Larson's In London: October 2014

Utah - October 2014

8:44 PM

We got our first taste of what visits to the States will be like. It was unfortunate that we had to rush home for Grandma Lucille's funeral but we are incredibly grateful to have been there with our family. We got to celebrate the life of a marvelously wonderful woman, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Thankfully, we had our goodbyes with Grandma Lucille in July before flying to London. Lucille always made us feel so loved. She always wanted to all about our life and was present for as many special occasions as possible. A darling and special woman to teach her love of the Savior, music and life to her children and grandchildren. I love that Taylor had her to look up to and that she welcomed me into the family so easily.

Manti, UT --- November 23, 2013

Until we meet again. ❤️

Flight to the US: We aren't good at travel yet. Might not ever get there. We can't have a true Larson travel experience without a major delay, lost baggage, missing a flight, etc etc. it just happens. At least now we have at least one terrible US Customs experience under our belt. And we know that a checked bag can be delivered pretty quickly to your home after it gets lost in Chicago.

I thought I had a lot more pictures from our time with the Larson Clan but I'm also not surprised to find two or three dozen pictures of my darling nephew :) Also, who doesn't love to see a handsome guy playing with a baby, pulling faces to make him smile?

Melts my heart.

These guys... Just wait until Ari is old enough to play sports. His uncles will go crazy.

My father-in-law took me on a Can Am ride up Cottonwood Canyon. Utah sure knows how to do fall colors.

We had a typical kooky time at dinner with the Gonzalez fam. Love those guys. My cousin Alivsi was in town visiting from Mexico so it was an extra special treat to see her and be in Utah for my sister's birthday!

After dinner, we got to be with my cousin as he was ordained as an elder and received the Melchezedek Priesthood. These are some great men.

And some wonderful women.

Until next time, Utah.

Italy

7:46 AM

Since I can remember, I wanted to go to Italy.

Then my husband's job brought us to London...only a 2 hour flight from the romantic cities I could only dream about. Let the adventures begin.

The Church of San Lorenzo. I was surprised at how many people there WEREN'T trying to get into this central church. Maybe because it sits on the edge of the shopping district and very plain on the outside but it was a steal of a deal for €4,50. It was amazing to see this spectacular ceiling and learning about the Medici family, many members of which are buried nearby. Not only is this beauty hundreds of years old but it houses some of Donatello's last work: two brass pulpits depicting Bible scenes of Christ's life. I wish we had known about it to get in with a tour and hear more about the history of a church consecrated in the 900's and rebuilt in the early 1400's. The history is mind-blowing.

Sneaky pics. Shhh don't tell.

Outside the church, just two girls, ecstatic about being in Florence!

Entering a massive leather market.

We received a recommendation to see the Michelangelo viewpoint at night by our host at the hostel. I don't think we were rested enough to grasp what she was talking about. We napped for a couple hours and got up, braved the rain like the inner Alaskan girls we are and headed to the other side of town. It was a lovely walk and even though carousels freak me out, this one was enchanting.

Museum-on-the-go. This is in the same square as the church and fountain below. Never figured out which square we were in. I'm telling you, we played hard without resting hard so I was too tired to remember to memorize this stuff.

So many naked men statues...

We came to these stairs and almost turned around. We couldn't see an end and we were soooo tired and had walked for an hour just to get here. But we powered through even though one of us was insanely grouchy about it. ;)

Getting to the top was worth it!!! It really wasn't a terribly strenuous staircase up but it sure felt like it before the view made us forget how much our feet hurt and how heavy our eyelids felt.

Walking back to the hostel, we purposely walked a little further to not cross the Old Bridge so we could,get a picture of it at night.

The more appropriate side of the David. It was surreal to behold this in real life. So much bigger than I thought it would be but breath-takingly life-like. Someone had pointed out the veins in his arms and feet and how perfectly real it makes the David seem. We waited in line for 2 hours to get in and it was completely worth it.

Duomo. Most beautiful exterior in all of Florence.

We got the universal ticket to get into the museum, church, tower and dome but I had to fly home to London in the evening to get home to Utah for Grandma Lucille's funeral so we prioritized: go to the highest height! There are tiny baby windows all along the winding staircases that seem to last FOREVER. But the sneak peaks of the views give you the extra boost to keep going when the stairs don't end and the heat starts getting to you.

Inside the Duomo on the first level of the this inner balcony type thing gives a very short respite from the stairs.

I'm obsessed with stained glass. I took the picture of the dome and then turned in place (it's a super tiny space where you have to walk) to get this picture of the window.