Childlike - dependent on God for everything!/Cinderella with the 5 grandkids/Internet restored!

Therese getting to know smiley happy 7 month old Thomas Robert.  She started her time here at my home in my super comfy bed and slept so well!  She moved over to the farm with grandpa the next morning and is sharing Rose and Joy's room.  They have an extra tendril bed just for cousins staying with.  

Such a happy smiley little guy!  

Soon there will be a house full as Maria and Major Joseph arrive on Saturday with the other 6 kids.  My big house will be full and loud and we will be having some high quality family time.,  It just so happens that John and Bobbi and the kids will be in Kansas City visiting Hallel before she leaves for France a week later.  

The baler was parked last night, but today Pat and Paul are baling up the hay - busy times with many prayers for safety and patience with each other.

Such a delightful little guy he is!  

Ruth is such a natural and beautiful mom with her 7th child.

Grandma brought 5 kids with me to the final show of Cinderella with Uncle John in it.  Joy with her princess crown 

She brought wings and her pink up in the air dress complete her look of sweetness!

Before the show the kids came up on the stage and twirled with their dresses flowing around them.

John begins the show as a giant that is slew by the prince...

I was determined to get some of the great coach with the 4 white horses and Cinderella.  The moon adds to the specialness.

Such a special job they did, and the most impressive was when the Fairy Godmother changed her rags into a beautiful dress!  It was right before our eyes!  

It was very entertaining and made it through covid and rescheduling.  John loves the stage and we enjoy supporting him and watching him.  

Waiting to sit in the coach after the show.

LOVE the moon behind and the squinty smile!  

She sees her dad...

I am not sitting in my barn today as after 2 hours and 2 new pieces of equipment we have our internet back again.  Gone for 5 days and all heck happened to our internet.  It is kind of crazy how it seems that there are gremlins at work when you leave for 5 days.  It was not an easy reboot, and I am so glad that it is now fixed hopefully for years to come!  

Got a bit carried away with my 5 year old Joy Jean.

At mass this morning Fr Denny preached on being childlike as St Matthew quotes Jesus in the Gospel today - At that time Jesus exclaimed: 
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike..."  Matthew 11

He reminded us that as children we are "dependent on God for everything really."  He mentioned how very little children are totally dependent on their mothers for all they need.  I have 2 less than one right now and another on the way in January, so I am well acquainted with the mother - child relationship and how it is such a special bond!  

After the show - John clowning with a crown...

John is Godfather to Joy... she seemed to enjoy the show and find it fun both times she went.

Godfather and Goddaughter...

Out for ice cream after the show.

Joy with ice cream all over her face - is a happy smile of delight!  

Small celebration on the fly - 

Therese got here in time to see the last show!  

John and the 5 grands... Family time is a gift and John got us to go the his play - it was fun and cute and special!  

One more to keep the memory in our hearts, minds and souls!  

Just as mass was ending and I was reading Morning Prayer in The Magnificat - my brother, Dan, sent this with a "Wow!"  If anyone knows how to be childlike it is St Therese and her little way!  

The truck filling up in Washington - find David in the back.  They are to leave at noon tomorrow and start their journey here by Saturday.

Meanwhile at the farm the pool popped with the kids and Therese swimming... a new liner will arrive on Friday so cousins can cool off in the pool.  

Mulberry pickers are here for the afternoon after biking the 3 miles from the farm to our house.  Therese checking out grandpa and his siblings taken about 6 years ago at a family wedding - the remaining 9 around their mother, who died about 4 months later.  

So true about this day and age - throw it away and get a new one.

Reading this after mass and before water aerobics - Jesus within and in the tabernacle.  

I was recalling one of John's fraternity brothers, who was on fire for his faith and said; "Wouldn't it be great if you could go to church every day?"  John and Paul's brother, Brad, looked at each other and said; "In the Catholic Church you can go to church every day!"  Not only that but you can receive Jesus in the Eucharist every day!  

Now Jesus on the cross reminds us of the salvation we are given by His Sacrifice and we are given the True Church with Mary, Jesus and all the Saints as well as The Sacraments!  

One more for good measure - sure love to share my love for The Church with my wonderful brother, Dan, and his wife, Angela!  We speak the same language which is that we love The Church with no reservations!  

A small bouquet added some simple childlike beauty.

LOVE Jesus and all he did for me!  I am dependent on Him for everything!  He is in control!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

LOVE this - the 3 oldest in Michigan on beautiful beach 11 years ago.  How my heart yearns to return there.  That would be Augustine in the papoose on Nancy.  He is her oldest and she has added 5 more and 3 losses including a 20 week loss, Maximilian.  Nancy and I share 20 week losses, and Maria has also had miscarriages - 2.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 53 - 34 with us and 19 in heaven including our parents and my sister, Mary and brother, Lincoln.  Our losses keep our eyes on heaven and how we stumble down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross to reach there! 

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Our marriage stories - "The world needs LIGHTS!"

Danielle Rose 

Danny Gokey

 

We have a Bishop!!!/3,200 miles, 56 hours in the truck, Home again= blogging in the barn with a cat on my feet!/"His holy mountain is the joy of all the earth"

At the same time we were making our back and forth trip to Washington and back - Nancy and family were traveling to the Outer Banks for a week.  Nancy sent this beauty of her and Regina by the Atlantic Ocean.  She shared that it reminds her a lot of Michigan, but the salt water is hard to adjust to compared to the crystal clear fresh water of the Inland Sea - Lake Michigan!  

That was yesterday and today we receive word that we have a new Bishop!  And he is 13 years younger than me and grew up in the upper part of Michigan where I spent my summers by Traverse City!  He sounds wonderful and is a Major in the Amry like our Major Joseph!

Bishop Chad W. Zielinski — Diocese of New Ulm (dnu.or

Most Reverend Chad W. Zielinski Biography The Most Reverend Chad W. Zielinski was ordained and installed as the sixth Catholic bishop of the Fairbanks Diocese on 15 December 2014. Bishop Zielinski was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1964 and is the oldest in a family of five children. His parents, Donald and Linda Zielinski, moved to Alpena, Michigan, in the mid 1960’s, where the future Bishop grew up on a 120-acre farm. The family belongs to St. Bernard Parish where Chad received the Sacrament of Confirmation in 1979. After graduating from Alpena High School in 1982, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and while stationed in Idaho, attended Boise State College and Park College. At this time he felt a call to serve God as a priest. Having completed his tour of duty in 1986, he entered Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon where he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in Philosophy in 1989. He was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Gaylord and entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit to complete his spiritual formation and theological studies, receiving his Master of Divinity degree in 1996. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Patrick R. Cooney at St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord on June 8, 1996. Bishop Zielinski’s first priestly assignment was as Associate Pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Traverse City. In 1998, he was appointed Pastor of St. Philip Neri in Empire and St. Rita-St. Joseph in Maple City and was elected to the diocesan Presbyteral Council in 1999. In 2000, he was also named Pastor for Administrative Affairs of the diocesan Mission to Hispanics. Following the terrorist attacks of 2001, future Bishop Zielinski felt a special tug on his heart to serve God by ministering to the men and women who protect our country. Aware of the great need for Catholic military chaplains, Bishop Cooney released him to serve in the Archdiocese for the Military Services. In 2002, he began his chaplaincy at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. From 2003 to 2005 he was stationed in Suffolk, England, before returning to the U.S. and being assigned to HQ Air Force Recruiting Service at Randolph Air Force Base in Schertz, Texas. In 2009, Bishop Zielinski was appointed Roman Catholic Cadet Chaplain at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 2012 he was called to Alaska to serve as Chaplain to the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, where he was recently contacted by the Apostolic Nuncio telling him of the Pope’s decision that he serve as the Bishop of the Fairbanks diocese. (Page 1 of 2) (Page 2 of 2) In the course of his military career, Bishop Zielinski served three tours of duty in war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan. “I guess the Church has prepared me for the military and the military has prepared me for the Church,” he wrote. “We receive orders and we go, whether coming from a general or the Pope.” He has received numerous military awards and decorations for his service, and was promoted to the rank of Major in July of 2013. After his installation, Bishop Zielinski served two years in the Reserves at Eielson Air Force Base and retired on January 1, 2017 as a Major. As an avid fisherman and an experienced participant in aircraft maneuvers, Bishop Zielinski would seem to be a natural to head a diocese such as Fairbanks where the geographical spread is the largest in the U.S. and where activity in nature is just a snowball’s throw away. Contemplating the future, he wrote “No human person could ever script something like this. I certainly would never have thought in a thousand years this would ever happen to me, as I have never wanted something like this… My simple approach to this call in life is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind, and serve my brothers and sisters in the diocese of Fairbanks. I say this fully knowing I need God’s grace and their talents and abilities to climb a very steep learning curve. We will walk together as sisters and brothers, disciples of Christ, showing His kindness, mercy and compassion as we share the joy of the Gospel."

Wow!!!

Now Maria with Maggie - sharing with olderst daughter, Therese that Maggie loves frozen huckleberries!  On Thursday they will say farewell to Fort Lewis, WA and come our way as they move from one coast to the other in August!

Our 5 days away... we returned to no internet in the house.  In my time on the phone trying this and that to fix the problem - I realzed that I could use the internet coming into the barn, so here I sit with my computer in my lap and a nice breeze coming through the open door.  Thankfully not many flies yet, and a cat at my feet!

My view of the huge cottonwood tree that used to obstruck our internet connection.  We now have it come to the barn and then send it to the house- problem solved, except for some mystery problem now...

My office for today with so much to share - here I sit with fake plans to take a bunch of the grandkids to see Uncle John in Cinderella tonight for the last show.  Therese got here just in time for the fun tonight.  

What joy to find an inch and 2 tenths of rain in the rain gage since we were away!  Thank you, Lord and Lady!

The trailer in our yard this morning after 56 hours in the truck divided by 4 days = 14 hours a day!  3,200 miles with only one flat tire, and miraculously finding a tire shop 2 miles off the road open on Sunday morning!  John Grisham and his books kept us alert and entertained as we traveled through the mountains coming and going - seeing millions of bales and cows and calves and lots of wheat fields and irrigated hay fields.  We also figured out that the mysterious leafy green plants in many fields were sunflowers yet to grow and be stunning in a few weeks.

Psalm 48 today made me smile after our many mountain passes and  views of the Cascades and Rockies coming and going!

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.  Psalm 48

Maria and Maggie this morning in the Penske truck that they will move the remaining things in and leave on Thursday after 5 years in Washington.  Pat and I have made many trips to and from over those years.

Wonderful 14 year old granddaughter, Therese, the oldest of 7 in our military family came along for the long trip back.  She is a delightful young lady!

Sunday morning grandpa and I spoil with doughnuts!  It took 2 truckstops to find her one, but we managed to spoil our sweet girl mid morning on Sunday.

Beautiful valleys with grass and cows and calves with mountains all around us.  Too much scenery to try to capture through windows as we travel down the road with trucks and campers.

Therese helping with the rosary and morning prayer as we start out yesterday.  With a flat tire starting our day on Sunday we certainly wanted to have the Lord and Lady with us from the start!  And they were!  The rosary beads were my constant companion.

The truck with trailer and interesting rocks and sights.

Reading each day for a program she is in, and spoiling with a milkshake - mint chocolate - "I see those at the gas station on base, but have never had one before.  They are really good!"

Pat drove every one of the 3,200 miles - how he loved to take in the sights of thousands of wheat bales and John Grisham - Sicamore Row was hours of entertainment!  We heard the last disc as we rolled into town!  

Clouds and bales and the gas prices were the best of the trip in South Dakota!  Washington was awful as we were warned!

Maggie loves her grandpa Pat - she will be here to see him on Saturday.

Pictures from Nancy on the ocean!

Regina is soon to be 6 months on the 16th!

Swim in the ocean - salt water is hard to adjust to in a way.

We were well cared for by farmer Pat and a tire shop open on Sunday morning.  Thank you, Lord!

Beautiful golden wheat fields as far as the eye can see! 

Home again and grateful for our good trip and family!

The feast day of St Therese's parents today!  

Super fun and cute!  

A good reminder to me today - 4 days in the pickup for all those hours make emotions kind of tense and some criticism of Barb today.  I deserve it!  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 53 - 34 here and 19 in heaven including my sister, Mary and brother, Lincoln!  

Need to get ready for Cinderella with the grandkids tonight.  

Danielle Rose