Florence Part 2 {Italy 2017}

Day two in Florence saw us trekking all around the city once more. Our first stop was Michelangelo's David AKA the most crowded museum ever! I taught Topher that when we are in museums he is supposed to hold his hands behind his back and not touch anything. He did a surprisingly good job at being obedient to this rule and it was just the cutest thing!

I mean, really, there were so many people in this museum it was nearly impossible to get a picture or really enjoy much of the art there.

This small hall off to the side of the David was chucked full of the most amazing sculptures! I couldn't believe the detail and precision that was captured in a piece of stone. Really incredible!

After our morning fighting crowds at the museum we decided to find some green space to let Christopher run free a bit. He was the most amazing kid on this trip but he definitely needed his time to just be free to play with rocks and dirt. We walked through Florence and across Pont Vecchio and along the river to Giardino Bardini. It was perfectly uncrowded! Topher took off his shoes and collected piles of rocks which he then threw into the dirt again. He was in heaven and with views like this I was too!

Topher insisted on walking- bare foot- the entire way up to the top of the garden- it was quite a feat with all those switch backs. Of course we took breaks to sit in the dirt and smell the flowers too.

When we reached the top the reward was a gelato pop that made a huge mess but also lots of smiles on this boys' face.

That evening we met up with the parents and sister of one of our good friends who is from a small town just outside Florence. They gave us the real 'local's' tour of the city and pointed out architecture and other things we would have otherwise missed. We were so grateful for them taking the time to see us- we felt so lucky!

Christopher was always mezmorized by the street performers on our trip but this woman singing outside of the Uffizi Gallery really captivated him! He started swaying and dancing and laughing. We would always give him a few coins to give to street performers we enjoyed or to throw in fountains and he ran right up to this lady and dropped them in her basket.

After a bit of an adventure finding it, we had dinner at a real Napoli-style restaurant (our friend's mom is from Napoli and wanted us to taste the food of that region.)  As with pretty much everything we ate in Italy, it was delicious! 

Huge thanks to the Ogunleye's for the great guided tour of Florence!

Katy is Back!

I have this totally awesome friend named Katy. I actually have a lot of totally awesome friends but for today we're talking about just Katy. She's been living in Korea and Australia for well over a year and just recently moved back to Utah. I am pretty sure I hadn't seen her for a while before she left for this grand adventure and I have been missing her something fierce.

When I got an email from her at the beginning of August saying she would be home in just a matter of days I jumped up and yelled across the house to Thomas, "Katy's coming baaaaaack!!" There was much excitement!

I debated flying into Utah on the same day she got back to surprise her at the airport but couldn't quite swing it. I had been talking with her mom and trying to figure out a way to surprise her but nothing was really coming together. 

Katy and Nic (her boyfriend) arrived home on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning after much deliberation Thomas and I decided to book plane tickets for the weekend. The funny thing is that Thomas wanted to go to Seattle for his grandma's 90th birthday celebration and I wanted to go to Utah. 

Flights were soon booked, bags were packed and we were off on our weekend adventures by Friday night.

We ended up having to tell Katy I was coming because we couldn't come up with a good enough lie to get her to the airport. She was still surprised when I told her I was coming and since it was such a quick decision she only found out about 24 hours before I arrived. 

Our first order of business was to head to In N Out where we met up with Hollie. The three of us were always up to some mischief when we all lived in Park City. Our time there only overlapped for a few short months but these girls became fast friends and have stayed true in the years since.

The next day we met up with Hollie and her two little girls for some lunch and Katy and I headed to Salt Lake with no real agenda. We found a great farmer's market in Pioneer Park and then headed for City Creek downtown. We ended up sitting on Temple Square in the shade for a couple hours just catching up. Katy and I have emailed quite a lot over the past year or so but there's something so much more connected about actually looking at someone and talking face to face. It was a perfect afternoon.

That night we ate dinner at Cafe Rio and I marvelled at the giant trucks everywhere. What is it with Utah and their ridiculous, lifted trucks? We hung out with Katy's mom Charlene and laughed harder than I have in quite a while. Oh man, I love that lady!

Me, Blob, giant truck and a cup of pebble ice

Katy and I attended her parent's ward on Sunday, I think she was sorely missed there as well. So many people were excited to see her and hear about her time in Korea and Australia. In the afternoon we headed up the canyon with her family for a little BBQ. Before I knew it we were leaving for the airport and my 48 hours with Katy were over. 

Thomas and I met up in LA for the long leg of our return flight home and caught each other up on the weekend. We both agreed that it was a very good choice to go even though it was so short.

Mel & Bently Come to Boston

My bestest friend in the whole world came to Boston a few weeks ago. Her husband bought her plane tickets for Mother's Day- thanks Shayne!! I think most of the trip consisted of eating copious amounts of food and enjoying the lovely summer weather. It was probably the nicest week of the whole summer so far- not very humid and in the mid 70's the whole time.

Day 1-- First stop- Kimball Farm! This was a big no-brainer, the ice cream here is just unbeatable. We made sure to get enough ice cream to stick in the freezer at home and nibble on for the rest of her trip.

Day 2-- Pool, all day! Bently is such a fish! All the moms in our ward hang out at the pool every day in the summer so it was fun to introduce Mel to all of them. The moms throw pennies in the pool for the kids to dive after and exchange for marshmallows. Bently dove and dove until he came up with pretty much all the pennies in the pool! For dinner we went out to Swampscott to Paradiso Ristorante- one of our favorite restaurants in the area.

Day 3-- Biscuits with strawberries freshly cut by B. This is a big tradition when I visit the Lehnen family. I always make biscuits with the boys one morning so mom can sleep in. Strawberries on top are a must! Bently made his into a deer with bacon antlers and everything.

We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon at the beach in Gloucester. The ocean has always held a special place in Mel's and my heart. It just feels like home even though we both grew up in landlocked Utah. Watching Bently playing in the ocean and sitting in the sun was glorious!

Next stop was- surprise, surprise- more food! We had to take Mel to Bearskin Neck in Rockport for a freshly cooked lobster. She had only eaten lobster once before and didn't really like it but we quickly converted her with one freshly caught and cooked up by a burly fisherman.

Bently wasn't as sure he loved it...

That evening my boss' family threw a dance party. It was such a dream! Thomas and I brought some music and everyone at the part took turns plugging in their phones and playing their favorite songs. Bently danced all night long and made a couple friends. Everyone was very impressed with his dance moves. At one point he came up to Mel and said, "Mom, I think I'm about to be famous!"

Day 4-- Downtown, Shake Shack, Boston Public Garden for Swan Boat rides and Boston Common Frog Pond. We walked a lot this day! The weather was so nice that we hardly noticed.

Bently looked forward to the frog pond all day! He was soaked in a matter of seconds! He was so fun to watch play in the water and at the park next door. It was a nice relaxing break for us to just sit in the shade and chat too.

Bently carried his balloon dog around with him for the rest of the trip. He was devastated when it started to deflate a few days later.

Day 5-- sitting around the house and church. Taught B how to play Uno. Baked chocolate cake and went for a walk around the neighborhood. For some reason Bently was obsessed with our basement. He thought it was just the coolest place he'd ever seen. Every time we left the house he wanted to go through the basement and out the hatch doors. He even asked to sleep down there. When we asked what he'd sleep on he replied, "Oh, maybe in a cage or something". So weird!

^^ Bently love climbing the trees in our yard too, they don't have many big trees in Texas^^

Day 6-- I went to work, met Mel and B at the park to play hide the stick. This is a very complex game where Bently hides two large sticks somewhere in the park (it's a tiny patch of grass) and we have to go find them. Surprisingly it kept us all entertained for quite a while.

In the afternoon Mel and I went through the nursery and all the things we have for the baby. We talked about the essential things she had with her boys and we drooled over the tiny clothes. I loved having her there, it made me feel like this whole baby thing is a lot more manageable than I sometimes think it will be. 

Mel and Bently left early the next morning. I was really sad to see them go. I'm pretty sure I cried most of the way home. Next time I see Mel I will have a baby! That is so nuts to me! I remember the days when we would drive around town in our old beater cars in high school. Things have changed so much in the past 13 or 14 years. I love all the life we've experienced together and I am so grateful that I have this girl to call my friend and sister.