First Steps in Building our New HOME Together

We have moved into our apartment!! It is so wonderful to finally be getting settled into a permanent home. It has been 6 months or more that we have been in one temporary place after the next.  Actually I've moved 5 times since April 2010!! Ben has moved 4 times!!
The picture you see is from the guest bedroom window in our apartment. So beautiful! Those mountains are the Italian Alps. We plan to go explore them this winter!!

Moving in to the apartment was quite interesting...While we were in our hotel, we could see our new apartment from the window. I looked at it longingly EVERYday. So, since we were so close we decided we would walk  all our stuff (we came with just suitcases) over in a few trips. Since we arrived here (a month ago on the 21^st) we acquired quite the pile; new jackets, food, and other miscellaneous “stuff”.  FMO (Furniture Management Office) was scheduled to drop off temporary furniture at our new house around 0930. We made our trips back and forth and around 0915 I realized that I better hurry my butt back over to our apartment. I arrived the same time they arrived. Phew! The policy is that you MUST be present when they get there or they leave with no mercy. But we were safe!
They gave us all the big items we would need. We received a fridge, stove, couch, dining table, washer, dryer, bed, and 4 wardrobes (SOO thankful). We get to keep the wardrobes, washer and dryer and kitchen appliances for the duration that we are here in Avaino. They also gave us transformers and a fire extinguisher that we keep the whole time we are here. European beds do not have springs. It’s like you are lying on a well padded floor, but it’s not too bad.
Our home is located right across the street from a place called the “Western House” it is an Italian restaurant, very casual but also a “sit-down” place. It’s pretty yummy. We also live kiddy-corner to the mall here. Americans don’t recognize it’s a mall because it is so tiny. It’s like the size of a medium sized apartment complex you would find in the states. Now, I’m sure you are wondering how big our apartment is. It has a grand total of 6 apartments in the complex. It is GREAT!! The homes are made of concrete too, and we have gas-powered radiators to heat our home. It is taking some getting used to!

Ben is doing well; he has been so helpful getting our home set up. He is a great protector and provider!! J When he got home the past two days from work he has been so excited to get everything out of his suitcases and put away. Then the sweet man told me he worried he doesn’t treat me the best he could!! What girl would argue with his man when he comes home and does work around the house?? I actually end up asking him if he will just relax with me for a little. (He is just like my dad and I love it). We found a great pizza place called Pulciena’s (sp). If anyone has ever had Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza, Pulciena’s is very similar. The best Pizzeria we’ve had here so far.

We do not have internet or our home phone hooked up yet…but I am able to walk to base (yes we live about a 10min walk away) to use the internet in the library.  We are going to have Thanksgiving Dinner with a few families from church. Last weekend we house-sat for a family who let us borrow their car while they were gone. They want to let us use their car again this weekend!! Then we will house sit again for a different family Thanksgiving weekend and they are going to let us borrow their car then also!! What a great blessing.
Love,
Kasie