Photo Time

Just a few links for you!

First, you can find Joe and Gretchen's photos from Italy here.

And you can find pix from my marathon in Indianapolis on October 18 here. It would appear from this set of photos that Matt comes by his usual pose for photos quite naturally.

Love to you all.

Dining in Italy

As you all know, we celebrated Joe’s 55th Birthday at the Villa in style. Pictures cannot capture it all, but we did sing to him (in Italian) with the help of our chef, Luciano. Please join in, you know the tune :

Buon compleanno a te
Buon compleanno a te
Buon compleanno a Giuseppe
Buon compleanno a te


Marge volunteered to be the chief cook at the villa and came up with some fantastic dishes, despite being challenged by the labels on the spices (all in Italian) and some unusual utensils. We loved it all. This is a fritatta that was incredible!

We didn’t get photos of all the food, but believe me, it was fantastic.

Back from Italy!

The Great Italy Trip of '08 is now complete (with the exception of the Deans, who will continue their Italian wanderings for another few weeks.) It was a wonderful, amazing and unforgettable trip for all! I am sure we'll all post thoughts, recaps and Shutterfly links over the days to come, but for now here is a quick shot Dan took outside our villa, and another of the wonderful, narrow cobblestone streets of Lucca where we spent many an hour over the past week. I'm still pretty jetlagged but wanted to say hello to all - it was a wonderful, wonderful trip!

Under the Tuscan Sun

Certain senior members of the Ely clan are headed to sunny Italy this week as we gather at the Villa Del Barbaro near Lucca. We've been looking forward to this trip for so long, it's hard to believe it's almost here! We'll post updates on location if we can get online. In the meantime, take care, everyone!

How Twins Sleep

About once a month, Gretchen and I have Nathan, Drew and Berneice overnight. It gives D&S a night out and we get to be with the kids.

Last night was one such night. About an hour after the kids all fell asleep, we tiptoed into our (old) family room where N&D were sleeping in a double bed.

The two of them are so close, they really enjoy being physically close to each other. Even in sleep. As G puts it "They breathe each others' air."

Enjoy.

Quick update on Andrew

Andrew came home from the hospital yesterday, and is now recovering at home. He was looking looking forward to some fresh air, sunshine, and life returning to normal. He sounded better on the phone then he has in weeks.

Guy's Afternoon Out

This weekend, a vintage B-17 visited the Purdue Airport, open for tours and taking people (with money!) for rides.

On a picture-perfect Sunday afternoon, David and I took Drew and Nathan out to see the plane. It was quite an amazing sight for the boys; a very cool restoration for David and me to enjoy.

And, a great backdrop for photos.

Drew is in the dark blue, Nathan in the light.

It was an awesome couple of hours. Enjoy the pix!