Our Italian Get Away

When researching where to go on our trip to Italy, we initially were thinking of the renowned Portofino area in the Italian Riviera. But once we began looking more in depth, Michael found an even better place that is perfectly suited for families: Gardaland, in Peschiera del Garda, Italy, located in northern Italy on the banks of Lake Garda. The Gardaland resort boasts a hotel, aquarium, and the biggest amusement park in Italy, which was perfect for keeping Jake entertained! There is also a water park and Movieland, but we were told Jake was still too young to enjoy them yet. Nearby is the esteemed historical city of Verona, so there is a great balance of kid friendly and cultural/historical attractions in the area. Gardaland is surrounded by beautiful vineyards everywhere you look. We arrived in Italy late on Wednesday evening after a very long day of traveling-- three trains and two buses for a total of seven hours, whew! But a bonus of going by train was seeing more amazing scenery throughout Switzerland and Italy! Jake was so well behaved on the way there and coming back, and even napped in my lap both ways. Be prepared, there are TONS of pictures on this post because there was so much to see and do!!!

Taken from the train en route to Italy

Another train pic- look at that church!

Jake & Michael on the train

On our first day, we went to the Gardaland amusement park. It has a special area for kids Jake's age, which is where we spent the majority of our time. Jake had a ball riding the rides and running around. His favorite was a tractor ride through an animated farm, and he got to "drive", which immediately won him over. We made it past lunch and then Jake was ready to head back to the hotel and rest. Later that afternoon we tried out the hotel pool, but even though it was hot outside, the water was once again unfortunately SO cold that none of us could stay comfortably in it! I guess Americans must have different temperature tolerances than Europeans! Thursday evening we discovered the best feature of our hotel-- each night there is a kid's dance party after dinner for one hour! They usually had an activity first, such as a relay game, which Jake loved doing as well. They played mostly American music, the majority of which Jake recognized, so it made him even more excited. Watching Jake dance and play with all the other kids was our favorite part of each day, he absolutely loved it and got sad each night when it was over! Jake also was obsessed with the hotel game room and the gazebo that had dollar rides, both of which we did numerous times a day!

Jake in the hotel lobby (far left)

The ride gazebo at the resort

Fountain at the resort

Racing motorcycles in the hotel game room

Kids dance party at the hotel-- JK is half smiling b/c he's annoyed to stop for a picture!

Jakey dancing! 

Last night in Italy

Me helping Jake play the pirate game (he is wearing the black pirate hat, holding orange net)

Just a few...

of his dance moves!!

Thank you Lovey & Granddad for all my fun things!

Jake with the Gardaland mascot, Prezzemelo

Riding the train at the amusement park

Airplane ride

Lunch break for a happy boy

Pirate ship Ferris wheel

Toy shop 

A huge fantasy tree in the middle of kid's area

Tractor ride entrance

Driving the tractor & waving at the singing cows

Running in his new shirt

Popsicles to stay cool

On Friday morning we went to the Sea Life Aquarium, which Jake really enjoyed. He loved finding Nemo and Dorey in all the tanks and he also loves seeing sharks, which is almost always what he requests when getting a painted tattoo! We were bummed that the sea lion exhibit was closed because they are Jake's favorite, but he still had fun. He picked out a turtle as a souvenir who he calls "tortie".

Outside the aquarium

Inside the tank tunnel

Looking at sharks

Coral reef hologram projection onto the floor- JK loved chasing the fish!

Friday after lunch we took a quick train ride to spend the rest of the day in Verona, which has been awarded world heritage site status by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture; it's really beautiful! It is a trendy city with ancient architecture, which makes it so dynamic and fun to walk through. The streets reminded us of Venice, but without canals. The romantic history buff in me was excited about the fact that Shakespeare's world famous Romeo and Juliet was based here! One of the city's most popular sites is the balcony said to be Juliet's. Apparently if you rub the breast on the bronze statue of Juliet, it's good luck, so of course I honored that tradition! Michael took a picture of me standing on her balcony blowing him a kiss, and I even toured the Capulet house and saw Romeo & Juliet's bed and clothing. I also took a pic of the spot on the wall where Michael etched our initials with a coin (since we didn't have a pen) which was another tradition that I was happy to partake in. Inside the house, you can write a letter to Juliet about your love life, so I wrote a little something to her about Michael and me...this was one of my very favorite things of the entire summer! The Verona Arena is a spectacular Roman amphitheatre built in AD 30, which is internationally famous for the large-scale opera performances given there. It is one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind and is the third largest in Europe. We went inside and its crazy to imagine what it took to build and what it was like hundreds of years ago. Jake had fun climbing all over the steps, which there were quite many of! I could have spent days wandering around in Verona, I'm sure there was much more to see since we only had half a day. It is now one of my favorite cities!

Rubbing Juliet's boob for luck!!!

If you look carefully, you'll see M+B etched on the wall

Blowing Michael a kiss from Juliet's balcony

Inside the Capulet house, this was Romeo & Juliet's bed!

Romeo & Juliet's clothes

Beautiful painting in the house of the final scene of the play

Jake & Michael in front of Verona Arena

Inside the main Arena hallway

Part of original wall at top of Arena

Inside the Arena, it's set up for an opera

Typical-- JK looking over his shoulder as Michael chases after him!

In the market square of Verona

I think this was the original fortress protecting the city center

A street in Verona on our way to Capulet house

Beautiful arches

Clock tower overlooking Verona

At main boulevard entering Verona

Saturday we went into town in Peschiera del Garda, just a few minutes from the resort. This is one of the neatest towns we have been to and we fell in love with it! The waterfront views of Lake Garda are spectacular and we were wishing it wasn't our last day so we could have spent some recreational time at the lake. There were boats everywhere and people fishing and swimming. The town center is so cute and we just walked around, ate and shopped. Jake got an Italian soccer jersey that he literally stripped off his old shirt to put on the moment we paid for it, which the shop owner got such a kick out of! This town is perfect for a vacation and I can totally see why Lake Garda is such a popular place to get away. I wish everyone could hear Jake say "ciao bella" and "Italy", it's soo cute!

Overlooking bridge into canal of Peschiera del Garda

Looking at town from dock

Jakey on main bridge

Overlooking bridge in town

Scenic view of Peschiera del Garda & Lake Garda

Blowing kisses at the lake

Enjoying some gelato in town

Daddy & Jake at Lake Garda

Headed up to the scenic overlook

Lake Garda

Canal & bridge

Entering Peschiera del Garda

Canal opening to the lake

Family pic at Lake Garda

Lovey and Granddad gave Jakey some spending money for this trip and Jake had so much fun excitedly picking out special things everywhere we went, so a big thank you to my parents for all of the fun loot that Jake made out with in Italy! I also want to thank Michael for planning such a great family trip. He has coordinated everything when we travel and I really appreciate all his efforts! When I look back on this trip, I think what stands out most are the beautiful cities of Verona and Peschiera del Garda, and watching Jake dance every night at the resort! We had such a wonderful time in Italy and I feel so blessed and fortunate to have visited so many amazing places this summer. Italy was a great way to end our travels and I will cherish our time there as a family. Jacob Knox is one well-traveled little boy!!

We are in the final countdown now, only one week left in Switzerland. Hopefully the weather will be warm and sunny so we can enjoy it to the fullest and Michael won't have his last two games rained out! Praying for sunshine and that the Barracudas win so we can leave on a high note!!

The von Burg's House

I promised earlier this summer that I would post more pics from Ueli and Julia's spectacular new house once they moved in. We have been out to Beinwil at their new home a few times this summer and each time I am always amazed at how beautiful it is! Their town is about an hour from Zurich and sits on a pristine lake that is surrounded by lush green fields, forest, and mountains. The only downside to them living out there is that they aren't near us in the city anymore, which means we can't see them as often, but we make the time we have together count with lots of fun and laughter! Julia works in Zurich, and we like to meet on her lunch break to go shopping, our favorite thing to do together. On our most recent trip we had to laugh at ourselves-- we bought the same dress, skirt and sweater!! We are so happy that we were here to see them settle into their new home and spend time with them there, and I know they will have a wonderful life in Beinwil.

Julia & Ueli in their scenic breakfast room

View from patio

View from Master Balcony

Lake view 

Our friends are wonderful hosts and always make us feel so welcome. Jakey loves their hamster and three cats, although I think they are all rightfully scared of him! On our second visit, we walked down the hill from their house to a little farm, where Jake and Julia checked out all of the animals together, including goats, rabbits, bird and pigs. The last time we were there the weather was warm (enough) to swim in their brand new pool, which I have to say, has one of the best views of any swimming pool I've ever seen! Unfortunately none of us were coordinated enough to keep the ball in the pool and we could not stop laughing each time someone accidentally sent it flying down the steep hill that their house sits on! We also visited a nearby castle, which Jake was convinced had a dragon in it that would bite him!

Jake literally "taking the bull by the horns"

Visiting the goat with "Aunt" Julia

He's always trying to escape!

Ueli &  Michael setting up the volleyball net

1-2-3 JUMP!

Playing in the pool

Jake & "Uncle" Ueli

Can you imagine waking up to eat breakfast on this patio each day?!

Michael, Jake, Julia & Ueli at the castle

Michael, Jake, me, Julia at castle

Jakey by the moat at the castle

In some ways it seems strange to think we have these close friends living so far from Texas on another continent, but our rekindled bond each time we see them is evidence enough that we will always be close, regardless of the ocean between us! Their visit to Chicago to see us in 2007 was too short but loads of fun, and hopefully someday they will come visit us in Texas so can show them as good a time in our neck of the woods as they have always done for us in Switzerland. The von Burgs are one of the main reasons we returned to Zurich, and we are extremely grateful for their hospitality and loyal friendship. Our goodbye dinner next week will be really sad, but there is always the anticipation for the next time we will see each other someday. We love you Ueli and Julia, and we'll miss you more than words can say, but we know this is not goodbye, its just until next time!!

Bears & Tears in Bern

On Saturday we went on a day trip to Bern, Switzerland's capitol. It's about an hour train ride from Zurich. The ride had beautiful scenery, but we ended up changing train cars because of a fight that occurred between two sketchy men and the ticket checker...suffice it to say because of certain behaviors we were worried about an act of terrorism, which would be easily executed since there is no security on trains. Earlier this same day, Michael had read about the two horrific terrorist attacks in Norway, which killed at least 76 people, including many teenagers at a youth camp, so this escalated our concern. But, thankfully nothing happened on the train and everyone went on their way. I just want say that my thoughts and prayers are with all the families who are suffering from Friday's events in Oslo and on Utoya Island. I'm so sad for the people of Norway and my heart breaks for them. The world is such an unpredictable place and tragic, senseless days like that make me hug Jake a little tighter and longer. Life is precious and fragile, which we must never lose sight of. Every day with those we love is truly a gift.

Anyways, back to Bern...To Michael and I, it has an Italian feel. The main shopping street is covered in pedestrians rather than a mixture of cars, buses and trams like in downtown Zurich. We really enjoyed ambling along and looking at all the shops, and there were lots of different street entertainers juggling, playing music and things of that sort. There was also a really neat street market going on that we briefly walked through.

One of the unique fountains on the main street

The biggest attraction in Bern is the Bear Park, which we knew would be a hit with Jake since he loves animals. We were also excited to go there because my grandmother Dolly, has been telling us about when she and my grandfather visited the park way back in 1979! The tradition of keeping Bears in Bern goes back to 1513. Legend has it that a bear was the first animal to be caught by the city's founder during a hunting expedition in the area, and bears have been kept in the city ever since. Their current habitat is the Bear Park along the river, but the original bear pits still remain and are now open for the public to explore. Jake loved playing in the original pit with life-size wooden bear statues, which the kids could touch and climb on. The Bear Park had a large male and three youngsters. The little ones were sleeping but we got to see the big one take a swim!

Big male bear

Playing in the original bear pit

Big bear swimming

Young bears being lazy

View of Bear Park from the bridge

View of bridge from the Bear Park

The Federal Building was really pretty, as were the clock tower and two cathedrals, which I never tire of seeing. The incredible architecture of all of the churches throughout Europe is so breathtaking, I wish I had time to run in and say a prayer in each one we've seen! Another notable sight in Bern is the Einstein Museum, which was once the apartment of Albert Einstein, and it was here where the scientist developed the theory of relativity in the first decade of the 20th century!

Swiss Parliament Building

One view of cathedral

Front side of cathedral

After walking a bit more through the city and realizing Jake was not going to fall asleep in the stroller, we decided it was time to head back to Zurich, as his sightseeing patience had reached its limit! Unfortunately we acted a little too late, and as we were rushing to catch the train, he threw an exhausted fit. It wouldn't be so bad if we were in our own car, but when you are in public in a country whose people stare to an abnormal degree, your kid's tantrum can be just as hard for you as the parent! To make it worse, some jerk ran right in to Jake and me and then refused to let us around him (this is another cultural thing-- people do not say excuse me or move out of your way!) Michael and I both said some very choice words to this man, who I think must have real issues to have intentionally blocked a frantic woman with a screaming child in her arms!! At that moment I was biting my tongue to refrain from telling him to kiss my AMERICAN ass and learn some MANNERS!!! (Can you tell my patience is running thin with certain things? hahaha!) So we boarded the train with poor Jakey still crying, but thankfully it didn't last long. He asked me to hold him, and within minutes he fell asleep cuddled in my arms and slept the entire ride home. After this long and eventful day we were all spent, and very relieved to arrive back at our apartment safe and sound.

Thus, Bern was full of bears and tears for us...but we're happy to have seen another Swiss city!!

Trampolino

As I have mentioned, the weather has been rather uncooperative lately. Luckily for us though, our friends the Comas know exactly what to do with the kids when the rainy weather lingers here; Trampolino! We never would have known such a place exists if it weren't for them, and the two times we have gone made Jake one happy kiddo! Trampolino is comparable to indoor play facilities in the states. It has numerous slides, ball pits, bouncy houses, jungle gyms, bumper cars, a mini Ferris wheel, a train, air hockey, swings and trampolines. The nice thing is you can bring your own food and they have tons of tables all around to sit, eat or take a break. I have a feeling it must be one of the only indoor attractions for kids around here, because it was really crowded both times we went, which of course did not bother the kids at all! Jake and Eleonora had fun running around together doing everything. The only time they stopped for the hours we were there was to get a drink and snack for a few minutes and then off they went again! Jake was so sad to leave when playtime was over, he repeatedly begged for "one more jump"! I am so thankful that Samije and Nderim knew of somewhere to go and let the kids get their energy out when the weather prevents us from being outside. I think in the end I was more tired than Jake, just from following him around and doing so much with him, whew! Made me realize I am not as limber as I used to be. Thank goodness for Trampolino!

This was Jake's 1st ferris wheel, and he was a bit unsure!

He tried so hard to make it to the top!

Jakey & Amarda having a snack

Mama & Jake way up high!

Shooting foam balls

Weeeee

Look out here they come!

Just like at home

Mission accomplished!!!!!!

Thankful

WE are in the home stretch here in Zurich...17 days until we head back home to the good ole' USA...and what a stretch it is. The weather has been unusually cold and rainy this summer, and the past week has been rough with lots of bad weather. There is unfortunately little to do here inside when the weather keeps you in, and being stuck in a small apartment with a rowdy (but really cute) two year old day after day can be quite a challenge! Jake is literally jumping off the walls, ha!! Tonight was supposed to be a baseball game night, but it was cancelled due to rain. I have tried ten times to wash our dirty towels today but someone has left their things sitting idle in the washer for hours- SO INCONSIDERATE! My insomnia is in full swing and I am laying on the couch watching CNN the majority of nights now (it's the only channel in English). To put it simply, we're feeling ready to get home. And some may judge me for saying that, while they haven't actually been in our shoes. But the truth is, I think its much better to leave happy than to leave feeling as though that day couldn't arrive soon enough. So, to deal with our stir craziness, we are planning to get out of Zurich for the majority of the next week and half and travel around, hopefully to warmer, sunnier weather. I think just getting out of the apartment and to new places will help a lot. You know it's gotten pretty bad when you two year old is overly excited just to go grocery shopping and he normally despises it!

So the point of my lame pity party is that I am always amazed at how the Lord sustains me, in the most subtle and refreshing ways. As I have described above, we are struggling a bit right now, and yet today God has blessed me with such sweet and kind encouragement.

1. My friend and neighbor in Houston, Jordan, mom to the two most incredible twins I know, Sammy Sue and Noah, wrote me a wonderful note that totally brightened my day. A compliment and encouragement from her is quite an honor to receive, because she truly is one of the most courageous and positive women I know, and an incredible mother as well. Her blog about her kids and their family is one of the most touching things I've ever read, I cry every time I read it!

2. I exchanged fun chit chat with my best friends Annamaria and Elizabeth on Facebook, which just reminded me of lucky I am to have friends like them in my life. I really don't know what I did to deserve them, but just a few minutes of writing to them totally picked me up. The three of us have been emailing all summer and they have been a source of constant love and support for me of which I am immeasurably grateful. Elizabeth also has an amazing blog and she was a huge inspiration for me to start blogging myself.

3. Next I got a nice message from Michael's cousin Catherine in North Carolina asking me a question about the blog and saying that she has enjoyed following it, which was such a boost as well. She has a precious son Sam, who is about a year younger than Jake, and she was saying how much she looked forward to the fun things I have written about such as soccer, swimming and baseball.

4. My sister Ashley sent me a quote about sisters that was so true to our relationship, and she couldn't have known how much I needed it today. It's from the movie "In Her Shoes" and it said "‎Because without her....I don't make sense." Again I am reminded at how very fortunate I am to have such a close bond with Ash and that distance does not hinder it, evidenced by us Skyping numerous times a week and talking daily via email or Facebook.

Those are four ways that God has sustained me today, and for each of them, whether they knew it or not, I am so very THANKFUL!! Their words blessed me and lifted me up just when I needed it. It's times like this when I actually feel the Lord taking care of me. He is showing me grace and mercy while challenging me to stay here, outside my comfort zone, a little longer, to see what else we can enjoy here. And when I look at the terrible things going on around the world, such as all the areas of unrest in the Middle East and the immense famine in Africa and the painfully slow recuperation in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, my troubles here seem so stupid and insignificant. I am safe, I have food, water and shelter and a secure government. My child is not at risk of starvation, disease, or human trafficking. My family is not being threatened by war or political unrest. My sister just returned home from three weeks in Ethiopia, and she was so impacted on her second trip to Africa that she is considering doing a mission trip every year now. These are real problems, not the fleeting inconveniences that I was discussing earlier. I could just erase this and let myself be ashamed in private, but I would rather humbly post it, in hopes that others can relate to it.

It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and to forget what a privileged life most of us lead living in America. Where we have freedom of religion and aren't required to pay a portion of our salary to be associated with the Christian church (the law in Switzerland). Where we are encouraged to go to college and further our education and life experience, (college is not a reality in many other areas of the world). We are healthy and successful and have wonderful friends and family who enrich our lives. I am so thankful for silly things, like my washer and dryer sitting at home waiting for me in the laundry room, and for my Tahoe parked in the garage. I am so blessed by our church friends at MDPC and the bible study we attend and I can't wait to start up again in August with our group. I miss our backyard and letting Jake run in and out as he pleases while I do stuff inside and watch him through the wall of windows on the north side of our house. I miss our things and all that's in that house which makes it our home. I miss seeing Michael walk from the garage to the back door when he gets home, and hearing Jake scream at the top of his lungs "Daddy's home!" as he runs to the door to hug him. But none of it's going anywhere, it will be waiting for us when we get back, 17 days from now, and I'm sure it will be an indescribable feeling to just be HOME...

I really never expected the blog to be anything except a diary for Jake to read someday about our time here. But it honestly has become so much more than that to me. It's cathartic. It's freeing. And it helps me get over myself in times like now when I just need some perspective but can't seem to give it to myself, and yet I somehow find it when I start writing. I don't consider myself a particularly funny or creative person, nor am I very hi-tech, as I was telling Catherine earlier today. So the blog was initially kind of intimidating because when I do something, I need to do it well, that's just who I am. And I was comparing myself to Jordan and Elizabeth and the numerous other amazing blogs I've read and worried that I would not match up, which was of course the standard I would hold myself to. And as you read in Michael's post, he is super creative and funny!! But you know what? I can honestly say I love this blog and I feel really good about it. It's me. It's us, our family. It's real and genuine, which makes me proud.

A few weeks ago an old friend, Katie, who is a nurse, wrote to me about sharing my blog with one of her young cancer patients at Texas Children's Hospital. The family was planning to move to Switzerland this summer but had to postpone the trip while one of their sons receives treatment. She just wanted to let me know that the blog brought them some happiness reading about family fun in Zurich, and I can't express what that did to my heart! The tears were falling and I was so humbled, especially having been through three surgeries with Jake at TCH, I can imagine what this family must be enduring, and I have been praying for them ever since. This alone makes me want to keep writing, for families like them. I know this blog is just something to read, but the fact that it can touch someone in a little way is powerful to me. The loving feedback that all my friends and family have given me about the words I'm writing has been the greatest unexpected reward of all. Maybe tonight I will actually get some sleep instead of staring jealously at Michael as he dozes away. Either way, I will lay down with a seriously gracious heart and I will thank God extra hard for the beautiful life he has given me...dirty towels, thunderstorms and all.

1 Corinthians 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.

The "Beach" at the Lake: Mythenquai

We recently went to a beautiful "beach" on Lake Zurich, called Stranbad Mythenquai. Our friend Nicole, who is Spring's girlfriend (one of Michael's teammates) told us about it, and I'm so thankful she did! It's just a ways down from our favorite lakeside park, Arboretum. I wish we had known about it in 2006, because that summer was consistently warm and sunny, and I think we would've been there quite often! This summer though, has been unseasonably cool and rainy, with random days of sunshine scattered amidst the constant showers that keep Zurich so green, so we have not been able to take advantage of outdoor swimming facilities as much as we'd like. Mythenquai is a huge park on the lake with a restaurant, baby pool, playground, acres of grass for lounging, picnic tables, and water accessories such as trampolines and diving boards. There are also really clean facilities where you can shower and change before going home.

We had been waiting for a hot enough day to swim at the lake, which is pretty cold, and we finally had a perfect day to go! We bought Jakey a wetsuit after our first outdoor swimming experience here, which he looks pretty adorable in, like a little blonde surfer boy. The humorous event was being forced to purchase floaties for Jake to wear on his arms, which they required if he went into the lake. I have never put them on Jake before because one of my besties, Tracy, a seasoned swim coach, cautioned that they inhibit kids' abilities to appropriately use their arms when learning to swim like Jake is. I have seen kids here that are way to old to be wearing them, but in true Swiss nature, I'm sure it's just an added precaution. Soooo, we were not thrilled about having to buy floaties...and are you ready for what they cost...20 francs, which is nearly $25!!! (Zurich is extremely expensive, the 7th most expensive city in the world!) Needless to say, I was really missing good ole' Target right then, especially because Jake won't wear these at home! He hated having them on in the water, but the funny thing was he liked wearing them on land, go figure! Anyway, the water was really cool and refreshing, and we had a great day swimming and playing. There were tons of families there and as usual, Jake had no problem playing on the playground with kids he didn't know-- I think "play" is a universal language that all kids speak! I really hope we have some hot, sunny days before heading back to Texas so that we can go back to Mythenquai again over the next two weeks...SO FUN!!

Looking towards the city

Docks & Diving Boards

Testing the water...

 View of the Alps

Our spot in the grass

Edging themselves in, bit by bit!

View of Mythenquai from boatcruise

Jakey on the train in his wetsuit for swimming

One thing is for certain; rain or shine, Lake Zurich and the breathtaking Alps that surround it NEVER disappoint us in their beauty! Downtown is such a beautiful area, with the lake, river and mountains all playing off of each other. It's such a blessing while living here this summer to see the amazing views every week and I will surely miss them when we go home!!


Psalm 95:1‑7 "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God..."