Our Family

Our Family

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Remembering our youngest Son...Every child deserves a family

It is approaching the 4th anniversary of our youngest son's death. We still miss him every single day. This is a post from my previous blog, the one I began when we hoped that a Bone Marrow Transplant would cure Sanjay from his Thalassemia Major. 2 months later he passed away in the hospital, a freak brain bleed ended his life...but not his legacy.

13 Years ago this boy was born in India, and within a month was brought to an orphanage. We don't know anything else about his beginnings. I didn't even know about him at the time. But God did. God knew every hair on his head and had already numbered his days. In His great mercy and love, he touched the hearts of a family half way around the world, and we responded to that call, stepping out in faith into the unknown ...and that little boy was adopted into a family...mirroring our own heavenly adoption, when we were baptized and became members of God's family. This little boy was LOVED! And we were so blessed!

 
 Family is a funny thing. There are few others who can irritate, exasperate, and even anger one another...yet also induce such a wellspring of love and protectiveness than a member of your family. God designed families to raise up soldiers for Him. To love one another, to be "sandpaper" to smooth the rough edges off, and to help one another along the path to our Eternal Home. You could say that we've accomplished that goal with the youngest member of our family. It is some consolation to have the hope that we will see him again. We can never take for granted that we will have plenty of time to concern ourselves with Heaven. Only God knows the day and the hour...I hope that my life is pleasing to Him, and that when my days on Earth are finished, He will greet me with the words, "well done...." And on that day, I hope to see Sanjay's smiling face beaming back at me with that toothy grin, along with all of the other loved ones who have gone before us. Lead the way, Little Traveler...
 Happy Birthday in Heaven, sweetie...we sure do miss you here, we are so glad you're a part of our family.   And families are forever.



Monday, June 30, 2014

A Miracle for Max...


This is our sweet boy, whom we just found out has kidney disease. We just found out in the past few weeks the news, and that he has already lost 85% kidney function. Barring a miracle, Max will need a kidney transplant soon. My heart is broken, but I have faith that God will supply us with the strength our family will need to get us through yet another crisis. Prayerfully, we hope God will spare Max, and we ask you if you would please join us in praying for a miracle. We are also asking Sanjay to intercede for his brother from heaven. ( we have very high hopes that he is a saint and a part of the beatific vision)

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Thankful Thursday (Summer)

Thankful for Goofy, Graduating, Girls...
 
Thankful for families who have fun together being silly...
 
Thankful for Homeschool Band and for the friendships made through it...
Thankful for Homeschooling Conferences with writing seminars for teens and for good friends to attend it with...
 
Thankful for our good, faithful Sisters in Browerville who spend a full week on saw-dust drawings just to give honor and love to God...
 
Thankful  for Eucharistic processions through Browerville while singing and praying the Rosary to celebrate Corpus Christi and The Sacred Heart of Jesus...
 
Thankful for 16 baby chicks in my bathtub...
 
Thankful for husbands who make Chick-pens in the garage, so the chickies can move OUT of the bathtub after a week...
 
Thankful for my biggest blessings ( and Saint-makers) my beautiful children...
 
Thankful to be able to attend the SSPX priestly ordinations in Winona again this year...
 
Thankful for first blessings from 12 newly ordained priests...
 

It channels SO much grace from God...thankful for that grace!
 
 
Thankful for Barn Dances with friends...
 
Thankful for hard-working young men from church who re-shingled our garage roof in 4 hours!
 
 
Thankful for our beautiful daughter and her graduation party which was a big success...Congratulations, sweetie!
 
Thankful for Big Barns that are wonderful for dancing...

Thankful for good friends, fireworks and the 4th of July!
 
Thankful for beauty bursting in the sky...
 
 

Thankful for husbands who mix concrete to pour in chicken coops to help keep the mice out and make it easier to keep clean...
 
Thankful for girls weeding gardens...
 
Even when they don't particularly want to...
 
Thankful for family vacations at Wisconsin Dells and for Lazy Rivers...
Thankful for girls in modest swimsuits who are truly beautiful...
 
Thankful for my family and for friends who join us on vacation...
 
Thankful for friendships that are real and lasting...
Thankful for families that get along well together, even in close quarters for 5 days
 
Thankful for fun water parks with wave pools to swim in...
Thankful for a young man who is a child at heart, who was SO happy with the prizes he "won" at the arcade...
 
Thankful for bumper-boat wars...
Thankful for horse-drawn wagon rides as we are getting ready to leave for home...
Thankful for Paul Bunyan Lumberjack restaurants and for generous friends that treat us to a brunch there...
 
 Thankful for Swing dance lessons in our barn and for a great turn out!( 16 couples!)
 
Thankful for Daddies that dance with their daughters...
Thankful for wholesome entertainment for teens and adults alike...
Thankful for my sweet baby daughter who just turned 18...

 

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Until We Meet Again

Dear God, Thank you so much for the blessing of my Mother. It was such an honor and privilege having her live with us these past years. I will always be so thankful for these years, and I pray that others will come to know the blessings of having their parents with them at the end of their lives. Our parents gave us life...God surely knew what he was doing when he designed the family as a model for living. We are given the opportunity to refine our souls and serving our families in this life, perfecting virtue, and honoring our Heavenly Father in the model of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Mom...your joyful heart, persevering faith, and forgiving nature has been an inspiration...may I never forget the lessons you've passed on to me. My love and respect for you will never die! May we be joyfully reunited in the presence of our Savior, until then, I will hold you in my heart and in my prayers...
 
Eternal rest grant her O Lord, and may perpetual Light shine upon her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
 
                                Janet Erpelding  December 29th, 1934- March 1st, 2013
 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Faith and Heartbreak


With the death of our friends daughter...it brings back the knife-blade feeling of losing our sweet Sanjay all over again. My heart aches for Peter and Becky and their family. We miss you, Beth, and we miss you too, Sanjay!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Do You Have a Home Altar?

A central part of our Living room is our family's Home Altar. We have religious art, statues, prayer books, candles, holy cards, rosaries, and our family's certificate stating we are consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on display. We also have a photo, holy card, and hand-print of our precious son, who passed from this life on February 25th, 2011. I often place my hand over Lego Boy's hand print and ask for his special intercession, and tell him how much we all miss him!

 This is the room where we gather for prayer, and it makes it a little easier to keep our thoughts on God and Heaven. It is a peaceful spot, if a bit cluttered at times!
 
 
This is a photo of our Home Altar
It is in our Living room place between two bookcases...
 
This is a photo of Lego Boy at Eucharistic Crusade.
This is Lego Boy's Hand print from the Hospital (2nd class relic?) holding a
rosary made by a little boy in our Catholic Home School group.
 
No Home Altar is complete without Holy Water!
 
Our Sacred Heart Statue is a focal point.
 
We also keep rosaries on our altar...This particular is one was used by Hubby's Great Aunt!

Does your family have a Home Altar? Please join the link up so we can share pictures of  our Home Altars...I am looking forward to sharing our prayer spaces!

PS Can anyone tutor me in how to host a link up to this post? I haven't a clue! LOL...

Here is the Linky for the Bog Hop: Open until September 30th
 http://www.linkytools.com/picturecaption_linky_include.aspx?id=153755


http://trinityacres.blogspot.com/2012/07/our-home-altar.html  

http://www.sueelviswrites.com/2012/07/family-altar.html