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| Laura & Enzo on Promessa day |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lindsey & Scott on Promessa day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9:30 am
Scott: Oh for f*$%'s sake!
(Looking at the butchered capris with the crooked hems that used to be dress pants)
~~~~~~~~~~ rewind a couple hours to see what led to this ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday 7 am...
Me: Did you still need those pants hemmed for the Promessa? *
Scott: Yeah, I pulled up a website for you.
Me: Hmmm.... It says here "this is a very difficult stitch that should not be done without a lot of practice"
7:05 am
After practicing on a paper towel, decide to give it a go
7:30 am
Ripping out stitches
7:45 am
After practicing on a piece of printing paper, decide to try again. Feeling confident I can finish this, get myself and the girls ready, and pick up a little gift in time for the Promessa at noon.
9:30 am
Scott: Oh for...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and we're back to real time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9:45 am
Me: Okay girls, time to get beautiful for the Promessa!
Kylie: Yay, Promessa! We're having a big party for my birthday!
Me: Well, the Promessa is going to be a big party, but it's for Enzo & Laura because they're getting married!
Kylie: Yay, we will all have cake because I'm getting married!
Ava: Ruff ruff, I'm a puppy! Ruff Ruff!
(comes bounding up with her dress shoe in her mouth).
10:00 am
(Enzo rings our doorbell in his full suit, shiny shoes, and fresh haircut)
Me: Oh you look so handsome!**
Enzo: You are still coming, right?
Me: Of course!
(Enzo looks skeptically at me in my slept in clothes, un-showered hair, and Scott in his workout gear)
Enzo: Okay, well... see you at 11:00
(Scott runs frantically into the house to show Enzo the invitation stating a start time of 12)
Enzo: No, the ceremony is at 12 but the buffet is at 11
(A stream of profanities flows forth from my mouth, none of which is appropriate for a family blog. As it had already broken 105 degrees though, 'holy f-ing s$*%tty sweatballs' was prominently featured)
10:15 am
Valerio (at our gate): So you're still going to take all the pictures for the event, right? Of everyone arriving?
Kylie and Ava are still in diapers. Oh seven hells...
10:30 am
I am trying not to stab myself in the eye with eyeliner as I do my makeup in the car, going more than double the speed limit
11:00- 6:00 pm
An amazing string of dapper men wearing full suits in 115 degree weather... live music... an incredible lunch buffet that after my third plate I was informed was *not* in fact lunch, but just appetizers... happy old grandfathers slapping their knees/ clapping like in old-timey movies while all the kids danced... *actual* lunch which was a 9 course extravaganza of everything that is good in this world (or this country, at the very least)... sweet little grandmother types coming over and letting us know that whenever we wanted, they would be more than happy for our kids to come play at their house while we went exploring in Italy... amazing strangers-who-became-friends urging us to sell our house/ quit our jobs/ stay in Italy forever with them...
For all the strikes... the power outages... the water that turns ice cold midway through every shower... we are so incredibly blessed to be here. To find this family and be welcomed so easily into what has taken them generations to create.
Somehow through all the failures and stress and blunders and confusion, we've managed to ingratiate our family into a group of people welcome us with open arms, babysitting offers, bottles of wine, and then insists we're too skinny and need more cheese and gelato. It really is heaven :-)
*actual translation: Promessa di Matrimonio= promise of marriage aka engagement party
** as always, italics = translated Italian
7:30 am
Ripping out stitches
7:45 am
After practicing on a piece of printing paper, decide to try again. Feeling confident I can finish this, get myself and the girls ready, and pick up a little gift in time for the Promessa at noon.
9:30 am
Scott: Oh for...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and we're back to real time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9:45 am
Me: Okay girls, time to get beautiful for the Promessa!
Kylie: Yay, Promessa! We're having a big party for my birthday!
Me: Well, the Promessa is going to be a big party, but it's for Enzo & Laura because they're getting married!
Kylie: Yay, we will all have cake because I'm getting married!
Ava: Ruff ruff, I'm a puppy! Ruff Ruff!
(comes bounding up with her dress shoe in her mouth).
 |
| the puppies managed to get dressed eventually |
 |
| Seriously, how cute are they? |
(Enzo rings our doorbell in his full suit, shiny shoes, and fresh haircut)
Me: Oh you look so handsome!**
Enzo: You are still coming, right?
Me: Of course!
(Enzo looks skeptically at me in my slept in clothes, un-showered hair, and Scott in his workout gear)
Enzo: Okay, well... see you at 11:00
(Scott runs frantically into the house to show Enzo the invitation stating a start time of 12)
Enzo: No, the ceremony is at 12 but the buffet is at 11
(A stream of profanities flows forth from my mouth, none of which is appropriate for a family blog. As it had already broken 105 degrees though, 'holy f-ing s$*%tty sweatballs' was prominently featured)
 |
| Raffaela & Valerio. on one of the few days I was glad they spoke no english whatsoever |
Valerio (at our gate): So you're still going to take all the pictures for the event, right? Of everyone arriving?
Kylie and Ava are still in diapers. Oh seven hells...
10:30 am
I am trying not to stab myself in the eye with eyeliner as I do my makeup in the car, going more than double the speed limit
 |
| Turns out babies are a carte blanche and all non-makeup was forgiven |
11:00- 6:00 pm
An amazing string of dapper men wearing full suits in 115 degree weather... live music... an incredible lunch buffet that after my third plate I was informed was *not* in fact lunch, but just appetizers... happy old grandfathers slapping their knees/ clapping like in old-timey movies while all the kids danced... *actual* lunch which was a 9 course extravaganza of everything that is good in this world (or this country, at the very least)... sweet little grandmother types coming over and letting us know that whenever we wanted, they would be more than happy for our kids to come play at their house while we went exploring in Italy... amazing strangers-who-became-friends urging us to sell our house/ quit our jobs/ stay in Italy forever with them...
 |
| the clapping grandfathers |
For all the strikes... the power outages... the water that turns ice cold midway through every shower... we are so incredibly blessed to be here. To find this family and be welcomed so easily into what has taken them generations to create.
 |
| the amazing friends |
Somehow through all the failures and stress and blunders and confusion, we've managed to ingratiate our family into a group of people welcome us with open arms, babysitting offers, bottles of wine, and then insists we're too skinny and need more cheese and gelato. It really is heaven :-)
*actual translation: Promessa di Matrimonio= promise of marriage aka engagement party
** as always, italics = translated Italian
With this wonderful post, you are forgiven your absence. I know there are difficult moments but you depict a storybook adventure. Love you all. Barbara
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