Michael, my Nature Photographer

Our new home with its beautiful surroundings has brought out a new side in my son Michael.  He has turned into a nature-photographer!  The other morning I took all the boys outside with me to weed the garden, and Michael asked if he could use my camera to take pictures while we worked.  As an animal-lover and wanna-be photographer myself, I was delighted by the request (even though it certainly slowed down his weeding progress).  Here are some of the best ones...

A male mountain bluebird bringing home breakfast for his babies

2nd breakfast

still more breakfast!

In flight!

Open wide!

Whose turn is it?

You can see a hungry baby crying out for more

Daddy is off to find more food to fill these hungry little beaks.

The beautiful mountain bluebird standing guard

A male Western Tanager...

So bright and beautiful it almost looks like a tropical bird to me.

We were so excited the first time we saw one of these in our yard.

The male Western Tanager perched in the sun

The male Tanager with a mouthful (I mean beak-full) to feed his hungry babies

The female Western Tanager---not a bright, but still very beautiful

The female Western Tanager staying near her nest to protect her chirping chicks

 a yellow swallowtail butterfly on our apple tree

One of the many noisy and cute squirrels on our property

A white-breasted Nuthatch about to fly away in search of food for his little ones

The Nuthatch is notorious for climbing down trees head-first.

He is bringing home a tasty and bright treat for his babies.

This one made me laugh :)

The caption could read:
"Ha-ha, not hunting season!"

I have to admit that I prefer my sons shooting these animals with a camera rather than a gun! :)

July Medjugorje Message to Mirjana---well worth reading

July 2, 2016 message to Mirjana

 "Dear children, my real, living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety; that you may comprehend that pain and joy, suffering and love, make your soul live intensely; that I may call you anew to glorify the Heart of Jesus, the heart of faith, the Eucharist. From day to day through the centuries, my Son, alive, returns among you - He returns to you, though He has never left you. When one of you, my children, returns to Him, my motherly heart leaps with joy. Therefore, my children, return to the Eucharist, to my Son. The way to my Son is difficult, full of renunciations, but at the end, there is always the light. I understand your pains and sufferings, and with motherly love I wipe your tears. Trust in my Son, because He will do for you what you would not even know how to ask for. You, my children, you should be concerned only for your soul, because it is the only thing on earth that belongs to you. You will bring it, dirty or clean, before the Heavenly Father. Remember, faith in the love of my Son will always be rewarded. I implore you, in a special way, to pray for those whom my Son called to live according to Him and to love their flock. Thank you."

a few of my favorite things...

I feel abundantly blessed lately--and genuinely happy.  As one who has battled the dark clouds of depression on and off for years, it feels so good to be plain ol' happy!  Thank you, Jesus, and thank you to all the people who have prayed for me and my family these past few years!  I believe a lot of healing has taken place spiritually and also physically this past year.  I know the graces of Medjugorje helped, the prayers of many people, and also some supplements and diet changes too.  I'm also guessing that I'm experiencing a time of "spiritual consolation" right now.  I know it won't last forever and a period of "desolation" might be just around the corner, so I am soaking in all this joy and grace while it lasts!  :)

Truly though, everywhere I look, I see things that make my heart rejoice.  Especially around our property, I feel like every day a new flower blossoms that I never knew was there before.  We recently discovered that we have raspberry bushes all over the property, as well as wild strawberries growing by our pond right outside our back door.  We even have some apple, pear, and cherry trees--another surprise gift that was beyond our hopes when we were looking for a new home!  We also continue to see more wildlife than we ever imagined.  Already we have seen more deer than we can count, some elk, a mountain lion, a fox, a wild turkey (almost daily), and now the boys are having so much fun identifying all the birds we see in our backyard with the new bird book that we bought.  Some of the most exciting birds we have seen are:  the Western Tanager, the Lazuli Bunting, the Yellow-Rumped Warbler, the Red-breasted Nuthatch, the White-breasted Nuthatch, the Pink-Sided Black-Eyed Junko, the Downy Woodpecker, and many gorgeous Mountain Bluebirds.  I feel like God has given us a mini Garden of Eden!  The other day as Paul and the older boys were coming down our driveway, they saw a doe who had just given birth to a fawn, for it couldn't stand up and fell onto its adorable little face.  The little boys and I saw the fawn the next day, and it was perhaps the cutest thing I have ever seen.  How I wish I had my camera with me!  And just yesterday, when I went out to feed the chickens in the coop, there was a doe waiting outside the coop watching me.  I came out slowly and offered her some of the chicken's food, and she walked right up to me and ate right out of my hand!  She even let me pet her!  It is all so surreal and wonderful--a complete gift.  As Ann Voskamp would say, "All is grace."  We certainly don't deserve any of this, but God loves us so much He just lavishes us with grace after grace.  I continue to be in awe of God's goodness in giving us this new home and countless other blessings too...

Anyway, here are some photos of a few of my favorite things that have been filling my soul with joy lately:

bright and beautiful oxeye daisies

pretty and pink peonies

elegant columbine

oriental poppies practically glowing in the sunshine

If you look closely, you'll see that the pollen inside these poppies is purple.

As I was taking these pictures I saw a few bumble bees collecting the pollen

and they looked so funny because they were covered completely in purple pollen 

(they hardly looked liked bees anymore) and they could barely fly! 

 We discovered a happy surprise hiding inside these honeysuckle branches...

a robin's nest...

with sweet baby chicks!

I can't believe the momma robin let me get this picture!

Paul's mom came for a visit and helped me out so much!

It was fun to finally show her the property (especially because some of the property is actually hers!)

My parents came for a visit too, which always makes me and the boys happy!

My dad helped me plant all the flowers for our window boxes.

Working in dirt makes both my dad and me happy!

Grandma played lots of card games with the boys which filled our kitchen with JOY!

My parents brought with them a gift that will be one of my favorite things forever:

the kitchen table and chairs that belonged to my grandparents on the farm! 

My grandparents passed it on to my parents, and now they have passed it on to my family.

I love how it sits next to the old cookstove that also came from my grandparents' farm.

Our kitchen now feels complete, country-style, and cozy!  

Fishing is one of my dad's favorite things, and he has passed on that love to his grandkids...

Dominic with his faithful sidekick, Natey.

Michael caught one!

Joseph hoping it's his turn soon.

Michael and Nathanael...fishing pals

Grandpa teaching the big boys how to split firewood.

Another reason our property is a blessing---it is teaching our boys to work hard 

and to be proud of themselves for working hard.

The boys caught a tiny baby turtle at the Lake where the big boys went to camp.

They asked if they could bring him home to our pond...

How could I refuse this adorable face?

He is now swimming happily in our pond with our koi fish.

We named him:

Crowder the Legendary Turtle

("Crowder" for our favorite Christian band, 

and "Legendary" because that was the name of the Church Camp where we found him)

This pond makes our whole family happy (including our new turtle, we hope)

This new digital piano (a gift from Grandma Jean--THANK YOU)

is one of the new favorite things in our home.

Playing it is like free therapy for me,

as well as listening to my boys play so beautifully.

Our swing is definitely one of Isaiah's favorite things,

and his sweet smile is one of mine.

Hazel eyes,

angel-kissed freckles,

pink cheeks,

mischievous grins...

these are a few of my favorite things too!

What are your favorite things?

Make a list and thank the Lord!

Medjugorje (double) Anniversary

Yesterday, June 24th, was the anniversary of when the Medjugorje apparitions first began back in 1981.  Wow, that means that God has been sending His Blessed Mother with a message for our world every day for the past 35 years!  What a time a grace this is...I sure hope our world is listening!  Many people think that it is no coincidence that Our Lady first appeared there on the Feast of John the Baptist.  John the Baptist was the herald of Jesus' 1st Coming, asking people to repent and prepare their hearts for Him.  And perhaps God has been sending Mary to Medjugorje as the herald of Jesus' 2nd Coming, asking people to repent and return their hearts back to Him.

This week also marks the 1 year anniversary of when my husband and I made our pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 2015.  So much healing, so much conversion, has taken place for so many souls (including my husband and I) because of these miraculous apparitions of Mary in that little village.  I am so thankful to God for His love and mercy in sending His Son to die for us, as well as His Mother to appear to us in order to point us back to Him.

Here is the latest message from Our Lady in Medjugorje given to Marija on June 25th:

"Dear children! Give thanks to God with me for the gift of my being with you. Pray, little children, and live God’s commandments that it may be good for you on earth. Today, on this day of grace, I desire to give you my motherly blessing of peace and of my love. I intercede for you with my Son and call you to persevere in prayer so that, with you, I can realize my plans. Thank you for having responded to my call."


Here is the history of Medjugorje and the visionaries:
http://atotustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2015/09/medjugorje-101_24.html

And here is our personal pilgrimage story from last year:
http://atotustuusfamily.blogspot.com/2015/10/medjugorje-why-there.html

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Pray for Us!!!

big boys at camp...prayers welcomed

Yesterday we drove 2 hours through beautiful Montana mountains to drop off our 2 big boys at a gorgeous lake for Catholic youth camp.  This is Joseph and Michael's 3rd year at camp, and they are surrounded by their very best friends from school and great Catholic counselors, so I know I shouldn't worry---but I still do :}  One thing that is new this year for our boys, is that they are now at the junior high camp which is co-ed (see why I'm worried?).  Personally, I am not a fan of co-ed camps---especially during the hormonal junior high and high school years!---but no one asked my opinion on the matter.   So I will just have to trust and pray that all the kids there can stay focused on Jesus and not get too distracted by the opposite gender :}  Will you please help me to pray that our boys have an "awe"-some week, filled with new awe at God's love for them, and that they experience a deeper relationship with Jesus so that they will help set this world on fire for Christ and His Church!

I entrusted them to Our Lady, so I know they are in good hands!

Waiting in line with their friends to take the boat ride across the lake to the camp

Isaiah loved throwing rocks in the water

Next year Dominic will be old enough for camp, 

and within a few more years his little brothers will follow.

May this camp help each one of them to know, love, and serve the Lord!

Thank you for praying for these handsome, holy boys!

And while you're praying for the boys, if you could spare a prayer for their anxious parents, that would be welcomed as well! :)