3-2-1...Blast Off!

The months and months (literally) of excitement about launching rockets finally came to pass last week. All the kids helped build their own rocket with Munga the first weekend we arrived in Michigan. However, the rainy and windy conditions didn't allow them to launch for a couple of weeks. The rockets went incredibly high in the sky and super fast that it took the kids a few seconds to find them in the sky. Samuel and Luca launched the rockets and Emma wanted to stay a safe distance away, but when the parachutes came out she was the little "rocket runner", so excited to retrieve them. Placing more engines in the rockets for another rocket day is in store.

After rocket launching we went to Haggar Park to play. Here are some more pictures from last week.

Emma came up with the name "choni swing" for this one. (I guess, it's an inside family joke)

Samuel was digging for dinosaur bones.

Children's Museum

Last Friday we went to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. The kids had a blast with all the hands on activities. It was so crowded and it was a good thing there were 4 adults for our 3 kids. Luca showed no fear in the crowd nor with trying to over power the bigger kids to get at what he wanted. Here are some pictures from last weekend.

Luca's Birthday Party Pictures

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Reverse Culture Shock - Top 10

1. Paying in dollars! Jonathan felt like jumping up and down and shouting when we filled up the gas tank for ONLY $50! You would too if it cost you over $100 for a fill-up in Italy.


2. Continuous business hours which allow us to get errands done during the kids' nap time.


3. Buearacracy Speed: We walked in the Secretary of State Office to apply for our MI driver's licenses and walked out 20 minutes later with our application process complete. They said we would receive our licenses in the mail in 3 weeks. We received them 4 days later!


4. Submersion into "everything" Christian. Coming back to the "Bible belt" of Grand Rapids has been particularly shocking with a church or two on every block and hearing people speak about Jesus in doctor's offices, stores, etc. as common as speaking of the weather.


5. The kids have been fascinated by mailboxes and mail trucks. These things they have seen on Baby Einstein DVDs but when they saw them in real life it was like they were so amazed that they actually do exist. Emma is always saying: "Look, another mailbox!" (Mail is delivered on a moto into our lock box attached to the gate entrance of our house in Italy)


6. The kids also like the "spikes" (steeple spires) they see on churches instead of the typical dome seen in Italy.


7. The first couple of times going out to stores was very strange and overwhelming. The amount of choices there are, speaking in English with clerks, and having to ask where to find the hairspray at Wal-mart really made us feel all the more foreign in our own country.


8. Getting behind the wheel of a car and driving after nearly 3 years is also strange (for Noella) and driving an automatic again leaves Jonathan constantly looking for the clutch with his foot.


9. Without the garage door type of window shutters on houses we feel like a fish in a fish bowl here that is totally exposed. Not to mention the adjustments from sleeping in a pitch black room (even at nap time) to sleeping with so much light in the room.


10. Everything feels huge, wide and open from the roads to stores to vehicles etc.

Happy 2nd Birthday Luca!

Our surprise little guy! What would our lives be without you? Two years ago Luca was born to us in Perugia, Italy. His life has been one big adventure and he has embrassed every moment with a twinkle in his eye and smile on his face. He is one easy going boy who has always loved to sleep and play hard. He has been nicknamed: "Gumby" for the way he bounces off stuff without letting it phase him. "Our Running Back" for the way he footballs his sippy cup and never fumbles it on all his falls and tumbles. "Cold Turkey Boy" for the way he instantly drops stuff out of his life like quitting nursing at 9 mos., stopping his 2 hr. morning naps without a gradual weaning off of things. Luca is so outgoing and so friendly with everyone. A very independant guy who is dangerously quiet. He doesn't say much yet but you better always keep an eye glued to his activities and explorations. We love you so much Luca! Have a wonderful 2nd Birthday Lukey-boy!

Campa Update

Thank you for praying for Noella's grandpa yesterday as well. Everything went smoothly and without complications on his quadruple bi-pass heart surgery. Praise the Lord! He will remain in ICU for 2 days and be hospitalized for 5 days in total. Then he will be moved to a home for an undetermined amount of time so they can more closely monitor his healing and to intervene if any stroke symptoms should arise. Obviously, each of these initial days are crucial and we as a family would appreciate your continued prayers on his behalf. We were able to see and talk with him via webcam on Easter and it was so special for us. We look forward, Lord willing, to seeing him in person in a couple of months. By the way, the picture I posted was how old Emma was the last time we saw him.

We Made It!

The flu hit Jonathan on Wednesday morning and the extra help with the last minute packing was left in my hands. Thankfully we knew that the flu would only last 24 hours, but the amount of energy and fluids it sucked out of him was certainly not what we had in mind the day before taking off. We managed thanks to a last minute plea for your prayers on our behalf. God certainly sustained us yesterday in our long and weary day of traveling.

We left home around 3:30am and everything went really smoothly with our flights. Okay, so we did have moments of crying and complaining kids, but can you really blame them? In a 24 hour block of time Samuel & Emma only slept 2 hrs and Luca 3 hrs. When we landed in Detroit Samuel was at breaking point and was crying and asking every 5 seconds..."Where is the Michigan??" We could not reason sense in to him with our answer of saying, "This is it! We're here!" I'm not sure what he was expecting. Maybe one giant amusement park? I guess their dreams were realized when we finally reached Munga & Grandma's house. Emma threw up all the way home in the car, too many goldfish crackers on a shear exhausted little body and car sickness.

It was so precious to see the kids greet their grandparents. Seeing them run and wrap their arms around their necks easily launched me in to tears (I wasn't the only one crying). Our bodies are very tired and our internal clocks are still set on Italian time. Fully waking up and seeing 2:30am on the clock is not really the best feeling to have. The boys woke up at 4am with the same problem and Emma was the only one who slept according to Michigan time.

Yesterday it was raining and snowing on the way home. We woke up to a good covering of snow but are thankful the sun is melting it quickly. We left spring and came to winter!!

More later...