My baby girl was 35 years old on February 19th!

My baby girl has her sweet little family... I can hardly believe she's 35 years old!  

 Lindsey is our baby...our 3rd child...our only daughter.

 She grew up with two older brothers, Joshua and Gabrial

who loved her and dealt her misery at times!

 I don't know if she would agree, but I think she would, that she adored her older brothers.

She loved her Mimi...although I don't know how much she remembers.

Her Mimi loved her, being the first great granddaughter.

 Her Saddie and her Uncle John loved her...

she was the first granddaughter...the first niece...

 I loved having a baby girl....I loved making her dresses...

dolling her up..

only to have her tell me when she got a little older, how much she hated dresses and hated bonnets, which I would alway put on her!

Lindsey has always loved learning...and she still does!

I love her....love the person she has grown to be...love watching her as a mother...

I love my baby girl...and can hardly believe she's now 35 years old!

Happy belated Birthday, Lindsey!

(I was in Colorado the week of February 19th...so this is late!)

December 30...we fly back to London from Rome

 

 Thalia and her Papa on the flight back to London from Rome.  These first two pictures should actually be at the bottom of this post...but ....

 We woke up, got packed, and took off to walk around our area of Rome before our driver came.

Joshua and Thalia ate breakfast here, where we had eaten before.

 Ron and I took off and headed back toward Piazza Navona.

 European streets...I just love them.

So narrow with so much happening on them!  In Rome, they're all cobblestones.

 We walked into another church...just a small church in a piazza close to our apartment..

and look inside!

 Piazza Navonna was filled with street performers.

We stopped and watched awhile.

 This guy was great!  He wasn't really walking, but was standing in this stance.

 Ron had to have one last gelato...

 We met back at our apartment to wait for our driver.  I took a few pictures of the inside.

This apartment was in an absolute perfect location...

We walked everywhere...never took any transport, except to get back to the airport.

Rome...Joshua made a statement that was just so true..which I hadn't thought about.

He said that no matter where we were, it always looked like Rome!

In London, there are the iconic places, but there are neighborhoods that could be anywhere.  In Rome, it all was old...stone....cobblestone streets.

We loved it!

December 29 at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum!

 We walked everywhere!  I had been referring a lot to Rick Steve's guidebook.  He recommended buying the Roma Pass which gives discounts on some of the sites, and free rides on the public transport.  Well, we never rode the public transport, so I'm so glad I didn't buy the Roma Pass!  I LOVE walking the streets...seeing the everyday people of Rome and how they live.  We got to the Colosseum...it's amazing!

 This arch was leading into the Roman Forum...which is right next to the Colosseum.

 

 Inside the Colosseum, you can see what WAS beneath the floor.  This area is where they kept the animals and prisoners...

 You need to remember, this was built in 79 AD...yep, that's correct, 79 AD.

 The Colosseum is amazing to me!

To think how long it's been standing...

how well it was built to still be standing...

If I remember correctly, this would seat 50,000 people.  Imagine that many people sitting in here screaming and cheering for the prisoners/beasts who fought here!

 My baby girl was a little chilly...

she was warm against this brick with the sun shining on her!

 There is definite renovation going on..

which I personally don't like!

 This is looking down into the area that was under the floor.  The floor is now non-existant..

 The perfect arches, the alignment of the openings...

and it was built in 79 AD?

 Good example of the renovations...I don't like it~

 See this white flooring?  That's been added since last time I was here.  You can go down there IF you have a paid guide. 

 LOVE THIS!

 A possible painting??

 After the Colosseum, we started looking for some lunch...it was a late lunch.  We found this pub that was empty, but so good!  This tree was hanging upside down inside!

 Leaving the pub, we had to walk back by the Colosseum.  Look at this renovation!  UCK!

 This was in the Roman Forum...

or 

the Roman ruins...

 Looking back at the Colosseum...

 Vestal Virgins temple...or the ruins of it!

 Flowers on Julius Cesear's grave!  Some say he was cremated, but this was also the site of the Temple of Casear.

 Statue of Romulus and Remus

According to Roman Mythology, these twin brothers were the founders of Rome!

 Joshua...posing!

Oh my gosh, Joshua is so much fun to travel with!

At the end of the day....

gelatto...

lots of gelatto!

What a great day this was!