Highland Orchards

We bundled up this morning and headed out to Highland Orchards in West Chester for some fresh air and pumpkin sighting. It was our first visit and the girls had a great time. There were hayrides going on for pumpkin and apple picking, a country store filled with adorable knick knacks and a bakery. The smell of the homemade donuts and pies was incredible! It was a little bit further of a drive for us than our usual orchard spot at Linvilla, but it's a lot smaller and quieter which makes for a nice change of pace sometimes.

I don't think we heard any complaints from the girls anyway, they had a lot of fun!

Recent grocery shopping purchase

My little ham!

Charlottesville, Virginia

Anthony and I went away this past weekend for our 7th wedding anniversary to Charlottesville, Virginia. The girls stayed with my parents and so we had the opportunity to go away for a couple nights. We didn't really know where exactly we were going to go a week ago, but we had a fairly good idea of what we wanted to do - relax. And that is exactly what we found in Charlottesville.


We ventured out to a few antique shops not with the intention of buying anything, but just checking it all out. And there was a ton to check out. Shops filled wall to wall with just stuff who knows how old. Both Anthony and I came across toys we used to have as children and household items we remembered in our own homes growing up. I didn't take any pictures inside these places but they were incredible. I can't imagine what doing inventory in these shops must be like.


Downtown Charlottesville is basically comprised of The University of Virginia campus and a whole bunch of adorable shops and restaurants. There is this great Downtown Mall section of Charlottesville lined with shops, restaurants and a couple theatres, all outdoors which was perfect for the weather we had over the weekend.

As you can see, I was a little more than fascinated by all the red walls I came across in downtown Charlottesville.


We spent a good portion of Saturday just driving around and taking in all the scenery - changing leaves, animals, farms and orchards. It was incredibly breath-taking and above all else, relaxing.


A somewhat last minute decision as to where to go, but not what to do. Relax and just be together.



Happy 7th Anniversary to us!

Happy 7th Anniversary to us!

At our church rehearsal the night before our big day, feels like a million years ago...

a book bridge

What Sofia calls her masterpiece of books placed neatly on the floor.


Olivia just thinks it's a neat way of working down the line of books to "read."

Happy Birthday Nonno Nicky!

Wishing my dad a very happy birthday today!!! How old are you now Dad?! Hope you have a great day! We love you very much!!!

I love this picture of my parents taken just this past summer - that's the church they were married at 37 years ago in Mesagne, Madonna del Carmine.


I'm sure you can tell how much our little princesses love you too!

It's pumpkin time!

We went to Linvilla Orchards this morning for our annual trip to Pumpkinland. What toddler doesn't love pumpkins?! Mine sure do and they had a great time picking out their own little one this year. Linvilla recently renovated and put up this fantastic new Garden Center which is pretty big and houses some very cool items. The girls had a good time walking in the new building but were most interested in getting their pumpkins. I'll have to go back when I have another set of hands to properly browse the place.

Leandro - if you're reading this, the first thing Sofia said when we walked over to the pumpkins was "Leandro came last time to look at pumpkins with me and we ran around together." What can I say? My girl is smitten!








When we got home Sofia wanted to paint her pumpkin and had the best time (note the beaming smile). And I found a use for a lone foil baker cover that I had stashed away.


Olivia, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the paints and opted to play with my cookbooks instead. Or "bookbooks" as she refers to them.

Mint to be

Ok, cheesy post title, I know. But I think it's pretty cool that since the first time Sofia noticed our mint plant on the porch back when she was probably a year and a half or so, she always loved it. It always made her smile. At a younger age, she would reach for it, we would tear a leaf off for her and she would hold it up to her nose and smile. Once she got a little older, upon walking outside, she would tear her own leaf off and take a big whiff. And smile.

What really gets me about this is that I always remember my Nonna carrying around a mint leaf in her pocket. Something about the refreshing smell would just tickle her senses and perk her up. Every once in awhile she would reach into her dress or apron pocket and pull out a mint leaf and hold it up to her nose. And smile.

I guess it's really fitting that we named her Sofia Vincenza. She's all Sofia, but there's a little bit of Vincenza in there too.

17 months old

Olivia turned 17 months old last week and with that came our monthly picture with the duck. Which she can say pretty clearly and she throws in the occasional quack as well. Just like her sister (and father and mother) she's quite the little "reader" and her favorite book lately is "Go, Dog. Go!" We've been reading it to her before bed, along with a few other favorites, but throughout the day she will look over to me and say "Dog, Go." I don't have to tell you how cute that is.


I thought it would be fun to throw in Sofia's 17 month old picture also. It's so hard to believe how fast the time is going.

90 years young!

Anthony's Nonna Linda is celebrating her 90th birthday today and we're wishing we could be with her on this special day more than ever. My mother-in-law as well as Anthony's Uncle are in Italy with her now along with other family and friends all excited to spend such a fantastic day together.

Nonna Linda is a beautiful person inside and out and she probably doesn't even realize all she does. My Nonna passed away a couple years before I met Anthony and unfortunately he never met this incredible lady who did and will always have a special place in my heart. He's heard a ton about her, seen pictures and can probably imagine what she was like just from having his own Nonna that loves him very much. So, while I don't have my Nonna around anymore in body, just being with Anthony's Nonna and checking in on her through my mother-in-law or Anthony fills a little bit of that void when my Nonna passed away.

Since we couldn't be with Nonna Linda today, I thought it would be cute to put together some of my favorite pictures of her from the past few years.

October 2003, Met Nonna Linda for the first time just a few days before our wedding


Celebrating Thanksgiving with Nonna Linda and Anthony's aunt & cousin from Italy who also came for our wedding


One of our trips over to Italy before having kids, in Civitella for dinner


At home in Garrano doing what we do best - eating!


Nonna came outside to welcome her grandson on another of his trips to Garrano


Anthony thinks Nonna Linda's gnocchi are hands-down the best! Each year Anthony went over, he tells me that Nonna would always make gnocchi knowing he loved them. That's what Nonna's are for right - cooking up great food they know their grandchildren enjoy.




Fall 2006 and pregnant with Sofia, which would be the 1st of 3 great-grandchildren (so far) for Nonna Linda


I love love love these next few pictures of Nonna spending time with her great-granddaughters, Sofia on her first trip to Italy at 3 months old








Sofia's 2nd trip to Italy at 15 months, playing with Nonna Linda


Nonna meets Olivia for the first time, Olivia's first trip at 2 months old






Teaching Nonna how to use the Mac to check her Facebook. Just kidding, probably showing her videos of the girls from the blog


4 generations, an absolute favorite picture of mine



Buon Compleanno Nonna Linda!