Winter Wonderland

We had a great adventure a couple weeks ago. We decided that we wanted to see the Ice Mummy in Balzano, Italy (in 1991 a man was found in the Alps, frozen in the snow. After really looking him over they discovered that he was at least 5, 000 years old)! They have him in a cool freezer room so you can see the body--it was mummified very well by the snow and Ice. His clothes are in amazing shape, considering their age (also in temperature controlled display cases). It was very interesting. We couldn't take pictures inside, so we have no evidence, but we thought it was cool. Isaac loved roaming around and being chased by us--he set off only one alarm the whole time (leaned too far into a display--the alarm led us to him, we had lost him for a minute)
While in Bolzano we discovered that there is a big Christmas market in the city center.
Bolzano is about 20 min. from Austria. All of the signs are in both Italian and German. The Austrian influence is great in the architecture and decoration. I loved it. Our Hotel was this yellow, old-fashioned, adorable building.
The market was filled with cute ornaments and such (mostly very breakable--we only bought one cute wooden star). We mostly enjoyed it for the food--hot cheese sandwiches, hot dogs with saurkraut, struedel, hot chocolate, pretzels, chocolate, . . . YUM!
I have made the drive up that direction before and have to say that it is one of the prettiest views ever! I love the mountains covered in orchards and vineyards, with adorable old homes dotted here and there. I just look out the window and , "ohhh, ahhhh! Oh, David, look at that! Dont' you just want to live there? Can you even imagine? . . ." So charming!!

Snow Days!!!!! What?! Cesena, Italy has snow enough to play in?!

Yes. For the first time in the 3 years we have lived here there is snow to play in.

The boys were so excited they could barely stand to eat breakfast before running out there. It was freezing, and we don't have great snow stuff, so it didnt' last super long, but they sure had fun.

David was able to go out with them on Saturday and build a snowman.

Gabriel doen't remember ever really playing in snow before and he was so cute about it.

Isaac kept looking out the window and trying to figure out what this stuff was.
Talk about amazing timing--we may even have a white-ish Christmas!

Can't believe that Christmas is coming so soon. I just don't want the season to end. I keep trying to convince my children that we should wait a few more weeks to celebrate at our house--they don't agree with me!

They are watching White Christmas right now--they love this movie (Danny Kaye has become one of their favorite actors). Their favorite part is when the guys sing "Sisters", of course!

There are just so many great things about Christmas time.

Isaac is 2 years old, already?!!

Little Isaac turned 2 today.

Sometimes I can't believe that he is so big, but I also just can't really remember our before-Isaac-family. He is such a big part of our lives, it seems he must have always been here.

Isaac has so much energy. He loves to climb and explore; he seems to have no fear of bodily harm and is constantly testing the limits (we have dealt with his kind before, but it makes a difference when one's house is exclusively hard, tile flooring). This morning I had to quickly grab him when he decided to try going down our long set marble stairs, head-first--He had done this a few times on the set of 4 steps we have upstairs, and was successful, so . . .

Isaac loves books. He mostly loves to see pictures of animals inside of books. He will bring me a book "boot" whenever he sees me sitting on the couch. He just climbs up, flips through the pages for me, exclaims at every person or animal--saying "hello" for the people and generally "roar" for the animal--and when he is ready for another says, "awe done!", throws that one on the floor and goes to get another one. If no one is able to read to him, he find books just as thrilling to pull off the shelves and toss around the room--the possibilities really are endless when it comes to books!

Isaac loves stuffed animals--really anything very soft. My other boys like them now, but really didn't get into them as little boys. Isaac just can't help but squeeze and snuggle anything soft. Of course, he likes the real thing, too, and "gatto", the cat, often finds himself tackeled and laid upon by Isaac.

For his birthday today he received two stuffed kittens and the first thing he did was squeeze and breathe them in and give them a good welcome "meow". Then he took them to the cow trough we have in the kitchen, got inside with them, laid down, and used them as his pillows--he was content this way for quite some time.

Isaac loves his brothers. They each play a different role in his life, and each is important. He seems to have figured out a system of when to ask whom to play with him. Eli is his morning brother and his best outside-time buddy. Adam loves to play at job-time, and is great for monster play before meals. Gabriel is off and on all day--Isaac often grabs Gabriel during school-time and says, "Dabey! Play! Amals (animals)!" His world is a better one because he is lucky enough to have 3 big brothers to mimick, idolize, bother, and love.

Isaac, you are handsome, funny, exhausting, curious, adored, . . . and you've only just begun!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!