End-of-School Interviews

I started this post when our school year ended back in May, but it's taken me until now to finish it up.  At the end of May, "Rose" and I flew back to Virginia to make the long road trip home from Christendom College with the older boys. The rest of the summer was a whirlwind of activities, birthdays, summer jobs, summer camps, hosting a family reunion and then a graduation party, not to mention all the college transitions and preparations! It was such a wonderful summer and I sure treasure those months we have each year with everyone home. 

I've been reminiscing a lot lately, thinking back to when I started this blog nearly fifteen years ago as an overwhelmed young home educating mother still in my twenties. Our oldest was six at the time and I was pregnant with number five. Now those first five children of ours are all in high school and college! I can't keep the tears from falling every time we put them on a plane or drop them off at school, but it is also so exciting to see them growing up and following God's plan for their lives. As a dear friend of mine recently said, "It's like reading a good book and you can't wait to turn the page and see what happens next!" 

December 12, 2020 - On their way to a Youth Group Christmas Party!

 

I didn't spend time blogging over the summer, maybe I'll get the opportunity this fall to go back and share a few things, but first I wanted to finish up this post with their annual End of School Interviews!  

Here are this past year's interviews (revised with blog nicknames):

Photo taken at Mount Rushmore on their road trip to college last fall:

Christendom Bound: A Cross-Country Road Trip

Favorite Books: Macbeth, Crime & Punishment & The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Conner

When your son sends you a bathroom selfie in the guys' dorm on his way to class 

... with a broken front tooth and the toilet seat up... 

it's hard to resist using it for his end-of-year photo! 

My favorite part is that he doesn't even mind. I love his confidence! 

His tooth was a soccer injury, re-broken from when he was younger. 

It's currently glued back together again and looks better than it did before. We'll see if it holds...

No more soccer games without a mouth guard! 

Favorite Books: Brideshead Revisited & Frankenstein

Oh, I sure miss our sweet girl! She flew home for the weekend and it was so hard to take her back to the airport early Monday morning. It was such a fun weekend! 

Favorite Books: Joan of Arc by Mark Twain and The Iliad

She got to go on a second "Nun Run" this year and took some great pictures! 

I need to see if I can get her to share about her trip on the blog. 

It's been really hard on her with her sister/best friend off to college... 

Hoping we can make that visit to UMary happen soon!

Favorite Books: David Copperfield (this audiobook is excellent too), The Spear & Beowulf

Now that he's in high school, and not a brand new baby, I really need to change his blog nickname from "Snuggles".... It's just so confusing to change it with the old nickname all over the archives! 

He's not a fan of "Scout" (too boy scout sounding he said) and "Sergeant outranks Captain"... so we are considering "Sniper"... He liked that one.  How is it even possible that he is in high school already?! 

Favorite Books: Augustus Caesar's World, Roman Britain & The Ranger's Apprentice Series

Favorite Books: 32 Days, Daddy Long Legs, Riddle at the Rodeo & Little Therese

Favorite Books: Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales

We'll go back to calling her "Grace"... but for today her name is "Lola Dutch!" 

Favorite Book: Lola Dutch

Favorite Book: You Are My Little Cupcake 

Favorite Toy: Bunny

I'm realizing now that I messed up on a few of the favorite book titles in the images. I don't have time to go back and fix them all right now, but the links should all be correct. :) 

Looking Back: 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2019-2020

The Fourteen Holy Helpers

Have you seen the lovely new book by Allison Lunsford and Illustrated by Joan Bennett? 

As we kick off our new school year, I have three copies to of The Fourteen Holy Helpers to give away, one copy here on the blog and two more over at Instagram!

"The fourteen saints presented in this book were classified as the "Holy Helpers" during the scourge of the Black Plague in the 1300s. Today, it seems there has never been a better time to re-introduce the Holy Helpers to the Catholic world and to society as a whole."

This beautifully illustrated book, filled with captivating accounts of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, paints the images of the saints so well both in art and words. Readers of all ages will be inspired by these incredible saints!

.: Giveaway :. 

Enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of The Fourteen Holy Helpers in the Rafflecopter box below. Click over to Instagram for an additional chance to win a copy and one for a friend too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School :: 2021-2022

Blessed Mother, as you so humbly and graciously accepted God's will to bear and raise His only son, and to guide him in wisdom and virtue, help me in the instruction and education of my children. Pray to your Heavenly Son to grant me the grace and strength to assist in their learning, overcoming tiredness and discouragement. Assist me in the management of my home, so that I may be able to keep order and peace, despite the challenges of schooling within it. Intercede for me, imploring Our Heavenly Father to bestow upon me wisdom, not for my own sake, but so that I may form my children's minds and hearts, so that they may grow into strong adults, helping to shape the world for His glory, and ultimately inheriting the kingdom of heaven. Call upon your heavenly angels to stand by my side, with their great intelligence, to help me understand that which I am instructing, and assist my children in learning of same. We humbly ask this through you beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

We are off to Mass to celebrate our Blessed Mother’s birthday and the beginning of our new school year!

I shared the following over on Instagram but wanted to record it here too:

After a whirlwind road trip on Friday, move-in day Saturday, and New Student Mass and Brunch today (Sunday), I’m heading back home and leaving a big chunk of my heart in North Dakota. How is it even possible that we have three young adults in college already?!?  Please remember them, and all students, in your prayers! Love you so much @captain_faramir @celtickittens @rangerrascal and I will be praying and fasting for a blessed and fruitful semester for you all at @universityofmary!

I keep having the sweetest pictures pop up in my memories this week... Click here for a flash back to ten years ago! So much has changed and yet so much is still the same. I’m so grateful for all the blessings we have been given and excited to start this new school year with our youngest six still at home! 

God is good!

Small Things with Great Love

“Not all of us can do great things. 

But we can do small things with great love."

-Mother Teresa

Chai Cupcakes baked and decorated on Sunday by our 16 year old! She even found the printable cupcakes wrappers and toppers I made years ago to download, print and use for her cupcakes. 

 

I hadn’t remembered that it was the feast of Mother Teresa until I walked in the door late Sunday night, following my flights home, and saw a plate of leftover cupcakes sitting on the table. She went above and beyond, as usual, while I was out of town dropping our oldest three off at college.

Saint Goals Tee from Annunciation Designs • Mother Teresa Mug from The Little Rose Shop

"Do something beautiful for God.

Do it with your life. Do it every day. 

Do it in your own way. But do it!"