The Spirit afire!!!!

Time with family and our dear expanded family - The Community of the Lamb!  A large celebration as the Little Brothers prepare to build their little Monastery devoted to Mary.  The Vigil of Pentecost and the Spirit was alive and celebrated!

Archbishop spoke of how first the Little Sisters and the Holy Spirit surprised him by their ability to raise the funds to build their little Monastery, and now these few years later the Little Brothers have been able to surprise him by now raising the funds they need to go forth and put down their roots in the heart of our country! 


As parents of a little Sister we are eternally grateful that Archbishop Naumann listened to the Holy Spirit and invited them to the U.S. to start their first foundation here!  It allowed Hallel to say "yes" to Jesus her spouse beckoning her to be His in this radical way!  She discerned mightily and with tears after meeting and falling in love with The Community of the Lamb while studying in Rome.  Then the official word of them coming to the U.S. and in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe altar in the chapel she had just helped them build in the old Belgian rectory in the heart a poor neighborhood in KC, Kansas... she told us that she would be joining them and become His spouse.
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/susan-angela-agneslittle-sister-hallel.html

Remembering Hallel's story of her call by Jesus and how returning from her week at Schoenstatt camp the summer she was about Mary's age (11) that she shared that she thought that she would be a sister.  The powerful moment caught me square in the heart as the Holy Spirit seemed to fill our car, and I pulled into a grain elevator in the small town we were passing through as the tears blinded me!   "You have a little sister because you discerned a call." I was enlightened on a retreat recently by a Benedictine sister.  Yes!  I certainly encouraged my girls to spend time with Sisters in habits and to consider a call as a wonderful option. 

My feelings are especially strong today as Mary was dropped off for her first experience of Schoenstatt Camp.  My thoughts are strongly with her as she prays each day in the chapel her rosary.  The chapel is now air conditioned... when the girls attended 25 years ago they have crazy stories of their knees slipping in the sweat on the kneelers.  Makes for lots of laughs now when the girls reminisce about their camps.  The games they played... capture the flag, and played with the water hose, and then the play they would put on for the parents when we would come to pick them up.  Ruth shared a funny family story of when we came to pick her up and John (about 3 years old) told her as soon as he saw her that her pet kitten had been flattened like a pancake when dad set a bale on it.  "Blacko pancake!"  "I cried through the whole play and tired to smile through my tears." recalls Ruth. 

Mary the oldest of our granddaughters, and big sister to Joy, our youngest granddaughter.  She has already shared that she knows that religious life would be an amazing option and is allowing Jesus to show her his amazing plan for her alone!

I know that her younger cousins and sisters look up to Mary, who is humble and sweet and loves animals and the farm. 

John and I got to talk to her as Ruth and Mary got close to Sleepy Eye last night.  We both asked her to pray for us, and that fills me with a lot of happiness to recall how now Mary will be able to have her Schoenstatt experience... all her own, and I am looking forward to hearing her stories and witnessing her JOY!  My girls loved their weeks and some would not want to come home afterwards.

Focusing in on Mary today, with many thoughts and prayers!

I found this cute one of our special little Evangeline Mary... I have heard that she is crawling all around now.  How she reminds me of my babies, and of me when I was a babe in arms!

Archbishop assisted by Little Brother Clement... blessing the ground on which the Little Monastery will be built and us with Holy Water!  It truly reminded us of our big wonderful extended family we have now through the Community!

Wonderful tents filled with tables and chairs and wonderful food from around the world.  Embracing the world as they dig their shovels in for the groundbreaking.  How we rejoice to know that they are putting more roots down into the heart of our country, which needs so much of their work through The Holy Spirit!  Come Holy Fire of the Holy Spirit and fill us with His LOVE and Truth!

Godfather and Goddaughter sharing this momentous occasion in the humid heat of KC.

A sweet soft portrait taken by her Godfather, Uncle John, as he bonded with her on our short visit there!  "I waited for her tears to turn into smiles for me."  She responded to him with laughter and love. 

A study of red for Pentecost Sunday! 

Adorable and so great to have our wonderful time at their pool in hot KC!

The kids said the best part was the pool, where we enjoyed good times in all our spare time while there. 


Lord, we love you and are filled with wonder and awe at all that you give us with each new day.  The beauty of coming together as family by our Community of the Lamb!   Come Holy Spirit and heal the wounds that hurt and lame us.  May we spread the fire of The Spirit!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Matching girls on the steps...

Home to run on the new porch!

They already had their first meal out there... so it begins!

Rose went out to watch for heat after some time on the porch checking it out.  I predict many wonderful family meals out here and Pat will say; "now I see that this was all a good thing."    Rose reported to grandpa; "I saw one with a white face jumping, and its body was all black."  Those white faces make them stand out and easy to spot for a 5 year old farm girl.

Saying goodbye to cousins and Aunt and Uncle and The Community til next time.  The trip seemed shorter going home said the kids, but they slept half of the way...

Rose with roses in KC

One of my rare pictures of soon to be 3 year old Dominic...

Nancy's beautiful reminder of how our hour at mass is small but wonderful in our lives!

My lovely assistant and I doing small things in sunny KC!

Girls with Kateri braids getting photo bombed by Big Dave...

Berna and Rose are just 6 months apart and best friends.  They are together again in Kansas City for a few days and grandma and John did a crazy thing.  We jumped  in the movie van and drove 7 hours to watch Berna and big brother, Gus, play their first T-ball game and this afternoon watch the Little Brothers of the Lamb break ground for their future Little Monastery in the heart of our country! 

Light saber battle in the sunlight is how we capture the boys, and it is a lot of fun here!   The family is heading out to the neighborhood pool now to cool off in the Kansas City heat.  They live at their pool here, and we are joining them for some family fun!

T-ball now the pool!

My lovely assistant helping grandma with dishes.  I kept telling her that I didn't even like to unload my own dishes and hers even less, but she charmed me and we got the job done. 

Jo Jo found the storage container drawer and posed with her topknot grandma was able to put in just for fun!  Well, the pool and family is calling me away.  I love to reflect upon St Paul in the reading from Acts today.. under captivity for 2 years in Rome  living with his soldier guarding him, and proclaiming the Kingdom.  I would say the soldier came to believe The Truth!  May we proclaim The Kingdom always no matter how hindered we may be or kept captive by LIFE all around us distracting us and calling us to do the small things that we would rather not do, but that lovely little one joins us and makes it a special time together and clean up for grandma when she is gone for her nap.  But with a smile on my face.  Bless-bless, Barb

Yes, Jesus we trust in you, too!

An attempt at a pretty dress picture before her nap...

Little Brothers groundbreaking in the heart of our country, and cement!

So excited to wish Maria and Joseph a happy 10th anniversary today!

You spend time with your hard working farmer husband when you can find it... filling pails of chicken feed and riding along into the pasture to dump the rocks he picked in the field across the road qualify as good times spent with my spouse/Most Cherished Cross, "Patrick farmer guy" as grandson, Dominic Patrick calls him. 


Getting a call from Nancy and both of us talking to her on speaker phone Pat laughed at his new nickname by his almost 3 year old Domo!  Nancy also invited me down to be there for the groundbreaking as the Little Brothers will now build there Little Monastery in the heart of our sick and sad country, and spread LOVE and The Truth!

When Pat invited me along to see the cows and calves, I had to grab my camera as this early summer with the lush grass and so green and the cows and calves so peaceful and content without the heat or the bugs to contend with yet.  Well, it is a masterpiece and a small slice of heaven in picture form.  We heard not a moo as they peacefully grazed or lay down and rested in the late afternoon sun.

This cow was enjoying the creek and cooling her toes while she got a drink under the shade of a willow tree.

The day before they headed out west as we gathered for little Dave's first Communion.  People comment that they miss seeing Maria's wonderful family at mass.  Yes, they lived here for 4 months and were always at mass with us.  Pat so misses his baby girl, Evangeline Mary, and the word is that she is now crawling all over the place.  Happy 10th Anniversary Maria and Joseph!  What a sight to behold for 10 years!  You certainly put into a picture the words - be fruitful and bear fruit as the Cross has become the tree of LIFE!


Joe wrote this today to his bride:
"Maria - we've been married for ten years today. Throughout the years, there have been times when I did not think we could do this - we're only human, after all. Still, I have realized (and hopefully, continue to realize) that our love is a hard love - it's something we choose to do each day, aside from our feelings. The moment I met you, I knew that I could build a life with you. You are magnificent and beautiful. You are my building and loan partner. I love you, lady. Happy anniversary."
I think this is a very real description of our Most Cherished Cross which we are to each other in marriage!  Yes, Joe, it is "a hard love" and the results of embracing it is to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT/The Cross has become the Tree of LIFE!

It was so good that he could fly in to KC for Easter with Hallel and spend time with his family after months apart as well as see Susan/Hallel for the first time in many years!  Love to look at the JOY in this time together, and the silliness that we have grown to expect from each one of them!

Ruth and Paul and family were missing, but I didn't have to add Joseph to this one!  We have a sudden and unexpected trip this afternoon to support the Little Brothers and Gus and Berna for their first T-ball game.  Yes, John, I,  along with Rose and David are heading down for a couple days in KC with Nancy and family!  Life is an adventure and very good!

This big thing is going on at the farm today... the porch is being poured!  Ruth loves her porch and will use it a lot!  I love how they have a vision and are willing to do the work that it takes to make it happen. 

 A peaceful and content pair of cow with her calf in the lush grass... 


In the Gospel today Jesus does not brow beat or condemn St Peter for denying him 3 times, rather he calls him to come into the present and to witness to him and the world the LOVE he has for his savior!  How we need to do that... lay our burdens and sins and all that separates us from our Lord in the Confessional and then go forth and love and serve him without counting the cost!  Become the hands and feet and heart of Jesus to the world around us... most especially those the closest to us in our domestic Church/family!  It fills me with so much HOPE for this mess of a country we live in to know that The Community of the Lamb is putting ever deeper roots down in the heart of our country with the Little Brothers here building their Little Monastery!

Lord, I love you, you know that I love you, yes I am called to be a wife, mother, grandmother, farm wife, contemplative each day with my morning and evening prayer and the rosary in between, I am called to do small things with great love and to die to self so that your Holy Spirit may live within me!  I am yours and I long to be a better servant of yours as I go forth down the road this day in my chapel on wheels.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Nothing goes to waste... these will make a crossing over the creek later on this summer.  Yes, the rocks had new babies over the winter, and make for a big job...

Paul with his rock picking crew... two will get some days off to come with grandma and John to see their cousins in KC and swim in their pool!  These little ones are the spice of LIFE!

Yes!!!

Danielle Rose - Small things with great love

"The Lord stood by him and said, 'Take Courage...' "the love in which you loved me may be in them"

Grandma wisdom called upon for a sick crabby baby while mom was out helping the men last night.  In short order Simon had the enjoyable job of giving Joy a ride in her stroller/joy ride while riding his bike.  Joy was peaceful and eventually took a nap while Simon cruised her around and around the new shop. We learned with her older sister, Rose, who was crabby... Rose Cry a Lot... that if she was in the stroller and pushed that it would help her settle down.  Joy seems to have a cold, so it is good that she has her 2 month check up today.  Also news that she has a new second cousin today as my Godson, David, and his wife have a baby girl today!  Congratulations!

John's job at Tracy HS is off for the summer, so he is now helping out on the farm.   It is a very busy time of year with breeding, putting cows and calves out to pasture, and haying, spraying the fields for weeds and pastures too.  Plus we will have a huge breakfast served in our shop on June 22 put on by Farm Bureau!  Yikes!  Lots of work ahead!

Big brother helping out in an enjoyable way.




The first reading today had Paul facing the Sanhedrin and they got to stirred up that he had to be rescued from their midst.  It is so powerful to experience that "the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage..."  St Paul, who did not encounter Jesus and persecuted him until he was knocked off his horse and blinded on the road... now has him come and stand beside him and give him the courage he needs to go forth!  How I also feel this presence as The Holy Spirit touches me in my journey.  The fingerprint of Jesus as he touches me on my shoulder and tells me to take courage!  I will name a few of these times - coming into The Church with my family,  when my husband told me that the world needs lights in answer to my question about having a large family, when the prayer warriors lifted up John and he was healed, when my grandson, Patrick, was born dead and brought back to life. 
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/johns-cancer-stories.html
http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-story-of-little-lamb-grandson.html

Our Lady honored... how we love her and appreciate her constant comfort and joining us on our journey to join her and her Son forever in heaven with The Saints... today we honor St Justin.




The Lord certainly showers us with the LOVE which he has been given by His Father in Heaven!  LIFE is such an amazing small slice of heaven if only we have Jesus stand  beside us and fills us with the courage to share The Truth and die so self so that The Holy Spirit can use us as his hands and feet!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Big sister, Rose, brings out Joy from her nap into their bright sunny house.  Outside the porch is getting prepared to be poured.  Exciting and busy times!

Since Joy went with mom to pick up the big kids from their last day of school, I got these two today.  They went down and played happily with their toys left here a year ago when we switched places... proving that they become fun again when you take them away from them for a while.  The costume box is always a hit!

Now rest time in grandma's 4 poster bed just like old times.  Rose remembers watching movies in our bed a year ago in the farmhouse.  "Your bed used to be where the sink is now."  I can tell they are happy when they can spend time here making new memories in the house that they used to live in since they were born.  "Joy will never live here." said Rose wisely, but I still think it will be special to come to grandpa and grandma's house.

In September Rose will go to all day Kindergarten, and Luke will go to 3 year pre-school a couple days a week, so I think Joy will be here watching movies in grandmas bed for a few years as the newest and the youngest with all to discover and experience ahead of her!

Joy Jean Jellybean--- sweet as can be!

Sweet little Lamb... so loved!