Italia Installment #2: Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica

Interior of St. Peter's Basilica

This was designed by Raphael and Michelangelo

Apostle Peter's Tomb

The Plaque Marking the Apostle Peter's Tomb (In St. Peter's Basilica)
Click on the Picture to enlarge it if you would like to read the text.

The intricately carved wooden altar over Peter's tomb

Michelangelo's Pieta

Renaissance sculpture of Mary holding Jesus after the crucifixion.

Stealthy pic of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
The guards kept yelling "No photos" in English, but I didn't use a flash so I don't feel quite so guilty. The guards also said, "Shhhhh" over and over and over.

Another Stealthy pic inside the Sistine Chapel

Waiting in line for St. Peter's Basilica

Italia!

We are eaters. We loooove to eat. So Italy was chosen as our dream vacation spot and off we went. Matt was anxious about flying over the ocean, but he has decided it's not so bad. The plane rides were actually pretty enjoyable. They fed us (often!) and we had movies on demand at each of our individual seats. I also teach about the Renaissance so I was able to get some great pictures to show my students this year. These pics will be out of order and come in spurts, but...enjoy!

Dinner our First Night in Roma - Trastavere

Trevi Fountain - If you toss in a coin, it ensures your return to the fountain!

Gladiator Matteo

We put our camera on top of a TINY car for this picture of us in front of the Colosseum

The Roman Forum - Can't you picture Roman senators in their flowing drapery meeting here?

The floor of the Colosseum - They had a miniature model of how the intricate system of pulleys moved the animals up out of their cages to fight the gladiators. The floor used to have a covering. What you are seeing is what was under the uncovered floor.

Gladiator Material or Lion Bait ?

Be careful ordering the soup of the day -- Matt ended up with a half gallon, excuse me, liter, of bland bean soup. Ooops. At least the bread and wine were good?

Ciao Italia!

We are back from our trip to Italy!! It was SO MUCH FUN! More pics to follow...

Molly's Room

Here's my stinkin CUTE pup sleeping in her room last night. She really does put her head on the pillow. The picture's a little dark, but I couldn't resist! For those of you from 2521, this is the love seat that we had in our living room (with a slip cover).

Price tag Hall of Fame!

Does anyone else have a Price Tag Hall of Fame??
I looooooove a good bargain! Here's my latest addition:
Ann Taylor (my fave!) shirt
Regular price: $68.00
My price: $9.88

Boooyah!

Headers!

I'm having so much fun making headers on scrapblog.com! If you want me to make you a header (for free of course!), just email me some pics, what you want it to say, and a color scheme! This is FUN :)

Petition

Please sign below (in the comments field) if you believe that the following amigas need to join the blog world:

KatieAnn

MaryMelissa

We, the people, can make things happen! Let your voice be heard!
(I am offering free blog design to all contestants)

Blog Widgets!

Ok, thanks to my fabulous fellow bloggers at the roommate reunion, I am now up on the coolest of blog widgets and thought I'd share! I made my new heading (and headings for mom and Kristi's blogs) using a FREE website: www.scrapblog.com. Just create your "page," save, publish, then go to file/export to jpeg. You can then use the jpeg as your header. AWESOMENESS.

The other cool widget is the SiteMeter. It shows you how many people visit your site and what links referred them. So far, I've had two visitors do unrelated Google searches and end up on our blog. CRAZY. Again, this widget is free.

The last widget, most of you have already discovered, but it's the blog list that updates and gives snippets of the latest and greatest blog headlines. I love this!!!! It's under Layout on blogger.com. Add a page element.

***Can you tell it's summer and I'm now back into blogging full force?? I heart summer vacation!

2521 Roommate Reunion!

The Cast (Seasons 1 & 2)
Halie, Laura, Me, Traci, KatieAnn & Sarah
Mascots: Clayton/Baby Carpenter/Baby John (not pictured)

This past week was our 2nd annual Roommate Reunion! Our gracious hostess, Sarah, hosted us all at her house in Keller, TX this year. THANK YOU, SARAH! We had a great and relaxing time hanging out, eating, shopping, eating, getting our nails done, eating, and talking. Did I mention we ate?!? Last year was our first reunion and we traveled down to float the river in San Marcos. This year, we kept it local (for most) and we had three mascots: Clayton, Baby John and Baby Andrew (hahaha)! It was so much fun seeing all of my favorite Aggie roommates!! Love those girls (and boys)!

2521 Mascots!

Dinner @ Cristina's

K8tann, Sarah/Peanut, Clayton, Hay, L-Dawg, Baby John, Some Hot Chick

What you are about to read is a true story.

No part of this account is fiction. Characters' names have not been changed. You are free to try this at home.

MEDTRONIC MINIMED is the BEST company in the WORLD.

Most of you know that Matt has an insulin pump. The other day, the little widget that holds the battery in the pump broke off. So of course, we duct taped it :) After a few days of this rigged up pump, we finally called MiniMed (Love you, MiniMed!) and asked what we needed to do to get a new part. I also mentioned that his holster thingamabob (the dealio that holds the pump on his belt) had broken. She asked what color he had, etc. and said it was in the mail. THIS WAS AT 4:30 PM YESTERDAY.

TODAY AT 12:30 PM THE NEW PARTS WERE SITTING ON OUR DOORSTEP.

Less than 24 hour turn around. WHO DOES THAT?!?! Remember, we live in Podunk. It's not like MiniMed is in the office complex around the corner. These parts shipped from California.
Here's the kicker....

NO CHARGE.

Not even kidding. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Woah. No charge for shipping. No charge for the widget. No charge for the thingamabob.

Oh, MiniMed. We love you!

Graduation, Mothers/Fathers Day, Kristi's Visit

With my camera on the outs, I stole all these pics from Mom and KP! So if you read all of our blogs, these will be repeats! :)

Me, Mom & KP

Mom opening the Wiiiiiiiiiiiii!!! Mothers/Fathers Day present. Somehow Dad didn't get in the picture....

Don't let the Halo fool you....

Taylor graduated!!!! Congrats!

3 Generations

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

I love you :)

Today I vacuumed our treadmill.

Seriously.

My Sister is Coming to Visit!!

Coolio.

** 5 ** Fifth Anniversary ** 5 **

Happy Fifth Anniversary to...us!

Then and Now...

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

We Love You!

<3, Cindy, Matt & Molly
Mom, Dad & Dean came out this weekend so we were able to celebrate Mother's Day -- brunch style! We ate too much all weekend, but it was fun!

Graduation Weekend

I finally graduated with my Masters in Education!!! Thank you, hubby, for all you've done for me while I was in school! I love you!

The lack of blogging has been due to the fact that I have been preparing for my comprehensive exams...Instead of a thesis, I had to take this huge exam and create a portfolio (what is it about education and portfolios???). Also, we decided to do A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Shakespeare with our students in April. Yes, Olde English. So, needless to say, there wasn't much blogging there for awhile!

This weekend, my parents and Matt's dad came out for a visit. We did the graduation thing, mother's day brunch, and overall just ate waaaaaayyyy too much (a favorite pastime of ours). Here are the pics!

My Hubbizzle and I

The parentals

My dog thinks I'm weird.

After Graduation Lunch

Matt surprised us with JUMBO crab legs for dinner! He is a Webber guru.

Makin Peno' Poppers

Deano

After the FOOD

Flehartys & Kilgores

Family Photo

Tiny Family Photo

'Stache Away!!!

Over the last few months, in the midst of my non-blogging, Matt has decided to GROW A BEARD. Here are the "bearded" shots....

And here's my cutie without that lip junk! YAY!!!

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Watch out folks, she's a serious Wii'er!

Extension!

The design team will now meet on April 18th!!! Please send any ideas you have to: cindyfleharty@gmail.com

Pink Ribbon Challenge!!

Ok, talented friends...I have a challenge for you!

The Governor has SIGNED THE BILL!!! The New Mexico Pink Ribbon License Plate has been approved! Yipppppeeeeee!! The plate has a revenue code at the DMV and all. So, the only thing left to do is--- design and make the plates!! Senator Kernan has a meeting with the design team on March 18th, and has asked for ideas.

This is where YOU come in! I need your ideas :) Come on, I know you are talented! Let's see what you've got!!!!

Scan your ideas and email them to me at: cindyfleharty@gmail.com


I don't know how to "bump" blogs, so here is the original post again about this bill....

Matt and I took a trip up to Santa Fe to attend a Senate sub-committee meeting (Corporations and Transportation). We went to speak on behalf of a bill that we are working on with Senator Gay Kernan. The bill is for a breast cancer license plate --- it will cost $35, $25 of which will go directly to fund a program that screens and educates underprivileged women about breast cancer.

Senator Kernan has been AWESOME!!! She is absolutely amazing. How often is it that you can have an idea, meet a senator at dinner, tell her your idea and then bada-bing, it's a BILL?? I'm feeling refreshed about being an American these days.

We got to Santa Fe and were both prepared to speak, although I was hoping I wouldn't have to! Matt is the ham in our family!! Matt had contacted several big-wigs from cancer organizations so they were also there prepared to speak. When the time came, Matt and Senator Kernan spoke to the committee. Matt did a great job - he's born to be in the spotlight. Then they voted and the rest of us were off the hook. The vote was unanimous!!

I just got a call that the bill passed through the big senate vote 38-0. Unanimous again!! Now, we just need it to pass through the house and then we can all get ready to have pink ribbons on our license plates.