Day 3

Well, we are here. We arrived on Thursday morning with a very sleepy little boy. The trip was actually, if I can be honest, very hard. I really thought it would go much smoother...but, boy was I wrong. First, we got to the airport 2 hours early and I have to admit I was pretty proud of us. But then when we were checking in...we realized that we didn't have Markus' green card. Ok...so basically we were pretty much screwed. But the lady worked with us and found us a later flight to Detroit. Markus drove back to the house and got back just in time. The flight from Dallas to Detroit was not that bad. Isaiah slept and played. It was a nice break from the stress earlier in the daz from the green card fiasco. So, I thought we were on our way to a good flight to Amsterdam. Well, the flight went ok but the problem was Isaiah didn't sleep. All he wanted to do was crawl on the floor and play. He is so cute, but we were exhausted and everyone on the plane was asleep. It was a very hard flight for us. We got to Amsterdam and I realized I had left my phone on the plane in Detroit. Not good. But by this time I was so tired and more worried about our sleepy little boy who at this point was so tired that I could tell he was just miserable. We get up to the gate to get on our final flight to Vienna and there was something wrong with our ticket. So, we almost missed the flight. But we made it. We finally arrived and it was wonderful. Markus' family and friends were there to greet us and it was just a sweet moment. It was so wonderful to be on Austrian soil again...even if we were spent from the trip.

The last 2 nights were hard for Isaiah. He has major jet lag so he wakes up around midnight wide awake and just miserable. His body is just so confused bc of the time change. As I sit here and write I am nervously praying that he will sleep through the night tonight. We all soooo desperately need some good sleep. Pray with us please that our little boy can relax and just sleep tonight.

Being in Vienna is very surreal. It is wonderful on so many levels. I miss the smells of the kabob stands, the sounds of the strassenbahns, the yummy schnitel, the beautiful buildings that hold so many stories...just an amazing and magical place this is. I have been doing my running in the mornings and I just look around with amazement that I used to live here. I resided here? I was that lucky to call this place home? All I do is recollect old memories and with that comes sadness that those situations and people are gone, but then I get excited because now I am making new memories of this place. Being able to share this place with my son is like nothing else. Being here with Markus is pretty cool as well. This is his home too...by birth that is. How cool. I love sitting around with the family all speaking German and seeing Isaiah understand every word. I then think back to the day I arrived here (in 1997...has it really been that long?) and would have never thought I would be in this place. Married to an Austrian and my son being Austrian. Sometimes when I think about all of it, I get overwhelmed at how our God works. How He is in our every move. Crazy stuff if you really sit down and think about it.

I think about the person I was when I got here and then the person I was when I left. Two different people...in a good way, though. My years in Europe really molded me and gave me passion for things I never realized I had. It opened my eyes to so much. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. As hard as it was to move back home after 6 wonderful years here...I wouldn't change a thing. I would do it all over again.

Vienna Calling

Well, it's hard to believe that we leave for Europe in 3 days. I am exhausted from getting ready for this trip. Traveling with an 11 mth old has challenged me...phew! When I was single, I made this trip so many times and could pack and get ready for the journey in my sleep. But with a toddler, it has really been challenging. Soooo much to bring! I worry about him on the flight because he is at that stage where all he wants to do is be on the ground crawling and pulling up on things. He gets quite agitated if we pick him up or try to hold him. I know he will be fine, but I worry. Just what we do as mothers. We worry.

It's been a long time since I have been back to Vienna. I moved from Austria to Portugal in 2000. My last trip there was in 2006 to visit Markus before he moved to the states. I know a lot has changed. The crazy thing is going back as a wife and mother. How different my life is now from when I lived there. I lived the total single life and I travled everywhere the train would take me. Now we will have to plan our outings around naps and mealtimes!! haha! It's good though, all very good. I can't wait to see Markus go home and show his family and friends what an amazing husband and father he has become. His life has really changed too since he was back. He gets to show off his son to his country and home. Sweetness!

We are also going to Portugal at the end of our trip to have a mini vacation and to visit friends. I lived in Portugal for 3 years and haven't been back since I moved home in 2003. I cannot wait to get back there and smell the smells, walk the streets, lay on my favorite beaches and drink that amazing Portuguese wine! Portugal became home for me. It was painful to leave that place...so it will be theraputic to be back and show Markus the reason why I love it so much. I know he will fall in love as I did. Our goal is to move back there someday...so we can live that ever so dreamy Portuguese life.

11Mths Old!!

Our little boy (he's not a baby anymore :-( ) is now 11 months old tomorrow. In one month we will be celebrating one year of life...well, actually 1 year and 9mths...bc to me his life began at time of conception. But anyway, he will be a year old. Crazy! Here are a few pics from the last month...our little toddler!!

With his MeMaw on her birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEMAW!!!

Recent Work

Some of you know that I love doing design for print/web work. I have yet to earn money for my work but it has been fun to do this for friends and family. I enjoy it and wish I could do it full time as actual income. I just don't have the time or energy to switch gears as a new mom.

I did my cousin Ruth's Save the Date, Invitations, Thank You Notes and change of address cards. I am really please with the final outcome. I sure hope she liked them!!

These are the change of address cards I did for her.

Her invitation...

Thank you cards....hard to see, but it folds over and the text is on the front.

Save the Date

I also am doing all of the marketing materials for my trainer, Shadrick Piggee. These are a few things I have done for him, but am building his website and much more. (These pics are horrible quality...the real thing looks much better :-)

Business Card...front

Business Card...back

Boot Camp Flyer

Family Reunions

Isaiah got to go to two family reunions this summer. It has been fun showing him off to my family to say the least. He was the only baby at both of them so....he was the hit to say the least. He is such a little charmer and everywhere we go he makes friends and is just the happiest little guy to be around. I wanted to take some picture of Isaiah with his great-great Aunts and Uncle so one day he will be able to remember them. My grandparents are not alive and were not able to know Isaiah, but their siblings are the closest to them around. He will cherish these pictures some day.

Here he is with my Grandfather's (Mom's Dad) Brother and Sister...Aunt Mary Ellen and Uncle Roger.

The two women on the left are the last living sisters of my Grandmother on my Dad's side....Aunt May and Aunt Beck.