PACKED!

And with 3 hours to spare. So now I'm CHARGING...my phone...my laptop...my BriPod (to which I added "Princess Bride" As..........you..................wish............................!

And I'm off....I am still uber tired...still a little wigged about what is gonna happen...but ready to get on with it. I talked to the two group leaders going with us today...which was nice to touch base...but staving off the personal questions is going to be a challenge!

So, I'm gonna go hang out with Mom and Grams for a spell...before I jump in the shower....essentially...kill time, so that in the end when I realize I've forgotten something? It will be too late! Hip Hip hooray!!!!

So...from this side of the pond...peace out!

Stolen from my Jelly Banelley.

Optimists do not ignore the difficulties; they are keenly aware of them. But the knowledge of God's presence prevents them from being discouraged or giving up. It is impossible to stand in the presence of God and be a pessimist! The account of David and Goliath vividly pictures the source of the Christian's strength -- not our own size, strength, or resources, but the power of almighty God. If we focus on our opposition and problems, they will seem gigantic. But as we focus on God, we will see our situation in the proper perspective and be assured that all things are possible with God (Phil. 4:13)." - Henry Blackaby

Uncle Pete cracks me up...

When I sent out the generic "HOORAY" e-mail....this is how Uncle Pete responded...I had to share!

Doesn't sound like a real job...sound more like a GEICO commercial....(English accent) So, its as easy as cruising to Santorini...like what could be easier...you get on the ship, eat lots of food until you fall over they carry you back to the suite...easy as saving money.



And this is what Penelope/Christine had to say....

Sooo...I got a new job too. I am going to be a tour guide too. I will be going to the moon and all around the universe giving tours to Martians and other assorted aliens. I am going to have my own spaceship and I get to have 5 days off per week and I am getting paid a billion dollars. (hair twirling)

TIRED!

I'm just wondering if I could be more tired? No? Oh okay...just checking. And have I packed yet you ask? Also a NO! But at least I've done the laundry of what I'm bringing right? NONONO! AH! I do this all the time...you'd think I'd learn...but alas...I don't. So be it. I'm banking on those 2.5 days I have without PAX to get my groove on! FYI...did I go over the fact that PAX=Passengers?! There you have it. Anyway, I'm beat...tuckered...and I have WAY too much to do, so hope for wireless internet in Milano!

Also...as an added bonus to my day yesterday which was emotionally tiring as well as furniture moving tiring? I missed a step coming down the stairs with DRAWERS in my hands...and they totally BEANED me in the head. And while it was funny, as my big brother, so encouraging, kept telling me I took one too many and it was just a matter of time till they fell? I still have a mini bruise comin' and it hurts. The flip of that situation is that it could have been super ugly....torn ligaments, dented walls, etc. So praise God for that. But speaking of falling down stairs...you should really ask Gayley about when she brought down the stationary bike from upstairs. Mind you...stationary bike from like the 70's. Why she was even trying it, is really beyond me, and how she didn't die on the way down is all God again. I'm thinkin' that we Fitchett ladies shouldn't do manual labor anymore. Just a suggestion.

One more thing...Lindsay and Joel got married today...and it was BEAUTIFUL! And she...she was stunning, it brought tears to my eyes, I mean she's pretty anyway, but a truly gorgeous bride! They leave for Athens tomorrow...while I leave for Milan...and I miss them in Greece by a day...which is a bummer, but I'm sure it's fine that I don't crash their honeymoon! Speaking of people traveling where I am, when I am?! I know about 12 people in Italy and Greece the same time I'm there...CRAZY! It's a bevy of Italy TRAVEL!

That's it...I'm really goin' now!

Hi Penelope.

LY,
Moi

The Ant and the Contact Lense

So...my momma forwarded this to me and it's just cute...and true story or not..I liked the last line.

The Ant and the Contact Lens: a true story (but don't they all say that?)

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. "Great," she thought. "Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry." She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there. She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth. "She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know

every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is.

Please help me."

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!

The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."

I think it would do all of us some good to say, "God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

3 Days to go...

So...as it turns out...this is actually WORK! It's not all play! I have like a mile high MOUND of paperwork, and all sorts of accounting practices in my head...I wonder if I should have paid more attention in college? Nah. The super cool thing though, that I just found out?! I'm in a two bus move...which in non-tour person lingo? Means I have a FRIEND! She is doing the same tour at the same time, so we aren't together during any of our passenger time, but off time, and when I need HELP....she is there! We are on the same ship, along with like 1900 other people, and we pick our PAX (passengers) up at the same time...different buses of course, and all that jazz. But what a cool relief! I have a friend! Her name is Pat...so pray for her too!

In other news...congrats to my Shannan...who is getting married on November 4. I won't be there...but of course in spirit! So YAY! Best wishes (sparkle sparkle)! I'm so happy for you! Hip hip hip hooray!

What else? I have like a gajillion errands to be running, and I'm sitting here...blogging!

And...FYI...go try the Maple White Mocha from Borders? OUT OF THIS WORLD DELISH! Yummmified!! I'm not sure that is a word, but it should be.

Alright kids...I'm outty, but I'm still stoked to go....crazy busy....and no, of course I haven't started to pack yet! DUH!

Love ya!!!!