Finally After 18 years!

November 1st was our 18th wedding anniversary and for the first time we went away BY OURSELVES!  With young kids and always living away from family we've never felt really comfortable going away.  Darin has counted our 3rd anniversary trip to Hawaii, before kids, as every anniversary since.  He says it counts because it was such a good trip.  It was good, but we'd gotten such a good deal it turned into a whole family trip.  All of the Fawcett's went on our anniversary trip.  Best of all, one of Darin's good buddies used a buddy pass for the airlines and flew over for the trip as well.  He stayed on the extra bed IN OUR ROOM.  I really do think that Hawaii is awesome, but honestly to count that as an anniversary trip for 15 years is kind of a stretch even for the cheapskate. 

 

Last year we took a step in the right direction and took a trip to Luxembourg for the day, while leaving Davis to watch the kids.  It was great!  This was even better.  We have some friends in our Branch, the Burke's, and the kids love them...better than me most of the time.  So they offered and we jumped at the chance to go somewhere by ourselves. 

 

Cochem is only about 2 hours away on the Mosel River.  We have wanted to check it out, but it is a little long for a day trip only.  Fall is beautiful in Germany, so the drive was about as amazing as you can get.  We visited 2 castles in the area, ate dinner in peace, and completely enjoyed ourselves.  As I was talking about how great it was to be just together (strange BUT really great) Darin reminded me that next year when we move and aren't living in Europe (no announcement yet) I'll be lucky to get Chuck-A-Rama...He's going to count this one for then next 20 years at least.  What a romantic.   Although Europe will be tough to top.

 

Cochem city square

 

Cochem Castle and the yellow grape leaves. 
The Mosel is the wine region of Germany.

 

 

 

Pathway to the castle.  Dragon railing.

 

 

 

 

Looks like a frog, but is actually a lion with a knights helmet on and closed.
At least that is what the guide told us.

 

Wine cellar.  We like to buy the grape juice from the local area.

German dinner of goulash, potatoes, and pickled red cabbage (rot kohl). 

 

Our hotel

Me standing on the balcony of our room.

Burg Eltz
Looks like a fairy tale as you walk down to it.

18 years and counting.

 

 

Pizza and the rest of Rome

Pizza bought by weight- weight by pizza not person.
100 grams is about a normal portion.  200 grams if you are a starving teen.

 

Hot Dog (I think it was some kind of wurst actually) and French fries.
Popular with the boys, but looked yucky to me.

On the wall right behind Noah and Christian is a huge painting of a naked lady.  I commented on it being "fine artwork" and Darin reminded me that it wasn't any different than what we'd been seeing in all the museums all day. 

Now this is how pizza should be cooked!

 

This is the best kind of Italian pizza!  Super thin crust. 
However, because of the super thin crust, this is about a serving for 1.

 

Noah and a cute little car.  He even made sure to give his collar the European flip. 
Notice the trash around the car, Italy is not a super clean place. 
When we get home from our travels-Germany, the cleanest place, always feels like washing your hands after being at the grocery store.

The place we rented in Rome.  Our apartment was the one on the first floor.

Cinque in Rome

Rome was our longest vacation in one spot.  Usually we are moving from one city or country to another.  It was really nice to see Rome and all the sites without being rushed.  "CINQUE?!" (5?!) was what we heard everywhere we went in the city.  "Congratulations."  The Italians were shocked that one family would have so many children.  We were looked at and watched everywhere.  You can even see the lady in the train still looking out at us.

Waiting for the metro to go to church.

Church
It took a long metro ride, a bus ride, and a walk to find the church.  We arrived just in time for it to be OVER.  The church website had the time wrong and so we arrived just when it finished.  Took a great deal of time and lots of frustration, for nothing...except to teach our children that we go to church whenever we can.

 

Peter in Chains Cathedral

(San Pietro in Vincoli)

 This church was rebuilt around 432-440 to hold the relics for the chains that bound St Peter.

 



 

The chains that were used to chain up the apostle Peter. 

 

 Moses by Michelangelo

Sitting and waiting as usual.

 

 

 The National Roman Museum

The Boxer

An amazing sarcophagus all carved from one piece of marble.

The Discus Thrower(s) 

Some of my favorite pictures that really show the personalities of my kids.

Gladiators?!

The Colosseum is huge!  Darin kept pointing out that the building was built for the sole purpose of holding fights for entertainment.  Massive.  We had watched a movie about the Colosseum and the gladiators, so the kids were excited.

 

Excitement has worn off about now.  This is what the kids looked like while hanging out waiting for Darin and I to finish with the audio tour.

Relaxing on the ruins.

 

 

Eating outside while the little boys ran around pretending to be Gladiators fighting everyone around them.

 



 

The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill 

 

Jag making dragons in the dirt everywhere we go.  Hard to tell that he is interested in what we are seeing.

I haven't a clue what this pose is about.

Or this pose

 

Bug hunting. 
He is such a funny kid.  Makes his own fun where ever we may be. 
Look up Jag, Look up.