European Vacation- Part 3 - Austria

Lofer, Austria

You saw our first day in Austria - Austria Day 1.

It definitely got better from there - thank goodness. :)

Day two in Austria- December 22nd

We spent the morning trying to figure out how in the world we were going to get around this very small town/village.  It was a bit of an adjustment as I had not planned for this at all as we were supposed to have a car. So, I was feeling a bit bad and ill prepared- but we did our best.  We walked to (what came to be our favorite) restaurant, behind our apartment complex around 11 am hoping to get a late breakfast, early lunch. Luckily however Tom did do that venture the night before and the kids had cereal that morning- thank goodness.  So, dont worry- we were not back to starving them again. Ha ha

Once we got the restaurant we realized that it is only open for dinner. ok...what now? We then asked a few people and another hotel reception (as the "welcoming lady" at our apartment is only open from 7:30 am until 10 am) - so we missed our lady but luckily the other lady was helpful.  She said there would be a restaurant open in the next town- yes, its only like a mile away. So, we walked. And obvioulsy people do not walk in this small town, because for the first time- we saw no one else walking and everyone driving.  This was a already a big change from our trip. We found a nice restaurant located at another hotel/resort and ate there for lunch. It was nice, there was a small playground outside the hotel and the kids had a ball "trying" to slide down the sled and throw snowballs at eachother (in the snow). We had to ask a few people, but we found out there was a ski bus to town so we could check in for a few days of skiing- so we waited. 

We got on the bus (which we found out is free for all skiiers- nice!) and went to our ski school to check-in.  That was kind of fun, seeing the kids trying on ski boots, getting fit for helmets, etc. 

We finished there and then headed back on the bus to our apartment- there is a stop right behind our apartment complex. Woo hoo!! We got home, rested a little and then walked back over to the restaurant behind our complex and had a very nice dinner.  There was also a play area downstairs from the restaurant where the kids could play unattended and again, Tom and I had an unitnerupted chat .. for the second time the whole trip. Ha (and a few glasses of wine). :)

 

Day 3 - December 23rd

We got up early, got all our snow gear on and headed to the bus stop at 8:40 am to get ready for our first day of ski and snowboarding lessons. SO EXCITED...and I was a bit nervous too. I have not done this in well over 10 years.  We got to the skischule (as they call it), got our equipment from our lockers (boots, skiis, snowboards and helmets) and then bought our ski lift passes. We then started our first cable car (enclosed- thank goodness for me).  If you have never been on a ski left, well then you must know they have special holders outside the cable car to hold your equimpent, skiis and snowboards. Its great.  On our first time, we were not sure exactly how to put the ski equipment in correctly, so we did and then the guy helping had to fix it a little.  Anyway, we took off ...then, we heard a loud noise.  Oh yes, one of the skis had just falled off the cable car.  I mean, are you kidding?? We didnt know what in the world to do, we saw it there, in the middle of the snow, near the area where you take off- but...what next? And of course it was worry wort Chase's little ski. Just one ski, but a ski none the less.  Little did we know, you have to take two ski lifts (cable cars) up to the area for lessons.  We got off at the first stop and tried to explain to the attendent what had happened, but as you can imagine- he didnt speak English. I am sure you can imagine Tom at this point. Ha He is frustrated, we dont know what to do and then we are afraid we are all going to miss our first lessons- that started in 10 minutes.  The attendent was nice and asked each family that got off the cable car if they spoke English and finally after about 4- we found some. They then explained the situation to the attendent and he called down and hopefully, the ski would then be coming up on another cable car.  We waited about 15 minutes- and finally the lone ski finally came up.  :)

We then walked over to the second cable car and Chase...in his freakish fashion- did not want any of us to put our skis or snowboards on the outside in fear it would also fall. Ha

We showed up to our lessons a little late, but all was well.  Tom and I had a lesson from 10-12 pm and the kids did too, then we would all have lunch together. 

We picked up the kids at 12 pm and went to have lunch. But as I am sure you can imagine, the restaurant where the ski school was, was packed FULL. And the kids only had one hour until they needed to return, Tom and I were done for the day.  We saw a lady sitting at a large 8 person booth and I asked her if I woudl be able to order something from her table. she did not speak English well, but told us to join her family. So we sat there, along with ANOTHER family waiting to eat lunch, talking to none of the people- again, none spoke English and ate a quick lunch.

We dropped the kids back at ski school and Tom and I decided to attempt the larger slope, but was also supposed to be an intermediate/beginner slope. We took the      up the mountain (OPEN) and of course I was freaking out a wee bit.  But we made it to the top, tried to figure out which way to go down as we did NOT want to pick the wrong slope and then attempted our way down back to the ski school area.  Probably not the best idea after only a two hour snowboard lesson, but we did it anyway. It took us a while, we got stuck, we fell, but we made it.  We made it straight into this cute restaurant and had a beer.  We saw how steep the slope was back down to ski school, it wasnt far, but it was steep. So after our beer we WALKED down to the "school" area and watied for the kids. Kind of felt silly, but that was fine. It was fun.

We picked up the kids, took the two cable cars back down the mountain and then took the bus back to our apartment. And as I am sure you can imagine, the kids passed out immediately on the bus. They were pooped! It was Sunday, the day before Christmas eve. We went back to the restaurant to grab dinner. We found out that everything would be closed from 12 pm onward on Christmas Eve, so were going to have to skip skiing for that day and make sure we got some food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (as everything would be closed then as well). 

 

Monday December 24th (Christmas Eve)

So, the next morning- that is exactly what we did. We walked to the Supermarket to get some food for the next few days. It was kind of long for the kids, but we thought they would have been used to it by now. Unforutnately- not the case. Even on a sidewalk, even in the sun, and even with this amazing view.

I also managed to go to our apartment reception and finally get some laundry coins to do laundry. It was 3 Euros a load each (wash or dry), and the washers were only big enough for a half load. And oh yeah, from 1950.  However this was a better price than we had to pay in Munich, that was 6 Euros a load.  But we got the coins, I was able to start some laundry- we needed it desperately, and we relaxed.

We didnt have much, no cookies to make- which was sad, but I did however manage to make a delicious dinner of spaghetti. Ha We enjoyed some wine, the kids played and we talked to family on google video- which was great. We then did the Santa tracker and tried to figure out where he was and had been so we could hurry and go to sleep as well. 

 

Tuesday December 25th - Christmas Day

Merry Christmas!! We woke up to a few presents from Santa in our living room, opened them quickly, ate breakfast and then got ready for ski school and caught the bus at 8:40 am.  We made it there and were excited about the day.  It was another fun one except right when my lesson was about to end, I had a horrible fall straight on my back, bounced twice and hit my head. But luckily I had my helmet on. This was 5 minutes before class ended. I was ok, had to sit there a while as I lost my breath, but finally got up and was fine. My back was in some serious pain, but we had some lunch, I had a beer- yes, another one and just rested. Tom went out for some more runs up the mountain and I waited it out a bit. After about an hour, I decided to get back out there and praftice some more- just on the practice slopes. I already felt better by the time we went home. 

However, that delayed crick in my neck where I was unable to turn my head to the left side was not fun.  I got this when we arrived in Prague. I am assuming from the fall. Yuck! It lasted a few days, but finally went away. Again, the beer helped. ha!

Wednesday December 26th

We ventured back out to our last ski school.  We were excited as the forecast said it would snow.  We had seen plenty on the ground but none falling at this point (more than a few minutes).  So we left that morning and there was snow falling, nor did it look like it would- so were kind of bummed. We got to the ski school and my paranoid self thought I might have left the stove on at the apartment and freaked out. I managed to get back on the bus from the school, go back to the apartment, check the stove - it was not on- Ergh!, wait for the bus again and make it back to our ski lessons only a few minutes late.  What a pain, but certainly glad I checked.

And lucky us...we arrived to the top of the mountain...in full falling snow!! It was beautiful! It snowed for almost 5 hours and was by far the most snow I had ever been in- just amazing.  It did get a bit uncomfortable at one point, our jackets were sopping wet and we did not have any goggles to protect our eyes (they were another $50 for each person!), it was kind of hard to see- like having rain falling pretty hard in your face obviously. Luckily, we were not doing our snowboarding at mach speeds. Ha!

By 12 pm, when we picked up the kids and finished our last lesson...it was still snowing hard but the kids seemed to have a ball.  They were ready to get inside for lunch though, so we took a nice long break.  We got the kids ready to hit the snow again (as there jackets were also drenched), but they did not care, and whether they knew it or now, this was there last time to ski for the trip.  Tom took off, wanted to do a few more runs down the bigger hills and that he did. Went up 3 different times and with much more confidence this time.  The snow was a bit too much, I was sick of falling- ha, and decided to just stay down by the school and take some videos of the kids. 

All in all our the ski and snowboarding part of our vacation was amazing. A first time for all of us and really fun. We are just worried the kids may ask for these adventures every Christmas. I suppose they will learn. Ha 

Thursday December 27th

This was a free day for us and we spent it- casually.  We packed up the remainder of our things, finishded up some laundry, watched a movie and ventured out to go play in the snow one last time.  We thought we might build a snowman, but Tom found a sled in the apartment, so we decided to do that instead. Well, Tom and the kids did. Ha I just took pictures -as usual. Hannah also wanted to bring her doll, Mirabella, and her new snowboarding outfit from Santa, so we also took her for a few test runs. HA HA  They sure looked cute though and if you know Hannah, she is very serious about her dolls.  It was too fun to watch her being so careful with her, making sure she did not fall.

We spent our last night at that restaurant and enjoyed a few too many glasses of wine. Ha Austria was beautiful and so much fun. A trip we definitely will take again...eventually. :)

Friday December 28th

We got picked up from a taxi around 9:30 am.  He drove us to the train station, where we then caught the train to Salzburg...and another to Munich Main Station and another to Munich airport. Quite the adventure. Finally, we made it to the airport, checked all 4 of our bags we had been carrying with us on all the trains and boarded our flight to our final destination - Prague. 

We have loads of pictures and videos. If you want to see the videos, you will have to wait until we are home next summer- sorry! But if you want more pics, click here:

Pictures from Austria

World Tour Day 2015- Kenya and Zimbabwe

Just in case you don't read my other blog, www.heatherhrhodes.com.

WORLD TOUR DAY 2015 - Kenya and Zimbabwe 

Before school ended this year I participated in our elementary school's World Tour Day.  It is somewhat similar to the UN Day we have at most International Schools, but a bit different. Since we are in the US, no outside food is allowed due to the many allergies that plague quite a few kids.  This is sad because it is the part I loved the most.  Trying all the food from different countries when we had UN Day overseas was my favorite part.  All who came and participated would dress up in their culturally themed clothes (this meant Old Navy 4th of July shirts for most Americans and a few Boston Red Sox jerseys- ha) and decorate our tables in the theme of our country.  For the US table, we had American flags hanging, apple pies were made, rice crispy treats and anything you could think of that screamed .. American!  It was time to celebrate culture, and we always had a blast, no matter what country we were in at the time.

You can check out my family blog here with Pictures from UN Day in Zimbabwe here: United Nations Day - Zimbabwe 

So, this past year when I heard they had a World Tour Day with a similar purpose, I could not have been more excited and happy to volunteer.  Participating in the World Tour Day, although inside instead of outside, and definitely different, brought back those cultural differences I loved learning about overseas.  I am so glad that our school participates in such events here in the USA. and hope other schools do something similar as well.

However, during our World Tour Day- I did not represent America, I was Africa; specifically, Kenya and Zimbabwe.  I set up my tables with African fabric, I brought in a big mask from Kenya, had a drum and wood xylophone for the kids to play on, and I even made a video with all of our personal pictures from our time while we lived in each of those countries.  The kids really enjoyed it and I loved making the video and remembering our wonderful family adventures together.  The video, although a bit generic and mostly focusing on popular sites and animals - does include quite a few of our family favorite pics.

I would love for anyone to share this with their children and show them the beauty of these two wonderful countries.

World Tour Day Video- Kenya and Zimbabwe

Our FIRST Camping Trip!

We just took our first camping trip last weekend in the Shenandoah Valley. 

You can check it out here:

Shenandoah River Outfitters

Looks like this place would be a blast in the summer. :)

It took us about two hours to get there and it couldn't have been more perfect. There were 28 camping sites available- and we were the ONLY campers.

This beautiful Four Season room only cost $32. :)

It was our first time, so it was simple. We cooked hot dogs on sticks and made s'mores (of course).  And for breakfast, sausage and eggs.

We walked down to the river to check out the view and take some pictures too. It was a beautiful weekend!

Other than that, we played games- had no electronics and truly enjoyed every second.

Here is to more camping trips... when it gets warmer. :)

FIRST Summer Swim Team 2015!

The kids had their first summer swim team this year. I was super excited for them both, for obvious reasons :), but also a bit nervous. I had honestly no idea what to expect and had forgotten almost everything about summer swim team.  Being a summer swim kid and being a summer swim coach had been washed from my brain.  How is this possible? 

But then things like this happen...one week into summer, and you adjust quickly. 

Thank goodness for Waterproof Casts! 

  

 This little lady won both of her very first heats, at her VERY FIRST Meet! This Momma couldn't be more proud. She truly loves swimming and this makes me even happier.  Way to go Hannah!!! 

 

She and Chase did a winter swim clinic that started in February every Sunday.  So maybe 6-7 of those practices total and then only about 3 of normal swim team practices (so far) as we got sick, etc. at the beginning of summer. So, with only a little help and instruction (she doesn't listen to her Mom)...she busted out this amazing summer of swimming. And guess what? .. She loves it!! 

These are her first events of the summer...

25 Freestyle, July 1, 2015

25 Backstroke- July 1, 2015 

Considering Chase had the fractured wrist at the beginning of summer, this kid conquered through! He swam in all the meets and lasted about 30-40 minutes at all the practices. I think he actually enjoyed swim team and the many social aspects it offers. ha And surprisingly, since Chase tends to complain about EVERYTHING, he only mentioned his cast a few times (being itchy), but never when it came to swimming.  Super proud of this guy too! 

These kids had fun and made some good friends along the way. 

Hannah also swam in the divisionals meet, their last meet of the season where they competed against all the summer swim teams. Check her out below almost winning her heat in backstroke and placing 7th overall in the event.  This is her first medal! Woo hoo! 

It was a great swim season and even though there were many rain delays and cancelled meets, the kids truly had a great time. Way to go kids!! So proud of both my babies!!! 

Christmas Break

Christmas Break...was great! Or shall I say- Thanksgiving too! My Dad and Scott came to visit for Thanksgiving- so nice. And oh yeah, Tom was here for that! ha  We chopped down our first Christmas tree at a tree farm as well ... pretty exciting! 


Soon after, Tom left for his long three week training in the state of Washington.  He left right after Thanksgiving and came back on December 22nd.  During this time, my Mom came for a week to visit. This was great as she had not seen the house yet and we got to spend some fun family time together. 


Tom arrived the night of December 22nd and my Moms flight left at 6 am on Dec. 23rd.  Tom's Mom and sister arrived at 12 pm on the same day! It has been exciting, it has been crazy...it has been wonderful family time.


For the first time in over 20 years the Traina family also got to be together.  Papa, Tom's 94 year old grandfather, his Aunts, cousins- you name it. It was great!  They live close by now in Virginia, so I am sure we will see a lot more of them in the next few years. :)


Nonna left on the 27th and we all got to spend a week together- no work...nothing. He finally had a real...break!  It snowed, we went sledding, we laughed, we played, we watched movies. It was a serious break for all of us. 


Tom of course had to eventually go back to work and that he did.  He left us all behind in the VERY cold weather, and off to sunny Florida he went. ha

Celebrating Hannah's 9th at the beach!

School started, yippee! This means I have more time to finish up all 80 blogs in my que that I have not had time to complete and/or publish.  So, get ready, you will be hearing from me ... a lot.  
Happy Reading! 

We celebrated Hannah's birthday this summer with a big surfing party in the basement with a beach, surf and sand theme to ...

TEEN BEACH MOVIE 2!

Click HERE for one of Hannah's favorite songs from the 

movie and a fun clip from the film!

Hannah is clearly a fan of the show but also a big party planner (like her Mom). Most of her ideas came months before her party and she got almost all of her ideas on Pinterest. She loves that site, by the way, and she absolutely 100% LOVES to plan!

I think our combined efforts made for a super fun ALL GIRL, Teen Beach Movie 2, Sleepover, and  Surfing Beach Party success!  Although all plans/games go out the window when you get a box full of make-up as a present. ha!

Clearly, this birthday girl had a blast. 

     

Happy 9th Birthday to my cutie pie! You are a truly old soul with so much to offer this world. Stay sweet my little one, stay kind and always keep that big heart. 

I love you to space and space never ends (as you like to say).  

Check out all the fun pictures, party details and fun below.

Hannah's Birthday video! 

Summer Blog Update

Hello again!!

Just another quick update...

I have been writing a bit on my new blog, but not much. This has been on my TO DO list for the summer, OK- year.  However, keeping up with it ALL can be hard and you all know the main goal is to write...BOOKS. :) I am writing daily and building up my patience one day at a time.

I'm Writing!!! 

I am writing and writing but also need to add a little more reading time in as well. This is the only way to get better and I am working on it.  Again...patience, frustration, thrown wadded up papers (yes, people still write on paper) and a little more patience.

Although frustration persists, I am enjoying every second that I can to squeeze in a little writing time for myself.  I have also just started an online writing class that has been AMAZING!! It has connected with me other authors and writers and is really testing my writing skills. I SO need this and love it!
Although trying to fit this into a summer with the kids, swim team and Tom being gone- have brought many challenges.

Then again, this is what late nights are for and... WINE, of course! :)

Oh, and more on our FIRST SWIM TEAM SUMMER ... Soon!!

xoxo~ Heather :)

~~~~

I thought I would post a few of my recent blogs from www.heatherhrhodes.com below if you are interested. There are plenty more, but I just posted a few.  Enjoy! 

I recently took a painting class that involved, painting, wine and piper. What could be better than that? 

Check it out here: Painting Class

I LOVE Children's Books, so I wrote about quite a few of my favorites and ones that the kids too. I needed a little writing inspiration that day. :)

Check it out here: Awesome Children's Books I Love  

I also love... PINTEREST. I decided to create an easy way to plan meals using Pinterest, but without getting too overwhelmed and getting sucked in by this amazing social media monster! 

Check it out here: Simple Meal Planning on Pinterest

Enjoy and more to come soon!!!

Happy 7th Birthday Chase!

Happy 7th Birthday to my BIG boy!! 

Chase just celebrated his 7th Birthday with an outdoor movie and sleepover party. I wrote about it here on my other blog, www.heatherhrhodes.com. 

Please go and check out this crazy guy's fun day!

Click here: Chase's 7th Birthday Blog 

One of my favorite pictures with my sweet and crazy boy when he was 4. Love you so much sweetie, hope you enjoyed your BIG BOY 7th Birthday! 

I Love You!!! Mommy :)

...and I'm Back!

I'm back, I'm back. Oh wait, you thought I left? Don't question it for a second. I am just here adjusting to the FIRST WORLD, as strange as that may sound.  A year and a half back in the states and you would think I would have it all together, on the contrary, I am just now figuring things out.




Things that are going on...




We should be packing up our house right now, but for the first time ever, in our almost 10 years of marriage we are still here, restful and somewhat enjoying this snow. Ha! We are NOT planning consumables to ship, shopping for years worth of clothes, medicines to order or trying to understand a new city in a far away country.  We are not planning a thing but our Spring Break trip to Atlanta and summer swim team. So strange! In a few short months, we will have lived in Virginia- the longest we have lived anywhere as a family.  Seems absolutely nuts, right?


There are pros and cons to this lifestyle.  It is crazy that we would be packing up right now when I just now feel like we are finally getting our lives together and planting roots, not just for me but for the kids too.  But I am envious of my friends about to embark on a new journey. This is why we love this lifestyle and wanted it in the first place... the excitement of the unknown.  So I am struggling with the feeling of getting settled but am missing again, that intrigue.  However, in one very short year... we will be there and I may or may not be ready to go, I guess we will see. 


For right now, I am truly excited to be here! I will become a substitute teacher finally...after about a 4 month long application process and should finally start any day now. I am very excited! I have also been attending writing groups and have actually been a writing machine working on a few very special children's books.  I cant wait to share them with all of you!


The kids are getting into sports and if you can believe it, getting the same friends from the year before on teams. I never thought this would ever happen! I find this amazing and so very special. 


Hannah and Chase tried soccer this past fall for the first time.  Chase found a love for soccer, Hannah found some new friends she loves. ha! :) Chase starts his third season of baseball in a few weeks, but is moving on from T-ball and will now be doing coach pitch. This should be fun to watch! And Hannah is very excited about swimming on the swim team this summer for the first time- Mommy cant wait! And Chase, well- he is excited about swimming so he can hang with some friends. So again, we will see.


The point is, they are having fun in their new home and I am excited about the new opportunities it is bringing us all. I am glad we are here, pretty close to our family (although I wish it was closer at times), and getting ready to enjoy a fun filled year. I am excited about THIS adventure for now and will happily wait for whatever comes our way next.


Here is to more blog posts, MORE writing and a happy, healthy and fun filled year!!


...I'M BAAACK!

My New Blog!!

Hello to my wonderful family and friends...it has been awhile.  I am so sorry! 


If you do not follow me on facebook then you may not know ... I have a new blog!  Yay!


It is called...Daily Wine and Chocolate. :) No judgments on the name PLEASE!! Ha ha




I will do most of my posts from there instead of here and have already done a few.  Although I may post a few personal notes here so don't discard it just yet.  I decided to branch out and write a public blog and write more about life in general, my writing woes, my crazy thoughts, my travels and experiences and how sometimes I need to have a nice glass of wine at the end of a very long day.  I hope it will be a fun change and I hope you will enjoy it!




I am still working on my books, when I can, and will write in the blog...when I can- BUT, at least you know I am still around. 




Follow me here... Click this link: Daily Wine and Chocolate Blog




Once you go to the site, scroll down under my picture and you will see a space that says "subscribe". Just put in your email address and you are done. Whenever I send a blog post, like today... you will get it. 




And Follow me on Facebook too! ... Click here: Daily Wine on Facebook




Enjoy- Enjoy!




Love you all!

Half A Day!

Half a day.  This is what I get every day, but it is not really half a day. It is 3 hours max.  My son goes to half a day kindergarten.  He goes to school at 11:30 am and returns with his sister at 2:40 pm on the bus.  This my friends...is my half a day.  I have three hours to do what I want, three hours to run errands, three hours to clean, three hours to pick my nose if I want (ha) and three hours to ... write.  It is a lot, it drives me crazy, it is my half a day. How on earth can I choose what and/or when to do everything?









I also want to be an excellent Mom, a wonderful wife, a great chef and a decent housekeeper. Ha  But in reality ALL of these things being pushed into my three hour half a day time window are wearing on me.  Oh, I also need to lose about 10 lbs.  It is A LOT. 







My newest realization is that I need to be networking myself. After attending my first writing conference I was told to get out there, get online, start your social media quest and start writing. Not on your book, about your book. The book you have not completed yet, that does not have a title, but about THAT book! Please chime in here to help!







So I started. It is about the only thing I can do while my son is here in the morning. I research web pages, websites and blogs to follow, people to read about, books to read, the latest trends and yadda, yadda, yadda.  I have read the online pages, researched it, read it again and now I have started...social media? 







I am overwhelmed again. Where do I start, where does it end? When on earth do I ACTUALLY work on MY BOOK(s)? 







I guess it is good I have been writing.  It has been months since my family blog has been updated. Why you ask? Because I have been setting up this!  I have also just moved here from Zimbabwe.  :)

I have set up many my Pinterest Page...which I LOVE by the way.  It is probably the other reason why I don't do much writing. ha ha.  If you have not tried it... you should!! There is a plethora of information out there, I find it fascinating as this is one of the first times I have had unlimited access to the internet.  I assume this is part of what they mean by getting sucked in...but also trying to market yourself.  There is so much of it surrounding you, it truly can be an amazing tool.







What am I doing...who knows? But I am having fun and I am writing.  Here I am, jumping in feet first. But with a background in competitive swimming, I have a feeling I should be diving in with my hands and head first.  Ha  Knowing this, it may be a bumpy and very wet ride ahead. 

My First World Challenge

Lets just say that adjusting to being back in the US has been a bit harder than I imagined. I decided with the NEW YEAR and with a life that needs a little prioritizing, I myself would take my very own first world challenge.  As you know, there are not challenges in the first world- I have lived in the third world- there are NO challenges here. Well, not for a "normal" middle class family anyway. I am trying to make this a little funny friends, so do know that I understand when I vent about silly crap- it is just venting and I am quite aware of the REAL problems going on in the world. No judgements! :)


I for one just miss my wonderful housekeeper. Ha




At $150 a month, plus some medical bills, $2 hour babysitting, as well as a second family we cared for without hesitation- I had full time help.  It was wonderful and I took it for granted. Yes, I have first world challenges.  Ha Ha


How on earth can one person be a housekeeper, a mom, a wife, a chef, an event planner, an organizing genius, a tutor and an accountant working from the same place 24 hours a day and still have time for themselves?  Then I remembered...duh, people do it all the time, everywhere around the world. And yes, I am truly just in my very first - REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK and need some serious help!! Yes, I need help figuring out how to function in the first world.  Poor me, I know, poor me. Ha!




All joking aside, I wanted something to be different, I wanted the new year to be different for us, I wanted to make some changes.  We were finally settled in the house- pretty much. Tom is still working like crazy doing his training and we are all making it work.  We are well, we are safe, we are happy and healthy. There is not much more you can ask for in life. I am thankful for this every single day.




In life, I realize too that no one can put pressure on yourself...but yourself, and we are the worst critics.  I AM THE WORST CRITIC!  My house is never clean enough, I am never organized enough, and why on earth can't I be that perfect Mom?...the list goes on. But it is too much- it is so silly and you know what, I have had enough of criticizing myself!!




I finally cooked today for the first time - it was FABULOUS. I didn't make anything fancy and I only used the leftovers I had in the my refrigerator.  I cut up grilled chicken and breaded it for the kids for dinner- its in the oven now. I stuffed peppers with left over quinoa mixed with tubelah - awesome by the way if you have not tried it, and they just got out of the oven too.  Oh yeah, do not forget to add a  little mozzarella on top. :) And while I cooked and prepared some things for the week... I realized I CAN do this.  It is not hard, and all that took was just under an hour- to prepare, mix and bake and I am also making some tortilla soup! YUM!  It just took a little bit of planning.




While sitting in my new kitchen, in this happy place - where I was not interrupted because the kids are in a coma from being out of school FOREVER due to weather, I thought- I should truly challenge myself.  A daily challenge...TO GET THINGS DONE! Some of you could probably care less, but some of you too may be inspired- and I love it! We all need inspiration, a little kick in the butt, or a shoulder to pat.  It is not easy but a new year is a great time to try...and today is my day!




Now let me back track just a minute. I am a writer you know- or an aspiring one at least, I am eager to write my children's books and even a novel- but the time management has been seriously lagging. I still have to be the chef, the tutor, the housekeeper, the mom and the wife...remember? :)   I wrote about my time management problems in, Half A Day!  But this is all OK. With my new challenge I have put upon myself, (imagine that- a challenge upon myself). You see there are some seriously issues here. ha ha  I will try and manage the day better, be more efficient and finally make that time to do my writing. Because this is what all of this comes down to, making time for me.  It is hard for any of us to find time for ourselves, but it is important. And when I figure out how to manage the day better, everything else will naturally fall into place.  Join me in this challenge, learn from my mistakes, but most importantly ... please figure out a way to make time for yourself!


First Thing To do: Make a time line for the day!


A detailed per hour or every 30 minutes time line from the minute the kids get up (or before), to the time they go to bed.  My first goal- get up 45 minutes before the kids get up and work out! This means 5:45 am! I know, I am stretching it.  It IS crazy! The thing I realized though is that if I wait until the day has started, I make excuses and guess what?  I am not making excuses this time!  No More!!

European Vacation - Part 4 Prague

December 28th

We will call this one... PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES- ha!

left Austria at 9 am, arrived in Prague 6 pm.

December 29th

I somehow got some kink in my neck (probably from overdoing it snowboarding a few days before) and was in some serious pain. Could barely move my neck to the left side and hence...did not sleep that well our first night in Prague. But we all woke up, rallied the kids and headed out for our first adventure for this trip in a brand new city Tom and I could not wait to see.

Due to my lack of sleep the night before, I checked out all the brochures and since Tom had mentioned it earlier that day- checked out the 6 HOUR city tour- it actually looked great, so we decided to book that for Sunday.  We would see almost all the big sites, so this time we wanted to see something different. The concierge directed us to some castle grounds on the other side of the city - called....

December 30th

We started the morning being picked up by a Prague tour bus at 9:30 am

we did not get home until 5 pm.

And so it begins...

...from my new blog about my writing journey. More updates soon. Enjoy!

It is October 3rd and I am attending my first writing conference in just a few short weeks.  I am nervous, I am elated, I have written only what I feel are a few GOOD pages. :/ I have too many stories written.

I feel like I would of written more, but as most of you know, I have been a little busy. ha ha

I have just moved from Zimbabwe to Virginia less than three months ago.  There has been time spent with family in Atlanta, Georgia and exhausting house hunting trips to Virginia.  Just recently, we were all in my sister in law's wedding one weekend and the next weekend attended their Indian reception.  Oh, and we even bought a new car, closed on a house, drove eleven hours up to Virginia with that new car, the day after we bought it from Georgia. OH yeah, the day before the Indian reception and all in less than two weeks.

Tom arrived a month and a half after us from Zimbabwe. This was less than three days before walking his beautiful sister down the aisle.  An amazing moment I might add, and one we will never forget!!  With Zimbabwe elections- we had no idea if he would even make it back in time.  Thankfully, he did and it was an incredible moment! After the celebrations, and the visiting with all of the relatives, we drove up to Virginia and stayed a week or so in a hotel. We had the new house painted and carpeted and we were then finally able to move into our new home.  During this time unfortunately we also found out about the passing of my father in law.  This was a not so happy time.  The last three months have been nothing to yell and scream about, unless its an enormous amount of tears needed to fill up a room.  Some happy tears and many not so happy tears. 

We have unpacked boxes again...for the, I don't know, what feels like 50th time in eight years.  It is two times with each move and we have now had seven moves in eight years of marriage.  Its crazy to think about, isn't it? But yet we sit here in our new house, finally in the USA, in just a little over a month and it feels as if we have been here for quite some time. Don't get me wrong, there are boxes to be unpacked, piles of clothes, books and toys in some of the rooms, and we do not even have a sofa yet for our living room, but we are here, we are home.  We are in our now new, and personally OWNED home for the very first time since we have been married.  It is exciting, it is fun, it is freaking expensive!!

I never want to complain about the adventures we go on, because how can I really, right? We have had so many wonderful journeys, we have been so very blessed, and have seen more than people could ever imagine in a lifetime; but honestly- it is A LOT.  It is so much, that sometimes you can barely take the time to reflect on it all.  You feel that you are constantly on the move and once you arrive in one place, you are thinking of where you will be next.  It is overwhelming to say the least.

We are now in a place that we should be for a minimum of three years, and possibly longer. And most importantly, we are finally back in the USA!!! This is exciting and scary at the same time.  Three years? Tom and I have never lived anywhere more than TWO years in our eight almost nine years of marriage AND never in the USA as a family.  Crazy again, right?  It is a truly blessed life and there is so much to reflect on and I am hoping this is the tour we can actually take the time.  So far however, I am not sure how all of that will turn out.  Tom has now started his new training for the job in Virginia that will last until February.  Sadly, he has only been in this house for one week of the six weeks we have actually lived here.  In case you are wondering, this life style is not for the weak hearted.  It is day after day of adjusting and re-acclimating.  It is an absolutely crazy life. 

I have however decided to make this tour different.  This is going to be My Writing Tour.  I have wanted to write for a long time, but especially since the day I walked into Barnes and Noble, months before Hannah was born (seven years ago), searching for a traveling book for kids. I wanted a book to read my precious baby before we moved to Israel after she was born and through the years.  I could not find one.  I searched online, finding a few- some that are still my favorites today, like Granny Goes to Market, but there is still not that one book.  This is why I am now going to write...all of them. :)

There are many books I want to write and have written since that day. So many! This is something I have talked to my family about on occasion, but not much more, and it is something I knew in my heart I always wanted to do but honestly, was not quite sure how to admit it to myself.  For me, it was just finding the time and finding that story. I needed a story I was truly passionate about, I just needed that "idea"!  Well, I have finally found it, I have actually found many ideas!  With this newly found passion and a million resources to guide me now that I am finally back in the US, I am finally starting this official writing journey.  I am overwhelmed.  I need more time in the day, I need my... housekeeper!! ha ha

Over the years as I occasionally mention that I am working on a book or writing a book, I get many responses.  Some might say, wow, that's great- can I read it?  Or better yet, oh, that's easy, I just wrote a funny children's book last night.  I understand your thoughts, thank you for them all (there are so many).  But what I need my family and friends to understand is that this, for me, is different.  I understand this road will not be easy, and I know that I will personally have many challenges.  My goal however is not just to write a small little book, my goal is to become a writer and I want to be published!  This may take years, it might take months (ha)  and it may never happen. But, I am at least going to TRY!!  It will not be easy and I am prepared (as much as one can be) for the challenges ahead.  And you know what, I am ready.  So... bring it on!

With boxes to unpack in our house and without a sofa for our living room, I sit here writing for the first time in what seems like years.   This is my motivation; sharing and telling stories,  and writing about my adventures with my family.  This is one story I can not wait to share and I look forward to starting this wonderful journey with all of you.

Sleepover Madness!!

Hannah had a small sleepover in March and then another one this past weekend.  Although I did feel like I was a bit more tolerable the first time around- this one took me over the top. Maybe it was the different kids at each one, maybe it was just me...but I seriously could not get them to leave fast enough the next morning.

 

Hannah on the other hand was in heaven.  Well, except when they messed up her room, they wouldn't listen to what "she" wanted to do and when they were not all bickering...all was wonderful in her world.  Ha Ha

 

It was definitely a fun night and morning and I think they kids had a blasy...as you can clearly see.

 

Sleepover/Swim Party from early March

 

 

 

 

Merrill, Kurumbua and Abbi

 

Farewell Sleepover from May

 

 

 Dance Party!

 

 

 

The kids also worked on special scrapbook pages saying goodbye to Hannah.  So sweet!

 

 

 

Merrill, Ruva, Kurumbua, MeMe and Amarah

 

Some special friends I know Hannah will really miss!! :(