A very unconventional Easter weekend

Yes, we had a very unconventional Easter weekend. Since we had visited our families during Spring Break, we didn't go back down for Easter. We were saddened that we missed all the festivities and especially the annual trek out on the desert but we had some fun of our own.

First up was our planned activities. 

I did my first spring event, a duathlon! For those of you unfamiliar with a duathlon, you run, ride, run. For this event I did the short course (1.5 mile run, 12 mile bike, 1.5 mile run). These are the hardest events for me because of the transition from running and riding. My legs just don't like to switch that way. Oh well. I figured it would take me 1.5 hours and I finished in 1 hr 27 minutes 32 seconds. I asked Kaitlyn to take pics like a grandma and she took 115! Here are just a couple of what she captured.

  

  

Yes, I'm revealing my age here. Don't hold it against me. 

Wells had a volleyball tournament that was (thankfully) in Smithfield. So, no early morning travel for the boys and they were not exhausted when they got home. After taking a nap (mostly me) we decided we better do something for Easter so we went out on the town on an unconventional easter egg hunt. We went looking for eggs in a bunch of stores and then went out to eat. It was a blast!! I think we are deciding that unconventional might become preferred! Of course, we will have to think of something offbeat every year so that unconventional doesn't become tradition. :) Here are some pics of our easter egg hunt. 

 Not an easter egg but the cutest ladybug helmet ever! We sent a pic to Pauline. :)

 What? Is that Wells laying and easter egg?

 Nope, he's trying out a new saddle for his bike. Thanks goodness! I was NOT ready to be a grandma.

 No eggs here! Just shoes and socks and...other bike stuff.

 Mommy. I'm a big girl now. Can I get a big girl bike?

 A Hello Kitty bike? Are you serious! Now, if only I could have that Hello Kitty car from Italy, outfit it with a bike rack, and put this Hello Kitty cruzer on it! Life would be sah-weeeet!

 A close up of Hello Kitty. She's so cute. :)

 Not your traditional easter basket but the contents will do just as well. New shoes and clips for mom, new saddle for Wells.

 EASTER EGGS!! We found more but forgot to take pictures. Believe me, we found a lot more.

 Dear Easter Bunny. Will you please build a spot like this in my backyard for me? That's all I ask, nothing much really.

 Mmmmm....dinner. Striving for more unconventionality, we had BEEF for dinner.

 Mama. There's something I need to tell you. NOOOO!!! I said no grandkids yet!!

candy, candy, candy!! Candy, candy, candy!! 

Junior Prom

Last year when Wells turned 16, I told him that no matter what he was going to his Jr. Prom. Well, he is a junior this year and so I told him to ask a girl. Well, I guess he decided that he better ask someone while I was in Italy so I would quit bugging him about it. So, I came home and was completely shocked to find out he had a date all lined up! Way to go Wells!!!

The next week Kaitlyn was asked as well. So, my kiddos are going to prom. First, I asked Kaitlyn if we were going to go prom dress shopping. She looked at me like I had grown a second head. Of course we were NOT going prom dress shopping. She was going to design and sew her own, DUH!!! Well, I at least got her started early so it was not a last minute thing.

They had a ton of fun on their dates. Kaitlyn went mini golfing and watched a movie (Tangled) on Friday night and then they had a formal dinner, went to the dance, and watched another movie (Unstoppable) on Saturday night. Wells and his group were going to go canoeing but it was raining so they went to the fun park and did everything! They came back to our house for a formal dinner that was set like it was formal but the food was anything but. I made and served their dinner and had fun. They were having so much fun that they didn't get to the dance until about 9:30. I don't think they cared all the much.

Here are some pics of my amazing kids!

 Kaitlyn's beautiful dress. She designed and made it (of course!!). We actually went dress shopping once and decided that her dresses are so much cooler. :)

 Part of Kaitlyn's group. Her date was Pat Wilkins. 

 Wells is him super cool tux. Kaitlyn and I had a lot of fun picking it out for him. Every time we asked him what he wanted he just shrugged his shoulders. So, we took charge and made him super cool!!

Wells and his date Brynne. They were super cute. :)

Italy - day 8 (Venice)

 Meet our beautiful Eddie! She was so much fun. 

I woke up extremely sick this day. I was devastated. Of all the places we had visited, Venice was the one place I was dying to go. I decided that I was not going to miss it no matter what. I wanted a piece of venetian glass!! Luckily, the doctor that was traveling with us had a zpack in his bag and gave it to me. He was really worried that after four days I was not getting better. He figured that I had an infection by this time and needed some antibiotics. I thought I was going to die that morning but, sure enough, the antibiotics kicked in and I felt fabulous by the afternoon! Then, it was off to our farewell dinner. We got back to the hotel about 11:00 p.m. and Allison and I had a 3:30 a.m. wake up call to catch our flight. I'm only writing about eight days cuz it's boring to say we were on an airplane or in an airport for 18 hours. We made it home and then crashed for a day before facing work again.

Would I go back? Oh YES!! Who wants to go? When? I'm right there with you. I loved Italy!!! Thank you Allison for inviting me. Thank you John for not being able to get time off work so I could go! Thank you family for letting me go when you knew I wouldn't be home for the rest of the month! This trip just reiterated the trip I've been planning with my fam for several years. I can't wait to take my kids to the Old Country!!

More pics from our final day in Italy. :'(

The grand canal in Venice. Isn't it beautiful?

The line of gondolas. We didn't go for a ride (wanted to spend our $75 on something more lasting).

The courtyard of the church where the choir had its last concert. It was so beautiful here. I would love to see it in the summer.

The bridge over the grand canal. Can you see me under the middle arch? :)

The architecture of the buildings in Venice was amazing. There are so many different influences. Each building has different types of windows, balconies, etc. It was fascinating to see buildings next to each other just like they are best friends.

The outside of the political palace.

This is one of the mouths were people could insert their grievances. It was a a big thing to put up a grievance. Not many people did it lightly as it was likely to come back and bite them. Below are pics from inside the government palace.

 The golden ceiling. :)




Below are pics from the dungeon, which was above the palace. We had to cross the Bridge of Sighs to get to it. Legend says that if you kiss someone while passing under the bridge in a gondola, your love will last forever. Ahhh, isn't that special? Most people think that legend is where the name Bridge of Sighs comes from. However, it is more likely that the people being lead to the dungeon sighed on their way since it was very rare that anyone got to leave this place.

 

Of course, Venice is known for its Carnivale. It's festivities are the biggest and craziest in the world. Below are some pics of some masks and costumes known to be worn during Carnivale.

This is the wonderful lady who helped us pick out our lace and cut work. She was a blast. I loved that I could say, "I want to see pulled thread" or "I want to see cutwork" and she knew what I was talking about!! I love how everything was handmade and so cheap! I could have spent my entire life in this little store and spent all my money and still been happy. I don't have pics but I also found the perfect piece of glass as well. Shopping in Venice was a HUGE success.

Below are some pics of a few of the many palaces and cathedrals we saw as we were winding our way around the outer canals. 

This one was special. Eddie told us it was her church. It is the Spinsters Cathedral. During the summer, they will all come out to the canal for drinks, food, and fireworks. Then everyone goes to this cathedral to worship spinsters. Yeah. Eddie loves that day.

See that little yellow building on the left? It belongs to Elton John.

More pics from the canals below.

 

 

A pic of the planks they put out when the city is flooding.

Below are pics of the cathedral where they had their final concert and some of them singing. This concert was very emotional. They had in their repertoire a Requiem about the 2005 tsunami in Thailand. This concert happened the day after the tsunami in Japan. Almost everyone in the choir lost it during that song. It was so beautiful. They were encored at this concert (the only time) and sang that requiem again. I still get chills thinking about it.

 

 

And, here is our farewell dinner. It was seafood spaghetti. Let's just say Allison didn't eat much food that night. :) 

Allison asked that I NOT share this one..Hahahaha. I just had to put it in. Allison and Lacey were so funny!! I wonder which one was the Lady and which was the Tramp. :)









It is only fitting I end with our beautiful Eddie since I started with her.