August 2, 2019
The women at the Sheriff’s/Driver’s License Office were trying their best to put me into labor this morning… I thought I arrived prepared right at 8am with my birth certificate, social security card, and proof of residency… I passed the test (barely) but then they sent me back home for a different copy of my birth certificate (apparently the one I brought was not certified) and a second proof of residency before they would give me my temp license… when I got back they realized that they also wanted to see my marriage certificate…. At that point the pregnancy hormones kicked in and the tears started falling… Each trip required signing back in at the end of the line. They came very close to not accepting my copy of our nearly 20 year old marriage certificate (despite the clerk’s signature, seal, and number) but eventually got approval from the main office in the capital. After that it was time to head next door (Vehicle Licensing is a whole separate office/waiting list) to start the process of registering all our vehicles (each vehicle had to be present to do that, so musical vehicles began)… After four hours it’s all done and we can finally check that off the to do list! Whew!
*They actually called us back a few days later saying they needed Sean and I to both COME BACK and sign MORE paperwork! Apparently they forgot to have us sign some tax exempt forms on the vehicles… It’s all taken care of and we finally have our new license plates and driver’s licenses!
After my crazy morning, I probably should have gone home and put my feet up, but there is so much to be done at home right now I decided to just skip it all and take a couple of my girls shopping instead!
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| Look at all the BabyLit Books! |
We could have easily eaten them all, but the girls each enjoyed two, I had the delicious seasonal “Huckaboo” flavor, and we brought the remaining seven back for the rest of the family, after finally making it to Trader Joe’s to restock the fridge and pantry. Now I’m ready for her to arrive tomorrow, just incase she decides to come 16 days early like our last two!
Have you seen the “Saints Around the World!” subscription boxes yet? Our family was recently sent one to review and not only was I impressed, but it was also a hit with our children!
When our older children were younger I included so many more crafts and activities when it came to celebrating feast days and teaching our children about the saints… I still try to do so, but it’s not as frequent as I would like, and definitely harder to fit in to our schedule with a wide family with infants to soon-to-be college students, especially with me working from home on top of homeschooling. During this particular season of motherhood it seems that reading picture books and incorporating Catholic Cuisine is the most I can manage each month…
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.
Oh, and with each box purchased, $4 is donated to the “Culture of Life Studies” program, another one of my favorite resources!
Each box contains a beautiful, kid-friendly, saint statue, a story about the saint’s life, various activities related to the saint, and a special fact card about the saint and his/her country or state.
Your first box also comes with a world map to track the saints and a special “Passport.” A certain little seven year old especially loved the map and magnifying glass and had so much fun searching for Italy.
Much to his delight, older brother stopped by for a bit and pointed out a number of other European countries.
Our box came with just one Passport booklet, but you can order additional when subscribing, if you’d like one for each child. I definitely need to get an additional Passport booklet so Rose and Bud each have their own.
The Saints Around the World boxes are shipped every two months. The 2019-2020 boxes are September/October, November/December, January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August etc. The box will arrive in that first week, at the beginning of the two month span. For example, you will receive the September/October box within the first week of September and the next box will be shipped at the beginning of November.
I’m going to try my best to host a few different giveaways this month leading up to the beginning of the new school year! To begin, Saints Around the World has generously offered to send one FREE “St. Pio” box to the winner of this giveaway!
I had a little extra time before yesterday’s ultrasound, non-stress test, and doctor appointment, so I decided to visit the hospital and birthing center so we have a general idea of where to head once labor begins. Seemed like a good idea.
I’ve been reading this book throughout this past week whenever I can find a little extra time and it is exactly the encouragement and motivation I’ve been needing. Thank you, Mary!
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July 10, 2019 – 34 Weeks
She had her arms covering her face for most of this morning’s ultrasound, but everything is looking good and she measured 5lbs 13oz.
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Our due date is August 19, 2019. For reference, here are all of the past stats:
Captain: 5 days early, 10:24 am, 7 pounds 2 ounces, 20 inches
Rascal: 7 days early, 11:19 am, 7 pounds 11 ounces, 19 inches
Twinkle Toes: 10 days early, 12:55 am, 7 pounds 4 ounces, 19 1/4 inches
Chiquita: 21 days early, 9:54 pm, 7 pounds 4 ounces, 18 1/2 inches
Snuggles: 3 days early, 10:37 pm, 8 pounds 5 ounces, 20 1/2 inches (He was also due on June 24th, 10 years ago, just after I started this blog!)
Rose: 10 days early, 11:49 pm, 8 pounds 1 ounce, 19 inches
This past Saturday we hosted a graduation party for our two high school graduates! They actually graduated Kolbe Academy at the beginning of May, but we just didn’t have an opportunity to celebrate until now…
I planned the party as an afternoon BBQ Open House in our backyard from 1:00-4:00. Some guests came for the whole party and others popped in for a little while depending on their schedules. We grilled hot dogs and sausages, plus we had lots of drinks (including IPAs and Peach Sangria for the adults), snacks and desserts. To make it a little easier I asked everyone to “please bring a side dish to share if you are able” and we ended up with more than enough food.
The boys Diplomas and Tassels from Kolbe Academy had arrived awhile back, but I saved them to give them at the party. I love that Kolbe’s Tassels have a St. Maximilian Kolbe medal attached to them. (He is our oldest son’s confirmation saint!)
I also printed out all of their End-of-School Interviews from over the years to use as decorations!
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| The birthday boy and my dad |
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| Me with my mom, Father Gordon (my husband’s youngest brother and our oldest son’s Godfather), and my Uncle Tom (mom’s oldest brother) and Aunt Toni |
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| We definitely need a larger grill the next time we host a big BBQ! |
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| Father Rapoport, Father Terra and Father Flick (below) also were able to come to the party! |
I was going to use “You’re No Dum Dum” for the suckers, but one of my daughters insisted on “So long Suckers” instead. It cracked the boys up and they know we are all going to miss them dearly.
There are lots of additional options you can use as well:
If you’d like to use my signs, you can download them here.
I also made a little sign to go along with our Diploma Cookies made with Pirouettes and some of the leftover Cherry Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Candy from our Graduation Cap Cupcakes!
On Saturday we finally had an opportunity to host a High School Graduation Party for our two recent graduates! I’m hoping to share all the pictures soon, but first here are the Graduation Cap Cupcakes we made (inspired by lots of different online pictures) for the party. Didn’t they turn out cute?!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Directions:
Prepare and bake the brownie mix according to the instructions on the box.
As soon as brownies are out of the oven and still hot, poke some holes in the top of the brownies and then pour the caramel sauce over the top (the entire jar). You won’t need to spread the caramel. It will even out on it’s own.
Allow the brownies to cool for about 20-30 minutes. Apply sea salt (to taste) right before serving. Remember, a little bit of the sea salt goes a long way in flavor…so start with a tiny bit and then add more if needed.
Happy Feast of St. Benedict! 🍻
While we were in Oregon this past weekend, for my little sister’s wedding, we were able to stop back by Benedictine Brewery to purchase a couple more glasses and some more of their great beer. Unfortunately our options were pretty limited following the 4th of July rush!
The pale counterpart to Black Habit, best described as a Belgian pale with Northwest influence. Aroma is fresh and slightly spicy, and the mouthfeel is silky and effervescent. Tropical fruit flavors lead to a noticeably hoppy finish. Designed to go with meals. ABV about 6.7%.
A session ale in the farmhouse tradition, this beer gets its name because it was first brewed on March 21 and first served on July 11, the two annual feasts of St. Benedict. Bears the fresh aroma of yeast. Complex flavor for a lighter beer, with a slightly tart and peppery finish. Stands well as a cold beverage on a summer day. ABV about 4.7%.
The book is based on his biography by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, and told by a Benedictine monk living today in Italy at the birthplace of Benedict.
My little sister got married on Saturday!
Being one of the youngest in our large family, with no children of her own yet, I don't think she quite understands how hard it can be to get a family of ten ready for a road trip, especially at 33/34 weeks pregnant, without the help of the teens who all have summer jobs!
I had planned to spend last Wednesday getting my hair cut and highlighted and then packing and loading the cars (with the 4th of July on Thursday and leaving by 5am on Friday) but instead of packing two of my girls and I spent the afternoon and evening crafting...
Tuesday night the bride-to-be called and asked if I could come up with activities for the 40+ children that were going to be at the wedding reception.... Ummm, sure? I probably should have said no, but I already had to say no to both her Bachelorette Weekend in Tahoe and her Bridal Shower in Portland. Coming up with activities for kids at the last minute... Now THAT was something I could do!
I did some searching online and found this darling printable wedding activity book for kids.
When our seven year old saw the books he cracked me up when he started singing:
"I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo
Yeah, I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo"
Wedding Activity Book for Children:
Personalized Crayon Packets:
I had almost everything I needed to make these already, we just had to buy crayons.
You'd think that the large packs of crayons would be the cheapest way to buy a lot of crayons (I needed around 400 crayons) but that wasn't the case, at least not at Walmart:
Winner: 24 Crayola Colors @ $0.50 per box = only 2 cents each
(I spotted them hiding on the top shelf and I asked someone to help get them down for me.)
We price checked the Cra-Z-Art Crayons too:
But the 24 Packs (only had a few left) were just $0.33 per box or a mere 1.3 cents per crayon!
We ended up purchasing a mix of 24 Packs of Crayola Crayons (with the new Bluetiful color, perfect for a bride/wedding) and 24 packs of the Cra-z-art Crayons.
Two of my girls took care of packaging up all the crayons while I assembled the activity books!
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~{pretty} August 6th (and 7th)Extra Summer Babysitting Money = Another Bird Paint-by-Number for her collection! {happy} My little avocado lover 🥑💗 #iknowguacisextra(Guac is...
August 2, 2019The women at the Sheriff's/Driver's License Office were trying their best to put me into labor this morning... I thought I arrived prepared right at 8am with my birth certificate, social security card, and proof of residency... I passed the test (barely)...
Have you seen the "Saints Around the World!" subscription boxes yet? Our family was recently sent one to review and not only was I impressed, but it was also a hit with our children!When our older children were younger I included so many more crafts and...
“And after you gave suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” - 1 Peter 5:10I had a little extra time before yesterday’s ultrasound, non-stress test, and...
This past Saturday we hosted a graduation party for our two high school graduates! They actually graduated Kolbe Academy at the beginning of May, but we just didn't have an opportunity to celebrate until now... One morning in June, when I was looking at the...
When I ran across the idea for a Graduation Candy Buffet I knew we had to include one for our boys' high school graduation party! Here are some of the types of candies I used: “Aren't You a Smartie” – Smarties “Book Worms” – Gummy Worms “So long Suckers” – Dum Dum...
On Saturday we finally had an opportunity to host a High School Graduation Party for our two recent graduates! I'm hoping to share all the pictures soon, but first here are the Graduation Cap Cupcakes we made (inspired by lots of different online pictures) for the...
"One day through the ROSARY and the SCAPULAR, I will save the world." - Our Blessed Mother Salted Caramel Brownie ScapularsIngredients:Trader Joe’s Brownie Truffle Baking MixTrader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel SauceSea SaltCaramel Candies...
Happy Feast of St. Benedict! 🍻"In the ordinary form of the Roman rite, the feast of St. Benedict of Nusia is today, the date on which his relics are believed to have been translated to Fleury Abbey in St. Benoît-sur-Loire in France. In the traditional or extraordinary...
My little sister got married on Saturday! Being one of the youngest in our large family, with no children of her own yet, I don't think she quite understands how hard it can be to get a family of ten ready for a road trip, especially at 33/34 weeks pregnant, without...
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.
