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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Christmas in Ohio!
Here is a brief (not) summary of our Christmas..
We went to Christmas Eve mass. Not midnight...7pm. Well..actually we went at 6:15, because we had been told that there would be carol singing until mass started. We arrived at about 6:20..about 10 minutes after my aunt's family. We filed into the pew behind her. I heard music, but I the only person that was singing was the person that I presumed to be the 50-60yr old vocalist for that church..or something like that. She was standing up at the front of the church singing her heart out with a hymnal in her hands. I leaned forward and whispered into my aunt's ear, "So, I thought this was carol singing..not carol listening." She laughed and solemnly whispered back, "No, That's Carol" She said, pointing to the lady who was still lustily singing away. I just about lost it then, but I regained my composure, and sat back, opened my hymnal and started singing. Believe me, that lady needed all the help she could get.
Anyway, the rest of the mass was pretty normal, except for the priest pointing out my 20-30 extended family members that were all sitting together, by saying, "Do you ever wonder what the heavenly hosts sound like? Well, we have them right here. All of those beautiful children singing right over there." He pointed in my pew's general direction, and I wished I could disappear as the people that hadn't already been staring at us turned and looked my way. (This wasn't many, because apparently that church doesn't get visitors very often, and pretty much everyone was already staring at us.) Oh, but besides all that..mass was pretty normal..well..besides the fact that my 3yr old cousin cried for about 20 min, and my 18mos old cousin shrieked "Whoa!" at the top of her lungs when she slipped off the kneeler.
You probably think I'm done, but no. I want to make you waste as much time reading this as possible. After mass we ran to the car. I REALLY envy boys in the winter..on Sundays..tights are not very warm! So..we drove off down the road towards our cabin, singing Christmas songs.. And we decided that we were going to get a Christmas Tree. To understand where we were going to get it from..we have to back up to the Sunday before Christmas.
We were driving back from church (this is Sunday), and we saw what looked like a Christmas tree farm. But there wasn't anyone selling them..they were all still in the ground. Except for a pile of about 30 trees cut down and wrapped up in netting, in a field on the side of the road.
Back to Christmas Eve. Yes, we stole a Christmas tree.
There we were, coming home from Mass, singing carols, thinking of "Carol" and we decided to STEAL a Christmas tree! We pulled off the country road into the field and turned off our lights. Daddy jumped out of the car and grabbed the enormous flashlight that we just happened to have with us. As he picked out a tree, I began to wonder..why were these trees out here? Were they infested with some type of pest?! When voiced aloud, my thoughts were shot down by some sarcastic remark, about my fear of bugs, from my mother. Mariana turned on her little light. "TURN IT OFF!!" My father said. A car drove by. "I don't think they saw us" I said. "Why don't we want them to see us?" Nastia (10) said. I don't think we bothered to answer that question. My dad finally got the tree tied on the roof next to the roof rack. We slowly backed out and continued on our way. "I think we should make something clear." My dad said, "We're not STEALING this tree. We're appropriating it." Right.
We got home, decorated the tree, I helped my parents get stuff ready for the next day, my aunt and uncle helped us too, I went to bed, I was rudely awakened at about 8:30, we opened presents, I got an ihome (ipod speaker thingy), we had our family over for brunch, and that pretty much sums up my Christmas Eve and day.
Oh, and we had Italian Wedding Soup on Christmas Eve! YUM!!
We went to Christmas Eve mass. Not midnight...7pm. Well..actually we went at 6:15, because we had been told that there would be carol singing until mass started. We arrived at about 6:20..about 10 minutes after my aunt's family. We filed into the pew behind her. I heard music, but I the only person that was singing was the person that I presumed to be the 50-60yr old vocalist for that church..or something like that. She was standing up at the front of the church singing her heart out with a hymnal in her hands. I leaned forward and whispered into my aunt's ear, "So, I thought this was carol singing..not carol listening." She laughed and solemnly whispered back, "No, That's Carol" She said, pointing to the lady who was still lustily singing away. I just about lost it then, but I regained my composure, and sat back, opened my hymnal and started singing. Believe me, that lady needed all the help she could get.
Anyway, the rest of the mass was pretty normal, except for the priest pointing out my 20-30 extended family members that were all sitting together, by saying, "Do you ever wonder what the heavenly hosts sound like? Well, we have them right here. All of those beautiful children singing right over there." He pointed in my pew's general direction, and I wished I could disappear as the people that hadn't already been staring at us turned and looked my way. (This wasn't many, because apparently that church doesn't get visitors very often, and pretty much everyone was already staring at us.) Oh, but besides all that..mass was pretty normal..well..besides the fact that my 3yr old cousin cried for about 20 min, and my 18mos old cousin shrieked "Whoa!" at the top of her lungs when she slipped off the kneeler.
You probably think I'm done, but no. I want to make you waste as much time reading this as possible. After mass we ran to the car. I REALLY envy boys in the winter..on Sundays..tights are not very warm! So..we drove off down the road towards our cabin, singing Christmas songs.. And we decided that we were going to get a Christmas Tree. To understand where we were going to get it from..we have to back up to the Sunday before Christmas.
We were driving back from church (this is Sunday), and we saw what looked like a Christmas tree farm. But there wasn't anyone selling them..they were all still in the ground. Except for a pile of about 30 trees cut down and wrapped up in netting, in a field on the side of the road.
Back to Christmas Eve. Yes, we stole a Christmas tree.
There we were, coming home from Mass, singing carols, thinking of "Carol" and we decided to STEAL a Christmas tree! We pulled off the country road into the field and turned off our lights. Daddy jumped out of the car and grabbed the enormous flashlight that we just happened to have with us. As he picked out a tree, I began to wonder..why were these trees out here? Were they infested with some type of pest?! When voiced aloud, my thoughts were shot down by some sarcastic remark, about my fear of bugs, from my mother. Mariana turned on her little light. "TURN IT OFF!!" My father said. A car drove by. "I don't think they saw us" I said. "Why don't we want them to see us?" Nastia (10) said. I don't think we bothered to answer that question. My dad finally got the tree tied on the roof next to the roof rack. We slowly backed out and continued on our way. "I think we should make something clear." My dad said, "We're not STEALING this tree. We're appropriating it." Right.
We got home, decorated the tree, I helped my parents get stuff ready for the next day, my aunt and uncle helped us too, I went to bed, I was rudely awakened at about 8:30, we opened presents, I got an ihome (ipod speaker thingy), we had our family over for brunch, and that pretty much sums up my Christmas Eve and day.
Oh, and we had Italian Wedding Soup on Christmas Eve! YUM!!
Friday, December 14, 2007
PA!
After Richmond (yes..I'm still blogging about our trip this summer) we drove up to PA to visit Aunt Ali, Uncle, Sean and Sarah Marie. The drive was long, but at least it was cool. It was super hot at Aunt Ali's house. We unpacked some stuff from Emma, and went inside. Sarah Marie immediately started attacking Charlie. I'm not kidding. She attacked him! I have 2 videos from when we were there. One of them has Sarah Marie jumping on Charlie, flipping over him, landing on her head, and starting to cry. The other video has her jumping on top of him, and whacking him so hard that HE started crying!
Unfortunately, the videos take about an hour to load, so I'm not going to put them on here. I already put them on the Vasko Experience. You can come see her live at my house anytime after 4pm today to sometime on Thursday. (Aunt Ali and SM are visiting this week!) We'll be selling tickets at the door. (jk, Aunt Ali! ;-) )
Anyway, we went for a little walk through Aunt Ali's neighborhood and then ate dinner. Or visa versa..I don't remember. I sadly don't remember what dinner was either..It was good. It think that broccoli was the vegetable. Do I even need to mention that Valya and I had to do dishes? Isn't that pretty obvious? After dinner we got the kids to bed..I mean....Daddy put the kids to bed while Aunt Ali, Mommy, and I played cards and ate popcorn...or..knowing the vaskos...it was probably chips. (but hey! I DID TRY to put SM to bed, but she didn't go for it, so Aunt Ali hurriedly nursed her and turned a fan on so that she wouldn't burn up. (I'm just kidding..by this time the air conditioning was on.)
I think I won those card games, but I don't know for sure. Just ask Aunt Ali. It's pretty hard to concentrate on slapping cards in the dark while listening to gypsy moth caterpillars gnaw on the tree just off the deck. And when the wind blew....*shudder* and the pieces of chewed leaf fell into the popcorn bowl..or worse...caterpillars fell into the popcorn bowl. I used to love those little guys, and I still do...in small groups of...uhhh...1 or 2. Luckily, they didn't get into the house.
So, eventually we gave up playing cards on the deck and went inside. About this time Uncle Sean got back from his night shift. (This shows how late we stay up.) We stayed up a little longer and then went to bed. I woke up to a breakfast of eggs, toast, and juice. I DO remember that meal..at least!
After Breakfast we packed up the car and drove to Dingman's ferry falls..I THINK that was the name. Anyway, we took lots of pictures and went for a hike. I posted one of the pictures two posts ago. It was really pretty. (the place..not the picture..though I think the picture's pretty ok too.) We had to say goodbye to Sean then (he had to go to work), but we drove back to the house with Aunt Ali to grab lunch and use the bathroom Then we started our drive to............BOSTON!!!
Sarah Marie attacking Charlie
.
Sarah Marie and Mariana
Nastia with her walking stick from Curran
Some waterfalls at Dingman's Ferry
All of us at Dingman's Ferry (back row l-r Nastia, Valya, Aunt Ali (holding Sarah Marie), Mommy, Me, (front row) Charlie, Jacinta, and Mei mei)
Unfortunately, the videos take about an hour to load, so I'm not going to put them on here. I already put them on the Vasko Experience. You can come see her live at my house anytime after 4pm today to sometime on Thursday. (Aunt Ali and SM are visiting this week!) We'll be selling tickets at the door. (jk, Aunt Ali! ;-) )
Anyway, we went for a little walk through Aunt Ali's neighborhood and then ate dinner. Or visa versa..I don't remember. I sadly don't remember what dinner was either..It was good. It think that broccoli was the vegetable. Do I even need to mention that Valya and I had to do dishes? Isn't that pretty obvious? After dinner we got the kids to bed..I mean....Daddy put the kids to bed while Aunt Ali, Mommy, and I played cards and ate popcorn...or..knowing the vaskos...it was probably chips. (but hey! I DID TRY to put SM to bed, but she didn't go for it, so Aunt Ali hurriedly nursed her and turned a fan on so that she wouldn't burn up. (I'm just kidding..by this time the air conditioning was on.)
I think I won those card games, but I don't know for sure. Just ask Aunt Ali. It's pretty hard to concentrate on slapping cards in the dark while listening to gypsy moth caterpillars gnaw on the tree just off the deck. And when the wind blew....*shudder* and the pieces of chewed leaf fell into the popcorn bowl..or worse...caterpillars fell into the popcorn bowl. I used to love those little guys, and I still do...in small groups of...uhhh...1 or 2. Luckily, they didn't get into the house.
So, eventually we gave up playing cards on the deck and went inside. About this time Uncle Sean got back from his night shift. (This shows how late we stay up.) We stayed up a little longer and then went to bed. I woke up to a breakfast of eggs, toast, and juice. I DO remember that meal..at least!
After Breakfast we packed up the car and drove to Dingman's ferry falls..I THINK that was the name. Anyway, we took lots of pictures and went for a hike. I posted one of the pictures two posts ago. It was really pretty. (the place..not the picture..though I think the picture's pretty ok too.) We had to say goodbye to Sean then (he had to go to work), but we drove back to the house with Aunt Ali to grab lunch and use the bathroom Then we started our drive to............BOSTON!!!
Sarah Marie attacking Charlie
.Sarah Marie and Mariana
Nastia with her walking stick from Curran
Some waterfalls at Dingman's Ferry
All of us at Dingman's Ferry (back row l-r Nastia, Valya, Aunt Ali (holding Sarah Marie), Mommy, Me, (front row) Charlie, Jacinta, and Mei mei)
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Short but Sweet
To my few readers out there, (ie, Sylvia) thank you for reading this blog!!
There. I said it. Now I can post some pics.
Singing in the rain
A waterfall at Dingman's ferry, PA
My friend Mary and me!
There. I said it. Now I can post some pics.
Singing in the rain
A waterfall at Dingman's ferry, PA
My friend Mary and me!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
'Twas the night of Thanksgiving,
but I just couldn't sleep.
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned -- the dark meat and white,
But I fought the temptation with all of my might.
Tossing and turning with anticipation.....
The thought of a snack became infatuation.....
So I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
'Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground!
I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky.....
With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie,
But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees.....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL !!
PASS THE CRANBERRIES PLEASE !!
May your stuffing be tasty,
Your turkey be plump.
May your taters 'n gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
Your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay well off your thighs!!!21 ways to maintain a healthy level of insanity
21 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity.
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In-Box."
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A
Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."
20. Whenever you have to pay for something 100 dollars or more, start placing pennies on the counter one by one.
21. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......
Tell This To Someone To Make Them Smile.
It's called therapy.
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In-Box."
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A
Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."
20. Whenever you have to pay for something 100 dollars or more, start placing pennies on the counter one by one.
21. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......
Tell This To Someone To Make Them Smile.
It's called therapy.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Lights! Camera! Action!
The curtain opened, the lights came on.
The chorus suddenly broke into song.
I knew that the time was finally here;
The time that'd been coming for almost a year.
That's when I was taken by great surprise.
I remembered my lines! And not just a few,
But out of my mouth ALL my lines did spew.
It suddenly came to my recollection,
that acting on stage is like a confection.
You need the ingredients, yes, every one,
for your masterpiece to be perfectly wonderfully done.
So, I not only managed to say all my lines,
But I added I added acting and little hand signs.
The crowd was enthralled, and they waited for more.
So I sang a song, to the roof my voice soared.
I was finished, my masterpiece now was complete.
The audience roared as they leapt to their feet.
I curtsied and bowed as they cheered and they clapped.
And from the stage I went, my energy sapped.
The papers, they gave it a lovely review.
My family and friends said they all loved it too.
So, when everything that needs to be is all said and done
I'm glad that I did it. Acting is fun.
This is just something I wrote for bravewriter this fall.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Real nice. I'm missed, but you're not sure why??!!!
| You Are The Stuffing |
 You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why. |
Monday, November 12, 2007
Puppy!
Here's our new puppy, Chaser! More pics to follow! 
BTW, and if any of you read my mom's blog or the Vasko Experience I'm not copying the song from them. It was my idea.
.
BTW, and if any of you read my mom's blog or the Vasko Experience I'm not copying the song from them. It was my idea.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Yellow???? blech!
| Your Blog Should Be Yellow |
 You're a cheerful, upbeat blogger who tends to make everyone laugh. You are a great storyteller, and the first to post the latest funny link. You're also friendly and welcoming to everyone who comments on your blog. |
I'm ashamed...jk ; )
| Your Inner European is French! |
 Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so. |
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Hmm..
Get a Cash Advance
Hmm..well...apparently my vocabulary is a little bit smaller than my mom's.. http://journeyofamothersheart.blogspot.com/2007/11/dude.html
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Forever in Blue Jeans
Here's what you can do with a pair of old jeans, a belt, and a really creative friend named Maya...
P.S. Aunt Sarah, you got me these jeans from the thrift store, and I wore them until they got holes. Now, that's recycling!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Breakfast!
Hold the Milk, Put back the sugarThey are powerless to console
We've gathered here to sprinkle ashes
from our late friends cereal bowl.
Breakfast clubbers say the motto
that he taught us to repeat
"You will lose it in your gym class if you wait till noon to eat"
Back when the chess club said our eggs were soft
Every Monday he'd say grace and hold our juice aloft
Oh none of us knew his check out time would come so soon
but before his brain stopped waving he composed this tune
Chorus:
When the toast is burned
And all the milk has turned
And Captain Crunch is waving farewell
When the big one finds you
May this song remind you
That they don't serve breakfast in hell
Breakfast clubbers drop the hankies
Though to some our friend was odd
That day he bought those pine pajamas
His check was good with god
Those here without the Lord
How do you cope
For this morning we don't mourn
Like those who have no hope
Oh rise up Friut Loop lovers
Sing out sweet and low
With spoons held high
We bid our brother "Cheerio"!!!
Chorus:
(Repeat until fade)
Check out the new music!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Halloween
Halloween as rolled around again.For us, this is the first real Halloween in 3 years. The Belgians are pretty pathetic in their attempts to do Halloween. For Charlie and Jacinta, this is their first reall Halloween. They've been Trick or Treating, but it was pretty boring..considering they only went to a few houses and most of the people handed out the most bizare candy ever. So...
We're going Trick or Treating with the Humphries this year. There was some debate about what we should go as, but after much consideration..we are going as................
The Cleveland Indians baseball team!
Elena: Casey Blake- #1
Nastia: Jason Michaels-#8
Mariana: CC Sabathia-#52
Jacinta: Kenny Lofton-#7
Charlie: Ryan Garko-#25
Marissa: Franklin Gutierez-#38
Jonah: Victor Martinez-#41
Eathan: Grady Sizemore-#24
Zachary: Travis Haffner-#48
And Valya is going to go as a witch. She refused to do the whole Indians thing.
I'll post pictures later!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Richmond
After Northern VA we drove down to Richmond where we spent the night at my godfather's family's house. And........I can't find any pictures for that........apparently we didn't take any. (I wonder why we went on this trip if we didn't manage to take any pictures..)
We did get to have fun on something similar to this. Only with a little kids slide on the side and a place to climb up on the front.
Then my godfather and his wife gave me this:
After dinner I went over to a some friend's house (Meagan, Jessica, Emily, and AJ) to spend the night. We had a lot of fun!
We did get to have fun on something similar to this. Only with a little kids slide on the side and a place to climb up on the front.
Then my godfather and his wife gave me this:
After dinner I went over to a some friend's house (Meagan, Jessica, Emily, and AJ) to spend the night. We had a lot of fun!
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Soccer!!!
I'm taking a break from posts about our trip to post pictures from today's soccer game. We aren't that great of a team, but today was our best game yet. We only had 9 players (we're supposed to have 11 a side), but everyone played really hard. We won 4-0!
This picture was taken before a throw-in. I know that I look like I'm actually throwing the ball, but I'm really just backing up.
After the throw-in...
Hmm...I look like I'm about to fall over, but I promise that I didn't.
And..this one is pretty far away..and my jersey makes me look rather large....
This picture was taken before a throw-in. I know that I look like I'm actually throwing the ball, but I'm really just backing up.
After the throw-in...Hmm...I look like I'm about to fall over, but I promise that I didn't.And..this one is pretty far away..and my jersey makes me look rather large.... P.S. I put the 'Anthem' on here as the song because of this post...I'll be changing the song all of the time...
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Virginia
After staying at Aunt Kiki's for a few weeks we were joined by Daddy. It was time to begin our cross country trip! So.....one morning we packed the rental van, (Well, actually..Daddy packed the rental van...we just dragged ourselves out of bed and into our seats.) said goodbye, and began the drive to Virginia. It took us about 7 hours to get to Baltimore, MD where we dropped off the rental van and repacked all of our stuff into Emma. (our real van) Then we drove the remaining hour to the Clancy's. (my best friend's family) That was the boring part of our stop in Northern VA. From then on it was all fun!
We ate a really good American dinner (Kentucky fried chicken) with the Clancys and explored their new house. (We aren't the only ones moving!) Mariana, Jacinta, and Charlie didn't really remember the Clancys from their visit to BE 2 years before, but it didn't take long for them to make friends with Caitie's brothers, Andrew, Alexander, and Joey. Meanwhile, Caitie and I were catching up on the last year. (I had visited my Northern VA friends the previous September) She showed me her new bedroom, I exclaimed at how big her bunny was getting, and we just talked..and talked..and talked...
I was going to stay for 2 nights at her house while my family stayed at some other friends of ours, the Beatty's. So we went out to Emma to try to get my duffel bag out of the trunk. I solemnly swear that I will never ever ever try to get something out of the fully packed trunk again.........well..no..I probably will...but I won't open the trunk. We made the fatal mistake of opening the trunk. Did I mention that Caitie's driveway is on a very steep slant? Or that when Daddy packs the van it is like a jigsaw puzzle each bag is in the perfect position so that there is enough room for everything but only if placed just so? Well, picture this: Two girls opening the trunk of a van that is completely full to the roof with suitcases, boxes, dufflebags, etc on a very steep driveway, two girls desperately trying to hold back the avalanche that comes pouring down on top of them, one of the girls imagining her father's imminent rage at seeing his masterpiece of a packed van in a large pile on the driveway..Not pretty. : O
After extracting ourselves from the pile of bags we tried to put it all back the way we thought it had been before but to no avail. It was hopeless. Despite the desperate situation we were both giggling helplessly. No, it wasn't exactly funny..just comical. After trying for ages to fit the pieces of the puzzle back together and failing miserably I got up the courage to go and approach my father. Well...................let's just say he wasn't exactly thrilled. Caitie and I, sensing a smoldering volcano about to erupt, grabbed my bags and scooted for the house and the refuge of her bedroom where we collapsed once again in giggles. Mercifully, my parents soon left and we didn't have to witness the volcano erupting, though the occupants of the car on the way to the Beatty's might have. We went to sleep pretty soon after.
The next day we decided that it was too cold to go swimming in the Clancy's pool, (Yes, they have a pool in their backyard..How cool is that?!) so we spent the day keeping the boys occupied and rescuing a baby bird that had falled out of a tree in their front yard. That evening we went to the Beatty's for a 'Welcome Back!' party. My family was there already (obviously) and we a great time talking and meeting old friends, some of whom we hadn't seen in years. While there I saw Maddie, Andrew, Jack, and the rest of their family. It was a lot of fun. That night I went back to the Clancy's where Caitie and I talked far into the night.
The following day we went swimming in the Clancy's pool and had lunch before it was time to leave for Richmond. Then we said our goodbyes and headed off to the southern part of Virginia
My family during their stay at the Beatty's. Back row (left to right): Mrs. Beatty, Bridget, Valya, Nastia, Nora, Lucy, Andrew, Jack, and my mom Front row (L to R): David, Charlie, Jacinta, Mariana, and Ben
Me during my stay at the Clancy's. Back row (L-R): Aunt Heidi (a.k.a. Mrs. Clancy), Caitie, Caitie's Grandmother, Me, and Caitie's Grandfather, In front: Andrew, Alexander, Very front: Joey
Me and Caitie (I would say Caitie and I, but I'm on the left.)
Caitie's bunny: Basil
Me and the Clancy kids messing around with the camera (in case you can't tell we were pretending to be shielding our eyes from the mysterious blinding flash of light)
We ate a really good American dinner (Kentucky fried chicken) with the Clancys and explored their new house. (We aren't the only ones moving!) Mariana, Jacinta, and Charlie didn't really remember the Clancys from their visit to BE 2 years before, but it didn't take long for them to make friends with Caitie's brothers, Andrew, Alexander, and Joey. Meanwhile, Caitie and I were catching up on the last year. (I had visited my Northern VA friends the previous September) She showed me her new bedroom, I exclaimed at how big her bunny was getting, and we just talked..and talked..and talked...
I was going to stay for 2 nights at her house while my family stayed at some other friends of ours, the Beatty's. So we went out to Emma to try to get my duffel bag out of the trunk. I solemnly swear that I will never ever ever try to get something out of the fully packed trunk again.........well..no..I probably will...but I won't open the trunk. We made the fatal mistake of opening the trunk. Did I mention that Caitie's driveway is on a very steep slant? Or that when Daddy packs the van it is like a jigsaw puzzle each bag is in the perfect position so that there is enough room for everything but only if placed just so? Well, picture this: Two girls opening the trunk of a van that is completely full to the roof with suitcases, boxes, dufflebags, etc on a very steep driveway, two girls desperately trying to hold back the avalanche that comes pouring down on top of them, one of the girls imagining her father's imminent rage at seeing his masterpiece of a packed van in a large pile on the driveway..Not pretty. : O
After extracting ourselves from the pile of bags we tried to put it all back the way we thought it had been before but to no avail. It was hopeless. Despite the desperate situation we were both giggling helplessly. No, it wasn't exactly funny..just comical. After trying for ages to fit the pieces of the puzzle back together and failing miserably I got up the courage to go and approach my father. Well...................let's just say he wasn't exactly thrilled. Caitie and I, sensing a smoldering volcano about to erupt, grabbed my bags and scooted for the house and the refuge of her bedroom where we collapsed once again in giggles. Mercifully, my parents soon left and we didn't have to witness the volcano erupting, though the occupants of the car on the way to the Beatty's might have. We went to sleep pretty soon after.
The next day we decided that it was too cold to go swimming in the Clancy's pool, (Yes, they have a pool in their backyard..How cool is that?!) so we spent the day keeping the boys occupied and rescuing a baby bird that had falled out of a tree in their front yard. That evening we went to the Beatty's for a 'Welcome Back!' party. My family was there already (obviously) and we a great time talking and meeting old friends, some of whom we hadn't seen in years. While there I saw Maddie, Andrew, Jack, and the rest of their family. It was a lot of fun. That night I went back to the Clancy's where Caitie and I talked far into the night.
The following day we went swimming in the Clancy's pool and had lunch before it was time to leave for Richmond. Then we said our goodbyes and headed off to the southern part of Virginia
My family during their stay at the Beatty's. Back row (left to right): Mrs. Beatty, Bridget, Valya, Nastia, Nora, Lucy, Andrew, Jack, and my mom Front row (L to R): David, Charlie, Jacinta, Mariana, and Ben
Me during my stay at the Clancy's. Back row (L-R): Aunt Heidi (a.k.a. Mrs. Clancy), Caitie, Caitie's Grandmother, Me, and Caitie's Grandfather, In front: Andrew, Alexander, Very front: Joey
Me and Caitie (I would say Caitie and I, but I'm on the left.)
Caitie's bunny: Basil
Me and the Clancy kids messing around with the camera (in case you can't tell we were pretending to be shielding our eyes from the mysterious blinding flash of light)
Monday, October 1, 2007
Visitor's at A. Kiki's
After visiting Marnie we went back to Aunt Kiki's and were visited by Uncle Jon, Aunt Bridget, and Mary Maeve. We had lots of fun, playing at the playground, watching movies, staying up for bonfires every night, and tenting in the backyard.
Sadly, the only good picture we have from that weekend is of Nastia receiving a late b-day gift from U. Jon and A. Bridget. (her godparents)
Sadly, the only good picture we have from that weekend is of Nastia receiving a late b-day gift from U. Jon and A. Bridget. (her godparents)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Visiting Marnie
After Jonah's first Communion we went to visit Marnie. (My great-grandmother) Before we left for Belgium Marnie was still in an apartment by herself. (Boompa, my great-grandfather having died a few years before) By this summer Marnie was in a nursing home. She had been sick a few weeks before we moved, and we'd been afraid that we wouldn't be able to see her again. However we did get to see her a few days after we came back. Here are the pictures.
Us with Marnie
Marnie's old house (all overgrown)
Us with Marnie
Marnie's old house (all overgrown)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Goodby BE! First stop: Aunt Kiki's! That's where the party's at!
After staying up almost all night I woke up early to say goodbye to one of my best friends in BE, Allie. She had school, so I got up in time to run down to her house, take some pics, and walk her to the bus stop. She was a great friend, (and still is) and it was sad to say goodbye, but it's nice to have a pen pal to fill me in on all the happenings over there in Europe. We're hoping that she'll be able to come and stay with us for a week or so next summer, and until then we're writing back and forth and calling whenever possible. See what I look like at 7:30am!
Then we all boarded a plane...................................and about 12 hours later................we met Uncle Piper, Aunt Missy, and her 3 kids at the Columbus airport. They helped us load everything into a rental van and then we drove to Hillsboro. Daddy didn't come with us, so I got to sit in the front and play songs from my ipod the whole way there. Sadly, everyone except Mommy and I were asleep by the time we got to the hills, but they're just as hilly as ever..even after 3 years.
Almost everyone was asleep at Aunt Kiki's so we tiptoed in..and all of a sudden a stampede came thundering down the hall! All right..the only one asleep was Uncle Sean. (snoring uproariously) Most of these people we hadn't seen in almost 3 years! No one had changed too much though.
That weekend was filled with friends and family welcoming us home to the US. We also got to go to Jonah's first communion. His smile stretched from ear to ear. (seriously..it did!)
Jonah (my cousin) on his first communion day
It didn't take long for us to pick up where we'd left off. (Uncle Piper, and Mei mei)
Then we all boarded a plane...................................and about 12 hours later................we met Uncle Piper, Aunt Missy, and her 3 kids at the Columbus airport. They helped us load everything into a rental van and then we drove to Hillsboro. Daddy didn't come with us, so I got to sit in the front and play songs from my ipod the whole way there. Sadly, everyone except Mommy and I were asleep by the time we got to the hills, but they're just as hilly as ever..even after 3 years.
Almost everyone was asleep at Aunt Kiki's so we tiptoed in..and all of a sudden a stampede came thundering down the hall! All right..the only one asleep was Uncle Sean. (snoring uproariously) Most of these people we hadn't seen in almost 3 years! No one had changed too much though.
That weekend was filled with friends and family welcoming us home to the US. We also got to go to Jonah's first communion. His smile stretched from ear to ear. (seriously..it did!)
Jonah (my cousin) on his first communion day
It didn't take long for us to pick up where we'd left off. (Uncle Piper, and Mei mei)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
"Surprise!"!
Right before we left BE my friend Allie (immediately below on right) planned a surprise going away party.....too bad she told me about it a month in advance. It was still a ton of fun though, and I've got the pictures to prove it.
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