The Sea

A blue expanse outside my window
encompases all that I see.
Unknown qualities of glassy brilliance
beckon me to capture the sea

The sun fades into the sea
in pinks and purples spreading into sky.
I long to take the colors to my pallet
but nature has no substitute.

The smell of froth and salt and spray
overwhelms my senses
I watch as the children play
upon the sandy beaches.

God in his brilliance has made the sea
and lifts my heart to follow
the ever changing beauties of life
and takes away the cares of the day.

Naples and Sorrento

Naples is a city known for its crime and lack of good city government. We traveled to Naples from Venice by plane and took extra precautions because of the bad reputation of the city for preying on tourists. We had no problems. Our main reason to go to Naples was to see Herculaneum and Pompei. These tourists attractions were a must on my list because they were towns frozen in time from 72 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried them under ash and mud. Much of the artwork has been preserved. This is unusual because in the 600s many towns were destroyed by marauders who burned and pillaged the cities along the Italian coastline.

We arrived at our hotel which was on the harbor and found beautiful views. There were three castles in Naples, one outside our hotel room, but we did not have time to visit them. We dropped our bags off in our room and took off for the Archeology Museum which housed the art of the Baths where we saw the opera in Rome and that of Pompei and Herculaneum. On the way we passed by some government buildings that had some sculptures.

The museum was the last that we were to see on our trip to Italy. It had a special exhibit of Pompei and a map of the part of the city that had been excavated. We found treasures in the museum of silver, glass, and everyday items that people used. It was an informative trip and I was glad that we went to the museum before we set off the next day for the sites.

These are some famous pictures from the sites. This lady in the picture did not actually live but was a representation of women writers. Jenessa was making another famous picture pose in the museum also. She was imitating a muse.

The view out our hotel room the second night was fantastic. You can see the mountains where Sorrento is located in the distance and the island of Capri where all the jet set crowd goes.

We took the train in the morning to Herculaneum and found a wonderful guide there. While I was in the restroom he came up to Jenessa and told her that since she was a member of his church that she could have a free tour of the site. He was a tour guide and bore his testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration while we were with him. He explained how the church have evolved from the pagan beliefs of the people and the Jesus Christ had different ideas in the formation of his church. I loved it and loved the fact that although he had been inactive for 5 years he still considered himself a member of the church. The guide is the one in white with his arm pointing.

In Herculaneum we found that there were roofs that still covered the houses and that in some places the wood had been carbonized and preserved. We saw gardens, homes, baths, and art. It was a great experience.

Here is Jenessa in the bath. These shelves are where people put their clothes in wooden lockers before they entered the bath. They had the choice of cold, warm, or hot baths. It was cheap and inexpensive because it was run by slaves.

We went up a steep hill to the entrance to Pompei. It was also a seacoast town and you could see the docks where the ships were tied up. This town was much larger than Herculaneum and had a more varied population. Herculaneum was a resort where there were more rich people while Pompei had everyone mixed together.

Jenessa is standing in the forum or the main square where the people gathered for government. Behind her is the temple of Jupiter and Mount Vesuvius. While we were there Jenessa read to us from the guide book in her hand.

Here is Kerry and Jenessa standing in front of the main road in Pompei. The rocks behind them were to stop the chariots.

These were rocks that were placed in the street for people to cross the road. You can see that there were sidewalks. They paved their sidewalks with broken pottery and cement. People were still using them today.

At the end of our visit we sat in the little theatre to rest for a bit and then we took the train to Sorrento. It is a beautiful little Italian city built on a cliff. When we got off the train we walked through the town and ate at a restaurant that had the nicest atmosphere before catching a boat back to Naples.

You can see in the background how high the cliffs were over the sea in Sorrento. The boat ride back was relaxing and enjoyable. It was nice to feel the cool wind after the hot day we spent being tourists. The next morning we got up at 2:30 AM and traveled to Rome by train where we picked up Jenessa's luggage at the mission office. We took a taxi to the airport. From there we traveled 9.5 hours to New York City. We had a pleasant surprise when Keith, Cherie, Lily and Sawyer met us at the airport. They even made a little welcome home sign for Jenessa. Afterwards we traveled 6 hours home. We didn't sleep for 24 hours but I would do it all over again. It was worth every minute to spend time in Italy with Jenessa.

Venice or Venizia

I have proof that Venetians think they are half fish. Look at this ceiling design. After seeing Venice and the surprises that we encountered there I fully believe that I can write a story like Stephanie Meyers about the Mermaids of Venice who live by day as people walking around and by night flop into the water and become merpeople. I guess that is because the biggest surprise about Venice was that people really live on the water when they have to get around. There are absolutely no cars in Venice and there couldn't be because there are canals instead of streets. A taxi is a boat. And I think people in Venice own boats instead of cars. Another thing about Venetians is that they like to dress up and wear masks. There are all sorts of masks every where for tourists to buy and each mask has a different meaning. People pose in costumes on the street to get money from tourists who want to have their picture taken with them. They are all over northern Italy doing this.


When we arrived in Venice by train, we walked out of the station to get on the boat to our hotel. It wasn't an ordinary hotel but a monastery that had been converted into a hotel. The amazing thing about Venice is that even though it is relatively small, it is really confusing to get around in. The house numbers go every which way and if you don't know where you are going you get lost very easily. That happened to us. We got off the boat and started lugging our suitcases down the stone alley ways to find our hotel. We ended up in this square by a convent and I sat down to feed the pigeons while Jenessa and Kerry took off in opposite directions to find the hotel. I started thinking about Mary Poppins and her song about feeding the birds. I found that the pigeons were quite selfish eaters. They would grab the cookie crumbs as fast as they could while these two sweet little wrens would grab a cookie crumb and share it with each other. As I was watching the suitcases Jenessa became the winner and found the hotel. It was over a bridge on the other side of the canal.

Jenessa had been to Venice before for a half day on her trip to Europe with BYU-I so she knew a few places to go see. We went to a glass factory and to the Doge's Palace. We also saw the market and a famous bridge that had shops on it. We walked and rode boats everywhere in Venice. In fact the thought that prevailed for the day was how much our feet hurt from all the walking that we did in Italy. I think that we probably walked over 7 miles a day...every day.


The Doge's (Doe-J) Palace was the seat of government for the Venetians. That is where the courts, jails, and bodies of government met. The palace was full of artwork, weapons, and beautiful windows. It was also attached to the church which you can see beyond this tower Jenessa is trying to hold up. We walked around this square at night to hear the various bands playing. I loved the music and the romantic atmosphere of Venice.

Eating pizza and pasta was a very big part of our trip when we found time to eat. We didn't have regular meals except for breakfast which was served in our hotel every morning. It was a European Continental Breakfast which was all kinds of fruit, scrambled eggs, meats, hot chocolate for us, and breads. It was very good at every hotel we stayed at. Jenessa proved to me that she could eat a whole pizza. I had never tried it before and made it to 3/4 of a pizza but Jenessa could down an Italian Margarita Pizza by herself. I was impressed to say the least. My favorite pasta was gnocchi with tomato sauce. Another thing about eating in Venice was that we sat outside and watched the gondoliers. It isn't true that all gondoliers sing but we did see some that did sing opera. I think they charge extra for that.

Florence or Firenza

We arrived in Florence on Monday by taking a train from Rome. It was a charming city, full of tourists, and full of art. This was the home of Michaelangelo and the Medici family. The former were not still there because they died off hundreds of years ago. We visited art museums, saw THE DAVID, Carravagio, and visited many cathedrals.

While we were in Florence we took a hike on the Cinque del Terra. These are the five most beautiful cities in Italy. They lived up to their name and we loved this hike. We had a guide and took a "Walkabout" tour. We were fed lunch overlooking the Sea and found that even though we climbed over 300 steps, 13 KM, and 2000 feet we all loved this tour.

Another trip that we took while we were in Florence was to the towns of Pisa and Lucca. Pisa is known for its famous leaning tower and Lucca is an old town known for its standing city wall. We walked on the wall, which has been turned into a park, saw an old Roman amphitheatre that has been turned into a town square and looked at the towers. Funny pictures were taken by many people in Pisa and we got in on the action.

Jenessa's Home!

On August 28th Kerry and I flew to Italy to meet Jenessa. We were so excited to be with her. First of all Kerry met me at the airport with Cherie, Keith, Lily, and Sawyer. He was really excited to meet his new grandchild and see Cherie, Keith and Lily too. I hadn't seen him for two weeks so I think I took 5th place in who he wanted to see.

When we got to Rome we took our bags to the hotel and dropped them off so we could go sightseeing. We were really tired and would have loved a good nap but it just wasn't possible with all the opportunities before us. We were there in this wonderful historical city and I couldn't wait to see something I hadn't seen before. We headed to the nearest fountain...the one that if you throw a coin in you will come back to Rome...I didnt't throw a coin in if you want to know. It was too crowded to get near it and I think that I will go back someday.

So after we checked in we caught a taxi to the Mission Home to meet Jenessa. We walked in right when she was bearing her testimony. I couldn't help feeling emotional after not seeing her for a year and a half and just cried like I did with everyone of my children when I saw them for the first time after their missions. Then we had a wonderful lasagne dinner and heard Jenessa sing a farewell song in Italian with the other 5 missionaries and 2 couples who were heading home.

The next few days were busy and Jenessa's friend and investigator took us around Rome to visit all the sights for the time we were there. His name is Joseph. We saw churches, fountains, and ancient Roman ruins. We even had a special elevator trip up St. Peter's Basillica in Vatican City. Then we climbed over 300 stairs to the top. What a view!

After we saw the Vatican museum and all the beautiful artwork...We saw a lot of art in Rome...We headed to the Pantheon, ate our first gelato, and then to the Opera at the Baths (which were ruins)...Rigoletto was fantastic and there were 10000 people there.

The next day we headed to the Temple of the Vestal Virgins, and saw an arch that told the Romans whether to go to battle or not by where the wind blew through it. The next wonder was an old church with a stone in front that told people where they were telling the truth. People would go up to it and put their hands in its mouth. If they were telling a lie the person behind the stone would cut their hand off. Here is Jenessa with her hand in its mouth.

After church on Sunday we went to see where Paul lived at Lydia's home. It was interesting to think that I walked where Paul did. We had a dinner appointment that night and had a 5 course dinner. I thought we were done after the first course but the food just kept on coming.

Thief

I had been warned by several people about the Gypsy thieves in Rome and had my first personal encounter with them yesterday. These warnings came frequently so I was well aware of what could happen and how.

First of all there are people who go around with Roses and push them into your hands. It is an innocent looking thing to do but when a person accepts these flowers they won't leave you alone and follow you around until you pay them an exhorbitant price for the flowers. When we reached the Spanish Steps there was a concert and about 5 of these people running around. I had three try to give me flowers. We were with Joseph, one of Jenessa's investigators, and they didn't bother anyone else in our group but me. They probably thought I was an easy mark. So we left the square and went to the subway.

The subway was extremely crowded and I stood by the door, which was my first mistake. There were three women around me and then a small little man in a red shirt with a blue towel over his arm worked his way to us. He started with one of the woman who quickly pulled her purse away from him and then he went after me. I moved before he could touch me but he persisted and followed me. This whole time Jenessa and Joseph were in an intent conversation. And I was watching this little guy case Jenessa out but he was still after me. So Joseph moves down the aisle and I try to move again all the while having this little guy trying to get to my purse. Then one of the women in front of us gets off the train, leaving an open seat. So I sit down and look at him, disappointment shows on his face.

Then I watch him go after Kerry. Kerry has taken precautions agains pick-pockets and is wearing his wallet around his waist under his pants. I tell Kerry to move down, which is away from this guy. He is really persistent. Kerry then notices him taking his glasses out of his pocket and throws the man's hand away when he has them halfway out. He looks at Kerry's waist knowing that it would be a hard thing to steal his wallet. Finally, the thief leaves and moves down the train to the next victim. And now we are free from him. I wish I had known the words for pick pocket in Italian. That would have solved my problem very easily.

What a Time I Had in Connecticutt

It begins with packing. When I arrived the Kahmanns were in the midst of moving to their new home. What a time I had in the kitchen putting things in boxes. There was so much to do in so little time. I arrived on Wednesday and the moving crew was coming on Saturday. Then after everything was packed into the truck, I supervised the Relief Society clean up crew. We had 4 sisters who cleaned the apartment to a white glove test level. It was the gospel in action that day because some of the sisters had driven a 1/2 hour to help.

I found this tutu at Costco and Lily had fun dancing around in it.

Going to church was an event. Lily packed her tummy with Teddy Grahams, Raisins and Animal Crackers while the adults listened. Then it was play time in the nursery. She dressed up as a princess and played with the toys. It was hard for her to leave.

When we got to the new place, I unpacked everything that I had packed and more. Cherie had so much to do to get the new place ready and was taking care of her little Lily on top of it. Boxes were all over the house and so we took them downstairs and filled up Keith's Man Cave with boxes and they were overflowing into the storage room. But in the mean time Lily needed attention. So I took her to Annie's Bounce Barn.

I was amazed at the size that blow up toys can be these days. Lily climbed and played and crawled through the toys and had a great time showing me how she could slide down little slides and then go down the scarey big slides. I thought that she was definitely fearless. The business concept was awesome too. What fun the kids had and there was even a blow up water slide outside because it was hot.

I didn't mention how hot it was until Keith got the air conditioning set up. I haven't been so hot in a long time and became very thankful for Kerry and his insistence that we get air conditioning in our new home. Yes. Kerry became more of a hero after the sweat began pouring down my face as we moved. One day Cherie, I and Lily walked down the street to the YMCA and went swimming to get out of the heat. Lily has a shark life preserver and paddled around the pool with the other kids. I enjoyed doing a few laps while Cherie took her to get a snack. Cherie stayed out the pool because she didn't have a pregnant swimsuit.
Cherie's due date came and went. She became very anxious to have her baby come and was so discouraged because she had hoped to go into labor sooner. Four days later she took castor oil and had a speedy delivery. Sawyer Anthony Kahmann was born on July 22nd at 1:30 AM. We had fun visiting with him in the hospital and getting to know him for the first time. He has a very boyish look to him and a sweet cry. He snorts...which is so cute. And Lily became a big sister.


Keith, I and Lily took a trip to the Aquarium yesterday and enjoyed a respite. Afterwards I treated everyone to McDonald's. And Lily had a Happy Meal...

Sawyer had his first bath at home today. It took 3 people to bathe him. Cherie held the camera. I did the washing and Lily supervised the process. He promptly fell asleep afterwards. What a day.

This was Lily at Home Depot. Cherie and Keith bought a new garbage can with wheels and Lily had to wheel it around the store. She was a big helper when it came to the garbage can. :)