Imma be a Flight Nurse!

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Weekend Plans

After our plans for snowboarding fell through, I was just hanging out at the house. My friend Candy suggested we go "shopping" (i.e. pricing) in Leesburg for things to furnish/decorate the new house my bro and I will be moving into shortly. I thought it was a great idea, BUT asked her if she wanted to go to colonial Leesburg first to just walk the streets and look around at all the shops/boutiques.

I have been wanting to do this with my sister since I discovered that there was actually some substance to the "Colonial" claims this past summer. Unfortunately, my sister is still several thousand miles and a BIG pond away, so I went with Candy. Louisa and I will of course check it out again whenever she gets to come back!

We visited several antique shops, two boutiques (read: way-overpriced-designer-clothes-that-I-could-make-for-one-third-the-price), two coffee shops, one antique furniture place and the thrift store. I also showed her the townhouse we highly considered buying. Probably my favorite part was walking on the old brick and seeing the old houses. Actually, no. My favorite part was describing how good my Mom was at teaching us to relive history. I LOVE walking through old towns and imagining what it might have been like for a girl my age in the 1860s, trying to help the soldiers, trying to maintain my household, loving my family, etc. Mom loved history. I can still see the sparkle in her eyes (and I think it comes out in mine, too) whenever I come up with stories that start with "imagine what so-and-so was thinking on such-and-such a date when....." Yes. Remembering Mom was the best part. (Oh, and I loved hanging out with Candy, too.)

Of course, with all those high price tags, we came away with two treasures--both from the thrift store and both under $3. Now THAT's my kind of shopping! =)

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Makin' Eyes

From Italy!!!!

One of my absolute favorite things is what my brother calls "makin' eyes" at a baby. Little can surpass seeing the total joy in a baby's eyes when they look deeply at you and then burst into a huge smile. There is something about their total enthrallment that gets me every time.

Tied for first with that big smile is the moment that a baby falls asleep in my arms. I mean when he REALLY falls asleep--it's a moment of complete trust and total abandonment. The arms go limp, the weight sags, and the head finally relaxes against my chest. I love it.

As I was holding a baby the other night, trying to coax him into that "moment," I realized what a picture that can be of me in my Father's arms. Why do I resist that total abandonment of self? I long for the moments that I throw myself into His arms and then just let loose, let my muscles relax, and trust Him to hold me up. Just as a baby trusts that I will take care of him, so I must trust that the Lord will not let me go.

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I am so blessed!

From OBX Pics

Last week, family friends called me up to see if I was free to babysit/nanny for them on a "working vacation" to the Outer Banks....

I tried to conceal my excitement as I mustered the proper, "Well, let me check my schedule...." Of course, I found my week to be completely open and now find myself in the most beautiful beach house I have ever (and probably WILL ever) be in!

When we first drove up, I could hardly believe my surroundings! We are two sand dunes behind the beach, which gives the perfect protection from storms, but also allows easy access (and a good calf-muscle workout!) to the water. The home itself is three stories high (and did I mention it's gorgeous?!?!?!).

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Elba...the island of Captivity

From Italy!!!!

After several weeks of flawless planning and execution on this vacation in italy, all the perfectly synched gears came to a grinding halt when we landed on the island of Elba....

On the road down to the port, the picturesque roads wound their way through the gorgeous hillsides covered with various crops. Unfortunately, the beauty came at a cost! The winding motion had an effect on several of our stomachs! The Dramamine that Rebecca and I took knocked us out for the rest of the trip. (In my case, I fell asleep for the last hour of the car trip, woke up to help carry everything and run to the boat so we wouldn't miss it, then promptly fell asleep for the hour ferry ride over. I again woke up long enough to carry the backpacks and herd kids to the bus stop before falling asleep yet again for the hour's bus ride to our hotel in Rio Marina, across the island. That night, we all went to bed early, and I think the Dramamine finally wore off by the morning.)

After an afternoon of hard play in a lovely little cove (covered with colorful little pebbles instead of sand), catching many sea creatures, having rock-skipping contests, and watching the bustle while a ferry docked and unloaded, we decided to find an "authentic" restaurant. We got exactly what we asked for, but not exactly what we wanted, as evidenced by the kids faces when they saw pieces of octupus and raw fish come out on the appetizer plates! Spaghetti with clams (or rather, a mess of clams with a few noodles intertwined) and gnocchi with octopus "sausage" followed by a fish whose "head got chopped off" before our eyes was a little too much for the kids (or the adults?!). We tried to salvage what was left of the evening with a good serving of gelatto....

With a good night's rest, the next morning promised to bring a smoother day. We woke up at 6, left the hotel, and made it onto the 6:30 bus for the hour ride across the island to the "good" beaches. Rebecca (3) serenaded us and brought a smile to even the bus driver's face...not an easy thing to do at 7 in the morning! Spirits were still high when we got off the bus and took out a map to get our bearings, but when Jason opened the backpack and discovered that our passports were missing.....well let's just say our spirits changed.

Thankfully, they hadn't been stolen, we had just forgotten to retrieve them from the hotel manager after he had checked us in. I volunteered to take the bus back to get them and then return to the "Barabarca Beach" and hopefully meet up with the family. We found a little cafe and ate breakfast before hopping back on the bus to our various destinations (Goetzes--Barabarca, Me--the hotel in Rio Marina). I took 50 euros with me for emergency money and set off to save the passports. I arrived at the hotel, got the passports, and then walked outside to wait for the bus. It might be a good time to mention on the side that the bus system in Elba is somewhat hit-or-miss. The buses come between 2 and 4 hours apart, so if you hit it, it's great, if not, you're rather stuck!

Yes, I'm sure you know what's coming....after walking around for 2 hours, enjoying the town and taking lots of pictures, I sat down at the bus stop we had used that morning. Unfortunately, not realizing that it wasn't really the right bus stop. The bus driver in the morning had been kind enough to pick us up because we were the only people out at 6:30 in the morning and were unmistakably waiting for his bus! By 11 am, though, I must have blended with everyone else on the road...the bus driver whisked on by.

After confirming with a man at the "tourist service point" that the next bus to the place I needed to go (Capoliveri) would leave in almost 4 hours (at 2:45), and that a taxi (of which I had not seen any) would probably cost me 50 euros, I had to come up with a new plan. The ferry back to the mainland was supposed to leave at 5, so the Goetzes would be leaving the beach around 3. Getting on the bus at 2:45 for an hour's bus ride was not an option!

I finally planned to get on a bus at 12:35 and go to a city closer to the beach, where I could either rent a scooter or take a taxi the shorter distance. I sat down at the correct bus stop, determined not to miss the bus again! When the bus finally stopped at the city I wanted, I got off, walked across the street to the rental store and discovered that it was closed! The bus was still there, so I ran back to the bus and hopped on. I had overheard someone asking the bus driver if the bus was headed to Capoliveri, so I asked that man if he could help me! I showed him on the map where I needed to go and he told me it would be easy! He only spoke Italian, but "easy" sounded good in any language at this point!

After getting off who-knows-where, we walked across the street to wait for the next bus, which he said would come in 15 minutes. Less than 5 minutes later, though, a friend of his happened to be driving through and honked at us. Normally, I wouldn't just hop in the car with two strange men, neither of whom speak my language, but at this point I was desperate! I prayed that I would be safe, jumped in the car and trusted that I would see the Goetzes soon!

The three of us used every language we could think of to try to communicate. They were Romanian, so we used bits and pieces of Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. In retrospect, I'd have to say we did quite well! Thankfully, they dropped me off right at the beach and I was soon reunited with familiar faces!

We did eventually make it back to the ferry and all the way home....what an adventure!

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Days go by.....

From Italy!!!!

As always, I wish I had written more while I was here and documented thoughts, ideas, feelings.... But the trip is almost over, and though we have been relaxing, we have also been busy. By the time the kids go down to sleep, the adults can't wait to put them in bed and snuggle them so that WE can fall asleep! =)

We've been to Rome, Siena, Florence, Elba, and the beach. I think Florence is my favorite of all. One day, we took the kids to the Medici palace. As a special treat, we were honored to "meet the Duchess." What a wonder for the kids! (We loved it, too.) She came out all dressed up and we were presented to her as "travelers from the New World." She couldn't understand why the women were wearing men's clothing and the girls over 18 were not married yet! She tried to admonish Jason on the importance of preparing matches and a wonderful dowry for at least the first two girls (Kathryn, 7 and Maggie, 5) and to begin looking for a wonderful girl for Liam, 8.

The kids all love to talk about "Maurizio, the Magician." They love it when he comes around, and of course, everyone can't wait for Liam's birthday party on the 7th. He will be the guest of honor and finally show them more of his tricks.

This post doesn't do justice to our trip, but perhaps I will find time to reflect on more memories in the coming days.... For now, I leave you with pictures.

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Dear Family...

From Italy!!!!

The way to access the wireless here is
to sit up in the sitting room, open the window, and place your laptop
on the window ledge.  Needless to say, we don't venture into
cyberspace very often. =)

Oh, there are so many things I wish I could tell you about this trip!
I really can't capture the feel of the place with words.  It is
absolutely gorgeous, and actually, a lot like California.  It has been
more temperate, lately, but the heat is supposed to return tomorrow.
Having a pool in the backyard is a wonderful thing when there are six
kids to take care of on a hot summer day!

We have actually been at home for the most part since we got here.  We
did have one night in Florence, which was AMAZING!  I could walk the
streets of old towns for quite a while and not get bored.  It was so
interesting to walk around at night and take in the sights, sounds,
and smells.  Actually, it was quite clean.  It was so cute to take the
kids out the next morning (we had arrived after dark) and see the
looks on their faces when they saw that the empty streets had been
transformed overnight into daytime markets.  There were so many more people,
compared to the night before and there were "stores" where there had
just been plain street at night.  Of course, "gelato" is their new
favorite word!  As there is a gelateria on every corner (literally!),
it was easy to indulge this new taste.

Jason turns out to be a wonderful Italian driver, though he doesn't
seem to appreciate the "weaving" motion of the traffic.  As he put it,
it is "completely disorganized."  I, actually, love the driving here.
It really is not that much different than Portugal, except for the
millions of scooter-bikes here.  They are necessary in the city
because of the extremely narrow streets.  What a wonder that the
entire city is covered in cobblestone or stone/brick buildings.  The
"Duomo" (main Cathedral) in Florence was absolutely breathtaking!  It
is so humongous.  You actually can't see the whole thing if you stand
next to it and look up.  The carvings are so ornate.  I was just
struck by the fact that human hands made this...what a bit of
determination to complete such an impressive masterpiece without a
single piece of electronic or diesel-powered equipment!  I could just
picture all the craftsmen at work as they slaved away to carve each
finger, curl of ribbon, or facial expression on the many statuettes
within the building's walls.  We can actually see the Duomo from where
we are, 20 minutes away from the city.

As for our place here, it is simply perfect.  The couple that rents it
out live in the refurbished barn to the side of the house.  The whole
place is actually an old olive and wine farm.  There are three main
buildings on the property.  I can't remember what the first was,
originally, but it was built in the 1200s and converted to a residence
in the 1800s.  Our "humble abode" is so large, you could fit three
families in it, comfortably!  There are two kitchens (we only use
one), and I think seven bedrooms, we left three unused.  Each room has
its own full bathroom.  In addition, there are three sitting/living
rooms.  This building used to be the place they pressed and prepared
the olives.  Can you imagine?  I'm at a place where I'm sure a girl my
age was 800 years ago!  Think of all the life that has been lived on
this farm!

The sunsets here are like paintings, and everywhere you look, it seems
like a postcard.  We are nestled in the rolling hills, upon which the
farmers have left nothing bare.  The result is a beautiful collage of
a square of the parallel lines of a vineyard and a patch of the dull
blue-grey leaves of the olive trees.  Anything that has not been
farmed is filled in with whatever vegetation will grow there.  Our
position at the top of one hill provides the perfect conditions for a
wonderful, constant breeze on one side of the house.  You know how
much I like the wind in my face!  That alone gives me so much joy in
the evenings when it really picks up and the golden sun kisses all our
faces.

Tomorrow, we are heading to the beach.  I'm sure it will be an
excitement.  It is interesting trying to make plans not only for nine
people, but for nine people, of whom SIX are kids under age 9.  It has
been wonderful to have three adults, because we can each claim two.
People, of course, can't imagine why a family would have six kids,
much less, why they would want to TRAVEL with them!  It's been fun,
though.

I will say, though....  After two days of traveling, we were all very
tired.  So many memories flooded back to me--some that I didn't even
know I had.  Hearing all the little conflicts and resolutions,
excitements and worries, questions, silliness, and energy.....it all
reminded me of another family with six kids and of a few little trips
we took of our own.  It reminded me of a patient and loving Mom and
Dad and of all the energy it took for them.  Thanks, Dad.  They were
all wonderful experiences for me and for us.  I could never have
appreciated all you did, have done, and are doing for me and my
siblings as much as I do now had I not witnessed this all-too-familiar
familial interaction.  I know that I still will not know the half of
it until they are my kids, but from what little I do know, I want to
say thanks.

In addition to these memories that came from my subconscious, my mind
was flooded with memories of Mom as I walked through the halls of the
house and inspected each bedroom.  Not only would she have loved to
have visited Italy and learned about all the ancient history here or
have relished living in a piece of that history and a gorgeous house for a month
with the most gorgeous weather, but also she would have decorated the interior
and exterior almost exactly the way it stands.  On the outside, your nose
is greeted with so many wonderful smells and your eyes take in the
splash of colors that are scattered throughout the immediate
property.  Everything from buttercups and daisies to jasmine and all
colors of roses surround the house and wind their way down to the
pool.  Inside the house, each room has a distinct, but simple color
scheme and each door is painted a different color.  In my room, for
example, the door to the room is painted a lavender-purple in an
antique style (some white showing through), while the door to my
bathroom is a cream color with a vine of leaves painted on, framing
the corners.  More vines sprawl over the door outside my room, along
with a slight lattice work.  When I saw those details, I could not
help but think of the many times Mom took out her paintbrush and went
to work.  I could almost hear her voice singing and feel the energy
she brought to wherever she was.  I miss her so much!

Well, that's all for now.  I hope you enjoyed the description!

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