Packing and Cleaning

My family has decided to move. Phew. To Seattle. Whoa. 3,000 miles away. Craziness everywhere, but it will be good. If you have read any of my previous posts, you would know that my sister and her growing family live in Seattle. It's taken a toll on our hearts here, so we have decided to pack up our lives and start something new. To start something this new is Very different for my family, but I am getting excited.
On the contrary though, since I am home during the day I get to pack the house up and clean it room by room, base board by base board, window by window. Phew. It's been a lot of work, but it's coming along slowly yet steadily. Hopefully we'll have it done by the time all the mud is gone, because that is when Ma has decided to put it up on the market. So, if you're looking for a house, ours is open.haha

My Future Beloved

I decided to start another blog, not that I do a fantastic job with posting on this one (<--sarcasm) but because I think it's a really great idea. I you can check it out off my profile called My Future Beloved. I'm planning on writing something, anything at all, about myself or my family, or hopes and dreams, anything just to have out there. Almost like a future letter to whoever that man will be in my life. I think that way I will have something  to write everyday and it will get me back on the blogger's bandwagon that I have so effortlessly fallen off of! Plus I just think it's a wicked cute idea. :)

Apples for Kiddos!

As you all may know, I was in the hospital for 40+ days back in March and April. I luckily had my laptop to keep me updated with friends and family back home. The staff was fantastic and the care was wonderful, but I know if I wasn't able to stay sane through skype and facebook and knowing everyone was still alright, I wouldn't have been in as good of a mood as I was. So, we got to thinking, what if every kid had the opportunity to stay in contact with their friends and family back home? Check out our website and support by giving to such a great cause!

http://giveapplestokiddos.wordpress.com/

Iceland

I have recently become absolutely fascinated with the country of Iceland. I want to learn about it's language, it's culture, the food, the landscape, the tourism, and the people. Everything. I think it could be the natural beauty that lures me into it's nooks and crannies of volcanoes, green valleys, fire and ice. I am drawn to the way people live, so simply yet so happily. I love the way people seem to interact with one another, with love and companionship. I am thinking about planning a trip out there, as soon as I can, but we'll see. Plans change, and come and go. I will go to Iceland one day though...you can count on that. Upon looking more in depth into the country I came across one of my newest favorite artists. Sigur Ros. They are an Icelandic group of simple, yet elegant pieces of music. The lyrics, if sung at all, are in Icelandic, but with out a doubt some of the most beautiful music I have heard. Something about it is peaceful and calming, yet also awakens my mind to my surroundings. Even though it's not in English, it feels as if you can still understand the meaning the artists are trying to portray through their music. To me that is true music. Music you can feel move through your body, effortlessly and full of strength.

Feelin' Alive Again

Today marked the first of several days in Boston for post-surgery follow up appointments. Three this morning to be exact...so in conclusion, quite the long day. They all went fantastic though. My doctors were all thrilled and happy to hear that I am doing well and am a travel-craze. I brought in a few pictures from my trips this summer, and as I expected, they loved looking at them. I bet it feels good to know that their work has such an impact on a person. Definitely worth driving to Boston for. The overall saying: "we wait to see what the tests say." I have an MRI and an endoscopy scheduled these next few days to see how my insides all look from the inside view. Crossing my fingers that they look smooth, pink and healthy!!

As for after my appointments, it was absolutely gross and rainy outside in Boston today, so I wanted to do something indoors. What's that I wanted to do you say? Well, rock climbing of course! It was the first time since I have been out of surgery and it felt...So.Good... I was pretty proud of my post-op weakling body too. It lasted longer than I was anticipating. Since it was just me, I decided to just do a bouldering session. Fantastic decision. Met some great people and saw some absolutely great climbers. One of which I think had muscles on his muscles.haha It was just a great time to get rid of all the hospital thoughts and just relax (well, at least my kind of relax). Somebody needs to build a climbing gym in Central NY though...anyone up for the challenge?

Me doing some bouldering

-Danielle-

My All-time Favorite Cookie

Whether you like Double-Chocolate Chocolate, Peanut Butter, or your plain old Sugar Cookie...in my opinion, a cookie is a cookie. They are delicious covered in chocolate or dipped in sprinkles (I'm more of a chocolate girl myself, if you couldn't tell.) A cookie always brings back the taste of home, warmth and company. Each recipe has it's own memory, it's own story to tell, and when you bite into one you'll find you travel right along with it. A cold glass of milk and your favorite cookie can melt everything away, even just for a brief moment in time.
Well, in my family, every time company comes to our house they can expect something of the sort. Usually a fantastic meal and some sort of dessert. Last night, while I cleaned and tidied up, my mother made an absolutely amazing batch of my all-time favorite cookie creation- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie (she surprised me actually.) I sneaked a spoonful of batter before she put everything in the oven...I had to test it and see if was safe. ...Mhmm... It's everything good and wonderful in one. Definitely a cookie to make whenever a sweet tooth is knocking at your door. Just fill a glass with cold milk, sit back, put your feet up, relax... and let the cookie do the rest.

A Long Time Away from Home

As I sit here and write, the fan blowing softly in my window and my bed lamp dimly shining on the keys, I remember all the things I have done the past two months. I remember living in Seattle for three weeks visiting my sister and her family, seeing just a glimpse into her life and watching the kids as they seemed to grow in front of me. Each time I saw the kid’s smile I shoved it deep down, close to my heart to remember always. (Man I love them.) Remembering the ever growing list of adventures my sister and I would go on, with the kids in tow or not, there was always a story to bring home to whoever was there to listen. Meeting new friends, going to church, climbing mountains, swimming in unforeseen places, all of which added to the collection of memories I have locked away in my mind. It is always so amazing to be with family, to love one another in every possible way, even in the most annoying of times. I know I’ll always have a place to stay there.

My favorite kids ever.

                                                                              

Then I flew back home, for only a few hours, where I then boarded a plane once again to meet my eldest brother in Central America. We discovered when I landed, that this was only our first time traveling together which completely surprised both of us given the amount of traveling we have done. I met him in Belize where we began our journey with an interesting cab ride to the “bus station.” Everything else is history. We traveled south, day after day, bus ride by bus ride, stopping in each country finding something amazing to do or interesting to eat.  All we had was each other, our back-packs, and our increasing list of stories… all the way down to Panama. Panama made it into my passport as my tenth country. We celebrated with an ice-cold Coca-Cola from a bottle (absolutely the best when from a bottle.) We climbed temples like a Mayan King, slept in a tent in the very heart of the rain forest, (no sleep to be had on that specific night…too many crazy animal noises.) We surfed the waves of the Pacific, and watched as a Sea Turtle so delicately laid her eggs on the beaches of the Atlantic, zip-lined through the canopy of a cloud forest, we ate like champions while watching HUGE cargo ships travel through the lock system in the Panama Canal, and of course took the longest, most interesting rides from place to place on whatever we could (even if that meant hitchhiking a time or two…shhh don’t tell my mom.) After all was said and done we flew home. Home to meet our mother with open arms, home to eat some good ol’ American food, and home to where I know I belong.

 I know I’ll always be traveling, and to only God knows where, but within me, and I imagine every traveler, there is always that one place where everything falls into place. That one spot where you feel at your utmost comfort. The place where you’ll find your heart again deep within the crannies of the walls and hiding out between the covers of your own comfortable bed (oh how I missed my own bed.) You know that old saying “Home is where the heart is?” … well I think it’s true. In every heart there is a home and I find mine every time I walk into mine, filled with the laughter of family and friends and the smell of homemade food on the table. No matter where I go, who I meet or how I get there, this is where I’ll find my heart, fully and happily living.