little sisters yes for a "prayer and work camp" in KCK/Magdalene Feast day/The Kingdom of Heaven here! +JMJ+

Here is the final picture before we headed out for Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to drop off the 2 military grandsons.  We were sharing in their life of prayer and dishes.

Augustine weed eating 

All gathered at our wonderful Airbnb for taco supper on the last evening there!  
We arrive at Lumen Christi Monastery for 3 days of service and prayer.  

The girls with Therese, who dropped off her brothers , and then on to Fox Rose Camp.

Rose is 14 and is on to high school next year after graduating from Catholic School.  She is taller than her Aunt Hallel!  

Such a blessing to have our nun to show us the beauty of giving their entire lives to Jesus!  There was some fake plans to the Boundary Waters again this summer.  The grandkids thought doing something that would be a way to grow in their faith by daily mass and works of service.  We asked the little sisters if there would be some time it would work for them - Yes!

And they are off!!  

Hallel describes her life as prayer and dishes.  When you are making meals for a large group - it is a big job and the water has to be heated.  In their lives of poverty, chastity and obedience - they do not have hot running water.  

A special songs of thanks to us performed by them...

Night prayer after a special night in our airbnb which was just 3 blocks from the Monastery.  

Night prayer ends with the singing like angels of Salve Regina!

Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen brings tears to my eyes with the beauty! 

Our nun at 40 is learning to play the saxophone.  She entertained us thoroughly.

Joy was the youngest grand to go along, and she was great!  The other 2 in her age group had reasons they couldn't come.  Maybe next time!?  

St Mary Magdalene was celebrated on Wednesday.  We have granddaughter, Maggie, also celebrating with us too!  

Maggie and Evie with curls...

Mary Grace is a postulant from St Louis, who will be going to France on Tuesday with 3 other young girls including Bernadette from Australia, who will be officially becoming a postulant also - blue skirts and polo shirts until they take the habit.  

From the prayer for that day - so deep and special - "He was both the one she was outwardly seeking and the one who was teaching her inwardly to seek him." 

A birthday greeting to be sent to France!

It was a special gift to share in the lives of the little sisters, and to lend a helping hand to them.

I spent a lot of my time in the kitchen while the young people were out staining, painting, mowing and pulling weeds.  We were so grateful for the break in the weather.  The humidity was less and the temps although at about 100 on our way down - dropped quite a bit for our time.  Thank you, Lord!  

Blue apron in the mornings while Pat and I made breakfast for 14 or so.  Farmer Pat made his famous pancakes and the next day he made waffles!  Hallel said that it was the first time she had waffles since she left home.  

Meals are time to visit and share with each other.  Drinking our bowl of coffee...

Little brother David with Jesus.  We have adoration twice a day - after morning prayer and before Mass at 6p before supper.  

We were blessed by Archbishop Joseph Naumann saying Mass for us each day.  How we are grateful for him inviting our Community of the Lamb to come to the U.S. in 2008 just as our daughter, Susan, was saying "Yes" to Jesus's call to become a little sister in France.  She really needed to know that there would be a foundation in the heart of our country, and so did her parents.  

He is now living with The Community of the Lamb - they built him a retirement home by the little brothers at the foot of the hill, and from his chapel window he can see the grotto.  

Good to see little brother David - the first American brother, who is blind.   He is such a special example of loving and serving the Lord even with a disability.  

Patrick saying goodnight to Our Lady in the grotto after sharing night prayer.  

Shared 17th Sunday of Ordinary time with Nancy and her friend Laura and 10 of their kids.  They had taken in the Laura Ingels Wilder pageants.  It made for a house full...

Shopping for all things sweet for our brunch after Mass for close to 30 this morning.

The Gospel was from Matthew as Jesus continues to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven.  

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls. 
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Matthew 13

Father Steve reminded us that we are that Pearl to Jesus, who gave his ALL for each one of us, whom he loves!  I always love to look at my Catholic Faith as the pearl of great price!

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The amazing story of the 13 becoming Catholic!

On these Sundays of Mass and a huge family brunch at the farm - it seems as though the Kingdom of Heaven is here on this earth as we share our JOY and happiness with food and visiting.  We are so blessed and rejoice in our shared time of Faith/Family/Farm!  

Shopping with 8 today... kind of nuts!

So fun to see the big boys excited to see each other!  

An overnight stay with the military family in Missouri.

Bumpa and Maggie at breakfast - grandpa made waffles for them!  

A large family room in the basement  is great for their 7 kids and for homeschooling.

Supper for 13 - how we love to have BIG family gatherings - the next day we were on the road for 12 hours and so ready to be back home on the farm!  Back to the heat too!  Now we are praying for RAIN please, O Lord!  

Jesus, the blessings flowed all around us.  Now for some back to normal around here.  Jesus, may I die to self so that I may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus 13 in heaven.  

The good tree - hillbilly Thomists

Danielle Rose - the Saint that is just me

Brandon Lake

Brandon Lake - Hard fought Hallelujah

Breakfast talk about the lies Satan has the world believing /Mission trip on the horizon - "Behold, your Mother!" from Jesus on the Cross - +JMJ+

John at Lourdes 2 years after his battle with brain cancer.  We were in France to witness Hallel's taking her first vows with Pat and his 92 year old mother, Anna.  She was very instrumental in bringing John to embrace fully his faith in Jesus, Mary and The Catholic Church!  

The old Wooden Cross which hung in our silver maple tree by the garden at the beginning of the Stations of the Cross that Maria made after she discerned out of the Poor Clare Nuns in Salk Rapids.  This was with us in the little yellow house in Rochester while John went through a stem cell transplant to now we 17 years cancer free!  

Working on a sympathy card for a 39 year old mother of 2, who died from breast cancer a week ago.  John had helped them get to Lourdes for prayers and she then came into the Catholic Church shortly before she died.  "The Eucharist brought her into The Church."

Farmboy David covered with corn dust... he turned 18 two days ago!  "We have another adult." shared his mother when she was making his farm/birthday supper.

With his wonderful ice cream birthday cake!  How we love and appreciate all that this young man does to help on our farm!  He is truly a blessing in his willingness to help so many ways to feed the world!  

It has been especially special to his grandparents to share with him in faith ways - TEC, Walk to Mary, and Sunday Mass where he serves from time to time!  Always look to Jesus, Mary and The Church to find TRUE Happiness in your life, Big Dave!  

Birthday picture out in a beautiful  bean field some years back.  David has blue eyes from his dad.

My swim buddy picking some of his mom's beans in her wonderful garden.

Tom wanted to visit Mary, so we picked her some flowers on the way.  Tom has brown eyes from his mom.

He is so sweet with Our Lady and this old lady too!  He is constantly telling me how much he loves me and giving me sweet kisses!  Oh Tom!!!  

Blowing a dandelion...

15 years ago when we were about to leave after our time in Michigan on the Big Lake.  My parents built a retirement/vacation home on Lake Michigan in the upper peninsula.  It was sold 11 years ago, and I miss it sorely! Growing up on Grand Traverse Bay in the summers has left me with the Big Lake in my heart.  Sigh!  Many of my grandkids now long to go there too, so I have passed it on to them. 

How I am blessed to have my dad's Prayer of The Church left behind for me!  Today he was especially excited about the beauty and Truth he found in Morning Prayer.  Dad and I share such a deep and profound LOVE for The Church!  To have him still with me and teaching me is such a gift!  

https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html  The story of our family of 13 coming into The Catholic Church 55 years ago!  Thanks dad!  

Mother Angelica doesn't sugar coat our calling.

This hot weather is pool time at the farm!  

Grandma with Ruth's 2 youngest, Joy and Tom and John's 3 kids - Jude, Birdie and Lucy.

It was my mom's 97th birthday yesterday... 7 of those have been in heaven.  I shared this picture with my siblings and shared that when I pray for my parents and my sister, Mary, "I picture them in heaven with all their big dogs leaping around them with great JOY!"

Taken just weeks before mom died in a day after a fall in their Assisted Living and breaking her hip.  Dad came to live with me a month later for the last 6 months in my farm monastery on hospice!  Such a gift to me!  He and mom died just 7 months apart after being married for 70 years!

https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/deacon-robert-cross-my-dad-on-hospice.html  

A hot summer with lots of grandkid pool time!

Gina and Tom a year ago.  Gina's family was in Italy on a pilgrimage...

Morning glories.

Saying the Rosary with John and his 3 kids - special time indeed!

Saint Pier Giorgio lived this to the max!  The street was lined with the poor when he died at a young age.

14 years ago in the Big Lake - we had 6 grandkids and now we have 23!  This was for David's 4th birthday!  On the 16th he was 18!   

When Therese turned 4 her mom made her a little sister habit!  Also for her doll, Anna, and the wooden Cross and her rosary were made by her Grandpa, David.  A few years ago her little sister, Evangline, proudly wore it and got a blessing from Archbishop Naumann in it!  

How grandma prays for all my grandchildren to consider a call to a vocation. Such an amazing life that is!  

Beauty of the Eucharist!  Recently Hector had his First holy Communion, and cousins, Jude and George will have theirs in the next year of Catholic School!  

Out in the field picture a year ago with the 3 youngest farm kids!  They are bigger this year with the rain and the heat.  We are getting dry again and need more rain, O Lord!

Hallel here a couple years ago for a mission trip to the Cities.  This year we are going to KC with 6 of the grandkids to spend some time with them in prayer, Mass and adoration as well as helping as needed with the poor.  We also will include some "fun".

This appeared in the Tracy paper 2 years ago when the little brothers hitchhiked to Sleepy Eye.

Tom and Gina when Nancy came down to the farm on Monday.  

Gus and the 3 military boys will join us for our family Mission Trip beginning on Monday through Thursday in KCK.  Many prayers for a deepening of our Faith.  

Pat and I had one of those tough conversations at breakfast about how there is a huge lie that is accepted as Truth by the world!  That is that it is our responsibility to "plan our families."  Pat began our marriage with what the Church asks of us - "Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS for the world!"  His wisdom and answer to me - "The world needs lights."  when I asked if we were being selfish to want to have a large family.  At our engagement weekend all the other couples wanted at most 2 kids and some said the world was so messed up that they wanted no kids!  It breaks our hearts to have these young couples talk about getting their tubes tied after 2 kids! 

https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html 

Oh, Jesus and Mary how we long to share your Truth with the world!  May your LIGHT shine forth.  May we die to self so that we may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus 13 in heaven.

Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen as our Community of the Lamb sings it - angelic!