Overwhelming Appreciation of Faith and Family/"Dad, you came home early to see your daughter who is a Little Sister!"/Blessed ears -+JMJ+

Hallel at Major Joseph and Maria's new home on base at Fort Leavenworth, KS!  I am overwhelmed with all that happened over this past week or so.  To have two of our daughters together for a day and sharing both of their very different yet very similar lives together was such a gift!  

Hallel here helping little 6 year old Evangeline Mary into her Little Sister habit that had belonged to her older sister Therese about 10 years ago.  Mom, Maria, sewed it for a birthday gift for T!  

Fixing the belt and putting the rosary on it just so - it hangs on their left so that throughout the day they may run the beads through their fingers in prayer along with whatever else they are doing.  Hallel also shared that it was for them to draw their sword of their weapon against evil - the Rosary!  

"I am little sister Evangeline!  I want to be a sister!"  Evie 

Mom taking the hem down on the scapular - it had been shortened for her to wear it some years ago - now she is 6 and taller.  

I had to record it all as it was such a precious moment!  Evie's mom, Maria, not only made this for the girls to share and I have no doubt that in a few years Maggie will be wearing it... 

Maria also discerned a call to religious life as she lived behind the enclosure with the Poor Clare Nuns in Sauk Rapids for 5 months in 2004.  Now she is wife and mother of 7, so the Lord had another plan, yet we all know that being the Bride of Christ is a beautiful option to consider and ask the Lord to show his plan for them.  

Almost ready for... she wore it all day long even having a nerf battle in the heat of the day.  

With our Hallel and Little Sister Dorota, who entered at the same time as Hallel.  Her family is from Poland.  Evangeline was so excited and sweet!  

Major Joseph came home for lunch - Evie - "Dad you came home early to see your daughter, who is a little sister nun!"

Such a live wire is this one!  We watched To kill a Mockingbird last night and it reminded me that a nick name of Eve is "Scout."  She is very much like that rough and tumble and outspoken character in that book!  

I had my Little Sister blue dress also, and had to join the group.  A sweet part of her habit is the cross and rosary that her Opah - grandpa Librande made to go with it!  

How we love our Little Sister blue and the gift to us to share in their lives and have them as part of our Family!  

Did I mention that Maria has a huge library of books that she have moved 10 times over the years as they have been moved many times in the army?  They will only be in Fort Leavenworth for a year, but are only moving to a fort in Kansas just 2 hours away for the next 2 years.  

Our time away began on Saturday at the Wright County Fair - we wanted to support our grandkids from Delano that are in 4H up there!

10 year old Bernadette with her tie blanket she made for her dad - Bill grew up in PA and his family still lives there!  He loves the Steelers!  Great job, Berna!  

Dominic and Josephine are in Cloverbuds and got a ribbon on their pictures.

Then we headed up to have supper with some of my family!  My brother, Dan, Brother-in-law, Jerry, and hubby all cathing up!  

Now with sister, Carol, sister-in-law Angela and the rest.  Out of the 11 of us - 4 gathered...

We then stopped at my sister, Marty's place on the lake nearby.  

Sharing the exciting plans they have in a few weeks to gather in Michigan with their 6 kids and families for a big celebration of their 50 wedding anniversary.  Congratulations Marty and Steven on 50 years of marriage!  

The following morning we went to pray Morning Prayer of The Church with my parents at their gravesite on the top of the hill with the St Croix River below outside of Taylors Falls, MN.

We sat and prayed together and my heart soared to such heights!  

Every time I would visit my parents across the river and up the hill in St Croix Falls while they lived there together for 11 years - I would sit with them and do Morning Prayer - they would each have their prayer books and I would have ibreviary on my phone!  My dad being a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church for 44 years needed to pray with mom morning and night!  

We had the prefect window to pray before going to mass at 11a at the same church mom and dad attended up here - St Joseph's in Taylors Falls! 

Praying with my Most Cherished Cross and mom and dad in Spirit and in Truth!  

Such a wonderful special time of prayer as we listened to the sounds of birds, woodpeckers, the breeze and the smell of pine needles in the air.  Thankfully no mosquitoes.  

As we were leaving the farm for our adventure equalling 2000 miles by time we returned home!  Mary with her fair goat made quite the special sight and send off.  

2 to do it justice!  

The prayer space to begin our Sunday away.  Such a special time - thank you, Lord and Lady!  

Mom and dad's tombstone is the shape of the Bible!  How they loved our Lord, Lady, The Church and Jesus in the Word and Eucharist!  Yes, there are 12 of us kids!  

Mass on Sunday at our special St Joseph's in Taylors Falls, MN.  Such a beautiful statue of Mary with Jesus!  

My brother, Dan and his wife, Angela, put us up for the night!  Dan led the singing at mass!  How we love to share our Faith together - we see eye to eye on The Church and that is such a powerful tie that binds us one to the other. 

Beautiful hanging baskets on the streets of Taylors Falls and St Croix Falls!  This one was by the Catholic Church after mass, and reminds me of all those years with my parents up there.  

Our welcome after traveling the day to Fort Leavenworth... Evie and Maggie

There was a thunderstorm the first morning there so we headed out on a true adventure to visit a monastery where a their founder is incorrupt - Sr Wilhemena in Gower, Missouri just 40 miles away!  We had 6 of the 7 kids - even 2 year old Maggie came along!  

About 24 cloistered nuns singing like angels!  

I only realized after a few pictures that they asked for no pictures.  

It was a Latin Mass - the only words that I understood was the final hymn in English!  I could not detect the readings of the Gospel and there was total silence at the Consecration which was very hard and shocking for me.  There was so much reverence with the many altar boys, yet the inability to really enter is was a true new experience for me.  

Totally unplanned we attended mass every day we were away except for our trip back home.  Today I was at mass and was so filled with JOY at how I could enter in with it ALL!  The readings, the prayers, the consecration... every part of it seemed to be A Lamp unto my feet and a light in my heart, mind and soul!  

Matthew 13 today - the Gospel said so much Truth!

hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."  Matthew 13

Visiting the incorrupt body of Sr Wilhemena, Pat and Maggie!  

Only missing 13 year old David, who stayed at home to help his mom unpack.  

The following morning we joined Hallel and the little Sisters at 8a mass at The St Peter's Cathedral in Kansas City, KS! 

Maggie came without her mom, and was so good for us!  

St James Feast day - I must stop for today - too much in my heart, mind and soul to share here today.  Hubby is around so I am constantly being pulled in different directions!  

Our nun loves to drive, and usually gets behind the wheel to take us back to the Monastery for breakfast, and then to the gate of Fort Leavenworth.  She has a French license and drives those that want to visit Lourdes when they are at Saint Pierre.  

Arriving at Lumen Christi Monastery in the heart of the poor in Kansas City, KS after sharing mass.  Their priest, Fr Isaac, is back in France so they must attend mass daily at the Churches around them.  I have such high hopes for the military family to spend lots of time here sharing in the life and prayer of The Community of the Lamb!  I imagine that Maria will have a weekly hour of Adoration and they will join in mass when their priest returns from France.  

In to share in breakfast!  

Hallel, Evie and Hector run a race first.

Nancy, when she lived just half an hour away for 4 years said that her kids were the magnet for Hallel, and I can see that here too with the miliary family nearby!  So amazingly wonderful!  

It is as though I want to capture every minute of our time together or something like that?!?

Maggie at breakfast - she was so good for us!  Both days she went to mass and was next to perfect for her Bumpa/Grandpa!  

My bowl of coffee - so french!  

Strawberries too!!!  

Helping with dishes - Hallel describes her life as "prayer and dishes."  

They do not have running hot water - they need to heat the water on the stove.  They embrace a life of poverty - they are the poor!  

Evie in her blue apron helping with the dishes.  Even after the dishes she said - "I want to be a nun!"  

15 year old Therese is God daughter of Hallel!  So wonderful for her to have this special year of living close to her God mother and The Community of the Lamb!  The motto they live by - "Wounded, I will never cease to love." 

A special flower that grew as a surprise in the midst of the tomato plants - they have tomatoes already!  

Out to visit the chickens with the chicken feed that we brought for them.  There were 2 eggs! 

This makes my heart soar to great heights of happiness to see these 7 military kids so close to our nun!  They have lived on both coasts over the last 5 years and therefore have not seen Hallel or her Community as much as the rest of us!  Now they can truly get to know this life and be familiar with it.  They can long to return into the future and feel at home here!  

On a tour of their big house on base - Major Joseph's office!  

A long hallway upstairs with Hallel making it a vision causing JOY in my heart!  

Another cause for JOY - the little sister Evangeline Mary!  

Batman joins lunch... Evie's face looked either so joyful or angelic with the veil surrounding her big bushy hair.  

Hallel was so cute when she would help her with the ins and outs of habits through the day she spent with us on base.  

Nerf gun wars in the heat in full habit !  

Hallel with gun and battling with her whole heart!  

The other sisters arrive to find this little sister to welcome them... they were truly surprised to see her in her small habit!  

With the 7 before we had the school of the Word and supper together.  That must wait for tomorrow as I have spent so much time today!  My heart is so full and I am overwhelmed by all that we were blessed with on our few days away! Thank you, Lord and Lady!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barbara and the military family and Family of the Lamb.  

3 years ago at this very time we were in Kansas City with our nun.  My dad was living with me and Hallel came home for her every 3 year home visit.  She drove us back to the farm!  

A fond farewell for 5 days on the farm.  

WE had Rose and David along for the time down there.  

Singing Happy Birthday to Big Dave at the Little Brothers a few days after his birthday which is on the 16th - this was 3 years ago today!  Also we were in France 12 years ago today for Hallel's first vows with John and Pat's mom.  My head is spinning with all that has been given to us with Hallel and her call!  

Danielle Rose amazes!