Kaitlynn's Fall Updates

Believe it or not, Kaitlynn's fall routine was even more hectic and busy than Connor's. She was involved with school cheer, volleyball, basketball, and competitive cheer, and her packed schedule kept the chauffeurs of the house on our toes. Amidst her chaotic fall season, she was going through a tremendous growth spurt and turning into such a beautiful young woman. Before we knew it, it was time for another "book test" and sure enough, this time I failed! I am officially the shortest Courtright in our house now, yikes!

As a parent, you can always tell when your kid is hitting a growth spurt by their appetite, and Kaitlynn was no exception to this rule. That girl can put away some pizza for sure, and she loves having her daddy-daughter time with Jeff because she can always sweet talk him into some yummy treats and eats. They also snuck in a pedicure together before we left for Italy, too cute! 

By far, Kaitlynn's favorite pastime is hanging out with her sweet friends. She loves any opportunity to get together with her crew, and she's so lucky to have so many diverse friend groups across all her various activities. 

As with any other school year, Kaitlynn managed to catch a bug of some sort and was really sick with fever and vomiting. Apparently, flu was running rampant around our area because so many other families were sick at the same time. The doctor's offices were all booked and I wanted to make sure we didn't spread any bad illness, so I figured we'd take Kaitlynn to urgent care for a quick flu test. And this was the time I learned that a freestanding ER clinic is NOT the same thing as a regular urgent care. $$$$ Translation: don't go to any type of ER facility unless it truly is an emergency!! Luckily, Kaitlynn didn't have the flu and was able to resume her hectic fall schedule in a few days.

Connor's Fall Updates

After returning from our Italian adventures, we jumped right back into the swing of things with our busy fall routine. With a full course load of AP classes and fall/school baseball, Connor's 11th grade year was keeping him busy and exhausted!

Most Sundays in the fall, he could be found hanging out with Marie and their various adventures together. From Texans games to local restaurants to shopping at the mall, they always tried to make time for each other amidst their busy schedules. 

It was often hard for them to carve out time together because they both kept such busy schedules. Marie was cast as the March Hare in the fall performance of Alice in Wonderland, and we all jumped at the chance to attend the play and see Marie in her element. She is SO talented!

In early October, these two celebrated their official 1-year anniversary as a couple. They dressed up and went out for a nice dinner and exchanged some meaningful gifts. What a wonderful relationship milestone for this sweet and photogenic couple!

One Night in Florence

After our amazing visit to Venice, we boarded another train for our last destination in Italy: Florence. We didn't know much about this city but had heard it was a favorite stop for the beauty and culture of the city. By this point in our trip, Jeff and I were exhausted from our nonstop travels and tours, and my feet were blistered and sore from the miles of walking we had been doing from city to city. We checked in to another fabulous hotel, Westin Excelsior, right in the heart of Florence and walking distance to some of the more popular tourist spots. We dropped our bags in our room and then set off on foot to grab some lunch and explore. We ended up walking near the Piazza della Signoria where we saw a replica of the David and the fountain of Neptune, along with other beautiful sculptures and historical museums. It was another beautiful day to experience the beauty and history of such an amazing city, including some selfies of us in front of the famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio. My favorite part of our exploration were the street vendors selling their wares, including nice leather goods and beautiful local artistry. Florence was quite charming and we walked until we couldn't walk anymore. To end the day, we went up to our rooftop hotel for some drinks and a gorgeous view of the city. What a fun, exhausting day!

We only had only booked a single night's stay in Florence, but we were excited for another full day ahead to venture out before catching a final train back to Rome for our flight the following morning. After another amazing breakfast in our hotel, I was convinced the croissants were all a person really needed to eat in life. Ha! Before setting out for the day, it was time for our new daily ritual of bandaging my screaming feet. The hours of daily walking was really catching up to me, and my toes were covered in blisters. Thank goodness Jeff had packed an entire box of band-aids; by the end of our trip, that box was completely empty!

Sufficiently bandaged, we set out on a beautiful morning and discovered what appeared to be a vintage car show of sorts in the square right outside our hotel. Upon closer look, many of the old cars were classic Fiats - reminding me of the old red Fiat convertible that my Dad drove way back in the day. We had fun exploring the cars and then walked for miles along the quiet streets, just taking in the sights. I loved seeing the old architecture, especially the ornate doorways, that seemed to line the streets and every old building we walked past. We made our way toward the Piazza di Santa Croce, stopping at a beautiful street cafe to enjoy some lunch and relax. 

By the time we arrived in Florence, Jeff and I had decided that we were "toured out" and really didn't want to attend any more museum or building tours. That meant we would miss some of the more popular tourist spots in Florence, but we decided to book a different type of tour instead - a city tour by golf cart. Now that was comforting news for my screaming feet, ha! In the afternoon of our 2nd day in Florence, we met up with a tour guide and he drove us in the golf cart all around the city of Florence. It was exactly what we needed for our final day of touring, and it was such a relaxing way to take in the sights on this beautiful day. He drove us up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for the most stunning view of the city, and it was the perfect way to conclude our adventures in Florence.

Sadly, after the golf cart tour we had to catch a train back to Rome for our flight the following morning. It had been a whirlwind Italian adventure, and we were so thankful to have been able to pack in such incredible experiences for this bucket list trip of a lifetime. Arrivederci, Italia! Eri Bellissima!

Our Visit to Venice

On our 4th day in Italy, Jeff and I packed up and made our way to the train station for the next leg of our journey. We were proud of ourselves for packing light for the entire trip - carry on luggage only! - which made our travel much easier. We took a train from Rome to Venice, which was supposed to be a 5 hour train ride, but with delays we ended up traveling for most of the daylight hours. It was a bummer to lose a few hours but we were so excited when we finally arrived.

When we exited the train station, we had to take a water taxi to get to our hotel. It was pretty dark by this point, but we were still able to see the beautiful Venice seascape in the 5-minute boat ride to our hotel. It was so enchanting! Arriving at the beautiful St. Regis, we were impressed with the gorgeous hotel and super swanky setting. Our hotel suite was incredible! I had cashed in some of my Marriott points for our stay, and it was by far the fanciest hotel experience I've ever had. Such a fun introduction to Venice, and I couldn't wait to see more!

Even though it was dark, Jeff and I set out to find some dinner and soon found ourselves amidst a maze of narrow canals in the heart of Venice. It was so dark and became incredibly confusing trying to find our way around, but we were able to find some dinner and get a sneak peek of the Venice landscape. One of the funny things about the city of Venice is that the narrow alleyways with tall buildings on either side made it tough for Jeff to find his bearings. I was the designated navigator as we explored through the alleys until he figured out how to turn himself around, ha!

The next morning, we enjoyed an amazing breakfast buffet right outside on the canals of Venice. The weather was slightly chilly but gorgeous, and the breakfast was delicious with a picturesque patio setting. One thing I was starting to notice about Italian food - while I didn't find much difference in the food overall, the croissants were noticeably better and so much more delicious than back home! After breakfast we set out extra early to explore before our scheduled city tour, and it didn't take long before I felt completely mesmerized with this unique city. The narrow alleyways, the canals with gondolas, the historic architecture of the buildings lining the waterways... it was unlike any other place I've visited. On the quiet morning, it felt like we had the city to ourselves and I just fell in love! 

When it was time for our scheduled tour, we met up with the group and were excited for the day ahead. Jeff had booked us a full-day tour of Venice - almost 8 hours - and it ended up being our favorite tour during our entire visit to Italy. The tour guide was a wealth of knowledge about Venetian history, and he walked us through the streets of Venice, giving us unique insights about the past and present of this beautiful city. I couldn't help but snap picture after picture because I was so enthralled!

After a couple of hours exploring the city, it was time for the highlight of the tour - a private gondola ride down the canals of Venice. This turned out to be my absolute favorite moment of our entire trip. It really is as special and romantic as it seems on TV! The gondoliers are so skilled and it's fascinating to see how they work to navigate the overhead bridges and tight canal turns. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather for this quintessential Venetian experience. Truly a perfect memory that I will always cherish!

After our gondola ride, our tour group was given a couple hours to explore the city on our own and grab some lunch. We enjoyed some food and gelato and then ended up at St. Mark's Square to rejoin the tour. We then were taken inside St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace for an extensive guided tour, and admittedly it was information overload by the end of the afternoon. One of Jeff's favorite moments was inside St. Mark's where he was able to light a candle for his sweet mom, such a special gesture!

Needless to say, we were pooped by the end of the afternoon. It had been the best day exploring this unique city, and I had fallen completely in love with the allure and charm of Venice. We were able to do some early Christmas shopping and enjoy one final dinner before retiring to our hotel for the night. After another beautiful breakfast overlooking the water and a stunning sunrise, we boarded a water taxi and said farewell to Venice as we made our way to the train station for the next and final chapter of our Italian adventure.