I’ve put together a playlist of old songs, done new, so that I can keep enjoying the classics without going bonkers. Music tastes are extremely subjective, so maybe you won’t agree me. You also may be a purest and firmly against rehashes. Nevertheless, here are some to try. You may be surprised how enjoyable new, old music can be!

Maybe you won’t recognize all these songs from title alone, but I promise these are all songs you already know and love (just with a little special twist to make them unique again).

• 99 Red Balloons by Sleeping At Last, originally by Nena
• Across the Universe (feat. Kina Grannis) by Imaginary Future, originally by The Beatles
• Africa by Reliant K, originally by Toto
• All These Things That I’ve Done by Gabriel Mann, originally by The Killers
• All Through the Night by Sleeping At Last, originally by Cyndi Lauper
• Already Gone by Sleeping At Last, originally by Kelly Clarkson
• Brown Eyed Girl by Imaginary Future, originally by Van Morrison
• Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Imaginary Future, originally by Frankie Valli
• Carry That Weight by Himesh Patel, originally by The Beatles
• Don’t Dream It’s Over by Gabriel Mann, originally by Crowded House
• Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Gabriel Mann, originally by Simple Minds
• Everyday by Rogue Wave, originally by Buddy Holly
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by Sleeping At Last, originally by The Police
• Float On by Imaginary Future, originally by Modest Mouse
• Fly Me to the Moon by Imaginary Future, originally by Frank Sinatra
• For Elise (Fur Elise) by Saint Motel, originally by Ludwig van Beethoven (This one is a stretch, but you’ll recognize the bridge.)
• Free Fallin’ (Live) by John Mayer, originally by Tom Petty
• Help! (Live at Pier Hotel) by Himesh Patel, originally by The Beatles
• Here Comes Your Man by Meaghan Smith, originally by Pixies
• Hey Jude (feat. Kina Grannis) by Imaginary Future, originally by The Beatles
• I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Sleeping At Last, originally by The Proclaimers
• In My Life by Himesh Patel, by The Beatles
• Landslide by Imaginary Future, originally by Fleetwood Mac
• Lovesong by Gabriel Mann, originally by The Cure
• Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Live at Cleves School) by Himesh Patel, originally by The Beatles
• Riptide by Imaginary Future, originally by Vance Joy
• Something by Himesh Patel, originally by The Beatles
• Something to Believe In (Live Acoustic) by Young the Giant, originally by Young the Giant
• Stand By Me by Skylar Grey, originally by Ben E. King
• Strings (Reprise) [Live] by Young the Giant, originally by Young the Giant
• Waves (acoustic) by Dean Lewis, originally by Dean Lewis
• What a Wonderful World by Imaginary Future, originally by Louis Armstrong
• Yesterday by Imaginary Future, originally by The Beatles

Much-loved songs, done and redone.

• Julie: My favorite place to be is anywhere I haven’t been before. I even get bored driving on the same roads and enjoy finding new and exciting routes to get where I need to go.

• Rob: He has watched about 900 hours of Star Trek over the course of his life. While it sounds like a lot, he is sure to mention that it’s probably a lot fewer hours than most people spend watching sports. 

• Nate: When he’s comfortable in his surroundings, he is a master of improv comedy. He’s very quick-witted and makes us laugh all the time. He also collects state and national park quarters and is hoping someone has a Utah quarter that he can get his hands on. He has since had a bunch of people look in their stash and he now has this one in his collection. I’m so impressed by the thoughtfulness of others in our ward family! Now he’s on the lookout for the Rocky Mountain National Park quarter.

• Madeleine: She is in the circus and has taken classes in silks, the suspended hoop, and is now working on the trapeze. She’s also one of the best debaters I’ve ever met and is considering becoming a lawyer one day.

• Caroline: She is also in the circus and loves the trampoline, the tightrope, and hand balancing. She also has quite a dark side to her imagination and humor that she uses for shock value or to get a strong reaction out of people. If you’ve ever been privy to one of her spooky stories, you’ll know what I mean!

The Story of Florence

Now, there’s one more person I want to introduce…Florence Nightingale. Just this week I finished reading her biography* and was really moved by this woman. While most of us know her to be the “Mother of Nursing”, there is so much more to her than having been the one to open the first nursing school and set up strict standards for care.

She:

• Consulted on the design and construction of many hospitals around the world.
• Lowered the death rate of hospital patients by 60%.
• Lobbied Queen Victoria to give soldiers a much-needed pay raise, and then personally distributed the funds home to each family (so it wouldn’t all be spent on drinking and gambling).
• Established the healthcare and and education sectors of the War Department. 
• Contributed greatly to the reforms needed so that the people of India could overcome famine, oppression, and debt.
• Wrote 13,000 letters, and two hundred books, pamphlets, and papers (some of which were thousands of pages long) in order to get others to take action regarding hospital and medical reforms around the world. 

Florence did all this at a time when a woman wasn’t even allowed to have an opinion of her own, let alone contribute her skills, talents, and drive to any sort of meaningful work. This is all incredible work that she did because of “a call from God”. However, what I want to focus on at the moment is her time spent with thousands of British soldiers in the Crimean War.

When she arrived behind the front lines, the hospital had overflowing chamber pots and open sewers running underneath the floors. The center courtyard was a mud pit full of garbage. There were rats, fleas, and insects of all sorts infesting every corner. The men were filthy, not having been washed since battle, and were sleeping in hardened, blood-soaked clothing. There was no bedding, and the men were starving.  

Before Florence came along, soldiers were thought of as expendable brutes who didn’t deserve a decent wage or any real medical care. It wasn’t proper for men to be scared or sad. While physicians and officials knowingly turned their backs, Florence went straight to work sanitizing every corner, training nurses, buying bedding and other supplies (often with her own money), and cleaning and feeding the thousands of men who needed her help. 

After doing this all day, Florence alone made her nightly rounds. Each night she walked the equivalent of 4 miles between the tightly placed rows of beds, checked on and comforted every single man, all with only the light of a candle to guide her. She cleaned their battle-stained bodies, healed them from their wounds, listened to them retell their terrifying experiences, and held them when they wept.

Because of Florence’s care, the soldiers recovered and went on to live healthy and happy lives home with their families. They wrote her letters of gratitude  throughout their lives (and she personally responded to each one). The soldiers loved Florence because she served them so fully and selflessly. 

What Jesus Does

I share this story for a reason. Over the course of my life, I’ve found that hearing stories of other people’s deep love and sacrifice on behalf of another helps me to gain insight into what the Savior does for us, and is capable of doing because of his selfless atonement–the ultimate expression of his love.

This story of  Florence reminds me of the verse:

“And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy…”

Jesus:

• Heals:
  • The “brokenhearted”
  • All people “of their infirmities” 
  • Those “that are afflicted in any manner”
  • Every disease and sickness
  • All who are oppressed by the devil
    
• Drives out:
  • The demons
  • The evil spirits
    
• Gives:
  • The blind their sight
  • The lame their walk
  • The deaf their hearing
  • The dead their life
  • The mournful, comfort
  • The persecuted, a reward in heaven
  • The poor in heart, the Kingdom of God

These are all possible because of His Atonement. 

The Goodness of Repentance

So, when you hear the word “Atonement” what meaning does it hold for you? 

Elder Bednar asks, “[Do] we mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline?” 

While the Atonement means Christ suffered and died for our sins and we know we don’t need to be perfect, do we tell ourselves that we need to be as close to perfect as possible to deserve the blessing of forgiveness? I know many of us say to ourselves all the time, “We are worthy as long as we try every day, to do our very best.” 

I don’t know about you, but I rarely have the energy or focus to ever do my very best (let alone every single day). Most days, I knowingly choose to live far below what my best could be. Then, it’s all too easy to feel that because I know I can do better, but didn’t, I haven’t earned the blessings of the Atonement. And it’s true! Elder Bednar agrees that “if our salvation were only a matter of our own effort, we would be in serious trouble.” 

However, Christ fills in the gap between our effort (whatever that is) and His salvation. No matter where you are, Christ will meet you there.  “We are told to cry unto Him for mercy because He is mighty to save, His bowels are filled with compassion and love. He will not utterly cast you off. He wants to forgive”. The key words here are mercy, compassion, love, and forgiveness. 

Although it doesn’t mean we don’t face consequences or need to do the hard work of correction, going through the process of repentance is meant to feel good as it turns us to the Savior. We often think of the steps of repentance that need to be done so God can serve us justice, and then we can be right with him again. Unfortunately, we often forget the other half of the equation…His mercy. 

Satan doesn’t want us to feel good about repenting…he wants us to feel terrible about it, or that we are a terrible person every time we need God to forgive us. Satan doesn’t want us to accept the infinite, holy gift that Christ gives freely to anyone who asks and and opens their heart to His love. 

God knows all things, from beginning to end. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. He already knows the choices we are going to make before they are in front of us. So, when we do make a mistake, he isn’t surprised or disappointed. He’s already there waiting for us to turn to Him so we can feel his increase of love and acceptance. 

If we shut ourselves out from that experience, it’s easy to shut ourselves out from Him (and everyone else). Thankfully, He has given us opportunity after opportunity to remember the covenant He made with us (to always have His spirit to be with us) when we take the sacrament every week. He didn’t give us these 15 minutes on Sundays to make our long list of ways we disappointed Him throughout the past seven days. This time is for introspection, renewing our covenants, and feeling our Father in Heaven’s love and acceptance of us over and over again. 

Through the last couple of years, I have come to know that my Heavenly Father accepts and loves me in spite of my weaknesses. I work on improving myself…and my offering is good enough. I’m also learning that I can accept and love others in spite of their weaknesses. I can’t feel mercy for myself if I’m not being merciful to others, and I can’t feel merciful to others if I’m shaming myself. Learning this has truly been one of the greatest blessings of my life. It has given me more confidence, and more humility. 

The Fundamental Promise

Elder Samuelson, Jr. says, “Nephi understood that there is a pattern for living that results in happiness, independent of the difficulties, challenges, and disappointments that come into all of our lives. He was able to focus on the big picture of God’s plan for him and his people and was thus able to avoid being brought down by his frustrations or by the accurate observation that life is not fair. It isn’t fair, but he and his people were happy nevertheless. They understood that an Atonement would take place, and they had confidence that it would include them”. 

Now, Nephi didn’t know the meaning of all things, but he did know “that [God] loveth His children. He rejoiced, saying, “O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.” 2 Nephi 4:34. Like Nephi, we can trust in our Lord, having faith that the fundamental promise of the Atonement is all-inclusive and sure.

One of my favorite verses of hymn is the last of How Firm a Foundation. Every time I sing this or hear others sing it, my heart pounds, a lump forms in my throat, and tears fill my eyes. We all feel the spirit in our own unique way and this has always been my sure sign, that what I’m hearing is truth:

“Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, 
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. 
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, 
…Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.“

Closing Testimony

Florence was born into a very wealthy family and could have done her lobbying for world change from the comfort of her own office. She had the means, the connections, and the intelligence to do so. But what did she do instead? She went to the front lines and attended to the suffering one-by-one. 

Christ does the same. He’s not directing us from afar. He’s right here, waiting for us to let him heal our wounds.

I’ll close with the scripture in Philippians that reads, 

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  -Philippians 4:13

We qualify for the blessing of the Atonement, the healing and strengthening power of Jesus Christ, when we humble ourselves, pray, and allow Him to heal us.  

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Resources:
-Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Gena K. Gorrell
–What Does the Atonement Mean to You? by Elder Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.
–Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ by Elder Dallin H. Oaks

We’ll start our photo trek in the El Yunque Rainforest not far from San Juan. It takes a lot of work to keep the jungle at bay as it tries to swallow this old pool. Below is a photo I made while walking along a old jungle trail of air plants growing on the trees. We also counted an incredible number of spiders and webs just off the trail. Yikes!

I made the following photos while walking around Old San Juan. This place was magical and even our kids wanted to come back here on our last day of vacation. We loved the food, the textures, and the colors.

We spent the last light at El Moro and it didn’t disappoint. Holy smokes it was impressive in the details and at huge scale.

Next time I’ll write about more of the normal things going on in our lives but hope you enjoy these photos for now. I sure enjoyed shooting them, editing them, and writing about them (one year later).

The boys did this.

The Lamborghini Museum and Factory Tour was definitely a highlight for Nate. We have about 20 of these same photos with different models (of cars, not of boys…).

We stayed in a great Airbnb a couple of train stops outside of Florence. The area was serene and the Tuscan gardens were on point. We wandered Giardino della Villa Medicea di Castello for quite some time.

Bellissimo!!

Okay, admittedly I didn’t love Firenze (Florence) as much as I thought I would. I guess after car-less Venice, the streets were just too crowded and noisy for me. It felt a bit claustrophobic and chaotic.

We did enjoy the interactive Museo Leonardo da Vinci where we learned a lot about his many inventions and all-around brilliance. I bought a book at the gift shop called Think Like DaVinci and it’s full of fascinating concepts and exercises that will expand your own genius. Nate and I both have enjoyed working our way through it.

We also visited Scuola del Cuoio (a leather school and shop inside a working monastery at The Basilica of Santa Croce), which was okay, and il Mercato Centrale for lunch, which was crazy busy.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore , or Duomo, is a site to sight!

The details are tremendous and stupendous.

At the end of the day we took a public bus to the overlook of Piazzale Michelangelo.

Lucca is a great little town. We rented bikes and rode around the top of the city walls and then through the historic center. Very pretty! This ended up being one of Madeleine’s favorite days. Who would’ve guessed? Not me.

This is also where we had some of our favorite food. We had huge sandwiches from Pan di Strada piled high with shaved-right-in-front-of-us proscuitto and pesto, and Riccotta-filled ravioli (with the smoothest ricotta I’ve ever enjoyed) topped with an orange and orange pepper drizzle from In-Pasta – Cibo e Convivio. Yum. It was like dessert for dinner.

The historic town of Arcola is something else!! I’ve never seen a hamlet quite like this before. It’s basically a big hill with hundreds of apartments built up on all sides and stacked on top of each other in no discernible way.

The paths and stairways got narrower and steeper the higher we went. The apartments were all crammed together and many seemed to be falling apart. This whole little community basically walks up and down an entire skyscraper’s worth of stories to get to/from work, the grocery store, the laundromat, school, and everywhere else. I bet the residents all have thighs and glutes of steel.

We couldn’t stop until we made it all the way to the top because the pull to go higher and higher was too strong.

We got lost, but it was either up or down through one of the hundred passageways, so it wasn’t too long before we found our way.

At the top we were awarded a view over the hills and an abandoned something that looked like it used to be important. We had fun photographing both of them.

Another town we visited in the area was Parma which was very EH for us. It seemed to be more of a university party town and everyone seemed annoyed that we were there.

However, we stayed in a wonderfully beautiful minimalist multi-level apartment at Cortaccia San Vitale Hotel in the countryside. It comes with extensively beautiful gardens, a fun playground, a wine museum, and a real life castle. We also had really good pizza and pasta in this area.

The above picture is the last one we took in Italy the morning we left for the airport. The dreaminess of it was real and it was SO hard to go.

So that’s all of it! Doing these posts has made me extremely grateful and full of awe that we were able to see such an incredible place. At the same time, it has me yearning to return. Someday, Italy. Some day.

But seriously, there was no way we were going to pass up this photo op.

Ahhh, there it is and there we were (still can’t believe it sometimes)!

We started at the top in Monterosso al Mare. This is where we had our only taste of fresh focaccia. It’s stomach-surprisingly good for an oily piece of bread!

This is also where we had our first encounter with strapping, slapping Italian men changing in and out of their skivvies, running for a refreshing dip in the sea. Wowza!

Our second and final “land” was Vernazza. We didn’t hit all five towns because we enjoyed exploring this one so much and we got everything we needed right there.

Views? Yup. We climbed the hill behind the town, visited with some Chinese and French tourists, and mused all the rocks on the roofs.

On our way down, we very much enjoyed weaving in and out of all the stairways and alleyways. I felt like I was in a story, trying to find my way out while never really wanting to close the book. By the end, I realized I could’ve happily wandered inside forever.

We then walked under a passageway between buildings into a grotto lined with thousands of cairns. This one seemed like a passage from an ancient tale.

Annnnd then we got gelato. We had a lot ‘o gelato all over northern Italy and this was, by far, the best for me by a long shot. I was haaaaaappppy!

Pistachio. From the other gelateria on the left, down from the other gelateria, across from the other gelateria.

Then we went to the edge of town to watch the sunset, but we also watched another Italian gentlemen change into and out of his scivvies to take a quick dip in the harbor. Oh, to be so confident and indifferent. I will simply never know.

Nate stood in this spot for a good ten minutes watching (analyzing) the waves crash into the wall.

The kids climbed all over the rocks, respectfully disturbing all the other couples there with their wine who were trying to have a romantic moment after literally traveling around the world for it.

Don’t worry, I’m sure they all just loved watching my darling children weave in and out, up and down between special moments. Besides, I was probably more disturbing by trying to get my kids to stop being disturbing. Isn’t that the way it always is?

Then the kids less respectfully disturbed Rob and I trying to have our own moment.

There you have it! Two-fifths of the Cinque Terre. Done.

I came across this quote by David Lee about photowalking and really enjoy how noble it makes photowalking sound.

This purity of purpose allows liberation. Walking with a camera strips out unnecessary motion: that message, meeting, email, or phone-call can wait. Exquisitely boring for anyone but the photographer, in the outside the camera provides enough companionship for necessary solitude. 

A camera’s field of view literally, emotionally and psychologically removes the real world and draws you into the fantasy world of the subject. You need only have visited a cinema to understand the magical function of a camera lens as a portal into another captured world.

Walking through the viewfinder, your eyes enjoy a journey over unmarked shapes, tiny lines and great curves though once you have reached this fantasy crest of photographic purity you must be careful not to tumble too far down the other side.

The nature of a dedicated photo-walk is such that it draws you to the detail or the slice: the shot. Something easily forgotten amidst drones and wide-angles lenses, in a genre historically served on postcards, magazine covers or computer desktops. To be drawn to “the detail” does not necessarily refer to the macro, it can apply as equally to a mountain pass as a blooming flower.

By David Lee at https://www.st-artmagazine.com/photography/2018/10/11/david-lee-through-the-viewfinder

For our anniversary last month Julie gifted me something I had no idea that I was missing. She gave me more opportunities to take my camera out the door and Photowalk. The gift is a little leather pouch designed to protect my camera. Now, any bag that I’m already using (such as a work bag, hiking bag, mountain biking bag) is magically transformed into a camera bag. I had no idea I was missing this and I’m so excited about it!

After work on Friday I tried out the bag (stored safely in my work bag) on the way home from work on public transit. I take public transit a few times a month when I’m in the mood and there is always something interesting happening. Here are a few quick shots from my commute on Friday. Not anything particularly amazing, but these are places I go frequently and found it fun to photowalk these areas.

This toy reminded me of one Madeleine had so many years ago. It is hard for adults to contemplate how much comfort these things can bring into the life of a small child. They are kind of amazing.

The sun setting in the western sky reflected off the east-facing window on the train, creating a sort of false double exposure effect. Loved it.

These cables sit up there doing their job day in and day out delivering power to our businesses and homes.

I appreciated how the setting sun illuminated these cars and also liked the rail embankment in the foreground.

Hope you enjoyed this little view into my first photowalk commute. I hope to do it much more frequently.

The changing of the seasons echo birth and death, the renewal of spring, the opportunity for a fresh start, the unalterable passage of time, and the opportunity to come back stronger. Just the other night after seeing Knives Out with Julie (a fine film by the way) and doing a bit of late-night grocery shopping, I lamented to Julie that winter was so darn cold. I was missing the comfortable warmth of summer nights. Julie is no fan of the cold and instead of joining the chorus of souls lamenting the cold dark winter, she surprised me with an inspired reminder that without the cold winter, we’d lose the plants that evolved to take advantage of these conditions. Her words bring calm to my mind as I share these moments with you.

Remember to click on the photos if you’d like to see large versions.

The hosta plants in our yard are very remarkable. I love how big they grow and how much energy they seem to possess. However, as they fade through the fall, they completely deflate like a balloon. Here they are flattened and devoid of their former color.

The leaves of our Japanese Maple curl as they lose life and flexibility when winter sets in. These leaves are so different from the other trees in the yard and I appreciate their unique nature.

Our mum plants are fall favorites at our home and provide wonderful blooms each September through October. By the end of November, their vibrant colors were somewhat diminished and the petals were done.

I plan to enjoy the winter the best I can until spring arrives.

We explored a few areas of The National Park of the Belluno Dolomites.

Cadini del Brenton

Miss Caroline got to celebrate her 9th birthday in Italy. I’ve mentioned before that one of our favorite things to do outside the U.S. is to find the craziest playgrounds and let the kids run wild. ai Pioppi Playground was no exception and definitely the craziest one to date.

We were lucky to even get in. We pulled up and found out they were closed that day. The man asked us where we were from and we said Utah in America. He said, “Well, you came this far to visit our park so come on in and play for as long as you like!” So we did!

There is this old man who owns a little restaurant in the woods far away from much of anything. To draw in customers, he went to work fabricating his own little amusement park on site. He has spent the last few decades adding more and more people-powered rides, including:

• Tall roller coasters with cars that needed to be pushed to the top starting spot
• Teeter totters with a 30-foot wingspan and 20-foot drop
• Seats in cages decked out with pedals to get yourself upside-down in a giant circle
• Pulley lifts that hoist you 15 feet into the air
• And much more!

It was so fun trying to figure out how to make each piece of equipment work. There were no directions and no one supervising, so we were all up to our own devices.

Now, I can’t recommend this place due to the liability claims that I’m sure would come. I mean, everything is made of hand-welded metal with sharp and rusty edges, there is very little as far as safety rails and seatbelts go, and literally no supervision. But man, we had a blast!! We were all smiling from ear to ear the entire time. Madeleine did get a head bump when a metal pipe came down on her head and Cara came away with a gnarly rope burn, but all things considered, we were just happy to come out alive!

This is Basilica Santuario Madonna della Corona.

Our walk down the mountain passed by 12 beautiful bronze depictions of Christ’s last few days on this earth.

How incredible is this? It began as a monastery and has slowly evolved into a destination for tourists and worshipers alike.

As part of our personal parenting style, we find a lot of value in exposing our children not only to other cultures, but other religions as well. We want Nathan, Madeleine, and Caroline to grow up without fear, hatred, or suspicion for anyone because of how they choose (or choose not to) worship God. We are all here together and can learn so many things when we look outside our immediate knowledge and surroundings.

So whenever we travel, we make it a point to talk about and explore the local religion. Here, we attended part of a Roman Catholic mass. It was all in Italian so we didn’t last a terribly long time, but we did our best to listen and feel the spirit that was there with all who were worshiping with us.

On a side note, the cafe here had the worst Italian food ever AND it’s also the first (notice I didn’t say last) place we experienced a squat toilet.

Easy Breezy! Or was it just breezy…?

The serrated Passo Rolle area of the Dolomite range is spectacular. We had big eyes on full views the entire time.

Rob really enjoyed driving the steep grades and switchbacks with the mountains peeking through the trees. The kids in the back? Not so much. Two of them got slightly car sick. I really liked the drive there, but I really didn’t like the drive back in the dark without any streetlights.

Our last night in the area we ate at a pizzeria where no one spoke English. Even then, our kids made friends with a young girl. They played and did what they could to communicate. It was great seeing them all adapt and have fun.

While the landscapes and architecture take my breath away, it’s the moments like these that mean the most to me when we venture out–worshipers letting us pray alongside them, builders inviting us to enjoy their creations, and children who don’t speak the same language finding a way to communicate and play together.

What a wonderful world.

There are a few things that I think you should know about your beloved know-all internet:

1. Every article you read is paid for by a company or special interest group. Unless you read something from a .gov, .edu., or .org site, the only reason the article exists is because someone like me has been paid to write it. There is always an angle to reach or a product to sell. In other words, it’s all marketing, all the time. These articles aren’t writing themselves and companies aren’t writing these things for no reason. There is always a reason and that reason is you. Either they are selling you a product, or you are the product.
   
2. Let’s say a lot of people search for the terms “What is SQL?” and “SQL Servers”. The top few results you get after you press Enter are from articles that have been search-engine-optimized (SEO) enough that Google gives them top spots. That’s always the goal because you’ll click and get exposed to a brand.
   
3. The internet is written by ghostwriters. All those top articles are not written by subject experts. They are written by someone like me who doesn’t know a darn thing about SQL servers, but who are just thorough enough (and fast enough) researchers and writers to get the job done efficiently while sounding like an expert. That’s right, even when the article has a name or even an author’s bio with a nice little thumbnail-sized head shot pic next to it, most of the time that person has not written what you just read.
   
4. Quotes are ads. Stats are ads. Infographics are ads. They can all be manipulated to guide the reader to think what the sponsor wants them to think.

While I am happy to help companies turn a profit so they can stay in business and keep people earning an income, I’ve been feeling the pull to do something different. That’s why I started searching for a more meaningful, fulfilling writing job…and I found it.

There aren’t many jobs that fit into my lifestyle so I feel extremely blessed to be able to have not one, but two jobs that are perfect for me at this time in my life. I’m not quitting my content writing job yet, just cutting back to make room for this new venture of mine. I couldn’t be more excited. You are looking at a newly minted affidavit writer.

• af-fi-da-vit /ˌafəˈdāvit/ : a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, for use as evidence in court.

Now, head’s up. This is the point in my post where things get a bit political, and that’s okay. Not everyone needs to have the same opinions. All I ask is that we be empathetic to others, putting ourselves in their shoes and gaining a little perspective from another side.

For whom am I writing affidavits? Illegal aliens. Or, as I like to call them, undocumented citizens. Let me explain.

When a citizen of another country enters the United States illegally, they get an automatic 10-year ban from applying for citizenship. This is in part to discourage illegal crossings. During those ten years, undocumented citizens can’t get a job (unless it’s under the table), go to college, get a loan, etc. They are also always at risk of being deported. In the mean time, these men and women settle into their new lives, oftentimes marry a citizen, and have children. This is when the thought of deportation begins to really become a huge fear to them. The thought of having to leave their spouse and children here and moving back to their home country is a devastating one. The stress of it causes them to seek a “waiver” so they can gain legal residency in the United States and be safe from deportation. In other words, they are seeking to obtain a green card but since they entered illegally, the process can be risky as they are outing themselves.

To get a waiver, an undocumented citizen hires an immigration attorney who files the application which is about 2-inches thick with documentation such as:

• Evidence
• Background Checks
• Financial Records
• Marriage Certificates
• Birth Certificates
• Employment Status
• Physiological Evaluations
• Etc.

One document included is the affidavit, which is my piece of the puzzle. I write why being deported would cause “Extreme Hardship” for the illegal applicant’s family (who are legal U.S. citizens). Then, I write why moving the family of U.S. citizens to the illegal applicant’s home country with them would also cause “Extreme Hardship.”

This ends up being an 8-page document covering everything from the point of view of the family. This includes:

• Financial Hardship
• Mental Hardship
• Physical Hardship (health and safety)
• Educational Hardship

Each affidavit is extremely personal and goes into many details of their life. I find it an honor to write their story and explain why it is a benefit to all of us to have these wonderful, everyday people remain a part of our community…and why sending them elsewhere doesn’t benefit anybody.

I understand that some of you may not like the idea of helping to legalize someone who “Entered Without Inspection” and that’s fine. I just hope you have a valid reason for feeling that way and not a reason that is born out of prejudice or fear. If it’s based on things you’ve read online or heard on tv, please refer back to points number 1,3, and 4 above.

The truth is that living in the United States is a true blessing. Oftentimes, people are fleeing heavy violence, staggering poverty, and a life without any sort of fulfillment. Being stingy with our blessing is pointless.

When I got the job 6 weeks ago, one thing I was so excited about was that I’d be working for an all-female, work-from-home-mom company. My boss and I were chatting and agree on something significant:

Give a woman an uninterrupted 2 hours and she can change the world.

The other thing I’m really excited about, of course, is doing more meaningful work. Instead, I get to be a tiny part of keeping families together in a safe, stable, sanitary home with ready access to world-class healthcare and education.

Like I said, I feel honored.

We had a lot of gelato on this trip and are all the better for it.

Oh, and Italian Fanta is the bomb!! It has the highest percentage of orange juice concentrate that we’ve encountered and we couldn’t get enough. We had multiple bottles every day, and this from people who aren’t big soda drinkers.

This is where Rob found a century-old cappellari where he bought his alpaca wool fedora. When Rob entered the shop, the owner locked the door behind him and took him upstairs to the “Fedora Room” where hundreds lay stacked on top of one another. The shop owner knew Rob’s head size just by looking at him, and gave him the best service. Rob left a happy customer, feeling well taken care of and oh, so stylish.

One thing to note is that Italian men are quite the peacocks. They dress superbly, even just when out shopping or sitting at the airport. Rob felt under dressed everywhere we went (other than at the beach…but that’s a story for another post). There were high-end men’s shoe stores, clothing stores, and glasses shops everywhere. Many of the men we saw all over Italy wore $400 shoes, $400 shirts, and $800 glasses. Even every single factory worker on the Lamborghini assembly line looked like they had come straight from a fitness magazine photo shoot.

Anyway, Rob’s hat helped dress up his puffer jacket and sneakers nicely

This park was beautiful. The pond was full of fish and turtles. I did have to use my umbrella to constantly swat away giant mosquitoes, which really were the biggest mosquitoes we’ve seen to date. Luckily they didn’t actually eat us too much, even though they were maliciously dive bombing my face.

We also took most of a day to just unwind and relax at the hotel. Sometimes some sleeping in, taking it slow, and getting some laundry and grocery shopping done is a must.

Now, there aren’t very many places I’d like to revisit…mostly because there are too many other places to visit! However, Venezia is another story. I mean, look at it!!

It’s SOOOO dreamy!! We felt like we were in the middle of a romantic movie at every glance.

What is it about hanging laundry anyway? It doesn’t make sense that we find it picturesque, but we do!

I can’t even explain how much we enjoyed walking all over, exploring every nook and cranny we could find. The winding, narrow alleyways that led to nowhere, and the ones that did… We tried to tread very lightly in the neighborhoods where people actually live. We know tourists can be a huge issue for locals, so we really try to be quiet, polite, and respectful.

I was worried Venice would be nothing but shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and over touristed. While I’m sure some people have had that experience, we did not.

For one, we went in October which is much less busy compared to the summer.

For two, I checked the cruise ship schedule well ahead of time and made our days in Venice coincide accordingly. See, some days unload 8 cruise ships worth of passengers. Some days unload one. Those are the days we chose to visit. Genius, if I do say so myself!

For three, we walked all over into the neighborhoods away from Saint Mark’s Square. For the couple of hours while we were in the most central area, yes there were a lot of people, but all we had to do was turn into a tiny side alley and we were once again all alone.

Nate is a budding foodie. He doesn’t love everything he tries, but he is more than willing to try anything. He is also really realizing the worth of quality ingredients and technical cooking. This is a big hunk of strong parmigiano-reggiano. He ate the entire thing straight up, within an hour.

Cara was disappointed with Italy’s croissants. They’re all filled, mostly with marmalade, not “empty” the way she likes them.

One of the days we took a busy water bus around the lagoon and got off on the very far end. We loved this area’s serenity, parks, and views. Rob called Venice “Perfectly Imperfect.”

We were surprised at how clean the city is kept. I mean, I’m sure it has its hidden secrets, but compared to any other city it looked spotless.

We hung out here for a while chasing pigeons and listening to a concert-worthy violin concerto. My girls recognized the clock tower from the Olivia book.

‘Til next time, Venice (because there will be a next time)! You are too AMAZE-ING to not return.

PS. I forgot to tell the story about Cara getting herself locked in the McDonald’s bathroom. The lock was stuck from the inside and a whole line of women were waiting to use the toilet. Everyone tried to help, but it took at least 5 minutes of work to get her out. That was her least favorite thing about Venice and I can’t blame her.

PPS. I also need to tell the story about the confuzzlement and getting lost on the way back to our car in the giant parking garage our second day in Venice. We followed signs to the people mover and got on the only train in sight. We ended up on a train that went way outside of Venice so we hopped off at the first stop, in the middle of nowhere, on a busy street, at night. There wasn’t even another train track heading in the other direction in the vicinity so we had to wander around and find one across a field and across the street. We waited at the deserted stop in the emptiness and scariness next to the curb only a few inches from speeding drivers for 10 minutes before our return train finally picked us up. We got back off the train where we had originally embarked and had to wander around a few blocks to find the actual people mover that went back to the parking garage. It was across a couple of streets and inside what looked like a mall and we still couldn’t find any signs that pointed the way. I haven’t heard of anyone else having this problem so I suppose it was just us. Oh, well.