Baby Gianna and Baby Therese Safe in their Mother's Arms

A few months ago, I wrote about a very special couple that asked me to make two rosaries for their unborn twin daughters. They had suffered a sad loss of their other daughter, Sophia, to a previous pregnancy. I was saddened by their loss but happy to be able to help bring comfort, even in just a small way, by making rosaries for their Sophia's little sisters.

Little Sophia, beautiful in death. St.Therese, the patron saint of Baby Therese.

St.Gianna, patron saint of Baby Gianna

I asked for permission to write about this couples story, which they gave. It was such a sad story, but one of inspiration, because it was full of hope. Kirk's wife suffered the loss of little Sophia only shortly after becoming Catholic and receiving her First Holy Communion and Sacraments of the Church. It was as though God was strengthening this couple for what would lie ahead.

Lately, I've thought about Kirk and his wife these past few days, wondering if they had their babies yet, wondering if all went well. I kept thinking to myself that I would muster up the courage to email them and ask for myself, but then I would chicken out, feeling like I was intruding. And not to mention my biggest fear: that something went wrong. The sad picture of Sophia was always in my mind.

Finally, just tonight as I was going to bed, I decided I would email Kirk and his wife. The worst that could happen is that they wouldn't answer me. And what to my happy surprise to find an email from Kirk! And even more happier, that this is what he said:

Dear Becky,

It is a great pleasure to send this email update to you. Tania and I have returned home from St. Elizabeth hospital with two new additions to our family. Little Gianna Marie and Therese Bernadette are home, safe and sound, thanks be to God. Little Gianna looks very much like her older sister Sophia. She is a feisty little girl. Her sister Therese is a bit more laid back and has her mother's beautiful looks.

Both mommy and the ladies are doing well. Thank you again for all of your prayers. We could certainly feel the Holy Spirit surrounding us and sustaining us.

If you have the time Tania and I would appreciate it if you could thank all of the prayer warriors that follow your blog for us as well. I have provided a picture that you could use.

God bless,

Kirk

It was a wonderful surprise and a great favor from God to hear this happy news! I have not prayed every day, but when I thought of them, please Lord, let them keep these children this time.

We had all prayed that God would bring these babies safe into their Mother's arms. And He has. :-) Congratulations Kirk and Tania, your babies and your faith are an inspiration to us!

My faithful commenter Spam--Updated

This is not rosary related, but does anyone know how to get rid of spam? As you can see from my comments, spam is my faithful commenter! I found it humorous at first but now it's just plain annoying.

Anyone have advice?

Have a few rosaries coming hopefully for the next post...

**UPDATE**

Not that this is really all that important to the rest of you as it is to me, but I switched from anyone commenting to Registered Users. I have no idea what Registered Users mean but hopefully it takes care of Mr.Spam who is trying to get me to every website that he owns....hopefully this won't make it difficult for you guys to comment if you so wish!

I also forgot to do my "roses' chapter. I'm not sure if people are really interested in the St.Louis de Montfort book, but I'm going to keep it going for the sake of those who like it.

And I hope that my next rosary post will be about the wonderful custom orders that customers have been ordering....they have had some really neat ideas and I wanted to share their wonderful rosary ideas with you!

Luminous Rose Petal Rosary

This is the "Luminous Rose Petal Rosary". I call it "luminous because the beads look like little lamps glowing. Plus, it was made with luminous clay. :-)

The beads have real rose petals on the inside. 

I plan to make more of these rosaries with the "luminous" clay; some with roses petals inside the beads and some without. They look just as pretty without the rose petals too, I noticed.

Soon to be in the store, so keep a look out for it! I will list it in the Etsy store tonight!

Swing'n High

I wrote this yesterday in my family blog "A Blog for Grandma." Decided to share over here too.

I could write about how today has been "The Worst Day Ever" (that would be 'the worst day ever #3,123) but since I'm trying hard to be *positive* lately, I willl spare you another drama story.

So,

I won't tell you that Henry woke me up at 5 am,

and that he was CRANKY, CRANKY, CRANKY for the rest of the morning,

hanging onto my pants, 

screaming at me to pick him up, getting into everything, 

yelling at anyone who dared look at him,

until I finally laid him down for a break in the crib.

I won't tell you either that he ended up falling asleep, 

ruining the routine for the rest of the day as far as naps and errands go.

Or that my break was now taken too--seeing that he was sleeping and the other kids were up.

  I will spare you the complaints that the other kids have been bored, restless, and cranky,

or that the weather--once again--is not cooperating and is cold and windy,

or that going to Bed Bath & Beyond on a Saturday was a terrible idea 

since the entire city of Bloomington also was at Bed Bath & Beyond too.

Oh, and I also wont' tell you that Luke picked up every item in the store and asked if he could have it for his birthday (this would be barbecue tongs, candy, rugs, fly swatter, whatever)

or that another child who shall remain nameless licked his hands and smeared spit all over a store mirror,

or that Max and Luke almost got ran over by traffic in the parking lot--not once, not twice, but three times

and on top of this chased after a car

Just For Fun.

I won't tell you how I had that child that licked the store mirror 

and those other children that nearly got killed and then chased down their "attacker" 

had to miss out on a trip to the park while their siblings played

and how it really just hurt my heart to see them  sitting in the car.

But to know that 

hopefully

a lesson was being learned.

No, I won't tell you that right now I'm very tired 

and wondering if I'm the worst parent in the world, 

if it's really is supposed to Mothers Day tomorrow and if I even should consider celebrating it,

seeing that I feel like a terrible mother,

seeing that my kids seem so unhappy today

are so bored

irritable

bickering

and that I am also just too tired to care.

Nope. I won't tell you that, because I am not going to be negative. :-)

But! I will tell you that

  yesterday Anna went on the swings and she loved it, 

because Dennis finally got around to cementing the swing set into the ground 

and it no longer jumps around or threatens to tip over when the kids go on it.

She had a lot of fun even though she doesn't really need the baby swing anymore. 

She just wanted to swing high for once, 

after going an entire summer (last summer) of swinging low, 

because I told her if we went too high the swing set would flip over.

"Swing high, Mama! High!" she would yell and put her hands out over her head too show me how high she wanted to go.

So "high up" we went.

Swinging high!

Higher, Mama, higher!

Happy Mothers Day to all you hard working moms out there, who work hard on forming your children and bringing them up right. For those times spent on time-outs and lectures and prayers and tweaking just for a lesson learned or the glimmer of understanding in your childs eyes--for *that moment* when you can say it was worth the blood, sweat and tears "to get it right."

Because even though we have "those days" when we feel like the worst mothers in the world, it's moments like this when you see your child smile to know that you did something right.

The 8th Rose continued

The continuation of the Eighth Rose chapter from the book of The Secret of the Rosary by St.Louis de Montfort....(to see Part 1 of this chapter, click here.)

...Our Lady not only blessed those who preach her Rosary but she highly rewards all those, who by their example, get others to say it.

Alphonsus, King of Leon and Galicia, very much wanted all his servants to honor the Blessed Virgin by saying the Rosary, s he used to hang a large rosary on his belt, though he never said it himself. Nevertheless, his wearing it encouraged his courtiers to say the Rosary devoutly.

One day the King feel seriously ill and when he was given up for dead he found himself, in spirit, before the judgement-seat of our Lord. Many devils were there accusing him of all the sins he had committed, and our Lord was about to condemn him when our Lady came forward to speak in his favor. She called for a pair of scales and had his sins placed in one of the balances, while she put the large rosary which he had always worn on the other scale, together with all the rosaries that had been said through his example. It was found that the rosaries weighed more than his sins.

Looking at him with great kindness, our Lady said, "As a reward for the little service you did for me in wearing my rosary, I have obtained a great grace for you from my Son. Your life will be spared for a few more years. See that you spend those years wisely, and do penance."

When the King regained consciousness he cried out, "Blessed be the Rosary of the most holy Virgin Mary, by which I have been delivered from eternal damnation."

After he had recovered his health, he spent the rest of his life in spreading devotion to the Rosary, and said it faithfully every day.

People who love the Blessed Virgin ought to follow the example of King Alphonsus and that of the saints whom I have mentioned, so that they too may win other souls for the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. They will receive great graces here on earth and finally eternal life. "Those who explain me will have life everlasting."

Blah-- Grey's Anatomy used Dominic's story without permission

Completely unrelated to rosaries....


I just read on FB, that my sister found out that the show "Grey's Anatomy" has used my nephew Dominic's story without her permission.

I found it hard to believe so I had to watch for myself--it is another plot surrounded by many other plots, but if you watch long enough, yes, it is Dominic's story. And yes, like Mary, (my sister, Dominic's Mom), I felt sick to my stomach as well.

My nephew before his surgery

I didn't watch the entire show--I don't know if they inserted anything untruthful or offensive (such as their own liberal views) but it's just the fact that the show went and used something that was so hard for a family to go through for their own financial gain.

As my sister states on Facebook:

I feel violated because of the whole thing. It definitely is Dominic's story and to see a fake re-make of my son well, it made me feel sick inside. The fact that he was used in a sensationalist way is extremely offensive to me and something that I never would have given permission for. This show is so ridiculous anyways, I honestly couldn't believe I had heard it used to get awards, it was so DUMB on so many levels!! Anyways, what a waste of time that show is, don't even waste your time watching it, it isn't worth it. Just wanted to get it out there that there was no permission given for the use of his story.

From what I understand, this is what these medical shows do, as well as the lawyer shows--the writers go hunting through the top stories and make their own story out of it. It's not illegal, but is it right? It's sensationalism created from someone else's journey, their personal story and their pain. To go public with Dominic's story and to allow it to go as public as it did (by getting in the papers and news) was a difficult thing for Mary's family to do--but they wanted to show the world the alternative to abortion--life for a baby who could lead a normal life.

There is a lot of grey to this. It is not a black and white issue as in that Grey's Anatomy did something "wrong". From what I saw, nothing disrespectful was said about Dominic or his situation (and his name was not used either.) And unfortunately, what is brought out in public is free for the public to use. I'm not sure if this is right but it's legal. I know that a lot of people won't really understand.

But as a mother, I get it. This is Mary's baby. She went through the pain of a difficult pregnancy, being told her baby would die and then later being told that no, her baby would live but that she should abort him anyway, because what kind of life would he live?

Then later, having the great joy to hear his cry when he was born and to hold him in her arms--then to wait for this surgery that was supposed to save his life but nearly killed him. All to have a TV show say nothing about the miracle of his life...basically it is about bringing two lesbian women together, connected by just a strange and unusual medical case. (The encehpalecele.)

So I get it.

With that said, I was planning to write soon that Dominic will soon be having surgery for his cleft palate in June...but I was going to wait until a little closer to the date to ask for prayers. But now that this has all come up, well, it never hurts to start early. Please remember Dominic in a special way tonight--and all little babies with his condition that will not be born due to deformities that are thought to be not compatible to life.

The Rosebud Prolife Rosary

"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" "What evil has this Man done? I found Him guilty of no crime." With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for His crucifixion. And so Pilate handed Him over to be crucified.
  Luke 23:22


 

The Rosebud Prolife Rosary

It took me only two months, but I finally finished the rosebud pro-life rosary.

One of the things I appreciate about the Catholic Church is the symbolism. Symbolism tells a story, shows a sign, speaks a sermon for those who can't hear, can't speak or can't read. Or for someone just learning about the Faith. It is for everyone.

So it is with the Pro-life rosary.

The rosebuds represent the babies that never have a chance to bloom; that never have a chance to live in this life. Their roots are torn from this life and are planted somewhere else in a place where only the Creator will appreciate their beauty.

The pink rosebuds are the little girls. The blue rosebuds are the little boys.

The Our Father beads are stamped with the baby feet medal. It is said that the baby feet medal are same size of a baby's feet at 12 weeks.

I think a lot about these little feet as I stamp them in clay. I pray to the little babies that remembering their little feet reminds me how we need to walk for them--march for them, march for their life.

I was going to use an Our Lady of Guadalupe center for this rosary, but the Mother and Child center seemed a better fit instead. Prolife reminds me of Baby and Mommy. A baby can't be remembered without the Mommy being thought of as well. Pro-life is about both Mother and Child. They are connected, and so we fight for them both.

The little baby feet medal is included.

A "love" medal hangs off of an Our Father "baby feet. A "hope" medal will be included as well but of course at the moment, I can't find it.

Our Lady of Guadalupe was not forgotten; this medal hangs off another Our Father bead. (All of the Our Father beads are stamped with baby feet--they are just turned upside down in this picture.) Our Lady of Guadalupe was included because she is the Patroness of Pro-life causes.

And of course, the Pardon Crucifix. What better fitting crucifix than the Pardon Crucifix? Indulgences are included for those who devoutly kiss and use this Crucifix. (A card with these indulgences will be included with the rosary.)

Because in the ugliness of abortion, through the sin of abortion, we have to find it in our hearts to pardon them. A kiss for the babies lost, a kiss for the abortionists who kill them, a kiss for the mothers that consent, a kiss for those who help abortion happen.

On the backside of this crucifix are the words, "Behold the Heart who so loved men. Father, forgive them."

I don't yet have this in my Etsy shop because to be honest--I'm not eager to sell it. I've had it for so long that I don't want to part with it! But of course, it is for sale. I wanted to show it to you guys first, for anyone that wants it. Please email me or leave a comment in the comment section if you would like it--just name your price because honestly, numbers are not coming to me.

Otherwise, eventually, you can find it in the Etsy store. :-)

***For every Pro-life Rosary sold, 20% of the proceeds will be going to 40 Days of Life.***