And the adventure continues...

Last Friday, the last of our passports came. We can 'really' leave the country now! Yesterday, I bought the plane tickets. It was a crazy feeling to click on that button to buy those tickets. We are really going! I have been reading my guide books and have been getting pretty excited. There are so many amazing things to see!

I thought I might share my current list of must see sights in Italy (mostly based on my location):
1. Ancient Rome (Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and Appian Way with Catacombs)
2. Vatican City (St. Peter's Square and Bascilca, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel)
3. General Roman-ness (Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, and of course some shopping thrown in there)
4. Venice (after reading about it...it has become a MUST see for me...2 words...Venetian Glass!)
5. Pisa (much more than just a leaning tower)
6. Siena
7. A ferry ride to Sardina (Not too sure what is there, but the ferry ride sounds like fun)
8. A soccer game in Italy (as a sports fan...could that be more exciting?)
9. A wine tour in Tuscany
10. Everyday life in small town/village Italy!

Anyone want to add to my list?

Montalto di Castro...

Here is a map of Italy where we will be...you can also zoom in!

Here is a the weather report!

And here is the website for the community of Montalto in English...you can look around but be forewarned it is mostly in italian!

Have a wonderful day!
Ciao!

How sad is this...

Ciao a tutti...Hello everybody!

 

The first question that comes to mind is: WHY are you watching such a small tv when there is such a LARGE tv next to it? A reasonable question. The answer is: One toddler + one shooter marble + one large NEW plasma tv = disaster! So a little over 2 years ago, Tobin and I bought our first really cool present for ourselves...great new TV. About 2 months after such purchase, 2 year old Clayton threw a shooter marble at said tv. Ugh!!! You just get that sinking feeling in your stomach! Well, it lasted until yesterday and finally gave up the ghost! Like, it couldn't wait 2 weeks!! So we bring down the sad small tv. My father-in-law once compared watching our small tv like watching tv on your phone...oh, well! Anyway, just thought it was a funny pic!

So, onto Italy news! Still kind of foggy as to when we are leaving, how long we are staying, and where we are living! What an adventure! At this moment, it looks like Tobin will be traveling with us...what a relief! So that means we may have to be leaving before Easter...yes, that would be in like a week and a half. I have been panicking! Sometimes that happens when you finally realize when things are happening (kind of like when you are pregnant and realize, hey there is really going to be a baby soon...and no, I am not pregnant!).

I finally had the realization that I am just going to have to get more suitcases. There is just no way to pack stuff for 5 people for 5 months into 3 suitcases, I know, I was in denial. I just keep trying to remind myself that less is more, less is more! The mound keeps growing!!!!

I finally broke down and bought some books/travel guides for Italy. I am also trying to cram as much as possible Italian into my head...I think I am getting information overload! But this morning the first thing that I thought when I woke up was...Non parlo italiano molto bene...I don't speak italian very well! I guess that is a start...especially since I couldn't remember that last night!

Have a wonderful day!
Ciao!

New meaning of March Madness...

Each March my husband passes each of us a photocopy of the NCAA men's basketball bracket. For the most part, I just randomly guess based on who I like, or not, or because I like their mascot... Just so you know, last year I was the grand champion! So no knocking my methods! The basketball games started last night and the current winner...my 21 month old daughter who can't even say the names of the teams! This year the prise is a round of Gelato in Italy...who could complain!

While that is all well and good (Tobin really gets into it), the real madness began on Monday night. We were told that we needed to get passports...off to the races we went. So, where are we going? Tobin will be the project manager of a construction project involving the civil work (building roads, etc) on a solar panel field. It's location is right outside the lovely village of Montalto di Castro (you can google earth it and see all about it or patiently wait for me to post pics, maps, etc). It is 90 km north of Rome on the Mediterean Sea. It has about 7,600 people and it seems pretty rural. Not bad for us Montanans I think. There is a train station and it takes approximately 1hr and 45 minutes to get to Rome.

Now, we don't yet have a place to live...yet! But it is being worked on and it should be within a 20 minute drive of Montalto for those that are going to work...that would not be me!!! Can we say vacation! Going food shopping has never been so adventurous!

Today was spent putting holds on the multitude of magazines that I subscribe to (yes, I am addicted...with 3 kids, reading articles is just plain more fun). I think I have internet overload!

Going to unplug, eat lunch, and make birthday presents for my niece and nephew!
Ciao!

The Crazies

I thought you might like to see what a modern-day leprechaun might look like...

 

I know I am biased, but I think they are the cutest ever!

So, I have accomplished all of the must do right at this moment things for our international endeavor. Now it is all about waiting to see all the other pieces fall into place. Oh, and breathing! Don't forget that!

Stay tuned: My next post I will actually talk about where in Italy we will actually be...
Ciao!

The most important thing...

Well, I was so excited to actually have something to blog about, finally, that I forgot the most important thing!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

You may be wondering why this might be more important than the amazing news about Italy...well, we happen to be Irish. 3 out of 5 folks in our house have red hair, so we look amazing in the color green!!! And I love to dress my kids up in the ridiculous garb one can find for this holiday!

Corned beef and cabbage for us today. One of my favorite meals that we only get once a year, primarily because it takes so darned long to cook! I also have a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread, it goes great with the apricot jam that I make.

So today I will be slaving in the kitchen while I am furiously e-mailing and calling people in the pursuit of Italy.

Ciao!

The Moose is Loose...

Welcome to my CRAZY life. Originally this blog was to be a place where I shared my creative genius (well, at least I think I am a genius!). Now it will be a place to share the craziness that has become my life. What is so crazy about it, you say?

Well, first of all, I am a stay at home mom of three small children (Case 5.5yrs, Clayton 3.5 yrs, and Gwen 21 months) in the lovely state of Montana. Can we say rural? My wonderful husband of 8.5 years is somewhat self-employed in the construction business. Not so crazy, right? Hold on to something cause here it comes...

We are moving to Italy for 5 months!!! Yes, you read correctly...the country of Italy! Me, housewife in Montana, is going to become a globe trotter! Can you believe it? I don't!!! Sometimes I think I am in denial, but we did go and start the passport process yesterday! Tobin actually has a job there...so they are going to actually pay for us to go and live there. I still can't seem to wrap my mind around this one.

Not only are we going to be gone for 5 months, but we are leaving in 3 weeks!!! I know, can it get crazier? (it that a word or did I just make that up?) On top of all of that, it looks like I will be traveling to the country of Italy by myself with three small children, yikes!!! One of whom is a bit of a terrible two...

So there it is, an intro to my crazy life!
Have a wonderful day!
Ciao!