In San Antonio

We survived!  We actually made the trip in 2 days instead of 3 as I thought we would.  To do that we only completely stopped for about two hours during the night at a rest stop.  Jeff said he wanted to be done with the trip so we just pushed through.  I was happily surprised at how well Jason did.  There was some fussing, but for the most part he just hugged on Pooh bear.

We have enjoyed seeing family down here in San Antonio and loved spending Father's day with them.  We have been spending tons of money shopping down here and Jason has really been enjoying the pool and all the extra attention.  It is great to have built in babysitters that can watch Jason so I can get a much needed haircut without someone fussing to get on my lap.  Jason still loves to be read to and everyone knows what his favorite book here is about Pooh bear and the supersluths.

We are debating on getting a new car as we were able to sell our BMW a week ago (thank God!)  We know that a new car is a want and not a need because Jeff will be getting a company truck and I would be able to drive around our truck.  It is just such a pain to get Jason into and out of his carseat in the pickup and doing simple things like grocery shopping becomes a hassle.  We have been visiting a couple of dealerships in the area and have narrowed down a few cars that we like, but the issues is how Scrooge-like we want to be.

We're Moving...again!

No this isn't deja vu (see We're Moving!!!)  This time we are moving back to the States.  We will be so sad to leave the good friends we have met here! 

Jeff accepted a new job in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico and they want him there by the begining of July.  His last day of work here will be on June 11th and hopefully everything will work out that we can start our long drive south on the 12th.  We are still working on getting through all of the current company's relocation hoops, but hopefully we will be lucky and get it all figured out soon.  We are planning on first going down to San Antonio to try to sell our car that has been living there while we were in Canada.  After we have that acomplished we will head off to T or C to find a place to live.

If you have been following us for a little while you know that I can be a bit of a nervous Nellie about keeping Jason entertained while traveling.  Our 3 day drive to Texas is no change.  I'm trying to sort out the snacks I should bring and if he will be interested in watching a DVD player.  It was so much easier to drive up here with him when he was only 3 months old.  Then he was happy to sit in his chair and sleep most of the way.  Now everything I am reading is saying that you should let the child get up every 2-3 hours, but we are of the mind that you keep driving until you can't drive any more.  I am sure there will be some tears, but we will persevere.

Our Amazing Vacation

Oh my GOSH!!! That was wonderful! We had such an amazing time I don't even know where to start, so I guess the beginning will have to do. Don't worry pictures will be included when we get a chance to sort through them.

San Antonio

We flew down to Texas to drop Jason off and do some last minute shopping before our cruise. Jason was so great on the flights! I was so worried and there was nothing to fear. We were lucky enough to get an extra seat next to us on all 3 flights and everyone was very accommodating. When we got there everyone was so happy to see us. Jason was a little wary of family he had not seen for four months, but eventually got used to them. We got Jeff all suited up with 2 new suits and a sports jacket (they were running a deal.) Before we knew it Rachel and Jeff had to say goodbye! According to all the experts it is best to make sure the child knows you are leaving and will be coming back so we didn't sneak out, but instead gave hugs and kisses and said our goodbyes. I was a little teary-eyed at this point, but held it together. Jason apparently played the rest of the afternoon without a problem.

Rome

24 hours later we were in Rome! We had a bit of difficulties getting from the train station to the bed and breakfast (which side is the "right" side of the train station?) but we made it before it got too dark. The next day was whirlwind! We started with the Vatican museum. For anyone going I highly suggest making reservations online before going as we easily saved ourselves 2 hours of waiting in line. There were so many amazing things to see in there, but my favorite was the tapestries. Something I hadn't realized was that the marble statues were mostly painted when they were new. With time the paint has worn away, but they were very colorful when they were new. After the Sistine Chapel we visited St. Peter's Basilica and it was huge! We took the metro to the Coliseum and the Forum then got lost trying to find the Circus Maximus. By that time it was getting to be evening and we had dinner at an outside cafe and walked to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps before taking the metro back to our hotel. What a full day!

Crystal Serenity

The next morning we got on a train to go to the port city of Civitavecchia. We like to do things the hard way so instead of taking the free shuttle to the ship we decided to walk the whole way. We were welcomed by a Champaign lunch (yippy!) During the whole cruise the service and food were phenomenal! Every meal was excellent and the staff was so happy to help you! When we take another cruise it will be with Crystal! Ok enough sounding like an advertisement.

Sorrento, Italy

On our first day we took a shore excursion to Pompeii. It was amazing how much of this city was preserved. We saw their equivalent of a McDonalds's where the people would get fast food. There were houses with frescos and mosaics. We saw a bath house and even a brothel with a menu. One of the amusing moments on our tour was when the guide was telling us about the body casts we would see in the next area. She said something like the first one is a pregnant lady covering her mouth, then there was a boy, and last you would see a dog. The lady and boy got passed up, but when she talked about a dog the whole group erupted in a sympathetic "awww!" After Pompeii we had a bit of time to stroll around the streets before it was time to go back on the ship.

Sicily, Italy

Our shore excursion here was to go to Mt. Etna, Europe's largest active volcano. I was starting to feel like we were on a volcano themed cruise. After a bus ride to one of the lower areas of Mt. Etna we got out to walk around and into the crater that had once been active. Knowing how much our son loves rocks we brought home a rock formed from the lava. Again we had a little bit of time to walk around and see the town before we hiked down tons of stairs to get to the ship.

Sea Day

We had a day at sea that we tried to fill with activities. At least that was our plan...we slept half of the morning away because we had been up early the past couple of days to catch our shore excursions. When we finally did get up I took a French class while Jeff won a ping pong tournament. We had a wonderful lunch and then I took a "piano class" that was more playing around on the keyboard than class and Jeff listened to a lecturer that he agree with until he was blue in the face. I watched Jeff play paddle tennis and we had some ice cream then we took a tour of the kitchens and started to get ready for our formal night dinner.

Crete, Greece

In Crete we saw the Minoan Palace of Knossos which is known for legends about Labyrinths and the Minotaur. We were disappointed in our guide who skipped much of the palace to avoid the crowds, but luckily Jeff and I noticed and went back to see what we had missed. We saw a huge pot that was thought to have been used for honey storage and we knew Pooh bear would be proud. We saw the original Throne Room with frescos of a Griffin. Before long it was time to head back to the city and our ship.

Kusadasi, Turkey

Besides Rome, Kusadasi was my favorite city. I was shocked at how well the excavations or Ephesus were done. You could really see what made up the city and I really loved seeing the library that was partially reconstructed. There was an amazing theater there that some of our fellow cruisers got to enjoy a concert in. After Ephesus we had lunch at a carpet weaving school. It was nice to sample some of the local cuisine and see the demonstration of how carpets were made, but we could have skipped the sales pitch. This is where looking young and like we didn't have any money helped us out. After that we saw the supposed last house of Mary. After reading information it is only thought to be that because some woman had a vision of this house and described the location very well. We weren't buying it, but it was kind of interesting to say the least. We finished up our excursion in town and were strongly encouraged to go into a shop to buy some jewelry, but Jeff and I slipped out before anyone missed us. We wandered around a bit and made some donations to the local economy. I will say one thing: if you are ever opening a shop you should get some of these people to be your sales associates!

Mykonos, Greece

Finally we had enough history and volcanoes so we spent the morning laying out on the beach. And what a beach it was! Beautiful blue water, warm sand, it was just gorgeous...and cold. We happened to go on a very windy day so sadly Jeff didn't get to splash around in the waves, but we enjoyed the time and even went walking along the water's edge. After we got back to town we wandered around a bit and found ourselves at some windmills. The Minoan Palace may have been called a Labyrinth, but it has nothing on the streets of Mykonos. Jeff wasn't much in the mood for shopping so we headed back to the ship.

Athens, Greece

Before we knew it the cruise was over and we had to go back to the real world where we hailed a taxi and everything wasn't included. We dropped our luggage off at our hotel and then headed off to see the Acropolis. We got a little lost and walked up the hill a couple of times before finding the entrance, but eventually got in. The Parthenon was amazing, huge and in the process of being rebuilt. Maybe we will go back as a family when it is complete. We wandered around the Ancient Agora, which had been the center of town in ancient Greece. When we finished we hiked across town to get to the National Archaeological museum. There was so much to see there and even though we walked through each room eventually we were just skimming because there are only so many statues you can see in one day. When we finished we grabbed a bite to eat and collapsed in our bed.

San Antonio...again

We spent most of the next day flying, but because of the time change we got back to San Antonio around 5pm. I had been pretty good about not breaking down about missing Jason, but the whole flight home I was imagining holding him in my arms and hugging him tight. When we got there he didn't want to let go of Grandma and I broke down at that point. He re-remembered who I was on the car ride home and was happy to spend time with Jeff and I after that. We had a long trip home after missing the flight for Toronto for stupid reasons, but we did make it back safe and sound.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

We are getting ready to leave EARLY tomorrow morning.  We are leaving from Timmins (a town 2 hrs away) at 6 am.  We will probably be leaving our house at 3am, eek!  I hope I am taking enough toys, books and snacks to keep Jason entertained on the plane.  Or maybe God will be watching out for my sanity and he will just sleep (wishful thinking, I know)  I keep thinking I am forgetting something, but I can't think of anything.  We are planning of spending a couple of days in San Antonio before we fly to Rome and spending a day there sightseeing before the cruise leaves.

This is the cruise we are taking: Crystal Cruises Seaways of Antiquity

I am still having a bit of anxiety about leaving Jason.  I am sure his grandparents are going to spoil him and give him lots of love and attention, but I am worried that he will be unhappy the whole time we are gone.  I am also a little concerned that I will be unhappy not having him around.  Maybe Jeff will sit on my lap and let me hug on him and if I get really lucky he might wipe his runny nose on me. :)  My other concern is the flights to San Antonio and keeping our active toddler happy while sitting on the three flights.  My plan so far is to let him run around while we are in the airport and read to him, stuff him with snacks and let him play with toys we brought while we are sitting on the plane.  I hope this all works without too much screaming.  Pray for me!

Lately Jason has been adorable.  He loves to go to the park and explore the world around him.  At first he only squeeled at doggies, but now he is so excited to see any animal.  We are so lucky that he is a great teether and he recently sprouted two new ones and we didn't even know.  He loves playing with rocks so if Granddad wants to move any rocks he will have a little helper.  He is ticklish almost everywhere and picks up on things so fast.  He wants to climb on everything and hates to be ignored.  He is cuddly after he wakes up and loves to be read to.  I love him so much and we have such a great time together!

Take a Hike

This weekend was perfect weather to go out on a walk.  It was cool enough that the mosquitos and black flys hadn't come out yet and warm enough to not freeze.  I think we will only have a few more weeks like this.  So Jeff, Jason and I went out on a walk around a nearby lake.  It was a bit cooler than expected and Jason eventually got tired of sitting in his stroller, but we did have a good time.  To entertain Jason we let him get out and walk a little bit and he would have loved to walk the entire way.  Unfortunatly we wouldn't have gotten around the lake in time for Jeff to go back to work this morning if we took the hike at Jason's pace.

That afternoon I went out for a much needed girls night.  For the first time I left while Jason was still up.  Jeff played with Jason for an hour and had to put him to bed.  I was so worried that there would be massive amounts of tears.  There weren't!  But my momma's boy did miss me because Jeff said that they would read a book about Momma Bear and her little boy and Jason would wander over to the window and look longingly out it  :(  The next morning he must have been excited to see me because he decided to get up at 5:30 when he normally wakes up at 6:30ish.  I didn't need that after a late night with the girls, but I was dying to see my baby so we got up and played a bit while Daddy slept in.

We are starting to get excited about our big trip (10 days!!!) and also more anxious about leaving Jason.  He has gotten much more independent, but I worry that he will be so upset by being left without Mom or Dad.  I also worry that it will be a hard plane ride for our little toddler.  He wants to walk around and explore everything!  We will be taking 3 flights to get down there the first two are about an hour each then the last one is 3.5 hrs.  I really hope he will nap in my arms for the longer flight because he will not be happy being cooped up in one place for that long unless he is sleeping.  Maybe we will get lucky and there will be an extra seat next to us!  I have been reading all the tips I can find about flying with a toddler.  I know to bring plenty of diapers and a change of clothes.  We are bringing books and toys and even a magazine full of doggies (his favorite.)  We will also bring lots and lots of snacks for him.  I am bringing the DVD player since we have it, but he isn't normally interested in watching TV or movies (unless it is a dog food comercial.)  Anything you can think of that we are forgetting?

morning walk

Today Jason is 14 months old and to celebrate we have a fresh video for you. You should probably turn down the volume so you don't hear my annoying baby voice. In the 2 or 3 weeks Jason has been walking he has gotten so much better at it! Now he wanders around the house most of the time and is willing to try walking other places. Yesterday in church he wanted to walk up and down the aisles and got very upset when we had to contain him because he was banging on the windows.

This weekend we were hanging out at home and Jason we playing with his toys. We got tired of pushing him around on his little car so he decided to give Pooh Bear a ride. It was adorable how thoughtful he was.

Our Easter with a Toddler

So as he always does Jason wanted to prove me wrong. Right after I posted my last entry he decided it was high time he walked. It started with a couple of steps to Mommy, but now about half of the time he wants to get somewhere he is walking. He hasn't started running around yet, but we don't know how long we will be safe from that.

Just like his Daddy, Jason loves to be outside. Jeff's first word was outside and when I go out to grill something Jason complains that he has to stay in. Last week we had a few warm days and Jason and I just walked back and forth in the front yard. We are so happy to be having some nice weather lately and love going on walks to enjoy it. Sometimes Jeff even gets home early enough from work to go out with us.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Jeff and I decided at the last minute to take a trip to Niagara Falls since we never know how long we will be in any one place. We packed up and headed out on Thursday evening to arrive Friday morning. We spent Friday walking around the Falls and the surrounding town. Jason loved just watching the water and would have spent the entire day doing that if Mom and Dad would have let him. After a day we felt like we saw everything so we packed up and drove back into the USA. We went shopping in Buffalo, NY for a formal dress for our cruise. After searching all day I finally did find one that worked. Easter morning we went for a swim in the hotel pool since Jason loves playing in the pool. Then we went up to our room to find what the Easter bunny had left us and do an egg hunt. Jason actually did eventually figure out what we were telling him when we asked him to find the eggs. And he really loved the animal crackers hidden inside. Then we left for our long drive home.

In his Easter basket Jason had a stuffed bunny that he loves. In fact Jason is a fan of anything cuddly. He loves blankets, stuffed animals and doggies. We visited a friend with a dog and Jason fell in love. Now any time he sees a dog while we are walking or in a comercial he squeels. He also loves being read to. He will pick up a book and grunt at you until you come over and read it to him. We are so lucky to have such a sweet little boy!