Austrian Thanksgivings & Christmas Preparations (7QT)

It's been a full week here in Austria!  I can't believe it's the end of November, the beginning of Advent, and that the students (and all of my Ministry to Mom helpers - eeeeek!) will be gone in less than two weeks!!  Here's the latest with our life happenings in 7 Quick Takes:

1) Found our Christmas Tree!

Last weekend, we went to a tree farm in the small town next to us and "marked" our Christmas tree.  You bring a ribbon and simply tie it around the tree you want (see our red ribbon in the photo below).  You then return closer to Christmas to cut it down and pay for it.  It Austria, the tradition is that the Christmas tree is brought into your home and decorated on Christmas Eve.  Some children believe that the 'Christkind' - described as a golden-haired baby, with wings, who symbolizes the new born Christ - decorates the tree.  The Christkind also brings presents to the children on Christmas Eve and leaves them under the tree.  (Perhaps we could put a pair of wings on Francis and have him pose as the Christkind??)

Our own traditions - a blended American/Austrian mix - are still a work in progress.  Knowing we have a tree out there though, definitely helps Ellie (and me) with the Advent virtues of waiting and anticipation as we draw closer to Christmas!

It kind of looks like Francis was trying to mark the tree in his own way...

2) I'm 17 weeks pregnant now!

I don't remember my baby bump being this big at 17 weeks in the past.  It may have something to do with the fact I spent 10 days eating my way through Rome and Assisi earlier this month :)

Because they don't do a 16 week check-up here, I've been anxiously counting the weeks between my 12 week and 20 week appointments...only 3 more weeks until I get to see baby again (and hopefully find out if it's a boy or girl!!!)

3) Thanksgiving Day in Austria

Austrians do not celebrate our American Thanksgiving Day - the students still have classes, Ellie has Kindergarten, the stores are open per usual, etc.  But at night, the students, faculty, and staff all come together for a Thanksgiving meal and then head off to the "Austrian Ball."  There was one turkey (for 200+ people) presented with sparkles and students singing God Bless, America.  Our table was served chicken and chocolate cake for dessert.  Everyone wears their "trachten" (traditional Austrian clothes).  Here's one of our Christmas card outtakes...   

At the ball, there are group dance lessons intermingled with performances by professional "slap dancers."  Francis absolutely loved clapping along as he watched in awe.  (Lederhosen and Crocs - he's got style ;) 

4) Real Thanksgiving Celebration 

On Saturday, we gathered together with the other faculty, staff, and religious for a real, traditional Thanksgiving celebration!  We had plenty of delicious, home-cooked turkey and pies!  I was in charge of making the pumpkin pies.  I'd never made one before.  They don't sell canned pumpkin or evaporated milk here.  But, fortunately, several people had brought cans of pumpkin from the USA for this occasion.  And my neighbor who has lived here for 25 years told me which milk/creamer (Kaffee Milch) to buy as a substitute.  The only unfortunate part about my pies was getting the centers to fully cook.  They both eventually got there, but as you can see in the photo below, I had to remove a bit of the top I burnt in the final minutes.  But with enough whipped cream on top - everything tasted great!

It was such a lovely day of being together with our neighbors/good friends. As we celebrated this American holiday, I realized our family is unique in that all of our family members were born in the USA (although this will only remain true until our baby arrives in May).  Our neighbors are from Austria, Germany, Slovakia, England, Hungary, Colombia, Poland, and Ireland. 

5) Schallaburg Castle Game Weekend

After Mass today, we drove to another town 40 minutes away to visit Schallaburg Castle.  On this weekend, they filled the castle with over 100 board games for families to try out.  We had a great time playing games, baking and eating gingerbread cookies, making ornaments, and watching a marionette show (you know, like they do in The Sound of Music).  And everything was free!

6) Advent is Here!

Happy Church New Year!  It was great going to Mass this morning and seeing all of the purple decorations out and the huge advent wreath.

At home we're trying a few new things this year.  Because Ellie will turn 4 in February, I feel like she can really understand and do even more this Advent.  I made an Advent/Christmas paper chain that will take us through Advent (purple & pink links), Christmas Day (white), and the 12 Days of Christmas plus a few extra up until the Feast of the Baptism of Christ (green).  I tried to mark a few of the Feast & Saint days along the way (St. Nicholas, Immaculate Conception, St. Lucy, Holy Innocents, Holy Family, etc.).  

We also added a Mary/Jesus candle in the center of our Advent Wreath.  It's a white candle, representing Christ, covered with a blue cloth, representing Mary.  Right now Jesus is hidden inside of "pregnant Mary" and on Christmas Day we'll remove the blue cloth and light the candle.  Simple.

Finally, we've introduced the "straw for Baby Jesus' manger" idea.  The idea is that every time Ellie does a good deed (leads a prayer or is helpful or kind to a family member) she gets to add straw (brown construction paper) to Jesus' manger (old cornstarch box).  On Christmas Day we'll hopefully be lying Baby Jesus in a soft, full bed of straw.  Day 1 went pretty well -- Ellie loved filling the manger, and Francis loved dumping it out afterward.... 

7) Online Resources for Advent

For the third year in a row, I'm using HolyHeroes.Com during Advent.  Ellie remembered watching the daily videos about the Jesse Tree or other Advent lessons last year and was super excited when I told her she could start watching these YouTube videos again!  If you sign up for their Advent Adventures, they'll send you an email each day with a link to that day's free activities and videos.  It's really easy to use and I've learned a lot from it as well.

Our family (ok, mostly Brian and I) are really excited about ReedemedOnline.Com Advent Series.  You can sign up to receive a daily one-minute video from Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Andy Lesnefsky, Fr. Dave Pivonka, and Dave VanVickle.  With the email you'll also get a short reflection to help you understand more fully who Jesus is.  The videos can also be viewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Wishing everyone a blessed Advent!  Happy New Year!

For this post, I'm linking up with Kelly from This Ain't The Lyceum, so please check it out for more 7 Quick Takes!

Assisi with the Kids

Traveling through Assisi with the kids is much easier than traveling in Rome. We spend almost all of our time in Upper Assisi - the part of the city that sits high on top of a hill. It still looks like a Medieval town and is easy to walk through.

Thursday 

Our buses arrived in Lower Assisi at Santa Maria degli Angeii (St. Mary/Queen of the Angels) Church, which is built over the Portiuncula where St. Francis often prayed. It is far down the hill away from where the royalty and commoners lived - it is where the lepers and outcasts lived. 

We had Mass in the Church and then has time to pass through the Portiuncula's Holy Door and visit the small chapel marking the location where St. Francis' died.

The buses then took us up the hill. After lunch we met with Fr. Ken Cienik. He is a Franciscan Friar of Atonement and a family friend from the US; he is currently living in Assisi.  We enjoyed our first of many cannolis on this trip from Gran Cafe with him - along with gorgeous views of the city. 

The sunset over the Basilica of St. Francis was amazing that evening. 

Friday

In the morning we walked to the Basilica for Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis 

It rained and thunder-stormed a lot this day - so we spent time playing in the hotel rooms and exploring the interior of the Basilica of St. Francis. And eating more cannolis :)

Many of the nights the students gather at a church for praise and worship of our Lord. Brian and I take turns going while the other one stays with the kids - in theory they are sleeping by this time. I went to the first half of the Festival of Praise this evening and when I returned a little after 9pm Brian whispered that the kids had just fallen asleep. Francis then stood up in his pack & play and said, "Eis!" (Eis is German for ice cream). Ellie then sat up on her mattress on the floor (she falls out of bed if we leave it on the frame) and says, "Buddy, we cannot get gelato now!"  Needless to say, they weren't asleep yet. Thankfully this was the exception as most nights they passed out quickly after dinner. 

Saturday

We walked to Santa Chiara (St. Clare) for Mass. Here the Cross of San Damiano, that spoke to Francis telling him to rebuild God's church, hangs in the side chapel. 

The views overlooking Assisi outside of Santa Chiara's are perfect for taking pictures!

But you've got to watch your step - and your face - when it starts to rain!

We went on a walking tour with Sr. Joan Paule to San Damiano, where St. Clare had her convent and had died.  It is also where Francis composed his famous The Canticle of the Creatures.

After lunch, we had a student watch our kids and Brian and I hiked up to the hermitage where St. Francis used to pray.   After we had time to pray, a shuttle brought the kids and babysitters up. After some time at the top, we started the hike down - but that didn't last long and we ended up getting a ride the rest of the way down.

We had Mass that evening (for Sunday) at the Cathedral of San Rufino. This church holds the font where both Francis and Clare were baptized. 

Before dinner we packed our bags and they were loaded on the bus so we could depart before 6 am the next morning. 

Sunday

It was a 13 hour (with stops) bus ride home. The kids did great. We arrived home to a snow-covered Gaming and a hot meal from our neighbors, who had also started our fireplace so we had some heat in the house! Ellie chose to skip school the next morning to play in the first snow of the season - rebel ;)

Photo credit: All of the amazing, high-quality photos were taken by one of our favorite students, Shannon!

Rome with the Kids

Each semester the students make a 10 day pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. Our family was blessed to join them again this Fall.

A year ago I documented our top 10 highlights from Rome and Assisi (you can click on those links to see how much the kids have grown in one year). This trip we enjoyed many of the same experiences (except no Pope kiss) along with being able to visit some more of Rome's 600+ Catholic churches.  We've found our favorite places for pizza, gelato, and cannolis as well. Yes, it's a rough job accompanying Brian on these work trips - but someone's got to do it ;)

In contrast to last year's posts about the trip, I'll try to give you a chronological overview of our trip. It's a busy but amazing 10 days!

Friday

Our family flew from Vienna to Rome.  Overall this year's trip was easier because both kids sleep through the night and for the most part fall asleep quickly because they're exhausted from the full days (the first night Ellie chose to skip to dessert because she wanted to go to straight to bed).

Saturday

Students arrived via bus or train.  Brian helped check people in while the kids played at the nearby park. 

We had the afternoon free and walked around Rome (crossing the Ponte Sant'Angelo - Bridge of St. Michael / the Holy Angels) and enjoyed our first stop for Frigidarium's gelato. 

We had Mass and Adoration at Santa Galla Church that evening. We then returned to the hotel for dinner, which every night consisted of the pasta first course, meat and vegetable second course, and dessert! I was only 14-15 weeks pregnant on this trip, but all the delicious Italian food made me look more like 25 weeks!!

Sunday

We went to Mass at St. Paul's Outside the Walls. 

The tomb of St. Paul and the chains that once held him prisoner (until an angel freed him) are at the center of the church. 

After Mass we made our way to St. Peter's Square for the Angelus with Pope Francis. He led us in prayer from the window marked with a red banner. This was our first encounter with rain - for which we came prepared with rain jackets, boots, umbrellas and the huge rain cover for the double stroller. 

Then we made our way through security and passed through the Jubilee Year Holy Door into St. Peter's Basilica. When we were there a year ago we saw the door sealed shut waiting for the Year of Mercy to begin. This year we got to pass through and gain an indulgence during the final week of the Jubilee Year.

Francis bears a very strong resemblance to the cherubim around the church.

Our neighbors and their boys were on this trip too. 

On our way back to the hotel this evening we got caught outside in a major thunderstorm that led to flash flooding. I'd never been so excited to finally get the stroller onto a bus that took us relatively close to our hotel.

Monday 

After an early breakfast, we boarded packed city buses to St. Peter's Basilica where our Friars were saying Mass at the Altare della Cattedra. Brian and the kids made it to Mass with the help of the students helping to load the stroller on the buses. I had to get off the first bus after a couple of stops because I felt very dizzy and faint - blaming our baby in utero here. Sr. Maria Pio got off with me and we eventually got to St. Peter's Square. 

Brian (along with the kids) led a walking tour of Rome for a group of students. I went with a smaller group of students on a Scavi tour, which goes under St.Peter's  Basilica to see the excavations that took place and a close-up view of the tomb of St. Peter, around which the entire basilica is built (the huge altar stands above the tomb).

We had pasta for lunch - and every other meal of the trip. 

We burned off some of the carbs walking to Borghese Gardens - which is like the Central Park of Rome.

We met our friend/co-worker Sarah at San Andrea Della Fratte Church. This is the church where St. Maxiliman Kolbe said his first mass. He chose to have it here because of the miracle that occurred. In the 1800s an atheist was converted and instantly infused with the profound knowledge of the Catholic faith instantly upon seeing this image of Our Lady. The man went on to become a missionary priest. 

That evening Brian took the kids back to the hotel for dinner and put them to bed. I joined about 90 of the students in St. Peter's Square to walk to the Pontifical North American College (NAC) for praise and worship.  The NAC is where some of the best and brightest diocesean seminaries from the USA study. I got to meet one seminarian from the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, who did his undergrad at Franciscan. He first visited the NAC four years ago when he was studying abroad in Austria and went to this praise and worship night!  The view of St. Peter's from the NAC is one of the best in Rome.

Tuesday 

The Friars said Mass for us at St. Mary Major. 

Brian then led one of the walking tours of another area of Rome. The kids and I joined him. We stopped at the Colosseum (which was the site of many Christians' martyrdom) and Cosmas and Damian Church among many other holy sites.

Fortunately it only rained during the last thirty minutes of the tour. 

After pizza for lunch, Brian organized students for a scheduled tour, and we headed back to the hotel - with a stop for gelato along the way. And I think we may have actually bathed the kids this night.

Wednesday 

Wednesday is the day of the Pope's General Audience in St. Peter's Square.  To secure the best seats we have students each semester who leave the hotel by 4am to be first in the security line. We show up and join the line around 7am. At 7:30am they open the security check points and this is when you see the worst in Catholics eagerly wanting to see the Pope come out.  We got through the gate about an hour later and joined the students who had been the first to enter in the section closest to where the Pope would be. We found our spot in the back corner along the rail where we would have Pope Francis pass directly in front of us twice. Around 9am we got a phone call from one of the staff members telling us that Hillary had just conceded. At 9:25am the Pope came out in the Pope Mobile and began blessing the crowd and kissing babies - unfortunately none of ours this time. 

After the Pope's final blessing we went to St. Cecilia in Trastevere. St. Cecilia's tomb is here, as is the famous sculpture made of her incorrupt body that was discovered in the catacombs.

We then had lunch the best pizza place, Dar Poeta.  After lunch we walked through a nearby open market and then went to the famous Piazza Navona for some artwork with our neighbors. 

We made another stop for gelato at the Frigidarium and then walked a couple of miles to the Basilica of St. John Lateran (we needed to walk after all the pizza and ice cream - and it was a beautiful, sunny day so the walk was perfect).

Wednesday was the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica making it an extra blessed time to attend Mass there. The Lateran is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, and, as such, ranks as the mother and head of all churches in the city and the world.  It is a beautiful place to pray. The main area to worship is surrounded by massive statues of the Twelve Apostles holding the instruments of their martyrdom. 

After Mass we went back to the hotel for our farewell to Rome dinner (with tiramisu for dessert).  Early the next morning we boarded buses for the two and half hour drive to Assisi. More on that in the next post!