What more can I say? WE love our Texas Longhorns! (hook 'em horns)

Jan. 2, 2009

Leo's new tooth diet

Apparantly Leo doesn't like the food I feed him!

This morning while eating breakfast, Leo said, "Mom, remember my loose tooth, well it is standing like

my other teeth, it's no longer loose!"

What??

So I asked Leo to show me teeth.

"Leo, where is your tooth?" I asked him

"I don't know, I think I ate it!" He calmly tells me.

I repeat, calmly tells me like it's no big deal!

What is this child thinking??

Does he not realize the tooth fairy leaves the teeth for me to save for their baby books?

Of all my children, he will be the only one who

doesn't have his first tooth saved in his baby book!

So, we go to the bathroom so I can show him his "missing" teeth.

"Wow, I only have 18 teeth now...I must've ate my other tooth.

How much money do you think the tooth fairy

will give me tonight?" ( he received $5.00 last night for his 1st tooth).

"I don't know Leo, we have to wait and find out.' I told him.

I guess you can say Leo is on a tooth diet!!

That makes 2 teeth I have to "watch out" for!

Never a dull moment with Leo! Hopefully he will remember NOT to eat his 3rd tooth.

I would like to save at least one for his baby bookl! (just one would be nice)

Jan. 1, 2009

New Years Day

Happy New Year to all our friends and family from around the world!

Leo ended 2008 with 20 teeth and started 2009 with only 19 teeth!

Yes, Leo lost his first tooth today!

Now to make a phone a call to the tooth fairy.

He has another loose tooth

which I am sure he will lose

in the next few days.

He came to me and said, "Look mom, my tooth is out!"

So, Tia Emma, Nana, Yvette, Mark and I

did a frantic search for the tooth.

We search high and low, shook out his clothes and

couldn't find the tooth.

Well, a few minutes later, Leo comes up to me and says,

"Oh yea, I know where it is!"

"Where", I asked.

"I was eating potato chips and felt something crunchy

so it must be my tooth I ate."

So, I am sure the tooth will evantually pass out of the system soon.

We spent the day visiting family members we haven't seen

in several years and cousins met each other for the first time!

Did I mention how much we enjoy being back in Texas!!

A big congratulations to Mark's cousin, Yvette

for earning

her BA in Education!

She graduated with honors!!

We are very proud of you!!

I also made Caprese salad (American style).

Last night we were at HEB Plus store and found fresh Mozz. cheese. We were thrilled!

WE love fresh mozz,. cheese.

So, I got creative, after all, I have been craving caprese salad

since we left Naples.

So, here is my homemade receipe for American style caprese salad.

Step 1: You need basil olive oil (dipping), fresh mozzeralla cheese-the balls emerged in water, cherry tomatoes and basil.

Fresh basil is best, but as you can see I used chopped basil leaves.

Step 2: Slice the tomatoes and cheese into bit size pieces,

drizzle olive oil on top and then sprinkle basil leaves.

Step 3: Enjoy!! Mamma Mia it's good!!

It's not what you would get if you ordered this in Italy,

but it's the next best thing! MMM, good!!

Dec. 31, 2008

Retirement doesn't last too long...

It has come to my attention I forgot to mention Mark's new job. I want to thank my dear friend, Ruby, for reminding me....

This is my opportunity to give God the praise he deserves!!

This is an answered prayer and totally God's work!

A few months ago, when Mark put in his retirement papers, he started applying to a lot government jobs for various places. We were not "picky" where the job was located, as long as it was a job.

Well he applied to his "dream job", a job in San Antonio-his hometown-starting as a GS 13. This would be the best job, an answered prayer, Mark said. Well, the other jobs closed and Mark kept receiving emails saying he wasn't qualified enough, or that they had hired someone within the office, etc. About a week before we were to pack out, he receives this phone call for a phone interview for the job in San Antonio!! We were so excited but didn't want to get our hopes high. After all, this is the job he wanted, the place he wanted and we didn't want to be let down just in case he didn't get the job.

About a few days later, exactly the night before our HHG packout, Mark receives a call back from the interviewer asking if he is still interested in the job. Of course, he said yes!! Yes, we give God all the praise, for he had everything taken care of even before we knew the results.

Now what we don't understand (God's work) is that this is the only job that called him for an interview!!

So, to fast forward to November 7-Retirement ceremony. As of November 7, Mark officially went on house hunting leave until December 21. As of December 22, he went on Terminal leave which was also his first day work for his new GS 13 job!!! He will be on terminal leave until Feb. 28, which is his official retirement date from the Navy.

So, what is better than getting paid while on active leave and getting paid and also getting paid for your new GS 13 position job! Can't complain!

So exactly what does retirement mean?? Whatever it means, all I can say is we are enjoying "retirement" life!

Praise God a million times and a million times over!

Dec. 31, 2008

updates, updates and more updates

Wow, where do I start! So many things have happened in the past couple months, I don't know where to start.

So, sit back and enjoy the updates!

First of all, we packed up and left Italy, this place we've called home for the past 21 months.

We no longer have to check expiration dates on milk cartons; and the best part, we now buy milk by the gallon. No more running to the NEX or commissary at the last minute.

Mark had his retirement cermony....with 20 years of dedicated service to the Navy. I am so proud of you Mark!!

It was a beautiful ceremony..I am grateful for our friends who came out to support us during this time.

We toasted to a new future and celebrated good times with friends...I'm gonna miss you guys!

...

All packed up and ready to go...heading to Rome to catch our flight.

One last look at Italian Malls

While in Rome, we enjoyed our favorite Italian foods....gelato-Italian version of ice-cream and Caprese salad (my mouth is watering just looking at the pictures). I will fly to Italy in a heartbeat just to have caprese salad. The gelato is awesome!! MMM!!

And we're off......We flew out of Rome on November 10, at 1030 to embark on our 10 hour flight to Washington D.C. It was a long day since we had to be at the airport 3 hours prior. It literally took almost 3 hours to get through customs, security, etc.

Here are the kids at the hotel lobby-(in Rome) waiting for our airport shuttle.

We decided to keep Jaguar up front with us. He did great-only meowed upon take off; but then ended up sleeping the rest of the flight. Aundrea and Leo did wonderful. I am sure the older boys did great-they were in the waaayyyy back. Mark paid for an upgrade (bigger seats, more leg room) for Aundrea, Leo and I since we had all the carry-ons and Jaguar.

Once we made it to Washington D.C., we had just shy of a 3 hour lay over; but we needed every bit of those 3 hours just to get through customs, security points, etc. We did have about 30 minutes of free time to grab a bit to eat and to make phone calls to family. Our flight from Washington D.C. to San Antonio seems quick, but not quick enough, compaired to our long 10 hour fight prior.

After a long day, we finally arrived in San Antonio around 9:00pm and after going to our favorite TexMex restaurant, Taco Cabana, for a snack, we ended up going back to room where we all passed out around 10:30pm, San Antonio time (0530 Naples time). Unlike our first days in Italy where all of us suffered from extreme jet lag, this time around none of us experienced jet lag. Thank goodness since there was no time for jet lag.

Although we enjoyed our time traveling and living in Europe, nothing beats being home with family! Speaking of family, here is our first full day in the states. Yip, you guess it, we went to Sonic-our favorite fast food place. It's amazing how much we've missed good ole' American fast food when it's not available so ..because of this, I know I have gained at least 10pounds since our arrival back to the states....compliments of Sonic, Mcdonalds and other fast food restaurants!

103_1588

No time for rest since we had a lot of work to do on our rental house. We spent the next month laying tile, repainting the walls, and other jobs that needed to be done to the house before we could rent it out.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....And the finished product..

While not working on our rental house, we unpacked and settled into our apartment. Our HHG arrived 3 weeks ahead of schedule! Horray but our "express" ended up being 3 weeks late! Oh the joys of moving! Yes, our apartment looked like this for about a week and for those who know me, yes it drove me nuts to see my apartment like this; but I got over it. We thought we would be "smart" and put our hardware in the express packout since the express pack out was supposed to arrive much earlier than our HHG. Well, hence the opposite.

In the middle of working on our rental house, unpacking and settling into our apartment, we found time to celebrate the holidays. We spent Thanksgiving-the first time in 7 years-with Mark's family. It was the first year I didn't have to stress over the Thanksgiving meal.

I've got the best Mother in law!!

And, no Christmas is complete without the annual visit to Santa!

Dear Santa, I want a Megatron Transformer!

Love, Leo

P.S. My big brother, Garrett, would like a XBox 360

We celebrated Christmas with my parents.....the first since 2001.

Picture below is my mom ( left) me in the middle and Linda (my SIL).

Papa and Aundrea

Papa's girls

All the grandkids!!!

Where's Jaguar??? He is hiding in his favorite place!!

We celebrated Christmas with Mark's family.

And a visit to the Alamo and Riverwalk.

To top off the year, a visit from my best friend!! We have been friends since 1995-1996 but yet haven't seen each other in almost 17 years. I was thrilled to see her again!! She was passing through San Antonio on her way to Mississippi, where she will be living. Did I mention how happy I was to reunite with her again!!

Here we are with our husbands....

The kids (her 3 children plus my 3 children)

This should bring y'all up to speed with the Rodriguez family updates! My prayer to each of you is that 2008 be even better than 2009! May God continue to bless each of you!!

Cheryl Moeller Productions

Dec. 29, 2008

Homeschool Mom's 2009 New Year's Resolutions!

I came across this today-just in time for the New Years!!

Enjoy!! I was laughing so hard because I can relate to most of these!!

Comic Look at a Homeschool Mom's 2009 New Year's Resolutions (and what they
actually might look like one month later)
By Cheryl A. Moeller

January 1st: "We will have physical education every single day in 2009, for at least one hour."

February 1st: "We will buy a DVD of the 2008 Olympics and watch it for 30 minutes a day."

January 1st: “I will get my kids the pet (for a homeschool mascot) they’'ve always wanted.”

February 1st: “I will buy a collar and a leash for our Chia Pet.”

January 1st: "I will take my children on a homeschool field trip to a museum once a month."

February 1st: "I will show my kids where I ate super chili dogs in highschool.”

January 1st: "I will feature a Van Gogh each month on our coffee table for homeschool art appreciation."

February 1st: "I will fill up our Van at The Stop and Go.”

January 1st: "We will not only wash, but also dry all our dirty dishes, immediately after each meal."

February 1! st: "We will train our cat to dry dishes, the dog already washes them.

January 1st: "I will learn to sleep standing up.

February 1st: "I won't fall asleep behind the wheel."

January 1st: "I will find at least one pair of matching socks."

February 1st: "Finding one pair of matching socks is ally identical to being hit with a meteor while vacationing in Florida."

January 1st: "I will use only one email address."

February 1st: "I will go from eight to seven email addresses."

January 1st: I will make a time for my own personal reading each day in 2009.

February 1st: I will read the back of grocery store receipts to see if I have earned enough points to get for free, the featured Teflon cookware.

January 1st: “My children and I will learn Modern Hebrew this year in our homeschool.”

February 1st: My children and I will weekly eat one dozen bagels with lox.”

January 1st: “I will make only home-made yogurt from only organic ingredients.”

February 1st: “I will allow my children only two Gogurts in their mouth at a time.”

January 1st: "We will never eat food in the car on our homeschool field trips in 2009."

February 1st: "We will quit using our gas grill in the car."

by Cheryl Moeller, homeschool mom of 6. Cheryl's books include Lexi's Homeschool Diary, Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook, and Homeschool Your Preschooler On a $1 a Day.

Nov. 2, 2008

Winners and Losers

I am proud to announce

Leo's team finally won a soccer game!!

The score was 4-2.

Go Dragons!!!

Now, I am sad to announce

Texas Tech Raiders broke

Texas Longhorn's winning streak!

We lost our first game of the season.

Score was 39-33.

It was close game

even up to the last minute!

But, at least we lost

to another Texas team!

We will see what next week brings us.

Oct. 31, 2008

week in review, counting down days and UT is still # 1

Here are a few highlights from our busy week......

We voted for our next President.

My kids found ways to entertain themselves. Why spend money on toys when plastic bags are free! I noticed the "Be Responsible" on his "shirt" and yet, he is playing with bags...

check out the shoes!!

We had football and soccer games. (garrett is # 12 in the black shorts)

Guard your flags, here comes Garrett.....

We also had soccer games. Leo loved playing goalie and I might add, he blocked everyball from going in.

We celebrated Halloween....Our halloween started out with a quad pot luck. This was a great way to make sure the little gobblins ate something healthy before collecting gobs of candy.

As for my kids, Garrett went as the Grim Reaper; Aundrea was a princess and Leo was Freddy Kruger. One this is for certain, we are going to miss our friends from the quad.

The evening was not complete without Leo and his girlfriend saying good night.......note the hand-holding.

As of today, this leaves us with only 10 days left in Italy.

And, I'm proud to announce Texas is still # 1

Bowl Champ. Series

Sun Oct 26, 2008

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn St.
4. Oklahoma
5. USC
6. Georgia
7. Texas Tech
8. Florida
9. Oklahoma St.
10. Utah

Oct. 19, 2008

Texas unanimous No. 1

What more can I say? WE love our Texas Longhorns! (hook 'em horns)

Longhorns landslide: Texas unanimous No. 1

By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP College Football Writer 10 hours, 26 minutes ago

Texas, coming off a runaway victory against Missouri, was a unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 released Sunday.

The Longhorns received all 65 first-place votes from the media panel, the first team to do that in the regular season since Ohio State during the last four weeks of the 2006 season.

Last week, Texas had 39 first-place votes and Alabama received 26.

But Texas jumped out to a 35-point, first-half lead on its way to a 56-31 rout of Missouri on Saturday night, and the Crimson Tide hung on to beat Mississippi 24-21. The voters rewarded the Longhorns for their dominance and Alabama remained No. 2.

Texas had grabbed the No. 1 ranking a week earlier with a 45-35 victory against previously top-ranked Oklahoma.

“We told them that everybody questioned if they could win two weeks in a row,” Texas coach Mack Brown said after the Missouri game. “I’m really proud of the way they responded and now we have to do it again next week.”

Last weekend was a good one for most highly ranked teams as only one top-10 team lost. The rankings reflected the results. The top six remained the same.

Penn State is No. 3, followed by Oklahoma, Florida and Southern California.

Big 12 rivals Oklahoma State and Texas Tech swapped spots. The Cowboys moved up to No. 7, heading into their big game against the Longhorns. The Red Raiders dropped to eighth.

Georgia moved up one spot to No. 9 and No. 10 Ohio State is back in the top 10 for the first time since its lopsided loss to USC in September. The Buckeyes beat Michigan State 45-7 to set up a Big Ten showdown with Penn State in Columbus on Saturday.

Texas, Alabama and Penn State were also the top three teams in the first BCS standings released Sunday.

BYU was the lone top-10 team to lose, falling 32-7 on Thursday night at TCU. The previously unbeaten Cougars dropped nine spots to No. 18. TCU jumped back into the poll for the second time this season, all the way to No. 15.

LSU was No. 11, followed by unbeaten Utah, Boise State, South Florida. Missouri dropped five spots to No. 16 after its second consecutive loss. Pittsburgh is No. 17, followed by BYU, Kansas and Ball State.

There was a serious shake up at the bottom of the rankings, with five new teams moving into the final five spots.

No. 21 Georgia Tech is ranked for the first time since early last season. No. 22 Tulsa (7-0) is ranked for the first time since 1991. The Golden Hurricane’s move into the Top 25 means Tulsa, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are all ranked for the first time in 63 years.

On Nov. 12, 1945, Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) was No. 8, Oklahoma (5-3) was tied for 14th and Tulsa (4-2) was No. 19.

No. 23 is Boston College. No. 24 Florida State moved back into the rankings for the second time this season and No. 25 Minnesota is in the AP poll for the first time since Oct. 9, 2005.

Dropping out were three Atlantic Coast Conference teams—Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and North Carolina—along with Vanderbilt, Michigan State and California.

Oct. 18, 2008

Time for kickoff (soccer and football)

Saturday was a long day....the day started with opening ceremonies then it was off to watch football! Garrett had two games on Saturday .

garrett in football lineup

Garrett is the one hiking the ball....

In between Garrett's games, Leo had his first game. As you can see, he is quite the soccer player. In the picture on the left, coach told Leo to block the ball, so he is.

Oct. 15, 2008

Great advice

I know this is for the office, but it is great advice to follow everyday!

    Stop what you are doing right now, and give God some Praise for what He's already done!   If you don't, I'm Praising Him for ya!

    []
    O - Oh Lord, help me not to cuss anybody out today
    F - Freeze my tongue, if somebody gets in my way
    F - Fill me with Your grace, so that I might stay cool
    I - I'm trying to do right, but I ain't nobody's fool
    C - Cause me to humble myself, before I get fired
    E - Even a saint like me sometimes gets tired

    P - Praise your name, because You've saved me, many times before
    R - Rise up in me before I get in the door
    A - All Mighty One, You know I need you close
    I - Inspire me to be kind, if not to all, to most
    S - Show me how to be an example of Your love, not hate
    E - Even me Lord, I hope it's not too late

    'Today I ask God to meet me at the office door, and sit with me
all day'

Oct. 14, 2008

26 days and counting.......

In just a mere 26 days, we will finally be back in the good ole USA. Back to normal driving, back to drivers who actually obey stop signs and will yield to you, back to drivers who do not drive in their own world or tunnel vision- back to drivers who actually use seat buckles and actually buckle their children in the car seats. Back to where everyone can speak your language, back to where things get done in a timely manner and you don't here the word "domonity" (tomorrow, except tomorrow never seems to come).

We are down to loaner furniture thanks to Navy housing and loaner items (kitchen) coursity of Fleet and Family center. It's enough to get by. Except for a few boxes here and there, our house is virtually empty. We had our HHG pack out last Thursday and Friday. We have our express shipment in a few days. Our van will be shipped out our last week here in Italy; we still need it to take the boys to their games. Furthermore, it is cheaper to rent a car in the states than it is to rent a car here in Italy.

Last week was a busy week, to say the least. We did get some exciting news!! About a week ago, Mark had his first job interview-a job in San Antonio. Well, Wednesday night, as we were trying to get things ready for the pack out, Mark received a phone call saying he was hired!! What a blessing to get a job in San Antonio! We are ecstatic!! When does he start you wonder? Well, how does December 1 sound?

The kids are thrilled to be coming home. Last Wednesday while we were separating our items to be packed from the items we want with us on the place, I told Leo to pack his suitcase. So, he takes his suitcase in his room, grabs all the clothes from his closet and crams it all in his suitcase, zips it up and yells, “I’m done and ready to go. Now, let's get on the plane!" Later, I took inventory of what he packed. He packed all his shirts, no underwear, no shorts/ pants, no socks and no PJs. Needless to say, I had to repack his suitcase. I asked him why he only packed shirts and he said in his matter of fact voice, "Well, mom, we can always to Wal-Mart!" Yes, he's right! Stores that are open for 24 hours, stores that don't shut down in the middle of the day for "nap time". It'll be great not worrying if we can make it to the store before it closes.! :-) I can't tell you how many times I have run out of milk only to find out the commissary is closed.

26 days, I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by! And, not to waste any time, we already have a 4bedroom 3 bath apartment waiting for us in San Antonio. It's in a new subdivision. In fact, these apartments were completed and ready for move in August 2008, which means we will be the first occupants in our apartment. It's a lovely place about 400 more square feet than we are currently living in. What would I do with the extra space?? We are seriously thinking of having the boys share a room and convert the extra room into a school room/office. The boys are starting get a long better (thanks to PS2!).

I do have other exciting news!! Today we passed our pre-vacate inspection. This is where housing goes through your house, picks out all the discrepancies and tells you what is expected in the cleaning. Thank goodness the only thing housing worries about are the appliances, cabinets and floors. I do not need to scrub the walls. In fact, housing discourages it due to the paint they use. Trust me, when you attempt to clean these walls, not only does the fingerprint come off, but the paint comes off as well. So no need to sweat bullet getting the walls clean. I don’t' even have to move the appliances to clean behind them. Whohooo! Just general cleaning! Now, that sure makes my week! I can't tell you how many nights I spent scrubbing down the house just to pass housing inspection. We have lived in housing for 3 duty stations and I am proud to say I have never failed an inspection-not even close.

Oct. 13, 2008

Back on the top

If the longhorns can stay on the top until the end of football season, then they will have another shot at the National Championship title.

Here are the latest rankings as of October 12, 2008

AP Top 25

Sun Oct 12, 2008

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn St.
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. USC
7. Texas Tech
8. Oklahoma St.
9. BYU
10. Georgia

Oct. 11, 2008

No. 5 Longhorns upset No. 1 Sooners 45-35

Here's the recap of the game courtsey of Yahoo news.......

Dallas: Mack Brown can finally say he’s done something in the Texas-Oklahoma game that Bob Stoops hasn’t—pulled off an upset. And it’s a big one.

Brown’s Longhorns grabbed some second-half momentum by foiling a fake punt Saturday, then Colt McCoy and the defense built on it, carrying No. 5 Texas to a 45-35 victory over No. 1 Oklahoma.

The Longhorns outscored the Sooners 25-7 after stopping the trickery, and their half of the record crowd of 92,182 fans loved every bit of it. When Oklahoma’s game-ending heave was picked off in the back of the end zone, Texas defensive end Brian Orapko dropped to his knees and thrust his arms up. Teammates ran to him and piled on for their wildest celebration since their last victory over a No. 1—against Southern Cal in the January 2006 Rose Bowl.

Then the Longhorns went to the burnt-orange end of the field and enjoyed perhaps the loudest rendition of “Eyes of Texas” in the 103-game history of this Red River Rivalry. They gathered for the trophy presentation, then a few players ran off for a victory lap along the stands, slapping hands and waving their arms.

With the win, Texas (6-0, 2-0 Big 12) grabs the inside track in both the conference and national championship races. History shows the Longhorns should think big. The last two teams to come out of this game unbeaten—Oklahoma in 2004, Texas in 2005—went on to play for the national title. And the last time the Longhorns knocked off the Sooners when they were No. 1 was 1963, which turned into Darrell Royal’s first national championship.

Brown and Stoops have brought their programs back to prominence over the last decade. Stoops has a reputation of outcoaching Brown, primarily because of two blowout wins. Truth is, the higher-ranked team has won every one of their matchups. In fact, this was the first upset in this series since 1996.

Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1) started strong, as usual, and led by 11 twice in the first half. The Sooners again seemed in control when they went up 28-20 early in the third quarter and led 35-30 early in the fourth.

Sam Bradford was 28-of-39 for 387 yards and five touchdowns, three to Manny Johnson, but wasn’t able to pull it out. He threw two interceptions, a meaningless one on the final play and another late in the second quarter that led to a Texas field goal. He also broke the major-college record for touchdowns as a freshman and sophomore. He’s up to 59, breaking Rex Grossman’s mark of 55, and he has at least six games left.

McCoy, however, was the bigger star.

McCoy was 28-of-35 for 277 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers. He was sacked four times, but also ran 14 times for 31 yards. His stewardship certainly helped his Heisman Trophy chances.

Jordan Shipley caught 11 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, and set up the final go-ahead score with a 37-yard catch that ended inside the 1-yard line. He also had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first half. Quan Cosby caught nine passes for 122 yards and juggled but snagged a 2-point conversion.

Chris Ogbonnaya, a senior making his second career start, ran 15 times for 127 yards, including a 62-yarder that set up the game-sealing TD. Burly Cody Johnson scored three touchdowns, on runs of 1, 1 and 2 yards.

Down 28-20, McCoy went 6-for-6 on the next drive, capping it with a 2-yard throw to Shipley. When OU’s next drive stalled just shy of midfield, Stoops gambled, only to see his punter get caught from behind, inches shy of making it.

There was still plenty of time left, especially when the Longhorns only got a field goal. Yet the 31-30 deficit was the first time all season Oklahoma trailed.

The Sooners went back ahead 35-30 on their next drive, benefiting from a running-into-the-punter penalty and converting a third-and-14. But Bradford was out of comebacks, and McCoy wasn’t.

McCoy took Texas 74 yards for a go-ahead touchdown on the next series, then Bradford went three-and-out. The Longhorns followed by going 80 yards for a lead-stretching touchdown after that, the big play the run by Ogbonnaya.

The Longhorns are certain to vault in the standings, but still have a lot of work to do. Next up is No. 3 Missouri, followed by No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Texas Tech.

Sep. 30, 2008

The next Texas Longhorn Tight End

Here he is, the next Texas Longhorn Tight End football player.......

But for now, since I am Garrett's agent (hehe), he will play for Youth Sports for FREE!

Sep. 25, 2008

How to clean your house in 19 minutes!

I came across this article today....

Clean Your House In 19 Minutes

With a plan of attack, you can maintain a sparkling house in just 19 minutes a day

Photographer: Mikkel Vang

Kitchen, 4 1/2 minutes daily
Always start with the sink. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.

Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
Wipe down the counters (one minute).
Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Photographer: Mikkel Vang

Bathroom, 2 minutes daily
Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.
Wipe out the sink (30 seconds). Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds).
Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds).
Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds).
Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds).
Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds).

Photographer: Mikkel Vang

Bedroom, 6 1/2 minutes daily
Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seen like a high priority as you're rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.
Make the bed (two minutes).
Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four minutes).
Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).

Photographer: Mikkel Vang

Family Room, Living Room, Foyer, 6 minutes daily
Start with the sofa -- as long as it's in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you've fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you're halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.
Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (one minute).
Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes).
Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute).
Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos. (Two minutes.)

Sep. 24, 2008

Watch out David Beckman, there's a new kid in town!

Today was Leo's first day of soccer practice. He did great! Looks like it's gonna be a great season! If he could play soccer everyday he would, he loves soccer that much. I know he needs soccer to burn his endless amount of enegry he seems to have.. if only I had a fraction of the energy he has! just a little bit. He was nonstop throughout the entire practice.

He is like the energizer bunny...just keeps going and going and going!!

Sep. 24, 2008

Amalfi Coast

Yesterday, the kids and I decided to take a trip to the Amalfi coast to visit the little town of Vietri. Vietri is famous for it's beautiful ceremaics and the spectaular view of the Amalfi Coast. Vietri was founded about 300 years ago.

Sep. 24, 2008

Highlights from our week long Mediterranean Sea Cruise

We just returned from our week long Med. Sea cruise. We had a great time visiting different countries, leaning about different cultures, eating and of course relaxing! It was a wonderful, well deserved vacation! Here is the ship, MSC Melody, docked in Naples, Italy.

We set sail from Naples on Friday September 12 and sailed 266 Nautical miles towards Livorno.

From Livorno, we took a shuttle bus to Florence where we visited the Duomo or Cathedral, saw the famous Michelangelo statue of David , and took a few minutes to pose on the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. The Cathedral was built in 1300 and the bridge is the oldest bridge in Florence.

We even took time to see the Santa Croce-this magnificent Gothic church built in 1294 and contains the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo. (we didn't have time to go inside because the line was too long-maybe next time)

Now it's off to visit the famous leaning tower of Pisa, where Leo and dad tried to realign the tower to the upright position....they were unsuccessful. So, then the girls tried....we just couldn't move it.

So, the kids decided just to take a picture....You can clearly see just how much the tower leans.....My question is, if Gailio made his scientific attempts from this tower, which side did he drop the objects from? and how did he get an accurate reading if the towers are not the same distance from the top of the building to the ground??

IMG_1802 by you.

Our day in the Tuscany hills are done.....back to the ship were we sailed 124 Nautical miles towards the French Riviera......day 2 of our cruise.

Here in Monaco, we watched the guards patrolling the Prince's Palace also known as the Palais du Prince. This is Prince Rainier's official winter residence. This salmon pink building was pale yellow until Princess Grace redesigned.....speaking of Princess Grace....... Aundrea and I took a few moments to visit the Chapelle des Princes, the Grimaldi burial chamber which is Princesses Grace's tomb. Her tomb is adorned with fresh cut pink roses daily.

Had a breathtaking view! (yes, I could live here..only problem is, I don't think we could afford it)...

below are pictures from Monte Carlo and Monaco.

While in Monaco, we visited the famous High Rolling Casino, the Monte Carlo drag center and we stopped and visited an old and famous perfume factory called Fragonard, where we learned the technique used to make French perfume. We even had a smell test.

Our trip was not complete without walking on the small pebbly roads of the old town of Eze. Eze is a cute little old town from the Middle Ages.

After our busy day sightseeing, it's time to relax in the hot tub with the view of the French Riviera in the background. If you look closely, you will notice an extra kid in the hot tub...he actually belongs to a family from Australia. They sat next to us at dinner....very sweet family with 3 children the same ages as ours.

Like all good things, our day in the French Riviera must come to an end.

And, now it's off to sail towards Barcelona Spain.......day 3 of our cruise....where we sailed 282 Nautical miles from the French Riviera to Barcelona Spain.

In Barcelona, our first stop was in the Poble Espanyol-a replica of a Spanish village-which portrays the different people and cultures of Spain. We really enjoyed visiting this little village. While visiting the Poble Espanyol, we were treated to a nice surpise of watching "glass making". The kids thought this was really cool (Leo's words).

After visiting the Poble Espanyol, we took a few minutes to stop at the Montjuich Hill to enjoy a wonderful view over the city.

During our brief visit in Barcelona, we drove by the Olympic stadium -which, as you know, Barcelona was the host city for the 1992 Olympic games.

We also drove Antoni Gaudi's (1852-1926) famous work, the Casa Batllo. We took a few moments to learn about the famous Sagrada Familia (below) also by Gaudi. Pictures don't justify this amazing piece of work! Sadly, Gaudi died before this masterpiece was completed.

While in Spain, we visited the spectacular Cathedral built in 1298 by James II. This was a beautiful church rich in History and Art.

After Spain, we sailed 155 Nautical miles towards a little island called Ibiza,...day 4 of our cruise.

A little history of Ibiza....Ibiza was founded in 654 B.C by the Carthaginians-making Ibiza one of the earliest towns in Europe. While in Ibiza, we hiked (yes, hiked) to the top of the hill and visited the Dalt Vila-Ibiza historical centre where we had wonderful panaromic view of the bay and the city. In Dalta Vila, we walked through the medieval castle and ran threw dungons-Leo's term-but is actually a secret underground entrance to the town where the town people would hide during Catalan forces, or while being attacked by pirates. We even saw the original cannons and cannon balls used during attack.

picture below is us standing against the city wall. This overlooks the bay and the city.

photo below is taken from the top of the lighthouse....with the our cruise ship in the background. In the parent's photo, if you look to the right of the ship, you can see the old town of D'Alta Vila.

Our brief stop in Ibiza was just that...a brief few hours stop....before sailing 470 Nautical miles towards the Northern Tip of Africa in a country called Tunis....day 5 of our cruise.

A visit to Africa is not complete without a camel ride! The boys are in the front while Aundrea is riding the camel in the back. They had a great time. Aundrea got a little scared when the camel was going into the sitting position to let her off. She thought she was going to fall forward. And, this would not be complet without me telling you a funny story about what a camel did to me.....(thankfully Mark didn't get this on video). Anyways, I was taking pictures of the kids geting off the camel while I felt this heavy breathing on my neck and a little nibble on my ear. I thought it was Mark getting frisky so I didn't think anything of it. Well, I went to turn around to smile at Mark (and to thank him for him for being so lovable)....well, much to my surprise, it was not Mark getting frisky, it was a camel!! When I turned around, all I saw were huge camel teeth smiling at me. I am so thankful he didn't slobber on me! Yes, everyone around us got a huge kick out of this incident!

While in Tunis, we climbed to the top of Byrsa Hill we we had a magnificent view of Carthage. Under Punic rule, it was the heart of the city. History lesson....Carthage was founded in 814 BC by Phoenician colonizers. By the 4th century BC, it had become the major force in this part of the Mediterranean. As you know, the Punic wars led to destruction of the city-although it rose again during Roman rule.

For History buffs like me, I really enjoyed this tour! I couldn't believe I was actually standing in Carthage-it's like a dream come true!

Now off to learn Tunis culture...... While in Tunis, we had the opportunity to visit Sidi Bou Said, a little town with white and blue houses. We even visited a typical Tunisian house where we sipped on hot mint tea. This town is famous for their bird cages.

Day 6 of our cruise, we sailed 293 nautical miles until we reached Messina.

While in Messina, we visited Taormina-one of Sicily's jewels. This was a cute little town!

During our stop in Taominia, we walked and visited the Greek theatre-which is the second largest ancient theatre in Sicily. It was built in 3rd century BC but was almost entirely rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd centure BC.

And, above all.......DON'T FORGET THE CANNOLI!

Cannoli are mentioned in a famous line from the film The Godfather by Peter Clemenza, whose wife asked him to bring home a few....aka, don't forget the cannoli!

From Messina, we sailed 178 nautical miles until we reached Naples, Italy-our final stop.

Once home, the first thing Leo did was run into the house looking for Jaguar. Can you tell they missed each other?

It was a whirlwind of a week but we had an amazing time and traveled a total of 1768 Nautical miles. (one nautical mile is equal to 1.852 m)

We met people from around the world. We met couples from Ireland, England and Canada-families from Australia and Italy. We met couples celebrating their wedding anniversary with one couple celebrating 65 years and a couple celebrating 30 years.

The crew and staff from the MSC Melody were wonderful! Food was fanastic! I think Mark's favorite thing about the entire cruise was taking a cruise and not having to work!

If you would like to see more pictures from our cruise, click on family photos located in the links on the right hand side of the page. Warning: there are a killizion photos! ...well maybe not that many,

but there are a lot of photos! To make it easier, I have organized them by places.

Sep. 4, 2008

Summer Reading Program Awards ceremony

Today was the award ceremony for the base library summer reading program. Aundrea and Leo both received Honorable Mention. We are very proud of them!! Both worked hard this summer reading a lot of books! Because of their hard work, both received a gold medal,a certificate and a $5.00 gift certificate from MWR.

Sep. 4, 2008

Leo is 6!!!

I can't believe my baby is now 6! My where did the time go?? Time sure flies when you are having fun!! In 6 years, Leo has gone from a new-born baby to stunning 6 year old !

Leo is a super sweet boy, but very active! Sure keeps us on our toes-most of the time you dont' know what crazy quarks will come out of his mouth. On thing for sure, he never ceases to amuse us!! Even at a small age, Leo was quite the character! Here he is being silly at 4 months....

Yesterday was his actual birthday so we decided to have a small birthday party for him. We had two cakes (chocolate and red velvet) plus vanilla ice cream.

About 24 of his friends help Leo celebrate the big day. His friends sang Happy Birthday to him English and Italian. Again, like I mentioned earlier, Leo always has a way to keep us laughing!

As part of Italian tradition, Italians like to celebrate birthdays, weddings, holidays, etc with fireworks. Last night, we had the most amazing firework show right outside our back yard. I am not sure what the Italians were celebrating, but one thing is for sure, how many times do you get to celebrate your birthday with fireworks? It was a nice little surprise.....just for Leo

Aug. 26, 2008

Here today, gone tomorrow.....

Here today......

Gone tomorrow....

That's right, we sold Mark's BMW. It was a sweet car!! We thoroughly enjoyed having a BMW but were relieved to sell it....especially since we are not able to transport it back to the states. We advertised the car in the base paper on Friday, received a call on Sunday and the sell was finalized today. Yip that fast!!

Aug. 22, 2008

The big announcement!!

Here it is, the long awaited announcement y'all have been waiting for!

Well, the 04 board results have been posted!! And we are retiring!!

God has plans for us, plans we may not understand but he has never let us down. Mark's retirement date is sset for March 20, 2009 (our 15th year anniversary). Once he retires, he would have put in 20 years, 7 months and 3 days of military service-at least he has the option to retire.

Mark is putting in his retirement papers today. Once we return from our cruise, he will start his retirement process (attend TAP classes, putting out resumes, etc).

Although we have been on a roller coaster of emotions lately, we are grateful he is retiring. See, Mark's boss had slated for him to go back to Africa again in January/ February time for several months. So, now Mark will NOT have to go!

Mark and I thoroughly believe things happen for a reason, sometimes reasons we may not understand at the moment or things don't make quite sense, but God always takes care of us and he is so good to us! (Think the Footprints poem).

There is a reason Mark didn't get selected. I mean, he has all the checks in the boxes, and then some as an officer (Masters, Department Head, 2 sea tours, 2 pins, EP (early promote) on his evaluations and has been rated in the top 3 officers in all duty stations we have been- # 1 in Washington and here). So, although we don't understand or comprehend why he didn't get selected over guys who are not as qualified as him, we know God has plans for us. Like Mark said, he is over qualified for his job in the military.

He has had a great military career. 20 years ago, here was a young 18 year old boy going into the military as an airman apprecience and now, many years later retiring as an 03E (the E means he spent many years prior enlisted-10 to be exact). Along the way, he got selected for the ECP-enlisted commissioning program-earned his Bachelors, Masters and has seen the world. Not to mention all the qualifications and expertise skills he earned during his career. Mark and I will be forever grateful for this amazing opportunity the military has given us.

We are not worried-God is in control!! Besides, we have been saving for retirement for the past couple years. Plus, he will have his retirement pay as backup.

As of now, we are going to enjoy the rest of our time here in Italy. Who knows, maybe he will get a civilian job here? We love the military, but God has bigger and better plans for us.

Again, congratulations to all our friends who got selected this year!!

Angela

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Aug. 21, 2008

Mamma Mia, It's HOT!!

Today's temperature!

Too hot to go out, too hot for the pool, so we stayed in the house on that hot hot day. And, my kids and I did not know what to do....what would you do, if it were up to you?

Yes, we spent the day reading several Dr. Seuss books, can you tell? M!ybe I should make green eggs and ham!?

Aug. 20, 2008

Juggling is my job (too bad I don't get paid for it)

Last night, Garrett informed me he wants to resume Taekwondo classes again (he took a few months during baseball season)-this in addition to Aikido and football. Why the sudden change of heart I wonder? Let's see can I juggle Aikido classes two days a week, Taekwondo one day a week, football practice plus games 3 days a week not to mention Aundrea's dance class (only one day a week-that's all they offer it here), and Leo's soccer practice and games 3 days a week, that's the million dollar question. Thankfully home school allows us to finish our school work during the day so we can allow for extra curricular activities after school. I am also thankful these activites-minus the games- are near the house. So, there is no comminuting time, which allows me to juggle all this and more....yes, and more. Since Aikido, TKD and dance classes are offered at the local gym, it looks like I will be there 4 days a week, so now there is no excuse for me NOT to work out!!

By the way, here's the and more......as I was writing this, Leo's cat Jaguar, just feel into the fish tank. Yes, fell into the fish tank. It seems that whoever fed the fish last didn't attach the cover in place. So here is the cat swimming for dear life. I wanted to capture this on video but I had to rescue poor little Jaguar. (You know cats do not like water). He is wrapped up in a towel with the "What just happened to me" look. Poor kitty. I don't think it bothered the fish any. They are swimming around like nothing happened. Awwe, the story of my life.

Stay tuned for more exciting news-there is never a dull moment in the Rodriguez home!

Aug. 18, 2008

No sandcastles please, you're in Italy

Well, I was on my way to bed and came across this interesting article about Italy. And, well since I am an Italian resident, I thought I better read it....quite interesting to say the least! My favorite is the bikini rule....since when did Italy start enforcing bikini rules??

No sandcastles please, you're in Italy

Mon Aug 18, 8:59 AM ET

ROME (Reuters) - When in Capri, don't wander off the beach in a bikini. If you go to the sea in Eraclea, near Venice, remember that building sandcastles is forbidden. And don't even think about mowing your lawn at the weekend in Forte dei Marmi.

Emboldened by a nationwide crackdown on crime and a government decree giving them extra law-and-order powers, Italian mayors have issued a string of often bizarre by-laws to enhance "public decorum."

Public displays of affection in a car can earn you a fine of up to 500 euros ($745) in Eboli, feeding pigeons is off-limits in the centre of Lucca while in Novara groups of more than two people are forbidden from lounging around in parks at night.

Italian newspapers have dubbed this year's holiday season "the summer of bans." But this week one town hall was forced to acknowledge things may have gone too far.

Rodrigo Piccoli, 33, called national radio to protest after he was fined 50 euros for lying down in a park in the northern city of Vicenza to read a book. The mayor has since promised to drop the ban.

(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

Aug. 18, 2008

My Homeschool Theme Song....

I Will Survive

I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling)
Originally written and produced by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris
Originally performed by Gloria Gaynor
Mercilessly altered with apologies by Natalie Criss

First I was afraid
I was petrified.
Kept thinking I could never teach
'Cause I'm not certified.
But we spent so many nights
Reteaching homework that was wrong.
I grew strong,
so now I teach my kids at home!
We study math
and outer space.
I just kept on despite the fear
with a big smile across my face.
I bought a set of Base Ten blocks.
I bought books with answer keys.
My parents think we're nuts,
but they don't even bother me
Come on, let's go walk out the door.
We're on the road now,
'cause we're not home much anymore
My friends would laugh and say we'd be unsocialized.
I heard one mumble
that I'd give up by July.
Oh no, not I!
I will survive!
As long as I know how to read
I know we'll be alright.
I've got all my life to learn.
I've got energy to burn.
and I'll survive.
I will survive.
It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart.
Decided to attend
a play date at the local park,
and I met oh so many moms
who offered eagerly to help.
They used to cry.
Now they hold their heads up high,
and so do we!
My kids are cool!
They're not those chained up little people
stuck inside at school.
So if you feel like dropping by
and just expect us to be free
you'd better call ahead first
'cause we're probably busy!

Aug. 18, 2008

Buon Ferragosto!

BUON FERRAGOSTO!

Next to Christmas, Easter, and New Years, Ferragosto is one of the most celebrated holidays in Italy.

Celebrated on the fifteenth of August, it celebrates the rise of Mary up to heaven to join her son Jesus, taking her place by his side to look after those of us remaining here on Earth.

It is a day of great festivities with celebrations in the streets and prayers to the Virgin Mary for thanks and support.

All of Italy shuts down to celebrate Ferragosto.

Yes, you read it correctly...all of Italy shuts down to celebrate Ferragosto. Read it slowly with me....all of Italy shuts down to celebrate and take their vacation.

Aug. 18, 2008

Summer updates.....

Summer update.....

Here is a recap of our summer..

baseball season officially ended in June.....

Summer school started

Garrett is now in the 8th grade

Aundrea is in the 4th grade

Leo is in Kindergarten but doing some 1st grade and is reading!!!!

How time flies! I remember when Garrett, my 8th grader, was in Kindergarden! Now, I am a mother of an 8th grader, an 8th grader....total shock. I mean, we are talking almost high school, then college! And, by the way, this does not mean I am getting older, really.

We had fun at the pool!

Wow, that was fun!

We saw the live production of the musical Grease at the Bolivar Teatro in downtown Naples.

We spent the day at the famous Bay of Naples (right photo) where we also visited Naples Aquarium (left photo) which is the oldest aquarium in Europe. ...Here is one of the sea turtles from the aquarium popping out to say hi.

If you are hungry, you can stop for BBQ......

or visit the local Farmers Market.....

We learned different means of transporation......

you can catch a ride from big brother

take the train

The Alibus... 205

Don't forget about the car....

You can also catch a ride on the Funicular Railway. This is a train-like shuttle that climbs a mountain. If you look closely, you can see the railing from the steps outside. And, let me tell you, the stairs are steep. You are better off riding this stair stepping train.

The Ferry (like the one we took to get to Ischia)

or if all else fails you can hop a ride on this.....Yes, a horse and cart.

Or on foot like the runner in the red shirt. As you can see, Naples is filled with multiple ways to get around. We have tried all the above except the horse and cart.

Places we visited this summer:

famous gelato shop in downtown Naples

Ischia Italy (a little island about a 90 minute ferry ride from Naples). Can you say Paradise???

On our way home, we stumbled upon the Pozzuoli ruins. These ruins date back to 7th century BC.

We attended a weekend family retreat in a Monastery in Falvaterra Italy.

and while we were there, Garrett picked up a girlfriend.....Megan

(I have to admitt, she is a cutie and a sweet young lady)

We added to our family...

His name is Tigy/ Jaguar. Aundrea and Garrett calls him Tigy while Leo calls him Jaguar. By the way, it is Leo's cat.

Speaking of animals...We had a hands on science experiement.....learning about snails

Garrett is now certified in first aid and child/infant CPR. Way to go Garrett!! We are so proud of you.

Well, I know summer isn't officially over, but I wanted to give y'all an update on us.. Stay tuned for more updates from the ever busy Rodriguez family.....until next time.....Enjoy the rest of your summer! Arrivederci and Buona notte (goodbye and good night)

Jun. 7, 2008

Rodriguez family recap!

Wow, it's been several months since my last post. Trust me, a lot has happened in our home!

First, after being gone for 7 weeks, Mark finally arrived from his African safari.

We celebrated Mother's Day in beautiful Gaeta! It was the best Mother's day.....just sitting on the beach relaxing and watching the kids play in the water. This beach reminded me of Malibu beach-clean white sandy beaches!

We celebrated birthdays-Garrett is now a teenager ( and our princess turned 9! Shh, did I mention I am a year older??

We finished up our 2007-2008 school year!! Honestly, I don't know who is jumping for joy more-the children or the teacher but, I can tell you, I am extremely thrilled for this school year to end!! I have offically stepped down as the homeschool leader-I have enjoyed being the leader this past year, but am glad to pass the torch. By the way, we had a successful homeschool graduation.

Aundrea had her dance recital a few weeks ago.

We wrapped up the school year with the final field trip for the 2007-2008 school year. Our homeschool group visited the smallest country in the world-the Vatican City. IT was a great trip! Afterwards, our bus driver drove us by the Tomb of the Unknown Solider-otherwise known as the Victor Emmanuel Monument (in honor of the first king of unified Italy). Then, he drove us by the Colosseum. It doesn't matter how many time you see the Colosseum, each time it is still just as amazing as the first time you see it. And here is our famous homeschool tour guide! She is a hoot!! Can you guess who it is????!!!

And here we are inside St. Peter's Basilica

And now just rambling......in the past, we would end our school year the end of May and start our next school year the first week of June. Well, after our extremely busy school year, I have decided to take at least 2 weeks off....maybe more! I am still unsure what date we will start. I am so behind the power curve. I mean, last week, I just ordered Garrett and Aundrea's school books. I am still unsure what curriculum to use for Leo. He has been using Math U See Alpha and loves it so I know we will continue with this for him. I am looking into Sonlight with him. Who knows!!

Until next time.....

Apr. 22, 2008

Pompeii-The Lost City

When an Earthquake shook Pompeii in AD 62, this was just a "wake up" call for the what was to come. On August 24, AD 79, when Mount Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii was literally wiped out by the devastating fury of the volcano. Pompeii was buried in 20 feet of ash and pumice. Volcanic gases suffocated the people of Pompeii as they were trying to escape. Amazing enough, you can see the impressions of many bodies pertified in time.

Pompeii was discovered in the 16th century, but excavations began in 1748 revealing a city petrified in time.

It was amazing to step back over 2,000 year ago, to see this "frozen" city; to be able to walk down the ancient streets and to see what once was a bustling city full with hotels, shops, building, temples and private homes petified in time.

Apr. 22, 2008

Standing in front of art at Pompeii

Apr. 22, 2008

Gardens

Apr. 22, 2008

Pompeii in the background

Apr. 22, 2008

Mamma Mia!!

Wow, I thought, by moving to Italy, I would have left the rain behind in Washington, but sadly I was proven wrong. It seems, the last 2 months has been nonstop rain. I am not talking showers, I'm talking drenching rain...oh and did I mention storms?? In fact, a storm blew in last night. The thunder, lighting and drenching rain remind me of growing up in tornando alley-Oklahoma. We had it all last night-all but the actual tornando. From what I hear from the locals, this type of weather is not normal. Usually by this time, it is warming up, spring time weather, not rain. My Italian friends can't explain this unusual weather pattern. We have had some beautiful days filled with abundant sunshine-last weekend-but it was mearly a tease!

Apr. 19, 2008

While in port, Mark and other sailors from USS Fort McHenry, gave their liberty time to participate in 23 community relations projects. Here is Mark with children from the Gamboa School in Sao tome, Africa. Mark and other sailors spent the day cleaning the school, building picnic tables and other various jobs for these children.

Apr. 19, 2008

Mark in Portugal-look how beautiful the water is!

Apr. 19, 2008

Mark in Portugal

Apr. 19, 2008

Funchal Harbour Portugal

This ship has been Mark's home for the past 7 weeks. So much for shore duty! He should return home soon!.

This is the webcame from the Funchal Harbour in Portugal. Mark says Portugal is beautiful and after looking at the pictures he sent, I have to agree with him.

Apr. 19, 2008

Play ball! 2008 Baseball season is here.

And here we go again......baseball season offically opened today. Both boys did great!!

Apr. 19, 2008

Our day started with Baseball opening ceremonies. Afterwards, it was time for team and individual photos for Tball

Apr. 19, 2008

Leo running home! I believe, next to slugging the ball, running home is his favorite.

Apr. 19, 2008

Yes, just as it looks, Leo is stealing home!! Hey coach said to steal home and so he did!

Apr. 19, 2008

Leo taking a few minutes to rest before stealing home.

Apr. 19, 2008

Slugging the ball

Apr. 19, 2008

Garrett's first game

And then off to Garrett's 1st game of the season. We have been blessed with a terrific coaching staff and team. This was the first time Garrett hit the ball and made to 2nd base before the ball was thrown to the Pitcher. And, this was also the first time he was able to run home not once but twice! Today's game was a great game. Oh, and did I mention we won 21 to 3.

Jan. 1, 2008

Inside the Wild West Restaurant

We sat in the Oregon Trail....and as you can see, the booths were stagecoaches. The walls were decorated (painted) in Old Wild West American History-from Indians to the Gold Rush. We felt like we were back in America. Old Wild West reminded us of the popular Texas Roadhouse Restaurants we would eat at in Texas. MMM!! This restaurant specializes in American style food. Yes, there were many Italians inside eating in this restaurant. (it's funny to see Italians drool over American food- I'm sure they laugh at us when we rave about *their* food) The hamburger I had was the best hamburger I have eaten since we left the states 10 months ago! Even Mark was impressed with the TexMex nachos. The kids shared a mixture platters with onion rings, hot wings and chicken nuggets. The only thing that resembled Italian food was the sause on top of the french fries. See, instead of straight ketchup, Italians top their fries with a mixture of mayo and ketchup......yes, it's good!! By the way, that's mineral water we are drinking. The kids were drinking coke-a-cola. Coke-a-cola is the only soda Italians drink...there isn't a variety....where's my Dr. Pepper?????

I did order a cappachino, which is the next best thing to Dr. Pepper.

A couple doors down from this restaurant is the ever popular McDonalds!! It's hiralous to see Italians walk around with their happy meals. They love this stuff. I have to say, the McDonalds isn't as good as the ones in the states. In the 10 months we have been here, I think we have eaten at Mcdonalds maybe 3-4 times.

Jan. 1, 2008

standing outside the Wild West Restaurant

This is outside the restaurant. Yes, Leo is sitting on a real horse saddle. This tomahauk and eagle was painted on the wall. Amazing!

Jan. 1, 2008

Old Wild West

While we were at the new mall not far from the base, we found this American Western Style restaurant. It was awesome! Food was excellent (it's hard to find good American food in Italy). Inside the restaurant was like stepping back into American History.

Jan. 1, 2008

Italian dessert

No meal is complete without Italian gelato. This is their version of ice-cream and is very delicious!!