Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

by | Dec 14, 2016 | , , | 5 Comments

Santa Lucia
by Katherine Hyde
based on traditional Swedish lyrics
Night treads with heavy step
Round yard and hearth
Woods brood in darkness now
Sun’s gone from earth
But through the darkness comes, 
With brightness glowing, 
Saint of the heav’n-ly light, 
Our Savior showing
Maiden so sweet and fair, 
Bright candles in your hair, 
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Child of the holy light, 
Banish the dark of night, 
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Night now goes great and mute
Silence rules all things
What is that murmuring
As of an angel’s wings

There on our threshold
White-robed and shining 
Comes she with bread to spare
Our need divining


Maiden so sweet and fair, 
Bright candles in your hair, 
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Child of the holy light, 
Banish the dark of night, 
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Darkness shall soon depart
From vale and mountain
She brings good new to us
Light like a fountain
Soon day shall rise anew
Daystar is coming
In skies of rosy hue
Salvation’s dawning

A Special Nameday Gift – St. Lucia Original Painting from Sleightholm Folk Art
and St. Lucia Doll from The Little Rose Shop (I’ve been dying to give her this doll since I placed the custom order for it based on one of Heather’s paintings earlier this year!)
Maiden so sweet and fair, 
Bright candles in your hair, 
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Child of the holy light, 
Banish the dark of night, 
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!
Santa Lucia and Star Boy Coloring Pages from Waltzing Matilda

Here’s the link to the recipe for Saint Lucia’s Braided Bread.
Scroll through all our past St. Lucy posts here. 

Santa Lucia, ora pro nobis! 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

by | Dec 12, 2016 | , | 2 Comments

Lemon Elegant Heart Cakelets (birthday gift earlier this year)
St. Catherine of Alexandria from Catholic Folk Toys (from our collection)
St. Catherine of Alexandria from The Little Rose Shop (this year’s name day gift for our daughter) 

“In Northern France it is a custom on St. Catherine’s day to give heart-shaped cakes to unmarried women who have reached the age of twenty-five. The idea is to encourage them in their search for love (and a husband).” ~ Cooking with the Saints
We always celebrate the feast of our daughter’s patron saint with heart shaped cakes. This year, since the feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria was the day after Thanksgiving, we celebrated a couple days late on the first Sunday of Advent. Instead of making one heart shape cake we ended up using her Elegant Heart Cakelet pan (birthday gift at her When Calls the Heart party this summer) and made darling individual cakes instead!

St. Catherine of Alexandria, Pray for Us!

Thanksgiving Daybook

by | Dec 11, 2016 | , | 1 Comment

(I started writing this Daybook post Thanksgiving night, but fell asleep and never got back around to finishing it. I’m just going to delete all the writing prompts I missed and post it anyways…)  

Outside my window…
A beautiful Thanksgiving day! My sister Mary arrived to our home early and we headed outside so she could take a few family pictures for us. If we don’t have another chance between now and Christmas, one of them just might end up on this year’s cards.

I am thinking…
I couldn’t believe I got talked into hosting Thanksgiving dinner… I can’t even look at uncooked meat without getting sick at the moment! 😉 Thankfully my mom brought the turkey and sweet potatoes, and sister-in-law brought all the desserts and rolls. That just left the ham and other side dishes for me my kids to cook! It all came together. So grateful for lots of help!

I am thankful… 
The kids had so much fun sharing our recent news with their youngest Uncle who hadn’t head yet!

Celebrating the liturgical year…
The feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria is tomorrow… We usually bake a heart shape cake but this year I think we are going to use Twinkle Toes’ new pan (from her When Calls the Heart Birthday Party) and make heart shaped cakelets instead!

From the kitchen…
Cinnamon Roll Turkeys for brunch! This year we skipped the pretzels (I forgot to pick them up) and used dye-free Pumpkin Spice Little Secrets for some of the decorations.

I am praying…
for this little surprise baby of ours.

Pondering these words…
from St. Therese Lisieux:

“Prayer is an aspiration of the heart. It is a simple glance directed to Heaven. It is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy.”

I am listening…

Around the house…
Family ♥

One of my favorite things…
Roses ♥

    A little peek at my day…

    Honeycomb Cake on the Feast of St. Ambrose

    by | Dec 7, 2016 | , , , | 3 Comments

    Today my little ones helped bake a Honey Bun Coffee Cake in our Honeycomb Pull Apart Cake Pan for after dinner in honor of the St. Ambrose, the honey-tongued doctor. 

    Legend says that when St. Ambrose was a baby, a swarm of bees flew in the window and clustered around his mouth, indicating that he would grow up to become a famous writer and speaker, one whose words would be as sweet as honey. 

    He is the patron saint of beekeepers, bees, and candlemakers.

    I just shared the recipe over at Catholic Cuisine. 

    While it baked we read the story of St. Ambrose and the Bees in Brother Wolf, Sister Sparrow: Stories about Saints and Animals from our December Book Basket.

    Saint Ambrose and the Bees from Brother Wolf, Sister Sparrow: Stories about Saints and Animals
     
     
    Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose
     
    O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
    take away from me my sins,
    and mercifully kindle in me
    the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
    Take away from me the heart of stone,
    and give me a heart of flesh,
    a heart to love and adore Thee,
    a heart to delight in Thee,
    to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen
    - St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397)
     
    St. Ambrose, ora pro nobis! 
     

    O Antiphons Ornaments & Gift Package Giveaway

    by | Dec 4, 2016 | , , , | 0 Comments

    Ever since our oldest children were very little, we have been implementing an old monastic custom in our home by providing special treats, representing each of the “O Antiphons” on the days leading up to Christmas. The O Antiphon prayers begin on December 17th and end on the 23rd, which is the last Vespers of Advent, since the evening prayer on the 24th is the Vigil of Christmas.

    The Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one – Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia – the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

    Each night, following our family rosary, we pray the O Antiphon for the day, sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which was inspired by this ancient tradition, and then give the children a special treat.

    The “treats” have varied from year to year. Some years it has been little gifts or activities for the family, some years it is all food related, and some years it is a mix of both, depending on our schedule and budget. It doesn’t need to cost much! Sometimes the treats are a bit of a stretch, but my goal is try and find gifts that will either help increase our faith (Catechism books, holy family, saints, prayer, etc) or encourage family time (games, puzzles, going to look at Christmas lights, etc). You can find some of our past O Antiphon treats by scrolling through the archives and visiting Catholic Cuisine.

    Our family loves this tradition. It is such a fun way to teach the children about these beautiful prayers of the church and also increase their excitement as Christmas gets closer.

    This year I am hosting an O ANTIPHON GIVEAWAY! One lucky visitor here at Shower of Roses will receive a gift package which will include one complete set of O Antiphon Ornaments and one themed gift for each of the seven O Antiphons! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to enter. 

    I have listed each of the prizes below, as well as additional ideas (food, activities and gifts – or simply decorate chocolate coins) for each of the O Antiphons: 
    .: December 17th :.
    O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!

    O Sapientia (O Wisdom) – An Alphabet of the Altar
    sponsored by St. Augustine Academy Press

    Since the symbol for wisdom is a book, I usually choose a new Catholic book for our family. This year I’m planning to give our family a copy of An Alphabet of the Altar, a brand new release from St. Augustine Academy Press.  I’ll also be including a copy provided by St. Augustine Academy Press in the giveaway below! This book is gorgeous! I can’t wait to read it to my children later this month.

    “This is perhaps the most beautiful book we have come across in a long time, and it was a labor of love to reprint it for you. Each lavishly illustrated page is mesmerizing in its detail but even more so for its love of the beauty of our Faith. Printed in a deep, rich brown ink on cream paper, with a cloth hardcover and dimensional gold embossing, this is a book that will make you feel proud to be Catholic. Preorder yours today and save–this will make the perfect Christmas gift–even for those who already know their alphabet quite well.”

    Additional Ideas: 

    .: December 18th :.
    O Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

    (We already have this cookie cutter, I purchased two at the time so I have an extra to give away!)
    In the past we would emphasize the word “house” in this Antiphon, and have made our Gingerbread Houses or Gingerbread Cookies on this night.  Now that we have two birthdays this week (and two birthday cakes to bake and decorate!) we usually wait until Christmas Eve, or sometime during the 12 Days of Christmas to decorated Gingerbread Houses. We have also incorporated Moses and the Ten Commandments.

    Additional Ideas: 

    .: December 19th :.
    O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.
    O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) – Jesse Tree Kit
    sponsored by Sacred Heart Books & Gifts
    Additional Ideas:

    .: December 20th :.
    O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

    O Clavis David (O Key of David) – Tiny Saints Key Hooks 
    (Duplicates of a couple we already have. Hope the winner likes them as much as we do!) 

    Additional Ideas:
    .: December 21st :.
    O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

    O Oriens (O Dayspring) – Candle from The Cloister Shoppe
    (I love these candles! I bought a couple of this scent, one for me and one to give away.) 

    Additional Ideas:

    .: December 22nd :.
    O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!

    O Rex Gentium (O King of the Gentiles) – King of the Golden City
    sponsored by St. Augustine Academy Press

    Additional Ideas:
    This year our kiddos will be unwrapping this darling Wise Men Puzzle Set to go along with the Nativity they received last year.  I’m still in love with all the toys from Naturally Catholic!

    .: December 23rd :.
    O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!

    O Emmanuel (O With Us is God) – Prayer Pillowcase Color-Me: Prince of Peace
    sponsored by Catholic Child

    Additional Ideas:

    .: O ANTIPHONS GIVEAWAY :. 
    O Antiphon Ornaments (Rustic) sponsored by Jesse Tree Treasures 

    This giveaway is sponsored by Jesse Tree Treasures, St. Augustine Academy Press, Sacred Heart Books and Gifts, Catholic Child, and Shower of Roses.  (Combined value of $140+) 

    Enter the Giveaway using the Rafflecopter Box below: 

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Now that I have these all wrapped and ready to send to someone, 
    I need to finish up our gifts for this year and get them wrapped up too! 🙂 

    If you are looking for gift ideas, you can find my lists of Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers here (2015) and here (2016). 

    Celebrating the Saints :: Saint Andrew Cupcakes

    by | Dec 1, 2016 | , , , , | 4 Comments

    Today is the feast of St. Andrew! We had a very full day today, between co-op classes for all the big kids and an afternoon at the office for the three little ones and I, but we had another nameday to celebrate! On the way home this evening we stopped at our local market for eggs, a can of Marshmallow frosting, and some Fudge Brownie Goldfish Grahams so we could decorate some cupcakes for this special feast. (We already had a box of cake mix and some Trader Joe’s Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks in the pantry.) I simply stuck two pretzels into each cupcake at an angle to create an X shaped cross and added a few fish grahams to the base. So simple to decorate and I loved how they turned out!

    Our little guy loved his two nameday surprises: St. Andrew the Apostle from Naturally Catholic and his very own St. Andrew Chaplet from Mary Devotions.

    Dearest Patron, St. Andrew the Apostle, in baptism I received thy name and was put under thy special care. Oh, teach me to be like thee! Help me to avoid sin and to practice virtue. Be always at my side to guide me and protect me, and bring me safe to Heaven, that I may be ever happy with thee in the presence of God. 
    Saint Andrew the Apostle, Ora Pro Nobis! 

    Saint Andrew Novena

    by | Nov 30, 2016 | , , , | 13 Comments

    St. Andrew Christmas Novena

    Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

    It is piously believed that whoever recites the St. Andrew Christmas novena prayer fifteen times each day from the feast of St. Andrew (November 30th) until Christmas Eve will obtain the favor requested. Our family has a very special intention this year… Here is a picture of our littlest one taken on Monday at 10 weeks 2 days. A little too soon to get all the measurements they were looking for, so I’ll get another peek next week! So far everything looks perfect and baby is due June 24, 2017! ♥

    Thank you all so very much for all the love, encouragement and prayers! 

    P.S. There is still time to enter the Christmas Giveaway: 

    Bargain Priced Toys :: Shining Light Dolls

    by | Nov 28, 2016 | , , , , | 4 Comments

    Ooohhh! Looks like you can save 23% on all qualifying Shining Light Dolls today! That brings them down to $10 each, with Prime shipping. The discount shows up during checkout.  The Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) and St. Thérèse of Lisieux are two of Rose’s favorites. She’ll be receiving Our Lady of Mount Carmel for either her birthday or Christmas.

    If you haven’t already, you can also enter for a chance to win your choice of six Marian Shining Light Dolls along with a copy of The Virgin Mary Around the World! A Pilgrimage of Faith (Board Book) in this year’s Christmas Giveaway.

    The Jesse Tree :: Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories

    by | Nov 28, 2016 | , , , | 4 Comments

    Happy First Sunday of Advent! I had hoped to have one last giveaway all ready to go for this weekend, but between hosting Thanksgiving dinner for twenty (thankfully I had help!) combined with the nausea I’ve been fighting (thank you all so very much for the prayers, love, and support!), I’m a little behind and haven’t even started the post… I will do my best to get it up on the blog sometime this week. In the meantime, I thought I’d share our Jesse Tree plans for this Advent.

    Advent varies in length from 22-28 days, beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30th) and embracing four Sundays. The first day of Advent can fall as early as November 27th or as late as December 3rd. This year we, with Advent beginning on November 27th we get the longest Advent possible with four complete weeks! 

    The Jesse Tree provides a meaningful way for us to count down the days until Christmas. Moreover, it increases our understanding of this portion of salvation history and is an effective way to prepare spiritually for Christmas.

    In the past we have used a combination of the New Catholic Picture Bible and the Bible for our daily Jesse Tree readings. This year we will be reading through Amy Steedman’s Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories (originally published between 1907 and 1922 as The nursery book of Bible stories, republished with minor editorial revisions in 2009 by Sophia Institute Press) and adding in some extra picture books as well! 

    Optional: Additional Picture Books

    “There shall come forth a shoot form the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” ~ Isaiah 11:1-2

    Here is our plan for this year’s twenty-eight days of Advent: 

    1. Creation
    Felt Symbol: The Earth
    Wooden Symbol: The Earth
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Beautiful World, Pages 3-5
    Picture Book: The Genesis of It All

    2. Adam & Eve 
    Felt Symbol:  The Apple
    Wooden Symbol: The Apple

    3. Noah
    Felt Symbol: Ark
    Wooden Symbol: The Ark

    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Noah and the Rainbow of Hope, Pages 9-13
    Picture Book: Noah’s Ark and Noah’s Ark (Board Book)

    4. Abraham
    Felt Symbol: Stars
    Wooden Symbol: The Camel
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Story of Abraham, Pages 15-19
    Picture Book: The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats

    5. Isaac

    Felt Symbol:  Bundle of wood
    Wooden Symbol: The Ram
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Isaac and Rebekah, Pages 23-28
    Picture Book: Sarah Laugh’s 

    6. Jacob
    Felt Symbol:  Ladder
    Wooden Symbol: The Ladder
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Jacob and Esau, Pages 29-36

    Picture Book: Old Testament Rhymes (Hardcover – Neumann Press) 
    7. Joseph
    Felt Symbol: Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors
    Wooden Symbol: The Coat

    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Joseph the Dreamer, Pages 37-44
    and Joseph, the Ruler, Pages 45-52
    Picture Book: Joseph
    8. Moses

    Felt Symbol: Basket (need to make and add to our collection)
    Wooden Symbol: The Basket

    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Finding of Moses

    Picture Book: Exodus

    9. Moses

    Felt Symbol: Ten Commandments/Stone Tablets
    Wooden Symbol: The Tablets

    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Moses, the Great Leader, Pages 59-64

    Picture Book: Exodus (continued)

    10. Joshua

    Felt Symbol: Sword & Trumpet
    Wooden Symbol: The Horn (Joshua)
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Story of the Spies, Pages 67-75
    and Gideon, the Soldier, Pages 77-87

    11. Ruth

    Felt Symbol: Sheaths of Grain
    Wooden Symbol: The Wheat
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Ruth, the Gleaner, Pages 89-95

    12. Samuel

    Felt Symbol: Oil Lamp
    Wooden Symbol: The Oil Lamp
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Samuel, the Little Server, Pages 97-104
    and Jonathan, the Soldier Prince, Pages 105-114

    13. Jesse
    Felt Symbol: Shepherd’s staff
    Wooden Symbol: The Tree
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: David, the Shepherd Boy, Pages 115-122
    14.  David
    Felt Symbol: Harp
    Wooden Symbol: The Harp

    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: David, the Fighter, Pages 123-130


    15. Solomon

    Felt Symbol: Scales of Justice
    Wooden Symbol: Use Isaiah’s “Scroll” for Solomon
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Solomon, the Wise King, Pages 133-140


    16. Elijah

    Felt Symbol: Raven
    Wooden Symbol: The Stones
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Elijah, the Hungry Prophet, Pages 141-148


    17. Jonah

    Felt Symbol: Whale and Teardrops (Hezekiah)
    Symbol: The Big Fish (Jonah) 

    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: (no specific story for Jonah)
    and Elisha, the Man of God, pages 149-155
    and Hezekiah, the Good King, pages 157-163
    Picture Book: Into the Sea, Out of the Tomb and The Hard to Swallow Tale of Jonah and the Whale

    18. Jeremiah

    Felt Symbol: Stone
    Wooden Symbol: The Clay Pot
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Jeremiah, the Prohet, Pages 165-172

    19. Daniel
    Felt Symbol: Lion 
    Wooden Symbol: The Lion
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Story of Daniel, Pages 173-180

    20. Esther
    Felt Symbol: Queens Crown
    Wooden Symbol: Use Solomon’s “Crown” for Queen Esther
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Queen Esther, Pages 181-189
    Picture Book: The Story of Queen Esther

    21. Nehemiah

    Felt Symbol: Walls of Jerusalem
    Wooden Symbol: The Temple
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: Nehemiah, the Warrior Builder, Pages 191-198

    22. Zachary and Elizabeth
    Felt Symbol: Angel
    Wooden Symbol: The Prayer Shawl
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Messenger of the King, Pages 199-204

    23.  St. John the Baptist

    Felt Symbol: Shell with water
    Wooden Symbol: The Shell
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Messenger of the King, Pages 199-204
    24. The Angel Gabriel
    Felt Symbol: Angel with lily
    Wooden Symbol: The Angel
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Coming of the King, Pages 205-207
    Picture Book: The Angels’ Alphabet

    25.  St. Joseph
    Felt Symbol: Carpenter’s Saw
    Wooden Symbol: The Hammer
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Coming of the King, Page 207-208
    Picture Book: Father and Son: A Nativity Story, Good Saint Joseph and Story of St. Joseph

    26. Blessed Virgin Mary
    Felt Symbol: Lily
    Wooden Symbol: The Lily
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Coming of the King, Pages 208-211
    Picture Book: Mary’s Song

    27. Bethlehem
    Felt Symbol: Bethlehem (need to make and add to our collection) 
    Wooden Symbol: The Star and Town
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Coming of the King, Pages 208-211
    Picture Book: B is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet and Bethlehem (Catholic Edition)

    28. Birth of Jesus
    Felt Symbol: Infant Messiah
    Wooden Symbol: The Manger
    Read-Aloud Book of Bible Stories: The Coming of the King, Pages 211-213
    Picture Book: The Nativity

    O God, You fill us with happiness each year as we wait for our celebration of Christmas. May we also joyfully look forward to the coming of Jesus as our final Judge. We ask this of You through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

    Bargain Priced Books :: Coupon Codes for Christmas

    by | Nov 26, 2016 | , , | 4 Comments

    The last few years we have really enjoyed giving our children stacks of books for Christmas and I am always looking for great deals and promotions to save on all the books we purchase.
    Right now you can get $10 off any book purchase of $25 or more over at Amazon with coupon code: HOLIDAYBOOK

    The promotion is valid for a limited time, on orders placed between November 24, 2016 at 12:01am EST and November 28, 2016 at 02:59am EST. Limit one promotional code per customer and account. You can read the complete details here.

    I’m still searching for books for this year… 
    Here are some books that our children will be receiving this Christmas: 
    (her older brothers have an older box set and this excellent audiobook collection)
    OR The Wind in the Willows (illustrated by Robert Ingpen – Help! I can’t decide which one!)
    Our oldest daughter will also be receiving a Kindle this year. They are all on sale right now!
    I’ll probably also incorporate some new books supplemental History books for this year: 
    I’ll most likely order these from Sacred Heart Books & Gifts:
    FREE SHIPPING until Dec 10th with code: JMJFS
    You can find additional books suggestions here: 
    Scroll through all our past Stacks of Books for Christmas here. 

    Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

    Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

    by | Dec 14, 2016 | , , | 5 Comments

    Santa Luciaby Katherine Hydebased on traditional Swedish lyricsfound in Lucia, Saint of LightNight treads with heavy stepRound yard and hearthWoods brood in darkness nowSun's gone from earthBut through the darkness comes, With brightness glowing, Saint of...

    Thanksgiving Daybook

    Thanksgiving Daybook

    by | Dec 11, 2016 | , | 1 Comment

    (I started writing this Daybook post Thanksgiving night, but fell asleep and never got back around to finishing it. I'm just going to delete all the writing prompts I missed and post it anyways...)  Outside my window...A beautiful Thanksgiving day! My sister Mary...

    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.


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    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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