It’s been a while since I’ve updated you all on the goings on around here, so here goes . . .
BABYMOON
The husband and I ran off for a little pre-baby vacay on Santa Catalina Island, to celebrate our 18th anniversary and our 10th baby. The trip was a perfect mix of fun and relaxing, beautiful weather and sights, and a chance to spend some quality time with the mister.
We’ve done a little babymoon trip before each baby since our second, and I really, REALLY recommend it! Beginning to mid-third trimester is ideal, I think. For me anyway, first trimester is pretty barfy, and second trimester is usually really busy trying to do all the things, but by the middle of the third trimester, I’m still feeling pretty well, but am starting to slow down a bit. We’ve always done something relatively local, while grandparents watch the kids at their house or ours.
We get a hotel room for a night or two and do some touristy stuff someplace close by, sometimes even in our own town. Before George it was just one night away a few miles from our house, a few days before he was born! But still, we have such great memories from our little getaways.
Highly recommend. 😊
“YOU SHOULDN’T DO THAT”
Back home, we’ve been enjoying the last few weeks of summer. I love that our older kids’ school doesn’t start until the day after Labor Day. It feels like stolen moments all together, somehow, when so many other kids are already back in school! Especially before Jack’s SENIOR YEAR. It’s so hard to believe it’s likely his last year home with us. (Although he did make my week the other day by casually mentioning his plans to–assuming his college plans are realized–do his stint in the military, then get a job with JPL or SpaceX, marry an as-yet-undetermined girl from his high school, and move into our neighborhood so one of his siblings could nanny for them. #soundslikeaplan )
Anyway, we were hanging out in the backyard, and, somehow, the conversation came around to cartwheels. I mentioned that I was pretty confident I could manage one, despite being 42 years old and 38 weeks pregnant. There was some scoffing. Jack, if you take a listen, did not think it was a good idea. But I decided to give it a try.
DETACHMENT
The husband wrote a really beautiful post about detachment, alongside the latest update on what’s going on in the ol’ noggin.
BRAIN UPDATE – GOOD NEWS
It’s good news, buuuut . . . you might cry. Consider yourself warned.
My latest at Blessed is She also touched on detachment, and on the beatitude that used to really confuse me . . . being “poor in spirit”
Saddle Up That Camel
I’ve also got a new column up at Endow Voices, with some tips for teachers looking to incorporate liturgical living into their classrooms this year.
Liturgical Living: Teacher Edition
THE FIAT CONFERENCE
Tickets went on sale just a few days ago for this year’s Fiat Conference, to be held on October 12th at my home in Altadena, CA. Over half the available tickets sold in the first 24 hours, and are now over 80% sold!
We, your hardworking Fiat Crew, are overjoyed that people are as excited as we are for what’s shaping up to be the biggest and best Fiat Conference yet.
Keynote speakers are Mary Lenaburg, Kristin Reilly, and yours truly, the Catholic Artisan Vendor Fair will feature amazing Catholic artists from all over the country, we’ll have Mass, adoration, and confession available, there’s a Family Party afterwards at no extra charge so husbands/boyfriends/kids can come hang out and make friends, and this year’s new Underwriter’s Cocktail Party will allow you to see Gramblewood and meet the organizers, artists, and speakers in a more intimate setting. But it’s also pretty clear that it’s going to sell out in record time, so if you want to join us, get your tickets now!
Tickets here
FAQs here
NEW IN THE SHOP
I’m plugging away on the monthly prayer and devotions booklets, trying to get the last months of them finished before baby comes. I’m due on Labor Day, and just never know if a particular newborn will stand for me getting much done after he or she is ex-utero.
The September booklets are available now!
As a digital download PDF, here.
Or as a booklet from Amazon, here.
September has some great feast days and traditional devotions. This month’s booklets feature an address to the UN by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a prayer in honor of the Nativity of Our Lady by St. Anselm, the order for the blessing of crosses to install in a field or garden, and prayers for St. Matthew and the Archangels. Also for this month, available as their own printables in the September bundle and also in the booklets, are:
- Veneration of the Cross Booklet
- Rosary of the Seven Sorrows Booklet
- Our Lady of Sorrows Scripture Activity Booklet
- Prayer After Grace for September (Mother of Love and Sorrow)
Also new in the shop are these Spiritual Bouquet printables.
Creating a “Spiritual Bouquet” for a friend or loved one is the practice of offering a number of devotional acts performed for his or her intentions. It’s a beautiful and meaningful way to honor someone on a special occasions (name day, birthday, anniversary, or the arrival of a new baby), as a thank you note for teachers or gift-givers, or to remember the soul of someone recently deceased.
These printable note cards are an easy way to collect and share a spiritual bouquet, offered by one or many people, and can be mailed, or included with a meal drop off, or a gift, or a bouquet of flowers. Just circle the prayers and devotions being offered! They can be printed again and again.
I’m also hoping to get some 2020 wall calendars done as well. I’d love your input. If you think you might buy a 2020 wall calendar, would you prefer to have the option of one of these two designs from last year, or something new?
I’ve had some requests for a school year calendar. I’m just not up for putting them out more than once a year. But, I did put the 2019 calendars on BIG sale, to tide you over until the 2020 version is available!
- Marian Calendar print version (40% off, plus get another 15% off through 8/22 with the code ONEFIVE)
- Marian Calendar digital download (50% off)
- Monthly Devotions print version (40% off, plus get another 15% off through 8/22 with the code ONEFIVE)
- Monthly Devotions digital download (50% off)
BABY NAMES
It’s crunch time on baby names over here. We are set on a first name for a boy and for a girl (we don’t find out ahead of time) and are almost set on middle names. *I’m* set on middle names, I just need to get the husband on board!
We got a very fun name consultation from Sancta Nomina, one of my favorite blogs. I just love it when people have a very niche passion! 😂 Kate is always so thorough and thoughtful and detailed.
Anyway, here’s the whole consultation:
Baby name consultation: Kendra from Catholic All Year!
Besides going on a babymoon ✔ and, finishing the old baby‘s baby book ✔, the other thing I always have to my pre-baby to do list is making a baby quilt for a boy and a girl baby. I just finished those last night! ✔😁
Both have a nod to the name if you look closely, but it’s pretty subtle, on the boy quilt anyway. But if you figure it out . . . shhh, no telling 🤫🤐.
Okay, so I think that’s it for the update! As always, we appreciate your prayers! I’ll be back on the blog next week with the September Liturgical Living Video, and then hopefully soon after that with some baby news!
In the meantime, if you want to get caught up, see here for ALL THE BIRTH STORIES!
Those baby blankets are awesome!
You have one amazing skill for time management, to handle all of these projects. I think I have both names figured out from the blankets, can’t wait to find out if I’m right! Prayers for a healthy delivery!
I *think* I’ve figured out the girl name, and it was not a suggestion on the consultation! (But it totally should have been, since I don’t think Labouré fits in your style at all.) I’m still stewing over the boy name, but I love a good puzzle. What do you do with the other quilt after the baby is born?
Usually I give the extra blanket away!
I have no idea what name you choose, but wanted to give a shout out for the name Jameson. My first son is Jameson Thomas, named for the whiskey and my dad It’s an awesome name, just saying.
As long as your calendar has the essentials, such as Mondays, July, and Christmas, it should be good!
nice callback!
It will never top “beans…beans…and more beans,” but it was a close second!
I’m pretty sure I know the girl’s name! And if I’m not mistaken, I think it might have been on your girls’ list for George if he were not a July 4-baby, right? I think I know the boy, too— it’s quite a premier name.
I’d love to see some new designs for the Calendar. I bought both versions last year and still love the monthly devotional images too… maybe a favorite saints version?? That would be fun (but more work for you! so perhaps for 2021!).
I love Jameson! We chose Harrison as a middle name for our youngest, to honor both of my grandfathers — yes, both of my grandfathers were named Harry without it being a nickname! I didn’t want Harry as a middle name, and my husband didn’t care for it at all, but completely turned around at Harrison. It of course refers back to Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.
Both boys have canonized saint names, for first and middle names, which is an absolute miracle in that we didn’t plan it that way on purpose, based on where we were on our spiritual journey. Except for my oldest, who was intentionally given his first name for a saint. My husband also has saint names for first and middle, but I only have a saint name for my middle name, and I can guarantee that my mother didn’t do it on purpose! (Then again, by naming her three boys after three of the Gospel writers, my very Baptist aunt also gave her children saints’ names.)
Anyway, I’m super excited waiting for the birth of your baby, and to learn the gender and name 🙂
Nice hearing from you. Praying for a safe delivery for you and the baby.
Marion
WOW! SOME CARTWHEEL! Duly impressed, duly impressed! I never could master a cartwheel at my most flexible and least pregnant . . .
I don’t see how everyone is guessing the girl’s name, because I can’t even see the pattern on the girl quilt in the photo. No fair! But I’m pretty sure I’ve got the boy’s name figured out. So where’s the baby lottery where we can register our guesses? You could give away the un-needed quilt as a prize . . .
I must have watched that cartwheel video 10 times. I can’t believe my eyes.
Aww I love Seamus (as I mentioned in another comment, I’m Irish ), as it’s the Irish for James…pronounced Shay-mus, Shay is a nice shortened version! But all babies are cute regardless, “a rose by any other name” and all that. FWIW also love Jamesina just because of the Anne of GG series
I think I might know the boys name but I can’t even tell what is on the girls blanket? Is it just my computer? My old lady eyeballs?? Yes, please finish those liturgical year books, my school year is counting on them this fall, and my life must be a priority! lol…seriously, I do love the booklets. Prayers for an awesome and healthy delivery, can’t wait to “meet” your new little one.
I really love your “babymoon” idea. We haven’t done that, but when I was in the second trimester with my second child, we DID go on a couple’s retreat through the Domestic Church lay movement-so I guess that maybe was our equivalent of a “babymoon”? Also, LOVE the vide of you doing the cartwheel. I can’t do a cartwheel even when I’m not pregnant, so I’m impressed. And I am just so happy that you are helping to show the world that some pregnant women CAN be active all throughout pregnancy! (obviously not all women can do this due to certain health conditions and risks, but it just bugs me that so many people treat ALL pregnant women like fragile little creatures)
Kendra, would you mind sharing about how you do baby books? I have several half-finished and am wondering if you might have figured out a more….stream-lined…version? Even just some snapshots on Insta would be great! I”m 5 baby books behind, whoops. Thanks!
Sure! I just go through and make an album of my favorite photos from the bay’s first year, then use those to make a hardcover photo book on Shutterfly. They have a number of baby book options, and if you use their “simple path” they load the photos into the book in chronological order with the pages all designed. Then all I have to do is add captions.