When in Rome

I have been wanting to post for the longest time about an unexpected and amazing opportunity Jonathan was able to partake in with his choir, Voci Perigolose (VP). In June, VP took part in the Casting for Italia's Got Talent! The director wanted to keep things hush-hush until a final verdict was given three and a half months later in the end of September. However, by then things were crazy around here and I never got around to sharing this bit of news until now.

IGT Casting Roma - 8 June 2019
photo credit: Italia's Got Talent
Jonathan, Raluca, Franco, Laura and Armando

Recruiters from IGT pursued them as potential contestants, and really how could they say "no" to the opportunity? Since their previous international competition in Verona back in March, the choir has been cut down to a core of five singers. They are a talented and stronger vocal group now and they sound way better in this smaller ensemble.

The choir rented a van and drove the 7 hours down to Rome on June 8. Jonathan was one of the two primary drivers since it was an automatic and everyone else was hesitant to drive it. haha They arrived late evening and dropped their things off at the airbnb and then changed into their Steampunk apparel in order to sing and entertain in downtown Rome. I was a bit jealous as Jonathan would text me photos throughout the night from the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and other places that hold a special place in my heart. There is nothing quite like summer nights in Rome.

Vittorio Emanuele II Monument
Piazza Venezia

Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

They got back around 2am and still had paperwork to complete for the next day's auditions. I think they ended up getting just 2 hours of sleep before having to be at the venue at 7:30am.

The crazy thing was that they got a text message from an IGT staff member the night before that told them not to wait in line with the others but to come to a side door and then call him directly from there. First thing they had them do was shoot footage for a commercial, silent movie and other random things. Then they sent them back to wait for their audition. But then another person would come and get them to do something else. At one point they just came out to them and asked for Jonathan's steampunk Bible. He carries a pistol in one hand and a Bible in the other to outfit his American steampunk preacher persona! Who knows what they did with his Bible, but a half hour later they brought it back.

Inside the convention center waiting to be called

Talent act? Not quite sure but there were lots of colorful and interesting characters to keep them entertained throughout their wait.

VP finally completed their official audition around 4:30 in the afternoon. A preliminary judge followed them out of the audition room and said "Thank you for existing!" He gave them some additional tips and wished them genuine luck in hoping to see them in the first official round of competition.

Audition time...finally!

After that they were told to not leave. Then someone else came around and started asking what they do for their occupations. Upon hearing that Jonathan is an evangelical pastor, and after the girl picked her jaw up off the ground, she said "You have to come with me!" Jonathan was then interviewed on camera and had the opportunity to give glory to God through his responses. He doesn't often get flustered or stage fright, but he did admit that the lights and cameras and having to respond in the future tense as if they just aired their performance on TV etc. was a bit intimidating and fluster worthy. Speaking on camera in Italian would be enough to send me running. They also interviewed Laura and clearly were devoting much attention to certain people or groups that were auditioning.

Jonathan was astounded by the organization, the staging that goes into a production like IGT and how clearly there were talent acts preselected for featuring.

Finally, as the IGT team was well under way tearing down and cleaning up, they were released to leave around 7:30pm.  It was a long, hot and tiring day...but it was so worth it! They had a blast with the experience making wonderful memories together  and really bonding tighter as a group. A definite 2019 highlight for Jonathan and Voci Perigolose.

They got on the road to drive home very late in order to get back for people to head to work on Monday morning. They actually pulled in to Caselle around 5am!

And then they had to wait until the end of September for news about a call back for the official TV auditions that were filmed in three different cities in September/October. Sadly, they were not called back but who knows they might still be featured on the preliminary shows or recap of the casting auditions. The show will be nationally aired in the winter of 2020.

They did get quite the publicity feature on the IGT website and Instagram feed after their Rome audition.

Staged photo shoot of contestants waiting in line for registration

Where's Jonathan? Hint: look for the pistol and Bible

Where's Jonathan?

Eye catching color and costumes make good publicity photos

: : Emma's 15th Birthday : :

A long overdue post in recording the celebration of Emma's 15th birthday in early November...

Our dear sweet Emma,

Oh, how you longed for the day to turn the page on your fourteenth year of life. The trials and struggles and complexities of this past year have only deepened our great love for you. You warned us that "everyone" says 14 is the hardest year ever, and we can now confirm that alongside you. BUT, that doesn't mean it was a year empty of hope because we trust and have seen how God is holding you in His grip and never letting you go with his outpouring of love and grace upon grace.

When you bounced down the granite steps on the morning of your birthday and embraced me with the biggest bear hug ever, saying "I can't wait to live!" I was brought to tears. And your joy throughout the day never wavered. In many ways it was a symbolic day for you in starting a new chapter, hope filled about the new year ahead.

It was our great joy to celebrate alongside with you and reflect on the amazing fifteen years of loving and parenting our most favorite daughter ever! It warmed our hearts to once again see you and Samuel walk out the door together to do another birthday photo shoot. I think it has become your new sibling tradition. Samuel did an amazing job capturing your spunky side and gorgeous face!

Futuristic dreamin'

Your day then proceeded with online classes in the afternoon, followed by dinner at America Graffiti where you ordered a 500g deluxe burger. Your teenage hunger and metabolism gave you no problems with inhaling every bite down and then helping me finish off my fries!

Leaving just enough room for birthday cake, we returned home for presents and dessert. Gone are the days when you would give me a theme or idea for decorations. Thankfully you still insist on a cake flavor which was once again chocolate cake with crema filling, and the "good" buttercream (i.e. American, not Italian buttercream). I ventured out to choose a cactus themed cake because it was just so cute--and I know how you love pink. 

scarf/shawl from the Panzarino family

Irish Aran sweater from Dublin from us + money
from others to go towards your bass guitar savings fund.  

Nano and Papa's gift in the mail the day after

Lest you think our celebrations ended there...I also took you and Dalida out to celebrate your birthdays that are only 1 week apart. In between your special days, we had a girls day out shopping, having lunch, picking out paint color to redo your bedroom, and ending our full day with coffee and sweets. Such a fun day!

You also got more ear piercings for your birthday. But since you nearly fainted in the process I forgot to snap pictures. :) [Ear piercing guns are illegal in Italy, so the good ol' needle method was done without numbing cream--crazy brave girl!]

And finally...we concluded your birthday celebrations on Saturday with the Ferrarini family. Because how could we not?! You and Stefano are twins, born on the same day and year. What a gift this dear family has grown to mean to us this fall. It was God's perfect timing and gift to bring Stefano and Sara (10 days older than Luca) into your life when He did, with a connection so natural and genuine. We can spend all day together and it feels like mere hours. We stuffed ourselves with amazing food for lunch and then had not one but two more cakes to enjoy. We are so very thankful for these friendships, from regular family gatherings to Wednesday night hang outs while the dad's jam to Thursday night hang outs for you and Stefano to jam. God is so good!

Emma, we pray your day and celebrations were memorable. We count it our greatest joy and honor to be your parents. We could not ask for a more courageous, honest, determined, talented, beautiful inside and pretty outside, unique, intelligent, and grateful daughter. We pray this coming year brings joy and peace and a greater understanding of yourself and who you are as a daughter of the King. God is writing a beautiful story with your life and we can't wait to see how that continues to unfold. We love, love, LOVE you ALWAYS AND FOREVER NO MATTER WHAT!!

#19 on 8.19.19

That's a lot of #19's and I'm not sure that there is some cool name for it, other than it being a REALLY special day for Jonathan and I as we celebrated our wedding anniversary. 

We are so thankful for another year of growing in our love and appreciation of each other. We have come to experience on a whole new level this past year the team effort in parenting teens and how taking care of ourselves and our marriage relationship is so crucial. We are learning and are a work in process, but what a joy to walk hand in hand with each other. Loving each other more than the day we said "I do." God is amazingly gracious and His faithfulness endures forever!

Thanks to Jonathan's parents who once again made a summer visit to be with us for a couple of weeks in August we were able to get away for a night. This was the first overnight trip we have ever done together in Italy. That seems insane but it speaks volumes of the reality of our isolation on the field and the lack of people able or willing to provide the simplest of services like watching our kids for a night. In order for me to attend annual leader's meetings with Jonathan, we have had my mom fly in to care for the kids. A getaway, yes, but not so much when it is work related.

What a precious, precious gift this was for us and a HUGE shout out to Munga and Gramma for volunteering to watch the kids and suggesting we get away for a night.

We have done our fair share of driving this summer so we deliberately chose something close to home and yet a place we had never been. Enter the Valle d'Aosta in the Italian Alps just one hour away from our home. We stayed in the most enchanting and peaceful apartment in a little burrow above Saint Vincent. The cluster of mountain homes built out of slate and stone have been restored and the mix of visitors and residents melded beautifully. One breath of mountain air, a long gorgeous view down into the valley, and summer rain all restored our souls and brought refreshment. It was the absolute perfect location!

Our view

Our apartment on the ground floor

No longer able to dine out becasue of food allergies, we have learned to embrace the dining in experience and that we can save money for really awesome rentals!

Our window boxes

Stone. Wood. Geraniums.
A classic Alpine display of beauty

Exploring

The old barn entrance now converted house entrance.

A taste of the before

And after

Mountain spring water

: Quiet :  

Sunset view

The next morning after check out we headed a little further in the valley to the city of Aosta. It was raining but not a problem and very much welcomed for us having had a pretty hot summer down in the Piedmont valley. We had no agenda and it was nice just to stroll the city known as "the Rome of the North". There is much to see and discover in this beautiful Alpine city but we just scratched the surface with our brief visit. We will be back! So, so thankful for this time away together...God knew we needed this for the following weeks that were to come.

City streets

Roman city wall
We still have to remind ourselves not to take for granted where we live. "Just taking a stroll along a wall that was built before Jesus was born. No big deal."

Cathedral facade that was sculpted around the entrance. Looks like a painting in this pic.

Bell tower of the Aosta Cathedral

Roman road

Praetorian Gate - 25 B.C.
The main gate into the Roman city Augusto Preatoria. It had three openings: the central one for carriages and the side openings for pedestrians. The area inside the openings was used as a troop parade court.

Porta Praetoria

Arch of Augustus constructed in 25 B.C. to celebrate the Roman victory over the Salassi

Bell tower of Sant'Orso.
Beauty of a summer rain in the Italian Alps