More hands at work...mother, Ruth, modeling for daughter, Mary, on work and how sharing the job is a joyful occassion... thankfully it is an old barn that they can slap the paint on and not be fussy with. A great place for a 4 year old to learn and a lot is on her... all washes off with water and soap and elbow grease!
Time away from painting to start working on birthday pictures to be sent to Hallel in France with Mary and her black eyed Susan's...
Beautiful Maria and her family on Maria's 27th birthday on Saturday! There is not much doubt what she considers her most wonderful gift... her growing loving family! The vigil of the Assumption of Mary... every year we would go to mass the night before the Assumption on the 15th and would sing "Ave Maria" on Maria'a birthday the night of the 14th!
Therese and grandma spent some fun time doing watercolor cards for her mommy!
After supper "Nanna" and Bill teach Therese the ethnic "dollar dance" that Bill brought with him with his heritage from Pittsburg! It is going to be great fun... Therese is sure of that!
A prayer shared in the kitchen with Nancy and Bill... that their wedding day... August 28th and be a photocopy of this beautiful day! We celebrate a wonderful birthday breakfast with Maria out on the deck... enjoying the most beautiful of days!
Trying to entice little Davey to "eat momma's chin"... I think that it works, but Maria says that her kids dont' do that...."They nibble on my arms." They still want to devour their mother out of love for her!
My new strawberry poster child... 2 year old Therese!
Nancy greets her grandpa - he has agreed to preach and deacon at her wedding in two weeks... I am not sure if he will witness the sacrament of marriage that they will administer one to the other...
It is great to have my parents closer now... just 4 hours away rather than 11, but they are tired to have to move at their ages. I am so happy that they still have each other! They are so grateful for that too, and with my dad's new ailmemt in the last year... they knew that they needed to live closer to family, yet still have their own place too!
All around us... the gift of life and the welcoming of new little ones... They love life and celebrate each new day!
Their new little cousin gives them a sweet smile - one of his first!
Perfectly precious!
Nothing is more wonderful than a hug...
Maybe two...
Nancy has been "showered" by so many with wonderful loving parties to celebrate her wedding which is now less than 2 weeks away! She feels loved and blessed, and truly is!
Blessed Mother always at Nancy's side... You are her model of love and humility and patience and kindness...
The other bride in the family... congratulations Bridget... we are happy and filled with joy for you!
When I see my wonderful girls together... I feel like I am holding a beautiful bouquet of the most glorious flowers... as my mother said yesterday about all her young granddaughters and daughters and great granddaughters.... "I could just sit and look at them, and look at them."
Yes, Ruth and Maria were married first, but knowing that Nancy had to wait longer makes the celebration that we all feel... joining with her at this most exciting point in her life... that much more wonderful and amazing! Her mystery of the rosary on the Luminous is the wedding at Canna, and as I have prayed for her over the years... I have always thought that when this day came... that the celebration would be HUGE! He changed 20 gallons of water into wine! That's an enormous celebration of JOY!
It was wonderful to spend "family time" with my mom and siblings... they all join us in our happiness for Nancy!
The lighting was so special... sorry for so many!
On to mass for the Assumption of Mary at the Bascilica of St Mary.. the church where I was married 32 years ago! Simon and Mary were impressed!
Mary was pretty wowed by the fact that so much was about her namesake... Mary!
There was even a procession with an umbrella and incence and a lot of people in robes and wonderful music and yes... at the end we sang - "Ave Maria!"
After all these years... it is still the glorious place where I was married, and it gives me great delight to return there and see it in all it's granduer... not altered by time. You can see that it is really worth the original expence and use of wonderful material to have a masterpiece like this cathedral that stands the test of time and remains a testament to the glory of God and His throne in heaven... and honor to His wonderful mother, who was taken body and soul to heaven to stand at the right hand of her Son!
Lord, It is a good tired that I am feeling tonight.. yet a deep gratitude for all the blessings that family offer to me each day of my life! Allow me to serve and love and pray for all those that are given to me in this life! Jesus we trust in You! Amen and Halleluia! Bless-bless, Barb
No comments:
Post a Comment