dog from Legends of Saints and Beasts |
August 17th, St. Hyacinth (Trad.):
- Hyacinth (More Once Upon a Time Saints) by Ethel Pochocki
- St. Hyacinth Of Poland by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
August 18th, St. Helena (Trad./some places):
- Saint Constantine & Saint Helen (Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- H- St. Helen (An Alphabet of Saints) by Robert Hugh Benson (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- Saint Helena (Saints for Girls) by Eve Rouke (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- The Queen and the Cross: The Story of St. Helen by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky
- St. Helena and the True Cross by by Louis de Wohl
- The Living Wood: Saint Helena and the Emperor Constantine by Louis de Wohl
- In This Sign You Shall Conquer (The Story of Constantine and St. Helena) Audio CD
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| Saint Helena from Saints for Girls |
August 20th, St Bernard of Clairvaux (New, Trad.):
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (More Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
August 21st, St. Our Lady of Knock (Hist.):
- Our Lady of Knock (Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints) by Ethel Pochocki
August 21st, St. Pius X (New) (Trad. – Sep. 3rd):
- St. Pius X, the Farm Boy who became Pope (Vision) by Walter Diethelm
August 22nd, The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (New) (Trad. – May 31st) and Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Trad) (New – Saturday following 2nd Sunday after Pentecost):
- The Immaculate Heart of Mary (Mondays With Mary) by Meredith Henning
- The Catholic Child and the Blessed Virgin (with pictures, prayers, and links)
- The Immaculate Heart of Mary (A Holy Card Prayer Book Volume I & II)
- See Our May Book Basket for additional books about the Blessed Virgin Mary
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| Vintage 1960 edition of Jesus, Make Me Worthy |
August 23rd, St. Rose of Lima (New) (Trad. – Aug. 30th):
- St. Rose of Lima by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
- St. Rose of Lima (Saints and Angels) by Claire Llewellyn
- St. Rose of Lima (Lives of the Saints: An Illustrated History for Children) by Bart Tesoriero
- Saint Rose of Lima (More Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- Knock and it will be Opened to You!: The Story of Saint Rose of Lima (Glory Stories: Vol X) available from Holy Heroes
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| St. Rose of Lima from Lives of the Saints: An Illustrated History for Children |
August 24th, St. Bartholomew (New, Trad.):
- Bartholomew (The Twelve Apostles) by Marianna Meyer
August 25th, St. Louis IX of France (New, Trad.):
- St. Louis IX: Saint and King (The Book of Saints and Heroes) by Andrew Lang
- L- St. Louis (An Alphabet of Saints) by Robert Hugh Benson (Neumann Press – also available from TAN)
- St. Louis and the Last Crusade by Margaret Ann Hubbard
- The Boyhood of Louis IX (The Golden Legend of Saints)
August 26th, Our Lady of Czestochowa (Hist.):
- Our Lady of Czestochowa (Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints) by Ethel Pochocki
August 27th, St. Monica (New) (Trad. – May 4th):
- Saint Monica & Saint Augustine (Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- St. Augustine: From Saint to Sinner (The Book of Saints and Heroes) by Andrew Lang
- The Restless Flame: A Novel about Saint Augustine by Louis de Wohl
- The Power of Prayer (The Story of St. Monica and St. Augustine) Audio CD
August 28th, St. Moses the Black:
- Moses the Black (More Once Upon a Time Saints) by Ethel Pochocki
- Saint Moses (Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
August 28th, St. Augustine (New, Trad.)
- St. Augustine (Saints and Angels) by Claire Llewellyn
- St. Augustine (Lives of the Saints: An Illustrated History for Children) by Bart Tesoriero
- Saint Monica & Saint Augustine (Saints: Lives and Illuminations) by Ruth Sanderson
- The Restless Flame: A Novel about Saint Augustine by Louis de Wohl
- The Power of Prayer (The Story of St. Monica and St. Augustine) Audio CD
August 29th, The Passion (Beheading) of St. John the Baptist (New, Trad.):
- Beheading of John the Baptist (Lives and Legends of Saints) by Carole Armstrong
August 30th, Sts. Felix and Adauctus (Trad.):
- Adauctus (More Once Upon a Time Saints) by Ethel Pochocki
August 30th – St. Rose of Lima (Trad.)
(See Aug. 23rd)
Other Links for August:
My Daybook :: July 28, 2014
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| A beautiful picture my husband took and emailed me recently while working “In the Woods” |
Fire season is in full force in our area. Sean spent Saturday on an engine, and then left early yesterday morning for a wildfire assignment in Central Oregon. Today he called to say hello (and that he was still alive!) following a morning spent strapped and harnessed into an open helicopter, flying over the fire searching for hotspots with his infrared detector. Fun! :/
I am thinking…
that my husband sure hasn’t been home much this month! Between long work days, his eight-day trip to Idaho with the older boys, and now this fire assignment, he will have had a total of three days home all month – the weekend of our Latin Mass on the 5th-6th, and last Sunday, which was our oldest son’s 14th birthday. It’s “survival mode” for me.
I am thankful…
for the outpouring of kindness, generosity, and support that has been shown to our friends. Deo Gratias! Our local newspaper had an article about the success of the fundraiser on the front page of the Sunday paper. Thank you all for your help, prayers, and generosity! Please continue to keep the Snodgrass family in your prayers.
Learning all the time…
We are getting closer to completing the Saints Joachim & Anne Lap Books we’ve been working on this month, but a few of the children still have some pictures to add once a replacement ink cartridge for my printer arrives. I ran out! 🙂
Celebrating the liturgical year…
I wanted to bake the Bacon and Chocolate madeleines in We Love Madeleines for the feast of St. James, which is our oldest son’s a certain bacon lover’s name day. . .
… but July 25th fell on a Friday this year, so I opted for the (meatless, but not at all penitential) Chocolate-Hazelnut recipe instead. I think I’ll bake the Bacon and Chocolate madeleines for his baptismal anniversary on July 31st!
From the kitchen…
I also made an Anna Torte (Gateau Sainte-Anne) for the feast of St. Anne on July 26th, adapting the recipe from Cooking with the Saints. I’ll have to post both of these recipes over at Catholic Cuisine soon, or at least schedule the posts for next July.
I am creating…
interesting meals from the random ingredients in the freezer and pantry. Must grocery shop soon…
I am going…
to be staying home most of this week, but I did add a new St. Therese Glass Tile to my key chain which I recently ordered from Bridgie & Green. I love it!
I am hoping…
to take the older boys to meet their new cousin. They were away at summer camp when she was born.
I am praying…
… for the Snodgrass family.
… for the repose of the soul of Sarah Harkins, The Clay Rosary Girl, who passed away following her baby Cecilia in the womb, and for her family and friends. May she rest in peace+
… for Christine who recently miscarried her baby, and all other mothers who are currently suffering following the loss of a child.
… for my husband’s safety while he is away fighting wildfires.
… a novena with my husband, to St. Rita “Helper of the Hopeless,” for a special intention for our family. God’s will be done.
I am reading…
Blessed are they that Mourn by Mother Mary Loyola. Such a beautiful, beautiful book, filled with encouraging and comforting words that I’ve really needed to hear this past month.
I’ve also been skimming through Legends and Stories of Italy by Amy Steedman, which I ordered at the same time as Blessed are they that Mourn (My goal is to eventually purchase all the books re-published by St. Augustine Academy Press! They are all excellent!) I’m trying to decide whether I should just go ahead and start reading this with the children now as our next read aloud, or if I can wait and save it as a Christmas gift for one of the girls. I’ll probably wait… and read it myself in the meantime! 😉
Pondering these words…
from Mother Mary Loyola in Blessed are they that Mourn:
I am listening…
to The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow. The boys pulled out their audio version of the book to listen to once again while organizing their bedroom.
Around the house…
we are all working on deep cleaning the bedrooms this week. I promised the children a surprise outing if we can get through them all and fill up the back of the van with items to donate. Probably not the best goal to set while in “survival mode” but I just can’t put it off any longer.
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| Random picture from earlier this month. |
the precious pocket rosary which Jennifer Anne sent me following my miscarriage last month. I haven’t added my little baby’s picture to it yet, but will soon. Thank you sweet friend!
This week’s plans…
I’ll be hosting another Online Curriculum Sale Blog Hop from August 1st-7th, so be sure to get your books and posts ready to go!
A little peek at my day…
Saints Joachim & Anne Faith Folder
The feast of Saints Joachim & Anne is coming up on July 26th! I’ve mentioned that we (four of the younger children) are currently working on creating the Saints Joachim & Anne Faith Folders (aka Lap Books) from Holy Learning. We haven’t quite completed them yet, but I do have some pictures of Rose’s Lap Book to share with you all today!
Rose and I decided to make a Double Lap Book, using two pastel green file folders, so that she would have extra space for a coloring page/pocket on the back to store the paper dolls she colored. We had so much fun making it together and especially loved looking through all our photos to find pictures of her with her grandparents for the covers of the “Grandparent Interview” booklets. (We still need to do the actual interviews which should be a lot of fun too!) We also printed wedding pictures of her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents for the “My Family Tree” page!
Right Flap:
- “Saints Joachim and Anne” Graduated Pages Book
- “Prayers to Saints Joachim and Anne” Pocket Book Set
Center:
- “Immaculate Conception” Open the Doors Book
- “Family Life” Venn Diagram
- “The Presentation of Mary to the Temple” Pentagon Book
- “Raising the Mother of God” Square Petal Book
Left Flap:
- “Saints Joachim and Anne The Grandparents of Jesus” Simple Square Book
- “Learning from My Grandparents” Heart Shape Book
- “Learning from My Parents” Quilt Block Book
Right Flap:
- “Grandparent Interview” Book Set
Center:
- “My Family Tree”
Left Flap:
- “Grandparent Interview” Book Set
- “My Grandparents” Frame (pictured below)
- St. Anne Coloring Page from Waltzing Matilda
- Saint Joachim, Saint Anne, and Mary as a Little Girl Paper Dolls from Paper Dali
A Bacon Birthday Party!
Uncle Brian told all the kids that he once rolled the pigs and they landed “Piggy Back!” He couldn’t remember how many points that earned him, but “It’s so hard, it has to be good!” We all laughed when we read that “Piggy Back” is “A totally undignified position for pigs. You are out of the game.”
The kids all had cards and little gifts to give their older brother, including a package of “Birthday Cake Oreos” from Twinkle Toes & Rose, and an “Arizona Quarter” from Snuggles.
As I mentioned the other day, the birthday boy had requested “A white cake topped with a Bacon Donut and surrounded by Cream Puffs!” I ended up making a Maple Bacon Upside Down Birthday Cake and surrounded it with cream puffs, leaving the Bacon Donut for him to enjoy separately. It isn’t one of my prettiest cakes, even without the bacon donut sitting on top, but according to the kids and all our guests it was the best tasting!
He tried so hard to blow out all fourteen candles out, but thankfully a certain little two year old brother had his back and took care of that last candle for him! 🙂
Maple Bacon Party Mix
Ingredients:
- 2 cups corn chex
- 2 cups rice chex
- 2 cups wheat chex
- 1 cup peanuts, salted and roasted
- 6 strips bacon, cooked extra crispy and chopped
- 4 T. butter, melted
- 4 T. maple syrup
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1-1 1/2 teaspoons Maldon (any salt will do but if you are using table salt reduce the quantity)
Directions:
Combine the cereals, peanuts, and cayenne in a large, microwavable-safe bowl.
Stir. Let cool. Serve.
Maple Bacon Upside Down Birthday Cake
Yesterday we celebrated our oldest son’s 14th birthday! This year, for his birthday theme, we decided to focus on one of his favorite foods: BACON!
When I asked the birthday boy what type of cake he would like this year, his answer was, “A white cake topped with a Bacon Donut and surrounded by Cream Puffs!” (Cream Puffs are another favorite treat of his!) I got pretty nauseous after searching for images of “Bacon Birthday Cakes” but thought I might be able to pull off a Bundt Cake, topped with a Maple Glaze and Bacon Crumbles. Then Charlotte came to my rescue and emailed me the link to this Maple Bacon Upside Down Cake which actually looked really yummy!
Despite comments and questions from our guests (my Dad!) like “You didn’t actually put real bacon on that cake?!” the cake was such a hit and it didn’t last very long. Before it completely disappeared, I wrapped up a piece to send home with my brother and niece, for my sister-in-law. (She had stayed home with their brand new one-week-old baby girl!) Here is the text message Meagan sent me this afternoon:
Ingredients:
- 6 slices maple-smoked bacon
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ white cake mix
- 1 container (8 oz) sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Tear bacon into pieces; set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.
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| Vintage Style Cafe Toile Apron – Beautiful Tiered Knit Peasant Skirt |
Update: A Bacon Birthday Party!
{this moment}
My Daybook :: July 18, 2014
Outside my window…
we’ve been enjoying our daily visitors. “Why, don’t you know? They’re twitterpated!”
I am thinking…
about Melody’s post on Discovering God’s Purpose for Your Blog, Charlotte’s break, Katherine’s post on authenticity and ambition, and Mary’s letter to Small-Time Mediocre Bloggers. They are all inspiring posts which have given me so much to think about as a blogger.
I am thankful…
for the incredible love and generosity that is being shown to our friends, a local Catholic homeschool family, who lost their two year old in a tragic accidental drowning last Sunday. In just three days we have raised nearly $25,000 to help offset the medical and funeral expenses. Thanks be to God, and thank you all for your help and prayers!
Learning all the time…
Note: You can scroll through all our past Meet the Masters units under the label “Meet the Masters.” I purchased the A-G Bundle for ages 10-Adult (with some of my charter school allotment) to use with all our children, along with art supplies, from Rainbow Resource. You can also find the program at a discount through Homeschool Buyers Co-op.
Celebrating the liturgical year…
With the oldest two boys out of town this week, I had all sorts of recipes and crafts planned for the younger children for some of the feasts days this week, but we haven’t been able to get to them after all. Perhaps we will still have some “Saintly Summer Fun” sometime soon, but if not I can always save the craft supplies for next July. I love the liturgical year!
From the kitchen…
Coconut Chia Granola with Almond Milk. Yum!
I am working on…
Oh, where to start? I’m working on organizing, decluttering, and cleaning the bedrooms, which is taking FORever! I am ordering our school books for the upcoming school year, and still trying to find the time to finalize our plans. We’ve been working with contractors and trying to make decisions on what we want, combined with what we can afford, on the garage plans. I have some deadlines coming up for Catholic Digest and Creative Catechist, so I need to start working on my submissions. And that’s just the beginning of my “to-do” list lately… somewhere in there I’m trying to make the time to exercise, but that hasn’t been happening much (at all) this week. Hopefully today I can squeeze in some time on the treadmill.
I am creating…
Saint Joachim & Anne Faith Folders with some of our children! The giveaway ends today so click over to last week’s post to enter for a chance to win one of two copies, if you haven’t already.
I am going…
to try and coordinate some meals for my brother’s family, who just welcomed their second baby this past Sunday! At least that is the plan, if I can convince my sister-in-law. 🙂
I am hoping…
to get back to town so I can hold my new niece again. She is such a doll! We were able to go visit at the hospital on Monday evening, and then went to pick up dinner for them to drop off at their home, since they were being discharged. It was love at first sight.
I am praying…
for the Snodgrass family.
the Christ 101 Study Manual.
So far I love this apologetics course! It’s is geared towards high-school age students and adults, but my husband and I are considering beginning Christ 101 from Classical Theist, along with the Study Manual, with our oldest two boys this upcoming school year.
Pondering these words…
from Fr. Gabriel, OCD in Divine Intimacy:
I am listening (and laughing)…
to Snuggles’ recent comments on “How do babies come out of their mom’s tummy? There is only ONE place I can think of. . . and it’s a STINKY place!”
Around the house…
ummm, yeah… about that. Let’s just say that after spending the last few days at the computer running the fundraiser, I have quite a bit to do before my husband arrives back home tomorrow night. As soon as I finish up this post I’m planning on getting to work cleaning, washing dishes, catching up the laundry, and hopefully making a few plans for the birthday on Sunday.
Our new Keurig Coffee Maker. My husband was skeptical when I asked if we could purchase the Keurig when we were at Costco a couple weeks ago, but he agreed to give it a try and he loves it just as much as I do, if not more!
This week’s plans…
Sean and the boys will be home late tomorrow night, just in time for our oldest son’s 14th birthday on Sunday! They left early last Saturday morning to travel to attend the boys’ camp at my husband’s youngest brother’s parish in Idaho! I can’t wait to hear all about their trip!
A little peek at my day…
Please Join Me in Helping a Family in Need
As you all know, on Sunday, July 13th, our friends lost their toddler, Julianna Snodgrass (the fourth of their five children), in a tragic accidental drowning while visiting family in California.
In addition to our prayers, the family is in need of our financial help and support. Julianna was air lifted to the hospital during the attempts to resuscitate so the medical bills will be extraordinary. With the funeral expenses on top of those and all of the grief too, this family will be suffering tremendously.
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