Family weekend out of the blue - Fake plans abound/Lucy is 3!/Ordinary time is anything but - "Speak for your servant is listening" +JMJ+

10 years ago Ruth and Paul had 5 kids.  They have added two since than... this was a big day as they won a national contest with Farm Bureau and won a pickup!

National winner in 2015!  

3 years ago Jude and Birdie with their new baby sister, Lucy.  On Sunday Lucy turned 3!  It is hard to fathom that our youngest of our 23 grandchildren is now 3 with no new babies in the womb or here with us.  As someone said today - "It has to end sometime."  

Nancy asked me to find her First Communion picture today, The crimped bangs and curled hair she found "funny".  I kind of felt sad when she responded that way.

Ruth's First Communion 2 years before Nancy's with curled hair and crooked bangs.  It must have been before we discovered crimping.

The birthday girl on Sunday with her cake and smile!

8 years ago Bill and Nancy lived in Kansas - not too far from Hallel and The Community of the Lamb in the heart of the poor in KCK.  Nancy looks close to have her #4 child - Josephine, who will be 9 in May.  Hallel had knee surgery and these are her crutches.  Oh the memories of shared time with 2 of our girls in Kansas, and Nancy having a new baby most every 18 months!  She now has 6 children with losses too.

Another memory of our Magdalene with her big sister Therese.  Maggie will be 5 in May, so this is 4 years ago now.  When she turned one she had surgery on her skull, as she was born with a closed font, which would not allow her skull to grow with her brain.  They had to add an opening to allow her brain to grow.  

With her loving brother Hector 4 years ago when they came for a visit from Fort Lewis in Seattle, WA.  

There are fake plans flying around for both Nancy and Maria with their kids to come for a visit to the farm this weekend!  I am feeling the excitement build.  Yes, we were just together a couple weeks ago for VCC - Verly Christmas Camp, but there has not been a weekend on the farm for a long time.  Too bad it is supposed to be cold and wintry after all this crazy nice weather.  

Baby Tom with adoring cousins Jude and Birdie.  Tom just turned 4 while Jude is 6 and Birdie is 5.  No longer little ones!  As Tom says; "I am a big boy!"

Tom and Maggie are just 6 months apart and are best buddies now.  He will be so happy to see her and Gina this weekend!  Grandma will have a get some pictures for sure!  

Tom was here a few days ago and it was warm enough to go outside without our coats on and visit our Mother Mary with our neighbor cat, Riley.

Tom with one of his farm cats that is now my cat - Neumann!  

Tom loves to come to grandma's house!  We got very close when he was small and Ruth and Paul first made The Parsonage into an Airbnb, and the following year they gutted and made 8 apartments in the brick building across from our beloved Catholic Church.  Tom and grandma spent many a day together and so he is my best buddy to this day!  

I have him trained to smile for his old grandma, and he does remind me - "you old grandma!"  Yes!  

I came across this quote from Saint Mother Teresa a few days ago.  It is one that Therese used with one of her watercolors, and it is good to see the second part!

The Trinity comes together at The Baptism on Sunday - God speaks when He comes out of the water - "This is my beloved Son"  The Holy Spirit is there in the form of a dove, So the Trinity is there - all 3!  

St Therese praying with me and John in the middle of the night when our hours of adoration overlap - John the last hour of Sunday and mine is the first hour of Monday.  Such a gift and a blessing to be able to pray together.

The first reading today from Samuel is the calling of God to the young Samuel.  After 3 times of hearing his name called he finally realizes that it is God calling him - "Speak, for your servant is listening."  After I receive Jesus at daily mass and on Sunday - I repeat these words as I cherish his presence in me - His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!  

Verly Christmas Camp in our shop 4 years ago when George and Hector were 2 and Birdie was 1.

The live Nativity with one laying down on the job!

Mass together 

In the beautiful church - we have added 4 since this taken 4 years ago.  

So many prayers for LIFE to be protected and cherished in the womb from conception on!  

With my hospice people today we always pray to Our Lady - our Mother of Heaven and earth!  

 a borrowed picture of an owl on top of a pine tree with a lighthouse on Lake Michigan in the background.

Each year we have more and more teenagers among the grandchildren.  We added 3 thirteen year olds this year - Rose, Patrick and Bernadette!  

John and Bobbi and their family.  

Good to remember as we trudge down the narrow path dragging our Most Cherished Cross with heaven forever as out goal.  

All are now 4 and are best buddies - Tom, Gina and Maggie!  

Only missing our nun. Little sister Hallel, and Major Joseph who is stationed in Poland till May.  

Ruth and I are talking about meals for close to 30+, but we know that we need to take it as it comes.  Many will sleep here and there too.  WE love our big crazy family time and our fake plans until we see how it all comes together or falls apart in a good way.  Jesus, may I die to self so that I may serve without counting the cost.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb and the 33 plus 13 in heaven keeping our eyes on heaven forever with them!  

"When Catholics are asked,

'Do you have a personal relationship 

with Jesus Christ?'

they should answer a resounding YES!

 

There is no closer union with Jesus than when

you receive Him in the Eucharist.

You too can say with St Paul,

"...and the life I now live is not my own,

CHRIST IS LIVING IN ME." (Galatians 2:20)

Rev Msgr Richard L Carroll, V.F.

John's Spirit Juice video of finding his Catholic Faith through brain cancer - 17 years ago on Father's Day 

Hillbilly Thomists - Good Tree

Goodness of God

Danielle Rose - Small things with great love

Salve Regina- Hail Holy Queen - sung by the Dominican sisters - our Community of the Lamb sing it like this each night before bed.  Angels singing to Out Lady Queen of heaven and earth!  

LOVE is the answer, and shows God's face! VCC 2025 over the weekend at Shetek - "If we love one another, God remains in us..." +JMJ+

Tom here today and we went outside without our jackets as it was almost 50 degrees out!  He found Riley and posed so nice for grandma after 2 breakfast sandwiches and an ice cream cone!  

Tom, Neumann and a cardinal in my mom's white chair.

No nap today - just jumping on the bed!  

/Cat watching a fluttering moth, which we think came out of a caccoon in his wood pile.  So far he did not have lunch.

A year ago Ruth celebrated her 45th birthday in KCK with our nun, Hallel, and sister, Maria, who was stationed in Fort Riley, KS a couple hours away!  They had a huge snow storm that gave them another day with The Community of the Lamb!  

The two redhead cousins, Romeo and Joy!  

Birthday little sister style a year ago - this year we celebrated with her at the final day of our Verly Christmas Camp at Lake Shetek!  

The husbands - Paul to Ruth and Major Joseph to Maria.  Major Joseph is now stationed in Poland till May.

45 candles is a fire!  It was amazing that Ruth and Paul got all 7 of their kids with them!  They had not had time with the sisters for 7 years when they had Joy as a baby.  Tom has joined the family since then, and just turned 4.

After all 32 of us sharing Mass in Tracy, MN - St Mary's.  I think that it is obvious that we are having our Christmas when we fill up the church with our family!  This was Ruth's birthday on Sunday the 4th of January!  

Ruth's birthday cakes were pancakes made with love by her old dad.

Josephine in line for a hot one right off the griddle!  

Ruth goes all out for our weekend bringing along special decor and dishes including these wine glasses that my mom gave to her.  She recognizes how much Ruth loves dishes and uses them for each holiday!  

With Santa...

We are starting to have more and more teenagers!  Berna and Patrick were just 13 a month ago!  

Santa brings candy and shirts!  

Ruth birthday from years past - CCC 6 years ago!

Baby Joy 8 years ago - Ruth was 38.  David missed the ice cream cake, and was upset the next day till they showed him propped up by dad in a deep sleep.  A famous story of Dave's early to bed!  

13 years ago at CCC with Santa!  

A random picture of Nancy's bunch about 5 years ago!  

Hector is now 6 and Evie is 9... so about 5 years ago the military family come for a visit!

Hector at about 1 year old - he is now 6 and in first grade!  

The Kansas snow storm a year ago now.  Ruth and Paul and their 7 were with the little sisters in KCK!  

Military family visit 5 years ago - cute memories that came up on FB!  

Romeo and Evie! 

When they were stationed by Seattle at Fort Lewis.

It took us 2 days to drive out there through the Rocky Mountains!  Therese knew grandma would like some pictures so she arranged this!  Hector is now 6 and they have added Magdalene!  

Maggie in a dress that her big sister, Therese made for her.

A small play of the Nativity for Santa.  The littles were Mary, Joseph, The shepherds and they all adored baby Jesus as Santa held and rocked him.  We love Jesus!  The reason for this Season!  

I am finding the first readings at Mass especially wonderful from I John about LOVE!  

Reading 1 1 John 4:11-18

Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.  

"WE love you sweet baby Jesus!"

Santa arrives, and later we have a dance of great JOY!  

A Nativity veggie tray!  

Family Rosary keeps our hearts, minds and souls turned towards Jesus through Mary!  John with his youngest, Lucy, and Ruth with her crocheting.

Water coloring with grandma - Joy with the 3 kitties that live on my place.

After Mass on Sunday!  

Youngest grandchild will be 3 in a week.  It is hard for me to have no new little ones in the womb.  They are growing up too fast!  Soon I will have more teenagers than littles!  

The posse - Tom, Maggie and Gina are all 3 and the girls chase Tom wherever he goes!  He giggles and smiles - how long will that last?

The three 6 year old boys at the dance we had over at a big gym.

Lucy loves to dance!  

LOVE of color!

Art work displayed on the fridge for a day!  

Josephine painted Tom's tractor with a bale on the spear that grandma and dad drew!  

His dad and Tom in the cab of the tractor!  

Joy finding lots of JOY everywhere!  Such a good name for this sweet happy girl, and so appropriated for Christmas Season!  

A sweet dress that Therese made for her secret Santa gift - a sheet that she found at a second hand store and made this dress for JOJO.  I love her scapular in the back!  

Front view with a smile...

John made egg bake for the first breakfast - the meals are shared by each family, and grandma sure loves to just show up and enjoy!  

Puzzles and games were played.

Our fun started at the Garvin tubing hill!!  There was snow on Friday, but most of it is melted now. 

Front row seat for the tubers going down.

The truck brought them up to the top over and over.

Fun!

The two 17 year olds walking up the hill.

How did they get so big?!?

Special time in the warming house...

Tom watching, but the littles did go down with grandpa.

It was fun to include our eldest's birthday as we had our family Christmas now dubbed VCC - Verly Christmas Camp.  It is very much similar to CCC - Cross Christmas Camp - my family now just had our 40th year!  

Santa gifted the shirts, and then grandma wants her picture for a Christmas present!  Only missing 2 of our 34 - our nun, Little Sister Hallel, and our Major Joseph, who is in Poland.  

I will end this for now - it was a wonderful Christmas Season for us with Maria able to go and visit her husband in Poland after 5 months apart!  I had the great joy of being with her 7 kids along with the other grandma.  I was also blessed with about 50 of the Crosses (my maiden name) for CCC.  Finally, we had our VCC this past weekend.  I must also share that we had a glorious Christmas with Hallel and The Community of the Lamb in Kansas City, KS!  I think Christmas could not have been any better!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb and the 33 plus 13 in heaven!  Talk about Communion of the Saints!  

Salve Regina - Hail Holy Queen as our nuns sing it each night before going to bed.  Like angels singing!

Crab rave  - one of the most popular dance songs for the kids!

Goodness of God