Caramel Apple Turkey

by | Nov 9, 2012 | | 11 Comments

My online Pampered Chef party will be ending Saturday evening, so there is still a couple days to place an order!

Also, each person that shares a recipe, cooking tip or a blurb about their favorite Pampered Chef product either over on the Facebook event page, or in the comments here, will be entered into a drawing to win a prize, and it doesn’t require placing an order!

I have so many favorite Pampered Chef products I couldn’t possibly list them all, but I thought I’d share a picture of one of the kitchen tools I used today to make a fun snack for my kiddos.

It only took me about 5 minutes to make this fun Caramel Apple Turkey (inspired by an image I saw on Pinterest, but I was unable to find the original source) for an afternoon snack with my Apple Wedger!   (And even less time for my kiddos to gobble it up!)

St. Joan of Arc, Maid of Lorraine :: All Saints’ Day Costume

by | Nov 9, 2012 | , , , | 8 Comments

Even though Chiquita dressed as Mother Teresa for our Parish Party, she had been planning on dressing as St. Joan of Arc on All Hallows’ Eve.

Originally I thought she would just wear one of the boys’ knight costumes, but that was not exactly what she had in mind.   She wanted to dress as “The Maid of Lorraine” looking more like the picture in our Picture Book of Saints.

We actually didn’t even put together her costume until an hour or so before the party, but we were both very pleased with how it turned out!

She wore a simple white shirt, the breastplate that my brothers used when we were younger, and one of my gray knit knee-length fold-over skirts, pinned to fit her tiny little waist.

The white flag was simply a piece of an old sheet pinned to a wooden dowel, and she pulled out our Fleur-di-lis Sword & Shield Set made by Schylling.    We finished her costume with a ring of flowers similar to this one (thanks for the suggestion, Charlotte!) and that was it!

O Lord, You raised up in a wondrous manner St. Joan, Your Virgin, to defend the Faith and her country. Grant that through her prayers Your Church may enjoy lasting peace.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

by | Nov 8, 2012 | , , , | 11 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

I still haven’t had a chance to put together a post from our All Saints Party, but here are a few more pictures taken by our friend Marc.  (I just need to hire him to be our permanent photographer!)


{pretty}

My beautiful little “Therese” all ready for the party! 
{happy}

Can you believe how well he is healing?!?  Deo Gratias!

{funny}

You are just going to have to imagine the picture that was taken right in between these two…  It is one that she is not going to “luv-uh!” when she is older!  😉
{real}

Even “St. Therese” needs to eat…

… and, yes, that is me drinking a much needed margarita and enjoying the party!

*All the pictures in this post were taken by our friend Marc and posted with permission. 


Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment

St. Michael the Archangel…

by | Nov 7, 2012 | , , , | 15 Comments

…defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness 
and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host –
by the Divine Power of God –
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world 
seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti…

by | Nov 7, 2012 | , , , , | 6 Comments

I just walked by my girls’ closed bedroom door and my heart melted as I heard them independently start praying another (much needed) rosary for our country.   Love them!  ♥

Presidential Election Lap Books and Unit Study

by | Nov 6, 2012 | , , , | 4 Comments

After Mass this morning the kids put the finishing touches on their Presidential Election Lap Books!   During our first semester this year, which ended last week, we focused on the Election Process and learning about past Presidents for History.  Our oldest three worked on various reading assignments while completing a Presidential Election Process Lap Book . The younger two, our 2nd grader and Kindergartner, completed a Presidential Trivia & Election Games Lap Book.  Lap Books do take extra time (I’d say we spent a total of about 8-10 hours on these five Lap Books)  but we all learned so much and had a great time!    I love how proud my children are of all their Lap Books, and how they are always pulling them out to look at and share with others.  I think it is time well spent!

Update: Unfortunately the website I downloaded these lap books from (CurrClick) closed in 2019. Links removed. They may be available elsewhere online. I’ll update with links if I find them. 

.: Election Unit Study Book Basket & Additional Resources :.

.: Presidential Election Process Lap Book :.

Presidential Election Process Lap Book 
from Knowledge Box Central with customized cover pages

Inside the First Folder:

  • Political Parties
  • The Constitution limits the President to serving how many terms?
  • American citizens are eligible to vote at what age?
  • What are the three requirements, as outlined in the United States Constitution, for a candidate to run for President?
  • Name 3 things that active party members do during a campaign to get votes for their candidate.
  • How and when did each of these political parties begin?
  • People who are running for political offices are called…
  • How many candidates from each party will eventually be chosen to run for President?
  • Can the Vice President be from the same state as the President?
  • What are the two basic types of elections?
  • Election Process

Inside the Second Folder:

  • What does a candidate do during a Presidential election?
  • What is the document that assures and protects our rights, including our right to vote?
  • Are the requirements for the vice presidential nominee the same as those for the candidate who runs for President?
  • The Electoral College
  • How do primary elections differ from general elections?
  • When are the Democratic and Republican national Conventions held?
  • What is the body of electors who cast the official votes to elect the President and Vice President called?
  • What are the two most important decisions made at the National Nominating Convention?

Inside the Third Folder:

  • Are the delegates and candidates at the National Convention from the same political party?
  • Presidential Election Vocabulary Word Search
  • Primary Elections & Caucuses
  • On what day of the year is Inauguration Day?
  • The first party platform…
  • Number the events in the order in which they happen at the National Convention.
  • What did the 12th Amendment do?
  • Previous Presidential Election Trivia

Back Cover:

  • Electoral Votes Map   (The kids plan to color in the states red and blue following today’s election.) 

.: Presidential Trivia & Elections Games Lap Book :.

Presidential Trivia and Election Games 
from Knowledge Box Central with customized cover pages   

Inside the First Folder:

  • “Who was the first President to wear trousers rather than knee breeches?”
  • “Who was the first President to have a Christmas tree in the White House?”
  • “Election Cryptograms”
  • “Race to the White House Maze”
  • “Which President donated his salary to charity”  (Chiquita responded, “Um, not Obama!”) 
  • “Who was the first President to ride a steamboat?”
  • “Who was the first President born in the United States?”

Inside the Second Folder:

  • Race to the White House! Game with Instructions, Game Tokens, and Question Cards
  • “Which President served as President AND Vice President, without being elected to either one?”
  • “Who was the ONLY President EVER to be unanimously voted into office?”
  • “Who was the first President to live in the White House?

Inside the Third Folder:

  • Tic-Tac-Toe Game Board with Tokens
  • “More Trivia”
  • “Which President am I?”
  • “Who was the first President to be photographed?”
  • “Who was the first President to win the Nobel Peace Prize?”
  • “Who was the first President to own a car?”
  • “Who was the first President to campaign by phone?”
  • “Who was the tallest President?”
  • “Which President was the first to hold the Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn?”
  • “Which President is credited with the origin of the phrase, Okay?”
  • “How did the Teddy Bear get its name?

AN ELECTION YEAR PRAYER FOR THE FAITHFUL WITNESS OF CATHOLICS IN THE UNITED STATES 
By His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke,
Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura 

O Lord Jesus Christ, You alone are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Your Church You show us the Way, You teach us the Truth, and You give us Your Life. Grant, we humbly beg You, that, always and in all things, we may be faithful to You in Your Holy Church, and to Your Vicar on Earth, the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI. Grant also, we beg You, that, in these times of decision, all who profess to be Catholic and who are entrusted with the sacred duty to participate in public life, may, by the strength of Your grace, unwaveringly follow Your Way and faithfully adhere to Your Truth, living in You with all their mind and heart, for Your greater glory, the salvation of souls, and the good of our nation. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, Pray for us.
Saint Thomas More, Patron of Religious Freedom, Pray for us. 

My Daybook :: November 5, 2012

by | Nov 5, 2012 | , , , , , | 20 Comments

Outside my window…
the leaves are falling off the trees and we have lots of firewood to stack!  Winter is on it’s way…

I am thinking…        
about blogging… and Facebook… and Copyright Terms and Conditions, which, apparently, most people just ignore!   I had absolutely no idea, when I posted this picture with a link to my blog post on my Shower of Roses Facebook page that it would go viral like it did.   I guess the Holy Spirit wanted it out there for some reason.  Still, I would have preferred being asked before my children’s picture was turned into a “Meme” to be shared all over the world.

I guess I was not clear enough when I said:  “I do not ever allow pictures of my children/family to be reposted anywhere online, other than on my own blogs and Facebook pages.  If you see pictures of my children elsewhere online (other than on my personal friends blogs), please let me know.  My husband & I only want our family/children’s pictures posted in the context of how we choose to post them, and not used to illustrate other bloggers posts, etc, whether we agree with them or not.  Thank you for understanding and respecting our wishes!”

I am thankful… 
for all of my dear blog readers who are always watching out for me and my family, and letting me know when someone isn’t “Doing It Right!”  😉  And for all those that let the various commenters know that Captain was dressed as ST. PAUL!

Learning all the time… 
With Election Day tomorrow, we are going to spend this afternoon reading books about the Election Process (including the Electoral College) and creating our Election Lap Books!

Celebrating the liturgical year… 
Have you started preparing for Advent and Christmas?  I already have my Advent candles, since I ordered extra last year.  I purchased new nightgowns and pajamas to give all the children on Christmas Eve.  I’ve started choosing this year’s new Christmas themed picture books for the feast of St. Nicholas.  And I’ve started making and ordering a few gifts.  I like to be done with all (or at least most) of my shopping by the beginning of Advent, which is less than a month away!

From the kitchen… 
Don’t you love my “Fairytale Pumpkin” Vase?!  Hubby carved it out for me, inserting an empty pumpkin can in the middle, to hold the autumn flowers he brought home before our party last week.

I am working on… 
answering comments and emails.  A frequent question that I am asked, anytime I post a picture of my girls in their veils, is where they are purchased.   I’m currently looking for new veils for my older girls, but they have been wearing the Girls’ Kerchief Tie Veil for years.   (It’s time for me to order a couple replacements…) Rose’s gorgeous veil was a handmade gift from Amy!

I am creating… 
a blog post about this year’s All Hallows’ Eve Party.

I am going… 
to start shooting “raw” now that I am learning how to use Lightroom!  (I’m only using Lightroom 3, but 4 is now definitely on my wish list.  Thank you, Marc!)   

Oh, and I am going to clean my camera!

I am hoping… 
to complete our activities for “C” with Snuggle’s this week.  When it gets extra busy around here the Alphabet Path is the first thing to go, it seems.

I am praying… 
for a good outcome in tomorrow’s Election. Pray, pray, pray!!!

I am reading… 
Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts, See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House, Vote!, So You Want to Be President?, and a few other books I picked up to share with the children.

Pondering these words…
I always love the saint quotes I find in my Catholic Daily Planner.  They aways seem to be exactly what I need to hear each week.  For example, here is last week’s quote from St. Francis de Sales:

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.  Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew.”

I am listening…  
to Rascal completing his spelling lesson/test. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for The Phonetic Zoo and all the products we are using from Institute for Excellence in Writing.  They are all so effective and sure make my job easier!

Around the house… 
lots of costumes that still need to be put away.  At least I have kept up with the laundry and they have all been washed.  Hopefully I can check that off my to-do list today.

One of my favorite things…  
my Catholic Embroidery Aprons!   I didn’t dress up for our All Saints’ Party, but I did wear my favorite St. Therese Apron.  🙂

This week’s plans…

  • Vote!
  • Take the kids to Mass and Adoration on Election Day
  • Return/Pick-up Library Books
  • Lego Robotics Classes for the Boys
  • Tutor on Thursday
  • Host an Online/Facebook Pampered Chef Party!
  • Try and stay away from all the candy and get back to my diet and exercise after completely failing last week…

A little peek at my day…
How is it possible that my little Bud is going to turn one next month?! 

You’re Invited :: An Online Pampered Chef Party!

by | Nov 5, 2012 | | 1 Comment

I love Pampered Chef! I was a consultant for many years, after Hubby & I were first married, and my kitchen cabinets are full of these wonderful kitchen products! With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, I thought it would be fun to host an Online/Blog/Facebook Pampered Chef party (from November 4-November 10) and you are all (at least all my US visitors!) invited!

My cousin Heather Kitterman, our Pampered Chef Consultant will be posting kitchen tips, tricks and fun recipes each day on the Facebook Event Page that is open to everyone. Please feel free to post questions and/or comments about your favorite Pampered Chef products or your own great recipe ideas! If you post a comment about your favorite product or a favorite recipe you will be entered into a drawing to win a fun Pampered Chef prize!

TO ORDER:
– Visit Heather Kitterman’s website: www.pamperedchef.biz/heatherkitterman
– Click “shop online” and enter Jessica as the host.
OR
If you prefer, you can email or call Heather Kitterman with what you’d like! ([email protected]/206-351-5962) and she can take your credit card information over the phone.

BONUS:

1. The first person that places an order wins a special prize from Heather!

2. Each person that enters a recipe, cooking tip or a blurb about their favorite Pampered Chef product will be entered into a drawing and win a prize!

3. Anyone who spends $75 or more will receive 1 of the following FREE!!! Large Serving Spatula, Slice N Serve or Mini Serving Spatula:  Guest Specials

This show will be closed on November 10th (at 5p.m. PST), so please post your ideas and place your orders by then!

NOTE:
All orders will be submitted together and shipped when the show closes on November 10th (at 5p.m. PST); credit cards will be processed at that time. Direct shipping is available to anywhere in the U.S.

Happy Shopping!

Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert

by | Nov 3, 2012 | , , | 2 Comments

Today, November 3rd, is the feast of St. Martin de Porres.   After a very busy week, this momma is tired!  I don’t have much planned for today, but I do have a new picture book for the children.

Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert, written by Gary D. Schmidt, was published earlier the year and will be a welcome addition to our ever growing collection.

You can find additional ideas for celebrating this feast day in the archives or over at Catholic Cuisine.

St. Martin de Porres, Ora pro nobis! 
Caramel Apple Turkey

Caramel Apple Turkey

by | Nov 9, 2012 | | 11 Comments

My online Pampered Chef party will be ending Saturday evening, so there is still a couple days to place an order! Also, each person that shares a recipe, cooking tip or a blurb about their favorite Pampered Chef product either over on the Facebook event page, or in...

You’re Invited :: An Online Pampered Chef Party!

You’re Invited :: An Online Pampered Chef Party!

by | Nov 5, 2012 | | 1 Comment

I love Pampered Chef! I was a consultant for many years, after Hubby & I were first married, and my kitchen cabinets are full of these wonderful kitchen products! With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, I thought it would be fun to host an Online/Blog/Facebook...

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-25, Ranger-24, Twinkle Toes-22, Chiquita-21, Snuggles-18, Rose-16, Bud-14, Grace-8 and Joy-6 (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.

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