Good morning from Florence!

Gil and Lena holding hands as their aunts (Jess and Emily) carry them through Florence!

It’s a beautiful morning here in Firenze (Florence), and my sleeping babies might actually let me finish this blog post! I thought I’d share a few photos from our first couple of days of vacation together. My parents, sister Emily, and sister-in-law Jess are here with Elliott, Lena, Gil, and me… a huge treat for all of us!

We’re totally in love with this city by now, and I just want to move to Florence. The beauty, the architecture, the history, the people, the bicycles, the river, the views, the countryside, the food… sign me up! I’ve been posting photos on Instagram, if you’d like to follow along for more frequent updates.

Here are a few photos of our apartment, which totally exceeded our expectations for location and beauty:

On Sunday morning, our first full day here, my mom and the kids and I were up hours before everyone else. We took a walk through the city in the early morning while the street sweepers were still at work:

View of the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge filled with jewelry shops) as seen from right outside our apartment.

Weird angle of some happy early-morning walkers!

Later we took a walking tour of Florence together, which was rather long (3.5 hours) for all of us, not to mention for our 2- and 1-year-old! The kids kept us laughing and entertained, though, even as the tour guide droned on… and on… and on…

This photo made me laugh. Basically this is how Elliott and I “listened” to the entire tour: with two kids jumping off of us.

We got to see the traditional Sunday morning parade through the old city. It reminded us of our Sicilian town’s medieval festival every August!

Old and young.

A tired tourist snuggles with her mama.

This happy guy wanted to do nothing but walk walk walk, this time with the assistance of “Auntie Ema.”

The famous Santa Maria delle Fiore, Florence’s main cathedral. I read a whole book about how the dome was built, so it was thrilling to see it in person!

Elliott and Lena talking together in the huge Duomo (cathedral) on his birthday. Happy 33rd, dear Elliott!

I love these last two photos: Lena jumping in the Palazzo Vecchio, and Lena and Gil with my dad in the Duomo. I’ve been reading books about the history and architecture of Florence in order to prepare me for our visit, and now to see my family in all these beautiful places is such a gift!

I’m grateful for this season of our lives: happy little children, living in Italy, a whole week with family. I’m also praying that the rest of the trip goes as well as the first part has… can anyone relate to that prayer?!

P.S. If you’ve been to Florence, I’d love to hear recommendations for favorite eateries, views, sights, and surrounding towns to visit!