Here physically..

We are back. Still recovering from travels but back nonetheless. Both of us were so very excited to see our babies, included the four-legged furry one but sad that our trip had come to an end. It was an amazing anniversary celebration. I'll have to get back with all the details and pictures...which might not happen until this weekend or later, still catching up on the daily ritual of life. In a quick summary, it was a whirlwind tour through Spain, Malta, Italy and France filled with lots of wonderful sights, fabulous foods and memories that we will hold dear forever.

While we missed the girls dearly, the time that we had to focus on us was just what the doctor ordered. The daily grind often leaves us with little time to relish in the importance of our relationship, so it's this special time away that puts it all back into perspective and allows us to gain a greater appreciation and forge the connection that began 15 years ago. We are blessed with family close enough by that we are allowed the opportunity to escape throughout the year. Usually not for this long, but this was a special occasion and something we probably won't do for another 5 years or so.

The grandparents kept Emma and Camryn fully occupied while we were gone, with trips to the zoo, Uncle Wilbur's fountain, bookstore and lots of swimming. They barely had time to miss us. Any time I got sad and felt the least bit guilty about leaving them for the longest period of time thus far, I reminded myself that they too were building precious memories with their grandparents. I know I look back fondly on the summer weeks that were spent with my own grandparents and look forward to the girls having the same type of recollection. Thanks to Nanna, Pappa, Grammy and Papa Mike for taking on the tiring task of chasing our munchkins around while we were away!

Check back later for more - Ciao for now!