Well, the year of 2011 will be a memorable time for our family.
In January our family travels took us to the City of love, and we’re not talking about Paris. Rome is a very romantic city and the time we were there was unseasonably warm. Its history, beauty, and magical charm makes you want to go back. This time was our second visit to the eternal city. During this time we got to walk around the outside walls of the Vatican, so now we can say that we have walked around an entire country. Some of my favorite sites that we saw were the Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, and the Sistine chapel. We spent four days which was plenty of time to see the places we did not get to go on our first visit. The best thing was the hotel was paid for since Gordon was sent to Rome to pick up a Visa for one of his trips to Africa. Was a last minute vacation.
February, Griselle became a US Citizen and it was an incredible experience and very unique to have it happen while living in Italy and especially under the circumstances. I was not aware of any interview. I was not prepared at all, good thing I was dress appropriately for the event thanks to Kimberly’s award ceremony at her school where she was receiving a certificate for being the student of the month that morning. My wallet was a stolen a few months ago at the Cittadella Market while I was distracted for a minute with Jonah or maybe all the nice things that were in the market, not sure! One thing I know for sure, my Temple Recommendation was the only thing that for some reason fell out of my purse the day before at church. well, Instead of requesting a duplicate for a green card, we just submitted the US citizen application which I was eligible for the year prior. We didn’t know we could complete the process while living in Italy.
What a blessing it was because otherwise after what the future had for us, it would have been difficult to travel to the US when we needed to.
During March, we drove to Lake Garda in the Italian Alps. The lake is surrounded by many ancient cities. It is a very relaxing place with beautiful views of the Alps. This was one of our favorite places in Italy for a picnic and enjoying the cool breeze while the kids ran around, priceless!
The cities around the lakes are very beautiful.
In April for Spring Break, we had the opportunity to drive to the beaches of Sitges, Spain and the city of Barcelona for three days. On the way to there, we stopped in the country of Monaco for two days. We were very glad we decided to stop in Monaco. We walked and walked for hours just enjoying the beautiful sites, views, and weather. Monaco is a beautiful country even though it is very small. We enjoyed the stay very much! On the way home from Spain to Italy, we drove to Andorra, a country on the border of France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. This country is very impressive with its mountain views and history. We also stopped in Marseille, France for the night had nice dinner and got ready for bed. The next day we drove thru the Italian Riviera which is a beautiful view of the Mediterranean and old historic cities built on the cliffs and mountain sides. It was a wonderful vacation!
The month of May brought some news that changed the course of our lives forever. Baby Kamillah was just over 7 months old and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. On May 5th, she had successfully surgery to remove the tumor which was determined to be cancerous. Even with that sudden change, we will never stop cherishing and enjoying life, every minute of it. Sometimes life is like a rollercoaster and we don’t have control over many things, but we trust in the will of the creator of all things.
We are so grateful to have the fortune of being together as a family. Truly, nothing else matters in this life as we travel the world and see so many beautiful places. It all comes down to enjoying time with the family no matter where you are!
We are very grateful that many friends and church members were very kind to help in any way they could during the difficult time we faced, such as babysitting the kids, staying with them over night, bringing meals to the hospital and home, and just being there to talk 24/7!
We are also very pleased by all the Italian Doctors and Nurses and the prompt diagnosis and professional care they gave in saving Kamillah’s life. We love them for it!
Now that we are back in the States, we realize that she could have had the same quality of care in Italy that she is receiving here but we are glad we decided to come back to be sure for ourselves. We also know now that Europe is a good place to be if someone is diagnosed with a tumor. They have a lot of research centers comparable to the ones in the States and maybe even better in childhood cancer. Maybe one day we will go back to Europe and we would feel confident Kamillah would still receive quality care or even better in Germany.
Also in May before we left, we had a two farewell birthday parties. One for Kimberly on May 24 to celebrate her birthday which is really on June 24! Since on her real birthday so much stuff would be going on, trying to find a place to live, hospital visits, etc….Then we had another one on May 26 for Kristina’s actual birthday. We had a great time and were able to say goodbye to many good friend who we miss very much!
On May 28, we said good bye to our house in Bosco di Nanto, left everything, and began a new journey. On the way to the U.S., our flight was canceled from Venice to Philadelphia so we ended up staying one last night in Padova, Italy. We also got to enjoy our last real Italian food for free! The next available flight sent us through Germany then to Philadelphia. We arrived in Philadelphia very exhausted and uncertain about a lot of things but the one that mattered most was about our preious baby. A week later, Gordon went back to Italy to finish working and the arraignment of getting everything moved. The kids and I stayed with a friend for few days and Gordon came back about a week later. It was very impressive how he was able to get everything done and come back so soon.
The move in June to the States wasn’t easy but we made it work! We had a job waiting at Andrews AFB and found a place to live within a few weeks. We are grateful that we are able to live inside the base at Fort Meade. We are 20 minutes from John Hopkins Hospital where Kamillah is receiving Chemotherapy. We sure know that Heavenly father is well aware of our needs.
Also in June, before Kamillah started her treatment, we made it to Sesame Street in Pennsylvania. It was a very fun time!
During the summertime of July and August, we got ready for the girls to start school. We did a lot of swimming, visiting the museums in DC, the Zoo, etc.…. Despite all the changes in our lives, we had a great summer!
Also, In July while visiting the temple in DC, I got to see my sister in law and my bother in law inside of it. We did not even know they were visiting this part of the country and they did not know we were close to DC. It was a wonderful surprise and a very nice experience! We were able to spend the rest of the day together having lunch together and seeing some monuments in DC. It was a lovely afternoon. Also in the summer, John & Jean Burkart came to visit. We had a good time, I know my kids really did! Blake and Liesel also came by while they were headed to New York City for their summer vacation and we got to meet their handsome and smart boy. My dear sister Maribel also made it out to visit this summer. The poor girl, she had never travelled this far from home and she does not know a word in English. She was also able to experience a rare earthquake in the Washington area. She almost jump thru the window!!
In September, our little handsome boy Kenny turned three. Now he is Mr. mischievous and a playful troublemaker but still a fun and lovely kid, singing and dancing for anyone that will stop and watch! Another big event occurred September 23rd. We achieved a milestone when our precious baby turned one! We just had a small birthday party for each of them since we can’t have that many people over while Kamillah’s immune system is weak. For Kamillah’s birthday, I did a 5k race. It was fun!
October was a month to be proud when one of our baby girls, Kimberly now being 8, was baptized by her father. What a beautiful Baptism and it wonderful that Blake and Liesel were able to participate in it! Great memories for sure!
Also in October, we had a few Halloween parties to attend, one with the Girl Scouts, one at church and another one at the girls’ school. It was a lot of fun for the kids to dress up that many times and still have a night to Trick or Treat! This year we have enjoyed the Girl Scouts very much! Even Jonah has been able to participate even though he is the only boy.
My girls also started voice lesson with a dear friend that comes one a week to our house to teach them.
November, Kamillah and I flew to Boston for a second opinion on her condition. We had a fun and relaxing time together and everything went well. We have now finished two thirds of Kamillah’s Chemo treatment and we are very happy with the outcome so far. She has not had an infection or blood transfusion the entire time which is great! And of course, we had a great Thanksgiving with old pals that we meet in Italy, now living in Maryland.
December is a time for reflection. Sure many things are different during Kamillah’s treatment and because of her diagnosis, but we are happy to give everything and sacrifice anything we need to for our precious girl. Life is very vulnerable and everything can change with an eye blink. Count your blessing every day! Last of all, we must not forget to mention Kristina is also wishing Santa will bring her two front teeth since she lost both of them at the same time last month. Kim also just had her winter concert at school where she got to play the Violin and performed great!
For the last three years, we had a great experience living in Europe. One year in Germany and two in Italy.
I have committed to do better next year keeping up with my blog!!
Have very blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year! Wishing you all the best on 2012!!!
In January our family travels took us to the City of love, and we’re not talking about Paris. Rome is a very romantic city and the time we were there was unseasonably warm. Its history, beauty, and magical charm makes you want to go back. This time was our second visit to the eternal city. During this time we got to walk around the outside walls of the Vatican, so now we can say that we have walked around an entire country. Some of my favorite sites that we saw were the Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, and the Sistine chapel. We spent four days which was plenty of time to see the places we did not get to go on our first visit. The best thing was the hotel was paid for since Gordon was sent to Rome to pick up a Visa for one of his trips to Africa. Was a last minute vacation.
February, Griselle became a US Citizen and it was an incredible experience and very unique to have it happen while living in Italy and especially under the circumstances. I was not aware of any interview. I was not prepared at all, good thing I was dress appropriately for the event thanks to Kimberly’s award ceremony at her school where she was receiving a certificate for being the student of the month that morning. My wallet was a stolen a few months ago at the Cittadella Market while I was distracted for a minute with Jonah or maybe all the nice things that were in the market, not sure! One thing I know for sure, my Temple Recommendation was the only thing that for some reason fell out of my purse the day before at church. well, Instead of requesting a duplicate for a green card, we just submitted the US citizen application which I was eligible for the year prior. We didn’t know we could complete the process while living in Italy.
What a blessing it was because otherwise after what the future had for us, it would have been difficult to travel to the US when we needed to.
During March, we drove to Lake Garda in the Italian Alps. The lake is surrounded by many ancient cities. It is a very relaxing place with beautiful views of the Alps. This was one of our favorite places in Italy for a picnic and enjoying the cool breeze while the kids ran around, priceless!
The cities around the lakes are very beautiful.
In April for Spring Break, we had the opportunity to drive to the beaches of Sitges, Spain and the city of Barcelona for three days. On the way to there, we stopped in the country of Monaco for two days. We were very glad we decided to stop in Monaco. We walked and walked for hours just enjoying the beautiful sites, views, and weather. Monaco is a beautiful country even though it is very small. We enjoyed the stay very much! On the way home from Spain to Italy, we drove to Andorra, a country on the border of France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. This country is very impressive with its mountain views and history. We also stopped in Marseille, France for the night had nice dinner and got ready for bed. The next day we drove thru the Italian Riviera which is a beautiful view of the Mediterranean and old historic cities built on the cliffs and mountain sides. It was a wonderful vacation!
The month of May brought some news that changed the course of our lives forever. Baby Kamillah was just over 7 months old and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. On May 5th, she had successfully surgery to remove the tumor which was determined to be cancerous. Even with that sudden change, we will never stop cherishing and enjoying life, every minute of it. Sometimes life is like a rollercoaster and we don’t have control over many things, but we trust in the will of the creator of all things.
We are so grateful to have the fortune of being together as a family. Truly, nothing else matters in this life as we travel the world and see so many beautiful places. It all comes down to enjoying time with the family no matter where you are!
We are very grateful that many friends and church members were very kind to help in any way they could during the difficult time we faced, such as babysitting the kids, staying with them over night, bringing meals to the hospital and home, and just being there to talk 24/7!
We are also very pleased by all the Italian Doctors and Nurses and the prompt diagnosis and professional care they gave in saving Kamillah’s life. We love them for it!
Now that we are back in the States, we realize that she could have had the same quality of care in Italy that she is receiving here but we are glad we decided to come back to be sure for ourselves. We also know now that Europe is a good place to be if someone is diagnosed with a tumor. They have a lot of research centers comparable to the ones in the States and maybe even better in childhood cancer. Maybe one day we will go back to Europe and we would feel confident Kamillah would still receive quality care or even better in Germany.
Also in May before we left, we had a two farewell birthday parties. One for Kimberly on May 24 to celebrate her birthday which is really on June 24! Since on her real birthday so much stuff would be going on, trying to find a place to live, hospital visits, etc….Then we had another one on May 26 for Kristina’s actual birthday. We had a great time and were able to say goodbye to many good friend who we miss very much!
On May 28, we said good bye to our house in Bosco di Nanto, left everything, and began a new journey. On the way to the U.S., our flight was canceled from Venice to Philadelphia so we ended up staying one last night in Padova, Italy. We also got to enjoy our last real Italian food for free! The next available flight sent us through Germany then to Philadelphia. We arrived in Philadelphia very exhausted and uncertain about a lot of things but the one that mattered most was about our preious baby. A week later, Gordon went back to Italy to finish working and the arraignment of getting everything moved. The kids and I stayed with a friend for few days and Gordon came back about a week later. It was very impressive how he was able to get everything done and come back so soon.
The move in June to the States wasn’t easy but we made it work! We had a job waiting at Andrews AFB and found a place to live within a few weeks. We are grateful that we are able to live inside the base at Fort Meade. We are 20 minutes from John Hopkins Hospital where Kamillah is receiving Chemotherapy. We sure know that Heavenly father is well aware of our needs.
Also in June, before Kamillah started her treatment, we made it to Sesame Street in Pennsylvania. It was a very fun time!
During the summertime of July and August, we got ready for the girls to start school. We did a lot of swimming, visiting the museums in DC, the Zoo, etc.…. Despite all the changes in our lives, we had a great summer!
Also, In July while visiting the temple in DC, I got to see my sister in law and my bother in law inside of it. We did not even know they were visiting this part of the country and they did not know we were close to DC. It was a wonderful surprise and a very nice experience! We were able to spend the rest of the day together having lunch together and seeing some monuments in DC. It was a lovely afternoon. Also in the summer, John & Jean Burkart came to visit. We had a good time, I know my kids really did! Blake and Liesel also came by while they were headed to New York City for their summer vacation and we got to meet their handsome and smart boy. My dear sister Maribel also made it out to visit this summer. The poor girl, she had never travelled this far from home and she does not know a word in English. She was also able to experience a rare earthquake in the Washington area. She almost jump thru the window!!
In September, our little handsome boy Kenny turned three. Now he is Mr. mischievous and a playful troublemaker but still a fun and lovely kid, singing and dancing for anyone that will stop and watch! Another big event occurred September 23rd. We achieved a milestone when our precious baby turned one! We just had a small birthday party for each of them since we can’t have that many people over while Kamillah’s immune system is weak. For Kamillah’s birthday, I did a 5k race. It was fun!
October was a month to be proud when one of our baby girls, Kimberly now being 8, was baptized by her father. What a beautiful Baptism and it wonderful that Blake and Liesel were able to participate in it! Great memories for sure!
Also in October, we had a few Halloween parties to attend, one with the Girl Scouts, one at church and another one at the girls’ school. It was a lot of fun for the kids to dress up that many times and still have a night to Trick or Treat! This year we have enjoyed the Girl Scouts very much! Even Jonah has been able to participate even though he is the only boy.
My girls also started voice lesson with a dear friend that comes one a week to our house to teach them.
November, Kamillah and I flew to Boston for a second opinion on her condition. We had a fun and relaxing time together and everything went well. We have now finished two thirds of Kamillah’s Chemo treatment and we are very happy with the outcome so far. She has not had an infection or blood transfusion the entire time which is great! And of course, we had a great Thanksgiving with old pals that we meet in Italy, now living in Maryland.
December is a time for reflection. Sure many things are different during Kamillah’s treatment and because of her diagnosis, but we are happy to give everything and sacrifice anything we need to for our precious girl. Life is very vulnerable and everything can change with an eye blink. Count your blessing every day! Last of all, we must not forget to mention Kristina is also wishing Santa will bring her two front teeth since she lost both of them at the same time last month. Kim also just had her winter concert at school where she got to play the Violin and performed great!
For the last three years, we had a great experience living in Europe. One year in Germany and two in Italy.
I have committed to do better next year keeping up with my blog!!
Have very blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year! Wishing you all the best on 2012!!!
