Jordan turns 5!

 Today my sweet Jordan turns 5!  Where does the time go?!  Things that I love about Jordan:  he's courageous, yet he's also delicate at times.  He's very, very sensitive, which makes him sensitive to the Spirit too.  He's a knight in shining armour and loves cavalry.  I hope that he continues to love such good principles when he's older too, and will one day treat his wife well.  Jordan likes to make others happy, and is a good friend to play with.  He also has a fiery temper that explodes, and then dies quickly.  Paolo says it's the Irish in him.  I think it's the Italian in him. :)

I can say for sure that Jordan is a HUGE blessing in our family.  I'm so grateful that God gave me this little one!  He's such a courageous, sensitive soul and has so many talents.  I also firmly believe that God has a plan for each of us, knows us, and watches over us.  This kid has such good potential.  I hope to help him blow on that potential and to be able to do some good in life.  I love you Jordan with all my heart!  You're one of my greatest treasures.

 I made a cape for a friend who is doing his birthday party with us.  From the extra fabric all laid out I was able to make a second smaller cape.  When I showed it to Jordan he thought it looked like Batman's cape and asked if he could have it.  So I sewed on some ears and he got it for his birthday this morning.

 Last weekend there was a car show driving through Bologna and it stopped in front of the baseball field by our house.  With a stroke of luck, the baseball association decided to make the game that night free.  So we enjoyed some cherries, a ball game, and some cool old cars that are driving through a good part of Italy!

                                      

I've recently taken a costume making class on craftsy.com called The Costume Box.  It is the absolutely funnest, best class I've ever taken!!!  It's perfect for anyone.  You don't have to be a sewer (although to make the capes, you'll have to sew), you don't have to even consider yourself very craftsy (this would be me) in order to learn how to make costumes for kids.  I've had fun making princess tiaras, and capes, and crowns.  I can't wait to make more things for my kids.  I also think the price is totally reasonable too.  I think it's around $15.

Mother's Day 2014

 Motherhood is God's greatest (and hardest) gift He's given to women.  But I wouldn't trade it for all the world!  My life is filled with things that are hard, wonderful, exasperating, thrilling, shocking, precious, tiring, straining to the limits, and fill me up to the brim with joy.  Sometimes all felt within seconds, and sometimes I get to be stuck in one of those emotions for a while.  But what we work hardest for we prize most.

So today I get to celebrate hard work, gut wrenching love that keeps me going, and knowing that I'm not alone in a very sacred calling to raise these little ones.  One because I have a wonderful husband who is a good father, and two because I have a Heavenly Father and a Savior who never, ever leave me alone in this mess  great work that I get to do.  Sometimes I get moments of peaceful reassurance, and sometimes I get to sweat it out.  But I am and we are never alone in this.  What I do, and what I say, and who I am DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE because I am a mother!

So wether it's hand holding goodness, slobbery kisses, spilled milk, crying through the night for the 6th year running, my son saying to my husband: "you sure picked a beautiful mommy"  "hai scelto una bella mamma!", or the mud-slinging part of motherhood, I'm grateful for it all!

wanting a pet

 Last week Aaron was off of school for a couple of days while the other two had school.  I took advantage to go see some friends with Aaron.  They have a rabbit, and Aaron loved the rabbit.

While visiting with our friends they asked me if the kids have ever asked for a pet.  Not really, and I felt myself kind of fortunate.  Famous last words!

On the bus ride home I asked Aaron what his favorite part of the day had been, and he told me that holding the rabbit was his favorite part (first even before eating gelato- ice cream!).  He then promptly asked me if we could get a rabbit.  He's asked several times since then if we can get a rabbit.  Not too long ago we had considered getting an animal for the kids.  After a  trip to the pet store we decided to wait and hold off for now.  A rabbit would have been one of our first choices for a pet.  Since we're only a little over a month out from our trip home for two months it's not even thinkable at this point!  So here's to dreaming about one day having a rabbit....

Parmigiano Reggiano

 When people ask me what I love about living in Italy, it's usually food related.  And right next to gelato and pizza and lasagna and tortellini, is this magnificent stuff called parmigiano.  That's Italian for parmesan cheese.  To all my American friends and family, NO! it's the same grated dry junk that you can buy in the store.  That stuff is not only FAKE, it's an abomination to the word cheese.

Parmesan (parmigiano) is an aged cheese.  It's aged 12-36 months.  The older it is, the stronger the taste, and the better it is.  There's a very elaborate process of how to prepare the milk, cook it, form it with a net thing (if a worker from the factory read my explanation not only would they grimace, but they might shoot me too), and ..... after lots of hard work and turning, and working, this miracle of goodness comes out!

 These specialized factories had an open house where you could take a free tour, and even better get to try free samples at the end!  We went to a place called Sant'Angelo which is the place closest to us.

 There was an earthquake not too far from Bologna about a year ago.  This place was hit hard and almost the whole ware house was a total loss.

 This is the beginning process of starting to form the shape and parmesan.

 That poor bloke's job is to turn those 45 kg masses over so that they can shape correctly.  That's 100 lbs... and they make at least 40 of those a day!

 So here's their new warehouse with quake proof scaffolding.  Totally amazing!

parmigiano part 2

 My kids' favorite part of the trip were the cows, the free cheese, and the little carneval near by where they could play.  This cow here kept mooing loudly at us.  Apparently it bothered Isabel because she kept yelling at the cow to stop her mooing:

"badda muu-a!"

"top cow!"

Aaron's selfie by the cows

 they also loved the big tractors...

 and the buggy ride, being pulled by the pony...

 and a little hand-holding can go a long way to make your day fun. :)

Thank you Aaron for snapping an ok photo of me. I owe you one!

Easter Sunday 2014

 For Easter Sunday we went to church in Ferrara and then stopped to see the Po River.

 We had lots of fun finding great sticks, and having sword fights with Dad.

You better watch out for this little one!  She's our wild card.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all of you out there!  I've been thinking about my Savior lately, and loved this little video.

I'm grateful to know that I'm not alone in the world.  I'm not alone because my Savior felt all of my pains, trials, feelings, sins, heartaches (and yours).  And because He took upon himself all of those, He CAN make things all better.  This life is meant to be a test, and so those wrongs and pains aren't made right, right away, but they WILL be made right.  I believe in that.  I believe in the power of love, and the power of forgiveness.  And even more than that, I'm grateful to the marrow of my bones each time that forgiveness is extended to me.  There is meaning and purpose in life, and on good and on hard days, I'm very, very grateful for that.