Happy Valentine's Day!



Valentine's day is a favorite time for our family, and, this year was no exception.



The girls made paper Valentines and Valentine cookies,

 

and shared Valentine love and fun with Florence friends and family.



This year, we even shared a special, Valentine sky.





In true Italian style, a festival came to Florence during the week of Valentine's Day, bringing balloons, puppet shows, and...



ITALIAN CHOCOLATE! 

There were chocolate cell phones, and strawberries, duomos and coffee cups.



Chocolate pasta, chocolate lady bugs,

  

...chocolate locks and chocolate faucets!



Most exciting for us was watching this medievil flag core of Florence.

 



                                        Their costumes and performances were spectacular....

 

...helping to make this a Valentine's day to remember.

Happy Valentine's Day and lots of love to you!

Sometimes

One day this fall, a Gonzaga student captured our family on film as we began our sabbatical year in Florence.

 

Since the beiginning, Joe has loved Florence and loved that we are here together. He never forgets it.

Carla loves the slow life here, the slow food and the slow pace. She never wants to forget it.



Both Sophia and Josephine have missed friends and moving on to middle school with them. But, sometimes, they forget it.



Even though most of our days are full of ordinary moments, we never get tired of what is beautiful and special here.

Every so often, we get tired of being each others best friends in Florence or having this intense experience as a family together. 

 

But, usually, the unique way that we are a family here is the most special thing of all.

We won't forget being a family like we have this year,

in Florence, together.