Travelling to Ancona

According to my step-daughter Alison, Italians often clap when the plane lands, but even the English and this American clapped this morning when the Ryan Air pilot managed to find his way (yes, praise God there are instruments) through the fog and over the oil refinery...having slopped down from the alps and across a very misty, foggy Adriatic Sea...to a smoothe landing.

I know I am a step granny (Granny Smith) and not a biological granny to Daniel, but my heart just melted when I saw him at Arrivals with his American flag baby cap. Blending multiple-passport famiies has its challenges but also amazing joys.   

We had so much we wanted to bring for this new grandchild, so it is easy to complain about only being allowed one carry on bag (as part of your flight price) but travelling this light also makes the journey much less stressful. Still, most of Chris's bag was loaded with baby toys and clothes that we had picked up in the States and the UK.

Having family provide all we couldn't pack (extra winter clothes, bath robes etc) is much appreciated. It makes me think about the challenge a young family faces with all the much needed baby items. I'll start scouting around for high chairs, car seats and whatever is needed when the Italian-English part of the family visit the states!

We give thanks for this time together.

Global grandparenting!

Happy New Year! May you and your family be blessed in 2010.

This blog is just getting started and tomorrow morning Chris and I are off to Italy to see our recently arrived Italian-English grandson. Daniel is Chris's first grandson living in a country other than the UK; and I think we need to put Jo Parfitt's new book ,"Global Grandparenting," at the top of our reading list.

Main Event for 2010: Families in Global Transition Conference in Houston Texas
                                 March 4-6
                                 Check the link on this blog below!

Up EARLY in the morning to get the EARLY flight out of Stansted.

Chow!