Friends

These people met us in Italy a few weeks ago. Meet them...

Adam (once, accidentally, shattered a car window all over me and keeps us all laughing)

Brian (he takes great pictures, lives on exotic islands, and gets paid for doing it)


Hayley (she likes climbing things and knows everything there ever was to know about movies and musicals)


Dave (speaks Italian and is luckily very good at talking his way out of traffic tickets)


Kirsten (has a giant sweet tooth and people would kill for her hair)

We love these people dearly. When we get together you can guarantee there is going to be tons of uncontrollable laughing, plenty of cheesy photos, lots of climbing things, and hours of singing songs (any kind, but especially Disney, musicals, and 80's power ballads) at the top of our lungs. Let's do it again!
Andi and Adam were, of course, dearly missed. Next year maybe we won't have to miss them.

Amalfi Coast Highlights

Keukenhof Gardens

Capri Highlights

Lake Como Highlights

Austria and Switzerland Highlights

The huge surprise!

For months I had been looking forward to my mom's visit. I went to pick her up from Heathrow and she was taking so long to come through the arrivals doors. I couldn't go through them to baggage claim for security reasons, so I was just waiting. I was so anxious to her see her that I gave myself a stomachache. Finally I spotted her short, blond little self really struggling to push her trolley of luggage that was piled high (mostly with things I had had her bring for me). I realized that she was struggling so much because she was pushing with only one hand, the other hand was holding a camera and filming me, which I thought was a bit strange. As soon as our eyes met she looked away, so naturally, I followed her gaze and there was my sister Andrea pushing a cart right next to her! I hadn't even noticed her because I was so focused on my mom. Of course I was so shocked that I immediately burst into tears. We made quite a scene, which my mom said everyone at the airport thoroughly enjoyed. She had taken an entire week off of work to come. She had purchased her ticket even before my mom did. She got to be amused for months every time I emailed her airfare deals that I had found in an effort to try and lure her to come here. What a wonderful surprise! She posted a video of me calling Scooter (who was at home in Oxford studying) and telling him the news. I am reluctant to share the link because I believe it is the first video I have ever seen of myself crying - and it is not a pretty sight! Click here to get to her blog where you can view the video (go to the post on March 4th).