Is it shallow to say that my favorite thing about this Christmas was that I got to sleep until 8:40 am? This is a record. Since Jacob was a baby in Christmas of 2001, I do not think I have slept that late on Christmas, and usually, I’ve gone to bed around 2:30 am and…
Read More
Yesterday, we watched the new Grinch as a family–popcorn and everything. Today, we had such a wonderful Christmas Eve. Lots of rest and fun and tons of food–lamb enchiladas with “Christmas”–red as well as green chile–Jake’s favorite from New Mexico. That, too, was close to a fail, like the cookies, but any spice and Mexican…
Read More
We had such an incredible time breaking free from our wild and woolly life here on the farm in Frascati, and going to the opera in Rome. I discovered that Puccini’s Tosca was playing at the same opera house in which it debuted in 1900. What a thrill! Ron and I got all dressed…
Read MoreOur Advent season is so special this year. The kids are turning a corner and doing well in school. The teachers are saying, “She’s just where we expect her/him to be!” about all our kids, even when they are struggling. Jacob was invited to present on the American Revolution in history and…
Read More
Today is one of the biggest holidays in Italy, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, marking her conception as free from original sin. My way of thinking about this is that she, too, needed to be saved by God in Christ, but He lovingly saved her in her conception, so as…
Read More
When kids are failing school, when the Italians act like they wish you weren’t here, when your car is just rotting in the front yard because it takes more that six months to get a tag and registration, when sometimes you just want to go home, I have to remember some of my favorite things…
Read More