Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is a National Park in Italy. It is a collection of 5 villages that are just hanging to the side of a cliff on the Italian Riviera. The towns are all connected by hiking trails and trains. The town that we stayed in is called Manarola. We lucked out with our bed & breakfast reservation. It was so charming, fresh and romantic. We WILL stay there again someday I am sure. What a beautiful place. They say this is pure, unadulterated Italy. It is getting more & more discovered by tourists, but what a fun way to see true, classic Italy.

Since the village is built on a hillside we got our work out in anytime we left our room. When we looked out our window we saw the village on one side and terraces of grapevines on the other. In the middle was the sea. We left our window open and enjoyed the fresh air all night long. I loved the natural vegetation of this area...flowers, cactuses, palm trees, and lemon trees (my favorite). I was surprised at how incredibly huge the lemons were.

I took so many pictures here...and many times it was of the same thing over and over again. I finally had to tell myself not to take anymore.

Florence & Pisa

Day #3 we hopped on a train for Florence. We only spent one night there and I wish we would have had two. This city surprised me the most of all. It was more beautiful than I had expected. We saw its famous church the Duomo, had a fabulous dinner and window shopped with gelato in hand. It was crazy to be in one of the best cities for art in the world and not see any of it...but keeping to my pre-trip promise we stayed out of the museums. Next time for sure...any one out there up for a girls trip??? This would be a fantastic place to start. (Mom, I couldn't help but think of you in this beautiful city...we must go someday!)

The next day we took a train to the Cinque Terre...but of course we had to stop in Pisa on the way...

Rome

We spent our first two nights in Rome. Here are a few impressions and memories...

- The CRAZY taxi ride from the airport to our hotel...cost us $75. The driver hit speeds of 180 km/hr = 100 mph! We learned very quickly that we were going to have to be attentive pedestrians in this fast-paced town.

- The heat...the day before we left weather.com said it would be 67 degrees and rainy...not so much...it was completely dry and 90 degrees!

- The food...our favorite pizza was in Rome. A can of Sprite cost $5.00...no free refills here thanks.

- How old everything is. It was amazing to see where modern civilization started.

- We saw all the main sights in a day and that night we watched them all on the big screen in Angels & Demons or Angeli e Demoni as the signs all over town advertised. We loved the movie...I think it is one of my new favorites. I read the book on this trip too. There were several nights I didn't fall asleep until 2-3 am. Guess that is also why I wake up around 4 am now....I am thinking this may pay off in time for spin class though.

- Running into some missionaries as they were on their way to sing hymns on the street. It really is amazing how small the world is and how powerful the missionary force is.

- How huge St. Peter's Square is. The line was so long that initially is scared us off, but it moved quickly so we hopped in it. I didn't see the Sistene Chapel so we will put that on the list for the next time. (I promised Kyle no art history this trip...I have already dragged him through too many museums in Europe I guess.)

- The Pantheon. The best preserved building in Rome. Has been in continual use since it was built. It is amazing to see how 2000 years of civilization have built up around it...making it look like it has "sunk".

- Having internet access so I could stay in touch with home. Little did I know it would be so hard to come by after we left this amazing city.

- Kyle lists this now as his top big city in Europe...I would say it is in a three way tie with Paris and London.

home

We are home...just in time for the big day!!! Happy birthday Krissy!! I can't believe she is 5 today! Last night at the airport I was basically running to see my girls. I burst out in tears when I saw them. You would have thought I had been on a 2 year mission...thankfully no one watching asked. It might have been embarrassing to tell them it had only been 8 days. We are thrilled to be home. It sounds like the girls had so much fun while we were gone. Special thanks to my parents and Erik & Britt for taking such great care of them. They have so many fun stories to tell us and I know they had such a great time! I do think poor Kendall thought we were dead or something. She hugged us all night long.

It feels great to be home.

Wow! It has been such a whirlwind since my last post. We havenàt had convenient internet access since Rome...so no new posts until now. Now I am paying by the minute to get online so I must be brief.

We are in the Cinque Terre, Manarola to be exact...Google it if you want to feel a little jealous. It is beautiful. Our room overlooks the sea and we sleep with the window open. Today we are going to watch the Giro de Italia (the bike race) and we are both so excited! Kyleàs (sorry, Italian keyboard) so excited to see the race and I am so excited to see LANCE...you know what I mean ladies... ;) I am hoping to get some good pictures today.

Now that I have gotten some updates on the girls I can relax again. Thanks so much for taking great care of them. We love you all!

we had such a great night...we met some elders just as we got off the metro. we found out that one is from utah. they were headed to the same street that we were so we walked together. a few sundays a month they sing on the via del corso, the main drag. we decided we would still go see what we set out for and then head back and see them. we went to the pantheon and it was BREATHTAKING...one of the best landmarks either of us has ever seen...so old, yet so well preserved. afterwards i got some strawberry gelato and we wandered the neighborhood. we made it back in time to see the missionaries and even stood and sang with them...what a powerful feeling that was to hear the hymns in italian and feel the spirit. we met elder herrick who, it turns out, is the nephew of some of our high school friends...SMALL, SMALL world. i also walked away with some email addresses so i can send them some photos that i took.

after that we headed back to our hotel and decided to stop at mcdonalds...a tradition of ours to always try the local mcdonalds...this one was the most american non american mcdonalds that we have ever tried. after that we found a movie theater that was playing the english version of angels and demons...has to be one of my new favorite movies...most of the scenery in the movie we saw today...and we will see the vatican tomorrow! that was thrilling!!!

but most of all i couldnt wait to get to the hotel to check for a message from home...and cried when i found one. i am SO grateful to hear my girls are doing well and having a good time...i am sure i miss them more than they miss me.
kyle has asked me a few times if i am alright...since i am sitting here crying...and i keep reassuring him that i am. i feel so blessed to be here having this experience...and i know my girls will be watched after.

tomorrow will be a busy day...vatican city in the morning...then on to florence in the afternoon...ciao for now!

bella Roma!

What an amazing place this is! Some of our favorites so far...

Colosseo, Fontana de Trevi, shopping on the Via del Corso and the pizza and pasta!

We had to skip church...I really wanted to go, but it was just too far away. Right now we are joining the locals in the daily siesta...getting some much needed rest and air conditioning...this place is hot! A bit later we are headed out for an evening stroll. Ciao for now.

We made it!

We are here...safe and sound! At this moment we are waiting to check into our hotel room. Business class was FABULOUS!! It was all that it is cracked up to be...reclining seats, warm towels, three course meals (we had filet of beef for our main dish) real glass cups, unlimited ondemand movies. Wow! Now I know what I have been missing...and probably what I will never have again. Boo.
We have been missing the girls already...I did have some tears yesterday morning but they were mostly gone before we hit I15. Now we are off to see the Colosseum...and I can not wait for that "pinch me I am in Rome" moment!
Give the girls a squeeze for us!

only 4 more "sleeps"...as Krissy would say

...ordered my Euros online...get to pick them up Wednesday...

...got my extra camera battery so I don't have to worry about frying mine there...

...pulled out our electricity converter and dusted it off...that way I can fry my blowdryer instead...

...found a ward to attend Sunday in Rome...(thanks Laura!)

...pretty much, packed & ready and sitting on my suitcase...
(okay, not really, but it sounded fun)

signs of spring...

I think it is finally here.

pingg

The other day I found this free online invitation service. Since I liked the look of their stuff I decided to make an invitation to a pretend Cinco de Mayo party...The invite turned out so cute...it is just sad I am the only one that got it...You will have to check them out here. They send out invites through email and even follow up with reminders as your event gets closer and they can manage your RSVP's too. Pretty spiffy!

my new lucky number...

Today is our 13th anniversary...it is so hard to believe. Life is so amazing...even through its ups and downs...challenges and rewards...it is funny how you wouldn't change a thing. I am happy about where we are right now...and it feels so good. I have decided that 13 just might be my new lucky number...married for 13 years to my best friend...and 13 days from today we will fly into Rome's Fumiciano airport! How is that for coincidence?

...and no I wouldn't feel lucky to wake up and find 13 eggs...I am worried enough about our 6.

there are 1...2...3...4!

Today my friend Emily informed me that we have a tiny little nest hiding between my front door and the wreath that hangs on it. (I guess that is what I get for leaving my Christmas wreath up until Memorial Day...oops.)

When I left my house this morning at 5 am to go to spin class a bird flew out of the wreath when I opened the door and it scared me to death! My first thought was...I have got to take this wreath down today. (Too bad I didn't take it down yesterday...pre-birds...) I am so grateful my friend Em found this before I yanked the wreath down and sent the sweet little baby birds to an early demise. So for now I am tending kids & eggs and trying to keep the mother bird happy.

Krissy is delighted to finally have a pet...and I am marveling at the beauty and resourcefulness...the nest is made with grass, dirt, twigs & our dryer lint. Kyle had just cleaned out the vent this week and left if in the flower bed.

BEWARE if you come up my porch and she is sitting on the eggs she comes flying at you...and it is a bit unnerving. I think if we do get a knock at the door I will have to open the garage because I can't bear the thought of the door slamming shut and breaking the nest or bumping the eggs out. They really are so beautiful...let's just hope they hatch soon. Really soon. We'll keep you posted!