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)

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

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

Friends...

Today I was able to spend time with one a of the greatest friends I've had.  Christina is one of my best friends who lives in Virginia Beach w/ her husband, Chad, and six-year-old son, Brady.  Well, that whole clan was visiting Chad's parent's in northern New Jersey this week and I got the pleasure of catching them on their way down I-295 while they were heading back to VA Beach today.  They stopped off an had lunch with me.  It was such a treat!

Christina and I met about three years ago and she's always been a bundle of energy and a free spirit.  She cracks me up and is a little inappropriate at times and I love that about her.  (she's probably reading this too) We've been friends throughout the three years but we really got close when she moved to VA Beach and I moved up here to Philly.  We kind of just understood each other's situation and realize how important friendship really is when you're far away from home.  I visited her in VA Beach about a month after I moved up here and then she came to visit me a few months later.  We talk about once a week and vent our troubles to each other.  It's the kind of friendship that you really can rely on.  I know I'm never bothering her when I call and if I am, she'll tell me.  And same goes for when she calls me.

But, as I said, today was a real treat.  I've had a less than stellar week this week and it was so refreshing to see a familiar face for an hour today to vent everything to.  And I'm sure she felt the same because we each did our fair share of bitching!  haha  Christian called me right after I saw Christina and he asked how I was doing today (because he knows I've had a rough week) and I started crying when I said "seeing Christina made it a lot  better".  That really proves how important really great friendship is, especially when you're going through some rough patches or when you're lonely while you're husband's gone for over a month and you're missing him like crazy, or when situations just aren't going the way you'd hoped.  It's so important.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I've always cherished my really close friendships... always.  But, moving away and not having those friends within a 10 or 20 minute drive makes you realize how important the really good people in your life are.

So, to those other super close friends of mine that fit this mold- I love you and you are few and far between!

To Alison:  my soul sister, my best friend for life (24 years so far) and the person that would sit on the fireplace steps when I left Little Beaus and Bells before you.... you're my rock.  You always make things better and even if we didn't see each other for ten years, I know we'd come right back to the place where we could lay in bed and talk until 4 o'clock in the morning.  I love you.

To Laura:  my no bullshit sister.  You are amazing.  The lack of sugar coating in your life is what I love. Your honesty in our friendship has meant more to me than you will ever know.  When my hair looks like shit, I know you'll tell me.  When my outfit is way out there, I know you'll ask "what the hell are you thinking" and when there's a point in life when I need to buck up and deal with things, I know you'll say "buck up and deal with it".  And then, there's the compassion that you have and the peaceful way you listen to my stories.  You've been by my side through so much as we've grown to adulthood and you've never allowed our friendship to falter when it easily could have.  I love you!

xoxo,

Chrissi

Really trying to think of a clever title... it ain't workin'

Soooo, I think weekends are more boring for me than any other time.  I don't know what it is but I love my weekdays.  I think I like that everything is less crowded.  During the week, I guess I feel like I'm getting something that other people can't get.... like a treadmill at the gym (I can NEVER get one on the weekends) or a Starbucks with no line.  So, I'm ready for Monday.  Blah.

But, I'm trying to make the most of this weekend.  Last night I had dinner and drinks w/ my new friend, Paige!  She's also in Junior League and she actually lives over here in Jersey.  We had a great time and enjoyed yesterday's great weather by sitting on the restaurant's patio for a few hours.  It was fun!  It was also really nice to add a new friend to the mix.  She's from Texas so we have that southern thing in common, which is pretty neat.  Then, this morning I had to have some blood work done and then went to a Junior League event about Spring planting.  It was pretty interesting and I learned a lot about growing your own herbs, which I would love to do one day.  Then, I came back over to Jersey and walked around Haddonfield and did a little shopping.  I got a cute little leather passport cover so I can actually tell which passport I'm pulling out when Christian and I travel together.  Then, I went to Old Navy and got some GREAT deals on workout clothes- three tops and two sports bras for about $45!  Not too shabby!

Now, I'm back at the house trying to decide what to do now.  I've already cleaned the upstairs a little because, frankly, I've let everything just stay where ever it landed for the past week or so... so, clothes were ALL over our bedroom and the guest bedroom where my closet it.  I then rearranged my closet to have my spring clothes more accessible.  I keep the house super clean when Christian's here so it's kind of like a vacation I put myself on when he leaves.  haha  But, eventually, it annoys the shit out of me and I finally clean.

Then, I got to talk to Christian for a little bit on FaceTime which was awesome.  I miss him really bad today (and everyday).  Some days are worse than others.  33 days left...

I'm so ready for Mom to get up here!  She can keep me company and of course, we're leaving in a week from today!!!  I really need to get on the ball with reading some of these books I have about Rome.  But, we'll probably end up 'winging it' anyway.  That's always the best way to do things, I think.

I mentioned earlier that I had to have some blood work done this morning so let me update you guys on that stuff.  So, I went to the doctor this past Wednesday and I REALLY like him!  He's really laid back, very easy to talk to and he seems like he's one of those doctors who really cares and doesn't just shove medicine down your throat at every opportunity.  That's great for me because I absolutely HATE taking medicine.  But, that's kind of a moot point b/c I don't need medicine... right now.  So, anyway.... after my annual exam, we talked about the fertility issues and he asked how aggressive I wanted to be with everything.  So, I told him what we've done so far and what we know from testing, etc.  I then asked him what he would do if he was me.  He said he'd go a little more aggressive since we've ruled out the basic things like Christian's stuff and my ovulation/cycles.  So, he had me do some blood work that day at the office to check my progesterone levels and he also did a cervical culture.  Progesterone is a hormone that would allow me to "hold onto" a pregnancy and the cervical culture is to check for any kind of bacteria that could limit my fertility.  Then, he ordered more blood work to be done on the third day of my cycle (today) to test testosterone, FSH, thyroid stuff, etc, etc.  Apparently, if my FSH levels are too high today, that means that I have a reduction in quality as well as quantity of eggs.  So, those test results should all be ready by the middle of the week and I'll know what next step to take.  Dr. Tucker said if everything with the blood work and cervical culture is normal, then he wants me to see a fertility specialist.  He gave me the names of three specialists around here that he refers women to.  So, at this point, we're just waiting.

So, other than all of that jazz, I'm just killin' time as best I can.  Here are some pictures of the furniture I'm refinishing and some of the early signs of spring in our yard!

My red hope chest and
light yellow vanity before! 

The vanity after my wonderful
hubby sanded it all down for me

The hope chest after it was stripped
and sanded

The vanity all finished!  It's an off-white
and I have ADORABLE drawer pulls
that I have to put on

The hope chest after the first coat of stain

Pretty little purple flowers in our front yard

One of the hydrangea bushes right
outside our kitchen window!
Starting to sprout!!

 










































































So, that's about it!  Hope y'all are having a good weekend!

xoxo,

Chrissi

Three days down, 37 to go.

That's right folks, we only have 37 days to go until Christian gets back home.  It seems like forever but it also seems like he'll be home in no time!  I'm definitely keeping myself busy while he's gone.  I've been on the go this week with meetings for Junior League, getting back into the gym after having a cold, refinishing furniture, doc appointment, etc.  Then, next week is really busy w/ an orthodontist consult (thinking about getting invisiline on my bottom teeth since I never wore my retainer), another laser hair removal appointment (ouch), a Girls Night Out in Haddonfield, NJ w/ some girlfriends and then my momma gets here next Friday!!  THEN, we leave next Saturday for Rome!  I can't believe it's that close!  So excited.  We'll be in Rome for five nights and then we come back to Philly on the 31st (straight flight, thank God).  Then, April 6th, I go to Florida for two weeks!  YAY!  I'm pretty excited to go home and see friends and family.  But, I also have to deal w/ all the crap for our house down there.  That, my friends, I am not excited about.

We still haven't heard what the amount will be from the insurance company, even though I've called every day this week so far.  So, I'm anxiously awaiting that so we can start all the reconstruction.  We've had a couple general contractors go over to do bids so I'm waiting to hear what their estimates are as well.  Mind you, I've NEVER handled any insurance claim and my husband is out of the country.  Super.  Oh well, I know I can handle it.  Plus, family has been super helpful so far.  I think my dad's been at the house just about every day since the tornado hit.

I'll be going to my friend Lauren's wedding while I'm home and my friend Summer is having her baby while I'm home too!  What a great trip of new beginnings for my friends!  I also am super excited to meet Ali & Ben's bundle of joy, Bram!  He's so perfect and I can't wait to get my hands on him!  Then, once I get back, Christian will be home two days later!  See, those 37 days don't sound so bad after all!  :)

Other than the stuff I mentioned in the first paragraph, nothing much has been going on up here.  We're finally supposed to get some warmer weather tomorrow and Friday!  I'm really excited about that.  I have some tulips and daffodils popping up in the front yard and I can't wait for them to bloom!  My hydrangea bushes have blooms all over and I'm just waiting for those to unravel.  Then, we have a whole patch of peonies in the back yard that will bloom later in the year.  That's amazing!  Now, I don't have to buy fresh flowers every week (I try to keep them in the house all the time b/c I love the feeling they give)... I can pick them from my own yard!  I LOVE IT!  The farmers markets and nurseries will be opening April 1st and May 1st and there are so many around us!  The festivals in our town and the other cute little towns around us are starting to advertise.  Man, I love springtime up here.  It's actually a season rather than a month-long period before ridiculous heat like I'm used to in Florida!  Plus, there's SO much to do up here in the spring and summer.  So, if anyone is interested in visiting, we have room!  We'd love to have friends/family up.... only Mom & Adam have made the trip so far.  I can tell who really loves us... haha just kidding.  ;-)

Anyway, I know my last post ended with some info about our fertility testing.  Well, we got result for Christian and he's pretty much perfect!  THANK GOD!  IF anything is wrong, I would much rather it be with me than with him.  I know I can handle if something is wrong with me but man, it would rip my heart apart if he had to go through anything.  So, definitely glad about that.  But, that also means that the testing continues.  But, now it's on my end.  I have an appointment this afternoon to meet with a new OBGYN up here who deals with fertility issues.  The doc we met with last week that did the testing for Christian suggested I go through some initial testing while Christian is gone... which totally makes sense.  The only tough thing is that I'm gone pretty much the whole time he's gone (except this week and next).  So, hopefully they'll be able to get me in for certain things while I'm here.  Fingers crossed!  It's to the point where I just want to know what the hell is going on b/c everything from the surface looks pretty much perfect (my cycles, his numbers, etc).  But, luckily, I'm not stressing about it.  I'm more curious than anything.  Do I think about it?  Sure, all the time.  But, I definitely don't let my mind go all doom and gloom.  I'm the eternal optimist here.  IT WILL HAPPEN!  ;-)

Well, crap, I just realized what time it was and now I need to go hop in the shower.  I have a whole list of things written down that I wanted to blog about.  I'll get to those later this week.  Love y'all!!

xoxo,

Chrissi

When it rains, it pours.... and apparently rips roofs off.

Well, many of you have already heard about our fun-filled day yesterday.  Let me start from the beginning because it really wasn't all bad!

Christian, of course, had to work yesterday (after one of his lab appointments that I'll discuss a little later).  But, I spent the day in New York City with Vicki and she and I got to see the Dr. Oz Show! I met her at the train station around 8:30 and we got into NYC around 10:45-ish.  We had to hop on a couple different lines to get to where we needed to go.... not to mention the fact that we got on the wrong train to begin with.  Oy...  anyway, then we met up with her sister to see her fancy new workplace in the city and the three of us then had lunch in Soho.  It was really nice and a fantastic lunch full of smoked salmon quesadillas.  However, right as I was about to take my first bite, my phone rang.  It was Morgan, our tenant from our house in Florida.  I ALMOST didn't answer but something made me answer and she told me the bad news.  The roof of our house had been ripped off by the line of storms that came through yesterday morning.  Needless to say, my stomach sank.  She hadn't actually seen the house at that point but was on her way home after a neighbor called to tell her the news.  So, I'll admit, I freaked out a tad bit because I really had no clue what to do.  I knew I wasn't going to be able to get in touch with Christian for at least an hour or so b/c he was in the air.  Then, I realized I didn't even know the name of the insurance company we just switched to.  BUT, luckily, our friend Jason wrote the policy for us and I was able to get in touch w/ him after stalking him for a few minutes.  haha  He was able to go over to our house and check things out.  I also talked to my dad who told me what to do and how to handle everything and who to call to make sure the house got patched up to avoid any more damage.  Dad also went to the house to check on everything.  So, from what I'm told, our house has one of those dreadful "Hurricane Ivan" blue tarps on it now.  :(  Pictures of the can be seen on Facebook.

Meanwhile, lunch was over and Vicki and I hopped in a cab to head up to Rockefeller Center where the taping would take place.  As I mentioned in one of my last posts, Vicki volunteered us to participate in the show somehow.  Well, they typically only take participants over 30 so I didn't get to join in all the fun.  But, she did!  She was in a segment of the show where she had to guess which food Dr. Oz was describing.  It was pretty funny.  Plus, she got full hair and makeup and her own little dressing room while I had to spend about an hour and a half lolly gaggin' around 30 Rock!  haha  I was so excited for her!  Then, it came time for me to line up to go into the studio for taping.  I was the fourth person in line and got a FRONT row seat!  So, I'll let you guys know when it's supposed to air so you can look for me!  :)  It was a lot of fun.  It was a bit tough for me to focus on everything just because of what was going on with the house situation and the fact that I couldn't touch my phone throughout the taping of the phone.  I was pretty worried about everything.  But, luckily by that time, Christian was already finished flying and able to take calls and handle everything.  I think we made a pretty good team yesterday!

After the show wrapped up, we ventured over to "Restaurant Row" and had dinner at Becco.  It's an AWESOME italian place w/ a wine list of ONLY $25 bottles of wine.  LOVE IT!  Especially since finding a decent bottle of wine at a restaurant for that price is insanely hard to do, especially in NYC & Philly.  So, dinner was amazing and then we started our journey home.  I didn't get back home until about 11:30 and I was DEAD tired!  I was also sick all day w/ a sore throat and just a not-so-great feeling.  But, I made it through the day and had a lot of fun but was also a little frantic.

 So, today has definitely been a little more low-key.  We've started the claim and the adjuster went over today and we should hear from him tomorrow.  My brother was there when the adjuster came by which was nice b/c Adam's the superintendent for the builder that built our house so that makes things pretty convenient.  Now, we're just waiting to see what the outcome will be and hopefully we can get the ball rolling on getting the house rebuilt.  I hate that I can't be there to be more involved but I'm SOOOOO happy that we have family and friends that are willing to help out.  That means so much!  So, THANKS dad, John, Adam & Jason!  Love y'all!

Christian leaves Sunday for his 40 day detachment so that means I'll be dealing w/ all the house stuff for the next several weeks.  I can do it!  I can do it!  ;)

Today is the day we find out the results of Christian's initial testing.  I'm a little anxious and my stomach will definitely be in knots while we're waiting in the doc's office.  So, I'll have news later tonight.  Hoping and praying for good news.


Anyway, I hope everyone else down in Pcola faired well yesterday w/ the storms!  Have a great weekend coming up!

xoxo,

Chrissi