A Letter Home...

Hello belovd ones!

We are finally on the cruise ship and we had a marvelous day in Rome investigating all sorts of marvelous sites.  The colleseum was absolutely incredible and we had fun roaming the streets and eating spaghetti and pizza of course!  

We had a bit of a rough start - our second flight was delayed causing us to take an extra flight to Frankfurt and then to Rome so we missed a day in Rome.  








there were a total of four flights with some delays...
27 hours of travel so we tried to find places to rest which isn't always easy in airports! 

Then our baggage was lost so that was a little awkward...  we didn't have time to go to the Vatican because we had to do some shopping for essentials.  (here we are at the Kelowna airport innocently handing our luggage over not knowing it would go on a holiday without us...)

Daniel got some groovy leather shoes in Rome =)  He was pleased with his new purchases. 

One bag finally joined us and Patrice was thrilled to have her clothing which she kindly shared with the rest of us.  Nicole used her skirt, Daniel got a t-shirt an I got a blouse and cardigen out of her bag.  So handy that she has such a  versatile wardrobe! 
A few things haven't been so easy as a result but we are a bunch of troopers and have carried on enjoying the sights the adventure. 

The ship is huge and our room is the BEST!  We awoke to the ocean and watched the ship pull in to a port in Palermo  - Sicily I believe.  We wandered the streets which were just so fun - lots of patios with flowers and laundry hanging everywhere and cars cars cars parked everywhere and zooming around crazily.  We did more shopping as this is the last day I have to get clothes with my insurance.  I have 3 shirts.. I'll just keep washing my one pair of jeans - haha. 

Tomorrow we hit Rhodes which is supposed to be lovely - the scenery is just so beautiful.  The very blue water, the little stone houses dotting the hillsides, the pastoral scenes around Rome.  Ahhhh.   I love it.

Please pray for the miraculous return of our luggage - had so much stuff for the missionary in Turkey that is lost in Frankfurt or Toronto or Calgary or Rome!  or????  who knows where it went on holidays without us?!  But God is taking good care of us and we are incredibly well fed.  Patrice just took me on a tour of the ship and we stopped for some frozen yoghurt.  We saw Daniel and Nicole at the pool and they were enjoying the hot tub together.  (thankfully Patrice had an extra bathing suit for Nicole )  Patrice is a most amazing packer! 

Sending love to you all - wish I could share some pictures but internet access is ridiculously expensive.  I will try to check my e-mails later on in the trip.
Blessings Blessings to you all!!  We are thinking of you when we are not eating.  (Daniel had a fish entre yesterday and when he discovered he could order more food he followed that up with a huge prime rib steak and baked potato.  At the pool we caught him eating a "wonder dog" ha!  So nice to see him eating to his hearts content.  Nicole is a delight - she's just excited to be out and about and all the kids have been so very kind to me and helpful = pushing me over cobblestones and making sure I don't get run over! 

That's all for now folks.  I am super duper glad I have a room with a little balcony so when I'm laying on my bed resting I can look out and see the ocean go by.  It's just beyond words.  A dream come true.

love karen & kids!
[ps.  please continue to pray for our protection and health.  and those bags would be really awesome to find.  all my favorite clothes was in there that took me years to find cause i don't like shopping much.  plus my toilet, backrest and a ton of other stuff. 
God is always good!! Amen and hallelujah


 pizza in our guest house the night we arrived.  tasted DELICIOUS as it should in Italy!!

oha funny thing - the cruise ship will provide us with formal wear  - fancy dresses to wear to the dinners.  Fat chance i'll be slithering my sausage into one of those.  oh and another funny thing.  daniel told patrice to pack his suit and dress shirts because she had a normal suitcase so he's got dress clothes! 

anticipation - i'm almost gone!

the word "ROME" has been gliding off my lips with great joy quite regularly these last days.   i can hardly believe i'm saying that and am actually going to be on those ancient streets where Paul preached...

the anticipation mounts and the busy little details of preparation have kept me in a state of high alert - all systems are on go!
so much to do - so much is done!
saw my students this morning, taught them did assessments and e-mailed my reports in.
Oh the success and delight of a well taught student!  How I love those hard little workers and love sharing those jelly beans and fuzzy peaches to celebrate the little successes and the big ones.

so now i'm tucked in bed with ladybug whose been doing a nervous dance around me all evening.
she just knows somethings up and is pressed up against my back.

i know i should be sleeping but am having a hard time winding down.
i'm medicated though so i guess it just means shutting off the lights,
putting on my sermon and letting God carry me away.

lovely prayers have been prayed over me
i rest in His care
daring to ask for favor with seating and ease of travel and entry.
I'm His girl - His favored one because of Jesus
In HIM I LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE MY BEING AND GO TO ROME
IN HIM!!
Great way to travel.
Ciao

The adventures will be told as there is access.
For now I must sleep as the morning is coming quickly.

YEEHAW!!  YIIIIIIPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
A cruise with my kids oh happy day.

Preparation

The long awaited and dreamed of trip is one week away.
I am taking the kids to the Mediterranean on a cruise for REAL!!

Tickets have been purchased and are on my desk.
Online Check-in done,
Luggage tags have arrived
Tours have been booked in Rome and Ephesus
Plans have been made to meet my friend in Istanbul
Treasures have been collected for her.

Oh my -  it is coming, it is coming, it is really happening!!!
A big black duffle bag sits on my bedroom floor overflowing with STUFF
And my heart is starting to overflow with eagerness and excitement.

I haven't even packed my clothes yet but we'll make room.
Some of the treasures for my friend will be distributed amongst the kids suitcases so we all share the load.

Today I purchased the little money pouch for our day trips.
Reading stories about the pickpockets in Athens and Rome convinced me that this was a good move.
I'm researching our different ports of call to become familiar with the history and to see what is most important and possible to go and investigate!

Oh I'm grateful for this opportunity to have an adventure and so much time with my precious kids.
Praying for divine appointments and the ability to see God, to enjoy His amazing creation, to carry His sweet presence wherever we go and to experience Him in new places.
Also praying for protection and physical strength to manage the traveling and the cobblestones which are a very big part of many of the places we will be going.

Oh, the dog and i  slept like two big babies last night.
No valium required.
We were both so exhausted and I believe her "problem" has been "rectified".

Co-dependent?

One of my friends at book club tonight told me that Ladybug and I are co-dependent.
Maybe we are.

The last couple of nights have surely shown me that if she doesn't sleep well, I don't either.
She's been looking backwards again at her hindquarters which made me think that perhaps she was suffering from the same malady that she had last summer.
Something to do with glands.  Details are unnecessary and unpleasant.
Plus she was up and down in the night - jumping on and off the bed and generally very restless. Making me... sleepless.
So I operated on her yesterday, hoping for a quiet night.
It was not to be.

By two o'clock in the morning she was keeping me up again so I took her outside - (where it was quite cold I might say)  came back in and broke a valium in two - giving half to her and half to myself.
Desperate times...
By five thirty the fiasco had started up again - on and off the bed, jumping back up and sitting almost on top of me.  I knew she was not doing well.
SO.
Mercy prevailed.
I got up again, operated on her backside, then sat outside in the cold with her (wearing only my little pajamas) while she did her business.

I administered another half a tablet of valium to her upon our return to bed, determined that I should get two more hours of sleep before I had to go to school.
So tired.
I slept in and she was sprawled out on me in a deep and lovely sleep when I realized I was late for work.

I ended up taking her to the vet today to make sure that I wasn't missing something.
I had apparently done a pretty effective job but it wasn't quite finished.

We are both tucked into bed with hopes for a better night.

I have a jar of peanut butter by my bedside in case there is a need to medicate Ladybug because I am going to sleep tonight.

days of may

colors
warmth
light
hope
laughter
joy

choices

so much beauty
intoxicating garden aromas
early birdsongs

focus

the WORD

living in the moment
and overcoming

gratefulness.

Normal

My head is easing back into shape again.
Not so many pieces sticking out and hurting me.
I'm still wondering if the party was really a success.
But the reports are positive and I'm happy whenever I hear that people loved the music and the backyard visits and the fun outfits.

So I'm back to teaching without the party sitting so largely in my head.
Spending time outside.
Planting a little flowering ground cover the dear daughter in law gave me.
Admiring the tulips and flowering spring plants that are bursting into life and color.
Making healthy smoothies.

But now something else is growing a little bigger in my head.
I was just e-mailing Rome and Ephesus tonight about tours.

Just imagine - I really wrote that and I'm really going to those amazing places!!