Rainy and cold allowed hubby to share in our time, and kept us close!/33 in a house of prayer and laughter for the most part!

Military kid, Patrick, helping with the bottle calves.  Maria and her 7 arrived a day ahead of our big trip to Kansas City to get his aunt Little Sister Hallel!  

I am finding myself very weary and a bit overwhelmed by our huge week + of family and travel.  I know that my sharing here is hardly missed but the one who suffers the most is Barbara Lynn Luke Verly!

5 month old Tommy with his cousin, 3 year old Hector getting to share some quiet time before the huge gathering of the 33 in the house together due to the cold wet weather!  We smile as it allowed our farmers to join us for meals and celebrations, yet it kept us all closely together in the house due to the same reason.

The two red heads caring for the 9 baby kittens that were moved to the playhouse to make room for FAMILY on the FARM!

Our passengers to Kansas City on Wednesday a week ago!  We left at 5a - got there for lunch and to enjoy spring weather, and then returned to the farm by 10p!  14 hours on the road!!!

The tomb is empty!!!  2nd week of Easter now into the 3rd week of Easter!  

"He is risen!  Hallelujah!"

80 degree spring weather in KCK.  Pat and Rose on the bench that David built a year ago when he came down with us to visit the Sisters!  The row houses across the street in this poor part of Kansas City.  Hallel and her Community of the Lamb are the poor with their vow of poverty and they go on "mission" and beg for their food from the poor!  

My favorite Lilacs were blooming there.  Here the leaves are yet to come out.  My Easter tree in the house is a lilac branch and has leaves and small lilacs on it!  

The beginning of our week of heaven - Lilacs!!!!  

Hallel and Benedict arrive at 10p and we drop off Rose and say hello to Ruth!  

Hallel and Tommy got very close during our days together!  He is at such a sweet age at 5 months and smiles and is starting to grab nab!  

Little Brother Issac gave us a blessing in the Grotto of The Nativity of Mary and Jesus, and they were powerfully with us on our time together!  

Tulips under the cross on the hill above the Grotto of healing.  It was hard to leave after a few hours in wonderful springtime to return to the cold and wet here in Marshall.  But it made for close family time and allowed our farmers to be around some with us!  For this we are grateful.

27 for breakfast the first morning at my home!

Ruth and Maria...

Hallel with Birdie, who she met 2 years ago as a newborn.  She will be 2 in a few days and we loving and welcoming to Hallel!

John between our Benedict and Hallel.  Benedict came with the first group in 2008 when Hallel went to France. She was here for 10 years and is now an American!  She is family to us!  

All but Nancy, who arrived that night after the kids got out of school!  

Thursday morning prayer!  Many beautiful Hallelujahs and words from the Gospel shared!  Also a song to Mary each time we prayed together!  There is my Easter tree with crosses, Butterflies and leaves and lilacs in the house.  Outside cold and wet!!!  

Maggie is Maria's youngest and about to walk at 1 year on May 12th.  The day after she has major surgery with an incision from ear to ear and releasing of a font that closed 24 years early in her skull.  So many prayers, and this grandma will be there to help along with Major Joseph's mom!  

Sharing prayer from 70 years to one year.  The prayers of the little ones are heard loud and clear and we learn from them!  

Singing Happy Birthday to Maria's father in law on Thursday!

Grandma up to her old tricks with mathcing outfits for Maggie and Birdie who are just a year apart.  Maggie one on May 12 and Birdie two on May 9th!  Grandma predicts they will be special cousin friends for their lives!  

Puzzles were time to have some quiet (?) away time.  

Rose again and Ignatius, who was kind of scarce when the house was full to the brim!  The two sisters slept on the floor according to their wish.  

Puzzles were a group effort from time to time.  

Cold hands and warm smile after helping to feed the bottle calves - I think we are up to about 12 now.

The troops with Benedict after doing the chores.

Big meals and time to have some connections with games and food and prayer - we would gather in a circle for prayer before we headed over to bed.  We would read the Gospel and then they would take a short sentence from the Gospel that we would pass around the circle one to the next like the Telephone game.  It was a special and powerful way to take the Gospel more deeply into our soul!  

Nancy arrives with her 6!  Greeted by Sisters and cousins!  LOVE to see the JOY!  

The 3 girls that are now 5 were together at last!  Joy, JoJo, and Evie are all 5 and each one a special girl in many ways!  

Pat with his 5 kids together for a meal in close quarters as we are feeding 33 at a time!  

Can't get enough of this sight!  It happened last quite a number of years ago now!  

I need to leave more for the next days.  I am overwhelmed by all that we were blessed with our 4 days together and a day of travel on each end.  I am yearning to record so much that struck me as amazing along the way, but I am afraid that it is now just a warm glow in my soul.  Maybe I will surprise myself as I share, but....

Paul with Regina, who arrived with a tummy ache.  He soothed her with walking and holding.  She got some gas medicine and was better for the night and days ahead.  

Lord, I am overwhelmed by your LOVE and unconditional forgiveness we have experienced in our domestic Church/family!  We certainly were close together for those cold rainy days on the farm.  We experienced what it is like to be together with 22 kids! So much LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  "Wounded, we will never cease to Love!" "There was great joy in that city."  Acts 8:8 today!  There certainly was great JOY in the city of Patrick and Barbara Verly and family!!!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 50 - 33 with us and 17 in heaven including our parents!