Bari

Here I am finally blogging about our trip to Italy and let me tell you it was incredible. I'm so grateful that Jared and I were able to go. I'll try and keep the writing to a minimum and just give you a picture overload. We spent the first 4 days of our trip in Bari, Italy which is one of the cities where Jared served his mission. It took us forever to finally get there because we had a few mishaps on the way to Italy but once we finally made it, it was all worth it. Let me preface that Bari is not the most beautiful city. There is trash all over the ground, dog poop all over the side walks and it's definitely not a touristy area so people look at you extremely weird. Even though it was not the most beautiful or glamorous, Bari was probably my favorite city that we visited. We stayed with a family that was in Jared's old ward and we basically lived like Italians for a few days. I got to experience the real Italy, not the touristy Italy. We slept, ate, and did what they do on a daily basis. It was just so much fun to actually be in the home of an Italian. It just made me appreciate the rest of the trip so much more. Here is Bari...(All of the pictures are not edited so sorry but you get the rough version of them)

I wish I had a dollar for every time we saw someone making out. They really have no problem showing affection in public.

In America we have basketball courts...in Italy they have soccer fields. So cool. Oh..and notice that tiny blue car down at the bottom parked right next to the green car? Yah that is completely normal over there. And notice how the cars are parked facing different directions? It doesn't matter how you park because if someone doesn't like it, all they do is come outside, get in the car, and lay on the horn until you come out and move your car.

There are churches everywhere. You turn the corner and boom....church.

Now we enter into a city called Trani which is really close to Bari. Ettore, the husband of the family that we stayed with took us here and it was so cool. Lots of castles and churches right along the sea.

And now we go to Polignano. I have never seen bluer water. This is the epitome of Italy right here. This place was seriously incredible. You are just walking down this tiny street and then you walk onto this bridge and this is the view you get. This place was amazing. We actually hiked down to the water and skipped rocks for a bit.

One of the last days we were there, we got to go to Valeria's school concert. She is the daughter of the family that we stayed with. She and her little brother Marco are hilarious. This concert was so funny. They all sang Christmas songs in English which made me feel very much at home.

This is the lovely Marco. This kid cracked me up. I couldn't understand what he was talking about half the time but he made me laugh on a daily basis.

This is Bari the morning we were leaving to go to Naples. It was so sad to leave but I was definitely excited to experience the tourist side of Italy.

This is a presepe which is basically a nativity. The Italians go ALL OUT with their nativities. They are all over the cities as well...in the train stations, bus stations, malls, stores, food places... They were all gorgeous. The cool thing about the nativity is that the manger is always empty. They don't put the baby Jesus in the manger until the night before Christmas.

So that is a little bit of Bari for you. I completely forgot to take a picture of Jared and I with the Valentini's, the family that we stayed with but they were so incredibly nice. I can't wait to go back and visit them again.

Things that make me happy

 Jared and I bought our first Christmas Tree together. It was an impulse buy and we don't even care.

I won an awesome purse from a giveaway off of Leanne Barlow's blog. Worth $250 and I got that baby for free! 

Shopping at City Creek with these lovely ladies. Too bad all of us suck at shopping and we didn't buy anything. Next time guys...next time.

 It's not the french fries that make me so happy it's the fact that both Jenny and I felt that we needed our own side of fries. The picture does NOT do it justice. I ate about 1/4 of them and called it quits. So gross.

 This little guy was sleeping with one eye closed, one eye open....slightly creepy but super impressive.

This man rocks my socks and so does our awesome Christmas sweaters.

And this little man was cracking me up at family dinner. He all the sudden decided that he wanted to be a princess. #3oldersisters

Christmas came early

Last night for FHE, Jared and I decided that we needed to buy a Christmas Tree and put up decorations. When we got home there was a nice little package sitting on our door step...My Free purse that I won off of a giveaway on a blog worth 250 buckaroos was sitting there in all it's glory. We made hot chocolate and just sat and watched the Christmas tree lights twinkle. It was awesome.

The purse doesn't look like much from the picture but man oh man is it beautiful. And it was $250 bucks and I got it for FREE!...Life doesn't get much better than that.

Fail

Well this whole posting every day about what I'm thankful for was an epic fail....I guess I'm just not a thankful person. (kidding) As for an update on my life..

Jared and I are heading off today to sunny California for Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited to get out of this cold weather. Not really looking forward to the long drive and getting there at like 1:00 in the morning but that's alright.

Jared and I got back from Grace, Idaho on Sunday night. We wanted to visit my Grandma up there and it was an absolute blast. I've been to Grace before but it was for a family reunion so I had all my siblings there. It was nice just to spend some alone time with GMA Funk. Let me tell you...Grace is one TINY town. It's beautiful there and I would love to go back but definitely not live there. I need more hussle and bussle in my life.

Jared and I interviewed for the complex management position annnnnnnnddd we didn't get. I'm actually kind of relieved. It would have been so awesome to save over 700 dollars more a month but I don't think I would have enjoyed having girls scream at me and come into my house whenever they want. I don't really like girls as it is and we would be living back in the single living style apartments without a dishwasher or washer dryer. Now I'm looking for something else to do that can get us that extra 700 bucks a month. Seriously people...I'm obsessed with money. It's not good. Knowing what we could've had....ugh drives me crazy.

Jared and I planned more of our trip to Italy last night for FHE and I am getting SOOOO excited. Less than 4 weeks away :) We threw out the idea of taking a little ferry out to the island of capri....ahhh can't wait. So gorgeous. The water looks incredible...too bad we aren't going during the Summer or else I would be in that water in a second...fully clothed and all. Heck...I may just do it anyway with a coat on. Who cares...Vivia Italia!!!












(PS...did you notice that practically all of my paragraphs started with "Jared and I"? I know...terrible writing skills.)

Day 10

Today I'm grateful for lazy days...more like unproductive days. I have literally watched 10 episodes of Friday Night Lights today which is so pathetic. I took a two hour break to go to the women's soccer game and then started back up again. It's awful but has been kind of blissful. After a busy week at work it's nice just to lay on the couch all day long.

As a side note...Jared and I saw a mouse running right in front of our door as we walked by. I about had a heart attack. Now every time I have walked out our door (which has only been once today mind you), i have ran out and up the stairs because I'm so freaked out. It is a legit fear that I have.

Day 9

I'm grateful for a husband who studies so hard. He pulled out a 92% on his second o-chem test today and I couldn't be more proud of him! He has seriously been studying every single night for weeks just to prepare for this test and it definitely paid off. I guess I technically should have been grateful for this yesterday since that's when he took the test but my excitement for him carried through to today. He really needed a good grade on this test and a 92% is not too shabby. He definitely couldn't have done it with out the help of Heavenly Father. We've been praying hard for this (well at least I have) and I know that He deserves the biggest thanks.

On a different note...Jared and I are watching 24 together. We're on season 3 and it is SO good. Jack Bauer just kills me. "Millions of lives are at stake". HAHA I love it. So I'm also thankful today for that show :) Happy weekend everyone!

Day 8

Today I am grateful for a rockin volleyball team. I'm playing on a good ol' co-ed volleyball team with my hubs and we haven't lost yet...undefeated baby. We just had our last game tonight of regular play. It was a close call and went to three games but we pulled out a W. Now it's time for play offs. Can't wait. I'm thankful for a body that allows me to be active and do what I want.