Flight Suits and Fairytales: 2008

He Will Bring Us Goodness & Light

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! What a thrill it was to wake up this morning and know that there is only one more day until Christmas!! I love this day for many reasons; baking goodies for tomorrow's dinner, finally trying my hand at my Nana's pecan pie recipe, celebrating Chris's birthday tonight w/ a fancy-pants dinner that I will lovingly prepare, singing in worship at the Christmas Eve service, watching Home Alone & snuggling w/my sweet husband, and sneakily (is that a word??) filling stockings tonight so that Chris will be surprised tomorrow morning! But, all of those things pale in comparison to the real reason that tonight is special!

Now, I love surprises. Sometimes I love them so much that I can't stand to wait for the actual surprise, and I have to sneakily (there's that word again!) peak at whatever it is that is supposed to surprise me! Hey, at least I can admit it! But I can't imagine the glorious surprise that Mary must have felt when an angel told her that she would be the mother of Jesus. And on this day, so very long ago, the tired couple must have been huddling close in that inn, awaiting His magnificent arrival. The world changed the very next day. Nothing would ever be as it was. Instead of darkness and sin, God sent His only son so that the world could bask in "Goodness & Light".

"Glory to God in the highest, an on earth peace, goodwill towards men."

Luke 2:14

On this Christmas Eve, I wish for all of you the peace, joy, & love of this very blessed season.

~Amy

Abundant Sunday

Another week has flown by for us out here in England. The weather isn't quite as cold as it is back in Texas, and we actually had 3 consecutive days of sunshine (I know, VERY shocking!). The stores are starting to get busy, and the air is starting to hum with Christmas excitement! It's getting so close, I can hardly stand it! Here are my blessings for the week, along with some pics our home...thanks again for the suggestions about the card display, I LOVE it :)

1. That there is a Chili's in Cambridge that we can just pop on down to if we're feeling a little homesick!

2. Ben & Jerry's "American Dream" Ice Cream.

3. Skype...I just figured this out, and I love it! It was so fun to get to talk to my dad this afternoon "face to face"!

4. Heart-to-hearts w/ good friends.

5. Our first month of being completely DEBT FREE!! I'm telling you, Dave Ramsey ROCKS!

6. The movie "The Holiday". It came on AFN yesterday, and I loved it just as much as the first time I saw it.

7. Hot Chocolate on a cold day...nothing beats it :)

Our mini-tree w/ presents! AND, the cute card display!!

I hung a red ribbon between the two walls, and then used red/green/white paper clips to hang the cards...turned out super cute!

A Christmas Treat

Want a super easy, and super yummy Christmas treat recipe?? Well, here you go:

Ritz Cracker Goodies

30 or so Ritz Crackers (paired)

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bark (or you can use Chocolate Chips if you can't find bark)

Peanut Butter

Wax Paper

Put a little bit of Peanut Butter on your Ritz Crackers, and pair them up to make "sandwiches". Set aside. In a medium saucepan (I use a double boiler) melt your chocolate. When completely melted, dip your Ritz sandwiches in the chocolate until they are covered on both sides. Use a fork to remove, and set on wax paper to cool. Let them sit for about 30 minutes so that the chocolate can harden, and serve! Yum!

Books, Glorious Books!

I'm a bookworm, did ya know it?? Give me a good book, a snuggly place to sit, and a mug of hot chocolate and I'm in heaven! I've been known to read an entire book in a day...Jodi Piccoult can do it to me every time! So, I thought I'd throw out some of my favorite "feel good" books so that you might enjoy them during the holidays. Some of them are my favorite children's books, some are novels...but I promise that they will all bring a smile to your face, and a tear to your eye (a happy tear, of course!). There's nothing like transporting yourself to another place & time on a snowy (or in my case, foggy) evening.

This is a definite "must read". It's about an share-cropper (a modern day slave), and his physical, emotional & spiritual journey. He ends up in Ft. Worth (another reason I love this book!), where he meets his very own, personal angel. It's a true story, and I promise that you will LOVE it!

It looks like a Children's book, but really...it's not. It's a classic, and is full of Christmas truths. This is one I can read again and again...oh wait...I have!

This one is a Children's book, but it's so sweet that I just had to include it. The pictures are beautiful, and the story is precious. If you're a military family, like we are, I guarantee that you won't be able to get through this one without shedding at least one tear of gratitude :)

Another great Children's book. Can you tell I worked w/ kids for a LONG time?? If you've never read this book, you're missing out. It's such a good story about how we, sometimes, are the best "vessels" of Christ by just being ourselves, and recognizing the blessings that we have to offer.

Such a good "feel good" book. It's about a little girl who is searching for the mother that her heart longs for, and the wonderful women that she meets along the way. I can't wait to see the movie, too!

And, last but not least...this is the true story about a professor dying from Lou Gehrig's disease who shares his wisdom with his former student, the author, Mitch Albom. It's sad, and sweet, and a wonderful tribute to a great man.

Happy Reading and, as always, I'd love to hear about some of your favorite books!

Favorites

Have you ever wondered how those "Tag" emails/blogs get started? Who thinks up all of those fun questions? Where do they originate from? Hmmm, am I the only one who thinks about these things?? While pondering this perplexing question today, I decided to start one of my own! {I'm ignoring the groaning from the party poopers out there :)} Since I love Christmas (obviously), and I'd love to find out a few fun things about my friends, I thought I'd just combine those two things. Feel free to comment me back, or in true "Tag" form, you can just copy and paste my questions on your own blog! There's nothing like embracing the holiday cheesiness at its best :)

1. Favorite Christmas Song? (Thought I'd start out with an easy one!)

O Holy Night from "Home Alone"

2. Favorite Holiday Treat?

My Nana's Rocky Road Fudge...oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

3. How many Christmas's do you celebrate?

This year...1. When we're back in Texas...7 (yes, you read that correctly!)

4. Real or Fake Tree?

Fake, all the way baby! I'm don't have much of a green thumb, and a dead Christmas tree on Christmas morning just kind of puts a damper on the mood.

5. Anyone in your family have a Christmas birthday?

Yep...my sweet hubby!

6. Favorite holiday side dish?

Sweet Potatoes with cinnamon/pecan topping. No marshmellows for me, thanks!

7. Does it snow at Christmastime where you live?

Ehh, if we're really, really lucky we might see a few flakes (in Texas)

8. Wrapping Paper or Bags?

Little bit of both...I lean more towards paper though (not very green of me, I know!)

9. Favorite Christmas Tradition?

Reading the Christmas Story on Christmas morning, and going to the Candlelight Christmas Eve Service.

10. Favorite Christmas/Holiday memory?

Working at the Christmas Store for Mission Arlington w/ my Mom & Nana. They taught me the "true" meaning for Christmas.

Hope you enjoyed it! I can't wait to see your answers too!

Abundant Sunday

I can't believe that it's already Sunday again, it feels like this week has just flown by! I'm pleased to report that the annual Airman's Cookie Drive brought in a whopping 14,000 cookies this year...incredible! That's more cookies than has ever been collected, and we were even done sorting them all into cute bags (the elementary school kids decorated them) in just under 2 hours. Almost 12,000 of them will go to the single Airmen on base as a holiday treat, while the other 2,000 will be sent downrange to the guys & girls who will be spending their Christmas in the desert. What a huge success! If you want to get involved and send a little LOVE to the troops, visit this website sponsored by Xerox. I'm sure that they would love to hear some words of encouragement, especially during the holidays.

This weekend was spent relaxing and spending time with some of our good friends. What more can you ask for at Christmastime?? On Friday we attended our first party of the season. The theme was Feliz Navidad and we celebrated by indulging in some of my favorite food...Mexican! Amber even whipped up some of her wonderful sopapilla cheesecake, so yummy! And on Saturday, we went to eat with another couple (sans their kiddo's), and caught the movie "Four Christmas's". WHAT a funny movie!! Loved it! I hope that you all had a great weekend, and that you were all able to spend some quality time with those that mean the most to you.

Here are my Abundant Sunday blessings:

1. That Chris made it home safely from his deployment this year, and that we will get to spend Christmas & the New Year together.

2. My Nana's recipes. I dug them all out for Christmas and found that she had written sweet little comments on the back of each one. It was a sweet reminder of how much she loved my brother and I.

3. That my sis-in-law is a bona-fide counselor now!! Yay for her getting her Master's Degree!

4. Getting to see "Four Christmas's" with friends. Super funny movie, and a very fun way so spend an evening!

5. Apple Streusel from a box...surprisingly delicious :)

6. Another lazy Saturday.

7. Dave Ramsey & his envelopes...I'm sure I'll post more on this later!

PS ~ Thanks to all of you who suggested ways to display my Christmas Cards. I think I'll combine a few of your ideas together and see what I come up with! I'll post pics as soon as I'm done :)

Keep 'em coming...

I can't help but get a big smile on my face each time I see a personalized envelope sitting so merrily in my mailbox! I love every single thing about Christmas cards...the fact that someone (perhaps on the other side of the world) thought about Chris & I and wanted to send us a little holiday cheer, the beautiful pictures that capture the happy memories of our family and friends, the festive colors, and the sweet sayings. I'm looking for a really cute, crafty way to display them...got any suggestions? At the end of the season we make place-mats out of them (I'll post a pic when I complete them!), but I'm wanting to find a way to showcase them before then. If you have any crafty ideas, I'm all ears! AND, keep those cards coming...they make me smile :)

PS ~ Thanks to the Jen's for your suggestions of more songs! Unfortunately, playlist.com has not come to love Mr. Strait as I do, but I did find WHAM...gotta love it :)

Christmas Tunes!!

I finally figured out how to put music on my blog (I told you I was computer illiterate!), and what better to start out with than Christmas music!? One of my favorite Christmas traditions (when I'm in Texas, of course) is going to North Park Mall in Dallas with my mom, looking at all the wonderful decorations, shopping for last minute gifts, and listening to the Christmas music play overhead. I also like to go to the SPCA shop to look at the little puppies that need a good home, but we always ended up w/ a new dog when I did that, so I had to stop! Anyway, back to the music...

My favorite song of the season is "O Holy Night", but not just any version. I LOVE the one that they play in Home Alone where Kevin goes into the church...do you remember that scene? It was actually sung by the Trinity High School Choir (I just love Google!), and it is the most gorgeous arrangement of it that I have ever heard. Unfortunately, I can't find it on the little playlist finder thing, so I chose another good one from Home Alone, "Carol of the Bells". Sounds like I'm a little obsessed with that movie, huh? I'm really not, I just love the sound of a choir singing, and I think that this particular choir just sounds so angelic. Take a listen, and see for yourself!

I also love "Baby, It's Cold Outside"...but only the original version. I know, I know...I'm a little picky with my versions :) And, the Boston Pop Orchestra's rendition of "Sleigh Ride" is awesome too. It just really gets me in the mood for some hot chocolate! We heard it when we were in Hamburg, and I think I started dancing (Chris quickly told me to stop since we were in the middle of a hoard of people, and my dancing isn't too pretty!) And perhaps one of the sweetest Christmas songs is "My Grown Up Christmas List". I actually had it in my head when I woke up this morning, and it's what inspired me to finally conquer this whole Blog Music thing!

I'd love to hear what some of your favorite Christmas songs are, and why they hold a special place in your heart. I'll even add them onto my playlist (that is if I can find them!!)...there can never be too much of the holiday spirit!!

Happy listening :)

Amy

Abundance

...my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalms 23:5-6

Today in church, our pastor asked what we would say if someone asked us to describe our lives now that Christ is living in our hearts. He asked if our answer would be "abundance", and it really got me thinking. He was making the point that once Jesus comes into our lives, the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, etc.) should start flowing out of us in abundance. Because that's what Jesus does, right? He provides us with those things so that we may go out into the world and share those gifts with others. It is easy to praise Him when things are going "right"...not so easy when things seem to be falling apart. But even in those falling apart times we should try to recognize all of the beauty that He is bestowing upon us. And that brings to me to what I was thinking about throughout the entire sermon...my many, many blessings. Sure, there are things that I wish were different, things that I long for and desire that are currently out of my reach. But my life, my heart, is still overflowing with thanksgiving. I know that there is a perfect time for all things, and that in Him, I will find peace when I need it most.

So, I've decided to call my "Thankful Thursday" posts, "Abundant Sunday". If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just browse on down a few posts, and it will all become clear :) I'll start out today with some of the things that are overwhelmingly abundant in my life...

1. My husband...what a joy to know that Gods hand made him just for me!

2. The opportunity to travel. Oh my gosh, I am quite ready to be back in the good 'ole US of A, but what incredible opportunities we have been given to see the world while stationed in England! We may never be in the position to come back, so I am trying to soak up as much of it as I can while we're here!!

3. My wonderfully crazy, ever-growing family. I just love them. They're great about keeping me in the loop, and sending some much needed Texas love over here when I need it most!

4. The gorgeous sunset tonight. It was absolutely breathtaking.

5. The Christmas wreath (pictured above), sent by my mama, that makes our house just a little bit more festive!!

6. My friends....they ROCK!

I hope that your Sunday was relaxing and filled to the brim with good things. I'd love to hear what's "tipping your cup" any time :)

~Amy

Hamburg w/ the Hilburns!!

Last week we traveled to Hamburg, Germany w/ our great friends, the Hilburn's. We left super early in the morning on Tuesday, and were back in England for lunch on Thursday! Talk about a whirlwind trip! We had a great time exploring the beautiful city, and we got a very special treat on Wednesday too...our very own snowstorm! Now, I'm from Texas (as many of you know) where we're lucky to get a few snowflake sprinkles IF we're really lucky. I've never seen so much snow in my life...huge, gorgeous snowflakes just fluttering down from the sky in sheets! It was amazing! The Hilburns two little ones loved it too...Cara even danced and sang in it (but that could have been from all the hot chocolate & few sips of coffee that we gave her from Starbucks to warm up!) We maneuvered our way through the very busy Christmas Markets, admiring all of the wonderful trinkets & yummy food, and made our way over to the Miniature Wonderland to see the train display too. Oh my gosh, this place was so cool! You must click on the link to see for yourself how awesome it was!

Though very quick, our trip was just wonderful. We are so blessed to have friends like the Hilburns to share such great memories with! Enjoy some pics below :)

Yummy treats at the Christmas Market

Hamburg Town Hall

Entrance to the biggest Market

Chris & I playing in the snow!

Thanksgiving Visit

Chris & I just returned from Germany where we spent a lovely Thanksgiving with his Dad & Donna. They got to visit us for a week, and we definitely tried to squeeze as much into those 7 short days as possible. We decided to focus on the Northwestern part of Germany for this visit, and we weren't disappointed. Our first stop was Trier where we shopped at the Christmas Markets and fell in love w/ Gluehwein (hot wine) & schnitzel. Oh my gosh, we were in heaven! The next day we traveled to Cochem to visit the beautiful castle, and walk the quaint, romantic town. We saved the best for last and visited Cologne (Koln) on Thursday. My mom, who traveled to Cologne when she was in high school, has always said that if God were to live on earth, the Cologne Cathedral would be His home. I can't argue with her there! It was unbelievable! We toured the Cathedral for over an hour, looking at the shrine to the three Magi & the gorgeous stained glass windows. We also took a few trips around the stalls of the biggest Christmas Market I have ever seen! Oh, the crepes! I just can't even describe how yummy they were!

On our way back to England, we stopped in Luxembourg to tour the American Cemetery there. What a somber and inspiring place. We read numerous accounts of the brave soldiers who fought & died on that soil so that the reign of tyranny could end. There were over 3,000 graves there, and General Patton's was out in front, leading his Army still.

The entire trip was just wonderful. We are so thankful that our parents have all had the opportunity to come out to visit us this year. Since Chris returned, all four sets of them have made the long trek "across the pond" to spend some time with us. It's hard to be away from our families, especially at the holidays, and we feel so blessed that they were able to make their trips.

We hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

Chris & Amy

Helga's House...with Helga in the window!

Cochem Castle

The Luxembourg American Cemetery

Cologne Cathedral

Pics & MckMama

I love lazy Saturdays! I love sleeping late, making breakfast burritos with my hubs, and lounging on the couch until I just can't lounge anymore. It is fantastic! We rarely have Saturdays like this, but when we do, I treasure them.

This afternoon, we finally made our way back to reality and cleaned our house for our visitors tomorrow. Chris's dad & step-mom are coming out for a visit, and we're so looking forward to spending Thanksgiving w/ them in Germany. We head out on Monday for a 5 day road-trip through what has proven to be, my most favorite country in Europe!

I also finally got around to taking some pictures of my Christmas decorations! My sweet mama has also sent me another whole box full of festive fun, so I'll definitely post some more when I receive that wonderful little package! I've also posted some pics of my dad's visit...I was having a little problem w/ the pic uploading the other day (I feel your pain, Kate), so they are a little delayed!

On another note, I've found a fantastic blog that I highly encourage you to browse when you get a moment. MckMama is a mother of 4 sweet babies under the age of 3! Yes, you read that right! Her youngest, Stellan, was born just one month ago. This precious little bundle, by the grace of God (and many, many prayers) is a living miracle. He was diagnosed with all kinds of heart problems in the womb. At 24 weeks, the Dr's told his family that all hope was lost, and that he would surely die. They chose to give their son to the Lord, and let Him do what He alone can do. Stellan was born in October a "well and whole full-term baby"! Praise the Lord!! MckMama's site holds all kinds of goodies for her readers...little bits of wisdom from a very busy mom, wonderful words of faithful encouragement, cute pics of her Mck clan, and so much more. Right now, she's having a "Small Fryday Contest" (you'll see what it's all about when you read her blogs) for those bloggers who link to her site. Sure, it would be fun to win some cool stuff, but more than that, I hope that you too can find some joy in what she has to say. Take my word for it, and check her out for yourself!

Blessings,

Amy

Our festive coffee table :)

Stockings, Presents, and Snowmen...oh my!!

The Mathematical Bridge in Cambridge

Chris & Dad in London

My most favorite picture of my dad....Behind the colleges in Cambridge

Name That Title

I was blog-browsing the other day, and came across a really good idea on one of my friend's blogs. On Thursdays, she does a "Thankful Thursday" post listing all of the things that she was thankful for that week. Though I totally love the title, I'd hate to steal her entire idea....so that's where you all come in! Does anyone have a creative name for a post like this?? I'm not set on Thursdays either...could be Monday, Tuesdays, Wednesdays...okay, I think you get the picture. Leave your suggestions in the comments...I'd love to hear what you think :)

So, onto my thanks-givings...

~It seems like God has blessed me with more time this week to just sit and be with Him. I always feel like I just go-go-go, and sometimes have a hard time finding a quiet moment to reflect on what He is doing in my life. This week, He really seemed to slow things down so that I could do just that.

~I've been loving the cold weather. I don't care if it's a little (okay, a LOT) rainy...I LOVE cold weather.

~I found some great new recipes in the Kraft magazine...if you don't get it, you can sign up on kraft.com. I LOVE that site!

~I got my Christmas cards this week, and have addressed & stamped them already. They are sitting in a nice little pile in my living room just begging to be sent out :)

~And, I just have to mention my Christmas decorations again...they just make me so darn happy! (Oh, and I'll post some pics of them this weekend for those of you who asked!)

Hope you have all had a great week!!

Wonderfully Merry

When the air starts getting cooler, and the leaves begin to flutter down from the trees, I always start to feel a hint of nostalgia and a stirring of my spirit. At this time of year I love the smell of firewood outside, wearing my very worn-out pair of flannel pj's, snuggling in my furry socks, and the warmth of our home.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of helping my mom decorate the house for every holiday. From St. Patrick's Day to Christmas Day and everything in between; our house was, by far, the most festive house around. I remember looking forward to putting up our Christmas tree after dinner on Thanksgiving night...it was tradition, and I treasured it. I loved looking at all of the ornaments that we had collected over the years; the ones that my brother and I made, the ones that were trip souvenirs, and the ones that were passed down from my grandparents from when my mother was a little girl. We would decorate the tree while listening to Christmas music, reminiscing about the past, and looking forward to the new year.

This will be the first year of my life that I won't spend any of the Christmas season with my family. I can't help but feel a twinge of sadness when I think of all of the holiday joy that I will be missing with them. This weekend while feeling very sorry for myself, I suddenly had a brilliant idea. Well, brilliant for me...not so much for Chris!

With the help of my amazingly sweet husband, I rummaged through the attic and found all of my Christmas decorations. It took me all day on Saturday, but I am proud to say that my entire house is now wonderfully merry! The garland is hung, the stockings our out, and we even have presents wrapped and under our tree (this largely attributed my aforementioned mother!). Oh, it is so festive, I can hardly stand it! And as I decorated, I thought of my other home...the one in Texas that my mama was decorating at the same exact moment as I...and it made me realize how truly blessed I am.

Dad's Visit

We have been so blessed to have had so many visitors lately! My dad was our last guest (he just left this morning), and we had a great time exploring England & traveling to Brugge, Belgium. It was his first time overseas, so I felt like I had to introduce him to all of the great England culture...no passing on the left, stand to the right on all escalators, and mind the gap when getting onto the tube!! We had a great time just spending some quality time together, and I'm definitely looking forward to our next visit!

A Fun Night Out

Each year, when the squadron returns from their "extra long business trip", everyone gathers together to celebrate their history and success. This year it was at the beautiful Lynford Hall in Mundford. It's always fun to see everyone all dressed up, and the guys always look so handsome in their Mess Dress (no matter how much they hate wearing it!). This year was no different, and we had a great night filled with lots of Panther Heritage. Thanks to Amber & Daniel who did a fabulous job of organizing the wonderful evening!!

Kelly, Meredith & I (We miss you, Meredith!!)

Chris & I...all dressed up!

Amber & Daniel...lookin' fab-o!

Bavaria 2008

Chris & I just returned from an amazing trip to Bavaria. It was our "post-deployment" trip, and it was just what we needed! We flew into Munich, rented a car, and headed down to our first stop...Salzburg. Oh my gosh, if ever there was a beautiful city, this was it! We did our own Sound of Music tour; stopping at Mirabell Gardens and the Leopoldskron Castle (the castle used as the front of the Von Trapp family home). We saw Mozart's Residenz, and even had a candlelight dinner in the oldest restaurant in Europe (Stiftskeller St. Peter) while listening to 3 mini-operas written by the famed composer. It was definitely an experience that I will never forget.

After 3 days in Salzburg, we headed over to Garmisch, Germany where we stayed at the Edelweiss Resort. Ahhh, words can't even describe this place! It was cozy and warm, and just plain wonderful! We visited Hitler's Eagle's Nest, toured the Neuschwanstein Castle (the Disney Castle), went to the top of the Zugspitze, and hiked around the little villages that were nestled at the base of the mountains.

From Garmisch, we headed back up to Munich where we browsed the Viktualienmarkt for some yummy delacasies, ate at the original Hofbrauhaus, visited the Town Halls, and toured the BMW Museum. So...if you're wondering what to get us for Christmas, we found a few nice cars that will only set you back about 100 Grand!!

After 7 days, we still weren't ready to come home! The weather was perfect, the scenery beautiful, and our hotels were just lovely. Of all of our vacations, I think that we've decided that this was our favorite!

Enjoy some pics below...

The river at the base of the Zugspitze Mountain.

Beer & pretzels...Bavarian specialties!

Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Austria

Us at the Eagle's Nest

Leopoldskron Castle...the Von Trapp house :)

Mirabell Gardens

Gorgeous Austria

Neuschwanstein Castle built by Mad King Ludwig II

The view from the balcony of the Neuschwanstein Castle.

A Way to Give

As most of you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My aunt, Allison, walks in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day walk every year, but this year is going to be a little bit different. In honor of her 10 years "in the clear", my uncle Paul will be joining her on the 3 day day trek in San Diego.

In his own words, "Without a cure, an estimated 5 million Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer - and more than 1 million could die over the next 25 years. That's a pretty startling statistic. No one should have to face this disease, so in order to create a future without breast cancer, I walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day".

If you fill called to support this family on their 3-day journey towards hope for tomorrow, please check out the link below...

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/SanDiegoEvent?px=1342094&pg=personal&fr_id=1187

With love,

Amy

Tour of Tuscany

My mom recently came out to England for her yearly visit, and we decided to continue our "Girls Trip" tradition by visiting Tuscany. My mom is a pro at choosing hotels, and for this trip she found a sweet little B&B called Borgo di Pietrafitta. It was nestled in the hills of Tuscany, near the town of Castellina in Chianti. Of all the little villages that we visited, Castellina was my favorite. We found a great restaurant and became "regulars", eating dinner there 3 out or the 4 nights of our stay! We travelled to Sienna to see its beautiful Duomo, to Florence to check out the Uffizi Gallery and to see Michaelangelo's David, to San Gimignano for some wonderful shopping, and up to Volterra to see the awe-inspiring view from the city gates. The trip was absolutely wonderful, and I am so thankful that my mom & I were able to spend some quality time together visiting one of the most beautiful places on earth! I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.

Enjoy some pictures below...