40 Days for Priests, priesthood

Have You Prayed for Our Priests Today?

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‎
“Having taught priests, lived with priests, laboured for them, loved them, and suffered with them for over 30 years, there are no words that I can use that would be strong enough to state that the Catholic priesthood needs prayer and sacrifice more now since the time when Our Lord died on the Cross at Calvary.

Why do priests need special graces from God? It is because they have extraordinary responsibilities before God. They are to be more than ordinarily holy, more generous, more zealous, and more patient. In a word, those who are responsible for Christ’s presence on earth are to be, of all people, the most Christ-like. They are to be examples of what Christ wants us to be. Look back on all of the grave crises in the Church over the centuries. Every single one of them was due to the fact that priests had failed the people of God.

Why do we need to pray for priests? It is because, through prayer, we gain graces for them which otherwise they would not obtain. If we all need the help of each other and we receive the graces we need, how much more should we pray for priests from whom we have received Jesus Christ in the Eucharist – and by whom we have been so often absolved from our sins. I don’t want to even think of the state of my soul if I had not had the absolution that over the years I have received from priests. As fellow members of the Mystical Body, priests desperately need our help.

I would recommend that all the faithful offer daily at least one prayer for all the priests in the Church and especially for those who have done most for them in their lives. I try to remember every day at Mass the priest who baptized me, the priest who heard my First Confession, who gave me my First Holy Communion, the bishop who ordained me, and the bishop who confirmed me. I recommend, therefore, that all the faithful, in a special way, pray for priests every day. Also, I advise the faithful to offer up some sacrifice for priests each day. I am tempted to say some little sacrifice. NO! I suggest it be the most difficult sacrifice of the day for priests.



I further recommend that when we hear about a priest who has been unfaithful to his high calling, that our first and immediate reaction should be to pray for him. I believe that we should do everything in our power to extend and propagate the apostolate of prayer and sacrifice for priests.

The Church of the future will not only survive, but thrive. However, that will occur only where and insofar as the priests have not only been faithful to their vocation, but have lived their priesthood in a living martyrdom in union with the first martyr, Jesus Christ. It is, therefore, no mere recommendation or exhortation that I make, but an imperative to pray and sacrifice for priests.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you ordained the Apostles priests at the Last Supper to continue your mission of mercy to the end of time. We believe that every Catholic priest traces his ordination to that first ordination on Holy Thursday night. We know how much you expect of your priests and we also know how weak and human they are. Inspire us, dear Jesus, to pray and sacrifice for your priests, who are also ours, that by their faithfulness to you in this life they may bring countless souls to you in the life to come. Mary, Mother of priests, pray for priests that they may love your Divine Son unreservedly as you did, all the days of their lives. Amen.”

– Fr. John Hardon

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bargains, coupons, deals, gotta share, holy heroes

Holy Heroes, Glory Stories: Best Loved Catholic Prayers {JUST $0.02}

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Thought I’d pass this along to you, a great deal from Holy Heroes!  $10 for your 2 cents worth


Holy Heroes
Prayer


Announcing the newest Holy Heroes Glory Stories CD: “Best-loved Catholic Prayers and Prayers of the Mass“

(including the new translations effective Advent 2011)!

The final version of this new CD will ship in the fall of 2011 and will also include acompanion full-color booklet with over two dozen classic Catholic Prayers plus a complete children’s missalette with the new Mass responses!

But until the final release is ready, we have a special offer for you:

We have a limited number of special pre-release versions of this newest Glory Stories CD available for a very low discounted price (only 2 cents!)

We are asking you and your friends to help us serve you better by ordering this pre-release CD, listening to it, and then telling us how we can make it better before the final release in the fall.

In exchange for your order and your help, we will send you a discount coupon code good for $10 off a future purchase at holyheroes.com.

To get your copy of this special pre-release version of the newest Glory Stories CD for only 2 cents PLUS a coupon for $10, follow the steps below:

Order this CD for only 2 CENTS and listen carefully to it after you receive it.

After you had a chance to listen to the disk, go to the web address we will send to you with the CD to answer a short survey. Your responses will help us improve the final version of the CD.

To thank you for taking the time to answer the survey, we will send you a coupon discount code for $10 which will more than cover the cost of ordering the disk (international orders will cost a bit more due to higher shipping costs). You can use the coupon on a future order from  HolyHeroes.com.

Blessings,
Erika

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Bishop Burbidge, Diocese of Raleigh, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral

Catholic Eye Candy: Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh

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Bishop Burbridge made an announcement yesterday in the Diocese of Raleigh, NC.:

“The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge announced Wednesday, September 7, 2011, the planned construction of a new Cathedral Campus for the Diocese of Raleigh. In making the official announcement, Bishop Burbidge said the proposed 2,000-seat Cathedral will be dedicated under the title, Holy Name of Jesus. The theme of the capital campaign is “Our Cathedral: One Faith, One People.” The estimated cost of the proposed Cathedral Campus is $75 to $90 million.

Calling it a “monumental and historic moment in the life of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh and the state of North Carolina,” Bishop Burbidge noted that the conceptual design includes the Cathedral, a two-story Gathering Hall and a three-story ground level and below-ground parking facility. To date, the planned project has received $10 million in pledges from a small group of donors in a short period of time.

The proposed Cathedral Campus will be located on a 39-acre tract of land adjacent to Western Boulevard and Centennial Parkway that has historical significance for the Catholic Church in North Carolina. The property is what remains of 400 acres purchased in 1897 by Father Thomas F. Price, the “Tar Heel Apostle” and first native North Carolinian to be ordained a Catholic priest. In 1899, Father Price established an orphanage on the site known as the “Nazareth Community.” The site currently houses the Catholic Center administration building and a smaller office building.

In his announcement, Bishop Burbidge explained that the name of the new Cathedral also has historical roots for the property. “It commemorates the name of the chapel established by Father Price at Nazareth and which was known under this same dedication to the holy name of Our Lord.” Bishop Burbidge said. “It is fitting that the name of our new Cathedral is the Holy Name of Jesus.”
For Roman Catholics, the Cathedral stands as the visible unifying presence of the Church. It is the sign of the mission of Christ to be exercised there among the people. All parishes in the Diocese are extensions of the Cathedral, as it holds the chair, the cathedra, of the Diocesan Bishop, from which he gathers the faithful to guide and lead them, as teacher and shepherd.

The need for a new Cathedral is prompted, in large part, by the continuing vibrant growth of the Catholic population throughout the Diocese, which covers the 54 eastern counties of the state. In the 10-year period between 2000 and 2010, the Catholic population in the 54-county Diocese has increased approximately 42 percent from 152,493 to 217,125 registered Catholics, with an estimated 200,000 plus unregistered Catholics, mostly of Hispanic origin. With a seating capacity of 320, Sacred Heart Cathedral, as the “Mother Church” of the Diocese, is unable to accommodate most of the Diocesan liturgical celebrations.

When the current Cathedral, Sacred Heart, was constructed in the early 1920’s, it was built as a parish church to serve the small number of Catholics residing in the capital city. In 1924, when the Vatican established the Diocese of Raleigh, the Holy See designated the small church on Hillsborough Street, two blocks from the State Capitol, as the Cathedral.

The concept of building a new Cathedral to address the growing needs of the Diocese began in late 2009. Following consultation with the major Diocesan collegial bodies, composed of the clergy, Consecrated Religious and laity, Bishop Burbidge accepted their recommendation to commission a feasibility study to explore interest and support for the proposed project. The study, conducted by a professional consulting firm, was undertaken in early 2010.

In July 2010, results of the feasibility study indicated a high level of support for the project from clergy, religious and laity. After reviewing results of the study, the Diocesan collegial bodies, in separate votes, recommended to Bishop Burbidge that the Diocese proceed to the next step of the project. Bishop Burbidge accepted the recommendations of these bodies and established a Cathedral Campus Steering Committee.

In July 2011, after careful review of the work of the Steering Committee and following consultation with local civic and business leaders about possible sites in downtown Raleigh where the proposed Cathedral Campus could be located, Bishop Burbidge accepted the recommendation of the Steering Committee to proceed with the planned construction on the Nazareth site, already owned by the Diocese of Raleigh. The Diocese has contracted with Washington, D.C., architect Mr. James McCrery to develop the Cathedral design and to propose the most effective utilization of the land for the Gathering Hall, parking facilities and possible additional development of the site. Groundbreaking for the new Cathedral Campus is anticipated to take place in mid-2013.

Upon dedication of the new Cathedral, Sacred Heart Church will be retained and honored as the first church designated to be the Cathedral for the Diocese of Raleigh. Sacred Heart will continue to serve as a vibrant part of the sacramental life of the Diocese, with a regular Mass schedule, small weddings, funerals, and other liturgical and private prayer.”

Read more or hear the Bishop’s announcement about the new Cathedral.

Congratulations to the Diocese of Raleigh!  Our prayers are with you.

Blessings,
Erika

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Blessed Virgin, feast days, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Nativity of Mary

September 8th: Happy Birthday Mother Mary

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“Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, 
Hath brought joy to the whole world!”

Today, September 8 we celebrate the birth of Mary,
Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth.

In Domenico Ghirlandaio’s 1490 fresco Birth of the Virgin (detail above) in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy, St. Anne rests in bed while an attendant holds the newborn St. Mary and the donor’s daughter looks on. The inscription on the wall above is from the antiphon for this feast: “Nativitas tua, Dei Genitrix Virgo, / Gaudium annuntiavit universo mundo” (Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, / Hath brought joy to the whole world).

Here is a short video about the Celebration of the Nativity of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth:

A prayer, from the Divine Office:

I leave you with a beautiful Meditation on the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary {The History of the Liturgical Celebration of Mary’s Birth}.

Happy Birthday, blessed Mother!  We love you!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

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catholic homeschoolers, home educating, socialization, Teaching Tip

Homeschoolers Need Socialization – SHAH!!

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Recently, in my local newspaper, there was a nice article about a homeschooling family with five children. They quoted the home schooled children and the author spoke statistics…when I saw it laying on my kitchen table, I thought wow how exciting and went on, with much enthusiasm, to read the article. Later on I checked my e-mail and saw lots of messages from local home schoolers who were outraged by the comments being left on-line regarding the article. I skimmed through those messages (a bunch had already been blocked by the paper) and noticed the one prevailing topic: socialization (what a shocker, huh ladies?). People who don’t have a clue and have made generalizations about home schoolers think that we keep our kids in a closet (without windows) and don’t allow them to go out and be “socialized”. Which lead me to think about this a little further.


What you might not know is that I’ve been in the “formal” education world for the past 15 years, either as a teacher’s aide, student teacher, substitute teacher, a teacher trainer, and a regular teacher in the classroom. I’ve been in the Catholic schools (two of them), charter schools, and regular public schools (three of them) and I’ve had my share of what it’s like to teach and be in these settings. I’ve worked in pre-schools, elementary schools, K-8 centers, Middle Schools and even had my bouts with high school. So, let’s just say…I’ve been there and seen it from a teacher as well as a parent’s perspective (my eldest attended two different parochial schools from pre-k until 5th grade).

So what does the “socialized child” have over our supposed “unsocialized” home schooled children? Nothing if you ask me. From a teacher’s perspective, the home schooled child is taught to live and work with people of all ages (in their family) For starters, they are exposed to BAD habits from other children. Children from homes that the parents aren’t around most of the time because they are busy working. Children who see their parents about one hour in the morning and maybe both parents about three hours in the evening (that’s if they are on schedule and putting them in bed on time). Children whose parents are sometimes hard to reach to set up conferences for because of grades declining or behavior. Now don’t assume that I’m referring to the times I worked in the public or charter sectors, I haven’t even touched that category yet. Now lets talk about teachers…I’ve had the privileged of working for a Federal Program training teachers to teach Reading and Writing. It was like pulling teeth…they didn’t want to learn, I’d say about 15% of the teachers I worked with in those last nine years were open to learning something new, a better way to teach our children. A very sad number, if you ask me.

Next I looked up “socialization” in the dictionary, know what it says?  Here is the online version:

so·cial·i·za·tion    [soh-shuh-luh-zey-shuhn]
noun
1.  a continuing process whereby an individual acquires apersonal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.
2.  the act or process of making socialistic: the socialization of industry.

“A continuing process where by an individual acquires a personal identity”?  Really, well if anyone is going to help a child do this who best than his/her mother and father?  Next, “learn the norms, values, behavior, and social skills”…again mother and father, siblings, grandparents are the best teachers of this.

Let me be honest, I thought when I joined the home school community, I was coming with TONS of ideas and things to do…I was going to teach some moms some new things! Oh how wrong I was…lol!   I’ve only learned from these moms with high school degrees, some with college degrees, only some with teaching degrees…here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Children need to be taught to love learning and how they learn best (something very difficult to teach to 35 children in a 55 minute period, in only nine months of the year).

2. Children need to be taught how to learn on their own. “WHAT?” This was one of the hardest for me to understand…but I get it and it makes perfect sense….when you are in college and in life, you need the life skills to be motivated to learn something new each day.

3. Children need to interact with people of all ages and backgrounds. Home schooled children are the most polite and social kids I’ve ever been around. They say hello when you bump into them at the store. They offer to help without you having to bribe them, as it is often done in the classrooms.

4. Homeschooling is a lifestyle which, for the most part, teaches about time management, how to deal with situations you didn’t plan for, how to be ready for new things, how to lead a more stable life, how to follow a schedule (and have the responsibility of staying on that schedule).

So, this lead to the idea of having a week-long discussion on the socialization of our Catholic home schooled children. In speaking with my friends who have more experience than I, the topic was more about creating community and in turn you will socialize your children. In analyzing this, it was very clear to me that our children are part of all sorts of communities in which they have ample and healthy opportunities to be socialized. Some examples of communities which your children might be involved in are: at church, play groups, neighborhoods, Co-Ops, teams, scouts, sports, music classes, etc. My children have involved in more activities since being home schooled than ever before. They are happier as well, and they are definitely social beings.

Not convinced? Just ask my next door neighbor, who is an avid gardener, about my six year old son who has NEVER been formal school setting! My little guy has long conversations with her about her gardening, asking her tons of questions about what she is doing, why she is doing it, and what will be the future out come of her actions. Bless her heart, she is so patient with him. We think he might even have pushed her in her faith a little as he told her the other day that he prays for her and her garden to grow beautiful flowers…she, in turn, was spotted at daily Mass a couple of days later (our first reaction, “she’s Catholic?”). So yes, my six year old will not be “formally socialized” and miss the likes of knowing who Sponge Bob Square Pants, or High School Musical, or anything like that is from other kids his age. Instead, he is learning about Horticulture from my next door neighbor and walking around practicing words like “Gladiolas and Daffodils” instead of singing the obnoxious tune to some of the “supposed children’s cartoons or movies”.

So tell us, what do your children do to create community (AKA, be socialized little beings)???

 I’d love to hear from you regarding this topic…and go ahead share this with all people that question you about homeschooling and “worry” about your children’s socialization!  😉  I dare you, lol!

Blessings,
Erika

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homeschooling, resources

Catholic Curriculum Options

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If you are a first time homeschooler, you will have to make several choices when it comes to curriculum. There are so many choices that it might become overwhelming. To avoid this, do your research first! This isn’t the end-all list as there might be more publishers/schools available of which I may not be aware of.

Catholic Curriculums (that you can enroll your children in OR use as a book store):

Catholic Heritage Curricula
P.O. Box 125, Twain Harte, CA 95383 1-800-490-7713
It is Catholic Heritage Curricula’s belief that, when solid academics are offered in a gentle, flexible manner, the vast majority of children will blossom spiritually, emotionally, and academically. CHC’s educational approach lays a joyful foundation, resulting in children who achieve at and above grade level, do not ‘burn out,’ and instead ‘learn how to learn’. freebies

Mother of Divine Grace School
P.O. Box 1810, Ojai, CA 93024 1-805-646-5818 

Mother of Divine Grace School is a distance education program which helps parents implement a Catholic classical education in their home. It is designed in the light of the classical principle that the goal of education is to teach children how to think; to help them learn the art of learning. If children learn how to learn, they will be equipped for life, able to master any subject when it becomes necessary or desirable. Further, the curriculum is faithful to the doctrine and teaching of the Catholic Church, which enlightens and informs all the areas of the curriculum.

Our Lady of the Rosary School, Inc.
1010 Withrow Court, Bardstown, KY 40004 502.348.1338
This company uses the book Jesus Comes which is the foundation book for St. Anne’s Audio Catechism and Copybook for First Communion. This site offers beautiful encouraging wor ds to parents about the sacrament of Matrimony giving them the graces necessary to educate their children. They offer many Catholic homeschool curriculum. Here is what they say:

“Full service home education provider. Full enrollment, independent study enrollment, single courses, and on-line catalog available.”

Our Lady of Victory School
421 South Lochsa Street, Post Falls, ID 83854 208-773-7265

This company has been noted for using the old Baltimore Catechism and old Catholic textbooks as well as many other Catholic homeschool curriculum. See their republication of many Catholic books at Lepanto Press. They, too, have started creating copybooks with theme based content. It is an accredited Catholic home schooling apostolate. Here is what they say:

“Since 1977, OLVS homeschooling has been providing Roman Catholic curriculum and Roman Catholic textbooks. The curriculum and textbooks used in our …”

Seton Home Study School
1350 Progress Dr, Front Royal, VA 22630 540-636-9990

This company has totally rewritten many old Catholic textbooks into a more homeschool user-friendly format with illustrated workbooks. A real plus is that it has edited out some of the bad themes from the old books. We really appreciate this discernment. Seton, too, has started creating copybooks with theme based content such as history and offers other Catholic homeschool curriculum. Here is what they say:
“Seton Home Study School is an accredited Catholic home schooling apostolate under the Roman … Get a sneak peek at Seton’s outstanding K-12 curriculum. …”

REQUEST A CATALOG!

Like a More Eclectic Approach (piecing things together on your own)?

Catholicity
CatholiCity, PO Box 26101, Fairview Park, OH 44126
This company has a variety of services that can be a great service to Catholic homeschoolers like the Catholic Encyclopedia (1914) where you can “search or browse 11,000+ articles on Catholic teaching and history”.
They have the “Best Catholic Links” an “Exclusive database. Hundreds of carefully screened links.” See St. Anne’s Helper listed there under Education and Homeschool! Here’s what they say:

Catholicity “offers free Catholic CDs and novels, Catholic news and commentary, and the best Catholic links on the web.”

Kidica
Kidica, Moxy Media, 503 Imperial Road North, Units 5 – 9 Guelph, Ontario Canada N1H6T9 Tel: 1-866-669-9320
This website is an independent information guide that is written, edited and maintained Moxy Media, a leading publisher of online consumer information guides. Our goal is to provide factual, up-to-date information and shopping advice to online consumers. This site does not sell products directly and is not affiliated with any individual manufacturer. Search for “Catholic” to find their Catholic resources.  Information for Parents on Kids Entertainment including Family Travel Editor

St. Anne’s Audio Catechism and Copybook

St. Anne’s Audio Helper, P.O.B. 7, Belvue, KS 66407-0007  785-456-1711

This company has put together the best Catholic answers to the Baltimore Catechism for First Communion and Confirmation. This is a God-send for certitude later on when parents are trying to decide which books are truly Catholic. Having the basic Catholic beliefs correct makes discernment much easier. The student is well fortified with these Catholic answers! Here is what they say:

“Audio catechism CDs reduce the effort necessary to memorize the Baltimore Catechism answers and Catholic prayers. Copybooks help with the memorization and beautiful handwriting…”

Catholic Book Providers (buy your books from them):
AdoremusBooks
The Heldridge Family, Frederick Square Shopping Center, 2992 S. 84th St., Omaha, NE 68124 Call us at 402-502-3162, or toll-free at 888-392-1973
This company offers a great variety of the best books, art, and games for Catholic Homeschooling! Be sure to visit to see their many Catholic gifts as well. Here is what they say: Adoremus Books (Latin for “Let Us Adore!”) carries a broad selection of top quality books and resources designed to enrich your Catholic home from the Fathers of the Church to the great writers of today, Adoremus Books has something for everyone.

CatholicMax
Catholic Gifts Fulfillment, P.O. Box 291, Coppell, Texas 75019
This company offers over 7000 Religious products including Bibles, vestments, church goods, statues, and over 2000 rosaries. Here is what they say: “Our mission is to provide: The largest selection of Catholic products, Exceptional service, Outstanding value! CatholicMax.com is Catholic owned and operated. We don’t just sell to make a profit, we sell out of genuine devotion to the Catholic Faith. We are a Catholic Business Enterprise.

El Camino Real
El Camino Real, PO Box 84, Thompsons, TX 77481
This company offer The De La Salle Readers crown their book selection! We did not know that these were in print. These seem to be excellent old Catholic books, a rare find! We love the pedagogy in the front of the books. They have many other good Catholic homeschool books as well. Here is what they say:

“El Camino Real is a Catholic book store dedicated to spreading and publishing classic traditional Catholic books for individuals, families, and home school families who want to learn more about the liturgy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Church doctrine, scripture, bible study, theology, apologetics, devotions, the saints, Catholic literature and the spiritual life.”

Lepanto Press
421 S. Lochsa Street, Post Falls, ID 83854 208-773-7265
This company has been noted for using the old Baltimore Catechism and old Catholic textbooks. See their Catholic homeschool curriculum, also. They, too, have started creating copybooks with theme based content. Here is what they say:

“From the beginning, OLVS stressed Religion as the common thread throughout the curriculum, with an accent on the history of the Church. We have also emphasized the importance of good Catholic literature, and we are revising our Music program to teach young children the appreciation of Folk, Classical, and Sacred Music, including polyphony and chant.”

Neumann Press
The Neumann Press, 21892 County 11, Long Prairie, MN 56347 1-800-746-2521

This company has excellent Catholic homeschool books especially if you are using Laura Berquist’s method or are unschooling. They have a two book set for Homeschool advice in particular. Some of the most precious books for children are at this site. They have republished Jesus Comes which is the back bone of St. Anne’s Audio Catechism and Catechism Copybook. It is an excellent book with modest and delightful pictures to go along with some bible stories and the Baltimore Catechism. Here is what they say:

 “The Neumann Press is named after Saint John Neumann, bishop of Philadelphia (1851 to 1860), the first man from the United States of America canonized by the Church. Our goal and primary purpose is to republish orthodox, traditional and classic Catholic books that have gone out of print.”

Tan Books
TAN Books & Publishers, PO Box 424, Rockford, IL 61105-0424 1-800-437-5876

This company has made a phenomenal effort to republish truly excellent Catholic homeschool books, again, especially if you are using Laura Berquist’s method or are unschooling. They also publish excellent editions of the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Catechism of the Council of Trent, and the Catholic Missal. We have been grateful to use the Catechism of the Council of Trent with our highschool children, it is plain spoken and easy to read! Read what they say:

“TAN Books and Publishers was founded by Thomas A. Nelson in 1967, when the problems developing in the Church were clear and becoming more severe. Many Catholic publishers such as Benziger and Bruce were getting out of Catholic publishing. Mr. Nelson recalls that at age 30, after studying politics and world events, he concluded that the only way to turn around the political situation in the U.S. and the world was through spiritual means. He believed that if enough people were living in the state of grace and striving to do God’s will, then, “for the sake of the elect,” God would “run interference” for the just in the social and political arena, according to Proverbs 21:1: “The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord: whithersoever he will he shall turn it.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery
142 Joseph Blane Road, Silver City, New Mexico, 88061-9799
575-388-9279 www.ourladyofguadalupemonastery.com
This monastery offers an excellent supply of unusual Catholic homeschool books highlighting Benedictine spirituality. They have excellent selections for the study of Latin and caligraphy that we have not seen anywhere else. Their website has a pdf of their 48 page catalog that is well worth the manual request. They are happy to take your order by phone.  Their book list is well focused and has rare finds.

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catholicism, homeschooling, resources

Noah’s Ark and the Mind of the Homeschooling Mama

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So what does Noah’s Ark have anything to do with the mind of a Catholic Homeschooling Mama? Lots! Listen to this….

This is just too cool not to share with you! This isn’t new information because it was completed in 2007, but to me it is! :p So here’s the story:

A man in named Johan Huibers of Schagen in the Netherlands, a Dutch builder, has built a replica of the biblical ark as a true-life demonstration to his faith in the truth of the Bible names Johan’s Ark. Schagen, the town he lives in, is about 40 miles north of Amsterdam.

The incredible thing is that when you see the following pictures, you will be amazed by it’s immense size but this replica is ONLY half the size of the real thing! Johan created only a half size replica of what Noah made. I received this information via e-mail from a close friend and thought it was so neat that I wanted to share with you.

Also, I realized how much my mind has changed as far as receiving information and what I do with it…..I automatically wanted to save this information so that when I teach this story to my kids, we can take a virtual field trip (flying to the Netherlands with four kids, two adults, and on one income, isn’t economically possible right now, lol), learn about the different metric systems around the world, also could be an architecture lesson, a science lesson on sink and float, recreating our own arks with popsicle sticks, and on and on and on! Ten months ago, I would have looked at this story read it and maybe forwarded to two or three other friends who might have thought it was interesting…today, I can stretch it to cover so many subjects for both my older child and my preschoolers! For more on Noah’s Ark, click here to go to the online Catholic encyclopedia.

Enjoy the pictures:



Blessings,
Erika

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digi-scrap, digital scrapbooking, Mixbook Photobook, photography, photos, scrapbooking, scrapbooks

Have Great Summer Pictures? Create a Mixbook Photo Book!

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Can you believe Summer is over and September is here already? I can’t! This year is just flying for us. We started schooling early this year (to finish early) and last Monday our Home-school Enrichment Co-Op started. This semester I’m teaching two classes: K-1 Art (super fun) and 5-11 Yearbook/Journalism. In searching for the right program and printer for our yearbooks this school year, I’m leaning towards using Mixbook.com.

I made a book for my mom using Mixbook.com and we loved it! It was professional looking and it was just so much fun putting it together! It was easy to use and I love how versatile it was (or how much I wanted it to be).   Here’s the book I made for my mom’s birthday last month:


Mixbook - Create Beautiful Photo Books and Scrapbooks! | View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

Remember my review of the Software for Mixbook.com?  Then the review of the actual book from Mixbook as well?  Well, I wanted to share some goodies {coupon codes}, just in case you hadn’t had a chance to create and order yours before.


I love digital scrap-booking but I just don’t have the time anymore and using Mixbook.com gives me the quality book I want with the ability to either have their software put a book together with the pictures I submit or I can get as creative as I want and digi-scrap right on there – how perfect is that? I wanted to share with you that Mixbook photo books is having a month-long September promotions:

While getting settled in for the upcoming school year, why not take advantage of saving on your order with Mixbook? For the month of September, you have the choice between saving 30% on your orders over $49 or receiving free ground shipping on your orders over $35.


Don’t wait, use this opportunity to finish your summer photo books or get a head start on your holiday cards! With Mixbook, you have total control of your custom photo books, cards and calendars. Make it Yours today!

Here are two great deals for you:
Deal 1: Save 30% on orders over $49 at Mixbook
Coupon: MX3049
Valid: Expires September 30th, 2011
Restrictions: Shipping not included. This offer cannot be combined with other coupons, vouchers, Groupons, or applied after an order has been placed.
Deal 2: Get Free Shipping on orders over $35 at Mixbook

Coupon: SHP35MX
Valid: Expires September 30th, 2011
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Blessings,

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Divine Providence, New Baby, NFP, respect life

Baby’s All Grown Up Now

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We are going home (wireless)!

 We had our first Co-Op day this past Monday and I was assigned to the Nursery the first hour.  My four older kids got to go to enrichment classes while the “baby” and I went to our first assignment.  In the nursery, Dominic and I are joined by five babies (the real ones) ages 3 months to 11 months and three other toddlers (okay our “baby” is really in this category).  Dominic went straight to playing while the mommies watched them and the little babies in the room.  I got to hold two of the babies while in the room and made me realize just how big Dominic had gotten in such a short time, just 16 months.  The smell of a new baby is just totally priceless – yummy!  All of a sudden, it made me realize just how much I yearned for another little blessing in our home (but he/she needs to come with a passenger van as we have maxed out our Mazda, lol).

Finally going home!  I was one happy Mama!

Then the biggest reminder that our Dominic is getting bigger hit me when we had to do some cleaning up and putting away.  It makes me sad because of the fact that our little baby is all grown up now (sorta) and because of the excitement I felt when Todd brought all the newborn baby gadgets up from the basement just a year or so ago.  The baby walker was one of the items that made me realize just how big our baby was and how quickly he started walking…then running!  To think back of those 10 days he was in the NICU, which seemed endless then, seems like such a speck now.  Didn’t he just start crawling the other day?  Didn’t his first foods and steps just happen?  Where did the time go so fast? While I know he is still very little at only 16 months, it just seems like too much has happened already, and to think there is so much more to do…lol.

He is a true joy in our lives, the perfect number five as we call him.  He just fits in with our little family so well, it’s amazing!  “He is content in his own skin,” my husband says of him all the time.  This is so true, he is a happy and lovable little one.  Which makes me be thankful to God that everything turned out okay and his labor scare was just that…and that God is always in control and taking care of us!  (His labor went from everything’s perfect to a prolapsed cord in about 5 minutes…rush to a C-Section….NICU for 10 days…glow-worm baby w/ Jaundice) rocked my world from day one!)

Proud big brother, Josef, gets to hold the glow-worm Baby!
Only a couple of months old.   
Crawling!

Dominic at 16 months.

We love our little guy so much…but I think we are ready for another baby.  I’m not getting any younger, in less than four months I will be turning 38, and conception has not been so easy all the time for us.  So please keep us in your prayers as we ask the Lord to bless us with another little bundle of joy – or maybe two (twins do run in both families, lol).

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