Beautiful Boy

Isn't Miles just such a beautiful boy? I mean, I know he's a boy and I should say handsome...which he is. But he is BEAUTIFUL. 

Love this kid.

Still here...mulling it over

Thanks for your comments on the last post.  (which sadly was almost a month ago)  

I am still trying to find a way to fit everything I want to do into my life.
  

getting my photography business off the ground,
acting as Ombudsman for my husband's command,
being in a multi-lingual Primary presidency where I also frequently act as a teacher, singing time leader, and pianist,
training for the marathon (did I forget to mention that?...Rome March 23, 2014),
planning & prepping for my month long vacation (am I seeing you?  why not?!)
keeping the house together, cleaned, and stocked with food,
making time for hubby,
teaching Miles everything he needs to learn,
staying spiritually fit... 

And also keeping in touch with friends and family...via FB & instagram

 The list goes on and on.  And I am tired.  I feel like most days the time gets away from me just doing the routine stuff.  I know I am not the only one who feels this way, I have many friends (all of you) who are also busy...some busier than me.  How do you do it?     

Question

I have been mulling this thought over in my brain over the last little while.  

Do you think Social Media is ruining blogging?  I used to be such an avid blogger but now when something happens I throw it up on Instagram or FB or Twitter and only the major highlights make it here.  I've been trying to be better but it just isn't happening.  Do any of you feel that way?  Have you done anything to make it better?  

This blog also acts as a sort of journal (since I fail at that too) and I want it to be more inclusive of life than is currently is.  I want to be able to make it into a book and look back and see not only what we were doing and where we visited, but hear my thoughts about life.  I have so many things about Italy that I'd like to share...and then the thoughts about adopting another wee one...and friends going through hard times...and living a positive life...and photography...and Navy life...etc, etc, etc.  

I just feel like the day gets away from me...by the time I cook and clean and spend quality time with Miles and keep up with my photo business and stay on top as my position as Ombudsman and plan our weekends and Skype with family and shower and spend one on one time with Nathan and scoop the litterbox and exercise and take care of church obligations and go grocery shopping and do laundry it's midnight.  It's 12:17am right now and today I didn't even do half the stuff I listed above...

So I find myself wondering if Social Media is killing blogging or if life is just too busy.   

Race for the Cure - Roma

As soon as I ran my first 5K I started looking for more to run.  It is tricky here in Italy...races are harder to come by.  But lucky for me the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure was held in Rome this past weekend.  Two friends and I woke at the crack of dawn, drove up to Rome, ran the race, grabbed lunch, and then drove home.  Seriously how lucky are we?!  

Here are some pics:

You were supposed to write words of encouragement on this banner...I wrote "You are stronger than you know"

Waiting in the starting line...this race is the LARGEST Susan G Komen race in the world!  Over 60,000 people participated.

Waiting for the race to start. 

I stopped mid-race to snap a pic as I ran past the Colosseum. 

I'm not exactly sure what my time was...the race started at 10, but EVERYONE started then...walkers and runners.  It took us 12-14 minutes just to make our way to the starting line.  And then the race course was a bit longer than a 5K.  But my pace was faster than my Glow in the Dark 5K so I was happy.  It was very cool to be running again, and I am amazed by the things my body is being capable of...things I thought I'd never be able to do again.  

My next race is June 29th...a mud run with my sister-in-laws.  I'm pretty excited!! 

Infertility Awareness Week

This is National Infertility Awareness Week (click on the pic above for more info, events, etc).  

Infertility is something that is very close to my heart.  It is a horrific thing that we have suffered through for many, many years.  While I am SO VERY GRATEFUL for my dear sweet Miles; there are still days where the sting of being infertile comes up and bites me in the butt.  It will prick the most tender underbelly of my heart and make me wonder about the future.  Wonder and hope and mourn.  

I think a lot about something a LOT of people told us when we got Miles.  "Just wait, now you'll get pregnant".  First - DO. NOT. EVER. day that to someone who is adopting.  If you want to think it that's fine...and if you know a cousin/aunt/hairdresser/friend/whoever that it happened to...that's awesome.  But keep that information to yourself.  It is hurtful.  It belittles the adoption process to be no more than a fertility treatment to get "real" kids.  Also - please never say "real kids" or "one of your own" to someone who has adopted.  Miles IS a real kid...and he IS my own.  I know what you MEAN...but listen to it again and let your heart hear how hurtful it will sound to tender young ears who will just hear that they are NOT their mother's REAL OWN child.  Ouch.

Anyway - I've been thinking of this thing you should never say, that has been said to us, and I laugh.  Here I sit with an almost 2 year old who was adopted.  Since that adoption we have done nothing to prevent getting pregnant.  And my womb is still empty...and I suspect it will remain in that state for the remainder of my days.  And while I have come to an acceptance of the reality that I will never bear biological children...that doesn't take away the heartache of knowing {I} cannot give Miles a sibling.  We can plan and prepare and hope and take all the necessary steps to adopt another child but we may never be chosen by a birthmother.  That is a reality that could very well be our own. 

So during this week I would ask you, my dear blog readers, to take the effort to reach out to an infertile friend and just ask "How are you?  I love you.  I'm here for you if you need me."  Don't let your fear of hurting them ruin a friendship.  They need you.  They need love.  It's a hard enough journey as it is, and feeling abandoned just makes it that much harder. 

On again, off again

Nathan is off the deployment.  He is very bummed (crazy kid was excited for some ship time)...but I am relieved I don't have to finagle a Christmas Miracle to get him magically off a ship in the middle of the ocean to the airport here to fly to Utah.  Pfew! 

Keeping us on our toes...

The Navy sure likes to keep us on our toes.  We have been planning a trip back to the states for Nathan's parents' 50th Anniversary celebration and finally bought our tickets about a month ago.  It took some time...between watching fares (Miles will be 2 so we have to buy three trans-Atlantic tickets...ouch$) and getting approval from Nathan's job, but we finally got the green light and fares looked ok (well..ok as they ever are).   Then Nathan called me with a bomb on Friday.  He is being deployed.  Soon.  (Can't give too many details...loose lips sink ships)  It's only for 8 weeks...but it happens to fall smack dab over the already-purchased plane tickets.  It doesn't matter to Miles and I...we are going out for longer than Nathan was given as leave anyway (I wanted to get our money's worth out of those tickets) but Nathan's is going to take a bit of configuring, praying, begging, and a little smidgen of luck.  I'm hoping we can still get him home for his parent's 50th without having to pay exorbitant change fees for the ticket. 

Just goes to show you how you should always plan on the unexpected, especially in the Navy. 

Ich bin ein Berliner

Nathan got four days off in a row so we decided to take advantage and go somewhere...since in a month we'll have to start paying for THREE plane tickets (holy cow...how is Miles almost 2?!)  We looked for the best deal we could find on airfare and settled on Berlin, Germany.  I was thrilled to be going back to Germany...and we were all thrilled to be going somewhere with non-Italian food. 

We flew in on a Thursday, flew home on Sunday.  It was freezing cold, and it snowed a bit one day but it didn't slow us down.  In one day alone, Nathan and I walked over 9 miles doing sightseeing.   Berlin was heavy with history...you could feel it in the air.  It was surreal to see things like Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin wall and feel the heaviness of what happened in that city. 

And can I just take a minute to plug Lufthansa Airlines??  They were amazing.   Nathan gets super nauseous on flights and we forgot to grab him some Dramamine on our holy-crap-we-have-to-leave-we-hit-the-snooze-too-many-times-mad-dash out of the house at 4am (next time remind me not to take the 6am flight) so he asked the flight attendants if they had anything.  They brought him a neck pillow and some sprite...all before takeoff.  Then they came and said hello to Miles (by name!) and gave him a little treat and an age-appropriate toy.  The greeting, treat, and toy was repeated on EVERY leg of our journey.  Plus I swear the seats felt bigger than the last time we flew.  Then when Miles had a MAJOR meltdown on our last leg home one of them brought him a stack of cups to play with and some extra treats.  All with a loving smile like "I've been there...here's something to distract him so you don't throw him out the window".  So if you are looking for an airline...Lufthansa is great!

Here's the best part of the trip (for me anyway...I love pictures)

Miles and I on the plane...he is not a fan of 6am flights.

But he LOVES the window seat view of a 6am flight.

SNOW!!!

 

Feet in the snow atop the Berliner Dom (cathedral)

Nathan and Miles at Checkpoint Charlie

Family of three with a piece of the Berlin Wall

See that cobblestone path?  That is to mark where the Berlin Wall once stood.  You can see it runs into a piece of the wall that still stands today - just past the intersection.

Miles trying the Doener Kebap...verdict?  DELICIOUS!

Me at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in WWII.

Me and my huge burger from The Bird.  Bacon, onions, mushrooms, and blue cheese sauce.  It was amazing.

Nathan and Miles in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

We totally Lady-and-the-tramped that bratwurst

Our last night in Berlin I really wanted to go see the Brandenburg Gate all lit up at night...but no one else wanted to go.  So I made the solo journey back by myself...totally worth it. 

After posting some of my favorite pics from the trip (lots more on FB...if you're interested) I realized almost half of them are of food.  Apparently I'm a foodie.  And I'm ok with that.  :)