Look at this girl.  Fresh-faced.  Pristine highlights.  A body untouched by stretch marks…a concave belly.  Ah…those were the days.  We found our long-lost honeymoon pictures.  We thought they were a casualty of the move, so I knew Vann had discovered a gem when he came running up the stairs to upload the memory card the other day.  This picture was taken in Florence.  Yeah, that’s Italy.  My darling hubby planned this amazing trip through some of Italy’s greatest cities: Rome, Florence, and Venice.  And let me tell you, it was amazing.  Looking back at these pics just confirmed to me how wonderful it was.  No one warned me how exhausted we’d be after the wedding…and EMOTIONAL.  Oh Lord, poor Vann – I burst into tears the second we checked into the Four Seasons our first night and didn’t stop crying for DAYS.  So embarking on an almost 3 week trip through the Italian countryside was a lot.  We almost wished we had just saved all that money and spent it on a beach house for 3 weeks – eating, sleeping, you know – not travelling to a new destination every few days, in and out of suitcases… But NOW, seeing our tired yet brand spankin’ NEW married faces: I am reminded how awesome it was to wander through these old cities – stumbling upon the tiniest restaurants where no one spoke English but the pasta was homemade and the wine was bottomless.  Our girls were just a glimmer in God’s eye at the time.  We were at the beginning of our journey together. I know.  He’s cute, right??  I’m pretty lucky.  I had to include this picture because when I was a cocktail waitress in Chicago I made more money than I’ve ever made in my life.  And what did I do with my hard-earned tips??  Walked into Saks and purchased a Dior bag that cost as much as my RENT at the time.  Responsible??  No.  Makes for a great story??  Of course!!  So, naturally, I had to pay homage to my introduction into the life of luxury handbags.  An ongoing love affair. How does 5 years go by so fast??  Life is just so weird.  I’m thankful for this little pre-kids reminder – makes me feel even more grateful for the little girls sleeping upstairs.