3:30am and I'm just getting Sleepy! - June 6, 2019

It's 3:30 am and I'm just getting sleepy, we are all wacked out with our sleeping. We needed to wait for a new pocket wifi which didn't end up in our hands until late so we never left the place until 5pm. I was feeling guilty that we had wasted much of the day, but now I am remembering that it's not about were we are, its about who we are with and just relaxing...and we are doing that. This place is very quite and peaceful, but a good 45-50 min train ride into the city.

We didn't know where we would end up and when we left it was raining, which continued on and off most of the evening, but we managed to happen upon a few things, late and shut down, history, eye opening and new to us none the less.

Sometimes I wonder if we are lacking in the "tourist" department, we are late to get going (at least my side of the fam (we definitely get that from grandma!), Anthony and April have no problems getting their butts up and out!), we rarely have a schedule and often don't know where we are actually going. Trying to figure out where to eat...hahahaha, we ended up at the food market in the Berlin Mall! But,I have to remind myself, so what, we had a good time (once April took an allergy pill, for fear that the food she got DID end up with some peanut in it, and for her, that's a no-no.)

At times, in a moment I feel the stress inside me build up or the tension between one or more of us, but it passes and the silliness and laughter comes back; the giggles between the girls, the glances and smiles between Anthony and myself, and i am reminded all is right in the world. 

I found out that Srikumar Murthy G & Radhika Murali will be delayed getting here until Saturday morning, reality is, that's work, that's life and we all know that, so we get an extra evening together in Berlin, just the 5 of us. But reality is, for me, that just sucks and that makes me sad. I guess I feel a little cheated, but, I will make sure to love the time that we have with them even more. :)

Guess I should get to bed before the sun comes up in just a couple of hours, hey, it's still light at after 10 pm and sunrise at 4:45 and it's now 3:51 and I can hear the birds singing outside already! Enjoy some pics from today, a good day, a day with some frustrations, a little stress, some transportation troubles, lots of smiles and my heart filled with the joy that is my family.

Peace!

We've Arrived! - June 5, 2019

A quick update as it’s 10:30 PM but there still is a little bit of light in the sky here. I think I may have had four hours of sleep over the last 34 hours so I’m a little dopier then usual.

All travel went smoothly, we had a couple little adventures here and there trying to pick up and activate a pocket Wi-Fi that evidently is for the wrong country, but I got it straightened out and they’ll be shipping another one to us tomorrow morning (my screw up).

The Airbnb that we’re at is absolutely beautiful and it’s going to be perfect for us over the next five days! However, with an unusual temperature in the 90s and in an apartment on the fourth floor with no air-conditioning makes for a very uncomfortable situation during the day. We were all very tired and all very warm most of the afternoon but it has cooled off nicely tonight and the rest of the week doesn’t look so hot so I think we will be fine. I’ll post some pictures of the place tomorrow.

We are slightly north west of Berlin in a very quiet, pretty neighborhood, we will be planning to go into the city tomorrow by train, I know it’s close by because I can hear it!

Anthony, Kelsey and April managed to buy a few items at the grocery store, and Kelsey manned up to make us some pasta and sauce for dinner while everybody was taking naps and evidently she had a bit of a struggle trying to figure out the ultra modern stove, but we were all fed and happy.

Here are a few random pictures that were taken throughout the day, some may be duplicates from Anthony‘s post so I apologize. Not sure what tomorrow’s going to bring, but I know we will be together so it should be a good day!

Peace!

We're Off on an Amazing Journey - June 4, 2019

So we are off on an amazing journey. We were blessed 2 years ago to be able to travel to India as a family, for such a wonderful experience...it created wonderful memories with Anthony and my girls that I will always treasure, that trip also gave us a new “extended” family with Srikumar Murthy G and Radhika Murali and their families and friends. 

In December I lost my mom much sooner than I anticipated I would have to. I had two special months reconnecting with her. I miss her more that I thought I would. 

With mom’s passing came a little extra money, so I wanted to make 2 more weeks of incredible memories with my husband and my 3 sweet girlies that are pretty much grown women now 😐. It won’t be much longer until they will have their own lives and families and they will start building their own traditions. So I wanted to honor “Gma” by taking the family on another grand trip. Berlin, Prague, maybe a quick drive through Poland, Salzburg, Austria, and ending in Munich. 

Yes, this trip is frivolous, but, my mom was a bit frivolous with her money, and so I am taking this gift from her and building memories (as Anthony Bruno Jr. would say). I love my girls more then my life and hey, let’s face it, without my mama, well, 2 of them wouldn’t even exist, and neither would I. 

The first part of the trip rewards us all with another gift of Sri & Radhika. They now live in Germany, and so they will be joining us in Berlin over the weekend where I will be sitting back and looking at my family, the family I choose, the family that I built. My Devin Campbell and Kelsey Campbell. The gift of Anthony and my April, and now, my Indian son and daughter! Sri routinely calls me mom and I’m proud that he does. This will be the first opportunity for all of us to get to know our Radhika face to face as she was a bit busy during her wedding when we where in India!!

I am looking forward to spending time thinking about mom, maybe sharing some stories with the girls and S&R. I am looking forward to discovering different lands and foods and traditions, I am looking forward to walking a few steps behind with my husband, holding his hand as we watch our girls just be sisters and kids and adults all at the same time. I am looking forward to doing nothing more then getting to know my Radhika and cooking an Indian meal with her in our Airbnb. 

I am looking forward to the memories that we will create with our kids that one day, they will share with their kids, after all, how better to honor my mom?

Stay tune and have fun with us!!

Me and my Mommy out enjoying the sunshine and a rare smile for the camera from her!