A mess-up turned into beauty

A lesson for us all:

Pookey comes to me with the saddest face ever because he "messed up the card" that he was making for his Aunt when he drew a "horrible heart" and then he scribbled all over it because he hated it.

Oh boy! Teaching moment.... 

Our messes can be transformed into something beautiful. 

It is never too late. 

There should never be any giving up. 

Sometimes you just need to show your messes to someone who love you. 

Someone who will not judge or put you down. 

And then they can help you make them into something beautiful.

This lesson can point us to Above as well.  Our Lord can take our weaknesses and mess-ups and turn them into strength and something beautiful for Him.

Look at this transformation.  Afterwards he said it was "the most beautiful heart ever". All it took was a little love. A little encouragement. A little help.

++Thank you, God!!++

“Behold, I make all things new.” 

~Revelation 21:5

Your turn!!! Share some messes that have been turned into something beautiful....

Hot or cold??

Last weekend, it was clear that with the snow that hit, we changed seasons - fall became winter very quickly.  So, this week, I had to put away all the bonnets and ball caps and get out the hats and mittens.  We also have winter coats now hung where sweatshirts hung not too long ago.

One day this past week, I changed sweet Rose's diaper, took off her jammies and went to her room to pick out clothes for her to wear that day.  Well, like almost any mom, distractions can take over and you can soon forget what you were doing.  I think I at least picked out Rose's clothes, but something made me forget what I was going to be doing next (to put them on her!).  So a little while later (or maybe a long while - lol!), Mario came up from the basement giggling, asking me why Rose is only in her diaper.  Ah ha!!  That was it -I was going to get her dressed - wake up, Momma!!  So, she wanders upstairs and Max comes up from the basement as well.  Sweet little Rose is still only in her nice fresh diaper and Max is in pants, shirt, socks, sweatshirt, and gloves - doh!!  Man, if I didn't feel like a terrible mom....   poor girl had to be freezing downstairs running around and playing if Max had to be dressed that warm to be comfortable.  Ah, the life of a busy mom....

Mom-ism post #4

My fourth Mom-ism post coming your way....

***   #1   ***

Before the school year ended, I was already looking into camps and classes to get the kids signed up for so that they could continue their school in a fun way outside of the home.  So far, with it being only mid-July, the kids have done two weeks of VBS, Fone and Mario did a Camping/Survival camp, and now this week, the three big kids are taking part in an art camp at our local library!  I prayed for God to open the doors to some sort of art enrichment for the kids and by golly, not only does He provide it, He made it super easy....  just a few minutes away at our local library, fully grant funded (meaning FREE) and they spend 3 hours learning techniques and style in such a great environment every day this week!  And to top that off, they have two of their cousins joining them in the camp all week. It has been a fun busy summer so far with lots of running, but having big kids makes the loading and unloading and transitions more smooth than they ever have.  And my littlest kids have enjoyed getting more mommy-time with their bigger siblings being away, not to mention, they have been such troopers being trucked around from place to place.  (The above pic is just a sampling of what the kids have been making.  After tomorrow, I am hoping to post more details and pictures of what they created)

***   #2   ***

I had to take sweet Melody to the eye doctor yesterday to have her eyes checked.  She has been threatened the last few appointments that she *may* need glasses soon.  Well this appointment was very clear, that she was indeed near-sighted.  Poor thing, we went to pick out glasses at the optical center right after her appointment - with her very blurry dialated eyes - and she couldn't even hardly see the glasses.  So, even though the rest of my crew was at grandma's and it was super convenient to get glasses ordered right then and there, I told her we would come back.  So, Neil and I worked some things out today and squeezed in a time today where I could take her back - with normal eyes - and she was able to look at the sizes and styles and colors and picked out the perfect pair.

***   #3   ***

With a busy day of art camp, play time with some cousins, picking out eyeglasses, we decided to just have a night at home.... our favorite pizza for dinner, playing and running around outside, baths/showers for everyone, and soon our family prayers to end this perfect day.  These times at home are so wonderfully beautiful and peace-filled.  Our kids love each other, love playing with each other and we truly enjoy just the grace-filled simple moments of being at *home*.

++Thank you, God, for the gift of being a mommy and all these 

grace-filled "mommy moments" that you sent my way!!++

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Please stop on by Catholic Mom's Cafe by clicking the image below and share what God has been doing in your life as a momma this week...

Mom-ism post #3

Late again, but nonetheless, here is my third "mom-ism" post, linking up with the lovely Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle....

~#1~

Our schoolyear for 2014/2015 is planned and items on their way - woo hoo!  We are using more computer/online learning to help make smooth the transition of new baby!  Hopefully once all the books are here, I can share a little more about our plans!!!  For now, rejoice with me that the planning is done!! 

~#2~

Like I shared in my {pretty, happy, funny, real} post, our kids love to read.   Wanna make them happy, then take them to the library!!  I found Fone reading some of our favorite puzzle books to Max and Pookey the other day.  I think Fone read these books when he was around their age - definitely a favorite in this house!!

~#3~

Today was the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle!  Our monthly "10 July Activities for Catholic Families" calendar suggested we have the kids create and build something in his memory since he is the patron of architects.  The kids already love build and create, so when I shared with them the reason why today, they were thrilled!  It's so neat to make special connections like this when living the liturgical year!

++St. Thomas, pray for us!!++

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Please join in with your "mom-ism" moments and link up your post by clicking on the image below or just stop by to read and see what God is doing in the lives of other momma's....

A Mom-ism Monday kind-of-day

My second attempt at another "Mom-ism Monday" post, linking it up with Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle!  Cheer with me now, because I actually made it on a Monday!!  Woo hoo!!

Some, "mom-isms" or "mommy moments" from this past week...

#1

On Saturday, my oldest daughters and I attended our year-end Mother/Daughter Tea for our local Little Flowers girls club.  I have helped teach and lead our group ever since Melody was in wreath 1 and we started with a group of a little over a dozen girls that met at my home once a month. We have grown over the years to a group, this past year, of fifty plus girls and going strong and meet at our church hall now!  What a wonderful gift we can give our daughters to learn about the saints and the virtues they lived as they followed Christ - and what great examples they are for us to follow!  So the tea this weekend was a celebration of all that they have learned and the friendships they have formed along the way.  It included a yummy potluck of tea-party type foods, many games and crafts, and one of the favorite memories was the breaking at the pinata.  Just picture moms and daughters in their fancy dresses swinging and beating down a pinata - funny but a blast at the same time!!  If you want a peek into our celebration, click here for my write up.  Enjoy!!  

#2

Also, this weekend, we set up little Rose's toddler bed after a couple month transition of moving many bedrooms and kids around.  She's only slept in it once so far and still prefers her crib next to mommy and daddy in our room, but it's a small step into getting ready for her being a big sister soon.  We wanted to allow plenty of time for this and the transition to be as smooth as possible, so we will allow her as much time as she needs.  But doesn't she look like such a big girl in her big girl bed....

#3

Things are progressing daily with my pregnancy!  I am over the first sixteen weeks of nauseousness, so that part of me is feeling great.  Now the beautiful varicose veins and tailbone issues begin to make themselves known.  All more to offer up in prayer for our little man!!  We got a peek at our little guy today in my 20 week ultrasound.  What a wiggly little guy his is!! And adorable, must I add!!  He was kind of a stinker and didn't swallow and show us the stomach bubble, so I had to flip back and forth from side to side to get him to perform.  Thankfully, he did near the end of the ultrasound.  When I met with dr, she also shared that they saw an "echogenic focus" and we'll be following up with another more in-depth ultrasound soon.  Dr didn't seem too concerned since everything else looked okay, but they still need to have it looked at a second time.

So, we will pray and hope and trust!!  We also scheduled the c-section for early October!  Please continue to pray for babe and I, since this will be my 8th c-section.  And, with Fulton J. Sheen having an approved first miracle, it doesn't hurt asking for his miraculous intercession in this risky pregnancy and delivery...

 Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit.If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession - of this young baby's time in womb and delivery and safety for him and his momma -
I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

And, our little guy's first official appearance here on the blog.  Say "hi" little guy....

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Please join in with your "Mom-ism Monday" on Donna Marie's blog as well!  Click on the picture below and add what God has been doing in your life as a mom this week.  (and don't feel bad if you are a tad late like I was last week)

Mom-isms: giving it a try!!

Sweet Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle is hosting her first "Momisms" link-up this week (actually was meant for Monday) but she sent out a reminder today that it could be anytime this week!  Yippeeeeee!!!  How sweet of her to be patient with not-so-perfect bloggers like myself!! 

What are some "Momisms" in my life, some "mommy moments"?

1-  Running kids to and from extra summer classes and camps!!  Last week was our church's VBS and this week the big boys have a Survival 4H camp.  This week's class is only an hour long, so the days I do drop off, the littles and I just stay at the park to play.  It's been a super hot and humid this week - probably the hottest so far this summer!  But...  we have stuck it out and enjoyed our time on the Island!!

2-  This little Beauty of mine, Rose, loves her books and to be read to.  Being a busy momma of 7, it's hard to take time to sit and read to "just her".  But when her six older siblings are in bed, she takes advantage of that mommy and daddy one-on-one time.  Tonight she pulled book after book after book after book off the shelf.  What a sweet little girl and such a special time!!

 

3-  Having a crew of kids, being a stay-at-home mom, and homeschooling them often are reasons enough for people to ask me, "How do you do it?".  Well, first off, *I* do not.  God is a wonderful God who has graced me with all these little ones and He gives me what I need when I need it!  That being said, having grown up with my own mom at home with us four girls, I was mentored along the way on how to be a mother and a housewife.  That and my mom ran an in-home daycare, so I grew up not only with my 3 sisters but a lot of other "brothers" and "sisters" as well.  I'm sure this was all part of His perfect planning, eh?  My mom was very orderly and always had a system of how things happened and when they happened.  Much of my mom's God-given gifts of orderliness and organization have been passed down to me - thank you, God!!  So a here are just a few simple things that help us maintain order in our household:

***Morning routine - get dressed, make your bed, tidy your room, brush your teeth!!  How wonderful it is for the kids to start their day ready to go and also with a nice tidy room to read in, play in, relax in, etc... 

***saving jammies after being worn only one night, fold them, and put them on your bed - truly cuts down on laundry!!

***working together as a family - we don't have certain chores for certain kids, nor a complicated chore chart/schedule - my kids just know to do one or two chores for mom/dad every day and to jump when asked to jump.  When you have plenty of helping hands and bigger kids who can do more, this really works well for the whole family!

***each of our four big kids take a meal - they help me prepare the meal, set the table, put things away after the meal, and clean-up.  Fone does breakfast every day, Mario does lunch, and Melody and Ariel do dinner. It's nice to always have a helper at mealtimes, and this also is great bonding time as we work together side-by-side!! 

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Three was such a nice and doable number to think of Mommy-moments and Mom-isms for the week!  Thank you, Donna Marie, for hosting this link-up!  What fun - definitely looking forward to more!  If you would like to jump on in, click on the link below to add your yours...