We loved the beach, and the day was beautiful. Nothing keeps kids happier than a ton of sand. Emmy and Ellie were such cute sand buddies all day long!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Disney Cruising...
We surprised the kids with a Disney cruise for Christmas. Time finally came and the kids were able to collect. We were also able to take my mom, and my niece Erica and her daughter Ellie, who is Emmy's age.
Our first stop....Puerta Vallarta. Wow. I had no idea how tropical it is there. We were able to ride up the coast on a catamaran to a private beach....Las Caletas and the views were amazing.
Emmy and I just off the boat...
We loved the beach, and the day was beautiful. Nothing keeps kids happier than a ton of sand. Emmy and Ellie were such cute sand buddies all day long!
We enjoyed the kids antics and the beautiful sunshine!
We had a few who were adventurous enough to kayak...
...and ride the tube...
There were also adventures to be had at the petting zoo, donkey ride, zip line and monkey habitat. Here are the girls getting ready for their afternoon...
We even kept grandma from melting in what Hunter called her Hazmat suit!
An all around beautiful day....
...in a magical place!
We loved the beach, and the day was beautiful. Nothing keeps kids happier than a ton of sand. Emmy and Ellie were such cute sand buddies all day long!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
High five!!
Our sweet little Emmy is turning the big 5!! I'm not sure where the time has gone, but she is growing into a beautiful young girl. Emmy is sweet, STUBBORN, kooky and a whole lot of fun!! She was patient enough for me to capture some fun pictures of her while on a getaway to Palm Springs, so take a look at these shots....
And one of Emmy with one of her favorites!!!!!
We love you silly Emmy Faith!!!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Venezia Per Favore!
Ahhh Venice.
Probably the most visually stunning place I've ever been. Anywhere you looked, a dream. Venice is comprised of 117 tiny islands surrounded by canals and spanned by extensive amounts of bridges After stepping off the train, we and our luggage wound down the streets, across the bridges to find our hotel. It took us over two hours, a lunch break and countless lifts of our suitcases up and over the bridges and over the cobbled streets. Whew!
We were ecstatic to arrive at our Hotel 'Dell Opera. Our room was so romantic, we couldn't have chosen a better place.
Seriously, isn't it divine? The shutters and both windows opened to a charming canal that was crammed all day with Gondola's. We would hang our window taking pictures of the gondoliers while their passengers took pictures of us looking at them.
One of the first places we headed was the famous St. Marks Square. A huge plaza surrounded by regal columns of white marble with the Cathedral, Doges Palace and Clock Tower at one end.
Since we had to climb every tall building in Italy, we arrived at the top of the bell tower and within a few minutes, the bells started ringing. Crazy Loud! The view was spectacular, the whole of Venice with the sea in the background.
The lower section of this picture shows one side of St. Marks Square, then the winding alleys through the entire town. Everything was cobble stones, no cement and only a few green areas. The trees were almost non-existent which really surprised me.
Brent and I with the famous Lion of Venice. The image was everywhere!
Most of the streets were about this wide, or just a bit wider. Not a lot of room.
The Grand Canal is the largest in Venice and separates the city in two. There are only four large bridges that span this wide waterway.
Brent and I by the Grand Canal.
This shot is for those who love the movie 'The Tourist' like I do. Okay, so the famous Hotel Daniele is not portrayed correctly in the movie so I was a bit disappointed. But I must say I am pleased that Brent was able to capture the people in the background moving. Just a bit of blur. 
My handsome Husband on the Scalzi Bridge.
And the thousand year old Rialto Bridge. An engineering marvel. It was HUGE and shops lined both sides.
This is one of my favorite shots of us, and is taken on the Ponte 'dell Accademia.
The warm sun and a cool Coke. Could I be any happier? 
This picture is so beautiful, I told Brent it looks like a backdrop sheet don't you think? The colors look surreal and I think the sky looks painted.
Day two was spent at the Doges Palace. The Doge was the Head of State and the Spiritual Leader, so only the best would do. Room after room of sculpture, paintings, period furniture and the most awesome display of Medieval weaponry I've ever seen. It was also one of my favorite places we were able to see.
Every Gondola and boat have this symbol, a Ferro on them. It steadies the Gondolier. The boats are over 30 feet in length This was one of the first Doges Gondolas.
The Doge also had an amazing Dungeon. One of the holding cells, pass through and all.
Poor Brent, off to the Guillotine. Hmm...I wonder what his crime is.
The Bridge of Sighs passes the Canal and was the last sight of Venice that convicts saw before their execution. This is the window. Three feet of Stone, carved with an ornate design.
Another image of the Lion of Venice. I love all the textures of this city!
If I could return to any of the three cities, it would be Venice. I feel like we saw many things, but the romance and feel of the city is so special. What a wonderful place to go with my Love! Caio!
Rome to come...
Probably the most visually stunning place I've ever been. Anywhere you looked, a dream. Venice is comprised of 117 tiny islands surrounded by canals and spanned by extensive amounts of bridges After stepping off the train, we and our luggage wound down the streets, across the bridges to find our hotel. It took us over two hours, a lunch break and countless lifts of our suitcases up and over the bridges and over the cobbled streets. Whew!
We were ecstatic to arrive at our Hotel 'Dell Opera. Our room was so romantic, we couldn't have chosen a better place.
Seriously, isn't it divine? The shutters and both windows opened to a charming canal that was crammed all day with Gondola's. We would hang our window taking pictures of the gondoliers while their passengers took pictures of us looking at them.One of the first places we headed was the famous St. Marks Square. A huge plaza surrounded by regal columns of white marble with the Cathedral, Doges Palace and Clock Tower at one end.
Since we had to climb every tall building in Italy, we arrived at the top of the bell tower and within a few minutes, the bells started ringing. Crazy Loud! The view was spectacular, the whole of Venice with the sea in the background.
The lower section of this picture shows one side of St. Marks Square, then the winding alleys through the entire town. Everything was cobble stones, no cement and only a few green areas. The trees were almost non-existent which really surprised me.
Brent and I with the famous Lion of Venice. The image was everywhere!
Most of the streets were about this wide, or just a bit wider. Not a lot of room.
The Grand Canal is the largest in Venice and separates the city in two. There are only four large bridges that span this wide waterway.
Brent and I by the Grand Canal.
This shot is for those who love the movie 'The Tourist' like I do. Okay, so the famous Hotel Daniele is not portrayed correctly in the movie so I was a bit disappointed. But I must say I am pleased that Brent was able to capture the people in the background moving. Just a bit of blur. 
My handsome Husband on the Scalzi Bridge.
And the thousand year old Rialto Bridge. An engineering marvel. It was HUGE and shops lined both sides.
This is one of my favorite shots of us, and is taken on the Ponte 'dell Accademia.
The warm sun and a cool Coke. Could I be any happier? 
This picture is so beautiful, I told Brent it looks like a backdrop sheet don't you think? The colors look surreal and I think the sky looks painted.
Day two was spent at the Doges Palace. The Doge was the Head of State and the Spiritual Leader, so only the best would do. Room after room of sculpture, paintings, period furniture and the most awesome display of Medieval weaponry I've ever seen. It was also one of my favorite places we were able to see.
Every Gondola and boat have this symbol, a Ferro on them. It steadies the Gondolier. The boats are over 30 feet in length This was one of the first Doges Gondolas.
The Doge also had an amazing Dungeon. One of the holding cells, pass through and all.
Poor Brent, off to the Guillotine. Hmm...I wonder what his crime is.
The Bridge of Sighs passes the Canal and was the last sight of Venice that convicts saw before their execution. This is the window. Three feet of Stone, carved with an ornate design.
Another image of the Lion of Venice. I love all the textures of this city!
If I could return to any of the three cities, it would be Venice. I feel like we saw many things, but the romance and feel of the city is so special. What a wonderful place to go with my Love! Caio!Rome to come...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Buongiorno! From Italy!!
My twice a year blogging is a bit lacking, I know! We were so fortunate to be able to spend time together in such a gorgeous place. It was just as beautiful as any picture and the trip overall was INCREDIBLE!! I think that I will post several times to keep the locations clear. Lets go...
After arriving in Milan we traveled by bus then subway for a quick side trip. There is a magnificent Duomo. Standing at the base, you couldn't see the top looking up. If you look carefully, the people hardly look like anything in front of the doors.
The carving and details were unbelievable and the sheer size and amount of stone used, unreal.
Each spire held a carving of a Saint. There were hundreds of carvings, each detail exquisite.
We were able to climb to the roof and wander at our leisure. So fun to enjoy a beautiful day here.
Back to the train station for a ride to Lake Como, about an hour north. It is set into the Alps,and is very deep and a beautiful. I was surprised to see the enormous mountains and also near the lake, palm trees. So many climates in one place.
It doesn't even look possible to be this picturesque. A beautiful little village nestled at the base of the Alps. The whole rim of the lake has settlements like this!!
After taking the Ferry to Bellagio, (no, not Vegas) we settled in to our darling hotel and started our meanderings.
I love this guy! Seriously, how fun is this!
I couldn't believe the colors and setting here. Many botanical and formal Italian gardens to roam, we ferried across the lake to the other towns, and took things easy. I wish we had more time to spend here. The two days were not enough!
We ended the trip to Lake Como with a dinner at this charming sidewalk cafe. It only had about 5 tables. Yum!!
Stay tuned for Venice...
After arriving in Milan we traveled by bus then subway for a quick side trip. There is a magnificent Duomo. Standing at the base, you couldn't see the top looking up. If you look carefully, the people hardly look like anything in front of the doors.
The carving and details were unbelievable and the sheer size and amount of stone used, unreal.
Each spire held a carving of a Saint. There were hundreds of carvings, each detail exquisite.
We were able to climb to the roof and wander at our leisure. So fun to enjoy a beautiful day here.Back to the train station for a ride to Lake Como, about an hour north. It is set into the Alps,and is very deep and a beautiful. I was surprised to see the enormous mountains and also near the lake, palm trees. So many climates in one place.
It doesn't even look possible to be this picturesque. A beautiful little village nestled at the base of the Alps. The whole rim of the lake has settlements like this!!After taking the Ferry to Bellagio, (no, not Vegas) we settled in to our darling hotel and started our meanderings.
I love this guy! Seriously, how fun is this!
I couldn't believe the colors and setting here. Many botanical and formal Italian gardens to roam, we ferried across the lake to the other towns, and took things easy. I wish we had more time to spend here. The two days were not enough!
We ended the trip to Lake Como with a dinner at this charming sidewalk cafe. It only had about 5 tables. Yum!!Stay tuned for Venice...
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