Row-Row-Row Your Boat....Guess Where?

Our cousins Nancy and Joe Lazzara have two wonderful kids, Jeremy and Jennifer (they are twins by-the-way) who are about to leave the nest and head off to college. Both were very active in sports and theater while in high school. Jeremy was a member the Rowing Crew. You know, one of those long skinny boat with two to five oarsmen that race on lakes and rivers, see Wikipedia link.

So...we are in Italy and we see these guys getting ready to put in and go for a late afternoon row. I immediately thought of Jeremy and how much he would have loved to join them. There they were, in a World Class City, near the City Centrale, with famous museums and cathedrals on each side of the river, doing what they love. It hardly gets any better than this and I wished for him to at least see it, so I took the pictures below.
Now...scroll through one picture at a time and see at what point you can identify the City we were in...don't cheat. If motivated, submit your answer and there will be some kind of award if correct....maybe. To quote myself..."I'll give you 20 bucks if..."

Get Ready!

Get Set!
Big Hint Famous Bridge in the background...

Go!
A closer Shot of the Famous Bridge

Ross and Spencer by the Famous Old Bridge.......got it?

If nobody gets it I will tell you next time........Ciao for now!

Pigeons on Laura

To say that we enjoyed our time in Italy would be an understatement to say the least. Of the many wonderful things that we did and saw, taking pictures of it all was one of the most enjoyable things for me. I love the art of it and, surprise...surprise, I love the technology of it...all those settings and options and dials to turn...I'm getting excited...where is my camera!

So...we are in St. Marks for the second time knowing that we will be feeding the pigeons and laughing our heads off just because some dumb bird is eating out of your hand...now remember, I am fully prepared to document the whole thing when I hear Bonnie and Laura busting a gut in laughter as these pigeons are walking all over Laura. On her hand...up her arm...across her chest and down her other arm. At first she was shocked but then just laughed and laughed. The boys went nuts and I took the great photos you see below.

For The Strength of Families

Mom and I just returned from The World Wide Leadership Training broadcast and were very heartened by what was taught. We learned that we needed to improve a few things...FHE being one of them. And we were affirmed in many principals that drove our days of young children and family life. It was so good to have been taught by our new Prophet, President Monson and to feel and see his love and desire for us as individuals and as families. We could sense his Divine call as the world's latter-day Prophet. For those of you who were at home caring for little-ones, President Monson summed up the Training with a challenge to improve three aspects of our family life.

They are:

1. Create a Pattern of Family Prayer. Fathers should take the lead here. It is your duty to organize a Home of Prayer...individual and family. He said that if we did this our families would "be given protection".

2. Create a Home of Learning. Bring in good books and other forms of study that our minds might grow and develop. Read to each other from the Scriptures.

3.Create a Legacy of Love. President Monson emphasized that it did not matter how one's family was structured, be it Traditional, Single Parent, Childless or Unmarried, we needed to have an abundance of love in our homes. Love for each other, Love for our fellow man, Love for the Gospel and Love for our Savior.

All Mom and I can say is "Right-On" and hope that you do not think we messed up raising you. But please know that we recognize that you are all doing a wonderful job at raising your beautiful families. You have truly taken it to the next level and we are so proud of all of you.

There is one thing you could do for us...and that is help us learn how to organize better FHEs in the senior Mattson home!

What's With This?

I always thought that a good epitaph would be, "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This." And it is a phrase that I often use to describe moments of my life that are extraordinary. It is my intent to share those moments with you on this blog until my epitaph is carved in stone.