Itlalian Vacation...Day One

May 24th

We arrived in Rome at 8:30 in the morning.

Our 8 hour and 45 minute flight was great.

Once we went through customs we were met by our driver who's name I can not remember at the moment to give you correct spelling of name but in English he would be Albert.Very handsome young man.

He was in a long line of drivers waiting top pick their guest up....I went up to him and said...

I think you belong to us.

Here with our driver (and guide for the day)...we stopped on the other side of Naples and took this picture of Mt Versus and the Bay of Naples in the back ground.

Mt Versus is an active volcano and if and when it decides to blow it would wipe out the whole city of Naples.

We stopped in Sorrento and had lunch at a beautiful beach side restaurant where we had food and wine suggested by Albert...the wine was wonderful.

apparently Octopus is a staple here...no worries...I won't be trying it!

 Lonnie and I enjoying our view and wine as we take time out for lunch on our journey to Positano

Once we left lunch we stopped in a historic part of Sorrento to do a little shopping...it was beautiful but surprisingly a little hot.

 Above is the main street center of town

and below a market selling lemons...yes lemons....they are huge here.

 sandal makers are everywhere

 we then headed out for Positano along the winding road which is the beginning of what is called The Amalfi Coast.

 Pictures don't do it justice but it was a little hazy out.

And below is a fruit stand along the winding road...there is barely room for cars to drive on let alone a stand along side of the road....but this is what we want to do....move to Italy and live a modest life and sell fruit.

 in the distance the town of Positano...where we will call home for the next 10 nights.

 The view from our terrace

 and the beach

 Enjoying the view as we have our third bottle of wine for the day.

Today was a long travel day that we had already planned once we arrived at our villa to relax that evening and just stay in.

 Today was my cousin Lonnie's birthday...months before heading off for this trip I had been working on 3 Shutterfly books of our last travels to Italy...I had planned to give this to her for her birthday while here in Italy again as we sat on the terrace drinking wine....and that's what happened.

 She loved them...we cried...great birthday!

 We enjoyed the evening on the terrace until I fell asleep...it was so nice and relaxing and the sounds of the town were lovely to listen to.

I think I could stay here forever!

Woke up and headed to bed....need my rest...tomorrow we see Albert for our tour of 

The Amalfi Coast.

Until then....

Liam Graduates

Last night Liam graduated Pre-K

He looks so handsome in his suit and cap.

Liam is the clown...

while the principal started with a story that went

"When I was a little girl"

 Liam immediately covered his face with his cap and yes....

he got a few laughs

with his cookie bouquet that his mommy (Jenn) and I went in together and got for him.

So proud of you Liam!

Grandma Loves You!

Tayler Graduates

Tayler graduated pre-school this past Friday May 16th...my beautiful grand-daughter will start Kindergarten in fall....my how time just keeps slipping away.

 Tayler had a solo during graduation...she was just perfect.

 Flowers for the star graduate from her Muggy

and with Colton below...love these grand-babies!

Congratulations Tayler...so proud of you!

 Muggy Loves You!

Love Run A Muk

Well this post will not turn out as I intended it to be...I downloaded a lot of pictures and made several collages out of them to make my post without having so many pictures to go through....

they were saved to my computer and now they are gone...it took me hours to do and I am not doing that again...so I pulled together some pictures and this will have to do.

So upset!

It was April 18th...went out to Bud and Teri's for a pre-wedding celebration at their bay house...drinks, bbq and had a great time celebrating two special people.

Below the happy couple

Teri and Bud

Myself and Teri

Friends since 1970-something!

Love her!

 They had great entertainment....a friend of Bud's from school days.

Next time I have a party and need music, he will be the man.

Next day April 19th

Teri and Bud become One....what a special day.

That evening there was a celebration on the beach (we were in Matagorda)

was a beautiful day after all that cold weather we had...

as the sun began to go down we had a bon-fire

New friends were made

 and more new friends...was a great day

 Below myself and Laura (my ex-sister in law) but always my friend...

she joined me for the wedding and the honeymoon cruise we were about to embark on.

There was a set number of people invited to a small wedding celebration and then those to join and celebrate with a week long cruise with stops in Honduras, Belize and Cozumel

On Sunday April 20th we embarked on The Carnival Magic

 on the balcony of our ocean suite leaving Galveston

 That evening after boarding we all met for a ship wedding reception and then dinner in the main dining room...afterwards we took pictures around the ship....heres one of my favorites with my bestie Stacy...Oh...and Stacy and Albert joined us for the honeymoon cruise...our rooms were just 2 doors down from each other.

Our first port was Honduras...we took this gondola type ride across to the beach area and hung out and had drinks until it was time to do our zip lining.

YES...zip lining...those that know me well know I don't like heights and things that could break and fall etc...like this gondola ride was a little freaky.

 Zip lining was okay...I'm glad I did it but I will never do it again...I never relaxed...always scared...my hands hurt so bad from having a death grip on 13 different lines.

 A view from the gondola sky ride and me below having a little fun...I like fun on the ground.

Our second port was Belize

Bud, Teri, myself, Laura, Stacy and Albert.

We just stayed in port, had a view drinks, did a little shopping and then headed back to the ship and hung out in the pool while everyone was in port.

Great day!

Our next port was Cozumel...we went to a place called Mr Sancho's.\It was a very cool beach resort.

We relaxed, we drank, we ate, we had a fish pedicure where little fish eat the dead skin off your feet..

Laura rode a horse on the beach, I played with parrots (another thing that freaks me out...haha) and then Stacy and Laura rode a jet ski while Albert and I just chilled.

 We had a great time on the ship...made new friends...enjoyed our waiters we had every night...it was a fun filled week...thanks for the memories Teri, Bud, Laura, Stacy, Albert and to the new friends I made.