Next to the Advent wreath in the bright sun is smiling Joy working on her water color of Joy with Jude and Birdie and holding her new baby brother, Thomas. Her calf, Snowball, and the two kittens need to be part of it too. Grandma gave her lessons in skin color for faces, but soon the rainbow colors have to take over...
We have our special things that we do when Joy comes to grandma's house... I love to share water coloring with my grandkids - it our special time together.
LOVE her in the LIGHT as Pat and I always comment on how joyful this little girl is! She is named well.
Mom and dad always with us and we know of their "more perfect" prayers for our family while they are now together in heaven after reaching 70 years of marriage, and only apart for 7 months last year from when mom died in a day after falling and breaking her hip in the morning and take her last breath at 5p.
Then a month later dad came to live with me in our farm monastery for 6 months on hospice. It was such a wonderful example of dying a "natural death" with the help of my beloved hospice. The same hospice that I worked at for 15 years. How I love the beauty of how hospice meets all your needs along the way so that my dad could walk into the sunset of his life with peace and comfort.
Joy and I painted together and It was a special time!
I didn't expect to paint with Joy, but it was hard to resist.
Next swim in the bubble tub! Felix the cat loves to watch her, and fell into the tub and grandma had to do a rescue with a big towel to rub him dry. Soon he was purring in the towel...
Joy loves to come over and see two of her farm kittens that are being spoiled by grandma.
Just before he took a dive, and grandma had to rescue him.
It is just about time for grandma to make her lunch - "hot dogs and mac and cheese" she has ordered. My prayers were quick but still amazing on this 3rd day of Advent! The readings were our beloved Isaiah, which is so huge for Advent, and Matthew. Both speak about the rock on which we are to build our lives!
Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock. Isaiah 26
Then the Gospel reminds us to build on "rock."
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. .." Matthew 7
A rare note from mom on this date - the passing of her mother, Beatrice Vercoe, on this day in 2007. She was well into her 90s, and it is a reminder to me that I should pray for her soul more often.
Pope Benedict XVI speaks beautiful words about Advent... it was especially powerful to read that "illness and suffering can therefore, like a great joy, also be a personal Advent - a visit of God who wants to enter my life and turn toward me." Wow! It is true that He gets our attention in many ways and without the hard times the good would not be near as wonderful!
Out to cover a pile of gluten with the kids, grandpa, and Paul.
Tires to hold it down in the windy prairie
Gus 10 years ago in Rochester with John - 2 years cancer free! Now John is 12 years cancer free!
Brother Victor!
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