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!
As dad and I shared morning prayer after breakfast the waves of family flowed all around us... loud and active we had to smile and speak a bit louder to share our prayer!
I am smiling with so much JOY at listening to this amazing speech by this wonderful nun! Sr Dede Byrne nailed it all!!! "I am pro eternal LIFE" Yes! We are prolife and proeternallife! Take a few minutes to listen to her wonderful words of Truth and LIFE!
The 3 girls and Romeo ... it has been some craziness with all 19 grandkids together at night for our huge meals! My head is spinning and my heart is full!
Grandpa having snuggle time
Hector and Jude breaking the ice - they are 3 weeks apart and are both around 1 1/2 now!
Not quite!
Evie helps, and Uncle Paul gets them to smile together! These two were together last summer as babies, and I have been dreaming of this happening for a long time with many hopes, prayers and fake plans!
Man power on applesauce!
We canned close to 200 quarts on Tuesday - an entire tree of apples are now bare! They found this huge moth on the climbing tree...
Rose and Bernadette are just 5 months apart - will soon both be 8. Their big pet caterpillar made a crysilus over night and will not come out as a stunning moth until next June!!! Wow!!!
Soon to be 16, Simon and 12 year old Therese working on tomatoes yesterday - 7 pails of tomatoes = 110 quarts of Tomato soup!
Assembly line of colanders and sharing and visiting and sharing the huge job of making food for 7 families!
Canning days are happy days - Two huge days in a row were a bit too much for Ruth, who does the lions share of it. Today they are taking a break and heading to Camden to swim and relax... much deserved. Grandma might just have a quiet day and maybe even a nap.
Therese in baby heaven with our newest member - Birdie Barbara 3 months!
1 1/2 year old Hector by some of the 20 pails of apples that were sauced! Yes, we have an eating tree and a applepie tree yet to do...
An action shot
Maria at the sink and helping both days was epic! She hasn't gotten in on canning for probably 20 years! Her family loves our food, so she got to pay some of her dues her first two days here!
The 3 baby boys - now 1 1/2 are all 3 weeks apart from each other! George, then 3 weeks later, Hector, and finally Jude! It is my dream to get them together dressed or undressed like! More to come have no doubt of that!
Almost prefect!
Wooden spoons are a great toy sword and a few of the 7 pails of tomatoes that turned into a day of soup making! Final count is 110 quarts give or take!
The Applesauce picture before they were all trained downstairs with kids to put away in the canning closet! Total almost 200 quarts! We even put about 8 ice cream pails of sauce in the freezer or in the fridge! My dad eats a bowl every noon, so I have a pail in my fridge for sure! My father loves our tomato soup and applesauce... so he is well fed these days!
George joining dad and I for evening prayer!
A better smile... George has been wonderful for grandma... very peaceful and good!
Dad coming out to breakfast the first morning. With the huge cannings happening over at Ruth's I have been back and forth a lot. Dad has had a lot of quiet time here, but I have managed to get our important work of prayer in throughout the day.
A nutty picture of the two 5 year olds! Enough said of this stage in life for Dominic and Romeo!
The lime pile yields "snow balls", climbing the cliffs of Dover, and showers and washing machine work overtime after they are done. Parents drew the line last night and told them "no" to the lime pile instead they had a camp fire after Mary's marching band show, and chicken connection supper thanks to Nancy and Bill!
Another wooden spoon tomato picture! We already had 5 pails cut and on the stove and made to juice...
Danielle Rose - wonderfully made
St Augustine has left us
this praise of his mother, St Monica:
"She did not let a day pass
without being present
at the Divine Sacrifice
before Your altar, O Lord."
St Monica
North Africa ~ 333-387
Mother of St Augustine
Patroness of Married women and Mothers
Feast Day - August 27
"Nothing is far from God." - St Monica
As recounted by Augustine... before his mother died she told him:
"There was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little
in this life, and that was that I might see you a Catholic before I died.
My God hath answered this more than abundantly, so that I see you
are now made His servant and spurning all earthly happiness.
What more am I to do here?"
The full text of St Dede's amazing life-changing speech! As John says - "Sr Dede makes it easy to vote for Trump!" Yes!!!!
Breakfast with dad and 1 1/2 year old George this morning. I decided to give George a quiet day with grandma as we will have the huge family gathering starting tonight! The anticipation is building as they are coming closer and closer with each passing hour!
George and grandma in my mother's bouncy turny chair... it is like getting a hug from my mother, and that is part of the strength I gain from her to help me with now going on 5 months with my father here living with me on hospice.
Dad getting pampered by his hospice nurse, who monthly does his fingernails and toenails! He loves to tell the family that his one nurse, Brenda, cuts his hair monthly for him, and his other nurse, Lynn, does his fingers and toes. He always shares this with the hugest smile on his face!
Jesus and Mary and Joseph looking on in a approval of this man, who has said "yes" always to the Holy Spirit's guidance in his life and that of his marriage and family - "You deserve to be treated royally Deacon Robert!"
Today being the Feast of St Bartholomew, one of the twelve Apostles, it makes you ponder how we are looking to him to help us also be followers of Christ and share the Truth far and wide as they did in building The Church throughout the world.
Today's Psalm has some great words to cling to...The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Psalm 145 - A Hallel Psalm giving our Lord ALL the praise!
George had to hang out on Great-grandpa's bed while he had a nurse visit today.
The things that you need to investigate in great-grandpa's room - a pix
The bird was from my mom's glass bird collection...
A glass bird and an empty pix in a carrier case... a kid's greatest dream for toys.
That looks more like it!
OOOPS! Back to the religious things that are all around the house. The Crucifix Nancy made years ago of popcicle sticks. The kids think it is a sword, and so it is of sorts - the sword of Jesus/the Word! There is some concern that it could poke another 1 1/2 year old in the eye, so it might have to be out of reach when the 3 boys are finally together since they were babies last summer!
George with the sword cross... he kissed it!
My day has evaporated and the anticipation is building for our entire family to be together! Ruth's 10 have been busy making a carnival in the shop for the family celebration! I imagine that is where we will gather on their arrival! Fake plans are flying all around!
Yes, he also carried around our Lady of Guadalupe votive candle - not lit of course!
Our Lady and a Brumm Brumm...
And his beloved orange crocs on his feet! So many prayers for his mommy and daddy and the big competition they are preparing for! They are truly asking the Lord and St Bartholomew to assist them in being apostles and sharing the Good News - Allow Jesus to come into your domestic Church/family and share The Truth and the Faith of The Catholic Church!
Out to get the mail with the owner of the orange tiny handprint on the mailbox - "George there is your handprint, and it makes me think of you every day that I get the mail!"
Yes! That is a big tree, George!
The kitty and George - he is very gentle with the cat.
The kitty went away.
Grandma will call this to an end today. Many prayers for the safe travels of our family as they come closer and closer to our huge two weeks of family time! My posts will probably be sparse and hit or miss, the pictures will be overwhelming, too! Maybe I will just share those with minimal words - do I hear a cheer?!?
Grandpa couch/pillow on the road to Minnesota!
Lunch stop - Maria packed coolers and rest stop meals are the food morning, noon, and night! LOVE!
Lord, I want to love and serve you with my ALL... may I die to self so that you may live in me and I may proclaim from the rooftops your Truth, Your Way and your LIFE! I long to love you better this day and return that love to all those around me most especially those in my domestic Church/family! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.-Psalm 145:18
"Though I had believed in transubstantiation for more than a year,
I had no yearning to receive. But now a hunger for the Eucharist
became the last thought of the day and the first thought
of the morning. I had received Jesus as Savior and Lord by faith
when I was a teenager, but now I longed to receive his Body and Blood.
For not only had Jesus humbled himself on our behalf in taking on
human flesh to be our perfect sacrifice, he had even condescended
lower - to offer us that same flesh to be the life and food of our souls!
All this so that we could have him within us - not only in our hearts
but in our physical bodies as well, making us living tabernacles.
I felt that my heart would burst with so much joy!"
Kimberly Hahn
Rome Sweet Home, Our Journey to Catholicism
____________________________
Today is the FEAST DAY of St Bartholomew
Nee: Cana
Apostle and Martyr
"Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him."
-said of St Bartholomew by Jesus - Gospel of St John 1:47
Among the twelve apostles great…There was Bartholomew…Known also as Nathanael…Among Christ’s chosen few…He too received The Holy Ghost…And he preached everywhere…That every soul might turn to God…And no one might despair…St Philip introduced him to…The Master and The Lord…And thus he came to understand…The goal he struggled toward…Bartholomew proclaimed the faith…Through all the barbarous East…And in the truest Christian sense…He was a holy priest…His death was double martyrdom…As legend now abide…Condemned to death, Bartholomew…Was flayed and crucified. ~ James Metcalfe, Poem Portraits of the Saints
