My niece, Josie Brandow, is currently visiting us. She has been here for several weeks, and we have loved having her. Since her visit has been so much longer than most, we have had time to take her to all our favorite places and then some. Jason had the idea to take her to Pisa, Italy, a destination where we have never taken any of our guests before. We also thought it was a good place to take the kids, since there are only a few things to see and not too much walking for them. It ended up being a perfect day trip, and we had a great time sightseeing, eating Italian thin-crust pizza, delicious pasta carbonara, and, of course, gelato.
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| Josie Brandow--Pisa, Italy |
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| Jason and the girls in the Duomo--Jeni and Joci are holding up their finger which they had just dipped in "holy water." Jenica says, "Mom, I'm not going to ever wash this finger again." Let's hope she changes her mind. |
Everyone knows the Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the main attractions to see in Pisa, Italy. We decided to let the girls see if they could find a building that looked like it was going to tip over. When we finally saw it, Jocelyn said, "Oh my gosh, Mom. That's the same building as in 'Little Einsteins'!"
Everybody takes these perspective pictures of the Leaning Tower. It's super cheesy and touristy, I know, but it's just what you do. Some of ours turned out, and some didn't. Take a look:
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| Here's the best of the bunch. That's because Josie can follow directions really well. I love how Maisy is practicing for her turn. |
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| Nice try, Maisy!! |
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| Getting better, Jocelyn! |
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| Got it, Jenica!! |
The girls know they have a fun and amazing Dad who had cold water ready at all times, had plenty of change for the tolls and restrooms, bought the girls some cute souvenirs, and then was the first to jump in the pool and play with them when we got home. But what they don't realize is that he stayed up late the night before making sure he knew where to park and how to get there. He got up at 5:00 a.m. to help me load the car, then he gently put the girls in the car at 6:00, making them comfy so they could all sleep another two hours. He also made sure they all had movies, activities, and snacks for the road trip, and he carried Maisy when she was tired. Not to mention he drove the entire way there and back (about 4 hours each way). Though kids never realize all that goes into a succesful road trip, I know this is one they'll remember. And if not, at least we'll always have the goofy pictures to prove it!
7 comments:
Those pics are cute! Road/family trips are soooo much work!
So I guess my Deuce Bigalow-inspired photo didn't make the cut for this blog post...Well, it was the very opposite of "Declass-e." I also wanted to point out my excellent gelato-seeking talents, a skill I've perfected across many countries and which did not fail me yesterday (Buongiorno, Pistache!). I could explain the development of this ice-cream-homing knack scientifically, but you would need to cut a crosssection of my lovehandles and look at the annual year rings. The girls were a breeze yesterday and it was a lot of fun, despite the heat. Came back and cooled off in the pool and everyone went to bed early....that's how you pull off a Saturday in July.
I adore this post! Also the sneak peek into Jason's love for you and the girls... and trips!
Love it! And yes, that Jason is a sure keeper!
Great pictures :) but my favorite part was your last paragraph. I have so many wonderful memories of family vacations from growing up. I didn't however appreciate the effort my parents put in until now. It really is alot of work. But you and Jason have the perfect attitude about it. The memories are worth every bit of work on your part. I hope I'm doing the same for my children (even if it isn't a day trip to see the little einsteins building!!) :)
No worries! I did a cheesy touristy picture there too. It is such an interesting place isn't it!
Great images... Looks like you had fun getting the perfect shot.
Sorry I could not make it to dinner when you were in town.
You have a wonderful family thanks for sharing your experiences.
Hey the chocolate was great, Thanks!
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