I am now a Blogger!

So it has taken me almost a year to figure this out. Well, actually it just took a call to Ryan, but Jenny and I are officially on the blog site. There is a lot we could write about, but the most exciting thing that has happened in our lives lately has been our trip to Italy. It has been a month now since we left. We planned the trip for over three years, and I cannot believe how fast it came and how fast it went. We had the most amazing time. We started out in Venice where, as you all know, the streets are not streets but canals. You know how they say the city is on the water. Well, when we were there, they were definitely right. We got there just as a massive rain storm hit and flooded the main square. Water was up past our ankles. It was a crazy experience. We then went to Pisa where we participated in a, Mass that was held in a beautiful cathedral right next to the leaning tower. It was all in Italian, but we felt the spirit of those priests who had given their lives to serve God. We left Pisa and traveled to Cinque Terra. Cinque Terra is a region along the Mediterranean Sea made up of five cities joined together by hiking trails. This place was Italy at it's finest. The pace was slow, the people were nice, and the views were breathtaking. All of the cities are set into the mountainside overlooking the sea. The surrounding areas are made up of terraced grape and lemon tree vineyards. Dad would have loved to see their jet black soil. No wonder they can grow anything over there. We then went to Florence. The city of the Renaissance.


The highlight of this city was mixed for Jenny and me. Jenny would say it was the Ufizi gallery, an amazing collection of the most remarkable paintings of the Renaissance period. Or, she might say it was the Academia where we saw the David statue by Michelangelo. I, on the other hand, would say the highlight of that city was renting a scooter and cruising around the town. Scooter drivers are crazy in Florence and, besides the convenience of getting around the town, driving with those crazy drivers was awesome. Actually the real highlight of Florence for both of us was the gelato (Italian ice cream) I think we had gelato at least five times a day in Florence.

We then traveled to Voltera. Voltera is a castle town set in the heart of Tuscany.
It was as if we were back in time. The roads were cobble stone and narrow. The shops were quaint. The people didn't speak English, and the food was unbelievable.

The best part about Voltera was driving through the countryside to get there. We arrived just before dark and the city was all lit up. It was as if we were driving up to a medieval castle.

We went from Voltera down to Rome. We finished our trip with two days in Rome. Rome is unbelievable. It is ancient city meets big city. We ate in great squares and saw amazing buildings. We saw the Coliseum, the Pantheon and the Vatican. We listened to an Italian opera in St. Mary's Cathedral. There was so much to see and do in Rome. I have to say that our entire trip turned out perfect. Our planes were on
time, our luggage got there in one piece, our GPS lead us to every place we needed to go; and, for the most part, the weather was great. I must say that the best part of the trip for me was just simply being with Jenny. She is so much fun to be with. We have been married now ten years, and every year gets better and better. I absolutely love being with her, and going to Italy together was amazing. We will blog again soon. Love Jason, Jenny and Kids