Busy Spring

It's been a while since I've posted last and I am resolved to do better with keeping friends and family up to date with the blessings in our lives. It may take a while but I will backtrack when necessary to get caught up. In the meantime I will write about our wonderful Easter weekend, after our perfect Florida vacation. We left last Sunday after worship and drove to my sister, Kathi's home in Birmingham. We enjoyed our time there so much. We walked over to Applebee's for dinner and took a walk aroung the lovely outdoor mall across from her home. The following morning we left to drive the remaining way to my sister Karen's home in Tallahassee. Our week was spent on an all day fishing trip out on Uncle David's boat (the boys caught 18 4-5 pound catfish)! They helped filet them and we brought many meals worth packed in ice in a cooler back home with us.We spent one day at Wakulla Springs and rode the river boat and ate at the Lodge. We spent several hours at the Tallahassee Museum where I went many times as a child, visiting the Pioneer village, and an old schoolhouse for African-American children--along with seeing many wild animals in the nature preserve. One day we visited the State Capital building, riding the elevator up to the 22 floor and seeing the city from up high. We ate at Harry's Bar and Grille and then visited the Museum of Arts and Sciences which the boys thoroughly enjoyed with all the many hands on learning areas. We shared an evening with Aunt Zula and Uncle Joe, and cousins...and visited the graves of grandparents, great- grandparents and great-great grandparents. The morning the boys went fishing I spent driving around taking pictures of our homes there, my parents home, etc. I hope to scrapbook some for the children so these times are not forgotten as our family is gradually drifting away from this area.The boys were able to visit Aunt Karen's classroom and play on her new "Smart Board". They thought that was pretty amazing! We arrived home Friday night, not five minutes before my house guests all arrived. Katie, Tim and children, Chelsea, Justin and my sister, Kathi, were all here for a weekend visit. Kathi left the following morning to drive on to Searcy, and everyone else is here until Monday. Jaime, my niece who now lives with us, arrived back on Saturday afternoon. We have dyed eggs, I finished sewing Maria's Easter dress, made a bunny cake, eaten fried catfish and hush puppies, played Scrabble and croquet, had an Easter egg hunt,attended worship together, munched on goodies in our baskets from the Easter Bunny, and eaten a huge meal and then leftovers. What a blessing it has all been.

Jordan's Big Day

It's hard to believe ten years have passed since this precious little child entered our lives. He is now a strong good-looking ten year old, with a kind heart and generous spirit. We have been so blessed. We spent the evening with family and several of his friends bowling (did I mention his strike followed by a spare under the tutelage of his Uncle Justin?)We then ate cake and celebrated with his niece Maria in honor of her 1st birthday. What a doll she is. She sue loves he Uncle Jordan!

Home Where I Belong

Our lives have settled back into a routine after all the busyness of returning from Italy and the holiday season. All the decorations are put away, and my rooms seem bare in comparison to the decor of the past month. My dear friend, Mona Lee, came and spent the night with me and I was able to visit and reconnect. I was excited to share a new book with her I had found overseas(The Gentle Art of Domesticity), but , of course, she had already ordered two from Amazon.com.uk! Our tastes are very similar. She has been a mentor to me over the years, as she was my first true friend who valued motherhood and lived her life accordingly. My time with her is very special to me. In the morning the boys and I start back to our Spring semester of schooling. They are ready for their routine to get back to normal also. I'm ready for days curled up by the fire reading aloud, and even for mornings with soup bubbling on the stove, and small boys sitting at the kitchen table coming up with every excuse possible as to why they can't write their thoughts on paper. I have much work ahead of me, but I am well rested and ready to begin.

More Christmas Pics

We missed you Brandon and Kristin!!!

Christmas 2007

It has been a long time since my last post, but only because life has been full and wonderful. We are now back home and enjoying being back with our friends and family. There is so much to get caught up on--especially enjoying having my children near by. We have been so blessed this Christmas season. We spent the day all together with Terry's Dad and Lora, his sister and her family, and all of my brood. My family was all together in Florida this Christmas. I sure wished I could have been in two places at once!! Our day started with Gabriel running through the newspaper and is just now coming to a close... after one last game of Mad Gab and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? The boys were surprised by Santa with new full size bicycles (they found theirs had shrunk after six months in Italy), board games, and soccer balls. Terry has gifted me with a new Stainless steel gas stove, new couch and loveseat for the den...and a new Kia Sorento ! Our first new car in 25 years. I already knew how blessed I was, now I just feel spoiled. I have promised to find ways to put it all to good use. Making lunch today with four working burners was a true joy!! We talked to Brandon and Kristin today and their first Christmas in Sicily was a good one. Fellow believers shared their holiday with them. We sure did miss having them with us, but we are so proud of their willingness to serve. To my dear friends who still check this blog, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hopefully life will settle down into a nice routine and I can get caught up with my friendships. May God bless you all in the upcoming new year.

Happy Holidays

Last week Terry and I and the boys went into Florence and visited at the IKEA store. We had more fun (meaning I had fun and Terry was patient:).I bought Christmas decorations and ornaments for Brandon and Kristin's first Christmas in Sicily, and some red and white ornaments for our dining room tree (all unbreakables this year in honor of our grandchildren ages almost 1 and 2).I love the simple straw ornaments and the hearts made of red gingham and wool. We also bought two gingerbread house kits to make and some ginger heart cookies to hang on the tree. We , of course, could not leave before eating swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce--a family favorite. Then Saturday we spent the day in downtown Florence, gathering all the last minute things we needed to do an American Thanksgiving here. At Rinascente I found two small wooden and metal ornaments to take home with me...and BEST OF ALL another cookbook by Tessa Kiros! I have her book "Red Apples and Jam" and now "Falling Cloudberries". She lives here in Siena, married to an Italian-mom's finnish, dad's Cypriot, raised in South Africa, cooked in Greece, etc. Our kind of girl!They are great books to read, but better yet, they are full of some of our favorite Greek, Italian, and Scandinavian foods. The first time I opened the book I saw a recipe for meatballs and Lingonberry sauce. I knew I had to buy it (I did recently hear from a friend that theynow sell Lingonberry Sauce at World Market. Thought the price is pretty steep. I'm going to see if they even grow in the States. Anyway, I now have a 10 pound book in my carryon luggage, along with my ceramic lamp I'm carrying on my lap! Happy travels!

Wrapping Things Up

A friend wrote recently asking me why I never wrote on my blog anymore. I assured her I did all the time...and then I went to see the date of my last post. What ever happenned to October??We have been having a wonderful, busy time. To wrap it up in one post we took an overnight ferry to Greece, spent a week in Greece (perfect cool weather, the cruise was relaxing and the waters were calm).We had a wonderful week long visit with Grandpa and Grandma Simpson, taking some day trips to Arezzo, Assisi, and Deruta (to shop for pottery).The day they headed home we left for a few days in Pompeii and Sorrento. We really enjoyed these trips timing because the boys and I have been studying Greek Civilization and then a book on Pompeii. Even the book we had just finished at bedtime "The Cricket in Time Square" fit right in (her husband was from Naples and sang "Return to Sorrento" to her when he proposed, so we listened to that on the music boxes in Sorrento. As we left the hotel the owner presented us with a huge trophy and a bottle of limoncello. The trophy was definitely a first. We must have some really great students! For the 31st we had a Fall Festival party, dressed in costumes, ate chili and carrot cake, drank hot apple cider while carving pumpkins, and had just a wonderful evening. One day recently, while at the grocery, I met an American woman at the meat counter, we exchanged addresses and she invited me over for tea the following week. Kristin joined me for a nice visit at her restored farmhouse-soon-to-be bed and breakfast. They have been here five years. She is a retired designer from California. It turns out she is good friends with a family we came to know two summers ago who were selling Villa Ercolano (our boys had swam with their daughters while we looked at the property). It's such a small world here in the expat community.This week will be busy with Thanksgiving for 50 , followed by our final banquet night on Sunday-followed by final exams. We have shipped our boxes and will be driving to Rome on the 30th and flying home on the 1st. We can't wait to see the girls and their families. And maybe at that point I will update a bit more regularly:)