Top 5 Things I Miss

   I can't believe that we have been living in Italy for 3 months as of today! Time has gone by so fast. I really, really like it here, but miss quite a few things from back home. Here are the top 5 things that I miss most:

1. My family and friends. It's so hard to see them doing things together when I'm so far away and can't be there too. Good thing for Facebook and Face Time because I am able to keep in touch with them!

2. The food. I would love to eat anything other than Italian food, Popeye's, and Taco Bell. Besides what I cook, that's what we eat around here. I  miss Chinese and Mexican food, Chick-fil-A, and Whataburger!

3. The stores. Target, Pier one, and Hobby Lobby to name a few! Those stores were my favorite and I miss them so much. Good thing they shop to APO! Along with this, I miss regular store hours.

4. Running the air conditioner 24/7. Electricity is really expensive here, so they recommend leaving the windows open and only using the AC at night. We have used it less than 10 times since we have been in our house {almost 2 months}... and it can get pretty hot. Thank God for fans!

5. Cable TV and DVR. We have an AFN box with 11 American channels, but it's not the same. The internet is pretty slow too, so streaming movies and shows can take a while. 

      We are so lucky to here here though, so I can easily deal with missing those things.... except for my family! They better come see us soon ;)

Sottomarina Beach

    Since a couple weekends ago our trip to the beach had to be cancelled because of rain, we knew we wanted to try and go this past weekend. On Friday night, we packed our bags and finalized our plans with our friends to leave first thing Saturday morning. We left our house by 6:15 and met our friends at a gas station between our two houses. There was a bar {coffee shop} in the same parking lot, so Aaron grabbed us some breakfast for the road.

 My cappuccino and croissant filled with custard. It was so good!

Every Girl Loves a New Pair of Shoes

   Especially when her little man gets a pair {sort of} like hers too!

 Mommy and baby Toms.

    Connor has outgrown almost all of his shoes. The only ones that fit him are his sandals {which Aaron hates because they make his feet smell not so nice} and water shoes. I bought him a brand new pair of Stride Rite sneakers before we moved, but they were packed in our stuff and by the time they got here they were too small. I have been wanting to get him a pair of Tom's because they slide on so easily and are just plain adorable, but wasn't sure what size to order him. When a friend told me they had some for little boys at the PX, I knew I had to check them out. They had a few colors, but my favorite were the tan ones. Luckily they had his size... 7! I can't believe how big his feet are! He has plenty of room for his feet to grow, so hopefully they will last a while. Once I picked out his shoes, I went to look for me. I have been wanting a pair of black flats and they had some in the same brand as Connor's. So I happily put them in my basket :) We got lucky shoe shopping today!

Nobody Likes Giving a Dog a Bath

    Well you may, but I don't! Since we have a dog that's terrified of water, it's a chore that we like to put off until it's absolutely necessary. Kylie hasn't had a bath since we moved to Italy, so that means she was way overdue! We used to get her groomed monthly at a doggy spa, but unfortunately that's changed since we've moved.  Now, we are on our own and today was the day. Why today? Just look at her paws...

They turned green from walking through wet/freshly cut grass.

Connor: Fifteen Month Check-Up

    Right after Aaron and I jumped out of the tower at GI Jane Day, we rushed right across the street to the clinic for Connor's 15 month check-up. It was Connor's first time being seen at this clinic since we moved to Italy. I like the clinic here a lot more. It is much newer and there was a really fun area for Connor to play in. The rooms were also a lot bigger and had cute themes. However, I like his old nurse and pediatrician more. They seemed more talkative and interactive with Connor.