Literally 2 days after Joseph and Michael ended their baseball season, we packed up the car to head to Aberdeen, South Dakota. Packing the car was no small feat considering we had to pack everything needed for a 2 week vacation for a family of 7... PLUS everything Joseph needed for college!
Every summer our kids love going to grandma and grandpa's house in South Dakota. They love playing cards with grandma, fishing with grandpa, rediscovering Storybook Land, and having fun at the lake where Uncle Mike and Aunt Shawna live... I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story :)
Michael reeled in a whopper of a catfish at Richmond Lake!
Not sure which is more wild, Michael's hair or this giant catfish :)
A view from Uncle Mike's deck.
This is actually the house I grew up in and the neighbors are mostly the same,
so it's always neat to catch up with them every summer when we come home.
Joseph reeling in a big one that got eventually got away.
Michael having fun on the jet ski.
Joseph enjoying some peaceful moments fishing before the chaos of college begins.
Uncle Mike taking Nathanael for a ride.
Nathanael loves the water!
I love that sweet smile! :)
Grandma and Grandpa love watching all the action!
Isaiah so happy and proud to get a ride from his big brother "Joe-Joe" :)
Joseph is such a great big brother, and I bet he's going to miss these little guys while he's away at college.
Joseph and Michael enjoyed playing some indoor and outdoor games at Uncle Mike's
(that is, in the rare moments when they weren't fishing).
The two of them have been practically inseparable for the past 17 years,
so it will be strange for them to be apart this year.
Many, many hours were spent fishing together...
Even Grandpa and Paul enjoyed some leisure time fishing on the dock
(although I think Paul is actually texting instead of fishing) :)
While Grandpa took some of the boys fishing,
Grandma and I took Dominic and Isaiah to Storybook Land.
Kids are never too old for Storybook Land! :)
Dominic and Isaiah riding the roller coaster at Storybook Land.
It's only like a 10 second, herky-jerky ride, but kids still love it! :)
I love Isaiah's face...pure joy written all over it!
Dominic gets this ride spinning so fast it even makes spectators on the ground queasy.
Best of buds at Storybook Land!
A llama taking a siesta at the Storybook Land zoo :)
Isaiah is not scared of the "talking trees" anymore!
He sure is growing up fast!
Joseph and Nathanael showing off some walleye that they caught with Grandpa.
After an amazing few days fishing and bonding with Grandma and Grandpa, Joseph packed up again and we started the LONG road trip to Franciscan University in Ohio--28 hours total one way. We traveled through 9 states in the process: MT, ND, SD, MN, WI, IL, IN, WV, and OH!!! It was a very special road trip though---it was just Paul and I and Joseph, so we really got to talk and bond with our oldest son before sending him on his college adventure. With Covid regulations, we weren't able to take the whole family---plus, the other boys definitely wanted to keep having fun with Grandma and Grandpa instead of spending 5 extra days in the car!
This is a special picture to me.
Joseph confidently venturing on his own into the great unknown,
with a bag of clothes, a backpack of school supplies, and his guitar :)
His dorm is called Trinity Hall and it's located on the very edge of campus,
sort of tucked away in the trees off the beaten path.
It has become his home away from home.
I am so very grateful that he loves it so far at Franciscan!
He has a great roommate and has made great friends with the guys in his dorm.
There's a chapel in his dorm with Jesus in the tabernacle, which really consoles my heart. :)
Even Joseph's RA is a huge consolation to me---he is the assistant baseball coach, a theology teacher, and even discerned the priesthood for a year. I love knowing he is surrounded by good, holy people.
We arrived a day early to walk around the campus, and I honestly have to say that it felt so peaceful and holy. I loved the small size of the campus. I knew Joseph would feel at home here and be surrounded with such faith-filled people that it made it easier to leave him there, even though it is so far from home.
I am so happy that Joseph loves Franciscan so far. He especially loves playing baseball with the team every day (except Wednesdays and Sundays). He is a pitcher for the team, which was always his favorite position and his dream to pitch in college. My heart just overflows with joy to know that my son is happy and thriving in college. May God continue to bless him and guide him closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
Paul and I both shed some tears as we said our goodbyes to Joseph...
Knowing that you're leaving your child 28 hours away from home is HAAARRRD!
He can't just pop in and visit for the weekend...it would take an airplane or a 3 day road trip to get him home! But we truly felt intense peace and joy that overshadowed our sadness at leaving him.
We were able to go to Mass with the President of Franciscan University (Father David Pavonka),
and you could clearly tell he was on fire with the Holy Spirit and had tremendous love for the students at FUS. We didn't get to celebrate Mass in this beautiful church pictured above (Christ the King Chapel). Due to Covid, we had to have Mass in the huge auditorium with everyone sitting 6 feet apart wearing masks, but it was still a beautiful experience. Joseph is able to go to this chapel or a number of other chapels on campus to visit Jesus anytime---what a gift! I love the large San Damiano Cross, which is now a symbol for FUS, because it is the cross that St. Francis was praying in front of when Jesus spoke to him and gave him his commission to "go and rebuild My Church" way back in 1205.
My favorite chapel at Franciscan is the Portiuncula,
which is designed to look like the small chapel that St. Francis rebuilt
when he received the call from God to "rebuild My Church."
There is a tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for people to do perpetual adoration inside.
I sure hope Joseph goes here often to pray and find peace when life gets stressful.
Before leaving the college, I was blessed to be able to pray and entrust our son to the Blessed Virgin Mary... What great peace to know that my son is being taken care of by such a loving mother when his own mother is too far away to take care of him anymore :)
May Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, pray for Joseph and for all of us!
We could all use an little extra peace during these crazy times :)
Totus Tuus,
~Maria
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