just another day

It has been more then a week since the last post. I guess that is because nothing has really happened. Unfortunatly when nothing exciting goes on in our everyday life it seems unnessasary to report to those who check out our blog.... but in thinking a little bit more about "nothing happening" it is important to just check in!
Yesterday I spent the whole day cleaning the house and ironing. I usually keep up with these things easily on a daily basis and our little apartment never really gets too dirty... but the last week I have really been lazy and let things go. Needless to say a day of cleaning was well needed! I know Giovanni is also grateful that he came home to a clean house and a closet full of ironed and ready to wear shirts.
Last night we had our Family time and talked about how important it is to set goals. Both of us lately has felt a little unsure of where we are going and what we are doing. This time together really helped us to clear the air and to look forward to more from ourselves and from life!
I don't expect anything extraordinary to happen this week. Gio is going to Rome tomorrow for a meeting and today I started reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
Other then this the only other thing to report is that I will be in Utah from June 7th til July 15th. Giovanni will be joining me the first part of July! In August we will head to Sicily to see Gio's family (including a new neice that will arrive June 20th)!

happenings in Milan

Two of my American friends and I meet for a little walk Friday mid morning. We ventured to the Navigli here in Milan, a bunch of canals that DaVinci created to help the city function. All the marble used to build the city Duomo was transported through the canals all the way to the site of construction! It is now a local hot spot! We walked around just this one and saw the place where the women would come to wash their clothes. There is rumor that for EXPO 2015 they will repair all canals again! IF they do that there will be more then in Venice!!!

Saturday we were invited to buffet dinner and karioke at a friend from church. It was new for both Gio and I. Gio LOVED it! I was sweating bullets through one song! I dont know if I will do it again soon.... too nervracking for me! Still a fun weekend!

Happy late Mothers Day to all you Women who read our blog, you all have motherly qualities and with out many of them Gio and I would not be the great people we are!

Pink this time

We have a new niece! Rori Ana Royce was born Tuesday evening. She is a few weeks early at 5lbs 13 oz. 19inches long! YEA for little babies!!! Congrations Rory and Jennine, Jameson and Chanel! We love you guys!

Picture of Rori Ana and Emerson together!

the past week swizerland!

The past week and a half we have a had a few hoildays here. Friday 25th of April and Thurday May 1st. Gio took off a few of the filler days from work and we made a trip out of our week of holidays! Before leaving Italy we were invited to go to Joe and Natalies house for a BBQ. Joe is a poilot and often goes to fun places, recently while in Germany he bought some yummy Bratwurst and a little grill to test them out on! The boys had a fun time trying to cook our dinner, Kennedy loved helping and I will just say that I DO NOT miss the camp fire smell! We spent the night at their house and then took off for Swizerland. Joe and Nat live close to Lake MAggiore, so we drove up along there and then crossed the boarder. We just had our road map of ITaly that inculded a little of Swizerland and for this reason I was not sure what some of the lines indicated roads meant... well to make a long story short we had a cool experince driving the car onto a train car that took us through a mountain! It was like a disneyland ride, only pitch black the whole 20 min! That night we made it to Swiss temple and checked into the hostel there. We spent 3 Great days in the Temple and took the last 2 to slowly make our way back to Milan!
One of the stops we made was at Ballenberg. This village is a living musem of architecture, country life and crafts! There are homes and farms representing all the different regions of the country across 50 acres of land. We got there a little late in the day and missed the morning cheese and chocolate making, but did see all sorts of animal life as well as lace making! We spent 3 hours there, but really you could spend 2 or 3 days seeing everything!
That same night we spent at a B &B overlooking lake Lucerne! For dinner we ate Fresh fish caught in the lake, YUM! We had a nice trip and GOOD Quality time together which is exactly what we needed!

A new NEWPHEW

Everything BLue! Check out our cute new nephew! He was born April 28th at 9.2 lbs and 20.5 inches!!! Giovanni and I can't wait to meet the little guy in person! His name? Emerson Maxwell Royce, for more info check out his parents site, link to left (JR and Kristi Royce).

Giovanni's counting to 100

Gio started his list so I will post all he wrote so far!

1. I love dogs, cats and horses
2. I love travelling
3. I don't like it when people are fake
4. I love New York
5. I like the cinema
6. I like to read
7. I like nature
8. I don't like to be in the spotlight
9. I am excited to be a father
10. I love Rachael's new recipes- how she cooks
11. I love food smells
12. I love tennis and ping pong
13. I attended the opening of the US Open in 2003
14. I am the 5th Eagle Scout in Italy
15. I had my first kiss when I was 17
16. I have a degree in law, but don't want to be a lawyer
17. I am ALWAYS washing my hands, I am paranoid of germs
18. I think with my nose- I LOVE smells!
19. I have had my deviated septum in my nose operated on twice and I still snore
20.I love dealing in International Relations and PR
21. I like to snorkel
22. When I was younger I used to Sail
23. I love classical music
24. I love to sing, even if I am off tune
25. I had a stamp collection when I was younger
26. The first time I went to America I was 17
27. I am very patient
28. I am honest
29. I like volleyball
30. I love to play chess
31. I would love to help others- be involved with a group or organization that reachs out to those in need around the world
32. I wear a gold chain and braclets
33. I am a pack rat
34. Generally I have a lot of enthusiasm for life
35. Sometimes compliments embarass me
36. I underestimate myself
37. I like to meet new people
38. I perfer salty over spicy foods
39. I LOVE pistachio's
40.When I was little I wanted to be an astronaut
41. I would love to see the world from a yacht
42. I want to write a book
43. I like to quote things from memory
44. I am always worried I will make mistakes
45. I love to get a good deal
46. I love genealogy
47. I have found MUCH of my family (one side from 1100's other side from 1500's)
48. Susan Sarandon is my cousin
49. I worked at the United Nations in NY for nearly 1 year
50.I enjoy new places
51. I love Good food
52. I love the sea and mountians
53. I love to be cuddeled by Rachael
54. I love Sea food
55. I love to sleep and take naps

(gio will have to add to this when he has some more time, more to come)!