I know the title of this blog may upset some of you but, frankly, I love Mondays.... especially when Christian is gone. I can't stand the weekends when he's gone b/c I have nothing to do and there's only so much stuff I can do by myself. Plus, I'm used to my daytime t.v. shows and my regular routine during the week. But, I did work yesterday for five hours so that killed some time.
Speaking of doing things by myself- Saturday I went to the Philadelphia Art Museum for the first time since we moved up here! I know Christian doesn't like the artsy fartsy stuff so I decided if I was going to go, I was going to be alone. Plus, for those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE doing things by myself sometimes because I need "me time". I get that from my momma. So anyway, the museum was fun! Plus, I got in free b/c they are a Blue Star museum which means military families get in free between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Regular admission is $25 so I figured I better take advantage of this deal! The only other art museum I've been to is the National Gallery of Art in DC. That was pretty neat too but I was w/ Christian and he was making jokes so I couldn't really appreciate what I was looking at. At the PMA on Saturday, I saw two different areas of the museum. I saw all of the American art which consisted of paintings of American Indians and their treks across country and then the majority of the rest of that exhibit was all American-made antique furniture. That was pretty neat b/c I love antiques! It was awesome to see an old elaborate bedroom all set up and staged behind glass or big wardrobes from the 1700s. Then, after the American stuff, I saw some European art which consisted of about 20 different Monet pieces and, of course, several other artists I had never heard of. Then, in that same area was the modern or contemporary art. That stuff is strange! There was a whole room with about 6 HUGE canvases just with Greek gods' names scribbled on them with what looked like crayons. There was a piece that was a wall-mounted sink with two left-footed child's legs coming out of it. Yeah, weird and I don't get that stuff. haha But then, I saw a lone Pablo Picasso piece. That was pretty neat. So, at that point, I had seen two of the most famous artists' pieces. It may not be a big deal to some of you but I thought it was pretty neat. Then, one of my favorite artists is Jackson Pollock. I was walking around and almost out of the area with that type of art when I ran across one smaller piece of his and that made my day. I was thinking I wasn't going to see one. So, after that, I made my way to the gift shop to look around and then headed towards the exit. I didn't have the desire to see the entire museum that day. It was fun, it was free, and I got some culture!
As I mentioned, Christian is on another trip. He's headed out the Pacific but will be back this coming Sunday. He left last Friday. When he gets back, we're going out to his dad's for a couple days which should be fun. It's beautiful out there in the summertime. Then, we'll come back either Tuesday or Wednesday then Dad & Rhonda get here next Friday!!! I'm SOOO excited for them to get here! We have a fun weekend planned. Friday will probably be pretty low-key but we might go to Haddonfield to walk around since they have a celebration on the first Friday of every month. Then, depending on Saturday's weather, there's a really neat farm around here that I want to visit and then Saturday night we're going to take them to New Hope! I LOVE NEW HOPE! It's such a fantastic little town. Then, Sunday is our day/night in Philly. Dad, being his typical self, booked two rooms for us at the Ritz in Center City for us to stay there Sunday night. That should be fun! It's completely unnecessary since we clearly have a place to stay but he insisted so we're tagging along..... darn, right?! haha
I'm really looking forward to my next trip home too! My best friend, Alison, is flying up here in August and we're going to drive back to Florida together! So much fun! We've been best friends for 24 years and this is our first long road trip together. Plus, she's one of the very few people I could actually stand to be in a car with for that long. haha Christian will be gone the whole month of August over to the Middle East. When he gets back, we're planning to go to Germany to see the family. I can't wait. I love going over there. Not sure if we'll go to Austria this time. It all depends on which house his grandparents are staying in (their main house is in Frankfurt, Germany and their vacation home is in Faistenau, Austria- just outside of Salzburg). Faistenau is absolutely gorgeous and just a neat experience but Frankfurt is where ALL of the family is so that's fun too. Then, once we get back from Germany, October will be sneaking up on us. Then, Christian is in a wedding in Houston at the beginning of November and then we'll come to Florida for Thanksgiving and spend Christmas up here. We have a ski trip planned with friends right after Christmas so I'm pretty excited about that! We had a blast two years ago and it's an every two-year tradition now in upstate New York. Then, it will be an exciting 2012, to say the least! Gosh, the rest of this year is going to fly by. I'm already looking forward to Fall! Plus, I wanted to listen to Christmas music the other day but I held back! haha
One more thing- I get daily newsletter emails from Oprah.com and this article came across last week but I've saved it b/c it's a good one. It's about happiness. And, since you all know how much I love being happy, do me a favor and read it (yes, it's a smidge long). :) The seventh paragraph is pretty good. Also, if any of you are looking for a good book, I'll recommend one that I read last year and still think about all the time. It's called The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin. It's a really good book that's written really well. I think it's good for folks around my age and maybe a little older. So anyway, here's the article:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Mindfulness-and-Positive-Spirit-Methods-to-Achieve-Happiness
Ok- hope everyone has a fantastic week!!!! Do something that makes you happy!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Lordy Lordy.... look who's turning....er, 26.
Happy Sunday morning!!!
I hope all of you are having a fantastic weekend and that you all did something fun! Mine has been wonderful. My girlfriends and I went over to Atlantic City Friday night for my birthday celebration and had an absolute blast! I slept 'til 10 a.m. today to make up for the loss of sleep. haha We had five girls and went to dinner at Buddakon (a great Asian upscale place) and then went out at Ceasars and then over to the Borgata. We were out until about 4 a.m. You seriously lose track of time in those places!!! I lost $100 on roulette, Vicki won $200+ on the Wheel of Fortune slots and then Trish "won" $500 because a guy she was tagging along with a guy who won $15,000 after a $5,000 blackjack bet and gave her $500 (great story!). haha So, we had a blast.
Yesterday was a low-key rainy day and Christian had to work. Last night we walking into town to get sushi and on the way back we saw our first fire flies of the season. I love those things! They make the fields up here look like they sparkle at night. Today I'm going to be cleaning house and working on the yard. We're having Christian's squadron's Admin dept over tomorrow for a cookout so we have a lot to do to prepare for that. The weather has been gloomy this weekend but it's supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees tomorrow! PERFECTION, right?! I love summertime up here. And, it's my birthday tomorrow!
So anyway, I'll catch you guys up on a few things. Last weekend, we were down in Pensacola for a wedding and to see the finished product at our house in Pace. It looks great and we're very happy with the work! But, now we need renters! We have it listed with a realtor so hopefully she'll find someone soon. Jenna's wedding last weekend was so much fun and so beautiful. She looked amazing as well. We had a great time. On Friday night, Dad took Christian and I over to Fairhope, AL for dinner at the Wash House. I HIGHLY recommend that place!!! It's sooooooooo good! The decorations and atmosphere are fantastic too! Yummo! I want to go back TONIGHT! haha The trip was fun and short lived. But, we headed back to Philly Monday night and have had a good week.
I started my new job at Pottery Barn Wednesday! It was a lot of fun. I'll be working two shifts during the week and one on the weekend. And, I've already requested a ton of time off and they seem to be fine with it so I'm diggin' this whole thing. :) I've already redecorated my house in my head with stuff in the store. haha! I LOVE their stuff.
I started studying for the GRE already and I'm a bit nervous. The math portion is going to rock my world. The essays and stuff like that don't worry me but the fact that I haven't had any math in about six years is a little terrifying. Christian has already helped me a little bit so that's good.
I ordered the book "Marriage Confidential" that I mentioned in my last post. So, I'm looking forward to starting that this week.
I have to mention the fact that I'm sitting on the porch right now typing this and listening to the Smooth Jazz channel on Direct TV and I swear I turn more into my mother every day! haha I remember waking up in middle and high school on Sunday mornings to jazz music playing, windows open and mom either cleaning or sitting on the porch reading. Cat Sunday Jazz Brunch on 99.9.... ohhh memories. :) Love you momma!
So, anyway, nothing much more is going on. Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week coming up!
"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
I hope all of you are having a fantastic weekend and that you all did something fun! Mine has been wonderful. My girlfriends and I went over to Atlantic City Friday night for my birthday celebration and had an absolute blast! I slept 'til 10 a.m. today to make up for the loss of sleep. haha We had five girls and went to dinner at Buddakon (a great Asian upscale place) and then went out at Ceasars and then over to the Borgata. We were out until about 4 a.m. You seriously lose track of time in those places!!! I lost $100 on roulette, Vicki won $200+ on the Wheel of Fortune slots and then Trish "won" $500 because a guy she was tagging along with a guy who won $15,000 after a $5,000 blackjack bet and gave her $500 (great story!). haha So, we had a blast.
Yesterday was a low-key rainy day and Christian had to work. Last night we walking into town to get sushi and on the way back we saw our first fire flies of the season. I love those things! They make the fields up here look like they sparkle at night. Today I'm going to be cleaning house and working on the yard. We're having Christian's squadron's Admin dept over tomorrow for a cookout so we have a lot to do to prepare for that. The weather has been gloomy this weekend but it's supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees tomorrow! PERFECTION, right?! I love summertime up here. And, it's my birthday tomorrow!
So anyway, I'll catch you guys up on a few things. Last weekend, we were down in Pensacola for a wedding and to see the finished product at our house in Pace. It looks great and we're very happy with the work! But, now we need renters! We have it listed with a realtor so hopefully she'll find someone soon. Jenna's wedding last weekend was so much fun and so beautiful. She looked amazing as well. We had a great time. On Friday night, Dad took Christian and I over to Fairhope, AL for dinner at the Wash House. I HIGHLY recommend that place!!! It's sooooooooo good! The decorations and atmosphere are fantastic too! Yummo! I want to go back TONIGHT! haha The trip was fun and short lived. But, we headed back to Philly Monday night and have had a good week.
I started my new job at Pottery Barn Wednesday! It was a lot of fun. I'll be working two shifts during the week and one on the weekend. And, I've already requested a ton of time off and they seem to be fine with it so I'm diggin' this whole thing. :) I've already redecorated my house in my head with stuff in the store. haha! I LOVE their stuff.
I started studying for the GRE already and I'm a bit nervous. The math portion is going to rock my world. The essays and stuff like that don't worry me but the fact that I haven't had any math in about six years is a little terrifying. Christian has already helped me a little bit so that's good.
I ordered the book "Marriage Confidential" that I mentioned in my last post. So, I'm looking forward to starting that this week.
I have to mention the fact that I'm sitting on the porch right now typing this and listening to the Smooth Jazz channel on Direct TV and I swear I turn more into my mother every day! haha I remember waking up in middle and high school on Sunday mornings to jazz music playing, windows open and mom either cleaning or sitting on the porch reading. Cat Sunday Jazz Brunch on 99.9.... ohhh memories. :) Love you momma!
So, anyway, nothing much more is going on. Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week coming up!
"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Happy June!
Can any of you really believe that today is the first day of June? I CANNOT! It's nuts that this year is just about half over! 2011 has been a pretty decent year so far, I must say. We've had a lot of fun, we're loving New Jersey and we've continued our crazy traveling. I hope it's been a great year for all of you as well!
So, my last post was all about Oprah's farewell and I must say, I find myself a little lost at 4:00 every afternoon. I'm used to my daily dose of Oprah therapy at that time and I no longer get that! So, I will have to find some other way to be enlightened. ;) I hope to get back into reading very soon. I had a bucket list goal of 12 books for the year and I think I've finished two. Oops. I'm going to head to the bookstore later today and check out a new book my friend, Vicki, recommended to me. She knows that I'm obsessed with marriage and relationships and all that jazz so the book is called "Marriage Confidential". It had a great write-up in USA Today and has been pretty interested! http://usat.ly/iudy6k
One other thing that I will have to keep me busy during the summer is studying for the GRE. I finally bit the bullet and registered to take the GRE at the end of August. I'm super intimidated; especially about the math portion. I haven't had math since my sophomore year of college! Hopefully Christian's engineering brain will be able to help me out with the arithmetic. I probably won't be starting grad school anytime soon, though. We only have two years left here in Jersey and then we don't know where we'll end up so I don't want to start something here and then have to worry about credits not transferring. I'll start once we figure out where we're moving. Something that is slightly unfortunate is the fact that only a select number of schools offer the program that I'm really interested in: sex therapy. As I mentioned in last week's post, Oprah kickstarted the public career of Dr. Laura Berman, a renowned sex & relationship therapist based in Chicago. I started listening to her talk radio show a couple years ago and just fell in love with her work. She's so open-minded and helps everyday people open their minds to new ways to improve their relationships (although, not only through sex). Thomas Jefferson University here in Philly offers a fantastic program instructed by accredited sex therapists. I would LOVE to get into that program but who knows if we'll stay here. I think there are about 11 schools that offer this program and they're pretty much all in the Northeast. So, we'll see if I actually get to do something that specialized or if I'll have to go the more traditional route of Marriage and Family Counseling. There are many more schools that offer that program. We shall see. Either way, I know it will be interesting.
So, other than that stuff, here are a few updates on our lives! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with lots of activities going on. Saturday, we went to an airshow in Millville, NJ and then to a BBQ at Tim & Katie's (Tim is in Christian's squadron). Sunday, we laid low around the house and then went to my friend Vicki's place for a cookout. And then, Monday, we went boating down in Baltimore with Christian's biological dad and his family. We had a great time all weekend!
Christian's back to work for a three-day week and then we leave Friday morning for Pensacola! I can't wait to see my parents and family and friends! I'm so excited. I get even more excited when Christian gets to come home with me! We get in early Friday morning and we have to take care of some final things with our house in Pace and then we have dinner reservations over in Fairhope with Dad & Rhonda. They've been telling me all about this place called The Wash House so I asked Dad to make reservations for the four of us. Saturday morning will be spent with family since we get to see baby Bram and the rest of that clan. Then, we'll probably grab lunch or something with Mom, John and Adam. Saturday evening will be spent celebrating Jenna & James getting hitched! I'm so excited for the wedding and to see all of our friends in one place! Great times to be had! Then, we have Sunday and Monday to kill some time before we head back north.
The following weekend is my birthday weekend so me and about five other girlfriends are heading to Atlantic City! We'll be hanging by the pool by day and partying by night! I'm pretty pumped about it! My first summertime trip to the shore. ha!
Oh- I almost forgot! I had my Pottery Barn orientation yesterday! It went really well and I'm pretty excited to work there to kill some time. Our store manager is super nice and really laid back. I'm pretty stoked about the 40% discount too! I was looking through a catalog this morning and I want everything! haha I start work next Wednesday and I'll probably work two shifts a week. They're going to be really flexible with my schedule because I want to be able to be home when Christian is home from trips. So, that's really great. I met two other new girls that I'll be working with and they're super nice too. Everything seems like it's going to be pretty perfect!
Nothing much else to report. I hope all of you are having a great short week! Happy June and Happy Summer! Enjoy it!
xoxo,
Chrissi
So, my last post was all about Oprah's farewell and I must say, I find myself a little lost at 4:00 every afternoon. I'm used to my daily dose of Oprah therapy at that time and I no longer get that! So, I will have to find some other way to be enlightened. ;) I hope to get back into reading very soon. I had a bucket list goal of 12 books for the year and I think I've finished two. Oops. I'm going to head to the bookstore later today and check out a new book my friend, Vicki, recommended to me. She knows that I'm obsessed with marriage and relationships and all that jazz so the book is called "Marriage Confidential". It had a great write-up in USA Today and has been pretty interested! http://usat.ly/iudy6k
One other thing that I will have to keep me busy during the summer is studying for the GRE. I finally bit the bullet and registered to take the GRE at the end of August. I'm super intimidated; especially about the math portion. I haven't had math since my sophomore year of college! Hopefully Christian's engineering brain will be able to help me out with the arithmetic. I probably won't be starting grad school anytime soon, though. We only have two years left here in Jersey and then we don't know where we'll end up so I don't want to start something here and then have to worry about credits not transferring. I'll start once we figure out where we're moving. Something that is slightly unfortunate is the fact that only a select number of schools offer the program that I'm really interested in: sex therapy. As I mentioned in last week's post, Oprah kickstarted the public career of Dr. Laura Berman, a renowned sex & relationship therapist based in Chicago. I started listening to her talk radio show a couple years ago and just fell in love with her work. She's so open-minded and helps everyday people open their minds to new ways to improve their relationships (although, not only through sex). Thomas Jefferson University here in Philly offers a fantastic program instructed by accredited sex therapists. I would LOVE to get into that program but who knows if we'll stay here. I think there are about 11 schools that offer this program and they're pretty much all in the Northeast. So, we'll see if I actually get to do something that specialized or if I'll have to go the more traditional route of Marriage and Family Counseling. There are many more schools that offer that program. We shall see. Either way, I know it will be interesting.
So, other than that stuff, here are a few updates on our lives! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with lots of activities going on. Saturday, we went to an airshow in Millville, NJ and then to a BBQ at Tim & Katie's (Tim is in Christian's squadron). Sunday, we laid low around the house and then went to my friend Vicki's place for a cookout. And then, Monday, we went boating down in Baltimore with Christian's biological dad and his family. We had a great time all weekend!
Christian's back to work for a three-day week and then we leave Friday morning for Pensacola! I can't wait to see my parents and family and friends! I'm so excited. I get even more excited when Christian gets to come home with me! We get in early Friday morning and we have to take care of some final things with our house in Pace and then we have dinner reservations over in Fairhope with Dad & Rhonda. They've been telling me all about this place called The Wash House so I asked Dad to make reservations for the four of us. Saturday morning will be spent with family since we get to see baby Bram and the rest of that clan. Then, we'll probably grab lunch or something with Mom, John and Adam. Saturday evening will be spent celebrating Jenna & James getting hitched! I'm so excited for the wedding and to see all of our friends in one place! Great times to be had! Then, we have Sunday and Monday to kill some time before we head back north.
The following weekend is my birthday weekend so me and about five other girlfriends are heading to Atlantic City! We'll be hanging by the pool by day and partying by night! I'm pretty pumped about it! My first summertime trip to the shore. ha!
Oh- I almost forgot! I had my Pottery Barn orientation yesterday! It went really well and I'm pretty excited to work there to kill some time. Our store manager is super nice and really laid back. I'm pretty stoked about the 40% discount too! I was looking through a catalog this morning and I want everything! haha I start work next Wednesday and I'll probably work two shifts a week. They're going to be really flexible with my schedule because I want to be able to be home when Christian is home from trips. So, that's really great. I met two other new girls that I'll be working with and they're super nice too. Everything seems like it's going to be pretty perfect!
Nothing much else to report. I hope all of you are having a great short week! Happy June and Happy Summer! Enjoy it!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Goodbye Ms. O
I know it's been a little while since I posted on this blog. I am also well aware that I'm slacking on my "2011 bucket list" goal of posting at least once a week. However, this post has been purposely delayed. I have had plenty opportunities to post in the last week or so but I really didn't have too many relevant things to say so I figured the finale of The Oprah Winfrey Show would give me plenty to post about. So, I waited.
Today, Ms. O signed off from her daily talk show after 25 years of informing, influencing, teaching, and changing the lives of millions of viewers from around our world. This final show was exactly what it should have been. It was just Oprah. As she said, "no one is getting a car and nothing is under your seat", "no more surprises and no special guests". It really was the perfect way to end a truly great show. In my lifetime, the best finale that I have ever seen was that of Sex and the City. I suppose it compares to the finale of Cheers or Dynasty for those of you who are a bit older than me. These shows ended without leaving anyone on their toes and left everything the way it really was supposed to be. Oprah did just that.
I sat on the couch in my living room with a box of tissues ready for those tear-jerking moments that Oprah tends to deliver. I also had a notepad in hand. She reviewed the lessons she has learned over the years and I wrote them down. Oprah has been a true role model to me in my life. No, I'm not delusional and yes, I realize she is just another person on t.v. But, to me, she's so much more than that. If Eleanor Roosevelt or Rosa Parks or Mother Theresa can be role models, so can Oprah. Her wisdom and the fact that she shows grace and humility and strength and power in everything she does has meant so much to so many people.
Oprah's show has been on since the year after I was born. So, she truly has been a part of my entire life. I remember seeing my mom, aunts and grandmother watch Oprah in the afternoons. I, myself, started really watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in my last few years of high school. I remember when I was about 20, I was opening birthday gifts from my longtime boyfriend and for that birthday, he gave me a very nice watch, a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring and The Oprah Winfrey Show 20th Anniversary collectors edition box set. Take a wild guess at which gift I cried. Yep, I cried when I opened the Oprah DVDs. So, obviously, her message has meant a lot to me in the past several years.
She has long been a member of the most powerful women in the world and will remain that to so many people. I admire her for what she stands for, who she is, how open she is to learning about people and feelings and why things are the way they are. I love that she truly inspires people to go for whatever their life calling is, once they find it. I also love the way she has provided a platform to so many other experts to put important, life-changing topics at the forefront of our minds. Some of those experts are Dr. Phil, who has a no-bullshit method of getting people to realize why they are the way they are and how it's affecting those around them; Dr. Oz who made medicine pretty cool and told everyone what the perfect poop is supposed to look like (haha!!); Dr. Laura Berman (my personal role model) who is a sex and relationship therapist who has made having conversations about sex, feelings, love and relationships MUCH less taboo and much more comfortable and easy; and Nate Berkus who has taught so many people to create a home that rises up to greet them every day.
I mentioned a little earlier that I wrote down the key lessons that Oprah reviewed today. Here is what I wrote down and a few bits of my own personal insight about each of them.
*What sparks the light inside of you?*: This is a crafty way of saying "what really inspires you" and I like the way it was said. :)
*Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world*: I can't wait for the moment when I will really figure out what I was placed on this earth to do. I haven't quite found it yet and although I have whispers about it, I still need to figure out how.
*Nobody but you is responsible for your life*: I am lucky to have been raised by a very independent mother and a father who taught be to do things for myself. I know to never look to another human being to "complete" me (Jerry McGuire was just a movie) and I understand that I am responsible for the outcome of this life I lead. And, while I love my husband to pieces, I do not look to him to be my everything.
*You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself and the energy you bring to others*: I try to constantly be aware of this- especially about the energy that I bring to others. This is so important and our society with it's politics has strayed so far from caring about other people's feelings.
*Newton's Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction*: Karma's a bitch. I've been on each side of karma and it is one of the best rules to live by in my opinion. What you shell out comes back at you, ten fold.
*Know the difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of being happy*: this is an awkward and confusing thing I continue to deal with... I'm knowing a little more each day.
*Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does anything I say mean anything to you?*: every single person on the face of this planet needs a little validation every once and a while. Whether it be a child who sits alone in class and acts up just because he wants a little attention or a wife and mother who raises kids, cleans the house, pays the bills, runs the errands, and puts herself last. We all need validation to show us that we are seen, we are heard and that we mean something to you.
*Be still and know*: Be still and listen to what the God (or your version of that one higher being) is telling you and know that everything is happening the way it should. It may just be a whisper telling you that something isn't quite right about a certain situation. Or, it may be a whole brick wall falling on top of you that stops you in your tracks. But, your hearing that whisper for a reason and that brick wall fell on top of you for a reason.
So, obviously, I'm a fan. She will go down in history as an amazing woman and I will be able to tell my grandchildren about her impact on the world and on me. And, for that, I am grateful.
Here's hoping the world listens a little more to what The Oprah Winfrey Show has said in the last 25 years. We would be much better people if that were the case.
xo,
Chrissi
Today, Ms. O signed off from her daily talk show after 25 years of informing, influencing, teaching, and changing the lives of millions of viewers from around our world. This final show was exactly what it should have been. It was just Oprah. As she said, "no one is getting a car and nothing is under your seat", "no more surprises and no special guests". It really was the perfect way to end a truly great show. In my lifetime, the best finale that I have ever seen was that of Sex and the City. I suppose it compares to the finale of Cheers or Dynasty for those of you who are a bit older than me. These shows ended without leaving anyone on their toes and left everything the way it really was supposed to be. Oprah did just that.
I sat on the couch in my living room with a box of tissues ready for those tear-jerking moments that Oprah tends to deliver. I also had a notepad in hand. She reviewed the lessons she has learned over the years and I wrote them down. Oprah has been a true role model to me in my life. No, I'm not delusional and yes, I realize she is just another person on t.v. But, to me, she's so much more than that. If Eleanor Roosevelt or Rosa Parks or Mother Theresa can be role models, so can Oprah. Her wisdom and the fact that she shows grace and humility and strength and power in everything she does has meant so much to so many people.
Oprah's show has been on since the year after I was born. So, she truly has been a part of my entire life. I remember seeing my mom, aunts and grandmother watch Oprah in the afternoons. I, myself, started really watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in my last few years of high school. I remember when I was about 20, I was opening birthday gifts from my longtime boyfriend and for that birthday, he gave me a very nice watch, a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring and The Oprah Winfrey Show 20th Anniversary collectors edition box set. Take a wild guess at which gift I cried. Yep, I cried when I opened the Oprah DVDs. So, obviously, her message has meant a lot to me in the past several years.
She has long been a member of the most powerful women in the world and will remain that to so many people. I admire her for what she stands for, who she is, how open she is to learning about people and feelings and why things are the way they are. I love that she truly inspires people to go for whatever their life calling is, once they find it. I also love the way she has provided a platform to so many other experts to put important, life-changing topics at the forefront of our minds. Some of those experts are Dr. Phil, who has a no-bullshit method of getting people to realize why they are the way they are and how it's affecting those around them; Dr. Oz who made medicine pretty cool and told everyone what the perfect poop is supposed to look like (haha!!); Dr. Laura Berman (my personal role model) who is a sex and relationship therapist who has made having conversations about sex, feelings, love and relationships MUCH less taboo and much more comfortable and easy; and Nate Berkus who has taught so many people to create a home that rises up to greet them every day.
I mentioned a little earlier that I wrote down the key lessons that Oprah reviewed today. Here is what I wrote down and a few bits of my own personal insight about each of them.
*What sparks the light inside of you?*: This is a crafty way of saying "what really inspires you" and I like the way it was said. :)
*Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world*: I can't wait for the moment when I will really figure out what I was placed on this earth to do. I haven't quite found it yet and although I have whispers about it, I still need to figure out how.
*Nobody but you is responsible for your life*: I am lucky to have been raised by a very independent mother and a father who taught be to do things for myself. I know to never look to another human being to "complete" me (Jerry McGuire was just a movie) and I understand that I am responsible for the outcome of this life I lead. And, while I love my husband to pieces, I do not look to him to be my everything.
*You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself and the energy you bring to others*: I try to constantly be aware of this- especially about the energy that I bring to others. This is so important and our society with it's politics has strayed so far from caring about other people's feelings.
*Newton's Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction*: Karma's a bitch. I've been on each side of karma and it is one of the best rules to live by in my opinion. What you shell out comes back at you, ten fold.
*Know the difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of being happy*: this is an awkward and confusing thing I continue to deal with... I'm knowing a little more each day.
*Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does anything I say mean anything to you?*: every single person on the face of this planet needs a little validation every once and a while. Whether it be a child who sits alone in class and acts up just because he wants a little attention or a wife and mother who raises kids, cleans the house, pays the bills, runs the errands, and puts herself last. We all need validation to show us that we are seen, we are heard and that we mean something to you.
*Be still and know*: Be still and listen to what the God (or your version of that one higher being) is telling you and know that everything is happening the way it should. It may just be a whisper telling you that something isn't quite right about a certain situation. Or, it may be a whole brick wall falling on top of you that stops you in your tracks. But, your hearing that whisper for a reason and that brick wall fell on top of you for a reason.
So, obviously, I'm a fan. She will go down in history as an amazing woman and I will be able to tell my grandchildren about her impact on the world and on me. And, for that, I am grateful.
Here's hoping the world listens a little more to what The Oprah Winfrey Show has said in the last 25 years. We would be much better people if that were the case.
xo,
Chrissi
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I came across this poem today and I love it so much! Great questions to ask yourself (myself)....
Self Portrait
It doesn't interest me if there is one God
Or many gods.
I want to know if you belong -- or feel abandoned;
If you know despair
Or can see it in others.
I want to know
If you are prepared to live in the world
With its harsh need to change you;
If you can look back with firm eyes
Saying "this is where I stand."
I want to know if you know
how to melt Into that fierce heat of living
Falling toward the center of your longing.
I want to know if you are willing
To live day by day
With the consequence of love
And the bitter unwanted passion
Of your sure defeat.
I have been told
In that fierce embrace
Even the gods Speak of God.
~ David Whyte ~ (Fire in the Earth)
Monday, May 9, 2011
I've been slackin'!!!
Wow, it's been a while, right?! Sorry for the lapse in posts but I've been a busy girl!
Last time I posted, I had just gotten home from my trip to Pensacola. So much has gone on since then so this will be a lengthy post! So, go ahead, get comfy, kick your feet up, and enjoy!
First topic I'll cover is just general stuff in the life of the Jenkins. Like I said, I've been busy! So, since I got home from Florida, Christian came home from Italy! It was the longest we've been apart so far and it was a tough one. But, I'm so glad to have my man back and we've been having a lot of fun! He got back Friday, April 22. That was Easter weekend and we celebrated Easter by going to a 76ers vs. Miami Heat game here in Philly! It was my first NBA game and it was a playoff game! We had a lot of fun and it was pretty cool to see that kind of thing. The weather has been beautiful lately up here so we've been spending a lot of time outside, walking into town, working in the yard, refinishing antiques, etc. The next weekend was kicked off by the royal wedding! Yes, I was one of those people who woke up at 4:30 a.m. to watch a moment in history! I overheard several people snubbing folks who woke up early for the wedding but I figure it's a historical event that I want to be able to tell my grandchildren about one day. And, since I woke up early, I'll be able to tell them that I even saw it live (not in some way-to-easily-viewed rerun on the news)! The wedding was fabulous and I loved every minute of it. I think Kate is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. She's so classy and timeless! And, her DRESS! I LOVED it! Soooo similar to Grace Kelly's dress when she married it Prince of Monaco. They both seem so happy and so much more laid back than Charles & Diana did.
Like I'm sure many people did, I took a nap later that day because I am NOT used to waking up so early! Also, that evening, we had Christian's brother & his wife coming into town from Maryland to stay the weekend with us. Saturday, we all went to Mullica Hill, NJ to a Spring Outdoor Antique Fair. It was a lot of fun and we got a few great deals! Jessie & Lori bought a pretty little cabinet there and I got a few pieces of milk glass to add to my growing collection! I'm up to about 20 pieces now! Love it! Then, we headed back towards our house and stopped at our usual antique store and ended up finding a great Hoosier cabinet and got a fantastic deal on it! I've wanted one for a while and I'm so happy we came home with it! The whole reason I want one is to use in a nursery one day. I remember my Aunt Janet always had one in Thomas & Nicole's room and I loved how convenient and perfect it is for storage and a changing area! So, hopefully we'll be using it for that purpose soon!
The rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. Sunday evening, we all (Christian, me, Lori & Jessie) drove down to Baltimore, MD because we had an early flight Monday morning for Ft. Lauderdale! We went to the Baltimore Aquarium and had dinner at the Inner Harbor before heading to our hotel. Ron & Ashley met us all in Baltimore that night and then Monday morning we were off to the airport and bound for Florida! Monday morning is also when Christian and I first heard of the news about Osama Bin Laden being killed. I will give more thought to this later in this post.
So, Monday mid-day, we made it to Ft. Lauderdale and hopped in the rental car for the three hour drive to Key West! The drive is a must-do for people who like to site-see! It's a beautiful drive and there are great shops and restaurants along the way! So, if you're thinking about heading down there, fly into either Miami or Ft. Lauderdale and rent a car! Plus, flights are cheaper into those airports. :)
We got down to Key West around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon. We had a nice condo with a great balcony, pool, and view! We made a quick run to the grocery store to stock up on food and liquor before venturing out for our first dinner in Key West. That night we went to a place called "Duffy's". It's a cute little place with good food! It was casual and pretty chill since it was a Monday night. Then, we walked down Duval Street for a while and took in some nightlife. Tuesday was just a lazy day around the condo and pool. Then, that night for dinner we went to a place called "Grand Cafe Key West" and I LOVED that place!!! It's in an old victorian home on Duval Street and they have all kinds of outdoor seating and pretty good service. The food was amazing and they had a great wine list too! Yummo! Food and great atmosphere= perfection! We ate dinner early enough for us to catch the sunset celebration in Mallory Square that night and it was awesome! Street performers were making their money and the sunset was breathtaking! I think I fell in love with Key West sometime around 6 p.m. that evening. After the sunset, we walked Duval a little more, did some shopping and then got a few drinks at the Lazy Gecko. We had so much fun! Then, we took it back to the condo to have a few beers on the balcony. The next day, Christian, me, Ron & Ashley went on an "ultimate adventure" which consisted of a whole day of snorkeling, jet-skis, kayaking, parasailing and time on this floating adventure island. It was sooooo much fun. Well, except for the small amount of time when I was seasick. Ugh. That was pretty awful. But, I overcame it thanks to some helpful folks on the boat with us and my hubby. We had so much fun that day and got a great tan! Jessie & Lori did a glass bottom boat ride while we were gone on our trip and they said that was neat too. That night we went to a place called Schooner's Wharf for dinner and it's a great place too!! Super casual place with all outdoor seating and a great band. It was fantastic. Then, the next day was our last day. We flew out of Ft. Lauderdale Thursday evening around 6:00. I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE KEY WEST! As I mentioned, I fell in love. As many of you know, New Orleans is my absolute favorite place on earth but Key West comes in as a very close second. It lived up to the name of "The tropical New Orleans". Ahhh, man, I miss it so much again now that I'm thinking about it.
So, we got back home late Thursday night and then this past weekend was here! Christian went to work Friday and then we went to a First Friday celebration in Haddonfield. It's kind of like the Gallery Night that Pensacola has. We met my friend Paige and her boyfriend, Chad, down there for dessert. So, that was a good time. Saturday began the refinishing work on our new Hoosier cabinet. We worked on it all day! It's coming along now but it's a LOT of work! It's much harder than the vanity and hope chest that we just refinished. Saturday night, we went into Philly for dinner w/ Shirley & John. We went to Buddakan and it was really good! It's a famous restaurant here that's kind of like a family style asian fusion place. Then, yesterday (Sunday) was spent mostly on the cabinet again. We took a break to go to the driving range to hit some balls and stopped by another antique store that our neighbor told us about. Then, it was back to real life today. Christian went back to work and I went back to housekeeping and taking care of everything in our lives!
Our house down in Florida is just about finished so we're now looking for new renters since the storm made us lose our last renters. We have a realtor who is going to do tenant placement for us so hopefully we'll find good renters again!
So, that kind of catches you up on the day-to-day happenings in our lives. Christian leaves again this Friday for a couple days so I have the weekend to myself. One of my favorite artists (www.sticks.com) is having a trunk show in Maryland this weekend so I'm thinking about taking a drive down. Maybe, maybe not.
OK- so, let me address this whole Bin Laden thing. Wow, what shocking news. Christian and I are old fogies so we were already in bed by 9:30 Sunday night and didn't hear the live address that Obama gave. I wish i would have been awake though! Oh well. So, we both woke up around 5 a.m. Monday to get ready for our flight and saw the news on our phones. I get MSNBC & CNN news alerts on my phone so that was the first thing I saw then i saw the texts from my mom. So, we turned on the news and watched everything unfold from that point. It was a very interesting night for America. I, like many other people, had mixed feelings when I heard the news and saw the footage of Americans celebrating. When I originally heard the news, my first thought was "about damn time!". Then, when more and more footage of Americans in D.C. and NYC jumping up and down celebrating, I was a little more lost for words. As Christian and I were getting ready that morning, I told him "Don't you find it a little upsetting and hypocritical that we're (Americans) jumping around and celebrating this man's death and laughing and smiling and cheering? I say that because al Qaeda did the same thing when Americans were killed and we HATED them for it! Am I glad he is no longer on this earth, abso-freakin-lutely. But, do I want to rejoice in his death, no... he's not worth it. So, I was just a little taken a back. Maybe it's just my hippy mentality and the fact that I just want everyone to get along but I was a little weirded out. One of my Facebook friends posted this quote that day on her wall and it just fit my feelings so well.
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness in a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."- MLK Jr.
I will say that I do have patriotic feelings and I think what OBL did was despicable but I still don't think we should be engaging in those kinds of actions that we've hated so much in the past. So anyway, enough with that stuff.
Ummm.... what else.... Oh yeah, I'll update you guys on the baby makin' news. Since I wrote my last post, I've gotten some more information and had more tests done. I had an ultrasound of my ovaries and everything looked great there and I'm producing enough eggs and follicles. Then, I had an HSG (hysterosalpingogram). That is the test that shoots dye into your fallopian tubes to see if there are any blockages. Well, no blockages were found but they did find two polyps in my uterus. So, I went home after that test and the following week, I had a follow-up appointment with one of the doctors at that clinic. He said there isn't any hard evidence that these polyps can cause infertility but the pregnancy rates in some women often gets substantially higher after having them removed. So, Christian and I left that appointment, went to lunch and talked about our options. We decided to see what happened this month and then have the surgery to remove the polyps. So, the surgery is scheduled for May 18th and it's a quick outpatient procedure that Christian will be there for. That appointment is, of course, tentative based on the fact that I could be pregnant. We'll find that out this weekend. Who knows! So, if I'm not pregnant, I'll have the procedure done and then we'll try for a few months before moving onto the medications and IUI. Keep on sending good baby vibes our way so we don't need to go that route! ;) I will say this has been a very interesting journey. I've learned more about my body than I ever would have if I would have just gotten pregnant quickly. I'm also a LOT less stressed about this whole thing now than I was about 9 months ago. It's weird. I guess the fact that I'm a control freak sometimes just got the best of me when we started trying. But, once all the testing started, I think I saw somewhat of a path and light at the end of the tunnel so now I'm just kind of la-dee-da about it- which is awesome.
Well, I think that's about all I have for now. See, that wasn't too bad now was it!? Hope y'all have a great week!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Last time I posted, I had just gotten home from my trip to Pensacola. So much has gone on since then so this will be a lengthy post! So, go ahead, get comfy, kick your feet up, and enjoy!
First topic I'll cover is just general stuff in the life of the Jenkins. Like I said, I've been busy! So, since I got home from Florida, Christian came home from Italy! It was the longest we've been apart so far and it was a tough one. But, I'm so glad to have my man back and we've been having a lot of fun! He got back Friday, April 22. That was Easter weekend and we celebrated Easter by going to a 76ers vs. Miami Heat game here in Philly! It was my first NBA game and it was a playoff game! We had a lot of fun and it was pretty cool to see that kind of thing. The weather has been beautiful lately up here so we've been spending a lot of time outside, walking into town, working in the yard, refinishing antiques, etc. The next weekend was kicked off by the royal wedding! Yes, I was one of those people who woke up at 4:30 a.m. to watch a moment in history! I overheard several people snubbing folks who woke up early for the wedding but I figure it's a historical event that I want to be able to tell my grandchildren about one day. And, since I woke up early, I'll be able to tell them that I even saw it live (not in some way-to-easily-viewed rerun on the news)! The wedding was fabulous and I loved every minute of it. I think Kate is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. She's so classy and timeless! And, her DRESS! I LOVED it! Soooo similar to Grace Kelly's dress when she married it Prince of Monaco. They both seem so happy and so much more laid back than Charles & Diana did.
Like I'm sure many people did, I took a nap later that day because I am NOT used to waking up so early! Also, that evening, we had Christian's brother & his wife coming into town from Maryland to stay the weekend with us. Saturday, we all went to Mullica Hill, NJ to a Spring Outdoor Antique Fair. It was a lot of fun and we got a few great deals! Jessie & Lori bought a pretty little cabinet there and I got a few pieces of milk glass to add to my growing collection! I'm up to about 20 pieces now! Love it! Then, we headed back towards our house and stopped at our usual antique store and ended up finding a great Hoosier cabinet and got a fantastic deal on it! I've wanted one for a while and I'm so happy we came home with it! The whole reason I want one is to use in a nursery one day. I remember my Aunt Janet always had one in Thomas & Nicole's room and I loved how convenient and perfect it is for storage and a changing area! So, hopefully we'll be using it for that purpose soon!
The rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. Sunday evening, we all (Christian, me, Lori & Jessie) drove down to Baltimore, MD because we had an early flight Monday morning for Ft. Lauderdale! We went to the Baltimore Aquarium and had dinner at the Inner Harbor before heading to our hotel. Ron & Ashley met us all in Baltimore that night and then Monday morning we were off to the airport and bound for Florida! Monday morning is also when Christian and I first heard of the news about Osama Bin Laden being killed. I will give more thought to this later in this post.
So, Monday mid-day, we made it to Ft. Lauderdale and hopped in the rental car for the three hour drive to Key West! The drive is a must-do for people who like to site-see! It's a beautiful drive and there are great shops and restaurants along the way! So, if you're thinking about heading down there, fly into either Miami or Ft. Lauderdale and rent a car! Plus, flights are cheaper into those airports. :)
We got down to Key West around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon. We had a nice condo with a great balcony, pool, and view! We made a quick run to the grocery store to stock up on food and liquor before venturing out for our first dinner in Key West. That night we went to a place called "Duffy's". It's a cute little place with good food! It was casual and pretty chill since it was a Monday night. Then, we walked down Duval Street for a while and took in some nightlife. Tuesday was just a lazy day around the condo and pool. Then, that night for dinner we went to a place called "Grand Cafe Key West" and I LOVED that place!!! It's in an old victorian home on Duval Street and they have all kinds of outdoor seating and pretty good service. The food was amazing and they had a great wine list too! Yummo! Food and great atmosphere= perfection! We ate dinner early enough for us to catch the sunset celebration in Mallory Square that night and it was awesome! Street performers were making their money and the sunset was breathtaking! I think I fell in love with Key West sometime around 6 p.m. that evening. After the sunset, we walked Duval a little more, did some shopping and then got a few drinks at the Lazy Gecko. We had so much fun! Then, we took it back to the condo to have a few beers on the balcony. The next day, Christian, me, Ron & Ashley went on an "ultimate adventure" which consisted of a whole day of snorkeling, jet-skis, kayaking, parasailing and time on this floating adventure island. It was sooooo much fun. Well, except for the small amount of time when I was seasick. Ugh. That was pretty awful. But, I overcame it thanks to some helpful folks on the boat with us and my hubby. We had so much fun that day and got a great tan! Jessie & Lori did a glass bottom boat ride while we were gone on our trip and they said that was neat too. That night we went to a place called Schooner's Wharf for dinner and it's a great place too!! Super casual place with all outdoor seating and a great band. It was fantastic. Then, the next day was our last day. We flew out of Ft. Lauderdale Thursday evening around 6:00. I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE KEY WEST! As I mentioned, I fell in love. As many of you know, New Orleans is my absolute favorite place on earth but Key West comes in as a very close second. It lived up to the name of "The tropical New Orleans". Ahhh, man, I miss it so much again now that I'm thinking about it.
So, we got back home late Thursday night and then this past weekend was here! Christian went to work Friday and then we went to a First Friday celebration in Haddonfield. It's kind of like the Gallery Night that Pensacola has. We met my friend Paige and her boyfriend, Chad, down there for dessert. So, that was a good time. Saturday began the refinishing work on our new Hoosier cabinet. We worked on it all day! It's coming along now but it's a LOT of work! It's much harder than the vanity and hope chest that we just refinished. Saturday night, we went into Philly for dinner w/ Shirley & John. We went to Buddakan and it was really good! It's a famous restaurant here that's kind of like a family style asian fusion place. Then, yesterday (Sunday) was spent mostly on the cabinet again. We took a break to go to the driving range to hit some balls and stopped by another antique store that our neighbor told us about. Then, it was back to real life today. Christian went back to work and I went back to housekeeping and taking care of everything in our lives!
Our house down in Florida is just about finished so we're now looking for new renters since the storm made us lose our last renters. We have a realtor who is going to do tenant placement for us so hopefully we'll find good renters again!
So, that kind of catches you up on the day-to-day happenings in our lives. Christian leaves again this Friday for a couple days so I have the weekend to myself. One of my favorite artists (www.sticks.com) is having a trunk show in Maryland this weekend so I'm thinking about taking a drive down. Maybe, maybe not.
OK- so, let me address this whole Bin Laden thing. Wow, what shocking news. Christian and I are old fogies so we were already in bed by 9:30 Sunday night and didn't hear the live address that Obama gave. I wish i would have been awake though! Oh well. So, we both woke up around 5 a.m. Monday to get ready for our flight and saw the news on our phones. I get MSNBC & CNN news alerts on my phone so that was the first thing I saw then i saw the texts from my mom. So, we turned on the news and watched everything unfold from that point. It was a very interesting night for America. I, like many other people, had mixed feelings when I heard the news and saw the footage of Americans celebrating. When I originally heard the news, my first thought was "about damn time!". Then, when more and more footage of Americans in D.C. and NYC jumping up and down celebrating, I was a little more lost for words. As Christian and I were getting ready that morning, I told him "Don't you find it a little upsetting and hypocritical that we're (Americans) jumping around and celebrating this man's death and laughing and smiling and cheering? I say that because al Qaeda did the same thing when Americans were killed and we HATED them for it! Am I glad he is no longer on this earth, abso-freakin-lutely. But, do I want to rejoice in his death, no... he's not worth it. So, I was just a little taken a back. Maybe it's just my hippy mentality and the fact that I just want everyone to get along but I was a little weirded out. One of my Facebook friends posted this quote that day on her wall and it just fit my feelings so well.
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness in a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."- MLK Jr.
I will say that I do have patriotic feelings and I think what OBL did was despicable but I still don't think we should be engaging in those kinds of actions that we've hated so much in the past. So anyway, enough with that stuff.
Ummm.... what else.... Oh yeah, I'll update you guys on the baby makin' news. Since I wrote my last post, I've gotten some more information and had more tests done. I had an ultrasound of my ovaries and everything looked great there and I'm producing enough eggs and follicles. Then, I had an HSG (hysterosalpingogram). That is the test that shoots dye into your fallopian tubes to see if there are any blockages. Well, no blockages were found but they did find two polyps in my uterus. So, I went home after that test and the following week, I had a follow-up appointment with one of the doctors at that clinic. He said there isn't any hard evidence that these polyps can cause infertility but the pregnancy rates in some women often gets substantially higher after having them removed. So, Christian and I left that appointment, went to lunch and talked about our options. We decided to see what happened this month and then have the surgery to remove the polyps. So, the surgery is scheduled for May 18th and it's a quick outpatient procedure that Christian will be there for. That appointment is, of course, tentative based on the fact that I could be pregnant. We'll find that out this weekend. Who knows! So, if I'm not pregnant, I'll have the procedure done and then we'll try for a few months before moving onto the medications and IUI. Keep on sending good baby vibes our way so we don't need to go that route! ;) I will say this has been a very interesting journey. I've learned more about my body than I ever would have if I would have just gotten pregnant quickly. I'm also a LOT less stressed about this whole thing now than I was about 9 months ago. It's weird. I guess the fact that I'm a control freak sometimes just got the best of me when we started trying. But, once all the testing started, I think I saw somewhat of a path and light at the end of the tunnel so now I'm just kind of la-dee-da about it- which is awesome.
Well, I think that's about all I have for now. See, that wasn't too bad now was it!? Hope y'all have a great week!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Home Sweet Home!
Hey y'all!
I'm finally back in the Garden State and boy, that name fits this state! There are tulips and daffodils everywhere, cherry blossoms and dogwoods bursting out, the trees are actually turning green again and it's time to mow our yard! I'm so excited to be back home and for Spring time. I think living up here gives you a whole new outlook on the renewal of nature each spring. Because, up here, it really happens. I'm from Florida where the trees are pretty much always green and there's almost always some type of flower blooming. So, I definitely have a newfound appreciation for Spring since moving up here.
Oh, also, you'll never believe it... but... I FOUND MY KEYS that I thought I lost in Italy!!!!! I got to the airport in Philly yesterday after my flight from Florida and took the shuttle out to the parking lot I used. Well, that parking lot was right across the street from the parking lot that Mom & I parked in for our Rome trip. So, I thought "what the heck, I'll run over there and ask if they happened to find any keys" and low and behold, THEY DID!!! So, I have my extra key now and I don't have to pay the $240 to replace it! YAYYYYY!
Oh, also, you'll never believe it... but... I FOUND MY KEYS that I thought I lost in Italy!!!!! I got to the airport in Philly yesterday after my flight from Florida and took the shuttle out to the parking lot I used. Well, that parking lot was right across the street from the parking lot that Mom & I parked in for our Rome trip. So, I thought "what the heck, I'll run over there and ask if they happened to find any keys" and low and behold, THEY DID!!! So, I have my extra key now and I don't have to pay the $240 to replace it! YAYYYYY!
My time in Florida was so much fun and I got to spend some true quality time with those I love. I stayed w/ my momma and stepdad the whole time and my mom was gracious enough to let me use her car the whole time! That was awesome and very convenient. Since I stayed there, I also got to spend time w/ their three wiener dogs, Coco, Fred & Sugar. They are so sweet and Coco is by buddy. He's been around the longest and I can really tell he loves me. :) He will sit and stare at me sometimes and he'll get up on the couch and climb right in my lap so I don't get up and leave. He's such a doll.
I got to rekindle a friendship that had fallen a little bit in the last year and that meant so much to me. We talked about everything that has happened between us and got everything out on the table so there were no more elephants in the room. We expressed hurts feelings and explained why each of us did what we did and there was nothing but understanding and honesty. After all, that's what friendship is all about, right? It was so refreshing.
I got to witness my best friend of all time try on wedding dresses for the first time. She ended up finding a dress that was probably made with her in mind. She is going to be the most beautiful bride in the whole wide world and I'm so excited to spend that day (and the next year) as her Matron of Honor (even though I hate the word matron- haha).
I got to meet Ali & Ben's baby boy, Bram, and he's so tiny and perfect and beautiful. He's amazing and babies are such miracles.
I also got to meet my friend Summer's new baby boy, Grayson. I saw him through the nursery window the evening after he was born and I got to hold him when he was a day hold. He's the most precious little thing in the world. I have to share this picture of him because I can't stop looking at it. He's amazing and so perfect and I'm so happy for Summer & her husband, Greg.
The other big thing I did while I was home was work on our house that was hit by a tornado. Construction has begun and everything is on track. The roof was completed Monday night when I went by there and it looks good. The color is a bit lighter than I expected so we may have to change the colors of the shutters so it matches better but all in all, it looks good and I'm excited to have it finished!
So, now I'm back home and getting everything ready for Christian's arrival tomorrow! I'm so beyond excited for him to be back home and I have missed him soooooo bad! This has been the toughest trip so far for us because there has been so much going on and the communication (Skype, email, phone, etc) has sucked on this trip because he hasn't had much of an internet signal! So, that has made it tough. But, only one more day and we're back together! I'm excited to spend the weekend as just the two of us. I got tickets for us to go to an NBA playoff game Sunday afternoon between the 76ers and Miami Heat! I'm super excited to see Lebron James & Dwayne Wade! I don't know anything about the 76ers but it should be fun! Today I just have to straighten up the house and make sure everything is good to go so I don't stress all day tomorrow about it. Luckily, I cleaned the house super well before I left for Florida so there isn't much for me to do in terms of deep cleaning.
I don't think I've updated y'all much on the fertility stuff that has been going on but I'll explain now! So, I'm now seeing a fertility specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) at South Jersey Fertility Center. They are the premier fertility docs in the area and I feel like I'm in great hands! So, my first appointment w/ them was April 4, right before I left for Florida. They did some extra bloodwork that my OBGYN didn't get to do and everything came back totally normal. Progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, etc- all normal. So, that's great. Then, they scheduled me for an ultrasound and an HSG (Hysterosalpingogram). I went in for the ultrasound this morning and they checked my uterus, the lining of the uterus and my ovaries. Everything is super good there too! My uterus is positioned and sized really well, the lining is of the correct thickness and my ovaries each have about 10 follicles in them which mean I'm producing plenty of eggs! So, all of that is great news. Now, we just have to figure out why my eggs and Christian's sperm aren't meeting up. I have the HSG scheduled for Friday morning and that should show if there are any blockages in my fallopian tubes. If there is a blockage, the HSG procedure can sometimes clear it right on the spot. If the blockage is more serious, they'll have to do surgery to repair it. If the tubes are clear, that's when we make the decision to try Clomid, insemination or wait a few more months. So, we'll talk about that when and if the time comes. I have a really great feeling about everything at this point because I can see a clear path now. Before the testing began, I was a little frazzled because I didn't know the steps and processes of this whole thing. So, now I feel much better. :)
That's about all the news I have for now. Christian and I are home for two weeks and then we're heading down to Key West for a few days to vacation with some friends and family. I'm so excited about that trip and can't wait to experience the Keys!
Take care everyone and have a great week!!
xoxo,
Chrissi
I also got to meet my friend Summer's new baby boy, Grayson. I saw him through the nursery window the evening after he was born and I got to hold him when he was a day hold. He's the most precious little thing in the world. I have to share this picture of him because I can't stop looking at it. He's amazing and so perfect and I'm so happy for Summer & her husband, Greg.
The other big thing I did while I was home was work on our house that was hit by a tornado. Construction has begun and everything is on track. The roof was completed Monday night when I went by there and it looks good. The color is a bit lighter than I expected so we may have to change the colors of the shutters so it matches better but all in all, it looks good and I'm excited to have it finished!
So, now I'm back home and getting everything ready for Christian's arrival tomorrow! I'm so beyond excited for him to be back home and I have missed him soooooo bad! This has been the toughest trip so far for us because there has been so much going on and the communication (Skype, email, phone, etc) has sucked on this trip because he hasn't had much of an internet signal! So, that has made it tough. But, only one more day and we're back together! I'm excited to spend the weekend as just the two of us. I got tickets for us to go to an NBA playoff game Sunday afternoon between the 76ers and Miami Heat! I'm super excited to see Lebron James & Dwayne Wade! I don't know anything about the 76ers but it should be fun! Today I just have to straighten up the house and make sure everything is good to go so I don't stress all day tomorrow about it. Luckily, I cleaned the house super well before I left for Florida so there isn't much for me to do in terms of deep cleaning.
I don't think I've updated y'all much on the fertility stuff that has been going on but I'll explain now! So, I'm now seeing a fertility specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) at South Jersey Fertility Center. They are the premier fertility docs in the area and I feel like I'm in great hands! So, my first appointment w/ them was April 4, right before I left for Florida. They did some extra bloodwork that my OBGYN didn't get to do and everything came back totally normal. Progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, etc- all normal. So, that's great. Then, they scheduled me for an ultrasound and an HSG (Hysterosalpingogram). I went in for the ultrasound this morning and they checked my uterus, the lining of the uterus and my ovaries. Everything is super good there too! My uterus is positioned and sized really well, the lining is of the correct thickness and my ovaries each have about 10 follicles in them which mean I'm producing plenty of eggs! So, all of that is great news. Now, we just have to figure out why my eggs and Christian's sperm aren't meeting up. I have the HSG scheduled for Friday morning and that should show if there are any blockages in my fallopian tubes. If there is a blockage, the HSG procedure can sometimes clear it right on the spot. If the blockage is more serious, they'll have to do surgery to repair it. If the tubes are clear, that's when we make the decision to try Clomid, insemination or wait a few more months. So, we'll talk about that when and if the time comes. I have a really great feeling about everything at this point because I can see a clear path now. Before the testing began, I was a little frazzled because I didn't know the steps and processes of this whole thing. So, now I feel much better. :)
That's about all the news I have for now. Christian and I are home for two weeks and then we're heading down to Key West for a few days to vacation with some friends and family. I'm so excited about that trip and can't wait to experience the Keys!
Take care everyone and have a great week!!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Monday, April 11, 2011
Update from the Sunshine State
Hey y'all!
I hope everyone had a great weekend! But, it's Monday now and I know most of you are counting down the days 'til Friday! Hopefully the week goes by fast for y'all!
So, I'm in Florida and I'm having a great time! The weather has been nice-ish besides a little wierd fog here and there that has ruined a couple beach days but other than that, it's nice and warm. And, I'll tell you one thing, this New Jersey girl is NOT used to the heat. I'm sweating my rear end off anytime the temp is over 75! But, I'm enjoying it.
I've been to the beach three different days and each time, this strange fog rolls in and ruins the chance of getting a good tan. So, I'm going to try it again tomorrow. So far, I've spent time w/ my cousin Ali and her new baby boy, Bram. He's so precious and perfect! Ali picked me up from the airport last Wednesday and I spent time with her and my Aunt Janet and then we went to Boo's book signing that afternoon. My dad met us up at Barnes & Noble and he and I were able to then head over to our tornado-ravaged house to meet with the contractor and get all the work started. The permits will be pulled this week and we'll get everything started ASAP. I'm hoping it goes by quickly and easily. So, all of that was Wednesday. Thursday was a beach day. That morning, though, I went to see my Grandma Anna who just had knee surgery. I hung out with her for a little bit and then headed out to the beach to go for a run. The sun was shining beautifully the whole time I was running but about 10 minutes after I changed into my swimsuit, the clouds rolled in and it got chilly! So, I headed back home. Thursday night, I went to dinner w/ a few friends and that was fun. It was good to see everyone.
I was able to go the gym on base Friday morning and then I had lunch with some girlfriends and then dinner w/ my dad & stepmom @ McGuires (one my favorite restaurants here!). Then, I got to spend the night with my best friend, Alison and we layed in bed for about 2 hours just talking before we finally fell asleep. It was nice to be around a best friend!!! Saturday, Alison & I planned a beach day. So, we had lunch @ Peg Leg's (another of my fav restaurants) and layed out for a little while before the fog rolled in that afternoon. We watched some live music at the Sandshaker and then headed home. That night, I was asleep by 8 pm! I guess I wasn't used to how the sun can wear you out!
Sunday, I went to brunch w/ my mom, my brother, Alison & her mom. It was yummy and so was the bottomless champagne! Brunch was followed by live music @ Paradise. I love that place! It's so much fun! Then, Mom & I headed back home and I got to go see my friend Summer's new addition! Baby Grayson made his arrival yesterday and he is so precious!!! Unfortunately, he was in the nursery when Laura and I got there but we still go to see him when the nurse pushed him towards the window. And, I went back to visit today and got to hold him!! Gosh, babies are amazing little miracles. After the visit last night, I went back to my friend Laura's and we had some good chats and good chinese food! haha
Today, I had to go cut the grass at our house down here. That is NOT a fun job and NOT a normal yard. I only finished the front yard today but I'll get to the rest of it later this week. Then, I went and got a pedicure w/ an old work friend, Rachael and then, like I mentioned, went to see Baby Grayson & Summer again. :)
I have a few more things planned for the trip so I'm definitely keeping busy and it's making the time go by very fast! Christian and I only have a week and a half before we're back together! I can't wait to see him and hug him and kiss him! We haven't been able to talk as much on this trip as we did on previous ones. So, that has been tough. I miss having my best friend to talk to everyday. And, when we do talk, there's so much I want to tell him but I forget half of it while I'm on the phone. So, email is how we do the majority of our communication. Once he gets back, we're going to Maryland for a couple days and then the first week in May, we're taking a four-day vacation to Key West! I can't wait to spend that time with my honey!!! Christian's brother & sister-in-law and another couple, Ron & Ashley, are going with us. It will be a great trip.
Once I get back up to NJ, I have to have more testing done at the fertility doc. I've had all of my bloodwork completed and confirmed that all levels are normal. So, I have two more tests to go through during the first week I'm back home- an HSG which tests to see if my fallopian tubes are blocked and then an ultrasound to check for proper follicular growth. Hopefully those tell us something because if they don't, things will be a lot more invasive if we continue to pursue this stuff. So, please keep us in your prayers for that. All these babies I've been around lately just bring the little happy tears to my eyes and I can't wait to have the feeling that my friends and family are having. So blessed. I know it will happen and I'm putting it all in the hands of whoever makes the decisions for the world. :)
Anyway, I hope all of you have a great Monday night! Love y'all!
xoxo,
Chrissi
I hope everyone had a great weekend! But, it's Monday now and I know most of you are counting down the days 'til Friday! Hopefully the week goes by fast for y'all!
So, I'm in Florida and I'm having a great time! The weather has been nice-ish besides a little wierd fog here and there that has ruined a couple beach days but other than that, it's nice and warm. And, I'll tell you one thing, this New Jersey girl is NOT used to the heat. I'm sweating my rear end off anytime the temp is over 75! But, I'm enjoying it.
I've been to the beach three different days and each time, this strange fog rolls in and ruins the chance of getting a good tan. So, I'm going to try it again tomorrow. So far, I've spent time w/ my cousin Ali and her new baby boy, Bram. He's so precious and perfect! Ali picked me up from the airport last Wednesday and I spent time with her and my Aunt Janet and then we went to Boo's book signing that afternoon. My dad met us up at Barnes & Noble and he and I were able to then head over to our tornado-ravaged house to meet with the contractor and get all the work started. The permits will be pulled this week and we'll get everything started ASAP. I'm hoping it goes by quickly and easily. So, all of that was Wednesday. Thursday was a beach day. That morning, though, I went to see my Grandma Anna who just had knee surgery. I hung out with her for a little bit and then headed out to the beach to go for a run. The sun was shining beautifully the whole time I was running but about 10 minutes after I changed into my swimsuit, the clouds rolled in and it got chilly! So, I headed back home. Thursday night, I went to dinner w/ a few friends and that was fun. It was good to see everyone.
I was able to go the gym on base Friday morning and then I had lunch with some girlfriends and then dinner w/ my dad & stepmom @ McGuires (one my favorite restaurants here!). Then, I got to spend the night with my best friend, Alison and we layed in bed for about 2 hours just talking before we finally fell asleep. It was nice to be around a best friend!!! Saturday, Alison & I planned a beach day. So, we had lunch @ Peg Leg's (another of my fav restaurants) and layed out for a little while before the fog rolled in that afternoon. We watched some live music at the Sandshaker and then headed home. That night, I was asleep by 8 pm! I guess I wasn't used to how the sun can wear you out!
Sunday, I went to brunch w/ my mom, my brother, Alison & her mom. It was yummy and so was the bottomless champagne! Brunch was followed by live music @ Paradise. I love that place! It's so much fun! Then, Mom & I headed back home and I got to go see my friend Summer's new addition! Baby Grayson made his arrival yesterday and he is so precious!!! Unfortunately, he was in the nursery when Laura and I got there but we still go to see him when the nurse pushed him towards the window. And, I went back to visit today and got to hold him!! Gosh, babies are amazing little miracles. After the visit last night, I went back to my friend Laura's and we had some good chats and good chinese food! haha
Today, I had to go cut the grass at our house down here. That is NOT a fun job and NOT a normal yard. I only finished the front yard today but I'll get to the rest of it later this week. Then, I went and got a pedicure w/ an old work friend, Rachael and then, like I mentioned, went to see Baby Grayson & Summer again. :)
I have a few more things planned for the trip so I'm definitely keeping busy and it's making the time go by very fast! Christian and I only have a week and a half before we're back together! I can't wait to see him and hug him and kiss him! We haven't been able to talk as much on this trip as we did on previous ones. So, that has been tough. I miss having my best friend to talk to everyday. And, when we do talk, there's so much I want to tell him but I forget half of it while I'm on the phone. So, email is how we do the majority of our communication. Once he gets back, we're going to Maryland for a couple days and then the first week in May, we're taking a four-day vacation to Key West! I can't wait to spend that time with my honey!!! Christian's brother & sister-in-law and another couple, Ron & Ashley, are going with us. It will be a great trip.
Once I get back up to NJ, I have to have more testing done at the fertility doc. I've had all of my bloodwork completed and confirmed that all levels are normal. So, I have two more tests to go through during the first week I'm back home- an HSG which tests to see if my fallopian tubes are blocked and then an ultrasound to check for proper follicular growth. Hopefully those tell us something because if they don't, things will be a lot more invasive if we continue to pursue this stuff. So, please keep us in your prayers for that. All these babies I've been around lately just bring the little happy tears to my eyes and I can't wait to have the feeling that my friends and family are having. So blessed. I know it will happen and I'm putting it all in the hands of whoever makes the decisions for the world. :)
Anyway, I hope all of you have a great Monday night! Love y'all!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A few more tid-bits about our trip
1. While in Rome, I was searching for something very rare and hopefully antique to take back home. Well, at a small street market, I found just what I was looking for. An old Italian Marionette puppet made out of wood and he has a suit of armor on made out of patina. I fell in love right away. The lady told me he was 70 euro. I talked her down to 60 euro ($84) and walked away with him for that. He's really neat looking and actually a little creepy even. Well, last night, after this stream of bad luck, I got it into my mind that he was cursed. So, I had to move him out of our living room. Yes, I'm crazy, I know. BUT- I just did a search online for similar things and found out that he's worth over $500!!!! FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Man, what a find! He came with a little certificate that's all in Italian. After searching through google a little while, I finally came across an antiques website (www.anticobello.com) that has four of these guys all for about $500 a piece! So cool! If you want to take a look, go to this website and search for Italian Marionette.
2. As I mentioned above and as you heard in my last post, I have had a stream of bad luck when it comes to this trip we just took. As I explained in my last post, I left my iPhone over in Rome at my hotel. Remember how I said I used a phone in the airport to call the hotel to make sure they had my phone? Yeah, well, that phone was one of those that you use your credit card on and I now have six different charges pending on my credit card for a total of $190 from the company that connects the calls from these kinds of phones. UGHHHHHH!!!!! Turns out, the company that charged me all those times is called BBG Communications and is out of San Diego. There are all kinds of stories online about this company ripping people off. So, because the charges are still pending, there's nothing we can do until they actually post to our account. Meanwhile, I called BBG to dispute the charges and the first thing they asked for was my credit card number. YEAH RIGHT!!!!! Obviously, I didn't feel comfortable giving it to them so now I have to wait for the charges to post, then have my bank so a three-way call to BBG to discuss the charges. I'm serious, this bad luck better end.... quick!!! I'm not used to this crap and it's starting to freak me out.
3. While I have been trying to figure out why all this bad stuff is happening to me, my mom brings up the fact that I only threw two coins, not three, into the Trevi Fountain when I made my wish. Damn it! None of the books that I read before going to the Trevi said anything about THREE COINS! It just said "coins". No number, nothing. So, I threw one euro coin and one US coin and thought I was good to go. Well, later that night, I read that you're supposed to throw three. Could that possibly be the cause of my bad luck? Or could it be that the Pope missed me when he was blessing the crowd?
At least there's some good news from that antique puppet! Oh well.... hoping everything gets a little brighter soon!
xoxo,
Chrissi
2. As I mentioned above and as you heard in my last post, I have had a stream of bad luck when it comes to this trip we just took. As I explained in my last post, I left my iPhone over in Rome at my hotel. Remember how I said I used a phone in the airport to call the hotel to make sure they had my phone? Yeah, well, that phone was one of those that you use your credit card on and I now have six different charges pending on my credit card for a total of $190 from the company that connects the calls from these kinds of phones. UGHHHHHH!!!!! Turns out, the company that charged me all those times is called BBG Communications and is out of San Diego. There are all kinds of stories online about this company ripping people off. So, because the charges are still pending, there's nothing we can do until they actually post to our account. Meanwhile, I called BBG to dispute the charges and the first thing they asked for was my credit card number. YEAH RIGHT!!!!! Obviously, I didn't feel comfortable giving it to them so now I have to wait for the charges to post, then have my bank so a three-way call to BBG to discuss the charges. I'm serious, this bad luck better end.... quick!!! I'm not used to this crap and it's starting to freak me out.
3. While I have been trying to figure out why all this bad stuff is happening to me, my mom brings up the fact that I only threw two coins, not three, into the Trevi Fountain when I made my wish. Damn it! None of the books that I read before going to the Trevi said anything about THREE COINS! It just said "coins". No number, nothing. So, I threw one euro coin and one US coin and thought I was good to go. Well, later that night, I read that you're supposed to throw three. Could that possibly be the cause of my bad luck? Or could it be that the Pope missed me when he was blessing the crowd?
At least there's some good news from that antique puppet! Oh well.... hoping everything gets a little brighter soon!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Saturday, April 2, 2011
When in Rome
Buongiorno American friends! (initial information: all pictures from our trip are now posted on Facebook so please visit my page to take a look!)
We made it back from our fabulous trip to Rome and now I'm here to give all the good details! First off, this trip was amazing. We had such an awesome time and some great mother/daughter conversations. Hands down- best mother/daughter trip we could have taken.
So, we left the States last Saturday afternoon and arrived in Rome around 9:30 a.m. Sunday. We found our way to the train terminal that would take us from the airport to the main train station in Rome, Termini Station, which was about three blocks from our hotel. We were successful in boarding and getting off the train. Our first major adventure was finding our hotel with a small map that I had printed off before we left for Rome. Unfortunately, that map was not very intuitive given the fact that we came out of Termini Station at the wrong exit, it took us a little while to find our way. So, we walked around for a while and made some guesses on which way to walk before finally seeing an American couple that had a map for us to look at. They were super sweet Atlanta natives and they actually gave us one of their maps so we could find our way to our hotel. So, about 7 blocks later, we arrived at our little boutique hotel. This was around noon. We weren't actually able to check-in until 2 p.m. so as we were in the process of putting our luggage in their luggage room, the man at the counter said there was a message for me and handed me a slip of paper. I immediately noticed Christian's hand-writing on the outside of the note that simply said "Christina Jenkins". My stomach sank and my excitement rose! I opened the note to read, "Hey babe, I was here at 11:35. I will come back @ 12 and will continue to return here until I find you here so don't leave! Love you, me". (yes, I kept the note for a scrapbook) Now, if that doesn't excite me, I don't think anything in the world can! I was sooooo happy! About 10 minutes later, he walked in! We had talked about him meeting me over there but I wasn't getting my hopes up at all. So, that was absolutely awesome!
Once we got situated at the hotel and changed out of our travel clothes, me, Mom, Christian and two of his fellow pilots, Tim & Jeff, headed off to grab lunch. We had some great pizza and red wine right away! Then, we walked to one church right near our hotel and then caught the metro to the Colosseum. As soon as we stepped onto the street from the metro station, the Colosseum was in our face. It was amazing! It's huge and if you really stop to think about how old that piece of work is and what has happened inside those walls, it almost blows your mind. We toured the Colosseum a little before exiting and visiting the Roman Forum. This is where the majority of Ancient Rome is and again, it was mind blowing. We spent almost the whole day touring this area and walking our rear ends off but it was well worth the aching knees and feet! Around 6 or 7 that evening, we headed back to the hotel and checked into our room. We then went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Unfortunately, after dinner, Christian had to leave to head back to the base so we had a little teary goodbye and that was that. I missed him so bad (and still do). Mom and I finally hit the hay and woke up around 10 a.m. the next day since we were worn out from the travel and walking! So, it was Monday and we planned on heading to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. We were able to see all three that day and that was one of the best days we had in Rome. It was so much fun and we came across so many neat, beautiful streets, churches, fountains, statues, people, shops, etc. One church we stumbled upon was so beautiful that Mom and I both were wiping away the small tears that the sheer magnificence brought on. Breathtaking, really. We stopped for food, wine and/or coffee about four or five times that day and just took leisurely strolls and made the whole day really relaxing. We ran into little spots of rain but all-in-all, the day was perfect. We had dinner at a restaurant in Piazza Navona overlooking the fabulous fountains in the center of the Piazza. Our waiter was hilarious and another waiter made me keep saying everything in Italian. It was hilarious. He asked if we wanted salt for our oil and bread and I thought he said salad so from then on, he pestered me to say everything in Italian. By the end of the night, I got a high-five from him! haha Good times.
The next day was the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. We were a bit underwhelmed with the Spanish Steps just because we expected it to be covered with beautiful flowers like all the pictures we've seen but Spring was just coming around so no flowers yet. All in all, it was a really neat thing to see. Right in front of the Spanish Steps is Via Condotti. Via Condotti is a street in Rome which is like NYC's Fifth Avenue. We saw Gucci, Armani, Dolce Gabbana, etc. Of course, we didn't even step foot inside any of those stores because that would have been a little out of our league. So, we window shopped. :) We came across another beautiful church on our way to Piazza del Popolo and also some antique shops and art galleries. Piazza del Popolo is basically a large open area where Romans used to socialize. It has a huge statue/fountain full of Egyptian-style sculptures in the middle and is surrounded by other statues, arches and two beautiful domed buildings but we aren't quite sure of their purpose. After seeing this, we walked a few more blocks to see the Tiber River. It's just a river.... aside from the fact that it's one of the longest in the world. After this, we were so pooped that we headed back over towards our hotel and walked to one more church that was just as beautiful as the others. Grabbed some dinner and were off to bed rather early.
The next day (Wednesday) was the day we reserved for the Vatican. Now, before we went to Rome, neither of us had any idea that the Pope was actually going to be in town. We came across a poster somewhere in the city that was in Italian and all we could read were the words "Pope" and the date, March 20, 2011. So, we decided to make that the day we would go to the Vatican just on a wild hope that we could actually see the Pope. Yeah, right.... I know, sounds far fetched. But, WE ACTUALLY SAW THE POPE!!!! At first, we couldn't figure out how to get one of the bright green tickets that all the other people were holding. Then, I asked one of the fancy Vatican guards and he gave us two of them. We stood in line, went through security scanners and were directed to the seating area for the Papal Audience. Holy crap, that was insane. So, after waiting for about an hour, we finally see the crowd getting excited and realize the Pope was arriving in his little Pope-mobile. He rode down the aisles of the audience and waved at everyone. It was a really neat and surreal experience seeing one of the most influential people in the world within 100 yards of you. After he did his waving ride, he was taken to the stage and then the service began. Of course, most of it was in Italian so we weren't totally sure of what was going on. There were about seven different men that took the stage to speak the welcoming messages in different languages. Then, the Pope spoke his own message in each of those seven languages. SEVEN LANGUAGES! Insane. His voice is so soothing. He seems like such a calm person. Now, I know nothing, absolutely nothing, about Catholicism but this was extremely interesting. The service eventually ended and the crowd began to disburse. Mom and I then stood in line to get into St. Peter's Basilica. That place is HUGEEEE! The architecture and the talent that was used to build such an elaborate building is just astonishing! The Vatican was a big overwhelming because there's just so much to it. After the Basilica, we walked about a mile to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. I'm not really into museums so I wasn't thoroughly intrigued by this one but I think ever person in the world needs to see the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel holds one of the most amazing, beautiful, eye-popping pieces of art history in the world. To sit there staring at a ceiling that was painted by one man over four years back in the 1500s and realizing how that kind of stuff just doesn't happen anymore, anywhere is crazy. No picture I took could ever capture the beauty of this place. It's absolutely crazy. The ceiling is flat and I swear it looks like the columns that Michelangelo painted are real columns and the people in each of the scenes looks like they're about to come down and talk to you. To see such an iconic work of art is something that words can never describe. Crazy, crazy, crazy.
After the Vatican, we hopped the Metro back to our side of town and did a little more souvenir shopping and then grabbed dinner w/ plenty-o-wine. Mom and I had one of the best dinners that night simply due to our great conversations about life, things that have happened in our lives, big picture issues, etc. It was so nice and I love my momma so much. This was our last night in Rome and we spent it in a great way! I'm so happy we took this trip and I know neither of us will ever forget the fantastical time we had!
So, the next morning, it was time to head to the airport to fly back to the States. To make a long story short, we were on the train and as it began to move away from Termini Station, I realized I no longer had by iPhone in my possession- it was on the bed in the hotel room we had just checked out of. I freaked out. The train was moving, there wasn't enough time to go back and get it and I had no idea what to do. Nervous breakdown was ensuing. We got to the airport, I was able to call the hotel and they had my phone in their "safebox". Phew... no I just had to figure out how I was going to get it. I could either pay 60 euro to have them ship it to me and have no idea when I 'd actually receive it or I could have Christian go back to Rome and get it for me. Or, of course, consider it long gone and hate my life. haha Before I could make any decision, I had to wait until I talked to Christian because i wasn't sure if he'd be able to go back. So, meanwhile, we're on the flight heading back to Philadelphia when I thought about my car keys and tried to remember where I put them or the last time I'd seen them since we left. Well, turns out, I lost them. Not sure when I lost them or where but they are long gone. Needless to say, my nervous breakdown was full-force by then. No keys, no phone, we were screwed. I didn't know anyone's number in Philly b/c all my contacts are in my phone. So, when we landed, we had to get a $70 cab ride to my house and hope to all heavens that I was able to get in contact with the owner of our house to come open the door because I had no house key either! Luckily, all of that worked out and I was able to use Christian's truck here to take an old phone up to Verizon and have it activated so I could actually have some kind of contact with the world. I finally spoke to Christian and a few guys from his squadron were actually going to Rome the next day and they picked up my phone from the hotel so I will have it when Christian gets back! YAAY! I took Mom to the airport Friday morning and she made it home safely. Then, later that day, my friend, Paige, took me to the airport to get my car since I luckily had a spare car key. Now, the only thing left to do is pay about $250 for a new key for my car. Yikes. Oh well. That day was the worst travel day I've ever had in my life and I pray I'll never be that stressed again. I also now realize that it wasn't that big of a deal and I shouldn't have beat myself up so badly but man, I hated myself so bad at the time.
But, with the crappy ending aside, our trip was FABULOUS!!!! I highly recommend Rome to ANYONE wanting to travel to Europe. It's amazing and really makes you appreciate the history of this world. Amazing! Don't forget to look at the pictures!!! Love y'all!
Oh, by the way, I'll be in Pensacola this coming Wednesday and can't wait to see you Pensacola folks!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)