Anniversary Cruise - Part V

On our anniversary cruise we went to several of the Greek Isles. After visiting Santorini, we then sailed to Mykonos. I would describe Mykonos as Santorini's fraternal twin. They have a lot of similarities but are definitely not identical. Both are absolutely beautiful. It was extremely windy the day we were there which made the water very choppy. We had to take a tender boat to shore from the ship because we couldn't get close to the port due to the waves. Being in that tiny boat on those high waves is one of the scariest things I've ever experienced. I thought for sure they were going to flip the boat. Thankfully we made it to the island and back safe and sound but I may have left permanent marks on Jared's leg from gripping him so hard. Was it worth it? I'll have to say yes. It was a charming little village. The main attractions for me were all of the blue doors and the giant windmills. :)

small church near the harbor

 fisherman's boat near the harbor

 streets of Mykonos...flowers still bloom in late November there!

everyday life in Mykonos

LOVED all the blue doors

view from on top of a hill in Mykonos

this is a favourite. <3

another blue door with bright pink flowers

waves crashing against the buildings

view of the main windmills from the shore

glimpse of strong waves

one of my favourite photos of Jared, in front of the large windmill in Mykonos

another view from the island

Mykonos shoreline

You can check out the rest of our anniversary cruise adventures: HERE!

Anniversary Cruise - Part III

With the recent holidays and Jared having some time off that we could spend together, I have virtually neglected my blog lately. But I wanted to jump back into it and finish sharing stories from our cruise as I've had many people asking about it. In Part II I shared about our first port in Italy...from there we went to Ephesus, Turkey.

Turkey shoreline from our bedroom balcony on the cruise

We both really enjoyed our time in Turkey. There is so much biblical history there. I am glad we ended up taking an excursion tour with a knowledgeable guide because they were able to share some incredible historic facts along the way.

We first went to the house of Virgin Mary which there is overwhelming agreement by historians that this was in fact where Mary spent her final days here on earth. It was incredible to walk where she walked and see where and how she lived. True to her character, it was a very humble home she lived in located on the hillside of Selcuk, Turkey.

front view of Mary's house

You couldn't take photos inside so this is a postcard of what it looked like inside. 

It's more of a shrine now as you can see.

Statue of Virgin Mary near the entrance of her home

Prayer wall outside of Mary's home with thousands of prayers written on tissue paper.

Close up of the prayer wall.

From there we took the bus to Ephesus and saw the Ancient Ampitheater where Apostle Paul spoke to over 25,000 people about Jesus Christ and was subsequently arrested and persecuted for His faith. Were it not for his boldness, courage and conviction, you and I may not know the Good News of Jesus' saving grace today. For us, this was the most memorable part of the entire trip.

Apostle Paul Theater

Jared standing inside Apostle Paul's theater

We also saw where St. John the Apostle was buried along with other historic sites.

Tomb of St. John

Jared and I Standing in front of the Christian symbol which was used as code to inform fellow Christians on where to meet. Violent persecution did not allow them to openly speak or practice their faith so they had to meet in secret.

The symbol's meaning broken down....

The pinwheel symbol actually contains hidden letters which spells out the Greek word for "fish" which is: Icythys.

 Ichthys consists of five letters from the Greek alphabet: I-ch-th-y-s. When these five letters are used as initials for five words, we obtain this Christian Declaration: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter. This is an acrostic for 'Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.' Commonly today we see the symbol of a fish representing Christianity. 

Ancient library in Ephesus, Turkey

After our historic tour we did some shopping and sightseeing on our own.

Me and a local camel in Ephesus, Turkey

Fancy head gear :o)

Shop with pretty hanging lanterns

Pomegranate Turkish Delight was delightful! :)

I hope you enjoyed visiting Turkey with us! :) You can check out the rest of our cruise experiences HERE.

Park Bois de Sauvabelin - Lausanne, Switzerland

Recently my friend Julia and I went to a nearby park in Lausanne, Switzerland called Park Bois de Sauvabelin. Within the park is a large observatory tower where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. It was breathtaking from the top of the tower! The whole park was beautiful but the view from the top of the tower was by far the most captivating part of the park. It doesn't have an elevator so for those who have trouble with several flights of stairs this probably would not be a good idea. Here are a few photos of the park along with a short video I captured from the top of the tower.

Quaint pond inside the park. You can rent these boats for the day.   How romantic would that be? :)

Inside the park is a petting farm with several animals including these cows...

...and this creature that I couldn't identify at first. It's a hairy pig for those wondering.

The observation tower from the ground looking up

Half way up the spiral staircase

View from the top!

Hope you enjoyed this little day trip with me! :) Cheers!

Did you know.....?

25 random facts you may or may not know about me....

1. If I was a superhero my name would be Turbo Nerd. But that would make me more of a superdork than a superhero I suppose...
2. My name means "delicate" and I think that accurately describes me.
3. One of the most important life lessons I've learned so far is that pleasing people is impossible, but pleasing God is simple....and much more rewarding.
4. Trust does not come naturally for me and I love those people who have made me behave unnaturally.
5. I want to hug the man who invented the camera. I want to hug him and take his picture.
6. I collect panda bears, shoes and memories.
7. Ireland will always hold a piece of my heart.
8. I crave sushi at least once a day.
9. If Jared would let me I'd have a cat farm with acres of kitties!
10. The 8 year old and the 80 year old in me are in constant battle.
11. If I could sleep in until noon everyday I would.
12. My family means the world to me.
13. Don't ever sneak up on me or try to scare me...my first reaction is to start swinging. You've been warned. 
14. English is my second language. Sarcasm is my first.
15. I believe in love. And I've been blessed to have experienced it in it's greatest form.
16. My husband is my hero.
17. I'd rather be behind a lens than in front of a camera.
18. I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat. True story.
19. If I had to choose my last meal, it would be the chicken nachos from Qdoba and a pina colada. That would be the way to go! 
20. I love people. Even those who don't love me back. 
21. Driving aimlessly on country roads with the windows down and some good tunes playing is my idea of a good time.
22. I never leave the house without my camera. Ever.
23. My nephew made me a believer in love at first sight. It was the dimples, I'm sure of it.
24. Poppies are my favourite flower.
25. God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. And I'm humbly grateful for all He has done for me.

L - I - V - I - N :)

Over the weekend Jared and I enjoyed ice cream cones from a tiny lakeside ice cream shop and walked along Lake Geneva with our friends Leilani and Evan. I am sad to say I didn't take a photo of the experience. I guess I was so wrapped up in the moment that it didn't even cross my mind. It was wonderful to enjoy an ice cream treat while taking in the beautiful views. The weather was perfect. Not too cool and not too hot. After having dessert first we decided to have dinner and drinks....dessert first is always a good idea! ;) We sat outside on the restaurant patio only steps away from Lake Geneva with a great view of the Alps. It was such a memorable experience for that reason alone. Jared and I ordered a cheese and meat plate appetizer and we all shared a bottle of red wine. I did happen to think of my camera for this part of the evening and Leilani was kind enough to take this photo of us.

I just loved how the trees were built-in canopies for the outdoor seating. It was a a very nice restaurant and our waiter spoke English so that was a plus as well! It was a lovely atmosphere and we had great company with Evan and Leilani. I love them more every time we get together. They're very down to earth, kind-hearted people. I kept thinking about how we should bring our parents to this restaurant when they come for a visit in a few weeks! And treat them to ice cream too! :) Less then 2 weeks and they'll be here!!!

The following evening we invited over our EPFL friends, Morgan & Julia and Tom & Wiebke over for pizza. We always have a good time when we get together! We really have been blessed with some great friends here.

Today, Wiebke came over for a "girl's day" and we did absolutely nothing and had so much fun. It's nice to have girlfriends to hang out with and talk to about common interests and just share some laughs. She is such a sweet girl. I have a feeling her, Julia and I will be lifelong friends.

In regards to Jared's work, he signed his very first patent today. It's kind of exciting! He calls it "the chemistry lottery" because if his chemistry turns out to be something very useful he could receive royalties for his ideas. But like the lottery, there is no guarantee. I'm just proud of him regardless. This is just another step forward in his career. Excited to see what the future holds.

We have so many things to be thankful for!

Closeness

This overseas move has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. It took faith from the beginning because if it were up to me, I would have never moved so far from my family. But I knew in my heart this is where God wanted us to be at this point in our lives. So I trusted Him and surrendered to His plan...not my own. He has yet to reveal the full purpose of this experience but I know the biggest reason for our coming here was to bring me closer to Him. And to quote my wise and eloquent husband; "Maybe I could have gotten right with God somewhere in America, close to family...but it DID happen here and I would never change that did for a maybe."


I relied so much on people and things back in America and since being here I have had to rely so much more on God. I've realized in the brief time we have been here that things can change in an instant, people will leave you and let you down, and the only constant is God. I still depend very much on my loved ones to live each day in fullness and happiness but I have come to realize that no one in my life can save me or bring me the completeness I know in God. Jesus Christ is truly all I need. Everything else is just bonus or unnecessary.

In 6 short months I have lost three of my loved ones. Facing this kind of loss reminds me just how much I need God and as crazy as it may sound, I am less fearful of the future. I know that no matter what happens I am taken care of, God will never abandon me, never give up on me and each day He calls me closer to Him.

I resisted Him so much all of my life and I've finally realized that. For the first time in my life I am pursuing HIM after years of Him pursuing me. I can't seem to get close enough to Him. I know it's been an inward change that reflects outwardly because my own husband has commented on how he can "see God in me in so many ways." That is the greatest compliment anyone can ever receive....to look at you and see God through your faith. My prayer is that I stay out of the way and let God shine through me. I don't want people to see me...I want them to see Him. I want others to enjoy His closeness. There is nothing in the world like it.

I'm not special. He wants to be close to all of us. Not just me. And it's so simple. It took me nearly 30 years to figure out just how simple it is to find this peace through His love. All I had to do was humbly seek Him. That's it. He loves me regardless of whether or not I put in any effort but how rewarding the relationship with Him is when we enter it with a desire to honour and love Him completely. I could never put into words the clarity and peace it brings to know Him...not just know of Him...but to KNOW Him with my heart. To wake up wanting to learn more about Him and never seeming to get enough of Him.

I still struggle each day to keep my eyes on Him though. In fact, just last night I felt like Peter when He took His eyes off Jesus during the storm and began to sink. I took my eyes off Jesus and started to fear losing more loved ones, not being able to be there with them and just focusing on all the "what ifs". I began sinking in fear and sadness. But God's hope lifts us up. I was reminded of His promises and once I put my eyes back on Him, my peace was restored.

I am still a work in progress. I don't recognize the girl I was 10 years ago or even 6 months ago. She was so bitter and selfish. But I don't look like a pure representation of Jesus either. There is still a lot of work do be done on my heart but I have felt the Lord reshaping my heart over the years. It has been a slow process and one that will be neverending I'm sure. But if I can be in the midst of some of the most challenging times of my life and have this peace...I want to continue in God's direction because it is obvious He is my source of peace.

"Christ lived to show us what a relationship with God looks like, and died to give us a way to have it." - Mattie Montgomery  http://www.mattiemontgomery.com/

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me. Your love and prayers are felt!

Lovely Lutry

Jared and I went on a photo adventure together recently. It was fun to discover all the sweet spots that are within walking distance from our apartment. We live in the cutest little town. As we wandered around it felt as though we had gone back in time. Cobblestone streets, tiny "mom and pop shops"...the whole setting here is quaint and humble. We have only seen a glimpse of this beautiful country and I can't wait to discover more of what it has to offer.

Here are a few photos I took around the lovely little town of Lutry.

 

'We Wednesdays': Our First Vlog

Jared and I bought a new Samsung HD video camera this week! Our wonderful Aunt DeeDee & Uncle Dan gifted me with some money for photographing our cousin's wedding. The photos were to be my wedding gift to them but my Aunt insisted on giving me some cash under the condition that I had to use the money towards camera gear. Jared and I have been talking about getting a nice video camera before our move to Switzerland so we could capture our adventures with not only my digital camera but with a good video camera. So I think we will get a lot of great use out of this camera! THANK YOU AGAIN AUNT DEEDEE & UNCLE DAN! :)

So here is our very first video blog - or Vlog as the cool kids say - using our new video camera! We're still learning our way around it and the editing software so be patient with us. I'm sure we'll do more Vlogging in the future so I hope you enjoy! (watch the full video for an awesome ending featuring special guests - our two cats - Monty & Marley)  :)