We are home!! Yeah! :o) We had a great vacation, but after being away for a month, I am glad to be home to relax and then get organized. I have a lot to do to get my house the way I want to, but I am hoping that a little each day will get it done soon. It isn't easy with a little monster attached to you all the time.
Speaking of monsters, Kensley had her 18-month check up yesterday morning. She weighed in at 23 1/2 lbs and was 30 1/2 inches tall. She was nervous the second we walked into the dr's office and wouldn't let me put her down. Whenever the nurse or doctor came near her, she would cry. Then she had to have 2 shots which validated her fears. I was pressured into giving her a flu shot that I really don't think she needed. Oh well. She gets 6 months of peace because she doesn't have to go back to the doctor until she is 2.
I am so excited to be home and don't plan to go anywhere for a while. Stephen will be home for a visit in April (April 17-May 6) and we are going to stay home and relax this time. I have registered Kensley for a couple community classes that start next week, Tot Time and a toddler gymnastics class. I think it will be fun for her to get out of the house and make new friends. Speaking of new friends, Kensley starts Nursery this Sunday!! I am so excited and hope she stays in class and likes it.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Good-bye Italy
Our trip to Italy is now a memory in the past...We arrived in Las Vegas last night after a long, LONG journey home. Our flight from Rome to Atlanta was 11 hours and then from Atlanta to Las Vegas another four hours. It was terrible and finally over. Kensley hasn't been feeling well the last few days and developed a fever while in-flight. I, of course, packed her medicine in my checked luggage and had nothing to give her. A flight attendant gave us some Tylenol that we broke up and crumbled up in some water to dissolve and then mixed with strawberry juice and forced it down her throat. When we got back to the house, me and Kensley went to bed without even brushing our teeth! Kensley woke up several times during the night from not feeling well and the time change so I am still longing for a full night's sleep. She is adjusting a little better than our trip there, though, so hopefully she will sleep better tonight. To make matters worse, I haven't had a shower in two days because the water company thought my in-laws had moved and the house was vacant, so they turned off the water while we were gone and we are still waiting for them to come turn it back on. They said they would be here an hour ago. Even with all the drama and malfunctions, we have had a great trip especially being able to spend time with Stephen. We are already looking forward to seeing him in April. He is coming home to Mesa this time for the visit and we are not traveling anywhere! We are staying home and doing nothing. If anyone wants to see him, they have to come to us! :o)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Piazza Spagna
Piazza Navona
Church Day
We decided to make the trek to church yesterday even though we didn't understand a word of it. Stephen translated a little bit, but I missed almost all of it. After church, it was pouring rain and we had to make the walk to the bus stop without any umbrellas. When we had left earlier, it was sunny outside so we didn't think that we would need them. :o( Drowned rats once again.
La Cucaracha
The other night we were talking about what we should have for dinner when I said that I was really in the mood for Mexican food. I was kind of joking and then Stephen responded that there was a Mexican restaurant near the Vatican that he had seen recently. So, we all got excited and decided to go. I have had A LOT of pasta and pizza the last couple weeks. It turned out that he hadn't really seen the restaurant, but just the sign advertising it. It seemed silly for some reason to eat Mexican food while in Italy so we were a little embarrassed to ask for directions. So, it took a while to find while wandering the streets, but we finally prevailed! It wasn't the same as we are used to, but it was still good. It was also the most expensive meal we have had yet. I guess they can charge outrageous prices since they dominate the Mexican food market in Rome. This picture is of the bathroom there. :o)
Bocca della Verita, Jan 12, 2008
Also known as the Mouth of Truth. This picture didn't turn out so good, but here it is. I really wanted to tell a lie to see if it would bite my hand off, but I couldn't think of one. We got caught in a huge rainstorm this day and this place was our refuge. We also took refuge in a nearby cafe while it poured and poured. The workers fed Kensley pastries to keep her from crying.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Ostia, Italy
United States Military Cemetary
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Sexy Shops
Piazza Venezia
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Sistine Chapel
This is one of the famous paintings by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Shhh... Don't tell anyone we took a picture! We had to be very sneaky about it because they don't allow pictures in there. There are guards walking around making sure that you don't. :o) I don't know why, but I have always liked this painting. So, I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. Last time we were in Italy, I took a picture of it and then we lost 3 days worth of pictures on the camera. It was devastating, so I am very happy that I was able to get another opportunity.
Vatican Museum
Kensley and Dad
Everything for a Euro
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Sacred Area of Largo Argentina
Piazza Navona
Apartment Building
This is the apartment building that we have been staying at in Rome. It has been nice to have a two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and a kitchen instead of cramming in a hotel room and having to eat out every meal. We even have a washer and dryer that we can use for no extra charge. We are also right across from the bus stop which has been very convenient for getting around. We are getting pretty good at the bus system.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Colosseum
I have no exciting adventures to tell for our touring today. We went to the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We did use public transportation if you want to call that an adventure. We took the bus for a longer trip than needed, but now we know the system well and won't make the same mistake again. We were packed in like sardines and I thought I might sweat to death. I was holding Kensley smashed up next to a window, standing of course. Kensley fell asleep with her nose pressed up against the window.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Casket in St Peter's Basilica
The Vatican
We walked to the Vatican in the pouring rain today. We tried to wait for it to stop raining, but it never did and we realized that if we stayed inside until it stopped raining, we might be inside for the rest of our trip! Especially because it is supposed to rain until Monday. So, we braved the storm and made the trip. This picture didn't turn out so great because it is in the rain and the dark, but you get the idea.
Kensley and Mom
Saint Stephen's Arch
All Stephen's life his mom has been trying to find references to Saint Stephen the martyr from the Bible. He is one of the reasons that Stephen received his name because it is one of her favorite stories from the Bible. On our drive to Perugia the other day, we drove through a city called Volterra that none of us had ever heard of and knew nothing about. All of the sudden we were driving through beautiful country and climbing a hill to get to the city. It was a very old town with stone walls and buildings. We stopped to take pictures and it turned out to be Saint Stephen's Arch. It was a great find and we drove through the windy streets of the city aggravating all the locals as we hung out the windows and took pictures while in the middle of the road.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Eureka!
Luggage at last!!! We drove to Rome today and had to turn our car in at the rental place at the airport. We decided we would make it a dual purpose trip and pick up our luggage as well. It was an all-day event and a very adventureous experience riding the train back to our apartment with all of our luggage and Kensley in a stroller. There were so many people pushing and shoving at our stop that I almost didn't make it off. I freaked at the thought because I had no idea where I was. Thankfully there were some women on the train helping to push me off the stop. I didn't even have time to say thank you. I barely made it out alive. We have decided that we are definitely going to set up some sort of shuttle or taxi ride for the trip back to the airport when it is time to leave for home. We are total dorks, as most of you probably already know. At the train station, we had to switch to another track and that meant going down some stairs and up another set of stairs on the other side of the station. We had 3 big suitcases and Kensley in a stroller that we laboriously lugged down and up two flights of stairs. Everyone was looking at us that we were total weirdos and it wasn't until we got to where we were supposed to be that we turned around and saw an elevator right by the staircase! Sometimes I don't know how any of us make it a day through life.
While we were driving around Rome trying to find the apartment we would be staying in, Kensley suddenly started throwing up without warning. She was wearing her new, clean outfit and it got everywhere. It was really gross! When we got to the apartment and the guy was showing us around, I had to strip her down to her diaper and let her run around like that. We dudn't have our luggage yet so she had to wear dirty clothes again to the airport. :o(
While we were driving around Rome trying to find the apartment we would be staying in, Kensley suddenly started throwing up without warning. She was wearing her new, clean outfit and it got everywhere. It was really gross! When we got to the apartment and the guy was showing us around, I had to strip her down to her diaper and let her run around like that. We dudn't have our luggage yet so she had to wear dirty clothes again to the airport. :o(
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Lost Luggage Saga Continues
Well, we are now on day 4 and still no luggage. When we realized we didn’t have our luggage on the first day, we had to rent a car seat for our rental car since that was one of our pieces of luggage. So, we get a phone call from the Florence airport stating that they received one piece of luggage and we could come pick it up… What piece of luggage did we get?? The car seat, of course. We are now traveling with two car seats, but no clothes or other belongings. We drove to Camp Darby today, a U.S. Army base outside of Pisa and bought a clean outfit from the PX. So, we will be nice and clean tomorrow. :o) We are driving into Rome tomorrow so we should be able to pick up our luggage since they have assured us that it is now sitting in the Rome airport.
Our shopping spree today took up a big part of our day as well as driving down to Perugia. I have been told that it is the chocolate capital of Italy. We haven’t seen much of it since we didn’t get here until tonight. We are staying in a hotel on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. It took us forever to find it because it was a very confusing city to find. When we finally got the right directions, we drove up this winding hill forever and started to wonder where the heck we were going. Then the road pretty much dead-ended into this hotel with a view of the city below. There is only one other car in the parking lot, so we are pretty much one of the only guests of the place. We have nice big rooms and a towel warmer in the bathroom. :o) We didn’t want to drive back down the hill to eat, so we ate in the restaurant next door. It was a really fancy place with no other customers. We had our choice of tables and never saw another soul besides our waiter. It is funny that we are here away from other people, especially since it is a pretty nice hotel and such a nice restaurant. I found it only because it was one of the cheapest hotels when I did a search on the Internet. We wish we could stay here a little longer. We leave for Rome tomorrow where we will be for the remainder of our trip.
Our shopping spree today took up a big part of our day as well as driving down to Perugia. I have been told that it is the chocolate capital of Italy. We haven’t seen much of it since we didn’t get here until tonight. We are staying in a hotel on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. It took us forever to find it because it was a very confusing city to find. When we finally got the right directions, we drove up this winding hill forever and started to wonder where the heck we were going. Then the road pretty much dead-ended into this hotel with a view of the city below. There is only one other car in the parking lot, so we are pretty much one of the only guests of the place. We have nice big rooms and a towel warmer in the bathroom. :o) We didn’t want to drive back down the hill to eat, so we ate in the restaurant next door. It was a really fancy place with no other customers. We had our choice of tables and never saw another soul besides our waiter. It is funny that we are here away from other people, especially since it is a pretty nice hotel and such a nice restaurant. I found it only because it was one of the cheapest hotels when I did a search on the Internet. We wish we could stay here a little longer. We leave for Rome tomorrow where we will be for the remainder of our trip.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Italy or Bust!
Well, we finally made it to Italy and it was not an easy road. Kensley did very well on the flight which I was very happy about. Due to a series of unfortunate events on our layover in Paris, we missed our connecting flight to Rome and had to take a later flight. Stephen had to wait in the Rome airport for about 4 hours wondering what the heck happened to us. Then, when we arrived, we waited and waited for luggage that never came. We discovered later that our luggage was still in Paris and would be delivered to our hotel in Florence the next day. To make a long story short, we are going on 3 days with no luggage and are wearing the same stinky clothes we wore on the airplane. We have no clothes, no makeup, no brush, and no conditioner for my hair. My hair has beena complete rat's nest and took over 30 minutes for me to brush last night. We couldn't buy any new items that we needed because everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was closed due to New Year's Day. Hopefully our luggage will be delivered tonight, minus a few pieces they still can't find. We are sitting on pins and needles wondering who will be the lucky recipient of their suitcase. To make matters even worse, Kensley has not adjusted well to the time change and has spent the last two nights screaming and crying all night long. We finally just turned the lights on and she started playing. We realized that she just wasn't tired. She woke up this morning at 4:30 screaming and woke all of us up. We finally just turned on the lights and sat in our hotel room waiting for normal day hours to arrive so that we could go to breakfast. The good thing about having nothing, is it takes nothing to get ready for the day. We just put on our same stinky clothes and walk out the door. They did give us an emergency kit at the airport that contained a t-shirt to sleep in and a toothbrush. We are trying to make the best of the trip even with all these shortcomings and have visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa and spent today in the historic part of Florence. Kensley is now sleeping in our hotel room, she is dead to the world at the moment, and me and Stephen are headed to the grocery store next door that is finally opened to see if they have any items that might our lives more comfortable. Hopefully things will start looking up for us. :o)
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