Do Not Open Until...

We got a new TV, but you'd never know. Check out this photo of our family room. See the new television?

Nope. It's not the one sitting in the cabinet. That old thing is eight years old - ancient in terms of technology. Look again...in the lower right corner of the picture.

Yep. That lovely Philips box peeking out from behind the couch houses our new, fabulous, too-large-for-the-average-viewer flat panel TV.

We purchased it on March 8th. MARCH 8TH! That was 80 days ago to be exact. "So why is it still sitting in a box behind your couch," you may ask. "Are you waiting until the 89th day to return it within the 90-day period? Are you delaying until it becomes outdated and obsolete? Are you mad?" All good questions.

Sometimes I forget we even have a new TV. Do you know any males on this planet who go out and buy a 1080p LCD High Definition TV just to have it sit behind their couch in a box? Well, apparently I happen to be married to one of them. And I won't even go into the details about this preposterous situation. Just know that I am making a pledge here and now to resolve the situation before 100 days have passed. It's time to take matters into my own hands. (Dear Husband, if you're reading this, consider it done).

Triple Digits

Mark decided it was high time to christen the pool since we've been having such fine weather. Here's how he did it:


A Disclaimer for Mark: The skin shown in the photograph may appear ashen, colorless, or just plain pale due to the quality of the camera. It definitely has nothing to do with the fact that the skin is naturally pallid and lacks sun exposure. Definitely.

Italia

Sifting through 800 or so pictures of Italy was no small task. And picking out a few good ones wasn't exactly easy. Don't get me wrong, the scenery was great. It's just that I am dealing with a non-photogenic husband, an ornery toddler, and a terribly tired-looking and overly pale version of myself. Those factors don't exactly add up to quality photos. With that said...I give you ITALY.


Rome's Trevi Fountain was amazing. I could have stayed there all day and been perfectly happy.


Did I mention Pinocchio was everywhere? This life-sized replica sat outside a peculiar little wooden toy shop.


Have you ever read the children's book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!? Luckily I've read it. Otherwise I wouldn't have thought these birds were half as cute.


Behold the bounty. Gelato never looked (or tasted) better.


Do you see anything wrong with this picture? No joke, this was found in the menu at one of the restaurants where we ate. And I didn't order it.


And would you get a load of this? There were so many delightful goodies on display. It was hard to choose just one...so I chose four.


Ah, Venice. This city had a style all its own. I loved the bold colors, narrow waterways, even the laundry hanging out to dry. And this was one of the few times we saw sunshine on our trip!


This was the highlight of Owen's trip. As soon as we'd let him go, he'd run and run and run and...well, just look at his face. Sheer joy.


Viva Italia!