On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by | Sep 9, 2020 | , | 1 Comment

Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace: that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn feast of her Nativity may bring us an increase of peace. 

Early morning Mass (for some of us), classes, then back-to-school treats, an extra decade of the rosary while lighting ten candles, and birthday cake for our dear Mother Mary! We technically started our new school year a couple weeks ago, at least most subjects-when online classes began for my high schoolers and the boys started their sophomore year at Christendom, but we officially celebrated today.

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

St. Rose of Lima, Ora Pro Nobis!

by | Aug 24, 2020 | , , | 5 Comments

“Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases.”
– St. Rose of Lima
Mother’s Prayer to St Rose

Saint Rose, devout Virgin, fragrant rose in the garden of God, sweetly blooming amid the thorns of distressing tribulation and severe mortification, white as snow in the immaculate innocence of your heart, glowing in the love of God that consumed you. 
Your devotedness to your parents was so great that you laboured night and day to relieve their poverty, and most tenderly cared for them in their sickness.
Most grateful, most humble daughter, have pity on me and my children. Teach me, by conduct truly Christian, to deserve the warmhearted gratitude of my children. Teach my children to appreciate my love and the numerous sacrifices that I cheerfully make for their sake; teach them to repay the same by filial love and obedience, and chiefly by fervent prayers for me. 
Bless me and my entire family. May our hearts be intimately united even in adversity. Let us not place our happiness in temporal prosperity, but rather in the hope of a future, eternal blessedness. 
Pray, likewise, O sainted patroness of America, for all Christian mothers in particular, that Christian life and sentiments may everywhere be awakened among them. May these sentiments spread far and wide, uniting all families into the one great family of God, in which Jesus Christ may live and rule with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We’ll freeze the rest of the cupcakes to decorate for her traditional feast day next weekend! 
August 23rd (New) and August 30th (Traditional) 

Christendom Bound :: A Cross-Country Road Trip

by | Aug 24, 2020 | , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

I was fine until I hugged them both goodbye… then the tears started falling! The last five months, despite all the craziness, has been such a gift and a wish come true to have all our children at home “just a little longer.” We had so much fun together!

We went back and forth all summer on whether or not to send the boys back to Christendom College again this year, and then whether to have them fly or drive… We had flights, booked but on Wednesday (Aug 12th) we changed plans and decided to send them with a vehicle at the last minute. Our little ones all woke up extra early Friday morning (Aug 14th) so they could say goodbye just before the boys hit the road to travel from the West Coast all the way over to the East Coast. We already miss them so much! 

2700+ miles, 16 states, and approximately 42 hours plus stops = four days on the road! 
I kept a close eye on “find my phone” all day every day and they were also great about staying in touch and sending pictures to all of us back here at home… 
 
They said I could share some of the pictures with you all!

.: Day One – Aug 14th :.
Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming


Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
“This was a nice spontaneous little stop! Had NO clue that we would be passing this on our route and when John and I saw the signs we HAD to stop by!!”


.: Day Two – Aug 15th :. 
South Dakota, Nebraska

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

.: Sunday Break – Aug 16th :. 
Holy Mass and Spending the Day with Friends
Catholic Church in the Middle of a Corn Field

Sure love seeing these “kids” together again! When they were all younger we had so many great adventures together: Crater Lake, many trips to the Oregon Coast, Grand Tetons, and more! 
.: Day Three – Aug 17th :. 
Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky

Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

… and a picture of THE DOOR!
From Deep in the Archives: *Almost* Excommunicated
The Gateway Arch

 
.: Day Four – Aug 18th :. 
Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia
They made it!!

John was supposed to arrive at Christendom last Sunday night for soccer camp starting this pst Monday (his flight was supposed to be the 16th and James was going to follow on the 22nd) tomorrow and James’ was next Saturday) but the coaches said it was fine if he arrived a day or two late… James however was not allowed to stay on campus until Saturday, so after dropping John off he headed back to Maryland to spend four nights with his cousins. 

The boys are now both settled in their new dorm rooms. Classes begin on Tuesday!📚 

Holy Mother Mary, 
Who by virtue of your divine motherhood, 
Hast become mother of us all, 
I place the charge which God has given me, 
under your loving protection. 
Be a Protecting Mother to my children. 
Guard their bodies and 
keep them in health and strength. 
Guard their minds and keep their thoughts 
ever holy in the sight of their Creator and God. 
Guard their hearts and keep them pure 
and strong and happy in the love of God. 
Guard always their souls and ever preserve in them, 
faithfully, the glorious image of God 
whom they received in Holy Baptism. 
Always Mother, protect them 
and keep them under your Mothering care. 
Supply in your all-wise motherhood, 
for my poor human deficiencies 
and protect them from all evil. 
Amen. 
Queen of the Most Holy Family, pray for us!

Sponsor Love: Updates & Current Specials

by | Jul 25, 2020 | | 2 Comments

It’s been a couple years now since my last sponsor update. I had to discontinue my quarterly updates right around the time we moved, which was quickly followed by another surprise. Now that our sweet baby girl is almost a year old, and we are finally getting a little more sleep, I wanted to take a minute to share another sponsor update.

Here are some of my new sponsors! Please check out their websites when you have a minute or two:

Devout Decals

“The inspiration for Devout Decals came about when, due to work, we were always moving and renting homes. We were looking for a way to decorate our children’s bedrooms and discovered removable vinyl wall decals. There were many themes available. However, we were unable to find any decals of Saints or Devotions. We thought, how wonderful it would be to create something so people could surround themselves in their home, classroom, work space or wherever it may be with beautiful sacred images. Our hope is that while going about your busy day, being able to reflect on a sacred image and reciting a short prayer, it will help one to stay in prayer all day long.”

“One single day of devotion is worth more than a thousand years of worldly life.” 
– St. Francis de Sales

Save 10% with coupon code: DDROSES


In addition to visiting DevoutDecals.com, you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram! 

I’m currently giving away the Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Decal Set over at Instagram! Click over to enter. 

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Stylistic Scribe

Mrs. L. is a veteran homeschool mother of four children who has used IEW  with her own children and can testify to the effectiveness of this program.  Her love of words and writing match perfectly with the IEW curriculum, and she particularly enjoys having fun with students as they learn to write eloquently and persuasively.
Mrs. L. is a certified instructor through the Institute for Excellence in Writing and also teaches for the company. She has taught classes at all levels for over twenty years and constantly witnesses students improve their writing skills with the tools taught in her classes through this writing process.
 

I have LOVED using Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) over the years with my children. We still use it, currently the Primary Arts of Language for my younger students, but I really miss the wonderful tutor I had in Oregon who would edit papers for my older children each week… With the move and new babies, I took a break from the writing program. This year one of my daughters will be participating in Essay Writing class offered by Stylistic Scribe using IEW’s The Elegant Essay. 

Check out all the Online Classes for Fall 2020 

 You can also follow Stylistic Scribe on Facebook and check out the video she recently shared for more information!

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“We are a Catholic homeschooling family of 8. Our educational website currently offers an early reading program called Phonograms Fun. It is a collection of video lessons with accompanying printables and lesson plans and teaches children all the letter sounds as well as some of the multi-letter phonograms. We hope to publish subsequent online lessons in reading and grammar. We also plan to offer printable books and activities mostly in the areas of language and religious education.”

Make preparing for First Communion FUN with Billy the Puppet!

This is a fun way for your child to learn the catechism necessary to receive his/her First Communion. Based on the New St. Joseph First Communion Catechism that has been around for decades!

Through engaging conversations between Billy, Christine and your child, the faith is learned. Christine is a Catholic and a professional storyteller. Billy, well, is a puppet that is trying to learn his faith so he can receive his First Communion too.

Your child will have fun learning the First Communion Catechism (what we as Catholics need to know before receiving our First Communion) with Billy. During each lesson, Christine tells in “storytelling style” a Bible story or Saint story.

This program is geared for children ages four to seven years old. Though four and five year olds will still not be old enough to receive their First Communion at the end of this program, this is a fantastic way to introduce them to our wonderful Catholic faith. Six and seven year olds should be ready to receive their First Communion by the end of the video series, though you will still need to teach them their prayers. (Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Act of Contrition.)

This program costs only $5 a month for 9 months or a one time payment of $45. A new video link is emailed every Monday for 34 weeks. You can cancel any time if you are paying monthly. 


You can also follow Faith and Puppets on Facebook and Instagram!

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Offering handmade rosaries, rosary parts, jewelry and crocheted/knitted items. 

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A special THANK YOU to all my continuing sponsors! 

Prayer Pillowcases
Prayer Pillowcases are more than just a pretty place to lay your head! They’re a unique way to bring Catholic art and prayer into your home and a practical way to share the Faith with your family and friends. Our distinctive line combines original art and favorite Catholic prayers that appeal to all ages and transform pillows from the ordinary to the divine! Honor a special occasion or make any occasion special with the gift of a joyful, lasting (and personalizable) Prayer Pillowcase. We’re always working on new designs and hope you’ll visit again soon to see even more ways to help your loved ones begin and each day with a prayerful heart.


Personalize it for Summer Birthdays & Feast Days!
Free Shipping (4+ Pillowcases shipping within US) 
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Saints Around the World
Featuring a different saint from a new country every two months, this subscription is a perfect way for me to easily incorporate a little more theology and geography for my younger ones with very little effort! Plus my older children were all more than happy to join in and help too. 


With each box purchased, $4 is donated to the “Culture of Life Studies” program, another one of my favorite resources and current blog sponsors!

Here are a few pictures from one of the boxes we received earlier this year:

Two of our children got to visit the National Shine and home of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born Saint, in Maryland earlier this month!

Start your family on this adventurous journey to Heaven, with the Saints as their guides! Click here.
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Culture of Life Studies Program (CLSP)
The Culture of Life Studies Program serves teachers and parents as they guide their students in building a culture that respects and protects the dignity of every human being regardless of age, appearance, or ability. 

Right now Culture of Life Studies Program is offering all of their downloads for FREE!!! 
Shower of Roses readers can always save 20% off their entire order using the code: ROSES20

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Lisieux Nail Polish
We are a young Catholic company with a passion for sacred scripture, Church traditions and the New Evangelization. There is so much beauty in our faith that we decided to bottle some of it up! Our goal is to equip women with a new, simple and fun way to express their faith and share it with others. We also wanted to create a way to have a holy reminder with you at all times.

We were inspired (and helped) by Saint Therese, the Little Flower of Lisieux and Saint John Paul II. Mother Angelica was also an inspiration for her wisdom regarding holy reminders.

It was really important for us to have quality nail polish so we are proud to say Lisieux is professional grade polish that we had our friends and family of various ages and vocations test out. 


All of the polishes on our website have been handpicked for their color, ease of application and longevity.

In addition to the website, you can also follow Lisieux on Facebook and Instagram!

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Catholic Schoolhouse is designed to help homeschool families enrich their educational experience through a flexible approach to learning inspired by classical elements. Family unity continues to be our goal as we roll out our upper-level program, giving for  our dialectic and rhetoric students an enriching experience at chapter while their younger siblings are leaning the memory work.

You can also follow Catholic Schoolhouse on Facebook!

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Almond Rod Toys
Almond Rod Toys makes Saint Blocks that are just the right size for little hands and can be used for imaginative play, building, stacking or collecting. The front has a print of original watercolor artwork. The back has a quote or a prayer chosen to inspire little ones and the one that cleans up behind them. The saint’s name, feast day and patronage are also listed; just enough to be a reminder and an inspiration for further learning.

We really love the new Rosary Blocks!
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All of our aprons are embroidered, not screen printed, giving them a rich, elegant, look! Our durable 100% cotton-twill aprons, with soil-release finish for added stain protection, provide ultimate full length cover and comfort.


 

Check out the full collection over at Catholic Cuisine!

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My next advertising quarter runs from Aug 1st-Oct 31st and I have a few ad spaces available. Let me know if you have a Catholic business you’d like to promote and I can send you the details.

Thank you to all of my sponsors and visitors for your support! 
May God bless you all! 


The Catholic Child and the Sacred Heart

by | Jul 12, 2020 | , | 6 Comments

My Child: Forget not the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

The Heart of Jesus loves thee. 
The Heart of Jesus suffers for thee. 
The Heart of Jesus is meek, humble, patient, obedient.
The Heart of Jesus is an ocean of goodness. 
The Heart of Jesus is filled with mercy. 
The Heart of Jesus is your comfort in sorrow.
The Heart of Jesus is your strength in temptation. 
The Heart of Jesus is your hope in dying. 

Sweet Heart of Jesus, be Thou my love!

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me!
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved! 

O Sweetest Heart of Jesus! 
I implore that I may ever love Thee more and more.
Excerpt of prayer from Jesus, Make Me Worthy – a reprint of the original can be found here.
Sacred Heart pendant from Telos Art + Design

Donut Ever Grow Up :: A 3rd Birthday Party

by | Jun 16, 2020 | , , , | 13 Comments

Donut Ever Grow Up Birthday Party

“Dough-y!!” 🍩  A certain little girl has really missed her donuts after Mass on Sundays, so last Monday we celebrated her 3rd birthday with a donut themed party!

 
Homemade Donut “Happy Birthday” Banner with Sprinkles
(You are welcome to download my FREE printable document to use it yourself if you’d like!) 

Krispy Kreme Donuts
Decorate Your Own Donut Bar
Milk, Cocoa and Coffee

Donut Picture Books including Curious George Learns the Alphabet
.: Donut Covered Birthday Cake :.
Cake Supplies: 
 
6″ – Four Layer Cake (I use these awesome pans)
Homemade Buttercream Frosting mixed with Plant-Based Dye
Decorate with Donuts
(I used 3 Kristy Kreme Donuts and 3 Krispy Kreme Mini Donuts)
.: Donut Bingo :.
I didn’t have a chance to make my own, 
but this printable download from an Etsy shop was perfect. 
 
 
Me: Nice hat. I can picture you working at Krispy Kreme. 
Him: Yeah. It’s either that, or an engineer… 
.: Birthday Gifts:. 
 
Frozen Backpack and Bow from Great Aunt Bridget
 
My Aunt Bridget flew up to send the weekend with us and flew back Monday morning. Miss her! 
.: Three Candles :. 
Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet girl! 
 

Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church

by | Jun 1, 2020 | | 5 Comments

Our Annual Pentecost Cake

Since Pentecost if the Birthday of the Church, our family always celebrates with a birthday cake! Our cake is usually a white cake with white frosting since Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday. The large candle in the center represents Christ our Light, who promised to send the Holy Ghost, and the 12 smaller white candles represent the 12 Apostles and the tongues of fire. The 7 red hearts (strawberry slices on this cake) represent the 7 gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the 12 strawberries, placed around the cake, represent the 12 fruits of the Holy Ghost.

 

I didn’t realize until looking back through some past pictures that “Rose” wore that same rose covered outfit as a baby on Pentecost Sunday 10 years ago… How has that possibly been 10 years already?!?

Flower Fruit Sandwiches in May

by | May 29, 2020 | , , | 2 Comments

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
Bring flowers of the rarest
bring blossoms the fairest,
from garden and woodland and hillside and dale;

… our full hearts are swelling,
our glad voices telling
the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale!

 
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

End-of-School Interviews 2019-2020

by | May 27, 2020 | | 13 Comments

Who else is ready for summer break?! We are so ready and I am excited to finally pack up this past year’s school books and start making some plans for next year. On May 8th I sent Kolbe Academy all of the required paperwork for our high school students records/transcripts and on May 14th the older boys took their last final exam (here at home due to the shutdown) wrapping up their freshman year of college!

Years ago I started compiling End-of-School Interviews for each of our children and I’ve been making them every year since. It’s so fun to look back through them and see how much our students have grown each year and how their answers change over the years. I actually used them for graduation party decorations last summer! 
I didn’t plan to continue interviewing our college kids, but we changed up some of the questions and they were more than willing to join the fun once again. Our 16 year old got the project started this year, asking everyone all the questions, helping take and/or choose photos, and then helping to compile it all in PicMonkey.

Here are this year’s End-of-School Interviews (revised with blog nicknames):

Captain’s Favorite Books: The Odyssey and Beowulf
Ranger’s Favorite Books: Inferno and St. Augustine’s Confessions
Twinkle Toes’ Favorite Books: Black as Night, Waking Rose and The Brides of Montclair
(none of these were actually school books…) 
Chiquita’s Favorite Books: Oliver Twist, Mansfield Park, and North & South
Snuggles’ Favorite Books: The Hobbit and LOTR
Rose’s Favorite Books: The Little House Series and Stories about St. Therese and St. Clare
Bud’s Favorite Book: The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition
Grace’s Favorite Books: Madeline
(*All the kids have voted to change our sweet baby’s blog name from Lily to Joy. It fits her perfectly.) 

Hiking on Mother’s Day

by | May 18, 2020 | , , | 5 Comments

On Mother’s Day some of my kids and I headed to a nearby trailhead to hike for the afternoon! It was a little more intense than I had imagined… The hike down to the river was easy, but I ended logging 5 1/2 miles on my FitBit and 89 flights of stairs by the time we got back… Whew! Next time I hope we can all go, but perhaps find a different route back to the car which doesn’t include practically scaling the side of the mountain like the loop we ended up taking… It did motivate me to continue working towards getting back in shape so that next time my kids won’t have to worry about their hyperventilating mother. Nevertheless, it was a gorgeous day and we all enjoyed it so much! 
 

 

   

“The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper the road, the faster it rises towards ever wider horizons.” – St. John Paul II
On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by | Sep 9, 2020 | , | 1 Comment

Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace: that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn feast of her Nativity may bring us an increase of peace. Early morning...

Sponsor Love: Updates & Current Specials

Sponsor Love: Updates & Current Specials

by | Jul 25, 2020 | | 2 Comments

It's been a couple years now since my last sponsor update. I had to discontinue my quarterly updates right around the time we moved, which was quickly followed by another surprise. Now that our sweet baby girl is almost a year old, and we are finally getting a...

Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church

Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church

by | Jun 1, 2020 | | 5 Comments

Our Annual Pentecost CakeSince Pentecost if the Birthday of the Church, our family always celebrates with a birthday cake! Our cake is usually a white cake with white frosting since Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday. The large candle in the center represents...

Flower Fruit Sandwiches in May

Flower Fruit Sandwiches in May

by | May 29, 2020 | , , | 2 Comments

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.Bring flowers of the rarestbring blossoms the fairest,from garden and woodland and hillside and dale;... our full hearts are swelling,our glad voices tellingthe praise of the loveliest...

End-of-School Interviews 2019-2020

End-of-School Interviews 2019-2020

by | May 27, 2020 | | 13 Comments

Who else is ready for summer break?! We are so ready and I am excited to finally pack up this past year's school books and start making some plans for next year. On May 8th I sent Kolbe Academy all of the required paperwork for our high school students...

Hiking on Mother’s Day

Hiking on Mother’s Day

by | May 18, 2020 | , , | 5 Comments

On Mother's Day some of my kids and I headed to a nearby trailhead to hike for the afternoon! It was a little more intense than I had imagined... The hike down to the river was easy, but I ended logging 5 1/2 miles on my FitBit and 89 flights of stairs by the time we...

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.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

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