{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

{pretty}

It's so exciting when our copy of Catholic Digest arrives in the mail each month and we can flip to my submission to see which pictures (including some that I submit with the article) were chosen to go along with the text.   Doesn't it look so pretty?!

You can subscribe to Catholic Digest on Amazon! ;)  

"If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient, but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future." 

-St.Thérèse of Lisieux

Even though I choose the quote for today months ago, St. Thérèse must have known I would need to hear these words this week, as we struggle with my husband being sent home without pay until further notice due to the current government shutdown.   

Here is another inspiring quote that I ran across this week, 

while flipping through the pages in the St. Thérèse the Little Flower Daily Journal:   

"It is very well for great souls to soar high above the clouds when the storm is raging, but for us, we have merely to bear the showers with patience." 

-St.Thérèse of Lisieux

I'm trying my best to not panic and bear the "showers" with patience and trust in God's providence... 

{happy}

Look what arrived in the mail this week! The boys had loaned a friend a few of their Ranger's Apprentice books and they were sent back with a box full of Pumpkin and Candy Corn Cookies and some special sticks for me to make some more of our own!  Visit ELM's blog for the recipe and details.  BEST. SUGAR. COOKIES. EVER!

The boys are also very happy and excited that the next Ranger Apprentice book, The Royal Ranger, is coming out next month. They can hardly wait!

{funny}

So... Who wants to see my Cupcake Fails from earlier this week?  I had extra cupcakes from Michaelmas and wanted to turn them into lions for the feast of St. Jerome... I had run across these adorable lions and thought I'd give them a try, only using things I already had in the cupboard. Yeah.  Easier said than done.  Here are my results before giving up and keeping it simple: 

Nope... And it's WAY too Orange.

And this one?  Wow.  I gave up before even finishing and nearly died laughing.  Just ask Charlotte.  She was laughing too, when I emailed her the picture of my "crazy caveman" cupcake.

Twinkle Toes told me to step aside and she'd show me how it's done.
Hers is such a cute kitty!

{real}

Real Science 4-Kids Focus on Elementary Chemistry and Focus on Middle School Chemistry has been such a hit this school year. Today we had a blast making marshmallow molecules!
I'll post a few more pictures soon, but here is one I snapped with my phone using Instagram.

I'll be back soon with a few more pictures from today's feast and another giveaway! 

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

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear...

I love you, good angel, 

My guardian dear.

I know that I'll always 

Be safe while you're near.

Enjoying his new colored pencils... 

... while coloring this beautiful Guardian Angel Coloring Page! 

Stay with me, angel, 

Through daytime and night. 

Help me especially to 

Do what is right. 

Illustrating an Altar from A Catholic How-to-Draw For Ages 3-Up...

... with Guardian Angels on each side.  

And at last, my dear angel, 

When this life is o'er.

Just set me down safely

At heaven's gold door. 

~Meet Your Angel

I hope you all had a very lovely and blessed feast of the Holy Guardian Angels!

 (...which also happens to be our 14th Wedding Anniversary!) 

Catholic Treasure Box Book 1 and Angel in the Waters 

For today I have two sweet children's books to giveaway:  Catholic Treasure Box Book 1 and Angel in the Waters!   These books are always pulled out in our home during the month of October in honor of the Holy Guardian Angels and Respect Life Month!  If you would like to be entered just leave a comment on this post, and make sure your email address is either linked on your profile or included in the comment so that I am able to contact you if you win. 

A Study Guide for Angel in the Waters  can be found in Catholic Mosaic

I'm hosting a number of little giveaways this week including a copy of Catholic Mosaic, a copy of St. Therese the Little Flower Daily Journal, and still have a couple more items to give away tomorrow and Friday, so be sure to check back! The giveaways will all be open through Sunday, October 6th and I will update each post and contact the winners next Monday, October 7th.

UPDATE:

The winners of all the giveaways have been announced here.  

Thank you all for participating!

"When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel."

~St. John Bosco

Holy Guardian Angels, Pray for Us! 

In Honor of the Feast of St. Thérèse :: Apple Roses, A Novena & Another Giveaway!

I just finished posting the recipe for these Heavenly Garden Apple Rose Pastries over at Catholic Cuisine! 

You can find A Novena to Saint Thérèse beginning on her Feast Day here! 

I also have a copy of the Saint Thérèse the Little Flower Daily Journal to give away!  If you would like to be entered just leave a comment on this post, and make sure your email address is either linked on your profile or included in the comment so that I am able to contact you if you win.

I will be hosting a few more giveaways throughout the week, so be sure to check back! The giveaway will be open through Sunday, October 6th and I will update this post and contact the winner next Monday, October 7th.

UPDATE:

The winners of all the giveaways have been announced here.  

Thank you all for participating!

"If He permit that all the flowers of your desires and of your good will fall to Earth without fruit, be not troubled.  At the moment of your death He will know well how to bring to perfection [...] beautiful fruits on the tree of your soul."

-St. Thérèse, Counsels and Reminiscences
(This is just one of the many inspiring quotes found in the journal!) 

St. Jerome and the Lion

The oldest two boys are off having fun with their grandma today, watching my youngest brother (both Kevin and David are on college golf teams this year!) compete in one of his college golf tournaments!  My boys have only gotten to watch their uncle golf one other time and they were so excited, and more than willing to get a jump start on their school work for the week yesterday afternoon after Mass!



In the meantime, the girls have been helping me decorate some cupcakes for today's feast of St. Jerome!

"lie-lie!" (aka: lion) 

After the littlest ones are up from their naps we will all read and discuss St. Jerome and the Lion by Margaret Hodges, using Cay's excellent study guide found in Catholic Mosaic and the coloring page in Fenestrae Fidei!



Speaking of Catholic Mosaic, I have a copy to give away! My well-loved copy of Catholic Mosaic is the original spiral bound version, but this full color copy was sent by Krista (who happened to have an extra) for me to pass along to one of my visitors here at Shower of Roses.  Thank you Krista!

Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Literature 

If you would like to be entered in this giveaway for a copy of Catholic Mosaic (my copy of St. Jerome and the Lion is not included), just leave a comment on this post, and make sure your email address is either linked on your profile or included in the comment so that I am able to contact you if you win.

I will be hosting a few more giveaways throughout the week, so be sure to check back!  The giveaway will be open through Sunday, October 6th and I will update this post and contact the winner next Monday, October 7th.

UPDATE:

The winners of all the giveaways have been announced here.  

Thank you all for participating!

"So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be."

St. Jerome

St. Jerome, Pray for Us! 

Celebrating Michaelmas

St. Michael the Archangel Statue

.: Baking Michaelmas Cupcakes :. 

We have been making Devil's Food Cake and/or Cupcakes to celebrate Michaelmas since 2008!  Assisting St. Michael in defeating the Devil by stabbing "the Devil" with a cocktail (or more commonly Playmobil) sword is looked forward to by all the children, especially a certain little boy who celebrates his "name-day" on this feast! 

I had lots of helpers this year, including St. Michael! 

(which Snuggles received for his birthday this year)

Yes, that was me back behind the church in the mud and rain (we currently are having the rainiest September, ever) after Mass, cutting a few blackberry branches to use as decorations! ;)

.: Coloring St. Michael:. 

Thank you, Miss Charlotte, for the Archangel coloring pages! 

.: Michaelmas Blackberry Cobbler :. 

I ended up making a blackberry cobbler too since, according to tradition (and Joanna Bogle in her Book of Feasts and Seasons), "blackberries are no good to eat after September 29th because 'the Devil spat on them when he was cast out of Heaven into Hell on Michaelmas'!" I just posted the recipe over at Catholic Cuisine! 

.: Apple Puff Pancakes :. 

We usually make Apple Chicken, Steamed Carrots, and Angel Hair Pasta for Michaelmas, but Snuggles requested Apple Puff Pancakes and breakfast for dinner sounded perfect today! 

(Especially since Sean worked all weekend, trying to get in as many of this pay period's hours in case we do have a government shutdown this coming week... Praying hard for this intention and trying not to worry...)

Once again I had lots of help...

Thankfully I had some big helpers who helped with the dishes and the last of the clean up, so I could take a little break from the kitchen!  

.: A Few More Pictures :. 

And because we look for any excuse to blow out candles in our home... we lit seven candles for Snuggles 7th name-day and everyone took turns blowing them out! :) 

After that it was time to draw the swords! 

Happy Michaelmas! 

{this moment}

Bud loves his ABC ZooBorns! picture book from his Godparents, especially the page with the impalas "Dee!!! Dee!!!" (deer)

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

I haven't been feeling very well this week, but had to pop in to say hello and share a few pictures.   Also, in your charity, could you please say a prayer for my husband's Uncle Frank, my father-in-law's brother, who passed away yesterday afternoon. 

 Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. 
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

{pretty}

I've been eyeing these adorable Shining Light Dolls for awhile now and finally ordered a few to save for the girls' stockings this upcoming Christmas!

{happy}

My mom celebrated her birthday this past weekend and we met her at the Farmer's Market with a smoothie and a gift!  This year we decided to surprise her with a lovely hand-painted bookmark of her Confirmation Saint along with a copy of the Walk with the Saints Journal.  She loved it!  

{funny}

The kids loved spending some time with their grandma on her birthday and walking along the railroad tracks.  I couldn't resist snapping a couple pictures! 

{real}

It seems like nearly every one of my packages has been arriving damaged lately.... ("Damaged Doll Deliveries" wasn't exactly what I had in mind for D week!)  Last week one of these dolls arrived with the package smashed.  I called Amazon and they said they would send another, and to just keep the original.  The second arrived in even worse condition than the first!   I wasn't going to call, since the actual doll inside the box was still okay, but decided to let them know anyways.  This time they insisted on not only refunding the money, they also gave me a $10 promotional credit for the hassle and said to wait a few days before ordering again (if I choose to do so) so that the shipping department could make any necessary adjustments to protect future orders.   Note: That was a few days ago, so if anyone places an order they should arrive in better shape, but I am not making any promises! ;)  However, even with smashed up packaging, they are still just as pretty as can be!  (Oh, and the next day?  That stone I had ordered arrived in three pieces.  Seriously?!)

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