Gathered around the newest "creation" - sweet Lucy Marie/"I want to stay, mom!"/New Postulants in Kansas City! - +JMJ+

Our oldest and youngest grandchildren - Simon is #1 and is 18 and graduating this year, and #23 Lucy is 3 weeks old.  They have 21 between them and many of those are growing up with groups of cousins.  Nancy came down with her 6 to meet new Lucy, and Pat and I are so happy to see how much the cousins love to spend time together!  

Nancy's Regina Maria is 13 months and was our youngest until we now have brand new baby girl, Lucy!  Lucy it peeking at her cousin who will be the one that is her age and they will have the gift of growing up together and sharing adventures on the farm!  

Lucy woke up at the end of mass and was so good for mass.  Jospehine is now 5 and was so good with the little ones.  It was pretty special as Nancy had not intended to spend the night, but her kids begged and cousins helped them find clothes for church!  "Please can we stay, mom?"  

She loves all the love and he singing at mass and the LIGHT coming in the huge stain glass window.  Every Sunday we share mass as a family - even those that are not with us here - we are united in the Eucharist!  Whether we are in Marshall, Delano, Kansas City, or Charlottesville, VA!  

Lucy in the middle - she brought our family together - we had 20 for 2meals at our house!  Those paper products left over from VCC came in handy once again.  No dishes!  

11 year old Gus with his baby sister, Regina, in a sweater that I remember all the way back to Mary wearing - our oldest granddaughter who is now 16!  LOVE pictures of life with thumb sucking and all!  

So peaceful and awake and taking in all the beauty and LIGHT!  

LIFE is such a gift and we love how the cousins are happy and excited to spend time with each other!  

So familiar - Pat with his huge arms full of the new baby.  

The pose...Jude and buddy George are just 6 weeks apart and between them is Hector, who will be here this summer for some weeks before the military family moves to Leavenworth, KS just 40 miles from our nun in KCK!  

Grandpa with my namesake - 2 1/2 yo Birdie Barbara.  Usually after mass she comes with us to get our food for brunch.  

Birdie with her brother and cousin friend, George.  After breakfast they ran around the circle in our house ringing bells and playing the drum on a big pot.  Noisy but lots of giggles and fun!  "Everyone needs to have a circle in their home."  Pat said

Table full of kids sharing our fun and wonderful brunch! 

It warmed my heart to hear the kids saying that they wanted to stay and not leave.  "I want to stay mom!'  Pat and I are so happy at how the kids enjoyed their time together!  We did the water coloring and hot tub, and movies and meals and lots of running around the circle.  

The two bookends of our 23 grandchildren!  

The 2  - 3 1/2 year old boys with grandpa pop and popcorn for a snack at the table.

Water color time!  

Movie time in grandma's room sharing the blanket 

Always need 2 pictures or 3 is even better!  

Nancy brought over Jude and Birdie for the afternoon, and it was special for her to get to know them better.

Tub time for the smaller kids- Rose and Bernadette got swimsuits and lots of bubbles!  

Regina learning that grandma's hot tub is warm and has lots of toys and cups to drink soapy water out of.

Wide awake and close to smiling at her old grandma!  The first reading beginning yesterday and today is from the beginning of Genesis and it is the Creation story.  So wonderful to read how God saw all that he created at "good" but when he finally created male and remale in his image - he found that "very good."

God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.  Genesis 1

Nancy and her new neice, Lucy Marie - Lucy means LIGHT and so she is!  LIFE is the greatest of gifts and the most amazing "creation" God made!  

The 8th Psalm from mass says it all!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

We are so beloved and precious to Our Lord God!  

Sweet Lucy getting her throat blessed after mass - St Blaise pray for us!  

Nancy with our 2 youngest grandchildren - Lucy Marie which means LIGHT and Mary, and Regina Maria - which is Queen Mary!  LOVE our Catholic roots and all those ties to Our Lady are wonderful!  She is our Mother of Heaven and Earth!  

Pat held Regina at mass and my St Barbara prayer beads only dropped on the floor once otherwise they kept her occupied.  Grandpa's watch went flying a few pews over though.  

Bernadette wearing some clothes she borrowed from best friend/cousin, Rose Again, holding her new cousin   How we love to share our Faith as a family!  In two weeks we will gather around Lucy Marie as she will be baptized into The Church in 2 weeks!  

John and Birdie getting their throats blessed 

Best friends up to their necks in bubbles!  

I was so overjoyed to get this from Abbey's mom, as she became a Postulant with The Communtiy of the Lamb on the Feast of the Presentation last Thursday!  Now she wears the blue skirt and navy polo.  Back in the 70s when their order began Little Sister Marie did make her first habits out of blue jeans, hence the blue color of the fabric is very much like blue jean color!  

Abbey with her family - only missing a sister.  They are from Michigan, and Abbey's mom wrote this...Oh that is so beautiful! I will treasure this photo. Your daughter is so special. We have had such a wonderful visit. It will be so hard to leave. We have grown to love the Community in just the few days we have been here. So warm and welcoming. Thank you for reaching out. God bless Beth

Abbey and Colette, a young girl from Georgia, becoming postulants in Kansas City on Thursday!  

So grateful that Beth shared these pictures with me and now our family of The Lamb just grew larger to include these two postulants and their families!  

The blue skirts and the capes they wear in the cooler weather, and now they will be joining the Little Sisters and sit with them as part of the Community as they share morning and evening prayer, much singing of all they share from the Word/Gospel - chanting each line starting the night before, and all the mass.  It reminds me of how heaven will be with the voices of Angels all around us in constant praise of God!  

From Beth...Abbey said it is fine to include the pictures. Here are a few photos with Colette too. It was a blessing for both girls to enter together. It was such a wonderful day! Such a pleasure to meet your daughter. What a radiant and joyful community.

Little Sister Stella had her entire family visit along with her new nephew - 6 month old Bruce!  

"Wounded, I will never cease to love."  The Lamb shows us how to die to self and forgive!"

Abbey joined from behind the sisters...

Now Abbey and Collete will be part of them and will share echoes of the Gospel along with all the singing and taking the Gospel into their hearts so that they can "go forth and proclaim the Gospel!"  

Sharing a meal on our weekend visit with both the Little Sisters and Little Brothers - sharing what struck us from the Cana Sunday Gospel - "I adore you Jesus.  You came to be part of a marriage."  My marriage, O Lord, with the best wine!

Collete and Abbey just days before they officially became part of The Community with their postulancy - Abbey's sister, Hannah, came to spend some days with her sister.  Wonderful girls, who are asking the Lord to reveal his plan for them!  Hannah had just been to Ghent, MN just 10 minutes away from here to visit Mary Morning Star order of nuns!  

Little Brother David with his harp!  He is blind yet glows with so much LIGHT!  So humbling to realize how he shares his gifts fearlessly!  We can find HOPE in his example to all he encounters.  

Lord and Lady, I am overwhelmed by your LOVE for me and calling me to be yours alone!  May I die to self so that you may live in me and I may be your loving and forgiving hands and feet and voice of Truth.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 plus our Family of the Lamb - hundreds of Brothers and Sisters and their families!  So much LOVE, JOY, PEACE, and all the fruits of the Holy Spirit!  

My sweet little buddy is here today while the apartments are getting new windows!

I am very humbled by how much he loves his old grandma!  

Grandma's glasses make the world fuzzy but Tom so cute! 

Grandma took advantage of his nap to write here as I have been longing to share all the JOY in my heart, mind and soul!  

Dad today in morning Prayer of The church! Dad circles everywhere the name is mentioned and here it is Holy Name! 

St Theresa of Calcutta today - prayer changes us!  

I have been struggling lately with pride!  This from Venerable Fulton Sheen is very good to take into my heart!  I am truly a sinner, O Lord!  

Danielle Rose

Salve Regina as sung by The Community at night prayer!