~ Around the Home ~

I love to decorate for the Fourth of July.

We are a very patriotic family and celebrating the Fourth is always time spent with family and friends, usually with the same enthusiasm.

I fell very ill last week and have been slowly recovering.  My children, especially my Butterfly, have been nursing me back to health and taking very good care of me.  I am one, very blessed lady.

My husband gets good points, too.  He came home in the middle of the day/week to brighten up the "convalescent" room with a lovely bouquet of flowers. 

My decorating began, before I fell ill...and I am glad that I was able to get the Easter decorations down and the Fourth of July decor up before I became too sick to do anything.  

Some things old, some things new, some old things in new places.

Besides, I wanted to get things in place before the World Cup USA vs Portugal game.  We should have won that one.  Oh well.  I had both patroness set out, no surprise it ended in a tie.

Patroness of the Americas: Our Lady of Guadalupe
&
Patroness of Portugal:  Our Lady of Fatima
(Although I believe that both countries invoke The Blessed Virgin Mary - Immaculate Conception as their principle patroness).

Everyone brought lots of great dishes and we supplied some All American Hot Dogs and Portuguese Sausages...American...Portuguese...that was my husband's idea.  It was his and the teens party; I was just asked not to bring out the 'fancy' dishes and to use paper plates.  No dishes?  Why, sure.  You cook?  Oh-K.  No problema.  
We had some trimmings for the dogs & sausages and a few appetizers and snacks...and chili.  I love chili.  And I love it, even better, when someone else makes it.

Our friends baked and brought some fabulous homemade desserts...as well as a delicious store bought for two birthdays that we celebrated.  Happy 9th & 14th dear friends!

We can't forget the Red Velvet cake...

Just some things that have been happening around the home...

HAVE A BLESSED FOURTH OF JULY FOR THOSE THAT CELEBRATE 

&

A BLESSED SUMMER TO ALL!!!

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~ The Easter Eggstravaganza & Menu ~

Have you moved on from Easter...?  Even though we celebrate for 50 days, here are some pics from our Easter Morning.  I am SO BACK-BLOGGED!

Every year we like to celebrate with the same delicious fare...maybe we add a couple new dishes & decor, in order to keep things a little interesting.  But we always, ALWAYS, serve the dishes we love and crave.  Including:

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Stuffed Mushrooms

Lemon & Dill Baked Salmon

Leg of Lamb with Rosemary

(not pictured) Macaroni Salad, Mandarin Orange Salad, & Quinoa

More Easter fare...

Grandma's Jello & Auntie's Peep Cookies

Mouth-watering, soft, warm, Buttery Pretzels...(from Good Friday)

Liquid Refreshments & Libations...

From the grandpa to the youngest, there was something for everyone!

The Decor...

The Easter Baskets...

{happy}

Simple & Sweet

The Easter Bonnet...

{pretty}

{funny}

FUNNY+

Finger-pointer:  Do your school work!

Confused Child:  School work?!  What's that??

Finger-pointer:  Guess!

Confused Child:  Is it something that you do on Google+???

cartoonists:  Conductor, Little Lamb & the mama - we just kept adding to the fun, til it was done.   :o)

{real}

I cannot express how delighted I was to receive this gift...absolutely wonderfully made, lovely hand-made napkins.  They were a gift from my sister-in-laws mother.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I am still excited.  Can you tell?  It was an incredibly thoughtful and generous gift...and I just LOVE THEM!!!

If you are visiting...Welcome!  I hope you found something pretty, happy, funny, or real here on my little blog.  For more {phfr} times, visit Like Mother, Like Daughter.

You can also visit other Family Journals over at Catholic Bloggers Network

~+~ Blessings ~+~

~ Happy St. Valentine's Day ~

I was on time this year, when putting out my Valentine décor, because last year I was a little too early for some.

Planning ahead to make the actual day a little more special.  Nothing fancy, just thoughtful.   Enough to bring smiles and thanks of appreciation from my children.  I brought out items that I use every year, and even put out a few 'sweet' items.

Again, I was surprised with a bouquet of love gift from my husband.  :o)  Although, this year it also included Butterfly and Little Lamb.  So sweet.

The love bug infectiously caused a chain reaction and love notes began appearing...

Little Lamb worked on making the Valentine napkin holders found in the silk heart.

Before

After

She decorated short-bread cookies & pumpkin cupcakes; while the rest of us helped eat them.

So who was St. Valentine and why do we celebrate like we do?

St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269.  He is the patron saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, young people.
In 496 AD Pope Gelasius I marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of St. Valentine's martyrdom.  Archaeologists unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine was discovered. 

And Cupid?

He is one of the gods in Roman mythology; from the latin word cupido which translates to love & passion.  In our Western Culture he is symbol of love & romance. 
I think he is a little like Santa Claus...turning things towards commercialism and secularism.

St. Valentine's Day is about the life of a saint - a priest and martyr.  He was martyred for marrying Christian couples and for not acknowledging the Roman emperor as a living deity.  I can see how the meaning of Valentine's Day took a change to celebrate romance - especially in married couples. 
So, do you celebrate St. Valentine's Day...and how?

Which reminds me, St. Patrick's Day will soon be here...

Hoping you had a LOVEly St. Valentine's Day


Linking up to Catholic Bloggers Network ~ Family Journal

~ Twelve Days, One New Year ~

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday at Like Mother, Like Daughter

 

{pretty}

A group of friends got together and we threw an

OLD FASHIONED NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION!

So much fun!!! 

Conductor counting down and orchestrating the balloons drop

We began the evening with Holy Mass and thanksgiving devotions.

Everyone dressed up, and brought their favorite hors d'oeuvres.

We feasted on a roasted pig; toasted in the New Year with sparkles & bubbles; learned to swing dance; and ate the most elegant and delicious cake.

We basically had a REALLY GREAT (FRIENDS & FAMILY) TIME!

 

 

 

{happy}

 

Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas:

the feasts between Christmas Day and the Epiphany...

Because Christmas is just too important to be confined to only one day.

 

 

{funny}

maraschino eyes...

 

{real}

 

It is time to stop indulging in all the celebratory practices and get on with my resolutions.

 

 

Go to Like Mother, Like Daughter to find more contentment...

and linking up to Catholic Bloggers Network

2014 Monthly Link-Up Blitz - January

{Family Journal}

~ St. Nicholas ~

As our Homeschool Group's First Friday Mass Coordinator, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, who is the patron saint of children, with a festive flare.

So I visited this website and came up with some fun activities to help celebrate the occasion.

Some of the activities included:

ST. NICHOLAS GAMES & ACTIVITIES

St. Nicholas Coin Toss

Chocolate St. Nicholas craft

Nutter Butter St. Nicholas Cookie Decorating

St. Nicholas Guessing Game (adapted from Catholic Inspired)

Apple St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas roll-up

Coloring Table of St. Nicholas, St. Lucia & Our Lady of Guadalupe

St. Nicholas Story Time

CROZIER
St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, carried a crozier to be a shepherd for his people. 

Guess how many candy-cane “croziers’ are in the jar?

CROZIER
A hooked staff carried by a bishop; represents a shepherd's staff as the bishop is to be the shepherd of the people, as Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Again, a crozier is a general symbol for bishops, but unique to Nicholas among gift-givers.

~ +~+~+~

Life saver

for children
St. Nicholas, is a “Life saver”; he saved 3 children from the wicked inn keeper.

Guess how many “life savers’ are in the jar?

LIFE SAVER

FOR CHILDREN
Show Nicholas as the protector of children, from the story rescuing young children or students from the evil butcher or innkeeper. Usually three children are in the tub, but sometimes only two are present.

~ +~+~+~

sailors
when sailors were in a ‘crunch’, as the angry seas tossed their ship about for 2 days; good st. Nicholas prayed, bringing them safely to the harbor of myra.

Guess how many “crunches” are in the jar?

~ +~+~+~

animals
quick fact:  another st. Nicholas, st. Nicholas of tolentino, is know as a patron saint of animals. A studious, kind and gentle youth, at the age of 16 Nicholas became an Augustinian Friar.

Guess how many “animal cracker cookies” are in the jar?

~ +~+~+~

fish
the fish in the sea swam in the angry seas that tossed the sailors about, before st. Nicholas brought the boat to safety.

Guess how many “swedish fish” are in the jar?

~ +~+~+~

coins
st. Nicholas gave of his own ‘coins’ to help 3 young maidens pay for their dowry, sparing their lives from slavery.

Guess how many “coins” are in the jar?

~ +~+~+~

Advent is a time to reflect on the lord's coming.
December holds many opportunities to learn about him,
to know him,
through his saints and through his mother.

~ advent ~
Preparing our souls to receive Christ worthily.

Linking up to Equipping Catholic Families Saints Cele-Linky
&
Catholic Bloggers Network
~+~ Homeschooling & Liturgical Calendar ~+~