Back to Reality...

After returning from Italy, it was back to reality! Life did not stop while we were gone and it sped up once we got back! Sorry to take an intermission from the Italy pics!

A couple of weeks after we came home, Josh, Kelly and Hallie came down to Siesta Key for vacation and we got to spend time together over both weekends with their vacation sandwiched between. The first Saturday we watched the UK game like old times with the addition of Hallie, another new wildcat fan.

Isaac and Hallie playing...Isaac taught Hallie to kiss our cat! Isn't she sweet?

The following Thursday night, we attended the Life Care of Brandon's gala fundraising event. We enjoyed our friends' company, ate a nice meal, listened to personal testimonies from clients, and then got out our checkbook! We are blessed to be a part of this ministry.

Saturday, we met up with Kelly, Josh, and Hallie again before they had to catch their flight back home! We wish they lived here so that we could watch all the games and eat Saturday breakfasts together! Maybe when Josh has finished his residency....

After we said farewell to Josh, Kelly, and Hallie, it was off to Orlando for Adelyn's 1st birthday party!

Singing Happy Birthday to Adelyn with Abbie and Matt...I love her facial expression, "why are these people all looking at me and singing?"

And here Adelyn is trying to tell her mommy that she doesn't like cake...or at least not the icing all over her fingers! I caught her sneaking a few bites later from her daddy.

Adelyn's pretty cake table and birthday hat.

After celebrating so many 1st birthdays this fall, we got to celebrate Cory and Tanya's first baby with a baby shower. The guests were invited to the "La-Tea-Da" tearoom for the shower. Thankfully, my mom was here to help me and I've invited her back for the next big shower...I'm wishing and waiting for the day that my parents officially become "snow-birds"!

Erica made the gift boxes and Sam made the menus pictured here.

The set up here involved moving furniture and jerry-rigging a table! Tablecloths cover a multitude of sins!

Each guest got to take home a tea cup after reading the blessing for baby Tucker inside the cup.

Tanya opening her gifts...isn't she such a pretty pregnant lady?

And most recently, I got a call from Traci telling me that she had found $9.99 plane tickets on Allegiant Air and would it be ok if she and Mark came down for a last-minute visit? Of course!!!

Here we are at The Shrimp Boat, one of our local favorites with Mark and Traci. We had such a good time with them and wish we could have taken off of work to go to the beach with them! Come back soon!

Lake Garda

Ahhh...Lake Garda. A relaxing evening at this resort over-looking Lake Garda with views of the mountains was just what we needed after our rainy day in Venice. Once we had peeled off our wet clothes, showered, and changed, Isaac and I headed down to the patio to relax until dinner. The temperature and setting were so perfect that evening.

View of Lake Garda from the resort as the sun was rising the next morning.

View of Lake Garda as the sun was setting.

Mom, Dad, Isaac, and I at dinner at the resort at Lake Garda

Venice

As soon as we arrived in Venice, our bus dropped us right off at the Gondolas. Our ride through the canals was a highlight of the trip. There was a man singing to us as we sailed through the canals while we enjoyed our Prosecco. If you are looking for the perfect date, try the Gondola ride in Venice!

Isaac had to sit up front by himself...I love this picture of him in thought. If you look beyond him, you will see how we had to go under many bridges on our tour.

Ambulance on water...it caused quite the wake!

Me, Mom, and Dad with our Gondolier

View from the gondola

Isaac and I as our ride was coming to an end.

After we got off the gondolas, our tour guide took us on a walking tour. The statue above is Venice's mascot.

Baroque church

Basilica di San Marco

Piazza San Marco

View of Piazzo San Marco from across the Grand Canal

Santa Maria della Salute

I'm not sure what this building is called...but I enjoyed the details.

Rialto bridge

San Stae

We started the next morning at the glass factory. Venice is known for Murano glass. Apparently, I wasn't supposed to take a picture of this glass horse, but it is so magnificent!

We got to watch a glass blowing demonstration before shopping.

Close to the final product...he made it look so easy!

Dad and Mom's new pet fish

This picture pretty much explains the rest of our day in Venice...blue ponchos, man-pri's, bad hair, shoes full of water, and lots of laughter! Notice that the streets are beginning to flood behind Isaac!

We sought refuge from the rain in a restaurant...at least the rain didn't ruin the pizza!

Pizza Fungi

Rome Day 2-Afternoon & Evening

After our morning at the Vatican, we went on to see the what's left of Ancient Rome. We visited the Roman Forum, Colosseum, and Christian Catacombs. This was the part of the trip with the sights that I was most excited to see.

Ruins of the Roman Forum

Outside of the Colosseum

The Arch of Constantine

Inside view of the Colosseum...notice that the floor is missing now and you can see the individual rooms where the animals and gladiators were housed. At one point in time, the inside and outside of the Colosseum where covered in white marble.

Examples of Corinthian, Ionic, and Doric columns

Dad and Mom inside the Colosseum

After the Colosseum, we went to visit the Christian Catacombs. Early Christians believed that their bodies had to be intact in order for them to be resurrected when Jesus returns, so they were buried outside of the city of Rome instead of being cremated. We could not take pictures inside, but I was able to show the Christian symbols they marked their graves with, including the Christian fish above.

The anchor and fish were another Christian symbol.

This symbol stands for Peace and The Beginning and The End. Inside the Catacombs the Christians were buried inside the walls of tunnels that ran perpendicular to one another as they were stacked 5 tunnels deep. A few of the graves we saw were still intact and sealed, many others had been opened and robbed and those bodies had been moved and buried deeper in the catacombs. We also saw an intact painting from centuries ago.

Walking around Piazza Venezia

Mom and Dad tossing their coins into the Trevi Fountain

Isaac and I posing by the Trevi

The Trevi Fountain

Mom and I at our fabulous Italian meal in Rome! We got to try all kinds of antipasti, pasta, veal, chicken, various desserts, and limoncello...the look on Mom's face was priceless when she tried the limoncello, not her favorite!

Isaac and Dad enjoying our meal after a busy day in Rome!