It was cold and dreary this morning.  We readied ourselves and found our way to The American Church of Paris.  I could not get out the door fast enough, I was so excited to listen to a sermon in English. We exited the subway and spilled out onto one of my favorite bridges. 

After about a block, we could see the steeple of "The American Church." Sophie and I just about blew over at the crosswalk.  We had to put our heads down, hold onto each other, and push ourselves against the wind.

Once I walked into the foyer, I had a sense of reverence, I knew to quiet  myself. After walking a few more steps, I was welcomed by brightly colored stained glass surrounding me, drawing me in.  The Church was smaller than I expected. 

I had a hard time concentrating for the first half of the service.  I was constantly looking up at the stained glass. 

The service was very traditional, it had a Protestant bend.  There was lots of standing up and sitting down.  I thought the sermon slow, there was lots of reading of the Old Testament.  I felt my mind wandering, "Gina, stop it and listen", then my mind would wander again.  

As the end of the sermon neared, the message was more direct and it came full circle for me.  It focused on Christ's resurrection and His gift of eternity for us.  It made me question why I am so enamored by the flesh, the here and now.  My focus needs to turn toward eternity, this life on earth is a vapor  when compared to eternity.  Where are my priorities?  What are my motivations?  What  is my time spent on? 

I sat and pondered and wondered why God directed us to this church.  It is the polar opposite of our church in Texas.  Our Texas church is an amazing place.  You can almost see the Holy Spirit moving throughout the congregation.  Worship feels like a concert for Christ every Sunday; there is no holding back at "Gateway Church".  You are free to express yourself in the moment and no one will care.  Our Pastor is extremely entertaining and relates the Bible to the here and now.  You don't have to work very hard to get his point and to enjoy the service.

The American Church of Paris does not have that feel.  It felt a bit disconnected at times.........or was that me.  I will have to work and really listen at this church.  I came away feeling that my theme for this year is slowing down and reflecting.  This church is a perfect place for that. 

Sophie looked up at me during the service and said "Mom, I think we found our new church".   Dan pretty much said the same thing as we gathered for coffee with the rest of the congregation.  He grew up Catholic and this church felt more like home to him.  Max agreed;  he counted 112 standed glass windows.

We woke to bright blue sky and sunshine this morning.  I had the bright idea of bringing the entire family with me to the local flea.  The kids grabbed their scooters, Dan carted "Les Wheels" (in case I found something that I couldn't live without) and I fattened my wallet with small bills.

The kids haven't ridden on their scooters for a few months and their balance was questionable.  The streets were busy, everyone enjoying the sunshine.  My kids darted through pedestrian traffic, almost nailing little old ladies doing their weekend shopping.  

Max fell off his with a loud bang and landed spread eagle in front of a lady who was brought to a screeching halt, her arms full of groceries, she shook her head so fast I thought it might unscrew, a loud "tsk, tsk" was heard.  I smiled shyly "pardon", she snarled at me, I grabbed Max by the arm and pulled him up giggling to myself.  He dusted himself off and he was cruising the sidewalks once again. 

After about 10 blocks of "near misses", we folded the little scooters and Dan carried them as we pushed our way through the flea market. 

As a rule, I am not one who loves garage sales and flea markets.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed browsing the stalls, slowly looking at what appealed to me.  I don't know very much about antiques but I have read that you should buy what pleases your eye, no one elses.  Try not to get sucked into the latest "it thing". 

I loved looking through all of the old French books.........   

I was incredibly drawn to the small grey pieces of furniture.  They looked Scandinavian, very understated with clean lines.  

Looking at these again, I want to go back and buy them.  Although, I did not ask about the price, I found the prices at this flea to be very high.

I loved these little crowns too..........

Can you see the  theme?  I am really loving this grey.  It has a hint of blue but it feels very warm. 



I did find the perfect desk for me to write..............

Along with the sweetest little typewriter..........

Our day at "the flea" ended over lunch with my family telling me that in the future "You can go by yourself, that was sooooooo boring!"   Works for me!  I might have to get into this flea market thing.........

We heard the keys jingling in the front door and the three of us just about fell over each other trying to get to Dan.   

We spent the rest of the afternoon loving on him and fighting over who got to spend time with the poor man who flew all night long to reach us.  I don't think he minded........ 

Sophies expression in this photo sums up exactly how I feel having Dan back in France...............bliss.

I met Juliette a couple of weeks ago when she hosted our family to our first French Sunday lunch.  She is a very quiet and gentle woman with four children.  The children are off on school break for the next two weeks so she asked if she could show us "Montmartre".  I responded very quickly "tell me when and where and I will be there."  

We met outside one of the metro stations in Montmartre.  She had her three boys and her Father with her.   I loved watching her boys cluster around their Grandfather, it was very evident that they were enamored by him.    

I walked behind the men, camera in hand, eyes like saucers, mouth in a circle, oohing and ahhing at every turn.  I felt like we were in a small little village in France, far away from the hustle and bustle of Paris.  It was quiet and charming. 

We found Place du Tertre, the main square where all the artists congregate to sketch.  The artists were an interesting mix of young and old.   The lines on their faces told a story.  I can't wait to visit this square in the Spring when the trees will be dresed in green.

There are many hills and stairs in Montmartre but the view is worth it........

I enjoyed seeing the inside of the beautiful Sacre Coeur.  When you drive from the airport to Paris, it is one of the first things you see from the highway.  A huge church welcoming you to Paris.  (Or so I thought).  Juliette and her family find it ugly and too ornate, "not French at all", they say.

Yes, it is "over the top" but I can surely appreciate the beauty and the forty years that it took to build.     

I enjoyed my afternoon with Juliette; strolling the cobblestone streets, talking about the ordinary, her men in front of us deep in conversation, Max and Sophie trailing us.  I think Max and Sophie enjoyed Montmartre as well............

I have had the great fortune of exploring Paris many times in my life but I had never visited Montmartre.   Please don't make that mistake, if you have never been to Montmartre, take an afternoon to explore it.  What a little gem.  I will be back many times this year.

I had a day with absolutely nothing to do, my first yet,  and I was tickled.  I was eager to try and find some new books written in English for myself and the kids. 

French bookstores abound in Paris.  They look so beautiful and inviting but I am just a babe at French.  I stand outside, looking through the window, disappointed that I can't read a particular book.   

I hopped on the metro and found  the first English bookshop in Paris called Galignani, located at 224 rue de Rivoli.  It sits across the street from Jardin des Tuileries.   It isn't very large and is stuffed from top to bottom with books in French and English.  I was transfixed by the decorating books.  So beautiful and you don't have to read French to appreciate the beauty within. 

I bought a book entitled "At My French Table" by Jane Webster.  It is about an Australian family who move to the Normandy coast.  They buy a Chateau, and after a year, open up a cooking school.  I can't tell you how many times I heard myself say out loud "who are these people?"  It is unlike any travel book I have read, full of beautiful pictures, recipes, information on local cheeses, wine, food and flowers. 

I have tried to savour this delicious read but I was hungry for more every bite I took.  It sits beautifully on our coffee table, begging me to open it up which I do, again and again.   

After the bookstore, I found a chair in the Jardin des Tuileries overlooking a fountain.  I ate my lunch and watched the world go by.  Couples strolling hand in hand, families pushing strollers, children chasing birds, co-workers eating lunch together.  This is how I envisioned my Paris life.  I know it won't be like this every day but I will savor these moments. 

This is one of my greatest pleasures about our apartment.  It  is what draws me when I look out our living room window.  I get to hear the bell chime all throughout the day.  I get to watch the dedicated walk into this beautiful church to stop, sit and reflect. 

So often, the parishioners are older; stooped over, taking small steps, hanging onto the railing as they pull themselves closer inside, step by step.  I wonder, where are the young people?  

I admire the dedication of these people.  It is a part of their daily life to slow down and worship.   It is a lesson that I get to watch everyday.  It is having a profound affect on me.

I have witnessed two funerals from our balcony.  I quietly watched as the priest blessed  the casket while the grieving spouse stood by.  The rest of the family come pouring out of the church, flowers are carried and sit on top of the casket,  filling the entire back of the car. 

I wonder who is sitting at the feet of Jesus, leaning back against him, resting peacefully?

I have had the privilege of sitting quietly in this little beauty.  We do not have a church in Paris yet.  Our Sundays have been full so until I find our church home, this will be where I sit quietly, listen and woship.  

I look forward to the weddings and baptisms I will witness quietly from our balcony.  Church is life to me, it is joy and sorrow and everything in between.  It is home, a touchstone and a  beacon that calls to me. 

The kids and I spotted blue sky and a tiny ray of light and we were out the door.  It's amazing how much we appreciate sunshine and blue sky now.  

The Jardin de Tuilleries is next to the Louvre in the First Arrondissement  "smack dab" in the center of the hustle and bustle of Paris.  I love the energy in this area.  (It is full of tourists getting their first glimpse of Paris and it is exhilarating.  I will never forget my first trip to Europe, I was mesmerized.)   It was so nice to see the kids light up as we exited the metro and looked out onto the large park.  I told them "run" and they did.  They chased each other and played hide and go seek. 

Max and Sophie remembered this park from the summer because they have a small area with trampolines.  We headed toward the trampolines and  they jumped and jumped until they couldn't jump anymore.

I think their mouths must have hurt by the end of the day from smiling.  Oh, it was like medicine to me.

We found the small fountain where you can rent tiny sailboats and push them with a long stick but I couldn't rent one because this is "Daddy's thing".  He "sailed" with the kids this summer and I didn't want to do it without him.   "Oh Mommmm".

So we watched the ducks instead........

and giggled some more.........

then I promised them we would go to "Angelina's" for a cup of hot chocolate.....

but the line was about 40 long and I knew they wouldn't last........

so we found a small cafe and had a much quieter and less expensive cup of hot chocolate....

I don't think  I showed you the office, bedrooms and bathroom.  Come on in and have a looksey........

 After you pass our entry, make a left and come down our very loooong hallway.  The first door on the left is our bathroom with tub and sink.  The second door is our closet......I mean, it is where our toilet sits and I will not post a picture.  Everyone has seen a toilet before.....

Walk a little further down another hall and you will walk right into our office.  We were going to turn it into a playroom but we really do need a small office and the kids are doing just fine playing in their bedroom.  Who knew?

Walk past the office and down the hallway and it will spill out into our bedroom......  I am not sure what to do with it just yet.  We have a huge armoire on one side of the room and then Ikea furniture fills the rest of the room.  I am not happy with it and need to search the flea markets for some goodies to make it our own.   We look out onto another apartment building behind us and down below is a big courtyard. 

If you take a left from our bedroom, you will walk "sideways" down a narrow hallway into a small room with a shower and sink and off to the right is the kids room.  The hallway is narrow because the landlord installed a closet which was needed and the extra storage is invaluable.  It is worth the narrow pathway to the kids room.  Sophie put her hopscotch on the floor.  I like her style!

The shower is "Dan's bathroom", it is the size of a small closet and this is where my man get's ready everyday without any complaints. It is right next to the kids bedroom.   It is probably about 4 x 4 feet. 

Excuse the toys scattered throughout but Max always has something in the works.  I brought their comforters from home along with some of their pictures that were on their walls in Texas.  It's a bright room and very quiet.  

This is where our guests will sleep.  Ha.  We have an airo bed for the office that the kids will sleep on and then whoever visits will be sleeping under a racecar or kitty comforter.  Hey, it's a free!   

It seems that everything in Paris is tiny.  I suppose because space is at a premium here.  The chairs are tiny, the tables tiny, stores, cars, etc.

The one thing that I couldn't handle being tiny for an entire year was my morning coffee cup.  The cups that were here are small, the handle is barely big enough for me to fit two fingers through.  It just won't do, what I needed was "a mug".

I emailed my Dad and asked him to pick out a mug for me.  I wanted a little piece of him in Paris.  Mom said that he took my task to heart and looked high and low for the perfect mug.  Guess what?  He found it!

When I opened the package, "I ooohed and ahhhhed" when I saw the "G" and the size, thinking; "How sweet that this came from Dad".  I was picturing him spotting this mug and thinking "that's it".  As I held it closer I saw the phrase inside the mug "Love the Moment".  Perfect. 

I can guarantee you that I will certainly "Love the moment" in Paris.  Thanks a hundred times over Dad, I love you to the moon and back!

Rule number one at the market:  Don't touch.  Tell the vendor what you would like and how many and they will choose the best for you. 

If you don't speak the language, point and use your fingers.  Ha.  I have learned my numbers and try and learn the name of the fruit or vegetable that I want but they still look at me funny so I usually smile and point and use my fingers.  Often times, I give them the money, and I am wrong.  So........I extend my arm, open my hand and let them take the coins for me.   Ah, humility.

I love the way the French merchandise their food.  Don't you just want to take these little baskets of goodness home and set them on your kitchen counter?  I love all the baskets and crates, the slate boards and the chalk "curly q" writing. 

I just loved watching this little man.  I named him "Jacque".  He shuffled along with his cart from vendor to vendor.  He was very serious about his shopping.  He dressed for the market, a turtleneck underneath a suit.  You've got to appreciate that. 

I would have loved to share an espresso with him and hear a little about his life  We each have a story, I wanted to know his.