Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Awesome Homeschooling Video!

I am seriously thinking of enrolling my oldest two this year. We have always used a little of Catholic Heritage Curriculum and Seton. (the "I watched this video 7 times a day was not me) Any High School Seton users out there? What are your opinions?

Friday, June 13, 2014

Rosary Give-Away Winner!

 Look at how excited these two littles are to help!
We first mixed up the names...
 Then, put them back in the bowl...
 I told her to draw a name
(she then, told me that she doesn't know how to spell, so, 
she can't draw a name)

I explained that one a little better.
 Now, you are going to think this is rigged, aren't you?
Her being her goddaughter and one of my closest friends.
I promise, it was not rigged.
 As she said, "I can't even spell mama!"
I already know Christine only likes milk chocolate, 
so maybe we'll keep the dark chocolate for ourselves!
Ha!
No, she'll share the dark chocolate with her family!

Congratulations Christine!! 

I'll be sending a package soon
(Or visiting you)

As an extra bonus, I have prayed for all of you!
Thank you for entering!
Thank you Barbara for the beautiful rosary!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Some Reviews!

First up, The Paradise
I heard about it through a friend on Facebook, 
she asked what people were thinking about it.
I looked it up and started Season 1
Only 8 episodes 
I loved it.
I loved the innocence of it 
I loved that it stayed innocent throughout it
It is about the nation's first ever department store, the people, and the employees.
You can see it on Netflix
This is  Moray, the owner of The Paradise, 
 played by Emun Elliot.
Now you can stand to look at him for 8 episodes, can't you?

The only disappointing thing is that there was a season 2 
but it has not been released to Netflix yet and the only way you can get it 
is to order the DVD, and the DVD's are made for English DVD players.
So, I'm out of luck with being able to see the next season.
I guess it was not racy enough and it was not renewed for a 3rd season.

Well worth the 8 episodes though, I'm glad I watched them.
If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you will love this one.
If you are a man, you might not, as my husband wants me to clarify 
to you that he did not watch this. (nor does he plan to)

 Since my husband and I caught up with all the Person of Interest's on Netflix,
(waiting for the last season to be released)
we have been trying to find something worth our time to watch.

A couple months ago, we decided to give up TV. or Direct TV
in order to save 100 bucks per month.
So now we only do  Netflix 

EUReKa, we tried, but Tom did not care for it's quirky comic, yet serious style

(I'm currently in season 3 though, when there's nothing to watch, 
I watch it)

I give it an "it's OK" rating.
 


This past weekend, we found this one!
We've watched a couple shows and both agree, it's really good
It's about this man, Lognmire, a Wyoming sheriff trying to go on 
with his life after the death of his wife.
It's a crime/investigation type series.

Lou Diamond Philips is in it
I saw him on some Celebrity Food Network Star thing or something like that 
and he was really really nice and down to earth.

I like the show for the country of it, 
the cowboy hats, jeans and boots.
The scenery is amazing too.

Thumbs up so far.
Watch HERE



Now, onto movies in the theaters right now!
Last week, on $5 Tuesday, I saw this with my oldest son
it was Awesome!
I only wished I'd watched the first one again to refresh my memory a little.
I really love the actor playing Spiderman in these, Andrew Garfield.
(way way better than the Tobie Maguire Spiderman)

And Jamie Foxx as a bad guy?  I thought, "No way!"
But he pulled it off.
Thumbs up!
Great movie!

Now, today, $5 Tuesday, 
I brought my oldest 2 daughters to this movie!
I heard and saw some terrible reviews of this movie, 
reviews accusing this movie of things that are not true.
Accusing it of some kind of hidden agenda.

I can tell you first hand, there was no hidden agenda
At all.
It was an awesome movie!

I loved Angelina Jolie as Maleficent
I loved the redeeming qualities of her in this version of Sleeping Beauty.
I loved how they showed that there is good in us all, even Maleficent.
Things are not always as they seem.

If you are a fan of Once Upon a Time
you will love the "everyone wants a happy ending" in this movie.
Well, except maybe the King.

Thumbs up!!


Friday, June 6, 2014

Rosary Give-Away!

 I decided a few months ago that I wanted to do a give-away in May, 
 to promote the rosary, 
one of my favorite prayers.
May, being the month of Our Lady and all.
Well, May is long gone and life just took over.
SO June it is!

My good friend Barbara donated one of her beautiful rosaries
for my give-away!

Here is the description of the above rosary:

This sweet rosary is made with 6mm opal glass Ave beads and 8mm millefiori glass Pater beads in green, white, and red, capped with pretty silver flowers. The flowers on the Pater beads look like star-shaped flowers. The beads are linked with base metal eyepins and chain. The crucifix is a pretty flowered style in nickel, and the center is a Miraculous Medal with the mysteries of the rosary etched on plates attached to the back of the medal. The plates fan out from the medal to read the mysteries.

Her rosaries are beautiful and strong,
 the beads feel so nice in your fingers as they glide along while you pray 

A few years ago, I won one of her beautiful rosaries
but someone needed a rosary and I ended up giving it away!
(because it was one of my favorites)
(yes, I have a few favorites, but only a few)


I loved her rosary so much,
 I wanted you to have a chance to win one too.
You can also buy one if you don't win!





 I'm going to entice you with a little chocolate too
Since there are so many opinions on dark or milk chocolate,
I'm giving away both!

 I'll even throw in a CD 
If you don't know how to pray the rosary, 
because it's been a long time or you've never been introduced to it
More CD's HERE


 hopefully, this will help!

I grew up praying the rosary during Lent.
My dad would try to get us to kneel down around the table, next to the chairs
but we ended up only praying it a few times.

My dad always led when we did pray.

When I got older, I always carried my rosary in my purse.
It was a plastic pink and blue one.
Funny thing, even through my hard times, when 
I was not so faithful, I still carried that rosary.
(and my scapular too)

When I went through my conversion (to a stronger Catholic faith)
I wanted to pray the rosary on my own
I listened to several different rosaries and taught myself.

My favorite?

This is Dana and Father Scanlon
(this is only the Joyful Mysteries)
You can purchase it 

It's so very beautiful!

 One thing I love about the rosary is 
that it is all about the life of Jesus.
It is Mary by His side through it all.
As my fingers go across the beads,
and I pray the memorized prayers, my mind can 
picture and meditate on the life of Christ.
And for whoever I am praying for.

We are to be like Christ, right?
Christ loved His Mother.

 The rosary is one of the few things Mary specifically told us to do

 The saints loved the rosary
 The rosary brings our family together, 
it calms our nerves our anxieties 
It somehow brings peace to our family

 I must add that wearing the scapular is also one of the very few things Mary 
has specifically asked us to do.
(and they are very special)


I'm curious as to why more people don't wear them 
and why more Catholics don't even know what it is?
 Is it a pain to wear the scapular?
Yes.
It can be itchy and not real flattering coming out of my top all the time
I don't look cool like some people do that wear theirs 
on the outside of their clothes
but it makes me think of Jesus and Mary 
and it somehow grounds me.

And Mary told me to wear it.
 

 Mary said to St Dominic:
"One day through the Rosary and Scapular I will save the world."

That's powerful
So
WEAR YOUR SCAPULAR!
PRAY THE ROSARY!


 I love seeing St Mother Teresa's hands holding her rosary, clutching it always.
(she's one of my very favorite saints)
 Beautiful.

My rosary.
This is the one I pray in the Adoration chapel.
It is adorned with special medals

My little brother Jordan gave it to me the day our Adoration chapel opened.
I was going through a very hard time (divorce and annulment) 
He was only 9 at the time.
(I was 25)

He spent his own money and sent away for this just for me.
I can't even tell you how many of hundreds and hundreds of rosaries
I've prayed on these special beads
I can't tell you how many countless numbers of people I've prayed for.

But I can tell you
 that if I were stranded on an island and could pick one thing 
to have
 it would be this rosary.

It used to be silver.
It turned gold in our Eucharistic Adoration chapel,
at the time, I was going daily.
While on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, the crucifix turned gold.
Right before my eyes.
While praying the rosary on the  mountain where our Blessed Mother 
first appeared to those young visionaries.
After the rosary, it turned silver again...a gift for  me.

It is a gift.
It is a reminder for me to keep praying
to keep changing and growing closer to Christ.

(at least that is what I think)

(I pray my Clay Rosary for our family rosary)





I never feel I can do the Rosary justice.
It's a hard thing for me to write about
I love it so much.

I will draw a name next Friday, June 13th.
Please leave a comment if you'd like to enter
(and a way to contact you if you win!)

We will do it the old fashioned way, 
one of my beautiful children will draw a name! 


Sunday, June 1, 2014

We Have A New 8 Year Old!

 My June baby!
Can you guess her favorite color?

This child is pure JOY

Yellow, bright as the SUN!!

(that's how you put candles on a cake like this!)
 
 I've always called her "My little love girl" 
because she is always there with a hug and kiss
She always wants to snuggle
She's always there to help
(Even though her help is often more than I need)
She's so innocent and loving always.

Pure JOY I tell you!
 

 The cake turned out great, so easy to have cake and ice cream (cones)
 Super fun "Sun Party"!
The messier the better, right?
 She (and the little kids) made the decorations!
The cake is just 2 round cakes layered, with yellow frosting (in a can)
ice cream cones, $5 sunglasses, and Junior Mints!
(we got chocolate chip ice cream to put in those cones)

Usually, my purple iris's are blooming on her birthday, but this year, 
they are only 6 inches tall...we just ended winter 2 weeks ago!