Carli Zone 5

WICKED in San Francisco

2009-12-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

For his birthday, we took Julian to San Francisco to see "Wicked". We all LOVED it! This is Julian with his friend Rebekah Golden.

Waiting for the theatre doors to open at the Orpheum--The Goldens and us.

Outside the Orpheum Theatre.

We had a fun day with the Golden's. After the performance we couldn't find a place that could fit us in for dinner so we drove back to Sacramento to have dinner at Il Fornaio.

Thanksgiving in Wilton

2009-12-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Jack named our annual Thanksgiving day football game the "Johnny Bowl" and asked Andrea to paint a sign for it.

I love this photo of Austin because it reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite!

Tanner and Grandma Glenda

Christian and Cooper

Julian and Austin (looking much better here)

Tanner and Cannon (why the long faces???) Maybe they're tired of being photographed!

The adorable girls of the family! I'm so grateful that Scott ended up with 2 girls!

Sam "the man". Sam likes asking me questions about Simas Floor Company and how we run the business. He's destined to be an entrepreneur!

Tracey and Joan

Mom and Tracey

Andrea and his funny face. He and Ty thought they were so funny when they were making these faces for the camera. Someday they may regret it!

Una and Taina

Joan and Ty (making the funny face)

Dad and Larry

Scott and Tracey

It was another funThanksgiving vacation with the cousins at grandma and grandpa's house. The kids seems to pair off together according to age. This year the game Stratego kept the big boys entertained. They got competitive and spent a lot of time around the game table. Cannon spent the night at our house a couple of nights with Julian. I wish we could all spend more time together. It enriches our lives to spend time with family and I'm grateful for our time together.

King Julian Turns 10

2009-12-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

Our celebration at grandma and grandpa's house.

Uncle Larry in the background being silly!

His favorite recess activity is playing 4-square. There's a line at recess to play! Here he is with his 4-square ball that Aunt Joan accidentally ran over and popped at Thanksgiving!

Julian is constantly pre-occupied with reading and writing scripts for plays. I find him around the house writing his little heart out! There are papers all over the desk and floor with his writing. I'm not sure which to keep and which to throw away! His favorite place in the house is in the living room (pictured here) listening to his favorite music on the stereo and writing, writing, writing.

Julian loves the dogs. Here he is with Flash (our dog) and Roxy (grandma's dog). I'm constantly fighting dog hair on his clothes because he loves to hug the dog.

Jungle Book x 2

2009-12-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Julian played Baloo in both the Pleasant Grove Elementary performance and the EGMTC performance in the Fall. This is a photo of Julain, Isabelle and Sage (Baloo, Bagheera and Mowgli) in the Pleasant Grove performance. He did a great job in both performances! We're so proud of him and his excitement for theatre!

Julian as Baloo for the EGMTC with his mom/director. It's really fun that I can talk to Julian about the play and he has good ideas and input on how I should direct.

The fabulous cast of Jungle Book for the EGMTC

Celebrating Christian's Family Birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's House

2009-12-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

It was Taina's birthday too. Taina is my grandmother's caretaker. She lives next to my parents in a modular with my grandmother.

Taina plays the ukeleli and sings religious songs to us. It's always a favorite on Sunday night to hear Taina play and sing. She has a great spirit and it's a blessing to have her as part of our family.

Halloween in Italy-Yes, they celebrate there too!

2009-12-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

The only photos I have of Johnathan since he arrived in Italy are the few that Sister Taranto (Mission President's Wife) has sent to me. Here are some of a Halloween party. Johnathan was so happy when he learned they celebrate Halloween inItaly! He was just sent to a new city in Sicily called Sciacca. If you Google it you can see it's another beautiful town near the beach.

Christian (Chicco) turns 16!

2009-11-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

Christian and Grant shared their "Sweet 16" together at a birthday party we held at our home. We had a fun night together with lots of activities and food.

We had about 50 teenagers over to help celebrate. They played pool, wii, volleyball, roasted marshmellows over the fire, played cards, fuhsball and ate.

You go Grant!

The younger kids played with the race cars in the garage.

Julian got to play the Kareoke Wii game.

DDR is always a favorite!

He's a rock star.......

Triton and Christian played a few songs for their friends.

This is Whitney Petersen. She and Christian were buddies from age 1-6 when Eileen (Whitney's mom) used to watch Christian. Whitney used to call Christian, "kritchen". She is growing up to be a beautiful young woman.

Yes, there were some boys at the party too. I don't know why I took most of the photos of the girls! But really there were guys here too!

The chaperones. We had fun too!

My Birthday Present

2009-10-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

I was so excited about this birthday gift! Andrea bought this Audrey Hepburn black and white print on canvas from IKEA and added his own touch to it with color.

We hung it over the fireplace in our bedroom.

Annual Fish Fry

2009-10-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

A fun evening at the Chandlers for our Annual Fish Fry! Gaby, Jeremy and Christian prepping for the party. Jeremy is the "taco guy". He does a great job!

We call it Gaby and Michele's fish fry, but actually John does all the fish frying!

Jacob and Julian got to hang out all night upstairs while the adults were having fun downstairs.
After this I forgot to take photos of the evening. We had about 30 guests and lots of food. Looking forward to next year!

Look Out World--Christian's Driving!

2009-09-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Christian took his first driver's training a couple weeks ago! He went at night from 8 pm - 10 pm. I was worried the whole time he was gone, but thank goodness he made it home safely! He is already a good driver because of the experience he has driving tractors, trucks, atv's and go-carts at his grandpa's house.

I'm enjoying our time together in the car now that he has his permit. He likes to go grab something to eat and run errands together now because it gives him a chance to drive. I like it just because I get to spend time with him.

On Sunday the men and boys in our ward all stood up in front and sang "As Elders in Israel". I looked at Christian and felt a great sense of gratitude for the joy he brings to my life.

Labor Day Weekend in Monterey

2009-09-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

Christian went camping with his cousins in Arizona so Andrea and I decided to take Julian and his friend Ethan Verdoorn to Monterey to visit the acquarium and to enjoy the ocean.

Ethan loves climbing rocks! Every time we saw rocks he went straight for them!

At the Acquarium--This is in the seahorse exhibit.

The hotel room view on the terrace.

We also took a short boat ride and saw lots of seals.

I like these potted and sculpted bushes.

Bouganviglia grows so well near the beach.....

Beach Bodies and SOOO much more!

2009-08-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

Venere Azzurra Beach, close to Lerici. Davide and Carlo Mannucci and Andrea showing off their buff beach bodies!

Nonno Carlo's birthday. Tanti Auguri! Looking good at 78. Daniele, Alice, Christian and Julian Carli. Missing: Johnathan!

Guido, Andrea and Nonno Carlo. More birthday photos.

Sitting around and "shootin' the bull" on the terrace in Follo. Tommaso Cardullo, Andrea, Dario, Carlo Mannucci, Carlo Carli and Guido.

The girls were in the kitchen making chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. It's a tradition to make American cookies when we visit. Alessandra Mannucci, me, Ann and Katie Cardullo. (love that little girl!)

We all posed with our "Ciao Johnathan" sign to let Johnathan know that we are thinking of him! Andrea Mannucci did the art work and the other kids colored it in.

Pizza and Farinata at the famous Pia Pizzeria in La Spezia with the Carli, Mannucci and Cardullo kids.

The adult table. Andrea, Alessandra, Benjamin, Tommaso, Ann and Carlo.

This is a shot of Manarola from Via dell'Amore. We walked from Manarola to Corniglia in the Cinque Terre area.

Via dell'Amore, Cinque Terre.

Hillside farming in Corniglia

A shot of the beach area in Corniglia, Cinque Terre area. If you don't mind laying out on big bolders, this is a picturesque beach with clean water.

Guido on the drums playing for Irene (daughter of Zucchero). They opened for Simply Red in Sarzana.

Simply Red Concert in Sarzana. This was a fun evening--the weather was great and the acoustic music was so beautiful to hear. Simply Red CD music is more electronic sounding. The live show was a lot better.

Christian getting ready to get his canoe.

View of the Fiescharino Beach. This is a lovely place near Lerici. This is the beach Andrea frequented when he was in high school. The kids also remember coming here when they were younger. The scenery is lovely and the water is usually clean. There are rocks to climb on and explore and canoes to rent.

Evening spent strolling the passagiata at Viareggio with the Mannucci Family.

This is a pastry shop in Sarzana. I wonder why we don't have pastries that look and taste like this here in the U.S.?

We had a family dinner and invited aunts and uncles and cousins from both sides of the family. After the dinner, the Carli family "broke out" their instruments for a concert on the terrace.

Another evening in Viareggio. This is our favorite Fritto Misto (fried mixed fished) at the end of the passagiata. They catch the fish fresh everyday and then fry it up and sell it right from the boat. If you're ever in Viareggio--you HAVE to try it!

The Pineta in Viareggio is famous for their Bomboloni. It's a deep fried pastry that comes with vanilla or chocolate pudding inside or Nutella. I like the vanilla pudding and the boys prefer the Nutella--YUM!

At church with friends. Andrea, Davide Mannucci. Mauro, Carlo, Mannucci, Daniele and Julian in front.

Nonno Carlo is advertising in Italy for Simas Floor Company. Notice the pocket my mother-in-law sewed in for him.

This is a beach on La Palmaria, an island off the golf of La Spezia. We had to walk over boulders and cliffs to get here. A boat stops by every now and then to sell water, ice cream and other snacks.

View of the beach at La Palmaria.

Our last night together we ate at a restaurant in Follo. Alice and Julian.

Alessandra Mannucci, Cristina Carli and me.

Last night on the terrace. The kids didn't want to go to bed because they knew it was time to say goodbye.

This was a special trip for our family that helped us strengthen our relationships with family and friends in Italy. Andrea appreciated the time he spent with his brothers and hopes to be with them more often in the future. As we grow older we understand even more how precious and important relationships within our families are. Christian and Julian were able to spend time with their cousins Daniele and Alice and strengthen their relationships with them. Although they are far away, they are close by in our hearts.

Haunted Castles and High Adventure in Fosdinovo

2009-08-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is a haunted room in the Fosdinovo Castle. The wicked King died in this room on this bed. The tour guide said that if you put your hands on the bed you can feel him move! I wondered if the movement might be from the other hands on the bed?!
This is the torture room full of all kinds of creepy things. The boys decided that they are glad they didn't live in the dark ages!
High Adventure Park near the castle. There are courses of all different levels built in the trees.
Christian and Guido working their way through the Black (most difficult) course.
The Black course is about 50 feet above the ground in the trees.
Although it's scary to be up off the ground so high, in reality, it's very safe. The body harnesses have ropes and latches and as long as you follow the directions and stay latched with at least one rope and latch at all times, you're safe.
Guido encouraged Christian throughout the course.
This is Julian on the green course. It's about 15 feet off the ground. He got frustrated a couple times, but in the end he didn't want to leave. He's dreaming of Spy Kids!

A Day at Venere Azzurra

2009-08-06T00:16:00.000-07:00

Daniele, Christian Letizia and Alice. Lerici Castle is in the background.
Having fun on the paddle boats we rented for 5 Euro per half hour. We rented 2 and this is a photo of the kids trying to attack the adult boats!
Davide, Christian, Daniele, Alice, Letizia and Julian
Same group, different angle
View of the Beach from the boat.
Enjoying the view from the boat.
Dinner at La Pagoda, a restaurant near home in Follo. We ordered an antipasto of fish. Christian was so excited to try everything. We had Bacala, Octopus, Anchovies, Smoked Salmon with Rucola and Tomatoes and in this photos he's eating an oyster.
Andrea too....
Julian, Christian and Daniele are drinking their dessert of Lemon sorbet and fizzy water.
We had a long and eventful day. Too much sun and too much to eat. Now it's time to go home and go to bed. Good night!

Surviving Jet Lag at Lake Como

2009-08-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

This is in Bellagio at Lake Como. We drove a narrow road to get here (the Italians drive it like it's the autostrada) and then took a boat with our car across the lake to our hotel in Griante.
The Passeggiata in Bellagio.
View of Bellagio from the boat on Lake Como.
We visited Villa Carlotta on Lake Como. The Villa is not much to speak of, but the gardens are spectacular. Even the boys were impressed. Christian was overwhelmed by all the work that it must take to keep everything manicured.
View of the lake from the gardens of Villa Carlotta
Garden path at Villa Carlotta. Notice the rock on the path. There were many different kinds of materials used on the paths. For me, this is a visual treat--the colors and the different shapes of rocks.
This is a small town at the top of the hill from our family home in Follo. The town is called Castello and was built around an old castle. We walk to the top of the hill for exercise. The kids are fascinated with the small streets and pathways and the walls of the castles that have been made into apartments.
Walking path in Castello. Living in a place like this makes it easy to stay in shape. The residents here have to do a lot of walking, lifting and carrying to get things to and from their houses.
This is the day we went to see the castle in Fosdinovo. It still has a lot of the original furniture in it and the Marchesi family who own the castle actually stay there during the summer. We had to hurry through our tour because it was time for them to have dinner in the dining room of the castle. Must be nice! I'm sorry this photo leaves out Alice, my adorable niece. She is behind the group petting a kitten she met in the street.

Our Visit to Grandpa Jack's Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T15:36:00.001-07:00

Grandpa has been growing pumpkins for the kids for a lot of years! It has become a tradition to pick pumpkins at Grandma and Grandpa's house. This year my dad out-did himself! His pumpkins are big and beautiful! He etched the names of each of the boys in a pumpkin for each one of them about a month before we picked them. You can see the results in these photos! It's really a great look! I think I'm "off the hook" for carving pumpkins this year because these are so cool looking!

Grandpa and Christian and his personalized pumpkin.

Grandpa and Julian with his personalized pumpkin.

Julian's washing the pumpkins so we can load them in the car.

Andrea with Johanthan's pumpkin. Johnathan was home recovering from having his wisdom teeth pulled. Ouch!!

Cousins are Cool!

2008-04-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Our children are blessed with a group of very special cousins--5 on dad's side and 7 on mom's side. On dad's side, we count the Mannucci kids as our adopted cousins. I thought it would be fun to show some pictures that were taken during the last year when "the cousins" have been together to help them all remember how lucky they are to have such a beautiful family!

Is this a fun-looking group or what?! Feb 2008--We are playing at the pond at Grandma and Grandpa Simas' house.
Feb 2008--This is the party bus that took us on a tour of Grandma Glenda's life for her 70th birthday.
Nov 2007--Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Simas's house. Julian, Austin, Christian, Cooper, Sam and Cannon.
Nov 2007--Julian's Baptism. Our American cousins were all there for this special occasion. Johnathan performed the baptism for Julian.
Nov. 2007--Julian's 8th birthday with his cousins.
Aug. 2007--Florence Italy. Zio Guido, Julian, Danielle, Alice, and Christian at Ponte Vecchio.
Aug. 2007--Florence, Italy, Our last day with the Italian cousins. Danielle in the front and Letizia, Alice, Christian and Julian in the back.
Aug 2007--Ceparana, Italy. Hanging out at the pool. Christian and Davide.
Aug 2007--Ceparana, Italy. Hanging out at the pool. Andrea and Johnathan.
Aug 2007--At Carlo and Alessandra's house taking a "cookies and milk" break. Alice, Letizia and Julian.
Aug 2007--Viareggio, Italy. Playing Bocce ball at the beach. Christian, Julian, Danielle and Johnathan.
Aug. 2007--Follo Alto, Italy. Playing war games at the house in the country. Friends Miriam and boyfriend, Davide in disguise, Johnathan and Andrea.

Disneyland

2008-04-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Andrea and I took Julian to Southern California for a trip to Disneyland over the weekend. We had a 2-day hopper pass to see both Disneyland and California Adventure. We enjoyed seeing it all through Julian's eyes as he got excited to see the characters and belly-laughed on his favorite rides. His favorite was Grizzly River Run in California Adventure (I bought a poncho!), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (We went 4 times) and the Matterhorn at Disneyland. He closed his eyes all through the Pirates of the Caribbean and was brave on the Indiana Jones ride even though he didn't like it much!

We also had a chance to stop and see our friend Sue who lives in West L.A. She took us to a fabulous Indian restaurant called Bombay Cafe in Santa Monica and then we did some shopping on Abbott Kinney in Venice where we bought shoes from a Japanese store where they carried the Japaneses line of Nike and Puma! Oh yeah, Sue cut our hair too! She's the best at it! Thanks Sue for hanging out with us-we had a blast!

Babe Ruth Baseball Spring Opener

2008-04-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 29th was opening day for Babe Ruth Baseball league. Christian is playing on the "Hooks". They won the game 9-0. Christian played 3rd base for the entire game. He enjoys playing infield so it was a good start to the season for him. Christian is also playing the drums for the High School musical "Grease". It's a challenge for him to balance his schedule and give time to school, baseball, and the musical, but with the support of mom, dad and Johnathan (who drives) we're all working it out!

SABATO 29 marzo Christian ha iniziato la sua stagione come giocatore di Baseball. Gioca negli "Hooks" che hanno vinto per 9 a 0. Christian suona anche la batteria per il musical "Grease" presso la scuola superiore. Grazie al sostegno di Johnathan, Michele e Andrea che lo accompagnano in macchina alle varie prove, riesce a giostrarsi tutti i suoi impegni.

Julian's FIRST Pinewood Derby!

2008-03-28T14:40:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Jack helped Julian

make his Pinewood Derby

car the night before the big race!

The car ran well considering the

last minute effort! Thank you

Grandpa Jack!

Julian and 2 of his favorite

friends, Isabelle and Garrett,

are always up to something!

It's fun to have close friends!