Italy - part 1of 6

Vatican City selfie

Sorry it's been so long, summer is flying by.

We just returned from our family vacation to Italy!
Due to severe jet lag, I have zero desire to post 800 plus photos on here, so I'm going to post maybe a couple per post.

This first post will be about Rome. We stayed in the weirdest "hotel", it was so hard to find because it was an apartment building. I didn't know this when I booked it on HOTELS.com.

 This was the entrance. Yeah, that's graffiti. 

Anyway, Rome was hot and crowded but it was fun to see all the sights. We were there 2 days and saw the Coliseum, Forum, the Pantheon, the Spanish steps, some fountains and went to Vatican City and saw the Sistine Chapel and the cathedral. In the Pantheon, there was a choir giving a beautiful performance and then walked into the crowd telling them about Jesus. Very cool experience.

Rome was my least favorite part of the trip but I was very grateful for the chance to go.

Hannah and her soldiers

Pantheon

She did it. She graduated. I'm grateful for the family and friends that came, and I'm very proud of her.
I now have two college kids.

Today I sold most of the remaining homeschool stuff at a used curriculum sale. Today was Hannah's last day of high school. I am no longer a "homeschool mom". Seems surreal that she graduates Saturday. Jordan and I decorated her car while she was in her last class..

 

But, exciting news - Josh comes home tonight!!!!!!!! He has been in California all week. I think we need to celebrate a 20 year accomplishment of educating our children all the way through. We stuck it out and actually pulled it off. It's so funny to remember my thinking when we had just begun this journey, that it would only be for a couple of years.  :)

"Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always some reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memories seep from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

So tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
and the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lies
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees"

We had a fun Mothers Day weekend. The kids surprised me Saturday taking me to The Melting Pot and the Ballet! We got to see Sleeping Beauty and it was so much fun. Sunday we visited Nana for a while then went to my moms. It was great spending time there visiting my family. I so wish we did that more often.

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Grammy gave the kids their first wedding present!

pics from the last 2 weeks

ADRN banquet

Jerry Seinfeld live

Jerry Seinfeld

The Key2Free gala

cool pic of them playing together

It's been a fun few weeks. Our gala went off amazingly well. The place was packed and we sold almost all of the 55 donated auction items for amazing prices. We were beyond thrilled at the results. I managed to win Josh and I some Seinfeld tickets so we went Saturday night. It was THE BEST SHOW EVER! I have never laughed so hard at a stand up comedy routine. It was just soo good.
The kids are good, they're in the middle of finals. Hannah's about to graduate ya'll. And Jordan will never again be a student in my home. By fall classes, she'll be married. :(

Gonna be a wild and crazy summer.

Hannah's senior prom. Can't believe that this was the last formal for our homeschool career. It's almost over y'all. She was / is so beautiful.

 

I really do wish I could tell you about all the exciting things happening in our organization. Not only are we changing lives, but we get to do exciting, fun things involving meeting with the FBI, Ice, Austin and Travis cty deputies, judges, etc.. I Love that aspect of it. I love being part of changing laws and changing education. (And trying to put away bad guys.) I also love the people I work with. God has assembled quite a team of crazy, different individuals, men and women from all over. We have all sorts of interesting people, plus lots of law enforcement types coming to our gala, so if you haven't registered yet, you're missing out!!

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!
I am so excited. I'll probably start next week. I was hired on the spot and immediately went into an all day training with others who were also hired recently. So if you happen to drive by a model home nearby and see my black Lexus out front, pop in and say hello! I will be in a different one each week. It all depends on who has a need for a fill in.

BTW, I'm not quitting our K2F org, it just doesn't require my attention 7 days a week. There are others who handle the 24/7 care of our survivors. And this new job is only 2-3 days a week.

I have a job interview tomorrow morning. Ya'll please pray for me. Asking God to close the door if it's not right for me and open it if it is.
Between college expenses and a wedding, we are tapped out. I'm going to have to actually contribute for a while instead of just spending. :)
The job is for a hostess in the model homes of new home builders in the area. Part time and flexible schedule, which is good for us.

"My baby in the blue bonnets" - Shileen style

So Jordan needed a more reliable car because hers was on the brink of disaster. Being the giving mother that I am, I gave her my car.  :)  And darn it, that meant I needed a new one! After shopping around I fell in love with a 3 year old Lexus. And here it is. My favorite features? Keyless everything. As long as they are in my purse or pocket I don't need them to unlock the car or to turn it on and drive it. Coolest feature ever. It's so sporty, yet quiet and luxurious. I love it.

You're gonna laugh at me, but I don't care. I had to say goodbye to an old friend today. I actually got teary eyed when I set it down by the trash can and walked away. I even came back and stared at it again and let it sink in. This thing has been around the globe with me for 10 of the most eventful, travel filled, adventurous years of my life. It has seen it all. It is broken, torn and worn out, but it did its job well and has been replaced by a pretty new one. I'm actually thinking of saving it, no that's stupid. Why am I so attached to an inanimate object?? Because of what it represents. I am such a sentimental girl.

We would love to see you at our 1 year gala. It's gonna be great, but would be even better with you there!

For Valentines Day Josh got us a package of dance classes, so we started the Cha Cha class last Monday and tonight is class 2. So much fun. I LOVE dancing.