Last stop...

Venice.
This again, managed to blow me away. This is a much larger city than I thought. Much more beautiful than I could have imagined. Everyone said it was a smelly city... but maybe we hit it right.... it was wonderful.

Fourth stop...

Tuscany.
I can't even decide which pictures show this area the best. This is the most amazing beautiful place on earth. I'm almost certain. The grapes were changing colors, and the hills were stunning. We loved Florence, Siena, the Mediteranian, Piza, and most of all... the hill-side towns. We stayed in a small village called Radicondolli. It was so small and quaint, it gave us the real experience.
I hope you enjoy the Mento's picture of Emile in front of the police officer in Orvieto, and our gelato shot which was a MUST in most cities.

Third stop...

Rome!
I couldn't wait to see the famous and historical sites of Rome. They were grander and larger than I imagined. From the Forum, coliseum, spanish steps, vatican city, pantheon, and even Trevie fountain, we had a riot wandering and enjoying. We literally were on our feet for 10 hours one of these days, and my feet knew it.
Although, I forgot all about my feet when I would laugh at the picture I captured of Emile breaking our bed.
We had more little miracles in Rome as people were randomly helpful, directing us, and warning us of dangerous places and people to avoid. We had a near run in with some pit-pocketers until someone quietly came to us with a word of caution.

Second stop...

Palermo & Trapani, Sicily, Italy.
Wow, this was the most beautiful place in the world. And, our family was from this part of Sicily too. I feel pretty honored to have gone and visited. We came from Tunisia on a boat, and saw the beautiful islands greet us in the morning as we came into the port. We saw soccer games, old villages on giant mountains, the amazing cities, great shops, and ate some of the sweetest food you can imagine. Thank goodness for cannolies!!!! I will definitely visit again.

First stop...

Tunisia, North Africa.
I'm back!!! This will be the first post of many. My family was generous enough to take us on a vacation back to Italy and North Africa. My father-in-law was born in Tunisia to an Italian family. So, we started there.... here are a few pictures to give you a taste. As I add to the blog, you'll see all the fun we had in Italy.

Here's just the start.. and first... let me thank my family for truly the trip of a lifetime.







Hammam Lif is where my Father-in-law was born, and we stayed near this small town. I was nervous about our time there, but I am humbled at the kindness and generosity we found there. While visiting, we were put in a few sticky situations, and because of some amazing kindness and maybe a little good will from their Ramadan, I feel ashamed that I was so afraid of them. These faithful people should be admired for their devotion and commitment, and I am happy to say they were extremely kind and some of the most misinterpreted people. I hope to pay it forward someday with the kindness they showed us.

Family Night

(Enlarge this picture by clicking to get the full effect... hehhehe)

This picture makes me cry laughing every time I look at it! So, we NEEDED a family night tonight, and I am so grateful we took the time. As you can see we had a blast. This "roller" slide they are on goes faster the heavier you are, so when we saw Trenton going slow, we had no idea it would take off like a jet. Emile is terrified here, and Trenton is loving it.

I hope you enjoy this half as much as I do. Thanks for making me laugh so hard!

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Happy Happy Birthday! 2 years and it gets better everyday!

The best part about birthdays are gifts, family, and celebrating grandma's birthday too! Happy Birthday Grandma!

Union Station

So, we LOVE trains. Cho cho trains to be exact. We kept hearing the horn of a train in the distance from our house, so we decide to hurry downtown like crazy people to Union Station and see some cho cho trains up close and personal. Little did we know that we would have the pleasure of meeting a real train conductor, and hear the whistles blow right after "final boarding call!"

Of course, my camera ran out of juice right when we got to meet the conductor, which of course was just as we were going INSIDE the old historic station. We'll be back soon, but here's a little of what I caught. Now, we just can't stop talking about the trains.

I can't stop myself...

Here are MORE pictures that go with the previous post. I was having so much fun with my camera... I just can't help but share a few more cute pictures. My favorite picture is the one with the goat trying to beg for more food.