"And, Away We Go!"

Mitch and I are heading to Disneyland on Saturday next, with Todd and Laura, and their 4 little ones. I am so excited to be able to go with the newest grand kids. We had the opportunity to go with both of my girls and their families 5 years ago, and now it is time to go with the newest grands.
I loved being at Disneyland with my Steph and Laura when they were young.....they got so excited, and everything was so real to them, as it was for me when I was young.
I remember as a kid thinking that the guns in the Pirates of the Caribbean were real, so I would scrunch down in my seat or hide behind my brother, hoping to not get shot. I remember another ride that looked like you were going to be shrunk to a very tiny being, and then blasted off to Mars in a rocket ship. I really remember being scared the first time I went on it!! I still remember the magic of seeing Cinderella's Castle for the first time, and I remember trying to pull the Sword out of the Stone.
I can remember that my dad would get us spinning so fast in the Tea Cups, that my head would fall back and I could hardly pull it forward we were going so fast, and now my husband does the same thing! And who can forget Peter Pan's Flight? The town of London looks so real, as you fly over it in your sailing ship.
There truly is something magical about Disneyland........the fairy lights in the trees, the scent of Churros on the air, the music of Disney (which you will notice is playing as you read this), the Electric Light Parade, and of course, the different characters walking about (well......Disney characters, not the people kind!), even the parking lots are special.
We plan to stay at the Grand Californian Hotel that is located in Disney's California Adventure Park. With 2 babies and a toddler, it will be nice to have our hotel close by, just in case naps are in order! I have always wanted to be able to stay at the park, so it should be great fun.

"Run Marci.....Run"

You know the saying that goes something like this......"Its heck getting old?" Or....."Getting old is for the birds?" Well, I quite agree. Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change what I know today, with an 18 year old. Now, if I could retain what I have learned so far in life, and have an 18 year old body again, I just might go for it!

Mitch and I have packed on a few pounds over the last five years, and we both knew it was time to do something about it. So what did we decided to do? Run a Marathon!! That's right a Marathon, in October!! Now, before you say that we are crazy, please know that we will not be running a full Marathon. Mitch is training to run a half Marathon and I am training to run the one that is only 3 miles long.

I have to tell you that I do not like to run, it is not something that I have ever liked to do. My idea of exercise is a brisk walk through the woods, listening to the birds and squirrels chatter away, or maybe a nice long bicycle ride down by the river, or a hike up a beautiful mountain, enjoying the wildflowers and the view.

I lost 7 pounds last year while in Greece and Italy (even though I ate like a pig!), since we walked everywhere we went, so I know that exercise is a good thing.

Anyway.....we decided that running will be the thing to do. We began to train in June, and the first thing we did was loose some weight. I am so proud of Mitch......he has lost 25 pounds already!! He only has a few more to go to reach his goal weight. I didn't have as much weight to loose as he did, but I am well on my way to reaching my goal. And, no I am not going to tell you how much I weigh, don't you know that it is not polite to ask a girl her weight (or her age!)?

Of course, Mitch can already run 2-and-a-half to 3 miles without stopping.

I love watching him run.....he has a smooth gait, with a little bounce to his step, he makes it look so easy. I on the other hand do not have a smooth gait, in fact I keep telling Mitch that I run like a lumbering ox! He on the other hand keeps telling me that I do not look like an ox. He tells me that I have a runners body.......long legs and a shorter torso, but I can't even run 1 mile without having to walk some of it, so I will just have to trust him on this! Did I tell you that I don't like to run?

Mitch keeps encouraging me to continue on, he really thinks that I can do this. He keeps reminding me of the time that I ran a Marathon with him, and I remind him that it was 20 years ago, and that I was 10 pounds lighter.........and then I remind him again, that I don't like to run!! And, he keeps telling me to, "Stop whining like a mule?" Maybe he should change that to, "Quit whining like a lumbering ox?"

il bello Venezia

We were talking to some friends the other day, reminiscing about our trip to Greece and Italy last fall, and I realized that I hadn't finished sharing our Overseas Adventure.......so, here is the first instalment of the rest of the story.

We spent the last three days of our vacation in Italy, and if I do say so myself, these were my favorite days of all.

We spent a day in Florence, a day in Venice, and a day in Rome. Of course, only having a day meant that we could only see a portion of each city, but I enjoyed it none the less.

Of the three cities, my favorite by far was Venice......the canals with gondolas sailing up and down, and the old brick bridges that allowed us to walk over them. The ancient and beautiful buildings, with vines trailing from the roofs, and moss growing on the walls. The narrow cobblestone pathways that twist and turn throughout the city, with the scent of the sea on the air.

After a day of exploration, we enjoyed a late supper at a restaurant that we discovered was a favorite of the locals. The interior of the place was an experience I won't soon forget......dark wood paneling and stucco walls, yellowed with age......chunky wooden tables and mismatched dining chairs......the scent of wine and garlic, seafood and coffee......a family eating a birthday supper together, complete with gifts and a cake......there was even a dog resting under one of the tables waiting for its owners to finish dinner. The food was some of the best I have ever tasted........the freshest seafood and a juicy steak, with the ever present side of homemade pasta. We had a coffee and walked back to our hotel in the romantic light of beautiful wrought iron lamps.

The next morning, after breakfast, we headed to Piazza San Marco, where we boarded a water taxi (there are no motor vehicles in Venice) and headed to the train station to catch the early train to Rome.