Halloween day - dad's funeral 3 years ago and generations of memories/"... the glorious freedom of the children of God." - +JMJ+

3 years ago dad did the impossible - he got all of his 10 children together!  We gathered in Taylor's Falls, St Joseph Catholic Church, for dad's funeral mass!  The perfect sendoff for this wonderful man, who said yes to LIFE in being open to 8 children, as well as adopting 4 siblings, whose parents were killed in an auto accident!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The amazing story of the 13 becoming Catholic!  Add to that bringing all of us into The Catholic Church 52 years ago!  Each day since has been a pearl of great price!  The tiny mustard seed planted that has become a tree holding birds and squirrels!  

Dad lived with me the last 6 months of his life here in our "farm monastery' where he shared with me his religious life!  He was a permanent Deacon in the Church for the last 44 years of his life!  Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Deacon Robert Cross - my dad on hospice in our Farm Monastery for 6 months - 4/16/20 thru 10/23/20  the page I wrote last week about our special time together at the end of his life!  I continue to be blessed by his Prayer of The Church he left behind with much underlining and highlighting.  His LOVE of Jesus, Mary and All the Church gives to us evident and shared with me!  Thanks, dad, from the bottom of my heart!  

Deacon Robert Cross in his Deacon's robe and stole.  With the rosary that we prayed together every day on my porch at 3pm.  We also prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for many including my parents as mom had just died a month before he came here, and dad was on his final journey with the same Hospice I had worked with for 15 years!  

Many memories from years past of Halloween in the past - 2015 with Nancy's bunch - me and Bernadette, who will be 11 in 2 weeks.  Adorable 3 year old 

Dominic 8 years ago - he is 9 now.

Rose 10 years ago 

Now with boots and snow outside the big window.

I guess I started the themes with my kids!  Here they are in 1986 when Susan/Hallel was one!  I thought that I was so clever until I realized how much of a mess we were leaving at the houses of the elderly people we visited each Halloween!  We came home with only the wasteband and no leaves left!  

Yes, even me!  

Little Red Riding hood year for Ruth when Luke was just a day away from being one - 2014.  Nancy's kids were Knights of the Round table and a lion.

Baby Luke and Dominic are both 9 - Luke will be 10 tomorrow along with his cousin, Evangeline Mary on base in Kansas.

Ruth went all out 10 years ago - the year of The Wizard of Oz!  Simon was the tin man 

So much work!  There might be some used again this year - time will tell.  No longer are there themes - they just go down and get something from years past.

Ruth the Scarecrow - she had Luke the next day - the great pumpkin!  

1 1/2 year old Rose Again was Dorothy!  

With Toto!  

Rose dressed up for Missoula play - The Princess and the Pea... she was the pea!  

Luke was in it also - the river worker.  

The Princess and her best friend, the Pea!

Luke on stage

First grader, Joy, was from the frozen land...

It was a lot of fun for the kids!  

1984 - the year of the witches - tiny Susan was just a month old and she was a black cat in a sleeper that I died black!  

Cute tin man 10 years ago.  No Simon this year as he is at school in Sioux Falls!  

1983 - Maria is 2 months old and in the papoose!  Farmer Pat the big chief jumped in from harvest for a special memory.  Halloween usually did not include our Big Chief!  

Mary the wicked witch of the North 10 years ago.  I wonder if she will join in the Halloween fun this year as a senior in high school?  

Ruth even sewed a flying monkey costume!  She went all out!  

David was 5 ten years ago and was an adorable flying monkey!  

Paul must have been the Cowardly Lion!  Such an amazing and memorable year this was!  Now Joy and Tom are added and tend to have a theme with the two of them.  I am excited to see what this year will hold.  John said that Jude is Superman at Preschool today..

7 years ago - Peter Pan with Simon as a lost boy... the rest are easy to figure out!  

Tom has been napping at grandma's the last few days.  He sure loves to be here in my peaceful home with his toys and Paw Patrol..."Go, go, go, go..."

Luke last year borrowed my dad's hat from his years of service during WW2. Luke loves all things military including war planes and ships!   He will be the birthday boy tomorrow along with cousin, Evangline Mary in Kansas.

2022 Halloween theme for Joy and Tom - Marshall Tigers Cheerleader and the Marshall Tiger!  I am excited to see what they come up with this year.

So cute!  The piano we had for the girls and John to learn on is now in John and Bobbi's home.  I would love to have a piano player in the bunch!  

David the fox last year

What does the fox say?

The military birthday girl - Evie a year ago as we had fun in the costume room.  All about costumes today in honor of Halloween!  Evie will be 7 tomorrow and join her cousin, Josephine Francis!

One more for good measure.  They have amazing costumes and love to use their imaginations.  So much fun!

Evie and grandma in Charlottesville, VA with the jewels she made for me!  This year they live in Fort Leavenworth, KS, and we have fake plans to go the weekend after next and see them and also our nun, who lives 40 minutes away in KCK!  So excited!  

The first reading today from Romans 8 reminds us of the wonderful Joy we find as children of God!  The freedom to be a follower of Jesus and wherever he leads us is leading us down the narrow Path towards the greatest JOY in heaven forever!  

Reading 1 Rom 8:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.
For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. 

So amazing - I had to share every last word as they are a symphony of the most beautiful song of Salvation!  Thank you, Lord and Lady for all that we are given as we die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to use us as his hands and feet!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

O God Beyond All Praising!  Mom asked for this at her funeral.  So beautiful and Truth!  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus many Little sisters and Little Brothers.