Flo...see you next year

FLOrence that is.

well, we've decided to put off Italy until next year. I hate that phrase "put off." Let me start over

well, we've decided we are moving to Italy in June of 2007! It's going to be wonderful and beautiful, and the best part is that it is going to happen. It feels so good not to have any of this up in the air anymore. And the best part is that we both came to this mutual decision.

God is good, and I'll tell you why. Just a week or so before we found out about the baby, and our plans for Italy were still to go this June, a 4 bedroom house on the estate at which my husband is employed became available to us. In fact, the owner specifically requested that the board of trustees us choose us as tenants. (interjection: this is just so unbelievable)

And let me just side track here to tell you about this estate: It is 40 acres, and 4 houses share the property, which sits on the Gold Coast of Long Island...that's right the beach is about a 10 minute walk from the house, and 1 minute from two of the others. The main house was built in the 1600s and is absolutely breathtaking, with a large pool open to all the residents. Saturday, we went to take a closer look and we saw a young deer and it just stared at us...didn't run away, and we also saw a fox, who ran with our car for a few minutes. Wow. BTW, rent is negligible...the owner is an avid philanthropist, and I'm sure she gets a break on her taxes as well.

So we were so flippin' disappointed. We had been trying for two years to get one of the other houses, then someone else got it. And now, when we really CAN'T take it, it is available to us! GRRRRR! Luckily, we had not gotten a chance to send our regrets to the trustees when we found out about the bun-in-me-oven. I don't necessarily believe in signs from God. I don't believe it is our place to depend on them. But I do know that it sure gave us equal opportunity to stay or go this year, and not feel like we were making a decision based on money.

As sad as I am not to be able to escape this poor, broken country, I am content in our decision and have confidence in plans for next summer.

Flo...wait for me, and I'll bring you a beautiful baby to grace your streets.