Snapshot into the life of the Chaney's

Long time no talk!

2011-03-05T15:48:00.000-05:00

We've moved! Well, we have done a lot of things in the last year since I have not posted but I am trying to start back up again! As some of you may know, we have moved from the beautiful Naples, Italy to the beautiful Chesapeake, Virginia! So far, it's been great! Of course, we are sad to leave Europe! We desperately miss the travel, fabulous food, fantastic wine and good friends but we are making the best of our new move. And, we are closer to family (but not too close, HA) which is great!

We have met some new friends who I know will be lifelong friends and we have reconnected with many friends from our past! We bought a new house and have been very busy making it our home! From painting, growing grass, buying drapes, etc... Owning a house is expensive but we are having fun with it!

I am about to start a new part time job and that means Doodle will be starting daycare again! Yikes! I think it will be good for him to be with other kids! He needs to socialize! He is growing up so fast!

Below are some pictures of the house and our big boy! Good talking to you and I hope to talk again soon!

update

2010-11-28T11:51:00.002-05:00

Update coming soon!

Doodle is 1!!!

2010-07-27T08:51:00.004-04:00

Yeah! Doodle is the BIG ONE!!! & we spent it flying all day on a plane back to Texas! He was a very good little boy though! Here are some pictures! from his shoot & party!

More Doodle!

2010-04-28T06:45:00.006-04:00

Well, we are at 11 months!!! He is crawling around like a pro. stands with support but it very brave with using just one hand! He says Mama, Dada & Tickle Tickle!!! He loves the bath so much that he stands at the tub even when it is not bath time!!! He loves the park and the swing! Doods is getting so fun and growing too fast! Everyone loves his mohawk!!!

Ireland!!!

2010-04-26T13:03:00.004-04:00

Doodle 9 months!!!

2010-04-26T12:38:00.003-04:00

Christmas Photos

2009-12-01T17:44:00.001-05:00

From Blog Photos

Pasta baby

2009-11-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

I totally forgot to post our Pasta Baby Pictures!!! 3months

From Pasta Baby

MOM, I'm over this!!! This one is my favorite!!!

From Pasta Baby

The Beautiful Austria

2009-11-28T04:40:00.004-05:00

From Blog Photos

The Golden Roof

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Swarovski Museum

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Ski Jump

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The trip was amazing. Austria was beautiful. Doods started teething = super fun road trip, HA! It was overall a very relaxing first trip with Mac!

Sigonella Ferry Ride 5.5 months

2009-11-28T04:39:00.001-05:00

From Blog Photos

My hair was blowing in the wind

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The Beach in Gaeta - 4 months

2009-11-28T04:37:00.001-05:00

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Our Family

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Me & Daddy

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Vino 4.5 months

2009-11-28T04:35:00.001-05:00

From Blog Photos

Fall Time

2009-11-28T04:34:00.001-05:00

From Blog Photos

Mommy & Me swinging on a swing

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Fall time

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I hate Gourds

More Doodle!

2009-11-28T04:29:00.004-05:00

From Blog Photos

Halloween - 5 months

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I'm a Wee Bairn in my MacLean Tartan

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Now I'm Tony Romo

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& now I'm a pumpkin

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Tummy Time

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I'm a rockstar

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& I love the kitties

Doodle!

2009-11-28T04:22:00.005-05:00

From Blog Photos

in the jumperoo 3 months!

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Arsenal Fan Already!

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Playing in the Bumbo!

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I'm a sailor just like Daddy!

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First time eating baby food!

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My new hat from my Italian friend! Almost 5 months

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I'm teething so I get a popscicle

Our Doodle Bug!

2009-11-28T04:17:00.005-05:00

Just a few from 0-3 months!

From Blog Photos

Doods loves Kaya the Dog!

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6weeks

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Bath Time

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Oh, What a World...

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My Sleeping Angel

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Fourth of July

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The 4th

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Amy & Chris Wedding with Great Great Grandma!

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All our kids (Nicci, Amber, Lori & mine)

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Back with our Dad from the States!

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8weeks

Camorra Article!

2009-09-21T09:02:00.004-04:00

Move over, Don Corleone.... And, wait til you get to the end paragraph, talk about multi-tasking! Read this interesting article on the "Madriones" of Naples. I heard some of this goes on in the next town over from where we live!

The godmothers calling the shots in the Naples mafia:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-godmothers-calling-the-shots-in-the-naples-mafia-1779395.html

M's Foot

2009-07-31T10:46:00.006-04:00

Just an update on M's foot! He is doing wonderful. Due to the excellent casting and manipulations done by the great doctors here in Naples and then the extended work from the wonderful docs at Texas Scottish Rite, Mac is responding beautifully! He doesn't need any surgery! YAY! There is a chance he may need a small procedure done later on but his heel is dropping nicely and it currently doesn't look like he will need the surgery!!! The doctors are using the Ponsetti Method to correct his club foot. They first do several manipulations on the foot to stretch it to a "normal" foot. They cast him every week. Then M got these special shoes (I think they looked like Forrest Gump shoes). These shoes gave him the worst blisters...so I went back to the dr. and he is now wearing new shoes (that look like Hi-top birkenstocks!). He wears the shoes for 3 months night and day and then for one year at night only. He shouldn't have any delayed walking, crawling, etc... His one foot may be slightly smaller than the other but this just means Mommy & Daddy will be buying two pairs of expensive soccer shoes at a time! HA! Below are some pictures!! Enjoy!

This is just his cute foot!!!

From Blog Photos

My First Cast!!! (Really it's the 2nd but who's counting?)

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My 3rd cast - It has to go up my leg b/c I wiggle out of things!!!

From Blog Photos

My first pair of shoes...

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My new shoes!!!- They have a bar on them too, it looks like I am snowboarding!

From Blog Photos

Congratulations Kate & Clint!!!

2009-07-31T10:28:00.007-04:00

On the Fourth of July, Clint asked the beautiful Kate to marry him!!! And she said YES!!! Congratulations you two! We wish you the happiest ever after. Clint, Welcome to the family! We couldn't be happier for you both.

The Cute Couple

From Blog Photos

The M's

From Blog Photos

Our Baby Boy!!!!

2009-05-23T13:22:00.003-04:00

Doodle arrived on May 20, 2009 @1915. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and 20.7 inches long! My water broke at 0755 and contractions started. After 11 hours, 2.5 hours of pushing, our little angel was here! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Baby Room

2009-05-10T12:20:00.004-04:00

Well, Here are the pictures of the Baby Room in Sea Life. G did so good putting everything together in record time.

Enjoy!

Baby Shower

2009-03-31T06:43:00.003-04:00

Well, Here are the baby shower pics from Texas. I had a blast and was so thankful to see everyone. M got everything he needs and more!!! I am about 28 weeks in these pictures. Although, M is measuring 4 weeks bigger!!!

Enjoy!

AC Milan vs Napoli

2009-03-31T06:37:00.004-04:00

Yet another soccer game! The final score was 2 vs 2 but we did see David Beckham, Caca, Dida, Ronaldinho, Seedorf, Pirlo and Maldini play! All great players. We met up with the guys from Greg's British Football Team. We had a blast but not at first when we were saving 15 seats at a sold out game!!! Here are the pics.

City of Lights!

2009-01-19T07:13:00.005-05:00

Bonjour!

Well, we just got back from Paris, France and had the most wonderful time. I think I should upgrade my wardrobe and move there! I would totally fit in... The people, the food and desserts, the sights were just fabulous.

The first night we took a boat tour along the Seine River and saw all the spectacular sights and the bridges. It was so romantic. This city really is the city of lights!

We spent our first full day at Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) with a couple of friends. Versailles was the unofficial capital city of the kingdom of France when King Louis XIV moved the court and government permanently to Versailles until his death and the it returned to Paris. The Palace has gold everywhere. It was beautiful. That night we went to Moulin Rouge. Now, I must say, I really did not expect this to be a topless show. I do not suggest going here unless you want to laugh. The show is stuck in the 1980's and I think High School drill teams dance better than these dancers. Despite the cost of this show, we still had fun laughing.

The next day, we went everywhere. The view of the Eiffel Tower was amazing from Trocadero. Arc De Triomphe started the street of shopping down Champs Elysees. Everything was 70% off! The Cathedral of Notre Dame was just beautiful. Mass was going on while we were there. Although, no sightings of the Hunchback. We saw the Winged Nike of Samothrace - Goddess of Victory, Venus de Milo, the Tomb of the Sphynx and of course the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum. Although, I think this painting is overpriced, it is neat how her eyes really do follow you in the room. And of course the magnificent Eiffel Tower. We went all the way to the top. It was so cold and windy. Last week, the tower was lit up blue but this week it was sparkling. We say everything in the day and then everything at night. By the end of the day, I was waddling down the street from my back and feet hurting so badly.

The food was fabulous! We had duck, Beef Bourganaise, Roast Chicken, Gallettes. I have a picture of the Gallette but haven't posted it! But they are crepes made with Black flour with stuffing inside. Mine had ham, lettuce, cheese and this fabulous white creme sauce. I hate French mustard but G loved it and brought some home. The desserts were to die for. Crepes with nuttella and banana, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mousse and tiramisu. I gained 2 pounds! So worth it though!

The weather was frigid but I really enjoyed going during the winter months so we could get all bundled up. We had the most wonderful time and G even got to feel M kick! I really want to move there! We took over 400 pictures. No, I didn't post them all but I did post a lot! Enjoy!

Baby Bump

2009-01-10T16:05:00.003-05:00

Well, I don't think I have a huge baby bump or anything but I have certainly thickened up and have a little pooch. But here are the latest baby bump pics at 20 weeks.

New Year's 2009

2009-01-10T16:01:00.003-05:00

The Morris' came to see us for New Year's this year! We had a blast. We went to Rome, Herculaneum, Mt. Vesuvius, and we had an amazing New Years again with the Italians. Each house spends about 700 Euro on fireworks. G had to work so we went to the top of the garage and he came to visit us. I still got my midnight kiss! Here are some pics. You can see all of the houses lighting up fireworks in the background of the pics of us. You can also see the "show" 360 degrees. ENJOY! & Happy New Year!

Midnight Mass at the Vatican

2009-01-10T15:57:00.004-05:00

Well, we had to do it once since we live in Italy. We made it to Midnight Mass. For those of you who don't know it's like the mecca for Catholics. It was very cold and very late for a pregnant person to be out. We went with a couple of our couple friends. Greg & I had an amazing time. It really was amazing to experience this wonderful, holy mass. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Mary's Wedding

2009-01-10T15:46:00.005-05:00

Here are just a couple of pics of us from Mary's wedding. Thought you might like to see us all gussied up! Isn't Greg cute in his sailor "outfit"!

Latest ultrasounds!

2008-12-23T06:36:00.001-05:00

Here are the latest pictures of our little man!

It's definitely a boy!

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Countdown til Baby M gets here!

2008-12-14T12:37:00.004-05:00

Our Future Soccer Player!

2008-12-09T14:57:00.002-05:00

As some of you may know, we are pregnant again! We are super excited about our little peanut and the dr. is 75% sure it is a BOY! So, the pressure is off for Greg! The Chaney name can carry on!

Here are some ultrasound pictures. Enjoy!

Recent London Trip

2008-12-09T14:16:00.002-05:00

Below are several pictures from our recent trip to London! We had a blast. We stayed with Hunter and Lucy in their new flat! It was a very nice 2 bedroom. Our friend Johnny, from Italy, came with us. We rented a car and Greg drove us to Stonehenge, which was quite a sight to see. And the reason we went to London--the Arsenal vs. Manchester soccer match. Arsenal won 2-1. It was amazing to see. Emirates stadium was beautiful. By far the best stadium I have ever been to. The rows had so much room to maneuver. And, the seats were super comfy. The fans were great & completely civil. Quite a difference from the Naples fans! But enjoy the pictures.

Update!

2008-10-13T08:38:00.002-04:00

Well, just to let everyone know how we are doing. I got a new job as the Intramural Sports Coordinator. I am already super busy putting together tournaments and seasons. I am also taking a class to get my masters degree, but hate the class and am planning on quitting getting my masters for now (especially with being so busy with work). We can't wait to go back to the States for Greg's vacation. We already have the whole thing planned and have no free time at all! And when we get back to Italy we are here for 2 days and leave again for London. Greg's birthday present is going to see Arsenal and Manchester United play against each other. Well, hopefully all are doing well. We are still paying $3.75/gallon for gas and the dollar has not gone up enough against the euro. Talk to you later. Ciao Ciao!

Vietri, Italy

2008-10-13T08:34:00.003-04:00

Well, here are some pictures from our trip to Vietri. I have been before with some girlfriends but Greg had never been. We had a lovely time and bought some ceramics. Vietri is located on the coast about 45 minutes from our house. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the sea! It was very relaxing with beautiful weather. Enjoy the pictures.

Greg's Africa Trip

2008-09-25T09:00:00.002-04:00

Greg's Humanitarian/Soccer Trip in Africa. I will write more later! Enjoy!

Neopolitans banned from soccer games!!!

2008-09-11T07:16:00.002-04:00

I just have to put this on the blog b/c we love going to the games but this is scary!

Judge closes part of Naples stadium after riots

MILAN, Italy: A sports judge ordered parts of San Paolo stadium in Naples closed until next month on Monday, shutting down where hardcore Napoli fans usually sit.

The Italian Football League said Napoli had also been fined €10,000 (US$14,200) after its fans caused a riot on a train to Rome earlier this month.

A group of several hundred Napoli supporters launched firecrackers, broke windows, slashed seats open and made €500,000 (US$730,000) worth of damage to the train. At least four railway workers were injured.

More violence erupted when the train reached the capital for the AS Roma-Napoli game, which ended 1-1.

Last week, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni signed a measure banning Napoli fans from away games for the rest of the season.

Mt. Vesuvius

2008-09-10T08:17:00.004-04:00

Well, we have been here a year and we have never been to Mt. Vesuvius! We see it every time we walk out our door (unless the haze is too heavy) but we have never been! We finally made the hike! We really drove most of it and hiked only about 30 minutes. Of course, I am married to super athlete of the year who wanted to run the mountain. I shot that idea down as quick as he asked the question! (Is he CRAZY???) There was a lot of haze and I am sure without the haze the views would have been much nicer but it was still beautiful and I told Greg he can go run it by himself another time! Since the 1600's the volcano has never had a period longer than 50 years between eruptions until now! It has been since 1944! Hopefully, it will hold off until we leave Italy! Enjoy the photos!

One Year Update!

2008-09-03T11:58:00.003-04:00

It's official! We have lived here for one year and we are about to celebrate our 2-year anniversary! The dent in the opel (made by me) is still there but it reminds me of surviving the Italian driving! We got a new professional camera to take pictures of all of our travels! It is a Sony Alpha! Karl and Laura had their baby, Parker William Schlegel on 8/8/08! Congratulations and welcome to the world baby Parker! So, we have two more years here! I am starting my Masters program next month! Greg leaves for Africa on our anniversary!!! And, we will be home in the end of October! Hope to see you all soon!

Lucerne, Switzerland

2008-08-24T06:19:00.004-04:00

Well, we had an amazing time in Lucerne, Switzerland! When we arrived in Geneva we rented an Opel and started driving the two hours to Lucerne. By the time we landed we were super hungry and needed any kind of grub to keep us going on the short road trip so we stopped at a good old McDonald's. (HA!) I think we paid at least $12 for our meal. Maybe I haven't been to the states in awhile to eat McD's but what happened to the dollar menu??? The greatest thing: the Swiss in the drive thru turn off their engines to conserve energy! They also do it at stop lights! It was a nice change of "energy" coming from Italy where we just litter everywhere, don't get oil changes and burn trash! We arrived at our hotel in Lucerne, had a beer and went to bed only to awake the next day to tons of rain and a national holiday! Everything was closed, just like Italy! I don't know the U.S. doesn't do that but I don't think I like it!

We did find some open things, like the Rosengart Picasso Museum (owned by Mrs. Rosengart, long time friend of the late Pablo Picasso). I only emphasize this b/c as Greg and I finished viewing the museum and all of its glory we decided to buy a couple of prints... Before I tell you the rest of the story, know that I only thought this museum to be called the Picasso Museum. (that is what all of the tourist information called it) Greg had gone to get the umbrellas and the lady that was checking me out was talking to me and introduced to me to some lady. I got really nervous b/c I don't like speaking other languages, I just get embarrassed sometimes AND I don't know French. So, I just said Hi and went on with my merry self. Later, I realized the lady was introducing us to Mrs. Rosengart, the owner of the wonderful collection. I was so embarrassed & mortified. NO wonder people think so "highly" of Americans!

Later that day, we checked out the Dying Lion Monument and the Orgelsommer Cathedral. Lake Lucerne was beautiful and we thought Chapel Bridge was really cool. (Most of the bridge burned down and was later rebuilt). That night we ate at the Fondue House and had Swiss Cheese Fondue along with a meat Fondue, Swiss Wine and to top it all off- Swiss Chocolate! YUMM! It was delicious, although, I did freak out when we took one of the meats out too early and I thought raw meat had touched my plate! Luckily, neither of us got sick and we had a fabulous Swiss cuisine.

The next day we decided to do some shopping and then climb Mt. Pilatus (7,000 feet high). Okay, well, we didn't climb the whole thing. We took a gondela up most of the way and then climbed to the very top. The views were breathtaking. We took at least 100 pictures at the top! It was 7^ Celsius. I was freezing and didn't take enough warm clothes but it was still fun. Then we decided to ride down this bobsled thing called a "Rodelbahn". Basically, it is a bobsled, a little like the bobsled ride at Six Flags but without the water! I did almost kill Greg b/c I was going slow on the ride, it was scary... And Greg, came speeding up behind me and caught up with me! I didn't think this was very safe. He was going to bump me. On the way down, we say some Swiss cows making Swiss Chocolate!

The temperature ranged from 7^-20^ Celsius (44-68^Farenheit) which was a nice change from the Italy heat! Depending on where you were in Switzerland, the natives spoke French, Italian or German! They are still on the Swiss Franc and gas was CHF 2 per litre which is about $7.56 per gallon which is less than Italy but more than the U.S. so quit complaining! We decided not to open a Swiss Bank Account even though we thought that would be really cool just to say we did! Some other things we noticed were the highways had no billboards and all of the license plates were different for each city, like Zurich had ZH in front of the numbers and Geneva had GE, Bern had BE, etc...

We spent our final two days in Geneva, which I didn't like. We went to the Cathedrale de St. Pierre and we went to the Jet d'Eau, a beautiful fountain in downtown at Lake Geneva. I though some of Geneva was pretty but it was so close to the French border and it looked yucky. We still had a good time but wished we would have stayed in Lucerne an extra day. We did find this great little restaurant on one of the streets. We shared a Rotisserie chicken, fries (b/c everyone in Europe eats fries with every meal) and fabulous bread and wine! It was a great little nook of a place with a nice "wait line"!

This is all I can think of for now... We had a great time. Enjoy the pictures.

Just a quick update!

2008-07-29T11:44:00.003-04:00

Hi All! I just wanted to let everyone know our new Texas phone number: 214-295-5731. Now, we can keep in touch for free!!!! (Just remember we are seven hours ahead of most of you!) Now we don't have to spend all of our gas money on calls! HA! We are paying $4.82 per gallon for regular unleaded. AND, the regular doesn't even last as long as the USA. Italians are however paying $5.82, so we are getting somewhat of a bargain, if that is what you want to call it. Gas is going up about $0.10 a gallon every 2 weeks! Other than that, every thing is going well here in Italy. The weather is hot, hot, hot! Greg is almost finished with softball and is going on his soccer/Africa trip in September now! We are also going to Switzerland next month! So, there will be new pictures to come (with our new, professional, snazzy camera!). The kitties are getting along great. Greg and I are both planning on going back to school next month. Although, I keep going back and forth with the idea! Anyways, I hope all is well in the USA. Miss All! Love, judy

(Nap)OLI

2008-06-10T16:37:00.002-04:00

Our newest kitty, OLI

He is super cute and talkative, loving and playful. He and Tally are getting along very well and love each other very much!

HOME!

2008-06-10T16:30:00.003-04:00

Well, I came home for 2 weeks and here a just a couple of pictures! I met Kelli's baby and she is so beautiful. I played a lot of Rock Band with Kate! Then I made it home after 4 days of traveling!!! I was taking a military flight so there is always a chance to get bumped. Well, I did and so I had a choice to wait two more weeks for the next flight, buy a one-way $1000 ticket, or take a cargo plane home! I chose that latter and this is how it went...Texas to VA sleep one night, miss the plane, sleep another night, then catch a cargo plane, stay in spain for 18 hours, then fly to Sicily, then fly home. Let me just tell you that Cargo planes are LOUD, COLD with no food or water or flight attendants! crappy bathrooms and uncomfortable seats and no movies, etc... but I did it. I would probably not ever do it again! but I got home and for free! HA!!! I miss the family already!

Munchen Munchen

2008-06-10T10:59:00.007-04:00

Here are some pictures of the Munich, Germany! We had a great 4-day trip. We went to the Neushwanstein Castle in Schwan, Germany. It is the castle that Disney land and the Cinderella Castle is modeled after. It was beautiful and we got to see the Alps in the background. They were beautiful and they still had snow on them. We also went to Dachau, one of the concentration camps. It was very somber but interesting. We saw the Glockenspiel at Marienplatz (Central Munich). The Glockenspiel is the largest Cukoo Clock. At the hour, the "cukoo" people dance and have a dual and it was very fun to watch. We also liked watching the people watch the clock; as the bells chimed, everyone's heads and cameras went straight up....!!! We went to the Hofbrauhaus (I didn't like the food or the beer there!) but we went to several other Bier Gartens that I loved. Overall, I really liked the food. They serve big pretzels with everything and they have this thing called a beef roll and it is beef with cabbage, bacon, etc... rolled into it. They also put brown gravy on everything. I didn't like the pork but I am not big on pork anyway. We had a great time at the markets. We also went to the Olympic Grounds and went to the top of the Olympic Tower. It was beautiful with great views. The people were so friendly and the place was super clean and so beautiful. Everyone rode bikes everywhere they went. The even have their own bike lanes!! We loved Germany and wish we lived there!!!

Me with some bear (not beer) at this good little restaurant in Schwan. This is the place with the beef roll and my favorite restaurant that we went to.

This was my favorite restaurant!!!

Me going waiting for the tour of the Castle. I just love all of the greens.

Here we are...waiting for the tour of the caste. We met some nice people from Illinois!

Neushwanstein Castle

Greg in front of part of the castle!

This was like an hour walk up the mountain to the Cinderella Castle so we took a horse carriage ride there and walked down. (thank goodness)

This is another castle that you can see from the Cinderella Castle. They are built by the same crazy guy!

Neushwanstein Castle

This is the Olympic Tower!!! It had just rained and I thought the sky was gorgeous! The weather was overall very good. It rained for just about an hour this day and most of it we were in the subway! Have I mentioned, the subway is fantastic here! I like it better than London or Chicago or Spain's Underground!!! It has different levels and it is just fabulous!

This is the view of the Olympic Grounds and the new soccer stadium (TOP) from the Tower. I believe it is 186 meters high???!!!

BMW Museum

This is the Cukoo Clock or the Glockenspiel. You can see the "Cukoo" in the tallest part of the building.

This is the "Cukoo" part with the moving stories!

Us at the Augusiner Bier Garten! We loved this place and closed it down with some Danish guys we met!

Greg loved the German get-ups! He really wanted me to buy one of the girls outfits. I wasnt' having that.

Me at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden! This Garden is 7 miles long by 2 miles wide. It was gorgeous. It as a nude and a clothed beach on it and a waterfall. In the Chinese Bier Garten! HA!

Me at Augustiner! One night I had like 3 or 4 of these huge beers!!!!

Hofbrauhaus!!

HB!

Me at one of the markets!

One of the flower stands at the market.

just an update...

2008-04-08T11:40:00.002-04:00

Ciao Ciao,

Just wanted to let everyone know how we are doing and what is going on in our life lately. I have been working a little (substitute teaching). It is going well. At least it is getting me out of the house while Greg is at work. I am still looking for a full time job but the competition is rough, jobs are scarce and military experience is almost a pre-requisite here on base. Greg is doing well, especially with his soccer stuff. We may be going to West Africa for a series of games in four or five different countries and some schmoozing with diplomats! I am hoping on going with him but we are still waiting to hear if wives are allowed to go. If we go, we are required to take 30-days of Malaria pills! Yuck! We are planning some other small trips here and there as well. maybe switzerland or prague soon! Hunter & Lucy are coming this month and we are super excited to see family. And, I may be coming home for a week or so at the end of the month. I would love to see everyone and get to meet Kelli's new baby (not born yet but by the time I should be home will be!!!) We are still hoping everyone will come visit and I have heard from a few about when so let us know so we can put you on the calendar!!! We have plenty of room. We miss all and will write more later. Arrivederci!

Florence, Italy

2008-03-03T05:41:00.002-05:00

Summer is here! Here are some pics, I will tell you about the trip later.

Tagging?

2008-02-24T08:22:00.003-05:00

Hello Everybody! So, I was "tagged" to do this post! and just because I am bored, I am going to do it! but first I am going to say my friend, Summer is coming in town this week and I can't freakin' wait! We will be going to the Tuscania region and then of course, a soccer game. I will post pics soon!

MY HUSBAND
What is his name? Gregory Dan Chaney
How long have you been married? A year and a half
How long did you date? about 3 months!
How old is he? 26
How old are you? 27
Who eats more sweets? That would be both of us equally! But, I have to say if it's in front of Greg the whole box or bag will be gone. ;)
Who said I love you first? I probably said it first????
Who is taller? Gregarooni
Who can sing better? Gregarooni, again
Who is smarter? I think I am smarter, HA, of course...although, we compliment eachother well. I like the Math and he likes History! :)
Who does the laundry? Me
Who does the dishes? Mostly me
Who pays the bills? Usually Greg.
His guilty pleasure? This week, it was Tagalongs. Damn those girl scout cookies.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Greg, but I usually invade his space too.
Who is his best friend? me and Bradley:)
Who cooks dinner? I do unless he's grilling.
Who drives? Well, Greg if he's in the car with me, otherwise I do. HAHAHA
Who kissed who first? I am sure it was Greg :)
Who asked who out first? I did! but it was my mom's pushing....
What was your first date? Well, the first time we met up was at Sherlocks watching the MAVS~~~~
Who proposed? Greg...He promised to make all my dreams and wishes come true.
Who has more siblings? Greg has 3 wonderful sisters and I only have one.
Who wears the pants? Me, of course :) but I let Greg think he does
What is your favorite thing about him? Everything! He is genuine, kind, smart, loving, honest, hardworking, freakin' hilarious...and I think he's absolutely dreamy! He's my best friend

I don't know who I tag next...

Soccer Match

2008-02-08T11:16:00.000-05:00

Hello All, I just wanted to post some pictures of the latest soccer match. Greg has joined the USA Soccer team and last weekend we played at the Pontifical North American College. It is a national seminary for the U.S. seminarians located in the Vatican City. The campus was gorgeous and the students took us on a beautiful tour. They have a great view of the city. We won 3-0 and we are to play the team again in March. The students were studying for exams this week. There are about 170 students from all over the U.S. and they have about 6 from Australia. There is a picture of this huge Red Oak tree that Pope John Paul II planted in February of 1980. It is super tall and as old as me! There is also a picture of one of the gardens, it has 48 orange, melon and lemon trees that surround a small pool with 50 bronze stars (13 big ones for the 13 original colonies). All around the top border of the walls throughout the college are the cities of the original diocese. Of course, now some have combined and new ones have developed but it is really a neat site to see. JFK and Eisenhower have been there and Eisenhower even flew from his helocopter from the soccer field! By the way, Greg is playing keeper, so he is in the red long sleeved shirt on the white colored shirt team. Hope you all enjoy! We miss everyone!

SKI Trip

2008-01-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

We are back from our ski trip at Roccaraso, Italy with no broken bones or re-injured knees! Just a bunch of bruises and sore muscles. As you may or may not know, I have never skied before and let me tell you don't go on the advanced trails first because it scares you a lot. Well, we thought the bunny trail was the trail we were on, which I walked down half! Little did we know on the way up...It was an advanced trail. Greg enjoyed it, however I rolled down half and walked the other half. I still had a good time. One of our friends we went with broke her wrist so me and two other girls stayed at the bar while all the boys skied and snowboarded. But the views were amazing and I will go back once I have healed to have another go. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures. By the way, I am trying the slideshow out because it is easier to post but let me know if you don't like it...Also, if you want to see the pictures without the slideshow, I believe you can just click on the slideshow or the little icon in the bottom right corner to view them separately or you can just click this link:

Ski Trip

Enjoy!

Big News!

2008-01-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Greg's little sister is engaged! YAY Mary!

Mary is engaged to a young man named Jon Gregory! Isn't that funny? How many Gregory's can one family have!!!! Anyways, their website is:
http://www.mywedding.com/jonandmarygregory/

we are so super excited for them and will be home in October for the big event.

New Year's with Mama & Papa C

2008-01-13T17:41:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

As some of you know, we spent our New Year's with Greg's folks! We had a wonderful time. We did a lot of the same things as with my parents except we saw the greatest fireworks show known to man. Unfortunately, I was sick part of their trip. I think my mom brought something from the airplane, HA! Dan & Greg went to Rome while Pam & I got to have girl time and shop and watch movies. It was a nice change of pace for me, especially with all of the running around. I think Greg & Dan needed some manly time together too!

The Chaney's arrived the day before my parents left, so we had a nice arrival/leave dinner at Anthony's (a little Italian restaurant near our house). Greg had to work a lot but he did have off for new year's. We went to the top of the 4-story parking garage at the other military base to watch the show. I have never seen anything like this before and I don't think anyone else had either. It is said that every family in Italy spends about 500 euro on fireworks here. Yes, they are legal. So, the fireworks were going off here and there all around us. And, at midnight, the show begins...it looked like Naples was being blown up! The prettiest thing I have seen in the armpit of Italia. Millions of fireworks every where you turned. It was so loud, boomings from every side of the garage. There was not a bad spot anywhere. I believe New Year's is also an Italian holiday (maybe their independence day) but the Italians go all out. Unfortunately we did not get any pictures of this b/c we stupidly thought it was going to be like every other show we had seen and would not care about pictures. We were wrong but we did meet some people taking video and hopefully they will send us a copy so I can post it. Here is an example of this years fireworks from you tube but it doesn't do it justice. The show is just amazing and it goes on from 4pm til 6am the next morning!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZFADXqEPpU

Well, below are some pictures from Dan & Greg's trip to Roma. For some reason, we didn't end up taking any pictures of Pam & I or the family together. I hate that....

Here is the Vatican and the Christmas Tree.

At the Vatican...The Nativity Scene with Baby Jesus.

Here is Dan at the Colosseum.
Dan at Trevi Fountain throwing his coins for good luck.
Another at the colosseum.

I don't know why these pictures turned out sideways...I will work on it and try to fix it. I hope you all enjoy! Love, Me

Just a few more pictures from Italian Christmas!

2008-01-07T12:03:00.000-05:00

Greg and Clint in front of the Arc Di Triumph in front of the Colosseum. I just thought this was an awesome picture...

The fam in front of the Spanish Steps. The other direction is the street with all of the fancy shops that you have to be buzzed into, like Hermes, Versace, etc...

Here is the game when it started getting darker. you can see all of the people and the view above the stadium.

Here is Kate looking for shoes. We spent the whole week looking for boots but usually when we would go to the shops it was siesta time. between 2 and 4:30. But the last day, Kate finally got her Italian boots.
Here is Dad in front of a villa. I just think it is a cool picture too.

Well, I hope you enjoy all of the pictures. We had a great Christmas. Our feet were super tired. Oh, I forgot to tell everyone about the Italian driving....It is awful, I think when I come back to the states I am going to be a Nascar driver! In Sorrento, I was trying to pass this guy in a 3-wheel truck and he nudged my car! Dad said he wouldn't even drive here. I hope everyone had happy holidays! Love ya'll!

Family Christmas in Italia

2008-01-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

Mom & Dad at Christmas Alley in Naples

Mom & Kate eating their very tiny gelato cones. We were all so very full from the pizza (you can't share pizzas but you do only pay 3-6 euros for a pizza) but we still got gelato and cafe! Yummy!

Here is a window full of pastries! The ones on the second row are the rum balls which is what Dad got instead of gelato. It was delicious! Doesn't this picture just make your mouth water instantly.

Kate & Clint at the Bay of Naples in the evening. You can't see it but Vesuvius and the castle are behind them.

Me & Greg at Naples in the Evening. This is the second time we have taken this particular tour and we love it. You get to go all around Naples without driving! Just riding and this time was different because we went to Christmas Alley, a Christmas market.

Me & Mom - we were all getting hungry at this point of the tour. I think the family loved the Italian Cuisine. They had Pizza, of course, pasta, rotisserie chicken - all Italian favorites.

The family in front of the Colosseum. This was our first day in Rome. We saw the Colosseum, Vatican, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps!

Here is Mom & Dad outside the Vatican Museum. We had just seen the amazing Sistine Chapel!

Clint, Kate, Dad and I in front of the Vatican. just about to see the catacombs. We spent the first day seeing the Catacombs and then a lot of Rome and the second day of Rome we saw the Sistine Chapel! I didn't know it closes at 12:45, but we did it! We all took the train to Rome and then took the metro from all the stops. Kate actually saw someone get pickpocketed on one of the trains! Thank goodness none of that stuff happened to us.

Mom & Dad in front of the Arc de Triumph, next to the Colosseum.

Kate and Clint with the Gladiators in front of the Colosseum. I think the Gladiators were jealous of Clint and wanted to Kate for themselves.

This is the two Gregs in front of the column of Gregorio. too Cute. (not sure if you can see Gregorio on this column but it was there)/
Kate & Clint throwing centavos into the Trevi Fountain. Legend has it if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your back turned against the fountain then you will have good fortune and have a quick return to Rome. Another legends says if you drink from the left side of the fountain ("the small fountain for lovers), you will be ever faithful to your partner.

So, here is the 'rents trying to return soon...

And Greg and I didn't throw any more coins because another legend promises of divorce if you throw a third coin in the fountain. !!!!!

Here are us girls in front of fontana di Trevi. The Fountain is gorgeous at night with all of the lights and a very popular sight with many peddlers trying to sell you anything and everything.
Here is Dad being funny at the train station in front of a lingerie shop!

Here are mom and dad in Sorrento.

Kate & Clint in front of the mountains in Sorrento.

Me & Kate in Sorrento Mom & Dad in front of the Orange Trees of Sorrento. They line up and down the streets and smell fabulous.

GOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL! Napoli vs. Torino. 1-1. It was awesome. The family loved it. we had pretty good seats with the Italians. Smoking, cursing and fireworks were going on but no drinking! They don't sell alcohol at the game. but you can smoke and eat cornetto (ice cream) in the stands and you can set off fireworks, which happen to sell outside the stadium. The crowd was crazy as usual and we did get to see Naples score. The crowd was yelling and screaming, dancing and singing. They started getting antsy when the team hadn't scored in the whole first half of the game but finally they scored and it was very exciting.

This is us at a Piazza in Aversa (a town right next to where I live)

The Fam on a street in Aversa. Dad is holding some wine from the winery (below), Vini & Vini. The winery makes their own wine and the grape to make Aspirino (a sparkling wine) only grows in Aversa.

Christmas Stockings Ho Ho Ho

2007-11-27T11:27:00.000-05:00

My Stocking!

Gregarooni's Stocking!

So, I have had some extra time on my hands. Therefore, I made us stockings by punch needle. It is super simple but very time consuming. I just thought you may want to take a look! I feel like such an old little lady! Ha! On the other hand, I did have a "pre-interview" today for substitute teaching at the schools here and I have applied for a few other full time jobs! Yea! I hope you all are getting in the Christmas spirit! Which by the way, I am still saying Ho Ho Ho! and if you are offended by Santa saying this maybe said people should stop acting like one and therefore, not have to feel offended. Ha Ha Ha!

Here is a close up of the snowman!

Here is a close up of Santa!

Big news

2007-11-16T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hello All, I just wanted to let everyone know that Greg picked up 2nd class. For those of you who don't know what that means (most of you and me)...It's kind-of like a raise in the navy. All of the navy has to take "advancement tests" to get a "raise". They can only take the test every few years if they advance. The test has tons to do with their specific job and not to mention everything else in history, medical, and so on. Well, Greg was one of 7000 out of 350,000 that advanced. Usually, guys take the test 4 or 5 times before advancing and even if you pass the test with flying colors it does not ensure you will advance. The military does it on a percentage scale. But he made it. I am so proud of MA2 and I know all of you are too. He worked so hard and studied his little tushi off. I should be able to go to the frocking ceremony where he would get another eagle on his uniform and it would be official. So, I should post pictures of that when the time comes.

Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know the great news. I am going to Roma tomorrow with a friend so I should be posting more pictures soon. Love you all.

PS I am really excited but for some reason I can't post exclamation points?

PPS. The pictures didn't turn out that well. I think it was the lighting in the theater but here are a couple. Enjoy!

Physical Location

2007-10-28T17:18:00.000-04:00

Some of you have been asking how to see us on Google Earth or what our physical address is... We really don't have a physical address due to the protection of the military, etc... but we take the Gricigano d Aversa exit and we are just seconds from here. I looked it up on Google and this is the site that came up http://www.geody.com/geospot.php?world=terra&ufi=-118887&alc=grc It actually gives you a place to look up on Google Earth, Maps, etc... and we are 10 minutes from Aversa (where the train station is) and the site gives you the populations for all of the surrounding cities. Greg works at Capodochino. I hope this gives you some idea of where we are located in Italy. Miss you all XOXXO

Our First Pumpkin!

2007-10-28T16:52:00.001-04:00

In honor of Halloween and keeping tradition of the Amerian holidays...we carved a pumpkin today! Greg said he hasn't done this since he was 5, I am sure he is exaggerating but me being the kid that I am had to do it with him. We bought a $13 pumpkin, I don't remeber these being so expensive in the states. It turns out neither Greg or I have any artistic ability when it comes to pumpkin carving so we went to the trusty internet and looked up easy kid pumpkin carving tracers. We decided on a happy pumpkin. Check our little guy out.

Me starting the carving...I am getting in there good!

Now Greg is getting into it. Gotta get all those pumpkin guts out so no fires start.

Even Tally is helping.

Isn't he happy as can be?

Tadah!

Here you can kind-of see the fall foliage I put up for the fall. We bought this today at the Italian version of Home Depot, Leroy Merlin.

Napoli Futbol

2007-10-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

I found some pictures that we took last month for our one year wedding anniversary! That's right, I said it ONE YEAR!!! Well , we decided to celebrate in the same way as our first date, a sporting event. (this way I don't have to get Greg a present, going to a game is enough!!!hahaah). We went to a real life futbol game in our new hometown. Napoli vs. Sampdoria! We won 2-0! We went with Karl and Laura. Karl is just a fanatic about soccer as Greg so it was perfect. The fans were absolutely out of control (and we loved every moment of it)- they set off fireworks in the stands, almost STAMPEEDED us on our way into the stadium through security (it was literally like herding cattle) and cheered and sang the entire 90 minutes of the game. The fans are so die hard that they actually have to have a net covering the section of the opposing fans as to nothing hits them, etc... crazy... One negative, they don't serve alcohol, who has ever heard of a sporting event with no alcohol. I guess that is why you tailgate. Still, a fun life experience. Enjoy!

Greg & I after the game! We won!

Here is some of the smoke from the fireworks in Curva A (the rambuctious curve)

Here are some of the players but you can see in the back where the net is for the opposing fans. HAHAHA! That is what we need during TX/OU weekend.

It's a pretty big stadium.

Foggy London Town

2007-10-26T13:29:00.001-04:00

Looking from Buckingham Palace out...

One of the 8 Ravens at the Tower of London. Legend has it if the ravens leave then the Tower will fall.

Ciao, oh wait, we went to Foggy London Town so I should probably be saying Hello Lovey or something like that!!! Greg and I just got back from London. Greg had 30 days of free medical leave since he had his knee surgery, that went very well. We did a lot of walking and riding the tube and we learned never to get on a bus in London unless you want to spend hours getting somewhere that would take 20 minutes by cab or tube. We stayed with cousin, Hunter and his delightful girlfriend, Lucy for one night and then we stayed at the Tower of London with our "English Parents", Yomen Warder Idwal and Pam. First of all, I have to say I met Lucy and she was wonderful. Greg and I both very much liked her and how she will be able to keep our Hunter in line. Then I met Idwal and Pam and they were great as well. We wish we could've stayed longer but we know we can go back many times.

The first day, we went to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge and Westminster Abbey. Hunter, Greg and I just walked around and then met up with Lucy at the ever so busy Waterloo Station under the clocktower, where she was holding a rose (joke). We then went for drinks and dinner and ate at this place called Giraffe. I had the best salmon caesar salad ever. The next day, we ate blueberry pancakes and fruit and omelettes and headed to The Tower to meet Idwal and Pam. We walked around the Tower and saw the crown jewels (AMAZING) and St Thomas More's crypt. Later, I had comfort pie for the first time. It was pretty good, just minced meat, potatoes, peas and cheese all piled into one. We also went to Convent Gardens and just looked around at all the shops. We ate lunch at Punch and Judy's (can you imagine why?). It was delicious, I had roast with potatoes, green beens!, carrots and Yorkshire Pudding (yuck). That night we say the changing of the keys (front row) and then we had drinks at the tower pub for special guests only. It was really nice to sit and chat with Pam and Idwal; I had heard so much about them from the Chaney's. The final day, we ate fish and chips, surprinsingly good. Although, i didn't use the vinegar, Kate and I have such a wierd aversion to vinegar in anything??? HAHAHA! We also went shopping. I bought a super cute purse, why I bought a leather purse in London and not in Italy...who knows. Well below are some pictures, I hope I didn't bore you all too much with all of the food talk.

Me & Hunt at Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace.
Westminster Abbey

Below: Mojo getting pissed at Tower Bridge. Thank goodness he didnt' get his head cut off....

Above: Us at London Bridge and Big Ben

Below: Sunset at Big Ben and Parliament

Me at St. Paul's. We had a beautiful Eucharistic Mass here.

Very Cool Pic...Big Ben, W.Abbey, the eye....Can't beat it.

This is Idwal, Pam, Me and Greg at the Tower Bar after the Changing of the Keys.

Me, Lucy and Hunter!!!

Gregory, Me and Hunter

I have to say one more thing!!! Everyone knows that I am addicted to pizza!!! Well, Here in Italy they have the best freaking pizza in the world (not to mention there is no enriched flour). Well, I tried it in London and it was also good, not as good as Italy but definitely better than the states. I am really hoping on learning to make it. I have learned to make Caprese salad (delicious). It is Buffalo Mozzarela, lemon juice, olive oil and basil and tomatoes. fabulous. Oh but anyways, I got side tracked, I am never eating American pizza again. It just doesn't compare. Ok, well anyways, hope you all are enjoying the posts. hugs and kisses.

Yotel Hotel

2007-10-26T13:09:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, I had to go back to the states for some Visa thing/Mess Up.... Well, I did get everything taken care of in Houston at the Italian Consulate. This is beside the point. When flying out of Naples, you usually fly through London as your HUB and the flight usually gets in really late and then your next flight doesn't leave until the next morning. therefore, you have to get a hotel or sleep on the hard makeshift chairs/bed in the airport. I, however, suggest the Yotel! There is one located in Gatwick and Heathrow. The Yotel was developed by some Japanese guy who also created the idea for YoSushi! You can check out all of the info on their website, http://www.yotel.com/

Anyways, It is totally 5th Element like. I loved it. It is super small but all you really need is a bed to sleep in and a private bathroom with a possible shower. It was 4 times cheaper than a hotel in London and it was connected in the airport so no travel fees (i.e. cab, bus, trains...) they charge for every four hours you are there and i think it is like 25 to 40 GBP per every 4 hours depending on if you get the standard or the premier room. So check out the pics I took.

Above is the shower, sink and toilette.

Below is the full size step up bed. I chose the standard room because I was the only one travelling, so I had the oversized twin bed but they also have a premier room with a bigger bed and a little more space to move about.

Here you can see the fold down step to get up into the bed. To the right there is a fold down table with a mirror and a chair.

Here, you can see the TV/ Internet. There is a wireless keyboard that comes along with the room. There are movies, TV, Internet, radio, everything. And the beds are all down pillows and comfortor so it was super soft. Very small but very convenient.

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that this is the only hourly hotel that you may stay in and to help you when you come visit me in Italy!!!!

New Uses for the Bidet!

2007-10-26T13:03:00.000-04:00

Well, Our kitty, Tally has found some new uses for the bidet! Thank goodness. I was going to use it as a planter to plant some flowers but she beat me to it! Our friend, Laura, uses it a foot washer. I use it to pour out the dirt from the wet vac. But Tally McTalsters uses it as a foot stool and a lounger. I like her uses the best...although, I still think it would make a great planter.

She is so stinking cute!!!

Our New Place

2007-10-26T10:31:00.001-04:00

hello everyone! I know it has been a really long time since I have posted any news. Well, to start, I am putting up some pictures of our house. Please ignore the mess b/c I took these really fast as I was packing up for Texas. There have also been some changes as we have put up more pictures of friends and family, etc... and probably more decorations. We are living on base and have three bedrooms and two baths, two bidets(?hahaha). We are also pretty lucky on base because we have 110V and 220V so we don't have to transform or buy all new appliances for our place. (thank goodness). We also have a/c and heat and the heat runs through the pipes in the floor so we will have a warm winter. YEA!
ENJOY!!!

Here is our TV! The first major purchase before any furniture or any boxes had arrived. We have our priorities straight!

You can kind-of see the layout of the kitchen on the left and the dining area in the back and the living room with our out of place huge TV but we still need it because we must watch the COWBOYS and MAVS. And you scan see the doors leading to the balcony.

Here is our living area! Our super comfy couch and G's Ikea chair which is where all of the videogaming goes on. We have it all people: PS3, Wii, Nintendo. What more could you need!

This is our guest bathroom. Don't you love the beautiful bidet and the wonderful blue tile...HA! It works but we had the worst time finding a shower rod that would fit this european bathtub.

This is our small kitchen! It leads out to the bigger balcony with our grill, etc... We have gas and electrice here! There is enough room for all of our pots, pans and kitchen electrics but we don't have any more room for any extra stuff! I do have fun in here making muffins and cookies and dinners. ( I love the crockpot).

Here is our "study" for now. IF we have a baby here in Italy, we will turn this into a "baby room" but it will also be the room with the blow up mattress when we have a plethura of guests.

This is the guest room. It has a wardrobe to the left but that and the dresser are full of mine and G's clothes. HAHAHA. We need storage.

Here is the other side of the guest room. There is a library of movies and nintendo games for rent at the Chaney Home for the small price of a hug! The two guest rooms lead to their own balcony. Premier Space I must say!

Now, THIS is where all the magic happens...when there isn't laundry, the cat or whatever else that makes it into the bedroom. On the other side of the bohemith bed, we have our other dresser and the wardrobes but still we have not enough room for all of the clothes G owns! ;)

Now that you have seen our place and know that we have plenty of room...start making plans. We would love to have everyone here!. Love you all and will post more soon.

Our trip to Roma

2007-08-23T09:07:00.001-04:00

This past weekend G and I went to Roma with our friends K and L, and had a wonderful jam-packed 36-hour trip. We left by train and learned to only travel first-class by train! We also learned to always wear comfy shoes...L had to wear Greg's flip flops at the beginning of the trip until we found her some better shoes, which I later had to buy due to the same pain. We checked into our hotel next to the Spanish Steps, the widest and longest (138 steps) in all of Europe. Then we made our way through Roma visiting the Pantheon, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of World War I, The Coliseum, tons of Piazzas, lots of "rocks". We ended the night with a superb dinner., a walk to the Trevi Fountain and then drinks on the Spanish Steps. On day two, we went to Vatican City and climbed 551 steep stairs (Greg had to carry mine and his backpacks, I am severely out of shape) to the very top of St. Peter's Basilica and we saw the tombs of the popes. We saw so many amazing things this weekend and we can't wait to go back to see more.

K, G & L on the Spanish Steps.

These are the crocs we had to buy in order to walk. Super comfy - like walking on air.

These are the Spanish Steps that connect two piazzas.

This is us on the stairs of the tomb of the unknown soldier.

Us inside the Coliseum!

This is the natural light which lights the cathedral (I can't remember the name) but it was amazing.

Greg & I in front of the Coliseum ( I think this picture looks photoshopped).

In front of St. Peter's Basilica. You can't see the dome we climbed but it is behind this building.

My Best Girl is Preggers!

2007-08-17T17:30:00.001-04:00

The soon to be parents below:

I just wanted to let everyone know that my best girlfriend, Kelli and her hubby, Andy are pregnant....I am so excited for her and I know she is going to be the best mommy ever. I love you guys. Congratulations you guys, I love you guys!

My first bus tour, ALONE

2007-08-14T15:14:00.002-04:00

Well, not really alone but without G! I went on a bus tour with our friends, L & A to a city named, Aversa! The city is about 15 minutes or less from our home in Grigciano. The tour taught us how to use the bus system off base and how to get to the train station. Instead of catching a train, we toured Aversa. Aversa is a city with 100 churches compared to the 5000 in Naples! The city was super cute with many cafe's, tons of shopping, and very nice people. I had a polock (polish in Italian) breakfast dessert. It was delish. It's a croissant with cream cheese in it.

This alter in the church (San Paolo) is from the 11th century. The rest of the church is built around it but is still very beautiful.

One of original columns outside the church

the outside of the church.

This is the Mother's house inside the church. It is the Virgin Mary's room and it is said if you walk in it, your sin's are wiped clean. Inside the room is very small but has art all over the walls and a statue of the Virgin Mary.

This is just one of many churches I am sure I will send you but enjoy. Miss you all!

Naples

2007-08-14T14:16:00.000-04:00

Below are a few pictures from our "Naples in the Evening" bus tour. We went with a couple we met on the first day we arrived! Our new friends, Karl & Laura are newlyweds from VA. The tour was great. We caught a bus on base and then drove around downtown Naples and up to some mountainous scenic areas. It was super fun eating "Real" pizza from pizzerias and shopping up and down the alleys.

Laura and I outside the "mall" in downtown Naples

This is the view from the other side of the mall

Karl & Greg being goofballs in the square.

This is the mall, it is under renovation but there are four archway halls. This is from one side of the archways to the other.

This is Karl, Laura, me & Greg on one of the piers overlooking a bay.

This is Naples. If you look really hard at the center of the photo, you can see the futbol stadium (which holds 70K fans)

Greg & I overlooking Naples.

No doubt, this place is amazingly beautiful and full of history.

Please ignore the editing, spelling and any other errors. Remember, I am new at this blogging thing! :)

Love you all!

Our new kitten

2007-08-14T12:02:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, I had to leave my wonderful Frankie cat at home due to her being a little aged and us having a very long trip ahead of us, so, this is our new, playful bundle of joy, Talia (Tally). To tell you the truth, she is a little obnoxious and needy for attention but she is still the cutest little calico ever. She is the most playful kitten with tons of energy I have ever seen. She sleeps with us every night after playing with our feet under the covers, of course. Tally loves to get into the fridge, drawers, and shower when the doors are open. She loves little balls, mices and ribbon. She definitely keeps us on our toes....

First of many...

2007-08-14T11:16:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Chaney blog!! G and I thought starting a blog would be a the perfect way to keep all of our family and friends up to date on our travels and life here in Italy. Over the next few weeks I will try to post all of the recent events that have happened over the last couple of months....wedding, moving, etc. but eventually you can keep up with our travels through Europe and the start of our new life. Love to all!