4th Family weekend- sharing The Chosen!/Nancy comes from Delano/The Gospel from Father's Day 2009 - Jesus calms the storms of life!

These two boys are just a short time away from turning 2... George on Feb 13th and Jude on March 26 - they are the bookends of the 3 boys in 6 weeks - Hector is between them on March 8th.

Nancy rolled in from Delano as she picked up the 5 from school and drove here for the weekend.  Ruth and I are maker of large meals for family time supreme!  Between our larders, canning and meat we manage to have great family meals at Ruth's wonderful open farm house home.

Grandpa had a little one on his lap for the entire evening.  When not the boys than Birdie, who is now 8 months and changing so quickly.

One thing about the two boys is that they both wanted the same toy, and although that got them to interact... it was not the happiest of learning to share and play together.  As Nancy explained - George is so used to having things taken away from him that he gets possessive.  Jude just has no one to contend with other than Birdie so...

Big Dave helping to feed Birdie so that he can have dessert.  She is so wonderful at eating and so smiley and happy to add to our family time!  We love all new life!  Maria reported after her ultrasound yesterday at 21 weeks that "Maggie is healthy!"  Birdie will have a little girl playmate just a year after her... that will seem like nothing in a few years.

Then the boys found a telephone toy to both want.  Not a lot of screaming just pushing and pulling, and no tears thankfully.

Thinking of my dad yesterday when we had his beloved Friday tomato soup.  Towards the end dad would have our homemade tomato soup for either lunch or supper every day.  He loved it so much and it gave me a lot of joy to have him here in my home enjoying the fruit of our labors.  That and applesauce were his mainstays.

An hour of prayer for Amy - Bill's sister with pancreatic cancer.  To help me I had a lit candle and a picture from 3 years ago of her loving nieces and nephews.  They love their Aunt Amy and the prayers of these little ones is constant for their beloved aunt.  

An email from Nancy with the week of prayer we are in the midst of for Amy.  Feel free to add to any hour no matter how many are praying!

Hey, Bill's sister's Amy is declining. The tumors are growing and spreading and her doctors in Pittsburgh are basically out of options, so we are rallying behind her with prayer. She has an appointment with Mayo on Tuesday the 2nd, so we are committing to a week of continuous prayer for her leading up to that. It would mean a lot if you would consider signing up for an hour or so to pray for her. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v91Ogt5N2_iweGKNkvn15gNHMVJXWmBcTTzSEtCbGu0/edit

Thank you! St Peregrine, pray for us! Blessed Solanus Casey, pray for us!

After supper and a flash dance in the middle of the kitchen to Weird Al Yankovic while we did the dishes and cleaned up... we watched the first two episodes of The Chosen.  Joy found the cow costume and grandma couldn't resist...

Weird Al Yankovic - Eat it

Grapefruit diet - good dancing to these!

Always need two!

It was good to see our Jesus calming of the storm today in the Gospel from Mark 4!  That was the Gospel on Father's Day 2009 when we took John in to the ER with double vision and our cancer journey started.  When we called France to speak to Hallel - her words to me; "Mom, do you remember the Gospel today?"  "Yes, it was Jesus calming the sea."  "This is the storm and Jesus is in control."  

I needed to hear that and how I would continually give it back to him over and over as I would struggle to TRUST!  Bishop LeVoir added to our need to trust when he reminded us that at time of being worried and despondent when John faced whole brain radiation when the cancer grew back..."Repeat these words; Jesus, I trust in you."

https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html

John's story continues with wife and two babies!  We are in awe of 11 years of healing and how he longs to share from the rooftops!

Sharing the life of Jesus in the Gospels from The Chosen...

Breakfast with the 3 youngest...

The Gospel is so important and special I will share it here...  Jesus speaks to us to have Faith and Trust!

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”  Mark 4

Jesus continues to calm the storms in our lives!  

Casting Crowns - Praise Him in the storm

Dad's prayer book and running around the circle 

Dad with me with each new day with all of his "work" in his prayer book after being a permanent deacon for 44 years!  Yes, I love and miss him dearly, but this is such comfort and help for the journey!  I am forever grateful for our 6 months here and all the time that Pat allowed me to have with them in their home together until that changed and they moved into Assisted living about a year before he died.  Even there I was able to spend days with them, and it fills me with gratitude and warmth on these cold winter days!

George and Dominic running around the circle and by Great-grandpa's chair and prayer books that both dad and mom left me to fill the beginning of each day with LIGHT from their many years of coming into The Church and sharing our LOVE for Jesus and Mary and The Church!  50 years ago this year!

https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html

Yes, dad, Thank you, Lord!  I am sure you are rejoicing with your beautiful voice restored with mom, the Angels and the Saints with Mary the Queen of heaven and earth!  I can only imagine!

I can only imagine - Mercy Me

Dad's wonderful Brother Victor-Antoine allows us to each day join into his peaceful beautiful religious life of a monk close to God and nature.  Today some hopeful signs of spring in this midwinter.

Soon we will start calving in about a month - so many prayers and cow TV and late nights and early mornings and prayers for good weather and not too much snow.  A sure sign of spring!  

Jesus, we thank you for some wonderful family time interspersed with prayers for Amy as we trust in you and know that you can heal and calm the storm!  How we love you and long to die so self so that we may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Three weeks ago we had our first ever Verly Christmas in our heated shop!  All but Hallel!

She was there in spirit, which is in Truth as she lifts us up on prayer every day!

A week later she went with us to KC, and our family of the Lamb were so surprised that we would come there while Hallel was in France for the year.  "You are our family!" Pat reported and how we loved our time there with prayer, worship, song and laughter as we shared prayer and dishes!

Then a week away to Washington - 4 days on the road and 3 with our family there!  Evie holding onto grandpa Pat as we shared mass...

These two beautiful girls will be welcoming a new baby sister on June 1st!  She is healthy and growing and we are overjoyed to welcome our grandchild #20! We always have room for more to love and our love grows bigger with each new LIFE!

Sweet baby Birdie being fed by her 12 year old cousin, Big Dave!  A special time of caring for one another and watching them grow and develop!  LIFE is a gift from conception to natural death!  Lord, please protect ALL LIFE!  Bless-bless, Barbara 

Danielle Rose