All By My Itty Bitty Lonesome...

So, this week was a little rough for me….I saw my first night at home…ALONE. Russell had to go down to Kigali for some meetings on Monday and had to overnight there for more meetings on Tuesday, so I was left all by my little bitty lonesome. Now…I normally love being by my little bitty lonesome…all kinds of advantages to that, under normal circumstances….peace and quiet, getting take-out from wherever I feel like it, or better yet…dinner and a movie out with the girls, having control of the TV clicker and watching NOTHING but HGTV or the Food Channel, and I can spread out in the bed with 10 pillows, if I want. You know…don’t want to do those things day in and day out, but nice when I have the opportunity.

Being by my little bitty lonesome here in Rwanda, I found, is just a TITCH different. Will give you that it is still peaceful…BUT..no “take-away”, no peeps, no movies, no TV, and only four pillows. Ok…so still nothing to really complain about. I left my office and walked the quick 3 min. walk home before it got dark, as not to scare myself into a tizzy right off the bat (although our trusty night-guard, Kiza, was waiting on me – coming early to serve and protect), and I was thinking I could whip up some guacamole and use my Skype to at least call all my peeps, ya know, catch up a little. SOOOO….got in the door…got all comfy in my jammies…bout to head to the kitchen when boom…LIGHTS OUT…no power and in turn…no internet. Ok, I think….it will come back on in a few…it usually does….ummmm…NOOOO…not until sometime in the middle of the night…that’s right…sat here IN THE DARK all by my little bitty lonesome. And folks…when it’s dark here, it is DARK!! Finally gave up and went to bed at seven, with my iPod, which was, thankfully, fully charged, and watched “French Kiss” for like the forty-seventh time….I guess I got to go to the movies after all!! One thing we are learning….always be prepared for the power and/or water to go out at ANY time…it’s just the way it is!!

Woke up Tuesday morning to our new best friends, the marching band, feeling HORRIBLE….I mean, HORRIBLE….I was sick, sick, sick. Not sure what caused it, probably will never know…it couldn’t have been the dinner I ate, since I didn’t eat any, but suffice it to say, my tummy was in a tailspin. OK…crank into gear and start one of the 15 medicines I brought for just this occasion …no African juju bug is gonna get the best of me!!  So, I’m lying in bed…under tent (mosquito net)…feeling horrible…listening to the marching band play that same song for the fifty-third time that morning, when all of a sudden…BOOOOMMM….a CANON goes off….SERIOUSLY…the loudest canon (probably because I was closer than I have ever been before) you can imagine....I know now my ticker is in perfect condition, otherwise, y’all would all be eulogizing me bout now!  It scart me almost to death!! At least I will be prepared on graduation day, which we now know is June 16th….hallelujah, Jesus!!

It took me most of the week to get over the African juju bug, but by Friday, I was feeling well enough to go back to work….I hope that’s the last we see of that little feller!!

I’m also making itty bitty progress at the hotel….it’s a process and I’m just going to have to be good with that. I’m figuring out that God is teaching me patience through teaching the staff at Ishema. He’s tried before, but being the hard-headed thing I am, it’s not worked out so well…maybe this move to Africa is what I needed all along!!

I have included this week, more photos…this time of the inside of the house, with the new furniture. Still have to get rugs, but all and all, it’s working well for us. Still waiting on the new beds, but hopeful they will be here this week.  I also included before and after photos of the bathroom. You see, up until yesterday, we had NO shower curtain…it’s a French thing and since Rwanda was colonized by the French/Belgians, I guess they passed on that little bit of cultural knowledge. So, as you can see the bath is stuck on one wall...one side has no wall, the other has a window…so how do you mount a shower rod to put up a shower curtain…answer is..you don’t…you hang it by string from the ceiling onto a mahogany dowel that Russell cut with his Leatherman Tool…you should have seen THAT! Tools are on the way this week with friends coming over, but a lot of good that did us yesterday!! BUT…as you can also see, the shower curtain is up and worked beautifully this morning…THANK GOODNESS!! Russell has a tendency to shake off like a dog at the end of his shower, so the whole bathroom ended up soaked. Problem solved!! Russell says he submitting this design to the French Patent Office next week!! Now we just need to figure out how to mount the shower head….right now, we have to juggle, holding the shower head, and everything else we need to do in the shower…I’ve learned to wash my hair one handed….THAT’s a process as well…

Also included are photos of Russell’s assistant helping Christine and Kiza get started on the Rosetta Stone for English, which is also teaching them basic computer skills. For a more detailed story of Ronald, check out Russell’s blog… www.musanzeinc.com. And, my beautiful pink rose bush just outside our living room window, the washing machine on the back porch, our garden, which includes beans, almost ready to pick and corn that has tasseled out already, as well as a couple of our Little Tykes Play kitchen, complete with our water filter. All water we drink, brush teeth or cook with gets filtered through this filter….that’s how we keep the African juju water bugs away….

This week, we have friends from Little Rock coming for a visit…so excited to see familiar faces…don’t think we’ll tell em about our new best friends…the marching band…we think it best they find out for themselves….I hope their tickers are in tip top shape, too….till next week….God Bless!!

And We Wish To Welcome You To Munchkin Land....

Well….another week…another host of experiences…..we continue to live in Razorback Stadium, although yesterday morning and this…no marching band…not sure why, but ours is not to question why. As long as they don’t wake me up at 5 AM…I don’t care why! We’ll see what Monday brings.

They have decided at the hotel that I would be best served as the Manager of Food and Beverage. The restaurant situation at Ishema does need some work…ok…quite a bit of work…and the changes that need to be made are overwhelming, really, BUT…as Russell always says, “How do you climb a mountain”? And the answer is: “One step at a time”. So, I am trying to take it one step at a time. We are going to start with obvious changes, and work our way up from there. I think the first task at hand is hiring an assistant that can handle things when I need to be away with Russell or when we come back stateside every three months.  But, I gotta tell ya folks…most of the staff doesn’t speak good English, and can use some training in how to be more efficient, so I think this is a task that will only be accomplished hand in hand with God, because it is FOR SURE bigger than what I can accomplish on my own! I’ll keep ya posted on our progress!!

As I was RIGHT in the middle of it at the hotel on Friday, Russell called and said our furniture was on its way to Musanze from Kigali….woo hoo, I think…”the dude” with the 1990 Toyota Corolla comes through!!

I arrive home just as they were unloading and setting up…the house looked like a goat blew up…furniture everywhere….the dining room table and chairs are awesome..the living room furniture is good…but this is the thing…”the dude” put all the furniture into the back of his truck with NO padding….needless to say, it was beat to…well…you know where…and back, but I have always liked “character”, so I figured what the heck. Although, we do have a situation with the coffee table…it was made for the Jolly Green Giant….if you're 7’4” and happen to be in the neighborhood, stop on by…do we have the coffee table for YOU! Picture me, sitting on the couch with my feet on this table and I would look like the letter “V”!

Next stop…bedrooms, to see our bed and the twin beds we had made for the guest room….SCURRRTTT….WHHAATTT….here’s where you have to picture me looking down…straight down… the beds seriously sit about  4” off the floor…think youth bed height….and the headboards…ummm…by the time we got the mattresses on them…well…disappeared! If you happen to be 4’4” and are in the neighborhood with your friend the Jolly Green Giant…stop on by…do we have the bed for YOU!

Russell is in the process of getting “the dude” to redo the beds….let’s hope it doesn’t get lost in translation again…I’ll keep ya posted on that, too!

But, by far the best part of this week was lunch today. We have decided that once a month, we are going to host all of our staff and their families for lunch. I had it catered at the hotel, and we had our housekeeper, Christine, and her two kids, our guard, Kiza, his wife and their daughter, our gardener, Beatrice and her four kids (including a set of twins and their babysitter), and Russell’s assistant, Ronald. 15 of us total….some around the new dining room table, and some outside on the front porch, but, after lunch, all of us outside just enjoying watching Russell and Ronald play soccer with all the kids….as much as we miss our friends and family in LR, we already have family here, too, and we are blessed to have them with us. And I know it seems like a lot of “staff” for just the two of us, but here in Rwanda, employing these folks is crucial. We are supporting four families, each month, for less than we spend on a couple of date nights out in Little Rock, yet they are making more than they have ever made. We are also building relationships with them and teaching them English and computer skills. It’s the beginning of beautiful friendships! I have included some pictures from the day, so you can see these precious families! We are so thankful for them. And we once again, have a yard full of kids!! The cutest boy in the world couldn’t be happier about THAT!!

When I look at the things I think that God is trying to teach me here, in this place, at this time, I think the most important lesson is to just enjoy the journey. Not so easy for me…I’m a point A/point B kinda girl…am I enjoying the journey yet…parts of it…others,  not so much, but I pray I can continue to be faithful to HIM, and to what HE has for me each day, and to these Rwandan people HE has put into our lives….one step at a time!

Let's Call The Hogs...Shall We...

OK….through week two and what a difference a week makes….it’s amazing how, in just one week, things start to seem so “normal”….it’s all relative, I suppose!

I started going in to my office at the hotel this week, so I’m a working woman now…still not sure EXACTLY what I will be doing, but was able to just observe and try to get to know everyone, and TRY and learn a little Kinyarwanda…my goal…a new word every day…I imagine, I’m about at my limit….just kidding…I really am giving it a shot at learning the language as best I can….the precious staff at Ishema are very patient with me!

We did have one HUGE success last week…we were able to take our first credit card at the hotel…VERY rare here in Rwanda in general, credit cards are, since Rwanda is traditionally a cash based society, so to be able to take ALL the major credit cards, American Express, included, is a major coup…it opens up a whole new world for Ishema! We were able to do this based on some things we put into place before every leaving the US in hopes that it would give Ishema an advantage…we’ll see!

Russell has hit the ground running as well….but let me say this…setting up a house in Musanze ain’t exactly the easiest thing in the world…there’s been a lot of waiting around for....well…waiting around!! Frustrating for the cutest boy in the world…he’s a get’r done kinda guy, and not gettin‘r done…well…you can imagine!! Just getting internet set up at the house has been a week long project, which is still not complete….oh, please, oh please, on Monday!!

On the “life in Africa” front…..I’ve made some progress this week…and NOT….I am definitely feeling more comfortable being out and about…not overwhelmed at all really, and in fact, finally made it back to the market yesterday and while we were still surrounded by people curious about the “Muzungu” …we just went on about the job at hand, which was getting all our fresh fruits and veggies…my deal is…I like my space…and Rwandans, in general, have NO SENSE of personal space. Now…I’m in their country and that is their culture, but at times, I just want to say…”back off, people, back off”….problem is…most of those "people” are 5 years old…not that I’ve done this, but I’ve come close…I’ll be curious to see if I change with respect to this situation…or don’t, and they then think I’m just that crazy Muzungu lady who yells at little children….

And as I mentioned before, we share our back fence with the National Police Academy….make me feel safe?…you betcha…like the fact that at FIVE AM every single morning they start with the calisthenics…and the hooping and the hollering…think Marine boot camp sounds… not so much!! THEN…this week, at FIVE AM…the marching band starts their DAILY practice for the Academy graduation, which they tell us, is a few weeks away….they play the very SAME SONG over and over…I will say they are getting better…I will also say...I feel like I’m livin in Razorback Stadium, DURING a game…anyone who knows me knows I AM NOT a morning person….Oh, Lord….please give me the strength not to be that crazy Muzungu lady who yells at little children, policemen, AND the marching band….

Tonight found me in the kitchen for the first time…cooking!! Novel idea…I haven’t cooked in a good, long time….and while I do love to cook….I will say, my first night in the new kitchen was a bit interesting….picture Pee Wee’s Playhouse….ya know... with the miniature frig, and the mini stove/oven....it’s all European size…or as those of us in the US call it…The Little Tikes Play Kitchen…I kept it simple…pasta with olive oil, garlic, onion…and some Parmesan cheese we brought from Europe (a commodity like GOLD here – the cheese, that is), but cooking on the Little Tikes stove made it quite the challenge….either, we’re going to have to, already, trade up to a larger stove, or get smaller cookware…I’ll leave it to you to guess what the choice it will be!! I then got to wash all the dishes in the Little Tikes sink, complete with real running water! Suffice it to say, I’m still adjusting!

All kidding aside though, we are, truly, settling in…knowing this is where we should be, and praying every day that God shows us which direction we should go THIS day, and for that I am “most grateful”.

Who Needs a Kitchen Faucet Anyway.....

Well…we have been in Rwanda one week and one day, but who’s counting? Friday night saw our first night in our house, so we are making progress in getting settled…

Much of last week we spent down in Kigali buying furniture and appliances for the house….what an experience THAT WAS….for those of you who know Russell and I,  you know we have very different shopping styles…I AM NOT A SHOPPER….I am a buyer….I need it (or want it), I locate a store that has it, I buy it…Russell on the other hand, generally doesn’t buy a stick of gum that he hasn’t researched first….then more research, THEN purchase.  In the US, the differences in us can be a “situation”….in Rwanda, they can REALLY be a “situation”….and poor Kat Watson was with us every step of the way, and bless her heart. We couldn’t have done it without her!!

NOW…his method has served us well for things like cars, appliances, electronics…you know, non-decorating type items…..we were in Kigali for three days, and the first two were spent on “research”….checking out who had what and what had who and looking, sitting in, opening, examining, comparing….now mind you, I made my choices on day 1….mostly....the furniture we found on day two and it is being handmade by Rwandan craftsmen (at a furniture co-op) out of mahogany….and I think it’s going to be beautiful…..they say it will be ready in 3 weeks…which probably means 4-5…I’ll keep ya posted…the funniest part of buying the furniture was after we made all our choices, and it came time to do the invoice, the guy says to us….”Let’s go to my car”….excuse me???  “We go to my car”. So off we trek to the dude’s 1990 Toyota Corolla and do the deal, in cash, of course…I seriously felt like I was on an episode of COPS….sitting in a car, exchanging cash with some dude in a 1990 Toyota Corolla…I’m just sayin…..

By day three, I was DONE….done like the Thanksgiving turkey done…..I was not shopping one minute longer…so Russell finished getting all the necessities, and back to Musanze we came….followed closely by the delivery truck with all the appliances for the kitchen….

So….they tell us the house is ready for occupancy and for the most part it was…the folks over at the Ishema Hotel have been wonderful to get as much set up for us as possible, i.e….our bed and a plastic outdoor table and chairs to use as a dining table until ours is delivered…sparse, but what else do you need. But once they delivered the appliances, it was clear we had a lot of work left to do…normally, Russell could and would do all that himself, but here…different story…it has been a HOOT watching all the appliances get connected….the funniest one being the washing machine, which here, gets put on the back porch, but there wasn’t water, so they drilled a hole in the wall of the kitchen just where the faucet is located, so that every time I need to do a load of clothes, we have to unhook the faucet (leaving us without running water in the kitchen) and run the washer….we are hoping tomorrow that will change, but even after a week, we have learned not to expect anything to happen like it should.  Last night, I did dishes in the bathtub, which is REALLY funny, because more than 20 years ago, when we first moved to Wyoming, there was a few weeks I did dishes in the bathtub, and I haven’t let the cutest boy in the world EVER forget that hardship….. God really does have a sense of humor!!

Still a few issues to deal with…this morning as I was getting ready for church, and was about to dry my hair, my hairdryer blew up (you know, the REALLY nice one I just bought in Europe at 30% more because of the exchange rate, so that it would have the correct plug and voltage), so I dried my hair in front of the oscillating fan (if I were 6 feet tall and weighed 100 pounds, I would have felt like a supermodel, standing there in front of that fan with my hair blowing every which direction, but since I’m not and I don’t….it wasn’t pretty), and figured I could use my flat iron (also a European purchase) to smooth it all out….yeah…not so much!! My hair looked like I stuck my finger in a light socket because it is so humid here…..there won’t be any pictures taken of me anytime soon…let me just say THAT out loud!!

BUT….we have much for which to be thankful….a lovely cottage (included a couple of pictures this time), the frig, cooker (stove) and washer hooked up (and no, they don’t really do dryers here…just a line and some clothes pins), HOT WATER, a bed with a mosquito net, our trunks- mostly unpacked, a night guard hired and already working (his name is Kiiza,  and he’s just about the nicest thing ever), Russell’s assistant/translator hired (his name is Ronald, and his story is a blog unto itself), feeling more settled and less homesick every day (hey, at least I’m not feeling like I need to take to the bed and pull the covers over my head), nights spent, not in front of the TV, or at yet another endless meeting, but talking or playing backgammon and thus far, staying healthy!!! Prayers for that, in particular, would be greatly appreciated.

I also want to take this opportunity to wish our moms a very Happy Mother’s Day….both Russell and I are so blessed to have grown up with (and still have) mom’s who have supported us through the craziest of hopes and dreams and ideas….we miss them so much and wish we could be with them today, and I wish I could be with my own kids, but hope that all of them have a WONDERFUL day….. they know how much we love them!!

UPDATE: Hair dryer seems to be working again…must have just needed to “reset”…WHEW!!!

Not Quite....."Most Settled"

Ok….I’ll admit it…I’m a “titch overwhelmed”. Yesterday, when we arrived in Musanze, it was pouring down rain (which it apparently had been doing for days straight), we found out our house wasn’t ready (so we are staying at the hotel), and when I went to take my first shower in TWO days, there was no hot water…and it can be cold up in these hills (especially when it is raining). We did have lunch with the Bridge2Rwanda group, and the rain let up long enough last evening for us to walk to and from dinner with them as well, They also drove us around “town” to try and show us all the important things...the best place to exchange money…the best place to buy peanut butter (all natural, of course…you know the kind that isn’t all smooth, but the oil is separated out on top)….the fresh food market, the dry goods market, the this…the that….I seriously thought my head was going to EXPLODE from all the information….ok…let’s up that to now “seriously overwhelmed”. Don’t misunderstand, the information we are gaining from them is invaluable….they know, they’ve experienced, they’ve made the mistakes we hope not to make, and we so appreciated their time and effort to show us the ropes, but as I went to bed last night, I simply wanted to tap my shoes together and chant, “there’s no place like home”. I thought to myself….what in the ever loving world have we gotten ourselves in to? Really, God, REALLY?????!!!!????

This morning greeted us with bright sunshine and the loveliest day Musanze has seen in a long time. We went two doors down from our room and got a lukewarm shower (better than a cold one, I’ll assure you), and a worship service here at the hotel for all the employees held every Monday morning completely in their native tongue (Kinyarwanda). We couldn’t understand a SINGLE word, save “Joshua” (whom most of them remembered fondly) as they were introducing us as “Papa Josh” and Mama Josh”….they don’t even recall our actual names, those are the names they have given us and those are the names by which we are now known.

What was amazing was the spirit with which these beautiful people worship….fully, completely, and with all they have in their heart. These people…who work to support mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, and even orphaned head of households, supporting their siblings because there is no one else to do so. Ok…now I’m thinking…and I’M complaining about a cold shower, when they probably don’t even have one…I’M complaining about being homesick after ONE day in the country, when many of the people who work here are from other countries in Africa and are separated from their families for months (and even years) at a time. My attitude changed after that….sort of….hey, I’m just being honest here…..

After the morning and a full tour of the hotel (at which point the power in the entire town goes out, and we later learned would be out from 8:30 to 5 every day this week…..at least) and the keys to my new office….MY office…holy cow…this is getting serious now….we were able to get a tour of our house….not 50 yards from the hotel…..ok….now I’m feeling better again….a precious cottage on a lovely plot of land….flowers galore…and garden already full of corn and beans…a larger than normal kitchen, by Rwandan standards (complete with a good size pantry), a good size living and dining room and two bedrooms and a bath….but the best part is the front porch…quite a nice size and overlooks a good part of the front and side yard….it is completely gated and literally shares the back fence with the police academy. Now…it’s not ready yet, as they are replacing some plumbing (when they told me it was because they couldn’t get hot water in the house, I just had to laugh), and painting, but I think when we get it set up, it will be a great place for me to “nest”. Back to the “titch” overwhelmed! Ok…it’s all gonna be good!!

Then Russell suggests we walk through “town”…a short walk from the hotel and our house, to kind of get a lay of the land….try to remember what the B2R gang told us and showed us yesterday….ya know…get out among the people….alrighty then…let’s do that….so off we go….

First off to the veggie and fruit market….where we will actually buy those things….I can’t even begin to describe the looks we were starting to get…the calls of “Muzungu”, which is what they call a white person here in Rwanda….the thin isles and the throngs of people…back to “seriously overwhelmed”….then through the streets of town to exchange some money and just check things out….over to the dry market, where you will find everything from shoes, to clothes, to fabric, to watches, radios, batteries…you name it, they got it….smaller isles and throngs and throngs of people….more looks and more calls of “Muzungu”…..jumped instantly to “COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED”….”Dude, I gotta get outta here”, I think were my exact words….so Russell swiftly gets me to the exit and finds a nice, little, quite restaurant for us to eat lunch…a plate full of cooked veggies…and a big bottle of water….a cool breeze coming through the window and the meeting of Olive, our waitress, who had the most infectious smile and wonderful attitude and when we told her we had moved to Musanze just yesterday, she said, “You are most welcome”….with those four words…I was instantly, NOT overwhelmed at all….what I realized is, these are good, God-loving people….there are just a lot of them. They are just curious, and in a month, they won’t even notice us….or if they do, they will probably know us by name….it’s going to take getting out among them to get to know them, to know their stories, to help them, help themselves…they are always smiling, always happy, and always have a “Muraho!” (hello in Kinyarwanda)…..tonight, as I head off to bed, I will gives thanks that God is all-knowing, so I don’t have to be and there is a reason we are here….I can’t promise I won’t be overwhelmed again, but I do trust I will meet many more Olive’s that will calm my fears and doubts, and before long, I will feel “most settled”.

There are peaks and there are valleys....

Well.....today is our last day in Paris, and what a day it was....we spent the day biking through the French countryside and exploring the home and garden's of the painter, Claude Monet. The gardens were in FULL bloom and it was a sight to behold. I can't imagine a better last day in France.

Tomorrow we head to Brussels to fly to Rwanda on Saturday....for those of you who don't know, this European adventure has been to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary (which is actually May 4th)...and frankly, the trip has been, in many ways, a lot like our marriage.....we crisscrossed the Alps, with it's peaks and with it's valley's... the same is true of our marriage...25 years ago, we couldn't have imagined the life that lay before us. We haven't always followed God's plan for our lives, thinking our way was better....to say it wasn't, is the biggest understatement of the century.

When we have put our lives and our marriage in God's hand's, we have been united with each other and Him for Him! Easy...absolutely NOT....we are both, stubborn, selfish and hardheaded (WHO ME?)....and confrontation is something we struggle with on a regular basis (a certain one comes to mind just two days ago on a French train), but when the day is done, we realize how blessed we are to have each other, and this blessing of a marriage that has been 25 years in the making. Two beautiful children and adventure after adventure...all I can say is...Thank You, God, for this man, this marriage and this life! I am truly blessed.

I know you are wanting to see photos, but the internet connections here has been terrible, so hopefully, I will be able to post some photos of our trip soon...next post will be from Rwanda....and our next adventure!!

So.....Let's take a Little Hike....in the Alps...

As I type this, we are in Cervinia, Italy...you'll have to look it up on a map...it's a speck of a ski town in the Italian Alps JUST over the border from Switzerland. We are looking right at the Matterhorn, as a matter of fact.

Our European journey, thus far, as been fabulous...no affects at all from the volcano eruption, and didn't even hear about it for two days...shows how much we keep up with the happenings in the world when we are on vaca...

We started in Munich, Germany, where Josh and his girlfriend, Kathi, met us...there for three days and it was cold and rainy...not what I had in mind as I was thinking about our trip, but good food, good beer, and good company, plus a beautiful city, made it worthwhile...

Now...other than the fact that we flew into Munich and are flying out of Brussels, we had ABSOLUTELY no plans...we have a Eurail pass and that's it!! That's the way Russell loves to fly...me...not so much...I know all of you who know me can't believe that, but it's true, I'll admit it...so...from Munich, we decided we would head to Italy (for the warm, sunny weather)...but first, we had to stop off in Fussen, Germany and see Neuschwanstein Castle...for those of you who have been there...you know...for those of you who don't, it's a mile hike up to the place, then, of course, we had to hike to the bridge that overlooks the lake on the other side of the place...not to mention the, what must have bee,n 1000 spiral steps inside the place (actually, it was probably more like 200).....ok...now on to Italy...nope...WHILE we have to go right through Austria...I hear, let's just stop in Innsbruck and check out the Austrian Alps...so let's recap...Bavarian Alps, check, Austrian Alps, check check....two days in Innsbruck, and three gondola rides to get to the top of some mountain where we then just HAD to hike to the VERY top....and mind you, I brought a light weight fleece and my raincoat...wouldn't exactly need my puffy coat in Africa now would I???

Ok....now on to Italy...ahhh, but wait...why don't we head over to the Swiss Alps, while we're this close, and check out Interlaken...an absolutely stunning little town located in between two lakes (hence the name), at the bottom of the Jungfrau, which they call "The Top of Europe" because the last of the the THREE trains you have to take is the highest train station in Europe...or so they say...who am I to argue...so, of course, we have to take the THREE train rides to the top of the Jungfrau, where it was cold and windy...and wait...still no puffy coat....but we walked through an actual glacier (a tunnel in ice, basically), but the views were stunning and had fondue at the restaurant on top...three nights later and I'm finally thinkin...ok...next stop, Italy!!

But, wait...we've done the Bavarian Alps, the Austrian Alps, the Swiss Alps...why not continue in the Swiss Alps and go see the Matterhorn...ya know...while we're THIS close...ok...three trains later, and Zermatt, there we are...Zermatt is a little Swiss ski village just at the base of the Matterhorn...no cars there...very quaint...but ahhh...the Matterhorn was looking right at us...as if tempting us (oh yeah...ya just know it was tempting ME)...I started getting that smriky little grin from the cutest boy in the world, who I wasn't really convinced, at this point, was going to stay MY cutest boy in the world for 25 more years....and then it happened...the craziest idea in the ENTIRE WORLD, actually came out of his mouth.....why don't we just hike from the top of the ski area in Switzerland (which took a very long gondola and a cable car to access) over to the top of the top of the ski area in Italy (all the while looking at the Matterhorn, of course), then take the the cable car and two more gondolas down to the little Italian ski village of Cervinia (which is on the OTHER side of the Matterhorn).

Oh....I think I looked at him like...WHAHHHTTT did you just say??? Have you COMPLETELY lost your mind...has the altitude finally gotten to you...a stroke maybe....and it didn't help that EVERY single person we talked to said, "oh, no...you can't do that".....and for the record, STILL no puffy coat....but he is a mountain guide...the best I know...and I do trust him, and God...so this morning, bright and early (and it seriously couldn't have been a more beautiful, no wind, bluebird ski day)...we trek off, with our carry-ons...which both make into backpacks...and before you know it, we are at the top of the Matterhorn ski area...and here we go...hiking down the ski slopes like we do something that crazy every day (now I seriously know how Maria Von Trapp must have felt), and exactly one hour later...we are sitting at the top of the Italian ski area having a beautiful lunch...one cable car and two gondolas later, and here we are....

So let's recap....Bavarian Alps, check....Austrian Alps, check check...Swiss Alps, check, check, check...Italian Alps, check, check, check, check....NOW...on to lower Italy...

Ah but wait....we are SOOO close to the French Alps...and then we will have done them all...so tomorrow...one bus ride and two trains later, and we'll be SOMEWHERE in the French Alps...and I don't think we are going to make it to lower Italy, but the plan is to be in PARIS on Sunday and we'll be there for four days....hallelujah!!!

What I can't describe is God's faithfulness in all our travels thus far...the cutest boy in the world better be THANKING HIM....I guess I will keep him around another 25 years :)