Filled with Joy

Celebrating ~ St. Martin de Porres

Since we plan to make our traditional treats, I wanted to share this archived post from last year's celebration:

Feast Day: St. Martin de Porres, November 3

Patron Saint of my husband and eldest son.

St. Martin was born in Lima, Peru in 1579. He was the illegitimite son of a Spanish nobleman and black woman. Juan, his father, had a disdain for Martin's dark skin color. He abandoned his family, leaving Martin with the stigma of coming from a home with no father, mixed blood, and very poor. He apprenticed as a barber-surgeon.

(My children outlined then colored this beautiful St. Martin de Porres Icon that I plan to purchase.)

At the age of 15, he began working as a lay helper in the Dominican monastery's infirmary helping sick people. His superiors dropped the stipulations that "no black person may be received to the holy habit or profession of our order" and Martin took vows as a Dominican brother. He had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Martin was humble and charitable, helping everyone in need.

Patron Saint of black and mixed race people, social justice, racial harmony, hairdressers, barbers, poor people...

He is the first Black saint of the Americas.

Peruvian Garlic Chicken

 

St. Martin de Porres showed love and kindness to all people and creatures.

There is a tale of his kindness even to the mice that were eating the sacred linens in the sacristy.

It inspired us to come up with this fun, absolutely adorable dessert.

 

~ Chocolate Mice ~

Simple enough my girls were able to assemble without help.

To you Saint Martin de Porres we prayerfully lift up our hearts filled with serene confidence and devotion. Mindful of your unbounded and helpful charity to all levels of society and also of your meekness and humility of heart, we offer our petitions to you. Pour out upon our families the precious gifts of your solicitous and generous intercession; show to the people of every race and every color the paths of unity and of justice; implore from our Father in heaven the coming of his kingdom, so that through mutual benevolence in God men may increase the fruits of grace and merit the rewards of eternal life.

Amen.

St. Martin de Porres, pray for us!

 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

 I came across these cute Cat in the Hat snacks while searching for an easy way to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday.

 They looked just too cute to pass up. 

Angelo -- Geography

We are studying Angelo using the lessons in our Five in a Row (FIAR), vol 4 manual.

This unit should be a lot of fun for us since the story takes place in Rome, Italy.  We lived in Italy for a short period of time, and my Nicholas was born there.

We started by making a salt dough map of Italy.

 
Placing dough on outline of Italy traced on cardboard

  
painting the background

 

 

Simple St. Valentine's Day

Yesterday, our homeschool group had a St. Valentine's party that we couldn't attend because our suburban is dead. It was the first time in ten years of homeschooling that we missed a St. Valentine's exchange.

 Instead, we had our own little Valentine's exchange with what we had available.

Each child made a heart-shaped mailbox to collect their cards just like they would for a party with our homeschool group.  Then we made cards to exchange and I put a few treats to put in their "mailboxes".

It was soooooo last minute (very much me) but you'd never know it by the fun we had.

Nathan's Turtle Card

 ~~ You make me come out of my shell ~~

 

Olivia's Ladybug Card

~~ You make me buggy ~~

 

Nicholas' Construction Worker & Caution Sign Cards

~~ Caution!  You are Loved ~~

 

 

Teresa's version of Heart Butterfly Valentine's Card

 

 

Daddy brought home a Heart-shaped Pizza

 

 

My boys enjoying their treats and cards....my girls took off with their loot to another room.

We even had some dessert
 

Heart-shaped brownies, cracked sugar cookies, and fresh strawberries 

 

It was simple, yet still a special St. Valentine's Day.

Hope you and your family had a great day!

St. Jerome Emiliani

Feast Day:  February 8

patron saint of orphans and abandoned children

St. Jerome Emiliani was a commander in charge of a fortress in Venice, Italy.  He was captured and put into chains in a dark dungeon.  He didn't care much about God because he didn't think he needed Him.  While in that dungeon, however, Jerome decided to get rid of the chains that bound him.  He let go of his worldly attachments and embraced God.

When he finally was able to escape, he hung his metal chains in the nearby church of Treviso -- in gratitude not only for being freed from physical prison but from his spiritual dungeon as well.

 Jerome cared for the children who had no one.  He cared so much that he became their family, and used his own money to rent a house for the orphans.  He made sure they ate, were clothed, and educated them. He opened orphanages and hospitals.

~ Activity ~

Make paper chains. 

 

 Explain spiritual chains can keep us prisoners in sin and away from a relationship with God.

Break free from the chains that bind you!

 
~~Prayer~~

Saint Jerome Emiliani, watch over all children who are abandoned or unloved. Give us the courage to show them God's love through our care. Help us to lose the chains that keep us from living the life God intended for us.

 Amen

St. Valentine's suncatchers

My girls could probably spend their entire days doing crafts.

 

Hopefully, we will be able to create something every day.    It's probably the first year that Teresa can complete simple crafts without much help.

 

For something so simple, we were all happy with the results.


 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.  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. If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

Fun with Pink Salt Dough

Making salt dough isn't just for Christmas ornaments or our annual Crown of Thorns for Lent. It's fun and versitile for any time of the year.  It's especially useful as a boredom buster ocold or rainy days when getting outside for long periods is not happening. 

The idea was to focus on love. 

I set out a few supplies....heart cookie cutters, skewers, and mosaic rocks.

 Creativity took over and they had a lot of fun.

 

Put 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of salt into a bowl

 

Add red food coloring to 1 cup of water

 
Pour water into the flour and salt mixture

 

Knead dough

 

 

Place on cookie sheet to air dry for 2-3 days or bake in oven at 200'F until hard
 

St. Agnes Lambs

Familia Catolica introduced me to Liturgical Folders.  They are a perfect way to display and store the information we want to focus on for a saint..  Much simpler than a lapbook, but it can be as simple as a coloring sheet with a prayer or filled with as many details as we feel up to including.

 

The St. Agnes coloring page can be found here in her sidebar.

This is the first time we have celebrated the Feast of St Agnes.  We learned a lot during our internet search for information about her and how this day is celebrated.

My children wanted to know why she was pictured with a lamb, and why were there so many crafts and foods on blogs?

We found out that Agnes in Latin means "lamb" and "pure or chaste" in Greek. 

 There is a tradition of blessing lambs on her feast day.  That wool is used to make palliums that every year on June 29, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Pope places a pallium around the neck of each new Archbishop.

 

Simple marshmallow Lamb Cupcakes

 Prayer to St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

O Little St. Agnes, so young and yet made so strong and wise by the power of God, protect by your prayers all the young people of every place whose goodness and purity are threatened by the evils and impurities of this world.

Give them strength in temptation and a true repentance when they fail.

Help them to find true Christian friends to accompany them in following the Lamb of God and finding safe pastures in His Church and in her holy sacraments.

May you lead us to the wedding banquet of heaven to rejoice with you and all the holy virgin martyrs in Christ who lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen.

Word for 2011

Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, I focus on one word that summarizes what I need to work on in the upcoming year.  It was somewhat of a challenge to hear only ONE word to focus on.

After reflecting on the past year, I knew that I needed to make big changes to my attitude.  I wasn't enjoying all the blessings that God has given me the way that I should.  Being a homeschooling mom felt more like a burden. The necessary daily tasks felt like a punishment.  To serve equaled being a servant.  Consequently, the example that I set for my children wasn't good.  God willing, how could my daughters even consider being a stay at home mom when I didn't show them how much of a blessing it really is?  If my sons don't see me happy, why would they be an encouragement to their future wife if she chose to stay home to care for their home and children?

Many words went through my mind that I needed to work on:  patience, happiness, smile, joy, serve, and family were just a few.  None of them quite encompassed what I felt God was asking of me. Finally, during a quiet moment while putting my little one down to sleep, God put the word LOVE in my mind and heart.

Love sounds so simple!  As a mother and a wife, I obviously LOVE my family, but I wondered if each of my children really knew how much I love them? Dealing with depression has had me more withdrawn from the world than I'd like. 

When my children look at me going about my tasks I wondered what they saw?  

What kind of attitude do I serve my family with? 

Something as simple as scrubbing the toilet with the correct attitude makes a huge difference.  It's not the best job in the house, but done with love, it really isn't so bad.   I want to serve my family out of love (Galations 5:13), not because it's my "job". 

I want my children to be able to look at me and know they are loved.

My prayer is to be able to show everyone, family and friends, the love of Christ.

  "At the moment of death we will not be judged according to the number of good deeds we have done or by the diplomas we have received in our lifetime. We will be judged according to the love we have put into our work."  ~~ Mother Teresa

 

 

There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives--the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them. ---Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart. Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well." ~~Mother Teresa

 
LOVE is.....

patient,  kind, not jealous, not pompous, not inflated, not rude, does not seek its own interests,  not quick-tempered, does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with truth.  It bears all things, believes, hopes, and endures all things. 

Love never fails 

(1 Cor 13)

Birthday Prayers

We had planned to celebrate Teresa's birthday this weekend when daddy would be off.  Those plans changed when daddy called home to wish Teresa a Happy Birthday.   

He surprised us all by showing up for lunch with a beautiful birthday cake and balloons
 

 

We told her to make a wish and she started praying.  8-) 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Teresa. 

1st Gingerbread House

Daddy was elected to assembled the gingerbread house because he is such a patient person.

 

 

 

 




This was so much fun that, in the future, we plan to have enough houses for everyone to decorate on their own. 

Christmas Morning for my Sweetie

My hard working husband turned into a little kid Christmas Morning. 

Yes, the new pjs and clothes were appreciated, but it was the toys that kept him busy all day.

I didn't realize he wanted this Chinook helicopter for his birthday earlier in the month.  He dropped a few hints to our children while at the store, but I never got wind of it.

 
Christmas morning...flying his radio controlled Chinook helicopter.  He even had to slingload a smaller RC Chinook! 

 
He looks like he's trying to figure out what kind of gun this is.

I thought he'd enjoy joining in on a paintball gun war with his boys who also received paintball guns.

This battle was the most HILARIOUS thing to watch....and listen to. 

 "Ow...Ouch...ouch!"

 
Nicholas looking for his dad.  Protected by a gas mask and layers of clothes.

 

My sweetie, light clothing and only eye protection....

 

 

Christmas Memories

 

 Anthony's 1st Christmas

 
Can never go wrong with Legos.


 
Teresa's numero uno request....Polly Pocket

 

Olivia....did not want her picture taken. lol

Feast of St. Nicholas ~~ 2010

 All of my children put their shoes under the Christmas tree to be filled with gifts from St. Nicholas. Tradition calls for chocolate coins!  Everything else is a surprise. Well, Anthony doesn't have any shoes, yet.  He's still in socks, but he got a few baby treats.

 

While they colored pictures of St. Nicholas from Paper Dali , I made St. Nicholas pancakes for breakfast.

 

Sweetness!

 
 

Handprint Christmas Wreath

Handprint crafts are just so precious....

 

I smiled watching her trace her own handprint

 

I smiled watching her focus applying the glue to the cardstock circle.

 

I wonder if sticking out her tongue helped her focus better

 

Adding the berries

 

A job well done.

Miraculous Medal Craft

The Miraculous Medal coloring pages came from Familia Catolica.  It's a wonderful website with many ideas to celebrate the liturgical year.

 

 

 

For now, it hangs over our family altar. 

Watercolor -- St. Teresa of Avila

Last month, I made an attempt to draw Olivia's patron saint, St. Teresa of Avila, onto her Little Flowers tote.  I thought outlining a nun in habit would be simple, even for me. 

As you can see, it turned out AWFUL.  

 

At first she looked like a King!!  Her habit and face gave me more trouble than I expected.

 Even after adding more feminine features to her face and a rose crown turning her into St. Rose of Lima, the result was pitiful.

  Ummm, Olivia wasn't too happy that I ruined her tote. <blush>

 The result combined with her reaction has had me attempting to perfect a sketch of St. Teresa of Avila.

Here is my first attempt at a watercolor painting since elementary school.  One thing I knew was not to try and finish this all in one sitting.  Is that even possible while homeschooling children, maintaining a home, and running everyone to different classes...I don't think so.

After a couple of sittings....

 

 

I present to you......

St. Teresa of Avila   8-)

Anthony's Baptism

 

 

He's almost dressed, but still looks adorable without the jacket.

It's so sweet to see him in this outfit that his oldest brother wore over 13 years ago.

I know this isn't the greatest picture of the moment, but I am so thankful. 

We were NOT allowed to take pictures at Nicholas' baptism. 

When Nathan, Olivia, and Teresa were baptised together, our photographer accidentally erased all the pictures of them being baptised.

  This time, my photographer was needed to stand in for the Godfather who had to leave town 5 am the morning of the baptism.

Olivia did her best with the her view obstructed and caring for Teresa.
 

Nathan had the blessing of being asked to serve when he arrived!

 

With his wonderful Godmother, Sue. 

 

Army theme - Tank Birthday Cake

Olivia asked to make the birthday cake for her big brother's Army theme party.  

This Tank Cake is her first attempt at making a theme cake.

 

The Tank identification number N14 represents Nicholas who turned 14

Little soldiers taking their positions along side the tank. 

The directions call for crumbled graham crackers for the dirt. 

We were fortunate to come across Chocolate graham crackers

Oreo wheels

With some help, she was able to cut off the barrel of a rifle for the tank's main gun. 

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During the Summer

..........you can find us at the lake....or beach...or a local park.

Yes,it's another post with pictures of my children. 

 I can't help it. 

 I absolutely LOVE seeing them happy.

After 9 months of rain or drizzle or clouds (September-June), we are trying extra hard to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible before we spend much of our time back at the Y.  We love the Y, but it can't top taking a picnic lunch to the lake and spending time there.

School begins in a couple of weeks and my posts will reflect that soon enough.

For now...

...I'm off to enjoy my blessings. 

 

 

 

 
  

Beach Fun

 FINALLY,some sun!

We arrived early to beat the heat and the crowds.

  

I'm not sure how they talked her into being covered in sand, but she didn't mind.

 

Bringing me a rock to add to her collection

 

 
 
 Olivia taking a short break to finish her book.
 
 

Little Man relaxing in the shade.

 

Wordless Wednesday - My Cuties

 
 

Quiet Moments

 My sons grabbing a nap together. 

Little moments like this bring me so much joy.

Easter Lamb Cake

 

One Month Old

It's hard to believe, but it's true! 

Anthony is already one month old!