Growing Up

It seems like the weeks are going by really fast lately, and the kids are changing so much! They’re constantly surprising me with the new things they can do, and Brian and I both love to see their personalities being revealed to us! So here’s a quick update:

Ellie is 4.5 and getting closer to 5 EVERY day as she reminds us everyday!!

When Brian was in Poland, she got on her friend’s 2 wheel bike (no training wheels) and just started riding!! So much for teaching her to ride... she spent the last two summers on the strider bike, which teaches balance, and off she went! She was so excited to ride with Brian when he got home!

Here is our Elliana Thérèse on October 1, St. Thérèse’s Feast Day!

And yesterday, posing with her good friend (& neighbor) after ‘thanksgiving’ at school. Here, each parish celebrates a thanksgiving in the fall - giving thanks for creation and the harvest. Ellie and her classmates brought a fruit and vegetable to school to be blessed. Ellie continues to love school and she now regularly speaks German at home - when playing with her dolls or teaching Francis phrases - but not talking to me, because as she regularly reminds me: I don’t understand German. 

Francis will turn 2.5 later this month (my kids are really into half birthdays, apparently I started that...)

Here he is on the strider bike...

I absolutely love this age... luckily my kids’ terrible twos have never been terrible. Instead I think the things they do and say are pretty hilarious (except for the potty talk...) And I love that Francis loves to dress up!



He had a fall at the playground and then refused to walk on that foot. Brian took him to the hospital where they did X-rays and said no break but put his leg in a cast for 10 days. He quickly reverted to crawling and being carried everywhere! (Here he is talking to Ellie’s Polish dragon - telling it ‘we do not talk about poo poo’ — except for when we’re telling our dragon not to, I guess ;)



Isaac turns 5 months today!! Only one month til his half-birthday :) His hair & eyebrows really are red... can’t wait for more to come in!

He’s looking good in Francis’ old clothes and hat!

He fits perfect on my hip, which works out well because he doesn’t like being set down for too long!



All 3 kids are starting to play more together and bring us SO much joy (and loads of sleep deprivation, but it’s worth it :)



I am sooooo thankful for all of the Ministry to Moms helpers I have during the week that help me out so I can go pray, grocery shop, and sit in on Theology of the Body. 

But most of all - I’m so thankful for Brian! He’s an amazing and faith-filled husband and father. 

I love how this picture captured Jesus’ Divine Mercy radiating down on us! Thanks be to God for all our blessings!!

We head to Budapest this weekend where we’ll spend one week on mission with a group of Franciscan students, evangelizing at high schools. So please keep us in your prayers! God bless you!