Italian Summer: Firenze

A trip to Tuscany would not be complete without seeing Florence. In order to avoid lines, we had bought tickets to the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria della Accademia in advance. However, the traffic into Florence was so slow, that Rob finally had to drop us off so that we could RACE through the narrow streets to make our scheduled time. I had Mariah with me in the backpack and she got quite a jolt!
Fortunately, we made it to the Uffizi on time and had a wonderful time there. The place is overwhelming -- after about half an hour one feels completely saturated with all the incredible Renaissance art. My favorites -- Botticelli, Titian, etc., fortunately came early in the tour. Anna Claire found just as much pleasure looking at the ceiling.
Mariah just enjoyed kicking back with KaRynn in the massive hallways of the Gallery.

Dad, Anna, KaRynn and Mariah in front of the Duomo. Don't you love the colors?

The Baptistry ceiling. . .incredible and overwhelming biblical paintings.

A peak at the bell tower through some of Florence's narrow streets.

Mariah's in the backpack again!

For dinner, we escaped the busy streets of Florence for Fiesole, a small town that normal offers spectacular views of Florence. Unfortunately, it was too early for any restaurants to be open so we had to settle for a bar (birthday dinner for me). Also, the view was a bit muggy. . .

Mariah and Anna still found something fun to do!

Back at the farmhouse, Anna opted for a Travertine sink bath, rather than the shower.

Our Trip to Utah: Cousins etc.

The best part of our trip for the girls was renewing old friendships with cousins. I must say that we're missing photos from Colorado. We stopped through for a couple of days to see Rob's Grandpa Tyler, who may not live much longer. The girls also got to see their cousin Ethan there. Here are Anna Claire and her cousin Gracie chomping down lunch on Memorial Day.
Mariah and Eleanor became fast high-chair friends.

Dust, dust, dust, sweep, sweep, sweep...'cause in my house I help clean up. . .

Zoom, zoom! On the scooter with Grandpa!

Mommy is a pretty awesome Harley woman too!

Trampoline time! Anna has been begging us to get one of these!
We also got to meet up with cousins Sam and Jacob at the park. They just had a new little brother!

Our Trip to Utah: At the Cabin!

Gracie, Mariah and Anna zooming around with Grandpa on yet another machine!
Mariah loved the four-wheelers. She has no fear!

Anna was a little more cautious. She insisted on riding with Mommy, the supposedly "safer" driver. Check out my sun covering attire. I look silly but I avoid getting burned!

Whoosh! Those four-wheelers really did wonders for my hair!

Chatting with Grandma on the mountain. I love this view!

Anna Claire horse-back-riding with Grandpa. She loved it! Right after this, though, Grandpa, who is actually an expert horseman, was bucked off and hurt his collarbone.

Dancing with the other cousins!

Our Trip to Utah: Jane's Wedding!

It's finally here! Jane and Chris were married today! Jane looked like a regal princess in her wedding gown, and Chris the handsome prince. We've had a wonderful time seeing family and friends, especially because we are usually so far away. This wedding was particularly fun for me because Chris' older brother Brad is an old friend of mine. The reception ended up being a mini-reunion of old New York friends.
Here is our attempt at a family photo. "Don't move and smile at the camera," I'm barking through gritted teeth.

Hmmmm. What are these flowers Aunt Jane is sticking in my face?

Hanging out with cousin Eleanor. (She's 6 months older than Mariah, but Mariah has almost caught up to her in height.)

Again, an attempt at a family photo of the entire Woolley clan. My how we've grown!

All the girl cousins with Aunt Jane. Come on Mariah and Anna, please smile just this once!

Anna Claire and her cousin Peter contemplating a jump in the pool.

While Anna is getting an "owie" fixed, Mariah finally gives a grin to the camera.

Mom, please, I'm tired of all these photos.

Our Trip to Morat/Murten

Today we made a little day trip to Morat (or Murten in German). It is one of Switzerland's best preserved old towns. But was also the site of a famous battle in 1476, where the Swiss gathered together an army of villagers to defeat the mighty French army of Charles the Bold. The victory demonstrated the strength of Switzerland working together against a common enemy. As you can see, now the town is flanked in Swiss flags and soccer balls, in preparation for Switzerland hosting the European Cup. Here is a rare, nice pose from Anna.
Check out the view of the lake. Very Swiss.

Here's our Mariah darling, climbing as usual.

Daddy and the girls take a rest right now the town's fortress walls.

A view from the ramparts.

One of Morat's charming churches.

Dancing, dancing, dancing on the wall.

Look Mom! We spotted a kitty cat!

Uh oh, the girls have already exhausted Daddy!

Anna's Birthday, Again

Because we never did a family birthday celebration, we celebrated Anna's birthday today. Of course, Anna Claire wanted another cake. This time I made her a "Princess" cake, which was pretty easy to do -- all I needed was pink frosting, a crown and some coconut.
Here is the final masterpiece. I'm not a great cook, but my cakes turn out pretty well.

Snarfing down the cake. American cake is soooo good!

Anna Claire in her new Snow White princess outfit from Grandma Tia. Her face here reminds me more of the evil Stepmother.

A Week in Provence: Settling In

I think there is something magical and inspiring about the cypresses and red-tiled roofs drenched in austere, sun-filled landscapes. No wonder this was the favorite area of the Impressionists. Rob and I visited here last year and fell in love. So we rented a charming cottage just outside Gordes for a relaxing week of biking and sight-seeing. The weather cooperated marvelously!

A quintessential Provençal view...

The charming entryway to our cottage.

Mariah and Anna immediately found a perfect playspot...

. . . or not.

Every cottage needs a swingset. . .

. . . And lots of grass to run around in!