A fun post!
Some recent videos Gin and I had fun making….
My daughter, Gin, gives a little tour of her son’s shop that he built.
Gin‘s beginnings of making a vintage dress out of a curtain. (Part one)
Gin gives us a brief peek into her crafty business of making a vintage dress out of a curtain. (Part Two)

A tour of our spring flowers at the beginning of their growth, the beautiful rock garden handiwork and our two grottoes. 🌺💐🌸🌷
“Where flowers, 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.” -Fr. 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.” -Fr. Lasance, My Prayer Book
Welcome to my June Gallery of…Home
What do you think makes a beautiful and happy home? How important is this?
Having a happy home is crucial to the spreading of our Faith. To whom do we want to spread our faith? First of all, to our children. They need to see the deep and lasting beauty of our faith shining forth in our everyday lives, making our home beautiful and happy.
Our faith is oftentimes an unspoken reality, the undercurrent in the everyday bubbling brook, that flows into every facet of our lives.
This happiness does not have to be unrealistic. Life is what it is and there are many days where the smiles don’t come as easy and nerves are rawer because of whatever is upsetting the apple cart at the time. These are opportunities too.
A good priest said that if our kids see ONLY that life is perfect at home, if they grow up wearing rose-colored glasses all the time, they are going to get quite a jolt when they enter into their own vocation and it is less than perfect…and it will be. So it is good that the kids see reality, too.
That being said, we need to create a home that is joyful and lovely, in amongst the “real”-ness.
Let us live more for our homes. Let us love one another more. Let us cease to complain, criticize, and contradict each other. Let us be more patient with each other’s faults. Let us not keep back the warm, loving words that lie in our hearts, until it is too late for them to give comfort. Soon separations will come. One of every wedded pair will stand by the other’s coffin and grave. Then every bitter word spoken, and every neglect of love’s duty, will be as a thorn in the heart. -J.R. Miller, early 1900’s
Click on the first picture to view the gallery…. (Thank you to Henry Toenjes for permission to use some of his Pilgrimage photos.)
- I went to our favorite Thrift Store/Coffee Shop one morning and sent this photo to the girls to make them jealous…haha
- Gin found some nice cups there.
- And lots of material for many projects!
- She also got her kids an old sewing machine. This machine is all steel and will be able to take some abuse.
- So Tony is threading it and getting ready to sew!
- As Gin leaves the store, the kids are excited about their new wheels!
- Gin made this jumper out of a curtain from God’s Storehouse. She embroidered the little flowers on the corner.
- New little nephew, Sean, is getting some aunty attention during potluck night.
- We make this homemade ice cream very often!
- The girls and Angelo are off to a Pilgrimage in Missouri.
- At one point, Gemma leads the way!
- Silly girls!
- A grotto along the way…
- The pilgrims. Angelo is holding the banner this time.
- Father leads prayer.
- And says his Divine Office.
- Time for lunch.
- And a little breather.
- Night time.
- I don’t know what Father is saying here…but he is an EXCELLENT story teller!
- At the steps of their destination.
- The Church – The pilgrims are tired and sore, but happy.
- Holy Mass
- Emma (Gin’s first girl after 5 boys) at her home
- Gemma and Juliette.
- Annie and Peter
- Theresa took the boys for an outing. Adrian, Isaac, Brendan, Jacob.
- Gemma’s fooling around again.
- Our yard at sunset.
- Our grotto has been such a source of peace and beauty.
- At night.
- Gemma is fiddling with my settings on my phone. This is sedum that peeks out of the rocks here and there in the yard,
- Our cottonwood tree “snowed” in June!
- Our wisteria in the forefront, Vincent and I in the background.
- A little fawn we found.
- Margy is enamored. We found its sibling and put it back hoping the mother would come back for them.
- Getting ready to go to the ordinations.
- They’re off!
- Mike and Jeanette are heading to the ordinations, too! Angelo is traveling with them and we will meet up there.
- A picture of the ordinations from where I was sitting.
- The after party.
- The ordination reception hall
- The newly ordained Father Audino!
- Talking to newly ordained Father Dalimata
- Rosie, Rev. Mr. Elijah, Brother Maria and Father Adams.
- We will be going to Rev. Mr. Elijah’s ordination in October.
- Meeting other seminarians….
- Toby and Rosie.
- Mike and Jeanette chat with Brother Maria.
- First Blessings.
- Chatting with Father Loftus.
- Mike and Jeanette pose with their two Godchildren.
- I pose with one of ours…Philomena.
- Ben and Annie….getting ready for a party?
- Uncle Vin with new nephew, Sean!
- Our flowers.
- One of the kids took this panorama.
- And this one.
- Uncle Johnny, my husband’s brother is working for us right now. I went to get him for a phone call and found him buried in a mulberry tree, his face and fingers dripping with evidence!
- Jeanette’s strawberries.
- 3 baskets for 3 little pickers!
- Agnes and Magdalene.
- Jeanette’s flowers….
- Clematis
- Viburnum bush
- Gin’s Violas
- Gin’s Petunias
- Rosie is tired…
- Gin bought another curtain and is working on a dress…
- Picking sour cherries at Theresa’s.
- Grandpa devoured them!
- Uncle Johnny… haha
- Brendan picked a centerpiece for their table!
- I’m working on my cabochons…
- Lots of lovelies!
- At Vin and Gin’s for Sunday brunch!
- Theresa and Gin. Gin broke the news that morning that they are expecting number 10!!
- Margy and Z.
- One of Gin’s kids made this dish!
- Gin and her girls.
- Agnes and Magdalene are busy baking!
- Mike and Jeanette’s little people
- Toby likes the fresh asparagus!
- Hannah and sweet baby Sean!
- New kittens at Gin’s!
- Edward (Gin’s oldest) is working on something…
- Wonder what it could be?
- Annie wonders too…
- Peter is trying it out!
- Oh lovely!
- A little bridge for Gin!
- She is busy putting a landscaped edge along her fence!
- Flowers from the garden to the table!
- Hollyhocks are blooming this year.
- We planted them up by our shed hoping they would do something.
- I gave Adrian some “slime” for his birthday. He finds it quite intriguing.
- Picnic lunch at Theresa’s with Z’s family!
- Mike and Toby went fishing!
- Vin and his boys…
- Angelo is fishing
- Barbeque at Colin and Z’s!
- Wowsers! Yum!
- Our golf cart comes in real handy! Angelo got it free off of FB Marketplace and fixed it for us.
- One side of the garden…Inca marigolds, zucchini and tomatoes, and zinnias
- The other side of the garden….beets, chard, cucumbers.
- Rosie like to sit and say her prayers here.
- Mary Garden
- Sacred Heart Grotto.
- Our wheelbarrow with wave petunias, sweet potato vine and geraniums
- Emma, Gin and Juliette
- My son, Sep, that doesn’t like pictures of him posted. Oh well, I got one anyway! The logo on the back of his T-shirt is for his granite company…Sarto.
- Edward (our oldest grandson) is out haying.
- Our gerbera daisies and verbena.
- Theresa’s new soap cutter!
- Jeanette’s new potatoes.
- Yum!
- Jeanette’s gladiola
- And her lovely dahlia.
- First zucchini
- Father Huber does the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart at Mike and Jeanette’s
- Little Annie
- Tony, Nathan, Peter
- Off to Idaho with Father Adams….
- Staying in a guest cabin at a good friend’s home.
- Lovely cabin!
- Lots of lakes
- And things to see
- Places to shop
- Lake pier
- Easting breakfast with their friend, Ernie, who lives in Post Falls.
- Gemma, Rosie, Angelo and Hannah.
- Boating…
- Tubing….
- Beaching….
- Vacationing is pretty tough sometimes….haha Angelo!
- Beach at night
- Going on the lift up to the top of the mountain.
- Gemma’s not impressed.
- Eating on the top of the mountain
- Father and Kiki
- Sunset…
- One of Vincent’s rabbit hutches
- Butterfly bush. These make the loveliest cut flowers!
- Pretty flowers at Theresa’s.
- My butterfly bush centerpiece.
- Three vibrant colors of Echinacea…red
- white
- yellow
- Peter and Annie trying to cool off in 100 degree weather!
- Edward and Vin cook dinner as Gin is suffering from morning sickness….
- Vincent’s declicious? breakfast he cooked up. Fresh chard on top.
- Agnes’ new bunnies!
- Jeanette’s raspberry garden
- Devin’s Father’s Day gift!
- A cute little trailer for his four-wheeler!
- Peter in the back of his dad’s truck.
- The kids are still in Idaho and I sent them this photo saying this is the excitement at home! In other words…no excitement…which is the way I like it!
- Theresa’s soaps for the fathers in her life. With the added rope to easily hang on their shower faucet!
- Baking with friends….
- Magdalene and Toby’s birthday cakes…soon to be part of the strawberry shortcake!
- Little girls everywhere!
- Grandma gives them some tips.
- Princess for a day!
- Toby’s new boots!
- Mulberry Maggie!
- New baby with Rita as Sarah looks on.
- Beautiful evenings…
- Baby Sean
- Sweet!
- Awake!
- Dad David…Happy First Father’s Day, Dave!
Very cool on the curtains! I have some awaiting, but it also works well with table clothes, and some sheets, just watch out for wear on the sheets. But they make great slips and underpants (bloomers). 🙂
Pretty garden, I am not a green thumb my sweetie is. 😉
Your pictures always lift and encourage me! Thank you so much for sharing, God bless you and your family always!
Thank you for taking the time to post all these photos and videos Leane! We love to look through them and get some wholesome inspiration. I am in awe of Virginia. Soon to be ten children and she looks amazing! 🤗
Congratulations to Virginia on number 10 ! One more and we will be tied 😀. I hope her morning sickness doesn’t last too long !!