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!

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

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

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

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