Matthew and Isaac

Isaac in Italy

Isaac was loved everywhere we went.  Many people helped me on the trip to Italy and back.  He was held by many, many people!

Italian grandmas would stop me and start talking to Isaac and touch his feet, hands, cheeks and chin.  He would laugh and lunge forward, so excited to hear their sweet talking in Italian.

A lady from Minnesota held him for two hours on the plane from Boston to Rome.  The flight attendants held him off and on and put a bassinet on the wall for me. The lady behind me also held him.  While in Rome three gentleman who work for Boeing helped get me quickly through security and customs.  They were diligent in getting me to the front of lines and giving me instructions on my next step in the trip. A lady held Isaac in Naples while her husband and another gentleman helped retrieve my luggage. 

 

The hotel staff were all kind and carried bags for me.  Other guests always stopped to talk to Isaac.  We met several people from England.  Almost all the other guests stopped to talk to Isaac at least once.

 

In restaurants people would talk to Isaac and hold him.  One Italian grandfather brought me my fries and took Isaac.  He carried him around while he worked. At a couple different restaurants the waitresses just picked him up and showed him off. 

 

The staff at the hotel in Naples held him and took his picture.  They thought his passport photo was great.

 

At the beginning of our trip Isaac would lean forward and be excited when someone spoke Italian to him and tickled his chin and toes.  My the end of the trip he was tolerating it so bravely when he was whisked away from his mama.  He never cried just locked eyes on me.

 

On the way home more people carried my bags and helped me get to the customs line. 

 

It was always a blessing to have someone come up and take my large carry on bag for me.  It was also a blessing to be allowed in the front of security lines and the US customs line.

 

Isaac did very well on our trip and was shown a tremendous amount of affection!

 It was a good thing I don't mind people holding and touching him!

Livingroom

...made a few changes...

Tired Mama Curtains

These curtains have raw edges, a knot in the top corners and thumb tacks holding them in place.

They are cute even with their flaws.



Hurricane Sandy Salad

We stayed indoors all day yesterday and today while the wind blew and the rain fell outside.

It has been a nice time of extra naps, coloring, putting together puzzles and the rare event of watching a movie.

 

My mom has kept beans and rice cooked plus we have extra water.  Thankfully, we have not lost power. That is a blessing!

 

For lunch kiddos had a salad with

spinach,

celery,

carrots (except Matthew)

apple,

hemp seeds,

avocado,

onion,

pieces of a Trader Joe's turkey burger,

olive oil

and

sea salt.

 

My lunch was a turkey burger with avocado and green olives covered with olive oil and sea salt along with potato chips.

 



Pictures from Matt

Laundry

 

Walking around Sorrento and Naples we always saw laundry hung from balconies.  Some had the laundry pinned to the railings and others had drying racks hanging off the balcony.  We are not the only ones without a dryer!

Sorrento

Capri

gate to Anacapri

looking out from Anacapri

boat ride to the island of capri

Italy

 

 

visiting the Caesar Augustus Garden in Anacapri, Italy

 

Supper in Sorrento

 

These pictures were taken at a family owned restaurant where we ate two evenings. Their french fries were the best.  Also, the grilled sweet potato and zucchini was delicious.  The staff was kind and the atmosphere quaint.

 

my supper...

 side note - since you can see my hair cut... thankful I was able to donate 10 inches to Locks for Love for the third time.

Naples

 

 

 

The staff at this resturant were very kind.  At one point we had a large group of Italians all trying to figure out what we were requesting.  Matt had mushrooms and prosciutto on his pizza and I had a plate of green olives covered in olive oil and salt.  The food was delicious! 

 

 

Liberty Buddies

Riding the train from Sorrento to Naples.

Tapioca Pudding

2/3 cup small pearl tapioca

2 1/2 cups sunflower seed milk

 

place in a saucepan, cover and refrigerate overnight

 

add:

 

one 15 ounce can of coconut milk

 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 

bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring often

 

remove from heat

 

add

 

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

 

refrigerate until cold

 

this is yummy!

 

original recipe is from

The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking

by

Irma S. Rombauer,

Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker

Quotes

"A little thing is a little thing,

but faithfulness in little things

is a great thing."

 

 

 

 “If we are faithful to GOD in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life.”

 

 

-Hudson Taylor

Three Months



13 pounds

So Funny!

Matthew to a gentleman,

"We make our own soap.  We make our own soap, but we aren't Amish. We believe in cars."

Cousins

Sleeping Baby

2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.