Happy Birthday Ethan!

We can't believe it's been 2 years since Ethan was born. The time has flown by! He's such a wonderful, energetic, fun-loving BOY. And he is ALL BOY!! He loves anything with firetrucks, tractors, and moving parts. He especially likes to terrorize his big sister and pull her hair (but we are working on that)! It's been so amazing to see just how different he is from Allison as he grows up. Even though he isn't a baby anymore, he'll always be my baby!

Ethan's birthday, 1-26-07

To celebrate, we had the Smith and Tucker families over for a brunch party yesterday. It was lots of fun!

We love you Ethan!

The Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica and square.

Yesterday we hit the road early for a day trip to the Vatican with our good friends, the Smiths. It was a perfect day: almost no clouds with temperatures reaching nearly 60 degrees. After the 2+ hour drive, the kids were just a ball of energy.

Enter Saint Peter's Square, which provided the perfect setting for the kids to play catch and chase pigeons while the parents took pictures and found an opportunity to have adult conversation. Next, we headed to a "little known" attraction - the Sistine Chapel. To say it was breathtaking is a gross understatement. As we stood in awe of the magnificent frescoes, Ethan just happened to have some fruit snacks (which equals a few minutes of silence), and Allison curiously looked around before asking with an air of disappointment, "where is the play area?" So, Michelangelo impressed two out the four Bleichers today.

Despite eating their way through the day, the kids hurried us back to St. Peter's Square to have a picnic lunch. Yes, we can now say that jello pudding snacks and cheese sticks have been consumed in St. Peter's Square.

After strolling up and down the banks of the nearby Tiber River, we found an ice-skating rink and spent a while watching the skaters navigate the fast-melting ice while listening to the Beastie Boys. We headed back to the car, loaded up, and headed back to Naples. All in all, not a bad way to spend the day!

The magnificent ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Caroline's great shot of us!

One of the awe-inspiring chambers in the Vatican Museum.

Sorrento

Wednesday we pushed everyone out of the house early to make the 1-hour drive to Sorrento, a beautiful, albeit touristy, cliffside town across the Bay of Naples. We had explored Sorrento before, but had to show Michelle and Richard the great shops, classic 4-star hotels, orange & lemon groves, and delicious limoncello (a lemon liqueur made locally in Sorrento). Gega's jaw dropped when we explored the Grand Hotel Excelsior Victoria, one of the most exquisite hotels in southern Italy. All in all, it was another great day trip!

Ethan in Sorrento