The Giles' Journey

My FIRST Photo Shoot

2010-09-28T02:33:00.009+02:00

So here it goes... A few weeks ago I finally ventured out and did my very FIRST photo shoot for Chelle's Chic Shots -Photography with Timeless Style & Sophistication. Here are a few of the proofs.

Hailey's Thanksgiving Feast at school.

2009-11-21T15:41:00.010+01:00

Here are a few pictures from Hailey's Thanksgiving Feast. I can't tell you how much I love her new school. I'm so glad God placed us in this community. Both of the girl's schools our amazing and have a wonderful partnership with the surrounding community. This year's event was catered by Wegman's Supermarket, which is like the Disney Land of supermarkets. Tom and I laugh because sometimes we like to go there on a Saturday to just look around. It's that great! You can get ANYTHING there from gourmet pastries and desserts to sushi made fresh on the spot!!! Gotta love fresh sushi !!! Anyways, I was just glad I didn't have to cook! :) So here are a few pictures from the FUN event! Each individual class had the opportunity to paint all the backdrops and fun festive cut outs that were scattered throughout the cafeteria. I also included a photo of Hailey's artistic take on Fall. I love it! It's a keeper! She's become such a talented little artist!

Look what we found yesterday...

2009-10-23T14:38:00.009+02:00

The girls and I were hanging out with some of our neighbors yesterday enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather and low and behold look at what comes walking up to us; a praying mantis. I have to say they're very bazaar looking. Kind of a a cross between something prehistoric and a mini alien. But talk about God's timing! Hailey was studying for a test she's taking today on Habitats and animals who use camouflage to adapt to their habitats. Mantises are masters of camouflage and most species make use of protective coloration to blend in with the foliage or substrate, both to avoid predators themselves, and to better snare their victims. Various species have adapted to not only blend with the foliage, but to mimic it, appearing as either living or withered leaves, sticks, tree bark, blades of grass, flowers, or even stones. Praying Mantises are exclusively predatory and most species are known to engage in cannibalism. Larger species have been known to prey on small lizards, snakes, and even rodents. The majority of mantises are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey rather quickly. We got to see this first hand as it moved very quickly up Hailey's arm and into her shirt! Eeeek! Surprisingly, though, praying mantises are particularly susceptible to an enzyme found in the mucus excreted by slugs, and thus, their primary enemy is the slug. I hate slugs!!! After much exploration and admiration of our new found friend, the girls begged me to give him/her a new home IN OUR HOUSE. I quickly and kindly vetoed that idea, but did suggest a better option. I told them that many organic gardeners encourage mantises as a form of biological pest control in their gardens. Tens of thousands of mantis egg cases are sold each year in garden stores to keep the BAD bugs away. So after MUCH discussion and a few bribes, the girls decided that although they would love a new pet, it's probably not in it's best interest to live in our home, especially if you'd seen the way Bandit was eyeballing it. :) So we happily agreed to give our new found friend a beautiful new home in our lush flower beds. Now, we're all hoping it adapts, and enjoys it's new home(habitat)as much as we do!

Inspired...

2009-10-21T10:08:00.004+02:00

Okay so once again I have been inspired to blog. I guess a good dose of sudden unexplained tragedy has a way of doing just that. Death reminds us of all the hidden blessings and treasures found within blogs, videos, and photographs. We are quickly reminded of how just one life lost, can impact, and change the lives of so many others around them. Death of a spouse, child, family member, friend, or co-worker is never easy... It never hurts less... And it either shatters or builds your faith. It always rocks a small community whether or not you knew the person involved. No one is left untouched. So today I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to make lasting memories any way you can; blog, journal, photograph, or video those special moments. May we seek to forgive, forget, and always tell those close to us how much we LOVE them!

Facebook Phanatics

2009-01-24T12:57:00.008+01:00

Hello All!!! I know, I know, I've been super negligent in my blog posts. This has nothing to with not having enough material to blog about or blogger's block... It's purely the fault of a lovely internet invention called facebook... Yes, Yes this is true. The Giles both have a facebook. One of my girlfriends introduced me to it about a month ago. Tom and I have been having so much fun using facebook as a tool to reconnect with some of our long lost friends. Which seems to be the norm when you have spent 18 years traveling the world in the military. I have to say we both love facebook. Tom because he loves the art of communication and myself because I like the quick and speediness of it all. I can pop in and out and see what everybody
else is up to without hanging on the phone or reading lengthy emails. You know me short and to the point... But at times it can also be exhausting trying to keep up with all our friends and family close at hand and far away. So if you would like to see the latest pictures from our Cruise and Holiday Trips look us up on facebook... http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1056976970 Don't worry it's not that bad!!! More to come...

Hi Yall!

2008-12-12T08:03:00.004+01:00

Mykonos, Greece

Hi All!!! I know!!!!! I know!!!!! I've been back almost a week from our AMAZING cruise to Turkey and The Greek Isles and I haven't posted a single picture yet from our cruise. This is due mainly because I'm trying to catch up with laundry and the hundreds of emails left in my inbox. Not to mention, when we got home our power was out and we didn't have a stitch of Christmas decorations put up yet! Sooooooo....I've been spending my days busily catching up with the Holiday season; putting up the tree, making Christmas cards, and mailing off packages, all the while still doing laundry. The girls are also in a Christmas musical this year. So I've been transporting them back and forth to practices as well... I've posted a bunch of pictures on my facebook and when I get a little more down time I'll post them here! For now I'll give you just a glimpse of all the amazing fun we had!!!!

Hallelujah!

2008-11-17T20:47:00.004+01:00

Tom saw the Neurosurgeon today and it looks like there will be NO NEED for any surgery in the near future. The Dr. said the fact that he was feeling better was a good sign; the anti-inflammatory drugs must be doing their job. Once the inflammation subsides the disk should naturally fall back into place. One thing she did note was that he may or may not ever get all the feeling back in his thumb. So I guess we still have a shot at getting our Mr. Deeds thumb after all!!! COOL!!!

A "REAL" Pain In The Neck"

2008-11-14T10:40:00.047+01:00

Tom has being dealing with a pain in his neck ever since July.... And NO, it's not due to me and the girls spending too much money while we were in the States this summer... Ha, Ha... The discomfort in his neck has been off and on over the past few months, but just recently it began to intensify, along with some pain radiating down his arm. So after some serious begging and pleading,by me, he finally scheduled an appointment with the doctor... Hallelujah!!! The doctor put him on Motrin (The AF wonder drug) and Flexerall... Neither of these helped and only made him loopy and even more grumpy (trust me it has been tough around here, even Bandit is hiding!!!) So he went back to the Dr.... Again with our family pleading!!!!... The doctor then put him on Percocet and scheduled him for a MRI... We were all pretty stoked about the Percocet!!! It actually changed the mood significantly in our home! PRAISE GOD FOR PAIN MEDS!!!! Then about 4 days ago he finally had his MRI and yesterday we found out the results. It looks like the "Pain in His Neck" is actually being caused by a "Nerve Root Impingement"... I know, I know, it sounds pretty fancy, but here is a little info to help you out...

Nerve Root Impingement

From top to bottom down the entire length of the spine, at each spinal level nerves exit through holes in the bone of the spine (foramen) on the right side and left side of the spinal column. These nerves are called nerve roots, or radicular nerves. They branch out at each level of the spine and innervate different parts of our body. For example, nerves that exit the cervical spine travel down through the arms, hands and fingers. This is why neck problems that affect a cervical nerve root can cause pain and other symptoms through the arms and hands, and low back problems that affect a lumbar nerve root can radiate through the leg and into the foot (sciatica). The nerve roots are named for the level of the spine at which they exit.

However, nerve roots are not labeled consistently throughout the length of the spine.

In the cervical spine, the nerve root is named according to the LOWER spinal segment that the nerve root runs between. For example, the nerve at the C5-C6 level is called the C6 nerve root. It is named this way because as it exits the spine the nerve root passes OVER the C6 pedicle (a piece of bone that is part of the spinal segment).

It should be mentioned that two nerves cross each disc level and only one exits the spine (through the foramen) at that level.

Exiting nerve root. The nerve root that exits the spine at a particular level is referred to as the “exiting” nerve root. Example: The C4 nerve root exits the spine at theC4-C5 level.
Traversing nerve root. Another nerve root goes across the disc and exits the spine at the next level below. It is called the “traversing” nerve root. Example: The C5 nerve root is the traversing nerve root at the C4-C5 level, and is the exiting nerve root at the C5-T1 level.

A lot of confusion occurs because when a nerve root is compressed by disc herniation or other cause, it is common to refer both to the intervertebral level (where the disc is) and to the nerve root that is affected. Depending on where the disc herniation or protrusion occurs, it may impinge upon either the exiting nerve root or the traversing nerve root. For example: When the traversing nerve root is affected: In the lumbar spine, there is a weak spot in the disc space that lies right in front of the traversing nerve root, so lumbar discs tend to herniate or leak out and impinge on the traversing nerve root. For example, a typical posterolateral (behind the disc and to the side) lumbar disc herniation at the L4-L5 level often affects the nerve that traverses the L4-L5 level and exits at the L5 level, called the L5 nerve root.

When the exiting nerve root is affected: The opposite is true in the neck. In the cervical spine, the disc tends to herniate to the side (laterally), rather than toward the back and the side (posterolaterally). If the disc material herniates to the side, it would likely compress the exiting nerve root. For example, the C6 nerve root would be affected at the C5-C6 level (because in the neck the exiting nerve root is named for the level below it). (This is what we think Tom has from the MRI results)

Over the past few days the pain has subsided a bit... This might be due to the Percocet, but he also still has some discomfort down his right arm and serious numbness in his thumb... This is caused by the nerve being pinched... The girls and I keep telling him he could be cool just like Mr. Deeds, and have a numb thumb instead of a numb foot for the rest of his life... How cool is that!!! I guess He doesn't think it's that cool... So the next step is scheduling an appt with the Neurologist or Neuro-Surgeon to see exactly what's up and where we can go from here... I say "We" because this has had a huge impact on the whole family...

Now it seems, we ALL have A "REAL" PAIN IN THE NECK that we would like to get rid of!!! LOL

Volunteering... A Two Way Street

2008-11-13T13:18:00.000+01:00

A dear friend of mine sent me this article and I thought it was worthy of sharing with all my family and friends... If you're a military spouse, you'll find this article to be very true!!! And if you're anything like me, I'm pretty sure you've asked the "Why" question once or twice before...We, military spouses, never actually raised our hands to enlist, but by marrying a member of the Armed Services, we "volunteered" for more than any of us could have ever imagined...

So, for many of my friends, as well as, military spouses everywhere...I would also like to thank you for your "volunteered" military service on Veteran's Day too!!!

This article written by Norris Burkes

This Veteran's Day I couldn't help but think of the documentary I brought home a few months ago...My wife doesn't especially care for documentaries, particularly the news this one was about to bring. "Baghdad ER" is a documentary that HBO says "captures the humanity, hardships and heroism of the U.S. military and medical personnel of the 86th Combat Support Hospital . . ."

I said, "I want us to watch this movie together," ....There was nothing subtle in my approach... My wife saw right through it and knew I was carrying it along with some news of my own. So before she could respond, I answered the question I already saw on her face."The Air Force needs a chaplain VOLUNTEER for their hospital at Balad Air Base in Iraq. The hospital is specifically requesting a 'hospital-trained chaplain' for a four-month deployment... I also hurried to add: "It's a Level 1 trauma center, which does over 1,200 surgical procedures each month. They help everyone -- military, civilians and contractors as well as Iraqi soldiers, police, civilians and even detainees."She stared at me, stuck on one word: "VOLUNTEER."

The thoughts of the military spouse upon hearing the word "VOLUNTEER" aren't normally as altruistic as those of the military member... Who could blame her if she suddenly exclaimed, "What makes you think I'm not the actual volunteer here?... I would be volunteering for four months of solo parenting!... I'd be volunteering to be single - living a separate life for the next four months!... Instead, Becky simply said, "We'll watch it after dinner."

After dinner we talked about the mutual meaning of the word "volunteer." We talked about everything from kids to car problems.We talked about updating our wills. I tried to soothe her with the fact that there hasn't been a chaplain killed in the line of duty since the Vietnam War...Not surprisingly, she found that factoid devoid of comfort...I told her the pay would be great -- especially with hazardous duty pay....Again, I got nowhere, not even when I mentioned the $3.33 per day separation pay.

"Why do you want to do this?", she asked... Ah, the "WHY" of it all."

I said, giving a commonly offered solution in the conflict between military members and their spouses...."If I retired, I wouldn't have to go!"...She wasn't biting. -

"WHY?" she repeated. -"WHY do you want to go?"

"I want to go because I want to help," I said, unable to state it more profoundly than that... "They need hospital chaplains. I'm one. I can't sit here while they declare they need someone. It's a need I know how to fill."

After nearly a week of discussion, she said, "You need to go! You need to feel you've done your share... I understand!"... It was at that point, I composed my e-mail accepting the assignment. I called her to the computer and let her proofread the e-mail. Then I asked her to do a difficult thing. "I want us to share this decision. Would you be willing to press the 'send' button?" Her index finger hovered over the keyboard in hesitation. Then, she clicked "send" with a definitive push. - She did understand.

So this month, I have a favor to ask. As you offer a grateful handshake to a veteran, turn to their spouse and say, "Thanks for your understanding." After all, most of them have certainly done more than they've ever "VOLUNTEERED" to do.

Burkes will leave for Balad after Christmas. He plans to continue writing his column while he is deployed. Visit ww.balad.afcent.af.mil.

Veteran's Day Tribute

2008-11-11T13:37:00.005+01:00

Tom & His Mom

Veteran's Day Tribute

When America had an urgent need,
These brave ones raised a hand;
No hesitation held them back;
They were proud to take the stand.

They left their friends and family;
They gave up normal life;
To serve their country and their God,
They plowed into the strife

They fought for freedom and for peace
On strange and foreign shores;
Some lost new friends; some lost their lives
In long and brutal wars.

Other veterans answered a call
To support the ones who fought;
their country had requirements for
The essential skills they brought.

We salute each and every one of them,
the noble and the brave,
The ones still with us here today,
And those who rest in the grave.

So here's our country's heroes;
They're a cut above the rest;
Let's give the honor and the due
To our country's very best.

By Joanna Fuchs

Memorial

2008-11-09T19:09:00.044+01:00

Last year, on Nov 8th, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed on the banks of the Piave River, not far from Aviano AB, killing six U.S. troops and injuring five more. As you know, our family was close to two of the men who died in the crash. Not only did we lose them, but it felt as if their families were ripped prematurely from us as well. Saturday, on the Anniversary of the crash, a large group of Italians and Americans gathered together to remember the six service members who died.

The banks of the Piave River have long been associated with tragedy even before U.S. service members called Italy their home. An estimated 80,000 Italian troops died during battles with the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I along this very waterway. Countless others died in earlier conflicts. Some of the largest Bases/Posts in Italy are named after Italian heroes who died at this exact location.

On Saturday — not far from the crash site, a memorial was dedicated to them — and the memories of the fallen from years past. Brig. Gen Franklin, our Base Commander said, "This memorial symbolizes yet another bond between two nations tied together in history." Family members and four of the five service members injured on the flight also attended — two of them had noticeable problems walking, as they dropped flowers on the new memorial. All five are still in the military, though several still face medical review boards that might require them to leave the service.

The injured and family members attended a private service at the crash site earlier in the day. Later they were joined by several bus loads of airmen from the base along with an equal number of Italians at the dedication for the new memorial.The memorial consists of six metal bars set close together in a line, separating a stone slab with six indentations from a short walkway. A plaque lists the names of the Americans who died and the circumstances of their deaths.The ceremony was very touching, and you could tell this horrible tragedy affected both Italians and Americans alike, but it also left a bond that will last a lifetime...

My "Two Cents" On The Election

2008-11-08T09:30:00.003+01:00

Just recently I read an article by Ann Coutler, called "McCain", that basically expresses exactly why I was so disappointed with this year's Presidential Election.... So here is ~~her~~ (my) two cents....

"Last night was truly a historic occasion: For only the second time in her adult life, Michelle Obama was proud of her country!

The big loser of this election is Colin Powell, whose last-minute endorsement of Obama put the Illinois senator over the top. Powell was probably at home last night, yelling at his TV, "Are you KIDDING me? That endorsement was sarcastic!"

The winner, of course, is Obama, who must be excited because now he can start hanging out in public with Bill Ayers and Rev. Jeremiah Wright again. John McCain is a winner because he can resume buying more houses. And we're all winners because we will never again have to hear McCain say, "my friends."

After Bill Clinton won the 1992 presidential election, Hillary Clinton immediately announced that, henceforth, she would be known as "Hillary Rodham Clinton." So maybe Obama can now become B. Hussein Obama, his rightful name. This was such an enormous Democratic year that even John Murtha won his congressional seat in Pennsylvania after calling his constituents racists. It turns out they're not racists -- they're retards. Question: What exactly would one have to say to alienate Pennsylvanians? That Joe Paterno should retire? Apparently Florida voters didn't mind Obama's palling around with Palestinian activist Rashid Khalidi and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, either. There must be a whole bunch of retired Pennsylvania Jews down there.

Have you ever noticed that whenever Democrats lose presidential elections, they always blame it on the personal qualities of their candidate? Kerry was a dork, Gore was a stiff, Dukakis was a bloodless android, Mondale was a sad sack. This blame-the-messenger thesis allows Democrats to conclude that their message was fine -- nothing should be changed! The American people are clamoring for higher taxes, big government, a defeatist foreign policy, gay marriage, the whole magilla. It was just this particular candidate's personality.

Republicans lost this presidential election, and I don't blame the messenger; I blame the message. How could Republicans go after B. Hussein Obama (as he is now known) on planning to bankrupt the coal companies when McCain supports the exact same cap and trade policies and earnestly believes in global warming? How could we go after Obama for his illegal alien aunt and for supporting driver's licenses for illegal aliens when McCain fanatically pushed amnesty along with his good friend Teddy Kennedy? How could we go after Obama for Jeremiah Wright when McCain denounced any Republicans who did so? How could we go after Obama for planning to hike taxes on the "rich," when McCain was the only Republican to vote against both of Bush's tax cuts on the grounds that they were tax cuts for the rich? And why should Republican activists slave away working for McCain when he has personally, viciously attacked: John O'Neill and the Swift Boat Veterans, National Right to Life director Doug Johnson, evangelical pastors Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and John Hagee, various conservative talk radio hosts, the Tennessee Republican Party and on and on and on? As liberal Democrat E.J. Dionne Jr. exuded about McCain in The Washington Post during the Republican primaries, "John McCain is feared by Democrats and liked by independents." Dionne proclaimed that McCain "may be the one Republican who can rescue his party from the undertow of the Bush years." Similarly, after unelectable, ultraconservative Reagan won two landslide victories, James Reston of The New York Times gave the same advice to Vice President George H.W. Bush: Stop being conservative! Bush was "a good man," Reston said in 1988, "and might run a strong campaign if liberated from Mr. Reagan's coattails." Roll that phrase around a bit -- "liberated from Mr. Reagan's coattails." This is why it takes so long to read the Times -- you have to keep reading the same paragraph over again to see if you missed a word. Bush, of course, rode Reagan's ultraconservative coattails to victory, then snipped those coattails by raising taxes and was soundly defeated four years later.

I keep trying to get Democrats to take my advice (stop being so crazy), but they never listen to me. Why do Republicans take the advice of their enemies? How many times do we have to run this experiment before Republican primary voters learn that "moderate," "independent," "maverick" Republicans never win, and right-wing Republicans never lose? Indeed, the only good thing about McCain is that he gave us a genuine conservative, Sarah Palin. He's like one of those insects that lives just long enough to reproduce so that the species can survive. That's why a lot of us are referring to Sarah as "The One" these days. Like Sarah Connor in "The Terminator," Sarah Palin is destined to give birth to a new movement. That's why the Democrats are trying to kill her. And Arnold Schwarzenegger is involved somehow, too.

Good Lord, I'm tired. After showing nearly superhuman restraint throughout this campaign, which was lost the night McCain won the California primary, I am now liberated to announce that all I care about is hunting down and punishing every Republican who voted for McCain in the primaries. I have a list and am prepared to produce the names of every person who told me he was voting for McCain to the proper authorities. We'll start with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Then we shall march through the states of New Hampshire and South Carolina -- states that must never, ever be allowed to hold early Republican primaries again. For now, we have a new president-elect. In the spirit of reaching across the aisle, we owe it to the Democrats to show their president the exact same kind of respect and loyalty that they have shown our recent Republican president. Starting tomorrow, if not sooner."

And as a good Texas Republican would say, "You get um Cowboy!!!!!!"

Straight A's

2008-11-07T10:46:00.018+01:00

Tom and I are so proud of our girls!!! The first quarter has come to an end and they both received Straight A's on their report cards!!!!!

Hailey's teacher told us that "Hailey Bop"- her pet name for Hailey, is such a joy to have in class and wished all of her students acted just like her! She also told us that Hailey excels in ART and MATH, and commented that she is not only one of the best artists she's seen in the 1st grade in a long time, but also observed her keen sense of fashion! LOL! So it looks as though Hailey is either heading for a career in Fashion Design or Architecture.... Hmmmm!!!!

Sarah's teachers told us that she was "The Model Student"... I was told that she is one of the most conscientious, thorough, and well organized students they have in the 6th grade this year. Sarah excels in READING, WRITING, and SCIENCE... actually they said she excels in everything, but I don't want to sound too proud... So it looks like Sarah is either heading for a career as a Writer or Research Scientist.... Hmmmm!!!!

Either way, both Tom and I are so very proud of them!!!! They both have worked very hard this quarter and are always our PRIDE & JOY!!!!!

Halloween - NO Hassel, NO Drama, NO CANDY!!!!

2008-11-03T08:36:00.030+01:00

This year we celebrated Halloween very differently than we would usually celebrate it in the States... No Trick or Treating! No costume parties! Just good old fashion fellowship. The weather here was cold and wet. And with that sort of combination Trick or Treating isn't appealing no matter where you live. Besides Sarah informed us this year that she is now a Middle Schooler and way too old to Trick or Treat... Perfect!!!! One down! One more to go!!!! And my Hailey actually wasn't too trilled about the thought of Trick or Treating either, because she says, and I quote, "They never give out the good chocolate, like Lindt Swiss Dark Chocolate or Godiva dark chocolate truffles."... LOL.. Boy, Oh Boy!!!! I guess we've all gotten a bit spoiled living over here in Europe.

But putting that all aside, it sure was nice this year to not worry about costumes, and instead simply enjoy the evening hanging out with friends. We started our night off by going to a local Italian seafood restaurant in Pordenone. It was the sort of place that only the locals frequent. My favorite type! Our dear friend Tony P always seems to have a knack for finding some of the best places around Europe. The seafood at this place was not only good and fresh, but also super inexpensive for Italian standards, which of course always makes Tom happy!!!! Then we drove over to our friends home, built a fire, opened a good bottle of wine, roasted some chestnuts, and relaxed as our children watched movies and played together. Now that's my idea of a perfect Halloween! NO HASSLE OVER COSTUMES, NO DRAMA, and NO CANDY!!!! Boy, I sure do love Europe!

2nd Annual Peep Game!

2008-11-01T10:56:00.021+01:00

Last year my dear friend Kat introduced me to the Halloween "PEEP" game. I'm not sure if she created it herself or she inherited it from someone else, but we Giles' are always are up for a good game involving fun and fellowship with our friends. So this year we decided to put the game into action once again. Sadly, a few of our dear friends have PCS'd since last year's festivities, so we decided to introduced some new friends to the game...

First off, here are a few things you need to know about the game.... It involves those smooshy little marshmallow treats called"PEEPS".... You know the ones... They're full of sugar and immediately become stale as soon as you open the package... YUM!!! The object of the game is to spread the "PEEPS" around as much as possible, but to NOT end up with the "PEEPS" at Midnight on O' Hallow's Eve or you're responsible for throwing the first party of the new year. The game has only one rule and that is to use Tricks or Treats but don't get stuck with the "PEEPS". Fun!!!! Well last year The Giles' family were the big Losers or PEEPSTERS due to our weakest link Hailey. She unsuspectingly took the "PEEPS" disguised as a wrapped Halloween gift. If you know Hailey you know she would never turn down a gift even if it is one full of stale marshmallow treats... :) So this year we put both of our girls on full "PEEP Alert"- To accept no gifts or packages in the month of October no matter how tempting they look... :)

This years game took off with a bang and the "PEEPS" ended up in many different locations throughout the month of October.... 10 different families and 20 locations in all... Some of my favorite statements from the game this year were ... "Oh NO! Not the PEEPS!... You BRAT!!! I think there is a rule that you can't 're give' the peeps, right??!... The PEEPS, The PEEPS, The Dreaded PEEPS!...I'm devising a plan to get rid of those smooshy little guys!... Let's have a PEEPS rule interpretation! Ha, Ha!!!!

This years PEEPS game also included some very inventive and tricky gift giving ideas... But my over all favorite was receiving the PEEPS via MPS mail... Way to go Sean & Amanda! You get this years Master PEEP award for overall skill and trickery!!!!! This year's game was tons of fun and I want to thank all of our dear friends for playing along and even as I'm writing this Blog I'm not sure if the family who ended up with the dreaded "PEEPS" are even aware they have them! Hint... Hint... Check in your bathroom!

So the lucky "PEEPSTERS" are the Polizzi Family!

We love you and we are all looking forward to the next party at your house!!!!

Fall Blessings

2008-10-31T12:54:00.015+01:00

Yesterday one of my good friends Linda and I arrived at her house and were happily surprised to see all of our children diligently raking the leaves in her yard. I thought how sweet is that, I was sure they would be in the house playing some sort of computer/internet game when we got home. But to my surprise they were outside being helpful and raking leaves. I immediately became curious because they all seemed to be working so diligent at the task at hand. They were not easily detracted and were working very well together as a unified group. So I grabbed my trusty camera and stood back to see how this mystery would unfold. I quickly realized what they were really up too. They were raking the leaves into a pile so they could jump and play in them. How fun! It made we want to do it too!!!!

As I stood there watching, I was immediately transferred back to my childhood, and all the great memories and fun times my siblings and I shared as we did the very same thing. Playing in the leaves for us was always one of the best experiences of the Fall season. Oh how times have changed... Now that we are adults it seems we now dread this part of the season with the countless amount of leaves that fall on our yards and sidewalks. Especially when it rains and they become slick. What a nuisance! As I stood there and watched the children I was quickly reminded of how blessed our family is. My children have such amazing friends that act as if they are their actual siblings. I immediately thanked God for all the blessings He's given Tom and I in our life. What a joy it is to be able to experience certain things all over again through a child's perspective! It's always nice to be reminded in this high paced computer generation to enjoy life and take the time to play in the leaves every once in a while!

Looks like Sarah is about to get hit with some leaves!

Pumpkin Festival in Venzone

2008-10-31T10:25:00.031+01:00

Last Saturday we and some friends drove about an hour north of Maniago to a small medieval town called Venzone for their annual Pumpkin festival – Festa della Zucca. Venzone was originally a major trade city during the Roman era linking Italy to the rest of Europe. The town continued to flourish during the middle ages to modern day. In 1976 the town was leveled by two major earthquakes 4 months apart. The town however was rebuilt as an exact replica of its original form. Every year the fest takes place the fourth weekend of October in the medieval town of Venzone. It started celebrating its pumpkin fest 14 years ago because of an ancient legend, which centers upon a pumpkin. According to this legend, in the 14th century Venzone was almost completely built and had many nice palaces. The city's cathedral and the tower clock had finished being constructed Unfortunately, the city didn't have enough money to pay the artist who had just completed decorating the roof of the tower clock with a golden globe. The city committee decided to give him just one third of the amount he asked for his work because they thought that everybody should volunteer some of their working time for the town, especially during this hard time. He didn't have much choice, and he accepted the money that the city gave him. But that night he thought he would pay the city back in the same way. He went back up to the roof and replaced the golden ball with a nicely painted pumpkin. He left the city the next day. The Venzone inhabitants were happy for the completion of the work that embellished their city but, shortly, they realized that something on the tower was wrong because the ball was changing color. Only when big pieces started Falling down did they understand how the sculptor had fooled them. Nevertheless, the city dedicates an annual fair to this important agricultural product that grows in the area. For a couple of days, the town is swarmed with thousands of visitors from towns nearby, as well as from Germany and Austria, who come to watch the parades of people dressed in medieval costumes, musicians, jugglers, peasants and knights who populate the narrow streets. The pumpkin festival promotes all things pumpkin; pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin grappa, but there is no pumpkin pie is to be found anywhere. . The ‘townsfolk’ hold various contests and the entire town is decorated with pumpkin motifs, and in the evening lit by candle light only. We had so much fun and enjoyed tasting all the various foods made with pumpkin(Zucca). My favorite was the pumpkin pizza! Yum!

Bye, Bye, Soccer Season

2008-10-30T14:53:00.017+01:00

"The Diamonds" 2008

Hannah & Sarah

Sarah had her final soccer game this weekend. This year has been so fun for all of us! She moved to the big field this year and the competition was fierce. She played in a co-ed league and many of the games were very intense. It didn't help that she had only three boys on her whole team and the rest of the teams were chock full of 6th & 7th grade boys. At this age it's all about winning for these kids... You actually start to see the difference in speed and strength between the boys and girls. This has been really tough for both Tom and I... You know us, we don't have a competitive bone in our body.... It doesn't matter if we win!!!!... Pa Shaw!!! (I heisted this saying from my friend Linda) And although the girls really came together and played well as a team they just didn't quite have the speed or strength to match some of the boys. Sarah on many occasions even commented how she seemed to get pushed around a lot more this year and it hurt pretty bad when she would get kicked in the shins. Ouch!!!!

But we did win the lottery and were totally blessed by our coach this year. Sarah's coach was amazing and really taught her how to play the game. Her team worked hard every week at practice and proved it on the field each and every Saturday morning. Most of the time her team's skill far out matched the rest of the other teams so we were proud of Sarah no matter what the outcome. So I think even though this year was a serious challenge for US Sarah it will pay off in the end. I'm sure next year when she is in the States playing on an all girls team not only will she have the skills, but now she will play much more aggressively. So although we will miss cheering Sarah on every Saturday with the rest of the crazy soccer parents I have to admit it will be nice to finally have a free Saturday morning again!!! Bye, Bye, Soccer Season!

Caffè e Torta

2008-10-23T10:39:00.017+02:00

About a week and a half ago Hailey and I went on a field trip to one of the local Italian Pasticcerias (pastry shops) called Stradellas. While there one of the pastry chefs gave us a demonstration on how to make and decorate one of Italy's most popular cakes, Ciliegio Amaretto Torta (Cherry Amaretto Cake). Hailey's 1st grade teacher warned our chef to leave out the amaretto and only use cherry juice because the children would be eating the cake later for snack. Our chef said, "Va, bene! Va bene!", but later I found out from Hailey that the cake had lots of alcohol in it... Maybe our chef forgot... Or maybe he was saying Va bene, Va bene because he thought a little liquor wouldn't hurt anyone... Either way, only on a school field trip in Italy would our children be given cake laced with liquor! ... Viva Italia!... After the demonstration and tour of the shop all the children received a cup of cioccolata calda e biscotti ( Hot chocolate and a cookie) and the parents were able to purchase some machiatto e torta( Coffee and cake). It was delicious! Most shops also makes their hot chocolate super thick in Italy. It's almost like they just melt a chocolate bar in a cup! Yummy! As you can see from Hailey and her friend Avery the hot chocolate was a hit!

Pomegranates - gotta love those ruby red antitoxidants

2008-10-21T20:37:00.032+02:00

It's pomegranate season here in Italy and boy do I love those tangy red seeds. My Italian neighbors have two trees growing in their front yard and ever since I came across this great recipe in the November edition of Bon appetit magazine I've been totally jones-ing to pick some. The recipe is for a Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto and Pomegranate. Yum! So combine the tempting picture in the magazine along with the fact that I have to drive by this tree every time I take the girls to the bus stop and you've got some serious fruit envy going on... And it doesn't hurt also knowing that the ruby red seeds of the pomegranate are chock full of antioxidants which can help protect our cells from harmful antigens. So honestly making this recipe is really a medicinal must for our family. So what's a mother to do?... Should I steal some pomegranates in the cover of night or ask if it's okay to pick some of the tangy medicinal fruit.... Because I'm NOT a thief, only a COWARD, I sent my sweet, sweet, Hailey to go and ask if she could pick some of the miracle healing fruit. And because she is ever so helpful, and always ready to perform, she obliged. The truth is I'm not actually that big of a chicken I've just learned a few things over the past three years living in Italy. One of the things I've learned is that most Italians love, love, love, children, and have a hard time saying no to them....Of course they were going to say yes to Hailey. Who wouldn't?... Who couldn't?... And once again my knowledge of the Italian culture was spot on and in typical Italian fashion they also said she could come back whenever she wanted and pick as much fruit as she liked... Score!!!! I've included the yummy recipe in this blog. It was fab and absolutely worth sending Hailey in to do my dirty work as I can already feel the antioxidants working!

Roasted Chestnuts

2008-10-20T06:58:00.012+02:00

It's chestnut season here in Italy and yesterday on our hike up the mountains we found some very nice chestnuts. The great thing is you can find them almost anywhere this time of year and they're some of the best you'll ever eat. Hailey was begging me yesterday to roast them so I remembered this great oven recipe that I found last year and we tried it. Boy were they good!

Oven Roasted Chestnuts

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

Clean off chestnuts.

Use a sharp paring knife to cut an X into one side of each chestnut, or prick chestnuts with a fork to allow steam to escape

Arrange chestnuts on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan,
with the cut or pricked sides up.

Roast in oven for 15 to 25 minutes,
or until chestnuts are tender and easy to peel.

Peel the nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and enjoy.

Maniago Vespa Rally

2008-10-19T22:06:00.001+02:00

Today we stumbled upon a Vespa Scooter Rally in Maniago. Only in Italy will you find grown men proudly showing off their Vespas. Here are a few pictures of some of our favorites.

Birthday Bash

2008-10-18T19:40:00.004+02:00

What a fun birthday party this year. Amanda outdid herself this time. I(Tom) looked forward to it all day knowing I'd get to hang out with good friends, eat fatty meats, and be the center of attention. What else could an extrovert ask for? Well, the night was everything I thought it would be, but the meat was actually better than I thought it would be. All in all, it was a great time sitting around, hanging out, and simply enjoying good friendship!

Bonfire at Barcis

2008-10-17T10:58:00.011+02:00

Last weekend Tom and I decided to have a small get together in Barcis and build a bonfire to roast some hot dogs and marshmallows. We had built an impromptu fire a few months before with a few friends and enjoyed it so much that we decided to do it again once the weather got a little cooler. Well in typical Giles fashion, what originally started out as just a few friends quickly turned into a large crowd of friends, who also brought some of their friends. In the end over 40 people showed up and we all shared in loads of fun and fellowship.. What a blast!
Here are a few pictures from the day.

Halloween, Pumpkins & Christianity

2008-10-03T10:46:00.009+02:00

Tom and I used to be completely against acknowledging anything about Halloween. When we learned that the true origins of Halloween were based in Paganism we convinced ourselves that if we joined in any of its traditions we would actually be condoning paganism, and thus opening ourselves up to demonic activity in our lives. Boy oh Boy were we blind and judgmental back then! I'm so glad we've changed our views and grown in our Christianity. At this time in our lives, we no longer feel that way, and feel that in the past we gave way too much credit and attention to evil and forgot about all the great family fun that can happen during this Fall season.

Until I had children. Especially children who loved to dress up like princesses. I was torn about whether to let them take part in what they see as fun dress-up and eating candy. Would we go to the church Fall Festival, Trick ot Treat or avoid it altogether? I decided that I would not let the devil have the power to steal my daughters' joy over something they didn't understand. By giving the devil credit in which he does not deserve, and making my girls feel left out, I may just be fueling the fire for rebellion later. Now obviously there is something to be said about teaching our children we do not completely fit into this world and some of it's pagan pactices. Christians are in but not of this world. We have different beliefs and our chilren should know exactly how we feel about certain Halloween practices.

In our family we dress up in costumes, and either Trick or Treat or go to the Fall Festival and get candy. I also let them dress up at school and do something here we call "Trunk or Treat". The Italians don't really understand the concept of trick or treating and tend to do some of the more pagan rituals. Honestly, for my girls, it's really only about dressing up. In fact, they never even eat or want the candy they receive. So last year Tom and I also decided to dress up and make it a family affair. The girls loved it and it was a special way for all of us to bond as a family.

I found a great article dealing with the origins of Halloween and the issues of Christians celebrating it. They compare it to the issue in the Bible of eating meat sacrificed to idols. They also raise the question I was thinking about last week about Christmas trees. The Christmas Tree was originally part of a festival to a fertility god. Does this mean that if we have a Christmas Tree, we are worshiping the fertility god? No, that is ridiculous, mainly because of the Christmas tree's cultural context to us now! The Christmas Tree has now become a symbol of love, peace, and joy! That being said, it's always a matter of your own personal conviction...

Every year my girls want to carve pumpkins. It's such an amazing bonding experience for all of us. Last year I was thrilled when a friend of mine sent me this amazing devotion using a pumpkin to share Christ. My girls and I loved it and it's a great way to bring Christ into the season. So I thought I would share it with all of you!

Pumpkin Carving Devotion

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin! Let me try to explain, I brought this pumpkin here to help me illustrate what I mean. (Proceed to carve the pumpkin.)

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the "dirt" off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the "yucky stuff" called "sin" out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! Sin will not have such internal power. He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That's why it is important to go the church and learn about God's Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God's love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. "Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us. We can say like this jack-o-lantern, "Thy presence, my light!"

You can also use this prayer in conjunction with it. You can have them draw pictures of their pumpkin and share the gospel with their friends. This is good to do each year after the pumpkins have outlived their outdoor decorating potential.

{cut off top of pumpkin}
Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you.

{remove innards}
Remove the things in my life that don't please you.
Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others.

{cut open eyes}
Open my eyes to see the beauty you've made in the world around me.

{cut out nose}
I'm sorry for the times I've turned my nose at the good food you provide.

{cut out mouth}
Let everything I say please You.

{light the candle}
Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do.

Back into the Grind

2008-09-12T07:48:00.005+02:00

So we're Back into the Grind already! It has been over a week and I'm just finally posting another blog! It seems like it has been a whirlwind... with school, soccer, and me trying to get back into some sort of shape. I seriously over indulged this summer and now I'm forced to work it off all over again... Boy, how quickly we can get out of shape. Even Sarah is feeling the pains at soccer practice. Other than that we are all just enjoying the absolutely amazing Italian weather and soaking up as much Europeon culture as we can.

Viva Italia!

2008-08-31T10:16:00.003+02:00

So we arrived back to Italy last Sunday and it has taken me over a week to post a blog. This delinquency has not been due to Jet Lag or Time Zone sleep deprivation... Oh No! I've been spending the last week THANKING as well as promising all my dear friends & Tom's office that I'll never leave Tom alone for that long of a period of time ever again! LOL.... I came home to a house that looked as though it had not been lived in for an awful long time and a refrigerator and freezer that was the emptiest I'd seen in all of our 16 years of marriage... :) It was obvious that Tom missed us and needed us to come home! The girls and I had an uneventful flight back home and the girls started school the very next day. I have to say they've done an exceptional job overcoming jet lag. Maybe it was because of all the hustle and bustle since we've been home with new school routines, soccer, and piano. Whatever the case we're all on the same time zone now!

Tom also surprised me with taking Friday off of work and organizing a sleep over for the girls with our friends the Perdue's. We spent the whole day just catching up and enjoying the absolutely beautiful Italian weather. Viva Italia! It's nice to be back home.

Arlington National Cemetery

2008-08-23T17:52:00.001+02:00

While in Virginia we took the opportunity to visit the grave sight of a dear friend of ours, Christian Skoglund, who died in a helicopter crash last November. This visit although sad was a much needed moment for both the girls and I. So much happened so quickly after the accident and we were unable to attend the funerals. Visiting the grave sight gave the girls the opportunity to mentally understand as well as physically expressed what they've been feeling over the past year. The Arlington Cemetery was not only a healing experience, but also left us all with an extreme pride/respect for all those who have and are currently willing to sacrificed their lives for us and all the freedoms we receive in the United States of America.

Mt. Vernon Museum

2008-08-22T17:33:00.000+02:00

This was a cool face of George Washington that seemed to be following you.

Mount Vernon, Virginia

2008-08-22T16:13:00.000+02:00

We visited the Mount Vernon estate and Mount Vernon gardens while visiting my dear friends, Miguel and Allison Garcia. Here is a little info and a few pictures from our visit. Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George and Martha Washington from the time of their marriage in 1759. Evidence collected by archaeologists is being used to reconstruct the First President's estate, mansion, gardens, and Mount Vernon's closeby gristmill and distillery. Mount Vernon is located on the Potomac River in Virginia, about 8 miles below the southern edge of the Washington DC beltway. So hopefully when we get stationed in DC we can take some of our friends and family as well.

Mansion Inside and Out

Surrounding quarters

Hanging Out With My Girlfriend Allison

2008-08-20T23:42:00.002+02:00

I was so thrilled to get the opportunity to hang out with my girlfriend Allison for a few days before we flew back to Italy. I had a blast with you Allison as always! Thank you for sharing your party suite and cabana boy! Love you!

Back to the Future- New Market, VA

2008-08-17T12:00:00.001+02:00

On our trip from Virginia to DC we stopped at this cute town and restaurant that looked as if it stepped right out of the 50's or something. The booths were decked out with vintage blue vinyl and mini jukeboxes. The restaurant also had a Old fashion soda counter. It was a serious hoot! I felt as if I stepped back in time like the movie Back to the Future.

Grandma's Orchids

2008-08-16T23:33:00.000+02:00

Thought I would include some pictures of the beautiful orchids Tom's mother
grows in her sun room. Aren't they phenomenal?

Cha Cha Chillin in Floyd, VA

2008-08-16T15:25:00.003+02:00

The Giles Lodge & Resort

It seems we're sadly on the last leg of our trip... I know Tom is ready for us to return home as I'm sure are so many of our dear friends back in Aviano who Tom has graciously invited himself to their homes since our departure to the States...LOL... We head to BWI & Andrews tomorrow to see if we can find a flight to take us back over the pond. So friends and family please lift us up in your prayers as we prepare to find safe and easy space A travel. This part of the process is never that easy. None of us are exactly ready to go back to Italy, but one thing is for sure we do miss Tom and all of our good friends at Aviano - and of course B too! We've been so blessed and have had a truly amazing summer, as well as, an absolutely fabulous time visiting so many of our family and friends all along the east coast. But one thing we've especially enjoyed is our time relaxing here at The Giles Resort & Lodge! - Hailey keeps Grandma busy and Sarah keeps Grandpa in line...LOL... As for me, I get to chill, chill, chill... Gotta love that!

Grandpa(Dad) and Grandma (Mom) thank you so much for all you've done and provided for us during this amazing trip. The simply truth is none of this trip could have been possible without all your amazing love, support, and generosity. Thank you again for allowing us to borrow your car so we could drive up and down the east coast. What a huge blessing that was! Words can not express how deeply thankful I am. We will definitely miss you more than you'll ever know over the next few months. Keep praying for DC! We love you! Here are a few pictures from our time here in Floyd, VA with Grandma and Grandpa Giles...

Kudzu

2008-08-16T00:15:00.005+02:00

I would be remiss not to include some pictures of the infamous kudzu that grows all over the South. As we drove through Alabama and Georgia we just knew we were going to be attacked by it's vines and end up a permanent fixture on the side of the road somewhere...
In the 1930's, a vine native to Japan was introduced throughout the United States as a highly effective means for controlling erosion. Forty years later, the USDA officially declared this miracle-vine a weed. While visitors to the South are immediately taken by scenic glimpses of kudzu-blanketed lands -capes, natives keep their doors shut to keep the creeping plant from taking over their houses. Growing better in the South than it does even in its native environment, kudzu can grow as much as a foot per day, climbing trees, barns, telephone poles--and anything else that gets in their way. And while these vines actually do help prevent erosion, they also destroy entire forests, wrapping themselves around every inch, smothering every tree from needed sunlight...We even found soap made out of it...

Hospitality As Sweet As Georgia Peaches

2008-08-14T07:44:00.004+02:00

While visiting Uncle Jan & Aunt Sarah in Warner Robbins, Georgia they took us to Lane's Peach Packing Plant. What an amazing opportunity it was for the girls to see how peaches are picked, sorted, washed,boxed,and shipped to various places all around the world. Later after arriving in Va Sarah found out that Grandpa Giles worked at the Lane Peach Packing Plant when he was young man. Now that's pretty cool! After our tour of the plant we all sat down on the front porch in rocking chairs and ate some homemade peach ice cream. Boy was it ever good! We then headed over to the local Cracker Barrel for some good southern home cooking. Sarah decided to try Chicken and Dumplings for the first time and totally fell in love with them. Her Daddy and Grandpa would be proud! After dinner Aunt Sarah took the girls into the Country Store and they both got to pick out a special gift from their Aunt & Uncle. Then when we got back to their house they treated the girls to some brownies and some more fresh peaches. This time I tried the peaches and they were so sweet and juicy! Georgia truly does grow some of the best peaches around! The next morning we awoke to Uncle Jan preparing pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit for breakfast. He purchased the pancake mix from a mill nearby and they were definitely some of the best pancakes I've had in a very long time... Sorry Tom:( - They were really good!
Thank you Uncle Jan & Aunt Sarah for your amazing hospitality! The girls and I loved every minute of our stay. Our only regret is that we wish we could have stayed longer. We're looking forward to visiting again when we return to the States. We love you and will miss you!

Watch Out Shamu !!!!!

2008-08-10T15:00:00.000+02:00

We had such a blast hanging out and playing in the pool at Tim & Kat's home. The kids didn't skip a beat. It was as if the Kosmala's had never PCS'd to Florida and we were still stationed together. The kids acted more like cousins then anything else. We'll sure be sad when they move into base housing and no longer have a pool. What will we do when we come back to visit next year?
Tim, Kat, Britt, and Brendon thank you so much for the wonderful visit and making me realize I would never want to be stationed in Panama City...LOL... Love you guys!

Destin Beach, Florida

2008-08-10T13:00:00.002+02:00

The girls and I decided to stop at Destin Beach on our way back to Panama City and it was all we imagined and more. It was absolutely breathtakingly. It definitely beats any of the beaches in Italy. The water was so clear, warm and very salty.

Look at that beautiful white sand - it looked and felt like powder.

The water was crystal clear but further out the water was a beautiful shade of emerald green.

The girls had a hard time taking pictures because the white sand and sun was blinding!

Destin at Dusk

2008-08-10T00:22:00.001+02:00

Destin Commons

2008-08-09T21:07:00.002+02:00

On Sat night we decided to head over to Destin Commons to do a little shopping after dinner. I was so excited because the shopping center didn't close until after 10:00 at night. I have to say it had to be one of the most beautiful shopping centers I'd ever seen. Tom you would have loved it! It even surpassed the Dallas Galleria in my eyes. It was so cool because at night all the Palm trees and buildings were lit up as if it was Disneyland or something. To top it off there were loads of sales and I got some great clothes at the Limited Too for the girls. After we finished our shopping the girls and I headed over to Starbucks and had some late night coffee and frappuccinos. Yum!

Bounce U

2008-08-09T12:08:00.002+02:00

On Saturday afternoon we headed over to Pennsacola, FL to a place called Bounce University for my nephew Nate's 11th Birthday Party. Bounce U has two warehouse sized rooms filled with 9 different inflatables- a 20 foot slide, obstacle course, boxing ring, dodge ball stadium, rock climb slide and more! My nephew is a big Florida State fan so his cake and party were decked out in yellow and maroon. We all had loads of fun as you can tell by all the pictures!

The boxing gloves were super heavy... Hailey could barely lift them!

My niece Gabrielle was my photographer for the day!

NAVARRE BEACH, FL

2008-08-09T09:00:00.000+02:00

Starfish & Hermit Crabs- Navarre Beach, FL

2008-08-08T16:22:00.000+02:00

Cousins
Abigail, Sarah, Hailey, Gabrielle

The girls and I set out with paper bags in hand to walk along the beach by my brother Scott's home and collect shells. We only found a few shells but we did come home with 4 starfish and 4 hermit crabs. Luckily for my brother we left all of our treasures behind for him to enjoy!

Butterfly House - Navarre Beach, FL

2008-08-08T14:08:00.000+02:00

The Panhandle Butterfly House is an educational and interactive exhibit. It's education helps us to become more aware of the importance of preserving our habitats and to use appropriate integrated pest management. But above all, the Panhandle Butterfly House is a place to simply enjoy the elegant flight of the butterfly, to delight in their brilliant colors and to become immersed in the fragrances and beauty of the flowers.

Free Time At The Park

2008-08-08T14:00:00.000+02:00

We had a little extra free time so we hung out at the Navarre Children's park with Julia and Caroline. They all really liked the rope swing and unfortunately Swep got stuck loading the children on the swing while we all talked. Thanks Swep!

Mississippi Friends

2008-08-08T13:53:00.000+02:00

I was so excited to meet up with some of my dear friends from Biloxi, Mississippi. The last time we saw them Sarah was just a few years old and Hailey had not even been born yet. Many of you have heard about Sarah's stuffed animal Silas. Well Swep and Sherrie are our good friends who gave Silas to Sarah before we left Biloxi, MS. She has loved and cared for him him ever since. In fact, Silas has traveled all around the world with her. And just as we added Hailey to our family, our friends added two daughters to their family as well. Their names are Julia and Caroline and they both are true Southern beauty's. I was also very excited to see my dear friend Jeanette. It had been so long since I last seen her but it was as if time had stood still... I love you guys and even though many times we're thousands of miles apart you'll always be dear and near to Thomas and my heart. And Swep and Sherrie make sure you come and visit us before we leave Italy!

Gulf World

2008-08-05T15:10:00.005+02:00

We decided to go to Gulf World while visiting the Kosmala's in Panama City, Florida. At Gulf World, we saw live animal shows, fascinating exhibits, and experienced hands-on interaction with Sting Rays. The live shows featured dolphins, sea lions, snakes, and even a great magic show. We also explored exhibits showcasing penguins, flamingos, sharks, otters, alligators, sea turtles, iguanas and much more. The girls favorites included the dolphin show,sea lion show as well as being able to touch Sting rays. Did you know they actually feel squishy instead of rubbery. Boy was it loads of fun! Thanks Tim, Brittany, and Brendon for sharing the memorable experience with us!

I purchased a new zoom lens for my Cannon Rebel... Aren't some of the close-ups amazing!

Relaxing At The River

2008-08-03T19:14:00.007+02:00

The River House in Georgia

While in Georgia visiting Uncle Sal & Aunt Tina(Tina, it still feels weird calling you Aunt. You really do feel more like a sister to me!) we all had such an great time on our weekend getaway to the river house. If we all look super relaxed in the pictures it's because we definitely were. Tina and Sal have done an amazing job in making their getaway home a fun retreat away from all daily stresses of life. We also had a blast cruising around on the boat and being pulled on the big inner tube. Trust me, I have the bruises on my bum to prove it. I guess I can thank Stephen and Joseph for that. They both have turned into such great young men. As usual Hailey was our infamous dare devil ,and kept telling Stephen to go faster and faster, of course he obliged and as you can see from the pictures he almost flipped us over many times. All in all we had an amazing time and look forward to returning next year with Tom so he can join in all the fun!

Dawson, Georgia

2008-08-02T07:42:00.003+02:00

Dawson ,Georgia
Terrell County Historical Marker at Old Terrell County Courthouse
Historic Home on Stonewall Street - Dawson Historic District

Uncle Sal & Aunt Tina's beautiful historical home
in Dawson, Georgia. Isn't it beautiful...

Confederate Slave Memorial, Cedar Hill Cemetery
Old Terrell County Courthouse
Historic Marker, Dawson, GA

Peanuts, Peaches, and Pigs, Oh My!

2008-08-01T06:02:00.003+02:00

The girls and I fell in love with Georgia's fresh peaches and seedless watermelons. Uncle Sal and Aunt Tina also introduced both of the girls to boiled peanuts, Piggy Wiggly grocery stores, and the best Southern hospitality Georgia has to offer. I think Hailey even began to develop a little Southern accent during our visit. But sorry Tom... The one thing they both tried and neither of them liked was the fried okra.... So I guess you'll be eating fried okra along with fried chicken livers all by your lonesome...

Once again thank you Uncle Sal, Aunt Tina, and the rest of the family for welcoming us into your home with open arms and truly showing us the most amazing southern hospitality. We love you and miss you already! See you next summer!

Carowinds Amusement Park

2008-07-31T04:27:00.001+02:00

Gram and Pop Pop surprised the girls by taking them to Carowinds Amusement Park and boy did they have loads of fun. If you like thrilling rides Carowinds is a good choice. Similar in size and quality to Six Flags, Kings Dominion, and Bush Gardens, as far as theme parks are concerned this is a nice one. If you'd like to avoid the long lines it's best to go during the week like we did. We barely had to wait for more than a few minutes.

This was Hailey's first amusement park experience in the USA as well as her first ride on a real roller coaster. This was also Sarah's first time being tall enough to ride all the rides including some of the very scary ones like the Borg Assimilator (pictured 1st row above) and the Drop Zone(pictured 3rd row above). The Borg is a roller coaster where you lie down head first and are tossed and turned all different directions. In the Drop Zone you’ll climb 160 feet then are dropped like a stone straight down at 56 mph. Sarah loved them both as well as some of the other pretty intimidating thrill rides. Hailey also talked me into riding some of those spin rides which quickly took their toll on me and Sarah had to take my place the rest of the day....LOL. We also enjoyed the great water park that kept us nice and cool throughout the day. Thanks Gram and Pop Pop for sharing some first time experiences with the girls! We love you!

Ginger Loves Pears

2008-07-30T04:05:00.001+02:00

I took a few pictures of Hailey feeding Ginger the horse some pears from Gram's fruit trees in her yard. Ginger was so sweet and gently ate the pears from her hand. Hailey loved every bit of the experience.

Boating Fun in Charlotte, NC

2008-07-29T17:34:00.001+02:00

"Cousins"
Nolan, Hailey, Sarah and Liam

Clowning around on the raft.

We enjoyed watching the beautiful sunset from he boat.... We had such a good time and an amazing visit with Tom's brother and family. Thanks John, Melissa and the boys!

Gardening with Aunt Melissa & Nolan

2008-07-29T13:18:00.001+02:00

The girls got a chance to help Aunt Melissa and their cousin Nolan pick some fruits and vegetables from their garden on our visit to their house in Charlotte, NC.

Nolan was so proud of the Watermelon he grew and boy was it ever so sweet just like him!

Wild Blackberry Picking in Virginia

2008-07-24T07:36:00.002+02:00

The girls enjoyed picking all the wild blackberries growing at their grandparents house in Floyd, Va. It seems the local wildlife enjoyed them as well!

Fishing in Floyd With Grandpa

2008-07-23T22:26:00.004+02:00

The girls setting the fish free

This morning the girls set out to the pond with Grandpa to do a little fishing. This was their first time fishing and they both did very well. Hailey used a pink fishing pole and caught a nice size catfish and trout. Sarah on the other hand used a spiderman pole and caught a speckled perch. Don't they look so cute with their Grandpa... So much fun was had by all of us on our visit to Virginia.

Hanging out in DC

2008-07-22T02:40:00.006+02:00

We had such a blast hanging out in Washington DC and more than ever the girls and I are convinced we should try to get stationed there next. So we will be pushing Tom in that direction when we get back. He will probably have to ride the metro or deal with the unbelievable traffic for a few years but we would be close to family and friends and living amongst the hustle and bustle of a big city in which we all absolutely love.

Smithsonian Museums

2008-07-19T14:25:00.007+02:00

Air & Space Museum

This morning we got up and headed to the Smithsonian Museums.... First we went to the Air and Space Museum- Grandma's favorite and then The Natural History Museum - the girl's favorite. We all had a blast and are looking forward to moving close by so we can spend countless hours exploring all the rest of the museums. Thank you for taking us grandma!

Natural History Museum

Washington DC At Night

2008-07-19T07:50:00.010+02:00

Today we headed to DC and Bethesda to stay the night. We ended up eating at this great Chinese place right next to the Capital building. Good food and they had loads of pictures of famous political people posing with the two owners... It looked as though Hillary Clinton was a frequent customer.... They had over six pictures of her hanging on the wall. I just knew Tom would love that. We then strolled the Mall at night and I took some great pictures of the Monuments. Tomorrow we are heading to the Smithsonian Museums and then to visit with our good friends the Colemans.

Space A to the States....

2008-07-18T06:56:00.007+02:00

So we made it back to the States... We had the typical Space A uneventful flight... All those associated with military with appreciate this..... We were suppose to leave at 10:00 am and ended up actually leaving at 3:00 pm due to an in flight emergency. Once we got to Ramstein,Germany we met up with some friends and then almost missed our flight... We were so busy catching up with good friends we forgot we actually had to catch another flight. All of a sudden there was no one around us and we soon realized we didn't see anyone from our flight. I then immediately told my friend Miguel and he quickly moved in to action and ushered us to the flight line in just the nick of time. I have to say it's so good to have friends in high places... We actually looked as if we were some pretty important people getting on the flight... LOL.... Once we got back on the flight we were told we would be stopping in Ireland to refuel and have a crew change. I have to say even though the flight was going to take longer we were all pretty excited to stop in Ireland. Ireland is one of the countries we haven't been to yet. Once there, I took the opportunity to buy a spoon for my infamous coffee spoon collection and then I decided to have a pint of Irish cider to relax me as we prepared to go over the pond. Then while in flight.... Hailey decided to spill her food tray all over the floor and the gentleman beside her... Sarah and I refer to this as the "Yogurt incident" because yogurt went flying everywhere to include a few seats in front and in the back of us. After that it was pretty much smooth sailing for the Giles' Girls.... I moved to another seat with the full knowledge that any sort of sleep was not going to be in my future and I let the girls spread out across our 3 seats and they slept the rest of the flight. We then arrived at BWI at 11:30pm eastern standard time and Tom's mom took us to the Westin Hotel for the night.... I was so excited because the hotel was awesome and I awoke to Starbucks Coffee brewing in our room, as well as a a pool, and a gym... Is there anything better than that?... Oh yeah... I also had Grandma along for the ride which equates to TOTAL freedom for me! Lovin that!... We then headed to the Baltimore Harbor to shop and explore for the rest of the day... More too come...

My Starbucks and Barnes & Noble's fix....

Village of Riomaggiore

2008-07-15T15:35:00.024+02:00

Riomaggiore

When approaching it from the south, the Cinque Terre officially begins at Riomaggiore, a quaint fishing village that spills down the slope of a hill to the Mediterranean. The main street now covers the course of the Major River, the town’s namesake. As one of the larger Cinque Terre towns and being the southernmost, Riomaggiore is seething with tourists - Germans, Australians, and especially Americans. The disproportionate number of our fellow countrymen is likely attributed to the "Rick Steves effect" in that the area was prominently featured on his PBS travel show. What is clear is that trainloads of tourists arrive every 20 min or so clad in fleeces, cargo pants, hiking boots, backpacks and wielding walking poles - resembling an Eddie Bauer & LL Bean fashion show. Nevertheless, Riomaggiore, and the whole Cinque Terre for that matter, seems to subsist on tourists. Each new train brings another load looking for rooms, food, and charm. The only place to go from the water is up. The main street winds up through the terraced valley and leads to stairs in all directions meandering past houses and ultimately to panoramic views. Riomaggiore, which is the most eastern and the nearest village to La Spezia (connected by a scenic road), is named after the stream crossing it. It’s interesting to see the seashore and the upper side of San Giovanni Battista, with its two wonderful twin doors made of marble, which are placed in its southern side and which date before the church itself. Above the village, the Sanctuary of "Madonna di Montenero" stands out, built on the hill. We only got to stay here for a short while but I made sure I took lots of pictures.

Village of Manarola

2008-07-15T14:42:00.015+02:00

Manarola

The village of Manarola is surrounded by vines and is situated along a stream. The wine of Manarola is very famous and the "Via dell’ Amore" starts here: an easy to walk, paved path a distance of two kilometers, connecting Manarola to Riomaggiore. In the upper side of the village, you should visit the church of San Lorenzo (1338) with its beautiful rose window dating back to the 14th century. I particularly liked Manarola because of all the boats and fishing equipment. Tom and the girls swam for only a short while and then we all decided to get a bite to eat before we head for the last village, Riomaggiore. We had amazing focaccia and red wine.

Village of Corniglia

2008-07-15T12:59:00.013+02:00

As my legs were just beginning to get tired from the hike from Vernazza, I descended through the olive groves which soon turned to vineyards. Ambling down a combination of dirt paths and stairs, I finally caught my first glimpse of Corniglia. It seems to be the forgotten town of the Cinque Terre. I guess because its the middle village of the five it just doesn’t see the same number of visitors as those at the ends of the trail. It stands on the main road on top of a rocky cliff dropping to the sea - 300 ft; it is the only village this far from the sea. Corniglia’s is famous for it's vineyards and olive groves and has been so for some two thousand years. It's a good thing because it's seems as if the only occupants were a multitude of old people and stray cats. I walked a bit and took some photos and then returned back to Vernazza on the trail.

Village of Vernazza

2008-07-15T11:31:00.019+02:00

Vernazza

Vernazza is by far the most picturesque of the Cinque Terre villages with Genoan turrets rising above an azure lagoon. Colorful fishing boats line the town square and beach in the afternoon, and the pastel facades of the buildings brighten up the streets even on the most dreary day. As usual our first order of business was to find a place to swim for Tom and the girls. I then ventured into town to wander the streets. The streets and stores were packed with day hikers and those who were there swimming. As the only one of the Cinque Terre towns with a harbor, Vernazza has always been the richest of the community along this stretch. This fact is manifested by the majestic church Santa Margherita di Antiochia along the main piazzetta and the 16th century fortifications built to protect the town from Saracen pirates. I then decided to hike the brief trail to the village of Corniglia and I'm so glad I did. The hike was simply amazing and the view was even better. Corniglia is the only village not reached by boat so it was the perfect chance for a midday hike. After the intense workout and loads of photo ops I then briefly completed the typical sightseeing circuit and eventually ended up harbor-side watching Tom and the girls with a glass of wine. We then all prepared to board the boat for our next location, the village of Manarola

Around the Village of Vernazza

Views on my hike to the village of Corniglia

Views of Corniglia from Boat

Tom Cliff Diving in Vernazza

2008-07-15T11:30:00.002+02:00

A Dive off a 30-foot cliff

Jump off a 30-foot cliff

One-and-half off a 32-foot cliff