Since I've been home...

HEY!!

So I've been home for 3 weeks now. Which is the same amount of time that I was in Romania. Boy is it crazy how differently time passes depending on where you are, who you're with, what you're doing, and whether you're comfortable or not. Being back in San Diego and getting to sleep in my own bed, seeing familiar faces, and getting back into my routine has made the time pass so quickly.
The flight back to L.A. felt like it took FOREVER!!! But it was all work it when after we landed, made it through customs, and got our luggage, I saw my Mom, Daddy, and Miguel there waiting for me with burritos and milk in hand :) And let me tell you, I devoured it all in record time!!

When we got home I got to see Sean, Liz, Brett, and of course my Laura!!! Sadly I had to see that disgusting fat lard Frank too. It felt so good to be at home with the people I love. I was able to show them a bunch of photos and videos from the trip!!
Looking through all the footage and talking about the trip is incredibly bittersweet. Going on the trip, working with such loving people, exploring new cities, and getting to play with the adorable children made it all a positive experience. And then there were a few things that made it not so positive. Getting sick wasn't too enjoyable, neither was missing my family and friends, but the part that hurt the most was leaving the babies behind.
Knowing that I got to come back home, but that they had to stay there hit me really hard the first week or so of being back. They were constantly on my mind, especially little baby Alex (kissy duck noise boy). It felt like I was in a funk. I had images of the babies stuck in my head that I couldn't get out. I just kept re-seeing some like this:

I was (and am) so happy to be home and surrounded by the people and things that I love, but it all made me feel.... selfish? I'm not really sure what the word would be to describe the type of feelings. It seemed like I felt like I did so much good while I was there, but then I left and that was it. It all just ended. I won't get to make a difference in their lives anymore. And that was really hard for me to handle. I love babies so much, and knowing that they are still there is heartbreaking. After talking to some friends and family members about the trip and how I was feeling I seemed to be getting a similar response from everyone.
They helped me come to the conclusion that I know what I did there effected people's lives positively and made an impact. And everyone from there made an impact on me too. I have been keeping in contact with everyone that I met with while I was there, and it is so good to get to hear from them. And now I try to keep some of the more happy images in my head like these:

Hollie & Jen made it back to Pennsylvania and have gotten to meet up with each other and keep in touch with all of us through facebook. Hollie mailed me all of the pictures that she took with her camera! And sent a cute card along with them saying how blessed and happy she was that she had met me. It was really sweet of her. I miss her and Jen a lot.
I got to talk to Joe the other day on facebook chat and catch up with him on how things are going there at the hospital. He gave me such good news that I just have to pass on to everyone that had read my previous blog posts. He told me that Roxy, the little girl who had been abused, got put into a foster home!! Here is Jenna & Roxy:

Joe was very excited to tell me the news so it sounds like she is in a much better place!! And then he told me that Alex went home. And when I first heard this news I was taken back and sad to hear that, because for most of the children their home life isn't so great. But, apparently Alex does have a good home with loving parents they just were having financial trouble so they brought him there until they were back on their feet. Hearing that put my heart at ease. I know that there are so many other children still there, but knowing that Alex was safe and being loved is what I needed to hear most.
I still want to try and see what I can do from over here to help out, so if you have any suggestions let me know. They are always needing volunteers and/or trying to raise money to buy diapers for the babies.
----
I am working on trying to get a video put together of all the footage and pictures that I have from the trip. Turns out I don't know anything about making movies, or just using my computer at all for that matter. Watching Michael, Mr. High-tech, try to show me how to do things was pretty amusing. After much torture to both of us, I begged enough for him to just burn them all onto disks and take them home with him so that he can try and do it from his gigantic Mac at home. I'm going to try and explain how I want it to go, but either way I'm just thankful he is willing to help! My goal is to try and get them out as soon as possible so I can send a disk with the video on it along with a thank you card so that everyone can get to see all that went on!!
----
Since I've been back things are going pretty well. The first few days were great! I got to eat all the foods I had missed so much and got to see people that I loved and catch up! Then, about 3 days after I got back things took a turn for the worse and were a bit rough. I was really dehydrated and malnourished. I was constantly tired and no matter how much I slept I just couldn't get enough. Monday morning I woke up to go to work and got so light-headed in the shower that I ended up passing out. I was fine, but it really scared me. I called my parents and they said they would drive down to come see me and make sure I was okay. And then Allyson, Shandley, and Bray came over and took me to the hospital just in case. This is how I know that Ally really loves me: she's a germaphobe and sat with me in the waiting room full of sickies!!

The doctors and nurses were all really nice. They gave me an iv and ran some blood tests. They said everything came back okay but just to take it easy for a few days. Ter kept trying to convince me to come all the way back home with her, but I just wanted to sleep in my own bed. Mainly, I just didn't want to give-in to the sickness. I figured if I just toughed it out i'd be done with it quicker. I'm really glad that my Mom stayed, it was nice to have her comforting presence there, plus she cleaned everything :) haha. The next 2 days I was still really weak and had no appetite. Even my favorite foods sounded so gross. But by Thursday morning I was feeling a lot better and Bradyn and I got to go to Seaworld!! Oh how I had missed that place! And Michael just came down to visit so we all got to go to Seaworld together! Now things seem to be back into their normal routine- babysitting, soccer, eating, boating, seaworld, etc.

I know, I know, "poor Cissy Butler" as my Mom likes to say. But the one thing that the trip taught me most was to be so thankful for what you do have in your life. And boy oh boy did I realize just how much I have to be thankful for. My list could go on and on.
Thanks for reading along and supporting me as always! I love you and as any other information comes in I will be sure to update you!

Here is a picture of Alex and I!

Mixed Emotions...

Today was our last day in the Hospital, in Romania, and with all the people from FFR. My whole day was filled with so many different emotions. I think I underestimated how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to the babies in the hospital and the girls from FFR.
We worked the morning shift today with Joe. It was kinda relaxing just the three of us going around together. And Joe was so sweet! He knew that it was our last day and that we were going to want to be spending as much time with the little ones as we could, so he let us sit and hold the babies while he went around and changed all the diapers. I told him that his wife is truly going to love him one day (while he was cleaning a very messy diaper) and he laughed and said oh she better! It was pretty funny. He is really nice I am going to miss him. But thanks to good old Facebook, we will be able to keep in contact.
----
Saying goodbye to little baby Alex (kissy sound baby), broke my heart today. I went in to see him and he got a big smile on his face and put his arms up towards me. I picked him up and gave him the biggest hug. He rested his head on my shoulder for a bit, and then sat up and was ready to play! We took some pictures and videos on my camera, and he loved getting to watch himself on there. I tried getting him to say his name by pointing at the pictures of him and saying Alex. It took awhile but we finally got the slightest hint of "Ale-" out. It was really cute. He is an incredibly smart little boy and I hope and pray that he gets that love and attention that he deserves in order to continue to foster a healthy life and stimulate his learning. After playing for a bit he rested his head on my shoulder and I sat in the rocking chair and we both dozed off. Then it came time to go and pass out diapers to the other floors, so I carefully and slowly placed him back into his crib. Thankfully he stayed asleep because seeing him cry would have broken my heart.
We went up and passed out the diapers and talked to a few of the nurses. Then we came back down to Alex's floor and I walked into his room and he was awake and crying :( He put his arms up into the air towards me and I just couldn't resist. I changed his diaper and then had to hold him in my arms again. I had to run into the room that shared a window with his room really quick to change a diaper in there. Putting him down was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. He clung to me with all he had. I walked out of the room and heard the screams coming from him. I walked into the room next door and he was up against his crib holding on to the bars crying his eyes out just staring at me. I fell apart. I quickly changed the diaper and had to go back to Alex. This is where Joe stepped up to the plate and was so kind. He told me to just stay there and hang out with Alex while he went around changing the diapers. Alex just wanted to be held and loved. We sat back into the rocking chair and he fell asleep. I held him as tight as I could and asked God to please watch over this little boy. I don't really know what it is or why, but I felt/feel so connected to Alex. I got pretty emotional while sitting there with him in my arms. Even typing this now, forcing myself back into those moments and memories is bringing tears to my eyes. We rocked in the chair for about 30 more minutes. When it came time to leave, I knew that it was going to be tough. The odds of him staying asleep when I put him down weren't good. And the thought of him crying as I walk away hurts so badly. I got up, slowly moved him into his crib, continued to rub his back, closed the crib, and tried to make my silent get-away. I got out of the room, and that's when I heard it. The sound of his cry and the look on his face when I glanced back over my shoulder and saw him through the window will forever be engrained in my mind.
----
We had dinner at the girls house tonight. It was so sweet of them to invite us over and make it for us. Then we watched a little bit of the Oscars, chatted, had some dessert, and said our goodbyes. It will be nice to be able to keep up with everyone that I have met while I am here. It truly is like a family here, that no one can fully understand unless they experience it themselves. They are all so welcoming and so loving. I am going to miss karaoke nights, crazy Romanian birthday parties, American TV nights, and getting to talk with everyone and learn about their lives. I will miss you all so much. Thank you for everything.
----
Our flight leaves in the morning, and then we get home Thursday night at around 7pm where Ter will greet us with burritos in hand. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much again for helping make this experience possible for me. I love you.

Last days...

We were only in London for a short period of time, but I feel like we got to see so much!! We went and saw Big Ben, The London Eye, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, Double-decker buses, little red phone booths, the old-school black cabs, and so much more! I couldn't have asked for nicer people to show us around either. Mark was so kind in letting us stay at his place while we were there. He even went grocery shopping for us before we got there! I think I mentioned this in my last post, but when we arrived there were flowers in our room and chocolates on our pillows! It was incredibly generous and thoughtful. I drank tea like a crazy person! I LOVED IT! It reminded me of visits to Grandma Joan's when I was little. I would go and sit at the counter in the kitchen and she would turn on the kettle. Then she would bring over two little tiny cups, that looked like they were meant for dolls, and put tea bags in them. Then when the water was ready she would pour it in and I would watch the tea seep out of the bag and fill the cup. We would add a little bit of milk, and way too much sugar, but boy did I love it! I honestly probably drank about 7 cups of tea a day while I was there. Thankfully, I brought my own tea bags to Romania so I have been able to keep up my addiction now that I am back!
Sunday in London we went for a walk around this "near-by" lake. Call me crazy, but when it takes 1.5 hours to walk TO the lake, and 1.5 hours to walk back from the lake, it is not considered "near-by"!!!!! hahahaha. It was really cold out, but it was still fun. I tried to sneak into the back of a picture (as always) that Jenna was taking of Mark, Laura, and Simon, and I almost fell into the lake!!!! (I would like you to immediately take back the "Ha! That's what you deserve" thought that you just had). It was really funny though! It would NOT have been so fun to walk back soaking wet in the freezing cold though! Thankfully just my boot went in and I caught myself with my arms before the rest of me fell in too!
Monday morning we had to get up early because we had to leave the house by "half six" as Mark called it. From there we had to walk to the "tube" (underground train), and take that to the train (above ground), and then take a bus to the airport. You should have seen our faces as Mark was trying to explain this to us. He might as well have been speaking..... Romanian! Hahaha. I basically have never taken public transportation in my life, and he wanted us to figure this out?! Well, after looking at it, it wasn't that complicated. They have done a great job of making it very simple and easy. The only problem was that the amount of time Jenna and I would have taken in between transitions would have caused us to have to wait for the next train each time. Mark finally decided that he would just come with us until the last train and then we would have to figure out the bus (which turned out to just be a shuttle so it was simple!) for ourselves. We made it all the way there safely and got on the plane back to Romania! Thankfully, most of our time was spent in the London airport not in that crazy little Romanian one again!!!
Our flight was somehow delayed mid-air, or just took longer to get there than they had planned, I'm not sure haha because I slept the whole time. I just know that when we landed it was 3:48 and we were supposed to get there at 3:10. (Mini panic attack set in because our driver was picking us up at 3:10 and I know there aren't any screens that say the arrival times of flights for him to see). We get through customs and walk out and there is a crowd of people at the arrival gate. We make our way through looking for a sign with my name on it. Nothing. We look around again thinking maybe we missed it. Nothing. No sign with "Cissy Butler" on it anywhere to be seen. Panic is really starting to set in. This is NOT a nice airport at all, and not in the greatest area. Jenna and I walk over to an area against the wall in order to get out the phone that we have here to call Sarah or one of the girls to ask what we should do. I turn and start walking just as Jenna almost bumps into a man running up with a sign in his hand that says my name!!! He quickly apologized for being so late (it was about 3:55 now... there was only 2 minutes of panic time, but boy oh boy it felt like forever). We told him about how our flight got in late and that it actually worked out that he was late too! We decided that we were all hungry so we stopped at a McDonalds on the way home and went in and had some lunch. It started snowing pretty hard on the drive back, but we made it home safely. Then we headed over to the girls house to say by to Jen because it was her last night here. We all sang some karaoke and hung out. It was fun! I really miss Jen, she is so much fun. We (Jenna, Hollie, Jen, and I) all decided that we need to plan some sort of yearly meet-up. We are thinking that maybe next year we can all meet in Kentucky and stay at my Grandparents and go to the Kentucky Derby together! How fun would that be?!?!? Okay fine Laura my love, you can come too!! :)
----
I received a package in the mail from Kiley and Bradyn!!!!!! It was full of Skittles (yum!), Reeses (delicious!!), Starbusrt (yayy!!), Crazy socks, crayons, chapstick, a deck of cards, a packet of gum (apparently Ki must think my breath smells from thousands of miles away), and a hand drawn note by Ki that says "We Miss You, Love Kiley & Bray." It brought such a smile to my face. Jenna didn't come into the Hospital today because she has a cough, so I was there by myself a bit early. Then out of no where appeared Joe! So we sat on the floor outside the Volunteer changing room and decided to play some cards. We played Texas Hold'em, but then realized it's much more fun when you get to bet. So I pulled out some of the candy from the package and we used Starburst and Skittles as our money. A Starburst was worth 2 Skittles. It was a lot of fun! A couple of the nurses and doctors walked by and laughed and smiled at us.
----
Tomorrow is our last day at the Hospital and in Romania. It is a weird bittersweet type feeling. I so badly want to come home, back to my comfortable, easy life. I want my cell phone, my car, my bed, to play soccer, the beach, and to play dance games on the Wii. I want food that I actually enjoy eating, not things that I eat just to stay nourished and alive. I want to see my family and my friends. I want to understand the language that is being spoken around me. I want to know where I am and if it is safe to walk somewhere or not. I want all of these things, and yet, wanting them makes me feel selfish. Being here has taught me to be so thankful for the things that I have, and for the life that I have been blessed with. The people and babies that I have gotten the opportunity to work with and meet will always hold a special place in my heart. There really is no other feeling better in the world for me than holding, playing with, or making a baby smile. And knowing that the babies here don't get that one-on-one attention all the time is heartbreaking. I am so glad that I have such generous and giving people in my life that made this opportunity possible for me. Without your help I wouldn't have been able to do it. This experience has changed a part of me forever. It has allowed me to open up my eyes, mind, and heart to so many different places, things, and people. I wish that I could fully and in detail explain everything that I have learned or seen here, but some of it you truly just have to experience in order to understand it. I tried to take as much video footage as I could while here, so once I compile that all together you will get to see more of everything. I am so happy to go home, and so sad to leave. Knowing that I am leaving and that I will no longer be here to help out with the babies is difficult. They are so little, innocent, and just want someone to love them. Thankfully there are all of the girls from FFR and other volunteers that are still here running this organization and working with them daily.
Bradyn every once in a while will talk about how he wishes that there were more of one person. For example he wishes that he could have two mommy's so that one could stay with him and one could go to work. And he wishes that he had two Cissy's so that one could hang out with him and the other could go to her house. I find myself wishing that I had two of myself too. One that could stay here and continue to impact these children's lives, and one that can go back home and hopefully impact everyone's life there for the better as well. I am going to keep in contact with everyone that I have met while here and see what I can try and do back home in order to still try and help out in any way that I can. Whether that be by continuing to raise money or even just talking about my experience to others in order to help get more volunteers over their way.
One major thing that I have learned here is how even the smallest act of kindness can mean so much to someone else. A simple smile from another person here, truly would change my whole day around. I like to think that this same concept can be applied to the babies. I may not have been here that long, but hopefully, the smiles that I gave them changed at least one of their days around, if not more. The little boy that I worked with that made the kissy sounds, was still doing it today when I went in to see him. I found out that his name is Alex! Knowing that from working with him for just one day, for one hour, and he still remembers what we did, puts the biggest smile on my face and fills my heart with joy. I hope that other people were impacted from my time, I know that they all have changed my life, and I hope that even if it was the smallest amount that I changed theirs as well.
I want to thank all of the people from FFR for making this such an amazing trip. You were all so welcoming, helpful, loving, and fun to be around. I look up to each of you and love what you are doing here. I hope that I get to see you all again sometime soon!
And I want to thank everyone that followed along with reading my blogs and sent me their continuous love while i've been gone. Being away from home wasn't easy for me, but knowing that you were all there supporting me made it so much better. I am looking forward to getting to see you all and getting to tell you all about my trip.
Tomorrow is the last day, and then off to the airport for hours of traveling, and then home to a nice delicious burrito. If I have time tomorrow I will do another post about saying goodbye to everyone and all the babies and letting you know how that goes. Thank you for reading this far sorry it was so long!

I love you and I can't wait to see you!!!!

London so far...

We started our day (Friday) at 3am getting up and making sure that we were all ready for our trip! The driver picked us at up 3:30am in front of our place. It was the same driver that picked us up from the airport when we had first arrived, so we knew him and felt safe, which was nice. We were able to sleep a little bit on the long 3 hour drive all the way to Bucharest. We were flying out of the smaller airport this time because we found such cheap flights! However, we quickly learned why it was so inexpensive. The airport is TINY. You walk in and there is a room with about 5 check-in desks. We found the one that said London Lutton. We handed them our passports and they checked us in and handed us each back a tiny little ticket that said BlueAir (our airline), our name, our flight number OB131, and our seat # 24A. Next we walked 10 feet and we were at the security check-in area. We made it through security quickly and expected to find what you normally would expect next: a big tv screen with all of the different flights, times, and gate information. Instead we walked into a room no bigger than my parents living room filled with about 200 people sitting on the floor, leaning against the walls, and just a few sitting in chairs. We looked around confused, were we already at OUR terminal? There were no TVs that told us what gate to go to, and the section on our ticket that said gate was blank. We looked around and there was a giant glass window with 4 doors. Each were numbered Gate 1-4. We didn't know what to do or where to go so we decided to look for some signs, but of course there were none. So we went back over towards the security area to ask someone from there. We had heard an announcement (not in English) and all that we could catch out of it was "London" & "7 and 8". So we assumed that we were supposed to be at gates 7 or 8, but the numbers only went to 4. We went to a security man and asked him where gates 7 and 8 were. He laughed and said, "haha no 7 & 8 only 1, 2, 3, and 4." Jenna and I looked at each other confused, and then back at him. We tried explaining that they just made an announcement and we heard the numbers 7 & 8. Again, he laughed and slowly counted 1, 2, 3, & 4 on his fingers. My immediate thought was "Yes, thank you, I know how to count to four I'm not stupid." He didn't understand what we were asking so he led us over to a lady. We told her that we were looking for which gate to go to for our flight to London, and that we heard the announcement that said 7 & 8. She too just laughed and counted to four in our faces. She then told us that they would "make an announce" soon. Now incredibly frustrated we turned away and just stood there with blank faces. This man must have over heard what was going on because he came our way and nicely explained what the other two wouldn't. He told us that they only have 4 gates, and that the announcement that we had initially heard was for those who hadn't checked in yet, to go to the check-in desks 7 & 8. He said that they would make another announcement in a little bit that would tell us which gate to go to. FINALLY!! Someone nice!!
After some time had passed it was getting closer to our flight time so we were nervous that we hadn't yet heard which gate. We were packed like sardines into this little room and outside the doors of the "gates" were buses. So we were scared that we were going to miss the bus that would then take us to the right terminal. We walked around looking for someone who looked like they were going to London or who spoke English. Finally we saw this blonde women, with 3 little blonde girls following her through the crowd. We listened to her talk for a minute and heard her accent. YES!! She must be going to London!
Once she had settled with the girls we went up and asked her if she was going to London. She said yes and that we could follow her if we wanted. She explained how she had been to this airport before and it is SO confusing and impossible to understand and figure out. But she assured us that between the 3 of us we should be able to piece together enough of what was being said over the intercom. We felt a rush of relief fill us. Her daughters were really sweet. They were about 9, 6, and 3. Hearing them talk in their little accents was adorable!!
We finally heard our flight being called and went out the door and all filed onto the bus. Apparently there are no other terminals!! The bus drives you through the snow, on the runway, over directly to the plane. We all got off and the people pushed and shoved their way up the tiny staircase onto the little plane. (Not sure why they were in such a hurry to get on because there were assigned seats!!!). Jenna and I got into our seats and bucked up and fell asleep!
Once we landed and got off the plane we had to go through customs. We then headed to the bathrooms and freshened up, taking our time. We stopped and exchanged some money into Pounds. We got out and were planning on just sitting at the little coffee shop and relaxing for a moment and eating before embarking on our next task: mastering the buses and train routes in order to make it all the way to meeting up with Laura in town. We were a little bit stressed knowing we had to do all that, so we wanted to relax a bit first. Then the BEST surprise ever happened!!! We walked through the doors and Laura came running our way!!! YAYY!!! We don't have to take the buses and trains!!! It was such a calming feeling knowing that we were safe and ready to go!!
She showed us all around town and it was so exciting!! We were SO tired but it was fun to get to see most of the sights and it was a nice and sunny day outside! Later that night we met up with Jack (Laura's bf), Mark (who we are staying with), and some of their friends: Joe & Rob. It was a lot of fun and we went to this little Pub where I was able to order CHICKEN TENDERS!!! YAYY!! I was so happy hahah!!!
When we got back to Mark's his mom had come over and left a few little surprises for us! She put a little map of London, a magazine, and some chocolates on the bed!! And flowers in the room! It was so nice!!! We had a great night's sleep after a long long day.
-----
We woke up slow, showered, ate some breakfast, and are now getting ready to see some more sights!
I will let you know how today goes!!

I miss you all!!! LOVE YOU!

Arrived in London!!

We made it safely!! I am SO tired though!! So I am off to bed!! But I will tell you all about it soon!!!

You can do anything you set your mind to, man

The past 24 hours or so have been so much fun!! It is like everyone says, but you never believe them until the end, that just as you are starting to have fun your trip will be coming to an end.
Last night we all went over to the girls house and had pizza and talked about what we liked, thought could be better, or suggestions for the future about volunteering in the Hospital. Then after that Mary made some delicious cookies!!! I was so happy. I pretty much ate the entire tray. I loved them haha. Jenna, Hollie, and Jen and I all squished onto the couch together and we just felt so comfortable with one another. We told stories, relaxed, & made each other laugh, it was the perfect last night with Hollie.
Apparently Hollie and Jen had been reading my blog and read about the karaoke night when I said I wanted to rap Eminem. They made me promise that before Hollie left that I had to rap for them. I upheld my end of the deal. I turned the lights down low to set the right tone of the song, found a jacket and put the hood on, and Jen started the music. With my back facing all of them, I let everyone know that they only have one shot and one opportunity to seize everything they have ever wanted.....
.... I know that they captured it and didn't let it slip, because they have it all on camera.
Odds are I looked like a fool; but hey, it was Hollie's last wish before she left! I had no choice!
We already miss her so much. She promised to come out to California, so this time she better hold up her end!!
----
Today we worked the morning shift, which was a little hard to wake up for after staying up late the night before. But it was totally worth it!
Working the morning shift with Jenna and I was Joe, Manu, and Tamsin. And we all had so much fun together! We were all joking around and making each other laugh and just having a really good time. Joe and Manu like to be gentleman (or just like to feel in charge), and carry everything (diapers, the backpack with wipes, etc), while the girls stand there and feel useless. We kept trying to tell them that we could help them carry everything, but they were very persistent in saying that "it's okay, we've got it". Finally getting fed-up Jenna and I tried making up jobs that we could do. I became the hand-sanitizer carrier and distributer & door opener. And they let Jenna hold one pack of diapers. It was pretty funny. As we went up and down the stairs to the different floors distributing diapers I had to make sure that I was the first one so that I could open the doors for everyone, but of course Joe and Manu made even my small task difficult by blocking me up and down the stairs.
On one of the floors some of the kids were a little sick so they had us wear masks and gloves when going to change diapers. I wanted to try and get some pictures of everyone in their masks, but of course, yet again, they told me I was slacking at my new task of changing diapers. It made the morning shift, which is usually not as fun as the afternoon shift, enjoyable and exciting. It also made the time fly by!!! The morning shift normally ends at 12:30 but we were all having so much fun we looked at the time and it was 1:00 before we knew it! I did get some cute pictures of everyone and also some of the babies. But my favorite might have to be the video I got of Joe trying to make-up a song to a little baby name Laura-Dawna. Trying to rhyme things with Dawna became pretty amusing. To name a few that were used: sauna, momma, trauma, cabana, banana, and... rowanda?! Hahaha.
---
Today in the hospital was one of the most rewarding type of days. Jenna and I were sent to the 3rd floor in the beginning of the shift and the play therapist had us both go into one room and said to work with 2 of the kids in there. One of them turned out to be that same little boy that I worked with on my first morning shift. Do you remember the little boy that they said threw toys, didn't eat, and barely slept? It was him again! I was very excited to get to work with him again. He is so sweet!
And HERE is when I saw that what I personally am doing here is truly making a difference. It made me feel so good to know that so much that I have learned from my family & friends, in life, and in school, is paying off.
Before I get into more details about my time working with him (I still don't even know his name, but I do know that I have impacted his life positively, as well as he has mine), I have another mini-story to tell.
The other day as we were leaving our afternoon shift with Raelene; we were all up in the Volunteers room changing, bundling up, and getting ready to leave, and Jenna asked Raelene how her shift went. She responded with, "It was good! Haha, I worked with this little boy who kept just kissing every toy I gave him." My eyes lit up with joy, and I said, "HEY! I taught him that!!!" It was one of the coolest feelings in the world. I have taught so many kids a multitude of different things, but this time it stuck. It was a feeling that I will never forget.
So back to my time with the little boy- I walked in to arms reaching up at me with tears in his eyes. I picked him up and he just conformed completely to me, resting his head on my shoulder, just wanting to be held and loved. After he had calmed down, he pulled his head back and sat up, put his finger to my cheek, and made a little kissy sound. I couldn't help but smile. We played with big block legos and a little truck, and everything had a kissy sound. It was the most precious thing ever. I set up the video camera on one side of the crib and was able to capture it all.
We even learned a few new things today!! We learned to wave hi, blow kisses, make the click-clack sound with our tongues, and give high-fives!! And the best part is that I have it all on video to watch over and over and use as a constant reminder of what was accomplished here. I want to edit all the footage I have of him learning everything and send it to Sarah and just let her know that they really have created such an awesome organization here. And that hopefully she can see this footage as proof of the good that is being done.
After playing and laughing for about an hour, his eyes started to get a little heavy. So I picked him up, held him tight, patted his back, and swayed side to side with him in my arms and his head on my shoulder. It wasn't long until he was fast asleep (and snoring loudly I might add!!). I sat down in a chair and closed my eyes, just focusing on trying to send as much love as I could into his little body. And then, here is my FAVORITE part of the story- as we were both laying there with our eyes closed, him sleeping and snoring, his arm started to twitch a bit. I assumed it was just normal sleep-type twitching. But instead, 3 times, while sleeping, his arm moved up to his mouth and he made the kissy sound. It seriously was such a wonderful feeling.
-----
Jenna is out taking pictures right now, while I am sitting at the little bakery with free wi-fi that we found. It has become like a little meeting spot for everyone. It reminds me of the coffee shop in Friends where one or two of them will be there and then all of a sudden, without a phone call or warning, the others walk in and join them. I love it.
We have to get to bed early tonight because our driver is picking us up at 3:30 AM to take us to the airport for our 8am flight to London!! It will be very early, but so worth it!!

I love you all :)

The Crazy Flute Guy!!!!

Finding friendship in random places..

We've got our flights booked for London! We leave Friday morning at 8:05am and arrive at 9:15am (it is about a 3 hour flight, there is a 2 hour time difference there). Laura is Jenna's friend from home who just moved to England about a month ago to live with her boyfriend Jack. Laura was down in San Diego for the week visiting Jenna, and Jack and his friends were on vacation (holiday) exploring the city. They were all out at a bar one night downtown and met each other. Jenna and Laura met up with them all next day to show them around. Laura and Jack hit it off, and Jenna kept in touch with some of the friends. So we are off to visit all of them and spend the weekend there! It will be a nice get away! How often do you have the chance to fly to London for 200$ with a free place to stay!?? We had to take advantage of this opportunity! We will fly back Monday morning and arrive in Brasov (bras-off as Allyson has named it) Monday afternoon. I'm looking forward to getting to experience a new place that I have never been!
----
Last night after our afternoon shift we stopped by the girls place to grab Jen, and then all walked into Town Square to meet up with Hollie at a little bakery so we could all grab dinner together. When we got there, she had met two guys, one was from Florida and the other from Texas. We asked what they were doing here and they said that they were with a big group that was here with an organization called World Race. The World Race is a missions trip that travels to 11 different countries in 11 months. They go to different villages and live there for one month and help out doing different things. I went to The World Race website to see more in detail what they do. 
"Every day on the World Race will look a little different. Some days will be packed full with construction, VBS, building relationships with orphans, or praying for the sick at a hospital. Some days could be slower where you shop for groceries at the market, cook for your team, and spend time praying for the community you walk through. Every day will be focused on being a part of God's Kingdom work, in every way that could look!"
I chatted with the two guys for a bit and they showed me a bunch of their pictures and told stories about their experiences in the different villages so far. They are 3 months into the trip right now. They said that the hardest part is being away from family and friends, but thankfully they have been able to find internet every once in a while to catch up with everyone. Their pictures were so awesome, and I admire them so much for being able to do that. I was stressing about being gone for 3 weeks!! I can't even imagine being gone for 11 months!!! Plus there is NO way i'd be able to pack for that!! We were here for 3 weeks and I brought 2 suitcases stuffed!!! They have nothing but a hiking backpack!! It is awesome that so many people feel pulled and called to do such different adventures, but all with the same positive and giving mind-set. They are all really nice, and I'm excited to get to follow along on some of their blogs and journeys while they are gone! It's crazy to think that we met them in a tiny bakery in a random city in Romania. 
---
So there is this guy that stands in the middle of the Town Square by the fountain that dances and plays a flute. And as much as I love Bradyn, I would like to compare their flute playing skills to one another. The guy is so funny. He dances around, smiles, makes noise with the flute, claps, and takes many bows. It brings me pure joy to watch him (don't worry, I got some video footage of him for you all to see). 
Well, to my surprise, as we were all sitting in the bakery, HE CAME IN HERE! Hahaha. Everyone else was so confused and I was so excited. He walked in and smiled, took a bow, shook everyone's hand, took another bow, smiled, and started making noise with the flute. It sounded so bad hahaha. But you couldn't help but laugh and smile. Once he was done, he smiled big, took another bow, and started clapping (not sure if it was for himself or if he was cueing us to do it). So we clapped along. After that he decided to clear all of our plates and trash off of our table for us. He started gathering it all and then tried to pick up the paper on the table, but it was attached to the bag of tea that was in my cup!!! It pulled out the tea bag and spilled drink every where!! hahaha. But it was definitely worth it!! It was too funny!! He started to "play" the flute again, but then got escorted out by one of the workers here. It made for a good laugh for everyone!
----
Everyone who has worked at the hospital seems to talk about their "favorite" baby. After our first few days they would all ask us, so do you have a favorite yet? And honestly, I didn't. There were some that I thought were cuter, or sweeter, or easier to handle; but, none that I would have gotten that feeling of I want to take you home with me. The other day I found the one that I truly would take home with me if I could. (I thought it was a boy for about 2 days, until it came time for a diaper change, surprise! It's a girl! haha). But either way, boy or girl, she is so so so so cute. She has giant dark brown eyes, brown hair, olive skin, and the cutest smile ever. I have a few pictures of her but we arn't supposed to post pictures with their faces online. So I will show you all when I get home! 
.....Seriously though, I want to steal her haha....
There is this other little baby, who is in my profile picture right now on facebook, who is pretty darn cute too. We didn't know his name, but one day Raelene said that he had the eyes of a teen heart-throb, so naturally I just had to name him Zac.................Efron! He is very sweet! 
----
Mostly everyday of our trip has been filled with cold air and snow, but today the sun was shining!!!! It was so exciting!! I was actually HOT ..... because of how many layers I had on haha. But when standing in the sun and blocking the wind, I could actually feel the heat trying to break through! It felt good. It reminded me of being home. And it came at the perfect time. I was feeling tired all the time and I think it was due to the fact that because of the weather it feels like it is 4pm on a cloudy afternoon at ALL TIMES here. Which naturally, makes me want to lay down, put on a movie, and take a nap!
----
Tonight we are heading over to the girls house for a going away dinner for Hollie. I am seriously so sad that she is leaving. She is so nice, kind, and caring. I am really glad that I got to meet her and get to know her while she is here. We have already decided that her and Jen (both from Pennsylvania) have to make a trip out to Cali to visit Jenna and I. I am going to miss her here a lot. 
----
I miss everyone at home so much.... but I honestly think that I miss mexican food more. I want a burrito so badly!!!! And not loving the food here and being hungry all the time doesn't help my craving!!!! I have already asked my most loving, caring, and kind mother to arrive at the airport with a Taco Lita burrito in hand for me to demolish. It is going to be glorious. I can't wait!!! Hahahaha. I'm being completely serious!! I have already told everyone here about how excited I am for it (so you better not forget Terbear!!!!!) :) PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...... maybe with a large glass of milk to go along with it?!?!!? Milk that preferably doesn't come in a bag like it does here!!!


Well, that is all I have for now! I will write again soon!! I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!

Noticing the little things...

Sunday morning we got to sleep in a little bit!

We went over to meet up with all of the girls at their place. They put on a small little song worship service. It was a really cool experience. Raelene played piano, Steffi played guitar, and Sarah played a little drum while we all sang. Then we just talked about what things that we like about being here and working in the hospital with the children. They are honestly some of nicest, most kind-hearted, and giving people that I have ever met. They have all given up so much to live out here and work with the children in the hospital full time. I truly admire their work here. I love being here and getting to spend time with all of them and work with the children, but it is not something that I could see myself doing long-term or full-time here. I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to get to come out here and meet all of them and see what it is exactly that they do, and who they are. They have taken what could be such a hard and depressing life, and turned it into something positive. They are always laughing and doing whatever they can to have a good time and make the best of every situation. But at the same time they are able to run an amazing organization and give so much of their time, energy, and money.

Before church we decided to head over to the Town Square and check out if we could find any shops that had some little souvenirs. It was a very interesting experience. Some of the shops did have little things that could work; but, the other stuff was so random. They had these really cute little hand-made photo albums. I got really excited and picked one up, and it said "THAILAND!"..... not really sure why it said that. I was expecting it to say Romania... but after seeing the way that everything is done here, it kind of made sense haha. Things are just, outdated and odd here.

The only way to describe it is that they looked at everything that was "cool" in America from 1980-2000. And they took all of those things, and try to implement them, but don't exactly know how, where, or when to use it. Some examples would be the way that they dress, they take different items of clothes that were once the "it" clothing and combine them together...wrongly. It is actually really funny.

Which leads me to my next story. Steffi, one of the leaders, has adopted 3 children here. (I think I have mentioned this in a beginning post). The kids are so cute! Roxy is 7 with dark hair, dark eyes, and a ton of personality. She reminded me a lot of Kiley. I told her about Ki and she started asking a bunch of questions about her, it was really sweet. Crystel is 6 and he is full of energy and on the go all the time! He is really funny though! And last is Beca. Sunday was Beca's 6th birthday! So they had decided to have her birthday party at this place called ZaoPark.

There is no possible way for me to fully describe exactly what ZaoPark is, but the closest I can think of is.... It's like Chuck-e-cheese, 15 years ago, on drugs. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I am being completely honest. It was one of the weirdest places I have ever been!!!! Hahahaha. I took video so that I can show everyone when I get back home, but even the video doesn't do it justice. When I first walked in, there was a bunch of toys for sale, not necessarily brand new. Then I passed by everyone's coats hung up on hangers with their boots underneath, and a boy about 10 years old blow-drying his hair. Yes, you read that right, blow-drying his hair. I couldn't believe my eyes. Where on earth did he get a blow-dryer?!? WHY is there a blow-dryer there?? He is a TEN YEAR OLD BOY what is he doing?! It was so odd.

Once I passed the blow-drying section of this place, to my left there was a little white picket fence about 7 feet long, not connected to any walls, so i'm not too sure what it's purpose was. But behind the fence there were about 3 little-tyke type houses for the kids to play in. Then passing that I walked through an archway with golden Pharaohs on each side and Hieroglyphics all around. When I entered into the next room, there was a little stage about 3 steps high in the center with a girl singing a song in Romanian (that I recognized from Camp Rock 2....). There were strobe lights, lasers, fog machines, bubble machines, streamers, and a wanna-be Shrek-type character dancing around. I'm pretty sure the head on Shrek was just a left over caterpillar head.

To the far left of all of this there was about 4 bounce houses smashed together. Then there was a trampoline a little in front of those. Next to that there was a bunch of hula-hoops. And constantly about to run over your toes were tricycles and those balls that you sit and bounce on. They finally led us over to our table and Sarah pulled out a large bag of food and snacks. Apparently you can bring your own food here, which makes sense after looking at the menu and seeing that they have pizza with things like corn, spinach, and tuna on them. They sat all the kids down at little tables in the area next to us and brought them little pizzas and Mountain Dew. What the heck?! Mountain Dew?? Kids??

There were multiple birthdays there that day, and so when it was Beca's turn she went up and stood on the stage. The lady with the microphone came over and made them all chant "cake, cake, cake, cake" before Tom & Jerry brought her the cake out for everyone to sing. They brought out the cake, which Mary had made and brought with us, and it had a little candle number 6 on it and two GIANT sparklers. These were not fun little kid sized ones, they were SHOOTING sparks everywhere!!!

I honestly felt like I was in a time warp!!!!!!! The only saving grace was that there were High School Musical posters all over!!!! But all in all, even though this place was one of the weirdest things to ever have existed, we all had a ton of fun and the kids had a blast! So I guess you can call it a success!

----

Today we worked the afternoon shift in the hospital. And Jenna and I dedicated today to getting pictures and videos of the kids. At first it was a very fun and exciting thing. The babies were laughing and smiling and the pictures were so cute. They made us all feel so good inside, etc. But then came the time to put those children down and move to the next room. And this is the hardest part of being here. All the babies want to do is be held and played with. The second that you put them back in their crib, or jail as I like to call it, they scream and cry. It is so heartbreaking to have to hear. And the pictures of them holding onto the bars of the "jail", crying out, can tug at just about anyone's heartstrings. This is where they say that the volunteering becomes so important. Because the more volunteers, the more babies get to be held and played with. I'm really thankful that I have gotten this opportunity. And it makes me especially thankful for the life that I, and so many of my friends, have gotten to grow-up and live in back home.

It was a hard day leaving the hospital with those images in my mind.

----

We got some dinner and ice cream and headed home. Where we have gotten quite accustomed and apparently addicted to Romanian TV. They play most things in English which is nice. And we have decided that the US must have sent over all the shows that they didn't think would make it there. Because there are some of the weirdest, yet most addicting shows here!! Hahaha. Jenna sat down to turn on the tv and got really excited when one of the shows that she likes was on. We laughed at the fact that we like Romanian tv.

We are trying to book flights to London this weekend so we can visit some of Jenna's friends there! So I will keep you posted with all of that!

I miss you all so much!!

And I just wanted to give a special shout out to my Laura because it is her birthday :) And I love her so much!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

Exploring the town

Hey!!

Today we woke up and met up with Jen, Hollie, Alisha, and Raelene! They took us on a walk up to see the two watch towers that overlook the city. There is a large wall, about 8 feet high, that surrounds the entire city. There are two gated entrances into the city, and one is on the street that we live on. The Germans used to close off the city gates and only allow Romanians in once a week to get food and to shop. And they used the watch towers to overlook and protect the city. It had just snowed last night so the hills that we had to climb up were very slippery, and no one informed us to wear good climbing boots!! So needless to say.... there was a lot of falling. Thankfully, I have most of it on video that I am working on editing! My shoes had ZERO traction. I felt like a baby learning to walk for the first time. I was always having to hold someone's hand or a railing just to keep my balance. But I stayed on my feet!! Except when there was a big downhill, I decided to just sit and slide down instead of chancing to fall! But Raelene was a little more confident than I was. She decided to trek down the hill without any fear. BAD IDEA. I have about 4 separate falls on video, so funny.

After that we walked over to the other side of the wall and there they have a gondola that takes you up to the top of the mountain where the Brasov sign is. It is just like the Hollywood sign. It was a really cool experience to get to the top and be able to see the entire city.

Once we made it all the way back down, Jenna, Jen, and Hollie and I went to lunch together. We got to sit and talk and just hang out. It was very relaxing. I was a bit tired from all that walking and expending all my energy. I'm still feeling a bit weak from being sick. And not loving the food doesn't help in the recovery process. I ordered some spaghetti (of course) and I ate some of it, but I was almost too tired to eat it. I wished that I could somehow just get the food into my stomach without doing the work of eating it. Hahaha. I realize how weird that sounds, but it's the truth.

We went back to our room and laid down for a bit. I worked on editing and uploading the videos while Jenna worked on her photos. Then we headed over to the girls place and Alisha had made a giant pot of homemade chicken vegetable soup. It was really good! We got to sit around the table again and chat. It is really awesome to get to listen to all the stories that the girls tell and hear all that they have experienced. Then we all posted up on the couch and caught up on the episodes of the bachelor that we have missed!

Not sure what is in store for us tomorrow. We have a couple of different options that we can choose. We will probably sleep in a little and then decide!

I love getting to hear from everyone! So if you have some time please send me an update in what is going on in your life!!

Stories

Sorry it's been awhile since I wrote something, I got sick!!! :( 

Thursday we worked the morning shift again, and I got to work with the same little boy!! The best part was: when I showed him the ducky, he started making the kissy noise! He remembered! That warmed my heart a lot. It is the little things like that, that can change your whole day around. We are not allowed to post pictures of the children on the internet, but we are allowed to take them. So Jenna has been taking some pictures, and I will be able to show everyone when I get home. Some of the pictures will break your heart just by looking at them, and some will instantly bring a smile to your face. The children are so sweet and so innocent, and yet when you learn some of their stories it is hard to hear. 

Jenna has been working with this one little girl, Roxy. She is about two and a half and has dark hair and dark eyes. She is really cute. She has no parents, and was left to just wander around the village. Apparently some men got ahold of her. She was brought in and they said that she had been raped, burned (down there) and other places, and badly beaten. Even through all of those terrible things that have happened to her at such a young age, she still has a smile on her face and just wants to be held and played with. Jenna is with Roxy in the room right next to me and we share a giant glass window. Roxy likes to go up to the window and tap on it to get my attention. Then we make silly faces at each other back and forth. She is so sweet. When I think about what happened to her, and so many others that we must not even know about, it is painful. But thankfully, they do have child protective services here, and Sarah has asked Jenna to take photos of Roxy so that they can send them to her and hopefully she won't be sent back to that village. 

Sarah was telling us about how her goal is to create some sort of half-way house/foster care home that they could run so that they could help find some of these children a home. The main problem right now is that adoption has been closed here due to abuse of the system. Many of the gypsy women (from the villages where most of these children come from), started to sell their children for the most random of things. Sarah told us that one time she heard that a women traded her child for a color tv, and others for money. And then the people that were getting the children were selling them into a sex trade. So the Romanian government now because of that has closed ALL adoptions. Which means that even the good families that were willing to give these children a happy and healthy life, have been cut off too. So Sarah and the girls at FFR are working to become accredited with the government, and have all the paperwork already filled out, so that when they decide to open it back up (which there has been talk about), they will be ready. I really hope that this works out, because that would be so amazing for these children to have a place where they can feel safe and have that "homey" feeling. 

One of the biggest problems here is the fact that you can basically make money by having children and then sending them to this hospital. Maternity leave here is for 2 years. And if you do not make enough to support your child, the government will give you money to help you out. But it is not done in the sense of food stamps or anything, so there is no real way to track or manage what it is being spent on. So some of these women are almost making a living off of having babies and abandoning them. It is so sad. A lot of the girls start having children as young as 13 and 14. So Sarah and the team at FFR have started a teen outreach program where they bring some of the teen girls in from the gypsy villages and just hang out with them and do fun things like scrapbooking, play games, etc. They just try to provide them with a positive environment and then talk to them about the importance of staying in school and staying safe. 

What they are doing really is making a difference. And I'm excited to have gotten the opportunity, thanks to so many of you, to get to be a part of it. 

-------

Now for some stories- 

So before I got here, I wasn't sure what type of environment I was really getting myself into. I knew nothing about the culture or what the living situations were like, all I knew was that it was going to be cold and I would be helping out orphans. Which, call me crazy, sounds like a not so fun place to go right? Well, I don't like being cold, and I was trying to do everything in my power to be fully prepared and bring with me anything that I wouldn't be able to have or get while here. So I started emailing with the lady of the place where we are staying asking her what seemed like very obvious questions in my mind, but apparently were very dumb. 

I asked things like: 

- If I'm cold at night, do you have an extra blanket? 

Her response: umm.. there's a heater in the room and a heating blanket on each of the beds. 

- Is there shampoo/conditioner and soap?

Her response: Yes... there is all of that in the room, or if you need some you can go buy some at pretty much any store on the corner...

- Do we have any way of heating water?

Her response: Cissy.. yes.. we have everything that you need, this isn't a third world country. 

Boy did I feel pretty lame after that one! Haha. They have Mcdonalds, KFC, tons of restaurants, markets, grocery stores, malls, etc. And it all just came about within the past 5 years or so. Brasov, where we are staying, has become a bit of a tourist spot, so this part of the country is doing pretty well. The capital, where we flew into about 2 hours from here, is a populated city with high rise buildings and feels like you are in LA. After hearing that this wasn't a third world country, and only focusing on the two populated cities, I just assumed that this is how the whole country was. 

All of that knowledge led to, yet again, another blonde moment:

Sitting outside the hospital one morning before going in to work. Jenna and I were talking about how they were saying that this wasn't considered a third world country. Which made us start wondering, what makes a place considered that? Because obviously this place isn't doing great, but it does have a lot. 

Cissy: So then what is it here if it's not a third world country?

Jenna: I don't know what the qualifications for third world country means, because they do have some stuff. 

Cissy: Yeah, maybe it's like...second world or something. 

Jenna: Would that make the US first world?

We then realized that we needed to go home and figure out what this all means. SO for those of you who ALSO don't fully know. Here is a bit of a history lesson for you: (thanks to good old google)

"Third World' refers to the economically underdeveloped countries particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania, considered as an entity with common characteristics, such as poverty, high birthrates, and economic dependence on the advanced countries. French demographer, anthropologist and historian Alfred Sauvy, in an article published in the French magazine L'Observateur, August 14, 1952, coined the term Third World, referring to countries that were unaligned with either the Communist Soviet bloc or the Capitalist NATO bloc during the Cold War. His usage was a reference to the Third Estate, the commoners of France who, before and during the French Revolution, opposed priests and nobles, who composed the First Estate and Second Estate, respectively. Sauvy wrote, "Like the third estate, the Third World is nothing, and wants to be something," He conveyed the concept of political non-alignment with either the capitalist or communist bloc. 

So there you are. Now you all can feel as smart as I do!

Anyways, after going to lunch with Sanzi the other day, who is from here, she informed us that most of the county can be considered and is a third world country. The places that most tourists go to, are not. 

-------

Some other interesting information:

- When you go to Mcdonalds, you have to PAY for KETSUP, and they only give you one packet!!

- You are allowed to smoke anywhere and everywhere here= gross!!

- Jenna bet me 5 Lei (about 1.50$) that I couldn't catch a snowflake............... I am 5 Lei richer :)

- You can pretty much start drinking at any age. 

- Our Romanian is getting better; I know how to say the important things-

... apa plata= flat water

... apa calda= hot water

...multumesc= thank you

... da= yes

Haha.. basically you don't really need to know how to speak Romanian because there is always someone somewhere who knows English!

- You can't start school until you are 7. 

- My heating pad on my bed is the best thing ever invented

- Spaghetti & Pizza have become my go-to food, along with the granola bars I packed. 

-----

I was pretty sick and was running a fever on Thursday night, and slept all day Friday. I didn't go in to the hospital. I was sad to miss out on spending time with the kids but I knew that I needed to get myself better first. So a day of rest was nice and needed. I watched some tv here. And they had Friends on!! In English!!! It was very exciting. Made me feel right at home! I'm feeling better, just still a little weak and tired. 

Tomorrow we are going to try to go with some of the girls and ride the Gondola that goes up the mountain. At the top of the mountain there is a sign that lights up at night that says Brasov, just like the Hollywood sign. It's pretty cool. Then we might go and see a movie. I think they wanted to see 127 Hours, which has James Franco in it so I am all for that one!

I love you and I miss you all. I'm not sure what's going on with the commenting on here, some of them go through and post and some of them don't. But you can always send me a message on facebook if it is not working. Thank you for reading and caring about what is going on in my life. 

-Cis

Happy Tears

Last night I laid in bed updating my blog when I got a surprise Skype request from my most favorite boy in the world, Bradyn!!! It was very late here, about 2 am and he was just waking up from his nap. So I got to talk to both him and Shandley while Kiley and Allyson were off at SeaWorld (oh how I miss that place). It was so good to get to see them and talk to them. It brought about way too many emotions for me to handle. I was so glad to get to actually see Bray's face and hear his voice. But of course, doing that, caused a bit of an emotional break down. I miss everyone, but he is the one person that can actually get to me in that way because I don't think he fully understands. We talked about it a lot before I left. He knows I am in Romania, where it is on the map, that it is far away from home, that when it is day for him it is night for me, that I am here with Jenna to help kids with no Mommys, etc. But I don't think he gets why that meant I had to leave him in order to be here doing all of this. I put together a little baggy with a small gift, note, or piece of candy in it for him and Kiley for every day that I am gone, hoping that it gives them something to look forward to even though I am not there. Apparently I should have made some little baggies for myself too! I did bring along some pictures that Bradyn and I took together in a photobooth at SeaWorld before I left and have them up next to my bed. And last night when I was talking to him Shandley gave him a baggy to open and it happened to be the one that had the copies of the pictures in it for him to have. That was pretty cool to get to show him that mine are up on the wall and that he has some too.

After that I had trouble falling asleep. It made me realize how much I do miss everyone. (Yes, I realize it has been about 5-6 days since I have been gone). But, I do. Although at the same time I am having so much fun, getting to see many new things, meet a ton of new people, and experience a different culture.

Today we met up with Sanzi at 5pm in the middle of Town Square by the fountain. She walked us over to a little coffee shop that she likes and we sat there for about an hour and a half and just talked! She is SO nice. And really funny! We talked about everything. She was very sweet. We told her that we would try to meet up with her again soon! Thanks for that connection Dee!!

We worked the morning shift at the hospital from 9:15-12:30pm. We started out by going to the play therapist and she assigned us all to a child to work with for a different reason. I was told that the little boy I was going to work with- wouldn't eat, barely slept, and only threw the toys. Maybe I went to the wrong kid, or maybe she caught him on a bad day, because the little boy that I got to spend the morning with was so sweet. He was roughly about 9-10 months old. He had olive skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. He was a little hesitant at first, but then warmed up to me and he was so sweet. We played with a little rubber ducky for a bit, and I kept having the ducky give him kisses and making a kissy sound. After a little while of doing that I put the duck down and grabbed another toy. But then I noticed that he was starting to make the kissy sound and reaching for the duck! So I grabbed the duck again and brought it over and had it give him more kisses and he would kiss it back. Then I would have the duck give me some kisses. After a little while he grabbed the ducky and started giving different things kisses. He even turned and had the duck give me some! All while making the little kissy noise. It was so dang cute! Only a few times did he try and throw it. And when he did, I would just pick it up and put it on the bed and say that we needed to be gentle to the ducky and throwing him isn't nice. I'm not really sure if speaking English vs Romanian makes a difference, because they are so surrounded by both, but he seemed to get the point very quickly. After that we grabbed his bottle and he took a little of it at first, but not much. So I decided to take his bottle and feed the ducky and some of the other animals, and then bring it back to him. Each time he would take some, and then wanted to share with the animals, and then it would be his turn again. After doing this multiple times the bottle was almost empty! Then I noticed him getting a little antsy so I turned him toward me, gave him a hug, and could tell he looked a little sleepy after all the playing we had been doing. So I held him tight, rocked him side to side, and patted his back. Within about 5 minutes he was dead asleep in my arms.

Playing- Check, Eating- Check, Sleeping- Check ....... SUCCESS!!!!

It is one of my favorite things to get to hold a sleeping baby, and knowing that I was able to help this one child, even if only for that day, was very heart warming. He was so sweet and had so much potential, but just no one there to take the time to care and love for him. It was almost like the first time I really felt that what we were doing here can and does make a difference. Sometimes I get caught up in all of the other things to get to talk about and forget to mention in detail about the children. But what everyone is doing, even though it may be small, has a huge impact.

I have some more funny stories to tell everyone, but I will save them for tomorrow because Jenna needs the computer to do some homework for her photography class. I am off to do Insanity yet again, and then going to head to bed early tonight.

I love you all so much!!!!!

Good Company

Today we went and worked the afternoon shift in the hospital (yay!). We met some of the other volunteers- Lisa is from England, but is leaving on Thursday. Jennifer and Hollie are from Pennsylvania, they live 30 minutes away from each other back home, BUT turns out they have never met and both just came out here randomly at the same time! Pretty cool how that worked out. They travelled to Venice this past weekend and said it was a lot of fun! There are two long term volunteers here right now- Joe, who is from Scotland, and Manuel (they call him Manu), who is from Germany. They are both really nice, hard to understand sometimes though.

After the hospital we all went over to Raelene's house for our Mexican meal!! She had chips and fresh guacamole :) = happy Cissy! They made everything from scratch and every one pitched in to help! It was a really cool experience to get to see so many people coming together for a common good and enjoying a night over a home cooked meal. We had chicken, rice, beans, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, onions, cheese, tortillas, etc. They made the works! Jenna and I contributed soda and wine (even though I don't like either of those haha.... or most of the food that was there... but I had some rice & beans! and a little chicken & cheese). We connected a bunch of tables together and all 12 of us sat around talking and eating and learning about where everyone comes from, what they do, and what brought them here. It was so much fun.

After dinner (and a few glasses of wine for most of the people), they started up some karaoke. They were all getting so into it, it was really funny. They kept trying to get me to do it, and I don't mind karaoke, the only problem was the song choices that I usually would sing during karaoke- their lyrical content did not seem appropriate. My go to karaoke songs are all Eminem!!!! Hahaha. So I politely declined. I told them that I would go home and practice a duet with Jenna and next time we would sing. I have already decided what it will be- A Whole New World, but I want to be Aladdin and Jenna gets (has) to be Jasmine. (Aladdin has much cooler parts in the song).

We stayed there until about 11pm and then took a taxi home so we didn't have to walk home in the dark. Then I had to do the dreaded Insanity work out!!! But I convinced Jenna to do half of it with me!! (I think those glasses of wine are what swayed her my way!!!- muahaha).

-----

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we work the morning shift at the Hospital. I'm interested to see how it all works since we haven't had the chance to work one yet. I was Lisa about it tonight at dinner and she said that the morning shift is just a bit more rushed, but still good. She will be working with us in the morning.

After that we will probably head into the Town Square and grab some lunch somewhere. Then at 2pm the girls from FFR are doing a project outreach thing with some teenage girls that they invited us to, so we will go to that.

Then at 5pm we are heading over to the fountain in the middle of Town Square to meet up with Sanzi. Sanzi is ... well it's a random connection that I will try and explain- My aunt, Dede (my mom's youngest sister) ... her boss' wife is from Romania, and I believe that Sanzi is her niece? or family friend? Something like that! Well anyways, I got her email from Dee before I got here and she said that we should meet up! So she emailed me yesterday and set a time and place and we will meet her there tomorrow! It should be interesting! She seems very nice so maybe we will go and grab ice cream or something!

After that I don't think we have anything planned! I'm sure that we will be tired because we stayed up late tonight at the dinner & karaoke + insanity & writing this!

[hiiiiiiiiiii ALLY :) i miss you so much!!!!!]

I just wanted to say thank you again to everyone that has been following along and reading the blogs. It's really comforting to know that you all care enough to do so. It means a lot to me. I love you and I miss you!!!

Ter.. stop trying to text me all the time I don't have a phone
Giig.. text ter all day now that you have an Iphone too in order to keep her texting habit under control.
Daddy.. i miss you and i love you so much!!!
Laura... I can't wait to snuggle you when I get home!!! Tell steven i say hiiiiii :)
Miguel.. i hope that frank gets beat up by squidward!!!!
Amy... I love that you are reading this! makes me so happy!!!
Dee.. I love you and i will let you know how meeting up with Sanzi goes so you can tell your boss!
Nick.. continue to watch bachelor for me and give me weekly updates please
Bestie Best... I love you and tell Bray that I miss him when you see him tomorrow!!!
Gram.. i hope you and pop are having fun on your cruise!
Wilma.. thank you for reading!! make sure you update your mom too!!
And anyone else who may be reading that i dont know about.. thank you!!!!