It's been a while- today is Pat and Romeo bday!/family canning and gathering - T to the U of Mary/Fake plans for Hallel -+JMJ+

Romeo is 12 today and he is the third of our group of 3 boys to join the other two - Luke and Dominic!  He is also a birthday buddy to his old grandpa Pat!  They are 60 years apart, so doing the math -Pat is 72 today!  

The two older brothers made a board game for Romeo, and so the 6 kids were all sharing in the fun!  Oldest sister, Therese is now away at college at the U of Mary in Bismarck!  

Up on the river bluffs of the Missouri River.  WE had both Ruth and Nancy go there, and we are so happy that our T has decided this wonderful Catholic College is a good fit for her!  She is going into nursing and Catholic Studies!  Her Aunt Ruth did nursing there too!  

All snuggled into her dorm room!  

Saying goodbye to her two youngest siblings - Hector and Maggie.  She was a mother figure to them, and probably changed more diapers than her mom.  Ruth has said that Maria would bring home a new baby and say; "Look Therese I have a new baby for you!"  

Hector is 7 and he was weeping as was T!

Pat celebrated his birthday on Sunday with the fair board appreciation.  Yes, he is 72!  

I rarely bake anymore as we don't need to eat it, but I made him a poke cake for the first time in many years!  He asked for it...

In 3 days it will be Hallel's birthday!  I remember that I thought I might have her on Pat's birthday, but I had to wait 3 days. She called with news that she will be going to France for this next year.  She is busy now in Kansas City with the construction of a gathering space, so she will leave when that is completed.  Then before she leaves for Saint Pierre, France - she will get a home visit!  

I am hoping that Maria and kids can drive her home to the farm so that we can all be together with her!  That is my favorite most beloved time - when my family can be together!  It is also hugely crazy with meals for 30+ people!  It looks like she will come during Advent in December, but at this point it is all Fake Plans, which is how we roll around here!  

Romeo and Therese - these kids are homeschooled as they move amost every year in the military!  They are so close!!!  

Today is also the Memorial of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows!  With the Exultation of the Cross yesterday - all so deep and powerful!  

Romeo with his 2 older brothers, David and Patrick and Fr John Drees.  They would serve at each daily Mass in Taylors Falls, MN!  Now their 7 year old brother, Hector has started to serve since his First Holy Communion.  

The family job of weaning the calves happened on Labor Day weekend when everyone was home - Simon pushed them up from behind!  

Ruth and David working 

Ruth and Paul with shots and pour ons!  

Rose and Luke too!  Joy recorded!  Family jobs make it go as smoothly as possible!  How we love and appreciate our farm family!  

John's family came and helped in the big canning job!  

Also on Labor Day we had a huge family canning job - 75 quarts of Spaghetti sauce and 45 quarts of tomato soup!  The difference this year was that Nancy brought the tomatoes from her coop garden in Delano!  Ruth and I have next to none this year!  

Nancy with her two youngest daughters and the red sauce!  Both Bill and Nancy and their 6 kids came for our huge family canning day in my kitchen!  

Nancy's oldest Augustine says the sauce is very good!  This is why we do the work!  

Ruth and Nancy canning together.  We love our family canning days!  Nancy just called and she has another 2 pails of tomatoes to do - salsa this time maybe on Friday!  

Thumbs up from Birdie - why we do the work!  

5 canners = 15 quarts each and makes a total of 17 quarts!  

The "big square" holds 40 quarts and we fill it to the brim!  We got it at an auction at the Catholic School about 40 years ago.  It has been used every time we can since than!  

On Saturday we made a trip up to Delano to see 3 of Nancy's in Music Man!  Josepine was in the band and Joy came along to watch.  Such a good play!  

3 years ago little Tom with a baby kitten - Spring and Fall he has some more baby kittens! 

The group of cousins that are all just 6 months apart, and they are very happy to see each other while we were canning.  The military family stopped in for the night on their way back from dropping Therese off at the U of Mary and on their way back to Missouri!  So we had a house full overnight of 2 daughters with hubby and 12 grandkids!  

Tom with this year's fall kittens posing for grandma! 

Our new room with furniture!  Just in time for a house full for the night!  Beds and couches for the 16 that spent the night!  

Now with family!  LOVE!  

The 3 seven year old boys and Lucy!  

Tom and Maggie are so happy to see each other!  Probably won't see each other now for a few months until Hallel comes home for her home visit in December!  Fake plans and hopes!  

Jude helping on the calendar!  

Porch meals as the kitchen was very busy and crazy!  

Rose at Mass with her premier showman belt buckle!  

Two Saints of my lifetime!  St JPII and St Mother Teresa of Calcutta!  I know they are in heaven praying for LIFE and families and Marriages!  

My Christ tears plant/hoya is blooming!  This goes back to my single days 50 years ago!  

Yes!  Saints for us and praying for us!  

It was her feast day last week!  Bless-bless

Love this!  Above the altar in Holy Trinity in Mankato!  

With my St Barbara window in Fort Leavenworth 2 years ago!  

I am looking at another joint replacement coming up on November 20th - my right hip!  I am hobbling these days and distracted by the thought of going through this for the 4th time in my life!  Both knees and now both hips!  Aging is not easy or fun, and I tell Pat that he got a bad model since going downhill skiing when I was 16!  The one and only time - I fell on the bunny hill and tore my cartilage!  Sigh!  

Jude and Birdie go back to school!  

Delano kids back to St Maximilian Kolbe school!  

Maggie in the habit that Maria sewed for Therese probably 10 years ago.  LOVE!  

I know it has been a long time without sharing here.  I feel that there is a change inside of me.  I just seem to get busy, and don't find the same fire to share as I have in the past.  Please know that I continue to want to share my love and faith in Jesus, Mary, the Saints and The Church!  My heart is full of the Truth and I long to share it!  Faith/Family/Farm are what fills me with so much happiness and Joy!  Jesus, may I die to self so that I may serve without counting the cost. Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb and the 33 plus 13 in heaven.

Family is so important for this world!  Lord, protect the family!  

Salve Regina/Hail Holy Queen  as sung by our Community of the Lamb!  Angels singing!  

 

France Anniversary for Hallel and John/1300 miles to see our 2 girls and families with 25 pails of apples/Queenship of Mary - +JMJ+

The 19 with 3 in the womb = 22 who came to France 8 years ago to witness and celebrate our nun's taking of her final vows - "I promise unto death."  It happened close to the anniversary of her taking her habit in 2009 and changing her name from Susan Angela to little sister Hallel!  That anniversary was the past 2 days on the Vigil of the Queenship of Mary!  

In the Amsterdam airport with John in the midst of his brain cancer battle!  He has just finished his second chemo for his Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma, and got better!  We could go to France last minute!  

Glowing in her habit the color of the sky and the shape of the Cross!  Now she is little sister Hallel which is the first part of Hallelujah!  "Whenever anyone says my name they are giving God all the praise!"  

John, Nancy and Hallel with Fr Craig - such a glorious occasion in Saint Pierre France in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains!  

The following day we went to Lourdes and John bathed in the miraculous waters which Bernadette's digging in the earth brought forth.  He is now cancer free for 17 years and fell in love with Mary the Mother of God there and her Church!  If you love Mary there is no where else to be than the Catholic Church! 

John's Spirit Juice Video - now he has a wife and 3 miracle children!  

Ruth helping John to walk after his brain biopsy left him with ataxia on the left side!

The Queenship of Mary is huge for us!  How we love her!  "You can't love her more than her Son, Jesus, does."  St Maximilian Kolbe

Hallel in France doing dishes - she describes her life as prayer and dishes!  

John on his Cross called  brain cancer - walking with a sister on each side.  "He's not heavy - her's my brother."

Lourdes the day after Hallel took her habit in 2009.  Many of the sisters went into the bathes for the intentions of John's healing and finding his faith through brain cancer!  It was all part of his healing and he fell in LOVE with Our Lady and The Catholic Church!  

I totally believe this with all that I am and all that I can ever say!  

Last night we returned from one of our whirlwind trips - we left here early afternoon and arrived at the Community of the Lamb Monastery - Lumen Christi/LIGHT of Christ in KCK at about 10p.  We were welcomed to spend the night with them, and shared in night prayer/Compline.  In the morning after morning prayer Farmer Pat made them breakfast with our farm fresh eggs!  

Morning prayer with Jesus there to spend deep wonderful prayer with for our family, hospice patients and all the needs of the farm.

Pat and I sharing night prayer with Marie John and Hallel - how I love when they sing Hail Holy Queen/Salve Regina!  Like angels!

Angels singing - the same way our Dominican Community of the Lamb sings it!  

A small prayer space for so late at night -  love to witness my daughter giving her all for her love for Jesus, Mary and The Church!  A bride of Christ for sure!  

Our bowl of coffee is very French and makes me smile to be with our nuns and a priest from Boston.  

Pat showing them our truck full of apples!  On to Maria's next 3 1/2 hours away for a bunch of applesauce canning!  

Mother daughter with a backdrop of a truck full of apples - we have now begun to bring the canning to the other girls - our canning on wheels!  

Father adoring Jesus on the altar at morning prayer.

Always sweet bouquets to make me smile - in our room for the night!

Wishing us a blessing as we drive away to St Robert and Maria with her 7 military kids!

Hallel reading at Morning prayer - and we chew on the Gospel - the parable of the Marriage Feast and the wedding garment - "I adore you O Christ, because you invite us to the Marriage Feast whether we are good or bad."  

3 1/2 hours later we arrive at Maria's home and quickly we are working to make applesauce - grandpa Pat runs to blender - all apples and no sugar!  

The sink was a busy place with grandma with 9 year old Evangeline and 18 year old Therese cutting them!  

Wonderful time to visit with Therese, who is heading off to University of Mary in Bismarck, ND in a week!  So excited for her!  

A fair picture from a few years back of the farm family!  LOVE!  We are so grateful for them allowing us to leave for 3 days spent with our 2 daughters and their families!  We are so blessed and lucky to have them!  

200 quarts that might last them a year.  They love applesauce!  

Running the colendar - all apples!  

Lots of cutting with smiles and sharing from the heart! 

This is why we do the work!  Hector and Magdalene love their home made food!  

Pat processing with our wedding canner!  48 years ago Pat's siblings gave this canner to us for our wedding gift - it has made thousands of quarts of food in that time!  It now travels to the homes of our girls so that Ruth does not have to do all the work!  

The crew!  Many hands make light work!  

Maggie is 5 and did her jobs too!  Grandma loved to capture her in pictures with the apples too!  

We could not finish them all, but the kids will enjoy eating them fresh too!  

We swung by the sisters to give them some to enjoy!  They love our food too, and it gives me so much JOY to share our farm food and hard work with ALL of our girls - even our nun!  

Maggie and apples...

A birthday painting I did for Maria - on the wall of her bathroom.  My parents cabin in Michigan and a children's book to give me creative inspiration.

Posing for grandma!  

3 years ago we helped them move to Viriginia for Joe to go the Major College.  We brought along applesauce.  Now we bring the apples and do the work!  

I need to end this for now.  We are back home - the boys came and mowed for me, but I need to water my tomatoes and make supper soon.  I am a bit kicked in the head after this crazy time of spending 22 hours in the truck!  Tommy came over today and got grandma to take a nap with him!  Thanks, Tom!  

Jesus and Mary, we love you save souls.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus 13 in heaven.  

Body of Christ.

7 years ago in Fort Lewis in Seattle with the then 5 and now they have added Hector and Maggie!  

Charlottesville, Virginia - 4 years ago now.

Yes!  Please Lord and Lady protect all life from conception to natural death!  

Nancy with Godson, Simon, who is now 21 years old and a wonderful farm help as he works at ADM!