The pictures say it all...

My friend Jessica and I excitedly waiting for the guys to arrive

Starting to walk in

Donovan is hidden a couple rows back

Best moment ever!

Life Lately

Ciao ciao!  A lot has happened in the last couple weeks.  Donovan made it to his final destination and is doing well.  We've been able to communicate fairly often via email, skype, and a few precious phone calls.  I will do my best to keep you all updated, and in the meantime, please keep him in your prayers!

Thankfully, my friend Nancy came for a visit just a couple days after Donovan left.  After not seeing each other for a year and a half, it was amazing having her here.  We crammed a lot of fun into ten days and she did an excellent job of taking my mind off the fact that my husband just deployed.  We had cappuccinos downtown, went shopping, and spent hours talking, laughing, and catching up.  Of course we couldn't sit around here the whole time, so we also went to Lake Garda and Cinque Terre for a couple days each.  At the lake we didn't do anything more strenuous than lay by the pool, lay on the beach, or sit on our balcony watching the sunset.  Because really, isn't that what vacation is all about?

Cinque Terre is a post in its own, so that will be coming up next.  I'll just say that I think it's my new favorite place in Italy!  Gorgeous views, yummy seafood, and a slightly sketchy drive into town.  Can't beat that!

Croatia Day 6 - The Big Jump

Today was all about my swimming ability.  Or perhaps my lack of swimming ability.  It's a constant battle between Donovan and I as to whether I can swim or not.  I mean, I'm not going to be winning Olympic races anytime soon, but I haven't drowned yet either.  That should count for something, right?

So far, when I've wanted to get in the water, I slowly go down the ladder or carefully climb off the dock.  For the last 2 days, Donovan has been attempting to convince me to jump off this huge rock.  Umm...scary!  But there's no way I'm going to give him yet another reason to consider me a weakling, so jump I will.

First though, I gotta size it up and make sure I really, really want to do this.

Ehh, what the heck.

I'm alive!

Actually, it wasn't that bad.  And I discovered that once I managed to fight my way back to the surface I could actually stay afloat fairly easily.  The salt water might have helped a little with that. 

Not to be outdone, Donovan went off the rock too.  He dove in though, what a show-off.

But enough of that.  Time to climb out of the water and get back to my number one beach activity.

"I was born to finish pizza"

The guys left early this morning for a few weeks of training, so last night became an impromptu send-off party slash just hanging out and having a good time.  Our first time making homemade pizza turned out to be a success, with Donovan and Tom polishing off two whole pizzas.  I was lucky to snag my two pieces before Tom declared "I was born to finish pizza" and ate the last slice.  Thanks, Tommy. 

  

The guys were also super excited for the next few weeks of training...

Tom even gallantly stepped in and did the dishes.  I'm hoping Donovan was taking notes :)

And then Donovan got a hold of the camera and things just got crazy...

Yeah, anyways....

And my plans for while I have the house to myself?  Hopefully getting the last shipment of our stuff and finally getting the house put together, weeding the front yard because it's a mess right now, and staining the little table and chairs set we got from Ikea to go on our balcony.  That should keep me busy!

Donovan's Foray into Cooking

Yesterday afternoon, Donovan decided it was time to come up with a fun recipe to make for dinner.  This is not unusual, we love cooking together on weekends.  However, this particular time, he declared that he would be doing the cooking and I could just relax.  Wow!  No argument on my part.  So we chose a recipe we've been wanting to try for awhile, "Bucatini All'Amatriciana with Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs" (recipe here), and after a lovely bike ride to our neighborhood grocery store to get the ingredients Donovan got to work.  I stayed nearby to photograph the experience and answer any random questions he might have.

First, he got all his ingredients chopped up and ready to go...

But grating the onion wasn't very fun...

Next, it's time to mix up the meatball mixture...

"Wait, I seriously have to mix it up with my hands?"

We couldn't find smoked mozzarella, so we used regular and they still came out delicious. 

Time to make the sauce!  Start by frying some pancetta in a little olive oil...

Then add tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices, and stir with a smile...

Meatballs are done!  And they look super yummy...

Time to mix the sauce into the pasta, and then laugh about the gross picture it makes...

And voila!  Dinner is ready...