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2008-06-19T06:19:00.001-05:00

Lilliana Rosa

2008-06-07T12:38:00.006-05:00

I went to the hospital for a routine 37 week appointment on May 30th and ended up being admitted to the hospital because my fluid level was low and the doctor decided it was a good idea to go ahead and get Lilliana out. They induced me that evening and on May 31, 2008 at 7:50 PM Central European Time our Lilliana was born. She is the most precious little baby in the world and we are so happy she is finally here!

The Nursery is almost done!

2008-05-11T08:55:00.003-05:00

The nursery is almost done, finally! We are just waiting on the glider that Luis' mother sent us to arrive and that should take another month or so. Lilliana is due June 20th so it should arrive, hopefully, before she does. We are also waiting on the changing pad but should have that after this coming weekend. I still can't believe we're having a baby!

Soooo Pregnant!

2008-05-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

Getting bigger every day!

Christina's Baby Shower

2008-05-07T14:08:00.010-05:00

We had a baby shower back in March for one of our friends and I forgot to post pictures!

Lipari

2008-05-07T13:45:00.005-05:00

Luis and I took a trip to Lipari with a few of our friends a couple of weekends ago. Lipari is a little island north of Sicily in the Mediterranian Sea. We had a nice time although the trip was pretty long getting there and coming home. We had to drive to the North side of the island and then take a ferry across. The ferry alone took about an hour and on the way there we had to wait two hours for the ferry because the one we wanted to get on had sold out. We also were able to rent a boat so the guys were able to get a little fishing in and swim. The weather was cold and I would have liked to go more towards the summer but with Lilliana on the way, that just wasn't possible. Being 32 weeks pregnant at the time, I was uncomfortable to say the least. But overall the trip was good and I'm glad we went!

Pregnancy

2008-03-01T17:12:00.002-05:00

Wow! This being pregnant stuff is rough and much harder than anybody ever really lets on at all. I've been sick now for the bulk of my pregnancy...one more week and I'll be at 6 months. We found out when I was 6 weeks pregnant and had a spout of nausea out of no-where. I didn' think anything of it at first but then I started counting and realized that at a week and a half late I should probably check it out. Next thing you know I've taken three tests, two with double pink lines and one that says "Pregnant". :o) I have to admit I was pretty excited and I still am. I went to the doctor the next day and the hospital confirmed it. So over the past few months I have seen too mahy toilet bowls up close and personal and plastic bags have taken on a new meaning to me at a moments notice. I will be so glad when I can actually feel good again. Even in the heart of my second trimester I feel awful! I can't even remember what it felt like to feel good. I've pretty much given up on the idea of not being sick until after the baby is born. We found out that we are expecting a baby girl during the ultrasound and she is healthy and extremely active. She moves all of the time and is usually poking or kicking me at any given moment. So my family has been asking for pictures of my belly and I've taken a few. Here you go!

Japan

2008-03-01T16:10:00.028-05:00

We went to Japan over New Year's in January and I'm just now getting around to posting pictures. Sorry! Between work and traveling and school there is not much extra time.

Pictures from Prague

2007-12-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

Prague, Czech Republic

2007-12-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

Our trip to Prague was not what I expected. It was a nice place, beautiful at night...not so much during the day. It is very touristy and there isn't a whole lot going on. Lots of history...but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. They had a half way decent metro system that was helpful once we figured out how to use it. All in all, I would say if your in the area swing by breifly but don't go out of your way.

Change of plans

2007-12-22T14:03:00.000-05:00

We decided not to get the doberman we had planned on because the breeder we were working with started acting funny. Oh well! It is probably for the best. We can always get a dog when we get back to the states. I know a lot of people that will be glad that we didn't get a dog!!!

Hannibal

2007-10-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

Our baby Doberman was born September 29th and will be in our home in December!

Art from Paris

2007-07-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

We bought several pieces of art while we were in Paris and had them framed when we got back to Italy.

Pictures in Paris

2007-07-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Arch de Triumphe

2007-07-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

Very close to the Lourve, the Arch de Triumphe was smaller than I thought. It was very similar to the Champs Elysess, just much smaller.

Moulin Rouge

2007-07-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

What an interesting show! We didn't get tickets in advance or even really plan to go but Luis brought a brochure up the day before and asked if I wanted to go. Where esle can you go to the famous Moulin Rouge?! We sat right up front just to the right of the stage so we could see everything really well. There was a part in the show when a girl actually went in the water with these huge snakes. Really wierd! All in all a fun night though.

The Egyptian Obelisk

2007-07-09T09:24:00.000-05:00

The obelisk came from Egypt a long time ago and was placed between the Lourve and the Champs Elysses. It is tipped in gold and full of hyroglyphics. An unusual site to seein Paris, especially since we have already been to Egypt.

The Eiffel Tower

2007-07-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a beautiful structure. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city because of its height. Our hotel was right down the street and we walked to the tower the first night we were in Paris. We stopped on the street and had an artist make a charcoal picture of us. Later in the week we went back and actually went up into the tower.

The Opera House

2007-07-07T05:24:00.000-05:00

The Opera House was very impressive. It was raised up off of the ground which struck me as somewhat odd for a building. It almost seemed to be up on a pedistal. There are a lot of buildings in Paris that have very ornate gold placed on the tops or fences or gates or statues. It seems to be a running theme in the city. Overall a very beautiful opera house.

The Lourve

2007-07-07T04:54:00.000-05:00

The Louvre was huge! It wrapped around a whole city block and had levels below and above ground. I had no idea that much of the art was actually kept below ground; but I guess it makes sense because it is safer there. It took us a good twenty minutes to figure out how to get inside because the building above ground did not seem to have an entrances open. We found out that you actually have to go in by going down into the large glass pyramid. Once inside we got a map and headed off to the exhibit with the great masters like Leonardo Da Vinci among many others. They did not allow the use of camera's in this particular exhibit because the color of the oil paintings can be damaged by camera flashes. It was amazing the number of pieces and the size of some of them stretched the entire height of the wall. There were thick cables suspended from the ceiling which held the large paintings in place on the wall. I can't imagine how much they must have weighed. The Mona Lisa was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. Probably because they always show it up close. on the solitary wall it hung encased behind glass all by itself with a rope surrounding it to keep people from getting too close. What a spectacle. The statue portion of the museum was also substantial in size and many of the works were missing their arms or hands where they had fallen off over time. There was one exhibit that had several individual statues each holding a clock with a different time zone. It was my understanding that this was a temporary exhibit, but interesting none the less. We only spent about 3 hours at the Louvre ad saw only a small fraction of teh pieces there. They say it can take weeks to see the whole museum.

Champs Elysees

2007-07-07T04:44:00.000-05:00

The Champs Elysses was really big and I didn't know that the street that ran up to it actually joined a circle that goes around it. I always thought the road went straight underneath it! All the monuments in Paris are really substantial in size; a lot bigger than I thought!

Notre Dame Cathedral

2007-07-07T03:47:00.000-05:00

Notre Dame Cathedral was breathetakingly beautiful on the outside. The prominence of the building is almost ominous as it towers over the center of the city on a small island along with several other landmarks. The rose windows are huge!!! There was also a wood model of teh cathedral inside. I can't imagine how long it took to make. The original large chandelier that once hung in the church was roped off on the floor because it was so heavy and took a huge amount of maintenance to maintain. We visited on a Sunday so service was being held. It seems that whenever we vist a cathedral on our trips it is always on Sunday...not sure why.

Romania

2007-04-22T07:06:00.000-05:00

Bran Castle

2007-04-22T06:12:00.000-05:00

Bran Castle was not at all what we expected. I guess we just figured that it would be a lot darker because it was the home of a Queen that used to kill young women and hang them upside down over bathtubs and drain their blood into them so that she could bathe in their blood. But when we visited, it just seemed like a normal place. (shrug) The market around the castle was interesting but we did notice that most of the shops had the exact same things. We didn't find much, just a plaque for the wall. It was very far out of the way and not that spectacular. I really don't recommend it.

Brasov, Romania

2007-04-18T14:47:00.000-05:00

The Monistary and Vlad Dracul's Grave

2007-04-18T14:31:00.000-05:00

The monestary was on an island in the middle of a lake. We had to take a boat for about fifteen minutes to get there and then we stayed for about an hour. It took over three hours to get there from the hotel, though; and everyone could have done without that! Vlad the Impaler's grave was inside the monestary were it remains safe from grave robbers and those who would have destroyed it in the past.

The Royal Family's Castle

2007-04-18T13:54:00.000-05:00

The Castle has been vacant for a very long time now. The last royal family was forced to vacate the castle and now it is visited by some 3,000 guests a day. It is truly beautiful and quite honestly the most well preserved building I have ever seen, both inside and out. The castle has a strong German influence and is also composed of stone. There is highly detailed wood throughout the inside and outside of the castle and vibrant handpainted designs throughout as well. Some of the mirrors inside go all the way from the floor to the ceiling. The garden is adorned with at least a dozen statues. It was pretty cold that day...I was glad when we left.

The Dublin Ghost Bus Tour

2007-04-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

We took a tour on Monday night after getting back from Glendalough, it was a ghost bus tour! We actually had a really good time. The tour guide was really funny and a bit twisted. We went to a cemetary and to the las standing gate into Dublin city from long ago when it was surrounded by walls. Of course, all of this took place at night and it was cold and dark and windy, the perfect conditions for a ghost tour by any stretch of the imagination. We learned how to "body-snatch" in the cemetary and we saw the old home of Braum Stoker ( I think I spelled that right), the author of "Dracula". They also took us by a hospital where a doctor used to pay for bodies taken from teh cemetary's for medical experiments and to be used as cadavers in the medical school there. Very freaky......All in all I would recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

Glendalough

2007-04-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

Luis and I drove to Glendalough in Wicklow on the Monday after St. Patrick's Day. It took us about an hour and a half to get there and it was really beautiful....and a bit cryptic. The settlement was surrounded by a cemetary that was intertwined through the ruined buildings. It was also really windy and cold. I'm glad we brought heavy coats with us. We walked down the path past the settlement and climbed up to a waterfall nearby and then walked all the way back.

Dancing Mushrooms

2007-04-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

What a funny duo of people. Luis and I were walking to the mall in Dublin and came across two men dressed as mushrooms making music with pipes and brushes and a pole. Then they turned on a radio that played classical music and proceeded to dance with members of the audience. It was so unusual that I couldn't help but smile.

Dublin Castle

2007-04-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

Dublin Castle was an interesting place to visit because it is still used today as a meeting place for foreign dignataries as well as for the inaugeration ceremony for the president of Ireland. The inside is ornate and decorated with heavy rugs and a lot of gold leaf. We were also able to go down into an area where a tower used to stand a long time ago. When we went down the steps where the base of the tower once stood there are still the original steps up to the side of the wall surrounding what was once a village. There was also a small portion of the original moat with standing water still in it.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

2007-03-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

St. Patrick's Cathedral was not at all what I had expected. Inside, every wall was covered with plaques and statues and the floor was very detailed and colorful. Dark wood made up the benches and they were lined with a deep red fabric. Flags hung from poles on the walls and stained glass windows were all around. The alter and the stairway to the bells were carved of stone and really a sight to see, and the cemetary around the church was protected behind a solid iron gate. It really was a beautiful church and even though we got extremely lost trying to find it, it was definately worth it.

The Park

2007-03-24T15:23:00.000-05:00

We stumbled upon this park by accident while hunting for St. Patrick's Cathedral on foot. Apparently, of course we found this out later, there is a ghost story affiliated with this part that sometimes people, while they are walking through the archway, are picked up off the ground and then dropped and from that point on they have a red line across their neck for the rest of their lives. Creepy...but aside form that story the park was really beautiful. We even raninto some frisky pigeons...lol

Trinity College and The Book of Kells

2007-03-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

Trinity College is an absolutey beautiful campus in a prime location, not at all what I would have expected; and short of the freezing cold climate it would be an amazing place to go to college. We were allowed to take pictures of The Book of Kells inside, but it was spectacular.

Jameson Distillery

2007-03-24T14:54:00.000-05:00

The distillery was really really great. We had such a good time. When we first got to Dublin on Friday, the building was actually closed down for renovations. Apparently it had been closed since December. Luckily for us, they reopened about noon on St. Patrick's Day, so we were able to go see it. Boy was it worth the wait! All the things they did were great and they gave you a guided tour which made it so much more enjoyable. They even had a taste testing and picked four volunteers to try a bunch of different whiskeys and Luis was picked as one of them. For those of you who don;t know, Jameson makes whiskey and it is good whiskey, very smooth and you can mix it with just about anything. I'm not a whiskey drinker but I was very impressed by Jameson. Luis and I even bought a 12 year old bottle of the Distillery Whiskey that you can only buy in Dublin from the Distillery. We had our names printed on the bottle and plan on saving it until our tenth wedding anniversary.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

2007-03-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was not at all what we thought it would be. They were much calmer and not really about the holiday than we had figured. It was nice, actually. The parade was not unlike those in the States, actually New York City's celebration is much larger than in Dublin, Ireland. But we did get some pretty cool pictures.

The Guinness Storehouse

2007-03-24T14:23:00.000-05:00

We tried to go to the Storehouse on Monday afternoon but the line wrapped around the building and there was no way we would make it in by 5:30, so we put it off till the next day. It was an interesting set-up. You pretty much go through the building on your own with no guide and have to "figure it out yourself". Not my preference, but it could have been worse.

Julius Caesar

2007-03-24T14:17:00.000-05:00

Luis and I went to The Abbey Theatre our first night in Dublin to see the play Julius Caesar. It was not at all what we had expected and I think that we both fought the entire time to stay awake. Not to say that it wasn't decent, a few of the actors were exceptionally good, but the scenery didn't change at all and the colors were drab and overall it could have been much better. I don't think we will be attending any more plays anytime soon.

Our First Glimpse of Ireland

2007-03-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

Aer Lingus

2007-03-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

The airplane we flew on was really nice. The seats were padded with headrests like in first class and they were so comfortable. Our flight was pretty long so we were very greatful for that.

The Alps

2007-03-24T14:02:00.000-05:00

How unbelievably beautiful!!! I heard the Alps were magnificent but I never imagined they would be as spectacular as this!!! We flew over them on our way from Milan to Dublin...

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

What an interesting day...the whole morning I was slammed with customers and people wanting last minute things and things that they should have asked for three days ago for yesterday. Insane is the only word that comes to mind. I didn't even get to eat lunch until 2:30 in the afternoon, but sometimes days are just like that. Luis called me from his cell phone about 12:30. He was helping a new sailor get situated here in Sicily and was calling to check on me. I told him how my day was going and a few hours later he showed up with roses and a balloon that plays "You're Still the One" when you tap it. Very cute, and definately made my face turn red in front of everyone in the office. We went to lunch at Tamoil down the street and then I went back to work for a few hours. He brightened up my whole day...oh!...and Mariella took pictures. :o)

Happy New Year!!!

2007-01-01T09:34:00.000-05:00

Luis and I went to Brian and Erica's house for New Year's Eve this year, along with a hand full of our friends here. The guys went to Catania the other day and bought fireworks and after we all said our Happy New Year's to eachother at midnight, they hopped in the car and went outside of housing to the other side of the road and set the fireworks off. Security came over because they thought that the guys were inside housing, but they weren't, so the two guards just kept on walking. In Italy, fireworks are legal, so as long as you aren't on base property you can launch them anywhere you want. Mynor was having a really good time riding a little tricycle all over the place and almost fell a few times. It was really funny. Overall it was a pretty good night.

Christmas Ornament

2006-12-14T12:41:00.000-05:00

I found the cutest Christmas ornament at the NEX today, an anchor with penguins on it! Since both Luis and I work for the Navy and I love penguins, it was perfect for our tree this year.

Finally Got It!!!

2006-12-13T16:56:00.000-05:00

I finally got my college degree in the mail today. It took two months to get here after graduation, but I am so glad I am finally finished!!! Mom and Dad bought me a beautiful frame for my degree, so I hung it on the wall today. (sigh of relief) Feels good to be done...

Christmas

2006-12-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's already the middle of December. What happened!? Time has flown these past few months. We have already been living in Italy for 7 1/2 months! It doesn't feel like it has been that long. We put up the Christmas tree already and went ornament shopping since we do not have nearly enough to cover our tree. We still don't have enough, but we did find some nice ones at a store in town. We had to put the tree in front of the doorway between the dining room and the living room because there really was no other ideal place to put it. Luckily, this spot is ideal because you can see the tree as you eat dinner at the dining table or from the couch as you watch tv. Merry Christmas!

First Big Snow on Mount Etna

2006-12-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

It has already snowed on top of Mt. Etna a few times, but the other day was the first real significant snow. Luis took some pictures while I was driving on our way to the base. Absolutely beautiful!

One more!

2006-11-19T10:15:00.000-05:00

Here we are sitting on the side of the great pyramid!!!!

I forgot a picture!!

2006-11-18T11:19:00.000-05:00

Luis got a NAM!!!

2006-11-17T01:29:00.000-05:00

I'm so proud! Luis was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal for his work on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Norfolk when he was running two work centers and busting his butt for what seemed like forever. He finally got the award on Tuesday morning and the CO of the base was there to give it to him. Yea, Luis!!!

Our First Pumpkin!

2006-10-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

Luis and I carved our first pumpkin today! You would think that in four years we had carved a pumpkin before, but nope! This one turned out great!!! We made a little ghost flying in front af a tombstone. :o)

Lots and lots of pictures!

2006-10-24T04:54:00.000-05:00

Wow! We took a lot of pictures!

2006-10-24T04:41:00.000-05:00

More Pictures from Egypt

2006-10-24T04:08:00.000-05:00

Our Trip To Egypt

2006-10-24T03:26:00.000-05:00

Luis and I left for Egypt last Monday, the 16th of October, for a full week of aventure, and boy was it an adventure! We had such a good time. We visited so many temples and tombs, went to the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbal, the Great Pyramids; we even took a boat ride down the Nile to a secluded beach and took a camel ride to a Nubian Village. The first four days we were on a cruise boat which took us down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan and then we flew North to Cairo. If I had to pick one word to describe the whole trip it would be, "WOW!"

We've been adopted!

2006-09-24T12:07:00.000-05:00

The neighborhood cat has officially adopted Luis and me as her new family. She sleeps in our yard and guards it as if it is her very own. Every morning she is at the door as we leave for work and every night she is there when we get home from work. Sometimes she sleeps in our storage shed. She is a really sweet cat and outdoors all the time so no extra cat pan detail is involved. I think that is the only reason we are okay with it. :o)

Another Car

2006-09-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

We finally got another car and after a week of it being in the shop it is finally running. We bought it a few weeks ago from one of Luis' co-workers and it died on us the same day. So after a weeks worth of work and almost $2000, half of the engine is now brand new and the only thing left to break is the transmission. Keep your fingers crossed. :o) This one needs to last three years!

Graduation Count Down - 5 days to go!!!

2006-09-17T03:25:00.000-05:00

Wow, graduation is right around the corner and why do I still have so much more work to do?! How is that possible? I am still waiting for my Marketing professor from last term to grade some of my assignments and I have about 4 more assignments due this week. I'm hoping to pull some pretty high honors out of this degree. Wish me luck! I've been busting my tail for almost two years now trying to finish. Oh what a relief it will be when the 23rd is here and I can breathe again..well, at least for a week and a half since I still have four more classes to finish my second degree. Then I am taking a break from school and focusing on work and getting some good experience in my chosen field. Maybe now I can have a lot more fun over here in Europe since I won't have so much work to do anymore. :o)

Happy Anniversary

2006-09-17T03:22:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of rocky moments and bumpy roads in the first year. I had heard this before and boy, they weren't kidding. It takes a lot of work and responsibility and dedication to eachother and to the relationship and marriage itself to make it work. There are times when you want to walk out and times when you want to cry; and there are times that make you smile and times you are so happy you feel like you can't control yourself. There are a lot of times you share together that make you grow and change as individuals and as a couple. Married life is definately different, a challenge I have to say. Wow, a lot has happened since Luis and I started dating
Today is our one year anniversary. I can't believe it has been a year already since we were married. It doesn't feel that way at all, but when I look around I can see the slow progression of our life together.One more piece of furniture here, one more lamp there, one more car (since I keep wrecking them), and now, in a few days, a college degree. Wow, a lot has happened since Luis and I started dating three years ago.

Car Accident

2006-09-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, for those of you that haven't heard, I got in a pretty bad car accident about a month back. Stupid Italians....I mean that nicely. :o) I was driving to work and came around a bend and a car was sitting in the road a little way up...no break lights, no turn signal, not moving...just chilling like a big rock in the road. It was too far to the right to go around it in my lane and there was oncoming traffic in the opposite lane so with not enough time to stop I took the lesser of the two evils. I hit my break and swerved right....stupid Italian. Who just stops in the middle of a highway?! Someone said he had stopped to make a cell phone call and someone else said he stopped to turn...turn where I don't know as there was no where to turn into. Why wasn't he pulled over on the side of the road instead of in the middle of it!?!?! That's what I wanna know. Aren't the schools suppossed to be better here? Everyone I meet is so ignorant! So anyway, car is totaled. :o( Ankles was a splint for about three weeks. :o( Glass shards still working their way out of my arm, back and neck. :o( Aughhhhhh!!! Is this really happening??? :oP

Our Trip To Malta

2006-08-26T00:48:00.000-05:00

I have to start off by saying Malta was not at all what I expected. We stayed at the Intercontinental Malta located in St. Julian's on the east coast. It was in a really good location. You could walk to the beach just down the hill or across the street to the mall, and there was a lot of night life right around the corner. There was also a movie theater right next door. Everything was soooooo expensive! The exchange rate was 1 Maltese Lira for every $3.11. WOW! Needless to say, I'm glad we went but we won't be going back. The Maltese have beautiful glasswork, in fact, they are known for it. We bought a beautiful glass vase there. We took a bus across the island to the ferry which took us to the Blue Lagoon on the island of Camino which was beautiful. The water was completely clear, birght blue and surrounded by rocky terrain. It was completely sheltered from the sea which was very rough that day. We had a really good time there swimming and just spending quiet time. There is nothing else around it though, you can only swim or sun bathe. We stayed about two hours and then went back to the main island. Our next big trip will be to Egypt. Stay tuned!!!

Malta Pictures

2006-08-26T00:38:00.000-05:00

Ex-Inmates takeover cathedral

2006-08-10T02:43:00.000-05:00

Ex-inmates take over cathedral
From ANSA

Palermo - Hundreds of unemployed Sicilian ex-convicts who have taken over Palermo Cathedral said on Monday that they would refuse to budge until the State gave them a job. The former prisoners, several of whom have gone on hunger strike, told reporters that "we're going to camp out here until they find us a job. There's no way we're leaving". The protesters have occupied Palermo's imposing Norman-era Cathedral since Saturday, with wives and children swelling the numbers at some points to more than 600. The core 200 or so demonstrators have been joined by dozens of inmates who were released from Palermo prison last week under a mass pardon approved by the government. They have draped huge white banners outside the cathedral bearing the slogans 'Ex-prisoners are outcasts, God help us', and 'Jobless former inmates ask God for his aid'. One of the leaders of the protest, Filipo Accetta, who has chained himself to a pillar in the cathedral square, has been on a hunger strike for the past four days. The father of three said that he had been out of work for four years. He said the protesters wanted the local authorities to activate a planned employment programme which would provide them with jobs such as caretakers or gardeners on a guaranteed monthly wage of 516 euros. Accetta said that in the run-up to elections last April, local politicians had promised that they would be put on the programme list and that the project would be immediately put into action. "But they haven't done a thing since... They told us to wait until the elections were over. They asked us for our vote and then they abandoned us," said Accetta, who was briefly hospitalised on Monday because of his increasingly weak condition. Another spokesman for the protesters, Nunzio Bologna, said that "we won't go until the local politicians listen to us and fulfill their promises. The job programme has to be started up". He demanded that the mayor or other local officials come and talk to them. Salvatore Dolce, a 62-year-old inmate who was released last week under the prisoner pardon scheme, said that "I've been in and out of jail for a total of 30 years and I hope the government will help me. "When I was in prison, I had a job in the kitchen and was making 400-600 euros a month. Now I'm on the outside but I've got nowhere to live and no job. At 62, if they don't find me something, I'll have no choice but to go back to crime". Palermo Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi has not so far commented on the protest but the local parish priest Pino Lo Galbo has been helping the demonstrators by distributing food and water. Meanwhile, the government said on Tuesday that it was releasing 13 million euros to fund a job programme to help prisoners released by the pardon reintegrate. Justice Minister Clemente Mastella said the scheme would benefit at least 2,000 of the "neediest" prisoners. Almost 12,000 inmates have so far been released and up to 10,000 more could be freed by the amnesty, which cuts sentences by three years for crimes committed before May 2, 2006 and is designed to ease chronic overcrowding in Italian jails.

Mt. Etna

2006-07-27T02:52:00.000-05:00

Etna: Volcanic Activity Doesn't Stop, But No Fear Yet
From AGI

Etna's volcanic activity continues across the eruptive fractures monitored by a thermal video camera. The two openings contained in the eastern slope of the south-east crater, at an altitude of around 3,050 meters and 3 thousand meters - according to the latest highlights released by the Catania section of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology - continue to feed the lava field, developing for a length of around 2 kilometres, that reverses in the high zone of Valle del Bove, with an average effusive rate of 2.6 cubic metres a second. Thus the phenomenon is currently kept in an area away from the residential and tourist centres. The Strombolian activity that continues at a rate of 3,100 metres on the eastern slope of the south-east crater has formed a cone of easily visible waste. By the observations of the thermal recordings it was possible to recognize at least three explosive openings along the eruptive fracture within the cone. The intensity is comparable to the one observed during the night of July 15 with launchings of shreds and bombs up to a height of 250 metres that fall back down at a rate of 2,800 metres. A sample of the effusive and coarser explosive products was carried out in order to perform petrography research and chemical analysis whose results will be revealed in the following hours.

Agrigento

2006-07-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

Luis and I spent this weekend in the city of Agrigento on the island of Sicily. This city is situated at the top of a hill overlooking the 6th century B.C. Greek and Roman temples which were absolutely breathtaking. We went to each of the temples ruins and listened to portable phones that told us the history of the temples and how they came to be how they are now over time. Two of the temples had scafolding around parts of it because they are trying to restore and keep them from falling down. I have to say it was amazing. I would definately recommend the trip to anyone coming to the island. It took us about 8 hours to see all the temples and the museum, a full day at least and we were exhausted. This is a very physical journey so we both got a workout just from climbing and walking. The ruins are actually spread out over a fairly large distance. It probably would have been better to go in the spring when it was cooler. But at least we know that now, so when it comes time to go to Pompeii we can plan it for the fall or spring instead of the middle of summer. Lesson learned, that is for sure. We did have a really nice time though. We spent the whole day there and then stopped by a pizzeria for dinner. We stayed at a little bed and breakfast in front of the cathedral in the center of town. All in all, a successful trip!

Cefalu

2006-07-23T07:55:00.000-05:00

On the same day that I went to Santo Stefano, I also went to Cefalu. This city is on the north end of the island, close to the center. It is a beautiful town set on a large beach area and boardwalk with seafood restaurants all the way down the strip. The church is set in the center of the town and all of the streets are narrow with intricately laid stone. Unfortunately Luis was unable to make the trip with me, so we will have to go back.

Santo Stefano

2006-07-23T07:50:00.000-05:00

I got the opportunity to take a trip across part of the island last weekend to the small town of Santo Stefano. It has a long street full of nothing but pottery shops...absolutely gorgeous things! All hand crafted and painted, and some were also detailed with carvings. I bought a vase that was hand carved and painted to put flowers in at the house. They also made furniture there...columns out of clay that held glass shelves. They were very pretty. I think we might buy an entry way table like this while we are here.

Luis thinks he's a fish!

2006-06-28T12:36:00.000-05:00

Luis has been spending so much time in the water trying to get certified for scuba. These are a couple pictures I took at Acitrecci and at the pool where he did some of his training. He's getting pretty good at it. He only needs one more dive before he will be Open Water certified...then he is going to get his Advanced certification so that he can go down as far as 30 meters. That way when the trip in November to Egypt comes around he will be able to dive way down and see everything really well. I want to be able to do that too, but something about being that far under water and not being able to see the surface freaks me out a little bit. I know it is mental....I'm working on it!

Acitrezza

2006-06-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

These are some pictures from the little town Luis and I have been frequenting on the weekends to scuba dive. It is a very pretty town and Mt. Etna looms over it in the background. You'd never guess that the volcanoe was active looking at these pictures, or that this town was once covered in lava and ash. The town is probably about an hour or so from where we live, so it is not too far. The water is so clear on some days that you can see all the way to the bottom. The first time I went diving I saw a few schools of fish and some sea urchin, but Luis has seen star fish and more than I have because he has gone on more dives.

Oh the pain!

2006-06-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

I went to the doctor yesterday morning because after scuba diving on Saturday I was fine and then by Sunday evening I was really feeling bad. My ears have been hurting since Saturday but on Sunday my head, teeth, and stomach joined them. Apparently when you surface too fast your body doesn't have enough time to decompress so all the air gets stuck in your body and tries to push it's way out which basically results in headaches, earaches, nausea, etc...Of course the first thing the doctor asked was if I was pregnant. Sheesh! No, I'm not pregnant! If I was pregnant would I be scuba diving? I think not. He said I had a Station 2 Diagnosis which basically means my ears won't equalize under water and he gave me a bunch of medicine and told me to just wait it out until my ears healed. So now I am still a little light headed and my ears are killing me! I can't take my pain meds the doctor prescribed because I have to drive today and I cannot drive on them. Oh well! Scuba class again tonight. I am going, but only for the classroom portion. I will not be getting in the water. :o) Not yet...maybe in a week or so. The Doctor said that I could still Scuba Dive but that I would have to take a Sudafed the day before and the day of the dive to open my ears up so I can equalize. What a pain...all in the pursuit of some good ol' fashioned fun!

A New Adventure...

2006-06-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

Luis and I started Scuba Diving lessons last week. It is an interesting sport and very difficult at first. This past Saturday was our first open water dive off the coast of Sicily. It was a beautiful spot and there were fish and sea urchins in the water accompanied by a few jelly fish. I had a hard time getting my ears to equalize under the water and my mask was on too tight so now my eyes resemble that of a racoon's ever so slightly from the suction of the mask.

We went out to another spot today for a second dive but only Luis dove today because my ears were still sore and I was tired. It actually worked out good because there were a lot of jelly fish in the water today. Way more than on Saturday. So I layed out on the boat deck instead and got a little sun, something I am trying not to do too much while I am here even though it is tempting. This was actually the first time I had really spent a significant period of time in the sun since we arrived here in Italy. But I used 30 proof sunblock so I didn't really burn. We were only out there for about an hour.

We will go on another open water dive next Saturday. I have decided that one dive a weekend is enough for me at least until I get better at it. Wish me luck!

Planting Flowers

2006-06-11T06:53:00.000-05:00

I took some new pictures of the yard since I added some flowers out front. It looks much nicer now.

My Birthday

2006-06-11T03:55:00.000-05:00

Another year older. (Aughhh!) I feel older than I am, but I think it is mostly because of my car accident a few years back. Still, I get to spend my 26th birthday in Italy and you can't beat that! :o) It has been a somewhat ordinary day which is just fine with me. I don't know many people here yet so it will be a quiet day, and considering the amount of school work I have due today, that is fine with me. I'll be stuck on my laptop writing papers most of the day. My birthday present from Luis is fabulous and I am very excited about it. He got me a Coach purse and matching wallet and checkbook cover! I have never owned such a nice handbag before and I absolutely love it! They say the quality is excellent and it should hold up extremely well over time. I guess it was to make up for not being here for my birthday the past 2 years. :o)

A new place to sleep...

2006-06-06T02:49:00.000-05:00

I went to the NEX the other day strictly for the purpose of returning some throw rugs that just weren't right for the house and found a pair of mathcing pet beds for the kitties that I just couldn't pass up. They absolutely love them! Sydney jumped on her bed right away. Onyx took a little bit longer to warm up to the idea of sitting on th ebed instead of on the couch or in our laps, but he has finally given in at least partially. He spends equal time on all orafaces at this point. Sydney sticks strictly to her bed. They seem to be settling in to Italy quite nicely.

A beautiful picture...

2006-06-06T02:21:00.000-05:00

I made chili for dinner yesterday at Luis' request and at the last minute realized we didn't have crackers. So I hopped in my car and ran over to the supermarket to pick some up. Unfortunately the commisary had just closed, so I headed back to the house. I went the back way just for a change of scenery. The whole day had been overcast and gloomy, but as I drove home the sun was peaking through the clouds and shone down on the town of Mineo at the top of the hill near our home. It was absolutely breathtaking and made me wish I was a professional photographer that actually knew what I was doing. Anyway, I took a pictures although it by no means does what I saw justice.

Our little babies...

2006-06-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

I was uploading pictures from the camera the other day and ran across this one that I just had to post. The hotel we stayed at had a crib in one of the bedrooms, I guess in case the family who stayed there had a baby. Well, we brought our own babies...and they made themselves right at home!

A little renovation...

2006-05-30T16:35:00.001-05:00

Today was pretty productive for me. I swept and mopped the whole house, got the laundry done, chased the cats, did the grocery shopping, went to the gym...and then I started working on the yard. What a mess! They say that the soil near the base of a volcano is the richest soil on earth and that anything can grow. Well, we gonna find out. :) I checked out a shovel today from the Self-Help office here at our housing complex and commenced to churning up the soil in my yard that was dryed up and hadn't seen a plant in Lord only knows how long. I guess the people that were here before us didn't like to garden. After I churned everything up I watered the soil to get it ready for some new plants and then I attempted to knock down the tree in the front yard. It is dead and just standing there lifeless while all the other trees around it are green with leaves. I couldn't budge it, so when Luis got home I asked him to dig it out; but instead he knocked it down. Either way, it is out now and tomorrow I get to cut the grass. Whew! I get tired just thinking about it.

New Furniture!

2006-05-29T14:36:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love new furniture. I mean really, let's be honest. :o) Luis and I bought a new hall chest the other day and it was delivered last week. I just fell in love with it! Although this piece wasn't specifically made for us, I found out that there are a lot of places around here that can and will make just about anything you want if you just provide them with a drawn picture and dimensions. Jackpot! Luis is getting me a island for our kitchen for my birthday and I get to design it! How exciting! I can't wait to get started on the design.

Our New Home

2006-05-29T13:50:00.000-05:00

We are finally in our house here in Sicily and it isn't at all what I thought it would be. Actually I am impressed because I didn't think it would be as big as it is. We have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, a washer and dryer, a big kitchen, dining room, living room, and all of the closets are a decent size with overhead storage. We also have storage under the stairs and outside in a gated area that is covered from the weather. Our back yard is fenced in, and the best part is that our house is on one end of four so we only share one wall which is actually concrete under the part you can see so you can't hear anything through the wall at all. I think we will enjoy our new home for the next three years. I just have to put some serious time in on the garden...

My Little Beater...

2006-05-29T13:36:00.000-05:00

We bought a little VW Polo not too long ago so I could go to the store and work. Mostly just to get around the little towns here. The roads are really narrow. Even Luis' civic is too wide! The side mirrors on my car fold in because when you part on the side of the street if you do not fold them in, they won't be there when you come back. (lol) Even though it is an older car, it has a sun roof which I absolutely love because...with no air conditioning,,,every little bit helps. Luckily it isn't really humid here so even though it gets hot, it's not too sticky. I love my little beater. (Never thought I'd say that!) It gets great gas mileage and for around here that is a must! At $6.50 or so a gallon, give or take a quarter, it had better get good gas mileage.

Catania (Take Two)

2006-05-29T13:24:00.000-05:00

Today was what I would have to classify as a little nuts. Well, traffic wise anyway. As I mentioned previously, Luis and I went back to Catania today to an art show where we thought we might find some art to buy for the house...and we did, sort of. We didn't know that the art at the show was going to be from world known artists and that the pieces would cost a few thousand dollars each. Needless to say, we did not purchase any pieces to take home. After the art show we went to a small Gelateria and ate some icecream and relaxed a bit. I had Strawberry for the first time. Man I could have eaten that all day! Then we started heading home and I spotted a stand on the side of the road with sculptures for the garden and pedestals and such. So I swung off the road into a parking spot across the street and we ran over to check it out. We ended up buying a pedestal and a statue to go on top and a planter bowl with grapes on it...all absolutely stunning. The statue is on the pedestal in the garden and the bowl is on the front porch so that I can put some flowers into it. Love them....Anyway, overall I'd say it was a successful day, because even though we didn't get any art for the wall, we did manage to find some for the garden. :o)

Catania

2006-05-29T13:13:00.001-05:00

We took a "field trip" to Catania while we were still in our orientation class here in Sicily and it was a really neat place. This was two weeks ago or so, but we went back today again to check it out some more because there is a lot going on there. It isn't too far from where we live here in Sicily, maybe 45 minutes or so but it doesn't even feel that long really. The town's mascot is the elephant because they say that a long time ago a tiny elephant came into town and scared all the bad animals away. The is a square known as Elephant Square (when translated to English) and they have a statue in the center. This is a picture of Luis standing in front of it with his icecream cone. There is a small bar behind the statue where we got the icecream. Icecream here is so different and so good! There is not so much sugar in it so you can really dig in and you don't feel sick. They say it is better for you than the icecream we have in America and I have to say I believe them. :o) Yummy. The second picture is of a large church in Catania that the statue of the elephant faces. We were told the significance of the church, although I can't remember completely what it is. I do know that the body of a very important man can be viewed at the church through a glass case. I believe he was a Cardinal but cannot remember his name. I could never be a History Teacher!

The Sheep Dog

2006-05-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

I had heard about the sheep dog before...Even seen one on the cartoon shows..But I had never actually seen one work in real life until we got to Italy. Wow! They really do know what they are doing. Every day in the morning the sheep would be hearded one way down the hill to graze and a few would be sheared for their wool. Every afternoon they would come back up the hill past the hotel and head back to their stalls. There was a guy on a horse with a rifle, two dogs, and a man waking in the rear to make sure all the sheep got where they were suppossed to be going. Very smart dogs!!!

Motta S. Anastasia

2006-05-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

Our TLA here in Sicily for the first 18 days was in Motta S. Anastasia. A lot of the towns around here are named after Saints. I have a few pictures from the town when we were driving up one of the steep hills.
The streets are very narrow here, so your car must be small to get through without a scratch, ding, or a side mirror being ripped off. Most cars that are parked on the side of the road have their mirrors folded in to avoid being ripped off from passing cars.

A New Place to Roam...

2006-05-23T04:40:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Sicily on May 1, 2006. It is now the end of May, so as you can probably tell, it has not been easy to get my hands on a computer for more than a few minutes at a time. A lot has happened since Luis and I got here. The first two weeks we had class everyday. The purpose, I think, was to help us to understand what to expect and what types of things we were going to see, the reality of the easiest task being extremely difficult, and basically to let us know that we will be frustrated and not to be surprised. I definitely have to agree with that last part. The first time Luis and I went to the mall I was almost in tears because I couldn't talk to anyone. Horrible! So, now I know what it must feel like to be a foreigner coming to America and not speaking English....Well let me rephrase that. I have an idea, because America can be way more intimidating in a lot of places I am sure.

We moved into our house last Friday. Actually, we got the keys on Thursday but had no furniture yet. We had to get loaner furniture from the base for the first month or so because ours will not be here until the end of June. :o( But it is alright..Actually it was better than I had expected. The house is a good size...About 1300 sq feet with three bedrooms and two and half bathrooms, a washer and dryer, plenty of storage space. The kitchen has a gas stove and the back yard is fenced in with a small patio. All in all a nice place. The only part I am not thrilled about is the floors. They are all tile....And they get dirty SO quickly.

I ventured into the town of MisterBianco yesterday and found a place called Auchan (something like that). It is the Italian equivalent of Super Walmart basically. I bought a wash bucket, mop, and several mop heads...And this morning I picked up about 5 bottles of floor cleaner. We live a fair distance from the main base so whenever we come here, we stock up on things we need so we will not have to come back to the base. I have to go back to MisterBianco again today though because we need to fill our propane tank for the grill. I might as well while I'm over here, you know? :o)

All in all I'd say things are going good so far. I will get some pictures on here shortly..Probably this upcoming weekend. Luis and I are talking about maybe going to Naples this weekend since it is a four day weekend for him at work. I'm not sure though....

Krystal's Wedding

2006-04-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

She's married! Yea! :o) A lot of weddings this month. She was beautiful, of course! The reception was at Newport News Park at Deer Run Grille. We had to haul over there right after we got off the plane from New York because our flight got messed up and we actually missed the wedding. :o( I am still upset about that! Our plane didn't land until about 6:30 PM! We were suppossed to get home by 12:30 PM....needless to say we got to spend an extensive amount of time at the airport. Still, at least we made it there before they left. :o) For that I am definately grateful.

Our Trip to New York City

2006-04-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Well, we're back! I have to say I had a good time although I have come to the conclusion that I would never want to live there. Might crazy place and I cannot imagine ever trying to drive there. They make their own lanes even though the lanes are clearly marked and pass so close that you think they are going to hit but they don't. It's nuts! I spent half the time in the taxis with my eyes closed. Auuggghhhh!!! We went to a lot of neat places...typical tourist traps most of them: the Eiffel Tower, the Natural Museum of History, the MOMA, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty. We got lost in Central Park. That sucked! We took the subway almost everywhere. You could get anywhere fairly quickly no matter the time of day. It was nice to be able to just hop on and go and not have to worry about parking or anything else. Although I thinked we walked a lot more than normal because now my foot hurts. We went shopping on fifth avenue and no, I didn't buy anything. I couldn't justify spending $675.00 on a t-shirt. :o) We went to Ground Zero....part of the buildings are still there but not much. There is a big hole in the ground now and lots of construction going on. It was sad...and yet held hope for the future. We went to a New York Yankee ballgame which I am disappointed to say they lost to Baltimore 6-5. Major bummer! Still it was my first and probably only game at Yankee Stadium. I have to say though, that I was disappointed with the stadium. It was just a normal stadium like every other one I had been in and I guess I just expected more than that. Pictures! Pictures!

The Argue Wedding

2006-04-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

Saturday, April 8th 2006, Luis and I attended the wedding of Travis and Melissa Argue. It was beautiful, I must say...small, simple....perfect. Melissa wore a white gown with red accents that was just gorgeous on her. I took pictures!!!
Everyone seemed to be having a really nice time. The grandfather of the bride had a rented tuxedo and the sole came off of one of his shoes during the reception, so I had to run home and get Luis' dress shoes for his military uniform so her Grandfather could dance. :o) He was a very nice man and Luis and I were so happy that we could help. We wish them many years of happiness.

A Real Story from an American Soldier's Mother

2006-03-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

This is a a true story that I thought deserved a larger platform...i.e. Blogspot (sidenote: I am not the mother in the story) :

One of my sons serves in the military. He is still stateside, here in California. He called me yesterday to let me know how warm and welcoming people were to him and his troops everywhere he goes, telling me how people shake their hands, and thank them for being willing to serve, and fight, for not only our own freedoms but so that others may have them also. But he also told me about an incident in the grocery store he stopped atyesterday, on his way home from the base.

He said that ahead of several people in front of him stood a woman dressed in a burkha. He said when she got to the cashier she loudly remarked about the U.S. flag lapel pin the cashier wore on her smock. The cashier reached up and touched the pin, and said proudly,"Yes, I always wear it and probably always will." The woman in the burkha then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.

A gentleman standing behind my son stepped forward, putting his arm around my son's shoulders, and nodding towards my son, said in a calm and gentle voice to the Iraqi woman: "Lady, hundreds of thousands of men and women like this young man have fought and died so that YOU could stand here, in MY country and accuse a check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen. It is my belief that had you been this outspoken in YOUR own country, we wouldn't need to be there today. But, hey, if you have now learned how to speak out so loudly and clearly, I'll gladly buy you a ticket and pay your way back to Iraq so you can straighten out the mess in YOUR country that you are obviously here in MY country to avoid."

Everyone within hearing distance cheered.

Shameless Plug

2006-03-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

Click on "Shameless Plug" above to see the website. This is my parents company...so for all of you who have a need for wholesale paper or chemical supplies....give them a ring!

It's been a week...

2006-03-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

Not much new going on right now and no new pictures to share. :o( It's very sad...I know. I'm working on it. Maybe something to share after this weekend. Things are progressing with the move to Italy. The moving company sent a guy over yesterday to look at the house and see what they would have to move. He said it shouldn't take that long because we didn't have anywhere close to our weight limit in stuff to move. Well I could have told him that without him even coming out there. LOL Silly man. So our first shipment is next week and my knees are starting to shake. It's more real now than ever before. Those knots are starting to form and butterflies are flopping everywhere in my insides. LOL Yikes!

Can't get enough of those cats!

2006-03-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

This picture was just too perfect to pass up. There are not many chances when the two are actually behaving themselves and I can get to the camera in time. Of course Onyx is so black you can hardly see his face except for those green eyes, but we still love him!!!!

The Mariner's Museum

2006-03-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

Luis took me to the Mariner's Museum on Saturday. The weather was gorgeous this past weekend! They were having a civil war exhibit, though we spent most of our time in the actual museum itself. They had a Titanic Exhibit and a whole wing of construction going on where they are restoring The Monitor, well what is left of it anyway. We had to put hard hats on and go out into the construction site which was not necessarily exciting but it was alright. We also found a game in the museum...Along the lines of a video game which I was obviously horrible at. :o) So Luis got to play and he won! Go figure.

2006-03-03T23:37:00.000-05:00

This picture is from my company's Christmas Party at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. I just got it from my company not too long ago and haven't had a chance to scan it until now. The museum is spectacular...With works of art from all genres and many of the pieces have so much depth to them. I really loved walking through the halls and just taking my time, looking at each piece, picking my favorites and trying to explain the depth of the piece to my husband who wanted to look at the pottery and costumes instead. He likes art, just a different kind of art then me. I love oil paintings and he loves three dimensional creations made by hand. I think over time we will both grow to appreciate each others artistic views.

The Opera

2006-03-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

I dragged Luis to the opera a few weeks ago. Poor thing. He REALLY didn't want to go. The Marriage of Figaro. That is what we saw, in Italian no less. I like it very much but the last two acts played straight through for 75 minutes and that really is too long to go without an intermission. The good news is he made it through without falling asleep! LOL Yea, Luis! He made it through his first opera.

For those who want a little more excitement in their lives...

2006-02-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. It has been erupting for half a million years. The first eruption took place in 1500 B.C. Mt. Etna is currently erupting. Gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can cause lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods. Volcanic eruptions have been known to knock down entire forests. These kinds of eruptions are called pyroclastic flows. Mt. Etna is a constant threat to the people who live on the island of Sicily. Over the years these people have suffered great consequences. Mt. Etna has also provided many advantages for the people of Sicily. Many people feel the benefits outweigh the danger and build their homes on the lower slopes of the volcano. Within several years, scientists hope to be able to pinpoint the exact time a volcano will erupt. Not to freak my family or friends out but I will be living next to this! Yikes!

Sydney

2006-02-22T09:44:00.000-05:00

The cat got a little experimental when we were laying tile in our bathroom and I just happened to catch her at the right time. LOL Goofy cat...what is it about boxes that cats love? Anytime there is even the form of a box she just jumps right in there.

Batter Up

2006-02-21T10:21:00.000-05:00

We are going to a game at Yankee Stadium! It's official, a friend of mine got the tickets for us this past week. How exciting! I have always wanted to go to a game here since I can remember. Her and her boyfriend will be going with us so they can show us all the stuff we would miss otherwise. I should be a lot of fun!

Our Home

2006-02-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of our first house. I signed the paperwork to sell it on Friday. :o( I will be sad to let it go because I know we will both miss it. The rest of the pictures are of inside the house after all the work we did ripping stuff apart and fixing things and painting. It was a lot of work but now it is truly a beautiful house. We almost didn't want to sell it. :o) I just have to keep reminding myself that we will be in Italy for three years. It is really exciting. That helps me let go of the house. We have to sell the truck at the end of April because we can only take one car..that is another task I have to accomplish.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2006-02-14T11:58:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned how much I adore my husband? He surprised me so good this Valentine's Day! Actually he surprised me last night. Our house went on the market yesterday and already we had people who wanted to see it. They are writing a contract on it today from what I hear. We'll see what they come up with. Another couple want to look at it this afternoon. Anyway, we had to be out of the house so they could look at it so I had Luis meet me at the mall for dinner. I got there late because I got stuck in traffic. By the time I got there, Luis had eaten, I wasn't hungry, and the people had left the house...So I suggested we just head home. Before we left he walked me by the jewelry store and took me in and bought me the bracelet I wanted for Valentine's Day! He had bought it for me before but I traded it in on my engagement ring because I wanted a ring that was expensive. Two years later and I finally got it back! We went home in separate cars. I got home before he did. That never happens because he is a speed demon. He arrived about ten minutes after me with a dozen red roses and he put my bracelet on my wrist. Yea!!! What a wonderful husband!