And the Winner is...

 OK, so I decided to do this the "old fashioned" way

and just draw names out of a cute Christmas bowl!

 First we prayed for the children that would get to read this beautiful little book,

then, we drew a name

Jen Vogel!!

Jen, could you please email me your address and Peanut Butter & Grace will

send you out this precious book!

(jamiejo99 @ gmail.com)
(no spaces though)


If you did not win, you can still order this sweet book,
HERE


The price is right and would be a perfect gift for yourself, your children,
godchildren, grandchildren or any child in your life!
 

A Book Review!

My good friend, Becky has written a children's book!

I have pictures of Becky HERE.

 

She asked me if I'd review her book, The Little Flower. 

It's been such an honor to pray for her as she has gone through this long process!

 

 

I was so happy and excited to get my copy yesterday!

My pictures do not do this book justice!

The illustrations bring your imagination to what heaven might look like.

They actually brought me back to my childhood and what I thought of heaven.

It is so beautiful, just a treasure to hold and have.

The story is so sweet and my children loved it last night.

It sparked conversations of how we can do little things and

how much God loves us.

For little children, this is BIG!

It was also a great way to talk about the real life of St Therese,

known as "The Little Flower".

 

You can see the entire book HERE in PDF form.

 

I would like to share some love and do a giveaway!

So, leave me a comment for a chance to win this beautiful treasure.

 

I'll do the giveaway next week.

Enter by Wednesday, December 9th. (by commenting)

 

If you do not win, no worries!

You can order this beautiful book HERE

This would make a very special gift for your children, grandchildren, godchildren,

or any special child in your life.

 (my goddaughters will be receiving this soon!)

 

Giveaway is done! 

 



Thankful Thanksgiving!

I truly believe this.

Being Thankful every day takes practice.

It takes time to reflect on all the blessings in our lives.

Blessings can be hard things as well as fun things.

Thankful to God for ALL His blessings!

Thankful for yardwork!

Lots and lots of yardwork this November!

I am Thankful we had a pretty mild November and were able to get it all done!

Thankful for the cutest little raker. Ever. 

Thankful for wheelbarrow rides for little kids and older kids to give them!

 



Thankful for awesome November skies

Thankful for little helpers

and pooped out helpers! She was such a hard worker!! 

Thankful for fall campfires

(and sorry to smoke out our neighborhood, with kids that kept throwing in leaves!)



Thankful for new piano students!



And old sweatshirts!

My oldest son wore that when he was little! 

Thankful we still have littles, they are such a blessing to have.

Thankful we found this amazing new veggie mix, it stir fries up so good and tastes amazing!

Even my non veggie lover ate this!

(well one of them)

Thankful for fruit snack snacks!

Want to make a little kid happy?

Give them fruit snacks. 

Thankful for lots and lots of rain this November.

Thankful for a little snow...and deer! 

Thankful we got just enough snow to take out boots, mittens and face masks!

Thankful kids get excited about the smallest of things.

Thankful for beautiful pink sunsets....

Thankful for "Mom dates"!

In a busy family, it's so easy to forget to take time out to be with each child.

They need it so much.

They need to know they are special in their own special way and that I care. 

Thankful for piano competitions

Especially where you get to meet the composer, Dennis Alexander!
(and go out with your talented daughter for much needed time together afterward)

 



Thankful for surprise visits from good friends!
(Minnesota Mom) 

OK, she called me last Sunday morning, met us for Mass and had brunch with us afterward.

Don't worry, I put her to work! 

That's a lot of girls!

Thankful for the time we got to spend together.

 

Thankful for burrito assembly lines and kids learning how to cook!

 





Thankful for fancy "Elsa" dresses and old holey jeans!

(and a girl that will only wear a braid if she is "Elsa" for the day)

Thankful for cute little bull dog hats that instantly turn

little boys into bull dogs!

Thankful for kids that dress themselves....

You wanted a close up of our turkey, didn't you?

Thankful we've been putting this old turkey up for a really really long time! 

Thankful for a great fruit salad! (perfect for Thanksgiving)

Cranberry Fruit Salad

1 pkg fresh cranberries, chopped

(with a chopper)

1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained.

3 Braeburn apples chopped in medium chunks (I left the peeling on)

2 ribs of celery, chopped (with a chopper)

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 pkg dry sugar-free cherry-flavored jello packet

(dry, just sprinkle it in and stir)

 

Mix all the ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Keeps well for several days

 

 



Thankful for a new favorite Banana Bread recipe!

My friend Susan gave it to me! (it's her mama's recipe)

 The back says:

Make a mixture of cinnamon & sugar to put on top before baking

Bake 350 degrees for about an hour

 

BEST EVER!! 

 Thankful that Advent started today!

It's a time to listen, prepare our hearts for Jesus and to be Thankful always. 

Thankful there's no snow left!

(Don't worry, we're expecting snow tomorrow!)

 Thankful

for my faith,

My wonderful husband

for my beautiful children

for home, food, clothes and all we need.

 

 

 

 Thankful I've always got plenty to do, see this pile of books?

That's my correcting pile.

Usually I correct as I go, but somehow last week, I got behind and

have several days in each subject to correct.

(for each child)

 

Thankful blogging is just the distraction I needed!

Ha!

Happy first week of Advent!

Mercy

The Jubilee Year of Mercy starts December 8th,

just after Advent begins.

It is a time to receive mercy and be merciful to others.

 

I have been contemplating and praying a lot about this Year of Mercy

and what it means to me.

What does God want me to do?

How can I be merciful?

I try every morning to remember to ask God,

"What do You want me to do today?"

"Who can I help today?"

"Please put those You want me to help in my path today"

 

When I think of Mercy, I think of Blessed Mother Teresa and

how very merciful she was.

I yearn to be like her.

 

Psalm 69:20

"Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy,

but there was none,

for comforters,

but found none."

 

Mother Teresa says,

"Be the one"
Be the one to comfort Jesus.
With our own mercy.
We do not need to be merciful to others to gain heaven,
but how comforting it is to Jesus, how close we are to Him
when we are merciful.

"Be the one."

 

Wow. Yes.

 

 

Sometimes that involves going out and

finding ways to be merciful to complete strangers,
look for them, and really see them. 

Maybe it is the people we see at Mass, in stores, at work or school.

And, sometimes it is the people right here in our own home.

 

I want eyes filled with Mercy for others, like her eyes.

Like the eyes of my Lord Jesus Christ.

You can see Jesus in her eyes.
You can see Jesus in her life.

 

 She did not worry about what she was wearing or how she looked

She did not care what her hair looked like or if this poor baby

would pee on her.

That's what I see here, I see complete mercy and love.

No second thoughts, just automatic action to love.

I've been praying for ways to add God more.

More each day.

More love

More hope

More mercy

More Joy

 

What are ways we can add God?  Add more?

Add Mercy?

Be more merciful?

 

(my current reading)

 

I recently joined a Living Rosary Group for mothers.

In this group, each woman is assigned a decade of the rosary

(one decade is a mystery of the life of Jesus, it is one Our Father and 10 Hail Mary's)

I have The Wedding Feast of Cana.

John 2:5 "Do whatever He tells you."

 This is what Mary says in this mystery.

She's saying it to us.

 

We pray our assigned mystery for each other and each person's intentions

and for the vocation of motherhood.

 

If you are interested in joining us

by getting a decade to pray every day,

and being a part of this living rosary,

(when put together, several rosaries are prayed in unison)

please email me, and I will help you,

you do need to be on Facebook though.

(Jamie jo 99 @ gmail. com)

(no spaces)

 

Some ideas for adding God and being more merciful:

• Go to Confession.  Yes, Confession.  If it's been a long time, then tell that to the priest, believe me, he's heard everything, and he'll guide you through it.
•  Jesus waits for us to humble ourselves and ask for His Mercy in the Sacrament of Confession. He is Mercy Himself.  Arms open wide on the cross waiting to give you His Mercy. 
• Go to daily Mass, start by going one extra day per week. (it's only 1/2 hour) You will start to yearn for God more, for Mass more, I promise, so try adding more days if you can.
• Sign up for a holy hour at an Adoration chapel or if your parish has Adoration at certain times, GO!
• Stop by an Adoration chapel for a quick visit with Jesus or stay a while and visit (pray or talk with Jesus)
• Stop by a Catholic Church, sit in front of the tabernacle (the gold box with a red candle by it) Sit and beg for the graces He is wanting to give to you!
• Start your day with the sign of the cross.
• Start your day with what you are thankful for.
• Remember Jesus during the 3:00 hour.  Try setting a timer so you remember.
• Offer up the little things you do for someone you are praying for.
• Offer up the big things you do and/or are suffering from for someone you are praying for.
• If you can, donate the things you don't need instead of selling them.
• Offer people rides that normally take the bus.
• Cook a meal for someone in need, someone sick, lonely, elderly, or a mother of a new baby.
• Cook a meal for someone who has lost a baby or lost anyone special in their life.
• If it's raining out, offer your umbrella for someone that doesn't have one.
• If it's cold outside, offer your coat to someone that needs one, it's probable you can buy a new one, yet, they cannot.
• Likewise, offer your shoes, hats, mittens, scarves to someone in need that you see.
• If you see someone ringing the bells at any given store during the holiday season, and they look cold, see if you can get them something. Maybe gloves?  Or maybe a warm drink.
• Stop to say hello to homeless people on the street, ask if you can get them anything to eat or if you can get them anything they need at the store.  (you'd be surprised at what little they ask for)
• SMILE!!  My Spanish teacher in high school, after finding out her best friend had committed suicide, told us no matter what, to smile at people, to always smile, that our smile might be the one thing that makes someone feel loved that day.  I've never forgotten that and to this day, think of it every time I smile at someone.
• Clean someone's home
• Bake someone bread or cookies
• If you are talented and can sew or make special things, make something for someone, and give it to them for no reason at all.
• Invite someone to dinner, someone you don't know very well, but, maybe see all the time, the worst they can say is "no". 
• Pray for people, and tell them you will pray for them.  Bless them. 
• Bring someone flowers. 
• Call someone and tell them how important they are to you.
• We must also be merciful to our own family in our own homes, it seems self defeating if we are kind to everyone publicly but forget to be kind in our own homes, Mercy starts at home.



(I could probably do another whole post on trying to be merciful at home)

 

 

  This is just a few ideas.

I'm sure you could come up with a ton more!

I am, in no way, an expert on this.

This is a list for me too. 

To always be yearning for God and

 striving for mercy and to be merciful towards others.

To remember the boundless mercy Jesus has for us.

 

 

 

You may be the only way someone sees Jesus or feels His love.

 

"Be the one!"