Let one contribute....to what lies ahead... forever in heaven we pray!

 The two three year olds playing with light savers in the sun while we had a family day yesterday.  Today John and I are back at it finishing up our move to the upstairs of our house.  Our home is empty and ready for remodel on Monday! 

 Rose looking foxy and having fun.

We are starting to adjust to our new normal as our home will be remodeled for the next couple months in getting ready for us to trade houses.  Ruth and Paul will be here on the farm with their family and we will be moving 3 miles away to their building site and pasture. 

 Paul reading "Naughty David" to the delight of the 9 grandkids that have been over at Ruth's for the last week. 

More seating with couches throughout the house... rather than moving our furniture twice - we added it to Ruth's home for now.

Today in the Gospel we are introduced to John the Baptist in John's Gospel... Make straight the way of the Lord... is what he preached to us!  How do we do this?  The Saint for today St Gregory had wrote in a very thought provoking way about this...  Let one contribute his riches, another his abject poverty; one his zeal, another his appreciation of the zeal of another; one a commendable deed, another a perceptive thought; one a timely remark, another eloquent silence; one unimpeachable instruction and a way of life to match; another an open and receptive ear;...

 Another stories in the sun light...

Continuing with St Gregory's input on how we as a community of LOVE reach what lies ahead - hopefully heaven forever!
one virginity that is pure and severs all contact with the world; another a marriage that is devout and in no way divorced from God; one fasting that is not tainted by pride; another feast tempered by restraint; one unbroken prayer and spiritual hymns, another care of the poor;

 The girls like my little desk that was moved over there with the move!

 Mary's crocheting desk..

Finally from St Gregory... all of us our purification, all of us our upliftment and a straining forward to what lies ahead.  All I yearn for that to be is with my Jesus, his Mother Mary the Mother of God, The Saints and Angels!

 The two Patricks!

 Girl stuff... crochet lessons!

 Beautiful snow and sun setting - sitting by the window to capture the beauty of a Rose in the snow...

 Patrick didn't want to pose, but finally a smile for grandma.

 Our couch is now at Ruth's and great for big family gatherings with Maria and family here for this week of Christmas vacation!

Jesus, hear our prayer that we may die more and more to self so that you may live in us.  Hear our prayer that we may arrive in heaven forever with you.  May we work diligently at making the crooked ways straight with The Truth and the LIGHT!  May we contribute from our experience and smallness.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

 One of our big meals... so wonderfully special in the midst of all we are called upon to do together towards the end of all getting moved here and there.  Jesus, keep us safe and sane.  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

 Family movie night with the couch bed pulled out!

 Some wonderful raspberry cordial that Joe's parents made from their raspberry crop!  So beautiful to look at and on the tongue!

John and I just had our first meal in our basement kitchen.  It felt kind of homey in a weird sort of way.