Vacation 2014

Jen and I were able to take another amazing vacation this year!  Now, I am dreaming about those sunny, warm, relaxing days….

Barcelona

We flew into Barcelona with our friend and coworker,Talitha, on a Monday.  And, we walked and walked and walked!!!  One day we walked over 11 miles!  We saw all the sights and more, including, La Sagrada Familia, Guell Park, the packed out beach, Las Ramblas Street and the Christopher Columbus Columbus statue (which points in the wrong direction…by the way).  We visited this really cool market, called La Boqueria, where we got really yummy fruit every morning.  Oh yeah….and we ate lots of yummy gelato…sometimes twice a day!!  Barcelona was very easy to navigate and a fun city to visit!  We all agreed that we wanted to come back here someday!!

Boarding the Ship

On Wednesday morning, we went for our last breakfast at La Boqueria, headed back to the apartment where we stayed and got our luggage.  Jen and I headed were headed to check in onboard the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas and Talitha hung around in Barcelona.  We made plans to meet back up with her later to go to the beach.  She had a late flight and we had one more night docked in Barcelona.  On Thursday, we took it easy onboard since we had already seen all that we wanted to see in Barcelona.

Marseille, France

On Thursday evening, the ship left dock and took us the next day to Marseille, France.  We had about an hour drive into Marseille and saw some very pretty countryside.  In Marseille we visited Palais Longchamp, the Notre Dame Basilica and of course had some yummy crepes right by the water!!

Cinque Terre, Italy

All I can say, is what a beautiful place!!  Absolutely stunning Basically, there are these five villages that  you can't really drive to or throughout.  You have to either take a boat or a train or walk.  The pictures will speak for themselves!!

Ajaccio, Corsica

Next up, the beautiful little island of Corsica.  We visited the charming little seaside town of Ajaccio, which is the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.  We walked around for awhile….saw the sights and found a fun little market and then headed to the beach which was so close.  As a bonus, the water was so clear and beautiful.   It was a very relaxing day!!

At Sea and On Board the Serenade of the Seas

The next day we were at sea.  It was also Day 6 and so another day of relaxing and lazing around the ship was in order…

Valletta, Malta

Another very beautiful island and lovely things to see!  We took a bus tour/walking tour around Valletta and then drove about 30 minutes to Mdina which is kind of like a fortified city.  A brief visit to a jewelry factory and we were back to the dock.  The whole time we were on this cruise, we had a hard time finding places to connect to internet.  So, we decided to splurge a little and get something at Hard Rock Cafe….and then the internet didn't work very well.  Alas…

Sicily, Italy

Oh. My. Goodness.  Here we had the most wonderful cannoli.  So sweet and crispy and creamy….just delicious.  We also visited an active volcano and walked around inside the crater.

Amalfi Coast, Italy

We took a lovely little motor coach (by boat) ride to see the beautiful Amalfi Coast.  We arrived to the little seaside town of Amalfi and had a wonderful time walking around, shopping and of course eating gelato!  I think I had gelato ever place we went, except for Malta, because I wasn't feeling very well.  You really can't go wrong with ice cream!

Last Day on Board

All good things must come to an end….

Rome, Italy

Our final destination….the magical, Rome!  We had a hotel booked for two nights to wind things down.  The hotel was right on the outskirts of town and really hard to find.  Think, two hours on a bus and then walking around a neighborhood trying to find the place.  However, once we found it, we realized it was easy to get in and out of the city.  Once we arrived, we hung out by the pool and found some sandwiches for dinner.  The next morning, we woke up and conquered Rome like none other.  We saw almost all of the main tourist attractions, leaving the Colosseum for our last day because it was going to be free the next day.

This vacation was an amazing experience and I was so blessed to have this time to stop, relax, rejuvenate and reflect on what the Lord has done in my life.

Summer 2014 Recap

Family and Friends Visit

It seems like summer was so long ago….and this should have been written months ago.  June kicked off with what we called the J-Team….the Jenny Team.  My mom Rita, my aunt Suzie and a long time family friend, Linda, came to visit me here in Romania.  We had a lot of fun going to the zoo with the mommies, attending a baptism, visiting the kids, making jam, eating out, visiting Sinaia and spending time with each other.

Baptism

While the J-Team was here, two of our boys from the boy's house and one girl from the Rosiori orphanage, made the decision to follow Jesus for  the rest of their lives and they were baptized!  I'm so proud of you Alex, Bogdan and Isabela!

Summer Time

During the summer, H2H had about 75 short term team members serve with us from May through August.  It was a very full and busy time!!  Our summer theme was the Fruit of the Spirit and Experiencing God.  It was our hope to bring this message to reality with the children and youth.  The younger kids got to attend Day Camp at Pipera for two days and through the stories, games and crafts, the children were able to learn how to develop love, joy, peace, patience, goodness and kindness.  Of course, they also got to swim in our pool those two afternoons, which was the biggest joy for them! I spent a lot of my time in the kitchen preparing meals for the kids.  What was their favorite, you might ask?  Pizza and Shaorma!!  Shaorma is a Romanian fast food that is a wrap filled with chicken, french fries, cabbage, pickles, onions, ketchup, and garlic sauce.  And, boy is it tasty!!

H2H also had two sessions of teen camp, teaching the kids to seek a deeper relationship with God so they can experience more of God.  They got to play larger than life games, such as, Angry Birds, Jenga, Mario Kart, and Plinko.  They had a lot of fun and learned the importance of experiencing God rather than just acting like they know God.

Celebrating Summer Birthdays

Throughout the school year, we have the privilege of helping the kids celebrate their birthdays.  Many of them don't even know that when their birthday is and sometimes even how old they are.  It is so neat to be able to show up with cupcakes and a small present and help them to celebrate their lives!

Ruthie's Big Announcement

Late this summer, Alina, Ruthie's mom, told me that they needed to talk to us about something, but, later….the next day at church as it turned out.  I had a hunch, but, wanted to let them do this their way. After church, we went to the mall and they told us that God was blessing them….

And so, the H2H family is growing with another grand baby!  We absolutely can't wait and are thrilled for Robi and Alina.  Little baby girl will make her appearance sometime in late February/early March!

Ruthie

Ruthie, who I just adore, has just exploded with personality and sass this summer!  She loves all things pink, the movie Frozen, and dancing!  She can't wait to be a big sister….although, her world is about to change as she will not be the center of her parents' universe…nor ours for that matter!  She was around quite a bit this summer, helping and participating in our summer programs.

Looking Ahead

The week of Janaury 18-24, 2015, will be H2H's 20th Anniversary Celebration!  You are welcome to join us for this fun week as all of the H2H missionaries come to California to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness.  All of us will be sharing about the ministries in Romania throughout the week at various luncheons and speaking engagements.  Plans include a Disneyland Day with the H2H family.  Everyone is invited!  The week will conclude with an afternoon of fellowship, with highlights of the past 20 years.

Where Did May Go?

Just the other day, I asked Jen, "Where did May go?"  How can we possibly be on the verge of all of our summertime activities and many, many pool parties?

Right after the Canadian Team left, Jen and I decided to be spontaneous and go somewhere we hadn't been in Romania.  We actually didn't go that far….just about 20 minutes out of Bucharest.  But, we found these really pretty grounds called Mogosaia Palace.  The weather was beautiful and the park there was a gorgeous place to lay in the sun and take a nap, have a picnic and read.

We have really enjoyed going to the Voluntari Orphanage this spring and playing with these little cuties!!

She's a sassy one!!!  And, if she doesn't get her way, she pouts!!

Ruthie loves to go shopping!  After church on Sundays, she ALWAYS asks, "Mall?"  How can you say no to this face??

We had another great group from North Carolina this year!  They loved playing with the kids, going to the zoo and dancing and hanging out with the kids from a very special needs orphanage (one that we only go to a couple of times a year and one where we have some kids that used to be at Peris)!