Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Face-Off Puck Cakes {Hockey Themed Cupcakes}

by | Jun 24, 2015 | , | 2 Comments

While I was decorating the Hockey Jersey Birthday Cake, some of our older children were busy with other birthday preparations… Twinkle Toes baked “Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Cupcakes” and Ranger carefully created the “Face-Off” inspired decorations to place on top of the cupcakes! (Captain was working on another fun treat which I’ll share next.) It’s was so nice having help!!!

Our original inspiration for our “Face-Off Puck Cakes” came from these Hockey Themed Cupcakes, but Ranger made some modifications. He did a great job and I really loved how they turned out! 
Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Face-Off Puck Cakes
Supplies: 
  • Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
  • Marshmallow Frosting
  • Pretzel Sticks
  • Black Candy Melts, melted
  • M&M’s (Dark Brown works if you can’t find Black)
  • Plastic Bag (with corner cut off)

Directions:
Bake and frost cupcakes. We choose to serve “Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Cupcakes” simply and quickly made with a Dark Chocolate Cake Mix and Vanilla Marshmallow Fluffy Frost.  
Create the Hockey Sticks by breaking off one end to make the desired length and then placing the pretzel (broken end) in a drop of black candy melt (squeezed from the plastic bag onto wax paper) and then adding some additional melted black candy to create the blade. Let dry. 
Place two pretzel “hockey sticks” (criss-crossed with the flat side of the stick facing up) on top of the cupcake. Add an M&M “puck” in between the two sticks. All done! 

A Hockey Jersey Birthday Cake

by | Jun 23, 2015 | , | 10 Comments

This past Sunday (Father’s Day!) we celebrated our little hockey player’s 8th birthday! It was his first time playing this last season and I’m sure it will not be his last. He loves Hockey!

A photo from the Parent vs. Players Hockey Game last March! 

He had requested a hockey themed birthday earlier this year and of course, other than ordering a couple gifts, I put off making any plans until the very last minute this past Saturday! After a trip to the craft and grocery stores, and some help from my husband and older children, it all came together Saturday afternoon and evening. I wanted to do something different than our older son’s Capitals themed Hockey Birthday (over 5 years ago on his 8th birthday!) so I ended up focusing on black and silver for the LA Kings, the birthday boy’s favorite NHL team, and made a Hockey Jersey Birthday Cake. The cake was such a hit and could be easily modified for any sport or team!

Supplies:

  • 1 – 9×12 Sheet Cake, frosted (the birthday boy requested a plain yellow cake with vanilla marshmallow frosting)
  • 1 batch of Marshmallow Fondant (recipe below)
  • Sugar Sheets in desired team colors – I used Silver and Black for the LA Kings (I hand cut the letters used for the name out of the black sugar sheet, but you could also use the Alphabet Sugar Sheet.)
Make Marshmallow Fondant:
I made this recipe again with regular sized marshmallows, however I didn’t refrigerate it overnight as suggested. It probably would have been much easier to roll and place had it been refrigerated. 

This was only the second time I’ve made my own fondant, and the first time I’ve tried covering a whole cake, but I’d definitely do it again! Everyone always loves the marshmallow fondant. 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 (16 ounce) package marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, divided 

Directions:

  1. Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
  2. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners’ sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff. (You may end up needing additional powdered sugar to get the right consistency… I did.) 
  3. Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
Makes 2 1/4 pounds of Marshmallow Fondant

Decorate Cake:

Roll out white Marshmallow Fondant, reserving some to use for the sleeves. Cover the cake with fondant and trim off any excess. (Note: I really needed a larger fondant rolling pin – mine is pretty small and my rolling pin is too heavy – and had trouble rolling my fondant large enough to cover the whole cake, so I just made sure it was wide enough to cover the top, and long enough to cover the top and bottom of the jersey. The sleeves took care of the other two sides.)

That moment while making one of my kids’ birthday cakes when I think it’s going to be a total failure…. #happenseverytime #decoratingcakesisstressful #atleastsomeoneisexcitedabouttheprogress

Before adding the sleeves I placed a silver and black stripe at the bottom of the jersey using the sugar sheets. I had purchased the sugar sheets “just in case” and I was glad that I did. I tried to color some of the marshmallow fondant using a lot of black gel coloring, but instead of getting silver/gray and black I ended up with lavender and dark purple… (Actually the dark purple looks pretty black now that it’s been sitting in the fridge for a couple days, maybe it just needed a little time.) The sugar sheets were so much easier and looked great on the finished cake!

I cut the sugar sheets with a paper cutter, though you could easily hand cut them as well. I lightly misted the fondant with a little water so that the sugar sheets would adhere to the cake. At this point I hadn’t considered that the bottom corners of the cake wouldn’t be covered by the sleeves, otherwise I would have cut the sugar sheets the longest length possible versus just cutting the width. I ended up having to add in a couple smaller pieces of silver sugar sheet on each side, but it was no big deal and I was the only one who noticed the imperfections! 🙂

To make the sleeves I divided the remaining fondant in half, then rolled it into a long rectangle, trimming one side (the edge that is on top of the cake) and end (sleeve opening) straight. After placing it on the cake and shaping a couple folds, I trimmed the top edge at a curve for the neckline and shoulder and trimmed the left side as well.  Repeat with the second sleeve. Add stripes made from sugar sheets to each sleeve.

I hand cut the letters for the name at the top of the jersey and then printed out the number 8 using the “Freshman” font (you can download it here or find it at Picmonkey) to use as a template for cutting the sugar sheet.

I’ll be back soon with some of the other treats we made for the party! 

5th Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop

by | Jun 16, 2015 | | 9 Comments

.: Rules for Posting :. 

Create a blog post with your gently used curriculum (and any other books/items) that you’d like to sell or pass on to another family, with pictures if possible.

Please add a link to your post, referring back to this post, so that others can find the link up.

Using the linky below, enter the direct link to your post.

.: Please be Thoughtful when Selling and Purchasing :. 

Out of consideration for everyone participating in the Curriculum Sale Blog Hop, please only request items that you intend to purchase and are able to submit payment for promptly, preferably within 24 hours, unless prior arrangements have been made with the person selling the books.

Sellers please update your posts with “sale pending” or “sold” when possible, and be sure to include your payment and shipping terms.

Purchasers, if you request books from a seller, please respond to their confirmation email within a reasonable amount of time. If the seller doesn’t hear back from you within 24 hours they may decide to remove the “sale pending” and make the books you requested available to others.

The link-up will remain open from June 15-30, 2015, so be sure to check back for new links! I’ve added a button to the side of the blog which will be there for the duration of the link-up so this post can be found easily.

Thank you for participating!

Our 2015 Used Book Sale

by | Jun 16, 2015 | | 45 Comments

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who purchased books and/or participated in this year’s link up! I’m no longer accepting orders for any of our remaining books below, since I won’t have the opportunity to get back to the post office anytime soon. God bless! 

It’s time for the 5th Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop! You can find all the details, browse books for sale on other blogs, or add a link to your own post here.

I didn’t have enough time to sort through all our bookshelves over the weekend, but I do have a few boxes of books to sell this summer and I pulled a few more off the shelves after we got home from golf camp this afternoon.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the items in this post, please leave a comment listing the books you would like, along with your email address. (The email address box is part of the comment form here at Shower of Roses and it won’t be displayed publicly.) I will send you a private email with your total, including shipping, along with my Paypal address.

To keep it as simple as possible, I have decided to once again charge a flat rate to help cover the cost of packaging, postage, and any Paypal fees. This year it will be $5 for 1-3 items and $7.00 for 4+ items. 

Please only request items that you intend to purchase and are able to submit payment for promptly. I’ve disabled comment moderation for a few days so that the comments/requests will show up immediately. I will also update the post as quickly as possible with “sales pending.”

Thank you!

Note: Most links are affiliate links.

Saxon Math Intermediate 3 Homeschool Kit: Textbook, Solutions Manual, and Homeschool Testing Book (does not include Power Up Workbook). Asking $43.00 for the set of three books (sold)


Saxon Math 7/6: Homeschool Edition, good/very good condition, purchased new and used by one child, Asking $20.00 (sold)

Saxon Math 8/7: Homeschool Edition, heavy wear to cover which is falling off, otherwise still a usable copy, $8.00 (sold)

Saxon Math 7/6 ISBN 1565775074, $10.00 (Previous school textbooks, with wear to covers, fourth edition and nearly identical to the Saxon 7/6: Homeschool Edition. A couple years ago my two oldest boys used 7/6 together with tutors, one the hardcover and one using the softcover pictured above. My 7th grader is currently using another copy of this book.)
Asking $10 each (2 1 available) 

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Workbook (Syllabus and Seminar Workbook Only – I happened to have an extra copy after participating in a local seminar. This coordinates with this DVD set.), like new, $15.00  REDUCED to $7.50 (sold)


Teaching Writing: Structure and Style Workbook (Syllabus and Seminar Workbook Only. This coordinates with this DVD set.), some notes & writing inside, $10.00 

Connecting With History: Volume 2 Spiral Bound Syllabus (Original Edition), very good condition, Asking $20.00 (sold)

Fix It! : Grammar and Editing Made Easy with Classics (2007 Edition), very good condition, Asking $15.00 (sold)

The Universe in my Hands Book with Dividers, Asking $10.00 (sold)

Science and Living in God’s World Grade 2 Teacher’s Manual and Answer Key, $1.00  
Science and Living in God’s World Grade 4 Text and Workbook Answer Key, $1.00 (sold)
Science and Living in God’s World Grade 5 Test Booklet, $1.00 (sold)

Catholic Geography Bee Coordinator/Parent Book and Participant/Student Book, like new with very minor shelf wear, Asking $25.00 for the set (sold)
Wordly Wise Book A Answer Key and Book B Answer Key, $2.00 for both 

Get Set for The Code B, new, $5.00 (sold)
Go for The Code C, new, $5.00 (sold)

Explode the Code, Book 1, pages 1-3 completed, $5.00   

Explode the Code, Book 1 1/2, new, sticker on cover, $6.00 

Explode the Code, Book 2 1/2, new, $6.00 

Word Tracking: High Frequency Words, Like New, Asking $10.00  

Getty-Dubay Instruction Manual – Like New, Asking $3.00  

The Catholic Homeschool Companion, Like New, Asking $5.00 (sold)

These have all been read once and are in like new/very good condition:

Something Other Than God, Asking $10.00 (sold)

My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir, Asking $7.00 (sold)

Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Debut, Asking $10.00 

Secular Saints, hardcover, wear/fading to dust cover, otherwise in great condition, $10.00  

A Short Life of Christ, 1952, $4.00  

The Story of the Sacred Heart, paper pamphlet type, you can see a picture of the inside here, duplicate copy, this has wear to cover including writing, Asking $3.00  

Garment of Grace, like new, $2.00  REDUCED to $1.00 (sold)

Lucia Speaks on the Message of Fatima, $2.00 (sold)

Baltimore Catechism No. 1, some discoloration, a few crayon marks on inside front cover, $2.00  

Ordinary Lives Extraordinary Mission, some shelf wear, $2.00 


Sleeping Beauty, like new, $7.00 REDUCED to $3.50 

Linnea in Monet’s Garden, duplicate copy, wear to cover, $3.00 (sold)

Peter and Lotta’s Christmas, like new, $10.00 (sold)

Baby’s Very First Black and White Library (box set of small Board Books, new), $3.00 REDUCED to $1.50(sold)

These are all duplicates of books on my boys’ bookshelves:
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan, paperback, wear to cover, $4.00 (sold)
Ranger’s Apprentice, Book Eight: The Kings of Clonmel, paperback, minor wear to cover, $4.00 (sold)
Brotherband, Scorpion Mountain, hard cover, like new with minor wear to corner of dust cover, $10.00 (sold)
Sir Givret the Short, paperback, like new, $4.00 (sold)

Beyond the Desert Gate, paperback, new in shrink wrap, duplicate copy, $7.00 (sold)
Nacar the White Deer, paperback, new in shrink wrap, duplicate copy, $6.00 (sold)
Willow Wind Farm: Betsy’s Story, paperback, new, duplicate copy, $6.00 REDUCED to $3.00 (pending)
My Heart Lies South, Paperback, good condition/shelf wear, $6.00 (sold)
The Saints Show Us Christ, paperback, shelf wear, $2.00  REDUCED to $1.00 (sold)
The Last Things, paperback, $2.00  
A Man for All Seasons: A Play in Two Acts, $2.00  

All of these books are in good to very good condition, with some shelf wear:

The Call of the Wild and the Cruise of the Dazzler, $2.00 (sold)
Dollfuss: An Austrian Patriot, $3.00  
Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, $2.00  
Rascal, $3.00  
The Skippack School, $4.00 
Within the Palace Gates, $6.00 (sold)
Cyrus the Persian, $6.00 (sold)
Brian’s Winter, $2.00  
On the Wings of Heroes, $2.00 
Walk the World’s Rim, $5.00  

Meet Molly, HC 0808579894, ex-library book, $2.00 (sold)
Changes for Molly, HC 083352366X, ex-library book, $2.00 (sold)
Molly Learns a Lesson, HC 0808579924, ex-library book, $2.00 (sold)

Three Little Pigs, Usborne First Stories, some cover wear, $1.00  REDUCED to $0.50 (pending)
Phonics Practice Reader, $1.00  
Yankee Doodle Sing Along, $2.00  
Toddler Songs, $3.00  REDUCED to $1.50 (sold)
Preschool Songs, $3.00  REDUCED to $1.50 (sold)
Silly Songs, $3.00 
Lullabies, $3.00  REDUCED to $1.50 (sold)

The Childhood of Jesus Coloring Book, new, $2.00  REDUCED to $1.00 (sold)
Boy Heroes, $4.00  REDUCED to $2.00 (sold)
Miracle of Marcelino, duplicate copy, DVD, new in shrink wrap, $7.00 (sold)

Zippety Zoo (Level 4), $2.00
A Den, a Tree, a Nest Is Best (Level 3), $2.00
Slither, Slide, Hop, and Run (Level 2) , $2.00
or $5.00 for all three (sold)

Hurricanes: Weathering the Storm, cover wear, $2.00  
One Day in the Alpine Tundra, heavy wear to cover, $1.00  
The Black Stallion, wear to cover, $2.00  REDUCED to $1.00 (sold)

Zita the Spacegirl, acceptable, cover wear, dogeared pages, $2.00
Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, some shelf wear, good condition, $5.00
The Return of Zita the Spacegirl, hard cover, new, $12.00
or $16.00 for all three books (sold)
Past Suspicion, shelf wear to cover, $6.00 
Frozen Footprints, shelf wear to cover, $6.00   
A Sojourn of Sorts, shelf wear, inscription inside, $6.00  
This Is Narnia (I Can Read! Level 2)
Welcome to Narnia (I Can Read! Level 2)
Tea with Mr. Tumnus (I Can Read! Level 2)
$6.00 for all 5 books (sold)
Coloring Book About the Rosary, Asking $1.00 each, 15 available (sold)
Stations of the Cross Coloring Book, Asking $1.00 each, 6 available  (sold)

Please leave a comment, or email me directly at jessica(dot)showerofroses(at)gmail(dot)com, if you have any questions. Thank you!

Seven Quick Takes :: Upcoming Book Sale, Coupon Codes, Special Feast Days, and Animals of God!

by | Jun 12, 2015 | , , , , | 4 Comments

Visit This Ain’t the Lyceum for more Quick Takes! 

— 1 :: 5th Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop —

Now that the school year has come to an end, it is time to start gathering any books you’d like to sell. The 5th Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop is coming up next week! I won’t be able to host two this summer so I’ve decided to leave the link-up open for two weeks. Hopefully that gives anyone who would like to participate time to do so. I’ll post the link up sometime Monday afternoon, after we get home from golf camp.

— 2 :: Sacred Heart Books and Gifts Coupon Codes —

Speaking of books, beginning today Sacred Heart Books and Gifts (one of my favorite sources for ordering discounted school books!) is offering free shipping for orders over $40 with coupon code JMJFS. For orders over $75 they are offering free shipping plus $5 off with coupon code JMJFS5. (These coupon codes are valid June 12-18, 2015.)

— 3 :: Celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary —

In honor of today’s solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and tomorrow’s feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the girls are going to bake and decorate heart shaped cookies again. After the cookies have cooled, cover each heart with white frosting. Add a red heart to the center of each cookie with red frosting, using additional yellow or orange frosting to create a flame. For the Sacred Heart Cookies add chocolate sprinkles to represent the thorns across the center; and for the Immaculate Heart add flower sprinkles and leaves. You can scroll through my past posts for the Sacred Heart here and Immaculate Heart here.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine! Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! 
— 4 :: Celebrating the Feast of St. Anthony  —

Tomorrow is also the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of lost items, and the one year anniversary of my miscarriage of our little Anthony. It’s hard to believe it has been a year, but at the same time (especially after all the things that have happened this past year and all the extra challenges we’ve had) it seems like so long ago…

I haven’t decided how we will celebrate the day yet, but you can find some ideas in the archives here at Shower of Roses and also over at Catholic Cuisine including an Outdoor Scavenger Hunt and “A Multitude of Fish” Trail Mix.

— 5 :: Animals of God —

Our family owns an old cassette tape that we were given when our oldest three were toddlers titled Animals of God – Three Catholic Stories for Children. It includes the stories of three different animals who played roles in the lives of the saints. Our favorite is the first of the three stories, which is perfect for tomorrow’s feast, about St. Anthony of Padua and the True Presence of the Holy Eucharist.

Regina Martyrum Productions has just rereleased this story as an audio download! 

“Meet Joshua, a little gray mule, and his kindhearted but stubborn Jewish owner, Guillard. After a chance encounter with Saint Anthony of Padua, the unbelieving Guillard throws out a challenge, demanding the saint to prove the true Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. When Saint Anthony accepts, unsuspecting little Joshua is locked away for three agonizing days and left to starve, yet he becomes the instrument God uses to show the entire town, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Holy Eucharist is indeed the Body of Christ. This incredible true story is told from the little mule’s point of view! A beautiful lesson on the Blessed Sacrament, which will delight children of all ages.”

For today and tomorrow only Regina Martryum Productions is offering a $20 cash credit when you buy 2 stories using promo code CASH20. 

— 6 :: Schleich Advent Calendar —

Last December Bud received an awesome Schleich Portable Barn for his Farmer Boy/Big Red Barn Birthday! I had wanted to purchase the Schleich Christmas on the Farm Advent Calendar Set for him at the time, but it was just too expensive. It was still in my cart though and I snatched it up when it dropped to 61% off last week. It’s still a bargain at 59% off today if anyone else wants to add some more Schleich animals to their collection. I’ll be saving it for next December!

— 7 :: St. Anthony of Padua and the Hungry Gray Mule —

Inspired by the story of St. Anthony of Padua and the Hungry Gray Mule we pulled out Bud’s barn, animals, and a couple of his Saint Blessing Blocks. I need to see if I can find a gray mule… One kneeling would be even better!  🙂

Dear St. Anthony, pray for me to the Little Jesus, whom thou didst hold so lovingly in thine arms. Obtain for me the grace to love Him with all my heart. Amen. 
(Prayer to Saint Anthony from Jesus Make Me Worthy)

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

by | Jun 12, 2015 | , , , , | 33 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life with Like Mother, Like Daughter. ~

{pretty}

It’s always so pretty over at the coast! I have some more pictures I’m hoping to share from our camping trip last weekend, but here is one that someone took of our whole family.  ❤ You can also see pictures from the Saturday afternoon rehearsal and Corpus Christi Mass and Procession here. 

{happy}

Lots of big smiles in our home today! Last day of school for the kids, and last day of braces for me!!! Woot woot! Thank you to my orthodontist and his amazing staff. They are the best! #bracesoff #onceagain #twentyyearslater #wearyourretainer

{funny}

“What are you smiling about?!” asks my husband, when he met up with us at DQ this afternoon to celebrate the last day of school. Haha! #nomorebraces #thatswhat

He wasn’t joking, but he figured it out really quickly when I grinned even bigger and all the kids started giggling! He’s had a long week.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget him asking if I had asked the orthodontist if he could still kiss me when I first got them on, and the electric shock he got from that first kiss! ⚡ That was the one and only time that happened, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect!

{real}

A screen shot from my Target Weight App showing my weight loss from the past year.
The green dots show that I’m now in the “normal” range for my height!
Today is also my 100th day on the Auto-Immune Protocol (AIP) diet! (This is my favorite book on the topic.) I’m feeling so much better than I have in years. 
When I first started the diet, the day after getting my biopsy results back in March, I planned on trying it for thirty days which seemed like an eternity at the time. I surprised myself by being able to successfully give up all my favorite things (Coffee, Chocolate, Chipotle…) and then some (all Sugar, Seeds, Nuts, Grains, Nightshades, Eggs, Dairy, etc). I figured Lent was the perfect time to make the extra sacrifices. Day 30 ended up being Holy Thursday, so I spent Day 31 fasting for Good Friday. My lichen planus wasn’t completely gone so I decided to continue on the diet through Easter and beyond.  
My Easter morning breakfast was an AIP approved Pina Colada Smoothie made with 1 large banana, 1 1/4 cup frozen pineapple tidbits, 1 cup coconut milk (this kind), 1 cup crushed ice, topped with unsweetened toasted coconut and garnished with an organic strawberry. Yum! 
I’ve found that, in addition to the diet, keeping my stress levels as low as possible and making sure I’m getting enough sleep each night is essential to avoiding new lichen planus from appearing. With the combination of the AIP diet, low(er) stress, and plenty of more sleep, I’ve been able to manage my autoimmune skin issues without using any of the prescribed steroids! The added benefit of weight loss has really helped keep me motivated too! 🙂  As of today I have lost 32 pounds since March 4th, and over 42 pounds since last fall! I’ve gone from wearing maternity clothes and/or barely being able to squeeze into a size fourteen to my old size eights now fitting loosely! On June 3rd, for the first time in nearly seven years, I finally weigh less than my husband once again!!! I’ve actually been buying him lots of beer and chocolate to keep it that way! Just kidding… or am I! 😉  Anyway, I still have another 15-20 pounds I would love to lose, but it actually seems achievable for the first time in a very long time. I’m looking forward to slowly reintroducing some foods back into my diet later this summer. We’ll see how it goes! 

Corpus Christi Mass & Procession

by | Jun 8, 2015 | , , | 12 Comments

“If I am truly to communicate with another person I must know him, I must be able to be in silence close to him, to listen to him and look at him lovingly. True love and true friendship are always nourished by the reciprocity of looks, of intense, eloquent silences full of respect and veneration.” 
~ Pope Benedict XVI, Corpus Christi homily 2012

You, Deity triune and one, we urgently ask: thus [please] visit us, as we worship you; along your paths lead us to where we long [to be], to the light which you inhabit.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

{this moment}

by | Jun 7, 2015 | , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday afternoon rehearsal for tomorrow morning’s Corpus Christi Mass and Procession!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

by | Jun 6, 2015 | , , , | 7 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life with Like Mother, Like Daughter. ~

{pretty}

I recently gifted these two beautiful infant medals, hand-embroidered by Stella Marigold Art, to a couple sweet babies and their mamas. I mailed the Immaculate Heart medal pictured above to a sweet baby girl who will be needing heart surgery in a month or two, and I gave the medal below to my friend Renee at her “Baby Shower of Love” last weekend for her little one, Patrick Gabriel, who has Trisomy 13. Please remember these two babies and their families in your prayers! 
 
{happy}

This little guy lost a tooth at the orthodontist’s office yesterday, just before getting his space maintainer, and the tooth fairy was extra generous last night! He couldn’t wait to finish his final Math assignment for the school year (yay!) and get started building. #perfectendtoaroughweek #endofschoolpartytomorrow #aslongasnooneelsegetssick

{funny}

Bud wasn’t at all interested in the waterslide at our Homeschool Family Camp, but he was a wild man on the waterslide the graduation party we attended last Saturday! 
{real}

Apparently fallen rose petals (and Crocheted Rosary Roses!) make perfect little beds for my children’s painted saints. I always love finding little scenes like this set up around our home. 

Homeschool Family Camp & Pentecost Sunday

by | Jun 4, 2015 | , , , | 13 Comments

Over Memorial Day Weekend our family attended a brand new Homeschool Catholic Family Camp in a neighboring diocese which was coordinated by my friend Aleesa.  
The camp took place at the incredible Powell Butte Retreat Center built by Bishop Vasa in 2009. 
That Friday afternoon we attended the funeral and reception for an old friend who will be dearly missed – the husband of our children’s swimming instructor, may he rest in peace+ – and then headed to camp.  It was a beautiful drive! 
At one point I had to jump out and quickly snap a picture of the sky. It was gorgeous! 
In addition to bringing our RV and parking in one of the seven RV spots (with power and water hookups!), we also had one side of one of the five duplex cabins, with a bathroom and eight beds (four wooden bunks!). 
“Each Cabin is named after a pair of Saints and each Cabin has a different form of Cross built into the floor. The Cabins are named for men and women who were very close friends or even family members. Each Cabin has a side named for a male Saint and a side for a female Saint. Each cabin also has a brief biography of its Saint as well as a description of the floor cross mounted on the wall.”
“Behind the cabins is a trail which winds through the junipers and connects the Cabins to each other and to the Youth Activities Center. In addition to the Youth Activity Center there is ample area for playing fields both up above near the RV parking or down below near the Activity Center. “
Behind the cabins you will also find the waterslide! 

 
There was plenty of free time throughout the weekend for playing games, visiting with the other families, or spending time in the chapel.

On Sunday afternoon Father Andrew Szymakowski arrived to offer a Low Latin Mass for Pentecost, Adoration, and to hear confessions!

Our family actually attended the ordination of Fr. Szymakowski many years ago (we only had three children at the time!), since he happened to be ordained with my husband’s oldest brother, through the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), before becoming a diocesan priest.

After Mass the Sisters of Mary of Kakamega arrived to join us for a BBQ dinner. 

I put together a Seven Layer Dip to share, recalling the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.  🙂 
I had also packed along a small cake to decorate along with candles (to sing Happy Birthday to the Church!) and some extra cupcakes decorated with red sprinkles and white chocolate doves. However, at the last minute quite a few additional families decided to come to camp and I didn’t have nearly enough for everyone. I ended up serving them the next afternoon after some of us hiked the cave. 

Roasting marshmallows was the perfect alternative to birthday cake for Pentecost! 
It was such a great weekend and I really hope we’ll be able to attend again next year. 
On the drive home, in addition to visiting Lava River Cave, we stopped to hike the Gorge trail and see how much lower the river is compared to last year.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. 
Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

A Hockey Jersey Birthday Cake

A Hockey Jersey Birthday Cake

by | Jun 23, 2015 | , | 10 Comments

This past Sunday (Father's Day!) we celebrated our little hockey player's 8th birthday! It was his first time playing this last season and I'm sure it will not be his last. He loves Hockey!A photo from the Parent vs. Players Hockey Game last March! He had...

5th Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop

5th Annual Curriculum Sale Blog Hop

by | Jun 16, 2015 | | 9 Comments

.: Rules for Posting :. Create a blog post with your gently used curriculum (and any other books/items) that you'd like to sell or pass on to another family, with pictures if possible.Please add a link to your post, referring back to this post, so that others can...

Our 2015 Used Book Sale

Our 2015 Used Book Sale

by | Jun 16, 2015 | | 45 Comments

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who purchased books and/or participated in this year's link up! I'm no longer accepting orders for any of our remaining books below, since I won't have the opportunity to get back to the post office anytime soon. God bless! It's time...

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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