75 to 35 - "we'll see what tomorrow holds"/"Gross" over and over - Joy has a birthday party/‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ - +JMJ+

Jude's 5th birthday a year ago.  

We have fake plans to celebrate both Jude (March 26th he was 6) and Joy's (March 31st she will be 8) after mass tomorrow morning.  As hubby - Mr Weather man keeps saying - "We will see what tomorrow holds as snow and rain are coming starting later this afternoon.  How we love our "Fake plans!" 

Tom over yesterday and it felt hot out!  It was 76 degrees!  

He likes to either pet Neumann and say "he likes me." or chase him with his lot Mater push toy and scare him.  

Watching grandpa working on the spouts on the house with the rain coming.  

"He likes me!"

A peaceful moment then...

Chasing the neighbor cat with Mater.  As grandpa says - "little guys don't walk they run everywhere."  

On Thursday I had a procedure at Avera and was so impressed by this beautiful statue of Mary in the entry way!  Truly a sign of a Catholic Hospital!  

LOVE my beads of the Rosary and how it gives me so much PEACE!  Like holding Mary's hand. 

Tom at the Rosary for a friend's funeral.  The Cross is our Salvation, Tom!  

3 year old Tom and 70 year old grandpa Pat, who has huge hands!  His mom wrote in his baby book from day one - "big hands."  

Pope Benedict today - "there can be no love without suffering."  Wow!  Read it and believe in the Truth!  

"My Lord and my God!"

Truth and Beauty!  

ST JPII

Gone for 9 years but still voicing the Truth!   

Yes!

Feast of the Annunciation - March 25 - 9 months till his birth on Christmas, December 25th!  

"Jesus, I trust in you."

Thomas Merton takes me back to my early "Romance Catholic Days."  How I loved to read his Seven Story Mountain, and Thomas A'Kempis, Imitation of Christ.  Each day since I came into The Church with my entire family 54 years ago has been a pearl of great price!

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

This girl will be 8 on Monday the 3st!  She had some school friends out for her birthday after school yesterday.  Pat said that he heard the word "gross" over and over when Joy showed them the barn where the cows and calves are that are calving.

"The dog was eating a placenta - 'Gross!'  A cow took a poop - 'Gross!' "  I wonder what farm girl Joy thought?  I know she doesn't give a thought to it being "gross", but I thought it was funny at how different it can be for kids according to where they grow up.  As a city girl come to the farm - I probably would have been like them...

Joy and Neumann looking at gifts ideas for First Communion that is coming up on May 4th!  A big day for Joy's faith journey!  

St Mother Teresa of Calcutta with St JPII - praying for LIFE and working hard from heaven!  

The 4th Station - Jesus meets his Mother on the way of the Cross.  Art work by Rose - I hear that she is working on some more of the Stations for this Lent!  

Tomorrow weather permitting we will share Mass at 8a and then have birthday party for both Jude, who is 6  on the 26th and for Joy, who will be 8 on Monday the 31st!  

All that is sweet and yummy to celebrate Jesus coming to us in His Word, Body and Blood!  

John with his 3 at our Brunch after sharing Mass together!  Our greatest JOY sharing our Faith as a family!  

The Gospel today from Luke 18  - the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Pride versus Humility.  I know that I struggle with being Judgmental and prideful.  I need to get to Reconciliation and I need to pray often and without ceasing - "O God, be merciful to me a sinner."  The Truth indeed!  Jesus, may I die to self so that I may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus 13 in heaven.  

You also, like living stones, are being built 

into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, 

offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable 

to God through Jesus Christ. - I Peter 2:5  

"By our little acts of charity 
practiced in the shade
we convert souls far away, 
we help missionaries,
we win for them abundant alms;
and by that means
build actual dwellings 
spiritual and material 
for our Eucharistic Lord."
St Therese of Lisieux

  

Danielle Rose - Litany of Humility

Danielle Rose - the saint that is just me

 

Calftopia- 125 calves on the ground/"dear last place" Charles de Foucauld/MERCY - the Prodigal Son!!! - +JMJ+

Our overnight guest, granddaughter Joy Jean, who will be 8 on the 31st of March!  She gives our cat, Neumann, a lot of attention!  

Breakfast with grandpa this morning - waffles were ordered made by the waffle iron I got from Pat's mom!  I mean her iron that I am sure made thousands of waffles over the years!  

My great JOY is doing girl's hair!  After having 4 daughters to begin our family... it reminds me of my happy nest years.  This morning I did "Kateri braids/Indian braids" and we watched a video about St Kateri!

LOVE our Saints!  

Joy's First Communion is coming up on May 4th, so she had fun looking for some ideas for her gifts.  

Neumann wanted to help as we also got ready to have a tea party with our supper.  I had done Bernadette/French braids last night!  

Tom here yesterday - "He likes me!"  Yes!  

He is either chasing him around with his Mater toy, or snuggling with him.  

I asked hubby, farmer Pat, to take Tom and I out to see the new calf shelter- Calftopia!  We have 125 of the 180 calves we expect this spring born now, so this new open and airy shelter is good for them to stay healthy and out of the weather as needed.  

This calf was friendly and interested in Tom.

"You smell interesting!"

"Hi friend!"  

Nice dry clean bedding where they can get a lot of fresh air.  Their mothers are kept out by the hot wire!  

Mother cows on one side waiting for their calves to come and nurse.

"They are nice Tom!" 

Truly Calftopia!  

Petting a chicken with grandpa.  IGA browns are very tame chickens and have wonderful brown eggs!  Tom does not like them when they get too close to him.

"MOOOOO!  Come to momma!"

I looked for this yesterday when I was sharing Evie in the habit Maria made for her older sister, Therese about 8 years ago.  Getting a blessing from Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who I have to thank for getting our Community of the Lamb here to the U.S. in KCK!  

Yesterday was the 5th Anniversary of mom's wake and burial in the cemetery with Social distancing due to Covid!  It was cold, but mom was beautiful and peaceful - "Well done, good and faithful servant."  My dad to her!  

A month later dad came to live with me after his Assisted Living would not let him return there.  His prophecy that "if anything happens to mom.  I will come and live with you."  came to be!  

Family Soul Story - Choose Life!: Deacon Robert Cross - my dad on hospice in our Farm Monastery for 6 months - 4/16/20 thru 10/23/20  

My brother, Jim, stayed with dad so that I could go to Kansas City and see the Little Sisters!  Hallel had to come too!  

Dad was good and alert up until the end!  He lived only 7 months longer than mom.  They celebrated their 70th Anniversary, and died in the next year just 7 months apart!  

Came across this tea party with 3 of the girls - Ruth must have been in school.  Over 35 years ago!  Not the same tea set, but the pink plastic is similar.

This reminds me of the Transfiguration - our faces aglow in Saint Pierre, France after encountering Jesus in Adoration in the Trinity Cathedral.  August of 2018 when Hallel took her final vows - 21 of us traveled to France!  The Faith to move mountains come to LIFE! 

The 5 in France!  Three were expecting - so really 24 went to France!  

Mom and Rita are gone!  Taken 8 years ago in Ruth's remodel of our farmhouse!  

Hallel able to have a home visit while my dad lived with me for the last 6 months of his life.  He had not seen her since she left for France in 2008!  12 years!  Such a gift for me to share in the religious life of my dad - Permanent Deacon for 44 years since we came into The Catholic Church and my daughter, a fully professed nun in The Community of the Lamb!  

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

5 years ago - my brother, Dan, praying with my mother in the cold cemetery.

While my dad lived with us 5 years ago - we welcomed our new granddaughter, Birdie Barbara!  

Every day we prayed the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy on my porch at 3p!  We know that our prayers were answered for our family!  

My parents on their 70th Anniversary...

Pat giving my dad Communion.

We finally were able to have my mom's funeral Mass the day after her 91st birthday - July 18th!  Dad had to travel 4 hours each way, but we did it!  

Mom 2 weeks before she died in a day after falling and breaking her hip in the morning in her Assisted Living.  She was so good this day!  

Pat showing my dad the corn as it was going into the dryer bin 5 years ago.  Dad lived us for an entire growing season.  He saw the crop go in, grow and get harvested.  He even saw the first snow.  He died on October 23, 2000, and was sharp up to the end.  It was such a blessing to share my beloved Hospice with him!  

This crazy picture is what I cropped mom out of...

Dad got all 10 together for his funeral!  Miraculous!  

Mom and the 2 oldest about 70 years ago!  

Mom and dad when we celebrated dad's 90th birthday.  He lived to 95.  Mom died at 90.

Dad with the statues he was gifted when he left Manistique, MI where he had served as a Permanent Deacon for over 10 years!  I now have them in my bedroom to bless me.

I have my dad and mom to thank for taking me deep into Prayer each day.  Dad left behind his Prayer of the Church books filled with underlining and highlighting! 

 Also this wonderful daily meditations by "my man, Brother Victor."  Today he speaks about Humility - he quotes Blessed Charles Foucauld - "dear last place."  I need to be better about this!  Thanks, Dad!  

My siblings singing at a funeral Mass a few years back!  LOVE that we come together to support and show our shared Faith and LOVE!  

The daily meditations by Pope Benedict XVI is what my mother left for me!  She read it for 10 years and I am on year #5!  She adored these quotes - giving a clear answer to some that were trying to tear her out of The Church!  "Get out of the pew!  Jesus isn't there!"  No, Jesus will not abandon His Church!  

Two glowing examples of religious LIFE I am blessed with in my life and on my journey!  

My mom's wake was 5 years ago yesterday!  

6 siblings of the 10 at a funeral for a family member 5 years ago.  

Sharing the Prayer of The Church with my parents in their warm light-filled home in St Croix Falls, WI.  How I miss them and our special prayer filled time together!  

I have been on a major tangent distracted by pictures from my blog while I looked for pictures of mom's wake at the cemetery... oops!  I was very excited and touched to find the Gospel today to be the Prodigal Son from Luke 15!

'Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.'

This was the Father's response after his son had squandered his inheritance! It gives us a clear picture that we are given unconditional LOVE and forgiveness!  I am unworthy and it humbles me to know that there is nothing hidden from our Lord!  He sees all that we do in the dark!  So we need to go and lay all at his feet and hear the Words of Jesus - Go, and sin no more, your sins are forgiven!  

Lord, I am nothing without you.  May I die to self so that I may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the 33 plus 13 in heaven.  

So many prayers that LIFE is be protected from conception to natural death!  

Such a wonderful part of our lives!  

I think I am needing to get to Reconciliation soon!  

yesterday!  

I need to do better at this!  I could spend my life at the altar and not enough at what I need to keep up in my home!  

Tauren Wells - Joy in the Morning

Tauren Wells - Until Grace

Danny Gokey