Writing (or, rather, avoiding writing) the rest of the story about my hospital stay has been quite a stumbling block for me emotionally and creatively. Even though those experiences made me grow a lot and helped me learn some great things, most of the memories are still like an open wound that I wish I could forget.
I have been psychologically scarred. Of course I haven’t been professionally diagnosed, but I’m pretty sure I have post-traumatic stress syndrome. There have been a few times where I’ve seen a show about someone going into surgery and I start sobbing uncontrollably, or else I see something like a stretcher in a corner of the airport and I want to hide behind Jon like a little girl hiding behind her parent.
I have developed food issues now, as well. If I go too long without eating, it’s almost like my body goes into a panic and I have constant, intense hunger pains for days afterwards. It’s like some primal part of me is worried that there may not be a next meal and it wants me to eat as much as I can, while I can. Does that make sense? I didn’t recognize it until we went to Italy and I didn’t have the same control over what or when I ate. After our long flight over there, despite the fact that it was nearly midnight, I was famished and desperate to eat. A logical part of me recognized that I wasn’t acting normally; the acute hunger pains and frantic feelings of needing to eat reminded me a little of when I was pregnant or nursing, but I certainly wasn’t either of those! So, I wondered what was making me react that way. I’m pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I was near starvation after my surgery, and then the many days that followed in the hospital, I was either not fed enough, or fed foods that I couldn’t enjoy. I was hungry all the time in the hospital!! Jon brought me some foods to snack on, but my stomach was so messed up that I it made me nauseous. I also react really poorly after I fast (for religious purposes) once a month, despite the fact that I’m voluntarily choosing not to eat. For days after, I feel that food owns me.
I lost a lot of weight in the hospital. I was so gaunt and malnourished looking when I got home. The bonus to that was that I felt invincible; I could eat what or whenever I wanted. It was so freeing! Unfortunately, when we arrived home from Italy I was back to normal weight. It was so sad for me to realize I had to pull back the reins and that I was no longer invincible. From now on, I had to eat mindfully.
I have also recently been suffering from anxiety. If there’s any noise when I’m first trying fall asleep at nights, I wake up in a panic with my heart pounding. I’ve developed acid reflux, which gets irritated even more with my bedtime panic attacks. I blame this anxiety that I already have the kids Halloween costumes figured out, and I almost have our Christmas shopping completely squared away with everything placed in our Amazon wish list. I know it’s crazy to already be shopping for Halloween and Christmas! I don’t even understand why I’m doing it!
I probably could use some professional help, but I wouldn’t know where to go. Writing about it is my only therapy, and it does help. I have no doubt that many years down the road I will have forgotten all the really bad and scary things that happened, or at least I won’t be bothered by them. The wonderful thing about experiencing trials is that you can forget the bad and move on, but you still take with you the strength that you gained from the experiences!
I will try and finish my hospital story soon. It will be nice to have those no longer hanging over me.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Coo-ooookie Crisp in Russia!
I found this box of Cookie Crisp in the grocery store on the corner. It was such a fun surprise to see some familiar food. I don’t usually like sugary cereals and I don’t consider them breakfast food, but I just had to get some for sentimental purposes and eat it as a treat.
My parents used to let my brother, sister, and I pick a box of cereal to have for breakfast on our birthdays. It was extra special because we usually had the bulk cereal in a large bag that was never as good. It was also fun because, at the time, a lot of children’s boxed cereals included a toy inside. Sadly, I specifically remember one year that I chose Cookie Crisp for my birthday cereal, but I was so disappointed to find that they’d forgotten to add the prize in my box. What a rip off! Anyway, like the U.S. now, there are no toys in Russian cereals, and that’s okay.
Boxed cereals seem to still be a pretty new idea in Russia, and they generally only have a small selection to choose from. However, despite the fact that many people have not moved over to a boxed cereals, I was still surprised to see these instructions on the Cookie Crisp box. I mean, is a really necessary? Pouring yourself a bowl of cereal is about as basic as making toast.
I can just picture some perfectionist continuously looking from their bowl to these instructions with each step and wondering with concern, “Am I doing it right?”
Though I usually don’t care for sugary cereals, this ended up being a super fun treat!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
31 Years Young!
I had an incredible birthday this year! I didn’t think I would at first because Jon had to teach for the majority of the evening. However, I decided that just because I wouldn’t get to spend all of the evening with my husband on my birthday, there was no reason why I couldn’t spend some time with him earlier in the day. So, I asked Jon if he would take me out to lunch. I timidly asked, though, if the lunch could be considered a “birthday perk” and not my gift -- I was still hoping to get a present. ;) Jon was really excited about the idea of taking me out to lunch, and he scouted around the area to find a fun, new restaurant for us to try.
The other thing that made my birthday fun was that my Visiting Teachers asked if they could come visit me that morning. (In our church, Visiting Teachers are a pair of women assigned to other women from their ward [congregation] to be friends and visit, teach short, gospel-related lessons, and just check-in to make sure they’re faring well.) I was really excited to have them come.
Now I had two great things to look forward to on my birthday. Still, I didn’t expect it to be as great as it turned out.
On the morning of my birthday, my Visiting Teachers (KLynn and Katerina) arrived with gifts. Katerina had made a chocolate birthday cake for me. I had not planned to make myself a birthday cake that day (Jon was going to make me one that weekend), so I was really pleased that I would actually have birthday cake ON my birthday! Then, KLynn set down a large, long, rectangle-shaped gift on the desk; there was a small rectangle gift attached to the top. KLynn told me it was a gift for Kate and me to share. She is a very creative person, always making stuff, so my immediate guess was that she had sewn something matching for Kate and me. KLynn also had several small rectangle gifts that she said were for the boys.
Later in our visit, KLynn talked about the gift she was giving Kate and me again and mentioned that it was something special her and her husband had talked about and really wanted to give us. My heart stopped for a moment and my eyes widened as I suddenly had a guess of what the gift in the large, long rectangle box might be. (KLynn and I had talked a number of times about American Girl dolls. Her and her husband had always gotten those for their girls, instead of Barbies. I had always, always wanted one as a young girl, and even as an adult I would occasionally request a catalog just to look at and dream over.) When I looked at the gift that KLynn had given Kate and me, I thought, “No way! Could it be?" It would be so cool if there was an American Girl doll in the box, but, realistically, it couldn’t be; that would be too generous!
I had a really nice visit with my KLynn and Katerina, and William had a wonderful time playing with Katerina’s children. When I mentioned that Jon was taking me out for lunch, KLynn offered to stay and babysit William. This was a kind surprise, and this way William wouldn’t get to his nap so late. So, Katerina and her children left and Jon and I prepared to leave for our date. KLynn had even offered to let us use her driver, so we made it to the restaurant quickly. Jon picked a really fun cafeteria-style restaurant. Cafeteria-style restaurants are very popular in Moscow. I got salmon (Mmm, I love salmon!), vegetables, salad, and something that looked kind of like a pie. Jon got a “pie”, too, but we discovered that we liked each other’s best, so we traded.
After lunch, we shopped around a little at the mall. The whole time we were out, I couldn’t stop thinking about the gift for Kate and me and it made me smile every time I did. Then, we headed back home in our borrowed taxi. When we arrived home, William was sleeping peacefully, and the apartment looked beautiful -- KLynn had tidied up while we were gone!
As soon as the kids got home that evening, we rushed to eat the birthday cake and open the gifts before Jon had to leave to teach his evening class.
I loved watching each of my children sing the Happy Birthday song to me, including the two extra verses my family adds! Their eyes sparkled in the candlelight and they smiled so big at me. Oh, I love my family! The cake was messy and delicious. Katerina warned me that the cake was very rich and chocolaty, but I love dark chocolate, so it was perfect!
After we got our fill of cake, we gathered in the living room for present time. There was a small gift specifically for me from KLynn that was dark chocolate, a pretty white handbag, a silk scarf, and some dish cloths. Then, the boys opened their gifts. Bruce and James each got three really nice, different sized cars (small, medium, and large; the large one made sounds and the headlights lit up), and William got two cars (a small and medium one). The boys were in love with their cars!
Finally, it was time for Kate and me to open our big gift. *squeal!* We each took an end and began to unwrap.
I peeked at my opened end, and I saw the signature American Girl stars! Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay!!!!
I couldn’t believe it -- my dream of owning an American Girl doll had finally come true! She looked perfect! Now you may have already guessed that the small box attached to the larger one was Rebecca’s accessories (a hat, Russian print shawl, and a small brooch painted with a Russian fairy tale). We didn’t pull her out of the box that night because Jon had to leave for work, and I had to feed the children dinner and get them to bed, so Kate and I pulled her out the following morning while Jon was taking the boys to school.
You know how sometimes when you wish and wish for something and once you finally get it, you are disappointed because it’s not everything you had dreamed it would be? Well, opening our American Girl doll was nothing like that! She was gorgeous down to every detail! I especially adored her two-tone boots with buttons. The doll felt so well-made; I loved her huggable body! This was a huge difference from the $20 princess dolls that Kate was given last year that are solid plastic and sharp to hug.
One thing that I especially love about sharing Rebecca with Kate is that she gives us a bonding opportunity. Once the boys are in bed, Kate and I pull Rebecca out of the cabinet (we keep her there to keep her safe from the boys) and Kate holds and plays with her while I read chapter books to her. First, we read the doll’s accompanying book “Meet Rebecca”. We quickly finished that book, and we have moved on to other ones. I really like this new evening Mother-Daughter time together! We aren’t able to do it every single night, but we do it most nights.
When I was talking with KLynn earlier that day, before I had guessed what was in the box, I mentioned how much I always loved dolls, even after other girls my age had out-grown them. I said, “Christmas was never really Christmas for me unless I got a doll.” I can’t believe that one of my childhood dreams has finally come true and that I own an American Girl doll! What a happy birthday!
The other thing that made my birthday fun was that my Visiting Teachers asked if they could come visit me that morning. (In our church, Visiting Teachers are a pair of women assigned to other women from their ward [congregation] to be friends and visit, teach short, gospel-related lessons, and just check-in to make sure they’re faring well.) I was really excited to have them come.
Now I had two great things to look forward to on my birthday. Still, I didn’t expect it to be as great as it turned out.
On the morning of my birthday, my Visiting Teachers (KLynn and Katerina) arrived with gifts. Katerina had made a chocolate birthday cake for me. I had not planned to make myself a birthday cake that day (Jon was going to make me one that weekend), so I was really pleased that I would actually have birthday cake ON my birthday! Then, KLynn set down a large, long, rectangle-shaped gift on the desk; there was a small rectangle gift attached to the top. KLynn told me it was a gift for Kate and me to share. She is a very creative person, always making stuff, so my immediate guess was that she had sewn something matching for Kate and me. KLynn also had several small rectangle gifts that she said were for the boys.
Later in our visit, KLynn talked about the gift she was giving Kate and me again and mentioned that it was something special her and her husband had talked about and really wanted to give us. My heart stopped for a moment and my eyes widened as I suddenly had a guess of what the gift in the large, long rectangle box might be. (KLynn and I had talked a number of times about American Girl dolls. Her and her husband had always gotten those for their girls, instead of Barbies. I had always, always wanted one as a young girl, and even as an adult I would occasionally request a catalog just to look at and dream over.) When I looked at the gift that KLynn had given Kate and me, I thought, “No way! Could it be?" It would be so cool if there was an American Girl doll in the box, but, realistically, it couldn’t be; that would be too generous!
I had a really nice visit with my KLynn and Katerina, and William had a wonderful time playing with Katerina’s children. When I mentioned that Jon was taking me out for lunch, KLynn offered to stay and babysit William. This was a kind surprise, and this way William wouldn’t get to his nap so late. So, Katerina and her children left and Jon and I prepared to leave for our date. KLynn had even offered to let us use her driver, so we made it to the restaurant quickly. Jon picked a really fun cafeteria-style restaurant. Cafeteria-style restaurants are very popular in Moscow. I got salmon (Mmm, I love salmon!), vegetables, salad, and something that looked kind of like a pie. Jon got a “pie”, too, but we discovered that we liked each other’s best, so we traded.
After lunch, we shopped around a little at the mall. The whole time we were out, I couldn’t stop thinking about the gift for Kate and me and it made me smile every time I did. Then, we headed back home in our borrowed taxi. When we arrived home, William was sleeping peacefully, and the apartment looked beautiful -- KLynn had tidied up while we were gone!
As soon as the kids got home that evening, we rushed to eat the birthday cake and open the gifts before Jon had to leave to teach his evening class.
My chocolate cake
One candle for each decade
One candle for each decade
When we weren't paying attention, William climbed onto the table to check out the cake. Being mesmerized by the sparkly Disney Princess sprinkles, he reached out to grab one and eat it. But, of course, one wasn’t enough.
He had to try the frosting, too.
I thought the little finger marks were very endearing as an added decoration on my cake!
I loved watching each of my children sing the Happy Birthday song to me, including the two extra verses my family adds! Their eyes sparkled in the candlelight and they smiled so big at me. Oh, I love my family! The cake was messy and delicious. Katerina warned me that the cake was very rich and chocolaty, but I love dark chocolate, so it was perfect!
After we got our fill of cake, we gathered in the living room for present time. There was a small gift specifically for me from KLynn that was dark chocolate, a pretty white handbag, a silk scarf, and some dish cloths. Then, the boys opened their gifts. Bruce and James each got three really nice, different sized cars (small, medium, and large; the large one made sounds and the headlights lit up), and William got two cars (a small and medium one). The boys were in love with their cars!
Bruce (with chocolate cake still on his mouth) wearing the bow that was wrapped around his gift
Finally, it was time for Kate and me to open our big gift. *squeal!* We each took an end and began to unwrap.
I peeked at my opened end, and I saw the signature American Girl stars! Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay!!!!
I couldn’t believe it -- my dream of owning an American Girl doll had finally come true! She looked perfect! Now you may have already guessed that the small box attached to the larger one was Rebecca’s accessories (a hat, Russian print shawl, and a small brooch painted with a Russian fairy tale). We didn’t pull her out of the box that night because Jon had to leave for work, and I had to feed the children dinner and get them to bed, so Kate and I pulled her out the following morning while Jon was taking the boys to school.
You know how sometimes when you wish and wish for something and once you finally get it, you are disappointed because it’s not everything you had dreamed it would be? Well, opening our American Girl doll was nothing like that! She was gorgeous down to every detail! I especially adored her two-tone boots with buttons. The doll felt so well-made; I loved her huggable body! This was a huge difference from the $20 princess dolls that Kate was given last year that are solid plastic and sharp to hug.
One thing that I especially love about sharing Rebecca with Kate is that she gives us a bonding opportunity. Once the boys are in bed, Kate and I pull Rebecca out of the cabinet (we keep her there to keep her safe from the boys) and Kate holds and plays with her while I read chapter books to her. First, we read the doll’s accompanying book “Meet Rebecca”. We quickly finished that book, and we have moved on to other ones. I really like this new evening Mother-Daughter time together! We aren’t able to do it every single night, but we do it most nights.
When I was talking with KLynn earlier that day, before I had guessed what was in the box, I mentioned how much I always loved dolls, even after other girls my age had out-grown them. I said, “Christmas was never really Christmas for me unless I got a doll.” I can’t believe that one of my childhood dreams has finally come true and that I own an American Girl doll! What a happy birthday!
P.S. A few days later, we made the birthday cake I had planned on having for my birthday -- a carrot cake. Since it was still considered my birthday cake, the kids made sure that candles were put inside the cake and lit, that the room was as dark as possible, and they sang “Happy Birthday” to me again. I, then, pulled out the four candles I had on top (1 for every decade and an extra for the year -- 31) and Kate, James, and Bruce asked if they could lick the cream cheese frosting off the bottom. Why not? I decided to offer the last candle to William. However, instead of licking it, William chomped his teeth down and took a bite off the bottom of the little candle. We all laughed at that. I’m sure he enjoyed the flavor; he still loves eating crayons whenever he can find one.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Easter 2013
We had a great, though belated, Easter celebration. On Friday (April 5) I hardboiled about 10 white eggs and 10 brown eggs. That evening when the children arrived home from school, I helped them decorate the eggs.
We put plastic egg-wrappers on the brown eggs. We had a few Angry Birds egg-wrappers that my friend Lynnie sent to us an Easter egg kit for the children (thanks, Lynnie!), and for the rest we used our Russian egg-wrappers. We don’t have a slotted spoon, and dipping the egg-wrappers in the boiling water was a little too dangerous for the kids, so they just put the plastic wrappers over the eggs and I placed them in the boiling water while the kids watched.
The children were anxious to paint eggs as well, which was why I also hardboiled white eggs. After I helped the children die the eggs in the kitchen (with my strict adult supervision) and they dried, the children sat at the dining room table with vinegar-based markers and Angry Birds stickers from the kit and had a ball decorating. Then, it was time for them to hop to bed so that the Easter Bunny could come that night.
We didn’t make the children clean up their toys in the living room that night so that the Easter Bunny had plenty of places to hide to the eggs, so please excuse the mess in the pictures.
Saturday morning the children woke up with anticipation! They each found their Easter bags hidden in the entryway (we use bags because we don’t have baskets). The entryway is pretty small and it doesn’t seem like there would be a lot of hiding places, but they were hid well so the kids still took some time to find their bags.
With their very own Easter bags clutched in each child’s hand, the kids then darted here and there in the living room, searching and finding Easter eggs filled with candy. It wasn’t too long before all the eggs were found (well, except for the egg up in the chandelier which I knew they wouldn’t find, so I just stuck it in William’s bag, knowing he didn’t get as many eggs as the other kids).
We had a fantastic Easter as a family! However, Easter is not necessarily over. The Russian Orthodox Easter is not until the 5th of May this year. It’s a good thing we had plenty of Easter stuff saved from last year and that Jon and I had our trip to Italy where we were able to buy some Easter candy, because there was NO Easter stuff out in the stores in March. We are just recently noticing Easter stuff popping up in the stores. Of course, I HAD to buy more cool Russian egg-wrappers. I figure that’s something we can never have too much of, and who knows how much longer we’ll be here. I was joking with Jon that maybe we’d have so many egg-wrappers that we’d still be using them with our grandchildren. ;)
We hope you had a great Easter!
We put plastic egg-wrappers on the brown eggs. We had a few Angry Birds egg-wrappers that my friend Lynnie sent to us an Easter egg kit for the children (thanks, Lynnie!), and for the rest we used our Russian egg-wrappers. We don’t have a slotted spoon, and dipping the egg-wrappers in the boiling water was a little too dangerous for the kids, so they just put the plastic wrappers over the eggs and I placed them in the boiling water while the kids watched.
The children were anxious to paint eggs as well, which was why I also hardboiled white eggs. After I helped the children die the eggs in the kitchen (with my strict adult supervision) and they dried, the children sat at the dining room table with vinegar-based markers and Angry Birds stickers from the kit and had a ball decorating. Then, it was time for them to hop to bed so that the Easter Bunny could come that night.
James and Kate made thank you cards for the Easter Bunny,
and Kate wanted to make sure we left out a carrot
We didn’t make the children clean up their toys in the living room that night so that the Easter Bunny had plenty of places to hide to the eggs, so please excuse the mess in the pictures.
Saturday morning the children woke up with anticipation! They each found their Easter bags hidden in the entryway (we use bags because we don’t have baskets). The entryway is pretty small and it doesn’t seem like there would be a lot of hiding places, but they were hid well so the kids still took some time to find their bags.
With their very own Easter bags clutched in each child’s hand, the kids then darted here and there in the living room, searching and finding Easter eggs filled with candy. It wasn’t too long before all the eggs were found (well, except for the egg up in the chandelier which I knew they wouldn’t find, so I just stuck it in William’s bag, knowing he didn’t get as many eggs as the other kids).
We had a fantastic Easter as a family! However, Easter is not necessarily over. The Russian Orthodox Easter is not until the 5th of May this year. It’s a good thing we had plenty of Easter stuff saved from last year and that Jon and I had our trip to Italy where we were able to buy some Easter candy, because there was NO Easter stuff out in the stores in March. We are just recently noticing Easter stuff popping up in the stores. Of course, I HAD to buy more cool Russian egg-wrappers. I figure that’s something we can never have too much of, and who knows how much longer we’ll be here. I was joking with Jon that maybe we’d have so many egg-wrappers that we’d still be using them with our grandchildren. ;)
We hope you had a great Easter!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Italian Chocolate Easter Eggs
I decided I wanted to bring home just ONE Italian chocolate Easter egg so everyone could to have the experience of seeing and opening one. I’m glad we only bought the one because our concerns were spot on – the chocolate egg got crashed into bits in our suitcase. Oh well, the chocolate would still tastes like chocolate and the surprise inside would be just fine.
Since we returned home so late on Friday, March 29th, we got our other three children back on Saturday afternoon. Obviously, the following day was Easter. Unfortunately, Jon and I like to do our secular celebrating on Saturday, but it felt too late by the time the children were home and settled. So, we asked the children if we could celebrate Easter the following weekend. They were more than happy to wait.
However, I decided that we should open the Italian chocolate Easter egg on Easter Sunday. It was a short activity, but the children seemed to enjoy themselves and the chocolate. I don’t care for milk chocolate, so I gave it all to them.
Our surprise was a happy, blond miniature baby doll with a potty seat.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
The Rest of Our Vacation in Italy
Continued...
Not long after we returned (from Florence) to Bergamo with Dad, Mom and James on Thursday (March 25th), we started the borsch, and then Dad took Jon and me to La Citta Alta, pronounced “Chitta Alta” -- the Upper City. James tagged along with us. Dad and Mom had taken James while Jon and I were gone, and they decided it was so neat that they had to show us as well. We were so glad we got to see it! It was such a fascinating and beautiful old city.
First, we walked through some old churches. They were incredible inside! James was our cute little tour guide, proud to show us things he had previously seen with his grandparents. Afterwards, we walked around on the old, narrow cobblestone roads, peeking through shop windows and enjoying the beautiful Italian architecture. We only entered one shop – a patisserie! I got a fresh fruit tart. Mmm! We also picked up Bergamo’s signature cake to eat later.
That evening, we headed to the GANS Center to join Dad and Mom for their English class, and also for the single adult’s activity night where Jon was to share his borsch. It was a lot of fun to see where Mom and Dad do a lot of their service for their mission.
The English class went well, and Jon and I really enjoyed watching James help teach, just as he had on Tuesday night when we were in Florence.
At the end of English class, a man was leading music time. He chose the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. He pointed at different people in the class as he sang the song -- the Sister missionaries for, “He’s got you and me, sister…”; some men in the class for, “He’s got you and me, brother…” etc. Unfortunately, he pointed to James when he sang, “He’s got a tiny little baby…” Everyone looked at James and it was immediately obvious that James was quite offended. It was like a little dark storm cloud suddenly gathered and hovered over James’s head. There was a few moments of eerie silence as James’s eyebrows deeply furrowed and he pulled a toothy frown. Then, a low growl came from deep within his throat, after which he began to cry. Jon and Dad took James out of the classroom to help calm him down. I wanted to join them, but I knew they could handle it, and it would be silly to have three adults leave.
Unfortunately, James would not be comforted. He was plainly insulted that he was referred to as a “tiny little baby”, when it was so obvious he was a strong, big boy! So, I took James to an empty room so that we could be alone. Meanwhile, English class was over, but there was such an abundance of borsch, that Mom and Dad invited everyone to remain for dinner. All but one person stayed to enjoy the soup. I knew it was time to eat, so I coaxed James out of the room. However, when he discovered the English class in the kitchen, he backed out, and we had to return to our empty room. I pulled out my phone and played James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” song for my James to help calm him down. That is the lullaby I have sung to James since he was still in my womb, after we found out he was a boy. Finally, I had to explain to James that it was rude for us to continue hiding in that room and not join the other company. Thankfully, he took my hand and we walked to the kitchen. By then, most of the English class had left, including the music leader.
On our drive home from the GANS Center late that night, we lamented the fact that we were leaving the following morning. James expressed how he was going to miss his grandparents, and Dad and Mom mentioned that they may come visit us someday. James liked that idea, but warned, “I hope you won’t feel bad, but Moscow doesn’t have any palm trees.” He referred to the palm trees that whipped past the window as we drove through the night. His grandparents assured him that they would be just fine.
Jon and I quickly put our exhausted boy to bed, but not wanting the evening or our vacation to come to an end, we stayed up for while and visited with Mom and Dad in their room. We watched a few clips of comedian Tim Hawkins on YouTube and laughed together. We had such a pleasant time, just as we used to when we lived closer. I hope someday we can live close to each other again.
It was good that we left the majority of our sweet lambs in Moscow because it gave us something to look forward when returning. Thankfully, our flight home on Friday was safe and uneventful. We had a layover in Frankfurt Germany.
I have never-ever had a desire to travel, but visiting beautiful Italy, and even just hanging out in the Frankfurt Airport and being surrounded by yet a new, interesting set of people, I decided that, in fact, I really would like to travel a little. And, I started a mental list right then and there of places and adventures I’d like to have… Someday. Italy was added again – I didn’t quite have enough, I guess. But, next time, hopefully, the sun will join us for the majority of our vacation. Germany was also added, among several others.
Thank you, Dad and Mom! We had such an incredible time visiting you! We are so proud of you and the work of service that you are generously giving at this time in your lives. We love you, and we anxiously look forward to getting together as an entire family again, maybe even to stay.
Not long after we returned (from Florence) to Bergamo with Dad, Mom and James on Thursday (March 25th), we started the borsch, and then Dad took Jon and me to La Citta Alta, pronounced “Chitta Alta” -- the Upper City. James tagged along with us. Dad and Mom had taken James while Jon and I were gone, and they decided it was so neat that they had to show us as well. We were so glad we got to see it! It was such a fascinating and beautiful old city.
James wanted his picture taken by the fountain
First, we walked through some old churches. They were incredible inside! James was our cute little tour guide, proud to show us things he had previously seen with his grandparents. Afterwards, we walked around on the old, narrow cobblestone roads, peeking through shop windows and enjoying the beautiful Italian architecture. We only entered one shop – a patisserie! I got a fresh fruit tart. Mmm! We also picked up Bergamo’s signature cake to eat later.
A fancy confessional
Ceilings
James told me this was Rapunzel
Of course, I like the statue of the woman with the babies.
The streets were so narrow you had to take care not to bump someone else's umbrella.
Stone drain
Imagine someone carving that by hand
Imagine someone carving that by hand
Patisserie
Community clothes-washing tub
We were told that James wasn't very impressed by this when he saw it the day before,
but he couldn't wait to show his mom and dad.
We were told that James wasn't very impressed by this when he saw it the day before,
but he couldn't wait to show his mom and dad.
Cool building
Cobblestone street
Notice the two rows of straight cobblestones side-by-side.
Notice the two rows of straight cobblestones side-by-side.
They help drain the water.
Fun lavender store
It looked like everything was purple inside.
That evening, we headed to the GANS Center to join Dad and Mom for their English class, and also for the single adult’s activity night where Jon was to share his borsch. It was a lot of fun to see where Mom and Dad do a lot of their service for their mission.
Dad and James messing around on the iPads
The English class went well, and Jon and I really enjoyed watching James help teach, just as he had on Tuesday night when we were in Florence.
At the end of English class, a man was leading music time. He chose the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. He pointed at different people in the class as he sang the song -- the Sister missionaries for, “He’s got you and me, sister…”; some men in the class for, “He’s got you and me, brother…” etc. Unfortunately, he pointed to James when he sang, “He’s got a tiny little baby…” Everyone looked at James and it was immediately obvious that James was quite offended. It was like a little dark storm cloud suddenly gathered and hovered over James’s head. There was a few moments of eerie silence as James’s eyebrows deeply furrowed and he pulled a toothy frown. Then, a low growl came from deep within his throat, after which he began to cry. Jon and Dad took James out of the classroom to help calm him down. I wanted to join them, but I knew they could handle it, and it would be silly to have three adults leave.
Unfortunately, James would not be comforted. He was plainly insulted that he was referred to as a “tiny little baby”, when it was so obvious he was a strong, big boy! So, I took James to an empty room so that we could be alone. Meanwhile, English class was over, but there was such an abundance of borsch, that Mom and Dad invited everyone to remain for dinner. All but one person stayed to enjoy the soup. I knew it was time to eat, so I coaxed James out of the room. However, when he discovered the English class in the kitchen, he backed out, and we had to return to our empty room. I pulled out my phone and played James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” song for my James to help calm him down. That is the lullaby I have sung to James since he was still in my womb, after we found out he was a boy. Finally, I had to explain to James that it was rude for us to continue hiding in that room and not join the other company. Thankfully, he took my hand and we walked to the kitchen. By then, most of the English class had left, including the music leader.
After James had eaten, it was clear that his hunger must have been the majority of his problem. The rest of the evening James was happy-go-lucky. Then, one-by-one the single adults arrived and their energy really livened things up. They were a great group! One of the men played ping-pong with James for a long time, despite the fact that James kept missing or knocking the ball off the table.
For decoration, someone had brought a couple Italian chocolate Easter eggs to place on the dining table. The eggs are big and hollow and contain a surprise inside. I had never seen anything like them before until we came to Italy, but they look like a really fun tradition. I felt bad that we couldn’t take some home for each of our children, but I knew they’d be demolished in our luggage. Anyway, the group at the GANS that night offered one of the eggs to James to open. James was delighted, and I felt honored by their kindness. Secretly, I may have been just as excited as James. I was really curious about how it opened and what was inside.
We saw these Easter egg surprises at most of the stores we had visited in Bergamo and Florence and there were all sorts of characters displayed on the wrappers that showed what kind of surprise you might get. James’s egg had Pokémon on the wrapper. I don’t think James knows much about Pokémon, but it was funny that that is what he got because, just the previous day, his grandparents had let him choose a souvenir and he got a Pokémon toy. James’s Easter egg surprise was a small zippered pouch. There had been two eggs displayed on the table, and though one had already been opened, they gave James that Pokémon surprise, a small card album with a few Pokémon cards, as well. James treasured his new gifts, and when he returned to the apartment that night, he gently placed them in the shoebox that he was hoarding all his Italian souvenirs and treasures.
For decoration, someone had brought a couple Italian chocolate Easter eggs to place on the dining table. The eggs are big and hollow and contain a surprise inside. I had never seen anything like them before until we came to Italy, but they look like a really fun tradition. I felt bad that we couldn’t take some home for each of our children, but I knew they’d be demolished in our luggage. Anyway, the group at the GANS that night offered one of the eggs to James to open. James was delighted, and I felt honored by their kindness. Secretly, I may have been just as excited as James. I was really curious about how it opened and what was inside.
We saw these Easter egg surprises at most of the stores we had visited in Bergamo and Florence and there were all sorts of characters displayed on the wrappers that showed what kind of surprise you might get. James’s egg had Pokémon on the wrapper. I don’t think James knows much about Pokémon, but it was funny that that is what he got because, just the previous day, his grandparents had let him choose a souvenir and he got a Pokémon toy. James’s Easter egg surprise was a small zippered pouch. There had been two eggs displayed on the table, and though one had already been opened, they gave James that Pokémon surprise, a small card album with a few Pokémon cards, as well. James treasured his new gifts, and when he returned to the apartment that night, he gently placed them in the shoebox that he was hoarding all his Italian souvenirs and treasures.
On our drive home from the GANS Center late that night, we lamented the fact that we were leaving the following morning. James expressed how he was going to miss his grandparents, and Dad and Mom mentioned that they may come visit us someday. James liked that idea, but warned, “I hope you won’t feel bad, but Moscow doesn’t have any palm trees.” He referred to the palm trees that whipped past the window as we drove through the night. His grandparents assured him that they would be just fine.
Jon and I quickly put our exhausted boy to bed, but not wanting the evening or our vacation to come to an end, we stayed up for while and visited with Mom and Dad in their room. We watched a few clips of comedian Tim Hawkins on YouTube and laughed together. We had such a pleasant time, just as we used to when we lived closer. I hope someday we can live close to each other again.
Getting in the car to leave (notice the door opens from the opposite side)
It was good that we left the majority of our sweet lambs in Moscow because it gave us something to look forward when returning. Thankfully, our flight home on Friday was safe and uneventful. We had a layover in Frankfurt Germany.
I have never-ever had a desire to travel, but visiting beautiful Italy, and even just hanging out in the Frankfurt Airport and being surrounded by yet a new, interesting set of people, I decided that, in fact, I really would like to travel a little. And, I started a mental list right then and there of places and adventures I’d like to have… Someday. Italy was added again – I didn’t quite have enough, I guess. But, next time, hopefully, the sun will join us for the majority of our vacation. Germany was also added, among several others.
James playing with his new toy airplane and waiting for our flight from Bergamo
Resting in Frankfurt Airport
Thank you, Dad and Mom! We had such an incredible time visiting you! We are so proud of you and the work of service that you are generously giving at this time in your lives. We love you, and we anxiously look forward to getting together as an entire family again, maybe even to stay.
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