Family time sharing continues - Time with Tom and Joy after a week.../"Make love a priority" St Mother Teresa - +JMJ+

After spending the day with our nun and Little Sister Dorotea, the other 5 arrived for School of the Word and supper shared on the Army base in Fort Leavenworth - just 40 miles from their Lumen Christi Monastery in KCK.  They were all smiles to see the tiny Little Sister, Evangaline, who is now 6 1/2 years old.

All smiles!!  Evie is such a ham, and continually says - "I want to be a nun!"  

Checking out Maria's library.  She has moved it at least 10 times and they already know that they will be leaving after a year.

Bouquet for the hostess, Maria, from the Community, along with Maggie, and a sketch made by Dorotea.  We had to do some water coloring together as that is what this grandma does with the grandkids.

Tiny little Sister with the big ones!  

Gathered around the sides of the library to have "The School of the Word."  We played a type of telephone with the Gospel from Sunday - the pearl of great price and the treasure in the field.  After repeating it around the circle line by line - we played "popcorn" with words that jumped out at us in a special way - "Joy"  "Sold all that he had"  "Pearl"  "treasure in the field"  

15 year old Therese is the God daughter of our nun.

Susan/Hallel is famous for closing her eyes in pictures - some things never change!  

Major Joseph is full of wisdom and stories like when they went back packing with a priest a month ago in Virginia.

Evangeline wore her habit all day and was always with the nuns.  

Supper for 18 - chicken, rice and salad with our zucchini, and cukes.

Sharing stories, smiles and a wonderful meal.  The Little Sisters shared how they touched lives begging for their food and sharing the Gospel.  How they would love to "go on mission" on the Army base, but not to be. 

 Major Joseph and son, David, shared about their adventures hiking in the mountains out West and also this year in the East.  They had a priest along to have prayer throughout the day as well as mass.  "The first time we went camping we were going to be gone on Sunday, and Maria said 'You will have a priest along for mass on Sunday."  

Maria is #3 daughter, and Hallel is #4 daughter.  

So much JOY to have my two youngest daughters so close for the next year!  The flowers were a gift when the Sisters came for Supper and for School of the Word shared in two groups, and finally we gathered together and shared such beautiful things thanks to the Holy Spirit.  

The final blessing song before we parted.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul."  How I pray that they will have many times of sharing over this next year.  That Maria with kids will have a weekly hour of Adoration at Lumen Christi Monastery, and their family will share in many of their masses and prayer.  

Hugs till next time.  Little Sister Evangeline Mary sure made grandma smile a lot!  

I am sure the neighborhood was aware of the Blue Sisters .

This was a long time coming as Maria and family lived in Tacoma, WA for 4 years and this last year on the other coast in Charlottesville, VA.  Now they are just 40 minutes apart!  Also Hallel has lived in Europe many of her 15 years in the Community of the Lamb.  She will be returning to France in September for a couple weeks, but does have a return ticket to return to KCK!  

Pat hugging his Hallel and Maria... he says that we will be back there soon, and more often now that we have 2 daughters to visit, and a guest room with Maria.  We also are able to stay with Hallel at times as they have a guest room also, and it allows us to take part in their life of "Contemplative Prayer and dishes." 

Nancy shared their beans from a community garden that their church has this year.  

Gardening class - picking and cleaning beans and then yummy to eat for the family!  

I had so much fun with Evie and her JOY!  

I guess if you are 6 1/2 years old you can swing your Rosary as you say it!  

Maria displayed a couple special books in her library.  How she loves her books!  

The lunch line for the nuns and family.

T and her God mother, Hallel in the library

Reading to Evie.  

Even the big boys gather around.

This is the time we have been with Our family of The Lamb over the years - 3 years ago we went down and brought Hallel back to spend some time on the farm with my dad, who was here for the last 6 months of his life.  He had not seen Hallel since she had left for France in 2008 - 13 years!  It was such a gift for them to share their religious life - dad was a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church for 44 years!  He brought our family of 13 into The Church 51 years ago now!  Each day since has been a pearl of great price to me!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: The amazing story of the 13 becoming Catholic!  

3 years ago - Big Dave building a bench in the shop.  

Rose with a blue apron helping in the kitchen.  We took a couple farm kids down with us to have some time with their Aunt, who is a nun and her Contemplative life of prayer and dishes.  

We were so surprised to bring Hallel home for a visit 3 years ago!  She was able to meet John's new daughter, sweet Birdie Barbara for the first time.  She is now 3!  

Hallel and Birdie 3 years ago on our porch.  Dad and I would say our chaplet and Rosary here each day at 3p and for those 5 days Hallel would join us.  

Family gathering with Hallel 3 years ago.  

Time with Jude - he is now 4, and notice my dad in the dining room!  

Such amazing words from St Mother Teresa of Calcutta this day!  LOVE of family with openness to life and family where LOVE is shared - Open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Our marriage stories - "The world needs LIGHTS!"  

Here was my sweet little Tom - #7 farm kid to Ruth and Paul and a true sign of New LIFE for us!  

Our Nun 3 years ago - pictures around the farm.  Mary's first goats 

Joy by a bale in a St Gianna shirt from Nancy's Catholic Sprouts - The Catholic Sprouts Podcast - Catholic Sprouts  

Out in the bean field- outstanding in her field as a Bride of Christ!  

Farm life in the bale shed.  

A safe place is found close to her heart.  The color of the sky and the shape of the Cross - their habits.  

Trinity Cathedral in Saint Pierre, France some years ago 

I found this in the gathering space today after praying for Fr Denny with 7 Sisters - so beautiful and True!  

"The creator of the world and the universe is there in the tabernacle waiting for me! "

Joy running around the circle with Tom.  "It seems so long since we were hear a week ago!"  

Exercise inside out of the heat.  

Tom sure loves to be here and loves his grandma, too!  

Such sweet kids to make grandma smile a lot, but now writing so late after they have left for the day.  

How I loved to watch Hallel helping her niece fix her hair and her veil!  LOVE!  

Sharing with Evangeline the ins and outs of her veil.  

A sign that she is relaxed and comfortable in Maria's home - barefoot.  " I love to be barefoot!"  Hallel

The two Patricks!  

Can't get enough that this happened, and will happen again I hope and pray!  

T and her Godmother, Hallel!  

Can't get enough of this either!  My JOY!  Sharing their lives with each other!  Both will make LOVE a Priority!  

Such an amazing sharing - take the time!  

Isaiah 66 - a vision of The Church my dad points out to me!  LOVE still sitting at the feet of my father in his well worn prayer books after 44 years as a Permanent Deacon!  

Another way of making LOVE and priority! 

A cool picture 

He lost his life in Guatemala - Blessed Stanley pray for us.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 34 plus many Little Sisters and Little Brothers.  

Danielle Rose