Rome Day 1

There we were...a husband and wife, 12 years into marriage with 5 kids...sitting in an airport surrounded by people yet totally alone and looking forward to a week of adventure and relaxation. We knew it would be great but I don't think we could have known just how great.

It was a LONG day of flying. We had to fly to Detroit and then to Atlanta before embarking on a 9 hour flight to Rome. I was worried about not being able to sleep on the plane and sure enough I did not get much more than 30 minutes of shut eye total but we were able to check in to our hotel early and took a little nap before heading out for the day and it was just what I needed to adjust to the time change.

After a change of clothes we were off to discover Rome! Our first stop was Cafe Sabatini for our first real Italian pizza.

I must say I think you can take the girl out of Chicago but you can't take Chicago out of the girl. I have long been a fan of deep dish pizza with everything on it. This was no Chicago pizza. It was simple and thin, but tasty. If I had to choose a pizza to eat the rest of my life I would have to go back to my roots but I love that I can say I have eaten a real Italian pizza. Once we were nice and full our first stop was a church right across the way from where we were eating.

This is the St. Ignazio Church. We were not planning on going here but it was looking at us smack in the face and so we thought we would just pop in and boy am I glad that we did. I soon learned that you don't ever just walk past a church in Rome. Each and every one is beautiful and ornate and different.

This is the ceiling in St. Ignazio. I thought for a second I had just walked into the Sistine Chapel, but no, this was just your every day run of the mill church in Rome. Below is a bigger overview of the inside of this great church. Keep in mind that there are little alcoves off the sides that are filled with more beautiful frescoes and sculptures.

One of the coolest parts about this church is it's dome. You see that dome below, well it's not really a dome. The church was finished in 1650 but the money set aside to build the church ran out before the dome could be built so the artist built a 65 foot canvas to look like an actual dome. As you move through the church the dome changes shape and only looks like a complete dome from certain spots in the church. It was amazing to see in person and mind boggling to imagine how one could be so talented.

Next stop was The Spanish Steps but we made a pit stop for our first gelato. While this was our first I can promise you it was not our last. I think we had gelato everyday in Rome (maybe even twice some days). It was just that good. YUM!

Here are the Spanish Steps. They sit in the middle of the Piazza di Spagna and are at the end of one of Rome's most high end shopping with stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Armani, just to name a few. This walk of shops is definitely fun to look but not touch. The spanish steps are a famous place to go and sit and take in some people watching and that is just what we did.

We sat and sat and then sat some more. Listening to the buzz of all the quiet conversations and watching all the different people and soaking in some rays. It was for sure a nice moment of our trip and again was one of those moments that even though there were tons of people it never felt busy . It was amazing.

We did lots more walking and saw some more cool fountains and churches and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. That night we went to Campo de Fiori that was another busy square filled with cafes and shoppers. Just around the corner from there is Piazza Farnese with another beautiful fountain but it was quiet and filled with the warm light of Rome at night.

We ate dinner right next to this fountain and enjoyed the company of one another. It was nice to sit and eat at a slow pace knowing we were not needing to rush home to pay a babysitter.

We took a long slow stroll home through the Piazza Navona where the Four Rivers fountain is located. This is a picture of the piazza during the day.

This is the fountain at night. The piazza is filled with people selling their beautiful hand painted pictures of sights all over Rome. This piazza and fountain was probably one of my most favorite places. The four great river gods represented the four known continents in 1650.
A great first day it was. We got to the hotel and collapsed from exhaustion. We had a great night sleep and were ready for one of the most amazing days of sightseeing ever. Day two, here we come!

Rome

We are home from our trip of a lifetime. We enjoyed every second of it and we owe a HUGE thanks to my wonderful sister in law who came to watch the kids for us to make this all possible. We came home to healthy, happy children and a clean house. What more could you ask for? Thank you Bridget for caring for and loving my kiddos even though I am sure it was crazy and difficult at moments.

I am giving a disclaimer right now that not a single one of my pictures will do any justice to what we actually saw. The places we went and the things we saw were so amazing and while the camera can capture a bit of it, the memories of sights and sounds and colors and smells in my head will always be better than a picture. You will just have to trust me when I say it was beautiful and if you ever have the chance you should go!

We stayed in the Grand Hotel De La Minerva right in the heart of Rome. The location was perfect. We walked to everything except for The Vatican. We were literally a stones throw away from The Pantheon. This was the lobby of our hotel. We had a huge room over looking The Pantheon. It was so nice to be able to come home for a bit in the late afternoon and take a little nap and head out again to stroll the streets at night and have a late dinner.

Our hotel was right outside a piazza with a beautiful church, but in Rome there is a jaw dropping church around each and every corner.

All the streets in Rome are covered in these small cobble stones. It was very charming. As you can imagine, high healed shoes are a catastrophe here. All the women wear flats. I wore heals one night to a fancy restaurant and it took us twice as long to get there because of the care I had to take each and every step.
I can't say enough about Rome. I loved the language, I loved the people, I loved how they dressed, I loved the streets, I loved the sights and sounds....I LOVED IT.

It was such an interesting blend of old streets and homes and stores that transported you to another time, yet they were filled with the most modern and expensive displays and clothing and high end labels one after the next after the next. Every street you went down was filled with cafes or amazing shops. The blend of the old and the new somehow mingle together in a beautiful and perfect way in a maze of twisting and tangled streets.

There were many charming shops with vines of beautiful flowers growing up the walls. I loved that the streets and piazza's were filled with people but for some reason you never felt crowded. One of my favorite memories of Rome was the late night walks back to our hotel. The cafes would be filled with people the lighting on all the old buildings was warm and beautiful and every night there was a man playing beautiful guitar right outside our hotel. We would sit on the ledge of The Pantheon and listen to him quietly playing as we watched people stroll on by enjoying the night as much as we did.

Rome was perfect in every way. I enjoyed every second of it and I would love to go back and explore more some day. I have never really thought that much about learning a language but after this trip if I ever did, it would be Italian. Stay tuned for more posts of all the sights and experiences!

Grandpa

I got the news last week that my sweet grandpa had passed away. He passed in the most perfect way. He was in his home with women cooking in the kitchen, granddaughters talking on the couch and boys playing catch in the front yard. He was surrounded by people who loved him with a house filled with family, which is just how he would have wanted it. I was able to spend a wonderful few days out in Utah saying my goodbyes and enjoying being with my dear family.

I feel so grateful for the opportunity that Ethan had just a few short weeks ago to travel to Utah with Charlie and spend some time with Great Grandpa up at the cabin. Ethan was the last one of my little family to spend time with him before he passed away and I hope it will always be a special memory for him.

While I was there I had the chance to go through some old photos and I came across this one that I had never seen before. It is me with my grandpa in his shoe store. I quickly snatched it up and put it in a special place. I love the smile on my face looking at my grandfather. He always could make me smile like that.

The services were beautiful and I was able to hear stories that I had never heard before. My grandfather was a man of strength and spirituality. He will be greatly missed. Over the last 9 months I have said goodbye to all of my grandparents that I had ever known. While it has been difficult it has helped me grow closer to my family and it has strengthened my testimony in the gospel. I am always grateful for my understanding of eternal families. I know that it must have been a beautiful reunion between my grandmother and grandfather and I am thankful for my knowledge that they are happy and healthy together once again.
On a brighter note the positive side to a funeral is that I get to see my family. It was even more special that it was my mom's birthday so I was able to celebrate her special day with her. We had a wonderful lunch with my sister and aunt and cousin. And we also had a dinner with my sister and her wonderful kids and my dad. I just love being around family. I so wish we were closer in distance. I miss them terribly. All of this was possible thanks to my dear mother in law who came and took care of all of my very sick children while I was away. It was difficult leaving but I knew they were in good hands and it was such a comfort to me to know that they were with their grandmother. Thank you Diane...you are wonderful.

I am thankful to know that my next trip to Utah will be just for fun. We are looking forward to seeing family and enjoying some happy times together.

Last, First

Today marked a major milestone, Logan's first birthday. This could quite possibly be our last, first birthday EVER. How do I feel about that? WONDERFUL! We love this little boy more than words can express but it is exciting for me to be thinking about possibly moving on to a new stage in life. Not necessarily easier, just different. I spent the day making a yummy chocolate cake for his party. After all, the only reason you even celebrate a first birthday is for the messy cake pictures right? As you can see from the progression of photos below he enjoyed his cake!

Logan is also our earliest walker to date. I have no doubt that it has everything to do with him trying to keep up with his brothers and sisters all day. He took his first steps while Charlie was gone and was ready to show off his new skills once they got back. He is so thrilled with himself as you can see from the video below.

I can't believe it has been a year already. Logan has filled our home with so much joy. It has been such a blessing to see him and Sam start to be best buddies and wrestle and hug and love one another. We are so happy to have Logan in our lives. Happy birthday my little man!

Ethan's Big Adventure

For spring break this year Ethan got to go along with Charlie to Utah. We took Abby to conference right before she turned 8 and since Charlie is in Utah recruiting for BYU each year around the time of General Conference we decided to make it a special tradition for the kids before they get baptized. Ethan had a BLAST! Day one was filled with airplane rides, a trip to the nickle cade, a movie, dinner at The Mayan with cliff divers and then a night at the hotel. He also swam at the hotel pool and took a trip to temple square. They visited BYU and saw Dad's Engineering building and walked around campus.

He then headed up to the cabin to spend some time with cousin Seth and grandma and grandpa. Since I was not there in charge of photo opportunities it looks like we missed some pictures of the fun spent at that cabin. Grandpa took the boys to see the trains and then they went tubing and got to ride some snowmobiles. It sounded like they had a ton of fun. Next was shooting with Uncle Chris and then it was off to conference with his best buddy Luke who he will be getting baptized with in a few months.

That night he also got to see his cousin Scotty while Charlie went to the priesthood session with his brothers. Then it was back to the cabin to have some down time just playing with family and having some good quality time with those we don't get to see too often.

Each day Ethan called with his report and was so excited. I think this will be a trip that he will always remember. The rest of us are excited to follow in his footsteps in July when we all get to go out together.

A big thank you to all the family that went out of their way to make this a special trip for my little Ethan. We are so far from family and moments like these are few and far between so THANK YOU for making it such a fun memory for him!

Bathroom Update

We are still working on our bathroom but we made some big strides today so I thought I would share with you our progress.

(Bathroom floor before)

(Bathroom floor during)

(Bathroom floor after)

(Vanity before)

(Vanity after)

(Sink before)

(Sinks after)

The vanity came much darker than any pictures or samples in the store but I actually was hoping it was darker so I really like it. It is hard to take a picture with the right lighting. It looks darker in some pictures and lighter in others. The counter top is beautiful and I love our rectangular sinks.

Now we have to put back in the toilet, seal the grout, reroute the electrical, put in new light fixtures, install mirrors, fill and paint holes from old light fixture, purchase and install vanity hardware, towel rods, and then decorate with a new shower curtain, mat, and art work.

This seems like a never ending project but today was very rewarding to see it all come together.

21

Over the next 21 days my hubby will be home for 4 of those days,(or gone for 17)....does one sound better than the other? I think they both sound pretty bad but I am hoping Charlie gives me some credit for trying to put a positive spin on the situation.

Is it possible to gain 30 lbs back in 21 days? When Charlie is gone I get little sleep and am lonely at night. The thought of exercising after many long nights alone sounds like a joke to me. All I am going to want to do is crawl in bed and eat popcorn and chocolate. I guess a woman's got to do what a woman's got to do.

On a positive note I do have a babysitter coming to let me get out of the house for a bit. Oh yeah wait....that is so I can go and have a root canal done. Seriously, I know you are really getting jealous of me now! Doesn't the sound of having your root pulled out through a hole they drill in your tooth just scream of relaxation?

So I am buckling down. I am really hoping to be able to stay on top of my diet and exercise as well as be a decent mom to my 5 cute kiddos. If you are bored or lonely too give me a call or swing on by and we can laugh (or cry) through it together.

Bathroom Remodel

I have 5 kids. I also have one smallish kids bathroom with one sink. As you can imagine trying to get 5 kids to brush teeth and get ready often causes fights and toothpaste on surfaces all over the bathroom as they climb toilets and sit on counters trying to maneuver around one another.

So naturally when the idea popped in my mind to put in two sinks instead of just one it did not seem like that big of a deal. On further discussion we realized that we would need two new sinks and two new faucets and we might as well replace the counter that is ugly and has had a bleach stain on it since we moved in. We then realized that we would need a new vanity though as well since the one we have will not accommodate two sinks.

(Current bathroom)

It still sounded like a fairly do-able project. But then I remembered how much I hate the flooring as well. And heck if we are already replacing everything else why not rip out the floor, mirror, and light fixture while we are at it.

Hmmmmm....suddenly this is sounding not so easy. So it was off to the store and MANY hours later we picked out flooring, a vanity, sinks, faucets, counter tops, light fixtures and mirrors. Everything we got ended up being a special order and it makes me super nervous to try and pick out flooring to match a vanity to match a counter that we have only seen small swatches of or pictures of.

We sat down and made a schedule based on what we needed to get done before the flooring and all the other orders arrive and two nights ago we started demo. Seriously, I don't know who I think I am sometimes. I get these ideas and then the reality hits and I wonder why the heck was one sink SO bad?

(after night one)

This was after night one. We removed all the accessories and towel bars. We removed the mirror and back splash tiles and started patching nail holes and things. Unfortunately removing the tiles caused some major drywall issues and so we had to add patching drywall to our schedule for the next day.

(after night 2)

Last night we unhooked all the water, removed the sink and counter top and removed the vanity. We also cut out the section of drywall that needs to be replaced and continued patching.

The list of to-do tonight is to take out the toilet and start tearing out the tile floor. Amazingly we have done this at night with the kids sleeping right there without waking anyone up.

We are in the dirty ugly messy stage right now and I am honestly hoping that it will all pay off in the end. We purchased beautiful hardwood cabinetry, limestone flooring, and a beautiful quartz counter top. In the end the "kids" bathroom is going to be way nicer than my master bath...I think there is something wrong with that scenario.

We have about a week or so to finish demo, have the walls in shape to paint and once the tile gets here we will spend that weekend learning to tile. The entire project should be done over the next several weeks as our orders come in. Stay tuned for updates!

Funny Kids

My kids make me laugh. This last week they all gave me a chuckle at one point or another.

Ethan is a hard worker when he wants to be but he also likes to find short cuts when he can. Charlie and I were going through some of his school work today and we found his answer to this question quite funny.

I also took Ethan to see the 5 Browns piano concert the other night. I asked him during intermission if he hopes he can play like that some day. His answer, "Um, no, I plan on being a scientist." If he wants to be a scientist he is going to have to come up with some better answers to his homework!

This is what I found Logan doing after a hard day of playing and eating. I feel sorry for his wife some day.

Abby got an i-pod for Christmas and most of the music on it is my music. The other day in the car she was listening to it and all of a sudden I heard her say, "What the heck is this?" She handed me her i-pod and I saw that it was The Cure. I asked her what was wrong. She said, "It sounds like it is from the 1800's. Abby, I am old but not THAT old.

Last week Sam wanted his blanket. I asked him where it was and he kept telling me it was in the chicken. Over and over again, I had no idea what he was talking about. It was a few minutes later that I went to get a drink and saw it on the floor in the kitchen and realised that the chicken in Sam's world means the kitchen. He also asks all the time if he can have "awfuls" for breakfast. Awfuls = Waffles and I swear it has nothing to do with my cooking!

Last but not least is my little Morgan. The other night we were late getting to bed and we told her to get in bed and not get out. She promptly asked if it was ok to get out to go potty or come and get us if she gets an "ear confection". Yes Morgan, you can come and get us any time you get one of those crazy ear confections.

I love when my kids bring a smile to my face and I love their innocence. Moments like these I know I will miss as they get older.

Weight loss and Training

I am doing this post mainly as a motivation for myself. I am not usually one to toot my own horn but this last 6 months I have pushed myself pretty hard to do some things that do not come easily to me and I think it is important for me to take a look back and see where I have come from and give myself a second to try and feel proud.

Today I hit a major milestone. I have lost 30 pounds!!!!! I started this journey in August so it has not been a quick process. I feel like I have been doing it the right way...go figure, eating right, exercise, and determination really do work.

I have 10 more pounds to go to get to my goal weight. I have a strong feeling that the last 10 will be as hard and take almost as long to lose as the first 30. I have noticed a significant slow down in my loss despite the fact that I am still watching what I eat and have increased my workouts from only 2-3 days a week to 6 days a week. I am determined to not give up though. I am going to keep pushing and hopefully will be able to report back again once I have finally hit my goal.

Because the weight loss has happened slowly I am surprised that I don't really feel all that different. In fact I had to pull some clothes out of my closet from last summer to try on just to convince myself that maybe I am starting to look a little different. I decided to snap some shots of me in my pants pre weight loss. The first pair of pants I wore post baby, the second are the ones I was wearing right before I started to lose some weight and the third are some I bought probably after I had lost the first 10 pounds. I was amazed when I went to put these pants on and did not have to undo a single button or zipper. This was a big moment for me. I am kind of disgusted with myself that I once fit in to all of these clothes. I hope I never go back.

I guess I will need to do some shopping this summer. All the hard work pays off when you have to go buy new clothes not because you just want something new but because you literally can't wear your old stuff anymore.

As far as training goes that has not been as successful. My running has been plagued with injury. I guess that is what happens when a 33 year old woman with 5 kids who has never exercised decides to be fit all of a sudden. I am however determined and doing my best to just work through my current injury.

Right now I am on a 8 week program of running twice a week and doing my Jillian Michaels 30 day shred video 4 times a week. I am finishing up the first segment today and move on to segment 2 tomorrow.

After that 8 week program I start my 10 week training for my first 10k. Charlie and I are running our first 10k ever. His parents are coming to cheer us on and watch the kiddos for us. We have lots of friends coming who are running races as well and it will be a fun weekend that I am looking forward to.

I am literally praying that my body can hold itself together long enough for me to train for this race. I am nervous. I really want to accomplish this goal and I need my body to cooperate.

I want to give a big thanks to my friends and family who have inspired me and encouraged me through all of this. It is so nice to see some results and know that I am a much healthier mom than I was 6 months ago!

Tubing

Yesterday we got a sitter and took the 3 older kids tubing. What a B-L-A-S-T!!!!

First off just let me say how easy it is to take my 3 older kids out for the day and not have to bring diapers and wipes and snacks and toys and blankets and bottles and and and ....seriously kids ages 9-6 is a walk in the park. Anyway back to tubing.
We found a great place not far from home. How we have lived here for almost 5 years and did not know about this place is beyond me. We will for sure be going again. They had great tubes and a tow line and 4 runs to choose from. We could go down together in a big group or alone. You could choose if you wanted them to spin you or just send you down straight. I opted out on the spin but the kids wanted to spin all the way down.

I love this video of Abby where I could hear her laugh all the way down the hill. It was a great afternoon and I really enjoyed spending time with my 3 oldest and my hubby trying something new.

The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Ugly

The kids had off school Friday and Monday and Thursday morning we had a conversation that went something like this.

Me: Hey, the kids have off today and Monday, do we want to do anything fun this weekend?

Charlie: Yeah, why don't I take Friday off and we can go stay at a resort and ski or better yet why don't we go to Chicago and watch the Bears game?

Kids: Cheering and smiles

Me: Ok, and why don't we stay in a hotel Friday night so they can swim and play.

Really???? Did I just say that??? I am the least impulsive person I know, and being married to the most impulsive person I know we can sometimes butt heads but this time it just worked somehow.

I spent the rest of the day on Thursday frantically planning, making phone calls, and packing. Everything was waiting at the door as soon as Charlie and the kids got home and we were off!

We drove for about 3 hours and then stopped at a hotel for the night to swim and play. The kids had a blast.

The next morning we had breakfast and headed to The Museum of Science and Industry for the day. The kids loved the museum. The highlights were the baby chicks, the U-505 boat, the water area, and the weather area. We were tired by the end of the day but we have some great memories.

Then we were off to visit the fam. Charlie's brother Brad and his family came up to watch the game as well and we always love seeing them. There was lots of laughs and great food as usual.

So...the GOOD:

- Brook was impulsive
- The hotel was a blast
- The museum was great
- Spending time with family is always a blessing

Now for some BAD:

Despite all our effort and the fact that we were all wearing Bears gear from head to toe...the Bears lost and our hope of a Bears vs. Stealers Superbowl was over. We then had a LONG drive home that night that would have been much more fun had we won.

The DOWNRIGHT UGLY:

****warning*** If you are squeamish about bodily functions you may want to skip this part. You've been warned. And be glad I have no pictures for this part of the post!

My little Sam has been working on potty training and the last few weeks he has become aware that he should be pooping in the potty and not his diaper so every time he has to go he has been stopping himself and starting to make himself constipated.

This is a common thing in kids being potty trained but I noticed in the last week his appetite had all but disappeared. When he did eat he would always say his belly hurt. When we got to the museum he spiked a fever out of no where and was not feeling well. By Saturday morning he was in quite a bit of pain and was asking to sit on the toilet about every 5 minutes with no success. It got so bad that he spent an entire day crying, feverish, shaking, and in obvious distress.

After a very long sad day Charlie and his dad gave him a blessing and his little body was able to rest for the first time in 12 hours. He slept through the night but awoke around 5 in even more pain. It was off to the ER.

They got him right in and gave him a enema. Uh, not fun folks...not fun at all. Still nothing would come out. So then they attempted manual extraction. If you thought the enema did not sound fun this was worse. I was not there but to hear the story of having to pin down my 2 year old with screams of terror and pain was unbearable. Still no success. There were several trips to the potty and still nothing was working.

They were going to give him another enema and then finally....success. He was instantly relieved and feeling much better. The doctors said there was no way that it would have passed on it's own so we are glad we took him in. I now wish we would have done it a little sooner.

He is still having a hard time and we are going to have to watch him close the next month or so but he is feeling much better than he was.

So there you have it. The Good, The Bad, and The DOWNRIGHT UGLY. I am glad we made the trip. Family is just the best. As for the Bears...maybe next year. Go Stealers!

Have you ever?

Have you ever had 8, 12 year old boys sleep at your house? I have and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it.

Last night was the annual yearly planning meeting for the deacons at the Carn compound. I can tell you I was a bit surprised that the first thing all the boys did was play with Morgan's Barbie doll house and then proceed to dress up in fairy wings and tutus! I have pictures but I will save them of the embarrassment.

Over the last 15 1/2 hours I have heard belching contests and discussions of eating pizza until you puke. My entire house wreaks of bacon and lets just say that the smell coming from my basement...well...it smells exactly like 8, 12 year old boys slept there. If you can't imagine what that might smell like you are welcome to come and experience it for yourself.

I have exactly 50 minutes left before the cleaning and deodorizing begins. I have to say that they are a great group of boys and it is fun to watch in the background how differently boys interact. Only 364 days until I get to do it all over again!