O boy, O boy, O boy... 3 boys having their first Halloween!/Nothing can separate us from LOVE/the Cross!

Mother and child!  Got this delightful picture to start this landmark Halloween!  Jude with candy corns in his tummy as he enjoys mom's necklace!

Landmark as it will be the first Halloween for the 3 new grandsons... although they are closer to one than to newborn now!  Jude was just 7 months, Hector will be 8 months in a week and George is 8 1/2 months!

Hector watching his sibs carve pumpkins with the stocking cap on... He is changing and so adorable and sweet to see!

I am sure that I will have pictures to share of the 3 boys in their assorted costumes too, but I am loving getting some new pictures on this their first Halloween outside of the womb.

I am sure that George will not carry a plate, but this was just a week ago and I love to go up and down and see my 3 boys together the best way I know how.  Pictures that I can scroll up and down and see them (together).

They all look so happy and healthy and wonderful!  I am sad that I will not be getting them together in reality over Christmas, but have to wait til summer.  That is a year and much longer than I had hoped or had fake plans forming in this grandma's heart, mind and soul.

A memory from 4 years ago... the old woman, who swallowed a fly revisited...

This is how I described this;
I did a cameo appearance as the Old Woman who swallowed the fly(Luke), spider(David), bird(Ruth), cat(Rose), dog(stuffed), cow(Paul), and horse(Mary). Simon did not like the ending, so he is the doctor who saves my life! Thank you, Simon, that is a much better ending! Happy Halloween everyone! Bless-bless 

Last year it was the circus!

2016 Peter Pan at the assisted living...

Ruth amazes me!

2014... Little Red Riding hood!
The huntsman shot a bird, little red riding hood ate all of grandma's goodies, grandma and the little bad wolf were very friendly, and the scarecrow came in from the corn field to share in the fun. Happy Fairy tale Halloween 2014. Bless-bless 

2013 - the Wizard of Oz... Luke arrived... the big pumpkin... the following day.  Yes, tomorrow is Luke's 6th birthday!

We are in suspense to see the theme for this year.  Harvest going on is making it tricky, plus Simon has play practice... most Freshmen do not have a family theme and visit family for Halloween.  Too bad!  He might still get to stop with the family at grandma's house though.  I am the lucky one!

Tomorrow the Saints will appear, too!  That by far warms the cockles of my heart!  How we love our Saints and all those that are striving to be the saint they are all called to become!

Who can resist a little girl with her dolly?  Not this grandma... I took way too many pictures of her while we shared time yesterday.

The first reading from Romans today is a knock out!  It knocks out all those things that get in between us and the unending LOVE of Jesus for us!
"No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8 is WOW!  Wow! Wow!  Amazing to really take in and realize that those stresses from today and out there in the future are  not separating us from Christ's unconditional LOVE and forgiveness of us.  They might represent the Cross in our lives which we are asked to embrace to find true LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT!

Dolly awake but JJ goes to sleep for quiet time.  I will be spending nap time with her again today while mom goes out to rake ahead of the baler.

 Two redheads hanging out.  How can grandma even begin to resist cute little girls with kitties?

Bottle time for kitty?  Sweetness, softness, and cuteness make grandma kind of come unhinged with too many pictures to capture the moments.

Feeding baby and patting kitty - already learning how to multitask and be loving, kind and caring for all!

Psalm 109 today is telling us that we are to trust in Him and know that our sufferings and trials are according to His plan of our taking up/dragging our Cross and following after Him!
"Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy."  Psalm 109 from mass today

We certainly realized that John half-hearted prayer for faith brought him to the foot of the Cross where he found faith through his battle with brain cancer!

John's story in his own words!

 Corn harvest is in full swing!  The combine taking a break at sunset.  With having to dry our bountiful harvest some... they are getting some sleep at night!

 The farmhouse at sunset last evening.

Jesus, how we long to be totally yours!  May we die more and more to the present things and the future things that cause stress and make us spend time worrying and procrastinating.  We rely on your unchanging love and mercy towards us, weak and lowly and sinful and sorrowful.  You are in control and we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

50's theme in Washington!  Hector looks very cool for his first Halloween with this 5 older sibs!  Therese is looking like a teen angel, or saint in training!  Now awaiting George and his sibs!
Bless-bless, grandma Barb

2012... just back from El Paso for a month with Maria for the traumatic birth and healing of Patrick...

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

Danielle Rose - True love/the Cross

Prayer of Abandonment

Bl Charles de Foucauld

Father, 

I abandon myself into your hands;

do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you:

I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,

and in all your creatures.

I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;

I offer it to you

with all the love of my heart,

for I love you, Lord,

and so need to give myself,

to surrender myself into your hands,

without reserve,

and with boundless confidence, 

for you are my Father.

My dad shared this with me a few weeks back... so powerful!

Excerpt from the writings of Fr Rene Voillaumeon

on the Blessed Sacrament and Charles de Foucauld:

"You will always be right in imitating the attitude of soul—which is so simple, so logical, so full of love—of Frere Charles of Jesus towards the Blessed Sacrament. Our devotion to the Eucharist must be profound, honest, totally embraced as essential. When one has acquired the disposition of receiving this gift of God with the soul of a child, one is upset by the reasoning of certain people... who dispute the devotion towards the Eucharist and sometimes question its legitimacy on liturgical or historical grounds... Why not, in the simple logic of faith, love the Eucharist with all the love with which we love Jesus himself? That is what filled Father de Foucauld with the spontaneity of a child."

"The best prayer is the one

in which there is the most love."

Bl Charles de Foucauld

Memories gift and reality/"inexpressible groanings of the Spirit"/the cross opens the narrow gate

Love this memory from 5 years ago!  Ruth still has a couch here in front of a brand new picture window in the same spot!  I love this view still and the sweet faces of the little ones in their Halloween sweetness!

The big/little bad wolf to Rose's Little Red Riding hood was just about one here and will be 6 in two days.  He and Maria's Evangeline share All Saints Day birthdays with their Aunt Little Sister Hallel on her Feast day... as all the Saints are singing their total praise to the Trinity - "Hallelujah in the highest!!!"

Bothering Hallel is my joy!   It is such a gift to have her here in the U.S. for the last 3 years!  I need to not cling too much...She doesn't hesitate to keep me in my place though.

There are some fake plans about Pat getting down there soon after harvest wraps up.  She will put up with me again if I bring her dad along this time, but we are thinking we will stay in a hotel and not impose on her life of prayer and dishes, and time with Jesus her spouse in Eucharist and Word.

This also came up as a memory today from John's first day working in Jackson as a 4H agent 6 years ago.  How Mary made us feel welcome as we were navigating the journey after brain cancer.

We know that shortly after this John was told at Mayo that there appeared to be "shadowing on his brain" in the MRI and that it looked like dementia was starting to develop.  How we suffered and wept and the "inexpressible groanings" that St Paul described today, were filling John with pain and suffering with such a hard future ahead.  Jackson fell through shortly after, but the next visit to Mayo lifted the pain when our faithful doctor, Brian, said that it was misread and he saw it all to be fine.  What was that all about?  Going through the narrow gate means that we must give our all to Him, and embrace our Most Cherished Cross to pass through as we die to self so that Jesus is our ALL!

In John's own words!

 Rose and JJ - Joy Jean - brought their swim suits to swim in the bubbly hot tub last night.  They are so sweet and loving to each other.  It was special to hear 7 year old Rose call her sister, JJ.

Rose taking care of her little sister.  I have been told that Rose is starting to toilet train her 2 1/2 year old sister by sitting with her and reading to her.  Big families are the best!

There are some things weighing on me lately as I get in touch with some of my shortcomings and faults... these words from one of my heroes when I was a new Catholic - Thomas A'Kempis and his book Imitation of Christ!

In the Imitation of Christ, Jesus says:  "Look, I offered

Myself wholly to the Father for you; I also gave My 

whole body and blood for food, that I might be wholly yours, and you should remain mine.  

But if you stand upon yourself and do not offer yourself freely

to My will, the offering is not fully made, 

nor will union between us be complete."

How I long for my union to be complete with Jesus!  I see at times like this that the frequent use of Reconciliation is a beautiful healing gift to be used often!

Special times at grandma's house!

Jesus, how I want to love you better with all that I have. Oh, to walk away from the sins and distractions that keep me from being totally yours.  May I die to self so that you may live in me!  May I take up/drag my Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT and your unconditional love and forgiveness.  That I may in turn return that to all those around me most especially those in our domestic Church/family.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Kids home on the bus, and dad hauling corn... keep the farmers safe and sane, Lord.  Thank you for the late but bountiful harvest.  Bless-bless, Barb

Rose and Berna 5 years ago!  LOVE the color and the sweet smiles!

Adorable Luke and Dominic... Luke will be 6 on Nov 1 and Domo is 5 since July.  They are buddies now and are joined by Romeo, who was 5 on Sept 15.

Nancy giving a hand... Oh my!

Truly a kiss of LOVE... Pope Benedict XVI writes;
God says to us: "I know you don't understand me yet.  But trust me: believe me when I tell you I am good and dare to live on the basis of trust.  Then you will discover that behind your sufferings, behind the difficulties of your life, love is hiding.  Then you will know that precisely in this way I have done something good for you."  There are many examples of saints and great people who have dared to have this trust and have thus found true happiness- for themselves and for many others- precisely in the greatest darkness.  Pope Benedict XVI reigned as pope 2005- 2013

St Teresa of Calcutta was certainly kissed by Jesus, and is an example of how we are to enter the narrow gate!

Yes, Lord!

Yes!  The prayer with me throughout my day!

Happy Feast Day
Blessed Chiara Luce Badano
1971 - 1990
Feast day: October 29
Blessed Chiara Badano was born on October 29, 1971, to Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano in Sassello, Italy. The couple waited and prayed eleven years to have Chiara. At age nine she joined the Focolare Movement and received the nickname "Luce" by the founder Chiara Lubich. When she was 16 she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a painful bone cancer. Chiara succumbed to cancer on October 7, 1990, after a two-year battle with the disease.

Danielle Rose - If I touch him

Danielle Rose - Nothing compares to you

Lauren Daigle - Rescue

Lauren Daigle - You say

The seed and the harvest - "Miraculous impossibilities"/History tells a story and now what?

Adorable Joy and her only remaining fall kitten yesterday after napping at grandma's house while John and I did some paper work together.

Hammering out his work history over the last 10 years is a picture of perseverance and doors opening and closing.  Once again we are asking the Lord to reveal his plan for John, and we have no doubt that it is amazing and how he yearns to include his sharing his story in that plan!

 On the way to the mailbox in the cold we had to pay a visit to Mary our Spiritual Mother!  Joy said a warm "hello" to her, and waved goodbye when we left.  We needed our winter coats and hats yesterday and today.

 All the golden leaves beckoned a small pile and a smile!

The leaves are falling like crazy with this cold and wind!  Truly we see the reason for the name of the season being "Fall"!  My trees are now bare and wintry looking in a few days time.

Let us into the warm house say little girl and kitty cat.

Working with John as closely, as I have been gifted with in the midst of my parents and my daughters and son and their families, has been good yet kind of sobering to be back at square one again.  The Psalm from mass today really bridges the place I am with John and also the surprising harvest we are having a month late when we had no idea how it was going to be with our late start of only getting half of our crop in!
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.  Psalm 126

 John and I sharing our petitions during morning prayer from the Office this morning... our heartfelt intentions are for his future employment.

St Jude has taken a prominent place for us since John named his son, Jude, and St Jude's feast day was yesterday so we had him on our hearts today as we prayed together.  "St Jude send to me miraculous impossibilities with my job and my sharing my story."  John explained that it would be so unexpected yet perfect for him to serve others and provide for his family.  Yes, Lord, we know that you have a plan for John so that he can share his light with all as he found his faith through brain cancer!

His story continues to this day!

Lots of prayers in thanksgiving for the joy that this sweet boy brings to their marriage!  Jude is such a wonderful boy!

John is at the place where we go forth with the seeds asking the Lord where and how he wants them planted, with some frustration and sadness to not see clearly where we go from here.  We do know that there will be doors opening and direction as we continue to run the race.  At the same time the men, with help from John when needed,  are getting a surprise after all their worry and hard work this summer of all summers, with a late wet start and wet throughout all the summer!  The harvest is bountiful and surprising and so the words of the psalm are true for them as they "come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves!  The Lord has done marvels for us!"  Experiencing the weeping going forth, and the rejoicing coming back at the same time... Are'nt our lives filled with those ups and downs and uncertainties we place in his hands and trust?

A school project at Ruth's... so special to have the kids going to a Catholic school and growing in their faith there to supplement their sharing Faith in their home!  It must start in the home/domestic Church first of all!

Soon we will have to put away the porch furniture... Ruth is hoping for some nice days in November yet.  It will be sad to put away the porch.

The Gospel is the mustard seed planted which has grown into a huge tree where birds can nest.  Looking back over the last 10 years of John's healing we do see that the Lord is nurturing the seed planted as he found his faith through brain cancer.  Praying for him then and now has been a powerful witness to so many of the power of prayer being real!  Going forth no matter the obstacle has blossomed forth into a beautiful tree of LIFE/John's cross called Brain cancer/healing/marriage/family/ministry/and vocation/job... the tree of LIFE with its' fruit shared with all!

 LIFE is a gift!  The most amazing miraculous fruit from the marriage of John and Bobbi, which in itself is such a story of the Lord's amazing plan!

Bobbi's story of praying for John over the last 12 years!
After being classmates for all 13 years for them to come together 10 years after graduating is kind of special.  She shared to the 300 family and friends gathered at the reception in her sweet humble way about how John Verly popped into her head and heart when they were seniors in HS as her future husband.  Time and time again the same answer came to her through prayer and roses from St Therese and opening her eyes to see him right in front of her at WYD in Australia... When we consider what John experienced over those 10 years... brain cancer, seminary, girl friends, ups and downs and how disheartening it probably was and how powerful her prayers were for him!!!!  Amazing!!!   And how patient and trusting and prayerful and waiting and praying for John, this sweet girl was!

So much JOY!

Jesus, you answered prayers which seemed miraculously impossible!  To see your fingerprint on our lives humbles us and lifts us up to trust in your perfect plan for us if only we ask and Trust!  How we rejoice with your generous love for us and unconditional forgiveness and mercy.  May we die to self so that you may live in us and guide and direct our lives.  May we embrace our Most Cherished Cross and find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

 A few pretty leaves can be found...

Jude meets a baby calf!  He sure seems to love animals with no fear!  Maybe he will be like his cousin, Mary, who has a reputation in the our farming neighborhood as someone who will do chores or care for animals when you are away.  Babysitting for her sibs and animal chores around seem to be here current vocation - for 15 that is pretty good!  "Mary is such a beautiful person inside and out." reported Pat's sister this weekend.  So true!  Bless-bless, Barb

Mary on the swim team this year - they took the conference title!  Lots of hard work, but worth it!

We are not alone!

Danielle Rose - Small Things with great love

Casting Crowns - Praise him in this storm

Jeremy Camp - Dead man walking

Jeremy Camp - Same Power

St Simon and St Jude - "members of the household of God..."/Time with John and Pat

Baby Jude with a pumpkin and a kitty... Happy Feast day to you Jude!

Such a delightful 7 month old he is!  He is a wonderful baby and as grandma Lila loves to say; "The cutest baby in the world!"  St Jude is invoked for Impossible cases, and how we need his intercession in our lives and families!

John and Jude yesterday after sharing mass with the family!  How we love to be together in our faith Journey.  John and I are in the midst of working together piecing together his journey since battling brain cancer 10 years ago.

It was sobering to hear John sharing that the current grid to keep his eyes aligned in his glasses is now 20 and that the eye doctor had to send away for it as it was more than he had ever used before.  John started at a 4 and it would get worse and worse since Jude as born.  They are finally stable and we hope and pray that they stay that way so that he can have surgery to correct this issue that is the result of his whole brain radiation which almost exactly 10 years ago.  The journey continues and we see now the new John.

My little Saints in Washington.  I guess they have a procession at mass the weekend before All Saints Day, which will be on Friday/Nov 1st which is also Luke and Evangline's birthdays!

They are St Therese, St Juan Diego, St Elizabeth of Hungary, Hector is St Gabriel, St Dominic Salvio,  and St Louis of France.  I am sure that there will be more saints to share as we get closer to All Saints Day!  It also happens to be the feast day of our Little Sister Hallel now as all the Saints are gathered in heaven giving God the highest praise - Hallelujah!!!

How we love our Saints!  To have two grandsons today celebrating their feast day is very powerful and close to home!  The Saints truly are in our homes with each new day and interceding for us and this sad and lost world we live in these days!  How we truly do feel part of the family/household of God!  The words of St Paul today to the Ephesians 2 -
"Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
There truly is a Truth that we are all together in that Sacred Temple/The Church!

A very special reminder of 7 years ago today when I left El Paso after a month there to welcome our Patrick Joseph !  He had a traumatic birth but was home healthy and happy after 2 weeks in NICU.  How we prayed to his patron St Patrick and felt his protection and help!

Today is one of Simon's feast days, too!  He is the oldest of Ruth and Paul's family as I was of mine.  I know how it is to be the first one to go to the high school and all that the oldest child must blaze the trails for the others.  He does it quite well considering that he is in the autism spectrum, too.

I had a most special tearful conversation with Pat's sister over the weekend.  I shared with her how Simon looks upon his autism as making him special.  She shared a very sweet note that her husband sent to her son and his wife when they discovered in utero that their oldest would have a cleft palate.  "We all want our children to be special, and we already know that yours has been made special indeed."  Yes, these hardships they face give them a very profound sense of special for us and keep us on our knees where we should always be praying without ceasing.

Before Jesus sent out the apostles today he went to pray..."Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God."  Luke 6:12  And what a hard cross they were each to bear!  St Simon and Jude were both martyred on the same day!

 We have waited an extra month for the corn this year, and are very happy that it is as dry as it is and yielding as much as it is!  It looks the same as other years and we were so unsure of what the Lord had in store for us with all the rain of the last 2 years.  "Rain makes grain!"

 Paul hauling corn

 It has been a different slower year due to the wet conditions and having to dry the corn.  The guys are getting pretty good sleep and have to take is as it comes to them.  Ruth raking ahead of Paul baling corn stalks was delayed due to the wet conditions for now.

 Paul baling a few for now

 Out comes the bale... the next one didn't work out due to the mud.

Ruth raking.  the bales at sunset call for pictures of the kids and the picturesque round bales.  This year they might be in their Halloween pictures.  First ever for that!

 Riding along with Pat and watching the river of golden grain fill up his truck.

 A month later than normal, but still normal corn!  Jesus, we are so grateful for your answering our prayers over this crazy year!  As another farmwife said about the last year; "It was slow."

 So much to discuss and be aware of.  Farming is huge big business filled with so much to know and keep track of !

 Unloading on the fly - combine into the grain cart and then into the truck and then into the bins.

We fit in some family time over the weekend with visits from Steve and Hannah from Wisconsin, and others from the Cities.  Jude was teaching us about babies in a gentle but active way.

Jesus, your family of Faith is the best!  How we are blessed by all the glorious Saints in heaven that are with us on this journey!  St Jude and St Simon pray for us and keep us close to Jesus, Mary and The Church.  May we die to self and become more and more the Saint that is just me!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Simon had a lot of time helping his dad and grandpa this summer.  He also was a helper with some of our freezing and canning projects over the summer.  Thanks, Simon, you have some wonderful patrons - Simon Peter, Simon of Cyrene, Simon today, and I am sure others!  You can never have too many saints keeping our hearts and minds and souls looking to heaven!  Bless-bless, Barb/grandma 

Happy Feast Day
Saints Simon and Jude
Feast day: October 28

St. Jude Thaddeus was the brother of St. James the Less and a cousin of Our Lord. Jude is usually pictured with a picture of Our Lord because he cured the King of Edessa from leprosy in the name of Jesus, a club because he was martyred by being beaten to death with a club and a flame of fire because he was present at Pentecost. He is very popular as the patron of impossible cases. Patronage: lost causes, desperate situations, hospitals

Saint Simon was one of the twelve Apostles surnamed the Zealot. He was zealous for the honor of Christ and exact in all the duties of the Christian life. He showed a pious indignation towards those who profess the faith with their mouths but not their lives. He preached the Gospel in Egypt and Persia joining St. Jude (Thaddaeus) along the way. The saw is his attribute because he was believed martyred by being cut in half. Patronage: tanners, saw men, woodcutters, curriers (leather specialist)

Danielle Rose - The Saint that is just me

John's journey continues...