The Immaculate Conception Novena starts today

Visit Pray More Novenas and you can have an email sent to you each day with the prayer for that day.  I don't know about you but, the days can get away from me and I've been known to forget to pray a day or more of a novena.  This way I don't forget.

Advent Week 1 - The Hope Basket

I've just finished wrapping our books for this first week of Advent.

This week we focus on Hope.  Our hope in Christ and how we can spread this hope everywhere we go - especially at home.  Tonight we will light one candle for hope, one bright candle for hope,

He brings Hope to everyone, He comes, He comes.

We will also unwrap the first book and start on our reading adventure as we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Lord this Christmas.

Sunday, November 27th

 The Jesse Tree

Monday, November 28th

Little Bunny Finds Christmas

Tuesday, November 29th

The Tale of the Three Trees

Wednesday, November 30th

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Thursday, December 1st

Advent Stoybook, 24 Stories to share before Christmas

Friday, December 2nd

The Cobweb Curtain

Saturday, December 3rd

The Legend of the Candy Cane



You can find lots more Advent reading inspiration here, here and here. 

Hope your week is filled with HOPE

Cranberry, Pumpkin, and Apple Pie Thanksgiving

We’ve been enjoying ourselves in the kitchen these past couple of days.  Buck, Honeybee and I started off by reading Cranberry Thanksgiving and P is for Pilgrim.

First we baked these cute little Turkey Sugar Cookies.

We even had a little “unschooling” lesson on measurements, placing them 2” apart on the cookie sheet. 

Next we started on Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread.  You can find this recipe in the back of Cranberry Thanksgiving. 

Buck enjoyed sifting the dry ingredients.

Honeybee stirred in the Craisins.  We went with these instead of using both raisins and cranberries.  We also doubled the butter…It is Thanksgiving!!

This bread turned out wonderful!!  No wonder Mr. Hoarce was trying to steal the recipe  

We are definitely adding this to our traditional menu.

~

Snuggle Bug made her traditional Pumpkin Pies ~

(We make two pies from this recipe)

and The House Cat sliced lots of apples to make her daddy’s favorite Apple Pies.

(We use prepared crusts)

Both of these turned out so yummy!

~

Granny and Papa came in last night and we enjoyed hanging out watching I Love Lucy re-runs. This morning we cooked a feast.

Granny seasoned up the turkey breast – Cajun style.

She actually picked up the dressing from Piggly Wiggly on her way.  I have to admit it was delicious!  She is a great cook but, likes their cornbread dressing more than her own.

By the way she makes the most delicious fruit salad.

Here’s the recipe ~

4 lg Oranges or 6 sm., remove all pulp then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar depending on the sweetness of the oranges. 

Add ~

2 Bananas, sliced

1 Can of Mandarin oranges, drained

1 Can (Oregon) Thompson grapes, drained

1 Can  Pineapple tidbits, drained

1 jar Maraschino cherries, drained

8 oz. carton Sour Cream

Mix all together and refrigerate.

~

Snuggle Bug did a beautiful job setting the table.

And here’s the result of all that hard work ~

Yummy!!

Dear Lord we are so thankful for ALL of the Many Blessings you continue to bestow upon us.

Our Thankful Tree

Today we made a Thankful Tree.  Each person had their hand traced and cut out.  These became our leaves.   I asked each person something they were thankful for and wrote it on their leaf.  It turned out really cute!  We all have so much to be thankful for!

 

Hearts for Home ~ Thanksgiving Week 2011

In today’s busy and aggressive society mothers at home are not given much encouragement to be committed to their role in being home. Here I encourage myself and others to commit to thinking about what 4-6 things we can do each week to bring our thoughts, prayers and actions to keeping our 'Hearts for Home'. ~

Happy Feast of Christ the King.  May He always reign as King of our hearts!

~

Tomorrow we are going to start our day a little differently.  The older girls and I are going to have a "Monday Morning Meeting" where we look at the upcoming week, talk about interests,  make notes and have a basic plan for the week. 
As I shared last week, I'm reading

A Little Way of Homeschooling, Thirteen Families Discover Catholic Unschooling.  I can relate to so many things I have read in this book.

Such as: "Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." W.B. Yates

I don't think I'm a radical Unschooler but, I am definitely drawn to pursuing my children's interests and fostering a love of learning.  I think I'm more like the families toward the end of the book who are a combination of one or more methods.

I've got books ordered from the library and am waiting on Homeschooling With Gentleness to come in the mail.  I look forward to see where God is taking us with all of this.

~

My honey will have knee surgery on Tuesday.  Please offer a little prayer for his speedy recovery.

~
We are looking forward to having Granny and Papa, my honey's parents, to stay with us for Thanksgiving.  The girls and I will bake apple and pumpkin pies to go along with our turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese (for Buck), corn casserole, green beans and crescent rolls. 

~

We will also meet with some homeschooling friends for Little Flowers this week.  This is great for Buck since he has some good "boy" play time then too.  Our Little Flowers group is small and sweet and the big girls enjoying helping out.  We also have group time where everyone comes together for recitations.  This can be anything from poetry to Latin to Classically Catholic Memory work.

~

I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving week! 

Don't forget to pick up your Advent candles this week  :)


Visit Cherished Hearts at Home for more weekly inspiration for keeping our
'Hearts For Home'

To My Love ~

So you're not quite as young as you used to be ~

and you tore the mensicus in your knee playing ball with all these boys ~

But, I Love You More than ever and so does God!

Do you remember giving me this mug after Daddy died?

God's got it ALL under control.

Don't worry

Trust in HIM!



Hearts for Home ~ Mid November 2011

In today’s busy and aggressive society mothers at home are not given much encouragement to be committed to their role in being home.  Here I encourage myself and others to commit to thinking about what 4-6 things we can do each week to bring our thoughts, prayers and actions to keeping our 'Hearts for Home'. ~

My friend, Mary, gave me this beautiful plaque as a housewarming gift. 

She is a special friend who knows me well.  I've struggled for years with planning and staying on a

schedule.  I always come to the conclusion that Our Lord is in control of our day and His plans are much better than mine. This week I'm going to try to remember to ask for His guidance each day in my morning offering.

~

I also want to get back to my "special time" with each one of my children each week.

Before the move, The House Cat had Monday, SB hadTuesday, Buck had Wed., and HB had Thurs.  The two big girls would read their fiction to me, which always left me much impressed.

~

My honey celebrates a birthday this week.  The kids and I will make a special dessert and meal for him and do our best to make him feel as special as he is to us.

~

It's payday which means it's time to make a meal list.  Everyone is so much happier when they know what's for supper.  I'm having a great day when I set out the meat to thaw by lunch time.  I'm also working to update our Sams Master Shopping List and the Walmart one too.  This makes shopping so much easier. 

~

I hope to read more of A Little Way of Homeschooling this week.  Thanks Kathy for letting me know the library had this!  I've only read a couple of chapters but, I LOVE IT!!!

~

One last thing I hope to do is to get back to the books I've started reading aloud to Buck and Honeybee.

The Children of Fatima, Paddle to the Sea, The Kirsten Story collection (HB).  After such a fun and busy weekend it's easy to let the week slip by just catching up on "keeping house."

~

Could you please say a prayer for my honey?  He hurt his knee during Buck's birthday football game.  He went to the dr yesterday, came home on crutches, and has a MRI scheduled this afternoon.  We are hoping it's not too serious.  Thanks so much :)

~

Visit Cherished Hearts at Home and join us as we strive to keep our "Hearts for Home."

Happy 8th Birthday Buck!

Our little man turned 8 today and we had a wonderful time celebrating!

He wanted a football field cake

and

lots of boys friends over to play a game in the back yard.

I just LOVE big Catholic families! 

Everyone had someone to talk to and play with.  From the moms and dads down to the little girls :)

This was my first double-decker sheet cake and I just love the way it turned out!

Buck and his dad helped line up the Skittles  players, complete with referees.

It was a wonderful day!