We Interrupt The Regularly Scheduled Tour Of Italy For This Breaking News....

Layla Lynn Lesjak is HERE! Kelley went into labor at 10:45 on Monday night at home. They left for the hospital at midnight and Miss Layla, my newest gem, made her grand entrance on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 12:02 p.m. in the afternoon! She is a little blonde beauty!!

The new little Mommy snuggling her baby girl!
The doe~tting Daddy...
Meanwhile, back at home, the rest of my gems get a look at their newest cousin on the computer!
I jumped on a plane... or two and got to Grand Junction Colorado today at 12:30. Just in time to greet the new family as they brought their gem home!

So very proud...
I just love this little wonder...
My baby with his baby!
They also introduced Bo to his little sister!
I am lucky. I am blessed. My newest gem is perfectly wonderful!

Roxi's daughter Missy also had a baby yesterday! Yes, Layla and Levi share a birthday!! Although Levi was early, he and his Mommy are doing very well!! Roxi is a first time grandmother and I know she will be one of the best!!! Congrats to Missy and Jason ~

Tuesday... In Florence Italy~ The Effizi Galleria

We arrived in Florence by train on Tuesday afternoon. We checked into the Hotel Paris! WHAT? I had no idea we were going to France!!! I did ask Meigan, later that night, when I turned on the tv, if she thought ALL the stations would be in FRENCH! She said.... I doubt it, since we are in ITALY! God help me!!

Here are Frankie, Audrey, Bonnie, Julie and Meigan in front of the hotel!

This is a view of a room... Mine and Meigan's, which was the smallest of the three rooms we were in, but it was the most quaint! We loved the window and the drapes!

Out this window.... we saw this across the street on the neighboring rooftop...
and the street below!

We headed to THE ORIGINAL & BEST WALKING TOURS to meet our guide, Sarah.
Sarah was American and had came to Italy, from LA, 10 years ago to study art aboard and loved it so much she stayed!! She graduated from University, meet a true Italian and married here in Florence! She was the best guide EVER! She had so much passion for what she shared with us that we were never bored or disinterested at all! We walked and walked!!

We arrived at the Piazza Della Signoria. In this square, we were shown the copy of Michelangelo's DAVID. It stands in front of one of the most spectacular buildings of the communal period of the city, the Palazzo Vecchio, which was built in 1298 for the goverment of the Republic. The original David was moved after it was damaged during a fight in which someone threw something from a window, that broke part of THE DAVID"S arm off. Someone outside was able to save the pieces and the statue was repaired and moved to the Galleria dell'Accademia. More on DAVID later!

This beautiful ticket booth and carousel graced the square as well...
More walking.... off to the Uffizi Galleria with Sarah!
Sarah told us the Uffizi is one of the oldest and most famous gallery of the world. There is no photography permitted in the gallery, but I will tell you it is not to be missed if you ever visit Florence.
Sarah told us about many artists and their styles of painting. We learned about the techniques of the earliest painters and of how they made the paint for their projects. Secrets were shared about some portraits... we learned of the Medicci family and their rise to fame and power. Many became Dukes and Popes. The family was very generous with their money. We also learned about some of the famous Medicci women! We saw the works of Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo. Ask me about it sometime!

We got to the top of the museum and Sarah told us it was ok to take photos out the window~~
View out the window, across the Arno.
The tower of the Palazzo Vecchio
Sarah left us to explore the museum on our own and then we were off again to walk home to the Hotel Paris.
Meigan, Audrey, Frankie and Bonnie heading home!
Back thru the Piazzo della Signoria...
but on the way I snapped this column of marble with the beautiful cross on top!
Home at last... so tired. We had learned so much in 3 short days! Fun memories being made along the way too!

Tomorrow...

Michelangelo's THE DAVID!

Ciao... Principessas Sarah, Molly and Mya! Ciao Cayden!

Meme wanted to show you the Carousel that was in Italy... Beautiful painted horses to ride!
But look... Here is a real horse and he wanted to say buon giorno to his American Friends...Sarah, Molly, Mya and Cayden! This means Good Morning in Italian!
He liked to drink water from this blue bucket.
He liked to eat oats from this sack... see how it is tied to his head?
Meme also saw some stone horses... A statue! One day, we will make a memory of riding horses together and it will be so very fun!!

Ciao, my loves~

Poppy Farmhouse!!!

Ciao... friends!

We arrived yesterday afternoon to the Poppy Farmhouse, our final destination, in Piedmonte, Italy!

I will post later our Tuesday walking tour of Florence and the Effizi Gallerie and then of course, the rest of Florence and the Galleria dell' Accademia~ home to the incredible DAVID.

But for now, a few shots of the Farmhouse and the kitchen, where we cooked with Gino for the first time last night! The owners, John and Robyn, have "retired" here and have a love of Pilates, so they are realizing their dream!John picked us up at the train station in Asti and drove us to his beautiful home!
We were greeted by some other guests who had been here last year and had just come back for a visit and some lunch. Carol, Allan, Eileen and Nick, were staying in a rented villa and just wanted to see John and Robyn.
We all enjoy lunch and each others company!

Frankie and Audrey relaxing!
View from the terrace, late in the afternoon!
Yum... The rest of our group arrived by train from various points and we welcomed Trudy, from Dallas, Darryl and Debbie, who had been in Milan, and Julie, our Gyrotonics instructor arrived from her own 3 days in Florence! We unpacked, had some vino and then Gino was calling for us!!
Meigan and Debbie peeling carrots and potatoes! Audrey, Julie and Bonnie taking directions from our Chef Gino!
Debbie and Meigan preparing the bread sticks!
Julie, Trudy, Ellen and Frankie preparing the cornish hens...
Gino started hollering "Decorations" and I jumped right over to help out!
We took carrots and Gino showed me how to carve a rose! Ok... so I ate a few rejects, but for the most part, they turned out lovely!!
See? Frankie and Julie decorated the first course dishes with cooked leek leaves, some finely shredded cheese and oranges... then the risotto was served on those!
Julie decorated dessert plates with chocolate! On these plates, we had a Chocolate Souffle!
From left to right, John, owner of Poppy Farmhouse, Frankie, me, Julie, not looking at camera, Julie, (instructor), standing, Bonnie, Debbie,(standing), Darryl, Debbie's husband. Missing from this photo... (still in kitchen) Robyn, owner, Trudy, Ellen, Audrey, Meigan!