Yes, Nancy and I had come home ahead to get the meal ready for our family and our guests, but that toil was worth every wonderful mouthful of our early Thanksgiving feast from the growing of the chickens here ( I am now a chicken farmer on my quiet farm away from the bustling farm), butchering the chickens, freezing the sweet corn, and the cooking of the meal, then the clean up... Yet the sharing and the visiting and the yumming and the sharing of our joy and our stories of Faith fill our time as we sit at the feet of Jesus and listen one to the other and grow together. Such an amazing combination of listening and serving! Combination of Mary and Martha, which is what we are called to.
Served by my two daughters and all sang "Happy Birthday" to me! Such a gift of LOVE! Thank you!
Grace before our feast!
My son-in-law, Billy, is a wonderful servant/cook! For Pat's birthday weekend 3 weeks ago we came down and brought packages of steak for him to prepare for his birthday and again this time we brought the meat and Bill and Nancy lovingly cooked for us! John was here to experience the fabulous feast this time, and we all just groaned in delight at the wonderful meal we shared. Nancy worked through her continuing nausea due to her pregnancy, so it was my joy to have some time to myself to clean up the kitchen afterwards... I truly do like to have that time and see the final result of a clean kitchen. A way to show my gratitude and do my part!
Family meals were huge and a lot of work when Hallel was home for her first time in 4 years and we were all together only missing Joseph! That was 23 of us for 3 meals a day! We moved out into the new shop so that we could all eat together and set up the food cafeteria style .
Do we remember the work... no we remember the sharing and being in the shop grandpa and Paul could join us in the midst of planting the crop. Lots of hungry happy kids, too... 15 grandkids!
At one point Nancy reminded me this last weekend that I needed to stop doing dishes and spend the time with Hallel and her Community. "the dishes can wait." Yes! Fellowship shared is truly more important than getting the dishes done a half an hour sooner!
And share I did!!! I loved sharing my story of coming into The Church with my family of 13 with the two new to be postulants!
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
Every time I can share my story... I am filled with so much gratitude and awe. As I was sharing about my dad reading Isaiah 55:1-2 and the Holy Spirit telling him to come into The Church... Postulant Amanda shared that they had just been reading that verse that very morning! Wow!!! A powerful Jesus moment indeed. We are all sitting at his feet , and are so grateful to have chosen the better part! Luke 10
A special meal on our beautiful porch with Brazilian son, Breno! Pat grilled the wonderful steaks this time!
Jesus, we love to gather as family and serve one another and share food and fellowship! Yes, it requires work and things can become a bit stressed and sweaty, but it is all worth it when we can share you one with the other in reflecting on how you have been at work in our lives! The Holy Spirit showing us the narrow path we are to follow! Thankyou for allowing us to share our Faith as a family/domestic Church. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
Ruth's new porch is a dream for that precious family time we carve out on the farm! My sister had stopped in on their way from the Cities to the Black Hills in August! Nothing can replace the family sharing our Faith with listening and serving. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Nancy and Bill here this summer...
Sharing mass this summer, too!
LOVE!!!


Our marriages and families are certainly under attack - cling to Our Lady with Satan under her heel!

Josephine in her new dress!

"Rose has found her new favorite spot to play with kittens, 'read' some books and work on her drawings. Only a farm kid would find top of a bale in the hayshed as a place of solace on this beautiful day!" Paul Lanoue












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