Last one for a while...

I wish I had a video or something to post for this last entry, but we can't seem to get our videos uploaded to the computer right now. Here is what is happening in our life.

Last week our home was packed up and out. It took two days and 10 Italians, but we sweetened them with Neapolitan cafe and pasta from our friend Titti. Nona Bev and Nono Mike took care of Grace both days and dealt with her incredible fussiness and busyness, but they survived! I pray everything gets there in one piece, but it's almost a blessing living with just the basics right now... I almost feel free! I'm not a very good housekeeper though, it stresses me out, especially with a little (almost) toddler running around! Either way we'll see what we get on the other side.

Tomorrow we pack out our express shipment, which includes the computer... hence the last post for a while. We'll be living for a month on loaner furniture and a tub of rented items for the kitchen and bedroom. I'm sure it'll get old in about three days, but hey, it's an experience. As long as Grace is alright, we're alright.

Speaking of Grace, she's on the move with her walker from the Hagenbuchs. She loves it and now that she has absolutely nothing to get in her way, she cruises around the apartment strutting her stuff and strengthening her legs. I forsee her walking before her first birthday. We think she has a word for Opel, "Op!" is what she screams in the morning and when she sees/hears her around the apartment. It's ridiculously cute! We also think she's started saying mama and daddy correctly, though sometimes that seems a little transient. Other than that she's a happy, healthy, almost 11 month old who absolutely loves food (whatever you're eating will do), and has an amazing amount of energy! She's also started weaning from breastmilk, which I am STOKEd about because I'm ready to be done. We're down to two or three times a day and when she hits 11 months, if she's okay being done, we'll be done. YES!! :).

From here, we go to Tuscany for Thanksgiving, a couple parties for us as we leave, we'll move into TLA on December 11th, and catch the rotator out of here on the 16th. We have a couple days in Monterey to get a house and car, then off to KY for Christmas. I'd write more, but talking about leaving makes me want to cry. The one thing I'll say is that we thought we were coming to Italy to travel, see the world and do something different; but God had a different plan. He brought us here for Il Faro, for the community and to strengthen us as a Christian couple, as well as bless us with the most beautiful and enjoyable daughter I could have ever hoped for. Our two plans just happened to line up with each other. :) We are blessed!

Ciao Tutti!!!

Allison

Nove

I said I'd write about Nove, so here goes. This trip was kind of last minute and might sound ridiculous and maybe even a little stupid, but knowing what the "prize" is at the end is worth it. Melissa and I decided to head up north to the little town, which is about 7 hours away, around Venice and Vicenza, so that we could go buy the ceramics we wanted before we leave. Nove is known for beautiful, detailed ceramics that also are sold to the United States. You'll have seen them in Tiffany's, WilliamsSonoma, and Lenox. The prices in the states though are about 100 times more than what you can buy them for in Nove. It's basically the world's best sale ever! So, we decide on Tuesday that we're going to go up Wednesday; and we train it up.

The blessing of our situation was that our wonderful Mason was home in the States with his dad, so we were sans a busy, inquisitive toddler. Melissa, Lily, Grace and I were the travelers, and we had pack packs each, strollers, and carseats. We got on the train in the morning to Rome, then on to Padova, then Vicenza. It seems easy, and it was, yet having to haul two babies in their carseats/strollers, and the bags on and off the trains was a bit of a challenge. Trains don't wait for people who haven't boarded, they just get going! Thankfully, when we did think we may not make it, some Italian would see us and step in to help and haul. Grace was a crowd pleaser at those moments and Lily was a novelty. The Italians cannot fathom why a three week old would be outside, much less on a train (mama mia!)! When we finally arrived in Vicenza we had three hours to get to Nove and the shops. So, we quickly taxied to base, rented a car and were on our way over to the little town.

There are three different shops which were open and we wanted to check out. The first one sold mostly religious figures and themed ceramics, a lot of Mother Mary and baby Jesus'. They were beautiful pieces but not what we were looking for. The second stop was closed, however there were items outside in a garage that were one euro a piece... a good deal, but again, not what we were looking for. The third stop was VBC, the store we had visited last time and the one we most anticipated. The owners son was there, and when he heard our traveling story, he was happy to stay open after hours so that we can collect what we want.

Collect we did, I finished a bit of our colorful plate collection with bowls, got a BEAUTIFUL tiled sunflower plate to match the serving bowl, as well as presents and a set of espresso cups and saucers. I love the espresso cups because they are different, vibrant colors and it just makes me smile when I have my espresso in the morning. I also was able to pick up some baby gifts and another sunflower bowl for a dear friend who has continually threatened to hold mine captive, she likes it so much :0). Melissa picked up a fair amount too, together we bought so much that he gave us a bowl for free! I didn't think I was buying a lot, but I guess when you take into account all the travel, and the purchases, he probably thought we were incredibly silly! Haha!

Our way home was a bit more interesting, because we chose to buy a duffel bag and cram as many ceramics as possible into it, then carry it home. Add that to the other large items being hauled on and off the trains (carseats, stroller, back packs) I was incredibly soar at the end of the day. Oh, I forgot to mention that in the morning we made our way to the train station, having missed our train because we didn't get out in time, and the taxi driver said to us, "Today is a strike!" I looked at him and just hung my jaw, at the same time trying to figure out what the heck we were going to do! Thankfully, we didn't have to do anything different; the strike didn't start until 1130 that morning and we got out at 1050... just in time.

It was a quick trip, but a good one. It made me smile as I thought of how two American moms with babies were brave enough and confident enough to set out and do such a crazy trip on their own. It's a trip that I won't soon forget :). Thanks Melissa!

Caio tutti!

God is Good.

God is good, all the time, yet tonight it's hard to "see". It's like being a teenager when your parents ground you and you are so angry you smash something against the wall, or yell back at them knowing that there will be repercussions. In retrospect you know that they were right, that it was painful, but it was for the better. Yet, it is maddening, angering, agonizing, and you don't know how you will ever get over it.

I've held the hands of mothers saying good-bye to their children, how strong they were to do it without completely dying inside. I've held the hands of children who were alive only because they had a a tube down their throat, and sang them lullabies to ease their souls into heaven. I've cried nights knowing that a family was going home empty handed. I've cried nights with my own arms empty, knowing that my child was gone and in the arms of Jesus. Knowing that he was safe, healthy and whole, and that he had missed this horribly flesh-driven life. I rejoice in the fact that God sent His son for us, that one day we will be in heaven with Him and that we will be whole, because we are saved. Tonight, I cry for a little boy who died yesterday and will be born today, for my friends who have to go home empty handed, pack the tomorrows away, and continue on without their son. I praise God as my heart aches. He is holy and good, and His heart breaks tonight as well....

Last one for a while...

So, I'm going to try to catch everyone up, post some cut Grace pictures and videos, and prayerfully reflect on what will be happening in the next week.

First, we went to Croatia and Slovenia over Columbus Day weekend. Vinnie and Delena joined us and it was a fantastic trip! If ever you think about going to Eastern Europe for a vacation, those two countries are well worth the money and the trip. Amazing landscape, wonderful people, rich history, and just an overall great experience. We went to Ljubljiana (Loob-lee-yana) and Lake Bled first, which are both areas of Slovenia. Lake Bled was nastily cold and rainy, which was a surprise to us (and the locals apparently!). We spent that afternoon searching for stores with warmer clothing! The weekend was defined slightly by where outdoor clothing stores were located because we all ended up buying something... Daniel buying the most! Grace was really the only prepared one of all five of us! We had fun taking pictures (love the 50mm lens we have!), and walking around the lake as the weather came and went, changing it's landscape by the minute. Next we headed over to Ljubljiana, spending a whole day there and enjoying the city. It's small, clean, and so friendly, yet it's the country's capital. We had coffee every couple hours, walked through a fresh produce, meat, and flower market, walked along the water and up to the castle, and enjoyed sitting by the river, drinking wine and relaxing. Vinnie won the relaxation reward for the weekend; he would nap with many of the breaks we took :). One in particular was in the sun and it was hard for me not to fall asleep! Grace did wonderfully throughout these days, she played in her stroller, smiled and "talked" to all the locals who stopped to adore her, and was flexible when we went out to dinner and it was WAY past her bedtime. We may not make it back to those countries again, but what we were able to see was beautiful and enjoyable.

Our next adventure was Nove....