Italy 2012 Week 2

The second week in Italy, we met up with friends from our neighborhood and did a bike tour through other parts of the Tuscany and Umbria region. I wasn't sure how much I was going to be able to ride being 7 1/2 months pregnant, but I ended up surprising myself and rode a total of about 70 miles in five days. My longest day on the bike was 31 miles and ended at the Arno River! I really felt good the entire trip and felt very blessed. We rode mainly on small country roads with little traffic. We stayed in a few larger towns like Arezzo and Cortona, but mostly spent our time along the rolling hills and fields of Tuscany, all beautiful and picturesque.

Day 1 at the agricultural farm/hotel where we stayed for two nights, country living at its best

The pool was breathtakingly beautiful and so refreshing after the heat and sweat of the day

Stopping for lunch in another small town, this was my 23 mile day

Another small town stop for food and water, GuanPaulo (GP), is in the photo with us, he was the guide who drove the van and took very good care of me and everyone else, he was really like the Mother Hen of the group

Out in the countryside looking out over olive groves and castles in the background

This was at the end of my 31 mile day, Cristiano is holding up the "W"s for because he called me WonderWoman...Italians aren't comfortable with pregnant women on bicycles

The Arno River and Bridge in the background is said to be the same background you see in the Mona Lisa painting, this was the reward at the end of my 31 miles.

We passed by fields and fields of these ball of hall or rolbolitas

In Arezzo, we got to see the locals practice their jousting for their upcoming Medieval Festival

This photo was taken as Brian and some from the group climbed up to one of the hill towns on the optional loop. Brian was so good to stay with me, but I know he really enjoyed his time, usually after lunch, when I'd ride in the van.

This was my 5 mile day. I got my photo with the infamous rolbolita, and enjoyed air conditioning and Italian lessons in the van with GP. The weather was unusually hot, 100 degrees most days with 80 to 90 percent humidity.

After a long day of riding, we found ourselves in the beautiful hill town of Cortona.

This was our last day on the bikes, a 23-mile day for me.

We rode past our first blooming fields of sunflowers on Day 5. The Italian government pays farmers to plant sunflowers for the main purpose of tourism. Due to a cool Spring, most of the sunflowers hadn't bloomed yet.

These were our guides from left to right: GP, Cristiano, Massimo...they were so fun and took really good care of us!

The Van, need I say more.

Italy 2012 Week 2

Brian and I had a great time in Italy. We flew into Rome, rented a car, and then made our way up through Tuscany. We visited hill towns like Volterra and Montalcino and saw and climbed the leaning tower of Pisa, we spent an afternoon in Siena and a day in Lucca, riding around the old town on rented bicycles. We spent two days in Florence, we saw Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Birth of Venus, we toured the Medici palaces and fortress and saw the frescos of Fra Angelico...all amazing.

Bagnoregio Di Civita, this hill town is so old that the only access to it today is the footbridge you see behind Brian

The main square in Siena where the Palio horse races take place every July

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The marble stairs going up the Leaning Tower

Brian at the top of the Leaning Tower, it leans at a 15 percent angle and we could feel the lean as we climbed

I feel the tower leaning, scary

Brian on his cruiser in Lucca

Lucca's rampart walls surround the old city...we rode our bicycles on top in their green space/park

Brian in Florence, our hotel in the background

Palazzo Vecchio or The Medici Town Hall/government building where the Medici's ruled Florence from

Florence on an early Monday morning

Baby Boys!

My Mom and I threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law Autumn last week. The celebration turned out really nice and it was really fun catching up with family.

Autumn is expecting a little boy in early August. She is a month ahead of me as our baby boy is expected at the end of August. These two boy babies will not only be close cousins, but are considered Irish twins. We are so excited for Autumn and Andrew! They are going to be amazing parents.

My Dad Is An...

IRONMAN... Brian finished the race with flying colors. The pro-athlete who came in first said the St. George course was the hardest he had done in all 45 of his Ironmans...unfavorable conditions in the swim and high gusting winds during segments of the bike course made the course especially difficult.

Sand Hollow Reservoir

The shore...it was an early morning with a 7 a.m. swim start time

The start, before the windstorm

 The swimmers started off in flat water, 5 minutes into the swim, the wind started blowing...boats were pulling scared and exhausted swimmers out of the 3 and 4 foot swells. Each swimmer had to finish the 2.4 mile swim within an allotted amount of time or be disqualified...more then 400 athletes didn't finish the swim.

After the swim and he still has a smile on his face

I was more then relieved to see Brian come out of the swim/bike transition...he even had a smile on his face while he chowed down a peanut butter and honey sandwich...I teared up at this point as we cheered him on. The kids were freezing and were happy to see Brian safe and onto the bike so they could go back and get in the bus.

My Dad came along and ended up being my quiet strength, chauffeur, and support throughout the race. He was great to be around, and patient with the kids and with me and all of our emotions and mood swings! Thanks Dad, you are the best! Brian's Dad Gary and Grandma Maurine took Sadie for us for the weekend! It was a long day and would have been really difficult with Sadie. Thank you Gary and Maurine! We appreciate you!

We saw Brian pass on the bike course while we sat down in the shade in the town of Ivins. He was in the aero position and bound and determined to finish the 112 miles within the allotted time. He was gearing up for his second loop when we saw him come through town.

Brian is in the back left, silver helmet, down in the aero, Ivins

 The run was the most fun to watch as we caught sight of Brian 4 times as he made his loops through town...he always looked comfortable, relaxed and happy and was actually having fun out there. What an example he was to me and the kids in setting a goal and accomplishing it. We are so proud of him!

Waiting on the run course

More Waiting

The Finish Line on Tabernacle Street in St. George, Utah

After

Brian finished his race in just over 15 hours. He is our IRONMAN.

Ironman St. George 2012

He has been training religiously, 5 a.m. mornings, 6 days a week, for the past 5 months! He is ready and we will cheer him on! If you'd like to follow Brian on Saturday (tomorrow) go to: Ironmanlive.com
Enter his race #753. The race starts at 7 a.m. MST.

2.4 Mile Swim, 112 Mile Bike, 26 Mile Run!

Ironman St. George here we come! Brian is already there and I am headed down this afternoon.

The kids worked on this last night.

Music and Flowers

Maggie had her piano recital in early April and played two pieces. She surprised me the morning of the recital with a fully memorized piece "Wish Upon A Star." I was really proud of her and she nailed both of them in the recital.

Maggie, sitting at the Steinway in the recital hall

Last weekend we headed to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. The flowers were breathtaking and the evening was so warm and mild that it felt like summer, even the bugs were out.

The kids had a day off of school on Monday and so we headed to see the Spring animals at Wheeler Farm. It was the hottest day of the year, 86 degrees, but it felt more like 100. Sadie enjoyed feeding the ducks and chasing the geese. Maggie and Sam happened upon a mother goose protecting her eggs. They snapped dozens of photos of the white eggs.

feeding the ducks and geese...

The infamous eggs...

and the geese

The belly is getting bigger