Wednesday, January 17, 2018

MLK Girls' Weekend in Bologna

It's the middle of January and that means it is time for my annual girls' trip!  
This year's destination: Bologna

We headed to the train station after school Friday and ran into our wonderful co-worker, Andrea
Playing Cards Against Humanity: Teacher Version while enjoying some Prosecco and snacks in the train station. 
The Italo fast train was the way to go!  
4 hours from Naples to Bologna
After a delicious breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning, we quickly found a market.
Awesome deals on cool dishes!
A little coffee break in the main piazza 
So happy to spend some extra time with Madds!
Melissa and Sherri in their Mecca: 
Nespresso
Cheers at lunch before spending a relaxing afternoon at the hotel spa
On Sunday we ventured to Fico Eataly World 
( a food paradise!)
Ready for our tour
Bring on the meat sweats!
 Wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from floor to ceiling
 A wall of chocolate
 Maria and Sherri in the "chocolate lab"
 Melissa and my reactions to our chocolate tastings
 Time for some wine and lunch
 The gelato line was too long, so I opted for a beer instead :)
Eataly World is so big, you can cruise around on bikes!
 Madds and her love of Mortadella
 Tasting some delicious Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses



Happy 13th Birthday, Emma!

And just like that, we have a teenager!  
Ms. Emma Louise Kasparek celebrated her 13th birthday 
This new teenager is not excited to get up at 5:40 a.m.
 The lights are too bright!
 Birthday donut in bed with a Happy Birthday serenade :)
 
Herky came to give his love to the birthday girl
 
Opening presents from the family before school
Birthday dinner at Mary's
(Poor Dom has been sick and his restaurant was not open this week)
Only in Italy does a wine bar host a rockin' 13th birthday party! 
Mary was too good to us!
 A teenager with her first cell phone = one ecstatic girl! 
On Friday night, Emma had her pals Caitlyn, Anna, and Madison over for a sleepover. 

Sunday, December 31, 2017

A Very Merry Christmas 2017

We celebrated Christmas Eve with the 4th Sunday of Advent Mass, watching It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen, and then Christmas Eve Mass

Emma singing in the choir
Listening to Twas the Night Before Christmas 
Leaving milk & cookies for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph
Flash forward 7 hours and we have 2 excited kids ready to come downstairs
Santa brought them Hawkeye Snuggies
We were so happy that Mel was with us on Christmas morning!
Opening gifts






Christmas family picture
A fun game of Tenzie
Silly Camden Santa
Harley and Zane
Playing Star Wars Clue
Sherri, Ron, me, Chris, Mel, Madds, and Dave
LOVE these ladies!

Winter Break Fun

TWO GLORIOUS WEEKS OF VACATION! We didn't have any big travel plans over winter break and it has been perfect.
Dinners out with friends, hosting dinner parties, lazy days cuddled up with a book, pajama movie days, and a whole lot of hanging out and enjoying the slow pace for a while.
We did venture out to the Roman Amphitheater in Capua with Harley, Zane, and Sherri




Our engagement anniversary on the 19th 
Making Granny's Christmas Cookies