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!
2 1/2 month old Tommy peacefully sleeping while grandma is on baby watch. Farmer Ruth is out helping the men with working of the 200 cows in preparation for calving to begin in a month or so. Tommy is in his baby swing complete with the sounds of waves on the shore.
Such a sweet boy is #7 in the Lanoue crew. He is less than a week away from becoming a full member of The Church with his two oldest siblings as his Godparents. Simon will be confirmed just before his Baptism and can then be officially his Godfather. Mary will be confirmed next year, and how I pray that sharing their Faith with their Godson Baby Brother Thomas Robert will be a strong tie that binds them in love for their lives ahead.
Pat always points out how his oldest brother being Godfather to his youngest sister has been such a special connection and has kept them close now for almost 60 years. Wonderful! My Godchildren will not have me in their lives nearly so long, and they will probably be glad about that.
So soft and snuggly. The phone just rang and woke him, but he keeps falling back to sleep after a brief fussing.
A picture from Washington yesterday - the oldest of the 3 babies, Maggie Rose, in a bubble sink. This grandma loves her babies in bubble sinks! Tommy you will have these in your future in a few months when you can sit up and smile for grandma with a bubble crown on your sweet head.
The 3 farmers out vaccinating and getting ready for baby calves - cow TV will return. Ruth will have Tommy to sit up and nurse while she watches for new calves on the TV screen. We call it Cow TV for a real reason, and it is so much more wonderful than getting dressed in layers of farm clothes to check on them every couple hours. Also they do not know we are watching and are relaxed.
A new tradition has begun since VCC. Water coloring with grandma. I had a house full for the games and soon we were watercoloring together... One thing that I am known to do with my grandkids over the years!
The Gospel today is the man possessed by Legion of demons in Mark 5. After he his healed he begs to accompany Jesus on his journey proclaiming The Kingdom of God is at hand, working miracles, healing and all the BIG amazing things Jesus did in his 3 years of active ministry. He tells the man...
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Mark 5:1-20
John, Luke and Iggy watching the game - a house full sharing time old and young.
Joy and Rose have water colored with grandma for years! Each time they come over - we paint together.
With the motto that our family lives by since before our marriage - beginning at our Engagement weekend. Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS. The statement of Jesus to the healed man is truly what he is saying to me and my children now with growing families as we truly take seriously sharing our faith with our domestic Church/family. It is thrilling to me to learn at the feet of my children as they take me ever deeper into my Faith!
Jude and Joy spent a lot of time running around the circle in our home probably 50 times! Birdie would join from time to time as would Luke and Big Dave.
There are times when I feel that I do not do enough of the BIG things that it takes to evangelize our Faith as the Lord and His Church asks of us. So to hear these words of Jesus to the healed man today really rings like a bell for me... "Go home to your family..." How I love to share my story of our conversion and the Holy Spirit at work in my dad and my husband in guiding me to the Truth of Faith/Family/Farm. I hear the Lord to share it more with those in my home!
Some classic pictures of son, John, and cousin, Brad. They were only boys in both of our farm families and only 6 weeks apart, so best friends/like brothers as young kids on the farm. Their dad's farm together to this day, so they are special to each other to this day.
Sharing (?) from the hose - They are about 2 here.
Pat and I are just back from taking 3 cattle to the butcher for meat to fill our freezers. Pat is wonderful about asking me along so that we can have some time to visit about family and the world. I am currently trying to put together a lunch next Saturday at my husband's restaurant about 4 hours away from here. With 9 siblings to invite and organize it is a practice of patience and understanding what exactly we are trying to communicate to each other. Bottom line we need to do it all with LOVE and forgiveness, right?
John and Brad with Susan and cats on a round bale. Susan now Little Sister Hallel was always so caring for the little boys. I had 2 losses between her and John and 2 stillbirths and a miscarriage after. I am quite sure that those losses made her and the rest of our family love ALL LIFE and appreciate one another so much.
"Been farming long?" is the title of this classic. Brad is farming now with his dad. John helps out as needed from time to time.
Caps in the corn field.
Rubber boots are a must on the farm. For some reason I think this was the weekend of their First Communion so that would make them about 8 years old.
Back to painting yesterday - Rose wanted to paint her Aunt Little Sister Hallel. Joy wanted to paint her whole family -9 or them, plus her calf, Snowball, and my 2 cats.
Special grandma time is a treasure for me. I have some of their works of art framed and on my fridge in places of honor.
My dad thought a lot of what St John Bosco had to say in the Office of Readings today on his feast day. Lots about patience in dealing with the youth. Yes, we do better in sharing our Faith with LOVE and patience!
Mercy is how we reach them.
Sweet Brother Victor today and dad pointing out to me - how it is all about Jesus and his humble example to us.
How I love that dad and his man, Brother Victor, share with me the monastic life! "All authentic monastic life cannot air a being anything less than an imitation of the life of Christ, who was poor and crucified... Blessed are the poor in spirit."
Lord, may I die to self so that you may live in me and I may be your hands and feet. How I am blesed with a growing Domestic Church/home and such a story to share of how you love me and give me so much with each new day! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Tommy and Rose visiting Birdie at rolls after mass on Sunday. He is asking for grandma to come and spend some time with him now. Bless-bless, Barbara and allCasting Crowns - If we are the Body
Ruth carries forth my dressing my girls alike in the only way she can - doing a theme as she has a pattern of boy-girl-boy-girl-boy-girl-boy! I had 4 girls starting with oldest Ruth and then "you had that boy." Yes, John grew up in a home with 5 women and his farmer dad! With 3 then 4 girls - I sewed them matching dresses many times!
Grandma dressing Therese and her new baby sister alike 5 years ago. Some things go forward for the next generation.
They have 3 brothers between them, but now another brother and little sister Magdalene!
I tease my nun that dressing the girls alike so much made her accepting and ready to dress like 100 others as a Dominican nun in The Communityof the Lamb. I was reminded that discerning a call to be a nun myself is why I have my nun, Little Sister Hallel. Yes, I exposed my girls to nuns in habits and how wonderful this life is as a wonderful option of what the Lord is calling you to. Hallel heard the call and said -"Yes!"
One of their matching coordinated outfits with baby John and baby chick - Maria must have missed this picture but for sure she had a robe too!
Even themes for Halloween - boy did we make a huge mess wherever we went with our corn leaf Hawiian skirts!
Easter dresses the year John was born 33 years ago on Thursday! John's birthday on the Feast of St Blaze Feb 3rd! Yes, I had themes much like Ruth, and it makes me smile to see her sweet themes for her wonderful family!
Sitting behind Ruth's family at mass this morning - Rose loves to care for her baby brother, Thomas!
Yesterday I had the joy of taking 8 year old Luke for his First Reconciliation. I also had a chance to meet with a priest, and I guess that I was in there much longer than Luke... Luke was amazing and even told me a Gospel story/parable on the way to town that reminded me of a sin I needed to confess - the proud pharisee and the humble tax collector. Thanks, Holy Spirit speaking through sweet Luke.
Catholic Schools week mass today and only David has not been sick so was in the chior.
A week from today - next Sunday at 3P is the Confirmation mass here, and our oldest grandson, Simon Patrick will be confirmed! Our First grandchild to be confirmed. Next year Mary will join him. Then shortly after his confirmation we will gather around grandson, 2 1/2 month old Thomas Robert for Simon and Mary to be his Godparents at his Baptism! LOVE!
A week from today so many wonderful firsts we will celebrate with Ruth's family!
Then this spring Luke will celebrate his First Holy Communion! Not very often that all of these wonderful glorious Sacraments of The Church be celebrated in just a few months time! I guess when your oldest is 17 and your youngest is 2 1/2 months old it happens. They are very blessed!!!
Sitting next to John, Bobbi, Jude and Birdie... 15 of us sharing mass together! Our hearts are so filled with LOVE! The 2nd reading today is from I Corinthians 13 - the LOVE chapter! Read by a sweet little Catholic Schools student is was very powerful and so well read!
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, It is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I especially smiled when he read about talking like a child and and thinking like a child - when in fact it was a child reading it! LOVE is the greatest of ALL!!!
Caramel Rolls in the Church basement after mass!!! So good, right Birdie Barbara!
Grandpa and Jude come with their caramel rolls with smiles.
9 years old Rose brings us smiling Thomas.
Smiling with bubbles - a big day in a week for you sweet boy! A tie that binds to have your two oldest siblings as your Godparents!
Pat always talks about how his oldest brother is his youngest sister's Godfather and it has kept them close to this day. A wonderful added gift to little sweet Thomas Robert!
It was pretty cute to hear Jude ask where little baby Thomas was. Rose was holding him at that point. "Ruth is mom to Thomas." LOVE how we are united as a family sharing our faith - Jude and Birdie were sad last week when Ruth and Paul were up in the Cities for mass at The Basilica of Mary in Minneapolis where Pat and I were married 43 years ago! "Where are my cousins? I want to go there and have doughnuts." Jude cried
Joy and Birdie at rolls after mass. So wonderful to have some social time with others from church. Those caramel rolls are so good!!!
Rose and Joy out to see the new baby calf that will be a bottle calf - "His name is Otto, and Joy can have another bottle calf like Snowball last year."
In the pen in the shop with the 5 baby bottle goats.
These two girls are super great willing helpers on the farm. We love to have our young farm family on the farm. So grateful for all the work they do!
17 year old Simon makes me smile to see him wearing his VCC shirt from this year!
Baby goats nibbling on Rose's knee through the fence.
Yes, grandma got carried away by my 2 girls with baby goats and one day old calf....
Rose and Teddy thier dog tussling over a corn stalk.
From Venerable Fulton Sheen today...And does He also say - "Do it again" to new life. Yes! Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!
St Teresa of Calcutta today speaks about LOVE being the greatest through service of others - dying to self and being his hands and feet!
There is so much here today from Pope Benedict and mom. "God is infinite nearness!"
I love dad's man, Brother Victor, we share not only prayer and LOVE of The Church as well as life on the farm. He has baby lambs - we have baby goats and calves! New LIFE is a sign of spring on it's way! Half way there!
I am given so much each day- from mom and dad, too!! Bless-bless, Barbara and family sharing our Faith/Farmily/Farm
