Hidden Treasures - Wright Family

The Meaning of Christmas

2011-12-04T05:25:00.001-08:00

A Charlie Brown Christmas (The Meaning of Christmas)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQeKdvXliIU

Little Drummer boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRbTrensuiY&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

All Saints - St. John Newmann & Our Lady of Guadalupe

2011-11-01T13:28:00.001-07:00

St. John Newmann & Our Lady of Guadalupe

Elizabeth's Birthday pictures

2011-10-24T17:24:00.001-07:00

jump

2011-09-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you, MaryKaren & Ed, for our time jumping and visiting at your home. Fun!

Spotkanie z Kardynalem

2011-06-13T12:22:00.001-07:00

We had fun in Poland.

I thought you might enjoy seeing these photos of our visit with Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz who was the secretary of Pope John Paul II for all those years. He now resides in Krakow.

ALSO, you can see Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz in a video interview at:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8104181

Or, learn more about him at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Dziwisz

The Basilica in Lichen - The Holy Mother of Sorrow, the Queen of Poland

2011-06-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

See here ... The Holy Mother of Sorrow, the Queen of Poland...

-- The miraculous painting.
-- The first apparition took place in 1813.
-- The apparitions in 1850, and, The Chapel on the place of apparitions in Grablin forest, Poland.
-- The old part of the Sanctuary in Lichen.
-- The Basilica in Lichen ... The large Sanctuary started to be built in 1994, and, on July 2, 2006 the miraculous picture of the Holy Mother of Lichen was placed in a new Sanctuary. Lichen – it is a small town in the West part of Poland, called Wielkopolska.

Also see:
http://pictures.polandforall.com/images/lichen-stary-basilica-largest-church-in-poland.jpg
and:
http://www.marypages.com/LichenEnglish.htm
and:
http://www.polandforall.com/polands-largest-church-lichen-stary.html

Sanktuarium Miłosierdzia Bożego w łagiewnikach

2011-06-13T01:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.milosierdzie.pl/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLLIyXUu_k8&feature=player_embedded
http://www.pggwien.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/divinemercyshrine106w.jpg

In Poland - Skype-snap-shots

2011-04-19T12:51:00.001-07:00

Holy Christmas Blessings!! świąteczne życzenia

2011-01-05T17:01:00.001-08:00

On the occasion of Christmas, We wish to offer our best wishes - much health, happiness, joy, God's blessing and the fulfillment of dreams in the coming New Year.

Z okazji świąt Bożego Narodzenia pragnę złożyć najserdeczniejsze życzenia - dużo zdrowia, szczęścia, radości, błogosławieństwa Bożego oraz spełnienia marzeń w nadchodzącym Nowym Roku.

Merry Christmas,
Serdecznie pozdrawiam

Scott & Kasia

a few new photos

2010-12-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

Detroit City Police Horse with Elizabeth & Scott

2010-07-01T15:01:00.001-07:00

2010-05-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

2010-05-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Miriam

2010-05-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

Miriam is born

2010-05-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

Julia's First Holy Communion on Easter

2010-04-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

2010 The Year of the True Vine

2010-01-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

The Catholic Church often declares a theme for a year. This year is the year of the Priest. Well following that example I have been thinking about this year 2010 in my own life. In prayer it came that the Lord wants me to remain. Only then it will be the year of Peace and Serenity. I am excited about it and am looking forward to finding ways to remain in His love.

John 15: 1-16

On January 1, 2010 I wrote out my goals for the whole year. I find that doing that allows me to be more flexible because I know what's planned and as things come up I can either accept to participate in them or reject them as distracting me from my goals.

Anyway, each day I want to do something to remain. It might be a special prayer or uncluttering my house or reading, or a smile. I want to remain as a friend of Jesus and not as a slave of things, time, or anyting alse

2009 in review/ Co robilismy w 2009 roku

2010-01-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

From 2009-05-15

It's been a while since I posted anything. I have been reflecting a lot on 2009. What did we do?

In January we celebrated Scott's birthday and started thinking about a possibility of going to Poland for a visit.

From 2009-07-20

February was marked with Julia's Birthday and definite plans of going to Poland. We also welcomed Caleb and Dominik, our twin nephews to the family. We started making plans for our trip.

March was marked with anniversaries: Julia's Baptism Anniversary and Elizabeth's First Communion Anniversary. On the 25 of March we (I, our three children and two friends) flew to Poland. I and the children were there for 6 weeks (it was the first time to be in Poland for so long ever since I had left in 1995).

April was filled with all things Polish. We went to Czestochowa and celebrated the fourth anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death. It was wonderful. Elizabeth wanted to see the uncovering of the icon of the Black Madonna, our Lady of Czestochowa.

From 2009-05-05

Since we were taking a tour at that time she insisted we had to go back the next morning. It meant getting up at 5am to go to the Shrine. The Lord was wonderful and faithful and we had "front seats" in the Chapel. We stayed for the Mass. Afterwards we made our devotional Pilgrimage on our knees around the icon. I prayed for the gift of another child. We stayed with family. It was really good to see them. I was also able to vist the Little Sisters of Jesus. What a delightful visit that was. We came back from Czestochowa spiritually inspired. What a wonderful trip. We had a wonderful Easter celebration.

From 2009-05-05

Elizabeth threw rose petals in front of the Monstrance in the Easter morning procession (Polish custom). My grandmother was able to see her wearing her First Communion dress on Easter Sunday. She was very happy about that since she was not able to come to our house for Elizabeth's First Communion. Our friends left after Easter.

From 2009-05-05

We went to Warsaw to pick Scott up from the airport. He was able to come for two weeks. We celebrated my birthday and went to Lublin, where I got my master's in philosophy. It was so wonderful to be there again. It's the Catholic Univeristy of Lublin, where Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) had taught before he became the pope. Seeing some of my professors and friends was a big highlight. We celebrated my nephew's birthday and my nameday. Oh, busy month!

From 2009-05-09

During April, while we were in Poland, Scott was working, as well as, taking care of our friends home & dog (a beautiful husky who liked running with Scott to the park and Depot Town.)

From 2009-05-09

In May we celebrated my sister's nameday. Shortly after that it was time to go "home". We all were together again as a family for the return flight back to the States. Coming back was difficult for me as I missed my family, friends, and my homeland.

From 2009-05-05

The girls studied Suzuki violin with a Polish Suzuki trained teacher who was wonderful. We had so much fun. We visited a few Montessori schools. I and my friend Patti, who is a Montessorian gave talks at the Polish Montessori Association. My article was publish in their publication. We went to parks, met with friends, took train, tram and bus rides. We bought lots of books and Montessori materials in Polish, which we brought back "home" to the US.

From 2009-05-05

Also in May the girls started their sports program close to our house. They played soccer in the first session. Scott and I coached it. We all had fun doing it. The second session was all T-Ball. Scott and I celebrated our nineth (9th) wedding anniversary.

In June the girls had an informal violin recital. They did very well. We also went to the Suzuki Violin Family Camp at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Even though it was very intense we were very glad to have gone to it.

We kept up with the lessons thoughout the summer with a short break in August. We went to our teachers house and since her youngest daughter is only one year older than Elizabeth the girls really liked going over there and staying for some play time after the violin lessons. It was a lot of fun.

In July we went to Cleveland for a week. I took Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Training Level III part I. The training was wonderful. I really like the trainer. The kids and Scott went around town to the Botanical Gardens, the Zoo, Money Museum, etc. They had fun.

From 2009-07-22

August marked the beggining of our school year. We decided to do three weeks of school and one week break and go all year round. It's been a good decision so far. On the feast of our Lady of Czestochowa we found out that we were expecting the birth of our fourth child.

September was hard for me with nausea and loosing weight. We also started our individual and group violin lessons. The girls started choir and Little Flowers Girls' Club. We celebrated Scott's nameday. We found out that Julia was allowed to prepare for receiving her First Holy Communion early. It will take place at Easter of 2010.

In October we celebrated John Paul II's election day anniversary. We also celebrated Elizabeth's eighth birthday. It was wonderful (time flies!). We went to see Strega Nona and the Magic Pasta pot performance at the Wild Swan Theatre. Grandma Dixie, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Tomek, Ania, Caleb and Dominik were able to join us for that. We had a pasta party at our house afterwards. The girls had a violin recital. Again they did great.

From 2009-07-20

November was marked with Thanksgiving, Karol's birthday and his birthday parties. We also celebrated Elizabeth's nameday.

December was peaceful dedicated to Advent and awaiting the coming of the Messiah. We did the Jesse Tree, out Advent Calendar and Road to Bethlehem, which we fill with stars for kindness, prayer and chores. We also read a wonderful book entitled Advent Stories each night of Advent. I organized a gift wrapping party for the Little Flowers Girls' Club in December. It was a lot of fun and we had a lot of gifts to gifts to give to Pregnancy Counseling Center. Julia made her First Confession. She was beaming with radiance as she left the Confessional. Christmas was a wonderful celebration. The girls sang in the Children's Christmas Choir at Mass. We had supper with our friends who live near by. It was so much fun. The day after Christmas we went to visit Scott's parents and stayed overnight. Our kids are always very excited to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We got lots of wonderful presents. At the end of the year we focused on organizing our house for the new year. But that's for another post.

Suffice it to say that Scott has been working hard at St. Francis. He enjoys his challenging work and is very happy to work for the Church. He is also proud of our kids and family. He tells us every day the words from the Gospel according to Luke 3:22, “You are my beloved [family]; with you I am well pleased.”

From 2009-05-09

Good bye trees. You both are like the "Giving Tree". We are sad to see you go. But, we are excited to create a fun swing set out of your two trunks.

From 2009-12-16 trees

What we have been doing.../Co sie z nami dzialo...

2009-09-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted anything. We have been busy. We decided to start school on August 1 and do three weeks of school and one week of unschooling. It has been working very well for us. We went to vist Scott's parents. It was a really nice visit. And the biggest news is that on the feast of Our Lady of Jasna Gora Queen of Poland we found out that we are expecting the birth of our 4th child, which will be somewhere around May 1, 2010 - the first day of Mary's month. I have always felt as though different saints watched over our children in a special way. This baby is getting a special intercession of Our Lady of Jasna Gora.

Troche czasu minelo od mojego ostatniego wpisu. Bylismy bardzo zajeci. Pierwszego sierpnia zaczelismy szkole. Postanowilismy szkolic sie przez trzy tygodnie i potem tydzien przerwy i znowu trzy tygodnie i jeden tydzien i tak na przemian. Bardzo dobrze nam to wychodzi. Nasza najwieksza dobra nowina to fakt, ze w Swieto Matki Boskiej Jasnogorskiej na podstawie test dowiedzielismy sie, ze oczekujemy naszego czwartego dziecka. Data porodu odbedzie sie okolo 1 maja, czyli pierwszego dnia miesiaca Maryji. Ja zawsze uwazalam, ze nasze dzieci sa pod szczegolna opieka ich Swietych patronow. To dziecko wydaje sie byc pod szczegolna opieka Naszej Pani z Jasnej Gory.

We even had our faces painted ...

2009-07-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Butterflies - Part 3

2009-07-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

They have become beautiful painted Lady butterflies and we released them. Then Elizabeth, Julia and Karol made their own butterflies and put them on top of our roses.

More Butterflies

2009-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

This happened over several days, including the transformation of caterpillars when we were away at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Our butterfly study/Motyle

2009-07-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth got this Butterfly Treehouse for her Birthday last year. When we came back from Poland we sent the coupon and and we got live insects.

When I am an adult/Gdy dorosne

2009-06-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

We have been obsering our caterpillars go through an amazing transformation and we have 5 butterflies in our Butterfly Treehouse (I will post about that later). Today we had one of those conversations about growing up. Elizabeth said: "When I am an adult I want to be a mom like you." Karol said: "Mommy, when I am an adult. I want to be a butterfly. And I will fly inside and outside." Julia said: " I want to be a mom and a homeschooling teacher." Elizabeth added: "I want to be a homeschooling teacher, too."

Nasze larwy przemienily sie w motyle. Napisze o tym pozniej. Dzisiaj mielismy rozmowy na temat dojrzewania i doroslosci. Elizabeth powiedziala: "Jak ja dorosne to chce zostac mama tak jak ty." Karol Powiedzial: "A ja chce zostac motylem, gdy ja dorosne". Julia Powiedziala: "Ja chce zostac mama, ktora uczy swoje dzieci w domu w ramach edukacji domowej".

Mama

2009-06-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

What type of Mother Hen Are You?
by Montessorimom.com: Educational Resource

Fountain/Fontanna

2009-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since we have come back from Poland. I am comparing this trip to a fountain. There was a flood of emotions and experiences with family, old and new friends. Coming back home brought a fountain of emotions, too. We truly had a wonderful trip.

Juz miesiac minal od naszego powrotu z Polski. Ta wizyta byla dla nas jak fontanna emocji i doswiadczen z rodzina oraz starymii nowymi przyjaciolmi. Powrot do domu okazal sie tez fontanna emocji.

in Lodz, Poland, on the main street...

2009-05-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Poland by Kasia's camera

2009-05-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Henia i Lodz, Poland

2009-05-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

in Lodz. Click to see more photos in this album. Poland 2009-04-07

2009-04-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

Spring trip/Wiosenna Wyprawa

2009-03-25T02:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this quiz at Dawn's from By Sun and Candlelight and thought it would be fun to take it before the big trip.
Today I'm off to Poland. I will be gone for 6 weeks. I thought it was a nice reminder to myself especially as I'm worried about traveling with three little children and logging all the suitcases. Some friends of ours are going too so I know I will have some help. I will let you know how everything went when I get back in May.

You Are Blooming Flowers

You are an optimistic person by nature. In even the darkest times, you are hopeful about the future.

You feel truly blessed in life and can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotions.

You have an artist's eye. You are always looking for beauty in the mundane.

You have a good sense of aesthetics, especially when it comes to shapes and color.

What Part of Spring Are You?

Poland/Polska

2009-03-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Only one more week and I and our three children will be on the continent of Europe. My husband will come for the last three weeks. I haven't been back to Poland in three years. I'm so happy to be able to see my family and friends.

Enjoy the continent video.

Juz za tydzien ja i moje dzieci bedziemy na europejskim kontynencie w Polsce. Moj maz przyleci na ostatnie dwa tygodnie. Ostatni raz bylam w Polsce trzy lata temu. Jestem bardzo szczesliwa, ze odwiedzimy rodzine i przyjaciol.

2009-03-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

You Are Grapefruit Juice

You are a trustworthy, serious, and mature person.

And while you are conscientious, you're also very cheerful.

You don't mind responsibilities, and you enjoy doing what has to be done.

You may not have discovered the meaning of life, but you've figured out how to be happy.

What Kind of Juice Are You?

Happy Birthday Julia

2009-02-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

From 2009-02-17 Julia's birthday

Happy Birthday, Julia!/Wszystkiego Najlepszego z okaji 5-tych urodzin!

2009-02-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sisters! We took that picture a couple of months ago. Pictures from Julia's 5th Birthday later.

We have had a really good day so far. Julia opened her presents. We had cake and candles. We read the book she got for her Birthday and we all really liked it. Since Daddy has to work tonight we've had a good day with Daddy, too. We did the Montessori Birthday Celebration and we let all three of our children take turns and walk around the sun. It was a wonderful celebration

WE LOVE YOU, JULIA. HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!

********************************************************************

Co za wspanialy dzien. Julia otworzyla swoje prezenty. Mielismy ciast i swieczki. Przeczytalismy ksiazke, ktorA Julia dostala na urodziny i bardzo nam sie podobala. Tatus idzie pozniej do pracy, bo ma wieczorny program dotyczacy budzetu, wiec jestesmy wszyscy razem w domu. Co za radosc! Nasza Montessorianska Uroidzinowa Celebracja bardzo sie udala. Pozwolilismy wszystkim dzieciom chodzic wokol slonca. Wspaniale!

KOCHAMY CIE, JULIO! WSZYSTKIEGO NAJLEPSZEGO Z OKAZJI 5-TYCH URODZIN!

"Because I love you."/"Poniewaz Cie kocham."

2009-02-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

Last night we were already in our pajamas. Karol and I went upstairs to go to bed and I suddenly remembered I needed to go downstairs for something. So without saying anything to him I went down the stairs. As I was in the basement I heard little feet coming down. As Karol, who is 2 years old, approached me I asked him with a smile: "Do you have to look for Mommy all the time?" And he answered: "Yes" Then I said: "Why do you have to look for Mommy all the time?" He answered without any hesitation: "Because I love you." What a beautiful valentine.

***************************************************************

Wczoraj wieczorem bylismy juz w pizamach. Karol i ja poszlismy na gore, aby polozyc sie spac. Nagle ja przypomnialam sobie, ze musze zejsc na dol. Zrobilam to bez slowa. Kiedy bylam na samym dole uslyszlam male kroczki na schodach. Kiedy zobaczylam Karola, ktory ma dwa lata, zapytalam go: "Czy ty musisz zawsze mamy szukac"? On odpowiedzial: "Tak". A ja na to: "Dlaczego ty zawsze musisz szukac Mamy"? A Karol dodal rezolotnie: "Bo ja cie kocham". Co za wspaniala walentynka

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

We grew these sunflowers in front of our house last year. We are looking forward to the summer time again.

*****************************************************************

W zeszlym roku udalo nam sie wychodowac te sloneczniki. Czekamy na nastepne lato.

Little Flowers - Little Girls/Male Kwiatki - Male Dziewczynki

2009-02-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today we had our monthly meeting for the Little Flowers Girls' Club, which we have been doing for the last three years. You can find more about the Club at www.eccehomopress.com It's always a joy to be a part of it. Elizabeth and Julia really like it. I was leading today. We talked about the virtue of responsibility and Saint Anne the mother of Mary. We made a list of our responsibilities and how they are connected with love. We carry out out responsibilities out of love for God, others and ourselves. We had a delicious homemade bread, cracers, grapes, cheese and juice brought by one of our mothers. It was wonderful as usual.

********************************************************************

Dzisiaj bylismy na comiesiecznym spotkaniu naszego Klubu Dziewczynek zwanych Malymi Kwiatkami. Mozesz dowiedziec sie wiecej o tym klubie na stronie internetowej www.eccehomepress.com Spotkania te zawsze sprawiaja nam wiele radosci. Dzis byla moja kolejka, aby prowadzic to spotkanie. Tematem byla cnota odpowiedzialnosci i Sw. Anna, matka Maryji. Dziewczynki wypisaly liste swoich obowiazkow i jak one sa powiazane z miloscia. Nasza odpowiedialnosc wyplywa z milosci do Boga, innych i siebie samych. Mielismy wspanialy chleb domowej roboty, krakersy, winogrono, ser i sok przyniesione przez jedna z mam. Wszystko bylo wspaniale jak zwykle.

Small treasures/ Male Skarby

2009-01-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

1. I went out to Michaels and got some unfinished wooden boxes so that we can put little wooden dolls and accessories, some of which we have aquired over Christmas, away properly.

2. I went to a local violin store and picked up two 1/4 size violins (Elizabeth is growing). I'm going to take them tomorrow to the lesson so that our teacher can help us make a decision which one to buy.

3. I have made a little bit more progress on our trip to Poland, which we are taking in March of this year.

********************************************************************

1. Pojechalam do sklepu Michaels i kupilam kilka drewnianych pudelek na nasze miniaturkowe drewniane laleczki.

2. Pojechalam do sklepu z instrumentami strunowymi i przywiozlam do domu dwie pary skrzypiec rozmiaru 1/4 (Elizabeth rosnie ...). Jutro nasza nauczycielka pomoze nam podjac decyzje ktore z nich kupic.

3. Spedzilam troszke czasu na planowanie naszej podrozy do Polski, ktora odbedziemy w marcu tego roku.

Blue Lake Family Suzuki Violin Summer Camp

2009-01-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

The girl in the red pants - that's Elizabeth.

Last summer we decided to go to a family Suzuki violin summer camp. It was our first time and boy did we have a good time. Both girls participated in private, group and technique lessons. And Karol who was only one and a half witnessed it all. It was intense and yet fun. Both girls really liked their teachers and so did we. They also participated in concerts for students. We came back from it refreshed and full of new energy. We are hoping to do it again this year. If your child is studying an instrument Suzuki method I highly recommend such an adventure.

W zeszlym roku latem postanowilismy po raz pierwszy pojechac na skrzypcowy oboz rodzinny w duch Suzuki. Bardzo nam sie tam podobalo. Dziewczynki uczestniczyly w w lekcjach prywatnych, grupowych i technicznych. Karol byl tego wszystkiego swiadkiem. Byl to cza bardzo intensywny ale, tez pelen zabawy. Wrocilismy z nowa nadzieja i energia. Mamy nadzieje, ze uda nam sie pojechac takze i w tym roku. Jezeli Twoje dziecko gra na instrumencie metoda Suzuki to bardzo polecam taka przygode.

Suzuki Violin - a Family Affair/Skrzypce w duchu Suzuki - Rodzinna Przygoda

2009-01-20T04:49:00.000-08:00

Today I'm posting a picture of my husband playing the violin while holding our tiny son, who is two years old now, because I want to talk about parental involvement in learing to play the violin. When we started I was pregnant with Karol and took a few lessons just enough to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It was my husband though who was the one learning more songs and playing them at home. A very good motivator for the girls. As our older daughter started playing more songs things became more competative. Ha ha ha! My husband who is not involved in our violin home lessons, as we call them, would ask me: "What is Elizabeth playing now? Can she play Minuet 1 by Bach?" That's the piece he was working on at the time and he wanted to make sure Elizabeth was not a not ahead of him. Some day she will be. But shhh don't tell him that. Actually he know it. Anyway having Daddy play at home and participate in the lessons as much as he could have been a wonderful thing for the girls.

As for me I haven't memorized as many songs but I have been there to the lessons - private and group. I have been collaborating with the teachers. I have been giving home lessons - making sure we were working on the things the teacher had asked us to do. I have been doing a lot of Suzuki reading and it has been good for my soul. I have been trying to expose us to beautiful music at home. I took the girl to Hill Auditorium to hear world famous violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter in concert. It was a fun outing. I have tried to make the violin home lessons fun. We generally do better when we start our lesson at home with a prayer. I'm trying to say at least 5 positive things before I point out something that needs improvement.

Last year we decided to spent some of our vacation time at Blue Lake Family Suzuki Violin Camp. Oh what fun! We are hoping to do it again this year. I will write about it next time. Stay tuned ...

****************************************************************

Dzisiaj zdjecie mojego meza trzymajacego naszego malutkiego synka i grajacego na skrzypcach. Chce bowiem napisac o nauce gry na srzypcach w duchu Suzuki jako rodzinnej przygodzie. Gdy zaczelismy sie uczuc Karol byl w moim lonie. Ja nauczylam sie tyle, abym mogla pomoc naszym corkom. Moj maz byl tym, ktory uczyl sie wielu piosenek i gral je w domu. Stalo to sie wspaniala motywacja dla dziewczynek. Fdy nasza starsza corka zaczela grac wiecej piosenek, zawrzala troche kompetycja. Moj maz pytal czy nasza corka juz go przgonila. Jak dotad jeszcze nie, ale on wie, ze kiedys to nastapi. Gra Tatusia w domu i uczestnictwo w lekcjach prywatyne na ile to tylko bylo mozliwe to wspaniale skarby dla dziewczynek.

Jezeli chodzi o mnie to ja nie umiem grac tyle piosenek z pamieci. Ja zabieram dzieci na lekcje prywatne i grupowe. Daje im lekcje domowe, tzn. ide sladami naszej nauczycielki. Staram sie duzo czytac o tej pasjonujacej metodzie. Okazuje sie to dobre dla mojej duszy. Staranm sie, aby nasz dom wypelniony byl piekna muzyka. Zabralam dziewczynki na koncert skrzypcowy swiatowej slawy Anne-Sophie Mutter. Byl to wspanialy dla nas czas. Staram sie, aby nasze lekcje domowe byly pelne uroku, zabawy i nauki. Staram sie przykluc najpierw uwage do pieciu pozytywnych szczegolow dotyczacych grania, a dopiero pozniej zwrocic uwage na cos, co wymaga poprawy i pracy.

W zeszlym roku spedzilismy czesc naszych wakacji na Rodzinnym Obozie Suzuki. Bylo wspaniale. Ale o tym nastepnym razem. Do uslyszenia ...

Where love is deep, much can be accomplished (Shin'ichi Suzuki)/Gleboka milosc pozwala na wielkie osiagniecia (Shin'ichi Suzuki)

2009-01-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

This is me, holding my son in Baby-Bjorn and my three year old daughter

I'm planning to do a few posts regarding our adventure with the Suzuki violin. Two years ago I went to the Michigan Catholic Home Educators conference and I attended a session on the role of music in homeschooling. The speaker Andrew Padwa ecnourage us to start young children with Suzuki violin lessons. I took his advice to heart, especially since my grandmother from Poland gave us a half size violin, which belonged to my grandfather's grandfather. Anyway... I found a wonderful teacher right in our parish. My oldest daughter was almost five and my younger one was two and a helf years old, when we began the lessons. It wasn't always easy with attention, practice, etc. It has been very rewarding though. Our house is filled with music. We participate in private and group lessons every week (except in the summer time). We have gone to classical music concerts. Our girls have played at their own concerts.
I like the Suzuki adventure not only because it brings so much beauty to our lives but also because what I have learnt from Dr. Suzuki. Namely paying attention to the love and respect for the dignity of every child! We are learning to play the violin so that we might become more beautiful human beings and not necessarily to become virtuosos. I'm very grateful that God "put" Dr. Suzuki on my path. It is defenitely one of my most treasured relationships.

To zdjecie to ja, moj kilkumiesieczy syn w Baby-Bjorn i moja trzyletnia corka

Bede pisac kilka razy o naszej przygodzie z gra na skrzypcach metoda Suzuki. Gdy bylam na Michigan Konferencji Katolickich Edukatorow Domowych dwa lata temu bralam udzial w sesjii dotyczacej muzyki, w ktorej wykladowca zachecil nas do zaoferowania naszym dzieciom lekcji gry na skrzypcach w duchu Suzuki. Postanowilam to uczynic. Znalazlam wspaniala nauczycielke w naszej parafii. Moje corki mialy wtedy prawie piec i dwa i pol lat. Nasze przygoda nie byla zawsze latwa, ale byla zawsze wynagradzajaca. Nasz dom jest wypelniony muzyka. Uczestniczymy w prywatnych i grupowych lekcjach. Chodzimy na koncerty. Nasze corki graly na ich wlasnych koncertach.
Jestem zadowolona z naszej przygody z Suzuki skrzpcami nie tylko, poniewaz wnosi ona tyle piekna do naszego zycia, ale takze ze wzgledu na fakt czego "nauczyl" mnie dr. Suzuki. A w szczegolnosci zwracania uwagi na milosc i szacunek dla godnosci kazdego z naszych dzieci. A takze ze gramy na skrzypcach, aby stac sie piekniejszymi ludzmi, a nie koniecznie aby zostac wirtuozami. Jestem bardzo wdzieczna, ze Bog "postawil" na mojej drodze dr. Suzuki. Jest to dla mnie niewatpliwie relacja, ktora bardzo cenie.

Many Treasures in 2009/Wiele skarbow w 2009

2009-01-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful beginning of the 2009 year around here. We stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve. The girls were very excited about that. On New Year's Day we played and I worked on our plans for the new semester. In the evening we visited with friends and what a wonderful celebration it was. We wish you finding many treasures in the New Year 2009.

Mielismy wspaniale rozpoczecie Nowego Roku 2009. Dziewczynki bardzo sie cieszyly, ze mogly nie isc spac az po polnocy. Pierwszego dnia 2009 roku Elizabeth, Julia i Karol bawili sie, Scott gral na skrzypcach, a ja przygotowywalam nasz program szkolny na nowy semster. Wieczorem odwiedzilismy naszych przyjaciol i byl to wspanialy wieczor. Zyczymy wszystkim odnalezienia wielu skarbow w 2009 roku.

A Life With Karol/Swiadectwo

2008-12-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

Karol Wojtyla - John Paul II is one of the most influential, beloved and treasured people - saints in my life. I felt his presence when I studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland where he had taught it several years before. I had a privilege to study under one of Karol Wojtyla's great friends who had become the chairman of the Ethics Department after Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II. I have seen him a number of times in Poland during his papal visits. We have named our son Karol Cyprian after Karol Wojtyla and his (mine too) beloved poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid. Even though John Paul II never held my hand I feel his prsence deeply now. I know that he is with me as my spiritual father now and he often holds my hand. Yesterday I watched a new DVD that my mom sent me for Christmas. It is called SWIADECTWO and it is mostly in Polish. There is some narration by a popular actor Michael York and it is in English. The film features Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz. He talks about his almost 40 years spent with Karol Wojtyla. It expends on the book written by the Cardinal A Life With Karol. It is an amazing, inspiring and thought provoking film. Watching it was a very emotional experience for me. Every time I read or watch anything about Karol Wojtyla I feel inspired to live as a saint. I recommend you get a copy of the book and see for yourself.

Swiadectwo...Karol Wojtyla... dla nas Polakow jest to ktos o kim nigdy nie zapomnimy. Moja glebsza przygoda z Janem Pawlem II rozpoczela sie na Katolickim Uniwersytecie Lubelskim, kiedy to moglam brac udzial w zajeciach z etyki prowadzonych przez Ks. Profesora Stycznia, ktory byl wielkim przyjacielem Karola Wojtyly Jana Pawla IIi to po nim objal Katedre Etyki. Wszyscy moi profesorowie wspominali wyklady Karola Wojtyly. Widzialam Jana Pawla II przy okazji jego wizyt papieskich w Polsce. I mimo iz migdy z nim nie rozmawialam osobiscie to wiem, ze on sie mna opiekuje z nieba jak dobry ojciec. Czesto mnie trzyma za reke i dopomaga mi. Modle sie czesto do niego za nasze dzieci, szczegolnie naszego Karola Cypriana, ktory nosi imiona Karola Wojtyly i jego (mojego tez) ulubionego polskiego poety Cypriana Kamila Norwida.
Wczoraj obejrzalam Swiadectwo na DVD - prezent Bozonarodzeniowy od mojej Mamy. Moje podziekowania plyna do calej ekipy, ktora zrealizowala ten film, szczegolnie do Kardynala Stanislawa Dziwisza. Ten piekny, emocjonalny i napelniony glebokimi refleksjami film jest dla mnie inspiracja, aby kazdego dnia zyc jak swieta. Niech nasz wspanialy Karol Wojtyla wyprasza dla nas potrzebne laski!

Dreams/Marzenia - Sny

2008-12-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

We are so close to Christmas now and I'm thinking about dreams - the dreams that Mary had ... the dreams of Joseph ... the dreams of the shepherds ... the dreams of the Three Wise Kings and the dreams of the Little Baby Jesus. I think that we are in God's dreams, the dreams of love and peace for all of us. I want to share this fun song about dreams too. Enjoy and open your heart to big and beautiful dreams in Jesus.

Swieta Bozego Narodzenia juz tak bliziutko i ja mysle o snach i marzeniach Maryji ... Jozefa... pasterzy... Trzech Madrych Kroli i Malenkiego Jezusa. Mysle, ze my jestesmy obecni w "marzeniach" Boga pelnych milosci i pokoju dla nas. Chcialam tez podzielic sie ta piekna piosenka. Zycze wszystkim otwarcia serc na wielkie i wspaniale marzenia w Jezusie.

Discoveries On Our Journey To Bethlehem - Chapter 2/Odkrycia na naszej drodze do Betlejem - Rozdzial 2

2008-12-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

On St. Nicholas I and my three children presented a Nativity Story in Polish for the Polished Community gathered for the Holy Mass in Polish and Traditional Polish Wigilia. We had so much fun preparing and performing it and even my two year old participated. We based it on a wonderful Christmas carol Oj Maluski, Maluski. I wrote the poetry and directed it. I dedicated it to Mieczyslaw Albert Krapiec and all my philosophy professors from the Catholic University of Lublin. Father Krapiec was a great Polish philosopher, who died this year and who used to be one of my professor in my master's in philosophy program at the Catholic Univeristy of Lublin. Everyone really liked our play.

W Swieto Swietego Mikolaja moje dzieci i ja przedstawilismy Jaselka dla Polakow zgromadzonych na Mszy Swietej w jezyku polskim i corocznej tradycyjnej Wigilii. Nasze przedstawienie bylo zrealizowane na bazie koledy Oj Maluski, Maluski. Poezja i rezyseria byla moja. Przedstawienie to zadedykowalam s.p. O. Mieczyslawowi Albertowi Krapcowi i moim profesorom z Wydzialu Filozofii Teoretycznej Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego. O. Krapiec byl wielkim polskim filozofem i jednym z moich profesorow podczs moich studiow magisterskich na Wydziale Filozofii Teoretycznej. Zmarl on w tym roku i to Jemu chcialam zadedykowac to przedstawienie pamietam bowiem jak Ks. Profesor Tadeusz Styczen probowal Go namowic, aby zaspiewal te kolede na jednym z wydzialowych oplatkow.
Przedstawienie bardzo sie wszystkim podobalo.

St. Nicholas/ Swiety Mikolaj

2008-12-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

At this time of the year many people ask: "How do you handle Santa?" For us it's an easy answer. My husband and I agreed that we would celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas. My husband dresses up as St. Nicholas - the bishop and we tell our children that we give, parents them gifts because we want to remember the goodness and spirit of St. Nicholas and imitate him. We celebrate many feast days in our homeschool so our children are used to commemorating the lives of the saints. This year we experienced something really funny. On the feast of St. Nicholas we were at a party and there was a man who dressed as "Santa". Only for some reason his mustache ended up on his nose rather than under it. When we came back home our four year old daughter said: "I knew it wasn't the real Saint Nicholas because he had this thing on his nose." We all laughted and then our seven year old daughter said: "I knew it was not real Saint Nicholas because his body is buried in the ground and his soul is in heaven with God." I couldn't be prouder of both of them.

W czasie Adwentu wiele osob pyta: "Co wy mowicie Waszym dzieciom o Swietym Mikolaju?" Odpowiedz na to pytanie jest dla nas bardzo latwa. Moj maz i ja postanowilismy swietowac ten piekny dzien Sw. Mikolaja mowiac naszym dzieciom, ze tatus przebiera sie za Swietego Mikolaja Biskupa i przynosi im prezenty od mamy i taty. W naszej domowej edukacji wspominamy wiele Swietych, wiec nie jest to dla naszych dzieci nic obcego czy niezwyklego. W tym roku przydarzyla sie nam bardzo smieszna historia. W Swieto Swietego Mikolaja uczestniczylismy w polskiej Wigilii. Pan, ktory przebral sie za Mikolaja zakladajac brode polozyl wasy na swoim nosie zamiast pod nosem. Kiedy bylismy juz w domu nasz czteroletnia coreczka powiedziala: "Ja wiedzialam, ze to nie byl prawdziwy Swiety Mikolaj, bo on mial to cos nas nosie". Bardzo sie wszyscy z tego powiedzenia siemlismy. Nasza siedmioletnia corka dodala: "Ja wiem, ze to nie byl prawdziwy Swiety Mikolaj, bo jego cialo jest pogrzebane, a jego dusz jest w niebie z Bogiem". Bylam z nich bardzo dumna.

Discoveries On Our Journey To Bethlehem... Chapter 1/ Odkrycia w drodze do Betlejem ... Rozdzial 1

2008-12-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's hard to belive that we only have a few more Advent days left during this Liturgical Year. We have been very busy and ... peaceful. In addition to our regular schoolwork we have been focusing on peace education, which turned out to be one of the greatest treasures this season.

I challenged myself to do all the Christmas presents shopping before the beginning of Advent so that I could spend more time at home rather than beating the crowds at different stores. And what a blessing it turned out to be. It freed my evenings to do a lot of beautiful peace education works. I introduced the PEACE CANDLE. We light it every time we do a work in our peace corner. My two year old son often asks: "Mama, peace candle" and she really enjoys singing This Little Light Of Mine when we light the candle. I also intoduce the PEACE TREE. It is a Norfolk Pine. We decorated it with flowers circles, which I made on the computer, printed them out and threaded some strings in them. They were blank on one side and each family member wrote some of his/her hope on the blank side. We hung them on the PEACE TREE. It turned out to be a wonderful work for us. We have been doing many works. One of my most favorite ones is our PEACE FLAGS. Each one of us got a piece of felt and decorated it so that it reflected the idea of PEACE. We hang them up in our living room so that we can see them everyday.

All of these works provided a lot of descoveries for all of us - discoveries of our feelings, thoughts, experiences, likes and dislikes.

Nasz Adwent okazal sie wspanialym czasem pokoju. Ja zdecydowalam skompletowac wszystkie prezenty Bozonarodzeniowe przed rozpoczeciem Adwentu - Nowego Roku Liturgicznego, abym nie spedzac mojego cennego czasu w kilometrowych kolejkach i tlumach. Tak bardzo sie ciesze z tego osiagniecia, mialam bowiem wiele czasu na edukacje pokojowa w duchu montessori. Jak zawsze zrobilismy wiele projektow. Przedstawilam SWIECZKE POKOJU, ktora bardzo polubil szczegolnie moj dwulatek i prosil mnie, abym ja zapalila i abysmy spiewali This Little Light Of Mine (To Male Moje Swiatelko).

Przedstawilam tez nasze DRZEWKO POKOJU. Udekorowalismy je kwiatkami z brystolu, na ktorych napisalismy nasze nadzieje.

Moja najulubiensza praca tego Adwentu byly FLAGI POKOJOWE. Nauczyly nas wiele o nas samych i naszym pojeciu pokoju. Zawiesilismy je w naszym "salonie". Bardzo lubie na nie patrzec, bo pokazuja mi wiele, o tych z ktorymi mieszkam - moim mezu i dzieciach.

The Coming * Nadejscie

2008-12-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

I really like Advent and so do my children. Why? Because we are awaiting ... Whom? What? We are awaiting the Little Baby - Tiny Love who has the power to heal and bring peace. In our family we put up our bare evergreen tree on the first Sunday of Advent. It reminds us that we are awaiting. There are hidden treasures burried in awaiting - the most important one is JOY. It builds up. On the third Sunday of Advent we know that we have come a long way with awaiting and getting ready so we put our lights up on the Tree because we are rejoicing. We decorate our Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve - a tradition brought over from Poland where I grew up. So this year we are awaiting the Prince of Peace and our homeschool focus is put on peace education.
We hope your Advent is joyful as you discover the hidden treasures in awaiting.

Adwent ma dla mnie wielkie znaczenie, poniewaz pomaga mi on oczekiwac. Oczekiwac na Kogo? na co? Oczekiwac na Malenkie Dzieciatko - Malenka Milosc, ktora ma sile uzdrowic i przyniesc pokoj. W pierwsza Niedziele Adwentu my w mojej rodzinie ustawiamy nieudekorowana choinke, ktora jest dla nas symbolem oczekiwania. W trzecia Niedziele Adwentu zawieszamy na choince swiatelka, bo jest to niedziela radosci - juz tak niedaleko do Bozego Narodzenia. Choinke tradycyjnie dokorujemy w Wigile przed kolacja wigilijna. W tym roku w czasie Adwentu koncentrujemy nasza edukacje domowa na oczekiwaniu na przybycie Ksiecia pokoju, totez robimy duzo prac Montessori dotyczacych edukacji pokojowej.
Mamy nadzieje, ze Wasz Adwent wypelniony bedzie odkrywaniem skarbow ukrytych w oczekiwaniu.

2008-11-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Letter 2008 From Scott & Kasia Wright Family:

From 2008 edited

Dear Family and Friends,
“To Live Is To Thank” (T. Styczen)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! As we reflect on another year of living we thank God for so many blessings He bestowed on us in 2008.

As a family this year of homeschooling and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd we have been receiving graces flowing from the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist since we had a first Communicant in our family (more about that later). We decided to go on our own family retreat designed by Kasia. At the end of the three days Elizabeth said: “Mommy, three days are not enough for me”. Kasia’s mom, Lucyna was there with us and she really liked it too. We all came back from it refreshed and a bit more peaceful.

We have been working on our homeschool together and decided to make the theme of this year “Being A Disciple” honoring the Year of St. Paul the Apostle.

We have been doing a lot of geography using our beautiful Montessori wooden puzzle maps of the world and continents.

Our Atrium has been a great joy. We have made many works since last year. We introduce new works and always try to make our Atrium a more beautiful and peaceful place. It is one of the most enjoyable times of the week.

We and especially the girls have been learning all about money- allowance and all. They wait for that time of the week to get and separate their money into four different categories: one for charity, one for long-term savings, one for other and one for self. They also enjoy making decisions of how to spend their money.

We have also done a “Democracy and US Presidents Unit Study” as we prepared for the 2008 presidential election. It was fun. We have learnt that Abe Lincoln was the tallest president of the United States. He also took a little boy and put his dirty feet on top of the ceiling and made foot prints after his step mother had joked with him about not making the ceiling dirty with his hair (he was so tall). When his stepmother saw the footprints on the ceiling she laughed and told Abe to clean them off. They had a good laugh and Abe cleaned the mess. Our kids really liked the story.

From 2008 edited

We have been into getting to know Helen Keller for a long time. We have finished reading the story of her life with enjoyment. We have also been watching our all time favorite series Signing Time (ASL) and each one of us have learnt quite a few signs.

In April we took a week of vacation and while we stayed around the house spending time with Kasia’s mom who was about to go back to Poland, we pretended we were in France: talked about a different French saint everyday, we traveled to the National Shrine of the Little Flower & the Shrine of Blessed Solanus Casey, we ate French food, had Fr. John over for lunch and learnt some French prayers.

From 2007 edited photos

Blue Lake Fine Arts Family Suzuki Violin Camp near Muskegon, Michigan was a really fun and educational experience. We played a lot of violin, attended a lot of concerts put together by a lot of children including ours.

We walked a lot and ate ice-cream. Violin lessons are going well. Even Karol asks Mommy to help him play his box violin. He hums many advanced songs to which he has been introduced through live playing and CDs. We had an all girls night on which we left the boys to explore trucks (Karol’s hobby) and we went to Hill Auditorium to see and hear a world-renown violinist in live concert. It was a wonderful experience for all three of us. We saw her signing CDs after the concert.

We spent a weekend in Cleveland with our friends from PA ... and went bowling and to the botanical gardens. It’s always good to spend time with like-minded people.

We are also grateful for our family vacation in Alpena. Boat rides, playing at the beach, visiting with new friends, swinging, playing games and visiting the under water museum in Alpena are just the highlights. On the way back home we stopped in Frankenmuth and had a lot of fun.

We went to a Cinderella play put on by the local Catholic high school this summer. Wow! What a beautiful experience! We saw “A Honey Pot of Pooh” stories at the Wild Swan Theatre on Karol’s Birthday.

The girls and Mommy put together a Christmas play in Polish and presented it to the Polish community before Christmas 2007. We plan to do another one this year too.

Every year we have a lot of fun dressing up as saints and participating in All Saints Eve Party at our parish. We like playing games and collecting holy cards and sweet treats. This year was a special year for our family. Read more and you will find out why.

We have made a few trips to visit Scott’s parents. All Scott’s siblings and their families were able to get together for a bonfire in October. What fun. We roasted potatoes, sausage and marshmallows. We took rides on grandpa’s wagon and had lots of fun.

We have celebrated birthdays, namedays and baptism anniversaries. Any reason to celebrate is welcomed here at this house.

Karol Cyprian (2years old) is a delightful little boy. He likes to talk and speaks in sentences in both Polish and English. His most recent ones are “Unkind Mama” (he likes to say it when Mommy does anything he doesn’t like) ... and the sign of the Cross in Polish. He repeats everything the girls say and makes up his own rhymes, like “Bye-bye windy wind”.

It’s delightful to see our “Little Prince” grow. He really likes trucks and gets exited to stand by the window on Wednesdays (our garbage day). He is really funny and likes to joke. When Mommy says: ”Let Daddy change your diaper”. He responds: ”No way” and runs away laughing.
For his piece of art, which he entitled “Bear In the Garden” he won a 1st Place ribbon in a Popsicle Stick Art Contest at St. Patrick Parish in Ann Arbor and got tickets for our family to go to a performance by the Wild Swan Theatre.

Julia Hanna (4 yrs and 9 months) is a precious little girl who likes to joke and make Karol laugh. She is very well coordinated and likes to do gymnastics. She really enjoys reading and is passed Dick and Jane and into real books. She enjoys Signing Time and the Peter Rabbit series.

She continues to play her violin. Ms. Karen Roth (her violin teacher at the summer violin camp) was a real hit for her. She still talks about her.

She likes to imitate voices and is really good at it. Her acting skills are very good. She loves to talk about saints and how she will hug them when she goes to heaven. Our parish organizes All Saints Eve Party on Halloween Night. Julia wanted to be St. Lucy this year. She won a prize for her costume. She was very happy about it.

She likes playing with dolls and pretends they are her children. Julia’s best friend and companion is her sister …

From 2008 edited

Elizabeth Thérèse (7 yrs. old) is a wonderful little girl who made her First Penance in January 2008 and First Communion this year on Easter Sunday 2008. What a wonderful celebration it was. She was very reflective and excited. She sang in the King’s Choir a song of Thanksgiving right after receiving her First Communion. We have a wonderful picture of Elizabeth kissing the Body of Christ before receiving Him. Many people from our parish commented on how touched they were by that. Many people cried as they witnessed it.

She still dreams of becoming a mom when she grows up. As for right now she lives out her motherhood in a very caring way with her brother and sister and with all her dolls.

Elizabeth is an artist. She continues to make many arts and crafts. She also loves to play the violin. She enjoyed the violin summer camp. She enjoys writing stories and prayers. She is really good at math and enjoys doing it.

She also reads and writes chapter books (which she likes to illustrate).

Elizabeth and Julia performed at their 2nd violin concert in March. Elizabeth played Allegro by Dr. Sinichi Suzuki and Julia played Twinkle Theme. They both did a wonderful job on stage.

Elizabeth, Julia and Karol participated and completed our Ypsilanti Library summer reading program and won prizes: including ice-cream, swimming pass, free meals at local restaurant and a grand prize a new book that they could choose.

Kasia has been doing one on one dates, or as we call them rendezvous, with the girls. They really look forward to that. Kasia continues homeschooling our children. She enjoys it very much. She went to a Montessori enrichment workshop at the Weber Center in Adrian. She is very grateful for establishing the Montessori School in our house. She is also grateful for gleaning wisdom from Dr. Sinichi Suzuki. She organized and hosted a Montessori Tea Party at our house with a wonderful friend and speaker – a long time Montessorian Patti Yonka.

She is especially thankful for having such a wonderful woodworker & husband, Scott, who helps build many beautiful works. Working together as a husband-wife team is really fun and helps us work out our differences, especially those connected with the metric system.

She was the main speaker at a women’s retreat this year. Everyone really enjoyed it, including Kasia’s mom. She also led a 5-day retreat for 10 girls from the Little Flowers Girls’ Club. We all had a lot of fun and enjoyed learning much about St. Therese and virtues. Elizabeth and Julia enjoyed being at a beautiful retreat house and spending time with their friends.

Scott is a very lucky man with a wonderful, spirit-filled wife and 3 beautiful children, a humble, cozy abode where we love to entertain and pray with visitors and truly make a difference in people's lives.

Scott wrote an Icon of St. Michael the Archangel this summer at a class sponsored by the Diocese of Lansing. Scott is learning how to play the violin and all about Montessori / Atrium works right along with the kids. He really appreciates being able to support our school with his woodworking talents. He also helped us have a magnificent garden. Our Sunflowers were 14 feet tall in the front yard, where the kids could fit inside like a little house because they were planted in the shape of a triangle with one wider opening. Scott bakes all the bread, muffins & cookies our family can eat. Who could ask for anything more?

Scott took Elizabeth and Julia to A Father Daughter Dance at our parish and they had a lot of fun with English Square Dancing, dinner and visiting with other dads and their daughters. Scott is grateful each day for his growing professional relationships and parish social service ministries, which he coordinates in Ann Arbor.

As a family we have made some remarkable discoveries this year, especially .... books ... series and books. We also enjoyed many wonderful trips to the Petting Farm with hayrides and seeing a cow-calf being born. Kasia and the kids went to the 4-H Fair while Scott was at his icon -writing workshop.

The Movie "Whip It " about roller derby by Drew Berrymore was filmed in our neighborhood this summer, which provided lots of entertainment, and especially big trucks from Hollywood. Really!

As parents we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary this year. And we enjoy many blessings and challenges that raising a young family brings with itself.

We had Kasia’s mom, Lucyna with us for three months January - April 2008. Kasia especially enjoyed having her mom present at her birthday (the last time they were together for that occasion was 18 years ago). Celebrating Easter together was a highlight too (1st time since 1995). We did not make it to Poland in 2008 as we had hoped, but we are thankful about the possibility of being reunited next year in Poland.

We were overjoyed with the news of our friends who gave birth to their healthy and beautiful babies and we can’t wait to see the ones that are still in their mommy’s wombs, especially Tomek and Sarah’s (Scott’s sister and brother-in-law) twins.

We wish you abundant gratitude this Thanksgiving.
Love and Prayers, The Wrights