The Big Cut

I know, I have not posted for a week and half! I am back into "normal" life now though, so keep watching on Mondays. :)

I had to post pictures today of the big event that happened yesterday. After two years of Hannah adamently not wanting to even trim her hair, she came home on Wednesday and said, "I want to cut my hair. . . really short. Right now."

The Before Shot

She can be a pretty spontaneous decision maker, so I told her she had to wait at least a day, so that she didn't make a decision she would regret. She's also a stubborn decision maker, so last night we made the big cut. Mom actually made that first cut a wee-bit shorter than first intended, but in the end, all turned out well.

Who knows what inspired this major life change, but she loves it. She does look super cute! We put the chopped off locks in a ponytail and will send them into Locks of Love, which made Dad feel a little better about such a major change. He's kind of partial to longer hair. As is Gavin. Try as he might, he just couldn't fake that he was devastated Hannah's hair was gone.

Cute, cute, cute!

Just after Hannah's birthday this year, Cody said, "So, I guess she's becoming a Tween." Yep, she is. It's fun to see her becoming more and more who God made her to be. Sometimes that can be more challenging for us than at other times! Though just a haircut, this was a great example of who Hannah is--risky, bold, determined and sassy. Che bella!

Italian Birthdays

I took these pictures on my phone, so sorry they aren't the best quality.

Last month we were invited to another slew of birthday parties. While at one of them, I was profoundly struck by how vital birthday parties have been in our ministry here, and how I'm convinced they are one of the main venues God will use in the future to allow us to share the love of Jesus with those He's put in our lives.

Birthday parties are huge here. There are 25 kids in Hannah's class at school, and last year, I think we were invited to almost 20 birthday parties. And when you have a birthday party, you invite EVERYONE. We could not possibly keep up. But it was after the first birthday party we attended that we began to see the walls crumble in relationships with parents at Hannah's school. It was also at that party that we met our dear friends Fabio and Alyssia. This year, as we've ventured forth even more, we see more and more doors opening for deeper relationships with a group we'll be with for the next four years.

This was a party held at a bowling alley. Honestly, it was just like walking into any bowling alley in American (AMF pins and everything!). Hannah shared a lane with 9 other kids. In case you're wondering, it took 2 1/2 hours for them to finish one game!

There is really no American paradigm for the community parents have here. Every morning we see each other as we walk our kids to school, and every afternoon we hang out and visit, as we wait for school to be dismissed. Hannah will be with the same students (and thus, us with the same parents) until she graduates from elementary school at the end of Fifth grade. And then there are the 20+ opportunities to hang out at birthday parties during the year.

Birthday cakes are a little different here, but this one was really good. Kind of a cross between a cake and cookie.

At this particular birthday party, God allowed compassion to sweep over my heart. I looked around at all these parents who are just like me--battling the same stresses and anxieties all parents battle. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness that the Lord had brought us to this place and allowed our lives to cross with these parents who have already become quite dear to us. I want so much to share with them the Hope that is within me.

The kids always sing Happy Birthday in Italian and English, no matter whose birthday they are celebrating.

If God brings them to mind, pray for this precious group of people God is connecting us with. Pray for their families. Pray God would use us significantly in their lives to communicate the very love of Jesus Christ. You can also pray for our own birthday party plans! Since Hannah's birthday is over a holiday, we are waiting until February to throw our first birthday party. We feel a lot of pressure! Pray it would be another opportunity to communicate our commitment to these parents and their kids.

January Already

Well, we got my parents all packed up this morning and drove them to the airport at 5am to send them back to the States. We were all a little stunned that our time together had already come to an end. It got off to a rather rocky start with weather re-routing them, then delaying them, and finally delivering them to Bologna without any of their bags. On Christmas Eve, three of their four bags arrived, but the one with the majority of the Christmas presents remained MIA. A week later it met us in Salzburg, Austria, where we spent a week just hanging out and enjoying being together.

Thankfully, my brother had arrived uneventfully. He had just returned from serving in Kazakhstan in the Peace Corps, so we hadn't seen him for two and a half years. He had never met Benjamin, so it was a sweet time with him.


We enjoyed beautiful snow in Bologna just before Christmas and had a great, if packed, Christmas Day. On the 27th, we headed north to Salzburg (about 5 hours from Bologna), to spend time just being together. We stayed in a flat that was part of a farm in the town of Anthering, only a 15 minute train ride from Salzburg. It was so quiet!! We didn't realize how accustomed to the constant hum of city life we were until we were out of the city. It was glorious! And the farm provided tons of space for the kids to play and run around on. That was a Christmas present in and of itself.

This is a picture of the Christmas Tree in downtown Bologna. This year, in an effort to promote energy conservation, they had bikes attached to the tree lights. To light up the tree, people had to bike to create the energy. Cody rolled his eyes several times at a Green Christmas, but before the season was over, he was out peddling too.

While we were in Salzburg, we celebrated Hannah's 8th Birthday. She is becoming such a beautiful little girl. We are stunned to begin thinking about the "tween" years, but we really delight in who God is making her to be. She had an absolutely incredible day. It was fun to celebrate her in such a special place.

The kids and I in Salzburg, with Hohensalzburg Fortress (the castle) in the background. We ate lunch at the castle for Hannah's birthday, which was an incredible treat for a little girl.

For Christmas (which didn't arrive until the 29th), Hannah got Mia, an American Girl, who loves to skate. At the farm we stayed on in Austria, there was a little frozen pond. Ever the one to play, Hannah decided she needed to take Mia "skating." Mia did great!

Our beautiful birthday girl! Wow, she's growing up!

It was such an encouragement to have family with us for Christmas. We are so thankful they were able to come. We commented today, however, that as thankful as we are for those times, when they are over, we feel like we've taken a step back. They cause us to count the costs all over again. It is hard to be so far away from our friends and family! So we are gearing up to dive back in. As hard as it was to say goodbye this morning to the comfort and familiarity of family, we know God has plans for us here. We are in the right place. Tomorrow it is back to all things Italy.