We got to see, hear, and be BLESSED by the pope at his praying the Angelus on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square. Annie began saying, almost incessantly: “See pope!  See pope!”   We finally said, “The pope is taking a nap.”   Now she seems to think he is ALWAYS taking a nap,…

     One of the richest treasures of late is the way Ron’s and my thoughts have converged on the same topic without realizing it.      Ron’s class, Faith and Culture, emphasizes the writings of Pope Benedict XVI, one of Ron’s heroes. Ron chokes up just talking about the pope, sometimes.  To Ron, he…

    I’m working on Mom’s scarf every day!  I just LOVE it (and LOVE her!!)!

      After not cooking a lick for 6 weeks, I have exploded in a cooking craze–I have made lunch and dinner every day this week at the outdoor kitchen here on campus.  We use the outdoor grill and bread/pizza oven.  I am whipping up things I have only dreamed of in years past (thanks…

This summer, Jake is absorbing lots of the college lectures he is hearing! He mentioned to me that “Dr. Hansen and I love history.”  (Well, Dr. Hansen is the history professor!) 

Here is little Annie singing, “It’s a Grand Night for Singing,” from State Fair: “It’s a grand night for singing, the stars are bright above,The earth is aglow and to add to the show,I think I am falling in love–falling, falling in love.”

   The only real problem has been all the BLOOD!  So many accidents!    While Ron and older kids were in Assisi, I got glass in my toe.  It took me 3 days and a grueling self-surgery to get it out.  A true, bloody mess.     Then, when the girls and I were in Siena, I…

    The trip home would be hard–so we offered it up for a special intention.  Each child was given strict instructions about what they could and could not do, and they were SAINTS.  A laborious trip wound up being a true blessing!

     Oh, the girls and I devoured Siena.  We walked every sleepy street.  We made our pilgrim way to the home of St. Catherine, and to her Dominican church.  Lounging around our pension room (a renovated 14th century town home–that is when St. Catherine of Siena lived!) we told all her stories.  Then, when…

     Then we did a crazy thing–Ron and the 5 kids came up to Florence and met me there.  We spent a day–Leigh and I went to the Uffizi and saw most of the works of her art project!  My high point was walking into the Botticelli Room and Leigh gasping, “Botticelli!  It’s Venus!…