Smell the Roses Along the Way! A Gallery….

I love this time of the year. The roses are blooming and the yard is a galaxy of flowers!

We haven’t always had a yard that looks beautiful. But we have always tried, no matter how hard times were, to eke out a little bit to get some blossoms going. Flowers spread joy and happiness. They are a gift from God and therapy for the soul.

We lived in a very small, one-bedroom home for ten years. We had seven children in that home. We tacked on a couple of little make-shift bedrooms for the kids off of our own bedroom.

It took us a few years to build our new home and we moved in when it wasn’t really livable. But it was all good….an adventure. Maybe some day I will write about it and dig up some old pictures.

Anyway, when we lived in the little house, (which many called “the shack”) we always had flowers, though not an abundance like we do now. I didn’t plant perennials there and I am glad of that so I didn’t have to say good-bye to them. But we managed somehow to have our little annual flower garden.

This year, my husband, Vincent, and daughter, Rosie, along with Angelo, the youngest, have done most of the yard work. Vincent has his own small greenhouse now and is able to start a lot of the flowers…or over-winter them from last year. Their team work has paid off! We have lots of beautiful flowers!

So…if you can, plant some flowers, nurture them, watch them grow and bloom. Maybe each year you can get a perennial or two so you can enjoy them each growing season and one day have an abundance of easy-to-care-for blossoming smile-makers!

And when the winter months come, get yourself some African Violets for the house. They are not expensive and they will bring a smile to your heart. 🙂

I love this quote from My Prayer Book by Father Lasance:

“I have always noticed that wherever you find flowers, no matter whether in a garret or in a palace, it is a pretty sure sign that there is an inner refinement of which the world is not cognizant. I have seen flowers cultivated and cherished by some of the lowest and poorest of people. Where these emblems of purity are found, you may rest assured that they represent a hope, and speak of a goodness of heart not to be found where they are absent.”

These photos are  about flowers….and other tidbits of our summer…just stopping and smelling the roses! I hope you are doing the same. 🙂 Click on the first picture to view gallery. (The gallery ended up being a whole lot longer than it was supposed to be…. )

This is our raised garden in the front of the yard. It awaits some renovation.

Our beautiful zinnias!

Zinnias and tomatoes.

We love the daylilies.

They only bloom for about 3 weeks but what a display when they do!

The end of our driveway.

Vincent grew the petunias…we painted the buckets to put them in.

A lot of hard work went into this wall.

Sidewalk up to Grandma’s apartment.

On the way to Grandma’s, there are nooks and crannies with flowers….

This is called the hyacinth bean and it came up from last year. It’s a beautiful vine that will bloom in August.

Vincent planted dahlias this year. They’re lovely!

Grandma’s apartment.

I’ve showed you this before but it keeps getting prettier. Grandma’s pergola that Vincent built for her. (I call her Grandma because my kids do…she is my mom).

Looking down from Mom’s apartment.

This little sumac tree Vincent found in a dumpster. It still had the price tag on it of $75! It’s very pretty.

Our swing is the most used place in the yard. We gather here for the mercy chaplet, for the rosary, and just to chat.

I got these two wrought iron planter chairs from our favorite Thrift Store for a steal! We ordered the coconut bowls to go in them off of Amazon.

Vincent is proud of his spike plant that he over-wintered from last year.

Beautiful colored petunias!

Another rock garden.

Sedum…and yes, Our Lady is due for another coat of paint.

Beautiful Echinacea!

Our cucumber and beet garden!

Pretty little wishing well. And our poor beheaded St. Francis. Father tells us that it is a tradition in Catholic Families….to have a yard statue of a beheaded St. Francis. Hehe (It has fallen down one too many times!)

Coming down from Mom’s.

And of course, gladiolas and doilies on the table!

Gladiolas, dahlias.

Zinnias!

Gemma models one of Rosie’s wreath doilies… Not quite where it belongs.

Enjoying an evening with the priests.

Father Allen made the trip to the parish to give the conferences for the Traditional Family Weekend

July 4th fun.

Friends….

It was early in the morning and Rosie was up. I knew she hadn’t had enough sleep so I was glad when I couldn’t find her. I thought she went back to bed. Then I looked out at the rain and saw an umbrella bobbing in the cucumber patch!

Sure enough! It was Rosie, picking breakfast! (We love our cukes and eat them like apples!)

Margy and Toby

Rosie went golfing with some of the clan to ride in the golf cart.

Magdalene and Agnes

Jeanette

I texted and asked how Rosie was doing and this is the pic they sent.

Silly girls!

Hannah

Jeanette, Margy, Magdalene and Toby

Grandpa, grandson and chiggers!

Jeanette at her house along the creek.

Her three little ones.

Fourth of July party at dom and Sarah’s.

Colin and Z

Jeanette, Mike and Dom

Madeline and Hannah

Gracie

Sienna and Avila

The new pot-bellied pig!

Ordination of our good friends, Father Janosch Donner and Julius Kappler, in Germany two weeks ago!

Father Donner will be visiting in August!

Take time to smell those flowers!

 

Nice Quotes and a Spring Gallery

Some inspiring quotes for your day….

“Happiness in marriage must be earned. It is something you must work out for yourself, chiefly by forgetting yourself and serving others. No marriage is a success unless less you make it so, and that takes persistent effort and, still more, a constant and humble reliance on God.” – Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. The Catholic Family Handbook http://amzn.to/2rsThRU (afflink)

“It’s better to submit a thousand times to losing an argument than let children see a parent fail to exhibit the patience and consideration he’s trying to teach.” – Mary Reed Newland, How to Raise Good Catholic Children https://amzn.to/2v4Reaj (afflink)

Events, An Update and A Giveaway!

Our annual Traditional Family Weekend is around the corner. Below is the invitation and you are welcome to take part!

Here is the promotional video (Friday Night Potluck and Social will take the place of the dance.)

Also, coming up this fall, in this locale, is the fantastic Flint Hills Shakespeare Festival!  It is a great event and all are welcome!

This is the 2018 Promotional Video to give you an idea….

And here is an older post that I wrote about the Festival with pictures, etc.

An Update on Rosie…

Through the help of a couple of very good Catholic doctors, it turns out Rosie most likely has POTS. This stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It is a condition that affects circulation (blood flow). It involves the autonomic nervous system (which automatically controls and regulates vital bodily functions) and sympathetic nervous system (which activates the fight or flight response).

From Cleveland Clinic…

Each case of POTS is different. POTS patients may see symptoms come and go over a period of years.

There are various forms of POTS. The most common are:

• Neuropathic POTS: Peripheral denervation (loss of nerve supply) leads to poor blood vessel muscles, especially in the legs and core body.
• Hyperadrenergic POTS: Overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system
• Low blood volume POTS: Reduced blood volume can lead to POTS. Low blood volume can cause similar symptoms that may overlap in neuropathic and hyperadrenergic POTS

*******

Her recovery from this bout has been painfully slow but we are getting progress. Rosie has not had a “seizure/episode” for a while now. The “up times” are getting longer and she can do some real work outside (which she loves)! By late afternoon and evening Rosie checks out and goes to her room where she reads, prays, crochets and listens to audio books. She would love to take part in what goes on in the family at these times, but not yet….

Anyway, I wanted to give you an update and thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us as we continue on this journey! Thank you!

And Now…..A Giveaway!

The winner will receive this lovely  handcrafted Rosary Bracelet set. Take your Rosary wherever you go!

Also included is this lovely doily made by Rosie.

Just leave a comment here, and your name will be added! It is always great to hear from you. 🙂

I will announce the winner next Wednesday, June 5th!

Parents should remember this: children can get along happily without constantly demanding their parents’ attention, provided there are regular times when Dad or Mom have no concern except being with them.

If we are riddled with anxieties instead of leaving them in God’s hands, we can’t offer our children that kind of time, and they will never feel secure in our love, no matter how many expensive gifts we lavish on them. -Fr. Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom

There’s nothing complicated or magical about learning to be kinder; it just takes greater attention to the things that you do and how you do them. The Hidden Power of Kindness shows you how to become more aware of even your most offhand daily actions. You’ll find simple, step-by-step, and spiritually crucial directions for how to overcome the habitual unkindnesses that creep undetected into the behavior of even the most careful souls.

From the thousands of personal letters by St. Francis de Sales comes this short, practical guide that will develop in you the soul-nourishing habits that lead to sanctity.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Show & Tell/Creativity

“Keep a hobby and ride it with enthusiasm. It will keep you out of mischief, to say the least; it will keep you cheerful. Here as in all things you can apply the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (for the greater glory of God).” – Fr. Lasance, My Prayer Book

Being creative is something that we love to do here!

We all have some sort of creativity within us. Oftentimes it lays dormant because of busy lifestyles, lack of ambition, finances, etc.

This post is meant to encourage you to pick up that needle, that paintbrush, pick that bouquet for the middle of your table, get your camera and go out in nature to take a photo, etc. These things bring joy to the one who is creating and joy to the recipients! It doesn’t take a degree, lots of money or tons of time.

I think it is very important to bring back to life the creativity that God has given us! Don’t let your lifestyle get so busy that you don’t squeak in a little something, just a moment or two where you can let those creative juices flow! It is like therapy to a weary soul!

Some of my girls are not creative in the way you would think of creativity. I tell you this because there are many ways to express ourselves….baking, a lovely dinner, a beautiful garden, etc. It’s not all about a needle and some yarn….Find your niche and begin your innovative path!

All of my daughters and daughters-in-law have creative streaks, every one of them, expressing  them in different ways. I don’t have pictures of each one’s “streaks” but I have included some of them here.

Also, we have been perusing a site called Paint it Beautiful on Facebook where they teach you how to rejuvenate old furniture and turn it into something new with a paintbrush, stencils or maybe a transfer or two. It has been a lot of fun and a cheaper way of brightening up your home without having to buy new things to replace outdated items. (Which we don’t usually do anyway….we wear them out, outdated or not!)

Anyway, these past few months we have done some creating around here. Here is our “Creativity” Gallery….

I needed a new look for these oak cupboard doors. So I painted them bayberry.

Virginia picked up the knobs for me from Hobby Lobby.

And I got this wall print to add to the look.

I wish I had a before picture of this. It was very dark and well, kind of yucky. So I was pleased with the outcome.

This little bench was dark before I got started painting it. I used sharpies to do the doodles on it.

Jeanette did her little bench and used stencils for the butterflies.

Our two wooden doors in the kitchen were very dirty and marked up. So Angelo sanded them. Vincent did a bayberry “wash” on them so it didn’t completely cover the wood.

This stenciling is a little tricky. You have to be careful to have your paintbrush almost dry or it will drip.

Looks nice when it’s done.

Top right is what Gin’s chair looked like. It was still a very nice chair, just dirty.

So…you guessed it! Gin painted it! Looks lovely doesn’t it?

Here’s the next project she is going to tackle.

Vincent is working on a job and the door was replaced. He brought this old door home. Gin and I both agreed it was beautiful! It is now the door on their office and Gin will have fun painting all the intricate parts!

I bought 5 of these chairs (on the right) from a garage sale. After painting and reupholstering (adding a transfer) they transformed into the left picture!

I repainted our old round table that was covered in hard glue (we glued our puzzles on it). It now looks like a brand new set!

I got this little dresser from our lovely little Thrift Shop and asked Virginia if she wanted to redo it.

So she did! And gave it to me for my birthday!

Isn’t it lovely?

The drawers had old, dusty velvet lining them.

Here’s another one of Gin’s lovelies!

I repainted an older baker’s rack.

I used the colors of soapstone and coral.

Then stenciled a flourish.

It’s now our coffee nook.

An old window Vincent brought home from his remodeling job.

I decided to make it into something unique. It sits on top of the cupboard.

Our prie-dieu needed an overhaul….

We were exchanging project pictures via text. This is the picture Theresa sent with the caption: If you think you’re crafty, you need to take a look at what I did! Two weeks ago I painted half a crate yellow, then got pooped out and never finished it. I call it “lacrate ombre.” I’m thinking of giving classes, if anyone’s interested.

Vincent is building a shade garden for Grandma.

This picture doesn’t do it justice….it is so lovely!

And this is what it looks like at night.

We often pray our rosary up at her apartment, with the frogs jumping about. Quite lovely!

Rosie and Angelo have been the landscapers. They built this rock wall beside the Knockout roses.

They tilled and reseeded this grass that Vincent is mowing.

Jeanette’s sourdough bread.

Theresa painted their little rocker.

And their plant stand to match.

This is Z’s wreath…with an old window as the stage.

Theresa made this wreath…

And this one.

This is the center of Jeanette’s table with one of Rosie’s doilies part of the display.

The Knockout roses right now are, well… knock outs! This is the middle of our table with lots of lovely flowers and Rosie’s pretty doily that she gave me for Mother’s Day. (St. Anne graces the middle of the table, too) ❤️

Jeanette took this beautiful picture last night after the storm…

And last but not least, Agnes has something for show and tell, too! She’s growing up! 🙂

First Communion/May Crowning!

May is such a beautiful month…a month of nature’s rebirth, the wonders of spring coming to fruition.

It is also the month of exciting graduations, and the time of expressing our gratefulness on Mother’s Day.

For Catholics, it is much more… It is the Month of Mary, the month of First Communions, Confirmations and May Crownings! A glorious month indeed!

This year, we had our first little batch of granddaughters receiving First Communions. Up to this point it has been grandsons. We had three young girls receiving Jesus for the first time…and what a blessing it was!

I was so inspired by my daughters and daughter-in-law! They made this day so special for the First Communions of their daughter. I’ve never seen anything quite like it…it was almost as big as a wedding! And shouldn’t it be? It is the most important day of their life!

They were ready on the inside. They studied and studied the First Communion Catechism questions throughout the year. When it was time to get tested…they were nervous, but ready!

And all the exterior prep that the mothers went to great length to accomplish…done with such care and fastidiousness, making everything as perfect as they could….They will always remember this day!

Below is the gallery….

Getting prepared for the big day!

Theresa’s getting Sienna ready.

Margy is helping out beforehand.

Margy’s in the choir but had time to do last minute touches.

Little Grace is ready!

Juliettte and Zaelie….best friend/cousins!

Emma

Cousins are ready!

Gin and her two girls.

The Knights of Columbus are ready.

Father gives the girls last minute instructions.

Our Traditional Council of the Knights of Columbus add a beautiful touch!

Processing up.

Consecration.

Group photo with Father Adams.

Vin and Gin’s family.

Colin and Z’s family.

Devin and Theresa’s family.

Outside with the Knights of Columbus.

Vincent/Grandpa with the three granddaughters.

Next day, Mother’s Day…Getting ready for May Crowning!

Little First Communion girls have their roses ready.

Grace carries the crown for Sienna to place on Our Lady’s head.

Devin waits for Sienna and Grace to bring up the crown.

The girls process in with roses.

Sienna is blessed and excited to do the crowning this year.

Dad helps….

Prayers afterwards…

Vin and Gin at Mass

Lovely dresses!

Emma, Gin, Sienna

Emma, Hannah, Sienna

Rosie and Emma

Sienna, Rosie, Grace

Theresa, me, Grace and Sienna

“The objection that a child should wait until he can understand what he’s doing when he receives Holy Communion is no objection at all. He understands as well at seven as at seventy. The Holy Eucharist is a mystery as profound and unfathomable as the Trinity. One does not understand how Christ can assume the form of bread and wine. One believes.” -Mary Reed Newland, How to Raise Good Catholic Children

Questions/My Answers & A Gallery

I have had some ladies ask me questions that I have not had the time to answer. So I thought I would take this time to answer them here. Please forgive me for not getting right back to some of the questions. There are too many things to do and not enough time.…

Question:

I would like to ask for advice…. because my family also believes that daughters stay at home until marriage. Would postponing a career still be wise if you’re still single after your twenties, yet feel that God is not calling you to religious life? Also, what if you are the youngest or one of few siblings, how would you keep yourself busy at home without young brothers and sisters?

Answer:

I think one question to ask is…Does your daughter WANT a career instead of marriage? When you say a career, do you mean the time and money put into a college degree in order to pursue a particular field? Or do you mean a job for “something to do” or to earn some income until she finds Mr. Right?

We encourage our girls to find many things to keep them busy….in a more organic atmosphere. Helping the parish, volunteering (or being paid) at our little school, working for their siblings with the nieces and nephews all fall into the category of “organic”. They have also had jobs in our town close by, and this is a good chance for them to learn responsibility and how to handle the world…mind you, we are picky where they work. Once they get of age, though, this is their decision, but hopefully they will listen to our advice.

I do believe it is important, if they have a job, that they still live at home. They need our support….and I don’t think it is a valuable thing to live on their own (or with a friend) unless needed….(and there may be times when it is.) Too much independence is not necessarily a good thing. The world and its maxims pull and pull….

So back to your question…no, I don’t think college and a career are an answer to filling in time. There are so many fulfilling things that can help a young lady grow…spiritually and mentally….that she does not have to seek her fulfillment in a “career”.

As far as keeping busy at home….your daughter can learn a craft….and sell her wares. This is always exciting (well, not all the time…but when it’s not, then it’s called “character-building”). But to make something beautiful is therapy…and to sell it is satisfying!

Every girl has skills and talents that can be tapped into in order to fulfill her own life and bring joy to others. This must be cultivated! And then pray that the flowering of her vocation comes to fruition!

Charity is huge for the fulfillment of a young lady still at home. If she makes herself busy at the service for others, her inner happiness will grow. In turn, she will “turn heads” and Mr. Right may be just around the corner!

A beautiful balance of prayer, outside activity (whatever it may be…going to a community function, babysitting or cleaning house for someone, etc.), home chores, self-improvement (books, online classes, learning home-skills), and a fulfilling craft can fill up each day. When offered to God in the morning, it will serve her tremendously better than seeking a career.

On a side note – Yes, we need good nurses and good teachers. If your daughter wishes to pursue these noble careers, she should also be ready to leave it aside to raise her own children, should she get married.

Here’s a post to peruse that I wrote a while back.

If You Want to Find the Right Person…..You Must BE the Right Person

 

Question:

You mentioned in your second point (in the post, Raising Girls) that if the kids ever said no or struck you they would be swiftly punished. Can you elaborate on that?

Answer:

I am not against spanking used with discretion, balance and without anger. So…if my child said no to me or struck me they could see, first off, through my expression, that I was horrified…this was no little thing, it is not acceptable, I am your mom and you DO NOT step over the line!

Then I would spank their hand or their leg. Nothing terrible. If they began to cry and kept it up, they were sent to the office (right off the kitchen) to calm down. When they were done, they could come out. For the most part, this lasted 1 – 5 minutes. I was always checking on them….and never left them in there too long…though I found that generally wasn’t a problem.

Consistency is important. I know there are strong-willed children out there that are difficult. Keep it up….your own consistency will pay off.

Remember….this consistency is not all about spanking.

There are other areas to be consistent. Are you letting them get away with being controlling and pushy throughout each day? If you have a child that gets very angry when he doesn’t get his way, take away the object that is desired….or some other consequence. This won’t be perfect with so many littles but keep trying. (Believe me, my consistency wasn’t perfect!)

It is important, too, that you are surrounding them with joy and love in between times. Then they won’t want to break friendship with you and will want to get over the “bump” in order to have that mutual bond. This doesn’t mean you have to be continually saying encouraging things, doing stuff with them, etc.. No. Just a general atmosphere of love and joy. Not easy. Not perfect. But something to strive for.

Pray for guidance from the Holy Ghost…and strength from Our Lady who sees it all.

Question:

In your post of Raising Daughters you did not mention about boys. Any tips?

Answer:

Boys need men. When my boys were able to help their dad on his construction work, they were encouraged to work with him, in between schooling. In my estimation, the work becomes more important. Sitting in a desk for long periods of time as the boys hit puberty is not necessarily bad but they had better be wearing off some of that testosterone with some good, sweaty, self-fulfilling work!

Mom oftentimes has to take second fiddle as the boys learn to work. In other words, we begin to encourage them to take flight (in controlled circumstances) and don’t get personally offended when the men are their idols. They still love us, but they are learning to be men. And we have to let go of that control that we used to have, to a certain extent. Not that they don’t have to listen to us and do their daily duties, but it may become harder for them to listen to Mom. Insist on it, but don’t think that isn’t normal.

Encourage them in their hobbies…even if it means a mess. Oh boy! How many times have my boys made a mess in the yard working on something! It was irritating…but oh! so valuable!

Don’t let them spend time in their rooms besides sleeping and getting dressed. Technology? Well….pretty much nil! Boys are better off without it…unless highly monitored. Right now, my Angelo is working on painting a picture on the counter….watching a Bob Ross Youtube. But he is right here where we can see everything. He looks for airsoft guns on Amazon….but right in front of us. Never let them have at it with technology!

The hardest thing for me with my boys was letting go. As a homeschooling mom I had much control. With the girls, they still stuck pretty close by and listened, for the most part. The boys were much more independent and it was hard. Our oldest son was pretty much on his own by 17 years old and was building a wall for the monks in Wyoming by 18. He met his future wife there and ….well, that was it! Ouch! but it is what we have raised them, for, right?

So, my point in this is, encourage healthy and wholesome independence….not without respect for Mom and Dad, but just knowing that, when done the right way, it is a very good thing!

I know there is much more….purity (which is huge for a boy), work ethic, etc. It would make a long post and I am hoping that you are tuned in to this website because I do have lots of posts on this type of stuff. Look in the different categories (especially parenting) or put it in the search bar.

And now for the gallery that I wanted to put before you so you can see some progress in the Lenten Activities (and other stuff)….

 

Haha! Huckleberry (the dog) is making sure Ethan can’t go anywhere!

I just had to laugh when Z sent me this photo! What precious, pooped little people! haha

Grandpa and Toby…

Rosie has had a couple of better weeks. She has taken a downspin the last week but we are hoping it is very temporary.

Painting her trunk.

Mom lives in an apartment attached to our home. What a blessing she is to us! 💖Here is the little gazebo that Vincent built for her this year using an old picket fence. It is so quaint and pretty and will look beautiful once the vines start growing up the sides and all the flowers are in full array!!

Rosie is blocking and starching new doilies!

Rosie and Agnes happened to have the same pattern on their dresses!

Rosie and Margy…

Lots of new baby kids at Colin and Z’s.

New puppies over here!

Cottage cheese pancakes are one of our favorites! And you don’t feel all carbed out afterwards! 1 1/2 c. oats, ground in blender, 4 or 5 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese.

Put in blender and you have batter for some lovely and delicious pancakes.

Slather with good butter (Kerry Gold) and organic 100% maple syrup. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Mike and Jeanette’s littles!

Helping in the garden…

Kansas is not Kansas without spring prairie fires.

It can be very beautiful.

Our neighbor farmers burning their field out our front door.

Lovely!

Unfortunately, during a burn, our son-in-law, Vinnie got badly burned.

The unfamiliar four-wheeler he was driving stalled amid the flames.

Here he is ….healing up.

Laetare Sunday…with Rosie’s lovely doily underneath the Infant of Prague.

Passion Sunday, the Infant of Prague is donned with the purple of Lent once again. And a purple doily created by Rosie.

Agnes is working on her Lenten pathway to the cross.

Our own Crown of Thorns is being filled up with the flowers of sacrifices.

Theresa’s Crown of Thorns is getting filled with flowers, too!

Agnes has her Resurrection Garden prepared!

Just had to share. Here men are kneeling in Poland, praying the Rosary, led by the priest.

A Quote from St. Francis de Sales & A Gallery

A lovely quote and reminder from St. Francis de Sales….

“Theotimus, we must be always rendering ourselves pliable and tractable to God’s good pleasure, as though we were wax.

We must not trick ourselves into willing and wishing for things, but leave them to God for Him to will and do them for us as He pleases, “casting all our anxiety upon Him, because He cares for us,” as the holy apostle says.

Note that he says, “all our anxiety,” that is, not only our anxiety as to accepting events but also that of willing or not willing them. He will have care as to the outcome of our affairs and to will whatever is best for us.

A Giveaway, Photos and a Non-Update….

God is very patient….

I am not. Ugh.

I really wish I could update you that Rosie is doing better. But she isn’t.

I know some were confused because of the older Valentine’s Post I recently put up which sounded like Rosie was at least up and going to Legion of Mary. She’s not.

Please keep up the prayers. We are very grateful.

Here are some photos, Giveaway follows….

Margy, Gemma and Hannah on Gemma’s 15th Birthday

Rosie and Angelo get into the fun….

This ‘n’ That and an Update

How time flies! It is mid-January, the Christmas season is waning. We still have our tree and decorations up and we still listen to some Christmas music. I have a couple of lovely chaplets that I say off and on throughout the season to the Holy Infant from this fabulous book of Chaplets called My Treasury of Chaplets.

Below is a gallery of the last month or so.

But first, an update on Rosie….

We’ve had some progress and we keep plodding along. Her seizure-like episodes are less frequent. But her headaches are debilitating and very frequent and she is not able to do much of anything…except pray, some reading,  crochet and listen to audiobooks. She spends much of her time in her room. So she is still struggling very much.

We have more lab work coming.

It has not been easy…

My two married daughters started a GoFund Me Page to help out with some of the expenses. I will post it here but we most appreciate the prayers…

The page is here.

Update: The Get Well Fund for Rosie will be up for a little while longer if any would like to help. Father VanderPutten, in Nigeria, will be saying a Triduum of Masses for those who donate. Thank you kindly and please remember Rosie in your prayers.

And now a gallery…. Click on the first picture to get full-screen.

Rosie spent most of Christmas day in her room but she had visitors….

Getting ready for Christmas dinner.

David (our son-in-law’s brother) opened his gifts at Mike and Nettie’s new home.

Dad and Mom

Colin and Z’s family at Christmas breakfast.

Oh Petey…so cute!

Virginia’s teapot. She has become like her mother….tea is a necessary part of life!

Theresa’s chocolates with liqueur inside. What a look!

Adrian was so happy with his bow and arrow from Grandma and Grandpa (who are also his godparents).

The grandkids like the books we gave them….

Grandma is excited about her “Star of the Sea” statue!

Dad is excited about his new books!

The girls like their hats…

And their cups!

I like my “Mary, Undoer of Knots” statue. There are some wonderful prayers and novenas in honor of her…

Margy opens the gift from Hannah and says, “An ugly sweater! I LOVE ugly sweaters!”

Hannah is appalled!

Rosie gets a special picture.

Margy’s cup…

Rosie’s photos with her dear friend, Theresa/

Hannah’s scarf set.

Angelo and Rosie get drill bits. Hopefully Rosie will be able to use them soon…

Angelo and Dad with new hats and Angelo’s candle putter-outter.

This scrapbook was made by Margy for all the girls before Rosie decided to enter the convent. She thought Rosie wouldn’t be able to see it….

Angelo’s funny hat.

Angelo’s middle name is Raphael…so his patron is the Angel Raphael…thus the picture!

Rosie has not been able to make it to all of Mass until Christmas day.

Margy and Angelo

Margy and Angelo

Angelo painted his first picture and gave it to us for Christmas.

We were impressed.

Most of our family rosaries are still said in Rosie’s room. Here they are singing after the rosary.

Devin and Theresa’s kids putting a big puzzle together with Cathy, their “other” Grandma.

Grandma Cathy

Devin’s mom and grandma…

Colin and Z enjoying an evening watching The Piano Guys in concert…

We hung our Christmas balls from Rosie above the piano. Notice the St. Anne picture I bought myself for Christmas!

A lovley friend from the blog gave me this pretty Blessed Mother ornament.

Can you tell Devin is ecstatic about his gift??

Virginia and her girls.

Magdalene making cookies.

Agnes helps.

Yum!

Colin and Z’s kids help decorate.

Rosie

Gemma’s ears were plugged so she is doing ear candles. Haha…looks bizarre, doesn’t it? But they work!

Rosie is up and writing a letter.

Putting candy canes (from the Health Store) on the tree.

With Advent and Christmas being pushed aside because of sickness, Gemma took it into her own hands to do the Spiritual Christmas Crib. This is how far she got.

Margy and Magdalene

Girls plucking at the piano. Or is it pounding?

Virginia had everyone over just before Christmas. I stayed home with Rosie.

Her house was decorated beautifully!

Agnes and Magdalene’s Christmas pose.

Colin and Z;s stable and decorations.

Rosie, Gin and Peter.

Devin and Theresa’s family getting ready to decorate.

“Uncle ” Dave helps.

Mmmmm….chocolate cheesecake sweetened with raw honey!

Poor Petey’s pooped!

Decorating Jeanette’s new house.

Jeanette hung her Christmas balls from Rosie from the ceiling.

Virginia gifted herself with a Christmas apron she made!

Virginia’s tree

Some of her decorations.

The girls’ new hats.

Rita’s new coat and hat.

Making Christmas cookies.

Flowers abound with two sick ladies at Christmas!

Gracie is Santa’s elf as she bears gifts for the neighbors!

Angelo is busy making Trim Health Mama tootsie rolls!

Gin’s kids are busy making gifts for the cousins.

Beautiful!

Theresa’s family is bearing gifts for the neighbors.

Devin is part of the charitable endeavor!

Theresa was our elf this year! With Margy and Rosie sick, decorating was at a standstill.

So Theresa came to the rescue!

Gemma discovered this Santa suit in the decorations….what a nut!

I was excited this year to find little light-up houses at our favorite Thrift Store!

I’ve wanted to have a little village for the grandchildren to gander at!

This is the chapel…

I was able to get the nuns and the priest at Menards.

I’m pretty sure I enjoyed the little light-up village more than any of the kids!

Z’s yummy cookies!

We babysat for Colin and Z so they could enjoy a quiet evening at home for Colin’s birthday.

Girls, girls

Margy will never forget this Christmas!

Gin and Peter came to visit.

Dad making Christmas ornament gifts.

Zaelie helps her mom do the wrapping….

Our son, Sep, owns a granite company. Our children bought us this countertop for Christmas.

Sep supervises his workers. haha

Beautiful granite countertop!

Gin’s stable scene

A good game of Catch Phrase….

I was so happy that Rosie was able to read to Angelo. Her headache usually is too bad. So I snapped the photo.

Rosie spent many hours making gifts for the family…through headaches and all.

They are quite beautiful and we will treasure them.

The Christmas balls line Rosie’s closet as she finished them.

Getting ready to gift…

Mike and his girls….

Mike and Jeanette have been working very hard to get their house built and to move in. (It’s in the background)

They lived in the basement for several months. Just before Christmas they moved in!

Two of our boys and hubby work for Mike and his painting company. They make a great team!

So they all worked together to build his house!

This is the hearth and masonry wall Vincent built. He also did the neat mantles surrounging it.

Peek-a-boo! Toby is happy in his new home!

We had a recent snowfall in Kansas. These pictures were taken by Brad Neff from Kansas Whispers….used with permission.

His FB page is Kansas Whispers…

Kansas can be quite beautiful!

I grew up in the middle of Canada where it was cold and bleak. So, I love Kansas. If it is cold, it won’t last too long!

Hehe

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Well, here we are, it is Christmas Eve. The Advent season has quickly passed, we have struggled this year and had to leave some things aside, but we have done the priorities…one being the St. Andrew Christmas Novena.

The younger girls, Hannah and Gemma, have risen to the occasion. Gemma has been working on the Spiritual Christmas Crib by herself and made cookies for the neighbors. Hannah has been picking up the pieces over here and helping some of the married girls in their own homes.

Two of our married daughters made dinner for us a couple of nights. Some friends did, too.

Theresa came over, with her four children and spear-headed and helped with Christmas decorating! It was wonderful….they did a lovely job! 🙂

Margy is on the mend after her surgery. It is nice to see her smiling face around the kitchen again. She is moving slow but happy to be back at it!

Rosie’s last 3 days have been more stable. I am very grateful. She can quickly spiral downwards but here’s to hoping this is a trend….

I hope to post photos sometime Christmas week.

May you all have a Blessed Christmas! You are in my prayers, thank you so much for the prayers you have sent our way! ❤

 

Mike and Jeanette’s family

Dominic and Sarah’s family (another baby on the way)

Colin and Z’s family

Devin and Theresa’s family

Vincent and Virginia’s family

hehe

All of us…