I want to thank all of you for the encouraging and kind words on my Giveaway post! It is good to know that what I do here is of help to you. It helps me a lot, too, and continues to fill my life with inspiration and encouragement. Please keep our family in your prayers….it is much appreciated…very much!!
Before I announce the winner of the Advent Inspirational Goodies….
….I want to let you know I have made The Catholic Young Lady’s Maglet available to pre-order. I will be sending out the books by November 20th and they may be sold out soon after so please pre-order now if you would like this for Christmas! Link is here.
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Virginia has made a couple of stunning Christmas aprons!
Take a peek at http://www.meadowsofgrace.com!
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Mothers, you would do well if you read this article. It has a simple, profound truth for all mothers that will not only get you to heaven, but provide for you a deep sense of purpose and meaning in your life.
From the article: Everything that happens now I try to respond in my head, “I’m coming, Lord.” I try to treat everything as if God is calling me. I see the house a mess, “I’m coming, Lord.” I have a fussy baby at my leg, “I’m coming, Lord.” I hear the baby crying for the eighth time in the middle of the night, “I’m coming, Lord.” It is my goal.
Most of us will not die a bloody martyrdom for our faith, but we will be asked to die a dry martyrdom. Each day, one fuss at a time we can grow closer and closer to His heart. I want to be faithful in the small things. I hope at the end of my life He will say to me, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Read more here.
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And now….photos! …With the winner announced at the end of the Gallery. Click on the first picture to view….and don’t forget to read the captions!
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- Jeanette (our daughter) and her husband, Mike, treated our kids and their own to a day at the Pumpkin Patch.
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- Here’s little Magdalene at the Pumpkin Patch.
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- Beautiful weather, pretty colors, lots of fun!
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- Two little autumn half-pints!
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- Haha Magdalene!
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- Mike and Jeanette’s little family. Jeanette is expecting number 3!
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- Rosie’s health has been a struggle again lately so Father lent us the relics of St. Gemma Galgani and St. Bernard of Clairvaux to venerate. The Infant of Prague is in His green for Ordinary Time in the Liturgy.
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- Yes, this is what Gin’s kids do for entertainment!
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- Berries, anyone?
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- Juliette takes a moment to rest. It’s hard getting into things constantly!
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- Benjamin’s letter to Grandma. 🙂
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- Gin’s boys decorating St. Therese for her Feast Day on Oct. 3rd.
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- Our son-in-law Mike has been painting on a house near this campsite so they stayed in the cabin. Here’s their two Sweet Peas…Agnes and Magdalene
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- Pink smurfs!
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- Popcorn and reading…you can’t beat that!
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- St. Hubert in one of our family’s “go-to” saints in these autumn days. He is the patron of hunters and his feast is Nov. 3rd. We have plenty of hunters in the family praying to him!
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- Oh yes, Robin Hood Bow Shoot time! And here is Devin and Theresa’s family ready to go!
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- Theresa won second place this year. She also shot a buck for her family to put in the freezer!
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- Brendan is following in his mom and dad’s footsteps!
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- The Bow Shoot took place in the lovely Sir Williams Hollow. One of the shots is off the bridge into the creek!
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- Gin’s boys are excited to shoot, too!
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- Our friend, Martin, with his boys…
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- Phillip..
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- Benedict….
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- Rosie is carrying little Avila, Theresa’s newest.
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- Before the Bow Shoot. Mike and Jeanette are the ones who set up the Bow Shoot. It is no easy job with 20 or so 3D targets to set up the day before….
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- I asked Gemma to make 2 bouquets for the Legion of Mary. It was interesting (and pretty) the way she went about it, lining up all the zinnias on the table….
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- Devin and Theresa don’t forget about Grandpa as they go now and then to pray at his gravesite.
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- Really??!! Playing both sides? I thought that only happened in cartoons.
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- Theresa’s fall outfit.
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- Theresa’s Sienna…Nini for short.
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- Hannah in the fall dress Margy made for her.
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- Friends, Margy and Olivia.
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- Boys and their games!
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- Our fountain.
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- Our fire.
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- Pouring a sidewalk. We have fought with mud for many years. So I am so happy to have something to walk on in inclement weather!
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- Everyone helped!
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- It is so wonderful not to have to hop over our “Welcome Puddle” to enter the door! And the sidewalk is winding which is very quaint, I think. 🙂
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- Hubby took a nasty fall and his ear was almost off….yes, it was! It’s not because I saw it…. no, I wouldn’t look at it. He scorned my overtures to go to the hospital and had Margy super glue it back on. I was afraid I would find an ear on my pillow in the morning!! Anyway, we are shocked that it healed up beautifully!
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- We had a birthday party for our son-in-law’s brothers, David and Johnny.
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- The cake was decorated with a chicken for Dave (his hobby is fancy chickens) and a bullet and three beer caps for Johnny (that explains his hobbies).
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- Margy’s pizza night!
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- Our dear friend, Rosalie, is here visiting from Maine. My girls insisted on doing my hair like hers!
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- In Maine, Rosalie goes “tipping” which is gathering tips off of boughs of evergreens to make wreaths for the Christmas season.
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- The kids went with her the other day and found lots of goodies….yes, even in Kansas!
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- All the girls got involved in making neat wreaths.
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- Gemma likes the wheat!
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- Hannah and Rosalie fight with the wire…
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- Margy’s wreath.
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- They found some nests and put the yellow berries in them to look like eggs. Looks great…wonder how they will dry?
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- Angelo gets in the fun!
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- I have been here in Kansas for over 30 years and I only remember one other time we had snow in October!
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- Theresa’s family getting ready for the Pumpkin Carving Contest at the All Saints Day Party.
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- Nini’s pumpkin.
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- Brendan’s pumpkin
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- Father is questioning the kids on their saints.
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- Johnny came as St. Olaf, the Viking.
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- Angelo’s pumpkin, the Papal Emblem.
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- He won first place. 🙂
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- And now, what you have been waiting for…..
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- Congratulations Dominique! I have sent you an email!
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- There’s just something about leaves!!
Such a great post to cozy up to with my morning coffee! Congratulations, Dominique!
Those are lovely colors! Congrats Angelo too, that was some carving!
That quote “be attentive to the voice of grace” I accidentally read it as “be attentive to the voice of the grave.” Must be All Souls Month, right! 🙂
And my Grandpa would have totally done the same thing as Vin! 🙂 Very happy no serious infections happened. 🙂
Thank you!
Forgot! 😛 The Advent booklets are very very nice; highly recommend them!
Also, the particular Advent booklet has many places to check off a list, you could use tabs or stick it notes over those places, so as to reuse it for a couple years. 🙂
Thank you kindly Mary. 😊
I love the manly birthday cake, especially the birthday candles on the sides.
Loved all of the photos ! You and your family are so inspirational !