Maggie's 3rd Birthday party and a trip home!

We returned to Texas in August and was immediately busy getting settled. While it was wonderful to be back stateside, I was bummed that we didn't have the time to make it to Kansas and see family. So after working with the boys' school schedule, Ron's work schedule, my parent's work schedule and my brother's work schedule, we finally narrowed down a weekend that we could all meet in Kansas. This weekend was almost two weeks after Maggie's birthday but since she shares a birthday with my nephew (whom at this point I had yet to meet!) we opted to have a joint birthday party and weekend get-together. It was perfect!

The drive from Houston to Wichita went off without a hitch. Google said it was a 10 hour and 8 minute trip from our driveway to my Aunt's house and we made it in 11 hours and 12 minutes. Two adults, four kids, two dogs and we stopped three times.

They are awesome little travelers.

We actually got to Kansas a day before we had originally planned which worked out well because we had time to get situated in the hotel and an extra evening to visit family. Friday my parents came down with my grandma. It was so nice getting to see them and the kids didn't hesitate one bit (which I thought Maggie might).

We bundled up (it seriously started to snow in Wichita, in mid October when this gal only brought flip flops) and headed to lunch. We spent Friday relaxing with grandparents, hanging at my Aunt's house.

Saturday my brother made it over and we took family photos and had a party. I was VERY VERY excited to meet my nephew and see family that I hadn't gotten to see in two years. I cried several times, but they were tears of complete happiness and joy!

Some of the family photos we snagged:

 

Great Grandma Phyllis with all her great grandkids

 My parents with their kids and grandkids

Nanaw and Papa bought the kids' Halloween costumes for them this year...I sure have a lot of superheros protecting me! 

By 3:00pm everyone had made it to the house and we were ready to party.

 

 I think it's pretty neat that these two share a birth date and even though Abe is in Nebraska, and Mags is in Texas, they were able to celebrate together :)

So fortunate that we were all able to meet up and spend the weekend together. Now I can't wait for Christmas to do it all over again. This is what the holiday's are about, and this is what I missed the most while in Italy. 

{Flashback} Nanaw and Papa visit Italy: Sirmione, Lake Garda

Okay while Nanaw and Papa were here we did Marostica, Bassano del Grappa, Nove, Pisa, Venice, Lucca, Tirrenia, Garmisch-Germany, Innsbruck-Austria, Verona, then Vicenza and then we went to Sirmione/Lake Garda. Ironically, out of every place we went the last town, Sirmione was their favorite place! And I can't argue that. I love Sirmione. It's tiny but it offers everything that one thinks of when they think of Italy. Roman ruins? Check. Castle? Check. Gelato? Check. Fantastic Food/Wine? Check. Amazing view of water and mountains? Check. And as a bonus while it is a tourist destination, it isn't cheesy touristy crap everywhere. It's quaint and pretty. It was hotter than H-E-Double Hockey Sticks the day we went but being by the water makes it cooler.

 I'm gonna go on a tangent here for a second...You know when you're visiting somewhere and you want a photo of everyone in your party in front of a landmark/monument and you ask a stranger to take your photo and they are all ''Oh Sure, sure!" and take couple just in case someone wasn't looking or blinked and then you do the same for them, and it seems like a great exchange but then you get home and realize that while everyone in the photo is there and looks nice, they CUT OUT THE MONUMENT you were trying to get the photo in front of?! In this case I'm referring to the Castle behind us. But it happened in Pisa (leaning tower), Venice (Realto bridge) and San Antonio, TX (the Alamo). I appreciate the willingness to take the photo, don't get me wrong but it's always a let down when you see it later.

Anyway, back to Sirmione.

One of the things I love about Italy/Europe is the uniqueness of the doors. I take photos of doors everywhere we go because one day I want to either make a collage or hang photos of nothing but all the neat doors we have seen while overseas, in the entry/foyer of our house. Sirmione has no shortage of neat doors! These two happen to be neighbors.

 

 Five minutes into Sirmione and we've already bought fresh fruit from a stand, we've been in a Castle, we walked past no joke at least 6 gelaterias, we've seen great doors and we come out to the beach side. Beautiful clear water with a mountain view...I just love it!

 Nanaw insisted on a photo of all of us in front of the view...

Mad props to the random German teenager who took a photo and didn't cut out the view!

So we walk up the path that curves around the beach, up through the park and then to the very tip of the peninsula that Sirmione is on, to the park and the museum of the Roman Ruins. Now our family had already seen the ruins but nanaw and papa had not. We opted to just relax in the park area, get a snack at the bar and let Nanaw and Papa enter the museum/ruins alone. This proved to work out great because they really enjoyed the ruins and we really enjoyed the break from the heat. Nothing like sitting in shade of Olive trees.

Self Timer photo :)

At this point Logan commandeered my camera and snapped photos of all of us..

 

 After a while, Nanaw and Papa returned {a bit sweaty} and we rode the little tram back down the hill.

 At this point we enjoyed some gelato and then we went on a boat ride. We did the boat tour and it was about 1/2 an hour with us and one other family and the "Skipper" who told us all about Sirmione and Lake Garda.

 He even let the boys drive the boat for a bit...

 It was really neat to see the remains of the ruins from this side!

 The 'Skipper' stopped the boat out here and killed the engine, just to show us all the tiny bubbles that were coming up the surface. Lake Garda has many natural hot springs and it was cool to see and feel how warm it was. Sissy probably didn't understand 1/2 of it but she seemed to enjoy herself!

 The tour ended on the opposite side of Sirmione, the side with the Castello. The boat guide explained to us that the Castle of Sirmione is the only remaining castle in the world to have it's own {still function able} port.

 Overall, it was a great day and I can see why it ended up being my parent's favorite stop. It's just a nice relaxing little town and it's easy to see it all in a day without feeling rushed.

{Flashback} Nanaw and Papa visit Italy: Vicenza

Okay so when we last left off, we had all spent the day in Verona. But we were all super on each other's nerves and I needed a break from, well everyone. So the following day I took just my parents downtown to see the sights of Vicenza. It was really nice having a day with just them, made me feel all grown up playing tour-guide to my parents.

We live in a suburb (or ''village'' would really be a better term) of Vicenza. As a city, Vicenza prides itself on it's architecture, most of which was designed by or build by Andrea Palladio. We actually live right down the street from one of his lesser known Villas (it is still a private residence).
So all my photos from this day are all mixed up (no clue why) and because it's been almost a year, I can't really remember what order we did things in but here is what we did...

We went downtown to the Teatro Olimpico. This theater was designed by Andrea Palladio is one of only three Renaissance theaters remaining in existence. To say it is old is an understatement...construction began in 1580 and it is full of history. The "big deal" about the theater is this: it is the oldest surviving stage set still in existence.

  The gardens outside are very pretty as well...I love the ivy growing all over the buildings.

 Inside the Teatro Olimpico...

 The set is painted to look three dimensional when in fact, it isn't at all. There is not a path leading to the distance, it's just a painting. The detail in the theater; from the carvings to the set design to the ceiling is just breathtaking.

 The ceiling:

After visiting the Teatro, we grabbed a quick lunch. Another famous Palladian work is just south of downtown, it's called "La Rotunda''. Taken directly from Wikipedia: 

In 1565 a priest, Paolo Almerico, on his retirement from the Vatican (as referendario apostolico of Pope Pius IV and afterwards Pius V), decided to return to his home town of Vicenza in the Venetian countryside and build a country house. This house, later known as 'La Rotonda', was to be one of Palladio's best-known legacies to the architectural world. Villa Capra may have inspired a thousand subsequent buildings, but the villa was itself inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.

One of the people who were inspired by the Rotunda was Thomas Jefferson. My kids recognize the Rotunda because it "is that building on the back of the nickel." Thomas Jefferson's "Monticello" as well as The Jefferson Memorial, all take inspiration from the Rotunda.

The structure itself is set just south of town, on a small hill that overlooks much of the Veneto countryside.

From the front steps of the Rotunda, you can actually see to Mt. Berico (which is where we ate dinner the night of their arrival).

We had planned our visit on one of the mornings that the Rotunda is actually open. Most days you can pay to be on the grounds, some mornings you can pay an entry fee and see inside.

 Photography was strictly forbidden and only the first floor was open to the public but it was pretty impressive. Every room is covered in floor to ceiling murals. Very ornate.

  A few architectural details that I liked (I love all the unique doors in Europe).

 We ended up back downtown to finish out the day. We ate gelato (twice) and explored the main roads and back alleys. We even found an Asian grocery store and picked Ron up a few goodies. I didn't take my camera or very many photos with my iphone as I have been downtown before.

 And my favorite photo that I feel captures downtown best....

Ponte San Michele, a cobblestone walking bridge that is adorable.