Childlike

Reminders to me that I don't need all the answers hug me every morning and call me 'Mommy'. All that's asked of me is obedience, faith like a child, loyalty. God wants my whole heart.

What was so easy as a little girl now seems so complicated and difficult. What happened inside me that brings me to doubt and hesitate.

I would stand on the kitchen counter and Daddy would say, "Jump!" Sometimes I would leap before he was ready for me. Now my Father leads me to the edge of myself and coaxes me to take one more step, only now I pause and the 'what ifs' whisper to me. The longer I take to move, the louder the rumble of fear becomes.

Jesus, teach me the sound of Your voice. I want to recognize You in the midst of the confusion and clutter that surrounds me.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

A Year of Last Firsts

Today was my oldest child's last first day of school. My baby boy. (Brace yourself for the following reminiscence.)

He was just as excited this morning as he was thirteen years ago when he walked into his kindergarten class. On that August morning he wore a little navy polo tucked into belted khaki shorts, buckskin shoes, a flattop haircut, and a huge smile across his face. He walked into that first classroom carrying a backpack half his size and a small potted plant for his teacher.

This morning he wears his favorite striped polo, jeans, baseball cap and same huge smile. He's excited to start this year. He couldn't wait to go back and see his friends and favorite teachers every day. He loves his class schedule and extra-curricular activities. And this year he escorts a younger sister to her locker in the freshman hallway.

I'm one smart mom who's not too old to remember what happens during a senior year. All these commitments translate to less time at home, less time around the dinner table, less hearing about his days, less conversation. I am fully aware that this is right and healthy, watching a child stretch their wings and prepare to fly. But that doesn't negate the fact that my heart is breaking as he pulls away.

Is there such a thing as a good grief? What important lessons should we reiterate to him in this last year at home? Have we equipped him to survive? Have we taught him well? I don't know. I cry. Then I pray. Then I wait. I expect to see a fantastic solo flight.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Egg on my . . . . window?

Yes, smashed egg in the middle of my recently rebuilt and newly painted bay window.



Sara noticed it at breakfast. Of course I heard her saying, "Mom, look at this. What is it? How did Figaro (our outdoor cat that loves to catch birds) break that egg so high on the window?" It was one of those mom moments when you're hearing a child speak to you, but you're not really listening. I was too busy preparing breakfast for Sara and two small children and trying to apply makeup while looking at my reflection in the microwave door. I was hurrying everyone around so we wouldn't be late to Science Camp.



It wasn't until I was parking in the driveway after dropping Sara off at Camp that I noticed the broken eggshells. Now why in the world would someone throw eggs at my house and cars? What would possess someone to be so ornery? I'm assuming it was more than one kid because who would want to run around the neighborhood in the middle of the night alone? That wouldn't be any fun.

I had a choice in how to react to this. When I referred to this incident, would my family hear harmful or helpful words? Was I going to practice what I preach to them, "You need to treat others how you want to be treated." But wait, someone didn't treat my property the way I wanted it treated or the way their parents want there windows and vehicles treated! Do I have no right to be angry and seek justice? I had to examine my heart and my motives.

We did report this to the police. Later we discovered others neighbors had been visited by the same happy egg bandits that night. We washed the trucks, cleaned the window, and we now turn on the outdoor security lights before we go to bed.

". . .For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b

Pictures of Europe, Take Two

No, really, here are the 5 pictures I thought were posting a few minutes ago.

I'm trying to post these pictures, but the computer just won't let me. I surrender. I forfeit this cruel game to the cyber team. I'm going to bed.

Pictures of Europe

Here are some pictures of our trip to Europe last month. The first photo is a cliff along the Amalfi Coast between Naples and Sorrento, Italy.

Photo 2 is Rob and me with the Amalfi Coastline in the background.

Photo 3 is Rob and I at the farm in Sorrento where toured and had lunch.

Photo 4 is some of the excavated ruins of Pompeii.

Photo 5 is a fountain set in an elaborately designed tile basin inside the front foyer of a wealthy citizen's home, Pompeii.

I can not figure out how to post more than 5 pix at a time. This is so frustrating because I have so many wonderful things I want to show you. But, this is all I can do for tonight. Enjoy.

Back to Reality

Hello Blog fans! Sorry my posts are unpredictable, but our latest travels took us to the remote mountain tops of Northern Arizona, via Vegas, where cell service and Internet is mostly not available. I have enlisted the help of a gifted writer in our family to tell you about our most recent adventures, but it's past her bedtime. You must wait until tomorrow to hear her perspective of our airport experiences, 4 hour flights, rental car navigation from Las Vegas over Hoover Dam (or as we affectionately call it 'Hoover Ham') through a desolate western Arizona to the Grand Canyon National Park. I like to refer to my new helper as my 'Blog Fairy'. I'm looking forward to hearing what's in her heart.

I will tell you that it was a great trip. Maybe another mom of five who just spent 7 days sandwiched in the middle of the back seat of a minivan so that her more carsick prone child could sit in the front might thank her lucky stars that she's finally home and can get away from her family. But I'm telling you if Rob came home tomorrow and said, "Honey, I just found a couple thousand dollars lying around, let's take the kids on another road trip!", I'd do it all again. Don't be fooled. There were several tense moments between everyone at different times, but the laughter far outweighed the tears.

Once again, I'll try to attach pictures. See you tomorrow.

Final Goodbye

Today we said our final goodbyes to my dear mother-in-law.



We arrived late last night after our plane was delayed over an hour and a half. It's always a warm welcome here with my in-laws no matter the hour of our arrival. They were sitting on the front porch waiting for us to arrive. We all hugged in the front yard, carried in luggage, and ate a very late dinner.



This morning seemed to pass in slow motion and I tried to retain every moment. In my lifetime there are a handful of days that are so powerful that I remember details like where I was, what I was wearing, who was with me, what did it smell like or feel like. I'm sure you have days like this, too. The night of your first date, your wedding day, the birth of children, phone calls delivering the news of death, funerals burying the people we love, these are all days of immense emotions that are forever etched in our mind.



We entered the foyer of the church this morning for the funeral service. Much of it looked the same as it did 40 years ago when my husband would walk in holding hands with his mom for Sunday morning worship. He pointed out to our children where he and his sister would sit on the front row with his parents during church. He recounted stories of his mom thumping him for misbehavior. This is where he first played music. It's also the room where he became a believer. I watched him as he looked around that sanctuary today and I could tell he was recalling parts of his childhood, missing people that are no longer here.



The casket was a simple golden wood with two of her quilts draped on either end and a stunning spray of flowers in the center. The same florist who created the casket spray did all the flowers at my niece's wedding not long ago. The arrangement surpassed my sister-in-laws expectations. It was a mixture of pastel colors, yellow and pink roses, blue and lavender orchids, white peonies, baby's breathe and fern leaves. It looked like a floral quilt, which was the request of my sister-in-law. There were a few other potted plants and traditional funeral arrangements, but everything else paled in comparison to the flowers draping her coffin.



The first people I saw were the Mallory's, family friends who knew my mother and father-in-law before they were married fifty-three years ago. They shared some fond memories with us about trips they had taken together and singing in the church choir. I immediately recognized their faces, but I needed help remembering their names.



The service began promptly with a few words and a song by my niece. That was followed by Cookie and Rob, the only children, sharing stories about their mom. They both did an outstanding job. I was very proud of them. Then my brother-in-law spoke loving, kind words honoring this sweet woman we were all so blessed to know.



I heard most of everything the three of them said, but I began remembering my own moments with Donna. I realized there are too few of them. I can picture her pulling into our driveway for a visit in their red Ford Towncar, playing games with my children, singing in the choir loft, peeling potatoes on Thanksgiving morning, concentrating on a crossword puzzle while sitting in her green chair. I can smell her perfume, hear her laughter, see her smile. How do you keep those memories vivid? Why does it seem like 87 years are not enough?



My sister-in-law shared some things that were knew to me. Donna was pregnant with my husband when she was forty years old. She was advised to abort the pregnancy. Thankfully, she would have no part of that. She did have an extended hospitalization after his birth and a long recovery. Cookie was only four years old and wanted to name my husband after her pet turtle, instead he shares his father's name. She had breakfast every Friday morning with her parents for years. She continued this tradition until the very end of Donna's life. This is one of the things that saddens me the most, the thought of my dear sister-in-law's empty Friday mornings.

Rob's tribute was eloquent. He labored over what he would say and the words he shared were beautiful. The service ended with my brother-in-law playing a family favorite hymn, "The Old Rugged Cross". As he played, I was taken back to the family's living room years ago when he would sit at Donna's piano and play on keys chipped by my husband's childhood drumming. I can close my eyes and see the pictures that hung on the wall above the piano, the grandfather clock to the right and the heirloom chess board and pieces to the left.

I remember the night Rob told his parents about meeting me and the beginning of our dating. We were at his house. It was late summer and they were planning to visit soon. He was talking on the phone with his parents and he told them we had met at work. Donna's first questions about me surprised me. She didn't ask about my looks or my family. She asked if I was a Christian, if I shared the same faith. I think she could tell how much he loved me and she was concerned about his heart being equally yoked. It was a sweet concern, an answer to prayers she had been whispering for years on behalf of her only son.

After the service, we drove to the cemetery and said our final goodbyes. Donna Louise now rests beside her beloved under a huge oak tree heavy with dripping moss. It's a beautiful picture of serenity and peace, a fitting place to end a life well lived.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." - Matthew 5:8

Home Sweet Home

We arrived home yesterday around 3:30pm. The trip home was a little frustrating and quite unromantic. We left the ship at 8am and arrived at the Barcelona airport at 9:30am. We waited in the airport for our 5pm flight to London. Rob tried to change our flight so we would arrive in London earlier, but because all our air travel was using his frequent flier miles, we were not allowed to change.

Once in London, we picked up our luggage and caught a cab to our hotel. It was 12 degrees Celsius with drizzling gray skies. We had a harder time navigating the Heath Row Airport, even though everything was written in English, than we did in our other foreign language speaking cities. The hotel staff was helpful, but everything else we encountered in Great Britain was quite disappointing. We had planned to take the 'tube' into the city to see a few sights, but by the time we checked into our hotel it was after 8:30pm and we were exhausted - and cold. Rob went straight to bed and I tried to warm up in a really hot bath.

Our alarm sounded at 5am, we left for the airport at 5:45 and caught our 8am plane bound for Chicago. But not before wrestling with the luggage check-in desk. We had to repack and transfer several things to try and consolidate down to 5 checked bags. When you fly out of Heath Row, you are only allowed to carry on ONE bag, not a bag and a purse. And that carry-on must fit in their metal frame box or they make you check it with your bigger luggage. You are also only allowed to check 2 pieces of luggage each. Any more than 2 and you must pay 55 Pounds for each additional suitcase. The dollar is very weak and the exchange rate was something like $100 = 43 British Pounds. It was a fiasco and we were glad to see Great Britain get smaller out our airplane window.

We only had a 45 minute layover in Chicago. We arrived, waited in line to go through Immigration, waited at the baggage claim for our really expensive suitcases, waited to go through security again, waited on the train to take us to another terminal, ran to our gate to find the plane backing away from the building. We had missed our flight. So we found some lunch in the airport and waited to catch the next flight to Nashville.

Finally, we arrived in Nashville, 39 hours after we had left our dreamy ship in Spain. The closer we got to our house, the longer it seemed to take. When we turned onto our street, Dawson, Susanna and Sara were in the front yard waiting for us. Of course, they all looked beautiful, taller and older than 10 days ago.

The kids helped us bring in our luggage. (Because they wanted to open their surprises, I'm sure.) I was holding Dawson in the kitchen and he said, "Momma, you smell good. You smell like a . . .frog." We all laughed, because before we left last week, that's the only surprise he wanted us to bring back for him, a toy frog. So we began unzipping suitcases in the den and passing out the treats. Everybody loved their goodies. It was like Christmas morning. It was wonderful to be surrounded by my favorite people while they were laughing and all talking at the same time. I believe it was the most beautiful thing I've seen the past ten days.

We are tired, but so glad to be home. I'm unpacking, doing laundry to prepare to pack again for Orlando. Rob's mother passed away and we are flying to Florida on Thursday for her memorial service on Friday. We will return home on Saturday.

Thank you for going with me to the Mediterranean. I will continue to post because more adventures await! Our family vacation begins next week. . .in Vegas!

"I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders." - Psalm 9:1

Final Night at Sea

Today was our final everything, from room service, dinner with our new friends in the elaborate dining room, show in the theater, to writing to you from the cigar lounge. It’s been an absolutely dreamy week with Rob. The sightseeing, the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, our undivided attention for each other, the uninterrupted conversations, dreaming of the future, it has all been wonderful. At the most unexpected times we would realize where we are and become emotional, overwhelmed by God’s story of redemption and restoration that we are living. It’s so humbling to know that He knows the desires of our hearts and delights in bringing them to reality. Sometimes I’m not sure I want to be known that intimately by a God that’s sometimes not safe, but always good.

This morning we slept until room service knocked on the door, got up long enough to let them bring in the tray of breakfast, then went back to sleep for 3 more hours. It was wonderful to sleep until we were finished sleeping. We ate our cold breakfast for lunch J then began repacking our bags for our trip home. We left our room to get a snack at the Promenade Café and walked around the ship. We saw new things because this is the longest we’ve been onboard. Every time we arrived in a new port, we would go into the city to sightsee, so we’ve not spent much time on the ship. We played miniature golf at the stern on one of the upper decks. From that high in the air, we had a great view of the Sea. It was a little hazy, but spectacular none the less.

We went back to our cabin to get ready for dinner. The menu tonight had a Mediterranean theme. We had Tomato and Mozzarella Salad, Tuscan Bean Soup, Coq Au Vin, and Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Truffle for dessert. I have no idea what Rob ordered, mine was so delicious I did not pay attention to his servings at all.

I wanted to tell you some odd things I discovered on this trip. First, European bathrooms are quite interesting and different in each country. Most of the toilets have no seat. And you never know how to flush! Sometimes it’s a button on the wall, other times it was a pedal on the floor. I heard people talking about some public toilets where it cost .50 cents in Euros to use the facilities. We didn’t experience that.

Then there were the gypsies. Again, we were not accosted by any, but we saw some from a distance. The women wear long, gathered skirts and the children hide under her skirt. Several of the children will run out and surround you, put a newspaper in front of your face to confuse and distract you, then pick your pockets and quickly run back under the woman’s skirt. It would all happen so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you until it was too late.

The stores and businesses close for lunch everyday from noon until 3:00 or 4:00. The Europeans take their time at meals. So do the waiters. That’s probably why everyone has to take such a long lunch break. But I can not complain about any food we ate in any country. Even though it was all so different everyday, it was all delicious.

I’m not sure what the life expectancy is for these countries we visited, but it’s probably a long, healthy life because the people walk everywhere, UPHILL!!! I can’t imagine Rob’s F-250 driving down any of these cobblestone streets. J All the cars are very small, (they must not have as many children as we do) and there are little motorcycles buzzing around everywhere, and bicycles, too.

Their idea of air-conditioning is different over here. If it’s turned on, it’s turned up high or the motors don’t blow the air with any force. We fanned ourselves with our hats a lot. It wasn’t too bad. They say that the summer’s here can get really hot.

Now I want to learn a second language. We could make out some words on different menus and road signs. I’ve heard that learning by emersion is the best way. That means another, longer trip abroad is needed. J

We must disembark at 8am so I’ll stop writing for now. Tomorrow night we’ll be sleeping in London. Wow, what a birthday!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Palermo, Sicily

Today we docked in Palermo, Sicily. These people looked like they all starred in the Godfather movies. Hollywood must have come here for a casting call while they were filming. We joined an excursion group at 9am for a tour of sights in the city, then a trip to the hilltop village of Monreale. The architecture was beautiful. This island country has been occupied by many different countries and their different arts are mixed together to make this country very unique. Rob called it a ‘collision of cultures’.

We passed part of the remaining city wall dated from 500 BC, the Cathedral was first Byzantine Orthodox, and then when the Arabs conquered they turned the cathedral into a mosque. Now it’s Roman Catholic. Once we were inside, it was a truly amazing site. Everything from floor to ceiling was covered in small mosaic tiles. Many of them were gold.

Next, we toured a cloister joined to the Benedictine Monastery. The church here was over 1000 years old. Some things we saw today were dated 500 BC. The city administration building in the downtown square was built in 1500 AD, and they still use the building today.

We ended our tour with 45 minutes of time on our own before leaving Palermo and getting back on our ship. We walked in and out of little shops and found an artist inside his shop. He was quite friendly and we pointed to his watercolors and said, “Molto Bella”, much beautiful. It was a great moment trying to communicate with this kind, older Italian man. Rob took my picture with him and we purchased one of his small pieces of art. We also bought some hand painted tiles which Rob will someday incorporate into my kitchen repainting project.

It was lunchtime and we tried to find a restaurant to order Bruscetta and Canoli for lunch, but we had no luck. We did order a drink of some kind from a street vendor. Again, he spoke very little English, so this was fun to watch Rob place our order. Vendor squeezed lemon, orange, blood orange and other things that we didn’t recognize. Whatever it was, it was delicious.

We left the city around 1 pm and took a nice nap before getting ready for another formal evening in the Dining Hall. We had a great time with our new table friends, then we all went to the Theater to watch tonight’s show, an illusionist. It was a good show, but we were laughing about how the magician wouldn’t keep his shirt on. His day job must be a professional bodybuilder, or a model for cheap romance book covers.

We joined our dining table friends again for the midnight buffet grand showcase tonight. We all took lots of pictures of the ice carvings and the ‘flower’ arrangements made out of carved vegetables. There was also a three foot eagle carved out of chocolate and breads baked in different recognizable shape

Tomorrow we are at sea and we end our cruise in Barcelona very early Saturday morning. We will enjoy breakfast on our balcony again and sitting on the upper decks in the afternoon sun. We’ll also begin packing for our return flights.

Ciao!

Molto Bello Napoli

Very Beautiful Naples

Today is Wednesday, May 23. We almost overslept and missed our tour. Our wake up call came at 6:15. I never heard it and around seven, we woke up and hurried to get ready and headed to deck 3 to meet our excursion group by 7:45. We boarded our tour bus at 8 and we were off into the Italian countryside of Sorrento.

Our guide was Bruno and our driver today was Salvadore. (Aren’t those great Italian names?) Bruno explained over the bus speakers that the Greeks settled in this area around 800 BC, but legend says that this is where Ulysses heard the Sirens in the Sea around 3500 BC. In 476 AD, this is where the last Roman emperor was killed thus ending the Roman Empire. There were 7 castles and 4 palaces built here.

The drive was stunning. I can’t accurately describe it. The top half of Mt. Vesuvius was hidden by clouds. The narrow two lane highway wrapped around the edge of extremely high cliffs. There didn’t seem to be much order to where the buildings were constructed, but I guess if you’re building on the side of a mountain, you do the best you can. Window shutters were open on small balconies that were decorated with hanging laundry and potted plants.

This region of Italy, called the Campaigna Region, is known for their lemons and olive oils. So, lemon trees were everywhere, heavy with ripe fruit. Palm trees and cactus dotted the landscape. The yards were parceled into gardens full of tomatoes, herbs, citrus trees, geraniums, jasmine and roses climbing the sides of ancient walls. Where there were clusters of olive trees, there were rolled up nets connecting the trunks. When it’s time to harvest the olives, they will unroll the nets, shake the trees, and catch the fruit as it falls.

Our first stop was at a local farm house. It was only 4 acres, but they grew or raised everything they served us for our tasting. We enjoyed fresh mozzarella, toasted slices of
Bruscetta bread drizzled with olive oil, salami, and green and ripe olives. They also offered us bottled water or the wine from their vineyard. It was delicious. We purchased a bottle of their olive oil. We’ll see if we’re allowed to bring it into the States. She demonstrated how they make the mozzarella cheese. They add an enzyme to the milk to form the curds. Then, for one of the cheeses, she filled a small basket, the size of a shot glass, with the curds. About 5 minutes later, she dumped the cheese out of the mold onto her hand and it was so petite and decorative because of the basket imprints around the sides. For the other cheese, she kneaded it until it was smooth, pulled it out into a fat string, and braided it.

After our sampling, we were allowed 20 minutes to walk around the farm. Because the farm was only 4 acres and terraced because of the slope of the mountain, everything seemed to be planted on top of each other. It was not orderly and manicured, it was beautiful chaos. Around every curve the blooms of the climbing roses and bougainvillea seemed to greet you, as if saying, “Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”

Next, we boarded our bus and headed into the town of Sorrento by way of a carpenter shop where they produce in-laid wood. It was fascinating to learn how they make their furniture and art. Then we were allowed almost 2 hours to explore the town of Sorrento. We walked up and down the main street and found an honest to goodness Italian pizza restaurante. We sat at the open doorway beside the sidewalk at a table for two. We shared a pomodoro and l’oliva la pizza with mozzarella. (tomato and olive pizza with mozzarella) Of course we had to end our authentic Italian meal with an Italian treat, so we had gelato and biscotti. Today’s tour was at a much slower pace and very enjoyable. As we made our way back to our group’s meeting place, we shopped a little for our bambinos at home.

From here, we headed to Pompeii. Rob and I both expected to see a small village that had been half way excavated. Boy, were we way wrong! It was a big city before Mt. Vesuvius destroyed it. I won’t go into too much detail about it because you can see it on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, or the History Channel, except they can’t describe to you how big it was. Once again, Rob and I both were speechless. We saw the remaining columns, frescoes, cobblestone streets with stepping stones to connect the sidewalks, temples, shops, brothels, amphitheatre, homes, the crypts carved into the side of the mountain, and more. While we were on this hilltop town, we were caught in a thunderstorm. It didn’t last long and we were able to see how brilliant these people were in their design of the drainage system. It worked great, even 2000 years later. After the rain, we crossed the streets on the stepping stones.

Our last stop was at a Cameo factory where they demonstrated how they cut the conch shells and carve the cameos. There were several different color combinations and sizes. Rob bought me a lovely coral and white broach to remember our day in Naples, Sorrento, and Pompeii.

We rode our bus back to the ship, prepared for dinner, which was semi-formal dress, and had a nice time with Mr. and Mrs. Ohio and Mr. and Mrs. New York. Every evening it’s been fun to hear about their day and what they discovered in each city. Our menu was Italian, of course. I had Caprese Salad, Minestrone Soup, Rigatoni Pasta, Tiger Shrimp Scampi, and Warm Chocolate Cake with Almond Ice Cream. Molto Bene! (Very good!) Our table of six went to the Rumba and Flamenco show tonight. The Spanish guitar and dancing were very impressive.

Tomorrow we leave the ship at 9am for Palermo and Sicily. I’m a little nervous about this one. The first thoughts I have when Sicily is mentioned are about the Mafia and all things associated with them. Rob and I have been joking about not making eye contact with the local people (actually I think he’s serious that I should not look anyone in the eye). Hopefully it’s true there is safety in numbers because our tour groups have been around 40 people. I’ll try to stay in the middle so I won’t get picked off like an antelope in the Serengeti. J

Again, it’s after midnight and I know I promised to describe our time at Vatican City, but that’s a post that can not be rushed.

Buona notte dolce la famiglia. Good night sweet family.

Ciao!

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” - Psalm 24:1,2

Oggi. . . Roma, Italia

Today. . . Rome, Italy

OK, I just want to warn you, this post will seem repetitive because today was another absolutely wonderful day. I saw places that I never dreamed I’d get to see. I walked the same cobblestone paths that the Emperor’s of Rome walked and I stood under the Arch of Titus and saw the Colosseum. I entered Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica. I stood where Peter was crucified and where Paul was beheaded.

We began with a wakeup call at 5:45am, before the sun. We had breakfast in one of the dining rooms where several different languages were spoken at our table. Our ship docked in the port city of Civitavecchia. We met our tour group at 7:45, boarded our bus and set off for Rome, the Eternal City. Along the way we saw Eucalyptus, Pine and a few Palm trees. It’s very rural between the coast and the city, so we passed vineyards and cattle and sheep farms. It had rolling hills and our Italian tour guide called it “spontaneous vegetation”, instead of natural or indigenous.

The city of ancient Rome is built on the left side of the Tiber River along with the Seven Hills of Rome. Some of the things we saw today are different than we expected. The Fontana di Trevi was in the middle of the city, down the street from a McDonald’s. It was so beautiful; we thought it should have been set apart in a large green space. Maybe when it was first built it wasn’t as metropolitan around it. Legend says you should throw coins over your left should with your right hand, one to return to Rome, two to make a wish, and three to marry an Italian.

Next, we walked all through the Forum at the base of Paletine Hill, the home of Augustus’ palace. I could not believe we could walk all around these ruins, stepping on ancient stones and touching the base of some of the columns. We saw the tomb of Julius Caesar. We could touch it. It had some fresh flowers on top. Our guide said people still love him and bring flowers to place on his tomb everyday.

We continued walking on the original large cobblestones from years before Christ, and then found ourselves at the base of the Arch of Titus. It had very ornate carvings of the fall of Jerusalem and the Jewish slaves being led by Roman guards through this arch to their death in the Colosseum. This was one of the more overwhelming moments of the day for me. We looked ahead of us to one the entrances to the Colosseum and continued walking until we entered this ancient building.

We were allowed 20 minutes to explore inside without our guide. We took so many pictures and walked around the interior on the 2nd level. There are a total of four stories, and they are huge. The building would hold 70,000 people, the men and women sat on different levels, never together, and a Roman citizen could enter for free. The original floor was wooden and covered with sand to make it less slippery for the games and to absorb blood. This was another overwhelming moment. I could not believe I was really standing there, the same place where so many Christians stood firm and died rather than renounce their faith in Christ. I wonder if I would have the same resolve if I were facing the lions and gladiators.

Rob took an empty film canister and scooped up some of the sand and pebbles to bring home to Leland. This is the one thing he wished for from us when we start passing out the treats when we return home. I was not near him. I thought we should be separated in case la polizia arrested him and he needed me to bail him out of jail. J

We boarded our bus again and traveled to lunch at a resort hotel near Vatican City. We were served Baked Ziti, our first pasta in Italy, pork, mashed potatoes and collard greens (we thought that was funny to have what we consider a southern dish in Italy), and an apple dessert too complicated to describe. It was all delicious.

Our afternoon was spent at Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica, but there’s so much to tell you about it that I need to write that tomorrow. It’s midnight here and we have another early morning preparing for Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, and Pompeii.

It was wonderful to see all these Roman sites, but we could have easily spent hours or days at each different place. We rushed through so much of it, it seemed irreverent at times.

“. . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:10, 11

Trois Jour

Bonjou! It is the end of day three here on the belle Cote d’Azur (beautiful blue coast).

We began the day around 8:30am with room service. The waiter served us our breakfast on our balcony. We dined while at anchor in the Mediterranean in the fishing harbor of Villefranche, France.

At 9:30, we went to the 14th deck for the beginner French lesson. We were the ONLY two people there with the instructor. She was from England, so at the end of our lesson we asked her what we should see in London on Saturday night. It was quite nice to be the only people at the lesson, because we could ask questions and she helped us with our attempts at pronouncing some of the French words.

We tendered ashore at 11am, which gave us almost 2 hours before our trip through Nice to St. Paul-de-Vence. It was so dreamy, more than I imagined it would be. We walked around, again on very old, narrow cobblestone roads and took many pictures. There were so many bistros and cafes, but we chose to have lunch at La Pomm Verte. The dinnerware had green apples on them and I know vert is green, so maybe pomm is apple. We sat at a small bistro table for two on the sidewalk under a white umbrella. We ordered ‘Tomate, Poulet, and Gruyere Panini & Crepe Nutella. It was delicious.

We noticed how different the vegetation and colors were. There are pine trees here, but not like the full pine trees at home. Olive trees are everywhere, citrus trees, and these ‘Dr. Seuss’ trees that look like the end of his book, Go Dog Go, where the dogs are having a party on top of a tree. Roses are in full bloom and the lavender is about to burst open.

It was such a picturesque moment being at this seaside café with Rob and then a group of four sat next to us. I’m guessing they were from Alabama or Georgia because of their thick southern accents. It slightly spoiled the moment. Instead of listening for French conversations or the waves splashing the shore, we heard, “If I wanna go to that topless beach, I gotta get a boob job first.”, and “I love the beer here.” It made for an interesting lunch.

We boarded our tour bus and were guided by the nicest French lady named Magali. I can’t even begin to tell you all the history and information she shared with us. The bus ride through very narrow and twisted roads took over an hour. We passed one of Elton John’s homes, a Russian Orthodox Cathedral with golden onion domes on top (which looked really out of place here), and the Onnasis yacht, the Christina. The Cannes Film Festival is going on, so this town of usually 40,000 people is now accommodating over 120,000.

St. Paul-de-Vence was breathtaking. (No wonder Carole loves this Provincial area of France. I could almost hear her laughing as I soaked all this in.) It’s perched high on a mountain top, and we are at the foot of the French Alps, so it’s quite the mountain top. We walked around there for over an hour and took many more photos. We made some purchases, including some art in a little shop, from the artist herself. She was quite helpful and seemed flattered when we complimented her watercolors. All our purchases were tallied without barcodes or cash registers. They calculated our total on a piece of paper and while we paid them in Euros (no credit cards here); they wrapped everything in paper, then put them in our shopping bags. I suppose they took such care giving us the different items because they were the creators of the work.

We ended our tour at 5pm, boarded our ship and cleaned up for one of our formal nights of dining. Rob wore his new suit with a smart yellow tie and I wore one of my birthday dresses. It was a French menu and we enjoyed Lobster Bisque, Beef, Sea Bass, Cherries Jubilee and Soufflé for dessert. It was all very delicious. After dinner we walked around some then went to the theater to see the production, Music in Motion. It was a nice show with great dancing and singing.

Tomorrow we dock in Citivecchia, Italy and ride the shuttle bus 1 ½ hours to Rome! Now’s my chance to use some of the Italian words that Sara and Dawson have been helping me with.

I know it’s getting old hearing how dreamy this trip is, but it’s so true. I’ve not seen a more beautiful, fascinating place on earth. There’s no sandy beach anywhere, it’s all rocks and pebbles. It’s as though the earth here just shoots straight out of the water. It reminds me of Palm Sunday, when the Pharisees tell Jesus to tell the crowd to be quiet and Jesus replies, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40). It appears that the mountains under the sea can’t contain themselves and they are bursting with songs of praise to their Creator. God seems to be showing off for us this week.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good.” - Psalm 34:8

Day 2 of our Dreamy Vacation

We are sitting on a cozy couch in the corner of the Connoisseur Club. Our day was unbelievable, again. I can’t believe tomorrow could be any better, but it probably will.

We began our day at 11am; you know those late nights and light-blocking draperies in a hotel. I can’t tell you how great it was to sleep until we woke up, no alarm clock for us this week. J On the elevator down to the lobby another older couple rode with us. He pointed to ask Rob which floor and Rob replied, “Dos”. The gentleman asked if we were Spanish, and we replied no. It was pretty funny at the time considering all the Spanish men we’ve seen so far are shorter than me. Rob has been the tallest person everywhere. And I haven’t seen anyone under the age of 80 with white hair, except my Spanish Roberto. J

We check-out of our room, sat in the hotel lobby and posted to you, then began walking around in a new direction of Barcelona – WITHOUT A MAP!!! I’m typing to you now, so obviously we found our way around. (Please don’t worry, momma) We discovered beautiful, interesting things. We rounded a corner and found a remaining part of the Roman Wall and defense tower built in the 4th century. We also found quaint pastry shops in alleyways, heard church bells chime every thirty minutes, and a Cathedral designed by Gaudi. We shopped a little for our sweet bambinos at home (you’re gonna love it guys!).

Lunch was at a sidewalk cafe serving French bakery goods. Then Rob hailed a cab and we left Barcelona for the docks. Check-in at the dock was easy and we boarded the ship around 3:30pm. Our cabin is huge compared to our cruise ten years ago. We have our own little balcony. We walked out on it and looked out at the Mediterranean Sea. I can not believe I’m really here. The water is a blue like I’ve never seen. Rob and I disagreed about the color. He says it’s the same as home, but it’s not. It’s the deep blue of my sapphire ring, even though that’s still not a just description.

We had the obligatory life boat drill and met people from Michigan. Then we explored the ship. There’s a 18 hole putt-putt course, rock climbing wall (Sara, you would scale it easily), ice skating rink, basketball court, a pool that goes on for days, a Shopping Promenade. Everywhere we turn there’s live music, Celtic, Jazz, Disco, you name it, and we’ve heard it.

Our dinner seating was at 7pm. We are at a table for six. One couple is from Ohio and they’re here celebrating the beginning of their empty nest years and their 28th anniversary. The other couple is from New York State and they are on their honeymoon. Of course the dinner was fabulous. You know every time you take a drink of water, they top off your glass.

I hope my pictures from today post with this entry. Tomorrow we are exploring Nice, Villefranche, and St. Paul-De-Vence, France, a medieval fort built around 1100 AD. Tomorrow we walk on cobblestone streets twice as old as our country. We leave the boat and tender to shore at noon. The ship offers a beginner French lesson in the morning, but without an alarm clock I don’t know if I’ll make it.

Today we see how God’s bigness transcends our everyday world. He is so much bigger than our day in and day out experiences. We are enjoying the fruit of His redemption and restoration and He delights in our awe of Him and His creation.

“Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man.” - Psalm 66:4

need to know more Spanish!

We are finally connected to the internet, but all my blogspot instructions are in Spanish!!! I hope you're getting these. We wanted to post pictures, also, but it's difficult enough to navigate this posting page not knowing the language. Rob has gone to look for bottled water. We can board the ship in a few hours.

This is an absolutely beautiful city. Susanna and Sara, it's just like our movie, Return to Me. Last night while we were out the streets were full of people sitting under umbrellas at little bistro tables enjoying their after dinner coffee (or at the louder tables they were enjoying very large pitchers of Sangria!) Artists were sitting at easles painting while people gathered around to watch. There were tents set up selling everything from flowers to pets! Cages with live birds of all kinds, fish tanks with bright orange goldfish, and chickens! I can't imagine living in one of the tiny apartments above these shops with a pet chicken??? Maybe they were selling them to cook for dinner. :-)

Rob has just returned with a pastry the size of his head, filled with chocolate and hazelnut sauce! Gotta go help him eat it :-)

The people here are so beautiful, so colorful. It is a wonderful trip. I am overwhelmed with God's lavish love for me through Rob and this birthday trek to another part of His world.

Adios!

"I will bless the LORD at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My sould makes it's boast in the LORD, let the humble hear and be glad." - Psalm 34:1,2

First Day Away

5pm Friday
We were waiting to board the Iberian Airline Transatlantic flight to Barcelona, via Madrid, and I noticed I was the only natural blonde on the flight! We were on an Airbus A-30. It was so big, 8 seats across with 2 aisles. We no longer have any cell phone service and I’m secretly so glad! Rob’s phone won’t ring with anymore calls from subcontractors or home owners for the next few days. He’s all mine! J I’m not worried about the kids at home. I know they are in great care and they probably don’t realize we are gone because they always have so much fun with Aunt Cookie.

The flight was interesting. Very smooth. At first I thought the leg room was great, and it was compared to the earlier flights on Friday. But after you sit for hour after hour, I realized there wasn’t much leg room at all. The flight was 9 hours from San Juan to Madrid, 10pm until 7am.

The flight wasn’t completely full and everyone was sitting with headphones on listening to the video instructions on the TV monitors. We were served a little dinner on a little tray with little silverware. After dinner the party began. All the lights were on until 2am. People were turned around in their seats visiting or walking around. It was the Madrid ‘party’ airbus. Rob and I tried to sleep and we did get some rest. That equivalent to a night with a newborn in the house, i.e. awake every two hours because of someone’s laughter or our rump, leg or arm was asleep.

We landed at 7:20am. It was 11 degrees Celsius. While in the Madrid airport, we tried to translate the signage, and we did pretty well. We made our connecting flight with time to spare, so we did some of our first shopping for the kids, Spanish chewing gum, and a frog that croaks when you squeeze him, and Rob found the Cuban cigars he’d been dreaming of.

7:20am – Bumpy flight. Landed in sunny Barcelona and exited the plane onto the tarmac. When I walked out the door to the top of the stairs, the sea air took my breath away. Rob has always said there’s always a breeze at the beach and now I know he’s right. The landscape flying in looked sparse and scruffy out the plane window. There are hills and valleys. Every shade of tan and brown you can imagine. All the things you think of when you think Mediterranean. We then exchanged Dollars for Euros and hailed a cab.

All the cars are tiny, buzzing around really fast like little bugs. Lot of bicycles and Vespa scooters, too. We checked in our hotel and then began to explore the city. We had lunch at a Falafel and Pita Café. It was delicious. We walked around the corner from the Café and discovered an incredible open air market. Think Publix without walls. J Every color fruit and vegetable, some we had never seen before, meats hanging, salt rubbed fresh fish, fresh eggs. It was just like something in a movie scene. We were walking by the stand with dried fruit and nuts and a lady handed us a chocolate. It looked like the homemade truffles I make with Susanna at Christmas. I hesitated to eat something a total stranger gave me, but I ate it anyway. It was wonderful, a chocolate covered toasted hazelnut. We bought a box of them from her. We also bought a trail mix which has the biggest pecans and raisins I’ve ever seen. It’s terrific.

We navigated the subway system. The routes are color coded, so it wasn’t too difficult. I am so thankful that numbers look the same here as they do at home. We took the green train from station 3 to station 5, then connected to the blue line and exited the Sagrada Familia. Go to www.sagradafamilia.org and look at this. They began construction in 1880, and they are still working on this cathedral! I’m including some pictures of it, but they don’t do it justice.

We came back to our room and the front desk recommended a seafood restaurant at the port. We tried to purchase something on the way to dinner and discovered that the fraud protection we activated on our credit card was working quite well. They had locked our account when they began seeing international charges. It’s comforting to know that the fraud protection works until you go to the other side of the planet and you’re stranded without enough cash or euros. Rob took care of it with the help of the front desk. So we were off to dinner again. Now it’s around 8:30.

We walk to the end of La Rambla, a main, really busy thoroughfare, and we stop at the huge statue of Christopher Columbus and the King and Queen of Spain. We make a left and walk parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. I know that water is no older than any other body of water in the world, but because it’s surrounded by so much history from the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Columbus explorations, being here was slightly overwhelming for a moment. It’s all very surreal. Quite dreamy. Walking under palm trees, not in a hurry, with the man of my dreams. It’s more than I ever imagined our day in Barcelona to be.

Our dinner was at La Gavina Restaurant at Port Vell overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. I couldn’t believe this place. White tablecloths, live musicians, no high chair or happy meal. . .it was a fantastic dinner. We had new things. Fresh pasta with wild mushrooms and shrimp in garlic sauce for an appetizer. Then Rob ordered Scampi and they brought him a bowl of lemon water to clean his fingers and the biggest WHOLE shrimp I have ever scene. I had a Mediterranean dish, Paella de Bacalao, stir fried rice with fresh vegetables and Cod. It was delicious. The website for out restaurant is www.lagavina-rte.com.

We are back at the Husa Hotel Oriente. Tomorrow we board the ship and we’ll try to secure a connection from our cabin. Buena Notte. Ciao.

Good Morning!

Here's the highlights so far. . .

3:45 am - The only other times in my life I've been awake at this hour was to give birth to my middle-of-the-night baby, sick with the flu, and sharing kidney stones in the ER with Rob.

Why was it so easy to jump out of bed this morning when every other day I hit the snooze multiple times around 6 am?

6:00 am - We're racing to Park-N-Fly, get in their limo shuttle and Rob immediately strikes up a conversation with a stranger in the car with us about their F-250's and how big is your engine and what's the gas mileage like. I'm quickly reminded I'm traveling with Bob's son, who knows somebody everywhere you go.

EVERONE has black luggage - note to self: tie a bright ribbon on the handle next time, or buy a wild color suitcase!

Next, we hear our names over the loud speaker! How embarassing. Now I know how my kids feel when I can't find them in Wal-Mart and have them paged. I promise to never to that to you again. They're holding the plane for the partying Marrero's . We have to duck to enter the plane!!! It's a small American Eagle. When the stewardess learns we are heading to Barcelona, she warns us of pickpockets. :-( We had a great flight, cruising at 30,000 feet. Beautiful, cloudless day.

8:00am - Chicago, sunny and 40 degrees. Glad I wore a jacket. Found a McDonald's to get, possibly, my last Diet Coke with lots of ice. Ate my 'in the zone' egg mcmuffin.

Boarding now for San Juan. Gotta go! :-)

Ciao

Domani . . . la vacanza

Tomorrow . . . vacation

I've been sitting at this computer for over an hour typing all sorts of Italian phrases that I've been practicing and some that I don't want to say next week, like "Aiuto! Chiami un'ambulanza!" (Help! Get an ambulance!) or "Mi hanno rubato il passaporto." (My passport has been stolen.) But I pushed a wrong button on this #$@% computer and it's lost forever in cyber limbo!!!

I need to post this. Babies are waking up from nap time, there are last errands to run, dinner to cook (thanks, Barb, for the Chicken Pot Pie tonight!) and molto packing left to do.

"Grazie, Roberto, per mia il compleanno il regalo." (Thank you, Robby, for my birthday gift.) I can't wait to leave before sunrise and 'kid'rise tomorrow and hold your hand all the way to our first excursion in Barcelona.

Going Home

Donna Louise Dewey Marrero went Home this evening at 6:30. We dream of her new body, no longer disappointing her. He smile at the thought of her reunion with Robert Lafayette, her adoring husband whom she's missed for the past 6 years. We are sure she is worshipping and praising her Lord in song and dance this very minute. And we long for the day when we will be with her again, never to say goodbye again. We have a glorious hope, and that sustains us in this time of grief.

Her family desires to honor her well during a service later this month. We will not travel to Florida tomorrow, but we'll continue preparing for our trip to Italy. There's obviously a different mood surrounding the plans now. What was giddy and uncontainable a few days ago is now more precious and valuable. I want to live every day left in this life with no regrets, no hesitations. I'm tired of worrying about tomorrow, it can't add any days to my life, right? I want to leave the laundry and play in the sandbox with Mille or jump on the trampoline with Dawson and not care what my neighbors think. I want to hold Sara in my lap until she's just too big. I want to laugh with Susanna until tears run down our faces. I want to listen to all Leland's thoughts and dreams and then cheer him on. I want to sit on my deck under the stars and just hold Rob's hand. I don't want to complain anymore when he kisses me before he shaves. I want to grow very old with him.

I didn't think this blog would take us to sadness and loss, but I invited you to be a fly on the wall of our family life and this is where God has us today.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." - Matthew 5:4

Mother's Day

I'm learning how to live in the tension of plans and flexibility.

Rob has been planning this trip to Italy for over a year. He and Cookie and one great secret-keeping child of ours have been thinking about this birthday gift of mine months before I knew anything. Since I learned in March we would be going away, I've paced myself and gradually checked off my to-do list many things I felt were important, things to help make the trip more enjoyable for me and Rob, our home to hum along without us. My goal was to be able to go away with my Hero and not worry about all that we leave behind.

It looks like we may travel more than we expected. We may need to go to Florida this week. My sweet Mother-in-law is dying. She's been frail for quite a while, but the Hospice nurses think these are our final days with her.

I can't begin to tell you all the emotions we are feeling right now. I'm sure you can imagine. The last time I saw Donna was March of this year. We took everyone to see her. It looked like a parade marching through the normally quiet nursing home! Our youngest daughter, Mille, had never met her Nana. Donna has had few words for the past several months, her medicines keep her asleep more than awake. But when all seven of us plus Cookie surrounded her little bed, she smiled. I took her hand and she called me by name. It was music to my ears. This precious woman recognized me. She blessed me.

Everyday I am privileged to live with the fruit of her faithfulness. She was forty when Rob was born. She had waited many years to have her children, and she loved them with her whole heart. Several years ago when we were sorting through things at her home in preparation for her move to the nursing home, I found a book with her handwriting on many of the pages. She had written notes in the margins, prayers for Rob and me, dated while she was pregnant with him, seven years before I was born. She cared for me and prayed for me long before I ever knew her.

She taught me many things like how to cook some of Rob's favorite foods, how to fold a fitted sheet, she altered my mother's wedding dress so I could wear it. I was always asking her how to spell, so she gave me a giant Webster's Dictionary for Christmas one year. She shared dress patterns with me and beautiful fabrics. More importantly she taught me how to die to myself and give to others. She was patient and so kind to me. I never heard her speak unkindly about anyone. She adored her husband and her children and grandchildren brought her much joy.

So on this Mother's Day we talked alot about Nana, not Naples. I've set aside my planning for a little while. It's time to ponder much more important things than birthday gifts and trips abroad. We'll be going down Memory Lane for a few days, and the views are spectacular.

"Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and her praises her, saying: 'Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.' " - Proverbs 31:28

Fret Not . . .

I should be running errands, but while my house is quiet because of naptime, I am writing. I can compose better in the quiet and it's not quiet here often, only before the sun is up, naptime, or late at night. I'm much more awake in the middle of the day and my spelling is better then.

We leave soon and I keep trying to focus on what needs completion by next week. Instead I'm wrestling wacky fears. I swear I'll never watch another episode of LOST. They keep flashing back to scenes from season one when their plane went down. . .over the ocean!

I know Rob and I will have a great time, I just hope all goes well here in my home while we're gone. It's hard sometimes to leave for an hour for a haircut! All the wheels seem to fall off the wagon and it takes the rest of the day to recover. Next week we drive away very early, so I'm praying all my babies wake up with happy hearts and sweet attitudes to greet Aunt Cookie.

I hear a faint whisper, "Fret not. . . delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37

It Works!

Oh how exciting! It worked! I posted some thoughts, invited you to read, and you shared your comments. I feel so high tech. Aren't the '00's great? I'm inspired to put my full weight down in this new century and embrace more of the electronic stuff surrounding me. Now I just need my really smart eleven year old to teach me how to turn on her iPod. ;-)

Now I'm off to purge my closet of some 1980's I've been hanging on to. . .it's time to put on the new.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. -2Corinthians 5:17

New Decade, New at Blogging

Dear Friends,

I'm creating this Bog to kill several birds with one stone. I want to record some of the adventures my fortieth year is bringing my way. I don't have the space in my home to enjoy scrap booking supplies or the time in my day to cut and paste. Though I do find myself here at my computer every night checking tomorrow's weather and any last minute email that will alter the next day's plans. So I begin my new decade as a Blogger.

This trek toward blogging began in March after my sweetheart husband gave me the lavish gift of time alone with him on the Mediterranean Sea in May. We set sail in a few weeks and even though there is so much left to do preparing to leave 5 great kids at home with the best Aunt Cookie ever, I wanted to start this blog. My desire is to post notes for them at home, as well as pictures of our trip so they can see some of the world with us.

I hope you enjoy being a fly on the wall.