Sunday Inspiration~ October 30, 2022

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Monique

We're Going on a Fall Book Hunt

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Hello there... Fall is in full swing! The temps have dropped. The leaves are showing off a kaleidoscope of reds, golds, oranges, and yellows. I love the fall colors. The golden hues and the way they glow in the sunshine brings a smile to my face. They just seem so happy. It's like it's their time to shine and show off God's amazing love for us. I will admit, I'm not a fan of all the leaves falling off but that's part of it. Too many leaves to rake up, especially since we live in the woods. 

I loved Fall when the kids were little. The hot temps of Summer were long gone and the coll breeze meant it was cool out. The breeze helped with all the pesky gnats too. We would go on long nature hikes through the neighborhood. We'd collect leaves, acorns, and mushrooms for further exploration. It was a peaceful time, a simple time. Things seemed to move a little slower at least until Thanksgiving. 

One of our favorite past times was curling up on the couch with a good book about Fall. I loved reading out loud to the kids when they were younger. It was a time to sit quietly and spend quality time with each other. I loved seeing their love of books come to life. 

With so much time to reminisce about times gone by, I thought I'd share a few of our favorite books we would read during the Fall months.

1. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves 

This was Therese's favorite. She loved Fletcher.

2. We're Going on a Leaf Hunt

We loved this book because we would often go out and collect leaves to study, create art with, or do a science project with. 

3. Too Many Pumpkins

4. Leaf Man

5. Why Do Leaves Change Color?

This is great for a science lesson!

6. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

We used this as a book study. We found a unit study guide at Homeschoolshare.com

7. The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks

This is one of my favorites. I love the Berenstain Bears. They were a favorite from my childhood. 

8. Thanksgiving is For Giving Thanks

9. Thanks for Thanksgiving

10. The Night Before Thanksgiving

This is a funny story that reads like the Night Before Christmas. If you cook Thanksgiving dinner your family can definitely relate to this story. 

11. Bears Says Thanks

This was a favorite of Michaels. He loved anything relating to a bear.

These were just a few of the books we kept on our bookshelf. We checked more at the library, but these were a few of our favorites. It's funny how certain books become a part of us. When we see their cover or reread them later on in life, they just bring back wonderful memories of family, love, and a happy time!

Do you have a favorite book about fall from your childhood or your children's childhood? I'd love to hear about them.

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                                                  Monique

Teaching Tuesdays~ Noah's Ark and Made in God's Image

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It's Tuesday again~ can y'all believe October is almost over? This month flew by. We had a great class, even though I had quite a few students missing. We have all types of bugs going around here (strep/stomach bug/colds). Over half the class was out. With such a small class, we had lots of interaction.

Our Saint~ Saint Bernadette

Saint Bernadette was born in Lourdes, France. When she was 14 years when a beautiful lady appeared to her. The lady in blue told her that she was the Immaculate Conception. She asked for a chapel to be built at the grotto. We read about her life from the Saints for Young Readers for Every Day. They colored in their coloring page of Saint Bernadette. 

Here are a few other great books to learn more about Saint Bernadette...

Bernadette: The Little Girl from Lourdes

Yellow Roses on Her Feet: The Story of Bernadette of Lourdes

Bernadette, Our Ladies Little Servant

Our Virtue~ Fortitude

Fortitude is being brave and strong in the face of trials. Saint Bernadette showed great fortitude when no one believes her about the beautiful lady appearing to her. She kept going to the grotto and doing what the lady asked of her. 

Old Testament Lesson~ Noah's Ark 

Noah's Ark by Edward Hicks

We read the story about Noah and how he built the ark after God asked him to. I read On Noah's Ark by Jan Brett. I love the illustrations in this book. The kids colored a picture of Noah's Ark while I read the story. 

The students then worked on a Noah's Ark maze and they were given a crossword puzzle to take home if they wanted to do it. 

We had a cute Noah's Ark craft to work on. 

                                

A tasty snack to enjoy while teaching this lesson is animal crackers. Everyone loves animal crackers. 

Catechism Lesson~ Made in God's Image

We did a scavenger hunt looking for things that God had made or man had made. We talked about how God made us in his image. He made us in the image of God in our moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature. It means that we are different from the other creatures God created. We can know and learn things. 

We talked about why God made us. He made us because he loved us. He made us to know Him, to love Him, and to Serve him. 

We made a craft about being made in God's Image.

You can find the craft here.

Prayers~

We are still working on the Sign of the Cross, Our Father, and Glory Be.

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                                                 Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ October 24, 2022

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Good monring (on Tuesday), dear friends. Yesterday was a busy day. I startred this post yesterday, but didn't get a chance to fnish it. So, I am this morning. 

Our weekend was a busy one. We worked on things around the house. The boys did some work on  Michael's truck. I hemmed some pants for my nephew. He has a couple of job interviews, so if you could keep him in your prayers that would be great. On Sunday, we had church and then Therese and I taught sunday school. It was a good class. We got another aid to help out, so this is great with 16 active students. It will come in handy when we do our crafts and play our games. After class, I headed to my sister's house. We went to lunch and ran a few errands. We found some cute Christmas decorations at Big Lots. It's been years since we'd been in there and they had so many cute items. They have some nice looking Christmas trees for a very reasonable price if you need one.

Let's get on with Happy Homemaker Monday with our beautiful hostess Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to stop in and say hey there.

The Weather~

Monday~ Sunny, 64*

Tuesday~Partly Cloudy, 70*

Wedenesday~ Scattered Showers, 69*

Thursday~ Partly Cloudy, 61*

Friday~ Mostly Cloudy, 58*

Saturday~ Partly CLoudy, 58*

Sunday~ Cloudy, 58*

Temperatures are not that bad this week. We just don't have much sun. The days are getting shorter. The leaves are really changing colors. So far, most are still on the trees. 

As I Look Out My Window~

A soft misty fog is swirling around the trees. The vibrant colors are peaking through the mist. I love the oranges and golds... rich jewel tones that bring fall to life. The colors are exceptionally bright this year. It's definitely on the the prettiest falls we've had in a while. 

Right Now I Am ~

I just did one of my bible study lessons. I'm now finishing up this post and drinking a lukewarm cup of coffee. 

Thinking and Pondering~

Oh my goodness, so many personal issues are on my mind. Why didn't they tell you mothering in the teen and early adult years is hard. Harder than the little years. Whoever said the terrible twos is the worst obvisouly didn't have older children yet. You want to treat them like the adults they are becoming, but at the same time protect them from the path they are on. It's hard to sit back and watch at times. 

How am I Feeling~

I'm feeling pretty good. My allergies are dying down a little. I just have itchy eyes, so I've been using my eye drops. My shoulder is still messed up. My plan is to look up some shoulder stretches and exercies to make it stronger. Hopefully that will help with the pain. 

What's for Breakfast~

I have no clue. Probably eggs and some toast.

Looking Around the House~

The floors need mopped again. I vacuumed yesterday. I'm trying to follow a weekly cleaning list that helps me keep everything on track. My goal is to stay on top of everything.

I need to plant the 2 mums we bought a few weeks ago. 

On the To-Do List This Week~ 

Laundry

Finish my neice's tree skirt

Alter 2 skirts for Therese that are too big

Get a few tree skirts listed in my shop

Grocery store

On My Reading Pile~

One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp

Never Meant to Meet You

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz 

Meetings with Mary- Visions of the Blessed Mother

Do Something Beautiful for God

and I'm still reading Opening Your Heart for my Women's Bible study group. You can find more about the various bible studies that they offer on their website, Walking with Purpose. 

On TV this week~

Netflix~

The Good Witch

The Vatican Girl

The Unforgivable 

Hulu~

Criminal Minds

What I'm Listening to~

Taylor Swift Midnight

Lighthouse A Piano Album by Jay Stocker

Whisperings David Nevue

On the Menu this Week~

I actually sat down and wrote out our meal plan all the way up to Thanskgiving! I feel so accomplished. It's such a relief to know what's for dinner and not have to panic at the last minute. 

Monday~ Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole from the Pioneer Woman

Tuesday~ Chicken Sausage, Potaoes, and Broccoli Sheet Pan Supper

Wednesday~ Maple Pork Chops, Potaotes, Green Beans

Thursday~ Spaghettie and Meatballs, Salad, Bread

Friday~ Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples, Sweet Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots

Saturday~ Easy Crock Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Beans

Sunday~ Cheeseburger Mac, Salad, and Bread

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself, I Will~

Sit outside and enjoy the fall colors. Of course that's if the bees have gone away. They are always so aggresive this time of year and since I have a bee allergy it's not fun to be outside too much. 

One of  My Simple Pleasures~

Sitting quietly spending time with God reading the bible and praying. Having a warm cup of tea with me is always good too.

From the Camera~

Inspirational Quote/Bible Verse/Faith~

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ October 23, 2022

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Monique

Wordless Wednesday~ Mums

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Monique

Teaching Tuesdays~ Mother Mary & Cain and Abel

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Happy Tuesday! This week's Sunday school class was a lot of fun for the kids. We learned so many things! It was a busy class filled with a variety of activities. 

Saint~ Saint Martin of Tours

We read a brief summary of his life from the Book of Saints from the St. Joseph Picture Books Series. We added his picture to our saint poster. The kids colored the coloring page of Saint Martin of Tours. 

At story time the children headed to the foam mats and  I read The Sword and the Cape by Pamela Love.

                                                         

The children always enjoy this story of a Roman shoulder who showed a poor, old man who doesn't have anything such kindness and love.  He's a wonderful example of charity and treating others as you would Jesus. 

Virtue~ Charity

Charity is loving God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. We talked about ways that they could practice the virtue of charity. Helping a friend at school, not being a bully at school, helping your mom with dishes, and picking up a pencil or books a student were just a few of the ideas the kids came up with.

Old Testament Lesson~ Cain and Abel 

We read the bible story of Cain and Abel. We talked about how Cain was jealous of Abel. Cain's jealousy is what caused him to kill Abel. We talked about how jealousy is a sin and it hurts God. We talked about times we were jealous and what we should do if we feel jealousy brewing. 

The children then completed a fun maze, Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Catechism Lesson~ 

We talked about who Mary is and why she is important. We talked about how October is the month of the Holy Rosary. We prayed one decade of the rosary together as a class. 

For our craft, we made a rosary. I found this easy, simple craft over at Catholic Icing.

Supplies Needed~

Pipe Cleaners

Pony Beads

Prayer~

We continued practicing the Sign of the Cross and learning the Glory Be. We started working on the Hail Mary since October is the month of the Holy Rosary.

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Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ October 17, 2022

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart, and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Good morning or should I say good night. It's Tuesday night and I'm a little behind in the Happy Homemaker Monday post, but that's life.  

Yesterday was hectic! Therese woke up with an earache, in fact, it woke her up in the middle of the night from the pain. So I tried calling the pediatrician's office but there was no answer, so we headed to Urgent care. Of course, it was packed. They start scheduling appointments at midnight. We had about a 2-hour wait. They say here, diagnosed an ear infection, and prescribed an antibiotic. We then had to wait 30 minutes for her prescription to be filled. We tried to get lunch, but the sandwich shop we wanted to go to wasn't opening because of no staff. So many places are short-staffed here. Stores don't open or close early. It's crazy!

We got home around 1:30 and then did some laundry and then picked up a little around the house. My plans got changed but that's part of being a stay-at-home mom.

Let's get on with Happy Homemaker Monday with our beautiful hostess Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to stop in and say hey there.

The Weather~

Cooler temps are coming. It's rather chilly in the morning and at night when I have to deal with the chickens. We're having a few nights that are getting down into the 30s. We have our first frost warning tonight. 

The weekend looks nice though.

Monday~ I think it got to 60* yesterday.

Tuesday~ Partly Cloudy, 51*

Wedenesday~ Partly Cloudy, 51*

Thursday~ Sunny, 58*

Friday~ Mostly Sunny, 64*

Saturday~ Sunny, 69*

Sunday~ Partly Cloudy, 68*

As I Look Out My Window~ 

Well, it's dark here now, so I can't see a thing. Early, the wind was blowing gently through the trees. The leaves are stunning this year. We have lots of gold and red hues this year. 

Right Now I Am ~

Typing up this post. I just sent out my email for Sunday school. Each week I send out an email letting the parents know what we worked on during class and anything that might be of importance for the upcoming weeks. For example, our All Saint's Day party. 

Thinking and Pondering~

I'm running through my head all the things I want to get done this week.  This week seems to have a lot to get done. I'm hoping I can get it all done. If not, I guess there is always next week. 

How am I Feeling~

Pretty good. My shoulder is still bothering me a little. I'm a side sleeper so that's not helping it all. Allergies are pretty good. The only issue I have right now is itchy eyes. I'm using drops for that though.

What's for Breakfast~

I had a gluten-free English muffin with butter and coffee. 

Looking Around the House~

The floors need to be vacuumed again. I just did it on Friday, but the dog is shedding like crazy. Overall the house still looks good. I do have a few things I need to put away and get organized again. 

On the To-Do List This Week~ 

Clean the bathrooms

Clean the living room

Wipe down the kitchen cabinets and appliances

Clean the fridge (someone spilled something and didn't clean it up)

Orgainzie sewing/craft room

Sand the dining room chairs

Finish paiting the leaves for the dining room table 

Peel, cut, and freeze apples

Make Oatmeal raisin cookies (Michael's request)

Make our St. Joan of Arc poster for class

Paint the chicken coop

Plant my mums

On My Reading Pile~

First Frost 

One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp

Never Meant to Meet You

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz 

Meetings with Mary- Visions of the Blessed Mother

Do Something Beautiful for God

and I'm still reading Opening Your Heart for my Women's Bible study group. You can find more about the various bible studies that they offer on their website, Walking with Purpose. 

I finally finished Sold on Monday by Kristina McMorris. I really enjoyed the book. It wasn't a happy go- lucky book. It made you think. It made me think of all the hard times my grandparents faced and went through during their childhood. They truly were a great generation. 

On TV this week~

Netflix~

The Good Witch

The Watcher

I finished Virgin River. Now I have to wait for the next season

Hulu~

Criminal Minds Season 14

On the Menu this Week~

Monday~ Leftovers

Tuesday~ Stuffed Peppers 

Wednesday~??

Thursday~??

Friday~??

Saturday~??

Sunday~??

I still have not sat down and planned out our meals. I really need to. I hate not having a plan. It makes it a little crazy at dinnertime. I'm always trying to figure something out at the last minute. 

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself, I Will~

Start working on a new skirt for church. I recently went to JoAnns and found 4 fabrics that I loved. I needed some new skirts for church, so I was excited to find some new fabrics for fall. 

One of  My Simple Pleasures~

Sitting quietly, sipping some English breakfast tea, listening to hymns, and reading the bible. I've come to enjoy and appreciate the quiet time I spend with God. 

From the Camera~

Inspirational Quote/Bible Verse/Faith~

Praying For~

Therese and her ear infection

My kids and their school

Family and Friends

My little first graders

My great aunt

Our country and leaders

A young woman struggling with life

A pregnant friend

The ladies from my Bible study group

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Till Next Time,

Monique