Cheers to Family

Et Voilà! What kind of wine do you drink when your looming, five month deployment is interrupted/delayed due to a broken ship?

We enjoyed a lovely 2007 Bordeaux...and lots of family snuggle time on the couch.

This celebration could come to an abrupt end at any second (like when the ship's problem is fixed), but after thirteen days apart, we are giggly and smiley to have this time together.

Zachary's Birthday Party

Zachary turned two today. I will post a "tribute to Zachary" later this week. But tonight I will share some pictures from a shared-birthday-party-with-Irish-friends.

My friend hosted and really did ALL the work. I lazily, (but appreciatively) band-wagoned Zachary's birthday into her boys' party (her boys both have birthdays this month). Zachary is two, he didn't care. And she was very generous, and didn't seem to mind either.

My friend made "fairy cakes"--I love Irish people--doesn't that sound soooo much cuter than "cup cakes?" The kids were able to decorate them themselves.

Zachary and the Irish birthday boys.

Really, can a kid look any more Irish than this sweet boy?

This picture makes me laugh. Lily, always the big sister, directing Zachary's attention.

There was lots of playing and fighting over cars and trucks. This boy is also turning 2--and it's not the angle of my camera...he is almost an entire head taller than Zachary. He is enormous! He would point at Zachary and say, "baby". After saying "baby" he would punch him from behind, pop him on the head, and do everything he could to make Zack fall over. I was a little disappointed Zack kept taking it from him. But I couldn't help but laugh...this kid's a giant. Zack knew he didn't have a chance.

How do you know when you've had a fun, successful birthday party for a two year old? When your two year old looks like this five minutes after driving away.

Happy birthday, little buddy.

A Morning on the Med

My boat, and his boat. So close yet so, so, so far away

.

Today I had my third kayaking class (and I'm absolutely in love with it). When I showed up this morning Phil's ship was right in front of me moving through the port. Too bad for me it was moving away from the port (they came back just for a couple of minutes to move personnel around). By the time I got myself situated in the kayak the huge ship was a little speck on the horizon. There went my vision of paddling my little arms off, jumping onto the ship, and making a scene...

...but it's hard to stay sad when the rest of two hours in the kayak was spent enjoying coastline that looks like this.

More kayaking pictures to come. Today the sea was a little rough. And I was too embarrassed to ask someone to take a picture of me in my wetsuit!

And he's gone

If these aren't some sad, sappy pictures, I don't know what is...

Phil left for a deployment with the French Navy and we are very lonely without him.

Some pictures from our last night together--per normal, a pre-bed-time-snuggle-fest in Zachary's room

Lily calls the deployment, "depointment"...she miss-heard and made up that word, I guess. But the point is, she does understand the concept. And she was beyond sad when he kissed her goodbye.

Zachary has no idea whats going on. But his Daddy is his favorite person in the whole world.

We'll make it. I'm not complaining *too* much. In the US, I know families enduring deployments two or three times as long as Phil's. However, no matter how long the absence, life just isn't as fun when you don't have your best friend with you.

The Joys of Schooling

My desire to homeschool (a movement really unheard of here in this part of France) Lily at the beginning of the school year on a scale of zero to ten; -2

My desire to homeschool Lily after three weeks of school and a headfull of lice; +2

Her Grandpa said it best when he heard the news, "It just means she has friends."

And at the moment, praise the Lord, she is only one in the house to have them on her head. Head checks are now going to be a part of our nightly bedtime routine.

Sunday Evening

We're not the newest American Navy personnel in town anymore. And Phil has a new friend.

This is how Phil spent his Sunday night. Doesn't look amazing? A view of the Mediterranean, from house with a pool, watching a beautiful sunset, drinking a glass of delicious rosé. What a setting for a perfect man date....in France.

It always stinks when you wife and kids interrupt your special moment, but this view was too amazing and I couldn't stay away.

And neither could this kid. He feels more in tune with nature while taking in the views in his most natural state.

I can rant about a lot things about this place (read: our life in France), but I can only rave about the beauty.

Real Life

I'm having the best week I've ever had here in France! Is it because I got over my short, stubby legs and finally put on skinny jean, instantly making me feel more stylish? I don't know, maybe!

But aside from my huge fashion leap, here's what happened so far this week--

Monday, a friend invited me to her gym for a water aerobics class. I went to her class and afterward she helped me join the gym! A gym! A REAL, LIVE gym! Oh, I was so excited. They have classes like "Body Pump" and "Body Attack" and treadmills, weight machines and free weights. Man, I was jumping for joy as I signed the papers! (I had been to this gym in January with Phil to see about the prices...I was quoted a price of 85 euros a month. So we left and I sadly resigned myself to having squishy muscles for the rest of our time here. This time (with my French friend by my side) I was quoted a completely reasonable, "too good to be true," price. THAT is life in the south of France for you.)

Tuesday the same friend helped me sign up for kayaking classes. I'm super pumped because I can walk to the little "yachting club" from my house and for two hours in the morning two days a week I can learn more about kayaking and get a total upper body workout as we paddle in the Mediterranean Sea. While there, she introduced me to another "super sporty" lady friend who is also going to take the class. After the sign ups the "sporty friend" invited me to her house for a coffee. A coffee??? At a new friends house??? YES, YES, YES!

Wednesday a friend from church invited the kids and I over to her house for lunch. She has kids the same ages as my kids, and yesterday, they all got along swimmingly. My friend and I were even able to talk and relax on the couch while the littlest ones napped peacefully and the older kids played. It was FANTASTICALLY comfortable, and we have so much in common. Can it possibly be??? A kind, encouraging, same-stage-of-life, Mommy friend.

Finally, yesterday afternoon I went to the park with the kids. The same park I took the "What Not to Wear" pictures. But this year, as I walked through the gates, I counted ten other Moms I knew. It was crazy...and I almost started crying as I looked around and people were smiling at me and kissing me on the cheeks saying hello. Lily started playing with other kids and I was able to communicate with the other Moms (in French)--I even made one laugh (on purpose) with something I said.

So my heart is overflowing with thankfulness and praise. I am beginning to have a real life here...I'm beginning to make real relationships here...I'm beginning to have a "normal" routine. Last year I spent the year trying to learn French and feeling totally out-of-my-element. This year, because of that work, and because of the grace God gave me to learn quickly, I can begin to connect with people and do the things I love ---I can just be MYSELF (wearing skinny jeans or not) and there is nothing more real than that!