Mom's 99th birthday in heaven/Feast of the Guardian angels/Evidence of fake plans and promises to come

All her children together a few months before her passing... this is a precious keepsake.

My weary husband getting short on sleep in the midst of a challenging, but bountiful harvest, and I shared morning prayer in the dark this morning.  Seeing October 2nd/feast of the Guardian angels today we both thought of his mom, who would be having her 99th birthday today!  She is missed and was a huge part of our day to day family life here on the farm.  She left this world a couple months short of 2 years now on Dec 11th, 2016.

I had a doctor's appointment today making plans to have my other knee done in a month.  How I wish they were fake plans!  I had the gift after of having wonderful time with Jesus in the monstrance!

 I smiled when I put a newly married couple in the family that I have been praying for them for 7 years in the monstrance with Jesus for the first time since their vows!

 Our new lives in the womb are placed there each time... so many prayers surround them from the moment we know they are in the womb!  Cherishing all life from conception to natural death... knowing of the time we had with Pat's mother and now she is in heaven with all of our little ones, who we loved and prayed for for their brief lives in the wombs of myself and my daughters!  We now have 12 to meet in heaven someday!  They keep our eyes and hearts focused on heaven forever!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html

Nancy saying goodbye to her beloved grandmother.  Such an example of selfless and unconditional love!

"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven..."  Matthew 18
Recalling mom's last couple years on hospice this was lived out by her so gracefully.  We can learn from her in ways of embracing the child/being humble when we must depend upon others for our needs.  Very hard to do for sure.

The 4 farm wives in our farmhouse remodeled by Ruth and full of her young family now.  Mom taught this city girl all I know about being a farm wife!  She was a wonderful loving and patient teacher, and I do see that being a transplant makes me fall short of all it takes to be so giving and offering to help out with a willing heart and mind set.

A story from my early days of just being a few months married... mom came to help me harvest a garden that had been planted before we moved into our home after our marriage on August 3rd, 1978.  There were some potatoes to dig and she asked me if I had a potato fork.  I said "sure" and went into the kitchen and got a fork out of the drawer.  I took it out and handed it to her.  She took it and dug in the ground with and then said; "Actually a potato fork is a large tool."  I imagine when I handed it to her she wanted to laugh in my face realizing how I knew nothing!  That was the first but not last testing of her patience and kindness with this weak and ignorant city girl come to the farm.  i am still learning, too!  

Love this so much!!!  She loved little ones... my husband carries that forth much like his mother!  My hero for Faith/Family/Farm!

Most masses Pat will be holding a little one during... they love to be held in his big strong arms!

Pat with Evangeline Mary when she lived with us a year and a half ago.  He had the touch and misses her to this day!

My sweet companion, Joy, watching grandma make apple kuechen with our pie filling for her brothers and sisters school snack...

The table is set for her first tea party!!!  

It still sits there ready as the calves got out and Ruth had to get right home with the kids... Fake plans are what we laugh about and make adjustments on the fly!  Hopefully in the next few days we can actually have an after school tea party Joy!?!

 Pat coming in the truck with a load of beans to put into the bin... lunch and company for a load!  He didn't have to get it out of the mailbox on his way by... I just set it there while I waited and took the perverbial pictures...

Mirror fun!

 "Bye Honey!  Stay safe and thank you for working so hard to feed the world!"

The worked all night long to take out this field across from our place ahead of the rain.

Extra wide "monster tires" on the combine this year due to the muddy conditions.  We have only one field left, and then on to corn.  

Jesus, it is such a blessing to have that time with you in prayer in front of You in the monstrance!  The best part of my week!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and hallelujah

 This girl loves to smile and get her way with sweetness and light!

There really is a tea party in your future Joy and grandma will record it of that you may be sure!  Bless-bless, Barbara Mary Luke

So good for weak and clutsy me!  Love this!






LOVE this!!  The angels are real!!! 

  "It was during the Mass at 6:30 in the morning, at the moment of Consecration.  A dazzling light suddenly shone forth...I had the feeling that this adorable splendor was that of the Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  Struck to the heart I could only repeat, 'My Lord and My God!'

      At the same moment there appeared the outline of the angels in prayer before the shining Host.  They were kneeling all around the altar in a semi-circle, their backs toward us.  There were eight of them… They did not have wings, but their bodies were enveloped in sort of a mysterious luminescence which clearly distinguished them  from humans.

      Amazed, not believing my eyes, I opened and closed them, rubbed them, but nothing changed.  All eight were there to adore the Most Blessed Sacrament in an attitude of great devotion. ...

      At the moment of Communion, my guardian angel approached me to invite me to advance to the altar.  At that moment, I clearly distinguished the guardian angels of each member of the community close to their left shoulders, and of the height a little smaller than each.  Like my guardian angel they gave truly the impression of guiding and watching over them with sweetness and  affection.  This scene in itself opened my eyes to the profound meaning of the guardian angel, better than any theological explanation, even the most detailed.  After dinner I gave a complete account of this vision to the Bishop…  Had they not chosen the Feast of the Guardian Angels to show the example of adoration and to reveal their readiness to lead us to the Lord? ~ Sr Agnes Sasagawa