We love to travel

As some of you may know, we just got home from an amazing Anniversary trip. I am still jet lagged, and planning a Thanksgiving Dinner to make up for the one we missed, have about a million things on my to do list, so this is the short and sweet recap of our trip, if you want more details, just call me! I can talk and clean/cook/decorate at the same time. I am just talented that way. Also, just putting this out there, we LOVE to travel, but want travel buddies. Anyone want to know when I find a good deal so you can go with us? Let me know. 

This is me in the Atlanta airport. We had an early flight to Atlanta, then a 3 hour layover that turned into closer to 5. Stupid Obama. Yes, I am blaming him. The plane we were supposed to fly to Rome on had been part of the fleet that flew around the Pacific with him on his little tour thing. Of course, the press crew that was on it trashed it, so they had 3 cleaning crews trying to clean it up and get it ready for us to take it to Rome. It took a while. We did not mind waiting too much. We ate at a restaurant in the airport (Friday's) and then I worked while Brett watched football.

After we flew to Rome we took a tiny little flight to Genoa, or Genova, if you are Italian. We rode a bus out to the tarmac, and boarded our flight. Isn't Brett cute after 12 hours of travel?

Me, not so much. Very tired!

Brett was pretty excited because look at all the leg room he had on this flight? We were in row 2, and they had one more seat on that row so he had no one in front of him.

When we got to Genova, we took a bus to our ship (it was a cruise transfer). Then we pretty much slept the rest of the day, trying to catch up and acclimate. That night we went to dinner and met some soon to be new friends. When I booked the cruise they ask if you are celebrating anything special. I indicated that we would be celebrating our anniversary. Well goofy me, I put in the wrong date (the 21st, but our anniversary is the 22nd). Brett always teases me that I am the one that always gets it wrong. Long story short, they brought out a celebratory cake for us, which was awesome!

It was tasty!

The next day we went to Barcelona. This was our actual anniversary. We did a tour of Gaudi's Masterpieces, which was pretty great.

This was one cool building. I can't remember the name right now (fatigue does funny things to my brain), but the top was designed to look like a dragon, and the balconies like the masks worn to masquerade balls.

Then we went to Casa Milano, it was really beautiful.

This is from the inside courtyard.

The view from the top balcony thing. It was pretty windy, and cold. Brett thought it was funny that the wind blew my shirt up right when he took the picture. He said it made me look pregnant. haha.

This is an old curling iron! I am so grateful for modern convenience.

We then went to this beautiful public park designed by Gaudi. GORGEOUS. Seriously, it was awesome.

He used all the leftover tile pieces from other jobs to make this park, and all of the beautiful mosaics, etc. for the people.

Then to the biggest thing by Gaudi in Barcelona, La Sagrada Famila, a huge Cathedral that is still under construction according to his specifications. They are hoping to have it done by 2026, 200 years after his death to celebrate it.

The next day we went to Palma de Mallorca. It was a beautiful island. I forgot my camera, and the one on Brett's phone is kind of broken, but we went to a pearl factory, then went and bought jackets because we were FREEZING. Then we went to the coolest place I have ever been, the Cave of the Dragons, or Cuevas del Drach. It is a huge cave full of stalagmites etc. and underground lakes. It is huge. At the end of walking through it there is an underground amphitheater that seats about 600, and a big lake. They have you sit in the amphitheater, and then this orchestra comes out on boats and you get to listen to this amazing music. It was great. Then you got on a boat and rode out to the exit.

This is the cathedral in Palma. Huge.

 This is in Malta. This was our least favorite day. It rained a lot. We went to Mdina, and Mosta, and the Rotunda. We rode a hop on hop off bus, and it was ok.

 This is in Mdina, an old city, the old capital. It is all walled off, and very old, really cool buildings, cathedrals, etc.

 We made a joke just the day before that these phone booths only exist now for tourist because everyone has mobile phones. So we had to get a picture in it.

 Brett wearing the crown!

 Oh, my knight in shining armor!

 Our towel animal!

 We played a lot of foosball or table football as our London friends onboard called it.

 On this day we were in Palermo, Italy. It was a beautiful day. We went to the Opera house, the big theater, some garden place, a huge cathedral, a few smaller churches, and a big market. We took a cab, and then when we got back to the port, we decided to just walk around the city. It was really fun.

 There were lots of stray dogs.

 This theater was pretty big, but a bunch of people were having an Occupy Mossimo outside of it.

 Horse and Carriages everywhere!

 The big cathedral. Brett needed to confess his sins. JK

 If you look at the rocks in front of us it says PA for Palermo, then 26, 11, 2011 the date we were there. They change it every day I guess. Pretty cool.

 This is a really old, really cool tree.

 This was the lunch we ordered in a little cafe in Palermo. Then we shopped. Brett got a couple suits, I got some pants and a hand bag.
That night the ship had a food art thing, it was really cool!

 Then Rome, my favorite city. We went to St. Peter's, then toured the Castel Astel, then went to Piazza Navona for tartufo, then the Colosseum again, and took an amazing tour. Then took the metro to Trevi fountains, had our delicious gelato, and then back to the ship. A lot of walking in such an amazing city!

 St. Peter's square. The pope came out and waved, but we missed it.

 Oh don't worry this is just Brett with a bust of Lord Voldemort. Seriously, it looked just like him!

 At the castel

 The outside of the castel

 Eating yummy chocolate!

 We of course had to buy roasted chestnuts. YUM!

 Listening to the tour guide.

 Our favorite gelato!

 The next day we left. We took a bus, then a train, then a bus to get to the airport.

 We saw the monuments to Christopher Columbus, and had lunch in the city center.

 Then we took a flight back to Rome, and from there to Paris. We got to Paris about midnight, and took a night time bus into the city. We ate this amazing meal at this cute little cafe, Garde de Nord Cafe.

 We had onion soup (The French is implied because we were in France)

 Brett had mussels.

 Here he is showing me his muscles and mussels.

 I had duck confie, YUM!

 Then we finished off with absolutely fabulous creme brule. Then at about 3 in the morning we hopped in a cab and went and saw the sites. We went to the Arch de Triomphe. the champs elysees, the louve, the opera house, the big obilisque, and of course the Eiffel tower. The pictures suck because it was dark, and I couldn't figure out how to use my camera in the dark. But here they are!

 this is brett in front of the Eiffel Tower, can you tell? haha we bought a little light up one for the kids, and some key chains! We can't wait to go back.

 if you look closely you can see the louve pyramid thing behind us!

This is me trying to sleep on the freezing cold, marble floor in the CDG airport in Paris. Then we came home. It was lots of fun, but we are glad to be back and with the kids.

Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Christmas is a really close second, but I think Halloween takes the cake, or the jack-o-lantern anway. Just love it.This year has been so crazy that I felt like I haven't been as in to it, good thing we still have one day left.

So, we started the month off making caramel apples:

 She is such a little poser! haha

 Most of them looked like this!

Then Lexi's school did a pumpkin patch field trip, which I went with her on as a parent volunteer. Riding the bus brought back all kinds of funny memories.

These three girls were who I was over. Abby, Abigale, and Alexis. The A team! They had a blast jumping off hay bales into a corn box.

 We went through a haybale maze.

 There was also a petty zoo with a kangaroo, a llama, and a donkey, and a hayride. The place was small, but the kids loved picking out their pumpkins.


Then we went to Cornbelly's, our favorite Halloween tradition. We went a couple times this year, once with our good friend's the Jamison's.

We went to a friend's Halloween party a few hours away, we carved pumpkins.

We went on train rides pulled by 4-Wheelers.

 We hit pinatas that were Halloween themed. Because Halloween does not have enough CANDY!

We had a neighborhood Halloween party, the second annual cul-de-sac party, with soups, donuts, fire pits, and trick or treating!

 

This year we did a Mario themed costume. I made the Yoshi and Daisy because we could not find any for a good price. Stellar sewing skills, I know! haha
We included Joe, John, and Danny in our costume because it was more fun that way!

That's us, enjoying our Halloween fun. Can't wait for Monday when we can take the kids out trick or treating. I just love getting all that candy. I usually make the kids go to bed, then I sit in my room and sort it. Sorting the candy is my favorite part! Then I usually freeze half of it. I give the kids a bag with one of each kind of candy they got, to eat the next day. Then I let them have it a little at a time. Lame of me, I know, but better for them then a big sugar binge!

Travel bug

Do you ever get the travel bug? Where you just want to GO somewhere? I do, daily.
Darn!
The only thing I don't like about the kids being in school is the inability to pick up and just leave when I need to get out of Dodge.


I love Halloween! Whose with me? Ok, random post finished.

Naughty little devil

Okay so this adorable boy is one of those looks great on the outside, but is secretly a stinker on the inside kind of kids. Not really, he is a sweetie, but he is taking the Halloween, be a monster, or a devil, thing way too seriously. Haha, ok I am being over reactive, but Dillan got sent to the principal's office today. Now, it would be hypocritical of me to be too mad, since I got sent to the big bad principal's office a time or two (or ten) when I was in elementary school. Here's the thing, he got sent to the principal's office for telling another child to give someone a wedgie! The little stinker! I just love those dang emails from teachers letting you know your child was involved in an "incident". What I love even more is that when Brett talked to him, and told him he needed to apologize to the other kid, he said, "They already made me do that!" I can't force him to be apologetic, can I? Bah, being a mother can be so MUCH fun!

Owl Themed Baby Shower

So thanks to Pinterest I have been wanting to throw a party and try out some of my new fun ideas, and new fun baking items. My friend Emily is prego, and no one in the neighborhood was doing a shower, so I hopped on the perfect excuse. Emily and I walk or do water aerobics together in the mornings, and it has been tons of fun getting to know her! Here's a peak at the shower I threw. Let me just say that once guests started to arrive I set my camera down, and did not pick it back up (oops), so no pics of the actual party happening! But we all know the food is what I care about most anyway.

These are my awesome donuts. I bought a donut maker the other day and thought I might try making "healthy" donuts, like muffins shaped like donuts so my kids would get tricked into eating them. (Derrick thinks the only food group worth attempting is sugar, not even a real food group). These are not the healthy variety, just a recipe out of the booklet that came, frosted with leftover royal icing from my sugar cookies (coming soon). But I thought they turned out great!


Then there are the cake pops of course. I made vanilla cake, and used blue chocolate discs to make these lovely little owls. Her nursery is owl themed, and I LOVED making these. I made them at night while watching shows with Brett, using an extension cord, and a big plastic storage bin as a makeshift table. So cute.

I found this cute little owl stamp at Robert's craft, and stamped some ring tags and tied them to mason jars for chocolate milk, and inserted blue straws. I meant to take a close up picture, but never go that far. I also bought the little after dinner mints that have blue "its a boy" packaging.

Here I have the brown Owl cake pops. They are chocolate, dipped in milk chocolate! Yum! I used a different sprinkle for their beaks, and thought they turned out cuter than the other ones.

 

 I have a friend who is always making amazing sugar cookies, so I thought I would attempt it. I ran out of time so I bought a mix for the cookie part, and overcooked some of them. Ooops. I also could not find an owl shaped cookie cutter, so I bought a Halloween set, and used the Cauldron cutter flipped upside down, and just made the horns (cauldron legs) pointier by pinching them a bit. I thought it turned out great. I made Martha Stewart's Royal Icing, and when I went to frost couldn't find the frosting bottles I bought to make these cookies. I ran to the store to get new ones, and the store I needed was closed, so I ended up buying bottles that are for hair stuff I think, and made them work. It was crazy, but I loved how they turned out, especially since it was my first ever attempt at Royal icing. I used Wilton candy eyes for the eyes, star shaped sprinkles for the beaks, and used the feathering technique to create the body look for the owls using lines of different colored frosting. Fun project!

 I of course do not think a party is a party without cupcakes, and my favorite is peanut butter chocolate, so pulled a prebaked bag of the chocolate cupcakes out of my freezer (baked them a few weeks ago), and whipped up some frosting. Did not have enough, so I cut up a few brownies my mother in law had brought over to help fill up the stand! Again, I have only one word...YUM!

While the dessert table was over-flowing, don't worry I served real food too. I had a great variety of fruit, with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, watermelon, and honeydew.

 I had a veggie tray and pickles, olives, and some dips for the carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, and tomato.

Oh I had to sneak in a picture of the completed desert table, with chocolate milk, lemonade, and water (although I did not screw the spickitt on the water jug very well, and ended up dumping it part way through because it was leaking too much.

I had told the ladies they could bring their kids if they did not have a sitter, so I pulled a couple of my previously made pizza crusts out of the freezer and made one pepperoni, and one barbeque chicken pizza, which I forgot about and overcooked just a tad!

More fruit!

I had a three pot crock pot cooker which I made pulled pork (BBQ), Little Smokies in BBQ, and Meatballs in BBQ. I set out some rolls in case people wanted to make a sandwich. I bought these due to lack of time.

And being my parent's daughter I had to have a salad. I decided to go for a summer spinach salad, and I added slivered almonds, craisins, bacon pieces, and dried pears, with a balsamic dressing. Yum!

This is Emily, the shower was for her! We played a few games, and I had onesies and fabric paint so that everyone could decorate a onesie for her baby! They turned out cute. I should have taken a picture, but after all the work I went too, I guess I am entitled to feel too lazy to get up and go take a picture! haha