Plans for Pentecost Sunday

The feast of Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. "It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations."

Here is a list of ideas that could be done for this day!

(Disclaimer: We will not get to all of these, but I thought I would share the ideas with you just the same!)

Prayer:

• Pentecost Sunday Mass.
• Sing Veni Creator Spiritus (aka: Come Holy Ghost).
• Say some of these Prayers for Pentecost.

Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Ghost, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Ghost we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Food/Snacks:

• I listed a few ideas over at Catholic Cuisine, and Amy posted the recipe for Holy Ghost Sopas!
  
• Set the table with a red tablecloth and white plates.
  
• For breakfast we will be having powdered sugar doughnuts and white hot chocolate.
• An afternoon snack of Milk and Macaroons.
• For dinner we will be having Cornish Game Hens, Pasta Alfredo, Cauliflower and Twelve-Fruit Salad.
• For dessert, A Cake for Pentecost!!

Reading:

• Read Song of Songs 2:8-17 for the Garden of the Good Shepherd theme of the day: The Dove.
• Read about The Descent of the Holy Spirit pages 226-227 in the New Catholic Picture Bible.
  
• Read The Very First Christians.
• Read I Believe: The Nicene Creed.
  
• Read The Twelve Apostles by Marianna Mayer.
  
• Read The Twelve Apostles by Father Lovasik.
  

Copy work:

My Lord and My God!

--traditional Eucharistic exclamation.

Craft:

• Make a centerpiece for our school room. Cut out seven flame shapes from either felt or construction paper and label them with the names of the Fruits of the Holy Ghost.
• Make the Pentecost kite found in The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions.
  
• Make Dawn's Pentecost Windsock!
• Here is a cute Holy Spirit Mobile. (pdf)
  

Activities:

• Do a Pentecost Cross Word Puzzle, Decoder, Word Jumble, Word Search, or a Twelve Disciples Word Search.
• Color this Pentecost Coloring Page, or any of these.
• Jamie also listed a couple more great links!
  

What are your plans for Pentecost? I would love to hear any ideas that you all have as well!

I hope you have a blessed Pentecost Sunday!

Another Loss...

Well, today Princess passed away. Twinkle Toes was not near as sad as Captain had been (and still is!). She responded with an "Aaahhh! Poor Princess!" and went back to her coloring.

I had noticed that Princess was not doing so well last night... She kept hiding in the plant for some reason, and sometime during the night she died. Rascal was quickly reminded of how he had wanted to rename his fish "Bully," so I immediately removed Princess from the tank, and she is awaiting her burial.

Speaking of burials... Last week I was talking to the kids about how some saints are incorrupt.

Here is a brief conversation that took place the following day:

Captain: "Mom. Rascal wanted to see if Mr. Peter Nemo was incorrupt, but he couldn't find him!"

Me: "WHAT!"

Captain: "Yeah, he looked everywhere and couldn't find him in the dirt."

Me--thinking to myself: "I THOUGHT the spot look torn up... Was that Rascal, or did the neighbor's CAT get him?? HOW do I respond to this?"

Me -- out loud: "He is probably still there... You boys really shouldn't bother Mr. Peter Nemo, ok!?"

I wasn't sure HOW to respond! How would you have responded? The things boys think up... I mean, really, who would dig up a dead goldfish!?

How did he do it???

Like I mentioned yesterday, I came home from my trip to an amazingly clean home. I was SO excited! However, last night, I was wishing it wouldn't have been so clean. How is he able to do it, and I am NOT?

When hubby got home from work yesterday, he asked, "WHAT happened here?"

Aaahh... yes... let's see. Someone, didn't have a pull-up on, and wet her bed. As I was bathing her, someone else picked up the baby--I guess over the weekend they forgot the rules--and dropped him on the wood floor giving him a bump on his forehead, which warranted a call to the nurse and caused the baby to want to be snuggled most of the day. As I was changing over the laundry, someone spilled a glass of juice all over the kitchen, not to mention the school work that needed to be done, unpacking from the trip, calls to the insurance, etc.etc.etc. THAT'S what happened.

I am so frustrated with myself that I can't even keep our home clean for ONE DAY! I guess I have to remind myself, that I had the baby with me all weekend, and the meals back home were simple, convenient, and pre-planned out before I left... But still...

I think Laura Berquist was right when she told me to get help, if at all possible, for the time being. She said it will get easier, and that I am at one of the hardest stages right now, home educating with all of these little ones.

I hope to sit down with hubby and go over our budget, to see if it is at all possible, but, in the meantime, I am going to try harder... Speaking of which, I had better get busy!!

I hope you all have a very productive day!!! God Bless!

Safe and Sound...

What a busy weekend!!! It is so nice to be back home again, safe and sound. I just love arriving home again after a trip... It makes me realize just how much I really do like being home, and being with my kids! I missed them SO MUCH!!

It is also nice to be able to get back online! ;) I have a lot of catching up to do... There are over 325 new blog posts in my Google Reader -- a good indication that I may need to scale back in this area! I also have many emails to respond to... I'm Sorry! I will try and get back to you all soon. In addition, I was so excited to see the new posts over at Catholic Cuisine--their have been some GREAT suggestions and ideas!

Anyways, the Northwest Catholic Family Education Conference was wonderful, and totally worth the long drive. The talks were very inspiring. I loved browsing through--and spending too much money on!--all the wonderful supplies that the vendors had on display. My hour long private consultation with Laura Berquist was perfect, and just what I have been needing! I also got to see a dear friend, and meet a couple others that I have gotten to know through blogging! And, I got to visit some relatives that live in the Seattle area! It was such fun!

I even came home to a clean house!!! My hubby cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed and mopped the floors, put away laundry, cleaned the kids rooms, and did the dishes! I am so impressed and thankful! He did say that our girls are like a couple Tasmanian devils. I could have told him that!

However, I don't have even one picture to share with you! Can you believe it? I still can't! Friday morning, my car was broken into, the driver side rear window was shattered, and my cameras (my Canon Digital Rebel and my Canon 35mm Rebel), among other things, were stolen!

I was so disappointed, but, it really could have been much worse. Thank you all for your prayers for my safe travels, I am sure they helped!

I did hesitate when I was parking the car at the hotel. The parking lot was full and my only option was at the end of a row, in the corner of the parking lot... Then, since we were only going to be there over night, I didn't bring everything into the hotel. I almost went back down late that night to get my cameras, but I didn't -- I was too scared!! I'm actually glad that I didn't, since I don't know what time the bad guys (as my kids are calling them) were there... I wouldn't have wanted to run into them, especially since they stole a loaded gun from a car near mine as well! (That poor old man also had his GPS and a small statue of Mary stolen!)

Thankfully, I had just downloaded my pictures to the computer from my memory cards, right before I left, so I only lost a couple pictures! And, even though I am slightly too attached to my cameras, they are replaceable. I'm just bummed that our deductible (for the items stolen) is $1000! sniff...sniff...

Well... I have lots to do today. I need to contact the police officer with an itemized list, and call the insurance company back, unpack, and get the kids schooling. Hopefully sometime later today I can get back online and catch up with you all!

Have a great Monday!

Garden of the Good Shepherd ~ Week 7

Well, I haven't quite been able to finish my plans for this coming week. However, I will be gone till Sunday night, and so I thought I would post what I have just in case anyone is using these plans.

The theme for week 7 of The Garden of the Good Shepherd: A Sticker Calendar to Count the Fifty Days of Easter is:

"The Heavenly Zoo"

The Water : Read Revelation 7:13-17

• Hubby is taking the kids to the river after Mass!

The Deer : Read Psalm 42:1-5

• Play the Deer and Hunter Game
• Make Deer Cup Cakes

Deer Theme Treat Cup Cakes

1. Prepare your favorite cup cake recipe
2. Prepare or buy frosting/ icing and color it brown with food coloring

Decorate:

1. Antlers: break pretzels in half for two antlers and insert on either side of the cup cake
2. Nose: Half a maraschino cherry
3. Eyes: Small Hershey kisses or other small candy (M&M's for eyes.

The Lion : Read Daniel 6:14-23

• Make Lion Cupcakes or Cake
• Make a Lion Puppet Craft
• Use stickers to create a Daniel in the Lion's Den Picture
• Daniel in the Lions Den Coloring Page
  

The Beehive : Read Judges 14:5-9

• Have a Spelling Bee! ;)
• Make Beehive Cupcakes
• Read Berlioz the Bear and color this picture

The Peacock : Read 1 Kings 10:21-25

• Make a Peacock Craft

The Pelican : Read Genesis 1:20-23

(to be updated after I get home... any ideas??)

The Phoenix : Read Job 29:14-20

(to be updated after I get home... any ideas??)

Happy May Day!!

April Shower of Photos :: Day 30

As I mentioned earlier, today I went shopping for clothing!! I really should have been home packing--but, oh well! We had fun... All six of us!

Now, since I had all 5 kids with me, I bought more than I should have, and now I need to decide just which I should keep and which should go back... Maybe you can help me decide!

For those of you that don't know me personally, I generally wear skirts all the time. Occasionally when I am home or exercising, you will see me in sweats... But I don't wear jeans or slacks. This was a Lenten sacrifice I did a few years back, for a special intention, after reading this totally inspiring book, and it stuck. Don't you love it when that happens?

Anyhow, lately I have been feeling slightly frumpy, and nothing has been fitting right... It was time for a trip to my favorite (when I'm not pregnant!) store!

Whenever I am on a mission to find something, I usually strike out. However, today was my lucky day! I found a whole bunch of darling outfits that fit, and to top it off, I even convinced the sales lady to dig out an additional 30% off coupon for me to use! Gotta love it!! (Follow Dave Ramsey's advice, and ALWAYS ASK for a discount!! You will be amazed at the discounts you will receive!)

Alright, here is what I came home with.

Outfit 1:
White Wrap Front V-Neck with 3/4 sleeves
White Tank for under shirt
Light Blue and White skirt ~ Size 8



Isn't it cute??


Outfit 2:
White Cardigan (the sleeves hit my elbow.)
(use tank from above under, or other white tank)
SUPER CUTE Green Skirt IN A SIZE 6 (It MUST be labeled wrong!)



This was my favorite skirt... And not just because of the size!


Outfit 3:
Antique Brown Linen Pintuck Skirt ~ Size 8
White Tee



This one actually doesn't look that cute in the photo, but my hubby really liked it.


Outfit 4:
Black Wrap Front V-Neck with 3/4 sleeves
(white tank from above for under)
Denim Skirt (Size 10??)



I thought this was cute, but my hubby doesn't like the skirt. I think this will be the one I take back, but it is really comfortable...

I also got the white cardigan above in the light blue too. I just love the cardigan. It came in Black and Brown too, but the white and blue will be great for Spring and Summer!



So-- what do you think? Which should I keep?

Sorry to end the Shower of Photos with clothes... But I didn't have a chance to take any fun pictures today! Hope you all had a wonderful day!! Good night!

WoW ~ Week 9

Well... Up until yesterday I was doing good. Yesterday morning I was down 1.5 pounds... However, it looks like that big Italian dinner ruined it. The pasta was just too yummy! So, this morning I was only down a half a pound. I wasn't even able to lose the whole pound I gained next week. You would think that between eating healthy, and nursing a baby, it would be easier to lose weight! Oh well. I did have my blood drawn this morning, to be tested for allergies. I am very curious to see my results!!! I also really need to focus on exercising more--as in EVERY DAY! That was how I finally lost the weight the last time. There is just so much I would rather be doing... Like blogging for example! ;)

This weeks summary:

• Week five progress: -0.5 pound
  
• Total lost in WoW: -4.5 pounds

Goals for this week:

• Make healthy food choices while traveling.
  
• Exercise for 30 minutes on both Monday and Tuesday.
  

On a positive note... Those 4.5 pounds have made a difference!!! While we were in town this morning for Captain's Auditory Processing class we went to the mall. I wanted to see if I could find a new shirt. (You should have seen the looks on the employees faces when I wheeled the jogging stroller carrying 3 kids through the door, with 2 more hanging off the sides!) I ended up trying on a ton of cute clothes and found a few cute new tops, as well as a few new skirts!!! It is so nice to have real clothes fit again!! The strange thing is, my size is all over the place... Of the 4 skirts I brought home, one is a size 10 (which I am taking back since hubby doesn't like it), two are size 8, and one is a size 6 (it's my favorite!!!). All the same brand too! Isn't that weird? I'll have to take a couple pictures for you to see! :)

Anyhow, head over to Regina's to see everyone else's results.

Defending the Unborn

Not only did my little sister win first place on her last poem,

A Mother Mistaken...Another Life Taken,

she has just written another amazing poem:

An Unheard Call

I couldn't make it halfway through without crying.

God has given her such a gift with words, I am so glad she is using that gift to defend the unborn.

Way to go Mary!

April Shower of Photos :: Day 29

I just love it when I walk out to the living room to find things like this:

They were reading a couple of Spanish dictionary's just for fun!

This shot is blurry, but I just thought it was so cute:

"Mom!! STOP taking pictures of us!!!!"


Oh alright! They are ready for the April Shower of Photos to be over...
Just one more day!

The Feast of St. Catherine of Siena

Today is the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena. Be sure to visit Catholic Cuisine for a couple suggestions for celebrating this feast. I will be making Pasta Santa Caterina for my family, and Meredith shared a wonderful recipe for St. Catherine's Peace Bread! In fact, you could even make Lily Sandwiches for lunch or a snack, since the lily is one of the symbols associated with St. Catherine. I hope you have a very blessed day!

"O inestimable charity! Even as You, true God and true Man, gave Yourself entirely to us, so also You left Yourself entirely for us, to be our food, so that during our earthly pilgrimage we would not faint with weariness, but would be strengthened by You, our celestial Bread. O man, what has your God left you? He has left you Himself, wholly God and wholly Man, concealed under the whiteness of bread. O fire of love! Was it not enough for You to have created us to Your image and likeness, and to have recreated us in grace through the Blood of Your Son, without giving Yourself wholly to us as our Food, O God, Divine Essence? What impelled You to do this? Your charity alone. It was not enough for You to send Your Word to us for our redemption; neither were You content to give Him us as our Food, but in the excess of Your love for Your creature, You gave to man the whole Divine essence . . ." ~ St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena ~ Pray for us!