{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  To see more visit Soule Mama. 

Small Successes: September 15, 2011

Subtitled: Nesting Project #1

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

~ 1 ~ 

Yesterday afternoon I made the long trip to Home Depot, and picked up some closet organizers for our nursery!   Like the older girls' bedroom, which was also built with the intention to add a closet "someday," I decided not to wait any longer and just create a "closet" along one wall.   The toy box will have to go and the rest of the furniture needed to be rearranged (I'm still trying to decide how it will look the best), but I think it will be so helpful to have somewhere (other than just the changing table) to put both Rose's and the new baby's clothing.

~ 2 ~

Not only did I use a screw driver, hammer and drill to assemble the closet organizers last night and today to assemble the closet organizers, I also figured out how to use a Circular Saw (to cut the shelves) and a Hack Saw (to cut the metal rods which were too long - finished one, and have three left to go)!   My husband is going to come home and wonder who I am and what I did with his wife! ;)

I plan to eventually purchase some Fabric Drawers for the cubbies/shelves (maybe in sage green?) and someday I would also like to get the doors and drawers (like the girls have) to complete the "closet."  But I am really happy with how it is coming together!

~ 3 ~ 

While I was working in the nursery, I also pulled out the jar of touch up paint (it's sitting on the bookshelf in the picture below) and covered all the scrapes, scratches and marks all around the room.   It is starting to look so much more ready for another baby!

  Now, on to the next project... 

That is, after a quick trip to town to recycle boxes and a stop by Dairy Queen as a little surprise for the kids, and as a little extra "thank you" for all their help!

Click here to read more of this week's Small Successes.

The Flowers of Wreath III Cupcakes

For the past three years I have been leading a Little Flowers Girls' Club for my girls and some of their friends.  It has been such a rewarding experience and my girls have absolutley loved being Little Flowers.

In addition to the suggestions in the Leader's Manuals, I started creating a series of Notebook Pages to go along with each virtue/saint, and also have really enjoyed coming up with snacks (or "Catholic Cuisine!") that  tied in the Saint and/or Flower for each meeting.

This past year, for Wreath III, I ended up sticking with a flower theme, and was able to come up with a cupcake for each of the 9 meetings.   Sometimes I would have all the supplies ready for the girls to decorate their own cupcakes (which the girls loved) and other times I had the cupcakes pre-decorated.  I've posted about them in my individual posts about each meeting, but I thought I would consolidate them all into one post as well, to share with you all here, as well as over at the Little Flowers Girls' Club Blog where I was recently asked to be a contributor!  Now to finish up my plans for Wreath IV before our first meeting later this month...

Meeting One :: Mary & Martha,  Eutrapelia, Dandelion

Dandelion Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Eutrapelia

Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with Cream Cheese Frosting

 and decorated as Common Dandelions

Served with "Dandelion Yellow" Punch

Meeting Two :: Ruth & Naomi, Friendliness, Morning Glory

Morning Glory Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Friendliness

Cupcakes decorated with white icing, Blue and Yellow Sparkle Decorating Gel, and yellow Skittles

Meeting Three :: St. Margaret of Scotland, Initiative, Black Eyed Susan

Black Eyed Susan Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Initiative

Orange Muffins topped with Cream Cheese Frosting, to be decorated by the Little Flowers with homemade Black Eyed Susan Chocolates (using this candy mold and candy melts) and the options of green mint meltaways, green color mist and/or green glitter gel.

Meeting Four :: St. Zita or Proverbs 31 Woman, Orderliness, Cranberry

Cranberry Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Orderliness

To make these delicious cupcakes, I used a package of Yellow Cake Mix, replacing the water with Orange Juice and added 1 cup of frozen cranberries and 1 cup of white chocolate chips.  We topped them with some Cream Cheese Frosting, homemade Sugared Cranberries (Craisins would be a simple alternative), and served them with Sparkling Cranberry Juice.  

Meeting Five :: St. Felicity and Her Seven Sons, Self-Control, Amaryllis

Pink Amaryllis Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Self-Control

I started with Pink Cupcakes, with the help of a Strawberry Cake Mix, topped with Frosting.  Using this Lily Mold I then topped the cupcakes with Pink (the color for this virtue) Amaryllis Flowers (the flower for this virtue) homemade with Pink and Yellow Candy Melts.  

Meeting Six :: St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Mother, Responsibility, Mum

Mum Cupcakes
Our Complete Meeting for Responsibility

These cupcakes were inspired by a recipe in What's New, Cupcake?: Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion.   They would be great to make this coming weekend for Mother's Day, anytime this month for our Blessed Mother during her month of May, or in July for the feast of St. Anne.  I posted the directions over at Catholic Cuisine!

Meeting Seven :: St. Bathildis, Patience, Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Patience

Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes, decorated with White Chocolate Chips and green frosting or Sparkle Gel.  

Meeting Eight :: Mary Mother of God, Cheerfulness, Blue Phlox

Blue Phlox Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Cheerfulness

I wasn't sure how I was going to decorate the cupcakes this month. . . After looking at various images online of Blue Phlox Flowers I ended up making a little bit of blue frosting.  Using a round frosting tip, I put five drops (my kids said they looked like hershey kisses) on each cupcake, then, using the tip of a knife, I pulled the frosting drops towards the center, creating the flowers.   I am a total amateur at this sort of thing, but I thought they turned out nicely!

The Blue is for Our Blessed Mother and the Five Petals represent the five dimensions of Cheerfulness:  Marian, Courageous, Heroic, Consistent, and Contagious.

Meeting Nine :: St. Julie Billiart, Fortitude, Hyacinth

Pink Hyacinth Cupcakes

Our Complete Meeting for Fortitude

When I was looking for ideas, Charlotte mentioned that Pink Popcorn came to mind.  I thought that was a perfect idea, but since I didn't have all the ingredients I opted to make the pink hyacinths using some pink Smooth & Melty Petite Mints (I had purchased a few bags at 75% off in January from Hickory Farms and had one left) along with a little green frosting for the leaves.  I also sprayed the white base frosting with a little green, before adding the candies.  I thought they turned out cute, and they were very yummy despite the fact that my six year old pointed out that "the chocolate cake even looks like dirt!"

You can view all of my posts for Wreath III here. 

St. Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus, 

Pray for Us!

My Daybook :: September 12, 2011

Outside my window... It looks like it is going to be another HOT day!   We are in the peak of fire season here, but my husband hasn't been able to be listed as available, and won't be able to take an assignment until after he gets home from the two week training session he is began yesterday.   As much as I hate to see him fighting fires, we pretty much rely on the overtime from at least one two-week fire assignment each summer to get us through the winter months, which means (if the fire season continues and he does indeed get an assignment once he arrives home) he could potentially be gone for at least 4 weeks over the next month or two.  Sigh.

I am thinking... about everything I would like to get done while he is out of town.   I haven't even begun to get ready for this baby...   In fact, I am still trying to figure out where to put Rose's clothing.  (I currently have a changing table/dresser that she is using, and I will need that for the baby.)  I had hoped that we would be able to add a closet to that room, but perhaps just closet organizers (like the girls have in their room) would work for now.   Someday we may get around to finishing the closets in those two rooms!

I am thankful... that my brother Paul was willing to babysit Saturday night so that Hubby and I were able to go out to dinner before he left on Sunday.   We went to a restaurant in our little town and it made us question why we always thought we had to "drive to town" for dinner dates.  I think we've found a new favorite place, and it is the closest restaurant to our home, only 3 miles away!  It was so nice to have a little quite time away to talk.

From the kitchen... Smoothies for breakfast, and lots of veggies - including peppers, zucchini and tomatoes from our garden!!!  I am trying to eat a little better since the weight is coming on faster than ever this pregnancy.   I am also hoping to make a trip to the farm for some more locally grown peaches.   A dear friend brought us a case a couple weeks ago and they were so delicious!

Learning all the time... Our second week of school is underway and so far everything is going great!  Rascal even said Friday that he "loves ALL of his school books this year, and can't wait to do more school work on Monday."  That made me very happy!   Right now the boys are building some gliders for a science experiment from Zoology 1 and having so much fun.   The girls are working on a mini-book for a Kaya lapbook while listening to the Kaya Audio Books we downloaded from Audible.  

Living the Liturgical Year at Home... Today is the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary!   This afternoon the girls are planning on making "Kaya's Dried Fruit and Nut Mix" (using Dried Blueberries, instead of Huckleberries, in honor  of Our Lady).

I am creating... a Little Flowers Wreath IV Lapbook and I am so excited with how it is coming together.   Our first meeting for the year is coming up at the end of this month and so I am hoping to finish it soon.

I am wearing... maternity clothes that are quickly becoming way too small.  I had the most embarrassing incident happen on Saturday while grocery shopping, which I am trying very hard to forget!  ;)   I just noticed that Old Navy is having a 30% off maternity sale (combined with the extra 2% cash back from clicking over from Ebates first, its a great deal - here's an Ebates referral link in case your not a member, it's free!)  and I think I am going to purchase a few new things.    They just don't make clothing like they use to... Nothing seems to last!

I am reading...  the Little Flowers Wreath IV Leader and Member Guides, as I try to prepare for this coming year, making modifications for my younger group of girls, lots of books about Explorers to the kids, and

Pondering these words... preached by St. John Vianney on yesterday's gospel (Anger Does Not Travel Alone), and read during yesterday's homily by a wonderful priest:

"We should make use of all the annoyances that happen to us to remind ourselves that since we are in revolt against God, it is but just that other creatures should revolt against us. We should never give others occasion to curse us.... If something irritating or troublesome happens, instead of loading with curses whatever is not going the way we want it to, it would be just as easy and a great deal more beneficial for us to say: "God bless it!"

 ~ and here is one more interesting excerpt:

“If we encounter so many children who are wild and undisciplined, without religion, bad tempered and stunted in their souls, we need not – at least in the great majority of cases – search for the cause beyond the curses and bad tempers of the parents. .”

Noticing that... I still need to work on a new schedule for this school year.   In the meantime, the checklists I started making at the end of last year and continued this year for each child, inspired by Sarah, have been so helpful!

Towards personal care... Despite the busy and hectic schedule, I am trying to "take it easy" and simplify where I can.  A couple weeks ago I had to spend a couple hours at the hospital being monitored and having some tests done after cramping all day, before noticing a tiny bit of spotting.   It really scared me, but everything was fine and the only explanation could be stress and/or dehydration.   I've been drinking a lot more water, as for reducing "stress,"  I'm not exactly sure how to do that!  ;)

Around the house... signs of the new school year and the upcoming arrival of fall, my favorite time of year!

I am hoping and praying... for so many intentions. Here are a few:

For my Husband (in particular) who was so discouraged and disappointed to hear this past Friday that the much-loved assistant pastor who arrived only 2 months ago - who has a special love of the Traditional Latin Mass, and has allowed my Husband to serve some of his private Masses  (permission hadn't been granted for him to offer the Traditional Mass publicly, but he did come and offer Mass at the campground for us on both Saturday and Sunday while we were camping!!) and was an almost an answer to 12+ years of prayers to have the Latin Mass available in our area - is being transferred this coming Friday.   We had just turned in a petition asking for the Latin Mass (which was promptly denied by the pastor since they were not going to "make any changes" for the next year) last month and then just this weekend his transfer was announced.  We still haven't been told why he is being transferred, and where he is being sent.  It has come as a shock, not to mention heartbreaking, for so many of us.   

For Father, that he will be happy at his new assignment, and allowed to publicly offer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in our liberal diocese.  

For my friend Julie who is hoping to adopt again and asking for others to join a novena to St. Therese (beginning today) for the intention of health, safety, peace and joy for all those involved in their adoption journey, and for the intention of bringing their baby home soon.   

For Daisy as she continues to recover beautifully from her heart surgery.  

For Charlotte as she continues to recover from her delivery.

In thanksgiving for the safe delivery and health of sweet little Cupcake (who is going to be our Goddaughter!!!!!!!)  and that I might just be able to find a way to make the trip to Texas next month to be there for her baptism!  

One of my favorite things... my Snoogle, or "new husband" according to Hubby.  It is helping so much!!   I even took it camping with us!  hehehee  ;)

A few plans for the week:

• School, school, school...
• Work on organizing all the hand-me-down clothing and the nursery
• Mass on Friday and Sunday

A Picture thought I am sharing:

taken by my sister Mary during the birthday tea-party

Celebrating Mary's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother Mary!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. 

I thought this might be the perfect time to share some pictures from our end of summer family vacation/camping trip this past Thursday-Monday!  

{pretty}

{happy}

   

{funny}

{real}

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment!