I really do love my country...

<<--taken last year -- see post below Happy Belated 4th! Honestly we did pretty much nothing. This was the first year since I can remember that we didn't at least have a cook out or go to fireworks...just something to celebrate our nation's independance. This year, nothing. We are so glad to just be home and when it came time to figure out what we were going to do nothing sounded better than just staying home and watching a movie all together. The kids all seemed perfectly happy with that until they heard the fireworks and could see bits and pieces from our house. Then Jonathan and Kate acted like fireworks were the best thing since poptarts (and my kids love poptarts) . Katie was screaming "We have fireworks!!! " and Jonathan was doing a fabulous job at making me feel like Loser Mom of the Year by saying that we missed the fireworks, and why didn't we go to fireworks??? Thanks buddy. I'm working through the guilt even as I type.


I've been a teeny bit down this week. I think it's a mixture of exhaustion, post-vacation depression, and the on-going headache I've had since we got home. Just feel like Blah. That's normal, right??



Operation: Wedding is in motion. Amy is in dress choosing mode. Narrowed it down to 2 choices. No further details because the groom-2-be occasionally lurks on here and it's top secret. My job as Matron o' Honor is being taken very seriously and I'm in full wedding planning mode...the list maker in me can get into overdrive...



Now onto Italy and our next stop: Pisa











Leaving Venice was only bearable because our next destination was Tuscany, which is beyond beautiful. Pisa is in Toscana and we took a little stop there because seeing the Leaning tower is on the must do list while in Italy. Michael had told us that there really wasn't a whole lot there other than the 3 buildings: the baptistry, church and tower. Other than that, it's just lots of junky kinds of souvenier vendors and guys selling knock off Louis Vutton. We were warned not to give the slightest look of interest, eye contact, etc. or they would follow us around and not leave us alone. Look straight ahead and uninterested. To keep people from following me around, no problem.



Walking around the corner through the gate to where the tower is caused me to gasp. Wow! It takes a second for your eyes to connect with your brain to register what you are seeing (does that make sense?) Such a beautiful building...so bizarre that it looks like it could topple over. The church and baptistry were beautiful too. We were not able to go up in the tower because of time and needing a reservation, but we spent about an hour and a half wandering around, taking silly pictures, eating gelato, and relaxing on the lawn. It was definitely an experience everyone should see with their own eyes...












<<---Matt holding up the tower with his brute, manly strength. <<--could we have had a prettier day?? The sky was flawless! <<--the baptistry <<--- Amy and I , being the old ladies that we are, were nursing injuries, that though minor, caused us to lay on the lawn for about a half and hour. Oh the suffering.

Tune in next time for : Tuscany -- the beauty, the splendor and the wine.