Epiphany Gingerbread Cake

Butterfly handmade the chocolate magi cake toppers with much love (& detail).

Style, Eighteen, Pine Wood Derby, Home School

Joining Like Mother, Like Daughter for some pretty, happy, funny and real times...

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

{happy}

{funny}

{real}

Home School Style

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~ pretty, happy, funny, real: St. Kateri, Family, Kaya & Twilight Train Edition ~

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday at Like Mother, Like Daughter

 

{pretty}

 

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

~*~ Lily of the Mohawks ~*~

Her feast day is July 14th.

St. Kateri was the saint from which Butterfly
chose as her Confirmation name.

 

Little Lamb made her sister a {pretty} lily white cake to help celebrate her feast day.

 

 

Little Lamb made "St. Kateri" out of fondant,

molding and sculpturing to make a {pretty} topper.

Hand-made with love, for her sister...

Little Lamb made the Lilies, too!

Saint Kateri, pray for us!

 

 

{happy}

 

My niece turned ONE, it was a very {happy} Birthday!

It was wonderful to see cousins visiting together...family from Washington were in town.

My SIL did a wonderful job with decorations, fun & food...

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY SWEET LITTLE COUSIN (& NIECE)!

 

 and more {happy}, as Conductor creates lights for his garden train!

 

{funny}

 

Kaya is a nearly nine month old lab, who has taken up residency at our home (after stealing our hearts).  She figured out how to use the slide and was so proud of herself.

 

 

{real}

 

She's really ours...for {real}!

 

 

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phfr: ~ Confirmation Celebrations ~

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Wisdom

Knowledge

Counsel

Fortitude

Understanding

Piety

Fear of the Lord

I found these beautiful wooden 'Come Holy Spirit' signs and then printed out each Confirmand's name to designate their seat & to reserve a pew for their family.

 

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{pretty}

 

The sanctuary was so beautiful in red...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butterfly's cake was from our favorite cake shop (downtown)...and similiar to Conductor's cake.

So beautiful, so delicious.

 

 

{happy}

 

This is the moment that has been anticipated...

Come Holy Spirit!

I wasn't able to capture "The Slap"

 

 

I love the picture above (lower left) where big brother (and MC) is assisting his sister.  Butterfly read the Prayer of the Faithful (above, right). 

She is pictured with her sponsor (lower right)

 

 

{funny}

 

 

We had a full house...ten of the Confirmandi came together and continued  the joyous celebration at our home.  We were surrounded by families and friends - it was an absolutely wonderful day!!! 

There was singing and laughter and a good time was had by all...

 

 

Did I mention Singing!?!  They were singing beautiful music, playing the piano and singing songs like Ave Verum Corpus!!!!  No prompting, no planning.  It was simply spontaneous and from the heart (and soul)...us adults heard this glorious sound (coming from the inside of the house)...

as we file into the house,  we found this scene (above).

 

I had to hold back tears...I was so struck and overwhelmed.

These are our teens!!!  Needless to say, us mothers (and fathers) were beyond pleased.

And yet ANOTHER reason why I/we home-school.

 

 

One of the young men even broke out an accordion...it was a wild party, I tell ya!

 Butterfly chose two different cakes, chocolate and rasberry in fondant and lemon with light lemon creme in whipped cream...we made the toppers on the whipped cream cake, while my baker made the topper on the fondant cake.  Two cakes were perfect...last year we had cake coming out of our ears more than enough!

 

 {real}

 

~ The Catechists ~

 

Husband is wearing his RED tie...

going over the particulars.

 

~ The MC (Master of Ceremonies) ~

 

My son making sure things run flawlessly, (and they did).

 

 

Our good friends (who's daughter also made her Confirmation) put out this spread!!!
Aren't those 'Tongues of Fire' in the middle of the meat tray great!?! 
So creative and festive!

Everyone pitched in to make an amazing feast for all....
 

I wasn't able to take a picture of our traditional 'First Communion Punch', now called 'Confirmation Punch' - it was a big hit! 

And below is our beloved pastor leading us all in song...

 it was a remarkable day!

 

~ + ~

Confirmation Prayer

O Holy Spirit of God; take me as Thy disciple.

Guide me, illuminate me, sanctify me. Bind my hands that they may do no evil.

Cover my eyes that they may see it no more. Sanctify my heart that evil may not dwell within me.

Be Thou my God. Be Thou my guide.

Whatsoever Thou forbiddest me I will renounce.

And whatsoever Thou commandest me, in Thy strength I will do.

Lead me then unto the fullness of Thy truth.

Amen.

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~ Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ First Holy Communion May 2013

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How can a First Communion Day not be pretty, happy, funny (children always tend to lighten things up) and real (as in the Real Presence)...

{pretty}

Definitely Hand-Made with LOVE...

Pretty Beautiful...yes?  This lovely First Communion Cake was made by one of the First Communicant's sisters.  I just asked that she include the toppers we have used over the past years.  It tasted as heavenly as it looks...

{happy}

The parents were SUPER happy...Fifteen precious souls.  I hold the First Communion Retreat and Rehearsal the day before; where the day is 'active'.   But I know, from experience, that the day before is always somewhat chaotic.  (Or, it may seem that way).  But on the DAY OF, everyone is "game on"!
It helps to send them all to Confession on the day of the rehearsal.  :oD

{funny}

We combined the May Crowning with the First Holy Communion Day...I was just a teeny-tiny bit stressed; the logistics were a challenge.  Funny, although we have FIVE Marian statues (and two ladders), everything worked.  It helps to have a son that is meticulous, a pastor that is patient, and a husband that works behind the scenes...

{real}
 

Although, I am currently preparing for Butterfly's Confirmation...

I hope to do a full post on First Holy Communion...because it's just too wonderful not to!

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~ Catholic Family Journal ~

~ Charity ~

I would love to write an entire post on LOVE.  However, since I have absolutely no time...I will leave just a few words and a picture or two.

So, as I get ready for this beautiful weekend (my First Holy Communion class will receive Our Lord in the Eucharist), I leave a quick picture of one of the many events that have been taking place in our very blessed lives...

One of my First Communion students was recently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, that is inoperable.  He is a sweet, sweet boy.  His family generates love by their very presence...
I am not just saying that.  It is the absolute TRUTH.

So many lives have been touched by this little boy's suffering...Christ suffered and touched many lives as well...

Our pastor arranged to have him receive his First Holy Communion early...I arranged a reception to celebrate the glorious union.  Many families helped decorate, make flower arrangements, prepare the food...

His classmates were all present to kneel with him; his family, siblings, grandparents, uncles & aunts, and his church family were there as well.

 

Additionally, many of us families came together to put on a Family Dinner to raise funds for his medical expenses...it SOLD OUT.  Here is a tiny peek...

I placed Our Lady of Lourdes prayer on the program

Right now, he and his parents are in Lourdes, France. 

 

Please, I ask you, pray for a miracle. 

God's will be done.

~ Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ Gala, Art, Westies and Sacrifices

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday at Like Mother, Like Daughter

 

{pretty}

 

 Everyone was looking {pretty} beautiful and handsome all decked out in their finest while attending a friend's Pretend Quinceañera Gala...
 

 

All the young ladies were in dresses and all the young men were in ties...they looked magnificent in their grand and noble attire!

Very Elegant!

They even took a poll of how they were to dress:

Formal, Crazy Tacky Formal, Casual, Semi-Formal.

It was good to see them all dressed up and having such a blast!!!

They are all such amazing young people...with such virtue and good moral character!

Another one of the teen guests made the birthday cake!

I was SO impressed with the detail and taste, (yes, I tasted it...the mom's & some dad's hung out for a bit at the end of the eve)

that I asked her to make my First Holy Communion Class' cake!

Very {pretty} cake!

 

{pretty} awesome tasting!

{pretty} details

 

 

{happy}

 

 

My children have been very {happy} with our current art program!

They have been able to complete some fun and interesting pieces of
art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more completed art work, click here!

 

 

 

 

 

{funny} in a {real} kinda way

 

Westies love to dig. They love to dig in, what else, dirt.

Lately, we have had rain.

Dirt + Rain = Dirty Westie...

 

 

{real}

Even though this makes him sneeze...my wonderful son brings me flowers from his garden.  I love that boy!

 

 

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