Applesauce day with lots of help/we head out tomorrow for Virginia/Nancy speaks tonight at Spring Fling!/He is generous to us!

Baby Thomas eating fresh applesauce that had been growing on the tree just that morning. He loved it with his big mouthfulls and huge smiles!

This is a picture of why we do the work of canning good food for our 6 families.  My parents used get our food and love it, but they both passed in 2020 only 7 months apart after 70 years of marriage.

Lots of apples this year after none last year.  The apples tended to be small and there were some worms in about half of them.  Lots of work cutting the 6+pails of apples, but we are out of sauce so we knew we had to put in a big day.

Lots of helpers - Joy is 5 and is a good worker.

A laden branch with the blue sky and whispy clouds overhead.

Soybean field by Ruth's garden - the plants are putting on pods -soft and fuzzy but need rain for the beans to mature and get big.

Up to farm boy, Dave's waist - Outstanding in his field 

For as dry as it has been this growing season - it is surprising that they look this good.  Rain please, Lord and Lady!

Baby Thomas is almost 9 months old and too cute not to pose with the full pails of apples at the beginning of our 8 hour day in which we made 91 quarts of applesauce for our 6 families.

Such a sweet boy, and he was so good for us as we were very busy for a long day of canning.  When Ruth remodeled the farmhouse she grew up in - she wanted to have "a canning kitchen."  We put it to good use, too!  

I cut the skin off the apple and he happily chewed on it in his high chair while we worked.

My greateset JOY is babies, baby animals and my hunky husband farmer doing all the interesting picturesque things that we do on the farm.  That is why I am now addicted to pictures!  

Steamy job of putting apples through the colander by 8 year old Luke. 

Another canner on the stove with the crew of Dave and Rose.  We probably did 9 pails of apples and still had some left on the tree.  Good apple years must be taken advantage of.

Our rectangular pan from the Catholic School auction years ago holds 40 quarts!  Ruth and I fill it to the brim regularly.  Mixing in the sugar and cinammon to the applesauce.

16 year old Mary helps too before she headed in for swim practice than life-guarding. 

He loves it!!  We plan to take some along to Maria in Virginia tomorrow.  Our kids keep us on the road!  

3 year old Hector in Charlottsville, Virginia yesterday as they prepare to put the icon we see with our Community of the Lamb on their front porch.  How we are praying for their protection as their beautiful home for the next year is in a "other side of the tracks" neighborhood.  

They are calling their neighborhood much like the one The Little Sisters are living in in Kansas City, KS!  "If the Little Sisters can do it, so can we!"  "Just 2 blocks away are mansions, but we are just on the wrong side of the track."

They were very much in my prayers at mass these mornings.

Lit a candle to Our Lady of Guadalupe for protection and peace in their hearts.

Prayers to Our Lady - those beads pass through my fingers and the peace just fills me.  We are reminded today in the Gospel that Jesus is generous with those that turn to him no matter how long they wait of wrong they have done.  "My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”  Matthew 20

Special image of her beauty and presence in my life... such a wonderful help to me!

LOVE to see big brother, David, helping his baby brother and how much JOY Tom has in his brother's arms!  We are blessed with more love with each new LIFE, and siblings are so much more wonderful than things!  There is no comparison in value for a lifetime.

9 years ago in the pasture.  Nancy and Ruth's kids now number 13!  Tonight Nancy will be speaking at the Spring Fling!  

Nancy (Verly) Bandzuch will join us as our guest speaker during this year’s HRS Fling!

Nancy is a 1996 graduate of Holy Redeemer School. She currently lives in Delano, Minnesota, with her husband Bill and their six young children.

In 2018, Nancy started Catholic Sprouts, an apostolate that supports Catholic parents as they firm their children in the faith. Over the years, the ministry has grown, with the podcast having been downloaded more than eight million times and their printed products reaching families on all continents.

Join us as Nancy shares her story.

Some of our 91 quarts!  

Cottage cheese and applesauce is the first food of our kids and now grandkids!

Thumbs up from 5 year old Joy!  It makes the work worth every hot and tiring hour!  Now Pat and I hit the road in the wee hours of the morning for Virginia - 2 days there, one day to unpack their things from our livestock trailer, and 2 days back.  Our kids keep us on the road and on our knees in prayer for all 34!  Jesus, you are our wonderful good shepherd and you are so generous with your LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 54 - 34 with us and 20 in heaven.

Zach Williams