30 Days of Thanksgiving

Last year I participated in the Facebook 30 Days of Thanksgiving challenge, posting one thing each day in November that I was thankful for.  It was a delight to see this idea resurrected again--reading people's status updates was so uplifting!  I decided to once again record my 30 days here on the blog.  It's interesting to look back over the month--at the beginning, we were still in a state of semi-chaos, having just moved in, and toward the end we were enjoying a blessed time vacationing on the island of Capri!

So here is my list for 2012's 30 Days of Thanksgiving.

Nov. 1:

Starting small :)

I am thankful for my steam mop and a CLEAN FLOOR (on the ground level anyway).

Nov. 2

That feeling I get when I throw open the shutters (after disabling the alarm system, of course), breathe in the fresh air, look around, and think to myself, "I'm living in ITALY!"

That is what I'm thankful for today. :-)

Nov. 3

I'm thankful that this time it's only 13 days apart, not 13 months. And we're just over the halfway point.

(Hurry home, Ted! I miss you!!)

Nov. 4

Thankful for the right to vote, despite the hassles of trying to get it done overseas. My vote may not be counted on November 6, but it WILL be counted!

Nov. 5

I am thankful for the internet, which allows me to feel close to family and friends who are in other countries (or even down the road).

(And an iPhone isn't bad, either. ;-)

Nov. 6

I am thankful for so many friends, family members, and mentors who are so passionate about our country! I am grateful for freedoms fought for and preserved, for opportunities to express my political opinions without fear of retribution, and for blessings so abundant in our country that we have plenty to spill over onto those who are in desperate need.

Nov. 7

I am thankful I get to share life with 6 precious, noisy, messy, giggly, silly, amazing people--the children God has seen fit to bless me with. Starting tomorrow I will give each one a spotlight, but today I thank God for the whole crew!

Nov. 8

I am thankful for my sweet, cuddly, still-crawling-but-close-to-finally-walking, 14-month-old Zaden Ezekiel. Though young, he already has a testimony of God's grace, and I am so humbled and grateful as I reflect on how Zaden's life and God's mercies are intertwined. From his birth at the beginning of Ted's year-long deployment to his struggles with eating and weight gain, God's hand in this boy's life is so evident. He is still my big-eyed boy, taking in all the activity around him, sharing toothy grins with his adoring fans but still preferring to snuggle on Mom's shoulder. Since his name means "sower of seeds," I thank God in faith for the seeds of the gospel that this little guy will sow in the hearts of those who cross his path.

And my mommy friends who followed our journey will understand my awe and delight in the fact that I still get to cuddle and nurse this sweet boy every morning!

Nov. 9

I'm so grateful that God knows better than we do! I thought the perfect thing in March 2009 would be to take the kids on a free vacation to Hawaii (courtesy of Stampin' Up!). God gave us something that lasted a lot longer than a vacation--He allowed Lucan Thaniel to join our family instead! Lovable Lucan lives up to the meaning of his name ("light"), bringing joy to our hearts and home. He loves Jesus, Veggie Tales, pirates, one ratty stuffed dog named Doof, singing, humming, building, jumping, and snuggling. He has his own time table and teaches me much about patience and gentleness. He tells me multiple times a day, "Mommy, I just wuv you!"

Why did I ever think I wanted to go to Hawaii?! I can't imagine our lives without our Lucan! Thank you, Lord, for this blessing!

Nov. 10

I’m thankful for Kenna Joelle, who arrived on the scene with a bang and hasn’t stopped since.  “Little Miss Independent” often helps herself to whatever it is she wants; she is an “ask forgiveness rather than permission” kind of a gal, which keeps me on my toes!  Kenna dances and prances just about everywhere she goes, twirling around to the music in her head or to the “demo” setting on our electric piano.  She loves princesses but can wield wooden swords with the older boys while bossing them around, even though they are twice her size.  She is loving and gentle with her little brothers and insists that we have twin girls soon so the girls can “catch up.”  For all her zest, she has a tender, sensitive heart and cries when she gets in trouble because she is genuinely repentant.  She loves Jesus, family, friends, and soon-to-be friends, as she has never met a stranger.  Thank you, Lord, for the breath of fresh air that is my Kenna!

Nov. 11

I am thankful for my “gentle giant,” Arden Daniel.  At 9 years old, he is bigger than his older siblings but not too big for Mom’s hugs and cuddles! His tender, sensitive spirit touches the hearts of those around him every day.  He truly enjoys playing with his younger siblings and works hard to include them and make them comfortable and happy.  He loves to laugh and be silly but continually amazes me with his thoughtful input during our Bible lessons and discussions.  His talent for engineering is evident in the complex structures he builds out of whatever set of toys happens to be on the floor (for Lucan to play with!) during our school reading time, and his gift for memorization blesses me every time I hear him quote a Scripture passage.  I know God will use Arden’s sensitivity to others’ needs to expand His kingdom and bring glory to Himself, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for my boy!

Nov. 12

We interrupt the statuses sharing thankful thoughts about my children. Tonight, I am extremely grateful that God allowed our paths to cross with Stella, Emelia, and Salvatore! Our family is teaching 9-year-old Salvatore English two days a week. This amounts to great fun for Tobin and Arden and takes me back to my days of teaching English in Hungary! In exchange for our "services," Stella, Emelia, and a co-worker clean our house once a week. Today was our first lesson and the first time this house has been clean top to bottom since long before we moved into it! And it took them less than 1.5 hours! Our family looks forward to building relationships with these dear people that God brought into our life. I hope we bless them even half as much as they have already blessed us!

 

Nov. 13

I am thankful for the chance to get a glimpse of what my husband surely was like as he grew up—because Tobin Michael is so much like his daddy!  From his sharp wit and keen sense of humor to the ability to lose himself in a good book (with a reading level far above his age), from his blonde hair and blue eyes to slight stature that is just bursting with the effort of waiting for that Growth Spurt that will help him surpass his younger brother, this kid makes me laugh and keeps me on my toes.  He dearly loves to scare me out of my wits or try to pull one over on me, but being married to his daddy for 15 years has taught me a thing or two!  Tobin is a wonderful big brother and a huge help with his younger siblings, often reading stories to them or teaching them new games (and tricks, ha!).  He is just as quick with an apology as he is with a pun, showing his tender heart as well as his preference for keeping things light.  I love seeing the growth and maturity that is (finally!) happening in Tobin’s life and am excited to see what God has in the years to come!

Nov. 14

I am so thankful for Charis Noelle. Stealing a line from a friend of mine, I give this apt description: "Mature beyond her years and innocent beyond her peers," Charis is indeed a gift of grace (the meaning of her name). She capably handles the responsibilities of being the firstborn of a larger family without complaining (too much!) and already has much wisdom as a result of earnestly seeking the Lord. She is not only thoughtful and creative but also thoughtfully creative, choosing to bless others with the many gifts and talents God has given her. She is proving to be quite the little wit, tossing off saucy quips that could only come from being Ted's daughter. At the same time, there is no denying that she is my mini-me in too many ways to count! We love to laugh, cook, read, and play together. I am so blessed by the young woman that she is becoming and look forward to our relationship developing into a deep friendship in the coming years.

Nov. 15

The last few days I have thanked God specifically for the children He has placed in our family. Today I thank Him for the opportunity to home educate these precious souls and the everyday blessings we experience together.

Nov. 16

If you're reading this status, it's because I am thankful for YOU! I can't make a list of what I am thankful for without being overwhelmed by God's graciousness in bringing so many wonderful friends into our lives. A bittersweet part of being a military family includes so many hellos and goodbyes. The good thing is that we have such a diverse, far-reaching network of dear people with whom to share life's joys and trials. The bad thing is that we can't always share those things in person.

So I'll add a little P.S. to my day 16 thankfulness post: Dear God, Thank you for Facebook and the internet. Amen.

Nov. 17

Was going to be thankful for my first real date night out with my hubby since moving and the first time to enjoy a real Italian restaurant. (Yes. Believe it or not, we have not yet eaten out in Italy!)

But...........

"Give thanks in all circumstances..."

So. Instead. I am thankful that we never lack for food, homemade or restaurant prepared. I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband with whom I adore spending time, whether out on the town or curled on the couch. And I am thankful that our quality time together does not depend on everything always going our way. (Thank goodness!)

And let's not forget to thank the good Lord for the ability to download episodes of Downton Abbey so we can have something to enjoy together.

Nov. 18

I am thankful beyond words for the capital C Church. No matter where in the world we live, God always puts us with a local body of Christ so we can worship, fellowship, learn, and serve together. Believers in Christ are my forever family, and I'm so glad we get to have all of eternity together!

Nov. 19

I am thankful for the living and active Word of God, an unchanging revelation of our holy and eternal God, a God who loves us with an everlasting love.  I am thankful that true wisdom can be found in the pages of Scripture, that there is purpose and unity in this most sacred and awesome story, and that there is absolutely nothing we face that Scripture does not speak to.  I am thankful for parents who taught me to reverence and hunger for the words of life and for all those who have encouraged me to memorize verses and passages that are now as much a part of me as physical DNA.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:1

Nov. 20

I am thankful for my godly parents who will have been married 40 years this December!  What a legacy they have given to my brother and me and in turn to their grandchildren!  I am so grateful for their sacrifice and commitment to our Christian education and for how they have lived out their faith in good times and in bad.  I am thankful for all the fun family memories we have from growing up and road tripping all over the U.S.  I am thankful for the way they fueled my passion for reading and learning and for how they have supported me in the various whims that catch my fancy, whether big or small.  I am thankful that they have never said, “What?!  You’re having ANOTHER baby?!” when we’ve announced our pregnancies but that they have celebrated with us joyously as God has expanded our family.  I am thankful that I can talk to Mom or Dad about anything on my heart and they listen without judgment, and I am SO thankful for the thousands upon thousands of prayers that I KNOW have arisen from their hearts on my and my own family’s behalf!

I love you, Mom and Dad!!!!

Nov. 21

I am so thankful for our current assignment! A year ago we were slogging our way through a deployment, and all I wanted was for our family to be together...anywhere. But God, in His infinite mercy and grace, blessed us with the opportunity to experience life abroad. Our adventures are just beginning!

Nov. 22

A month ago today we moved into our Italian casa!  I am so thankful for God’s provision of the perfect home for our family.  He has led us all over the world, and we have always had a place to live that has been just right for us.  As God has blessed us, we pray we can bless others through the gift of hospitality, sharing our home, food, and fellowship as often as possible.

Nov. 23

I'm thankful for the breathtaking beauty of God's creation and the opportunity to explore a small part of it with my family.

Nov. 24

I am thankful beyond words for the amazing gift God gave me in my husband Ted! He is my best friend, my partner in crime, my forever and always love, my joy, my laughter, my shoulder to lean or cry on, my prayer partner, my encourager, my fellow adventurer, my whole world (on this earth). 15 years and counting...and the best is yet to come!

Nov. 25

I am thankful for rest.

Nov. 26

I'm thankful for my one and only sibling, my "little" brother John. While I thought he was a pest during our growing up years, we got a lot closer after I moved out and went to college (go figure!). We don't get to see each other very often, but I love him and I'm proud of him!

Nov. 27

I am very, very thankful for wonderful in-laws! I love my extended family and am so grateful for their prayers and support as well as the privilege of praying for and supporting them. I am very thankful for the amazing mother-in-love God gave me in Rhonda and for the close relationship we share. I am thankful for the privilege of knowing Jim and seeing the impact he made on his family and community before God called him to heaven. And I am thankful for the brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews and cousins and aunts and uncles that have appeared in my family tree through marriage!

Nov. 28

As this month of thanksgiving draws to a close, I want to take these last few days to attempt to put into words the gratitude in my heart for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today I am so thankful for His sacrifice--for His humility in coming to earth, God in flesh, forsaking the riches of heaven to embrace poverty for our sake, becoming obedient until death: the death required as a once-and-for-all sacrifice to atone for sins. The amazing, overwhelming love He has for us continues to take my breath away; oh, Jesus, may I never take for granted what we sing to our little ones every night: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Nov. 29

I am thankful that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His Word is timely and timeless; His Truth is everlasting and never needs revised or updated.

Nov. 30

I am thankful for the eternal hope we have through Jesus Christ.  We can look forward to everlasting life and joy with our Creator; this anticipation helps me have a wiser and more thoughtful perspective of the temporal things related to life on earth.  It gives me purpose and meaning for the time God has given me, for I know He created me for a reason.  Oh, that I may be worthy of the calling I have received.

Cute Cut

A few weeks ago we had a mobile hairstylist come to our house to do our hair!  I met Danny on the "Living Abroad in Naples" Facebook page, and after reading his profile and recommendations from others, decided it would be SO worth it to have him come to our house rather than trying to figure out how to schedule appointments for the girls and myself, all of whom were in desperate need of a cut!

Charis and I kept most of our length, but Danny gave us some great layers--love the new cuts!  I don't have pictures of our hair specifically, but if you're looking for that sort of thing, you can probably tell just by seeing our pics from Capri.

I did take pictures of Kenna's new 'do, though, since she got a more drastic change.  During the summer (before our move), she had allowed Lucan to cut her hair...sigh.  The result was what looked like longish bangs and actually wasn't so bad as to require immediate intervention.  In the busyness of the move, hair care got pushed waaaaaaay aside.  We talked about getting her hair cut to the length of the shorter layers, and she was excited to do so.  We are pleased with the results!

Birthday Adventures, Part 4

Saturday morning (Nov. 24) we fueled ourselves for a morning of strenuous hiking, as the plan was to hike to the top of part of the island to see Villa Jovis, the ruins of a Roman palace built by Emperor Tiberius and completed in 27 A.D.  We knew the hike would take almost an hour and that it would be difficult hiking, so this time we brought the umbrella stroller so Kenna and Lucan could take turns riding.

They weren't kidding when they told us the path would not be an easy climb!  But it was a beautiful morning, crisp and cool, which was helpful as we all began to sweat.  I can't imagine doing this kind of exploring in the heat of summer!  (Well, we wouldn't be doing it in the heat of summer--we'd be down on the beach!)  As on Thursday, the winding road took us right past people's homes and businesses.  And as on every other outing, we attracted a lot of attention as people saw Ted leading the way, followed by uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei--SEI?!  Sei bambini?!

Si.  Sei bambini!!

I'm going to get t-shirts made for Ted and me that say, "Si, sei bambini!  Tutto nostro!"  (Yes, 6 children, all ours!)  Our family is an anomaly in a country where most families have only one or two children.  I can't imagine what the responses would be if folks saw our friends Bob and Claire, who just welcomed their 9th baby!  It's sweet, though, that the Italians who exclaim over seeing us always close the conversation with a hearty, "Congratulations!"

Anyway, we slowly made our way up the mountain.  I tell you, if I could do that hike once or twice a week, I would be fit for life!  I have never worked so hard in the space of an hour aside from labor and delivery!  Ted had the added burden of Zaden being on his back, and I was pushing the stroller with a 30 or 50-pound child in the seat!  Once again, I was so proud of the kids for hanging in there and making the trek.

Resting a bit on the way up.  Most of the way was inclined path--these stairs were some of the only ones we encountered.

 Once we arrived at Villa Jovis, however, we found to our chagrin that it did not, in fact, open at 9 a.m. as the brochure said but instead opened at 11:00.  This was a problem, as we had a ferry to catch at 1:30!  We decided to stick around (it was 10:00 at this time) and see if anyone showed up to unlock the gate on time.  (We weren't terribly convinced that that would happen!)  There was a trail that led around the perimeter of the property, so the kids and I set off to explore a bit, leaving Zaden and Ted at the gate with our things.  Our tromping through the woods (and yelling back and forth trying not to lose people in the process) killed some time and gave us the opportunity to see some beautiful views, and when we returned we heard from Ted that a caretaker had indeed arrived but seemed to not be in any particular hurry to open the gate for us.  It was probably 11:03 when we finally tumbled inside, paid our entry fee, and began a very hurried exploration of the ruins!

It was a big place, as you can probably imagine, but we were determined to see as much as we could before we felt we simply had to leave in order to collect our possessions from the hotel and catch the ferry on time.  What am amazing opportunity, to explore a structure that was built during the time Jesus Christ was on earth!  There were goats climbing all over the place, too, adding to the intrigue!

Look very closely...can you find Tobin?!

Thankfully the hardest part of the day was behind us; going downhill is an activity that has challenges of its own, to be sure, but the trek back was much faster and less strenuous!  We treated ourselves to gelato in the village square before taking the funicolare down to the beach.

We had plenty of time as we waited for the boat to arrive; Charis bought some postcards and we soaked up the sun and the view before loading up and heading home.

The ride to Naples was less than relaxing, as we somehow managed to be smack dab in the middle of a gaggle of junior high boys going to the mainland for a soccer game...they were so adorable (Italians do make beautiful children!), but completely oblivious to everyone but themselves and the Japanese tourists they were trying to impress!


It was about 4 p.m. when we finally arrived home, but it felt much, much later.  We packed so much activity into a fairly short period of time!  We feel so blessed to have been able to spend time together exploring a beautiful part of God's creation.  Though nothing about our vacation "felt" Thanksgiving-y, meaning what we are used to thinking about when Thanksgiving rolls around, it was impossible not to bubble over with thanksgiving the whole time we were away.  The entire week after we returned, it rained, but we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather during our time in Capri.  We made some incredible family memories we will cherish always!

Birthday Adventures, Part 3

Whew.  Eventually I'll get caught up on this blog!  Thank you to my sweet hubby who is taking over the breakfast and kid duties this morning so I can sit in bed and type!!  Anyway, picking up from where we left off...

Our hotel in Capri included breakfast each morning.  We squeezed all 8 of us around a table, with Zaden in his stroller.  Though the breakfast foods were different from what our kids are used to, they managed to fill up quite nicely!  Bananas, kiwi, yogurt, various breads and spreads (jam, Nutella), Swiss cheese and prosciutto, prepackaged cookies and biscotti, etc.  We finished up and left in good time for some exploring before lunch.

First stop on Friday (Nov. 23), an old monastery built in 1371 that now houses a collection of artwork by Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (1851-1913).  The paintings were massive!  Beautiful, too, as was the chapel with its elaborately painted ceilings.  It was so strange being able to just wander wherever we liked; we were the only tourists there at the time.  We discovered that there were classes in session when we walked out to a courtyard area, so we tried to hush the kids (Lucan was running pell-mell through the paths and having a grand old time!) and scoot them away to somewhere else.  It was a quiet, peaceful place, seemingly even more so because of the cloud covering that almost muffled any other movement or sound.

Look!  It's the Island of Capri!

See Lucan in the middle running?!

From there we walked toward a path that leads down to a beautiful beach area; however, upon arriving at the gardens at the top of the walk, we found that the beach walk was gated off.  So we contented ourselves with looking down below and then enjoying the gardens.

"Two roads diverged..."  The path to the right is the one that would have led us down to the beach; the left path took us up a bit higher to the overlook and garden area.

 

The sun came out during our time here, and I have to say this was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.  The gardens were so lovely, and again, it was just so peaceful!  The older boys immediately set off marching around the paths, hiding in nooks and corners, playing some kind of ancient Roman game of their own imaginings.  Lucan exclaimed with delight at the fish in a statue's pond and rowed his "boat" (the so-shaped bench) far out to sea.  Zaden actually took a couple of steps on his own (but immediately plopped down once he realized he wasn't holding onto anything).  Kenna alternated between playing with the little boys and running around looking at flowers and playing her own kind of twirling princess game.  Charis whipped out a book to read.  Ted and I cuddled on a bench, reveling in the beauty around us and feeling full and content watching our sweet children.

All too soon the troops began clamoring for lunch.  We walked to the square in search of water bottles and sandwiches, then took everything to the hotel to eat (along with our leftover pizza from the night before).  Zaden, Lucan, and I napped in the girls' room while the older kids played games and read with Ted.  Once everyone was awake again, we caught a bus to Anacapri--and the ride was a whole adventure in and of itself!  Hairpin turns along the edge of the cliffs and a bus driver who thought nothing of the distance from top to bottom!  Be still, my beating heart!

We arrived in Anacapri around 3:30--only to discover that in the off-season everything closes up by 2 or 3 p.m.  Sigh.  One sweet lady took interest in our family when she saw us trying to decipher the sign outside the cathedral she attended, Chiesa San Michele.  Though it was officially closed, she motioned us in and allowed us to tour the place anyway!  The floor is painted in great detail with a Garden of Eden scene; there is a narrow boardwalk on the perimeter that allows you to walk all around.  Then the older 3 kids and I climbed a winding staircase to the balcony area that gave us a view of the whole floor.  We also saw the pipe organ.

This was really the only thing we got to see in Anacapri.  We walked the loop that took us by other points of interest, but as they were closed, we only saw the outsides of buildings and decided it was best to just get back on a bus to Capri.  We decided to visit "our" restaurant from the night before, much to the delight of the men who waited on us.  We were even more tired this time, though, and we did not linger long!  Once again we hastened back to the hotel (with yet another box of leftover pizza) and had an early bedtime.

Birthday Adventures, Part 2

It was a gorgeous day for exploring the island on foot.  With Ted carrying Zaden in a baby backpack and some snacks and drinks in my own backpack, we headed to a scenic overlook a fairly short distance from our hotel...taking the long way since we began hiking in the wrong direction at first, oops!  Walking up and down the streets was a bit like being in a fairy tale land, or even a Dr. Seuss city!  Capri is so different from any other place I've ever been.  It's hard to believe you just walk right past people's residences and places of business with such a small passageway taking you from one place to another--and with such beauty surrounding you.  Flowers everywhere!  Ornate gates, rich tile work, quaint street lights, unique houses, intertwining trees...simply gorgeous.  In the picture below you can see Tobin on one of the many winding streets--this is as wide as it gets, folks!  Can you see why we were on foot?!

After posing for a few pictures at this overlook, we followed the trail down to the beach.  Let me tell you, it was a lot more fun going down than coming back up, ha!  But the kids were such great sports and super adventurers.  It was a privilege and a blessing to spend my birthday with my family!

Once we reached the main path again (huffing and puffing), the kids insisted they were up for a continuation of the hike.  The road we were on wound its way along the southeastern side of the island, and we still had a couple of hours of daylight left (we thought), so off we went.  We took it fairly easy; Lucan was, after all, on foot, and a three-year-old cannot be hurried.  I was amazed at his perseverance and winning little attitude!  He was so cheerful and such a delight to hike with, despite some extensive stints of climbing stairs that were about 1/3 of his height--that HAD to be exhausting!  I tried to encourage the kids multiple times, thanking them for not complaining and telling them how much I appreciated the experience that we could share together.  It really WAS the best birthday gift they could have given me: enjoying the adventure we were on, living in the moment and creating lasting memories.  

But let's be honest--it was a grueling hike after we had already expended so much energy.  And with the sun setting faster than the trail seemed to be ending, we had to skip seeing the Natural Arch and settle instead for reaching "civilization" again.  We did come across a big cavern area that ignited the boys' imaginations and had Kenna and Lucan shouting for joy to hear their echoes.  Charis sat on the wall and caught her breath, and then we made it up the last seemingly endless set of stairs and voted to find a restaurant instead of pressing on to see the arch...which we probably couldn't have seen anyway due to the sun setting and a severe lack of artificial lighting on the island!

Winding our way back to the city center in near darkness was a whole different adventure!  There were a few street lights, and people were starting to come out and about...it seems the island almost shuts down in the afternoon (maybe that's because we were there in the off season?), but Italy comes alive for late and long dinners!  After awhile we began passing more and more store fronts, and finally...FINALLY...we emerged at the piazza where we began our journey in the afternoon after arriving on the funicolare.  Below: Ted consults our map to make sure we are going in the right direction.

We patronized a charming little restaurant whose owners/servers had hailed us earlier in the day.  At the time we weren't looking for an eating place, having just arrived after lunch, but now we were starving!  My snack supply did not have nearly enough calories to fuel such a strenuous afternoon!  It was only about 5:30 p.m. but it felt much, much later.  The men who took care of us at the ristorante were so kind, and they promptly fell in love with baby Zaden!  They pushed tables together for us and bent over backwards to accommodate all 8 of us.  The kids opted for pizza Margarita, while Ted chose fried calamari and I had gnocchi.  He and I shared a Greek salad as well.  Oh, it was all so wonderful!  We had nearly a whole pizza leftover to take home with us, which we saved for lunch the next day.

We made use of the big whirlpool bath tubs back at the hotel, washing the sweat and grime and sore muscles away before turning in for the night...time to rest up so we could be ready for another day of exploring on Friday!

Birthday Adventures, Part 1

This year my birthday (November 22) happened to fall on Thanksgiving Day.  We decided it was high time our family experienced an overnight vacation!  After all the work of getting moved into our house, it was so nice to get away from it all for a bit.  We chose to explore the island of Capri, approximately a one hour's ferry ride away from the Bay of Napoli.

Ted booked our hotel reservations--2 rooms with 4 people in each--at the Floridiana Hotel in Capri for Thursday and Friday nights.  We were up bright and early Thanksgiving morning.  The kids and Ted surprised me with presents at the breakfast table.  I wasn't expecting presents...going to Capri was a gift in itself!  But my family likes to spoil me on occasion, so I'm not complaining!

Note my cute handmade hat from Charis and the felt slippers Ted brought me from Estonia!  Tobin made coupons for me, Arden wrote a sweet card as well, and Kenna gave me a box of...interesting...assorted items, including a Batman yo-yo, painted rock, mirror, and Disney princess tin. :-)

We left the house around 9 a.m. and drove to one of the Navy installations which is right next to the Naples airport.  We were able to park in the garage there for free, then walked over to the airport to catch the bus that would take us to the port for our ferry ride.  We were plenty early, so once we got the tickets we walked to Castle Nuovo, which is right across the street!  We didn't pay to go inside, since we didn't have enough time to do it justice, but it was cool to cross over where the moat used to be and look inside at the courtyard.  One of the cool things about living in Europe...city, city, city, BAM!  Ancient castle!

We ate a quick lunch before boarding our boat to Capri.  The ride was uneventful; there were enough seats that the kids spread out in search of windows to peer out of, and Ted and I amused ourselves trying to figure out what the daytime cooking show people were saying in Italian.  (That show followed one discussing the credibility of UFOs!)

Arriving at Capri was so exciting!  It was beautiful!  And the weather was just gorgeous--sunny and warm but not hot.  We rode the funicolare (cable car) up to the main square of Capri and from there walked to our hotel.  We checked in, exclaimed over our beautiful rooms, settled in a bit, and then took off for our first adventures!

Settling in and Managing Without Daddy

The day after Ted left to go to Estonia for 13 days for a NATO exercise we lost power at the house for several hours.  As it approached dinnertime and grew harder and harder to see, I decided to pack up the kids and drive to the mall to buy flashlights and batteries plus grab some food.  (Ironically, McDonald's.)  JUST as I was about to leave the house the lights came back on.  Whew!

The internet guys had been at the house for a couple of hours before all this happened, and I couldn't tell if we were the only ones without power or if it was a neighborhood thing.  Turns out it was a neighborhood thing, so I needn't have worried, but not knowing what to expect, I confess I was more than a bit nervous!  Especially since the gate to our driveway had gotten stuck and wouldn't close!  God graciously sent some help in the form of American neighbors, who helped me call the landlord and communicate the need for the gate to be fixed pronto!  (The landlord speaks pretty much no English at all.)  He arrived after 9 p.m. and finally found the problem.  I went to bed feeling that the day had been nearly a complete waste as far as "accomplishing" anything, but very thankful that my true source of Power--AND my protective refuge--was with me all the time.

Ted was kept busy in Estonia with 16 to 18-hour work days, so we typed to each other a few minutes each night (I think Skype only worked a couple of times) before we both crashed.  The kids and I did great, honestly!  We drove to and from the Support Site for AWANA, Bible study, park play times, and Charis's youth group meetings, squeezing in grocery shopping trips around those events.  One evening we went to the R family's house for dinner and fun, since Tanya's hubby was also away.  (We did a kid exchange during the day after Bible study, so I simply returned her boys and picked up my girl!)

We unpacked, broke down boxes, hung stuff on the wall, sorted, organized, sorted and organized some more after the 7 wardrobes were delivered, and generally settled into a fairly good routine.  We did math lessons, Rosetta Stone language lessons, and science experiments.  We read about World War I, light and color, and the Gilbreth family (from Cheaper by the Dozen).  We made homemade bread, pizza, and snickerdoodles.

We worked hard to convince Lucan that he really does want to be potty trained...but he still thinks differently.  We worked hard to convince Zaden that he really does want to walk...but he still prefers to have a death grip on someone's finger at the very least.  (Still, he's close!)  We also worked hard to convince him that he really can go down the stairs by himself...but he still prefers to have someone helping him.  (He did gain confidence just being around the stairs and crawling up them, and I gained confidence in LETTING him crawl around).

All in all, the 13 days passed fairly uneventfully...although there was that one night at 10:30 pm when I went to arm the security system only to have my nerves jangled by the ear-piercing shrieks that erupted, echoing off the walls and tile floors so that I was fairly sure Ted could hear us in Estonia.  A few eternities (or maybe just moments) later, silence again reigned, but my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking!  The door on the third floor balcony had blown open during the big windstorm, and I didn't see the indicator that something was open when I put the key in to enable the system.  At least we know the alarm works!

Ted arrived home last night in time for dinner, greeted with many shouts of joy and hugs and kisses.  We are thankful to be reunited again and look forward to putting the finishing touches on our home together!

We're in Our House!

We're in our house, we're in our house, we're in our HOUSE!!!!

October 22 was move-in day.  I took the little boys to a babysitters' house so we could have some time without them underfoot.  The men were maybe halfway unloaded when I brought Lucan and Zaden home, and we put Zaden down for a nap, so that helped a lot.

The next few days were a blur of opening boxes, sorting, organizing, and a bit of lamenting, such as, "Why did we bring that?!  We can't use it here!" or "Oh, if only we hadn't put _____ into storage!"  But overall things began finding their new home quite nicely.  It didn't take long to set up the kitchen; I AM glad I put a number of bulkier items into storage.  We have a good-sized hutch from the housing warehouse, plus my grandmother's china hutch, so we're able to make the items I did bring fit pretty well.

I stole the two bookshelves formerly used to hold our kids' books and Sonlight books and put them in my pantry.  Most of Ted's and my books we left in storage, bringing only the kids' and Sonlight books plus our absolute favorites and ones we hadn't yet read but wanted to.  So our books fit nicely on the two shelves Ted built soon after we were married.

As an aside...I shouldn't assume that you already know this, because I didn't before we came!  Italian houses generally have no closets, cupboards, or built-in shelves: thus the need for me to steal bookcases. :-)  We are issued one wardrobe per person, plus an extra one for the active-duty member for uniforms.  So yes, that is NINE wardrobes, folks!  Only two were delivered; the rest will arrive this coming week.  Those will hold our linens plus games, coats, anything else that would normally be in a closet.

Ted had the week off to help, and then he had to leave bright and early Sunday, October 28, for an exercise in Estonia.  I know he hated to leave us with things pretty much in chaos, but I assured him we would be fine...

(To be continued!)