Merback in Action: December 2016

This is a post of lasts and places I want to preserve:

The school bus, a unique fixture in our every morning 9 months out of the year.

What view:

Isaac:
These are the people most significant to Isaac that he left behind in Italy.

This Best Friend, Simone (See-mOnay). They talk on the phone once a week or so still and exchange who knows how many emails. May this continue for always!

Farewell to Danielle, Isaacs guitar teacher.

I didn't get a good shot of Payton and Isaac farewelling. I think we all pretended like it wasn't the last time they would see each other (at least for a while). But here they are, two good buddies who mean a lot to each other.

I, for one, will always remember this last bittersweet view of the Dolomites, the feeling and mood as we soaked it in and watching my kids absorb all that they'd had these last four years and all they were leaving. Georgie, Isaac and I took my dad for a day trip into the Dolomites to hike Cinque Torre two days before they left. Every view felt tangibly holy to me. The air was thick with it (Italy felt that way off and on in moments the last month or so that we were there). On our drive home we caught this view from a little small village bridge and I pulled over to take a picture. We sat on the little bridge overlooking this little valley in total silence. When it was time to go Isaac said dazedly, "I'm staying here." My Dad sat back down and said, "I'm staying with him. "

GEORGIE:

Papa was able to be there for Georgies honor roll ceremony, which was cool.

Here she is saying goodbye to Emily and Jackie, two of her best friends at school.

And her much loved teacher Mr. England.

The biggest "moment" was her farewell with Samantha, who has been her best friend for over 5 years. Georgie made her a photo collage of pictures of them from preschool to 4th grade. Angela and I cried watching them look at it together.

JULIET:

The day before she left Mary and Katie came over with some farewell gifts. THey have been such good friends. I have loved seeing them play together. These two girls and the way their mom raises them remind you of The Little House on the Prairie. I took a lot from their Mom.

A few nights before the final farewell they had a sleep over together. I keep thinking how fun it would have been to have had them all at the elementary school together this year. ;(

My one little most important farewell with Daniella!

PLACES:

The back of our house. This yard has seen some fun times.

This is the grape vineyard across the way from our house. This photo doesn't do it justice.

This is from the road leading up to the vineyard. Joey and I took our runs here most days. I will always miss the views from this trail...everywhere you look, breathtaking. I can't imagine I will ever run anywhere as beautiful.

This is a view of the elementary school from the city playground pictured below.

The playground

A view of Juliets preschool from the playground.

This memorial to WW1 fighters stood just outside of the elementary school. Juliet would always play behind it while we waited for Isaac and Georgie.

These steps are where I would come visit Isaac and Georgie during their recess after picking Juliet up from school at 1pm. They also played around the gates often with their friends, especially georgie...collecting rocks and seeds and building little play places with it.

Their playground.

Where I would often find Georgie, making little worlds out of the rocks.

Isaacs school class.

This picture doesn't do it justice but its one of my favorite views on the road from our house to Aviano. 4 family houses nestled into this hillside and were just the perfect Italian villas. This little piece of land never stopped amazing me.

More of that view

Via Col de Rust 30

The backyard looking into Delores and Aldos yard.

One of Joey's epic bonfires still to be burned, the glorious bush of Sambuco flowers (the white ones on the left) that we made tons of schiroppo from, Joey's giant Walnut Trees, the fig tree in front and, of course, the garden.