First Holy Communion

 Congratulations Poppy on your First Holy Communion!

 In anticipation

 *chuckle*

 This beautiful Mass started with a Marian Procession

  

 Presentation of flowers to Our Lady

 Blessing of the Crown

V: Our help is in the name of the LordR: Who hath made heaven and earth.

V: The Lord be with you.R: And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.Almighty and ever-living God, by Whom all unclean things are made clean, and in Whom all things made clean retain their lustre, we humbly implore Thy sovereign power that these vessels and ornaments offered unto Thee by Thy servants may be freed from contamination of every unclean spirit, and that by Thy blessing they remain hallowed for the use and service of the holy altar and of thy Church; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.

Glorious Virgin and Mother of God, Mary! I beseech thee through the everlasting crown of glory with which God has crowned thee Queen of Heaven and Earth; obtain for us through thy mighty intercession the grace to persevere in virtue to the end, so that finally we may attain the crown of bliss prepared by God for those who love Him. 

Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we, Thy faithful people, who rejoice in the name and protection of the most holy Virgin Mary, may by Her loving intercession be delivered from all evils here on earth, and be made worthy to reach eternal glory in the life to come. Through Christ our Lord. 

R. Amen.

 Coronation

Consecration in Reparation for the Sins 

Committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of theSacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to you, all the people of our country and all the world.

Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as you wish to accomplish your designs in the world. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; enkindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.  We come with confidence to you, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home. Amen.

Venerable Pope Pius XII

 My Lord and My God!

 We are saddened that our priest/pastor is being re-assigned to a new parish.

 We received a travelers' blessing for a trip we are taking soon.

 Frosting snitchers

The End!

Happy Mother's Day and More

• Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.
• The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness
• Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. 
• That best academy, a mother's knee.
•  The lullaby is the spell whereby the mother attempts to transform herself back from an ogre to a saint. HAHAHA!!!! I need to sing more!
• The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. 
•  I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.
• Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love.
• No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life 
• And remember that behind every successful woman......is a basket of dirty laundry

 No one can say my children aren't creative.  

 After a bit of a burn on his face, Pippin had to wear heavy-duty sunscreen on his face for a bit.  I can't say enough for Organic Healing Balm that I had picked up at Costco. The stuff is awesome!

 And just how would you get rid of your couch?

 Swimming Wading in April, we just had to do it.

 I attended an awesome homeschooling convention, and found so many great books!  Do check out:
Mary's Books, particularly In the Footsteps of the Saints books, AWESOME reprints!! Also St. Augustine Academy Press  They have a gorgeous book on the Mass for children... and adults amongst otehr things!

 I'm delighted to see that Boy #6 is showing interested in Chivalry.

 Lambie has graduated from size 1 to 2 to 3 and now size 4 diapers, only used when inside.  She stays out most of the day.

 We had a field trip to America's Best Flowers, it was a beautiful place with a really great demo in which the children could participate.

 The older children had a lovely place to enjoy each other's company.

 They encouraged even the littlest ones to do everything by themselves. They just loved it.

 They came home with pansies, bean seeds and other things. It was just a really great program.

 They had a scavenger hunt to find things, Kili wasn't able to write words so he drew what he saw.  My 2nd leftie :D

 We picked up 8 basil plants, though might have to get more, love that pesto sauce!

 We were given 8 giant cabbage plants. These produce the best cabbage, very large but tender as all get out.

 Prepping for a shelter shed for the animals.

 What beats a gigantic pile of sand?

 It's that time of year again, lots of outdoor activities and field work.

 Does every 16 year old buy get wound up in chicken wire or is it just our specialty?

 Our neighbors gorgeous peacock paid us a visit. Usually we just hear him and he sounds like the Snipe from the movie "UP" (great moving by the way, we really enjoy that one)

 Poppy is going to be a mouse in the "Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"play. Working out a costume.

 A bit odd, but I really liked this tree, whatever it is. there was a whole row of them in a parking lot at Joann Fabrics/Burlington. Aren't they lovely?

 Another mouse attempt.

 Not sure how much the lamb weighed in this picture but today she is 3 weeks old and weighs 10 pounds, that's gaining 2 pounds a week.  She eats everything... and LOVES my roses. WAAAAHHH

 Lion costume for Merry who is going to be Aslan.

 The shed is going up-up-up.

 The lamb found her favorite spot, right behing Jesus, very good place to be.

 Just playing in the fields.

 The first morel mushroom of the season.

 Sam found a ramp, a wild leek.

 Frodo's milk cow (thin because she had been very ill but is now thin but thriving) was found in MY BATHROOM. Seriously.  This cow truly thinks she is part of the family.  I will spare you a photo of the plop on my floor. Thankfully I was not home at the time and my awesome boys had it cleaned up and aired out before I even got home.  They scored.

 And here she was waiting by the back door to get back in again when we drove in the driveway.

 Marigold playing ... I don't know... Joan of Arc?

 Bilbo is going to be an ogre in the LWW play.  His mask has since arrived. We won't cut his hair until after the play as he has great hair that can be done ogre style.

 Eleanor is older Susan and has a couple dresses to choose from.

 The newest calf.

 Just a deer in the road.

 Sam brought in over 5 pounds of morels. This is when we get to eat like kings :D

 Just too cute.

 Pigs are fattening up.  The milk cow keeping an eye on the big pigs.

 Planting the basil and spinach.

 Gandalf the rabbit

 NO JOKE, it was 88 degrees on May 5th... we had to go to a local lake.  It was absolutely lovely. There is always  breeze here so it was really nice.

 Frodo is exceptionally comfortable with his 4 footed friends.

 Frodo holding the mini green houses on the back of Sam's truck.

 Said green houses.

 Putting wire up for some grapevines.

 Reality

 After being told, "I'm posting this on the blog."

 We're hoping to beat our giant pumpkin record: 1203 pounds.  They like it warm so hopefully these little green houses will help them on their growing way.

 Wound of the week. This week features Rosie who stepped on a stick in the woods and got a terribly gruesome cut and needed 6 stitches.  Super glue just wasn't going to cut it, no pun intended. She's off her foot for 2 weeks.  *shudder*

Poppy on the morning of her First Holy Communion. She can hardly wait!