Joy Jean is 5 today - we "rejoice in her light."/100 calves on the ground today?/Hallel flying to the U.S., and Maria's 8 flying in a month

Today our sweet Joy Joy is 5!  What was the biggest event for her LIFE in the last year?  Becoming a big sister to her baby brother, Thomas!  There is nothing to compare to having siblings!  Someone that you will share your life with is so much more important than getting stuff. 

Joy and Tom Tom

I spent many hours yesterday trying to get Maria and her 7 children here to see our nun on her 4 day home visit at the end of April.  I was starting to get discouraged, but then hubby got me in the right direction and our prayers and hard work and hopes and dreams of all being here to share time with our nun worked out!  The tickets - cheaper than if we drove them - are now in hand!!!  We are overjoyed!

Joy also delighting in her new baby cousin, Regina Maria!  Our LOVE grows more with each new life!  

A green photo shoot with grandma on St Patrick's Day around the yard.  Winter has returned for now, but hopefully some 50s again next week!  

Joy and her grandpa Pat are very close!  Most mornings since she was barely able to walk - Pat steps in the house to get a huge JOY hug!  She is such a happy and joyful girl, and so loving to her old grandparents!  The Gospel today from John 5 - Jesus speaks of John the Baptist and how "You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept human testimony,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John’s.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me..."

Yes, Joy gives us cause to "rejoice in her light"!  Such a happy girl and loving too.  May she place a foundation for her LIGHT on Jesus, Mary and The Church!  

"I know you!  You are Joy that feeds me bottles of milk!  I love you!"

Joy and her big sister, Rose, share a bedroom and also are in charge of bottle feeding bottle calves.  Grandpa is on his way to pick up another to add to their 4 babies morning and evening.

You do have some Irish from your mutt of a grandma Barb, Joy!  That red hair is so special!!!

Up to look for eggs in the hay mountain with bare feet in mid March!  

Farm girl through and through!  How we love to have our young growing farm family living the farm life with great JOY!  

We had a flurry of calves to start the morning with 4 in a short window.  Farmer Pat reported that we might reach 100 quickly at that rate - maybe today as we got to 90+ yesterday.  

There are lots of green things around the yard!  

I received a surprising video in the middle of the night from France of Hallel being taken to the airport to fly to KC!  The wheels are in motion for our family to gather around our nun!  For Maria and her children it has been 3 years, so Hallel has met Hector, but yet to meet Maggie Rose!  For the rest of the family it has been 2 years since she surprisingly came home while my dad was living here on hospice!  And there are another niece and nephew for her to meet! So... even though Pat could be crazy busy with planting - we will have some healing and happy huge family time with our nun on the farm in Marshall!  

4 H will be huge in your LIFE sweet Joy Jean Jellybean, our Easter girl!  

She does all things farm well and with great peacefulness.  The signs of a true farmgirl like her sisters and mother before her!  

Ruth and Paul with their two youngest and day old calf.

Joy joins her two cousins at 5 today!  Joy and JoJo with their baby siblings , Tom and Gina!  Nothing more wonderful than having siblings to share your LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT with on this journey!  

These 3 girls are all 5 today!  How we love to see our groups of cousins growing up to be cousin/friends!  You can only imagine how my wheels are turning knowing that we will be gathering at the end of the month!  I need to step back and take a deep breath!  

I am a poor gift giver, but I make up for it with my buying clothes for my grands!!!  

Love this picture of Nancy and Bill with their 9 children!  Our Lady is holding 3 in her hands - Peter, Maximilian - lost at 20 weeks, and Catherine... how we include our losses in heaven!  My 7 and the 6 grandchildren keep our eyes on heaven as we drag our Most Cherished Cross down the narrow path to heaven forever with Jesus, Mary, the Saints, and all our family!  

When Joy turned 4 last year with Easter bunny ears and baby kitten.  Once again they have baby kittens born a little over a week ago!  If baby kitties were all Joy got for her birthday - she would be happy!  

Soon they will have baby kids/goats on the farm!  We LOVE the Lamb!  

3 year birthday picture - pure JOY!

The 3 - 3 year old cousins 2 years ago.  Yes, grandma was behind the matching outfits, and yes there are cows in the green pasture behind them!  LOVE!

2 years ago - Farmer Pat was an "essential worker" - "a farmers work is never done so that we can feed the world!"

2 years ago - the year of the twins - our 6th set!  None this year!  

The boy, who loves babies!  David 3 years ago carrying his baby cousin, George, up to receive Jesus in The Eucharist!  Luke getting a blessing behind him.  Luke will be receiving his First Communion while Hallel is here on May 1st!  So excited!!!

3 years ago we were in KC for Easter with Nancy and Hallel!  Now Nancy lives in Delano, and Hallel should be coming from France to Kansas City today!  We will be able to bring her to the farm at the end of April for 4 days with FAMILY!  All but Major Joseph! That means that there will be 32 together!  Wild and wonderful!!!

Joy at 1 with her cake on her lips!  

Family portrait 5 years ago today!  A masterpiece now adding baby Thomas to make it even more a work of art!

5 years later - our wonderful farm family - Thomas is such a wonderful gift of New LIFE upon them!  Oh my!  I am envisioning our nun with the 3 new little ones in her arms!  What JOY!  

Making me yearn to get to the Sacrament of Reconciliation soon!  I know and appreciate God's merciful goodness, and long to return it to all those around me -- most especially those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family!  The ones we many times treat the worst!  

"Wounded, I will never cease to love."  The motto of The Community of the Lamb.

Brother Victor always makes me wonder and find some of the beauty he so beautifully shares!

The icon of the Bridegroom!  Oh my!!!

Off to make hubby some food on a  big calving day!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 50!