My Thoughts

Throwing the football around

2012-01-26T17:57:00.001+01:00

Chicken and dumplings lesson with Gigi

2012-01-26T02:23:00.001+01:00

Library visit!

2012-01-25T17:46:00.001+01:00

Daddy's homemade strawberry frozen yogurt

2012-01-23T22:28:00.002+01:00

Answers to my pregnant prayers

2012-01-23T01:26:00.001+01:00

Rainy saturday morning fun!

2012-01-21T17:01:00.001+01:00

Grace\'s 1st birthday!

2012-01-15T03:24:00.001+01:00

Savannah

2012-01-14T13:29:00.001+01:00

Bathtime fun

2012-01-12T02:02:00.001+01:00

Hello my friend

2012-01-11T16:35:00.001+01:00

Fort

2012-01-10T15:25:00.001+01:00

We are ready.....

2012-01-10T00:44:00.001+01:00

Roll Tide!!

Saturday night fun! Play-doh!

2012-01-08T01:42:00.001+01:00

Ice cream Truck

2012-01-06T19:46:00.001+01:00

Storytime--- artist!

2012-01-05T16:32:00.001+01:00

Big boy underwear

2012-01-04T21:41:00.001+01:00

Back at home

2012-01-04T04:47:00.001+01:00

Reamer wasn\'t happy that mommy took down all the Christmas decorations, but he sure was happy to eat his big sucker from Santa!!!!

Leaving Nana and Granddaddys.

2012-01-04T04:45:00.001+01:00

We really enjoyed our visit and were sad to leave.

Day 1

2012-01-04T04:42:00.001+01:00

New years day at the park!!

Project 365

2012-01-04T03:46:00.002+01:00

I think I'm going to give this project 365 a try. I don't have the best feeling about my ability to do it because I am already behind in my posting/picture taking. I think that even if I get a few days a week that I will be doing well. I don't have one of those fancy cameras and my pictures will primarily be coming from my camera phone so I'm a little nervous that this might not be the most successful of my endeavors, but I wanted to give it a try anyways. So here we go. 365 Pictures in 365 days. This will start days 1-3.

Attention Parents

2011-08-25T20:16:00.005+02:00

I am by no means a perfect parent, but today my son was literally slapped in the face with the repercussions of bad parenting. We went to "storytime" this morning and had the pleasure of meeting some interesting people. During the story it seemed much more chaotic than normal, there were many newer moms and kids that don't normally attend. They were allowing their kids to walk all over the stage and interrupt the story teller and were standing in front of the woman who was desperately trying to read her story.

Afterwards the kids usually play with Trains and usually the parents watch as the kids play and step in as needed. (because with kids under 3 there is most likely going to be issues with sharing/hitting/etc..) -- Also, you are in a public store and you should probably keep an eye on your child.

Today there were probably around 10 children under the age of 3 playing around the table. While 2 parents (myself included) watched them while the other moms gossiped on the other side of the store. One child decided that her game would be to hit the other kids. In a matter of minutes she had literally used 2 children as a punching bag. Hitting them in the face and on the head with her trains repeatedly. The other mom and I craned our necks all around the store looking for one of the moms to come and intervene. As soon as I thought it was over and the little girl was finished with her rampage. She decided to turn and hit my son in the face over and over again with 2 trains in her hand. I stood up and pulled the girl off of my son and told her no.

As I was pulling her off another mother (not the mother of the girl) came over and I asked her "who is this child's mother". She took the little girl and said I know who it is. Obviously it was one of her gossipy friends. I said to her that they should be watching their kids and scooped Reamer up and started to briskly walk out of the store. As I was leaving she continued to yell at me that "they are just kids and kids hit" and that I needed to "get over it and not over-react". I told her that the child had been hitting several kids and they needed to watch their kids".

If I had been thinking correctly I would have said what I really wanted to say.

1. Yes, kids hit eachother. That is normal! But as parents it's our job to teach them not to hit and to handle their frustration in a better way.

2. Stop gossiping and watch your children. They could hurt someone, hurt themselves, or get abducted.

3. It is not my job to parent your child. Do not leave your child with random people because you may not like the way I decide to parent the child that viciously hits my child.

4. Ohhhhhh.... One fact I forgot to mention, the child that was hitting my son was also eating a crayon.

5. Do not get angry when another parent is upset that you are not paying attention to your child.

6. These are almost all "stay at home moms". So something to remember. Your child is your job. I understand that you need sometime to yourself. But a public store is not the place to ignore your child and have random people watching them. Please do your job and take care of your child and do not expect others to watch your kid.

Cultured Babies

2010-03-25T18:35:00.013+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Navy, Charlie and I went to Venice to visit the Guigenheim Museum (our mommies came along to). We had such an amazing day. The weather is getting to be more like spring and it has been so beautiful outside. We have been out enjoying the first signs of spring. Venice was insanely beautiful. I loved seeing all of the new things! Even though I have been to Venice several times before, I think today was the first time I really noticed my surroundings.

We had so much fun together that we had to take a few naps. It is tiring being a baby!!!

I enjoyed the artwork in the museum but my favorite peice was in the garden. It was made up of mirrors and was so much fun. I loved seeing myself and making funny faces. I have been really enjoying sticking my tounge out at people. It's my favorite thing to do. It is so funny to stick your tounge out at people and make them laugh. Everyone laughs at me when I do it. I even laugh at myself when I see it in the mirror.

Mommy and I have such a fun time together! We both can't wait until you are with us again. We are going to have such an amazing time. I bet I will stick my tounge out at you too!

I love you! Can't wait to see you.

Love,

Reamer V

Busy Reamer

2010-03-19T08:43:00.009+01:00

Dear Daddy,

I have been so busy growing lately. I'm sorry I haven't written you in so long. I am growing up so quickly. Mommy and I have been staying very busy. I am sitting up on my own and playing. I love to play. It is my favorite thing to do ever. I am much better in the car now and only get upset at night or when I am very tired. But I am starting to see that it isn't so scary to be in the car. I even have eaten regular food now!!

Mommy gave me some banana and I think it is so yummy. Champ and I are best buds too! He loves to give me kisses even though mommy tells him not to. I like to go on walks in my stroller and sometimes I sit in the big boy part of the stroller. Mommy can't commit to putting me in there all the time and that is ok with me. I am sleeping in my own crib at night and usually only wake up once or twice for a little snack. I love taking my naps and will go straight into my crib and sleep if I am tired.

Mommy is shocked at the progress I have made in just a few weeks!! We have been enjoying the nicer weather and can't wait for the warmer weather to stay so we can play all the time. I miss you very much and I hope you are doing great. I love Skyping with you and hearing your voice. I hope that we can see you on Skype again soon.

Love,

Reamer V

My Playmate

2010-02-11T08:21:00.004+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Today during playtime Champ wanted to be beside me. Normally mommy has to play with us seperately, but today Champ decided that he would play with me. Mommy decided that it would be ok because I am getting bigger now. Champy was squeaking his toy and I was very interested in it. I love looking at my doggy. He is so furry and cool! He loves to lick me, but mommy always makes him stop.

I also played with a big boy toy today. Mommy puts it out for me to look at because I usually like looking at it. I was in my little chair and it was beside me so I grabbed it and started pushing it back and forth. Mommy couldn't believe that I knew what to do with it. I must be "all boy" because I already want to play with cars! (mommy wishes that I would enjoy the real car) hehehe!
I love my playtime! I have so much fun! Luckily I have a fun doggy to play with too! I won't be long before we can really run around and play together! Champ will be so happy to have me to play with! I can't wait until you are home and we can all play together! We love you and miss you!

Love,

Reamer V

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2010-02-07T15:34:00.009+01:00

Dear Daddy,

The weather has been so beautiful. We have been enjoying the outdoors so much. We have been doing a lot of walking and visiting tons of parks. Champ has been happy about it too! The sun has been shining and I have been enjoying my stroller! Mommy is proud of me for doing so well!

Mommy and Champy love giving me kisses! Mommy usually stops Champ from kissing me, but sometimes he sneaks it! Mommy catches him and tells him to stop! She let him kiss me for the picture, but usually she shoo's him away. Champy loves me and he can't wait until I can play with him. He wants me to play now but I am not quite ready, but I don't think it will be long!

I love smiling at mommy. She is my favorite!! I think it's funny to stick my tounge out at her. She smiles and laughs when I do it, so I laugh too! It's funny to stick my tounge out. Mommy thinks I do it becaused I'm teething, but when she laughs at me it eggs me on to keep sticking it out at her. We giggle about it together!

Hahaha!!!!!!!!! I am sticking my tounge out at you mommy!

We love you so much Daddy! We can't wait to go on walks with you too! I know we will all have fun together soon!

Love,

Reamer V

I love playing

2010-02-03T10:49:00.007+01:00

Dear Daddy,

I have been very busy. Bouncing, Playing with friends, going to the gym with mommy, playing with my toys, going on walks and getting kisses from mommy!!!!

I got a new outfit that Aunt Erin made me. I look so cute in it. It is Alabama houndstooth and Crimson with Big Al The Elephant on it! Mommy did a photo shoot of me in it! She thinks I'm a model!

Mommy let me have my friends over to play! They are so cool and so much fun. (I think mommy likes talking to their mommy's too!) We played with my toys and looked at eachother. It was so much fun. Navy is the oldest and is soooo cool! I want to be just like him and do cool stuff too! Charlie is the youngest and loves to watch us. He can't wait to be big like me and Navy! I can't wait until they come back to play again!

I love bouncing in my bouncer. I can bounce so high. I also love playing with the toys on the bouncer. I can do so much now, mommy is amazed with me everyday! I just love to play and my favorite toy is my bouncer! I could stay in there all day!

Change is good

2010-01-26T16:42:00.009+01:00

Dear Daddy,

I have been busy growing lately. I have had several changes over the last few days. And they are all for the better! Mommy decided that I needed to get on a better sleeping schedule. After talking to several other mommy's she decided that it would be best to start putting me in my own crib. At first, mommy didn't think I would like it or that I was ready, but boy was she wrong. I was ready. I was more ready than mommy was! I am now sleeping in my own bed and I am on a pretty good nap schedule too! I have been extremely less fussy lately too. Mommy thinks it might be because I am sleeping better. I have also had 5 awake car rides in a row without crying!!!!!!!! It is amazing! I have also learned so much and have been playing all the time. I can hold things in my hands now and can pick things up. I love pushing the buttons on my noise maker toy and seeing that I can make cool noises. Occasionally I will shake my rattle but most things just go directly into my mouth.I love tasting all of my toys... They are all so yummy!!! I love swinging and playing in my jumparoo! I just love to play.

Mommy said that I am so much fun now. We just play play play play the day away!

Aunt Janet is so sweet to me too, she took care of me while mommy was in her 'boot camp' workout class. I got to play in Janet's office and snuggle with her while mommy was working out around the corner. What a good friend she is. I love her so much!

Champy has been very interested in me lately and LOVES to give me kisses, especially when mommy isn't looking. He has also tried to steal a few of my toys, but mommy gets mad at him for that. So mommy has to play with him (with his own toys) and with me during playtime so he won't try to take my toys.

I just wish that you were here to play with me. I can't wait until you are back at home so that we can play together. Mommy said that when you come home I will be ready to play with big boy toys so we will have so much fun together. I love you so much!

Love,

Reamer V

Big Boy Stroller

2010-01-19T16:11:00.009+01:00

Dear Daddy,

I am very sensitive when I have to go in my carseat (and get very very upset) especially when I am in the car. But lately sometimes I have been getting fussy in the stroller. Mommy doesn't know what to do with me. As long as I am really moving on the cobblestone while in the stroller I am fine, but if I stop moving for even a second, I start to scream and cry. Of course in the car I am REALLY unhappy and I scream the entire time.

Mommy has been trying to do everything she can think of to fix the problem and make me happy but so far can't figure out why it bothers me so much.

Mommy thought that it may be my actual carrier that fits into the stroller and the car. She thought that maybe I don't like being in there, so she decided to bundle me up and put me in the big boy part of the stroller to see if I like that better. At first I didn't really like it at all, but after we started moving I thought it was better. I think I kind of liked being able to see things but as long as mommy doesn't stop moving!

If she does stop moving, this will happen:

It was such a pretty day so mommy thought I might like to see the beautiful outdoors! After she started walking, I guess it was ok. I still was kind of pouting, but I stopped crying at least.

I know that Champy enjoyed our walk. He always is up for a walk. (mommy changed his leash to the Halti that goes around his snout to stop him from pulling.) And it works!!!!! yay!

Mommy told me she loves both her boys. But she still doesn't know what to do about my stroller/carseat hatred! Any advice from other mommys that have dealt with this would be very helpful!I want stroller time and carseat time to be a fun part of my day. I know that Champ would really appreciate it too! Sure do wish you were here to go on walks with us!

We love you and miss you very much!

Love,

Reamer V

Cameron Came to Play with me!

2010-01-19T15:34:00.009+01:00

Dear Daddy,

I had some friends come to vist me this past weekend. Cameron (his parents came along too to bring him here) came from Germany to play with me. We had so much fun!

We played the whole time! I only wish he lived closer. We went out to dinner and to some wineries! Of course, I didn't get to drink any wine, but we still got to play with eachother and I think our parents had so much fun.

Cameron is the coolest big kid ever! He knows how to do everything! He can play with all of my toys and knows how to make them work. He was very sweet to me and I want to be just like him.

We had such a wonderful time playing with our friends and hopefully they will come back again soon. We may even go to Germany to visit them. But mommy says it depends on if I start behaving in the car. I can't wait to see them again. We only wish you were here to play with us too. (I'm sure Cameron's Daddy- Chad- wishes you were here too!) I love you and miss you so very much.

Love,

Reamer V

I listened to you Daddy...

2010-01-11T14:58:00.006+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Mommy told me that you wanted me to do more blogging and picture posting, so I decided to write my blog today. We have not been doing anything too interesting, but we have been doing a lot of playing. I have been basically sitting up. Mommy puts the boppy around my legs and I kind of sit up. I love it. Today at the Parent Support Room on Post (where I eat when I am on post...) the lady that works there saw me sitting up by myself with no help from mommy (she just puts her hands up so I don't fall because it's still new to me- and I don't stay up for very long by myself yet) she could not believe that I was doing that on my own and I'm only 3 months. She was shocked.

I have been enjoying my toys much much more lately. I hold them, shake them and of course chew on them. I love putting them in my mouth. My favorite toy is called "woof woof". It is this little blanket with the head of a doggy that rattles. I love it so much. I chew on it and hug it all the time. It is so yummy.
We have also been going to the gym and working out. I will sleep for part of the time but usually wake up and mommy will just bike with me on her lap, hip and in her arms. She uses me as a weight some time and raises me above her head while riding on the bike. I like it so much. I just smile and laugh when she does it. But usually after about 15 minutes I get tired so we go home. But mommy is proud of me for doing well in the gym with her.

We miss you so very much. Because you asked, I will try to be better at posting blogs, but it is kind of difficult because sometimes we don't do anything very interesting. I love you Daddy and mommy told me to tell you that she loves you very much too.

Love,

Reamer V

Play Play Play

2010-01-09T10:06:00.010+01:00

Dear Daddy,
We miss you very much but I have been having a lot of fun lately. I have been playing the days away with mommy. She takes me everywhere she goes. We went on a hike with mommy's friends in the mountains near Vicenza and she just strapped me in the baby bjorn and off we went! It was nice to see some beautiful sights, even though the trails were pretty muddy from all of the rain we have been getting. We also have been going to the gym (when I let mommy). I try to sleep while she works out, but sometimes it's too hard and I just want to wake up and play! So mommy takes me out of my carrier and tries to include me in her workout. She went to Zumba (Latin Dance workout class) and when I woke up mommy and Janet just danced with me for the rest of the class. At first I thought everyone was crazy the way they were moving all around but then I started laughing and smiling at everyone! She even put me on her lap while she rode the bike. It was fun to see all of the people working out and mommy just talked to me while she biked. I think we will have to do that more often!
I have been really mouthy lately! I love putting things in my mouth. Anytime mommy puts her hands near me, I grab them and put her fingers in my mouth. I love chewing on them.

I have also been really interested in my toys lately. I love my jumparoo that papa sent me! It is so much fun!!!!!!!! I am starting to bounce a little and I really love the lights and toys on the front of it! We watched the Alabama Game at 3 in the morning the other day and of course you know we won the National Championship! I was so happy!! and Nanny Nanny boo boo to those Longhorns! hehehe! I said Roll Tide all day long.

We hope you are doing well. We love you and miss you very much.

My First Holiday Season

2009-12-29T19:12:00.014+01:00

Dear Daddy,
Sorry I haven't written in a while but mommy has kept me very busy! We have been playing with mommy's friends and celebrating the Holidays! Luckily I have been able to show mommy how happy I am by giving her very big smiles, giggles and coos. It is the highlight of mommy's day when she sees me smile. I have also been very interested in my hands and I have had fun trying to eat them!

We had friends over for Christmas Eve dinner, Italian Church and to spend the night. We had a really fun time! Then we went to Anne's for a yummy Christmas dinner the next day. It was a very nice Christmas. We missed you so much though and wish that we were able to celebrate with you and give you a birthday party. We will have a big celebration next year!

We also had a baby shower for my friend Charlie Philip and we were able to meet him on the last day of 2009! He is going to be fun for me to play with! On New Years Eve mommy's friends came over and we had sushi and went out to downtown to the big celebration. Mommy strapped me onto her front with the baby bjorn and we danced the night away in the main piazza to the live bands. Mommy's friends used my stroller to put all of their wine in so we had a wine mobile. I was happy to let them use my ride!! We had such a fun time watching the fireworks and partying the night away!!! I am definately a fun baby who loves to have a good time with mommy! Next year I will have to be strapped on to you, because I will be such a big boy. We love you so much! Mommy and I had fun during the Holidays, but it definately would have been better if you would have been here with us! I love you.

Love,
Reamer V

My First Trophey!

2009-12-19T14:43:00.006+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Guess what? I won my very own trophey!!!!

This morning, I did a Santa Run with mommy and her friends. It was so funny because everyone that was in it dressed up as Babbo Natale (Santa). It was all through downtown and everyone said "Buon Natale" (Merry Christmas) to all of the people in the streets. It was so beautiful because we woke up to several inches of snow! Champ was so funny this morning and acted like a little kid about the snow. He woke mommy and me up so that we could go and play. So mommy bundled herself and me up and took Champ to the Dog Park and let him go nuts.

When we got back mommy and I met her friends for the Santa Race and had a blast! At the finish line, the lady asked for my name and age! She was so impressed that I was only 2 months old and in my first Run! So at the award ceremomy, they called my name and I got a huge trophey. All of the Italians clapped and said "yay Reamer"!! So now I have my very own trophey! Who else can say they won a trophy on their 2 month old birthday?

We wish you would have been here to play in the snow with us! We love you and miss you!

Love,

Reamer V

Babbo Natale, Snow and Smiles!

2009-12-17T12:06:00.003+01:00

Dear Daddy, Here I am at the Market with Babbo Natale. I told him that I was a very good boy for the last 2 months. He said that I am definately on his "nice" list!

Also, today was my first encounter with snow. You can see that mommy made me wear a snow suit to the market and to walk champ and I didn't like it one bit. Partly because it is way too big for me but mommy said she didn't care and that I needed to be warm.

The snow didn't last long, but the dusting on the rooftops, trees and cars was beautiful. I'm glad that I got to enjoy my first snow day.

I have been smiling a lot more lately and mommy still is following me around with that flashy thing, so I decided to give her a few grins to show you. She still wants to get some better pictures of me so get ready to see more.

Grandma and Papa have been begging for more videos of me since they live so far away, so mommy set up a youtube so that everyone that wants to can see my progress!! Hopefully your internet won't be too slow for you to watch. But don't worry, mommy will send you the SD card once it is full. Here is the link:

www.youtube.com/user/meghanargo

Mommy, Champy and I love you so much and we miss you very much. We love seeing you on Skype it is the highlight of our day!

Love,

Reamer V

Smiling, Playing and Rolling Over! Yay!

2009-12-15T12:37:00.005+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Mommy always follows me around with this black, flashy, thing snapping videos and pictures. She says that she wants to make sure that you don't miss a thing while you are away. So she follows my every move.

I'm not really doing anything too exciting, because I'm only 2 months old. So I decided to do something special for you to see. I was playing on my jungle mat and doing tummy time when I decided that I wanted to see the animals that hang down. So I just rolled over! Mommy was so shocked. She had no idea that I was going to do it. She was just wanting to show you how strong I am and that I am holding myself up really well and I wanted to show off for you.

You can tell in the video that she is really shocked that I did it!

I hope you enjoy my acrobatics! I'm also going to attach a few photos for you to look at too. Mommy has a ton, but we are just going to post a few. We love you sooooo much.

Reamer V

I Love Bathtime

2009-12-12T11:48:00.008+01:00

Dear Daddy,

I love taking baths! (just like mommy) It relaxes me so much! I could stay in there for hours if mommy would let me. Mommy and I even take baths together! It relaxes both of us. Sometimes before our bath I get a massage! And after, I get to rock and mommy reads a book to me! We are working on getting a routine for bedtime. Mommy has had a weird schedule and hasn't really had a routine in place yet. But we are working on that now! So far I haven't been too good at getting myself to fall asleep on my own. Mommy usually has to hold me and then put me in my bassinet. If any of my blog readers have any good ideas other than to just let me cry it out, please let my mommy know!

Mommy has been busy running errands and hanging out with her friends! (and I have been with my friends too!)-- Shoutout to Navy, Phil and Danielle! We loved hearing from you and can't wait to hear from you again. We miss you so very much! Hope you enjoy my pictures! We Love you and pray for you everyday!

Reamer V

New Sights

2009-12-07T16:59:00.008+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Today was a fun day for me. It was rainy outside so mommy and I stayed in most of the day. But it was so much fun because we played all day. I am really starting to notice my surroundings now. I even noticed Champ today. I was very interested in him. I played on my jungle gym mat, in my bouncer and in my swing. I smiled alot today while we were playing so mommy knows that I was having a good time. I am also trying to talk. I am trying to say that I love you and miss you, but the words aren't quite coming out yet.

Mommy and I sang songs and watched you read a story about Spot going to a party on the computer. I was very interested in the story and stayed quiet during the whole thing! This morning Mommy gave me a massage and I loved it. I am so still and quiet for my massages. It feels so good. I think that I really like to be naked! I got a little fussy this afternoon but mostly it was because I was so sleepy. I was having so much fun today that I really didn't want to sleep. But luckily mommy knows that turing on the water in the bathroom tub makes me relax and fall asleep. So I took a nap in my boppy listening to the water run.

Mommy was so happy because she got some of our pictures back from our photography session today. There are some very good shots of us as a family. Mommy is going to print them out and mail them to you! I will attach a few to this post so that you will get an idea. I love you so much daddy. Mommy and Champy do too. Hope you had a good day! We love you.

Dear Daddy

2009-12-06T19:20:00.002+01:00

Dear Daddy,

Mommy has decided to change the format of her blog. Since you won't be here this year with us, mommy wanted to make sure that you know everything that we will be doing while you are away. Of course anyone is welcome to keep up with us and to read what we are up to but primarily this is for my daddy.

First of all, mommy and I love you sooooo much and we are so proud of you. We both want you to feel as though you haven't missed a thing so we will try to update as much as possible. Bear with us if our posts aren't very interesting but we want to make sure that you know even the little things that go on in my daily adventures.

Today was a good day for us! I was in a very good mood today. We started our day with a massage and that was a great beginning to our day! I played on my jungle gym mat and had a very long tummy time today! We also played in the bouncer that papa sent me. I love it so much! Mommy puts a pillow under my feet so that I can bounce! (it is meant for a 3 month old and above, but I can do it! I am so strong, just like you!!!!) We took Champ on a long walk and went to the doggy park with him. When we got home we played some more took a nap and relaxed. I was in such a good mood today and didn't get fussy once!

Mommy told me to tell you that she loves you and misses you very much, but she is being strong for me. We are having a good time together but we do wish you were here with us.

We hope that this new style of blogging doesn't bore our other readers, but we want to make sure that you are kept up to date with me and mommy. And anyone else who is interested is welcome to read. We will be sending personal messages to you but this is a way for me to journal about my day and my development!

We love you daddy!

Love,

Baby Reamer V

The Best Feeling in the World

2009-10-27T12:14:00.002+01:00

Being a Mommy! It's seriously the coolest, most amazing thing that I have ever experienced in my life. You could never imagine how much you could love another human being until you become a mommy. Reamer V is so perfect. We are so in love with our little guy. We just sit and stare at him in amazement and awe that we could make something so perfect! We all are doing great and enjoying spending time together. I am going to start posting video's and pictures on "photobucket" so that I don't bambard facebook with my thousands of phots and videos. If you want to keep up with us via pictures and videos, just check our page on photobucket.
Here is a link to our first photo/video album.
http://s835.photobucket.com/albums/zz274/meghanargo/

Overpacking..........

2009-10-10T08:59:00.003+02:00

Ok, so I have issues. As you all know we are just on standby for the arrival of our little man. I am feeling pretty good (not tired or too uncomfortable etc...) So that means that most of my day consists of getting ready for the baby. Cleaning, buying stuff, running weird last minute errands (dry cleaning the comfortor etc...). But one thing that is detrimental is my need to look in my hospital bag and make sure I have everything I might need. I keep putting things in and taking things out. I am bringing several outfits for baby Reamer just in case he might need different sized things. I have bought extra shampoo, conditoner, toothpaste, toothbrush, makeup, contact case, etc...... strictly for my hospital bag. That way I don't have to do last minute packing. I keep looking online at different "what to bring to the hospital when giving birth" lists. And this will spark the idea for something new that we might need. Even though I know that I will not even touch half of it, it is giving me something to do. I just feel like I am getting things accomplished by doing all of this weird stuff. If I keep packing at this rate my husband is going to need a forklift to get my hospital bag in the car!!! (he might need a forklift for me too if I keep growing....)

Come to think of it, maybe I will have a forklift on standby for D-day!!! hahahaha! Just kidding!

** This may be overexaggerting it a bit............

Inducing Labor with WivesTales..........

2009-10-08T09:57:00.006+02:00

I'm almost at Reamer's due date! I just can't wait to see him and hold him! I'm not uncomfortable or in pain or anything, but I really do want him to go ahead and come! I feel like a little kid just waiting for Christmas. So I have been trying some wivestales about how to induce the labor process!!!

The Italians have told me that by walking the big hill (Mt. Berico) in our town that it will get things going, so I keep trying it. I will be going again today so maybe this one will work.

I have eaten an entire pineapple and had some spicy Mexican food. I have been on tons of walks. I've even riden our elevator up and down 3 times and done 50 jumping jacks.

This weekend I'm going to make Eggplant Parmesan and I'm going to get Reamer to give me a foot massage. So if anyone has any other safe suggestions I'd be happy to give them a try. (I'm not going to try anything dangerous like castor oil, or any herbal rememdies etc...)

Hopefully one of these will eventually work! Let me know if any of these or any others have worked for you! Thanks for your suggestions!

Our little Athlete......

2009-10-04T08:07:00.004+02:00

Erin sent this video to me and I thouht it was so funny! This is definately Reamer! He can't wait to come out and play!(and neither can MOMMY....)

Daddy loves him already!

2009-09-27T09:26:00.006+02:00

Reamer and I went to a party for our friends birthday and had a great time. My friend caught Reamer saying hello to baby Reamer with her camera and I thought it was too cute! I don't even remember this, so it makes me smile to see it.

Lately my husband Reamer has been very interested in what our baby is doing. (Partly because he is constantlly moving!) He likes to see what he is doing and is usually feeling my belly to say hello. Here is the candid picture taken at the party with Reamer's hand on my big belly!!! Just thought I would share a belly picture and share with you what we have been doing lately!

Waiting on my son's arrival

2009-09-24T08:12:00.002+02:00

I can't believe that he is almost here. I'm so excited. I have everything ready except a few last minute things. I need to wash his baby linens and newborn clothes in baby friendly detergent and I need to pack a bag for the birthing center! That is all that I have left on the agenda! Of course, I feel like I need to keep cleaning daily just in case he decides to arrive a little early! I don't want him to come home to a dirty house!!!

I feel like it is utterly impossible for me to get any larger! I feel like I weigh a ton! Partly this is due to my swelling (who knew how big my fingers and feet could swell to!)I'm looking forward to being able to see my feet (and actually fit into closed toe shoes again let alone regular clothing). Although I wonder if it will be weird that I don't have a baby in my belly anymore. Being pregnant has become such a part of me.

I feel like I'm ready to have him now. I can't wait to finally see his face and kiss those little fingers and toes that have been poking and tickling my belly, ribs, hips etc. I'm pretty sure that he is still facing the front because his movements are so noticable. Reamer has been in awe watching and feeling him move around. He can't believe how big he is and how much he moves. Reamer thinks that he is just going to "walk right out" because he is so active! I hope that he decides to come a little early because the anticipation is killing me!

I am not too nervous about the birthing part because I think I'm in denial. It is only a few days of my life, so I know I can handle it. I have given myself a ton of education about it and now I'm just pretending that it won't really happen. I keep telling myself that the stork will find me and bring me my son! hahahaha! J/K. No seriously, I'm ready! I just want to hold him in my arms.

I keep praying that he will be healthy and that everything will go smoothly. Oh, people keep asking me what we need for the baby and the only thing that I can think is books. I would love to have some baby books for Reamer to read to the baby before he leaves. This way we can video tape him reading and while he is gone I can play it for Baby Reamer. There are not many books for sale at the PX, and in the local stores they are all in Italian. If you guys have any baby books that you want to get rid of, please send them my way!

Our friend: Lt. David Wright II

2009-09-23T08:08:00.001+02:00

1st Lt. David T. Wright II

2009-09-16T06:48:00.008+02:00

I am so heartbroken to write this blog. Reamer and I have lost a very dear friend of ours. 1st Lt. David Wright has bravely given his life for his country. Here are some News reports from his hometown newspapers about him. news article 1 news article 2

David and Reamer met in basic training and went through most of their army training together. David was an exemplary soldier and an amazing friend. He was also an outstaning leader.

David lived next door to Reamer and I with his roomate Mark Hamilton(and Christine Hamilton). We were always doing something with them. Even if it was just hanging around watching television. If I couldn't find Reamer, I knew where to look. He was usually next door hanging out with David and Mark. David was such a fun guy to be around. Even though on the outside he had that tough army-man shell, deep down he was a big softie. I really enjoyed getting to know the true David and seeing his softer side. He was such a passionate person and it showed in everything he did. He was such a great friend to Reamer and I know that there will be a hole in Reamer's heart now that his friend is no longer with us. I know that I will never forget the times I had with David. He will always hold a very special place with both Reamer and myself.

I feel very blessed to have met such an amazing person. I only wish that I would have had more time with him. If you would like to leave your condolences for David's family or just thank them for raising such a wonderful son, please write your comments here.

Amazing

2009-09-14T15:36:00.002+02:00

I went to the doctor again today for a regular prenatal visit. For the last few months, it has been amazing watching my little baby roll around in my tummy. I have been trying to figure out which way he is turned and what body parts I'm actually seeing. It's been fun playing "What's that body part". Today, my Doctor checked me and him out and told me how the baby is positioned. I have been thinking that I am seeing either his head or his butt poke up in different parts of my belly because it looks like a big round head-like shape. Today I found out that I am actually seeing his knees!!!! His head is down and his back is facing my back. He still has plenty of time to turn around, so it's nothing to worry about, but it definately explains all of the weird things that continually pop out of my belly!!!!

My Doctor got out the ultrasound machine and showed him to me again. It was so great to actually see him again. I saw his heartbeat and his little boy part!! So today I have been staring at my belly. Now that I know how he is positioned, watching his movement is so amazing!!!

Now I understand why I sometimes get a pain in my ribs! His little feet must be pushing up against me!! And I can tell when I feel little fingers tickling my lower belly.

I only have about 4 weeks left until my due date! I can't believe that in a month Reamer and I will have a son. It's so exciting! I can't wait to meet him. I already feel so much love for him I can't stand it!

When I think about how much God has blessed us, it is unbelievable. I feel so lucky and blessed right now.

Today's appointment was wonderful for me because I now am starting to feel like it is almost time to meet my son. It would have been much better if Reamer was there to experience it with me, but I will tell him all about it and show him what we are seeing once he gets home in a few days. I'm sure he will be happy to know what he is watching when we stare at my belly!!!

TOGA, TOGA, TOGA!!! Reamer's Baby Shower!

2009-09-12T06:50:00.002+02:00

My amazing friends Tonya and Kristin threw me a TOGA themed baby shower! It was so much fun!!! Everyone came in TOGA's and we had a blast!! Everything was so amazing and Reamer and I really racked up on the gifts! I was so happy that most of my friends came and celebrated with me! It was such a great night! Thanks to everyone that helped with the shower and to everyone that came and brought fun gifts for baby Reamer and I!! You girls are awesome!!

Here are some pics below of all of us at the TOGA Shower!!

While the boys are away.......

2009-09-04T09:54:00.007+02:00

.....the girls will play. When all of our husbands are gone, it is amazing how often all of the ladies get together. We are all going through the same things and can help eachother throught the lonely times. It has really helped me to have such wonderful ladies to make the time pass by quickly and to have some fun!!!!

For my birthday, I had 2 celebrations! On my actual birthday Janet (the birthday fairy) brought me flowers and chocolates! She even made me birthday cupcakes! Then Tonya, Kristin, Janet and I went to a concert ontop of Mt. Berico! It was so much fun! (it did rain for a little bit, but it only delayed the concert)

The next day we all went to an agriturismo to celebrate my birthday! An Agriturismo only serves food where 70% has been made on the property. It was so delicious! What an amazing experience! I had a great birthday thanks to such fun friends!!!

I have had a great time with the girls spending time on the beach, shopping, going to Ikea, eating at eachother's houses, BBQ's etc..... We even went to a medevil festival.

I am excited for Friday for my Baby Shower!!! I will post pics after the shower!!
But for now, here are some pics of my adventures with the ladies!

I can't wait until Reamer comes home though. I miss him so much! It won't be long now! After he gets home, only a few more weeks and we will have our son!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-08-25T17:33:00.003+02:00

Today is our 2 year Anniversary! I can't believe that we have been married for 2 years. When I think back on that day, I realize that it was the best day of my life! I'm so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. Thanks to our family and friends, we had an amazing day! Here are some pics of all of us celebrating on our special day!!!

Ferragosto

2009-08-19T06:58:00.002+02:00

In Italy during August, the entire country literally shuts down! No kidding! Well, maybe I'm exaggerating, but most places close down for the holidays. If you go to a major tourist city, things will stay open, but in most towns, Italians flee to the beach or the mountains for the month and take a vacation. On most businesses here in Vicenza there is a sign on the door that states they will be closed for the holiday. Most people want to get out of the summer heat and head to the beach for a month! (sounds like fun huh??)

The actual holiDAY is Aug. 15th, but lucky for them, they can celebrate for a month. The holiday itself celebrates The Virgin Mary's ascention into heaven. This is one of the most celebrated holiday's in Italy only next to Christmas and Easter.

Needless to say, the beaches are packed and the roads to the beaches are insane!!!!! Reamer had a 3 day weekend before he had to leave for his month long training, so we wanted to relax at the beach. We knew what we were getting into and decided it was worth the hassle to be able to relax at the beach for a few days!

We decided to go to a beach that is near Vicenza (Jesolo Beach) and usually would only take about 1 hour to get there. But because we picked the actual Holiday weekend, it took about 3 hours to get there. On the way to the beach, you must drive on a 2-lane road for about 25 kilometers. This normally wouldn't take long at all, but when there are tons of people trying to get to the beach, this becomes more difficult. Reamer and I couldn't believe how insane these people are when it comes to driving. Traffic would be stopped and people would try to pass oneanother with huge semitrucks speeding toward them on the other side of the road. They would literally come seconds from a head on collision just to move ahead one place in the traffic. And don't even get me started on the motorcycles/scooters!!! These people seriously have a death wish! We couldn't believe the crazy things that they would do just to be able to reach the beach a little bit sooner!

Anyways, we finally made it to the beach and happily found a nice little spot to enjoy the water and the sun. We walked around the beach town and had a great dinner. The town was in celebration mode with stages set up for performers, carnival rides, and everyone walking around and shopping etc. They even celebrated with fireworks! What a great day! We wanted to spend the night, but after calling tons of places during the day, we were unable to find a hotel on the beach. We decided to drive about 20 mins away and got a hotel there! We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard! It was so nice and just like an American Hotel! It was wonderful!

We went back to the beach and bought awesome rafts so that we could just lounge in the water for the day. We also rented beach chairs too! (a pregnant lady has to be comfy!) We seriously had a wonderful day. Neither of us wanted to leave!

I think that these Italians have the right idea. Why can't we take an entire month off of work just to relax! I really think that we need to adopt this tradition! We really wanted to tell the army that we were observing the Italian culture and Reamer would not be back until the end of the month! Unfortunately this wasn't possible, so he is gone for training in Germany until the end of September! Booo!! Sure do wish that we could have stayed at the beach instead!

(I will try to do a better job of updating this blog... Sorry I have been so slack about it!)

An Update: 2 Months worth!!!!

2009-07-30T07:05:00.005+02:00

I have been the worst blogger ever lately! Just a little update on what has been going on with me. My family (mom, dad, and erin) came to Italy for the month of June! What an amazing time we had. We traveled all over: Vicenza, Venice, Verona, Florence, Lake Garda, Rome, Naples, Amalfi Coast and we even took a cruise throughout the Greek Isles! Wow! What a whirlwind! It was so great to share Italy with them and exciting to have my family here for so long. I already miss them being here and wish that they would hurry up and come back to play with me. We left for the "good ole US of A" for block leave and went to spend some time with the Argo Family. Amy got married on July 5th to our friend Mike Muskus! It was a beautiful wedding! She was an absolutly beautiful bride! Reamer's sister Jennifer and her family came from Colorado and we got to spend time with the whole clan! After the wedding, we spent most of our time at the lake just relaxing. So much fun.
The day before we were headed back to Italia, my parents had a good-bye bbq! My family and our friends came to see us before we had to go home. It was a bittersweet reunion because it was way too short! It almost made me miss everyone even more! It was so nice to see everyone and eat some of my parents amazing food! (Reamer enjoyed the meal too)!!! We arrived back in Itlay and now we are preparing the nursery! Luckily most of our baby furniture arrived so now all we have to do is paint and decorate! So exciting!

Well, that is what has been going on with me lately! Sorry that I have been MIA for so long! I'm going to try to do a better job now that life has slowed down a tad!

2009-06-22T07:03:00.001+02:00

Number 5!

Reamer Welker Argo V

is coming to your world in Oct 2009!! Yay!!!

ANGRY at the army!!!!

2009-06-12T09:51:00.005+02:00

I am a pretty patient army wife. I understand that mission come first and that my husbands job takes up almost all of his time. But today, I'm pissed!!! Reamer changed jobs and is now an XO. Unfortunately this change happened the day my parents came to visit. Since they got here, he has been working until 10 or 11 at night every day! He hasn't even seen my parents at all. The only real day that he has to spend with them is today! We were supposed to go to Lake Garda and right as we were about to leave, he got called into work. Apparently, if there is any alcohol incident at all, they have a policy that they will call everyone into work. I do not understand this at all. This is ridiculous! This is not fair to the people that are doing the right thing. Why punish the entire group for the actions of a few idiots! Why can't they just make the punishment for the offender extremely harsh? It is insane to punish so many people for one person's mistakes! At this post, our husbands are taken away so much more than other places and they work so much longer hours! Why take them away even more? I am very angry. It really seems unfair that this policy is even in effect! How can they do this? I am seriously starting to get frustrated with being stationed here!

Twitter?

2009-05-29T07:31:00.001+02:00

It seems that everyone is talking about Twitter. I got on today just to see what all of the hype is about. I don't think that many people that I know are on it, so it isn't very interesting keeping up with strangers. I had to set up an account to check it out, so now I'm on the site. I might try it out for a few days and see how it goes. If anyone has an account and either likes or dislikes it, let me know what you think!

It's the little things......

2009-05-20T05:52:00.004+02:00

It's the little things that you take for granted that I miss the most. Right now, we are without a car. Our transmission burnt out in the Jeep, so we are currently stuck with riding our bikes and taking the bus. Life is so much easier with a car. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want and buy whatever you want! Now, everything I do must be calculated. I can only fit so much into my bike basket and backpack at one time. So I have to plan exactly what I need before I go to the store and i must make sure that I am able to get it home. Anything that is too big to fit in my basket, just doesn't make the cut. Also, getting to "mandatory fun military functions" (ex: Coffee's, Hail and Farewell, Ball etc.....) is a real problem!!! On the bright side of things, we are probably saving money by not purchasing big items and only buying the essentials! Also, I honestly enjoy riding my bike around town, it's so beautiful. It's just trying to get the stuff that I buy home that gets on my nerves!Air-Conditioning is another thing that I am seriously missing!! It's starting to get pretty hot outside and after riding my bike around with 100 lbs (I'm exaggerating) in my bookbag, I am hot when I get home. In the States you walk into your home and immediately feel cool air when you open the door that hits you in the face. Here it seems that the inside is sometimes hotter than the outside. If I open all of my doors and windows and turn on the fans, it cools off, but it still isn't the same as central air-conditioning!!! We always said that when it got hot, we would buy a portable airconditioner, but now that it is hot, we have no car to take us shopping for this big item!!! What Bad Luck! Our laptop is broken, which means that we must use our old computer (it is so old that it has floppy disks portales). You can only imagine how slow it is. We are going to look for a new laptop when we are in the States in July, but until then, I'm stuck on the slowest machine ever!!!!!!!!! But at least we have this computer so that we can take our time and buy a good new computer.

I have gotten used to the fact that I can only have one appliance running at a time, (or else the fuse will blow). But I feel that it is worth mentioning in this blog because it sort of goes along with the theme. Also, the fact that to do one load of laundry takes about 5 hours! (and it's a pretty small load too!) But these are things that I have already adapted to.

If you go back a few blog entries, you will notice that I wrote a blog about being positive and having a good attitude but today, as you can see, that went out the window. I think that overall I have a good attitude, but right now I just needed to vent about our bad luck. Sorry if I'm bringing everyone down with my rant!! But I already feel better!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T00:03:00.002+02:00

Happy Mother's Day to our Moms We miss you and love you both so much!

Wine Tasting

2009-05-10T07:43:00.007+02:00

Lately, I have been asked to go on several wine tasting trips. It's kinda funny, because now I can't drink and I am finding all of these wonderful vineyards! I guess it's just that time of year.
We went on a wine tasting tour with our FRG and some of our friends. It was so much fun. Even though I couldn't drink much of the wine, I was able to swish some tastes in my mouth and get the idea. It was such a beautiful day and the countryside drive was absolutely picturesque.

At one of the places, you just put your glass up to a spicket on a huge metal cannister and pour a little out. You can also bring your own jugs and bottles to fill instead of buying the pre-bottled wine. At other places, you sample the wine from the bottle. It just depends on where you go. It's kind of neat just being able to walk up and pour your own little sample from the source. I think that this is an awesome way to go wine tasting!!! So much fun!

One of the places served bread, cheese and olives too. So I got to enjoy in some food. I did buy several bottles to add to our collection and to have for our guests! I couldn't resist.

We even stopped along the way at a cafe for cappucino's, (and since I'm trying to limit my caffine) Kristin (she's preggo too!) and I got ice cream instead!!! yummy! We wanted to indulge a little too!

It was a wonderful day and I'm so excited to take my parents in a few weeks back to some of the neat little places that we found.

One Year Blogging Anniversary

2009-05-07T06:53:00.002+02:00

I started writing this blog exactly one year ago today. Reamer was in Ranger School and I was looking for a way to express my feelings about all of the changes we were going through. We had the move to Italy ahead of us and it seemed like it would take forever and was a million years away. But as time does, it flew by.

As I spent my time counting down the days until the completion of Ranger School, I also started reading other people's blogs. Many of them were Military Spouse blogs. It was so interesting to me that they all wrote about their lives and experiences and I too wanted to become part of this counter-culture. I realized that we would be moving far away from our family and our friends and that blogging would be a great way to "stay in touch" with people.

While blogging, I have gone through my ups and downs and at times have taken several weeks off. And the style and content of the blog has changed several times (as does life). But overall I really enjoy writing. Now with the baby on it's way, I know that I will continue to blog. I don't think that I will be at a loss for material!

Thank you to my faithful readers for supporting me!!! It makes me feel great to know that I have people who care enough about me to read about my thoughts and feelings on life!!

Baby Gender Predictions!

2009-05-06T10:02:00.003+02:00

Ok, so I have had some free time on my hands while Reamer has been in Germany for training.

The last time I went to the doctor, she checked the baby's heartbeat and told me that if you go by the wives-tale of beats per min, that our baby would be a girl. ("Obviously, you can never be sure of this", she told me, but she said she had a feeling it might be a girl).

So, this started a curiosity in my mind about what other predictions would give me about the gender of our baby. According to every one, we are having a girl.

The Chinese Calendar was the first one I did. You input the mother's age birthday and time zone. You also enter the date of conception ( tired several dates around when we think it was) and they all come up with GIRL.

I also did the ring on the string prediction. You put your wedding ring on a string and hold it above your belly. If the ring moves in a circular motion instead of a back and forth motion, it will be a girl. And Circle it did.

I also answered 20 questions to an old wives tale. It had questions about morning sickness, weight gain, hair growth, etc.. and the answer was that it would be a girl.

Now, who knows if this is true or not, but it was really fun. It's going to be interesting to find out if these wives-tales have any truth to them. Hopefully we will find out in about a month!

Toby Keith Concert

2009-05-05T12:17:00.007+02:00

Toby Keith came to our military post last week. It was part of his USO tour. Usually these artist stick to performing for the deployed soldiers, but somehow we made it onto his schedule. It was awesome! Unfortunately a lot of the guys were gone for training, but the families were able to really enjoy the show.
It is so amazing to know that music artists like Toby Keith are doing things like this out of the goodness of their hearts. He put on an amazing show and I'm so happy that I got to go see him! I only wish that Reamer would have been able to enjoy it too.

It was hilarious to me to see the Italians that were excited about it. They got more dressed up than all of the Americans (cowboy hats, cowboy boots, belt buckles, etc...) I had no idea that Italians would like country music.

During the concert, Toby Keith made a few statements about only doing this concert for the Americans. It was kinda funny. He is so patriotic and most of his songs even center around that theme.

My friend Kristen is pregnant too and is due any day so we took a pic of our bellies to show our babies first concert! I wonder if they could hear the show in there? Maybe feel the vibrations? I'm glad that little peanut was able to attend his/her first concert and that it was country!!! At least peanut will know where he/she came from!! ha ha he he ha!

I'm Back

2009-05-05T10:37:00.017+02:00

I have seriously had bloggers block and haven't felt like writing in the past month, but I am back! So many things have happened. Jennifer and Nathan came to vist and we had a great time! We literally saw the entire country of Italy in 2 weeks! What fun we had.

It was so great being able to show them everything that we have learned about Italy and share in all of the beautiful cities.

We toured Vicenza (several times of course). We showed them Theatro Olympico, the parks, Monte Berico, the market and several restaurants and bars. We even took a bike ride tour around town and went to the Villa Rotunda. I enjoyed showing them by bike, because they were able to see a taste of my daily life. (riding bikes like a 9 year old :) (JK).
We went to Verona and toured the city. I think that Jennifer really liked the Romeo and Juliet attractions the most! We even went to our favorite vineyard Recchia for some wine tasting. Of course I was only able to smell the delicious wine, but I was able to get some gifts!

We spent the day in Venice and Reamer and I were able to take our first Gondola Ride with them! It was so neat. It is different seeing Venice from another angle.

We also took an overnight trip to Cinque Terre and hiked to all 5 towns. It is quite a workout and I think we were all proud of ourselves for accomplishing the hike!

We spent a relaxing day in Lake Garda and even took Champ along for the ride. We went to the market in Vicenza in the morning and bought some food to bring with us for a picnic. We walked around and saw the beautiful castle. Champ enjoyed the trip more than we did!

We also spent a day in Florence and saw all of the art and museums that the city had to offer! After Florence, Jennifer and Nathan took the train to Rome and explored the city for a few days by themselves!

We are so happy that they were able to come and visit and spend time with us! We had such a great time while they were here! I know that Reamer wishes he was able to spend more time with them, but the time that we spent was amazing! Can't wait to see ya'll again soon!

Ciao!

(More updates on what I have been doing to come....)

An Exciting Letter I got emailed today!

2009-04-21T19:49:00.003+02:00

First Rock Families-
It is with great joy and excitement that I share this email with you as it not only makes your life easier, but it also serves as an exceptional example of the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP).A bit of background, late last year a Soldier in this BN and his wife had a baby boy. They wanted the son's first name to be the same as the father's.The middle names were different. When the father arrived at the birth registration office downtown, he was told that, under Italian law, it was illegal. Forced with no alternative, he switched the child's names and registered his birth - thus legally naming the child a something neither he nor his wife truly wanted. His only recourse was to take time and money to legally change his name upon returning to the states. Original document,however, would always have the wrong name. I was frustrated by this and put in an AFAP issue. It seemed unfair that we, non-Italian citizens whose children would ALSO be non-Italians, would be forced to give up one of our fundamental freedoms as American citizens - the right to name our children whatever we want. It turned out the Red Cross also put in a similar issue. In the end it was a hot topic at the local conference. Work to change the situation began immediately. The positive result is attached. I am so excited for EVERYONE, but especially the folks who want to continue family names, have hyphenated names or make up a name that no one has ever had before. Although it may sound like I am bragging, my real purpose is to share the AFAP news with all of you. If YOU are outraged by something that affects more than just your family, AFAP is your recourse. Submit your issue today at http://www.vicenzamwr.com/acs_afapform.html I have already put in two since March! (but you could have guessed that!)Thanks Jennifer

I wanted to share this exciting news! CPT Saahene has achieved what was thought impossible! I guess that is what AFAP is for :) See attached for the agreement to allowing the naming of children with the following exceptions to Italian regulations:
a child of two non-Italian citizens will be able to name their child the same as the parent, with two last names (of both parents), geographiclocations, seasons, months, days, after someone famous, or with a first name widely considered to be a last name.

Angry!!

2009-04-03T09:13:00.002+02:00

Ok, so today is the day that you can call me a hypocrite for complaining about living in Italy. I can't believe that it came so soon. I still love living here don't get me wrong, but today I am very angry with the Italian Government!!!!

I read this last night in a military document that was sent to me:
Currently, United States citizens who give birth while living in Italy do not have the freedom to name their child(ren) as they choose. Under Italian law, a parent and child cannot share the first name even if the middle name is different, nor can children have suffixes or hyphenated last names. Such limitations remove the ability for families to continue important family traditions when naming their children.

WHAT THE HEC!!! So basically, that means that if we have a boy, we are legally unable to name him Reamer Welker Argo V while we are here in Italy! I am furious!

I don't care if by Italian law I am unable to do it, if we have a boy our childs name WILL BE REAMER WELKER ARGO V!! I will "legally" name him something else but will call him REAMER WELKER ARGO V. And as soon as we move back to the U.S. we will legally change it to the correct name! I don't care what we have to do, it will happen.

Seriously, this is so important to me. I love Reamer so much and I love his name. I have always wanted to have a son and name him after the love of my life, and to continue this neat family tradition. We don't even know if we will have a boy or a girl yet, but the thought that I can not legally name my own child really makes me angry!!!!!!!

Apparently, this issue was brought up at the Army Family Action Plan Meeting and may possibly be something that our government may try to fix, but there are many requests and who knows if it will make it to the final list. Hopefully something will change but there will probably not be any results before we have the baby.

Sorry that I have taken such a negative tone with this blog but I am just furious right now!

Attitude Adjustment

2009-03-30T09:15:00.004+02:00

I'm very sorry if this post offends anyone. This is directed at military spouses (especially those stationed here in Vicenza).

First, let me say that I understand your frustration. I miss my husband, get flustered about the annoying parts of Italian culture (everything being closed, lack of service, etc....) and I too had to re-adjust my life to fit our overseas duty station. That being said, I'm fed up! I'm NOT fed up with Italy or post or Italian culture. I'm fed up with some (not all) attitudes and opinions of some of the army wives.

Seriously people, you are stationed in one of the most beautiful countries in the world! People pay thousands of dollars to come to Europe for a week or two to see such a beautiful country. Ok, it's not like you must live here forever. Most of us are only stationed here for 3 years or so. That is really not very long (in the scheme of our life). And come on, your duty station could be worse. I'm so tired of hearing negative talk about living here. You can make your time here either positive or negative. It is your choice. There are so many wonderful places to tour and visit that are only a short train ride or a short car trip away. Why not take advantage of this experience? Why can't we stop and smell the roses?? Let's try to embrace the culture and maybe we will learn something about ourselves. Who knows, you might expand your horizon and become a more well-rounded person. What is the harm in that?

Ok, it's not like I don't get annoyed sometimes too. There are things that drive me crazy here just as much as the next person. I understand where the negativity comes from. I'm just saying that our overall opinion of living here should be examined. Why spend your time "bitchinig"--(excuse my language, I'm venting) when that will accomplish nothing but making you more miserable.

Take inititive in your life! Even though the army says that you are a dependent, doesn't mean that you actually are only a dependent. You are your own individual person. You can control your own happiness. Try to adjust to living here. Make sure that you can take care of yourself. Our husbands are gone a lot of our time here so you have to figure out how to make it work for yourself. It is not your husbands (or other wives) responsibility to make you happy. Rely on yourself and stop being so dependent on others. I promise you will be a better person for it.

I'm not saying that as wives we shouldn't support eachother. I think that to have a successful community we must stick together and help eachother. I just believe that as spouses we need to have some independence. I can totally understand that it is scary and hard to adjust when you are so far away from home. But it is so vital to our happiness and even our survival that we are able to take care of ourselves.

I really hope that I haven't offended anyone with my venting. I just believe that it is important that we embrace this experience and try to see the positive in it. There are much worse things that could happen to us in our lives. Seriously, just look around you at the beauty that surrounds us. Do Not Spend all of your time on post, but do get involved and stay busy. Learn how to care for yourself. Get out and about. Embrace the food (I know that it's different, but try), embrace the culture, embrace the beautiful landscape, if you don't drive--learn the public transportation system so that you can get around town. See the sights, shop in the stores, just walk around town and look at the beautiful architecture, take a bike ride around town. Embrace the differences that surround you, but don't let the differences hinder you from living your life. Life is way to short for negitivity.

I know that I will end up complaining about some of the things that annoy us all to someone who has read this and I might possibly be viewed as hypocritical, but my intention is not to say that you can't be annoyed with some of the differences. I am really only talking about your overall demeanor about living overseas. Let's examine our overall opinion and how we are coming across to others. It is so much more enjoyable to be surrounded with positive people who can see the positive things in life. I do understand that misery loves company, but I don't want to be a part of that company.

I have had this on my mind for several weeks and have been debating about writing it, but I feel that it is something that had to be said. Please don't be offended by this venting blog, take it for what it is worth and possibly try to get something out of it.

Please remind me of this blog when I am complaining about some of the pitfalls of living here so that I too can have an attitude adjustment. We all need one of those every now and then.

Trip to Nove and Bassano Del Grappa

2009-03-26T17:27:00.007+01:00

While the boys were in the field this week, I have been spending most of my time hanging out with the ladies. Janet and her friend Elissa and I went to Nove one day and did some amazing ceramic shopping!

Italy is famous for ceramics, and the town of Nove produces some of the highest-quality and most beautiful ceramics. The ceramics are made in this little town about 30 mins from Vicenza. Lenox and Tiffany are some of the name brand cermaics that are acutally made here in Nove. You can see the Italians making the famous pottery in some of the stores. There were many types of ceramics, that were on display and for sale. Some of the pieces were cutsy, some were elegant and some were functional. It was hard choosing the pieces that I wanted to buy because I liked so many of them!

We also went to Bassano Del Grappa and did some sight seeing. We were able to see the famous covered wooden bridge , which was designed by the architect Palladio in 1569. (Palladio is from Vicenza and is famous for his architechture... check out my previous blog entries to find out more about Palladio). Bassano Del Grappa is also famous for Grappa. Grappa is a fragrant grape-based liquer that is between 37.5% and 60% alcohol. Most grappa is made from grape residue (mainly the skins, but also stems and seeds) left over from making wine.

We are going to be a mommy and a daddy!

2009-03-20T15:57:00.002+01:00

Ok, so I have been holding this in for too long! We wanted to wait until after the first trimester, but I can't hold out any longer! We are going to have a baby! I am currently at 10 weeks! We have had one ultrasound and have seen our little "peanut" and today I heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time!

I took this picture the day that I found out I was pregnant. I took the test several times to make sure that it was real!!! Reamer and I are very excited and can't wait for our little baby to arrive! I will try to post the ultrasound picture soon so that you can see "peanut" (while he/she still looks kinda like a peanut!!!

Here is some info on what happens in the tenth week of pregnancy! It's so neat to see how fast they turn into little babies!

***This is taken from what to expect when you are expecting website:
Your baby's nearly an inch and a half long and the size of a prune, but not nearly as shriveled. In fact, your baby is really taking a human shape now. Though your baby's arms are developing, each one is only about the size of this number 1.Your baby's growth is fast and furious when you are 10 weeks pregnant. He or she is nearly an inch and a half long and the size of a prune, but not nearly as shriveled (even with all the time it spends in water). In fact, your baby is really taking a human shape now. Bones and cartilage are forming, and small indentations on the legs are developing into knees and ankles. The arms (complete with elbows) can flex already, but don't run to the store for a baseball bat just yet. Though your baby's arms are taking shape and getting stronger, each one is only about the size of this number 1. The tooth bud fairy is making her appearance this week, heralding the arrival of your baby's little choppers, which are forming under the gums. (Those pearly whites won't break through the gums until your baby is close to six months old). Other systems are go, too. Your baby's stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine, and, if your baby's a boy, he's already producing testosterone (yikes!).

Cinque Terre and Pisa

2009-03-19T07:27:00.011+01:00

Reamer and I went went to the Cinque Terre and Pisa for his four day weekend. We really enjoyed ourselves andhad wonderful weather to complement our trip! The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. The Cinque Terre means "The Five Lands" and is called that because it comprises of five villages.

The Cinque Terre is so beautiful! It may be one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. You are able to hike from each town on a beautiful hiking trail that overlooks the beautiful views. There are restraunts on some of the trails and you are able to enjoy the amazing sights. If you were to hike the entire trail, it would be a great workout. If you decide that hiking is not your cup of tea, you can take the train to each town or do some combination of both. We really enjoyed the beautiful hiking and the wonderful weather.

One of the trails is called "Lovers Lane". It is one of the shortest trails, and has peoples names carved and written on the rocks on the path.

Some paths are very natural and you only see natural beauty. The towns are very different from eachother. Some have colorful houses that decorate the cliffs. (Stairs and paths are the only way that these people can go to and from their home). Some towns are more agricultural and lemon trees, olive trees, and small vineyards are all over the mountains. Other towns are like beach towns and have tourists paths and beaches for tourists to enjoy. You will see so much beauty in the Cinque Terre, and there is something there for everyone!

After Cinque Terre, we drove about an hour to Pisa. We got to see the leaning tower of Pisa and toured the church that is directly beside it. We walked around the city, enjoyed cappucinos and some shopping. Reamer went there as a child and we found the restaurant that his family ate at. We drove 15 mins to Camp Dary (a military post that has lots of lodging for military tourists). We got a room there are went for a walk on the beach the following day. We had an amazing trip and are excited for our next adventure!

Tiramisu' Recipe

2009-03-11T06:58:00.004+01:00

As promised, here is the Tiramisu' recipe that I learned to make at the Ciao Conference! Buon Appetito!

Tools:
Espresso Maker (you can substitute very strong coffee)

Ingredients:
500gr Mascarpone cheese (approx 1 lb)-- Italians do everything by weight! They only use scales--no measuring cups ect...
2 packages savoiardi (lady fingers)
8 expresso sixed cups of coffee (approx. 14 oz)
4 Tablespoons powdered cocoa
5 eggs
5 tablespoons sugar

Preliminary Steps:
Bring ingredients to room temperature
Make espresso and pour in a shallow flat bottomed bowl and allow to cool to room temperature
Separate Egg yolks and whites

Mixing:
In first mising bowl, beat yolk and sugar unil creamy white. Add mascarpone and mix until blended. Leave this mixture in the bowl. In second mixing bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy. Fold beaten egg whites into mascarpone mixture. Mix only enough to blend. (over mixing will deflate egg whites). Quickly dip a savoiardo in expresso bowl. To get the right amount of espresso on the savoiardi, lay the finger flat in the botttom of the bowl sugared side Up and immediately pull it out. Place each finger flat in the bottom of the pan sugar side DOWN. The savoiardi will quickly absorb the espresso. If you soak the savoiardi in the espresso you will end up with soggy savoiardi instead of moist.

Assembly:
Build a layer of dipped savoiardi across the bottom of the pan. If some of the savoiardi do not look dark from the espresso, spoon on a few more drips of espresso. Any espresso left in the bottom of the pan will be absorbed. Too much espresso will turn fingers into a soggy mess. Spoon on a layer of egg/mascarpone mixture across the layer of fingers. Use about 1/2 of mascarpone mix. The layer should be about 1cm. thick. Dip another layer of savoiardi and lay them on mascarpone mix. Layer them as before, sugar side down. Spoon on second layer of egg/mascarpone mix. Sift cocoa on top of the second layer. Scoop a tablespoon of cocoa into a small sieve. Hold the sieve over the tiramisu and tap sieve on the side with your finger. The cocoa should sprinkle in an even layer. Cover the tiramisu with a very thin layer of cocoa. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. The Tiramisu will taste quite good for 3-4 days if refrigerated!

Buona fortuna!! (Good Luck!) and of course Buon Appetito!!

Ciao Conference

2009-03-11T05:58:00.004+01:00

Last Friday I attended the annual Ciao Conference for Army spouses. What a wonderful, classy, fun, enlightening, entertaining day. The Ciao Conference is hosted every year by the Vicenza Community Club (which I am going to join). They put together a wonderful day of classes, a beautiful breakfast and an Italian style lunch that went on for hours! We also had an amazing speaker and tons of amazing items that were raffeled to the ladies.

Luckily I got in most of the classes that I wanted. I attended Italian Cooking Class, Day Trips of the Veneto Region, and Italian Dessert Class! Needless to say, I had a very filling and yummy day!

My first class was the Italian Cooking Class. In my class the Italian culinary experts taught us how to make Antipasto. I learned how to make mini pizzas with delicious Italian ingredients. I also learned to make several different sandwich rolls with prosciutto, salami, mushrooms, asiago cheese, rucula and some other amazing ingredients. We also made a Brescola and Rucula rolls with cream cheese. The yummy antipastos were delicious and not difficult to make. My friend and I attempted to make the sandwich rolls for our FRG meeting and they didn't turn out the same as the culinary experts, but I think we know what to do differently next time.

My second class taught me about neat day trips that we can take in our region. There are so many vineyards, cheese factories, olive oil and vinegar manufacturers in our region. Most of these places are available to be visited by the public and are open for tastings. These vineyards are mostly family owned and the tastings won't be a big production (like you would see in Napa Valley etc...) but the wine is to die for. One thing thatI learned about and am very interested in is Agriturismo. In Agriturismo, they must serve only things that are produced on their land. This is taken very seriously here and it sounds like it will be an amazing meal and a great experience. I learned too much in this class to share on my blog (the info is overwhelming). When we visit these places I will have to write some more about what is available around our area.

My third class was the Italian dessert class! I learned how to make Tiramisu' and Salame al Cioccolato. They were delicious! I will post the Tiramisu' recipe on my next blog for the aspiring chefs that would like to give it a try.

We were served an amazing lunch with all of the traditional Italian courses. It lasted for hours. During lunch we had "the Date Doctor" as our speaker. He is the "real" Hitch! (you know, the movie that Will Smith was in-- "Hitch"!). He was very entertaining and extremely motivational. Check him out at http://www.datingdoctor.com/ (p.s. he looks nothing like Will Smith!)

What an enjoyable and enlightening day! I can't wait to do it again next year! Ciao!!

Carnival Pictures

2009-02-24T09:38:00.019+01:00

I took these pictures while walking around Venice. Hope you enjoy!

Tortelli de Milano--- Delicious Homemade Carnival Treat!

2009-02-19T19:49:00.007+01:00

I have really attempted to have a good relationship with our neighbors (all Italian). For example, we brought all of them a huge Christmas Cookie basket for the Holidays and have recieved small little things from them as well. We always speak (as well as we can) and I feel like they value us as neighbors.

Today our grandmotherly neighbor brought us an amazing HOME-MADE Carnival Dessert!! It was amazing! It tasted like a combination between a doughnut and a funnel cake. But it was even better than that. It was sweet and airy with a slight lemony/orangy flavor.

I found out some information about this Tortelli de Milano. Tortelli di Milano, “Tortei de Carnevaa a la Milanese”. They are fried sweet dough, similar to doughnuts, covered with sugar and cinnamon. Many Italian Carnival holiday traditions include a sweet version of an everyday dish as if to imitate the concept of Carnival where things are never what they seem to be. They are delicious!

I found a reciepe for this delicious sweet Treat online:

Ingredients:
1 ¼ (150 g) All-Purpose Flour
½ stick (50 g) Butter
¼ cups (50 g) Sugar
2 ¼ cups (500 ml) Milk
4Eggs
2 tsp (12 g) Double Acting Baking Powder
1 Lemon Peel
½ tsp Vanilla
1 tbsp Rum
Olive Oil to fry with (or preferred frying oil)

Powdered SugarPreparation:
In a large pot, mix together the sugar, vanilla, milk, 2 1/4 cups (500 ml) of water, the butter cut into pieces, the peel of 1 lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil.

In a separate bowl mix the baking powder and flour. Remove from the heat and remove the Lemon Peel. Add the flour mixture to the liquid stirring briskly. Place the pot on the heat again and cook for 10 minutes continually stirring.

The dough will separate from the sides of the pot, similar to the procedure for Bigne. Remove from heat and allow the dough to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the whole eggs, one a time, working with your hands if necessary. Add the Rum. Set aside.

Heat the frying oil in a heavy skillet or deep fryer. Test the oil temperature by placing a small amount of dough and watching it fry. The oil should not smoke and the dough should take on a golden color.Use a tablespoon to create small balls of dough. Add them directly to the oil. Cook on both sides until golden. Remove from the oil and allow the Tortelli to drain on a wire rack. Serve hot with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Buon Appitito!!

Italy to increase troops in Afghanistan

2009-02-18T06:24:00.001+01:00

Here is an excerpt from a news story I came across today.

Italy is to increase its troops in Afghanistan in response to a call from the United States, Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said after meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday.

La Russa said the number of Italian troops in Afghanistan was already being raised from some 2,300 to 2,800, and the government "might consider" asking the parliament for more reinforcements to help safeguard the Afghan elections in August.

He did not specify what that "hypothetical" number might be.
La Russa echoed other ministers in noting that Italy was the third-biggest contributor to the NATO mission and called on other European Union countries to shoulder more of the burden.
Last week Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said troops would go up to 2,800 and their deployment would be more flexible.

He said it was time for other major European countries to "play their part."
Stressing the need for a political solution alongside military action, Frattini underscored the importance of a conference on Afghanistan featuring all the regional players, which Italy has called as Group of Eight president.

The conference, focusing on stabilizing the Afghan-Pakistani border, will take place in Trieste in June.

Carnevale!

2009-02-17T05:59:00.002+01:00

Carnevale (Carnival) is celebrated throughout Italy and the world (think Mardi Gras). Venice's version is a little bit different with elaborate, colourful masks and costumes that are known around the world. This year Carnavale will be from February 15th and will end on Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday) and marking the beginning of the Lenten season.

Venice will be swarming with giant crowds of people, amazing music, georgous costumes, and delicious food. The most recognizable part of the festival is surely the masks, which often feature feathers and/or glitter and include representations of jokers, animals, and puppets.

Masks in Venice date back to the 13th century. At that time the purpose of the masks were so that you would be unrecognizable and would be able to commit any deed without being recognized. In the 14th century, the rulers decided they didn't want the such sin being associated with their city and all masqueraders were prohibited from walking the streets in the dark. The party turned into a much more subdude one.

In the 1930's Mussolini banned the celebration in Venice, but in the early 1980s, a small group of Venetian artisans helped get things moving again, helping to create the Carnevale we know and love today. Bringing tourism back to the beloved Venice!

We will be going to Carnavale next weekend, so be on the lookout for some pictures!

"Sweet Home Vicenza??"........

2009-02-15T07:26:00.008+01:00

There has been a lot of protesting here in Vicenza about the expansion of the American military base. Dal Molin (the new base) is a huge controversy that is evident almost everywhere you look. There are signs , graffiti, and banners placed all over the city to show the Italian Government and the Americans that the expansion is not wanted. The expansion would essentially double the size of the base so that it could house the full 173rd Airborne Brigade. The number of military troops here would grow to about 4,500 from 2,750. These protests have been happening since the beginning talks of expansion in 2006. Some protestors are anti-war and view this type of demonstration as an outlet for their view. Some are anti-American and do not want us here at all. Some are worried about the historical preservation of Vicenza and the damage that might be done to the city in the expansion. Some are upset that the base will be built over a water supply and are against it for environmental reasons. Some people have stated that they are not anti-American or anit-war, but are protesting their own governments decision to expand the base.

Usually we recieve warnings of the protests so that we can avoid them, but when the protest passes by your house, it is kind of hard to ignore it. I took some pictures and videos from our balcony. Reamer pretty much stayed inside because we knew that they would definately recognize him as a solider and probably wouldn't be very kind. I thought it was kind of funny that they mostly played American music during the protest! It just seemed kind of ironic that one of the reasons for the protests is preservation of their culture with some anti-American sentiment but they were dancing around to "Sweet Home Alabama" and American Oldies!!! The two seem to contradict eachother.

Cultural Differences

2009-02-11T08:07:00.002+01:00

After living in Itlay for almost 7 months, I have made some observations about the differences in our cultures. Before arriving in Italy I had assumed some things that are not necessarily true.

I used to think that the culture would be very traditional especially in the roles of men and women. This is something that I have come to realize is not true! In my opinion Italian men are the epitomy of what would be considered "metro-sexual" in the States. Appearance is very important to them. They seem to be very weight conscience (as do all Italians). Their clothing looks very feminine (tight pants, tight shirts, fur-clad clothing etc....). The idea of chivalery seems to be nonexistant as well. For example, my friends and I were drinking coffee at a cafe and a bum/gypsy came up to us begging for money. The tactics used here are sometimes more aggressive (with words only) and we were obviously annoyed. He kept screaming to us about "nunca Dio" (we don't have a God...) etc...He also went to another table filled with Italian women and did the same thing. He didn't go to the table with the man that was sitting right beside us. In America the man would have definately stepped in and would have told him to leave us alone. But not here. The man felt no instinct to help us or to step in at all. (Eventually he went away on his own).

After speaking with many Italian women, the differences between American men and Italian men are definately evident. Most Italian men are very much "momma's boys" most live at home until their 30's and even 40's! This is also true for most Italian women. The ambition to leave their "hometown" is usually nonexistant and the American ideal of "ambition" doesn't seem to exist. It is odd that in the country where the fantasy of romance, poetry and chivalry seem to fill our American minds that at this day and age is simply not true. I have come to realize why this sterotype seems to stay in our minds while looking at it from the naked eye. One simple reason is that they live at home until they are 40!!!!! They do not have a choice but to have extreme PDA in public. So as Americans, we see a couple making out on a blanket in the park and we think "Wow! How romantic! They must really be in love... They can't keep their hands off eachother... etc...." The real reason is that they are 30 years old, live with their momma, and don't have anywhere else to "court" their girlfriend(s). (This blog is seeming to become a little harsh... It is clear that I have spoken to several disgruntled Italian women).

Another difference that is evident is the idea of confrontation. Italians are not afraid of confrontation. I actually think that they enjoy it. In America we are afraid of it. I think that the reason for this is that it is relatively "safe" to have a screaming match in Italy. (It is illegal to punch someone with a fist.... only open faced palms can legally be used in a fight). In America (especially in certain area's) you could be frightened for your life if you were to enter into such wild confrontations! In Itlay, verbal fighting seems to be accepted and in some cases expected.

The idea of order and rule following is something that differs as well. Rules in Italy seem to be only suggestions. (especially when it comes to driving). For example, when they came out with a machine that would catch your license plate while you are speeding on the autostrada the same week that this technology was released everyone already had discovered how to get out of it! (spraying hairspray on the plate would make it unreadable).

I have noticed many more interesting differences between America and Italy and I will write more blog entries on this topic soon! Caio!!!

Look very carefully!

2009-02-06T06:33:00.002+01:00

My friend DeDe was the Bachelorette, and I have been keeping up with her and what is going on in her life. It's so neat seeing her get to do all of this exciting stuff! So I was looking up videos on her on youtube and I came across this video. Look very carefully when they show the old pictures of her! I laughed out loud when I noticed this! You might see a really short glimpse of me ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33nETuZNpRs

Congratulations Reamer!!

2009-01-30T14:35:00.004+01:00

Reamer got promoted! Now he is officially a 1st LT. That means that instead of a gold bar, he wears a black (silver) bar! I was able to go to his promotion ceremony and pin on his new rank. It was awkward for me because Reamer was the only person getting promoted and we had to stand in front of all the officers in his Batallion. Col. McFarland read his orders of promotion and Reamer's Commander put on his new rank. I then changed the rank on his beret. After I changed the rank, I had to put his beret back on his head. Everyone was laughing because when I put it on it was pretty funny looking! I'm very proud of my husband and I just wanted to give him a big CONGRATULATIONS!!!
*** I borrowed a camera and as soon as I get the pictures I will post them. (so you can see Reamer with his beret on funny!!!)

Lifted Spirits!!

2009-01-29T07:53:00.003+01:00

Thank Goodness for good friends!!! I was feeling pretty bored and a little depressed after breaking my foot mostly due to my immobility, but luckily my spirits have finally been lifted! Yesterday two good friends (Janet and Anne) came over to make me feel better. They brought board games, books and magazines to keep me busy. Anne brought her waffle maker and we ate some yummy comfort food. We played board games and chatted. I feel so much better! It makes me feel good to know that I am cared about! Thank you sooooo much girls, you are amazing!

Luckily, I have been walking on my foot brace too!! Even though I can't ride my bike, I am a lot more mobile!! Now I am able to do a lot more. I have to ride the bus instead of riding my bike to get to post (cheerleading practice, FRG meetings etc...) but it's not so bad!!

I'm feeling so much better now that my spirits have been lifted!!!

First Lady's Letter to Military Families

2009-01-28T09:30:00.003+01:00

This is a letter that was sent to all military families from First Lady Michelle Obama.

On Tuesday, as people from all walks of life come together in common purposeto begin the work of renewing America's promise, my daughters and I willstand beside my husband as he takes the oath of office as the 44th presidentof the United States.People have asked me how I'll feel at that moment. As a wife, I'll bethinking about how proud I am of my husband and how I believe so deeply thathe will be an extraordinary president. As a mother, I'll be bursting withpride at the thought of my girls now being able to envision endless choicesfor themselves and the joy it will be to watch them grow up in the WhiteHouse. And as a daughter, I'll be profoundly grateful to my parents, knowingthat I am here only because of their lifetime of faith and hard work.They're my proof that the American promise endures. It's that promise we allshare - that our children might grow up with unlimited possibility, that ourfamilies might know the dreams of opportunity and prosperity, that people inevery nation might look at the proud banner of this country and know theboundless meaning of hope.As I take on my newest role - First Lady - I'll be thinking about what thatpromise means to all those whom I've had the humbling privilege to meetthese past two years on the campaign trail: Americans across the country whoopened their doors and hearts to share their stories with me- stories I carry to this day.I particularly cherished my visits with military families all across thecountry. I met so many strong and inspiring military spouses eager to sharetheir stories, their dreams for the future and the unique challenges theyface because of their families' selfless service to our country.And if there's one thing I learned, it's that when our servicemen and womengo to war, their families go with them. I saw how they take care of eachother, heard how they fill in whenever the system fails and discovered thatthe trials they faced always were matched by the hope they shared thatbetter days are still ahead.The simple 35-word oath my husband will take and the peaceful transfer ofpower it completes makes it easy to forget that the great fortune of ourcitizenship isn't free at all. It's a responsibility inherited only becausegenerations of Americans have fought and bled and died for it.So as I watch Barack take that oath, I'll be thinking especially about thosemembers of our American family who stand guard across the world and theloved ones who await their safe return. Because even as we mark this momentin American history, there still will be empty seats at the dinner table;there still will be spouses struggling to juggle roles and responsibilities;there still will be children who mark the passing of a birthday withoutMommy and toddlers who know their father only by a grainy video stream froma far-flung corner of the globe.My husband and I are deeply grateful for the sacrifices that these familiesmake to protect all American families. And we join them - today and everyday - in praying for their loved ones and their safety. They don't ask a lotin return, just a Washington that understands the challenges they face aspart of their extraordinary commitment to our country.My husband understands that commitment, and he will ensure America lives upto its end. As military families join us on Tuesday, in person and inspirit, I want each and every one of them to know that for as long as I havethe tremendous honor of being your First Lady, your voices will be heard,you will have an advocate in the White House, and the American promise youpreserve always will extend to you, too.All of us can learn a fundamental lesson from our military families: Youdon't need to wear a uniform to serve your country. We all have something tocontribute to the life of this nation. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. And to honor the legacy of a man whobelieved that everybody could be great because anybody can serve, my familyand I will spend the day performing activities in service to others. Andwe'll ask all Americans to join us in making an ongoing commitment to servetheir community and their country, because in this new season of hope,that's the only way we'll begin renewing America's promise for all who reachfor it and all who defend it - as one nation and one people.On Tuesday night, my husband and I will tuck in our daughters like we alwaysdo. Their bedrooms will be different, their home unfamiliar. But they willdrift off to sleep protected by that same sacrifice that has kept all of ourfamilies safe and safeguarded our freedom for generations - the sacrifice ofour men and women in uniform and their families.For that, we could not be more grateful - or more proud.

***Obviously, it is a little behind but still a nice gesture!

Fractured Foot and Broken Spirit

2009-01-27T16:07:00.003+01:00

I don't think that most people that know me would consider me a clumbsy person, but it is definately a character trait that I have come to accept in myself. Partly, I think that my clumbsiness happens when I am quickly trying to accomplish a task and my mind is solely concentrating on the task at hand and not on anything else. Looking at my finger (the one I slammed in the car door that is now black and receding from my nail bed) and my fractured foot (After falling from the "makeshift" ladder that I used to hang curtains) and the other "battle scars" (blistered feet, cuts from shaving on my legs etc...) I have realized that I need to be more careful. I almost feel like I am falling apart.

This foot injury wouldn't be so bad if I didn't rely on my bike for transportation and the half-marathon that I have been training for is out of the question now. Leaving my house is something that is going to be almost impossible for a few weeks. This makes me pretty depressed!! I have decided that I am going to try my best to be more careful so that I can get rid of this clumbsiness!!! Now that I am cooped up and I can't do anything, I have no choice but to take care of myself. I realize that I have to do a better job of paying attention so that I won't get hurt anymore!!!

Rain Rain Go AWAY!!!

2009-01-21T12:07:00.004+01:00

It has been raining nonstop! Apparently the amazing beauty that emerges in the spring and summer here is a result of the nonstop rain that happens in the winter! Sometimes it's not so bad except for those of us whose transportation is a bicycle! I have completely mastered riding holding an umbrella!

Unfortunately the rain has limited Champs exercise and he hasn't been able to go out and play as much as he needs to! So this morning as I looked outside to the dreary cloudy day, I realized that there were no rain drops falling from the overcast sky!!! I decided to take him to the park to get some of his pent up energy out!!

Well, you can imagine after weeks of rain and snow with almost no sunshine inbetween that the park was basically a huge muddy playpin for my pup to go crazy in!!! I let him off his leash and of course he ran and jumped in almost every single mud puddle in the entire park!! On our walk back home we got plenty of stares!! My usually white dog is now brown!!! I wish that I had a camera to post a picture, but I will post an old one so you can get an idea of my dirty little Champ!

*** Ok, so this might be a little much. He wasn't this dirty.... (at least not this time....) This is an old pic of him after playing in our old back yard in Tuscaloosa. I didn't let him get this dirty, but it gives a good illustration of just how mischevious and how much he loves playing in mud!! (this also includes his feeling about snow!!)

Skiing in Paganella Italy

2009-01-17T13:36:00.008+01:00

We went Skiing with some friends last weekend in Paganella Italy. We had a great time My friend Janet took some pictures so I thought I would post them to my blog. I'm going to have to borrow pictures from other people until we get a new camera. Enjoy the pics!

We are starting to become ski bums! Reamer has a four day weekend and we are going skiing on Monday!! We are starting to become obsessed!!

Our Team is Dynamite!!!

2009-01-09T08:54:00.006+01:00

I need some help!!!!
I'm now a volunteer Cheerleading coach for girls age 7-9. They are so cute! Most of these girls have never cheered before and they are so excited about it. It has been about 9 years since I have cheered (man I'm getting old....) so I'm trying to piece together all of these random cheers that are going on in my head!! So I have reverted back to my middle school days. I have been walking around the house doing odd movemements, mumbling, nodding my head and looking pretty silly! Just like I used to do when I started cheering in middle school. I can even remember doing weird cheer movements while walking around in the grocery store and driving my mom nuts!!! I want to teach some cutsy cheers to these girls, but I'm having a hard time remembering them! If anyone can remember any just let me know! Just Post any cheer you can remember on my blog!! Thanks for helping!!!

Sking in Switzerland

2009-01-06T08:20:00.003+01:00

** I accidently lost my camera on the ski slopes (fell out of my pocket) so all pictures are taken off of google images and yahoo images.....)

Reamer, Champ and I went sking in Switzerland for New Years! What a georgous country! I don't think that I have even seen a more beautiful country. The natural beauty of the Alps is amazing. The beautiful lakes, rivers and streams run through the magnificent snow capped mountains and are accentuated by the cute little lodges, chalets and homes that decorate the hills.

When we first arrived to our cute little Bed and Breakfast, the sweet lady told us that our reservation was not at her B&B, but at another one with the same name over an hour away. We had already driven over 5 hours and were not happy to hear this. We were a little upset that we would be staying far from the ski slopes, but luckily she welcomed us into her B&B and let us pay the cheaper rate that we had found at the other place! She even gave us a huge beautiful apartment that had a yard filled with snow for Champ to play in!

We were sking in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. To get to the ski slopes you must take a train. The only way to arrive there is by train. The train ride was always one of the most beautiful parts of the day.

On my first day of sking I thought that I could instantly return to the level that I was at the last time that I skied. Unfortunetly, that was not the case. On the first day the easy slopes were closed due to a wind storm, so I had to start on the medium/difficult slopes! It was not as easy as I remembered. But by the end of the week I was doing much better! And thanks to my amazingly patient husand I eventually felt pretty comfortable on the slopes!

The swiss people were very friendly and the food was great! Reamer was happy to get some real snitzel, and bratwurst! I really enjoyed the delicious Swiss cheese. Because this area brings in people from all over the world, there were also a ton of other types of cuisines that we were excited to be able to eat! We had some delicious Tai food and even some Hooters hot wings!! Yummy! (we won't get that again for a long time!)

Champ might have had the most fun of all! He absolutly loves the snow! He loves running after snowballs and catching them in his mouth. He was so cute jumping and rolling into the snow! We all had such a great time together and the beautiful landscapes and great sking made our trip amazing!

White Christmas!

2008-12-26T13:29:00.005+01:00

We had a great Christmas. Santa was really good to us! I got to experience my first snow on Christmas! It snowed late Christmas Day Evening and we woke up to about an inch of snow the following day! We were celebrating Reamers birthday (and Christmas) with some friends. We looked out the window and noticed that the snow was falling and sticking! It was very exciting! Champ loves the snow and got to play in it (even though there wasn't much). He still had a great time. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Earthquakes in Vicenza!

2008-12-26T13:14:00.003+01:00

I have never felt an earthquake before, until now. A few days before Christmas, Reamer and I were just hanging around the house and all of a sudden, my computer starts shaking back and forth. I yelled to Reamer if he knew what was going on and he told me that it was an earthquake. Our entire apartment starting moving back and forth and things were swinging around. I thought that earthquakes would be like vibrations and really shaky, but it was more like a back and forth movement. It was really strange. Apparently we had 3 that day. When we looked outside, people were all walking around like normal and they didn't seem to notice, but being inside was a different story. We really felt it! Hopefully we won't get any more, it was kinda scary!

Malta Vacation

2008-12-24T08:35:00.018+01:00

We went to Malta with some of our friends and had an amazing vacation! Malta is off the coast of Sicily and because of it's Mediterranean climate, it was about 10 degrees warmer than Italy. One of the things that we liked the most was that the official languages were English and Maltese. (yep, that's right, we got to speak English to almost everyone!!!) We felt so empowered and able to do anything because we could ask questions and speak to others and for the most part, we were understood!

We toured the ancient Catacombs and played around. It's kinda scary but somehow it was sort of fun at the same time.

We also saw some amazingly beautiful and lavish churches. St. Paul is said to have shipwrecked on the Island of Malta, so many of the churches pay tribute to him.
The scenic views were beautiful in Malta but very different. They almost reminded us of a Middle Eastern city. Most of the buildings were built very low and square shaped and were almost all a sand color. The island is very small and we probably saw most of it. The land is beautiful with green hills next to the very blue Mediterranean Sea the sandy/white colored buildings blend into the land accentuating the islands beauty. We ate lunch on top a a hill overlooking the beautiful views and finally being able to ask for our food in English! Because Malta seemed to be the "Florida" of England (a lot of older English vacationers...) there were some things that made us feel at home. Of course the language as I previously mentioned but also the food. We were so excited to go to a Hard Rock Cafe! I would usually never go to such a place on a vacation, but we were excited to eat some real American food!!! The hot wings and fajitas were amazing!!!!!! I would go back to Malta just for some American hot wings!! We went to the bars and danced to "real" music and not techno!! (well some techno...) We had a blast!

One of the guys with us is branced Artillery and was so excited to go see a huge Maltese Cannon! At first, I wasn't too excited, but when we got there it was awesome. We got there just in time for demonstrations and reinactments! We even got to participate. Ross and Chris shot the cannon (blanks of course). And Reamer, Janet and I got to dress up in uniforms and shoot rifles. We even got to scream and hit a target with a bayonet (I was excited to scream RANGER.... even though they Maltese guys had no idea what I was saying!)

We had a great time in Malta and we might return when we want some hot wings and burgers or maybe just to play dressup and shoot some guns!!

Christmas Market in Verona

2008-12-16T08:14:00.008+01:00

We went to a Christmas Market in Verona on Sunday. The entire town had georgous Christmas lights on every single inch of the town. It was the first day in a very long time that it did not rain, so it was a great day. At the market, they had everything from Christmas decorations, to men in tents doing infomercials for random gadgets. Because it was the first day without rain in a really long time, I think that everyone in Italy came to the market.

This market is a celebration of Santa Lucia Day. My friend Janet told us all about it. We actually saw some ladies dressed up as Santa Lucia in town as well as several Santa Suits. The tradition is that on the 12th of December the children leave out a bowl of water and a carrot for Santa Lucia's donkey. They also leave a little note telling her what gifts they would like to receive. She leaves them presents that night.

I think it's strange that customs can vary so much in between different regions in Itlay. I would have thought that all of the traditions would be the same throughout the country. Also, the donkey thing is kind of weird too!!

There is another strange tradition dealing with a Christmas Witch. It seems like every booth that had Christmas decorations, somewhere in the mix was a scary Christmas Witch. It seemed to strange to me so I had to find out about it! In Italy the children wait until Epiphany, January 6, for their presents. According to tradition, the presents are delivered by a kind ugly witch called Befana on a broomstick. It was said that she was told by the three kings that the baby Jesus was born, she was busy and delayed visiting the baby. She missed the Star, lost her way and has been flying around ever since, leaving presents at every house with children in case he is there. She slides down chimneys, and fills stockings and shoes with good things for good children and it is said leaves coal for children who are not so good.

I also found out that Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) puts out presents on the night of Epiphany (Jan 6) as well. It seems like these kids get a lot of presents! Apparently, Babbo Natale is gaining popularity and Befana the witch is the more traditional gift giver. (I feel like these kids must be confused!) Oh well, at least they get lots of gifts! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Argo's

2008-12-15T07:51:00.001+01:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Italians put everything on Pizza

2008-12-15T07:30:00.002+01:00

Seriously, I'm not kidding. You can make absolutely anything when making an Italian Pizza. Here is a picture of our friend Chris eating a french fry pizza! YUMMY!! (not really......)

The best Christmas gift.... (get your tissues ready)

2008-12-10T11:02:00.001+01:00

Italian Rotten Tomatoes--what does this mean?

2008-12-08T20:38:00.003+01:00

When Reamer and I first moved into our apartment, the power kept going off because I was using so much power at once. (I am unable to run the washer and dryer at the same time... and don't get me started on the dishwasher). But this does nothing to help my story along. So....

One night, the power went off again. So we kept flipping the switches on the fuse box, but we couldn't get it to turn back on. The entire house was completely dark and we couldn't get our Real Estate Agents on the phone (they call our landlord for issues because he only speaks Italian). We had no other choice but to ask for help from our Italian neighbors. Everyone that lives in our apartment building is related to our landlord, so we knew that we could get some help. So we reluctantly went upstairs knocked on a door and hoped for the best.

A sweet old lady answered the door and clumbsy Italian/Spanish/English language came rushing out of my mouth. I even think that I did some sign language as I tried to explain to her the problem. But somehow I got the point across and her grandson came and helped us fix the power. Both Reamer and I were shocked that I could sort of communicate through my mumbo jumbo of languages.

I decided to thank her by giving her some homemade AMERICANO Chocolate Chip Cookies (a novelty here in Italy--Biscotti is their type of cookie). I also wrote her a note in Italian (freetranslation.com helped) thanking her for being such a good neighbor and for helping us. I think that she really appreciated it because after I did this, eveyone in the building has been extra nice and smile at us all the time.

She came over to "chat" the other day for about 30-45 minutes. What an interesting conversation that was! There were several topics that we had no clue what the other was talking about, but some things were easy to understand. She is 87 years old and sweet as can be. She wanted to make sure that I knew that if we ever needed anything to come ask her for anything at all. She enjoyed my Christmas decorations and thought the apartment looked Bellisimo!!! She looked at pictures of Reamer (he isn't home much, so they have only seen eachother once or twice). She liked his military uniform and thought that he was handsome.

My only concern is about the gift she gave me. She returned my tupperware dish that I sent the cookies in, but inside of it were ROTTEN TOMATOES! I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why she would give me Rotten Tomatoes and I can't figure it out! I think that she is just really really old and going blind and didn't realize that they were rotten. I've been wondering if this is some strange tradition or something, but I have yet to find any information on it. Let me know if you know anything about this as a custom or if you think that she is just old. I know her intentions were good, but yuck!!

Vicenza at Christmas Time

2008-12-05T12:15:00.004+01:00

Vicenza is one of the best places to be during the holidays. The town reminds me of something out of a disney movie. Everyone walks around town all bundled up in their hats, gloves and scarves just to visit with friends or to do a little shopping. The town is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights and a huge tree is in the big piazetta in the middle of town. When I look around, I feel like I am in a little Christmas village. (you know, the little Christmas villages that people set up as decorations for Christmas...). I really enjoy just walking around and feeling the Christmas spirit. I have decorated the house, and it looks great. I've been playing Christmas music, and I am feeling pretty Christmassy!! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Now I just need to start my shopping!

I've got Skills!

2008-12-02T21:43:00.004+01:00

Thanksgiving/Christmas was a hit! I made my first Turkey and dressing! I was rather impressed by my cooking and happy that everything turned out pretty good. We had about 7 people over and enjoyed my fancy feast. I was worried that I couldn't imitate my grandmothers dressing, but amazingly I came pretty close. Since I have never really been a cook, this was a big deal for me. I have realized that I am actually an ok cook and I'm proud of myself for preparing such a big meal all by myself.

To my family's suprise, I even served dinner on my china (even though almost everyone at the table was an army guy---except for Janet...). They probably didn't notice the china or the crystal, but I did. I was really happy to be able to have a fancy dinner that I prepared. When I was younger, I always told my family that I would never serve Thanksgiving on China. I would have it on paper plates, paper napkins, and plastic utensils. But now that I have grown up, I couldn't wait to use my nice things and have a beautiful table.

It was so great to have our friends over to share in our Psyudo Thanksgiving. They were all good sports about it, and even said "Happy Thanksgiving" several times. I guess it wasn't hard for them, c'mon, most everyone that came was a single guy and when someone offers a free huge meal, they don't say no! I am going to have to practice my cooking on them some more! I know Reamer is happy about my new skill. (He ate so much food....)--Which made me feel good. I guess I need some more reciepes! Anyone who has any fun reciepe ideas, send them my way!

Happy Thanksgiving/Merry Christmas!

2008-12-01T07:16:00.003+01:00

I was unable to celebrate Thanksgiving this year because we were traveling and touring with our friends Carol and her mom. We had a great day of hiking the CinqueTerre and saw some of the most beautiful sites we have seen in Itlay thus far. We had a wonderful time, but Reamer and I both were missing some Turkey so I decided to have Thanksgiving a few days late. So even though my Christmas decorations are already up, we are having some friends over tonight to celebrate Thanksgiving/Christmas with a Turkey, my grandma's dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pecan pie, chocolate cake and some cookies! Oh, and SWEET TEA! I haven't had any sweet tea since I've moved to Italy!! This is my first time cooking Thanksgivng dishes, so wish me luck! (Thankgoodness these army guys are willing to eat Turkey again!)

Traveling with friends

2008-11-21T07:23:00.002+01:00

I have been kind of MIA for a few days. I have my first group of guests visiting from the United States! My friend Carol, her mom and her mom's husband have been here for about a week now. We have been going non-stop! We have been to Venice, Rome, Florence and of course Vicenza. Today we will take a day trip to Verona! They will be here for about another week and we will be traveling quite a bit. I left my camera in Rome but I am having it sent to me by our tour guide, so there won't be any pictures for a while. (Luckily the tour guide found it!!!)

I will write more after we return from our many adventures in a couple of weeks! I sure will have a lot to write about!

Italians are horrible drivers!

2008-11-13T06:30:00.003+01:00

Yes. It's true. I got hit by a car too. Let's set the scene. It has been really rainy and foggy here for the last week or so. Very dreary! I had to go to post to buy some things from the commisary. So, I got on my bike (rain and all) and rode through town toward post. I was only about a block away when the incident occured. The road that the base is on is pretty busy and I never ride on the actual road because it makes me nervous. I always ride on the sidewalk, because I think it is safer. (ha ha ha)

This street has several houses that are behind big stone/brick fences with automatic fence doors. A girl quickly opened her fence door and sped out toward the street, on the sidewalk (where I was riding) without even looking. I saw her for about 1 second and tried to stop, but the ground was really slippery and I had no time to actually stop. She crushed right into me. I toppled over on top of the front of her car. Luckily she wasn't going very fast.

She felt really bad (thankfully she spoke English) and helped me fix my bike and gave me her information so that she could pay for any damages to my bike that I might find. My bike is fine and just needed to be realigned and the chains needed to be put back on.

I feel fine other than bruises on my leg and some soreness. After my accident, I can't imagine Reamer's. Mine was nothing like his. I'm really glad that he was Ok after it.

This country is crazy. The drivers are insane.

Someone told me that we needed to find a safer way of transportation, but I don't think that is possible here. Apparently, this country has the most lethal accidents in the world. Cars treat other cars much worse than they treat the bikers.....

And I'm not going to even get started on motorcycles and mopeds.

Don't worry mom, I'm fine. Just a little sore with some small bruises.

I promise we will be careful, but just in case, say a little prayer for our daily transport. :)

Back to Normal

2008-11-09T08:55:00.003+01:00

Reamer and I love hosting parties and get-togethers. Especially during football season. We have always enjoyed having guests over to our home. We finally were at a point where we could have some friends over to our house without being embarassed about the mess. We thought that it would be perfect timing to have a few friends over to watch the Alabama game. Especially since two of them were LSU fans and one went to Alabama grad school! Of course we had another Ohio State couple, but they were pulling for Bama to win anyways!

Even though it wasn't a big deal, it just made me feel like things are getting back to normal. Now that the house is finally starting to come together and we can watch American TV shows and football games I am feeling a little more like myself. Traveling Europe and having great adventures is amazing, and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but there is something so comforting about eating hotwings and cheese dip and watching some football with friends! Oh, and Roll Tide!!! (what a game it was!)

Marostica Italy

2008-11-02T21:34:00.012+01:00

This weekend, we went with some friends to an antique market in a nearby town called Marostica. The medieval town of Marostica near Vicenza is located in the beautiful foothills. The charming town is surrounded by the ancient walls of its two alluring castles. The biggest castle sits ontop of the hill looking over the town.

The walls stretch all the way around the city and follow to the top of the castle. After spending several hours doing some treasure hunting at the antique market, we decided to explore the castle's walls and made a hike to the top. The view was exquisite and showcased the charming town.

The castle has a magnificent restraunt that looks over the scenic view. We had an afternoon espresso/cappuccino and enjoyed the feel of sitting a top the hill looking over the town like we were the royal's of the land. We enjoyed the trip and will definately return to try out the alluringly beautiful restraunt that sits in the castle walls for a special dinner.

The town of Marostica is best known for its square which is a giant chessboard. The antique market was held in the middle of the checkered square, so I wasn't able to get a picture of it. Each September of every even numbered year, a human chess game is played in full medieval costume on the square of Marostica. The festival was canceled this year due to rain, and we were unable to attend. We would love to go the year after next to witness this interesting tradition.