The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
Three things I am good at - praying, canning and crying/Surrounded by masterpieces!/Colossians!
Canning spaghetti sauce with John and Nancy while Ruth was busy with her life running here and there. John is stirring the 43 year old canner - my wedding canner - given to me as a wedding gift from Pat's siblings! The handwriting was on the wall!
It was enlightening to me that I can do a huge job as the lead canning professional! We started with 5 - 5 gallon pails of tomatoes, and at the end of a long day we had 72 quarts of wonderful sauce to show for it!
I am pretty down on myself these days, with reconciliation scheduled for this afternoon. So it gave me a lift to realize that I am good at canning. It has been a day of family togetherness in making the food for our 7 families!
Rose and Bernadette are just 6 months apart and super close cousin/friends! It was fun to see them sharing putting tomatoes through the colander while grandma ran the blender. Dave waiting his turn!
Birdie Barbara- my namesake and so much like my girls! Gave grandma so much JOY taking her picture with the tomatoes - one pail was in the sink!
Jude loved to watch the paddle turn and the juice come out the bottom! Canning now for 43 years! Into the 4th generation for me! I was given a canner for my wedding gift from Pat's siblings - now this was going to be a huge part of my life! Ruth even built a "canning kitchen" when she remodeled her childhood home on the farm when they moved here 6 years ago! Serious and happy times for us!
15 month old Birdie loved her sauce and pasta that night! She had seconds sitting next to biggest cousin Simon!
Simon LOVES pasta! He gave me the cutest smile, and shows his love with the mountain of spaghetti in front of him. He works very hard and cheerfully on the farm for his grandpa! Thank you, so much Sweet Simon!
My poster girl for our wonderful sauce!
This sweet girl is going to preschool next week! She is so excited and loved to show us her new backpack for school! Ruth will have every other day with no kids at home until the baby arrives in mid November.
Joy speaks of being a big sister to her baby brother with happiness. So lucky to be a big sister, and to have more siblings! So much more wonderful than other things people strive to provide for their children like things and a big room to themselves, etc... Joy and 9 year old Rose share a room and to witness their care for one another is a thing of beauty!
2 1/2 year old George playing with grandma... brings me to another part of me that I am good at. Prayer! I had many rosaries in my purse and in my hand and in my heart! I leave a trail of rosaries everywhere I go! Prayer is with me as every breath that I take and every beat of my heart! "Jesus and Mary, Jesus and Mary, Jesus and Mary..."
Yes, some of the rosaries are broken with repeated use and 20 going on 22 grandkids!
It is so powerful to see that the first readings at mass these days is from Colossians! After praying the office of The Church with dad for 6 months here in our farm monastery... I discovered that Colossians is so gloriously deep and beautiful and used often in morning and evening prayer!
Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the Body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the Blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
So True! It is well known by those close to me that I am a master at crying! Yes, I am good at crying happy or sad! So I must include that with my short list of what I am good at. I am sure that I will be a river this afternoon at reconciliation. It is so hard, but yet so healing as we are washed clean once again.
Cute story about this sweetheart! On Sunday we went to Aldi to get our Sunday brunch. We saw a woman in the parking lot with all her large amount of hair in a huge bun on the top of her head! Joy asked grandma to put her hair in a big bun "like the lady at Aldi." She squealed with delight when she looked in the mirror!
Grandma's many prayers - 7 year old Dominic hurt his foot on the ladder in the pool, and was in urgent care discovering that he had a "super bruise" which is as painful as a broken bone, but heals faster.
Meanwhile the next day 4 1/2 year old Evangeline in Fort Lewis, WA. spent 5 hours in Urgent care with her mom to discover that she had a buckle fracture in her arm from a trampoline. The Lord keeps me on my knees!
Joy with her "bun" at her big sister's swim meet! So many memories of cheering on her mother and sisters year after year!
She swam so hard! So many of us there on a rainy day to give her support! And the rain! Thank you, Lord for close to 2 inches of beautiful gentle day long rain soaking in to the thirsty ground!
Finally today - I received this sweet picture of my brother, Dan, and precious beautiful wife, Angela, as they are celebrating 39 years of marriage in Michigan at our beloved Big Lake! They were there for their honeymoon 39 years ago, and walked across the Mackinaw Bridge on Labor Day, and I imagine they will do that again this year!
At the same time I received this gem/masterpiece... I was talking to my sister, Paula, who is going to the State Fair today with her wonderful husband to celebrate their 38th anniversary today! I was so overwhelmed to have all of these beautiful couples and examples of those through thick and thin honoring and cherishing their marriage vows/the Sacrament of Matrimony. As my brother reminded me - "we are flawed as well." I was a river of tears! No surprise there as that is probably the one thing that I am a master at!
Yes, our marriages are all flawed, and that makes it even more a testament of our LOVE and embracing our Most Cherished Cross to find that! Facing all that comes our way, and staying the course in the storms of life! A masterpiece indeed!
This man! He makes my heart pitter pat when I see him loving his family so much! How he loves to help with canning! He is so busy - yet he stops in to peal onions and talk to us. There are the hard parts of his being my "Most Cherished Cross" but there are those parts of him that fills me with so much LOVE!
Probably the most wonderful part of this man is his LOVE for life and for family and how the little ones adore their big burly grandpa! Little George is so happy and peaceful when he can be with his grandpa!
Lord, I thank and praise you for all the wonderful ways you touch us and heal us. May we just reach out to touch the hem of your garment this day, and be healed! Thank you for the works of art that surround us and give us an example of "wounded, I will never cease to love." Jesus, may we die to self so that you may live in us. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
A cherished memory of the woman, who taught me how to be a farmwife with love and patience! She also taught me how to can and work together as a family! The best! Mom, thank you and I love and miss you and know that you are caring for us more perfectly from heaven. Bless-bless, Barbara
A year ago!!!! Maria here for canning! With her wonderful oldest, Therese!
Little Dave and Simon a year ago. LOVE our family food days!
Sweet!
St Mother Teresa's feast coming up!
Each one a pearl of great price!
Yes!
Pride is so huge for each of us!
May I do better, O Lord!
Dad and his man, Brother Victor! Wow!
Dad loved this one! So good!
Now in the office of Readings today with dad!
Out of this world - literally!
Finally mom and Pope Benny!!! I am overwhelmed by all that you give me each day, Lord! I am a puddle of grateful tears!
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