Goodbye Summer Daybook

Outside my window

The sun is shining and the leaves are starting to change color. At least, the sun was shining when I started this daybook. Now, the rain is pouring down and I am enjoying sipping on pumpkin spice hot cocoa. We double the cocoa and the milk when we make this.

We have had a beautiful summer!

I am wearing
a denim skirt and a navy blue t-shirt.

In the kitchen

I have been enjoying all of the barbecuing that Anthony has been doing this summer. I am so thankful to have a son who can barbecue. As I told my dad, Anthony barbecuing means that my husband can arrive home to dinner on the table.

Outside

My husband and some of the children cleaned our cars this week. The children always enjoy cleaning the cars with their dad.

I am thankful for

our new assistant pastor. He came for dinner a week ago and we had a great time visiting with him, playing Pictionary, and watching him play Mario Kart with three of our boys.

I am also thankful for Ben, a very kind man at our parish, who has been giving us heirloom tomatoes and Italian prunes. Growing up, we had a huge, old, bountiful Italian prune tree. As children, my siblings and I were always happy when the plums were ready. When I went to college, my mom sent me Italian prunes in a small box each year. Ben's Italian prunes are bringing back many fond memories.

I am hearing

the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, singing on their Marian Hymns at Ephesus CD. I am also hearing Kilian squeal and laugh. Joan is playing with him, while Bernadette tries various hairstyles in my hair.

Our baby is growing so quickly. He is moving all over the place whenever he is on the floor. Since he was born, I have been amazed by how much he moves. I joke that he is perpetual motion, but I am not really joking.

I am continuing to pray for

Kim.

We are learning

all sorts of things. Cecilia was happy when she saw the bird stamps that I bought for her to mail the letters that she writes. She is a prolific letter writer and recently asked me if I could buy some pretty stamps for her to use. When I gave her these stamps, her face lit up.

Bernadette checked this book out from the library and has been experimenting with various hairstyles. I think that we might need to have a girls' hair-styling party one of these weekends.

I was happy to find these pens for around $7 on Amazon. I've always liked using colorful pens. These write well and are comfortable to use which is a bonus. The children like using them too. They are great for writing in cards, etc.

What am I reading?

I was reading The Glories Of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori until the book was ruined (I won't mention how). I will be buying another copy of this title when I am able. It is a great book.

I am continuing to read Legends and Stories of Italy by Amy Steedman to the children in the morning. I am finding that the faith-filled stories in this book lend themselves well to narration. After I finish reading, I ask, "What can you tell me about the story?" One of my children will respond by retelling the story that I read. If they leave anything out of their retelling, another child is happy to add a little more to the retelling. I highly recommend Legends and Stories of Italy.

During lunch, I am reading A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole. Thanks go to Jen for recommending this book. Whenever I read A Nest for Celeste, my young children beg, "Please read another chapter." They are thoroughly enjoying listening to this story and I am enjoying reading it. 

I am listening to

Fraternal Correction Requires Charity and On Gossiping (Fraternal Correction, Continued)

I love my husband

He surprised me with flowers on Thursday night because he felt that I needed them. He was right. 

Aren't they cute?

Plans for this week

• Go to Mass
• Go to the beach Oops that was last week. Our summer beach days with friends, new and old, have come to an end. :( I am going to miss going to the beach with my children and friends.
• Garden - There is a lot to be done outside. My perennials have taken over since last year. I want to transplant some flowers and divide others. Eventually, I hope to be satisfied with how our garden in the front looks. When that happens, I want to work on the backyard.
• Clean up around the house. It's a never-ending task that I am happy to offer to God.
• Jump in with both feet. I needed to read Sarah's Do it Afraid because I think that this is the first time (to paraphrase Sarah) that I am just "jumping in with both feet" and "shoring up the details" as I go. Oh, I wanted this summer to last and last.
• Plan for a Lilla Rose Marian luncheon party.

I am pondering

"If you are feeling overwhelmed, then you are not spending enough time with God." I read these words somewhere and I have not been able to stop thinking about them. I know that I need to make more time for God in my life.

A prayer for Students

Ineffable Creator, Who out of the treasures of Thy wisdom has appointed three hierarchies of Angels and set them in admirable order high above the heavens and hast disposed the divers portions of the universe in such marvelous array, Thou Who art called the True Source of Light and supereminent Principle of Wisdom, be pleased to cast a beam of Thy radiance upon the darkness of my mind and dispel from me the double darkness of sin and ignorance in which I have been born.

Thou Who makest eloquent the tongues of little children, fashion my words and pour upon my lips the grace of Thy benediction. Grant me penetration to understand, capacity to retain, method and facility in study, subtlety in interpretation and abundant grace of expression. Order the beginning, direct the progress and perfect the achievement of my work, Thou Who art true God and true Man, Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.  

~ St. Thomas Aquinas

I hope that everyone has had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. We enjoyed spending time together as a family, and Wednesdays at the beach with friends, both new and old, this summer. May God bless our children as we begin another homeschool, charter school/school year!

Urgent Prayer Request for Kim

Last night, my friend, Christine emailed me to let me know that our friend, Kim, has really been struggling lately and that it looks like Kim might not live much longer. We are asking Fr. Kenneth Walker to please intercede for Kim. Today, Christine sent the following email to our homeschool group:

As you know, we’ve been specially requesting prayers for Kim this past year as she struggled with her rare, rare form of cancer that is currently active on her brain. It has reached a dire pitch this past week as she has been unable to eat, has constant intense headache, cannot leave the couch.  It now takes her a day just to write a few lines of a letter to her children.  She was admitted to a hospital yesterday and because they are medically at the end of the rope, she has agreed to an experimental treatment.  So, on Monday she will have another surgery on her head to remove more "real estate" and then two radiation nodes will be implanted.   

Naturally, Brian and Kim have turned their thoughts toward the probability of death and all these "last things."  

Dear Lord, we ask for a miracle and the complete, permanent healing of Kim.  Please place your mantel of protection, love, serenity, joy, wisdom, consolation around the Carroll family:  Kim, Brian, Caisey, Rebecca, Anna, and John Paul.   

Father Kenneth Walker, we ask you specially to pray for her.  St. Joseph, pray for her. Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for her.  St. Paul, pray for her.  St. Pope John Paul, pray for her. Blessed Mother Teresa, pray for her.  St. Louis de Montfort, pray for her.  St. Maximillian Kolbe, pray for her.  St. Peregrine, pray for her.  

In your kindness, please join us in praying for Kim.

Happy Feast of the Assumption

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Why Go to High Mass?

We go to High Mass for three main reasons. 

photo copyright Emily Byrne

1. We go to High Mass because the third commandment is "Remember to keep holy the Lord's day." Going to High Mass forces us to keep the Lord's day holy. High Mass at our parish is the later Mass. We live almost an hour away from our parish and High Mass lasts a little over an hour. Thus, Sunday in our house revolves around going to Mass.





photo copyright Emily Byrne



2. The High Mass is the highest form of worship that is available to us on a regular basis. The Pontifical Solemn High Mass is the highest form of worship, followed by the Solemn High Mass, then the High Mass, and finally the Low Mass. Unfortunately, the first two aren't offered every Sunday or holy day. Thankfully, the High Mass usually is offered on these days. We want to worship God in the highest way possible.





photo copyright Emily Byrne



3. Laura Berquist often talks about exposing our children to "the good, the true, and the beautiful". The Mass is good, true, and beautiful. The High Mass is "the most beautiful thing this side of heaven!" Low Mass has its place on weekdays and in the summer when the choir is, to quote my pastor, "taking a much needed break". However, when High Mass is offered on a Sunday, since we do not have any good reason to go to the Low Mass (age, health limitations, a job that requires us to work on Sunday, etc.), we go to the High Mass. Everything about the High Mass draws us to God. Exposing our children to the High Mass will help our children fall in love with God. I will always remember Agnes, at age nine, saying to me about the High Mass, "Mommy, each time that I go to Mass I feel like I am getting closer and closer to Heaven". The sacred music at the High Mass is beautiful. I know of at least one person who was drawn to the Catholic Church because of the sacred music at our parish. The High Mass helps us not only expose our children and ourselves to what is beautiful, it helps all of us to love what is beautiful and in loving what is beautiful, we will grow in our love for God. As our pastor wrote in the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter's 25th anniversary publication, "...the Missa Solemnis or Missa Cantata should have a prominent and regular place in the liturgical schedule of the parish. The regularity of these more solemn forms of worship will make sacred music normative for the faithful, and whatever is normative becomes formative." (emphasis mine)

St. Philomena

picture from Catholic Tradition

On Friday, a young Catholic lady who is a member of my Lilla Rose team, emailed me, sharing, "Last night when I was praying my St. Philomena novena (my Confirmation saint & sisters) I saw the anchor with her image & was blown away that this month's flexi is a St. Philomena flexi! :)  St. Philomena, pray for us! St. Dominic, pray for us!"

Although a friend's daughter is named after this wonderful saint, I have other friends who are parishioners at a parish named after her, and a friend recently spoke to me at the beach about St. Philomena's cord, I didn't know much about St. Philomena. So, I started reading about her. St. Philomena is truly a beautiful saint!

May we always be anchored in Hope and anchored in God!

Saint Philomena Prayer

Hail, O innocent Philomena, who, for love of Jesus, preserved the lily of thy virginity in all its brightness. Hail, O illustrious Philomena, who shed thy blood so courageously for Jesus Christ.

I bless the Lord for all the graces He granted thee during thy lifetime, and most especially at the hour of thy death. I praise Him and glorify Him for the honor and power with which He has crowned thee, and I beseech thee to obtain for me from God the graces I request through thy intercession.

Saint Philomena, beloved daughter of Jesus and Mary,
pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Amen.

taken from Catholic Tradition

Happy Feast of St. Philomena!

From the Mouth of a Child and more

When my daughters returned from camp, they showed us the Immaculate Heart of Mary wall hangings that they made. Kieran was amazed by them and sat looking at the wall hangings and trying to touch them. All of a sudden, he surprised me by saying, "Mommy, the girls make Mary's heart. Jesus is happy."

As I sang, "Go to sleep my baby..." to Kieran the other night, he stopped me, saying, "Mommy, I am not your baby. My brother is your baby. I am your little boy."

When we go to the grocery store, my little boy insists on pushing the cart because he can do things by himself because he is "like Timmy". After a long shopping trip, during which Kieran pushed the cart, walking on tippy toes, I asked him, "Are you Mommy's big helper?" My little boy responded, "Mmmmm... I think so."

On Wednesday, Theresa, Kieran, Kilian, and I picked my husband up from work. Kieran insisted on pushing the elevator buttons and carrying his daddy's lunchbox for him. I wish that I had had my camera with me.

7-Layer Bean Dip

On Pentecost Sunday, we tried this 7-layer bean dip recipe for the first time and it was delicious. We served it as an appetizer with tortilla chips and it was a hit with everyone. Kieran would have eaten it all if we had let him. I used regular re-fried beans and medium salsa, and it tasted great! This bean dip, along with a big bag of tortilla chips, would make for a good picnic potluck dish too.

Costco Grocery Shopping List

I always find summer a great time to get organized. After giving birth to our ninth child and being unable to go grocery shopping for quite some time, I realized that it is much easier to have master grocery lists, based on store layout, then it is to say, "We need this. We need that." I was finding that the latter grocery-list-making strategy, which has served us well for years, wasn't working well. I found myself saying, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that we needed...."

Two or three months ago, I finally typed up a master Costco grocery list. I am sharing it here just in case others can benefit from seeing it. I say seeing it, rather than using it, because I know that Costco stores have different layouts.

Download: Costco Master Grocery List

Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, I renew my consecration to you and to your Immaculate Heart. Please accept me, my dear Mother, and use me as you wish to accomplish your designs upon the world. I am all yours, my Mother, my Queen, and all that I have is yours.

Amen.

Please remember that the FSSP has asked that we make today a day of prayer and penance for Christians in Iraq, Syria, and the Middle East.

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, please intercede for them.