Firewood Has Arrived

It's that time of the year... our firewood is here!

Although it's our third school year here, our third time receiving firewood, I still get super excited when I hear the tractor pull up front!  And so does Francis... this year he got to ride IN the tractor as they dumped the wood onto our driveway... every 2 year old boy's dream!!  And so crazy to think that 2 years ago, he was in Isaac's place - just parked in front of the firewood for a photo in the stroller.

Ellie also got to go for a tractor ride with our neighbor and Francis when our neighbor's wood arrived. 

We got a new fireplace last winter and it's been working great!  The perfect spot for a bedtime story or a place for mom and dad to retreat to after everyone else is tucked in tightly upstairs :)

Stay warm!  :)

A-maze-ing trip to Vienna

We spent two days in Vienna with the students!

Our first stop was Heiligenkreuz Abbey ("Holy Cross") in the Vienna Woods.  This Cistercian monastery "Our Lady of the Holy Cross" was founded on September 11, 1133.  It is the oldest Cistercian monastery in the world that has continued without interruption since it's founding.

After Mass, we were able to kiss a relic of Jesus' true cross.  It is the largest relic of the true cross north of the Alps.  It was donated to the monastery in 1188 by Duke Leopold V, at the time when Vienna was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

Heiligenkreuz Abbey

Then we were off for a tour of Vienna's city centre.  Here's me and the kids with a cute tour guide :)

St. Stephen's Cathedral

After checking into our hostel, we made our way to Naschmarkt - a vast open-air market with 16th-century origins - where we did a little shopping and enjoyed dinner.

Classic Ellie and baby batman

The next morning we woke up early (not by choice) and the kids enjoyed climbing the bunk-beds and watching Paw Patrols in German.

After Mass, we headed to Schonbrunn Palace.  The Palace is a former imperial summer residence, and one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in Austria.

We had a picnic lunch behind the palace in the gardens.

Then we went to the Maze and Playground at the Palace.

Then we went to the Zoo (Tiergarten) at the Palace.  It is the oldest zoo in the world and has repeatedly been awarded the title of the best zoo in Europe.

Big moment: Isaac found his toes this weekend!  Which is pretty cool, because Francis discovered his toes in Salzburg two years ago... and now Isaac at about the same age (almost 4 months) in Vienna!

For lunch the kids shared their favorite kind of pizza served here - salami and corn.  Yes, corn.  Which is odd even for someone raised in Iowa, but here it's the norm!

Finally, the highlight of the kids' trip (besides the bunk-beds), the two-hour bus ride home.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

God bless!

Mariazell Pilgrimage 2017

Yesterday we made our annual pilgrimage to the Mariazell Basilica.  It is the most important pilgrimage destination in Austria and one of the most visited shrines in Europe.  In the church, a miraculous wooden image of the Virgin Mary is honored.

In previous years, the kids and I have only done the short first part of the hike - and then taken a bus to meet everyone else at the Basilica.  This year we walked the entire route!  It was 5 hours of hiking through the beautiful Nature Park and small towns - resting only for a short picnic lunch.  Brian took 22,000 steps (or so his Fitbit says) - so Ellie probably took close to 50,000!!  She walked the entire way - except for a small portion when Brian carried her.  Brian carried Francis on his back the whole way.  I carried Isaac and a backpack.  It was quite the hike!  We were happy to offer up many intentions along the way, and before the miraculous statue of Mary in Mariazell.

Below are this year's pictures!  (Click here to compare them to our family pictures from two years ago - Ellie in the same blue carrier Francis rode in this year; Isaac got up the upgraded Lille baby carrier though :)

Ready to start the hike

Wooden paths with no guard rails!

Our niece Katie just about to take the plunge into the water!

Half way through (just before walking up the HUGE hill)

Lunch break - the only time Isaac was awake

Daddy is strong!!

Hiking with our friends!

Picked up our stroller in Mariazell and headed to the Basilica

Mariazell Basilica

Quick stop for ice cream for the kids - they (at least Ellie!) earned it :)

Happy to make his first visit to Mariazell

The miraculous wooden statue of the Virgin Mary

The story of the statue goes: "On the evening of December 21, 1157, a Benedictine monk named Magnus was in a forest looking for a place to build a monastery. At one point, his path became blocked by a huge boulder that was too big to go over or around, so Magnus took a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary he had in his knapsack, knelt in prayer, and asked the Virgin Mary for guidance.  Soon there was a great rumble and the rock split in two, allowing him to pass through. Magnus placed the statue reverently on a white branch and soon after, he and some of the local people built a small chapel to house the statue. Word of the miraculous statue of the Virgin quickly spread across the countryside, and the chapel had to be periodically expanded to accommodate the growing crowds. ... Inside, the miraculous statue is housed in the Lady Chapel or Chapel of Miracles, which stands directly over the place where Magnus established his monastic cell in 1157."

Great Mother of Austria, Pray for us!!