what happened?

Pinterest happened.

Sorry 'bout that.

And right now I would love for someone to come make me all that crazy wonderful food I see pinned there today.  Like the buffalo chicken grilled cheese maybe.

But on a side note...

It's Erin's 7th birthday today!  My baby is growin' up!

And just kidding about the "side note" bit.  She is NO side note.  Really.  I totally gave her sugar cereal for breakfast and had a banner up AND sent Lofthouse cookies in with her to school.  ('cause I'm not allowed to do homemade or I totally would have.)  I also would have taken them in myself but she's growing up and wanted to do it on her own.
Then, when she was safely settled in her class with the teacher she LOVES and her best bud Ireland, I sighed, dabbed my eye, drove home and pinned a few AWESOME prints I found to my ART board.

Oh!  and Nash turned 12 last month!  Woo Hoo!  My big boy.  Love that guy.  Sure do.  He doesn't like butter.  (Is that not the BIGGEST tub of margarine you've ever seen?  Blows my mind.  My mom set this out for his dinner as a joke.  He's a good sport.)

So.  You're all caught up.  Except...oh yeah.  It's getting cold here.  Well, in the mornings it's cold.  Brrrr.  Makes for a more difficult time talking myself into heading out doors for a run.  But, it's gotta be done.  I've got a couple 1/2 marathons coming up this winter.

I don't know why.
It's just...I'd rather eat donuts.



I guess that's why.



*um.  I really am punctuation/grammar inept.  I have no clue where things go.  Hopefully it's not too painful to get through.  Sorry Heidi.*

shame on me

No picture.  I just want to tell you about it but you don't have to actually see my shame.


We went to the beach this weekend and I didn't put sunscreen on the kids.
I KNOW!  I didn't think we would really be out there very long because we were just passing time until Dad got back from his Triathlon thing.  


But the beach sun is brutal.


My poor kids are burnt up.


I feel the worst about Carter.  He had a swim shirt on so his shoulders are fine but his adorable face is red red red.  I prayed it would fade to tan by Monday so his teachers wouldn't see how neglectful I was.  


Then, this is a sad part, I got an email reminding us that Picture Day is tomorrow.


Sunburned faced Carter to be immortalized in 5th grade photo form.
My shame, captured for all time.  


Erin said I was a "good mom in a bad way.  No, I mean a bad mom in a good way.  I mean..."


sigh.


We had a blast though.  The sunburns didn't really set in till the drive home.  So while we were at the beach we had SO MUCH FUN!


I hope they remember that part.
Other than the 5th grade school picture evidence I might be able to brain wash them by just showing the fun pictures to them year after year and swiftly changing the subject if "sunburn" is mentioned.  
"Don't be silly.  We had a BLAST!"


Maybe if we went to the beach more often I would have practice on beach sun care.
That is the key I think.


Back to the beach!


After they heal.


Shame on me.

bounty

Call me Farmer Corrie!

I planted a garden.

Brian helped.  Actually, Brian did everything to get it started.

But I kept it going!  I watered faithfully and harvested the goods.

Something I had NOTHING to do with however was the 7 blackberry bushes at the top of our lot.

I knew there were some berries there, but we had only seen a handful at a time the years previous.

This year was something out of a dream.

We went up one day to see quite a trove of blackberries.

We could go up everyday and fill a large bowl.  And they were so sweet!  

It was awesome.

This was just one day of gathering.

Ohh the cantaloupe was so yummy.  I couldn't believe we actually grew one.  

It was real live cantaloupe!

It was fun.  I think we learned some things for next year.  

Like an irrigation system that isn't me holding a hose every day.  

I got stung by some angry looking red scary wasps.

Man.  That hurt.

Yes sir.

Farmer Corrie.

"You've got dirt on your nose. Did you know? Just there."

Ahhh.  The fancy new tricks a friend can teach you.

Thanks E!  That was a good one!

ruins

This is at the Colosseum which wasn't even called the Colosseum when it was being used for what it was being used for.  It was called...uh...something else.  

Anyway.  I do remember that people started calling it the Colosseum because of the HUGE statue that was moved next to it of Nero? I think.  The statue was called the Collosus.  I think... 

Well...never mind.  No history lesson for you.  

The sun was in my eyes and super bright so it was a kind of "I'm going to look down and hurry take the picture when I look up and open my eyes for the second of time I can possibly keep them open" type picture.  And I'm standing in front of...uh...ruins.  

Crumb.

Palentine Hill?  Hmmm...

Oh Wait!  This was on Palentine hill where all the leaders and rich people lived and that is actually the Colosseum behind us which wasn't called the Colossem at the time it was being used for horrid stuff.  But I already told you that part.

Those trees are super cool though, eh?

Trevi Fountain.  Awesome.

I know something about this fountain that is cool but it just isn't coming to me...

Did you know I am getting pretty old.  I even make moaning noises when I stand up and stuff.  

I think I even need reading glasses.  gasp!

Do you recognize that place below?  Can you remind me what it is?

JUST KIDDING!  

I know this one.  It's at St. Peter's bascillica.  (right?)  

We're at the top of the dome.  It's windy.

Check out his feet.  He just finished putting those bad boys on.  

Zoom Zoom.

THIS BAKERY!  Was right outside our B&B.  It is in a little basement thing and my sister's rooms window opened to a courtyard that their back door opened onto and she smelled baked goods all the time.  YUM!

Our room had a bad toilet problem and smelled of sewer all the time.  But I kept the door closed and sprayed OUST all over and it was tolerable, I suppose.  

SO!

Have I convinced you to visit Rome?  I bet your interest is piqued.  

You'd like to learn all the cool stuff I alluded to, wouldn't you?

Well, that was on purpose.  If I told you all about it then you would have no reason to go.

What a disservice I would have done to you and the Rome tourism market.

You can thank me later.

*

Poof! It's Tomorrow!

Welcome to the second part of our vacation.  Did you forget?  


I know...it's been a month of tomorrows.


I have one word for my excuse.

CAMP!

I'll post pictures.  Tomorrow.

But for now!  ROME!!!

See there.  To the right.  Tortellini.  Mmmmm.  Hello Italy!

However!  There was more to Rome than tortellini.  I'll show you.

See.  I told you!

That Gnocci that Cally had was to DIE for.  It was a gnocci with pears.  THE best one we tried our whole trip.  And we tried a few.  For sure.

One more.  I forgot.  I don't know how, but I did.  For just a moment.

Soooo yummy.  I WISH you could see inside this Gelato shop.  There were counters that wound around the perimiter of the store and it was tearfully amazing to behold the colors and flavors and mayhem of customers trying to procure their treat.  

I just tried to find a picture in my sister Cassy's gallery thingy because her hubby was the trip photographer of sorts, but alas...no weaving counters of creamy goodness.

BUT I did find other goodness in the gallery.  

Back story:

We had just finished our trip to the Vatican.  Amazing.  Awesome.  You should go.

We were heading down this georgous staircase, well, it was a ramp actually, 

when the three sisters (me, Cally, and Cassy: seen in the Gelato picture above.) 

decided to stop and have a gander around.

Well,  Cally and I gandered but Cassy saw Seth with his camera and posed.  Cally and I didn't see him at all!  We were just being normal and natural.  Seriously.  

I think Cally spotted Seth about now.  and who is that long haired man?

I still haven't seen the camera.  So natural.  Ohhh...the long haired man stopped right by us.

He must think we are stunning and natural looking.  Mr. Curious Man.

He's done being snoopy.  And Cally has boot scooted out of there.  I wonder why?

He never even knew I was there.  A HA HA HA.  The fun that is Rome.

I'm glad I'm still alive.  Man.  Risky business being mischevious in a foreign country.

I hope you're not bored yet because I'd like to show you some photos where I am aware of the camers and looking pretty.

Like this one at the top of St. Peter's Bascillica.  

And these two:

And another:

And a quaint little triptic:

(I learned that word from watching a design show.  Triptic.  goruping of three.  I think that's what it means.)

What?!  We were being serious?  They should tell me the feeling to be protrayed in a photo shoot.  My interpretation of the moment was, I see, different, apart, unique.  

Not in this next photo however.  We adjusted our demeanor in unison to portray a more somber and serious tone. 

And another triptic that was result of a little misnderstanding, but turned out well in the end.

It was a lovely trip.  And our husbands were a lot of fun to have along.  Really!  

And Rome is lovely.  More than just food.  

Maybe I will show you the old cool stuff in my next post.

BY THE WAY~~!

Happy 200TH post!

awww.

It seems like only yesterday...

*

Jet Lag

Jet lag is by far NOT the most memorable part of the amazing trip I just took.  It IS however a big reason why it has taken me this long to post any pictures or remembrances.

Kicked My Bootie, it did.

But, I think I am fully recovered.  And other than the deep longing for the constant company of my traveling companions, the fantastic and adventurous food(and the search for it), and the amazing, awesome, history-laden sights...I am completely content.

I didn't take too many pictures.  My brother-in-law had a fantastic camera and was very diligent in capturing practically everything.

Here are some I did take with appropriate captions to inform and entertain.

Our first stop was Paris.  Oui.  Paris.  C'est magnifique.

This was our cute and comfy room at the Hotel Port Dorree.  

We dropped off our luggage and so as to not succumb to the fatigue that accompanies a 7 hour time change (4 am!!) we were ushered out the door for some sight seeing.

Yes, That's right!  La Tour Eiffel.  

Grand.

That is our travel group.  My two sisters, their husbands and Brian.  

Conan is taking a picture of his foot for his podiatrist.  It was a must do.

This was dinner at a place on the Champs Elysees after we checked out L'Arc de Triomphe. 

I can't remember what we ate.  

It was late late late.  But I think Brian has a cute look on his face. 

We saw a lot of cool stuff.  

La Louvre with the Mona Lisa.  Spent like, 4 hours there.  Maybe more.  

Sacre Coeur - a pretty white church on the top of a hill that is in a really neat artsy part of the city and was my sister Cassy's favorite area.

Notre Dame.  I like it there.

Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon's is entombed.  There is a museum called the Armory that is full of...guess...

Suits of Armor.  It was pretty cool.

Of course we couldn't leave Paris without a visit to the Chocolate museum.  

It was rumored we'd get free chocolate.  So off we went!  

We did get some free chocolate.  And some we had to pay for.  

We did find a great authentic french restaurant on kind of accident called

La Poule au Pot.  Chicken in a pot.

It was really neat.  

Cally got a hot breaded cheese wheel thing with raspberry jam that was sooo delicious.  

This is the street it was on.  That is Cassy watching someone eat at a different restaurant.  

Ours was the next one down, just below the round green sign.  

Cassy wore really cute clothes.

Well.  My bread is ready to be rolled into a loaf.  

(Because I'm blogging I try to do things that make me sound really awesome.  Like make bread.  Then you think I do it all the time, see?  You know...it's my life.)

And I've got to get the soup on.  It's cold outside.  60 degrees in Alabama in MAY!  Crazy.

But it will not last for long and I love this soup and will miss it over the summer.  

It's easy.  My effort goes to the bread.  Just kidding.  That's easy too.  

Not just cause I'm amazing and so adept at making bread.  It really is easy and the only bread I ever make.  Thanks to Heidi.  Try it.  Some times It looks like a slug, but it still tastes good.  

I'll fill you in on our second destination soon.  I'd like to say tomorrow, but we all know how that goes.

Au revoir!

*