Autumn Fest

Here are some pictures from the Autumn Fest last weekend. The navy base in Sicily puts it on for all of the military families on the island. Every year, the families here really look forward to it. From what I've been told by the locals, they don't celebrate Halloween in Italy. This was the chance for the boys to get dressed up and get candy. DJ was a Storm Trooper, Noah was Darth Vader, and Lincoln was a pilot. We went on both Friday and Saturday night. Friday night was the time to dress up and get candy. We went back on Saturday and rode some rides and had dinner there. It was chilly, windy, and rainy, but we still had fun.

European markets.

On Wednesday morning, I met up with a new friend, put Lincoln and Noah in the double jogging stroller, and we walked to the outdoor market. It's pretty much right around the corner from our little neighborhood, and they have it every Wednesday morning. From what I've been told, everything is organic. I bought all of this produce for about $10!!

Even better, the boys had fun cutting up their own fruit and eating it. DJ said we should make this a tradition. I'm not always the best at it, but it feels good trying to create healthy habits for our family.

Our search for a home.

It has a little more of an apartment feel, and we were hoping for more of a villa feel but it came down to a location decision. We could've rented a home that overlooked the water, but Tom would've had to commute almost an hour to and from work. There were other downsides to living so far from base, and in the end, we've decided to live about 10 minutes away.

We're happy with that decision, but with that decision came very few homes to chose from for a family our size. In the end, we were pressed for time and had to find a place. We're both not 100% excited about our new place, but we're trying to be positive and thankful, which we are. We're doing our best to make it a home. I think we've done pretty good so far. It's amazing what some paint and some pictures on the wall can do for a place.

Another weekend road trip . . .

Yesterday we spent the day in Cefalu. We hadn't been to the northwest side of the island yet. It was fun to explore a new place, and it only took us about an hour and a half to get there. It was such a beautiful drive. Rolling green hills, vineyards, and little villages tucked away in the valleys. Just like you imagine Italy should be. We decided to let the boys watch a dvd, which made the trip even more beautiful. Tom and I were able to enjoy the breathtaking views and each others' conversations, while the boys had a great time with a movie and popcorn from the backseat. Lincoln played in his car seat and then napped. Perfect afternoon drive!

All of these little villages begin to look very similar to each other, but it's so fun to explore the new streets, cafes, shops, and beaches in each town. As we were driving, Tom and I talked about how these types of towns will be DJ, Noah, and Lincoln's norm for living, eating, traveling and shopping. No Targets or Taco Bells here! It's all so different.

Here are pictures from our road trip.

View from where we parked our car.

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Here we are getting ready to walk through the village of Cefalu. We had just told Noah that we were going to eat lunch before going to the beach. He wasn't thrilled with this plan.

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I know DJ's backpack looks heavy, but there are just a few beach towels in there! Yes, these are actual roads that people drive on.

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The Cathedral of Cefalu was built in 1131. We went inside (just in the back of the church) and there was a wedding going on. I was going to take a picture, but I was afraid it might be considered rude since I wasn't actually invited.

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In the town square.

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Taking a break.

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You can see the Cathedral in the background. Pretty impressive.

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Walking along the water.

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We stopped for lunch and gelato. We ended up staying a while as we waited for a storm to pass. After the storm passed, the sun came out and it was beautiful again.

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It's hard to catch Noah for a picture. He doesn't slow down!

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I love this picture. You can see DJ and Noah standing by the boats. In the background is the covered cafe where we ate lunch.

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Street in Cefalu. You can see the water at the end of the street.

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Cefalu is a fishing village. You can see a lighthouse in the distance. Such a pretty place.

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