A Play Day with the Hamminga Family

I had the privilege of hanging out with my favorite nephews and my beautiful niece for a photo shoot. I was literally learning as I went. The positions and angles were a little rough. We started off with some professional shots and shortly moved out to play on the swing set. I am so grateful to have this family in my life. They create so much joy when I see their smiling faces. Here are a few of my faves:

Easter Celebration

Grandpa with his grandsons

Uncle Larry and Aaron

Hamminga Family Pic

Family Pic

Our Easter Eggs that we dyed

Moore Decorations

"Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead"

Oh savior has risen, what a glorious day! Larry and I were so happy to be with friends and family to celebrate the Risen King. We started our day with worship at Woodside. Then, loaded up the car for a full day of family celebration. We went to the Moore's to see Julie & Eric and receive Easter Baskets from Mom and Dad. Larry and I were excited to get some candy and Mags. The Moore family soon arrived to eat and chat. Then, we headed to the Nelson's house where we had more food and fun with our niece and nephews. I took a few pics. Enjoy!

Final Day of Sighteeing

(The Colosseum)

This is our last day for posting our European Adventures. Thank you for reading and joining us as we traveled Europe.

Today was a busy day. We were headed to see all outdoor sites and historic monuments in Rome. God gave us our greatest gift this trip sunshine and and a temperature of 57 degrees. It was the first time the jackets came off, so you will see our clothing for the first and only time of the trip and not just our jackets. This was a blessing because every site was outside. We had another full day of walking.



We started at the Colosseum where we quickly discovered they only took cash and we were four Euro short. We had to quickly find an ATM and get back in line. Once we resolved the problem we had missed the guided tour for the hour. We decided to book a later tour and come back at the end of the day. So, we headed onto the Roman Forum. This was the main square for all activity during the Roman empire. Today, very little of it remains but artifacts and rubble. We were able to read some commentary on each site which helped piece together what we were seeing. Then, we hiked up the Palatine Hill which used to be where all the palaces of Neo and Julius Ceasar were placed but were destroyed and remains are all that is left. Todays journey got me very interested in European history. Larry and I hope to rent more movies about Julius Ceaser and watch the Gladiator, where it shows the reconstructed Colosseum.



We had our last savoring taste of italian pizza for lunch. Then, we headed to the Colosseum. We were excited to get a guided tour in English and I was also excited to be around other Americans or at least English speakers. However, this was not the case. Many of the people in our group weren't speaking English or its not their first language. But they can understand it to join a tour. I was very envious of this gift. I wish that I was able to converse in another language.



One observation I have made is that when two people converse and they both speak different languages, they both start to speak in English to converse. I never realized how luckily I am to speak such a universal language. While most people were able to speak English with us, it is very frusterating to not be able to converse with others.



The Colosseum was our favorite event of the day. This larger than life amphitheatre was built for entertainment such as gladiator fighting. The vast size and construction in the shape of an elicpse was amazing. They have even reconstructed a portion to show you what it would have looked like and it would have been even more beautiful than we can imagine. I can't believe we are still constructing stadiums the same way today.



We headed to the Pantheon which has been preserved very well and is now a functioning church, but mass was soon starting and we were kicked out. We continued walking around the various squares enjoying all that Roma had to offer.



Then, we finished up some shoppping and got Larry the shirt he has always needed, an Italia shirt. After all, he is one-fourth italian. We ate our last italian meal along with some italian desserts canoili and tiramsu. We have truly loved Italy. The food is by far the best than in any other country as you can see from my posts and many mentions of all of our meals.



We are very sad this wonderful experience has to end but are so greatful for the quality time, amazing memories, and breathtaking pictures we have. Tomorrow comes the difficult part. We are leaving at 6:40 am to catch a train to the airport. Our flight leaves around 9 and we have a 10 hour flight to Newark, New Jersey. We are praying that we can work out the time difference and are able to sleep on Sunday Night. We arrive in Detroit around 9pm, which makes our travel time 19 hours. Please pray for patience, strength, and our bodies to rest and heal for work on Monday. I can not wait to turn on my phone and say Hello when we get to Newark. We love you all and will be seeing most of you very soon.



Mom and Dad don't forget you are picking us up in Detroit. I will call you in Newark to arrange details.

Another day and more to see

(THE VATICAN)

Today we started off with croissants and nutella (just like a donut) and cereal. I loved the croissants and chocolate so much I had 3, Oh my!! Then, we headed to the train station. We wanted to see the Vatican first and it was an hour walk. We soon discovered that today the Bus, Train, and Airlines decided to strike until 2pm which left the city in chaos. There was a half hour wait for a taxi and no way to get out to the Vatican beside using our feet. I decided to grin and bear it and walk the hour to the Vatican. This was actually the best weather of the day. It was sunny and we even got down to our short sleeve layers, it was so beautiful out. As we were approaching the Vatican, it started to rain. This rain continued on and off throughout the day and even hailed at one point. But, we were prepared with the unbrella. However, this cooled the temperature quite a bit. I guess we have been very lucky to have missed most of the rain. We are beginning to wonder if this isn't a daily occurence. (Larry helped me find the apostraphe button today, yeah!!).

The vatican museum is quite an adventure. It has several artifacts from Mestopantia to Greek and Roman statues, tapesteries, various art pieces and of course the sistine chapel. It was kind of strange to find other deities within the Vatican museum but it also had several painting and tapestries devoted to saints, popes, Jesus and Mary. Our favorite part was entering the Sistine Chapel. This is the Pope's personal chapel and it is also known for Michaelango's famous painting. It took him 4 years to build. The chapel is covered floor to ceiling with this painting. The entire chapel is his canvas if you will. You truly had to sit down and spend time looking at each piece. The main ceiling covers the first seven days including the famous Adam and God touching fingers. We was vast in color and beauty and never been retouched. The original colors still stand.

Then, we headed to St. Peter's Basilica which is the largest church in the world with the largest dome. We used Rick Steve's commentary (a book we took) to tour this church. It is very overwhelming when you first walk in. The walkway to the alter seems to last for days. It even marks how other churches compare in size if they were to fit inside the church. It has several statues, monuments, and prayer rooms. There was also a statue of St. Peter that was said to be kissable. Everyone was going up and touching this foot and kissing it, kind of strange. You could walk up the dome but due to soreness and tiredness from the walk did not go up the dome. However, we did enjoy going to the mecca of christianity and visiting the Vatican, which apparently is its own country. So, technically Larry and I have been in 5 countries in 9 days.

Next, we went to lunch at a pizzeria. Day 2 for pizza and I received the best gift so far on this trip, a glass of coke with ICE :) :) :) I know it is silly but I really miss things cold. In Europe, they do not serve anything cold and I would hate to be the snoody American that demands ice, but this glass just came with it. I really enjoyed it!! I can't wait for more cold drinks coming back to America.

Then, we started some shopping. We have not found anything really great in the other countries to buy. But, God was saving our money for Roma. It is definitely the cheapest country so far and has the best souvenir gifts. Needless to say, most peoples gifts will have originated in Italy. I was able to find some spectactular finds including my most favorite gift of the trip: My very own Louis Vuitton Look alike. It is just wonderful and very similar to the original!! I am in love. We also collected our last magnet of the trip.

We ended the night at an italian restaurant, where we got spaghetti and lasagna. We decided the difference in the pasta and what makes it so wonderful is that the pasta in Roma is more doughy which gives it an amazing filling taste. Of course, no night would be complete without gelato and I was able to sample, mint chocolate, chocolate and strawberry. This is of course anothe business I would like to bring to the states, a gelato store, there is just nothing like it.

There are a few things I do miss about America, including my friends and family and cold drinks, it is American bathrooms. During my European experience I have had to use the same stalls, bathroom sinks and bathroom quarters as males. I have had to see males washing their hands and other things. I know what you are thinking I went into the wrong bathroom and the answer is no. Many of the bathrooms are coed in a sense that its all unisex or open where you can see everything. This has been very disturbing to me because I am not used to seeing that and I never knew how much I enjoyed privacy. I am grateful that I havent had to pay for a restroom yet, but this is crazy. This wouldn't have been so bad until I got to Roma. In all of the public restrooms I have used in the past 2 days, none of them have had toilet seats. The holes are there to have a toilet seat, but none is actually on. So, yes, I am getting excited for American restrooms once again.

We can not believe this journey is coming to a close. Thank you for all of your prayers and being devoted to read our daily adventures. We hope to enjoy one last day visiting the historic monuments of Roma. We hope to see you all soon!

Love you all!

New Day, New Country

(holy stairs)

We awoke at 6 am this morning to prepare for our departure from France. We took the metro to the bus stop and a nice ride later arrived at the airport. We were off to Italy. I decided to take some dramanine because on the last airplane ride I got a little motion sickness. This was a truly blessing. From the moment I sat down in my seat I was ready to sleep. Larry and I both slept the entire plane ride (2 1-2hrs) there only to awake for a quick glimpse of the Alps. They were breathtaking from the air. Heavens true mountains. But we shortly fell back asleep. We were able to find a train to take us into the city. This was like a real train as if you were going across country, so we were still able to experience the train after all.

We now had to switch modes, from french to italian. I got to tell you, we are better at the french. Dad did tell us a few words to say. We are trying to use them correctly, Thanks Dad. Italy is even more historic than Paris. All of the roads are very narrow, with brick pavers on all streets and they have preserved history and simply built around it.

We arrived at our hotel, which has the smallest elevator I have ever seen. Larry, myself, our luggage and the hotel worker barely all fit and that was with our luggage stacked to the ceiling. The best part of this hotel is that our view overlooks this beautiful church and we can watch the sunset. Don,t worry I took lots of pictures.

We quickly ate lunch at a pizzeria with the largest slices we have ever had. We figured out it was 1 pound of pizza we ate, plus bread. I would like to reiterate, gaining lots of weight, and hopefully walking it all off. Then, we headed to the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano. We didn,t know much about the church other than the holy stairs are there. As we arrived it was a vast, gold plated basilica (church). I quickly found a worker and asked where the stairs were. This was apparently very disturbing to him because they were not here, they were located in the church next store. We quickly asked if I knew what this church was and of course I said no, and he preceded to tell me. It was built in the 4th century and is 1700 years old. WOW!! It was cool but we were ready for the holy stairs.

These stairs are the stairs that Jesus walked on to converse with Pontius Pilate in Egypt. A women had them moved to Rome. You may only climb up the stairs on your knees, all 28 of them. Larry and I wanted to take the journey up and spend that time praying to God. It was very very painful and wonderful.

This was the only day of bad weather we have had on our trip thus far. It did rain for a small portion today, but luckily we were prepared with our umbrella.

Today, I realized that I have been in 4 countries in 8 days and my mind, body and soul reminded me of that. I just frankly ran out of steam. I needed a break. We decided to head back to the hotel where we took a 3 hour nap. It seems so unlike us but I just couldn,t keep up any longer. After the nap, we were refreshed any ready to head to our first italian restaurant. We had a great meal. I had ravioli with swordfish and shrimp. Larry had macroni with sausage. It was the best pasta we have ever had. All handmade pasta. Just wonderful!! Afterwards, we visited the Trevi fountain (Fountain of Love) for some kodak moments. Then, thanks to Jenny and Justin,s suggestion, we had our first of many gelatos. DELICIOUS!! Julie, it tasted like rainbow sherbet from Baskin Robbins.

Today, I realized I havent shared much about my wonderful traveling partner. Larry has been the best husband on this trip. We is always concerned with my needs. We is constantly asking me if I am o.k. If he can take more bags or if I need water. He has truly been so amazing and I really feel like he has shined as a husband this week. I just hope that I was a trooper for him.

My time is almost up on the computer. I apologize about the apostrophes, but on this keyboard I can not find the key. Sorry, English majors, who this is bothering, like myself and my overuse of commas.

Love you all. Can not believe its Thursday! Almost home to see everyone.

Tomorrow: Vatican

Last day in Paris

We began our day heading to the Louvre. This is one of the largest museums I have ever been to. It houses very famous pieces such as the Mona Lisa, Sphinx, and Aphrodite. We were already a little sluggish and sore, so we mapped out some exhibits we wanted to see and ventured for those. You could easily spend a couple days in this place. There were large amounts of people and you could tell where there was a really famous piece because it gathered lots of crowds. The Mona Lisa being one that everyone wanted to see and you got up there and were like, yep that's what I thought it would be, (kind of disappointing). After an hour or two, we left feeling very cultured and more knowledgeable of world history.

Right outside the Louvre, is the Champs Elysee's, which is a long pathway to the ArcD'Triumphe. We took a nice long stroll down the Champs Elysee's with the sun in our faces and very little wind, it was a great STROLL :) . While we were approaching the Arc we had a women yell, "excuse me, do you speak English?" Larry and I had already been warned not to let anyone know we are Americans near tourist sites in France because they will harass you until you give them money. So, Larry and I of course turned when we heard excuse me, as anyone would do, but then quickly realized that by doing this, we already acknowledged that we speak English. We were luckily able to avoid her. This is an unfortunate business that many of these women are in. Later, we saw their head boss that train them to prey on Americans. We pray that these women can escape this horrible life.

The Arc D'Triumphe is this grand Arc that Napoleon built after winning this famous battle. It was beautiful and large. You had to take an underground path to get to see directly under it.

Next, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. However, we were starving. We decided to have our lunch next to the Eiffel Tower. We enjoyed our first crepes, Larry had his with strawberry jelly and mine with Nutella (chocolate and bananas). We were able to eat right under the Eiffel Tower. Then, we waited in line to ride up the Eiffel Tower. This was very very scary for me. I had a small anxiety attack at the top, but Larry reassured me that I will not fly off the building. You take an elevator to the first and second level and have to buy a third ticket to ride all the way to the top. IT was an enjoyable and memorable experience to be with the person you love, standing on top of the Eiffel Tower. After we took in the sights, enjoyed a few kisses and pictures, we headed back down.

We headed back to the hotel to regroup and change into nicer clothes. I was finally able to wear my Paris dress and we headed out for dinner. This became an hour and a half process due to choosing places that weren't open, then waiting around to find out that they only had one meal choice, so we decided to take the train back. Needless to say after a lot of running around, we came to a Rick Steve's recommended Mediterranean restaurant. Amanda was able to try White fish (delicious) and Larry had a risotto.

Now, we are trying to gather information for our last and final destination which is Rome. We are trying to pack up our belongings again and figuring out how to get to our next hotel. We are ready to learn about a new city and experience an even different culture.

Paris Notes~:

*Many homeless people

*Dirtier than London

*Very fashionable- I feel undressed all of the time, many clothing stores and ads

*Fancy foreign cars everyone and motorcycles rule all

*Some rude people, but overall pleasant

*People willing to speak English and help when able

* Beautiful sites, great place to visit

P.S. Rome is the city where internet is not so easily accessible. OF course it will be my mission every day to find a place where I can post on the blog, but please be patient if I am not able to everyday.

We are praying and thinking of everyone! I can't wait to be able to talk with everyone again soon. That's been the hardest is not being able to talk with the people I love.

Lots of love,

Paris: Day 2

Hello,

We hope that your weeks are going well. We had a very busy day in Paris. Our first breakfast consisted of croissants and other pastry items, yogurt, and eggs. The bakery items are amazing here at the hotel!! We hope to enjoy two more days of the delicious treats. Don't be shocked to find me 5-10 pounds heavier.

We started off by heading to the Palace of Versailles, which is actually in the city of Versailles. This was a long la gare (subway) ride out to the city about 30 minutes. Once we arrived we had a small complication with our tickets. Larry and I did order some tickets in advance if it was cheaper. When we ordered our tickets for the Palace, the website was all in French. We tried to decipher it the best we could. However, we didn't realize that we placed Larry's first name in as the last name, and vice versa which made it hard to pull up. I guess Laurence is a girl's name here in Paris, another confusion at the hotel. Once we got this all figured out we began our tour with an audio guide. This Palace was built by Louis the XIV and makes Biltmore (one of America's largest castles) look pathetic. Every room is drizzled in gold, detailed architecture, authentic furniture and exquisite paintings. This large estate took several hours to observe. It is where Marie-Antoinette stayed and occupied as queen as well. We captured breathtaking pictures. Yeah, it was great, you could take pictures in the castle.

We ate lunch within the estate, where Larry had some french onion soup. We had this thing where we wanted to try items that all had the word french in front of it like:

French fries (had yesterday) not any better than U.S.

French toast (probably wont get to)

French onion soup (delicious)

Then, we headed out to tour the grounds and the other estates that were built as a second and third getaway from the political and business life of the castle. One of them Marie built for herself and never even allowed her husband to stay in. IT was her own private retreat. This tour took out most of my energy and leg power. I never realized how strenuous it was to walk around so much and to keep up with Larry's big walk, he has bigger feet. Trust me, we are not walking at a snail's pace.

After Versailles, we went to Sacre-Coeur, Sacred Heart Church. It sits on the highest hill in all of Paris overlooking the city. We climbed up all 300 feet to get a breathtaking view of this beautiful city. This church was built from 1875-1919, 40 years to build. It has tributes to saints surrounding the base of the dome and aerial views of various drawings depicting bible scenes. This church was very very beautiful. We even got to hear the beginning of mass.

We have loved having Rick Steve's Western Europe book to help and guide are trip. We have read lots of commentary regarding the places while at the place, but we haven't eaten at any of his recommended restaurants. So today we decided to give it a try and find L'ete de Pente Douche which was nearby and supposed to have delicious cuisines. We soon found the cafe and hopped right in. However, after looking at the menu, Amanda realized that there wasn't anything she wanted, but she took a leap of faith and selected a meal that resembled some kind of steak. Larry was adventurous and has his first rabbit. Both meals were delicious and we had a friendly waiter who also spoke English.

After 24 hours of being in a foreign country and trying to get around, I feel that there are many visual signs that can help anyone navigate. We are trying to embrace the French Language and Larry is even saying a few words here and there with a few spanish ones in between. We feel that London really prepared us for the transition and are glad we are now in Paris. We love being in Europe and just keeping thanking God for this experience. We are truly in love with each other and Europe.

One thing is for sure, the weather man is a liar. Not only is it not anywhere in the 40s, but we guess with the windchill it is probably in the teens. Winter is definitely not a recommended time to go to Europe unless you want a steal of a deal, which we are both very grateful to have. We used the subway a lot today and are praying for true 50's weather in Rome. However, our windburn and frozen limbs are surviving and our bodies hit the bed every night exhausted.

Jules, I hope you made it home safe and sound from Disney. We love you and I hope you get to read this (stupid) blog. LOL

Emily, I hope you and Anna are feeling better.

We decided to collect magnets in each city and we just got Paris's today. :) This is halfway point of the trip. Amanda has taken over 700 pictures and loving it.

We will report back tomorrow with an update of the Louvre, our first crepes, and our Eiffel Tower experience.

Love you and miss you.

First day in France

We started out by getting up at 5:45am. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us. We ate a nice English breakfast and then began our marathon hike to the airport with all our luggage. We arrived with plenty of time. IT was the London city airport and we were not that impressed. It was very tiny, they didn't even know your gate til you board the plane. Everyone just waits in a large holding area. As you walk into the airport you are greeted with police holding machine guns, and we got on a very tiny flight in which I got motion sickness. But once we arrived in Paris, we were ready for our next adventure.

We found a bus that took us pretty close to our hotel and check in. Our first stop out was a quaint bakery and had our first french encounter. It went something like this, us talking in English, her talking in French, us talking back in English and her talking back in French. Pointing didn't quite do it, so we managed to get meals but had to eat them in the freezing cold because we didn't pay the fee to sit inside. I am just glad that I took 3 1/2 years of French, too remember very little (sorry mom and dad) but I am remembering short phrases that are helping. Larry is actually letting me take the lead on stuff because I know a small amount of french. I also have our English/French Dictionary which we have already used several times. After our lunch we headed to 3 different historical churches, St. Chapelle, Notre Dame and St. Germain Des Pres. These catholic churches were so breathtaking. THey had stained glass dating back to the 1500s everywhere, statues and high arches, just beautiful. You could really feel the presence of God there.

Then, we ended our day with dinner and a stroll along Champs de Mars to see the Eiffel Tower and right as we approached, it lit up with lights for a few minutes. It was Spectacular!

We have realized how much we take the English Language for granted and how easy it was in Europe. But, we are determined to try to communicate the best we can, at least I would like to.

We have arrived in France!

Hello everyone,

We have made it to our next destination, Paris. We have also lost another hour of our life. We have checked into our gorgeous hotel, where you can see the Eiffel Tower right down the street. Please check back for our day's adventures.

Love you all!

Thank you Governor!

Larry and I enjoyed trying out are fake British accents all day. It's fun to speak like them and so many people are speaking another language around us they don't even notice.

Today we started off observing the changing of the guard. This is a tradition that happens at the Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives, every other day in winter, and every day in the summer. The police clear the street and people line up all around the palace to watch as the guards and soldiers march in with a band and switch their posts. This display lasted a half hour, unlike in D.C. where it takes 5 minutes. It was definitely a grand tradition here, but we felt it was kind of overrated.

It was another freezing day today. I had on 4 layers of shirts, but we stilled couldn't beat the cold. We should have definitely reconsidered those winter jackets. We then headed over to Harrod's, which I discovered isn't pronounced like (Jarod's with an H) it's (Har-rods). I asked a man for directions and he looked at me like I was talking crazy, b/c of the pronunciation. It was a 6 level, 1 million sq. feet department store, that makes Somerset look cheap. They had everything you could imagine in this store and it went on for days, from wedding dresses to an ice cream scooper. We soon discovered that while a great attraction, we weren't really the kind of people that were going to by a Burberry handbag today. They only had high fashion designers and hardly any sales rack. We then took a walk through Hyde park which was nice with the sun basting on a faces, like 34 degrees out and at the end we saw a choir, rollerblading team and horseback riding, a lot going on. We took a pit stop by the pond where we saw a little boy feeding cigarette buds to the ducks, (very strange, I almost corrected him, but I resisted). We walked around Piccadilly Circus, which is like Time Square and Leicester Square, also like restaurant and shop district.

We searched a very long time looking for a PRET. This is a sandwich shop which makes fresh salads and sandwiches every day. I loved it!! We need a healthy and fresh sandwich shop in the U.S. where they make it fresh every day.

Our goal today was to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy our last day in London. We didn't have any major plans, so it was nice to slow it down a bit. I apparently didn't get the memo that I needed to train before coming on this trip. My quads, shins, and hamstrings are extremely tight and our shoulders are sore from carrying a heavy backpack (with someones camera) :) . Also, I ran into a metal seat yesterday waiting for the subway and have a LARGE bump on my thigh. This is what happens when I am holding onto Larry and not paying attention.

I finished up my first memory card today. Good thing I convinced Larry to buy 3. No, I haven't taken 650 pictures in 3 days, but I did have my camera on a setting, unknowingly, that shoots the pictures at a higher quality and takes up more space, so I was only able to get 400 pictures instead. We finished off the day visiting the National Gallery, which houses artwork from various artists such as Van Gough, Monte, and Da Vinci. We truly loved all of the biblical paintings depicting Christ and other scriptural references.

We called it an early night because we had to head back and get all packed up to head to the airport tomorrow via subway. It's weird to think that our trip isn't ending, only heading to our next destination. We enjoyed London. It is a great fashionable city with a great emphasis on history, architecture, and the theater. We are ready for Paris. Bring on the Eiffel Tower. We should be able to see it from our HOTEL. :)

In Paris, we won't have the same luxuries as we have had here. We won't have our own private computer to update as we please. There is a computer in the hotel, so I do hope to be able to access each day. However, if I don't post right away, know that I will try my best to post as soon as possible. I do hope I can keep up the communication. It has been so wonderful to be able to share with you our adventure.

Please Pray:
**We have the strength to carry the luggage to the subway, onto the different trains to the airport.
**We awake in time 5:45am to make our flight and safety while flying :( .
**Please pray that the language would not be a barrier during our stay

We love and miss everyone! We are praying for your health and safety.

Where are all the gas stations?

(This is St. Paul's Cathedral)

So after our 12 hours of sleeping, we awoke fully rested and ready for a whole day of exploration. We have made some grand observations being in London for the day:
1. Everyone is very fashionable
2. There are only crazy expensive cars like, Mercedes-Benz, rolls Royce, etc here, but no gas stations
3.There are no markets around, yet everyone lives in London, because they are riding the subways, even on the weekends
4. History is appreciated- this is truly a historic city, every where you look
5. Amanda can not understand the British people when they start to talk fast, She now has a new appreciation for people who try to understand her. I mean we thought that we would be good in Britain, but when they get going, I got nothing.

Our day began visiting two of the most breathtaking and historical churches in London; Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. Larry loved the Westminster Abbey because of the historical monuments and grandness. My opinion is that it was beautiful, but its also kind of a monument for everyone who was ever royal and politic in England. Amanda loved St. Paul's Cathedral because of the architecture and christian symbolism. We climbed 596 feet to the top and saw the whole city. For dinner, we ate London's famous Fish n' Chips. At night, we went to see a London play, WICKED, which was amazing! It was about the untold story of how the wicked witch and the good witch are friends, and they had the story of the Wizard of Oz all turned around. Amanda went through a whole memory card taking photos for the day, so she is loving her camera very much. It is extremely freezing here but we are learning how to get around on the TUBE (subway) and trying not to stand out like tourists. We can't believe that we have only one more day to join this beautiful country, but we are going to enjoy it.

Our First Day in London

We started off the day by jumping on a double decker bus and riding all over London. This gave me a chance to take lots of pictures and see a preview of what is to come. We both agreed this was our favorite. Then, we went to see the tower of London, pretty cool, historical site, and I got to see the crown jewels. Then, we took a boat cruise back for dinner at a London Pub. We couldn't wait to get back and get some sleep after our short cat naps on the plane ride. We survived day one. Everyone is very friendly and speaks English which has helped. We still can't believe we are here. Tomorrow we are going to see Wicked (broadway play) at night, I'm super pumped. We hope that all is well in MI!

We Have Arrived in London!

Our journey began on the plane last night. As we were stepping onto the plane, larry dropped his boarding pass, which in a rare moment, fell through the crack and onto the landing gate. Fortunately, a airline attendant retrieved it. To sum up our experience on the plane, Great Food, Great movies, lousy sleep. Amanda could not get comfortable for more than 10 mins and Larry got little sleep and watched two movies. But, we arrived safely at 7:30 am this morning and we have a great day planned starting with the Big Ben. I will post another update tonight with our days events.

Lent

So growing up Catholic, I always felt convicted to give up something for the sake of being without something that I really enjoy and I have always been drawn to food, specifically ice cream b/c I am addicted. However, this year I have been really convicted about my addiction to fast food. Now those of you might not know this by looking at me, but I am obsessed with fast food and I probably eat it twice or three times a week. It is the thing that calms me down when I am stressed, on my period, or just hungry. So, I feel like giving this up for 40 days will probably be the hardest thing for me. Another wrench to throw into the mix is that I am going to be traveling to Europe for 10 days and of course I have to eat out. That is the best part of vacation. So, to ensure that I am successful in my fasting I am, going to establish ground rules.

RULES FOR LENT:
#1 Subway does not count (b/c that is healthy to me)
#2 Restaurants (going out to dinner) is not included but if I do go to a restaurant I can't get burgers and fries
#3 While on vacation, cafes and restaurants are fine, but I need to make healthy selections

I'm not trying to take away the going out experience, mainly just the Wendy's and McDonald's, and greasy fries that I am so in love with

So, it may sound like I am scapegoating, but I do hope to cut my addictive ties to this wonderful and delicious food I crave so often.

Wish me luck, Lent starts Wednesday, which truly gives a new name to the phrase FAT TUESDAY TOMORROW :) :)

Anticipation

This past week has been difficulty in many ways.

#1 While I've been going at a energy level of 40-50% over Christmas break, it was difficult to then be functioning at 100%.

#2 The early wake ups and late nights are a killer..for some reason I get really tired around 5-6 but do not nap for fear of not falling asleep at night, but then the tiredness passes and I get my second wind at 9-10 at night.

#3 I have had a nightly activity that has kept me out until 9 every night this week

#4 I sprained my left foot earlier in the week and was forced to hobble around on the only good foot I have left...everyone else thinks I'm being over dramatic, hence no doctor visits

#5 My nephew, Drew, is staying with us all weekend through Tuesday, so I will not be resting, relaxing or any of the sort to refuel.

#6 The weather dramatically altered my lovely hour ride to work to make it 2hrs and 15 minutes HOME one night and a 1hr and 30 minutes to Work the next day...Oh SNOW!

#7 Grocery shopping on a sprained foot for an 1hr.

With all of these so called challenges during the week, I have been broken down. I have found myself wounded up in tears several times over these challenges and anticipation which I will discuss in a minute. I just feel that the transition from nothing to everything was to quick and I was unable to respond. I was unable to cope, so I just resulted in tears that released the stress, emotion, and defeat I was feeling.

But I can't choose to be defeated, I must find strength and energy in my Savior. I need to be filled with the Spirit.

This brings me to my anticipation. During Break, I began to realize that my world is quickly going to change, no I'm not having a baby, but I am taking 2 grad classes on top of working full time. Now I'm a busy person, but this seems like an overwhelming challenge. As I look into the future, I see no rest, no free time, my world will be work, come home read and write papers. I got the information for my first class and I don't even know how I am going to keep up with this first class demand work load, let alone when this other class comes along. But I can't stress, it won't make the situation any better. I can't worry, it won't change what is. So I am forced to wait, wait for the fast shooting bullet that is headed my way and I can't do anything to stop or get it to change direction. That is the worst feeling to see something bad about to happen and not be able to fix it. I feel that is where the additional feelings are really the result of.

So I write this on my last day of freedom, because I do not know when I will be able to come up for air again and breathe, but I will leave reflecting on this:

"Faith is living without scheming. It is obeying God in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences, knowing He is working out His perfect plan in His ways and in His time." Warren W. Wiersbe

I'm along for the ride, I just need to hold on tight and trust

Why do I not accept Grace?

After much thought and reflection, I realized that I am so quick to forget grace, even after I have been given it so much throughout my life. I was so concerned with making things happen for myself and taking control of my life that I was not trusting God. I didn't want to drudge through lowering my pride, admitting failure, and accepting Grace. I realized that I need to TRUST. I need to trust in God and his plan for my life, even if I can not see anything happening. I am choosing to embrace my reality instead of fighting it. All I have been doing is focusing on what I don't have instead of what I do have. This year I want to be intentional about finding joy in my current situation.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

A New Year 2010

This morning I began reflecting over the past year and I began to cry. I started to remember all of the lost hopes, dreams and passions that were never fulfilled in my life. The dream of educating children in my own classroom and the desire to become a mother. I continued to cry as I recalled the endless conversations with friends and family members during this break about my life. I feel that my whole break included trying to convince people that I am grateful and blessed to have the things that I do, when in reality I am depressed and wanting more.

What I know to be true is that my God is fighting for me and has a plan for my life. But my heart is so quick to forget because it feels that God has no plan for me and is going to leave me in this standstill of life forever. How can I trust in a plan that I don't see going anywhere? Has my mind been so clouded with lies that I can even believe truth?

I'm so quick to make things happen for myself because I don't truly believe that God will move me where I want to go. I wonder if this state of hell (Detroit) is in has so much consumed me that I cant see a way out. I can think of countless friends and family that are in a standstill, fearful of loosing jobs, have lost their jobs, or hate their jobs but it's the only alternative. Have I been disillusioned by this sight that I don't believe God can redeem us all? Maybe he wants to condemn us all to learn something, but what does he want me to learn in all of this? Haven't I already learned it?

I just don't know how many more days I can ask God to take these unfulfilled desires away from me and make my heart more like his. I know he hears these prayers, why not take action. I look back at 2009 and most of what I can remember is pain. Now I would be a total cynic if I said all pain, b/c there were a lot of beautiful God directed moments and I am eternally grateful. But I feel my concern is, on the first day of this new year, am I due for a second round of pain or will God save me from my distraught, and deep down I'm not sure how much more I can endure apart from the help of my Savior.

But I will say that in 2010, while I never make New Years resolutions, I desire to pursue TRUTH, Righteousness, PURITY, Grace, COMPASSION and ........JESUS. I will not give up on pursuing God's plan for my life, even he chooses not to reveal it to me. Even while I don't understand and can't see him clearly, God has been too apparent in my life for me not to follow him...

My prayer for 2010 is to TRUST :)