7.23.2011
What was I thinking?!
I was going through my old posts and realized I haven't blogged one thing about where we have been and the sights we have seen. WHAT WAS I THINKING?? I guess I just posted little bits on Facebook and completely forgot to blog about it. I am working on uploading pictures and will update information on where we have been and the history about it. This summer has been absolutely amazing! No rain in sight, comfortable breeze, warm sunny days, beautiful scenery, abundant fruit and veggies filling the market, I could go on and on! I will do my best to convey all of this in the upcoming blogs!
7.18.2011
Not So Far Away
...And even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star. And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky... - Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
I stood on our balcony tonight surrounded by darkness, aside from the moon and faint flickering lights scattered up the hillside. The air smelled sweet and fresh, with the faintest sense of a breeze kissing my cheeks. It was quiet. No sound of traffic or sirens. Nothing lingered in the air from the noise and rush of the day.
The stars were in clear view and I found a Dipper! I couldn't tell you if it was the big one or the little one, but without a doubt, it was a Dipper! Greg mentioned he would see the Dippers from time to time on the beach in Mathews. What a true wonder it is to see constellations from anywhere in the world! The same stars I see in Italy are the same stars you will see in Eden, St. Marys, Savannah, Virginia, Louisiana, and North Carolina.
We are connected no matter how far apart. The world can seem so big, but we've met Italians with family in Virginia and Florida, someone who worked at SCAD in Savannah, people from all walks of life where we find some sort of connection. In the seemingly overwhelming distance, it's not so far, we are under the same sky!
I stood on our balcony tonight surrounded by darkness, aside from the moon and faint flickering lights scattered up the hillside. The air smelled sweet and fresh, with the faintest sense of a breeze kissing my cheeks. It was quiet. No sound of traffic or sirens. Nothing lingered in the air from the noise and rush of the day.
The stars were in clear view and I found a Dipper! I couldn't tell you if it was the big one or the little one, but without a doubt, it was a Dipper! Greg mentioned he would see the Dippers from time to time on the beach in Mathews. What a true wonder it is to see constellations from anywhere in the world! The same stars I see in Italy are the same stars you will see in Eden, St. Marys, Savannah, Virginia, Louisiana, and North Carolina.
We are connected no matter how far apart. The world can seem so big, but we've met Italians with family in Virginia and Florida, someone who worked at SCAD in Savannah, people from all walks of life where we find some sort of connection. In the seemingly overwhelming distance, it's not so far, we are under the same sky!
7.12.2011
How I long for a home sweet home!
We have lived in a hotel since May 13 and I am very ready to get our stuff, creating a true home here in Sicily. Hotel living certainly has it's perks- like someone else cleaning every day, but the walls are closing in. Juliette is sleeping (well sometimes she sleeps) in our room so Brady can have a place of his own. We have 1 couch and 3/4 of the room is full of toys. I'm not complaining. We are certainly lucky to have temporary living as nice as we have it. There are those who have less on a full time basis, but none-the-less, I'm ready to go!
Searching for a house here in Italy is certainly interesting. There are no listings, unless there is a sign posted outside (I've seen only 1) you would have no idea the place is for rent. The Housing Dept. on base has a list of requirements a house must meet before military or civilian personel can live there. There must be secure parking (gated or garage parking), a high level of security for the property (alarm system, fencing, shutters for the windows, ect.), hook-ups for washer/ dryer, at least 3 air conditioners, and a certain amount of cabinet space in the kitchen. I may be forgetting a thing or two, but you get the idea. Housing does provide a list of properties that have already been inspected and have been approved for immediate move-in. We chose to have a friend of a friend take us around the first weekend we were here to show us houses. We saw 5 the first day out and 5 the second day out. We saw everything from a house at the beach to a house in the middle of town. One was super modern, one was a large villa complete with a professional kitchen and small garden with fruit trees, and several townhomes with 3 or 4 levels.
We decided on the townhouse in the middle of town. It was my first choice because, well, it was in the middle of town. We can walk to the fruit store, restaurants, bakery, clothes shopping... anything we want. An added benefit is the house sits on top of a clothing store. It also has only 2 levels and with a toddler and baby in the house, it's much safer and more convenient. We have 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths, 2 large storage closets, an entire wall of storage cabinets in what will be Brady's room (storage is a big deal because none of the bedrooms have closets), and a large living space with a play area for the kids. Three of the bedrooms have private balconies and we have a huge wrap-around balcony outside, plus a very large garage. I must say, I'm very excited about living here!
Once we decided on the place, we had to schedule an appointment for Housing to do an inspection. They had to approve the property and inform the landlord of all the requirements. The first inspection was conducted a couple of weeks ago and now on Monday we have a second inspection. The house should be ready, or very close to it, by Monday, and then we have to start the process of getting utilities connected. Word on the street is that process can take up to ten days. SO, we should be able to move in by the end of the month.
I am so glad we found a house that first weekend because the road we chose has been a long one. I'm not so sure it's any different from others who live in town. The flight here made me not want to take another long flight for a while and the moving process has made me not want to move again for quite some time. Our temporary lodging has been better than I expected it to be, but it's still not home. Moving day in Georgia was sad, but moving day in Italy will be a happy day!
Searching for a house here in Italy is certainly interesting. There are no listings, unless there is a sign posted outside (I've seen only 1) you would have no idea the place is for rent. The Housing Dept. on base has a list of requirements a house must meet before military or civilian personel can live there. There must be secure parking (gated or garage parking), a high level of security for the property (alarm system, fencing, shutters for the windows, ect.), hook-ups for washer/ dryer, at least 3 air conditioners, and a certain amount of cabinet space in the kitchen. I may be forgetting a thing or two, but you get the idea. Housing does provide a list of properties that have already been inspected and have been approved for immediate move-in. We chose to have a friend of a friend take us around the first weekend we were here to show us houses. We saw 5 the first day out and 5 the second day out. We saw everything from a house at the beach to a house in the middle of town. One was super modern, one was a large villa complete with a professional kitchen and small garden with fruit trees, and several townhomes with 3 or 4 levels.
We decided on the townhouse in the middle of town. It was my first choice because, well, it was in the middle of town. We can walk to the fruit store, restaurants, bakery, clothes shopping... anything we want. An added benefit is the house sits on top of a clothing store. It also has only 2 levels and with a toddler and baby in the house, it's much safer and more convenient. We have 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths, 2 large storage closets, an entire wall of storage cabinets in what will be Brady's room (storage is a big deal because none of the bedrooms have closets), and a large living space with a play area for the kids. Three of the bedrooms have private balconies and we have a huge wrap-around balcony outside, plus a very large garage. I must say, I'm very excited about living here!
Once we decided on the place, we had to schedule an appointment for Housing to do an inspection. They had to approve the property and inform the landlord of all the requirements. The first inspection was conducted a couple of weeks ago and now on Monday we have a second inspection. The house should be ready, or very close to it, by Monday, and then we have to start the process of getting utilities connected. Word on the street is that process can take up to ten days. SO, we should be able to move in by the end of the month.
I am so glad we found a house that first weekend because the road we chose has been a long one. I'm not so sure it's any different from others who live in town. The flight here made me not want to take another long flight for a while and the moving process has made me not want to move again for quite some time. Our temporary lodging has been better than I expected it to be, but it's still not home. Moving day in Georgia was sad, but moving day in Italy will be a happy day!
7.11.2011
Juliette turned ONE!
Dear Juliette,
What a spunky, funny, and special little girl you are! During my last ultrasound, the doctor informed me we were going to have a "female moose" because you were going to be a big baby. We welcomed you into our family on your due date July 7, 2010 weighing in at 9lb 4 oz! The doctor wasn't kidding... you were a big baby! You had such a sweet personality from the very beginning. You are easy going and fun to be around. It has been a joy to get to know you over the past year, and we look forward to all the fun times ahead!
You began crawling at 4 months and walking at the end of 9 months. You said your first word "hi" (always while waving your arm) when you were 10 months old. You do your very best to keep up with your big brother! He loves you, but occasionally can be a little rough. You are squeezed, he carries you around, sometimes you are dropped, but you take it all in stride and are a good sport about it.
The Italians love you and you have the cleaning ladies here at our hotel wrapped around your finger. You say "hi" to everyone, love attention, and when you go unnoticed, you tend to scream until someone talks to you. You are still easy going and a good baby! You climb on anything and everything, without regard to the consequence of standing on the edge of a sofa. You keep me and your daddy on our toes! You love to laugh and you always make us laugh. You can out-eat your brother. You will eat pretty much anything and sometimes it's hard to keep up with your pace. When you finish your meal, and we haven't offered something else, you scream at us. Screaming seems to get things accomplished!
Sleep is a bit of an issue, as in you don't do much of it. Nap time generally isn't a problem, but boy oh boy you can keep us up all night! It doesn't help that you are sleeping in our room because of living in temporary housing. We are looking forward to you having your own room! There is a defiant strain in you too. I have no idea where that comes from! Ok, maybe it could possibly be from me! Here's an example: We are shopping and you are riding in the front of the shopping cart. Everything is going along great, except I turn to grab a bag of bread and when I turn back, you are standing where you should be sitting. I tell you "no Ma'am" and sit you back down in the seat. You promptly begin to stand up again, while keeping direct eye contact with me. It's like you are challenging me and daring me to do something about it. This makes for a very long shopping trip! This is only one example, there are several along the same lines!
You are so special and we are blessed to have the chance to raise you and be Godly examples for you. My prayer for you is that you are blessed beyond measure and that you always remember God supplies those blessings. That you know who you are and Who's you are. I pray you grow up to be anything you want to be, but most of all a Godly, strong, courageous, and honorable woman, leaving a positive impact on your world. Always dream as big as you can, always stand back up after falling, always be kind, and always do the very best you can.
Juliette, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He show you favor and grant you peace.
We love you!
What a spunky, funny, and special little girl you are! During my last ultrasound, the doctor informed me we were going to have a "female moose" because you were going to be a big baby. We welcomed you into our family on your due date July 7, 2010 weighing in at 9lb 4 oz! The doctor wasn't kidding... you were a big baby! You had such a sweet personality from the very beginning. You are easy going and fun to be around. It has been a joy to get to know you over the past year, and we look forward to all the fun times ahead!
You began crawling at 4 months and walking at the end of 9 months. You said your first word "hi" (always while waving your arm) when you were 10 months old. You do your very best to keep up with your big brother! He loves you, but occasionally can be a little rough. You are squeezed, he carries you around, sometimes you are dropped, but you take it all in stride and are a good sport about it.
The Italians love you and you have the cleaning ladies here at our hotel wrapped around your finger. You say "hi" to everyone, love attention, and when you go unnoticed, you tend to scream until someone talks to you. You are still easy going and a good baby! You climb on anything and everything, without regard to the consequence of standing on the edge of a sofa. You keep me and your daddy on our toes! You love to laugh and you always make us laugh. You can out-eat your brother. You will eat pretty much anything and sometimes it's hard to keep up with your pace. When you finish your meal, and we haven't offered something else, you scream at us. Screaming seems to get things accomplished!
Sleep is a bit of an issue, as in you don't do much of it. Nap time generally isn't a problem, but boy oh boy you can keep us up all night! It doesn't help that you are sleeping in our room because of living in temporary housing. We are looking forward to you having your own room! There is a defiant strain in you too. I have no idea where that comes from! Ok, maybe it could possibly be from me! Here's an example: We are shopping and you are riding in the front of the shopping cart. Everything is going along great, except I turn to grab a bag of bread and when I turn back, you are standing where you should be sitting. I tell you "no Ma'am" and sit you back down in the seat. You promptly begin to stand up again, while keeping direct eye contact with me. It's like you are challenging me and daring me to do something about it. This makes for a very long shopping trip! This is only one example, there are several along the same lines!
You are so special and we are blessed to have the chance to raise you and be Godly examples for you. My prayer for you is that you are blessed beyond measure and that you always remember God supplies those blessings. That you know who you are and Who's you are. I pray you grow up to be anything you want to be, but most of all a Godly, strong, courageous, and honorable woman, leaving a positive impact on your world. Always dream as big as you can, always stand back up after falling, always be kind, and always do the very best you can.
Juliette, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He show you favor and grant you peace.
We love you!
7.01.2011
Brady turned 4!
Dear Brady,
Four years ago, we welcomed you into our lives and what a pleasure it has been getting to know you! You were on the go from the very beginning and I suppose some things just don't change! You came home from the hospital wanting to be held in a standing position and not long after that you were running circles while sitting in one of your toys. Some days you have so much energy, you keep us running in circles!
You are very particular in how you like things to be. Food, games, temperature of water in the shower, ect. has to be "just right." If something is not up to your standards, you don't hesitate to let us know. We have come up with a list of things you love:
-the color green (and sometimes pink)
-Spider-man
-Toy Story
-Juliette (most mornings you tell her she "looks pretty" and you "love her pajamas"
-Coloring
-Reading books together
-Pizza- No sauce- Just right
-Pasta- No sauce- Just right with white cheese and butter
-Rocks (we always come home with a rock, no matter where we go)
-Playing
-Pretending (Some days you are Big Andy, some days Little Andy, some days Chico Bon Bon- just depends!)
-Puzzles
-Snacks
-Wagon rides
You are such a fun little boy and say some of the funniest things. You are strong willed and sometimes it's a challenge to get you to do something that wasn't your idea. You tend to keep yourself occupied and almost always have a plan for what you want to do. You are an amazing big brother and take great care of Juliette when you aren't pushing, hitting, yelling, or squeezing her.
During this past year we welcomed a new baby to our family and moved to Italy. We are still in the midst of the changes that happen during moving and you have been a trooper. I am so proud to be your mother and daddy is proud of you too! We are so blessed to have you in our family! I am so excited to see what God has in store for you and look forward to walking through life together as a team. My prayer for you is that you are blessed beyond measure and that you always remember God supplies those blessings. That you know who you are and Who's you are. I pray you grow up to be a strong, courageous, honorable man who leaves a positive impact on your world. Always dream as big as you can, always stand back up after falling, always be kind, and always do the very best you can.
Brady, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He show you favor and grant you peace.
We love you!
Four years ago, we welcomed you into our lives and what a pleasure it has been getting to know you! You were on the go from the very beginning and I suppose some things just don't change! You came home from the hospital wanting to be held in a standing position and not long after that you were running circles while sitting in one of your toys. Some days you have so much energy, you keep us running in circles!
You are very particular in how you like things to be. Food, games, temperature of water in the shower, ect. has to be "just right." If something is not up to your standards, you don't hesitate to let us know. We have come up with a list of things you love:
-the color green (and sometimes pink)
-Spider-man
-Toy Story
-Juliette (most mornings you tell her she "looks pretty" and you "love her pajamas"
-Coloring
-Reading books together
-Pizza- No sauce- Just right
-Pasta- No sauce- Just right with white cheese and butter
-Rocks (we always come home with a rock, no matter where we go)
-Playing
-Pretending (Some days you are Big Andy, some days Little Andy, some days Chico Bon Bon- just depends!)
-Puzzles
-Snacks
-Wagon rides
You are such a fun little boy and say some of the funniest things. You are strong willed and sometimes it's a challenge to get you to do something that wasn't your idea. You tend to keep yourself occupied and almost always have a plan for what you want to do. You are an amazing big brother and take great care of Juliette when you aren't pushing, hitting, yelling, or squeezing her.
During this past year we welcomed a new baby to our family and moved to Italy. We are still in the midst of the changes that happen during moving and you have been a trooper. I am so proud to be your mother and daddy is proud of you too! We are so blessed to have you in our family! I am so excited to see what God has in store for you and look forward to walking through life together as a team. My prayer for you is that you are blessed beyond measure and that you always remember God supplies those blessings. That you know who you are and Who's you are. I pray you grow up to be a strong, courageous, honorable man who leaves a positive impact on your world. Always dream as big as you can, always stand back up after falling, always be kind, and always do the very best you can.
Brady, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He show you favor and grant you peace.
We love you!
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